《Celestial Era: The Rise of the Full-Time Enhancer》


 Chapter ?1 The Arrival

    ''A shooting star¡­''


    As I was about to close the window of my room, I saw a streak of light in the night sky and as amon practice when I was still a child, I made a simple wish.


    "Hmm?"


    I thought that nothing unexpected will happen this night, however, the shooting star seem to be getting bigger and bigger as I worriedly came out of the house.


    ''This is bad¡­''


    I realized that a meteorite is getting closer to my farm!


    I immediately checked the surroundings to see if my neighbors or anyone else is seeing this.


    Then, I saw a silhouette of a young child still on my farm.


    "Not good! Get away from there!"


    I shouted at the top of my lungs as I instinctively run over to get the child away from there.


    ********


    "H-hey... Are you still alive? We''re only ying, right? Vincent?"


    "Ahh! Look! He''s breathing again!"


    "Whoa! Praise the Goddess! Hey! Millie, stop! Don''t call Aunt Emma! He''s alive! My prayer was effective!"


    "Come here, Millie. Haha! I told you, my Silent Toad Fist Technique is powerful! He went unconscious for a while¡­ I should really trust my father and train the other techniques too."


    "No! My prayer is more powerful! It can bring back the dead!"


    Four children around the age of five to seven years old gathered around the unconscious kid who seem to be their ymate.


    "Can you try waking him up?"


    "He must be tired¡­ As long as he''s breathing, he should be just fine."


    "Let''s just buy him two-No, three leafy candy from Uncle Eric¡­"


    They all seem happy and relieved upon seeing their friend breathe again.


    On the other hand, the said kid opened his eyes and looked at the unfamiliar faces.


    ''W-what? Who are these kids? Ugh¡­ My chest.'' He suddenly felt a stinging pain in his body as he clutched his chest in hurry. Luckily, it wasn''t unbearable so he shouldn''t be in a critical condition¡­


    ''What happened to that child? And that meteorite¡­ Tsk. I''m not even in a hospital¡­''


    He''s so confused right now seeing unfamiliar faces and surroundings.


    He has no idea who these four kids are and there is even another one who seemed to be hurrying here.


    "What? He''s really alive¡­ I almost called Aunt Emma. Vincent! You scared me there!" The fifth kid said while panting. She was out of breath as she hurriedly ran over here.


    "I''m not Vincent. What''s going on¡ªAack!"


    Suddenly, he felt another pain in his head as the memories of the original owner of the body came rushing to his mind.


    It took him over a minute to calm down as the five children started panicking again.


    "I told you¡­ You shouldn''t have hit him too much."


    "W-what? You''re the one who said we should just fight it out."


    "Hmph!"


    "Keep quiet! We should bring Vincent to Aunt Emma. He still needs to get treated."


    "N-no! I''m fine. I just want to go home." Vincent, who was previously clutching his head due to pain, said in a tired voice.


    "A-are you sure?" The kid who hit him with his so-called Fist Technique asked worriedly. It seems that he''s afraid that he would inform his parents about this.


    "Yeah¡­ I just want to go home. I won''t inform anyone about this. Just do the same."<sub> </sub>


    Vincent answered with a sigh. Fortunately, he easily convinced the children as they also don''t want to be scolded by their parents.


    The child who punched Vincent apologized in the end and even offered to teach the Fist Technique in exchange.


    But Vincent just wanted to get away from here and return to his room. He''s too confused and he just wanted to fulfill the urge of his body right now. Aside from that, he''s bad at dealing with other people, especially with children.


    "L-let me help you¡­" One of the kids called Millie decided to stay and help him.


    "You--Fine¡­" Vincent replied as he smiled helplessly.


    Apparently, he wanted to refuse her help but it seems that the original owner of this body had a crush on this child and his soul hasn''tpletely dissipated yet.


    ''Ugh¡­ I don''t know anymore¡­ I need to take a rest first.''


    Vincent doesn''t want to think too much as his head is still hurting. He''ll figure this out once he had fully rested and organized his thoughts.


    As soon as he returned home with Millie''s help. He realized that his grandfather wasn''t here yet and he was most likely still hunting for their dinnerter.


    Based on the memories forcefully injected into his mind, his grandfather is about 80 years old but still quite capable of hunting even a wild boar. This world seems to be a lot different from what he was used to.


    After reassuring Millie that he was fine and wanted to rest, she finally left him alone.


    "Mhmm¡­ I really transmigrated, huh¡­"


    Vincent looked around the small wooden house before looking at his hands and feet.


    He was a 25-year-old farmer from Earth and most likely died after trying to save someone from a meteorite¡­


    ''Right, that kid that I tried saving¡­ I wonder what happened. Did we die together? Hmmm¡­ But, why is there a child in the middle of my farm anyway¡­ Ahh! Isn''t that the new scarecrow that Uncle Jan brought¡­ Crap. Did I just die for nothing?''


    After recalling the new scarecrow ced by his uncle on his farm, he couldn''t help but feel aggrieved with what happened to him. But at the very least, he somehow managed to transmigrate and have the body of this child.


    This child''s name was simply Vincent and he has no surname.


    He is a 6-year-old kid who doesn''t seem to have any talent at all.


    He was raised by his grandfather in this remote region and he''spletely unaware of anything outside this vige. Well, it''s probably normal considering he''s too young and that there are chances they''ll encounter some savage beasts once they stepped out of the vige.


    "Now, what¡­"


    Vincent knows that there should be some purpose or reason why he was sent here. But Vincent is just a normal kid with an abnormal grandfather raising him.


    Well, abnormal is the closest term he can define him. Vincent knows that his grandfather is different since he had already seen various old men within the vige and they weren''t as capable as his grandfather.


    ''Hmmm¡­ That''s weird, this kid doesn''t seem to have any talent or secrets¡­ Haa~ Perhaps, it''s something to do with my grandpa?''


    He no longer has anything in his memories that could make this kid special so he could only make a guess.


    "Ahh! Wait!"


    As he was browsing Vincent''s memories, he realized that he actually has a ne given to him by his grandfather when he celebrated his 5th birthday. He was told that it was from his parents and he treasured it a lot¡­


    ''Here¡­''


    He immediately checked the ne he was wearing. It is just a simple string with a gray stone as its pendant¡­


    ''Eh?''


    He was suddenly confused since based on his memories, it should be a dark blue stone. However, it actually turned gray!


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    The surprise wasn''t over yet as the small stone started crumbling into pieces before it turned into ashes.


    Ding!


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully assimted with the Item Awakening System. ]


    [ You have gained ess to the First Stage of the Awakening Sequence, the Item Enhancement. ]

 Chapter 2 Enhancement

    Vincent had no time toment the fact that his ne turned into ashes. The appearance of the floating notification window brought him joy as he couldn''t wait to explore it.


    ''A system! I knew it¡­ There should be something special for me.''


    The screen that appeared in front of him was something that he had seen in the online games he had yed before.


    He was, of course, curious about how this thing works but him being transmigrated here is already something he couldn''t imagine.


    [ Awakening Sequence - First Stage ]


    [ Item Enhancement Lv1 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Enhancement Stones to upgrade the item they are holding ]


    [ Enhancement EXP: 0/5000 ]


    "Ahhh¡­ It''s really like a game."


    Vincent muttered as he found this quite familiar. In some games he yed, there are indeed enhancement stones but with different names, like Moonstone, Elemental Stones, Fine Burr, Gemstones, and many others¡­


    However, the part about Mana being used for enhancement was quite new to him when ites to enhancements¡­


    "So Mana does exist in this world¡­" Vincent muttered to himself.


    As he understands, Mana is an attribute that exists to utilize magic power or abilities. Though he''s unsure how it works within this world, it shouldn''t be that far from his guess.


    Anyway, he had already surmised that he had transmigrated to a different Earth or considering the existence of Savage Beasts that are not existing in his previous world.


    Those Savage Beasts weren''t even the strongest creatures out there and his Grandfather had briefly mentioned the existence of Mythical Creatures and Magic Beasts too.


    Well, he''s unsure whether it was mentioned just to scare him from going out but there must be some truth to it.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s it?"


    Five minutes after the appearance of the Awakening System, he discovered that it indeed only has a single function right now, the Item Enhancement¡­


    "Very well, let''s see how this works."


    Since his grandpa wasn''t here yet, he might as well explore the new skill he obtained.


    He looked around the house to find what item he could try to enhance so he can trigger the effect of his newfound ability.


    "That worn-out knife should do it¡­"


    Vincent found the knife that his grandfather was using but it''s currently ced above the water jug in their small kitchen¡­


    He can''t reach it with his height so he quickly took a chair that he could use. But as soon as he held the chair, he saw the notification from the system.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    He was also given options on the screen, Yes or No.


    But instead of selecting one of the two, he decided to unhand the chair.


    The notification disappeared.


    "This is interesting¡­"


    He then held the chair again and as expected, the notification appeared.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    He experimented for a while to see the limit of this system.


    After a while, he concluded that only his hands, specifically his palms, can trigger the notification window.


    Well, he tried using his elbow, feet, nose, and other parts of his body but it didn''t work.


    ''Then it makes sense that I''m not getting notification from my shirt¡­'' He thought.


    Apparently, he tried touching his shirt as well and only that time did he receive a notification.<sub> </sub>


    "Alright, time to test it with this shirt¡­"


    Vincent muttered as he took his only decent shirt from his room. He decided not to take the knife since he realized that there might be some visible changes to it once he enhances it. His grandfather would surely ask him about it and it might not be a good idea to inform him about his secret this early.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    "Yes."


    As soon as he answered, he felt something leave his body¡­ and he passed out after.


    However, before he fully lost his consciousness, he heard the sound of several notifications appearing in front of him.


    ***


    "Urgh¡­ What happened?"


    Vincent opened his eyes and although he passed out and slept for a while, he still felt a little bit tired for some reason.


    Soon, he noticed the multiple notifications from his system. Because he didn''t check them out immediately, it seems that they have minimized themselves in the corner of his vision and as he focused his eyes on them, they were immediately maximized for him to see clearly.


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    [ Dirty Wool Shirt + 1 ]


    This is the first notification he saw. He didn''t mind the system calling his newly washed shirt being "dirty" at all.


    "It was sessful. I thought it failed since I fainted¡­ But would that happen every time I enhance an item? Isn''t that too inconvenient?"


    Vincent frowned for a moment as he checked the other notifications.


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully enhanced your first item. ]


    [ You have obtained the Basic Item Appraisal Ability ]


    [ Basic Item Appraisal: In exchange for a few units of mana, you can identify the basic status of an item.


    Cost: 2 units of mana per usage ]


    "Appraisal! Now, this is a lot better. So passing out has benefits, huh¡­" Vincent now felt a lot better seeing the new function of his system. However, he doesn''t even know how much mana he has.


    He then continued to check thest notification he had. Luckily, it answered his concern just now.


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully used your Mana. ]


    [ You have obtained your own Basic Status window. ]


    ''My Status window?''


    As soon as Vincent said this in his mind, his basic status indeed appeared.


    [ Name: Vincent ]


    [ Age: 6 years old ]


    [ Mana: 0.01/1 ]


    Perhaps because it is indeed the Basic Status, there are only three lines in his character window.


    ''This pitiful mana¡­ Is this why I passed out?'' Vincent thought for a moment.


    Nevertheless, he also noticed that he could change the name written on it if he willed his mind. He tried it a few times but he ced his name back after trying it out.


    It''s quite interesting but he decided to keep his name as is since there''s nothing to gain from it. He will be living as Vincent from now on after all.


    nk¡­ nk¡­


    The door of the house suddenly unlocked as his grandfather arrived with their dinner in his bag.

 Chapter 3 Dinner

    "Vincent! Come here! Help me clean this¡­ Remove its feathers while I start a fire."


    His grandfather suddenly called out as soon as he entered the house. He brought what seem like a pheasant which is more than enough for the two.


    Of course, this is not just what he hunted for the whole day, the others were definitely sold to their neighbors or were traded for some condiments or vegetables that they grow.


    This is the simple life they have been living within this vige. It is quite simr to his farm life when he was still on Earth. However, what this ceck is entertainment. No gadgets, no TV, or even radio.


    Most of the people who grew up here would just marry their neighbors as they live the same kind of life in the next generations. If bored, they will just make more children so the vige can be lively again.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    As soon as he touched the dead pheasant, he got the notification again. Of course, he decided to refuse it this time and continued with his work.


    ''So a dead creature is considered an Item and thus, it can be enhanced¡­ Hmm¡­ It''s good to know but it''s probably going to be useless.''


    After cleaning it, he noticed that the fire was ready as he helped his grandfather cook their dinner.


    Just like any 80-year-old man, his grandfather already seemed weak if he just based it on his appearance. He''s even using a cane to help him walk¡­ which is probably what he uses as well to hunt for some tasty food.


    ''This smells so good¡­''  The rich vor of the soup they were making wafted throughout the whole house as Vincent''s stomach started grumbling.


    "Oh~ Are you that hungry? Sorry, I was a bitte since this thing was a bit harder to catch now that I''m getting older."


    His grandfather said as he gave a bowl of soup filled with the tender meat to Vincent.


    Vincent only nodded to his grandpa as he immediately wolfed down his food. He couldn''t wait to eat his fill.


    As soon as he had a bite, he finally realized how lucky Vincent was!


    ''What''s going on?! I''ve never tasted anything like this! So good!''


    Even when he was on Earth, he had never tasted anything that could reach even half of the deliciousness this dish has.


    He immediately emptied his bowl and have another.


    "Grandpa Raizen! Please let us have some¡­ Here, we got you some bread and butter¡­ You can have it tomorrow morning before you start working again."


    ra, their neighbor working as a teacher in the vige, had most likely gotten a whiff of their soup''s savory aroma and immediately visited here.


    His Grandpa Raizen did not reject their offer and gave them a couple of bowls of soup. Anyway, their neighbors were also taking care of Vincent whenever his grandfather is hunting, and from time to time, they''ve been feeding him as well.


    "I feel energized!"


    Vincent felt satisfied with their dinner as he noticed that his body was refreshed.


    He then thought of checking out his Basic Status as he suddenly had a hunch¡­


    ''I was right¡­''


    [ Name: Vincent ]


    [ Age: 6 years old ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Mana: 1/1 ]


    His previously 0.1 Unit of Mana was gone as it has been filled!


    It was only a single meal and his Mana has recovered thanks to the meal! Of course, he knows that 1 unit of mana is low so it''s probably easily filled, however, this made him realize a few things about thew of this world.


    He then checked his Item Enhancement Skill.


    [ Item Enhancement Lv1 ]


    [ Enhancement Exp: 1/5000 ]


    ''I gained an experience!'' Although it''s one point, it''s still progress!''


    "Vincent, you have a ss tomorrow morning¡­ After you clean up, you have to sleep early. There are some leftovers from the soup and I''ll reheat it before I leave to hunt so you have to eat before attending your ss, alright?"


    "Yes, Grandpa! But, may I know what kind of animal did you catch today? It''s really delicious."


    Vincent asked. He wanted to start learning about this world and he had to begin with his grandfather.


    After all, teacher ra only teaches basic writing and reading aside from telling some children stories in between. There''s no way he could change the topic of the ss just for him to learn about the situation outside the vige.


    This is why he nned to start asking simple questions to his Grandpa until he learned a lot of things about this world.


    "Hoho~ So you''re bing interested now, huh¡­ That one is just wildfowl, Vincent... Though it''s probably well-fed as it grew up in a good environment so it has a very rich vor when cooked."


    "J-just a wildfowl, huh. I understand. Can you catch them again, grandpa?"


    The six-year-old child did his best to act adorable as he made a request. Well, there are probably other animals that can fill his mana but he wanted to try it once more just to make sure that they weren''t just lucky today.


    He wanted to know whether all these wildfowls can really fill his mana or if this is just a one-time thing.


    "Huh? This is the first time you requested something, my dear¡­ Of course, I''ll go catch one for you!"


    Luckily, his grandfather doted on him and immediately agreed to his request.


    Three months quickly passed as Vincent continued exploring the limits of his system.


    ? During the past three months, however, he never had a chance to use his Item Appraisal Skill.


    [ You have insufficient Mana to appraise the item. ]


    This is the notification he has been receiving over the past three months. Unfortunately, there is nothing he could do about it.


    His mana has never changed from being 1.0 at all. Although the wildfowl can refill his mana, it can''t increase the limit of his mana.


    He had even guided his conversations with his grandfather so thetter will discuss some things rted to mana.


    But he was out of luck as his grandfather would just say that he was too young and will just get hurt.


    "Oh, my dear. If you want to be like your grandfather, you can wait until you''re seven and we''ll see if you''re suitable for it or not. For now, you need to learn everything that Miss ra teaches you." is what he would always say to avoid the topic.

 Chapter 4 Danger

    Vincent can''t do anything about this since he''s still a small child in his grandfather''s eyes.


    "Come here, Vincent. I brought your favorite! I even brought a couple of eggs for your breakfast. You have to grow and gain a bit more weight if you want to really learn anything about mana."


    Raizen eagerly said to his grandson while showing the wildfowl he caught. It seems that he thought of using this to encourage Vincent to eat more. However, he didn''t have to use this tactic at all as he never ns to be shy during his meals.


    Anyway, during the past three months, he learned that all the animals that his grandfather caught allowed him to regenerate his pitiful amount of mana.


    Thanks to this, Vincent was always looking forward to his dinner as he continued gaining Exp for his Item Enhancement Skill.


    He would even hide his leftovers so after he passes out because of his sessful enhancement, he would just eat them to refill his mana.


    Unfortunately, he can''t do this too often as there are cases when his leftover would be spoiled before he can consume them. Well, there is no refrigerator here after all.


    [ Your Mana has increased. ]


    Suddenly, Vincent saw new notifications after having a few bites from the wildfowl''s meat.


    This is the first time he had this notification from his system and this is something that he needed the most!


    While eating his meal, he secretly opened his Status window and saw that his mana has indeed increased just like what the notification said.


    [ Mana: 1.10/1.10 ]


    It is a very pitiful amount. However, considering that he''s only eating this ''normal'' food, it''s already quite good for him.


    He can even guess that he probably has zero mana before but since he was getting fed like this since he was young, it had reached the 1.0 Unit after a few years.


    "A progress is still progress¡­" Vincent said to himself as he happily enjoyed his dinner.


    He then checked the other notification that he got.


    [ Congrattions! You have increased your mana for the first time. ]


    [ New feature unlocked. Auto-Enhancement Mode ]


    [ Auto Enhancement Mode: Enabled. ]


    "Oh¡­"


    Vincent checked the details of Auto Enhancement and realized that enabling it would allow him to enhance anything he touches from that point.


    That''s dangerous!


    This is why he quickly disabled it and surprisingly, disabling it also stopped the system from often asking him to Enhance with Mana.


    It means that he is no longer seeing the notifications unless he triggered the Item Enhancement Skill.


    ''I see¡­ More features would probably be unlocked once I''vepleted those ''first-time achievements.''


    Vincent guessed.


    On the next day, as he was nning to enhance his towel, he was called out by his ymates.


    "Vincent! Let''s go! We don''t have ss today! Let''s y!"


    "No, we need to hurry! Uncle Eric will harvest his white grapes, we need to be there quickly!"


    "Ahh! That''s right! He''ll surely give us his leftovers!"


    Currently, there are only about 10 children between the age of five and eight years old in the small vige. Since they are all attending the same ss, it was quite easy to befriend everyone.


    "I''ming!"<sub> </sub>


    Vincent decided to stop his enhancement for now as he''s also curious about the white grapes that Eric has been using to sell a sweet candy.


    These candies were even being sold to the merchant caravan that would visit this small vige every three months.


    Considering the timing, this caravan should be arriving here in a few days enough for Eric to make some candies to be traded.


    Soon, the group of six children arrived in what seemed like a small orchard owned by Eric.


    It is further south of the vige near a cliff. Kiefer, the one who critically injured him, was also Eric''s nephew.


    Anyway, Vincent decided not to pursue the issue since he also learned that it was partly his fault. The original owner of this body was basically asking to experience the Silent Toad Fist Technique!


    "Hmmm... They look beautiful¡­" Vincent couldn''t help but praise after seeing the small orchard. Apparently, Vincent''s memory of this ce was quite blurry so this is the first time he could appreciate its beauty.


    The orchard was filled with what seemed like white shrubs but once you looked closely, they are all filled with white grapes.


    As soon as Eric saw them, he immediately called out to the kids as he asked them to start harvesting some white grapes with a small basket he prepared.


    Of course, none of them refused as they took one basket each¡­


    Vincent then decided to pick up one cluster of white grapes and urged his Item Enhancement Skill to see if it can be enhanced.


    He already knows that living things, like humans, pets, and trees vige can''t be enhanced. Regarding the tree, to be exact, unless a branch or a leaf hasn''t left the tree yet, it can''t be enhanced. Only after it was cut or processed can he enhance them.


    It is quite a simple rule so Vincent had no trouble with it.


    Nevertheless, he can''t say the same for fruit yet as he had never tried them before.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    ''It shows. This fruit can be enhanced¡­ I wonder what will improve if I enhance it now.''


    This is the question that he really wanted to know from the beginning. What kind of improvement will happen to the items he enhanced?


    After all, he can only tell that his "Dirty Wool Shirt +1" has been enhanced once.


    However, because he can''t appraise them with hisck of mana, he wouldn''t know if the shirt became durable, if the knife became sharper, or if the fruit will be richer just by looking at the plus one on its name.


    Anyway, he decided to continue picking up the grapes and filling his basket.


    "Hmm? What''s going on?"


    "Uncle Eric! The ground is shaking!"


    "Ahh! Look! There''s ck smoke up there!"


    As Vincent was almost done, Millie and the other kids saw a trail of smoke in the direction where the waterfall is located. Regarding the ground shaking, it was more like vibrating if Vincent would exin it.


    "Hmm?"


    At first, Vincent thought that there were just hunters in the forest who set up a campfire. However, Eric''s pale face seems to say that there''s something else.


    "We need to hide! Hurry!"


    Eric did not bother with the baskets filled with grapes, as he grabbed the two girls in his hands while urging Vincent and the other boys to run away as well!


    ''Are we in trouble? What''s going on this time?'' Vincent had no idea what was happening but since Eric is running away, he can only follow his lead.


    Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, powerful explosions urred from where the smoke wasing. It was then followed by an earthquake leaving the vigers terrified!

 Chapter 5 Battle

    "Vincent!"


    Raizen returned to the vige as quickly as possible.


    As soon as he saw the ck smoke not too far from the vige, he already rushed over here and left the heavy wild boars he caught to be sold to the other vigers. He only brought a couple of rabbits and wildfowls together with a bunch of herbs.


    "Grandpa, what''s going on?"


    Vincent already returned to their house and he was still carrying a small basket of white grapes with him.


    "Ugh¡­Right, you''re not aware of that signal yet. Teacher ra should be telling you this after youpleted her lesson."


    Raizen said as he ced all the things he was carrying on the table.


    Vincent just remained silent since he''s really getting restless now. All the vigers started going inside their houses and made the vige seem like an abandoned ce.


    "Listen to me, Vincent¡­ The ck smoke out there is a signal that a Celestial is nearby¡­ Those explosions that followed must be due to a fight¡­ Hmmm?"


    As Raizen was exining, he noticed something outside as he looked through the window.


    Another ck smoke just came out!


    "Tsk¡­ Multiple Celestials, huh¡­ Why have theye here?" Raizen muttered to himself.


    On the other hand, Vincent was confused about his words.


    "Celestial?" He asked curiously.


    He''s unsure whether this Celestial is a god-like human, a mythical beast, or even a name of a powerful weapon. He has no idea at all and he wanted to know everything about it!


    "Yes¡­ However, there is no time to exin, the Vige Chief will be handling this¡­ If he can''t, there will be another signal for us to escape as soon as possible."


    His grandfather''s voice sounded very serious.


    "Take all your valuable things with you. In case the signal to escape came, we''ll leave immediately."


    "Y-yes, grandfather¡­ But, if the Celestials are scary, can the vige chief handle it? Isn''t he a bit too old already?"


    Vincent asked as he recalled the figure of the vige chief. Though he seems to be a capable man, he''s already in his sixties and he''s mostly likely weak now.


    "Vincent, Celestials are indeed extremely powerful that no normal human can fight them¡­ However, they aren''t the ones who were scary."


    Raizen was about to tell him more but suddenly, a powerful explosion disrupted their conversation.


    This time, it was so powerful that it seems like their vige is about to copse as well!


    ''Ugh¡­ This is getting really bad¡­ What are these Celestials?''


    As Vincent was cursing the Celestials in his mind, a powerful but young voice resounded throughout the whole valley.


    "Give it up! Hand over that book to me and serve me for ten¡ªNo, fifteen years! Then I will allow you to live!"


    "Ha! You wish, dog of the Troy n! This is my family''s heirloom. I''d rather burn it with me than to let scum like you get this!"


    Vincent heard their conversation very clearly as they are both shouting like they have some megaphones with them. He can only guess that this is the power of mana or something he''s unaware of.


    Anyway, the young man, who seems to be from the Troy n, indeed has an unreasonable demand.


    He''s basically doing a daylight robbery!


    As Vincent was getting really curious about what was about to happen, he immediately went to the window to see the battle.


    Soon, he realized that the loud explosion a while ago was because of the man who was actually thrown just outside the vige and created a small crater.


    He seems to be very injured and his body was filled with bruises and blood.


    However, he wasn''t alone, he seemed to have a guardian with him as she helps him stand up.<sub> </sub>


    That''s right, the one who was helping him is an elegant female warrior, and Vincent can feel something off about her.


    He couldn''t tell exactly but it is perhaps due to her aura or something simr that he had an urge to kneel before her. It is quite weird as this is his first time having this type of sensation.


    He then nced in the other direction only to see that the "dog of the Troy n" is actually a young man who can fly!


    No, he was being carried by two female warriors who had the same aura as the one guarding the injured man.


    Vincent can''t see the faces of the female warriors not just because they are quite far but due to their full-body armor. If not for their sexy figure, he wouldn''t even guess that they were females.


    Nevertheless, what truly surprised him was their sophisticated armors!


    The armors weren''t like those from the knights during the Medieval Era but were quite advanced if he was asked! He thought that he transmigrated to a world of sword and magic but did he make a mistake?!


    Was he sent to a more advanced world and he''s just unaware of it?!


    "This is bad¡­ There are three Celestial Beings. If they really fought here, our vige will be wiped out."


    Raizen gasped as he simrly noticed their presence just outside the vige.


    ''So those irondies are the Celestials?''


    "Then, should we escape now?" Vincent asked as he is ready to escape any time now.


    "Mhmmm¡­"


    Raizen nodded at this but Vincent noticed his grandfather''s eyes looking elsewhere.


    "Is that the vige chief?" Vincent asked as he followed his gaze.


    "He''ll probably beg them to leave the vige but¡­ there''s no more time."


    As soon as his grandfather said this, the young man from the Troy nnded on the ground with the help of the two Celestials.


    Without any more words, the Celestials attacked the injured man. He hasn''t even gotten out of the small crater he created!


    "You will die with me!" He shouted.


    The Celestials brought out their weapons as they shed outside the vige!


    It is a sh between two swords and one spear!


    Bang!


    The sound was simr to the explosions they heard from afar!


    ''So it wasn''t a grenade¡­ They''re actually swords and spear!''


    Crash! Crash!


    This time, the wooden houses near the battleground started crumbling because of the powerful shockwaves from each of their strikes.


    "N-no! Help!"


    "Run! Just run in the opposite direction!"


    "Don''t look back!"


    "Aack¡ª"


    The vigers started running away to save their lives. Those who were unlucky got injured as the fight between the two sides gets more and more intense.


    At this rate, the vigers will be the casualty of this battle!

 Chapter 6 Numbered

    Vincent saw all of their sufferings as he felt his heart aching¡­


    It''s probably because they are people he knows and was kind to him so seeing them get treated like this somehow hurts him.


    He''s unsure whether it''s his own feelings or it is because of the previous owner of this body.


    Nevertheless, he hates it.


    "Grandpa, what should we do now?" He asked. He knows that he can''t do anything at this moment aside from escaping to a safer ce. However, can they really do that?


    "We have to escape, Vincent. But I only have enough strength to bring you away. Once these Celestials get serious, this valley will be disintegrated¡­ This might be thest time you''ll see your friends."


    "T-this¡­ They''re so powerful?"


    He couldn''t help but be surprised as he realized how scary these Celestials can be.


    No wonder they have such a title with them!


    Then, he suddenly felt something off from his grandfather. It was as if something was gathering around him. It had changed his aura as if he was looking at a different person.


    Bam!


    All of a sudden, the spear-wielding Celestial was thrown to the tree destroying five of them before she finally stopped. No one knows if she''s dead or was only unconscious.


    Her two enemies were just too strong!


    "Hahaha! You look dumbfounded, Kai. Did you really think that the Celestial helping you can defeat those two? You''re dreaming!"


    The man from the Troy nughed after seeing the defeated face of his opponent. He can see Kai''s shocked and despairing expression so he couldn''t help but feel ted.


    "This is impossible¡­ She''s a Celestial Being who survived the Second Rapture! There''s no way your new Celestial can fight her." Kai, who was still holding on to his book, uttered in disbelief.


    He''s fully aware of the strength of the Celestial with him. This is why he couldn''t understand how she was being suppressed in speed, strength, and technique. She couldn''t even properly unleash her real strength as it is always being disrupted by the two!


    Perhaps, if she could release all her strength, this valley will turn into dust and the fight will be over in a few seconds!


    "Gahahaha! So you really can''t understand what''s going on, huh! Hehe¡­ I won''t me you, Kai¡­ I won''t."


    The young man from the Troy nughed hysterically.


    There are many cases where a single Celestial can suppress two or more other Celestials. So Kai''s disbelief about the situation wasn''t that surprising at all. Especially after knowing that this Celestial survived the Second Rapture, a tragedy that killed thousands of Celestials at once.


    This is why Joran, the man from the Troy n, could understand his disbelief and be delighted at the same time because he knows the real reason why.


    Hearing hisugh, Kai only gritted his teeth¡­ Though he''s also a warrior, he knows that he''s not a match against the three of them. Just one of the Celestials can already deal with him.


    "Do not worry, Kai. Before I kill you¡­ I will let you know why you died at the hands of the ''declining'' n, the Troy n! You two, remove your headgear..."


    Joran''sst words were directed to the two Celestials with him.<sub> </sub>


    Soon, the two female Celestials removed their helmet as they both showed their pretty faces.


    Thud!


    Vincent suddenly noticed that his grandfather''s cane dropped to the ground.


    This is the first time Vincent saw him carelessly drop it. He knows that his grandfather treasures this cane and he had always kept its condition really good and cleaned it every day.


    Aside from that, the mysterious energy gathering around him had also vanished as soon as the two Celestials showed their faces.


    ''What now?''


    Vincent looked afar but he couldn''t really tell how beautiful they are. He can only barely see that they have white hair and fair skin. It shouldn''t be to the point that his grandfather will be aroused from such a view, right?


    He wanted to ask what was going on. However, he also noticed that the vige chief and others stood rooted on their spot as soon as the Celestials revealed their faces.


    It was as if they are no longer nning to evacuate at all.


    ''Since they are no longer fighting, shouldn''t we use this time to escape? Is it really that shocking? Is it their first time to see beautiful women?''


    Vincent thought to himself.


    Well, to be fair, there are indeed not a lot of women who can be called pretty within their vige.


    Most of them were average-looking women except for his Teacher ra who can easily stand out amongst everyone. If Millie grew up well, she might be included as one of the pretty girls of the town too.


    As Vincent''s thoughts started wandering, he heard Kai''s words as he couldn''t believe what he saw¡­


    "Numbered! Numbered Celestials! How can the Troy Family have them?! Answer me, Joran! How can these Celestials follow you?! You are the traitors of this Country! I can''t believe this¡­ T-this is unfair¡­"


    It was as if Kai was going crazy, he continued to utter some words that Vincent couldn''t properly hear.


    ''Numbered Celestial? Is this some type of Celestial?'' Vincent had no idea what it was, but its name sounded important so he made sure to remember this name and ask his grandfather about itter on.


    "Grandpa, are we still going to escape? Is everything safe now?" Vincent asked as he finally managed to get Raizen''s attention.


    "R-right¡­ There''s no need to escape, Vincent. That other Celestial won''t be able to release its true might so there won''t be a destructive battle. It should be over. No matter how strong that Spear-Wielding Celestial was, it can''t match a couple of Numbered Celestial."


    Vincent nodded at this as he watched the scene outside the vige.


    Everything happened so quickly after this revtion.


    Joran swiftly approached Kai and stabbed him in his heart.


    Thetter already lost the will to fight so it ended so easily¡­ Joran took the book in Kai''s possession and retrieved the unconscious Celestial as well.


    Everyone in the vige, including the vige chief who was nning to mediate, remained silent during the whole process.

 Chapter 7 Treasures

    "Hmm?"


    Finally, Joran, the vicious man from the Troy n, directed his attention to the small vige.


    All this time, he has been ignoring the people who had been affected by his fight against Kai. He either didn''t see them or he just didn''t care.


    Everyone tensed up after realizing this. Then, the two Celestials also gave them a cold gaze which truly scared everyone.


    The two had already worn their headgears again and emitted a powerful pressure.


    "Ho~ I didn''t know there is a small vige here¡­ You, what do you call this vige?" Joran, who had just killed another person, appears like a normal traveler seeing a vige.


    Vincent also noticed that he asked the Vige Chief himself so it seems that he somehow recognizes the person with authority.


    "Young Master, this vige is called Arum Vige." The vige chief humbly answered.


    "Arum Vige¡­ Is it because of the flower? Good name¡­ Since I''m happy today, I will give this to you to fix your vige. Try to build a sturdy house with this. Hahaha!"


    Clink!


    With augh, Joran tossed a coin to the vige chief before leaving with the two Celestials. He also left Kai''s corpse outside the vige but no one said anything.


    Anyway, it seems that he''s really satisfied after getting the book and the unconscious or dead Celestial. Well, that was the good thing.


    Haa!


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as soon as he left.


    Vincent can tell the tense atmosphere throughout their little conversation.


    ''Finally, that farce is over.''


    "Grandpa, there are some who were injured¡­ Let''s help them¡­"


    "R-right¡­ Let''s go and help." Raizen regained the focus in his eyes as he agreed to Vincent''s words.


    The two then went out of their house to assist those who were unluckily hit by the rocks and soil after Kai and the Celestial fell outside their vige.


    Those who were trapped inside their copsed wooden houses were still a bit luckier since they weren''t heavily injured, unlike the others.


    As they rescued everyone, Vincent''s eyes went across the vige chief and his men...


    "Grandpa, do you know that coin thrown to the Vige Chief? I haven''t seen anything like that before."


    Vincent asked as they finished helping the others. He knows about the copper coins that have a small hole in the middle. He had also seen a couple of shining silver coins before. As for the gold coins, it seems that it is something that can only be found inrge cities.


    "That coin? Oh, Teacher ra hasn''t reached that lesson yet? Anyway, that''s a tinum coin. One of them should be worth a castle¡­ No, that''s an exaggeration. However, you can probably rent a castle for more than a year with that coin."


    This answer wasn''t that helpful at all. He still can''t estimate the value of that tinum coin.


    "Oh? Does it mean that it''s worth 100 gold coins?"


    Vincent just made a random guess. He has no idea at all. However, he felt that with this question, his grandfather would forcefully make an estimate using gold coins as aparison.


    He was right.<sub> </sub>


    "What? No way! If that tinum Coin has the engravings of the Celestial Throne, then it should be worth more than a thousand gold! You won''t even find someone who would sell a tinum coin for a thousand gold¡­ That would be a waste¡­ You can exchange it for precious materials or items made by the Celestials."


    Vincent was finally enlightened as he realized just how valuable the coin was.


    However, just as they finished their conversation, they suddenly heard the vige chief''s words.


    "We can''t keep this tinum Coin with us. We need someone to exchange this for at least a thousand gold coins in the nearest city. We will use the money to improve the condition of our vige. Who''s willing to take the job."


    As soon as he said this, Vincent looked at this grandfather with a smirk¡­


    "T-this¡­ Our vige chief just doesn''t want the trouble of holding on to it. It''s not like we need Celestial Items."


    "That''s true¡­"


    As the two were talking with each other, the Vige Chief already selected a group of strong-looking men who willplete the task to exchange the tinum coin for gold coins.


    Well, Vincent was actually interested to join them since he hasn''t left the vicinity of their small vige yet. However, he thought that a six-year-old like him would have a better chance of survival if he stay here until he grows a bit stronger.


    "Grandpa, someone''s calling for you."


    Vincent said as he saw Eric and two other men signaling for his grandfather toe with them. He then realized that they were actually handling Kai''s body.


    It appears that they wanted his grandfather''s help over something.


    Vincent then followed his grandfather from behind as they inspected the corpse.


    "Old Raizen, this man still has a few valuables with him. However, it seems to be protected by mana so we can''t carelessly touch it. Do you think you can do something about it?"


    Eric asked.


    These words suddenly excited Vincent.


    ''Items protected by mana?! And my grandfather is capable of dealing with it?! Isn''t that incredible? It means that they are aware that my grandfather is special¡­ Cool!''


    Vincent''s eyes lit up as he looked at the wrinkled face of his grandfather.


    He''s looking more and more handsome as he looks at him.


    Mana!


    ''I knew it¡­ Perhaps he''s just waiting for me to turn seven before he teaches me all about it?! I can''t wait!''


    As Vincent''s excitement is reaching its peak, the group of men pointed at Kai''s long coat, ne, and belt.


    These three items seem to be extraordinary but not valuable enough for Joran to take them.


    Of course, in the eyes of normal vigers, these items were all precious treasures.


    "Let me take care of these three. Hmm? There''s an emblem of the Lucius n¡­ So this guy is from that family¡­ This is not good" Raizen muttered as he saw the engravings on the belt of the dead person.


    Eric and the others also frowned as they have heard of this family.

 Chapter 8 Enhance

    Vincent was just silent all this time but he made sure to etch these words in his memory.


    Lucius n, Troy n, Numbered Celestials, tinum Coins, and these mysterious Items protected by Mana, he''s curious about all of them and he will surely ask about these things once everything has settled down.


    In the meantime, he watched his grandfather concentrate for a moment.


    One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­


    Suddenly, his grandfather''s hands glowed with a mysterious blue light before disappearing in his palms¡­


    Then without any more words, he took off all the three items in Kai''s possession.


    He started with the belt, followed by the ne, and finally, the damaged long coat. His grandfather was really careful all this time. Beads of sweat had even started trickling down on his face.


    ''Is it that dangerous? Ahh¡­ No, he looks more exhausted¡­ Is it because of the blue light? Is it the mana?'' Vincent knows how it feels to get deprived of mana.


    Anyway, he really wanted to touch the items and see whether he could enhance them.


    However, he''s also afraid that he might get injured in case the ''mana'' is actually violent. He didn''t want to get needlessly hurt after all.


    "Grandpa¡­ Are you okay?"


    He asked after he finally covered the three items with a sack.


    "I''m okay, Vincent¡­ Why are you here?"


    "Hmm? I followed you. Grandpa¡­ You look really tired. You need to rest now." Vincent''s concern is genuine. His Grandpa must teach him all about this world first! There must be no ident.


    "Haha¡­ Don''t worry. Though I overdid it a bit, I just need good sleep to recover my strength. Right, I don''t think it''s not a good idea to sell these things off." Raizen''sst words were directed to Eric and the other man helping them.


    He looked at them with a serious gaze as he hinted at something.


    "That''s true, Old Raizen. It''s better if you or the Vige Chief will handle these things¡­ We''ll just be seeking death if we sell it off."


    "It''s good that you understand¡­ I''m nning to dismantle these things instead¡­ Make sure to forget what you just saw."


    "Haha¡­ I don''t remember anything."


    Vincent heard their conversation and he finally understood their reaction from a while ago after finding out that these items were from the Lucius n.


    It seems that any items from that n can''t be easily sold or they might even be persecuted for it.


    It''s better to just keep it to themselves and allow no one to know about it. Anyway, they are living in a remote vige and no one wille here.


    The reason why Joran and Kai were brought here was most likely because thetter was trying to flee to the vast forest.


    Unfortunately for him, Joran is a stronger opponent with a couple of Number Celestials capable of pinning him down.


    Then, his Grandfather had a word with the Vige Chief and allowed him to take care of the mysterious items.


    Aside from that, though no one died in this incident, there were many vigers who had gotten injured so the Vige Chief doesn''t want to deal with the problem about these items as well.


    "Vincent¡­ Do not touch these things, do you understand?" As soon as they returned home, Raizen immediately instructed his grandson.


    He also put the sack inside his worn-out cab to keep it away from him.


    ''It''s too high and you put it inside your cab¡­ How can I even touch it?'' Vincent wanted to say this but he just nodded his head in agreement.


    Anyway, he should still have plenty of time.


    Glurgh~


    His stomach suddenly grumbled as he have gotten hungry after all the work just now.


    "Oh, you''re hungry? I will cook for you¡­ Just wait for a bit."


    "Ahhh¡­ T-thank you, Grandpa¡­ Oh, wait¡­ I still have the white grapes with me. Do you think I can eat it?"<sub> </sub>


    "So you''re helping Eric harvest them before the incident? Haha. Of course, you can. If he gave you a small basket, all the grapes in it would be yours¡­"


    With his grandfather''s urging, he no longer hesitated and took a couple of berries and stuffed his mouth.


    They tasted quite sweet and a bit sour in their after-taste.


    This should satisfy his hunger while he waits for his grandfather.


    In the meantime, he also checked his current statistics.


    [ Name: Vincent ]


    [ Age: 6 ]


    ? [ Mana: 1.10/1.10 ]


    [ Skills: Item Enhancement Lv1, Basic Item Appraisal ]


    [ Item Enhancement Exp: 83/5000 ]


    ''So slow progress... But it''s better than zero exp.''


    During the past three months, Vincent can onlyplete the simplest +1 Enhancement.


    It means that he can no longer enhance an item again. This is most likely because of hisck of mana or Enhancement Stone.


    He would probably need 2 or more units of mana to advance a +1 item. Because of that, he decided to just enhance anything he could get within the house. The fork,b, pillow, brick, shorts, underwear, or anything he could get.


    If he run out of items he could enhance, he would go out of the house to find something else.


    Fortunately, a plus 1 enhancement doesn''t have any visible or considerable effects. This is why he was able to do this over the past few months.


    ''Alright¡­ Let''s try enhancing a piece.''


    Vincent thought to himself as he triggered his system.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    Huuu~


    Vincent took a deep breath.


    ''Yes!''


    As soon as he said this, he closed his eyes and waited for something¡­ However, he didn''t feel like he was passing out at all!


    ''Perhaps¡­''


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    [ Single White Grape + 1 ]


    "Haha! I did it!"


    [ Name: Vincent ]


    [ Age: 6 ]


    [ Mana: 0.10/1.10 ]


    Thanks to the increase of his mana by 0.10, he no longer has to pass out after a single Enhancement! This is all thanks to the wildfowls and other nutritious meals prepared by his grandfather!


    Finally! This would be a lot easier to make a progress.


    Though he still felt weakened after using that much mana, it''s better than passing out!

 Chapter 9 Secrets

    After several months had passed, Vincent''s birthday has finally arrived.


    He''s now seven years old and he celebrated it with his grandfather¡­ It was a simple feast filled with various meats, soups, bread, drinks.


    Well, after being in the vige for a while, he knows that it wasn''t really a custom to celebrate it. However, it appears that his grandfather has some other thoughts about him reaching this age.


    ''Finally¡­ Grandpa, you should keep your promise¡­ I''m seven now. You should pass on your knowledge already.'' Vincent thought to himself as he looked at this grandfather with his most adorable face.


    To be honest, he knows that he''s quite cute for a kid after seeing his reflection in his Teacher ra''s bronze mirror. But he is also quite taller for his age perhaps because of the nutritious meals he''s having.


    He has short ck hair, a small face, and amiable brown eyes¡­ As for his fairer skin, it''s probably because he''s always inside the house instead of ying under the scorching sun.


    On the other hand, his grandfather simrly has brown eyes but all his hair has turned white already. Though one could see that he''s good-looking in his younger days.


    ***


    Suddenly, Raizen looked at his grandson with his loving eyes and said, "You are now seven, Vincent. Time flies so quickly. I still remember when your mother brought you to me¡­"


    Vincent smiled as he determined that it''s finally starting. He patiently listened to his grandfather reminisce about the time they first met.


    It seems that his parents were in deep trouble and could only hand him over to Raizen for his own safety.


    ''So they didn''t die in an ident just like what you told me before? Someone was after them?'' Vincent mused as he imagined the desperate situation of his parents before.


    Although he wasn''t the real Vincent now, the memories he had was real. He couldn''t deny that.


    "What happened to them?" He asked solemnly.


    "They were killed by the barbarians¡­ This led to the fall of their Sect which was protecting one of the few entrances of the Barbarians to our nation¡­"


    Vincent has no idea about the geography of this nation at all and about the major forces in it. At this time, he can only remember to research these thingster since they aren''t that important right now.


    What he needed is the truth about his existence and whether his grandfather would teach him something he needed.


    "Grandpa, does it mean that we''re from a fallen Sect? Are we the only survivor?"


    "You are the only survivor. I wasn''t part of the Star Garden Sect after all." Raizen then exined how loyal and amazing the members of the sect are.


    Instead of fleeing from the Barbarians, they have decided to stay on their ground and fight to their deaths!


    Vincent found it quite ridiculous. After all, if there''s an opportunity to do a tactical retreat, he felt that they must do so. They can just return after they have reorganized their forces toe back strong.


    Nevertheless, he was unaware of the full situation so he just listened to the story without interrupting him.


    After describing the greatness of the Star Garden Sect, Raizen finally mentioned something which really piqued his interest.


    "I have a surname?"


    "Yes, you aren''t just amoner. Though your father was just a wandering mercenary, your mother is from the Kayser n. ''A n blessed by the stars'' if people will call it. Unfortunately, this n together with four more families perished together with the Star Garden Sect."<sub> </sub>


    Vincent took a deep breath as he absorbed the story from his grandfather.


    The Star Garden Sect was created by the five families and one of them is Kayser n where he belongs.


    They all perished because of the unusual behavior of the Barbarians that they have missed. His grandfather guessed that someone betrayed the Sect and which resulted in its downfall.


    His grandpa seem to have an idea about the perpetrator but he didn''t dare to voice it out.


    "Vincent Kayser¡­ Unfortunately, I can''t use this surname for obvious reasons¡­ Is that right?"


    "That''s correct, my dear." Raizen smiled seeing how quick-witted he was.


    "However, it doesn''t mean that you can''t learn the n''s¡ªNo, the Sect''s path of practicing mana."


    As soon as Raizen mentioned these words, Vincent''s eyes lit up with excitement. This is what he has been waiting for!


    He can finally learn how to practice mana!


    "Hoho~ You''re excited?" Raizen noticed his expression andughed amicably.


    "Y-yes¡­ I have been curious about mana ever since that incident with the Celestials."


    "Oh? That''s no surprise I guess. Don''t worry, you are now at the right age to learn this. Even teacher ra praised how smart you are. I''m sure that you''ll do just fine."


    Raizen said as he led Vincent into his room.


    "First¡­ I will teach you what mana is¡­ Then, I will have you experience it."


    ***


    Several hours had passed after Vincent entered his Grandfather''s room.


    Right now, Raizen has been watching his grandson meditating in the center of his room.


    "Hmm¡­ An hour of teaching and another two hours of practice to reach this state of enlightenment? This kid is incredible."


    The old man muttered as he couldn''t help but admire his grandson''s talent. Though he knows that his grandson is quite special, he had never expected him to be a genius practitioner of mana!


    "I must help him a little bit more..."


    He''s excited about the young man''s future as he looked at his cane with determined eyes. This cane has apanied him for several decades already.


    However, this is quite useless to him right now after he obtained the items he took from Kai. Those items has been dismantled and he made a better hunting equipment from it.


    Because of that, he no longer uses the cane whenever he''s out to hunt.


    ''Hmm... I wonder how long this kid wouldst.'' Raizen muttered as he waited for Vincent to end his current state.

 Chapter 10 Baptism

    ''I can finally feel the existence of mana¡­ This is amazing¡­'' Vincent couldn''t hide his excitement as he continued his meditation to feel the presence of mana in his surroundings.


    In the past, he can only know the existence of mana as a mere unit of measurement. He couldn''t feel or sense the mana at all.


    Or perhaps, he could somehow sense it but he doesn''t know that it was actually mana.


    Anyway, he can still recall how his mana slowly increased from 1.0 to 1.10, 1.20, 1.30 until it reached 1.90 units.


    Almost a year had passed and he managed to increase his mana by almost a single unit just by eating those precious meats that his grandfather would bring him.


    What made him even happier was the continuous notification he has been receiving ever since he managed to freely absorb the mana in his core.


    That''s right, during the past hour, Raizen taught him about the existence of a core. It''s not an organ inside the body but it''s the ce where the Mana, which is also called the Essence of the World, gathers.


    At first, he thought that it would be very difficult for him to do with hisck of understanding of mana but he was surprised to learn how easy it was.


    It''s probably because he''s only starting, or perhaps it''s because of the existence of his System that allowed him to feel its existence in his surroundings.


    ''This is a rxing sensation. But grandpa said I should feel otherwise¡­ Hmm. Can I increase the pace for a bit? I should be able to take a bit more mana. Anyway, I don''t feel any exhaustion or pain like what he told me I should be experiencing¡­''


    Vincent felt himself out for a little bit more. But after confirming that he has a very good condition, he decided to push his limits.


    It started very weakly but as he gets used to it, he decided to just let the mana gets absorbed by his pores and gathered them at the center of his body.


    ''Grandpa mentioned how Mana can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you utilize it¡­ I think I now understand what he meant.''


    As soon as the surge of mana flowed right into his body, Vincent can tell that it is slowly tempering him¡­ It''s not just some pain or body ache he was experiencing!


    ''Wait¡­ It''s tempering my body?!'' Vincent felt a bit rmed as soon as he realized what was happening.


    Raizen told him about this before he meditated but this wasn''t supposed to happen!


    ''Isn''t this Mana Baptism?! Grandpa said that it should only happen in another year or so once I have absorbed enough mana! This is too fast!''


    Vincent felt a bit concerned about Mana Baptism. After all, this thing could fail!


    Raizen mentioned that it will help all the Practitioners utilize or control Mana if theypleted the Baptism. However, if it fails, it would be difficult to further pursue his career as a Mage or any profession that involves mana.


    ''Tsk! I can''t fail this!''


    There aremon cases where people would not pass the Baptism but they can still use their mana¡­ However, that would limit his capability and that is not what he wanted!


    He recently learned that these unfortunate people would be called Apprentices. They were people with the ability to utilize mana but did notplete the Baptism which would ultimately mean a dead end in their path.


    ''I can''t be stuck as an Apprentice forever!''<sub> </sub>


    Vincent was determined toplete the tempering of Mana within his body at all costs!


    ***


    "Ugh~ This¡­ I thought he was just having some enlightenment. Isn''t this Mana Baptism?"


    Raizen was suddenly dumbfounded as soon as he realized what was happening. The mana in the surroundings started gathering in the room alerting everyone in the vige who could feel the presence of mana.


    Soon, the vige chief and the others noticed where it wasing from and they quickly looked for Raizen.


    "Old Raizen, what''s going on here?"


    "Is there a problem with your Core? Do you need any help?"


    They then voiced their concern as they looked at him worriedly.


    "No, I''m sorry for the disturbance¡­ It is my grandson. He identally reached the Baptism stage." Raizen apologized with a helpless smile.


    He even stealthily walks out of the house to ensure that he won''t disrupt his grandson. He''s really worried about the oue of this baptism.


    "What? He''s already undergoing baptism? Isn''t that too fast?" ra can recall that she only managed to experience the baptism when she was twelve years old. She even failed in the end.


    As for the others, they weren''t able to experience the baptism at all as it still requires a certain talent or affinity with mana.


    Within this vige, she recalls that only five of them could somehow use a little bit of mana.


    It seems that there is a new addition to that. After all, even if Vincent fails with his Baptism, he can still use a bit of it which can be very helpful in whatevermon profession he would like to pursue.


    "We will no longer disturb you then¡­" The vige chief no longer said any words as he left with his group.


    As for the kids, or Vincent''s ymates, who were curious about his condition, Raizen assured them that he was fine and that there was nothing to worry about.


    After they all left, he can only smile helplessly as he didn''t really expect this situation to happen.


    Raizen then looked at his small room nervously as he prayed to the goddesses that he knows for the safety and sess of his grandson.


    Whom~


    As he was still making his prayer, he suddenly felt a powerful wave of mana covering their entire vige before vanishing without any traces!


    "T-this is!"

 Chapter 11 Upgrade

    It was an explosion of mana.


    It wasn''t destructive but it could cause some dizziness to the people who weren''t used to it. Nevertheless, this wasn''t important! What''s important is that it''s a sign of the sessfulpletion of Mana Baptism!


    Raizen quickly entered the room to look at his grandson''s condition.


    "Good¡­ good¡­" The old man repeated as he saw Vincent looking at him with grateful eyes. His eyes also contained a lot of confidence showing how he seeded with his baptism¡­


    "Grandpa¡­ I think that you''re not a good teacher. You said it would take me a few years."


    "Cough! Cough! What did you say? Ha! Did that Mana Baptism make you arrogant?"


    "Ahh¡­ Haha. I''m just kidding, grandpa¡­ Thank you so much for teaching me. I guess I''m just special so it didn''t go as you thought it would be. Ehem... Right, is there anything else you want to teach me since I already seeded?"


    Vincent immediately changed his tone. He recalled that although he learned a lot from his grandfather in the past few hours, he knows that there are things that his grandfather had kept to himself.


    "What? Aren''t you hurrying too much? Just stabilize your mana for now. Make sure not to carelessly use it. Since you just formed a real core, you can''t y with the other kids for now, unless you can control it to an eptable degree. For that, I will test you in a few days."


    "Yes, grandpa! I will return to my room now."


    "Mhmm¡­"


    Raizen nodded at this after seeing how obedient he was. Anyway, he had to make sure to advance his ns as well since he showed such a terrifying talent. It would be such a waste if he stayed here in this vige forever.


    He can only hope that Vincent won''t get too attached to the people here. He wanted him to live a different life after all. Of course, he would still respect whatever his decision was and only give a piece of advice in the end.


    With that in mind, Raizen decided to leave the house again to hunt in a different location. This is time, however, he didn''t wear his normal clothes but he also took out his leather armguard and shinguard he kept underneath his bed.


    "Haa~ It''s been several years since I used this¡­ Whatever, I need to find better materials for my grandson."


    Raizen muttered as he quietly left the house with his hunting equipment and his cane.


    ***


    After Vincent returned to his room, he immediately checked all the notifications he ignored before.


    [ Your mana has increased. ]


    [ Your mana has increased. ]


    There were several of this kind so even though he hadn''t seen his unit of mana yet, he knows that it increased a lot this time.


    [ Congrattions! You have exceeded your Mana Threshold! ]


    [ Mana: 10.10/10.00 ]


    [ You have triggered the Mana Bath. You will receive a boost in your Mana Source. ]


    ¡­


    [ You havepleted the Mana Bath. ]


    [ Your mana has increased. ]


    [ Mana: 20/20 ]


    "Kuhaha!"


    Vincent couldn''t contain hisughter as soon as he read all the notifications he just received!


    His meager amount of mana has increased by over 10 times!


    <o>,m "Twenty points! Just like that! Haha! No wonder I feel so much better!"</o>


    Vincent is very excited. He can now try to use his Appraisal Ability! Perhaps this time, he can also enhance his items several times! Maybe he can even try to reach +5 or more!<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm?"


    He then noticed some of the words used by the system, his Mana Bath seem to be the Mana Baptism that he just had. As for the Mana Source, it is most likely the Core that his grandfather mentioned.


    Although it was addressed differently, he can still guess this with so many clues.


    Furthermore, Vincent also confirmed that his Item Awakening System had given him hidden quests or missions that he canplete to be rewarded.


    Unfortunately, he can''t see these missions so he can only try to continuously improve himself to trigger them.


    It''s a shame not to see these missions but he''s still very satisfied with this as it would always give him a pleasant surprise.


    "Hmm¡­ It seems grandfather has left again¡­ I can continue to experiment now."


    Vincent muttered as he looked in the direction where Raizen went into.


    After a moment, he took out his Dirty Wool Shirt +1 again.


    Since this is his first item to enhance, it somehow held a sentimental value to him although not too much.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    As soon as he triggered his Item Enhancement skill, this notification window immediately appeared in front of him.


    He decided not to enhance it yet as he first decided to use his Basic Item Appraisal skill!


    That''s right! He wanted to be able to tell what are the changes with his Enhancement!


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes!"


    As soon as he answered, he checked his current statistics.


    [ Mana: 18/20 ]


    Just like what the description of the skill says, it indeed took 2 units of mana to appraise an item.


    Soon, theplete detail of the Dirty Wool Shirt appeared in front of him.


    [ Dirty Wool Shirt ]


    [ Quality: Poor


    Number of Enhancements: 1/10


    Durability: 22/22


    Description: An outer garment normally worn bymoners. It has a decent ability to absorb moisture.


    Remarks: No special properties found. Durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "So this is it¡­"


    Vincent went silent for a while as he analyzed the content of the new window that popped out.


    Finally, he would be able to see the statistics or the changes whenever hepletes an enhancement!


    With that in mind, he no longer hesitated as he enhanced the wool shirt.


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]

 Chapter 12 Explore

    Vincent then quickly looked at his Mana Capacity and confirmed that his 18 units decreased by another 3 units.


    [ Mana: 15/20 ]


    It means that enhancing a +1 item requires 3 units of mana. It is not that much but Vincent can perhaps get a lot more experience points this time.


    This way, he would be able to fill up his experience bar a lot faster.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    Vincent''s experiment wasn''t over yet as he decided to appraise the same item.


    ''Yes.''


    After confirming, another screen appeared in front of him with all the information about the shirt.


    [ Dirty Wool Shirt ]


    [ Quality: Poor


    Number of Enhancements: 2/10


    Durability: 24/24


    Description: An outer garment normally worn bymoners. It has a decent ability to absorb moisture.


    Remarks: No special properties found. Durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "So it was just an increase of 2 points in Durability? Hmm¡­ Is it because it''s of poor quality and there are no special properties?"


    Vincent thought that the item he was enhancing would turn out something incredible if he keeps it up.


    However, it seems that the most it could do were to at least improve its durability.


    Nevertheless, he at least learned that enhancement can only be done 10 times¡­ or perhaps, this specific item can only be enhanced 10 times.


    "Hmm? Wait¡­ If I recall it correctly¡­" Vincent paused for a moment as he suddenly remembered the first few notifications he received from his system on the first day he transmigrated here.


    "That''s right, this is only the first stage of the Item Awakening System. Enhancement is only its first sequence. There''s probably a second or more¡­"


    If he would make a guess, the Enhancement ability that he has can only enhance the existing properties of the item. It probably can''t add other properties or attributes¡­


    "Well, there''s also a possibility that Enhancement Stones were the ones capable of adding new attributes or properties."


    Vincent muttered to himself as he felt that his guess is close to the truth. Anyway, it''s only a matter of time for him to know how this thing really works.


    In the meantime, he made sure to check his experience points again.


    [ Item Enhancement Lv1 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Enhancement Stones to upgrade the item they are holding ]


    [ Enhancement EXP: 715/5000 ]


    Vincent previously has 710 experience points before he enhanced the wool shirt. This means that enhancing a +1 item to a +2 will give him 5 points in his experience points.


    "Hmm¡­ In exchange for 3 units of mana is 5 experience points, huh. I guess it''s not a bad deal."


    Vincent muttered to himself.


    Though the amount wasn''t much, it would still umte if he religiously do it every day.


    "Alright. Let''s enhance one more time." Vincent muttered as he used his Enhancement ability once again.


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Mana: 5/20 ]<sub> </sub>


    "Ugh¡­ So expensive?"


    His shirt is now Dirty Wool Shirt +3 and it cost him 10 units of mana to upgrade from +2 to +3.


    Thankfully, he still has enough mana to appraise the item again and confirmed that the Durability of his shirt increased from 24 to 29!


    Though enhancing got more expensive, the effect is a lot better as well.


    As for the experience, it went up by 8 points.


    [ Enhancement EXP: 723/5000 ]


    After checking all the matters rted to his system, he decided to just study his Mana just like how his grandfather told him to.


    He first tried to replenish his mana and realized that it was a lot harder than he thought. An hour of meditation only provided him 0.5 units!


    ''Ugh¡­ I want to experience that Mana Bath again¡­''


    Vincentined as he decided to just explore what he can do with his mana in the meantime.


    Well, now that his mana has increased, he doesn''t have a n to just spend all of this in using Enhancements after all.


    He would still like to learn other usages of mana like how his grandfather is using it to hunt for the wild animals.


    ''Maybe I can ask him to bring me in his next hunt¡­''


    Vincent muttered before he went to meditate again. This time, he''s not nning to absorb the Mana in his surroundings.


    Instead, he decided to just learn how to control the mana that is currently within his body¡­


    "Do not emit the mana¡­ Revolve it around your body¡­" Vincent muttered as he repeated Raizen''s words during his teachings.


    Apparently, he was told that carelessly emitting mana without using a proper technique is just a waste of energy.


    Instead, he must first learn how to revolve his mana throughout his body. Once he managed to do this wlessly, Raizen hinted to him that he''ll be able to learn a few more things after all.


    Anyway, he learned things a lot faster so he can only hope that his grandfather would advance his teachings as well.


    ***


    After several hours had passed, Raizen has not been able to return yet.


    "Did he get into an ident?"


    Vincent is aware that his grandfather wouldn''t bete for no reason. It''s already dark outside and there should be savage beasts lurking in the deeper part of the forest right now.


    It means that Raizen can''t stay there for too long.


    No matter how strong he is, he can''t be fighting against Savage Beasts all night long.


    Thud! Thud!


    Suddenly he heard someone opening the door he quickly confirmed that it was Raizen.


    He was about to ask him what happened when he saw his grandfather''s clothes were sttered with blood.


    "Grandpa, is that blood yours?"


    Vincent cautiously asked since he can tell from his grandfather''s posture or gait that he was alright.


    "Ahh¡­ It''s not mine. I went to find a special beast and they only appear during the night so it took me quite some time."


    Raizen said as he went to change his clothes. As for the pouch he was carrying, he ced it on the table and Vincent felt something from it¡­

 Chapter 13 Learning New Things

    "Grandpa, what''s inside this pouch? I can feel that there''s mana surrounding it."


    As soon as Raizen came out of his room, Vincent asked him curiously.


    He felt like he knows what was inside but he can''t identify it exactly.


    "Haha¡­ Does it feel familiar?"


    "Yes."


    Vincent nodded as even though he hadn''t seen it yet, the aura is reminding him of something.


    "If you''re interested I can give it to you. However, you need to pass a test."


    "Test? Sure¡­" Vincent agreed since he knows that his grandfather is just teaching him about his reward system.


    You do what I tell and I reward you.


    This is probably what Raizen wants to establish while teaching him all about mana.


    Vincent doesn''t hate it at all so he''ll just go with the flow.


    "Alright¡­ I will test you then¡­ First, control a bit of your mana and cover your hands... or palms. Make sure to maintain it for at least 10 seconds before we continue."


    Raizen instructed as he gave a meaningful smile.


    To be honest, he wouldn''t dare ask him to do this if he doesn''t know that Vincent has terrifying talent. After all, he himself only learned how to properly control or shift his mana around his body after several weeks of practice.


    Others even take months to do it.


    However, he wanted to see Vincent failing for a bit so he canfort him with his practiced words!


    That''s right, he has been practicing someforting words ever since he learned almost a year ago that Vincent is very curious about the existence of mana.


    He expected him to desire to be a mana practitioner. However, he recalls that when Vincent''s mother came to him, he was told that the young Vincent has the lowest grade on his aptitude test.


    Though his parents confirmed that Vincent was still blessed since he would be able to wield mana, they are expecting him to be at the lowest rung in the society of Mana Practitioners.


    However, it turned out that the Aptitude Test result that his mother mentioned to him was a lie!


    Vincent was just too good at it that Raizen can''t use his practiced words offort! He even asked ra for it.


    ''I just have to push your limits then¡­''


    With that in mind, Raizen went to find a seat to watch how his grandson would fail.


    He watched Vincent hold his hands as he tries to move his mana ording to his instructions.


    "Hmm? You''re doing great¡­ Keep it up."


    Raizen praised Vincent after seeing some progress in how he shifts his mana.


    However, he can tell that is still quite awkward and wouldn''tst for long.


    This technique he''s teaching is the same method he used to protect his hands when handling Kai''s mystical items. This is the most basic Mana Application and the most important as well.<sub> </sub>


    After all, once he perfectly grasps how to do this, he would be able to learn how to protect himself from attacksing from mana as well.


    "Once you''re tired. You can stop doing it. It''s not like I''m expecting you to do it so easily¡ª"


    Raizen stopped speaking as he found out that Vincent managed to maintain his ''mana gloves'' for three seconds!


    "This¡­"


    He knows that Vincent now only needs to learn how to continuously pour his mana from his core to his hands.


    As long as he managed to maintain it, Vincent would be able to sessfully grasp the technique¡­


    "Whew! This was harder than I thought! Shifting mana to your body and controlling it to coat your hands is quite tricky¡­ It''s not just about shifting my mana to my hands." Vincent muttered as he tried doing it again.


    ''Oh¡­''


    After five more minutes, Vincent finally managed to perfectly grasp the technique! Unfortunately, he was only left with 0.20 units of mana as he wasted a lot of them in his trial and error.


    However, it was still sessful!


    This is the first proper application of mana that he learned except the system''s application!


    "Grandpa, did you see that? Though I almost emptied my mana¡­ I did manage to maintain it for ten seconds!"


    "Hmm? W-well¡­ That''s incredible. You did well, Vincent. You will be able to use that ''mana gloves'' whenever you encounter a mystical item or anything that you may find difficult to hold. Right, as you noticed during your previous attempts, most of your mana was just leaking out and wasting your energy. So you always have to practice how to maintain your mana and avoid it from gushing out."


    Raizen can only try to remind him about his ws to ensure that his grandson wouldn''t get too conceited by easily learning all the things he''s teaching.


    "Yes, grandpa! Can we see what''s inside the pouch now?" Vincent asked in excitement. Even though he''s a bit tired, he still wanted to see the item that his grandfather took so much effort to get.


    "Hmm? Sure." Raizen then picked up the pouch.


    He then untied it easily before he poured its content on the table.


    nk¡­ nk¡­ nk¡­


    Five small blue rocks rolled on the table.


    Vincent has no idea what it is but he can tell that they look pretty. They can be some kind of gemstones and perhaps, his grandpa is nning to sell them once the merchant caravan in the south passed by their vige.


    "These are Beast Cores, Vincent. They contain a good amount of mana and life energy. They can be acquired from Savage Beasts, or maybe you can also call them mutated animals."


    "Beast Cores¡­" Vincent nodded as he finally learned another thing about this world. His eyes lit up as he can''t wait to touch it.


    ''Eh?''


    He wanted to see whether he could enhance the beast cores.


    However, there is no notification from his system that he can enhance this object at all!


    ''So there are objects I can''t enhance, huh¡­'' Vincent curiously thought as he decided to use his appraisal ability instead.

 Chapter 14 Myth

    "Millie, what''s wrong?"


    Kiefer asked as he worriedly looked at his friend. In their small vige, there are only six other children of his age and Millie is one of them.


    Ever since Vincent received lessons about the mysteries of mana from his grandfather, he no longer yed with them and Millie would always look so down.


    Two years had already passed since then and they are already nine years or ten years old. Perhaps, they can only see Vincent once a week but he''s too busy in his own world.


    He wanted to lift her mood but he doesn''t really know what to do about it. His father is only teaching him how to use the Silent Toad Fist and Whirling Toad Palm Technique.


    If he asks his father how to make Millie happy, he would just be teased so he didn''t dare to ask him again.


    "Kiefer¡­ I''m fine. I¡­ I just want to experience being baptized by mana as well." Millie said helplessly.


    Kiefer and the others who were secretly listening to their conversation can only sigh after hearing it. Obviously, they wanted that to happen to them as well.


    The six of them can already sense mana. But they haven''t received the Mana Baptism like what happened to Vincent.


    In short, they can''t pursue a path or career as Mana Practitioners. They needed more than just sensing mana after all.


    Even Alchemists, a practitioner''s profession with the lowest requirement of talent in mana, still needed the Mana Baptism.


    p "How about we ask the Vige Chief? I heard that he was an adventurer during his younger days. He must''ve learned something different. Perhaps there is another way?"</anda>


    Kiefer suddenly said though he doesn''t have much hope.


    Apparently, they were told that once they managed to fill their cores with mana, the Mana Baptism should naturallye.


    If it didn''t happen, it means that they do not have much talent or in short, they probably have low-grade aptitude or even worse.


    With regards to that, they were unable to determine their aptitudes within this vige since it requires a special device in order to assess it.


    Because of it, they really have no idea whether they have a chance of getting the Mana Baptism or not.


    "Should we try asking him?" Millie asked as she looked at the others.


    During the past two years, they have trained themselves as well and absorbed as much mana as they could.


    However, they can feel that they have already reached their limit.


    They were able to use their little bit of mana to easily recover from their fatigue so they could y longer. The other boys who were practicing some martial arts became sharp with their techniques as well¡­ But they wanted something more than that¡­


    They also wanted to be able to wield mana and be strong simr to those Celestials they''ve seen. If they consider that as their aim, then perhaps, they could learn or study the Mana with Vincent as well.


    Soon, the six children visited the Vige Chief as they even brought fruits to give as a gift.


    "Hohoho~ What did I deserve to be visited by these lovely children? Is there anything I can help you with?"


    The vige chief is already old but his body is still fit so anyone can tell that he was quite capable during his younger days.<sub> </sub>


    "Chief August, can you teach us how to be Mana Practitioners?"


    Kiefer asked with determined eyes.


    The others are the same as they all looked at him.


    August, the one receiving the stares, immediately understands what they wanted. He had been at this age as well after all.


    In the end, he can only tell them a story that he heard in his younger days.


    It is about a young master and genius of a prestigious n who managed to be a powerful Grand Knight at the age of fifteen.


    Unfortunately, before he could realize his dream of defeating a Celestial, he was poisoned and all his cultivation had dissipated and he became a normal person. During that time, he was even unable to sense his mana.


    "What? Isn''t that cruel?"


    "Y-yeah¡­ A Grand Knight should be capable of fighting those Celestials, right? Isn''t that too amazing for a fifteen-year-old boy?"


    "Sshhh¡­ Let Chief August continue¡­"


    The children who were listening to the story couldn''t help but feel bad about the young boy who had his dream shattered after being poisoned.


    Millie, who was immersed with the story, waved to the others to keep quite.


    Chief August smiled at this as he continued.


    "Instead of crying or drowning himself in depression, the young boy decided to travel around the world to experience new things he met many friends and even fell in love with a normal girl¡­ Then¡­ after a few years, he arrived at the Withered Mountain..."


    With these words, everyone couldn''t help but gasp. The Withered Mountain is quite near to their vige after all. They can even see it if they climb a tree.


    August then continued with his story and told that the young man had a fortuitous encounter on that mountain. It allowed him to recultivate his mana and became even stronger than before.


    "Whoa~" The six children said in awe.


    "Ehem¡­ Look at your eyes¡­ I''m not telling you guys to go on an adventure. What I''m telling you is not to just look at what you have! You can consider doing other things as well that you might find enjoyable. If you do that, won''t you be rewarded in some ways?"


    Chief August did his best to exin.


    The children seem to understand him as well since they all nodded with a smile on their faces.


    "Hmm?"


    Suddenly, the vige chief realized that there is someone outside who was looking for him.


    He is one of the local guards and was tasked to guard the watchtower on the eastern side of the vige.


    "C-chief, you need toe outside¡­ Some people from the Lucius n have arrived. What do we do?"

 Chapter 15 Again

    "Lucius n?"


    Kiefer, Millie, and the other children seem to have heard this name before but they couldn''t recall it.


    On the other hand, Vige Chief August only sighed as if he has been expecting this already.


    "How many havee?" He asked calmly as if there was no problem at all.


    "There are only three of them. They seem to be very young. Around the ages of twenty to twenty-five." The guard replied as he tried to recall their appearance.


    "One of them is female and she seemed to be the leader considering how she walks in front of the two males."


    "Hmm¡­ I understand. ept them inside the vige. I won''t be weing them, Arthur. If they want to meet me. They cane here to my house. I''m already old."


    "Y-yes, Chief. I will inform them."


    "Mhmm¡­ You may go." August faintly smiled at the kids as he told them that it was time for them to leave.


    "Vincent¡­ I know you''ve been listening there while hiding. Take your friends with you. I''ll handle the people from the Lucius n."


    With the Chief''s sudden words, Millie gasped in shock as she looked around.


    Soon, Vincent appeared behind them and he didn''t seem to be hiding in the first ce.


    "V-vincent! You''re here! Why didn''t call us?!"


    Kiefer asked seeing the familiar face of their friend.


    "Ahh¡­ I wanted to meet the Vige Chief as well but when I came, I heard his storytelling and I didn''t want to interrupt."


    Vincent replied with a smile.


    Since he''s already nine years old, he had gotten a bit taller and wore better clothes. As a matter of fact, he made several adjustments to his existing clothes that the tailor of the vige even decided to copy his style.


    Thanks to that, the way everyone dressed in the vige had changed. They are no longer using wool as their main fabric and started using linen as an improvement. Though fur and leather are still being used, they aren''t asmon any longer.


    However, as for using silk, it is still a bit too much considering how expensive they are.


    "You''re bing more and more mysterious to me, Vincent. Did you just use the Shrouded Steps to enter here?" August ask as he recalled how he just suddenly felt Vincent''s presence.


    Shrouded Steps is only a Tier 1 Movement Technique but not any nine-year-old kid living in a remote vige can learn it in an Advanced state. There might even be a chance that Vincent reached the Perfected state already.


    During his younger days, he had seen many Mana Practitioners use this Tier 1 Technique as well, however, this is definitely his first time to see such a young practitioner use it so wlessly.


    "I did, Chief August¡­ I was nning to have a chat with you but I guess I came at the wrong time." Vincent replied acknowledging that he indeed use the said technique.


    "I will be meeting the people from the Lucius n right now, Vincent. So I won''t be able to apany you. Maybeter after they''re gone. Anyway, you guys can go outside as they should being here in a short while."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, Chief! Thanks for telling us that story." Millie said her goodbye before leaving the ce together with her friends.


    Vincent joined them as well and decided to just stick with them for a while. Anyway, he''s nning to take a break now after achieving one of his goals today.


    Apparently, this is his way to celebrate after he reached the Advanced State of the fourth Mana Art taught to him by his grandfather.


    "Vincent! You were able to move like a ghost¡­ I guess the technique taught by your grandfather is better than my Silent Toad Fist, huh."


    Kiefer said as he showed his interest in the movement technique he used a while ago.


    "Well, it is Mana Art after all. You can only practice it after having a certain amount of mana."


    "Oh¡­ I also use a bit of mana in my fist technique."


    "Ehem¡­ Vincent, did you hear the Chief''s story a while ago?" Millie suddenly asked as she looked at him with an expectant gaze.


    ''Hmm?'' Vincent realized that Millie seem to have something in her mind so he nodded his head to give her an answer.


    "Are you not curious about it? Isn''t the Withered Mountain close to us? Perhaps there''s a treasure there?"


    As expected, Millie had a strange idea after hearing the story. However, he really can''t me her since he had also gotten curious since the mountain in the said story isn''t too far from them.


    But it should still be too early for them to be thinking of adventuring outside the vige.


    "Do you want to visit that mountain?" He asked.


    "Well, if it''s possible. I also want to practice Mana, Vincent¡­" Millie replied with her pitiful eyes looking at him.


    ''Ugh¡­ This is why I don''t want to meet her. My heart is going crazy¡­'' Vincent knows that the orginal owner of this body has a crush on this girl for some reason.


    During the past three years, it did not dissipate at all and had only gotten stronger. It would feel like he wouldn''t be in control of this body if Millie is always there.


    "It''s only a legend though. Even if it''s real, I''m sure that many people had visited that mountain already and searched for treasure¡­ Maybe that young man in the story even took everything there."


    Vincent answered. Though he was interested as well, it''s not like he''s expecting to find treasures there. At most, he just wanted to see it to satisfy his curiosity.


    As he was about to convince her and the others, they suddenly felt a familiar pressure shrouding the whole vige¡­


    "W-what? Celestials?!" Kiefer said in horror.


    Everyone had the same expression. Ever since they first saw a Celestial, they had gotten curious about them and asked their parents about it.


    In the end, there is onemon thing they find out about their existence, they are dangerous beings capable of destroying mountains and rivers with their might!

 Chapter 16 Aura

    Raizen looked at the three people who had just entered their small vige.


    They are wearing expensive robes and precious pieces of jewelry on their bodies. The contrast to their poor vige is so visible that they seem like walking saints.


    ''There''s no carriage or horses nearby¡­ Did theye here by walking? Obviously not¡­ Then it must be--"


    Raizen tried to probe the three but he was unable to sense their Mana. However, it doesn''t mean that they are just ordinary people. This means that they are a lot scarier than Joran and Kai who previously came here to their vige to cause trouble.


    "Haa~ This is a more difficult situation." Raizen wryly smiled as he can feel that handling this matter won''t be easy.


    "Hmm? So the Chief already made his move."


    Noticing that the Vige Chief sent a messenger instead of personally weing the visitor, it informed the vigers that they have to be very careful this time and that the situation is very serious.


    Everyone in the vige stayed at their houses as the guards escorted the three guests.


    No one is expecting it to happen yet but they all remained vignt. After all, the reason for their visit is perhaps to just confirm Kai''s death.


    They can only pray that they won''t implicate their vige for the fate he met.


    As for the reason why they came here sote, there are a lot of possibilities but it''s most likely because Kai was together with a Celestial and no one thought that he would die during his mission or journey.


    After all, only a Celestial can beat another Celestial.


    Boom!


    Only five minutes had passed after the three people from the Lucius n entered the Vige Chief''s house, and an explosive power immediately covered the entire vige.


    "This is bad¡­" Raizen immediately made his move as he appeared in front of the seven children.


    "G-grandpa, is that a Celestial?!" Vincent asked as he felt the powerful Aura.


    "Yes¡­ It''s most likely a Celestial that focuses on assassination techniques or stealth. All of you should leave the vige using the secret path."


    "T-this¡­ Why do we have to hide? Why are they doing this? We didn''t do anything wrong to them" Millie protested as she couldn''t understand why this is happening.


    Raizen could only smile helplessly as he answered.


    "It doesn''t matter whether we did something bad or not. If they want to release their anger, we will have no choice but to face it."


    Vincent is already aware of this after receiving his grandfather''s teachings over the past few years.


    This is actually the main reason why they did not bother to inform the Lucius n about Kai''s death. It is because they are aware that it would just bring disaster to their vige. They can only hope that the Lucius n wouldn''t find this ce but in the end, they were still fated to meet here.


    "If the situation is not as bad as we thought¡­ We''ll being to look for you in that ce. Hurry now!" Raizen raised his voice as he suddenly felt that a battle is about to happen.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s go. We''ll wait for you, grandfather. Be careful." Raizen said as he lead the children away.


    Soon, Raizen was left in that spot as he assessed the situation on the other side.


    ***


    "Your vige just watched my brother die! You didn''t even bother to send the corpse to us! You all deserve to die!"<sub> </sub>


    The beautifuldy who was previously looking at the vige with her disdainful eyes no longer hides her true personality.


    "Youngdy¡­ How could you just sentence our vige to death? It''s not like we have the power to stop it from happening. His opponents are Two Numbered Celestials!" Chief August did his best to exin.


    His wooden house was already shattered into pieces after thedy burst with power¡­ No, it is mostly from the mysterious fully-armored female warrior behind her! Without a doubt, that warrior is a Celestial Being who specialized in Stealth.


    "Ridiculous! There are no Numbered Celestials in the Troy n! If you will make a lie, you have to make it believable!"


    She then pulled out her small de and was about to cut off the Vige Chief''s head.


    However, there was a sudden change in the surroundings.


    The previous explosive energy that she and the Celestial used to suppress the whole vige vanished without a trace.


    "This?!"


    The youngdy immediately felt rmed. The two guards she brought realized what had happened as well and quickly unsheathe their swords.


    "Show yourself!" One of the guards shouted. There was no way that their young miss'' suppressive aura including the Celestial''s aura would dissipate just like that¡­


    "Ugh¡­ You, I told you I will handle this myself."


    Suddenly, they heard the Vige Chief speak. He was also slowly standing up as he looked behind them.


    "Old August¡­ I''m sure I''ve seen you about to lose your head. We both made this vige¡­ I can''t just watch this ce gets trashed."


    Raizen spoke getting their attention.


    "Who are you?" The youngdy asked after seeing the mysterious old man. She immediately probed thetter and was surprised to find that he was weak.


    "You¡­ You''re not even an Adept. How did you pull that off?"


    "Oh¡­ So the young miss can tell¡­ It was just a small trick I learned when I was still traveling around the world, you don''t have to be surprised." Raizen answered as he cautiously looked at the Celestial in front of him.


    Normally, people would get scared just by seeing them since Mana Arts do not normally work on them.


    Only the Grand Knights and the Grand Magus would normally have a chance of fighting them on even grounds.


    "Hmph! Acting mysterious?! Kill him!"


    The young miss no longer hesitated as he gave his order to attack.


    However, he suddenly felt a powerful killing intent behind her! The old and weak Vige Chief, whom she thought she could kill in a wave of her, suddenly burst out with incredible power different from the Mana Arts!


    "T-this! You people aren''t Mages!" The youngdy finally realized what she was dealing with!


    The two guards realized this as well. No wonder they barely felt some Mana from them!


    "Aura Knights!"

 Chapter 17 Escape

    "Vincent¡­ Do you know the difference between the Numbered Celestials and those who are not? My father told me that they are a lot stronger. However, Grandpa Raizen must know a lot more than him."


    Kiefer asked while they are moving away. They have just left Vincent''s house as Vincent brought a couple of backpacks he had prepared in case of emergency.


    Vincent thought for a moment as he recalled how his Grandpa introduced the Celestials to him during one of his lessons.


    "Well, I heard that there are thousands of Celestials around the world. However, there are special Celestials and they are called Numbered Celestials. They have literal numbers marked on their bodies¡­ The ces they are marked can be on their forehead, arms, legs, or anywhere, really."


    He casually answered as he continued leading their small group. This is also his way to calm everyone down as they can hear the sounds of battle from afar.


    No one knows what was happening there but they are aware of how dangerous to stay there. Some of them were worried about their rtives too but they can only hope that they are also going to their escape route.


    "Oh¡­ No wonder they are called like that¡­ How many Numbered Celestials are there? Right, what numbers are those Celestials brought by the killer?" Millie asked. The others were also curious about this as they remained quiet.


    "My Grandpa didn''t see it clearly since we were a bit far, however, it should be in the nine hundred. There were only 999 Numbered Celestials anyway¡­ and the smaller the number, the stronger they are."


    "Nine hundred? So it means those two weren''t the strongest?" Kiefer asked as he seemed like he couldn''t believe it all.


    He had actually seen their battle and he can still recall how they move like a ghost and easily overpowered the other Spear-Wielding Celestial. They did it without using much of their real strength and were only relying on their movement andbat arts.


    He thought that they are already the Celestials that are standing at their peak!


    "Yes¡­ Let''s move a bit faster. I think that the situation in the vige is getting out of hand. We have to hurry." Vincent said.


    Currently, they are moving closer and closer to the waterfalls not too far from the vige. As soon as they could hear the sound of moving water, they hastened their footsteps to see its beauty¡­


    Ssshhh~


    They normally can''t y around in this ce without some adults watching over them. This is the first time they came here with only their group so they had a different feeling after arriving here.


    "Ohh¡­ I want to drink for a bit. I''m thirsty¡­" Kian, one of their friends, suddenly said after seeing the clean water in front of them.


    "Alright, let''s drink for a bit."


    Vincent joined in seeing no harm to it. Anyway, they are already quite far from the vige too.


    Gulp!


    Even though he had brought a canteen with him, he heard from his grandfather that the water here is cold and really refreshing. He wanted to try it for the first time.


    ''Good¡­''


    After they have some refreshing drinks, the seven then followed a path made of rocks so they could arrive in the middle of the waterfall¡­ Apparently, behind this waterfall is a secret passage and they had to get wet if they wanted to enter.


    Knowing this, they immediately removed their outer garment leaving their underwear before getting in.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, they can just simply let their clothes wet and have them dryter.


    Anyway, they know that this secret ce has supplies like clothes and food aside from a tunnel leading to the other side of the valley. However, they wanted to have less trouble so they decided to just remove some of their clothes and have Vincent protect them from getting wet.


    "Ughh¡­ If you have a lot more Mana, you can just make arger umbre to keep us from getting wet right?" Kiefer said as they entered the secret path.


    It was quite cold so he was still shivering as he said this.


    "It''s difficult¡­ I''m only a Journeyman after all. It''s just the second stage in the path of a Magician."


    Vincent weakly replied. To be honest, he already felt that he already reached his limit for some reason. Although he''s still young, he can somehow feel that he won''t advance to a Master Magician and get hopes to be promoted as an Adept Mage. This had greatly affected his ns as well since he could only learn Tier 1 Mana Arts.


    He''s unsure of the main reason why this is happening but after several months of observing his body, he had a guess.


    Anyway, he looked around the secret ce and found a glowing crystal helping them light up the ce.


    He then poured his mana into the crystal allowing it to have a stronger light.


    "Ohhh~ It''s not filled with dust¡­ Someone must''ve clean this ce before."


    "Look! There''s the door leading to the other side of the valley. Should we take a look?"


    Kiefer and the others noticed the wooden door at the furthest back of the secret room. Aside from that, they also noticed that the ce isn''t damp at all. It was as if there was something in this room keeping it from being dampened by waterfalls on the surface.


    Everyone seems rxed not knowing the disaster that has fallen into their vige.


    "We can use the door now and get to the other side. Should we take a look?" Vincent asked. He''s also curious about this escape route made by the Vige Chief and Elders after all.


    Furthermore, he wanted to know whether there are other escape routes considering there are only seven of them here. No matter how small their vige was, there are still over two hundred of them. There''s no way only the seven of them would be told to escape.


    Perhaps, they will be able to meet the other vigers at the end of the passage.


    After taking some of the supplies prepared, all seven of them decided to continue moving on¡­


    It was at this time they felt the ground shaking as the power of the Celestial reached their current spot!


    "You and everyone in this vige shall die!"


    A deafening voice of a woman echoed throughout the valley before it was followed by a series of explosions.


    It was at this point that Vincent felt that his grandfather''s Mana Signatures has disappeared¡­


    "G-grandpa Raizen¡­"

 Chapter 18 Confusion

    "What happened, Vincent? Can you tell what''s going on?" Millie asked worriedly.


    Both her parents are guards working at the southern gate of their vige. Since they have escaped to the western side, she didn''t have a chance to meet them before getting here.


    However, she''s already been told about this escape route in case an emergency happens. This is why she was not worried that she will be separated from them for long.


    In the first ce, she was told that she can escape here in case a Savage Beast that they couldn''t defeat entered the vige. With that in mind, it should only be a matter of time before they pick her up here. It is the same for the others.


    Unfortunately, the problem within the vige seems to be more difficult to deal with than they expected.


    The voice they heard sounded really pissed off. Considering that they have brought a Celestial as well, they couldn''t think that there would be someone in the vige who can stop them!


    "I think something bad happened in the vige¡­" Vincent can only answer.


    "This¡­ What should we do? Are they going to be alright? Do you think they have already escaped as well?" Kiefer wanted to go back and look for his father.


    However, he knows how weak he was and the burst of aura just now already scared him from getting close to the vige.


    "I don''t know¡­ Let''s continue moving for now. I''m sure that they have something in mind. Our presence might be noticed by the Celestial if we don''t keep moving."


    "R-right¡­ Let''s hurry."


    They are all worried about their rtives. As of now, they can only hope that they have escaped using a different route and meet themter on.


    As everyone nervously walked, Vincent was still trying to sense the mana in the surroundings¡­ However, because they were getting farther away from the vige, his mana sensitivity was no longer useful.


    ''Seriously¡­ This happened so quickly¡­ Grandpa should''ve escaped with us instead. Tsk¡­'' He can''t understand why Raize decided to confront those people from the Lucius n. There was no way they are a match after all.


    If he was in a position where he can''t defeat his opponent, there was no way he would continue fighting on. If he ever had a chance, he would immediately escape and think about revenge once he had gotten stronger.


    ''I know this isn''t a peaceful fantasy world after that incident with Joran and Kai¡­ However, shouldn''t they give me a bit more time to grow?'' Vincent sighed as he could onlyin right now.


    Though he learned 4 Mana Arts from his Grandfather, it was still not enough to even think of going outside the vige and living alone.


    He knows that he still has to rely on him especially for acquiring the Beast Cores.


    Vincent felt his backpack for a bit as he confirmed that the Beast Cores he had collected were still in his possession.


    "We''re here¡­"


    "I didn''t know there is a ce like this."


    "It''s filled with flowers. How beautiful!"


    The seven arrived in a flower field surrounded by mountains. Even Vincent was speechless after seeing such a beautiful sight.


    He even felt something from the yellow flowers as he wanted to appraise them immediately. However, this is not important right now.


    "No one is here." Vincent muttered after looking around.


    They searched for traces but none of them managed to find any.


    "There''s arge rock over there¡­ Let''s see if there are some clues there." Kiefer pointed at the flower field.


    Therge rock is actually at the center of the flower field. They didn''t think much of it at first but since there was nothing else to do, they decided to approach it.


    "Hmm?"<sub> </sub>


    "Stairs going underground?"


    "Aren''t they too mysterious? Why did the Vige Chief and the elders even bother doing all of this."


    "Yeah¡­ The secret passage inside the waterfalls is already incredible. Now, there is also like this."


    Vincent nodded as he looked at the hollowed rock from the other side. They found stairs leading underground and unexpectedly, no one felt any dangering from them.


    "Let me lead the way." Vincent said as he decided to be the vanguard.


    Soon, he saw some crystals on the walls as he poured a little bit of mana into them so they can start glowing.


    The mana he used wasn''t much at all and he only used up 0.10 units each.


    After a couple of dozen steps, they finally arrived at the bottom giving a shock to everyone, especially Vincent.


    "Whoa~"


    "This looks so cool!"


    "I wonder what''s inside?"


    "It looks so strange though."


    "Be careful. Let''s not touch it for now."


    The children expressed their interest in the capsule inside. On the other hand, Vincent was already clutching his head not understanding what was really going on.


    First, he found the modernized armors of the Celestials very suspicious. That armor already made him reconsider whether this is a fantasy world of sword and magic.


    Now, there is also this mysterious capsule that obviously did not fit in a medieval era!


    "Let''s not stay here. Let''s go outside." Vincent suggested.


    Aside from that, he also felt that the presence of his Grandpa reappears! Though he was really weakened, there was no way for him to mistake his identity.


    As soon as they returned to the surface, they indeed found Raizen filled with blood! His dominant left arm was also missing!


    "G-grandpa!" Vincent worriedly approached Raizen who was now lying in the field of flowers. He''s still breathing but he''s already too weak¡­ They also do not have any medicines with them.


    Right now, the most he could do is to try to stop the bleeding.


    Vincent immediately acted and bandaged his grandfather. Luckily, he learned how to do this in his previous life during his college days.


    "Grandpa! Stay awake!" Vincent called out as he can''t let him fall asleep yet.


    <o>,m Raizen has to continuously revolve his Mana Source or his body would copsepletely. He is already old after all.</o>


    Vincent then turned to the other children who remained watching on the side.


    "Fetch some water. There should be a river or something nearby. Look for it!" Vincent instructed.


    Realizing that their help was also needed, they immediately acted after hearing his words.


    It was at this time that Raizen opened his eyes and looked at his grandson with grateful eyes.

 Chapter 19 Raizens Secret

    "Vincent, listen to me¡­"


    Raizen said weakly which greatly rmed Vincent.


    ''This feels like a death g¡­''


    "Grandpa¡­ I will be listening to all your wordster. You have to remain strong. You''re not dying. You just lost a limb. We will stop the bleeding and you''ll be just fine." Vincent immediately said.


    However, he had forgotten that the fight he had juste from wasn''t an easy one. It was against a Celestial Being and he had suffered serious internal injuries.


    Raizen decided not to point this out as he replied weakly.


    "I know, I know¡­ That woman from the Lucius n has probably left already, however, it''s better to stay here for a while. And since we annoyed her a lot, she had probably destroyed the vige by now and killed everyone who hasn''t been able to escape in time."


    "Then¡­ How about Millie and others'' parents? Do you think they escaped?"


    At this question, Raizen remained silent.


    "I understand¡­ But isn''t this a bit too irrational? Did they really n to kill everyone in the vige just because their rtive died here in our vicinity? Isn''t that too unfair?"


    Vincent couldn''t help butin about such ridiculous actions by the Lucius n. It was too unjustifiable. They are just bullying them!


    He had never thought that it would escte to this degree.


    ''They will pay for this¡­'' Vincent muttered as everyone in the vige had already gotten closer to him over the past few years.


    Though he couldn''t remember all their names, they have been kind to him and treated him like their own son.


    ''But¡­ What can I do? I only have this Enhancement Skill and a few Tier 1 Mana Arts¡­'' Vincent sighed knowing how weak he is. He knows that his system can probably do a lot more things but it takes a lot of time or grinding to level up his skill!


    Haa~


    Vincent sighed. He still couldn''t believe how everything happened so fast. His strong and dependable grandfather was now in such a vulnerable state while the situation of their vige and others was probably even worst.


    "We fetched some water, Vincent¡­ What should we do with this?" Kiefer and the others said as they used a clean robe to transport the water.


    "Good¡­ Hold it like that while I clean grandpa''s injuries."


    Vincent said as he looked at the other external wounds of his grandfather. The missing left arm may be the most critical one but the many small injuries on his body would still umte. This is why he needed to clean it immediately before he gets an infection.


    After some time, Millie and the others were left stunned seeing how professionally he handled those wounds.


    Some of them didn''t even dare to look directly after seeing so much blood.


    "Grandpa¡­ You need a rest. As for your cane, I''ll try to fix it someday." Vincent said as he took the cane from his grandfather.


    "I understand¡­ Ugh¡­ You did well cleaning my wounds. I never thought you that¡­ Anyway, there is a cabin at the foot of that mountain. We should stay there." Raizen said as he clutched the bandage on his left shoulder.


    After hearing this, no one asked any more questions as they helped each other to get to the cabin.<sub> </sub>


    Soon, they found arge cabin at the foot of the mountain surrounded by trees. The ce also seems to be well-maintained as if someone is taking care of it.


    "Are there any people inside?" Vincent asked as he looks around.


    "There''s no one here¡­ It''s only me and the Vige Chief who knows about this ce."


    After Raizen said that, they no longer hesitated as they entered the cabin.


    It is quite a spacious cabin with a firece enough to warm them up. Though there isn''t food or any supplies inside, there are still beds, tables, and other pieces of furniture inside.


    Finally, everyone could have a proper rest.


    The children immediately found a ce to lie down where they could have a good sleep.


    "Vincent¡­ Take care of your friends. I know you have simr age to them but I also know how mature you are."


    ? "G-grandpa¡­ I''m only nine¡­ Turning ten this year. Don''t you think I''m still too young to take responsibility?! Just get better and take care of us¡­ or at least, we''ll help each other, okay?" Vincent reasoned out.


    He can''t ept such a heavy responsibility. Aside from that, there might be some others who had also escaped so they can''t lose hope yet.


    "Grandpa, if you still have some energy, just tell me what really happened? How did you fight and survive against the Celestial? Even the Vige Chief, he''s not simple too¡­ Isn''t it about time for you to reveal your real background?"


    Vincent recalled the powerful burst of aura before. He was able to tell that some of them came from the enemies from the Lucius n while the other two came from the Chief and his Grandfather.


    He wouldn''t make a mistake in that.


    Aside from him being connected to the Star Garden Sect where his parents came from, his grandpa must have his own story.


    At first, Raizen didn''t want to say anything about it.


    However, after he pestered him for a while, the old man finally gave up and told him everything he wanted to know.


    "I was just a normal traveler before¡­"


    Raizen started to tell his story in his younger days.


    Apparently, Raizen and August became friends afterpleting an A-ss Mission. They have explored many dungeons together and discovered numerous Magic Treasures.


    Finally, he also introduced his identity as someone qualified to be called an Aura Knight.


    "Aura Knight? You''ve never told me anything about them before." Vincent furrowed his brows as he tried to recall whether there was such a thing in his lessons.


    However, there are no Aura Knights in his memories at all.


    "Aura Knights¡­ They are people who aren''t just relying on the world''s mana to break the shackles of their mortal bodies¡­ They aren''t using any Mana Cultivation Techniques but instead, uses Soul Cultivation Techniques."

 Chapter 20 Capsule

    Raizen spent almost an hour educating Vincent about the existence of other professions around the world.


    After several years, Vincent has finally been able to understand some part of the history of this world.


    There weren''t just Celestial Beings, Barbarians, Mana Practitioners, Savage Beasts, and Dungeons around the world, there are also Soul Cultivators who are most poprly known as Aura Knights.


    However, what''s even more interesting about this is that the Celestial Beings had supposedly introduced the existence of Mana Cultivation and Soul Cultivation Techniques. After introducing these Techniques, humans started to prosper and became the rulers of this world.


    "Where did the Celestialse from? And why are they following the orders of some humans if they are really strong?" Vincent asked in confusion.


    If they are really that capable, why would they even bother following the orders of some influential humans?


    "I''m not sure, Vincent¡­ I did not have the right to know these things¡­ However, I heard that therge and powerful human ns managed to create some kind of contract with a few Celestials Beings. It seems to be a give-and-take rtionship between the two. As for the content of the contract, I''m unaware of it."


    "Hmm¡­ So only a few of them decided to work for them, huh¡­ This means that there are still a lot of Celestial Beings freely roaming around?"


    "You can say so¡­ However, they will not normally interact with people. They will normally act like a normal traveler if they don''t wear their armors. That''s what I heard¡­" Raizen replied as he reminisced about the past.


    Vincent shivered after thinking about it. He''s already aware of how powerful they are and if they are indeed freely roaming around the world, it feels a lot more dangerous to travel around the world.


    "Haa~ Don''t worry too much¡­ Before the appearance of those three Celestials brought by Joran and Kai, I''d never met a Celestial Being actively fighting for over five decades. Unless you get involved with the people of such prestigious ns, I don''t think you''ll randomly meet them on the streets."


    "I see¡­" Vincent wasn''t convinced but he should still be able to trust his grandpa''s words.


    He then recalled the unusual capsule hidden in the underground chamber beneath the flower field. He quickly mentioned it to Raizen but unfortunately, he doesn''t seem to have any idea about the capsule''s content as well.


    "We found it inside a dungeon. We first thought that it was a coffin, or perhaps, a treasure box¡­ However, we can''t open it using our mana or soul''s aura. It''s more difficult to even try breaking it open¡­ Ugh! That thing gave us so much headache¡­ Anyway, August and I decided to keep it for ourselves in case we discover how to open it someday."


    Obviously, they were unable to discover the method of how to open that capsule up until now.


    ''So that''s it¡­ I wonder what''s inside that thing.''


    A while ago, Vincent didn''t dare to touch it since he was afraid that it might suddenly activate or something unusual might happen. He knows that he was still too weak if hepares himself to his grandfather after all. So he decided to wait for him instead.


    However, now that he confirmed that it wasn''t as dangerous as he thought it could be, he''s now quite interested in checking whether he could Enhance or Appraise that Capsule.


    Once he used his Appraisal Skill sessfully, he''s hoping that the details he''ll see will also include the contents of the capsule itself.


    "Alright, grandpa¡­ Take a rest for now. I''ll guard this ce." Vincent said as he had already nned to check the capsule.


    "Hmm¡­ Just don''t leave this field. You won''t get detected here because thisnd is quite special. The Savage Beasts will not enter as well."


    "Really? Is there some kind of magic going on here? No wonder you''re not worried about getting followed here." Vincent curiously asked.


    "Hmph. Though I am not a match against the Unnumbered Celestial, I''m still confident with my feet. And yeah¡­ I think it''s rted to the Capsule. That thing seems to be expelling the Savage Beasts and creating a barrier to protect its surroundings... Ugh, I''m getting dizzy¡­ Let me rest now."


    Vincent then made sure everyone wasfortably resting before leaving the cabin.


    Soon, he appeared in front of the mysterious Capsule within the underground chamber.<sub> </sub>


    ''Let''s see how tough this is first¡­''


    He then took out his small dagger. It is a gift he received from his grandfather and it is made of special materials so he treasures it a lot.


    [ Silver Ruin Dagger ]


    [ Quality: Umon


    Number of Enhancements: 5 / 10


    Durability: 50 / 50


    Pierce: 10


    Description: A serpentine shape double-edged de forged from new silver.


    Remarks: Special Pierce Attribute found. Durability and Pierce attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.  ]


    Vincent''s Silver Ruin Dagger +5 is his finest weapon right now.


    Currently, Vincent''s maximum mana has now reached 80 Units.


    It is quite a lot.


    With his current mana, he can actually try enhancing it to +6 since it only requires 50 units of mana for every enhancement at this stage.


    However, ever since he reached +5 enhancement, he can now experience ''Enhancement Failure'', and unfortunately, he failed most of the time and the others that he tried to forcefully reach +6 were destroyed in the process.


    It appears that the barrier between the +5 and +6 is not easy to break.


    ng!


    Vincent then threw the dagger into the capsule to see what a +5 weapon can do about its defense¡­


    As expected, the silver dagger just bounced off without leaving any scratch at all. He expected that he wouldn''t do much to damage it but seeing how he''s unable to leave a scratch at all, he can only sigh in defeat.


    Without any more hesitation, he decided to use his Appraisal skill to see what really is this capsule.


    [ Do you want to appraise this item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Ding!


    <o>,m [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]</o>


    [ You have discovered a Cryogenic Sleep Chamber.]

 Chapter 21 Time

    "W-what?!"


    Vincent gasped after reading the notification.


    Although he was just a farmer in his province, he still studied at a university and read books rted to this subject!


    In his past life on Earth, he heard about Cryonics which is basically a device that could store human remains and "preserve" them. However, it wasn''t just preservation but it was done with the spective hope that resurrection may be possible in the future.


    Because of this topic, he had discovered the existence of the Cryogenic Chamber which is now what was in front of him!!


    Cryogenic Chambers like this would normally contain humans and hibernate them. From what he recalled though, it shouldn''tst for a month because the person inside would be in danger if it exceeds more than that.


    However, for some reason, he felt that if there is someone inside here, they might still be alive and only in suspended animation or cryosleep.


    Once it was opened, whoever was inside the device might wake up!


    This scared him a bit but also made him a bit excited!


    ''As expected, this is not a simple fantasy world at all.''


    [ Cryogenic Sleep Chamber ]


    [ Quality: Unknown


    Number of Enhancements: 0


    Durability: Unknown


    Description: A Cryogenic Sleep Chamber that is in perfect condition. The world''s mana is supplying it with energy to preserve the being inside.


    Remarks: A mysterious object. There will be unknown Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    Vincent helplessly smiled after reading the details that came from his Basic Item Appraisal Skill¡­


    Perhaps due to it being at the "Basic" stage, it was unable to find more details about the device and mostly unknown.


    However, he wasn''t disappointed at all as he finally understand what this thing was.


    "It''s not yet a good idea to open this thing¡­ Whatever is inside, it can be an enemy as well. It''s better to let it stay here until I learned what''s inside."


    It''s not like he knows how to open it.


    Anyway, he also thought of asking Raizen more about the dungeons he explored before¡­


    ''Those dungeons¡­ Are they actually facilities making these things?'' Vincent couldn''t help but think about it. There might be clues inside those dungeons on how to open this sleeping chamber.


    However, he immediately shook his head.


    There is no point specting such things right now¡­


    He will certainly discover more as long as he gets stronger.


    For now, he had to focus on his real path!


    At this moment, he felt that he already hit a wall. He can''t advance further. It was as if the 80 units of mana was his limit. His grandfather told him that he should just continue what he was doing and he''ll advance naturally and be a Master Magician someday.


    However, he''s capable of quantifying his Mana so he knows what''s happening in his body. And being unable to see any progress for several months already. he felt that he might need to start practicing Soul Cultivation as well.<sub> </sub>


    Perhaps this is already his limit as a Mana Practitioner. He might as well try cultivating his Soul since his Grandpa is an expert at this.


    With that in mind, Vincent went up to the surface.


    ? Right now, he still has plenty of mana he could use. He might as well appraise the mysterious flowers growing within this field.


    Vincent then plucked one of the yellow flowers and confirmed that he can appraise it.


    After spending another 2 units of mana, he got the information he wanted.


    [ You have discovered a Wisdom Feverfew ]


    [ Wisdom Feverfew ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Description: A small palm-shaped flower. They relied on wind pollination to reproduce. The sound of running water seems to linger around it if you listen carefully.


    Remarks: The flower is a known ingredient in making a Sleeping Drug, Insight Potion, or Brain Enhancement Pill. Each Enhancement will upgrade its effects in Alchemy. ]


    "Oh?"


    This is Vincent''s first time seeing a flower with so many uses in alchemy. Luckily, there are thousands of these flowers on the ground so plucking one of them shouldn''t matter.


    ***


    A couple of days had passed after the incident.


    They have already taken all the supplies in the secret chamber at the waterfalls and brought them to the cabin.


    "Vincent, Millie, Kiefer, Kian, Vivian, Gerard, and Tristan. I have a friend from the Primal Sword Secting here in a few days." Raizen gathered the children as he started to reveal his intentions.


    "Grandpa, are we going to that Sect?" Vincent asked. He knows that Raizen is thinking about their future.


    He can not raise these seven children in the middle of the forest after all. There were a lot of things that will be needed as they grow up.


    "Primal Sword Sect? I heard them from one of the merchants before. Isn''t that a big sect known for their aggressive hunting of Savage Beasts?" Kiefer recalled what he heard from the merchant caravan that previously visited their small vige.


    "Right! That seems to be a big sect¡­" Millie and Vivian nodded as they seem to recall the name of the sect as well.


    They have a good impression of that Sect since they would ept any people as long as they are hardworking and willing to learn the art of the sword.


    "Oh¡­ Since you heard them already, this will be a lot easier. I want you guys to follow that man. You can all trust him. I already sent him a letter and he should be arriving here in a few days." Raizen said with a smile.


    He''s still quite weak after losing an arm. However, Vincent can already feel that his thick mana or perhaps his soul''s aura has returned.


    "Grandpa, Are you going with us? If not, I won''t be joining them¡­ I still need to learn your Soul Cultivation¡­" He said matter-of-factly.


    "Hmm? You can learn it in the sect as well. You don''t have to learn it here with me."


    "What? Who will take care of you if you stay here." Vincent asked in confusion. He''s not underestimating his grandfather but he''s already old. He also has a missing arm.


    "You¡ªHaa~ Vincent¡­ I do not have much time left."

 Chapter 22 Reward

    After a couple of days, Raizen''s friend indeed arrived at the huge Acacia Tree not too far from the destroyed vige. This tree was used as andmark for their meeting ce.


    He was also together with two young female disciples of the Primal Sword Sect. They were all wearing simple leather armors and carrying worn-out bags with them.


    Nevertheless, their swords were still exquisitely designed and contained a mysterious aura around them.


    They fit the description of the disciples of the Primal Sword Sect.


    "Old Rai¡­ Are you guys the only survivor? We saw the vige a while ago and it doesn''t seem to be a work of a Magic Beasts¡­ Is it a Magician?"


    The old man in his sixties asked as soon as they''ve gotten near. He has long brown hair and a few missing teeth in his mouth which made the children a bit interested in how he spoke. Anyway, the man was genuinely concerned about what happened.


    He and his twopanions also looked at the seven children behind Raizen. There was a hint of concern and pity in their eyes.


    It wasn''t surprising considering how the children must''ve felt after knowing that their rtives are already dead. There was nothing more important than to help these kids get a better life¡­


    "Magician? It''s not, Thierry. It''s a Celestial who did all that. We somehow offended a person from a huge n. Luckily, they thought that we''ve been wiped outpletely so there shouldn''t be anyone chasing after us."


    Raizen answered which shocked the three.


    Celestial Beings weren''t some existences that you would easily encounter after all. They are beings that are known to be invincible and wouldn''t normally act.


    Celestials may be defeated in battle but killing them is apletely different matter. No wonder his old friend suffered terribly.


    "T-that was¡­ a bad luck, huh¡­" Thierry sighed as even the Primal Sword Sect that he belongs to wouldn''t want to offend a Celestial Being as well.


    Thierry wanted to ask more questions about why it had gotten this far that even a Celestial Being had to be mobilized. It was just too extreme for arge n to settle this matter using such a powerful being.


    However, he knows that knowing less is a lot better especially if it involves the Celestials.


    "I just hope that once you take them in, you won''t be stopping them if they wanted out." Raizen said referring to the six children who will being with Thierry to the Primal Sword Mountain to train.


    After hearing such a condition, Thierry immediately guessed why Raizen had to mention this.


    ''It seems that these kids were nning to take revenge for what happened to their vige.''


    Thierry thought as he looked at their determined eyes. It appears that they have made an agreement with Raizen prior to his arrival here. He can''t me them for this so he nodded at him and promised to allow them to leave as long as they have at least reached the third stage of the Primal Sword Art.


    Hearing that they wouldn''t be tied down to the Sect for their whole lives, the kids felt satisfied as they looked gratefully to Raizen and thanked Thierry for his consideration.


    ***


    "Are you sure about this?" Raizen asked as they watched the six children leave with the three people from the Primal Sword Sect.


    Vincent was adamant to stay with his grandfather¡­ and it wasn''t just because he wanted to learn about Soul Cultivation but most certainly because of what he learned. Raizen didn''t have much time left and he didn''t want to let the old man spend hisst few days alone in the forest.


    "Yes, Grandpa¡­ It''s not like I have anyone else here. You''re my only family in this world so it wouldn''t make sense to leave you here hanging¡­ Anyway, I will be at the river for a while to catch some fish for dinner."<sub> </sub>


    Vincent said as he went back to the cabin to get his fishing equipment.


    [ Poor Fishing Rod +5 ]


    This fishing rod actually boosts his chance of catching small-size fish. This is why he has no issue catching young perch or sometimes fallfish in the river.


    As soon as he went reached the river, he didn''t immediately start fishing.


    Instead, he looked around for a moment before bringing out a couple of bluish stones from his pocket.


    These are the Beast Cores that his Grandfather had taken from the Savage Beasts.


    Apparently,  it was brought to him by Raizen with an intention to be used by Vincent to replenish his Mana during his training.


    Practicing Mana Arts, especially the Shrouded Steps consumes a lot of mana in the beginning after all.


    As long as he uses the Beast Cores filled with Mana, he can practice continuously without waiting for his Mana Source to slowly regenerate mana.


    Nevertheless, Vincent has a different intention when he pulled out the core from his pocket.


    [ Enhancement Stones found. Would you like to use 1 Enhancement Stone to Enhance this item? ]


    Vincent smiled after seeing this. This enhancement stone is the item that he can not appraise when it was first brought out by his grandpa.


    However, as soon as he discovered that it is an Enhancement Stone, he had tried using them a few times but he discovered that it is such a waste to use them to enhance from +1 to +5¡­


    He can do much easier just by using his Mana. Aside from that, only when he uses the Enhancement Stone can he feel that there is a chance to upgrade his item into +6.


    Vincent then went silent for a moment as if he was praying to the gods for a blessing.


    After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at the fishing rod.


    ''Yes!''


    Vincent selected the option Yes and continued with the enhancement.


    [ Enhancement Failure. ]


    This disappointed Vincent but he had already seen this quite a lot. He''s just thankful that the item is not being destroyed or being returned to +1 just like in the previous games he yed.


    Ding!


    [ You have failed to upgrade a +5 item into +6 for 20 times continuously. ]


    [ Congrattions! You have been given a reward of an 80% increase in your Sess Rate at your next enhancement!  ]

 Chapter 23 Cultivation

    "Vincent¡­ Are we going to meet again?" Millie asked as she looked at her close friend. Her eyes were about to cry but she was holding it really well.


    They know each other ever since they were able to go out and y outside their house. Aside from that, she was also close to Raizen since the old man would always visit their house to sell the animals or whatever he foraged in the forest.


    Raizen would always talk about Vincent at that time, so she felt that she really knows Vincent well.


    "Of course¡­ I know where you guys will be going. I''m sure that your talent with mana would also Awaken in that ce so I might be hearing a lot from you if that happens."


    "Hmph¡­ That''s a Sword Sect, didn''t you hear Grandpa Raizen?"


    "I know¡­ But it doesn''t mean that they only know how to wield swords. You''ll know soon enough."


    Vincent said.


    In truth, Millie wanted to stay with him as well since she didn''t like to live in such an unknown ce.


    However, she knows that she''s too weak. She''s someone who hasn''t been able to receive her Mana Baptism even though she already learned how to feel the existence of mana. This is why she decided to just go with the rest and get stronger someday.


    She was also a bit influenced by what Kiefer and Kian said about revenge on the person who did something terrible to their family and friends.


    "Millie~ Millie~ Are you sleeping with your eyes open?"


    "Eh¡­ Ah! I''m sorry! I was thinking of something. What is it, Kiefer?" Millie jolted as Kiefer appeared in front of her.


    They were currently on a carriage after Thierry and the two pretty disciples of the Sect bought one for them. Apparently, the three would just normally walk using a different path and get themselves to experience some dangers to train theirbat skills.


    However, now that they are apanied by a few kids who haven''t properly trained their bodies, they have no other choice but to buy a carriage at the nearest town and use the paved road to arrive at the next city.


    "It''s nothing¡­ I was just curious whether we can really learn the sword techniques of the Sword Sect."


    Kiefer muttered.


    The others who were listening understands his concern as they nodded in agreement.


    "It should be fine. We just have to work hard. Look at Vincent, he was someone who couldn''t dodge your Toad Fist, he even almost died to that. But now, you saw how strong he has gotten after a few years of training¡­ I''m sure we can do it as well."


    Millie said after recalling Vincent practicing his palm technique and movement technique in the flower field. His moves who like a ghost and his punch would create shockwaves.


    It was very awesome to look at.


    p "R-right¡­"</anda>


    "He looks cool doing that."


    "That''s the reason I decided to join the sect anyway."


    "That''s true¡­ We can''t always be weak."


    Vivian, Kian, Gerard, and Tristan replied.


    If the small and previously weak Vincent was able to do that, they must be capable of learning the sword art as well that doesn''t even require a lot of mana to practice.


    With that in mind, everyone started looking forward to being part of the Primal Sword Sect.


    Thierry and the two disciples who were listening to their conversation outside the carriage smiled and were also quite excited to see what the future holds for them.


    ''It seems that the Primal Sword Sect would be lively again.''


    Thierry thought for a moment as he looked at the vast in ahead.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    Vincent continued practicing the Soul Cultivation Method that his grandfather started teaching him.


    Right now, because of the 80% Sess Rate increase in his next Enhancement, he decided not to use it immediately.


    Unfortunately, he can''t choose where to use the 80% boost. It wasn''t like a voucher or something after all.


    It will automatically be applied to whatever next item he enhanced. It was quite troubling but not too much.


    Anyway, he decided to use it on the [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +5 ]


    That''s right¡­ This is the cane that his grandfather has been using.


    He had actually enhanced it to +5 over the past years.


    Luckily, his grandfather didn''t think too much of its improvement with durability and crushing ability.


    More than that, he chose to use the chance on this weapon since it is the item with the highest quality he had seen.


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +5 ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 5/10


    Durability: 90/100


    Crush: +40


    Description: A cane that is suited for battle. It is carved from the exclusive Ironbark to form the base of the cane. It is decorated with gilded patterns and only leaves the handle untouched which has been decorated with scale-like stubs.


    Remarks: Special Crush Attribute found. Durability and Crush attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.]


    This is the stat of the cane that his grandfather has been using. Its original durability was only 70 but had reached the limit of 100 after reaching its +5 state.


    At this time, this is the only Rare Quality that he had ever seen.


    "Whew~"


    Vincent took a deep breath afterpleting a cycle of his Soul Cultivation.


    "This is weird¡­ I don''t know how it''s helping me increase my Soul power¡­ but it''s really effective."


    He couldn''t help but be mesmerized by the unusual cultivation method to strengthen his soul.


    It wasn''t some kind of life-and-death training exercise. But instead, it was just visualization training! Vincent simply had to visualize the image of someone that his grandfather passed down using some kind of unusual method.


    It is difficult but still doable as long as he remains patient and focused.


    In his training, he just had to try and visualize the image that he had seen for a brief moment.


    "I''m sorry, Vincent¡­ If I''m stronger enough, I can continuously feed your soul the image of the Star Goddess. However, I''m too weak already. You have to make do with the brief image I''ve shown you."


    Raizen said as he suppressed his urge to vomit some blood.

 Chapter 24 Paths

    "It''s alright, grandpa¡­ I should be the one asking for an apology. Instead of resting, you still have to teach me something like this¡­" Vincent sighed as he answered.


    Unfortunately, his grandfather has no cultivation manual or something that he can use as a reference to practice.


    Raizen said that he learned the Cultivation Method after he found a painting inside a dungeon. He just had to look at the said painting of the Star Goddess with an iprehensible face and he learned the Soul Cultivation Art magically.


    It was like an imprint that has happened the moment he saw the painting.


    The problem was that the painting was burned down after he attempted to take it out of the Dungeon. If he knows that it has that kind of mechanism, he would''ve left the painting within that dungeon instead.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s good that you can still cultivate your soul even though my method to pass it  to you was imperfect." Raizen said after noticing that Vincent''s soul is starting to get stronger.


    Vincent is currently sitting on top of the rock in the middle of the flower field.


    For some reason, the scent of the Wisdom Feverfew flowers calms his mind and helps him with his concentration.


    It appears that even if it''s not being used as an ingredient for alchemy, it could still provide some decent effects on his mind.


    Well, the number of the flower is probably a factor in it as well. There are over a thousand feverfew flowers after all.


    "Thanks for guiding me, grandpa. I''ll study the cultivation method a little bit more. You can take a rest for now."


    "Mhmm¡­ Alright¡­ After you''re done, just grill some fish for our mealter."


    p "Grilled fish? Sure. I''ll take care of it."</anda>


    "Right, make sure that you''re still practicing your Mana¡­ You''re still young and there is more opportunity for you if you became a Mana Practitioner. The path of emitters is boundless while the path of enhancers is limited. Just look what happened to me, so keep it in mind." Raizen reminded as he looked seriously at his grandson hoping he would take his words to his heart.


    "Yes, grandpa."


    As soon as Raizen turned his back to leave, Vincent couldn''t help but look at the cane in Raizen''s right hand.


    He has been itching to upgrade that cane already but he felt that if it really reached the +6 state, there would be some visible changes to it.


    His cautiousness isn''tpletely baseless at all. If he used the games he yed before as a reference, the +6 items and above would normally have additional 3D animation effects, glowing effects, or even aplete change to the item making it unrecognizable from its original form.


    This is why he didn''t dare to enhance the cane yet. Anyway, his grandfather said that as long as he masters the Soul Art''s first stage before, then he would give the cane as a gift so he can further utilize his Soul Aura inbat.


    Speaking of which, he only knows a few things about how Aura Knights fight.


    ''The path of emitters is boundless while the path of enhancers is limited.''<sub> </sub>


    Vincent repeated what Raizen just said to him.


    The path of emitters refers to the mana practitioners, while the enhancers refer to the soul arts practitioner.


    They were referred to as Emitters since magicians would always use their Mana not for their bodies but for their ''magic''. Even Grand Knights, who were magicians that are adept in closebat and known for their physical prowess, doesn''t really have a body like that of an Aura Knight.


    The Aura Knights were actually known as Enhancers as they would use their soul cultivation to boost their physical body by developing an incredible aura. Anyway, it''s not like the Soul Cultivators had other choices since most of the people who practice the Soul Arts have low-grade talent in practicing mana.


    Nevertheless, Raizen told him the path of enhancers is limited because the highest achievement that an Aura Knight could attain is only a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    The first stage was basically the 1-Star Aura Knight followed by 2-Star andstly, the 3-Star Aura Knight. There were only three stages!


    This is the limit one could attain as Soul Cultivator and there was no such thing as 4-Star Aura Knight!


    On the other hand, the Mana Practitioners have numerous careers they could choose from.  As for the two main professions they could take, that would be the Magician''s Path and the Magic Knight''s Path.


    Magicians have six stages. The Apprentice, Journeyman, Master Magician, Adept Mage, Archmage, and Grand Magus.


    Vincent even heard that from Master Magician to Adept Mage, there are also six more small stages between them in order to advance. He wasn''t sure about it since Raizen didn''t tackle this much considering how he was only a struggling Journeyman who was unable to master any Tier 2 Mana Arts that his Grandpa was trying to teach.


    He can only master the four Tier 1 Mana Arts because of his terrible natural talent and was stuck for a while now.


    Even his Mana Capacity had been stuck to 80 units because of it.


    Anyway, as for the Magic Knight''s path, they would start as Page, followed by Esquire, Magic Knight, Arc Knight, and Grand Knight.


    ''But¡­ It feels like I''m really more suited as an Aura Knight¡­'' Vincent muttered as he tried to visualize the image of the Star Goddess again.


    It was just a blurry image of a long-haired woman but every time he tries to focus on the image and make it clearer, he would feel his soul being pressured and in turn, gets stronger.


    This is an unusual and very easy cultivation method. He even thought that anyone could practice it.


    However, Raizen said that Aura Knights were extremely rare. Though not as rare as Celestial Beings, Aura Knights were actually known to have the hardest cultivation method!


    ''It''s weird¡­ I learned it so easily. Perhaps it''s my perk as a transmigrator?... and it''s only effective at the beginning stages of the path I''ve chosen?'' Vincent helplessly smiled at himself thinking how terrible was that.


    If he''s only good at the beginning stages of any career, then he might really have to rely on his Item Awakening System all his life!

 Chapter 25 Secret

    Three months had passed after Raizen started teaching his grandson about the Soul Arts.


    At first, he only taught him how to strengthen his soul using the Soul Cultivation Method through visualization of the mysterious woman in the painting which he calls the Star Goddess.


    However, after confirming that Vincent was steadily increasing his soul energy, he started to teach proper Soul Arts that could help his physical body inbat.


    Raizen looked at his grandson with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Currently, Vincent is attempting to shatter arge rock with his fist.


    Bam!


    Bam!


    Bam!


    After three consecutive punches, Vincent would stop to stabilize his Soul Aura. He would do this repeatedly until cracks started appearing on therge rock¡­


    He may not be able to shatter it in a couple of punches but a hundred of them could.


    Crack!


    ''One more!'' Vincent shouted in his mind as soon as he saw that the rock is about to give in.


    Bam!


    After concentrating his Soul Energy on his fist, he finally shattered the rock into many pieces.


    "Ah! That felt  so much better!" Vincent couldn''t help but celebrate after seeing the result of his hard work.


    Apparently, he could do this as well with his Tier 1 Surging Palm Strike using his Mana.


    Mana Gloves, Surging Palm Strike, Swift Wave, and Shrouded Steps. These are the four Tier 1 Techniques he learned when he started his training as a magician.


    If he uses the palm strike, he can shatter arge rock by expending at least 14 to 20 units of Mana depending on its size.


    However, this time, he just used his Soul Aura and boosted his physical strength to shatter it with his fist.


    Vincent even started calling the Soul Aura as an Internal Force thanks to his discovery after an Appraisal he did to a drained Beast Core.


    A few hours ago, Vincent asked his grandpa something about the Beast Cores.


    "Grandpa, what do you do to a drained Beast Core? After I absorbed the mana inside, do I just throw it away?"


    Raizen raised his brows after hearing the question.


    "Well, you can do that¡­ However, you can also use that to train your Soul Aura. Beast Cores has a mysterious special property after all."


    "Oh? A special property?" Vincent was curious.


    "Yes¡­ Hold the drained core in one hand and try to use your Soul Aura¡­"


    "Hmm? Alright."


    Vincent did as he was told and circted his Soul Aura after holding the drained Beast Core.


    After that, the dull Core turned red!


    "This¡­ What happened?" Vincent squinted his eyes as he suddenly felt his Soul Aura remain inside the core.


    This is very interesting so he immediately asked his grandpa to get an answer.


    "Amazing, right? It could store your Soul Aura¡­ However, you can''t take back the Aura that was absorbed by the Core."


    "Eh? Then what''s it used for?" Vincent asked.


    "Well, I only know a few things where it can be used. It''s through Alchemy or training."


    Vincent went silent as he didn''t want to miss anything.<sub> </sub>


    "For alchemy, I heard it can be used to create items that allow them to impersonate the owner of the Aura.  That sounds like a lot of trouble so I haven''t seen anyone do it. Anyway, you can use the drained core to train your Aura Control. Next time, try to circte your Aura without them being absorbed by the core."


    "Circte my Aura without it getting absorbed?"


    Vincent was speechless. He didn''t even feel his Aura gets absorbed by the drained core. It was as if it happened instantly! How can he stop that when his Aura gets absorbed as soon as he tried to activate it!


    Nevertheless, Vincent epted the challenge only to fail after many tries.


    In the end, he thought of Appraising the Beast Core. Previously, he was unable to Appraise it since it was considered an Enhancement Stone.


    However, it should be different now that it contains Soul Aura instead of Mana.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes!''


    Vincent answered and checked the notification that popped out.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered an Energy Stone. ]


    [ Energy Stone ]


    [ Quality: Unknown


    Durability: 10/10


    Internal Force: 2


    Description: A stone containing a little bit of Internal Force that can be used as an Energy Source. The Internal Force contained can also attract a certain type of Magic Beasts.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    This result of his Appraisal allowed him to understand that his soul aura is simr to the Internal Force of martial artists in his previous life.


    Cough! Cough! Cough!


    Suddenly, Vincent heard his grandpa violently coughing.


    "Grandpa!"


    He immediately went to his side and took a medicinal pill from a jar beside his grandpa. The pill was something that Thierry left to Raizen after hearing how he suffered internal injuries. It may not heal himpletely but it could at least give him strength and alleviate some painful symptoms of the injury.


    Raizen swallowed the medicine and gave a light smile to Vincent.


    "Vincent¡­ You did well in learning everything I taught you..."


    "That''s because you''re a good teacher, Grandpa. You still have a lot of things to teach me. So you have to get better¡­" Vincent said with a cheeky smile on his face.


    "You brat¡­ You really don''t want me to take a rest. Haa~ You''re already strong. Just keep practicing your Mana Arts and Soul Arts." Raizen weakly said.


    Vincent sighed as he saw his grandfather getting weaker and weaker.


    "Vincent¡­ I''ve been thinking all these years whether I should tell you another piece of information I''ve kept from you. I thought of telling you this once you''re old enough but it seems I won''tst that long."


    Vincent knitted his brows.


    ''A secret? Right now?''


    "I''m listening, grandpa." Vincent replied.


    "Hmm¡­ The truth is¡­ after you were brought to me by your mother, she didn''t just tell me that you have a low-grade talent as a Mana Practitioner. You also have an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Zemin n''s current patriarch."

 Chapter 26 Plus Six

    "W-what? Arranged marriage?"


    Vincent couldn''t help but be surprised after hearing such an unexpected revtion from his grandfather.


    He had never thought of something like this or even think of marriage at this age.


    Though he has the mind of a guy in histe twenties, he has already adapted to his nine-year-old body.


    Since he wasn''t aware of the situation ormon sense in this world, he conditioned his mind that he was still not that different from others in his age group.


    "Y-yes¡­ I heard from your mother that the marriage was arranged even when she was still pregnant with you."


    "T-this¡­ Can''t we just forget about that since our family¡­ our sect was destroyed anyway? I don''t think they''ll be happy to ept an orphaned boy like me, right?."


    Vincent replied unwillingly to be tied in marriage.


    "Hah~ You really don''t sound like a child, Vincent. Anyway, it''s up to you whether you want to ignore your parent''s wish." Raizen said which put a pang of guilt on Vincent''s face.


    Just like what Raizen said, he doesn''t care whether Vincent would think of fulfilling his parent''s arrangement. What matters now is that he decided to inform him at a young age so Vincent may not be able to decide properly.


    ''Anyway, you still have many years to think about it.'' Raizen thought.


    "W-why do you have to say it like that, grandpa?" Vincent sighed as it was a bit hard to reject this if he put it that way. Though he had never met his parents here, Raizen portrayed his parents to be responsible who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good.


    They fought against those powerful Barbarians that he heard about and died while on their duty.


    "Don''t think too much about it. Just wait until you''re 15 before you visit their n and show this medallion to the patriarch. It should be proof of the promise they made 10 years ago."


    Raizen said as he pulled something out of his small pouch. This pouch is something that he always carries around on his waist.


    Soon, a bronze medallion which was engraved with a winged-serpent coiled around a mountain was in Vincent''s hands.


    It was the same size as his palm and appears quite big while he was holding it.


    "Keep it. You can consider going to the Zemin n and meeting this girl before you decide. I''m sure you can handle it. Just make sure to do it once your reach fifteen or else, thoserge ns would normally find partners for their daughters once they reached 16 or 17."


    Raizen reminded as he suddenly felt pain in his chest. He immediately clutched his chest in pain but made sure not to utter any sound.


    "G-grandpa, is it the internal injury? Do you need something?" Vincent asked worriedly. The pills that they have doesn''t seem to be effective anymore.


    After a few seconds of enduring the pain, Raizen replied exhausted.


    "I''m still fine¡­ I can probablyst for a little while."


    Raizen weakly replied.


    To be honest, he didn''t really want to leave his grandson alone in this ce. Although he is weirdly mature for his current age, he still doesn''t know a lot of things about the world since he grew up in such an isted vige in the southern part of their country.


    ***


    Perhaps, due to his unwillingness to leave his grandson alone, Raizen managed to stay alive for three more months!


    Vincent had decided to bury his grandpa near the flower field as per his instructions as well.


    Thud!


    Vincent finished cing a stone on top of his grandfather''s grave.<sub> </sub>


    He only engraved the name Raizen on it and nothing else. This was also Raizen''s instructions so he didn''t dare to add more as respect.


    Haaa~


    Vincent deeply sighed as he looked at his surroundings. It is so quiet as if the trees and the flowers were also mourning his grandfather''s death.


    After spending a little bit more time in front of the grave, Vincent returned to the cabin.


    As it was already getting dark, he took out themps and lit them up.


    Themp doesn''t have gas to burn it up but a tree sap that does the same.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Vincent looked at themp that was giving off a bright light thanks to it being a +5 item.


    Anyway, Raizen also taught him that the Energy Stone, or the Beast Core filled with Soul Aura, can actually be used as Light Stone if one performed a bit of alchemy on it. However, he doesn''t know alchemy or anything about it so that can only wait for now.


    nk¡­


    Vincent pulled out the Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane.


    Currently, he has two items that he really wanted to reach the 6th enhancement.


    This cane and the Silver Ruin Dagger.


    Since the dagger is only an "Umon" quality while the cane is "Rare", he would of course choose to activate it.


    Anyway, he already sessfully reached the 1-Star Aura Knight three days ago and learned its corresponding Soul Arts to an intermediate level.


    However, since he had been busy with his weakened grandfather three days ago, this is the only time he had to attempt to upgrade this item.


    Vincent then looked at his mana and confirmed that he has enough to proceed.


    [ Mana: 63/80 ]


    He only needed 50 units to advance a +5 to +6 after all. However, he doesn''t really need that anyway.


    [ Enhancement Stone found. Would you like to use 1 Enhancement Stone to Enhance this item? ]


    "Yes!"


    Vincent answered. With his 80% boost plus the enhancement stone instead of just using mana, he felt that there was really no way for this to fail!


    Ding!


    <o>,m [ Enhancement Sessful. ]</o>


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +6 ]


    "This¡­"


    As expected, as soon as it reached +6, something changed in the outer appearance of the cane. The cane''s wood or its bronze color suddenly turned vibrant as if it was full of energy!


    Aside from that, Vincent realized that cane becamepletely clean as if it shed another skin. It suddenly looked brand new.

 Chapter 27 Rewards

    "Finally! A +6 item!"


    Vincent couldn''t help but be emotional again.


    "Thank you, grandpa¡­ I will take care of this cane and treat it as a family heirloom. I''ll make sure this cane reaches plus ten!"


    Vincent said in a moment of excitement. Of course, it would be really great if he did that. However, he would most likely need a lot of time to aplish that.


    Ding!


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully enhanced an item for the sixth time! ]


    [ You have obtained Mana Capacity Permanent Boost. ]


    [ You have obtained a 75% Sess Rate Boost Voucher. ]


    "Oh~ New rewards!" Vincent felt even more excited seeing new rewards being given to him. Before, he would mostly receive new features on his system as his achievement rewards.


    Now, he found two rewards that he really wanted!


    [ Mana Capacity Permanent Boost: Provides a permanent increase in the user''s Mana Source by 40 units. ]


    [ Mana: 103 / 120 ]


    [ 75% Sess Rate Boost Voucher: A one-time voucher you can use any time you like. Only effective for any items that have not reached their 7th enhancement.  ]


    "Great. Below seventh enhancement¡­ This means I can use it again on the cane."


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile seeing such generous rewards given to him. Completing these hidden missions was really good.


    "Anyway, let''s see if I can enhance it again¡­"


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. You have insufficient Mana to Enhance the item. ]


    Vincent triggered the enhancement again which gave him this reply.


    Since he did not use his Mana and used the Enhancement Stone a moment ago, he still has 63 units in his Source but with the permanent boost he had, he still has 103 units!


    "Isn''t that a bit too much?! One hundred is not enough for a plus-seven item?!"


    Since he received the notification that he has insufficient mana when attempting to Enhance, he obviously needed 103 and above units.


    This doesn''t sound a piece of good news at all.


    ''I wonder how much mana is needed this time. As for the enhancement stone¡­ Perhaps I would need 3 or more of them for the next enhancement to save my mana¡­''


    Vincent mused since the System that he has wouldn''t help him with any kind of questions at all. He can only find the answer once he tried enhancing themter on when he increased his Mana Capacity.


    Anyway, Vincent decided to spend 2 units of mana to Appraise the item.


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +6 ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 6/10


    Durability: 120/120


    Crush: +65


    Description: A cane that is suited for battle. It is carved from the exclusive Ironbark to form the base of the cane. It is decorated with gilded patterns and only leaves the handle untouched which has been decorated with scale-like stubs.


    Remarks: Special Crush Attribute found. Durability and Crush attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.]


    Vincent read the details and confirmed that the durability increased by 20 and the crush attribute increased by 25.<sub> </sub>


    Aside from that, it didn''t mention anything about why it looked brand new. So perhaps it was just for its outer appearance and doesn''t really affect anything.


    ''Well¡­ It at least looks a lot better. Maybe a natural perk after bing a +6 item?''


    Vincent thought as he continued studying the changes he did.


    ''Let''s see how much experience was added this time.''


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 9 years old ]


    [ Mana: 101/120 ]


    ? [ Skill: Item Enhancement Lv1, Basic Item Appraisal ]


    [ Item Enhancement Lv1 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Enhancement Stones to upgrade the item they are holding ]


    [ Enhancement EXP: 4890/5000 ]


    "Oh! I got 50 exp from that!"


    Vincent felt really happy after seeing how he was getting close to reaching the second level of his skill.


    "Fine¡­ Let''s level it up today."


    Since he still has a hundred units of mana,  he can just randomly enhance the items he can find here within the cabin.


    Enhance! Enhance! Enhance!


    A sessful +1 enhancement provides him with 1 exp point. A +2 enhancement gives 5 exp while +3 gives him 8 exp.


    Then, the 4th enhancement gives 10 exp points and the 5th one gives 20 exp.


    This means that using 64 units of mana to enhance the same item from +1 to +5  gives him 44 experience points. This wasn''t bad at all considering he would not experience any enhancement failure from the first to the fifth enhancement, or at the very least, he hadn''t experienced that yet.


    The calction seem to say that its better to enhance 64 items once to get 64 exp points but it''s not easy to find so many enhanceable items as well.


    Vincent then thought for a moment before he checked his pouch and checked its content on the table.


    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    They are three Beast Cores that can be used to replenish his mana or be used as an Enhancement Stone.


    "Should I use it to replenish my mana now?" Vincent considered for a moment before shaking his head.


    "I need to be patient. Let''s just wait for my mana to be replenished after some meditation."


    Vincent convinced himself as he closed his eyes.


    He only has three cores that were left by his Grandpa after all.


    If he uses all of them now, he would have to start hunting Savage Beasts if he wanted to collect them again.


    Right now, he''s still not that confident hunting alone.


    "I should probably get some more muscles before thinking of hunting them¡­" Vincent sighed as he looked at his small body.


    Even though he is cultivating his Soul that could also strengthen his body, it wasn''t that easy to get an immediate result.


    At this time, he can only stay in the safe region of the forest until he gets confident with his hunting skills.

 Chapter 28 Ascend

    Ding!


    [ Item Enhancement Skill is now level 2. Enhancement sess rate permanently increased by 5% ]


    [ Congrattions! You have increased the level of your skill for the first time. ]


    [ You have obtained a one-time Ascension Card as a reward. ]


    [ Congrattions! You have obtained the very first item gift from the system. ]


    [ You have unlocked the System''s 5-Slot Inventory as a reward. ]


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile after he finally increased the level of his skill. It took him a very long time to do this and the reward did not disappoint him.


    He then checked the Inventory itself and realized that one of the five slots already has something in it which is a golden card and he suspected that it to be the Ascension Card reward that he just received.


    He immediately tried to take it out by using his mind. The card disappeared from the Inventory Space in his mind and suddenly appeared in his hands.


    "Interesting."


    Vincent muttered as he studies the mysterious card. He no longer needed to appraise the card itself as it seems that any item given by the system would have a detailed description included in it.


    [ Ascension Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that helps any item''s quality to ascend one rank. ]


    "This¡­"


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after seeing the description of the card.


    "Ascending one''s rank?"


    He knows only four types of item quality right now.


    Poor, Common, Umon, and Rare.


    He already expected that there is something higher than Rare and thought that he''ll only discover it once he set out of this forest.


    However, with the Ascension Card, he can finally discover what is after the Rare rank.


    "Wait¡­ Should I really use this on the cane?"


    Vincent hesitated for a moment.


    He only has one card after all and he doesn''t know when can he obtain such an item again. There might not even be a second time to get this reward since he noticed that the rewards for the ''first-time achievement'' would always change.


    "Let''s keep this inside the inventory for now. No hurry¡­" Vincent said as he returned the card to his Inventory.


    Then, he held the cane on the table and tried to put it inside the system''s inventory.


    However, he did not get any notification so he surmised that he can''t put any other items inside the 5 slot inventory aside from the items given by the system.


    He tried it with other things within the cabin but unfortunately, none of them can be ced inside the inventory.


    It''s a bit disappointing but he''s still thankful for such a reward. After all, he learned that he''ll most likely get more items from the system seeing that it has 5 slots.


    "Well, let''s leave it at that¡­ I still have to farm for more experience."


    Vincent muttered as he saw how much he needed to level up his skill from level 2 to level 3.


    [ Item Enhancement Lv2 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Enhancement Stones to upgrade the item they are holding. ]


    [ Enhancement EXP: 0/6000 ]<sub> </sub>


    The experience points he needed to gather increased by another 1,000 points. Well, now that he has arger mana capacity, this shouldn''t take a very long time.


    ***


    "Hmm¡­ Should I try checking that Withered Mountain?" Vincent muttered to himself as he nkly observes the river in front of him.


    Within this part of the forest, he had already eaten everything he could find and he was already tired of it.


    The reason why he wasn''t leaving this small part of the forest was that he was still afraid of facing the Savage Beasts or Magical Creatures that could be living outside the perimeter his grandfather had set up.


    However, he has now improved his Soul Arts and had just achieved aplete change in his physical body achieving incredible strength.


    He is a genuine 2-Star Aura Knight now and perhaps, the only thing that hecks was high-levelbat art.


    Right now, hisbat art was still revolving around the palm technique he learned from his grandpa. As for any Cane or Staff techniques, he doesn''t have any at all. He can only try


    Almost three years had passed and Vincent is now over twelve years old.


    During this time, he was able to improve the quality of his life as he managed to get a few +6 items. Right now, his whole cabin can probably survive even if attacked by a modern tank considering the increase in the durability of each wooden nk.


    Vincent sighed as he was starting to get bored grinding for experience points and practicing his Tier 1 Mana Arts.


    As a matter of fact, he already reached the Perfected State from those four low-level techniques because he has nothing else he could practice.


    At the moment, using Shrouded Steps whenever he moves is like breathing to him. He does it so naturally as swift moves like a ghost.


    "No¡­ Perhaps I should start hunting those Savage Beasts for now. Maybe I can already collect Beast Cores on my own."


    Although he knows that he''s already quite strong, he doesn''t really know how wouldpare against those strong beasts. They are also capable of utilizing mana thanks to their cores after all.


    Vincent considered this for a moment before he finally decided to leave the river.


    Instead of catching the same fish for his meal today, he would try to catch a Savage Beast for the first time!


    The young man then returned to the cabin and wore hisbat gears.


    [ Wolf Leather Gauntlet +7 ]


    [ Wolf Leather Shin Guard +7 ]


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +7 ]


    [ Silver Ruin Dagger + 7 ]


    The two leather gears were actually from his grandpa as well and he only adjusted them to his size.


    Anyway, after reaching the seventh enhancement, Vincent also obtained a reward of additional 50 points in his Mana Capacity so he now has 190 units of mana which is really something incredible.


    It had increased this much as he realized that practicing Soul Arts can also slowly increase his Mana.


    Though he has poor talent in practicing mana itself, his mana capacity was definitely at the level of an early-stage Master Magician right now.


    The only problem is that he really can''t learn the Tier 2 Mana Arts that his Grandfather left for him.


    "Alright¡­ This should be enough."


    Vincent said as he carried a bag containing a few rations and medicinal herbs in case of emergency.


    Soon, the young man cautiously left the safe perimeter that his grandfather has set up to find a Savage Beast

 Chapter 29 Exploration

    Along the way, Vincent saw the wildfowls, wild boars, and rabbits that his grandpa would mostly hunt for consumption.


    The meat of these animals would previously help him increase his mana by a few points. However, after reaching over 50 units of mana, he no longer gains anything from eating them aside from tasting their juicy meat.


    As soon as he passed the area where these animals normally gather, Vincent held his cane tightly as he readies himself for any battle.


    At this time, he hasn''t used his Ascension Card yet so it still remains a Rare weapon.


    However, after reaching the seventh enhancement, the Crush attribute had reached 100 points already. This attribute was the thing that is actually giving him confidence that he could win a fight against a Savage Beast even with his limitedbat experience.


    Growl~


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent stopped his movement as he suddenly heard a growling beast.


    He used his Shrouded Steps, an eight-step movement technique, to silently get closer to the sound.


    Whoosh~


    It didn''t take long for him to find a wounded wolf being surrounded by a group of red birds¡ªNo, red crows to be exact.


    The crows don''t seem to be thinking of attacking the wolf but they are waiting close to the dying gray wolf.


    ''Was the wolf defeated by these seven crows?'' Vincent thought as he looked at the wolf carefully. Its mouth was bleeding and one of its eyes seem to have been crushed.


    There were also several cuts and red feathers stabbed on its body¡­ Seeing those red feathers confirmed his guess that the crows were indeed the ones who attacked the wolf.


    ''But¡­ I heard that the wolves moved in a pack¡­ Is this unlucky one really alone?''


    Vincent realized that the wolf''s growl may have been heard by the wolves nearby as well. If that is the case, they might being here any moment now and he might be in danger. With that in mind, he put a little more distance and climbed up a tree and hid there silently.


    Thud!


    After five more minutes, the dying wolf whimpered for thest time before dropping its head to the ground.


    Caw! Caw!


    The wolf finally died as the red crows started tearing its body apart.


    During the whole time, Vincent just watched everything happen silently as he continues to survey the surroundings¡­


    ''They''re here¡­''


    Vincent suddenly noticed the movement of the shrubs on the northern side of the forest and confirmed that the other gray wolves are indeeding.


    This alerted the red crows as well as they hastily devoured a few more chunks of meat before flying away with haste.


    "Awwoooo!"


    The wolves realized what was happening as one of them immediately howled! As if it was some kind of a signal, the other gray wolves howled in unison creating incredible changes in the surroundings!


    Vincent noticed somethingpletely different from this howl!


    Their howls contained a huge amount of mana as they targeted the flying red crows!


    Boom!


    It was like a sound attack! The branches of the nearby trees were cut into pieces as the leaves started to scatter around.


    ''Sound attack? Wind des?'' Vincent was unsure about the invisible attack but he can see how lethal it was.


    Thud! Thud!


    A couple of slow red crows were hit by the invisible attack and dropped to the ground, lifeless!<sub> </sub>


    Awoo!


    The wolves didn''t waste any time at all as they pounced on the red crows who were unable to get up.


    A few bites from them immediately tore them apart as the red feathers were sent everywhere.


    Vincent watched everything silently as he was afraid that he''ll get noticed by the wolves. Though he''s confident with his escaping abilities, it''s better not to get involved in this trouble this early. He still has plenty of time to study the ecosystem of this ce anyway.


    Soon, the wolves left the ce of carnage leaving the corpse of their fellow wolf alone.


    ''So they aren''t eating their fellow wolves?''


    Vincent has limited knowledge about wolves but it seems that they don''t practice cannibalism.


    He waited for a few more minutes and realized that only normal animals started appearing as they were drawn by the scent of blood.


    "I should hurry¡­"


    Vincent then quickly went to the corpse and found the area where the concentration of mana is high.


    "Found it¡­"


    Vincent then used his dagger to cut deeper into the chest of the wolf to find the Beast Core inside.


    ''Hmm¡­ This is quite smaller than what grandpa has given me. I guess he found those from a more powerful Beast, huh.'' Vincent thought as he immediately left the area.


    He then decided to familiarize himself with the geography of the ce.


    Thanks to the gray wolves and red crows, he learned that his Tier 1 Movement Technique is quite effective.


    A while ago, he was still too worried about being detected at his previous distance. However, he felt a lot more confident moving now using this technique.


    ''I should only be worried about them catching traces of my scent.'' Vincent thought as he was unsure whether his Mana or Aura could actually cover this.


    Anyway, he continued looking around the forest and found three more corpses of Savage Beasts. He found a rotting bear, a half-eaten blue snake, and a goat crushed by arge stone.


    They surprisingly have Beast Cores with them so he''s starting to think that other Savage Beasts were not interested in this¡­


    ''But if they aren''t interested with those cores, there should be plenty of cores in the forest. Hmm... It seem that they don''t have a way to consume the mana inside...'' He thought.


    Vincent''s knowledge about the Cores is limited. His grandpa didn''t teach him about it and he didn''t ask this as well.


    Nevertheless, his guess seems right as he found the fourth Savage Beast.


    It is a dying bear emitting a powerful bloodlust as it stared at the otherrger bronze bear. This bronze bear wasn''t even injured in any way.


    They seem to have been fighting but the victor is about to be decided.


    Bam!


    Vincent saw the stronger bear crush the head of the dying one with its palm before tearing it apart with its ws.


    SSaak!


    It was such a brutal scene considering they are from the same species.


    Thud!


    As Vincent was watching the bronze bear tear apart the defeated one, he saw how it dug the core inside its chest before biting it for a moment.


    However, realizing that he can''t crush the core with his teeth, he threw it away like he was disgusted by it.

 Chapter 30 First Battle

    Vincent followed the thrown core with his eyes.


    After a few bounces from the ground, It finally dropped near a bunch of other normal stones not too far from the feasting bear.


    "Please eat it faster¡­" Vincent muttered as he watches the bear slowly eat. He no longer felt surprised that a bear would carry out cannibalism. He at least recalls that bears in his previous life would simrly do this.


    Although this bear is quite weird with its bronze-like fur, it is probably just because of Mana''s mutation making it a Savage Beast. Its natural instinct is still a bear but it had just gotten several times stronger.


    Anyway, he really wanted to take the core which seems to berger than the other four he collected today.


    Perhaps, he would have a higher chance of using better Cores when trying to enhance an item to +8.


    After all, it requires 2 Beast Cores to enhance for a +7 item while 4 Beast Cores if he wanted to enhance to +8.


    Apparently, each core contains about 60 to 80 units of mana. He''s unable to exactly calcte it since he can''t appraise an item considered as ''Enhancement Stone''.


    He also tried another method by measuring how much mana he can absorb from it, but unfortunately, he can''t perfectly absorb the mana as well. There would always be some streams of mana that he''s unable to absorb which would just dissipate in the air.


    Since he was able to absorb 40 to 50 units of mana from a single core, he guessed that the Mana he was wasting was about 20 to 40 units based on his observation.


    It was very inefficient so he decided to just save the cores as Enhancement Stone or for an emergency.


    Vincent waited for more than 15 minutes before the bronze bear finally decided to leave¡­ Actually, he was also impressed how no other Savage Beasts passed around this area. Perhaps this is the bear''s territory and they are afraid of entering this ce or this bear itself is the strongest in the forest and no one is capable of contesting against it.


    But whatever the reason was, Vincent was d that he''ll be able to get the core without any issues¡­


    Step¡­ Step¡­ Step¡­


    Vincent used his Shrouded Steps but because the ground was a bit moist, he was unable to fully hide the sound of his steps. Nevertheless, it shouldn''t cause too much of a problem.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s really bigger than the others."


    After he picked up the core from the ground, he immediately felt the difference between the first three cores that he found.


    "Shit!"


    As he was about to put the core inside his bag, he was suddenly covered by a huge shadow and he didn''t have to think about which creature was behind him.


    He immediately leaped forward as he avoided the creature''s attack!


    Bang!


    The bronze bear returned as if he just baited Vincent toe down here!


    "Hmph! Do you think I''m afraid of you?" Vincent smiled as he swiftly kept the core inside his bag.


    Although he was a bit surprised that the Bear unknowingly returned here, he already knows that this area doesn''t have any other Savage Beast aside from this bear.


    It means that this is the perfect target for him to try all his Mana Arts orbat techniques.


    Roar!


    The bear probably realized that his prey wasn''t afraid at all as it charged toward Vincent.


    Without any more hesitation, Vincent raised his cane ready to smash the bear with his full might.


    He suddenly burst with power as the cane resonated with his Aura creating an intimidating force.


    "Haa!"<sub> </sub>


    As the bear was trying to bite him, it was a lot easier for the small Vincent to target its head with his cane!


    Bang!


    The bear''s skull and his cane shed as they created a small shockwave that had even swayed the nearby trees.


    St!


    "Eh?"


    As Vincent pulled back the cane to ready himself for the second round of exchange, he heard a sttering sound from the bear!


    Soon, he realized that although he didn''t manage to crush the skull of the bronze bear, its brain or its internal organs seemed to have suffered tremendously!


    The bear''s eyes suddenly gushed out followed by some white matters!


    Thud!


    The previously vigorous bear finally dropped to the groundpletely dead!


    "This¡­"


    He was surprised by the power of his Aura attack added by his +7 weapon!


    Although the +100 Crush didn''t destroy the sturdy skull it has, it definitely has enough force to crush anything past that!


    "Ughhh¡­"


    Vincent suddenly felt a bit of pain in his right shoulder which he used to hold the cane.


    "No way¡­ Was my body not strong enough to handle that impact?" The young man grimaced in pain as soon as he retracted the Aura around his body.


    "Tsk¡­ This is painful¡­ I forgot about the thirdw."


    Vincent muttered recalling Newton''s thirdw.


    "I need to hurry¡­"


    He suddenly felt that there were creatures watching their fight just now.


    Now that the bear was dead, they might think ofing here to finish him off while he''s injured!


    Using his left hand, he pulled out his Silver Ruin Dagger to cut open the chest of the bear and took the core with his hands.


    He no longer cares whether he gets covered with blood as he doesn''t have a lot of time to linger here.


    As soon as he took out the core, he immediately flee using the Shrouded Steps repeatedly to ensure that no one could follow him even if they can smell the scent of blood from him.


    Anyway, once he arrives at the river, he can easily remove this pungent smell.


    Caw! Caw! Caw!


    "Crap!"


    Vincent looked at the sky and noticed the dozens of red crows suddenly started following him! Even if he hides under the canopy of the trees, they seem to be capable of detecting him and he just won''t lose them even after several minutes!

 Chapter 31 Moving Out

    "Are they going to follow me until I get to the cabin?"


    Vincent frowned after seeing the persistent crows. Though they don''t seem to have ns to attack yet, he knows that they were just waiting for an opportunity.


    He still recalls how one of the gray wolves was killed and eaten by these after all.


    Ssshhh~


    He finally heard the sound of the gushing water from the river. It means that he''s no longer that far from the cabin.


    He immediately looked around at the marks on the trees and confirmed his current location. Of course, he didn''t make these marks and this was all made by his grandfather to ensure that he wouldn''t get lost in the forest.


    Anyway, he proceeded to get closer to the river while observing the crow''s actions¡­


    ''Alright¡­ Since you''re not going to get down here, I have no other choice then.'' Vincent still has another n since he can''t kill the flying crows if they don''t get closer.


    Ssh!


    Vincent jumped into the water deeper part of the river and divepletely!


    After submerging into the water, the crows suddenly made some noises as they circled the area where he disappeared.


    Of course, Vincent had no ns of staying there! With the cover of the gushing water and the reflection of the sunlight, there was no way that the crows could see him as he swims underwater!


    He''s not worried about encountering any Savage Beasts in here since he has been fishing here for a long time now and there were only perch or trouts in this area.


    ''Ugh~''


    Vincent felt a bit of pain in his shoulder as he remained underwater. Considering that he had gotten quite far already, he decided to slowlye out of the water.


    "Haap!"


    He immediately gasped for air as soon as he came out.


    He looked above him to find the crows and indeed, they were still around the area where he disappeared.


    ''They were quite stupid as I thought¡­''


    With peace of mind, Vincent decided to endure the pain in his shoulder for a little bit more as he dived again to gain a bit more distance.


    As soon as he had gotten far away down the river, Vincent decided to finally get out of the water.


    He moved swiftly as he wanted to make sure that he won''t be followed this time¡­


    Vincent looked at the surrounding trees for a little while before he find the mark he was looking for.


    ''This way¡­''


    As long as he saw the marks left by his grandfather, he would have no issues navigating around this part of the forest.


    Vincent quickly returned to the cabin as he treated his injured shoulder.


    It seems that his joint wasn''t properly protected by his Aura.


    ''Right¡­ My 2-Star Aura indeed helps my muscles¡­ But my bones weren''t that developed yet. I need to reach the 3-Star Aura Knight for this.''


    Vincent recalls his grandfather''s teachings.


    The 1-Star Aura Knight would help him develop a stronger soul and enhances his skin. The 2-Star Aura Knight won''t just develop his soul but also his muscles. It also includes a weak Aura Resonance which ultimately helps the Aura Knights be strong with whatever weapon they are holding.


    Finally, the 3-Star Aura Knights can actually enhance their internal organs even their bones. Aside from that, they will be capable of learning true Soul Arts and stronger Aura Resonance.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was still happy with the result of his little exploration.  He discovered what kind of Savage Beasts were around and he also found a total of four Beast Cores.<sub> </sub>


    That is definitely something he should be happy about.


    p He then checked his Mana Capacity and confirmed that he spent over 80 units of mana and most of them were probably used for his Shrouded Steps.</anda>


    ''Haa~ That was tiring. I''ll try enhancing tomorrow¡­''


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent woke up and confirmed that his shoulder was almost healed. It''s thanks to the medicinal herbs that he has in stock.


    Right now, his swollen right shoulder was covered with several leaves that look like from a Mint Herb.


    Anyway, his grandfather taught him that this is good for any swollen parts of the body and it seems really effective, especially after he made sure that the leaves were at least at a +5 state.


    Growl~


    Vincent''s stomach grumbled as he felt hungry. Now that he thinks about it, he seems to have forgotten to eat his dinnerst night.


    Anyway, he found some dried fruits on the table and chewed them for a while to at least satisfy his hunger a little bit.


    After doing all of this, he returned to his room to start his enhancement journey!


    "I need to get more experience points¡­ I want a +8 item as well. Please, bring me sess today!"


    Vincent prayed as he soon trigger his Enhancement Skill.


    Whatever the result of this, he would ept itpletely. But of course, he''s hoping that he could finally see a +8 item today!


    ***


    "Status¡­"


    Vincent muttered as he wanted to see the improvements in his statistics after a very long time.


    Three years had already passed after his first journey outside the ''safe perimeter'' that his grandfather had arranged for him. There have been many changes with his system and skills aside from his Soul Arts.


    Though he remained stagnant with his Mana Arts and still only capable of practicing Tier 1 Mana Arts, he no longer cared about it.


    He didn''t feel depressed at all considering how lucky he was with the existence of the system.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 15 years old ]


    [ Mana: 485/500 ]


    [ Skill: Item Enhancement Lv8, Intermediate Item Appraisal ]


    [ Item Enhancement Lv8 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Enhancement Stones to upgrade the item they are holding ]


    [ Enhancement EXP: 14,580 / 15,000 ]


    [ Inventory: One-Time Ascension Card x1, 75% Sess Rate Boost Voucher x2, One-Time Random Item Skill Card x1 ]


    He couldn''t help but smile seeing the many changes in his current status.


    "It should be about time to head out of this ce and visit the Zemin n. But before that¡­"


    Vincent''s voice trailed as he looked at the flower field where the mysterious Cryogenic Chamber is hidden underground.

 Chapter 32 Wake Up!

    After Vincent managed to appraise 300 items over the past few years, his Basic Item Appraisal Skill was finally upgraded to Intermediate Appraisal Skill as a reward from the system.


    Thanks to that, he now has better information about the Cryogenic Chamber underground.


    The previously unknown information about the chamber has been filled uppletely allowing him to understand it even more.s


    [ Origin Form: Cryogenic Sleep Chamber ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1,000/1,000


    Description: A Cryogenic Sleep Chamber that is in perfect condition. The world''s mana is supplying it with energy to preserve the being inside.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    Vincent did not make any enhancements on this item at all. After his Appraisal Skill was upgraded, he appraised this chamber and it was already a +10 device.


    He''s unsure who enhanced this thing but if he would make a guess, it would probably be the manufacturer of this device itself.


    As for its name having ''Origin Form'', he didn''t think too much of it since it''s just a name anyway.


    Haa~


    Vincent took a deep breath as he stood in front of the chamber.


    "I''m nning to leave this ce and I''m not sure whether I can stille back. I don''t know if you''ll be mad if I wake you up but I hope you''ll be thankful instead¡­" Vincent spoke as if he was talking to the being inside the chamber.


    Of course, he knows that he''s not being heard but he just felt that it''s right to give some excuse before he disturbs the being inside.


    Then, Vincent walked around the capsule-like chamber and cleaned its left side with a piece of cloth.


    The metallic gray and blue design of the device was already covered with dirt and dust. Nevertheless, Vincent can still recognize the buttons at the side.


    The buttons weren''t that noticeable at first as they were just like small bumps on the smooth surface of the device, however, Vincent knows that there was no way there wouldn''t be any controllers to operate this thing.


    Soon, the ubeled buttons appeared in front of him.


    He doesn''t know what to press to open this thing but since there are only four buttons, it should not be that difficult for him.


    Anyway, his grandfather and the vige chief didn''t know that it has these buttons at all and they tried to just forcefully break this thing open.


    It''s not surprising though. Since they have never encountered such a modern device.


    Click.


    Vincent, who was currently equipped with all his high-level weapons and gears, pressed the first button. If something attacked him, he must be prepared.


    However, nothing happened.


    He tried to press the second one, the third one, and thest one¡­ but nothing happened.


    "Hmm? That''s weird¡­"


    He then tried to press them all at once and soon, the chamber finally had a reaction!


    Vincent''s heart skipped a beat as he watches the chamber starting up like an engine.


    The blue linings from the device turned red indicating that something has really happened. However, it seems to be taking some time so he can''t help but be nervous.


    ''Whatever the being inside was, it shouldn''t be that dangerous, right? Aside from that, it is probably old already or something¡­''<sub> </sub>


    nk! nk! nk!


    Vincent heard a mechanical sound from within the chamber as its hatch finally opened!


    Whooosh~


    A puff of cold air gushed out lowering the temperature of the room.


    Gulp!


    Vincent nervously stood near the stairs ready to get out at any moment. In truth, he also prepared a simple trap to cover the entrance with arge rock if it got dangerous.


    Of course, he''s hoping that there will not be a need to use his trap at all.


    As soon as the smoke or the fog from the Cryogenic Chamber dissipated, Vincent saw a human figure inside who was still lying in its fetal position.


    "A woman?"


    Vincent knitted his brows as he looked at the naked woman in front of him. He stared at her carefully to see whether she would move or not.


    "Hmm?" Vincent suddenly had an urge to get closer.


    Well, it''s not that he''s excited and he actually felt a bad premonition so he wanted to confirm whether he had seen it correctly.


    ''This aura¡­ Where did I feel this before? And that mark on her shoulder¡­ Is that a number? Wait--I need to get closer.''


    As soon as he thought that what he saw was a number, Vincent already had an idea that the fair-skinned naked woman in front of him is a Celestial Being!


    What''s even more surprising is that it''s most likely a Numbered Celestial Being!


    He heard that there were only 999 of them all around the world!


    Vincent''s breathing got heavier as he slowly approaches the woman.


    As soon as he had gotten closer, he was finally able to appreciate her beauty¡­ and find the number.


    999!


    It''s the weakest Numbered Celestial!


    "W-what now?"


    Vincent muttered as he noticed that the woman is not waking up. He then observed her body for a moment and confirmed that she doesn''t seem to be breathing at all.


    ''Her chest is not moving¡­ Is she dead already?''


    Vincent felt a bit of pity as she looked at the woman he suspected as a Celestial Being. She seems to be young. Perhaps around twenty years old with a healthy body.


    She also has as long ck hair that reaches her waist as she appears very seductive in her current position.


    Aside from that, her skin seems soft and smooth as Vincent had an urge to touch her---


    "Ugh~ What am I thinking of doing to an unconscious woman. Tsk¡­ Is this the effect of not seeing the opposite sex for many years?"


    Now, Vincent felt pity for himself.


    As he started having random thoughts about the woman, the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber suddenly burst with energy before pouring it towards the woman.


    It was as if the device was charging the Celestial Being!


    This only took half a minute before the woman finally opened her eyes and gave him an apathetic gaze.

 Chapter 33 Not A World Of Swords And Magic?

    "Uhmmm¡­ Hello? I''m Vincent, nice to meet you."


    He finally breaks the silence as he gave his most gentle smile to her. He wanted to appear as harmless as possible as he even hid his weapons behind him.


    He didn''t want to start a fight and he would rather have a seat with her and talk about life.


    Luckily, the woman gave a reaction although it wasn''t that positive.


    She just blinked her eyes a couple of times before looking around. Well, there is nothing much to see in this underground so she quickly shifted her eyes to Vincent.


    ''That blue eyes¡­ It feels like I''m being X-Rayed or something¡­'' Vincent felt a bit ufortable being stared at.


    "I-is everything alright?"


    Perhaps because he had no one to talk to over the past few years, he stuttered with his words and almost bit his tongue.


    "Where am I?"


    The woman finally spoke as she asked him a question.


    ''Good¡­ She doesn''t seem to be an aggressive type. I can do this.''


    "Ehem¡­ We are underground where your sleeping chamber was kept hidden. It''s in the middle of a forest and was brought here by my grandfather many many years ago after the dungeon where it was previously located started to copse."


    It''s not the entire truth but he can''t just tell her that his grandfather stole the chamber out of that dungeon after all.


    The woman didn''t react to his answer as she instead carefully stood up and got out of the Cryogenic Sleeping Chamber.


    Of course, the woman was still fully naked and she doesn''t seem to be shy at all. Nevertheless, Vincent decided to turn his gaze as he brought out a towel from his bag. He would normally use this to wipe his gears including his cane.


    ''Ooop--''


    He was about to give it to her but he realized that it was a bit dirty and seem to smell as well.


    ''I can''t taint her with this smelly towel¡­''


    He wanted to go out first and return to the cabin to find some clean clothes for her.


    However, he suddenly heard some mechanical sounds again. It wasing from the sleeping chamber as it wrapped around the woman''s body making it a full-body armor!


    She only left her head without any cover as she decided to face Vincent.


    Anyway, the way it enveloped her body seemed like nanotechnology. It wasn''t even bulky at all! It probably only coated a few centimeters around her body.


    This appears more aesthetic than the armors worn by the two Numbered Celestials he had seen before.


    ''Incredible!''


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after seeing this scene. He''s now sure that this world isn''t a normal world of swords and magic!


    ''I knew it! These Celestial Beings are definitely not from this world as well. At the very least, the technology they are using was not!''<sub> </sub>


    "Ehem¡­ May I know your name? I have no intention to fight you. I''m just curious about you since you''ve been living in that device for so many years."


    "You can call me Nine Hundred Ny-Nine¡­"


    The woman answered with her fairy-like voice as she controlled her armor to show her shoulder with a 999 tattoo.


    "I see¡­ I heard about your existence. You guys are Celestial Beings, right? May I know what are your ns now?"


    Vincent cautiously asked. To be honest, he was still guarding against any ambush that may happen. Although she sounds like she wouldn''t hurt him, he can still recall how the Celestial Beings can be brutal after all.


    "Celestial Beings. Yes. Unfortunately, I can''t tell you my long-term ns for the safety of both of us. However, I wanted to know more about the current situation of the world and you might be able to help."


    The Celestial Being said.


    Of course, Vincent is not the best person to ask about the situation in the outside world!


    He has been living in this isted part of the forest after all! He only knows about the path going to a couple of nearby cities and some random information he got from his grandpa.


    ***


    Half an hour had passed after the two left the underground chamber to go up and breathe some fresh air.


    Within the time that had passed, both of them learned more about each other.


    Celestial #999 learned that Vincent had mostly lived in this forest and waspletely unaware of the situation of the kingdom he was in.


    He''s not even aware of the name of the current ruler of the nation. Nevertheless, Vincent''s memory was still quite good so he still remembers all the stories that his grandfather had shared with him.


    The Celestial Being even showed interest in the existence of the Barbarians outside their kingdom.


    On the other hand, Vincent learned so many things from this Celestial! Though she seems to be prohibited to tell about their origin, he managed to get the answer he wanted as he indirectly ask her questions.


    Though she didn''t say it directly, Vincent realized that the Celestials seem to havee from several spaceships outside this.


    That is something that truly gave him goosebumps...


    He was unable to dig deeper but Vincent was already satisfied to know about this.


    Then, he realized that she was currently unable to exert her ''celestial powers'' because she had been sleeping for too long. Though she''s notpletely powerless, she''s definitely weaker and can only exert 10 to 15 percent of her abilities.


    She also said that it would take quite some time to get her powers back.


    "I''m actually nning to leave this ce already. I''m thinking of going to the nearby city and perhaps find a job and live there¡­" Vincent said as he doesn''t have ns to reveal that he''s nning to look for his arranged marriage.


    "Hmm¡­ I know that you don''t have any bad intentions after observing you for a while. I''m sure you can tell that I don''t have ns to mess with you as well. If it''s alright with you, can you bring me with you to the next city?"


    Vincent nodded immediately as he has no reason to refuse to travel with this beautiful woman. Furthermore, he might get more information about the Celestial Beings if he stayed with her. This is an opportunity that only the prestigious ns could afford after all.

 Chapter 34 New Name

    Vincent couldn''t help but look at the Celestial Being''s armor.


    Her armor was definitely the Cryogenic Sleeping Chamber that had suddenly transformed to wrap around her body.


    ''Ah¡­ Perhaps, that''s the reason why it''s called Origin Form?'' Vincent recalled the name he read after he appraised it before.


    [ Origin Form: Cryogenic Sleep Chamber ]


    This is the name that he got when he appraised it a while ago. With that in mind, he wouldn''t be surprised if there is an ''Armor Form'' or even a ''Weapon Form''.


    "Hmm¡­ Incredible. All your things here are in great shape and they seem to be of the highest quality. I can feel how unnatural they are."


    The Celestial Beingmented.


    Currently, the two of them are inside his cabin as he prepared his things before going out. It''s still early in the morning and traveling now shouldn''t be a problem.


    ''Ah¡­ She noticed?''


    Vincent was surprised but since this is a Celestial he''s talking about, then it should only be natural for her to be incredible.


    Anyway, he understands why she gave such praise since most of his things here are +5 items that haven''t undergone any changes in their appearance yet. She probably expects poor-quality materials considering the way he lives here.


    "Yeah¡­ There are many good materials here in the forest." He answered.


    "I see, are you only going to carry that bag with you?" The Celestial asked seeing his small backpack and the numerous +5 materials within the cabin.


    She probably thought that he would bring more of these high-quality items with him.


    "I only need some of my necessities. I brought some money with me anyway. These things here can be reced with better ones."


    The Celestial slightly nodded and no longer spoke as she waited for Vincent to prepare.


    Suddenly, Vincent approached her and gave her a bag and set of clothes.


    ? "You can''t walk around with that armor. That''s only for battle, right? Wear these clothes and this coat instead. They are from my grandfather and I washed them clean already. Don''t worry."


    As for the bag, it also contains a few clothes and dried fish in case they both got hungry.


    "Thank you."


    The Celestial said as she seem to n to get dressed in front of him. Luckily, he noticed this immediately and left the room to allow her to change her clothes.


    As soon as shees out, her entire aura hadpletely changed. She wore a gray tunic and Raizen''s simple overcoat on top.


    "Where did your armor go?" Vincent could help but ask. He can no longer see her nanotech armor and she''s not carrying any device that would seem like her transformed armor at all.


    "I''ve hidden it." She replied.


    Vincent can only ept this answer as she probably didn''t want to reveal too much about her abilities.


    "Alright, let''s leave then. By the way, are you not hungry? I''m not in a hurry anyway. I can prepare a simple meal if you want."


    "Don''t worry about me. I can consume the surrounding mana if I''m hungry." She briefly answered while looking at him.


    Well, the nutrients she''ll absorb in mana are probably a lot better. Vincent envied this a little bit.<sub> </sub>


    He wanted to learn this technique to satisfy his hunger in case of an emergency.


    Unfortunately, this is probably a unique trait and only Celestial Beings are capable of doing this.


    Soon, the two walked in the direction of the nearest city. If he would probably use the normal or rtively safe path, he would take five days to arrive there on foot. He would at most pass on a couple of viges where he could stopover.


    However, if he decided to cross the Withered Mountain and survive the jungle. He would be able to arrive there in just two days.


    ''I''m also curious about that mountain. Now that there is someone who should be stronger than me, it should be fine to use that path instead.''


    Vincent thought as he informed the Celestial about his n. Luckily, she didn''t mind his ns since they will only encounter some Savage Beasts.


    Although she has not fully recovered her strength, she should still be strong enough to deal with them.


    Vincent smiled at this as he also wanted to see how Celestials fights.


    ''Finally, I''m leaving this ce.'' The young man gave onest look at the cabin where he lived for about six years.


    He also nced at the gravestone of his grandfather and gave a slight bow.


    "Right, Miss Nine Hundred Ny-Nine, you really have a long name. Can I just call you Nine?"


    Vincent asked as he turned his head to his newpanion.


    As they stood closer, he realized that the Celestial is a bit taller than him. Since he''s only 15 years old at 171 cm, he''ll definitely grow taller than her pretty quickly.


    "Nine? That would be disrespectful to the Single Numbers¡­"


    "Single Numbers?" Vincent repeated.


    ''Ahh¡­''


    He recalled that the numbers of the Numbered Celestial also define their strength. Perhaps, those Celestials with Single Numbers, or from One to Nine, are truly respectable and incredible Celestials that she wouldn''t even dare to get their names as her nickname.


    "My bad¡­ How about Tara? Can I call you Tara?" Vincent suggested.


    "Fine."


    "Alright, Tara¡­ Let''s go!" Vincent announced as he lead the way to the Withered Mountain.


    Luckily, she didn''t ask the meaning of Tara and just epted it.


    ''Although it means nine in anothernguage, it''s not like thatnguage is existing in this world as well, right?'' Vincent thought as he continued on his way.


    Now that he has someone joining him on his journey, a prettydy at that, he was quite spirited to start on their way.


    ''I wonder what the others are up to now.''


    As he finally left his home, Vincent recalled his friends who went to the Primal Sword Sect. Depending on what would happen after he visits the Zemin n, he might pay a visit to that Sect and see how they are doing or if they can still remember him.


    Meanwhile, Tara, who had just received a new name, quietly observed Vincent as she followed him from behind.

 Chapter 35 New Encounter

    Several hours had passed as the two finally arrived at the foot of the Withered Mountain.


    During this time, they have not encountered any aggressive Savage Beasts. This is actually quite suspicious since he heard from his grandfather that path here can be dangerous for Journeyman like him.


    Raizen hinted to him that he must reach the Master ss before even attempting to explore this region.


    ''Is it because of Tara? Hmm¡­ No, she''s not even releasing any kind of Aura right now. She just looks like a normal traveler. There must be something else.''


    As Vincent was wandering about the suspicious smooth journey that they have, Tara suddenly looked behind her.


    Since he was paying attention to her most of the time, he immediately noticed this.


    "Is there something wrong?" Vincent asked as he looked in the same direction. However, he didn''t find anything there.


    "We are being followed."


    "Eh? Are they beasts or humans?"


    He knitted his brows as he looked confused. After he reached the 500 units of Mana, his sensitivity to any activities around him had tremendously increased. As long as they are manipting their mana, he should be able to sense it a little bit, unless they were truly far from him.


    This is why he was confident that he wouldn''t get easily ambushed or spied on without him noticing.


    Of course, if they are capable of evading his senses, it means that they are really strong, or perhaps, they have unique skills or magic items capable of hiding their movement.


    "They are humans¡­ but I think it''s just a coincidence. They seem to be following someone else." Tara followed up.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "There is another small group of people ahead of us. Their life signs are weak so they are probably injured or in a difficult situation."


    "This¡­ Let''s not get involved for now. Let''s change our path. Perhaps those people behind are their rescuers."


    Vincent said as he used his Shrouded Steps to easily cover his tracks and went on a different path. Tara realized what he wanted to happen so she also used a very stealthy foot technique and left no traces of her movement.


    Vincent saw all of this and thought that Tara seems like a ghost with her movement. There were no sounds or movement on the leaves on the ground she stepped on. It was quite mysterious, especially from how Vincent did not feel any cirction of mana on that.


    ''How did I miss that? Or perhaps she didn''t really use any Mana to execute that foot technique? Then that''s a cheat¡­''


    "Are you afraid of your fellow species?" Tara suddenly asked which stopped Vincent from moving.


    "Well, not really. But people can be really mean sometimes so I have to be careful. Anyway, we''re not just going to leave right away. I''m nning to observe them for a little bit in case we get some information rted to the ce ahead of us."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right."


    With that in mind, the two swiftly hid themselves to avoid being detected by the two groups.


    They stealthily went to the side of the group ahead of them and just like what Tara said, they were indeed injured.<sub> </sub>


    They found six people leaning on a huge rock while two more others were guarding the surroundings. Aside from that, there is one woman among them and she''s treating the six injured men.


    "Lady Yvette, please leave us here. Bring Dan and Sylvain with you and cross the mountain. Once you enter the city, you won''t be followed by Ralph''s men. You have to prioritize your safety, mydy."


    One of the men, who was wearing decent leather armor, weakly said to the well-dressed woman who was trying to rece the bandage on his thigh.


    Vincent wasn''t an expert when ites to dresses but seeing her expensive blue dress tells him that she''s probably the most important person in the group and probably a daughter of a rich nobleman.


    He can at least guess that the eight men around her were her escorts or hired bodyguards.


    "Hmph! I won''t leave you here¡­ We''ll all leave this ce and deliver the message to father."


    "B-but Lady Yvette. Someone must tell your father that Ralph has betrayed us. Someone needs to survive and it has to be you."


    Vincent and Tara heard their conversation loud and clear. He finally realized that the group following them wasn''t their rescuers but their pursuers.


    "They''re probably from a rich noble family¡­" Vincent guessed. They could also be from a rich merchant organization or even from a nearby Sect.


    However, he had guessed that she was from a noble family instead since he can tell that the guards are wearing quite identical armors with the insignia of the house they probably belong to.


    More than that, Vincent can tell that the woman who was called Lady Yvette wasn''t just a simple woman who needs to be protected. Although he was quite far, he can feel that she was at least a Master Magician.


    He wouldn''t even be surprised if she''s an Adept Mage already.


    "They''re here."


    Vincent muttered as he looked in the other direction. He can finally feel their presence as they have gotten nearer.


    He found fifteen heavily armed men grinning wickedly after seeing the group of injured guards.


    "Hahaha! You found quite a nice ce for your grave¡­ No one will see your corpses here and once the night approaches, your bodies will be eaten by the monsters of this forest¡­"


    The leader of the group of pursuers couldn''t help butugh after seeing Yvette''s group. They were hunting them for a while now and it seems that this would be the end of it.


    He''s not wearing anyplicated armors like the guards. However, he has tworge intimidating des in his hands as he emitted a murderous aura.


    "Hmph! You traitors! Our family has supported your organization for a long time and you''re repaying us with this!"


    Yvette said as she pulled out her weapon. It is a small de but it''s definitely a top-tier weapon. Meanwhile, the guards, including those injured stood up even if they are injured as they held their swords.


    "Gahaha! I won''t argue with you, young miss. We''re indeed quite shameless with our act. However, this is what we believe we need to do in order to get stronger! So quietly ept your death!"


    The leader of the pursuers said as he gave the signal for his men to kill everyone.


    In the meantime, Tara just nced at Vincent waiting for his decision.

 Chapter 36 The Three Tiers

    Vincent''s first urge was to help the weak and injured. However, he knows how dangerous this world was and it''s always better to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Aside from that, he also does not have a good impression of the nobilities considering what happened in his small vige many years ago.


    He''s not even sure who was right or wrong in this incident. Yvette''s side might be the real troublemakers here and the pursuers were just exacting revenge for their family or something like that.


    In short, he wanted to be thorough if he decided to give a hand.


    "Shall we leave?" Tara asked after noticing that Vincent doesn''t seem to n on doing something yet.


    "Let''s watch them for a little bit more. It seems that they are also nning to cross the Withered Mountain, so maybe we can discover any useful information from them. Aside from that, I want to see how that magician will fight against their pursuers."


    Vincent silently said as he wanted to see how magicians fight against each other. His grandfather didn''t teach him much about practicalbat after all.


    He mainly focused on teaching him Tier 1 Mana Arts but did not bother giving him a lesson on how to use them in real battle.


    Tara remained silent as she decided to just watch the battle unfold in front of them. Her face shows that she wasn''t interested in this but since she decided to apany the mysterious Vincent, she had no choice but to remain here as well.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The two abled guards who were in front of Yvette were immediately outnumbered as they fought two enemies at the same time. No matter how well-trained they are, they only have two hands and their Mana hasn''t fully recovered yet.


    They can only rely on theirbat techniques and better weapons to fight them off.


    On the other hand, the remaining pursuers waved their swords at the remaining injured guards and killed them so easily!


    "Protect thedy!"


    "Do not let anyonee close to her!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    The injured guards shouted as they did not lose hope even with such a disadvantageous position.


    They are all well-disciplined as they moved in unison.


    "They''re injured already! Just kill them fast!"


    Their enemies weren''t threatened by the six guards who surrounded Yvette. They waved their des as they overpowered them easily.


    ng! ng! ng!


    After two or three strikes, the guards'' arms would be unable to handle the sh and would dodge in order to avoid their next strikes.


    "Kill that woman! Hurry!"


    As the injured guards dodge their attacks and relied on their armors to avoid injuring their vital parts, it created an opening for the enemies to pounce on Yvette.


    "Hmph! Die now!"


    Yvette wasn''t just watching her guards fight for her. They have actually bought her some time in order for her to release her Mana Arts.


    "Pyro st!"


    As soon as she finished casting her magic, a wave of uncontrolled me scattered from her hands!


    It hit the enemies including the injured guards!


    However, it seems that this is within their calction since their armors were able to ignore their young miss'' Pyro st.


    It appears that their armors indeed possessed some kind of magic as well.<sub> </sub>


    "Aaahh!"


    "M-my arm!"


    "H-help!"


    Some of the enemies who were directly hit were immediately burned. Only four managed to raise their defense and protect themselves from harm.


    ***


    "Oh~ I knew it¡­ She''s at the level of Master Magician with that Tier 3 Mana Arts¡­ Mana to Element Conversion Magic."


    Vincent muttered as soon as he saw the Pyro st thrown by Yvette.


    Tier 1 Mana Arts allows the practitioner to control the mana within their bodies to create simple magic like Mana Gloves and Mana Shield including the Shrouded Steps.


    Tier 2 Mana Arts are magic that can be released from the practitioner in its bare form. They were like Magic Bullets, Mana Bomb, Mana Arrow, and some tracking magic.


    As for the Tier 3 Mana Arts, they are elemental magic. From simple energy called Mana, the practitioners would then convert them into elements creating powerful magic.


    Raizen said to him that only Master Magicians can learn Tier 2 to Tier 3 Mana Arts.


    He heard that there are Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts, but unfortunately, he didn''t manage to hear about them at all considering how he couldn''t even learn Tier 2. Raizen deemed it unnecessary to inform him about those things.


    "Ahhh¡­ But she''s too weak now. Those enemies are still resisting."


    Vincent saw how the pursuers killed the guards one by one. They didn''t die so easily though, they made sure to bring one with them even with the cost of their lives.


    Even after being stabbed, he saw how they would still pounce on the enemy in front of them like a beast.


    The enemies were even seen hesitating to approach the leader of the guards who were already stabbed by three swords on his body.


    "Calvin! No!" Yvette saw her personal guard get stabbed by three swords and still stand up. It was such an incredible sight and Vincent couldn''t help but wonder how he could do that.


    "Y-young miss¡­ I''m sorry, you should run¡­"


    Calvin''s eyes were filled with regret. He''s unable to protect his master in the end. There are still four enemies who were perfectly fine and Yvette will be alone once he died.


    She was also kneeling on the ground since her mana has been drained by now. She has been fighting against their enemies since early this morning after all.


    "Just die already!"


    The leader was already furious after seeing the casualties on his side. He threw a dagger at Calvin as it prated his throat and finally killed him.


    Thud!


    Since Calvin was no longer being protected by Mana, it went smoothly this time as the others heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Tsk¡­ You people really fought hard. I didn''t expect that you can still kill so many of us even while you are all injured. Ugh, I really can''t underestimate the nobility, huh."


    The leader of the group couldn''t help butin after seeing the many dead bodies in front of him.


    "You three, take that girl and cut her tongue. I''m nning to just kill her but it might be better if I manage to sell her to those perverted old men in the city. I need money to recruit more people after all."


    "Yes, Boss!"

 Chapter 37 First Fight

    Vincent frowned after hearing what the man just said.


    It''s not even enough to kill the woman, he also wanted her to be humiliated and be sold as a ve.


    It was just too much.


    He saw the terror in the woman''s eyes as soon as she heard it. As she realized that it must''ve been better to die than to be sold, she quickly held her sword as she thought of just killing herself to end her misery.


    Vincentmends such determination¡­


    He immediately used his Shrouded Steps to arrive beside her faster than the three men who were about to capture her.


    He grabbed the sword in her hands and gave her a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t kill yourself."


    "Y-you are---"


    Yvette was surprised as she looked at the young man who had just appeared beside her.


    She also noticed that Vincent is wearing unique clothes different from her enemies. Furthermore, he''s emitting a different aura than them so she easily recognized that he''s the one who has been observing them up until now.


    That''s right, she can actually feel that they are being observed since a while ago. At first, she thought that it was only from a Savage Beast waiting for an opportune time. However, it appears that she''s wrong.


    "I''m just a traveler¡­" Vincent said cutting off Yvette''s words.


    "Hmph! Then don''t interrupt us here. Just go on your way!" One of the guys who wanted to capture Yvette said.


    "No! We can''t let this man leave now that he had seen us. Kill him as well." The leader ordered.


    Yvette could only sigh seeing how young Vincent was. He''s just a teenager and most likely living around her. She knows that there should be a vige around here after all.


    As for him being a real traveler, that''s definitely a lie considering his young age and the way he dressed. His footwear and clothes seem to be quite new and he''s also not carrying any weapon aside from a brand new dagger on her waist and his walking stick.


    "Since you showed up, they won''t let you go. So be careful¡­ But since you appeared now, I''m sure you have a n to defeat them and not just to argue with them, right?" Yvette asked as she allowed Vincent to hold her sword.


    Even if she wanted him to flee already, these people will not allow that to happen.


    Since her mana was almost drained already, she''s basically quite useless now inbat. It''s better to give the sword to the young man and he might even create a miracle.


    "I can''t just watch this after all. I wanted to be just an observer and mind my own business to get to the nearest city. But my conscience wouldn''t allow me. Perhaps I wouldn''t be able to sleep well at night if I still ignore this."


    Vincent said as he carefully look at the three adult men approaching him. They barely have mana around them but they can still be deliberately hiding it to mess with his mana sensitivity.


    ''Even if I made a mistake and helped a vicious woman instead, it should still be fine and it will just serve as a lesson in the future.''


    As soon as he thought of this, he looked at the three men like they were his prey.


    ''Just think of them as vicious bears or Savage Beasts¡­ I can do this¡­'' Vincent had never killed a person before but he might bemitting it now.


    Apparently, he felt that his aura was unstable because of the realization that he will kill a human. This is why he controlled his thoughts immediately and viewed these men as Savage Beasts he wanted to hunt.<sub> </sub>


    As soon as he changed his view on them, it somehow rmed the group of men including Yvette who wasn''t targeted by his bloodlust.


    During the past few years, he may not have experienced dueling against fellow humans, he had at least fought against numerous Savage Beasts within the forest!


    Shrouded Steps!


    This movement technique was known by everyone here, however, his Shrouded Steps look mystical as he easily maneuvered between the three men!


    Vincent used Yvette''s sword as he easily stabbed one of them!


    "Aack!" He was unable to react at all and when he realized that Vincent had gotten near, it was toote!


    He can only hold the sword that stabbed his stomach.


    Hispanions were also surprised but they did not have enough time to recover. Vincent did not pull the sword in the man''s stomach as he decided to use his cane!


    Bang!


    It was such a powerful strike filled with Vincent''s sharp Aura! His strike was also apanied by the Cane''s Crush Attribute!


    The second man was extremely unlucky as his right arm was crushed including his ribs as Vincent just gave a horizontal sh. There was no fancy technique at all!


    He just used his speed and the power of his cane!


    "Y-you''re an Aura Knight!"


    Yvette realized that Vincent was just barely using any Mana in his movements. At first, she thought that he was really gifted with physical strength.


    However, as soon as he used the cane to smash the protective mana of the second guy, she immediately recognized the unusual energy that came with it! Only extremely few people are capable of manifesting this kind of energy!


    "What?! Aura Knight?! Why would an Aura Knight be here?!"


    As soon as the leader heard Yvette''s words, the leader and the other surviving person paled. They seem to be afraid of the Aura Knights.


    Nevertheless, it was still followed by determination as they held their weapons tightly.


    The two briefly looked at each other and decided to pounce on him!


    Perhaps, they realized that they won''t be able to escape, so they took their chance and attacked together as their final attempt!


    ''They''re slower than I expected. Those bronze bears are definitely stronger than these two.''


    Vincent thought as he decided to use his other Tier 1 Mana Art to see how it would fare against the two men.


    Tier 1 Surging Palm Strike!


    It was just a technique that covers his palm withyers of Mana and was normally used to disrupt or destabilized that opponent''s Mana Flow.


    However, this same palm strike can down a Bronze Bear!

 Chapter 38 Join

    "This person¡­ How can he do this at such a young age? Did he master his Tier 1 Mana Arts at Perfected State? Then how can he have the time to reach a 1-Star Aura Knight?!"


    Yvette was shocked to see such a talented young man save her. She can tell that the Shrouded Steps and Surging Palm Strike he used weren''t just an intermediate or advanced state. They are definitely in a Perfected State!


    What baffled her was why he would spend so much time practicing them to perfection instead of just learning Tier 2 or maybe Tier 3 techniques. With his talent, he must be a Master Magician after all.


    Anyway, she also guessed that Vincent was a 1-Star Aura Knight since all the 2-Star Aura Knight were already in their forties or fifties when she had seen them in their vi before.


    So she had never considered him as a 2-Star Aura Knight at all since he is just too young.


    Bam! Bam!


    The two suffered internal injuries as soon as his palm strike hit. They were thrown to the ground as they gritted their teeth in pain.


    "Aahh!"


    "Y-you--"


    Yvette saw their bleeding orifices and confirmed that it is indeed a Perfected State Surging Palm Strike.


    A Beginner or Intermediate State wouldn''t cause this much damage while an Advanced State wouldn''t kill the two.


    She clearly saw how they breathe theirst after they suffered some pain on the ground for a few seconds.


    It was such a swift battle style and she couldn''t help but be grateful to the goddess who seemed to have answered her silent prayers. She was saved by such an incredible man in the middle of the forest!


    This must be fate working its wonders!


    "T-thank you for saving me."


    Yvette immediately thanked the man after seeing that the battle has ended. She observed him carefully and noticed that he was actually looking at the two people on the ground with a confused expression.


    "T-they died already?" The young man muttered and she heard it clearly. It seems that he didn''t expect that those two will die from his Tier 1 technique.


    "Yes¡­ You killed them. Don''t worry though, they aren''t good people. They were from the Austere des. Our family has employed this local organization of mercenaries to protect the two furthest towns in our territory. However, they did not do their jobs at all and oppressed the weak and poor."


    Yvette immediately exined as she seemed to understand what Vincent was thinking. Since he had just arrived, he was probably wondering who was the aggressor in this fight so he wanted to just incapacitate the two men.


    However, since he killed them already, she can only exin what truly happened.


    "Austere des? Hmm¡­ Does your family own a huge territory? Why can''t you use your own soldiers instead of hiring local tycoons? Ehem! Never mind that question, does your territory include the city in that direction?" Vincent asked as he pointed in the direction of the Withered Mountain. Asking too much might justplicate his meeting with her even more. It''s not like he''s nning to apany her for long.


    "Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Yvette Marshall. My father, Miller Marshall, is the current Count managing thisnd including the city of Hearts over there."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh¡­ So it has that name. City of Hearts? Interesting."


    "Yes¡­ It is mostly because that city is the number one producer of Vigorous Heart Potion. The city is one of the ces that massively grow the Amethyst Heart Flower which is the main ingredient for that potion."


    Yvette exined. She waited for a moment and after confirming that Vincent seem to be thinking of something else, she quickly added.


    "I''m actually heading to the city as well. If it''s alright, can I join you, Sir Traveler? I will definitely reward you once I managed to return home. If you also need anything else, I will do my best to fulfill it as well. Right now though, I can''t give you any reward for your help as my team fled in hurry and we didn''t bring anything aside from our weapons."


    Vincent listened to her request and thought for a moment. He did not really think of getting a reward at first but after learning that she''s quite influential as well, his visit to the city might be less troublesome in the end.


    After all, he has no documents that can prove his identity as a citizen of thisnd. If it''s a heavily guarded city, it might be difficult for him to enter.


    "Let''s go together then. Since you''re the daughter of a Count, I''ll be requesting a few things that might be helpful for me to travel around the country. Is that alright?"


    Yvette''s eyes lit up after hearing him agree. It would actually be very difficult for her if Vincent refused and she had to travel alone.


    Although she''s a Master-ss Magician, her mana is not infinite. If she''s at her full strength, at most, she can cast 50 or so Tier 1 Mana Arts or around 5 Tier 3 Mana Arts. It may sound like she''s a force to be reckoned with but she can still be very vulnerable in lone battles.


    Being together with an Aura Knight will certainly cover this hole so they shouldn''t get into trouble if they decided to cross the Withered Mountain.


    "It''s fine! I will definitely fulfill all your requests. Right, may I know what to call you?"


    "I''m Vincent. I have apanion with me, her name is Tara and she''s hiding right now."


    At this point, Vincent signaled for Tara toe out.


    As they all got to know each other, Yvette realized how mysterious Tara was. She barely said any words but she can feel that Vincent''spanion was not simple either.


    ***


    ''Hmm¡­ It''s too bad that those guys aren''t carrying any valuable materials or weapons at all.'' Vincent thought after he checked the items of the dead guards and the members of the Austere des.


    He was nning to loot their weapons at first but the guards'' items were all stamped by the Marshall House.


    As for the members of the Austere des, all their items weren''t anything of value and most can only be sold as scrap metals.


    Nevertheless, he was still rewarded with some pieces of silver coins.


    "I can give you a lot more than that. You don''t have to trouble yourself getting a few pieces of silver here." Yvette said as she watches Vincent check each corpse for money.

 Chapter 39 Crossing The Mountain

    Yvette didn''t really mind the young man checking the corpses here since they will have to leave them anyway.


    However, as soon as she realized that he was collecting some pocket money from them, she felt a bit of pity and thought that he had probably lived a very poor life.


    She immediately assured him that he would be rewarded with gold coins after this.


    "Ahh¡­ Yes. Are you finished resting? Should we go now?" Vincent asked as he pocketed thest silver coins he collected. He wasn''t looking forward to the money she promised.


    He''ll be satisfied as long as she helps him with his concerns about his traveling necessities.


    He actually brought his grandfather''s savings so he has a pouch of gold coins. It is around 50 coins and it can surely allow him to live avish life even in arge city.


    But he still felt that it would be too much of a waste if he let those silver coins get lost here in the forest. They aren''t nning to bury them after all.


    Apparently, Yvette was thinking of leaving the bodies here in case his father decided to send investigators.


    Anyway, it''s not like they can do much for them.


    "We can go now. I''ve recovered a  bit of my Mana. I should be able to help you if we were attacked by Savage Beasts." Yvette said as she stood up and went to Tara''s side.


    "You don''t have to. Just focus on recovering your Mana while we travel." Vincent replied after realizing that Yvette has a slower mana recovery rate than him. It seems that he''s still someone special even though he''s incapable of advancing to Master ss.


    ***


    Two more hours had passed before they managed to find a resting ce in the middle of the Withered Mountain. Unlike what its name says, it wasn''t really a withered mountain where no grass or trees are growing.


    Instead, many of the trees growing here are actually called Grey Acacia Trees. If seen from afar, the canopy of the trees would look like ashes, thus, gaining the name of the Withered Mountain as it feels like there are only dead trees around here.


    ''She''s tougher than I expected.''


    Vincent looked at Yvette and realized that she seemed to have gotten used to Tara. Though they weren''t talking much with each other, they can easily understand each other. It was quite an interesting sight.


    ''I wonder how would she react if she learn that Tara is a Celestial Being¡­'' Vincent smiled at the thought.


    Even though their journey wasn''t easy as they met several Savage Beasts from time to time, Yvette would still act protectively toward Tara as she probably thought that she doesn''t have goodbat abilities.


    While Vincent would bring down the bronze bears, savage apes, or stone smanders living around here, Yvette would stick to Tara to protect her at all times.


    At the moment, the three of them decided to take a rest before they continue on their path. It was quite tiring going up after all.


    "Yvette, are you ufortable with that dress? I have some extra clothes here. Just in case you wanted to change." Vincent offered after realizing that she might be ufortable wearing her dress.


    Yvette was still wearing her slightly torn blue dress since she has no other clothes to wear.<sub> </sub>


    "Ahh¡­ I''m fine. This dress has enchantment so I feel safe wearing this." Yvette answered as she tied up her brown hair allowing Vincent to see her nape.


    "Ehem¡­ I understand." Vincent replied as he checked his small bag containing a total of 12 Beast Cores.


    Apparently, it requires him 8 Beast Cores of this level to try a +10 enhancement.


    Currently, all his items are stuck at +9 right now. He has been trying to get through this barrier for months now and he has failed numerous times already.


    Of course, he still has one 75% Sess Rate Boost Voucher but he still wanted to save it once he gets an item that is above Rare Rank.


    "Hmm¡­ I should probably wait until I reach the city. I''ll most likely just fail anyway." Vincent thought as he returned the cores to his bag.


    He then briefly looked at Yvette as he wanted to find out whether she already rested enough.


    ''I''ll probably have a crush on this woman if I''m on my original body.'' Vincent just randomly thought after observing her for a bit.


    She has a kind face, pale skin, and red lips. Her green eyes are also very attractive to him. She may not have an outstanding beauty like Tara and most people might think that she''s quite an average one, however, this is definitely his type in his previous life.


    Anyway, he realized that Yvette is actually 25 years old already. She''s ten years older than him, at least physically. She''s also a noblewoman while he''s amoner so he wanted to keep some distance from her as well. He''s quite unsure about her upbringing after all.


    She might even be just acting kind right now since he''s her savior.


    ''Ugh¡­ Why am I being so suspicious of everything? I don''t want to think like this¡­'' Vincent shook his head as he looked ahead of them.


    He furrowed his brows as he felt some beasts watching their group.


    "It seems that there is no time for rest. Tara, Miss Yvette, there are Stonebreaker Wolves ahead. We need to be careful¡­ I heard that they are Savage Beasts close to bing genuine Magic Beasts."


    Vincent said as he recalled his grandpa''s teachings.


    "You''re right. They''re very dangerous¡­ But they shouldn''t be living around here." Yvette felt confused since these wolves weren''t normally living on top of the mountains.


    Nevertheless, she has no time to think about anything else but to fight for their survival! The wolves started charging toward them!


    "I''ll support you, Vincent. I have enough Mana to cast a Tier 3 Mana Art. Let me show you what I can do."


    Yvette confidently said as she started casting her spell. Her Mana Arts may not be suited in a duel fight but fighting against a crowd is a simple matter!


    "Pyro st!"

 Chapter 40 Tara

    Vincent finally saw Yvette''splete Pyro st!


    It is very different from the one he saw earlier. The fire that was scattered was thick and the force behind it was powerful.


    It was also apanied by an enormous heatwave as the temperature in the surroundings started to go up.


    The Stonebreaker Wolves may not have been burned due to their fire resistance furs but they were still sted to the nearby trees and rocks.


    "I''ll take it from here!"


    Vincent said as he used his Shrouded Steps again to get close to the dizzied wolves.


    He raised the tip of his cane and targeted their skulls without any hesitation.


    ''Aura Shift''


    With his great control, he properly divided his Aura to cover not only the Cane but also to protect his arm from a powerful impact. He expected them to be tough considering their names so he didn''t bother to save his strength.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    His +9 weapon had truly evolved as it can now easily crush a person or beast''s bones.


    Nevertheless, Vincent knows that these Savage Beasts weren''t that scary to begin with.


    Their bodies might be tough but that was it. They were still Savage Beasts or creatures that he and his grandfather would use to farm for Cores.


    The real scary monsters are those Magic Beast.


    They are beasts who were truly capable of unleashing the power of their Mana and using it to manifest incredible spells as well.


    They are unlike Savage Beasts who were only able to reach this level through some kind of mutation and were mostly focused on their physical strength rather than their magical abilities.


    ''I wonder when will I meet a real Magic Beast¡­''


    Vincent thought as he looked at the unmoving Stonebreaker Wolves around him.


    "Y-you¡­ Aren''t you a bit too strong? Is it Mana Art¡ªNo, a Soul Art?" Yvette was speechless.


    She was preparing to cast a few more Tier 1 Mana Arts to help the young man fight against the wolves. However, he didn''t even break a sweat as he finished them off in a few seconds.


    She tried to recall the young men in her family andpared them to Vincent. However, he didn''t know anyone his age that was already at this level. This is not normal!


    ''Is it because he''s a hybrid? A Mana Practitioner and Soul Cultivator¡­ Are they really this strong?'' Yvette made a reasonable guess, but unfortunately, she had never thought that the cane itself is the key to Vincent''s unnatural sess in that fight.


    The Crush Attribute that has already exceeded 100 points was just too strong!


    "W-well¡­ These wolves weren''t that strong, Yvette. You don''t have to exaggerate it. I heard from my grandfather that the A-ss Savage Beasts around this area should be the Red-Winged Serpents. I doubt that I would be able to kill them like how I defeated these wolves."


    Vincent exined as he recalled the beast at the top of the food chain within this forest.<sub> </sub>


    The Red-Winged Serpent was said to be a Savage Beast that is on its path to evolving into a Winged Basilisk. Once this serpent truly evolves into a basilisk, it would have a tremendous change in its state and would basically be a Basilisk, a genuine Magic Beast.


    His grandpa only mentioned this in passing and didn''t fully exin how strong they are. Nevertheless, since it''s a beast that even his Grandpa doesn''t want to meet in the middle of the night, it must really be a strong creature capable of scaring even a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    ''Ugh¡­ Those Stonebreaker Wolves weren''t that strong? No way! You just have a different perspective¡­ but, I should probably get used to this now.'' Yvette can only sigh as she no longer bothered to exin just how umon he was.


    "Oh, there''s a cave in that direction¡­ Should we take a look?"


    Thanks to the wolves, their group has to move to a different location to take a rest. Vincent then found a small cave and of course, they are expecting that a beast must be living there.


    Since it''s also about to get dark, they need to find a ce to camp and if they take over that cave, camping would be a lot easier.


    "Let''s go¡­" Yvette said as her muscles are already sore. She hasn''t trained her body a lot so her hours of hiking here were already forcing her body to the limit.


    There are things that her Mana couldn''t help her after all.


    "Hmm¡­ I will take care of the cave. Since the two of you have been hunting down the beasts all this time, I think that it should be fine if I work for a bit."


    Tara suddenly said in the back.


    "Alright. Be careful."


    Vincent was excited to hear this since he wanted to at least learn how this Celestial would fight in battle.


    On the other hand, Yvette was surprised to learn that she can actually speak properly and fight against Savage Beasts!


    She could only stare at Tara''s back as she entered the cave without hesitation.


    "Sigh~ Your group is so weird, Vincent."


    Yvette could only sigh since she''s not even in a position to voice out aint. For now, she also wanted to see how Tara would fight.


    Is she a Mana Practitioner? A Magician or a Magic Knight? Perhaps she''s also a Soul Cultivator or Aura Knight like Vincent.


    She was so curious as she watched Tara disappear inside the cave. As soon as she went inside, Yvette nced at Vincent and as expected, the man wasn''t worried at all and he even seem so excited about this.


    ''Why does he trust her so much? Is she that strong?''


    Yvette shook her head to concentrate. As she closed her eyes, her Mana Sensitivity increased so she could at least feel what was happening inside the cave.


    Bang! Bang!


    "Eh? What was that?" She barely felt any Mana Fluctuation inside the cave!


    However, after 30 seconds, Tara just came out and confirmed that everything is safe inside!


    Soon, Vincent and Yvette discovered that there is an unconscious Red-Winged Serpent on the ground which gave a shock to the both of them!

 Chapter 41 The City

    Vincent looked at the Red-Winged Serpent on the ground. It was about eight meters in length with a width simr to his body.


    It has gray scales but a red luster can be seen whenever the light passes through it. It is such a beautiful serpent and he didn''t expect it to be like this.


    At first, he imagined it to be some hideous creature that is slowly forming limbs to evolve into a basilisk. However, it really was just an oversized serpent with bat-like wings.


    "You did great, Tara. If I decided to fight this creature, I would probably have to destroy its beautiful scales." Vincentmented.


    Tara didn''t speak too much and only nodded at him before she found a ce to sit down.


    "Is it dead?" Yvette asked.


    "I think that it just fainted. I will kill it now."


    Vincent said as he pulled out his Silver Ruin Dagger. However, Yvette stopped him immediately.


    "You can''t. The three precious scales will be useless if you kill this serpent now. You have to remove the three precious scales first before killing it."


    "Eh? Why is that?"


    "Ugh, so you''re not even aware of it." Yvette can only wryly smile as she started to exin the precious material that can only be found on this type of creature.


    Apparently, the serpent doesn''t have valuable fangs, venom, or organs. This is mostly because it is in the state of evolution and everything is quite messed up within its body.


    However, three of its beautiful scale can still be very useful to create magic tools using alchemy.


    This is what Yvette wanted.


    "T-thanks for letting me know. I guess I still have to study, huh. I probably can''t rely on what I''ve just learned in the vige. Ahh¡­ Miss Yvette, is there a book I can purchase that can help me regarding the material I can loot from Savage Beasts?"


    "You''re interested, huh. I guess you really like hunting them. Anyway, there is a library in the city. There should be a book called Third Compendium of Beasts. That''s probably what you wanted to read if you want to know more about the Savage Beasts."


    "A Compendium of Beasts? A Bestiary¡­ That''s good. I will keep it in mind. But now, what do we do about the rest of its body?"


    He asked after collecting the three precious scales of the serpent. The three scales weren''t that huge and were only a little bit bigger than an adult''s thumb. However, they seem to possess an incredible amount of Mana which made Vincent a bit nervous.


    It is like he''s holding a bomb that is about to explode.


    He already killed the serpent after removing the scales on its body. Apparently, as soon as he did this, the red luster disappeared from all its other scales and he didn''t have to ask Yvette to know that they were no longer of any value after they became like that.


    In short, those three scales were truly the only valuable materials on this creature.


    "I''ll just bury it with my Earth Magic. Leave it to me." Yvette confidently said as she asked Vincent to bring the serpent outside.


    As soon as it was brought outside, Yvette took a deep breath as she carefully manipted her mana.


    "Earth''s Hand¡­"


    Suddenly, the ground under the corpse of the Serpent moved¡­ The ground vibrated weakly before the corpse was dragged downpletely.


    "Incredible¡­ I''ve seen it a few times now but Mana to Element Magic is really incredible." Vincent bitterly smiled as he knows that he can''t learn the Tier 3 Mana Arts.<sub> </sub>


    He can only admire it from the side hoping that he could learn it someday.


    "Did you reach a bottleneck and couldn''t advance your rank as a magician?" Yvette curiously asked. This may not be an appropriate question since answering this is pretty much revealing your weakness.


    However, she genuinely wanted to help him since she knows that he already has the foundation to learn the Tier 3 Mana Arts.


    "Yes¡­ It''s been a while since I mastered my Tier 1 Mana Arts. My grandpa told me that I could naturally learn it after mastering two or three Tier 1 arts. However, I have already mastered 4 Mana Arts but I''m still unable to see any progress. I also have plenty of mana in my core."


    "Ohh¡­ That''s good to hear. As expected, you really have a good foundation. How about talent? May I ask what grade was it? Or were you able to measure it when you were young?"


    "Yes. I was told that I have a low-grade talent in Mana Cultivation."


    "Really? A low-grade talent with an incredible amount of Mana. You''re also an Aura Knight. I can''t believe it."


    She was obviously shocked after hearing such a low evaluation.


    ''Perhaps his parents lied to him about his real talent? Ugh, whatever¡­''


    In the end, Yvette suggested to Vincent that he needs to hire an Adept Mage to look into his Mana Flow and find any problem with it.


    "An Adept Mage, huh¡­"


    "Yes¡­ If you earn enough money, you will be able to hire them to give you some pointers."


    "Don''t you have one in your n?"


    "Ugh¡­ I''m sorry Vincent. Most of the Mana practitioners in our family our Magic Knights. Adept Mages are magicians who were able to have at least three Tier 4 Mana Arts after all. It wasn''t easy even for our family."


    Yvette wryly smiled as she exined the huge chasm between the Tier 3 and Tier 4 Mana Arts.


    Vincent felt d for Yvette''s presence.


    Thanks to her, their journey wasn''t boring at all.


    ''It''s unfortunate that I didn''t find the mysterious grounds that Chief August mentioned. However, I still enjoyed crossing this mountain.'' Vincent mused as he recalled the story he heard about the Wither Mountain.


    ***


    The night passed peacefully thanks to Yvette''s preparedness. The three of them had a very good sleep which helped them to be filled with energy today.


    Along their way, they still encountered a few Savage Beasts but weren''t as serious as before.


    "We''re here." Yvette said as she pointed at the walled city from afar.


    She can now finally heave a sigh of relief!  She had survived and returned to her home city!


    Now, it''s time for her to fulfill her promise to Vincent.

 Chapter 42 The City ( 2 )

    "Lady Yvette?!"


    The group of guards outside the city gate recognized Yvette even though they were still quite far. It''s probably because of her mana fluctuation or maybe her expensive blue dress is just that recognizable.


    "Was there a report that I was already dead?" Yvette couldn''t help but smile after seeing the shock and relief on the guard''s faces.


    Although she doesn''t know their names, her reputation as the daughter of Count Marshall made her famous in a way. Most of the citizens here also know her due to her identity as one of the youngest female Master Magicians in this region.


    "Y-yes, Lady Yvette. A messenger bird from has arrived yesterday reporting about your team''s death in the hands of a Magic Beast. It was sent by the Austere de Mercenaries."


    "That''s right¡­ They must be punished for giving such a piece of false information. The Count has even sent out an investigation to be sent at the Green Fog Forest."


    "He must be worried now. I will report to the count about your arrival¡­ Jill, take the carriage and assist thedy."


    The leader of the guards ordered as he looked at the youngest one in their group.


    "Yes, leader..." Jill replied before he hastily left to bring the carriage. They can''t just allow the Count''s daughter to walk in the streets like this.


    "Thank you, Sir. May I know how to call you?" Yvette asked the leader.


    "Just call me Adrian, Lady Yvette. I''m the Captain of 10th City Guards Squadron" The middle-aged man replied.


    All the guards are wearing the normal white leather armor which is the uniform of the city guards.


    However, the hilt of Adrian''s sword has a red mark on it allowing her to recognize that he''s the leader of the guards.


    Apparently, the rank of the officers here in the city can be identified using this method.


    "Alright, Sir Adrian. You mentioned that my father sent a group of soldiers to the Green Fog forest. Why would they go there? Isn''t that too far? That''s three days away from where I supposedly went missing." Yvette asked in confusion.


    "T-this¡­ You''re right, Lady Yvette. But the message we have received was that you went missing in that ce."


    Yvette can only shake her head after hearing this. Well, it''s not really surprising if she thinks about it, since the one who provided the information was the Austere de after all!


    They probably wanted to buy more time.


    Soon, Jill brought the carriage with him and he also took the reins.


    "Lady Yvette. I will bring you and your group to the Manor." Jill offered.


    "Wait, Miss Yvette¡­"


    Finally, Vincent thought that it was time to separate from Yvette.


    "We''ll be looking around the city now¡­ I don''t think that you still need our help anyway."


    "Ahh¡­ You''re right. About your reward, I''ll be sending someone to give it to you. If it''s possible, you can stay at Florence''s Inn so I''ll know where to send them."


    "Florence''s Inn?" Vincent repeated.


    This time, Adrian spoke.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s near the Auction House. I can have someone to bring you there."


    After settling everything, Yvette finally went on her way while Adrian decided to personally apany the two.


    "I''ll lead the way to the inn. May I know both of your names?" Adrian asked as they started walking on the streets.


    There were a lot of people here since there is a market nearby. Aside from that, there seems to be a popr tailor shop where a lot of people gather.


    Vincent noticed all of this as he carefully observed the surroundings. This ce ispletely different from the viges he saw.


    ''This is a real prospering civilization here...''


    "I''m Vincent and mypanion here is Tara. We just met Yvette while we are on our way here to the city. We realized that she was in a bind so we decided to just offer our help and bring her here to the city safely."


    Vincent answered. He actually realized that they have skipped the normal process of entering the city thanks to Yvette''s presence.


    Now that she left them, the captain of the tenth squad naturally has the task to ensure that they aren''t some criminals using Yvette as a cover.


    "I see¡­ Vincent, Tara¡­ Thank you for helping thedy¡­ The news of her death has already spread throughout the city so I can''t wait to spread the news of her return."


    "Oh¡­ You must really adore her."


    "Of course¡­ Her family did everything they could to improve the condition of this city. This ce wasn''t prosperous before but thanks to their help---Ah! I must stop here. I''ll just waste your time listening to my story. That''s the Florence''s Inn right there. It''s one of Lady Yvette''s properties so she suggested the ce for you." Adrian replied as he pointed to the three-story building next to therge Auction House.


    Vincent then saw the name of the auction house on itsrge card outside.


    "The Guardian''s Auction House."


    It is like an arena that can surely pass as one of the city''s attractions.


    Before Adrian left them, Vincent also asked for the nearest library where he can purchase the Compendium of Beasts.


    "That book? There is a library and bookstore on the opposite side of the city. It''s near the northern gate''s flea market. I''m not sure if they are still selling that book but you can try."


    "Thank you, Adrian." Vincent thanked the middle-aged man as he invited Tara to enter the Inn.


    They rented two rooms to take their deserved rest and order meals to be delivered in their own rooms.


    After finishing their meals and taking a rest, Vincent decided to speak with Tara to ask about her ns.


    "Tara, I''m nning to go outside to sell some of my Beast Cores and other materials I looted. Ehem¡­ Are you still nning to join me on my travel? Or are you thinking of separating on our ways?"


    Vincent sincerely asked.


    To be honest, he''s really interested to know more about this Celestial Being. He barely had a glimpse of her abilities and he wanted to know more. Aside from that, she''s very reliable and quiet as well.


    Tara went silent for a moment before she answered.


    "I haven''t recovered my full strength yet. I still barely know anything about this world. Since you''re discovering this world slowly as well, allow me to join you in your journey for now."

 Chapter 43 Appraiser

    Tara replied with her low and angelic voice.


    With her answer, Vincent heaved a sigh of relief. It''s not like he has an interest in her.


    He just knows that he''ll benefit from her if she stays beside him. In this world where he could encounter a lot of unknown dangers, it''s better if he stayed with someone who could potentially eliminate them all.


    Although Tara is only ranked 999, she''s still a Celestial Being and she should be capable of dealing with normal magicians or magic knights that he''s incapable of handling.


    "Are you going outside now? I''ll be staying here." Tara added.


    "Yes, it''s still early anyway. I''ll return after selling these things." Vincent said as he pulled up the small bag containing various materials and herbs he forages along the way.


    Though he has plenty of money, it''s not like he has a steady source of ie. He had to ensure that would just be spending all the time.


    ''Right, Yvette should be rewarding us some money as well. I hope that it would be too much.'' Vincent thought.


    If Yvette decided to give them too much money, Count Marshall might get suspicious and decide to investigate him. He didn''t want suchplications so he only wanted a normal reward for the help they''ve given.


    "We''re selling new throwing knives made from the horns of Demon-Eyed Goats! Hurry only 10 sets are avable!"


    "I''m trading my Orichalcum Ore for a genuine Rare Grade Sword!"


    "I''m buying Beast Cores! Sell it to me now and I''ll give you a bonus of 3 silver coins for each of them!"


    "Buy our genuine medicine kit! Approved by the best Alchemist in the city! We only have 20 sets remaining! Hurry and buy now before they all get sold!"


    Vincent heard the people shouting what they wanted just outside the Auction House.


    Since the Auction House is where rich people gather, the sellers would normally stay around here in the hopes of attracting them into buying their items or perhaps to pique their interest into selling their items to them instead of auctioning them off.


    Actually, he also felt curious about what they are selling though he has no idea what they are. Especially the Orichalcum Ore that was the size of an adult''s fist.


    He wanted to take a look at it closely but before he gets to the man, another person had already gone and inspected the ore.


    "Tsk¡­"


    After a few seconds of checking the Orichalcum Ore, the man clicked his tongue and shook his head before deciding to leave without any more words.


    Then, Vincent saw the seller smile apologetically as he let the man leave.


    ''Hmm?''


    Vincent felt curious about what happened as he approached the seller.


    "May I check the Orichalcum Ore?" Vincent asked. The man is actually selling other things on his mat but this appears to be the most valuable.


    "Do you have a Rare Weapon on you?" The seller asked as he looked at Vincent''s clothes.


    Vincent is wearing his tailored linen clothes and though it doesn''t look expensive, they suit him well.


    "I have¡­ Don''t worry." Vincent replied.


    "Fine. I''ll give you a few seconds to check the ore." The man coldly said and waited. It''s normal to have the people check the authenticity of their goods so he already expected this to happen.


    Vincent smiled and touched the ore. He doesn''t need to lift it since his intention was just to appraise the ore in the first ce.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Minted Iron Ore. ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Minted Iron Ore ]


    [ Quality: Common


    Number of Enhancements: 0 /10


    Durability: 20


    Description: A modified Iron Ore. After being modified, it appears like an Orichalcum Ore.


    Remarks: No special properties found. Durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "Ugh¡­ It''s just an Iron Ore¡­ No wonder the other hooded guy felt disappointed after checking this ore."


    Vincent then gave a nce to the person who was selling this as Orichalcum Ore after modifying an Iron Ore.


    This person is just trying to scam people!


    "Haa~ Old man, you should stop scamming people. I''ll leave now." Vincent muttered before he stood up and left.


    He decided not to causemotion just like what the first person did.


    "That¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I just needed some money young man. My son is--"


    "You don''t have to exin it to me. Bye¡­" Vincent cut off his words as he returned the ore on the mat before leaving.


    The seller can only sigh as he thought that he wasn''t really lucky today.


    Vincent then continued looking around the ce until he decided to finally sell his items. There are materials like the wolf''s fang and herbs that he foraged in the forest.


    As for the Beast Cores, he doesn''t have ns of selling them yet since they are still useful whenever he ns to make an enhancement to save his mana.


    The good thing about this is that he sold all of them in one Alchemy Shop.


    Grace Alchemy Store. This is the name of the shop where he sold his things and here, he found several interesting potions and crafts that he wanted to purchase!


    As soon as he left the shop, Vincent only has 18 gold coins and 10 silver coins in his pocket! Nevertheless, he has a bag filled with incredible potions and even a couple of talismans!


    He didn''t regret purchasing them and even felt very excited to return to the inn and try something out.


    "Appraisers! The Guardian Auction House is hiring Appraisers and Security Personnel! Look!"


    "Really? What are the qualifications? I wanted to work for the Guardians all this time."


    "Hmm¡­ The Appraisers need to have a 1-Star Qualification and pass the examination. They will have a sry of 50 silver coins a month and bonuses ording to the items they managed to appraise. Whoa~ So generous."


    There was a suddenmotion outside the Auction House and Vincent was just in time to witness it.


    "Appraisers, huh¡­" He mumbled.


    He noticed that his Appraisal Ability has been stuck in Intermediate Level. This is most likely because the things he has been appraising all this time are just Umon or Common items.


    ''Should I take a look?'' Vincent thought.


    "Oh! I arrived at a perfect time! Hahaha!"


    Suddenly, a fat young man appeared as heughed uncaring of his surroundings.


    He is apanied by a couple of escorts and based on his luxurious clothes, he seems to be someone important.

 Chapter 44 Decision

    The fat young man looks very excited after noticing the recruitment post at the Guardian''s Auction House.


    It was as if he''s already imagining himself entering the Guardian''s Auction House as an Appraiser.


    ? Everyone who was checking out the post noticed this as well but no one dared to mock him because of his status.


    ''Well, let''s see the post first before I return¡­''


    Vincent thought as he was already here. The Bestiary and his Potions can still wait for a little while.


    As soon as he finished reading the recruitment notice, he found out that he can actually qualify as long as he was able to appraise the 20 items that they would prepare beforehand.


    His experience or identity wouldn''t even matter to them.


    ''My Intermediate Appraisal Skill should be enough for this. Aside from that, it''s just a two-month contract so there shouldn''t be any problem. The pay is also quite generous.''


    Vincent then confirmed that the examination will start three days from now. He has enough time to prepare for it.


    "They only needed three Appraisers¡­ I''m definitely going to be one of them."


    "Young master Cedric, do you really need to be an appraiser for the Guardians? The sry is just 50 silver¡­ You can earn a lot more if you just continue supporting the Alchemist you previously hired.


    Vincent heard the fat young man again as his escorts asked about his desire to be hired. He doesn''t look like he needed money after all.


    "What? Are you a fool? I''m not looking forward to the sry. If I''m hired by the Guardians, then my status in the family will increase even more. You just don''t know how influential they are¡­ As for that Alchemist, he only knows how to concoct two types of potions. Further investment is just a waste of money¡­ Let''s leave now!"


    The fat young man called Cedric said as he lead his escorts away.


    It appears that the Auction House has a very good reputation if even someone from a wealthy family wanted to be hired by them.


    Vincent quietly left as he recalled buying a few clothes for him and Tara before he returned to the Florence''s Inn.


    As soon as he entered the inn, he found the manager at the front desk reading a newspaper.


    He is a middle-aged man with a bald head but has a long brown beard. When he first met him, Vincent thought that he wasn''t ordinary at all¡­ and looking at him, his guess was right.


    While he''s reading the newspaper, Vincent can feel the subtle fluctuation of manaing from him. It seems that one of the articles there agitated him or made him lose control of his mana.


    "Ehem¡­ Sir, is there a problem?" Vincent couldn''t help but ask as the newspaper crumpled in the man''s hands. He also felt that the desk was about to be destroyed so he immediately alerted him.


    "Ahh¡­ I''m sorry about that. I just read something ridiculous. You''re the guy in Room 8, right?" The man said as he recognized Vincent.


    "Yes¡­ I just returned from the market, is it alright if I ask you about something here in the city? To be honest, me and mypanion are new here." Vincent said politely.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh? What is it about? I''ve been living here for over 40 years now so you can ask me anything." The man confidently said as threw the crumpled newspaper behind him.


    "Can you tell me about the Guardian''s Auction House? Anything about them will be helpful no matter how unimportant it may be."


    "The Guardians? Aren''t they popr in every city?" The man asked in confusion.


    "Ahh¡­ We actually came from a small vige, so we don''t know anything about the city."


    "No wonder. You also seem young, is this your first trip to a city?"


    "Yes¡­" Vincent replied as he approached the man. He seated at the chair in front of him thinking that it may take some time.


    "Alright¡­ Then I should probably start with how the Guardians are formed." The man said as he slowly recalled all the things he knows about the organization.


    Apparently, the Guardian''s Auction House is operated by the Royal Family itself. All the cities including a fewrge towns have this Auction House. Of course, there are still other Auction Houses that are existing and they could even auction off better items most of the time.


    However, the Guardian''s Auction House is the most reliable one in terms of security, privacy, and authenticity of the items being sold.


    They are dubbed as the ''safest'' Auction House which is why they are always being flooded with customers. It was no wonder they wanted to recruit more appraisers and security personnel.


    ''So it''s a reliablepany, huh¡­'' Vincent nodded after hearing the brief exnation.


    "Thank you for the information, Sir. I''m actually nning to apply as an Appraiser in the Auction House."


    "Aren''t you a bit too young to be an appraiser? Anyway, I now understand why you''re specifically interested in them¡­ You will be in good hands if you managed to pass their tests. Good luck¡­ Right, you can just call me Lawrence." The man replied as he can tell that Vincent is only in his teens.


    He didn''t want to say that he has a very slim chance of passing but decided to encourage him in the end.


    "I will do my best, Manager Lawrence..." Vincent said as he left 2 silver coins as a tip for his exnation.


    Before he returned to his room, he informed Tara about his arrival and gave her the clothes he bought.


    Well, they are still wearing their "viger''s clothes" after all. Although Vincent modified them, they still don''t look like city dwellers with those clothes.


    Now, with the new tunic and a hooded cloak, they shouldn''t be too eye-catching when walking on the streets as many people are wearing these types of clothes.


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    As soon as Vincent was alone in his room, he pulled out the eight vials of potions he bought including a couple of Talismans.

 Chapter 45 New Items

    [ A Bottle of Mana Recovery Potion ]


    [ Grade: Low


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Units of Mana: 30


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Star Rosemary. It is capable of providing mana in 1 unit per second after consumption.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the mana recovery units. ]


    Vincent smiled after confirming that the four vials of potion have the same descriptions after appraising them.


    ''They''re simr to the information given by the apprentice working at the shop¡­'' Vincent smiled as he recalled his visit to the shop.


    When he purchased them, he only appraised one vial of the kind so he felt satisfied knowing that all of the potions given to him did not change their qualities.


    Of his eight potions, four of them contain blue liquids and the other four have purple.


    The blue ones were the Mana Recovery Potions while the purple ones are healing potions.


    Clink¡­


    Vincent picked up one of the purple ones that he didn''t appraise yet as he continued.


    [ A Bottle of Diluted Healing Potion ]


    [ Grade: Low


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10 ]


    Units of Healing Aura: 10


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Fiery Galingale and ze Chervil. It is capable of providing healing Aura in 1 unit per second after consumption.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the healing aura units. ]


    Though it only has 10 units of healing, Vincent still decided to purchase them since they can be very useful in case of emergency. He can''t just rely on herbs and his natural recovery rate after all.


    Well, his wounds healed faster ever since he became a 1-Star Aura Knight and it keeps improving as he continued to cultivate his soul. Nevertheless, it is better to have such recovery potions since they do not have any expiry anyway.


    Finally, Vincent checked the two talismans that he purchased.


    They are just trinkets that don''t appear to be valuable. The first one is made of wood embedded with a piece of blue rock that would normally be used as an ornament on clothes.


    The other one, on the other hand, is just a fang of a certain beast with a ck pearl tied with a special string. When Vincent first saw this, he thought that it was just something that can be used as a pendant.


    However, these two talismans were quite impressive despite their looks!


    They were actually quite pricey as he paid three gold coins for each of them. He''s even thinking that the Alchemist who made this weren''t aware of their true value!


    [ Stargazer Talisman ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 20/20


    Intelligence: 20


    Description: A special essory that provides an intelligence boost to the wearer.


    Remarks: Special Intelligence Attribute found. Durability and Intelligence attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    If Vincent looked at his personal status, he will only see his name, age, mana capacity, and the skills that he has.


    The information is very limited and he believes that as long as hepleted a particr hidden quest, he will be able to unlock other features of his personal stats.<sub> </sub>


    Perhaps, at that time, he will be able to quantify his Strength, Intelligence, or even Vitality!


    It wouldn''t be surprising if that really happened considering the pattern of his Item Awakening System.


    "This item should be helpful for the time being¡­ Additional Intelligence Attribute is always wee." Vincent muttered as he pocketed the essory.


    Apparently, as long as he ced his Mana Signature on the talisman, its effect would activate.


    [ Poison Immunity Talisman ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 20/20


    Poison Resistance: 5


    Poison Immunity: 20 types of poison


    Description: A special essory that provides poison immunity to 20 types ofmon poison and gives a little poison resistance to all types of poison.


    Remarks: Special Poison Resistance Attribute found. Durability and Poison Resistance attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    Thest talisman was something that Vincent found very interesting considering that the Alchemy Shop he visited does not have aprehensive Antidote.


    Though he hasn''t encountered a deadly poison yet, he knows how scary they can be and it''s always better to be prepared.


    Especially in this world where physicians are extremely rare and most of the existing sicknesses are being remedied by the potions made by the Alchemists.


    An item like this is definitely a must-have. Considering its effects, it was actually quite surprising that it was only sold for 3 gold coins even though the Alchemist is aware that it contains a boost on the wearer''s poison resistance.


    "Well, since I can enhance this item, I''d consider this very valuable."


    But for the others who only know that it contains a little bit of poison resistance, they probably wouldn''t think much of it.


    Before the day ended, Vincent was able to enhance all his vials of potions to +5 while his two talismans reached +6 both!


    As his mana was almost drained, he had forgotten to eat his dinner and slept soundly in his room.


    ***


    Three days quickly passed and the day for the appraiser job recruitment finally arrived. During these days, Vincent was able to upgrade all his potions and talisman to +9!


    Right now, his Mana Recovery Potion can recover 150 units of mana within 20 seconds. As for the Healing Potion, he can receive 100 units of healing aura within 30 seconds!


    They have all gone through an incredible improvement!


    "Everyone! Please fall in line! This line here is for applicants for Security Personnel! If you''re applying for the Appraiser position, please go to the entrance at the back!"


    Vincent arrived at the Guardian''s Auction House and confirmed that over 200 people are looking for a job!


    Luckily, as soon as he heard the announcement and went to the back of the Auction House, he realized that only 15 people are trying to apply as an Appraiser including him and Cedric whom he had seen before.


    "Oh! You''re young too! Haha! I''m impressed by your courage! What''s your name?" Cedric asked in a loud voice as he approached Vincent.


    Apparently, the other 13 people applying for the job are already in their thirties. There is even one who can already be called a senior citizen!


    As Vincent was about to reply to Cedric, he suddenly felt a familiar presence behind him.


    "Tara? Are you going to apply as well?"


    Vincent asked in surprise after recognizing the gorgeousdy who had just arrived.


    The other applicants and the examiner that had just walked outside also noticed her presence as they couldn''t help but stare at her emerald eyes.

 Chapter 46 Assessment ( 1 )

    Vincent could swear that he heard them gulp after seeing Tara''s face.


    ''These people¡­ Although she''s beautiful, they didn''t have to act this exaggerated right?'' Vincent knitted his brows after noticing the sudden change in the atmosphere.


    They were previously just minding their own business and talking about the examination. However, they all quieted down after Tara''s arrival.


    Well, although she only revealed her face as she''s mostly covered, her attractiveness couldn''t be hidden at all.


    Vincent then looked at her figure and suddenly recalled an important thing!


    ''Wait¡­ Did they realize that she''s a Celestial Being? They are all applying as an Appraiser so they must have keen eyes! Ugh! It''s good that her mark is hidden by the cloak.''


    As Vincent started to get worried that her identity will get exposed by these people, Tara answered his question.


    "I''m not nning to apply for the job. I''m just here to let you know that we have already received the reward from Yvette and I left it in your room."


    Vincent nodded as he led Tara to a corner.


    "That was quitete. I thought she has already forgotten. Anyway, you''ve brought a bag with you. Are you leaving?"


    "Yes, I''ll be doing something for a while to help me recover my full strength. I''ll be back in a few days." Tara replied.


    "Oh~ No worries then¡­ Is there anything I can help with?"


    "Hmm¡­ If you found any item rted to Celestial Beings, it would be great if you can give it to me." Tara didn''t shy away from his offer as she stated what she wanted.


    "That will probably be expensive but I''ll try..." Vincent replied and felt that being an Appraiser might help with her request.


    As for the payment, they decided not to speak about it at the moment since Vincent knows that befriending this Celestial Being is definitely a good thing even if she''s only Ranked 999.


    As soon as Tara left, one of the examiners gathered everyone so they can begin the test.


    Cedric, who was previously nning to befriend him, decided to keep quiet as the test is about to start.


    They were brought to a hall inside the Auction House where three more examiners are waiting.


    There are a total of three men and one woman as examiners. They were all carefully observing Vincent and his group who had just arrived at the gathering hall.


    From the way they carry themselves, Vincent can tell that these people weren''t simple Appraisers as well.


    They weren''t that old and only in their thirties while the female one was probably just in her twenties. This is quite unexpected since he thought that most Appraisers were rather old.


    Anyway, the identical blue and white robes they''re wearing are giving off a noble aura. If Vincent will guess the quality of those robes, for sure those items weren''t just Rare Quality!


    With that in mind, he wouldn''t be surprised if these appraisers also possess somebat skills or perhaps, even Magicians themselves.


    "I''m Olivier, one of the Senior Appraisers of the Guardian''s Auction House. The three behind me are the Resident Appraisers of this City Branch. If you manage to pass on our test, you guys will be working with them."<sub> </sub>


    Olivier, a gentleman who has his blond hair wellbed to the left side, said in a gentle voice. His smiling face may look fake but he definitely appears very professional.


    "I will be supervising the test and any form of cheating is not allowed. You will be disqualified in this test and will never be epted in the Auction House ever again." Oliver finished his announcement with a stern voice as he signaled for the female examiner to continue.


    This female Appraiser has long red hair and her face is covered by a veil as if she''s mourning. Vincent found it unusual as this is the first time he had seen someone wearing this.


    She walked forward and stood at the podium before speaking with her soothing voice.


    "I will exin the first test¡­ This is very simple, you just have to appraise the twenty items that we''ve prepared. If only three of you passed the test, there will be no point to have the second test and you will be epted already."


    She then signaled for the guards outside to bring the items in.


    Soon, twenty various items appeared in front of the 15 applicants. They are carefully ced on a wooden tray as they formed a circle on the table. There are also numbers from one to twenty that can be seen engraved on the trays.


    "Hmm¡­ This is going to be easy."


    "Really? Do you think this is so simple?"


    "Hmph¡­ Just shut up and let''s see who will pass the test."


    Some of the applicants expressed their confidence after seeing the items in front of them. Vincent looked at them closely and realized that most of the items here weren''t that old and seemingly new. There are only two items that seemed to havee from an older era.


    This is probably why most of them are thinking that this is quite an easy test.


    However, would they really make this test easy?


    "Everyone¡­"


    The female Appraiser spoke as she took everyone''s attention.


    "This test willst for two hours so take your time identifying them. You are allowed to touch them but not to lift them. You will also be given a paper to fill out the information you have about them, this is just for your personal notes. If you''re confident that you have already properly identified the twenty of them, you can go ahead and enter the conference room so we can cross-examine your answers. Only one applicant can enter at once."


    Seeing that everyone is attentively listening, she continued.


    "As soon as the four of us entered the conference room, you can go ahead and inspect the items. I repeat, do not take them out of the tray if you don''t want to be disqualified."


    After saying this, Olivier lead all the examiners inside the conference room connected to this gathering hall.


    The guards also left after they handed the papers, ink, and quill pen to everyone.


    It may appear that no one is watching them but for sure, the Appraisers inside the conference room had a way to monitor them.


    With that in mind, everyone silently stepped forward to appraise each item.

 Chapter 47 Assessment ( 2 )

    Vincent didn''t hurriedlye forward like the others as he tried to look around first.


    ''I can feel that I''m being monitored¡­ but I can''t tell where it ising from. Hmm¡­ Is this because of a Magic Tool?'' Vincent thought as he found several suspicious items on the walls and the ceiling.


    At first nce, they seem to be normal orbs designed to give light within the room but it seems that it has other purposes.


    The unique chandelier was also the same.


    This made him very interested in the items since as a 2-Star Aura Knight, he should be capable of tracing anyone who watches him. This is called Soul Sense. One of the perks of being a 2-Star Aura Knight.


    If his Soul Sense doesn''t work, it means that the other party has some kind of Mana Art or Soul Art capable of blocking his senses.


    If there is indeed something like this, he wanted to study them as well.


    Vincent then walked forward to inspect one of the items that no one is currently checking. It is one of the old items that is giving off an ancient aura on it.


    It is a closed book and Vincent felt somehow perturbed after seeing it closer.


    ''There is no writing on it¡­ No title or any significant marks¡­ There are only scratches¡­ What in the world is this book? Isn''t this too difficult?''


    Vincent shook his head. Well, all the items are actually very difficult for him to appraise without the System''s ability.


    He then nced at everyone and noticed that Cedric and the others are already started taking notes.


    ''I should start as well. Appraise.''


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Skill Book: Mana Drain. ]


    [ Skill Book: Mana Drain ]


    [ Quality: Tier 1


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound by female human skin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn the skill called Mana Drain. Mana Drain is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Soul Extraction, a Tier 4 Skill.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    Vincent hastily pulled his hands as soon as he read the part about this book being bound by human skin!


    No wonder he was perturbed just by looking at it! This is his first time seeing this kind of book! Although they are also existing in his previous life, he had never seen one in person.


    ''Is this amon thing? Are all books here being bound by the same method?'' Vincent couldn''t help but think about this. After all, this is also his first time seeing a book in this world.


    ''What a crude method¡­ Ugh¡­'' He can only sigh as he made some notes using his writings that only those from Earth will recognize.


    Aside from that, his heart also started pounding hard as he read about it being connected to a Tier 4 Mana Art! This is such a precious item here! Although this is only a Tier 1 Mana Art, this is definitely a must-learn.


    ''Still¡­ this is the third type of item I can''t enhance, huh¡­'' Vincent mulled over it after he absorbed all the information.


    The first type that he can''t enhance was the Beast Cores which are considered Enhancement Stones. The second type was the ones like the Cryogenic Sleeping Chamber which has been enhanced to the fullest already.<sub> </sub>


    Finally, he learned today that he can''t enhance a Skill Book.


    This is quite an interesting discovery since this means that any book that is being used to genuinely record a skill would have a mysterious power around them.


    Perhaps, it was written simr to the technique used to draw the painting that his grandfather had seen. He really wanted to read it and see what kind of mysteries it has.


    ''Hmm¡­ What about the other one¡­''


    He then continued checking the other old item. He was so immersed in it that he didn''t notice that everyone is already looking at him.


    "Hmph! Look at him, acting like he''s already aware of what that book was..."


    "Kuku¡­ He probably just guessed. Those two items were definitely included here just to make sure that no one will get a perfect score."


    "True¡­ They aren''t called Ancient Artifacts for no reason¡­ Even the Senior Appraisers weren''t sure about them."


    While the old men are mocking Vincent, Cedric just remained quiet this time and only took a nce at him. He seemed to be quite interested in the Ancient Artifacts as well but he knows that he would have to spend a lot of time appraising them. It''s better to check all the easy ones first.


    As Vincent was unaware of their thoughts, he just continued appraising the other item and marveling at its incredible description.


    [ You have discovered a Damaged Blueprint of an Aircraft ]


    [ Damaged Blueprint of an Aircraft ]


    [ Quality: Unknown


    Durability: 4/10


    Number of Enhancement: 0/10


    Description: A damaged blueprint of a highly advanced aircraft. Almost 20% of its content is missing while another 10% was covered by spots of ink.


    Remarks: No special properties found. Durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. There is a high chance that the spots of ink will be removed if it''s fully enhanced. ]


    Vincent''s eyes were stuck on the blueprint as he carefully analyzed it. This is something that he would like to show to Tara!


    ''Incredible¡­ My visit here is definitely gainful even if I don''t get the job.''


    He just found another proof that this world isn''t just a world of swords and magic!


    ''Alright, let''s focus on my assessment for now¡­ I can''t always get sidetracked.'' Vincent took a deep breath to concentrate as he listed what he found out on his notes.


    As for the other 18 items, they were all quite normal. There were 13 Umon Items, 4 Rare Items, and 1 Damaged Epic Sword.


    ''Hmm¡­ Only less than 10 minutes had passed and I''m already done¡­ Should I go in now?''


    As expected, Vincent finished too early. The others are still on their fourth or fifth item but he''s already done.


    He thought of entering the conference room already but he felt that he would be too suspicious. It was as if he already know what was the assessment beforehand!


    Since he didn''t want toplicate things and get called a cheater, he decided to wait for another 15 minutes before he felt that enough time had passed¡­


    He no longer hesitated this time and entered the conference room after being scrutinized by the other applicants.

 Chapter 48 Assessment ( 3 )

    "Oh? Look at that young man, it looks like he''s already done appraising but still wanted to stay there."


    "Yeah¡­ He''s probably just making sure. He has plenty of time to think with that duration we provided."


    "He appears confident though¡­ Anyway, I don''t recognize him. I know all the young Appraisers here in our region but this guy is a mystery. Do any of you have an idea?


    "Hmm? Not really. But are you expecting something from him? Didn''t he just guess most of the items? He barelysts 10 seconds for most of the items."


    Olivier, Dn, Maurice, and Therese, the four examiners,mented after realizing that Vincent just finished appraising the items.


    They are monitoring them from within the conference room using a mysterious orb that could show what was happening outside.


    Each of them has an Orb they could control at will and they seem to be enjoying watching them.


    Of course, they aren''t just the ones watching, the guards outside also have their own ways to observe them.


    "I only know five of the applicants here including the third son of the Schuman Family''s Patriarch. I''m sure those five can easily get 13 points." Theresemented as she picked up her cup of tea.


    Noticing that it has gone cold, she rang the bell on her table as a couple of servants came in from another room.


    They immediately changed everyone''s tea and even brought some snacks.


    "I know one of the old men here. The one checking the 14th item, the Moondust Flute¡­ He was previously working at a bank¡­ I thought that he was already satisfied with that job. I''m sure that he can appraise at least 14 items here." Dnmented as he observes one of the applicants.


    In truth, that old man there is actually one of his close friends and he provided a little help to get him sixteen points. He wanted this friend of his to at least get one of the three positions for a Junior Appraiser!


    "Is that so? I guess the world of appraisers is really small." Maurice said with a smile.


    Apparently, it wasn''t just Dn who had assisted someone. Even Maurice provided help to one of his friends in exchange for money. It is also to ensure that he''ll get 16 items correctly in this assessment.


    As for getting a perfect score? That is just impossible, the two ancient items here were something that even Olivier, the Senior Appraiser, wasn''t sure about.


    There were also two more items that are very tricky to understand. So getting 16 points in total shouldn''t be that bad and ensure them a spot.


    "Oh~ Finally, someone''sing in." Olivier smiled after seeing that the youngest applicant was about to enter the conference room.


    Everyone then stopped watching their orbs and removed the magic connected to them to turn it off. This time, it would be the guards who will be monitoring the applicants that are still in the hall.


    ***


    Click!


    As soon as Vincent entered the conference room, he saw the four examiners on their desks and an empty chair in front of them. The setting was like a job interview in his previous life. It''s just that there is no resume in front of the interviewers this time.


    "You''re quite fast¡­ Are you confident?" Olivier asked as he touched his receding hairline unconsciously.


    He seemed to be quite excited that a young appraiser is applying for the job but quite doubtful as well that he would pass the test.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes¡­ I''m confident." Vincent answered as he faced the four examiners.


    Since he''s not in hurry to visit the Zemin n, he wanted to take this opportunity to increase the level of his Appraisal Skill. If he gets epted today, he''s confident that his stuck Intermediate Appraisal Skill will be upgraded to an Advanced state.


    Perhaps, once he has a higher level of Appraisal Skill, he would further understand why his enhancement was failing so many times and how he could avoid it.


    "Very well. First, state your name and tell us a little bit about how you became an appraiser¡­" Olivier asked as the three other examiners looked at him with a confused expression.


    Without waiting for the three to speak, Olivier immediately added.


    "What? The others are still appraising their 12th or 13th item. We have plenty of time so we can still have a little chat with him, right?" Olivier said since asking about the person''s background would normally happen once they passed the first test.


    It appears that he is truly interested in this young Appraiser.


    Anyway, the three can only ept this since he''s a Senior Appraiser that was sent from the main branch.


    "Ehem¡­ Then I will introduce myself. I''m Vincent from Arum Vige. I learned how to appraise items because of my Grandfather."


    He obviously can''t tell them about his system so his Grandpa Raizen has to take all the credit. Luckily, he wasposed while lying so there shouldn''t be any issues about it.


    "Arum Vige? I haven''t heard of it¡­" Olivier muttered.


    "Well, this is arge kingdom. There is no way you would recognize all the towns and viges, Senior Olivier." Maurice said as he took a sip of his tea.


    "That''s true¡­ Then, how about the woman that was with you a while ago? Is she from the same vige?" Olivier asked which surprised Vincent a little bit.


    He didn''t expect that Tara would somehow be involved here.


    "No, Sir Olivier. I only met her while I was on my way here and befriended her." Vincent promptly answered.


    "Oh? Who are you talking about, Senior? Why are you interested in hispanion?" Maurice asked in confusion.


    "Nothing¡­ I just found her quite familiar. Let''s forget it then. Before we start, I just want to ask, did you really identify the 19th and 20th items?" Olivier''s easy-going tone suddenly changed as he asked Vincent what the other three also wanted to know.


    "Yes. I''m confident about it."


    Vincent answered.


    When the four examiners heard it, they all went quiet as they took his answer seriously.


    "Very well, introduce the neenth item to us¡­ If you really have a full understanding of those two, I''m pretty sure no one here willin if we give you a perfect score." Therese said and as expected, the three others didn''t react as they probably have the same thoughts.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile after hearing it as he started introducing the Skill Book.

 Chapter 49 Assessment ( 4 )

    Therese recalled what they have found out about the mysterious Ancient Book. When she tried to appraise the item based on its outside appearance, she can tell that it was most likely two centuries old.


    She had seen many books that were around that old so she was confident about her estimate of its age. Aside from that, the mysterious method used to bound the book was something that a cult about two centuries ago has done before.


    No one knows how it was being done but the book they make will always exude a mysterious aura as if it was cursed. Unfortunately, the cult has beenpletely eradicated now so no one knows the method to create these books.


    As for its content, it appears to be just an evil ritual of some sort, and anyone who tried to practice it would have their mana taken away by an evil god.


    "Interesting¡­ Are you telling us that the book was bound by a human skin?"


    "Aside from that, it contains a Mana Art as well?"


    Olivier and Therese asked. Both of them are experts when ites to Mana Arts Manual. They have seen so many records of Mana Arts already. They were either written in tomes, stones, scrolls, or even bones as long as they are things that could ept a sufficient amount of mana to ensure that the text written wouldn''t be wasted.


    After all, when creating such a manual, the insight of the writer would also be included whenever he writes the skill learning method.


    This is a way to easily pass down the Mana Arts to another.


    However, none of them could feel this insight in that book at all. It was just in evil or perhaps, a trap to drain the mana of the unlucky person.


    ''Wait? When did he look at the content of the book?'' Olivier seemed to have missed that.


    Anyway, the only prohibition is that they can''t take the book out from the wooden tray. It must remain in its position and it can''t be lifted.


    Nevertheless, flipping the book shouldn''t be a problem¡­


    "That''s correct. It''s not a normal human skin as well. I also surmised that it''s from a strong female magician considering how he could feel some spirituality up until now." Vincent replied.


    "Ho~ You can even tell the gender? Isn''t that too ridiculous?" Maurice thought that Vincent has an interesting theory about the book, however, for him to identify even the gender of the human skin that was used was probably too far-fetched now.


    On the other hand, Dn was more interested in the method that was used to bind the book.


    "A human skin¡­ A magician at that¡­ That''s quite usible considering the unpleasant aura it''s giving off. It would also make sense that we can''t properly identify it. Vincent, have you seen other books bound by human skin as well?"


    Instead of answering with a yes, Vincent just smiled and nodded. He didn''t want to borate further since his lies might be seen through if he talk too much.


    All appraisers must have their own secrets after all. They shouldn''t be questioning his background right now but instead, whether he is right or wrong.


    In truth, Vincent was quite confused about their reaction. They should already be aware of the answers. However, they seem to have been enlightened as well and there is even someone who called him ridiculous!


    ''Wait¡­ Did they have a different understanding of this Skill Book? Tsk¡­''


    As Vincent was starting to get agitated by their unexpected reaction, Thereseid out her conjectures.


    "I can remember that the creator of these kinds of books was rted to the Evil Cult a long time ago. They were known to have abducted many young girls and would sacrifice them to their god. As they were purged, the method of creating the book was also lost if they are truly the real creators¡­ If that is the case, his answer would actually make even more sense."<sub> </sub>


    Therese reminded the three other examiners. For sure, they know about the history of their country.


    This is why as soon as she said this, they all pondered for a while and no longer questioned Vincent''s appraisal of the book.


    As for the Mana Art that was written on it, the three of them also have an idea about it but it''s almost likely a skill that only members of the Cult are capable of practicing.


    They finally epted Vincent''s appraisal as he continued to introduce the Damaged Blueprint of an Aircraft.


    After he carefully provided the information to them, they all looked at him with confused expressions.


    <o>,m "Why do you say that it''s an Aircraft? Isn''t this obviously, a weapon?" Olivier asked.</o>


    The others seem to have the same thoughts as well. Vincent can only helplessly smile as he realized that there aren''t any advanced aircraft in this world yet!


    He previously thought that there would be at least someone kind of Airship or Dirigible Balloon existing in this world. After all, he heard from his grandfather that the Celestial Beings passed down their knowledge to humans.


    ''Hmm¡­ It seems that they only properly passed down the things rted to practicing mana and cultivating the soul¡­ Wait, they know that this is a blueprint of something so they weren''t new to this type of parchment. Perhaps¡ª''


    Vincent suddenly realized what was wrong with his way of thinking.


    He has to be really careful about this topic in the future.


    "I just made a guess¡­ Although the blueprint is badly damaged and we could only see about sixty percent or more of its content, the sketch on it reminded me of a bird¡­ So with the mechanisms showing around it, I thought that it would be an Aircraft if it''spleted."


    Vincent replied. He guessed that this blueprint was brought here by the Celestials. However, as the world hasn''t advanced to a certain degree yet, they were left unused and perhaps, were hidden in some dungeons where they found this.


    This is also his guess if he tried to connect the things that he was aware of.


    "A bird, huh?" Olivier muttered as the others remained silent.


    Everyone previously agreed that this is some kind of destructive weapon used to annihte rivers and mountains. However, Vincent''s words somehow affected them.


    Anyway, none of the agreed yet as they allowed Vincent to start introducing the other 18 items instead.


    Well, he got them all correct.


    Their names were spot on and he could even mention the main material used to create them. He can also tell them a rough estimate of their durability.


    This is quite impressive since they have actually included five items here that are about to shatter. He was able to point that out as well!


    Even the two Epic Rated weapons were easily seen through by him even though they have coated them with Mystic Dust which could supposedly hide their real value!

 Chapter 50 The Mystic Eye

    As soon as Vincent left the room, the four examiners couldn''t help but look at each other.


    They were baffled by the sudden appearance of this expert Appraiser. Though he can''t tell how old the items were, it was understandable considering that he didn''t spend a lot of time analyzing them and they were only allowed to touch them.


    That is already something difficult since they wouldn''t be using other tools and would have to rely on their senses and knowledge.


    "Do you really have no idea about his background?" Olivier asked the three Resident Appraisers.


    Since Olivier came from the main branch, he''s not familiar with the Appraisers around this region.


    "I''m sorry, Senior. This is really our first time hearing about him." Therese answered as she was also wondering where Vincent came from.


    "Don''t worry, Senior. I''m sure that he''ll be one of the three new Appraisers today so we will have plenty of time to learn about him. Especially his grandfather that taught him everything. We may not know Vincent but we might recognize his grandfather." Maurice said with a smile.


    After they continued talking about Vincent for a while, the second Appraiser finally decided to enter.


    ***


    Vincent was now in a waiting room as he was apanied by a couple of servants who provided him with some refreshments.


    He felt like he was in a restaurant being served by two waitresses.


    However, since it would probably take more time before the next persones in, one of the waitresses also gestured to Vincent that he could take a book on a small shelf in the room.


    Vincent did just that and found several interesting books by reading their titles.


    History of the Rosailles War.


    The Heretic Queen of Enia.


    The Real Celestial Beings.


    The Mystical Changes of the Human Eye.


    The Adventures of Rank 700.


    These were only some of the books that Vincent noticed on the shelf. There were about 50 books here and for him who has no idea about the background of this world, he''s really interested to read all of them.


    Since his grandfather did not teach him anything rted to the world''s history and only taught him enough on how to master his Soul Art and practice his Mana Arts, hecks themon sense that most people here would have.


    ''Right, I also don''t have a clear idea about the Barbarians, the Zemin n, and other things rted to this world. After I get a stable source of ie, I should start studying already.''


    Vincent mused as he decided to read the introductory part of some books to pass some time.


    After around twenty minutes of reading, someone finally entered the waiting room.


    "Haa~ So it''s really you." A familiar voice caught Vincent''s attention and saw Cedric entering the room.


    He seemed to be very happy seeing him although they do not know each other.


    Vincent can only smile at this as he greeted the man as well. Anyway, if both of them were epted, they would be working together for the next two months so it''s better if they get to know each other now.


    After introducing themselves to each other, Cedric felt more inclined to chat with Vincent.<sub> </sub>


    "I heard that you managed to identify the two ancient items¡­ You''re more impressive than I thought. I just barely got information about those two but they said that you managed to give them information or theory that they haven''t considered before."


    "Not really¡­ Do you think there will be a second test?" Vincent asked.


    "Hmm¡­ There are other two old men outside that were really good as well. If those two passed, there might be four of us here."


    Since the Junior Apprentice position only has three vacant slots, they would most likely have another test if those two passed as well.


    "Ehem¡­ So, do you also have one of the Mystic Eyes? Is it the long-lost Seer Eyes? Perhaps, the Lesser Celestial Eyes? Maybe it''s really the Advanced Appraiser Eyes?"


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent had no clue what this person is saying.


    "Don''t tell me that you don''t have a Mystic Eye?! Did you just pass the test with pure knowledge? That''s even more incredible!"


    "Huh? What are you talking about---Ah¡­"


    Vincent suddenly recalled the introduction of the book he read a moment ago.


    ''The Mystical Changes of the Human Eye.''


    There are several Mana Arts that could help the human eyes to achieve a Mystic Eye.


    Of course, there are also cases where humans would naturally be gifted with this talent even without the Mana Arts helping them learn it.


    They could have powers rted to Petrifying Gaze, Kic Vision, Energy Perception, Body Language Analysis, or Attack Prediction, and there was even Hypnotic Vision on the list.


    Anyway, since Vincent didn''t delve too much into the book, he didn''t get to the part where the Appraiser Eyes, and Lesser Celestials Eyes, or Seer Eyes are mentioned. After all, if you aren''t born with natural talent, you will need to reach the state where you can learn Tier 4 Mana Arts to apply this. So he didn''t really get in the mood to continue reading.


    Instead of answering, Vincent decided to get information from him first.


    "Well, may I ask what kind of Mystic Eyes you have?"


    "OH! I''m being rude. I do have the Lesser Truth Eyes. This is some kind of Essence Reading sight."


    Cedric answered without any hesitation as he activated his skill and stepped closer to Vincent.


    Suddenly, Vincent saw Cedric''s pupils ignited by a green fire. It was quite mesmerizing but since the one staring at him is a fat man older andrge than him, he felt a bit ufortable.


    "Tier 4 Mana Art? Are you an Adept Mage?" Vincent asked.


    He learned from his Grandfather that Tier 3 Mana Arts is the conversion of Mana into Element. As for the Tier 4 Mana Arts, it is rted to Body Modifications like the Mystic Eye.


    "No, Vincent. I''m lucky to be born with this skill." Cedric answered proudly.


    Since Cedric already answered his question, Vincent revealed that he doesn''t have any Mystic Eyes at all.


    Cedric didn''t doubt him when he said this but it seems that hispetitive spirit was suddenly ignited as well.


    The two continued chatting for a bit more until the door connected to the conference room opened again.

 Chapter 51 Result

    An old man with a monocle on his left eye entered the waiting room and nodded at the two. He''s the third person to pass the first test.


    Anyway, it seems that Cedric wasn''t good at handling a conversation with an old man as he kept silent and didn''t even bother to introduce himself as he did to Vincent.


    After several minutes, another old man with long silver hair and a slim body followed. He was actually so slim that Vincent was worried that he might just copse while walking.


    Soon, the four Appraisers of the Auction House entered.


    "From the standard that we set for the first test, only the four of you have passed. However, we can only ept three..." Olivier said. Though he can bend the rules if he wanted to, he decided to just go ording to their ns for now.


    On the other hand, Dn and Maurice looked nervously at the person they assisted to get the position.


    They miscalcted the number of people who could actually pass the first test!


    "Ehem¡­ I think that Vincent has a very suspicious background. It may sound too harsh but we can''t ept him at this rate." Dn suddenly said which allowed Maurice to gain the courage to speak up.


    "That''s right! We can''t ept Vincent! Ah¡ª" Noticing that he was almost shouting, he immediately closed his mouth and took a deep breath before continuing.


    "I mean, the three others here have good backgrounds and nothing suspicious at all. Cedric is from the Schuman Family, Old Gray is from Golden Sword Bank, and Sir Hammer is from a reputable Merchant Organization."


    Therese just remained silent after hearing the two. If they will indeed consider the background of the applicants, those three seem to have clean ones and are very easy to validate.


    As an Appraiser, there are cases where they might get tempted into providing fake appraisals to obtain the item themselves for a lesser price. There are even cases that Appraisers would rece the itempletely if they were given chance.


    This is why the background of the appraisers is extremely important for them. Especially for the Guardian''s Auction House which has the best reputation in the field.


    However¡­ skills are still important!


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Olivier then looked at Therese to find out whether she has the same opinion.


    After noticing his gaze, she provided her stand on this matter.


    "We are not in a hurry¡­ We still have plenty of time to decide so it''s a bit too rash if we just send Vincent away. Why don''t we continue the second test instead?"


    Dn and Maurice didn''t like her suggestion at all as they immediately opposed it.


    "The second test is about appraising Mana Arts Manual and grading them properly. I don''t think that he deserves this."


    "That''s right¡­ Why don''t we just proceed with confirming his background instead?"


    Maurice and Dn seem to have made a secret agreement as they helped each other. Apparently, they aren''t confident that the person they assisted could properly pass the second test since Olivier was the one who prepared this.


    Aside from that, there might be a chance that the Mana Arts Manual Olivier brought is valuable, so showing their reluctance to provide it to a person whose identity is questionable should be understandable.


    Unfortunately, Olivier didn''t fall for it.


    "Let''s not focus on the young man''s background for now." Olivier said as he brought out a stone tablet from his bag.


    It is not that big with only the size of a normal te. However, it is engraved with some writings and even the three Resident Appraisers found it interesting.


    "Let''s begin the second test." Olivier decisively ended the two''s opposition by continuing the test.


    "I will give each of you 5 minutes to appraise this Stone Tablet. As Maurice said, this is indeed a Mana Art and I want you all to understand what it is."<sub> </sub>


    Seeing that no one has any questions, Olivier called Vincent to start.


    "I''ll appraise it then¡­" Vincent said as he touched the engravings on the stone tablet before he activated his appraisal skill.


    Ding!


    Vincent heard the familiar sound as he read the content of the message slowly. He couldn''t help but get curious after reading it!


    ''This Mana Art is interesting¡­ I wonder why he decided to reveal this thing.''


    As Vincent reached this thought, he also recalled that this might not be as simple as it is. He''s just lucky that his system is working wonders.


    The others might have difficulty understanding the Stone Tablet which would not be surprising at all.


    ''Right, there are only about a hundred text engraved on it. Even if people can read it, understanding it is still another matter.''


    After he appraised the item, he decided to try to understand it without the help of his system since he still has some time.


    Vincent carefully looked at every corner of the stone tablet and read the mysterious riddles on it.


    That''s right, the Manual itself wasn''t a step-by-step instruction on how to learn the skill but it was hidden in a riddle that Vincent couldn''t understand himself.


    It was like he was reading a poem or a mantra¡­ If Olivier didn''t mention that it''s a Manual Art, he wouldn''t think of it at all.


    "I''m done appraising it¡­" Vincent said as he stepped back.


    Soon, the three others also carefully checked the Stone Tablet.


    <o>,m After the four of them finished appraising the item, they were given a paper to write the result of their appraisal.</o>


    After several more minutes, the second test finally concluded.


    Unfortunately, the two old men that were assisted by Dn and Maurice didn''t understand the tablet at all.


    "Senior Olivier¡­ Isn''t this a bit too hard? I still remember my test before and it wasn''t this hard." Maurice said seeing that Old Gray, the one he assisted, was unable to understand the stone tablet at all.


    "T-that''s right¡­ I think that it''s too much. This is quite a high level after all. As Junior Apprentice, they won''t be appraising this level of items anyway." Dn nodded.


    Nevertheless, because of their constant excuses, Therese could no longer remain silent.


    "Isn''t this the best way to determine their skills? If all of them failed, we can consider doing another test. However, two of them managed to realize the real value of this stone tablet, isn''t that more important?"


    "Hahaha! That''s right! I''m actually impressed. It''s been a while since I saw some young and talented appraisers. Although Gray and Hammer have eptable skills considering the first test, these two young men just outshined them thoroughly." Olivierughed heartily after reading Cedric and Vincent''s papers.


    "I have decided¡­ We''ll ept the two as our New Appraisers¡­" Olivier said while looking at Vincent and Cedric.


    He then proposed for the two old men to still work in the Auction House as Guest Appraisers.


    Thanks to that, Maurice and Dn could no longer oppose. Of course, they still raised their suspicions about Vincent''s background.


    "You two, follow me¡­" Olivier said to Vincent and Cedric as he brought them to the internal hall of the Auction House.

 Chapter 52 New Job

    "First of all, Congrattions on passing¡­ Wee to the Guardian''s Auction House." Olivier said after they have arrived in his office.


    The room is quite huge like a house itself with aplete living room.


    "Thank you, Sir Olivier."


    The two new Appraisers answered in unison. Olivier''s stern voice was now gentler as they have passed the test.


    He then revealed the conditions for being hired as Vincent confirmed that the two-months period was indeed just a probation period. If they performed well, they would have a chance to get a permanent position and it would double the amount of their sry and more benefits will be opened for them.


    ''I only need more opportunities to Appraise more items though¡­ Perhaps I could also consider enhancing the items to +4 or +5.'' Vincent thought as he imagined himself being exposed to many Magic Tools or Weapons.


    ''Right, my enhancement is about to reach Lv9¡­ Perhaps I can get another hidden quest reward.'' Vincent smiled as he listened to Olivier''s words.


    Thetter then brought out the contract paper for them to sign.


    When signing, Vincent decided not to use hisst name since they might think that he''s some kind of a noble. He thought of researching the Kayser Family first before he can decide how to use hisst name.


    It might just bring unnecessary trouble to him after all.


    "Alright¡­ Cedric, go to Manager Therese so she can give you a little orientation about what you will be doing here starting tomorrow. As for you, Vincent, I need to talk with you for a second." Olivier said as he gestured for Cedric to get out.


    Vincent smiled nervously as was left alone with this person. He knows that Olivier didn''t mean thest bit of his words. There was no way this wouldst a second.


    "Vincent¡­ I won''t be asking how you managed to give a decent Appraisal with those two ancient items. It matters not to me whether it''s a skill or some knowledge you possess. What matters to me is whether you''d be causing trouble to our Auction House in the future."


    "That won''t happen, Senior. The truth is that I just want to get experience working as an Appraiser. I''m actually nning to move to a different city after a few months." Vincent decided to reveal his ns seeing that there''s no harm to it. He already signed the contract anyway so there shouldn''t be any problems.


    They also talked about his background and revealed the identity of his grandfather. Unfortunately, he doesn''t know Raizen as well.


    "Right, Are you nning to visit the capital?" Olivier asked. It''s normal for people to desire to visit the most prosperous city of the Kingdom. Furthermore, that is where he lives as well.


    "Well, I''m not sure. But I''m nning to visit the Zemin n. Have you heard of them?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "Zemin n from the Thorn City? Of course. They are known for their salt trade. I heard they have two mountains where they can mine salt. How envious¡­"


    "Thorn City? Salt Trade?" Vincent heard some new information.


    At first, he thought that Zemin n is some kind of family of magicians or knights. However, are they actually a family of merchants?


    It seems that Olivier read his mind so he exined it to him clearly.


    "I can see your confused face. Although their n has many businesses rted to alchemy and craft, the salt trade can''t be underestimated. That is their main source of revenue since our continent is still dominated by normal people so don''t think lightly of it."


    Olivier''s exnation made sense indeed.<sub> </sub>


    Magic Weapons, Celestial Items, Alchemy Products, and other things rted to magic are indeed only useful to Mana Practitioners. So the salt which is highly epted everywhere is indeed a very good source of stable ie.


    "I see¡­ That exins it then. Thank you for informing me about them."


    "No worries¡­ Thorn City is further north of the kingdom and you will be passing the capital before you get there. You can pay me a visit there if there''s a chance."


    Apparently, Olivier will only stay here in the Hearts City for a couple more days. He needed to return to the main branch in the capital after this.


    After spending about half an hour in his office, Vincent was finally allowed to leave or receive the orientation from Therese.


    Therese isn''t just the Resident Appraiser but the Manager of the Auction House as well.


    She introduced him to two other Junior Appraisers who have been working here for six months already. It seems that they will be transferred to a different ce so this branch was hiring new Appraisers.


    "Do you have any questions?" Therese asked feebly. She was tired already. If she knows that Olivier wouldn''t orient this person, she would have waited for Vincent so she won''t be repeating what she just did to Cedric.


    "Y-yes¡­ Is it possible that I can start now? I would like to start appraising the crate of new items here."


    Vincent asked hesitantly hoping that his request will be granted.  Since he onlycks a few hundred experience points to level up his Enhancement Skill and he has over 400 units in his Mana right now, he wanted to end his day hearing the melodious sound of level-up notification.


    Therese found Vincent quite amusing. This is her first time seeing someone this eager to work.


    Nevertheless, after thinking about it, there was no reason for her to refuse it.


    "Hmm¡­ Alright. Follow me, you will need the appraiser''s robe so you can walk around here."


    Soon, Vincent was able to get his uniform and work on a simple red and white robe with a huge mark of the Guardian''s Auction House''s Emblem on the back.


    It is the emblem of a shield grasped by arge hand.


    "These five are the items I appraised myself. You have to appraise them and then see if we match."


    Therese exined. Instead of bringing him to the Appraisal Room where he should work tomorrow, he was brought to her office instead.


    Anyway, the Appraisal process of the Auction House is very interesting. There will be three appraisals from three different people and the final appraisal will be from the Resident Appraiser.


    A total of four Appraisals!


    It is no wonder this Auction House is so trusted considering how serious they are with the job.


    If there arerge discrepancies from all the appraisals, it would be discussed by the Resident Appraisers to give the final decision.


    ''Hmm¡­ If she appraised these items, then it means that it already received the fourth appraisal. Is she still trying to test me? Ugh¡­ Forget it. I just want to advance my Appraisal Skill and secretly enhance them.''

 Chapter 53 Ascend

    Therese left the room to allow Vincent to concentrate on his work. She then found a sofa in the hallway to rx and pass some time.


    The attendants and other employees of the Auction House would bow or greet from time to time but she remained indifferent as if she was deep in her thoughts.


    ''Hmmm¡­ I wonder how will he appraise those items¡­ No, can he even appraise them? Maybe he''ll give up after a while¡­ Did I get too far?'' Therese mused as she nced at the door of her office.


    To be honest, those items weren''t things that can be appraised by normal means.


    Having a good sense or knowledge wouldn''t be enough to understand even 30% of those items'' secrets.


    The Appraisers who wanted to learn those secrets would need a special method to uncover them. It could be a Tier 4 Mana Art that could deeply inspect an object or perhaps, they have to rely on their natural gifts like having a Mystic Eye suitable to appraise an item.


    "Oh~ Miss Lucius, you''re still here. I thought you already left." Maurice''s sullen face suddenly lit up after seeing the beautiful appraiser alone.


    As Therese was seatedfortably, she actually loosened her belt hugging her slim waist and tied up her hair. She would normally do this whenever she wanted to concentrate on thinking.


    "Maurice, I remember that I already told you not to call me that way." Therese looked coldly at the middle-aged man.


    Although they are both Resident Appraisers, Therese is still the Auction House''s Manager.


    "R-right¡­ Manager Therese." Maurice bit his lip after being reprimanded again. Luckily, there''s no one else listening to them right now.


    "Hmm? Someone''s inside your office. This Mana Signature¡­ it''s from Vincent. How dare he¡­"


    Before he can continue, he was suddenly interrupted by Therese''s words.


    "What? I gave him a task to appraise something since he wanted to work."


    "T-that¡­ Why would he do that inside your office? Send him to the Appraisal Hall. I couldn''t even enter your---I mean, won''t he misinterpret this?"


    Therese was dumbfounded by his words. She can only shake her head as she told him to mind his own business.


    In the end, Maurice can only whisper a few curses that he thought she wouldn''t hear before leaving her sight.


    Therese can only sigh as she clutched the pendant hidden inside her dress. This pendant is her only proof that she was part of the Lucius n before. However, it appears that she can no longer use that name again¡­.


    ***


    "Hmm? I can''t appraise one of them¡­ This troubling."


    Vincent felt troubled after realizing that from the five items, he was unable to appraise one of them! He can''t even know its name!


    [ Unknown Object. ]


    [ Your Appraisal Skill level is too low. ]


    This is the notification he got after spending 2 units of mana.


    ''At the very least, it''s not immune to my Appraisal Skill at all. I just need to increase my level and it will be settled.'' Vincent still thought positively.


    ''There''s nothing I can do¡­ I just have to admit that I can''t appraise this sword. Perhaps this is some kind of Mythical, Holy, Godly, or Divine Item?'' Vincent guessed.


    He didn''t really know what is the name of the rank above Legendary and only made those names up.


    Nevertheless, since he can appraise a Legendary item, which was Tara''s Sleeping Chamber, with his Intermediate Appraisal Skill, it means that this sword is definitely above Legendary Rank.


    He couldn''t imagine that he''ll get to find such an extremely valuable item on his first day here!


    ''But why does it look so ugly? This is just a rusted sword¡­ I even thought that it was made of ck wood at first.'' Vincent thought as he previously judged it by appearance.<sub> </sub>


    The other items, on the other hand, were all items or weapons at Rare Rank or Unique Rank or Epic Rank


    [ Shadow Urn ]


    [ Ne of Silence ]


    [ Valor Vambrace ]


    [ Lesser Illusion de ]


    All these items were actually only at 70% to 80% of their durability. Aside from that, their Special Attribute wasn''t that incredible.


    Because of that, he decided to enhance them up to +5 to gain some experience points.


    He noticed that he''s onlycking a few more experience points so he decided to enhance some of the items within the room as well since he was already here. He couldn''t wait to see the reward he''ll get!


    ''Anyway, it''s not like he''s monitoring the durability of her chair or table¡­'' Vincent thought as he decided to appraise her furniture as well.


    It may be a bit rash but after hearing the sound of the level-up notification, he no longer cared about it! It''s not like he made some big changes to it!


    Ding!


    [ Item Enhancement Skill is now level 9. Enhancement sess rate permanently increased by 5% ]


    [ Congrattions! You have reached the limit of the First Stage of the Awakening System ¨C Item Enhancement Skill! ]


    [ You have activated the Second Stage of the Item Awakening System ¨C Item Ascension Skill ]


    [ Item Ascension Lv1 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Ascension Stones to upgrade the rank of the item they are holding. ]


    [ Ascension Exp: 0/5000 ]


    "I did it! Haha!"


    Vincent couldn''t help butugh as soon as he read the notification. He finally reached the Second Stage! He almost mmed the table but he immediately stopped himself worried someone outside might hear him.


    As he was about to continue celebrating silently, he heard another notification that brought him another delight.


    [ Congrattions! You have activated the Second Stage of the System. ]


    [ The limit of First Stage Enhancement Skill has been released. Level 10 is now open. ]


    "Hahaha!"


    Another good news came. In truth, he still has the One-Time Ascension Card with him since he was too stingy to use it on a Rare Weapon. He wanted to at least acquire something better than that before using it.


    This is all due to his thought that he would no longer get another chance to ascend the rank of an item.


    However, it seems that his worry was useless as he finally gained the ability to Ascend an Item''s Rank with his system!


    ''Let me try using this then¡­''


    Click!


    Suddenly, the door of the room opened as Therese came in with furrowed brows on her beautiful face.


    "Is there something wrong?" The woman asked as she saw Vincent with a creepy smile stered on his face.

 Chapter 54 Rewards

    As soon as he heard the door opening, Vincent immediately halted what he was about to do. He then nced at the confused Therese who just entered the room.


    ''Well, I can still ascend my Cer¡­ No hurry¡­'' With that in mind, he controlled his excitement and answered her.


    "Ehem¡­ I was just happy that I managed to appraise one of the items here. It took some time but I''m quite confident with the result."


    Vincent said while pointing at the Ne of Silence on the table.


    During his tour around the Auction House, he learned that appraising high-level items would normally take a lot of time even with the appropriate skills. There are also cases where it could be wrong or you might miss something.


    This is the reason why there are many levels of Appraisals within this House.


    After he appraised the items with his Intermediate Appraisal, he learned that there is one Pseudo-Legendary Rank, two Epic Rank, and one Unique Rank.


    This made him aware of the real ranking list of the items.


    Poor, Common, Umon, Rare, Unique, Epic, Pseudo-Legendary, Legendary, and unknown.


    Since only a few minutes passed by, he decided to tell Therese that he only managed to appraise a Unique Item instead which is the lowest rank of them all.


    It might be too surprising if he was able to easily appraise the other Pseudo-Legendary Item and Epic Rank Items after all.


    "Oh~ You already appraised it¡­ Interesting. What do you think of that ne? It will be auctioned two days from now so I want to make sure if I have them all correctly."


    "This item is called Ne of Silence, right? Based on the ranking list, it should be a Unique Rank essory." Vincent replied as he knows that the system''s ranking list is simr to this world''s rank list as well.


    Before Vincent continued exining what he found out about the item though, he curiously asked how much would a Unique Item would normally be sold for.


    "You also want to know how much it can be sold?" Therese asked.


    This is one of the things Vincentcks after all. He''s unable to give a proper price for any items he appraises.


    ? At the very least, now that he''s working here, he would be able to learn how to price any artifacts or magic items. Since Therese made a good impression on him, he decided to just casually ask her about it.


    "The normal price of Unique Rank items is around 30,000 gold coins. Though there are cases where it could reach triple that price like the recent Unique item we sold here for 94,000 gold coins. Anyway, it will only happen if the item is approaching the level of an Epic one."


    "What?! Isn''t that so expensive? I remember that my payment was less than 50 silver a month!" Vincent was shocked as soon as he heard the incredible price of the Unique Rank item which should be just above the Rare Rank ones.


    If he''s not mistaken, a single piece of a gold coin is equal to a hundred silver. With that in mind, it would take him centuries to earn enough money to buy a decent weapon!


    It appears that there really was no way for him to acquire a high-ranking weapon unless he Ascend an item''s rank!


    "Haa~ Incredible, how heavy that must be¡­" Vincent could only shake his head after realizing this.


    "Hmm? It''s not like they''ll really pay using gold coins. Are you not aware of Mana Crystals? A single Mana Crystal is worth 100 gold coins." Therese asked in confusion.


    She couldn''t understand this young man at all. Did he grow up knowing only how to appraise an item but learned nothing else?


    "Mana Crystals?" Vincent asked while Therese couldn''t help but be amused at his question.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. That will also be provided to you as a payment depending on the number of items you appraised. Did you not read the contract. Isn''t that the reason why you applied for the job?"


    "I¡­ I focused on the 40 silver coins per month¡­ But yes, I somehow read that there is a bonus payment, I just didn''t know it was about the Mana Crystals. I didn''t read too much of it."


    Therese then smiled at him as she gave him the advice to learn themon sense of this world first.


    "It''s fine, I know that you just left your vige so you don''t know much at all. You''ll slowly be learning all of this you''re still young anyway¡­ However, let''s talk about the Ne of Silence now."


    Vincent still wants to ask about the tinum Coin but as Therese changed the subject he decided to just learn about it elsewhere and just finish his task here.


    ***


    Vincent returned to the inn after he managed to satisfy Therese with his appraisal ability.


    In the end, he decided to also reveal that he managed to appraise one of the Epic Items allowing him to be regarded quite highly by the gorgeous woman.


    As for the Pseudo-Legendary and the unknown item, he decided to tell that he''s incapable of understanding them yet.


    When he said, Therese heaved a sigh of relief so he knows that he made the right decision to hold back.


    "Ahh¡­" Vincent suddenly recalled that Tara has left already. He''s about to invite her to a meal but it seems that he has to eat alone today.


    "Right, she mentioned that Yvette''s servant came to bring the reward here."


    Vincent remembered what Tara said before she left as he went to check his table.


    Soon, he found a bag filled with various things and confirmed that it came from Yvette.


    "Finally, I have some proof of identity¡­"


    With this, Vincent will no longer worry if people would question his identity. His documents were also stamped by Count Miller Marshall who is governing arge county!


    Vincent then confirmed that Tara did not take her proof of identity yet and left it here.


    "This means that she''ll reallye back, right?" Vincent muttered as he suddenly felt lonely thinking that Tara would just leave him like that.


    As he reached this thought, he noticed that there is also a letter with a bronze medallion included in the bag.


    Medallion has the Marshall Family''s insignia and the letter is actually an invitation to visit their vi.


    Vincent decided to keep it for now and he finally found a pouch of gold coins containing about 500 pieces of them!


    "Generous¡­ Truly generous as expected of the Count." Vincent couldn''t help but smile after seeing so much money in front of him.


    As he was about to continue his celebration by buying the most expensive meat in the restaurant below, he suddenly heard a hugemotion in the streets.


    "Celestials! Celestials! Two Celestial Beings are battling outside the city!"

 Chapter 55 Conflict

    Vincent frowned as soon as he heard the mor outside.


    ''Celestials?''


    It immediately made him recall what happened to his vige. It was all because of the Celestial Beings from the Troy n and the Lucius n.


    He took a deep breath to clear his mind as he decided to go outside. He suddenly no longer felt hungry as he went in the direction where themotion wasing from.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the ground trembled as a deafening explosion urred! It hade from the walls of the city!


    It was as if it was hit by cannon rming the citizens including the magicians and the knights.


    "T-take cover!"


    "They might bring their fight inside the city! What are the Magicians doing!"


    "This is bad¡­ Why would two Celestials battle here? This is ce is going to be destroyed!"


    "Hmph! Look! The Red Rose Magic Knights are here!"


    As Vincent can hear the battle outside the city walls getting intense, he also noticed a group of knights rushing their way to the city gates.


    Obviously, the City Guards can no longer handle this level of conflict and needed the help of the Magic Knights.


    Vincent watched the cavalry of knights rush outside. They all have an incredible presence and one of them is even giving off a majestic aura around him.


    It was as if it waspelling everyone to bow down on him!


    "It''s us! The Drunk Arc Knight!"


    "An Arc Knight is here! Finally!"


    "The Drunk Arc Knight! Please be careful!"


    "Don''t get yourself hurt! Red Rose Knights! Please return safely!"


    The crowd started cheering as soon as they made their presence known.


    Nevertheless, Vincent actually noticed that us seem to have frowned after hearing the title that was given to him.


    He probably wanted to retort but decided against it.


    Vincent could only smile thinking about how he got the title.


    From a Page, Esquire, Magic Knight, then to an Arc Knight¡­ It wasn''t easy to reach this level at all and in end, he received such a bad title.


    He even appeared young and only seem to be in histe twenties.


    ''Forget it¡­ Let''s follow them for now. I somehow had a bad feeling about this¡­''


    Vincent then silently followed the group of knights up to the city gate.


    To be honest, he suddenly had a foreboding that the Celestial Being in a conflict outside is actually Tara!


    ''Well, she''s rank 999¡­ As long as she didn''t meet a Numbered Celestial. She should be able to solve this problem.''


    Vincent had no idea about the exact number of Celestial that was present in this world. However, he at least learned that there are several thousand of them who came here.


    ''Did they actuallye here through a spaceship or something?'' Vincent mused as he slowly went outside the city to see what was going on.


    After seeing the damaged blueprint of an advanced aircraft a while ago, he has already been thinking about this matter¡­


    p A huge spaceship containing thousands of Cryogenic Sleeping Chamber for the Celestials descended here¡­ Because they can''t be opened, the chambers were brought to some dungeons by the natives here or perhaps, some other crews of the spaceship¡­ and the rest is history.</anda>


    Vincent''s imagination may have run really wild to create this scenario in his mind but he felt that it would make a lot of sense if that was the case.


    Though there are many loopholes and unanswered questions about his theory, as he continues his journey, he''ll definitely find answers as well.


    Bam! Bam!<sub> </sub>


    As soon as he had gotten out of the city together with the crowd, Vincent''s thoughts were interrupted as two human figures mmed on the ground at the same time.


    Apparently, the Celestials who are wearing full-body armor on them were both in critical condition.


    Both of them had des pierced through their bodies!


    One was wearing full-body armor in ck and yellow color. As for the other one, it was the familiar metallic gray and blue full-body armor!


    That was simr to Tara!


    No¡ªThat was mostly likely Tara!


    ''What in the world?! She told me she''ll leave for a few days¡­ I didn''t think she''ll be looking for trouble¡­ Just what happened here?''


    Vincent frowned as he saw the two weakened Celestial Beings get surrounded by the Magic Knights and us which is the only Arc Knight.


    ''From what grandpa said, Grand Knights should only be the ones capable of subduing the Celestial Being¡­ Is there an exception?'' He mused.


    "A-ahh! They''re flying!"


    "They''re going to leave this ce! Finally!


    "That''s true¡­ I''m really scared. I hope they just go away."


    "Hmph! If you''re scared, why did you go outside the city walls to gossip?!"


    "Sshh! Look! us doesn''t seem to n to let them get away!"


    As soon as they saw the Celestials living, they thought that us convinced the two to leave this ce right away.


    Since they are both injured with des impaled on their bodies, it''s understandable that they would follow his instructions.


    However, they seem to have failed to understand what was truly happening as us jumped into the air as he nned to fight to strike the ck-armored Celestial Being!


    As for the other Celestial, who appears like Tara, tens of mana arrowse flying to target its already injured body!


    As if the Celestial Beings decided to have a truce, they forget their conflicts and immediately protected each other!


    They formed an invisible barrier and surprisingly, us'' sword just bounced off them and the mana arrows dissipated just like that!


    Whoossh~


    Everyone felt the wave of mana scatter everywhere with that exchange!


    "You dare!" us shouted in anger as he jump again to pursue the two. It seems that he can''t actually fly like the Celestials and can only jump very high.


    Of course, the two Celestial Beings did not wait for him as they both separated their ways!


    Just like that, the show was over.


    They barely saw the Celestials fighting and only briefly saw us'' prowess. They seem to have wasted their timeing here.


    ''I wonder what happened though¡­'' Vincent thought as he looked in the direction where "Tara" left.


    Anyway, there is nothing that he can do about her matters so he decided to just return to his inn to finally have his dinner since it getting really dark now.


    As soon as he started eating his meal, he heard the conversation of the people at the other table.


    "The two Celestial Beings are most likely interested in the item to be auctioned off two days from now."


    "Hmph! Do you think they''ll be interested in the weapons of the mortals?!"


    "Haha! You fool! There was a rumor that the Guardian''s Auction House will be auctioning off a Pseudo-Legendary Item! They must be interested in it!"


    "No way! They can purchase it if they want. I heard it''s because of a man!"


    "There is no way the Celestials are interested with me Pseudo-Legendary Item. There must be a Celestial Weapon around."

 Chapter 56 Improvement

    After finishing his dinner, Vincent walked upstairs as he returned to his room.


    He just learned something really interesting while listening to the conversation of the few schrs and drunk people downstairs.


    Apparently, the mysterious nanotech armors that the Celestial Beings are using are called Celestial Armors. They were described as sentient metals seemingly capable of protecting their master when needed.


    As for the Celestial Weapons, they weren''t just simply weapons that the Celestial Beings held. Vincent even heard that most of the Celestial Beings of today no longer possess a Celestial Weapon so they have gotten a lot weaker.


    At the moment, most of the weapons they have were just made through alchemy or magic craftsman.


    Vincent then recalled that Tara indeed does not possess any weapon with her. She only has her armor which was her Sleep Chamber as well.


    ''Hmm¡­ I wonder what she''s looking for.''


    He mused. He knows that Tara had just woken up from her slumber and doesn''t know many things about the current situation in this world.


    However, he noticed that Tara wasn''tpletely unaware of the things rted world ornd she was in. It was more like she wanted to know whether it is still the world she knows.


    If he would make a guess, Tara has already lived in thisnd for a while before she decided to put herself into slumber for some unknown reason.


    As he was thinking about this, Vincent finally fell asleep and he had even forgotten to try his Ascension Skill.


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent confirmed that Tara hasn''t returned yet so he decided to extend the days he will be renting the two rooms.


    Now that he has plenty of money thanks to Yvette, it would be better to keep renting here so Tara can return any time she wanted.


    Of course, he also decided to try his Ascension Skill today before going to work at the Auction House.


    "So it''s like this¡­" Vincent muttered while holding his cane. He couldn''t help but smile after reading the new notification showing in front of him


    He also realized that he can just easily switch between Enhancement Skill or Ascension Skill and there was no issue org at all.


    [ No Ascension Crystals found. Do you want to Ascend this item with Mana? ]


    ''This means that there is an existing item in this world that can also ascend an item, huh¡­'' Vincent thought as made sure to remember the term ''Ascension Crystal''.


    If the Beast Cores are considered Enhancement Stones by the system, Vincent couldn''t help but wonder what could possibly be the Ascension Crystal of this world.


    "Is it the Mana Crystal? No, it''s just a crystal formed by mana. There is nothing special about it unlike the Beast Core which also contains that life of the Savage Beast¡­" Vincent immediately erased that idea as he tried thinking of a possible item.


    However, since he was still unaware of many things, he couldn''t make a proper guess.


    ''Forget it¡­ Let''s just try this for now¡­''


    Vincent then noted that his current mana is 430 units.


    As soon as he triggered the Ascension, he immediately felt the drain in his mana.


    Then, the cane was wrapped in blue light before vanishingpletely.


    Ding!


    [ Ascension Failure. ]


    "Well, I guess it won''t be easy this time, huh." Vincent muttered as he looked at this Mana Capacity.


    [ Mana: 130/500 ]<sub> </sub>


    "Ugh¡­ Three hundred units per Ascension? What''s even the sess rate of this skill?" He grumbled for a bit after realizing how expensive each ascension was.


    Not only was it expensive to trigger the skill, but it also wasn''t a guaranteed Ascension.


    It''s difficult for him to naturally recover his mana after all. He''s only a Journeyman who can''t practice any Tier 2 Mana Arts.


    At this rate, he can only Ascend an item once a day.


    If he has to use his Beast Cores to replenish his mana, it would be very unproductive considering how difficult they can be acquired and that weak Savage Beasts only provide less than 20 units of mana.


    Aside from that, using Mana Recovery Potions every time would be too extravagant.


    With that in mind, he''d rather spend his remaining Mana to level up his Enhancement Skill instead of doing a second Ascension.


    ''Right, I can try one Ascension per day and the rest will be used to Enhance and for my job as an Appraiser.''


    Vincent mused as he recalled that they would normally have to appraise five to ten items per day in his current job.


    ''Ahh¡­ Since I have the Ascension Skill now, it shouldn''t be a problem using my Ascension Card.''


    He couldn''t help but feel ted again after recalling this bit of information.


    He then excitedly opened his 5-slot Inventory and pulled out the One-Time Ascension Card.


    Ding~


    A golden card suddenly appeared in his hands. There was an image of a golden hammer and specks of sparkling blue dust printed on it.


    Vincent no longer hesitated as he held both the Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 and the Ascension Card with his hands.


    [ One-Time Ascension Card found. Do you want to use the card to Ascend the item? ]


    "Yes!"


    As soon as Vincent answered, the cane he was holding was covered by blue light simr to what had just happened moments ago.


    However, this time, the light didn''t vanish after a couple of seconds. It remained right there for more than five seconds before he heard the pleasant ringing sound of a sessful ascension!


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 350/350


    Crush: +340


    Description: An ascended cane that is suited for battle. It is carved from the exclusive Ironbark to form the base of the cane. It is decorated with gilded patterns and only leaves the handle untouched which has been decorated with scale-like stubs.


    Remarks: Special Crush Attribute found. Durability and Crush attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.]


    Vincent smiled from ear to ear as soon as he realized that not only had the durability of his cane improved tremendously, but also filled itpletely!


    He recalled that it has already lost 40% of its durability but it was now fully repaired! Not only that, the Crush Attribute doubled as well!

 Chapter 57 Hated

    Although its durability is still very lowpared to the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber, it is still quite decent considering it''s just made of wood!


    Vincent has been worrying about the durability of his weapons all this time.


    Whenever he uses the cane with its Crush Attribute, its durability was also getting affected. This is why he would always try to use his Mana Arts during his battle.


    This is to ensure that he won''t be putting all the pressure on his weapon. This problem is actually mostly rted to his powerful surge of Aura.


    Since he''s not a 3-Star Aura Knight yet, he still doesn''t have the Aura Resonance skill that would allow him to ease the burden of the weapon he''s wielding.


    Of course, there is also an equivalent Tier 3 or Tier 4 Mana Arts to help him protect or repair the weapon but he obviously doesn''t have an ess to it.


    At most, he hoped to be a 3-Star Aura Knight so even though he''s incapable of repairing an item, he would be capable of prolonging its lifespan.


    However, now that the durability of his item had increased tremendously, it would take a very long time before he would have to worry about his weapon being destroyed.


    Ding!


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully ascended an item for the first time. ]


    [ You have unlocked the Enhancement Eraser option. ]


    [ Enhancement Eraser: In exchange for some units of mana, you can remove the enhancements of any item that has been enhanced. The higher the mana used, the higher the chance for the enhancement to be removed. ]


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile after seeing the new feature of the system being unlocked! He can remove an enhancement! Though he doesn''t know whether this will be useful or not, it''s still an additional feature that might have a purpose in the future¡­


    ''Wait¡­ It says any item¡­ Does it mean that even if I''m not the one who enhanced it, I can remove the enhancement from that item?''


    Vincent couldn''t help but recall the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber which was a +10 item. If he has to fight a Celestial Being, can he try to remove the enhancement of their Armor while inbat?


    Of course, he never wanted to fight a Celestial Being considering his current level, he just thought of this in passing.


    "Forget it, let''s try strengthening this cane one more time¡­"


    Vincent muttered as he decided to go all out now for his precious weapon.


    [ One-Time Random Item Skill Card. ]


    He decided to pull out one of the items in his 5-Slot Inventory. Right now, his inventory only has two Sess Rate Boost Vouchers.


    "Since I''m nning to keep this cane with me as much as I can for Grandpa''s sake, I might as well make it more suitable with me."


    Vincent muttered as he has been holding back to use this card all this time. His reason was simply that he thought that the Ironbark Cane wasn''t worthy enough considering it''s only a Rare-Rank.


    However, now that he can actually Ascend an item to a higher rank, he decided to stop dithering and just do it!


    [ Would you like to activate the One-Time Random Item Skill Card to the item Soul Forged Ironbark Cane +9 ]


    "Yes!"


    Vincent answered as he waited for the card to take effect.


    He carefully looked at his cane with bated breath as he prayed in his heart to get a decent skill.<sub> </sub>


    ''I''m not looking for shy skill¡­ Just give me a normal one since I don''t really know any staff technique¡­''


    To be honest, his skills with the cane were trulycking. If he met a weapon expert, he will surely be aughingstock.


    He only knows how to wave the staff using the most basic moves like block, strike, stab, chop, and shes¡­ He doesn''t know any decent techniques and he could only win most of his fights against Savage Beasts using his speed and brute force.


    Of course, this includes the Crush Attribute of his weapon as well.


    Ding!


    [ Your Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 has obtained a new skill. ]


    [ Ensnare: In exchange for 10 units of mana, a target within 10 meters of the user will be trapped by Ironcoral Vines. ]


    ''Not bad!''


    Vincent wasn''t disappointed after realizing that the new skill was quite useful. It can be used to capture small animals or trap people.


    However, since it only costs 10 units of mana, it''s probably not that strong so he wasn''t too happy as well.


    For the next hour, Vincent explored his newfound skills.


    He tried to remove the Enhancement of some of his +5 clothes and others. He then realized that the Enhancements of Poor and Common Quality Items can be removed easily using a few bits of mana while he would encounter failures for Umon Items.


    As soon as he felt that he fully understand his skill, he finally decided to leave the inn and go to work.


    ***


    "Follow me!"


    As soon as Vincent arrived at the Auction House, he was blocked by Maurice as if he was a thug who was trying to extort him.


    Vincent was nning to report to Therese so he can ask her to continue with his appraisal but since Maurice is still a Resident Appraiser, he decided to just follow him for now.


    ''What''s wrong with this guy? Did I offend him somehow? Is he that suspicious about my background?''


    Vincent deeply thought as he couldn''t really remember anything that might offend this person. Luckily Yvette already arranged his proof of identity and he brought it with him! This is something that the count has even stamped!


    He was also nning to show this Therese to clear up his identity but this guy just came looking for trouble.


    Vincent was then brought to what seemed like a warehouse of various items before Maurice confronted him¡­


    The smell was awful and he couldn''t help but frown at the sight.


    There were ten or so shelves with various items and more than 20 stashes filled with random things. Many of them seem useless and already covered with dust, rust, and even mold.


    More than that, the lighting here was also bad making the ce gloomier.


    "Newbie¡­ Clean this ce up! This is also part of your training since you don''t have any experience. Do you understand?!"


    Maurice said and as if he didn''t want Vincent to miss that he was provoking him, he even added that the other three newbies are at the Appraisal Hall already doing real jobs.

 Chapter 58 Appraised

    Vincent frowned after hearing what the man just said.


    ''What''s wrong with this guy?''


    He never had an encounter with this person except for yesterday. What confused him more, is that the tone of his voice feels like he already held a deep grudge against him.


    "Sir Maurice, I received instructions from Manager Therese on what I should do today." Vincent spoke as he inspected the warehouse.


    To be honest, he''s quite happy to see this ce filled with various items. This is the reason why he wanted to temporarily work in an Auction House after all.


    Because this way, he would be able to gain ess to many precious weapons and not just some Poor, Common, or Umon Items he can always get outside.


    Maurice basically fulfilled his intention foring here by bringing him to this ce. However, he still didn''t like how he was being treated.


    "Miss Therese is the branch manager while I''m the one managing the New Appraisers. Just do what I tell you and don''t leave this ce until you''re finished!" Maurice said with a contemptuous smile on his face.


    Vincent found this ridiculous. He was going too far!


    However, he has to remain calm as he looked at Maurice''s repugnant eyes.


    This man''s face was also annoying and he really wanted to give him a quick punch to his nose.


    "I would like to speak with her first since she had given me a different instruction. She might be waiting for me."


    "Hmph! No need. I will be the one telling her. Stop with the nonsense and get to work."


    As soon as Maurice said this, he immediately fled as if he was going to inform Therese about this.


    Vincent wanted to follow him at first but in the end, he decided not to waste his time with him and continue with his Appraisal here.


    ''Forget it¡­ I''ll leave this Auction House after getting a higher Appraisal level.'' Vincent calmed down as he decided to just ignore the man.


    Anyway, this is also the reason why he came here¡­ He knows that his Appraisal Skill level was stuck because he''s just always relying on appraising Poor or Common quality items.


    However, it would be different today!


    As soon as he had this thought he started appraising the items on the shelves while also casually wiping them with a cloth to clean them a bit.


    [ Damaged Theater Sword ¨C Rare ]


    [ Broken Six Spring Chalice ¨C Rare ]


    [ Dirty Blue Eunuch Robe ¨C Unique ]


    [ Dirty Eunuch Undergarment ¨C Umon ]


    [ Damaged Literary Book ¨C Common ]


    [ Damaged Force Ring ¨C Epic ]


    "Hmm?"


    As Vincent was randomly appraising the items on the shelves, he was expecting that he would find Rare or Unique items here to hasten the level up of his Appraisal Skill.


    However, he was surprised that an Epic Item was actually thrown here in the warehouse!


    Although it is damaged, these things should still be valuable, right?


    His mood finally got better a little bit as he checked theplete description of the appraisal.


    [ Damaged Force Ring ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 25/220


    Wind Element Resistance: 10


    Push ( Unusable ): In exchange for 40 units of mana, a target within 5 meters of the user can be moved using a powerful pushing force.


    Description: A special essory that provides a powerful pushing force to move a target. It is badly damaged and the skill can''t be used.


    Remarks: Wind Element Resistance found. Durability and Wind Element Resistance attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "No wonder it''s brought here¡­"


    Vincent muttered after realizing that the Epic Item is basically useless right now. Unless it was repaired, a Rare Ring would be much better to use than this Epic one.


    He put the ring back in its ce after wiping it a bit with his dirty cloth and continued appraising the items.


    After doing this for half an hour, he couldn''t help but realize that this ce is basically a treasure trove!


    There are so many useful Umon and Rare Items here! As for the Unique Items, Vincent found ten of them and the only problem is that their durability was only at 10 to 20%, or they were missing some parts.


    Vincent then found a few umon items with only 3 to 7 points in durability and decided to enhance them to +5.


    This allowed him to earn a few experience points for his Enhancement Skill while also ensuring that nothing will greatly change with the items. Those low durability will only add a dozen or two durability points anyway.


    As Vincent was starting to enjoy his time in the dimly lit warehouse, a woman suddenly entered the room and found Vincent carefully cleaning a chalice in front of a crate filled with various items.


    "Y-you¡­ You seem to be enjoying this, huh? I even came here thinking that you''re sulking¡­" Therese spoke while crossing her arms and looking at the engrossed person cleaning the item.


    This time, she''s wearing a different robe and appears charming today than her previous matured aura yesterday. She''s also wearing a lighter tone dress beneath her Appraiser Robe as it perfectly entuates her body.


    "Oh! Manager, I was sent here by Sir Maurice¡­ He told me that it was your instruction to bring me here."


    Vincent immediatelyined as soon as he saw the beautiful manager.


    "Haa~ I didn''t give him that instruction¡­ I already scolded him and he won''t do it again. There will be an auction tomorrow so we have to do the final appraisals on some items. I need your help." Therese said as she gestured to Vincent to follow her.


    Of course, he decided to obediently follow. Even though he wanted to continue appraising the items there, he still felt that working together with this beautifuldy would make him more productive.


    "If he abused his authority again, would you mind if I do something to him?"


    Vincent then asked though he wasn''t fully serious if he would really act on it. He just felt that as long as he doesn''t get physically harmed, informing Therese may just be enough to deal with it.


    "Hmm? He''s a Master Magician though¡­ If you think you can deal with him on your own, I wouldn''t mind."


    "He''s a master magician? Is that why he was looking down on me?" Vincent frowned.


    Though hecksbat experience against Mana Practitioners, he knows that any Master Magician would still be crushed by his Cane as long as they were caught off guard.


    "Well, I think he has a different reason. Anyway, I''ll do my best to make sure he won''t abuse his authority again."


    "Thanks, Manager Therese." Vincent answered.


    At this time, the two finally arrived at the Appraisal Hall to appraise the items to be sold tomorrow.


    However, as they were about to start, the ground suddenly trembled and the people outside started screaming¡­

 Chapter 59 Proof

    Because of the uing grand auction by the Guardian''s Auction House where a rumored Pseudo-Legendary item will be auctioned off, there were a lot of peopleing to the city.


    They were all from various rich families, organizations, or individuals who wanted to try their luck.


    However, because of the huge influx of people, the problems with the security started showing up¡­


    Many thieves started getting active and some bandits from outside the city were even able to enter the city as they started causing trouble.


    "Hmph! You dare block my way! Piss off!"


    A young nobleman followed by three beautiful girls bellowed at the badly injured person who was kneeling on the floor.


    He even gave him a kick as the man was thrown several meters away.


    This person tried to steal some money from the nobleman a while ago so no one from the crowd stop him.


    Since he was wearing luxurious clothes and has three veiled female servants attending him, many thieves were certainly eyeing him.


    However, they failed to recognize that even though he doesn''t have tough-looking guards, his strength is still something they couldn''t fathom.


    Perhaps, if Vincent is here, he would recognize this person.


    He''s Joran from the Troy n! The same person who kill Kai from the Lucius n!"


    This time, however, he was no longer just together with a couple of Numbered Celestials but including Kai''s previous spear-wielding Celestial!


    Of course, right now, no one can tell that those three servants were Celestial Beings as they do not look like warriors at all. With their slim and beautiful figure, they look like fragile women who need the protection of the young man.


    "Tsk! You ruined my mood¡­ Let''s go!" Joran said as he decided to leave the ce.


    He seemed to be nning to look around and enjoy the city but after getting interrupted by the thief, he decided to find a different ce.


    It was at this point that another problem came¡­


    Boom!


    One of therge taverns within the city suddenly had an explosion followed by arge fire. The explosion was so powerful as the ground trembled for a moment.


    "Celestials!"


    "The Celestials fighting yesterday hase back!"


    "Inside the city?! This is going too far!"


    "What are the Knights doing?! Useless things!"


    The people started cursing the authorities who couldn''t stop this from happening!


    For sure, many people were caught in that fire and explosion considering the size of that tavern.


    Joran looked at the burning tavern while the people started running away in the opposite direction. He seemed to be deep in thought before he decided to get closer.


    ***


    "This¡­ Why are there so many people?"<sub> </sub>


    Vincent couldn''t help but be surprised after seeing that the streets were filled with people.


    Right now, he''s together with Therese and other employees of the Auction House as they were worried about the explosion they heard.


    Soon, they found out that a near tavern exploded as two Celestial Beings started battling inside.


    "Celestial Beings?! This is not good¡­" Therese frowned after realizing that the ones causing trouble were the Celestials. Their battles are always destructive after all.


    Luckily, the destruction didn''t spread that far yet and only affected a single tavern.


    Right now, the Knights of the city guards should be taking care of the vicinity.


    "I heard that this is the territory of a count. Can''t they handle two Celestial Beings?" Vincent asked curiously.


    In this dangerous world, there was no way that the protector of the city would be so weak, right? There are only two Celestial Beings after all.


    Although the number of Celestial Beings is small and they rarely appear, Vincent felt that thisrge city should have someone capable of dealing with such a problem!


    "As long as they aren''t Numbered Celestials, it should be alright¡­ The Count should have enough forces to deal with this. It''s just a matter of time." Therese answered as she worriedly look at the tavern.


    "Oh¡­" Vincent didn''tment and only acknowledged her words.s


    "Hmph! Ignorant¡­ I''m sure you don''t even know about their existence. I already checked your background, the Arum Vige you reported isn''t existing anywhere in this region! Miss Therese, instead of gossiping here, you should fire this person already." Maurice suddenly spoke aloud which attracted the attention of the other personnel of the Auction House.


    Behind him was the old man who was epted yesterday and currently working as a Trainee. This made Vincent finally realize why this guy was targeting him.


    It seems that he''s acquainted with this old man and wanted him to take Vincent''s position as Junior Appraiser instead.


    "Haa~ So it''s like that¡­ Your friend here can''t wait to be a Junior Appraiser so you wanted me to pack up and leave the Auction House, huh." Vincent said as he revealed the person''s obvious n.


    Of course, Therese understood what was going on as well as he gave Maurice a disdainful look. Nevertheless, she still curiously asked Vincent about the Arum Vige. There are still strict rules regarding the background of the people being hired in their Auction House after all.


    "Miss Therese¡­ Instead of me exining, just look at this instead so you can confirm my identity." Vincent said with a mysterious smile while handing out the documents he just received from Yvette yesterday.


    As soon as Therese saw his proof that he''s indeed not any criminal but instead an honorary knight of the Marshall Family, she looked hatefully at Maurice startling him in the process.


    "W-what?" Maurice eximed nervously.


    Apparently, in recognition of Vincent''s efforts for saving Yvette, Count Miller Marshall had also given him this identity!


    It appears that Count Marshall truly loves Yvette to be this thankful or thetter was just too good at storytelling and vividly described the heroic acts of saving her.


    Anyway, with such a title given to him, moving around various ces was definitely a lot easier now. It''s also a good start in case he needed some proof once he visited the Zemin n where his arranged marriage partner was.


    "T-that must be fake!" Maurice seem to have gone mad as soon as he saw his title as an honorary knight.


    Vincent wanted to also show the medallion he received together with it but suddenly, a group of soldiers started marching toward the burning tavern and were about to pass the  Auction House.


    "Vincent!"


    As he was admiring the sight of the disciplined soldiers marching ahead, a familiar voiceing from an alluringdy called out his name.

 Chapter 60 Reveal

    ''Honorary Knight?! How could a viger get such a title so easily? This must be fake!'' Maurice thought after seeing the document Vincent brought.


    It''s indeed not easy to get such a title, especially the one issued by the Count itself.


    After all, unlike the King who could issue such a title as much as he can, the Count or other nobles can only give this title to a limited number.


    Normally, it would only be given to some unaffiliated Mana Practitioners who greatly contributed to the betterment of thend.


    If that was the case, it should have been posted in the newspaper and was spread around the streets.


    However, he obviously hasn''t heard any of this news in the past few days.


    ''Right, if I proved that this is a fake, I can---''


    As Maurice was devising his n to get Vincent kicked out, he suddenly heard a euphonious voice calling Vincent''s name.


    He immediately looked in that direction and found a noblewoman waving in their direction.


    There''s no doubt that she''s calling the Vincent that he knows and not just someone with simr names.


    "This¡­"


    Noticing that she''s a noble, Maurice decided to shut his mouth and observe the situation.


    He carefully observed her and realized that this gorgeous woman seemed to be part of the marching army.


    Behind her were her two escorts who had the uniform of the Swordbreaker Army which is the Count''s elite soldiers.


    "Yvette¡­" Vincent said after recognizing the woman who called him.


    She''s not wearing a dress right now but a cloth armor that perfectly fitted to her body. Her ample chest and slender waist can''t be hidden at all.


    "Vincent. Have you received them? Hmm? Your robe¡­ So you''re an Appraiser here?" Yvette just realized that she''s indeed in front of the Auction House and he''s together with other workers.


    "Yes. Thank you, Yvette. However, aren''t you going to follow them? Are you going to fight the Celestial Beings?"


    "We''re nning to capture them this time. But I won''t be joining and will only watch on the sidelines¡­ You guys should be careful¡­ Even if the Red Rose Knights and our Swordbreaker Army work together, it won''t be guaranteed we can contain them unless father''s Celestials can arrive in time."


    "Oh¡­" Vincent couldn''t help but raise his brows.


    The elite soldiers may not be emitting strong mana fluctuations simr to the Celestials, but with them together, they seem like they are unstoppable.


    ''So you''re telling me that these many soldiers can''t still handle a Celestial?'' Vincent frowned as he looked at the burning tavern.


    Of course, this may not be true as well. If they really fought against the Celestial Beings, they may not be able to defeat the Celestial but they won''t be defeated that easily as well if they worked together.


    "Alright, I''ll leave now. Remember to visit us. My father wanted to meet you¡­"


    With that said, Yvette left with her two escorts as they followed the marching soldiers.


    Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, the Commander of the Swordbreaker Army had actually watched everything that has transpired. He only frowned for a bit as he continued his way to his mission.


    As soon as they left, Therese, Maurice, Dn, and other employees of the Auction House then looked at Vincent with confusion visible in their eyes.


    "I''m sure that she''s wearing the Marshall''s emblem!"


    "He knows someone from the Marshall Family?!"


    "I think I heard him call her Yvette¡­"


    "Count Marshall''s daughter?!"


    "How could he know her¡­ She even invited him to their house."<sub> </sub>


    Although Yvette would always show up to the public due to various events, it''s not easy to see her up close especially with the guards always surrounding her.


    However, they have seen her clearly right now and she even spoke to one of the new employees of the Auction House!


    They soon remembered Vincent''s face so they could befriend himter.


    Within the Hearts City, Yvette was considered to be in the top 3 beauties after all. By getting close to Vincent, they might have a chance to meet the beauty again.


    Vincent didn''t mind all of this as he looked at Therese as she handed over his proof of identity.


    "I guess I no longer have to show this¡­" Vincent muttered as he looked at the Marshall Seal in his hands.


    "I didn''t expect that you''re connected to the Marshall Family. You should''ve mentioned it yesterday." Therese said as she looked at Yvette''s departing figure.


    There is no point questioning his background right now as they might even offend the Count at this point.


    Even Maurice, who wanted to say something, felt d that he didn''t run his mouth when Yvette came.


    ***


    Soon, the Red Rose Knights arrived at the scene.


    They immediately formed a formation to block the Celestials from escaping. Furthermore, several knights decided to bring out a bow. There are no arrows with them but they have mana that they could use!


    This is to ensure that the Celestial Beings won''t be able to escape easily through flight.


    Bam! Bam!


    The Celestial Beings had no choice but to leave the tavern and continue the fight outside!


    The situation had gotten more serious as the two figures started fighting with extreme speed and they send powerful strikes destroying the surroundings!


    "Halt!"


    Suddenly, themanding officer of the Swordbreaker Army shouted.


    His shout contains a powerful surge of mana. Even though his army was still three blocks away, the Celestial Beings couldn''t help but look at the person who did this.


    While the Swordbreaker Army mostly wore white armor with them, this general wore red armor clearly distinguishing himself from the others.


    This middle-aged man is emitting a different aura from the rest of the soldiers. He''s also a level about the Red Rose Knights which made his presence


    "You''ve gone too far!" He shouted.


    He''s currently riding his horse as he carefully assessed the situation.


    The whole streets have be a mess due to these two fighting without care for their surroundings.


    "Even if you two are Celestial Beings, you''re not allowed to act like this! Do you really want to be hunted to your death! Stop now ande with us peacefully." The man said as he gestured to his soldiers to capture the two Celestial Beings.


    However, before they could even act, the two Celestials started fighting each other again!


    The Celestial Being who wore the ck and yellow armor struck the shoulder of the Celestial Being on metallic gray and blue armor.


    It happened so quickly that thetter was unable to act in time¡­


    "Aahhh!" Everyone heard the voice of the female Celestial as she clutched her shoulders in pain¡­


    Nevertheless, it was toote! The people already saw the number on her shoulder!


    "That''s¡­ That''s a Numbered Celestial!"

 Chapter 61 Escape

    Themander of the Swordbreaker Army including the members of the Red Rose Knights saw some vague three numbers marked on the Celestial''s shoulder.


    Though they weren''t able to see it clearly as the Celestial Being covered it with her hands, there was no way they could mistake this.


    As soon as the soldiers heard theirmander, everyone was stunned!


    Numbered Celestials are just too rare and obviously, only fellow Numbered Celestial can fight another Numbered one.


    "Hmph! Armand! Both of them are still injured! We can capture them if we work together!" The Captain of the Red Rose Knights immediately said to the Commander of the Swordbreaker Army.


    Armand then weighed the situation as he indeed recalled that the two Celestial Beings got injured yesterday after piercing the body of each other outside the city.


    With that in mind, he immediately agreed.


    "Alright, us¡­ Let''s work together¡­"


    Compared to his army, the Red Rose Knights have more experience when dealing with the Celestial Beings and other high-level criminals, so he respected the captain''s opinion as well.


    Their Swordbreaker Army was, after all, mostly dealing with the bandits, savage beasts, magic beasts, and even clearing up dungeons.


    "Shoot the Mana Arrows!" Armand ordered.


    Soon, over 50 Mana Arrows came rushing to the two Celestial Beings! These Mana Arrows weren''t even created using normal means but using a Magic Bow! This amplified the strength of their arrows and with this number, the Celestials wouldn''t be able to ignore it at all.


    They might not suffer any damage during normal times but today is different! They were both injured after fighting!


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    The two figures of the Celestial Beings immediately retreated as they saw the arrows targeting them.


    They weren''t hit by any of them, however, the archers'' job to separate them was sessful!


    The two groups of elite warriors then emitted a powerful pressure as they rushed towards them!


    The Red Rose Knights targeted the Celestial Being with ck and yellow armor while the other one was chased by the Swordbreaker Army of the Count.


    ***


    While all of this was happening though, someone from the crowd actually noticed that one of the Celestial Beings is a Numbered Celestial.


    He seem to have Mystic Eye as he saw the number clearly!


    "Hahaha! Number 999? This is fun! I really have good luck! Finally!"


    Instead of cowering in fear after seeing that it''s a Numbered Celestial. The man evenughed out loud confusing the crowd!


    Then, his next action dumbfounded everyone!


    The man actually released a powerful fluctuation of mana as he seem to be nning to join the fray.


    "My fourth Celestial, I will save you! Here Ie!" He shouted out loud for everyone to hear.


    Soon, he moved like a ghost as his three female servants followed him! What was strange about this is that his three servants didn''t emit any Mana Fluctuations at all!


    It was perhaps perfectly hidden by a magic tool or it''s simply because they aren''t relying on mana!


    Of course, Vincent heard the man''s shout as well and he immediately looked in the direction it wasing from.


    He can clearly remember that voice several years ago!<sub> </sub>


    "Is that Joran?" Vincent muttered as he saw the figure of the man jump on the roof of the nearby building as he joined the battle.


    It seems that he wasn''t the only one who recognized the man as some people in the crowd recognize the man as well.


    "That''s Soulless Cleaver!"


    "What? Isn''t his real name Joran Troy the Traitor!"


    "He''s from the Rebel Army! He dareding here to the city?!"


    The crowd was shocked as soon as many of them recognized the person who just joined the battle.


    Vincent was, of course, confused about the man''s identity.


    The only thing that he could remember is that Kai indeed call him a traitor to the country. Nevertheless, he didn''t think too much of it before but it seemed really serious now.


    ''Soulless Cleaver? Rebel Army?''


    "Manager Therese, do you know the identity of that man? What''s with him?" Vincent decided to ask instead.


    "Hmm? Right, you may not be familiar with him. Joran was a talented magician Mana Practitioner from the Troy n. He was previously known as Soulless Cleaver since he was a ruthless Magician and it shows whenever he fights someone. However, after his n joined the rebel army, he was now only being called the Joran the Traitor."


    "How about his achievement as a Mana Practitioner?"


    "He should be an Adept Mage¡­" As Therese said this, Vincent couldn''t help but notice the gaze she was throwing at Joran''s figure.


    If stares could kill, that man would''ve died numerous times already.


    At this point, Vincent can only guess that Joran caused trouble with her as well which wouldn''t be surprising at all considering the man''s attitude.


    Nevertheless, what really irked Vincent about this situation, is that the man just said that he''ll be taking his fourth Celestial Being!


    Vincent can guess that he managed to save Kai''s spear-wielding Celestial Being and turned it into his own. Furthermore, he also heard that the Celestial who was injured a moment ago was numbered 999!


    ''Tsk¡­ Are they going to capture Tara? This is bad¡­''


    As Vincent started to get worried, he heard several exmations from the crowd and realized that the Swordbreaker Army stopped assaulting Tara and focused on capturing Joran!


    It seems that he has arger bounty that Commander Armand didn''t hesitate to change his target at all!


    Vincent was delighted to see this happen as he saw Tara''s figure escape!


    ''Good¡­ Don''t get captured, Tara.''


    He immediately sighed in relief but he suddenly saw Joran break out of the army''s formation and followed Tara''s direction!


    By relying on the three Celestial Beings who are disguising themselves as magicians, he managed to find an opening to get out of the formation!


    The three actually used a powerful Mana Distortion Wave!


    It was just a Tier 2 Mana Art but as they wielded it, it had be extremely strong allowing a gap to form and create the perfect formation of the army.


    ''They''re not using their Celestial Armor? Hmm¡­ Why are they posing like Magicians in the first ce? Can''t they reveal it publicly?'' Vincent spected but he has no real answer to such questions.


    A few more minutes had passed and unfortunately for them, the other Celestial was also able to escape from the Red Rose Knights.


    In the end, the groups of elite soldiers and knights were unable to stop anyone from escaping since theyck the assistance of another Celestial Being.

 Chapter 62 Wounded

    The Red Rose Knights and the Swordbreaker Army could only try to chase their targets.


    However, none of them thinks that they could still capture those people. Perhaps, if the Count''s Celestial Beings arrived on time, they would be able to assemble a search party under their lead.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t present yet as they seem to have been sent to a different mission that was rted to the assassination attempt on Yvette a couple of days ago.


    After several hours, the people within the city started to calm down as they helped each other to fix the mess that was left behind. Luckily, although the two Celestials fought against each other, they did not use their extreme abilities as they fought only using their agility and strength.


    As for those within the tavern, they were mostly rescued in time but unfortunately, there are still casualties because of how fast the fire broke out.


    The incident today was something that has never happened for a very long time so citizens including the Count himself were baffled about it.


    Two Celestial Beings fighting in the middle of the city? That was unheard of.


    Things like this have only happened about 40 to 50 years ago. Right now, the Celestial Beings rarely appear in public.


    This is why many journalists tried really hard to find out the reason for their battle.


    It could be a Celestial Weapon, misunderstanding, territorial battle, or perhaps, those two are under the orders of another organization!


    After all, there are rumors that most of the powerful ns andrge sects have control over a few Celestial Beings to protect their heritage for several hundreds of years.


    This is actually usible since these Celestial Beings could live for more than a thousand years. It means that they are indeed the perfect guardians for therge sects or ns.


    Soon, various articles rted to the incident were published as the journalists did their best to make their stories engaging¡­


    "I wonder what happened to Tara. Did she manage to escape?" Vincent muttered as he was about to return to the inn he was staying at.


    His work for today was quite easy and he only appraised 8 more items excluding the ones in the warehouse.


    Those eight items were all Unique Rank and Vincent could feel that his Appraisal Skill is on the verge of advancing already. Perhaps, a few more Pseudo-Legendary or Legendary Items and it''ll rank up already.


    Vincent then felt hungry after passing by a restaurant so he decided to eat his dinner before returning to his room. Tonight, he''s nning to focus on his visualization in hopes of advancing his current rank as an Aura Knight.


    The impressive show of force of the Magicians had truly opened his eyes. There are just too many strong individuals that and they are everywhere.


    Although he''s stronger than normal people who hadn''t practiced their Mana or Aura, this is obviously not enough if he wanted to continue exploring this world.


    "Hmm? Is someone inside?" Vincent frowned as he felt something off.


    He was just about to enter his room but he somehow felt that there is someone inside Tara''s room.


    ''Is it the cleaner? I told them that I would be the one cleaning it though¡­''


    After reaching this thought, Vincent gripped his cane tightly as he approached the door. He then pulled out the spare key that he has and opened the door.


    Click!


    As soon as it opened, Vincent immediately scanned the room and realized that there is indeed a person inside!<sub> </sub>


    "Tara? You''re back¡­" Vincent was stunned as soon as she saw the woman.


    Not only that, Tara was dressed in a loose white robe that revealed her cor bone. She was busy drying her hair with a towel, but there were still some water droplets trailing down her fair skin.


    Vincent realized that she had just taken a bath.


    Her robe was just at a perfect length to expose her beautiful pair of legs. As expected of a Celestial Being, her beauty was indeed otherwordly.


    She then eyed Vincent who was gawking at her.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, I thought there was a thief. I didn''t know you already returned¡­ Eh? Wait! Is that blood? Are you injured?"


    Vincent couldn''t help but get worried after seeing Tara''s set of clothes that was set aside and stained in blood.


    "Yes. However, I should get healed in just a few days."


    "That''s not enough. Wait for me."


    Vincent then returned to his room and brought two of his diluted healing potions.


    "Hmm? A low-grade potion? I don''t think that it can help me." Tara said as she shook her head to refuse Vincent.


    He couldn''t me Tara for that, he recently learned that the grade of the healing potions can be determined through their color and obviously, the purple one was the lowest grade. It wasn''t even just a low-grade potion, it was also diluted!


    So the supposedly dark purple for the low-grade potion turned paler.


    For someone like Tara, injuries that can be healed by the weakest type of healing potion were definitely not something she can be bothered with.


    However, Vincent didn''t give up.


    "Just try it¡­ I''m sure that this will help you to get healed faster. There''s no harm in trying." He said with confidence.


    After all, he had enhanced this potion to +9 already!


    Although it still appears like a diluted low-grade potion, one would actually notice some golden glitter in it if you focused.


    This is the change that has urred after he sessfully enhanced it to +6.


    Seeing that Vincent really wanted to provide help, Tara gave a rare helpless smile as she took the bottle from Vincent.


    Although she''s a Celestial Being who has slept for many years, she still has her emotions. Since Vincent had shown that he really cares about her, she decided to just consume it out of goodwill.


    "Hmm?"


    As expected, as soon as she consumed the potion, she realized that it was slowly healing her wounds hidden beneath her robe.


    "What is this healing potion?" Tara couldn''t help but ask as she looked at the bottle carefully.

 Chapter 63 Search

    She seems to have experience with other healing potions as shepared them to the potion she was holding.


    Not only the healing effect was strong, but it was also working quite fast simr to a mid-grade potion.


    Normally, the effects of such healing potions take a bit of time, especially if it''s a low-grade ones.


    However, just like what Vincent said, this potion is indeed helping her recover a lot faster.


    "Ehem¡­ It''s just the same healing potion I bought recently. I just added something to it. It''s¡­ it''s something I learned in the vige to increase its potency." Vincent answered as he noticed that Tara has already seen the golden glitter in the potion.


    Meanwhile, Tara just smiled at his exnation as she opened another bottle. She knows that it wasn''t as simple as that but she still remained silent.


    After the second potion took effect, she realized that her wounds has indeed gotten a lot better. She''d probably get fully healedter tonight.


    "Thank you¡­"


    "No problem. It''s not like we''re strangers to each other¡­ Right, may I ask what happened? If I''m not wrong, you fought against another Celestial Being in the middle of the city¡­"


    Vincent curiously asked. He really wanted to know the real reason for this incident.


    After all, Tara had just woken up from her deep slumber. So he thought that she would try to silently or peacefully recover her Celestial Powers.


    However, since she decided to engage in battle although she''s not at her full strength, it probably involved something really important to her.


    If there is something he could help with, then he would definitely do so. Getting a favor from a Celestial Being is something that he could use anyway.


    "That indeed happened. I wasn''t nning to get myself into trouble but it seems that she''s also aiming for the Celestial Weapon hidden deep underground in this city."


    As soon as she revealed this, Vincent couldn''t help but be excited. So the rumors were true!


    There was indeed a Celestial Weapon hidden here!


    At first, Tara didn''t want to reveal too much information to Vincent since it was very dangerous for him.


    Considering his current strength as a Mana Practitioner and Soul Cultivation, he''s probably just as strong as an elite soldier. If hepares himself with a normal member of the Red Rose Knight, he can be considered a bit stronger if he adds his +9 weapons.


    Finally, Vincent learned that she can only feel the presence of an unowned Celestial Weapon. She can tell that it''s deep underground but unfortunately, the path going down is unknown to her. So during this time, she has been looking for that path.


    As she was searching for this underground path, the other Celestial Being came to her with ill intention. Obviously, she wanted to stop Tara from getting close to this underground path.


    Vincent frowned after hearing her story.


    "Hmm? If that''s the case, I think it will get more dangerous for you. I noticed that Joran¡­ I mean, someone is lurking here in the city with three strong Celestial Beings¡­ Two of them are Numbered Celestial Beings as well. If you felt its presence, they must''ve felt that as well. So you might have to consider giving up just to be safe¡­ I suggest that you think about taking it, once you fully recover your Celestial Powers." He exined.


    "Don''t worry. Only fated Celestial Being can feel the presence of the Celestial Weapon¡­ Those three others were not the fated ones so they haven''t felt it yet."<sub> </sub>


    "I see¡­ That makes sense then¡­"


    Although Vincent didn''t say it, he also initially thought that the Celestial Weapon they sensed was currently owned by the Count''s Celestial Being.


    However, if there is a "fate" requirement, then that weapon can indeed be taken by the fated one.


    "But¡­ if the other Celestial is also looking for it, does it mean that two of you are fated to that weapon?"


    Vincent couldn''t help but ask. Strictly speaking, if there is indeed such a fate requirement, there shouldn''t be another Celestialpeting for it right?


    Nevertheless, Tara''s answer cleared up his doubts.


    "That other Celestial Being is probably the real fated one for that weapon. But I''m a bit special so it doesn''t matter whether I''m fated to it or not."


    Tara then gave a mysterious smile after saying this.


    No wonder she wasn''t worried about the three others interfering.


    With that said, if all other Celestials can indeed feel the presence of the hidden Celestial Weapon, there was no way that the strong Numbered Celestials would''ve ignored it.


    "I see¡­ So you''ll be stealing her fated weapon, huh¡­" Vincent muttered but he immediately froze and reworded his sentence.


    "Ehem¡­ I mean, you''re a special Celestial Being so it''s just normal to take advantage of it. Anyway, do you have a rough idea about the path going underground?"


    "Yes¡­ There is an entrance outside the city but the tunnel has already copsed halfway¡­ There is also another one in the basement of the burned tavern. Since it has been destroyed, I''ll have to find another path."


    ''So that''s why you fought outside the wall and inside the tavern. That makes sense then.''


    Vincent nodded as he thought for a moment.


    "Hmm¡­ Have you checked the sewers? There should be a hidden path there, right? There is also the Count''srge vi. I think there is should be an entrance there considering it''s also at the center of the city¡­"


    "The sewer system of the city is toorge, it''ll take me months to cover all of them so that''s why I started searching in the locations I''m familiar with... As for the Count''s house, it''s too dangerous. It seems that another Celestial created a multiyered barrier in some of their key ces." Tara exined.


    Vincent had no idea why Tara would be familiar with it. Is itmon to find a hidden entrance outside the city and at the base of thergest tavern?


    He couldn''t tell.


    Anyway, her words about the Count''s house make sense. There was no way the Count would allow himself to be vulnerable against the Celestial Beings.


    The two then chatted for a while as they shared their ns.


    "Tomorrow, there will be arge auction. Most of the important people including the count himself would be present there. Try to use this time to explore the ces you think have the entrance."

 Chapter 64 Auction

    As soon as Vincent left, Tara faintly smiled as she looked in the mirror beside the bed.


    ''That healing potion is weird¡­ A mid-grade potion in the appearance of a diluted low-grade potion? Why is that?'' Tara pondered for a moment. She then started to undress so she can see her wounds better.


    Then, the sound of her robe falling on the floor was heard. She stood fully naked in front of the mirror as she caressed her wounded abdomen.


    She was previously pierced by a de in this spot. However, there was no bloody injury on it right now and what reced it is a scabbed wound!


    Before she took a bath, the wound was still open and she was still slightly bleeding from it. She expected that it would take her two to three days to get fully healed and readied herself to wear a bandage.


    As she thought of this, she found another incredible thing that happened to her body.


    "What? That potion doesn''t just possess a strong healing effect, it slightly recovered my Celestial Powers as well! This is amazing..." Tara muttered in shock.


    She didn''t focus too much on it a while ago, but it seems that Vincent''s healing potion was really special. Normally, such healing potions can only affect the physical body¡­ Their Mana or even their Soul''s Aura requires a different type of potion to get healed.


    It is simr to her Celestial Power. A potion for physical health shouldn''t be capable of healing her Celestial Powers! If there is indeed something like that, it would definitely be coveted by every Celestial Being in this world!


    Nevertheless, she didn''t immediately mention this to Vincent. This is a very sensitive topic after all. Aside from that, it can also be a coincidence.


    Perhaps, because of her battle against the other Celestial Being, her body started adapting to this world again and she slowly recovered a little bit of her Celestial Powers unknowingly.


    With that in mind, Tara flicked her fingers as a mechanical sound was suddenly heard within her room.


    Instead of sleeping normally, she actually transformed her Celestial Armor into her Sleeping Chamber again. This way, she can continue recovering her Celestial Power even while sleeping.


    ***


    Vincent woke up early feeling refreshed.


    Though he hasn''t advanced to a 3-Star Knight yet, he felt that he made a breakthrough with his visualization method.


    It''s getting a lot easier for him to visualize the image of the goddess in the painting.


    He then left the inn early and didn''t disturb Tara.


    "Vincent, the Grand Auction will start in a couple of hours. We won''t be epting any Appraisal tasks for today and everyone will help in this event. We need to make sure this Auction will be  sessful." Therese said as she saw Vincent arriving.


    He actually went to her office after noticing that there is no other people in the Appraisal Hall. Though there are still items that needed some second or third appraisal, it seems that they can be done after the auction.


    "I understand¡­ Is it alright to watch the Auction? I haven''t been in one so I wanted to see it for the first time." He requested.


    "Of course, I''d like you to apany meter on¡­ We received a message that Bone City''s number one Appraiser will be joining the auction. The two of us will be weing him."


    "Number one Appraiser? How is that even being ranked?" Vincent asked in surprise.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s throughpetition of course. However, that man wasn''t just a renowned Appraiser but an Adept Mage as well. He should be considered as strong as that Soulless Cleaver from yesterday." Therese exined.


    Vincent was awed by that, after all, Joran was definitely strong considering he has three Celestial Beings¡­ Does it mean that the number one appraiser also has Celestials?


    ''Ahhh, no¡­ She only meant that they''re both Adept Mage.'' Vincent thought as he recalled how the man was hiding the fact that he has three Celestial Beings following him.


    ***


    Time quickly passed as the Grand Auction was finally about to start.


    During this time, Vincent was introduced to some of the major powers within the city.


    There is in Shi, the young master of the Shi Family who is very influential within the city. Their family has a Trading Business and several taverns in various cities. The one that was burned yesterday was actually the property of their family.


    ''Shi Family¡­ Are they connected to that underground path?'' Vincent mused as he recalled that the Tavern they own was targeted because of that secret entrance.


    Manager Therese then introduced Madam Fey to Vincent. She manages the Whisper Pavilion and she''s not apanied by normal guards as escorts but there are two courtesans behind her.


    Vincent can easily tell that the pavilion is somehow simr to a brothel.


    As expected of a business that focuses on its appearance, the threedies from the Pavilion immediately caught everyone''s attention. Their beauty including their alluring scent wafted throughout the hallway.


    There is also Count Miller Marshall who was together with his sons but they were all inside a VIP room and no one could see them.


    Finally, Vincent was introduced to Luc Diederich, a 30-year-old man who has achieved the level of an Adept and was considered the top Appraiser in the city he came from.


    He came to the Auction House alone and wearing a white Appraiser Robe¡­ Not many people know him but because of the Appraiser Robe he''s wearing, many people could tell that he''s an important person.


    Soon, the auction started hosted by an old man who seems to be in his sixties.


    Nevertheless, the Mana Fluctuation he''s emitting was definitely at the level of Master Magician considering the cold aura around him. He must be a Master Magician who focused on developing his Ice Element.


    The items that Vincent had the chance to appraise were sold quite quickly as the main attraction of the event gets closer.


    The Ne of Silence was sold for 40,000 gold coins or 400 mana crystals. The Valor Vambrace was sold for the same amount while the Lesser Illusion de was sold for 120,000 gold coins considering it''s an Epic Weapon and not just an essory.


    After several minutes, there are only two items left to be auctioned off.


    One of them is the Shadow Urn. It is the Pseudo-Legendary he previously appraised together with the Ne of Silence.


    As for the main event, it is the item he failed to appraise yesterday.

 Chapter 65 Bidding

    "The next item is called the Shadow Urn. Many of you are not familiar with such an item. However, I can tell you now that this is a Pseudo-Legendary Item¡­ something that rarely appears in the public¡­"


    Old Man Cairo, the host of the event, started to introduce the item to the crowd.


    As expected, as soon as they heard that the item on the stage is a Pseudo-Legendary, everyone had a fervent gaze as they wanted to own it!


    Even if they haven''t heard about its ability yet, they know that it''s something that they should still purchase no matter what.


    There is no useless Pseudo-Legendary Item, only useless users!


    "This Shadow Urn can collect the shadows of the corpses that you''ve killed. They can be savage beasts, magic beasts, humans, or even barbarians, it doesn''t matter. Once the shadow is collected, this urn can summon it for a price and transform that shadow to create a Shadow Creature that you canmand!"


    As soon as he finished speaking everyone looked at the item with a desire to own it.


    "This is found inside a Dungeon filled with Crux Crawlers and has been appraised tens of times to confirm its authenticity. It has an umon ceremony to bind the item to you but other than that, this item is perfect if you want to build a small squad for your own safety¡­ Why? This Shadow Urn can create a maximum of sixteen Shadow Creatures! The price starts at 500,000 gold coins!


    As soon as Old Man Cairo revealed the starting price of the urn, it eliminated 90% of the customers already.


    "510,000!"


    "550,000!"


    "600,000!"


    The bidding started to slowly increase until there were only three bidders fighting over it.


    It was Madam Fey from the Whisper Pavilion, Young Master in Shi from the Shi Family, and another person from the second VIP room.


    As for the Count, he already purchased the Illusion de and it seems that he has no ns to take this item as well. The other possible reason is that the Count is probably saving money for thest item.


    Nevertheless, the battle got heated as the amount reached 920,000 already.


    "Whoa~ I didn''t know that the Whisper Pavilion can earn so much¡­"


    "Not really¡­ I heard rumors that they are also information sellers. They must''ve earned a lot gathering intelligence and selling them to others."


    "That might be true¡­ But how could Madam Fey spend so much money for this Urn? Isn''t it useless to her? Even if the Urn is an ownerless Pseudo-Legendary Item, it requires the strength of an Adept Mage to fully show its might."


    "Hmph¡­ Perhaps, they just wanted to spend their money. I heard that Summer has been earning a lot after she appearedst month."


    "Summer?! The most beautiful courtesan? I heard about her¡­"


    The crowd started chatting as they realized that Madam Fey doesn''t seem to have ns of giving up. More than that, everyone finally realized just how much money that Pavilion could squander at this moment!


    Vincent heard all of this as it helped him a lot to realize what was going on outside.


    As for in Shi, no one seems to have doubts that he has plenty of money he could use to purchase the pseudo-legendary item.<sub> </sub>


    However, the man in the second VIP room could no longer waste his time and bid the highest price he could go.


    "4 million."


    This bid stunned everyone. Madam Fey and in also froze.


    They are only willing to bid for a maximum of 2 million gold coins. That is already their limit for a Pseudo-Legendary Item.


    They couldn''t help but look at the VIP room where the voice came from. It was definitely from a young adult and his tone of voice makes him really mysterious.


    Which family or organization can do something like this? There must be a clue so they made sure to pay attention to the VIP room from now on. They might find a clue once they recognize the voice.


    "4 million, Going once! Going twice! Sold!"


    k! k! k!


    Old Man Cairo struck the gavel with his mallet to announce the end of the bidding for the  Shadow Urn.


    Then, the attendants quickly worked as they removed the Shadow Urn from the stage. After a while, they finally brought the item that Vincent failed to appraise.


    It is the same rusty sword that he thought was made of ck wood.


    <o>,m Anyway, he''s also curious about the origin and rank of this item so he couldn''t wait for the introduction to happen.</o>


    "This is called the Obsidian Doomde. This is a special weapon made of Adamantite so you can already tell its quality. However, we can not tell whether this is a Pseudo-Legendary or can be called a Legendary as well at this point. This could even be made of special materials like from the Celestial Items¡­"


    Cairo said as he looked at everyone who was confused about this point.


    Although he can tell that the bidders still desire this final item, it confused the bidders as to how their best Appraisers were unable to identify its rank.


    Nevertheless, what''s important right now is to introduce to them how precious this item was!


    "Obsidian Doomde isn''t any other ck and rusty swords you can find elsewhere. It has the ability called Shadow Strike and Shadow de¡­ The Shadow Strike allows you to move instantaneously behind your target in exchange for a few units of mana. As for the Shadow de¡­ We have decided to keep it a secret and only the lucky winner should know of its effects."


    Cairo mysteriously said which prompted everyone to start the bidding war! Soon, he announced the starting price of the item!


    "Alright, the price will start at a million gold!"


    Vincent smiled as he expected this amount to be the initial price for this unknown item. She just felt that that deserves the price for it.


    "Hmm¡­ I wonder how it was appraised." Vincent muttered to himself.


    "Haha¡­ You want to know my secrets?" Therese teased after hearing Vincent''s concern.

 Chapter 66 Attacked

    The reason why he was curious about how it was appraised was obvious. If his Intermediate Appraisal Skill can''t, it means that other Appraiser who sessfully identified it used a Tier 4 Mana Art or perhaps a Mystic Eye.


    If that''s the case, he at least wanted to broaden his horizon and learn what kind of Mana Art could beat his system.


    "It involves your secret? No wonder you''re the manager of this branch¡­" Vincentmented and gave her genuine praise.


    "Well, it was difficult. But Sir Luc here can surely appraise it in a matter of seconds." Therese said as she praised the man not too far from them.


    Luc Diederich heard her praise but he only smiled while watching the bidding gets heated. Since he holds the title of the Number 1 Appraiser of Bone City, his skills can''t be questioned at all.


    As the Unknown Rank Obsidian Doomde''s price started increasing steadily, Count Miller finally decided to join the bidding war.


    Since he didn''t bid for the Shadow Urn a while ago and only purchased the Illusion de so far, he still has plenty of money he could use.


    Of course, no onemented about him joining the bidding war. Since this is the Guardian''s Auction House that is under the Royal Family, your authority as a noble won''t work here, and the most capable one will be getting the item.


    "10 million." Count Miller said after realizing that these people were still trying to fight over him.


    He''s confident that with this price, no one would be able to stop him from getting the Obsidian Doomde.


    However, someone from the crowd suddenly raised the bid!


    "10.5 million gold and 100 tinum coins."


    As soon as these words came out, everyone in the Auction Hall turned their gaze to this person.


    His face couldn''t be seen as he was wearing a hood and even covered half of his face with a mask.


    No one can recognize him with his voice as well.


    Nevertheless, he seemed to be apanied by three escorts wearing white cloaks and masks.


    Old Man Cairo heard the bid but he did not immediately recognize the bid as he turned to look behind the stage.


    He doesn''t own the sword being auctioned after all. The owner may not be fond of the tinum Coins so he has to consult this.


    As soon as he saw the approving gesture of the owner hidden in the crowd, he immediately confirmed and acknowledge the bid! Anyway, they will take a 5% fee for this and it would be a lot better for the Auction House if they can also earn some tinum coins!


    "Haha! A hundred tinum coins?! Very well, let''s do it like that¡­ 10.5 million and 300 tinum coins!"


    Count Miller from the VIP roomughed as he made his bid.


    Vincent was confused at the sudden change of currency as he whispered to Therese.


    "Manager, what''s with the tinum Coins?" He asked.


    Although he heard about it from his grandfather, he''s still unaware of how valuable it is considering hundreds of these are being offered right now. His grandfather''s previous exnation doesn''t seem to be that urate now.


    "Oh? Right, I''m sure you haven''t encountered a tinum Coin yet¡­ This coin isn''t just made of tinum but also a type of metal unknown to us. It is also connected with the Celestial Beings that''s why they are extremely valuable. It was even rumored that this is the currency that the Celestials were using before, unfortunately, it wasn''t proven yet as the Celestial Beings refused to answer such questions¡­" Therese answered.


    Vincent can only nod at this as he watched the bidding war continue.


    ***<sub> </sub>


    Soon, the price of the final item reached 13 million including 800 tinum coins.


    As soon as it reached this much, the Count already stopped bidding as he looked at the mysterious person from his VIP room.


    Ha~


    Count Miller sighed.


    No matter how rich he is, he still has his own limits. He wouldn''t stoop so low to spend the treasury meant to be used for his territory.


    The money he''s been using right now is not from the tax of his people but from his family''s business after all.


    If a huge amount suddenly disappeared from his hands, his business might suffer a huge setback.


    However, as the Count looks at the mysterious person, he felt that it''s not good to sell the high-level item to him.


    <o>,m It may not bring harm to him but perhaps, if the sword found an evil owner, it would bring harm to the popce.</o>


    "Father¡­ Are we going to give the sword to that person? What if he''s a criminal?"


    "That''s right¡­ Can we ask him to remove his mask and hood?"


    Count Miller''s two sons asked in worry. They were both younger than Yvette as they were only 13 and 15 years old.


    If they somehow learned that the reason why this mysterious person is hiding his face was due to him being a criminal, then it would surely be a lot easier for them to take the mysterious sword made of Adamantite.


    Of course, the Count already thought of this but he didn''t dare to act on it.


    "This auction house has its own rules and even I can''t change it. You all know who''s behind this ce, right?" The Count helplessly said as he looked at the host below who was grinning from ear to ear.


    The price has already reached sky high and ending it here is already eptable for them.


    "13 million gold and 800 tinum coins! Going once! Going twice! Sold!"


    As soon as the bidding ended, the crowd couldn''t help but sigh in admiration as the amount reached something that they could never even get in their lifetime.


    Many of them won''t even dare to obtain a single piece of tinum Coin as it''s too hot in the eyes of a thief.


    Old Man Cairo then announced that there will be a simple auction of a few Unique Weapons and a couple of Mana Arts Manual next week and invited the people to visit again.


    The people then left the Auction Hall one by one while the winners were assisted by the Auction House''s employees to im their items and make their payments.


    However, the Count together with his entourage left in hurry!


    Only one of his servants stayed in the Auction Hall toplete the process of acquiring the Illusion de he sessfully won.


    Many people were confused about this but their confusion was soon cleared up as one of the people present shouted what he just found out.


    "The Count''s Vi was attacked!"

 Chapter 67 Another Feature

    Everyone was shocked after hearing this¡­


    "No way¡­ Who would dare?"


    "Isn''t that a suicide? That ce is filled with formations made by the Celestial Beings."


    "Hmph¡­ Didn''t you hear about Miss Yvette''s assassination attempt?"


    "Y-you''re right. I think it is connected."


    "Did the Count offend someone he shouldn''t have? Who doesn''t know his might? Anyone who thinks of messing with the Count had surely considered his strength, right?"


    "That''s true¡­ No one would just randomly attack the Count''s house. This might be a huge matter."


    The people within the auction hall started chatting about this sudden incident.


    Within this City, the Count''s property is probably the most secured ce. They have hundreds of Swordbreaker Army stationed there and even a squad of magicians.


    More than that, that ce would normally have a Celestial Being guarding the perimeter.


    "Perhaps they waited for the Celestial Being to leave¡­"


    "Since the Celestial didn''t act in yesterday''s incident, perhaps they realized that the Count''s Vi is now vulnerable?"


    "That''s more convincing¡­ I wonder who dared?"


    Everyone except for the people who won the bid hastily left the Auction House to see what was going on outside.


    "Haa~ There are just too many problemsing up¡­ I wonder what''s happening to the city." Therese sighed as she found this situation quite weird.


    Their city has been in peace for several years now. It is thanks to the Count who wisely invested in his Swordbreaker Army to maintain peace and create fear for those people who are nning tomit crimes.


    Although he might becking when ites to his subjects at the edge of his territory, the City of Hearts is still a ce that he could boast as he allowed it to prosperparable to a few cities under a Marquis.


    "I''m that it will be just fine. It''s the Count''s Vi after all. It might even be settled by now. Anyway, I have a question."


    Vincent said as he followed Therese.


    "Go ahead and ask."


    "About the mysterious person who bought the Obsidian Doomde, are we really not going to ask for their identity? Isn''t this a bit too reckless? What if it goes in the hands of the Rebel Army?"


    Vincent actually thought that the mysterious person was Joran. If that is indeed the case, won''t they be helping the Rebel Army obtain such a powerful weapon?


    "There''s nothing we can do about that. It''s the rule that was decided by the royal family. I''m not sure why they did this but we can''t just disobey them and make our own decision."


    Vincent nodded at this. He already expected this answer but hearing it directly made it clear to him that this is most likely because of the profits they could earn.


    ''Whatever¡­ It''s not rted to me anyway.''


    ***


    After the Auction, there was nothing much to do so he requested Therese if he could work in the warehouse for some time. He said that he just want to clean the ce as he felt bad about the precious items being neglected there because of their bad condition.


    "You really like to be surrounded by precious items, huh. Although they are in bad condition, they are indeed not simple items so you still have to be careful. After you''re done, you can go ahead and take one item with you."


    Therese offered which delighted Vincent immediately.


    "Is that true? I will really get one." Vincent wanted to make sure.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s fine¡­ The items in the warehouse were all difficult to repair. In the end, we are using them as spare parts if we want to repair some items that can still be saved. It shouldn''t matter even if you take one or two."


    Therese said.


    "Then can I take two?"


    "Eh?" Therese was stunned for a moment before she smiled at Vincent. She didn''t dislike his straightforward manner.


    This is better than stealing it after all.


    p "Hmmm¡­ If you drink with me, I wouldn''t mind it." Therese almost agreed but she thought that it won''t be good if she just gave those items because he decided to request them.</anda>


    "I''m only fifteen¡­"


    "Oh? So you haven''t tried drinking yet? I guess alcohol is something precious in your vige¡­ Forget it. Just remember that you owe me one."


    "Of course. Thank you, Manager. I will go to the warehouse now."


    Vincent expressed his gratitude before he left the Auction Hall to the warehouse.


    Because the warehouse has a lot of items and he''s also cleaning it slowly cleaning, he was unable to appraise all the items. His mana has also dropped to thirty so he decided to stop for now.


    He didn''t want to be left with less than 20 units of mana. This is because he didn''t want to be helpless if an emergency happened.


    With his 30 units of mana, he can still execute his Shrouded Steps a few times which is more than enough for him to escape most of the dangers.


    After a while, Vincent returned to the inn feeling tired.


    He then noticed that Tara hasn''t returned yet. Before hey on his bed, he made a silent prayer hoping that she won''t get captured by the Count and escape sessfully.


    Naturally, he knows that Tara was the one who caused trouble in the Count''s Vi since they talked about itst night.


    ''She''s probably in the underground tunnel now¡­ I hope that she''ll get the Celestial Weapon sessfully.''


    After thinking of this, Vincent could no longer keep his mind awake and he fall asleep.


    ***


    However, it seems that the matter wasn''t that simple as Tara didn''t return even after a week.


    Nevertheless, Vincent wasn''t too concerned about this since he knows that this matter is out of his hands.


    He just continued in his grind with his daily appraisal, enhancement, and ascension.


    After the second week, however, he finally got the result he wanted!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Broken Specter Dagger. ]


    This is just a normal appraisal notification so Vincent didn''t react to it. But what followed it gave him a huge surprise!


    [ Congrattions! Appraisal Skill has been upgraded into an Advanced State.]


    [ New feature unlocked: Learn Skill  ]


    [ Learn Skill: A feature that allows the user to learn from any Skill Manual. ]

 Chapter 68 New Skill

    "Haha! I did it! Finally!"


    Vincent celebrated with teary eyes¡­ During the past two weeks, he seemed like a crazy guy who just wanted to stay in the warehouse or work fervently.


    He was seen as someone who only wants to be together with various items like he has some fetish for them.


    Nevertheless, he endured all of their strange gazes as he worked hard for this joyous day.


    As soon as he read the reward, he couldn''t help but feel that he was really a protagonist sent to this world!


    "Does it mean I can learn the Mana Drain now?" Vincent muttered to himself as his mind furiously processed all the possibilities that this new feature could give him.


    The human-skin book containing the Mana Drain Skill was actually quite mysterious. He tried reading it and he still didn''t know how to learn it. It''s the same for others.


    It''s like a riddle so no one even thought that it was a Skill Book until someone could prove it. Even if they used their Appraisal Magic and think that it was a skill book at first, once they tried reading that book, they would just change their mind.


    But perhaps, he would be the first one to learn it to this day!


    "This system feature is a lot more useful! "


    Although Vincent didn''t mind if he can only possess high-quality weapons because of his Awakening System, being able to learn some skills is definitely weed.


    ''I now have four features unlocked. The Auto Enhancement, Enhancement Eraser, Inventory, and now a Learn feature¡­ I wonder what other features I can get¡­''


    As Vincent thought of this, he decided to find the Skill Manual within Therese''s office.


    During the past couple of weeks, they have gotten a lot closer thanks to his impressive Appraisal Skills that could sometimes be superior to her secret ability.


    At this time, it felt natural for him to visit the woman in her office from time to time.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Manager Therese, it''s Vincent." He informed the woman behind the door.


    "Did you leave the warehouse early today? Come in." Therese was surprised after opening the door for Vincent.


    There was a new batch of items that were sent to the warehouse. They were magic tools or weapons that were in bad condition but the Auction House still bought them from various sects or organizations.


    This is simply because the Guardian''s Auction House has ess to the best Magic Craftsman who had graduated from the Kingdom''s number 1 Academy. Things that may seem useless to others can still be recycled if it goes to the right hands.


    "Yes¡­ I''m done checking up on them¡­ I actually found another item there I''m interested with¡­ Can I purchase it?" Vincent asked.


    To be honest, he already grabbed a total of 4 items in the warehouse. They were all Unique Rank items but in a bad condition already. They were things that no one would even purchase at this point so Therese didn''t mind giving them to him.


    However, Vincent wanted to at least make a little payment as he felt that he was abusing Therese''s authority. With the money Yvette gave him as a reward, he was able to purchase those things for 5 to 10 gold coins each.


    "Hmmm? Just take it then¡­ As long as it''s not Epic or Pseudo-Legendary, it should be a big deal."


    "Thank you, Manager¡­ I''m also nning to read the human-skin book today. I think I might discover something today." Vincent then informed her of the main reason he came here.


    "That book? Sure! It would be great if we can already decipher it. It''s been here for a while now and it''s still a mystery."


    With that approval, Vincent no longer hesitated as he excitedly grabbed the book from the shelf.


    As for Therese, she seemed to be doing some reports on her desk.


    Ding!<sub> </sub>


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the Tier 1 Skill: Mana Drain? ]


    This notification suddenly appeared as soon as he held the skill book. As expected, his Learn Skill feature is working simrly to the games he was familiar with.


    "Yes! Ahh¡ª"


    ''Crap!''


    Vincent suddenly recalled that Therese was just a few steps away from him. Although she seemed to be busy at her desk, she would certainly notice if something happened to him!


    Luckily, learning skills don''t seem to have any festive effects as he only felt a surge of information in his mind.


    Following that, he felt that he had trained the Mana Drain skill for a year and he could execute it so easily!


    p [ You have learned Tier 1 Mana Drain Skill. ]</anda>


    [ Congrattions! You have learned a Skill using the System Feature for the first time. ]


    [ The Skill List tab has been upgraded. ]


    Vincent wanted to celebrate but he immediately restrained himself since Therese started looking at him.


    ''Hmm? My Skill List tab?''


    Realizing that there have been changes in his Skill List, he immediately checked it by opening his Status Window.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 15 years old ]


    [ Mana: 45/500 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv9, Item Ascension Lv1, Advanced Item Appraisal ]


    [ System Feature: Auto Enhancement Mode, Enhancement Erasure, Learn Skill, 5-Slot Inventory ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Advanced ), Mana Drain ( Beginner ). ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement ]


    As soon as he saw his new status window with detailed information, he finally felt that he was really progressing although it was extremely slow.


    This is indeed worth a celebration as he nned to buy the most expensive meat for his dinnerter today.


    "Did you discover something? Hmm¡­ I felt a surge of strong soul force just now¡­ Wait¡ªAre you an Aura Knight?"


    Therese suddenly asked as she looked at Vincent curiously. She was previously able to tell that Vincent was just at a Journeyman Stage as Mana Practitioner, however, the sudden burst of soul force just now made her reconsider Vincent''s cultivation achievement.

 Chapter 69 Test

    "This¡­"


    Vincent wasn''t sure what to say to this intelligentdy.


    If he would make a guess, the sudden transfer of information to his brain was done through some kind of soul technique. This is probably why Therese felt it and guessed that he''s an Aura Knight.


    However, does it mean that she''s also an Aura Knight? He''s unsure of the answer but it seems that she''s indeed capable of detecting any soul force or aura.


    As he was thinking of what to answer, they heard a knock on the door.


    "Manager, there are people from the Blood Mist Sect at the Appraisal Hall¡­ They wanted to sell their bloodstones and spirit stones¡­ None of us can appraise its value, we need your help."


    The voice from the other side caught their attention.


    Realizing that it is an opportunity for Vincent to leave, he immediately spoke.


    "I''m not really keeping it a secret, Manager Therese. I will leave now since you still have some matter you need to attend to."


    "Hmph¡­ Stop right there. Come with me."As soon as she said this, she put her attention on the person outside.


    "I''ll be there in a minute. Make sure to properly serve these people from the Blood Mist Sect and don''t allow them to find a reason to cause trouble."


    "Yes, Manager."


    As soon as the man heard her instructions, he immediately returned to the Appraisal Hall.


    "M-manager Therese, do you need me there as well?"


    "Yes¡­ It will be a good experience for you. I''m sure that you haven''t seen a bloodstone or spirit stones yet."


    "That''s true¡­ Are they rare or something?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "They are difficult to find¡­ Anyway, these Spirit Stones can only be handled by special craftsmen."


    Therese paused as she looked at Vincent intently before she continued.


    "It was said that it has the power to increase the quality or power of a weapon. Interesting, right?"


    Vincent''s eyes lit up as soon as she said this.


    Based on her description, it is most likely the Ascension Crystal that he was looking for!


    He has been trying to find out the Ascension Crystal''s equivalent item of this world and it hasn''t been fruitful even after going to a library.


    He didn''t expect that he would find it out today!


    He was excited about this since a single Ascension attempt consumes 300 units of mana and it wasn''t even a hundred percent sess rate!


    So far, he only managed to ascend three items with him. The Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane, the Silver Ruin Dagger, and his Poison Immunity Talisman.


    If he managed to get ess to these Spirit Stones that are likely to be Ascension Crystals, he would have more spare units of mana for his enhancements.


    "It''s interesting. Take me with you, Manager." Vincent then returned the human-skin book on the shelf as he followed Therese to the Appraisal Hall.


    However, before they could get there, someone blocked their path.


    "Hmm? You two seem to be often together. I don''t think this is appropriate, Manager Therese."


    Maurice said as he angrily looked at Vincent.


    Whenever he would look for Therese, Vincent would often be with her. Although they have over ten years of age gap, Maurice couldn''t help but think that they doing inappropriate things and it was gnawing at him every day.<sub> </sub>


    However, since he knows that Vincent truly has a connection with the Count, he didn''t dare to reprimand him. Nevertheless, as soon as he saw them close together and chatting merrily, he couldn''t help but snap and berated them.


    "Maurice¡­ What are you saying?" Therese was surprised after hearing what he just said. She wanted to scold him since she''s still the manager of this branch. However, thetter just quickly left after saying what he wanted.


    "Tsk¡­ I''ll deal with himter. Vincent, let''s go."


    Seeing his retreating figure, she can only continue going to the Appraisal Hall in her bad mood.


    On the other hand, Vincent remainedposed as he appears to be deep in his thoughts¡­


    ***


    The two of them arrived at one of the reception rooms where guests with valuable items are being served.


    The room is guarded by two security personnel that is at the level of Magic Knight. This won''t normally happen unless the strength of the people inside is at a simr or higher level.


    "Manager Therese¡­ I''m sorry to trouble you."


    There are currently five people in the room. The three members of the Blood Mist Sect and two Junior Appraisers.


    The one who greeted Therese was Cedric, who was in the same batch as Vincent.


    "It''s alright, Cedric. You''ve been doing well over the past couple of weeks. You''ve only requested help today." Therese praised the young man.


    Aside from Vincent with his unusual Appraisal Method, Cedric was also someone who can be the next Resident Appraiser of the Guardian''s Auction House so Therese was also paying attention to this man.


    ''If his Lesser Truth Eye can''t appraise the Spirit Stones and Bloodstones properly, it either tampered or the purity is too high¡­''


    Therese thought as he looked at the two small wooden boxes on the table.


    As for the Blood Mist Sect members, they just remained silent and calm.


    They are all hiding their faces and they most likely didn''t identify which sect they came from but everyone here knows their Sect.


    Anyway, since the Auction House has a rule, they can''t reject people who are trying to sell precious items even if they have a shady background.


    "Let''s not make them wait for long then. Vincent, do you want to appraise it?"


    Therese suddenly suggested. Of course, everyone nced at him after hearing this.


    ''Why not?'' He thought.


    He wanted to immediately try and appraise it, however, he suddenly recalled that Beast Cores that are treated as Enhancement Stones can''t be appraised! So with that in mind, Spirit Stones must be something that he can''t appraise as well if they are really Ascension Crystals.


    More than that, they were actually trying to know the value or price at which they could sell these and Vincent has no answer to that. He has no idea how much they were in the first ce.


    After thinking for a moment and weighing his options, Vincent answered.


    "Alright¡­ Let me try appraising them first."


    He wanted to try his Advanced Appraisal Skill after all.


    Cedric then smiled as soon as he heard this.


    "Great, we have listed in this paper what we''ve found out so far. Let''spare our appraisal after, Vincent."


    Cedric''spetitive spirit was ignited as he suddenly started looking forward to this.

 Chapter 70 Spirit Stones

    Vincent helplessly smiled after realizing what Cedric was thinking.


    He just suddenly made apetition out of this. Anyway, it doesn''t really matter to him.


    He first looked at the bloodstones brought by the Blood Mist Sect members.


    There are a total of 10 bloodstones and all of them are indeed crimson blood and were emitting a strong deathly aura.


    ''Is this used for alchemy? Hmm¡­'' Vincent mused as he looked at the ten identical bloodstones.


    After taking a deep breath, he no longer hesitated and touched one of the bloodstones. As soon as he triggered his Appraisal Skill, 2 units of mana left his body.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal Sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered an Enchanted Bloodstone. ]


    [ Enchanted Bloodstone ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 10/10


    Corruption: 16


    Description: A special stone that can corrupt any Magic Artifact. Depending on the targeted Artifacts, it can either strengthen or weaken them.


    Remarks: Special Corruption Attribute found. Durability and Corruption Attribute will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    ''Interesting¡­ Corruption attribute¡­ This is the first time I''ve seen this.''


    As Vincent reads the notification that popped out, the others remained silent as they waited for his appraisal.


    Anyway, appraisal normally takes some time so none of them are in a hurry. The members of the Blood Mist Sect would even be satisfied if Vincent could give a more detailed appraisal to increase the value of their item.


    After a few minutes, Vincent already appraised all the Bloodstones and felt that it should be alright to give his appraisal.


    He then took a deep breath before he introduced whatever he discovered with these stones.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen a Bloodstone¡­ but this should be an Enchanted one. It has corruption ability but I can''t tell how better it ispared to a bloodstone that was not enchanted. If we''re going to rate its quality, it should be simr to a Rare rank."


    As soon as he said this, the faces of the members of the sect lit up.


    "You''re correct, they are indeed Enchanted. I guess you''re better than these two. Here''s a normal bloodstone that wasn''t enchanted by our Sect Master. Take a look."


    As he said this, he took out another bloodstone that wasn''t as dark as the Enchanted one.


    Vincent smiled as he took the normal bloodstone.


    During his stay in the warehouse, he actually discovered a few more words that would describe or differentiate the items he''s appraising.


    There were Dirty, Broken, Slightly Damaged, Reconditioned, Boosted, and Enchanted.


    Because of his experience, he was able to easily tell that the Bloodstone and Enchanted Bloodstone are different.


    As expected, as soon as he appraised the item, it has the same description and details except for the Corruption Attribute.


    <o>,m [ Corruption: 8 ]</o>


    "Hmm¡­ It''s amazing¡­ The corruption power of the Enchanted ones is doubled than this ordinary one."


    "Haha! You''re good. That''s what our Sect Master said as well. These Enchanted Bloodstones have stronger effects. Twice the normal Bloodstones that we have."


    After realizing that Vincent gave a simr appraisal to what their Master has said, they immediately felt assured.<sub> </sub>


    Previously, the two Junior Appraisers who had assisted them were actually unable to identify that it is an Enchanted one. They only mentioned it has a bit stronger purity than the normal ones.


    Therese then quickly checked the bloodstones and was satisfied by Vincent''s appraisal.


    "How about the Spirit Stones?" She asked.


    "Right¡­ Let me try¡­"


    [ Low-Tier Spirit Stone ]


    As soon as he touched the spirit stone and triggered his Appraisal Skill, he was only able to get this information.


    He tried to Enhance the item as well but the normal Enhancement window did not pop out.


    With that in mind, he held his cane tightly using his left hand while his right hand held the Spirit Stone.


    This time, he triggered the Ascension skill that he has.


    [ Ascension Crystal found. Would you like to use 1 Ascension Crystal to Ascend this item? ]


    A window suddenly appeared that also shows the image of his ironbark cane.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile as his guess was indeed correct!


    Spirit Stone is the equivalent of the Ascension Crystal in this world!


    "Is there any problem, Vincent?" Therese asked after noticing Vincent''s reaction to the item.


    "Ehem¡­ Ehem¡­ I''m sorry, Manager Therese, I can only tell that this Spirit Stone is a low-tier one."


    Vincent said truthfully as he looked at her.


    Cedric, who was just listening to them all this time, couldn''t help but give Vincent praise.


    "It''s already impressive, Vincent. You barely took some time to appraise the bloodstone but you easily discovered that it''s Enchanted and has its effects doubled. As for these low-tier Spirit Stones¡­ We are also having trouble with it because it seems to have a lot more impurities thanmon Low-Tier Spirit Stones that we''ve seen."


    Therese only smiled at this as she checked the Spirit Stones carefully.


    "Hmm¡­ There are indeed more impurities than themon Low-Tier Spirit Stones I''ve seen. They''re probably taken from a terrible environment. Nevertheless, a Purification Mana Art should be enough to take care of it. It shouldn''t be a big problem."


    "Impurities?" The leader of the group from the Blood Mist Sect repeated as soon as he heard their evaluation.


    "How much can we sell these items then?" He added.


    Therese paused for a moment before she decided to give a price.


    "We can purchase each Enchanted Bloodstone for 3,000 gold coins or 30 mana crystals each. As for the Low-Tier Spirit Stones, we still have to purify them to reach the standard level, we can only purchase them for 120 mana crystals each. Is that alright?"


    The leader of the group thought for a moment before shaking his head.


    Therese didn''t wait for them to speak as she added another thing.


    "Then, I''ll make another offer. If you continue to provide us with Bloodstones and Spirit Stones, I will give you this token so you can attend all of our auctions without paying any entrance fees. By the way, you can use this token for all Guardian''s Auction House."


    As soon as she said this, everyone gave her a surprised look except Cedric. He''s a young master of therge Schuman Family after all.


    He''s clearly aware of how valuable these items are. If they managed to secure a steady supply of Spirit Stones, this branch will certainly receive a lot of benefits from the Royal Family.


    "Haha! Great! Since you are very straightforward, let''s make a deal."


    The leader of the group no longer hesitated as he epted Therese''s proposal.


    As soon as theypleted their transaction, Vincent wanted to somehow purchase a few Spirit Stones from them as well.


    However, Maurice suddenly came to him.

 Chapter 71 Resolved

    Maurice specialized in appraising Magic Weapons or Equipment. This is why he wasn''t called to appraise the Bloodstones and Spirit Stones.


    As soon as he saw Vincent, he immediately used his authority to bring him to his office telling him that he has some Magic Weapons and he wanted his second opinion about them.


    Of course, Vincent didn''t believe him that he genuinely wanted to get his opinion.


    However, he had no choice but to follow him.


    Anyway, it''s not like this narrow-minded person can harm him.


    As soon as he entered the room, he immediately felt the man''s killing intent.


    As an Aura Knight, his Soul Sense is sensitive to this kind of sensation. He also lived in the jungle for several years and has been hunted by powerful Savage Beasts.


    In short, he''s familiar with this killing intent.


    ''Tsk¡­ How did I offend this guy?'' Vincent hasn''t been interacting with this person and he had always followed him just for the sake of improving his Appraisal Skill.


    Nevertheless, now that he achieved his goal, he actually no longer needed to stay that long here.


    His Advanced State Appraisal Skill is already enough. With such an ability, he should be able to appraise most of the items in this world now except for the select few that might be rted to his system skills like the Beasts Cores and Spirit Stones.


    ''Hmm? What''s this scent?''


    Vincent suddenly noticed a strange smell within the man''s office. He first thought that it was just the sandalwood fragrance. However, he realized that it had gotten quite strong the longer he stays here.


    "Vincent, have a seat. I will prepare a tea." Maurice said with a really suspicious smile.


    "There''s no need. Just let me see the items you wanted me to appraise." Vincent said. He doesn''t know whether he''ll get poisoned if he drinks that tea so he wanted to just finish his business here.


    "You don''t have to hurry. I just want to apologize to you for my previous actions. The weapons can wait." Maurice said as he immediately prepared the tea for the both of them.


    Vincent can''t reject him anymore he decided to just go along with this person.


    "This is the Fen Flower Tea from the Green Lake Town¡­ Have a taste." Maurice said as he sipped his tea as well to ensure that it was safe to drink.


    Vincent can only sigh as he decided to drink a little as well.


    By now, he already understood what was happening.


    He just felt his Unique ¨C Poison Immunity Talisman react as it immediately cleared his mind. Apparently, a few units of his mana was automatically used to dispel the poison that came from the room.


    The strong scent of sandalwood just now must''ve been the poison itself that was slowly entering his body.


    Luckily, his Talisman is a +9 item and has already ascended to a Unique Rank which means that its effect has increased multiple times already.


    Although the Poison Immunity remains to 20 types of poison, his poison resistance has already increased from 5 to 80 points!


    ''Let''s y along for now.'' He thought.


    "How does it taste?" Maurice asked as he sneakily looks at the clock within his room.


    ''So he''s buying some time?''


    Vincent realized the man''s n easily. Maurice invited him to have tea since he''s aware that the poison needs a lot of time before it takes effect.


    He then smirked before answering.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s soft in the mouth, a little sweet, and has a lingering fragrance after drinking it. It''s simr to the Rose Tea I''ve tasted before." Vincentmented half-heartedly.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh¡­"


    Maurice seemed to be stunned for a moment as he probably never thought that a 15-year-old boy who grew up in an unknown vige could appreciate tea.


    Nevertheless, he immediately recovered as he started talking about random things.


    After a few minutes, he noticed that Vincent closed his eyes so he immediately stopped talking and observed him for a moment.


    "Kukuku! I did it¡­" Maurice could no longer control his excitement asughed evilly.


    He confirmed that Vincent is now in a delirious state. This is one of the starting effects of the poison he gave to him.


    "Ugh¡­ I need to bring Therese here quickly. Once the aphrodisiac takes effect, it will be a show. I''ll just cut his thing and I''ll be---"


    As Maurice was hurrying to get out and bring Therese here, he suddenly noticed that Vincent was looking at him calmly.


    His eyes bulged out as he couldn''t believe what was happening. He was so confident with his poisons!


    "So it''s actually aphrodisiac¡­ I didn''t expect that."


    Vincent muttered as he looked at his teacup.


    In truth, the Poison Immunity Talisman was also triggered after he drank a mouthful of tea.


    Vincent sighed as he knows that Maurice has really gone too far. There''s no way he can still tolerate this.


    Without wasting any more of his time, Vincent used his Shrouded Steps to appear behind Maurice¡­


    "S-stop! I can exin! Aack!"


    Before he can continue, Vincent covered his fist with his Aura as he struck the man''s chest!


    Bang!


    It was so powerful that thetter was thrown against the sturdy wall.


    Maurice then spewed a mouthful of blood before fainted.


    "That''s it?" Vincent frowned after seeing how he passed out just like that. He then gave him a couple more kicks in his irritation.


    Of course, he made sure not to kill him since he still has to suffer.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Because he circted his mana and created a loud noise, the disturbance was easily noticed by the elite Security Personnel of the Auction House.


    "I''ming¡­" Vincent said to make sure that they won''t break the door.


    There is still a lingering scent of poison after all.


    "Vincent! What''s going on?!"


    Therese, Dn, and even Old Cairo opened the door and saw Maurice lying on the floor in his pool of blood.


    "Before that, you have to be careful about this poison¡­ Although it''s weak, if you ingested too much of it, it can still affect your body." Vincent said as he exined about the poisoning from the strong sandalwood fragrance.

 Chapter 72 Visit

    After several minutes, Vincent exined to them what happened.


    Dn and Therese were expert Appraisers so they were able to easily identify the poisons used by Maurice.


    "Wraith Smoke and Dire Kiss¡­"


    Therese couldn''t believe that Maurice could do this.


    Although he was indeed a troublesome person, using poison to deal with his fellow Appraiser was just too much. Also, based on what Vincent discovered, Maurice was even nning to invite her here.


    "It''s a good thing that you didn''t kill him though¡­ I really thought he died." Therese muttered as she looked at the pool of blood left on the floor.


    Maurice was already brought to the clinic by Cairo and was guarded by the Auction House''s security personnel.


    "Hmm? Does he have a special background?"


    Vincent asked after seeing Therese and Dn''s relieved faces.


    "Yes. Maurice may not be from a noble family but he''s an Appraiser working for a few Mercenary Groups. These people owe him a lot and they wouldn''t stay silent if they learned that their benefactor died in your hands."


    "That''s right. Even these poisons¡­ especially this Dire Kiss. This is a special aphrodisiac and if a woman consumed this, there is no other cure aside from getting a man''s help. He probably got this from those Mercenary Groups."


    Therese and Dn exined seriously.


    Luckily, Vincent has the ascended Poison Immunity Talisman +9 and was able to detoxify the poisons in time.


    "What do you n to do with him?" Vincent asked.


    "He''ll be imprisoned for possessing these items. But since he still failed in the end, he might just end up with some light punishment. Well, perhaps if you use your connections with the Count, he can help you deal with this small matter."


    Therese hinted.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he nodded at her suggestion.


    Anyway, although he has an invitation from the count, he hasn''t visited the ce yet because of the recent attack on the Count''s vi. There wasn''t even any news aside from the statement given by the guards that a thief went in and was dealt with in the end.


    Since a couple of weeks already passed, it has probably calmed down by now and there shouldn''t be a problem if he visited now.


    With that in mind, Vincent decided to visit the Count''s vi after dealing with the matters in the Auction House.


    Anyway, he was told by Therese that he can take a day off or two if he wanted so he epted her offer.


    "Hmm¡­ Should I bring something?" Vincent mused as he was nearing the Count''s vi at the center of the city.


    He''s unsure about the noble''s etiquette but he felt that he shouldn''t be empty-handed when he visits the ce.


    ? He then checked his bag and found nothing except for his potions and three bottles of pills.


    These pills weren''t something he bought but was given by Therese just now as she still felt bad about what happened.


    There is one bottle here that only has a single blue pill. This is a Mana Gathering Pill that was capable of increasing one''s affinity with Mana for a short period of time.


    This is actually not amon pill as most Mana Gathering Pill circting in the market were only Tier 1. It''s difficult to find Tier 2 or even higher.


    [ Mana Gathering Pill ]


    [ Quality: Low-Grade Tier 2


    Durability: 10/10


    Number of Enhancement: 0/10


    Mana Regen Speed: x2


    Mana Cirction Speed: x2<sub> </sub>


    Description: A pill capable of increasing Mana Regeneration and Cirction for 10 minutes after consumption.


    Remarks: Enhancement of any medicinal pill will result in an improvement of their medicinal effects. ]


    To be honest, Vincent''s Mana Recovery Potions +9 that he consumed a while ago were much better than this, so he wasn''t really impressed after getting it.


    Nevertheless, this is something free so he didn''t mind taking it.


    ''Let''s see my Mana first¡­''


    Vincent then checked his status and confirmed that he still had plenty of mana.


    [ Mana: 480/500 ]


    Seeing this, he decided to ascend the Pill first as 300 units of his mana were suddenly consumed.


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    "Eh? That was easy¡­ Is it easier to ascend a pill than a weapon?" He mused as if that would make sense.


    He then confirmed with his appraisal that the pill had just be a Low-Grade Tier 3 Mana Gathering Pill.


    The regen was now x5 for 10 minutes!


    Furthermore, the increase in tier was quite obvious as well as the pill turned darker blue.


    Vincent then decided to continue enhancing it until it reached +6.


    Surprisingly, the quality became Mid-Grade Tier 3 as the regen speed has now be 7.5 times faster.


    It has really be valuable right now. Unfortunately, the duration remains 10 minutes so, at most, this kind of pill will probably be useful to those higher-level Mana Practitioners.


    For him who only has 500 units of mana and Tier 1 Mana Arts in his arsenal, using this pill is a bit overkill. It''s still better to use his Mana Recovery Potions that have been enhanced to +9, or even just +6 would be enough.


    As soon as he arrived at the Count''s Vi. He was blocked by the guards who were probably at the level of Magic Knights.


    Of course, he was prepared for this as he showed them the medallion that Yvette had given to him.


    It seems that they were also informed about his arrival since they immediately recognized him.


    "Are you Sir Vincent?" One of the guards politely asked after recognizing the medallion.


    "Yes¡­" Vincent nodded.


    "I apologize for not recognizing you immediately. Serge, inform Lady Yvette immediately." The leader of the guards ordered his subordinate before he turned to Vincent.


    "Please, follow me. I will escort you to the reception hall." The guard respectfully said.


    "Alright. By the way, I heard that this ce was previously attacked, is everything alright now?" Vincent asked as he followed the guard.


    He wanted to get some clues about Tara''s situation.


    Since Tara hasn''t returned yet, it means that she was probably captured by the Count or was fighting the other Celestial Being underground.


    "Of course¡­ It was only a couple of thieves, Sir Vincent. They immediately fled after the Count returned. Aside from some damages caused by their attempt to destroy the vi to cover their escape, no one was really hurt."


    "I see¡­ That''s good to hear then."


    After a while, Vincent was brought to the vi and saw Yvette waiting for him.


    However, he noticed that she doesn''t seem to be in a good condition.

 Chapter 73 Tremble

    Yvette appears elegant with her long-sleeve green brocade dress with delicate patterns of butterflies embroidered on it.


    However, Vincent can easily tell from her emerald eyes that she has a lot of things in her mind right now.


    ''Did Ie at the wrong time?'' Vincent thought as he greeted the youngdy.


    "Miss Yvette, it''s been a while."


    "Yes¡­ Come here, I was about to get some tea. Join me."


    Yvette said as she invited her to the pavilion connected to the vi. Vincent followed her as he confirmed that there are indeed no more signs of battle in this ce.


    After a while, the servants brought a set of sea and snacks for them.


    "My father should be returning in a few minutes. He really wanted to meet you." Yvette said as she tried to appear like she was in a good mood.


    "Oh? I hope you didn''t give me too much praise. He might be disappointed once he sees me." Vincent said jokingly.


    "Haha~ Don''t worry, I just told him the truth. He won''t be disappointed."


    "I see. Your father must be very busy, have there been any problems in the county? What happened to the Austere des?" Vincent asked curiously. Although he didn''t really want to get involved with their matters, he already killed a few members of that mercenary group so he wanted to know if they have been dealt with already.


    The Austere des was the group that wanted to kill Yvette and although she didn''t mention how many members they have, Vincent was able to tell that there weren''t just 10 or 15 of them considering they are tasked to protect a few ces at the edge of the Count''s territory.


    More than that, they were able to receive plenty of funds for the past few years so they have definitely recruited a lot of members. Furthermore, they won''t be thinking of going against the Count if they aren''t prepared at all.


    It''s even possible that they are also being backed by another organization.


    Then, Yvette confirmed his suspicion.


    "Unfortunately, we weren''t able topletely eliminate them. Well, at the very least, we have discovered that they are being supported by the Rebel Army. This is why father was getting busy."


    She sighed after telling this. Even her favorite tea couldn''t lift her mood.


    "The Rebel Army? I''ve heard of them before¡­ Are they that strong that the Royal Family was unable to eliminate them? They were even able to support the mercenary group you''ve hired¡­"


    Vincent asked as he finally understood why they dared to target the Count''s daughter.


    "That''s right¡­"


    Yvette helplessly smiled at this as she started to exin the situation of the kingdom. Since she knows that Vincent grew up in a small vige, she already expected that he''s unaware of the political situation of the kingdom.


    Apparently, the Tudor Kingdom is in turmoil.


    The previous King died early and the one who reced him was only a twelve-year-old kid who had barely received an education. To make it worse, the kid doesn''t have talent in practicing mana.


    This didn''t bid well as the previous King''s younger brother, Grand Knight France, together with his supporters decided to kill the young king and take his throne.


    Luckily, the Kingdom''s Royal Teacher and Grand Magus together with their loyal Celestial Beings stopped France from his ns.


    Although they weren''t eliminated because of their strong army, they were still forced out of the capital and turned into a Rebel Army.<sub> </sub>


    ''This isn''t just a turmoil¡­ This is civil war!'' Vincent thought as soon as he heard about the current situation of the kingdom.


    He didn''t expect that this kingdom has a lot of problems right now.


    He then learned that Troy n is actually one of the supporters of Grand Knight France while Lucius n is still supporting the current King.


    ''It''s the Lucius n that has gone too far and destroyed my vige. Ugh¡­''


    Vincent couldn''t help but recall what happened to his vige.


    "It seems you''re interested in the Lucius n¡­ Your face turned really serious there¡­ Did something happen?" Yvette said as she looked at Vincent curiously.


    "Well, I just had an encounter with them."


    "I see¡­ Then why don''t you ask your Manager? Hmm¡­ Is her name Therese? She was part of the Lucius n, I remember it correctly."


    Vincent froze after hearing this revtion.


    "I didn''t know that¡­ And why ''was''? Is she no longer part of the n?"


    "That''s right. I don''t know the authenticity of this story but I heard from my father that she left the n after her little brother was hunted by one of the members of the Troy n and the n Head did nothing about it."


    Vincent couldn''t help but be stunned after hearing this.


    ''What a coincidence¡­''


    Vincent thought as he took a sip of his bittersweet tea.


    Anyway, Vincent continued asking about the situation of the Kingdom and he even learned that the Zemin n was actually in a dangerous position because of their massive wealth and hundreds of Tier 1 Alchemists and a Tier 2 Alchemist.


    Vincent wanted to ask more about this but he suddenly heard someoneing as the maids and servants made some noises.


    He immediately turned his gaze to the direction of the noise and found the imposing figure of the Count Miller Marshall.


    Vincent could easily recognize that he is the count after seeing his emerald eyes and the way he dressed.


    Well, his appearance was standard of someone from the upper ss. He has shiny slick hair, a wispy mustache, and is dressed in a tidy, extravagant suit. Perhaps, if he added a rimless monocle, it would be perfect for Vincent.


    "Father¡­ You''re back." Yvette greeted the middle-aged nobleman who just arrived at the pavilion.


    "Hmm¡­ It was quite difficult dealing with the bandits these days. Is this your friend?"


    "Yes. Vincent, this is my father."


    Vincent immediately stood as he greeted the Count.


    Count Miller wanted to thank Vincent again for saving his daughter''s life, however, the ground suddenly trembled as they felt a powerful fluctuation of mana below them!

 Chapter 74 Plans

    "Not good!"


    Count Miller realized that it wasn''t just a normal earthquake as he immediately looked at the person behind him.


    "Go down and see what''s going on! This ce will be destroyed at this rate!" Count Miller shouted to his female escort.


    ''Hmm? When did she get there?''


    Vincent only noticed now that there is actually a blonde woman behind the Count. It was as if her presence waspletely erased before she was called out.


    "Count, do you know what''s going on?" Vincent asked as he saw the woman disappear without a word.


    At this time, the shaking already stopped but the Mana Fluctuation from somewhere was still present and going stronger.


    Count Miller frowned as he just made a guess about the situation. He wasn''t sure if his intuition was right so decided to just reassure everyone.


    "Don''t worry. It''s probably a problem in our formation brought by the recent problem we encountered."


    "Oh, is it rted to the thieves before?"


    "Yes¡­ They have damaged the vi''s Core Barrier and it seems that we haven''t been able to repair it properly. Anyway, I already sent someone to deal with it. There shouldn''t be a problem arising now."


    Count Miller announced proudly.


    If Vincent would make a guess, the female escort just now was probably their unnumbered Celestial Being so Count Miller was assured that everything will be fine.


    "Right, I would like to thank you again. Although we have sent you a few pieces of gold and documents for your proof of identity, I think that it wasn''t enough considering you''ve saved my precious daughter''s life."


    "No, it''s more than enough, Count Miller. I''m really grateful for it. As a matter of fact, I''m here to give you this as I would like to make another request."


    Vincent said as he handed the Mid-Grade Tier 3 Medicinal Pill to the Count¡­


    "This is¡­"


    Yvette looked at the pill and realized that it has a very strong medicinal scent although it is still in an enclosed bottle.


    It means that Vincent had used a low-grade bottle to store a high-grade medicinal pill!


    She then immediately took action as she ordered one of her servants/


    "Bring an empty jade box here. Hurry¡­"


    The female servant hurriedly returned to the vi to get a jade box from the butler.


    "Is this a Mana Gathering Pill? A Tier 3?" Count Miller raised his brows as he asked curiously after observing the pill.<sub> </sub>


    Tier 1 pills can normally be seen circting in the market. As for Tier 2 pills, there were some of them but are quite expensive, and only in some apothecaries or shops can they be seen. They were even being imported from another city.


    As for Tier 3 pills? There is not a single Tier 2 Alchemist in this city so a Tier 3 Alchemist is already out of the question. It means that Vincent somehow had a connection to a Tier 3 Alchemist or he knows a trader connected to one.


    "This is indeed a Tier 3 Medicinal Pill. s As expected of the Count. You easily recognized the pill. This is a Mid-Grade Tier 3 Mana Gathering Pill. I''m giving this as a gift¡­ and if you don''t mind, I needed a bit of help regarding this one person within the Auction House."


    Vincent then proceeded to exin his trouble with Maurice who was connected to some shady Mercenary Groups.


    The female servant who went to take a jade box returned as soon as he finished telling them his story.


    "Hmmm¡­ Don''t worry about that, my father will handle it for you. Right, let me put the pill here in the jade box." Yvette said as she carefully took the pill out and transferred it to the jade box.


    "This is a precious pill, Vincent. Are you sure that you want to give this to us?" Count Miller asked politely.


    "Yes¡­ I''m not even a Master Magician yet. So it''s quite useless to me to have this kind of medicinal pill considering my Mana Capacity is only so little."


    "Oh~ You''re right¡­ This is indeed more suited to Adept Mages or even Archmages. However,  your request is too simple. I can handle that despicable Maurice guy even without you giving me this pill. How about this¡­ since you have terrible talent in practicing Mana, you probably need a practical weapon or equipment to protect yourself from harm. Do you have any requests? You don''t have to be shy¡­ Our treasury is quite impressive." Count Miller said as he has no intention of returning the Tier 3 Pill as well.


    Their house has several Adept Mages and the Red Rose Knight affiliated with them even has an Arc Knight. This pill will definitely be useful for them and perhaps, it could even increase their Mana Cultivation.


    "This¡­ I''m not looking for particr equipment, but I would be thankful if you can provide me with a Magician Robe." Vincent said after thinking for a moment.


    The Count immediately agreed as he personally left to find a suitable Magician Robe for Vincent.


    He then used this time to ask Yvette about Zemin n''s current situation.


    After all, he still wanted to see his arranged marriage partner.


    If they are indeed in danger just like what Yvette said, it might be toote for him and what might wee him is an annihted n instead.


    He couldn''t let that happen!


    As Yvette was recalling all the information she knew about the Zemin n in the northern part of the kingdom, Count Miller also returned with the Magician Robe and added his thoughts about the n in question.


    Vincent learned a lot of things from them thanks to their widework of connections.


    After staying in the vi for an hour, he finally decided to leave while carrying the new Magician Robe given to him.


    "Haa~ I didn''t think that they are not in a good situation. I need to hurry. Since the Zemin n is being eyed by the Rebel Army, it''s only a matter of time before they face a huge battle for their survival."


    Vincent muttered as he nned his journey to the north.

 Chapter 75 Shocked

    The Zemin n may not be weak but they certainly could not fight against the full force of the Rebel Army.


    Of course, there shouldn''t be any problem if the Royal Family would send their Grand Magus, Grand Knights, or Celestial Beings. The only problem is that the young King wouldn''t allow such a thing to happen.


    Based on the Count''s words, the young King seems to be too afraid of death and he wouldn''t allow his main forces to leave the capital.


    This is also the main reason why the Rebel Army could slowly collect their wealth and gain more supporters.


    Nevertheless, the Royal Family still sent a battalion of elite soldiers to at least show their support. Aside from that, they have lessened the taxes being paid by the n and allowed their salt trade to expand further south of the kingdom.


    It means that they could generate more money and hire their own mercenaries if needed.


    "However, based on what the Count just said, the Rebel Army should have a dozen of Celestial Beings they can mobilize and the Zemin n can only mobilize 3 or 5 of them. If the Rebel Army really wanted to go all out, it would be a huge problem."


    Vincent muttered as he returned to the inn he was staying at.


    Although Count Miller said that there is an unwritten rule that Celestial Beings will only be used to fight against Celestial Beings, this is not an absolute thing and will still depend on the situation. This is something that he clearly knows considering what happened to Arum Vige.


    As long as no one could tell the tale, there wouldn''t be a problem at all to break this rule.


    ''But¡­ even if they don''t have to worry about the Celestial Beings, can I still help the Zemin n?'' He mused.


    Since the n was still rted to his parents, he didn''t really want them to suffer like what happened to his parent''s sect.


    If he can help them, he would do so.


    ''Ugh¡­ If that Grand Knight France has a good reputation, he could''ve taken the throne easily and it wouldn''t lead to this kind of civil war.'' Vincent couldn''t help butin as hey on his bed.


    Count Miller had actually discussed that the reason why there are still many nobles who are supporting the young and incapable King was because of Grand Knight France''s terrible reputation.


    After advancing to a Grand Knight and obtaining an unshakeable power in the military field, he indulged himself in debauchery thanks to the years of peaceful times in the central part of the Kingdom.


    Apparently, most of the pressure made by the Barbarians outside the kingdom was being handled by sixrge and powerful sects. These sects will also remain neutral with regards to the royal ascension which is quite reassuring.


    Anyway, the Central part of the Kingdom remained peaceful because of them and the people could practice their Mana in peace.


    It also lead to corruption.


    France''s supporters, of course, were those corrupt officials or organizations that can be bribed by wealth and fame.


    This is why even if the Zemin n doesn''t really favor the king, they also didn''t want France to take over the throne. Their prestigious n remained upright and known for their noblesse oblige after all.


    Thanks to all of this information, Vincent felt that once he visited the Zemin n, it might be a lot easier considering they have to uphold their good reputation.


    Even if they decided not to acknowledge the arranged marriage, they probably won''t kill him to silence him, right?


    With that in mind, he decided to prepare all the things he needed as he ns to leave this city in a few days. He wanted toplete at least a month as an Appraiser.


    Thanks to Maurice''s attempt to harm him, he can easily take care of the two-month contract and end it earlier.


    ''Tara¡­ you should return before I leave. If not, I can only leave a letter for you to read.''


    Vincent sighed as he wondered when will that girl return.


    He already guessed that the strong mana fluctuation he felt before must be rted to the Celestial Weapon underground.


    Tara must still be fighting for the ownership of that weapon.<sub> </sub>


    More than two weeks have already passed and they haven''t concluded their fight yet!


    He can only imagine what kind of battle they''re in right now.


    "Hmm?"


    As Vincent started to fall asleep, he suddenly felt a familiar Soul Aura!


    ''It seems that I''m getting closer to bing a 3-Star Aura Knight. My Soul Sense can now feel her aura so clearly!''


    Vincent immediately stood up from his bed as he knocked on the door next to his room.


    "Tara, this is me¡­ Is everything alright?"


    "Mhmmm¡­"


    Instead of answering, Tara just groaned which made Vincent worried.


    "Are you injured? I''m opening the door, okay?"  Recalling that Tara was previously injured, he also brought his potions from his room.


    "¡­"


    Since Tara didn''t answer, he assumed that she agreed as he opened the door with his spare key.


    What weed him is indeed a disfigured and bloodied Tara.


    "W-what happened?!" Vincent was shocked!


    He could no longer recognize Tara as he unconsciously raised his voice. If not for his Soul Sense, he wouldn''t recognize her as a human but an undead!


    He quickly closed the door and the window that Tara used to enter her room.


    He also noticed that she already arranged a stronger barrier to ensure that no one could spy on them in this room.


    Vincent took a deep breath as he looked at Tara''s condition.


    Currently, Tara''s face barely has any skin. he canpletely see her facial muscles, tworge eyeballs, her gums, and her missing nasal cartge.


    It was as if she was skinned alive!


    She''s in terrible condition as her blood was also everywhere. Her Celestial Armor was also severely damaged and was only covering her lower body right now.


    Thanks to that, her lower body seemed to be in a better condition than her upper body. Vincent sighed as he can recall the Muscle Figure Model of their Science Room in his university.


    ''Tsk¡­ She''s really simr to humans. Why is she called Celestial Being?'' Vincent shook his head to erase his useless thoughts as he uncapped the bottle of his health recovery potions.


    <o>,m "Drink this¡­ It should alleviate your condition." Vincent said as he help her consume the two potions.</o>


    Although she looked disgusting right now, he didn''t flinch at all.


    Thanks to these two +9 potions, Tara''s condition started to stabilize and her bleeding stopped. There were even signs of her skin slowly returning!


    However, this is not enough! He has to do something!

 Chapter 76 Emergency

    Vincent still has four Mana Recovery Potions +9.


    He wanted to give this to her but he felt that it wouldn''t do any good since he knows that Celestial Beings use Celestial Powers and not mana.


    Since Tara didn''t hint to him about the special effect of his enhanced potions, he didn''t know that his +9 potions can actually recover a few of her Celestial Powers.


    Instead, he decided to pull out the other two bottles of medicinal pills that he got from Therese.


    [ Common Power Pill ]


    [ Quality: Tier 1 ]


    Durability: 2/2


    Number of Enhancement: 0/10


    Strength: +20


    Description: A pill capable of increasing Strength for 10 minutes.


    Remarks: Enhancement of any medicinal pill will result in an improvement of their medicinal effects. ]


    Since he had just gotten this pill, they still remained unenhanced in his pocket.


    In one bottle, there are 10 pieces of them so he was nning to at least give it a try.


    Vincent looked at Tara and he can tell that even though her breathing started to stabilize, she was still too weak to even speak. This pill that could give her strength might help in her condition.


    He then checked the other pill and confirmed that it is quite useless right now since it''s just a Tier 1 Nourish Pill that only affects a person''s satiety.


    Vincent then took one of his Mana Recovery Potions so he can at least try to ascend this Tier 1 Pill¡­ but as he was about to drink one, he suddenly had an urge to enhance the Recovery Potion first.


    Since he still has enough mana to do one Item Enhancement, he decided to just try it in case he can get lucky. Of course, he also activated one of his 75% sess rate vouchers as this is an important matter.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent answered as he waited for the result¡­


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    [ Congrattions! You have sessfully enhanced your first +10 item. ]


    [ You have received 1 Ascension Card and 1 Mithril Ore ]


    Vincent was shocked by the sudden good news! This is his first +10 item!


    However, even if he wanted to celebrate, Tara is still not in a good condition.


    He first appraised his Mana Recovery Potion +10 to see what kind of changes was made.


    [ A Bottle of Mana Recovery Potion ]


    [ Quality: Mid-Grade


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Units of Mana per second: 150


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Star Rosemary. It is capable of providing mana in 150 units per second after consumption that willst for 20 seconds.


    Remarks: There will be no result if Enhancement was used. ]


    "What?!"


    It must be remembered that his Mana Recovery Potion +9 can give him 150 units of Mana in a total of 20 seconds!


    However, this time, it would be 150 units of mana per second! That would give him a total of 3,000 units of Mana!


    "A plus ten is the real deal¡­"


    Since he only has a capacity of 500 units, he would recover his Mana in just about three seconds.


    It means that if he doesn''t want to waste the 20-second recovery effect of his potion, he has to continuously use up his mana by enhancing or ascending something.


    "Phew~ Let''s do this¡­"


    Since Tara''s condition might worsen once the Health Recovery Potion''s effect was used up, he has to do something as quickly as possible!


    He no longer hesitated as he Enabled his Auto-Enhancement Mode and consumed the +10 potion!


    Aside from that, he also attempted to Ascend the Common Power Pill a few times!


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    [ Enhancement Failure ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    ¡­


    [ Ascension Failure ]


    [ Ascension Sessful ]


    [ Ascension Failure ]


    [ Ascension Sessful ]


    ¡­


    [ Enhancement Sessful ]


    As soon as the effect wore off, he checked the Common Power Pill that he has in his hands.


    [ Special Power Pill ]


    [ Quality: Tier 3 ]


    Durability: 5/5


    Number of Enhancement: 9/10


    Temporary Strength: +120


    Permanent Strength: +30


    Description: A pill capable of increasing Strength attributes for 10 minutes and provides a small permanent increase as well.


    Remarks: Enhancement of any medicinal pill will result in an improvement of their medicinal effects. ]


    During this time, Vincent also enhanced another Common Power Pill but it is only Tier 1 +6 and doesn''t have a permanent increase in its effects.


    ''It has permanent effects?! I didn''t know this...''


    "Ehem... Tara, try consuming this pill."


    Vincent knows that she can still hear him so he helped her take the pill.


    As soon as it went to her mouth, it easily liquified as it went straight into her body¡­


    "Aargh¡­"


    Tara finally started showing some vitality as Vincent felt her aura getting stronger.


    Although the Special Power Pill doesn''t have healing effects, strength is still rted to her vitality after all.


    "You look better now¡­ Wait for me here, there should still be an open Apothecary.  I will purchase a proper healing potions." Vincent said as he stood up to leave the room.


    He only gave her an emergency treatment after all. Tara''s body was still in bad condition.


    Nevertheless, before he could leave, he suddenly heard Tara''s voice.


    "Y-your¡­ potion¡­ Give it¡­ to me." She weakly said.


    "Potion? I only have this¡­"


    Vincent replied as he showed the Mana Recovery Potion +9.


    She then nodded a little which surprised Vincent a bit.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll help you¡­"


    Instead of questioning her, Vincent just assisted Tara to drink all of the Mana Recovery Potions that he has.


    After consuming all his potions, Vincent stepped back as he suddenly felt a powerful pressureing from Tara¡­


    Soon, with his mouth gaped in shock, Tara showed an incredible change! Her skin starteding back to her as her badly damaged Celestial Armor detached itself from her body.


    Vincent also noticed that there is actually a ck dagger beside her that was previously covered by her armor and it seemed like a normal weapon. However, he didn''t dare to underestimate it since he couldn''t see through to this dagger at all.


    "This¡­"


    Vincent turned his gaze to Tara as he couldn''t help but admire her transformation from a musculoskeletal system into a perfect woman!


    "I''m sure my Mana Recovery Potion doesn''t have healing effects... What''s going on?" Vincent muttered in disbelief.


    As he was still wondering about this, he heard Tara''s sincere gratitude.


    "Thank you, Vincent¡­ You saved my life."

 Chapter 77 Leaving

    Vincent sighed in relief after hearing her voice. He has many questions with him but seeing her body recover is the most important thing right now.


    "You''re wee¡­ I''m sure you''ll do the same if I''m in the same condition. Anyway, are you sure you''re alright now? I can still head out to buy a few potions." He offered.


    "That would be great¡­ However, it would be much better if you can modify them. The potions that you''ve modified seem to contain a little bit of Celestial Power. Including the pill that you gave me¡­ How are you doing it?"


    Tara asked as she looked at Vincent with curiosity.


    She has no knowledge of any alchemy capable of providing Celestial Powers to the Celestial Beings like her.


    At first, she thought that it was just a coincidence but after thinking about it for a long, she realized that it was all thanks to Vincent''s potion.


    This is why she didn''t hesitate to request one to recover her powers a moment ago.


    "It''s a trade secret¡­ However, you can think of it as something simr to alchemy but no one aside from me can learn."


    Vincent answered as he looked at Tara''s chest for a moment before looking away.


    "Ehem¡­ You can get dressed now, I will be back in a while." Vincent said as he left Tara''s room without waiting for her to answer.


    Well, Tara has probably fought a crazy battle. This is why she ended uppletely naked except for her armor that detached itself in the end.


    Perhaps because he was too disgusted by her musculoskeletal body a while ago, he didn''t feel that excited even after seeing her graceful figure.


    ***


    After almost an hour, Vincent returned as he purchase as many potions as he can.


    Right now he has 12 vials of Healing Potion and 20 vials of Mana Recovery Potion. Of course, he mentioned to Tara that her modification takes some time as he needed a lot of mana to do it.


    In the meantime, he gave her 2 vials of Healing Potions +3 in case she still has some hidden injuries.


    On the next day, Vincent focused on Enhancing his potions as he managed to put them all to a +7 state. Though he has to consume 3 Mana Recovery Potions in the process.


    "Vincent, I have something to discuss with you." Tara said as she entered his room with her new sleeveless white dress.


    With how she exposes her legs and shoulders, it would seem like she''s not wearing her Celestial Armor but Vincent knows that it can actually retract to the size of an adult''s fist.


    He also looked at her long ck hair that hadpletely spread out as it danced in the wind which looked extremely elegant.


    Her beauty right now has made himpletely forget her previous disastrous appearance.


    It seems that after she almost lost her life, she had also obtained a fairy-like temperament.


    "Is it an important matter? Let me just close the window."


    Vincent said as he normally opens the window of his room for some fresh air.


    "It''s fine¡­ I already ced a barrier. The wind may get in but our voices won''t."


    "I see¡­" Vincent said as he tried to detect this barrier only to fail in the end.


    "I''m nning to leave this ce since the other Celestial Being searching for this dagger is still alive at this point..." Tara said as she showed the ck dagger to Vincent.<sub> </sub>


    "Can she still detect its presence?"


    "Yes¡­ I managed to cast a seal on this but it''s not permanent. It will be removed in three more days and I can''t cast the seal again since this weapon will have its immunity by that time."


    "Does it have sentience?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    "Well, it has low-level sentience but that''s not the reason. It''s a Celestial Weapon''s ability to evolve so using the same sealing technique won''t work again."


    Vincent took a deep breath after hearing this.


    It seems that he really has a lot to learn from this woman.


    "Is there a method to make itpletely yours? I''m sure you''re not nning to run away forever, right?" He asked.


    "Hmm¡­ So you noticed. I indeed have a n but it takes a week or even months topletely subdue this weapon. Once I seeded, I will be the only fated Celestial for this weapon."


    "That''s better. Anyway, I''m also nning to leave this city. If it''s alright with you, let''s leave together."


    "Of course, I will follow you. I would like to consume more modified potions from you. In exchange, I willplete your requests if you have something in mind."


    Vincent''s eyes bulged after hearing this.


    "Really?!"


    "Yes."


    "T-that''s awesome! Let''s work together then!"


    Vincent then mentioned his n to visit the Zemin n in the northern part of the kingdom. He also exined to her the current political situation of the kingdom as they chatted for more than an hour.


    During his remaining time in this city, Vincent decided to purchase an expensive horse-drawn carriage and bought several items with him. They were mostly potions and talismans.


    On the next day, Vincent returned to the Guardian Auction House and informed Therese about his ns.


    As expected, she wasn''t able to stop him from wanting to leave even with the contract, this is all because of what Maurice did.


    "By the way, Manager Therese¡­ When I visited the count''s house, I was informed that you were previously a part of the Lucius n, is that true?"


    Vincent asked calmly as he hid his emotions.


    Therese suddenly froze as soon as she heard this question.


    Instead of answering, Therese knitted her brows as she asked a question.


    "Why do you want to know?"


    Vincent paused for a moment as he tried to think how he would approach this¡­ However, since he can''t think of any, he decided to just be direct.


    "Six years ago at Lourwood Valley¡­ There was a small vige called Arum Vige. It was visited by three individuals connected to the Lucius n¡­"

 Chapter 78 News

    Vincent started telling the story that he''s extremely familiar with.


    Before he could even finish the story, Vincent noticed through Therese''s facial expression that she already recognized the culprit and what this is all about.


    "I¡­ I was against that! I''m sorry¡­ The previous Lucius n will never do something like that¡­ I''m sorry, Vincent."


    Therese repeated as she can also feel the emotioning from his words.


    ? It must''ve been a devastating incident for a nine-year-old kid to witness the destruction of his home. Not only that, almost everyone in that small vige had actually died from this incident.


    It wouldn''t be surprising if Vincent bore grudge against the Lucius n.


    She can still recall that eight years ago, her younger brother disappeared and is suspected to have died after encountering some elite soldiers from the Troy n which is now part of the Rebel Army.


    Their n Head at that time did nothing about it. Only after a year did they know that a part of the Lucius n has already changed their sides and was nning to support the Rebel Army and the new government they were nning to build.


    In the second year that her younger brother disappeared, she learned one of the Guardian Knights of their Lucius n was able toplete the investigation about the disappearance of Kai and confirmed that it was indeed done by the Rebel Army.


    "Manager Therese, may I know the reason why you left the Lucius n?" Vincent asked after he heard her side.


    To be honest, he doesn''t hate the whole n itself. He only despises the three people that were sent to investigate and decided to destroy the vige.


    Once he gets stronger and could fight against the Celestial Beings, he would certainly visit the n and make them pay.


    "I no longer know who can be trusted in the n so I left and decided to settle here." Therese said with a sigh.


    It seems that the internal conflict within the n is worse than he expected.


    "How about you, Vincent? Will you think of avenging them? I can give you some information about the Lucius n."


    "Are you really going to give it to me? I might take revenge someday once I get stronger." Vincent asked as he looked at her showing the determination in his eyes.


    "If possible, I would like you to only exact your revenge on the Guardian Knight¡­ She''s actually our eldest sister and her name is Corrine. She''s only 36 but she''s already an Archmage and two unnumbered Celestial Beings were with her. This made her status as a Guardian Knight as firm as the Patriarch."


    "Corrine¡­" Vincent muttered under his breath as he made sure to remember this name.


    The two continued chatting for a while as he asked a few more things about the Lucius n.


    He learned that the title Guardian Knight was just given to her as the strongest mage and warrior of the n. In reality, she is at the level of Magic Knight in swordsmanship and Archmage in Mana Arts.


    Aside from that, he realized that the n was considerably strong because there are 4 existing Celestial Beings protecting their n, and two of them were even with Corrine.


    It means that exacting vengeance against her is indeed a lot more difficult.


    Nevertheless, thank his conversation with Therese, he finally has another set of goals aside from visiting the Zemin n.<sub> </sub>


    He also received his payment from Therese which were 40 silver coins and 20 mana crystals.


    As soon as he received his sry, he suddenly recalled the other matter he failed to discuss with her.


    "Manager Therese, do you remember the Spirit Stones from the Blood Mist Sect? Is there a way for me to purchase them as well?"


    Vincent asked.


    "Spirit Stones? They are things we''re directly sending to the capital¡­ However, it should not be a problem if we sell a few of them here. Do you need them? I heard that only Magic Craftsmen were capable of handling them." Therese reminded.


    After all, Spirit Stones are quite expensive so it would be a waste of money if he purchased them and just end up gathering dust.


    "Though I''m not a Magic Craftsman, I might be meeting one on my way to the northern region." Vincent replied.


    With that, Therese no longer asked more questions as she allowed him to purchase 5 Spirit Stones.


    Anyway, with their deal with the Blood Mist Sect, they will be receiving at least 10 Spirit Stones per month.


    Vincent then left the Guardians Auction House after expressing his gratitude to Therese and promising her that he won''t be involving innocent people once he decided to exact his revenge.


    Anyway, he gave a final look at the grand auction house behind him.


    He would probably miss the auctions and his daily discovery of new types of magic tools or even old magic artifacts.


    It was just a short job as an Appraiser but he certainly learned a lot of things here.


    In the end, considering how lived most of his life in the jungle, he concluded that it was a good idea to find a job in the city and familiarize himself with the world.


    "But I should probably find another job that will earn me a lot of money¡­" Vincent muttered as he considered reselling Enhanced or Ascended Pills, Potions, Weapons, and Equipment.


    At the very least, he needed money to purchase Mana Recovery Potions since he has to always Ascend or Enhance an item.


    On the next day, Vincent and Tara decided to leave the Hearts City and head to the Arms Fortress.


    It is further east of the kingdom and was quite far.


    However, the main reason he decided toe here was the article that he read this morning in the newspaper.


    Apparently, the Zemin n has sent their young elites to battle against the Barbarians at the Eastern Border.


    What''s even more important is that the article said that they will be led by the youngest daughter of the Zemin n''s Patriarch!

 Chapter 79 Dungeon

    Vincent did not hire a coachman as he traveled with Tara to the eastern part of the kingdom.


    Perhaps, if he''s not together with a Celestial Being, he would even consider hiring a group of mercenaries to join him in his way. Not entirely because he''s weak but it''s because it''s more convenient to be with people who know the geography and were well aware of the Savage Beasts or even Magic Beasts that they might encounter.


    There is also another problem in which they might get targeted by bandits while on the road.


    However, since he''s together with Tara, he decided not to get more people involved in his matters as they might also realize Tara''s real identity.


    They have secrets they wanted to hide so traveling with just the two of them should be a better choice.


    "Vincent¡­"


    Tara called out from within the car.


    "Tara? Is there a problem?" He asked as he continued looking at the road.


    "No¡­ I just want to ask if you''re interested in visiting the near dungeon."


    "Dungeon? Is it something undiscovered?" Vincent asked curiously. During the days he spent in the city, he learned that these dungeons contain Magic Artifacts.


    If Magic Tools were things created by Magic Craftsmen, then Magic Artifacts are those ancient magic weapons or equipment that can no longer be recreated as the method on how to make them has been lost, or perhaps, there is already a much better way to create them¡­ this is the difference of Magic Tools and Magic Artifacts.


    Needless to say, the Magic Artifacts can either be extremely valuable or worthless depending on what type.


    "The Dungeon was already being explored when I saw it thest time."  Tara answered.


    "Hmm¡­ Should we take a look?" Vincent asked. Although exploring dungeons is open to everyone, not many would decide to visit them since it''s awless area inside.


    If you died inside, it can just be med on the monsters hiding inside the Dungeon.


    Aside from that, he''s not too sure about the level of danger that he might encounter within the dungeon unless he buys information from the information brokers or the first explorers of the dungeon.


    Although he''s curious, he must at least know whether he could take the risk.


    "We can take a look. Since I''m consuming your enhanced potions, I''m thinking of finding a way to repay you. We might find something inside¡­ Besides, you said that it would take 12 to 15 days to arrive at the Arms City, exploring the dungeon might not even take a day with me."


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing Tara''s suggestion.


    ''Right! If Tara would actively help me explore. This will be a lot easier. Finally, my kindness and selflessness are paying off¡­'' Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he thought of this.


    "Alright! Tell me where the dungeon is."


    ***


    Tara guided Vincent to a settlement in the middle of the forest.


    "There are many people¡­" Vincent muttered after seeing several guards patrolling the area.


    It seems that it has been a while since the dungeon was discovered as roads made of stone were already established and connected to the city and the nearby towns.


    Surprisingly, he wasn''t blocked by any people but instead weed by someone.


    He''s a tanned middle-aged man with a lean figure and wearing leather armor. He seemed to be the leader of this settlement as he proudly stood in front of Vincent while behind him was a group of soldiers wearing simr armors.<sub> </sub>


    "Hello there, young man. Are you nning to explore the dungeon?" The man asked with a smile. He didn''t bother to introduce himself and asked directly.


    Noticing that the man seems very straightforward, Vincent smiled and answered.


    ? "Yes."


    "Alright¡­ Thest group of explorers should being out today or tomorrow. You can explore once theye out or just head in if you want. However, before that, I suggest that you buy the map of the dungeon we made after our many sacrifices over thest six years. This way, you can save a lot of time."


    The man said as he showed the map to Vincent.


    As soon as he take a look, the man quickly wrapped the sheepskin map.


    "You can have this for 10 gold coins." The man said without being ashamed of himself.


    It was too expensive. It''s already questionable that they have made this map for six years. Aside from that, if they are selling this to all explorers who wanted to get lucky, their group can certainly live a good life just by staying here at the entrance of the dungeon.


    Vincent sighed as he took out 10 gold coins in his pouch.


    He didn''t want to argue with them and make this trip moreplicated.


    To be fair, he''s also unsure whether that price is eptable or not. He only knows that it''s too expensive.


    Nevertheless, he''s also curious about the map they made so he decided to purchase one.


    "Haha! You''re very easy to talk with, brother. Because of that, I will tell you a secret." The man said as he handed over the map to Vincent.


    "A secret?"


    "Yes¡­ Aren''t you here because you heard that this dungeon has the Serene Pond?"


    Obviously, Vincent has no idea about that but he still nodded.


    "Good¡­ So listen to me¡­ You''ll see the mark of the pond on the map we''ve made¡­ Once you killed the spirit guardian, the pond will activate. However, it can only provide you with Serene Water enough for three bottles. But if you follow my instructions, you''ll get more."


    The man then exined the method to get twice the amount of Serene Water. It was actually quite simple, they just have to kill the spirit guardian within 20 seconds.


    He also exined that the number of spirit guardians that will appear will depend on the number of people who had entered the Serene Pond''s chamber.


    After exining all of this, Vincent and Tara left the carriage to the Schuman Family''s Dungeon Explorers.


    That''s right, the people guarding the dungeon''s entrance were actually from Cedric''s family.


    Anyway, as soon as he entered the cave leading underground, Tara gave him a signal to follow her, instead of using the map he just bought.


    "Tara?" He asked, confused.


    "The Serene Water won''t be of much help to you. Let''s first find some treasures."


    Tara then gave him the sweetest smile he had ever seen as he shut his mouth and followed the Celestial beauty.

 Chapter 80 Exploration

    Vincent sighed after realizing that the map he just purchased wouldn''t be of any use with Tara''s presence.


    At the very least, he would know where they are or whether they entered an unexplored region of the dungeon or not.


    ''Hmm¡­ This ce isn''t as bad as I thought¡­ Are all dungeons like this?'' Vincent mused as soon as he entered the dungeon under Tara''s lead.


    The passageway is quite wide and it seems that they can even bring their carriage inside. The lights within the dungeon were from various illuminating rocks and some of them were probably installed by the previous explorers for convenience.


    The walls and ceiling are also not simple wooden nks supporting the tunnel but almost seem like made of concrete and metal.


    What''s even more interesting are the catbs or rooms that they are entering like a maze.


    While some of them arepletely empty, most of them have various nts that only grow in specific catbs as noted on the map. Unfortunately, they can''t be harvested at the moment as they are still too young. If Vincent would make a guess, these mystical nts that can be used for alchemy can only be harvested in another two or three weeks.


    He can also see various human skeletons left behind as if they were ced there to instill fear in the next explorers¡­


    Anyway, each room they are entering within the dungeon was actually shrouded by some kind of mystical energy. Only once they entered the particr room will they see what was inside.


    Though Vincent wanted to know how it works, it doesn''t seem important right now as Tara suddenly stopped after 15 minutes of walking inside the dungeon.


    "There will be a beast in the next room¡­" Tara suddenly said facing the next chamber on their left. They are currently on a passageway with two paths in front of them.


    One on the left side and one on the right.


    Since Tara ignored the right side, Vincent couldn''t help but be curious about how she can tell all of this¡­


    "Next room on the left? Wait¡­ Where are we?" Vincent asked as he looked at the map in his hands, although he has been observing each chamber all this time, he was still monitoring the path they have chosen.


    After a few seconds, he managed to find their location.


    "Oh¡­ It says here that around this side of the dungeon, most creatures that will appear are Golems. As for the opposite side, there will be demonic spiders knowns as Crypt Crawlers." Vincent said as he read the notes on the map.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s enter." Tara said as she lead the way.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    As soon as they entered the chamber, three iron golems with human figures started activating as they stood up like a robot.


    They were all four meters tall and were quite intimidating with their single red eye at the center of their head.


    It seems that those explorers from Schuman Family did well scouting this dungeon.


    "Let''s see how strong they are¡­ Tara, let me¡ª"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Before Vincent could finish his words, Tara already disappeared from his sight as she arrived in front of the iron golems.


    She has already worn her metallic gray and blue full body armor. She didn''t even use the Celestial Weapon on her waist as she gave them a powerful punch destroying their bodies¡­


    "Ohhh, do you want to try fighting them? Luckily, I left this one¡­"


    Tara said as she realized that Vincent wanted to participate in the battle.


    "Y-yeah¡­ Thank you for leaving one to me." Vincent replied.<sub> </sub>


    ''This is bad¡­ I won''t be able to get proper battle experience if she takes on every challenge. I have to make it clear to her after this.'' He mused.


    Clink¡­ Clink¡­ Clink¡­


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent suddenly noticed that the three red orbs that were previously "eyes" of the golems started moving as they buried themselves on the ground.


    He realized that this is their method of preserving themselves so they could appear again once the next explorers came.


    He found this really interesting. It was as if this dungeon has some kind of master operating it.


    Anyway, Tara immediately moved to the side as she avoided the remaining golem''s punch¡­


    Bam!


    The golem hit the floor instead as the room trembled and created a cloud of smoke.


    "I''ll be your opponent!"


    Vincent shouted to get the golem''s attention. Though he''s unsure whether he can be heard, it''s worth a try.


    He then activated his Soul Aura and covered his entire body including his Cane...


    ''Let me try using this¡­'' Vincent thought as he pointed his cane to the golem.


    He only has a weak Soul Resonance so he felt that even with a Crush Attribute, it might be too much for his cane to handle a direct sh against such a bulky iron golem. Its durability might be cut in half which is something he didn''t want to happen.


    But since his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane has be a Unique Rank, he also used his random skill card on this weapon.


    That''s right, he still wanted to use Cane''s new skill!


    "Ensnare!"


    Vincent activated the skill after he connected his Mana to the Cane.


    [ Ensnare: In exchange for 10 units of mana, a target within 10 meters of the user will be trapped by Ironcoral Vines. ]


    As soon as he activated the skill, steel-like thorn vines started sprouting on the ground as they entangled the golem so quickly.


    It tried to struggle for a while and the golem even showed signs of sess as it managed to tear several vines in a few seconds. However, it still made a mistake as it lost its bnce.


    Bang!


    The golem dropped to the ground as the vines entangled the huge golem. It became harder to struggle as it lost its momentum as more and more vines wrapped around it.


    Unfortunately, Vincent only spent 10 units of mana, and the vines stopped entangling the golem as it locked itself like a real iron.


    Though the vine stopped moving, the golem was also unable to move.


    In the meantime, Tara looked at Vincent in amazement.


    It was as if she had never seen something like this before.

 Chapter 81 Law Of Mana

    Tara then watched Vincent slowly approach the golem as if he wanted to savor his victory.


    As soon as he was in front of the golem''s head, she saw him raise the unusual wooden cane that he has and smash the red orb on its head.


    Bang!


    The collision between the cane and the red orb created sparks everywhere as the ground trembled.


    Since Vincent used his full strength in that strike, his arm felt sore for a bit as the red orb was too hard.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t stop!


    Bang! Bang!


    A couple of strikes followed and finally, the red orb shattered into many pieces¡­


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    It was then followed by the golem''s body crumbling into dust.


    Vincent actually wanted to try whether the red orb was indestructible and would be protected by the dungeon. He wanted to see if it would escape to the ground as well like what happened to the other three.


    However, it seems that he was thinking too much. It appears that the next visitor to this chamber would only encounter three golems.


    "Hmm?" Vincent realized that the golem''s body did notpletely turn to dust. A piece of iron ore simr to the size of an adult''s head was left behind.


    He immediately appraised the ore and found that it is a Low-Grade Mystic Iron Ore¡­ Unfortunately, it can only be used to create Umon Weapons or Equipment and has a low chance of getting a Rare rank.


    In short, it''s not that valuable. With this size, perhaps it can be sold for 8 to 10 gold coins.


    He also found three more iron ores that were much worse. They are just Mid-Grade Iron Ore that can create Poor or Common weapons with a low chance of making an Umon rank.


    Of course, if he can immediately sell them, he wouldn''t mind carrying them and selling them to the people outside.


    However, they weren''t even in the midst of their exploration yet so he didn''t want to carry these heavy ores. It would be a waste of energy.


    In the end, he decided to ignore them as he approached Tara who has been observing him for a while now.


    "Is there something wrong?" Vincent asked. He can tell that Tara wanted to say something but she''s hesitating.


    "¡­"


    She didn''t answer for a while as she looked at Vincent as if she was doing an X-Ray scan with her eyes. Vincent couldn''t help but be amused by the thought. He decided to remain in his spot waiting for her to finish deliberating what to say.


    "Hmm¡­ I can tell that you haven''t transformed your mana and developed your element yet. However, you managed to control that Metal Vine so easily. Even if the power mainlyes from the Cane that you have, you still need the transformed mana to control those metallic vines."


    Tara finally spoke.


    Vincent then realized what she was curious about. Indeed, the skill option of his Unique Weapon was a bit too powerful. The Item Awakening System has really given him something incredible.<sub> </sub>


    He doesn''t need to rely on his mana control to execute the skill and he only needed to spend specific mana to activate it. It was like a cheat so Tara''s reaction was normal.


    "That''s correct¡­ I haven''t transformed my mana and I haven''t developed my element yet. It''s all thanks to this special cane."


    Vincent smiled as he answered.


    "Then that cane is indeed amazing¡­ In any case, why are you still stuck at your rank? With your talent, I''m sure that you can reach a Master Magician at this age."


    "Well, I''m not talented. I heard from my grandfather that I was just a low-grade talent after assessing it when I was young. It must be the reason why I''m stuck." Vincent answered with a helpless smile.


    "Oh? Do you even know how to advance your rank?" Tara asked as if she''s not believing that he was a low-grade talent.


    "Well, I heard and read about it in some books while I was in the library. In case you know something different, can you tell me about it for reference?"


    "Alright¡­" Tara agreed as she started exining the advancement rules of Mana Practitioners.


    Being a Master Magician isn''t just about getting a higher mana capacity or being able to cast Tier 3 Mana Arts.


    It''s aboutpressing the mana in his surroundings before epting it into his Mana Core. After all, the Mana to Element conversion can only be done if you are usingpressed mana or the transformed mana to cast the element you''re familiar with.


    Anyway, Vincent is unable to do this pression of mana'' to be a Master Magician since he can''t cast a Tier 2 Mana Arts like Magic Bullets or Mana Arrows in the first ce.


    Topress the mana, it is actually a requirement that he learn how to release the mana out of his body.


    In short, if he can''t release his mana in a form of Tier 2 Mana Arts yet, the pression'', which is done outside of his body to be absorbed, is an impossible thing to do.


    This is the main reason why he''s currently stuck.


    Vincent heard Tara''s exnation and it is indeed simr to what he learned.


    As for the development of elements, that woulde after thepression of mana.


    A magician can normally familiarize a single element¡­ If you have good talent, you can familiarize yourself with the conversion of mana to two types of an element or even more if you''re lucky.


    However, familiarizing with a single element is said to be the best thing to do considering the process it takes to convert mana to an element. Anyway, this is something that he may not learn forever so he only skimmed through it while reading the books in the library.


    "It seems that we have the same knowledge about the rules of advancement in practicing mana¡­ Anyway, thank you for confirming everything with me. As for this weapon, I might consider filling you in if you can also tell me a few secrets of your kind."


    Vincent said with a smile.


    "Forget it¡­ That''s probably just a modified Magic Artifact. Let''s continue moving this way, we''re getting near to the treasure."


    "Great! Let''s go!" Vincent cheered as he followed Tara hoping to get lucky in this exploration.


    Indeed, after almost an hour within this unending Dungeon and battling against numerous Iron Golems and Iron Bats from time to time, they finally arrived at what seemed like a treasure vault that is not on the map he purchased!

 Chapter 82 Advance

    The chamber they entered just now was filled with Mana Crystals!


    Several opened and unopened treasure chests were within the room and all of them seem to be filled with nothing but Mana Crystals!


    It is such an incredible sight and he couldn''t help but pinch his thigh to make sure that he wasn''t just hallucinating.


    "One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four..."


    Vincent started counting the treasure chests and confirmed that there are 18 of them. Since Tara confirmed that the room is actually safe, Vincent didn''t hesitate to explore this chamber.


    "Tara, how did you find this ce?"


    He curiously asked.


    His map has be useless 30 minutes ago as they encountered several chambers filled with various creatures. As a matter of fact, he already stopped participating in the battle after his Ironbark Cane got its durability cut by 40 points!


    This is not a small matter considering how he has no method of increasing its durability aside from ascending them to a higher rank. That is easier said than done.


    "It''s because of that¡­"


    Tara said as he pointed at the small box at the center of the treasure chests.


    It is a precious ck box adorned with a golden dragon pattern making it look really expensive, whatever is inside, it must be something important.


    After observing the ck box, he looked at Tara to ask whether it is safe to take open it.


    "It''s alright¡­ You should be able to handle it. Besides, it will help you advance as an Aura Knight."


    "What? It can help me advance to a 3-Star Aura Knight?" Vincent looked at the beautiful woman and realized she wasn''t joking at all.


    He can only advance his Soul Cultivation using the visualization method that his grandfather taught him.


    ''Is there another method?'' He mused.


    "It can help you advance, yes¡­ I know that the modified potion you''re giving me is extremely valuable. I can tell that if other people consumed them, they will easily recover their health or their mana. And you will probably earn a lot of money if you decided to sell them. So I''m doing all of this so I won''t feel bad just epting all those potions."


    Tara exined herself as she walked forward and took the ck box.


    "Take it. I can feel that the item inside can help you strengthen your soul. I will guard you here while you assimte with it."


    "Eh? Assimte? What the heck is inside this thing?"


    "Just open it. You will understand." Tara replied with her radiant smile.


    It seems that she''s already getting used to showing her expressions. Previously, Tara seemed cold and aloof with her ethereal beauty. But now, Vincent would always see her smiling or showing various expressions while talking.


    "Fine, fine¡­ Let me see what''s inside¡­"


    Vincent said as he no longer hesitated to open the ck box.


    Inside it was a small white orb. It is carefully embedded in a small cushion protecting it from being rolled around inside the box.


    He didn''t feel any strong aura or smell any unusual scenting from it so he couldn''t help but wonder how Tara could sense this from afar.


    ''Is this  Celestial Weapon? But It looks too normal¡­'' Vincent thought as he proceeded to touch the white orb.


    He wanted to appraise the orb but as soon as he made contact with it, he felt a warm sensationing from the item as it started to spread from the tip of his fingers up to his whole body.


    He didn''t have the time to activate his Appraisal Skill!


    "This¡­ What''s happening?"<sub> </sub>


    In the blink of an eye, Vincent found himself in a different dimension. It is dark and the only thing that is giving light to him is the ray of sunlight that he can seeing from a distance¡­ It was like he was inside a tunnel and looking at the exit.


    However, even without moving, he realized that the sunlight, or the exit, is getting bigger and bigger¡­


    After several seconds, he finally managed to see what was the light¡­ It was the goddess wearing a loose white robe with a brilliant crown which was a bit simr to what he have seen in his visualization method!


    This time, however, the image is so clear and her hair is even moving!


    ''Eh? Wait¡­ She''s not painting this time¡­ Could it be¡­''


    "Ehem¡­ Are you the goddess of this world?" Vincent asked. He realized that the orb probably contains the goddess'' soul or perhaps, a bit of her divinity.


    After all, he also noticed that the majesticdy blinked her eyes! He also observed her bountiful chest carefully and realized that she was drawing her breath.


    Vincent waited for the woman to answer.


    "..."


    However, even after a few seconds, she just remained there looking at him with her serene eyes.


    ''Ugh¡­ Am I wrong? Is this just a moving image?''


    He sighed.


    ''I guess it''s not impossible¡­ I should probably be using this time to instill her image into my mind.'' Vincent then took a deep breath as he now understand what he has to do.


    After a few minutes, he realized that looking at the beautiful goddess is getting more and more difficult!


    The image started getting blurry and if he lost his focus even for a second, her existence would seem to vanish for a while


    It was quite scary so he didn''t dare to ck off. There is also that powerful pressureing from the goddess that is slowly trying to squish his body¡­


    Nevertheless, he can feel that this pressure is actually a sign of his advancement and he didn''t mind it at all.


    Whoosh~


    Finally, after spending quite some time in this training, Vincent found himself in the chamber holding the white orb in the ck box.


    He returned.


    "Tara, how much time had passed?"


    "Three hours¡­ How was it? It''s effective, right?"


    "Yes¡­ It''s really effective." Vincent answered with a smile.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    The white orb started cracking before itpletely shattered.


    "It''s gone." Vincentmented after seeing the tiny pieces of the orb that was left behind. He felt that if he could use it a few more times, he can probably reach the peak of 3-Star Knight!


    "Congrattions for reaching the 3-Star Aura Knight¡­"


    "Thank you, Tara. I thought I would need a few more years to aplish this." Vincent smiled as he can''t help but feel so lucky being with a Celestial Being.


    "I''m just repaying your kindness. I need a lot of those potions after all."


    "Haha! Sure¡­ I will work hard. Should we leave the dungeon now?"

 Chapter 83 3-Star

    "Not yet¡­ It''s not like we can carry all these chests¡­ or are you thinking of leaving them here?" Tara asked as she pointed at the chests filled with Mana Crystals.


    "T-that''s true¡­ What should we do about these?" Vincent helplessly smiled after seeing this situation.


    He tried lifting one of the chests and realized that it was actually very heavy and he barely managed to lift it.


    "It''s heavier than I expected. It would be a shame to leave this here. Should I try using them instead? Vincent thought before shaking his head.


    The mana crystal is a highly condensed state of mana that is formed naturally within a Mana Vein.


    Vincent learned thatrge ns like Troy n and Zemin n who has their ownnd and territory have a Mana Vein under their protection.


    This is why they were capable of nurturing many Mana Practitioners or Alchemists. Without the Mana Vein, raising so many magicians or physicians would certainly be difficult even forrge ns like them.


    Nevertheless, these Mana Crystals can only be absorbed by Magicians that have alreadypressed their mana within their bodies. It means that if Vincent tried absorbing the Mana Crystal right now, he would just waste over 80% of it.


    "What should I do?" Vincent muttered to himself.


    "You''re an appraiser right. Can you appraise that ck box you''re holding?" Tara suddenly said as she looked at Vincent, amused.


    "Eh? This box?"


    "Yes."


    "R-right¡­ Wait a moment." Vincent said as he activated his Appraisal Skill.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ Obsidian Treasure Box ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 350/350


    Protect: 550


    Block: 200


    Description: A special box with the power to open another dimension and store mystical objects. It is also capable of protecting itself from being destroyed.


    Mystical Store Skill: In exchange for 1 unit of mana, a mystical object targeted by the skill can be stored.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    "Oh! Perfect timing!"


    Vincent eximed as he immediately tried using the treasure box.


    He poured a unit of his mana into the box as he triggered the Mystical Store Skill of the object.


    Soon, translucent energy came out of the box as it covered the target he was trying to store. As soon as it was done, the mana crystals together with the treasure chests disappeared in his sight.


    Vincent then spent over five minutes familiarizing himself with the new item he has obtained. During this time, he learned that taking out the items inside the box will also use 1 unit of mana.


    The most important thing is that this treasure box is picky. Just like the name of its skill, it can only store Mystical objects.


    It means that his normal clothes or any random things can''t be taken in.


    Nevertheless, the Magician Robe that the Count gifted to him was actually considered a Mystical Object so he can store it


    ''Hmmm¡­ I wonder who enhanced this box? Why is 10/10 already?'' Vincent mused as he found this quite interesting. This is simr to Tara''s Celestial Armor after all.


    "Are you ready?" Tara suddenly asked interrupting his thoughts.


    "Ah, yes¡­ Where are we going?"<sub> </sub>


    "Let''s just check thest room ¡­"


    "Alright." Vincent didn''t think too much as he followed Tara.


    He also noticed that she seemed to be looking forward to visiting the next room and he found it really unusual.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    The two arrived at thest room and Vincent realized that there is a pond at the center of the chamber.


    "Serene Pond?" Vincent''s body tensed up after having a guess.


    He immediately looked around and as expected, spirit guardians suddenly manifested.


    The Spirits Guardians looked like a couple of tigers as they readily pounced on Vincent and Tara.


    "Let me help!"


    Vincent immediately said afraid that the Celestial Being would just kill the two. Of course, he knows that he still needed to kill this Spirit within 20 seconds of their manifestation. This way, he could get double the amount of Serene Water based on what the man outside said.


    Roar!


    As the Spirit Tiger gets closer to Vincent, he immediately activated the power that only belongs to a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    "Soul Pressure¡­ Domain¡­"


    Although he''s still at the beginning stage of a 3-Star Knight, he was still able to develop the skill thanks to that training from the white orb.


    Whom~


    The tiger immediately felt restricted as it was unable to move for 2 seconds!


    A couple of seconds may not be that long. However, Vincent was prepared for it! He immediately dealt a heavy blow by using his Silver Ruin Dagger!


    sh!


    With a single wave of his dagger, he shed the head of the spirit tiger killing it almost as swiftly as Tara!


    This is all thanks to the Silver Ruin Dagger''s special attribute!


    After reaching the +9 state, its Pierce Attribute has already reached 220 points!


    As a matter of fact, it has also received a new attribute after training with it for a long time.


    [ Silver Ruin Dagger ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 550


    Pierce: 220


    Critical: 100


    Description: A serpentine shape double-edged de forged from new silver.


    Remarks: Special Pierce Attribute found. Durability and Pierce attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.  ]


    With the Pierce and Critical attribute, his Silver Ruin Dagger is his best weapon if he wanted to cut things up while using Cane is when he wanted someone to be smashed into many pieces.


    "That''s quite faster than I expected. Your weapons are really amusing. The Cane that could crush anything¡­ and now the dagger that can slice even spirits¡­ It''s impressive." Taraplimented.


    "Thank you¡­ To be honest,  I was surprised as well. Ehem¡­ Anyway, I''m mostly relying on my weapons to deal damage to my target so I need better weapons. Perhaps once I can use Tier 2 Mana Arts, I will be changing my battle style."


    "Hmm¡­ I see. Then. go ahead and collect the serene water then." Tara said as she gestured to Vincent to check the pond.

 Chapter 84 Transport

    Surprisingly, Vincent collected a total of 8 bottles of Serene Water.


    It was as if the pond was giving more rewards considering how they managed to kill the Spirit Guardians in a matter of seconds. Aside from that, this pond was also not listed on the map he purchased.


    ''Should I sell this information?'' Vincent mused as he looked at the bottle in his hands.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    The notification came up after triggering the skill. Without any hesitation, he confirmed. He wanted to know why this water is being


    "Yes."


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Vial of Serene Water. ]


    [ A Vial of Serene Water ]


    [ Quality: Mid-Grade


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Magic Immunity: 10


    Description: A magical liquid that can temporarily increase the user''s Magic Immunity.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the mana units. ]


    "No wonder¡­"


    Vincent muttered after appraising the item. The Magic Immunity would be helpful not just against Mana Arts Practitioner but also against Magic Beasts while hunting.


    This item is indeed something that many would be interested in.


    However, the only problem with this is that it only has a low-level immunity even if it''s of mid-grade quality. It means that people can still find other items like shields or armors even without this Vial of Serene Water.


    ''Hmm¡­ I guess this system is quite meticulous.'' Vincent thought after analyzing the notification.


    He realized that weapons or equipment''s quality, are ranked as Poor, Common, Umon, Rare, Unique, and so forth.


    On the other hand, Pills and Skills'' quality are ranked as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and higher.


    As for special liquids like Serene Water or potions like Mana Recovery Potion, their quality was ranked as Low-Grade, Mid-Grade, and High-Grade.


    "It seems that most of the precious nts or medicinal herbs have been harvested already. It would be a waste of time checking them. I think that it should be fine to leave right now." Tara suggested as soon as she noticed that Vincent was done arranging his items.


    "That''s true. There were a lot of people waiting for them to grow after all. Let''s leave this dungeon then."


    "Yes, I think so too. Let''s go. We will be using a different path to go outside¡­ Follow me."


    "Alright¡­ We made a decent harvest today so I will work hard making you high-quality potions, Tara."


    "That''s what I like to hear. I will look forward to that."


    Tara replied with a smile on her face.


    ***


    After a few more minutes passed, Vincent and Tara came out of the dungeon¡­ They have used a different path this time and barely encountered any dungeon creatures.


    Since he has no ns to return to this dungeon, he decided to sell the information about the second pond as well. This made him earn an additional 50 gold coins in his pocket.


    As Vincent was a bit exhausted after all of this, they decided to rest at the nearest town just an hour away from the dungeon.


    The two then continued traveling for three more days and it was quite uneventful.


    They have not encountered any bandits but mostly Savage Beasts along the road. It was on the fourth day that they encountered battle in the middle of the road.<sub> </sub>


    ng! ng! ng!


    The sound of shing swords rang out as it caught Vincent and Tara''s attention. They immediately got off the carriage and went to check what was going on.


    They hid their presence carefully as Vincent moved using his Shrouded Steps while Tara used her trick as well.


    Soon, they found a group that seemed like a merchant caravan was being targeted by a group of bandits.


    ''Wait¡­ They don''t look like bandits. They have uniforms and were very skilled in saber. Are they a member of a sect or n?''


    Vincent mused after noticing that all members of the ''bandit group'' are wearing ck cloth armor and a red scarf tied on their right arm.


    "Ahh! Destroy the supplies! Burn them!"


    "ck! Hurry!"


    "Just focus on destroying the supplies! Fire! Use fire!"


    The ''bandits'' shouted as they aim their magic tools at the wagons being protected by the guards.


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent thought of helping the merchant caravan but surprisingly, they are actually winning even with a numerical disadvantage. They actually have five Mana Practitioners capable of using high-rank Magic Tools to protect their goods.


    The merchant caravan only has about 20 guards while the ''bandits'' have over 30 of them.


    The guards were even trying to protect the merchants and the weak porters hiding at the center of the mess.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The fire elemental Mana Arts did nothing as the guards continued suppressing the ''bandits''.


    "They''re winning¡­" Vincent muttered as he carefully observed the situation.


    As expected, after ten more minutes, the battle ended as the guards won the battle against the bandits.


    "You there! Stop hiding!"


    The leader of the guards who was over two meters tall shouted. After killing all the bandits, he seemed already exhausted but his imposing aura can''t be ignored.


    He stood proudly in front of the other guards while pointing his sword in Vincent''s direction.


    ''As expected, although I already perfected my Shrouded Steps, it is still a Tier 1 Mana Arts. Stronger Mana Practitioner will still have a method to sense my presence.''


    Realizing that he has been discovered, Vincent came out with Tara.


    "Hmm? There are two of you?" The leader was surprised after seeing them walk out from the bushes.


    "Yes¡­ We heard a fight so we immediately came thinking that you might need some help. We heard that there are bandits around here after all. Our carriage is just behind that tree."


    Vincent said as he pointed in the direction of their carriage.


    The guard leader also noticed that the two don''t have any visible weapons and they don''t look like enemies as well.


    Tara is wearing an elegant blue dress under her coat while Vincent looks a bit too young and wasn''t even wearing even leather armor. He''s not carrying any swords or des as well.


    After considering all of this, the man finally sighed in relief as he kneeled on the ground, exhausted.


    Although they won the battle, 4 of them died just now. He''s also barely holding on as he also received multiple wounds in that battle.


    "Leader Han!"


    The other guards shouted as they immediately help their leader.


    Vincent and Tara looked at each other as they decided to help the injured.


    Later on, they discovered that this caravan is actually trying to transport Magic Tools to the Arms City to help the army fight off against the Barbarians!

 Chapter 85 Assistance

    "So you are all from Primal Sword Sect?" Vincent asked after hearing their introduction.


    Of the 21 members of the sect, 20 of them are inner sect disciples while Han was an Elder of the Sect.


    The merchant caravan that they thought was actually here to send weapons made by the best swordsmith in their sect and supply the army that is holding off the invasion of the Barbarians in the east.


    "Yes¡­ We didn''t expect that the Rebel Army would think of even stopping us. Did they not know that this is for the whole country?! Even if they win the fight against the King, there wouldn''t be and for them to rule if we are invaded by the Barbarians! Why are they so stupid?!"


    Hanined as he held his stomach in pain. It seems that his outburst opened some of his wounds.


    "Leader Han, please just take a rest. Though you consumed some potions, it takes time for you to fully heal with that many injuries."


    "That''s right¡­ Just rest on the wagon, leader."


    The remaining disciples of the sect said as they assisted Han.


    Seeing that Han is indeed not in a good condition, Vincent decided to speak with the strongest and most respected disciple in the group.


    "Your leader was right¡­ The Barbarians are themon enemy, wouldn''t they gain more supporters if they decided to fight against the Barbarians instead of bing a hindrance to the Sects?" Vincent asked as he was indeed curious about this whole situation.


    He learned that the main force fighting against the barbarians aren''t the Royal Knights or the army sent by the King. Instead, they were people from various Sects and the soldiers led by Marquis at Arms City.


    Based on what Vincent found out during his trip, a huge part of the Marquisate''s territory has been taken by the Barbarians already. It is all because the previous guardian of the east, the Star Garden Sect, has been destroyed due to theck of support from the King.


    "Haa~ It''s not as simple as that, although they appear as part of the Rebel Army because of the red scarf tied on their arm, they weren''t necessarily following Grand Knight France. I''m guessing that these people were from the Dark Sky Cult¡­ Leader Han was too immersed in the battle so he probably didn''t notice."


    Daniel then exined that the thick forest and the mountain range nearby are rumored to be the hideout of the Dark Sky Cult. They were an organization that has been causing trouble around this area.


    "Hmm¡­ But aren''t they aiming for the goods that you have? I heard them yell to burn the supplies you''ve brought." Vincent said as he nced at the wagons at the side of the road.


    Currently, the other disciples are busy digging graves for the four other disciples that have died. They can''t just leave them in the middle of the road after all.


    If they did that, their bodies will be eaten by Savage Beasts or any creatures that would pass here. They couldn''t let that happen.


    "That''s true¡­ But I think they are actually aiming for the person we are guarding right now. Aside from protecting the goods, we are also here to help someone get to the Arms City."


    Daniel said as he looked at the simple carriage in the middle of the wagons filled with valuable magic weapons.


    Vincent did the same and indeed, he realized that this particr carriage wasn''t simple. From the start to the end of the farce caused by the attackers, that carriage remained unmoving.


    "Hey¡­ Why did you tell me something like that? Isn''t that something you should be keeping a secret?"


    Vincent reprimanded the disciple. Although he was curious, he didn''t want to get involved too much with these people.


    After all, he might be targeted by this Dark Sky Cult or the Rebel Army.<sub> </sub>


    Daniel smiled helplessly at this as he immediately exined.


    "It''s not like that, Sir Vincent. I just thought that the two of you aren''t simple travelers. There was no way that such a beautiful woman and a young man like you would be able to get here safely if you were not capable."


    "Hmm¡­ That''s true."


    "Since that was the case, I hope that you can help us get to the next town safely. If you''re in this direction, you guys are either heading to Yoma Town or Canthus City. I would really be thankful if you can help us now that our Elder was injured."


    "Oh? That''s true¡­ Then, will I be able to get a reward?" Vincent asked. He held back telling them that he was also going to the Arms City as he thought that it was not necessary.


    "Of course, I will give the two of you a sword. They are the pride of our Primal Sword Sect. You won''t find them in the market or even in thergest Auction House as it is prohibited to give them to any people not acknowledged by our Sect."


    Daniel proudly said. It seems that he wasn''t a simple inner sect Disciple as well if he could make such a decision.


    "Alright¡­ Then, we''ll do our best to protect you guys up to the nearest town, especially that carriage you said is very important. Don''t worry."


    Vincent epted although he hasn''t seen the sword yet.


    Since they were proud of it, it should be a decent sword and once he enhances or ascends it, it would certainly be more valuable in his hands.


    Vincent then ryed his ns to Tara who has returned to the carriage.


    "Yes, I heard your conversation. It is a good decision since we will be going to the same ce with them. You may even use their Sect to approach your marriage partner easily." Tara replied.


    She already knows his ns after all.


    He didn''t keep his secret about him looking for his arranged marriage partner as he also wanted to gain Tara''s trust.


    After settling all their matters, the group started moving to get to the nearest town.


    Unfortunately, it doesn''t seem to be that easy. Before they reached the town, they encountered another ambush!


    ng! ng!


    Two throwing daggers almost killed Daniel. If it wasn''t for Vincent''s quick movement, he would have been pierced by those daggers already!


    "They''re here. Be careful!"


    Vincent spoke as he immediately activated his Domain!


    The disciples including Elder Han immediately realized Vincent''s identity!


    "A young Aura Knight?! How is this possible?"

 Chapter 86 Strike

    Everyone here had an image of an Aura Knight as old people, or perhaps, at middle age if they are quite talented.


    It''s because they know how difficult it is to be an Aura Knight. Furthermore, most of the Aura Knights they have seen were already at this age. They have never seen a teenager that has developed his soul to this extent!


    ''This is incredible! Is he rted to the royal family?''


    ''I wonder if he''s hiding his true identity¡­''


    The disciples of the primal sword sect started specting.


    They know that Soul Cultivation is an arduous path. If you aren''t from the few families who have already strengthened their souls, you wouldn''t inherit their strong soul force making it harder for you to develop yours.


    In addition, without the Visualization Method to help with the cultivation, it''s basically impossible to be an Aura Knight.


    The worst thing about this is that not anyone can cultivate their soul even with the possession of a visualization method. Even reaching a single star is unlikely without enough talent.


    However, everyone on the battlefield, friend or foe, just felt the Soul Domain that Vincent created!


    It means that he''s already a 3-Star Aura Knight at a young age!


    ''No wonder they weren''t afraid of traveling in this area even without guards.''


    ''Just how old is he? Sixteen? Seventeen? How is it possible to have such a strong soul force without umting them for 30 or even 40 years? Is he really part of the royal family?''


    Elder Han sighed as he couldn''t help but be impressed. He then nced at Tara who didn''t seem surprised as he suddenly had an idea.


    ''If he''s really connected to the royal family, then this woman should be his bodyguard¡­ Don''t tell me¡ª''


    Elder Han felt that he already realized their identity as he gulped silently.


    "Hmm¡­ No wonder the first team didn''t manage to return¡­ They brought an annoying one."


    An alluring female voice as she appeared in front of the group. She carefully looked at everyone before stopping his gaze on Vincent.


    There are a total of 4 wagons and 1 carriage brought by the Primal Sword Sect. As for Vincent''s carriage, it is at the center of the caravan in front of the Sword Sect''s carriage.


    Vincent was simply able to move faster because he decided to ride a horse just like the other disciples. It is mostly because they have spare horses and he wanted to learn horseback riding. He didn''t expect that he would be able to save a life because of this.


    "Who are you?" Vincent asked as she looked at the red-haireddy in front of them.


    She''s a youngdy in her twenties and she doesn''t seem like an assassin or bandit at all.


    She''s wearing an open gray robe which shows her a seductive outfit. She''s only covering her chest with a bandage showing most of her skin and tight ck nts on her lower body.


    This is Vincent''s first time seeing this kind of outfit in this world.


    Behind her is another group of people wearing ck cloth armor and a red scarf tied on their arms.


    He noticed that these people were somewhat affected by his domain but not this woman.


    It''s either she''s a Soul Cultivator with strong resistance against Soul Pressure or she has a Magic Tool or even Artifact to nullify its effects.


    The worst scenario is that she''s just too strong and capable of blocking his Soul Pressure with her own might as Mana Practitioner.


    "Hmph! You don''t have to know! Just release this darn Domain!" The woman shouted as she finally revealed her real abilities, the temperature suddenly fell as blue ice started forming beneath her.


    "Haa!"


    With a shout, an icence suddenly formed and headed towards Vincent.


    He wanted to just crush it with his Cane but a figure appeared in front of him.


    "Foolish! Don''t appear in front of me if you only have this skill!" Elder Han shouted as his sword erupted with powerful me¡­


    He has a simr elemental affinity with Yvette who simrly practiced mana-to-fire element conversion.<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    The Ice and Fire collided creating a mist and blocking everyone''s vision.


    This is not a problem for Vincent since he already learned Soul Sense after reaching 2-Star Aura Knight. However, what surprised him was that the Primal Sword Sect''s disciples were also able to move effortlessly within the cover of the mist!


    ''No wonder they dared to fight against the Barbarians, they''re really the elites of the Sects.'' Vincent was impressed by how they easily adapted to the situation.


    He has barely even shown his skills.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The two groups finally shed. The disciples may not be using elemental techniques with their swordsmanship but Tier 1 and Tier 2 Mana Arts are being constantly used in the battle.


    Daniel, who was the strongest disciple, can even form a fire sword every 10 seconds or so.


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent then focused his senses on the woman who was using Ice Element and realized that she was simrly capable of moving within the mist without any issues¡­


    Elder Han wanted to fight her in closebat but she suddenly disappeared and headed in a different direction!


    She seemed to be targeting the mysterious carriage alongside the Primal Sword Sect disciples!


    "Not under my watch!"


    Vincent used his Shrouded Steps as he intercepted the woman''s path.


    Bam!


    His cane and her dagger collided creating a powerful impact that almost blew her away!


    "W-what''s with that strength?!" The woman had an incredulous look on her face after that single exchange. She then looked at her precious dagger that is still vibrating in her hands.


    If she didn''t step back and decided to fight it out with him, she was sure that her dagger will shatter at any moment!


    This dagger is an Epic Weapon she inherited from the Lord of the Dark Sky Cult. It is also made of a precious metal called Mithril.


    She immediately looked at Vincent''s weapon because of this.


    However, instead of seeing an Orichalcum or Adamantite weapon, she saw a wooden cane in his hands!


    ''Impossible! Even with his Aura, it shouldn''t be an equal to my dagger¡­ Something is wrong here.''


    She wanted tounch another attack on Vincent.


    ''This must be some kind of a trick¡­ I''ll just beat him with my elemental skills.''


    Whoosh~


    Before she could make a move, someone from the Sect used a Magic Tool to blow the mist away by using a Wind Wave, a Tier 3 Mana Art that can be destructive if used excessively.


    "Tsk¡­"


    Seeing this, she decided to just use her trump card since she was already at a good distance to destroy the carriage.


    Swish~ Swish~ Swish~


    Three red throwing daggers that are giving off an ominous aura suddenly struck the door of the carriage!


    This happened so fast that Vincent was even unable to see what happened until the daggers hit the carriage''s door!

 Chapter 87 Attack

    Vincent couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    It was as if the daggers did not travel through the air and just manifested in front of the carriage!


    "Crap!"


    He immediately felt that the red daggers were about to explode! He noticed that a huge amount of mana started to concentrate on those three!


    As expected, they aren''t just here to destroy the goods that the Sect Disciples have brought but to kill whoever was inside the carriage.


    Vincent wanted to stop this from happening but he has no items that could prevent it!


    In the end, he thought of activating the ck box''s Mystic Storage Skill only to be disappointed. It seems that the dagger that is currently covered by Mana Art can''t be affected by the skill.


    As Vincent was getting worried, a figure arrived in front of the carriage and pulled out the three daggers.


    "Tara!"


    Vincent recognized that figure as he sighed in relief.


    p Tara then swiftly threw the daggers into the sky before they all exploded¡­</anda>


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The explosion was so powerful as the trees swayed and the ground trembled.


    The Primal Sword Sect disciples were also stunned by this. If not for Tara''s quick reaction, the carriage they are protecting would''ve been in danger!


    Elder Han tightly held his sword as he realized that their mission may not bepleted at this rate. They were still about 10 days away from the Arms City and they already encountered a huge problem like this.


    If Vincent and Tara decided to separate from them in the next town, they might really die before they can deliver the supplies to the Defense Army.


    "Y-you¡­ How can you dy that explosion? It should explode the moment an external force tried to make a contact with it!" The woman was stunned.


    In fact, she''s expecting the dagger to explode the moment it struck the carriage. She did not expect that it would be dyed for over five seconds!


    Though she can tell that the white carriage was enchanted or boosted by some kind of alchemy, it was only to strengthen the carriage itself and to protect the horses from harm.


    It shouldn''t have the power to dy the Magic Tools she purchased for an expensive price! It means that the woman who confidently pulled it out and threw it away did something in that short moment!


    Tara only smirked after seeing her in disbelief at the situation.


    "Tsk¡­ I didn''t know this mission would be this hard. I shouldn''t have epted this." The red-haired womanined as she looked at Vincent and Tara.


    She''s confident about dealing with Vincent as she already had battle experience against Aura Knights. They may be strong individuals and difficult to injure with their shell-like Aura protecting their bodies but that was it.


    Restraining Mana Arts like Ice Coffin, Frost Garden, or Ice Wall should stop him for a while. As long as she doesn''t directly fight him, she has nothing to worry about.


    However, Tara''s existence baffled her.


    She doesn''t possess any Mana Fluctuations and Soul Aura. However, with the way she moved just now, she knows that she must have practiced martial arts or magic.


    She nced at herpanions and realized that they are on equal footing with the Primal Sect Disciples.


    As expected, fighting these sword maniacs in their specialty is not going to be easy.


    Nevertheless, she couldn''t just give up since her target is just in front of her eyes!


    This time, she decided to go all out!


    "Everyone! Take the pill!" She ordered.


    She also made her move and took out a pill from her robe''s pocket.


    Crunch!


    She crushed the pill in her mouth before swallowing it whole.<sub> </sub>


    Her Mana Fluctuations started growing stronger! It is the same for all herpanions dealing with the Sect Disciples.


    Since there are 30 of them, they have numerical advantages and had enough time to consume the pill.


    "Hmph! Bring it on!" Vincent feels like he''s about to finally have a decent fight.


    He also decided to consume one Serene Water as he felt that his Aura''s protection alone may not be enough to stop the cold from getting into his body.


    "Tara, please protect the carriage and the wagons for now¡­ I''ll deal with this woman."


    Vincent said as he looked at Tara hoping that she wouldn''t mind.


    As soon as she saw her nod, Vincent can finally sigh in relief. He no longer has to worry about the goods and the carriage.


    "Haa!"


    Vincent used his Shrouded Steps again as he approached the red-haireddy who was still consolidating the newfound power that came from the pill.


    "You dare approach me now?! Take this!"


    The woman felt confident after taking that pill. Her white and smooth skin has now turned red and her purple veins started showing as well.


    Her body is now filled with mana and she felt unstoppable.


    With her Ice Affinity, she felt that she might even be able to cast a Tier 5 Mana Art!


    Vincent waved his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane while the woman manifested an Ice Lance in her hands to parry his attack.


    Since she already knows the terrifying power behind that cane, she didn''t dare use her precious dagger again.


    Using the Ice Lance that can be constructed as long as she has mana should be a better option to sh against such a mysterious weapon.


    Bam!


    Her Ice Lance met Vincent''s Cane and was shattered into many pieces. However, the red-haired woman didn''t seem surprised about it and even smiled after seeing the ice shards surrounding Vincent.


    "Fool! Rot in my Ice Coffin!"


    The woman mocked Vincent. Thetter then realized what was going on! He was slowly being covered with ice and was about to be an ice statue.


    Luckily, the Serene Water he consumed is doing its work and dying the process.


    His 3-Star level Aura was also protecting his body from the frostbite.


    ''It''s quite troublesome but it''s not at the level I can''t handle¡­ Is she a Master Magician or an Adept? I wonder¡­''


    Vincent mused as he circted his mana into his palm.


    Surging Palm Strike!


    The ice trying to cover him was again, shattered into many pieces. As for the red-haired woman, she''s already heading in Tara''s direction thinking that he was already done for.


    It was a big mistake on her part.


    "You!"


    The woman suddenly felt that there was something dangerous behind her. It was just her instinct so she quickly looked behind only to be weed by a silver daggering right into her face!


    "Ahhh!"


    She did her best to avoid the dagger in that split second. However, her right cheek was still deeply cut showing her teeth and gums¡­ She can only cover it with her palms as she looked fearfully at Vincent who was staring at her with his cold eyes.


    ''Shit¡ªThat''s it¡­ I''m out of this¡­''

 Chapter 88 The Carriage

    ''This is just too much¡­''


    In the first ce, she wasn''t here to do a life and death battle against the Primal Sword Sect disciples.


    The mission she received was just to destroy the white carriage or kill the creature hidden inside.


    She thought that this would be an easy mission considering that the Primal Sword Sect barely has any method to stop her Elemental Attacks.


    If she just focused on the mission, these sword maniacs wouldn''t be able to hinder her. If she found them quite weak, she would certainly y around with these people and kill them in the end.


    However, Vincent and Tara''s existence exceeded her expectation.


    A 3-Star Aura Knight and a mysterious martial arts practitioner were causing trouble to her mission.


    "Die!"


    The woman yelled in fury as she formed a floating ice de in front of her before she threw it toward Vincent.


    Thetter didn''t n on parrying this Ice de since he can tell that it contains an enormous amount of mana.


    The pill that she just ate to enhance her mana is still in effect after all. shing against this woman head-on is not a good idea.


    Whoosh!


    The Ice de missed Vincent.


    ''She''s agitated¡­ I can do this.''


    Vincent noticed her uneasiness as she seems to be wary of Tara who wasn''t too far from her.


    Whom~


    This time, he has withdrawn his Soul Pressure and Soul Domain since it doesn''t seem effective against this woman. As for herpanions, after they took the pill, the effect had also lessened a lot and they can now move quite easily.


    Nevertheless, the main reason why he pulled his scattered Soul Aura, is that he wanted to end this fight in a single blow.


    Vincent used his Shrouded Steps to get near the woman.


    Then, his Cane was covered with severalyers of mana as he triggered one of his Tier 1 Mana Arts.


    Swift Wave!


    He wouldn''t normally use this Mana Art since he would always rely on the Cane''s Crush Attribute to deal with his target.


    However, he can tell that this woman has a strong Mana Shield protecting her body, and his Aura and Crush Attribute may not work.


    This is why he added this Mana Art to ensure the end of this fight!


    "Haa!"


    Abination of Aura, Mana Art, and Crush Attribute of the weapon smashed the woman''s body!


    Vincent has rarely done this technique and he just mostly practiced this with a dummy. Not because it''s difficult to do but because he rarely encounters someone who has the qualification to face this attack!


    Bam!


    At the same time that he was able to hit the woman, the Ice de that missed him suddenly shattered into many pieces as the shards seems to be trying to freeze him.


    However, his withdrawn Soul Aura is more than enough to deal with it so Vincent just ignored this!


    Boom!<sub> </sub>


    The woman was blown away by the impact of his cane and was thrown to Tara''s side.


    Surprisingly, she wasn''t heavily injured by that attack as Vincent felt that he just hit a wall. It was as if she was wearing some kind of invisible armor.


    It was either her tough Mana Shield or an Equipment Effect.


    ''Eh? What''s this?''


    Vincent thought that his Aura Protection was enough to deal with the frost that was trying to cling to him, however, he realized that it actually prated his defense even with the help of the Serene Water!


    "Tara, just finish her¡­ We don''t need to interrogate her!" Vincent shouted¡­ This woman is too dangerous and he can''t let her escape or they might just face a stronger opponent on the way.


    Mana practitioners that were capable of freely controlling an Element they developed are just too tricky to deal with.


    They have to end this faster or they might regret this.


    Tara nodded at his instruction as she appeared in front of the red-haireddy. She can also tell that Vincent was already frostbitten. He needs an immediate cure before it gets serious.


    "Don''t think that I''ll die so easily! I''m Macy! Remember my name! I will return!"


    Before Tara could kill the woman with a punch, Macy burst with a powerful surge of mana as numerous thick icicles protected her!


    It was also followed by an Ice Mist Mana Art.


    "Tsk¡­" Tara was hit by these numerous icicles and was forced to back away.


    Though she wasn''t scratched by that attack, Macy used this opportunity to escape.


    "Ugh¡­ I should''ve used the dagger¡­ Using it once shouldn''t have caused trouble anyway." Tara helplessly smiled after seeing that Macy vanished in the mist.


    She hasn''t been using the dagger because she''s afraid that the seal she ced on it will be removed and will get detected by the real fated Celestial of this weapon.


    She thought that fully owning this weapon wouldn''t take long but because she has gotten so weak already, she had miscalcted the time she needed to bound it to her.


    She probably needed more Celestial Power to control it.


    Perhaps, if she can receive 500 more Modified Potions from Vincent, she would''ve bound the dagger to her already.


    "Ah¡­"


    As Tara was thinking about her missed opportunity, she realized that the white carriage has been destroyed by the numerous icicles already!


    Vincent and Elder Han noticed this as well. Since the other ''bandits'' were already escaping, the two moved in haste to check the carriage as they were worried for those who are inside.


    ''Crap¡­ I hope they weren''t heavily injured. I only have one Health Recovery Potion left.'' Vincent thought as he has already given all the other potions that he has to Tara. This potion is just something he left in case of emergency.


    Anyway, once they arrived at the nearest town or city, they can just easily restock with the money and Mana Crystal that he has.


    "Grrr¡­"


    Vincent suddenly heard a growling noiseing from the broken carriage. He thought that it was Elder Han''s stomach since he looks quite hungry already but...


    "Huh? A white tiger.. cub?" Vincent asked in surprise as he looked at Elder Han, confused.


    He was expecting to see a nobleman or perhaps a precious child that needed to be heavily protected inside the carriage.


    However, it was actually a young Magic Beast?!

 Chapter 89 Magic Beast

    After Vincent bought the book, The Compendium of Beast: Third Edition, he was already quite familiar with the Savage Beasts and Magic Beasts that are existing in this world.


    As a matter of fact, thependium even includes the materials that can be looted from the bodies of these beasts. This made him aware of the value of the beasts that they were encountering from time to time.


    However, there are Magic Beasts that are very difficult to find sopiling information about them is a hard task.


    The White Tiger in front of him is one of them.


    The information in the Compendium only states that this magic beast has an affinity to Lightning Element and is very difficult to tame unless you managed to train it when it is still a cub!


    "Elder Han¡­ I didn''t know that your sect is also transporting this Magic Beast." Vincentmented after seeing the cub safely protected inside a white steel cage.


    The steel seems special as the small sparks that the cub was trying to manifest were being suppressed quite effortlessly.


    During their trip, Vincent remembered seeing three or four disciples entering this carriage at a certain interval.


    It is perhaps to feed the white cub or clean its mess inside the cage.


    "I''m sorry for not informing you about the level of danger of our mission. We didn''t really expect this to happen."


    Elder Han said in remorse. He can already confirm that the news about them transporting this Magic Beast has been leaked to the enemy.


    This enemy might be the Dark Sky Cult, or perhaps, the Rebel Army itself.


    Anyway, Elder Han still sighed in relief after seeing the cub wasn''t injured by Macy''s final attack and was only terrified about the sudden disturbance.


    He then looked behind him to confirm that the battle against their ambushers was wrapping up.


    As expected of the elite disciples of their Sect, even if the enemies consumed a Berserk Pill, they still managed to hold on and killed most of them with only 3 casualties.


    "The Sword God is on our side! The Primal Sword Sect is the chosen one!"


    "The victory is ours!"


    The disciples cheered in joy after killing most of the enemies. Only four managed to escape from the thirty or so ambushers which is quite an impressive feat.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile after seeing this.


    "I underestimated her. She has actually learned a high-level Tier 4 Mana Art and vanished together with the mist."


    Tara said as she approached Vincent.


    "Oh? It''s okay¡­ She''s quite injured anyway. We also managed to kill their elite forces. They shouldn''t be thinking of striking us again in the meantime." Vincent replied calmly after analyzing the situation.


    Tier 4 Mana Arts were indeed tricky abilities and he wouldn''t me Tara for that.


    One sample of Tier 4 Mana Art is called Mystic Eye, a technique in which you transform your eye using a technique that Vincent has no idea as of yet.


    Nevertheless, he concluded that Tier 4 is rted to body modifications that were tough to deal with.<sub> </sub>


    "You''re right¡­ I''ll get back to the carriage then."


    After about half an hour, the situation finally calmed down and they continued on their way to the nearest town.


    They were left with only a few horses because of the recent attack so many of them can only walk which slowed them down.


    At the moment, there are only 14 remaining members of the Sect including Elder Han. Though it was quite regretful, some of them were still d that they remained alive.


    "Ahh! Atst!"


    "The town is up ahead!"


    "We can finally take a rest¡­"


    The disciples celebrated after seeing the lively town ahead of them. Vincent was also quite happy about this since he can restock his potions again.


    This time, he will buy as many as he can so he can always Enhance or Ascend in his pass time.


    Anyway, he realized that after reaching the 3-Star level, his natural Mana Recovery Rate has tremendously increased.


    Though he was still incapable of manifesting Tier 2 Mana Arts, his Mana Foundation has already developed so much.


    He no longer needed to sleep the whole night to recover his Mana!


    Their group stayed peacefully within the town but they still left the next day since their mission to bring the Magic Weapons to the border army is very important.


    "Vincent, these two are the precious swords of our Primal Sword Sect¡­ Normally, only elite Disciples of our Sect were allowed to obtain this. However, thanks to you and Lady Tara, we were able to reach this town safely and hire a few mercenaries to help us continue on our way¡­ If you have some time, you can visit our Sword Sect someday."


    Elder Han said as he handed over two sheathed swords to Vincent. Both of them are identical and were indeed quite precious based on the intricate patterns on their cross-guard and pommel.


    As for the scabbard, it was quite in but he can tell that it was not a simple material as well.


    "Thank you, Elder Han. Yes, I might be visiting the Primal Sword Sect¡­ Actually, I think I know some disciples there" Vincent replied.


    "Oh? That''s better! Do you know someone in our Sect? May I ask who were they?" Elder Han asked, thrilled by the sudden discovery of the connection they have.


    "About eight years ago, my friends were taken by Elder Thierry to the Primal Sword Sect. He was already quite old when I met him before. Do you know someone with that name?"


    "Elder Thierry?! Of course! Haha¡­ I guess your friends were also talented. Elder Thierry is one of our Sect''s Sword Master. I might''ve seen them in the sect then¡­" Elder Han smiled.


    The two then chatted for a little while until it was time for them to leave.


    The Sect Disciples also thanked Vincent and Tara before they finally left with a new carriage and horses with them. Aside from that, they have hired a total of 10 mercenaries from this town to help them with the journey ahead of them.


    "I thought you''re nning to join them in going to the Arms City since we all have the same destination?" Tara asked recalling Vincent''s words.


    "Don''t worry¡­ We just have to settle something in this town then we''ll meet them in Canthus City." Vincent replied mysteriously as he looked at the receding figures of Elder Han and the others.

 Chapter 90 Found

    As soon as they returned to the small room they rented, Vincent appraised the sword that Elder Han was proud of.


    [ Arcane-Forged Primal Sword ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 180/180


    Critical: 10


    Sword Insight: 5


    Description: A sword forged by a Master cksmith.


    Remarks: Special Critical and Insight Attribute found. Critical and Insight attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "This is a lot better than I expected¡­" Vincent muttered as he handed over the sword to Tara. This weapon shouldn''t be less than 500 gold coins so it is indeed a very generous reward. Helping them in their time of need is indeed a good choice. He would certainly not receive this couple of swords if they did not encounter any enemies along the road.


    "Ehem¡­ Tara, this sword can help with our identity. The Primal Sword Sect was quite righteous even if they are known as Sword Maniacs to the public. There shouldn''t be a problem disying them." Vincent exined. T


    Though he wanted to enhance the sword he had given to Tara, it can be der. For now, he ns to enhance and even ascend his sword first.


    "That''s true¡­ But I''m more interested to know why you wanted to stay here?" Tara asked as she picked up the sword. She wasn''t too interested in this weapon but since this would help them in their journey, she didn''t mind carrying it with her.


    Besides, she also wanted to lie low since she hasn''t fully recovered yet.


    "Hmmm¡­ You probably noticed by now. I think that we''re being followed and those people following us did not n to leave after Elder Han and the others left¡­ It means that their target wasn''t the White Tiger they have, but the two of us." Vincent analyzed.


    Tara faintly smiled as soon as she heard this. To be honest, she already knows about it but she wanted to hear it from Vincent.


    "Impressive¡­ Is it because you''ve be a 3-Star Aura Knight? Even Elder Han didn''t notice their presence."


    "Hmm¡­ That''s true. I really benefited a lot from that white orb."


    His decent Soul Sense allowed him to notice them. Although he wasn''t too adept with it, he can still use it to sense the surrounding Aura without being detected as long as he was careful about it.


    "Should we give them an opportunity to attack us?" Tara suggested as she sat on the bed.


    Vincent thought for a moment before nodding his head.


    "That''s not a bad idea¡­"


    ***


    An hour after the two made their n, Vincent and Tara came out of the inn wearing identical gray overcoats they bought in the tailor shop yesterday.


    They did not head towards the carriage they left outside but they actually went headed towards the mountain.


    This town doesn''t have many sources of ie. However, foraging for herbs or medicinal nts is quite famous here. As long as you have the ability to protect yourself, you can easily find a few precious types of grass even just in the outer part of the forest.


    "There are a few beasts ahead¡­" Tara reminded Vincent after 10 minutes of walking.


    "Yes. Let''s slowly take them out then¡­"


    "Got it."


    The beasts ahead were just a couple of Cinder Rabbits.


    They may not pose some problems to them but to most people, these Cinder Rabbits can be very dangerous. They were like a sentient fireball once they started attacking!


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    As expected, as soon as they reached the beasts'' territory, two balls of fire rushed in their direction.


    Of course, they are not really balls of fire but the rabbits that turned into one by curling themselves after jumping at a high speed.<sub> </sub>


    Vincent and Tara avoided them quite easily at first¡­ They both raised their weapons in preparation to counter.


    However, it didn''t bid well! The rabbits can actually change their direction mid-air!


    "Aaahh! That''s cheating!"


    Vincent was hit on his stomach as he stumbled for a moment. As for Tara, she was also hit but at the very least, she can take the attack head-on without being thrown away.


    This continued for a while as they couldn''t kill the rabbit.


    "Should we escape?" Tara suggested with a smile.


    "No! We can do this!"


    Vincent shook his head as he concentrated. He''s nning to end this fight after the next attack!


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The Cinder Rabbits seem to be thinking the same as theyunched at him at an incredible speed. They were faster in their attack this time!


    They probably noticed that he was the weakest so the two beasts attacked him at the same time!


    "Hmph! Don''t get too cocky!" Vincent shouted as he stepped forward and made a horizontal sh!


    Sssaak¡ª


    He perfectly cut the two ''balls of fire'' as their blood scattered to the ground.


    Phew~


    "That feels better¡­" Vincentmented as he looked at the rabbits.


    "Since those two are guarding this ce, a precious herb must''ve grown around here." Taramented.


    p "Yes¡­ But before that---" Vincent looked behind them.</anda>


    No one was there and he can only see the trees and the uncultivatednd of the forest.


    "Stop hiding¡­ We already noticed the two of you." Vincent said confidently.


    Perhaps because they have sessfully shown that they weren''t that strong, the two people following Vincent and Tara loosen their guard and stopped bothering to use a special technique to hide their presence.


    This is why they weren''t surprised to be found out as they showed themselves without being worried.


    Vincent observed the two people. One old man who is in his fifties has white hair and a wrinkled face. He looked quite malnourished and Vincent wouldn''t be surprised if he said that he was a beggar.


    The other one is a ck-haired woman who had hidden her face with a cloth mask and her body with a long oversized coat.


    They both looked quite dirty and Vincent had an impression that they hadn''t taken a bath for a month.


    "Kekeke¡­ Die!"


    The old man who had just appeared did not bother with pleasantries after being discovered as he immediately attacked Vincent! The other woman did not stay still as she simrly attacked Tara!


    ''What?! Aren''t you supposed to introduce yourself first?!'' Vincentined about the sudden attack.


    Though he''s expecting a battle right away, he wanted to at least get some information about them.


    ''Whatever¡­ I''ll just check your corpseter¡­''


    Vincent made up his mind as he threw his sword at the old man while he raised his cane¡­


    As the two were about to sh, Vincent suddenly heard Tara and other ck-haired woman exim in shock at the same time.


    ""Celestial?!""

 Chapter 91 Body Technique

    Although Vincent heard the two, he''s no longer in a position to stop his movements and look at them.


    He can only face the old man who seemed to be excited to take his life.


    Bang!


    His cane and the man''s fist met as it created a shockwave¡­ The surrounding leaves and dust scattered away¡­


    ''Hmmm?''


    From that sh, he realized that the man is wearing a steel gauntlet or something simr. It is just hidden by some dirty cloth wrapped around his arm. In addition, his Crush Attribute doesn''t seem effective at all!


    This is the first time he encountered this as he gravely looked at him.


    Normally, all swords, armors, or even people that he hit with his +9 weapon, would at least be on the verge of breaking.


    Even if they have high durability stat, Vincent would be able to tell that he still removed a chunk of it.


    This time, however, he didn''t sense a good result from that sh! As a matter of fact, he felt that his cane received more damage!


    He attacked again but the result was the same after exchanging for a few rounds.


    Vincent was baffled by this unusual phenomenon as he looked at the man solemnly. Thetter was also confused as he looked at his cane curiously.


    "Not only you are protected by another Celestial Being but you also have some skills with you¡­ Interesting." The old man finally spoke as he assessed Vincent''s figure.


    Since Vincent is only 15 years old, he only has a small framepared to a 50-year-old man like him.


    "Well, I also didn''t expect that there was another Celestial here¡­ By the way, is she a Numbered Celestial?" Vincent directly asked.


    "Haha! Are you nervous? Don''t worry¡­ She''s unnumbered. However, she survived the Second Rapture and has a Celestial Weapon. So your Celestial must be careful¡­" The old man said with a trace of a smile on his face.


    He''s obviously confident that the Celestial he brought would be able to win against Tara in a matter of time.


    However, his words just ted Vincent.


    Tara may have been weakened as she hasn''t recovered her Celestial Powers yet and she''s the weakest Numbered Celestial at Rank 999, but she''s definitely a Celestial who can defeat an unnumbered one!


    "It''s good that you''re confident¡­ But you have to worry about yourself first." Vincent said as he decided to attack again.


    He noticed that the old man is gathering his mana to his fist again. It means that he''s about tounch his attack and he has to do something about it.


    This time, Vincent acted as if he was going to strike him with his cane again. However, as soon as he had gotten closer to him, he used his Cane''s only Active Skill, Ensnare!


    Suddenly, steel-like vines started sprouting on the ground as they wrapped the old man''s feet!


    "Akk!"


    He was surprised by the sudden unusual magical ability Vincent had shown! He had seen Mana Arts like Fireballs, Ice Crystal, Earth Wall, Water Prison, and Wind des¡­ However, controlling metallic thorny vines was the first!


    His legs were caught by the vines as the thorns cut deeply into his flesh.


    However, he was still a man who has experienced many battles. After realizing his situation, he concentrated on destroying the vines with his bare hands!


    Surprisingly, his bare hands seem to be immune to their thorns as he easily crushed them as long as he got hold of them!


    Nevertheless, this provided Vincent an opportunity to strike the man!


    Haa!<sub> </sub>


    With Shrouded Steps, he arrived next to the old man as he struck his left shoulder!


    Crack!


    The old man didn''t expect that he would receive such a powerful strike so suddenly as his bones seem to have cracked from that single move.


    At the very least, it was still bearable to him with his tough upper body as he continued removing the vines¡­


    Of course, Vincent didn''t stop as he followed up with his strikes.


    Bam! Bam!


    "Vincent! Be careful!"


    Vincent then heard Tara''s voice filled with worry¡­ He can tell that he has nothing to worry about this old man already¡­ However, since Tara mentioned this, it must mean that the other Celestial managed to escape from her.


    Without looking back, Vincent used his Shrouded Steps as he moved to the left side where there was a tree he could use as a cover.


    Bam!


    As soon as Vincent escaped, a figure of a woman suddenly appeared beside the old man.


    Cough! Cough!


    The old man spat a mouthful of blood because of Vincent''s ruthless attack.


    To be honest, Vincent was actually stunned to see that this old man is still alive after taking four strikes from his cane.


    "Vincent¡­ Are you alright?" Tara arrived beside him and asked. Her overcoat wasn''t damaged at all simr to Vincent.


    Vincent wasn''t sure but he felt a sense of worry from her question.


    ''She''s worried?'' He entertained this thought as he smiled at her before he answered.


    "I''m fine¡­ However, that man was too weird¡­ He has a very tough body and he only spat some blood. Look, he''s already standing again." Vincent said as he observed the old man.


    "Hmph! I didn''t expect that the two of you would be so troublesome to deal with." The old man said grimly as he looked at Vincent and Tara.


    "Who are you, old man? Why are targeting us? Though you look like a beggar, I know you''re not. With that strength of yours and the Celestial Being with you, wouldn''t you easily get a job if you want?" Vincent asked.


    "Haha¡­ You don''t understand. How can I resist this beautiful woman with you? Of course, I want to spend a few nights with her¡­ I''ll make it so that she won''t ever forget about me. Hmm¡­ How about this, if you agree, I will give you the technique to strengthen your body like mine?"


    The old man offered as he twist his shoulder joints with his other hand. It appears that he already recovered at such a moment''s notice.


    "Fair trade, right?" He added.


    No wonder he wasn''t too concerned after getting hit several times by his cane! His recovery rate was insane!


    Perhaps, only once he managed to make his cane a +10 weapon will he take it seriously.


    "You''re joking, old man¡­ Are you not afraid that she''ll twist your neck right now? You have a Celestial with you, why don''t you spend your time with her."


    Vincent said, irritated by the old man''s vulgar words.


    "Hmph! If we didn''t have a contract prohibiting it¡­ I would''ve done it already."

 Chapter 92 Cane And Dagger

    Vincent assessed the situation.


    He''s unsure whether the old man is saying the truth. He might just be acting like a perverted old man to hide his true intention.


    "So, do you want to fight until one of us died?" Vincent asked ready to continue with their battle.


    "Haha! Of course! But I wonder where did you get your confidence? Can''t you tell that your tiny Celestial Being is no match for her?" The old man said as he gestured to the Celestial Being beside him.


    "Rem, show them your real strength¡­ Let''s end this¡­ Just hold back the Celestial for a moment. I''m going to kill his contractor and free her from this innocent young man."


    The old man said which confused Vincent for a moment.


    ''Contract? Free her?'' Vincent frowned after hearing this.


    Unfortunately, he doesn''t have enough time to think about these things at all.


    Suddenly, the poor and dirty ck-haired Celestial emitted an imposing Aura as her hair suddenly turned silver!


    "Vincent, she''s exerting her Celestial Powers. I''m not sure how much Celestial Power she possesses so we have to be careful." Tara reminded Vincent after seeing that the next fight against this Celestial is no longer just assessing one''s strength.


    This would now be a real battle with their life on the line!


    If they are not careful, they might be the ones to suffer in this battle.


    "Alright¡­ Then let''s give our everything in this round!" As soon as Vincent said this, Tara no longer hesitated as her body was suddenly covered with metallic gray and blue armor!


    "W-what?! Celestial Armor! You have one?!"


    The perverted old man eximed in shock. Though having a Celestial Weapon is said to be a lot better than armor, he knows how extremely important it is!


    "Whatever! Rem, just be careful! You don''t have to kill her and just dy the fight." The old man gave his advice again but this time, there is already a hint of worry.


    He certainly did not expect that the woman she''s targeting is not just a Celestial Being but someone with a Celestial Armor as well!


    "I understand. I contain her for a few minutes."


    As soon as everyone finished their preparation, the second round of battle finally started.


    Tara intercepted Rem, the silver-haired Celestial, while Vincent backed away to get some distance from the old man.


    Although he doesn''t have any decent long-range skills, he noticed that the old man was too eager to get close to him which made him change his n. Instead of just shing with him mindlessly, Vincent wanted to find an opportunity to utilize his Silver Ruin Dagger.


    Bam!


    The old man missed Vincent and hit the ground with his fist. A shockwave followed that strike as Vincent circled around the old man to avoid getting disoriented by the wave.


    Right now, Vincent can tell that this person''s specialty is his incredible physique and the shockwave that dispels that Crush Attribute of his cane.


    This shockwave is probably the gauntlet''s special skill or perhaps, it is the old man''s Mana Art.


    Nevertheless, Vincent wasn''t too worried since he knows that no matter what, the old man can still be wounded by his weapons.


    Haa!


    Vincent strode forward as he targeted the old man''s back¡­


    "You''re too obvious! Using Shrouded Steps to target my back! Hmph!"


    The old man''s eyes glinted as he suddenly burst with power. This time, hepleted ignored Vincent''s Cane as he nned to hit him with his fist in exchange!


    Vincent hesitated at this since he was unsure whether he could take the blow head-on.<sub> </sub>


    "Tsk¡­" After following his instinct, Vincent jumped back to avoid the man''s blow.


    Whooooshh~


    As soon as he avoided the straight punch from the old man, he felt like there was a vacuum apanied by that strike as the wind suddenly shifted its direction¡­


    "Haha¡­ You noticed that you won''t survive that attack, huh?" The old man wasn''t disappointed after Vincent pulled back. Instead, he found Vincent quite amusing since he knows when to back down.


    He had killed many arrogant Mana Practitioners because of the move he just made.


    It was called Vacuum Punch and even an unprepared Master Magician would be critically injured from that strike if not dead.


    It is a skill only the Magic Knights were capable of using.


    "I guess you''re not that strong as well. You''ve been missing your punches several times now."


    Vincent ridiculed the old man and it was quite effective after seeing thetter turn red in anger. Veins popped out on his head as he no longer spoke.


    The old man pulled the dirty scarf wrapped around his neck as he threw it to Vincent¡­


    "Hmph!" Vincent used his Shrouded Steps again to avoid the smelly scarf. Aside from that, he also felt that the scarf was actually a magic tool so he made sure not to make contact with it unless he was sure what it was.


    Whoosh~


    Vincent used this opportunity to pull out his Silver Ruin Dagger and threw it to the old man as well. However, unlike Vincent, this old man seems to have a lot of pride as he didn''t dodge the dagger and even looked as if h wanted to catch it¡­


    "Hmm?"


    As Vincent was waiting for the dagger to pierce the old man''s palm, he noticed that the scarf he just avoided was actually heading towards Tara!


    At the moment, Tara wasn''t using her Celestial Dagger to sh against Rem''s Celestial Sword.


    However, Tara was still able to fight against her since she could still deflect the sword from time to time.


    "Tara! Be careful!"


    This time, it was Vincent''s turn to warn Tara.


    He didn''t wait for her to answer as he swiftly shifted his gaze to the old man.


    "Aaak!"


    As expected, the dagger''s Pierce Attribute is so much better than the cane''s Crush Attribute. It seems to be rted to the old man''s gauntlet type.


    After seeing such an opportunity, Vincent appeared in front of the old man using his Shrouded Steps.


    "I''m now in front of you¡­" Vincent spoke coldly as he smash down his cane to hit the old man''s head¡­


    Though thetter managed to shift his head and only got hit on his shoulder again, it was still a critical strike.


    Bam!


    "Ahh! You! What''s with that stick!"


    It appears that the old man''s defense has gone weaker as Vincent felt that the cane''s Crush ability was takenpletely by the old man!


    It seems that Vincent removed the effects of the gauntlets with the piercing effect of his Silver Dagger!


    Now, the old man can only rely on his incredible physique!

 Chapter 93 Celestial Secrets

    Vincent was really impressed by this old man, he believes that if he was the one on the receiving end of his cane strike, he wouldn''t be able to survive a single strike and his bones and muscles will crush into bits.


    However, this person''s physique is truly incredible and he couldn''t help but envy him a bit.


    It was as if the 340 Crush Attribute Points weren''t in full effect.


    He noticed that even though the old man''s mysterious defensive Mana Art weakened, he still couldn''t critically injure him.


    Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Vincent continuously hit the old man with his cane until he was sure that he could no longer get up.


    It was quite brutal but Vincent had no choice but to act quickly. If he stopped in one or two strikes, the old man''s body would try to heal by itself like he was some kind of a Troll¡­


    Blood sttered everywhere as Vincent couldn''t believe that he had just ughtered a person in such a barbaric way.


    ''Haa¡­ It''s your fault for being perverted.'' Vincent thought as he took a nce at the unrecognizable corpse in front of him.


    Vincent wouldn''t say that he has saintly thought.


    He would also feel some urges whenever he was together with Tara at night. However, because he knows that he can be squeezed to death by this Celestial Being, he had always shifted his thought into his meditation, which was his Visualization Method.


    It works quite well and it also helps him increase the strength of his Aura.


    Vincent then took out the Silver Ruin Dagger stuck on the old man''s palm.


    This +9 weapon not only has Pierce Attribute but Critical Attribute. Needless to say, theirbination was too deadly as it managed to pierce the gauntlet in the man''s hands.


    After pulling out the dagger, Vincent nced at the two Celestial Beings who were still fighting each other. Vincent can barely see their moves but he can tell that Rem can actually utilize the Ice Element!


    ''I thought that the Celestial Being''s abilities lie with their physical strength or their Celestial Weapons, or even their mysterious Celestial Power. I didn''t know that they can also use an Element¡­ Why are the other Celestials aren''t using them?'' Vincent suddenly felt confused as he look at the ice crystals everywhere.


    If they have not shifted to a farther location, he would certainly be affected by the cold air.


    He also recalled the Celestial Beings he had seen when he was 7 years old and they didn''t use their Elemental Abilities as well.


    ''Oh¡­ Is this perhaps just a form of their Celestial Power?'' Vincent thought as he realized that strong Magicians also have Mana but use Elemental Arts in battle.


    With thatparison, the Celestial Power they have might just be simr to how they view the existence of Mana. It can be converted to their physical strength or elemental spells.


    "Ehem¡­. Celestial Rem! I already killed the old man¡­ Shouldn''t we stop fighting already? I don''t bear any grudge against you. I''m sure you can tell that Tara is holding back as well. She''s not even using her Celestial Weapon to fight you."


    Vincent said out loud.


    He trusts that these powerful Celestials could hear him even at such a distance.<sub> </sub>


    As expected, she immediately stopped fighting and looked at her contractor''s corpse. She looks very disappointed after seeing the result of the battle.


    At that moment, her hair also returned to ck as she finally calmed down. She carefully looked at Tara and noticed that she doesn''t seem to mind stopping their fight.


    Without waiting for Vincent to ask, Rem immediately spoke.


    p "I have made a contract with Sir Pero. He will provide me with his Blood Essence in exchange for being hispanion in his travels."</anda>


    Vincent frowned after hearing this.


    "Companion? Isn''t this a bit toox for a binding contract? If that were me, I would request for you to work as a bodyguard¡­ Look what happened to him. Ehem¡­ Forget what I just said¡­ May I ask what the Blood Essence is?"


    Since this perverted old man is targeting them because he wanted to spend the night with Tara, Rem no longer had the desire to continue fighting.


    Aside from that, she can no longer be rewarded by his Blood Essence so she''d rather leave than take vengeance or some sort.


    Rem then looked curiously at Tara since she knows that Celestial Beings would only be together with strong people to get their Blood Essence from time to time.


    However, if Vincent doesn''t know this simple thing, why would Tara be together with Vincent?


    It confused her for a moment but she still replied after taking a deep breath.


    "The Blood Essence that the Celestial Being needed can normally be found from the individuals with special physique,rge mana capacity, strong soul, or mental power. This Blood Essence will allow us to recover our Celestial Power. As you already know, all the Celestial Beings existing in this world can only utilize 40 to 60 percent of their power after the Second Rapture."


    "What are you saying? I have no idea about that¡­ Is that true, Tara? Why are you not requesting my Blood Essence? Am I not capable enough?" Vincent asked. He was about to pity himself.


    However, Tara smiled at him before she answered with an amused tone.


    "Not really. Your modified potions are more than enough. You''ll also be weakened for several days or weeks once I''ve taken your Blood Essence. It''s not advisable."


    Vincent nodded at this as he couldn''t help but nce at the old man again. He can already tell that he has an extraordinary physique so this must be the reason why Rem contracted him.


    "I guess you can''t take this Blood Essence forcefully or else, all the Celestial Beings will just hunt these people..." Vince said thoughtfully.


    "Yes¡­ Aside from that, the stronger they get, the better Blood Essence we will get as well. So we would normally join them in their journey to get them stronger." Rem exined.


    Vincent asked a few more questions rted to the old man and the Blood Essence as well.


    After several minutes of questioning, he suddenly recalled something and asked the two Celestial.


    "Is it possible for one Magician to provide three Blood Essences for three Celestial Being?" Vincent asked as he recalled Joran who has three Celestial Beings following him!

 Chapter 94 Offers

    Rem didn''t think for long as she quickly answered his question.


    "No. It''s impossible to do that whatever physique you have. This drop of blood is very precious and if one forcefully took two drops of it, the Magician''s strength will decline which is not a good thing. After all, the next blood essence would be of low quality. If it was not timely taken, there is a chance that even an Archmage will fall to a normal Master Magician or even worse."


    Vincent nodded after hearing her exnation.


    The Blood Essence is indeed too precious. It was no wonder why they could recover their Celestial Powers from that.


    "What are your ns now? I have no intention of fighting you so you can leave now if you want to."


    Vincent said to Rem as he approached the cold body of the old man. Though he was quite smelly and the stench of blood is also there, he still wanted to check whether this person has something with him that might be useful.


    As for Rem, she remained silent for a while as if she was considering her options.


    In the meantime, he found three things from the corpse of this Sir Pero.


    There is a ck-scaled gauntlet that was pierced by his dagger, a book in his chest, and a bottle of potion which luckily didn''t get destroyed while Vincent was striking him.


    [ Damaged Basilisk Gauntlet ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 60/170


    Destruction: 30


    Debuff Resistance: 40


    Description: A damaged ck gauntlet made of basilisk''s scales. Effects have declined by 50% because of the damage.


    Remarks: Special Destruction and Debuff Resistance Attribute found. These attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement.  ]


    "Incredible¡­ Even if it''s damaged, this Gauntlet is still decent. It has such high stats¡­ No wonder it could defend against my Crush Attribute." Vincent muttered after seeing the gauntlet.


    It was a bitrge for Vincent but it can be adjusted once he visited a good armor shop or even a tailor shop.


    Before he could check the book and the bottle of potion, Rem suddenly spoke.


    "I heard from Tara that you''re capable of providing Celestial Power through your modified potions. Is that true?"


    She asked doubtfully. She had never heard of anything like this in the past few years after she had woken up.


    Vincent thought for a moment before he nodded. There shouldn''t be a problem letting her know of this. As a matter of fact, it might benefit him more. He just has to inform her not to spread this information.


    Also, he is going to the Arms City that is about to be invaded by the Barbarians after all. If she could also help him safely get there in exchange for a few potions, then he didn''t mind that.


    "That¡­ Would you mind if I see if it''s true?" Rem asked as she bit her lips in anticipation.


    "Hmm¡­ Not now. But I can give you one tomorrow. What will you give me in exchange?" Vincent asked with a smile.


    Rem wasn''t surprised about his question.


    "Then, give me a contract simr to what you have with this Celestial Being." Rem said as she pointed to Tara.


    Vincent chuckled as he replied.


    "Ehem¡­ It seems you''re mistaken. We don''t have any contracts¡­"


    "What? Is that even possible? Then why are you her those potions? Why is she following you?" Rem was surprised. She knows many Celestial Beings under the contract of manyrge ns or influential sects.


    They were all working for them and were treated like special weapons in exchange for their secret goals. Although they are saying that they just wanted to get stronger, it obviously wasn''t just about that and only the Celestial Being like them knows.


    Rem looked at Tara unsure what she has in her mind.<sub> </sub>


    "Are you a defective?" She suddenly asked as Vincent almost choked at that after hearing it.


    ''Isn''t that a rude question?'' He thought.


    "Hey¡­ Don''t be like that! Why are saying she''s defective¡­ Y-you¡­ Did you pick up the old man''s habit since you''ve been together with him for a long time?"


    Vincent couldn''t help but ask.


    "Ahh¡­ No way... I just thought that something went wrong with her while she was sleeping in her chamber. Perhaps she has forgotten our purpose here in this world."


    "Oh? Is there something like that? Tell me, what''s the purpose of your existence here." Vincent asked.


    "Hmm¡­ You haven''t asked her yet? If I tell you that, will you provide me with your potions?"


    "She''s not answering my questions rted to your existence¡­ Maybe she''s defective like what you said---"


    Vincent suddenly felt a chill as soon as he said this.


    He immediately coughed and corrected his words.


    "Ehem¡­ Instead of that, how about we get into a contract? Let''s say for a few months or so? During this time, I will provide you with potions that can recover your Celestial Powers. In exchange, you''ll work for me and answer a few of my questions¡­ just like an employer and employee¡­"


    Vincent offered.


    Honestly, he''s unsure how contracts with Celestials are being conducted. However, creating conditions should be the first thing to do.


    Rem thought for a moment. She felt conflicted since Tara wasn''t bound by the contract and she was still helping this young boy.


    "Are you perhaps the one who had woken her up?"


    Instead of answering Vincent, she instead posed a question.


    "You''re right. Is there a problem?"


    After hearing this, Rem sighed as he no longer hesitated.


    "Alright, let''s get into a contract once I tried your potion."


    Rem replied. Anyway, Vincent''s condition wasn''t too difficult to fulfill at all.


    Vincent acknowledged her words as he continued checking the items left by the old man.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Skill Book: Demonic Body. ]


    [ Skill Book: Demonic Body ]


    [ Quality: Tier 4


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound by female human skin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn the skill called Demonic Body. Demonic Body is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Ethereal Demon Body, a Tier 5 Skill.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    ''A skill book! Is he practicing this skill! No wonder he was so tough! This is a Tier 4 Skill Book.''


    Vincent finally realized what was the man''s secret. However, as expected, any Mana Arts rted to body modification is a Tier 4 Skill, which is something that he couldn''t learn.


    However, he also discovered that there is actually a Tier 5 Skill which is called an Ethereal Demon Body.

 Chapter 95 Potion And Contract

    Vincent had mixed feelings about this Tier 4 Skill Book.


    He has a few options on how it could benefit him, he could either sell it for a high price or perhaps wait for the time until he reached such a level.


    After all, he can''t just copy the book to learn the skill and then sell it after.


    He has to keep the book with him since the book itself contains insights into the person who wrote this. Each stroke of the letters was filled with insights to allow the reader to fall into a state of enlightenment and learn the method of the skill hidden in these blocks of texts.


    This way, only those who were capable can truly learn the skill.


    ''Will I ever reach that level?'' Vincent helplessly smiled after recalling his terrible talent.


    Of course, no matter what, he wouldn''t give up his path as a Mana Practitioner since he''s still young and he might discover opportunities that might change his fate in the future.


    ''But¡­ This book was also bounded by a human skin simr to that of Mana Drain¡­ Does it mean that they came from the same cult many years ago?'' Vincent mused.


    The Mana Drain is the Tier 1 skill that he learned after obtaining the new feature of his awakening system.


    However, because it was only at a beginner stage and only a Tier 1 Skill, he barely had the chance to use it since it''s only effective against someone weaker than him.


    Obviously, if they are weaker than him, he wouldn''t be bothered to use this Mana Art and he''ll just smash his cane on their heads. It was a lot easier.


    As for using it against someone stronger like this old man, it would be useless since a bit of his Mana will already disperse the skill. He can probably use it when he was sleeping but he obviously can''t while he''s alert and surrounded by mana.


    In short, Mana Drain is quite useless duringbat. At most, he can use it after putting people unconscious.


    He then wrapped the book with a piece of cloth before he ced it inside his robe.


    Then, under the two Celestials'' watchful eyes, he appraised the bottle containing a murky red liquid.


    [ A Bottle of Mana Upheaval Potion ]


    [ Grade: High


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Mana Increase: 100 units


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Blue Starfruit, ck Snail''s mucus, and Fire Monkey bone marrow. It is capable of providing an increase in mana capacity. This potion was made using recement ingredients and not the original ingredients.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the mana units. Consuming this potion may be very dangerous if preparation is insufficient. ]


    "What?!"


    Vincent''s hand trembled after realizing what the potion was.


    "Isn''t this too precious?! Why did he not consume this potion yet?" Vincent asked cautiously as he looked at Rem.


    This is too good to be true.


    His current mana capacity has been limited to 500 for some reason. He could no longer advance. The most that he could do by practicing his mana was to increase his mana recovery rate.


    However, the capacity still remained the same and had no signs of changing even after bing a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    "You probably realized what that potion was. Sir Pero didn''t want to consume this because of the hidden danger. He was told the potion was made using ingredients simr to the original ones since they are difficult to find. Although it was still sessfully concocted, it was said that if it was consumed without ample preparations, you might suffer a setback instead."


    Rem exined after seeing Vincent''s confused face.


    "What kind of hidden danger are we talking about?" Vincent asked.<sub> </sub>


    Rem hesitated for a moment before she decided to answer.


    "Because of the sudden increase in mana, it will slightly affect your physique, especially for males¡­ You will experience the fire monkey''s incredible desire to mate¡­ If you didn''t fulfill this desire, your mana will run amock and you''ll suffer internal injuries. Sir Pero just recently acquired this potion so he was nning to---"


    Rem paused as she looked at Tara.


    Vincent nodded as he understood what she was trying to say. He finally calmed down after realizing this hidden danger.


    ''Ugh¡­ Too bad¡­ Should I just sell it then?'' Vincent mused. He''s about to go to a city anyway. He can certainly sell this high-grade potion there.


    However, he suddenly had an idea.


    ''Perhaps enhancing it or even ascending it will remove the hidden danger?''


    Vincent thought for a moment as he decided to enhance this potion as well.


    The three of them then decided to leave the forest. In the first, Vincent and Tara only went here to bait the ones who are stalking them.


    Now that it''s settled, he has no reason to stay here.


    On the next day, Vincent managed to create a couple of +9 potions. He had stayed up all night toplete this. His productivity is certainly terrible but he was still happy about this.


    After all, the sess rate of enhancing potions is higher than enhancing weapons. This result is still a lot better.


    "This looks like a high-grade Mana Recovery Potion¡­ You''re telling me that it can recover Celestial Powers as well?" Remmented. She''s still doubtful at this since Mana Recovery Potion is known to be ineffective for Celestial Beings like them.


    They will just suffer from the terrible taste of this potion.


    Nevertheless, after seeing Vincent''s confident smile and Tara''s nod, she can only try to consume the potion. Anyway, the truth will be revealed sooner.


    Gulp!


    Rem made sure to consume all the liquid from the potion¡­ Tara did the same.


    After a few seconds, Vincent saw Rem''s surprised reaction. She was obviously ted by the sudden increase of her Celestial Power. Although it was little, it definitely helped her!


    This method is also safer than consuming the blood essence that could have impurities depending on the person providing them.


    "Let''s do a contract!" Rem immediately suggested.


    "Alright¡­"


    The two then made a contract which wasn''t signing some kind of paper contract like what Vincent originally thought. This contract was bounded by their words alone using her Celestial Power and his Mana.


    It was quite peculiar.


    They promised that they will not betray each other and be faithful to their transaction. The price for not adhering to the contract would be the dissonance of Rem''s Celestial Power or Vincent''s Mana within his body.


    As for Tara, Vincent didn''t think of binding a contract with her if she didn''t ask for it. At the moment, she''s treating Tara as his friend after all.


    However, it seems that Tara has something else in her mind.


    "I will give you this Celestial Weapon after I removed the connecting fate to the other Celestial."


    Tara suddenly said to Vincent as they were about to arrive at Canthus City.

 Chapter 96 Stopped

    Vincent was temped after hearing what Tara just said.


    "You want to give me the Celestial Dagger?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ Not only you''ve woken me up, you''ve been helping me recover all this time." Tara answered.


    "You''re lucky to have woken up a Numbered Celestial Being." Rem said softly from outside the carriage.


    Currently, it was her turn to drive the carriage.


    Rem already knows that Tara was actually a Numbered Celestial and she can only feel d knowing that Tara was truly holding back when they fought against each other.


    "Ehem¡­ I won''t be shy then. Once you removed it, I''ll dly ept the Celestial Weapon¡­ However, are you sure I can use it even if I''m not a Celestial?" Vincent asked cautiously.


    "Though you may not exert the full strength of this weapon bycking Celestial Powers, you can still use this even just by using your mana. It''s alright." Tara exined.


    The three of them continued chatting about various things rted to their existence and the history of this world as well.


    Thanks to the contract with Rem, he was finally allowed to learn a few more things about their secret.


    Apparently, all Celestial Beings were actually female ones. He hasn''t considered it before since he just thought that he just haven''t seen enough Celestial Beings.


    To be fair, from over ten thousand Celestials, he hadn''t seen more than ten of them yet.


    Aside from that, he also learned that the Celestial Beings indeed arrived here using several hundreds of spaceships!


    "We''ve arrived here using a technology you can never imagine. It''s something that allows us to travel from star to star." Rem hinted and didn''t bother to further exin thinking that Vincent wouldn''t understand and he won''t just believe what she was saying.


    It seems that she had done this to others before and the ones who heard her didn''t take her seriously.


    As a matter of fact, some Mana Practitioners fromrge and powerful ns even spread the information that Celestial Beings were created using alchemy by their ancestors!


    That''s right, many people imed that the Celestial Beings were actually alchemy creatures that their ancestors created to resolve the First Rapture.


    "First Rapture? I heard about the Second Rapture and it seems to be a huge battle in the past involving many Celestial Beings. Can you tell me more about them?" Vincent curiously asked as his little knowledge about the history of this world couldn''t even bepared to normal people.


    "I guess you didn''t attend any Academy yet¡­ You should consider going to an Academy to learn there. I only know a few things about the First and Second Rapture since I didn''t participate in any war back then."


    "I''ll think about going to the academy someday. For now, tell me whatever you know about the past. If it''s something that I shouldn''t know or it held some kind of your secrets, you can just skip those parts." Vincent said.


    "Very well¡­ The First Rapture is the first war of humans against the outsiders¡­ It wasn''t us, Celestial Beings, but the creatures worshipped by the Barbarians, they were the genuine Magic Beasts. Each of them is as strong as an Adept Mage or even Archmage. There were also a few King Beasts that were said to be as strong as a Grand Magus. You can say that it was the glorious days of the Magic Beasts."


    "King Beasts¡­" Vincent muttered. This is the first time he heard about the existence of King Beasts. Nevertheless, they must''ve died already considering how the humans were still alive and prosperous.


    The humans at that time must''ve won after paying a great price then¡­


    Vincent wanted to listen more about the history but suddenly, the carriage stopped.


    "Three people are blocking our path¡­ What should we do?" She asked calmly.<sub> </sub>


    Vincent opened the screen of the carriage and looked ahead. There was a youngdy and two middle-aged men in front of their carriage. It seems that their own carriage was broken and couldn''t continue moving.


    As soon as they saw Vincent poking his head out, they immediately exined their situation.


    "We''re sorry to bother you, mister. Are you also heading to Canthus City? Is it alright if you can help us?"


    Vincent didn''t immediately answer as he subtly used his Soul Sense and confirmed that the two middle-aged men wearing clothes like a rich merchant were magicians.


    As for the youngdy with them, it seems that she''s not in a very good condition with her pale face and a few red marks on her skin.


    Noticing Vincent''s gaze, the two immediately exined.


    "Our miss has a sickness but it''s not a contagious disease. We''re heading to the city to find the Divine Doctor there¡­ We will pay you with this."


    The middle-aged man with blond hair said as he showed a pouch filled with silver coins.


    "Divine doctor? Alright¡­ Get in." Vincent didn''t think too much of the silver coins. Anyway, the inside of the carriage can fit a total of six people so there shouldn''t be a problem with this.


    "Thank you, sir!"


    Then, the middle-aged man who has a bald head assisted their young miss top hop in the carriage.


    They then noticed that there was another beautifuldy inside which stunned them for a moment. The woman outside was already prettier than most nobledies they have seen. Those nobledies were also filled with make-up and the strong scent of their perfume.


    However, the two beautifuldies here can''t bepared at all since they can tell that they aren''t wearing any makeup but their red lips and fair skin were still pleasing to their eyes.


    "Ehem¡­ I can drive the carriage to Canthus City instead¡­" The bald man offered politely as he shifted his gaze from Tara.


    "Oh?"


    Vincent didn''t find anything wrong with the man''s suggestion since he''s together with two Celestial. There shouldn''t be a problem letting them drive the carriage.


    "Alright¡­ Rem, get in here."


    Vincent said as he sat with Tara and Rem while facing the blonde youngdy and her escort.


    "May I know your name?"


    Vincent asked the escort.


    "I''m Alfred and this is our young miss, Dennise. Because of theplication of the disease that has spread in her throat, I''m afraid that she can''t speak for now as it would hurt her."


    Alfred exined.


    Vincent nodded as he then asked about the existence of this Divine Doctor. Anyway, his history lesson with Rem can wait.

 Chapter 97 Canthus City

    Vincent learned about the Divine Doctor''s reputation. Apparently, this doctor was said to be capable of healing anyone as long as they are still breathing.


    More than that, this doctor doesn''t simply rely on pills and potions but on his divine hands. Of course, his pills and potions were still considered to be at the highest level but his divine hands were seemingly something gifted by the gods themselves.


    ''Divine Hands¡­ It''s probably a gift indeed¡­'' Vincent mused as he recalled that the Tier 4 Mana Arts can also be something you were born with like Cedric''s Mystic Eye.


    This Divine Hands probably has healing effects or could detect any kind of disease or something simr.


    As Vincent was chatting with Alfred, the sound of thunder suddenly interrupted their conversation.


    It was followed by the sizzling sound of the rain.


    "Haaa~ I''m really thankful that you allowed us to tag along. I''m afraid that our young miss'' condition will worsen if we were still stuck in the middle of the road." Alfred couldn''t help but sigh as soon as he noticed the heavy rain outside.


    He also realized that this carriage seems to be well-made as it remained warm inside and the sound of the rain could barely be heard from the inside.


    Of course, this carriage itself is already a +7 carriage so it''s only natural that it has such effects.


    The journey to the Canthus Citysted for 3 more hours before they have finally seen the ck rampart of the city.


    During this time, Vincent already confirmed that Mathias and Alfred were actually Master Magicians¡­ Nevertheless, the two remained humble in front of him and it''s probably because of the two Celestial Beings.


    "Hmm¡­ This city looks grander than the Hearts City¡­" Vincent muttered.


    It appears that this Canthus City that is under the jurisdiction of another count looks more impregnable than the ones in Hearts City.


    Right now, the rain already stopped pouring as the sunlight started reflecting on the ck city walls.


    Soon, they were stopped by the guards outside the city gate.


    "They don''t need our identification but we have to pay 50 silver coins per head." Mathias, the bald man driving the carriage, reported.


    Alfred then offered to pay for the entrance fees as he pulled out his money.


    ''It seems that the security here is a bit toox.'' Vincent mused after confirming that they wouldn''t even check for their identity. It means that even criminals from other cities can actually enter here quite easily.


    "Oh? Is the entrance fee too expensive?" Vincent suddenly asked after noticing Alfred''s expression.


    "Well, most cities will only have 5 silver coins for entrance fees. But they can tell that this carriage is quite luxurious so they probably asked for more¡­ At the very least, they know not to trouble us by asking to check our luggage and inspecting the inside of the carriage¡­"


    Alfred exined. Indeed, Vincent just saw a few carriages entering the gate and were being asked to be inspected.


    It seems that purchasing this expensive carriage and enhancing this a few times is a good investment. Though it''s hot in the eyes of bandits, it can still be useful at some times. Anyway, he has quite some money with him right now.


    As soon as they entered the city, Alfred''s group disembarked in front of a nearby inn.<sub> </sub>


    "Thank you for helping us, Sir Vincent, Miss Tara, Miss Rem¡­" Alfred said as he bowed slightly to the three.


    Alfred finally heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the sound of galloping hooves away from them.


    "Alfred¡­ Those three, they''re definitely not simple travelers. Especially those twodies." Mathias said as he thoughtfully nce at the leaving carriage.


    "I know¡­ They''re probably Adept Mages or above since I can''t sense the two''s fluctuation with their mana."


    They thought that Vincent was a noble and was protected by those two beautifuldies. After all, even if they can''t feel that mana fluctuation from those two, they can still assess their immense vitality and their unusual demeanor.


    Even after revealing that they were actually Master Magicians who had mastered two types of elemental Mana Arts with their Conversion ability, they remained unperturbed as if it wasn''t anything impressive.


    "Whatever¡­ Let''s just find the Divine Doctor as quickly as possible. We can''t let the young miss suffer any further." Alfred said as he lead his group to the inn.


    ***


    Vincent was curious about this Divine Doctor. Especially the pills and potions that he has.


    ''His pills and potions were highly praised, are they perhaps enhanced as well?''


    Vincent mused. He already knows that this world has a method to enhance items as well. He has already seen objects that have been enhanced fully after all.


    However, he has never heard any rumors regarding anyone who was capable of enhancing items or other materials yet.


    Vincent shook his head as he was thinking too deeply about this Divine Doctor¡­


    "Tara¡­ Can you tell if the people from the Primal Sword Sect were still here?" He suddenly asked after recalling his real intention foring here.


    "Yes¡­ They seem to be in trouble though." Tara swiftly replied. Since she knows Vincent''s ns, she already searched for their Mana Fluctuations after entering this city.


    "They''re in trouble? Where are they?" Vincent frowned. These people needed to transport the supplies to the army together with the white tiger.


    If they are in trouble, the supplies that the army will have to receive might be jeopardized and result in some trouble.


    Since Vincent''s unknown fianc¨¦ might be in the Arms City to fight against the Barbarians, he knows that sending these supplies will help them increase their chance of victory. It can''t be dyed.


    Soon, their carriage arrived in the densely packed streets of Canthus City.


    Many people wereing in and out of this city since it is near to the mountains and forest where people can hunt strong Savage Beasts and even a few Magic Beasts were said to appear from time to time.


    "You can''t leave this city without giving the White Tiger to us forpensation! You have insulted me! Do you not know me?! I''m Baron Leo!"


    Suddenly Vincent heard the voice of a man who appears to be in his fifties arguing in the middle of the street.

 Chapter 98 Hidden Threat

    ''White Tiger?'' Vincent heard the man as he looked at Tara.


    "Let''s check the situation¡­"


    "Alright."


    The two then left the carriage as they instructed Rem to get the carriage out of this crowded street.


    "Hmph! We are from the Primal Sword Sect and all of our possessions including the Magic Beast is to be sent to the Arms City. Not even a Baron like you has the right to take a single thing from us."


    Vincent heard the familiar voice and recognized that it was from Elder Han. Currently, there were two groups confronting each other, and although the Primal Sword Sect has the advantage in number, they didn''t dare to act rashly within this city.


    They can''t just harm this noble since their Sect will bear responsibility if this has blown out. The noblesmand an incredible authority after all. Even if Leo is only a Baron, he can certainly mobilize an army of magicians from his territory¡­


    On the other hand, Elder Han also knows that he can''t just back off since he has a mission.


    "This Baron Leo is not simple¡­ He''s actually a Master Magician. He''s already starting to convert the mana in the surroundings into his wind-type Mana Art." Taramented as she could see the changes from the mana fluctuation Leo was emitting.


    Vincent frowned at this since he was unsure how to help Elder Han''s group as well.


    "Tara, can you help them secretly?" Vincent asked in a low voice.


    "It''s not easy¡­ The Baron''s escort seems to be a Celestial Being as well."


    "What?"


    Vincent was shocked as he immediately looked at the woman behind the plump Baron. There were four knights behind the baron but there is only one woman among them.


    She has long red hair and she appears to be a normal female knight beside the Baron.


    She was not emitting any Mana Fluctuations but her sharp gaze was starting to affect even Elder Han as it seems.


    "What is going on here?!"


    As soon as the battle was about to break out between the groups, someone finally came to interrupt them.


    He''s a bearded middle-aged man wearingplete body armor except his helmet was currently being carried by his subordinate behind.


    He appears to be a Knight with a high position considering how he wears purple and gold armor. In addition, he was followed by a dozen of knights as well.


    "Oh! So it is Sir Serge!" Baron Leo immediately retracted his blood lust as soon as he saw the Knight who was exuding a powerful aura.


    Needless to say, this knight is a Mana Practitioner and definitely a Magic Knight.


    "Baron Leo¡­ The Count is already looking for you. Don''t you think that it is rude to make him wait any longer?" Serge spoke with his deep voice.


    As soon as Serge mentioned the Count, Baron Leo flinch a little as he regretfully looked at the ck carriage protected by the people from the Primal Sword Sect.


    The ck carriage obviously contains the White Tiger Magic Beasts that he was longing for.


    Suddenly, an idea came to him as he immediately spoke to the Knight.


    "Ehem¡­ Sir Serge, it''s not that I want to disobey Count Magnus, it''s just that these people from a small sect were trying to transport a Magic Beast to the Arms City¡­ I''m just worried that they won''t be able to protect it along the way so I''m offering my help."<sub> </sub>


    Baron Leo shamelessly said as he gestured to the Primal Sword Sect''s disciples.


    The crowd, of course, knows that he was lying but none of them spoke out since the baron is still an influential figure. He''s also known to be a petty person so he will certainly get his revenge once he has managed to get out of this situation.


    As expected, no one pointed out his lies and Elder Han can only speak for themselves.


    "Hmph! I thought that you wanted to steal the White Tiger? This Magic Beast is under our protection and will be sent safely to Arms City. If you dare stop us, you will have to face the wrath of the Hailstorm General!"


    Elder Han shouted.


    Vincent has no idea of the general he just mentioned but he noticed that everyone who heard this name seemed to be shocked.


    He''s unsure whether the Hailstorm General was actually a terrifying figure or someone who shouldn''t be in the Arms City based on their expression.


    Vincent wanted to ask someone about the general but before he could do that, he already heard the crowd talking about it.


    "The Hailstorm General? Does it mean that the situation in the east is not good?"


    "Perhaps, the Barbarians have already invaded?"


    "Isn''t this bad? If he''s there, there must be a Barbarian King among the invaders¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ Perhaps we should start storing food supplies."


    "There might even be a conscription soon¡­"


    Vincent listened to their conversation and realized that this Hailstorm General is probably only being dispatched if there are powerful enemies like the Barbarian King.


    It is good news that someone could fight the Barbarian King but it is also bad news since the invasion this year appears to be arge-scale operation.


    After all, in the past invasion attempts of the barbarians, the mobilization of various Mana Arts Practitioners from different Sects, Royal Knights, and Nobles Army was already more than enough.


    Elder Han finally sighed in relief after diffusing the heated confrontation between their group and the baron.


    Knight Serge also decided to take the Baron and leave the ce immediately. However, Vincent can tell from the Baron''s eyes that he was still not over about this.


    "Hmmm..."


    Vincent can see that Elder Han didn''t like to reveal the situation in the Arms City as well. It seems that he''s afraid that it could cause panic among the citizens.


    "Let''s go!"


    Elder Hanmanded his group as they headed towards the eastern gate of the city.


    Vincent and Tara also found Rem as they followed the entourage.


    However, instead of going out of the city, Elder Han and his group stopped in front of a small house¡­


    "Divine Doctor! We havepleted our preparation. We have also bought all the things that you requested¡­ We can now head to the Arms City."

 Chapter 99 Decision

    Vincent then saw the door of the small house open as the servant of the Divine Doctor came out to greet Elder Han''s group.


    After a while, he saw Elder Han get invited inside while the rest of the disciples stayed outside.


    Vincent then looked around the disciples and the mercenaries that were left behind and confirmed that Disciple Daniel wasn''t included.


    Daniel was the strongest disciple of the Primal Sword Sect and it''s surprising that he''s currently not with them.


    "Hmm? Is he being treated by the Divine Doctor?" Vincent said as he thoughtfully nce at the small house where the Divine Doctor is.


    Based on what he heard from Elder Han just now, it appears that this Divine Doctor was also invited to visit the Arms City with them.


    Well, it wasn''t that surprising considering the threat of the Barbarian invasion. In this nearing battle, it would be normal that there would be many people who were going to be injured and that potions may not be enough to save them.


    The presence of the Divine Doctor will certainly lower the casualties on their kingdom''s side.


    "Oh~ It''s them¡­"


    As Vincent was observing the small house and thinking about how to approach the Primal Sword Sect disciples, he saw the three people that he just helped to reach this city.


    They are Denise and his two escorts, Alfred and Mathias, that are both Mana Arts Practitioners at the level of a Master Magician.


    Vincent then recalled that they are indeed looking for the Divine Doctor and it seems that they have just found the doctor now.


    Unfortunately, as soon as they arrived the Divine Doctor together with a few injured members of the Primal Sword Sect came out and it seems that they are about to leave.


    It appears that some disciples who came out were actually being treated by the Divine Doctor. Right now, Vincent can see that these people have bandages on their bodies and pale faces like they have lost a lot of blood.


    This included Daniel who has his left eye covered by a patch. It seems that they have been in a dire battle before getting here into the city.


    Clip, clop, clip, clop¡­


    The sound of horse''s hooves was heard as Vincent''s carriage arrived near the Divine Doctor''s house, or perhaps clinic.


    He immediately came out and greeted the group.


    "Vincent! You''re here." Elder Han immediately recognized them. Of course, this includes Alfred''s group who had just separated from them a moment ago. They also gave a slight nod to Vincent acknowledging his presence.


    "Are you guys about to leave? I''m also nning to visit Arms City. Is it alright to follow you?" Vincent asked with a smile.


    "Of course! Your presence would be a great help to us." Elder Han didn''t hesitate as he quickly agreed to Vincent.


    He knows that Vincent and Tara weren''t ordinary people after all.


    "That''s great¡­ Are you perhaps nning to bring the Divine Doctor to the Arms City as well?" Vincent asked as he looked at the dignified old man who had juste out of the small house. The divine doctor is probably in his sixties already but he still appears to be very refined.


    Although he has long white hair and a long beard already, he still exudes a strong vitality that normally wasn''t present in the old people.<sub> </sub>


    He remained silent as he just continued observing the young Dennise who doesn''t seem to be well at the moment.


    Elder Han then confirmed his suspicion that they have to bring the Divine Doctor to assist the medical team of the city.


    However, another patient had just arrived and they were in a dilemma. They can''t stay here for too long after all. Based on their estimation, the Barbarian Invasion should be starting in about five more days.


    Unfortunately, it would take about seven more days to travel from Canthus City to Arms City so they have to hurry.


    At this moment, the Divine Doctor seems to havepleted diagnosing Dennise as he spoke gently to Alfred.


    "It would take me three days to cure her. I''m sure you already tried all possible healing potions you can purchase in various apothecaries."


    "Yes, Divine Doctor Ji, we have tried even Mid-Grade Healing Potion and Rejuvenation Potions¡­ There were also Tier 2 Recovery Pills that we''ve tried but¡­" Alfred didn''t continue but everyone could understand that none of them were able to cure Dennise''s condition.


    "Divine Doctor Ji, we don''t even know what kind of disease is this¡­" Mathias added as he recalled how they have hired numerous Alchemists and Doctors to help their young miss but none of them has a solution.


    Now that the Divine Doctor confirmed that she can be healed in a few days, they were desperate to ask for his help!


    "It''s not like she''s going to die already¡­ She probably has about three more months to leave¡­ I''lle back here after finishing my business in the Arms City. I already received their payment so I can''t dy any longer."


    The Divine Doctor didn''t think too much of their situation as he just cold answered the two escorts.


    Vincent wasn''t sure whether he was just too faithful to the people who already paid for his service or heartless for not taking Dennise''s matter too seriously!


    Within three months, there are a lot of things that could happen!


    Her disease might worsen or the invasion of the barbarians might even be sessful! If that happens, the Divine Doctor may no longer have a chance to return to this city.


    They don''t even know how long this battle wouldst.


    Without waiting for Alfred''s reply, the Divine Doctor already ordered his servants to block his group as he headed to his carriage going to the Arms City.


    "Doctor, please, give us some of your time¡­ Sir, please help us. We''re willing to pay you with a treasure¡­" Alfred realized that he can''t convince the Divine Doctor as he turned to Elder Han.


    However, Elder Han was conflicted as well. To be dyed by another three days to cure the young girl was too much. They were already dyed because they have unfortunately encountered a group of venomous Savage Beasts along the road. Even Disciple Daniel''s left eye was blinded because of this.


    If they dyed this more, there might be more sacrifices in the Arms City because they haven''t delivered the unique weapons of their Primal Sword Sect and the White Tiger to the general.


    He can only refuse as he leads his group away.


    Haa¡­


    Vincent took a long deep breath after seeing all of this.

 Chapter 100 Danger

    After thinking for a while, Vincent finally made his decision.


    "Alfred, get inside my carriage¡­ I might be able to help you." Vincent said as he thought of curing her using a +9 healing potion. Though he wasn''t sure if it was going to be effective, it was better to try than leave this child suffering.


    Although he doesn''t have a +9 potion yet, he still has several +5 healing potions and a day or two should be more than enough to make a few +9 potions.


    Furthermore, Vincent already noticed the treasure that they are willing to use to pay for the price of healing Dennise.


    Vincent recognizes this treasure after working for a month within the Guardian Auction House, it is a box filled with Spirit Stones!


    Based on the fluctuation that he could feel, it must''ve been at a mid-grade level!


    Currently, Vincent has 10 low-grade spirit stones that he purchased from Therese. They are considered Ascension Crystals by his system and he''s currently saving them and was only nning to use them in urgent matters.


    After all, he can still substitute his Mana during his Ascension attempts. More than that, he still has 1 Ascension Card in his inventory that he can use.


    At the moment, the low-tier Spirit Stones that he has can also be used as emergency money since they can be easily converted into one.


    ''Right¡­ Maybe I can already try ascending the Primal Sword once I get these¡­'' Vincent mused as he recalled that the Arcane-Forged Primal Sword he received from Elder Han was only enhanced up to +5.


    Once he has more Spirit Stones, he would worry a lot less if he uses them during his Ascension attempts.


    Apparently, he hasn''t tried ascending the sword yet since he was busy using his Mana in enhancing potions for Tara and Rem.


    ''There should be about a dozen mid-grade Spirit Crystals inside. I wonder what other uses they can provide to the Divine Doctor¡­'' Vincent mused.


    If he has these Spirit Stones, he no longer has to wait for 300 units of mana just for a single ascension. However, he''s unsure what use would it be for the Divine Doctor if he gets it. Why are they offering it to him in the first ce?


    "S-sir Vincent, do you really have a way to help us?" Alfred asked. He was obviously agitated since he found Vincent very young and shouldn''t be knowledgeable about disease and medicines yet.


    It was understandable.


    However, Vincent didn''t answer and only gave them a reassuring smile as he gestured for them to get inside the carriage.


    The Divine Doctor and Elder Han saw his actions but didn''t stop him. They probably thought that Vincent would try to create a chance for them to be treated by the Divine Doctor while traveling,


    Soon, their group started moving out of Canthus City.


    ***


    Within Count Magnus'' Castle, a soldier arrived and saluted the group of people gathered around a table.<sub> </sub>


    These people were important figures within the city, they are Count Magnus, Baron Leo, and Baron Eldo who were all influential nobles in this region.


    "We have confirmed that the group has already left the city and they indeed brought the Divine Doctor with them. We have already sent a group to intercept them at Myriad Pass."


    The soldier reported as he waited for the Count''s instruction¡­


    "The Divine Doctor?" Baron Leo frowned after hearing this.


    Obviously, he already reported about the White Tiger Cub''s existence to the Count. He knows that this matter couldn''t be handled by himself anymore especially after Elder Han brought up the Hailstorm General.


    "It doesn''t matter¡­ Just make sure that none of them will be recognized as soldiers¡­" Count Magnus said.


    "Yes¡­ The 50 knights have dressed as members of the Twelve sher Gang¡­ There shouldn''t be a problem even if one or two managed to escape from Sword Sect.."


    "Good¡­ If the Divine Doctor decided to interfere, just kill him as well." Magnus ruthlesslymanded.


    He appears to be a man in his forties and has arge frame. He exudes a noble and fiery aura as if he was always ready to be in battle.


    Although he barely has any talent as a Mana Arts Practitioner, he has practiced many martial arts and trained his body to the peak. He can activate a few Magic Tools to protect himself and owns many Magic Weapons to make him a decent warrior.


    Right now, however, his face is full of greed as he was already imagining what he will do once he acquired the White Tiger Cub. He can either sell it for a high price or gift it to a higher noble to increase his influence.


    Many may not know but a Count like him knows how valuable the White Tiger Magic Beast is.


    "Count Magnus, is it true that the White Tiger Cub can be used to enhance the power of a Master Magician?" Baron Leo asked. To be honest, he was only targeting the White Tiger for its fur and fangs which were extremely valuable.


    However, as soon as he reported this to the Count, thetter informed him that it could actually help a magician to master the Lightning Element!


    One of the hardest elements to be converted from mana was lightning. There weren''t many Master Magicians who were capable of wielding it even after they have be Adept or even Archmage.


    The easiest to be converted to mana was water and wind element which weren''t that great in battle. If news of this secret method leaked out, there would surely be a lot of people hunting for the White Tiger!


    "Hmph! It''s true¡­ That''s why we can''t fail here. Baron Leo. Baron Eldo¡­ I need both of you to ''save'' their caravan after being attacked by the Twelve sher Gang. Make sure that you take care of them ande back here." Count Magnus revealed a wicked grin after saying this.


    Baron Eldo, a previous knight who became a noble thanks to Count Magnus conferring him a title, stood up and reassured the Count.


    "Do not worry, Count¡­ I will be leading my knights to ''rescue'' them." Baron Eldo gave a vicious smile as he immediately left the castle with Baron Leo.

 Chapter 101 Ambush

    While Baron Leo and Baron Eldo were preparing to leave the city, Vincent finished exining his method to try and cure the youngdy.


    Alfred was doubtful at first but this is much better than waiting for the Divine Doctor to cure Dennise after three months.


    "My potions are really effective¡­ They just take time to mature. I already have a healing potion here and I already modified them. I''m just waiting for the modification I made to take effect." Vincent exined.


    Obviously, he wouldn''t concoct a potion while on the carriage. He can only lie that he already made a potion and waiting for its maturity to create the best healing effect.


    After all, he knows that it takes time to create a +9 potion as well. Although his sess rate had increased tremendously after his Enhancement Ability became level 9, there are still chances of failure, especially during +8 and +9.


    More than that, he''s nning to prepare not only one +9 potion but as many as he can.


    "Ehem¡­ You can ask Tara and Rem, my twopanions, they have tried my potions. Look, you can''t see any scars or wounds on their bodies, it''s all because of my potions." Vincent said as he had to dispel their doubtful thoughts.


    "Then¡­ We will trust, Sir Vincent. As soon as we confirmed that you managed to cure our young miss, then we will pay with this and you can even request if you have something in your mind." Alfred generously said as he looked at Vincent.


    Luckily, they seem to really care about Dennise and are willing to entrust her cure to Vincent in the meantime.


    Several hours had passed as the sky started turning dark. They were still quite far from the next town so they have no other choice but to camp along the road.


    Apparently, there was previously a vige where travelers are using to spend the night around here. Unfortunately, it was burned to the ground by a bandit group after being deemed unprofitable.


    It seems that they were no longer able to collect money from that vige leading them to burn the vige.


    This story was told by one of the mercenaries hired by the Primal Sword Sect to protect their goods.


    "They''re quite decent¡­ Though they were not at the level of Magic Knights, they''re definitely skillful." Vincent muttered as he could see how vignt and organized these mercenaries were.


    Especially the one leading them who has blond hair and a brawny frame. This mercenary doesn''t seem to be any weaker than those from the Rose Knights that he had seen before.


    The camp was easily set up after half an hour as they formed a circle around arge bonfire. More than that, the mercenaries had also arranged some magic tools that seems to be capable of warding off any Savage Beasts at night.


    Once they have finished having their dinner, Vincent invited Dennise and Tara to their camp to try the potion.


    During this time, he managed to enhance a couple of +9 potions, and a dozen of +7 potions after spending most of his mana.


    Furthermore, Vincent already enhanced the Mana Upheaval Potion to +7 and it could now increase his mana capacity by 210 units! However, he was still not over for this and he ns to get it to +9 or even +10 if possible.


    After all, this potion is extremely rare and it has never appeared even in the giant Guardians Auction House.


    "Gulp!"


    Dennise did not hesitate to drink the healing potion from Vincent. Anway, Alfred didn''t find anything wrong with the potion as well aside from the gold glitter included in the liquid that he saw.


    "Young miss¡­ How do you feel?" Alfred asked as he carefully looked at Dennise with worried eyes.


    However, even without her answer, he already noticed that the color on her face started to return! The previously pale skin that seemed like she drained her blood was no more! Redness appeared on her cheeks as the light in her eyes became vivid!


    Although the marks of the mysterious disease on her body haven''t disappeared yet, she was obviously in a better condition¡­<sub> </sub>


    "I¡­ I¡­ I feel warm¡­"


    Finally, after such a very long time, Alfred heard the voice of their young miss again. Even Mathias, who was just outside the camp, couldn''t help but tear up a little.


    "Do not force yourself¡­ You''re not fully healed yet. Tomorrow, you will take another potion." Vincent said as indeed, his +9 healing potion is just too incredible.


    Bam!


    As he was about to concentrate on recovering his mana, he suddenly heard amotion aside.


    "Bandits! We''re under attack!"


    Vincent recognized Elder Han''s voice as he immediately nced at Tara and Rem.


    He then noticed that their faces also turned serious as if there was an iing threat that they would have difficulty facing.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Soon, the sounds of battle started as the disciples of the sword sect together with the mercenaries fought against the bandits¡­


    "I''ll help outside¡­ Protect your young miss." Vincent said as he took his weapon. He''s not wearing his enhanced leather armors as he doesn''t have enough time.


    He can tell that the bandits this time were quite strong and they have already arrived outside their camp!


    "Tara, Rem¡­ Make sure that no other Celestial Beings will join this battle." Vincent immediately instructed as he can already tell that this attack wasn''t simple.


    The bandits were all Mana Arts Practitioners and were disciplined with their method of attack!


    More than that, he can tell the two Celestial Beings'' wariness in a certain direction.


    "It''s not a Celestial Being, there seems to be another Magic Beast¡­ It was probably attracted by the White Tiger Cub¡­" Tara frowned as he exined.


    However, Vincent was already engaged in battle as he found the bandits wearing high-quality clothes that seems to be magic tools even!


    Vincent couldn''t count how many bandits are there but everyone was fighting at least one of them! They are at disadvantage in number!


    He then wielded his cane as he used his Shrouded Steps to get closer to one of the stronger bandits


    Bam!


    His cane hit the person''s arm guard and did not damage indicating that it''s a magic tool of decent quality.


    Vincent frowned as he tried once more.


    Surging Palm Strike!

 Chapter 102 Problem

    Vincent gathered his mana to his palm and executed a Tier 1 Mana Art.


    The mana fluctuation from his abundant mana supply threatened the two-meter tall bandit but thetter still appears calm. He only frowned for a moment before taking something out of his sleeves.


    Boom!


    Vincent''s attack was simply blocked by another magic tool, a Magic Scarf! The man in front of him simply has too many Magic Tools in his body!


    ''Just how rich are these bandits?!''


    Vincentined. He also saw how Tara and Rem rush to the depths of the forest not too far from their campsite. They were obviously drawn by arger threat and has to leave and settle it first.


    Vincent had no choice but to use another method.


    "Ak! Help! These aren''t simple bandits!"


    "They''re probably part of the Rebel Army! Be careful!"


    "Do not falter! Formation!"


    Under the lead of Elder Han and the blond mercenary, Vincent saw how they immediately reorganized and made a circr formation to protect the Divine Doctor and the White Tiger Cub at the center.


    On the other hand, Mathias and Alfred no longer hesitated as they revealed that they are Master Magicians who had mastered an element!


    Mathias wielded a simple Mana Art called Water de while Alfred uses a Fireball.


    "Master Magicians!"


    "Those with Magic Tools! Deal with them quickly! Kill!"


    "Kill!"


    The bandits were only stunned for a moment after the revtion that the two were capable of converting mana into an element.


    So what? As long as they have Magic Tools and numbers, the Master Magician''s elemental conversion would not be enough to stop them!


    They were unafraid as five of the bandits immediately hurried to the two.


    As for Dennise, who was no longer as sickly as before, she worriedly clutched Alfred''s arm after seeing the chaos happening in her surroundings.


    "Burn!"


    Alfred no longer hesitated as he used most of his mana to be converted into a ball of fire! This time, it was no longer just the size of a fist as it can cover the bandit''s body!


    Whoosh!


    The ball was sent to the bandit in front as they raised their magic tools to protect themselves.


    Boom!


    The huge fireball crashed at the first bandit without being stopped by the magic tool! It continued hitting the second and the third bandit but was finally stopped by the fourth one.


    Many Master Magicians wanted to learn the conversion of Mana to Fire Element since it was the most destructive element.


    True to its reputation, the fireball created a huge wave of heat disrupting the fight of the Primal Sword Sect disciples.


    "So strong¡­ I didn''t think that those two were Magicians." Elder Han frowned as he shed the bandit who was trying to keep him in his position.


    Elder Han had also reached the level of a Master Magician but elemental conversion is still difficult for him and even if he forced himself, it is very unstable.


    He''d rather use his Sword Technique to fight since he also knows a few tricks using his mana.<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t let those two take all the glory! Kill these bandits!" Elder Han shouted as he suddenly burst with an explosive amount of mana! It was followed by the other disciples as they roared out loud intimidating the ''bandits''.


    They have decided not to use their mana to defend passively and instead use it with their Tier 2 Mana Arts!


    Soon, the surroundings started shing with various forms of mana as they were thrown in the bandit''s direction!


    ng! ng!


    Most of the mana arts that the Sect disciples used were in the form of des or just a clump of mana.


    Nevertheless, they did all this without care even if they used all of their mana and became vulnerable. With so many of these Mana Arts being thrown to the bandits, the bandits struggled for a while as their Magic Tools started overheating¡­


    This time, they can no longer rely on their Magic Tools!


    "Michael! Now!" Elder Han shouted as the blond mercenary leader started moving!


    Ha!


    A single sh from his de decapitated one of the bandits! Michael has been frustrated all this while since many of his men have already died. Now that an opportunity arises, he did not hesitate to appear in the midst of the bandits and showcased his de techniques¡­


    Now that the bandit''s magic tools have been used up, his sturdy de finally tasted the blood of these people.


    Vincent noticed all of this happening as he brandished his Silver Ruin Dagger and met the tall bandit who seemed to be eager on stopping him.


    Bang!


    Before he could approach him, the bandit was hit by Mathias'' water de.


    Although not necessary, Vincent found himself in a better position.


    Hmph!


    With a wave of his hand, the dagger was swiftly thrown and pierced the man''s thigh!


    "Aahhh! You midget!"


    The dagger''s Pierce and Critical Attribute were triggered as the man''s face paled. His face filled will hatred suddenly turned into a pained expression.


    The dagger even pierced his bone!


    He can only grit his teeth as he used his umon de to push Vincent back. There was no technique or art with his de techniques as if he was just waving it to scare him away¡­


    "That''s enough¡­" With Vincent''s speed and the mastery of his cane, he was able to crush the man''s leg followed by another strike to his shoulder making him limp away in pain.


    Seeing that he can no longer fight, Vincent didn''t kill him as he wanted to ask him some questions.


    However, as the battle had seemingly ended, Disciple Daniel shouted in horror.


    "The White Tiger Cub is missing!"


    As soon as they heard this, everyone looked at the carriage where the Divine Doctor was also protected. Right now, the carriage is wide open and they can see that there is indeed no Magic Beast inside the cage!


    "We need to search for it! They haven''t gone far yet!"


    Elder Han immediately arranged a group of pursuers but at this time, another group of people arrived at the scene.


    They are Baron Leo and Baron Eldo together with their group of knights.

 Chapter 103 Decisive Battle ( 1 )

    With Vincent''s Soul Sense, he was able to tell that this group had already noticed them from afar. However, they just took their time to arrive here as if they don''t want to get involved in the battle.


    He understands that as well since he would do that too if he doesn''t want to be inflicted with other people''s problems.


    However, it must be remembered that Baron Leo has been eyeing the White Tiger Cub so this might not be a coincidence.


    "Oh? What''s all of this? You guys are not in a good condition. Did you encounter a Magic Beast?" Baron Leo asked as he looked worried. He even appears like he was ready to help them.


    He then cast his nce at everyone as he carefully checked their condition.


    Currently, the Primal Sword Sect''s force has weakened a lot including the Mercenaries that they hired. Although they have defeated most of the ''bandits'' they weren''t left unscathed by the battle and perhaps, they might even have trouble reaching the Arm''s City at this rate.


    Elder Han had never imagined that it would be this difficult to transport a Magic Beast and Magic Weapons. He heard from the past that the most that they would encounter were Savage Beasts and few Bandits that can even be paid if they don''t want to fight in battle.


    However, the Bandits they encountered never engaged in conversations as if they aren''t nning to steal but just to kill them. More than that, they also encountered a passing Magic Beast on the road and were attacked making their force weaker.


    "We can still manage, Baron Leo. If you''re going ahead, please wait for a while as we will clear the road for you." Elder Han said cautiously.


    Currently, the road is littered with corpses and he wanted these people to leave as quickly as possible.


    So even if they''re still recovering, they''d rather use their remaining energy to fix the path so Baron can leave already.


    "Hmm..." Baron Leo smiled without giving an answer. He seem to be considering something as he looked at the two Master Magicians.


    "Haha¡­ All of you don''t have to be too vignt. We''re here because we heard that the bandits around this region were mostly operating during the night¡­ We wanted to capture them and bring them to the Count. Since you encountered them already, you might be able to help us with our investigation. Men, help them¡­"


    Baron Eldomanded as he ordered his men to help the Mercenaries and the Sect Disciples¡­ However, Vincent can see that they are still holding their sword on their waist while approaching the group!


    It was as if they are attacking instead!


    "Y-you! Retreat! Gather around the Divine Doctor!"


    Elder Han noticed this as well. He immediatelymanded the disciples as the knights approaches them.


    However, he was still toote!


    As soon as he made his order, the Knights realized that their n to catch them off guard has failed as they ruthlessly shed their swords at the nearest disciple or mercenary!


    "Aahhh!!"


    "N-noo! My arm---"


    "You despicable noble! I''ll bring you down with me!"


    "Die!"


    Realizing that they were about to die, the disciples of the sect surprisingly burst with power as they ignored the knights in front of them and rushed to Baron Leo!


    Baron Leo was startled at this as he didn''t think that a couple of disciples managed to break through from the knights he brought and almost caught him!


    It shows that the Primal Sword Sect''s disciples weren''t some pushover as well!


    As soon as they reached Baron Leo, they brandished their sword which was covered by every mana that they have to at least kill this person!


    Even though they already have many wounds on their bodies, they still persisted to reach this state!


    They were already vexed with this particr noble after their conflict within the Canthus City¡­ Now that they have been chased here to be killed, they could no longer contain their anger and didn''t care for the aftermath of killing a noble!


    Haa!


    The two disciples thrust their swords to stab Baron Leo¡­ Thetter even stumbled as he retreated quickly.


    "Hmph! Who do you think you are?! Just obediently die!" Baron Eldo mocked the two disciples as he didn''t even use his sword to stop the two!


    He merely used his hands covered with gloves to stop the swords from advancing!


    These gloves were obviously magic tools! Partnered with his incredible physique and master with Martial Arts, the Baron was able to stop the swords which greatly surprised the two!


    They have never considered that someone is capable of catching their swords in such a manner!


    They wanted to pull out their swords immediately, but they were toote! Baron Eldo just kicked the one on his left as the two disciples collided with each other and crashed to the ground.


    Bang!


    It didn''t end there as Baron Eldo quickly killed the two with a couple more punches on their chests!<sub> </sub>


    "I will kill you all!" Elder Han could no longer contain his anger as his body started turning red!


    "Elder Han! You''re going to--"


    "Protect Elder Han at all costs!"


    "He''s using the Primal Burst?! This¡ª"


    The Sect Disciples were shocked at first but as soon as they recognized that their Elder used the Primal Burst, everyone did their best to protect the elder and give him some time.


    It seems to be a secret technique of their sect!


    Whoosh~


    After about 30 seconds, when the remaining disciples were about to copse, Elder Han finally made his move as he used an almost invisible sword to cut the neck of the Knights!


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Everywhere he goes, the Knight''s bodies would drop to the ground and only a single knight survived his attack. She was thrown away from the impact. No one knows if she''s dead or alive.


    Nevertheless, Vincent realized that it was the female knight working for Baron Leo.


    "So fast! How could he do that without using any elements? Is this the secret of the Primal Sword Sect?" Vincent thought.


    He was already nning to run in Tara and Rem''s direction but it seems that they were still about to win.


    Right now, there are only six people on the caravan''s side who are alive. The Divine Doctor Ji, his servant, two disciples of the Sect, one mercenary, and Elder Han.


    Of course, if Vincent''s group were included, then there will an addition as Alfred, Mathias, and Dennise were still alive as they managed to deal with the knights who went in their direction.


    On the other hand, the side of the nobles only has the two Barons and the unconscious female knight.


    As Vincent wanted to work together with Elder Han to fight against the mysterious Baron Eldo who seemed to be some kind of a diator, he saw that he suddenly copsed.


    Thud¡­


    "Hahaha! So that Primal Burst would actually consume your life for a short period. Too bad, those knights you killed have incredible magic tools to protect their lives. Although you killed them, you must''ve spent all your energy killing them." Baron Eldoughed after realizing that Elder Han was already dead.


    Without the elder, he deemed that this battle is over and all the things they left behind would be theirs. Although it''s a pity that the knights died, they are still receable since the Knights Academy would always produce a thousand knights every year. It''s quite easy to entice them and work for a Baron like them.


    Baron Eldo casually looked at Vincent and the others but as soon as his eyes met with the Divine Doctor, he showed a pleasant smile.


    "Doctor¡­ It seems that you aren''t too shaken about this situation." Eldo said.


    "Hmph¡­ I''ve already seen many deaths with these eyes. Why? Do you dare kill me?" Divine Doctor Ji spoke as his old voice even sound threatening.


    "Haha! No way¡­ You are this kingdom''s number one doctor. There is no way we would harm you. There are still many people that need you. You can leave now together with your servants¡­ Oh¡­ It would be difficult to travel without a guard though¡­" Baron Eldo seemed to be troubled as he indeed does not wish for this old doctor to die just yet.


    They might still need him in the near future.


    He then nced at Vincent''s group and noticed that they don''t appear to be mercenaries or sect disciples¡­ Instead, they seem to be merchants who were just on the same road.


    "You people still killed a few of my knights¡­ If you leave an arm here, I will not pursue this matter any longer and you can leave with the doctor."


    Baron Eldo demanded as if he grasps the lives of Vincent and the others. If they really cut their arm, their life wouldpletely turn upside down.


    This Baron was too domineering! He should''ve noticed that Mathias and Alfred were Master Magicians with capabilities to form one element each!


    Mathias and Alfred nced at each other as they were considering what to do.


    ''We can try and kill him¡­ He''s alone.''


    ''But he might have a method to escape¡­''


    It will not be difficult for this Baron to find out their identity after meeting them. If that happened, their family might be the one to suffer instead.


    This is how nobles exact their vengeance after all.


    After a moment of hesitation, they looked at Vincent for an answer.


    Thetter expected this situation as he showed a wicked smile¡­


    "Let''s just not leave any evidence¡­"

 Chapter 104 Decisive Battle ( 2 )

    Baron Leo frowned as he looked at the situation. He never expected that the ''bandits'' that he sent first weren''t able to eliminate this group in front of them.


    Nevertheless, he thought that with the top knights he brought with him, he thought that it would be an easy matter to finish this since even if the ''bandits'' failed, they should''ve at least weakened them.


    However, he failed to ount that the Primal Sword Sect was indeed able to establish itself in just a few decades because they aren''t pushovers as well.


    They may not have a deep foundation like the sixrge sects protecting the borders of the kingdom, but they still possess a mysterious Sword Technique that allowed them to be recognized as a rising power around the southern region of the kingdom.


    "Shit¡­ All my knights are dead¡­ How should I exin this¡­" Baron Leo was disgruntled at the result of their n.


    Even if Baron Eldo finishes the task with his brute force, the knights were already dead. Unlike Eldo, he doesn''t have the influence to recruit those new graduates from the Knights Academy since they were still considered elites.


    The ones he could recruit at most were those trained by his father''s personal knights. The quality will be different but he has no other choice.


    Baron Leo hatefully nced at Vincent and the others.


    He really wanted to kill them as well but since Baron Eldo made his decision, he can only ept their arms to alleviate his anger.


    "What are you waiting for?! Leave an arm now or I''ll kill you myself!"


    Baron Leo shouted as he brought out his only offensive magic tool. It is a simple orb made of ck crystal. However, it contains powerful elemental energy inside.


    He was previously flustered by the sudden attack of the two Sect Disciples and wasn''t able to pull it out in time.


    However, now that Baron Eldo controlled the situation, he can finally show off.


    He looked at the young disciple of the Sword Sect and the injured mercenary that is remaining in the group. They seem to be the weakest in their group but they managed to survive because they remained the furthest near the Divine Doctor.


    He''s ready to start with these two!


    Vincent took a deep breath and signaled Mathias and Alfred to act in his signal. Unfortunately, Baron Eldo noticed their small actions and he immediately acted!


    Instead of waiting, Baron Eldo acted without telling Baron Leo!


    Haa!


    With a burst, Baron Eldo used a unique foot technique to dash forward as he immediately arrived in front of Mathias!


    Luckily, Mathias remained cautious all this time as he swiftly summoned a wall of water to protect himself¡­


    Ssh!


    "We''ll show you why we''re Master Magicians!" Mathias shouted as he jumped back to get some distance from the Baron.


    Baron Eldo was pushed back by the water wall but it wasn''t enough to hurt him even a little. His armor and physical strength are more than enough to deflect the surge of water.


    Suddenly, he noticed that something extremely hot was getting close to him¡­


    He looked to his right and realized that a ball of fire was about to hit him!


    "Hmph! Do you think this will hurt me?!" Baron Eldo ignored the ball of fire with the size of his fist.


    He has confidence with his shield of mana and his magic armor.


    With that in mind, he pounced at Mathias again since he knows that Master Magicians with mastery of Water Element conversion would normally learn a skill called Water Prison.


    He''s unsure whether he already learned the skill but he can''t depend on luck. If he''s really captured by the Water Prison, it would be difficult for him to get out of it!


    Luckily, he knows that summoning Water Prison takes some time so he only has to chase him and make him incapable of triggering the skill!


    Bam!


    The fireball his body but as expected he was able to endure it by expending a little bit of mana in his defense.


    "You''re dead!"


    Baron Eldo shouted as he was already thinking of targeting the fire magician after killing Mathias. He wasn''t too concerned with Vincent since he''s too young and his weapon was just a stick¡­


    Why would he even bother dodging that?


    Unfortunately, his arrogance cost him dearly.


    Vincent positioned himself behind that fireball. As soon as it was deflected, he was able to get close to the Baron with his Shrouded Steps!


    ''You might have a strong defense but a three of four strikes should still be enough!'' Vincent was confident as he threw his Silver Ruin Dagger again to break the man''s defense!


    This is his only weapon with Pierce attribute after all.


    During his stay in the Auction House, he realized that Pierce Attribute was actually quite difficult to obtain.


    Other daggers, throwing knives, or even swords don''t have Pierce Attributes that can truly help prate the defenses of his enemies. This is why he truly values this weapon.


    More than that, he learned how to utilize this effectively thanks to his recent battle.


    nk!<sub> </sub>


    Vincent''s dagger disrupted Baron Leo as he missed his attack against Mathias.


    The Silver Ruin Dagger destroyed his Mana Shield and was pushed back after his armor was hit by the dagger. Though the dagger failed to pierce his armor, it still managed to do its purpose!


    Bang!


    Vincent was able to hit Baron Eldo!


    Bang! Bang!


    Seeing that the man was shaken by his strike, Vincent coldly continued with his attack!


    "Aagghh!"


    Baron Eldo spat a mouthful of blood as his internal organs were damaged because of the cane''s Crush Attribute.


    Baron Leo realized that something bad happened to hispanion so he did not hesitate to use the ck orb to attack!


    "You pests!"


    The ck Orb suddenly radiated with a ck light followed by the spread of a miasma!


    Baron Leo controlled this miasma to cover the two Master Magicians and Vincent!


    As for Dennise, she has already retreated and was watching the battle worriedly¡­ She looked at the sword sect disciple and the remaining mercenary but they seem quite exhausted as well.


    Currently, they seem to be recovering their strength and they couldn''t help Vincent!


    "Vincent¡­" Dennise muttered with her coarse voice. Thanks to Vincent, she had gotten a lot better though her disease hasn''t beenpletely cured yet.


    She can''t just let her savior die.


    She wanted to help with the battle but she knows that she''ll only be a burden.


    "Baron Eldo! Are you alright?!" Leo asked. He immediately approached Eldo bringing a recovery pill to him.


    "Ugh¡­ That guy''s attack is weird! Cough! Cough!" Baron Eldoined as he looked at Vincent fearfully.


    Currently, Vincent and the two Master Magicians were already covered by the ck miasma so they should be dead by now. Eldo heaved a sigh of relief seeing this.


    He had really underestimated these three and he almost died because of that.


    It seems that he really can''t judge people by their appearance. He didn''t expect that it was the young man who was actually the real threat from the group.


    "Baron Leo¡­ That ck miasma will kill them, right?" Eldo asked to make sure.


    "Of course! This miasma will corrupt their brain until it became rotten. No one can survive this¡­ unless you have prepared a Magic Tool to counter it or you''re an Aura Knight."


    Baron Leo spoke confidently. His ck orb had never failed him before so he can boast about it. He''s unsure of this ck Orb''s origin since his father just gave it to him but it might even be a Magic Artifact and not just Magic Tool.


    As he was gloating at the death of the three people who refused to cooperate with them, he suddenly felt something off!


    Then, the ck Orb in his hands suddenly cracked!


    "N-no!"


    Baron Leo shouted in horror as he knows what this means. He immediately looked at the miasma he created only to be greeted by a cane hitting his face!


    Bang!


    Baron Leo''s head was crushed! He wasn''t a strong Mana Practitioner and he didn''t even put up a Mana Shield in the first ce.


    Baron Eldo was surprised by this! He wanted to immediately flee as he still hasn''t recovered. Unfortunately, Vincent didn''t give him another chance as he ended with the same fate as he died after being crushed by the cane¡­


    "Haa¡­ Not good¡­" Vincent wasn''t happy even after winning.


    He just realized that a crack suddenly formed on his cane.


    He immediately checked the durability by using his appraisal and confirmed that it has really gotten bad.


    [ Damaged Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 ]


    [ Durability: 25 / 350 ]


    "I can no longer use this, it will be broken at this rate." Vincent sighed as he kept the cane on his back before retrieving his dagger.


    He then returned to Aldred''s side and confirmed that he was just unconscious.


    Unfortunately, Mathias was unable to defend himself against the ck miasma and died with his eyes open.


    It was a terrible result in this battle but he can''t do anything about it.


    ''Can we still reach the Arm''s City at this rate?'' Vincent looked around at the surroundings as his gaze stopped in the direction where Tara and Rem left.

 Chapter 105 Move

    Vincent had no idea where the two Celestials left or what kind of enemy are they facing right now.


    However, assuming that it requires a couple of Celestial Beings, it means that they are probably facing a Numbered Celestial at Rank 800s or even lower. There is also another possibility where they are actually fighting against a very strong Magic Beast.


    If that was the case, he can only imagine just how strong this beast was to be capable of handling two Celestial Beings!


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent then nced at the female knight who was previously unconscious. This female knight was together with Baron Leo when he saw them in the streets of Canthus City.


    What puzzled him was that this knight doesn''t seem to be injured at all but he didn''t react too much after he killed the two barons.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Vincent mumbled.


    He can tell that this woman isn''t ordinary. As far as he can remember, even Tara acted wary  of her.


    "..."


    This woman only looked at Vincent calmly. She doesn''t seem to be worried even after he showed his excellent skills.


    "What do you want?" She asked.


    Vincent and the others were stunned after hearing her question. In the first ce, they were the one who came after them!


    She should be the one exining why she attacked them.


    "Hmph! Tell us everything you know. There was no way that these two barons would dare attack the Primal Sword Sect and the Divine Doctor. Who is the mastermind behind this?"


    Alfred spoke as he saw an opportunity.


    Right now, he felt that Vincent was already exhausted since he must''ve used an incredible amount of mana in the recent battle.


    More than that, he noticed that Vincent is also a strong Aura Knight.


    As a Master Magician, he easily noticed the different forms of energy leaking out of his body.


    Though he hasn''t met an Aura Knight yet, this is the only exnation he could get.


    The method he used to break the defense of the baron must surely be a technique used by the likes of them.


    Alfred nced at Vincent for a moment and confirmed that he has no issues about him not immediately killing this female knight.


    "I don''t know the mastermind of this incident. However, it''s most likely Count Magnus himself since Baron Eldo wouldn''t normally act without his orders."


    Surprisingly, the female knight replied without hesitation and she seemed like she was speaking the truth.


    "Count Magnus? Is he targeting the White Tiger Beast as well? Or is it us? Perhaps he already swears allegiance to Duke France?!" The remaining young disciple of the Primal Sword Sect asked in horror.


    The Count should know that they are acting on behalf of the Hailstorm General.


    If he knows that and he still dared to act like this, does it mean that the Canthus City forces has already joined the rebel army?


    "I''m unsure. Baron Leo is petty and arrogant but he''s not scheming. He won''t bother to join with the Rebel Army that is clearly on the losing side. As for the Count, I can''t speak on his behalf since I barely know him."


    The female knight replied.


    "Then who took the White Tiger Cub?!"


    The young sect disciple asked in exasperation. During their encirclement to protect the cub and the Divine Doctor, they were unable to understand how they have failed to keep the tiger cub within the cage.


    They don''t know how it was captured and who captured it.


    "The White Tiger Cub? It was another Magic Beast that looked like a Shadow Monkey. They are quite famous around here and they would steal anything that catches their eye¡­ and I don''t think that Count has the capabilities to employ them so you don''t have to me him this time."


    "What? Shadow Monkey?! What bad luck!" The only mercenary left said with a hint of shock in his voice. It seems that he knows about these Shadow Monkeys lurking around this region.


    Noticing their gaze, he immediately gave an exnation.


    "They are Savage Beasts closest to being Magic Beasts. They are special creatures that could harness Dark Element¡­ If not for their short lifespan of 6 to 9 months, it shouldn''t be a problem to give them a title of Magic Beasts."


    He didn''t exin clearly but the reason why they have a short lifespan was due to their physical limits. They were ultimately incapable of using the Dark Element because of their weak physique, so once they have decided to forcefully cultivate it and be Shadow Monkeys, their lifespan would deteriorate and none of them couldst over a year.


    "It''s already too dark. Chasing them in the middle of the forest is suicide." The young sect disciple added.<sub> </sub>


    Right now, he can only ept that the White Tiger Cub was lost. At the very least, the Divine Doctor and the supplies for the war were still untouched all this time. Bringing them to the Arms City can still be considered a partial sess in their mission.


    Although many Sect Disciples and even an Elder sacrificed their lives for this task,pleting this mission will still give their sect prestige and fame once their story was spread throughout the whole Kingdom.


    For sure, the Primal Sect will be seen as a righteous sect, and recruiting people to join them shouldn''t be that difficult from here on.


    "Very well, do you want to follow your baron to hell?"


    Seeing that there''s nothing much to gain from the female knight, Alfred threatened to finish her off.


    However, she''s not easily threatened as she looked at him with fearless eyes and replied.


    "I will leave¡­ You don''t have to bother me. Since Baron Leo is already dead. I should be a free knight from now on. My contract with him to be a normal or an average knight is already finished."


    "What?! You think that we''ll let you off after killing our brothers!"


    The Sect Disciple and the young Mercenary shouted in anger! They mustered all their remaining strength to pounce at the female knight and used their strongestbat technique to attack her!


    One covered his sword with mana while the other jumped really high as he poured his mana into his de!


    Primal sh!


    de Dance!


    It shows that they didn''t want this woman to die so easily. They want to tear her apart!


    Vincent saw all of this and didn''t stop them from attempting to kill the woman. After all, she really participated and killed a few of their brothers.


    However, Vincent realized something from her words¡­


    Her contract with Baron Leo was to act like an average knight! Does it mean that she''s capable of acting as a superior knight if that was their contract?


    If that was the case, his wariness may seem to be a good idea.


    He focused his attention on the female knight''s movements to see how she would react to their attacks.


    Thud!


    Thud!


    The two attacked missed their target. It was as if the female knight moved like a ghost as she swiftly evaded their extremely fast attack.


    Finally, Aldred realized that something was wrong with this female knight. He didn''t care about her that much from the beginning since she doesn''t seem to be a strong Mana Arts Practitioner based on her Mana Fluctuations.


    However, now that he saw her move like this, he realized that this woman is full of secrets! He looked at Vincent as well and he noticed that he seemed to be expecting this to happen.


    ''No wonder he kept his silence all this time. He knows that something is wrong with this female knight.''


    As he thought of this, he wanted to help the two other survivors to fend off the knight.


    "As I said, I''m not working for him now. If I kill all of you, I''ll feel like I''m still following his orders. I don''t like that so I will spare you all for now. You don''t have to chase me, if you do, I might change my mind so be careful."


    The female knight sounded amiable at first but at the end of his words, she sounded extremely scary and as she threatened them with her cold gaze.


    Alfred, who was about to make his move, stopped in his steps after seeing the apathetic but ruthless gazeing from that woman.


    He took a long breath as he assessed his situation. His priority should be Dennise''s safety.


    ''As long as you don''t threaten the youngdy, I will let you off for now.'' Alfred thought.


    Finally, the female knight started walking away as everyone watched her silently.


    Even Vincent stood still in that situation as he already guessed the woman''s identity.


    "There was really a lot of them, huh¡­ There''s even a weird one like this. I should really be cautious when moving outside. It''spletely different to what Grandpa Raizen said about them."


    Vincent couldn''t help but sigh as he allowed her to leave.


    Soon, they fixed all the corpses on the road before they continued moving slowly. They can''t make a camp in this area anymore so even if it''s dangerous to move at night, they have to move.

 Chapter 106 News

    Vincent deeply sighed after not getting any traces from Tara and Rem.


    The two just disappeared and he wasn''t even informed about their ns.


    They were now a few kilometers away from the battlefield and he was unsure whether he will still get to see those two.


    "Is there anyone injured?"


    The Divine Doctor asked. Currently, there were only seven people alive in their previousrge group. They have decided to settle inside an abandoned cabin since it''s already too dark to continue on the road.


    "Our injuries are mostly healed. Thank you for asking, Doctor Ji." Raymond answered.


    The seven survivors were Divine Doctor Ji, his servant called Arem, Raymond from the Primal Sword Sect, Ladis from the ck Torrent Mercenary Squad, Alfred, Dennise, and Vincent.


    "At this rate, can you guarantee that I can arrive in the Arms City safely? You know that even if I''m capable of fighting, I''m at most at the level of a normal warrior, right?" The doctor added.


    "It will be difficult." Raymond honestly answered as he looked at Alfred and Vincent. He had clearly seen how amazing these two were, so he can only try to get their assistance.


    Previously, they were at most, travelpanions. There is really nomitment made with them that would make the two sacrifice themselves in order to fight the enemies of their sect.


    However, with the current status of their group, Raymond can only try to officially recruit them as their guards.


    Raymond then expressed his thoughts about this as he tried to convince Vincent and Alfred.


    "Since I needed to visit the Arms City as well, I will naturally help you. However¡­" Vincent''s voice trailed as if he was thinking of something.


    Raymond understood this as he immediately added.


    "Since we will be officially hiring you, we will make appropriatepensation for your work. It will surely be worth over 100 gold coins so please support us for a few more days." Raymond humbly said.


    Though he collected the swords or weapons of his fellow disciples, it''s not like he could give them to Vincent aspensation.


    "I will look forward to that then."


    Vincent replied with a smile as they spend the rest of the night filled with heavy hearts. Many of theirpanions died and they are still on an unsafe part of the road.


    They can only take turns guarding the cabin against being attacked by some wild beasts at night.


    On the next day, the Divine Doctor finally noticed the changes in Dennise''s condition.


    "Hmm? You''re already getting better? It seems that Sir Vincent''s medical knowledge is more impressive than I thought." Doctor Jimented after observing Dennise for a while. It seems that Vincent had gotten this doctor''s respect.


    "Yes¡­ He''s really good." Dennise replied with a smile. She now has rosy cheeks and her eyes brightened in contrast to her previous listless expression.


    "I''m nothingpared to your skills, Doctor Ji. I just happen to possess something that could cure her slowly." Vincent said as the doctor no longer engaged with the conversation.


    "We''re close to the small town¡­ This is thest town we''ll see before we arrive at Arms City." Ladis said as he pointed at the town.


    Their group continued to travel and was finally able to properly have a rest in a small town closest to Arms City.


    After arriving in thisst town, Vincent and the others bought various things before finally resting at an expensive inn.


    This time, since there are only a few of them, Raymond decided not to be stingy as he chose a fancy amodation in this town filled with travelers like them.


    Perhaps because the town always has travelers going to Arms City, this ce has several taverns and impressive inns.


    While they were having a meal at an inn, a few people recognized the Divine Doctor and even asked whether they could get his help. But as expected, he didn''t ept any of them and the Divine Doctor even named the two doctors and alchemists within this town and confirmed that they studied under him for a while.


    They should look for those people if they weren''t in critical condition.


    Since none of these people had urgent things needed, they easily scattered away as Vincent''s group had a peaceful time eating.


    "Hey¡­ I heard that there were some changes at the Celestial Mountain. I heard that many people around that ce have died recently."<sub> </sub>


    "Hmph! That''s old news. It was already confirmed that the one causing this problem is a beast stronger than anymon Magic Beasts."


    "I don''t believe it¡­ Those creatures have never appeared in the past hundred years. How could they just appear so suddenly?"


    "Who knows? Maybe those creatures were woken up by someone?"


    As they were peacefully having their meal, a group of mercenaries started talking about their encounter at the Celestial Mountain.


    "It''s my first time hearing about that but I can trust my source. I''m sure that it''s a Celestial Beast without any doubt!"


    "What?!"


    "Isn''t this a serious problem? I heard that the Barbarians are nning to invade¡­ There''s also that Rebel Army led by Duke France¡­ If there''s a Celestial Beast roaming around the Celestial Mountain, isn''t this country about to copse at this rate?"


    Vincent heard their conversation as he asked Alfred about it.


    "This is your first time hearing about the Celestial Beast?" Alfred asked in shock. He thought that Vincent is some kind of a noble considering his skills. However, if he''s not aware of things that were taught in the Academy, it appears that he wasn''t from the nobility as he thought.


    "Yes¡­ I grew up in a small vige so I''m not too sure about the situation outside."


    Alfred nodded at Vincent''s answer as he started to exin what he knows.


    "The Celestial Mountain is further south of the Arms City. So we won''t be passing there but if a Celestial Beast is currently roaming around that ce, we can''t be toocent. The Celestial Beast is not somethingparable to a Savage Beast or even a Magic Beast¡­ Though I haven''t seen one myself, they were described as creatures that came from a different dimension."


    Alfred exined.


    "What does that even mean? Are you guys aware of this as well?" Vincent asked as he turned his head to Raymond and the others who were just listening.


    "Yes. But I heard from the Sect Leader that the Celestial Beasts looked like Demons and not something that came from the heaven." Raymond replied. Well, he didn''t really care about their appearance, the most important matter is that he knows that the Celestial Beast is an intelligent species andmunicating with them is futile.


    The Magic Beasts who gained high intelligence after their evolution can be talked with or even make negotiations with them. However, Celestial Beasts who were also highly intelligent creatures would never bother negotiating and will attack you if you offended them.


    They may not be creatures that just act with their instinct like Savage Beasts but they can certainly appear like one.


    "In any case, if that kind of beast was confirmed to have appeared, the Royal Family will surely send a group of Celestial Beings to subdue that creature. We just have to wait for them to deal with it."


    Divine Doctor Ji added as he doesn''t seem to be too worried. Unlike the normal mercenaries within the tavern, he has clear information about the strength of this nation.


    He knows that many Celestial Beings are roaming around thisnd and the Royal Family may not even need to act as the County and the Marquisate at the border of the Celestial Mountain may just act by sending their Celestial Beings in battle.


    After hearing the doctor''s words, everyone sighed in relief as he indeed makes sense.


    Because of that, they no longer worried about the Celestial Beasts as they continued on their way to the Arms City the next day.


    At this time, Dennise already consumed a total of three +9 potions and haspletely healed.


    "This is 15 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ We have mana crystals here as well, we can give you---"


    "Stop¡­ These 15 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones are already more than enough. I worked as an appraiser before so I know how valuable these things are." Vincent said as he already has several chests filled with Mana Crystals inside his spatial storage box.


    "Thank you, Sir Vincent¡­ We will continue to apany you to the Arms City. Our rtive is also there so we''re nning to just visit him so we won''t waste our journey here."


    Dennise said but this is also because she wanted Alfred to continue helping their small caravan to bring the Divine Doctor and the goods to the city.


    The Divine Doctor only observed Dennise for a moment before he gave a nod. It seems that he had also confirmed that Dennise''s condition has been taken care of by Vincent properly.


    As their group continued on their way to the Arms City, they heard several rumors about a fight that has urred in the Celestial Mountain from their fellow travelers.


    It appears that the Celestial Beast was being chased by two Celestial Beings and fled to its base in the mountain!

 Chapter 107 General Yves

    When Vincent heard the news, he immediately thought of Tara and Rem.


    ''Was that Celestial Beast previously in our path and they chased it until it fled to the Celestial Mountain?'' He couldn''t help but make a guess.


    Hearing this news made him feel a bit relieved. It seems that Tara and Rem didn''t just leave him without any reason. He can only hope that they would deal with it faster so they can return to his side as quickly as quickly as possible.


    "The appearance of the Celestial Beast seems to have a better effect than I thought. We no longer encountered any bandits or remnants of the Rebel Army here in the east. They were either busy camping around the Celestial Mountain or too scared to operate here because it''s too close to the Arms City." Ladismented after realizing that they had a smooth journey after leaving thest town so far.


    "That''s true¡­ Just don''t jinx it. Stay vignt. Times like this are seen as an opportunity by the bandits." Raymond said as he scanned the surroundings.


    Their group has been attacked so many times now and he clearly knows how important it is to stay vignt no matter where they are. Right now, if they were caught off guard again and killed in thisst part of their trip, the sacrifices of those people who were killed first would go to waste.


    Raymond understands that so he really wanted to finish this mission already. Luckily, his dream was answered since, after a very long journey, their group safely arrived at Arms City!


    "So huge¡­" Vincentmented. He couldn''t even see the end of the city walls. It''s nothingpared to Hearts City or even Canthus City.


    "Right, this is your first timeing here. This city is indeed huge. However, Link City, the Capital of our kingdom, isrger than Arms City by five times." Dennise said with a proud smile on her face.


    It was as if she was the one who build the capital.


    Anyway, Vincent continued observing the outside of the city and confirmed that it has very strict regtions for the people who wanted to pass through the gates of the city.


    Their wagons and carriage were inspected carefully and they have to pay 5 silver coins each person for the entrance fee. They should have been billed for the number of wagons filled with valuables as well but since it is for the army, they do not have to pay for it.


    As soon as they entered the city, a couple of knights wee their group.


    "General Yves sent us here to escort you to the headquarters. We''ve heard that it wasn''t easy for your Sect to get here. We will certainly not forget the contribution of the Primal Sword Sect." One of the knights said.


    He has short ck hair and brown eyes that are quitemon around this region. However, his silver and blue armor together with the snow tiger pattern on his cape represent his affiliation with General Yves also known as the Hailstorm General.


    "Great! We can finally end this mission. The Divine Doctor is also here with me."


    "Yes, the general wanted to see all of you who hadpleted this mission. The arrival of the weapons made by the famous cksmith within the Primal Sword Sect is a huge matter for the general so he wanted to personally thank your efforts."


    "I see¡­ There shouldn''t be a problem with that." Raymond said as he looked at others to confirm that they have no issues meeting with the general.


    They were then assisted by the knight to the headquarters of the Blue Storm Army.


    As the seven were walking to the hallway to meet the general, Raymond has been asking the knight several questions about the situation within the city.


    Apparently, the Barbarians have indeed started testing out the forces in this city.


    They have sent a hundred normal barbarian warriors led by a barbarian chieftain and already fought against their cavalry.


    They have certainly won this skirmish but because of this fight, they have revealed to the Barbarians most of the traps they have set up and the strength of the cavalry that the general personally taught.


    "Aside from that, we have also received news that the supplies we are about to receive from the north have been blocked by the Rebel Army¡­ Ugh¡­ Those fools¡­ Even if they want the king to step down, shouldn''t they leave the innocent out of it?"


    The knightined as he knows that the Barbarians are the third party here. They can''t let these Barbarians benefit from the civil war happening within the nation.


    After all, whether the young king or the old duke wins, the Barbarians will remain a threat to this nation.


    "I heard that there are sixrge sects protecting our borders against the Barbarian Invasion¡­ Have they sent their forces to help you all here?" Ladis asked curiously.


    Even Vincent was curious about this. He heard about therge sects of this kingdom. Unlike the Primal Sword Sect with a shallow background or just recently gaining reputation, theserge sects have existed even before the kingdom was established.<sub> </sub>


    "Haa~ They won''t be sending their disciples here as they have their own territory to worry about." The knight said with a helpless smile.


    He then looked out the window and saw the beautiful meadow outside the castle. It seems that he was reminiscing something before he continued.


    "After the Star Garden Sect was destroyed by Barbarians several years ago, the eastern valley has been taken by them and we lost a huge piece ofnd. They seem to have gotten stronger as well after taking this fertilend. I really hope that the help from the multiple ns and small sects would be enough to deal with them this time."


    The knight sighed as he led the group to a huge door. Vincent wanted to ask about the Star Garden Sect since this is where his parents hade from. Although Vincent has no memories of them, he couldn''t help but be curious about them.


    However, the knight already called the Hailstorm General''s attention as he allowed them to get in.


    "Let them in¡­" The old and deep voice came from inside the room. Vincent and the others also felt something as soon as they had gotten closer to the door.


    The man inside was definitely not ordinary. It was as if they were about to meet a beast as their vignce heightened naturally.


    Vincent gulped at the sudden pressure he felt. This is something he didn''t even feel from Joran or other Celestial Beings.


    He looked around and saw that everyone had the same expression on their faces. Even the normally calm and easy-going doctor revealed a frown on his face.


    Creak¡­


    As soon as the door opened, Vincent was finally able to see Yves, the Hailstorm General.


    Unexpectedly, he wasn''t wearing his armor and wore a simple ck vest on his top instead.


    He has gray, frizzy hair that slightly reveals his chiseled, worried face. He has beady ck eyes, set dreadfully within their sockets. There is also a tattoo of a tiger subtly ced on his right shoulder.


    He didn''t stand up from his seat and gave them a slight nod.


    "We received Elder Han''s message about the crisis you have encountered from the Dark Sky Cult. I didn''t expect that the problem you have encountered will continue even after reaching Canthus City. I made a miscalction."


    General Yves said.


    "You''re right, General¡­ As you can see, I''m the only remaining disciple of the Primal Sword Sect who epted this mission. We have been attacked by Baron Leo and Baron Eldo after we left the city¡­" Raymond then reported what happened to their journey after entering Canthus City. He didn''t filter his words as he expressed the disappointment and hatred he''s feeling right now.


    Apparently, Elder Han was previously using a messenger bird to contact General Yves and thest message they sent was about the incident with the Dark Sky Cult acting under the orders of the Rebel Army.


    This is why Raymond still has to fill up other details in hopes of getting justice.


    "I really think that it''s Count Magnus who ordered this¡­ Please, punish him¡­ He might have been in contact with the Rebel Army now." Raymond said.


    This is a huge usation against a noble but no one stopped him since they know what he had been through on this journey.


    "I understand. I will have someone investigate this. After the Barbarians were dealt with, I will look closely into this matter. For now, Knight ude, call Severin here..." Yves said as he looked at the knight who assisted Vincent''s group.


    ude then left the room as General Yves finally looked at the other people behind Raymond.


    "Divine Doctor, thank you for epting our invitation. Your presence here is really needed. The barbarians have been using an unknown poison and we were helpless about it. We can only prolong the symptoms but we can''t cure anyone that was infected." Yves said as he clenched his fist after recalling how powerless they are in front of this poison.


    "Huh? You should bring a poison expert here. Not me. I''m not good with poisons¡­" The Divine Doctor shook his head after hearing General Yves'' concern.


    Though he has some knowledge and treated several people who were poisoned bymon toxins, he''s not confident whether he could deal with an unknown poison from the mysterious Barbarians.


    As the Doctor thought of this, he couldn''t help but look at Vincent.

 Chapter 108 Reward ( 1 )

    Vincent''s alchemy skill is something that he has taken note of after he managed to cure Dennise of a disease that he would even have a hard time healing.


    Based on the symptoms that the Divine Doctor had seen from Dennise, he already guessed that it was called Tantra''s Chill. It''s a disease that slowly drains the infected person''s life.


    If it was him, he would need various precious herbs to create a potion to alleviate the symptoms before he can use his healing hands. However, he had seen Vincent use a simple mid-grade potion that seems to have been slightly modified topletely cure her without any side effects.


    It was something that he couldn''t understand and wanted to learn! However, this is obviously Vincent''s secret and he can''t just ask for it without paying a huge price.


    It''s simr to the secrets of his healing hands. There was no way he would easily reveal its secrets as this is how he makes a living.


    "I understand, Divine Doctor Ji. I made some preparation already. Severin is a Poison Expert from Zemin n and he would be helping you to create medicine or any method to cure all the poisoned men on our side. As for the payment, we have already found the special materials you were looking for. It should be here in just a few more days."


    p "Hmm¡­ That''s good¡­ I will try my best. I could also use this as a learning experience and increase my knowledge about poisons. In any case, this man here is also an expert when ites to potions, I wonder if you''re interested in helping us?" Divine Doctor Ji suddenly asked as he looked at Vincent.</anda>


    This greatly surprised thetter since he had never considered this situation. Right now, he thought that after meeting the general, he would just receive his reward and look for his fianc¨¦.


    "Doctor Ji? I''m not that good¡­ I''m stillcking and I only know superficial things about potions." Vincent said as he tried not to get entangled too much.


    However, he suddenly recalled what General Yves said.


    ''Wait¡­ Severin is from the Zemin n¡­ He definitely knows my fianc¨¦¡­'' Vincent mused.


    "Hoho~ You don''t have to belittle yourself, young man. Your skills are nothing to scoff at. Just look at the situation with me before you decide whether you wanted to help or not."


    With that said, Vincent can only ept since it would be too rude to just continue refusing.


    In any case, once he had proven that he can''t do much, he could just leave them.


    "Very well, let''s see the situation first. In the meantime, I would like to know why the General wanted to see all of us here." Vincent said as he returned his gaze to the general.


    "Haha! Of course. I didn''t just call you here to thank you for your efforts in bringing the doctor and the supplies to us, I''m also giving you all a reward. We may becking funds right now due to the current situation here on the frontlines but we have obtained several treasures from the Barbarians. I will allow you all to pick one among those. I will lead you all to the treasure vault¡­"


    As soon as he said this, Vincent and the others couldn''t help but feel excited.


    "Uhmmm¡­ Sir General¡­ I didn''t really do anything so I won''t be joining the treasuring picking. Instead, can you allow me to take a rest for now? Though I''m already fine thanks to Sir Vincent''s potions, my body has gotten weaker and I needed a lot of rest so I can start rebuilding my mana core."


    Dennise said with a smile. Apparently, her disease had affected her Mana Core. Though it didn''tpletely cripple her, her core was damaged by that disease. Even with Vincent''s potions, it will take time for her to adjust and allow the external mana to be stored inside her body again.


    "I understand. I will call someone to help you. In any case, since you have decided to stick with the group and lend your escort to help with the transportation, I will give you this token¡­ Everyone will receive er as well."


    The general said as he handed a coin-size token to Dennise. It is octagonal and made of blue metal. It has a pattern of the tiger representing the Blue Storm Army.


    "You can use this token to get some help from any members of the Blue Storm Army. As long as you stay here in the eastern region of the kingdom, you will find this very helpful. This token can also be seen as a sign of our friendship so don''t lose it."


    "What? Isn''t this too precious?" Dennise was shocked as she already understands how valuable this thing was. She heard from her father that the Blue Storm Army is the strongest force in this region after all!


    "It''s fine¡­ I know that it wasn''t easy for you as well. One of the Master Magicians escorting you even sacrificed his life for this task. This token is rightfully yours." General Yves said as he convinced Dennise to take it.


    After that, he called for a knight outside to bring Dennise to a vacant room to let her rest for a while.


    Knight ude also arrived at this time as he brought Severin with him.


    Since Divine Doctor Ji has no interest in any of the Barbarian treasures, he decided to just follow Severin to the infirmary where the poisoned people are being treated.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, he already reminded Vincent to follow them after he selected a treasure.


    Finally, General Yves led Vincent, Alfred, Raymond, and Ladis to the treasure vault so they can find a suitable treasure for themselves.


    ''Hmm¡­ I imagined that the barbarians were people who fell behind with their technology. But if their treasure is actually being valued, does it mean that the barbarians weren''t those uncivilized or savage people that I''m thinking of?'' Vincent mused as they got closer to the treasure vault.


    They passed through several guards and knights patrolling the castle or the headquarters of the Blue Storm Army.


    It even took them about five minutes to arrive in front of the treasure vault.


    "We''re here¡­ You are all allowed to take one item each. All treasures here are really valuable and would normally be sold for 10,000 gold coins and above. I wouldn''t normally allow anyone to take these things out. However, the problems you have encountered to help us are just too much. Aside from the death of a Master Magician, even Elder Han who had almost mastered the Primal Sword Technique died¡­ Your Sect Leader will surely be angry with us."


    General Yves said as his mouth twitched after recalling this.


    It appears that he actually knows the Sect Leader of the Primal Sword Sect.


    Creak~


    The two knights who were guarding the treasure vault opened the metal door under the orders of the general.


    Soon, Vincent''s group was finally exposed to the treasures of the Barbarians.


    ''To think that I''ll see their treasures first before even meeting them¡­'' Vincent mused as he looked at the items shelved neatly within the room.


    He knows that the barbarians have human-like features as well but they arerger than normal humans. The smallest Barbarian was said to be three meters tall!


    Ever since then, he imagined the barbarians as muscr figures with weapons like a huge battle axe, halberds, or great swords as their weapons.


    But he was wrong!


    All he sees on the shelves were grimoires!


    ''No way¡­ This is weird¡­''


    Vincent then looked carefully and finally confirmed that there are a few double-edged swords and spears at the furthest back of the treasure vault.


    Vincent looked at the other people who entered with him and as expected, they weren''t surprised by the sight as they all looked at the grimoires with great interest.


    "Are they barbarians some sort of magicians? Why are we seeing mostly books here?" Vincent asked.


    It was General Yves who answered with a smile.


    "It''s not like that. Most of the barbarians are still using swords and spears as their weapons. It''s just because only Barbarian Warlocks have valuable weapons that have low requirements so we are collecting them. It doesn''t matter whether you havepleted the Mana Baptism or not, you will be able to use their Grimoires¡­ Isn''t that interesting enough? Although they have decent cold weapons as well, our Magic Craftsmen were still capable of creating something better after all."


    "Such a low requirement¡­ Is that even possible?" Vincent was shocked after hearing this. No wonder they were all excited to see these many grimoires on the shelf.


    "Of course¡­ Now, go find a treasure you want for yourself. You can only select one. I will give you all half an hour." General Yves said as he retreated to the closed door. It seems that he will watch them picking a treasure.


    Vincent didn''t mind it at all as he proceeded to check the nearest shelf.

 Chapter 109 Reward ( 2 )

    Vincent noticed that each book has different designs and there is already a card containing its information below them.


    [ Grimoire of Inferno Arrows ¨C Grade C ]


    [ Inferno Arrows: An ability that allows the user to create 10 arrows made of blue fire. It has a high prative force and requires a Mana Shield at the Perfect State to defend against each arrow. ]


    [ Number of ''Inferno Arrows'' Pages: 18 ]


    [ Number of nk Pages: 22 ]


    Vincent read the information about the ck grimoire with a bloody fire designed on its cover.


    ''So it''s like that, huh¡­''


    He then decided to appraise the same book to see the difference between the information that the system will provide him and the card written on the shelf.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Tome of Skills ]


    [ Tome of Skills ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 80/100


    Inferno Arrows: 18


    Unused Pages: 22


    Description: A special book that can store Mana Arts or Special Abilities on each page. This specific tome can only store Fire Rted skills due to the materials used to create the tome.


    Remarks: You can only store Tier 3 Mana Arts and below. Stored Skills will be enhanced in every enhancement. ]


    Vincent took his time to read and understand this grimoire. Well, it''s called tome by the system and it seems that this is indeed a very valuable weapon since it''s an Epic Rank!


    ''Incredible¡­ Since the skills are already stored within the pages of the book, you only have to trigger them by using a little bit of mana. No wonder anyone can use this ability.'' Vincent can finally understand why these treasures were truly important.


    However, it confuses him since they are being stored within this treasure vault instead of being handed over to the soldiers fighting on the front lines.


    Anyway, he could care less about it as he decided to find the best Tome of Skills for his usage. He can only select one item here after all.


    He spent a total of 20 minutes checking the items to find the most suitable skill that he needed right now.


    "I''ll take this¡­"


    In the end, he chose a thick red book with a huge snake eye protruding from its cover. It looks realistic and Vincent wouldn''t doubt that it had reallye from a Savage Beast or even a Magic Beast.


    The card beneath the item says that it is the Grimoire of Living Armor. Right now, Vincent iscking in terms of his defensive capabilities.


    Although his skin, muscles, and bones have been strengthened several times after bing an Aura Knight, he''s aware that high-ranking weapons and special Mana Arts can still prate his defenses.


    He had previously seen us, the Arch Knight of Red Rose Knight, and knows that just one of his sword strikes could easily kill him. There was no way that his body and a simple Mana Shield would stop such powerful strikes.


    [ Tome of Skills ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 90/100


    Living Armor: 30


    Unused Pages: 15


    Description: A special book that can store Mana Arts or Special Abilities on each page. This specific tome can only store Snake-rted skills due to the materials used to create the tome.


    Remarks: You can only store Tier 3 Mana Arts and below. Stored Skills will be enhanced in every enhancement. ]<sub> </sub>


    "Thirty pages of Living Armor¡­ That shouldst for a while." Vincent mused as he confirmed that the living armor''s duration is actually ten minutes until it was destroyed.


    "General Yves¡­ Can you tell me how to use the nk pages of the tome? Can I also ce a Mana Art inside one of them?" Vincent asked as he showed the general the item that he selected.


    "Well, it''s quite tricky to store a Mana Art. It''s certainly possible but only those with a high level of attainment in Mana Arts Research can do it. After all, if you made a mistake, not just the page but even the whole grimoire might be destroyed. There is another option though, it''s to ask a Barbarian Mage to store one for you." General Yves said.


    The second option is, of course, impossible since Mana Arts Practitioners and the Barbarians outside their kingdom were sworn enemies.


    Vincent can only sigh as there was no way for him to reach high-level attainment in Mana Arts Research since he hasn''t even attended an academy.


    Soon, Alfred and the others also found the grimoires suited for them as they left the treasure vault.


    Without taking any rest, Vincent was escorted to visit the infirmary where the Divine Doctor Ji and Poison Expert Severin are currently at.


    Soon, he entered a hall filled with many patients having the same symptoms of poison in their bodies. They all have ck veins appearing on their skins and most of them started from their eyes that would web through their whole bodies.


    "Ugh¡­ Doctor, it''s painful¡­ I want to sleep."


    "Doctor¡­ I can''t die yet. My wife is waiting for me. She was pregnant when I left for battle¡­"


    "I can''t feel my lower body anymore, doctor¡­"


    "Aackk¡­ M-my stomach¡­"


    Vincent heard the cries of the conscious patients and realized that this poison being used by the barbarians is indeed quite scary.


    He can tell that the people on the bed weren''t ordinary as well. He can tell that they were Mana Arts Practitioners as he could sense how they are circting their Mana Core in hopes of alleviating the pain caused by the poison.


    "Vincent, you''re here. What do you think of the situation?" Divine Doctor Ji asked as soon as he saw Vincent entering the infirmary.


    "It looks bad, doctor Ji. Do you have a way to help them?" Vincent asked as he felt really bad about these people. They were courageous warriors of the Arms City who were fighting against the invasion of the barbarians.


    Since Vincent knows that his parents were killed during a Barbarian Invasion, he couldn''t help but sympathize with these sick patients.


    Divine Doctor Ji then helplessly smiled before he answered.


    "I''m not sure if it will be effective since I haven''t seen this kind of poison before. However, thanks to doctor Severin''s records of their symptoms, I noticed that seven of the ten symptoms he listed were simr to another poison I have treated before. The potion I''ll make might be able to help before I use my healing hands¡­"


    Vincent then looked at Poison Expert or perhaps Doctor Severin. He wasn''t too old and appears to be in his forties. He has ck hair with a tinge of silver and he appears quite elegant with his appearance. He doesn''t seem haggard like the Divine Doctor at all.


    "Doctor Severin, I was sent by the General since he heard about my skill with potions. I hope I''m not disturbing the patients here." Vincent said.


    "Oh? You''re too polite. I don''t really mind. Currently, I''m not really sure how to treat these people. I have 40 patients right now and I''m doing three different types of treatment for some of them."


    "Three types of treatment?" Vincent repeated.


    "Yes, unfortunately, none of my treatments shows any improvements at all. It''s a good thing that the Divine Doctor hase so I finally have a path where I could start again." Severin exined.


    A few hours had passed as Doctor Ji started making potions as soon as the herbs and ingredients he needed had arrived.


    The Divine Doctor made a batch of potions for a few hours as he finally started his treatment. Severin selected five poisoned people and tried to cure them with the potion.


    "It''s working!" Severin eximed as soon as he saw that the symptoms started dissipating in a matter of seconds.


    Unfortunately, even after the Divine Doctor continued and used his healing hands, the disease did not disappear at all.


    At most, it looks like they have just extended the patient''s life.


    After observing the five patients for almost six hours, they confirmed that the disease brought by the poison started reappearing albeit at a slower rate.


    "It''s stillcking¡­" Doctor Ji and Expert Severin muttered at the same time. They know that the potion that the doctor made was working but it can''tpletely remove the poison as if it''scking some potency.


    In the end, they looked at Vincent who was supposed to be knowledgeable in potion.


    "Alright¡­ Doctor  Ji, give me a few of those potions you made and I''ll try to do something about it, but I might need a few days for this since I need long preparation. In the meantime, please take care of the patients." Vincent finally said after contemting.


    Since Severin is from the Zemin n, he''s nning to leave a good impression on him as he might be helpful once he decided to reveal his ns to meet the daughter of the current patriarch.


    ''I''m not sure how would they react if I informed them that I''m their youngdy''s fianc¨¦. If I got acquainted with Sir Severin, he might at least try to defend me¡­ right?'' Vincent wryly smiled at his situation.

 Chapter 110 Mistake

    After a day, Vincent managed to enhance one of the potions into +9 and tried it with the patients.


    As expected, it did work perfectly and one potion was enough to cure three poisoned people. This news immediately attracted the few high-ranking nobles within the Arms City including those within the few ns who had entered the city to protect their borders.


    Apparently, the 40 or so patients within the infirmary weren''t the only ones affected by the poison.


    It was only because of the limited space, that the others had to remain under the care of their n or sect.


    At a certain courtyard not too far from the Blue Storm Castle.


    "Quickly! Bring those infected by the poison to the Blue Storm Army''s castle." A man in his forties ordered his subordinates as soon as he heard the report.


    He has long red hair and a lean figure. At the moment, he wasn''t wearing any clothes on his upper body showing his well-toned muscles. He was doing his daily routine of practicing his sword swings when the news came in.


    His name is Florent and he is one of the Guardians of the Jung n. This n had simrly sent a portion of their forces to the Arms City to fight against the invasion.


    That''s right, aside from Zemin n, the Jung n, and the Santer n had sent part of their elite forces to the city.


    "If we get plenty of supplies of that antidote they made, we will no longer have to worry about those audacious barbarians¡­" Florent clenched his fist as he has been worrying about this problem for a while now.


    If he''s not worried about their poisons, he would already lead his nsmen to fight a few battles against the Barbarians.


    The other ns or noble families had simr reactions to this situation.


    They had all made preparation to either transfer their patients to the Blue Storm Castle or get the medicine from them directly.


    During this time, Divine Doctor Ji and Poison Expert Severin did not im Vincent''s achievements as they have given the credit to his skills in potion brewing.


    Thanks to that, his identity was dug up by these people as they confirmed that he was actually an honorary knight of Count Miller from the Marshall n.


    Three days had quickly passed and Vincent managed to upgrade all the 12 potions he received from Divine Doctor Ji into +9 potions. During this time, his fame had spread throughout the city although he was a bit clueless about this.


    After all, his modified potions were able to cure a disease or remove the poison which even the Divine Doctor Ji and Poison Expert Severin were having trouble with.


    There was no way that people will ignore this skilled individual as he might be able to save many more lives in the future.


    In another meeting hall within the city, a group of five important figures was gathered as they were having a meeting.


    "He''s only an honorary knight¡­ We can still recruit him and be our exclusive Potion Master. Our n greatlycks people who were capable in this field. Our n Head would surely be happy if we can bring him back to that n. Don''t you think so?"


    A fairy-like woman in herte twenties said with an excited voice. She has long ck hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a long white robe making her seem ethereal.


    Although her face is hidden by a white veil, her figure and angelic voice would certainly make everyone imagine her enchanting beauty.


    The four other men who were listening to her didn''t immediately agree as they voiced their opinion.


    "We might have to wait until we stopped the invasion. In the meantime, we will certainly send gifts to him as a sign of gratitude for helping our men."


    "That''s right¡­ Besides, he is currently under the protection of Hailstorm General. This Vincent seems so busy at the moment and I heard that he''s only ordering the servants if he wanted something outside the castle. We are basically unable to talk with him." One of them said as he shook his head after thinking about it.


    It seems that he already tried to approach Vincent but was blocked by the castle guards.


    "Hmm? Is that so? Should I try and recruit him myself?"


    The beautifuldy suggested. However, the four men immediately denied the idea.


    "Lady Yulia, I don''t think it''s a good idea. Since he''s already acquainted with Sir Severin, I''m sure that it would be a lot easier to recruit him. I think that we should focus on returning to the front lines and stop the Barbarians'' advance."


    A young man wearing luxurious blue and golden robe said with confidence. Although he also wanted to take Vincent to their n, the matters of the Barbarians are more important.


    His name is Romain Zemin and one of the few people in the Zemin n who has a noble title to be inherited.


    "Hmph! We''ll ask Severin once he returned then¡­ Anyway, how''s the situation of Young Miss Lesley and the others?" Lady Yulia then changed the topic as they get to the main focus of this meeting.<sub> </sub>


    Apparently, there are fiveyers of defenses arranged by the City Lord. Luckily enough, only the fifthyer of defense has been breached by the Barbarians after a month of invasion attempts.


    "Miss Lesley is together with a couple of Arch Knights¡­ Even the Patriarch sent another Adept Mage to protect her in secret. We shouldn''t be worrying about their situation at the moment. As for the potion or antidote to fight against the Barbarian Poison, a diluted version of it was confirmed to be effective as long as it''s within an hour. We shouldn''t expect a lot of problems until next week."


    Romain reported as he was mainly tasked to maintain themunication between Lesley''s group and their team within the city.


    "Very well, I guess we should address another issue about the Celestial Mountain." Lady Yulia said as her face turned serious.


    She also knows that even though the matter at the front line is very important, they don''t have to worry a lot as long as the two Arch Knights were still protecting the young miss.


    "We confirmed that a few Celestial Beings together with their contractors has been gathering at the Celestial Mountain. I don''t think that we should join their hunt."


    "Is it really confirmed that there''s a Celestial Beast present? How old is it?" Yulia asked.


    "It should be a young Celestial 3 to 4 years old based on the reported fluctuation of mana around it. There was also a message that the elite contractor from Troy n was sighted."


    "Elite Contractor? Are you telling me that Joran was there?" Yulia frowned as soon as she heard this.


    Many people may not be aware but the higher-ups of therge ns and sects already heard the news about Joran Troy obtaining three powerful Celestial Beings.


    It was even rumored that there is a Numbered Celestial among those three.


    In the end, their meeting concluded and they decided not to join the mess in the Celestial Mountain until they confirmed that the Barbarian Invasion for this year has beenpletely repelled.


    Anyway, they estimated that as long as they killed about ten thousand or more barbarians, they would certainly retreat and recuperate for the next few years before they would decide tounch another invasion.


    ***


    In a certain courtyard within the Blue Storm Castle, Vincent can be seen holding a vial of potion with an ecstatic expression.


    "Atst! Mana Upheaval Potion +10! I did it!"


    Over three days had passed after Vincent arrived here in the Arms City, and he finally managed to enhance this potion to its limit!


    Previously, the +7 version of this potion can only provide him additional 210 units of mana with a side effect simr to an aphrodisiac. However, as soon as hepleted the +10, he confirmed that there is no longer any side effects and he will receive a total of 410 points in his mana!


    Without any hesitation, Vincent decided to consume the potion!


    Gulp!


    At first, he didn''t feel anything after taking the potion, but after several seconds, his body started sweating a lot as he removed all his clothes¡­


    Soon, he felt like something in his stomach was about to explode!


    ''W-what? I thought there was no side effect?!''


    Vincent felt horror as soon as he realized that something was wrong.


    ''Shit! Can I not increase my Mana Capacity that much? Am Icking physically?!'' Vincent gritted his teeth as he felt that he couldn''t endure it any longer.


    He realized that the Mana Core within his body was about to explode!


    Soon, several footsteps can be heard as they are hurrying at Vincent''s courtyard. They could simrly feel the violent storm of mana forming around his courtyard!


    Even General Yves was alerted as he immediately went to check the situation.


    "Divine Doctor Ji, what''s happening?" General Yves asked as he noticed Doctor Ji and Severin waiting outside.


    "I think that Sir Vincent encountered a problem in his Mana Cultivation¡­"

 Chapter 111 Growth

    "A problem in Mana Cultivation? Isn''t this bad?" General Yves asked worriedly. He knows that this is not easy to resolve a problem in cultivation.


    There are many people who were able to sense the presence of mana and influence the mana to a certain extent.


    However, being able to sense the mana doesn''t mean that you can already cultivate it. You either needed a suitable cultivation method or a certain talent.


    Of course, even after finding dozens or hundreds of Mana Cultivation Methods around the world, none of these methods can guarantee that it ispletely safe and without any risks.


    There were times when allowing the Mana to flow in your veins and organs can cause harm if not properly done. The stronger you get the higher the risk you have when you cultivate the mana.


    Although there were few instances, there were also practitioners who uses a Cultivation Method that could forcefully increase your level¡­ General Yves could guess that Vincent had actually used this kind of method considering the violent mana surrounding their castle.


    "There''s nothing we can do¡­ If we stopped this, Vincent would certainly die at this rate. However, if he at least managed to stay alive after this incident, we can still try to heal him. In any case, even if he got crippled, he''s still a Potion Master." Divine Doctor Ji finally spoke after analyzing the situation.


    He knows that Vincent is an Aura Knight after seeing him in battle so he shouldn''t be quite strong physically.


    Aside from that, he recalls that he was incapable of converting mana into any type of element at all, which means that he probably has an average talent or maybe poor talent in practicing mana.


    So he''s still a journeyman or at the level of an apprentice Mana Practitioner.


    "That''s true¡­ Let''s just hope that he can still get out of this critical situation. He must''ve done plenty of preparations for this situation. Don''t forget that he''s still one of the best Potion Master around."


    Severin said as he tried to bring hope to everyone''s heart. Even if Vincent gets crippled, he can still certainly work as a Potion Master. Though Vincent may stop dreaming of bing a Master Magician, he can still be proud as a Potion Master.


    "Tsk¡­ He should''ve at least informed us if he ns to make this kind of advancement."


    Vincent has alchemical skills that they can''tpare to and he''s really important during this Barbarian Invasion, his death will certainly affect them."


    "Haa~ That''s true¡­ I just hope that he won''t die as none of us is aware of his method to modify the potions." General Yves replied.


    Well, they previously tried to buy the modification method or recipe that Vincent has been using but obviously, Vincent has nothing like that since he uses his Item Enhancement Skill.


    Luckily, they didn''t delve too much after he decided to refuse their offer telling them that it would reveal the secrets of his family.


    Instead, they could only offer Vincent plenty of resources for his growth in exchange for the potions that he made. Of course, thetter refused to get paid by money since he already has several chests filled with Mana Crystals. It can be used for his cultivation or even as a form of money if he wanted to.


    Furthermore, aside from a Skill Book, Raymond had already given him plenty of gold coins forpleting the escort mission¡­


    "Aaahhh!"


    Vincent''s cry was heard even outside his room.


    It was followed by strong mana fluctuations within the now silent courtyard. Itsted for almost ten more minutes before the violent fluctuations of mana finally dissipated.


    At this point, everyone quickly entered Vincent''s room and found him in his courtyard kneeling on the ground.


    He seems to be breathing heavily so everyone sighed in relief. Whether he seeded in his advancement or not, as long as he''s alive, the Divine Doctor can certainly help him in his current condition.


    "Young man¡­ Are you still alive?" Doctor Ji asked after seeing Vincent.


    "Keke¡­ I almost died. I need to take a rest. Don''t worry about me." Vincent weakly said as he felt really exhausted. Although he''s brimming with mana right now, he spent almost every bit of his umted Aura just to suppress that his Mana Core wasn''t destroyed by the abrupt increase of his Mana Capacity.


    After making sure that he was not dying yet, everyone left his room with a sigh of relief.


    As soon as they left, Vincent can finally check his current condition. He felt something very unusual within his body after he used his aura to repair his Mana Core¡­ He can''t exactly tell what are the changes so he needed to check his personal status.


    Before that, he opened all the notifications he received after sessfully consuming the Mana Upheaval Potion.


    [ Congrattions! You have exceeded 1000 Units of Mana! ]


    [ You have obtained 4 Ascension Cards as a reward. ]


    [ Your Inventory has expanded as a reward. ]


    Ding!


    [ Your Mana Source is changing¡­ ]


    [ Changes Completed ]


    [ Congrattions! Your Mana Source has mutated afterbining it with your Soul Force to repair your body. ]


    [ You have created a Synthetic Celestial Core ]


    [ You have unlocked Item Sense Ability. ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Item Sense Ability: Without spending any units of Pseudo Celestial Energy, you can sense the presence of any item within a certain radius. ]


    "W-what?"


    Vincent was speechless after reading all the notifications he just had. He thought that after consuming the Mana Upheaval Potion, his mana capacity will just simply increase and if he''s lucky, he will get a reward for getting an achievement for the first time.


    However, the effect that he just had was too much?!


    "A fusion with my Mana Core and my Soul Aura? Then it became a synthetic celestial power?" Vincent''s hand visibly trembled as he unconsciously touched his chest as if wanted to feel the changes that has urred within his body.


    Of course, he is happy about the inventory expansion and the 4 new Ascension Card that he just received. However, he couldn''tprehend the sudden existence of Celestial Power inside his body!


    Although it says that it''s synthetic or some kind of fake celestial power, it is still energypletely different from Aura Knights and Mana Practitioners!


    With that in mind, he swiftly checked his status window.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 15 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 1090/1090 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv9, Item Ascension Lv1, Advanced Item Appraisal ]


    [ System Feature: Auto Enhancement Mode, Enhancement Erasure, Learn Skill, 20-Slot inventory, Item Sense ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Advanced ), Mana Drain ( Beginner ). ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Aura Resonance ]


    Vincent confirmed that aside from bing a genuine 3-Star Aura Knight, he learned that the Pseudo Celestial Energy that came from his Synthetic Celestial Core, is several times stronger than his mana.


    For example, the Surging Palm Strike that previously requires 15 to 25 units of mana now only needed 3 to 5 units of the Pseudo Celestial Energy.


    It was such an incredible change!


    In addition, it is the same for the skills he obtained from his system! Right now, his Enhancement and Ascension skills require a very small amount of Pseudo Celestial Energy!


    "Incredible! This system is really too good!"


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he clenched his fist tightly.


    At first, when he received the Item Awakening System, he thought that his limit was just to create stronger and better weapons. At most, he can probably be strong by wielding incredible weapons or perhaps became a rich person after selling his enhanced or ascended items.


    This is because he already felt that Tier 1 Mana Arts was truly his limit in this world.


    However, now that his Mana Core has mutated into a Synthetic Celestial Core, his future path had certainly improved because of it!


    After taking a few hours of rest, Vincent woke up filled with energy as he started to enhance or even ascend his items.


    Today, he wanted to try and ascend one of his items into a Legendary Item!


    He spent another hour in his room and if someone is listening outside, they could hear Vincent''s joyful exmation and sometimes a sorrowful cry¡­


    Nevertheless, this quickly ended after another half an hour as Knight ude interrupted him.


    "Sir Vincent! Are you there?" He shouted after a knock.


    "Yes? Is there any problem?" Vincent replied as he put down the Tome of Skills in his hand.


    "No, Sir Vincent. However, you mentioned that we should call you if we will be going to the frontlines. General Yves and the others were nning to check the situation at the fourth camp, would you like to join us?"


    As soon as Vincent heard this, he immediately stood up. Finally! It''s time for him to meet the Zemin n''s young miss!

 Chapter 112 Revealed

    Vincent took a deep breath as he stood outside of the Blue Storm Castle. Two days had passed after he was informed by Knight ude about their n to check the fourth camp where the current frontline against the Barbarians is located.


    Right now, he can see a few carriages followed by numerous chariots waiting outside and his appearance easily attracted many eyes.


    "Is that him? The Potion Master?"


    "He looks very young¡­ He''s probably just lucky to find a recipe needed to cure the Barbarian Potion."


    "That''s true¡­ There''s no way that he could be better than those 3-Star Alchemists¡­"


    "His name is Vincent, right? I heard that he was just an honorary knight and working as an Appraiser before¡­"


    As they saw Vincent wearing a long overcoat on top of his leather armor, the people from various Sects andrge ns started whispering about him.


    Of course, many of them still wanted to approach Vincent but seeing General Yves and Knight ude beside him, they decided to just wait for some time until the general left his side.


    "Knight ude, you will stay beside Sir Vincent and Sir Severin. I will lead the group in front."


    "Yes, General!" Knight ude replied with enthusiasm.


    Because the Vice-Generals were already on the frontlines, ude became General Yves'' right-hand man within the Castle. Seeing that he was being entrusted with a very important role, ude couldn''t help but smile as he led Vincent and Severin to their carriage.


    However, as soon as General Yves left their side to arrange a few more things, a group of individuals started walking in their direction.


    Vincent couldn''t help but raise his brows as this group looked really special. Especially the white veiled woman behind the group of men.


    "Oh? It seems that Lady Yulia and the others wanted to meet you, Sir Vincent."


    It was Severin who had given him an exnation.


    "Lady Yulia? Wait, are they from the Zemin n?" Vincent immediately asked. He hasn''t had the chance to tell Severin about his connection to the Zemin n yet. However, it seems that even if he does nothing to find them, they have decided toe and see him.


    "You''re right. I''ve mentioned you to Lady Yulia. Together with the other Elders, they led the elite nsmen to this city."


    "Oh? Why are they staying here then? Is that situation at the frontline not as serious as I thought?"


    Vincent asked curiously.


    "I will be answering that question, Sir Vincent." A voiceing from a young man in his twenties replied to Vincent.


    p "Oh¡­ I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Romain Zemin. One of the strongest Master Magicians of the Zemin n. I''m already someone who can use three elements at the same time!"</anda>


    Romain said proudly. However, Vincent noticed that the others beside him looked at Romain weirdly. It seems that his way of introducing himself wasn''t normal.


    Anyway, the others also introduced themselves but this time, they only gave their names and their position within the n.


    However, there is one who was introduced by Romain instead.


    "This is Lady Yulia. She''s one of our n''s Elder leading us in this expedition. The reason why we''re here is that this city was previously under the threat of the Rebel Army''s invasion."


    "W-what? Even the Rebel Army wanted to attack this city?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes. Luckily, there seems to be some kind of incident happening at the Celestial Mountain right now. So most of their forces were sent to that ce instead of waiting for the Hailstorm General." Romain added.


    Vincent wanted to ask why they are waiting for the General but before he could do that, Severin already answered him.


    "They wanted to take the General''s Legendary Sword."


    Upon hearing this, Vincent could only nod. He''s unsure what kind of legendary sword the general possesses but it must be something that could threaten the Rebel Army. No wonder they would try to hunt him even while the Barbarians are invading the kingdom.


    Vincent decided not to linger on that topic as he asked Romain what he can do for them.


    Thanks to the dozens of modified potions he made over the past few days, his reputation among them has certainly improved.


    Right now, he''s no longer worried about his impression of them once he revealed the medallion that he has and tells them about the arranged marriage.<sub> </sub>


    "You''ve been very busy over the past few days so we weren''t able to greet you properly. First of all, thank you for the potions you made as many of our nsmen were cured thanks to that." Lady Yulia finally spoke using her angelic voice.


    Vincent couldn''t help but desire to clearly see her face behind the white veil.


    "You''re wee. However, it was really Doctor Ji who made most of the potion and I only modified it after."


    "Haha¡­ You don''t have to be too humble."


    Lady Yulia smiled as she continued.


    "Anyway, the reason why we''re here is to personally invite you to our n. Our Zemin n may not be the strongest andrgest n within the kingdom but we can boast that we have the most number of Alchemists within the kingdom¡­ Perhaps only the Royal Family can barelypare to us."


    Vincent didn''t immediately answer as he tried to understand her words.


    "You want me to work for the Zemin n?"


    "Sir Vincent, we have the best tools and we can have any precious materials that you can think of. We are capable of doing that with our resources and connection. You can try to be our Guest Alchemist first before you decide whether you want to stay within our n. There are limits to what you can achieve alone after all."


    Lady Yulia calmly exined.


    After days of investigation, she already knows about Vincent''s background. Though he was connected to the Marshall n, that was only a chance he had obtained after saving the Count''s daughter.


    He doesn''t have any prominent background that could support his growth yet. Although he''s probably a genius, it wouldn''t be enough if he wasn''t at the right stage to show and improve his skills.


    "Sir Vincent¡­ This is an opportunity. I hope that you ept Lady Yulia''s offer." Romain added seeing that Vincent was still thinking instead of just epting Lady Yulia''s blessing.


    Unfortunately, even though Vincent agrees that it''s better to have arge n to support his growth, he can still improve even without their help considering the improvements that he made over the past few years.


    Furthermore, he has to consider the prenatal engagement made by his father and the Zemin n''s patriarch first.


    ''I guess it''s about time to tell them about it¡­''


    Since they are high-ranking members of the Zemin n, it seems that it is appropriate to tell them about his real intention.


    Vincent took a deep breath as he carefully thought of the words he would use to tell them the good or bad news.


    "Ehem¡­ Lady Yulia, Sir Romain, and the Elders of the Zemin n, I have an important matter to tell. To be honest, I was nning to visit the Zemin n''s territory all this time. However, I heard that your nsmen would be here in the city so I changed my direction and went here to meet you all. There were mattes about the Barbarian Poison so I was a bitte to introduce myself¡­"


    Vincent paused as he looked at everyone''s reaction. As expected, they don''t quite understand what was happening. Although they investigated him a bit, they can''t possibly know that he''s a descendant of the Kayser Family which was supposedly a decent family previously.


    Considering how the patriarch of arge n agreed to marry his daughter to the Kayser family, they must be quite influential before the Star Garden Sect was ruined by the barbarians.


    After confirming this, Vincent continued.


    "My real name is Vincent Kayser and I was informed by my grandfather that there was a prenatal engagement arranged by my parents and the Patriarch of the Zemin n to marry their son and their daughter. Now that I reached the right age, my grandfather informed me to visit your n and show this medallion.


    This bronze medallion was the proof that was left by his parents as proof of the arrangement.


    As soon as they saw the medallion with a winged serpent coiling around a mountain carved on it, the members of the Zemin n were momentarily stunned.


    This is something they weren''t prepared for!


    "This¡­ looks real¡­ Lady Yulia, can you please check the authenticity of the Medallion." Romain asked.


    On the other hand, Severin asked Vincent as well.


    "Sir Vincent¡­ About the Kayser n where you came from, howe I''ve never heard of it before? Is it some kind of secretive n living in the mountains of the south?"


    "That''s true¡­ I''ve never heard of this as well. Besides, it is also unlikely that the n Head would agree to this kind of arrangement. We all know his temper¡­"


    "Haa~ We have to at least validate his story first¡­ If it turned out to be true, the n Head might punish you."

 Chapter 113 Lead

    The elders voiced their opinion as Vincent listened quietly.


    After a few moments, he answered Severin''s question.


    "I heard from my grandfather that my family was from the Star Garden Sect¡­ It has now turned into ruins after the previous sessful Barbarian Invasion in the east." Vincent sighed as he continued. "Along with the destruction of the Sect was the fall of my n¡­ As for my survival, it seems like my parents anticipated that they will have a low chance of survival so they made some arrangements with my grandfather to keep me away from harm."


    "Did you say the Star Garden Sect?" Lady Yulia repeated as soon as she heard this.


    Though she''s wearing a white veil, Vincent can tell that she''s currently frowning at the mention of that sect.


    "Is there something wrong with that sect, Lady Yulia? It was destroyed about 15 years ago so I don''t seem to recall much about them." Romain spoke as he was curious about Yulia''s reaction.


    "What? Are you telling me that I''m already old so I should remember everything about that fallen sect?"


    "Eh? N-no! I was just incapable and didn''t study enough about the history of the surrounding sects¡­ If you ask me about the sixrge sects protecting the borders, I can certainly answer all of them." Romain immediately said as soon as he felt Yulia''s deathly stare.


    "Hmph¡­ The Star Garden Sect is supposedly the pir of the east. I''m not too sure why it copsed so easily after the Barbarians Invaded. There were many rumors about it but many years had already passed and most of their descendants were already dead so no one really bothered to investigate too much¡­" Lady Yulia replied.


    However, she seemed to have recalled something as she looked at Vincent.


    "Ehem¡­ I''m not saying that the destruction of the sect was suspicious or anything. They were just rumors. The Barbarians at that time were probably just too strong to be handled by a single sect. Unlike today where multiple ns and small sects were helping each other, the Star Garden Sect at that time was acting alone to guard the eastern passage."


    "I understand, Lady Yulia. In any case, I''m not here to investigate what happened in the past. At the very least, I would probably try and visit the Sect ruins once we reimed thend from the Barbarians¡­"


    Vincent said but instead of seeing encouraging smiles and words offort, he saw them smiling helplessly at the mention of reiming thend.


    "Uhmm¡­ May I ask something about thend upied by the Barbarians now?" Vincent asked.


    "Ugh¡­ I will be honest with you Vincent since this medallion looks legitimate. The Star Garden Sect Ruins have be the stronghold of the Barbarians right now¡­ If you want to visit that ce, you need to have the capabilities of expelling the three Barbarian Kings. At the moment, the Kingdom can''t deal with this matter as you should be aware of the problem made by Grand Knight or Duke France."


    Lady Yulia said.


    "W-wait! Lady Yulia! The medallion is legitimate?! Will you really allow this person to marry Miss Lesley?!" Romain asked in shock.


    It seems that he didn''t care that much about the Star Garden Sect and focused on the medallion.


    "It''s not up to me to decide. In any case, we will ask Uncle¡­ I mean, the n Head, once we returned. For now¡­" Lady Yulia''s voice trailed as he looked at General Yves who justpleted all the preparation.


    The General gave hisst orders to the soldiers who will be left in the castle before the convoy finally started moving.


    "We''ll continue our conversationter."


    Soon, Vincent and Severin entered their carriage while Yulia and the others went to theirs.


    As for Knight ude, he rode his stallion as he guarded the carriage where the two experts are.


    Inside the carriage, Vincent was thinking about the conversation he had with Yulia and the others.


    He can already tell that even with the presence of the medallion, there are still people who weren''t happy about it.


    He was able to tell that it wasn''t just Romain who was discontented by his revtion. He can simrly feel that Lady Yulia herself wasn''t in favor.


    However, in respect of their n Head, they decided to wait and learn the truth first.


    "I didn''t know that you have such ns in your mind, Vincent. To think that you''re targeting our young miss¡­" Severin spoke as he revealed a teasing smile to Vincent.


    Since Severin was only a hired expert serving the n for many years and wasn''t really a bloodline descendant of the Zemin family, he wasn''t opposed to the possible marriage between him and Lady Lesley.


    "I just didn''t have the chance to tell you earlier, Sir Severin. In any case, can you tell me about the young miss?"


    "Hmmm? What do you want to know? Do you want to make sure that she''s not in love with someone else yet?"


    "Ugh¡­ Anything about her would be fine¡­ I just don''t want to be clueless before meeting her." Vincent smiled as he already imagined Miss Lesley to be gorgeous.


    He can tell that Lady Yulia and Romain were part of the n''s Main Branch or the descendants with Zemin''s blood flowing in their veins.<sub> </sub>


    They were all good looking which is probably already in their genes so he wouldn''t expect anything less from Miss Lesley. However, what''s even more important is her personality and how she''s being viewed by other people.


    "Hmm¡­ Although I didn''t have many interactions with the young miss, I can tell that she has a very strong personality¡­ You can easily guess that since she''s already on the frontlines leading the fight against the Barbarians¡­ That should tell you a lot of things about her." Severin answered after a while.


    "Y-you''re right¡­ I guess she''s not easy to deal with¡­"


    ***


    Several kilometers away from their convoy, the Fourth Camp where Lesley and the other forces of the eastern region are gathered, was in a state of panic!


    There were fires everywhere as they seem to have been attacked by the barbarians unknowingly!


    "Magicians with Water Element! Deal with the smoke and fire! Hurry!"


    "Vice General Kyle and his squad are already chasing the culprit! Focus on removing the fire! Do not panic!"


    "H-help! The smoke is weird! It''s poisonous! Do not inhale!"


    "Arrows! Take cover!"


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    Soon, arrows started raining on them but were luckily blocked by an invisible shield.


    "That''s Miss Lesley''s Wind Wall!"


    One of the Blue Storm Soldiers recognized the unique Mana Art used to stop the arrows shot by the barbarians.


    They immediately sighed in relief after recognizing her presence on the battlefield.


    During the past few days that she has been on the front line, her incredible mastery in Wind Element had truly helped them a lot.


    Although they also have dozens of Master Magicians on their side, none of them had a presence like her.


    The others may be able to create fireballs or shoot strong mana arrows but they were not enough to affect the whole battlefield.


    On the other hand, Lesley''s Wind Mana Arts were allrge-scale abilities that could affect a huge field.


    "My team will handle the approaching barbarians! Lesley, gather your group and support us!" A young man wearing a knight''s armor shouted as he led his subordinates to block the iing barbarians.


    His name is Xian from the Jung n. Although he wasn''t an aplished Master Magician as he can only convert his mana to a weak water element, his talents with sword and martial arts were still at the level at which he could fight three elite warriors of the barbarian tribe alone.


    Hisbat skills are probably simr to those of veteran Magic Knights. If he adds the incredible weapons and essories he has in battle, he''s confident that he could face even five elite warriors at the same time.


    Lesley, who was currently wearing a ck magic robe and holding a scepter with a blue gem, didn''t answer Xian''s words and only looked at the distance.


    She can see that there are hundreds of barbarians ahead.


    "It''s weird¡­ I''m sure that Vice General Kyle''s absence is part of their n as a diversion. I''m expecting a full-blown battle as he and his team left. Hmmm¡­ I wonder why there are only over three hundred barbariansing at us¡­ You two, do you have any idea?"


    Lesley asked the two Arch Knights behind her. These two wouldn''t normally get out of the n but because of her insistence to join the fight against the invasion, her father had to make such arrangements.


    They didn''t answer immediately but observed the situation instead¡­


    "You''re right, young miss¡­ Vice General Kyle was indeed led away to our camp by those sneaky barbarians. However, I noticed that even Vice General Reese and Arch Knight Paolo of the Santer n left the camp to follow a group of suspicious barbarians¡­ Instead of eliminating us, I think that barbarians were going to deal with the Vice Generals first."


    One of the Arch Knights said with a grim voice as he noticed several strong fluctuations of mana in the direction where the others left.


    In short, the three hundred barbarians who were attacking them right now were only buying time to kill the other high-rank officials of the army!


    "Tsk! Did we underestimate them?" Lesley frowned as the way these barbarians were fighting waspletely different from what she heard before.

 Chapter 114 Red Flag

    Lesley had already noticed that something was wrong after she heard how these Barbarians upied the outermost camp of their forces.


    She realized that the Barbarians were extremely organized with their operations and although their joint army had also killed many of them, they were unable to kill those important figures within their ranks.


    They haven''t killed any Barbarian Champion or even a Barbarian Chieftain at all.


    They have probably killed a few Barbarian Mages but they were just users of the Grimoires¡­ In short, they were only weak barbarians who only know has sufficient mana to activate the Grimoires which can be said to be a very easy thing to do.


    They weren''t able to kill any Barbarian Wizards at all who can truly wield impressive Mana Arts that could threaten even a Master Magician at her level.


    "Hmm¡­ I guess we have to eliminate these Barbarians quickly so we can help that scattered Vice Generals." Lesley muttered as she assessed the situation.


    As soon as she made up her mind, she immediatelymanded her nsmen and the other soldiers who didn''t have anyone to follow because of the sudden chaos.


    "I am Lesley Zemin! We need to hurry and eliminate the Barbarians in front! They are only here to buy some time! Follow my lead!"


    With her voice amplified, many people heard her and finally calmed down. Many soldiers also realized that theirmanders are missing so the squad leaders and other captains decided to rally behind Lesley. After all, she''s a figure that had truly helped them in the crisis that they faced so it was quite eptable to follow her for now.


    Soon, the two Arch Knights who were following her formed their own team with their nsmen as they absorbed the forces from Hallux City and Arms City.


    Although the two Vice Generals and Xian of the Jung n went ahead already, there are still over 400 knights and soldiers within the fourth camp not including the 30 Master Magicians of the Blue Storm Army who went behind to form an encirclement.


    They seem to be preparing something in case a group of Barbarians managed to enter their camp''s perimeter.


    "Follow the Wind Magician! Lesley Zemin!"


    "Our reinforcements will arrive in the next two hours! We can do this!"


    "Let''s win this fight!"


    Lesley couldn''t help but smile after seeing that everyone''s morale was back on track but she still felt it was quite inappropriate to call her a Wind Magician¡­


    "Hmph¡­ I''m not even doing well with Wind Element." Lesley muttered as she lead her group while running towards the barbarian warriors and archers ahead of them.


    "Haha! You''re right, young miss. They will probably be surprised if they know that you''re just practicing your fourth element conversion."


    One of the Arch Knights behind herughed as he knows the truth behind Lesley''s abilities.


    She is actually one of the few geniuses of Mana Arts Cultivation.


    Most Master Magicians were already satisfied if they could master one element. It would be even better if it''s a strong element like ice or fire.


    They would use several years or decades to master this element until they be capable of wielding it like an extension of their arm. To do this, they will learn several Mana Arts with that element and master them to a Perfect state.


    Right now, Lesley was thinking of revealing her other Element mastery to surprise the Barbarians to end this battle quickly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The warriors led by Xian finally shed against the almost three-meter tall warriors of the Barbarians.


    They weren''t afraid of facing these giants at all because of their Mana Shied and rare armors.


    More than that, they have sword techniques that could pierce through the tough skin of these barbarians.


    "Kill!"


    The chaos finally started as the Mana Arts Practitioners fought against the fearsome Barbarians of the East.


    ***


    Clip-clop! Clip-clop!


    "Sir Vincent and Sir Severin, there is a message from the General." Knight ude reported outside the carriage while riding his stallion.


    Vincent then opened the window of the carriage as he asked ude to report the situation.


    "We will be hurrying a bit since we have received a report that the Barbariansmenced arge-scale operation to upy the fourth camp¡­"


    "W-what? Is it dangerous? What''s the situation?" Vincent worriedly asked.


    His fianc¨¦ is in the fourth camp leading her nsmen after all. Although she''s protected by a few strong people from the Zemin n, the Barbarians weren''t simple enemies either. If they are, there was no way that the Star Garden Sect was destroyed!


    "We''re not sure¡­ The scouts from afar just noticed the smoke signal and informed us that there is another wave of attack from the Barbarians. General Yves wanted to inform everyone that we will move faster and we might be engaging against the Barbarians as soon as we arrive there. Anyway, you don''t have to worry that much since we won''t be letting you join the fight."


    Knight ude gave his guarantee but Vincent knows that in a chaotic battle, anything can happen.


    He also heard that there are many Barbarians that are three meters tall. Most of them were the vanguards or warriors fighting on the front lines.


    Although there were two-meter tall barbarians as well, they were mostly Mages who were staying at the back.


    In short, it won''t be easy to stop the Barbarians'' advance with their huge build together with the support of the Barbarian Mages.


    Vincent and Severin then prepared themselves inside their carriage. There would surely be many injured people once they arrived there.


    Severin can also treat normal injuries with his skills while Vincent can use his ''knowledge'' in potions to help them quickly recover.


    Of course, Vincent also made sure to wear all his equipment and weapons.


    [ Tome of Skills +9 ] [ Epic ]


    [ Wolf Leather Gauntlet +9 ] [ Unique ]


    [ Wolf Leather Shin Guard +9 ] [ Unique ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Silver Ruin Dagger +9 ] [ Unique ]


    [ Damaged Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 ]  [ Unique ]


    [ Star Gazer Talisman + 9 ] [ Rare ]


    [ Poison Immunity Talisman +9] [ Unique ]


    "Right¡­ My Cane is badly damaged¡­"


    Vincent frowned as he checked the Cane''s durability. It was only 25 out of 350 points.


    Since his cane is quite special as it is a ''Soul-Forged'' type, not any weaponsmith or magic craftsman would be capable of repairing it.


    ''Anyway¡­ I just need to ascend this cane to fill its durability.'' Vincent thought as he looked at Severin who was busy checking the treatment items within his bag.


    ''Whatever¡­ I''ll just exin if he notices any special effects after the ascension.''


    As soon as he thought of this, he no longer waited as he pulled out the Ascension Card that he has. Anyway, he''s the only one who could see this card.


    [ Ascension Card found. Would you like to use 1 Ascension Card to Ascend this item? ]


    ''Yes!''


    Vincent answered as he held the cane tightly.


    As expected, the ascension created a mini effect as the weapon''s rarity changed into Epic!


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    ''Good! Appraise!''


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane. ]


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +9 ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 470/470


    Crush: +445


    Description: An ascended cane that is suited for battle. It is carved from the exclusive Ironbark to form the base of the cane. It is decorated with gilded patterns and only leaves the handle untouched which has been decorated with scale-like stubs.


    Remarks: Special Crush Attribute found. Durability and Crush attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    [ Ensnare: In exchange for 10 units of mana, multiple targets within 30 meters of the user will be trapped by Ironcoral Vines. ]


    "Hahaha! I did it! Full durability again!"


    Vincent couldn''t contain his joy as soon as he saw the result of his work. Even the Ensnare Skill had actually improved!


    "Sir Vincent?" Severin noticed that the cane in Vincent''s hand suddenly turned darker. He was unsure but it appears more dangerous than it previously was.


    A cane wasn''t normally threatening since they were just mostly made of woods and it wasn''t sharp at all.


    However, the one in Vincent''s hands appears to apply some pressure on him. Although it only happened for a moment, Severin can''t mistake that since he''s close to Vincent.


    p Vincent didn''t hear Severin''s question as he was busy inspecting the weapon in his hands. The previous small cracks on it disappeared and even some bumps were straightened properly.</anda>


    It was as if he was looking at a brand new weapon instead.


    "Ahh! Sir Severin, were you saying something?" Vincent asked.


    "Huh? No¡­ nothing. I won''t be asking about your secrets. I was just surprised for a moment. Don''t worry." Severin said as he gave a knowing smile.


    Although he''s unsure what kind of trick did Vincent do to his cane, he could still recall that their Zemin n also has unusual Magic Tools or even Artifacts.


    "Thank you¡­ It''s nothing really impressive. Anyway, I can see that there''s a huge camp not too far from us. Is that the fourth camp already?" Vincent asked curiously.


    The camp on top of a hill that he was seeing has the g of the Blue Storm Army and various sects. Thergest blue g at the center was probably the g of their kingdom.


    However, the camp here appears to be peaceful so Vincent wasn''t sure.


    "No, but that''s thest camp. There were only a few guards there at the moment and Divine Doctor Ji should be in there."


    "That makes sense¡­" Vincent muttered.


    It was at this moment that Knight ude appeared beside their carriage.


    "Sir Vincent, we have confirmed from another report that the Barbarian Poison user has appeared again. Although we have already sent your potions ahead of time, we might be expecting---"


    Knight ude didn''t manage to finish his sentence as the people in front shouted in panic¡­


    "The red g of the Rebel Army can be seen ahead! Get ready for battle!"

 Chapter 115 Coordination

    ude gasped in shock as soon as he heard the shout.


    The Fourth Camp was just attacked by the Barbarians and now, the Rebel Army appeared exactly on time to block their reinforcements!


    It was as if they were doing this in coordination!


    ''Something''s not right¡­'' ude thought as he worriedly looked at the battalion of the rebel armying after them.


    Although the few soldiers at Third Camp would probably help the Fourth Camp, these soldiers wouldn''t greatly affect the battlefield, especially if faced with the Barbarian Poison Users and their Wizards.


    What they certainly need right now are the elite Master Magicians and Magic Knights following the Hailstorm General.


    However, if they were truly blocked here, it would be disastrous for the fourth camp!


    As Vincent was worrying about the battle that was about toe, another Knight came to their side and made a report.


    "Knight ude! General Yves gave another order. My squad will break through their formation together with the Jung n and Zemin n and you will lead Sir Vincent''s carriage as well and bring them safely to the Fourth Camp¡­"


    "Ahh! It''s Arch Knight Reaver! Very well then! We will follow behind!" ude immediately felt relieved as soon as he saw the Arch Knight.


    Within the Blue Storm Army, there are only four Arch Knights. The two Vice Generals who are currently at the Fourth Camp, General Yves, and finally, Arch Knight Reaver who has no official military rank as of now because he had just recently advanced to his level.


    However, depending on his choice, he could either form a special battalion of his own or still work under General Yves if he wanted to.


    Since he hasn''t made his choice yet, he''s probably just waiting for the invasion to end and leave this chaotic eastern border.


    ude believed that Reaver would surely make a path for them to break through even if he''s only a new Arch Knight¡­


    "Sir Severin, how does an Arch Knight differ from a Magic Knight?"


    Vincent asked.


    If there is a level, both Master Magician and Magic Knight are Level 3 in their profession.


    Level 4 would be Adept Mage of Magician''s Path while Arch Knight for Knight''s Path.


    This is something Vincent couldn''t understand since Arch Mage is considered Level 5. He''s curious why no Adept Knight to bnce it out.


    On the other hand, Severin couldn''t help but wryly smile at Vincent''s question.


    They were currently in a serious situation and here he is, wanting to be educated on matters that can be learned if he attended the academy.


    "Ehem¡­ Since we may not be participating in battle, let me tell you then¡­"


    Severin coughed for a moment before he continued to exin.


    "You should already know that Master Magicians is a stage where Mana Practitioners could transform their mana into an Element¡­ On the other hand, being an Adept Mage means not only you could use Tier 4 Mana Arts or Body Transformation Techniques but you can also tap the power of your life. As for the Arch-Mage, it is a stage in which you can already create your own Mana Arts."


    Severin provided a brief exnation. Unfortunately, Vincent didn''t understand what he was trying to say but still nodded his head.


    ''An Adept Mage can use the power of life? Is it Life Force? Soul Force?''


    Seeing this, Severin finished his exnation.


    "For the Magic Knights, however, they have a cultivation method that would divert from normal Mana Cultivation. This method would allow them to use the power of an Arch or someone who can freely create their own Mana Arts using a transformed Mana."


    "Transformed Mana?"


    "Yes¡­ You will learn about it someday, Sir Vincent." Severin mysteriously said.


    At this point, the battle outside finally reached its climax. Severin has been trying to stay calm all this time but he still felt his hand trembling as he could feel many life forces dissipating within the battlefield.


    Vincent also fell silent as he looked outside.


    There, he found that the Rebel Army was indeed all wearing a red band on their shoulders to identify themselves.


    What''s surprising though is that this army seems to beposed of three groups.


    One battalion was filled with people that seemed like adventurers with their leather armors, and their battle style appears to be quite crude.


    Another group was a disciplined army and Vincent could guess that they are probably forces that were truly working for Grand Knight France.


    Finally, there was a group of people wearing tattered clothes but were still incredibly powerful as they fought with great agility using daggers or short swords as their weapons.


    Vincent couldn''t help but recall Macy from the Dark Sky Cult that he had beaten before.


    "I can''t tell but will there be Celestial Being joining this battle?" Vincent worriedly asked.


    Right now, General Yves activated his Magic Weapon or perhaps Artifact and created a blizzard to stop the momentum of the Rebel Army!<sub> </sub>


    Whooshh~


    This is the first time Vincent saw such arge-scale elemental Mana Arts!


    He had seen Magic Bullets, Fire Balls, Ice Lance, and others in his journey but this Blizzard is on a different level!


    No wonder he was called the Hailstorm General!


    "Don''t worry¡­ Celestial Beings wouldn''t interfere unless we release our Celestial Beings as well. General Yves wouldn''t recklessly do that."


    "That''s reassuring¡­" Vincent muttered but suddenly, the earth trembled as their carriage was thrown and flipped by the sudden force!


    Hhiii~


    The horses of their carriage were then suddenly impaled by earth spikes that has appeared without any notice!


    Luckily, Vincent and Severin were ready as they jumped out in time.


    Thud!


    Knight ude was also thrown off his horse andnded beside Vincent¡­


    "Ugh! This is not good." The Knight frowned as he stood up holding his sword tightly. He didn''t take any damage from the fall but he can tell that the overall situation is not favoring them.


    The Blue Storm Army''s formation was starting to copse because of the suddenrge-scale Earth Elemental Mana Arts used to throw them off.


    "We need to find the Earth Elemental Magicians¡­ There can''t be too many of them. If we don''t stop them from destroying the terrain, we will be defeated at this rate." ude announced to everyone.


    Vincent and the others then looked at the battlefield carefully as they wanted to find the Magicians who were able to do this.


    Meanwhile, they also notice that even Lady Yulia''s group had started to engage in battle¡­ There were no carriages that remained safe from the attack!


    Vincent could see how the Rebel Army fought aggressively while their side desperately controlled the situation through their disciplined formation and battle techniques.


    Unfortunately, the trouble didn''t end here.


    Boom! Boom!


    "What?! Look over there!"


    "Howe they''re here!"


    "They really joined forces with the Barbarians?!"


    Suddenly, behind the Rebel Army, they found a small squad of barbarians following them! They were all wieldingrge but dull des.


    Although there are only 12 Barbarians, their huge build and oppressive aura can be felt even from their spot.


    "Hmph! Don''t panic! There are just twelve of them! There''s no way that there are many of them who could cross without being noticed by the other camps¡­"


    Suddenly, a red-haired man shouted as he calmly gazed at the opponents in front. He is Florent from the Jung n.


    "Once the formation of the Blue Storm Army copsed, we will be the ones to deal with the Barbarians. Let the Hailstorm General stop the Rebel Army! We need to find our nsmen in the fourth camp! Find all the avable horses we can use!"


    Florent gave hismand as he rallied his subordinates.


    Soon, the formation of the Blue Storm Army copsed under the continued assault of the Rebel Army¡­


    <o>,m The shing of swords and shields rang throughout the whole battlefield.</o>


    "They''re here! Let''s not save our Mana anymore and end this immediately!" Romain shouted as he excitedly look at the approaching Rebel Army and the Barbarians.


    Apparently, Arch Knight Reaver was stopped by ten Magic Knights and five Adept Mages from the Rebel Army¡­ No matter how skilled he is, he would still need some time before he could defeat them.


    Finally, Lady Yulia''s group met the Barbarians first as Florent and his nsmen followed.


    At this time, Vincent was able to see the Barbarians up close! There were four Barbarians who managed to reach their location as the Rebel Army paved a path for them!


    ''Bronze skin, silver hair, red eyes, and teeth like those from the sharks¡­ So this is what they look like¡­'' Vincent thought as he observed them with his tranquil eyes.


    Right now, he already drank a vial of Serene Potion and Mana Recovery Potion too. Then, he drew his dagger and cane at the same time.


    "Sir Vincent! I can''t stay here. Arch Knight Reaver is in trouble! He''ll die at this rate! I''ll go ahead and help him in front! Be careful!"


    "Alright! You can leave us here!" Vincent answered as he wasn''t too worried about his situation yet.


    He has his manapletely filled and his hands are itching for battle.

 Chapter 116 Opportunity

    Vincent clenched his weapons tightly¡­


    For some reason, instead of being worried or feeling fear because of how this turned out to be arge-scale battle all of a sudden, he felt inexplicably excited¡­


    He was looking forward to meeting these powerful enemies in front of him!


    More than that, he could finally freely use all his umted skills without caring for repercussions!


    With his body filled with mana, or perhaps, Pseudo Celestial Energy, Vincent wanted to try using his Tier 1 Mana Arts and of course, his power as a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    "Don''t worry about me, Sir Vincent, I have Magic Tools to keep me safe and avoid them from targeting me. However, I don''t have anything with me that I could use to fight, so please go ahead and help Lady Yulia''s team."


    Severin said as he looked at Vincent who was excited to join the fight. He already heard from Divine Doctor Ji that this young man isn''t as simple as he seems. Although he was known to be a Potion Master thanks to his skills in alchemy, Doctor Ji had seen his fighting prowess first when their group was attacked by the two Barons who were serving Count Magnus.


    "Very well. Please be safe."


    Vincent said as he no longer hesitated and used his Shrouded Steps to move forward.


    As soon as he triggered the skill that he learned from his grandfather, he felt his body be lighter¡­


    More than that, because of his new form of energy, he can now use 30 Shrouded Steps before he has to cast it again!


    It must be remembered that his original Shrouded Steps was only an 8-step movement technique.


    However, with the improvement in his physique and adding his aura mastery, it increased by a few steps. Now, it increased even more as it reach thirty steps with only 20 units of Psuedo Celestial Energy!


    ''Incredible! It feels like I can do anything I want! This is it!''


    Vincent looked around and noticed that the few soldiers from the Rebel Army who managed to prate the formation made by the Blue Storm Army were handled easily by the people from the Jung n and Zemin n¡­


    However, the Barbarians seem to be quite tricky to deal with since a group of Master Magicians from the Rebel Army decided to support them from the back!


    This became difficult even for the Lady Yulia team!


    "Hmm? She''s actually using a Tier 4 Mana Art? Is that a Mystic Eye as well?" Vincent muttered as he was getting closer to their group.


    Lady Yulia''s veil was already removed as she revealed her angelic face.


    Her beauty is something that couldpare to a Celestial Being but her eyes seem to possess a different level of power¡­ It is definitely not a support type Mystic Eye like what Cedric and other appraisers have but an offensive type Mystic Eye!


    "Hold!"


    Lady Yulia shouted as dark energy started coiling around the bodies of the bronze-skinned barbarians.


    It was at this time that the elders including Romain of the Zemin n started attacking with all their might.


    "Graaahhh!"


    The four barbarians struggled to get out of the dark energy coiling them as they were met by various elemental attacks from the Zemin n¡­


    However, thanks to their abnormal physique, these elemental attacks couldn''t kill them.


    "It''s our turn now!"


    One of the Barbarians shouted as he managed to tear off the dark energy made by Yulia''s Mystic Eye.


    It wouldn''t have been easy for them to escape from it but with the help of the Master Magicians who just used a Water Element to suck off or contain the dark energy, these barbarians managed to get out of their confinement and struggled their way to Lady Yulia.


    "You people in the Rebel Army have gone crazy! Did you really think that there''s a future with these Barbarians?! Why have you allowed them to reach this ce! Don''t you know what happened in the Second Rapture?! You fools!"


    Lady Yulia angrily shouted as she retreated with haste. Although she trusts her defensive Mana Arts, she wouldn''t waste her mana for that.


    Furthermore, she can''t continuously use her Mystic Eye''s ability and needed to take cover for a while.


    "Hmph! Die"


    Her words were obviously ignored by the Master Magicians behind.


    She can only grit her teeth as she waited for Romain to finish his preparations.


    Unfortunately, Romain isn''t a Mana Practitioner that could easily kill his enemy using his brute force or incredible sword techniques. However, he is still incredibly skilled as a Magic Craftsman!


    That''s right, he is one of the finest Magic Craftsmen within the Zemin n! They certainly have a method to kill the Barbarians but they have to eliminate the Master Magicians first!


    "Lady Yulia! Focus on killing the Barbarians¡­ I will deal with the Magicians behind!"


    Suddenly Vincent appeared beside Yulia. With his Shrouded steps, he didn''t leave any footprint as he moved like a ghost!


    None of them even thought that he was using a Tier 1 Mana Art for this since they have never seen anyone who had achieved a Perfect State for this skill.


    "You''ll take care of them?" Yulia asked. She has no time to be amazed by Vincent''s movement technique.


    "Yes¡­ Please contain the Barbarians one more time so I can get close to them without any problem."<sub> </sub>


    "Got it! Wait for a moment!"


    Yulia could only nod as there really is no one who could help them right now. Most of the Magic Knights and Magicians of the Blue Storm Army are also dealing with the armored soldiers of the Rebel Army.


    This armored unit is certainly harder to deal with since they are all wearing Magic Equipment from head to toe and they are also disciplined as they are using battle formations and real-time tactics thanks to theirmander.


    Bam! Bam!


    Romain and the others were using their Magic Tools to shoot the Barbarians with elemental attacks. However, they weren''t dealing significant damage as the Master Magicians behind the Barbarians provided them with some kind of Mana Armor as well.


    "Vincent!" Lady Yulia shouted as she gave her signal.


    "I''m ready!" Vincent replied as he looked at the Master Magicians from the distance.


    "Hold!"


    As soon as Yulia heard Vincent''s answer, she immediately used her Mystic Eyes'' ability.


    Again, Dark Energy coiled around the Barbarians as the Master Magicians from the Rebel Army cast a vortex of water element to weaken the Dark Element. With this help, it would allow the Barbarians to forcefully overpower the energy holding them.


    Vincent has to move quickly!


    "You haven''t learned at all! Haha! This will be your end! Hurry! Give the Barbarians what they needed! Haste!"


    "Haste!"


    Soon, the few Master Magicians cast a Wind Elemental Mana Art to hasten the Barbarians'' movement.


    However, as soon as they finished casting it, they heard an anguished cry beside them!


    "Aackk!"


    One of the Master Magicians who was trying to cast the Wind Haste had his arm torn and shattered! It was smashed by a young man who was wielding a cane and a silver dagger!


    "Where did hee from?!"


    "Hurry! Kill him!"


    Vincent''s stature was small so he doesn''t appear to be threatening. If they would make a guess, he was probably one of the young masters of therge ns and wanted to make a name for himself by killing them.


    "Burn him! Fireball!"


    Of the dozen of the Master Magicians helping the Barbarians, three of them were Water Element users while two of them can use Fire Element.


    The others were either capable of using Wind or Earth elements.


    As soon as Vincent had gotten close, he killed the Wind Element User since most of these magicians have speed-type Mana Arts and they could easily escape from him if they wanted to.


    Vincent then saw two balls of fire chasing him as soon as he incapacitated the first Master Magician.


    "Hmph!"


    He didn''t feel any pressure from those fires. Instead, he trusted theyers of protections he made as he charged at the other Wind Element users whom he had seen cast the Wind Haste to the Barbarians¡­


    "Don''t underestimate me!" The old Master Magician who seemed to be in his fifties didn''t back down as well as he opened his palm to stop Vincent.


    "Wind Dagger!"


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    The sharp daggers made of pure wind elements headed towards Vincent. This time, he can tell that they have a strong prative force so he couldn''t just ignore it. Not even the effect of his Serene Water could stop it.


    Instead, he wielded his Silver Ruin Dagger and pushed his Aura Resonance to the limit. Now, he could feel the direction where the Wind Daggers are aimed at.


    Two Wind Dagger aimed for his head while another one was to his heart.


    nk! nk! nk!


    He stopped the attacks so easily as the two Fire Element Users grit their teeth as they controlled their fireballs to hit the ground instead.


    Apparently, once Vincent had gotten close to the Wind Element User, they realized that the old man will die as well from their balls of fire.


    Although they want to kill Vincent, it''s not to the point that they will sacrifice theirrade.


    However, this is a huge mistake from their side.


    As soon as the fireballs hit the ground, an explosion urred as dust and smoke covered the surroundings¡­


    This is a perfect opportunity for an Aura Knight like him!


    "Soul Pressure!"

 Chapter 117 Communicate

    After reaching the 3-Star Aura Knight, Vincent''s closebat skills have reached a whole new level.


    As long as he doesn''t get overpowered by Elemental Mana Arts, he''s confident that he could win against any Master Magicians or Magic Knights with his current set of weapons and skills.


    It wasn''t like he''sckingbat experience since he has been living in a jungle filled with many Savage Beasts when he was still young. So he has plenty of experience using his cane and his dagger to kill.


    With the addition of his newly learned Soul Pressure, Vincent felt unstoppable!


    As soon as he released his Soul Pressure, the Master Magicians eximed in horror.


    "How could this young man be an Aura Knight!"


    "Disperse! Stay away from him!"


    "Do not engage with him alone! Ken! Blow the smoke away with your wind---Aaak!"


    "I''m trying! Ahh¡ªHe''s here! Help!"


    Vincent started moving like a ghost under the cover of the dust and smoke.


    With his Soul Pressure, the senses of the Master Magicians became clouded as he could barely locate Vincent.


    Normally, for Mana Arts Practitioners like them, sensing their opponent''s movement is a very easy thing to do.


    It is something that they would learn before they could graduate from the academy.


    However, if there is one thing that could stop them from controlling the situation on the battlefield, that would be the Aura Knights.


    Aura Knight not only possesses a superior physique, but they also have strange techniques that could not be defended by Mana Shield or Magic Armors.


    They are techniques that could directly affect their souls!


    Normally, they wouldn''t be engaging against Aura Knights in close quarters. They would swiftly flee or scatter to avoid being targeted. However, they did not expect that a young man like Vincent was already an Aura Knight so they allowed him to get closer and didn''t panic even after one of them was killed.


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    As soon as they gathered their mana, they immediately fled in hurry to avoid the Soul Pressure released by Vincent.


    After all, even if the Soul Pressure can cause them to feel suppressed and weak, it still has a range and at most, it could cover at least five meters of Vincent.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Five Master Magicians managed to flee in time but the others remained within Vincent''s range.


    Whooshhh~


    Finally, one of them managed to blow away the smoke and dust. Unfortunately, it was already toote as all the others already died in Vincent''s hands.


    "You''ll pay for this, Brat!"


    "I''ll destroy you and your whole n!"


    The five of them acted in unison as they no longer cared about the four barbarians being bombarded by people from the Zemin n.


    They realized that killing Vincent will certainly deal a huge blow to whatever n he belonged to¡­


    However, before they could even aim their Mana Arts at Vincent, something unexinable happened.


    Without any signs of formation, thorny iron vines suddenly appeared on their feet!


    Crank! Crank! Crank!


    "W-what this?!"


    "Metal element?! Impossible!"


    "Aaahhh! My feet!"


    They tried to remove the vines with all their might but Vincent''s Ensnare is no longer the same. With a proper Mana Art to an incredible physique, getting away from these iron vines can be very tricky.


    Furthermore, the thorns on it would inflict pain to the captured target making it harder to focus and cast a spell.


    Nevertheless, these Master Magicians weren''t new Elemental Mana Arts that could trap their target.


    There are skills called Water Prison, Earth Trap, Fire Chain, and Ice Coffin to name a few. They have Magic Tools that they can use to escape in case they are trapped using these Mana Arts but unfortunately, they weren''t prepared to face such an unusual method to capture them.


    These Iron Vines feel like they were alive as they tried topletely wrap them with thorny vines!


    Traps like Earth Trap can be removed by just using Water Element to soften it out before using another Mana Art to destroy it. The Fire Chain is the same since an Ice Element can be used to remove it. It is the same with others.


    However, these thorny iron vines were moving like it was alive and they have no idea how to effectively remove them!


    Of course, Vincent did not give them any more time to think of a n as he started hitting them one by one with his Epic Rank weapon.


    Bam! Bam!<sub> </sub>


    With such a high Crush Attribute, the scepters or staff that they were using were easily destroyed by his Can with a few strikes!


    Their Rare Weapon, or perhaps, Unique Rank weapons were nothingpared to his Epic Weapon!


    ''So strong¡­ I wonder if this Crush attribute can damage a Celestial Being as well.''


    Vincent couldn''t help but think of it as he incapacitate the Master Magicians who were unable to flee from his Ensnare ability.


    He wasn''t sure whether they actually died from his strikes but he made sure to destroy the magic tools they are using to create powerful Mana Arts.


    Although Master Magicians can still convert their Mana into an Element that they have mastered, it would be very slow and requires more concentration which they couldn''t afford right now in this battle.


    As soon as their Magic Tools were destroyed, they would be like sitting ducks in front of his Ironbark Cane.


    Boom! Boom!


    As Vincent was busy dealing with these Magicians, Lady Yulia and Romain also managed to kill two Barbarians who lost the protection of these Master Magicians.


    On the other hand, Arch Knight Reaver was finally able to get out of the dangerous position he was previously in. It was all thanks to Knight ude''s assistance.


    It was no wonder why General Yves decided to give ude a task to protect Vincent and Severin, his skills are definitely approaching the level of an Arch Knight already!


    "S-stop! Spare me! I surrender!"


    Thest magician who saw how brutal Vincent was decided to throw away his magic tools and surrender. He raised his hands so he can appearpletely harmless.


    "Hmm¡­ Does that work that way?" Vincent paused for a moment unsure if he really should stop if they decided to surrender.


    He can already tell that these people weren''t here topletely eradicate them. At most, it seems that they are just trying to dy them from saving the people in the fourth camp.


    After all, there was no way that this is the main force of the Rebel Army that even the Royal Family couldn''t defeat in the capital.


    "I''m still a noble! I''m Alceste from the Troy n! I''m sure that General Yves wouldn''t want me dead¡­ I won''t be fighting back."


    The man revealed his identity which made Vincent frown.


    Although it was Lucius n who literally destroyed his Vige, Joran Troy was also part of it since he decided to kill Kai in their vige so the attention was put on them.


    Furthermore, Joran has three Celestial Beings and probably has a high position within the Rebel Army.


    "Fine¡­ I won''t be killing you." Vincent said.


    Alceste heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that his life will be spared.


    However, he suddenly felt a pain in the back of his head before passing out.


    Thud!


    Vincent had to put him asleep instead and let the others take care of himter.


    Clip clop! Clip clop!


    "Vincent! Hop on! We will be going to the fourth camp now! Your fianc¨¦ might be in danger!"


    Severin shouted as he rode a ck horse to pick up Vincent. Behind him is a group of people who were simrly nning to head towards the Fourth Camp.


    Although the fight here hasn''t ended yet, they are no longer in a dire situation after the Rebel Army lost the element of surprise in their attack.


    As expected of the Blue Storm Army who had plenty of experience on the battlefield, they were able to stop the advance of the armored soldiers of the Rebel Army, and perhaps, these rebels would be forced to retreat once they realized that they won''t be defeated anytime soon.


    "Alright! I''ming¡­"


    Vincent answered as he rode the ck horse with Severin.


    ***


    On the other side of the battlefield where the elite soldiers of the Rebel Army are concentrated, General Yves can be seen calmly assessing the situation of their battle.


    "General! The forces of the Zemin n and Jung n managed to break through. They are now headed to the Fourth Camp. The Rebel Army who wanted to chase after them stopped mid-way and changed their direction to attack us."


    One of the elite soldiers of the Blue Storm Army reported.


    "Good¡­ We can''t let any of the Rebel Soldiers escape¡­ Let''s theme to us!" General Yves smiled as he waved his sword to create three floating swords of ice and released them to the few enemy Magic Knights who were killing his soldiers.


    The Hailstorm that he created a while ago to defend against the enemy''s long-range bombardment can no longer be used since it requires over an hour of cooldown time to be used again.


    However, General Yves wasn''t too worried as he wanted all the Rebel Army to concentrate on his unit.


    As soon as he felt that the enemies in his range were enough, General Yves pulled out a gold ne with purple crystal as a pendant¡­


    It is not a destructive magic tool but only a device tomunicate with someone.


    "Marriane, is there any Celestial Being nearby?"

 Chapter 118 Help

    "Is it fine to leave General Yves and his soldiers to fight against the Rebel Army?" Vincent asked as soon as they managed to get away from the battlefield.


    Seeing that they are no longer being pursued, they finally have the time to take a breather and rx for a bit.


    "They should be fine. As a matter of fact, he wanted us to get away as well." Severin replied.


    "Huh? They don''t need our help? I guess they really are proud soldiers, huh." Vincentmented as he looked behind him.


    He can still see the smoke and dust brought by elemental attacks from two sides. In his opinion, the battle between the two forces would end up in the General''s favor but the Rebel Army could certainly escape if they wanted to.


    Although the Rebel Armycks strong individuals that could affect the whole battlefield like General Yves, they are still fighting with good battle formation and tactics. They certainly know very well how to utilize their limited Master Magicians and Magic Knights.


    "Well, he wouldn''t be called the Hailstorm General if he can only use the weak blizzard Mana Art, right?"


    "Do you mean that he has a stronger Mana Art? Is it a Tier 5?"


    "I''m not sure¡­ However, there was a rumor that he obtained a Magic Artifact that could cast a destructive Mana Art. It was said that he got it from a Celestial Being. There was even a dark rumor that a corpse of a Celestial was used to create such a strong Magic Artifact."


    "What?! Isn''t that crazy?!"


    "It''s crazy, of course. That''s why no one is believing that kind of rumor. He just probably obtained that thing in a dungeon. Let''s just think that he hit the jackpot inside one. It''s not like there weren''t antecedents on this."


    Severin said with a smile.


    Anyway, the dungeons around the world are indeed mysterious and could contain anything. From Mana Cultivations, medicines, advanced craft blueprints, and even Celestial Beings could be inside resting in their chamber.


    If that''s the case, no one would suspect General Yves if he mentioned that it came from a dungeon.


    ''I wonder how will they defeat all those rebels¡­'' Vincent mused for a moment but he soon focused on their road ahead.


    They can''t be toocent as the enemies might have set up a trap.


    "How long before we can arrive at the Fourth Camp?" Vincent asked.


    "It should be about half an hour¡­ This will be quick since we will be using a route that the scouts or messengers only have ess to."


    Vincent nodded as he realized that they indeed went on a mountain path where carriages or chariots wouldn''t be able to pass.


    This might even be the path that the Rebel Army used to ambush them!


    Nevertheless, this is indeed a good option since they are truly in a hurry. They weren''t sure how long could the army in the frontlinest against the massive Barbarian Invasion after all.


    Even with supplies of new weapons and potions to cure the poison, it would be difficult for them especially if the Rebel Army had assisted in this battle.


    That''s right. This is what they were worried about. The Barbarians may be hard to deal with but the two Vice Generals and the elites of therge ns can kill them all unless the Barbarian Kings made their move.


    However, if the Rebel Army contributed to this invasion and the two Vice Generals were unaware of it, they might be caught in a trap set up by the rebels.


    ***


    On top of a green hill, Lesley looked at the previously fortified Fourth Camp that had turned into ruins.


    That ce was filled with defensive Magic Tools that even if they were bombarded by catapults for half a day, they wouldn''t budge at all. Although it would probably consume tens of thousands of Mana Crystals in order to do that, they wouldn''t mind doing it if they are really in a tough spot.


    This is the reason why she was confident that they couldst until the reinforcement arrives even if they can''t defeat the enemies.


    Of course, this is also why General Yves remained in the Blue Storm Army Castle unless there is an emergency.


    However, the two Vice Generals of the Blue Storm Army were too confident with their skills and brought doom to their stronghold. After a couple of spies created chaos within the camp, the Vice Generals foolishly left their posts to chase the enemies.


    Apparently, they were led outside after seeing a few Barbarians who have several precious Grimoires!


    It was then followed by an ambush from the Rebel Army!


    They weren''t killed right away as the rebels used this opportunity to return to the stronghold dressed like part of the Blue Storm Army and destroy their defensive formations from the inside!


    It was a disaster. Even though her nsmen together with the young elites of the Jung n managed to stop the Barbarians who targeted their camp, they still failed to protect their stronghold thanks to the mistakes of the two Vice Generals.


    ''No¡­ This is an borate n made by the rebel army. They have studied the chain ofmands even the temper of the two vice generals and created this perfect n to destroy the stronghold. We aren''t just fighting the Barbarians, we''re dealing with the joint forces of the Barbarians and Grand Knight France''s army¡­ The Kingdom must know this¡­ They must send the message back to the headquarters.''<sub> </sub>


    Lesley gritted her teeth as she nced at her subordinates¡­


    As soon as the stronghold''s defensive formation fell, each group fled on different paths.


    The small sects decided to scatter into small units, the young elites of the Jung n went to the mountain range, the soldiers of the Blue Storm Army retreated slowly to the third camp, and the Arms City''s Knights did the same on a different path.


    On the other hand, Lesley brought her nsmen to a hill and stood their ground.


    Since the Barbarians and the rebels scattered as well after chasing the other groups, Lesley felt confident to fight them as long as they are in an advantageous position.


    So after they retreated, she found a good spot to wait for the reinforcements.


    ''I''m sure Lady Yulia and the others are about toe¡­ We also have two Arch Knights on our side¡­ We can do this.''


    Lesley confidently analyzed the situation at hand.


    Although some of her nsmen perished, they still have over 20 people on their side and only five were injured and can''t fight in the uing battle.


    This situation is still considered good since eight of them are Master Magicians with two or more elemental mastery.


    However, Lesley failed to realize that these rebels were so desperate to kill them!


    "This is bad, Miss Lesley! Joran has been watching us!" One of her subordinates reported with a trace of fear in his voice.


    "What?! Why would he be here?! We don''t have Celestial Beings among us¡­" Lesley frowned at the sudden report. That person is a madman that has been causing headaches to manyrge ns supporting the Royal Family.


    "That''s true¡­ I also believe that the three cloaked individuals behind him are his Celestial Beings."


    There are already a dozen of Barbarians and five squads of rebels surrounding them. If the infamous Joran adds up, it would be the end for them!


    Joran may not be nning on attacking them yet but his presence here is uncalled for unless he''s nning on making a move. Perhaps, even if he won''t use the powers of his Celestial Beings, they would be in a precarious situation if he decided to join the fight as an Adept Mage.


    "Isn''t he supposed to be in the Celestial Mountain? Ugh¡­  Ignore him for now¡­ Focus on killing the Barbarians as quickly as possible. The two Arch Knight of our n will lead the defense!"


    Lesley can only deal with the problems one at a time.


    "Everyone! No more holding back! We need to kill them as swiftly as possible. Saving your mana is no longer an option!"


    Lesley shouted.


    Most of the Master Magicians, including her, were only using a single Element all this time not just because they wanted to save the best forst but to also preserve their mana usage.


    However, now that they are on theirst stand, saving mana would be useless.


    "Fire Element!" Lesley gave hermand as all the Master Magicians started to converge their Fire Type Mana Arts.


    As the elites of the Zemin n, it''s not surprising that all of them had mastery of the most destructive element.


    Soon, several Mana Arts were formed as the Barbarians and the rebels got closer.


    "Now!"


    As soon as she gave themand, every Master Magician released their abilities. There were Fireballs and Incendiary Grenades thrown at the enemies.


    On the other hand, Lesley used a Mana Arts Fusion of Earth and Fire element called zing Meteor.


    Well, it sounds so fancy but they are just three burning rocks, the size of an adult''s head, that are thrown toward the enemies.


    "Earth Wall¡­"


    A deep voice of man reverberated as the rebels that were about to be decimated suddenly found a wall made of earth protecting them from the bombardment of Lesley''s group!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Hmph! As expected of the genius from Zemin n. A Mana Arts Fusion at the age of 15¡­ Incredible¡­"


    "Y-you!" Lesley sucked a cold air as she realized the owner of this voice.

 Chapter 119 Battle

    Lesley and the others were stunned as they realized the man who just stopped their attacks.


    To their horror, the thing that they were worried about happened!


    Joran Troy has made his move.


    "Tsk¡­ How can he stop all those attacks¡­ I thought he was an Adept Mage, is he already an Archmage?!" Lesley gritted her teeth as she considered all the possible results of this battle.


    She had not calcted Joran''s assistance in this battle at all. More than that, he appears even stronger than the reports they''ve heard!


    ''What are those from the Royal Family doing at times like this! I thought they were the ones handling the main forces of the Rebel Army¡­''


    Lesley almost cursed the Royal Family because of her situation right now.


    Suddenly, a huge ball of fire ten timesrger than the ones they can create appeared on top of Joran¡­


    "Lesley! Try taking this!" Joran shouted in excitement as he threw the Large Fireball in their direction!"


    "Young Miss! Support us!" The two Arch Knights weren''t afraid as their armors shined with blue light before they faced the attack.


    Then, they raised their swords and activated a Mana Art only Arch Knights like them could manifest.


    It was as if they are the embodiment of the Water Element as they charged at the Large Fireball!


    "Haaa!"


    Two swords shed as the impact between their swods and the Large Fireball created a shockwave¡­ It was not enough to destroy Joran''s attack!


    It was at this time that Lesley''s Mana Art Fusion came to help!


    This time, it was a fusion of Water and Earth elements creating a thick mud that assisted the two Arch Knights.


    Boom!


    Finally, after expending a lot of mana, thebined forces of the Two Arch Knights and Lesley''s Mana Art Fusion broke the Large Fireball¡­


    "Haha! Impressive! It would be such a waste to let you die here, Lesley¡­ How about you join us?"


    Joran asked as he looked at Lesley''s solemn face with amusement in his eyes.


    "Hmph! Everyone, he''s exhausted! Although he looks fine, he still spent a lot of mana to create that attack! Hurry! Kill the rebels and the barbarians!" Lesley shouted as she ignored Joran''s invitation.


    She also knows that he wasn''t serious about it so she has nothing to consider at all.


    The battle continued and as expected, Joran remained on his spot and watched the battle unfold. It seems that he''s really trying to recover the mana he just spent on thatrge-scale Mana Art.


    The Barbarians waved their huge weapons in front as they were supported by several magicians behind them.


    With several buffsing from them, even the elite Zemin n was having trouble maintaining their formation.


    "Just treat them asrge Savage Beasts! Aim for their throats, their eyes, or any vital parts! Don''t target their bronze skin!"


    One of the Arch Knights reminded me after seeing that most of the attacks they were doing are justnding on the enemy''s tough skin.


    The Barbarian''s bronze skin is some kind of natural armor after all. They have to target their soft parts if they wanted to deal significant damage to them.


    On the other hand, the Zemin n''s Master Magicians decided to target the magicians on the other side.


    They used various Earth Element abilities to disrupt them. Luckily, for some reason, none of the Master Magicians from the Rebel Army knows how to use the Earth Element except for Joran who used it just moments ago.


    Thanks to that, they sessfully stopped them from supporting the Barbarians for a brief moment. It was at this moment that the Magic Knights burst with power as their swords struck the Barbarians¡­


    Some swords were broken because of how their durability decreased over time but some still managed to pierce their bodies. Furthermore, some of the Magic Knights managed to hit the Barbarians'' vital organs!


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    One by one, the Barbarians who were boasting with incredible defense dropped to the ground. However, they have already served their purpose as the Master Magicians and warriors of the Rebel Army used this as an opportunity to strike them!


    The elites of the Zemin n were bombarded and Lesley''s life was also in danger!


    Even if she''s a very talented Mana Arts Practitioner, continuous use of Mana Arts Fusion is still taxing to her body. Even the Arch Knights were starting to get tired as they were the focus of the attack just now.


    "Ugh¡­ Uncle, I can''t hold on anymore¡­" Lesley said as she felt that the Wind Wall she cast to protect herself and her nsmen dissipating¡­


    As soon as she said this, however, a man in his fifties appeared in front of her.


    "It''s better to retreat at this rate, Lesley. That Joran wasn''t even that serious when he cast that Large Fireball and Huge Earth Wall." The newly appeared man said with a tired voice.


    His name is Laurent and he is Lesley''s Uncle. He is someone at the peak of an Adept Mage who was sent by Lesley''s father to protect her behind the scenes.<sub> </sub>


    Right now, he''s onlycking one requirement to get promoted to an Archmage and that is to create an orginal Mana Art.


    Whom~


    Suddenly, Laurent''s ne shined with blue light as the Zemin n''s encirclement was covered by a blue dome made of Mana.


    "It''s Elder Laurent!"


    "Elder Laurent was here! Finally! We''re safe!"


    "Ugh¡­ But he''s alone, there are too many enemies."


    "Hmph! As long as Joran was tied up, we can win against the others!"


    "That''s right!"


    The people who had recognized Laurent were obviously d at his appearance. Although he''s alone, an Adept Mage is still considered a magician made for war.


    After all, they are at the level at which they could affect a whole battlefield with the level of their Mana Arts and how fast they could cast using their Magic Tools.


    "Haha! You finally appeared! I''ve been feeling your gaze all this time. So you''re just waiting for her to be in an awkward position before you decided to reveal yourself. How clich¨¦¡­"


    Joranughed as could finally focus and give his all in his next attacks. This is actually the reason why he was holding back when casting.


    He would always put a part of his attention into observing the battlefield to ensure that he won''t get ambushed while on a critical part of his casting.


    However, now that Laurent has appeared, he felt confident to release a hundred percent of his strength in his next attacks.


    "Hmph! Bring it on!"


    Laurent said while signaling to Lesley to get ready to escape¡­


    Unfortunately, he underestimated Lesley''s stubbornness¡­


    "Uncle! Let''s work together! As long as the three Celestials weren''t making their move, we can kill him!" Lesley urged as she started to form another Mana Art Fusion.


    "You---"


    Laurent wanted to say more but Joran and the master magicians'' attacks started bombarding the dome that his Magic Tool created.


    It onlysted for fifteen seconds as it wasn''t really meant to endure numerous attacks.


    Crash~


    The dome shattered like ss as Laurent''s ne was also broken into pieces. It was a one-time use Magic Tool and it already served its purpose.


    It was then followed by another bombardment of Mana Arts. The Magic Knights from their side did their best to defend themselves while their Master Magicians shot all their Mana Arts towards the enemy. As long as they have mana, they used it to try and kill the rebels!


    On the other hand, Joran only aimed at Laurent!


    Instead of usingrge-scale Mana Art like what he did a while ago, he switched to a single-target Mana Art to pin down Laurent!


    "No!"


    Lesley watched as Joran rained down his skills to her uncle!


    Joran can actually use Four Elements in total! Although he was incapable of Fusion Techniques, the sheer power of each of his skills was simr to her Fusion Arts!


    This person was truly holding back and waiting for Laurent to appear!


    "Lesley! Just escape! You can''t die here!" Laurent shouted as he nced at the two Arch Knights.


    "You two! Even if you have to sacrifice your life! Bring the young miss away from here!"


    Hearing this, the two Arch Knights started using the life energy to ignore all the bombardment of skillsing at them. However, they have a different n.


    "Elder Laurent! We will use all of our life force to stop the enemies! Miss Lesley! We will leave the future of the Zemin n to you!"


    "Bring all the young elites of our n away from here!"


    The two of them said as they charge at the Master Magicians who were obviously surprised by their suicidal attack.


    Joran frowned after seeing the loyalty of those two Arch Knights.


    ''Tsk¡­''


    Nevertheless, it won''t be easy to kill the rebel army''s magicians. Although getting close to a Master Magician is a quick way to kill them, they have prepared for this and have a method to deal with them.

 Chapter 120 Found

    "There''s a fight in front of us! It must be the survivors of the fourth camp! Let''s hurry!"


    Severin and others felt the mana fluctuations ahead of them.


    ng! ng! ng!


    As they got closer, the sound of shing swords and shields can be heard noticeably.


    Everyone got ready as they pulled up their weapons¡­


    Suddenly, one of the people ahead recognized them and shouted with delight!


    "They''re here! Reinforcements are here! Help!"


    "Hahaha! We survived! Look! They''re from the Zemin n! Ahh, even the Jung n is here!"


    "Just hold on a little bit more! We''ll be saved!"


    The soldiers fighting against the rebels were already exhausted mentally and physically. It wasn''t easy getting chased by these vicious people who had no thoughts of taking them as a prisoner and only want them dead.


    Furthermore, they have not expected to fight them here as their weapons were meant to fight against the Barbarians instead of fellow Mana Arts Practitioners.


    There were over 30 of them who had used this path to escape and about 50 rebels managed to chase them here.


    There were previously over 50 of them as well but they, unfortunately, died as they fled from the Master Magicians who had ambushed them.


    "Kill the rebels! Do not let anyone escape!" Florent, the young leader of the Jung n, shouted as he saw the precarious situation of the remnants of the city guards¡­


    That''s right, he easily recognized that these people are wearing the armor of the Arms City Defense Force or just known as City Guards.


    They were normally stationed all around the city to control the number of the Savage Beasts and to clean up the nearby dungeons from time to time.


    Since they have incredible expertise in field battle, they were also called to fight against the Barbarians.


    "Water Prison¡­"


    Florent, who normally uses the fire element, decided to use the weakest water element to control the enemies.


    It is simply because they are still in the woods and using fire would create more trouble than resolution.


    Seeing this, the other Master Magicians did the same and used a non-destructive element to control the battle.


    Of course, it wasn''t enough to do this as the enemies are also Master Magicians with sufficient skills.


    But this was enough to dy them from annihting the city guards¡­


    As soon as they were in range, the Knights swiftly made their move and engaged in closebat.


    They can''t waste too much time and energy in this battle¡­ The members of the Jung n and Zemin n are not here yet after all.


    "I will join the fight, Severin¡­" Vincent said as Severin halted his horse to let Vincent down.


    Severin wasn''t too worried about Vincent anymore after learning about his skills. He just gave a knowing smile as he looked at Vincent''s ck cane and silver dagger on his waist.


    Although he can tell that his leather armor and other essories were precious too, these two weapons are truly giving him a different vibe. He wouldn''t be surprised if they are Unique Rank or above at all.


    Shrouded Steps¡­


    With the improvement of this Tier 1 Mana Art, Vincent had easily gotten close to the rebels.


    This time, he didn''t just rush in as he coordinated with the people from the two ns. Anyway, it''s easy to find the enemies since they are wearing red scarfs indicating that they are part of the rebel army. There wouldn''t be any confusion whatsoever thanks to that.


    Well, since the rebels came from various ns and sects or organizations sympathizing with the Grand Knight France, they probably really need that indicator even more.


    This time, instead of using the superiority of his Cane''s Crush Attribute, he decided to familiarize himself with hisbat techniques.


    He found a man wearing bronze armor who was about to kill one of the city guards. Thetter was injured and leaning on a tree as he gritted his teeth. There is still a trace of hope in his eyes thinking that he could still be saved at this moment.


    Well, he was lucky as Vincent arrived on time.


    Bam!


    Vincent used the dagger to parry the de used by the rebel.


    nk!


    However, because of its pierce attribute, the enemy''s de was almost cut in half! If the man did not stop, his de would surely be cut into two, and Vincent''s dagger would go straight to his face!


    "W-what is that?! Who are you?!" The man shouted in surprise as he analyzed Vincent carefully.<sub> </sub>


    He didn''t feel Vincent''s presence until he appeared! Furthermore, he barely felt any Mana Fluctuation from him so he guessed that he''s not a strong Mana Practitioner and most likely relying on various Magic Tools.


    "Do I need to answer that? You''re going to die anyway¡­" Vincent confidently proimed as he stepped forward and used his Surging Palm Strike!


    Boom!


    He already decided to just put his cane on his back so he could use his Dagger and Mana Arts in battle instead.


    Finally, he could see the might of his Mana Art powered by his Pseudo Celestial Energy!


    Bang!


    The man was thrown to another tree but he didn''t die yet. Instead, his armor was shattered into pieces as he spat a mouthful of blood.


    "How dare you! You won''t have an easy death!" With all his might, he pounced at Vincent as his almost broken de was covered with fiery energy!


    He acted as though he could cut anything that blocks him!


    "Alright¡­ Let''s see the improvement of this other skill¡­" Vincent excitedly used his Shrouded Steps as he avoided the man from cutting him in half.


    Although this person has a movement technique as well, it doesn''t seem to be as agile as his Perfected Shrouded Steps. It seems that it was just a simple dash movement on a straight line.


    Nevertheless, the man wasn''t too worried about Vincent''s slippery movement as he was still a de master! No matter how agile Vincent was, as long as he remains within his de''s range, he wouldn''t be able to escape!


    ng! ng!


    Vincent parried again using his silver dagger as he was unable to dodge for a moment. However, he decided to coat his dagger with his Aura to give a blunt effect on the extremely sharp dagger.


    It was not because he wanted to protect the de but he wanted to surprise the man¡­


    As expected, after the third strike, Vincent decided to parry again and this time, he cut the de into two! It gave the man a surprise!


    This allowed Vincent to get closer to him and used his other skill.


    "Mana Drain¡­"


    This ability was from the suspected cult of the past.


    Since it''s only a Tier 1 ability, it was quite weak and could be canceled by using a simple Mana Armor or Shield¡­ Even interrupting the user is probably a lot easier.


    In short, this ability only works against sleeping or unconscious victim. As long as you''re awake, you can cancel it without breaking a sweat.


    However, it might be different now¡­


    Whom~


    Suddenly, Vincent felt a surge of mana being sucked into his body! The mana was channeled from the palm that he used as it went to his core.


    "I can feel it¡­ It works¡­"


    As it went into his Synthetic Celestial Core, it barely filled him up. It was a little amount but it''s still sessful!


    The man had even converged a stronger mana shield and armor but the Mana Drain remained active! It had gotten stronger!


    "Y-you! Who are you?! You''re a devil! Help! This devil is---" Before he could finish, Vincent decided to kill this man by shing at his throat.


    "How dare you call me devil¡­" Vincent said as he frowned for a moment. He then looked at his body and realized that his armor got sttered with the man''s blood.


    Anyway, he continued sucking his mana since he just lost his life and his mana core hasn''t dissipated yet.


    After confirming that he only needed over 10 seconds to drain the target''s mana, Vincent then swiftly helped in the fight and killed two more rebels before the battle was over¡­


    Since they are in a hurry, Lady Yulia fully utilized her Mystic Eye''s abilities that seem to be rted to Darkness or Shadow Element. On the other hand, Florent


    Florent and Romain then interrogated the City Guards. After a while, they confirmed the situation ahead as they realized how terrible the situation was.


    "Those foolish Vice Generals! How did they even fall into such an obvious trap?! Useless!"


    Lady Yulia couldn''t help but curse at them as the young genius of their n might be in danger. She didn''t really care if all the Blue Storm Amy or the City Guards die in there as long as Lesley survives.


    Without wasting any more time, they continued moving on their path to find Lesley''s group.


    After several minutes, they finally found traces of them!


    "Found them! Let''s hurry! They are in danger!"


    Romain shouted in horror as he recognized Joran''s mana fluctuation as well. However, there was no time to let them know about his presence, and could only urge them to hurry.

 Chapter 121 Rescue ( 1 )

    Vincent looked at the hill where Lesley''s group is currently at.


    Of course, he doesn''t know exactly where Lesley was since he''s clueless about her appearance. However, he was familiar with Joran''s mana fluctuation by now.


    He was able to tell that Joran can overpower the elites of the Zemin n who were already exhausted in battle.


    "Lesley! Hold on!"


    Lady Yulia shouted with a powerful and threatening voice. There was some kind of Mana Art included from that shout which could intimidate people. However, Joran didn''t budge at this at all as he grabbed a person in his hands.


    "No!"


    "Shit! Who is that guy?! I will kill him!" Romain''s eyes were bloodshot as he saw what Joran just did.


    ? At this point, Vincent can already tell that the one that got captured was actually Lesley. However, it probably wasn''t easy for Joran as well.


    Currently, there are only 5 or so remaining rebels behind him while there were still over 10 people from Zemin n that were only pushed aside.


    Corpses littered everywhere and Vincent can''t find traces of the Adept Mage and the Arch Knights who were supposedly protecting Lesley.


    ''He''s injured¡­ But we can''t be too hasty since he captured Lesley¡­'' Vincent thought as he followed behind Yulia''s group.


    He also started looking around to find someone. Sure enough, he found three figures wearing cloaks to cover their faces.


    They were definitely Celestial Beings. Since none of them here has a Celestial, they weren''t ordered to attack as they remained on standby. That is certainly good news but Vincent still couldn''t help but worry.


    "Hmph! Stay where you are or I''ll kill this woman. I know that she has a bright future ahead and you were calling her a genius of her generation. I''m sure you don''t want her journey to end here." Joran smiled as he looked down on Yulia''s group.


    It was at this moment that everyone finally recognized him, Joran Troy!


    "Hmph! I don''t care about her¡­ Die!"


    Surprisingly, someone didn''t care about Lesley''s life! Florent from the Jung n actually dashed forward to kill the weakened Joran!


    "What?! Stop! Ugh¡­ Control!"


    Lady Yulia was surprised by Florent''s actions but she quickly recovered and used her Mystic Eye''s ability to hold Florent in ce. However, she hastily cast the ability so it was obviously weaker.


    Vincent looked at the shaky chains made of dark elements as they barely held Florent in ce. However, it''s enough for the others to surround him after it dissipated.


    "What''s the meaning of this Florent?! Can''t you see that our young miss is in his hands?!"


    "What?! We have no time for that! The people of my n are still waiting! You can''t just surrender if he told you, no?" Florent said and it was indeed correct. They can''t sacrifice their lives for that single woman.


    "Hmph! I won''t be asking for your surrender. I just need to leave this ce as I already bought enough time. Sir France shouldn''tin anymore about my activities¡­ Keke..."


    Joran grinned as he revealed his intention. It appears that he was just ordered by the Grand Knight to buy time here.


    ''Hmm? Is that my enhanced potions?'' Vincent mused as he got closer to the hill.


    Apparently, the hill is littered with potion bottles as well and some of them appear to be the ones he enhanced to cure the barbarian poison.


    ''Does it mean that Joran was the Barbarian Poison User? Wait¡­ No¡­ They probably only had time to use those potions after arriving here only to get attacked by Joran''s team after.''


    Vincent tried to analyze the traces of battle. This is something he learned in the jungle since he needed to find out what kind of enemy is ahead.


    If Joran is a poison user on top of being a great magician, it would indeed be difficult to get closer to him unless they have the Poison Immunity Talisman like him.


    Vincent continued looking around and as soon as he confirmed that there are no other threats asides from Joran, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath¡­


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he silently activated his Shrouded Steps¡­ There is one thing that he noticed after his core has mutated, it was his energy fluctuations that had be extremely subtle.


    Previously, each activation of his Mana Art can be felt by someone stronger than him. However, with his Pseudo Celestial Energy powering him up, it hadpletely changed and this is something that he noticed during his previous battles.


    The only concern that he has were the three Celestial Beings who have been silently observing the battlefield.


    This is why he had to take a cover behind the horse before he activated the Mana Art.<sub> </sub>


    "Leave her alone and we''ll let you go¡­" Lady Yulia said to Joran as soon as she confirmed that Florent and his team were sessfully blocked by Romain and the others.


    Joran sneered at this.


    "Ha! I will take her with me¡­ Give me at least a kilometer with her and I''ll leave her after." Joran said as he looked in the direction where he was about to go. The eastern ins are just ahead of them and once he got there, he should no longer worry about his safety.


    Of course, there is also the fact that there were three Celestial Beings who can keep him safe but he needs to be wary of Yulia''s Darkness Mystic Eye.


    He heard many rumors about this Mystic Eye and it was considered to be one of the strongest Tier 4 Body Transformation Arts. Furthermore, he heard from Grand Knight France that this Mystic Eye wasn''t something she was born with but she cultivated it to this level, a level that even Celestial Beings had to be wary of.


    Although the Zemin n said that it was something she was born with, it was only their way to ensure that the cultivation method of this Mystic Eye would not be coveted by other people.


    "A kilometer?! I will give you 200 meters! You have those Celestial Beings with you. Why are you too scared?!" Yulia shouted angrily.


    "Whoa~ Don''t you know that they can''t be used in battle? Or do you want to utilize your Celestial Being perhaps? Then that''s good for me¡­ Although we''re part of the Rebel Army, we still follow the rules. After all, once we rule this kingdom, we will still implement the samews and orders." Joran said with a smile.


    Well, this is the reason why those other small sects and organizations weren''t too inclined to fight a bloody battle against the Rebel Army.


    Even if they will send their forces to help the Royal Family, they will still preserve their main or elite forces and wait for the indisputable King to emerge.


    "Hmph! Three hundred meters! That should be enough! And don''t hurt her! If you do, the whole Zemin n would be after you."


    "Hahaha! I like that threat! Haven''t you heard what happened to the Lucius n?" Joranughed vigorously as he appears to have recalled something funny.


    This person can truly get to someone''s nerves as Lady Yulia was starting to lose her patience. Furthermore, Florent and his team also decided to just ignore this situation and found a different path to continue their search for their fellow n members.


    Their group was previously nning to ask the other five or so survivors of the Zemin n about the ce where the Jung n''s elites went into...


    However, they decided to just give up seeing how the situation with Joran and them is getting tense every second passed.


    They might get implicated if this continues.


    "Hmph! What a waste of time¡­ I hope they all just die¡­" Florent was annoyed at the fact that he was unable to get out of Yulia''s bindings easily even if it was hastily activated.


    In addition, he also wanted to kill Joran since one of their n''s trade business was destroyed by him. If not for his missing nsmen, he wouldn''t let him get away easily.


    Anyway, Joran liked this development as he no longer has to worry about Florent''s skill. That person is at the peak of the Arch Knights after all.


    "I will move now¡­ Do not follow me! I agree with the 300 meters." Joran said as he started moving back.


    However, Lesley finally found some energy as she struggled and shouted.


    "No! This guy is nning to break his words! Do not listen to him! Kill him now even if costs me my life!"


    Lesley was determined. Before Lady Yulia and the other elders arrived here, she saw how he killed the two Arch Knights who has been protecting her all this time. Her Uncle was also defeated and lost an arm from him.


    She''s unsure whether he was still alive or not right now.


    "You! Just shut your mouth or I''ll cut your tongue!"


    "He''s already weak! Hurry!"


    Lesley didn''t listen. This is the best opportunity to kill Joran, one of the most wanted people by the Royal Family. It would be such a waste if they let him go!


    There is no telling when could they find such an opportunity again! But, the elders of the Zemin n have a different thought about this.


    ''It''s too dangerous!''


    Lady Yulia and Romain were apprehensive about this. If they failed to kill Joran immediately, Lesley would surely die in his hands!


    They couldn''t take the risk!


    In the meantime, however, a shadowy figure started getting closer to Joran.


    ''Good job disrupting him, Miss Lesley. I''ming¡­''

 Chapter 122 Rescue ( 2 )

    As Vincent was carefully observing Joran''s movement, he realized that the man was indeed weakened at this moment.


    Joran''s Mana Fluctuation is weak, his Magic Tools appear to be about to break, and he can tell that he was also out of breath and barely holding on.


    ''But why won''t he order his Celestial Beings to extract him from here? That shouldn''t be a problem if he will not order them to attack the Zemin n, right?'' Vincent mused as he slowly gets closer.


    It shouldn''t be against the rules if the Celestial Beings interrupted just to save him.


    ''Ugh¡­ Whatever¡­''


    Vincent stopped thinking about it as there must be another reason he''s unaware of.


    For now, rescuing Lesley is the most important thing, this tough youngdy even seems to be ready to sacrifice her life just to kill Joran!


    He can''t just let her do that!


    ''It''s definitely not because I like a 15-year-old girl but I''m doing this for the Zemin n as well. After all, their n head knows what happened to my parents¡­ That''s right¡­''


    Vincent thought as he made a fist. No matter what, he wouldn''t let Joran take Lesley away!


    "You really wanted to die, huh!" Joran angrily pulled Lesley at the back of her neck as he hurriedly walked away. Although three hundred meters weren''t that far, it would still take him some time since he''s dragging Lesley¡­


    ''Opportunity!''


    Thanks to Lesley''s actions, Joran was extremely annoyed and he was unable to focus on his surroundings.


    It was at this moment that Vincent made his move!


    Ten meters!


    It is Vincent''s distance when Joran finally noticed his presence!


    "You!"


    Joran saw a shadowy figure holding a cane or staff in his right hand. He had never fought anyone who uses such a weapon before so he knows that this person was newly arrived and not part of the Zemin n¡­ No one uses a staff in that n.


    With that in mind, he kicked Lesley in his direction and pulled out his sword! He was nning to skewer the two with his sword!


    In such a brief moment, Joran made the best move to eliminate both of them. Anyway, if his life is truly in danger, those Celestial Beings would surely save him at all costs.


    Hum~


    Vincent saw the young girl flying at him and immediately caught her while his eyes didn''t leave Joran''s figure.


    The young girl felt like an enormous piece of cotton when she smashed into his body. She felt warm and soft and Vincent didn''t hurt at all.


    ''This young girl has a great body¡­ Ugh¡­ No time for that¡­'' Vincent''s mind drifted for a moment but as soon as he felt the murderous aura targeted at them, he immediately maneuvered to avoid Joran''s attack.


    "So fast?!" Joran eximed in shock after seeing how Vincent easily recovered and moved with incredible agility!


    He was nning to stab the two but he nned to avoid Lesley''s heart in the process. In any case, he wanted to injure her just enough to dy the Zemin n''s elders from pursuing him since they would surely focus on healing the two.


    That should be a perfect opportunity for him to escape but he didn''t expect the person who had arrived was an Aura Knight!


    "Aura Knight?! How are you so young?! Ugh! I have no time for this! Don''t follow me!"


    Joran said as he noticed that Lady Yulia and the others were already making their way to catch him.


    "Hmph! You won''t get away!"


    Vincent already confirmed that Lesley wasn''t in any danger. She was only tired and exhausted most of her mana. After putting her down, he immediately followed Joran and arrived behind him.


    Since he''s no longer hiding his Aura, he didn''t mind showing his explosive strength.


    Whoosh~


    Vincent''s Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane with his Aura Resonance was unstoppable.


    Boom!


    He felt something hard was hit and it was definitely not Joran''s body.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    A floating turtle shield actually manifested behind Joran and received the strike¡­ Nevertheless, the shield still cracked and it spread throughout the shield.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    Whom~


    It seems that this is a high-rank magic tool as it slowly repaired itself!


    Vincent frowned after seeing how has quickly regenerated. It was the first time he had seen something like that¡­


    ''No, wait¡­ Tara''s Celestial Armor also has this function.'' Vincent thought as he nced at Joran who was looking at him dreadfully.<sub> </sub>


    ? It seems that he had just realized how strong he was.


    Vincent didn''t stop at all as he doesn''t believe that such a weapon that could regenerate infinitely could exist.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent struck three more times and as expected, the cracks can no longer repair themselves. Then, Joran also appeared to be injured.


    It seems to be an internal injury after he sessfully brought down the floating turtle shield. It was at this time he decided to use his other Skill.


    "Ensnare¡­"


    Iron Vines started gathering at Joran''s feet but thetter''s boots appear to be a Magic Tool as well. It was unable to wrap Joran as if he was a slippery target.


    "You three! This person has Magic Artifact! Save me now!"


    Joran shouted to the three Celestial Beings watching him. It seems that he had mistaken Vincent''s weapon as a Magic Artifact which is supposedly an item from an older era that can no longer be manufactured.


    This probably means that the broken turtle shield on the ground is a Magic Artifact.


    As Joran shouted, he also continuously backed away¡­


    "Hmph! You''ll die before they can save you."


    Domain! Soul Pressure!


    Aside from his Ensnare Skill and Soul Sense, these two 3-Star Aura Knight''s abilities are his only ranged skills.


    Suddenly, Joran felt his movement slow down as he also felt suffocating! This is an indication that the young man he was fighting just now is a 3-Star Aura Knight!


    It has been quite a while since he had seen an Aura Knight. Furthermore, he had never engaged in a battle against them since he was always warned not to fight them alone.


    Right now, he finally understood why Grand Knight France didn''t want to engage in a one-on-one duel against the Guardian of the Royal Family who was said to be a 3-Star Aura Knight as well aside from being a Grand Knight.


    Luckily, Joran can see that the three Celestial Beings are about to arrive!


    ''The three of them won''t be stopped, right?''


    Joran had this thought as he felt Vincent''s staffing closer to him.


    Whoosh~


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of the three Celestial Beings. It was a young female figure with short blue hair and in amonbat attire just like a normal female adventurer.


    However, the three other Celestials didn''t dismiss her at all as the two of them decided to fight her while the other one, hurried to Joran''s location.


    It seems that they have expected the figure''s arrival as they already had a n to deal with her.


    Bang!


    Vincent''s cane finally hit Joran''s right shoulder.


    "Aaarggghhh!" Joran cried in pain as he tried to endure it¡­ but he still fainted and dropped to the ground.


    Vincent was obviously aiming for the head since he didn''t want to give an opportunity to this guy and take an act of revenge.


    However, it probably has something to do with Joran''s magic tool as Vincent''s attack veered off because of some unknown force protecting him.


    It was the same with Vincent''s iron vines a while ago. No wonder Joran was barely injured in his fight against the people of the Zemin n a while ago.


    ''Tsk¡­ No time, huh¡­''


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he immediately backed away.


    Although the Celestial Being was probably justing to save Joran, it was better to get away just in case they got mad and no longer cared about the rules. He definitely wouldn''t gamble his life and experiment with whether he could endure a Celestial Being''s attack.


    ''Oh¡­ It was Kai''s spear-user Celestial¡­'' Vincent mused as he noticed the ck spear held by the Celestial Being who came to rescue Joran.


    He also had the time to see that the figure who stopped the other two Celestial Beings was doing well with her bare hands.


    She''s not carrying any weapons as she struck the two with her fist and kicks.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The two were able to buy eight precious seconds for the other Celestial to carry Joran away from this ce!


    Nevertheless, they weren''t unscathed as they had several bruises and some part of their skins was torn off!


    This is definitely a work of another Celestial!


    "So powerful! No wonder they were only watching a while ago¡­ They probably know that there is a Celestial Being here¡­ She probably has a lower number. It might even be a single-digit since she''s unafraid of facing three Celestial Beings."


    Vincent finally understood. Joran is probably aware of this as well so he didn''t want to use his three Celestials until thest moment.

 Chapter 123 Return

    Soon, the three Celestial Beings fled with all their might as the newly arrived Celestial Being barely made an effort to chase them.


    Perhaps, she knows that they weren''t nning to attack any non-celestial beings so she decided to be lenient and only struck them a few times without killing them.


    However, because of that, Vincent saw the number that was tattooed on her right forearm.


    "2-0-2?! Two hundred two?!" Vincent was shocked.


    Tara was numbered 999 and she''s already so incredible. No wonder this short-haired Celestial could defeat those three that they could only run pathetically.


    Vincent clenched his weapon tightly as he noticed that the woman looked at him, or his weapon, strangely.


    It was as if she was interested in his weapon!


    ''Whoa¡­ No matter what, you''re a Celestial Being, right? You shouldn''t be interested in this¡­'' Vincent mused as the woman started getting closer.


    Vincent slowly backed away as he wanted to get near Lady Yulia''s group. Since she saved Lesley, they should help him if he''s in danger.


    "What do you want?"


    Vincent bravely asked. Since it was not his first time dealing with a Celestial, he tried to remainposed and reason with her.


    "Hand over that Magic Artifact."


    Vincent''s heart was in his mouth as soon as he heard this.


    ''Oh no¡­''


    If he would be given a choice, handing over his weapon or his life, he would certainly choose to give his weapon.


    However, as far as he knows, Celestial Beings shouldn''t be this unreasonable since they have rules based on whatever contract they have.


    "Why? I can''t give them to you¡­ They''re mine." Vincent answered.


    This obviously stunned the Celestial Being. From the moment she looked at Vincent, she was already emitting a strange force to suppress him and make him afraid of her. However, it seems that it wasn''t too effective against him.


    ''Is it really because of that Magic Artifact?'' She mused for a moment as she looked at the ck staff in Vincent''s hands.


    It was undeniable that the weapon is strange after recalling how it easily destroyed the Great Turtle Shield made from the carapace of a turtle Magic Beast.


    As far as she recalls, that Magic Artifact is at the peak of Epic Rank and about to cross the Pseudo-Legendary Rank.


    Even if Vincent is a 3-Star Aura Knight, it should not give him enough strength to destroy that forcefully considering that he was still too young.


    ''Right. It''s already strange that he has a very strong soul capable of advancing to this level at such a young age¡­ Hmm¡­ This person has many secrets. I should take him to the pce.'' With that in mind, she finally decided to take him away.


    Vincent then saw the beautiful woman give a yful smile at him. She''s definitely up to something!


    Though he would probably enjoy looking at her unblemished and attractive face, he wouldn''t want to be with this woman!


    "Stop right there!"


    Finally, Lady Yulia noticed the abnormality of the situation as she paused at giving first aid to her nsmen.


    Anyway, she confirmed that everyone only required a few recovery pills, and some needed rest to recover.


    Unfortunately, the Celestial Being Ranked 202 didn''t even bother looking at her!


    She even rushed quickly and tried to grab Vincent''s head!


    She was almost flying at this rate!


    "You dare! Which Celestial Being are you?! Our Zemin n will not tolerate this!" Lady Yulia warned that she can''t just let Lesley''s savior and fianc¨¦ die like this.


    Although thetter part is still debatable, he must still be considered as part of the Zemin n. With his talents, even if he''s lying about the arranged marriage, she wouldn''t mind making arrangements with other young girls of their Zemin n.


    Furthermore, even if Lesley decided to reject him, Yulia was already thinking to introduce her niece to Vincent since she was already nine years old and they only have to wait for a few more years to pass.


    ''Darkness Mystic Eye¡­ Control!''


    Yulia activated her special ability as she assisted Vincent in escaping. Since she has already recovered a bit, the power of her Mystic Eye had certainly increased by a few levels. It''s no longer the same as the one she cast to control Florent.


    "Annoying!" The Celestial finally spoke as she nced at Yulia. Vincent managed to get away with his Shrouded Steps thanks to this.<sub> </sub>


    Unfortunately, the short-haired Celestial Being isn''t weak.


    Boom!


    She managed to forcefully destroy Yulia''s bindings with a stomp on the ground. She also propelled herself to catch Vincent at the same time! A cloud of dust was created as she vanished from her previous spot.


    Too strong!


    ''This is too unfair!'' Vincent gritted his teeth as he gave up. He didn''t dare to exchange a few strikes with a Rank 202 Celestial Being. It was far too risky. Anyway, he can still enhance or ascend a new weapon for himself.


    What he needed is just some time and he will surely find another weapon with Crush Attribute again. Although it would be difficult considering how he didn''t find any when he worked at the Auction House, it''s impossible that only one weapon with Crush Attribute has ever existed. There must be others out there.


    "Take my weapon then!" Vincent then threw the cane away from him.


    However, it wasn''t in the Celestial''s direction as itnded on the bottom of the hill.


    "I changed my mind, I will take you with me." The Celestial Being replied.


    "Why?! You--" Vincent was surprised as the Celestial still pounced at him! He did his best to use his Shrouded Steps and barely dodged her hands. Unfortunately, even after being so close to her, his Domain and Soul Pressure did not affect her and she just made a move again.


    Thud¡­


    She firmly held Vincent''s throat as he finally became vulnerable. He had to remove his ineffective Soul Pressure and Domain and focused all his aura to protect his neck.


    "We''ll just need to study you for a bit¡­ You''ll follow me¡­" Though it was a beautiful voice directed at him, he only felt scared of it.


    "No¡ª" He wanted to say something but her grip tightened.


    Vincent shuddered as he break a cold sweat. It seems that he had no choice. He can only close his eyes in resignation.


    ''Whatever¡­ I''ll have my chance¡­'' Vincent thought as he gave up fighting her. Battling against a Rank 202 is still too much for him. It wouldn''t be shameful to be defeated by such a powerful being that is considered a legendary being to some.


    Furthermore, he has a system that could help him in some way. Even if he lost everything, as long as the Item Awakening System is with him, he would still be able to rise up in the future.


    "Let him go. Do you really think that we''ll just let you do as you please?" Lady Yulia warned.


    This time, Lesley and the other members of the Zemin n had already shifted their gazes to Vincent and the Celestial Being.


    Lesley was feeling grateful to Vincent after saving her from Joran. Although she''s still unaware of the prenatal engagement made by her parents, she immediately requested for all the elders to save this person from the unknown Celestial.


    Celestial Beings can be hardly seen so none of them could recognize her or know her affiliation. Since she helped them send the three other Celestial Beings away, they previously guessed that she was from the Arms City or was sent by the Royal Family. However, it doesn''t seem to be the case.


    "Hmph! I''ll bring him to Duke Hansen. If you don''t want that, stop me." The short-haired Celestial replied as she decided to leave this ce.


    Yulia and the others who were about to move suddenly paused as soon as they heard her response.


    ''The Duke?''


    Aside from Grand Knight France, there is also Grand Knight Hansen that is staying in the capital. However, that person should already be on his deathbed. Even Duke France decided to just ignore him when they started the rebellion.


    "What do you n on doing with him?!" Lady Yulia asked as she bit her lip and canceled her Darkness Mystic Eye. She can''t decide for the whole n after all. Fighting against the Duke would not only implicate her but the whole Zemin n.


    Unfortunately, the Celestial Being didn''t answer and only sneered at her. However, her expression suddenly changed as she solemnly looked at the forest nearby. Her gaze turned cold as she released her Celestial Energy making Vincent suffocate¡­


    He immediately circted his Pseudo Celestial Energy to protect himself as he nced at the forest where this rude Celestial is looking at.


    Before Vincent could understand what was going on, the Celestial Being actually flung him away!


    p Bam!</anda>


    He crashed heavily to the ground as he felt his bones almost breaking. He could only grit his teeth as he tried to take out a vial of potion only to be dismayed as he recalled that his bag was still on the horse.


    ng! ng!


    Sounds of shing weapons echoed throughout the valley.


    Vincent then nced at the Celestial Being and realized the reason why he was thrown away! It was probably to protect him from the two beautiful female attackers who had just arrived!


    ''Tara! Rem!'' Vincent wanted to call them out but his body was aching and could only shout their names in his mind.


    They have finally returned!

 Chapter 124 Injury

    Vincent was, of course, delighted upon seeing the two Celestial Beings. A glimmer of hope was ignited in his eyes.


    Since Celestial 202 doesn''t know that they are rted to Vincent, she had decided to throw him away to protect him from harm.


    After all, she seemed to be serving Duke Hansen and she genuinely wanted to bring Vincent to him alive. Though Vincent doesn''t know the purpose for that, at the very least, she doesn''t have ns of killing him¡­ yet.


    With that in mind, Vincent decided not to call Tara and Rem their names to ensure that their identities or affiliation would remain secret.


    It was even better if they pretended not to know him for now.


    "Scram!" The short-haired Celestial Being shouted in annoyance after realizing that the two opponents weren''t as strong as she thought they were.


    After she blocked their attacks using her hands protected by mysterious gloves, she realized the strength of the two.


    Bam!


    Her body was suddenly ignited with tremendous Celestial Energy as she suppressed the two of them at the same time.


    Vincent then recalled how this Celestial Being suppressed another two Numbered Celestial at 900s as well. Tara is ranked 999 while Rem is unnumbered Celestial. So it wouldn''t be surprising that they will actually fail to save him!


    However, he still underestimated the two.


    Tara moved like a ghost as she appeared behind the arrogant Celestial. Rem, on the other hand, confronted her using her Celestial Weapon and shed her arms again! This time, she''s filled with enormous power as it pressured even the people of the Zemin n from afar.


    Bam! Bam!


    This time, the opponent finally looked at the two with terror in her eyes. Her right hand and waist were injured from thebined attack of the two Celestial Beings.


    She tried to counter them with herbat arts but they suddenly manifested their Celestial Armors leaving them unharmed!


    "How could the two of you possess Celestial Weapons and Armors?!" She eximed in shock.


    Vincent already realized that not only did Rem obtain a Celestial Armor somewhere, but even Tara obtained another Celestial Weapon aside from the Dagger she obtained deep underground the Hearts City.


    She has another short de in her hands!


    Celestial 202 couldn''t help but look at the two with envy. She can already tell that these two weren''t that strong. If she''s the one wielding their weapons, she would certainly be able to cut them into two.


    However, because the two were Celestial Beings there were probably unnumbered, they failed to even cut her apart and only gave her shallow injuries that can be ignored.


    Even as Rank 202, she doesn''t have any Celestial Weapon or Armor that she could use and she''s only relying on her Magic Artifacts, Celestial Energy, and her tough body.


    It was no wonder why she felt irritated seeing two weak celestial beings own something that she doesn''t have.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    She didn''t give up as she relied on her gloves which is a Magic Artifact that could amplify her strength.


    With her speed, she was able to hit the two but their Celestial Armors were truly on a different level. She didn''t do any damage at all.


    At the very least, she wasn''t too helpless as none of them used any elemental attacks as they don''t want to destroy thisnd as well. All three of them know that utilizing nature''s elements using their Celestial Energy to the extreme could be harmful to this world.


    They are unlike Mana Practitioners who are native to this world after all.


    "Fine¡­ What''s your deal?!" She finally jumped back and stayed away from the two. Her gloves are already about to break and she can''t continue this battle.


    ''It''s still too much to fight several Celestials using a Pseudo-Legendary Magic Artifact, huh¡­'' Celestial 202 mused as she nced at her gloves that have dimmed already.


    Right now, her abundant Celestial Energy is quite useless without a proper weapon against the two. She was only able to defeat Joran''s Celestial Beings a while ago because she overexerted the power of her gloves.


    ''Ugh¡­ Why do lower rank Celestials have these treasures?!'' She can onlyin in her mind as she red at the two.


    Now that these two Celestials arrived before she could repair her magic artifact, the gloves gifted by Duke Hansen were about to break and she couldn''t bear that to happen.


    "Give us your name¡­" Taramanded as she pointed her dagger at her.


    "I''m Marin¡­ Contracted with Duke Hansen. Are you both from the Blue Storm Army? No, those two don''t have Celestial Weapons or Armors¡­"<sub> </sub>


    "Get lost! You''re not allowed to take anyone." Rem said as she waved her sword.


    Marin wanted to say something but immediately stopped after realizing that Tara was getting closer with her cold eyes. Each step carries some kind of pressure that she couldn''t understand.


    She felt that if she dared to argue with them, this woman with two Celestial Weapons would attack her.


    ''I''ll remember the two of you¡­ Once I retrieved my equipment, I don''t care whether I''ll start the Third Rapture and kill you both.''


    Marin cursed the two in her mind as she left with a dignified look on her face. She wasn''t defeated by the skills of these two but with their overwhelming weapons. Furthermore, she doesn''t want to waste her Celestial Energy as well. Unlike those two with Celestial Armors, they barely use their Celestial Energy in the fight while she would have to exert more on her side.


    As soon as she left, everyone finally sighed in relief.


    Even Yulia''s group was unable to breathe properly during that confrontation. They felt that if they were interrupted, they would be the target of their anger.


    Creak¡­ Creak¡­


    The sounds of their disassembling armors can be heard as the Celestial Armor shrunk like some bio-organism and retreated within their clothes.


    Cough! Cough!


    The two Celestial Beings finally spat a mouthful of blood. Their faces paled as they revealed their weakness to everyone. They kneeled on the ground as they started breathing heavily. They have internal injuries!


    It seems that they were just holding back!


    Perhaps, if Marin continued, they would actually copse to the ground.


    Vincent wanted to help them but he was also injured. He then noticed that Severin was running towards him while carrying his small bag filled with various potions.


    "Give all these potions to the two¡­" Vincent said after taking three potions from the bag.


    There were a total of 15 potions that were +9 left in the bag and that should be enough to give them a bit of Celestial Energy they could use to heal their injuries.


    Severin wanted to say something but seeing how serious Vincent looks, he can onlyply and walk towards the two Celestial Beings who helped them.


    ''Aren''t some of these meant to cure the Barbarian Poison?'' Severin thought as he looked at the two Celestial Beings.


    Since he doesn''t know that they are rted to Vincent, Severin was nervously looking at the two. Although they are both injured, it doesn''t change the fact that they are beings capable of eliminating him with a flick of their fingers.


    As soon as his eyes met Tara''s gaze, he was frozen in his spot and almost dropped the bag filled with potions.


    Luckily, Tara shifted her gaze to the bag as he recalled giving it to them.


    Tara then silently took the bag and shared the potions with Rem. Severin heaved a sigh of relief.


    While this is all happening, Lady Yulia already arrived near Vincent. Thetter was already feeling a little better after drinking his enhanced and ascended recovery potion.


    p "Thank you for saving Lesley¡­ How''re your injuries?" Yulia asked. To be honest, her eyes are still hurting a bit after continuously using her Darkness Mystic Eye today.</anda>


    She already wore her white veil again as it suppressed the power of her eyes.


    "These are just superficial injuries. I''ll recover in a while. Right, regarding these two Celestial Beings, I think it''s better not to report their presence here."


    Lady Yulia furrowed her brows as soon as she heard thetter part of his words. This confirmed her suspicion that the two are indeed rted to Vincent.


    She had actually noticed Vincent''s relieved face as soon as he saw the two fighting against the Celestial.


    "Very well. We''re nning to retreat as quickly as possible. This is not a good ce to rest as there might be another wave of invasion."


    "Got it. Give me a moment to talk with them." Vincent acknowledged as he left to check the condition of the two Celestial Beings.


    Severin already returned to the Zemin n''s gathering as he looked curiously at Tara and Rem. He just saw them drink all kinds of potions within the bag.


    ''Aside from the antidote, some of those are also mana recovery potions and serene water¡­'' Severin''s mind wandered as he was trying to understand how the Celestial Beings behave.


    They are mysteries of this world after all and learning that they like to drink any types of potions to recover is something that he might have to take note of.

 Chapter 125 Break

    "It''s been a while¡­" Vincent said as he approached the two.


    As much as he wanted to ask what they have been up to ever since they left him in that forest, they do not have much time since it''s true that another batch of Barbarians might be nning to continue their invasion.


    Furthermore, Rem and Tara weren''t in a good condition as well.


    Even though they consumed his +9 potions with traces of energy that could recover their celestial powers, they would probably need a lot more than that.


    Anyway, Rem just gave a smile and exined what happened to them when they left.


    "I''m sorry for leaving you just like that. It was dangerous at that time since there was a Celestial Beast that got interested in the White Tiger¡­ It even issued an order to those monkeys to capture it. During that brief moment, we were thinking of just hiding our identities to avoid being targeted but it somehow noticed our presence. We have to leave you so you don''t get implicated in the battle."


    Rem exined which made Vincent confused.


    He initially thought that they were the ones who were chasing the Celestial Beast and not the other way around!


    "Does it hunt Celestial Beings?" Vincent asked doubtfully. He heard the news about the matters regarding the Celestial Mountain as well.


    As far as he knows, the news reported that the Beast was being chased by two Celestial Beings and fled to its home at the Celestial Mountain.


    It had rmed various sects and organizations to the point that they sent their powerhouses to try and capture the Celestial Beast but it seems that it was not easy to enter that ce and could only guard the surroundings for some time.


    Even some members of the Rebel Army were even reported to have been present there.


    "You could say so¡­ The Celestial Beasts can eat the bodies of the Celestial Beings like us for nourishment. However, it is quite simr to us as well. The beast also has something that can be useful to us." Rem answered as she slowly stood up.


    Tara did the same as she looked at Vincent with a tired smile on her face. It seems that they have truly overdone themselves in this battle.


    "I guess you both needed to rest¡­ Let''s go¡­ There were horses already that were prepared."


    Vincent said as they joined the Zemin n''s group after picking up the cane that he threw away a moment ago.


    "Lady Yulia, are you returning to the Arms City or the Third Camp?" Vincent asked.


    "No, we will be returning to the n''s territory. Our n has suffered enough and this should be more than enough to show our sincerity." Yulia said as the other elders including Lesley nced at her.


    It seems that she didn''t discuss it with them and only informed them now as well. Nevertheless, they indeed deserve to take a break in this battle considering that an Adept Mage was heavily injured in their ranks and two Arch Knights died as well.


    Although they have killed several Barbarians and numerous rebels, the deaths of their elites had certainly weakened the Zemin n''s young forces. Because of that, none of them rejected the idea as they all head to the nearest town.


    Vincent could only sigh as he decided to follow them. To be honest, he was thinking about whether they could actually reim thend that was previously taken to them by the Barbarians. He was hoping that he would be able to see the Star Garden Sect ruins this way.


    Unfortunately, they underestimated the craziness of the Rebel Army as they dared to work together with the Barbarians. They would certainly lose a lot of supporters because of this. After all, some of the powerful ns and organizations that were assisting them had previously fought against the Barbarians as well.


    They do not like these outsiders who had killed their rtives and friends.


    ''Haa~ I guess it doesn''t matter to them, huh¡­'' Vincent mused and he could only sigh about it. He was also thinking that the reason why the Rebels started helping the barbarians was to create chaos in this region.


    In that way, the Royal Army would be forced to be sent out to subjugate the barbarians and greatly weaken the defense of the capital.


    Once that happened, Grand Knight France would surely not miss such an opportunity.


    Of course, since Vincent thought that they were just baiting to lure them out, the pce must have thought of that as well.


    ''Ugh¡­ Whatever¡­ They could deal with this. What''s important is my current strength. I''m still too weak.'' Vincent thought as he revolved his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to try and erase that lingering sensation on his neck.


    His throat and the back of his neck were previously grabbed by that vicious Celestial and although he''s no longer feeling any pain from it, he can still feel her hands for some reason.


    ''Ugh¡­''


    Vincent was afraid that it created a mental trauma for him as he tried to immerse himself in his mysterious core.


    Right now, Vincent is actually riding a horse but the one holding the reins was Tara while Rem was following behind.


    "Hmm?"


    "Vincent?"<sub> </sub>


    Tara and Rem suddenly felt something as soon as Vincent openly circted his Pseudo Celestial Energy in his Synthetic Celestial Core.


    Although it wasn''t exactly like theirs, it has some vague simrities in how it affects the surroundings.


    "No wonder you were targeted by that strong Celestial. Is she thinking of opening you up?"


    "Huh?"


    Tara''s mutterings didn''t escape Vincent''s ears since he''s basically just behind her.


    Vincent finally recalled the changes in his core.


    This is indeed something that has urred while these two were away so they have no idea about the upgrade made by his system. No, it wasn''t really made by the system for him but it assisted him by mutating his core to save his life when he consumed that Mana Upheaval Potion.


    During that time, the increase in his Mana Capacity was too much for what his body could handle.


    Anyway, none of the two Celestials felt this change until he circted his energy¡­


    "Your Mana felt different just now. What did you do?" Tara asked curiously.


    "It''s a long story. But my core somehow mutated¡­" Vincent replied as he didn''t exin too much. There are also many ears right now.


    After a while, their group finally arrived in a small town. It is a town at the very edge of the Jung n''s territory.


    "We will rest here for today¡­ I already sent a message to General Yves that you''ve joined us, Vincent. I also received news from him that the Celestial Beings that were supposedly overseeing the war had been taken down by unknown Celestial Beings. It was no wonder why Marin dared to attack you without caring about the consequences of breaking the rules. She clearly knows that once she returned to the Duke''s side, no one could harm her."


    Yulia added. She has been quite depressed by the fact that the Celestial Being who arrived on their side turned out to be quite evil.


    This is why she had the General exin why no Celestial Being assisted them when Marin started causing a ruckus.


    It''s not a small matter after all.


    Vincent wryly smiled after seeing her pouting like that and could only thank her for informing him.


    "I can finally rest¡­" Vincent said as he entered his room. Their group rented a couple of small inns to get some rest.


    Of course, Vincent and the two Celestial Beings were in the same amodation.


    "Rem, what happened to your Knight Armor?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "They were destroyed by the Celestial Beast. Luckily, Tara has a unique ability to find treasures."


    "Right, can you tell me more about it? I have a Compendium of Beasts here but it didn''t introduce the Celestial Beast." Vincent said helplessly.


    He can only vaguely tell that it''s a strong creature based on their description but its appearance and abilities were something he has no clue about. Even the others were unsure how to describe the beast aside from being highly intelligent and possessing mysterious abilities.


    Rem immediately agreed as she revealed everything she knows about the capabilities and appearance of the Celestials.


    Vincent was shocked upon learning about their identity. Apparently, Celestial Beasts were simr to a half-human and half-beast!


    With his knowledge of his past life, Vincent had already given them another name, Beastmen.


    Based on Rem''s descriptions, these Celestial Beasts weren''t something that had originated in this world as well simr to them.


    However, they were believed to have been eradicated in the Second Rapture¡­ Even if there were still alive after the Rapture, they were those who had an extremely long hibernation and were quite weak already. They were pretty much on the brink of extinction several years ago.


    <o>,m But the one they have seen recently was an extremely active one showing incredible prowess that attracted many people.</o>


    Furthermore, Vincent was intrigued by their abilities to control Savage Beast at their own will. That is far more dangerous than a Celestial Being if they were left unattended.


    No wonder they were always being targeted whenever they made an appearance.


    "This is what I''ve promised. I already removed its connection to the other Celestial. This dagger is yours."


    Suddenly Tara walked toward Vincent as she handed the Celestial Dagger to him. Vincent''s face brightened as he had almost forgotten about this promise.

 Chapter 126 Bound

    Vincent did not immediately appraise the Celestial Dagger as he expressed his gratitude to Tara. This item is extremely valuable. This is something that not even a genuine Celestial Being could possess.


    "I made a promise¡­ So you have to supply me with that strange potion of yours." Tara replied with a rare smile on her face. It seems that their decision to deal with the Celestial Beast was truly fruitful for the two.


    "Of course. I''ll work on that after I rested." Vincent said as he grasped the dagger.


    In a battle against powerful Mana Arts Practitioners, possessing strong weapons or pieces of equipment is extremely important. After all, the number of Mana Arts that someone could learn in their lifetime is not infinite. It''s already an incredible feat to master 10 Mana Arts in your lifetime.


    Furthermore, there is also a matter of mastery which is the most important thing than just learning a Mana Art.


    Even if you decided to force yourself to learn 20 Mana Arts, if they are all just at the beginner stage, then it would be useless when faced against a practitioner with 5 or even 3 Perfected Mana Arts suitable in battle.


    Vincent clearly knows the difference between a Beginner State Mana Arts and a Perfected State. His Shrouded Steps is only a Tier 1 Movement Technique but it was faster and more covert than many other techniques which could even surprise a Celestial Being.


    Anyway, mastering each Mana Arts takes a lot of time and requires talent. This is also the reason why Magic Tools or Weapons are created. This way, Mana Arts Practitioners can increase their strength by several folds.


    The dagger in his hands right now will certainly be a weapon that will improve his battle style. After all, it is a weapon where its durability is not something he has to be worried about, unlike his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane which could easily be damaged by stronger opponents.


    The three of them continued chatting for a while as the two shared their experience within the Celestial Mountain. It was quite interesting since they encountered numerous genius Mana Arts Practitioners in that ce hoping to discover the secrets or treasures of the Celestial Beasts.


    Aside from that, Vincent also asked them about their opinion regarding his Synthetic Mana Core. He already knows that they could sense his cirction of energy and Marin must''ve noticed this as well.


    "Right¡­ I''m also curious about that, Vincent. Is it possible that you''re a child of a Celestial Being?" Rem asked but her face shows that she wasn''t serious about it.


    "No¡­ I''m sure that my parents are normal. It''s rted to that Mana Upheaval Potion that I got before. After modifying that potion a little, it not only increased my Mana Capacity but also helped me create a mutated core that could harness both Aura and Mana at the same time."


    Vincent exined. He recalled that during that time, the system notified him about his Mana Source was beingbined with his Soul Force which is equivalent to his Aura.


    "Rem wasn''t serious. Celestial Beings like us have different physiques and we''re not capable of having a baby." Tara paused for a moment before she continued.


    "If it was before we became a Celestial Being, it might be possible."


    This left Vincent really curious.


    ''Does it mean that they were normal humans before? So after they became Celestials, their physique changed, and no longer capable of reproduction? Or do they have a different method?''


    Vincent felt worried. Since he has a Synthetic Celestial Core, does it mean that he could no longer have a child as well?


    Although he''s only 15 years old right now. His mental age is older than that.


    Though he doesn''t have ns about having a child right now, he might have to consider his future as well.


    It would be a shame if the Kayser bloodline ends with him.


    Perhaps, his thoughts can be easily seen so Tara immediately added.


    "You''re not a Celestial Being and you won''t ever be. There is just nothing in this world that can trigger your evolution." Tara exined.


    "That''s true. That Marin was probably just curious since your fluctuations a while ago were simr to a failed product which weren''t supposed to be in this world." Rem exined.


    "Failed product¡­ Me?" Vincent repeated.


    "That''s right. We''re unsure about your secrets but don''t worry, we won''t pry into it. It''s not that important anyway." Rem added.


    After a long chat, Rem and Tara left Vincent''s room to finally have a good rest. Although Vincent was still curious about his new core, he was even more excited to learn more about the dagger in his hands.


    Well, he doesn''t really like a short dagger as a weapon. Hecks some strength before so he was quite fond of it. But now that his physique had improved tremendously, he''d rather learn Mana Arts like Surging Palm Strike or learn some Sword Arts.


    Nevertheless, since he obtained this dagger, he would have to study a bit more about dagger techniques so he won''t look like a child swinging a dangerous weapon.


    Well, he knows that if he really met some weapon experts, he would surely be scolded for hisck of skills.


    "Appraise¡­"


    Vincent muttered softly as he triggered one of his system skills.


    Since he previously appraised the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber or the Armor, Vincent was confident that he could appraise this dagger with his Advanced Appraisal Skill.


    [ Astral Night Dagger ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1,000/1,000


    Critical: 100<sub> </sub>


    Pierce: 200


    Magic Damage: 100


    Physical Damage: 100


    Erosion Resistance: 300


    Sharpness: 50


    Description: An enhanced dagger made of Mavis Iron using an unknown technique. It is in perfect condition. The stronger the energy applied, the sharper it could get.


    Bound to none.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    Vincent''s eyes went wide after finally seeing the stats of his Celestial Weapon.


    This is his first time seeing so many attributes!


    ? Although the number could notpare to a +9 or +10 item that he personally enhanced, the number of attributes can set it off.


    He finally understood why the Celestial Weapons are extremely rare and many people wanted to obtain them.


    He then tried to slowly pour his Pseudo Celestial Energy as he nned to get used to it.


    Ding!


    Suddenly, Vincent heard the familiar notification sound of his system.


    [ Would you like to bind the item to you? ]


    [ Warning: Removing the binding status will require special material. ]


    This notification confused Vincent as he looked at the options Yes or No in front of him.


    ''Bind the item? What''s this?'' Vincent furrowed his brows as he wanted to call for Rem or Tara if they have heard about it.


    ''Ah¡­''


    Vincent then recalled what Tara had mentioned before, Celestial Items are fated to someone already and she needed some time to remove them and be undetectable to that fated someone.


    If he would make a guess, this binding is actually simr to the ''fated'' that she said. Tara had to remove that binding so she could gift this dagger to him!


    ''Does it mean that the dagger can''t be used if I didn''t bind it?'' Vincent was curious so he selected ''No'' for now.


    He then tried to wave the dagger and confirmed that its sharpness and all its stats are still there.


    However, he discovered that every time he tried to pour a bit of his energy into the dagger, he was getting the same notification. If he answered ''No'', his energy will be rejected by the dagger as well. It means that he won''t get to use the effect of the sharpness boost if he keeps refusing.


    [ Would you like to bind the item to you? ]


    "Yes¡­" Vincent no longer refused as hepleted the binding process. He felt a bit of his warmth leave his body as it went to the dagger somehow.


    It was a weird sensation but it happened for a short time.


    This time, after appraising the item, there is another line before the description tab.


    [ Bound: Vincent Kayser. ]


    Vincent''s face lit up after confirming the changes.


    He then decided to experiment a bit with his newly acquired dagger. After a few minutes, he felt really sleepy and decided to just call it a day.


    On the next day, he decided to walk around the town to purchase a few potions. However, before he could leave the inn, someone from the Zemin n approached him.


    "Sir Vincent, Lady Yulia wanted to speak with you. It was regarding the medallion you''ve brought and the promise made by the Patriarch." The man said respectfully.


    This person has no idea what it is all about so he curiously looked at Vincent. After all, not anyone could be invited by Lady Yulia.


    "Hmm¡­ I''ll meet her after buying a few things in the market¡­" Vincent replied as he knows that they would stay here until the next day because of the Adept Mage''s health condition. There was no hurry to discuss the matters of his engagement early in the morning.


    Furthermore, he heard that this town has a Master Craftsman! Perhaps, the Mithril Ore that his system has given him can finally be used!

 Chapter 127 Shops

    Vincent only has a few things inside his 20-Slots System Inventory and one of them is the Mithril Ore which is a reward that he got from the system after a sessful +10 enhancement.


    Today, Vincent went around the town together with Rem as Tara wanted to just stay in her room.


    "Sir Vincent, are you going to buy the things you needed to modify your potions?" Rem asked.


    Rem''s ck and silver hair matched with her charming face could attract everyone''s attention so she was always wearing her helmet before. Right now, she decided to wear a hooded cloak to avoid exposing her beauty and followed Vincent like a bodyguard.


    "Ha? Y-yeah¡­ You could say that¡­" He answered.


    First, they went to various shops to find and purchase some potions.


    They then learned that this small town only has a single store that sells potions and medicinal pills.


    Cling~ Cling~


    The bell chimes melodiously after Vincent opened the door of the shop.


    Currently, there are no other customers probably because it is still quite early.


    A young man in his teens was behind the counter and greeted them with a warm smile.


    "Good morning, customers. Are you here to buy or sell your items?" The young man asked as he observed the two.


    "Oh? You can sell items here too?"


    "Yes¡­ As long as they aren''t above Unique Rank items, our small shop can still purchase them. If you have epic items, I''d suggest you sell them to the city or our Town Chief.


    The young man replied still maintaining the smile on his face. As soon as the two entered, he already noticed that although Vincent''s clothes appears simple, they were quite mysterious. Furthermore, he can tell from their bearing that they weren''t just simple adventurers or travelers.


    In a few seconds of observation, he already noticed that Vincent''s clothes were enchanted by Magic Craftsmen as he can''t see through them easily.


    Vincent nodded at his reply and looked around the shop. There were various potion samples disyed as their information and price were written on a card below them.


    In total, there are 7 types of potions and 5 types of pills beings sold.


    Unfortunately, there are only low-tier pills and low-grade potions avable in this town and most of these potions were already something that he had seen when he was still working in the Auction House.


    Nevertheless, Vincent still purchased 20 diluted potions or those lowest grade potions avable.


    Most of them are Mana Recovery Potions and Healing Potions.


    He decided to purchase a couple of Low-Grade Strength Potions that are worth 5 gold coins each. It might sound inexpensive but this price is already something thatmoners would usually avoid.


    After all, the Strength Potion can only provide a boost to the user''s ability for a brief moment instead of permanently giving strength.


    With such conditions, not many would purchase it at this price unless they were targeting a specific Savage Beasts that needed an additional strength to be dealt with.


    [ A Bottle of Strength Potion ]


    [ Grade: Low


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Units of Strength: 8


    Description: A magical liquid made from the blood essence of Fury Tigers. It is capable of instantly providing additional strength for 10 minutes upon consumption.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the units of strength. ]


    Vincent smiled at the description of this potion as he couldn''t help but look forward to its enhanced version.


    It would be great if he could ascend it to a high-grade potion or enhance it to a +10 potion.


    He can still remember the drastic changes in the pill that he managed to enhance to +10. It was a Mana Gathering Pill that could tremendously increase his Mana Regen and Mana Cirction.


    Although it probably wouldn''t be as effective as before since there were changes in his energy source.


    Anyway, Vincent looked at the pills beings sold and most of them were ordinary pills that provide a temporary boost to one''s abilities without any side effects.


    Though they are indeed very safe pills, their effects were quite terriblepared to those with minimal risks involved.


    There was only one type of pill here that he found rather interesting.<sub> </sub>


    "What''s with this Metal Body Pill? Isn''t this too expensive for a Tier 1 pill? This is already a price for a Tier 2 pill."


    Vincent asked after seeing that it was priced at 150 gold coins each. Furthermore, it has to be sold per bottle that has 10 pieces inside. It means that it was worth 1,500 gold coins for each bottle of pills!


    Since Vincent had just purchased 20 potions, the young man was in a good mood as he immediately exined.


    "Sir, this is indeed quite expensive if wepare it to a normal Tier 1 Pill. But it''s mainly because this pill can be consumed by anyone. I''m telling the truth, Tier 2 or Tier 3 Pills have strong medicinal effects but they require certain attainment to be consumed safely. However, this Tier 1 Pill can be taken even by a child..." The young man immediate exined.


    "Oh? Does it mean that tiers are divided by how safe they are to be consumed?"


    "Well, not exactly, young sir. But this is one of the requirements to be considered a Tier 1 Pill. It must be something that anyone can consume without any side effects."


    p Vincent could only nod as he thought for a moment before deciding to take a few bottles. After all, the first +10 item that he had was a pill followed by a potion.</anda>


    It means that pills have the lowest difficulty of making them a +10 Enhanced Item followed by potions while weapons would have the highest difficulty.


    As soon as Vincent confirmed that he will purchase 10 bottles, the young man couldn''t help but be stunned as he immediately called the owner of the shop. After all, they are not disying most of the expensive items on the shelf and only left a sample.


    Soon, the owner came down from the second floor.


    It was actually the young man''s father.


    "Ho~ You''re taking 10 bottles of Metal Body Pills?" The middle-aged man asked as he simrly observed Vincent and Rem''s clothes. He can tell that they weren''t simple travelers, especially the cloaked woman.


    The man was quite skinny with unkempt brown hair. He was wearing a long dirty coat and was emitting a familiar scent of medicine.


    "Yes. I would like to purchase ten of them. Are you the one making them?" Vincent replied with a smile. Vincent doesn''t need him to introduce himself to know that he''s the Pill Expert of the small store.


    "That''s me. Hmm¡­ I think that with your physique, consuming 8 to 10 pills is the limit. Taking more would just be a waste. Are you nning to resell them?" The man asked.


    "Ahh¡­ Would it be a problem?" Vincent asked. Although he doesn''t have thoughts of selling them, he can''t really tell what would happen in the future once he enhanced or ascended them.


    "Well, it''s not prohibited. You just have to tell them to go to our shop if they wanted to order." The man said with a grin on his face.


    "Of course. That''s not a problem. Anyway, is this pill quite rare? I haven''t seen this even in therge cities I''ve passed by."


    "You can say so¡­ The main ingredient for this pill can only be found on the nearby cliff. Aside from that, this pill isn''t that popr since there are better Tier 2 or Tier 3 pills."


    "That''s true¡­ The ordinary people who would consume this are probably only those rich businessmen or nobles." Vincent nodded since if you''re a practitioner, consuming better Tier 2 or 3 Pills is normal. Anyway, with their Mana Cultivation, their side effects can be minimized quite easily.


    "Alright¡­ Come to our shop whenever you need some pills and potions. Although I''m only a Tier 1 Alchemist, I''m about to advance so look forward to that."


    "That''s great. I''ll visit some other time. I''m Vincent."


    "Oh, right! I haven''t introduced myself. I''m Aiden¡­ It''s nice meeting you, Vincent¡­" The skinny man said replied as they shook their hands.


    There was no way that the Pill Expert wouldn''t want him toe back. After all, Vincent just bought a bunch of pills that he was unable to sell in this small town!


    Now, with the money he earned, Aiden could finally purchase several ingredients that he needed in order to try and advance to a Tier 2 Alchemist.


    After the two left, Vincent finally found a smithery or perhaps a workshop where the craftsman who can possibly smelt the mithril ore is currently at.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Though it is still quite early, Vincent and Rem can already hear the sound of metal being hammered.


    The front of the workshop looks just like a normal storefront but behind it is arge area where cksmiths or craftsmen could work.


    Before entering, Vincent already took out the Mithril Ore that he has so they wouldn''t be surprised about the space magic or dimensional magic.


    ng~ ng~


    "Good morning, customers¡­ Are you here to buy or sell your items?"


    Vincent smiled at the familiar greetings of the man behind the counter.


    "I''m here for amission¡­ Can you smelt a Mithril Ore? I want a weapon out of it¡­ Oh, wait¡­"


    ''I already have the Astral Night Dagger.''


    Vincent thought as he paused for a moment. He needed to carefully consider what item he has to get this time.

 Chapter 128 Confirmation

    "Oh~ A mithril ore?! Is this true?"


    The man''s voice was a bit loud as it attracted the attention of the craftsmen working behind.


    "Y-yes¡­ This should be mithril ore, take a look." Vincent said as he ced the ore on the desk.


    He was not worried about being robbed since Rem is beside him and he has the Zemin n helping him as well. This identity should be more than enough to deter them from swindling him.


    The man behind the desk took a small magnifying ss to check every detail of the ore. At this time, two craftsmen were already behind him marveling at the sight.


    It wasn''t every day that they could see a mithril ore after all. Even if they had the chance to see them, most of them are already made into a weapon.


    "This is the real deal¡­ Incredible. This is also my first time seeing its raw form. Young sir, what do you want us to make out of it? Although our shop is here in a small town, Master Pascal is someone who could forge any kind of metals..."


    "Master Pascal?"


    "Yes¡­ Our Master is from Link City, the capital of our kingdom. He previously owned a small shop there but decided to live here peacefully with his family. You can trust him!" The man said filled with confidence.


    "That sounds promising¡­ I hope that he can help me. Alright, is it possible to make a sword out of it?" Vincent asked.


    In the end, after deliberating it, he still decided to request a sword. After all, using metallic armor doesn''t suit his battle style. What he needed is light leather armor that wouldn''t burden his movement.


    "There''s no problem with a sword¡­ We could make a bit over 30 inches long with this amount¡­ However, don''t you have some decent Beast Cores with you? This is a mithril ore after all."


    Vincent stared at the man confused by his swords. The other two behind immediately realized his ignorance about it so they immediately exined.


    "The Beast Core can help create a strong sword. I''m sure that you don''t want a simple sharp sword with this special material, right?"


    "That''s correct¡­ With this ore, you have to aim for the best, Master Pascal isn''t just a cksmith but a Magic Craftsman as well. If you give him a decent beast core like from Brute Horned Beetle or Ethereal Panther, you''ll get a better sword from it¡­ How about it?"


    The two exined calmly.


    "Oh¡­ I didn''t know that they were that useful. I don''t have a Beast Core with me right now. Do you know where I can get one?"


    With his question, they informed him of a shop owned by the town chief that is buying and selling Beast Cores.


    After that, theypleted the agreement for themission. Vincent had to tell them the weight, size, and design of the sword that he wanted. It took almost half an hour as he was nning to make this weapon ascend to the highest rank, it can''t look toome or too extravagant.


    "Very well, just pay us a deposit of 90 mana crystals and you can pay the rest once the weapon is done. It will take us two weeks to forge this. Once you obtained a Core just give it to us within that time frame. Here''s the token¡­"


    The man at the counter said as he handed him the token with a number six and the crest of the workshop.


    "It will really take that long, huh¡­"


    "Yes¡­ If you want a cheaply made sword, we can probably make one within a day or less. But this is mithril with intrinsic design and beast core to be imbued in it¡­ It takes a lot of time."


    "Very well, I''ll just return here then." Vincent epted that he can''t immediately take the sword.


    "Right, I would like you to meet Master Pascal too but he''s currently forging something and we can''t disturb him. You can probably hear the sound of a hammer right now. Anyway, he should be finished in an hour and will start working on your sword. Do you like to wait for him?"


    "Er¡­ No, I''ll look for a Beast Core for now."


    "I understand¡­ By the way, just in case you have the chance, a Magic Beast Core is also a possible recement."


    "Got it¡­ I''ll look around." Vincent replied but of course, he has no hope of finding a Magic Beast Core in this small town.


    Magic Beast are creatures that have attained intelligence and could wield various abilities or Mana Arts. The White Tiger that they have lost is also a creature that has a chance of bing a Magic Beast after growing up.


    ''Right¡­ I forgot to ask them what happened to the White Tiger.'' Vincent then looked at Rem and asked her about it.


    "The White Tiger is currently together with the Celestial Beast at the Celestial Mountain, it''s probably nning to raise it and take its core once it had matured."


    Vincent frowned after hearing that. It sounds quite cruel for that small white tiger.


    "About the Celestial Armor and Weapon that the two of you found, is it located at the Celestial Mountain?"<sub> </sub>


    "You''re right, Vincent. That mountain is big. It''s probably the tallest andrgest mountain on the continent and it''s shrouded by a chaotic mass of energy so it''s difficult to enter and leave that ce as you please. Finding the Celestial Beast there is also very challenging even for the two of us."


    "Oh~ We should check it some other time¡­" Vincent replied as he curiously imagined the Celestial Mountain.


    As the two were walking around to find the Beast Core seller, they met someone from the Zemin n looking around the small town as well.


    Vincent then had an idea.


    "Let''s meet with Lady Yulia for now." He said as he led Rem to the other inn.


    The whole inn this time was booked by the Zemin n. Aside from the owner and a few staff working at the establishment, everyone is from therge n.


    "Sir Vincent! You''re here. Lady Yulia is waiting for your arrival¡­" Severin immediately found Vincent and gestured for him to go upstairs.


    After knocking on the door of Yulia''s room, he heard her angelic voice again allowing him to enter.


    Vincent wasn''t surprised to find a few people inside the room.


    It was Lesley who seemed to be blushing right now, Romain, who looks annoyed somehow, and Yulia who has her white veil covering her face.


    ''Lesley already knows, huh¡­''


    Vincent helplessly smiled as he doesn''t know how to handle this pressure. Although Lesley is only 15 years old, this young maiden is truly attractive.


    Previously, Lesley was wearing a ck robe and her hair was covering a part of her face. There was also dirt all over her body due to the intensity of the battle against the barbarians. This is why he didn''t manage to properly observe her.


    However, after she has cleaned herself and wornfortable clothes, Vincent can finally appreciate her appearance.


    She has dark straight hair that goes to her shoulders with silver ribbons on the side. She also has lightly tanned skin with grey eyes¡­


    ''Grey eyes¡­''  Vincent needed a double look to confirm that she has grey eyes indeed. This is quite rare after all. Even the other members of the Zemin n don''t have simr eyes.


    ''Is that a Mystic Eye I''m unaware of?'' Vincent mused as he faked a cough and looked at Lady Yulia again.


    "I heard that you were looking for me¡­" He said.


    "Yes¡­ Show her the medallion." Yulia replied as she didn''t have to point to Lesley to tell him that she was the one who needed to see the item.


    "Of course¡­" Vincent then pulled out Medallion he prepared before entering.


    Lesley took the medallion and confirmed the carvings on it, the winged serpent coiling around a mountain.


    This is the emblem of the Zemin n and based on the intricate pattern on its borders, it is definitely something that only the patriarch could use.


    "So it''s true¡­" Lesley whispered after checking the item.


    "However, I want to hear it from you. Tell me what was the promise made by our parents." Lesley said with determination.


    Vincent didn''t mind it as he repeated the words he mentioned to Yulia and the other elders of the n.


    Lesley listened calmly as she stared at the medallion in her hands.


    "Haa~ A prenatal engagement, huh¡­"


    Lesley closed her eyes as if she had given up. Perhaps, if Vincent didn''t rescue her at that critical time yesterday, she would be refusing this as soon as she heard it. She might even vomit at that point. However, considering his previous actions, she''s hesitating.


    "Ehem¡­ In any case, this is something that our parents have decided. First, I have to pay respect to the patriarch since I also want to know the full details of the promise."


    Vincent said as he looked outside. He felt something ominous shrouding the small town and it was Yulia who immediately reacted.


    "This town is under attack! We need to leave!"

 Chapter 129 Intention

    "No! We can''t!" Vincent immediately answered even without knowing the full situation.


    This small town doesn''t have many strong individuals. Although there were many Mana Practitioners, they weren''t at the level of a Magic Knight or Master Magicians.


    He learned about this after walking around this morning and noticing their mana fluctuations. After seeing a lot of Master Magicians and Magic Knights over the past month, he''s already quite familiar with their mana fluctuations and soul signature thanks to his Soul Sense as a 3-Star Aura Knight.


    If they truly decided to leave, this town would be in dire straits.


    "Tsk¡­" Lady Yulia didn''t immediately reject the idea. However, she knows that this town should be under the protection of the Jung n although it''s on the edge of their territory.


    They should have some capable Mana Arts Practitioners around.


    "There are only a few of us who can fight here¡­ I''m suspecting that it''s the rebel army making their move¡­" Yulia said as she walked outside with everyone.


    The other elders and abled nsmen were already wearing theirbat attire and getting ready for battle. They immediately greeted Lady Yulia after seeing her walk outside.


    "Lady Yulia! It''s the rebel army! They havee here and attracted thousands of Savage Beasts! We should escape now!"


    One of the nsmen in the vicinity immediately reported what he saw.


    "Savage Beasts? They cause an outbreak?!" Romain who was still calm couldn''t help but tremble after hearing the news.


    "What? They can control the Savage Beasts now?" Vincent asked with furrowed brows. This is the first time he heard that they were capable of doing that.


    Furthermore, he can''t let this small town be destroyed. Although he hasn''t stayed here for long, this peaceful town had many talents that he even entrusted his Mithril Ore to one.


    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    Suddenly, they saw a group of guards marching towards the eastern gate of the town where the savage beasts and the rebel army are.


    Then, their leader announced the situation to everyone.


    "We are under attack! But an Adept Mage of the Jung n is hurrying over to rescue our town! We just need to defend until he arrives!"


    This announcement was repeated several times as the morale of the guards rose.


    "Good! Rem! Let''s go and help!"


    "Should I call Tara?"


    "It''s fine¡­ She should being after sensing what''s going on."


    Vincent said as they hurried to the gate.


    "Ahh¡­ Wait¡­"


    Lesley wanted to say something but Vincent already left in haste.


    "You can speak to him again after this is over. Alright, we can''t let everyone go and help in the defense. Someone must stay with the injured." Yulia said after noticing Lesley''s actions.


    ? "You stay here, Lady Yulia. I will bring a group of magic knights with me. Lesley, you stay here as well, you still need to rest." Romain said but Lesley refused. She knows her body really well and she''s aware that she''s already capable of joining the battle.


    Though her mana hasn''t fully recovered yet, it wasn''t to the point that she can''t fight. In any case, she would only stay back and use her long-range Mana Arts to assist the knights.


    "I can still fight! Uncle is injured, we can''t let anyone disturb his rest!" Lesley said as she still felt guilty after her Uncle, the Adept Mage protecting her, lost an arm because of how weak she was.


    "Fine! Romain, make sure nothing will happen to Lesley." Lady Yulia said after thinking about it.


    "Ugh¡­ Whatever¡­ Let''s go!"


    As their group left, Lady Yulia can only sigh as she massage her temple as her headache seems to being back again. This is because of her Darkness Mystic Eyes, a Tier 4 Body Transformation Arts.


    It would take a while before she can recover and use the power of her eyes again.


    This is a skill normally used against a single opponent after all. However, with the situation she was previously in, she forcefully restrained several huge barbarians at the same time. Those barbarians possessed incredible physical strength that rivals even the strongest Arch Knights. Because of that, she had to suffer a bacsh and recuperate for a few weeks.


    Right now, she can only hope that the number of Savage Beasts lured to this town wouldn''t have many flying beasts that could ignore their front line''s defenses.


    ''Right¡­ There are those two Celestial Beings as well.'' Yulia then recalled Tara and Rem. They have remained silent all this time and their identity was still a mystery.


    However, she can tell that they have somehow befriended Vincent so she can only hope that they would consider assisting in case of emergency despite the unwritten rule.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    "Why are there so many?" Vincent was shocked as soon as he saw the beast horde outside.


    In addition, the beasts weren''t running excitedly to the vige as they slowly moved forward as if they were some disciplined soldiers.


    "How is this possible?!"


    "What should we do? We can''t defeat these many! I don''t think that even the city can fight against them. We should escape now!"


    "No! We can do this! This town is being protected by a Magic Artifact! We only need to hold on!"


    "That''s right! I''m sure that as long as we dy them, reinforcements woulde to rescue us!"


    "T-this is crazy! We''re going to die first at this rate!"


    The townspeople, adventurers, and guards outside have differing opinions as soon as they saw the scale of this attack.


    The sound of their march and the roars of the beasts could scare even the veteran hunters.


    This is already an army enough to give trouble for a huge city. What could a small and peaceful town like them do to fight against this?


    The strongest Mana Arts Practitioners that they have here were only a handful of Magic Knights and a couple of old Master Magicians.


    Ten more minutes had passed as the beasts and the hundreds of rebels controlling them surrounded the town.


    Surprisingly, they didn''t immediately order an attack as a couple of Magic Knights from their side moved forward to dere their intention.


    A man wearing luxurious clothes unlike the other rebels came forward riding a majestic red horse. He seemed to be a nobleman with his slicked back haircut.


    "What are they nning this time?" A leader of the town guards frowned at the sight as he stood tall in front of his fellow townspeople.


    Although he knows that he would probably die once the fight starts, he needs to stand strong as he can''t simply allow them to beasts to attack since his family is in the town.


    "Everyone in the Alma Town! Listen to me! I am Porthos one of the Generals of the Revolutionary Army! We aren''t targeting your town as we are honorable knights unlike the royal family who are hiding under the safety of the castle even if the Barbarians are invading us right now."


    The man paused for a moment as he wanted to ensure that they could absorb everything that he was about to say.


    He then continued after noticing that there was no reaction from the town''s side. This is a good thing since it showed that it didn''t matter to them even if they ndered the king.


    "We are only here to resupply so we can continue our march to the Ankle City! Duke France will soon be the ruler of this kingdom so I suggest that you don''t enrage him."


    The man said proudly as if it was already guaranteed that the Grand Knight will truly assume the position of the king.


    Nevertheless, his words were like a saving grace for many of the townspeople. After all, in this backwater town, they have barely felt the presence of the nobility much less the royal family.


    The only time that they could remember the nobles was when they were collecting taxes. It really didn''t matter to them who would win the war.


    In the meantime, Vincent could help but be impressed by this tactic. Since the royal family is indeed barely doing anything to protect the kingdom and allowed the rebel army to gather their forces, the citizens must have resentment in their hearts.


    If the rebels used this kind of logic to convince them, they could certainly safely pass through various ces without exhausting their beasts and their energy.


    As expected, the town chief immediately agreed and gathered 20 wagons worth of supplies for the rebel army. Porthos couldn''t help butugh in delight after seeing how smooth this was.


    Romain and the others can only ept this oue as they were clearly aware of what could happen if they fought in their current situation. Even if many of their nsmen died because of them, they aren''t in a position to fight right now.


    However, it wasn''t easy.


    "That''s right! We are also looking for the evil Zemin n! A reward will be given if you can help us eliminate them!" Porthos said although he wasn''t hoping that much to find them here.


    Anyway, he only mentioned this after someone in the higher-ups appears to have been humiliated by the people of the Zemin n.


    Nevertheless, he noticed a weird reaction in the crowd after noticing this¡­ He trembled with excitement after realizing what was going on.


    His eyes lit up as he looked in the direction where they are looking at!


    "Found them!"


    A wicked smile appeared on his face as he brought his men to storm the inn where they are probably hiding right now.

 Chapter 130 Chase

    Crash!


    The squad led by Porthos destroyed the establishment''s door as they stormed inside to search for the remnants of the Zemin n.


    The owner and the staff working were surprised by the sudden intrusion.


    They immediately found a corner to hide as the soldiers of the revolutionary army hurriedly searched the ce.


    "Where are the members of the Zemin n?!" Porthos shouted as he held his sword tightly. He can tell that the people remaining within the inn weren''t Mana Arts Practitioners at all.


    "T-they left while we''re preparing to hand over our contribution for your supplies... They used the backdoor¡­"


    The owner answered truthfully hoping that they''ll just leave and search for his previous customers.


    "Hmph! Follow them! They shouldn''t have gone too far yet!"


    "B-but General Porthos, we might be dyed¡­ Our main objective is to surround the Ankle City." One of the high-ranking officials of the army reminded. Even though catching the members of the Zemin n will reward them, it''s not as important as their real mission after all.


    Porthos hesitated for a moment before he made a conclusion.


    "Send three squads to chase after them! If they can''t be caught within the day, they have to move to our next rendezvous point."


    "Yes, General!"


    The three squads may only have about 40 Journeyman and 10 Master Magicians but the Savage Beasts that they could control is over a hundred!


    Since the Zemin n only has 20 or so remaining members, this should be more than enough to deal with them considering how some of them were reported to be injured as well.


    With this in mind, Porthos made sure that the Zemin n''s members were indeed out of town already before he decided to continue on their path to Ankle City.


    ***


    "I think you''ve made a good call Vincent¡­" Yulia said as they rode their horses away from the town.


    Apparently, as soon as Vincent realized that the revolutionary army would being to the town to resupply, he already realized how dangerous it would be for them who had literally fought against their forces at the eastern border.


    Furthermore, they were already aware of Joran''s position within the revolutionary army so it wouldn''t be surprising if he could send orders to the dispatched forces of their army.


    "Are we going straight to the Zemin n this time?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "No, it will still take us two more days to get there. I have a n, don''t worry." Yulia replied with confidence.


    Hearing this, Vincent no longer questioned her as he also didn''t want to continue having a chat while riding a horse. Well, he might bit his tongue if he made a mistake.


    Instead, he nced at the other members of the Zemin n and realized that they were also not worried about being chased by the revolutionary army.


    ck~


    As they were going uphill, Vincent instinctively held Tara''s waist tightly. It felt a bit cold as it was probably her Celestial Armor hidden beneath her coat.


    He then shifted his gaze at the valley ahead of them and realized that there were many signs of people around. He can see camp smokes and traces of hunters going into the thick forest.


    After a few minutes, they have also bumped into several groups of hunters. These people were the ones actively hunting Savage Beasts for their cores and valuable materials. They were earning enough gold coins in this kind of job after selling them to the right buyers. There were a lot of these people in the surrounding cities.


    After three more hours, they found a ce to take a break¡­ This time, Vincent finally found out about Yulia''s n.


    It was actually rted to the gathering of many Mana Arts Practitioners around this area.


    Apparently, a few more hours away from their location, there is a dungeon that they could use! In addition, there is a passage there that they could use to arrive near the territory of the Zemin n.


    "So there is that method¡­" Vincent nodded after understanding their n. For him who doesn''t have much knowledge about the existence of dungeons, he found this very useful.


    He can still remember how Tara could easily navigate inside a catb-type dungeon. He''s expecting that she could simrly do that same and they might even find unknown passages again.


    "That''s right¡­ Is this your first time going inside a dungeon?" Suddenly, Lesley approached him and asked.


    Her face is still flushed red perhaps because of riding the horse instead of a carriage she was used to. Anyway, Vincent couldn''t help but appreciate her beauty. Her grey eyes truly attracted him and he even suspect that it was some kind of charm magic if there is such a thing.


    "No, I''ve been to one before though it didn''t take that long as I also left after getting my objective inside¡­" Vincent answered with a stiff smile.


    "Oh~ I guess you''ll be surprised inside that dungeon then. It''spletely different from any other dungeons out there." Lesley said enthusiastically.


    Of course, Vincent was indeed excited to enter the dungeon so he couldn''t help but ask more about it.


    Unfortunately, one of the watchers returned with a ragged breath.


    "Take a deep breath¡­ What''s going on?" Yulia asked.<sub> </sub>


    "T-they are here! More than a hundred Savage Beasts and several rebels areing for us. We need to move." The man said in hurry.


    He was expecting that as soon as he reported this, Yulia and the other elders would hurriedly get on their horses to continue on their path.


    However, surprisingly, they stood on their ground and a hint of a cruel smile even appeared on their faces!


    "Good! We will be eliminating them here!" Lady Yulia said as she revealed her n to everyone else.


    Romain also nodded as he realized this n after observing the surroundings. They were in a good spot tounch an ambush against the rebels and the Savage Beasts!


    Though it is impossible to form them to fight against a thousand Savage Beasts with their small team, a hundred of them shouldn''t be a huge problem.


    "Y-yes! Lady Yulia! We will follow your orders!" The Mana Arts Practitioners of the Zemin n acknowledged the n after being flustered for a brief moment.


    Anyway, they wouldn''t be sent to stop the Barbarian Invasion if theyck the courage to face such adversity.


    Lady Yulia then arranged a n to surprise the rebels and the Savage Beasts.


    Soon, they hid behind the stones and trees along the path leading to the next vige ahead of them. This vige is just an hour away and if the revolutionary army would search for them, they would surely pass this location if they wanted to get to the Zemin n''s territory as quickly as possible.


    On the other hand, Vincent wasn''t sure about this ambush. After all, even up until now, he could feel the mana fluctuations of the hidden members of the Zemin n.


    If he could feel their presence, someone in the rebel army and those sensitive beasts should notice this as well.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t speak about it since Yulia and the others should''ve known about this as well and they must have a n in their mind.


    As expected, the Savage Beasts that were moving at a fast pace slowed down after reaching this part of the forest.


    "There must be another ground of hunters ahead¡­"


    "Let''s just drag them out and make sure just in case."


    Two officers of the rebel army concluded that they were hunters trying to take cover after seeing a horde of beasts. Well, it wasn''t all that surprising as they must''ve run over to some people who did the same a while ago.


    With that in mind, he ordered a squad of Master Magicians to drag the hunters out.


    This squad is controlling Savage Beasts which were Demon-Eyed Goats. They weren''t really that good inbat if they were alone but dozens of them can be real trouble even for Magic Knights.


    Furthermore, their eyesight is very useful in finding hidden creatures¡­


    The two officers were waiting patiently for the other squad to return¡­ However, they suddenly heard their cries within the forest as they tightened their grip on their weapons.


    ? "Have we found them?" The two officers looked at each other with excitement. It seems that they didn''t find some idle hunters but the people of the Zemin n!


    They immediately followed the noise they heard. They were expecting an intense battle between their Savage Beasts and the Zemin n but what weed them are the corpses of the Demon-Eyed Goats and the soldiers who were supposedlymanding them!


    Five minutes! It was less than five minutes since they followed the sources of life within the forest!


    "How could this be?!"


    "It was a trap!"


    "Formation!"


    After realizing what was going on, they immediately ordered their Savage Beast to form a circle.


    "Stonebreaker Wolves will be in the outer circle! ck-Winged Serpents will stay in the inner circle!"


    They have only brought three types of beasts with them. The first one is the demon-eyed goats, while the other two were the wolves and serpents.


    "Captain! Above us!" One of the rebels finally noticed where the enemy was as they all looked up.


    Indeed, Yulia and others were on top of the trees this time!


    "Darkness Mystic Eye: Control!"


    Yulia overexerted her eyes again as she started tearing with blood. It was as if she has no qualms even if she became blind at this point!


    Nevertheless, she managed to take control of the two leaders of this squad!


    "Hmph! Die!"


    Romain and Lesley immediately acted and killed these two leaders! Without a proper chain ofmand, they are hoping that the rebels would weaken and lead to their demise!

 Chapter 131 Fight

    Vincent sighed in relief after seeing the quick death of the two leaders. Everything is going ording to n so far.


    However, this is just the beginning of the fight.


    Now that the element of surprise was lost, they have to fight against the 70 or so Savage Beasts and the Mana Practitioners head-on.


    He didn''t immediately engage in battle as he assessed the situation. In the meantime, he ordered Tara and Rem to act just like normal female knights to kill the Savage Beasts.


    The main reason is that he''s still unaware of many things about the unwritten rules regarding the Celestial Beings. The only thing he was sure about is that there was no problem for them getting involved with the killing of Savage Beasts and if they would kill humans, there should be no evidence left behind.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The Magic Knights started their attack against the Savage Beasts using their swords and des.


    As for the Master Magicians, Vincent can see them using Fire Element Mana Arts¡­


    Fireball!


    Pyro st!


    These Tier 3 Mana Arts weremonly used by them but Vincent couldn''t help but frown¡­


    ''Howe it looks weak against Savage Beasts?''


    He was able to see these Mana Arts deal serious damage against the rebels and how it could harm the Barbarians. He thought that a single fireball shot at the head of ck Wing Serpent could quickly kill the beast.


    But they could actually endure this Tier 3 Mana Arts!


    ''How are they so strong?'' Vincent wanted to know and it seems someone realized this as well.


    "Stop using fire element! They must''ve received some kind of resistance, unlike the Demon-Eyed Goats! Use a different Mana Art!


    Yulia gave hermand.


    Anyway, the Magic Knights didn''t have this issue since they were relying upon the sharpness of their swords or physical damage, unlike the Magicians that wanted to deal with Elemental Magic Damage.


    "Yes! Lady Yulia!"


    "Magicians! Focus on dealing with the serpents! Leave the wolves to the Knights!"


    Then, those with other elemental mastery used different Elemental Mana Arts while those who only mastered Fire Element used Tier 2 Mana Arts like Mana Arrows.


    Vincent then looked at the Mana Arts Practitioners on the rebel''s side and most of them were actually using a technique to properly control the Savage Beasts in this field battle.


    It was at this moment that he finally decided to act.


    First, he pulled up a Grimoire out of his chest pocket.


    It is the Tome of Skills that has a Living Armor on it. Because he will be fighting will Savage Beasts all over the ce, he needed this living armor.


    He then flipped the book and got to a page where a Living Armor Mana Art is stored.


    He ced his palm on that page and poured his mana on it.


    Soon, a ck snake started wrapping around his arm and continued to cover his body! This is Vincent''s first time using it so he was a bit surprised by how convenient this Mana Art was.


    It covered his body leaving only half of his face uncovered so he could clearly see with his eyes.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Vincent tapped his body covered with a ck thing.


    ''Hmm¡­ It''s not metal.'' Vincent mused after realizing that the sound differ from what he expected.


    He then recalled that this tome can only store snake-rted Mana Arts so his living armor is probably some kind of snakeskin. Then, the ck snakeskin turned hazy as if it was fading away until it became invisible!


    ''This is cool~''


    He can still feel the armor being present but it became invisible to the human eye. It was such a marvelous Mana Art and he couldn''t help but be impressed with the mages of Barbarians.


    Anyway, there was no time to inspect this interesting ability as he kept the book in his pocket before charging toward the group of Stonebreaker Wolves who are suppressing the Magic Knights with their number and incredible toughness.


    Rooaarr!


    The wolves were able to move in formation thanks to the Magicians controlling them from behind. Vincent wanted to target them instead but the roar of the wolves was disrupting his soul sense for some reason.


    This is the first time he felt this and he didn''t like it.


    He pulled up his Astral Night Dagger and used his Shrouded Steps to approach an injured wolf. Just by the name of the wolves, one would know that they were tough creatures so cutting them is quite tough if you don''t know their weakness.


    Of course, even if you know their weakness, the wolves would not show it to their enemies as they stayed low on the ground and only showed their hardened back.


    Sssaakk~


    ''Hmm?''


    Vincent looked in shock as he cut the neck of the wolf so easily. It was as if they weren''t Stonebreaker Wolves but some normal animals!


    ''So this is what a Legendary Weapon feels like! Incredible!''


    Well, this is to be expected considering the number of attributes on it.<sub> </sub>


    [ Critical: 100 ]


    [ Pierce: 200 ]


    [ Magic Damage: 100 ]


    [ Physical Damage: 100 ]


    [ Erosion Resistance: 300 ]


    [ Sharpness: 50 ]


    ''Great! This will be easy! No wonder Tara and Rem looked so rxed.'' Vincent thought as he decided to help the Magic Knights kill the wolves as quickly as possible.


    Using his Shrouded Steps, he moved like a ghost and mutted any Savage Beasts thates in his way!


    It eased the pressure on the Magic Knights as they changed their targets to ck Wing Serpents who seemed to be quite good at enduring elemental attacks.


    "I guess we''ll need to get this over with¡­" Vincent muttered as he felt that if the Magic Knights really charged forward and fight head-on against the rebels, there would just be more casualties.


    With that in mind, he pulled out his cane and activated its only Skill.


    "Ensnare!"


    Numerous beasts were suddenly wrapped by the thorny iron veins as the people from the Zemin n looked in surprise¡­


    However, they were only momentarily stunned as they quickly acted as soon as they realized that they weren''t affected by the ability just now.


    "Kill! Pierce their eyes!"


    "Haaa!"


    They used this opportunity to eliminate the beasts immediately as Vincent headed toward the Master Magicians.


    He''s not some kind of battle maniac, he just wanted to be strong and gain more experience inbat that would at least allow him to protect himself or escape a Celestial Being.


    It must be remembered that Raizen, an Aura Knight, was able to escape from a Celestial Being even though he was already old at that time. Raizen even hinted that he was able to suppress a Celestial Being when he was younger!


    However, Vincent waspletely incapable ofnding a strike or even escaping from one Celestial Being!


    He has to do something about this andbat experience is one thing that he could think of to improve!


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he approach the enemy Magic Knight who was wearing tough-looking armor.


    During the chaos, Vincent managed to find this person who seemed to be the strongest in closebat within the ranks of the rebels.


    "Die, you brat!" The man shouted in disdain after seeing Vincente close to him.


    Well, he didn''t see thetter kill those many beasts so he doesn''t feel threatened at his arrival.


    He swung his heavy de filled with a sharp wave of mana to cut Vincent in half!


    Whom~


    Vincent was surprised by the amount of mana this person exerted on his de¡­ It was ayered wave of mana and just getting close to his de seemed to pressure his body and slow down his movement!


    As expected, thisrge man is indeed the strongest here.


    ''Mana Drain!'' Vincent activated the improved Tier 1 Mana Arts and as expected, the pressure on him lessened a lot.


    With the natural strength of his physique, he was able to easily regain control of his movement and parried the man''s overhead strike¡­


    Bam!


    This time, Vincent''s dagger did not slice through the de but it managed to chip off a chunk of it.


    "Y-you! You damaged my de! I was going easy on you! Your life is mine!" The man was angered after seeing his de damaged by his dagger.


    This time, the man took the battle seriously as his de vibrated and pushed off Vincent. Before he could recover, his Soul Sense warned him about the iing threat¡­


    With a jump to the side, he avoided the man''s de¡­ No, the man did not move from his spot at all. What came to slice him was just some form of mana or perhaps wind de!


    ***


    While this is all happening, Lesley just pulled out her sword that had pierced one of the rebels.


    She has been monitoring Tara, Rem, and Vincent all this time.


    "Those three are too impressive¡­ I wonder where they learned their techniques¡­" Lesley tightened her grip on her sword as she saw how Tara could cut anyone who was approaching her.


    She seemed quitezy in her movements but it''s very effective. Rem, on the other hand, appears like a normal warrior with her current movements.


    If she didn''t see her fight against a Celestial Being, she would not suspect her at all.


    Finally, her eyesnded on Vincent and saw a magnificent sight.


    She already knows that this guy has mysterious weapons with him but since it could even cut through someone''s weapons, it must be a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon after all!

 Chapter 132 Zemin Clan ( 1 )

    Lesley wryly smiled after thinking about how Vincent was so lucky to obtain such a weapon.


    After all, even within theirrge and powerful n, there are only five people who have Pseudo-Legendary items. As for the Legendary item, she wasn''t told about it but it must be lesser than that.


    It means that acquiring such a weapon is extremely difficult even with the amount of money they could muster.


    ''Right, he probably inherited it from his family. Although their n has fallen, they must have an heirloom or two¡­''


    As she thought of this, she saw how Vincent kept using a Tier 1 movement technique to fight one of the rebels with arge frame and wielding a thick de.


    She realized that Vincent seems to be fighting more carefully than before. Instead of using his superior weapon to his advantage, he was constantly moving and utilizing various techniques in the fight.


    ''Should I give her a Tier 3 Movement Technique?'' Lesley mused as she calmly looked at Vincent.


    Elemental Mana Arts weren''t just offensive skills after all. There are many movement techniques that use elements as well like Water Treading Steps, Wind Haste, Fire Dash, and Earth Shifting¡­ These movement techniques were certainly a lot better than Vincent''s Shrouded Steps although it had reached the perfected state.


    Anyway, now that she confirmed that Vincent is in control of his battle, she decided to just focus on eliminating most of the Master Magicians¡­


    With her fusion arts, no one could stop her as she abused her zing Meteor!


    Boom! Boom!


    Her fusion arts were truly destructive as their enemies scattered around and fled for their safety.


    ''Hmph! I guess there aren''t many rebels at Joran''s level, huh¡­'' Lesley sneered after seeing the chaos she just created.


    Previously, Joran managed to stop the same Fusion Art with a single earth element Mana Art. It was a huge blow for her since that technique could even kill dozens of Barbarians in a single shot.


    However, now that she saw how effective it was against the 10 Master Magicians, she finally regained her confidence as she continued her killing spree.


    ***


    The battle ended after 15 more minutes but some of the Savage Beasts decided to flee after their controllers were killed.


    In the meantime, Vincent stood in the spotlight during this battle. His performance was one of a kind since he was always filled with energy.


    "Incredible¡­ Does he have an unlimited amount of Mana? Wait, was that even Mana, it feels simr to Aura now that I think about it."


    "That''s true. But his continuous use of Iron Vines together with his movement techniques is suspicious."


    "It''s not suspicious. He''s just several times better than you all."


    "Haha! My bad¡­"


    "Well, I think it''s also because he has some decent Magic Tools. If we have those same tools, we''ll be able to perform simr actions as well."


    "No way! It''s the amount of his mana!"


    The others started discussing Vincent''s actions just now. Apparently, Vincent''s constant use of Ensnare Skill had truly helped everyone to deal with the wolves and serpents. He had maintained it for several minutes and no one would probably believe it if they haven''t seen it in action.


    After all, conjuring the iron vines, maintaining them, and then using mana to constrict its target would cost a lot of energy even with the aid of Magic Tools for swift application.


    During this time, they didn''t see Vincent drink a Mana Recovery Potion or pills with simr effects. It means that all of these actions were maintained by his own supply of mana! That is certainly an incredible feat!


    He doesn''t even look exhausted so it only means that Vincent still has plenty of mana reserves which is very surprising at his current age.


    They haven''t seen anyone from the younger generation capable of doing just that and Vincent is obviously the first.


    "Alright! Let''s leave this area¡­ Don''t bother with the corpses and the beasts'' cores¡­" Yulia said as she lead the group away from this ce.


    Because of their coordinated attack, there were no casualties on their side. There were only some minor injuries which were something even Yulia did not expect. The result was too good thanks to the efforts of some individuals who contributed a lot to this battle.


    ''Tara, Rem, Vincent¡­ Those three did not just fight but also protected those who are near them¡­ I really should bring him to the n no matter what¡­'' Yulia said as she also nced at Lesley.


    Seeing that Lesley was also looking at Vincent, Yulia couldn''t help but grin as she went to check the group of injured people they left far from the battlefield.


    This is where Laurent, the Adept Mage who had lost an arm, is resting together with the others.<sub> </sub>


    "I see that everyone is safe¡­" Laurent said with a smile as he looked at the cheerful faces of his fellow nsmen. He didn''t have to ask about the result of their battle just by seeing the atmosphere around them.


    "Hehe¡­ I told you not to worry, Uncle¡­ We have an advantageous position after all." Lesley replied as she approached Laurent.


    The group then continued on their journey and this time, they no longer had to force their horses to run faster and they traveled at a leisurely pace¡­


    After being in constant fear of being ambushed or getting chased by the enemies, they felt that it was fine to rx for a bit and regain their energies.


    "We''re here!" Romain shouted in front after seeing a vige ahead of them.


    Severin came to Vincent and exined what the vige signifies.


    "It''s the vige guarding the entrance of the Dungeon."


    "Oh¡­ Does the Zemin n not own this vige? Why it is not being targeted by the Rebels?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "Well, we contributed a bit when this vige was being built but we don''t rule this vige. The man guarding this ce is an Arch Knight called Calcifer so the rebels won''t attack this ce since they won''t be gaining that much here anyway¡­"


    "Really? Are the dungeon resources inside not good enough?"


    Vincent curiously asked. The first dungeon he entered with Tara had two ponds of serene water and some chambers where various herbs or medicinal nts could grow.


    In short, as long as they constantly clear the dungeon creatures inside, they could harvest a lot of resources and earn a stable ie.


    There should be a lot of organizations vying for the control of this dungeon.


    "Well, this dungeon was discovered three years ago and the only creatures inside are Cryptid Crawlers¡­ There are no other resources inside aside from their cores and their body parts. We''re also not allowed to take any nts growing there since they weren''t valuable and they are the crawler''s food¡­"


    "Cryptid Crawlers?" Vincent furrowed his brows as he tried to recall the information about these creatures.


    "Ahhh¡­ Aren''t they quite strong?" Vincent recalled that these creatures were hard to deal with since they move in groups and have incredible trapping techniques.


    "As long as you have Master Magicians who mastered the Fire Element, there shouldn''t be anything to worry about." Severin replied with confidence.


    Vincent also nodded at this since he knows that many of the members of the Zemin n had learned Fire Mana Arts.


    Soon, a group of people recognized their entourage as they opened the wooden gates of the vige.


    "Sir Romain, do you need a ce to rest and eat?" One of the guards asked after seeing Romain, one of the leaders of the younger generation of the Zemin n, lead the group inside the vige.


    "Yes! We''re also nning to sell these horses since they can''t be inside the dungeon."


    "Great! I will make arrangements immediately, please follow me!"


    Vincent observed the smooth trip inside the vige. They were brought to a ce where they could rest for a bit and have some meal before entering the dungeon.


    Furthermore, there are also a few shops within the vige where they could buy and repair weapons.


    He found it quite interesting seeing that there were many Unique Weapons in this ce¡­


    ''I guess you needed a high-quality weapon to explore the dungeon, huh¡­'' Vincent mused as he followed everyone else while Tara and Rem stood beside him.


    He then decided to purchase a map of the dungeon for a cheap price of 5 gold coins as he was a bit interested in this kind of ce.


    It appears quite bigger than the ones they''ve found and instead of going through various chambers, this dungeon has three floors instead.


    ''Every dungeon is indeed different¡­ I should try experiencing it myself some other time¡­'' Vincent thought since they will not be fully exploring the dungeon today and will be focusing on getting on the secret passage to arrive at the Zemin n''s territory.


    After an hour, their group finally decided to enter the dungeon¡­ It is connected to the huge wall of rocks in the mountain and like the previous dungeon, its entrance is emitting some strange energy.


    Everything finally went smoothly this time since they only used the first floor and only a few lurking Cryptid Crawlers were found¡­


    After two hours of navigation, they were able to safely arrive at the exit!


    They were finally at the Zemin n''s territory!

 Chapter 133 Zemin Clan ( 2 )

    Vincent wanted to celebrate with everyone else but he felt several strong mana fluctuations surrounding them.


    Of course, he didn''t panic and calmly observed the surroundings.


    They have actuallye out from arge tree but after looking at the ''door'' they''ve used, it was no longer there¡­ It seems that it can''t be used as an entrance or perhaps, there is a special method to open it again.


    Anyway, he didn''t think too much of it as he nced at their surroundings¡­ The tree was actually alone in the middle of arge field of white flowers.


    About 500 meters away from them, there seems to be a watchtower that has been observing them the moment they arrived.


    Soon, a group of people riding their ck horses weed them.


    "Elder Yulia¡­ You have finally arrived. We already know the situation and the Guardians were waiting for you."


    The man said filled with respect for the woman.


    "The Guardians? Are they all present?" She asked in return.


    "Yes, Elder¡­ The seven of them returned as soon as the Patriarch received the news about the multiple uprisings."


    "Multiple uprisings? Tell me more?"


    Vincent can tell that the armored man who had just arrived wasn''t just any normal guard. He has the bearing of a Knight and he can feel something familiar from him¡­


    ''Aura Knight?'' Vincent can''t be mistaken.


    Aside from his Grandfather and the Vige Chief, this is his first time seeing an Aura Knight!


    He has golden well-groomed hair neatly coiffured that reveals his thin, time-worn face. He has beady brown eyes and a tattoo resembling a small willow disyed just below his right eye.


    "Severin, do you know the name of that person?"


    "Hmm? He''s Sir Ludovic Zemin¡­ He''s the Fourth Sword of the n and an Aura Knight like you."


    Severin replied almost immediately.


    He probably expected Vincent to ask this question considering they are both Aura Knights.


    Vincent continued asking as he then learned that the n has Seven Guardians and Ten Swords. They are the n''s protectors andmanders¡­


    While the Seven Guardians came from the main branch or people who had Zemin n''s bloodline, the Ten Swords can be anyone who had entered the n and changed their surname to Zemin either through marriage, or adoption, or other methods.


    Vincent finally had a glimpse of how huge and powerful the Zemin n was.


    Of course, he also wanted to ask about the number of Celestial Beings they have but it is definitely not a good thing to ask such a secret.


    As they were walking to the encampment close to the tree portal, Vincent heard Yulia gasp. Everyone near them also had grave looks on their faces. It seems that they just heard a piece of terrible news.


    "What''s going on, Tara?" Vincent asked.


    "That blond guy just reported that the Revolutionary Army revealed their strongest Numbered Celestial Being¡­" Tara paused for a moment before she continued.


    "Number Nine¡­"


    Vincent took a deep breath after hearing this.


    ? ''No wonder¡­''


    Vincent can still recall how Marin, the Celestial Rank 202, heavily injured Tara and Rem even without possessing any Celestial Weapon or Armor at all. Perhaps, if that Celestial continued attacking, these two would have copsed and defeated that day.


    However, Marin was unaware of their rank and couldn''t properly gauge their strength because of their armor¡­ So fleeing at that time can also be considered a good option.


    "Does the Royal Family has a Celestial Being that could match that?" Vincent asked. He''s already pretty much aware that only a Celestial Being can defeat another Celestial Being.


    Although there were rumors that Grand Knights can fight a Celestial as well, defeating them is not simr¡­


    "We''re unsure¡­ but it''s possible since  Royal Family hasn''t really revealed the ranks of the Celestial Beings contracted to them and remained a mystery. But we can at least confirm a few in their ranks has two numbers..."


    "Two numbers?" Vincent repeated. He wasn''t too sure about the difference in the strength of single number and double numbered Celestial Beings. Nevertheless, he can still tell that those with a single number should be incredibly strong based on Tara and Rem''s words.


    "Yes. However, therge ns and sects that are supporting the rebels also have Celestial Beings at the same level so the Royal Family should be at a disadvantage at this point."


    "Haa~ Are we going to get implicated at this?


    "Most likely. Lady Yulia probably realized this as well¡­ Even if the Royal Family can bring multiple Celestial Beings to fight, this will only lead to a Celestial War and this kingdom would only suffer. This is probably why the Seven Guardians and the Ten Swords of the n were being summoned to the main house."


    Severin exined¡­ Vincent hasn''t paid too much attention to the civil war going on within the kingdom before. He previously thought that once one of them won, the king will either retain his power or there will be a new king that would indulge in his newfound fame and glory as he will reward the people who supported him and punish those who didn''t.<sub> </sub>


    It wouldn''t affect him that much.


    However, once he really got connected to the Zemin n, it would obviously change.


    Vincent remained silent all this while as their boarded the carriages prepared by the Ludovic''s men¡­


    ***


    Inside one of the carriages where Yulia, Ludovic, and Lesley are gathered, a small crystal ball was in their midst emitting a faint blue light.


    Furthermore, there is an aged voiceing from that crystal.


    "It was unfortunate but it wasn''t anyone''s fault. Grand Knight France is getting too greedy¡­ We can also use this as an excuse to stop sending support to the royal family. I will exin further once the both of you had gotten here."


    Yulia nodded as she replied.


    "Yes, n Head¡­ There is also some matter I''d like to ry, it''s about¡ª"


    "You''ll be arriving here in a couple of hours, that can wait."


    "I understand¡­" Yulia can only wryly smile at this as she was unable to mention anything about Vincent.


    Anyway, she can only keep the crystal in her pocket after it lost its brilliance.


    Lesley was also visibly frustrated after seeing this. Well, she was expecting to hear her father''s denial or confirmation about the prenatal engagement after all. But just like what he said, they can indeed talk about it after arriving at the main house.


    "Right, who was the Aura Knight with you just now?" Ludovic finally asked. He ignored Vincent a while ago since there is a more important matter he had to discuss with Yulia.


    Now that it''s settled, he could no longer contain his curiosity and asked. Vincent looked so young after all!


    Though he also looked young, he was already 41 years old when he achieved 3-Star Aura Knight!


    ***


    Time quickly passed as Vincent enjoyed the scene of the peaceful territory of the Zemin n from his carriage.


    There were clean rivers, lush forests, farnds, viges, and travelers that they have passed by.


    Although it was quite hot on the scorching midsummer day, Vincent still saw a group of youths practicing some kind of martial skill in the Zemin n Main Courtyard''s martial training yard.


    That''s right, Vincent has already entered the Zemin n''s estate.


    Vincent could hear the youths around his age roar with high spirits.


    "Haa!"


    With a strong puff of an exhaled breath, they struck the air in front of them with their fist as it created a sound...


    Vincent couldn''t help but remember the Silent Toad Fist that Kiefer used to kill the real owner of this body


    It was also a martial skill albeit at the lowest grade.


    Anyway, Vincent was brought to a guest room since his matters haven''t been discussed with the n Head yet. Well, it''s quite understandable because of the crisis they were currently at.


    If they made a wrong move, it could be the end of their n so they must''ve been busy thinking of what method they could use to preserve their n amidst the rebellion led by the Grand Knight.


    As Vincent was thinking of passing his time by enhancing his items, a servant of the n came to him.


    "Sir Vincent, the third young master is calling for you. He told me to lead you to the Martial Training Ground."


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent looked at the young female servant. She appears to be at his age and was definitely someone who has achieved Mana Baptism as well. She should have a bright future ahead if she trained well but she''s only a servant here within the Zemin n.


    "Who is the third young master?"


    Although Vincent knows that Lesley has siblings, he has no idea about their names.


    "He is Silverio Zemin, Sir Vincent. The fourth young master is also there and his name is Tyrell." The female servant exined understanding that Vincent barely knows anything about the n.


    "I see. Do you know why they were calling for me?" Vincent asked cautiously. Well, if he went along with the arrangement, he could be his brother-inw after all.


    ''Have they heard the news and wanted to know about me?'' Vincent mused. He doesn''t really know what was going on right now since Yulia and Lesley seem to have forgotten to ry some news to him.

 Chapter 134 Zemin Clan ( 3 )

    "What should we do to him?" Silverio asked his younger brother, Tyrell.


    "We just need to teach him a lesson. Breaking his arm and making him grovel on our feet should be just fine." Tyrell replied with a cruel smile.


    Both of them have lean figures for their age and have simr characteristics to Lesley. They have dark hair and grey eyes.


    However, their grey eyes were definitely not as beautiful as Lesley''s eyes. It looks like itcks vitalitypared to her.


    "Hmmm¡­ Are you sure that he would agree to a duel? Everything will be useless if he doesn''t agree to fight."


    "It''s fine, I heard that he wasn''t focused on practicing mana and doesn''t know any Elemental Mana Arts without magic tools. He was only focused on his soul cultivation and calling himself an Aura Knight. As a young Aura Knight, we only need to ask him to prove his skills¡­"


    "What? Haha! I thought he''s already a Master Magician. He''s probably just starting to cultivate his soul. What could a beginner like him do?" Silverio finally smiled.


    All Soul Cultivators are proud of themselves even if they haven''t be a 1-Star Aura Knight yet. It means that taunting Vincent into battle shouldn''t be a problem for them.


    "Right, all of them always want to prove that they''re stronger than mana practitioners. We''ll just make him suffer a bit so he''ll know his ce and leave this ce." Tyrell chuckled as well as they waited for Vincent to arrive.


    The training ground they were at wasn''t empty.


    There were a few people that are training their martial skills but there is still enough space where they could fight against Vincent.


    "He''s here¡­ The one coveting our little sister¡­" Tyrell looked at Vincent hatefully.


    They immediately greeted him with a fake smile on their faces as they started to ask about his skill level without his magic tools. They reasoned that they were curious as Lesley''s older brothers.


    "I have learned a bit of Tier 1 Mana Arts. Unfortunately, I haven''t learned any Tier 2 Mana Arts." Vincent replied honestly.


    This is something very easy to find out after all. As a matter of fact, everyone who had seen him in a fight probably noticed this as well.


    Of course, Silverio and Tyrell were a bit surprised since they thought that he should at least know Tier 2 Mana Arts!


    ''So he''s really just relying on his items in battle, huh¡­''


    ''What a terrible talent¡­ And you''re still thinking of marrying our sister? Wishful thinking!'' Tyrell and Silverio thought as they hid their disdain.


    Well, they didn''t want to scare Vincent away since he might not ept the duel if they came to him too aggressively.


    "Oh~ It''s already impressive since you do not have the support of arge n unlike the two of us¡­" Tyrell replied with a sneer on his face.


    "Anyway, we''d like to experience the battle techniques of the people outside the n¡­ Would you mind if we exchange a few moves?" Silverio asked.


    Vincent tilted his head as he thought for a moment. He found this sudden suggestion unusual. Furthermore, he also noticed something else.


    "You don''t have experience fighting someone outside the n? That''s weird, Lesley is younger than the two of you but she''s already fighting to prevent Barbarian Invasion¡­"


    These were his real thoughts. He can tell that these two were older than Lesley. Shouldn''t they participate with the defense? Why were they left here? They were supposed to be the ones leading the elites of their n and not a fifteen-year-old Master Magician, right?


    "Hmph¡­ We would''ve gone there as well if we didn''t go to the Decadence Soul Temple."


    "Decadence Soul Temple?" This was the first time Vincent heard of such a temple.


    "Yes! It''s a ce of trial¡­ A ce where you won''t evenst for ten breaths..."


    Silverio said as he immediately paused as if he recalled something. Tyrell was the same as he looked at his brother.


    "Do you want to try it?" The two asked at the same time.


    Vincent wasn''t an idiot so he knows how suspicious these two were acting. However, he still decided to be led by them.


    "What''s this temple all about?" Vincent asked. He also couldn''t help but smile as they seem to have forgotten how they wanted to duel him just a while ago.


    "It''s just another type of training ground¡­ Your body may not enter but your mind will¡­ Any injury you incur inside will not affect you after you''re done."


    Silverio said with excitement. However, with their evil smile, Vincent can obviously tell that they were hiding something so he asked.


    "Are there any side effects after entering?"<sub> </sub>


    "Nothing really¡­ You might just feel a little dizzy but that''s all." Tyrell hastily replied.


    "However, you will benefit from it since it can help you train your soul as well. For Aura Knight like you, this is a huge opportunity. Would you like to try it now? I can guarantee you that nothing bad will happen. You can just experience it for a bit and you won''t lose anything." Silverio said.


    They were really doing their best to have him try it.


    Vincent felt that this is some kind of trap already. However, he still decided to ask a few more questions before he agreed.


    He was finally brought by the two grinning brothers in front of the Decadence Soul Temple. It was just a small building guarded by a couple of guards and Vincent didn''t find the ce majestic at all.


    It was like some old building simr to the other ones outside.


    Without the signboard outside, Vincent would probably just ignore this building.


    "Young masters¡­ You''ve juste out of the hall, you will try it again?"


    "No wonder our Zemin n is prospering to this date, our young masters are diligent and hard-working."


    The two guards didn''t forget to praise the two. It wasn''t surprising that they have such an attitude considering their position in the n.


    Anyway, Vincent was surprised that they aren''t questioning his presence at all.


    ''Perhaps they thought that I was their servant or something?'' Vincent thought.


    As he was invited inside the building, Vincent noticed in the corner of his eyes that Tara was indeed following him silently.


    He smiled at this as that should be enough for his backup n. He then entered the building to see what this temple is all about.


    Ever since he had gotten near, he already felt something unusual and he couldn''t point it out.


    ***


    Inside arge meeting hall, the top figures of the Zemin n were having a heated discussion to ensure the survival of their n no matter who took the crown.


    Some of them wanted to secretly give offerings to Duke France to ensure that even if he became the ruler of the kingdom, they wouldn''t get too affected.


    However, it was opposed immediately after learning about the deaths of many young elites of the n.


    Furthermore, the Duke''s revolutionary army had allied with the Barbarians! Although only a small portion of barbarians was seen and not a single Barbarian King was confirmed to have allied with them, it doesn''t change the fact that the Duke has a method tomunicate with them and make transactions!


    Many of them had their rtives killed by the Barbarians, so they didn''t consider giving any peace offerings to the Grand Knight at all.


    In the end, they can only trust the Royal Family to win. After all, even though the Zemin n is powerful, they do not have a single Grand Magus!


    Of course, they do have a couple of Grand Knights as well but they were certainly not a match to Duke France who was rumored to have reached the fifth or the peak stage of the rank.


    The Grand Knights of their n were only at the first stage after all!


    "Fine¡­ We will leave it at that. However, I have also decided to contact the ck Tower in case we need to leave this country."


    At the n Head''s final words, everyone couldn''t help but be stunned. ck Tower is an organization outside of this country! If they truly have to leave, it would be a difficult start for them who had all the riches and prosperousnd in this kingdom!


    To think that their n Head was actually willing to do this just for the survival of their n, they couldn''t help but reevaluate the danger of having a new king allied with Barbarians.


    "I do not believe that France will stay to his promise of following the rules of the Celestial Beings. He''s only doing it right now to ensure that the other ns and organizations won''t be sending their Celestial Beings. Once they defeated the strong ones in the capital, they wouldn''t want any other organization to have a Celestial Being¡­"


    His words have hidden meanings¡­ It is likely that France would take or eliminate their Celestial Beings once he has control of the capital!


    This sudden revtion was something they didn''t want to happen.


    They do not have any Celestial that could fight a single number or even a double number at all! If the enemy truly utilized the Celestial Beings as they wished, they would be doomed for sure.


    Even if the contractor of the Celestial Being loses a lot of Blood Essence and suffers irrevocable damages or even death, they probably wouldn''t care at all!

 Chapter 135 Altar

    After Vincent entered the Decadence Soul Temple, he saw an altar made of ck stone inside. On its two sides were tworge stone bs made of dark purple stone.


    There were no texts or inscriptions on it at all. However, Vincent could tell that they were unordinary.


    Anyway, Vincent already received instructions on what to do¡­ Silverio gave him another small stone that is supposedly an item that would connect him to the Mind Training Ground. Since this stone can only be used for a limited amount of time, they have decided to just give it as a gift not needing to be returned.


    He then found a seat like the other two. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed and held the stone in between his hands like he was about to meditate.


    However, he was doing something else.


    "Appraise..."


    [ Damaged Memory Connection Stone ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 5/50


    Number of Usages Avable: 1/6


    Mind rity ( Disabled ): A passive ability that helps the user clear their mind and defend against mental attacks.


    Description: A heavily damaged stone connected to a specific Memory Stone. After usage, the item will be shattered and damage the soul of the user. The passive ability can''t be used until the item is repaired.


    Remarks: Usage number will increase by 1 in every sessful enhancement. ]


    ''So that''s how it is, huh¡­'' Vincent finally understood their intention.


    "Are you sure you wanted to give this to me?" He asked the two onest time.


    "Yes! That''s yours! We already have ours. We won''t renege on our promise. Anyway, that item is quite useless outside this building so our n wouldn''t think too much of it even if you tell them that you just pick it up somewhere on the road." Silverio replied.


    Vincent nodded as it was indeed noted in the description that the small stone is only connected to a specific Memory Stone. It means that it has no other uses just like what he said.


    Nevertheless, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    They actually wanted to pull a prank on him. They obviously do not have an intention to kill him but only to suffer a bit. Even if he got injured by the two and was known by the n, they wouldn''t receive punishment at all. Even if they will, it will just probably be a light punishment like staying in their room for a day or something.


    Furthermore, they know that he is a Soul Cultivator so even if his soul was damaged, they believe that he would still be able to repair it after some time.


    He couldn''t help but be thankful for his Appraisal Ability.


    "Vincent¡­ Are you nervous? You can try and connect to the stone now¡­ Time flows very slowly in that ce and you can use that ce to train. Hurry up."


    Tyrell excitedly urged him up but Vincent only gave a mysterious smile and continued with his n. They weren''t pulling a harmless prank on him so he made sure to remember this incident.


    ''Enhance!''


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    [ Damaged Memory Connection Stone +1 ]


    Vincent sneered as he confirmed that the number of users increased by 1 as well. Obviously, he wouldn''t stop here as he continued enhancing until he reached a failure.


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    ¡­


    [ Enhancement Sessful! ]


    [ Enhancement Failure! ]


    [ Damaged Memory Connection Stone +9 ]


    Since Vincent''s Item Enhancement Skill has already reached level 9, he was now barely encountering failure during +6 and above.


    However, reaching +10 will always not be easy. He has to give up on that for now.


    Furthermore, as its name implies, it is still a damaged one. Although it will no longer shatter after using it once it is still very fragile at the moment and idents can happen.


    Because of that, Vincent decided to use his other skill to ensure that their prank won''t work on him.


    ''Ascend¡­''


    [ Ascension Failure. ]


    [ Ascension Failure. ]


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    Vincent had almost broken intoughter after seeing that the ascension seeded after three tries¡­<sub> </sub>


    He was about to appraise the item but he suddenly received a series of notifications!


    [ Item Ascension Skill Level has increased by 1. ]


    [ You have increased the level of your Ascension Skill for the first time. ]


    [ You have received 1 Transcendence Card and 1 Orichalcum Ore ]


    Vincent''s eyes went wide after seeing this reward. He didn''t expect that increasing the level of his Ascension Skill for the first time would give him such a reward.


    Furthermore, it is the clue for the third stage of his Awakening System!


    That''s right! This is definitely a clue that he received from the system.


    ''Ahh¡­ Now that I think about it, this is the pattern of the system¡­''


    Vincent finally recalled that when his only skill was just the Item Enhancement Skill from the system, he received a single Ascension Card after leveling the skill for the very first time!


    Then after the Item Enhancement Skill level reached 9, he received the Item Ascension Skill.


    Now, it happened again.


    He leveled up the Item Ascension Skill for the first time so he received the Transcendence Card. It means that if he leveled his Ascension Skill to 9, he would most likely learn the Transcendence Skill!


    That is certainly not a coincidence.


    His hands trembled as he ignored Silverio who wanted him to activate the stone immediately. He first used the appraise skill on the card. Anyway, they can''t see what he was doing.


    [ Transcendence Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that helps any targeted item to receive skill and guaranteed new attribute.


    Remarks: Only Pseudo-Legendary and the above item can receive a new Skill. Only a 1-Time Item Random Skill can ignore the rank of an item. ]


    ''Incredible!'' Vincent couldn''t help but suck a breath of cold air after reading this. He finally had a good outlook on his system.


    Item Enhancement Skill increases the existing attributes and durability.


    Item Ascension Skill increases the rank and overall quality of the item. It also had a small chance of getting new attributes in the process which is why his Silver Ruin Dagger and other items have new attributes now.


    Item Transcendence Skill, on the other hand, would grant the item a new ability and guaranteed a new attribute in the process!


    As for the restrictions, that only pseudo-legendary and above can ept the transcendence, he wasn''t worried about that at all.


    Vincent also couldn''t but smile after recalling the 1-Time Item Random Skill that he used before which allowed his previously Unique-Rank Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane to get the Ensnare Skill.


    It was a pity that he no longer receive such an overpowered card but this Transcendence Card is surely something he would look forward to.


    ''Alright¡­ It should be about time¡­''


    After calming his breath and confirming that the Memory Connection Stone in his hands is no longer ''damaged'' after a sessful ascension, Vincent finally decided to check what benefits he could get inside the ck stone or the altar


    He closed his eyes and poured his Pseudo Celestial Energy into the stone and soon, his consciousness entered the altar as Silverio and Tyrell expected.


    "He entered!" Silverio shouted in delight as soon as he saw Vincent''s energy fluctuation be dormant. This signifies that he already triggered the small stone''s connection.


    "Hehe! Let''s wait and see what kind of reaction he''ll make." Tyrellugh seeing that their n was sessful.


    "Wait¡­ Shouldn''t we leave, what if he started attacking us?"


    "Are you afraid? He hasn''t even learned Tier 2 Mana Arts! He''ll also be injured!"


    "T-that''s true¡­ But this is still the temple¡­" Silverio replied with a frown. He still wanted to respect this ce and not make it a real battleground.


    Tyrell paused for a moment but he still shook his head. He is determined to humiliate Vincent today as he exined the situation to Silverio.


    Apparently, Tyrell wanted Lesley to marry his friend. Furthermore, he promised his friend that he''ll help him at all costs but in exchange, he will receive special potions to further his sess in developing his Tier 4 Mana Arts.


    "We can''t let this ignorant countryside man get close to Lesley¡­ Do you want your eyes to stay like that?! We have to ept we don''t have great talent. We need outside help. I hate theseckluster grey eyes! I need toplete my Mystic Eye!" Tyrell said filled with conviction.


    Even though he wasn''t the oldest here, he was more intelligent than Silverio.


    Anyway, their eyes were actually grey because they are developing Tier 4 Mana Arts! That''s right, the Zemin n doesn''t only possess the extremely difficult Darkness Eye of Yulia but they also have other Mystic Eyes that only those with pure bloodline can try and practice!


    ***


    While the two were arguing about their method to humiliate Vincent, thetter already found himself in a difficult situation.


    He was invited here as he was told that it could temper his soul. Something that would surely benefit him as an Aura Knight.


    After all, there is a limit on the method that his grandfather had given him.


    However, as soon as he connected to the stone, he saw the familiar image of the female goddess that he has been using for his Visualization Method to empower his soul!


    He thought that nothing would go wrong but the seductive blonde goddess, who is barely wearing her white robe, moved and attacked his eyes.

 Chapter 136 Blind

    The ce Vincent has entered appears to be cloudy. It was as if they were standing on top of a skyscraper where the female goddess was living.


    Nevertheless, before he could even enjoy the scenery he was already attacked without any words.


    Vincent wanted to dodge her attack as he tried to use his Shrouded Steps to retreat.


    Unfortunately, he found himself unable to move as he stood frozen on his spot! He could only watch the beautiful female goddess poke his eyes!


    He heard her whisper some words but before he could understand her, he felt his eyes being burned!


    "Aaaahhhh!!"


    Vincent could not endure a single second as cried in pain. Then, he felt another sensation that his eyes were destroyed! He could no longer think straight as he wailed in sorrow!


    He could not see anything! There wasplete darkness and he knows that he has be blind!


    "What did you to me?!"


    Perhaps, because Vincent''s Aura is already at 3-Star and his pain tolerance was quite incredible, he managed to collect himself¡­


    ''Right, Silverio said that once I finished the trial here, all the injuries I suffered here will not be taken to my original body¡­ That''s right! This is just a dream! No, a nightmare!''


    Vincent convinced himself.


    ''That felt too realistic but it can''t be true¡­''


    If this happened before he activated the small stone, he would probably go crazy after losing his eyesight. However, after recalling the rules of this imaginary world, Vincent found a trace of hope as he assessed his situation.


    Unfortunately, nothing happened even after waiting for five minutes¡­


    He heard that this is a ce of trial, but what happened? Is this all about removing his vision? Since the other members of the Zemin n were also training here, there must be something more¡­


    However, he''s unsure what to do from here.


    He continuously called out for someone but in the end, there was no one responding to his calls.


    "What now?" Vincent has no idea what to do.


    He thought for a moment before he finally recalled that the goddess had whispered something to his ears before she poked his eyes.


    "Therees a day when what''s shrouded is revealed, the exiled one shall usher forth the beginning of a new era."


    Vincent repeated the words that he just heard from the goddess.


    ''A riddle? No, this sounds like a prophecy¡­'' He mused after analyzing the words.


    As he was thinking of this, he felt that his surroundings started rumbling¡­ It was as if the imaginary ce was going to copse. There were even violent fluctuations of energying from everywhere¡­


    As he was unable to see anything that is going on, he couldn''t help but feel nervous. He suddenly lost his bnce as he fell to the ground¡­


    However, before he could do something, another sensation upied his mind¡­ The pressure that could temper his soul has finally manifested¡­


    "Ugh¡­ Isn''t this a bit too much?" Vincent was shocked as the pressure almost made him vomit some blood. He gritted his teeth as he tried to endure as much as he can.


    He was already a 3-Star Aura Knight with a strong soul! However, this pressure is still too difficult for him! How could those non-soul cultivatorsst in here?!


    It felt like something was wrong but he couldn''t point it out.


    As he was thinking of this, several breaths passed. As soon as he felt that he could notst any longer, he decided to just sumb to his death and return to the real world.


    After that, he would surely ask Yulia about this Decadence Soul Temple and what should really be done here¡­


    ***


    A few moments ago, as soon as Vincent''s consciousness entered the altar to ''temper'' his soul, Tara rushed inside ignoring the surprised guards and the two young masters of the Zemin n.


    She arrived beside Vincent and assessed his situation¡­


    "W-who are you?!" Tyrell shouted¡­ He wanted to be angry at the woman but as soon as he saw how beautiful she was, his heart softened a little as he quickly changed the tone of his voice.


    "Ehem, don''t be worried¡­ Vincent was only training. We have done this several times. He should quickly regain his consciousness¡­


    "Young Master! Be careful!" The two guards finally acted as they raised their weapons and pointed at Tara.<sub> </sub>


    "Stop! She''s just our guest''s servant¡­ No, perhaps a rtive?" Tyrell wasn''t sure. Anyway, he didn''t panic as he was fully aware of the situation.


    However, the woman just kept ignoring them not thinking of correcting him as she observed Vincent with furrowed brows.


    On the other hand, Silverio remainedposed and scolded Tara.


    "Hey! You''re not allowed to enter this ce without our permission. If you have time to worry for your master, you should first worry about yourself!" Silverio said as he moved forward thinking of beating up Tara.


    To be honest, Silverio and Tyrell were already surprised that the small stone didn''t shatter after Vincent triggered it.


    Did they mistake their count? They were sure that it only has one usage left and shouldn''t be used anymore until it was repaired¡­


    They wanted to take Vincent''s small stone to inspect it immediately. However, as he was about to act, a group of people starteding to the temple.


    Themotion Tara made seemed to have caught everyone''s attention.


    Silverio and Tyrell''s faces paled as soon as they saw the iing people¡­


    "F-father! I mean¡ªn Head!'' Silverio nervously called out. However, his eyes weren''t directed at his father but at the two purple robe women behind the group! He was sure that those two were Celestial Beings! Why would theye here?!


    Tyrell was also surprised at this but he immediately calmed down seeing that his uncle was included in the group of people that has just arrived.


    "Greetings, Elders and n Head¡­ We''re sorry for causing such amotion on this important day." Tyrell said as he did his best not to sound very nervous.


    He silently counted the mistakes they made as he wanted to know what kind of punishment he will get.


    First, they invited Vincent inside the temple without permission. Although it''s not that strict to enter the temple, an elder should at least be informed about this.


    In addition, they also made another mistake by giving Vincent a faulty connection stone. That''s right, if they saw that it was faulty, they will surely realize that they were trying to harm Vincent''s soul.


    Furthermore, they also allowed the female servant to destroy the temple''s door and enter the building!


    Lastly, they have actually stopped training just to teach Vincent a lesson!


    Apparently, they learned about Vincent thanks to the loyal servants who had been rying the news to them. So after learning about Lesley and Vincent''s circumstances, they went out of their training and decided to bring Vincent here!


    "What''s going on to Vincent?" Yulia calmly asked.


    She''s the one who brought Vincent here so she''s the most concerned about his situation. Of course, she can tell that Vincent has connected to the Decadence Soul Altar but something feels off about the situation.


    The altar was pulsating with energy stronger than they have ever seen. Vincent''s breathing was also not normal for people who had connected to it.


    "We just invited Vincent to try the trial after he expressed his interest in it¡­ Since we have a spare Connection Stone and we heard how he save our little sister, we decided to give him a chance to take the trial¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ We heard that he was an Aura Knight and never tried this kind of training so we let him try¡­"


    The two immediately exined. Although there were many holes in their story, it didn''t matter right now as they observed Vincent''s condition.


    "Tara, is there something wrong with Vincent? The Decadence Soul Trial shouldn''t take that long¡­ The shortest will be ten breaths but the longest should only be an hour as the time flows differently there." Yulia asked.


    "Five minutes had already passed¡­" Tara answered.


    This was the first time she spoke and Tyrell couldn''t help but be mesmerized by her angelic voice.


    "The two of you need to be punished¡­ Third Elder, I will trouble you¡­" The n Head spoke.


    He has ck wavy hair that gently hangs over his strong, frowning face. He obviously didn''t like the situation.


    "Miss Tara, the young boy shouldn''t be in any danger. His consciousness should be undergoing some trial right now. However, my two sons have probably omitted what kind of trial he will be facing so he won''t be achieving much. But that''s for the better since he shouldn''tst there for long so you won''t have to worry. Anyway, he can try againter once we''ve educated him about this trial¡­"


    The n Head exined politely. Obviously, he was already informed by Yulia that Vincent was somehow connected with two Celestial Beings and Tara was one of them. It means that she deserves deferential treatment.


    He''s also aware that Vincent''sst name was Kayser! Right now, the only thing he wanted to do is to get a sample of Vincent''s blood to confirm his identity and connection with the Star Garden Sect.


    However, as they were starting to leave the Temple, Vincent finally regained consciousness.


    This is a piece of good news but Vincent''s words confused them¡­


    "Am I back? Why is it still dark?"

 Chapter 137 Result

    The news about Vincent bing blind shocked everyone. Not only those who knew him but also the entire Zemin n Estate.


    After all, this happened inside the Decadence Soul Temple which is supposedly a harmless training hall!


    Furthermore, it was also confirmed that Vincent was actually a descendant of the fallen Kayser n who had established the previously Eastern Guardian, the Star Garden Sect!


    Many doctors and alchemists tried to cure Vincent''s eye but none of them worked. Even some miraculous elixirs were rendered useless!


    He was supposedly here to enter the n by marrying Lesley after the Patriarch made a prenatal engagement with the Kayser n¡­ However, Vincent had unfortunately be blind to a harmless temple.


    Many people within the estate just couldn''t understand how it happened.


    Various kinds of rumors started appearing like how the Patriarch didn''t really like the engagement that was made so he blinded Vincent with the help of his two sons.


    There were also rumors that the Decadence Soul Altar became cursed so no one has been allowed to try and test it again.


    Three weeks after Vincent became blind, a group of people was now in front of the ck altar¡­


    They now have found ''sacrifices'' to take the trial and see whether the next users will indeed be blinded like Vincent.


    There were two nervous servants who will be trying the trial today. They had been promised that whatever happened to them, their families would be secured within the n and that they will receive a huge sum of money.


    As soon as they connected, theysted for ten breaths and returnedpletely fine¡­


    "We''re safe!"


    "Y-yes! But, there was no trial¡­"


    The two celebrated but the news they brought stunned the n again.


    The trial seems to have disappeared and the altar became just a normal Memory Stone where you could see bits of memories of the stone for ten breaths. There was no timepression or trials at all.


    This news greatly troubled the elders of the n. Their Zemin n has been using this Altar to temper the souls of their younger generation.


    Although there are other methods they could use, this is considered to be one of the best in the kingdom as it ispletely safe even without having the inheritance of an Aura Knight.


    Unfortunately, now that the Decadence Soul Temple became useless, they could no longer benefit from its trial, and became a thing of the past.


    Today, Divine Doctor Ji had also arrived within the Zemin n Estate¡­ He was previously nning to reject their invitation but after learning that it was Vincent who needed the treatment, he decided to stop taking a break and hurried to the Zemin n''s territory.


    Three hours after the old man came to see Vincent, he came out of the patient''s room while shaking his head¡­ He was exhausted as he had his mana drained as well. It had obviously been difficult to diagnose Vincent.


    "It''s impossible for me¡­ This isn''t just a physiology issue but something else that I do not know."


    The old man who was basically thest ray of hope for Vincent failed.


    At this point, no one is thinking that Vincent could ever recover.


    Right now, Silverio and Tyrell who had instigated Vincent in the first ce were still under punishment and couldn''t even leave their rooms. After hearing that Vincent''s condition didn''t improve even after the Divine Doctor looked into him, they became frustrated as well. After all, their punishment would most likely not end for a long time.


    In addition, they felt that Tara and Rem have been observing their every movement! They were already aware that those two weren''t servants or rtives but Celestial Beings that were most likely contracted to Vincent!


    Unless the n''s Celestial Beings protected them, there was no way they could survive if those two attacked them in a fit of anger!


    ***


    "Father¡­ What''s going to happen to our engagement?" Lesley asked his father with anxious eyes. She has been worried about it for quite a while and she only had the courage to ask about this now.<sub> </sub>


    They were currently within the n Head''s office as he seems to be busy reading various documents on his table.


    "Don''t worry, my daughter. I won''t be marrying you to a blind man. The Kayser n is no more so it''s not necessary for the marriage to continue." Leon said as he looked lovingly at his daughter.


    Although Vincent has two Celestial Beings following him, they weren''t too worried about this since they have Number Celestials on their own. Anyway, it''s not like they will make a move if they didn''t acknowledge the prenatal engagement.


    Perhaps, if Vincent has value, he would really consider it and allow Lesley to marry him.


    However, not only was he blind now, but he was also a low-grade talent as a Mana Practitioner. He hasn''t even learned Tier 2 Mana Arts. Although he is still a 3-Star Aura Knight, it was probably just because he inherited something from the Kayser n that allowed him to do so.


    Of course, it doesn''t mean that they will treat him badly. It still doesn''t change the fact that Vincent had truly assisted them during the invasion and his potion that could counter the Barbarian Poison had helped a lot of their people as well.


    In the end, Vincent is allowed to be treated as a special guest of the n. But entering the n through marriage is close to impossible as the other prestigious ns would surelyugh at them and mock their foolishness.


    Leon, the Patriarch of the n, wouldn''t like that to happen.


    "Whew¡­ Thank you, father¡­ I will leave now. I''m thinking of going to the Bamboo Field to train my Mystic Eye." Lesley heaved a sigh of relief as she left her father''s room with a smile on her face. She didn''t even wait for Leon to answer as the door closed with a bam.


    She was obviously happy at her father''s decision. Although Lesley''s heart wavered when Vincent saved her from Joran, she has already calmed down, especially after seeing Vincent''s situation.


    Seeing how he had be invalid, she felt sad at first then it turned into pity. Her budding feelings for him dissipated as she saw him lose his mind.


    Apparently, Vincent couldn''t ept that he became blind as he would always scream, wail in anguish, throw something, and even injure himself in the past few days.


    Of course, she wasn''t too surprised that Vincent would act like this since she also didn''t know how she would act if she became blind. What she was surprised is that Vincent hasn''tmitted suicide yet.


    In this world that is filled with danger and ruled by the strong, being blind is an extremely difficult situation. Perhaps killing yourself would be for the best so your rtives would no longer have to suffer for you.


    But that doesn''t matter to her anymore. She decided to be more proficient with her Mystic Eye so she won''t ever suffer like this.


    As soon as Lesley left the n''s Estate, a beautiful woman with ck and silver hair looked at her departing figure with her serene eyes.


    "Rem¡­ What are you doing here?"


    A man called out to the woman as she shifted her gaze and looked at the doctor in front of him.


    "Severin¡­ Nothing. Thank you for continuously helping Vincent even with his situation."


    "Ha! Of course! I''m sure Vincent will calm down after a while. I know a few patients that have be blind, as long as they have someone with them and realized that they could live even without being able to see, he would not give up in his life."


    "Hmm¡­ I hope so." Rem replied as the two carried their luggage as they headed towards Vincent''s courtyard.


    "Anyway, he''s a 3-Star Aura Knight. It means that he has learned Soul Sense and Domain¡­ That would at least help him get used to his surroundings. Let''s just give him some time." Severin added.


    This is what indeed happened as they stuck together with Vincent and waited until he epted the reality.


    One day, Vincent decided to do something as he requested various materials to be brought to him before locking himself in his room. At this point, he only allowed Rem, Tara, Severin, and Yulia to visit him from time to time to check his condition and a maidservant to deliver his necessities.


    It has been four days since Vincent locked himself in his room. During this time, he had probably obtained thousands of items with him. It includes raw materials, potions, weapons, talismans, Mana Arts Manuals, pills, and random things.


    Of course, he didn''t obtain these items for free as he spent his money to have them purchased with the help of the estate''s chief steward together with Rem who had wanted to go out from time to time.


    A crate of mana crystals was spent for all of this.


    As for the result of his closed-door seclusion, aside from Vincent, only Tara and Rem were aware of it.

 Chapter 138 Engraved

    After losing his eyesight, Vincent has bepletely different as he was unable to ept what happened to him.


    In the first few weeks, he thought that he was still inside the Memory Stone''s Trial.


    He thought that once hepleted it, he would be able to regain his eyesight and that his consciousness hadn''te out of it yet.


    Even if Tara and the others came to his side, he thought that it was just part of the trial and didn''t think too much of it¡­


    However, it didn''t take long before he realized that he has really be blind at this point as depression took over him. Many doctors tried to help him but none of them could cure him.


    It wasn''t just his eyesight that was taken but his direction in life. What could he do without eyesight?


    It wasn''t until Divine Doctor Ji came to him and said a few words about his vision being cursed. It wasn''t because he has an injury or an illness but it was something else beyond him.


    Vincent finally recalled the goddess''s words before she impaled his eyes with her fingers¡­


    "Therees a day when what''s shrouded is revealed, the exiled one shall usher forth the beginning of a new era."


    He wasn''t sure about this riddle or perhaps a prophecy¡­ However, he felt that it should be connected to the loss of his eyesight.


    Nevertheless, what truly allowed him to see a ray of hope was his Item Awakening System.


    That''s right, he realized that even if he was blind, as soon as he triggered his system skills, he will still be able to see the status window giving him light in the darkness he was in.


    Thanks to that, even though it took him quite a while, he was able to slowly adapt to his situation and learn a few things.


    With this in mind, he started his level grinding.


    He''s nning to collect a lot of experience to push his Enhancement Skill to Level 10 while his Ascendance Skill to Level 9 so he can hopefully get the Transcendence Skill.


    Anyway, it''s not like he has other options to do after bing blind.


    Practicing hisbat skills right now is not a good thing so it''s better to increase the number of powerful weapons or items that he could wield for himself.


    Of course, he can''t let Tara and Rem leave him at this point so he religiously created +9 potions for them to slowly recover every bit of their Celestial Energy.


    Although he knows that these two wouldn''t just leave him after bing blind, he still knows how important they are especially in his current situation.


    Suddenly, Vincent felt someoneing over to his room.


    He is currently seated at his work table enhancing various items.


    Knock¡­ Knock¡­


    "It''s me, Yulia. I have news about the current situation in the capital."


    "Come in..." Vincent said as he put down the talisman he was holding.


    After Vincent found a clear goal in his mind, he realized that he also needed to know the current situation not only of the Zemin n but the whole Kingdom.<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m "Lady Yulia, you didn''t have to personally report it to me. You can just send your servants to ry the news to me." Vincent said before she even spoke.</o>


    "Well, I like visiting you here¡­ Am I bothering you?" Lady Yulia replied as her eyes looked around the items neatly organized on his table.


    It doesn''t feel like Vincent was really blind seeing how he was able to neatly organize his things. Furthermore, the items that he was holding feels different from the ones she normally obtains in the market.


    The items on the table were quitemon and can be purchased within the cities and towns controlled by their n so she''s very familiar with them. However, the one Vincent had purchased feelspletely different from them although it appears simr.


    Nevertheless, she did notment on it.


    "You''re not bothering, Lady Yulia. Thank you foring here to check on my condition." Vincent changed his tone as he gestured for the woman to sit on the couch.


    Yulia then took her seat as she ryed the news she had gotten.


    After the Ankle City was taken over by the revolutionary army, the Royal Family thought that they would directly assault the Capital after gathering their forces.


    However, what surprised them is that Grand Knight France''s forces had actually upied Gtea, the Academy of Magic!


    The Academy wasn''t weak. In addition to their incredible barrier that has protected them from outsiders, they actually have many Archmages in their ranks aside from a couple of old Grand Knights. Unfortunately, they still fell into the hands of the Duke, after ten or so instructors of the Academy revealed themselves as supporters of the Duke.


    Simr to what happened on the eastern border, they destroyed the defenses from within!


    This greatly rmed the royal faction as well making the capital''s defense weak since everyone started being cautious with one another.


    If someone was suspicious, whether they were supporters of the Duke or not, they would be dealt with by the royal guards!


    Even if the Duke didn''t start attacking the capital, its defenses started weakening by the pressure they are giving off.


    "Hmmm¡­ So they remained like this over the past few days¡­" Vincent muttered after hearing the news.


    "That''s correct. It was as if the Duke was waiting for the defense to crumble a little bit more before acting¡­"


    "That makes sense. So what''s the n of the Zemin n? Will you be allying yourself with the Duke?" Vincent asked.


    Yulia shook her head at this question saying that it was impossible for their n to bow down to them since the Duke had allied himself with the Barbarians.


    This is the bottom line of the Zemin n¡­ Perhaps, if the Duke didn''t make a truce or agreement with the Barbarians, they might have consideredpromising with the Duke.


    "Anyway, we''re thinking of moving to a different ce. Since you still have a connection with us, you can join us."


    Yulia offered.


    During this time, Vincent didn''t hear anything about the arranged marriage but he already heard a few things from Tara and Rem.


    Vincent had also decided not to dwell with it. He was able to calmly do this thanks to his mature mind and how things haven''t developed between the two yet.


    However, he made sure to remember this and engraved it into his heart.

 Chapter 139 Plans

    "Different ce? Are you talking about going to another country?"


    Vincent asked with interest.


    He wasn''t too familiar with the geographical map of the continent but he knows that aside from the Tudor Kingdom, there shouldn''t be another human race nation connected to their borders.


    As a matter of fact, their borders haverge sects stationed there to protect them from Barbarian Invasion.


    At the northern border, the Mystic Crown Sect and Luminous Stone Sect are stationed. They were covering the border from the northwest to therge part of the northern ins.


    At the western border was the Illustrious Sword Sect while on the southeast border was the Infinite Storm Sect.


    Therge part of the south, on the other hand, was connected to the sea so there is no need for anyrge sect to be stationed there.


    At the eastern border was the previous Star Garden Sect while at the northeast was the Harmonius Fire Sect which was rumored to be part of Duke France''s rebel forces.


    "It''s from a different country, not on this continent. I can''t tell you the specific details yet but we are in contact with a Magician Organization there and we won''t be treated badly because of our achievement in alchemy and many secret techniques. Perhaps, we can also find something there to cure your eyes."


    This is Yulia''s true intention. Since none of the doctors here in the kingdom was capable of curing Vincent, perhaps, he could find hope if he visited another nation.


    "I see¡­ When are you nning to leave?"


    "It''s not set yet. However, it would probably be in another two months or so."


    Yulia answered after considering the situation in the capital. Furthermore, their territory here in the kingdom is trulyrge. There are many resources here that they may have a hard time getting in another country.


    This is why the Patriarch decided to send out the n''s Ten Swords to gather the precious resources they could get during this time so they could bring them to another country.


    "Does the Patriarch agree to bring me with you?"


    "Of course¡­ He specifically said that you will still be our special guest. It seems that he owes your parents. It''s something I learned after I chatted with him a few days ago. As for the arranged marriage¡­"


    Yulia didn''t continue as she was unsure of how to exin it to Vincent.


    Luckily, Vincent understand what she wanted to say and didn''t make it difficult for her.


    "You can forget about it. I know my situation as well and I''m sure Lesley has already made her decision." Vincent''s voice was calm and Yulia could tell that he has already thought this through.


    She actually wanted to convince Lesley but after seeing Vincent''s demeanor, she decided to just follow his wish. This is probably for the best as well considering the temperament of that little girl.


    She looked at him with concern and could only sigh¡­ It was a pity that this happened to Vincent. The Altar became defective the moment Vincent used it. It was such a terrible coincidence that no one would''ve expected.


    After a while, Yulia left his room as Vincent continued what he was doing.


    He picked up a talisman that was emitting a cold aura and appraised it.


    [ Cerulean Dew Talisman ]


    [ Quality: Umon<sub> </sub>


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 10/20


    Cold Resistance: 5


    Description: A special essory that provides cold resistance. Its mainponents are Weightless Dew and Bluenote Stone.


    Remarks: Cold Resistance Attribute found. Durability and Cold Resistance attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    This item wasn''t anything impressive. A single attribute cold resistance and being an umon rank was something that anyone could purchase at a flea market.


    Furthermore, items like this would take effect passively and their durabilities would easily be consumed as the special attribute is being used.


    That''s right, durability wasn''t just decreasing if it was physically damaged. There is also a durability consumption whenever its special ability is taking effect.


    Of course, this reduction is something negligible if it''s an Epic Item or above. However, for Umon or Rare items that only have a small amount of durability with them, it is an important matter.


    This is why items like this talisman were inexpensive and produced en masse.


    Nevertheless, people may not find this item that valuable, but in Vincent''s hands, they can be real treasures.


    Once it had reached 9 or even 10 enhancements and ascended to a higher rank, it would certainly be an item that even Vincent would want to have.


    Furthermore, ascending it to a higher rank would give him a chance of getting a new attribute effect aside from cold resistance.


    During the past few days, Vincent discovered that getting a new attribute is actually a lot easier to do with essory-type items.


    If pills and potions are easy to Enhance to +10, essories are easy to Ascend and get new attributes!


    After a while, Vincent felt satisfied with the enhancement and ascension of the talisman as he ced the item inside his Obsidian Treasure Box or his dimensional storage item.


    He wanted to continue with another item but he checked his pile of Beast Cores and realized that they have all been used already. All that was left were empty cores and at most, he can pour his energy inside them and be Energy Cores that could sell for a few pieces of gold coins.


    As he was thinking of this, Rem came to his room bringing a few items within his room.


    "You''re finally here¡­ How was it?" Vincent asked. He didn''t have to see who came in to know who it was.


    "Impressive¡­ I''m sure I concealed my presence. You shouldn''t have felt any fluctuation in my energy. I also didn''t make any sound when I entered your room. How did you do it?"


    Rem said with a helpless smile on her face. She has been doing this to Vincent every since he became blind but no matter what improvement she did with her concealment, she''s always being detected by Vincent for some reason.


    Vincent couldn''t help but grin at her question as he answered.


    "You can try to stop your heart from beating loudly the next time¡­ I might miss your presence."


    "My beating heart? Is that so? Hmm¡­ I''ll do something about it. Anyway, I''ve brought the item. He said that the sword doesn''t have a name yet and you can name it yourself." Rem said as she handed over the sword covered with a special ck cloth to Vincent.

 Chapter 140 New Weapon

    Vincent had previously ordered Rem to visit Pascal, the Magic Craftsman or cksmith in the small town they visited before.


    It wasn''t just to check his progress but to give him a decent Beast Core to enhance the mithril sword he was trying to make as the man previously requested.


    During that time, Vincent didn''t have the time to search for decent Beast Core as the revolutionary army arrived at an inconvenient time.


    Nevertheless, after Vincent managed to calm himself, he ordered Rem to purchase an expensive Beast Core and bring it to Master Pascal.


    ''I wonder what attributes I can get from mithrilbined with a beast core¡­'' Vincent excitedly thought as he removed the cloth covering the sword and felt the smooth scabbard with intricate patterns on it. Although he couldn''t see the sword, he knows that it is beautifully done.


    As he grasp the sword handle, he felt the refreshing aura being emitted by the sword.


    "Hmmm¡­ Is this effect rted to the Beast Core? Rem, what Beast Core did you give to Master Pascal?"


    Vincent asked. He didn''t draw the sword yet and only caressed it for now to confirm its weight and length.


    "Oh~ I forgot to mention. I bought the core from Yulia. She didn''t want the payment at first but I forced it on her¡­ She said that it was from Imperial Jackal. It should be from a young Magic Beast who specialized in illusion and speed techniques."


    "W-what? Magic Beast? Are you sure?" Vincent was shocked after hearing that such a valuable core was actually used for this sword. Although it was young, Magic Beast at that level should be as strong as an Adept Mage!


    "Yes¡­ It was what Yulia said. Even the Magic Craftsman confirmed that it was a Magic Beast¡­"


    "So they were capable of hunting Magic Beast? Ugh¡­ I haven''t appraised a Magic Beast''s core yet. I should''ve checked it first. What a pity¡­"


    "Ah¡­ Sorry about that¡­ I thought that it''s better to give you a surprise¡­" Rem replied awkwardly after seeing Vincent''s regret.


    Nevertheless, Vincent just shook his head and exined.


    "It''s alright¡­ I will have other opportunities for sure. Anyway, does it mean that the sword gained the beast''s abilities?"


    Vincent asked himself as he decided to appraise the sword this time.


    [ Aura-Forged Unnamed Mithril Sword ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 250/250


    Pierce: 30


    Sharpness: 40


    Illusory Sword: A skill capable of creating three illusory swords that have 50% power of the sword''s attack. This skill can be activated depending on the amount of mana infused.


    Description: A sword forged by a Master cksmith. It is made of Mithril and a Magic Beast''s Core ¨C Imperial Jackal.


    Remarks: Pierce and Sharpness Attribute found. These attributes including the Active Skill will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "Good sword¡­" Vincentmented after appraising the sword.


    Shiiing~


    As he unsheathe the sword and swing it a couple of times, Vincent nodded in satisfaction before returning it to its scabbard.<sub> </sub>


    Two attributes and a skill¡­ It is an incredible item with high Durability points on it as expected of a Mithril Sword. He even wanted to use the Transcendence Card on it.


    Not only will it receive another attribute, but it will also have another skill!


    ''Wait¡­ Is it fine to have two skills in one item?'' Vincent mused for a moment. He has never seen an item with two skills before.


    Well, he wasn''t even sure whether it''s possible to grant a skill to an item with a skill already infused on it.


    Anyway, he will try itter¡­


    "It''s still unnamed¡­ Do you have a suggestion, Rem?" Vincent asked while wondering the difference between Soul-Forged, Arcane-Forged, and Aura-Forged items¡­


    He then ced the sword on the table avoiding other items from being touched. It was as if he could see the items on the table.


    However, he was really blind and couldn''t see at all. The thing that is allowing him to do this was his system''s other feature.


    Item Sense Ability.


    When Vincent developed his Synthetic Celestial Core, it must be remembered that he also unlocked the Item Sense Ability at the same time.


    At first, Vincent thought that this skill wouldn''t be too useful since he could sense the energy fluctuations of the most powerful items and that is what''s more important. He didn''t mind being unable to sense those weak ormon items since they do not really matter.


    However, now that he has be blind, the Item Sense Ability allowed him to improve his sixth sense.


    This is also why he could sense Rem''s presence. He was only messing with her when he said that he could sense her presence because of her beating heart.


    "Isn''t that a Mithril Sword? It is also in a darker shade¡­ Why not call it ck Mithril Sword?" Rem answered after thinking for a while.


    "It was too simple¡­ But alright, let''s call it Aura-Forged ck Mithril Sword¡­"


    "Aura-Forged?"


    "Yes¡­ It seems to be the forging technique of the craftsman who made it. When I was still an appraiser at Hearts City, items like Soul-Forged and Arcane-Forged appeared there quite a few times. Do you know something about this forging method?"


    "Not really¡­ However, I heard about the Soul-Forged before. Count Magnus has collections of Soul-Forged Items if I''m not mistaken. I heard it from Baron Eldo."


    Vincent''s interest was piqued after hearing this. Count Magnus was the troublemaker who ordered the two barons to take care of them in the middle of the road because of their greediness to take the White Tiger Cub for themselves.


    He has already forgotten about them but the sudden mention of his name reminded him that this count still has a debt he needed to pay.


    "Count Magnus, huh¡­ Anyway, that''s not important right now. What is your thought about n''s n to leave the country? Isn''t it too excessive to leave the country just like that?"


    "I don''t think so. They are facing the threat of their bloodline annihtion. I''ve heard many things about the Duke and although he appears to be valuing the lives of the citizens of this kingdom, it was just an image created by one of his talented strategists from the Troy n."


    Rem then continued sharing all the information she gathered about the situation of this war. At this point, Vincent can only sigh as he decided what to do.


    "I need to find a safe ce to develop¡­"


    He will leave this country with the Zemin n and think of separating from them once he arrived in the new country.


    He didn''t have much choice after all. Joran Troy was still on the loose and was already quite known after creating an antidote for the Barbarian Poison.


    If he continued to remain here, it was only a matter of time before someone will set their eyes on him.

 Chapter 141 Transcend

    After Vincent was left in his room, he finally decided to use his Transcendence Card to transcend the mithril sword.


    Although he thought of using the card for his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane, he still decided to choose the sword because he felt a bit too bad with the cane that his grandfather had given him.


    Every time he uses it to fight against someone, arge chunk of its durability would always be used and he would have to worry about it being destroyedpletely.


    That is something he didn''t like to see since this cane is considered Raizen''s memento.


    [ Transcendence Card found. Would you like to use 1 Transcendence Card to Transcend this item? ]


    A notification appeared in front of him as he grinned in delight. Well, as a blind person, seeing this notification allows him to hope for a brighter future.


    From the darkness that he was shrouded in, the Item Awakening System is his light.


    This is also the reason why he wanted to just always enhance and ascend many items within his room. After all, in this way, he would be able to constantly see the notifications as if he wasn''t really blind¡­


    It is a good pass time to escape from the reality that he has be incapable of seeing the world.


    Vincent took a deep breath as he savors the sight of the notification before answering.


    "Yes¡­"


    [ Transcendence has been sessful. ]


    [ Aura-Forged ck Mithril Sword has received a new attribute and skill ]


    "Now, let''s see what improvement was made this time. Appraise."


    [ Aura-Forged Unnamed Mithril Sword ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 250/250


    Pierce: 30


    Sharpness: 40


    Magic Resistance: 20


    Illusory Sword: A skill capable of creating three illusory swords that have 50% power of the sword''s attack. This skill can be activated depending on the amount of mana infused.


    Fatal Mind: A skill capable of disrupting the mind of the target by showing them their nightmare for a brief moment. This skill can be activated to any target within 5 meters by using 100 units of mana


    Description: A sword forged by a Master cksmith. It is made of Mithril and a Magic Beast''s Core ¨C Imperial Jackal.


    Remarks: Pierce and Sharpness Attribute found. These attributes including the Active Skill will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    "Magic Resistance and Fatal Mind, huh. It''s very useful¡­ However, closebat battle is still too much for me¡­" Vincent shook his head after analyzing the skill.


    Right now, the skill that is most useful to him was the Ensnare Skill of his cane. Both the Illusory Sword and the Fatal Mind can only be used in a short range after all.


    At this moment, he is still incapable ofbat no matter how good his Domain, Soul Sense, and Item Sense abilities are. There was no way it could easily rece his eyes duringbat where a split second is extremely important.


    He might be able to do so after a long time of training but not right now.


    This is also the reason why he would always try to organize his things and walk around his courtyard to familiarize himself.


    Vincent could only sigh at this.<sub> </sub>


    After he kept his sword, he noticed that someone was actually observing him. It seems that he was too focused in his inspection of the sword.


    "Tara? How long have you been there?" Vincent asked. Unlike Rem who would like to surprise Vincent by hiding her presence, Tara retained her aura when she was approaching Vincent.


    "I just arrived. I saw that you''re busy so I didn''t make a noise... Anyway, I''m thinking of going to the dungeon¡­ The one we used to reach this territory. Do you want to join?"


    Tara asked.


    At this question, Vincent almost teared up with happiness. This Celestial Being was truly exceptional and she''s still treating him like a normal person and not a blind man.


    <o>,m He couldn''t help but appreciate this offer even if she wasn''t serious about it. After all, it feels like he was still a valuable person when she does this.</o>


    Nevertheless, Vincent can only shake his head and refuse the offer. He wouldn''t be helpful and will only be a burden to her. Instead, he asked something else¡­


    "I can''t join you right now¡­ I''m still familiarizing myself with the darkness. I probably need a bit more time. Anyway, if you ever stumble upon some treasures in the dungeon, can you bring me any unusual items? Something that can''t be purchased would be good."


    Vincent said as if Tara would be on vacation and he asks for a local souvenir.


    "Unusual item? I''ll keep it in mind¡­"


    "Alright¡­ Take care. These are some potions that you might need. Take them." Vincent said as he ced a few potions on the table.


    Tara wasn''t shy about this as she took them without hesitation.


    ***


    Three days after Vincent received his mithril sword, he was informed that a person from the Magic Organization that Yulia mentioned, came to visit.


    Of course, he didn''t go out to meet the man and allowed Rem to look around for him so she can give him some news. Tara hasn''t returned yet from her dungeon exploration so she can''t eavesdrop around the estate for him at the moment.


    Vincent then remained in his room, as he continuously Enhances and Ascends the items that he has. He''s at least nning to get the limit of all his important items.


    He wanted all of them to reach +10 and Legendary Rank if it''s possible.


    [ Ascension Failure ]


    [ Ascension Failure ]


    [ Ascension Failure ]


    Vincent tried to ascend the mithril sword that he has but unfortunately, it doesn''t seem to be working. It has be a Pseudo-Legendary Sword but for some reason, he can''t ascend it to a Legendary Item.


    "Is it because of some item limitation? Is there a limit to what rank I could ascend?" Vincent muttered to himself.


    After a while, he realized that his Ascension Skill is only level 2 at the moment¡­


    ''Perhaps increasing its level is important to break through from Pseudo-Legendary to Legendary?''


    This is the only thing he could think of after failing numerous times. Right now, he can only be happy that failing to ascend or enhance an item doesn''t equal to its destruction or enhancement canction.


    In the end, Vincent can only continue until he exhausted his Spirit Stones, Beasts Cores, and his own Energy again.


    ''Hmm?''


    As soon as his Pseudo-Celestial Energy went down to 100 units mark, Vincent felt Rem''s Celestial Items getting closer to him using his Item Sense ability.


    He then cleaned up his work table as he waited for the news that the Celestial would bring.

 Chapter 142 Introduction

    "Little sister¡­ Aren''t you going to thank us for revealing the true nature of that man? You almost married a blind man¡­ Luckily, we immediately exposed his curse. What if he became a blind man after you get married? That would be a huge humiliation¡­"


    Silverio spoke to Lesley with his ridiculing tone. He still felt proud of himself after the contribution that he made.


    Lesley didn''t take him seriously as she just continued walking to the hallway leading to Scarlet Swan Pavilion where the visitor from the ck Tower is currently waiting.


    She didn''t want to get into this topic and if possible, she wanted to just forget about this matter. She''d rather spend her time training her Mystic Eye and Fusion Arts so she will no longer need help in the future.


    "Just shut your mouth, brother Silverio. Although Lesley doesn''t have any feelings for that blind man anymore, it doesn''t change the fact that he still saved her. You shouldn''t bring him down anymore." Tyrell said and sounded like he was sympathizing with Vincent.


    However, the evil smile on his face can''t be mistaken at all. Now that Lesley''s prenatal engagement was settled, he''s already nning on how to get Lesley''s favor so he can rmend his rich friend.


    As they were about to reach the pavilion, they met with other members of the n as they walked excitedly to meet the foreigner from a far nation.


    "Uncle Koltz, are we really going to move to a different country?" Tyrell asked quietly after getting closer to an elder of the n.


    Koltz has long white hair and a stout figure so he was easily recognized amongst the elders of the n.


    He is one of the few elders within the n that was mainly assigned in managing some businesses that the n has established in the city. He doesn''t appear to be a very strong individual but his skills in business management are well respected within the Zemin n.


    Koltz fixed his eyesses before answering his nephew.


    "That seems to be the case¡­ So you must learn to behave and adapt to our situation. Once we get there, we will all have to establish our n so you have toplete your Mystic Eye as soon as possible." Koltz reminded the two kids.


    If it''s possible, Koltz didn''t want the Zemin n to escape like this. He didn''t really care whether they get to be an ally with the Barbarians since it might even be profitable in the future. Unfortunately, they have already killed so many members of the revolutionary army.


    Grand Duke France would surely take offense to their actions once he became a king.


    As soon as they arrived at the Scarlet Swan Pavilion not too far from the Main Hall of their Estate, they discovered that over 30 people has already gathered.


    These people include the Elders, Guardians, Swords, elite youths of the n, and some important direct descendants of the Zemin Family.


    Tyrell couldn''t help but gulp after seeing so many powerful individuals that were emitting a powerful fluctuation of their Mana.


    It was as if they were trying to intimidate someone!


    That''s right, at the center of the Pavilion, there was a man wearing a ck robe and ck hat standing and gazing at everyone within the Zemin n. The pressure around him is definitely the strongest but he remained there watching everything with a calm expression.


    "Hmm?"<sub> </sub>


    It was as if he was looking for something or he was assessing them using his eyes.


    Nevertheless, Tyrell immediately recognized this person.


    "Is he someone from the ck Tower?" Tyrell muttered to himself.


    "Brother, perhaps this meeting is about the special privileges that father has mentioned¡­" Silverio quietly said which reminded Tyrell of something.


    He indeed recalled his father, Patriarch Leon, mentioning something about the special privileges that the ck Tower could give aside from helping them settle down to one of their organization''s territories.


    As he was thinking of this, the man from the ck Tower finally spoke after Patriarch Leon gave him the signal.


    "For those who didn''t know me, I''m Turhan from the ck Tower¡­ You can call me Professor since I will also be teaching you a few things while I''m here. I''m not sure what your Patriarch has mentioned to all of you so I''d like to make things clear before we bring the transportation we''ll use to take you to our territory."


    Professor Turhan spoke with his deep voice as his gaze trailed around the crowd. Everyone started whispering to the person beside them as the Patriarch barely mentioned these things to them.


    Luckily, this Professor will finally enlighten them about the newnd where they will live.


    Some of them were hoping that there are no Barbarians in that country. Some wishes that there will be more Magic Beasts they could hunt while others are nervous about whether there will be a lot more Celestial Beings in that territorypared to this kingdom.


    As they were thinking of this, Turhan continued his speech.


    <o>,m "In exchange for giving the Zemin n and, where you can all develop, your Patriarch will be sharing some of your top-ss Alchemy Recipes and a few Secret Techniques including the Darkness Mystic Eye that our organization really wanted."</o>


    This revtion made the other Guardians and Sword Elders frown as they looked in the Patriarch''s direction. It seems that they weren''t told about this. They know how powerful that eye was. Yulia only managed to cultivate the Darkness Eye''s two stages and it''s already quite powerful. It has a total of eight stages and once mastered, it is rumored that not even Celestial Beings at a single digit would be able to stop them.


    Nevertheless, they remained quiet for now as they waited for Turhan to exin a bit more.


    "Of course, since the Patriarch is willing to give so much valuable contribution to our organization, the ck Tower would ept a total of 50 individuals with talents in researching Mana Arts¡­ You will be allowed to study in one of the Towers that we have. Anyway, if you don''t like studying or creating Mana Arts, we are also epting 50 people to learn ourbat techniques. Our Tower is in our control of a few dungeons where you can sharpen your skills inbat so I''m sure that you''ll benefit from it¡­"


    Turhan said as he gave a mysterious smile to everyone.


    Some of them felt excited to learn new things while the others were still unable to understand what he wanted to say.


    Before ending his speech, he gave a few more words that confused almost everyone¡­


    "In the end, our Tower''s goal is to find a way to kill the real enemies of humankind and we hope that you all can help us."

 Chapter 143 Memories

    Rem returned to Vincent''s courtyard after eavesdropping at the pavilion. She ryed the information she got including her views about the man called Turhan.


    "You''re saying that Professor Turhan''s Mana Core is also mutated? Is it simr to mine?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    He easily epted the matters regarding the tower including the topic of the enemies of humankind. He already felt that humans weren''t the true rulers of this world especially after learning about the barbarians, celestial beasts, and the celestial beings themselves.


    Furthermore, he wasn''t too concerned about the ''enemies of mankind'' yet since the situation appears to be quite bnced still.


    "It''s not simr¡­ In your case, I can feel a hint of Celestial Energy although it feels very faint¡­ On the other hand, Turhan''s core seems to have mutated into the Element that he has been practicing¡­"


    "Oh? Some kind of Elemental Core? Is it your first time seeing it as well?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes, there is no one in this kingdom that has that kind of Mana Core. It seems like the other country has a different kind of cultivation method." Rem answered.


    "Wait¡­ I heard about the rumors that the Celestial Beings like you had given mankind the power to cultivate the mana and soul, right? Why aren''t sure about this?"


    Vincent asked curiously. Based on what he learned from others and from reading books in the library, the Celestial Beings appeared when humans were still incapable of fighting against the Magic Beasts. Most of their strengths relied on their life force and weapons made out of precious materials that can be found around the world.


    Although it can''t be said to be a prosperous era, humans still managed to create a strong civilization and weren''t being bullied by the savage beasts at all.


    Their real nemesis at that time was the Magic Beasts and other intelligent races like the Barbarians.


    "Hmm¡­ It wasn''t something an unnumbered like me is capable of. The cultivation method and other resources that were taken from us weren''t something anyone can just create¡­ It is definitely made by Number 5 if I''m not mistaken¡­ That woman is the best at these kinds of things¡­"


    "Number 5 Celestial Being?"


    "Yes¡­ I still have memories of some very important Celestial Beings¡­ I can only tell you about this since we''ve made a contract¡­"


    "Well, it''s not like I can use that information. How about the enemies of mankind? Since Professor Turhan didn''t mention them, their existence might be a sensitive topic¡­ However, do you know them?"


    At this question, Rem gave a faint smile but didn''t answer immediately.


    It seems that she was lost in thought so Vincent gave her a bit of time¡­ After a few seconds, Rem replied.


    "I have an idea thanks to Tara¡­"


    "Huh? Why is that?" Vincent asked with interest.


    "As you know, I only have fragmented memories. She helped me to recall a few things. Well, I know that Celestial Beings like me needed to get stronger and regain our maximum strength at all costs¡­ Furthermore, I know some simple rules like limiting our strength when fighting in crowded ces like cities and not manifesting our Celestial Powers as much as we can. In addition, we need to rely on our physical strengths and weapons duringbat¡­"


    Vincent nodded in understanding as he already guessed as much.


    Rem then continued, "It is some kind of memory imbued to us for some reason. I have previously guessed that our ultimate goal is to regain our strength and return to where we came from. However, after speaking to Tara who seemed to know more things, I realized that there is something else. Tara told me that once I regained my Celestial Powerspletely, I will be able to learn more things and I can return to the battlefield."<sub> </sub>


    "Battlefield?" Vincent asked as he raised his brows in confusion.


    "Yes¡­ I''m unsure about it as well and Tara didn''t tell me more about it."


    "I see¡­ But howe she knows this while you don''t?"


    "It''s probably because of the way she was woken up¡­ Or maybe because she''s numbered and I''m not¡­ or perhaps, she''s just very special."


    Rem answered with a helpless smile on her face.


    Although Vincent can''t see her face right now, he could tell the mood she has from the bleakness of her voice.


    "Let''s not overthink this then¡­ Anyway, can you tell me how many more Celestial Powers you are missing? I mean, based on your recovery rate, can you tell me how many more of my modified potions you need?"


    "Oh? Hmm¡­ If we will base it on your potions, then I''d say that I need to drink about three million more. Ahh, since I also have a method to very slowly recover my energy, it should be less than that."


    Vincent gasped and couldn''t speak after hearing that number.


    ''That much?!''


    Three million was just too much¡­ The biggest stores in the city don''t even have thousands of potions avable, where would he even get that many? He would probably need many decades to aplish that.


    ''Wait¡­ It''s not like there''s only one method to recover their Celestial Powers¡­ There is also the Blood Essence she mentioned before. Hmm¡­ I guess this is the reason why they have agreed to have contracts or agreements with the humans.


    Vincent wryly smiled as he reached this thought. Anyway, he''ll try to look for another method once he regained his eyesight.


    The two then chatted for a bit more time as Rem reported a few more things to Vincent.


    On that night, Yulia visited Vincent''s courtyard again and reported the same thing to Vincent. Furthermore, they talked about Vincent''s n once they arrived on the newnd that their n would own.


    "As you know, we are initially nning to travel to the south at Bone City''s port. We have prepared a few steel ships that wemissioned especially for this trip to the other continent. However, Professor Turhan said that they will be bringing three floating ships to carry all of us after hearing that there will only be four thousand people who will be following us."


    "Floating ships¡­ Are they trying to show their wealth and power? As far as I know, our kingdom doesn''t have such technology yet." Vincent replied.


    "That''s correct¡­ It seems that they were truly valuing our n. We no longer have to worry about being ambushed by the revolutionary army at this rate."


    "That''s good news indeed. When are we going to leave then?"


    "The floating ships'' expected time of arrival was in 14 days¡­ Please be prepared." Yulia said as she left Vincent''s room in satisfaction.


    She was still worrying that Vincent might change his mind and stay in this kingdom. However, with their conversation, she can finally heave a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 144 Challenge

    During the past few days, everyone in the n became very busy.


    The salt business has been sold to another n, jewelry shops, weapons shops, apothecaries, and many other businesses of the n that can''t be brought to another country were sold to other organizations or rich individuals.


    Furthermore, they were all paid using Mana Crystals, a currency that even Barbarians would willingly ept.


    Although many ns could guess the Zemin n''s n, none of them bothered to stop them as they were also looking forward to the absence of a powerful n like them.


    ''Zemin n is still very impressive¡­ Although Grand Duke France can annihte the n, that would only happen if they cooperated with the other ns and Large Sects which is likely to happen.'' Vincent thought to himself as he continued with his enhancement grind.


    After staying here for a while, Vincent already learned a lot of information unknown to him before.


    Zemin n''s roots are quite deep. They have many Tier 1 Alchemists and are known for their wealth. But the most important thing is that they have various top-quality Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts that even somerge sects do not possess!


    That''s right, Tier 4 Mana Arts weren''t always at the same level. Just like the Appraisal Mystic Eye, it is a Tier 4 Mana Art but it''s considered to be at the lowest rung.


    The ones at the peak of Tier 4 were Mana Arts like Death Hands, Deity''s Palm, Four Season Breathe, and Darkness Eye which have an opportunity to be at the same level as Tier 5 Mana Arts.


    As Vincent was lost in his thoughts, someone knocked on his door¡­


    "It''s me, Severin¡­ I''m here to check your condition."


    The kind voice of the gentleman was heard on the other side of the door. This poison expert remained courteous and friendly to Vincent even after bing blind.


    Although there is no point in checking his blindness, Vincent still allowed him to check his condition from time to time as an appreciation for his kindness.


    "Come in¡­ Sir Severin. I can''t serve you some tea right now but you can help yourself."


    Vincent said as the man entered.


    "Yes¡­ I''ll make some tea for you as well. Right, why are you alone today?"


    Severin asked as he walked to the kitchen to prepare some tea.


    "Oh, I sent Rem and Tara to run an errand for me¡­ I know that there were lots of interesting stuff around here so it would be a shame if I can''t get my hands on them before we leave¡­"


    "Haha¡­ Incredible. With those two finding those items that piqued your interests, I''m sure that they''ll get it without fail."


    "Yes, I hope so¡­" Vincent replied with a smile. Ordering those two wasn''t easy since he would have to provide more modified potions for them. Because of that, he wouldn''t have plenty of mana or pseudo-celestial energy reserves to Enhance or Ascend other items.


    Nevertheless, he wasn''t worried about this¡­ He was even willing to give those two a couple of crates of mana crystals each so they can obtain the things he wanted.


    The two men then chatted for a while as Severin assured Vincent that once he studied at the ck Tower, he would look for a way to break his curse.


    Although Vincent wasn''t hoping that much, he still felt grateful as he gave Severin a gift.


    It is a +9 Protection Talisman that can be activated automatically when the user is about to get hit by any elemental mana arts with a few restrictions.<sub> </sub>


    It will create protective energy in a split second as long as the attack that ising is stronger than the user''s Mana Shield.


    It was just an Umon Item that he turned into an Epic Item¡­


    Severin liked it very much considering he''s not abat-type Mana Arts Practitioner.


    "You should give Yulia a gift too¡­" Severin suggested mysteriously.


    "Lady Yulia? Of course, I''m already thinking about it. She has been really helpful and supportive during the past few weeks. I just couldn''t find the right gift. Do you have a suggestion, Sir Severin?" Vincent asked.


    He indeed received a lot of help from Yulia and Severin in this foreign estate¡­ Aside from those two and the maidservant together with the Chief Steward of the estate, Vincent wasn''t visited by any other member of the Zemin n.


    This is why he thought of giving them a gift to show his appreciation.


    "Hmm¡­ Lady Yulia''s mana is severelycking considering the powerful Mana Arts that she learned. Because of that, she was unable to release most of her skills as she''ll get exhausted in battle easily¡­" Severin said giving Vincent an idea of what to give to her.


    Whom~


    As the two were chatting, they suddenly felt powerful mana fluctuations in the direction of the Main Hall''s training grounds!


    It seems that a huge battle is about to break out!


    ***


    A few minutes prior to this, three of the Seven Guardians and two of n''s Swords met with the Patriarch of the Zemin n.


    They were all proud Archmages, Arch Knights, and Aura Knights of the Zemin n¡­


    "Patriarch Leon, we are nning to fight Turhan, please do not stop us." Evrim, one of the two female Guardians of the Zemin n spoke with a cold tone.


    As an Archmage at only 48 years old, she''s considered to be very young and she can''t easily ept how she was being treated by Turhan.


    Her pride took a hit especially after getting ignored even after she tried making advances to the mysterious man.


    Although she''s already reaching her fifties, she has taken care of her outer appearance and still looks like she''s in herte twenties.


    She has ck long hair braided to reveal her frowning yet enchanting face. She has lidded grey eyes and beautyparable to Yulia. Well, she appears to be an older version of Yulia.


    Patriarch Leon didn''t immediately answer her as he looked at the others.


    "How about the others? Are you also thinking of challenging that man?" He asked calmly as his gaze swept the crowd.


    They didn''t have to answer at all as Patriarch Leon saw the determination in their eyes.


    "Very well, if he epted your challenge, I won''t be stopping you. It will at least help all of us broaden our horizons¡­" Patriarch Leon answered as he led the way to meet the Professor.

 Chapter 145 Gap

    Within the Main Hall''s Training Ground, Professor Turhan looked at the people who had challenged him in a fight telling him that they wanted to learn the strength of the ck Tower''s Professor to broaden their horizons.


    He didn''t find this offensive as he wee them to fight him with everything they got. He even told them to attack him all at once!


    This obviously offended the Zemin n''s core members.


    "It''s good that your n''s guardians have the guts to challenge me. This is the right attitude¡­ I was even upset that none of you immediatelye to me and put me in my ce¡­" Turhanughed as he excitedly looked at Evrim who was the most excited to fight.


    She''s gripping her scepter tightly as if she wanted to cast a killing Mana Art at a moment''s notice.


    "All at once? You''re getting too conceited¡­ I don''t think it''s appropriate."


    "Hmph¡­ Arrogant¡­ Are you looking down on us?"


    "It''s not fair for him, but I wanted to ensure our victory¡­ How about we get him to fight the three of us?"


    Although there were many of them right now, they do not think that it''s appropriate for all of them to fight all at once. At the very least, they decided to pick three Core members of the n to fight and ensure Turhan''s humiliation.


    There was Evrim, an Archmage and Guardian of the n. She''s carrying a scepter in her hands and a magic rapier hanging on her waist. The scepter has arge ruby embedded in it as it exudes a fiery aura around her¡­ Her ck robe was made of special Cryptid Crawler''s silk and her circlet was also a Magic Tool.


    She truly exudes the aura of an Archmage.


    The other was Tezcan, an Archmage and Archknight of the n. He might be the weakest among the Guardians but his incredible versatility would greatly help in a team fight. With the way he look, people might think that he was just a random guard or servant because of his average look and weak presence. However, this is something that could cost their life if they didn''t pay attention to him.


    Finally, there was Ludovic, the Fourth Sword of the n and a 3-Star Aura Knight. In his current position within the n, he was always seen as amander and barely seen on the battlefield himself. However, Ludovic is still an Aura Knight with great aplishments, especially in Dungeon Explorations.


    These three had decided to work together to fight Professor Turhan.


    After they confirmed who will participate, the three only looked at each other as if they have already made a n on how to handle the fight.


    Well, it wasn''t surprising as they know each other''s strengths and weaknesses¡­


    "Are you sure that it will only be the three of  you?" Turhan asked.


    "Hmph! Come! We''ll allow you to attack first!" Evrim shouted.


    The other Guardians and Swords had already retreated to the sidelines to watch the battle unfold.


    As for Patriarch Leon, he never went to meet Turhan directly and just stayed in the corner.


    "Fine! Let me see how you''ll respond to my attack." Professor Turhan epted Evrim''s offer as he decided to attack first.


    From the way he looks, he doesn''t seem to have any weapons with him. He''s only wearing a ck suit, gloves, and hat. He looks more like a rich businessman with a way to carry himself.


    Nevertheless, Turhan''s weapon was immediately revealed to everyone. It was his ck gloves.


    The man only opened his palms and made a grabbing motion as if he was trying to move the air in front of him.


    Whoosh~<sub> </sub>


    As soon as he did this action, a terrifying wind pressure surrounded them¡­


    "What?!"


    "This¡­ Is it a formation!"


    "That''s too fast!"


    There was no Mana Fluctuation and no signs of Mana Arts Activation but the skill he just showed wasn''t weak at all!


    Although it was also possible for them to hasten their Mana Arts activation, a weak fluctuation will still appear and in addition, the strength of the skill would be very weak.


    This is why the three of them even thought that there was a Mana Arts Formation at the training ground that has already been set up prior to their arrival.


    Nevertheless, it''s not the time to think about this!


    Ludovic shouted as his Domain manifested¡­ The wind pressure disappeared almost immediately while Tezcan pulled out his dual swords and applied his Knight Skill on them¡­


    Seeing that the wind pressure disappeared, Tezcan did not hesitate to charge forward as his two swords lit with blue me!


    Evrim wasn''t idle when this is all happening, her scepter''srge ruby glowed brightly as she cast a Tier 3 Golden Earth Hands¡­


    Since Turhan used Wind Mana Art skillfully, she guessed that he has mastered his skills into Perfection State¡­ With that in mind, Evrim realized that he probably has many haste or speed-type Arts in his arsenal. If that was the case, they have to limit his movements and catch him off guard!


    She trusts Ludovic''sbat skills as an Aura Knight so she believes that once the man got closer to Turhan, they''ll definitely defeat him with her full support.


    Boom! Boom!


    "Haha! Not bad!" Turhan chuckled as he seem to be delighted at the current situation.


    He waved his hands again and this time, they didn''t just experience the pressure from the Wind but the Fire element as well! Furthermore, there were also other sneaky Mana Bullets aiming at the three of them!


    It doesn''t seem to be a Fusion Art but Mana Arts cast at the same time!


    Dual Casting! No, Triple Casting!


    This revtion bothered Evrim¡­ Obviously, she''s incapable of doing this!


    "Grand Magus?!" Finally, she realized that they weren''t fighting against an Archmage but a Grand Magus¡­


    ***


    Patriarch Leon, who has been watching the battle, sighed after seeing this. He is also a Grand Magus himself. However, he can tell from Turhan''s swift movements and incredible flow of energy, that he''s definitely a level higher than him.


    It was no wonder he dared to face several core members of his n at the same time.

 Chapter 146 Gift

    The battle continued for over 20 minutes.


    It wasn''t because the fight was difficult for Turhan. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be enjoying the fight and was only releasing sufficient strength to barely suppress the three powerful members of the n.


    As it seems, he was wary of Ludovic''s Soul Attacks more than Evrim''s Elemental Attacks and Tezcan''s zing sword.


    "Soul Attacks are truly the most troublesome to deal with¡­" Turhanmented seriously as he stood in the middle of the training ground. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn''t simply ignore a technique that could bypass his physical and magical defense.


    If a different Mana Arts Practitioner fought in his stead, there was no way they could ignore Ludovic''s attacks unless they have Magic Tools capable of defending their soul or they have stronger soul force or aura than him.


    "Tsk¡­ So this is our limit, huh¡­" Tezcan muttered under his breath. He doesn''t seem to mind being defeated like this.


    The three were also half-kneeling as they have exhausted their Mana and Aura. Perhaps, they would have the energy to continue the battle for a few hours on a normal asion. However, because of Turhan''s multicasting, they have to be constantly wary of multiple Mana Arts flying on them and their energy onlysted for a bit over 20 minutes.


    ? The other two only shook their heads in defeat as they didn''t reply to Turhan''s words. They then gathered their strength before leaving the main hall.


    There was no point in continuing the battle. Although they can still pull up their trump cards, they were Magic Artifacts that should only be used in a life and death situation. It''s not appropriate to use it here in such a way as they can''t afford to use it here.


    The other Swords and Guardians also thought the same and saved themselves from humiliation. They left the ce with a sigh and remembered to get more incredible Magic Artifacts or Tools once they arrived at their new territory.


    They were inspired by Turhan''s battle style.


    Apparently, during this battle, he wasn''t extremely dominating and they even felt educated. Turhan doesn''t appear invincible in their eyes as the three were able tond several Mana Arts only to be blocked by a powerful artifact that made him appear to be immune to magic!


    No matter what Evrim and Tezcan did, this magic immunity can''t be pierced or stopped at all.


    It was certainly not Turhan''s own Mana Arts but it was thanks to the protection of his Magic Artifact.


    Since they were all using Magic Artifacts and Tools, no one couldin about him using such a cheat-like item. They can only me themselves for not having such high-quality essories.


    Nevertheless, they also know that if Turhan had gone all out in the first few minutes of the battle, they will certainly die at his bombardment of Mana Arts¡­


    In this battle, they learned what they arecking and learned what kind of strength this man has been hiding.


    ***


    Vincent heard the result of the battle from Rem and he wasn''t too surprised about the three being defeated.


    "You said that Sir Ludovic can use a technique capable of directly attacking the target''s soul?"


    Vincent asked curiously.


    From the way Rem described it, it doesn''t seem to be a technique simr to his Soul Pressure.


    "That''s correct¡­ It doesn''t seem to havee from his weapon so I''m thinking that it''s a perk of someone at a 3-Star Aura Knight." Rem answered.<sub> </sub>


    "That''s is good to know¡­ So he actually has Soul Techniques, huh¡­ I wonder if I can learn it from him."


    Vincent muttered.


    Even though he is already a 3-Star Aura Knight, it doesn''t mean that he already learned all kinds of techniques that a 3-Star can learn. Being 3-Star only means that his Soul Strength has already reached a certain level where he can create a Domain and Soul Pressure¡­ Because of that, his Aura Resonance that he learned at 2-Star will be strengthened to the highest level.


    This is the sign of a 3-Star Aura Knight. On the other hand, once he reached this level, he will be able to learn our Aura or Soul Techniques! Unfortunately, these techniques weren''t easy to obtain because of how rare Aura Knights are. This is why aside from learning the default skills, Vincent no longer knows any other skills¡­


    He can guess that Ludovic''s special Soul Attack is a technique that he could learn as well¡­ It would be even better if the man has Skill Book so he can just use his system to ''learn'' it.


    "Should I ask him?" Rem asked.


    "Hmmm¡­ That''s possible¡­ However, we have a guest right now. Let''s talk about itter."


    Vincent said as Rem looked at the door.


    "Oh? Did you sense my arrival? That''s odd¡­ I''m sure I''ve hidden my presence to the best of my ability." The deep voice came from Professor Turhan behind the door.


    Rem and Vincent didn''t act surprised at his appearance.


    Rem looked at Vincent and saw that thetter nodded. She then approached the door and spoke.


    "Come in, Sir Turhan¡­" Rem invited the man as she opened the door for him.


    "Please excuse my sudden intrusion¡­ I just couldn''t help but be curious after hearing what happened to your eyes. Anyway, how did you sense my presence back there."


    Turhan doesn''t seem to be wary of the two as he casually chatted with Vincent.


    "Well, a blind man has their ways of sensing their surroundings." Vincent vaguely answered.


    The Professor smiled after noticing how Vincent just avoided his question. Anyway, that was probably his secret so Turhan no longer asked about it.


    "That''s interesting¡­ Right, I didn''te here for that¡­ I''ve brought you a gift."


    Turhan said as he pulled out a silver medallion from his jacket''s inside pocket.


    Of course, Vincent sees this but he can sense the item that has just suddenly appeared close to him. He can guess that Turhan has a Dimensional Storage Space like his box because of this.


    "A gift? I wonder what''s the asion? I''m sure that this is the first time we''ve met." Vincent asked cautiously.


    There was no way this man would just give a gift randomly.

 Chapter 147 Seal

    "Haha¡­ Don''t be too wary, I just noticed that the strength of your soul has reached the level of a 3-Star Aura Knight¡­ Even in our organization, a young 3-Star Aura Knight is extremely rare. This medallion will allow you to further strengthen your Aura and Soul if you continuously use it. That is its only use."


    Turhan said with a smile.


    "Oh? There is something like that?" Vincent had never heard something this convenient in training his Aura at all.


    "Yes, this medallion isparable to a top-grade Visualization Method that an Aura Knight is normally using. However, this medallion has faster effects. It will help you increase the strength of your aura in just a month or two."


    "That''s incredible indeed. So, what''s the price?"


    Vincent didn''t immediately ept the gift and asked.


    Turhan then smiled and exined his real reason for doing this.


    "I want to inspect your eyes¡­ They said that it was some kind of curse and there are no doctors or even alchemists capable of curing it."


    "That''s right¡­ Do you have a method to fix my eyes?" Vincent asked without much expectation. At this point, he can only trust the blonde goddess'' words and wait for the time that he''ll be able to see the light again.


    Over the past few days, Vincent analyzed the words that the goddess has whispered to his ears.


    ''Therees a day when what''s shrouded is revealed, the exiled one shall usher forth the beginning of a new era.''


    For some reason, he was hoping that his eyes were the ones shrouded by mystery and would soon be revealed or cured¡­ As for the exiled one, it''s either him, who was exiled by Earth and was transmigrated into this world, or some other being that could usher in a new era.


    This is what he thought, so in the meantime, he can only go with the flow and not lose any hope.


    "I have seen many curses in my country¡­ So even though I''m not an expert, I might be able to determine what kind of curse or illness is this. Unfortunately, the normal diagnosis method will probably be useless and I''ll just find your disease simr to what the other doctors have found. So I might have to use a different method which is why I''m giving this gift also as a sign of my apology."


    Turhan exined politely.


    It was no wonder why he bothered to give an expensive gift to Vincent.


    "Will it hurt?" Vincent asked.


    With Rem beside him, he wasn''t too worried about getting harmed by this person. Although he''s a Grand Magus, there was no way he could do as he please with a Celestial Being beside him that has a Celestial Armor and Celestial Sword.


    Although she''s unnumbered, these two weapons could give him arge boost in her strength after all.


    Turhan shook his head and answered, "No, you will not feel anything at all so it would seem very suspicious. Ehem... I''ll just need your cooperation since I will have to send a bit of my consciousness energy to your body. You can easily resist it with your Aura but I would like you to allow me to do it freely so I can diagnose your body clearly."


    "Hmm¡­ Consciousness Energy? Please, forgive my ignorance, Sir Turhan. Is that not simr to mana or aura? What kind of energy is that?"<sub> </sub>


    "Oh¡­ So you''re probably a self-learned Aura Knight? You haven''t studied in a Knight School or something? Ah, forget it¡­ Consciousness Energy is indeed different from Mana and Aura¡­ This energy is weak and couldn''t really affect the world or reality. The most it could do was to sense any living being''s vitality and if you''re lucky, you can discover a few mysteries of the world with this energy. Furthermore, everyone has this energy but wasn''t conscious of its existence. It needed some kind of training to learn how to use it¡­"


    Turhan answered but he immediately paused as if he just recalled something.


    "Right, this country only focuses on practicing mana¡­ I could barely see an Aura Knight even in thisrge n. Are you interested to learn more? You have to agree with my diagnosis though..."


    "Hmm¡­"


    Vincent was indeed curious about it but he didn''t immediately agree. After all, this man might''ve been ordered to eliminate him by those two people who brought him to the Decadence Soul Temple¡­


    Although unlikely, there is still a chance that he wanted to harm him¡­ He looked at Rem who doesn''t have much reaction as he considers his options¡­


    ''Right, I have those items¡­'' Vincent then recalled a few items that he enhanced and ascended a while ago¡­


    "Wait, I need to prepare just in case."


    "Oh? Alright, go ahead." Turhan answered as he curiously looked at Vincent who pulled out three talismans, two bracelets, and three rings¡­


    The talismans looked like some low-quality items that were worth 50 to 80 gold coins. As for the design of the essories, they don''t appear aesthetic at all. The three rings were even designed for a female!


    Turhan wanted to ask Vincent about these mysterious low-quality items but he decided to just smile and politely wait for him to finish.


    "Alright¡­ I''m ready¡­ You can diagnose me with your consciousness energy¡­ But before that, can you also teach me more about this consciousness energy? I don''t mind not having that medallion that can train my soul, I''d rather choose the knowledge of consciousness energy as a gift. Is that alright?"


    "Haha¡­ Alright, you''re still young so you really needed to learn more things. Anyway, you can have both the medallion and this book about consciousness energy¡­ Ay, you''re blind¡­ You can probably ask your friend to read this for you, then." Turhan answered as he pulled out a book and ce the two gifts he brought on Vincent''s work table.


    "Before I diagnose you, I just have to remind you that practicing this consciousness energy won''t just take a lot of your time but there is also a chance that youck the talent to practice it."


    "I understand, Sir Turhan¡­ I''m already thankful for this opportunity."


    "Very well. I will ce my hand on your head. Please rx and don''t raise your aura or mana to protect yourself¡­ I will start now."


    Turhan said as he ced his palm on top of Vincent''s head. Turhan first wanted to say that he needed to close his eyes but after recalling that he''s blind. He just skipped this part as he carefully inspected Vincent''s ''curse.''


    As this was happening, Rem remained vignt on the corner as she held her Celestial Sword strapped to her waist.


    She''s ready to act the moment she felt something wrong¡­

 Chapter 148 Move

    Vincent didn''t feel anything after Turhan ced his hands on top of his head.


    At first, he expected to feel something invade his body. If it was harmful, the talismans he brought out would be activated and protect his physical body from any follow-up or external attack that mighte to him.


    They were Energy Protection Talisman, Cocoon Talisman, and Iron Skin Talisman.


    The two bracelets, on the other hand, were capable of stopping any invasive Aura or Soul attacks.


    They were Furious Ebony Armlet and rity Band.


    Finally, the three rings were capable of protecting him from mana or foreign energy attacks!


    The Prudence Ring and Sagewood Ring were capable of blocking any invasive manaing to his body. Lastly, the Brilliant Zeal Ring can protect him from any foreign energy that could bring harm to his body!


    This is probably the most important essory he has at this moment. After all, foreign energy must''ve included that consciousness energy, right?


    Furthermore, this ring is already +10 and Pseudo-Legendary!


    With all this protection including Rem''s security, Vincent decided to ept the goodwill of this Professor. Anyway, he doesn''t feel like he was plotting something, and he was genuinely trying to help. He seemed more like a researcher who wanted to satisfy his curiosity and learn the unknown.


    Vincent waited for fifteen more minutes before Turhan finally stopped as he lifted his hands¡­


    He didn''t speak for a while as if he was trying to understand what he had just found out.


    During this whole time, none of Vincent''s protections has been activated. Vincent sighed in relief after realizing this as he waited for Turhan''s conclusion about his ''curse''.


    "Hmmm¡­ No wonder it was called a curse¡­ This is almost impossible to cure, huh¡­" Turhan muttered after a while. Vincent also noticed from his voice that he seemed to be very tired of what he had just done.


    He was breathing heavily like he just fought a massive battle! He didn''t even get tired of fighting the three core members of the Zemin n!


    However, here he is right now, extremely tired after diagnosing Vincent''s sickness!


    "Almost impossible to cure? Do you know a way to cure it?" Vincent asked. Previously, he wasn''t hoping that much. However, after Turhan''s performance and show of knowledge, Vincent couldn''t help but expect a little bit from his next words.


    "That''s correct, Vincent. I learned a couple of things after checking your eyes¡­ First, I can feel the essence of a seal on your eyes instead of a curse or sickness. Finally, even though no human in this world can break the seal, the one who ced that seal in the first ce can surely remove it as well."


    p Vincent wryly smiled after hearing. It wasn''t that helpful but at least, Turhan tried. He also rified that it''s a seal and not a curse at all.</anda>


    There was nothing he could do to that at the moment but it is still good to know¡­ As for the name of the seal, no one has an idea.


    Anyway, Vincent was also aware that the seal will indeed be broken by the one who cast it, the blond goddess.


    Vincent then asked Turhan whether he knows something about the visualization method of the Aura Knights, he wanted to know if they are both visualizing the same goddess¡­


    "Hmm? I''m sorry. I didn''t learn any visualization method as it might affect my skills. Although I managed to strengthen my soul thanks to the medallion, I didn''t really learn any skills of Aura Knight."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh? I understand¡­ Right, I will take the gifts you offered then." Vincent said as he picked up the Consciousness Energy book and the Medallion on the table.


    "Haha¡­ Of course. I also appreciate your trust. Please take care¡­"


    Turhan said as he left Vincent''s room with a heavy heart. It seems that he was truly disappointed about being unable to discover more about the seal ced in his eyes.


    To be honest, Turhan wanted to ask Vincent about anything he knows why someone sealed his eyes or how did it feel when the seal was ced.


    Unfortunately, the Celestial Being who has been watching him with a threatening gaze bothered him a lot, and he can''t simply ignore her stare. He can only retreat and leave the courtyard before it gets worse.


    In the meantime, Vincent couldn''t help but smile after appraising the two gifts given by the Professor.


    ***


    Time quickly passed as Tara returned from exploring a few dungeons around the Zemin n''s territory. She brought many unknown things from Umon to Epic Rank¡­. There was even 1 Legendary Rank Robe item which greatly surprised Vincent.


    During this time, he had also heard that Duke France has finally imed the throne after many weeks of seizing the capital.


    "A total of 28 Celestial Beings has appeared, huh¡­" Vincent couldn''t help but sigh after hearing the news.


    The young King has the protection of 18 Celestial Beings, five of them are Numbered Celestials. On the other hand, the revolutionary army only has 10 Celestial Beings.


    Because of their disadvantage in number, the Duke managed to bait the King and mobilized their Celestial Beings to the field!


    This action broke the unwritten rules of the Celestial Beings as they ughtered the revolutionary army. This is obviously what the Duke wanted to happen to gain the moral high ground before stomping the King''s futile actions.


    In the end, the ten Celestials working for him were all Numbered and the weakest was Numbered 97!


    This was something incredible and even Professor Turhan was put at a loss after hearing the news. Nevertheless, his expression also showed that he realized something and left some advice to the Zemin n.


    "It''s a good thing that you guys will be leaving this Kingdom and didn''t put up a fight¡­ The enemy wasn''t that Duke France or his weak revolutionary army at all. It was something else¡­ No wonder your young king got too scared and relied on turtling inside his castle. I now also understand why the Barbarians suddenly be docile and started obeying his orders¡­"


    Turhan sighed as he disappeared after saying this.


    From his words, many of them got the gist of the situation¡­ However, they didn''t think too much of it as they''ll probably learn more about the hidden forces of this world after joining the umbre of the ck Tower organization.


    For now, they can only hope that they''ll be safe traveling for the next two months.


    After a while, threerge floating ships that could probably carry five thousand people docked at the Zemin n''s Evocation ins where all the members of the n are currently waiting.


    At this time, Vincent had also arrived carrying a small bag and a sword while Rem and Tara silently stood beside him.

 Chapter 149 Inventory

    Three weeks had safely passed after they boarded one of the threerge floating ships brought by the ck Tower organization.


    A single floating ship was over 300 meters in length and has seven floors in it. In addition, a single ship can carry at least 1,400 passengers inside!


    What greatly surprised Vincent, was that it seem to be very luxuriously designed as well based on Tara and Rem''s description. They vividly described the beauty of the ship and Vincent couldn''t help but feel sad at this.


    Well, he can''t see this beauty so he can''t really appreciate it. At the very least, the cabin assigned to him was quite good since it wasplete with necessities. Since he was also blind, they even offered a full-time assistant that could help him every day.


    Of course, he rejected the kind offer as he doesn''t have ns to stop his level grind. After all, he almost filled his Obsidian Treasure Box with magic items. It doesn''t matter whether they are inexpensive or not since what matters was the number and not the quality.


    During the past few weeks in the Zemin n''s estate, Vincent managed to level up his Ascension Skill to level 3. Furthermore, the three weeks here within the floating ship allowed him to push it further to level 4.


    At the moment, he was hoping to reach his Ascension Skill to level 5 before they alighted at the ck Tower''s territory.


    His level grind was quite fast, perhaps it was thanks to his Pseudo-Celestial Energy thatpletely changed the amount of energy that was being expended in every use of his skill.


    ''Well, there''s not much a blind man can do¡­ I can only do this¡­'' Vincent bitterly smiled as he kept his ''finished'' items back into his Obsidian Treasure Box.


    Perhaps, right now, he has a number of treasures that not even somerge ns or organizations could possess. If he ever decided to create an organization, he would certainly have enough items to arm them to the teeth.


    Even Vincent couldn''t help but shudder at the thought. This is why he always keeps his Obsidian Treasure Box by his side and notified Tara and Rem that it must be protected as well.


    Apparently, the number of his Pseudo-Legendary had exceeded the 300 mark already.


    He was able to easily count the number of this Pseudo-Legendary since Ascending any item at that level would create a special effect. Furthermore, he was able to get an achievement and reward for every 100 Pseudo-Legendary Items he ascended.


    As for his Epic-Rank Items, he didn''t count them anymore after reaching 500 of them.


    Nevertheless what truly made Vincent happy was his 20-Slot System Inventory was about to be filled with rewards he received from the system!


    Vincent spent his Pseudo-Celestial Energy again so he decided to finally take a rest just like any other day.


    Since he can now rx, hey down on his bed and decided to check his system inventory. By checking them from time to time, Vincent could make some ns for his future. During this peaceful time, he can also ponder the best method to use them.


    [ Inventory ]


    [ One-Time Ascension Card x4 ]


    [ One-Time Item Random Skill Card x2 ]


    [ One-Time Transcendence Card x1 ]


    [ Energy Card ¨C Full Refill x1 ]


    [ Energy Card ¨C 25% Refill x4 ]


    [ Luxury Protection Card x3 ]


    [ Temporary Item Skill Amplification x2 ]


    [ Orichalcum Ore x1 ]


    [ Mithril Ore x3 ]


    [ Opulent Star Dust x3 ]


    [ Critical Stone x2 ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Pierce Stone x2 ]


    [ Sharpness Stone x1 ]


    Thirteen slots were now taken in his Inventory Slots. He even received another transcendence card thanks topleting a hidden achievement.


    It was quite a sight for him since he can see items in the inventory. Well, this is his favorite pastime. After all, he can see the objects in his Inventory. As a blind young man, it can be considered his salvation as he spends his time looking at them.


    He doesn''t get tired of it and was only afraid that he won''t be able to see them as well. That''s probably the scariest thing that might happen to him right now.


    Of the 13 items, seven of them are system-rted items or items that can''t be seen by other people.


    The otherst six, on the other hand, were items that he can take out and let the others see or even use.


    Furthermore, there are two items here that truly piqued his interest.


    [ Luxury Protection Card ]


    [ A card that protects one selected item from being destroyed by Transcendence Skill. ]


    [ Effective for 30 minutes. ]


    Vincent doesn''t have a Transcendence Skill yet. However, he wasn''t surprised to get this card since it was the same when he only has Enhancement Skill before.


    Anyway, the most important thing here is the hint about the destruction of items.


    "So during Enhancement and Ascension Phase, there is no item destruction and only failures without much side effect. The most it could do was waste my energy or resources like Spirit Stones and Beast Cores. However, it will bepletely different when I''ll try to use Transcendence Skill in the future, huh¡­"


    Vincent muttered as he reminded himself that he can fearlessly use his first stage and second stage skills of his Item Awakening Skills but not the third stage.


    Right now, he can only imagine how many items he will probably destroy to Transcend some items.


    He can only hope that he will get more guarantee cards like Luxury Protection from the system in the future.


    The other item he was most fond of was the Opulent Star Dust¡­ It was even an item that attracted the Celestial Beings!


    "Vincent, Lady Yulia is outside."


    It was Tara''s voiceing outside his room.


    The cabin they were in has three rooms so it was perfect for their three-man group.


    "Alright, I''ming¡­" Vincent replied as he wore his Legendary-Rank Nightbane Robe.


    This robe was something that Tara gifted to him after looting it during one of her dungeon explorations.


    As soon as he came out, Yulia greeted him with a worried tone in her voice.


    ''''Vincent, it''s been a while¡­ You rarelye out of your room. You should consider getting some sunlight from time to time¡­ Ah--No, perhaps this is for the best¡­" Yulia spoke as she sighed after.


    "Is there something wrong, Miss Yulia? Please, don''t be afraid to tell, we''ve known each other for a while now." Vincent said amicably aware that something was off. Although he''s blind, he''s not deaf. She''s definitely hesitating and worried about something.


    "Ugh, it seems I really can''t hide it from you. There seems to be a problem with the other elders as they no longer want you to receive some special treatment¡­"

 Chapter 150 Provocation

    Tara, who was just behind Vincent, frowned after hearing Yulia exin.


    This Celestial Being rarely shows her emotion. It must be remembered that she didn''t even get embarrassed even after Vincent saw everything on her.


    This is why it wouldn''t be unthinkable to describe her as someone detached from the world.


    However, after hearing how the elders wanted to eliminate Vincent, she couldn''t help but emit a bit of her bloodlust. That''s right, someone instigated to kill Vincent ''fairly'' by asking him into a duel.


    Tara''s bloodlust only showed for a brief moment but it didn''t escape Yulia and Vincent''s senses.


    Currently, the three of them are seated in the cabin''s living room. There were tea cups on the table but none of them drank at all as they started getting cold.


    Obviously, none of them was in the mood to enjoy the expensive tea.


    "I believe it was instigated by Richard through Tyrell''s suggestion. Right, Richard is the name of the one who gained Lesley''s favor over the past few weeks. This man is the little brother of Guardian Emrah''s wife from Weiss n." Yulia said.


    Emrah is the Fourth Guardian of the Zemin n and Archmage. With his status, it wasn''t surprising that he was able to marry someone from the powerful Weiss n.


    "Richard Weiss¡­ I''ve never heard of him. What does he want from me? What would he get if I lost the n''s favor or defeated in a duel?" Vincent asked. His voice couldn''t hide the anger he was feeling.


    He''s already blind and this person still wanted to cause him some trouble? Does he really think that after he became blind, he also became a pushover?


    Vincent wanted to immediately teach this person a lesson but he decided to listen to Yulia first. She already took the risk of giving him a heads up so he can''t be too rash about this.


    "Haaa~" Yulia sighed. She didn''t immediately answer Vincent''s question as if she was thinking of how to exin this.


    After finding the right words, Yulia said, "I believe that he was still wary of you. Since there was no official announcement that the engagement was canceled, you are still considered someone who was here to fulfill the promise."


    "What? Isn''t that simple? The n Head just needs to announce it. Why are they causing trouble?" Vincent asked. It''s not like he was afraid to be in a duel, but he just couldn''t believe that this is all happening while they are still 30 thousand feet off the ground. He was getting annoyed at this.


    "Patriarch Leon doesn''t want to. If he did that, he would be known as someone who had broken a promise to his best friends... He didn''t want that to be put in his records by the n''s scribes."


    Vincent was speechless at this pathetic reason.


    After thinking for a while, he realized that the Patriarch also consented to Richard''s actions even though he didn''t voice it out.


    If he decided to get caught in Richard''s provocation and agreed to a duel, no one would me the patriarch if the engagement was canceled.


    This way, he would be able to have a clean record and get a good partner for his daughter. Killing two birds with one stone as they say.


    "What are your thoughts, Miss Yulia?"<sub> </sub>


    After calming his mind, Vincent asked for Yulia''s opinion about this. Since she came here to notify him, she probably has some advice for him.


    Yulia smiled seeing how Vincent would look for her suggestion.


    "First, you can announce that you''ve canceled the engagement. You can break the medallion given by your parent to prove this. However, this has implications as well since a blind person would be the one breaking the engagement. It would affect Lesley''s reputation as a young maiden so some elders didn''t want this to happen."


    "Oh¡­ What''s the second option?" Vincent asked. He didn''t really mind whether the elders like it or not. His concern is whether he would still be challenged by Richard even after doing this.


    "The second is to have Lesley announce it instead of you. At that time, she''ll announce the reason why you lost the favor too¡­ I''m sure that Richard and the others would be satisfied with that. You will be in a spot of humiliation for a while but after a few days or once we enter the ck Tower''s territory and got busy, no one will probably remember it."


    Vincent wryly smiled at this. This move will surely not affect Zemin n''s reputation and he will be the only one to be brought down.


    However, since they were on a floating ship, there wasn''t much entertainment they could enjoy so gossiping about some hot topics like the end of the prenatal engagement would surely blow up even up to the neighboring ships.


    Although he didn''t care that much about his reputation, he would still feel bad about himself if he just allowed that to happen. Furthermore, he didn''t believe that they would just forget about it after arriving in the other country.


    "Is there really no other option?" Vincent asked with his tired voice.


    "There is¡­ and that is to defeat Richard in the duel and you can announce there that you''re breaking or continuing the engagement with Lesley."


    Yulia answered. Although she was impressed with Vincent''s alchemical skills and aura, she really couldn''t think how Vincent could win the duel. She didn''t think that he could win even if he wasn''t blind. What more now in his current condition?


    Richard is already 19 years old. He''s four years older than Vincent and has top-grade talent in Mana Cultivation like Lesley.


    He''s already a Master Magician that has mastered two elements, Wind and Earth. Although he doesn''t know how to use Fusion Arts like Lesley, his incredibly fast casting speed is something anyone would be wary of. The Weiss n is known for their speed casting after all.


    Vincent remained silent as he considers his option.


    Yulia respected it as she reminded Vincent before leaving his cabin. She knows that he needed some time to think through this.


    "They will probably send someone to notify you about the duel in another hour or two¡­ You can think of your next move in that duration¡­ I will leave now."


    "Thank you for informing me in advance, Miss Yulia¡­" Vincent replied.


    As soon as she left, Vincent picked up the cold tea on the table and took a sip. His thoughts were unknown.


    After a while, he finally spoke.


    "Tara, can you call Professor Turhan for me?"

 Chapter 151 Other Options

    After speaking with Yulia, Vincent was able to understand Zemin n''s stance on his current position.


    Right now, he was thinking of epting the duel, which no one has probably expected since he was blind. Once he did that and even miraculously win the duel, there would be implications that he wouldn''t be able to avoid¡­  One of that would be the falling off of his rtionship with the Zemin n. That''s because he would surely announce the break of the engagement himself after the duel.


    So he has to weigh his options.


    Though he didn''t mind breaking off his rtionship with them after they gave him the cold shoulder, he can''t remain unattached to a powerful organization as that could probably affect his arrival at the ck Tower.


    There was no way he would be allowed to just freely walk off to another country. He would need some kind of background or identity there and the ck Tower is definitely the best option he has right now.


    This is why he needed to meet Professor Turhan.


    Luckily, his meeting with him went well.


    Turhan even appears to have expected that he would look for him.


    "Though it will be difficult to join the ck Tower with your condition it''s not impossible if you have other skills or talents that you''re proud of. Our organization values talents after all."


    Vincent smiled helplessly at this as he replied, "Since I''m blind now, even if I''m skilled in some field before, I can no longer be the same. At most, I have some skills as an Appraiser. As long as they are things I''m allowed to touch or feel with my skin, I might have a way to appraise them."


    This answer excited Turhan.


    He immediately tested Vincent''s appraisal skills.


    He took out three items in his dimensional storage tool and ced them down on Vincent''s table.


    ''Appraiser, huh¡­ I wonder what Tier this guy is at¡­ If he''s at least a Tier 2 Appraiser, Selda would surely be happy if I bring him to her¡­'' Turhan thought as he looked at the three items on the table.


    The one on his left is a magic sword that a Tier 1 Appraiser can identify. The one in the middle is a ball of amethyst crystal that only Tier 2 Appraiser and above can determine its purpose. Finally, the one on his right is a Skill Manual that only special appraisers or those in Tier 3 can decipher.


    What he meant by being a special appraiser was for them to possess some kind of Mystic Eye that can identify an item. These Mystic Eyes can be an Advanced Appraiser Eye, Seer Eye, Data Eye, Composition Eye, Past Tracing Eye, or others that can identify an object.


    At first, Turhan considered that Vincent has Lesser Appraiser Eye suited for a Tier 1 Appraiser but he believed that this eye wouldn''t work since he has be blind.


    The other possibility is that Vincent probably has Lesser Appraiser Hand or maybe an even better technique to identify the items. Although Appraiser Hands wasn''t as good as Appraiser Eye, it still has its own advantages like being able to better understand the structure orponents of the item.


    Turhan waited in bated breath as he saw Vincent pick up the one in the middle. Normally, appraisal takes several minutes even if you possess an Advanced Appraiser Eye.


    While Turhan was waiting, Vincent didn''t hesitate to use his Appraisal Skill.


    [ Tranquil Mind Crystal ]


    [ Quality: Unique<sub> </sub>


    Enhancement: 1/10


    Durability: 15/80


    Tranquility:  A passive ability that creates a field of protection that can clear the mind of affected people and absorbs any soul attacks.


    Soul Shake: An ability that releases all absorbed soul attacks in exchange for 30 units of mana. Absorbed Soul Attacks: 10/10


    Description: A Magic Artifact made of Arcane Amethyst Crystal and Soul Stone Dust. This item can''t be repaired through normal means.


    Remarks: Two Skills found. Every enhancement will improve the skill effect of the item. ]


    Vincent carefully read the description and realized that the Tranquility effect has simrities to his Memory Connection Stone''s Mind rity Skill. The difference is that instead of just the user being affected, it was able to create a small field and it absorbs soul attacks instead of just defending against it.


    He had always kept this stone in his pocket because of this Mind rity Skill. After all, the scariest attacks were those that can''t be seen by the human eye.


    Vincent then acted like he hadn''t confirmed the item yet as he touched the crystal everywhere. After waiting for a couple more minutes, he decided to reveal what he has found out.


    "This is an amazing item, Sir Turhan. Unfortunately, it is quite damaged already¡­ but that''s probably normal since this thing can''t be repaired through normal means."


    "Oh~ As expected, you were able to see through it¡­ Tell me more¡­" Turhan asked excitedly.


    "This item is called Tranquil Mind Crystal and it should be a Unique-Rank Magic Artifact. It has two skills called Tranquility and Soul Shake¡­ As for how it was created, I''m not sure of it."


    Vincent said. He decided not to reveal that he knows theposition of the crystal as he already learned a few things from Therese before.


    "I understand¡­ So you have an appraisal skill than can detect an Artifact''s Skills but not theirponents, huh¡­ Is that all you''ve found out about this item?" Turhan asked.


    Vincent already knows that not many Appraisal Techniques can detect theponents of an item. He could reveal to Turhan that he knows that it was made of Arcane Amethyst Crystal and Soul Stone Dust but that would be problematic to him since Soul Stone Dust is an item that not even Advanced Appraisal techniques could identify. There is only one method to detect it and it''s by exposing it to fire.


    He learned this while working with Therese before.


    Of course, Vincent is not nning to end it like that. He still needs to act a bit special considering how he ns to be connected with the ck Tower.


    "I also noticed that this crystal is quite different¡­ It seems to have been strengthened through an unknown method. Unfortunately, I can''t tell you more about it as my skill was stillcking¡­" As soon as he said this, Turhan''s expression stiffened as he seriously looked at Vincent.


    He didn''tment on that as he let Vincent appraise the other two items. Again, he was able to know their names, abilities, and condition but not theirponents, age, or even their creators that other appraisal techniques can do so.


    Nevertheless, the skill he had shown made Turhan recognize him as a Tier 3 or Advanced ss Appraiser.

 Chapter 152 Confidence

    Like many other professions, Appraisers are divided into four levels.


    The first tier was for Beginner-ss Appraiser, followed by Intermediate-ss, then Advanced-ss, and finally, the Master-ss.


    Being categorized as an Advanced-ss Appraiser specializing in Skill Identification would certainly help Vincent gain a footing within the organization.


    "You''re talented, Vincent¡­ Weren''t they aware of your skill as an Appraiser?" Turhan asked referring to the Zemin n.


    "They probably know that I worked as an Appraiser for a bit but didn''t think much of it since I''m still young."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right. Very well, I will support you once we arrived in our territory¡­ After you break off your rtionship with the Zemin n, you don''t have to worry about being targeted by them." Turhan said filled with confidence.


    Since a Grand Magus said this, Vincent was finally able to heave a sigh of relief. Everything is now arranged and he only needed to win the duel.


    "Thank you, Sir Turhan¡­ I will not disappoint you. Ah, will you be watching the duel?"


    "Haha¡­ Of course, I will be doing that¡­ There''s no way I would miss a fight between a Master Magician and a Blind Aura Knight. I''m sure that it will broaden my horizon. Oh, right¡­ I will be sending my apprentice to meet you in a while and you can ask her anything about the ck Tower or things you wanted to know. She''s also quite talented like you, I''m sure that you''ll get along with her."


    Turhan said as he left Vincent''s room.


    After an hour, Richard''sckey finally arrived to intimidate Vincent¡­


    "You can ept the duel if you want to fight for your engagement or get off of this ship since anyone unrted to the Zemin n can''t enter the ck Tower¡­ You''re not really included in the agreement we had with that organization."


    A deep voiceing from a middle-aged man that is probably working for Richard Weiss arrived and spoke in a harsh tone.


    Vincent can''t see his appearance but he can tell that he was well prepared beforeing here. Using his system''s Item Sense, he was able to determine that this person possesses nine magic tools with him.


    In normal cases, Vincent can only feel 3 to 5 pieces of Magic Tools from a single person. However, this man probably heard about Rem and Tara so he naturally equipped himself in case something went wrong.


    "Very well¡­ I will ept the duel and prove myself¡­" Vincent replied as he remainedfortably seated on his couch.


    The man was obviously flustered after hearing his reply. He thought that Vincent would just beg to cancel the engagement and plead mercy so he won''t get thrown out of the ship.


    They already thought to ask Vincent to pay them 100,000 Mana Crystals so he can continue being affiliated with the Zemin n. They even thought of asking him to have the Celestial Beings with him to work for the n. Unfortunately, this n wouldn''t work if he epted the duel!


    "Y-you¡­ How could you ept it just like that? Did you forget that you''re blind?"


    Vincent shook his head at this question.


    "No¡­ I just know that I have to do my best to honor my parents who had arranged this engagement for me. If it really didn''t work out, I can only me myself for mycking skills and I will apologize to my parents if I ever meet them again."


    "You''re crazy¡­ Master Richard is already a Master Magician and mastered two elements. He also has top-tier Magic Tools with him. You''re just courting death!"


    "I''m not¡­ Tell me when will this duel be." Vincent said with irritation. He''s already losing his patience with this person.


    "Hmph! Tomorrow morning at the center arena¡­ Don''t bete." The man said as he annoyingly looked at Vincent. His gaze then shifted to Tara who was standing just behind Vincent like a bodyguard. Even if just wanted to storm off this room, he couldn''t  help himself take several nces at Tara''s beautiful figure<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, Vincent didn''t ask Tara to act like a bodyguard but she still did it like how Rem does it as a trained knight.


    ''Hmm?'' Vincent suddenly felt something wrong.


    Although he didn''t see the man''s actions, he was able to imagine that this person just had a lecherous gaze on Tara after he noticed her subtle movement.


    "I will leave now¡­" The man finally said as he started walking off.


    On the other hand, Vincent whispered something to Tara.


    She then swiftly acted and apanied the man outside the cabin.


    Thud¡­


    As soon as the door closed, Vincent heard a loud crashing sound followed by the man''s cry from the outside. Tara then returned to the cabin like nothing happened and found her seat to rx.


    Vincent knows that, unlike Rem, Tara doesn''t like to talk too much unless it is something important. He didn''t ask what happened as he tried to think of what to do in his fight against Richard.


    He looked at the skills that he learned recently and the items that he has.


    ''Hmm¡­ I need to ensure my victory so I shouldn''t save this right now¡­'' Vincent mused as he took out some items in his system inventory.


    [ One-Time Ascension Card x4 ]


    [ One-Time Item Random Skill Card x2 ]


    [ One-Time Transcendence Card x1 ]


    With these items and his current cheat-like Magic Tools, Vincent was confident that he''ll create the strongest Legendary Weapons out there.


    After an hour, he finished tinkering with his tools and was prepared to eat his meal before resting. He wanted to be filled with energy for his battle tomorrow.


    "Vincent, do you want to borrow my Celestial Armor?" Tara suddenly asked as he was about to return to his room.


    At this moment, Vincent no longer cared what she had seen while he was using his system skills so he did all his actions even while she was there. As a matter of fact, he wouldn''t be surprised if Rem and Tara had seen him raise a weapon''s quality multiple times. There''s barely anything you can hide from a perceptive Celestial Being after all.


    Fortunately, Tara and Rem don''t seem to really care about this as long as they get the modified potions.


    "Ehem? Is that even possible? Wouldn''t there be a binding process to that?" Vincent asked recalling that his Astral Night Dagger was bound to him.


    "There is¡­ However, I canmand it to take care of you. Unlike weapons, armors can be flexible." Tara briefly answered.


    "I see¡­ Thank you for that. I appreciate it, Tara¡­ However, I''m quite confident that I won''t be defeated so I don''t think it''s necessary."


    Vincent answered. As a matter of fact, he felt confident facing a Grand Magus right now¡­ What more for a Master Magician?

 Chapter 153 Apprentice

    As Vincent was nning to get his rest, another knock on the door came.


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    It was a weak knock as if the person on the other side doesn''t want them to be noticed.


    At first, he thought that it was Rem who had finished looking around the ship but he realized that the items he was sensing were quite different.


    Soon, a weak voice, like she was whispering, was heard outside.


    "Hello? I guess no one''s here¡­ I''ll leave now."


    It seems to be from a young girl who was in hurry.


    They didn''t even have the chance to react when she started walking away! She didn''t stay in front of their cabin''s door for three seconds!


    ''What''s wrong with this girl?''


    Vincent and Tara were curious about her identity. At this point, Vincent asked Tara to open the door and call the person outside who was really walking away.


    This girl even seems surprised after Tara called her out to get inside the cabin. She hesitated for a moment before following her inside the cabin.


    "H-hello? I''m A, Sir Turhan''s apprentice¡­ He told me to introduce myself to you¡­" A spoke after she was almost dragged by Tara to the cabin.


    Finally, Vincent realized that this person doesn''t seem to likeing here at all. She was probably just forced by Turhan so they can get to know each other.


    "I understand¡­ I guess you didn''t likeing here. I''m sorry about that. I''ll just ask a few questions then you can leave." Vincent said.


    He felt that since she was already here, he would at least like to know what he would expect once he arrived at the ck Tower.


    "A-ah¡­ No, it''s not like I don''t want toe here. It''s just that I''m not good at dealing with people¡­"


    Vincent then smiled, understanding that this young girl is probably some introvert. He then epted why she acted like that.


    Anyway, it was also quite interesting to meet this kind of person so Vincent made sure not to make her too ufortable.


    He then introduced himself before asking a bit about her¡­


    Vincent then learned that this young girl is actually a Magic Craftsman who was specializing in enhancement!


    After asking more about it, he realized that her skill was simr to his First Stage of Awakening Sequence, the Item Enhancement Skill!


    "Sir Turhan said that during your appraisal, you noticed that the Tranquil Mind Crystal has been strengthened through an unknown method¡­"<sub> </sub>


    A then paused to see Vincent''s reaction, before she continued, "In truth, I was the one who did it. This strengthening method is called Enhancement¡­ It is a mystical technique that has been lost since the First Rapture¡­"


    "That''s amazing, A¡­ Can you do it to all kinds of weapons?" Vincent probed.


    "Oh¡­ I haven''t encountered any issue unless it''s badly damaged. If it''s a good item, I can enhance them although there is also a high chance that it would fail multiple times before I can seed... Besides, most of my enhancements would barely affect the item itself. It was still very weak and I''m currently researching a way to make it better."


    "That''s incredible¡­ A while ago, Although the enhancement I sensed during my appraisal was weak, it''s probably because the crystal was quite damaged already¡­ Is it okay for me to appraise your highest enhanced item?" Vincent asked since he wanted to see the highest level she can enhance.


    "This¡­ I can show it¡­ However, you have to tell me more about your appraisal method. To be honest, you''re the first person to have detected my enhancement. Furthermore, the enhancement in the crystal is the weakest that I have, so the difficulty to sense it would be higher."


    A requested. Aside from her Master Turhan, this is the first time she was able to talk about the mystical enhancement to someone. However, she knows that she can''t just agree to his request immediately.


    "Ahh¡­ You''re right¡­ Unfortunately, my Appraisal Method is my livelihood so I can''t tell you more about it aside from what Sir Turhan already knows. How about this, I can give you an enhanced item instead. Its enhancement should be quite higher than what you have. It might help you a lot. I found it on the street¡ªI mean, dungeon. Right, it''s found inside a dungeon."


    Vincent said. As he took out a Magic Artifact. It is a Nobility Circlet +6 that Tara randomly got for him. This circlet only has Speech +12 Attribute and a passive Cooling Effect. At most, it is something that can be used during hot summer.


    Vincent didn''t mind giving it to her since he has something so much better than this.


    Furthermore, he might be able to increase his favorability.


    "Beautiful¡­. Are you really giving this to me?" A asked with a hurried breath as she sp her hands.


    Although Vincent can''t see her face. He knows that she liked this artifact.


    "Yes¡­ Now, can you show me your best Enhanced Item?"


    "R-right¡­ Of course! I actually have three items that I have enhanced to the limit of my abilities. This is one of them." A said as she took off one of her rings and handed it to Vincent.


    However, after recalling that he was blind, she looked at Tara unsure whether she would take for Vincent.


    But as if Vincent could see, he raised his hands and showed his palm to her. This gesture means that he wanted to take it himself.


    A then gave the ring to Vincent as thetter appraised it almost immediately.


    He''s curious about this item. Although he has already expected that other Enhancers are existing in this world, he was still surprised about A''s sudden appearance. It caught him off guard but thanks to him being able to control his expression, he didn''t show how surprised he was after learning that she has skills simr to his System!


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''

 Chapter 154 Arena

    [ Ring of Good Health +4 ]


    Vincent checked the description and confirmed that this is a Rare Magic Tool that increases the recovery rate of the user''s physical injury.


    It wasn''t that incredible since other Mana Arts can do this as well. Nevertheless, what''s important is that this item is already a +4 item!


    "This is incredible, Sir Vincent. Although I don''t have any appraisal skills, I can tell that this has been enhanced¡­ The enhancement is even much higher than my creation so I can feel it even without my tools." A said in excitement.


    "Oh? You can tell?"


    "Yes! This is the feeling that I''m getting when I''m observing my enhanced items with my Observer Tool¡­ Right, that tool is also my Appraisal item. Although it can''t appraise any item at the level of Epic or above, it really helped me a lot to assess the value of an object¡­ I''m sure that this Circlet is very pricey¡­ Are you sure you''re giving it to me?" A excitedly asked. She couldn''t wait to return to her room and appraise this item.


    "Yes¡­ However, may I ask whether there are others who can use this mystical enhancement ability?"


    "Unfortunately, no one wanted to join my research¡­ Especially since I''m only 14 years old."


    A bitterly smiled as she continued, "No one would want to explore another field of study led by a young girl¡­ I''m already happy that Master Turhan is supporting me."


    "Is that so? I understand¡­  Once I''ve regained my eyesight, I will help you. Anyway, I''ve already taken too much of your time. Let''s meet again sometime."


    "Great! Thank you, Vincent¡­ I will leave now. I also want to study this circlet immediately. You can have the ring in exchange. That would be my wee gift¡­ Hehe, Wee to the ck Tower, Sir Vincent!"


    A said as she happily left Vincent''s cabin to return to her room.


    "Tara, can you describe A''s appearance? So I can at least imagine her face whenever I talk to her¡­" Vincent said as he fiddled with the ring for a little while before tossing it in his Obsidian Treasure Box¡­


    "Hmm¡­ She''s cute."


    Tara answered after a few seconds.


    It wasn''t helpful at all.


    "That''s it?"


    "Yeah¡­ Just hurry up and cure your eyes if you really want to see her."


    "Haa~ Give me a break¡­ Right, if Rem returned, just tell her to apany me to the arena tomorrow. That way, I''ll be sure that no one would pull a trick on me.


    "I''m sure that Turhan will observe the battle though¡­"


    "It''s better if a Celestial is still there. She''ll be a good deterrence."


    "Hmph¡­ Okay." Tara coldly replied as she returned to her room.


    ***


    On the next day, the whole floating ship has a festive atmosphere.


    The rumors about the battle for love have spread throughout the whole floating ship. Surprisingly, the employees working within the ship liked this event as well! They even decorated the entrance of the arena and set up a betting stand.


    The betting odd was 50:1 and the favorite here is quite obvious.


    Vincent couldn''t even imagine that someone would bet on him to win! Perhaps, if he wasn''t blind, he wouldn''t be this disadvantaged. After all, although Richard is a Master Magician, Vincent is still a young Aura Knight. He might still have a chance to win if he gets closer to Richard.


    Unfortunately, as a blind person, he might even trip on his way to the arena!


    "Haha! I wonder how that blind man would fight¡­ I''m excited. I''m sure he''ll be funny."


    "That''s true¡­ However, don''t you think that the wager should be changed to how long the blind man wouldst? There was no way he can win, right?"


    "That can''t be¡­ Richard would just manipte the fight and win when he wanted if we did that."


    "Sigh~ It''s quite weird that this person still dared to fight for Lesley''s affection. He should just be obedient and leave the n."<sub> </sub>


    "Well, we can''t me him. Miss Lesley is a true beauty. Although he can no longer see her, her appearance must''ve been etched in his mind already."


    The crowd started discussing the uing battle.


    Perhaps, because Richard wanted Vincent to be humiliated thoroughly, he had invited so many people to watch their battle.


    Furthermore, a few elders within the Zemin n has even arrived!


    They seem to be interested to find out about Richard''s skills since he''s about to be engaged to Lesley¡­ or so they thought.


    ***


    "Vincent¡­ Are you confident?" Yulia asked as she apanied Vincent on his way to the arena.


    Their group is currently in the hallway leading to the central area of the ship. Thanks to Yulia''s early arrival, Vincent already heard about the situation there.


    "Yes¡­ As long as bringing magic tools is not prohibited, I''m sure that I can deal with him. You can ce your bet on me."


    Vincent replied with a smile.


    "Haha¡­ Very well. It''s good that you''re confident. I have a tinum coin here, I might as well use it."


    "What? Isn''t that too huge?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    "Oh? Are you not feeling confident anymore?"


    "No¡­ But I''m worried that they won''t be able to pay you with that odds." Vincent smiled.


    Yulia paused for a moment after hearing this¡­


    "You''re right¡­ A tinum coin should be too much." Yulia then rummaged through her bag and pulled out a pouch of coins. "I guess this would do."


    Soon, their group arrived at the central area of the ship and was weed by a loud cheer!


    That''s right¡­ Most of the people here were excited to see a battle. They didn''t have that much of an impression on Vincent so they don''t really hate or like him¡­


    What matters to them is to see an exciting battle for love! Although it will be a one-sided beating, they were still looking forward to seeing it!


    There''s barely any entertainment in this floating ship after all.


    Vincent wryly smiled at this as he was approached by the ck Tower''s Arena Master.


    "Vincent, are you going to ept Richard''s request for a duel?"


    Vincent only noticed someone with a powerful fluctuation of mana and three high-rank items getting closer to him.


    When he heard the question, he realized that this person is from the ck Tower. He''s probably someone rted to Sir Turhan.


    "Yes."


    "Hmm¡­ Very well. Richard is already at the center of the arena waiting for you. Follow me."


    The Arena Master said.


    Vincent then nodded. He didn''t immediately follow as he turned to Rem and asked.


    "Rem, what does he look like?" Vincent asked referring to Richard.


    "Hmm? He looks like a fish¡­ He has big eyes and is quite tall with a thin figure¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ Is that so¡­ I guess it''s better than Tara giving descriptions¡­ Okay." As he said this, he quickly followed the Arena Master and faced Richard.

 Chapter 155 Soul-Forged

    "Killing is not allowed. This is only a duel. If I deemed that the other party can no longer continue, I will stop the fight."


    The Arena Master who seem to have simr mana fluctuations to an Archmage spoke strictly.


    Right now, the crowd that has been watching has already be quiet as they wanted to make sure that they won''t miss the battle.


    Apparently, before Vincent had arrived here, Richard proimed that he will end the battle in one move!


    Of course, not many believed that he would be able to aplish it.


    After all, even if Vincent was blind, he can still rely on his Aura to protect himself from any Mana Arts. No matter what, everyone here knows that there is no 3-Star Aura Knight that is a pushover!


    "If both of you had no issues with the rules, step to that line¡­ Ehem, Vincent, step back three more times. Alright¡­" The Arena Master then looked at the two and saw that they were both ready.


    ''A blind man and a fish-like man¡­'' The Arena Master sighed.


    At this moment, Vincent has his cane ready and everyone here knows that this is his main weapon. Many people had seen him use it during the Barbarian Invasion after all.


    As for Richard, he had already pulled out his scepter and was ready to fight as well.


    "As soon as you hear the bell, you can start the battle."


    After saying these words, the arena master took a step back to give space between the two.


    ng~ ng~


    The bell rang after he retreated but Vincent and Richard did not move.


    "Hey, Vincent¡­ You have a nice robe¡­ Is that a Magic Tool? If I win, can I take that?" Richard eyed Vincent''s robe greedily.


    To be honest, he wasn''t the only one who had noticed how good this item was.


    Many of the Zemin n elders and those with good eyes also realized that the value of his robe must be extraordinary.


    Well, they weren''t wrong at all. This is his Legendary Nightbane Robe +10 after all. After reaching +10 enhancement, there was some kind of glowing effect on its sleeves and it could easily attract anyone.


    For those who weren''t too informed about it, they might think that it was just some kind of cheap trick to make his robe look expensive.


    However, those with discerning eyes will easily feel the auraing out of it.


    "Very well, but if I win, you have to shave off your hair." Vincent nonchntly said.


    At first, he thought that the man would be surprised by his absurd request but instead, he actually got angry as the crowdughed.


    "Are you insulting me?!" Richard shouted with gritted teeth.


    "Huh? What''s wrong?" Vincent felt confused. Only after he heard Rem''s whisper that Richard was bald did he understand that his request was unnecessary.


    ''Why didn''t you add that with the description?''


    "My bad¡­ I''ll change it. How about you give me your scepter instead." Vincent said replied to Richard.


    He wasn''t too interested in the scepter. He just wants to take something away from him.


    "Hmph! Alright! Then don''t move too much. I need to make sure that the robe won''t get damaged."


    Richard grinned as he lifted his scepter.


    Bang!


    The scepter''s green crystal that was embedded in it shattered.<sub> </sub>


    Nevertheless, Richard didn''t panic and he even have a wicked smile on his face. It seems that it was a requirement for his Mana Art¡­


    The shattered crystal turned into a cloud of green smoke as it created an image of a tiger!


    This cloud tiger that was five times the size of Vincent pounced at him with great speed!


    The crowd who had seen this move was greatly rmed.


    "An Ephemeral Mana Art! How vicious!"


    "No wonder he was so confident to end this in one move. He''s using something that is only normally used as a life-saving technique¡­"


    "There''s no fun in this anymore¡­ He''s just lucky to be so rich¡­"


    Everyone felt dismayed after seeing Richard''s move.


    After all, his attack right now is not rted to his skills as a Master Magician. This is him just throwing an expensive artifact at Vincent.


    Ephemeral Mana Art, also known as one-use mana art, is an ability in any form that can only be used once. It is either through a medium like the crystal Richard used or others like talismans, medallions, and any special object that can contain a huge amount of mana.


    Nevertheless, they still wanted to see how Vincent get eaten by the Cloud Tiger¡­


    "Hmmm?" The Arena Master felt worried after seeing this attack. It''s something that could even critically injure an Archmage¡­ The terrifying mana fluctuationing from the tiger can surely rip apart this young Aura Knight!


    As he was about to make a move to protect Vincent, he suddenly noticed that the young man didn''t stay idle during this time.


    He saw Vincent raise his cane and stroke the ground.


    Thud¡­


    It wasn''t very strong but this action created a rippling effect on the floor as if it turned into water¡­


    Soon, a silhouette of a person appeared in front of the young man! It was as big as the Cloud Tiger and it was holding a sword in his hands¡­


    sh~


    The silhouette made its move and shed the tiger in half!


    Because of the forceful destruction of the tiger, the violent mana it contained turned chaotic as it exploded near Vincent!


    Boom!


    The explosion was so strong but the arena''s Mana Dome activated to protect the crowd from being implicated. The Mana Dome trembled a little before stabilizing again.


    "W-what was that?!"


    Richard was shocked after seeing that his attack was destroyed just like that! He bought this artifact for a high price to show off today. He even announced that he would end this fight in a single move!


    His n to have the tiger chomp off Vincent''s head was supposedly unstoppable!


    Only a few people with discerning eyes realized what was going on. Even Turhan trembled in excitement after seeing what had just happened.


    "A genuine Soul-Forged weapon that could manifest their creator?! So they''re real¡­" Turhan mumbled under his breath as he looked at Vincent''s cane with excitement.


    There was no doubt about it. Turhan was sure that the cane was a Soul-Forged!


    There are many Soul-Forged weapons and it was rumored that these forged weapons can summon or manifest the image of their creators! He thought that it was only a legend!

 Chapter 156 Duel

    "A Soul-Forged weapon can do that?" Lesley asked Guardian Evrim beside her.


    The two of them are secretly watching this battle together with a few servants. They were in a VIP room connected that can view the central arena from a high vantage point and they initially thought that this duel was just a way for Vincent to gain sympathy.


    They were sure that Vincent''sbat ability has greatly decreased after being blind and there was no chance for him to win at all.


    Nevertheless, since he epted the duel, he must''ve nned to use this as a stage to gain sympathy or to uphold the promise made by their parents to marry her. That''s right, they thought that he would use the sympathy of the crowd to gain some supporters and continue with the engagement!


    This is after they heard a report that Turhan visited Vincent''s cabin and the ck Tower''s personnel within the Floating Ship had immediately advertised the duel to get everyone to watch.


    None of them thought that he would be here to genuinely fight against Richard!


    However, it doesn''t seem to be seeing how Vincent could release such a powerful attack.


    Evrim was also surprised at this as she answered Lesley''s question.


    "That''s correct. They were rumored to possess such ability but I heard that there is a special method to activate these Soul-Forged things. If you don''t know this method, it would just appear like a normal weapon or even worse¡­"


    "Does that mean that Vincent has a method to release it? Is it that rare?"


    "Hmm¡­ Soul-Forged Weapons weren''t that rarepared to a Pseudo-Legendary weapons. As far as I know, this soul forging method was only inherited by a few powerful ns. Perhaps the Kayser n has this method?"


    "Most likely¡­ Perhaps they also have the method to activate it? I should probably ask my father¡­ Right, I''m sure that our treasury also has various Soul-Forged Weapons."


    Lesley muttered as she frowned while looking at the Arena.


    "I even have one with me¡­ What''s more important is the method to activate it." Evrim said.


    As a Guardian of the Zemin n, she has ess to many Magic Tools and Artifacts so it wasn''t surprising that she has a Soul-Forged item.


    p The only thing that she doesn''t have is a way to use the uniqueness of the Soul-Forged items.</anda>


    ***


    Vincent felt really nervous just now.


    In truth, he hadn''t seen the Cloud Tiger that Richard released. What he only felt was that Richard''s weapon disappeared in his Item Sense Ability!


    It means that it was either stored in dimensional storage space for that short duration or was broken and was no longer considered aplete item.


    Of course, since he knows that he wasn''t the one who broke the item, he realized that it was some kind of one-time use technique like a grenade or something simr.


    ''No, wonder he easily agreed to hand over the scepter if I win¡­''


    At first, he considered taking the attack head-on with his several defensive talismans but the Mana Fluctuation he just felt was too scary. He didn''t know where it wasing from as the pressure covered his entire body! He can''t locate the attack so he had to do something.


    He then decided to use his cane''s second skill!


    He received this skill after one of his two One-Time Item Random Skill Card was used!


    [ Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane +10 ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 599/600


    Crush: +530


    uracy: +40


    Description: An ascended cane that is suited for battle. It is carved from the exclusive Ironbark to form the base of the cane. It is decorated with gilded patterns and only leaves the handle untouched which has been decorated with scale-like stubs.<sub> </sub>


    Remarks: This item has reached the limit and can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Skills:


    Ensnare (Active Skill ): In exchange for 50 units of mana, multiple targets within 35 meters of the user will be trapped by Ironcoral Vines.


    Soul Manifestation ( Exclusive Soul-Forged Item Skill ): In exchange for 200 units of mana, the creator''s soul will be summoned for five seconds that can bemanded to attack or defend.  ]


    To reach this level of the weapon, Vincent had used all of his Beast Cores and Spirit Stones he umted¡­ He initially thought that he would still have plenty of them even after arriving at the ck Tower.


    However, he only managed to get three +10 legendary items before they were emptied. After that, he can only rely on his own energy to continue with the ascension or enhancement. Perhaps, he doesn''t have many issues with the enhancement but ascensions are just too expensive!


    Since he still has to give Tara and Rem some high-quality modified potions, he can''t just spend them all for his own good.


    At this moment, Vincent felt confident that smashing Richard''s face with his cane would guarantee his win.


    Furthermore, he''s confident that his cane would no longer easily lose its durability no matter how he used it.


    This is after testing it with Rem and Tara''s Celestial Armors!


    Previously, he was always worried about his cane. It would lose durability after a single use! It was as if it couldn''t handle the "Crush" attribute that it has. This made him hesitant to use it unless necessary.


    However, after it became legendary and tested by the tough Celestial Armors, it only lost 1 durability point after 10 ''crushes''!


    Vincent then made his move after realizing that Richard was flustered by his defense.


    "Ensnare¡­"


    Iron vines suddenly grew from the ground as they entangled Richard!


    Many of the Zemin n elites know this ability since they have seen this attack before. Of course, Richard learned about this as well after a simple investigation so he didn''t panic.


    He finally calmed down as he activated the Mana Art that he prepared for this¡­


    "Earth Shifting¡­"


    It is the favorite movement technique of Master Magicians that has mastered the Earth Element.


    Richard used it to slip through the entanglement as he moved forward¡­ He didn''t think of retreating at all. He''s fighting against a blind man and there was no way he would be the one continuously dodging and keeping distance!


    It should be Vincent running away from him!


    With this thought, Richard pulled out a short magic de¡­


    Whoosh~


    He waved it in front of him as he started moving closer¡­ The wave of his magic de created several air bullets aiming at Vincent''s body.


    ng! ng! ng!


    As expected, the attack didn''t even reach Vincent as everyone thought that it was probably the effect of the magic robe he was wearing.


    Everyone thought that Vincent will try to use his iron vines again but instead, they saw him pull out a ck dagger that was emitting an eerie aura.


    Needless to say, it was Vincent''s Astral Night Dagger¡­


    Vincent then clumsily throws it in Richard''s direction.


    Whoosh~


    As everyone doubts that it could even harm thetter with how weak it was thrown, something unexpected happened¡­

 Chapter 157 All

    Richard thought that even if he was hit by the dagger, he wouldn''t get injured at all. He surmised that it was probably just a distraction that Vincent created to retreat.


    Furthermore, the throw wasn''t even quick so anyone who had seen him attack could probably dodge it.


    However, the Astral Night Dagger that was aimed at his previous spot suddenly changed direction!


    The dagger moved like it has its own life!


    ''Sh-it!''


    Richard hastily raised his de to block the dagger but to his surprise, the dagger cut through his Unique Magic de and continued to stab his chest¡­


    Bang!


    Luckily, his chainmail armor''s effect hidden beneath his coat activated as it stopped the dagger from stabbing him.


    The explosion was caused by its skill effect called reactive armor¡­ By creating a controlled explosion, it could block most attacks made by mana arts.


    Obviously, it was also effective in negating physical attacks like the dagger. The only problem with this is that he would be stunned by half a second¡­


    Currently, he was fully equipped with tools and weapons that are all Unique-Rank and above! Richard felt d listening to his sister. He initially thought of removing the heavy chainmail as he knows that he will just be fighting against a blind man¡­


    He now realized that Vincent had prepared really well this time.


    He looked at the blind man in front of him. He estimated that he can reach him in just 8 more steps. Once he reached him, he would surely punch that annoyingly good-looking face.


    "Throw me everything you got! Hahaha!" Richardughed out loud as he felt confident with his armor.


    He then pulled out his steel rod ready to smash Vincent''s knees so he won''t be able to run away.


    However, he was shocked to see the dagger in Vincent''s hands again! He instinctively looked at the dagger that his reactive armor reflected and realized that it wasn''t there anymore!


    ''What? Can it return to its owner on its own? Or is it an illusion?... No, my magic de was destroyed. That attack was real¡­''


    Richard frowned not understanding the logic behind Vincent''s attack.


    Swoosh~


    Vincent threw the dagger again but this time, it wasn''t as clumsy as before¡­


    "Tsk!" Richard was no longer arrogant as he dodged quickly. He recalled that it managed to pierce his de after all.


    However, he immediately regretted his decision. He had forgotten that it could change direction!


    "Crap!" The dagger no longer targeted his chainmail but his neck!


    How vicious! Vincent wanted to kill him!


    Richard gritted his teeth as he no longer hesitated and used one of his trump cards¡­ One of his rings shattered into many pieces before his body turned corporeal as the dagger passed through him before he returned to normal.


    "W-what was that?!"


    "Is that even an Elemental Mana Art!"


    "No, that''s probably another Ephemeral Mana Art¡­"


    "This Richard is so rich!"


    "Hmph! He still didn''t win in a single move!"


    The crowd watching was surprised by what they have just seen. They do not know any simr Tier 1 to Tier 4 Mana Arts that is capable of doing that.<sub> </sub>


    As for that being Tier 5 Mana Art, there isn''t a single chance since all Tier 5 arts can''t be contained by mere objects. That level is only for the Grand Magus themselves¡­


    "Shit¡­" Richard cursed after retreating... He just used up an expensive Magic Artifact! This type of artifact is something that can no longer be reproduced! As far as he knows, none of the current magic craftsmen were capable of imitating this type of ability!


    That move was considered to be a lost technique and normally, it shouldn''t be used in such a duel! Not even a minute had passed and Richard already wasted so much money! His older sister would surely scold him after this battle.


    Richard gritted his teeth in anger as he saw the dagger appear in Vincent''s hand again.


    ''You want to kill me?'' Richard seethed in anger.


    He realized that Vincent''s dagger is probably a Magic Artifact that can return to its owner. It may not sound powerful but for a sharp dagger to possess this ability is definitely terrifying. Perhaps this is a perfect weapon for assassination.


    "So you think you''re going to win against me with that dagger?! You wish!"


    Richard shouted as he prepared his Mana Arts.


    He can''t make any more mistakes. As he realized that he don''t know anything about Vincent aside from the rumors he heard, he decided to just probe him a little bit more and used his Elemental Mana Arts. He wanted to make sure whether the dagger is indeed what he was relying on to win against him.


    Although he''s not that incredible who could use a Fusion Art simr to Lesley, he still mastered the Wind and Earth element and he even has a couple of Mana Arts in Advanced State!


    This was already considered better than normal elites at his age.


    Richard jumped back so he could easily react if the dagger was thrown again. After that, he triggered his strongest long-range Mana Art.


    Razor Wind!


    The wind Mana Art wasn''t created with the help of any tools or artifacts, it was his own creation through his skills in converting mana into an element.


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    An invisible attack came rushing to Vincent¡­ Although it wasn''t as strong as the Cloud Tiger a while ago, it was still extremely fast!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The razor wind continued hitting Vincent''s defenses. The crowd couldn''t exactly tell whether it was Vincent''s Aura, Mana, or Magic Tools that is helping him to defend but they were very impressed. He wasn''t even budging from where he stands!


    Nevertheless, this made them realize how tough his defenses were. Seeing that his wind element is nothing to Vincent, he prepared to use his Earth Elemental Mana Art¡­


    "You¡ª"


    Richard didn''t have the time to release his mana as numerous Iron Vines starteding for him!


    He used his Earth Shifting to get away from Vincent''s range but he suddenly felt dizzy as he lost his bnce¡­


    Soul Pressure! Domain!


    Everyone was rmed.


    "W-what?! Is thating from him?"


    "This blind man is crazy!"


    "So strong! How can he do this to everyone?"


    The crowd was stunned not by the two Aura Skills since they have experienced this before. They were stunned because it was their first time to experience such might that could affect the whole central arena!


    That''s right! Even the crowd including the Arena Master was affected by the Domain and Soul Pressure!


    It was as if Vincent wanted to challenge all of them!

 Chapter 158 Ambush

    The Soul Pressure rmed the elders of the Zemin n¡­ As far as they know, Ludovic, their strongest Aura Knight, is not capable of exerting this much pressure if he released his own Aura Skills.


    They could only look at each other as they could see the shock on their faces. Vincent hid his strength really well!


    If Richard didn''t challenge him into a duel, they would not realize that his attainment in Aura Skills has reached this level!


    "This is incredible¡­ I wonder if he has a top-grade Visualization Method¡­" Evrim muttered as she looked at Vincent with great interest.


    Lesley, who was beside her, remained silent as she watched the battle seriously. Even she could feel the pressureing from Vincent''s Soul Pressure and Domain. They were already inside the VIP room at a high vantage point! Furthermore, she still had to circte her mana to protect her body to avoid kneeling on the floor!


    What more for those people watching below?!


    They were obviously unable to prepare as many of them had no choice but to kneel! It was so embarrassing that they immediately burst with mana to counter the pressure.


    "Tsk! Howe the Mana Field didn''t block that attack from Vincent?!"


    "That''s right¡­ Why are we affected by that?"


    ? "Hmph! What do you know? That''s Soul Pressure¡­ Obviously, Mana Field wouldn''t be able to block it¡­"


    "me yourself if you can''t even resist that simple attack."


    The crowd had varying opinions about Vincent''s attack but there is only one thing they could agree on, Vincent''s Soul Pressure is incredibly strong!


    Those who weren''t too familiar with the Aura Knights couldn''t help but thinks of switching their profession.


    They wanted to do this Soul Pressure as well! They wanted to appear dominating!


    ***


    Vincent had no clue about the audience''s mor about his sudden show of force.


    To be honest, he wasn''t good at controlling his new power yet¡­ It was simply because he didn''t have the chance to try it in practice. He was just too busy with his level grinding!


    Apparently, after the goddess poked his eyes, she didn''t just make him blind but she also made his soul stronger! He didn''t notice these changes at first because he was so depressed at his current predicament. Luckily, he thought of continuing his visualization method one night and realized the changes in his Aura.


    Furthermore, Turhan''s Soul Void Medallion allowed him to multiply his current Soul Force! The medallion he had given to him amplified his strength by several times¡­


    Finally, he checked his own status and realized just how powerful he had be over thest few days.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 15 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 1850/2090 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv9, Item Ascension Lv5, Advanced Item Appraisal ]


    [ System Feature: Auto Enhancement Mode, Enhancement Erasure, Learn Skill, 20-Slot inventory, Item Sense ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Advanced ), Mana Drain ( Advanced ). Corrosive Mana ( Intermediate ) ]


    [ Soul Arts :<sub> </sub>


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Aura Resonance ]


    His Pseudo-Celestial Energy is just too much¡­


    Based on his various tests, he had roughly calcted that 5 units of mana are equal to 1 pseudo-celestial energy.


    With such a huge difference in strength, once Vincent released his Soul Pressure, it wouldn''t be surprising that everyone would be rmed¡­


    ''So this is how it feels to explode with power¡­'' Vincent muttered to himself after seeing that everyone has been affected by his careless control of Soul Pressure.


    Nevertheless, Vincent smiled after feeling the result.


    During this time, he realized that four people had actually resisted his pressure by using their own Aura! It means that these four were Aura Knights like him!


    Of course, Richard wasn''t included in that number.


    Right now, he wasn''t even able to properly stand.


    "I guess I should just end this¡­" Vincent said as he finally made his move¡­


    He walked slowly to confront Richard.


    He wasn''t using a movement technique or any fancy actions to approach Richard. He was simply walking with the help of his cane while he silently controlled his Soul Pressure to focus on his poor opponent.


    Richard was going crazy¡­ He has defenses against Soul Attacks since his sister knows that his opponent is an Aura Knight. Although it is unlikely that a young 3-Star Aura Knight could have a powerful soul since he hasn''t cultivated very long, he still agreed to wear it. However, it was obvious that it didn''t work at all against Vincent''s technique. This is definitely a force above the 3-Star!


    He looked at Vincent hatefully and cursed his entire family in his mind¡­ He didn''t know what to do at this point¡­


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    Vincent''s step was getting closer and closer as he continued to sweat profusely.


    His every step was like a knife cutting at his heart leaving him unable to think properly. He has even forgotten to surrender!


    As soon as Vincent was just two steps away from Richard, he raised his cane and was about to strike thetter.


    The Arena Master sighed. He realized that Richard had no more tricks he could use or perhaps he decided not to use them anymore as it would probably be just a waste of time.


    He already has a rough idea of Vincent''s strength although he felt that there was more to it than this. That''s right, he feels that Richard is just not strong enough to push Vincent to reveal more of his powers.


    ''Very well. The show is over¡­ I should stop this now¡­'' The Arena Master thought as he gathered energy in his palm to cushion Vincent''s strike.


    However, before he could even arrive in between the two to stop Vincent''s strike, another person dashed forward and he was targeting Vincent from behind!


    "Y-you!"


    The Arena Master didn''t realize this until it was toote! The man seems to be stronger than him and he even specializes in stealth!


    Vincent was in danger!

 Chapter 159 Nightmare

    Vincent felt sensed an unstoppable force aimed at his back¡­


    His Item Sense wasn''t fast enough to pick up the aura of the assant''s items so he was unable to immediately react. Nevertheless, he wasn''tpletely defenseless.


    He has already expected that his opponent would y a trick on him so he allowed Rem to apany him¡­


    That''s right!


    Rem made her move! She hastily followed the assant though she would probably be toote!


    However, this was enough for Vincent since he only needs to survive for a few seconds.


    Bam!


    The cloaked man who had ambushed Vincent used a steel gauntlet to pummel Vincent''s back¡­


    Vincent was hit! Or specifically, his Legendary Nightbane Robe +10!


    [ Legendary Nightbane Robe +10 ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 700/720


    Magic Resistance: 100


    Poison Resistance: 50


    Description: A robe glittering with magical essence.


    Remarks: Pierce and Sharpness Attribute found. These attributes including the Active Skill will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    [ Skills


    Art Mastery ( Passive ): Increases the user''s control of all elemental mana art. An additional 100% increase is given to any darkness and light-rted mana art.


    Crippling Force ( Passive ): Reduces any physical damage by 70%


    Chaos Night ( Active ): In exchange for 400 units of mana, the user can trap the consciousness of the target in a nightmare. ]


    This robe truly deserved to be a Legendary Item.


    Thanks to his other talismans, the force behind that punch were reduced by a significant amount.  Even after his talismans were broken, the Crippling Force still took effect, and Vincent was just barely pushed by that attack!


    "Hmm? Corrosive mana?"


    Vincent realized that after getting hit, a string of mana tried to enter his body and cause internal injuries!


    Thankfully, he still has his Prudence and Sagewood Ring that he had previously shown to Turhan. The two rings took effect almost immediately and cleansed his body.


    Bang!


    Rem finally arrived as she mmed the man''s head to the ground. If not for Vincent''s instructions, she would''ve cut off his head already.


    At this point, the Arena Master had also arrived and suppressed the cloaked man.


    "Who dares?!" Turhan had also appeared as he wanted to see who was courting death! Interfering in a duel witnessed by the ck Tower officials is a huge crime... Furthermore, he even plotted to kill Vincent.


    The crowd was already whispering to themselves as they tried to guess the man''s identity.


    Many of them thought that it was Emrah who acted since he was Richard''s brother-inw. However, they know that he doesn''t use the gauntlet as a weapon so many of them dismissed this thought.


    Nevertheless, the face of the man was finally revealed. He was already unconscious after Rem smashed his face on the ground. He has a broken nose and swollen forehead but many of them still recognized him¡­ He was Xander, the Eight Sword of the Zemin n and one of the strongest Arch Knight of the family!<sub> </sub>


    However, they couldn''t understand why he would actually act against Vincent. Furthermore, it was also quite embarrassing that he didn''t even seed in hurting him! He was already facing Vincent''s back and he still failed in the end.


    Seeing that Vincent was still fine after being ''pushed'' by Xander''s punch, Turhan heaved a sigh of relief¡­


    "Patriarch Leon, I would like to hear an exnation¡­" Turhan said as he nced at one of the VIP rooms above.


    The arena then became silent after hearing Turhan''s words. It took a while before a familiar deep and powerful voice replied.


    "It was his own actions¡­ You can ask himter why he did that and punish him ordingly."


    Within the VIP room, his expression was gloomy.


    Patriarch Leon had no choice. They haven''t arrived and established their n in their new territory yet. For now, he can only give Turhan the authority to determine Xander''s fate.


    He then hatefully looked at his son, Tyrell, who had influenced Xander to act against Vincent.


    "F-father¡­ Can''t we just take Sir Xander and tell him that we will be the ones punishing him? After all, he''s from our n. The ck Tower shouldn''t have the right to punish him, right?"


    "Hmph¡­ So you''re relying on that trick all along? Useless!" Leon gritted his teeth as he couldn''t be bothered to exin their current position.


    If they were still within the Zemin n Territory, Xander wouldn''t be punished and would only be scolded by him. However, the situation is different now. They needed Turhan''s help to have a better conditions in their new territory. They can''t be losing his favor now!


    Leon was having a headache¡­ It seems that he needed to reeducate his son¡­ and even his daughter!


    ***


    Bang!


    Vincent struck Xander''s gauntlet as it was shattered into many pieces¡­


    With his 530 crush attribute, only Epic-Rank and above items can possibly resist the crushing might of his cane.


    After all, only Epic Items and above have the durability that reaches 500 points and above.


    "Sir Arena Master, Sir Turhan, my duel wasn''t finished yet. Can you bring this man away?"


    Vincent said calmly after shattering the gauntlet.


    The two were surprised at this but Rem only nodded as she left the duel stage silently.


    However, before the two can even reply, Richard already acted!


    Since Vincent''s Soul Pressure disappeared, Richard was able to regain control of his body and pulled out a poisonous dart from his sleeve!


    He decided not to use any form of Mana Arts since that would surely be sensed by Vincent and he might be able to dodge his attack.


    This is why he just silently moved without using any form of mana!


    ''Die for me!'' Richard was excited. He already realized that Vincent was relying on his mana fluctuations to detect his presence. Now that he didn''t use any and acted only using his physical strength, there was no way he could predict his movement!


    Whom~


    As he was celebrating in his mind, he felt something shake his mind as he found himself in darkness.


    It took him a few seconds before he was able to adjust his eyes and see his surroundings¡­


    He immediately looked around only to realize that he was trapped in a spiderweb!


    "N-no! What''s going on?!" Richard was panicking as he tried to get himself off the web! However, he waspletely glued to the web and he can''t even use his Mana!


    "Vincent! Where did you bring me?! My sister will kill you!" Richard shouted in despair¡­ He somehow felt what was about to happen.


    Soon, just like what he guessed in his heart, eight red eyes belonging to a huge spider came for him.

 Chapter 160 Termination

    "What did you do to him?" The Arena Master asked curiously after seeing Richard like he was frozen. He hadn''t even noticed Richard''s sneaky move since his vision was blocked by Vincent''s body.


    They only felt a few energy fluctuations from VIncent before he realized that Richard became like that. He was still in the motion of throwing the dart and they could see the purple liquid smeared on its tip. It is definitely a poisoned dart even without appraising the liquid.


    Vincent smiled mysteriously.


    This is his legendary robe''s Chaos Night¡­ He can maintain this for a minute but in Richard''s mind, it was longer than that.


    The only problem with this skill is that once the affected''s body was disturbed, he will be able to wake up from the nightmare even if the one minute hasn''t finished yet.


    Of course, Vincent has no reason to exin his item''s ability.


    "It''s just a simple trick¡­" Vincent vaguely answered.


    Turhan made a bright smile after hearing Vincent''s answer as he looked at the Arena Master.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll take this guy to the interrogation room. Arena Master, you can now announce the winner of the duel."


    Thetter nodded at Turhan as he immediately announced the result of the battle.


    "Richard can no longer continue and lost the duel. Vincent is the victor of this match!"


    As soon as this was announced, the employees of the ck Tower cheered and apuded Vincent.


    On the other hand, the people from the Zemin n had mixed feelings about this Victory.


    They know that this duel is quiteplicated from the beginning. Now, with the addition of the Eighth Sword, it became even moreplicated!


    They also felt the Patriarch''s mood just now so they didn''t dare to cheer for Vincent. There weren''t even sure if the Patriarch was actually the one who ordered Xander to kill Vincent!


    They didn''t want to offend their n Head so they decided to remain silent at the announcement.


    Vincent didn''t find this surprising as he took a deep breath.


    It wasn''t over yet. He needed to draw a clear line between him and the Zemin n today!


    The Arena Master has already received a hint from Turhan so he immediately turned to Vincent.


    "Vincent, the winner of this duel, do you like to say a few words to your fans?" The Arena Master said as he almost chuckled.


    "Yes, Arena Master. I would like to thank the Zemin n for allowing me to meet you and the ck Tower." Vincent said and everyone knows that it wasn''t sincere at all.


    He paused for a moment as he took out the bronze medallion that his Grandpa Raizen has given him.


    It is the same medallion with an image of a winged serpent coiling around a mountain. This is the ''proof'' that he has about prenatal engagement.


    Many people realized what this item was and they immediately sighed.


    As expected, he really wanted to assert his right to marry Miss Lesley¡­


    This is what everyone has in mind after seeing him take the medallion out.


    However, his next action stunned them¡­


    He flipped it in the air as his cane smashed it into many pieces¡­


    Crash~


    They were shocked not just by the sudden destruction of the medallion but they realized that the attack he used was not simple¡­ Normally, the bronze medallion would only be thrown away if it was smashed like that in the air.<sub> </sub>


    However, upon contact with the cane, it immediately shattered into pieces!


    Finally, Vincent continued to speak.


    "Since none of us wanted to continue the marriage, we can forget about it. From now on, I''m no longer rted to your n."


    Vincent didn''t want to continue staying here anymore so he started walking away with Rem beside him.


    Although he''s blind and couldn''t see their reactions, he still didn''t like the feeling of being red at by numerous people.


    The crowd then looked at the VIP room above.


    They don''t know where Lesley was but they know that she''s watching this battle. They waited for some kind of reaction from the Patriarch or any elders of the n.


    However, none of them made their move.


    No one spoke until Vincent was almost out of the arena¡­


    "Very well¡­ The Zemin n will no longer support you."


    The Patriarch finally said as Vincent continued walking away.


    ''Support me?'' Vincentughed in his mind as he returned to his cabin.


    ***


    Several days had passed after the duel and Vincent was finally informed that they were about to arrive at the Parason Continent where the ck Tower is located.


    He has no idea what happened within the Zemin n after he did in the arena but it appears that Turhan stepped up to ensure that he wouldn''t be attacked again. He even faintly remember that Tara had also taken action.


    Anyway, it wasn''t important now as Vincent learned a few things about thend they were heading to.


    Based on A''s introduction, this continent isn''t divided by kingdoms or nations. The continent''snd is ruled by multiple organizations and one of them is the ck Tower which upied the majority of the northern continent''s shorelines.


    Within the continent, there really were only sixrge organizations that has fixed borders¡­


    The ck Tower, Solomon''s Pir, Red Alliance, Demonic Cult, Martial Arts Alliance, and Star Garden Peak.


    If A wasn''t mistaken there should be over a thousand organizations within the continent but these six were the most stable ones or solid control of their borders.


    If it was and outside the six organizations, its owner can change every time once a stronger force made an appearance. Furthermore, their borders can easily increase or decrease depending on their strength or negotiation, or business skills.


    Vincent wanted to see the map of the continent but obviously, he can''t see it even if he wanted to.


    He can only ask Rem topare the Parason Continent to their Tudor Kingdom.


    "The Tudor Kingdom is only a small ind¡­ Based on this map, the Kingdom wasn''t even a third of the ck Tower''s territory."


    This was how she described it.


    "Sir Vincent, Professor Turhan wanted to see you. He''s currently in the main deck."


    About half an hour before their floating ship docks at the nearest shipyard, a servant of the ck Tower came to his cabin.


    "I understand¡­ I''ll be there in a moment."


    Vincent then packed all his things within the cabin as he headed to meet Turhan.

 Chapter 161 Preparations

    As Vincent was walking in the hallway heading to the main deck, he met various members of the Zemin n. They either ignored each other or they were throwing hateful gazes at him.


    However, all of this didn''t matter to Vincent since he was blind. He no longer cared about them and treated them like they were dust.


    Soon, Vincent''s group arrived at the main deck¡­


    Turhan immediately saw his group and was about to invite Vincent to see the beautiful scenery of the coast. But Rem and Tara''s stare reminded him that he was blind.


    ''I keep forgetting that since his actions over the past few days don''t seem like he''s blind at all.'' Turhan mused.


    After Vincent announced the engagement termination, he didn''t just remain in his cabin but was actually with A over the past few days.


    Turhan learned that Vincent has been very interested in the research of the mysterious enhancement technique that A discovered.


    Although he thought that this is a useless study since there was barely any improvement with the items A enhanced, he still decided to let it be since this appears to be one of the lost magic before the First Rapture.


    Anyway, Turhan approached Vincent with a smile.


    "Vincent, I heard that Richard has developed a deep trauma¡­ A few elders of the Zemin n wanted to skin you alive. Hehehe¡­" Turhan chuckled after recalling Richard''s current state.


    He already made some investigations so he was able to tell that Vincent used some kind of illusion or maybe a curse to mess with Richard''s mind.


    "Oh¡­ I wonder what he saw?" Vincent muttered with great interest.


    He didn''t expect that Richard would be traumatized by his Robe''s function. He only knows that Richard would be in a nightmare for a while and thought that it wouldn''t have a longsting effect.


    "So you weren''t able to control that illusion?" Turhan asked.


    Vincent thought for a moment before nodding. It should be fine to reveal this much.


    "That''s correct. The target will only experience some kind of a nightmare. As for what nightmare it was, I can no longer control that."


    "Interesting¡­"


    "Do you want to experience it, Sir Turhan? I''m more interested to know whether it''s effective against a Grand Magus."


    "Haha! Let''s forget about that. I might see my wife haunting me in that nightmare¡­ Anyway, I called you here for a reason¡­" Turhan finally turned serious as he led Vincent to the edge of the deck where a few seats and tables were arranged.


    Aside from their group, there were other members of the ck Tower in the main deck but no members of the Zemin n can be seen.


    They weren''t allowed here and can only ess the three lower decks of the ship.


    After getting a seat, Turhan looked at Tara and Rem before shifting his gaze to Vincent.<sub> </sub>


    "Do you know that situation of the Celestial Beings in Parason Continent?" Turhan asked.


    "Hmm? A briefly mentioned it to me. She said that it wasn''t good since they weren''t needed that much on the continent¡­ I didn''t think much of it since I know how great they are¡­ and even if they turned unwanted, I still need them beside me." Vincent said with sincerity.


    After bing blind, he learned who to trust more. If ever Tara and Rem get into a difficult situation, there was no way he would just let it be.


    Turhan nodded. He was satisfied by his answer as he continued, "I''m not sure how much you know about their existence. However, what if I tell you that we, the human race, have enemies beyond our capabilities because of them?"


    Vincent frowned at the question. He didn''t immediately answer as he wanted to rify some things.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m unable to exin it but if that''s the situation, how would you feel about the Celestial Beings?"


    "Haa~ Is that even needed to ask? Of course, I would treat them the same. I''m pretty sure that Celestial Beings were like humans as well. They have their own thoughts and opinions. They can fight each other or befriend each other like us, humans. If one Celestial caused trouble to us, it doesn''t mean that their entire race wanted us to be doomed. Furthermore, did they not share with us the Mana Cultivation Method or other techniques that brought us prosperity?"


    "Oh¡­ I like your answer, Vincent. That''s right¡­ They all have different personalities and could think for themselves. They gave us knowledge and even tools to make us stronger¡­"


    Turhan paused at this moment. He turned to look at the nearing maind and continued.


    "Unfortunately, some of us believe that they are too dangerous. This is why their strength has been limited ever since¡­"


    Vincent was confused by this. He understands that Celestial Beings can be very dangerous. Isn''t that the reason why there is an unwritten rule? Furthermore, they also needed Celestial Energy to recover instead of using mana. Even if they are dangerous, they won''t be able to use their full strength as they wish.


    As far as he knows, they can only recover by using the Blood Essence of Mana Practitioners or his Enhanced Potions.


    ''Am I missing something?''


    Vincent remained silent as he let the Professor continue.


    "Within the ck Tower, there is an academy where you can learn more about the First and Second Rapture that involved the whole world¡­ You need to attend it so you can properly decide what to do with your Celestial Beings. After that, you can decide whether you want them to continue getting stronger or just let them stay like that."


    Vincent didn''t react immediately as he digested his words.


    ''So after learning the history of the Celestial Beings, I would have to consider whether to continue supporting them or not? Ugh¡­ Whatever, I''ll just learn it in this academy¡­ but¡ª''


    "I''m blind. Can I even attend the academy there?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "Of course. Although you won''t be able to attend most of the sses, there are a few sses there where you can learn even without using your eyes. One of them is the Arcane Mysteries¡­ The teaching method of the Professor in that ss is suited for you."

 Chapter 162 New Group

    Vincent didn''t return to his cabin after chatting with Turhan.


    When they finished, they have already arrived at the shipyard and he was separated from the Zemin n ording to Turhan''s arrangements.


    Then, one of the Professor''s servants escorted his group to be brought somewhere else where he could temporarily stay. It appears that Turhan needed to do a few more things before he could arrange his official membership within the organization.


    "Vincent! We''reing with you!"


    As he was following their escort, he heard a familiar female voice behind him. Vincent immediately focused his senses in her direction and realized that she wasn''t alone.


    There is another familiar mana fluctuation beside her which confused him momentarily.


    ''What are they doing here?''


    "Lady Yulia, Sir Severin? Did you get lost? I heard that the Zemin n was brought to the Third Tower?" Vincent asked.


    The ck Tower has a total of 36 Towers representing 36 main cities.


    Although the number of cities is incredibly small for such arge piece ofnd, the ck Tower was still able to defend or control its whole territory because of its incredibly advanced technology.


    The Floating Mystic Ship is one of their technology and they are the only ones who can create this and the only supplier to other organizations.


    Currently, they are in the Fifth Tower''s territory and it''s bustling with activities¡­ This ce is quite crowded considering how he could sense Magic Items everywhere. There are also so many strong Practitioners watching them.


    As for the Third Tower, he heard from A that there weren''t many people in that territory and there were many abandoned castles in its vicinity. It was a perfect ce to be upied by therge n.


    "Haha! Of course, we are here to join you. You know that I''m not really a part of the Zemin n, right? I was only a contracted there as their Poison Expert."


    Severin replied with a smile.


    "As for me¡­ I didn''t like how you were treated by my n. Furthermore, when I tried to confront Emrah and Xander''s supporters, I was stripped of my position as an elder. Well, they are Guardian and Swords of the n so I can''t do much. So I decided to just join you instead of trying to gain their favor¡­"


    Yulia exined before she continued.


    "We already notified Sir Turhan and he''s happy about our decision."


    Vincent was speechless for a moment after hearing them. He did not expect that they would leave the protection of theirrge n to join him.


    No, perhaps they made a good decision to directly join him who will be a member of the First Tower?


    Anyway, they were already adults so he decided to just wee them.


    "Thank you¡­ I won''t be stopping the both of you since I might really be needing your help with my condition. I will also do my best to assist in any way I can."


    Vincent replied and added, "Right, are you aware that I was nning to join the ck Tower?"


    "Ahh¡­ We already guessed it after you keep visiting A''s cabin¡­ Anyway, I''m really curious how you managed to convince Professor Turhan." Severin answered.<sub> </sub>


    Living within the ck Tower''s territory doesn''t mean you''re a member of the said organization after all. Only those acknowledged by the First Tower can have the chance to be part of the internal organization.


    This means that those members or trainees of the organization are the ones who can enter the 36 Towers.


    Based on what A mentioned to him about the history of the organization, the first tower was just a huge magic tower owned by a few powerful individuals.


    Due to its strength that could protect the surrounding areas from beasts, bandits, and other dangerous creatures, it slowly gathered a few human settlements. In exchange for a fee, the tower would give them protection.


    It then started growing incredibly fast as the tower multiplied. It also got bigger and the settlements became prosperous cities until they turned into the ck Tower of today.


    A didn''t get into detail about how it happened but it must''ve been an incredibly arduous path.


    Soon the group of five individuals was brought to arge estate where they can stay temporarily.


    It was located in the eastern part of the Fifth Tower''s City.


    The estate''s main entrance has tworge stone lions in front and a card over the top, written inrge characters: "Savaz Pce"


    Based on their escort''s description, it has six entrances and eight halls within the pce. It includes the front court, entrance hall, the main hall, and even an interior garden. It almost took over three hectares of space and a hundred rooms.


    Furthermore, there was even a fake mountain in the white flower garden. From atop the pavilion, you could also see the Fifth ck Tower in the west.


    This extravagant ce is none other than Turhan Savaz''s property.


    ***


    While Vincent and the others were settling themselves within the new ce, Turhan finally arrived at the Fifth Tower.


    Right now, he''s already wearing a distinct ck Robe and a red emblem pinned on his chest.


    He entered the ck Tower quite easily and immediately went to the Messenger Hall and made a report in a serious manner.


    The hall uses a special device that amplifies the effect of themunication crystal.


    After sending a message, Turhan stayed in the hall and waited for a reply.


    It didn''t take long before someone went back to him.


    [ So, aside from the Unnumbered Celestial Beings of the Zemin n, you''ve brought another two that are unaffiliated to them? ]


    p A deep voice was heard from the crystal.</anda>


    "No, Sir Harun¡­ I''ve brought someone who is contracted to a couple of Celestial Beings. He''s not part of the Zemin n and wanted to join the Tower. I already assessed his skills and there shouldn''t be a problem with his background as well."


    [ Ho~ You can only rmend one person in five years. Are you sure you''re using your rmendation for him? You can think about it for now. You can also offer him a treatment simr to the Zemin n if he shares his secrets. ]

 Chapter 163 Path

    Turhan didn''t change his mind as he replied to the man on the other side of the crystal.


    "I''ve already considered everything. For now, I rmended him to attend the training center¡ªI mean, the academy so he can easily adjust here."


    [ Very well. It''s up to you¡­ I will make the necessary arrangements. ]


    "Thank you, Sir Harun¡­"


    [ Hmph! Then I''ll be waiting for your gifts. You didn''t forget to get a few local specialties on that ind, right? ]


    "That¡­ Of course. I have some¡­ I will give it to you if we meet again."


    After the conversation ended, Turhan heaved a sigh of relief. His eyes were filled with expectations.


    He then clenched his fist with excitement.


    "I''m sure Vincent will make it in time to participate in thepetition¡­" He muttered under his breath.


    He can still recall how a blind man defeated a genuine Master Magician¡­ It was something that he had never seen before and he would like it to be seen by his old friends.


    ***


    Vincent had no idea what Turhan was plotting for him. At the moment, Vincent and his group have decided to settle down in therge estate as they waited for further news.


    During this time, Yulia and Severin also informed Vincent about the reason why the Zemin n was ''recruited'' by the ck Tower.


    He learned about the high-level Mana Arts that the Patriarch traded in exchange for a peacefulnd that is under the protection of the ck Tower.


    In short, the Zemin n wasn''t a partner, ally, or part of the ck Tower itself.


    Instead, it''s probably right to describe them as taken under the wings of this organization.


    "Well, at the very least, I heard that the ck Tower would give a hundred of your people a chance to enter or study within the ck Tower." Vincent said as he recalled the announcement that Turhan made ording to Rem.


    "Oh¡­ That''s only a chance to work for the organization. You still need a rmendation from a member to be part of the organization." Yulia exined. He learned all about this as she thought of joining therge organization before as well.


    "What? Isn''t that too easy to join? I''m sure people can just pay arge sum of money to those who are already a member." Vincent replied.


    "That''s possible¡­ However, after being rmended, you still have to prove yourself within three years. The one who has the final say is still the council of the First Tower."


    "Ohh~ I wonder what Sir Turhan is nning then. It seems that he was sure that I can be a member of the organization."


    ''Right, he has a young apprentice... A¡­ Is she a member of the organization? Did she go through the same recruitment process or there is another method?'' Vincent mused as he couldn''t help but wish that A is here right now.


    Anyway, Vincent believed that there is another method to do this¡­ He can only wait for Turhan to return and exin to him what he has to do from now on.


    ***


    They remained inside this estate for three more days before Turhan finally returned to help him.<sub> </sub>


    "I apologize¡­ I had to personally help the Patriarch with their transfer." Turhan apologized as he indeed took so much time to handle the Zemin n''s business.


    Nevertheless, everything has finally been arranged.


    "It''s alright, Sir Turhan. We weren''t idling here anyway¡­ The servants here are kind and we were able to have a trip around the city." Vincent replied.


    Based on his estimation, this Fifth Tower''s City was about 10 or 15 times the size of normalrge cities within the Tudor Kingdom.


    Three days is not enough to visit all the famous ces in the city.


    Of course, Vincent didn''t go outside that much. It was only at the time when he needed to purchase various potions did he walk outside.


    "Did you find this ce interesting?" Turhan asked as he gestured to the chief steward to bring them some refreshments.


    The two are currently in the garden facing the fake mountain within the estate. There were stone tables and chairs here which is a good ce to rx while getting some fresh air.


    "I must say the items that I''ve seen were powerful¡­ I mean, most of them have offensive capabilities. Even the potions beings sold were mostly to boost strength and power. Even the medicinal pills are like that. It made me wonder whether this city is under a constant threat from enemies¡­"


    Vincent voiced his opinion. He almost feels that the people here are addicted to these kinds of drugs.


    When his group was outside, they spent quite arge sum of money to purchase many types of potions and unusual weapons. They will be used to increase his enhancement and ascension experience¡­


    As he appraises them one by one, Vincent realized that most of their effects were indeed forbat.


    He could barely see any magic items that can be used for daily life.


    "Oh? So you noticed that¡­ It''s pretty normal here since ournd has numerous Magic Beasts. As for Savage Beasts, they were uncountable." Turhan shook his head as he continued. "Right, there were even some ces upied by Celestial Beasts within our territory so you must be careful when you''re outside the 36 cities..."


    "Really? Why are you not purging them?"


    "There''s no way we would do that¡­ They are sources of our rare materials. Furthermore, it will be harder for other organizations to upy us with these creatures lurking everywhere."


    Turhan smiled. He no longer further exined as Vincent can somehow understand his point.


    After asking a few more questions, they finally discussed the most important matter for Vincent right now.


    "I have already arranged your membership¡­ You can attend the academy in a week with my rmendation¡­ Once you have proven yourself as an asset of the ck Tower, you will be an official member of our organization, and that way, you would be able to act freely in our territory."


    Turhan exined.


    This is what Vincent truly wanted right now. He is not a tourist in thisnd after all. He has to gain a proper identity and with Turhan''s help, there will be a path for him to follow.


    It would be up to him whether he would be able to take it.


    "Since I''m an appraiser, will you arrange for me to study some magic tools or have me work as an appraiser?"


    "Appraiser? Ahh¡­ You''re right. However, since you have decentbat abilities, I made an easier path for you. There will be apetition in the next two months and once you achieved a decent result there, you will be rewarded a Gray¡ªNo, a Yellow Emblem."

 Chapter 164 Azer

    After chatting for a while, Vincent learned about the membership level within the ck Tower.


    There was a total of six levels and each of them represents a color. From the lowest, there is a Gray Emblem followed by Yellow, Blue, Red, Purple, and ck.


    Once you reached 13 years old, you can get a chance to study within the tower''s academy where you can learn various things. If you performed well during your stay, you are guaranteed to be an official member with a Gray Emblem even without any rmendation.


    However, this is only an opportunity avable for 13 to 18 years old that could pass their preliminary examinations.


    As for Vincent''s situation, he needed a rmendation so he won''t have to study in the academy for the next three years. That''s right, it is a shortcut for membership.


    As long as he has a good result in thepetition that would happen in the next two months, he could easily get a Gray Emblem and earn the benefits of bing a member.


    Turhan, on the other hand, is already a Red Emblem and he could have a few apprentices that will be allowed to ess limited resources within the tower. It means that A may be a member of the ck Tower but she is tied to Professor Turhan.


    After learning this, Vincent got curious about whether A can still be an official member.


    Fortunately, there is also a chance given to them afterpleting their apprenticeship for 5 to 8 years.


    He also learned about the various benefits that members could get within the ck Tower. It didn''t take long for Turhan to exin all of them as he even seem to be delighted while exining all the benefits that the Tower could give him.


    With this, Vincent was finally able to have a clear picture of the ck Tower organization.


    He still has other questions rted to the Celestial Beings and the enemy of the human race. However, they were things that he would supposedly know within the academy for the next two months.


    "Vincent, I don''t have a permanent house in the First Tower. The price of thend there is quite steep. I can only afford the pces in cities like Fifth Tower. In short, you have to get your own ce there to settle Tara and the others."


    "That''s true¡­ I wonder if I can purchasend or a house there?"


    "Of course, you can. However, it wouldn''t be as grand as my pce¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ I have no intention to purchase something this grand, Professor Turhan. There''s no way I can afford this luxury."


    "That''s true¡­ Anyway, there are still many houses that you can probably afford located at the edges of the city. They were quite cheap since if there is an attack from the Magic Beasts, the ones at the borders would be the first ones to get smashed¡­ Haha!" Turhan said jokingly.


    The First Tower has the strongest defense after all. If there are any attacks from Magic Beasts, it would be immediately settled even before the citizens could see their shadows.


    Furthermore, the hunters living there would always have a clean-up operation within the vicinity of the city.


    ***


    "That Professor really just left us alone, huh¡­ I guess he trusts you that much." Yulia muttered as they headed towards the First Tower city.


    They were currently on a passenger floating ship that is heading to the First Tower. Based on what the attendants said, they would arrive in the city in just less than five hours. It wouldn''t even be that long if not for the storm that they have to avoid.<sub> </sub>


    Vincent agreed with Yulia''s words.


    "Yes¡­ He already arranged everything. I have the rmendation and he also informed the Professor of the Arcane Mysteries to take care of me. We''ll probably hear from him after thepetition in the next two months."


    "I wonder if we could find a good ce there¡­" Severin muttered referring to the city.


    The three of them are currently rxing on the main deck of the floating ship. This ship isn''t as big as the previous Cruise-Type Floating Mystic Ship so the cabin assigned to them was quite small.


    This passenger ship can only carry about 300 people with a very limited weight after all.


    Since they weren''t tired and the trip wouldn''t be that long, they decided to just stay at the main deck unless there is a need to go inside.


    The first thing they have to do once they arrived in the city is to find a ce to live. Since the three of them will be working together from now on, they will obviously contribute to the acquisition of their new ce.


    Severin wanted a research room while Yulia wanted a training ground as she was hoping to master her Darkness Mystic Eye.


    As for Tara and Rem, what they needed is Vincent''s potion. They even stayed at the cabin today to digest the tens of potions that he enhanced for them.


    "Whoa~ Are you guys new around here?"


    As Vincent and the other two were chatting, a group of young men approached them¡­


    There are three young men and two youngdies between the ages of 15 to 20. The one who spoke just now was a blond young man who seem to be the leader of the group as he looked intensely at Yulia''s graceful figure for a brief moment.


    "Oh? You can tell if we''re new here? Do you know everyone in ck Tower?" Severin answered with an amused tone.


    "Haha! Of course not. I just realized it by the way you guys dress. That kind of coat and dress without any amplification of magic tools weren''tmon around here¡­"


    The young man paused as he looked at Vincent before he continued. "All people here were always carrying weapons since showing weakness is like you''re telling people that you wanted to get robbed."


    "Hmm? So are you nning to rob us?" Severin asked.


    "Haha! No way¡­ I''m just here to remind you since I saw a group of people observing your small group. I''m sure that once we docked, those guys would follow you. Don''t me me if you get robbed." The young man said as he left the three.


    Severin only nodded as the three of them already noticed this without him telling. Anyway, this man seems to be a good person despite his unruly appearance.


    He doesn''t seem to be lying with the way he speaks and although he was probably enchanted by Yulia''s appearance, he didn''t dwell on it for long and shifted his gaze.


    "What''s your name?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "I''m Azer, the future hero of mankind!"

 Chapter 165 Silas

    Yulia and Severin couldn''t help but look at each other after hearing such a bold iming from the young man.


    ''Hero of mankind?''


    Are we in a state of war that needed some hero to save us?


    They can only shake their heads as the man probably meant something else.


    "Hmm?"


    As Vincent was still pondering the words of the young man, he noticed several mana fluctuationsing at their floating ship at a high speed.


    "What''s wrong, Vincent?" Yulia asked as she suddenly noticed him frowning¡­


    "I think that our ship is under attack. We should probably get in."


    As soon as he said this, the ship suddenly shook for a moment before stabilizing again. The ship didn''t stop moving so the damage made was probably not that great.


    However, the problem continued.


    Bam! Bam!


    As they thought everything will be fine, two explosions urred somewhere on the ship¡­


    It was at this time that a protective formation activated.


    A greenish form of water coated the whole ship like they were inside a bubble. It was then followed by an announcementing from the captain of the ship.


    [ This is your captain speaking. Do not panic. We have just encountered a few Winged Hounds and we will be eliminating them for a moment to ensure that the next ship behind us wouldn''t experience such trouble. This will only take us about 10 minutes. I apologize for any inconvenience. ]


    The floating ship then stopped moving as the guards within the ship will probably do something about the winged hounds.


    The crowd at the main deck finally rxed after hearing this. Even though most of them are Mana Practitioners, they would still die if they fall several thousand feet off the ground.


    Perhaps, only those with suitable Elemental Mana Arts can try to survive such a fall.


    In the meantime, Vincent turned gloomy after hearing the announcement.


    ''They''re hiding the damage? Do they have a solution for this?''


    The pilot can trick some of the passengers but definitely not everyone. Vincent was able to tell that the ship has been breached and caused internal damage already.


    As he was worried about the situation of the ship, he noticed that Tara and Rem had alreadye to look for him.


    Vincent wanted to tell them to help the guards quickly eliminate the Winged Hounds who had breached the floating ship.


    p However, he suddenly heard the gasp of the people on the deck.</anda>


    "W-what?! I thought we were only dealing with winged hounds! Look at that!"


    "Magic Beasts! The winged hounds were controlled by this Magic Beast! There are so many of them!"


    "We''re doomed! What can we do here? There''s no way that water formation couldst long."


    "Tell the captain tond immediately. We can''t fight while we are here."<sub> </sub>


    The crowd knows that the ship doesn''t have a strongbat capability. This is just a passenger ship after all. Even though there are probably some defensive armaments and Adept Mages hired to protect this ship, there was no way they could leave this ce unscathed.


    There were over a thousand flying beasts led by arge psychic-type Magic Beast after all.


    Based on the figure they were seeing, some of the people present already guessed what creature they are facing right now¡­ It was a Runic Badger.


    This badger that has gained intelligence could actually fly even without any wings and control numerous savage beasts.


    "A Runic Badger?" Vincent repeated as he tried to recall any information he have about them¡­


    "Yes¡­ They are more dangerous than the Imperial Jackal since they don''t heavily rely on their awakened talent." Yulia exined.


    As for what they are relying on, it was already quite obvious after seeing the numerous flying beasts.


    Vincent nodded as he recalled the records in the Compendium of Beasts that he has. If he wasn''t mistaken, before its awakening or evolution, it was just a Psychic Badger. It is a Savage Beast that could at most, hunt low-level beasts to live by.


    "We should probably avoid getting inside at this rate. If something happened, we won''t be able to react easily if we''re trapped there."


    Severin said as he assessed the situation.


    In case the floating ship started falling and they were staying inside their cabin, they wouldn''t have any ability to at least protect themselves.


    Although it will be difficult to survive a fall from this height, they could at least try to use their wind mastery to cushion their fall or release various elemental arts to reduce the speed of their fall.


    Obviously, that would be impossible to do if they were inside their cabin.


    "Well, it seems that some people are making their move. Let''s just watch for now."


    Yulia said as she noticed three ck-robed individuals arriving at the main deck.


    Furthermore, they noticed the distinct emblems pinned on their chests. Two Gray Emblems and one Yellow Emblem.


    "Do not panic¡­ Although there are many of them, they weren''t that strong. Those who can help can try to protect the water formation and reduce its burden. It may notst that long if it endured all the attacksing from the flying beasts¡­"


    The man who has a yellow tower emblemmanded.


    Currently, there are over a hundred people on the main deck worriedly watching the beasts getting closer.


    There weren''t any guards that can be seen as they were dealing with the savage beasts that has gotten inside.


    Nevertheless, thanks to this man''s appearance, the people were able to rally and not panic.


    Seeing everyone''s determination to fight, the youth with the yellow emblem turned to his twopanions as he ordered them to support him.


    Then, to everyone''s surprise, they saw the man fly out of the ship as he bypassed the water formation¡­


    It was as if he was nning to face the horde of beasts alone!


    Soon, his twopanions announced their battle n.


    "Do not worry, he is Ss! The strongest Archmage of the Thirteenth Tower¡­ He''s going to the First Tower for an official promotion for a Blue Emblem!"


    "That''s right¡­ We just need to give him an opportunity. Once he killed the Magic Beast controlling these creatures, we would have a chance to win."

 Chapter 166 Predicted

    They were confident that Ss would be able to defeat the Magic Beast.


    Well, seeing that he is an Archmage, he might really be able to do so if he fights the Runic Badger alone.


    Roar!


    The beasts saw Ssing at them instead of fleeing¡­ This made them very excited as they flew faster¡­


    Obviously, the Runic Badger wouldn''t allow itself to be alone with Ss¡­ The Badger immediately ordered all the controlled beasts to rip him apart!


    Winged Hounds, Brute Sparrows, Night Vultures, and even a swarm of Infernal Hos came rushing to Ss!


    Almost everyone who saw this scene felt goosebumps as they unconsciously stepped back. It was just too horrifying to see so many flying beasts who wanted to eat someone alive!


    At this moment, the other two members of the ck Tower released their Fire Elemental Mana Arts¡­


    They weren''t using any tools or artifacts to cast their magic at all.


    They used arge Fireball technique as it passed through the defensive formation of the ship before heading towards Ss'' left and right sides.


    It garnered the attention of the other beasts as they instinctively avoided the heating from them¡­


    Whoosh~


    The fireball continued moving forward before it was stopped by the Runic Badger¡­ Its eyes lit up signifying that it was controlling the fireball!


    It didn''t even take that long before the fireball dissipated as if it has never been there.


    "So powerful!"


    "It didn''t even cause any damage to them!"


    "How can you fight that thing!"


    The crowd who saw how the attack was easily negated couldn''t help but start to worry again¡­


    About two hundred savage beasts came to face Ss while the others continued moving forward to attack the floating ship.


    "We just attracted their attention to split them apart!"


    "Get ready to defend the ship!"


    The two ck-robed individuals said as they urged the crowd to get ready.


    They have already assessed that there are over 30 Master Magicians in the crowd right now. If they helped the two of them resist, they were confident that they could buy enough time until Ss kills the Runic Badger.


    Soon, numerous Elemental Mana Arts were thrown at the throng of beasts.


    As their attacks passed through the water formation protecting the ship, it only creates a ripple and not affect its durability.


    Vincent was able to sense all of this and he couldn''t help but be impressed at this high-level Formation Art.


    He was about to help as well but he noticed that the problem within the ship has actually gotten worse!


    "Tara, can you help the people inside? There are still many winged hounds inside¡­ If one of the ship''s engines gets destroyed, we may not reach the First Tower."


    Tara thought for a moment before she answered, "I understand¡­ Rem will stay here."


    She immediately left after saying this as Yulia and Severin finally realized that there is actually a hidden danger inside the ship. They were too focused on dealing with the flying beasts outside.<sub> </sub>


    "Ahh¡­ Yulia, you don''t have to use your Darkness Eye on them¡­ The Runic Badger will be ditching Ss and will attack this ship so be ready."


    Vincent hastily said as soon as he noticed that Yulia was about to use her Mystic Eyes.


    "W-what? How did you know that?" Yulia asked.


    ''Did he get a prophetic vision after bing blind?'' She thought amusedly.


    "I can''t exin it right now¡­ But you just have to wait for a while before you see it so keep an eye on that Magic Beast¡­"


    "I understand¡­ I''ll reserve my mental strength then¡­" She replied with affirmation. Her Mystic Eye doesn''t just consume her mana after all. It drains her mental strength as well since she hasn''t fully mastered the Tier 4 Mana Art yet.


    As the battle continued, Yulia realized that the level of the Master Magicians here is really higher than in their Tudor Kingdom.


    Aside from a few Fireball Mana Arts that she could see, most of the magic they were throwing almost seemed like Fusion Arts!


    Within the Zemin n, there were only a handful of people capable of fusing two elements in their attack!


    Those who could do this were already called geniuses and would receive full support from the n to nurture their talent. However, the Master Magicians who boarded this ship don''t seem like geniuses at all.


    They appear likemoners and nothing stands out on them at all.


    ''I really can''t use the logic of the Tudor Kingdom here, huh¡­'' Yulia was impressed at the sight of this.


    <o>,m Perhaps, her only advantage over them was her Darkness Mystic Eye.</o>


    She clenched her fist tightly as she vowed to master this Tier 4 Mana Art until she could show its fierce power.


    She then looked at Ss and the Runic Badger as she realized that Ss was truly being hindered by many flying beasts and couldn''t reach the Magic Beast.


    The Brute Sparrows were truly scary if they don''t care about their lives! Their flock was like metal arrows that wanted to put a hole in Ss'' body!


    Yulia couldn''t help but be impressed that this person was still capable of defending against these creatures for so long¡­


    Then, as she nced at the floating Runic Badger, she realized that it has made its move just like what Vincent said!


    After the Runic Badger noticed that Ss has been locked up by the Brute Sparrows, it dashed towards that Floating Ship at an incredible speed!


    No one thought that it woulde forward in a fight since everyone here knows it doesn''t have manybat skills aside from its dominating power to control savage beasts.


    Boom!


    The Runic Badger crashed the ship''s coating or Water Formation.


    The crowd was surprised by the sudden attack as they thought that Ss would deal with this creature!


    They didn''t even have the time to curse Ss as its ws started glowing red! It was about to rip apart the Water Formation!


    Once the formation was destroyed or even if a crack was made, a swarm of Infernal Hos would be poking holes in their bodies!


    "Yulia!" Vincent shouted.


    "Yes! I''m ready!---Control!" As soon as she activated her Mystic Eyes'' ability, the Runic Badger was suddenly wrapped by eerie shadows!


    Of course, this technique is not enough to kill the Magic Beast¡­ Nevertheless, this allowed Vincent to kill the Runic Badger!

 Chapter 167 Bloodstone

    Vincent had many random things inside his Obsidian Treasure Box.


    A small part of them were items that he bought and the other part were things that Tara and Rem contributed.


    He wasn''t able to remember all the magical effects of his items but he can easily recall those that are important for survival orbat.


    One of the items that he has were the Enchanted Bloodstones. This is an item he got when he was still working as an Appraiser at the Guardian Auction House.


    He has quite a few of these thanks to Therese. This was supposedly an item that only the royal family wanted after all.


    Back then, when he appraised the Bloodstones brought by the members of the Blood Mist Sect, his Appraisal skill was only at an intermediate level.


    It only has a Corruption attribute and it was just described as a special stone that can corrupt or strengthen a magic artifact depending on the item''s configuration.


    However, when Vincent ranked up his Appraisal Skill to an advanced level and ascended this item, he learned a few more things from it.


    [ Enchanted Bloodstone ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 90/90


    Corruption: 220


    Stench: 35


    Description: A special stone that can corrupt any Magic Artifact. Depending on the targeted Artifacts, it can either strengthen or weaken them. This stone contains important nutrients that Magic Beasts needed.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. This item can easily attract Magic Beasts.]


    This is the Enchanted Bloodstone now. It is considered a very dangerous item since it could attract Magic Beasts.


    Vincent wanted to possess more of this but he doesn''t know how the Blood Mist Sect found this item. Perhaps, they even have a method to create this.


    Anyway, this item is the reason why he knows that the Runic Badger wille charging at them. He doesn''t have any prophetic vision just as Yulia thought.


    As for the reason why he decided to pull this out, it was quite obvious. He wanted the Magic Beast Core for himself!


    That''s right! The Imperial Jackal''s core that was integrated into his Mithril Sword provided a skill called Illusory Sword. Although he hadn''t used it yet in livebat, he knows that it''s incredibly powerful.


    Once he regained his eyesight, he will definitely practice the Primal Sword Sect''s Sword Art and maximize the two skills that it has.


    Furthermore, he still has 3 pieces of Mithril Ore and an Orichalcum Ore with him!


    If he wanted to have a customized weapon or equipment, he needed the Best Beast Core he could get.


    If Ss killed this Magic Beast, he would certainly get the right to own its core.


    Since Vincent thought that it was not easy to find a Magic Beast, he decided to get its attention instead and take it.


    Whoosh~


    Vincent used his Astral Night Dagger again¡­


    He had used one Transcendence Card and another Random Skill Card to get its Return Skill and Assassinate Skill that can basically follow the target. With its high Critical and Pierce rate, Vincent knows how incredibly strong this weapon was.


    Unless he''s facing someone with a Legendary Item as well, he would be able to exploit the attributes that it has.


    Ssak---<sub> </sub>


    There was no suspense at all. Vincent''s Astral Night Dagger struck the Runic Badger''s head prating its skull.


    It was too focused on ripping the shadows that were limiting its movement and didn''t notice Vincent''s legendary dagger.


    "What? Are you really blind, Vincent?" Yulia asked in surprise after noticing that the Badger is no longer resisting. Thanks to that, she no longer needed to consume a lot of mental strength to wrap the Magic Beast.


    "Yes¡­ My dagger is just quite special. It can track a target and it can even change direction once¡­ It''s very useful." Vincent answered as he unconsciously revealed the Assassinate Skill''s w.


    It can only change direction once after marking a target. It can give a good surprise at first but it would definitely not work twice against elitebatants.


    This is why the Return Skill that the dagger got was something truly important. After all, it would be awkward if this Legendary Dagger would just be knocked to the ground and he couldn''t im it back again.


    After having some random thoughts, Vincent asked Rem to take the body of the Runic Badger¡­


    It can''t pass through the Water Formation unless someone who is holding the boarding ticket takes it with them.


    However, before she could act, they realized that the controlled beasts had gone crazy after the badger died!


    Everyone was already about to celebrate after seeing the Runic Badger die but their words were stuck in their throats after seeing the crazed eyes of the Savage Beasts! The Infernal Hos were not even afraid of fire anymore as they just continued charging at the ship without care for their lives!


    "They have gone crazy!"


    ? "The Formation is breaking!"


    "Hide inside the ship!"


    "No, they can just enter there easily! If they broke the formation, they can easily break this wooden ship as well! It''s better to fight together!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Tsk! Who said that once we killed the Runic Badger, these Savage Beasts will scatter!"


    The crowd didn''t really want to offend the official members of the ck Tower at first. However, now that the crisis is in front of them, they couldn''t help but me Ss and the other two.


    They should''ve focused on fleeing instead of fighting¡­


    Although the numerous beast cores are alluring, they have to be able to survive this first!


    Bang!


    The Water Formation was finally broken as the swarm of beasts charged at them¡­ Luckily the people inside the ship also starteding out to fight with everyone!


    [ Hold on! The ship''s guards areing! Everyone who participates in protecting this ship will be rewarded. ]


    The captain of the ship spoke using the inte as the attack of the savage beasts got intense. No one can be bothered by his promise as everyone is doing their best to kill as many beasts as they can.


    "I got it, Vincent¡­" Rem said as she returned to his side.


    Vincent then noticed that Rem already got the Magic Beast''s corpse with her. He then immediately put the whole body of the Runic Badger inside his Obsidian Treasure Box hoping that not many would see his actions.


    Well, even if they saw him bagging the corpse, they shouldn''t think of taking it away from him.


    Vincent then took a deep breath as he maximized his Soul Sense¡­


    As soon as hepleted his preparations, he finally made his move and attacked the swarm of beasts¡­


    "Mana Drain¡­"

 Chapter 168 Dispute

    As soon as Vincent activated this low-tier Mana Art, the flow of mana in the surroundings started gathering at his spot.


    This was easily noticed by many practitioners as they were very sensitive to mana fluctuations right now. At first, they thought that another powerful creature appeared to cause trouble.


    However, as soon as they saw the young man gathering so much mana, they immediately turned excited knowing that a powerful Mana Practitioner was in their midst¡­


    Furthermore, they noticed that the Savage Beasts'' movement started slowing down as they used this opportunity to kill them¡­


    "Haha! They''ve gotten weak! Kill them!"


    "They''re mine!"


    "Take all the Winged Hounds! They''re the most expensive!"


    The previous people who were hanging by the thread saw some hope after the savage beast suddenly acted weakly.


    They weren''t exactly sure what has happened but it didn''t matter!


    They immediately used their quickest killing move to kill as many creatures as they can¡­


    Furthermore, as the flying beasts weakened, some of them started descending or flying away from the floating ship¡­


    Soul Pressure! Domain!


    Vincent had too much mana gathering to him right now so he decided to activate these two skills in order to weaken the beasts even more and spend his energy. Although it wasn''t as effective against beasts, it could still limit their physical strength by a small degree.


    It took them almost 15 more minutes before they eliminated all the beasts who dared to get on their ship.


    Bang!


    At this point, another group of Mana Practitioners arrived at the main deck¡­


    "What?! Everything''s over? Ugh¡­ We didn''t get in time¡­ Those Winged Hounds were too troublesome."


    The man who spoke was Azer. It appears that he was one of the people who hunted the winged beasts that had infiltrated the floating ship.


    Tara had also arrived and stood beside Vincent and Rem¡­


    [ A few doctors and medical practitioners are on their way. All the injured will be treated for free so please calm down and wait for them patiently. The reward will be distributedter after everything has been arranged. ]


    As the captain spoke, Azer and others looked around as they confirmed that many injured people indeed needed help as quickly as possible.


    Many of them had been bitten by the Winged Hounds but therge part of the injured are those people who got stung by the hos. They need fast treatment!


    These unlucky people either had holes or swelling on their bodies.


    Azer did not hesitate as he immediately acted and didn''t wait for the doctors toe¡­


    It appears that he has a Magic Tool that could aid them from quickly recovering while they are waiting for the experts toe.


    ''Is that how he wants to be the hero of mankind?'' Vincent mused.


    He can only shake his head as he decided to just get inside the ship. Anyway, it appears that everything is now under control.


    Thud¡­


    Unfortunately, as his group was getting inside, Ss suddenly blocked their path.


    "What are you doing?" Yulia asked irritably. She didn''t like this person since he looks like Richard with blond hair.


    However, Ss just ignored her as he red at Vincent.<sub> </sub>


    "Is there a problem?" Severin asked noticing the hostility in the man''s eyes.


    He knows that this person is an official member of the ck Tower so it would be veryplicated if they offended him. Nevertheless, he wasn''t afraid if this person caused trouble for their group.


    Furthermore, they were allied with two Celestial Beings! Even if Ss wasn''t afraid of Vincent, he should respect the presence of the two!


    "Give me the Runic Badger''s core¡­ You can take its body." Ss coldly said as he reached his harm to Vincent.


    As expected, he was aiming for the Magic Beast Core as well. Yulia and Severin frowned at this¡­


    Although it was said that there is arge number of Magic Beasts within the ck Tower''s territory, these creatures are very intelligent and would normally hide upon seeing powerful Mana Practitioners.


    They have a very good sense of detecting danger in normal circumstances which is why it is still quite difficult to obtain their cores.


    It was no wonder why even an Archmage wanted to take it from Vincent.


    "It''s mine¡­ You can move aside now." Vincent answered firmly.


    "You can''t¡­ That Runic Badger is mine. I went to take it down first." Ss didn''t budge either as he sternly spoke.


    His voice became threatening as he stepped forward once more.


    "Take it if you can." Vincent no longer yed around as he released his Aura¡­


    This angered Ss as he viciously looked at Vincent and his group.


    Everyone already knows that Vincent is a 3-Star Aura Knight and Ss already calcted that he should be fine even if Vincent used a soul attack against him...


    Well, he thought that the attack he used to drain the mana of the beasts was a soul attack or Aura Knight skills.


    Nevertheless, at the same time that Vincent poured out his Aura, Tara and Rem drew their weapons.


    At first, they thought that these two were just normal knights protecting their master.


    However, some of them immediately realized that the two women don''t seem to possess Mana or Aura within their bodies. Even Ss who was about to move stayed on his feet.


    He felt that the two women were quite weird. They probably possess some kind of item that hides their aura but he can''t just carelessly move without knowing the two''s strength.


    In the meantime, a few people watching them guessed that these twodies were actually Celestial Beings¡­


    But even then, they didn''t voice it out as there is no way to confirm whether it is true unless they reveal it themselves.


    Ss gritted his teeth as he felt that he can''t back out now¡­ He didn''t think that his identity as an Archmage of the ck Tower is not enough to intimidate these people!


    He then signaled at his twopanions behind Vincent''s group to attack together with him!


    Whatever the aftermath of this battle is, he would take care of it! His reputation may be affected but he really needed the Beast Core!


    Hmph!


    As Ss was about to attack, they heard someone harrumph behind him. His figure was huge and his uniform allowed them to realize his identity.


    "Captain Olus!" Many people on the main deck recognized the captain of the Floating Ship¡­


    Ss froze for a moment as he immediately withdrew his killing intent. It appears that he didn''t want to cause trouble for this burly captain.


    Olus observed the surroundings and he immediately realized what was going on¡­

 Chapter 169 Nucleus

    "If there is any conflict between your groups¡­ Settle it once we''re on the ground. Do not cause trouble here. There are still many people who needed to get treated! If you dare to cause trouble, I''ll drop you here right now!"


    Captain Olus threatened as he looked at Ss. He didn''t care whether Ss is a Yellow or Blue Emblem from the Tower. This is his ship and he''s the one who must be followed!


    This is also a warning to anyone who would dare to cause more trouble for him. He''s already having a headache because of the damage caused by the sudden attack of the Magic Beast.


    Aside from the internal damage caused by the sneaky Winged Hounds, their expensive Water Coat Formation was also destroyed in the process.


    Repairing it would cost a lot of money and he also has to make a report about this incident¡­ In short, he doesn''t have the time to deal with any conflicts with his passengers.


    Ss hesitated for a moment before deciding to finally back off. However, his re at Vincent''s group could not be hidden at all. It only means that once they docked at the First Tower''s station, he will certainly look for Vincent.


    At this point, Vincent decided to ignore him. He may not be an Archmage like Ss but he''s confident with his weapons and hisrge amount of Pseudo-Celestial Energy. He knows that could probably bepared to a Grand Magus based on his observation with Patriarch Leon and Professor Turhan after all.


    Tara and Rem then led their way inside the ship as the medical practitioners started arriving at the deck one by one¡­


    ***


    "That guy will be a headache, Vincent¡­ He''s a member of the ck Tower. What if he caused you some trouble during your stay in the First Tower?"


    Severin worriedly said.


    He can tell that even if Vincent changed his mind and gave the Magic Beast Core to Ss, thetter would still be angry and wouldn''t easily let it go.


    Yulia had the same thoughts but she has a different opinion on what to do.


    "We heard that he''s from the thirteenth tower, right? I''m sure that he doesn''t have much influence in the first tower aside from his rank¡­ Once Vincent became a student, he will also be protected by the tower''s rules so that person can''t openly act against him."


    Vincent couldn''t help but after hearing the two. He was the one in trouble but it seems that they were more worried for him.


    "It''s alright¡­ We''re not in real trouble yet. Although I''m only a student right now, I''m still acquainted with Professor Turhan. He''s a Red Emblem and we can use a bit of his reputation to deal with this. Anyway, can you guys help me extract the Magic Beast Core?" Vincent asked as he pulled out the Runic Badger.


    Since they were already in their cabin, there shouldn''t be a problem doing this.


    Yulia immediately worked with Severin as they extracted the purplish beast core out of the badger''s chest area and handed it over to Vincent.


    They then swiftly clean the floor with a bit of water using a simple conversion of mana.


    "This core is quiterger than normal savage beast core¡­" Vincentmented after grasping the core in his hands.


    Without any hesitation, he decided to appraise the core for the first time.


    That''s right, this is his first Magic Beast Core appraisal¡­ He couldn''t help but look forward to what he would find out about it.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Magic Nucleus. ]


    [ Durability: 20/20


    Pure Mana: 800<sub> </sub>


    Talent: Mind Control


    Description: The Runic Badger''s source of life, magic, and intelligence.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    Vincent curiously read the item appraisal.


    ''Magic Nucleus? There is also a talent, Mind Control. Could it be--''


    He couldn''t help but guess the significance of Magic Nucleus¡­


    Since a normal Beast Core is used as an Enhancement Stone and Spirit Stones as Ascension Crystal, he couldn''t help but guess that the Magic Nucleus can be used for Transcendence.


    After all, simr to what the Transcendence Skill Card can do, the Nucleus also possesses skill or talent.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if his system can use the nucleus to transcend an item and grant a skill to it with whatever talent the magic nucleus has.


    Unfortunately, he hasn''t activated the Transcendence Skill yet so can only guess for now¡­


    "You look happy¡­ How is it?" Yulia asked after seeing Vincent grin foolishly.


    If they don''t know that he''s an appraiser, they would probably think that he has gone crazy.


    "Oh¡­ Right, this Magic Beast Core is really good¡­ Perhaps I should ask Professor Turhan if he knows a decent Magic Craftsman here¡­" Vincent said thest part softly as he considers his options.


    Anyway, he might be able to get acquainted with a decent Magic Craftsman once he entered the ck Tower¡­ He knows that that ce is filled with talents after all.


    Several minutes had passed as the Floating Ship started steadily moving on its way to the First Tower City.


    It appears that even though the ship was still functioning, a part of it was damaged and couldn''t fly at its full speed. At this rate, there might be an additional two or three hours on their trip.


    Their group can only calmly wait as they pass the time by chatting and eating food.


    ***


    As expected, the previous four hours trip became almost seven hours because of the incident.


    It was already getting dark when they arrived in the city.


    They were weed by many securities and medical practitioners to help tend to those heavily injured people.


    After being interviewed by a few security personnel, their group finally left the floating ship station after 30 more minutes.


    "We really wasted a lot of time here¡­" Severin couldn''t help butment after finally getting out of the station.


    Even though they received a reward of 300 gold coins each, they felt that it wasn''t worth the time and energy they spent there.


    "That''s true¡­ However, it''s not over yet." Vincent said with a hint of tiredness in his voice.


    "What do you mean?" Severin was confused. However, he suddenly recalled the incident in the floating ship and immediately looked around.


    Then, he noticed several figures observing their group as they walk on the streets of the prosperous city of the First Tower.

 Chapter 170 Settled

    "This¡­ Do you think they''re Ss'' people? Is he a criminal or what?" Severin couldn''t help but have a bad impression of the ck Tower.


    If it was really Ss doing this, then his actions were already too much. Does the ck Tower tolerate this kind of action?


    "Ugh¡­" Yulia grunted.


    That was unlikely. If the Yellow Emblem members of the tower are all like this, their reputation would certainlypletely fall and no one would be willing to do business with the tower.


    "He''s probably just being greedy¡­ There are a lot of people like him even in the kingdom... even in our n. Right, they could also be the people that Azer warned us about. Should we ask them?" Yulia asked unafraid of starting trouble.


    Whatever their identity was, if a might could not be avoided, they weren''t afraid of it.


    "Very well¡­ Let''s find a good ce to settle this. We can''t have them following us around and learn where we will stay."


    Vincentmented. Although he already has a rmendation from Professor Turhan, the start of his special ss would still be in the next couple of days.


    Apparently, he would be included in a special batch of students. In short, students with disabilities.


    Vincent was actually very impressed that the ck Tower has some kind of consideration for people like him. If it''s in the Tudor Kingdom, being blind is already a death sentence. Whether you have talent or not, you will not be supported by any institution and you can only fend for yourself.


    Anyway, now that someone is disturbing his peace, he couldn''t help but get angry. The people who are causing trouble to them seem healthy with their eyes and nose working properly. However, they were still not happy about it and want to cause trouble¡­


    Soon, their group arrived at a deserted alley as they waited for the people following them.


    Seeing that they stopped in such a perfect ce to get robbed, the figures immediately surrounded them and blocked their exit.


    "Hahaha! It seems that you guys are very cooperative. Just leave all your bags and weapons on the ground and we''ll let you go."


    The leader of the groupughed as he walked forward. There were about 20 of them surrounding this ce and since it was already dusk, not many people would pass here.


    He''s sure that he could easily rob them¡­ They have all practiced martial arts and even if their opponents are Magic Knights, they wouldn''t be afraid.


    Furthermore, the leader wasn''t just Mana Practitioner but a 2-Star Aura Knight!


    As he looked at Vincent''s group and noticed that there were three beautifuldies as well, he immediately added, "Leave your clothes as well!"


    After hearing this, Vincent sighed.


    ''So people like them are everywhere, huh¡­ I thought that since this is the First Tower, the security around here would be much better¡­ But it even seems worse than in the kingdom. Ah, wait¡ª''


    As he reached this thought, he released his soul sense and item sense ability to the limit.


    Soon, he found a familiar aura and item. They were certainly from Ss and he was watching them not too far from the alley.


    ''It''s really Ss and his group, huh¡­''


    Vincent sighed as finally understand the situation. These people do not have any intention of keeping them alive.


    He had sensed Ss and he wasn''t alone. He was together with a few patrol guards who seemed to be ready to kill them.


    Furthermore, since he''s a Yellow-emblem member of the Tower, it shouldn''t be that difficult for him to use a bit of his authority.


    At this point, he can only fight. Negotiating with this type of person wouldn''t be fruitful.


    "They seem to be criminals¡­ We should kill them." Vincent muttered.<sub> </sub>


    He can smell the thick scent of blooding from these people. They have killed and robbed a lot.


    Hearing Vincent''s cold voice, Severin felt a bit nervous as he put his hands inside his pocket. He has a few offensive-type potions with him and one of them is the poison fog which is good for eliminating a group of people.


    "I''ll take care of it¡­ Vincent, you can just use that trick to constrict them to death."


    Yulia smiled as she immediately made her move. Since it has gotten dark already, the bacsh of using her Tier 4 Mystic Eye would be reduced by a lot.


    Furthermore, their opponents this time were two realms lower than her¡­ Perhaps only the leader could barely fight against her technique.


    "Darkness Eye ¨C Control!"


    As soon as she used her technique, the robbers who were previouslyughing and excited to see them undress were unable to make a sound¡­


    Their mouths were covered by shadow hands as their bodies were suddenly wrapped by the darkness!


    Horror filled their eyes as they saw Yulia''s glowing dark red eyes!


    Furthermore, it was followed by a sharp pain in their feet and legs as the iron vines started coiling around them as they slowly got to their waist then to their neck and head!


    They have really offended people that they shouldn''t have! If they know that they are targeting these scary travelers, they wouldn''t have epted this job even if they were offered tinum coins!


    Thud! Thud!


    One by one, their bodies dropped to the ground as they lost their life.


    It only took Vincent and Yulia ten seconds to kill all 20 of them!


    "Oh~ So we can use thisbination¡­" Vincent muttered after realizing how his Ensnare Skill was so effective this time.


    "Yes. My Darkness Control is very flexible. It won''t be easily removed by an attack from another person¡­ It''s very convenient, right?"


    Yulia proudly said.


    "You''re right¡­"


    "Let me take care of their bodies then¡­" This time, it was Severin who moved as he spread out a powder to the bodies of the dead.


    Soon, only their clothes and pieces of equipment were left. Their flesh and bones havepletely disappeared!


    While Vincent was surprised after sensing the disappearance of their mana so quickly. Even if they die, the Mana Core or Source should still be active for a minute or two before dissipating.


    He didn''t see what happened so he was curious about it. As he was about to ask, Yulia started praising the poison expert.


    "You''ve improved again¡­ This time, their clothes were no longer affected¡­ Their bodies were the ones only affected."


    "Hehe¡­ I''m not just idling in myboratory, you know? I''m calling it Corpse Dissolver."


    Vincent, who heard this, couldn''t help but sigh.


    He was previously nning to use one of his talismans to turn the bodies into ashes. Anyway, now that it''s done, his sense shifted to where Ss was.

 Chapter 171 A Glimpse Of The Secret

    Ss who had seen everything from the start to its end already lost his initial excitement and wanted to silently flee.


    Even as an Archmage, he has no skills to quickly and silently kill those twenty people at all. He may be strong enough to eliminate them but not so swiftly as that.


    ''Those people are crazier than I thought¡­ This is bad¡­''


    He just wanted to have the Runic Badger''s Core since it would fit perfectly in his type of weapon.


    After being suppressed by Captain Olus in front of many people, anger clouded his eyes, and wanted to take revenge! He no longer just wants to get the core but torture Vincent''s group as well.


    But now that he was able to see their ruthlessness, he was finally able to calm down and think properly.


    However, before he could even flee, he was already blocked by one of Vincent''s female knights!


    He immediately nced at the patrol guards that he bribed just now only to realize that they have already fallen to the ground.


    ''What kind of Mana Art is this?!''


    He couldn''t understand what was going on until he got knocked out.


    Rem and Tara doesn''t have any issues incapacitating them in a few seconds. Since Vincent could give them potions that could replenish their energy, they didn''t mind expending a bit of strength to settle the matter quickly.


    Rem then carried Ss to the dark alley and took most of his belongings.


    Vincent made sure not to kill Ss since he still has the robe and emblem on his body.


    Based on what Professor Turhan said, these two items have a secret ability to mark the people who had killed their wearer.


    If Rem killed him just now, she would be marked by this magic and the ck Tower wouldn''t hesitate to use all their efforts to hunt her down for the sake of their reputation.


    In short, they just have to make sure not to kill him with their actions.


    ***


    Soon, this incident was forgotten by Vincent''s group as everything has been done very smoothly.


    Their victims also do not possess any valuable items so Vincent quickly lost interest. Even Ss only has one item that caught his attention.


    It was his shoes that allows him to step in the air¡­ He previously used this to face the Runic Badger in the sky.


    The problem with this is that one must use Wind Element to support its activation.


    Obviously, it was useless to Vincent who has no idea how to convert his energy to an element. He can only give the shoes to Severin who seemed interested in it. Of course, he didn''t immediately wear it as he wanted to clean it first¡­


    As for Yulia, she wasn''t too good with Wind Element and wanted to focus on her Darkness Eye.


    Then, as the sky was already dark, they just found a decent inn before finally settling down and having their deserved rest.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    ''This guy is really mysterious¡­ His weapons, his strong soul, his incredible senses, and even those two Celestial Beings that are following him¡­''


    While lying on her bed, Yulia recalled everything that has happened today. She couldn''t help but be impressed with Vincent again and again.


    Aside from being blind, she was unable to find any w in this young man.


    A dejected smile appeared on her face as she recalled what her n did to this talented young man¡­ It was truly a bad move¡­ If the Guardians weren''t so rotten, their n could''ve be even more powerful.


    Anyway, it was no longer important as she took something out of her pocket.


    It was the bloodstone that Vincent used to attract the Magic Beast¡­


    Apparently, after she used her Darkness Eye, she also felt momentarily attracted to the Enchanted Bloodstone so she decided to borrow it from Vincent.


    Now that it is in her hands, she realized that it could stimte her Mystic Eye! This might actually help her cultivate the Darkness Eye.


    "Hmm?"


    As she was observing the Enchanted Bloodstone, she suddenly felt someone was looking at her. She quickly held the dagger under her pillow¡­


    "Oh¡ªRem, you shouldn''t surprise me like that."


    Yulia heaved a sigh of relief after recognizing Rem''s figure. She already sat up on her bed as she looked around and confirmed that it was only Rem and her within the room.


    "I want to know more about the secret you learned about us Celestial Beings. Thest thing that you haven''t mentioned."


    Rem seriously said as she sat on a wooden stool.


    Yulia hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. Since she''s no longer part of the Zemin n, she didn''t mind sharing what she knows about Celestial Beings to a Celestial Being.


    She had previously informed Rem of a few secrets that she knows. Since then, Rem would ask her a few questions about Celestial Armors, Weapons, Beasts, and Beings to confirm her memories¡­. There is only one thing Yulia hasn''t shared yet.


    "I''m not sure whether this is true or not¡­ This is just a record I identally read within the n''s vault." Yulia answered. She''s unsure why Tara is not telling this to her but she decided not to dwell too much on it.


    "It''s fine¡­" Rem firmly replied.


    "Very well¡­ I read from a record that once a Celestial Being recovered a certain amount of strength or power within their bodies. They will be taken by the Overseer¡­ I don''t know who or what an Overseer was but that one seems to be the reason why all the Celestial Beings in the kingdom have limited strength. No, it can also be the reason why some Celestial Beings decided to just limit their strength to avoid the Overseer''s detection."


    Yulia said. She was clearly unsure about this topic and didn''t think too much of it until she befriended Rem over the past few weeks.


    Rem went silent for a while before asking, "Do you know what happened to the Celestial Beings taken by the Overseer?"


    Unfortunately, Yulia can only shake her head not knowing the answer. Perhaps, not even the n Head can answer that since it appears to be a matter of Celestial Beings after all.

 Chapter 172 Residence

    On the next day, their group went to find a suitable ce to live in.


    With Professor Turhan''s guarantee, they were able to purchase an old estate worth 9,000 Mana Crystals. It was quite expensive for its size but they have no choice since they are at the First Tower''s area of protection.


    Every piece ofnd here was truly expensive. Of course, the ce was already quite cheappared to the others since it was far from the important shops within the city.


    Furthermore, this estate is facing the deste ins¡­ There was almost no greenery that can be seen on this side of the city.


    Nevertheless, Vincent thought that this is still a good choice since there is still a clean well they can use. A few renovations together with a few servants would make this ce lively.


    They also have to find a very good source of ie from now on. Yulia and Severin spent half of their savings to contribute to the purchase after all.


    They can''t just keep spending their savings since they''ll be broke in just a couple of months if this continued.


    At first, Vincent only thought of upgrading or enhancing items and selling them to the market to earn money. However, now that Yulia and Severin are here, they might even be able to consider opening a shop themselves.


    Severin was hired by the Zemin n as a Poison Expert but he is still considered an alchemist and partly physician. He can certainly make potions if he has the tools and ingredients.


    Yulia, on the other hand, is a strong Adept Mage. She can easily lead the security of their ce and their future shop¡­


    "I''ll leave the matters of this estate to the both of you¡­ I''m nning to visit the ck Tower now." Vincent said. Even though the start of the special ss is still in a couple of days, he can already inform the management of the tower about his arrival and arrange his student robe and emblem.


    "I understand, Vincent¡­ Right, we will be cing our card at the main gate¡­ What should be the name of this small estate?" Yulia asked.


    This small estate is not even a quarter of Professor Turhan''s estate. Nevertheless, there is still a total of 20 rooms and four halls inside¡­ Giving it a name should just be proper.


    "Ugh¡­ I''m not good at naming. Do you have suggestions?" Vincent said after scratching his head.


    He just named his mithril sword a ck Sword after all. He already knows that he can''t be trusted with this matter.


    At this point, Severin joined the conversation.


    "How about Justice Abode? Celestial Abode? No---Immortal Pce?"


    "That''s too much¡­ We''re not some kind of a reclusive expert or a powerful sect. Let''s just call it Kayser Residence¡­" Yulia suggested but she immediately realized something as she closed her mouth in silence.


    "Well, that''s not right. Sir Vincent will feel burdened since we will also contribute to the estate. Hmm¡­ How about this, Vincent is definitely a genius of the younger generation¡­ Furthermore, he has two Celestial Beings and two more talented individuals willing to follow him, we are basically the stars of our generation¡­ Let''s just agree with Ster Residence." Severin said with enthusiasm.


    "¡­"


    "Hmm¡­"


    After considering for a while, no one really suggested a better name so they finally agreed with the man''s suggestion.


    "Ster Residence it is¡­ I''ll let you handle this matter. We should also improve the defensive measures. I''ll try to help with that after I finished my matters within the ck Tower."


    After saying this, Vincent and Rem left the estate as they went straight to the ck Tower. Luckily, the city has a decent mode of transportation. There were a lot of horse-drawn carriages that they could use so it didn''t take that long to arrive at the tower.<sub> </sub>


    Thanks to Professor Turhan''s arrangement, he easily entered the tower as Rem was left outside to wait for him.


    Seeing that he would attend the special ss for people with disabilities, an attendant immediately assisted him toplete the student registration process.


    Soon, he was given a white badge with the emblem of the tower and a magic robe for students. The process was very smooth since everyone was already prearranged and he only needed to show up.


    After confirming a few things like the location of the ssroom and the name of the professor, Vincent finally left the mysterious tower.


    "You look tense, Vincent¡­" Remmented after seeing Vincent''s expression.


    "Ugh¡­ I should really learn to control my emotion."


    "What happened?"


    "Nothing¡­ This tower just feels too mysterious. My soul sense is being limited. I can only sense about 3 meters around me. I''m not used to it so that''s probably why I was a bit pale¡­"


    "Just a 3-meter range? No wonder¡­" Rem nodded as she recalls that Vincent should be capable of sensing over a 300-meter range if he pushes his limit.


    If it suddenly shrunk to three meters, Vincent would certainly lose his cool for a brief moment. It''s already good that he was able to remain calm andplete the registration process.


    "So¡­ After getting out, did it return to normal?" Rem curiously asked.


    "Yes¡­ I''m all good now. Let''s first walk around here for a bit. I want to familiarize this ce."


    "That''s a good idea."


    The two then started checking the nearby shops of the tower. There''s an auction house, potion store, weapon shop, Hunter Organization Branch, restaurants, and even a bathhouse.


    Vincent curiously asked around and learned that the Hunter Organization is indeed a consortium made to kill Savage Beasts. Whether you are a martial expert, mana practitioner, soul cultivator, or any profession that could kill a beast, you can join the organization.


    Furthermore, this hunter organization is what the ck Tower uses to gather beasts'' cores and their parts for their supply in research or private use.


    The organization would ept missions from the Tower as they both benefit from each other. Although it can be very dangerous, the ck Tower is quite generous in its payment so this organization flourishes as they have branches throughout the 36 cities.


    After being satisfied with their stroll, Vincent felt a bit tired so he decided to return to their estate.


    After a few minutes, the two arrived in front of the estate''s main gate.


    "Vincent, about the matters that I learned from Yulia¡­" Rem hesitated.


    "Don''t worry, I will look for more information inside the Tower. We won''t be forcing Tara to share what she knows."


    Hearing this, Rem finally smiled as she looked at the card atop the main gate and read it.


    ''Ster Residence¡­''

 Chapter 173 Special Class

    The day of the first ss has finally arrived. Since everyone in Vincent''s batch is quite special, they were all sent to various departments or sses and would only meet in one ss which was the Arcane Mysteries ss.


    It is all because the teaching method is just too different from other instructors.


    Vincent observed his batch with his senses¡­ Well, he can only sense 3 meters around him and he is also being assisted by an attendant since he''s still blind so he could barely feel their presence. He even needed the attendant''s help to describe his ssmates.


    ''So there are three blind, two mutes, two with missing arms, a crippled young man¡­ and a few others with some issues with their brain?''


    Vincent couldn''t help but sigh after being included with this group. It''s really a special education curriculum¡­


    However, he couldn''t me Professor Turhan since no matter how skilled he was in battle, he is still blind and can''t read the texts written in the book.


    He can only learn through the method of the entric professor like the others here. In addition, he also learned that these people have special talents that the ck Tower values. Based on what Turhan hinted to him, all these people have giftsparable to Tier 4 Mana Art!


    It means that a part of their body has been blessed and received a talent simr to Mystic Eye or Hands¡­


    Soon, their batch was brought to Arcane Mysteries Hall where the Professor is living¡­


    As soon as they entered, the attendants assigned to each of them left silently.


    After a few seconds, someone suddenly spoke and even deaf could probably hear her voice¡­


    "I''m Professor Levent who will be teaching you all about the Arcane Mysteries¡­ I know that all of you have talents or gifts that made you special. I congratte all of you since, with my teachings, your disability wouldn''t be aplete hindrance if you have the desire to live and learn¡­"


    The voice came from a middle-aged woman who had just directly spoken to their mind.


    That''s right, her voice wasn''t transmitted to their ears but through their minds!


    Even Vincent didn''t expect this at all although Professor Turhan already made a few hints. It was simply because he had never heard of telepathy being used even in the Tudor Kingdom.


    At most, he thought that the teaching method of the professor would be simr to the Memory Connection Stone where they have to use a medium to get their soul to a different ce and study.


    What''s even more surprising is that all the students were actually connected and could speak with everyone! The whole ss was able to join this mindwork!


    "Is this also one of the Arcane Mysteries? Or perhaps, you''re using a Magic Artifact?" One of the students asked the Professor.


    "No. It''s a gift I received when I was born. You can think of this as another Tier 4 Mana Art¡­"


    "What? It''s considered a Tier 4 Mana Art? Does it mean that there is a method to learn this?"


    "Of course¡­ As far as I know, all gifts or talents you were born with have corresponding Tier 4 or Tier 5 Mana Arts. If you have enough merits, you can learn this Tier 4 Telepathy Art in the Mana Arts and Martial Techniques Hall. The ck Tower has hundreds of Tier 4 Mana Arts that you could choose from¡­ There is even one where you can project your image in someone''s mind aside from your voice." Professor Levent answered patiently.


    She''s already used to this kind of reaction since even though this technique is very useful, not many would learn it. Well, Telepathy Art is quite difficult to learn unless you have a top-grade talent.


    Vincent only listened silently as he tried to sense the Professor''s location. Unfortunately, he''s unable to find her with his limited senses right now.


    He''d really have to rely on his walking cane this time if he ns to get closer to her.


    "Any more questions about me?" Professor Levent asked.


    "If there''s none, I would like everyone to introduce themselves¡­ Since I shared the details of my talent with you all, you have to share yours as well."<sub> </sub>


    With this, a few of them hesitated but it didn''t take long before some of them realized that this is indeed essential for a harmonious ss.


    "I''m¡­ I''m Guven¡­ C-can you hear me? I''m supposedly mute¡­" As soon as he said this, everyone immediately realized why he sounded very shy¡­


    "Yes, we can hear you¡­"


    "G-great! Awesome! Ohh, right! My gift¡­ I was born with a Mystic Eye¡­ I can tell whether a person lies if I activate it¡­ Unfortunately, I can only use it once a day and¡ª"


    "You don''t have to reveal too much about your gift, Guven¡­" Levent reminded.


    With this reminder, the introduction continued.


    "I''m Sener¡­ Although I''m blind, I have awakened my sixth sense."


    "I''m Esra. I was able to previously walk until I had an ident. Anyway, I''m Alchemist focusing on potion and pill making."


    ¡­


    "I''m Vincent¡­ Blind. A 3-Star Aura Knight."


    "I''m Tulin. I can see dead people. No one believes me."


    "¡­"


    The introduction was quickly finished.


    Vincent couldn''t help but be impressed at how diverse this special ss was.


    Anyway, the real ss finally started after this¡­


    Professor Levent introduced to them the Knowledge Base Crystal within the hall.


    There were a total of 30 crystals inside and each of them can use one. The crystal contains many books they could read regarding the Arcane Mysteries.


    However, it wasn''t just that.


    "This ss isn''t just a ce to study how Mana Arts or Aura Skills works¡­ We are also studying the mysteries of the world..."


    "Mysteries of the world?" They repeated.


    Although they are excited to browse the knowledge base crystal, the topic of the mystery of the world caught their attention.


    Is there some kind of mystery to this world? Why does it have to be studied?


    Seeing that they started bing interested, Professor Levent continued.


    "Yes¡­ After all, our world appears to be very attractive to otherworldly beings. Why do you think the Celestial Beings and their enemies, the Demihumans, are here?"

 Chapter 174 History

    Vincent furrowed his brows after hearing the Professor''s words.


    ''Demihumans?''


    Not just him, but a few others were also unsure about this¡­


    ''Otherworldly beings? The Celestial Beings and their enemies? What is she saying?''


    They were stunned by this revtion unsure how to react. Nevertheless, Professor Levent continued.


    "It seems none of you hade from arge n or organization. Very well, let me exin. The Celestial Beings and Demihumans weren''t originally from this world¡­ Ahh. Before that, have you seen or encountered a Celestial and Demis before?" The professor asked.


    Many of them shook their heads as they have barely left their homes! How could they encounter these beings? Normally, Celestial Beings would only show up if there is a war or battles that can''t be settled by simple negotiations.


    As for Demihumans, some of them had only seen them in books and some have never heard about them at all. This includes Vincent who has an idea of what a Demihuman is but hasn''t seen them before.


    "Very well¡­ Since you guys have been selected for this special ss, you will know of this sooner orter. It was about 700 years ago when the Celestial Beings, about ten thousand of them, arrived in our world using an incredibly advanced ship¡­ or I should call them spacecraft."


    As soon as this was mentioned, Vincent realized that the things he had found out were not a secret at all.


    "This spacecraft carried the Celestial Beings that we all know. They came from a faraway star. They were followed by mystical creatures that we call Demihumans. I heard some ancientnds even call them Celestial Beasts but they meant the same thing¡­ Furthermore, these two races were enemies."


    Professor Levent continued telling the brief history of the world.


    While the Celestial Beings arrived on the using spacecraft, the demihumans used a space portal instead to summon themselves to this world.


    It was such an interesting story so the whole ss remained silent and listened attentively.


    She further exined that the celestials can fight using their advanced weapons and technology while the demihumans can use their awakened skills that defy thews of the world to fight¡­ Professor Levent even guessed that the space portal that the demihumans used was also some kind of awakened skill and not a technology that can be produced at all.


    These two races fought in thisnd destroying the civilization of the first humans of this world.


    Luckily, the Celestial Beings weren''t evil creatures. A few of them studied the existence of mana and created various techniques or cultivation method and passed it down to the natives.


    This created the Tier 1 to Tier 3 system of the current mana arts.


    Of course, it didn''t end just that. As the war against the Demihumans continued, some numbered Celestial Beings studied their enemy''s awakened skills and learned to develop them. This created the Tier 4 and Tier 5 skills of the Mana Arts system.


    ''No wonder Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts are all about body modifications with some random skills. They were actually based on the Demihumans'' awakened skills.''


    Vincent was finally enlightened.


    It was the same for others as they slowly recall all the Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts they know.


    "Unfortunately, the Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts can''t be learned by the Celestial Beings so they were quickly passed unto us. Hmm¡­ With this story, I guess you guys already had some clues about the mysteries of the world?"


    Professor Levent asked.<sub> </sub>


    p "Hmm¡­ Is it about the existence of Mana?"</anda>


    "No, I think it''s all about the humans¡­ Since they are a different race, they''re probably curious about us being humans, right?"


    "Well, that might be true¡­ But perhaps they''re more interested in the dungeons that are everywhere in this world? I heard that these dungeons were older than the Celestials."


    "Oh! That''s actually possible¡­ I heard from my grandfather that the Celestial Beings had conquered and used these dungeons as their hideout or base of operations back in the days. What if they''re also treasure hunting there?"


    Professor Levent smiled in contentment after seeing the active interactions of her students. She was previously worried that these young girls and boys with incredible talent would decline to express themselves and remain silent throughout their ss.


    She knows a bit of their history and because of their disabilities, they weren''t well received in other ces. This obviously affected their personality and to be honest, she was expecting that they would only be able to rx among themselves after a few days.


    Luckily, as one or two of them engaged in conversation, the others could easily join thanks to the mindwork.


    "Hmm¡­ How about you, Vincent? You haven''t answered yet. What do you think is the mystery, or possibly something that attracted the Celestials and Demihumans?"


    Levent asked after noticing that he was the only one who didn''t share his opinion.


    "Ah¡­" Vincent was startled by the sudden call but he immediately tried topose himself and think of an answer.


    "If it''s not the existence of mana, then I have no idea, Professor. However, I''m more interested in the advanced technology brought by the Celestial Beings. Is it possible to study them as well?"


    "Oh? Then you need to attend the ss of Mundane Magic under Professor Ceren. Her ss is teaching about the influence of magic technology on our everyday life. The most I have here are some records of their technology but not theirplete study or how they are being used right now."


    "Thank you, professor. I''ll look into it."


    "Very well¡­ Since all of you have expressed your opinions, then let me reveal to you what truly attracted the Celestials and Demihumans here¡­ Touch the crystals in front of you and use a bit of your mana to connect to them."


    Everyone followed her instructions as they poured their mana into the crystal.


    ''Should I appraise this first? Ah, that can wait¡­'' Vincent thought as he waited for any changes that would happen.


    Soon, a book appeared in his mind¡­ This appears to be the Knowledge Base within the crystal.


    ''You can open the book¡­''


    Professor Levent''s voice was heard in the background as Vincent did as instructed.


    Soon, the introduction to the existence of soul and spirit was revealed to them. Vincent and the others didn''t even need to read it as this particr piece of information was directly sent to their minds.


    ''So they were attracted to the existence of life on this?''


    Vincent mused as he carefully reviewed the information in his head.

 Chapter 175 Clues

    Vincent had no idea what happened in the previous worlds of the two races. If he would make a guess, the Celestial Beings probably found this first using their technology but were spied on by the Demihumans and followed them here.


    But this is quite confusing¡­


    ''Don''t they just want a that can sustain life? Why not live in harmony? Can''t they just pick and to rule after arriving here? Wait¡ª" Vincent suddenly recalled what Rem said about the Overseers.


    ''Does it mean that the war between the two races is still going on? Is that why the Overseer is taking the Celestial Beings who had regained their strength? Is it to send them to the battlefield? Or is there some other reason?''


    Vincent tried to connect the information he had just gotten from Rem.


    Based on what she said, the Overseer would take the Celestials to a different ce never to be seen again even by their contractors. This will only happen if the Celestial Beings recovered a certain amount of strength.


    Perhaps, the celestial was returned to theirnd and not the battlefield? They don''t seem to be nning to rule this anyway¡­ This is very confusing¡­


    Vincent shook his head as he just couldn''t understand what the two races are thinking. Anyway, he wascking information¡­


    He just continued reviewing the information about the soul and thest part truly stunned him¡­


    ''This world has deities. One specific deity known through ancient records is Asione. She rules life and death where our soul belongs. Other deities rule the seas¡­ thend¡­ the trees¡­ even the mana¡­''


    This article in the piece of information made him recall the goddess that took his eyes!


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but ask the Professor.


    "Professor Levent¡­ Are the Celestial Beings perhaps looking for the deities?"


    He used the mindwork so everyone in the ss heard his question.


    "That''s a good point, Vincent. Do you believe in their existence?" She asked with curiosity.


    "Yes. I believe that they are existing." Vincent didn''t hesitate to answer. He wasn''t sure who took his eyes but that is definitely not a simple existence.


    First, that goddess was the one in his visualization method to increase his soul strength or aura. There was no way that she was just a randomdy.


    Then, she also appeared inside the altar or that Decadence Soul Tablet and took his vision.


    If she''s not a goddess or a deity, Vincent couldn''t think of anything else who could do it¡­ Well, it may be an evil spirit pranking him but that''s unlikely given the situation. There is also that prophecy she had mentioned to him.


    Professor Levent was obviously surprised by his firm answer. She hasn''t seen any people who had a strong faith in the existence of deities or the gods and goddesses of this world after all.


    "Then¡­ I can only tell you that it is indeed part of the mysteries we''re studying." She replied.


    Vincent epted her answer as this is only the first day of their ss. He would certainly know more about the deities and other mysteries of this world as long as he continued studying here.


    ***<sub> </sub>


    After an hour more of discussion, their ss finally ended. The others went to another ss and only a few did not leave the hall.


    They stayed here as they continued browsing the Knowledge Base Crystal.


    Of course, Vincent was also here as he tried to look for any information regarding the Overseer. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find anyone or anything close to its existence.


    ''Does it mean that they don''t know the existence of the Overseer? No, that''s impossible. The Zemin n knows of it after all. Such arge organization like ck Tower should know more about it. Hmm¡­ Is this an issue with authority?''


    He mused.


    It wouldn''t be surprising if the information rted to the Overseer requires a certain level of status. The Overseer might even be the blonde goddess that he had seen. Although it doesn''t seem to be the case, there is a possibility.


    "Vincent¡­"


    Suddenly, he heard Professor Levent talking to him privately. She was still using her telepathy art but this time, it was only the two of them connected.


    "Professor? Is there anything I can help you with?" He responded.


    "Yes. I heard from Professor Turhan that you''re an Appraiser. Furthermore, you will be participating in the Elite Competition two months from now. Is that true?"


    Levent asked. Her gentle and kind voice was truly soothing to his ears. Vincent couldn''t help but imagine her as a beautiful woman wearing a reading ss and having long ck hair.


    It was such a shame that he couldn''t see her right now.


    Anyway, Vincent replied as he confirmed that he is indeed an Appraiser and will be participating in the uingpetition.


    "Hmm¡­ Since you''re an Aura Knight, you probably have confidence in your senses to attend thepetition. However, the ones you will be fighting in thatpetition might also be an Aura Knight like yourself. There will be young Adept Mages as well and most likely, the weakest that will attend would be a Master Magician that has trained their three elements. Do you really have a chance of winning?"


    Professor Levent asked in concern.


    "Yes, Professor. I heard that as long as my performance was exemry, I have a high chance of bing a Gray or Yellow Emblem Member. I needed the status and authority that I''ll gain from that. You''ve probably heard that I''m not originally from this continent." Vincent patiently exined as he felt that Levent truly thinks about him as her student.


    He couldn''t me her underestimating his battle skills since he''s indeed blind and it would be very difficult for him to win in normal circumstances.


    "I understand¡­ I just want you to be careful since Turhan told me to¡ªNever mind¡­ If you need anything, just let me know."


    Levent said as she cut off the telepathy without waiting for Vincent''s reply.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was able to somehow guess the rtionship between the two professors.


    ''It seems that Professor Turhan isn''t as stodgy as I thought.''

 Chapter 176 Appraisal

    A week had quickly passed after Vincent attended the ck Tower''s academy.


    During these few days, he attended not only the Arcane Mysteries ss but also the Mundane Magic ss under Professor Ceren.


    Since he was blind, he was given special treatment by the Professor. She even allowed him to learn through a Knowledge Base Crystal filled with different but familiar technology brought and shared by the Celestial Beings.


    Apparently, the Celestials introduced other sources of energy like electricity and such but it didn''t be popr because of the existence of Energy Stone.


    The stone originated from a drained Beast Cores. After filling it with a bit of Aura, it would be Energy Stone that Raizen had previously introduced to Vincent.


    That became the source of energy or recement for electricity.


    Of course, the concept of electricity through hydro and wind turbines wasn''tpletely abolished as there are still devices run by electricity within the ck Tower. Unfortunately, it was just kept here for the sake of research and the organization doesn''t seem to have any ns on spreading the use of electricity.


    Anyway, Vincent found this really interesting and it was such a shame that it wasn''t developed because of the presence of mana and the energy stone.


    Furthermore, he also learned about the existence of a group of craftsmen who didn''t just focus on creating deadly magic weapons. This group developed a method to use Energy Stones to create groundbreaking technologies that are now being used by everyone.


    They are things like the knowledge base crystal, messenger crystal, floating mystic ship, spatial ring, and others.


    These magic technologies were based on something they have found in the items or devices left by the Celestial Beings.


    Of course, Vincent wanted to know more about these things and the best thing to do that is to own or purchase them.


    Well, the knowledge base crystal can''t be purchased but the messenger crystal and floating mystic ship can be purchased as long as you are clear from criminal records and you have the money.


    At this moment, Vincent decided to visit Appraisal Mastery Hall.


    He had decided toe here today not to learn how to appraise an item but to earn money. Luckily, the ck Tower has several halls where the students can actually work and get paid money. Furthermore, he would also earn some honor points on top of earning mana crystals.


    "Are you Vincent Kayser from the Arcane Mysteries ss? Professor Levent mentioned you."


    "Yes. That''s me¡­"


    "Great. I''m Ozan, the manager of the Appraisal Mastery Hall. You''ve probably seen me in other sses during¡ªAh, never mind. Do you want to start working now?" Ozan asked as he scratches his head. He didn''t immediately realize that Vincent was blind.


    Although he knows that Levent was mostly teaching students with disabilities, he didn''t expect a blind person to be an appraiser at all. Of course, with his experience, he was able to guess that Vincent probably has gifted hands or senses that allow him to appraise an object without seeing them.


    It could be a Tier 4 Mana Art or a gift he was born with.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. I can start working now. As you can see, I need a bit of help with this job. Is it possible if you lend me one of your assistants?" Vincent asked.


    Although he could also earn money by hunting Savage Beasts or even Magic Beasts, there are just too many students who arepeting for a better haul. Finding them can also be quite tiring.


    There is also the Hunter Organization that is doing most of the urgent requests of the ck Tower in regards to collecting materials or beast parts.


    In short, working as an appraiser would allow him to earn the same amount as those who are working outside.


    "That''s fine. There is always an attendant with an appraiser to do all the recordings and inventory of the items. Your only task is really just to appraise them and allow them to record what you''ve found out. Since you''re new here, we decided to put you in the first phase of the appraisal.  Is that alright?"


    "Yes¡­ I''m fine with that. May I ask how many items would I normally appraise?"


    "Hmm¡­ Since we''ve recently made a huge trade with the Red Alliance, we have a lot of new items in our inventory. Perhaps, 15 to 20 items per appraiser every day. You can take your time. You don''t even have to appraise them all in one sitting. Appraisal Magic can be tiring after all¡­  Although we have records of what are the items sent by the alliance, we still need to appraise them to ensure the quality and discover if the Red Alliance missed something in their appraisal."


    "Red Alliance?" Vincent repeated.


    He then recalled that this continent has six powerful organizations, The ck Tower, Solomon''s Pir, Red Alliance, Demonic Cult, Martial Arts Alliance, and the Star Garden Peak.


    "Oh! You''re not familiar with them. I heard from Levent that you''re from an ind nation where Barbarians are thriving. Is that right?" Ozan said with interest after recalling where Vincent hade from.


    "Ah? Yes¡­ The Tudor Kingdom." He wasn''t sure whether the barbarians there are thriving but it must be close.


    "Yes! I heard that name before. The Red Alliance is actually made of the Barbarian Race. If I''m not mistaken, they have decided to send a few Barbarian Kings there to slowly take control of that ind. You guys are lucky to get the attention of the ck Tower." Ozan said which enlightened Vincent of the events that has urred in the kingdom.


    Anyway, Ozan probably didn''t know that he has already broken off his rtionship with the Zemin n.


    He decided not to correct him and asked more questions.


    "The Red Alliance and the ck Tower are in a peaceful rtionship? Are the Barbarians here that intelligent?"


    "Of course, they are. Your kingdom''s rulers were probably just afraid of the strength of the barbarians, so their race has been relegated to being the enemies of your nation. However, on this continent, they are just the same as us. They may be different but they don''t naturally prey on us. They can be friendly if you get to know them sometime."


    Ozan said with a longing face. It was as if he was recalling a Barbarian that he had known in past.


    "Ehem¡­ Anyway, you can start working now¡­ You don''t have to get pressured since you''re the first-phase appraiser. There are still others who will do the second and third appraisals. As for the final quality check, it will be done by a Blue Emblem Appraiser."


    As soon as he said this, someone brought Vincent to his workbench so he can finally start with his work and earn some money.

 Chapter 177 Slip

    Vincent found his work quite interesting.


    The items that he had appraised weren''t something that he had seen in the Tudor Kingdom. So this had actually helped him to familiarize himself with the living condition or fighting prowess of the people on this continent.


    From the items traded by the Red Alliance, Vincent realized that most of them were natural objects like magic stones and crystals.


    [ ze Energy Stone ]


    [ Quality: Umon


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 8/8


    Fire: 20


    Description: A special stone that can increase the Fire Attribute of any suitable Magic Artifact. Depending on the targeted Artifacts, it can either strengthen or weaken their fire resistance or fire ability. This stone contains important nutrients that Magic Beasts needed.


    Remarks: Fire Attribute found. Every enhancement will increase the attributes of the item. ]


    This stone woulde in a batch of ten and would be considered as a single item.


    There are also others like Frost Energy Stone and Lightning Stones. From this, Vincent can guess that there are mines of elemental stones in the Red Alliance''snd.


    He also learned that these items were being used for crafting weapons and magic equipment so they needed to do a detailed appraisal of each of them.


    Of course, these are just average stones and do not need a high-level appraiser to appraise them. Even a beginner appraiser can do this much.


    The items that could truly challenge some appraisers were the crystals that were traded by the Alliance. Based on the attendant''s words, the appearance of these crystals can fool even some appraisers that were relying on their eyes.


    [ Magic Sealing Crystal ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 110/110


    Sealed Mana Art: 0/1


    Description: A unique crystal capable of storingplex forms of mana. There is currently no sealed form of mana sealed within the crystal.


    Remarks: Durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. The number of Mana Arts that can be sealed depends on the durability of the crystal. ]


    "This is impressive¡­ Do you know how much this item is being sold?" Vincent asked the attendant who was working with him.


    He is a man in his twenties and he doesn''t seem to be a mana practitioner.


    "An empty sealing crystal''s worth is based on its durability points. If it''s only less than 50 points, storing Tier 2 Mana Arts shouldn''t be a problem. That should be worth 100 to 200 gold coins in normal cases. If it''s higher than that, it can be worth 500 gold coins and above."


    "It''s so expensive?"


    "Yeah¡­ No one would normally bother using them except for the merchants or hunters who are always outside or wandering around various regions. Well, this crystal is very easy to use after all. Whether you havepleted your Mana Baptism or not, you can still use the crystal as long as you have a bit of mana in your body. Furthermore, it can be a life-saving item as well. Just imagine yourself beingpletely exhausted in battle and can''t move anymore¡­ This Sealing Crystal can give you---Ehem¡­ Never mind what I said. So, how are the qualities of these products?"


    Realizing that he had gotten a bit talkative, he immediately corrected himself and changed the topic.


    One of the supervisors might notice them chatting after all.


    "Hmm¡­ This one is good, it''s 110 points in durability. It should be able to store a decent Mana Art."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh? It''s over one hundred? Then it should be able to store some mid-level Tier 3 Mana Arts."


    "Can it also store some Aura Knight''s skills like Soul Pressure and Domain?"


    "No¡­ The skills of the Aura Knights were based on the power of their soul after all. Only Mana Practitioners can store their Arts inside the crystal."


    Vincent epted the answer and continued appraising the items with the attendant''s help.


    Surprisingly, the final item that he had appraised was not a stone or natural object but a weapon. A very familiar book to be precise.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Tome of Skills. ]


    [ Tome of Skills ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 100/100


    Water Prison: 21


    Unused Pages: 2


    Description: A special book that can store Mana Arts or Special Abilities on each page. This specific tome can only store Water Rted skills due to the materials used to create the tome.


    Remarks: You can only store Tier 3 Mana Arts and below. Stored Skills will be enhanced in every enhancement. ]


    ''This is another item that can store Mana Arts¡­'' Vincent mused.


    "It seems that the ck Tower traded a lot of materials rted to storing Mana Arts?" Vincent probed the attendant.


    "You''re right¡­ Our Magic Craftsmen are doing their best to find a way to mass produce Magic Weapons. Not only that, they wanted to create weapons that anyone can use for a cheaper price. Just like what you thought before, the sealing crystals are way too expensive. It''s impractical to mass produce items based on this raw ingredient."


    "I see¡­ So these researchers are looking for a way to copy its principles and make it less expensive, huh."


    "You''re right! Isn''t that amazing? Once it seeded, the winds of change will begin to blow! The war will certainly be in our favor."


    The attendant said with excitement.


    "War?" Vincent repeated.


    As far as he knows the ck Tower shouldn''t be in a war against any of the fiverge organizations. What war is he talking about?


    "Ahh¡­ That¡­ Forget about that. You''re still too young so you won''t understand. You''ll know of it once you''ve gotten strong. For now, just worry about yourself and be an official member of the ck Tower." The attendant immediately said. He was sweating profusely since he just overheard this conversation as well.


    Since he was only an attendant here in the Appraisal Hall, he shouldn''t know about this matter as well.


    He immediately looked around and after confirming that no official members are listening, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Vincent tried to get more information about the war but unfortunately, the man seems to be too afraid to speak as he might lose his job.


    In the end, Vincentpleted his task with a bit of uneasiness in his heart.

 Chapter 178 Followed

    "Tara, are you going out?" Yulia asked after seeing Tara walking to the gate.


    Currently, the Ster Residence is quite busy as the renovation hasn''t beenpleted yet. Although they already have new pieces of furniture inside, the walls, the garden, the hall, and even the interior decorations still needed some fixing.


    There are many workers inside their estate right now and Yulia is managing them all.


    Tara looked around the state of their residence before answering.


    "It''s a bit rowdy here. I''ll just look around the market."


    "Great! Can you find auction house or anyrge store today? Vincent asked me to check the ce if there are interesting items to be auctioned off in a few days. I think he was looking for some potions that might help his eyes recover. I''m quite busy so--"


    "It''s alright. I''ll check the auction house and some other shops for you."


    Tara replied with a nod as she left the estate. They currently have a carriage and two horses in their stable but Tara decided to just walk since she wasn''t in a hurry.


    Nevertheless, it took her over half an hour to arrive at the vicinity of the Auction House.


    Currently, she''s wearing a maroon cloak that not only covers her body but also affects her state of presence. Although people could still see her, most of them would just ignore her presence making it a lot easier for her to move around outside the Ster Residence.


    This is just one of the useful items that Tara and Rem managed to get from Vincent.


    ''Nexus Auction House¡­ This should be the biggest one around here.'' Tara mused after reading the name of the establishment.


    There are a few other small auction houses but she decided to ignore them instead. She believes that a potion that might be able to help Vincent should only appear in this luxurious establishment that is filled with guards and powerful mana practitioners.


    As she was nning to check the ce and read the noticeboard outside, she suddenly felt someone looking at her.


    She nced in the direction where she felt where the gaze wasing from only to see the crowded marketce. They were all busy. Many people were looking around the various peddler''s mats and stalls that some of the merchants set up.


    She didn''t find anyone suspicious.


    ''Was it my imagination? No, definitely not. But perhaps, they only noticed that I''m using a magic tool to weaken my presence. Did they get interested in my cloak?''


    She mused.


    They have just arrived here at the First Tower''s City so she shouldn''t have any enemies targeting her. The matter regarding Ss was also settled easily and she heard from Vincent that the man has returned to the third tower after getting a new emblem.


    In short, she doesn''t think that she''s being targeted right now.


    With that in mind, she continued walking to the Auction House''s entrance gate and checked the noticeboard beside it.


    ''There will be magic artifacts and¡­ huh? Celestial Weapon to be auctioned off?'' Tara froze the moment she read the items to be sold.


    Celestial Weapons can''t be easily acquired.


    Furthermore, once someone possessed such an item, the fated Celestial would certainly do their best to take it from them.<sub> </sub>


    ''How is this possible? Perhaps, the owner is already dead?'' Tara shudder at the thought.


    Although there are items of Celestial Beings that are being sold to the public, like their rings, ne, and others, the Celestial Weapons and Armors are things that aren''t being sold.


    However, if it is acquired from a dead Celestial Being, it''s possible that the next fated Celestial Being wasn''t settled yet so someone could easily possess it even without forcefully cleansing it.


    That''s right! There is a cleansing process. When Tara had given the Astral Night Dagger to Vincent, it took her a while to remove the connected fate on that item so the real owner or fated Celestial wouldn''t find it anymore.


    That is a very difficult thing to do and she knows that not all Celestial Being, numbered or not, is capable of doing it.


    ''A Celestial Weapon, a Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill, and a High-Grade Magus Essence Potion that can increase someone''s aptitude¡­''


    Tara''s eyes lit up after reading this. As far as she knows, Vincent''s aptitude or talent in practicing mana is just low-grade.


    Based on what she understands about the Magus Essence Potion, it should be able to help him increase his potential!


    This might actually help him in his current situation.


    With that in mind, she immediately checked the date and confirmed that the auction would happen in the next two weeks.


    It appears that the auction house wanted to spread this information to everyone in the city and even the neighboring ones. If that happens, thepetition would be fierce and their earnings would grow bigger.


    After confirming that date and time together with the needed entrance fee, she decided to check the other auction houses and listed the precious potions they are selling in her mind.


    As she was nning to return to their residence, she felt something familiar.


    "Hmm?"


    This time, Tara confirmed that someone is truly watching her. She no longer just looked around and immediately reappeared in the spot where she felt the presence looking at her.


    She may not have felt any killing intent from them but their attempt to break through her cloak''s hiding effect is very offensive!


    She''s using the cloak to hide her presence after all. If they decided to continuously peek through her, then they are just looking for trouble!


    "Found you¡­"


    Tara saw a young girl running at a quick speed after realizing that she noticed her.


    The woman appears to be a teenager. She doesn''t seem to be a Celestial Being or a powerful Mana Practitioner so Tara was baffled.


    ''Is it a Mystic Eye that can see through Vincent''s modified special cloak?'' Tara guessed after eliminating the possibility of her being a Celestial Being or a Grand Magus.


    She decided to follow the youngdy silently.


    As soon as she entered an abandoned building, Tara felt something wrong. She hesitated for a moment but after considering her options, she decided to follow.

 Chapter 179 Celestial

    The abandoned building doesn''t seem to have any dangerous traps or powerful beings hiding inside.


    However, she can feel the presence of several people inside which made her confused. The abandoned building doesn''t seem to have any source of light aside from the sun and a source of water as well. In short, the people living here were probably not in very good condition.


    "Hmm?"


    As soon as she entered, she noticed that thedy she was following stopped escaping and faced her with her worn-out cloak on her body.


    Soon, Tara was surrounded by a group of people. They don''t seem to be nning on attacking her.


    They do not have any weapons and they don''t even seem like fighters at all. They were like beggars in the streetsmonly seen in the kingdom.


    Although she can feel that they were mana practitioners, many of them don''t seem to havepleted their Mana Baptism and only have a meager amount of mana in their bodies. At the very least, a few of them seem to be capable of protecting themselves.


    ''Sixteen people¡­ I wonder what''s going on¡­'' Tara mused.


    This is the first time this happened after all.


    Afterpleting her observation, she thought it was time to understand what was really happening.


    "Speak. Tell me why you''re here. How did you notice my presence even with my equipment?"


    Tara asked. If she knows that answer, Vincent might be able to adjust the cloak for her. If there is some kind of a w, Vincent will probably be happy to know about it.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry¡­ It wasn''t my intention to disturb you. I just felt that¡ªAh, can you please remove your cloak so I can make sure." The youngdy said with a stiff voice.


    However, she felt that she was very rude so she immediately added, "We''re not nning to harm you. We just wanted to make sure that we have the right person¡­ Please?"


    Tara frowned after hearing the request.


    Vincent had given her clear instructions not to remove the cloak unless necessary. She wasn''t sure whether this was something necessary so she couldn''t immediately decide.


    "You want to make sure who am I? I guess you found the wrong person. I''ve just arrived in this city so there''s no way you guys know me." Tara answered.


    It hasn''t even been that long since she was woken up by Vincent.


    "N-no¡­ I mean¡ª" The youngdy seems to be hesitating not knowing whether she had to continue or not. However, herpanions started encouraging her so she finally made a decision and asked her.


    "Are you really a Celestial Being? I''m not exactly sure since you probably have an item that can blur my Mystic Eye''s ability."


    "Oh? So you can really tell?" Tara curiously asked.


    Everyone gasped.


    Tara''s answer also confirmed that she is indeed a Celestial Being like what they had guessed even without her removing her cloak.


    As soon as this was confirmed, the sixteen people were exalted as they immediately knelt on the ground.


    "F-finally! We have been visited by a mighty Celestial Being!"


    "Oh, goddess! Please, save us!"<sub> </sub>


    "Our prayers are answered!"


    "Calidia, you did very well! You did very well!"


    Tara can tell the genuine happiness in their voice. They were truly happy to see her right now. This emotion is not something easy to fake at all.


    The youngdy who lured her here also received the praises of the older members of this group.


    "What are you doing? Calidia, is that your name? Tell me what''s going on before I lose my patience."


    Tara couldn''t help but get irritated by the sudden exmation of these beggars. It was as if they found their salvation but she had no idea what was really happening.


    "Y-yes, that''s my name, Celestial. To exin it simply, we are the remnants of a certain group. We are the Followers of Qheglena."


    "Qheglena?" Tara froze after hearing this name¡­ She suddenly recalled the events of the past that she thought she has already forgotten.


    "Why--How do you know that name? Qheglena, do you even know what that means?" Tara asked still in shock.


    Hearing this name again made her remember the event that urred hundreds of years ago.


    "Qheglena? Of course, we know her! She''s Number 12 on the Celestial Rankings. Two digits! It means only 11 Celestial Beings are stronger than her!"


    "T-that''s right¡­ Please listen to our story, Celestial¡­"


    Tara then started listening to the entirety of their story.


    Apparently, these people were previously ves or experimental subjects of the Fifteenth Tower!


    They were able to escape thanks to Celestial Number 12. Although she didn''t know them, she actually assisted them in diverting the attention of the Mages who were about to find their group.


    After Number 12 did all this, she even allowed them to borrow her residence which they used as their temporary shelter.


    From then, their group started to worship Number 12 and assisted her in recovering her strength.


    Apparently, Number 12 is a Celestial Being who didn''t want to rely on making a contract to receive Blood Essence.


    It must be remembered that without this supply of Blood Essence to recover their Celestial Energy, they will be forced to a very long hibernation.


    If they don''t have a Cryogenic Sleep Chamber like Tara, there was no way they could survive such a long hibernation. Furthermore, how could they want to sleep again for a very long time?


    This is why making a contract with a strong magician had always been the best option. After all, their Blood Essence would always be decently strong and could help their recovery.


    "We heard from Celestial Qheglena that once she recovered at least 90 percent of her strength, she could reform her core so she would no longer be reliant on the Mana Practitioner''s Blood Essence. Unfortunately, the moment she did this, she disappeared leaving no traces behind. We have no idea if she was killed or abducted by someone¡­ We don''t have any news at all. Now, there are also the members of the fifteenth tower looking for us¡­"


    Tara frowned after hearing their story. There are many things she''d like to rify from them but she''s unsure whether she has to entertain these people. She just can''t find any benefit from doing so.


    "I understand¡­ So you wanted my help so you can hide or even resolve the trouble with the fifteenth tower?"

 Chapter 180 Qheglena

    "That''s correct! Although you probably won''t desire our Blood Essence because of how weak we are, the sixteen of us can still help you recover a bit of your Celestial Energy?"


    One of them said with enthusiasm.


    This caught a bit of Tara''s interest as she waited for him to exin more.


    "As we said, we are previously experimental subjects of the Fifteenth Tower¡­ In particr, we''re part of the Celestial Incarnation Project."


    "What''s that project?"


    This is the first time Tara heard about this. Calidia recognized it and decided to exin it to her.


    "This may be a long story¡­ We can sit down first."


    When she said this, she meant to sit down on the floor because there''s really nothing here in the abandoned building. At the very least, the ce is quite clean almost without any dust.


    She then continued with the story of their small group.


    "The Celestial Incarnation Project was an experiment that started about a decade ago¡­ Many humans and even barbarians died in the process and although we have survived, we aren''tpleted or perfect products¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ I wanted to know what kind of experimentations you were put into." Tara coldly asked.


    "Of course, I''ll go there. In the process of the experiment, they needed to kill a Celestial Being. Most of them are Unnumbered Celestials with rumors of a few three-digit Celestial Beings that are victimized by the Crazy Researcher. Their blood and organs or any part of them are being transferred to humans¡­ and that''s us."


    The atmosphere within the room had obviously be tense. These guys were aware of the implication of this once this was discovered or announced to the public.


    As soon as Tara heard this revtion, something snapped in her as she couldn''t help but release a powerful bloodlust.


    However, she immediately tried to cover it up afraid that it would attract the attention of others.


    These people here needed to hide after all.


    "It''s alright¡­ We have arranged a strong barrier within this building. It could hide our aura and no energy fluctuations will get out from here." Calidia immediately exined after noticing Tara''s concern. It also shows Calidia''s confidence with their skills.


    "You''re telling me that these Magicians from Fifteenth Tower are killing the members of my race?"


    Calidia can only nod silently at that question.


    "Right, in the recent experiments, the Crazy Researcher had also started experimenting with the Demihumans¡­ This is why many of us have received their gifts or talents as well." She added.


    That would exin why most of them have special abilities like Mystic Eyes and talents with Elemental Arts even though they haven''t gone through Mana Baptism.


    The one who created a barrier is also part of the Demihuman Talent Extraction experiment which is just a part of the Incarnation Project.


    "Why are they doing this?" Tara asked in disbelief. She had never expected that humans would do this to Celestial Beings at all.


    After all, they should still at least be thankful for their arrival and taught them about the method to cultivate mana and about various knowledge they could use to advance their civilization.


    "I heard from one of the researchers that they can no longer trust the Celestials."


    "Someone also said that providing Blood Essence is too impractical and Celestials were too difficult to handle because of the unwritten rules that they''ll instinctively follow."


    "Furthermore, Blood Essence takes too much power from the Mana Practitioners. There were even cases where providing too much would disrupt their cultivation and rank down in the process."<sub> </sub>


    "In short, they just want to have a strong army that doesn''t have a high upkeep."


    Calidia concluded the words of herpanions.


    "Does she know this? I mean, the Number 12¡­ What did she do about it?"


    "Celestial Qheglena didn''t sit still. Unfortunately, she seemed to be incapable of breaking the rules of the Celestials. It was as if it was imprinted on her body that massacring her way to the tower is prohibited¡­"


    Tara can only nod at this. There was indeed something imprinted on them about the rules of the Celestials while they are on thisnd. It''s not easy to crack it down. However, there should be a loophole to break it. If the loophole can''t be taken advantage of as well, there is still one method.


    "She did her best to recover her strength as quickly as possible. She thought that it was the only way to break away from the imprinted rules but unfortunately, she disappeared after recovering. We don''t know if she went to the tower only to be defeated or if an enemy took advantage of her momentary frailty and took care of her."


    Calidia exined.


    These 16 people may not know but Tara was aware of what most likely happened¡­


    Number 12 was taken by the Overseer as soon as she recovered her strength.


    At first, Tara also wanted to get stronger as quickly as possible since she wanted to unlock more memories if she was still missing some.


    However, it seems that she can''t do that anymore. It appears that the dy of the Overseer''s detection and the Celestial''s recovery isn''t that big.


    "I''ll look into this matter. For now, stay in here. Stop going outside if not necessary. I don''t know how you guys have been able to avoid the detection of such arge organization but you might run out of luck. Just wait for me."


    "Yes, Celestial! We will wait for you!"


    Calidia and the others said in delight.


    In truth, the method they have to help the Celestial Beings recover their Celestial Energy is detrimental to them.


    Seeing that Tara was not interested in this probably means that she has a more viable method.


    "In addition, I don''t think it''s appropriate to name her Qheglena¡­"


    "E-eh? That''s the name she had given though¡­" Calidia was confused.


    "Qheglena is the name of our ship¡­ Sigh~ Never mind¡­ Just call her whatever you want."


    With that said, Tara decided to finally leave and return to their estate.


    ''Several hours had already passed, Vincent might''ve returned already¡­ Should I discuss this with him?''


    Tara thought for a moment as she hurriedly moved. She knows that Vincent has matters to attend to in the academy and he''s also blind.


    Nevertheless, after considering all her options, she decided to just inform him about this.


    ''He should be able toe up with something to help them¡­''


    Tara smiled unconsciously after thinking about how Vincent liked some ''rare'' or unusual things¡­ He might find this matter interesting.

 Chapter 181 The Followers

    "Qheglena¡­" Vincent repeated the name after hearing the story from Tara.


    Currently, they are all in the renovated garden quite near the well.


    Tara had decided to tell the story that she heard from the Followers of Qheglena.


    This made Vincent understand that Tara is also subjected to the Celestial''s instinctive rules imprinted on their bodies.


    It appears that Tara can''t inform them of what memories she unlocked unless someone already mentioned it to them¡­


    What made him think of that?


    It was simply because the questions that she would normally ignore are now something she willingly tells.


    "Qheglena is the name of our spacecraft so Number 12 probably used that name to attract other Celestials or she just doesn''t know what name she would give to herself."


    Taramented.


    "Hmm¡­ I seem to have recalled something after you mentioned Qheglena. You''re right. It''s not a name of a Celestial¡­ Do you think Number 12 left them some clues about the spaceship''s whereabouts?"


    Rem said referring to Calidia and the others.


    "I didn''t ask them about it. They are still hiding in a dpidated building somewhere in the central part of the city."


    "I see¡­"


    While the two Celestial were reminiscing their past about their spaceship. Vincent started making ns in his mind.


    First of all, he wanted to meet these Followers of Qheglena.


    Not only are they loyal to Celestial Beings, but they are also a group filled with talents. Whether the experiment on them was cruel or not, they still somehow benefited now that they have skills and talents that you can''t find even in therge ns like Zemin n.


    If he decided to give them a hand while they are currently in such a difficult situation, they would certainly be grateful. As long as they have a good environment to grow, they might even be powerful Mana Practitioners.


    ''The only problem is their personality¡­ Even if they worship a Celestial, they might not be decent people. They might even be criminals that were selected by the researchers because they already have a death sentence or something¡­'' Vincent wasn''t sure about the researchers of the Fifteenth Tower.


    He can''t just blindly believe them and think that this group ispletely innocent after all.


    His final opinion of this group can wait until they met.


    If he felt that the danger of taking them in is tolerable, then he might decide to give them a hand¡­ or perhaps for Tara to give them some assistance.


    In the meantime, he wanted to hear about the other matter that Tara had mentioned.


    "Tara, bring Calidia here, or whoever their leader is. I want to meet them first... Then, can you now tell me about the Celestial Weapon you said that is being auctioned?"


    This time, even Rem''s eyes lit up after hearing this.


    Even though she already has a Celestial Sword, she couldn''t help but be excited after knowing that there is a nearby Celestial Weapon.


    "Yes. It''s true. It was on the list being advertised by the Nexus Auction House. There is no other information about what kind of weapon it was so I can''t tell you more. However, there are two other items there that you might be interested in, it''s a Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill and a Magus Essence Potion¡­"


    Vincent was indeed curious about these two.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? I know a little about the pill based on its name but it''s my first time hearing about the magus essence potion¡­"


    With that, Tara exined what she read about the potion. Yulia and Severin, who was an expert in alchemy, gasped after recognizing the essence potion that Tara just said.


    "A potion that can increase one''s aptitude¡­ That''s incredible. I heard about a method that could do the same in the kingdom but it''s not a potion. It was a special mana spring¡­ I didn''t think that there is a potion that could actually do that." Severin wryly smiled after hearing such a miraculous effect that a potion could have.


    "That''s right¡­ I also heard about the Cold Mana Spring. This is my first time hearing about the Magus Essence Potion. As expected of this powerful continent." Yulia sighed in admiration.


    "When will the auction be, Tara?"


    "It will be in two more weeks, Vincent."


    "Hmm¡­ So we only have a little time to gather enough money. Can we even participate in this bidding war? Any of those three would certainly cost a lot of money." Vincent sighed after recalling that they barely have enough money with them.


    They have to immediately start doing business.


    It seems that his only option was to sell his Epic Items in his Obisidian Treasure Box. If truly needed, he also has a few Pseudo-Legendary items that can be sold


    He can''t miss the opportunity to get the essence potion after all.


    Once he further enhanced and ascended that potion, he could imagine that it would be several times better than the Mana Upheaval Potion he consumed before.


    Tara then returned to the building upied by the Followers of Qheglena.


    In the meantime, Vincent, Yulia, and Severin discussed their ns to earn more money. Even if they can''t gather enough money to purchase the Top 3 Items to be auctioned off, they might still find impressive items in thisrge event.


    ***


    In the dpidated building where Calidia and the others are hiding, a cloaked figure appeared on top of it.


    "Hmm? There''s more of them?" Tara muttered after realizing that there weren''t just 16 of them and it had increased by 10 more.


    At this point, her arrival had also been noticed by the one who had also set up the barrier within the building.


    At the man''s warning, some of them immediately hide their presence while the others returned to their act as beggars.


    Tara then approached the group that has been frightened like chickens.


    Only after a few seconds did they confirm that it was the Celestial Being who had arrived as they breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Celestial, so it was you¡­" Calidia immediately went to Tara''s side.


    "Yes¡­ Tell me, why are there 10 more people here? Are they also part of your group?" Tara asked.


    "You''re right, Celestial. They are also Followers of Qheglena. However, these people weren''t part of the Incarnation Project. They were just normal practitioners who were also revering the existence of the Celestials. We met them when we were traveling and they helped us enter this city, the perfect ce to hide from the Fifteenth Tower''s Magicians." Calidia exined.


    Tara didn''t think too much of it as it would indeed make sense that someone assisted them to get here. She then exined her n to bring their leader to meet Vincent.


    Soon, Tara together with Calidia and another two people left the building and went to meet Vincent at the Ster Residence.

 Chapter 182 Calidia

    "Ster Residence¡­" Calidia muttered as they looked at each other.


    She was together with two other important members of their group. To be honest, there is no leader in the Followers of Qheglena.


    They felt that they were all equal and have to contribute one way or another.


    If there is an important decision to make, as long as more than half of them agreed, they will just follow it. Also, having different opinions barely happens within their group. They have all experienced the inhumane experiments of the Fifteenth Tower, they have incredible bonds and everyone is thinking of what''s better for everyone.


    No one has selfish thoughts as they all think of themselves as family.


    "Caelus, Vel, do not think of scanning the surroundings using your gifts¡­" Calidia reminded the two as she looked at the estate with wariness.


    She hasn''t entered yet but she can feel another presence of a Celestial Being.


    It appears that this other Celestial is not wearing the cloak that is blurring her ability to sense their presence.


    If Caelus and Vel tried to scan the surroundings carelessly, they might offend someone they can''t.


    "I understand. I don''t think they''re gonna hurt us anyway. The Celestial could''ve done that in our base if she wanted to."


    "That''s true¡­ Let''s just hope that Miss Celestial can also help us."


    Caelus and Vel were both males in their twenties. They were quite skinny and have long gray hair like every other survivor of the experiment. It seems to be one of the side effects of getting in contact with the blood of a Celestial.


    Nevertheless, even if they have an unkempt appearance, they were still filled with vitality. Their burning desire to get revenge on the Fifteenth Tower and find Qheglena is what kept them going.


    As soon as Tara entered the estate, Calidia and the two followed silently.


    Based on the surroundings, parts of the estate seem to be undergoing renovations. Since it''s alreadyte, the workers have probably left already and will return by tomorrow.


    The three can still see several scaffoldings and nks of wood in one area of the front court.


    As soon as they were brought to the main hall building, they saw a group of people waiting for them.


    Aside from Tara, there were two prettydies, a young man, and a middle-aged man observing them.


    Calidia took a brief nce at them as she bowed a little to greet them. It was not the time to appreciate their appearance.


    The two others followed suit.


    "Followers of Qheglena¡­ I heard about your matters from Celestial Tara. May I ask for your names?"


    Vincent spoke.


    In truth, he wanted Yulia to start investigating them but she said that she''s not good at this and she doesn''t know what to really ask them regarding the Fifteenth Tower and the Celestial.<sub> </sub>


    "I''m Calidia and these two are Caelus and Vel. I heard that you wanted our leader to be brought here but there is no leader in our small group. At the very least, the three of us here are quite capable of protecting ourselves and trusted by the others."


    "That''s good enough. I asked you toe here since as you can tell, I''m blind and can''t travel around easily. Take a seat and let''s talk calmly. We have prepared a tea so you can rx for a bit."


    Since they have a newly renovated reception hall, Vincent decided to bring everyone here so they could also rx by having tea and some snacks.


    He did this specifically since he knows that the people that Tara will bring here would be very perceptive.


    They should''ve realized by now that there weren''t just Celestials in this residence but also expert Mana Practitioners.


    They might get nervous so serving them a bit should calm them down and loosen their guard for a little. That way, they could have a better conversation.


    On the other hand, the three were surprised to know that Vincent was actually blind. They didn''t expect that at all.


    They also have an impression that it is very rare for a blind to survive in this world. As a matter of fact, any experimental subject that became blind due to the side effects of their surgery would be killed as they would lose their value and will just be a burden that would leech off on their food supply.


    Furthermore, this young man doesn''t seem to have a low position within the estate. A sense of respect for Vincent was immediately built because of that without him knowing.


    "Thank you¡­ I''m sure you have many questions regarding our story¡­ You can all ask away and we''ll answer to the best of our ability. What we only want is for the Celestial to possibly guide our group from now on."


    Vincent went silent for a moment before he nodded. He can easily tell that they just want another Qheglena to rely on. Anyway, he will still need to confirm whether they will be useful for his ns or not.


    "Alright¡­ But first, I hope that you can answer my questions truthfully¡­"


    "Of course."


    With that, Vincent started questioning the three as his group slowly understand the horror they have experienced within the Fifteenth Tower.


    There were humans, Celestials, and Demihumans being dissected for research. The Tower''s desire to rece the Celestials seems to be endless as their sacrifices know no bounds.


    As long as it would benefit their experiment, no one could really stop them within their territory.


    Vincent also recalled the mysterious war that is going on. That bit of information was only for official members but he luckily heard about it thanks to his assistant''s babbling.


    Anyway, he also asked Calidia whether she heard about it.


    "Hmm¡­ It wasn''t me who heard about this war. Rufia, another member of our group, mentioned it to us. She said that while her doctors were waiting for the drug to take effect on her body, they chatted about a war that is going on¡­ Right, she heard themining because the budget for research has been cut off because of this war¡­ After we managed to escape, we tried to ask around about the war that was going on but no one knows about it."


    "During that time, we thought that she just misheard it so we no longer mentioned it as we deemed it unimportant. Perhaps we can try asking herter if she heard other details¡­" Caelus said as he really wanted to increase the value of their group.


    There are two Celestial Beings in this Ster Residence after all! If they received some help, they would no longer have to worry about the Fifteenth Tower and grow stronger!

 Chapter 183 Introductions

    Vincent learned how they can be useful for the Celestials and the benefits they could give to the Ster Residence as long as he could hide them from the Tower.


    Luckily for Calidia''s group, all the information they have provided has been very helpful for Vincent as he slowly understands the mysteries of this world.


    This isn''t just because he''s interested or curious about this world but simply because of the prophecy mentioned by the goddess.


    "Therees a day when what''s shrouded is revealed, the exiled one shall usher forth the beginning of a new era."


    What was shrouded that must be revealed? Who was the exiled one that will usher the beginning of a new era? Will that be the sign that his eyesight will return?


    Vincent is not losing hope. He has firm faith that one day, the blonde goddess will appear in his dreams and would return his eyesight once the prophecy has been fulfilled.


    If he was part of this prophecy, then he wanted to hasten it if possible.


    He wasn''t conceited to think of this since he knows that his existence is special.


    Not only did he experience transmigration, but he also possessed a cheat-like system with him. With all this in consideration, wouldn''t it be right to think that he has some purpose here?


    Heck, the goddess might even be the one who sent that meteor to his farm so he can get transmigrated.


    Anyway, all of these are just guesses for now. What he wanted to know is when or how the beginning of a new era would start. He knows that a shrouded mystery would be revealed as a sign but he has no idea what is it¡­


    ''Perhaps it''s rted to the war going on? No, it might even be rted to the Celestial and the Overseer¡­ It could also be rted to my eyes or my system. Sigh~ Maybe once I learned these secrets, I would have to start a new era¡­ What kind of era is that? Tsk.'' Vincent couldn''t help but sigh.


    Although he discovered several things from Calidia, his questions piled up as well and no one could answer him right now.


    "Alright¡­ You have answered all my questions truthfully. For now, let me introduce myself. I''m Vincent Kayser, an Aura Knight. The veileddy here is Yulia, an Adept Mage¡­ This is Severin, our Alchemist¡­ The two Celestials here may tell their names themselves if you deserve to know it."


    Vincent said with a smile as he wanted the Celestials to stay mysterious and maintain their exalted presence.


    "We understand!" The three replied with satisfaction.


    "Great¡­ Then bring your members here to our residence. I would like to meet them and know about their skills."


    "So we can now stay here?" Calidia asked in disbelief.


    "Yes¡­ This residence is too big just for the five of us. We can use your help to maintain this ce. You can treat this ce as your new home."


    Vincent answered with a smile. The tragedy they have experienced within the Fifteenth Tower is not something he could easily sympathize with since he hasn''t experienced such cruel experimentation.


    However, he knows how it feels like to be helpless as he felt it in the few days when his sight was taken away from him.


    Based on what Tara described, these people were also very skinny and they probably had difficulty living because they were afraid to be found out by the magicians from the tower.


    Aside from that, Tara and Rem seem to want to help these people since they have basically obtained a part of the Celestial Being.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, Vincent wasn''t so insensitive as to ask each one of them what part of the Celestial or Demihuman was given to their bodies. It was enough that he knows about this and that they have skills that could be useful to him.


    Furthermore, Vincent can tell that these guys were truly worshipping the Celestial Beings. He''s unsure how Qheglena brainwashed these people but it seems that whatever she has done to them was deeply ingrained in their bones.


    ***


    Rem, Yulia, Calidia, and Caesus went to the dpidated building to pick up all the Followers of Qheglena.


    As for Vel, he stayed within the estate as he would have to set up another barrier for the whole estate to add ayer of protection against the Tower''s radar. It appears that this was the gift he had received from the Demihuman Talent Extraction experiment that was done on him.


    On the other hand, Yulia joined Calidia''s group because of her skill to disrupt any detections while they are moving toward this location.


    As expected of a Practitioner who had mastered the Darkness Element, Yulia''s skills in these types of things are truly useful.


    Unlike themon elemental mana arts like wind, water, and fire, Yulia''s darkness element is quite mysterious and without the help of her Darkness Mystic Eye, she wouldn''t have developed a level of mastery in this element.


    Her presence while the Followers of Qheglena are moving, is very important just in case some magicians would recognize Calidia''s group while they are traveling.


    For now, Vincent can only trust Rem and Yulia to bring those people here safely.


    Clink¡­


    Vincent put down the teacup he was holding as he looked in Tara''s direction. Though he can''t see her, he can tell where she is based on her Soul Sense and Item Sense ability.


    He didn''t really have to face the person he was speaking to since he''s blind but he wanted to still do it.


    "Tara, about the disappearance of Qheglena that Calidia mentioned, will it also happen to you and Rem?" Vincent asked.


    He did his best not to show his emotion as he didn''t want to burden her as well.


    It took a few seconds before Tara answered.


    "Yes."


    Her voice sounded calm but there seems to be a hint of worry and helplessness included in it.


    "I see¡­ In any case, my current modified potions right now could only give you a small percentage of your recovery rate. I still haven''t found any potion that might hasten your recovery. Are you considering Calidia''s method to recover your power as well? It appears that they have a very effective method."


    "No¡­ Your method is just fine. It''s also pure and felt a lot better. You should just think of a way to recover your eyesight."


    "Ah, that''s true¡­ I still haven''t found any clue but I think I''m getting closer to it." Vincent said with confidence.

 Chapter 184 Benefits

    The Followers of Qheglena arrived at the Ster Residence safely under Rem and Yulia''s protection.


    They also didn''t gather much attention since Vincent had given them hooded shawls that can be used to hide their presence. It is a level lower than what he had given to Tara and the others but it certainly has decent effects.


    It doesn''t have a stealth mode or invisibility effect but it can simply avoid people from standing out with a weak anti-tracking skill.


    [ Defiance Hooded Shawl ]


    [ Quality: Unique ]


    [ Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 90/90


    Description: A fleece, magic-resistant cloak that protects the wearer from most tracking or detection skills. It is created from the wools of Demon-Eyed Goat and other alchemical products.


    Remarks: It has a very low chance to increase its quality. ]


    [ Skills:


    Weak Presence: In exchange for 10 units of mana, the skill can help the wearer weaken their existence. Effective for 15 minutes.


    Slightly Untraceable: In exchange for 13 units of mana, the skill can cover the wearer with a barrier to block any tracking skills. Effective for 5 minutes. ]


    As the remark says, it has a very low chance of improving its quality. Well, it was already quite impressive to reach the Unique Rank since it was only an umon rank when he acquired these items.


    The batch of shawls were items that Rem bought for him. It was just being sold for 20 gold coins a piece so she decided to purchase 30 of them at once.


    She did this since, during that time, he was so frustrated about being blind and wanted to just spend his days in his room grinding his skill levels. He ordered Rem, Tara, and even Yulia to purchase a bunch of magic tools expensive or inexpensive and this item is one of those.


    Of course, with his System''s Feature called Enhancement Erasure, he could simply remove all the enhancements in his selected item and continue grinding.


    That way, a single item can allow him to grind experience for his Enhancement Skill.


    However, that wouldn''t be practical since enhancing numerous items might be more helpful in the future like what is happening right now.


    With the sudden increase of people within his residence, the magic items in his Obsidian Treasure Box might finally find their owners. Furthermore, handing them out once they did something for the benefit of the group might also increase the loyalty of these people to him or to his Ster Residence.


    Anyway, he had also discovered that an item has its own limit as well.


    This allowed him to understand why he couldn''t Ascend or Enhance the items sometimes no matter how much energy he spent.


    Perhaps, Unique or Epic Rank is already the limit of the materials used to create them?


    For example, the Steel Spoon can only reach a Rare Rank based on his observation and he would always fail if he tried ascending them. Nevertheless, if he continued ascending it 20 more times, he would get this remark saying that ''It has a very low chance to increase its quality.''<sub> </sub>


    Vincent can only think of one method to break its limitation¡­ and that is the Transcending Skill that he hasn''t gotten yet.


    "Sir Vincent, I''ve finished setting up the barrier. Since there is already a formation arranged by Lady Yulia, I''ve just amplified it using my gift and added a few countermeasures in case it was still broken¡­"


    "Countermeasures?" Vincent repeated after hearing Vel''s report.


    Thetter then exined the node he created within the estate that can attack intruders. He realized that all of Yulia''s formation was focused on defensive ones after all. To be safe, he added an offensive formation and taught Vincent how it works in case necessary.


    "You did all of this just now? You didn''t have to hurry¡­ I''m sure you''re hungry. You can just go to the kitchen and get some food. Since we don''t have maids or chefs here, I can only ask you to get it."


    Vincent said. He knows that these people were skinny after all. He didn''t expect that Vel would actuallyplete the formation in one sitting. He felt bad after hearing what he had just done while he was contemting his ns.


    "Oh~ Don''t worry, Sir Vincent¡­ There''s someone with us who can cook. Celestial Qheglena had praised her once for her skills. I''m sure you''ll be satisfied as well." Vel replied with confidence.


    As he left to make his meal, Vincent went outside and checked the formation that he had just set up.


    After being satisfied with the result of Vel''s work, Vincent felt quite sleepy as he retired to rest.


    Studying and working within the tower is not as simple as it seems after all.


    ***


    Another week had passed as Vincent busied himself with his study and work at the appraisal hall.


    At the moment, he''s no longer that worried about the money he needed to participate in theing auction next week.


    They have actually created a store where they could sell various products!


    The store is just connected to their residence so there was no issue about finding another plot ofnd.


    Then, they decided to name it Beacon Magic Shop after Severin identally created a candle that would burn almost endlessly during one of his experiments.


    After enhancing it to Epic Rank, a single candle can burn for a year before it runs out. Well, as long as they supply it with ''fuel'', it wouldn''t technically burn out so it could continuously burn until they decided to put out the fire.


    Right now, they are selling two products that Severin and three other Followers of Qheglena had coborated to make.


    One of them is a Creeper Leash and the other is Scented Wisteria Powder.


    "I can''t believe that these two products would be very popr here¡­" Vincent muttered after appraising the two items.


    He previously thought that only items like Tier 3 Pills, Mid-Grade Potion, or Epic Items could attract customers in thisrge city.


    He didn''t expect that a leash that can restrict a few Savage Beasts and powder that could tame or attract them would be so popr!

 Chapter 185 Progress

    [ Creeper Leash ]


    [ Quality: Unique ]


    [ Number of Enhancements: 5/10


    <o>,m Durability: 105/105</o>


    Bind: 45


    Swift: 25


    Description: A purple leash mainly made of a mysterious creeper vine strengthened by various alchemical products. It has a strong binding ability against flying beasts and could extend up to 5 times its current length.


    Remarks: Bind and Swift attribute found. All attributes including durability will increase in every enhancement.]


    This is the appraisal result of the item.


    Of course, not all products that are being sold have been enhanced by Vincent. He would only do a few of them andbel them "special" and increase their price for a bit.


    As expected of a Unique Rank weapon, it could be sold for a price of 30,000 gold coins and the special version is being sold for 50,000 almost twice its original price.


    This wasn''t a bad deal at all since a single leash can capture at least 5 flying beasts before its durability gets to a critical level. As for the price of a living flying beast, it can greatly vary depending on its species, strength, and injury it had sustained during the capture.


    "At this rate, I guess I won''t have to sell any of my Pseudo-Legendary Items¡­" Vincent muttered after calcting what he can earn just from this single product.


    As for the powder, it may not be as expensive as the leash but it can still be sold in a huge number making it more profitable than the leash.


    [ A bottle of Scented Wisteria Powder]


    [ Quality: Tier 2


    Durability: 5


    Number of Enhancement: 5/10


    Description: A bottle containing a 40-gram powder of scented Wisteria and various alchemical products for preservation. It has a strong scent that could attract most winged beasts within 600 meters. Once fed to a flying beast, their hostility can greatly weaken.


    Remarks: Each enhancement can improve the effectiveness of the powder. ]


    This powder can be sold for only 3,000 gold coins each. It wasn''t costly but it''s needed for their leash to be even more effective. It''s also a perfect food supply for the beasts so they can tame them a lot easier.


    In short, a single Creeper Leash would always have 10 or more Scented Wisteria Powder included when they purchase.


    After they reached an ie of almost 5 million gold coins in just a week, they decided to change their mode of payment to Mana Crystals instead so the inventory became a lot easier.


    "Hirtia, Rufia, you guys can take a rest¡­ You two have been working hard over the past few days."


    Vincent said to the two hardworking women in the garden. They were both females in their thirties and the main contributor to the two products of their store.


    Hirtia has Mystic Finger that is rted to nt-Type appraisal skill and Rufia''s Mystic Blood can help grow nts, beasts, or insects a lot faster.


    Hirtia''s gift allowed her to create perfect nts to be made for alchemy while Rufia''s blood, would be used to force the nt''s growth.


    Vincent wasn''t exactly sure but it appears that Hirtia can also modify the growing nts to some extent using her mystic finger.<sub> </sub>


    It was such a fascinating skill and it was a pity that she only started exploring her abilities since she was always worried about her safety in thest few months they were hiding.


    The two skinny women looked at Vincent and smiled.


    "Yes, we will take a rest now, Sir Vincent¡­"


    "Great. The Celestials would like to see all of youter on so make sure to rest and take a bath. Make yourself a bit more presentable in front of the Celestial." Vincent said as this is the only way he could think to force them to use the facilities of their residence.


    It appears that after living a very frugal life over the past few years, they couldn''t easily change their habit of saving water and food. Well, even changing clothes or taking a bath has been quite rare for them unless Vincent forces them to do so.


    It was until he decided to use the Celestials'' names that made them very obedient.


    "We will do so, Sir Vincent. We have received 200 orders of Creeper Leash in the next four days so we are hurrying a bit."


    "I see¡­ Rufia, make sure to drink the Blood Rejuvenation Potions we''ve prepared for you¡­"


    "Of course¡­ Sir Vincent¡­"


    Vincent then nodded at the two before leaving.


    ***


    "Is he really blind?" Hirtia muttered after seeing Vincent leave the garden.


    "Yes! When he brought me to his courtyard, we chatted for quite a while and I confirmed that he was really blind. He wasn''t acting or anything. The Celestials had also confirmed it." Rufia answered with certainty.


    "I see¡­ I guess he has been blind since birth. He was too natural and almost not needing this walking cane."


    "Hmm? Maybe because he''s an Aura Knight¡­ It must be some sort of Aura Skill."


    "Maybe¡­ Oh right, why were you invited to his courtyard? Did he take a liking to you? Kekeke¡­" Hirtia said as she started removing her gardening gloves.


    "What are you talking about? He just asked me about the conversation I heard regarding the war that didn''t seem to have happened."


    "Oh! The thing that you heard during the second phase of your experiment?"


    "That''s right¡­ I''m not sure what was going on but it seems that the war is really happening and we''re just unaware of it."


    "What? Isn''t that scary?" Hirtia shuddered at the thought of a silent war that is happening right now without them knowing about it. What if the Tower lost in the war, won''t they get implicated?


    "Don''t worry too much. We already have two Celestial Beings guiding us. If those weren''t enough to protect us, there is no safe ce left on thisnd."


    "Haa~ That''s true¡­"


    The two of them then finished their work in the garden.


    They briefly went to the front court which is now considered the training ground.


    Hya! Hya! Ha!


    Soon, Rufia and Hirtia saw a group of men practicing martial arts. Their shouts followed by a punch in the air creates a shockwave that disrupts the flow of wind in front court.

 Chapter 186 Training

    "So it''s really a Martial Art, huh¡­" Lar muttered to himself after hearing Yulia''s teachings.


    He''s one of the Followers of Qheglena and has been trying to be stronger through her method of training.


    Because they were underweight and didn''t have good condition in their bodies, their main focus in the first week was to gain some weight and ensure that they do not have any hidden sicknesses in their bodies.


    Aside from having decent meals every day, it was thanks to the various potions and pills that they consumed, that their condition turned a lot better within a week.


    They weren''t wrong to trust these people who are in the same residence as the Celestial Beings.


    He wasn''t exactly sure about the hierarchy within this residence but he can tell that Yulia and Severin handle almost every internal matter of the residence while Vincent would always go to the First Tower for some external matters.


    It was quite weird that a blind person is in charge of that but he won''tin.


    Right now, on the eighth day after entering the Ster Residence, five people including him were selected for special training since they have a talent in Martial Arts.


    Well, the 16 original members of their group weren''t all fighters, and to be honest, he thought that he has no skills inbat as well. However, during Yulia''s screening process, it appears that he actually has talent in learning Martial Techniques rather than Mana Arts or Soul Arts.


    Together with the other four, they were brought to the training ground at the front court and were about to receive proper training.


    The veiled beauty revealed her intention to teach them three Martial Techniques suited for their level of talent.


    "These Martial Techniques were suited for Magic Knights..." Yulia revealed.


    "What? Magic Knights? Can we really learn them Lady Yulia?"


    Lar asked in disbelief. As far as he knows, techniques used by Magic Knight were not only difficult to learn but also require a cultivation technique.


    Furthermore, the matter of sharing the techniques with them is already unbelievable. The only thing they did within the estate was to help with the renovation after all!


    They don''t think that they already deserve to receive such a reward!


    "Don''t think too much of it¡­ It''s for the sake of Celestial Beings as well. Although they are strong, the Tower might''ve found their weakness already. If not, how could they kill the other Celestial Beings?"


    Yulia solemnly said.


    "T-this¡­ Is it possible that Celestial Qheglena also fell to their hands?" One of them asked.


    "I don''t think so¡­ If she was really Number 12, there''s no way she can be captured by those magicians. If I''m not wrong, they can only kill Unnumbered Celestials, right?"


    "That''s correct!"


    "Then Qheglena most likely encountered another Celestial at her level so she had to leave you guys. Anyway, I will teach you these techniques so you can at least be useful for the two Celestial living in his residence¡­"


    "Yes, Lady Yulia! We will do our best!"


    "Good! You only have to reach the Beginner Stage of these techniques then I''ll teach you the cultivation method you needed to advance further as a Magic Knight." Yulia announced as she started teaching them three Martial Techniques.<sub> </sub>


    They were Deadly Seven Fists, Flying Swallow, Armor Breaking Kick.


    The techniques were all martial skills that doesn''t require any weapons. It''s not because Yulia is tactless about this matter but it was simply because of the gifts that these people have obtained.


    They weren''t gifts that can allow them to be strong magicians or craftsmen, instead, it was a gift that only focuses on strengthening their bodies!


    It appears that they have all obtained some of the physical attributes of a Celestial Being!


    They weren''t like Vel who can create Formation Arts with his gifts or Caesus with incredible analytic skills and perception but they have physique even better than Barbarians!


    It was just unfortunate that it hasn''t developed really well because of their terrible conditions while running away from the Fifteenth Tower''s pursuers.


    The Deadly Seven Fist allows you to attack continuously while hitting the vital parts of the opponents. It focuses on speed and also helps them develop a proper stance.


    The Flying Swallow is an attack where you support the weight of your body with your hands and kick with both elevated legs to attack¡­ This seems a bit unconventional but it could also train their bodies while practicing this technique.


    Finally, the Armor Breaking Kick appears to be a simple tornado kick but once they learned the cultivation method of the Magic Knights, they would be able to use their Life Force with each of their attacks and create incredible results.


    Lar and the other four did their best to understand the three Martial Techniques as their respect for Yulia increased by another level.


    "For the Celestials!"


    The five of them shouted in unison after Yulia left to allow them to train on their own.


    They continued training until they were exhausted and had to be dragged by their fellow Followers of Qheglena.


    Within the dining hall, the 16 members of their group were eating a sumptuous meal.


    Some of them can''t even believe that the appetizing seafood is really on their tes!


    Apparently, thisvish meal is not something that normal people can enjoy since seafood was all costly!


    They were having shark fin boiled in white wine with chilled oysters. There were also shrimp and other seafood on the side. There was even fruit-based wine for them to drink.


    Soon, the reason for having thisvish meal was revealed by Calidia.


    As they started tasting their food, she stood up in front of everyone and attracted their attention.


    "Ehem¡­"


    Calidia looked at her friends whom she treated as her family. They were already on the right track as their bodies started getting weight and their previous unhealthy and feeble stature was no more.


    Their eyes were filled with hope as they all looked in her direction.


    "Everyone¡­ Sir Vincent wanted to thank us for our efforts¡­ Specifically to Miss Rufia and Hirtia who had helped us earn a lot of money. He said that aside from this meal, he will be granting all of us some top-quality weapons so he wanted to ask you all what kind of weapon or equipment you wanted to have."

 Chapter 187 Coins

    "Vincent, I heard that your job at the Appraisal Hall is doing well¡­ You even gained a nickname¡­ Was it the Sightless Evaluator?" Professor Levent said with a teasing voice after the two were left within the Arcane Mysteries Lecture Hall.


    "Ugh¡­ I didn''t even know that. I was just too immense with my Appraisals. That''s all. Haha¡­" Vincent awkwardlyughed after hearing the Professor''s Voice within his mind.


    Up until now, he was still unaware of where she is because of his limited senses¡­ However, the professor has finally decided to stand closer to him!


    Based on his Soul Sense and Item Sense, she should be a head taller than him. He could only tell this because he ''sensed'' that her hair ribbon is actually a Magic Tool.


    It was a pity that he still can''t see this woman with an angelic voice so he couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Hmm? What''s with the long sigh? Do you have some problems you want to tell? Although I''m only your Professor, I can still help you if you have some difficulties." Professor Levent said.


    Most of her students have disabilities after all. So she''s already used to helping them or giving them some advice if they needed someone to talk to.


    Vincent hesitated for a moment unsure how to answer her. However, since this opportunity came, he needed to make use of it.


    "Professor, I''m actually in need of money¡­ tinum Coins to be exact. Do you have an idea of any method where I could earn them?"


    Vincent asked. The tinum Coins that he is trying to earn are not for the Nexus Auction House. The Auction House only epts Mana Crystals as their currency after all.


    The tinum Coins are apparently for the Celestial Beings.


    It must be remembered that the origin of the tinum Coin was rumored to be from the home of the Celestials. It was rumored that it was the money they were using with their internal transactions¡­


    Of course, Vincent learned about it and asked the two Celestials following him. As expected, the rumors are actually true and he learned how he could use these tinum Coins.


    However, before he could use it, he obviously needed to own them first!


    "tinum Coins, huh¡­ It''s not easy to earn them¡­ However, I know of a method to get some. But, what would you use them for?"


    Professor Levent curiously asked.


    Vincent''s face lit up after hearing that she truly has a method to obtain tinum Coins. The only reason he decided to ask him about this is the rumor he recently heard within the Appraisal Hall.


    The rumor says that she''s actually one of the richest people here within the tower.


    Most of her earnings didn''te from her job as a Professor but as a pioneer explorer of dungeons!


    The dungeons were unlike the Celestial Beings or the Demihumans that have arrived on this world. Based on what he learned in this ss, the Dungeons were originally from this world and it seems to have a connection with the ancient civilization of magicians that have disappeared in this world. It would exin the existence of most of the Magic Artifacts that can no longer be recreated.


    That''s right, their Arcane Mysteries ss touched this subject as he learned about the rich history of this world.


    Anyway, it appears that Professor Levent made several sessful explorations that allowed her to be what she is now.<sub> </sub>


    "I''m nning to use it to get closer to a Celestial Being." Vincent answered.


    "Huh? Do you think that would be easy? Where would you even find them?"


    "I''ll worry about it once I have the coins, Professor."


    "That''s¡­ Ah. Anyway, I don''t think that would be easy. As you know, the tinum Coins are connected to the Celestials. The rumor about it being used by them is most likely true. However, after the Second Rapture, the value of tinum Coins greatly lessened. Most of them weren''t using it anymore so it starteding into our hands."


    "It''s fine¡­ I might be able to find a Celestial that has a use for them¡­" Vincent answered.


    He also realized that although Professor Turhan informed her about his identity, the man did not tell her about the two Celestial Beings following him.


    Well, that should probably be for the best to avoid unnecessary troubles.


    "Hmm¡­ Very well, I already thought of a method that you can do. You''re an Appraiser, right? Furthermore, Professor Turhan informed me that you have incredible skills in modifying or strengthening potions¡­"


    ''Oh? Professor Turhan said that? It was probably something he learned from the Zemin n.'' Vincent mused.


    "Yeah¡­ I''m confident in my skills." Vincent answered. His voice was filled with confidence as he was trying to sell himself. He can''t appearcking now.


    "Oh? Even if you''re now blind?"


    "Yes¡­ As long as you give me some time, I''m confident that I can do it." Vincent replied.


    After thinking for a moment, he immediately added, "Of course, I can''t do this on a whim as well. I needed time to study it and I can''t do this repeatedly."


    Well, he tried making his skill appear to be a technique reliable but can''t be used as he wishes but he''s unsure whether it seeded. Anyway, this should''ve given a hint to Professor Levent already.


    "Alright then¡­ I was previously thinking of sending you to the Fifteenth Tower since they require a skillful appraiser that focuses on determining durabilities and hidden effects¡­ I guess I should just make you work for me¡­ I do have tinum coins as well after all."


    Vincent was stunned after hearing her previous ns.


    It was good that he didn''t have to be sent to the Fifteenth Tower. Although he thinks that there would not be any problem once he worked at that tower, the fact that they were doing inhumane experiments there, might affect his mind and he might do something stupid.


    It''s better to avoid that ce for now until he gets his eyesight back and gets stronger.


    "Thank you, Professor Levent. Please tell me what I should do."


    "Follow me¡­ It''s within my chamber." Levent said as she escorted Vincent to her personal area within the First Tower.

 Chapter 188 Reappearance

    Vincent realized that the tower has a maze-like structure after arriving at Professor Levent''s room.


    ''It''s cold¡­''


    Vincent thought after entering.


    Since he has limited senses right now, he couldn''t tell howrge this room was but based on the echoing sound of their footsteps, he can guess that this ce is quite huge.


    "Come here¡­ I''m currently developing a liquid designed to melt a special type of metal¡­ I do have a couple of bottles with me that I want you to modify and improve. I''m sure this thing is still considered a potion, right?"


    Professor Levent said as she guided him to her workbench.


    ''Hydrochloric acid?'' Vincent mused after hearing the Professor''s exnation. As far as he knows, that type of acid can eat through metal.


    Vincent felt curious about this liquid.


    As soon as she handed over a test tube containing about 20 ml of this liquid, he immediately appraised the item to see what it is all about.


    [ A Vial of Metal-Melting Liquid ]


    [ Quality: Mid-Grade


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Metal Corruption: 320


    Description: Not for consumption. It has strong effects when used against low-ranked metal. Effects will be greatly diminished when used against mid-ranked and high-ranked metal.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effects of the liquid. ]


    "Three hundred twenty? That''s pretty high¡­" Vincent muttered after seeing the result of the appraisal.


    "Hmm?"


    "Ah¡­ I was just talking to myself. Anyway, this is quite good for lower-rank metals. It will still work to higher ranked metals but you probably will need a lot more than this. What type of metal are you trying to dissolve anyway?"


    Vincent asked as he ced the test tube back into its test tube rack smoothly. He already used his item sense ability so he was able to do it easily. Surprisingly, he realized that within this room, his Item Sense was able to show its full might within the room. He was no longer just limited to a three-meter radius!


    Though his Soul Sense was still weakened, his system skills work perfectly fine now.


    Professor Levent hesitated for a moment not sure how to answer Vincent.


    He noticed this as well so he immediately added.


    "You don''t have to tell me if it''s a secret. I just want to know the type or level of metal we''re trying to dissolve so I can make proper adjustments."


    "No¡­ It''s not that I don''t want to tell you, it''s just that I don''t know what type of metal it is. I can only suggest that you make it the strongest metal-melting liquid." Professor Levent said awkwardly.


    However, Vincent was already frozen in his spot.


    As soon as he used his Item Sense ability to wander around Levent''s room, he managed to pick up a very familiar item in the corner of her room. It doesn''t take a genius to realize what she was trying to melt!


    It took him a while to calm down as he slowly asked the Professor.


    "If you can''t tell me what type of metal it is, can you at least allow me to appraise it? I''m quite confident with my appraisal skills."


    "Hmmm¡­ I don''t think you can appraise this metal¡­ I''ve already asked several Master Appraisers and they could barely find out what type of object it is." She replied.<sub> </sub>


    Those Master Appraisers weren''t just knowledgeable but they also have gifts rted to appraisal. They can even appraise the Legendary Items of the Tower so their talents can never be doubted.


    "You can just try me¡­ I won''t charge you for appraisals anyway." Vincent joked for a moment to lighten the mood.


    "Haa~ Fine¡­ But we have to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to be safe. This item is very important to me after all. Whether you seed with the appraisal or not, you can''t tell anyone about this."


    "I''ll ept that." Vincent didn''t hesitate to agree.


    "Good¡­ Let me just prepare the oath crystal."


    Since Vincent is blind, they can''t possibly use a contract paper that would bind the two of them. Instead, Professor Levent decided to use a Magic Artifact called Oath Crystal to ensure that her secret would remain inside this room.


    Vincent was already familiar with this since he learned of this crystal during the Arcane Mysteries ss when they studied the various kinds of magic artifacts that can be found inside a dungeon.


    Anyway, as soon as the two of thempleted the oath, Levent brought him in front of arge oval-shaped metallic capsule.


    "Is this the thing you wanted to melt?" Vincent asked.


    "Well, I only n to at least open a hole on it to peek inside."


    "Do you have an idea what''s inside, Professor?"


    "I was told by the previous appraisers that it could be a treasure or a curse that could destroy ournd. However, I doubt that it''s something dangerous. Even if it is, I will not open this inside my room. I have a ce in mind where I can be safe once I decided to use the metal-melting liquid."


    Levent answered with confidence.


    "I understand. Can I touch it for a moment to appraise this object?"


    "Of course. I already removed the defensive formation it''s safe to touch now."


    Vincent nodded at this as he put his palm on the metallic capsule that he had already sensed a while ago.


    As soon as the result of the appraisal came out, he couldn''t help but let out a sigh¡­


    "Incredible¡­" He muttered.


    [ Origin Form: Cryogenic Sleep Chamber ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 995/1,000


    Description: A Cryogenic Sleep Chamber that is almost in perfect condition. The world''s mana is supplying it with energy to preserve the being inside.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    "Did you find something about it?" Professor Levent''s eyes lit up after noticing Vincent''s reaction.


    "Ahh¡­ I noticed that you''ve probably used a few bottles of metal-melting liquid on this. Hmmm... I can''t even say that it''s damaged at all. Not even one percent was shaved off of its durability points."


    Vincent answered as he tried to think of what more information he could tell to the Professor.

 Chapter 189 Other Method

    "Oh? So you''re really an expert on durability appraisal¡­" Levent nodded in satisfaction after hearing what Vincent just said.


    "That''s my specialty, I guess."


    "Right¡­ So, do you need more time to appraise it?" Levent asked. She didn''t believe that he would be able toplete his appraisal just by merely touching it for a few seconds.


    Based on her experience with other Master Appraisers, they would need a lot more time than that.


    Vincent paused for a moment before nodding his head. He needed more time to think and he also wanted to explore the room using his Item Sense Ability.


    Levent patiently waited at the side and didn''t feel bored at all.  She has been trying to solve her problem regarding this mettalic capsule for so long now so she didn''t mind waiting for a few more minutes.


    Soon, Vincent''s investigation waspleted. Aside from this cube, all the items within the room are rted to making a very strong metal-melting liquid.


    On the other side of the room, he discovered that there is a secret door that ispletely covered with various formation tes. Perhaps, if the door was not a Magic Artifact, he wouldn''t notice this at all.


    Anyway, Vincent finally spoke.


    "This capsule doesn''t seem to be made of our current Magic Technology. I can only think that this is a Lost Magic Artifact since the Knowledge Base Crystal doesn''t include any information about it. The closest one we could use as a reference was the information we have about the Ice Golem Dungeon where the explorers found a coffin-like object made of unknown minerals. It contained a terrible poison slime¡­ No wonder the other appraisers suggested that this might contain a curse that could destroy ournd¡­"


    Vincent said after some consideration.


    What he just said is something he read in the Knowledge Base Crystal and most likely, Levent already knows this as well.


    He then added, "Aside from that, I can at least tell that this object probably contains a form of life simr to the coffin found in the dungeon. We should be very careful handling this."


    "Yes¡­ However, I still need to open this thing. Think of it as my wish before I leave this world."


    "Huh?"


    "Haha¡­ It''s not like I''m dying¡­ I just want to say that as long as I''m alive, I won''t stop trying to break this thing open."


    "Whew~ My heart skipped a beat just now. Please don''t make me nervous again, Professor."


    "Haha¡­ So, what do you think?  Can you develop a strong metal-melting liquid or perhaps, you have a better suggestion after appraising it?"


    She asked.


    "Before that, can you tell me what are the things that you did when you tried opening this thing?"


    "Of course¡­"


    Professor Levent then listed all the things she did before she resorted to using the liquid as her final option.


    The strange thing about this is that Levent already did the same thing he used to open Tara''s Sleep Chamber!


    This is what''s confusing Vincent right now.


    Previously, Vincent only pressed the indented buttons that could barely be seen before it suddenly opened and revealed the naked figure of Number 999 Celestial.<sub> </sub>


    For some reason, it didn''t work for her and confused him for a moment. He also tried doing it again but unsurprisingly, it didn''t work!


    ''What''s going on? Does it have a different method of opening? But, Professor Levent already tried almost all possible methods. Perhaps the one inside is already dead? No¡ªThe appraisal notice said that the chamber is still using some energy to preserve the being inside.''


    Vincent sighed as he will probably need Tara and Rem''s opinion about this matter.


    ''It''s not like I need to hurry to open this up.''


    After reaching this thought, Vincent informed Levent about his ns. He needed to return first and think about what he should do.


    "Do you need a sample of this liquid?" She asked.


    "There is no need. That''s quite dangerous as well. It''s better if that thing stays here."


    "Oh¡­ That''s true¡­ Very well. You can take your time until you figure things out. Even if we can''t open this thing with your modifications in the potion. I will still pay you. Of course, if we seeded, you can look forward to the reward I''ll give you."


    "Thank you for this opportunity, Professor Levent. You won''t regret hiring me." He confidently replied as they left the room.


    Vincent then returned to the estate using a carriage they have recently bought.


    The coachman isn''t anyone else but Vel from the Followers of Qheglena. This person who specializes in Formation Arts volunteered to work as Vincent''s driver so Rem would no longer have to wait for him.


    Anyway, Vincent already provided the man with a few pieces of equipment to ensure that his identity and aura would bepletely different to avoid being found out by any magicians from the Fifteenth Tower.


    They have safely returned to the Ster Residence as Vincent immediately went to find Tara.


    "Tara? She left just a moment ago to find search the surrounding area outside the city." Rem answered after Vincent tried to look for Tara.


    "Outside the city? Is it not dangerous outside?"


    "It''s probably dangerous. However, it''s also important to know what kind of danger are we wary of." Rem answered. She''s not worried about Tara leaving the city as she continued wiping her sword clean.


    Although they learned about the matters regarding the Celestial Incarnation Project, they also found out that not all the Towers are participating in this project.


    After the 16 people consolidated all the information they overheard, they realized that aside from the top brass of the ck Tower Organization and the researchers of the 15th Tower, no one knows that they have been conducting inhumane research on Celestial Beings and Demihumans at all.


    In short, they don''t have to worry that much if they encounter the other members of the ck Tower.


    "Very well¡­ Rem, you can probably answer my question as well. It''s regarding the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber of your race. Do you know how to open it? I was able to open Tara''s chamber but I can''t seem to do it with another one¡­"


    As soon as Rem heard that Vincent encountered another Cryogenic Sleep Chamber, her interest immediately grew as she nodded her head.


    "Oh~ It''s quite tricky to open it¡­ Tara was probably already in a semi-conscious state when you woke her up."


    "Semi-conscious state? Wait¡­" Vincent said as he realized something.


    "Yes, it means that she can decide whether to open it or not." Rem said with a teasing smile on her face.

 Chapter 190 Auction Preparation

    Vincent wryly smiled after realizing this.


    Well, he already heard from his grandfather and the town chief that they have tried everything they can do to open it up.


    It was indeed quite surprising that he managed to open the chamber by just pressing a few buttons¡­ unless, Tara permitted him to open the Sleep Chamber.


    Then, that wouldpletely make sense.


    "I know a method to force it open. But it could be very dangerous in case the one inside is not friendly¡­ Who knows, it might even be a Celestial Beast¡ªI mean, Demihuman, inside."


    Rem added. The name Celestial Beast or Demihuman wasn''t given by them after all¡­ So whatever Vincent calls them, Rem and Tara would refer them with such.


    "It''s possible that a Demihuman was there?" Vincent asked in shock.


    "Yes¡­ There is a chance. If you''re willing to take a risk, I can teach you a way to open it." Rem answered.


    Vincent thought for a moment before he agreed. Anyway, Professor Levent has already made preparations just in case what''s inside is something ominous.


    "Tell me¡­ I will try to open it after the auction¡­"


    "Very well¡­"


    Rem then passed the other method to open the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber. It was surprisingly easy for Vincent¡­


    "I only have to attack it using my Celestial Weapon?"


    "Yes¡­ Once you did that, the one inside will be informed of the attack you made. Not any attack can trigger that effect. It muste from a weaponparable to the chamber itself."


    Vincent nodded repeatedly as he made sure to remember this. His Astral Night Dagger can indeed be consideredparable to the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber.


    ***


    On the next day, Tara returned with several stones that seems like Beast Cores in her bag.


    She had basically mapped out the surrounding area, especially the deste ins in front of their estate. It was about 400 meters away from the Tower''s area of protection.


    To everyone''s surprise, she had discovered that a specific type of Savage Beasts is living there. It was a type of rock worm and Vincent guessed that it was most likely a worm golem¡­ No wonder there wasn''t anyone going around that area.


    ''Hmm¡­ Is it really a golem?'' Vincent mused.


    As far as he knows, golems only appear in dungeons so he doubted it at first.


    ''I was told that there''s no dungeon nearby¡­''


    "Tara, can I take the beast cores? I have already made a set of potions you can drink. They''re all at the table." Vincent said.


    "Take it¡­" Tara said as she handed over her bag and took the five +9 potions from Vincent.


    Without any more words, Vincent appraised the cores of the worms that Tara had taken from them.


    [ Earth Energy Stone ]


    [ Quality: Umon


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10<sub> </sub>


    Durability: 8/8


    Earth: 20


    Description: A special stone that can increase the Earth Attribute of any suitable Magic Artifact. Depending on the targeted Artifacts, it can either strengthen or weaken their Earth Resistance or Earth-Rted Ability. This stone contains important nutrients that Magic Beasts needed.


    Remarks: Earth Attribute found. Every enhancement will increase the attributes of the item. ]


    "Huh?"


    Vincent was confused. This appraisal result seems very familiar to him.


    ''Right¡­ It''s somehow simr to the items traded by the Red Alliance¡­ I thought this was something that can only be mined in certain areas. Howe it appeared here?''


    Indeed, Vincent had previously appraised hundreds of elemental stones. It''s an item used by Magic Craftsmen to put an attribute on their creations.


    It was simr to the items in his inventory. The Critical Stones, Pierce Stones, and Sharpness Stone.


    They were items that can be used to add the attribute of his selected item.


    The only problem about this is that he hasn''t activated the system feature to utilize them yet. As expected of his system, he was being rewarded with some things that will only be useful in the future like a teaser or some sort.


    "I guess we can sell these things for money as well¡­ There are over 50 of them here¡­ Call Yasin here for me." Vincent ordered Calidia who has been observing them up until now.


    Yasin isn''t part of the experimental project of the tower but is one of the ten people who had also received help from Qheglena. He''s a low-ranking member of the Hunter Organization and is loyal to Qheglena or Celestial Beings who has the same vision as her¡­ a Celestial who protects the weak and abhors the evil.


    Anyway, this man and the other nine were the eyes of Calidia''s group when they can''t move freely. Vincent approved of this as he decided to make them their informants that mainly focus on the movement of the ck Tower''s Emblems.


    With that in mind, they certainly have a trusted channel to sell these Earth Energy Stone so he decided to contact him.


    ***


    Calidia left the estate and immediately used the signal they have previously arranged to call for Yasin¡­


    She entered an old tavern with barely any customers and sat at a table for two people.


    It didn''t take long before a hooded man appeared and sat in front of her. Just like her, all the members of their group wore the same dark shawl on their bodies.


    Calidia nced at the man and confirmed that it was Yasin. Because of these hooded shawls that Vincent had distributed to them, she''s been having a hard time recognizing people. She didn''t have this problem before until Vincent showed them such a huge number of precious magic tools.


    She grunted and was about to speak¡­


    "Before you give me another mission. Please tell Sir Vincent that there would be some troublesome people who will be participating in the auction this time, a million Mana Crystals may not even be enough if he wanted to purchase the top 5 items to be sold."


    Yasin said with his deep voice.


    "Really? Who will be participating?" Calidia asked with interest.


    However, Yasin didn''t immediately answer as the drinks and snacks they ordered were brought by a waiter.


    As soon as the waiter left, he replied.


    "He probably wouldn''t know these people since most of them are from very far Towers¡­ Anyway, the most influential among them was the Tier 5 Alchemist. Her name is Faviona.  She will be together with the 27th Tower''s Chief Artificer named Damar¡­ With those two people, Sir Vincent must at least prepare itemsparable to Pseudo-Legendary rank. There might be a chance that the top 5 items would request a trade of simr level instead of mana crystals."

 Chapter 191 Auction ( 1 )

    "What? Isn''t that too difficult?" Calidia felt dismayed at this. She felt that there was no way for Vincent to pull out a Pseudo-Legendary Item or something simr after all. They were already lucky to earn so much money from the two products of their Beacon Magic Shop.


    Furthermore, Vincent had also provided them with a magic item of their wish. He must''ve spent a lot of them just to give them decent equipment.


    After using her own appraisal skill, she also realized that all of the items he provided are at Unique-Rank! Aside from that, if it''spared to other Unique-Rank that she knows, they were still at the top-tier probablyparable to the lowest kind of Epic Items.


    "It''s really difficult so we should inform him already¡­" Yasin helplessly said. He''s also aware of how difficult it would be to win the top items now.


    If they only need to look for Epic Rank items, they can still go to the ck market and find some decent amount of them that they could purchase. However, Pseudo-Legendary item is extremely difficult to find.


    Its value might even be greater than the rejuvenation pill or magus essence potion. As for it being equal to Celestial Weapon, it would really depend on the imbued skills it has and the celestial weapon''s current condition.


    If the Celestial Weapon to be auctioned is in very good condition, there might be people who would trade their two or three Pseudo-Legendary Items for that.


    "I guess we really can''t underestimate the allure of the Celestial Weapon, huh? But if it''s really that valuable, isn''t it weird that there weren''t many members of the Tower participating in the auction?"


    "Hmph¡­ The Tower has its own storage of Celestial Weapons. The ones that will probably be sold in the auction house are the lowest quality out there. So the top officials of the Tower who canpete with the few business tycoons of this country won''t be interested in it." Yasin exined as he finished drinking his ss of beer.


    "I understand¡­ I will inform Sir Vincent so he can be ready for the Auction. He may not be able topete with the Celestial Weapon or the top 5 items on the list, but he might have a chance to get a few inexpensive ones that don''t require a trade or something¡­"


    "Alright¡­ Now, tell me what mission you have this time¡­" Yasin said as he nced at the small pouch tied on Calidia''s waist.


    It contains a sample of the Earth Energy Stone that Vincent was nning to sell immediately.


    ***


    Finally, the day of the Auction arrived as Vincent went to the Nexus Auction House with Rem and Yasin as his guide.


    The matter regarding the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber is not urgent so Vincent could dy it indefinitely. Professor Levent has had that item for years already so waiting for a few more weeks shouldn''t be a problem.


    Their group arrived at the twenty-third balcony where six people could fit but they decided to rent the whole area so they could have all the space for them.


    This is not the best seat in the auction house as there are a few VIP rooms on the third level while the first level is for general admission where you only need to pay a thousand gold coins.


    For this seat, Vincent had to show his identity card to confirm that he''s a student of the First Tower aside from paying 60 Mana Crystals.


    There are about 300 people participating in today''s auction so thepetition,ter on, might be fierce.<sub> </sub>


    It''s a good thing that Yasin had informed Vincent beforehand about the ns of the seller to make trades instead of selling it for mana crystals.


    "Rem¡­ Can you tell whether there are other Celestials here?" Vincent casually asked while they are waiting for the auction to start.


    "Yes¡­ I saw five of them already."


    "Eh? So many?" Vincent and Yasin were shocked. None of them noticed any Celestials at all.


    "Huh? Over thest few weeks that we''ve been here in the city, I probably encountered two dozens of them already. However, they seem to have adapted well to the identities they made for themselves, so I didn''t bring this matter up."


    Rem said matter of factly.


    Vincent could only smile at this as he could also understand her perspective. Anyway, it''s not important right now as an old man in his sixties stood on the stage to start the event.


    "Appraiser Thorn, he''s a Tier 4 or Master Appraiser of the Nexus Auction¡­" Yasin informed the two.


    He''s actually feeling nervous right now since beside him is a living Celestial that he could only previously read in some ancient books. This is someone rted to Qheglena, the goddess he''s worshipping¡­


    Yasin nced a bit at Rem. Her aura, her scent, her voice, and her figure, he is trying to imprint all of them in his brain¡­


    "There will be a total of 80 items to be auctioned in our 80th-anniversary event. I hope everyone will like this special event that we have prepared for a year¡­ Without further ado, we now bring you the first item to liven up the mood."


    Thorn said as he signaled for the attendants to usher the first item.


    Hearing that the auction will start immediately, many of the people below cheered as they excitedly waited for the first item to be revealed. Normally, the first item is one of the most precious ones to be sold as they wanted to create a prominent impression that wouldst until the end.


    As expected, the Nexus Auction House revealed a very eye-catching item in front of everyone.


    It appears to be arge egg made of amethyst crystal. If seen from different angles, it shines with various colors making it extremely beautiful and expensive in their eyes.


    Unfortunately, not many of them knows what this egg crystal was.


    "This is an egg of a Runic Basilisk! A Magic Beast that lives at the Dreaded Subterrane! A team of Archmages and Arc Knights risked their lives to enter this dungeon and acquired this egg in the process. Once you purchased this item, we can also give you a free service. We will incubate it and hatch this egg in two weeks. If you desire it, we will also give you a ve seal to take control of this infant Magic Beast! The price starts at 3,000 Mana Crystals!"

 Chapter 192 Auction ( 2 )

    Vincent couldn''t help but express his admiration for the team of Archmages and Arch Knights who had taken the egg of the Runic Basilisk on its nest.


    As someone who had attended the ss of Arcane Mysteries over the past few weeks, Vincent learned many things about dungeons including their upants.


    Although most dungeons only have golems and spectral races living in them, there are still a few dungeons with ''living'' creatures inside. One of them is the Dreaded Subterrane Dungeon which is found in the southern region of the ck Tower''s territory.


    Among the many dungeons in thisnd, this subterrane is one of the most profitable yet the most dangerous ces you can explore.


    The bidding immediately heated up as owning a hatchling of a Runic Basilisk isn''t just a symbol of status but a great addition to your security as well.


    Unlike Runic Badger which needs to evolve from a Psychic Badger, the Runic Basilisk inherits the power of its bloodline upon its birth making them intelligent and capable of using mana at a young age.


    "12,500 Mana Crystals! Going once¡­ going twice¡­ sold!" Thorn announced with satisfaction. The price of the item exceeded his expectation.


    After this, he announced that the auction will be continued by someone else. A beautiful and seductivedy in a red dress came up to the stage to rece the old man Thorn.


    She has a paleplexion and is quite taller than average men. Anyway, she''d probably look a lot better if not for her blue ombre hair which is not a good contrast to her dress¡­


    "Really?" Vincent asked after hearing Yasin''s description andment about her.


    Without his vision, he can only listen to Yasin''s description of her appearance. He asked him to do this since it would be a lot easier for him to differentiate the soul aura that he could sense from her.


    Thedy was introduced by Thorn as Velvet¡­ It could be a stage name or her real name, nevertheless, she appears to be an expert in her job.


    "The second item is a Skill Manual containing a rare Tier 4 Mana Art! It''s called Demonic Right-Hand¡­ Unlike the Tier 4 Death Hands which require arge supply of evil spirits to be refined in order to cultivate the art, this Demonic Right-Hand doesn''t need the evil spirits'' refinement and can easily be absorbed once youprehended the first stage of the art! With this right hand, exploring ces like Maidlet Cavern or Fallmond Chasm would be a lot easier¡­ Aside from the boost of strength that it will provide you, any beasts that rely on their fear-inducing skills or even illusions will be nothing but cheap tricks with this hand."


    Velvet introduced the second item as the attendants showed a rolled ancient parchment to everyone. Unlike the most recent skill manuals that are written in a book, this one appears to be very old.


    Anyway, Vincent was still not interested in this item.


    Of course, its value is higher than the Magic Beast''s egg in his opinion but Tier 4 Mana Arts are something he could obtain as long as he has enough honor points within the academy. He can just visit the Mana Arts and Martial Techniques Hall once he gathers enough points and trades it with any Tier 4 Mana Arts within the tower that he could afford.


    Well, that''s one of the reasons why he''s working in the Appraisal Master Hall anyway.


    "Do you want me to bid, Sir Vincent?" Yasin asked. This is also one of his tasks here that''s why Vincent invited him over. He didn''t like calling his bid after all.


    Although they only need to raise their number g, it''s better if someone else does it for him.<sub> </sub>


    "No need. I have an easier method to obtain Tier 4 Mana Arts. Let''s not waste our money on them¡­ Perhaps if there''s a Tier 5 Mana Art to be sold, we have to reconsider. I''m sure Yulia and the others will like that." Vincent said since he''s not really aiming to use it for himself if he buys any Skill Manual above Tier 2 Mana Arts.


    "I understand¡­ There are 80 items on them and aside from the posted items, they also said that there will be surprises in this auction event¡­ Maybe a Tier 5 Mana Art is one of them." Yasin answered.


    They then listened to the bidding war as the price of the Tier 4 Mana Arts reached 7,800 Mana Crystals.


    This is already a lot of money for a tier 4 Mana Arts but it doesn''t seem to be ending just yet.


    "7,900!"


    "8,000! From number 231 again!"


    "Tsk! 8,300! If you bid higher than this I''ll give it to you¡­ but I''ll remember you, Sir." A man raising the number 192 g said calmly. He doesn''t sound threatening but his words are.


    Nevertheless, the old man holding the Number 231 g didn''t seem to have noticed him and just continued his usual bid of increasing a hundred mana crystals.


    "8,400 Mana Crystals!" Velvet said after seeing that the old man raised the g and signaled the increment of a hundred again.


    Just like what the other man said, he no longerpeted with the old man and remained silent in his seat.


    Threatening is the most he can do within the auction house because once he started using force, he would be the one in danger by the security forces of the Nexus Organization which is the owner of the Nexus Auction House.


    Since they could mobilize a group of Archmage and Arch Knights to explore a dangerous dungeon, dealing with a lone Adept Mage inside their territory is certainly a lot easier.


    "Going once¡­ going twice¡­ sold! Congrattions to Number 231! Again, I would just like to remind everyone that you can immediately take the item you''ve won. There is an attendant in every isle that you can ask to guide you andplete the transaction."


    Velvet announced to remind everyone of the safety measures they are implementing to protect their buyers. Apparently, once youpleted the transaction at the inner hall of the auction house, you can easily leave the ce using one of their secret passages depending on the direction you wanted to arrive.


    Of course, this is just an optional thing if the buyers felt threatened.


    Velvet then continued with the third item. Many of the bidders didn''t feel excited about it but Vincent was different.


    A Soul Art meant for a 3-Star Aura Knight like him is being sold! There was no way he would let this opportunity pass!

 Chapter 193 Auction ( 3 )

    The item is also on an old parchment like the other skill manual that was just sold.


    "The next item is one of the famous arts of the Aura Knights¡­ The Soul-Forging Skill Manual! With this skill, crafting magic tools will be a lot easier even for beginner crafters! Don''t underestimate the Aura Knight''s crafting skills, although they are known to have decentbat skills, their crafting arts are also incredible, especially in terms of speed. Soul-Forged weapons may not be that strongpared to the ones created by normal Magic Craftsmen since their requirement to start forging is extremely low, but they can be used for emergency and urgent matters! If you''recking money, crafting magic items using this method will also allow you to earn some easy gold coins!"


    Velvet announced as she tried to make the Soul Forging Skill look very important. Unfortunately, Aura Knights weren''t that popr here. At the very least, within the ck Tower''s territory, Aura Knights weren''t that greatly valued because of their limited potential.


    Once they reached the 3-Star Rank, they would indeed beparable to two or three Arch Knights but fighting against a Grand Knight is still not easy.


    Of course, Aura Knights have their usefulness as well in terms of their upkeep or maintenance. They don''t require Mana Crystals in their cultivation after all.


    Only those Aura Knights that are also cultivating mana as a magician needed these crystals and there weren''t many of them.


    Anyway, Vincent was excited as he hinted Yasin that he was interested in the Skill Manual.


    "Leave it to me, Sir Vincent¡­"


    "Good¡­ Acquire it at all costs."


    With his approval to use their money, Yasin felt confident as he waited for the bidding to start.


    As soon as it was announced that this skill manual was worth 1,200 Mana Crystals, he waited for the others to bid.


    He didn''t want to appear desperate to acquire the item as he observed the reaction of the bidders.


    As expected, the bidders don''t seem serious about this Skill Manual. None of the bidders at the balconies or VIP rooms are participating as they allowed those at the first level to bid.


    However, as soon as there were only two people leftpeting for the Skill Manual, Yasin decided to join and bid 500 Mana Crystals higher than the current bid.


    "4,600 Mana Crystals from Number 56!" Velvet said as she looked at the two previouspeting bidders.


    They both went silent after Yasin joined the bidding as they considered whether to continue fighting for the Soul Arts.


    After a few considerations, they decided to just give up since bidding more would affect their budget.


    There are still a lot of items to be sold anyway. Although Soul-Forging Skill is quite umon to find, it can still appear somewhere else, especially in some old organizations that are nurturing Aura Knights.


    Just like that, Yasin managed to get the item with a single bid at the most crucial time. Adding the fact that they are at the second level, his bid made it a little intimidating to the others as well. Not everyone can just reserve a balcony in the Auction House after all. It means that he has deep pockets that he could spare in case they still tried topete.


    "Great¡­ Call an attendant and bring this money. Complete the transaction now. I want to see  the Skill Manual." Vincent said as Yasin immediately acted.


    The auction is still being continued but the next item didn''t interest Vincent at all.


    The transaction was immediately settled with Yasin''s help as he brought the old parchment to Vincent.


    It is now carefully ced inside a decent ck linen bag making sure it''s protected from being crumpled.


    As soon as Vincent took it out, he felt that the parchment seem to be made of a beast''s skin. He had appraised many of these in the Appraisal Master Hall already and even without using his system skill, his experience still allowed him to recognize whether this parchment is good or bad quality.<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, that''s not important right now.


    He spent a bit of his energy as he activated his Appraisal Skill.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Skill Book: Modified Soul Forging Technique. ]


    [ Skill Book: Modified Soul Forging Technique ]


    [ Quality: Tier 3


    Durability: 19/20


    Description: A durable parchment made of demon-eyed goatskin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn a modified skill called Soul Forging Technique. Because of its modification, this Soul Forging Technique can be used as a prerequisite to learning a skill called Soul Sealing.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    ''Oh? There''s something like this? I''m sure I''ve gotten all the information about this skill book inside the Knowledge Base Crystal, but I''ve never read anything about it being rted to Soul Sealing¡­ Does the auction house knows about this?''


    Vincent mused as he felt curious about the modification made by the creator of the skill. It was a pity that his appraisal skill doesn''t include their creator''s name unlike the Tier 4 Appraisal Arts that he heard about.


    Anyway, he immediately tried to see whether he could use his "Learn" Skill, and luckily, he was able to learn it.


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the skill Modified Soul Forging Technique? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    As soon as he answered, a flood of information came rushing into his head as he endured that dizziness and headache it caused.


    After a few minutes, he managed to calm down and confirmed that he learned the skill.


    There is now an additional skill listed on his Soul Arts when he tried to check his status.


    At this time, another two items were already sold by Velvet.


    The items being sold were all quite valuable but the most important ones hadn''t appeared yet.


    "Our next item for this day is quite special¡­ Just like the previous auctions we''ve held, every tenth item will be something you would look forward to."


    Velvet said as she caught everyone''s attention. She waited for the attendants to bring the veiled item forward. There is even a couple of security personnel guarding the next item and not leaving the stage at all.


    As soon as the veil was removed, what showed in front of everyone was a ss jar filled with slime and two inauspicious eyeballs.

 Chapter 194 Auction ( 4 )

    "The eyes of a Barbarian King! A sought-after alchemical ingredient! Many alchemists are willing to purchase this with their life savings but didn''t have a way to acquire them¡­ As you know, there are three incredible Mystic Eyes that you can cultivate with this ingredient. If an alchemist developed one of these three mystic eyes, their skills with pill or potion making will certainly reach the next level!"


    Velvet said as she roused everyone''s interest in this item.


    She knows that not even twenty people here were aware that the Barbarian King''s eyes can be used to cultivate three Mystic Eyes. However, telling it to them casually that they should know this information already, would surely get their interest.


    Furthermore, these people may also know some high-tier Alchemist so even if they don''t have any use for it, they might consider purchasing this item to resell or gift it to someone.


    Of course, Velvet didn''t include one of the important matters regarding the Alchemists. In truth, many alchemists could only cultivate one Tier 4 or body modifications. Rather than having a good eye, they''d rather get a Tier 4 Art with the ability to control fire which is one of the most crucial things about being an alchemist.


    Nevertheless, a skillful alchemist that can learn two or three Tier 4 Mana Arts might be interested to cultivate another one... although these are rare alchemists. Velvet didn''t need to say all of this to ensure that the value of the Barbarian King''s eyes remain at their peak.


    Just like what she thought, her words were effective as she saw the excitement in everyone''s eyes.


    "The starting price of this item is 1,000 Mana Crystals!"


    This starting value is definitely highpared to other rare alchemy ingredients. However, since the Barbarian King''s Eye is a key ingredient for three types of Mystic Eyes, its value can easily reach 5,000 Mana Crystals.


    "1,100!"


    "3,000! Just give it to me!"


    A man at the first level raised his number g and called for a higher price immediately.


    "3,000! From Number 288! Don''t hesitate, participate!"


    Velvet said after hearing the bid. She knows that this is not the real value of these Eyes yet. As expected the bidding war continued.


    "3,100!"


    "3,500!"


    ¡­


    "5,100"


    "5,800"


    ¡­


    "8,500 Crystals."


    A young man wearing a purple robe decided to bid.


    Everyone immediately recognized that robe. It was from a high-tier Alchemist.


    Within the ck Tower''s territory, unions have appeared as they gathered people with simr professions or hobbies.


    One of them is the Hunter Organization but the most popr would be the Alchemist Union. Just like its name, it''s an organization that gathers many unaffiliated alchemists from various regions.


    In its first emergence, this union was only made to exchange or trade alchemy ingredients with their fellow alchemists. However, as they started growing in numbers, it became a big organization now that has the support of many alchemists.


    ''It seems that even the union that hoards most of the rare alchemical ingredients don''t have this Barbarian King''s Eye as well.''


    This is what most of them thought after seeing the manpete.


    Nevertheless, someone still decided to fight him.


    "8,800 crystals!" It was a bid from the second level.<sub> </sub>


    The alchemist paused for a moment before bidding again, "9,000!"


    Without even waiting for a second, the one on the second level decided to bid again. This time, the young alchemist with long blond hair looks above. He managed to see the bidders but he didn''t recognize any of them.


    It means that they are most likely alchemists in a different region or they aren''t alchemists at all.


    "9,100 crystals! Would anyone give higher than that?"


    "9,200!" The young alchemist tried to bid for thest time.


    Unfortunately, the same bidder on the second level raised the price he just offered without any hesitation.


    "9,500 from Number 56!"


    ¡­


    "Going once, going twice, sold!"


    Velvet announced as she dly epted this amount for the Barbarian King''s Eye. Although this is indeed a very special ingredient, he didn''t expect that it would reach this price. Thankfully, there are alchemists within the crowd and probably in desperate need to acquire this item.


    In the meantime, Vincent felt the murderous intent thrown in his direction.


    "Hmm? It seems that we offended someone." He muttered.


    Well, they are the Number 56 bidders after all. He didn''t know who the young alchemist was but he must''ve really wanted these eyes.


    Yasin didn''t hear what Vincent said. He also didn''t feel the murderous intent that had vanished almost immediately.


    Instead, he was curious about why Vincent made him purchase this pair of Barbarian King''s Eyeballs.


    ''Wait¡­ Is he thinking of removing his eye and putting this one instead?''


    Yasin was stunned by this thought. He heard a lot of things from Calidia and other Followers of Qheglena about the experiments done on their bodies.


    He''s no longer new to the concept of transnt surgery thanks to that.


    As a matter of fact, he had seen many stitches on the bodies of these people as proof of such an experiment.


    There are even a few withpletely different hands attached among them. He can easily discern the difference in the skin and the stitches that marked their bodies forever after all.


    Furthermore, he knows that Vincent is studying at the First Tower, he must''ve learned a method to do such surgeries as well!


    Upon reaching this thought, he couldn''t help but nce at therge eyeballs.


    ''Isn''t it too big for a young man''s eyes?'' He thought.


    He did not consider that Vincent would use this to cultivate one of the three mystic eyes. After all, one requirement to cultivate one is to have eyesight!


    No matter what kind of eye cultivation technique you''re using, its requirement is a working eye. He has to fix his blindness first before he could think of cultivating any Tier 4 Mystic Eyes.


    "Are you curious why I bought this?" Vincent asked as if he can tell what was going on in Yasin''s mind.


    "Ahh¡­ Well, if it''s a secret, you don''t have to tell me. I''m sure that you won''t just waste your money if there''s no purpose for it."


    Vincent smiled at his answer and didn''t reply.

 Chapter 195 Auction ( 5 )

    After acquiring two items. Many people have started to notice their presence. Even if what he acquired weren''t extremely valuable, he still spent a huge amount of money


    Aside from that, there are about 300 people here at the event and only 80 items are being sold. The bidders would unconsciously keep in mind the people who had acquired the most.


    Nevertheless, they have soon forgotten their Number 56 after the auction reached the 40th item and he still did not participate.


    There were precious Epic-Rank and even Pseudo-Legendary Equipment that has appeared but he never joined thepetition at all.


    Yasin, on the other hand, couldn''t help but notice Vincent''s indifference about the items being sold. The man would asionally ask the Celestial Being beside him if she wanted something only for her to shake her head.


    It means that Vincent truly had the money but decided to just watch the items be sold to someone else since the Celestial didn''t want it.


    "Hmm? The second VIP room acquired four items already¡­ This will be the fifth one." Yasinmented as he was taking note of the possiblepetition for the top-tier itemster on.


    The current item being sold is a rare nt that can only be found in a specific dungeon. It feeds with the blood of Savage Beasts and emits hallucinogen spores to protect itself.


    The items like precious seeds, rare nts, and extraordinary fruits are being taken by Number 2. By now, Yasin can already tell who was inside that particr VIP room.


    In addition, although no one can see the people inside, their voices can still be heard. This is why Yasin can tell that the ones in this room were Faviona the Tier 5 Alchemist and Chief Artificer Damar of the 27th Tower.


    These people can be easily recognized since they were considered celebrities because most of their creations arergely seen in the market.


    Whether it was the pills or potions that Faviona made or magic tools created by Damar, they are all sold inrge quantities. Furthermore, anyone who were interested in Faviona knows that she fancies exotic nts.


    "Going¡­ going¡­ gone!" The rare nt was sold to Number 2 for a price of 4,800 Mana Crystals.


    Currently, the auctioneer has been reced as Velvet had also be tired. They even took a break prior to this since everyone needed to recharge as well.


    The one who reced Velvet is another beautiful woman called Magenta. Unlike the seductress Velvet, this woman appears very professional with her poise and manner of speaking.


    She also seems very knowledgeable about the products being sold since a few people started asking questions about the item. She entertained these questions and was willing to answer them.


    Thanks to her skillful actions, the products are being sold beyond her expected price range.


    At the 45th item, the first potion has finally appeared.


    The first half of the auction seems to be focused on Skill Manuals, Alchemy Ingredients, and various types of Magic Weapons.


    Now, a couple of potions have appeared at the same time and there might be pills and other medicinal drugs that will be shownter on.


    "The next item is something that many of you desire¡­ I know for sure that there are bidders here who went to this auction house just to try and purchase this item." Magenta said as she hinted for the two attendants to unveil the two bottles of potions.<sub> </sub>


    "The one on the left is thetest variant of the Mana Upheaval Potion made by Alchemist Weisler himself! He''s the Chief Alchemist of the Fifth Tower and we''re only lucky to acquire a few of his potions afterpleting the task he requested! ording to our Master Appraisers, this potion was 25% more effective than the previous upheaval potion that we know!"


    The addition of 25% is not a small amount at all. This is definitely a potion that many Mana Practitioners would go crazy for.


    Then, everyone shifted their nce at the second potion. It has a different color and appears like blood instead of a potion.


    "The other potion on the right is aplementary medicine to ensure that your body will not be wasting any medicinal effect from the Mana Upheaval Potion! As you may have guessed, it is the Harmonius Potion and was developed for the sole purpose of aiding someone to consume the Mana Upheaval Potion¡­"


    Everyone couldn''t help but be tempted after seeing this. Whether you are a mana practitioner or not, the Mana Upheaval Potion will be able to help you expand your mana source.


    After all, everyone here was exposed to the existence of mana and it''s only a matter of their talent whether they could cultivate it or not.


    Vincent is well aware of the Mana Upheaval Potion since this is the reason why he managed tobine his aura and mana with the help of his system.


    ''Hmmm¡­ I didn''t have Harmonius Potion when I consumed the upheaval potion before. Is that the reason I almost died there?'' Vincent shuddered after thinking about it.


    There was no way his two types of energy will justbine on their own after all. He knows that his system had assisted him somehow to stabilize his body and created the Synthetic Celestial Core that he has now.


    ''I wonder how much this potion will be.'' Vincent mused.


    Soon, Magenta signaled the start of the bid. The initial price was only 500 Mana Crystals for the two potions.


    "1,500!"


    p "3,000!"</anda>


    The bids were increasing incredibly fast and it waster bought for an amount of 10,200 Mana Crystals.


    Nevertheless, Vincent did not participate in this since he realized something after observing the crowd.


    He noticed that although many of them are excited to acquire the potion. Only 20 or so people decided to participate in the bid.


    His doubts were answered as he found out that the Nexus Auction House seem to have several sets of these potions!


    No wonder many of the bidders were not hurrying to purchase the set of Mana Upheaval and Harmonius Potions!


    Unlike him, they have probably received a tip that there will be many sets of these potions to be auctioned off.

 Chapter 196 Auction ( 6 )

    A total of five sets of these potions were sold in session and Vincent managed to get one for a staggering price of 13,000 Mana Crystals.


    ''I should''ve bought the first one¡­'' Vincent couldn''t help but smile in dismay. He can no longer participate in the next auctions using his Mana Crystals. He was only left with a couple of thousand so he can only watch until the ''trading'' started.


    The reason he bought the item was that he knew the effectiveness of the Mana Upheaval Potion. He also knew that he can''t acquire this with honor points in the First Tower.


    The most that he could do is to either enhance this potion and consume it or allow Severin and his team to study this potion in case they could recreate a version of this.


    Apparently, among the 16 Followers of Qheglena, two of them have gifts in alchemy and have been assisting Severin in the creation of products that are being sold in their Beacon Magic Shop.


    "The 50th item is another rare high-grade potion! We only have a single vial of this potion so you only have this one chance to acquire this here. This potion is not something we could recreate, not even Tier 5 Alchemists! So this may be the first andst time you''ll be able to see this potion¡­. This is called Permanent Transformation Potion!"


    Magenta then further exined that this potion can literally change the appearance of someone making thempletely unrecognizable from their previous self. The problem with this potion is that it is irreversible.


    As the name suggests, the appearance that you''ll randomly get will be permanent. The only good thing about this is that your height and gender will still be the same after consuming the potion.


    Additionally, the others who consumed this potion either became good-looking, terrifying, or just average.


    It seems that a set of this potion was found inside a dungeon and the Nexus Organization only acquired two of them after being shared with other explorers. One of them has been consumed and one is now being sold.


    No one doubted the appraisal of the Nexus Auction House as many people became excited. Although there is a side effect that they have to consider, the desperate ones will still grab it.


    The auction then started as the ones in the VIP room finally started getting serious.


    The potion exceeded the amount of 21,000 Mana Crystals.


    "Hmm¡­ I didn''t think it would be that expensive¡­" Vincent initially thought that not many people would want to buy such a suspicious potion.


    After all, if you ended up being a terrifying human, you can probably only live with a mask on your face to avoid being hunted by Hunters in case they thought that you are some kind of a demonic beast.


    ''Oh¡­ Now that I think about it, some hiding criminals might actually want this item¡­''


    Vincent then looked at the VIP rooms understanding their desire to purchase the potion.


    ''Even if it''s not for themselves, those rich criminals might want to purchase this¡­'' Vincent mused as he realized that this potion might end up in the ck market real soon.


    As the auction continued, many more High-Grade Potions and Tier 3 or Tier 4 Pills appeared.


    Of course, the Tier 4 Pills that appeared weren''t as valuable as the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill that many are waiting for.<sub> </sub>


    There are Tier 4 Pills that only require a top-tier Alchemist to be created since their ingredients are quite easy to find.


    On the other hand, some Tier 4 Pills have extremely demanding requirements as most of them don''t just require a top-tier Alchemist but also world-ss ingredients and special grade cauldron or pill furnaces.


    Vincent even learned that some top-tier pills or potions require a specific type of fire or mana cultivation to concoct such medicinal drugs.


    As the auction continued, the 70th item to be auctioned finally arrived.


    "The items we will be disying starting now are onlymissioned to us to be sold here. The owners of these items are also in the VIP Rooms right now. Furthermore, all the next items can no longer be bought by Mana Crystals. These people are requesting a trade of material with equal value or whatever in their mind instead."


    Velvet said as she now stood on the stage wearing a floral dress that is nowplementing her blue ombre hair as per Yasin.


    "What?! A trade?"


    "Tsk¡­ You should''ve told us about this beforehand. How could we prepare now?"


    "That''s right! Does any of you know about this?"


    "What if we didn''t bring any item? Can we still participate? It''s your loss if I can''t join!"


    All the people whoined were those at the first level. Furthermore, there are only about 20 of them who were causing amotion.


    They soon realized that they were the only ones unaware as they could only shake their heads and return to their seats... embarrassed.


    Velvet didn''t even have to bother replying to them as these people could only sit and me themselves for being uninformed.


    "Alright! If you all understand, then we will start with our 70th item! An Interspatial Ring! Although it looks like a simple ring made of red acacia, this is a magical artifact with a small pocket dimension that could fit twenty Bronze Bears inside. With just a mere thought, the wearer can easily store and retrieve the non-living items inside. Yes, as long as it doesn''t have souls, they can be stored so easily!"


    Velvet announced as she looked at everyone''s faces. She was satisfied with their reaction.


    As soon as she said that it could fit twenty Bronze Bears, many of them couldn''t help but gasp. Most of them have only heard about an Interspatial Ring that could fit one or two Bronze Bears inside.


    Having twenty of theserge creatures can probably carry your house at this point.


    Unfortunately, their mana crystals can''t be used anymore and they could only wait for what type of item the seller wanted for this.


    "Ehem¡­ With such a valuable ring, the seller wanted a weapon that could break or cut an adamantine even without the use of mana or aura. It''s important to take note of thest part since the ce it will be used had restrictions. Furthermore, an average person must be able to carry this weapon." Velvet said as she listed what the seller wants in exchange for this interspatial ring.

 Chapter 197 Trade

    No one immediately offered a trade as Velvet expected. She''s even prepared that the item the seller was looking for would not appear here. After all, magic tools or artifacts that can certainly break adamantine require a bit of mana to activate.


    Aura Knights, on the other hand, have Aura Techniques that could possibly cut adamantine with their weapon. Unfortunately, even that wasn''t allowed. What the seller needed is a weapon that anybody can use.


    Then, someone on the balcony at the second level made an offer. It was Number 57 just beside Vincent''s area. This is also the first time this person participated in this event.


    "I have two vials of corrosive liquids that could melt adamantine quite easily."


    Velvet then held themunication crystal and waited for the secretmunication from the seller.


    After a few moments, Velvet shook her head meaning that the offer wasn''t epted. She then exined.


    "It must be a weapon and not consumable items. It seems that this will be used against several golems made of adamantine in a special dungeon. The number of golems was expected to be 20 or so. The user is a Martial Arts Experts and just needed a weapon to deal damage on them¡­"


    Everyone finally understood why they needed such a special weapon.


    Perhaps, a weapon also made of adamantine can be used but that would just be equal to the golems¡­ It could possibly destroy two or three adamantine golems if used skillfully but definitely not effective against twenty of them.


    Nevertheless, a few people in the VIP rooms still made an offer just in case.


    An offer of three precious Adamantine Swords appeared. There''s also an offer of using binding formation arts but was rejected as Mana was obviously not working in that dungeon.


    There were few random offers and the attendants in every aisle near the bidders already started assisting.


    Unfortunately, none of them met the strange requirement of the seller.


    It was until Vincent made his move.


    After checking his Obsidian Treasure Box for a while, he found several weapons that fit the criteria that Velvet mentioned. One of them was a decent sword that he had almost forgotten by now.


    It was the sword given to him by thest member of the Primal Sword Sect''s escorts afterpleting their mission.


    It was the Arcane-Forged Primal Sword.


    It is a decent sword back then but after acquiring his ck mithril sword, he knows that he would no longer have a chance to use this sword even if he regained his eyesight. At most, this sword would just allow him to prove his identity as the sword sect''s ally.


    After thinking for a moment, he decided to just store it again since he still has memories of his friends at that sect.


    Who knows? They might meet again someday.


    With that in mind, he pulled out another weapon that has over 600 points in Sharpness Attributes. Its durability had also exceeded 500 points so it''s definitely a good item.


    It was a knife.


    This knife looks nothing special at all and can be found in the Zemin n''s kitchen. Though it looks darker than the original, everything else looks ordinary. The shape, the weight, and its aura appear very normal.


    It doesn''t look like abat weapon but Vincent is confident that it will pass the criteria.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, it wouldn''t be him who will offer this trade as he handed it to Yasin after telling him the characteristics of this knife.


    Thetter understood what was going on as he immediately raised his g and made his offer to Velvet.


    "I have a weapon here that fits the criteria you''ve mentioned. It can easily cut through adamantine¡­ You can try it using it now to test it¡­ However, I have to remind you that this weapon is weak against magic. It has terrible Magic Resistance so you have to keep it in mind." Yasin said.


    As soon as he made this offer, the people who were still haggling with the attendants on every aisle paused for a moment.


    After all, Yasin did not offer an alternative solution against the golem simr to what they were doing. He truly has a weapon that can cut through adamantine!


    Immediately, a few attendants arrived at their area. They even brought a fist-size ore of adamantine to test the weapon. This only shows that they have truly prepared themselves.


    Soon, they tried cutting the ore with the knife Yasin handed over. To their surprise, the knife truly managed to cut through the adamantine so easily!


    Even Yasin was actually stunned after seeing this. However, as the "owner" of the weapon, he immediately fixed his emotion as he smiled at the attendants who had their mouths wide open.


    "Is that good enough?" He asked.


    "Ahh¡­ Wait for a moment, sir¡­" They then reported their findings to Velvet through amunication crystal.


    Velvet nodded in satisfaction as she quickly announced herself on the stage.


    "There is already a weapon offered that fits the criteria. This weapon managed to easily cut through an adamantine ore without implementing mana arts at all. Is there anybody else that could provide a better weapon? If not, the Interspatial Ring will be given to the person at Number 56¡­"


    As soon as they heard her words, the people who had been trying to provide alternative resolutions like lending their pet, giving more adamantine swords, or even Skill Manual containing Martial Technique to destroy things with bare hands, have all stopped.


    After all, Yasin''s offer fits the criteria of the seller perfectly.


    They can only shake their heads as the precious ring was brought to Number 56 who had be quite familiar to them already. This man has won a few items after all.


    Once the transaction waspleted, the 71st item to be traded was shown. It is a Pseudo-Legendary Trident that has the power of lightning. What''s even more special about this is that it has the ability to even change the weather into a stormy one once a month¡­ The seller wanted an extremely rare herb ingredient for it in exchange for at least three Pseudo-Legendary Equipment.


    Vincent didn''t think of participating in this as he allowed the others to win the trident.


    The auction continued.


    In this part of the auction, only those on the balcony and VIP rooms are offering decent items for trade.


    So far, all of them have been traded sessfully and found their next owner.


    For the 76th item, the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill has finally appeared.


    This time, Vincent can only hope that the item they were looking for is something he could provide.

 Chapter 198 The VIPs

    It appears that luck was on his side.


    The seller of the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill wanted five Epic-Rank essories that could stop mind-controlling abilities like charm skill, hypnosis, or illusion. Furthermore, a couple of Pseudo-Legendary essories that have rted abilities can also be epted as an alternative.


    If it was thetter, the seller promised that he would also concoct Tier 4 Pills for the buyer as long as they provide the ingredients. This promise can be used three times!


    Offering two Pseudo-Legendary was indeed tempting but for it to have a nonbat skill, it would be very difficult to find them.


    It''s easier to find weapons with offensive skills than essories with support skills after all.


    Of course, this isn''t a problem for Vincent who had hundreds of high-level items in his Obsidian Treasure Box.


    He has a couple of items that have reached Pseudo Legendary with simr effects.


    The first one is an amulet that has 135 points in Intelligence Attribute. Vincent already knows that having higher intelligence could also provide natural protection against mind-controlling abilities. This amulet was previously just an Umon Item with 3 points in intelligence and has now be Pseudo-Legendary.


    The other one is a brooch that was previously a rare item with a passive ability called rity Fragrance. With rity Fragrance, most mental attacks like confusion, dizziness, or hypnosis would not be effective. Of course, there is a side effect to this passive skill which is that it would consume the durability of the brooch every time it sessfully negates a mental attack.


    Nevertheless, these two items still won the bid making Vincent or his balcony the center of attention.


    ***


    Inside a VIP room.


    "Who are those people?" A woman in her forties couldn''t help but ask after hearing about thepletion of the 76th transaction.


    She has long white hair and a monocle on her left eye as she looked at Vincent''s group. Her professional aura and white hair can be easily recognized by many people. She''s Faviona and a Tier 5 Alchemist.


    "The young man is a student at the First Tower''s academy. Our records say that his name is Vincent, a blind person. The other man is a low-ranking member of the Hunter Organization. As for the beautiful woman beside them, we aren''t sure. She was probably taken by the two to be used as their stress reliever or something. She doesn''t appear to be a mana practitioner as per our security personnel."


    An old man, who is also one of the managers of the nexus auction house, answered. He can be easily recognized as a manager because of Nexus coat he was wearing.


    He appears to be very respectful to the woman as he answered almost immediately.


    Within the VIP room, there were a total of eight people including Faviona and the old manager. Damar, the Chief Artificer of the 27th Tower is also there. He''s currently inspecting the knife that Vincent had traded with the Interspatial Ring.


    Apparently, he was the one who traded that item with Vincent. He seems very satisfied with the knife as if he found a new toy he could y with.


    He is a bulky bald man in his fifties but has a long ck beard.


    The other five within the room were their security escorts and personal attendants.


    Damar then looked at Faviona who seemed to be interested in Vincent''s group.


    "Are you curious about the weapons they have? This knife and that two Pseudo-Legendary Items were quite interesting, isn''t it? Should we try to find out his secret?"<sub> </sub>


    Damar probed the woman beside him.


    He''s a Magic Artificer already but he was still unable to find the secret of the dark knife. How could such a thin knife be this sharp?


    He tried using his Epic Appraisal ss but it didn''t work well. He could barely get information from it.


    He then called this old manager for help since he supposedly has a high-level appraiser-type Mystic Eyes. Unfortunately, even this old man could only tell that it was extremely sharp and weak against magic as Yasin reminded.


    Regarding itsposition, durability, creator, and attributes, none of them could be found.


    "We can probably ask themter on¡­ I want to inspect the two Pseudo-Legendary essories first." Faviona said as the VIP room''s door opened.


    A couple of attendants carrying the brooch and amulet walked to their side. Although she already received a report from the appraisers of the Auction House. She still wanted to test it.


    Yes, she''s the owner of the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill.


    "Did you give themunication crystal?" She asked one of the attendants as she held the brooch.


    "Yes. He also asked about the name of the Alchemist he should look for, but as you requested, we did not mention your name. I told them I would be the one dealing with their request in case they wanted tomission a Tier 4 Pill."


    "Hmm¡­ I see. But I guess that''s not important anymore, I might need to meet them. I have a strange feeling that their group possesses more high-level items." Faviona muttered as she confirmed the effectiveness of the two essories.


    After wearing the brooch and the amulet, she felt refreshed.


    ''Let''s test it¡­''


    She then pulled out a mirror that could hypnotize the person being reflected.


    She put it in front of her face and as soon as she saw her reflection, she braced for the hypnotism to take effect. However, it did not affect her at all even for a second¡­ This shocked her as she seem to have underestimated the power of the two Pseudo-Legendary esorries.


    p The mirror just looks like a normal one or it appears to have lost its magic.</anda>


    She then pointed it to the servant who was just speaking¡­


    Whom~


    The man''s eyes lost their focus as he stood silently. The Hypnotism took effect.


    Everyone noticed what happened as they looked at Faviona.


    "Hahaha! I told you, we need to meet them. Perhaps, if we paid them enough, they could spill which dungeon they acquired these artifacts." Damar said with augh as he noticed Faviona''s fervent gaze at the two essories.

 Chapter 199 Emergency

    At the reception hall of the Ster Residence.


    Yulia is meeting with three of their informants. They were also Followers of Qheglena and were working outside the residence like Yasin.


    While the 16 experimental subjects of the Tower were hiding in this residence, Yasin and the other nine would normally gather information about the movements of the Tower''s magicians.


    This time, the three of them arrived here in hurry to give an urgent report.


    "A squad of Dragon Riders from the fifteenth tower has recently arrived. There were 14 Yellow Emblem and 1 Blue Emblem among them. We''re suspecting that they''re here to search the city for Calidia and others. What should we do?" One of the three informants asked in a worried tone.


    Although they are also followers of Qheglena, they weren''t the people being chased by the magicians of the fifteenth tower.


    "Haa~"


    Yulia sighed after hearing the report.


    "Just as Sir Vincent thought. They have really found this city to search for them." She said helplessly.


    "Oh? Did Sir Vincent predict this?"


    "Well, he learned in the academy that the ck Tower has an Artifact that could do divination. It was imperfect so it could only roughly provide the location of what they were searching for. Furthermore, it could only be used once or maybe twice a year." Yulia answered as she recalled Vincent''s words.


    This Artifact is located at the 20th Tower. It seems that this Divination Artifact needed many permissions or requirements to be used so even the researchers of the fifteenth tower had a hard time applying for it.


    Anyway, they seem to have finally used this artifact and found their location.


    The Followers of Qheglena weren''t just aimlessly running away after all. They have someone with them that has an innate gift that could cut their tracks and avoid detections. With the addition of Vel''s Formation skills, they won''t be easily followed.


    However, once the Divination Artifact was used, no magic tools, formation, or innate gifts could stop it.


    "Do you think we will be found here?"


    "Probably. I''m sure that they didn''t just send some random magicians. We should expect them to be very skillful and prepared for this."


    "Ugh¡­ That''s true. What should we do then, Lady Yulia?"


    "First, we have to let Vincent know. Send someone to wait for him outside the Auction House. Then, stop following the magicians or those Dragon Riders you''ve mentioned."


    "Eh? Shouldn''t we keep tabs on their movements?"


    "No, there is an Archmage among them. If you guys were captured or found out without your knowledge, they could trace you back here."


    "T-that''s true¡­ We''ll immediately inform everyone."


    "Good¡­ Then, if in case we''re still discovered here¡­ We will have to proceed with Vincent''s n and bait them¡­" Yulia said as she nced at the front courtyard where Lar and the others are still practicing the three Martial Techniques she taught them.


    The three scouts immediately understand as they swiftly moved and informed the others about their ns.


    ***<sub> </sub>


    As this was all happening, Vincent was still busy admiring the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill.


    As expected, this item is worth the price. He wouldn''t even mind giving two more Pseudo-Legendary essories in exchange for this.


    Vincent had seen many pills before. They were Mana Gathering Pills, Power Pills, Brain Enhancement Pill, Body Refinement Pill, Small Healing Pill, and Minor Fasting Pill to name a few.


    These pills ranged from Tier 1 to Tier 3 but their effects weren''t that greatly different. Without Appraisal skills, it''s very difficult to name their tiers since a Tier 3 Fasting Pill may seem just like a Tier 1 Pill if they considered how lethargic this effect was.


    Nevertheless, a Tier 4 Pill like the one in his hands is truly on a different level and no one would doubt that it''s Tier 4 at all.


    [ Rejuvenation Pill ]


    [ Quality: Tier 4


    Durability: 100/100


    Number of Enhancement: 0/10


    Description: A pill made from the essence of Myriad Wisp. It is capable of providing life extension to the user. It can also be used to reconstruct the body to perfect condition or heal any sustained injuries. It has a small chance of giving a youthful appearance to the user.


    Life: 10 years


    Remarks: Enhancement of any medicinal pill will result in an improvement of their medicinal effects. Once consumed, another use of the Rejuvenation Pill using the same essence as the main ingredient will no longer be effective. ]


    ''A pill that could extend life?''


    p Vincent appraised the item a few more times to ensure that he was seeing the notification in his mind clearly.</anda>


    Based on what he knows, the Rejuvenation Pill can rejuvenate the body and restore a youthful appearance. Nevertheless, seeing that it could literally extend 10 years of someone''s life, he couldn''t help but sigh in admiration.


    No wonder so many people were desperate to acquire this pill. Unfortunately for them, the others do not have two Pseudo-Legendary Items that met the criteria made by the seller.


    There was someone who had five Epic Weapons with simr effects but in the end, Vincent was still chosen as the winner.


    Of course, the person who offered his Epic Weapons also received a special letter from the seller. It seems that once the seller made another Rejuvenation Pill of this caliber, they might consider trading directly to the man.


    ''Lastly, this durability is so high¡­ This is the first time I see a Pill with 100 points in durability. Isn''t this harder than normal steel? Can my stomach even dissolve this thing?'' Vincent mused since he already had experience with other pills.


    Anyway, he decided not to worry about that for now as he watch the auction continue.


    This time, the Magus Essence Potion which could change the aptitude of any person to a higher level is being auctioned for Legendary Weapon¡­ Any offensive-type legendary weapon will do!


    Even Vincent doesn''t have many Legendary Items with him!


    Nevertheless, all the VIP rooms started making their offers showing not just their interest in the potion but their wealth as well!

 Chapter 200 Celestial Weapon

    Vincent just realized now that there are many people who have Legendary Rank Items here.


    Since the requirement for the Magus Essence Potion is broad and only requires an offensive Legendary Weapon, it was indeed the chance of many others who were wealthy as well.


    "Are you going to participate, Sir Vincent?" Yasin asked.


    At this point, he would no longer be surprised if Vincent truly has a Legendary Weapon. He already believes that this person can pull out any kind of item in his treasure box.


    "Hmm¡­ I don''t have a spare offensive legendary weapon I could use to trade¡­ Even if I have, I don''t think it''s worth the price."


    Vincent replied as he listed the legendary items that he has in his mind.


    ''Obsidian Treasure Box, Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane, Nightbane Robe, Poison Immunity Talisman, Star Gazer Talisman, and my Celestial Weapon, Astral Night Dagger. They are all important to me and can''t be used to trade right now.''


    Vincent mused as he shook his. It was a pity but he could only give up.


    He really has to grind his Ascension Skill to level 9 as fast as he can.


    He would just probably need to purchase more mana gathering pills or mana recovery potions so he can continuously raise his system skill in a single seclusion.


    "The Magus Essence Potion has now been sold to customer Number 3 after trading a beautiful Legendary Amethyst Fire Gauntlet¡­" Velvet announced after over ten minutes of negotiation for the item.


    At this time, although there weren''t many people who could participate, they still remained inside the auction house to broaden their horizons and of course, to see the Celestial Weapon.


    Most of them have never seen a Celestial Weapon after all. If they could at least see such a fabled weapon, they didn''t mind waiting here even for a whole day.


    "Amethyst Fire Gauntlet? Isn''t that a legendary weapon previously owned by Barbarian King?"


    "Then, the person inside VIP Room Number 3 is the previous Tower Master?!"


    "T-that makes sense¡­ He''s definitely the previous 36th Tower Master!"


    "Shit! We have no chance of winning any of the items. If the ones in the VIP rooms had the same level of his identity, then we''re really only here to be an audience¡­"


    Vincent heard the murmurs and whispers of the people on the first floor as he asked Yasin. All the knowledge he obtained in the academy was rted to Arcane Mysteries after all. With regards to other things, he barely has information about them so he could only rely on him.


    "The previous 36th Tower Master was quite famous about 5 years ago. He was known for his violent nature. He doesn''t like the Barbarians at all and would always disguise himself and roam around the Red Alliance''s territory to hunt strong Barbarians. I''m not sure why he was like that but there were rumors that his family was killed by a royal barbarian¡­"


    "I see¡­ He probably killed the previous owner of the Amethyst Fire Gauntlet and became even more famous¡­ or perhaps, notorious. Hmm¡­ It means that he''s a Grand Magus as well, right?"


    "Yes, Sir Vincent. All Tower Master is Grand Magus that could at least do tetra casting¡­"


    "Oh? I didn''t even know that¡­ Are you aware of the strongest Grand Magus in existence?" Vincent asked out of curiosity. He was previously uninterested in this topic but it seems that he really needed to know these things already.<sub> </sub>


    "I''m sorry, Sir Vincent¡­ I have no information about the names of the Tower Masters¡­ They were just mostly referred to by their title. The only thing I know that might help is that the current 1st Tower Master was confirmed as a Hexa Caster about 10 years ago."


    "Hexa? Isn''t that incredible¡­ Even professor Turhan was only capable of dual casting and he can already dominate the whole Zemin n."


    Thest part was muttered by Vincent as Yasin didn''t hear too much of it.


    Anyway, his gazended on the stage again as the attendants seem to be bringing the next item to the center.


    "Eh?"


    Yasin then noticed that Vincent was shocked.


    "Is there a problem, Sir Vincent?"


    "Hmmm¡­ They seem to be bringing out a Celestial Weapon¡­ This is only the 79th item, right? Do they have something better than a Celestial Weapon?" Vincent mused as he knows that the 80th item should be the best one they could offer.


    At least, that is normally the case in this type of auction.


    Yasin was also shocked after hearing Vincent''s words. He then waited for Velvet to announce the next item and confirmed that it was true.


    "Ladies and gentlemen¡­ Your long-awaited Celestial Weapon is finally here!" As soon as she said this, the two attendants unveiled a saber in front of everyone.


    It was a short, slim, and slightly curved de made of brass¡­ or at least what it looks like. There was no way it was made of brass but anyway, its grip was wrapped in simple yet elegant green leather. The cross-guard has an intricate snake head on each side showing that it was taken care of with dedication.


    If seen from afar, it really does seem like one of those luxurious des they could see in expensive weapon shops. They can''t feel any aura that they could use as a reference to differentiate Celestial Weapons from others.


    "Is that it?"


    "That''s a Celestial Weapon? Perhaps they brought the wrong item?"


    "Idiot¡­ Are you expecting it to be glowing with myriad colors or engraved with the name Celestial or something?"


    "But it doesn''t seem different to others though?"


    "Tsk¡­ You guys are just inexperienced! I''m sure that it has magical abilities."


    Even Yasin appears to be quite disappointed after seeing the Celestial Saber.


    Anyway, he waited for Velvet to introduce the Celestial Weapon and as expected of a weapon of this caliber, its sharpness and magical effect are incredible.


    It could easily cut through formations and projectile-type mana arts! The most important part is that it has the ability to absorb any type of poison.

 Chapter 201 Last Item

    Absorbing poison using the de of the saber is something unorthodox but it''s extremely useful.


    Most of the people present here already had an idea of where to use such a weapon. There is a dungeon in the eastern territory of the ck Tower and it was filled with venomous creatures.


    That ce was only half-explored because of these creatures that could multiply themselves in just a few weeks.


    They were extremely difficult to eliminate since getting an injury inside that cavern is very dangerous. If you didn''t take the antidote on time, your corpse will probably be the one going out of the dungeon, or worse, not even your bones can be taken out.


    Because of the harsh environment, bringing items that could help you fight against poison is extremely necessary. With the Celestial Weapon that could absorb or extract any type of poison, perhaps the exploration within the dungeon will be a lot easier!


    Not only it could weaken the creatures inside, but it can also help the people


    who have been bitten by venomous creatures.


    ? This is truly an item worthy of being called a Celestial Weapon.


    Even though it doesn''t have an explosive ability or terrifying elemental power, it could definitelypete with any legendary items out there.


    "Incredible¡­ I wonder what kind of item the seller is looking for¡­"


    "That''s true. With such a precious weapon, even if I sold my husband and twin daughters, it probably wouldn''t be enough."


    "Haha! Don''t mention your family, not even Epic Weapon would be worth the price to exchange them."


    "Tsk¡­ I hope they''re looking for a Tier 5 Skill Manual or something instead."


    Again, many people were guessing about the possible item they could use to trade for such a precious weapon.


    Seeing how excited everyone was after revealing the attributes and ability of the Celestial Weapon, Velvet finally revealed the item the seller was looking for.


    "For this Celestial Saber, the seller wanted an Enchanted Bloodstone." Velvet said as she looked at the crowd. She noticed their confused faces as she continued.


    "We are also previously unaware of the existence of Bloodstone. However, we made further research on it and could only find out about its crimson appearance. Anyway, what the seller is looking for is not just the Bloodstone but an enchanted one. No matter what size this Enchanted Bloodstone was, the seller would ept it."


    "Hmmm? What''s a Bloodstone?"


    "It''s my first time hearing about it as well."


    "Right¡­ Me too. Is that item even existing?"


    "Hey! Can you give us more information about this bloodstone?"


    "That''s true, tell us how it looks. I might have one in my treasury."<sub> </sub>


    "Can''t we exchange for a different item? What can this bloodstone do anyway? Perhaps we can find an alternative to it."


    The crowd startedining as they were clueless about this bloodstone. None of them had heard of it and no one knows of its appearance.


    Velvet described the Bloodstone as a precious crimson stone that is partially made of a mystical creature''s blood. The normal bloodstone seems to be useless as it could only corrupt magic artifacts. However, the Enchanted Bloodstone he was looking for has mystical effects that the seller wanted to obtain.


    "Ugh¡­ Where could we find such an item? We don''t even have a clue where to find the Bloodstone, what more for the Enchanted one."


    "I guess the Celestial Weapon is fated to be ownerless today."


    Velvet waited for a while and confirmed that no one is bidding¡­


    "Ehem, it''s alright even if you don''t have one right now. The Nexus Auction House in all cities is open and will be waiting for people that will submit the Enchanted Bloodstone to exchange for this Celestial Weapon. The seller isn''t in a hurry as he already expected this to happen. After all, he''s been looking for it for years as well."


    Vincent remained silent as he didn''t immediately pull out the Enchanted Bloodstone that he has.


    ''I don''t think I misheard them. It''s really the Enchanted Bloodstone¡­ Why is that so expensive now?''


    Vincent couldn''t believe that the price of the Celestial Weapon was only this much. Although the Enchanted Bloodstone is a bit more expensive than the normal one, the disparity wouldn''t be this huge at all.


    ''Wait¡­ Perhaps the Blood Mist Sect doesn''t know its real value?'' Vincent mused as he shook his head.


    He already made his appraisal on it and even improved the Enchanted Bloodstone that he has used his system skills. It doesn''t seem to have any value aside from its corruption properties and being a good bait against Magic Beasts.


    ''Ahhh¡­''


    Vincent recalled that Yulia''s Darkness Eye responded to this Enchanted Bloodstone so he had given her one of his collections.  He didn''t think too much of it before but it might be rted to what they were aiming for.


    Furthermore, the Royal Family of the Tudor Kingdom would always purchase all the bloodstones whenever it appears at the Guardian Auction Houses¡­ Perhaps they were looking for the ''Enchanted'' one as well?


    ''Hmmm¡­ I guess the Sect Master of Blood Mist Sect is really special, huh¡­ That person can produce the Enchanted Bloodstone after all¡­''


    Vincent mused as he decided not to show his Enchanted Bloodstone for now. He might have to transact with them secretly once the event has ended.


    As he reached this thought, the final item was finally brought to the stage.


    "I know that everyone was surprised after knowing that the Celestial Saber isn''t our finale¡­ Well, we expected that this item won''t be easily sold so we have made changes and put this on ourst item for the day¡­" Velvet said as she spoke with her cheerful voice no matter how long she has been on the stage already.


    Soon, a silver medallion was disyed for everyone to see.


    "This item is the key to a new type of Floating Mystic Ship! Unlike the passenger-type mystic ship that could carry around three hundred people, this light-weight floating ship can only carry 10 people inside but it has incredible speed and maneuverability!

 Chapter 202 Threat

    The lightweight floating ship was obviously a luxury vehicle at this point.


    The crowd was instantly drawn by the exquisite design of the silver medallion as they could only imagine the beauty of this new floating ship design.


    "This new type of floating ship was developed by the 5th Tower! It has apletely differentyout and wasn''t just a smaller version of a passenger ship. Its outer appearance is like the Vermillion Hawk making it capable of flying higher and faster than the passenger ships that you all know. Furthermore, this special airship only had six copies made by the 5th Tower¡­"


    Velvet exined as she saw the curious gaze of the bidders on the first level.


    She then informed them that there will be a standard lightweight floating ship to be sold in the market which could carry 15 people. The design is unlike the elegant Vermillion Hawk but more like a smaller floating passenger ship. It will happen in the next two weeks so having the Vermillion Hawk Aircraft would give them a certain status as well.


    ? "Since the Artificer Department of the 5th Tower is the seller, they do not need a huge amount of money. Instead, they wanted Magic Tools or Artifacts! The more the better! If you want to participate, call for a servant near you so you can be provided with a pen and paper where you can write the Magic Tools you want to use as your bid¡­


    Remember, you only have one chance to bid for this Vermillion Hawk. The list with the most valuable magic tools and artifacts will be the winner! Oh, don''t worry about the ones at the third level. They won''t be participating in this bid since they could easily order a customized ship with their status. Now, you have 15 minutes to list your bid!"


    As soon as Velvet said this, many of those on the second level heaved a sigh of relief. They were aware of their own status after all. They know that they areckingpared to those in the VIP room and even if they were given a year to prepare for this, there was no way they could win against them. However, since these VIPs are excluded from this bid, many of them realized that there is only one threat¡­


    The Number 56!


    This number g acquired the barbarian king''s eyeballs, the soul-forging skill manual, a set of mana upheaval and harmonious potion, an interspatial ring, andstly, the Tier 4 Rejuvenation pill!


    His wealth is definitelyparable to those in the VIP rooms!


    ''Perhaps, the VIP rooms were just not enough so he was ced at the second level¡­ Ugh~ His group should be in the third level and can''t be allowed to participate here¡­''


    ''What do we do?''


    ''Don''t worry, he probably spent most of this Magic Artifacts by now. We can win this¡­ This time, the seller is asking for a huge number of Magic Tools after all.''


    ***


    "Have you found out his name?" A young woman wearing a white Magician Robe and has long ck hair asked in an impatient tone.<sub> </sub>


    Her frowning face started wrinkling but her face still looks undeniably beautiful. There were no blemishes on her skin and finding faults in her appearance is incredibly difficult. However, she doesn''t exude any charming aura right now as she seems to be angry due to some reason.


    "Master Seia, we already confirmed that the Number 56 group was led by a young man called Vincent. He''s studying at the First Tower''s academy in a special ss. His background ispletely unknown aside from being rmended by Grand Magus Turhan." One of the young woman''s female servants reported with dismay.


    Since Vincent has a Grand Magus as his backer, it will be difficult to pressure him to give up the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill. It was just a pity that they didn''t have a Pseudo-Legendary item that could withstand any mind-controlling abilities.


    The youngdy who has been called Master Seia could only sigh as she looked at her group.


    This female group of five is currently at the second level of the Auction House. They were Number 60 and have only been able to win a couple of items with their current wealth.


    "Tsk¡­ Let''s think about himter¡­ For now, inform every junior of our Alchemist Union toe here. Instead of bidding separately, we should work together and gather all the magic tools that we have. This is probably the reason why they allowed fifteen minutes to list the items. They wanted us to work together and get more¡­" Seia suggested as everyone''s eyes lit up.


    "That''s a good idea! With this, we can certainly obtain this newly designed airship¡­ We can just pay them with Tier 3 or Tier 4 pills or perhaps, we can give them a new cauldron or pill furnace manufactured by our Brilliance Alchemy Shop¡­"


    One of Seia''s subordinates agreed with the n as she immediately ordered someone to call the other lower-ranking members of the Alchemist Union.


    Of course, they weren''t the only ones who have thought of this idea as the others quickly found a few people who are willing to purchase their Magic Tools. These people are mostly at the first level as they didn''t think that they have a chance to win the bid with their measly items.


    Nevertheless, they realized that the others might want to increase the number of their item possession so they decided to sell and earn quick money instead. Some of them were even able to sell their Magic Tools for almost triple their price!


    The Auction House became very busy as everyone was trying to do their best to earn money or get a chance to obtain the Vermillion Hawk Aircraft.


    These actions were seen by the managers of the event but decided to just let them do it since their auction house will be the winner if they obtain a lot more.


    Suddenly, Velvet spoke with her charming voice as she took everyone''s attention for a moment.


    "Ehem¡­ Although the 15 minutes I provided weren''t over yet, Number 42 has already submitted their list. Normally, we won''t be announcing their bid but they requested to announce it on stage so here I am. It has 16 Unique Items, 4 Epic Items, and 1 Pseudo-Legendary Item. If what you''re trying to submit is lesser than this, you can try to forget about it to save your time and money."

 Chapter 203 Winner

    "What?! So many? Is it really worth the price?"


    "Fool! That''s not even enough!"


    "Kekeke, I think this move was made by the Nexus Auction House themselves to quicken the process and get more magic tools. They just wanted those rich men to be desperate."


    "That''s right¡­ The next lists that will be submitted will no longer be announced after all. It will be up to their imagination now. They could only try to exceed the current bid by several times."


    "What a move¡­ If they announced another list, the rich guys on the second level will try to get more items¡­"


    "Only six minutes were left¡­ They won''t have time."


    The time passed slowly as almost everyone at the second level desperately tried to gather more Magic Tools and Artifacts.


    Perhaps, there is only a single balcony area with no desire to cooperate with others.


    ***


    "Master Seia, we already collected everything that we could. Luckily, there are a lot more junior members of Alchemist Union than we thought. Especially that man named Lucian, he even sold three Pseudo-Legendary Items to us.


    "Well, he only allowed us to borrow them. If we don''t win this, we''ll just give it back instead of paying..." Seia replied.


    Not everyone wanted to sell their items after all. Many of them were like Alchemist Lucian who only allowed them to borrow it and be returned if they lost the bidding war. Only when they won the bid will they ask for the price of their item.


    "We have 10 Unique Items, 8 Epic Items, and 7 Pseudo-Legendary Items after all. Even though two of them were damaged, it still has a high value. I''m sure that we can win this."


    Her servant replied. They were all confident that they could obtain the Vermillion Hawk this time. This is the wealth of all 13 rich members of the Alchemist Union!


    In truth, even Seia herself had never held this many treasures. Especially the Pseudo-Legendary Items. She only had one of them and that is even something she had obtained during dangerous dungeon exploration that she never wanted to be repeated.


    Of course, Seia knows deep inside that other groups might be able to contend against them. These groups were the merchant association and the dungeon explorers at the first level.


    While the Merchant Association can use the money to buy magic tools, the dungeon explorers here have many collections of magic artifacts and no one would doubt that.


    Most of the dungeons in this ck Tower territory are profitable after all.


    Nevertheless, after waiting for over 10 minutes for the Nexus Auction House to make a decision. None of the three prominent groups managed to acquire the Silver Medallion!


    "What''s going on?! Howe our bid was not epted?! That''s 7 Pseudo-Legendary Items with so many Epic Items!" Seia''s servant shouted in anger.


    "Tsk! Shut up! Our Merchant Association offered 10 Pseudo-Legendary Items¡­ Although they are all just the lowest quality out there, they are still pseudo-legendary items! 10 of them is already equal to a Legendary as far as I know!" A man with a huge build who appears to be a bodyguard of a plump young man beside him expressed his annoyance to Seia''s servant.


    What was surprising about this is that Oslo, the leader of the Dungeon Explorers at the first level expressed his dissatisfaction with the result as well.<sub> </sub>


    "We have over 15 Epic Items, 5 Pseudo-Legendary Items, and 1 damaged Legendary Artifact. This is weird¡­ Howe we''ve lost? Can you announce the bid of the winner, Lady Velvet¡­"


    He sounded very polite but anyone can tell that he was just suppressing himself. He had spent his 30 years of savings for this bid.


    Most of the dungeon explorers he knows didn''t agree with just borrowing their Magic Tools, they wanted to sell thempletely. If he did not purchase those Pseudo-Legendary Items, they would be sold to the merchant association which was hispetitor in this event.


    "Hmmm¡­ I guess all your concerns are valid. Very well, we are also nning to announce the winner of the bid to ensure you that there really is a winner and we weren''t just making things up and not nning to give the Vermillion Hawk¡­" Lady Velvet said as she assured everyone about the fairness of this auction.


    This is a huge matter for the 5th Tower which made the Vermillion Hawk after all. This auction is considered part of their marketing strategy so they have to announce the value of the lightweight floating airship that they have sold.


    Everyone immediately went silent as they waited for Velvet''s announcement¡­ She took the paper given by one of the attendants and read it in her mind. After a while, Velvet gave a smile as she looked at everyone.


    "The winning bid was made by our customer Number 56. They have listed 100 Unique Items, 50 Epic Items, and 10 Pseudo-Legendary Items. It appears that the organization behind this man has really prepared himself prior to this event." Velvet announced as everyone could only shake their heads after hearing the great number of treasures Vincent was willing to give.


    "Incredible¡­ Did he ransack a bank or something? How can he bring so many items?"


    "That''s true. They didn''t even bother buying Magic Tools from us¡­ It means that they''ve really prepared this much from the start."


    "He''s probably backed by a huge n¡­ No wonder they''ve won the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill."


    The crowd started imagining the organization behind group Number 56.


    Right now, Oslo, Seia, and the Merchant Association''s representative could only sigh in defeat as they started leaving the Auction House.


    Velvet then announced the end of their Organization''s 80th Anniversary Event as they called the others to im the product they''ve won.


    As for Vincent''s group, they were brought to a different reception hall to im the Vermillion Hawk after their payment.


    ***


    Ster Residence.


    A group consisting of 15 people arrived in front of the estate. This ce was previously old and dull but because of the renovations made recently, it appears elegant from the outside as the newly arrived group tried to probe what was beyond the gate. It no longer looked cheap as it seem quite clean and safe.


    "Squad Leader, do we really have to get their permission to enter? Can''t we just destroy this ce?" One of the members asked in annoyance.


    "If the criminals are not here, do we use your sry as payment for damages?" A deep voiceing from the squad leader replied.


    "Hmph! Would they even dare? We are the ck Tower''s Dragon Riders! We should have the authority to do that much!"

 Chapter 204 Chase

    "They''re here, Lady Yulia. But we still haven''t heard from Sir Vincent. I assume that the auction hasn''t ended yet." Caesus said as he seated in front of Yulia.


    They are currently at the reception hall of the Ster Residence. They were already informed that the Dragon Riders have been searching various residences to find the ''criminals'' they were hunting within the First Tower City.


    They have recently ced a bounty on a group of people who had stolen something from the 15th Tower. They also included that they needed these people alive to ensure that the stolen items would be returned to them. Giving them any useful information about these people would also allow them to earn a few hundred gold coins.


    Thanks to Yasin''s group, they were able to gather this much information very quickly.


    "I understand¡­ Let''s just dy it for a moment while Lar and the others are still preparing." Yulia replied as she couldn''t help but feel nervous a little bit.


    Vincent had already predicted that the Followers of Qheglena would be found sooner orter. This is why he had prepared for various actions they could use in case they really arrived.


    The first option was to eliminate these investigators silently but once they were missing, the 15th Tower will obviously find it suspicious and just send more investigators. Well, the danger will still be eptable but it could only be done once. After eliminating them, they should quickly hide Calidia and the others until they be stronger and could protect themselves from Adept Mages at the very least.


    The second course of action they could take was to remove their suspicion that the Followers of Qheglena were here in the city. To do that, they need to leave pieces of evidence that they were leaving the First Tower. In any case, the Divination Artifact of the ck Tower could not be used repeatedly.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t just the 15th Tower that wanted to use it. There were other towers that are waiting in line to get a chance of using the Artifact. In short, Vincent should''vee up with a way for protecting themselves against Divination by that time.


    Yulia and Severin couldn''t tell whether Vincent was being arrogant but they could only trust him after giving such a bold im. It wouldn''t be easy to stop a Legendary Artifact after all. Nevertheless, this person was seemingly capable of pulling out any kind of items within his treasure box so the two can only wait until he indeed managed to do so.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s about time that the ''informants'' arrive, Severin should be heading to the gate by now." Caesus said after looking at the time.


    ***


    "I''m sorry for being dyed. I''m Severin, the Chief Steward of this Residence. May I know why the honored Dragon Riders of the ck Tower graced us with your presence today?" Severin arrived at the gate and appeared professional facing the squad filled with killing intent. He looks like a genuine steward with his current attire.


    Severin then noticed that these people weren''t hiding their killing intent at all as they seem to be trying to intimidate him.


    Anyway, he can easily recognize that they are squad members of the Dragon Rider Battalion because of the insignia on their leather armor. Even if they didn''t bring their mount with them, not anyone can just wear the uniform of the Dragon Riders.


    Of course, they were called Dragon Riders not because they really had dragons as their mount. In truth, they were only using Forest Wyverns which can be easily mistaken as Dragos once they flew high in the sky.


    But even if that was the case, their power is still a huge threat so no one would belittle their squad.


    "I''m Ersin, the Squad Leader of the 12th Dragon Rider Squad. We''ve been searching for criminals that have escaped our prison. We received a piece of information that this new residence appears very suspicious with your recent activities¡­ You see, those criminals are quite talented and we''re suspecting that you''ve been used by those people¡­ Allow us to search inside and confirm whether our suspicions were right or wrong¡­"<sub> </sub>


    The leader of the group exined calmly as he observes Severin''s reaction.


    However, thetter remained unperturbed as he seemed to bepletely fine letting them in.


    "I understand. Although I''m sure that you won''t find any criminals in our residence, we will cooperate with your investigation. After all, our young master here is a student of the First Tower''s Academy, he informed us in passing that the Dragon Riders of the ck Tower are righteous and must be respected by everyone." Severin said with a smile.


    After hearing the praisesing out of his mouth, the previous members who wanted to spill some blood calmed down a little.


    "Haha! Your young master is right¡­ The Dragon Riders are just and righteous."


    "Hmm¡­ I guess we can just quickly look around your residence then we will be on our way."


    The members of the squad couldn''t help but give an approving nod to Severin as they readied themselves to enter the Ster Residence.


    However, at this time, a galloping horse came rushing toward Ersin''s group.


    The rider seem to be very excited as soon as he saw them¡­


    "Dragon Riders! Dragon Riders! Hurry! I found the criminals! They were currently escaping out of the city!" A young man who appears to be amoner of the city shouted in hurry.


    This caught everyone''s attention and someone immediately went to him.


    As soon as the horse stopped in front of their group, the young man immediately got off the horse as he knows that he can''t just speak with these people while he was looking down on them.


    "What do you mean? Are you sure that you recognized them? Where did you find them?"


    "Tell us which of the 16 criminals were found."


    The members of the squad quickly interrogated the man.


    "Yes¡­ We recognized one of them in the poster you handed out recently. We can''t be mistaken. There was no name written on the posters but it''s written as Number 14 Criminal. My group recognized one of them and followed them immediately. They rented a merchant carriage and we heard that they will be using it to escape using the eastern stone road. If we move now, we can still chase after them."


    The young man answered with full details of what happened.

 Chapter 205 Confrontation ( 1 )

    Ersin felt that this news was too good to be true. But considering the efforts they made, these people who had been hiding from them for the past two years might''ve been too overconfident already and were easily recognized and followed by these nobodies in the streets.


    Anyway, he doesn''t seem to be in a hurry as he continued asking the young man about the details of the event.


    After being satisfied, he finally nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Hmm¡­ Good! Let''s not dy any longer. But kid, if we found out that you''re lying, you would be punished for tricking us."


    "Don''t worry, Sir! We really worked hard to find them in the streets. We just want to earn money¡­ You really have to hurry now or they might escape."


    "Very well! Once we confirmed their identity, we will give you the reward whether we capture them or not¡­ and no, they won''t be escaping anytime soon." Ersin said as he signaled for everyone to bring out their flutes.


    Severin didn''t think too much of it at first but as soon as theypleted a tune, the Forest Wyverns who were previously on top of the ck Tower came rushing at them!


    They actually have a way to call these mounts from afar. No wonder they were the ones assigned to chase those ''criminals''.


    "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, Steward Severin. It seems that we no longer have to search your residence. If your young master finished his training in the academy, tell him to find me if he wanted to join the Dragon Riders¡­"


    "Oh! I will definitely tell him, Sir Ersin. Please be careful on your way."


    With that said, the Dragon Riders left after leaving dust everywhere.


    As soon as they left, Yulia also appeared beside Severin as the two looked at the figures in the sky.


    "Those are indeed Forest Wyverns¡­ They were rare Savage Beasts in the kingdom¡­ I didn''t think that they could be used as a mount." Yulia said in admiration after seeing the mossy wyverns just now.


    "That''s true¡­ Aside from their cores, they were only being hunted for their meat and talons for crafting. We really have to learn more." Severinmented as he closed their gate after giving an approving nod to the young man who had made the report to Ersin''s squad.


    They didn''t talk with each other but their eyes have an unusual glint in them.


    Needless to say, this was all done ording to their ns.


    After returning to the main hall, Caesus weed the two as he worriedly asked about the situation.


    "The Dragon Riders should be able to catch up to Lar and the others soon. With the speed of their mount, it''ll only take them 5 to 10 minutes at most."


    Severinmented as he calcted the speed of Dragon Rider Squad and Lar''s carriage.


    "I guess we can only trust and leave this matter to Celestial Tara." Caesus replied still with a hint of worry in his voice.


    After being subjected to various experiments within the 15th Tower, he had seen several corpses of Unnumbered Celestial Beings. He knows that they weren''t omnipotent beings and could still die if they met a stronger opponent or they got weakened by arge degree due to various circumstances rting to their Celestial Energy.


    "Celestial Tara isn''t weak. Don''t worry. She can handle this since she has both celestial armor and a weapon. Furthermore, for some reason, Sir Vincent''s potions work well for them. She should''ve brought a few of them as far as I know."<sub> </sub>


    Yuliamented.


    "Hmm¡­ I heard from the researchers that potions, pills, and other drugs don''t normally work for the Celestials. Whether it''s good or bad, they shouldn''t work because of their unusual bodies. I wonder what''s different from Sir Vincent''s potions?" Caesus muttered what was in Yulia and Severin''s minds.


    However, they won''t be asking such things to Vincent.


    Caesus realized this too so he immediately added. "Oh~ I''m not trying to learn his secrets¡­ I was just impressed by his skills."


    Severin just smiled at him while Yulia decided to visit the inner hall of the estate where the other Followers of Qheglena are currently hiding.


    The inner hall is where the strongest barrier formation is located to ensure that they won''t get detected by most detection or investigative arts.


    As for Caesus, he doesn''t have to worry that much since his physique is quite special. Although he doesn''t have decentbat capabilities, his wits and his body with natural anti-detection ability can help him in this kind of situation.


    "I hope that this will buy us a lot of time until we get a bit stronger¡­" Caesus muttered as he silently prayed for a good oue from their operation.


    Although they were taken in by the Ster Residence, they were still thinking of getting revenge on the researchers of the 15th Tower. With Yulia and Severin''s guidance, they know that it''s only a matter of time before they master their innate gifts and be a threat to the tower.


    Furthermore, they know that Vincent and the others also didn''t like the Celestial Incarnation Project that the tower was secretly doing. This added to their conviction topletely stop the project and eliminate everyone who was involved.


    ***


    "They should be catching up unto us by now... Those Forest Wyverns move a lot faster when they know that they were about to hunt¡­" Larmented as he drove the carriage as fast as he can.


    He was continuously whipping the horses hoping that they could go even faster.


    Currently, they were trying to get as far away as possible from the city.


    Lar looked behind him and saw his four colleagues who had also learned various martial arts from Yulia. Aside from them, there is also a silentdy who was unusually calm in this situation.


    "Hmm?" Lar felt something as he immediately looked above.


    As expected, the Dragon Riders were catching up to them¡­ He looked around and found a perfect open battlefield.


    It might seem like the worst decision when up against these flying creatures but none of it matters¡­ He believes that as long as Celestial Tara is with them, battling in an open space would be much better for them.


    "Everyone. Ready your weapons as we need to wee them. Celestial Tara will remain inside until she found an opportunity." Lar said as the others answered in unison.


    "We''re ready!"


    As soon as their carriage halted, the five Martial Artists came out with their weapons in hand.

 Chapter 206 Confrontation ( 2 )

    Boom! Boom!


    As the Dragon Ridersnded on the ground, they created a shockwave as if they wanted Lar and others to be blown away just from the mere force of their descent.


    It was quite effective as the horses of the carriage started panicking almost hurting Lar and the others.


    "Ho~ It''s really you guys¡­ I guess I really have to pay that young man for the bounty, huh." Ersin said after recognizing Ersin and the others.


    "Leader! It seems that they''re ready to fight. Let me capture them. It should be fine to break their bones for a bit, right?" One of the squad members said excitedly as he saw their prey holding weapons in their hands.


    "Well, as long as they''re alive. The Tower Master specifically ordered not to kill them so make sure to control your strength."


    "Yes, Sir!"


    The squad members thenughed as they dismounted from their Forest Wyverns. These mounts can also attack Lar and the others but they were afraid that it would do too much damage. They might identally rip them apart so they decided to just handle it themselves.


    "Tsk! What do you want? Aren''t you guys the ck Tower''s Dragon Riders?! Why are you doing this to us?" Lar shouted as if he was being wronged.


    "Huh? Are you still going to act innocent? Do you think we don''t recognize you? You''re number 14, right? Anyway, are there only the five of you? Where are the others?"


    Lar grimaced after hearing the question. He appears to bepletely aggrieved after hearing his question.


    "You bastards! You''re still looking for others?! Are you still not satisfied and nning to dig their graves?" Lar said as he and the other slowly backed away.


    The squad members noticed this as they made sure to block all their exits. They werepletely surrounded.


    "What? They''re already dead?" One of the members was a bit stunned as he looked at Squad Leader Ersin who was also frowning.


    Based on Lar''s expression, he doesn''t seem to be lying. Furthermore, they also raised this question to the Tower Master.


    Apparently, they themselves were unsure whether these people who had escaped from the Tower could continue living after they stopped receiving drugs and various supplements to sustain their bodies'' special condition.


    They can only hope that these experimental subjects have found a method to live without their drugs and medical equipment. Perhaps, they were able to slowly adapt themselves through some kind of mutation they were unaware of.


    After all, they are valuable specimens that could not be easily reced. It would be a shame if they died just like that.


    In any case that there were indeed survivors, they were expecting that it would be Lar''s current group since they were aware of their body constitution. These people have an incredible physique and were favorite specimens by the magicians. They know how durable they are since they''ve cut them open several times already.


    "Tsk¡­ If they were really dead, you just have to tell us where you buried them. Now, you can either wear these handcuffs without getting hurt or fight us and get your bones broken." Ersin sternly said as he took out the magic tools in front of them.


    These handcuffs are made of natural red metal capable of disturbing their energy. Lar and the others were extremely familiar with this magic tool. Once they wore the handcuff, mustering their strength would be incredibly difficult as the magic tool won''t just disturb their internal energy but also their minds. Their concentration would be muddled and won''t be able to fight at all.


    Their expressions turned ugly as they recalled some unpleasant memories with these handcuffs.


    However, knowing that they have a Celestial Being on their side, they know not to get caught by these people. They just need to buy some time and she will certainly make her move!


    "How about we pay you some money instead and allow us to leave? You guys know that we aren''t criminals who had stolen something in the ck Tower¡­ We just want to live a normal life¡­"<sub> </sub>


    Lar said as the others had confused looks on their faces.


    "What are you talking about? You guys have stolen something from the Tower that was why you guys were imprisoned. If you weren''t guilty, you wouldn''t have run away¡­" One of the squad members replied with a mocking tone.


    Ersin then realized that talking to them will not bring any more results so he signaled his men to capture the five people.


    As soon as he did this, five men rushed forward with the swords in their hands. They did not unsheathe the swords as they decided to beat them with their scabbard instead.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Lar was the first one to engage as he utilized his Deadly Seven Fist!


    The first strike hit the scabbard, the second strike hit the man''s chest, followed by another strike to his chin¡­


    "You¡ª"


    The squad member was surprised by the sudden use of Martial Arts. Lar was acting timid like he doesn''t even know how to make a fist.


    However, as soon as he got in range, Lar''s aura changed and he was caught off guard!


    It was the same for the other four as they swiftlynded a few strikes! They didn''t evenplete the seven fists! Either the third strike or the fourth strike was enough to push them back!


    "Hahaha! What a move! Karl! Want me to deal with them?"


    "Did you guys just got hit by those lousy punches?"


    "If you get hit again, I will be the one ying with them¡­ Kahaha¡­"


    The other members justughed at the first five people who tried to deal with Lar''s group who ended up in failure. They were still rxed since they can tell that these five weren''t Aura Knights or Magic Knights¡­ They were just Martial Artists with a little bit of mana with them to boost their physical strength.


    It wasn''t their first time dealing with these kinds of people.


    "Hmph! We were just surprised for a moment there¡­ I didn''t expect that they have a fast reaction and learned high-grade Martial Arts. The next exchange will be different¡­" As soon as he said this, he immediatelyunched himself to Lar.


    This time a mana wave started affecting the five as they were momentarily unable to breathe.


    ''We n on going easy on you and only break at least a couple of bones¡­ But you really want to suffer in pain, huh!'' The man said in his mind as he started using his Elemental Mana Arts.


    Everyone can tell that this fight is about to end seeing that their members decided to use Mana Arts instead of ying a bit more.


    However, while this was all happening, Ersin was looking at the silent carriage and seemed to be frightened by something.


    "Shit! Get back here!" Ersin immediately tried to recall the five but it was toote!

 Chapter 207 Confrontation ( 3 )

    Those five people who were about to beat up Lar and the others were unable to hear Ersin''s orders.


    They were too focused on their battle. They wanted to give them a thorough beating after embarrassing them in front of their colleagues and leader.


    As they saw their horrified faces after being suppressed by their Mana Arts, they be even more excited as they wanted to see them suffer.


    However, before they could smash their faces, a cold wind seemed to have brushed their hands.


    The next thing they realized was that their hands had been cut off and were already about tond on the ground¡­


    Shock followed by intense pain filled up their minds¡­


    "Aaagghhh!"


    "Aackk! Healing potion! Hurry! Who are you?! What have you done?!"


    "M-my hands!"


    "H-help! Aarrghh!"


    The five of them had different reactions as one of them even fainted after seeing his hands cut off just like that.


    The other members immediately acted as they realized that it was no longer time to y around. They were facing a very strong swordsman! She''s possibly a high-level Aura Knight or Magic Knight!


    Four people immediately unleashed various Elemental Arts to attack Lar''s groups while the others hurried over to rescue their members. They picked up their severed hands as some of them pulled out various magical potions to try and reattach their arms.


    Earth Wall¡­ Pyro st¡­ Fire Ball¡­ Fire Ball¡­


    Four elemental Mana Arts that are perfect to contain and burn their targets.


    They have even forgotten to control the magic they''ve thrown because of the urgency to pull their colleagues. They didn''t want the swordsman to get closer and deal the final blow to the five.


    Bam~


    The Earth Wall sprouted and sessfully blocked their escape path as Lar''s group faced the three fire elemental attacks.


    Lar and the others can only brace for the impact and trust their Magic Tools to protect them from harm.


    Based on what Vincent told them, it should have Magic Resistance and over half of the elemental attack''s power would dissipate with their current equipment.


    It was unbelievable.


    It is such a shocking rate but they know that Vincent is an ''expert'' appraiser and possesses uncountable numbers of magic tools for some odd reason.


    Anyway, before the attack evennded in their group, they saw Celestial Tara dash forward and slice their attacks before they reached their critical points.


    It was as if she was cutting an object instead of Mana Arts made by those Master Magicians or perhaps, Adept Mages¡­


    The explosions became a lot bearable and Lar could only feel a little warm from the explosion of fire elements.


    ''It should be the second phase now¡­'' Lar and the other four realized what to do as they immediately backed off.


    There''s no need to exchange any more words after Tara has appeared. They have to quickly kill or disable several of them.


    Ersin also realized that the female swordsman was a threat.


    As an Archmage, he won''t normally feel threatened if faced with an Arch Knight or even Aura Knight. However, for some reason, this woman is giving off a dangerous aura and his first instinct was to get a distance from her.


    Water Treading Steps¡­


    His finest movement technique which has reached the advanced state after 10 long years was activated to its limit.<sub> </sub>


    This technique allows him to move with great agility¡­ It wasn''t as fast as Wind Haste or Fire Dash but its advanced state can at least allow him to easily react in case the swordsman chased after him.


    However, it seems that he was not the first target as he thought. The female swordsman moved towards those who had thrown the Fire Elemental Mana Arts.


    It was his chance!


    After gaining some distance, he channeled his Mana to his scepter and activated its imbued magic.


    Frost Lance!


    A hugence made of blue ice manifested in front of him. It floated steadily above his head as he aimed at the woman who just killed two of his subordinates¡­


    ''So fast?! They couldn''t even stop her sword for a few moments?'' Ersin grimaced after seeing the deaths of hispanions. They had never thought that the criminals they were chasing would be capable of putting up a fight.


    Something has definitely gone wrong from the report they have received from the Tower Master.


    "Die!"


    Ersin couldn''t tell whether this woman is one of the criminals. However, it doesn''t matter anymore, he would just exin her death to the Tower Master in case she''s indeed one of those criminals.


    The surroundings suddenly turned cold as his Frost Lance reached its critical stage. At this point, even a Grand Magus has to put an effort to block such an attack!


    Whoosh~


    The Frost Lance headed towards the female swordsman. She seemed to be unaware of it as she was focused on looking for other targets.


    It was only until thest moment that she decided to look at the Frost Lance!


    ''Hmph! Arrogant! Take that!'' Ersin was confident that his Frost Lance would kill the woman.


    He then nced at the five other criminals and to his surprise, they actually did not run away as they sneakily attacked a few of hispanions while they were too busy with the female swordsman!


    Everything happened too fast!


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Bang!


    Suddenly, the shattering sound of his Frost Lance caught his attention.


    "T-this¡­ You caught it with your bare hands?!" Ersin realized that the swordsman didn''t just grab the Frost Lance in midair but she also shattered it after clenching her fist.


    It was unbelievable!


    However, he can''t waste his time. He needed to act and save his members who had been suppressed by the five criminals.


    "Kill those five men first! Once we dealt with them, we''ll deal with the swordsman together! She''s probably a Grand Knight, I will try to dy her!"


    Ersin said as he pulled out a Magic Artifact which is simr to Magic Sealing Crystal but its size and color were different. It appears to be bigger and has a deeper shade of redpared to the blue sealing crystal that Vincent has seen before.


    This is one of Ersin''s life-saving treasures! An artifact with Ephemeral Mana Art! This is only a single-use artifact and he didn''t expect to use it in this situation.


    Nevertheless, there was no time to hesitate.


    As soon as his members heed his orders andunched themselves at the five Martial Artists, he triggered the Ephemeral Mana Art inside the crystal¡­


    Whom~


    A dark entity shrouded by a hazy red cloud of smoke appeared!

 Chapter 208 Diversion

    The appearance of the dark entity surprised not only the female swordsman but also Ersin himself.


    Based on the appraisal results he received from various experts, he was sure that this sealing crystal has a Mana Art called Energy Erosion simr to Mana Sap which is a Tier 1 skill.


    However, unlike the weak Mana Sap that could easily be canceled by the target, the Energy Erosion could not be stopped until the skill was over or when the target has already depleted its energy.


    This is the finest artifact that he has when dealing with someone stronger. A Grand Magus can''t escape this ability so he''s expecting that this ''Grand Knight'' in front of him wouldn''t be able to escape as well.


    Once her energy was depleted, any of his Tier 2 Mana Arts can easily pierce through her flesh!


    Soon, the dark entity flew toward the swordsman followed by the cloud of smoke¡­


    Of course, the mysterious female swordsman didn''t stay still as she shed toward the dark entity. As Ersin expected, it waspletely ineffective as the dark entity he summoned didn''t budge at all!


    It continued aiming for the swordsman! She could only try to move back since she doesn''t know what kind of ability this dark entity has.


    "Hahaha! It will chase you forever! It''s better to stop moving now so I can kill you painlessly."


    Ersinughed seeing that his Ephemeral Mana Art is really doing its job. Although he was a bit unsatisfied that the Energy Erosion is not instantaneous, he still felt better seeing how the dark entity could not be killed by sword strikes.


    He then nced at the five men who should have died by now under the onught of his members.


    However, to his surprise, they were still standing filled with energy! He can see various Elemental Mana Arts hitting them only to be nullified!


    It seems that these people have strange Mana Arts to weaken the damage they were receiving or perhaps, they all have the same defensive magic tools.


    "Hey! Can''t you see that Elemental Mana Arts are not good enough! Just use your swords and cut them in half! We''re no longer capturing them! They already killed two of us! They have to pay with their blood!"


    Ersin ruthlessly said as he no longer cared about the orders of the Tower Master. They can just fabricate a story, or better yet, not report about this battle at all.


    As soon as they switched to their swords, Ersin nced at the female swordsman who seemed to have a decent movement technique. It wasn''t as agile as his Water Treading Steps but it is quite annoying to deal with since it was an instantaneous burst of movement speed.


    Whenever the dark entity gets closer to her, she would move so quickly and gain a distance from it by about 3 meters. She doesn''t seem to be able of doing this continuously as he noticed a dy in her movement.


    The problem is that the dark entity he summoned wasn''t fast enough to catch up to her¡­


    "Hmmm?"


    He suddenly noticed that the swordsman drew another weapon that was previously strapped to her waist. It was a seemingly normal short de without any aesthetic design on it.


    Nevertheless, after pulling it out, she no longer escaped from the dark entity and decided to attack it!


    ''It''s my chance!''


    Seeing an opportunity, Ersin decided to attack as well. So once she failed to cut his summoned entity, she would no longer have a chance to use that burst movement technique that she was using earlier.


    "Earth''s Hand!"


    The ground surrounding the swordsman suddenly turned softer as several hands made of soil and dirt started appearing¡­


    Screeechh~


    As soon as the entity and her short de shed, a screeching noise made him dizzy!<sub> </sub>


    He tried to see what was going on only to witness how the dark entity was ripped into two by the short de!


    The piercing, high-pitched sound seems to havee from the summoned creature after being cut in half!


    ''Ughhh¡­ This is bad¡­''


    The noise not only affected his mind but also his control with Earth''s Hand¡­ The Mana Art was forcefully canceled giving him a strong bacsh¡­


    His Mana Flow was disrupted and even as an Archmage, he has no way to stop this and could only wait until he naturally recovers.


    Unfortunately, the woman will certainly not allow him to escape!


    The next thing that he saw was the sharp de heading toward his face!


    ***


    "Hurry! The leader is still breathing! Thankfully, his defensive magic artifact took effect at thest moment."


    One of the members of the 12th Dragon Rider Squad immediately helped Ersin after seeing that he was still breathing although his face was bleeding.


    They immediately tried to use their healing potions to stop the bleeding but because it was only a mid-grade potion, the scar was still there making his face scary.


    Nevertheless, this is better than dying from the loss of blood.


    After several minutes, Ersin opened his eyes and saw that some of his members were trying to rest. A few of them noticed him waking up and immediately went to his side.


    "I''m¡­ I''m still alive¡­" Ersin muttered as he nced at the battlefield.


    There were five dead Forest Wyverns on his left. Beside them were the eight bodies of his squad members.


    Seeing that there were pieces of cloth covering their faces, he knows that they were already dead.


    It means that only seven of them survived¡­


    "What happened? Did you kill the criminals?" He asked.


    He didn''t find their bodies but there might be a chance they still seeded in the end.


    Unfortunately, the vice leader who survived the battle shook his head.


    "Based on what I observed, the female swordsman was pushed to her limits as well. After she tried killing you, her movements became sloppy. Because we were worried about your condition, we tried to surround you and helped you get out of her range. We battled defensively and they managed to escape in the end."


    "Ugh¡­"


    Although he was prepared, Ersin couldn''t help but feel empty after hearing this. Their members died for nothing. He can''t just leave it like this.


    "Where did they escape?"


    The vice leader thought for a moment before he answered.


    "They were probably headed to the Heinen Fog Forest¡­ They might use that dangerous ce as their temporary base out of desperation. Or perhaps, they might be hoping to get to the other side and continue heading towards the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory."

 Chapter 209 Abort

    "I need to speak with the Mission Hall''s Manager, open themunication crystal¡­" Ersin ordered his subordinate after analyzing their current situation.


    The appearance of the terrifying female ''Grand Knight'' is out of their expectation. They weren''t prepared for it and were dealt a huge blow because of it.


    It was unfair and someone must take responsibility for such a terrible piece of information given to them. The scouts or whoever gathered the intel regarding these criminals must''ve cked off to miss such an important detail!


    They should''ve mentioned that one of those criminals has the strength of a Grand Knight! If that were the case, they wouldn''t ept this mission in the first ce!


    Although they all have life-saving treasures with them, their squad is still filled with Adept Mages with a single Archmage. Once ambushed by a Grand Knight, they would still crumble!


    Soon, Ersin held themunication crystal as the female manager spoke on the other side.


    "Squad Leader Ersin, is there a problem with the mission? We are sure that the criminals should be in the First Tower City right now."


    She seems to have thought that Ersin was unable to find the criminals.


    "Elder Suna, it''s not that. Eight of mypanions just died¡­ We weren''t facing weakened criminals as we were told. One of them is a Grand Knight. This is beyond our strength already, you should get a red emblem to ept this task¡­ Why aren''t we told about that Grand Knight''s presence?"


    "Hmm? Grand Knight? That''s impossible. Did you see the Grand Knight''s face? I''m sure that you''ve spoken with the Tower Master before you left. The criminals didn''t have that strength. Perhaps they hired someone?" Elder Suna answered as she tried to guess what happened.


    <o>,m She also frowned after hearing the deaths of Dragon Riders.</o>


    It''s not easy to find many practitioners who wanted to learn aerialbat after all. Training with the Forest Wyverns can also be harsh since they have to anticipate any idents while they were in the air.


    If they lost concentration and fell off their mounts, they could certainly die. Furthermore, they couldn''t freely use their mana arts when they were in the sky. Although being in the sky gives you the freedom to move around, there are still many restrictions for Mana Practitioners like them.


    It means that their training wasn''t that easy. Anyone who managed to pass such a strenuous selection would have a bright future ahead of them. It was a pity that they have to die on this mission.


    "I''m not sure¡­ Anyway, we were lucky that we survived today. She was probably weakened by a lot after I used my life-saving treasure¡­ Ugh, we should be highlypensated for this mission."


    Not only did he lose the life of his members, but two of his expensive treasures were also used!


    "Don''t worry. I''ll give you satisfactorypensation. For now,pile your report before I send it to the Tower Master. If we''re really facing a Grand Knight¡­ We probably have to send several red emblems to ensure the victory¡­"


    "That''s what I thought as well..." Ersin said with a sigh.<sub> </sub>


    After informing her of a few more details about their operation, he ended the conversation as they decided to stop this mission already.


    They were going to return to the 15th Tower to bring the bodies of his members back to their families. As for the young man who allowed them to chase this group of criminals, he decided to just forget about him since he wasn''t in the mood to return to the First Tower''s City right now.


    ***


    Within the carriage that was heading to the Heinen Fog Forest, Lar and the others were feeling extremely happy with the result of their operation.


    They have consumed several potions to recover their strength and the previous battle didn''t leave any signs of injuries on their bodies.


    Right now, there is only one thing left to do, it is to leave pieces of evidence that they''ve arrived at the dangerous fog forest before secretly returning to the first tower. To do that, they will have to use the route they have previously arranged in addition to their magic tools to conceal their tracks.


    Lar looked at the Celestial Being who was silently cleaning her short de. He''s still a bit unsure how to approach her but because of the recent battle, he felt a bit more at ease talking to her.


    "Ehem¡­ Celestial Tara, I noticed that you were attacked by a summoned creature¡­ Is everything alright?" Lar asked.


    Although it is unlikely for her to be affected, he still wanted to show that he cares about her.


    "Yes. It was part of the operation to act weakened."


    "T-that''s true. We can''t kill them all after all." Lar nodded in understanding.


    As per their n, they have to leave a few of them to report back to the 15th Tower. That way, their ''escape'' to the forest will reach the Tower Master. They might still try to find some of their traces in the First Tower''s City but it wouldn''t be as active as before¡­


    In an instance that they''ve managed to get out of the forest, they will only have to pass through a couple of ck Towers, the 7th and the 12th Tower, before they could enter the northernmost side of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Since they''ve shown their martial techniques, the tower wouldn''t doubt that they will be allowed to enter the alliance if they decided to do so with a small price to pay.


    In short, the next n for the ck Tower is probably to guard the surrounding forest or just in case, send another group to block the three passages to enter the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory.


    Noticing that the Celestial doesn''t want to talk that much, Lar decided to just focus on the road. This journey will still be quite long so it''s better to save their energy for now.


    However, after several hours, the Celestial finally decided to talk to him¡­

 Chapter ?210 Hawk

    "There''s a beast ahead of us¡­" Celestial Tara whispered.


    Hearing this, everyone immediately sat up as they held their weapons unconsciously. It''s already getting a bit dark so most Savage Beasts or Magic Beasts woulde out to hunt as well.


    Although bandits weren''tmon herepared to the kingdom, thend between the various cities or towers is still infested with Savage Beasts. Especially if they were using an off-road path.


    "Thank you for informing us, Celestial. We''ll handle it then¡­ Is that beast alone?" Lar asked as he can''t see anyone along the road. It could be hiding from his sight but he fully trusts Tara''s senses.


    "Yes, it''s alone¡­ The fluctuations of energy are quite strong as well so be quick and not give it a chance." Tara replied as she didn''t seem to have ns of helping them.


    This is to be expected since Lar and his group weren''t weak at all. They have trained their martial arts to an advanced state in just a few weeks thanks to their abnormal physique. Furthermore, they were now using a Magic Knight''s Cultivation Technique to amplify their power.


    As long as their opponent wasn''t a strong magician, they were confident in winning in closebat if they all worked together.


    The horses were then suddenly startled as they realized that the beasts had gotten close to them.


    Their weapons were only daggers and gloves given to them. Well, their Fist Techniques may be useful against humans but they may not be effective against the tough carapace or bodies of the savage beasts.


    Growl~


    What weed them is an adult Ethereal Panther¡­ This savage beast loves to hunt alone and is extremely difficult to deal with because of its incredible eyes and agility¡­ Nothing escapes from this beast''s eyes so they have to work together to kill it.


    "Ross, Kian¡­ We''ll create an opening¡­ The two of you must find an opportunity to cut open its stomach!"


    "Got it! Leave it to us!"


    To be honest, Lar was not aware of the beast''s weakness. He only thought that its stomach will be soft as amon trait of many four-legged furred beasts.


    Whether it''s effective or not will be knownter.


    Lar and the other two pounced at the panther as soon as they saw it.


    In this situation, they felt that it was better to initiate the attack rather than wait for it.


    Although they did not have a good movement technique, they were still quick with their feet.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    All of them managed to hit the Ethereal Panther''s body but it feels like it was coated by a hard metal. They managed to scratch it but there was no wound or bleeding at all.


    In addition, they also felt a stinging pain in their hands! It doesn''t seem to be some kind of poison but an electric shock!


    "Is it about to evolve to a Magic Beast?" Lar muttered as he observed the beast. He looked into its eyes and as he expected, it doesn''t seem to be just a raging beast that has nothing to do. It seems to be assessing their strength as well!


    "Use everything you got! Don''t let it find its momentum! Don''t stop until you drop!"


    Armor Breaking Kick!


    Deadly Seven Fist!


    Flying Swallow!<sub> </sub>


    Their three martial techniques were used while still holding a dagger in one of their hands.


    The Ethereal Panther did its best to avoid their continuous attacks while also baring its fangs and attempting to catch one of them.


    With its sharp fangs and iron-like ws, they would shred into pieces once caught even once¡­


    "Get away!"


    Lar shouted as he realized that it was about to use its scary movement technique. It wasn''t called ethereal for nothing after all.


    Within the darkness, it could move like a ghost once given an opportunity! They would normally target the weakest prey among their group and would continue to do so until they were all eliminated.


    Unsurprisingly, it attacked Ross who was silently observing the fight until now.


    Roar!


    "Shut your mouth!"


    Ross angrily shouted to the beast. He almost turned deaf after the panther roared next to his ears¡­


    He didn''t stay idle as he also managed to avoid getting bitten by the panther. Unfortunately,  he failed to dodge its ws¡­


    Ssaak¡ª


    Two long lines of cut can now be seen on his left shoulder to his elbow. He didn''t even have the time to scream in pain as he can''t lose his concentration.


    The panther wasn''t using some kind of teleportation but just an incredible speed brought by its strong hind legs. Lastly, because of its fur that has natural properties of darkness element, it can move so stealthily as long as there is no sunlight.


    Luckily for him, Kian was able to react as he threw his dagger into the Panther''s stomach at the right moment. It was as if he baited Ross! At the very least, they got the result they wanted! The Ethereal Panther did not expect the sharpness of their dagger.


    Normally, its stomach could ignore sharp weapons¡­ It was a bit unlucky that it encountered someone who has a weapon with Pierce Attribute. That''s right, although the dagger that they have doesn''t have a Sharpness Attribute to boost its prative and cutting abilities, the Pierce Attribute that it has could help them put a hole in the panther''s body!


    With this start, the group managed to poke a few more holes on it as they slowly bleed the panther to death after eight more minutes of battle.


    It even tried to flee after getting weakened but they easily chased the savage beast and took everything valuable in its body.


    "Hahaha! Hunting this beast is a lot more fun than I expected¡­"


    "Ugh~ It''s fun for you since you didn''t get wed¡­"


    "Hey, I''m still injured after resisting its pounce, you know?"


    After a few banters, the group happily continued with their journey unafraid of the darkness along the path.


    They were probably two hours away from the Heinen Fog Forest when something unexpected happened.


    A small beast-like vermilion airship stopped them in their tracks as they were about to cross a valley¡­

 Chapter ?211 Return

    "What is our enemy this time?!"


    "Ugh¡­ This looks like a lot of trouble¡­ Are they from the 15th Tower?"


    "Who knows¡­ Perhaps they were just asking for a direction?"


    They noticed that the small bird-like airship stopped several meters away from the carriage. As they were blocking their path, they had no choice but to stop and ready themselves in case a battle broke out.


    <o>,m Of course, they were also afraid of the unknown thing in front of them. This is not something within their expectations after all.</o>


    Will they be facing a Grand Magus or a Grand Knight this time? Is this the ck Tower''s newest police force?


    Their only hope was for the Celestial to get them out of here alive in case the situation turned for worse.


    Shoosh~


    With a puff of air together with the sound of mechanical gears, the airshipnded steadily followed by its hatch opening. The airship was probably just the size of five carriages excluding its wings.


    Unlike the normal airship that uses a balloon-like floating device, this airship uses a different engine as it seems.


    Lar and the others raised their guard as they waited for someone toe out and face them.


    "Hmm?"


    Suddenly, they noticed that Celestial Tara was approaching the ship without any hint of wariness at all. It was as if she knows the people inside this thing¡­


    They looked at each other confused by what was happening. They could only stare at her for now. After all, it''s also possible that the opponent this time might be someone they can''t possibly defeat so she decided not to wait and act herself.


    However, to their surprise, they saw a familiar man getting out of the airship! It was Yasin, one of the people who had received help from Qheglena and joined their group with 9 more people.


    He was supposed to be with Vincent right now¡­


    "Wait¡ªDoes it mean¡­"


    They suddenly realized something as another figure came out, it was Celestial Rem!


    Well, it seems that she just wanted to breathe some fresh air as she just ignored all of them.


    "It''s good that everyone is safe. Pack all your things and let''s return to our home with this airship¡­" Yasin said as he urged everyone to board the Vermilion Hawk¡­


    Tara, on the other hand, took a brief moment to observe the exterior design of the ship before entering.


    She didn''t seem to hesitate at all as if she was aware that this thing wasing here. Or perhaps, she was already used to seeing this kind of flying vehicle.


    The inside of the Vermilion Hawk wasn''t too spacious. There were just enough passenger seats with a little space to move around. Nevertheless, there is still a bit of room to ce their baggage in case they don''t have an interspatial ring or any dimensional storage space like what Vincent has.<sub> </sub>


    "Are you piloting this thing?" Tara asked after seeing Vincent inside the cockpit.


    She had never seen any blind person that could do that at all. Unless this aircraft is fully autonomous or just requires some voicemands to function.


    Well, that sound possible as well since this aircraft doesn''t seem to be used forbat. It''s more like a luxury flying vehicle as she saw it.


    "It was Rem¡­ I just felt like sitting here as a co-pilot..." Vincent said but he still felt Tara was staring at him so he added.  "Uhm. It was my dream to be a pilot when I was young."


    He shyly said as he recalled what he had written in his yearbook when he was in elementary school.


    It was unfortunate that he can''t see the view outside but at the very least, he can still experience being a co-pilot.


    Tara nodded in understanding as she sat on the pilot seat. At this time, Rem and the others also started entering the aircraft.


    "Hmm?"


    Vincent noticed that Lar and the others were so silent. He then recalled Rem and Tara''s presence. They might not feelfortable being with Celestial Beings that they were worshipping at some point.


    He then decided to ask Lar about what happened in their mission to ease their nervous minds. He also asked what happened to the carriage and learned that they let the horses take it away somewhere. If these horses survived the night, they might be seen by the vigers ahead of the next morning.


    "It seems that piloting this thing isn''t thatplicated, there are not too many controls. This control crystal made it a lot easier."


    Tara muttered after inspecting the controls of the aircraft.


    Tara and Rem didn''t even talk to each other but it seems that they have already agreed that she will be the one piloting the Vermilion Hawk this time.


    As soon as they confirmed everyone is ready, Tara controlled the Vermillion Hawk as they took off steadily.


    It was much smoother than when Rem was controlling the aircraft.


    "Sir Vincent, is it alright to get us out here? We were nning to fake our traces inside the forest, right?" Lar asked as they traveled across the sky.


    Well, aside from the cockpit''s side, the windows are currently closed so none of them felt scared being so high in the sky. Lar may have not even noticed that they were already flying.


    Currently, the passenger seats and the cockpit was only separated by a single partition. The door is also open so Vincent heard the question clearly.


    "It''s fine¡­ You already made the impression that you''re going to the Martial Arts Alliance. The mortality rate within the Heinen Fog Forest is quite high so even if you permanently disappeared now, they''ll just think that you''ve been killed and eaten by the Magic Beasts inside." Vincent answered confidently.


    He wasn''t too worried about leaving tracks either since he had already arranged for someone to take care of it.


    Anyway, As a student within the First Tower, he had ess to premium information regarding the forest so he didn''t really want Lar and the others to enter it.


    After thinking for a moment, he added. "That forest is very dangerous but it''s also mysterious and filled with opportunities. There are thousands of people entering that ce every year and only less than a hundred return alive or could go to the other side. It''s better not to take that risk."

 Chapter ?212 Faviona

    Arge airship carrying over a hundred people had just left the First Tower''s City. It was already dark and normally, people would avoid traveling during this time.


    However, this airship ispletely different from the Floating Mystic Ship that Professor Turhan brought to the kingdom before.


    It was a bit smaller in size but it is heavily equipped with massive weapons. There are two Mana Cannons and eight more artilleries. The Mana Cannon, just like its name, uses mana to power it up and fire a strong version of Mana Bullet. It uses a lot of energy stones but it is incredibly strong.


    The artilleries, on the other hand, don''t fire mana bullets but piercing bullets made of special alloys.


    It has incredibly powerful aerialbat capabilities unlike Vincent''s Vermilion Hawk with zero armaments.


    As soon as the airship moved out, the people in the city noticed its movement and eximed in surprise.


    "That''s the Alchemist Union''s Warship! Heavenre!"


    "Whoa~ I didn''t notice it a while ago, where did they dock this huge thing?"


    "There must be a Tier 5 Alchemist inside¡­ Only those at their level can mobilize this kind of warship."


    "I wonder what happened? Why did they bring a warship?"


    "Oh! I heard there was a high-end auction a while ago. They must''ve fancied some alchemy materials¡­"


    The crowd admired the beauty of the floating warship as they couldn''t help but dream of riding one someday. Furthermore, The image of the Alchemist Union just improved in their minds after seeing this disy of wealth.


    At this moment, inside the Heavenre Warship, Faviona is seated at themander''s seat within the bridge.


    She wasn''t doing anything aside from observing the egg in her hands, since the maneuvering of the warship is done by someone else.


    Currently, there are five people inside the bridge.


    "Faviona, are you really nning to hatch that thing?" Damar asked after seeing Faviona''s fascination with the Runic Basilisk Egg¡­"


    It was the first item that was auctioned off and Faviona did not bid for this at all. However, the one who won this egg is actually a member of the Alchemist Union. In exchange for a Pill Furnace and a few benefits within the union, the Alchemist offered this egg to her. Furthermore, she has a higher rank than Seia, so choosing her to make a trade was indeed a better option.


    Although Faviona wasn''t too interested in it, she decided to take it after recalling how tasty it can be.


    "They''re delicious¡­ Especially an infant with soft bones and a nutritious body¡­ Although it will take a lot of time to hatch this one, it will taste a lot better since I will raise it myself."


    Faviona said with an endearing smile as she fixes her monocle.<sub> </sub>


    Damar can only shake his head as this was her hobby. She likes eating exotic food. Even if she''s already eating a poison, as long as it suits her pte, she wouldn''t care at all.


    "Anyway, that Vincent is really something else¡­ I think that he had also noticed that we have a Celestial Being on our side." Damar softly said as he recalled their meeting with Vincent after the event.


    "Huh? Did he notice? Well, I was more focused on his request¡­"


    "Right¡­ He''s blind after all, it wouldn''t be surprising for him to try and find a cure for it."


    Apparently, Vincent did not waste his time as he decided to speak with Faviona when they approached him. Since Vincent purchased the Tier 4 Rejuvenation Pill, he received hermunication crystal that he can use to request to create a pill or potion at any tier.


    As long as he will be the one providing three sets of its ingredients, Faviona can concoct it for free. With such a request, there is no better than a Tier 5 Alchemist or a Grandmaster in the field to take it.


    "But¡­ why did you tell him to collect those ingredients? They don''t seem to be for healing his eyes¡­" Damar asked curiously. Although he''s not an Alchemist, he''s quite familiar with the ingredients she gave to Vincent.


    "When I checked his eyes, I noticed that it wasn''t a disease¡­ It was more like a seal to me. I can''t remove a seal of that level but with the right potion, I can weaken it a little. It would still be up to Vincent''s skill topletely remove the seal in his eyes." Faviona replied after hesitating for a bit.


    She wouldn''t normally talk about her diagnosis to other people but since Vincent is a special case, she decided to just let Damar know about it.


    Damar was obviously shocked at this. If it''s something that Faviona can''t resolve, perhaps even the Tower Master may not be able to assist Vincent with his problem.


    "A seal, huh¡­ That''s interesting¡­ Who would do such a thing to him? Right, I confirmed almost all the items he traded within the auction. They all appear to be simple and lowly but they have incredible attributes¡­ Perhaps it''s rted to that?"


    Damar said after pondering a bit. As a Chief Artificer of the 27th Tower, his appraisal skills have already reached a very high level. Even without using his mystic abilities, he can already tell the attributes and quality of an object by just a nce.


    However, his understanding of magic tools has beenpletely overturned by the items Vincent has presented.


    What Vincent had shown seemed just like any normal items that can be found somewhere¡­ but their durability, special attributes, and quality ispletely different from what anyone would expect.


    Unfortunately, he was unable to find out Vincent''s secret or sources of magic tools.


    He did not leave any hint about looting them in a dungeon or the magic craftsman who created them. It frustrated Damar for a little but there was nothing he could do about it. He knows that if he was in the same position, he would do the same.


    "Right¡­ I noticed that Seia''s group seems to have borne some grudge toward that blind guy¡­ Would that be fine?" Damar said as he recalled the hateful gaze thrown by a few alchemists at Vincent''s group.


    "Haha¡­ That''s fine¡­ I''m not sure why they did that, but Vincent had probably noticed that as well. Anyway, he''s not that weak so there''s no point worrying about him¡­ Instead, we should try and look for that Enchanted Bloodstone already.


    After recalling this item, the two of them couldn''t help but sigh¡­ They have no clue where to find this item at all!

 Chapter 213 Moonbreaker

    Yulia and Severin arrived at the front court this morning as they marveled at the sight of this beautiful aircraft.


    It was alreadyte at night when Vincent brought this back so they weren''t able to properly observe it.


    Now that the sun is high up in the sky, they were finally able to appreciate the elegance of the Vermillion Hawk.


    The two can only imagine how much money Vincent spent to purchase this aircraft. Furthermore, based on what Yasin has mentioned, Vincent acquired a few more items!


    It means that Vincent just spent some money beyond the earnings of their Beacon Magic Shop.


    It was either Vincent''s hidden wealth that he earned while he was adventuring with the Celestials or Vincent''s treasure box is actually the treasure vault of the Star Garden Sect that he inherited at some point!


    "Severin, what do you think about this airship? I wonder how many leash and powder should we sell before we get enough money to buy this¡­" Yulia muttered with a wryly smile referring to the two items being sold in their Beacon Magic Shop.


    "Haha¡­ It''s probably impossible. Perhaps if I could start selling Tier 3 Potions, I might be able to save up enough money to buy one someday. Who knows, perhaps in the next three or five years, it will get cheaper¡­" Severin said with an optimistic smile. He''s unsure what the future holds but being with Vincent had truly broadened his horizon.


    There was no way he would be satisfied with his current Tier. A blind Vincent can improve so much! What more for him with perfect vision and no disabilities! He has to work harder from now on.


    It was the same for everyone as they realized that they will finally have some peaceful time as long as they were with Vincent. It was time for them to sharpen their skills!


    ***


    Several weeks had passed after the Nexus Organization''s Auction Event. During this time, Vincent collected all the ingredients that Faviona requested to alleviate the terrible condition of his eyes.


    He had no choice but to spend his hard-earned honor points to exchange for these rare alchemy ingredients. Only the ck Tower has those rare ingredients and couldn''t be purchased anywhere else.


    Anyway, since it''s for his eyes, he wouldn''t hesitate even if he has to spend it all. He can just continue working at the Appraisal Master Hall to regain his honor points.


    Three more days and thepetition to gain an emblem will begin. He needed to get better and stronger.


    At this moment, Vincent already has an idea about the opponents that he should be wary of. Although there are only three of them, he made sure to get all the information rted to them so he will know how to deal with the three if in case they had to fight with each other.


    "Sir Vincent, there is someone outside the gate, they said that it was Lady Faviona and you should know about her¡­" Caesus said as he rushed from the gate.


    Vincent went nervous after hearing her name.


    If the potion or the medicine creation was sessful, Faviona doesn''t need toe here at all. She only needed to order one of her servants to deliver it to him. She didn''t have to trouble herself ande here from afar.


    However, since she came personally, she might be apologizing for failing to create the medicine in three tries! She might request a few more sets of ingredients!


    He can no longer afford that!<sub> </sub>


    "Ugh¡­ I hope I''m just overthinking¡­ Alright, let them in."


    "Yes¡­ Sir Severin is already waiting at the gate. I''ll just give him a signal. There are six of them outside. Should I bring them to the reception hall?"


    "Hmm. Alright. Take care of it." Vincent said as he took out his Nightbane Robe and wore it swiftly.


    Although he''s technically safe within this residence, he still felt that it''s necessary to be ready. Even if Faviona seems to be a respectable person, herpanions might be different.


    As soon as they entered the reception hall, Vincent was already seatedfortably. They were led inside by Severin and they were seemingly curious about this residence.


    "Vincent¡­ It''s been a while. Are you nervous?" Faviona asked as she noticed the young man''s mood.


    "Well¡­ I was hoping that you would bring the potion. Will you require more time?" Vincent asked as he tried to get to the main topic.


    "Haha! Don''t worry, a Tier 5 Alchemist has their pride. I said that I will make the potion in 3 attempts so I did. Here it is, a Mid-Grade Moonbreaker Potion¡­ To increase the sess rate, you have to consume this while basking under the moonlight. It''s full moonter so it will be perfect."


    Faviona said as she handed the vial of silver liquid to Vincent.


    Of course, Vincent did not see the appearance of the potion but Severin is there to help him. Thetter describe the potion that the Tier 5 Alchemist provided.


    ''It''s a mettalic and shiny silver liquid?''


    Vincent mused as Severin described the potion as simr to mercury. It doesn''t seem right.


    "Moonbreaker Potion¡­ I''ve actually learned about it in the academy. It was mentioned there that it should only look a bit gray and should be darker... I''m not an Alchemist but is there something different with the one you made?" Vincent asked politely.


    Faviona didn''t seem to be offended after being questioned but as expected, her subordinates have different opinions.


    "How dare you question an Alchemist Grandmaster''s potion?"


    "Tsk¡­ Then just don''t ept it. Do you think our master needed to tell you her secrets?"


    Two of her female subordinates said with a harsh tone. They probably respected her a lot or they''re just looking down at Vincent.


    Before Severin can even retort, Faviona had already spoken.


    "Stop that¡­ I''m sure that Vincent is just curious. It hasn''t been that long since he studied in the academy." She then smiled apologetically and added, "Don''t mind them, Vincent. They were just being overprotective. Anyway, instead of answering your question, how about you try and appraise it instead? I heard that you''re also an appraiser."


    Faviona said and this time, her eyes glinted as she waited for him to answer. She had already learned many things about Vincent and what she found really strange was his Appraisal Skill¡­

 Chapter ?214 Vital Information

    Faviona never heard of any top-tier Appraisal Skills that only require a bit of touch. Such a requirement for an appraisal is very little and there are many things you will miss without having eyesight.


    Of course, she''s not looking down at Vincent''s appraisal skill since he''s been working for the Tower as well.


    She just knows that appraising an item should require the scrutiny of an expert''s eyes or through the help of a magic tool.


    Although there is indeed an Appraiser Hand as a Mystic Ability, it shouldn''t be capable of appraising high-level items. It should only be able to appraise low-rank items like those Common and Umon ones with a minimal requirement to distinguish them.


    With that said, Faviona couldn''t help but be suspicious about Vincent''s skills so she wanted to see it herself.


    "Hmm¡­ If you''re interested in my appraisal skill, then allow me to check it then."


    Vincent said as he held the vial of liquid in his hands. It was a bit cold and he could feel powerful energying from it even without using his soul sense.


    The vial he''s holding now doesn''t seem like a type of medicine at all.


    Anyway, he immediately appraised the item under everyone''s watchful eyes.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    As soon as he answered his mind, the status of the potion was revealed to his mind.


    [ A Bottle of Moonbreaker Potion ]


    [ Grade: Middle


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Moon Drake''s bone marrow, Silver Stag''s brain, and Moon Dragon Flower. It is capable of removing any mid-grade seal or weakening a high-grade seal that has been applied to the body.


    Body Seal Resistance will permanently increase after consumption.


    This potion is ineffective against any form of Seal targeted at non-living things.


    The potion''s effect had a high chance of increasing up to 13% if consumed while basking in the moonlight.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effects of the potion. ]


    "Hmm¡­ Is it looking like this because it''s a middle-grade potion?" Vincent asked Faviona after reading the appraisal result.


    He could only deduce the reason after recalling how it wasn''t mentioned in the Knowledge Base Crystal about its other grades.


    "That''s right¡­ But¡­ Have you finished your appraisal already?" Faviona asked in surprise¡­<sub> </sub>


    First of all, Vincent did not taste or touch the liquid at all. What he was touching is the ss bottle instead. Although it is still possible to appraise it if he has an Appraiser''s Hand as his Tier 4 Mana Art, it should still need a bit of time since he''ll use his mana to get contact with it which will obviously require more time than normal appraisers.


    "It''s notplete yet but I already have a rough understanding¡­ If I want toplete my appraisal, it will take some time and I can''t make you wait for me for long¡­ At the very least, I confirmed that this is indeed a Moonbreaker Potion¡­" Vincent said unhurriedly.


    "See? Don''t think of doubting our master again¡­" Faviona''spanion or subordinate said with a sneer after hearing his conclusion.


    "Dianne¡­ That''s enough. I apologize for her manners, Vincent. This girl has barely left the Alchemist Union''s territory after all. All she learned in her life is to create a potion, pills, and magic crafting¡­"


    The young woman she called Dianne is simr to Vincent''s age. She has a great talent in alchemy so Faviona epted her as her disciple.


    If Vincent could see her, he would realize that Dianne is wearing different clothespared to the other four. She has a luxurious magician robe and expensive pieces of jewelry on her body. Her braided hair also appears very beautiful on her so she most likely has servants doing it for her.


    p Of course, even if he can''t see, Vincent still noticed that she''s quite different. It''s all thanks to his Item Sense Ability.</anda>


    With this system skill, he can easily judge a person''s status or wealth.


    Most people only have 3 or 4 magic tools with them since unlike Vincent with arge mana pool, the average Mana Practitioners only have around 400 to 600 units. It means that they can''t use many magic tools.


    If you have 12 pieces of magic tools like Dianne or 18 magic tools like Faviona, they can certainly be considered wealthy or powerful individuals.


    Vincent wouldn''t even be able to count the Magic Tools inside their interspatial ring if they have one.


    "I don''t really mind. However, others may not be as forgiving as me so she has to learn to tone it down."


    "Haha! You''re right¡­ She still has a lot to learn. Anyway, are you still not nning to share the secrets of your magic tools? You brought out a bunch of them so I''m very curious."


    "It''s not really a huge secret¡­ I came from a different continent¡ªNo, I mean I came from a very far ind and I brought a lot of things from there."


    "Oh~ I heard about that indeed¡­ I spent a lot of money to learn that information but you just willingly told me now¡­ Ugh, I can''t help but feel like I spent that money for nothing. Anyway, I''m sure that it wasn''t the reason. I already investigated the Zemin n and even their n could not bring out that much. If you tell me about the location of the dungeon or maybe the name of the magic craftsman who created them, I will work for you again for free. This time you can request any Tier 4 or even Tier 5¡­"


    Faviona said as she tried persuading Vincent again.


    "I apologize¡­ My source was not really special and the Magic Tools that I sold back there were thest ones. Even if you learned about my source, you will not find them again."


    "Hmm¡­ Is that so¡­ Then, how about this, I''m willing to sell you a piece of information. It''s something that could be very important to you. I will tell it to you now and you can pay me using any Magic Tool that was from the same source. I don''t care if it''s only umon, rare, unique¡­"


    Vincent wasn''t too curious about this piece of information but it seems that this woman has realized the existence of "enhancements".


    Perhaps, she was like A, Professor Turhan''s disciple, who had started to learn about the Enhancements!


    "Hmm¡­ I will listen." Vincent said after thinking for a while.


    "Great! This information is very valuable¡­ Do you know that the Red Alliance have started transporting their prisoners to their territory?"

 Chapter 215 Prisoners

    As soon as Vincent heard Faviona''s words, he was left confused. As a matter of fact, the others were the same.


    Dianne has no idea why her master brought it up. Even Severin furrowed his brows trying to understand what was going on.


    Since she said that it''s a piece of information that could be very important to Vincent, does it mean that the Red Alliance is rted to him? No---perhaps the prisoners?


    Vincent reached this thought as well so he replied.


    "It''s my first time hearing about it. If I''m not mistaken, the Red Alliance is a territory governed by the Barbarians. They call themselves the Red Race. I don''t see why it will be important to me to learn such information." Vincent honestly replied as he recalled the information he learned in the academy.


    "Hehehe¡­ You may not be aware of this but the Red Alliance is now controlling the Tudor Kingdom. So, where do you think these prisonerse from?"


    Faviona s words struck Severin who was listening silently. He unconsciously looked at Vincent with a trace of horror on his face.


    Vincent now understood. He did not need to think for long as he realized what she was implying with her words.


    After all, he heard simr information from Turhan about the Barbarians who had helped the rebels fight against the Kingdom.


    The Barbarian Kings there were officers that the Red Alliance sent to take over the ''small ind''.


    Of course, since he''s already an orphan, he''s definitely not rted to any prisoners taken by the Red Alliance.


    ''Hmm¡­ Is there anyone there that I might consider helping?''


    Vincent couldn''t think of anyone.


    As for the Primal Sword Sect where his childhood friends should be staying, they shouldn''t be part of the prisoners as the Sect did not really fight against the rebels¡­


    At most, the expedition led by Elder Han had only encountered the members of the Dark Sky Cult.


    ''Wait¡­ If the Dark Sky Cult is part of the rebels¡­ Then the sect might really be captured after the Duke won¡­''


    Vincent mused. He can easily remember the event with the Cult since Macy, the leader or maybemander of that cult has asting impression. Macy was a powerful magician at that time who was wearing a loose robe and a bandaged chest¡­ She looks attractive but also dangerous.


    Lastly, her red hair was also iconic since there weren''t many red-haired people that he had seen before.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm¡­ I guess you''re assuming that I might know someone among the prisoners?" Vincent probed.


    "Yes! The Red Alliance bought fiverge Floating Mystic Ships from us that could carry a thousand people each¡­ They have captured talented humans to work for them. Although they said that these prisoners will have very good working conditions, they were just going to be ves of those barbarians¡­ Who knows, with that many, you might know a few of them, right? Especially the talented ones¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ ves? Is that something that the human alliance will ignore?" Vincent asked. No matter what, if they are from the same race, would they allow their fellow humans to be ves of other races? That''s quite unthinkable.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance might think of doing something but we can''t really act that much on that ind. The Barbarians won the bid on that ce so they can send their Barbarian Kings there as long as they won''t be annihting the human species."


    This revtion stunned Vincent and the others.


    "They won the bid?"


    "Well, that''s how I would like to put it. The Red Alliance, gave several Unnumbered Celestial Beings to the ck Tower in exchange for us not helping that ind¡­" Faviona said with a helpless smile on her face.


    "This¡­ You know the Zemin n, right? They were taken by Professor Turhan from the ck Tower¡­"


    "Oh, that''s different¡­ You may not know but therge organizations already have contact with that ind before the Red Alliance bought it over." Faviona said as she revealed a piece of information that Vincent found incredulous.


    Seeing that Vincent wasn''t speaking, she continued. "The Zemin n has contacts with the ck Tower, the Star Garden Sect has contact with the Star Garden Peak, the Marshall n should have contact with the Martial Arts Alliance as well¡ª"


    "Wait! The Star Garden Sect is rted to the Star Garden Peak? It wasn''t just a coincidence?" Vincent asked in surprise. He tried researching any information rted to Star Garden Peak which is one of the sixrge organizations on this continent. However, he didn''t find anything valuable aside from their way of living and how their ce is very mysterious.


    "You''re right¡­ I know it well since I made a Tier 5 Pill in that ce as per their request. They''re rich so it''s not surprising for them to have a connection to other inds. Did I finally pique your interest?" Faviona said with a teasing smile.


    "Hmm¡­ I''d like to know more about the prisoners taken by the Red Alliance and the Star Garden Peak¡­ I''m willing to pay using Magic Tools simr to the ones I''ve used in the auction." Vincent said with firmness in his voice.


    At the very least, he knows that any information that could not be published in the newspapers and recorded in the knowledge base crystal is something that has a price. He knows that he has to pay her to know more about it.


    "That''s great! But just one magic tool is enough¡­ Instead, you have to let my disciple, Dianne, stay here and observe you during your consumption of the potion. It will help her gain more insight into this high-grade potion¡­ Furthermore, she knows all the details of Star Garden Peak since she was with me when I epted amission there¡­ Regarding those prisoners, it was her who got the information as well¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ It seems that you already nned all this¡­" Vincent said in a weak voice.


    Although he''s reluctant to have a stranger here, it would be better for him to get all this information from them.

 Chapter ?216 Saber

    Dianne wasn''t surprised when Faviona suggested this.


    Apparently, Vincent was right. Her master had already nned for all of this before they went to visit this residence. This is also the reason why she''s quite annoyed after entering this ce.


    After all, she had to stay in this poor residence that seems to becking some servants. Although the ce is clean, it was still not up to the standards she was used to.


    If possible, she''d rather stay inside her master''s aircraft.


    "Fine¡­ I will ept it¡­ It might also be better to have her in case there''s something wrong with the potion. I might file aint if it''s substandard." Vincent replied.


    "Hahaha! You''re right¡­ You can do that too¡­ Very well, I will have to leave now since I still have an appointment with the First Tower''s Master¡­ Right, you will be participating in thepetition in the next few days, right?"


    "Ahh¡­ That''s right. Are you going to attend and watch thepetition?"


    "Yes¡­ We will be seeing each other again." Faviona said with a smile.


    "I won''t be seeing you though¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ Right¡­ I''m going to leave now. Dianne, you have to behave yourself. I will you here with Trisha. If in case a problem urred during his consumption, contact me immediately."


    Faviona said as she left with her entourage. They were guided by Severin again and saw the parked aircraft outside. It seems to be a bitrger than Vincent''s Vermillion Hawk and less attractive.


    Before Faviona walked out of the gate, she looked around the residence and noticed something.


    "I know that Vincent won the Vermillion Hawk, but it doesn''t seem to be here. Did he sell it to someone else?" She asked Severin who was behind their group.


    "No, Alchemist Faviona. Although it can be ced on the frontcourt or in the garden, it takes too much space so Sir Vincent decided to dock it at the First Tower''s port. It''s not being heavily used anyway and the payment is also cheap so he opted for that arrangement." Severin exined.


    "I see¡­ That exins it then¡­" Faviona then took a nce at the surroundings one more time before urging her group to continue walking. From the way she looks, she seem to be very interested in the Ster Residence, unlike her subordinates.


    ''Did she recognize Calidia and the others?'' Severin mused as he waited for Faviona and the rest to leave the vicinity of their residence before going back in.


    He wasn''t sure but it seems that this Tier 5 Alchemist has incredible Mystic Eyes that could see through the hidden formations of their residence.


    ***


    "Dianne, I will be consuming the potionter tonight. I will call you once I''m ready. For now, I''ll have someone take you to the guest room so you can rest." Vincent said.


    p "Oh? I thought you want to hear the information about prisoners and the Star Garden Peak?" Dianne asked in surprise.</anda>


    "Ahh¡­ Let''s wait for Yulia since she wanted to listen to this information as well. Right, she''s also a resident of this ce and she has a few tasks outside. She should be back in an hour or two."


    "I understand. I''ll take a rest for now."


    Dianne said as one of the female followers of Qheglena arrived.


    "Rufia, send these two to their rooms to take a rest. If they wanted to go outside, just have someone to guide them."


    "I understand, Sir Vincent."


    Rufia answered. Her body has now be healthy as she''s no longer using her Mystic Blood to hasten the growth of their nts.<sub> </sub>


    She jovially assisted Dianne and her servant, Trisha, to their room while Vincent was observing them with his Soul Sense.


    ''Hmm¡­ She didn''t react after seeing Rufia¡­ Did she not recognize her?'' Vincent mused after noticing that there were no changes in her mana fluctuations.


    Rufia herself did not notice anything odd either.


    Apparently, they were thinking that Faviona left Dianne to investigate them. Most likely to find the Followers of Qheglena. However, since they didn''t react that much after seeing Rufia, it seems that Vincent was just overthinking. She might really be here just to confirm the result of the rare potion she made.


    ''It''s better to observe them for now.'' Vincent thought as he returned to his room.


    He was nning to continue ascending his new magic tools but unfortunately, he couldn''t concentrate again.


    The mystery of the Star Garden Sect had just increased in his mind again. Something tells him that he should look into it to understand his existence in this world.


    ''The Star Garden Sect where my parents came from¡­ The Awakening System¡­ The goddess who blinded me¡­ All of them are mysterious. I wonder if I really have something I need to do. Is it about the Celestials and the mysterious enemies of this world?''


    Vincent mused as he slowly connected all the pieces of information that he got over the past few weeks.


    Knock. Knock. Knock¡­


    As he was organizing his thoughts, he heard the knocking sound of his room''s door as he sensed Tara''s presence outside.


    "Come in¡­"


    "Vincent, I only left for a while but I can sense another Celestial Weapon on you¡­" Tara said as she has indeed left for some time and wandered around to find some dungeons.


    "Oh? You noticed¡­ Howe you''re so good at this? Even Rem did not notice my new Celestial Weapon."


    Vincent said as he took out the Celestial Saber under his bed.


    That''s right, he already exchanged his Enchanted Bloodstone for the Celestial Weapon. He did this covertly and made sure that his identity was kept secret.


    Luckily, the Nexus Organizationplied with his request and didn''t pry too much about his identity. Yulia, who went with him, was also disguised as they made sure no one recognizes them.


    Well, since the organization has been looking for the Enchanted Bloodstone for a long time now, they would certainly ept his conditions just toplete the trade.


    Although he was still curious why they are valuing the Enchanted Bloodstone so much, he decided not to inquire about it since he didn''t want to get involved too much with them.


    Tara smirked after hearing Vincent.


    "I have a special trait¡­" She said with a hint of happiness in her tone.


    "Right¡­"


    "Is it bound to you?"


    "Yes¡­ The Astral Night Dagger you gave me is still a lot better though¡­"


    Vincent said referring to the attributes of the dagger before his enhancements.

 Chapter 217 Mavis

    "Astral Night Dagger?" Tara repeated. It was her first time to hear this name.


    It was only now that Vincent remember that he hadn''t mentioned its official name to Tara. Well, there is no name written on the dagger itself so it would seem that he''s just naming it himself.


    "Yes. It''s the name of the dagger."


    Vincent said. Most likely, the name was given by its creator or its very first user. That is normally the case in other items based on his experience. If they do not have names, it would be like his Mithril Sword which was written as Aura-Forged Unnamed Mithril Sword.


    He also found out in the Knowledge Base Crystal that Celestial Weapons weren''t really named or perhaps, their names weren''t discovered.


    The names given to them by the people were just Celestial Spear, Celestial Sword, and so on. For some reason, there weren''t many Appraisers capable of appraising them.


    "Hmm¡­ So it has such a beautiful name." Tara said with her soft voice.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile since it was rare for her to praise some things.


    "Do you mind appraising my short de as well?"


    "Of course!"


    Vincent didn''t hesitate to agree. He has been very curious about her short de but he thought that appraising it would be a bit rude to her since he would know the qualities of her weapon. It means that he would know the weakness and strengths of her weapon which can be used against her.


    This is why he decided not to ask Rem and Tara to get their weapons appraised.


    Now that Tara offered it herself, there was no way he would decline that.


    "Let me hold your short de for a bit." Vincent said as he stretched out his hand to take the short de.


    Tara handed it over as Vincent felt the weight from it. It was heavier than he expected.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ Nimble Mavis de ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1,002/1,050


    Critical: 220


    Sharpness: 100


    Erosion Resistance: 300


    Description: An enhanced short de made of Refined Mavis Iron using an unknown technique. The stronger the energy applied, the sharper it could get.


    Bound to Tara.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    [ Skill ]


    [ Weight Shift: The weight of the short de can increase up to 600lbs for 20 seconds. Every use of Weight Shift will use 1 durability point of the de. ]


    "Hmmm¡­ This Celestial Weapon has a nice name as well. Furthermore, it can actually adjust its weight?" Vincent felt surprised. This is the first time he had seen such weapon skill.<sub> </sub>


    Aside from the skills granted by his system and the Magic Artifacts that can''t be recreated anymore, most weapon skills that he had seen are rted to elements.


    Like creating fire, blowing wind, summoning a storm, or even changing a certain terrain. These skills were somewhat rted to the world''s elements.


    Seeing the Weight Shifting skill made him excited to see Tara''s Celestial Sword as well. He hadn''t had the chance of appraising that as well.


    "What''s the name of this de?"


    "Ahh... It''s called Nimble Mavis de."


    ? "Mavis, huh¡­" Tara nodded after hearing its name. It was as if she knows something about the Mavis.


    Anyway, he returned the de to her while making sure to remember the statistics of it for future reference.


    "Right, do you have something to tell me? I''m sure it''s not just about the Celestial Weapon I have."


    Tara smiled as she nodded.


    "Yes¡­ About the tinum coins..."


    "Ahh! Sorry about that, I was too busy¡­ Anyway, I will visit the professor tomorrow. I was nning to do it today but Faviona arrived a while ago so I need to consume this Moonbreaker Potion first. She said that I should do it while basking under the moonlight¡­ Ugh, it was a weird ritual but I guess it''s better to just follow her instructions."


    Vincent exined as the full moonter tonight is indeed the perfect time to take the potion.


    "I see¡­ I will wait for it then¡­ Good luck with that potion. Don''t be too disappointed if it didn''t cure your blindness." Tara said mysteriously as she left his room.


    Up until now, Vincent doesn''t know why she wanted some tinum coins. But anyway, since Tara has been helping him a lot while he''s blind, he would make sure to fulfill her request.


    Furthermore, there is also a huge chance that he''ll meet another Celestial Being so he was looking forward to opening the capsule as well.


    ***


    Dianne and Trisha just stayed in their room. They were not interested in walking around the estate. Rufia only served them some snacks but they don''t seem to like them either.


    In the end, they stayed there until Yulia returned so they can further discuss what happened to the Tudor Kingdom.


    Vincent decided to bring them all to the garden''s pavilion.


    Currently, there are five of them seated at the rounded table. Dianne and Trisha were seated close to each other while Vincent, Yulia, and Severin were on the other side.


    Dianne nced at Yulia a couple of times. She didn''t expect that such a beautifuldy, who seemed to be an Adept Mage, is actually staying here with a blind man.


    "Ehem¡­ Let me say it first, the information I have about the ns of the Red Alliance was received about 15 days ago. If there are any changes from that, I''m still unaware of it." Dianne said.


    "It''s alright. We''re already thankful that you''re willing to share it with us. First of all, is it possible that they''ve captured Celestial Beings in that kingdom as well?" Yulia asked.


    "Oh? I''m not sure¡­ But even if they captured one, the Celestial Being must''ve allowed herself to be captured. No matter how strong the Barbarian Kings are, the Celestials are still on a different level."


    Vincent nodded as he agreed with his words.


    "Very well. Then, you mentioned that the Martial Arts Alliance may try to save these prisoners. Tell us about it¡­ If it''s possible, tell us why the Barbarians are capturing humans. I don''t believe that it''s just for the sake of doingbor¡­" Vincent knows that Barbarians are the bestbor workers with their natural physique after all.


    Hearing this, Dianne couldn''t help but smile. Vincent was indeed quite knowledgeable. She pondered for a moment before answering him.


    "It''s not a grand ambition but the Red Alliance wanted to break the bnce of the sixrge organizations."

 Chapter ?218 Difference

    "Break the bnce? What, they wanted to control the whole continent?"


    Vincent asked with confusion. The Red Alliance is not that strong at all. The reason why they managed to stay safe from the human organizations was because of the environment of their territory and because the Barbarian Kings started to band together.


    In short, there would be a lot of casualties once they tried to eliminate the Red Alliance. The other organizations didn''t want to weaken their forces if not extremely necessary. So instead of waging war, they decided to just recognize the territory of the Red Alliance.


    They won''t even have to worry about the minerals that the barbarians will collect in their territory. After all, these minerals will just be traded for food or various tools that weren''t that too important for the human organizations but very valuable for the Barbarians with only natural minerals surrounding them.


    That''s right, the Red Alliance''s territory is not that suited for human settlements.


    Furthermore, if the Red Alliance became aggressive, the Solomon''s Pir, Martial Arts Alliance, and ck Tower that is surrounding them can certainly eliminate their whole race. There was no way they would be this suicidal!


    "Control the whole continent? Haha¡­ It''s not that¡­ They just wanted to increase their territory¡­ They wanted fertilend. Since a small part of the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory that is close to the Red Alliance is not being developed, they''ve been eyeing it for a while now."


    Dianne exined as she took out a map showing the distribution of thend of the three close organizations, the ck Tower, Martial Arts Alliance, and the Red Alliance.


    Vincent, on the other hand, can finally understand why Faviona mentioned that only the Martial Arts Alliance will act to possibly save the prisoners. It''s because they would certainly not want the Red Alliance to get stronger.


    In addition, Faviona mentioned that the Martial Arts Alliance has connections with the Marshall Family! Vincent wasn''t sure but it might even be the family that he was acquainted with! That could be another reason why he should try and look into this.


    "So it was like that¡­ But if that''s the case, they should''ve stopped the Red Alliance from taking over the Tudor Kingdom, right?"


    "Well, you can me their council for that. The Red Alliance offered valuable things to each organization. Just like how they offered their Celestial Beings to ck Tower, they also offered something I''m unaware of to the Martial Arts Alliance, Solomon''s Pir, and the others¡­ It may not be Celestial Beings but definitely something valuable to their organization." Dianne replied.


    If that''s the truth, then that would exin why no one bothered to save the kingdom from the Barbarians.


    Dianne then started sharing all the information they have gathered about the transfer of the prisoners¡­


    Based on their calction, the fiverge floating ships that are carrying them will cross the boundaries of the ck Tower about six weeks from now.


    Vincent and the others also learned about the strength of the Barbarians¡­ To his surprise, the Barbarian King wasn''t the strongest fighter of their race. These guys were only using their physical strength and natural immunity against Mana Arts in battle. Although they certainly have better armament as well, they can''t bepared to the Warlocks.


    The Warlocks were considered their strongest fighters as not only do they have a natural affinity with magic but their bodies were also blessed.


    "Hmmm¡­ If the Moonbreaker Potion is effective to cure my eyes, then I might visit these prisoners. If not, I''m not sure whether I could get an emblem¡­ That''s important for this operation." Vicent said with a bit of helplessness in his voice.


    To be honest, he''s not confident in winning against the three strongest students of the academy right now. At the very least, he''s not guaranteed to win with his blindness.


    "I understand¡­ I heard from Master Faviona that you needed the emblem to get a firm status in the ck Tower and to get lower taxes on your business."<sub> </sub>


    ''I''m not worried about the taxes though¡­'' Vincent thought but he decided not to exin it.


    Anyway, what she said was also correct. It''s just that the most important to him was that once he gained an emblem, he would no longer worry about traveling around various cities and even to other organizations'' territory.


    The Dungeons that are being monitored by the ck Tower can also be essible to him and his group after being an official member.


    After all, the experience points he''s getting when enhancing low-quality weapons were small and almost insignificant. He needs better weapons or equipment to use his skills and the dungeons are the best ce to find them.


    In the end, Yulia and Severin both wanted to try and save anyone that they might know from the prisoners taken by the Red Alliance. Vincent didn''t think that it was a bad idea.


    As long as he gets better after consuming the potion and managed to get an emblem, he would have an easier time assisting in rescuing people.


    Their conversation ended that way as everyone left the pavilion.


    This time, Vincent is now fully focused on enhancing and ascending the Middle-Grade potion.


    ***


    <o>,m As the sky turned dark, Dianne left her room with Trisha behind her.</o>


    The two have already changed their dress and Dianne even has a new white magician robe on top.


    They were being guided by Rufia as Vincent instructed her to bring them to the garden.


    "Rufia, your master is about to consume a potion that can have a harsh effect on his body, do you have doctors here? Or anyone with healing capabilities¡­ It''s better to be ready." Dianne softly said as they walked along the hallway leading to the garden.


    "Ah, don''t worry about it, Lady Dianne. Sir Severin had made enough preparations for this as well."


    Dianne no longer replied as she kept her silence.


    As soon as they arrived at the garden, she noticed that Vincent was already sitting cross-legged on top of a huge rock.


    He looks quite stunning as the moonlight seems to be being absorbed by his body. Of course, it was only her imagination but she can''t help but admire his presence right now.


    ''It''s a shame that he''s a blind man¡­ Even Master Fav can''t really cure his eyes¡­ The Moonbreaker Potion should only¡ªEh?''


    Dianne finally noticed that Vincent was holding the vial of potion that her master brought here. It was the Moonbreaker Potion but something feels different from it!

 Chapter 219 Changes

    "W-what going on?" Dianne muttered after noticing that the metallic liquid before seems to be glittering with golden light.


    "Miss Dianne, is there something wrong?" Trisha asked after noticing Dianne''s expression. It was as if she was terrified of something.


    Dianne looked at her and immediately asked in exasperation.


    "Did you not notice? The potion he''s holding is different from what Master gave him."


    Trisha was jolted by the sudden reminder as she took another nce at the potion.


    Indeed, the potion''s appearance had changed. Vincent had modified a Mid-Grade potion refined by a Tier 5 Alchemist!


    Doing this might spoil the potion! Furthermore, modifications ofpleted products especially potions, are not advisable even for Tier 5 Alchemists¡­


    Even their Master Faviona has never done it with potions. For her, it''s easier to concoct a higher-grade potion than to modify a lower-grade potion.


    If Vincent has made a half-baked modification here, then his life might be in danger! He might not even have another chance of regaining his eyesight ever!


    "Hey! Is that the Moonbreaker Potion? What did you mix in there?" Dianne asked interrupting Vincent''s concentration. If Vincent became a permanent invalid because of the potion, her master''s skills might be questioned.


    "Don''t mind it¡­ Anyway, I''m just waiting for those clouds to get away¡­ It might block the moonlight while I''m consuming the potion after all." Vincent said as he looked up into the sky. It was as if he can see the sky himself.


    In truth, he was just warned by Tara and he was checking the new status of the Moonbreaker Potion. He''s been nning to ascend it once more but it seems that he already reached the limit.


    [ A Bottle of Moonbreaker Potion ]


    [ Grade: Peak


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Description: A magical liquid made from the Essence of Moon Drake''s bone marrow, Silver Stag''s brain, and Moon Dragon Flower. It is capable of removing any peak-grade seal or weakening a saint-grade seal that has been applied to the body.


    Body Seal Resistance will permanently increase after consumption.


    This potion is ineffective against any form of Seal targeted at non-living things.


    The potion''s effect had a high chance of increasing up to 30% if consumed while basking in the moonlight.


    Unknown Potion Effect has been added after reaching the Peak Grade.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    The previous Middle-Grade Potion has surpassed the High-Grade status and was now a Peak-Grade Potion.


    Aside from increasing the effectiveness of the potion, there is also an unknown effect added.


    Vincent wasn''t sure whether this is good or bad. However, what''s important is the increase in its effectiveness.


    He has prepared various kinds of potions as well in case something unexpected happened to his body. At the very least, he could guarantee his life even if he consumes a poisonous potion.


    "Don''t mind it? Tsk¡­ Master Faviona made that potion for five days because the Moon Dragon Flower can be harmful to your body if not perfectly refined. If you modified the potion just like that, you might---Ughh¡­ Whatever¡­ Just do what you want."


    In the end, Dianne decided to just give up and let Vincent do as he pleases.<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, he modified the potion given by her master so any unexpected incident that could happen to him should not be med on her.


    After reaching this thought she finally rxed and waited patiently.


    Vincent wasn''t surprised by her sudden reaction. Since she''s an Alchemist, she clearly knows the danger of modifying apleted potion.


    Even Faviona would probably have the same reaction. She might even feel offended that he has to modify her potion.


    However, he has to do this¡­ His Ascension Skill had even increased its level after he managed to raise the grade of the potion to Peak Grade.


    ''You can start now.''


    Tara''s voice sounded next to his ears.


    p With this signal, he did not hesitate to remove his robe and show his bare body. Since he needed the moonlight, he decided to just leave his underwear. Perhaps, if the people surrounding him weren''t mostly females, he wouldn''t mind gettingpletely naked.</anda>


    After doing this, he uncapped the vial and directly consumed the potion.


    Dianne watched the entirety of his actions as her eyes were glued to his body.


    "Tsk¡­"


    Trisha heard her and noticed her foul mood.


    ''It seems that she''s still dissatisfied by Vincent''s modification¡­ It''s indeed quite rude to modify a Tier 5 Alchemist''s creation when you''re just a nobody¡­ I hope this guy fails terribly.'' As a loyal servant, she felt that she should also hate Vincent''s guts.


    Whom~


    The two of them saw Vincent''s body glow. It was like Vincent was the source of the moonlight for a brief moment before weakening¡­


    However, as the glow started dissipating, a golden light followed as if it wanted to strengthen the potion''s effect!


    ***


    "Hmmm¡­ What''s going on? Isn''t the gathering of mana a bit too much¡­ This mana fluctuation is dangerous." Yulia muttered while observing Vincent''s condition.


    She''s together with Severin and Vel. They were watching from a distance and felt worried.


    "Vel, do you think that the formation could hold on?"


    "Ugh¡­ I can''t say¡­ If the internal disturbance is too strong, the Traceless Formation might copse¡­ At the very least, the other defensive formation should be able tost longer." Vel answered after considering the mana fluctuations that are happening right now.


    They were unsure what kind of changes is happening in Vincent''s body right now but they have to ensure that no one or nothing interrupts this ''ritual''. Vincent can''t be disturbed at all costs¡­


    Yulia unconsciously looked at the dark side of the estate¡­ It was close to the wall of the Ster Residence. There, she can see Rem calmly observing the surroundings¡­


    As for Tara, she was actually the closest one. She''s seated in the garden''s pavilion and observing Dianne''s every movement. It was as if she was wary of her.


    ''I guess we can only wait for the result, huh¡­'' Yulia thought as she sps her hand together to utter a silent prayer¡­

 Chapter ?220 Unexpected

    Vincent''s body felt light¡­ It was as if he was floating in the middle of an ocean. It was making him veryfortable¡­


    It was very rxing¡­ All the stress and worries in his life are slowly disappearing¡­


    It has been a long time since he felt this kind offort.


    He wanted to stay like this forever. He wanted a peaceful life¡­ Maybe sleeping here is not a bad idea, it was¡ªNo!


    Vincent jolted after reaching this thought¡­


    He may not have noticed but as the silver ocean was about to drown him, a small amount of golden liquid pushed him over¡­


    "Light!"


    This was the first thing that came out of his mouth as soon as he opened his eyes¡­


    That''s right! He can see the light! The empty and scary darkness is no more! Although it was blurry! He can see the light! It is definitely different from the dim system notifications¡­ It must be real¡­ Is it the moonlight? No¡­


    Suddenly, Vincent felt his soul tremble¡­ It was a bit painful but as soon as he regained his eyesight, he realized that he was in a very familiar space¡­


    ''The Decadence Soul Tablet¡­ This is inside the Decadence Soul Tablet¡­ Does it mean¡ª''


    He immediately looked around and indeed, he found the blonde goddess who had blinded him.


    She seemed to be surprised by his sudden appearance. This is the first time Vincent saw a human-like expression on her face¡­


    He thought that this goddess is a being and wouldn''t easily show such expression¡­


    "Why are you here?" Her gentle and captivating voice resounded in his ears.


    "It''s too early¡­ You''re not ready¡­"


    She was about to wave her hand as if to dismiss Vincent but he can''t just let it happen!


    "Wait! Are you going to take my eyes again?"


    Vincent shouted. He no longer cares about the identity of this woman, what''s important is to know more about his current disability.


    The blonde goddess did not reply as if considering what to tell him. Since she also stopped sending him away, he felt that this is an opportunity.


    "Tell me¡­ About that prophecy¡­ What should I do to see the world again? What''s this new era? Can''t you help me here? I know that you''re not my enemy¡­ I know that you have a purpose for doing this, but can you consider giving me more advice? Are you the one who gave me this system?" Vincent spoke without stopping.


    These are the questions he pondered over and wanted to ask since he became blind. Now that he has an opportunity to meet her again, he didn''t hesitate to tell her what was on his mind.


    The goddess stared at him for a moment before she finally answered.


    "Since you managed to arrive here on your own ord, I guess I should be rewarding you¡­"


    Hearing this, Vincent unconsciously gulped as he waited for her to give him some advice¡­


    "There is indeed a purpose for all of this. However, I didn''t expect that you were able to remove a huge part of the seal this early¡­ I won''t be fixing it since you did this on your own¡­ For now, ponder about the changes that I''m looking for¡­ Once the seal waspletely removed---"<sub> </sub>


    Vincent didn''t hear thest part of her words as he seemed to have sunken into the deep ocean¡­ As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized that he was back in the garden¡­ It was quite blurry unlike a while ago when he was inside the goddess'' space, but it''s probably because he was dizzy¡­


    ''I did it¡­''


    This was his initial thought¡­


    He looked at his hands to slowly focus his vision but to his surprise, the blurriness of his surroundings did not dissipate¡­


    He took out a Health Recovery Potion +9 and immediately uncapped it¡­


    Gulp!


    With a single swallow, he emptied the vial of potion as his body started feeling rejuvenated.


    However, it remained the same¡­


    "So this what it meant for the seal being partially removed, huh¡­" Vincent could only sigh after realizing that this is the limit of his recovery.


    He was no longer considered apletely blind person but just someone with blurred vision. His difference from other people with blurred vision is that it won''t be fixed by having the right reading ss.


    "Hey~ Are you alright? You''ve been staying there for four hours now¡­"


    ''Four hours? That long?''


    Vincent suddenly heard Dianne''s tired voice from a distance.


    As soon as he looked at her, Dianne realized something in his eyes.


    From her angle, Vincent was still basked by the moonlight and she was able to see that his previous dull eyes has started glowing with life.


    That''s right, there were definitely some changes after he consumed the potion!


    "The effect of the potion is a lot better than I anticipated¡­" Vincent muttered as everyone who has been observing him heaved a sigh of relief.


    Dianne was satisfied after hearing him as well.


    "That''s good¡­ Anyway, you might''ve felt a lot better if you didn''t mess with the potion¡­ Its effectiveness might have beenpromised after what you did there." She added. She''s still not over with Vincent''s uncontroble impulse to modify the potion.


    That''s right, she thought that it was just Vincent''s tinkering impulse since this man has no idea how to even make the potion. Even if he knows, it takes several months of studying the potion before a high-level alchemist can effectively enhance it.


    Vincent didn''t even have an entire day to study the potion. How could he just add something to it?


    Nevertheless, since Vincent was in a good mood, he didn''t mind Dianne''s tone while reprimanding him. He didn''t mind this level of prattling as he even found this quite new.


    Well, all the Followers of Qheglena are too serious with him because of the Celestials'' presence. Yulia and Severin, on the other hand, were only talking about their business and all sorts of matters rted to their cultivation.


    It was like in the academy where all he needed to do is study¡­ Of course, she still needed to learn when to stop.


    "Thank you for worrying about me, Dianne¡­ Since I''m feeling better, I think we can now discuss the matters regarding the Star Garden Peak¡­"

 Chapter 221 Result

    "Wait¡ªLet me make it clear. I wasn''t worried about you. I just felt that it was a pity to modify the potion like what you did there. It''s a good thing that Master''s potion is incredible as always¡­" Dianne tried to exin.


    "Right, right¡­" Vincent said as he started wearing his robe and lead her inside the main hall.


    Since Star Garden Peak''s matter is quite sensitive, Vincent decided to only speak with her about it.


    He knows that Faviona was actually bound by a secrecy pact after visiting that organization. If he wasn''t mistaken, the Tier 5 Pill that she made there wasn''t her recipe but from the Star Garden Peak. This is why she had to travel there in the first ce.


    It was to ensure that the recipe would not be leaked elsewhere.


    As for Dianne, she''s not necessarily bounded by the pact since she''s most likely uninvolved with the creation of the pill itself.


    At the very least, he should be able to know a little information about this organization from her.


    "Why are you so interested in Star Garden Peak? I noticed it a while ago¡­ You seem very agitated after hearing about them¡ªHey, where are you going?"


    "Ahh¡­ Don''t mind me¡­ My vision is still blurred. I didn''t get my eyesight backpletely so I was just trying to adjust. Hmmm. Is it better to just close my eyes? I''m not used to blurred vision yet."


    Thest part was muttered softly as he was indeed having a hard time adjusting.


    "Well, my master said that it won''t fully heal you as well. It''s a good thing that you could already see a little. Anyway, can you tell me who did this to you? It''s a very strong seal. Not even a Grandmaster Alchemist can solve it¡­ Isn''t that weird?"


    Vincent smiled as he answered.


    "To be honest, I have no idea who did this¡­ I want to know that as well."


    Well, he''s really not aware of the goddess'' name. It wasn''t his priority so he forgot to ask about that.


    "Ugh¡­ Whatever¡­ Then what would you like to know about the Star Garden Peak?" Dianne asked.


    "Anything that could be considered unusual to us. Anything that is not freely avable to the public." Vincent said seriously.


    Dianne thought for a moment before answering¡­


    "First of all, the rumors about them living on a floating ind are not true. The Sacred Garden Peak''s Central Zone may be thousands of feet above the ground but it''s definitely not floating in the sky and their members couldn''t fly as well."


    Vincent nodded as there were indeed rumors that the Star Garden Peak are descendants of a flying Demihuman Race. Of course, Vincent did not immediately believe that as it was stated in the Knowledge Base Crystal itself that they were all unproven statements from various people who previously had interactions with the said organization.


    "How high it is then?"


    "Hmm¡­ We were able to see a cloud below us¡­ That teau is incredibly high. You''d better bring your Vermilion Hawk if you have the chance of visiting that ce. Well, it would be impossible to get to their Central Zone without their invitation."


    "I see¡­ Is that all?"


    Dianne shook her head.<sub> </sub>


    "I''ve met two Celestial Beings there¡­ They were numbered. I''m not sure what ranks are they but they were incredibly powerful. But¡­ It''s weird¡­ We''ve been there for many days but every time I see them, they were always heavily injured. It was as if they were in a constant battle for some reason."


    "Huh? Maybe they''re not as strong as you thought they were?"


    "Hmph¡­ I can''t be mistaken, even Master Faviona confirmed that those two were stronger than the Numbered Celestials of the Alchemist Union¡­ Ugh! Am I even allowed to say this?" Dianne started hesitating after blurting out a bit of the Union''s secret.


    "Oh~ Then maybe they were just sparring or something?" Vincent said although he was doubtful himself. First of all, he hadn''t seen Tara and Rem spar at each other. Furthermore, if they were both Numbered, wouldn''t they know who''s stronger just by looking at the number?


    Was it not a constant thing?


    "No¡­ I''ve seen many kinds of injuries after following Master Faviona. I know that those weren''t from sparring¡­ They were lethal attacks and they were both barely able to survive. It wasn''t as simple as that."


    Dianne exined.


    "Hmmm¡­ I''ll take note of it. It''s not easy to meet a Celestial Being, were you able to at least get their names?" Vincent asked not really hoping that she would know.


    "Yes¡­ I heard them being called ire and Teresa¡­ I just don''t know which is which."


    "I see¡­ I''ll remember their names."


    The two continued chatting as Dianne shared her experience within the organization''s territory. It seems that the members of the Star Garden Peak are all well-disciplined and strong Arcanists¡­ However, Dianne couldn''t help butment that they were more like a cult that is hiding their fangs.


    She feels that this organization has too many secrets.


    Apparently, she found several buildings that don''t make sense to her.


    After describing these buildings, Vincent visualized them as Observatories used to monitor or study any astronomical phenomena.


    ''I might have to visit that ce someday¡­'' Vincent concluded as he decided to finally take a rest.


    In the meantime, Dianne returned to her room after being guided by Trisha¡­ The former immediately contacted her master to report Vincent''s sessful consumption of the potion.


    Of course, she didn''t forget to report about his modifications in her potion¡­


    "Master¡­ Make sure not to ept any request from him again¡­ He was just trying to ruin your perfect potion." Dianne said to her master who was on the other side of themunication crystal.


    "Haa~ You''re still like that, Dianne¡­ Do you think it''s really that simple to modify a High-Grade Potion? Furthermore, you said that he was briefly covered by a golden light, right? That shouldn''t happen at all¡­ There is no ingredient in that potion that would trigger that kind of light¡­" Faviona answered as she pondered about the phenomena that have urred¡­


    At this point, it seems that she really had no other choice but to ept that Vincent has a mysterious method of enhancing the potion.


    ''Hmmm¡­ Is this rted to Turhan''s student?'' Faviona mused as she decided to end her conversation with Dianne¡­ She needed to contact Professor Turhan as quickly as possible.

 Chapter ?222 Green Lake

    Vincent no longer cares about Dianne and Faviona''s thoughts regarding the ''modifications'' that he made.


    As long as they don''t pry too much about him, he wouldn''t mind cooperating with them for a little longer.


    "Vel, can you take these items? Give them to Dianne first thing in the morning. It''s already a bitte." Vincent said after seeing Yulia, Vel, and Severin¡­


    Since his consumption of the potion took longer than he thought, he decided to just give the payment tomorrow.


    Yes, he''s referring to the items he prepared to give in exchange for the valuable pieces of information he received about the prisoners of the Red Alliance and the Star Gaden Peak.


    "Yes, Sir Vincent¡­" Vel dutifully replied as he took a nce at the magic tools that Vincent prepared. They seem like normal objects so they could easily be mistaken if not for Vincent''s words.


    No matter how many times he sees this, he was always impressed by the vast number of this young man''s magic tools.


    "Alright. Everyone should also take a rest." Vincent said as he looked at Yulia and Severin who has satisfied smiles on their faces.


    "Haha¡­ Of course¡­ But anyway, since you were able to regain your eyesight, even if it''s blurred, it should just be right to have a celebration, right?"


    "Ahhh¡­ That''s true¡­ But let''s just postpone that and do it after I passed thepetition and gain an Emblem¡­" Vincent said. He was filled with confidence although there was still a problem in his eyes.


    "It''s good that you''re confident¡­ We''ll take our leave then. Good night, Vincent." Yulia said as she really felt relieved about this development.


    To be honest, she''s still feeling guilty about Vincent''s blindness.


    It all happened within the Zemin n''s territory after all. Although it is ruled as some kind of ident, there was no way that their n wasn''t involved in it.


    ***


    On the next day, Dianne informed Vincent that she was about to leave and meet with her Master.


    Faviona''s group was currently within the First Tower and it appears that she was there to look for another young disciple. That is indeed a very suitable ce to find talented Mana Practitioners, however, what surprises him is how she can''t find them in the Alchemist Union or in the other tower that was near her. If he wasn''t mistaken, they were supposed to be living somewhere in the 27th Tower or perhaps, within the Union''s territory. It was quite far from here.


    "Right, my master told me to give this to you." Dianne said as she handed over a jade tag to Vincent.


    Vincent held the jade tag and confirmed that there is an engraved symbol of the Alchemist Union.


    "What the use of this?"


    "In case you wanted to visit the Union, you can use it to enter without paying a fee. Aside from the First Tower, that ce has the most number of alchemy ingredients and magic tools. You might need it someday."


    With that said, Dianne gave onest nce at the young man in front of her before turning her back and leaving.


    Just like what her master saidst night, Vincent''s actions were indeed quite mysterious. Adding to the fact that he also has a mysterious source of magic tools, it''s better to be on his good terms for now.


    As for Vincent, he just called Caesus so they can take a carriage to the First Tower.<sub> </sub>


    Today, he''s nning to meet Professor Levent and deal with the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber.


    "Vincent¡­ I''m sure that you guys have a break. You only need to return on the day of thepetition. Shouldn''t you be using this time to practice?"


    Levent asked. Her calm and gentle voice was still the same and Vincent couldn''t help but smile. For some reason, Vincent could feel that she was always looking out for him. He could always feel her kindness and it may be some kind of charm magic but Vincent didn''t mind it at all.


    "Oh¡­ I''m here to check that capsule again. This time, I''m already prepared. I may not have developed a Metal-Melting Liquid as you requested but I have found another method to open it."


    "Really?! I thought you''d already forgotten about this¡­ Let''s do whatever method you have. Follow me." Professor Levent seems to have nothing to do today as well so she immediately invited Vincent.


    "I didn''t forget about it. I was just dyed after handling some personal matters. Are you not going to ask me about the method?"


    Vincent curiously asked.


    "Huh? I will see itter on anyway¡­ I''ve already transferred the capsule to a safer ce. We can try opening it there."


    "Ahh¡­ Is it no longer within the tower?"


    "No¡­ I''ve brought it back inside a dungeon that I''ve recently bought." Levent revealed with a big smile on her face. Buying a dungeon is not easy even with her current status. She was only able to do this after two decades of preparation.


    No wonder she was so confident about this safe ce.


    "Dungeon? You can buy a dungeon?"


    Vincent was almost speechless after learning about this. Most of the dungeons have rare resources that can be indefinitely mined. One sample of this is the dungeon in the Tudor Kingdom where anyone can get a few bottles of Serene Water that could temporarily increase someone''s Magic Immunity.


    There were also others with herbs that could be harvested in certain seasons or golem that you could kill to train yourbat skills and many more.


    "It wasn''t easy to buy one. Anyway, I''ve noticed that your eyes seem livelier than before¡­" Professor Levent said as she lead Vincent to her luxurious carriage parked outside the tower.


    She has a driver taking care of it when the two arrived. As soon as they arrived, the old man immediately readied the horses and opened the door for them.


    "So you''ve noticed. I''m already seeing some light. I still can''t properly see but it seems that I''m about to get cured, Professor."


    "What? Isn''t that good news? Is that the reason why it took you so long to find a method to open that capsule?" Levent was surprised as she realized why Vincent was dyed for such a long time.


    Vincent could only smile and nod at this misunderstanding. It''s better if she thinks of it that way.


    Soon, the two of them were able to get outside the First Tower City as Vincent finally saw a unique dungeon for the first time.


    It wasn''t a cave, a tunnel, or a passage leading underground but a small greenke!

 Chapter 223 The Eyes

    Before arriving at the dungeon''s entrance, Vincent was actually a bit concerned about going outside the city.


    However, after taking a nce at his professor''s Magician Robe, he noticed a blurred red object on her chest. Needless to say, it was the Red Emblem that shows that she''s simr to Professor Turhan''s level, a Grand Magus¡­


    After that, he decided to be shameless for once and asked about her level of multicasting¡­


    In the end, Vincent learned that, unlike Turhan who can only do dual-casting, Professor Levent is actually more impressive! She''s a genuine tri-caster!


    She''s a powerful magician that can certainly fight several Archmages on her own.


    With this level, normal Savage Beasts or even Magic Beasts would be easily killed by her.


    Vincent had read once within the Knowledged Base Crystal about the strength of a tri-caster that has mastered three types of elements.


    A fireball cane at you head-on, the earth can crumble under your feet, and any attempt to counterattack would be stopped by a giant blob of water. This is a power that even Vincent would want to obtain for himself.


    Casting three Mana Arts at the same time is just too unfair for the enemy¡­


    Anyway, after arriving at the greenke about two and a half hourster, Vincent saw the greenke and thought that it was just andmark to confirm their current location.


    To his surprise, the beautiful and kind professor invited him outside as she proudly introduced theke as her dungeon.


    "Thiske is the entrance to the dungeon I bought¡­ Although it''s a bit expensive, this is still one of the closest in the Tower."


    ''Well, you should''ve bought a personal flying airship so we can get here faster though¡­'' Vincent thought. If he knows that it would take this much time to get here, he would''ve offered to use his Vermillion Hawk instead of asking Tara to just secretly follow them.


    Nevertheless, now that they are here, Vincent could only ask how to enter this dungeon.


    "Do we have to get wet every time we enter the dungeon?" Vincent asked. He wasn''t sure but it seems that theke is not clean. It might be full of algae or whatever green things there are that were filling the wholeke.


    "Ahh¡­ Don''t worry, theke is just some sort of water formation hiding the dungeon¡­ I ced it there after buying the dungeon. It can be used to kill¡­ Ehem, I mean to protect this dungeon from other people or even beasts that are wandering around this area."


    "Hmm¡­ No wonder. Right, I noticed that there is still a paved road here¡­ Did you arrange for that as well?"


    "Ahh, no way¡­ If you continue the road from here up to that hill ahead of us, it will lead you to anotherrge dungeon and the nearest ck Tower. There''s also the Barbed River on our left and the Scale Forest on our right¡­ If you''re unaware of it, that Scale Forest is where the students will normally put to test."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Vincent asked in confusion.


    "Since you entered the academy through a rmendation, you only need to prove yourself in apetition against other kids who had also received a rmendation. If not, you will be like the normal recruits who need to study here for years and prove themselves. One of these methods to prove yourself is to survive in that Scale Forest for a month and many students couldn''t pass that. Furthermore, Professor Turhan can only use the rmendation as far as I know and he still gave it to you."<sub> </sub>


    "No wonder¡­ I didn''t know that. I guess I was really lucky to meet the professor." Vincent said as even though he knows that the rmendation was valuable, he didn''t expect that it would be this great.


    "Yes, so you have to thank Professor Turhan for that. Well, he might evene to you once you get your emblem and get his payment."


    Vincent smiled since it would indeed be better if he could repay the professor.


    Anyway, the coachman was left in the carriage and let the two of them enter the dungeon.


    Levent controlled the water formation as the green water started fading away¡­ There seems to be another water formation blocking their path, it seems like a water well this time, but the professor just ignored it. She led Vincent to dive into this well filled with clean water¡­


    However, the two did not get wet at all as their vision turned dark¡­ Vincent then felt the familiar sensation of entering a dungeon.


    The two of them were summoned on top of the rock and arrived in a huge cavern. There''s no longer any water around them but just a huge space.


    The cavern was illuminated by glowing rocks and a gust of wind would sometimes go in their direction and it wasing from the deeper part of the dungeon.


    They were currently at the center of thisrge cavern and just a few steps away from them is the capsule.


    This is the first time that Vincent saw the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber since he was blind when he appraise it before.


    Now, he was able to ascertain that the capsule is actually a metallic green object that reflects the light quite beautifully.


    "Do you need my help?" Professor Levent asked interrupting his thoughts.


    "Hmmm¡­ I''m not sure, Professor. You know that the thing inside can be very dangerous. If that''s really the case, I might need your help to neutralize whatever is inside."


    "Yes¡­ Don''t worry, we''re currently under a huge formation. If it''s a dangerous creature, I can kill or restrain it even if it''s the rumored mythical beast. But if not, it''s better not to agitate whatever''s inside and show any form of hostility. I like to study whatever is inside this thing after all."


    Professor Levent replied.


    "Alright then¡­ I''m going to start. First, I''ll get a quick nce inside this thing."


    Vincent''s words confused Levent for a moment.


    However, she realized that he was actually using an interspatial ring as he brought out a weird object¡­


    "Hmm? What are those¡ªAh? That''s a Barbarian King''s eyes?!"

 Chapter ?224 Opening

    Although Levent is not an alchemist, she''s still aware of many alchemy ingredients, especially those that are expensive and rare to find.


    Barbarian King''s eyes may be an item that the Barbarians themselves would just ignore but not for the alchemists.


    They would do their best to preserve this organ and keep it as their precious ingredient. Obviously, because of its size, it can''t be used for an eye transnt.


    ''So he has really prepared it all, huh¡­'' Levent muttered as she excitedly waited for Vincent''s real method to open the capsule.


    The eyeball right now will not be used to open the capsule itself.


    However, a Barbarian King''s eyeball can be used for an Ephemeral Mana Art or a single-use magic tool.


    With the help of specific materials and some alchemy products, it can be used for three things.


    One of them is to sense the existence of barbarians in a certain range which is normally within 10 kilometers.


    The other one is to release a Kingly Rage Mana Art that can be used to trigger an effect simr to what a Berserk Potion can do but in this case, it could actuallyst for almost an entire day. There will be a bacsh to the user after the effect wears off but it is still very enticing since it could increase your strength by more than 30 percent.


    Lastly, this thing can also be used to break illusions, view a specific aura, or find the weakness of an object or a living.


    If she wasn''t mistaken, Vincent is nning to use thisst option to get a sense of whatever is inside this thing.


    "Isn''t that expensive? Are you sure that we have to use it like this?" She asked.


    It is not that she did not think of this method. It''s just that this eyeball is very difficult to find since many Alchemists are looking for this item to create a tool that can trigger the Kingly Rage. Such a tool can probably be worth over 10 times the value of the eyeball itself.


    A treasure that could save one''s life by increasing your strength is extremely expensive after all.


    "It''s fine, Professor. I will start now."


    Vincent said as he took out one of the eyeballs within the ss jar after wearing gloves.


    Because of the modifications made to it, this particr eyeball has now turned red¡­


    He then dropped it on top of the capsule and waited for a few seconds¡­


    St¡­


    The eyeball melted as the capsule was covered by red sticky slime.


    It looks gross but this is the effect that Vincent was looking for.


    In truth, this is actually Severin''s creation, and based on what he said, the color of the sticky goo would turn white if it found a living being within the vessel¡­ This is simr to his appraisal result but after ascending and enhancing it to +9, it became even more impressive¡­


    "W-what''s this?" Professor Levent couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    As soon as the crimson eyeball turned liquid and covered the capsule, it actually dissipated like it was absorbed by the metal.


    After that, she saw a figure made of red light inside the capsule!


    This figure was unmoving in a fetal position¡­<sub> </sub>


    Thissted for only three seconds but she was sure that there is a living being inside!


    "What happened, Vincent? What is that figure inside?" She had never seen anything like this before. She couldn''t even think of any Mana Art close to this¡­ There are several detection tools that she had used before but giving an effect that shows a glowing figure ispletely new to her.


    "Ahhh¡­ There was a bit of modification from the normal Detection Eyeball that was made. Anyway, we at least confirmed that the figure inside has a human figure." Vincent said as he didn''t really want to exin a bit too much about this magic tool.


    "T-that''s awesome¡­ It''s incredible! I never knew that such a method exists!" Levent said with excitement as she looked at Vincent in a different light.


    ''This young man is really filled with mystery! No wonder Turhan did not hesitate to use the rmendation to him¡­''


    Levent thought as she begins to imagine the strength that Vincent would disy a couple of dayster.


    She did not believe that this young man is only a resourceful person. He has too many things he''s hiding and his realbat strength must be one of them.


    "Right? In any case, we''re now sure that there''s no beast inside¡­ As long as it''s a humanoid figure, it should be someone we canmunicate with¡­ I hope this being will be reasonable."


    Vincent muttered thest part as he was silently wishing that the one inside wouldn''t just randomly try to kill them.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll leave it to you¡ªHmm?" Levent was about to back away when she noticed that Detection Eyeball started reforming from its liquid state.


    "Ahhh. It has three uses¡­ So I can still use it a couple more times¡­" Vincent exined as he grabbed therge eyeball back to the ss jar filled with slime.


    Levent could only sigh in admiration. It means that the Detection Eyeball that is supposed to be an Ephemeral Mana Art or single-use has been greatly modified. Whoever or whatever did this is probably one of Vincent''s greatest secrets.


    Vincent then pulled out his Astral Night Dagger¡­


    As per Tara''s words, using a Celestial Weapon would certainly catch the attention of the being inside since all the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber has a function to notify their user once they were got in contact with such a weapon.


    Professor Levent did not know this and she''s also unaware that Vincent is holding a Celestial Weapon right now.


    It doesn''t seem different from other Magic Weapons after all.


    "ng!"


    Vincent struck the metallic green capsule and created an echoing noise within the cavern.


    He repeated this a couple of times before he finally saw a reaction¡­


    Professor Levent noticed that the object started vibrating¡­ She wasn''t sure how striking this capsule with a dagger would get this reaction but she had no time to think about it.


    She immediately held the Formation Core in her hands ready to activate its restraining state.


    nk¡­ nk¡­ nk¡­


    With her bated breath, Levent heard the mechanical gears of the capsule start functioning¡­


    Her eyes lit up in excitement...


    It''s finally here!

 Chapter 225 Clarity

    Vincent took a couple of steps back¡­


    The reaction of the being inside is quite faster than he expected.


    Nevertheless, he was ready. He did not take out any weapons aside from the dagger he was already holding.


    He also made sure to give enough space between them in something unexpected happened.


    Clink¡­ Clink¡­


    There were a few more sounds of the mechanical gears before a puff of air suddenly came out.


    Whoosh~


    He excitedly looked at the capsule waiting for its hatch topletely open.


    He can still remember Tara''s beautiful figure when he met her the first time¡­ Of course, he wasn''t waiting to see a naked figure inside, he just wanted to see whether the being inside is really a Celestial Being and if it is, he wanted to see whether there was a number marked on her body.


    Well, he has blurry eyes after all. Even if he wanted to see the naked figure, he wouldn''t be able to appreciate it. Even the number that he was looking for is just basically a blurry ck mark somewhere on her body that could possibly be a number.


    "Vincent¡­ Be careful. You''re too close."


    Professor Levent reminded although he was already ten steps away from the chamber.


    Vincent only nodded as his focus was on the figure that wille out inside. However, before he could even see the figure, the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber already started crumbling into smaller pieces¡­ He was very familiar with this as it appears simr to the nanotechnology that he was aware of.


    As for Levent, this was her first time seeing this as she clenched her fist tightly. She''s not aware of what was happening and it can be scary at some times.


    Vincent noticed this as her breathing started showing signs of nervousness.


    "Don''t activate the formation yet, Professor Tara. The being inside is only putting on her suit."


    "Her suit?"


    Vincent just smiled as he felt a lot better after knowing that the figure inside is most likely a Celestial Being although he hadn''t seen her yet.


    "Who are you?"


    A confused voiceing from within the full-body armor suit was heard. Because the voice is from within the suit or maybe even some kind of a speaker, it sounded quite mechanical although it seems to be from a woman.


    Vincent didn''t immediately answer as he tried to familiarize the image of this blurry figure. Its outer appearance was coated with metallic green and ck. On its helmet or face, there was two red glows from where her eyes should be. She doesn''t seem to possess a weapon as well.


    After taking note of this, Vincent replied.


    "I''m Vincent¡­ I got this thing from a friend and was told that it might help you wake up¡­ This is Professor Levent. She''s the one who found your sleeping chamber."


    He said as he showed his Astral Night Dagger before introducing Professor Levent.


    "Why did you do that?


    "Ugh¡­"


    Vincent couldn''t think of an answer so he looked at Professor Levent. She seemed to be troubled at first but she immediately found an answer.


    She only needed to be honest. She looked at the armored figure as she answered.<sub> </sub>


    "Well¡­ I initially thought that inside the capsule is some kind of a treasure so I hid it and tried opening it for several years. But¡­ I didn''t expect that it''s more than just a treasure¡­ I''ve seen simr armors with a different design before. Are you perhaps a slumbering Celestial Being? Ugh¡­ Vincent, what do we do?"


    At thest part, Professor Levent looked at Vincent helplessly since she was unsure how to deal with Celestials at all.


    Instead of helping her exin, Vincent just looked at the armored being.


    The figure just looked back at him and didn''t speak.


    At this point, Vincent decided to break the silence.


    "Your memories¡­ Are you missing some memories? Do you remember why you''re sleeping in your chamber?"


    "Why do I have to tell?" The being answered after a moment. She then looked around at her surroundings as she probably realized that she was inside an unfamiliar cavern. Furthermore, she might''ve even noticed the Mana Art Formation made by the Professor.


    "We''re not here to harm you. As a matter of fact, we''re willing to help you in case you''ve been asleep there for a very long time now. Perhaps, a few decades or even centuries had passed, right? If you''re a Celestial Being, you might want to meet a couple of them right now. They''re currently receiving my help regarding their Celestial Energy."


    Vincent exined. Not only the armored being was surprised but also Professor Levent who had no idea that Vincent has such a backer.


    ''He''s helping two Celestial Beings? Does that mean he''s providing them Blood Essence? There are even two of them?! Ahh! Maybe that was the reason why he''s blind! No wonder he can''t be cured by normal means.''


    Professor Levent finally connected the dots¡­ or so she thought.


    "You''re right. I don''t know how long had passed¡­ However, I know that I have not recovered yet. Do you have anything that can cure my injury?" She asked.


    Professor Levent immediately acted as she took out three high-grade health recovery potions.


    However, the armored figure only looked at it for a moment before shaking her. Levent tried a few more times as she brought out several pills and even fruits that have the ability to cure external or internal wounds.


    Vincent then decided to take out three +10 potions.


    These potions were for him and not even meant to be given to Tara and Rem. Well, most of the time, he''s only supplying them with +9 potions since that would normally be enough and they aren''t requesting more either.


    "Let me have those three¡­"


    Hearing this, Vincent squinted his eyes but he did not dy and handed over the three health potions. He can always make them.


    Clink¡­


    The helmet of the armor was suddenly withdrawn revealing the beautiful face of the Celestial Being¡­ At least, Vincent is imagining her as a beautiful woman since it''s quite blurry.


    Anyway, he still saw her drink those potions in session.


    After feeling the effects of the potion, she couldn''t help but look gratefully at Vincent.


    "Incredible¡­ I didn''t know this world has developed this level of nutrients already. If I continued drinking this, I won''t even need to use my chamber to slowly gather my strength¡­"


    As she was speaking, she seemed to have recalled something, so she immediately asked. "Tell me, is there already a victor? Since you know two others of the same race as me, they''ve probably been injured in the war and were sent back here in the back lines to recover¡­ just like me. They should know the situation, right?"


    At her sudden question, Vincent was dumbfounded.


    "Huh?"

 Chapter ?226 Swift

    "Hmm?"


    The Celestial also looked at him curiously.


    "Wait¡­ Weren''t you prohibited to reveal this kind of information to us?" Vincent asked.


    "Right¡­ There''s indeed a restriction on mentioning the war to the natives¡­ But¡­ I wonder¡­"


    The Celestial Being realized what Vincent was trying to say. She was also confused but she couldn''t find an answer aside from having a ''glitch'' since she had only woken up.


    Vincent can only ept this exnation.


    Anyway, she looked at Levent who was still holding the Formation Core.


    "I won''t be harming you. You don''t look like the enemy of my race so I won''t be attacking you. I''m just a normal Celestial Being... I''ll take a quick rest for now then I''ll try looking for my spaceship. You don''t have to be too wary of me." She announced as she showed a weak smile on her.


    Vincent felt a bit weird since a Celestial Being wouldn''t normally say this kind of thing at all. There is a matter about the natural restriction ingrained into their brain. After so many conversations with Tara and Rem, he already knows that these restrictions were sort of instinct within their bodies.


    There are only two exceptions where they could win over their instinct and that is by having sufficient strength or through extreme conditions in order to survive.


    "Professor, hold the Formation Core tightly¡­ Don''t get too close."


    "Ahh? Why? Is she that dangerous? You''ve given her your potions already, right?"


    "Yes¡­ That''s just a way to assess her condition. We still have to ensure that she''s not carrying any sort of disease just to be safe. Based on what she said, she was previously injured and used the capsule to recuperate, ''just like the other two''."


    "I see¡­ If she was injured by some sort of poison or even disease, she might still have it, huh¡­"


    Levent nodded in understanding.


    Vincent tried to by more time as he was thinking of what to do with this being.


    "Hey¡­ I''m not carrying any disease¡­"


    After hearing their conversation, the ''Celestial Being'' could no longer keep her silence.


    Vincent ignored that as he pulled out the cane from his interspatial ring. He didn''t wave it as a weapon but to help him walk.


    "Hmm? You''re wary of me?" The being asked as she probably felt the unusualness of the cane.


    <o>,m "I''m curious, are you a Numbered Celestial?" Vincent asked.</o>


    After thinking for a moment, she answered. "Yes¡­"


    "Do you know which species are you at war with?"


    "Yes, it''s¡ªNo, I can''t tell you." She answered.


    "I understand¡­ Do you know which spaceship are you using then?"


    "Hmm? Not sure¡­ I can''t remember... Right, I''m not allowed to tell you."


    "How about the Demihumans? Do you remember them?"


    "Of course! Yes¡­ They''re very kind¡­ I mean vicious¡­ They must be eliminated."


    Vincent wryly smiled as her answer was quite messy. However, because of this, he finally knows what he should do.


    He looked at Professor Levent who was just staring at him while he was asking his questions. She was a bit startled after being stared back as she raised her brows in question.


    "What now? I''m just looking at you. You can continue your conversation. I''m learning a lot of things."


    "No need¡­ I think we first need to call the two other Celestial Beings that I know. Maintain this formation¡ª"


    Bang!


    Vincent did not even finish instructing Levent when the armored being struck him with her fist. It was incredibly fast and strong!<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    After being struck, Vincent was thrown to the cavern''s wall as the rocks started breaking¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The rocks, dust, and mud started falling as Vincent was buried in the rubbles¡­


    Levent doesn''t know whether he was still dead or alive¡­


    "Activate!" Levent didn''t hesitate as she immediately suppressed the armored being by activating the Mana Art Formation¡­ To her surprise, this being has already moved close to her and was only one step away from striking her!


    "Tsk!" The ''Celestial'' was mad after dealing with a supposedly perfect surprise attack on Vincent and failing to kill Levent.


    "What have you done?!" Levent wanted to beat this ''Celestial'' but she stopped herself as she didn''t want to give her an opportunity. She instead put a distance away from her to ensure her safety and so she could concentrate on the formation.


    "Ugh! If he didn''t hit me with that weird thing, you would''ve been dead by now¡­" The ''Celestial'' said as Levent finally took a long nce at her¡­


    Indeed, she realized that the waist of the armor have signs of cracks¡­


    ''Did he do that?''


    She only saw Vincent get struck by the armored being''s fist but he didn''t see his counterattack! Everything happened so fast! If Vincent did not injure her in that brief moment, she might''ve been killed before activating the formation just like what she said!


    "Vincent! Vincent! Do you hear me?!"


    Levent called out hoping that Vincent is still alive¡­


    However, the young man was not answering.


    Since she''s controlling the formation core, she has to concentrate. She either needs to call for help or push herself to the limit.


    There is a driver outside the dungeon and he is a Master Magician. He can certainly help in their situation but she instructed him to only check on them after an hour.


    It seems that she had no choice but to multicast¡­ Although it can be taxing to her body, she has to do it.


    Her control with the Formation might get weakened but since the ''Celestial'' wasn''t in her full strength, she might have enough time to rescue Vincent.


    Soon, she activated two Elemental Mana Arts¡­ Earth and Water Elements were used.


    It wasn''t just a simple Tier 3 Mana Art but abination technique¡­


    It is different from Fusion Arts since the two Elemental Mana Arts are not bing one and creating another Elemental Mana Art.


    Thebination technique that she just used doesn''t require an incredible talent like Fusion Arts but it requires a lot of mana.


    Suddenly, a river of water cleared a part of the rubbles and ced them in one ce¡­ After umting several mud and stones, they suddenly vibrated and started to move!


    After a few seconds, it turned into an earth golem!


    Since it doesn''t have any core, it means that Professor Levent was fully controlling this golem!


    "Hold on, Vincent! Stay alive!"


    Levent said in worry. Although Vincent is not answering, she was able to feel his Mana Fluctuations. He''s definitely alive and was probably just incapable of moving because of the debris pressing his body.


    In the end, she can only use this golem to absorb the remaining rubbles into its body¡­ She doesn''t have many Earth Elemental Mana Arts after all since she focused on this high-level golem instead.


    Perhaps, if she knows how to use Earth Softening Art or simr techniques, it might be easier for her to save him¡­ Right now, she can only use the river of water to locate Vincent''s body before immediately removing it since it might drown him.


    "Hmm?"


    As she was controlling the golem, she realized that the ''Celestial Being'' started squirming on the ground.

 Chapter 227 Foreign

    "What now?"


    Professor Levent suddenly felt nervous. Is it transforming? Or hopefully, dying?


    She needs to rescue Vincent as quickly as possible.


    After feeling more pressure, Levent''s adrenaline seem to have kicked in as she became faster and managed to find Vincent''s body after just a few more seconds¡­


    "Eh?"


    To her surprise, Vincent doesn''t seem to be heavily injured¡­ He wasn''t even that dirty. However, his eyes were closed as if he was concentrating instead of enduring the pain.


    "Hey, Vincent¡­ Are you alright?"


    She asked after controlling the golem to lift his body.


    The robe he was using was actually fluctuating a powerful wave of mana¡­ It seems that it is a Magic Artifact capable of protecting his body¡­


    After several more seconds, Vincent finally opened his eyes.


    "Ugh¡­ I was lucky¡­ Thank you for pulling me out, Professor. I''m fine now." Vincent said as hended on the ground.


    "What happened?" Levent asked. She was confused. Did you get hurt or not? Furthermore, do you know that this being is actually dangerous?


    "I was too focused on healing my body so I didn''t have the time to remove the rubbles. Thank you for helping me¡­ Let''s focus on this creature first¡­ She''s definitely not a Celestial Being." Vincent said with certainty.


    It wasn''t just because he has been attacked. After all, he had almost died against a Celestial before and it wouldn''t be surprising to get attacked by one.


    It is simply because one of his ring magic tools took effect. It must be remembered that Vincent has several talismans on his body and rings on his finger.


    They all have different functions. There were those for Physical Protection, Aura and Soul Protection, Invasive Mana Protection, andstly, Foreign Energy Protection.


    The Brilliant Zeal ring has the effect to stop and contain any Foreign Energy that is within his body.


    After Vincent was struck, it wasn''t Celestial Energy that tried invading his body but something else.


    This is now the result of his appraisal of the ring after being struck by an unknown being.


    [ Damaged Brilliant Zeal Ring ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 45/290


    New Energy Protection: A passive ability that helps the user contain any new forms of energy that invades their body.


    Currently Contained Energy: Aether ( Harmful )


    Description: A damaged ring that has a very strong effect against unknown types of energy. Every usage will decrease the durability of the ring. It can only be repaired by upgrading it into a Soul-Forged item.


    Remarks: The item can not be enhanced. After Losing 5 more durability points, the contained energy will be released. ]


    Vincent knows for sure that Celestial Beings do not use this type of Energy. He literally has Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he knows this very well.


    Aether.


    He wasn''t sure what kind of energy it is or what kind of creature uses this energy but since it''s harmful, this being must not be allowed to leave this ce.


    "Hmm? Professor, is this you doing? Why is it squirming like this?" Vincent asked after noticing the unusual action of this armored being.


    "I''m not sure. The Formation Mana Art doesn''t have this kind of effect. She just started--Ah, look¡­"


    Suddenly the squirming figure stopped and the nanotech armor slowly crumbled from its body and reformed into a cube beside the figure.


    It was a figure of a woman but something seems off as her body was showing ck veins. It was all over her body and seems quite scary¡­<sub> </sub>


    She then weakly nces in Vincent and Levent''s direction¡­


    She was opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to say something. Vincent found this weird so he decided to throw a healing pill into her mouth¡­


    Now that he''s fully prepared with all hisbat items out, he''s confident that he won''t be ambushed again. Furthermore, he trusts his instinct that something has changed in this being.


    After swallowing the pill, the woman seemed to have regained her energy as she was finally able to speak.


    She didn''t speak of gratitude for the pill or curse them for restraining her.


    Instead, she made an unexpected request.


    "H-hurry¡­ Kill me¡­ I can''t stop it any longer¡­"


    "What?" Professor Levent was shocked whiled Vincent frowned.


    ''She wanted to be killed? Ahh¡­ No way¡­'' Vincent finally understood what was happening¡­


    "Is it rted to the ck veins on your body? Can you not control yourself?" He immediately asked. He also noticed the huge change in her tone of voice after all. It was like he was speaking to apletely different person.


    The woman''s eyes lit up after hearing his words and she nodded with difficulty.


    "Is there no other way? How long can youst?"


    "I can''t¡­ Please, kill me now! You can''t stop the Xonid after entering your body¡­ You can only dy it." The woman said with a defeated smile on her face.


    She nced at the cube near her as tears started flowing down her cheeks.


    Vincent suddenly felt guilty¡­


    Perhaps this woman was actually recuperating from being mind-controlled? Perhaps she was inside the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber to suppress whatever parasite was inside her body and waiting until someone can cure her?


    ''Xonid, huh... I''ll remember it.''


    "Very well¡­" As soon as Vincent replied to her¡­


    The woman''s eyes suddenly turned ck before returning to normal again. It only happened for a second but Vincent noticed this detail although blurry.


    Her aurapletely changed and the ck veins also dissipated¡­ She seemed like a normal woman now¡­


    "Hmm¡­ Don''t mind what I said just a moment ago. I''mpletely fine now. I won''t hurt you."


    The woman calmly said as she tried sitting up with her weak body.


    Vincent sneered as he ignored her words. There was no way he would believe that.


    He pounced towards the naked woman as he raised his cane!


    The woman instinctively raise her guard but Vincent did not attack her. He simply struck the cube away from the woman¡­


    Bang!


    It was thrown away but still within the confines of the formation art.


    "Y-you!" She was angered by the loss of that precious item but Vincent wasn''t finished yet.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Three consecutive strikes from his cane hit the arms of the woman¡­ She seem to have felt the pain but she only greeted her teeth and didn''t utter any words.


    Realizing that her disguise can no longer be used. She gritted her teeth and started to fight seriously even within the restriction of the Formation.


    At this time, Vincent finally saw what a real Xonid is¡­

 Chapter ?228 Grand Magus

    "Vincent¡­ I think that we''ve really opened something we shouldn''t have¡­ My restrictions might break at this rate." Professor Levent said as soon as she saw the woman suddenly turn into a dark creature with dark tentacles all over her body.


    They saw her skin and flesh open up¡­ It was a gruesome sight but their eyes didn''t leave on the figure as they need to witness everything from the start. A dark matter wrapped around her and just turned her into what she is now.


    "Yeah¡­ I agree with you this time, Professor." Vincent said as he took out another item in his interspatial ring.


    The real owner of the body is probably already dead at this point. There''s no point hesitating and they just have to do their best in killing this creature.


    "Move back a little bit, Vincent. I will use the offensive arts of the formation to kill this thing. You might be affected if you''re too close."


    Hearing this, Vincent decided to just move out of her way and watch how it will proceed.


    What he brought out just now was only a Grimoire or ''Tome of Skill'' as per the system. It''s only meant to protect himself since he doesn''t really have many utilities he can use to fight from a distance¡­ so he was preparing himself for a closebat battle.


    Being near that terrifying monster is quite nerve-wracking after all.


    Thankfully, he might not need to get closer in order to kill this alien¡­


    ''Right¡­ This must be an alien which is the enemy of the Celestial Beings¡­'' Vincent guessed as he couldn''t think of any Magic Beasts or Savage Beasts capable of doing this to a Celestial Being.


    It could be a Demihuman doing this as well, but he already heard from her about the ''Xonid'' which might actually be the name of this alien race.


    "de of Death!"


    As the dark creature was mustering its strength, Levent decided to disy the might of her Mana Art Formation.


    There were about two dozen of des that suddenly formed right above the dark creature¡­ They then slowly rotated and continued to get faster! After a few seconds, a tornado made of des came rushing the creature!


    The restraining aura was still there as it is limiting the movement of the enemy¡­ It had no choice but to endure or defend against the attack!


    nk! nk! nk!


    There was no sound of flesh being ripped apart¡­ The ck matter was actually as hard as steel...


    It was a good attack and Vincent will be able to use this as a reference in case he needed to make a move.


    "Ggaaarggh!"


    The ck creature roared something to them but they were unable to understand what it was. Levent then decided to continue using the two other offensive arts¡­


    "Lightning Prison¡­"


    "Fire Torrent¡­"


    The elemental attacks seem to be a lot more effective than using the de of Death which she thought was her strongest attacking Mana Art.<sub> </sub>


    The ck creature could only continuously wave its limbs to try and defend against the attack. "


    "Ggaaarggh!"


    It continued crying or perhaps, roaring at them but Levent wasn''t stopping any time soon¡­ Although she can''t continuously use the three offensive Mana Arts, she can just switch to using the restraining powers of the Formation Art to create several chains to put the creature into one ce¡­


    After noticing that there were no visible changes on the ck creature''s body, she decided to use her own Tier 3 Mana Arts¡­


    As a Tri-Caster, she was able to do this much although it is quite taxing to her mental strength.


    "Vincent, if I still can''t kill this thing with eight of my strongest Mana Arts, I will have to take a rest and just focus on maintaining the Restraining Formation Art."


    "I understand. Since we can''t give it some time to rest, I''ll continue attacking after. It will be closebat then." Vincent replied. Although he can use Soul Domain, Soul Pressure, Ensnare, Chaos Night, and other long-range attacks, they don''t seem to be stronger than what she was about to throw at the creature.


    If that''s the case, closebat will be the answer. He would have to trust with his Celestial Weapons and his precious cane.


    Soon, Vincent witnessed the real strength of a Grand Magus¡­ It ispletely different from the Adepts and Archmages that he had seen in battle before.


    It was to the point that he can no longer recognize what kind of Mana Arts she was throwing to the creature¡­


    He first saw a huge raven made of ice as it struck the creature until it was frozen. It onlysted for three seconds after its tentacles started squirming and destroying it into many pieces, however, it was immediately followed by a pir of green fire.


    It somehow hurt the ck creature as it knelt on the stone floor.


    Levent continued with another attack but this time, it was a simple icence¡­ However, since it was made by a grand magus, its power and hardness can''t bepared to what a Master Magician could aplish.


    It was followed by another Fire Elemental attack then another Ice Elemental attack. She was switching between these two elements! An extreme hot followed by extreme cold.


    Afterpleting the eight attacks, the ck creature''s movement became sluggish¡­


    ''Incredible¡­ A grand magus is really strong¡­ Her casting speed and timing were also perfect¡­ A Tri-Caster can probably be considered as an entire magic squad¡­ If she doesn''t have to split her focus on the Formation Core''s stability, she might be able to show more. '' Vincent could only praise after witnessing her onught.


    It waspletely different from the normal Elemental Mana Arts that he had seen before. It wasn''t just powerful in a sense but also beautiful.


    Not everyone has an opportunity to see a Grand Magus going all out in a battle so Vincent made sure to imprint all of this in his mind.


    A mist was then formed around the sluggish ck Creature but with the Formation on, it was swiftly dissipated by Levent¡­


    As Vincent was checking whether it was still moving, he heard the professor''s voice.


    "I just used Life Detection¡­ It was weak but definitely alive¡­ I''ve already exhausted my mana. Any more and the Formation Core will copse. Finish him off, Vincent¡­"

 Chapter 229 Soul-Forged

    "I will¡­" Vincent said as his grip on the cane tightened.


    To be safe, he still used all his Aura Skills since he has plenty of energy he could spare anyway.


    "Ensnare!"


    Vincent tapped the ground with his cane and activated the ensnaring ability as iron vines started growing around the ck creatures¡­


    Crank¡­ Crank¡­


    As expected, the iron vines that could wound barbarians were not even able to leave a scratch on its body.


    ''Xonid¡­ What a peculiar race¡­ It''s not a Demihuman Race but it''s probably friendly with Demihumans considering how she slipped up saying they''re kind¡­ I might be wrong but considering the situation of the Celestial Beings¡­ They''re probably enemies with many races¡­''


    Vincent analyzed the opponent he was facing¡­ He couldn''t help but be amazed at how tough this creature was.


    It was already weakened after being inside the chamber for a long time, it was also restrained by the Formation and received an attack from it. It then received the eight strongest elemental attacks of a Grand Magus¡­


    However, it still managed to survive and is slowly recovering.


    This means that not only does it has a strong Magic Resistance but also Physical Resistance.


    At the very least, although the iron vines were not dealing damage, it was still helping with the restrictions that were already ced by Levent.


    Vincent already used the Grimoire that has a Living Armor which could protect him from any harm that might bypass his other defensive Magic Tools.


    He pounced at the ck creature who was still sluggish and seemingly in a dizzied state.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent smashed the creature several times and confirmed that the Crush Attribute was triggered¡­


    Plop!


    As he thought that he was hitting an imprable shell, he heard a cracking sound before hitting a soft part of the creature¡­


    Hitting the same spot continuously worked! It''s maybe because of the +40 uracy Attribute or he was just good at smashing things.


    The already weakened creatures screamed in pain!


    The ck tentacles elongated by a few inches as it tried catching Vincent¡­


    However, he was prepared for it as he shed with his Astral Night Dagger.


    Clink! Clink!


    It didn''t cut the ck tentacles but it was still wounded!


    As expected of a Celestial Weapon with Critical and Pierce Attribute!


    They are only 100 and 200 points respectively but their effects are better than elemental attacks made by a Grand Magus¡­


    ''Ah, no---I think Professor Levent already softened this creature a bit so the dagger is now effective¡­'' Vincent thought as he backed away¡­


    Seeing that the creature consumed so much energy just to try and catch him, Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he repeated the same moves.


    He would pounce at the creature and smash it with his cane and use his daggers to parry its counterattack.<sub> </sub>


    He did this several more times and he would sometimes get caught. But thanks to his Nightbane Robe and Living Armor, he only felt a brief moment of suffocation before being able to get away.


    That was dangerous but he had no other choice. He''s not fighting against humans after all. So he can''t use the normal logic against this creature or he would be the one to suffer.


    He''s doing such a cowardly tactic right now but the creature he''s dealing with is most likely an enemy of the Celestial Beings!


    It could be a form of parasite or whatever it was, it must be very strong to invade the body of a Celestial!


    ''It''s not enough¡­ The crushed ck shell is already recovering¡­ What an amazing tenacity¡­''


    Vincent thought for a moment.


    He already kept his Damaged Brilliant Zeal Ring since losing 5 more durability points on it would destroy it and it can no longer be repaired. In short, he no longer has a defense against the Aether, or the Foreign Energy, that the Xonid is using.


    Once he got struck again and was invaded by that energy, who knows if that thing could parasite him as well as what it did to the Celestial?


    This is one of his concerns so he was doing his best not to get hit at all.


    Right now, what he needed is a strong burst of attack that could kill this Xonid creature.


    ''Alright¡­ Let me try this now.''


    It must be remembered that his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane has two skills already. It was the Ensnare Skill and Soul Manifestation.


    [ Soul Manifestation ( Exclusive Soul-Forged Item Skill ): In exchange for 200 units of mana, the creator''s soul will be summoned for five seconds that can bemanded to attack or defend. ]


    He doesn''t really know how strong it could be but since it''s only worth 200 units of mana or 40 units of Pseudo-Celestial Energy, Vincent decided to go for it.


    After gaining a bit of distance, he triggered the skill.


    Soul Manifestation¡­


    The 40 units is still a considerable amount so he was able to feel that his energy started leaving from his Synthetic Celestial Core.


    Soon, a huge figure of an old man appeared. The figure seemed to be made of white mist but Vincent could still recognize him¡­


    It was an apparition of someone.


    However, even if it was blurry, he could easily guess what he was seeing right now.


    ''Grandpa Raizen¡­''


    That''s right, the creator of the Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane was no other than the one who had given it to him.


    Vincent had a mix of emotions after seeing this blurry figure.


    However, it will onlyst for 20 seconds so he has to quickly guide it to attack the Xonid creature¡­


    Since the manifested image or the apparition of his grandfather doesn''t have sentience, it only wordlessly followed Vincent''s instructions.


    Soon, he witnessed how it attacks. After it confirmed the target, it flew over the Xonid creature and manifested a cane simr to the Ironbark Cane he was holding¡­


    Without any words, the apparition struck. It wasn''t very fast nor slow but as soon as it hit the body of the creature, Vincent felt that the cane created a strong vibration!


    It was as if it was trying to destroy the enemy from the inside!

 Chapter ?230 Xonid

    Vincent had never seen Raizen''s battle against the Celestial Being that has previously attacked their small vige.


    What he only knows is that Raizen had long years of experience in battle and that he is an Aura Knight. He did not mention it specifically but he assumes that Raizen was also a 3-Star Aura Knight as that is what he said was the limit of humans.


    Anyway, the attack that the apparition just showed doesn''t seem to be any Aura Knight Skills that he was aware of.


    It could be an attack directly on the soul of the creature or perhaps, it was just like what he saw, the cane created a vibration strong enough to get the creature to scream in pain¡­


    It tried attacking back but it wasn''t hitting anything¡ªNo, the attack of the Xonid creature seem to be quite effective as Raizen''s apparition seemed to lessen. Although it seems that the ck tentacles were not hitting Raizen''s apparition as it is only passing through, it was actually scattering some of its mistyponents.


    Nevertheless, Raizen did not continue attacking using the same technique. This time, the cane he was holding struck three times at different spots leaving a trace of ''mist'' where it was struck.


    The cane was then waved in a circr motion before striking the Xonid creature¡­ The strike was quite different because it was as if the cane was used like a coach screw.


    Bam!


    The spot that was hit twisted as Raizen rotated the cane continuously like he was digging its body.


    "Ggaaaarrgghh!"


    The being finally had enough¡­ It gathered all of its energy into its tentacles as it tried to remove all the mistsing from the apparition¡­


    ''Even the soul manifestation is going to fail, huh¡­ The twenty seconds should''ve passed by now¡­''


    Vincent thought as he can see that the manifested apparition of his grandfather is slowly dissipating¡­


    "Hmm?"


    However, to his surprise, the dissipating figure started getting stronger again as he noticed that another 40 units of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy disappeared¡­


    It seems that he made a mistake understanding the skill of the Soul-Forged Item¡­ It will actually continue taking his energy until he decided to cut off his connection to the misty figure or the apparition.


    After realizing this, he decided to let it continue¡­


    "I should at least help¡­"


    Vincent thought. He decided to use his Astral Night Dagger as a throwing dagger. This is like what he did before against Richard.


    Whoosh~


    He activated the Asssasinate Skill of the dagger! It was swift and almost untraceable after leaving his hands. It was definitely apletely different level from what he had shown when he fought against Richard.


    Ssak---


    Because the shell and the insides of the creature have already softened after that vibration attack, he managed to easily pierce through its body!


    Of course, what he was doing now isn''t some kind of dual casting at all. This is just him activating the skills that are imbued within the Magic Tools. Any magician can aplish this as long as they have enough mana to supply the tools.


    ''Return¡­''<sub> </sub>


    This skill is really befitting of its rank as a Legendary Item. The dagger disappeared and reappeared in his hands¡­ He wanted to attack again while the apparition is still in its attacking mode.


    ''Ahh¡­''


    Suddenly, he noticed that his dagger was already contaminated¡­ It became heavy as it was coated with the creature''s blood or what looks like its ck blood. He then threw it on the ground as he was unsure whether it was some toxic liquid.


    Luckily, the Astral Night Dagger has already done its job¡­ The spot it pierced through was taken advantage of by the apparition as it continued smashing it to death.


    After over a minute and it was still moving, Professor Levent spoke.


    "Vincent, I can attack again¡­ Although it wouldn''t be as strong as before, I can now activate the Formation''s elemental attacks."


    She already swallowed her Mana Recovery Pills so she was already brimming with energy.


    "Ahh¡­ I think it''s fine now¡­ Look, it wasn''t able to do anything¡­" Vincent replied.


    Since that was the case, Levent decided to just wait until the ghost finished attacking. She''s unsure how Vincent summoned this ghost but she can tell that it must be an Ephemeral Mana Art.


    It should dissipate in a few more seconds¡­ or so she thought¡­


    Itsted for four more minutes! In total, Vincent used about 600 units of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy before they confirmed that there is no longer any life on the creature and that it is no longer recovering¡­


    ''What a terrifying creature¡­ That tenacity is unreal.'' Vincent couldn''t help but sigh in admiration after realizing how tough this Xonid creature was.


    Even if it could no longer move, it was able to somehow continuously umte life so Vincent had no choice but to let Raizen continue attacking¡­ He didn''t want to get close so he just left the apparition to do the job.


    It was quite costly but it didn''t matter. Of course, he wouldn''t do this same tactic if he would be fighting against 2 or more of these creatures. It was too wasteful after all.


    He looked at his Ironbark Cane and realized that it only has 35 points left in durability. It was already repaired previously after he learned the Soul-Forging Technique that he bought within the Nexus Auction.


    He previously repaired it back to 600 points but 565 points were used today¡­


    ''I probably need to start collecting Soul-Forged weapons... Once I get the Transcendence Skill and was able to bestow Mana Arts or skills on every weapon, Soul Manifestation might be something that can save my life.''


    Vincent mused as he looked at the dagger on the ground¡­ It seems that after the creature''s death, the ck blood that coated it lost its energy. He could no longer feel any threatening energy like before.


    "Professor, please maintain the formation. I''ll check it quickly."


    "Alright. Be careful, Vincent."


    After putting his cane back into his interspatial ring. He cautiously walked to the mangled corpse of the Xonid creature.


    After a few seconds, he confirmed that it was indeed already dead as the two heaved a sigh of relief.


    Professor Levent even felt her legs weak as she sat on the ground weakly.


    Nevertheless, there was still a smile on her face as she looked at the cube that was left behind by the being they just killed.

 Chapter 231 Confirmation

    Several minutes had passed as the two decided to put aside the mangled corpse. Although it''s no longer alive, the two were still hesitating to study it.


    Vincent has blurry eyes so he can''t really see them properly. On the other hand, Levent was able to clearly see how disfigured and scary this creature was. Since the ck creature and the woman, suspected to be a Celestial Being, were together in one body, she could still see remnants of the woman''s flesh and bones underneath the ck flesh¡­


    It is an awful sight so she directly cast a water Mana Art and allowed the formation to maintain it¡­


    Even if she leaves the dungeon, the surrounding mana can maintain it for many years.


    Anyway, they decided to just forget about this creature although it may be a very good sample for research. Well, they weren''t researchers of this kind of thing in the first ce.


    "Vincent, do you have an idea about this cube? If I''m guessing it correctly, this was the metallic green capsule that turned into the woman''s full-body armor before turning into this. This is most likely the rumored Celestial Armor¡­ I''m sure that the woman who really a Celestial Being¡­"


    Professor Levent said as she lifted the cube. It wasn''t too heavy so she couldn''t help but feel weird since when it was in capsule form, it was heavier.


    "Yes, Professor. That''s indeed the Celestial Armor¡­ I''ve seen one before."


    "I see. Do you know how to activate it?" Levent asked directly. Although she''s interested in his experience with another Celestial Armor, she already knows that this guy knows two Celestial Beings. So it wasn''t really surprising that he was aware of it.


    "I believe that it needed to be bound to you. If it''s not cleansed yet, you won''t be able to use it even if you want to."


    "Bound? Cleansed?"


    Levent thought for a moment as she recalled a few theories she read in the knowledge base crystal. As a professor of Arcane Mysteries ss, she had almost memorized many theories and studies made by many prominent Arcane Researchers.


    One of them is indeed about this topic.


    "As I recall, there are Magic Artifacts that can only be used or activated by the marked user or owner¡­ Is that what you call being bound?" She asked.


    "That''s right, Professor. Cleansing it means that you have to remove this mark on the item first.


    "I see¡­ I can probably do that in the next three years or so¡­" Levent replied after thinking for a few seconds.


    She already knows that removing the mark of the user can''t be done easily, especially if the previous owner was a Celestial Being.


    It has to be done by slowly chipping the mark on it.


    Vincent knows this very well as even Tara has to take several weeks to aplish this.


    "That''s a lot of time¡­ Well, you''ve kept the capsule for many years so waiting a few more should be just fine." Vincent replied to console her.


    However, she just shook her head.


    "No, I think that you have a better solution to this. Right?"


    Vincent was a bit surprised but he understood what she meant so he replied with a smile.


    "Well, we can ask another Celestial Being to fix this."


    "Really? Can we ask them? The Tower Master has Celestial Beings but unfortunately, asking for help with that person wille with a huge price¡­ So I don''t really want to ask for his help."


    "Don''t worry¡­ We can speak to her after going out. In any case, this seems to be in a good condition so I''m sure it won''t take a lot of time."<sub> </sub>


    "That''s good to hear!"


    After confirming that everything within the dungeon is in order and the corpse waspletely hidden, the two finally came out of the dungeon.


    Professor Levent immediately activated the dungeon''s water formation as they saw their driver taking a nap.


    The man immediately noticed their arrival as he quickly sat up.


    Nevertheless, the two weren''t in a hurry as Vincent called for Tara¡­ After a few seconds, the Vermillion Hawknded near the greenke¡­


    This had obviously surprised the other two since they have never expected Vincent to own such a thing.


    "Vincent, is that yours?"


    "Yes, professor. I luckily won the bid for it. In any case, I would like you to meet the Celestial Being inside. Let''s go in¡­"


    With that said, Vincent escorted her professor to enter the Vermillion Hawk Aircraft.


    Its hatch opened for them as the coachman outside did his best to calm the horses of his carriage.


    Levent remained silent the whole time as she couldn''t believe that she was about to be introduced to a Celestial Being! A Celestial that is not hiding her identity and perhaps, contracted to Vincent!


    She couldn''t help but be thankful to Turhan who had advised her to take good care of him.


    Soon, she saw a gorgeousdy who seemed to be in her twenties. She has long ck hair and pale skin but what really caught her attention was her blue eyes.


    She looks incredibly beautiful befitting for a Celestial Being¡­


    "This is Professor Levent from the Academy, Celestial Tara." Vincent introduced her with a bit of formality. He wouldn''t call her Celestial Tara if they were alone. Only when the Followers of Qheglena and others will he do so. So that others will also treat her with respect.


    "Hmmm¡­" Tara nodded as her gaze remained on the cube that Levent was holding.


    Vincent then exined what happened inside the dungeon. He did her best to describe the woman who seemed to be a Celestial and the ck creature that was called Xonid.


    Luckily, Tara doesn''t seem to be that clueless about the alien parasite or whatever type of creature it was.


    She nodded her head in understanding before speaking.


    "I understand¡­ However, I don''t think you should be prying too much into this for your safety."


    As she said this, she looked at Levent. "In any case, that cube will only react on Celestial Energy or¡­ something simr."


    Tara nced at Vincent in thest part.


    ''Does it mean that Pseudo-Celestial Energy will also work into this?''


    Vincent mused as he realized what she was implying. He was obviously excited about this and couldn''t wait to see whether he could really activate the Celestial Armor.

 Chapter ?232 Visitor

    Contrary to Vincent''s excitement, Levent looks dismayed after hearing this.


    Vincent immediately realized what was going on¡­


    ''Right¡­ Professor Levent has been waiting for this. She took the capsule hoping to get some treasure. She spent years of long research to open the capsule. She probably spent a lot of money on this project. In the end, what she got is something she can''t even use¡­''


    Furthermore, the reason why she bought the dungeon was probably because of the capsule as well.


    Although there seem to be a few resources inside, what she probably needed the most in that dungeon is therge space or cavern that it has.


    Vincent went silent for a moment as he considers his options.


    The reason why he was helping her was for the tinum coins that she''ll give to himter. However, since ites to this, he might as well trade or buy the ''Celestial Armor.'' In any case, Professor Levent might just put it in her rare collection of artifacts or even sell it somewhere else.


    However, does he have an item as valuable as this?


    Strictly speaking, he seemed to possess a few of them¡­


    In the end, he decided to just ask her directly.


    "Professor, do you have any thoughts of trading this item instead?"


    At Vincent''s question, Professor Levent realized his interest in the cube. Her eyes lit up as she considered whether this is a good idea.


    After thinking for a moment, she nodded her head.


    "Yes¡­ Since I can''t use this Celestial Armor. Can I perhaps use a Celestial Weapon?" She asked and looked at Vincent with hopeful eyes. She wasn''t sure whether it also requires Celestial Energy after all.


    Although she knows that some magicians were using them as well, they must''ve modified them at some point.


    She then added, "If I can wield a Celestial Weapon, whatever type of weapon it was, I can agree to trade with this unusable cube."


    Vincent smiled.


    As expected, she requested a Celestial Weapon. He would probably do the same if he was in her position so he wasn''t surprised at all.


    With that in mind, he decided to pull out the Celestial Saber.


    "You really have a Celestial Weapon?" Levent''s eyes lit up in excitement.


    "Yes. I won it at an auction¡­"


    "Auction? Again?" Levent heard him say this a couple of times already.


    She wasn''t sure whether Vincent was telling the truth or not but other than arge auction, she doesn''t know where someone like him could get those items.


    The Barbarian King''s eyeballs, the personal flying airship, and this Celestial Weapon¡­ All of them are items that could not be easily gathered by a teenager. He could only get this if he has enough wealth which seems to be the case.


    "Yes¡­ I was lucky at that time. Anyway, this saber is quite good. It''s not bound to me yet since I don''t know any Saber Technique. I was thinking of trading it if I found a sword or a staff¡­"


    "Perfect! Then let''s do the trade!"


    Without any hesitation, Levent handed over the cube to Vincent. She epted the Celestial Saber as well and realized that it was heavier than the cube just now.


    She then pulled out her Appraisal Tool to check the saber and was obviously satisfied with the result. She even wanted to wield it inside the airship but decided to restrain herself.


    She might identally damage Vincent''s airship since she''s not used to the power of the saber after all.<sub> </sub>


    "Right, how do you bind it to you?" She asked.


    Well, Vincent had no issues binding an item to him since his system will just ask him if that option is avable.


    However, it was obviously different for those without a system helping them.


    Vincent could only look at Tara for help.


    "It''llmunicate with you. You have to sense it. Use mana, mental energy, or anything that could make you connect to the weapon." Tara advised.


    "I see¡­ I''ll do itter in my house then. As long as it can be wielded by non-celestial, then I''m confident to get this saber bound to me."


    With that said, she put her hands in her pocket and took out a silk pouch.


    "Here''s the tinum Coins. I only have these eleven so I hope this could cover the cost of that Barbarian King''s eye and the potions you used to recover your injuries."


    "Thank you, Professor. This is enough. It''s actually a lot more than I expected. Do you want to ride with us back to the city?" Vincent asked as he casually handed over the silk pouch to Tara.


    Levent looked around the airship for a bit before shaking her head.


    "I''m okay¡­ Old Henry outside is still waiting for me. I''m also nning to add anotheryer of protection outside the dungeon so I probably need to stay for another hour."


    The professor said as she wrapped the saber with a cloth.


    Soon, the Vermillion Hawk left the greenke dungeon as they returned to the city.


    Of course, their entry to the city was seen by the Sky Guards hired by the ck Tower butpletely ignored them.


    It''s simply because the Vermillion Hawk is associated with the Nexus Organization. He no longer needed to prove his identity as the airship itself is a symbol of status.


    After returning to the Ster Residence, Vincent was greeted by the servants¡­


    Obviously, these servants were the Followers of Qheglena.


    As they have aplicated identity, being recognized as a servant in this residence is the best thing they could have at the moment.


    As soon as the Vermillion Hawknded in the front court, Caesus ran over to make a report.


    "Young master Vincent, there were two people who were looking for you. They mentioned that they were from the academy and here to send a message regarding the uingpetition."


    "Oh? A messenger? I didn''t know there was such a thing¡­ They would normally just wait for me in the academy. Did you let them enter?"


    "Yes. They''re currently in the reception hall with Sir Severin."


    "I see¡­ Guide me there." As he said this, he pulled out his damaged cane so he can use it to help him walk."


    No one in the academy, aside from Professor Levent, knows that he was already able to see, albeit blurry.


    Since he won''t know who hade, he decided to just act like a real blind person and observe them.


    However, as soon as the two visitors saw him, they immediately showed dissatisfaction for making them wait. It didn''t end there as they even demanded something from him.


    "Do not participate in theingpetition or else¡­"

 Chapter 233 Blunder

    It seems that the two were prepared to kill him if he disobeyed them.


    It was quite shocking as everything is happening too quickly. He was even thinking of apologizing for arrivingte at first when they immediately bombarded him with their discontent.


    It was extremely rude and Vincent couldn''t help but tighten his grip on his cane.


    Although he wanted to smash their faces right now, he need to know who was he dealing with in the first ce.


    He doesn''t recognize their voices or even their mana fluctuations.


    The one on the right appears really big and his attire reminds him of Yasin who was an adventurer or a Hunter. The other one, on the other hand, appears like a magician with his robe and has a total of four Magic Tools with him right now.


    "Who are you working for? You''re not telling me that your master, or whoever sent you, was afraid of me and didn''t want to face me in thepetition, are you?"


    Vincent asked. Behind him was Tara who was already wearing her cloak that hides her appearance and weakens her presence or existence.


    She seemed displeased by the two''s arrogant attitude but she remained silent while ring at them. She would probably kill them first before Vincent could act.


    "Hmph¡­ Thepetition will be attended by the most prestigious magicians in the ck Tower. Do you understand that? It means that the Lord of the ck Tower is interested in thispetition! They''re obviously there to watch Young Master Magnus perform. It will tarnish this year''s batch if a blind man will bepeting on the same stage as him!"


    ''What an absurd and stupid reason¡­'' Vincent couldn''t help but shake his head after hearing this reason.


    He couldn''t believe that they would do this kind of thing at all. Nevertheless, these two here were probably just ordered to stop him from participating. It''s either an idea of Magnus himself or someone in the ck Tower that is thinking for his sake.


    "I can''t do that¡­ I need to join thepetition. Tell that to Magnus." Vincent replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.


    "What?! You''re not listening to us?" The man who seemed like a member of the Hunter Organization was about to pull out his sword when the magician stopped him with his hands.


    He then looked at Vincent who was just staring ahead of him.


    "First of all, we''re not that person''s messenger. We''re here as your senior. We have both attended the academy earlier than you and although we''re no longer studying there, we really care about the current situation of the First Tower¡­ How about this, I will give you this Epic Rank Talisman. In exchange don''t attend this batch''s Emblem Assessment¡­ We won''t mind if you attended on a different date¡­ How is it?"


    The magician said while bringing out a talisman filled with scratch and dirt.


    Just by looking at its state, it''s definitely not in a good condition.


    "I won''t ept that. Leave now. You''re not wee here." Vincent said with a harsh tone.


    He was already tired. Although he consumed some potions to recover, he still felt mental fatigue after his battle against the Xonid creature.


    Furthermore, he spent about half of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he''s not in his peak condition. If possible, he just wanted to return to his room and take some rest.


    However, these two don''t seem to have ns of leaving just yet.


    They hatefully red and taunted him.


    "Then, I guess we''ll have to help you get a reason not to attend thepetition¡­ We''ll try to make it less painful." The magician coldly said as he signaled for the other man to act¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Thedy over there¡­ Get out of this room or you''ll suffer as well." Therge man said as he walked over to Vincent. It seems that they really n to injure or wound him so he can''t attend thepetition.


    It was vicious and Vincent couldn''t but be confused about their actions.


    ''Did they really think they''ll get away from this? Aren''t I being too underestimated by these guys?'' He felt incredulous with the situation he was in.


    Anyway, Tara didn''t move as she just nced at Vincent. If he orders her to move, she''ll definitely end the life of these two.


    However, before Vincent could even act.


    The two uninvited visitors found themselves flying!


    They were thrown out by Rem from the window! It happened so quickly!


    "Hey, Vincent. I think you shouldn''t care for the well-being of these people." Rem said as she probably thought that Vincent was hesitating to act.


    "No¡­ I''m just worried that the carpet will get dirty. Miss Yulia likes this ivory wool carpet after all."  Vincent replied with a sheepish smile.


    It wasn''t really his real reason and just recalled it now after the two dropped their weapons on the clean carpet.


    "You did not kill them, right?" Vincent asked.


    "I did not¡­ I only broke a few of their bones. That''s what they n on doing to you anyway."


    "Oh? You''re sure they''re not nning to kill me?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "Yes¡­ They do not have any killing intent¡­ Anyway, I smell something different from you this time. Did you meet another Celestial Being?"


    Vincent was stunned.


    He didn''t know that Celestial Beings have this ''feature''¡­ Can they actually smell other Celestials or Rem is just built differently?


    "It''s a long story¡­ I will be telling it you as well. In the meantime¡­" Vincent nced in the direction of the two groaning people.


    They seemed to have regained consciousness.


    At this time, Caesus and the others didn''t need to ask what happened as they sent the two outside.


    The two were still unwilling to leave but recalling how they were unable to react just now made them shiver. It was so swift that an arm and a leg were broken while they are in mid-air.


    That''s right, their broken bones weren''t fromnding terribly to the ground but from a couple of untraceable strikes from that woman!


    ''What a blunder! A Grand Knight! A female Grand Knight is protecting Vincent!''

 Chapter ?234 Preparation Completed

    The two were escorted outside¡­


    They were quite lucky that they only ended up like this. Nevertheless, Vincent made sure not to forget this disrespectful behavior against him.


    Right now, he doesn''t have the status that he needed yet so he has to be careful and not have any criminal charges against him that could stop him from getting the emblem.


    Injuring the two of them should be more than enough since it would be difficult to justify if they were killed mercilessly. Of course, this would be theirst chance.


    Once he got the emblem he wants and came under the protection of the Tower Lord, then even if he has a dispute against fellow members that ended up in murder, he wouldn''t be heavily punished.


    "Ahhh¡­ Wait¡­ I just assumed that they have an emblem since they said they were my seniors. Rem, did you see them wearing an emblem?"


    Vincent suddenly asked.


    "Hmm¡­ I didn''t notice. Do you want them to be followed?"


    "Oh, it''s okay¡­ They weren''t the real enemy anyway. I''ll just settle it in thepetition. Hopefully, I''ll get a chance against Magnus."


    Vincent said as he clenched his fist.


    In this uingpetition, he was only worried about three people that he might have difficulty winning if he was still blind.


    Apparently, one of them is Magnus who was always wearing a mask. The other two were Elena and Alexander.


    Based on the piece of information he gathered, Magnus is already an Adept Mage. He currently has two Tier 4 Mana Arts or body modifications and mastered 4 types of elements.


    Furthermore, Magnus has incredible talent and was able to do Fusion Arts and was probably even better than Lesley Zemin.


    Elena and Alexander''s strengths were about the same as per Professor Levent but they hadn''t really shown their truebat strength yet.


    He was only able to know Magnus'' strength because many people had seen his battle against an Archmage within the Tower''s Arena.


    As for Elena and Alexander, they were quite secretive about their strength and only a few people in the academy knows their limit.


    "I guess I have to increase my preparation, huh¡­" Vincent muttered as he recalled what the two just said.


    Aside from Faviona who is a Tier 5 Alchemist, he already knows that many distinguished individuals will be watching thepetition. However, he didn''t expect that even the current Tower Lord or basically the leader of the ck Tower organization would attend the said event.


    It seems that he will truly be part of a historical Emblem Assessment of the First Tower.


    With that in mind, he has to make sure that even though he doesn''t have talent in cultivating mana, he would still be able to get their attention with hisbat skills and magic tools.


    In any case, bringing a Magic Tool that you can wield is encouraged in thepetition. This will allow them to judge not only yourbat skills but your technical skills as well.


    After having a simple dinner, Vincent returned to his room for a shower before he turned his attention to the cube or the Celestial Armor.


    He held the metallic green object in his hands.


    [ Would you like to bind the item to you? ]


    [ Warning: Removing the binding status will require special material. ]


    Vincent took a deep breath after seeing this notification.


    "Yes¡­"


    After giving an answer, he felt the same sensation when he binds the Astral Night Dagger to him.


    He immediately felt the mysterious connection between him and the armor¡­


    This time, he decided to appraise the Celestial Armor.


    [ Origin Form: Source Cube ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 875/1,000


    Description: An object made of an unknown alloy capable of having four forms. The Source Cube, The Chamber, The Protective Suit, and The Celestial Mode.


    Bound to Vincent


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    Ding!


    [ Only Pseudo-Celestial Energy has been detected on the user. The Celestial Mode of the Source Cube can not be activated. ]


    ''Only Pseudo-Celestial Energy, huh¡­ I wonder, can I get a real Celestial Energy?''


    Vincent had a sudden thought but he immediately shook his head as he recalled how troublesome it was.


    Although Celestial Energy is good, it''s difficult to gather them.


    The Celestial Beings even had no other choice but to obtain Blood Essence as an alternative to recover their energy.


    Furthermore, they can''t forcefully extract this essence and it must be something that was voluntarily given. It was such a hassle and he didn''t want to go through that.


    Having a Pseudo-Celestial Energy that allows him to use both mana and aura still sounds a lot better.


    After resting for a bit, Vincent explored the other forms of the Source Cube.


    The Cryogenic Sleep Chamber and the Protective Suit.


    He realized that the chamber actually has a few functions and not just to preserve his body. It can be used to heal external injuries and it could reform muscles.


    In addition, once it is in its Chamber form, it uses the word''s mana to power it up! It was very convenient.


    The only concern was the Protective Suit. He realized that using this armor form of the cube would cost 100 Pseudo-Celestial Energy Units for 3 minutes!


    This was a very costly suit!


    It was quite unfortunate but it will still be very useful to him.


    Anyway, only when he can actually use Celestial Energy like Tara and Rem could he use the armor indefinitely which is probably not going to happen anytime soon.


    After doing all of this, Vincent checked his current energy and realized that it has already recovered a bit.


    With that in mind, he decided to continue with his schedule¡­ It was to try another upgrade session on his Mana Upheaval Potion!


    That''s right¡­ It was the item that he bought in the auction for 13 thousand Mana Crystals.


    He didn''t really want to consume this since he already had one before. It means that its effectivity would be greatly reducedpared to before.


    Nevertheless, his fighting spirit was somehow ignited after learning that the Tower Lord would appear in thepetition.


    After considering all of this, Vincent took out the Harmonious Potion to the side before consuming the Mana Upheaval Potion with a single gulp.


    ***


    Finally, the day of thepetition arrived and another visitor came to meet Vincent.


    This time, however, was a weed visitor. It was Professor Turhan who hade from Thirtieth Tower.

 Chapter 235 The First Tower

    "I was thinking of visiting you after you get your emblem. However, I thought of dropping by since I''ll be watching thepetition today." Turhan said after meeting Vincent in the reception hall. He was still wearing his ck hat and ck suit as a red emblem of the tower rests on his left chest.


    "Oh¡­ Were you invited, Professor? I heard that there were many high-profile individuals attending today''spetition¡­"


    "Haha¡­ It was not easy. Perhaps if I remained as a normal Red Emblem, I wouldn''t get a chance to attend here. Luckily, I gained a lot of fame afterpleting my research. Hmm¡­ I''d probably thank the Zemin n for that¡­"


    "Ah, so it was like that." Vincent nodded. No wonder he troubled himself to get to the Tudor Kingdom to save the Zemin n from its demise. He could''ve just ordered someone to do it but he went there and managed the transfer of the Zemin n.


    Anyway, the Zemin n actually possesses something that Turhan needed in his research. Vincent didn''t know that. It could be the Tier 4 Mystic Eye Arts of the n or probably some kind of treasure that they have.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was happy for him.


    "Hmmm¡­ It seems that you''ve gotten a lot stronger, Vincent. I thought that you were only studying and doing some appraiser job. Did you start getting live experience outside the city?" He asked after noticing the great difference in his aurapared to before.


    "Ahhh¡­ I was just lucky to get a few things that I really needed to get stronger.


    "That''s good to hear. Are you confident? Can you beat Wesley or perhaps Alireza?"


    "Eh? Who are they?"


    "Hmm? You don''t know them? They''re both 3-Star Aura Knights like you! They were older than you so even if you lose against them, as long as you showed the judges a good match, I''m sure that you''ll do just fine. They came from an Aura Knight Family after all. There were even rumors that the patriarch of their n had exceeded the limit of an Aura Knight."


    Vincent nodded as he didn''t really think too much of otherpetitors aside from the three that he was already aware of. As for breaking the limit of a 3-Star Aura Knight, he wasn''t too surprised since he really felt that there is something more to this cultivation path.


    "Since they''re Aura Knights, I hope I can match against them¡­ They shouldn''t be over twenty years old, right?"


    "Correct¡­ They should be turning twenty in the next month or two."


    "I see¡­ They''re indeed quite young. All Aura Knights I''ve encountered so far are already in the older generation." Vincent said while recalling the few Aura Knights he have met before.


    "Well, geniuses like you and those two appear sometimes so it''s not surprising. Anyway, depending on the number of duels you''ve won, I''ll be giving you a suitable gift."


    "I''ll be looking forward to that."


    With that said, their group went together to the First Tower. Vincent decided to invite the professor toe with them since he was alone anyway.


    ***


    Inside the Vermillion Hawk were Tara, Caesus, Vincent, and Turhan. Rem was the one in the cockpit as she wanted to pilot the aircraft.


    "Professor, you didn''t bring anyone with you? Right, how was A?" Vincent asked as they were heading off to the Tower.


    "She''s still doing some research¡­ It seems that you''ve given her an artifact that was useful in her study¡­ She probably made a breakthrough quite recently."


    "That''s great. I wonder how she had improved the enhancement technique. I might have to visit her  sometime." Vincent muttered as he recalled that this young girl was only able to do up to +3 enhancement with her skills.<sub> </sub>


    If she made a breakthrough, can she perhaps enhance up to +4 or +5 already?


    That would be incredible considering he had never seen any other enhanced objects other than the Celestial items.


    After a while, the Vermillion Hawknded at the First Tower''s main dockyard where other aircraft were also docked.


    They arrived about half an hour early since he didn''t want to bete and he also wanted to meet Professor Levent. He was curious whether she managed to bind the Celestial Saber to her.


    Anyway, because of the special event, thepetitors today can actually bring two people inside the Arena, or thepetition area, to help them in case of emergency or just act as servants.


    Of course, he easily decided to bring Rem and Tara while Caesus remained inside the Vermillion Hawk.


    Turhan then separated from his group and went to meet the Tower Lord.


    p At this time, Vincent decided to just wait at the arena and felt a familiar Mana Fluctuation.</anda>


    "Guven? I didn''t know that you''ll bepeting as well." Vincent was surprised after sensing his presence.


    Guven is one of the mute students of Professor Levent''s Arcane Mysteries ss. Furthermore, he has a talent that allows him to determine whether someone is lying or not so Vincent made sure to remember his name.


    Although his lie detection ability is not a passive ability and needed to be activated with mana, he found this skill very powerful if used correctly.


    Guven could probably be one of the best magistrates or anyw enforcers out there.


    Anyway, Guven wasn''t able to reply due to obvious reasons and he''s unable to use signnguage with Vincent as well.


    Guven was about to ask his twopanions to deliver a message but luckily, Professor Levent is nearby and connected them to her Mind Network. She approached the two and spoke using the Mind Network.


    "Only the two of you will bepeting in my ss so there''s no need to look for the others. If any of you managed to get the Tower''s approval, you can ask me for a gift." Levent''s voice resounded to their ears.


    "Really! Is that true, Professor?! If I earned an emblem, will you teach me how to use the Mind Network?" Guven asked in excitement.


    "Mind Network? That''s easy for me to teach but you might have difficulty learning it. How about normal telepathy instead?"


    "That''s good for me too! I''ll take it, professor."


    "Alright. How about you, Vincent?"


    "I haven''t thought of it yet. I''lle for you once I think of one." As Vincent said this, their group arrived at the arena¡­


    After some time had passed, the start of thepetition finally arrived and it seems that today''s assessment has over 60 participating students!

 Chapter ?236 First Battle

    Within the Arena, an old man who named himself Hausmer stood in front of all the participants. He introduced himself as the current chief of the Dragon Riders Battalion of the ck Tower.


    He first acknowledged the presence of the third or current Tower Lord before hepleted the announcement of the rules of the assessment which made everybody excited.


    The Emblem Assessment for today will only have a single method for determining their skills¡­ and it is through duels¡­


    A single participant only need to ept a total of 3 duels requests or issue 3 duel challenges. In short, there will be a total of 6 bouts that they could participate in.


    Furthermore, they''re required to ept any duels but not required to issue a challenge.


    Even if you only ept 3 duels and you think that you already performed enough, you don''t have to bother yourself and continue challenging three more participants to prove yourself. It would be up to you.


    However, in thest part of his announcement, he mentioned three participants that must ept 10 challenges instead of three!


    They were Magnus, Elena, and Alexander!


    Vincent could guess that if they actually seeded in all the 10 challenges, these three will easily be core members of the ck Tower''s younger generation.


    <o>,m This also shows that the Tower is truly grooming these three!</o>


    Vincent wanted to look around and see the balcony where the higher-ups are but unfortunately, his vision doesn''t allow him to do so.


    Soon, all the participants were sent to a small area within the arena where they could issue their challenges.


    Vincent followed them with Guven as Tara and Rem were left in the stands to watch.


    ***


    "Professor Turhan¡­ Congrattions, your research on that Mystic Eye was a huge sess." Levent said as she approached the professor.


    They were currently watching the proceedings of thepetition from their seats within the crowd and waiting for the start of the first battles.


    Turhan was then looking at the tform where the Tower Lord was but immediately shifted his gaze after hearing her.


    "Well, it wasn''t easy to bring a whole n to our territory. I paid a huge price for that so getting this small sess is just natural." Turhan said with confidence.


    That''s right, his research is about a Mystic Eye but not just any Tier 4 Mystic Eye, it was rted to Tier 5 Mana Arts!


    When ites to a battle at the level of a Grand Magus, aside from their multicasting abilities, the result will be decided by their Tier 5 Mana Arts¡­


    "Well, I didn''t know that you are now using a saber as a weapon¡­ What happened?" Turhan asked after noticing the mysterious saber she was holding.


    "I started learning saber techniques since I want to expand mybat skills and knowledge. Anyway, do you think that Vincent will get at least a yellow emblem?"


    Levent asked changing the subject of conversation.


    "Yeah¡­ I think so. Hmm? The battle is finally starting. I''ve been wondering why they''re putting so much importance on those three students¡­ I can''t wait to see."


    "Me too... I''ve been in the academy almost all the time and aside from finding these three quite impressive, I didn''t see any qualities that the Tower Lord would have to trouble himself to watch this battle. I''m curious."


    As she said this, she nced at the tform where the five most powerful members of the ck Tower are currently seated.<sub> </sub>


    The Tower Lord can be easily recognized with his incrediblyrge build almost like a Barbarian himself.


    His towering figure could not be missed as well as therge wooden staff he was holding.


    No one has ever been allowed to appraise that item but rumors said that the staff is a Legendary Magic Artifact that allowed the first Tower Lord to build the ck Towers.


    "In the first stage, Akses versus Elena¡­"


    "In the second stage, Jean-ude versus Alireza"


    "In the third stage, Wesley versus Vincent!"


    The announcement was made as six people stood up from the resting area of the participants.


    The first name to be mentioned would be the name of the one who issued the challenge followed by the one who epted.


    Vincent was surprised that someone already challenged him this early.


    ''Wesley¡­ He''s the 3-Star Aura Knight that Professor Turhan told me about. Perhaps he''s the guy who sent those two troublemakers? No, he might be Magnus''ckey as well. They probably want me out of thepetition as early as possible.''


    Vincent thought as he walked to the third stage. He couldn''t understand their hatred toward a ''blind'' person like him.


    Nevertheless, he''s not nning to be beaten by someone today¡­


    Vincent and Wesley came to the center of the third stage as the referee who seemed to be an Arch Knight was waiting for them.


    "You can fight to your heart''s content. I will stop the battle and save you if you''re about to die or if you admitted your defeat."


    The referee paused for a moment. After confirming that the two don''t have any questions, he continued.


    "Alright. There is no time limit in each battle but you have to remember that many eyes are watching. If you have no more questions, have ten steps back¡­ That''s enough! Start!"


    As soon as he said this, he immediately jumped back to give some space to the two.


    He knows that any participants in this assessment were skillful individuals. It wouldn''t be surprising for them to immediately throw powerful Tier 3 Elemental Mana Arts with each other.


    However, the referee immediately realized that the twopetitors this time were not Mana Practitioners but Soul Cultivators!


    Two 3-Star Aura Knights in the first part of thepetition!


    Wesley pounced and shed his sword aiming at Vincent''s neck.


    ng!


    It was blocked by Vincent''s dagger as he stepped back due to the force behind that strike.


    Wesley wasn''t impressed as he taunted Vincent.


    "Hmph! You do not belong here! Only one blind student will pass the assessment today! It won''t be you but it''s Magnus!"

 Chapter 237 Enlightened

    Vincent needed a few seconds to process what he just heard from Wesley.


    Blind?


    ''Are you telling me that Magnus is blind as well?! I have no idea!''


    Vincent almost blurted out after realizing it.


    ''Is that the reason why he was wearing a mask? Wait, this is indeed a good reason why even the Tower Lord was interested!''


    A powerful blind Adept Mage who mastered four Elements and learned two top-ss Tier 4 Mana Arts! Furthermore, an expert in Fusion Arts at such a young age!


    If Magnus doesn''t have a system like him, he probably has an incredible Mystic Eye or a great Master that has guided him in his cultivation.


    It finally dawned on Vincent why he was being stopped to participate today. One of Magnus'' selling points or uniqueness is that he was blind and talented.


    If he appears in thepetition with a simr disability, Magnus would no longer be unique which could affect a little in his reputation. Especially if Vincent actually performed really well in this Emblem Assessment.


    Although it was only his guess right now, it must be close to the truth considering how petty they''ve be.


    "Hey! What are you smirking at? Do you think I will not break all your bones today? Don''t ever hope that the referee will be able to stop me on time¡­"


    Wesley said as he sent out his Soul Domain and Soul Pressure to suppress Vincent. He knows that his opponent is blind and probably relying on his senses to parry his sword. If he denied him of this sensibility using his domain, then his victory is guaranteed!


    Needless to say, if he managed to disrupt him from sensing things, Vincent would just be a normal blind person!


    Whom~


    Wesley''s Soul Arts were activated.


    "Hmmm? This is your domain? Why is it like this?" Vincent muttered after experiencing Wesley''s domain.


    ''It''s quite different to mine¡­''


    Vincent''s Soul Domain would make everyone in a certain range feel fear andpletely exposed to him simr to Raizen.


    Once inside his domain, there wouldn''t be any ambushes or attacks that he won''t be able to notice unless it''s extremely fast that he couldn''t even react. Furthermore, using their own Aura inside his domain would be difficult.


    However, Wesley''s Soul Domain is actually different!


    He felt the cold that was trying to invade his body and immobilize his senses.


    It was definitely not a Mana Art since his Prudence Ring and Sagewood Ring did not react.


    What reacted was his Furious Ebony Armlet and rity Band which are magic tools that fight against Aura or Soul Techniques.


    ''So there are actually different types of Soul Domain, huh¡­ It''s a good lesson.''


    Vincent mused as he reacted with his own Soul Domain¡­


    However, his Soul Domain''s range was different. While Wesley only covered a small range that did not even affect the referee on the side, the range of his Soul Arts reached even the other two tforms before he immediately retracted in hurry!


    His actions disrupted the two pairs on the other stages as they almost thought that they were being ambushed!


    The crowd also noticed what just happened as they looked at Wesley and Vincent''s battle.<sub> </sub>


    Previously, their gazes were focused on Elena since she was someone at the same level as Magnus.


    They all wanted to see how powerful she is so they could assess whether she has a chance of winning against Magnus or none at all.


    However, with the sudden activation of Vincent''s Soul Domain, they couldn''t help but shift their gazes¡­


    Although all 3-Star Aura Knight can manifest a domain, their sizes and strength are different depending on the user. Young 3-Star Aura Knight normally has weak domain or soul pressure since they haven''t cultivated their soul for a very long time. This is why they weren''t too impressed even though they saw Wesley and Vincent with soul strength reaching the 3-Stars.


    They were well aware that with this level, any random Unique-rank defensive tools could stop their domain or even soul pressure.


    However, what Vincent just showed is certainly at a level that normal Magic Tools could not stop!


    Perhaps, what they needed is a Defensive Artifact that reaches an Epic Level or even Legendary!


    "Y-you! Are you using an Aura Boost Artifact?! Tsk! I heard that you''re quite rich but I didn''t expect it to this extent." Wesley grumbled as he assumed how Vincent had gotten such a powerful soul. If not for his family''s secret Soul Art, he would sumb to Vincent''s Soul Domain already.


    Anyway, he knows that he can''tpete using the qualities of his magic tools since being a part of a huge Aura Knight Family also means that resources will be divided among many children or practitioners at his age. His Unique-Rank Sword is already the best item that he got from his parents.


    If not for him doing some missions within the academy, he wouldn''t even get a piece of decent equipment like his shoes and shoulder guard.


    ''I won''t have difficulty defeating you if I have your Artifacts¡­'' He thought while he was trying to maintain his Soul Domain.


    It just doesn''t make sense that Vincent was able to reach this level naturally at his current age. He could only think that he was using an expensive boosting artifact.


    Well, he had basically never seen any young Aura Knight that has a stronger Soul than him.


    Wesley then tried strengthening his Domain but he realized that it was futile¡­ It appears that Vincent has thoroughly prepared and he''s unable to apply any pressure on him¡­ Normally, the people or even Savage Beasts that have entered his Domain would be shivering in cold already.


    But Vincent was unaffected as it dealt a huge blow to his confidence.


    ''Tsk¡­ I have no  choice but to hope that he won''t be able to continuously dodge or parry my attack. Right, he''s still blind, as long as he missed even once, I''ll be the victor!''


    After making his n, He then pounced at Vincent once again with his sword aimed at Vincent''s neck¡­ He even made sure to make his Aura chaotic so that Vincent would have a hard time sensing his attack.


    ng!


    His sword met Vincent''s dagger once more¡­


    ''Grim Sword Strike!''


    ''Untraceable Sword!''


    He then used various sword techniques that he learned in the academy!


    ng! ng! ng!


    However, for some reason, it was like Vincent wasn''t blind at all as he was able to properly defend and he would even counterattack from time to time!


    He was getting impatient!


    He needed to at least hit Vincent once!


    Unfortunately, as he got too pressured by the blind man, he made a mistake and created an opportunity for Vincent to end the duel.

 Chapter ?238 Smashed

    Vincent had no ns of going easy on this person.


    He''s someone who was trying to harm him after all. All of the man''s strikes were lethal and he has to return the favor.


    Vincent stayed on his ground after parrying another strike¡­ Perhaps because Wesley was being too impatient, he made a wide swing that exposed his right side.


    ''I can''t show all my abilities in this first duel¡­ I''ll save some of my moves and end this battle now.'' Vincent thought as he swiftly threw his Astral Night Dagger to Wesley''s chest as thetter''s eyes widened in shock.


    He probably didn''t expect that Vincent would throw away his weapon! After all, he was still confident with the Aura Protection on his body to stop the dagger from heavily injuring him.


    However, Vincent was different. Now that he threw away his weapon, he would have to endure his sword strike without a weapon!


    He felt that it was a perfect opportunity for him as well!


    In that split second, Wesley poured 30% of his Aura to defend his body while 70% of it would be to end Vincent''s chance ofpeting again.


    Bam!


    The Astral Night Dagger hit his protective aura as his sword struck Vincent''s Mana Gloves!


    That''s right¡­ Vincent just used the Tier 1 Mana Art called Mana Gloves. This low-level technique''s function was simply to coat his hands with mana and was normally used when handling sensitive tools or during alchemy. It''s not really meant to be used in battle.


    However, there is something that Wesley didn''t know and that is his Synthetic Celestial Core!


    What he uses is Pseudo-Celestial Energy which is on a different level than mana.


    Thud!


    Vincent held the sword with his hand!


    Wesley''s full swing was blocked! The de was grabbed by Vincent''s hand like he has the iron-like skin of the Barbarians!


    "Y-you!"


    Wesley witnessed this with horror¡­ He had never seen anyone catch an Aura Knight''s sword strike! It was too dangerous since the Aura is a form of energy that is mysterious and could even fight against Celestial Energy with the right concentration or amount.


    Even his patriarch would not dare to catch a sword strike of someone at his level.


    It was iprehensible to him but he didn''t have the time to think about it¡­


    Ptui!


    He spat a mouthful of blood.


    ''When did I¡ª''


    He was confused!


    It was then he felt the pain in his chest!


    He realized that Vincent''s dagger pierced through his defense! His Aura Protection did not fully stop the dagger that was carelessly thrown at him! He was sure that the force behind that throw wasn''t strong enough to heavily injure him!


    At most, he was expecting a scratch or light injury¡­


    ''What''s going on? It doesn''t seem like a dagger technique or a Mana Art¡­ There were no Mana Fluctuations¡­ How could he¡ª''


    As he was processing this in his mind, he felt that the dagger that stabbed his chest disappeared¡­


    He swiftly stepped back as he felt another threating.


    Whoosh~


    This time he managed to evade the thrown dagger¡­<sub> </sub>


    However, that attack was different this time, the dagger shifted its direction in midair as it hit his shoulder guard!


    He felt relieved at this since he was confident that his expensive pauldron could stop the dagger easily¡­ But his expectation wasn''t met again as he cried in pain!


    He can feel Vincent''s energy invading his body¡­


    ''He can control the dagger''s path? Is it simr to Sword Kinesis that I''ve heard about?''


    Wesley thought as he bolstered his defense again. He wasn''t aware of its Assassinate Skill after all.


    Sword Kinesis is a Magic Knight''s ability. Specifically, it was something that a Grand Knight would have.


    Obviously, Vincent is not one of them¡­ Then it must be simr to that or the dagger is a Magic Artifact with such a strange ability.


    ''Not good¡­ My aura will be drained before I could even injure this person¡­''


    Right now, he was suppressing all his injuries using his Aura. It is amon technique that Aura Knights use in battle.


    This is why they are one of the best possible soldiers as their tenacity and vitality are just amazing. As long as an Aura Knight wasn''t instantly killed, they could mystically use their Aura to suppress their injuries and continue fighting.


    This is what was happening to Wesley right now¡­


    Although he''s injured, he hasn''t despaired yet as he knows that he can still go on.


    ''Shit¡­ I don''t like to use my family''s Soul Art¡­ but I have no other choice. I will lose if this continued.''


    Seeing that Vincent was about to attack again, he realized that he has to use the Soul Art that he didn''t want to show in the crowd just yet.


    This soul art wasn''t meant to be used against Vincent after all. He was previously nning to use it against Elena after dealing with Vincent¡­


    ''It''s now or never¡­ Soul Muttion!''


    His Soul Domain and Soul Pressure were immediately canceled as soon as he cast this technique¡­ Furthermore, his Ancient Soul Aura, or the technique he was using to ignore Vincent''s Soul Domain and Soul Pressure was simrly removed.


    Because of that, he was pressed to the ground unable to move¡­ He could only kneel on the floor and he even spat another mouthful of blood.


    However, despite his condition, his face was excited.


    As he expected, Vincent was unable to dodge any soul techniques! He won!


    He was confident that this blind man would copse any moment now¡­


    ''Right, his Soul Domain should be canceled by now. I just need to endure.'' This is what he thought.


    ''Eh?''


    He waited for a few seconds but Vincent just remained there standing and looking at something in his hands.


    It was weird since he was supposed to be blind but he seems to be holding some broken pieces of a magic tool.


    It was then he heard Vincent speak¡­


    "What a strong and vicious Soul Technique¡­ You even destroyed two of my protection talismans¡­"


    Vincent grimly said as he shook his head.


    It was as if he was disappointed by his attack just now.


    Nevertheless, Wesley just feltpletely helpless¡­ He was about to admit his defeat when he suddenly felt a stinging pain on the top of his head as his face was smashed to the ground¡­


    Boom!

 Chapter 239 Next Duel

    Blood sttered everywhere as Vincent pressed Wesley''s face to the stone tform using his right foot.


    Vincent looked at the young man''s back as cold sweat rolls down on his face.


    Although he still has ast line of defense, he shivered at the thought of directly receiving that final soul attack. If it wasn''t stopped by two of his +10 talismans, his Soul would surely be damaged.


    If he was lucky, his rank as an Aura Knight might just drop, or in the worst case, he would''ve died.


    ''If it wasn''t me who was at the receiving end, there was no way they would''ve survived that unscathed.''


    Vincent thought as he knows that most of the participants don''t have strong souls or talismans that could negate such an attack.


    The soul attack was too vicious and there was no way the referee can stop that.


    Only Aura Knights would have the chance of doing so if they do not have the right magic tool¡­


    Vincent sighed as he sheathed his dagger.


    As a matter of fact, the crowd may not have even noticed that Wesley just used a soul attack that is akin to a forbidden technique.


    Since Wesley''s attack was formless, it wouldn''t be surprising if only Soul Cultivators knows about the danger he was in.


    "Alright¡­ That''s enough, Vincent. I''ll check his condition." The referee said as he walked forward and confirmed that Wesley is unconscious and unable to continue the battle.


    "Winner of the 3rd Stage''s duel, Vincent!"


    After the announcement, the medical team including two of Wesley''s subordinates came quickly. They were worried that Wesley''s injuries were something that potions couldn''t be easily healed.


    That would be a disaster since he might notplete the duels he needed to pass the assessment.


    His battle just now was aplete tragedy and there was no way he would pass the exam with that terrible performance.


    Vincent felt several stares heading his way but he ignored all of them. Some of them were probably curious about his identity while the others hated his actions.


    Nevertheless, many of the high-profile individuals present here had finally noticed Vincent.


    They realized that it wasn''t just Magnus who was blind in thispetition!


    A blind magician and a blind knight!


    Some of them were already feeling quite excited to match them up.


    Although they know that Magnus could win since they know the level of his Mana Arts, they still want some sort of entertainment so a battle between two blind warriors would be very interesting.


    ***


    "What a terrifying ability¡­ Did you notice that Professor Turhan?" Levent asked with a steely voice.


    She couldn''t help but look at Wesley in disdain¡­ After reaching a Grand Magus level, they were very sensitive to these kinds of attacks that are formless and deadly.


    Wesley''s attack was just too vicious and luckily Vincent was the one who received the attack. If not, someone would''ve died already.


    ''Is he wearing the Celestial Armor? Does it have a defensive effect against Soul Attacks?'' Levent mused while Turhan was thinking about what just happened.


    "It''s vicious indeed¡­ We really can''t underestimate an Aura Knight family. Anyway, Vincent seems to have a special talisman that could protect him from this type of attack. It was very mysterious. It was unfortunate that they were already broken."<sub> </sub>


    Turhan said with a hint of regret in his voice.


    Magic tools that could protect against Soul Attacks were quite difficult to find after all.


    ''I wonder if he has more of them¡­'' He mused.


    He already knows that Vincent has several pieces of defensive magic equipment when they were still on the floating ship.


    However, seeing how incredible they were, he couldn''t help but recall what A said to him¡­


    ''Does he really have a method to enhance an item like what A deduced?'' Turhan mused.


    Anyway, he wasn''t that invested in this topic and was only curious. He found this very interesting but knows that he has no talent in crafting as he focused more on biological magic or simr to Tier 4 Mana Arts.


    Turhan and Levent then heard a loud bang as the first stage''s duel hase to an end. Elena barely used her energy and simply used Tier 2 Mana Art called Mana Bullet.


    This ability can be easily neutralized by a strong Mana Shield. Elemental defenses like Fire Shield and Water Mirror would do the trick as well.


    In short, Mana Bullet is only useful against lower-level Mana Practitioners.


    However, for some reason, Elena''s Mana Bullet appears to be very strong.


    It could pierce through Akses'' defenses.


    Not even his elemental defenses and magic artifacts could stop her rain of bullets.


    In truth, Turhan and Levent had never seen anyone use this technique as skillfully as her. This is just a Tier 2 Mana Art after all.


    Normally, after one reaches the level of an Adept, they would spend their time mastering their Tier 4 Mana Arts and not this low-tier technique!


    "Is it already at an Advanced State? No, it''s probably Perfected State at this point." Turhan muttered to himself.


    Reaching Perfected State on a Tier 2 Mana Art doesn''t seem to be worth the time.


    For Vincent to master the Tier 1 Mana Arts at Perfected State was understandable since that''s the limit that he could do but Elena was different¡­


    "It''s probably fusion art of some sort¡­ There''s no way a Mana Bullet could pierce through a stone wall defense like that." Leventmented.


    Turhan nodded in agreement as he saw the fight at the second stage end as well.


    Alireza won against the Master Magician who challenged him. The practitioner who fought him learned four elements but unfortunately, his mastery over these elements wasn''t seamless yet so Alireza was able to get his first victory.


    The duels continued for several more rounds. Luckily, after being challenged, they were allowed to rest for the next round before they could ept another one.


    Of course, they could still issue a duel if they were not tired and didn''t want to take a rest.


    This is what Alexander did. After being challenged, he decided not to take any rest and epted three more battles continuously upying the second stage for a while.


    Since he was told to ept 10 challenges like Elena and Magnus, it seems that he was thinking ofpleting it right now.


    In his fifth round, however, someone he didn''t expect challenged him¡­


    "On the second stage¡­ Vincent versus Alexander!"

 Chapter ?240 Vincent Vs Alexander ( 1 )

    Vincent can issue three challenges and he has to carefully select them.


    Luckily, he already gathered information about the participants of this event.


    It was also a good thing that the rule allows them to select any participant. Without thinking too much of it, he issued challenges against the three strongest students. They were Alexander, Elena, and Magnus respectively.


    The organizers of the event would then schedule these challenges ordingly so there wouldn''t be a conflict with the others. Fortunately, they were allowed to challenge these three a total of ten times.


    In the first few rounds of battles, Magnus hasn''t participated in the duel yet as most of the participants were aware of their limits. Even if they''re thinking of challenging him, they are nning of doing it with theirst challenge attempt if there is still a chance.


    They do not want to appear so weak in their first battle after all. If they were defeated by Magnus in a few seconds or without them being able to release their realbat strength, it would be humiliating and waste their three challenges.


    As for Elena, Vincent was unsure of her strength since she was only using Mana Bullets just as the rumors say. However, he knows that it was impossible that she only knows a single technique so he decided to challenge her once she revealed a few more of her tricks.


    On the other hand, Alexander continuously epted challenges just like his personality, and defeated all his opponents with great fanfare.


    ''It feels like he hasn''t battled anyone yet¡­ Perhaps he wasn''t even finished warming up yet.'' Vincent thought as he felt disappointed with the first challengers of this young man.


    Although Alexander already showed many of his Mana Arts, the others weren''t able to do much against him. He wouldn''t doubt if the others already canceled their challenge on him and issued it to someone else.


    Vincent can feel the vigorous Mana Fluctuations of his opponent.


    It was probably simr to Evrim or the 5th Guardian of the Zemin n. That''s right, Alexander is emitting a presence simr to an Archmage although he is only an Adept Mage.


    It was either because he was on the verge of advancing or he just have an artifact that allows him to appear this strong.


    "Ho~ So it''s the other blind guy simr to Magnus¡­ I wonder if you have the strength as well." Alexander said as he crossed his arms while waiting for Vincent at the center of the stage.


    His long hair was tied like a ponytail and Vincent would''ve probably mistaken him as a woman if seen from afar with his blurry vision.


    Furthermore, he could tell that Alexander is smaller than him.


    The only thing that is not surprising about Alexander was that he has eleven Magic Tools on his body that has strong fluctuations of energy.


    "You''ll see¡­" Vincent replied as he stood in front of him.


    "You have to entertain me since you dared to challenge me. If you don''t, you''ll end up humiliated like the others." Alexander said with a threatening tone.


    All of his previous opponents were indeed defeated in a humiliating manner as they got their equipment, clothes, and dignity destroyed.


    Alexander likes to throw his defeated opponents andnd them in an awkward position. It was as if he learned the Wind Element Mana Arts to do this to all of his opponents.


    As the referee confirmed that they were both ready, he immediately announced the start of the duel.


    Alexander stood on his ground as he previously did to others.


    He would allow them to make their move and would act depending on the type of attack he receives. It was as if he likes to show the gap in their strength.


    Vincent weed this opportunity as he pulled out his cane.


    It didn''t recover its full durability yet even after learning the Soul Forging Method. He would probably need a few more weeks since he lost over 90% of the durability points.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was only nning on using three or four strikes from it which probably wouldn''t take a lot of durability points.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? It''s not the dagger you used a while ago¡­" Alexander muttered after seeing the staff or cane he was holding.


    He thought that Vincent''s skills relies on his tricky dagger and impressive Aura.


    However, it seems that he''s about to see some staff techniques from him.


    Vincent didn''t speak as he used his Tier 1 Movement Technique.


    He took a step forward as his Pseudo-Celestial Energy circted throughout his body.


    p He performed the Shrouded Steps or previously known as the eight-step movement technique. Right now, however, his shrouded steps are no longer limited to eight steps!</anda>


    He moved like a ghost as Alexander only see his body sh and reappeared on his side¡­


    "Hmm?!"


    He saw Vincent about to strike his side and at the same time, thorny iron vines started sprouting below his feet!


    Nevertheless, he didn''t feel fear from this as excitement can be seen on his face.


    He likes this kind of challenge!


    "Bring it on!" Alexander shouted as he triggered his magic tool''s effect.


    His middle fingers'' rings suddenly expanded as they transformed into a pair of gauntlet.


    Alexander''s weapons were actually the eight rings on his fingers.


    They four pairs of rings and considered as Magic Artifacts that could transform into small equipment. They could be gauntlets that he was using now, a pair of daggers, a pair of ws, or a pair of thin gloves.


    During his previous battles, Alexander had already shown this so Vincent wasn''t too surprised.


    Bang!


    The gauntlet and the cane met as they created an explosive sound. A shockwave urred and it was felt by everyone.


    The protective mana barrier was even activated to ensure the safety of the audience!


    "Hmmm? It endured my strike?" Vincent was surprised as he was pushed back several meters away.


    "Tsk¡­ I''m more surprised that you damaged my gauntlet this much¡­ Aside from that, are you really blind?" Alexander said as he backed away after crushing the iron vines using his ''ws''.


    Apparently, he can easily switch the activation of his artifacts which is the one causing problems for the first challengers. The ws seem to have an effect of dismantling any elemental mana arts so it was very troublesome.


    He truly is quite weird as he''s a Mana Practitioner that relies on melee weapons that made everyone confused.


    Vincent only smiled at this as he decided to continue.


    He used his shrouded steps followed by a strike of his cane¡­ He didn''t care whether it was blocked at all. In truth, he was even hoping that the young man would parry his strike instead of dodging.


    He did this for the third time as Alexander started frowning and no longer used his gauntlet again. It seems that he realized the cane''s terrifying ability.

 Chapter 241 Vincent Vs Alexander ( 2 )

    ''What''s wrong with that staff? Every hit causes so much damage¡­ The force behind his strikes doesn''t even matter. It''s definitely a legendary weapon. However, there was no such weapon in the list of Legendary Rank Items¡­''


    Alexander eyed Vincent''s staff carefully. It was like it was made of normal wood although it seemed to have been burnt. He could at least tell that the type of wood that was used appeared simr to an Ironbark that ismonly used for practicing weapons.


    Well, ironbark woods were quite weighty which is a perfect recement. It can be easily carved into a weapon of your choice.


    This is what he thought at first¡­


    However, for some reason, he felt that Vincent made it seem like that so people will underestimate his staff.


    That''s right¡­ He realized that Vincent is craftier than he thought!


    He had definitely disguised that staff using some unknown method!


    Alexander felt that what he was parrying is something made of steel instead of wood after all. The numbing pain in his knuckles is proof of that.


    He couldn''t ept that his Pseudo-Legendary Gauntlet was about to shatter into many pieces because of a ck stick!


    "Hey¡­ Are you holding a Legendary Weapon? I''ve never seen anything like that." Alexander said.


    Vincent only smiled and didn''t answer. As he was about to attack again, he heard Alexander speak again.


    "If I win this duel, let me have that stick. If I lose, I will give you whatever you want¡­"


    Alexander arrogantly said as it attracted the audience''s attention. Since there is no time limit in the battle, he didn''t mind talking to Vincent. Anyway, he''s not really worried or desperate to perform really well in thispetition.


    For him, this is just a formality before he enters the core of the ck Tower Organization.


    Vincent couldn''t help but stop after hearing this arrogant statement.


    ''Anything I want? Are you a god or something?'' Vincent ridiculed the young man in his mind.


    Anyway, he decided to reply since he felt that this person wouldn''t just ambush him while talking.


    "Alright¡­ I want an airship. Can you give me one?" Vincent said after thinking for a moment. He felt that asking for a Celestial Weapon is too difficult and that requesting an airship has a better chance.


    Before thepetition, he wasn''t too confident about beating this person since he knows very little information about him. However, it''s different now. He may not be confident of beating Magnus but Alexander is a different matter.


    He might have to reveal a few more of his secret weapons to defeat him but he didn''t mind doing that at all.


    "An airship?! Hahaha! Alright. But you have to tell me whether that stick is a legendary item or not." Alexander replied.


    Vincent raised his brows after hearing the young man''s confident reply.


    ''He''s loaded, huh¡­''


    He then thought for a moment whether to reveal the rank of his cane. It might be used against him and he doesn''t know what Alexander was thinking.


    With that in mind, he replied.


    "You will know once you defeated me¡­ However, I can tell you now that this is a Soul-Forged Weapon¡­"


    Vincent said with a smile.


    As soon as he announced this, the audience was attracted.


    "Soul-Forged Weapon? There is a Soul-Forged Weapon that is so powerful?"


    "Hmm¡­ If I''m not mistaken, Alexander''s gauntlet was Pseudo-Legendary¡­ Not any Soul-Forged Weapon could put so much damage on it. This must be a very special one."


    "Indeed¡­ Alexander is lucky. He can get a precious Soul-Forged Weapon."<sub> </sub>


    "Whoa~ Is it already guaranteed that he''s going to win? Our blind guy here might surprise you, you know?"


    "It''s too bad that there is no betting stand here¡­"


    As the crowd was thinking of betting on their favorite, another shockwave urred and it was stronger than before.


    It was followed by a cracking sound as if something is about to be broken.


    This time, instead of using the gauntlet mode to block Vincent''s attack, Alexander used a Mana Art!


    What Vincent struck just now is a floating ck rock.


    At first, he thought that it is a Magic Tool but seeing how Alexander retracted it, he realized that the rock was just a form of Elemental Mana Art.


    It seems an earth elemental attack or perhaps close to being a metal already.


    This is the first time Alexander had shown his mastery over elemental mana arts.


    Alexander was just too reliant on his magic items in the previous fights so Vincent felt better that he was now resorting to elemental attacks instead. Forcing him to do this is one of his ns after all.


    If he decided to just continue using his artifacts in the battle, Vincent''s tactic would be to destroy these artifacts with his celestial dagger since they already received a ''crushing strike'' from the cane which had shaken their durability so it would be a lot easier to destroy them.


    "Don''t worry, Vincent¡­ You have gained my respect¡­ I won''t be humiliating you even after crushing you!"


    Alexander said as he used his Wind Element Mana Art to disrupt Vincent''s movement.


    Gale Force!


    The Gale Force is a Tier 3 Mana Art that covers about a 10-meter radius from the caster. Within this radius, strong winds would trap anyone that is within the range¡­


    This is a very good technique to deal with closebat fighters like Vincent.


    However, this is something thetter wanted as well.


    ''Good¡­ I can feel it.'' Vincent smiled as he felt the gale pressuring him.


    Now that Alexander is releasing his mana, Vincent can feel that thread of this mana connected to Alexander while he continuously cast the skill.


    Vincent just remained in his defense relying on his tough Nightbane Robe and his Magic Tools to resist this elemental domain¡­


    He then saw Alexandering closer.


    Right now, Alexander is not using the Gauntlet and switched to a pair of daggers.


    Well, he''s not a Grand Magus after all.


    He can''t cast another Elemental Mana Art after activating the Gale Force.


    Instead, he''s nning to use his Magic Weapon to defeat Vincent.


    It was a good n but unfortunately, his opponent is Vincent.


    ''Alright¡­ This is enough.'' Vincent thought as focused his mind to cast a single Tier 1 Mana Art.


    After feeling and familiarizing himself with the thread of mana leaking out of Alexander, he can now use the strengthened version of this Tier 1 ability!


    The touchless Mana Drain!

 Chapter ?242 Vincent Vs Alexander ( 3 )

    The Mana Drain was previously just a weak Tier 1  Mana Art that can only be used when the target is not resisting at all.


    Any form of resistance or even just a simple cirction of mana within the body and the Mana Drain will be disrupted and canceled. It is basically unsuited for battle.


    However, after Vincent practiced the ability silently every day like how he grinds his other Tier 1 Mana Arts, it continuously improved.


    From the beginner to the intermediate stage, he had already seen some improvements. Reaching an advanced state allowed him to strengthen the draining ability of the skill. Furthermore, draining was just one of its effects as it could transfer the mana into his body. It''s more like a Mana Extraction for Vincent.


    Of course, thanks to his Synthetic Celestial Core, the mana being transferred was easily converted into a minuscule amount of Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ It may not be a huge amount after being filtered by his core but it''s still better than nothing.


    ''Mana Drain!''


    As soon as he activated the skill, the faint feeling for Alexander''s thread of Mana thickens¡­ It became firmer and ''visible'' to Vincent.


    Since Alexander is voluntarily expending his mana right now, Vincent was able to easily get the touchless connection that he needed to begin the Mana Drain.


    Soon, numerous threads of mana starteding out of Alexander''s body without his knowledge¡­


    He might''ve even felt that he''s now exerting a lot of pressure on Vincent with a powerful gale force¡­


    Seeing that Vincent was unmoving, Alexander smiled¡­


    "Your staff is mine!"


    Alexander shouted as he pounced at Vincent.


    Since thetter already stored the damaged cane in his interspatial ring, Vincent is now using a different weapon.


    It is his Aura-Forged ck Mithril Sword.


    ng! ng!


    Alexander''s stabbed his dagger while Vincent defended using the mithril sword. It was followed by a sh from the second dagger but thetter decided to dodge this time.


    His dodging speed revealed that he actually has no issues staying within the Gale Force which was quite shocking to Alexander.


    Even the audience realized this as well seeing how swift he got of out the dagger''s range and nimbly circled around him.


    "Y-you can move without obstruction?! You''re faking it?!"


    He thought that Vincent would just be forced to continuously fight him on his ground while resisting the Field Magic he created.


    This is the reason why he wasn''t too bothered when Vincent blocked one of his attacks easily. He believes that it will just be a matter of time before he makes a mistake and he would capitalize on it.


    Since he has trained himself with several dagger techniques, he thought that it was just a matter of time until Vincent could no longer resist his Gale Force.


    He''s confident with his mana reserves after all.


    Of course, Vincent didn''t reply as the Mana Drain is still activated. He can''t lose his focus now.


    To be honest, he was also shocked by the incredible amount of Alexander''s mana. This is probablyrger than even Yulia''s mana capacity.


    Nevertheless, this made him excited even more.


    He realized why this person is being closely watched by the ck Tower. He has the capability of wielding several pseudo-legendary artifacts, his battle abilities were top-notch, his mastery of elemental mana art is also superb, andstly, he has an insane amount of mana!


    It''s too bad for him that he would not be able to cast any more of his Elemental Mana Art because of Vincent''s Mana Drain¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? What''s going on?"


    As Alexander canceled his Gale Force since he felt that it was useless anyway, he realized that his mana is still leaking.


    This had only happened once to him and that was during his Mana Baptism.


    During that time, his father even worried that a Mana Storm was about to ur because of mana that was gathering around his body.


    Alexander looked at Vincent in shock.


    Thetter didn''t give an answer but his grinning face was enough for Alexander to understand that Vincent did something to him.


    ''Is it an artifact''s Ephemeral Mana Art? Tsk¡­ Whatever it is, as long as I knock him out, this should stop from happening¡­''


    Alexander was about to continue his assault on Vincent but he was momentarily stunned.


    Vincent used one of the Aura-Forged ck Mithril Sword''s skill options.


    [ Fatal Mind: A skill capable of disrupting the mind of the target by showing them their nightmare for a brief moment. This skill can be activated to any target within 5 meters by using 100 units of mana.


    Cooldown: 10 minutes


    Remarks: The cooldown can be ignored in exchange for durability points. The amount deducted depends on the remaining time. ]


    nk!


    Alexander resisted the Fatal Mind as one of his Magic Tools took effect¡­ It was his blue ne that has started to dim. It seems that it used its ''powers'' to resist the Fatal Mind¡­


    Nevertheless, even if he was not harmed, Alexander''s momentum was still disrupted.


    Vincent frowned as he used another ability, this time, it was his Nightbane Robe''s ability.


    Chaos Night!


    This is the skill he used to deal with Richard before.


    [ Chaos Night: A skill capable of trapping the consciousness of the target in a nightmare thatsts depending on the target''s Mind Maniption Resistance. It costs 400 units of mana per usage.


    Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    Remarks: Ineffective against a target that is already under any Mind Maniption Technique. ]


    This is the full description of the Mana Arts and Vincent was actually a bit disappointed since he can''t make this any stronger.


    Since this is an ability imbued into a weapon, there is no mastery level on this like beginner stage, intermediate stage, and so on.


    It means that if his opponent had reached a certain level, it wouldn''t be able to deal any damage at all.


    The good thing about this, however, is that he could use this at the same time he''s casting his Tier 1 Mana Art.


    It feels like he was doing a dual-casting right now!


    As Alexander was slowly draining his mana, he was dealing with Vincent''s magic tools'' skill options as well!

 Chapter 243 Vincent Vs Alexander ( 4 )

    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The blue ne that Alexander was wearing finally shattered after casting the Chaos Night.


    It could not resist two of Vincent''s magic tools'' mind-controlling skills!


    Alexander felt more pressure after realizing this.


    He only has one magic tool that could protect him against mind-controlling abilities after all. It is a Unique Rank which is already considered a very high rank among the magic tools that could resist such hypnotic abilities¡­ and since it was already broken, he could easily guess just how powerful those mind-controlling abilities were. He wouldn''t even be surprised if they came from a Legendary Rank Equipment!


    Such terrifying ability can''t normally be seen within the ck Tower Organization in the first ce. So for Vincent to possess two types of this ability is quite shocking.


    He could only me himself for not preparing enough for all different kinds of scenarios.


    ''I''m not going to lose!''


    There is only one thing he could do now and that is to stop Vincent from casting another simr Mana Art with all his might!


    He needs to use his Tier 4 Ability!


    Rogue Demon Tail!


    He didn''t want to activate this earlier and thought he might not even have a chance of using this.


    However, he didn''t want to be defeated by Vincent right now!


    As soon as the dark and iron-like tail appeared behind Alexander, Vincent was momentarily confused but he immediately reacted and backed away.


    "Summoning Art? Is that possible?"


    Since it was blurry, Vincent thought that Alexander summoned a snake¡­ It was even emitting a dangerous aura so he thought that his guess was right¡­


    However, instead of trying to bite him, the ''snake'' was used like a whip!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    He evaded all these strikes as he realized what was going on¡­


    Alexander''s Tier 4 Mana Art or body modification wasn''t some kind of a Mystic Eye, Arm Transformation, or Reformed Leg.


    It is a Growth-Type Body Modification. Alexander literally had his body modified to add or grow a tail in order to advance as an Adept!


    Of course, the tail wasn''t just for whipping¡­ Its activation triggered an increase in Alexander''s physical and magic attributes.


    In short, his natural resistance against physical and magical attacks increased as his body got stronger.


    The best thing about the tail, however, is that Alexander can wield it so easily like his third hand¡­


    Alexander had a grim look on his face as he decided to attack. Since he had shown his tail right now, he has to win this match.


    Furthermore, he noticed that his mana is still leaking at a very rming rate. He can''t waste his time as he needed to knock Vincent out.


    Bam! Bam!


    He moved with haste as Vincent continued dodging¡­ His tail was hitting nothing but the floor.


    His twin dagger couldn''t keep up with Vincent''s movement technique as well. However, Alexander wasn''t worried.


    He knows for sure that Vincent hasn''t dealt with anyone that has a nimble tail after all.


    "Urgh¡­"


    Suddenly, Vincent''s right foot was caught by the iron-like tail disrupting his movements.


    It was finally Alexander''s chance!


    Alexander has no ns of letting him go now that he caught him!


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he felt his body get lifted by that tail. It doesn''t seem like he''s fighting against a human at all!


    ''Fine¡­ Take this!''<sub> </sub>


    Illusory Sword!


    As soon as he triggered the Mithril Sword''s second ability, three illusory swords floated around as they aimed their tip in Alexander''s direction¡­


    Alexander''s eyes widened after seeing three flying swords locked into him!


    He was nning to pull Vincent with his tail to use him as a shield but he didn''t have the time to do so!


    ng! ng! ng!


    He was unable to muster enough strength against Vincent with his long tail and could only block the swords with his daggers.


    It wasn''t over yet.


    He saw that the three illusory swords were only pushed back and did not dissipate at all¡­


    "Is that all?! Come here!" Alexander shouted as he tried pulling Vincent to his side¡­ However, to his surprise, he couldn''t gather enough energy to do so.


    "W-what''s happening?"


    Vincent smiled after noticing that Alexander is clueless about his body''s situation.


    Well, he did this to himself.


    Instead of trying to get away from him after getting marked by his Mana Drain, he instead continued getting closer. He probably wanted to end things fast.


    However, it''s not like his Mana Drain can work in a range without any limit.


    If Alexander moved over 10 meters away from him, the thread of mana he was using to extract or drain his target''s mana would weaken¡­ Any further than that and the connection will cut off.


    That''s right, although the Mana Drain is now a touchless technique, it''s still not an omnipotent ability.


    Unfortunately, Alexander can''t think calmly after realizing that his mana started leaking uncontrobly.


    As he continued spending his mana and getting closer to Vincent, the draining got a lot faster.


    Surging Palm Strike¡­


    It was then followed by the three illusory swords!


    Bam!


    Vincent stopped the Mana Drain as he used another Tier 1 Mana Art. This is a Perfected state already so its sheer power couldn''t be ignored at all.


    Alexander crushed the illusory swords with his tail this time. But he was thrown to the edge of the stage as his body lost its strength because of the palm strike.


    ''That stings¡­'' Vincent thought as he felt the pain in his right ankle. That tail grabbed him too tightly just now.


    It''s probably swollen but nevertheless, this injury is nothing much.


    "Are you going to continue?" Vincent asked.


    He knows that Alexander hadn''t shown everything yet. He knows that the Rogue Demon Tail is a lot moreplicated than what he just showed.


    The only problem is that he doesn''t have enough mana to support its ability.


    Alexander sat up with great difficulty as he clutch his chest in pain.


    He recognized what hit him.


    It is the Surging Palm Strike that he also knows. However, his palm strike wasn''t as strong as Vincent''s strike.


    ''I''ve already activated my Rogue Demon Tail¡­ My resistance against such attacks should''ve made me immune to Tier 1 Mana Arts¡­ Is he simr to Elena? Tsk¡­ What a blunder.''


    After giving it a thought, Alexander sighed.


    It seems that Magnus will have an interesting battleter on.


    "Alright¡­ I still need to save my energy. I''ll ept my defeat." Alexander said as he left the stage without waiting for the referee''s announcement.

 Chapter ?244 Magnus

    Vincent heaved a sigh of relief after returning to his seat.


    He noticed Guven who was looking at him with admiration as he nodded his head. Well, they can''t reallymunicate since he didn''t learn any signnguage. Furthermore, Levent''s Mind Network can''t reach this distance.


    Nevertheless, he knows that Guven was trying to congratte him on winning.


    At this time, Guven''s name was also called.


    "On the first stage, Guven versus Y!"


    Guven then entered the stage as he faced arge man carrying a rapier as his weapon.


    Vincent then nced at Guven and noticed that he was carrying what was simr to a prayer bead used by monks.


    It was a very interesting sight since this is the first time he saw someone use an essory as their main weapon in this duel.


    ''Well, it might be a different story if it can also transform like what Alexander was using¡­''


    Vincent thought as he seated to recuperate. He can also receive treatment from the medical personnel nearby if he wanted to but decided to just take a potion that he enhanced himself.


    Their effectiveness is something he could trust after all.


    ***


    While he was taking his rest, the crowd who were just watching his battle were still unable to ept Alexander''s defeat.


    Aside from Professor Levent, no one really expected Vincent''s victory against Alexander. Even Professor Turhan only knows he''s about the same level as Wesley and Alireza.


    However, they realized that Vincent''s movement technique, staff martial arts, sword skill, and mysterious abilities of his artifacts were more than enough to give him a good spot in the ranking.


    "Hmmm¡­ How unexpected¡­ I wonder what happened to Alexander. He didn''t fully utilize his Rogue Demon Tail."


    "Yeah, it''s a bit disappointing. The Rogue Demon Tail that I''ve read about is stronger than that."


    "Maybe he just learned how to use it? I think he can''t control its power yet so he was leaking too much mana. That''s probably the reason why he has to limit himself.


    "Furthermore, his Pseudo-Legendary Gauntlet got wasted by Vincent''s staff¡­ He probably got his arms injured after that."


    p "We really can''t underestimate all these students who received a rmendation, huh¡­ I wonder who rmended this Vincent¡­"</anda>


    As Vincent''s performance attracted everyone''s attention, they couldn''t help but start wondering about his background.


    The easier method to do that is, of course, to find the one who rmended him to enter the academy or ask Vincent himself.


    It didn''t take that long as Professor Turhan''s name was brought out and people started asking him about Vincent''s background.


    Faviona, who had seen everything as well, couldn''t help but look at Vincent''s figure with great interest.


    ***


    While this is all happening, the duels continued within the arena.


    During this time, Vincent continued ''watching'' the battle as he found several interesting students.


    Guven''s prayer bead or ne is actually a Formation Core as it could trap his opponent making their mana chaotic as they got vulnerable to his punches and kicks.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, this prayer bead only seems effective against those at the lower ranks so Guven made sure to select the weaker opponents.


    He doesn''t seem to be aiming too much in the rankings.


    Perhaps, Guven just wanted to receive the Gray Emblem out of thispetition which isn''t really a bad thing to do.


    Anyway, Vincent found a few more students with decent skills.


    Although they weren''t as strong as the top three students, they still have abilities that would make them stand out.


    Among them is a girl named Sarah. Her skills attracted Vincent''s attention.


    She may not have a strong mana fluctuation, but her choice of elemental Mana Arts was quite interesting.


    Those who learned Fire Elemental techniques would normally choose Fireball, Fire Torrent, Chain me, Fire Dash, or Heat Wave¡­ These Tier 3 Mana Arts were useful because they were quite easy to learn and were effective inbat.


    However, Sarah''s choice was different.


    Instead of selecting these popr and easy-to-use Fire Element techniques, she selected an extreme Fire Mana Art.


    ming Body!


    She had literally set herself on fire as she fought against her enemy with her burning spear.


    The opponent she selected was adept in Wind, Fire, and Earth elements so he was incapable of harming her at all.


    If Vincent would make a guess, Sarah''s Tier 4 Body Modification is simr to Lar and the 4 other Followers of Qheglena. A gift that could protect their bodies from certain types of harm or element.


    In Sarah''s case, she probably has immunity against fire techniques so she decided to capitalize on this ability by learning such an extreme Fire Elemental Mana Art. Even though her Mana Capacity, physical strength, and Magic Tools werecking, her choice of Tier 3 Mana Arts suited her the most.


    There is also Yucel. He is a Magic Knight who uses a scythe as his main weapon. It is also something very new to Vincent as he had never seen anyone who uses a weapon like that. Furthermore, he was very adept at using this weapon although hecks strength and power. At the very least, he seems to have potential if he cultivated his mana a little bit more.


    Lastly, Vincent was impressed by the brave young man called Necdet. After all, he''s the first one to challenge Magnus!


    Everyone was looking forward to Magnus'' first battle after all.


    "On the third stage, Necdet versus Magnus!"


    Necdet seems smaller than Vincent. His main weapon is a scepter that is even taller than him.


    On the other hand, Magnus'' appearance was truly like a mysterious magician. He is wearing a ck mask, a ck magician robe, and white gloves.


    There is no visible weapon but everyone here knows that he''s an expert in the Fusion Arts. He is at the level where he could easily summon a mini meteor to st his opponent if he wanted to!


    "If you''re ready! You can start now!" The referee on the third stage announced after seeing that both of them were in their battle stance.


    Soon, everyone saw Necdet''s scepter emit a blinding light as the Mana Barrier ced to protect the audience started trembling¡­


    A huge spectral bird was summoned out of the scepter!


    "What?! This is prohibited! This needs to stop!" The referee eximed.

 Chapter 245 Spectral

    "Not good! We have to stop the battle!"


    Someone from the audience immediately shouted after seeing the ghostly figure of a bird. In Vincent''s eyes and senses, it looks like a beautiful Phoenix soaring in the sky. Although it looks strong, it shouldn''t be that threatening in his opinion.


    However, it seems that many people were afraid of it.


    "This is bad¡­ If Magnus got hurt because of this, it will be a disaster¡­"


    "How can that technique be allowed here?!"


    "Oh no¡­ Magnus! Necdet must be an assassin hired to kill Magnus! Stop him!"


    <o>,m The crowd started worrying over the strongest student of the batch. Which is truly quite confusing, especially to other students who were unaware of the situation.</o>


    "What''s wrong?" Vincent muttered as he wasn''t sure what was happening.


    He thought that this was a decent skill as it looks like the Soul Manifestation skill of his cane. It looks very strong but it''s not an omnipotent skill. Of course, if he was on the receiving end of the skill, he would have a hard time defending against them as well.


    But it shouldn''t be impossible for him to survive and continue his battle.


    It means that Magnus should have the means to survive this too, right?


    Vincent thought of this as he watches the battle unfold.


    Several professors, guardians, and security officers were about to jump and protect Magnus when they suddenly heard a deep voice making them stay on their feet.


    "Don''t panic¡­ My disciple should be able to handle this."


    It was the Tower Lord''s voiceing from the high tform. Vincent couldn''t help but sigh in admiration after hearing this.


    He only learned now that Magnus is actually the Third Tower Lord''s disciple. Perhaps, it wasn''t only him who realized this, as several gasps were heard within the crowd.


    Well, it seems only those in the higher-ups were aware of this.


    ''No wonder Magnus has such a huge number of people following him, huh¡­'' Vincent helplessly smiled.


    Anyway, he hadn''t directly offended Magnus so he should be just fine. At most, he''s just a fellow blind man who has some decent talent in thispetition.


    Once he regained his eyesight, Magnus can take the title of the strongest blind practitioner instead. He didn''t wish to have it anyway.


    "Ho~ Necdet¡­ This is incredible. Is this an iplete Mythical Beast Soul Projection?" Magnus said as the spectral bird circled around him.


    "Hmph! You look very calm¡­ However, I don''t think you have the strength to defeat my summoned spectral beast. I used a genuine Mythical Beast''s blood to show a thousandth of its strength!"


    Necdet said as he pointed at Magnus¡­ This time, the spectral bird no longer hover around as it screeched and came rushing to attack Magnus!


    "Haha! It''s too bad that you probably used diluted blood¡­ It wasn''t even a blood essence that you used as a medium. It''s not strong enough, Necdet."


    As soon as Magnus said this, he raised his palms as if he was trying to catch therge spectral bird!<sub> </sub>


    It is such a brave move but definitely a dangerous thing to do!


    Those who were watching that were aware of what kind of attack this is couldn''t help but watch this exchange with bated breath.


    Within this world, there were normal animals, savage beasts, magical beasts, and mythical beasts¡­


    While savage beasts were just considered strong mutated animals, the magical beasts were those that has gained a higher level of intelligence through evolution.


    As for the Mythical Beasts, they were considered ancient creatures that have barely been seen by people, or only a few records of them were found. Furthermore, they were rumored to possess incredible power that shouldn''t exist in this world.


    In truth, themoners weren''t even aware of the existence of the Mythical Beasts. Even if they heard about it, they will just think of them just like their names¡­ myths.


    They were creatures that can only be read in fairytales and songs of the bard but could no longer be seen. Even their images in paintings can vary depending on the artists¡­


    Nevertheless, the professors and many strong individuals here within the tower were aware of the existence of Mythical Beasts. They have probably seen one or they have found a part or even a carcass of one. They were also aware of what kind of power they possessed!


    "Arrogant!" Necdet shouted after seeing how Magnus acted.


    However, he''s not unhappy with this since he expected that this young man would be very full of himself and take the attack head-on. Necdet knows Magnus'' personality and decided to use it against him


    ''Hmph¡­ This attack can even kill a Grand Magnus¡­ I didn''t just use a single drop of Mythical Beast to summon this¡­ Die!''


    Boom!


    The collision of the Mythical Beast Projection and Magnus'' defense created a powerful shockwave as Necdet got out of bnce¡­ He wasn''t in a hurry to stand up as he looked at the ce where Magnus got hit and waited for the smoke and dust to settle.


    There, he saw the silhouette of the spectral bird that he summoned and it is still moving around. However, it seems to be stuck as it tried to p its wings to get out!


    "Impossible!"


    As the dustpletely settled, Necdet saw Magnus holding the beak of the bird with one hand!


    This time, Magnus'' masks and gloves were emitting a purple light showing that its hidden skills were being used.


    Necdet doesn''t know what artifacts Magnus'' possesses but he can tell that this blind man was not even taking this match seriously!


    ''No! It can''t be! He must be enduring this with all of his might¡­ The spectral bird doesn''t just attack with its physical prowess¡­ Magnus would have internal injuries if this continued. I can do this¡­ It''s not over yet!''


    Necdet doesn''t want to believe that Magnus came unscathed after that collision. The spectral bird he summoned would also continuously emit chaotic energy that would be extremely bad for Magnus'' physique.


    "Alright, you can stop my attack, Magnus¡­ But don''t think that it''ll be destroyed by you" With that said, Necdet pounced at his blind opponent who seemed to be busy handling the summoned beast.


    However, to his surprise, Magnus'' aura continued getting stronger as he saw his other hand casting a Mana Art!


    It is a Fusion Art to be exact as he summoned a fusion of wind and earth elements creating Pulsating Earth Bullets that were headed at Necdet''s face!

 Chapter ?246 Necdet Vs Magnus

    There were only three Pulsating Earth Bullets that were made but all of them were sharp and had a strong fluctuation of mana covering them.


    Necdet felt the pressureing from it as he dodged to his side just in the nick of time¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The three bullets hit the floor as Necdet evaded with his nimble movement. It seems that his boots right now were actually some sort of Magic Tool that increases his agility.


    However, Necdet didn''t feel happy as he can still feel the pulsating manaing from the bullets!


    It is not done yet!


    The three bullets seem to be alive as they immediately floated after being buried on the floor and chased after Necdet again.


    This time, thetter didn''t dodge as he blocked the Fusion Arts with his artifacts!


    Bam!


    One of the earth bullets exploded after being in contact with the mana shield created by his artifact.


    The second one, however, was only partially stopped as it destroyed his already weakened defenses¡­


    As the third one followed, Necdet greeted his teeth as he decided to endure the attack¡­


    ''Eat this!''


    His eyes were focused on Magnus as he pointed his scepter at the spectral bird!


    The struggling projection of the Mythical Beast suddenly bloated as if it was being overloaded by something.


    Magnus realized that something was wrong as an enormous amount of energy started gathering in front of him¡­


    Apparently, Necdet was indeed correct about Magnus'' current situation. He was able to stop the summoned spectral bird but he doesn''t have the strength to destroy it immediately.


    He has to gather enough Mana to pierce through it and hope to destroy it in one go.


    The problem is that he doesn''t have the time to gather this energy as he needed to use his Fusion Arts to pressure Necdet and hopefully defeat him with this.


    After all, Necdet can continue casting various elemental attacks after summoning the spectral beast.


    "Ak!"


    Necdet''s right shoulder was hit by thest Pulsating Earth Bullet as it twisted his skin and flesh¡­ The pain wasn''t something he could endure quietly as he screamed in pain.


    Magnus wasn''t in a good condition as well.


    The summoned spectral bird using the blood of a Mythical Beast became powerful. After it was bloated, its presence bes more visible before exploding with chaotic energy¡­


    The explosion doesn''t seem to be powerful as it didn''t destroy the stone tform or made the Mana barrier activate. But that is the scary part of it as it didn''t affect the physical attributes of the surroundings!


    Magnus was met by foreign energy that seeped through his skin and started harming his body¡­


    His body was shaken as he almost vomited some blood. Luckily, he managed to control and stabilize the chaotic energy in time. Perhaps, if he hasn''t learned a secret Mana Cultivation Method from the Tower Lord, the foreign energy would have caused havoc within his body.


    ''Good¡­''<sub> </sub>


    Magnus felt better as he firmly stood on his ground. He made sure to appear very strong to maintain his image.


    He can''t appear weak after being assaulted by Necdet''s mysterious attacks.


    ''As long as I have this mask, I won''t lose¡­''


    Magnus chanted in his mind as he decided to end the match against Necdet.


    ''Water Prison¡­''


    As thetter was still in pain after being hit by the spinning bullet made of earth, he was unable to dodge or block Magnus'' simple water prison.


    As soon as Necdet became unconscious, Magnus immediately canceled the Mana Art not waiting for the referee to order him.


    It didn''t take long before the referee confirmed Necdet''s safety as Magnus'' first victory was announced. Then, Necdet was taken by the guards to interrogate.


    ''Using the blood of Mythical Beasts that is extremely scarce within the ck Tower Organization is prohibited¡­ I wonder who gave that to him.'' Magnus couldn''t help but wonder.


    The Mythical Beast''s blood is so precious and they are something that couldn''t even be bought with money. It has so many uses and Necdet wasted it just to try and kill him.


    Perhaps, if Necdet offered it to Magnus in exchange for losing the match, he would immediately agree.


    Magnus may not be able to use the blood of the Mythical Beast immediately but once he gathered enough strength or resources, he would surely have a better use for it and not just for a weak Soul Projection. This kind of technique can only manifest the aura of the Mythical Beast after all. It can intimidate Magical Beasts but against Mana Practitioners, it could only attack their internal energy.


    It may be very useful at some point but there are better ways to use the blood of Mythical Beasts.


    After this incident, several duels passed and no one challenged Magnus again. Although it''s very alluring to defeat the disciple of the Tower Lord, they know that it will not be easy.


    Everyone can still remember how Magnus held the spectral bird''s beak and stopped it from getting away¡­ The illusory figure of the bird was probably 10 times bigger than Magnus himself!


    The sight of him unmoving by that attack remained in their mind as they decided to avoid challenging him for now.


    "In the first stage, Nadia versus Elena!"


    Vincent''s attention was caught as Elena was challenged by another female mana practitioner.


    As soon as the battle started, Elena acted the same way as before.


    She''s still using Tier 2 Mana Bullets to continuously assault her opponent. Perhaps, this woman would only stop using this technique if she lost even once¡­


    ''Her Mana Capacity is probably over a thousand units or she has a very unique Mana Recovery technique.'' Vincent thought.


    As he was enjoying the battle, someone suddenly came to him with a letter in his hand. Vincent doesn''t know this person so he was curious and remained quiet.


    "Vincent¡­ I''m Sir Alexander''s servant. This letter is about the promise he made to you." The young man said as he handed over the letter.


    "Promise? Ahh¡­ Is it about the airship?" Vincent said as he took the letter.


    He wanted to ask the man to read it for him but he immediately left.


    ''Hey¡­ Can''t you see I''m blind? How am I supposed to read his letter?''

 Chapter 247 Archon

    Vincent sighed.


    Anyway, he wasn''t in a hurry so he decided to just keep the letter within his interspatial ring.


    Unlike his Obsidian Treasure Box which could only store magic-rted objects, the interspatial ring can target any non-living objects and store them inside.


    It''s a very convenient tool so Vincent can now store some of his necessities like food and clothes inside.


    ''In any case, whether he decided to keep his promise or not, it''s not really a big deal¡­ I only made that bet to satisfy him¡­ If he reneges from the deal, he''ll be the one suffering with his reputation, not me.''


    Vincent thought as he continued watching the battle between Nadia and Elena.


    Well, he''s not just watching to entertain himself after all.


    It''s simply because he would be challenging Elenater on. If he knows her pattern or gets a rough estimate of herbat skills, it will be very fruitful for him.


    ***


    In the meantime, while this is all happening, a group of people started looking at the two figures who were closely watching Vincent''s movements.


    The two were the Celestial Beings under Vincent''smand. Tara and Rem.


    Their presence seems to have attracted a group of Purple Emblem members of the Tower.


    They were people with high positions within the tower and their presence here can be rarely seen. Gray, Yellow, Blue, Red, Purple, and ck¡­


    They were the colors of the emblems from the lowest to the highest. In short, only the Tower Master and Vice Masters, who are allowed to wear the ck Emblem, have a higher rank than these group of people eyeing Tara and Rem.


    It appears that the two Celestials weren''t aware of this as they ignored their gazes and remained watching Vincent to ensure his safety.


    "Hmm¡­. What do you think of those two?" An old man with a long white beard asked. The purple emblem on his right chest was dirty including his overall appearance.


    Nevertheless, no one dared to disrespect him as the strong still rules this world.


    There are six people within this group and he''s considered the oldest and most powerful among them.


    "Archon Florian, they were just weak Celestial Beings. I already consulted Number 725 and 780. They said that the two were most likely unnumbered celestials or they were above 950 if they were numbered. Nothing is interesting about them¡­ At most, they could probably have some value if they possess a Celestial Weapon or Armor."


    The one who spoke was Archon Cezary. Although he''s also quite old like Florian, he would always dye his hair ck to appear a bit younger in his perspective.


    The two of them were the oldest member of this small group and they were all looking for new disciples they can groom in the future. They were like the others here who had attended this event.


    Anyway, the ck Tower Organization has small groups of factions and most of them are led by the Archons¡­


    Currently, in this group of six, five of them have a title of an Archon and one of them doesn''t have a title yet since he''s only a Tri-Caster.


    Archon is the title given to a Grand Magus who is a Penta-Caster. Nevertheless, not all Purple Emblem members are at this level.


    Thyruz, who is one of them, is the proof of this. He is the first person to notice Tara and Rem''s unusual demeanor and recognized their identity as Celestial Beings. Nevertheless, he is considered to be stronger than Hausmer who is currently the Dragon Rider Chief of the ck Tower.<sub> </sub>


    He eyed Tara and Rem once more before adding, "We might have to at least confirm their purpose here. I''m sure that they weren''t just protecting that blind student. It''s also impossible that both of them were receiving blood essence from him¡­"


    After Thyruz said this, the others went silent as an idea came to their minds.


    "Hmm¡­ Perhaps they were looking for candidates they can contract with?" Florian said what was in everyone''s minds.


    They all looked at each other as greed can be seen in everyone''s eyes.


    "It seems that we are all thinking the same thing¡­"


    "This is good, isn''t it?"


    "We''re still unsure though¡­ They came here escorting a young man already. Ehem¡­ Nevertheless, I think we should still try."


    There are only two Celestial Beings so it''s impossible to share it with everyone. Furthermore, they were already old and their blood essence is extremely valuable for them to stay as Archons.


    This means that the two Celestial were probably looking for two young and talented practitioners in thispetition as well.


    In short, they must make their current disciples get the contract for themselves. They needed to give them an opportunity if that was the case.


    "Send someone to invite those two up here¡­" Florian said after thinking for a moment.


    "Oh~ That''s a good idea¡­ We will see what they were up to and we''ll also get our disciples to befriend them if it''s possible." Cezary humbly said as everyone nodded with a smile.


    <o>,m The six of them immediately called their best disciples so they could meet the two Celestial Beings.</o>


    ***


    During this time, Vincent was still busy watching Elena slowly dismantling Nadia''s fighting techniques.


    Nadia is a skillful Master Magician who had the mastery over the Water and Earth elements¡­ In addition, she had mastered Water Treading Steps and Earth Shifting to the Advanced State!


    These two elemental movement techniques were incredibly useful in battle and to be honest, Vincent wanted to learn these techniques as well since they seem very useful in traveling especially the Earth Shifting Movement Technique.


    It would allow you to easily escape in case you met a strong savage beast or magic beast as this particr movement technique is very silent unlike the Fire Dash with explosive sound, Wind Haste with the strong breeze, and Water Treading Steps with rippling effects¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Unfortunately for Nadia, the Mana Bullets that Elena was using were incredibly fast and it doesn''t seem to have a cooldown time.


    Although Elena took a lot of time to pin her, she still managed to defeat her opponent after using over 40 Mana Bullets which is already quite impressive for the defeated Mana Practitioner.


    Several rounds passed as Vincent''s challenge was finally called.


    "On the first stage, Vincent versus Elena!"

 Chapter ?248 Vincent Vs Elena ( 1 )

    As soon as the announcement came, everyone perked up as they heard the name of the one who defeated Alexander.


    To be honest, many of them weren''t satisfied with Vincent''s victory. It was too abrupt and they felt that Alexander could still continue in that battle.


    The others also thought that Alexander just let down his guard since his opponent was blind. They think that if they get a rematch, there was no way Vincent could win against Alexander.


    This is why there weren''t a lot of people who cheered for Vincent after his win. Most of them just felt curious about his identity and the Soul-Forged Weapon that he used against Alexander''s Pseudo-Legendary Gauntlet.


    Now, with the uing battle against Elena, they believe that they will be able to see whether he''s really strong or it was just a stroke of luck.


    After all, Elena should''ve seen how Vincent won against Alexander and there was no way she would allow herself to be defeated in the same way.


    "Hmm? So you have another weapon? Interesting¡­" Elena muttered after seeing Vincente up to the stage.


    During his battle against Alexander, he showed the wooden staff and the ck mithril sword to everyone. He also showed his Perfected Surging Palm Strike that tells them that he''s indeed a decent closebat blind practitioner.


    Vincent smiled as he held his Astral Night Dagger in his right hand.


    ''It seems that she didn''t watch my match against Wesley.''


    "That''s right. Will you be using your Mana Bullets again?" Vincent asked as he arrived at the center of the stage without using his cane.


    "I will. You have to be careful. They''re fast. I can''t cancel them when they''re shot." Elena warned as she nced at Vincent''s figure. She can actually tell that he seems to be wearing a very thin scale armor inside his robe thanks to her Mystic Eye''s ability. She''s sure that he wasn''t wearing this during his fight against Alexander.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t think too much of it as she took a deep breath.


    Elena has long braided ck hair and a slim figure. Her voice sounded a little rough for a youngdy but she certainly has a charming demeanor.


    She has tanned skin covered by a loose Magician Robe that doesn''t appear to be too extravagant. Nevertheless, Vincent can tell that even though she has a slim figure, she has definitely trained her body to a certain degree as he could feel so much vitality from her.


    Vincent smiled at her warning as he waited for the referee to announce the battle.


    ''I guess I have to defeat her while she''s not taking me seriously yet.'' He thought.


    The female referee then spoke of the rules of the duel before announcing the start of the battle.


    Whoosh~


    A Mana Bullet immediately manifested in front of Elena and shot toward Vincent.


    The casting time and shooting speed didn''t even take two seconds as it happened without her raising her hands at all! She didn''t do this prior to this battle!


    In her previous matches, she would always raise her hands to cast these Mana Bullets! Everyone thought that she needed this form of concentration or habit to create the Mana Bullets.


    However, she had fooled everyone as she cast it while standing idly!


    ''Well¡­ It doesn''t really matter to me¡­'' Vincent thought. For him who is considered a blind person, he wasn''t relying on his opponents'' gestures in casting at all. What''s important to him is that he could feel the Mana Fluctuations very clearly.


    This is one of the gifts he received after the blond goddess gouges his eyes after all.


    His Mana Sensitivity allows him to feel the ripples of magic phenomena happening around him.<sub> </sub>


    With that said, Vincent remained unmoving.


    He didn''t raise his guard or created a Mana Shield.


    The audience who were mostly focused on this stage couldn''t help but raise their brows questioning Vincent''s decision to endure the attack.


    It was dumb.


    Elena had defeated several opponents after getting hit by these Mana Bullets. If Vincent got hit even once, though he won''t be lying unconscious immediately, he would still be affected and the next Mana Bullets will be very difficult to dodge.


    Once it umted, he would have no choice but to surrender or fight until he was knocked out.


    Vincent wasn''t like Nadia who has to Advanced Movement Techniques that could dodge these Mana Bullets¡­


    So he should at least defend with all his might! This is what everyone thought.


    Nevertheless, what happened next made them surprised. They even thought that Elena was going easy against him¡­


    Bam!


    The Mana Bullet hit Vincent''s Nightbane Robe but aside from it crumpling the part where it hit, nothing else happened.


    Vincent didn''t step back or even show signs of being inflicted with pain.


    ''Hmm¡­ It''s only a numbing sensation, huh¡­ I can endure it.'' Vincent thought after getting hit.


    Obviously, this is the Nightbane Robe''s attribute.


    Magic Resistance: 100


    It wasn''t just that, he''s also wearing the Source Cube''s Protective Suit Mode!


    Although it was only partially activated, it is still consuming the same amount of Pseudo-Celestial Energy!


    It is consuming 100 Pseudo-Celestial Energy units per 3 minutes! Based on his calction, Vincent has to finish this battle within 6 minutes or so!


    It''s not easy to recover his Pseudo-Celestial Energy after all. Although he has plenty of enhanced potions, those +9 or +10 potions would seem like a waste since they weren''t helping that much any longer.


    Anyway, this is Vincent''s final defense in case the Mana Bullets have a stronger pration power than he thought.


    Elena wasn''t shaken by Vincent''s actions, instead, she continued casting her Mana Bullets as she believes that it is still powerful and felt that Vincent can''t endure it forever¡­ She knows this very well since she had been sparring against Alexander as well and that man could also endure ten or so of her Mana Bullets before realizing his mistake.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Three more bullets hit Vincent''s robe as thetter got closer with his dagger aiming to slice her abdomen.


    Elena only smirked as she moved away using a Tier 1 Movement Technique like Vincent. This was what she has done in every other match¡­ However, to her surprise, the dagger was actually thrown at her and it even followed her movements!

 Chapter 249 Vincent Vs Elena ( 2 )

    The Astral Night Dagger moved like there was a string attached to it as it could change direction!


    nk!


    Elena had no other choice but to hastily activate a Mana Shield¡­ But unexpectedly, the dagger was able to pierce through it hitting her Magician Robe and then her chain armor inside!


    She squinted her eyes seeing how dangerous that attack was.


    ''Tsk¡­ I have to forget his battle style when he fought against Alexander¡­ It would only confuse me. I should treat him like some sort of weapons master.'' Elena thought as she was about to take out the dagger that was stuck on her chain armor¡­


    "Hmm?"


    She was surprised to find out that the dagger that she was nning to pocket was already in Vincent''s hands!


    ''When did he¡ª''


    She didn''t have the time to think as Vincent continued attacking her¡­ Obviously, she didn''t watch Vincent''s battle against Wesley so she wasn''t aware of his dagger''s capabilities.


    "Hmph! Very well, let''s see who canst longer!"


    Elena said as she ran around the stage while shooting Mana Bullets at Vincent. However, she was surprised to find out that Vincent''s movement technique was able to make him so agile!


    None of her Mana Bullets hit him this time!


    Instead, she was always being chased by the dagger that can mysteriously change direction and return to Vincent!


    She didn''t like this feeling of being hunted at all! She was supposed to be the one continuously ying and chasing her prey!


    ***


    The battles in two other stages were ignored by the audience as they watched Elena and Vincent exchange moves.


    They watched anxiously as Elena dodges Vincent''s flying dagger with a hair''s breadth.


    "Incredible¡­ Those two were only using Tier 1 Movement Techniques, right?"


    "Indeed. Vincent uses something simr to Shrouded Steps while Elena uses Phantom Agility."


    "I''ve never really paid attention to my Tier 1 Mana Arts¡­ I guess I should start practicing them again..."


    "Haha¡­ It''s not like practicing this movement technique would allow you to reach their level. It''s all about talent."


    "He''s right¡­ Can''t you see that they are both using their movement technique at Perfected State? Reaching this state is not something you could do just by spending years practicing them¡­ It''s all about your talent inprehension."


    Aside from enjoying the battle between the two talented students of the academy, the crowd also got some inspiration while watching their battle style.


    Normally, Mana Practitioners at the Master Magician or Adept Mage''s level would just master their Elemental Mana Arts or Tier 4 Arts to be stronger. Some would also find high-ranking Magic Tools that they can use in battle.


    Furthermore, since none of them can do dual casting, the battle would normally be an exchange of these Mana Arts. They would throw these abilities at each other and in most cases, it will be a battle of the highest mana capacity.


    If you can no longer release your Mana Arts, you''d be the first to lose.


    However, the battle they are watching this time is very different.


    Mana Bullets doesn''t use much Manapared to converting them into elements. On the other hand, Vincent barely uses Mana as well since he''s only using his movement technique and the strange dagger artifact that he was wielding.


    Right now, none of them could tell how this battle would end unless they uses a new or different battle style.


    ***<sub> </sub>


    ng!


    Vincent''s Astral Night Dagger was shot by the Mana Bullet and was thrown away. Now that he lost his weapon, Elena wanted to use this opportunity to immobilize Vincent¡­


    Three Mana Bullets manifested as they shot toward Vincent one by one. There is something different on these Mana Bullets though¡­ They were spinning incredibly fast and their sizes were about three times bigger than the normal ones.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    ''Again? How is his defense so strong?'' Elena started frowning after seeing how ineffective her Mana Bullets are right now.


    During this time, she tried modifying this Tier 2 Mana Art to see how Vincent would fare against them.


    She tried making them sharper. She made them spin a lot faster. She tried changing its size¡­ She tried hitting only one spot. She even tried destroying the dagger but despite all of these, none of them are working¡­


    ''Is he immune against Mana Bullets?'' Elena couldn''t help but think of this.


    The Mana Bullets she was proud of just can''t defeat Vincent at all.


    Elena shook her head as she put some distance away from Vincent.


    ''No¡­ It''s normal that he prepared a lot of defensive Magic Tools since he''s blind¡­ Furthermore, he''s still dodging my Mana Bullets. It means that continuously getting hit could still affect him.'' Elena thought as she analyzed Vincent''s tactic.


    She then looked at his hands and saw the dagger there again¡­ This is probably the most annoying Magic Artifact that she had seen.


    Aside from it being extremely sharp that could pierce through her defenses, it can move strangely and return to its owner!


    She even tried shooting the dagger out of the stage but it seems that Vincent could still retrieve it without any concern about the distance.


    What was only consoling her about this stand-off is that she knows that Vincent couldn''t defeat her in this state as well.


    "Is this all?"


    Elena suddenly heard Vincent''s question... or perhaps, mockery.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Your Mana Bullets... Is that all the tricks you have? Or can you still make them stronger than that?"  Vincent asked again.


    After realizing what he was implying in his question, Elena tightened her fist as she felt humiliated for some reason.


    His question seems to be out of curiosity but it''s definitely a challenge to her! He''s taunting her!


    "Hahaha! Do you really think that''s all? If you want more! Then I''ll show you!" Elena''s eyes suddenly glow red as she activated her Mystic Eye¡­


    Previously, she used her Mystic Eyes just to determine Vincent''s Magic Tools and this allowed her to ''see'' the thin scale armor he was wearing inside his robe.


    This time, however, her Mystic Eyes were used differently. Elena formed another set of Mana Bullets that had instantly reached Vincent''s body!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    This time, the bullets weren''t dissipated by the robe he was wearing as Vincent was pushed back!


    Elena sneered after seeing the result of her attack. Her Mystic Eye''s true ability could actually allow her to erase a thinyer of Vincent''s defensive mana!


    Her only concern now was the thin Scale Armor he was wearing underneath his robe!

 Chapter ?250 Vincent Vs Elena ( 3 )

    Vincent smirked seeing how Elena was taunted by his words.


    He felt her aura get a sudden burst as her Mana Bullet became increasingly powerful. Furthermore, Vincent felt a wave of unusual energy that ising from her body¡­


    ''It''s simr to when Yulia was using her Darkness Eye¡­'' Vincent thought as he was able to recognize Elena''s Mystic Eyes activation.


    Soon, he felt something brush off his body as his surrounding mana turned chaotic¡­ It was followed by three consecutive shots of the Mana Bullets.


    Bang! Bang Bang!


    After getting hit, Vincent felt the vibration on his body numbing his chest. If he''s not partially wearing his Celestial Armor, that would probably hurt him a lot. If what was targeted was his head, he may have no other choice but to extend the suit!


    ''Not bad. Anyway¡­ I already read all her moves. She can simultaneously manifest three Mana Bullets at most but she can''t fire them all at once. She can only shoot them one by one with great speed. Furthermore, although she can manipte the structure of the bullets, she can''t control it when they were already shot.''


    Vincent listed in his mind as he held the Astral Night Dagger tightly¡­


    This time, he''s nning to end the match¡­


    He took a deep breath as he waited for the Mana Fluctuations that he had be familiar with¡­


    Whom~


    It was the creation of three Mana Bullets! However, this time, Vincent didn''t allow it to be shot at him!


    Chaos Night!


    He cast the Nightbane Robe''s skill as he used his Shrouded Steps to get closer¡­


    Soul Pressure!


    Soul Domain!


    Two Soul Arts were used at the same time! The sudden feeling of oppressioning from the two abilities disrupted her timing!


    She needed a couple of seconds to recuperate and put up a defense! Nevertheless, this was enough for Vincent!


    Assassinate!


    The Astral Night Dagger flew from his hands! They were only three meters apart this time so the dagger came to her face almost instantly!


    She managed to tilt her head and avoid getting critically injured thanks to the split second bought by her mutated Mana Shield.


    She wanted to retaliate by shooting her Mana Bullets but the Chaos Night still made her dizzy¡­ Although she managed to endure that mind-disrupting ability, it exhausted her mental energy! It was something that she was very proud of!


    She could now finally experience Alexander''s trouble dealing with such an umon attack¡­ She had not known anyone who couldunch this sort of attack after all!


    She had experienced Soul Attacks, Sound-Based Mana Arts, and Light-Based Elemental Attacks but she had never dealt with Mind Attacks before! Perhaps, she was attacked by something simr to a Charm Magic before but her Mental Strength could just ignore these lowly techniques.


    Unfortunately, this time, it is an attacking from a Legendary item!


    The Chaos Night briefly showed her greatest fear, the huge spiders, as she struggled to muster enough strength to get away from Vincent!<sub> </sub>


    "Haaa!"


    Vincent attacked with his Surging Palm strike¡­ He didn''t even bother to use Return Skill on his dagger as he struck the youngdy''s stomach.


    It was a clean hit! Elena was finally struck by a decent skilling from Vincent!


    She felt the pain in her stomach as she stepped back a couple of times before stabilizing herself. The Mana Bullets that she manifested were already gone because of this. Thankfully, her chainmail was able to disperse the surging mana that tried to cause chaos within her body.


    Well, this is the main reason she''s wearing the chainmail armor in the first ce. Since she saw Vincent use this technique during his fight against Alexander, there was no way she wouldn''t prepare for it.


    However, Vincent''s attack didn''t end there.


    With a flick of his hand, Elena suddenly felt the suction on her Mana¡­ The extraction of her mana wasn''t even a subtle thing as it vigorously removes the mana in her body!


    This was too surprising!


    Nevertheless, it finally dawned on her why Alexander decided to admit his defeat! This forceful removal of her mana was too difficult to deal with! She has not prepared any Magic Tool to stop this kind of weird ability!


    ''Tsk¡­ That Alexander wanted me to be defeated! I asked him several times what happened in his match and he onlyughed about it¡­ This must be Vincent''s secret!''


    Alexander, who should be watching this battle, is probablyughing at her right now. She imagined him watching her struggle while her mana is being drained.


    Luckily, she''s still confident with the amount of mana that she has. She can still continue the match!


    With determination in her eyes, Elena decided to end this match as well with a decisive move! If she failed this time, she would have no choice but to admit her defeat!


    This time, she finally stopped manifesting Mana Bullets and was about to attack using a genuine Tier 3 Mana Art!


    Of course, she has to disrupt Vincent''s defenses again by using her Mystic Eyes so her attack would directly hit his heart or at least, hit the armor instead.


    Vincent saw through this since this is what he has been waiting for. He knows that using the touchless Mana Drain would make Elena desperate to end him!


    It is amon response after receiving an iprehensible attack that drains your mana. With that in mind, Vincent waited for the familiar fluctuation of mana as he decided to pull out a different Magic Weapon!


    It is another weapon that wasn''t used against Alexander!


    This is the debut of his Aura-Forged Green Orichalcum Sword!


    Furthermore, he used a very expensive item to boost the magical ability of this sword!


    It is the Magic Nucleus or the Magic Beast''s Core of the Runic Badger!


    "Come!" Vincent shouted as he waved the sword in front of Elena. She could tell that the sword that Vincent just pulled out of nowhere has a threatening aura!


    She decided to dy her Tier 3 Mana Art which should be a good decision!


    Boom!


    Her mind was suddenly assaulted by the powerful Mind Controlling ability that wasing from the sword!

 Chapter 251 Orichalcum Sword

    Previously, Vincent had 1 Orichalcum Ore and 3 Mithril Ores within his system inventory and he received them as a reward afterpleting some hidden missions from his system.


    He has been wondering what kind of item he''ll make out of these ores and thought of various options like body armor, bracer, shin guard, or anything that could protect his body.


    However, with the arrival of his Source Cube, he could just abuse the Protective Suit mode that it has. Although it''s expensive, the defense is guaranteed so he wouldn''t mind at all. Aside from that, the cube itself can probably be a form of shield already.


    Lastly, he knows that he could still increase the capacity limit of his Synthetic Celestial Core within his body.


    It''s just a matter of time for him to be able to use the armor for a very long duration.


    A few weeks ago, Vincent had actually found a Magic Craftsman that could process the orichalcum ore that he has and make it into a sword. This is through Yasin''s help who has made connections within the Hunter Organization.


    Then, just like what he did to his Mithril Sword, he provided a core to boost the power of the sword to be made.


    Since he still has the Runic Badger''s core with him, he decided to just use it this time as he''s still unsure when will he get the Transcendence Skill of his Awakening System.


    [ Magic Nucleus ]


    [ Durability: 20/20


    Pure Mana: 800


    Talent: Mind Control


    Description: The Runic Badger''s source of life, magic, and intelligence.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    With these attributes added to the Orichalcum Sword, Vincent was able to get a Unique-Rank weapon!


    After using his Enhancement and Ascendance system skill, he was now able to get the sword he was about to use to defeat Elena!


    [ Aura-Forged Green Orichalcum Sword ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 820/950


    Knockback: 45


    Bonus Damage: 185


    Sword Charm: A skill capable of charming the target to offer their head to the broadsword. This skill can be activated depending on the amount of mana infused.


    Description: A broadsword forged by a Master cksmith. It is made of Orichalcum and a Magic Beast''s Core ¨C Runic Badger.


    Remarks: Knockback and Bonus Damage Attribute found. These attributes including the Active Skill will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    With this weapon, Vincent can now trigger three mind-altering abilities!


    Fatal Mind from the Mithril Sword.


    Chaos Night from the Nightbane Robe.


    And Sword Charm from the Orichalcum Sword!


    Currently, only practitioners who had heavily trained their Consciousness Energy would be able to stop him.


    This type of energy was previously introduced to him by Turhan and even received a book about it. If Vincent could rename it, he would call it simr to Mind or Mental Energy.<sub> </sub>


    It ispletely different from Mana whiches from the essence of the world and Aura which is the byproduct of a strong or cultivated soul.


    ''W-what now?!''


    Elena''s mind was obviously shaken as the sudden activation of Sword Charm caught her guard off. As she was in the middle of creating her Tier 3 Mana Art, the sudden stop resulted in a bacsh as her mana flow started rampaging¡­


    This was just too difficult for her. She had never fought someone who uses this kind of technique after all. No, it wasn''t even Vincent''s technique or Mana Arts! This was all because he possess Magic Artifacts that she wasn''t prepared for!


    Her current defensive magic tools were inclined towards elemental and physical damages that she may receive in a battle.


    A tool that could protect her mind against powerful mind-altering attacks wasn''t that easy to find!


    "Argghh!"


    As she felt that her mind was faltering from the Sword Charm, she bit her lips and punched her chest as the pain started spreading throughout her body¡­


    With this move, she was able to stop the Sword Charm from mystifying her.


    She wanted to continue fighting even after this setback but Vincent''s suddenly grabbed her arm! She felt her Mana start getting sucked out of her body!


    She doesn''t have the time to cast a Tier 3 Mana Art and could only make another Mana Bullet but unfortunately, even that was stopped by Vincent''s wave of the Astral Night Dagger!


    A dagger in his right hand and the broadsword in his left hand!


    Everyone felt that they''d finally seen Vincent''s real battle style!


    Sssaak---


    The orichalcum broadsword suddenly shed as Elena''s robe was cut open revealing her chainmail armor covering her chest!


    She was shocked as her Magician Robe is at the Epic Rank and a normal sword would have a hard time leaving a scratch on it!


    ''W-what¡­ This is bad!''


    If the robe was only cut,  Elena would still be able to move and counter but a sudden sensation of being pushed back followed and disrupted her momentum¡­


    Vincent didn''t even stop as he raised his sword to continue attacking! Elena couldn''t muster enough strength to dodge or put up a stronger mana shield as she closed her eyes in fear.


    The crowd had also realized that Vincent has indeed won this match as they hoped that she wouldn''t get too injured out of this¡­


    nk!


    At this time, Vincent''s sword was stopped.


    "We''ve seen enough¡­"


    The referee parried Vincent''s attack using his sword. Well, he didn''t even remove the sheathe on his sword as he looked at Vincent.


    Thetter smiled as he put back his weapons inside his interspatial ring.


    Seeing that Vincent decided to back off, the referee sighed in relief as he immediately announced the victor of this match.


    It was then they realized that Vincent is the real deal.


    His first match against Wesley was quite impressive but not everyone took notice of his skills. His second match against Alexander wasn''t convincing. However, this third match against Elena has certainly silenced all the people who had doubted Vincent''s abilities!


    p It seems that Magnus would have a decent match against Vincent if they decided to have a duel!</anda>


    What they were curious about now is whether Vincent will issue a challenge against Magnus or not¡­

 Chapter ?252 The Thief

    p Vincent returned to his seat as he receives several gazes from the crowd including his fellowpetitors.</anda>


    They were gazes filled with respect or gazes with hostility.


    "Hey, Vincent¡­ I''m Mursel. I''ve been very curious about you even before you went on the stage." A young man suddenly came to speak to him. This young man was seated behind Vincent and he seems to have just gone into battle.


    His mana is still a bit chaotic and Vincent can also tell that he was sweating because of the smell. Anyway, he didn''t immediately answer.


    He felt that Mursel was just trying to be friendly after he had shown his skills. If he will entertain this, this might happen regrly and all sorts of people will start to try and get closer to him.


    He didn''t want this due to various reasons.


    Mursel didn''t mind as he continued, "Will you battle against Magnuster on? Actually, I nned to fight him in my third match. After three more rounds, my name will probably be called."


    After hearing this, Vincent finally replied.


    "That''s correct¡­ I''ll be challenging him. Are you suggesting some kind of cooperation?" Vincent asked.


    "Haha¡­ You''re right. You''re quick to pick up, huh¡­ I will do my best to fight against Magnus and make him reveal all his moves. I''m confident that he''ll be forced to reveal most of his tricks when he fights against me. Initially, I''m only nning to at least steal his mask before I''ll admit my defeat¡­ However, since you''re here, I changed my n."


    Mursel said while Vincent remained looking at the stage. He''s still unaware of how Mursel looks but he doesn''t seem to be interested in his appearance.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "Well, In exchange for me going all out in my match against Magnus, rmend me in your faction."


    "Huh? Faction?" Vincent have no idea what he was talking about.


    "You don''t have to feign ignorance¡­ I know for sure that you have someone backing you within the ck Tower. There was no way you could get those top-quality Magic Weapons that even Alexander and Elena couldn''t match. Aside from that, you''re blind. Not anyone could teach you how to fight. Perhaps, you''re the Tower Lord''s secret disciple?"


    Thest part was said very softly as Mursel''s eyes widened.


    ''I didn''t think that the tower lord has this kind of fetish to get a disciple¡­ But it makes sense if I think about it¡­'' Mursel mused as he carefully look at Vincent.


    As a matter of fact, some people within the crowd started thinking of this as well. Many of them just wanted to find a good student they can recruit and see how powerful Magnus was.


    However, Vincent''s appearance easily attracted their attention as they started looking forward to witnessing the champion of this month''spetition. They also wanted to know whether their Tower Lord was only interested in blind people!


    "I don''t have any faction. There''s no need for you to go all out." Vincent replied as he realized that after passing thispetition, he might actually get an invitation to some faction within the organization.


    ''Well, perhaps if I get ess to more precious magic tools, artifacts, and skill books, I might consider it¡­'' Vincent thought as he ignored the dismayed Mursel.


    In any case, the young man still proimed that he''ll be changing his tactic in his battle against Magnus and would go all out even if Vincent doesn''t have a faction. He said that it will be his contribution to help him in his battleter on.


    Time passed quickly as Mursel was indeed called out to battle against Magnus.


    At this time, however, Vincent finally noticed that Tara and Rem suddenly disappeared from their seats!


    ''Where did those two go?'' Vincent mused as he could no longer feel the presence or aura of the two.<sub> </sub>


    Although Vincent had gotten a lot stronger than before, his senses is still being subtly suppressed by the ck Tower.


    He couldn''t spread his Soul Sense or Item Sense Ability to a range simr to when he was outside.


    ''Did they get in trouble?''


    This is what he first thought. No matter what, this ck Tower is a nest of so many powerful Grand Magus and most likely, Numbered Celestial Beings as well.


    Even if the two were incredibly strong, Vincent couldn''t help but feel worried especially after recalling the Celestial Incarnation Project.


    No matter what, that project must''ve been arranged by the Tower Lord himself. There was no way he was unaware of the 15th Tower''s current situation.


    It means that this ce can still be dangerous to the Celestial Beings. Although he might be thinking too much of this, it''s better to consider this possibility.


    While he''s worried about the two, he suddenly heard the crowd''s exmation as something unexpected seems to have urred between Mursel and Magnus'' duel.


    He immediately shifted his attention to the stage and realized that one of Magnus'' items was already in Mursel''s hands!


    "Wait! Isn''t that young man the Phantom Thief?! How did he--"


    "Ahh! Mursel the Phantom Thief?! He didn''t even change his name!"


    "That''s true¡­ I wonder what''s going on? How can he attend the academy? Who rmended him here?"


    "Perhaps he had stolen a rmendation letter?''


    "Fool. There''s no way that our ck Tower would let it pass if that''s the case. I think he earned the rmendation from the Hunter Organization¡­"


    "Besides, he''s no longer the Phantom Thief after earning enough honor points¡­ His name has been cleared of any criminal activities already."


    Vincent heard his fellow participants talk about Mursel. He has no idea about the existence of the Phantom Thief.


    He even heard Alexander confirming that Mursel really earned his rmendation from the Hunter Organization.


    ''Ugh¡­ Am I too busy with my side job? Howe I''m not aware of this¡­'' Vincent started scratching his head as he indeed felt that during his stay here, he just remained within the Arcane Mysteries Hall and Appraiser''s Hall.


    Even if he was curious about the matters within the city, they were mostly rted to the stores or ces that have items that piqued his interest.


    Anyway, Mursel indeed aplished what he said he would do.


    He had really stolen Magnus'' mask revealing the young man''s face to the crowd.


    "You''ve done it, huh¡­" Magnus'' chilling voice echoed through Mursel''s ears as he felt the dangerous auraing from the strongest student of this batch.


    He had offended Magnus and he''s about to face his wrath!

 Chapter 253 Victory

    "W-wait! Calm down! I''m just doing this to get some points¡­ Don''t take it personally." Mursel said but this just infuriated Magnus even more.


    Apparently, Magnus only realized that he was facing the rumored Phantom Thief after his mask was stolen in his moment of distraction.


    ''What a blunder¡­ My Master will scold me for this carelessness¡­'' Magnus thought as he gritted his teeth in anger.


    He did not underestimate Mursel when he challenged him. After all, someone already used a Mythical Beast''s Blood just to try and eliminate him.


    It means that anyone who dared to challenge him would certainly have an ace up in their sleeves. However, he did not expect that Mursel had no signs of any killing intent or aggressiveness at all. He was too focused on sensing any form of hostility or aggression that he failed to immediately act when assaulted by this thief who only want to take his mask and not harm him at all.


    Unlike Vincent, Magnus ispletely blind and relies on his senses to fight.


    ''Whew~''


    Magnus took a deep breath as he calmed himself. Mursel might actually be waiting for him to be blinded by anger and make a mistake. So he knows that he needed to calm down at this very moment.


    "That was yourst chance¡­ It won''t happen again." Magnus grimly said as he raised his palm.


    Whoosh~


    A wave of mana was suddenly released from his hand as this attack headed in Mursel''s direction.


    PAh!


    It happened so quickly! Mursel spat a mouthful of blood from that palm strike. From the audience''s point of view, Magnus only hit the air with his palm strike but Mursel suddenly vomited some blood.


    "What a vicious technique¡­ This is the real Surging Palm Strike, isn''t it?" Mursel asked while wiping the blood off his lips.


    He then looked at Magnus as he tried to figure out the young man''s weakness. Apparently, the mask is actually an item that disrupts any detection abilities targeted to his body. This is the reason why Mursel wanted to remove this mask in the first ce. If it has other effects, he doesn''t know.


    As he attempted to find Magnus'' weakness, Mursel couldn''t help but clicked his tongue after realizing that Magnus has such a pretty face even with a terrible personality. Well, this is probably the reason why he was blind. He would just be too perfect if he doesn''t have any form of deficiency.


    Magnus, on the other hand, did not speak as he struck with his palm again. This time, Mursel was already prepared. Although he could not see the formless mana, he could still feel the invisible force heading his way.


    With his Moonlight Treading Steps, he managed to get away from it.


    ***


    "Hmmm?"


    As Vincent was watching the battle, he felt the presence of Tara and Rem again. They seem to have gone somewhere and he was curious about their actions.


    ''Well, I can just ask themter on.'' Vincent thought as he felt another gaze directed at him. This time, however, he can clearly feel the hostility from it.


    This confused him for a bit especially after learning where it wasing from.


    ''It''s from that high tform¡­ That ce is only for the Purple Emblem members, right?'' Vincent recalled as he realized that he probably offended a few high-ranking members of the ck Tower.


    ''No, is it rted to Tara and Rem?'' He had a sudden premonition as the timing was just too coincidental.


    Vincent shook his head. He can''t be bothered with it this time. He still hasn''tpleted his challenges yet.<sub> </sub>


    ''That''s right. Let''s focus on thispetition first.''


    With that in mind, Vincent familiarized himself with Magnus'' mana fluctuations as he fought against Mursel using apletely different tacticpared to when he fought against Necdet.


    Previously, Magnus showed his Fusion Art called Pulsating Earth Bullets and his incredible defense after catching the mythical beast projection with a single hand. Vincent had an impression that Magnus is someone who is immovable like a fortress and has a wide range of arsenal thanks to his mastery of Fusion Arts.


    However, this time, Magnus seems to be showing off his skills with Tier 2 Mana Arts instead.


    ''Oh? Mursel is no longer getting hit?'' Vincent realized something after sensing that the thief''s presence started getting weaker and weaker.


    Well, he wouldn''t be called the Phantom Thief if this is really everything that he had.


    ''I wonder what kind of technique is that? Is it simr to the hooded shawl that I enhanced or is that a Mana Art?''


    Vincent pondered as he knows that aside from Mursel''s movement technique, this stealth ability is very useful. He may have used this as a thief before but duringbat, this can be a very important technique tounch an ambush¡­


    Boom~


    As expected, after Mursel''s presence got incredibly weak, it means that he alreadypleted his preparations. Suddenly, he threw out a smoke bomb covering the whole stage with a cloud of purple smoke.


    Obviously, this isn''t meant to block Magnus'' vision, it is to further enhance Mursel''s stealth form!


    Perhaps, if Vincent doesn''t have the item sense ability, he wouldn''t be able to trace his movement at all!


    It is such an incredible technique! He truly deserves the title of the Phantom Thief!


    "You''re really trying to hide from a blind man?!" Magnus taunted as he didn''t falter even after his Mana Sense was obstructed by the cloud of purple smoke.


    Whoosh~


    Suddenly, three long needles were thrown by Mursel!


    nk! nk! nk!


    They were blocked by Magnus'' Mana Shield¡­ He didn''t seem surprised by the attack as he even created a Mana Bullet! It is smallerpared to what Elena could make. However, everyone can feel that the power inside of this bullet is several times stronger than hers!


    Bam!


    The Mana Bullet was shot as it suddenly hit something within the cloud of smoke!


    "H-how?" Mursel couldn''t believe that he was hit by a single bullet! He was confident about his stealth ability partnered with the cloud of disguising smoke. Even Grand Magus would have a hard time finding him!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    It was followed by three more bullets and Mursel could only dodge one of them as the two squarely hit his legs making him unable to use his movement technique¡­


    At this point, Magnus was assured of his victory so he smiled and answered Mursel.


    "You should''ve returned my mask¡­"

 Chapter ?254 Final Match

    It was already toote when he realized his mistake. Although losing the mask would make Magnus a bit more vulnerable, it doesn''t mean that he would get weaker at all. He would still have the same strength and abilities.


    Furthermore, Mursel didn''t know that the mask is bound to Magnus! It means that the blind man could feel the presence of the mask!


    Soul Bind is not somethingmon even among the higher-ups of the ck Tower after all. As a matter of fact, reaching the status of a Grand Magus doesn''t mean you can get ess to items that can be bound to yourself.


    Items like these weren''t just extremely expensive but also difficult to find.


    This is why Mursel hadn''t even considered that Magnus would have this kind of item on him!


    ''I lost¡­''


    This is hisst thought as he epted his defeat.


    The audience sighed in amazement as another interesting battle ended.


    Thepetition continued.


    During this time, many students started showing off as they did their best to get attention from the Archons or factions within the ck Tower.


    Some students who had gifts rted to the fire were also the center of attention as many top-tier Alchemists are looking for disciples in the crowd.


    These Alchemists would normally select their disciples who possess high-grade talent rted to the element for obvious reasons.


    Unfortunately, the best one who has talent with alchemy would most likely be taken by Faviona who is a Tier 5 Alchemist of the Union so the others could only try to recruit the others.


    ''I wonder why myst challenge wasn''t being called yet¡­'' Vincent mused. He was curious why no one was issuing a challenge to him and his challenge to Magnus seem to have been ignored.


    Alexander and Elena have been challenged a few more times but they were no longer defeated. They continued their winning streak as everyone started to forget the loss they had against Vincent.


    Vincent never appeared again on the stage until thest duel of thepetition!


    Over two hours had passed when everyone finally recalled his presence!


    "On the second stage, Vincent versus Magnus¡­"


    As soon as the announcement came, a few from the crowd started cheering. They were those who were defeated previously by Magnus and others who wanted to see Magnus fail even once.


    "It''s finally here! Two blind guys will fight."


    "They were both disciples by the Tower Lord, right? I wonder if this is a battle of seniority¡­ The one who loses will be the junior disciple?"


    "Dream on. The Tower Lord did not say that Vincent is also his student. That guy is probably rted to Professor Levent."


    "Hmm? Really?"


    "Ahhh¡­ That''s right, some students saw the two of them going out¡­ They''re probably rted to each other."


    Rumors started spreading as everyone wanted to know Vincent''s real identity. After all, it was too coincidental that there was a couple of absurdly strong blind student in thispetition.


    Furthermore, the organizers even made this bout the final match!<sub> </sub>


    At this time, Vincent and Magnus had plenty of rest so it can be said that they should be in their peak condition right now. None of them had really sustained significant injury in their previous battles after all.


    "I will be the arbiter of this match¡­ You both know the rules. Do your best in this match. If I think you''re about to die, I will save you. Even if I can''t, we have the best Alchemists and even the Tower Lord is here¡­ You will survive as long as you''re breathing. Go all out! Fight!"


    The female referee said as she immediately announced the start of the match. From the fluctuations of her mana, Magnus and Vincent could tell that she''s most likely a Grand Magus.


    Vincent couldn''t help but sigh after getting this kind of treatment. Anyway, he needed to perform really well to get the emblem he was aiming for. After all, those ancient dungeons were only essible to certain members of the ck Tower.


    The higher the emblem you have, the better dungeon and benefits you could get from it.


    "Vincent, I heard from the others that you''re blind. Is that really true?" Magnus suddenly asked.


    They didn''t immediately start fighting but the crowd didn''t mind it at all. Having small conversations like this would allow them to enjoy this battle even more.


    "That''s correct. I also have a question, why did you send people to stop me from participating in this month''spetition?" With Vincent''s question, Magnus was stunned as he was unable to react.


    "I don''t know about that."


    Vincent shook his head as he knows that Magnus is lying.


    ''He clearly knows it¡­''


    Furthermore, Vincent already asked Guven to use his mysterious ability to detect lies and target Magnus.


    Right now, Guven should be able to tell whether he''s telling the truth or not. Vincent can just ask Guven after the match is over.


    "Is that so? You didn''t send people to my residence to stop me?" Vincent continued asking.


    "That''s right¡­ I can''t be bothered to do that. Anyway, since you''ve attended today''s match, it doesn''t seem like someone stopped you at all."


    Magnus replied.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he could see through Magnus'' technique.


    ''He''s buying time, huh¡­ Since he doesn''t know about my Item Sense ability, he''s probably thinking that he''s outsmarting me right now.'' Vincent thought as he could actually feel Magnus'' activation of his magic tools from the start.


    Magnus probably thought that he was doing this stealthily. It appears on the outside that he''s only setting up his Mana Shield and other defensive Mana Arts.


    However, the truth is that he''s actually controlling his Magic Tools!


    "Ho~ So you''ve found out my technique, huh¡­" Vincent said after realizing that Magnus hadpleted his preparation.


    "What?" Magnus asked.


    "I know that you''ve found out how I defeated Alexander and Elena¡­ So you''re setting up a Formation Art with that core¡­" Vincent softly said as he held his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane that has recovered an additional 25 points of durability.


    He no longer waited for Magnus to reply as he also finished his preparations¡­


    "Soul Manifestation¡­"

 Chapter 255 Vincent Vs Magnus ( 1 )

    Soul Manifestation¡­


    This is a skill that only those Soul-Forged Items can create. Furthermore, even if only Soul-Forged Items are capable of doing this, it doesn''t mean that all of them were able to get this ability! It will only appear to those at the peak of Soul-Forged items!


    ''I wonder how Magnus would fight this¡­'' Vincent mused as he saw the familiar ghost-like figure of his grandfather¡­


    This is the same ethereal being that fought against the Xonid creature or whatever alien-like being it was that came out of the Sleeping Chamber.


    The audience who had seen this ghostly figure were obviously shocked.


    "W-what''s that?! Is it simr to the Mythical Beast''s Projection? But I can''t feel that suppressive beastly aura though¡­"


    "It can''t be¡ªIs that a Soul Manifestation?!"


    "What? That skill is true? I thought it was only some legend."


    "Tsk¡­ It''s real¡­ You just won''t get a chance to see them often¡­"


    "That''s true¡­ At least I saw them now unlike those two on the stage. They probably won''t see it ever."


    "What? They''re blind! Do you expect them to see it? They can feel it nheless¡­"


    "But¡­ Does it mean that Vincent hadn''t shown his real strength when he fought against Elena and Alexander?"


    The crowd couldn''t help but be amazed at the sight of this unusual weapon skill. They could not feel any form of Mana Fluctuationsing from it but it was brimming with energy.


    They weren''t sure whether this was Aura or Soul Energy itself.


    Nevertheless, this energy is abundant almost filling the whole arena!


    Some others also noticed that Vincent''s staff started having some visible cracks as they realized that the Soul Manifestation is actually causing a huge burden on the Soul-Forged Weapon.


    Magnus didn''t stand idly after realizing that Vincent just used a powerful technique¡­


    Just like what Vincent guessed, Magnus already realized that he possesses a Mana Art that is capable of extracting his target''s mana after fulfilling some conditions. This is an ability that he couldn''t ignore.


    After all, his defenses rely mostly on his mana. He doesn''t have a good physique or even Legendary Rank Items that could protect his body.


    What he could only use was his stable mana andplicated Mana Arts.


    "Let''s see who''s stronger then¡­" He said filled with excitement. Although Magnus can''t see Vincent, he can tell his location as he activated his Formation Art.


    The white gloves that he has suddenly glowed red. A powerful burst of mana wasing from it and everyone felt threatened by the sight of it. It was as if Magnus was about to attack everyone instead of just Vincent!


    Whom~


    Before Raizen''s ghostly figure reach Magnus, the dust that Magnus secretly scattered activated!


    The atmosphere on the stage suddenly seems dark.


    This is the Formation Art that Magnus created meant to stop Vincent from using his touchless Mana Drain¡­ The surrounding mana became very firm and difficult to control. In short, using any type of Mana Arts became incredibly difficult to do so!


    The ghostly figure of Raizen did not stop! It is not made of mana after all. A ghostly staff appeared in Raizen''s hand as it was mmed at Magnus'' spot!


    Boom!<sub> </sub>


    Magnus met the strike head-on!


    "Oh? You stopped it?" Vincent was surprised to see how the attack was easily blocked by Magnus'' hand.


    "I stopped the Mythical Beast''s Projection with this hand. Do you think this mere human projection can injure me?"


    Magnus replied arrogantly. No wonder he didn''t mind the appearance of the Soul Manifestation!


    The crowd couldn''t help but feel amazed as they looked at Magnus'' right hand''s glove.


    The left hand was used to activate the Formation Art while this right hand was used to defend himself.


    If these gloves weren''t Legendary Items, they must be at the peak of Pseudo-Legendary!


    Vincent didn''t reply as the image of his Grandfather has not disappeared yet. As long as he has Pseudo-Celestial Energy that he could use to supply the projection, it could continue attacking!


    "Let''s see how long your defenses wouldst then¡­" Vincent said with a smile.


    The Formation Art that made the surrounding mana firm doesn''t just affect him. It also affected Magnus! In short, Vincent actually feels like Magnus had disabled himself more than he disabled him!


    He only knows a few Tier 1 Mana Arts while Magnus is relying on his Fusion Arts and otherplicated techniques.


    Well, Magnus doesn''t seem to be aware of his incapacity to create Elemental Mana Art so it was understandable.


    With that in mind, Vincent felt more confident defeating Magnus since he will only rely on his Magic Tools. In terms of Magic Tools, Vincent knows that he should have betters weapons than him!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The soul projection continued attacking as Magnus continued defending himself. He was very careful while doing this as it seems that only his gloves were capable of stopping the soul projection''s attacks.


    A strike to the head was blocked by his palm and another strike to his waist was simply swatted away by his hands.


    This shows how tough those white gloves are! He doesn''t even seem like a blind person at this rate.


    "Hmph! I thought this soul projection would be stronger¡­ I guess I expected too much." Magnus said as if he was dismayed by the Soul Manifestation. Anyway, he isn''t just going to defend himself, as he decided to counterattack¡­


    The mask he was wearing suddenly emitted a blue light as Raizen''s ghostly figure slowed down on his attacks¡­


    Magnus wanted to destroy the Soul Manifestation with another move but something unexpected happened, the ghostly figure scattered into many parts before reforming behind him!


    This time, it was no longer holding any weapon and struck his body with his palm!


    Magnus raised his hand as well to meet the soul projection''s palm strike!


    He was confident that he would not be injured at all but to his surprise, as soon as their attacks met, his flesh and bones felt a strong vibration disrupting his internal organs!


    It waspletely different from what he had expected as he almost canceled the Formation Art that he activated.


    He tried to stabilize himself but Vincent did not allow that! He finally made his move as he charged in Magnus'' direction!


    Magnus noticed this but he didn''t panic.


    "Good! Let me show the real strength of my Formation Art¡­"

 Chapter ?256 Vincent Vs Magnus ( 2 )

    Before Vincent could try andnd an attack on Magnus, he felt that the stage suddenly turned colder as his body stiffened¡­


    It was like he was hit by a Soul Domain and Soul Pressure! However, Magnus is not a Soul Arts Cultivator so it means that this is the field magic of the Formation Arts that he activated!


    ''Not bad¡­'' Vincentmented in his mind as he triggered his Domain to alleviate the pressure. However, because the Field Magic is quite different, his Soul Domain was unable to really stop the cold and the pressure weighing down on him.


    What truly made him reassured about his condition were the magic tools that provided him Magic Resistance.


    With thisbination, he thoroughly weakened the effect of the Formation Arts allowing him to move as he wanted to.


    It was more than enough for Vincent as he continued attacking.


    While holding the cane in his left hand, Vincent is wielding the Orichalcum Sword in his right.


    Magnus has to divide his attention as Vincent got closer!


    "Come!"


    Magnus shouted as he didn''t mind the pincer attack at all. He raised his left hand and grasped the air in front of Vincent as if he was trying to hold something invisible.


    After doing this action, Vincent felt that the Formation Art''s effect got stronger! It was as if the Formation Art shrank to a size that only covers his entire body!


    It was no longer the whole stage affected by the Field Magic!


    ''You can do this?'' Vincent was surprised.


    He tried controlling his domain before. However, he was unable to control its radius or shape at all. The only thing he can control about his Soul Domain was the intensity that he could apply to it which is probably the most important thing in the domain he created.


    At the very least, He realized that controlling his Soul Arts actually requires stronger Consciousness Energy which he was still studying up until now. It is the conclusion that he made after weeks of study.


    Now, Vincent realized that Magnus seem to have a very strong Consciousness Energy since he could easily control such a huge Field Magic to focus on him. Even Elena, who has a decent Consciousness Energy, doesn''t have this level of ability considering how she can''t control her thrown Mana Bullets.


    Anyway, Vincent had no other choice but to halt. He may not be able to use his sword to strike but he could still trigger the Sword Charm at this short distance.


    As soon as he activated this skill, Magnus'' mask trembled. To his surprise, the Sword Charm actually failed on affecting Magnus in any way!


    Bang!


    Magnus blocked Raizen''s palm strike again¡­ Although the vibration was making Magnus weak and his internal organs getting injured, he was able to endure it as he seemed to have ns of dealing with this problem.


    It was a good thing that his mask stopped Vincent''s attack but he knows that he can''t continue defending¡­ He has to show what he''s capable of!


    ''My Master is watching¡­ I can''t appear weak now. Vincent, you deserve to be the first one to taste my original Fusion Art¡­''


    After blocking Raizen''s vibrating palm strike, Magnus disappeared from his position as he used a mysterious movement technique. He reappeared almost at the edge of the stage. It was as if he was afraid of Vincent and wanted to just keep his distance!<sub> </sub>


    "W-what going on? Is he scared of Vincent?"


    "Impossible, my Magnus is just waiting for an opportune time. Vincent''s Soul Manifestation is quite weird after all. It wouldn''t normallyst this long. However, that old ghost floating above him is still there! Isn''t that too weird?"


    "That makes sense¡­ I don''t even think Elemental Mana Art can affect that ghost. He can only defend with his Magic Artifact."


    "It''s possible if it''s lightning element¡­ However, I''m not sure if Magnus has learned that element. It''s not easy to train it after all."


    The audience started moring at the few exchanges that the two students disyed. It ispletely different from the previous battles they''ve watched.


    Everyone can tell that a single mistake here would be disastrous. Nevertheless, they could somehow feel that the end of this battle will happen very shortly.


    They were able to tell that Vincent has a secret move that could weaken his opponent. On the other hand, they know that Magnus has several techniques that could defeat several Master Magicians at the same time with his Fusion Arts¡­


    Spark!


    "Hmm? Again, what''s going on? How is it possible?!"


    "Is that really lightning?! He can create lightning?"


    "He''s really a disciple of the Tower Lord¡­"


    "No wonder he was epted as a disciple. If he has this much talent, then he truly deserves it¡­ five elements! Magnus actually learned five elements!"


    Vincent was also shocked by the sudden appearance of electricity that is slowly forming up around Magnus.


    Based on the intel that he gathered, Magnus only mastered 4 elements and was able to fuse three elements at most. That is already quite a terrifying talent, especially his monstrous ability to fuse three elements!


    Although it was rumored that Magnus only knows how to fuse one technique with Earth, Wind, and Fire, that is still considered to be one of a kind.


    Other than him, there is probably no one his age that is capable of doing that.


    "Come! Taste my original Mana Art! me Dragon Lightning!" Magnus shouted as a me that appears like a snake or a dragon covered by lightning sparks flew towards Vincent!


    Vincent had no idea why Magnus had to tell him the name of this technique. It''s probably a habit or his way to ensure that his technique would take shape. Anyway, Vincent didn''t falter even after all of this¡­


    "Fine¡­ Let me see how strong it is." Vincent answered.


    He used Raizen''s ghost to counterattack but as expected, the manifested soul dissipated after getting touched by the original Mana Art.


    Vincent didn''t even have the chance to continuously supply it with Pseudo-Celestial Energy as it naturally dissolved in the face of the dragon.


    Well, he expected this much so he didn''t stop there¡­ In the brief moment, before he was hit by the me Dragon Lightning, he stealthily threw his Astral Night Dagger. However, it wasn''t aimed at Magnus'' body at all.

 Chapter 257 Vincent Vs Magnus ( 3 )

    The Astral Night Dagger was aimed several meters away from Magnus'' spot. However, Vincent missed this shot on purpose¡­ He has the assassinate skill so he could still shift its direction if he wanted.


    Magnus thought of this as well but because the dagger wasn''t aimed at him, he wasn''t too worried about it. His Mana Shield would be able to block it and even if not, he would have plenty of time to dodge.


    Right now, he has to focus on controlling the me Dragon Lightning.


    <o>,m He used plenty of his mana to create this Fusion Art and he can''t let it dissipate without defeating Vincent.</o>


    With great difficulty, he made the dragon crash on Vincent, and to make sure that he was hit, he controlled its tail as well to swipe the area where Vincent could use as an escape path¡­


    Bang!


    Vincent''s body collided with his Fusion Art! Magnus felt this collision! He definitely hit Vincent! There was also an explosion of mana in the area they shed!


    He can''t be mistaken, Vincent dared to block his original Mana Art with his body!


    ''Fool! You''re too confident! Do you think you''re like me?! Only ashes will remain from you¡­''


    Magnus sneered as he couldn''t help butugh at Vincent''s arrogance. As the creator of this Mana Art, he''s clearly aware of how strong it was.


    In truth, if Magnus was targeted by his me Dragon Lightning skill, his gloves wouldn''t even be enough to stop it because the lightning element included in this Fusion Art is like a living being.


    The lightning sparks can naturally find their way to hit the weakness of the target!


    Furthermore, the Fire Dragon itself doesn''t just have a destructive power but its burning effect is probably the most important thing about this. The heat created by the dragon was already enough to make many Master Magicians surrender.


    If it smashed its target and triggered an explosion, Magnus was sure that only ashes would remain on Vincent''s body!


    He may have a Fusion Art with three elements but this is still his strongest Fusion Art as it involves lightning and fire.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of the two Celestial Beings working for you¡­"


    Magnus said as if he really was trying to be respectful of Vincent.


    nk¡­ nk¡­ nk¡­


    "Hmm?" Magnus suddenly heard something from within the explosion.


    The audience also heard this.


    Apparently, the collision of Vincent''s entire body and the me Dragon Lightning created a cloud of smoke as the floor was broken into many pieces¡­


    From within the smoke, people guessed that Vincent was already in hisst breath if he was not dead yet.


    Fusion Arts were just that scary.


    Just from the explosion, the Mana Barrier protecting the audience had even activated in itsplete state. Furthermore, it still trembled from the shockwave and heatwave that urred after.


    Nevertheless, they suddenly heard a few gears being activated like some sort of engine before disappearing¡­ It happened in a brief moment so they didn''t mind it at first¡­


    However, as soon as the cloud of smoke vanished, they were able to see Vincent''s figure!


    He doesn''t seem to be hurt at all. He was still wearing his Nightbane Robe and there were no signs of burns whatsoever!


    The audience can only think that it was probably rted to the gears being activated within the smoke. Whatever it was, it seems that it was some kind of tool that Vincent used to stop the me Dragon Lightning from harming him.<sub> </sub>


    "Wait! Look! Magnus is hurt!"


    "Ahhh¡­ That mysterious dagger again!"


    "When did he get stabbed by that thing?"


    "I didn''t see that as well¡­ How could Vincent retaliate in that position?!"


    The crowd was in for another shock after seeing Magnus injured. The Astral Night Dagger had actually stabbed his thigh!


    They could even tell that even Magnus was surprised. He was probably more shocked at him getting stabbed than Vincent surviving his attack.


    ''What¡­ Tsk¡­ I still underestimated this dagger, huh¡­ This weapon is too weird¡­ How could it pierce through my Mana Shield and strengthened clothes? It also moved extremely fast even though Vincent got hit by my strike. It was as if it wasn''t being controlled by his Consciousness Energy¡­''


    Magnus thought as he sensed Vincent''s figure again. He was also able to hear the gears moving just a while ago but he wasn''t able to tell what was that. Currently, Vincent appears the same in his senses¡­


    There are just too many mysterious items this guy possesses!


    At this point, anyone can probably give him this level of trouble as long as they have Vincent''s magic tools! He felt that this was too unfair as he nned to destroy the dagger.


    This time he made sure to lock the dagger on him.


    ''Let''s see how you''ll deal with this¡­'' Magnus thought as he slowly gathered his mana.


    ***


    ''Hmm? I can''t use the Return Skill¡­ It was stuck?'' Vincent mused after trying to use the Return Skill and failed.


    The soul bound with his dagger is still active so it means that he hasn''t lost ownership of it yet. The distance that they have is also very reasonable.


    If it''s not a problem with his connection with the dagger, it means that Magnus had done something to it.


    ''This is the first time this happened¡­ I wonder how he did that¡­'' Vincent thought as he even felt curious about how he did it. Anyway, he wasn''t panicking just because one of his weapons can''t be retrieved yet since he still has plenty of weapons he could pull out from his interspatial ring.


    Hu~


    Vincent took a deep breath as he stored his Ironbark Cane because its durability is already on a critical level after using the Soul Manifestation.


    Currently, he only has his Orichalcum Sword in his hand so he took something out of System Inventory.


    That''s right¡­ He''s nning to use one of the items rewarded by the system after he achieved a certain number of Ascended Items.


    [ Temporary Item Skill Amplification x2 ]


    This item was actually rewarded after he received his [ Luxury Protection Card x3 ] which is a card that could ensure the safety of the item from being destroyed during enhancement, ascension, or transcendence in the future.


    After thinking for a moment, he decided that the Orichalcum Sword may not be the best option for this so he store it in his ring and pulled out the Mithril Sword.


    [ Would you like to use the Item Skill Amplification on the selected item? ]


    [ Selected Item: Aura-Forged ck Mithril Sword ]

 Chapter 258 Amplification

    Without any hesitation, Vincent agreed as the skills of the ck Mithril Sword were enhanced.


    The Temporary Skill Amplification card then shattered into many pieces creating a white dust that covered the mithril sword. It happened in a brief moment but it was noticed by many.


    They have no idea what that was but they could tell that Vincent is preparing to do something.


    ''First, let''s see the Illusory Sword¡­'' Vincent thought as he triggered the first ability.


    He doesn''t have the time to appraise the item and just directly used the skill. He noticed as well that the Pseudo-Celestial Energy taken from him was quite bigger than usual. He was happy with that¡­ It means that the three swords that it will summon would certainly be stronger than before.


    Previously, the illusory swords can only take a minimal amount of energy and no matter how much Pseudo-Celestial Energy he poured into it, it will only extend the duration of the illusory swords but not their power.


    This time, however, Vincent felt a powerful aura after its activation¡­


    Soon, everyone witnessed the 12 illusory swords that Vincent summoned!


    ''Twelve?!'' Vincent was in shock after sensing the twelve illusory swords. They were all floating above him and he could feel his connection to all of them as he held the Mithril Sword in his hands.


    He didn''t expect that the temporary amplification would be this much! At most, he expected stronger and faster swords. However, it actually added nine more Illusory Swords that seem to be three times stronger than the previous ones!


    Magnus, who just finished trapping the dagger, also noticed the twelve illusory swords that Vincent just summoned out of nowhere.


    He wanted to make Vincent flustered after he locked the dagger on his body but it seems that his opponent didn''t even seem to notice that he can''t retrieve the dagger anymore!


    ''This guy¡­ He just has too many weapons. I''m sure that''s not a Mana Art¡­ I didn''t sense the normal activation sequence and mana fluctuations. It should be another Artifact in his possession. Tsk¡­'' Magnus couldn''t help but grumble after sensing the twelve swords heading his way¡­


    At the very least, he didn''t lose hope as he put his hands together like he was making a prayer. The two white gloves that he has then created several waves of Mana like someyers of shockwave as it tried to block the swords!


    Whom~ Whom~ Whom~


    They were indeed quite powerful as Vincent felt the pushing forceing from the waves of mana.


    The twelve illusory swords had really slowed down!


    Vincent found this attack simr to what Magnus used against Mursel. However, instead of doing a palm strike to create the shockwave in a certain direction, he instead put his palms together to create a shockwave that would spread throughout the stage while he was at the center. It seems like an improved version of what he did in his other fight.


    ? ''But¡­ I can tell that his Mana has decreased by a huge amount¡­ He''s forcing it.'' Vincent smirked after noticing this.


    Well, Magnus activated the Formation Art that makes that surrounding mana very firm and difficult to control. That already consumed plenty of mana since he''s not a Formation Expert in the first ce.


    Although he shrank it to the size that only Vincent will feel it, it is still very taxing for Magnus as it requires mental energy to maintain it. Furthermore, Magnus had deactivated the Formation Art when he attacked Vincent with his me Dragon Lightning¡­


    Right now, even while he was doing the spherical shockwave to stop the illusory swords, he was also reactivating the Formation Art and trapping Vincent again so he can''t use his touchless Mana Drain!


    All of his actions were consuming Magnus'' mana. He may have an impressive mana capacity, but it''s not unlimited¡­<sub> </sub>


    ''What now?'' Vincent looked at Magnus who seemed to be concentrating on multitasking. Once Magnuspleted the Formation Art to make the surrounding mana frozen or difficult to control, he would surely start attacking Vincent with his unusual abilities¡­


    He might even use his Tier 4 Mana Arts that he''s been saving up until now.


    Vincent can''t allow that to happen. Although he''s confident with his defensive skills, he can''t be too sure in front of this genius practitioner.


    With this in mind, Vincent decided to manipte the 12 Illusory Swords.


    He had never done this before but with his mental energy, he should be able to barely control them ording to his will.


    Instead of just using the swords like throwing weapons, Vincent recalled how Professor Levent controlled her de formation before¡­


    They were like a storm that would shred anything they touches.


    It left a deep impression on Vincent after seeing such a technique. Although it doesn''t seem to be that powerful when it was used against the Xonid, Vincent knows that that alien was just too difficult to deal with.


    If it was used against any other Adept or Archmages, that de formation would certainly rip them apart!


    After having a n, Vincent no longer waited as he immediately controlled the illusory swords. Even after Magnus made him struggle because of the Formation Art, Vincent did not mind it at all as he only needed to use his mental energy.


    Dance of Death: Sword Version!


    Vincent did his best to copy Levent''s de formation but used the swords instead.


    Magnus had no other choice but to defend against this kind of attack¡­ The wave of mana was no longer enough after Vincent took control of the swords!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Three illusory swords shattered into many pieces as Magnus made his move!


    He finally revealed his Tier 4 Mana Art!


    Since his strongest Elemental Fusion Art or me Dragon Lightning didn''t work against Vincent, it was just normal to make this next move.


    "Whoa! I can''t believe it¡­"


    "Is that real?!"


    "No wonder he''s wearing his gloves.


    The audience eximed as they were shocked after seeing Magnus'' Tier 4 Body Modification!


    While Alexander has a Rouge Demon Tail, Magnus actually has a third eye on his left palm! This is probably the reason why he''s hiding his hands using the white gloves and most likely the reason why he could just grab those attacksing from the Mythical Beasts Projections and Soul Manifestation!

 Chapter 259 Requests

    Vincent did not expect something like this at all.


    He thought that the tail was already the limit of body modification.


    He didn''t expect that it was even possible to add an eye on someone''s palm!


    Perhaps, there were even people willing to put an eye on their forehead?!


    Vincent could only imagine this but after thinking about it, there is also the Celestial Incarnation Project and Demihuman Talent Extraction Project. Those two projects already deal with some inhumane experiments so perhaps, this level of body modification is still eptable.


    ''I wonder what kind of Mystic Eye is that¡­''


    These people were probably willing to abandon their humanity to achieve the peak of magic!


    Vincent frowned but he just decided to continue with the Dance of Death¡­ He wanted to see whether the mysterious white eye on Magnus'' palm is capable of other things aside from destroying the three illusory swords.


    "Hmm?" Vincent noticed that the flying illusory swords started weakening as they got closer to Magnus¡­


    Swish~ Swish~ Swish~


    Three swords managed to reach Magnus''s body but the young man avoided it in time¡­


    Bang!


    It didn''t end with a dodge as Magnus was able to destroy these three swords only leaving Vincent with six illusory swords.


    Magnus seems to have used a Mana Art that forced those swords to explode into many pieces.


    The others may falter at this moment and decide to save the six swords but Vincent has different thoughts. He wanted to see the limit of and possibly see the third eye''s weakness.


    Six illusory swords surrounded Magnus as they spin around him and simultaneously got closer and closer¡­


    This time, Vincent realized that using the third eye that could disintegrate his swords needs a cooldown time. It means that Magnus can''t deal with continuous attacks using the same trick¡­ With that in mind, Vincent decided to fight with speed¡­


    No matter what, he wanted to push Magnus to his limits.


    ''Based on the rumor, Magnus has two Tier 4s¡­ If this is the first one, perhaps the other palm also has another eye?'' Vincent thought as he decided to be careful when getting close to Magnus.


    The possibility of the second Tier 4 Body Modification didn''t stop him from attacking at all.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    After the six remaining swords were destroyed by thebination of Magnus'' third eye and Mana Art, Vincent used the second skill of the Mithril Sword¡­


    Fatal Mind!


    [ Fatal Mind: A skill capable of disrupting the mind of the target by showing them their nightmare for a brief moment. This skill can be activated to any target within 5 meters by using 100 units of mana. ]


    This is the original description of the skill but after amplification, as long as Vincent could see the target, the distance could basically be ignored and more than that, the effects had also gotten stronger¡­


    After the Fatal Mind skill hit Magnus, he wobbled for a bit as he saw his nightmare¡­ Vincent had no idea what a blind person''s nightmare could be but what he knows is that this is a perfect opportunity for him!


    He felt the connection that he has with the Astral Night Dagger as he immediately used the Return Skill!<sub> </sub>


    Since it was previously stabbed on Magnus'' thigh, its sudden removal resulted in a pool of blood scattering on the stage.


    Magnus realized this as well but he still needed a bit of time to recover from the Fatal Mind¡­ The most he could do was to use an area defense that would allow him to defend whether he could sense the attack or not¡­


    Whom~


    He held the pendant of his ne as a small dome made of mana appeared¡­


    Bang!


    Vincent was blocked by this dome as he was unable to get closer¡­ He could only try to destroy it as fast as he can¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Vincent wielded both the Mithril Sword and Astral Night Dagger as he struck the dome with haste!


    ***


    Within the arena.


    On one of the high tforms that can overlook all the stages, a group consisting of top-tier Alchemists and Craftsmen was enjoying the battle.


    The one who was probably the most excited here was called Teofil. He is one of the top Magic Craftsmen of the ck Tower.


    He may not be that popr in the Magic Crafting field but that was because he decided to only master a single type of weapon crafting which is called the Skill Embedding¡­


    Because of this specialization, he was able to assess or roughly appraise the weapons that Vincent had been using.


    Furthermore, with his skills, he was also able to notice whenever a Magic Tool is being activated even though it was done stealthily.


    "That young man probably has wealthparable to a rich n. Those rings he''s wearing were already so much better than mine. Just what''s the background of this guy? I can''t believe that he has better magic artifacts than the Tower Lord''s disciple. This is iprehensible." Teofil said as he couldn''t leave his eyes on Vincent from the start of the battle.


    Vincent''s robe, cane, rings, dagger, swords, and hidden talismans were all incredibly valuable because he could tell that all of them has imbued skills!


    Most of the Magic Tools that are crafted by the current Magic Craftsmen could only provide an elemental boost, attribute strengthening, or perhaps magic and physical damage resistance. This is why the Magic Artifacts which could have almost any random skill were precious and expensive.


    As a 50-year-old Magic Craftsman, he was able to appreciate all the magic items worn by Vincent.


    He then looked at Faviona who had previously implied that he has a special rtionship with Vincent.


    "My little sister, tell me¡­ What''s your rtionship with Vincent?" Teofil asked.


    "Haha¡­ It''s just a business rtionship. Nothing more¡­ However, we really hit it off so I think it will be more than that." Faviona said with a mysterious smile. She believes that Vincent would need a bit more help regarding the matters of the prisoners of the Red Alliance so their rtionship hasn''t ended yet.


    "I want you to introduce me to him, little sister--Oh, Magnus used my Guardian Pendant¡­" Teofil said thatst part softly and the others ignore it.


    "Wait¡­ Introduce me as well. You know that I like daggers. I will even trade my daughter in exchange for that returning dagger."


    "Me too. You have to help me Miss Faviona¡­ I just want to appraise his weapons. I can even pay a fee for appraising them." Another one said.


    Faviona was a bit speechless after hearing these shameless requests. She decided not to agree but will surely mention these to Vincent.

 Chapter 260 Shameless

    Bang!


    The dome that Magnus created was shattered into many pieces after getting six or so strikes from Vincent''s weapons.


    This what a bit too fast from what Magnus had expected so he didn''t have the time toplete his preparations.


    ''Is this pendant really made by one of the best Magic Craftsmen here? Did Master got fooled?'' Magnus couldn''t help but feel dismayed. He was told that the dome of mana was able to protect him from an attack of 5 Magic Beasts for a duration enough for him to take nap!


    It was obviously a lie made to make the ne''s price higher!


    ''Urgh¡­ Maybe this is just an imitation? Tsk¡­''


    The dome that he made onlysted enough to cover his wound and stop it from bleeding. Magnus couldn''t help but secretly curse the one who made this equipment as he looked at Vincent who was getting closer.


    ***


    On the other hand, Teofil, who made the Guardian Pendant, couldn''t help but be excited after seeing that his creation was destroyed so easily!


    ''Those two weapons were too difficult to deal with¡­ That dagger and sword were able to stop the imbued skill of the Giant Turtle Beast. Are they made of adamantine? No, perhaps those two are Celestial Weapon?!''


    Teofil was fully aware of the magic tool that he made. The one that Magnus used just now is definitely the real deal.


    The problem wasn''t the authenticity of the ne but Vincent''s weapons. They don''t just possess embedded skills but also attributes that seem to be enough to destroy the Giant Turtle Dome Shield that the ne activated.


    Of course, Vincent may have used his Aura at that moment but it is still very impressive to shatter this shield in six or so strikes!


    ''Is it really a Celestial Weapon? Perhaps Legendary Weapon? But how could he possess an unlisted legendary weapon?''


    Teofil couldn''t help but wonder. He may not have enough knowledge about Celestial Weapons but Legendary Weapons were something he studied for decades.


    The legendary weapons in cirction within the ck Tower are recorded in a book called Legend Comption and there may be hundreds of them listed but as a matter of fact, most of these legendary items may not be existing anymore.


    ***


    Bang!


    Realizing that there is no longer any shield guarding Magnus, Vincent threw his dagger.


    It was then blocked by Magnus'' left hand making Vincent sure that the third eye wasn''t capable of fully stopping the dagger even in its full activation.


    ? At most, Magnus can only deflect it with his gloves. He can''t even catch it at all.


    With this in consideration, Vincent used the Return Skill.


    Swish~


    His Mithril Sword stabbed while Magnus hastily created a wind vortex to disperse the force behind it and deflected the sword¡­


    It was followed by another Fatal Mind!


    In this range, the effect was stronger as Magnus almost kneeled to the ground¡­


    However, Vincent didn''t stop after using the Fatal Mind as he shed with his dagger aiming at Magnus'' body¡­


    nk!


    The dagger was blocked by someone else! He even held Magnus up to ensure that he won''t fall to the ground.


    "It''s enough¡­" The female referee, who had just arrived, solemnly said as she looked at Vincent withplicated eyes.<sub> </sub>


    "Who is he?" Vincent asked referring to the cloaked man in front of him. This man is hiding his figure and face with his attire as he seemed to be some sort of assassin.


    The female referee hesitated for a moment before answering.


    "He''s one of the Tower Lord''s private guards¡­ Alright, that''s enough¡­ You won this match."


    She said without much excitement. She doesn''t seem to like the fact that Vincent ended up victorious against Magnus. Well, perhaps most of the people here weren''t expecting Magnus to lose as well.


    "Ugh¡­ Mister¡­ I can continue. I can still fight¡­" Magnus said as he struggled to stand up.


    Vincent decided not to listen as he turned his back. He wanted to leave the stage.


    However, the words of the ''private guard'' stunned him.


    "Hmm¡­ My bad¡­ I was hasty stopping the fight. It was a mistake. You can indeed continue to fight. I will leave now." The man said as he disappeared from the stage just like that.


    The audience started murmuring as they were unsure what was going on.


    Even the female referee looked at a certain tform as if she was asking someone what she should do in this situation.


    After taking a deep breath, she spoke again.


    "Stop, Vincent. The fight hasn''t ended yet. The battle has been interrupted by someone but you can now continue the fight¡­"


    After hearing this, the crowd eximed in shock.


    Most of them were happy and only a few were questioning the referee''s decision.


    They shifted their gaze at Vincent.


    They didn''t have to ask what he was feeling right now as they could easily tell from the aura he was emitting.


    Vincent chuckled as he faced Magnus.


    He actually knows that the number of Magnus'' items increased!


    That''s right, his Item Sense Ability noticed that Magnus just received two Magic Items from the cloaked man!


    It was done in such a secretive method that if he doesn''t have the System Feature, he wouldn''t have noticed it at all!


    Unfortunately, he can''t just simply point it out without evidence. He might be seen as a liar orbeled as a coward who didn''t want to continue fighting. This is the reason why he chuckled. He had no choice but to continue this match since almost everyone is expecting him to do so.


    Vincent took his time before he replied.


    "Alright¡­ But before that, I''d like to ask the referee if she noticed whether the intruder just now had given something to my opponent." Vincent said as if he wasn''t speaking to the referee himself.


    "What? Are you using someone now?" The female referee asked with a threatening tone.


    "Of course not¡­"


    "Hmph! Obviously, nothing like that happened. Are you doubting everyone''s eyes? If that happened, the crowd watching us will naturally see that!" This time, it was Magnus who spoke in a hurry.


    Vincent can only shake his head at this as he briefly considered his options.


    After a few moments, he replied.


    "If that''s what you wish¡­ Let''s continue." Vincent coldly said as everyone felt the sudden change in the arena''s atmosphere.

 Chapter 261 Continue

    Guven, who has been watching the battle, looked at his two subordinates. He didn''t even have to give them a sign and they already know what he was thinking.


    The two of them shook their heads implying to stay ''silent.''


    "Vincent will handle this. I think he has some ns."


    "That''s true. I''m sure he hasn''t shown everything yet. You must remember that he has something that could stop a Fusion Art made of lightning and fire. Whatever it is, it is definitely not any Ephemeral Mana Art that I''ve known."


    Hearing that, Guven sighed as he nodded to the two.


    Indeed, there was that mysterious sound of mechanical gears when Vincent defended against that me Dragon Lightning. Many of the audience have probably forgotten that but not the two of his subordinates.


    After all, they were both practicing lightning elements and they were able to tell its behavior when it met Vincent. From their words, it was definitely blocked by some sort of metallic armor or shield but was quickly retracted before it was shown to the public.


    They even guessed that it could be a Legendary Living Steel Armor that is currently listed in the Legend Comption.


    This armor is basically a better version of the Living Armor that Vincent has in one of his grimoires. However, instead of nt-based living armor, it is a steel-type which is certainly a lot stronger.


    Well, with the amount of mysterious items that Vincent has, they wouldn''t be surprised if he really has this kind of Legendary Weapon.


    Anyway, Guven''s mood didn''t get better. After all, he can easily tell or see that Magnus is lying. He may not have noticed how they did it, but it seems that Vincent oddly noticed it like he wasn''t blind¡­


    ''What terrifying senses¡­ Even though he''s blind, it was as if you can''t hide anything from him. Not even the Archons and Tower Masters saw how Magnus received the new magic tools. I really hope that he can still win this¡­''


    Guven thought as he watched the battle in a heavy mood.


    He felt that this is just too unfair. Nevertheless, he knows that Magnus is the Tower Lord''s disciple so perhaps, Magnus just can''t be defeated in today''s duel for such a reason.


    ***


    "Good! Come at me with your best shot!"


    Magnus taunted as soon as Vincent agreed to continue the match. He was actually nervous when Vincent pointed out the addition of his Magic Items but luckily, Vincent has nothing in his hands that could prove it.


    Vincent smirked hearing Magnus'' reply and he obliged. However, because he''s nning to go all out, he decided to take his distance¡­


    He stored his Astral Night Dagger and pulled out another item.


    [ Basilisk Gauntlet +10 ]


    This is a piece of equipment that Vincent received when he was still working as an Appraiser for the Guardian Auction House back in the kingdom.


    It was previously in a damaged state when he first found it but after forceful ascension, the durability was easily restored. Well, this is probably the best cheat of the system. A full durability recovery for every sessful Ascension!


    It is certainly an ability that any Magic Craftsmen would die for.


    Anyway, the crowd found this change very interesting.


    "Hmm? A new weapon."


    "A Gauntlet this time, huh¡­"


    "A true warrior indeed. Even though he''s blind, he can actually use any kind of weapon."


    "If he''s not the Tower Lord''s disciple, I wonder what his real identity..."


    The crowd also realized that Vincent would have to change his battle style again. Vincent is just too unpredictable.


    Hu~


    Vincent breathe out heavily as he concentrated his energy on the gauntlet. It only has a single ranged ability but nevertheless, it is very suited to his current situation.


    ''Hmm?''


    Vincent sensed that Magnus just activated his new Magic Tools. At least one of them should be suited for defense and most probably meant to protect him from Mind Attacks.<sub> </sub>


    After all, the Tower Lord surely recognized his tricks when he defeated Alexander and  Elena. Since Magnus has a way to deal with his Touchless Mana Drain, he''s only susceptible now with his Mind Attacks that coulde from three of his weapon.


    ''Those two new items must''ve been given by the Tower Lord himself and used the private guard¡­ I can''t underestimate it.''


    With this in mind, Vincent pulled out another Temporary Skill Amplification and used it on the Gauntlet. He''s thinking that the other Magic Tool is most like another defensive artifact so he might as well go all out and use the system''s gift.


    He only has these two amplification cards so he was left with nothing after this battle. Nevertheless, Vincent knows that he won''t regret such a decision.


    He really wants to end this in a single move using the active skill of this gauntlet.


    [ Basilisk Gauntlet ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 820/820


    Magic Resistance: 400


    Physical Resistance: 400


    Description: An enhanced gauntlet made of Basilisk hide and refined by Shimmering Dust.


    Remarks: Magic and Physical Resistance found. These attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    [ Skills


    Attack Boost ( Passive ): All damages inflicted by the gauntlet will be increased by 30%.


    Knockback ( Passive ): Every sessful hit would have a 60% chance of triggering a knockback to the target.


    Groundbreak ( Active ): In exchange for 600 units of mana, the user can channel an energy punch to the ground to hit the target. ]


    This is one of his new Legendary Equipment.


    This has been stuck as a Pseudo-Legendary for quite a while until he decided to use one of his One-Time Ascension Card on it to force it to reach this level.


    Vincent is quite confident with the Groundbreak skill especially after using hisst amplification.


    ''You''re really waiting for me to attack, huh? Alright then.''


    Whom~


    One hundred and twenty units of Pseudo-Celestial Energy were taken from his core as the Gauntlet started emitting a powerful fluctuation of energy.


    Boom!


    Vincent punched the stage as cracks started webbing throughout the whole tform¡­


    "You--!" Magnus, who is also relying on the vibration of the ground and waves of wind to sense his opponent, could only use his third-eye''s ability to monitor Vincent.


    This is because of the sudden explosion of this unusual energy that exploded from the gauntlet!


    Bang!


    A powerful force suddenly arrived on his feet as it spread throughout his body!


    Magnus was surprised on this but he gritted his teeth¡­


    "You''ve done it! Haha! It''s my win!" Magnus eximed as he crushed one of the talismans that was given to him.


    Apparently, he received two talismans from the private guard just now. One of them is indeed to stop any Mind Attacks but the other one is capable of transferring any damage inflicted to him back to the caster!

 Chapter 262 Tower Lord

    As Vincent felt a huge pain after losing 80 durability points from that single attack, he felt another overwhelming energying back at him¡­


    ''Hmm? My Pseudo-Celestial Energy is returning? What''s happening?''


    Vincent mused as he felt rampaging energy returning to his core¡­ Perhaps, if he has a normal Mana Core then he would be done for good. It was very violent in the beginning after all.


    However, what he has right now is a Synthetic Celestial Core gifted by the system and one of its functions is to filter this energy!


    Instead of causing havoc within his body, it easily bes tamed after it was suppressed by the special core.


    Vincent then heard Magnus'' delightfulugh as he realized that he probably used a technique or magic tool to reflect his attack!


    He was most likely celebrating now after sessfully "returning" Vincent''s attack.


    Anyway, Magnus was still unable to escape the sudden destruction of the floor as he was still at the center of a small crater. He has a few scratches on his body caused by the rubbles but it wasn''t that significant with his current strength.


    Vincent smiled as he used this opportunity to repeat the attack¡­ Although it''s very impressive to have a magic tool that is capable of returning another magic tool''s attack, Vincent wasn''t too impressed at this since he can simply cast another strike. This is the good thing about this Basilisk Gauntlet''s Groundbreak.


    It doesn''t have a cooldown! Although the durability consumption will increase if he continuously uses it, it doesn''t matter right now.


    He then tried activating the Groundbreak again as he didn''t even have to use his Energy Refill Card thanks to Magnus'' move.


    Currently, he has one Full Energy Refill Card and four pieces of 25% Energy Refill Card in his system inventory. These cards, as the name implies, can refill his synthetic core with Pseudo-Celestial Energy. They were rare items and thankfully, he doesn''t have to use one of them yet.


    ''Groundbreak!''


    Another burst of energy surprised Magnus! This time, he only had his magician robe and internal mana to stop the attack!


    "Aaaargghh!"


    His delightfulugh was suddenly changed into a scream of pain as the crowd shivered at this sudden flip in the situation. Vincent''s follow up attack surprised them a lot.


    Many of them thought that he already spent all of his energy in his first strike!


    He can actually use powerful Mana Arts continuously? Even most of the Tier 1 Mana Arts have a cooldown time! However, Vincent''s Gauntlet seems to be capable of ignoring this as he justnded another strike¡­


    Based on their estimation, the amount of mana that is capable of doing this should be at the level of Low-Rank Archmage already. Such a deep Mana Cultivation from a 15-year-old young man is certainly rare even for the ck Tower Organization.


    The female referee, who was able to easily feel the movement of mana on the stage was even more surprised.


    She recognized Magnus'' previous move of reflecting the Mana Art thrown at him since there is a Magic Tool and Tier 4 or 5 Mana Arts capable of doing this. However, she didn''t even notice any signs of struggle from Vincent!


    It should be able to at least hurt him externally, right?


    This is what she thought since she''s unaware of Vincent''s current physique. Well, even Vincent may have even forgotten the special change in his current body.


    This is not just the changes after he consumed the Mana Upheaval Potion but because of the pills that he had consumed when his vision was taken by the blind goddess.


    That''s right, during the first few weeks of his blindness, Vincent went into a despair before he decided to grind his system levels instead.<sub> </sub>


    At that time, he was able to consume a fully enhanced pill that he bought from Aiden, a Tier 1 Alchemist from a small town when he was on his way to the Zemin n.


    This pill is the Metal Body Pill and he bought 10 bottles of them!


    Needless to say, this Metal Body Pill that should lose its effectivity every time it was consumed, was not a problem to Vincent with his enhancement and ascension.


    He had no issues consuming them to his limit making his physique almostparable to a barbarian.


    This is the reason why Vincent only felt the rampaging energy that was filtered by his Synthetic Celestial Core.


    Bam!


    Magnus dropped to the ground, unconscious.


    With such a powerful attack that came from an amplified burst of Pseudo-Celestial Energy, Magnus fainted as he almost felt his core bursting¡­


    The crowd was silent as they realized that the match is over¡­ again.


    They could still remember how Vincent just broke the ground with his punch and created a small crater that affected Magnus¡­ He did this a couple of times and the arena just crumbled into many pieces¡­


    Everything happened so fast.


    Some of them were even surprised that the floor hasn''t copsed yet and brought them to the seventh floor.


    Vincent then silently faced the female referee waiting for her announcement.


    This time, she finally gave out a smile as if she had truly acknowledged Vincent''s abilities¡­


    "The victor of the final match, Vincent!"


    A few people apuded after the announcement as the others were finally woken up to reality.


    Magnus, the Tower Lord''s disciple, was undoubtedly defeated!


    None of them knows how the Tower Lord will react to this but this is definitely a huge piece of news that will surely spread not just within the First Tower City but throughout the whole territory of the ck Tower!


    ***


    "Ugh¡­ I guess I have to change or add an additional gift to Vincent, huh¡­ I didn''t think he would be able to aplish this." Turhan, who had previously prepared to give a Unique-Rank Item as a reward to Vincent, helplessly smiled after hearing the announcement.


    It was the same for Faviona who was already thinking of what Tier 4 Pill she can give as a gift to Vincent.


    Right now, he should have a Yellow Emblem guaranteed at his name¡­ There is also a chance of getting a Blue Emblem which Magnus will certainly receive as a direct disciple.


    At this moment, everyone looked at the tform where the Tower Lord is supposedly seated only to find out that he was missing.


    Suddenly several exmations were heard as they realized that the Tower Lord is now standing in front of Vincent!

 Chapter 263 Offer

    It would be a lie to say that Vincent wasn''t nervous after sensing the appearance of the Tower Lord in front of him.


    However, he knows that acting against this person is just impossible so he decided to just keep his mouth shut and waited for him to speak.


    ''Well, he''s quite big indeed.'' Vincent thought after ''seeing'' him closer.


    Just like his first impression, the Tower Lord is huge like a barbarian and the wooden staff appears to be very threatening although it''s not emitting any Mana Fluctuations at all.


    "Vincent, let''s go to a quieter space to talk. I have a few questions for you."


    A deep voiceing from the Tower Lord jolted Vincent a bit. He wasn''t speaking using his mouth but simr to telepathy used by Professor Levent.


    "Alright¡­"


    There''s no point disagreeing. Anyway, it''s not like he will get killed by the Tower Lord.


    Seeing that Vincent agreed without hesitation, the Tower Lord couldn''t help but smile behind his cloak as he stomped the staff once on the ground.


    The Tower''s formation activated as the two disappeared in front of everyone!


    As the Tower Lord, he has full control of the Formation Arts within the tower itself. One of them is this formation that is simr to a teleportation or space movement technique!


    No¡ªTo be exact, Vincent felt the same sensation when he entered the dungeon owned by Professor Levent!


    ''Is it a coincidence?'' Vincent mused as he started spreading his senses around the ce where he was sent into.


    Well, he also thought that it could be possible that the ck Tower''s first Tower Lord was actually able to recreate the mystery behind the dungeon''s entrance. He wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case considering how many mysterious or iprehensible things he had already seen.


    "This is a nice room¡ªor library, Tower Lord¡­" Vincent finallymented.


    He didn''t want to speak at first but he was truly impressed with this room. It is actually filled with so many books!


    Furthermore, they weren''t normal books but most likely skill books or maybe even higher-level grimoires! There are over 30rge shelves containing thousands of books each of them and he really wanted to check whether he could use his system''s learning feature on them.


    This opportunity is just too difficult to let pass.


    "Ho~ You''re blind but you''re interested in a book?" The tower lord said as he sat behind his desk.


    "Er¡­ I have a few tricks in my sleeves."


    "Oh? Are you also hiding your third eye?" The Tower Lord asked with interest as he leaned closer. He also gestured for Vincent to seat on a couch.


    Thisrge room doesn''t seem to have any windows but Vincent can still feel the decent venttion within the ce. It''s probably another formation art but anyway, it feelsfortable in the room so he obliged.<sub> </sub>


    "I do not have a third eye, Tower Lord. However, my eyesight is already slowly returning. I can already see some light and blurred figures¡­" Vincent vaguely answered.


    "So it''s like that. No wonder¡­ I have this feeling that your eyes can see things." The tower lord as he removed his cloak.


    Vincent can only tell that he has long ck hair aside from his huge build.


    He smiled a bit and then finally asked for the reason why he was called here. There was no way the Tower Lord just wanted to have a normal chat with him.


    "I called you here to ask whether you want to be my disciple, Vincent." The man asked sincerely as he looked at Vincent sincerely.


    Thetter wasn''t expecting this sudden invitation at all. Perhaps, this is the reason why Magnus wanted to stop him from attending thepetition!


    The tower lord might''ve been looking for other disciples all this time!


    "It was so sudden¡­ Although I won against Magnus, it wasn''t because I''m skilled with Mana Arts or Soul Arts. I''m sure that you can tell that I heavily relied on my weapons to barely win against him."


    "That''s true¡­ However, since you''ve beaten my disciple. I don''t think it''s appropriate that a nobody was able to do that. If you''re also my student, then that wouldn''t hurt my reputation. Right? Or perhaps you have a master that is more powerful than me?"


    Vincent helplessly smiled after realizing that he doesn''t have that many options. Indeed, the Tower Lord still cares about his reputation which is quite understandable since he''s the leader of this organization or country.


    Furthermore, he is dubbed as the strongest Magician of the ck Tower right now. In that case, he probably wanted a disciple that is undefeated in stage battles at the very least.


    "I wonder what benefits will I get? I''ve never really thought of bing a disciple after all."


    Vincent probed as he knows hisplicated position as well. Currently, he also has a bad feeling that Rem and Tara did something that may have offended someone.


    The gaze that he felt from a few elders or high-ranking members of the Tower bothered him a lot. Having the Tower Lord as his backer might give them an easier time dealing with such problems.


    <o>,m "Hmmm¡­ First of all, I can allow you to stay in this library for 3 hours every month. As you can tell, this space is part of the Tower but not within the Tower so time is limited. It consumes energy just to get here."</o>


    The Tower Lord exined with a hint of pride in his voice.


    Vincent was very excited to hear this and he allowed him to continue.


    "In addition to that, I will teach you a Mana Art that is not recorded in this library. It is something I made myself so look forward to that.


    "Furthermore, you will get a Blue Emblem that will solidify your position within the tower. It wille with a robe that is only worn by my disciples. It will be recognized in all 36 towers.


    "Lastly, I will give you a decent wee gift since you will be my seventh disciple¡­ How is it?"

 Chapter 264 Millie

    Vincent was tempted after hearing about all these benefits.


    Of course, he could probably obtain the material benefits he mentioned even if he decided to not ept the offer but it would take some time.


    Furthermore, he really wanted to inspect these books as he may be able to learn another incredible Mana Art from them.


    It must be remembered that his Mana Drain was learned in a skill book that no one was able to understand. That skill has been very useful to this day and getting ess to the library might give him a surprise. Perhaps, he could learn another mysterious Tier 1, or hopefully, Tier 2 Mana Arts!


    ''There''s also a matter about the factions within the ck Tower. I guess being connected with the Tower Lord is the best option for me.'' Vincent thought as he weighed his options.


    "May I ask what you''re expecting me to do once I be your disciple?"


    "Oh. Good question. I just want you to promise me that you won''t taint my name and you get stronger than you are right now. Although it appears very peaceful in our continent, it might change soon¡­ Perhaps in the next 20 years, or 10 years, maybe even in the next year¡­ We''re not sure exactly but it will happen. It could be another Rapture or just a disaster¡­ but it will certainly happen."


    The Tower Lord exined.


    Vincent took a breath after hearing this. He could hear the seriousness of the situation in his voice and he recalled the existence of Xonid, the unfinished war of the Celestials, the hidden battleground, the Overseer, the goddess who had seemingly blessed or cursed him, and even his existence here in the very first ce.


    All these were questions he wanted to answer. Perhaps, it is even rted to the clue he received about his eyes.


    "Very well. I will be your disciple, Master Tower Lord. I will ensure that I won''t tarnish your name and get stronger." Vincent said as he gave a bow to the Tower Lord.


    "Good! Good decision. Before anything else, my name is Ignacy. You can just call me Master Ignacy."


    The Tower Lord Ignacy said with augh as he immediately arranged all the rewards that Vincent would have to receive.


    ''I guess I''ll call Magnus my senior now, huh¡­'' Vincent thought as he looked at the huge number of books behind him.


    ***


    Vincent was able to return to the arena after almost two hours in the library.


    ''They left¡­'' Vincent thought as he noticed that there were only a few people inside the arena.


    Aside from Tara and Rem who are waiting for him, there was also Turhan who was chatting with the two. Or at least, he was trying to strike a conversation with the two Celestial Beings.


    "Vincent! You''re finally back. I didn''t even recognize you¡­ It suits you well!" Turhan spoke with enthusiasm as he saw Vincent wearing a ck Tower robe and a blue emblem on his chest.


    The robe he''s wearing now has a shade of maroon instead of just being ck.


    "I''m sorry for making you wait---Ah, why are you waiting for me?" Vincent asked since they didn''t really agree to meet after thepetition.


    "Oh¡­ I''m here to give you a gift to fulfill my promise. Here, take this¡­" Turhan said as he handed over a familiar item to Vincent.


    It is something that he had already seen or appraised when they were still in the Flying Mystic Ship heading to this continent.


    "Hmm? I thought that this is important to you?" Vincent said as he held the Tranquil Mind Crystal.<sub> </sub>


    This is an item that was previously enhanced by A. Turhan is keeping it since it has a very important skill option which is the Tranquility. It has an effect that allows him to block any Soul Attacks and is a key item to defeating Soul Arts Cultivator.


    Giving this to Vincent wouldn''t just strengthen his defense but it will also assist him in training. After all, Tranquility has an effect that affects his focus which is very important when cultivating his soul.


    Lastly, there is also another Skill called Soul Shake which can very useful for him in battle.


    "It''s alright¡­ Didn''t I mention that A is doing great these days? She can already create something better."


    "What? She''s really doing good, huh¡­"


    "Y-Yes¡­ So make sure to visit her sometime, I''m sure she''ll be inspired once you show her some of your weapons again¡­ Haha." Turhan awkwardlyugh as he revealed to Vincent that he really wanted him to inspire A.


    It is possible that A had reached her limit again and Turhan wanted him to enlighten her a bit¡­


    It''s shouldn''t be a big deal if he only needs to show some samples of +6 or above items.


    "Alright¡­I''m already nning to visit her sometime anyway." Vincent replied.


    He still has six weeks before the prisoners of the Red Alliance would arrive so he can settle these minor matters during this time.


    After exchanging a few more words, Vincent and the two Celestials finally returned to the Vermillion Hawk where Caesus is waiting for them.


    It was already dark when theynded at the front court of Ster Residence as they were weed by Yulia and the others. They even arranged a small celebration that all Followers of Qheglena could attend.


    Vincent was extremely tired after the long day.


    After filling his stomach a bit, he returned to his room and passed out.


    ***


    In the middle of the North Parason Sea, several huge Floating Mystic Ships can be seen moving towards the south.


    Each of them has a g showing a crossed shield and sword waving through the winds.


    This is the g of the Red Alliance or the Barbarians living in the Parason Continent.


    Inside the leading airship, there is a small cell where seven prisoners are silently making their prayers¡­ except for a couple of them who were only faking their weakness.


    These two women have fierce eyes and they haven''t lost their hopes yet.


    "Millie, control your emotions¡­ We will have our chance once the shipnded so¡­ appear weak and helpless. That''s the only thing we can do for now." The older of the two silently said.


    Millie gritted her teeth as she nodded silently.


    "Yes, senior sister¡­"

 Chapter 265 Ayla

    Three weeks after thepetition.


    It was very busy for Vincent. During this time, he has to learn more about the internal status of the ck Tower. He met several Tower Masters and Archons of various towers. They were previously nning to recruit him but after Ignacy announced that Vincent is already his disciple, these Archons decided to back out.


    Aside from this, Vincent also acquired theption of the dungeons owned by the ck Tower!


    He learned that there are 33 Dungeons under the management of the Towers. In addition, there are actually 52 dungeons that were sold or are being sold to the others!


    With such a limited number of dungeons, it was no wonder why Levent was so proud of acquiring one dungeon.


    Nevertheless, he also learned that it is possible that there are still other dungeons that are left undiscovered.


    After all, the people of the ck Tower are just truly remaining within the vicinity of their towers! Explorations were mostly done by the Hunter Organization and only a few magicians with Emblem would sometimes help in these dangerous explorations.


    Unfortunately, the ck Tower wasn''t really focused on finding new resources or dungeons since most of the high-ranking magicians were already doing their research in Mana Arts, Alchemy, Formation, or Magic Crafts.


    They just can''t be bothered in these explorations if they are already satisfied with their current wealth or progress in their research.


    After Vincent get all the information about the dungeon that he wanted to explore, he decided that it was finally time to meet A again as he visited her in one of Professor Turhan''s vis.


    Unlike Levent, who spent most of her money to purchase the dungeon, Turhan''s money was mostly used to buy properties in various towers¡­


    Together with Tara and Rem, they boarded the Vermillion Hawk and went to the 29th Tower where one of Turhan''s vis is at.


    Since he was expected to arrive, everything went smoothly as Vincent arrived at A''s workshop.


    "Vincent! It''s been a while! Oh, are your eyes better now?" A said with her charming voice. She was able to notice that the previous dullness in his eyes was no more.


    Vincent smiled after ''seeing'' her.


    <o>,m Previously, he had zero visibility and had no idea of how A looked.</o>


    Right now, however, he was able to tell her height. He''s a head taller than her although they were only 1 year apart in their age.


    Furthermore, he imagined her as a pale-skinned youngdy because she''s always staying in her room doing research but she''s actually quite tanned.


    Of course, Vincent had no way of seeing her face so he can''t really say much about her appearance but it''s not that important¡­


    He had a feeling that A has an item with her that is above +5!


    It doesn''t even seem to be the item he had given to her before.


    "Ehem¡­ I''m already seeing some light. So perhaps I''m about to recover."


    "That''s good to hear! I hope it won''t take long!" A was genuinely delighted upon hearing this news. She may not have experienced bing blind but just thinking about it happening to her would probably make her go crazy. No one would want to be blind if possible.


    "I hope so¡­ In any case, can you now tell me about your new level of enhancement?"


    "Hehehe! Thank the items you''ve given me before, I managed to improve a bit. However, I''m still unsure how will continue from here. It feels like there''s a huge chasm between fifth and sixth enhancement, Vincent¡­"


    "Oh? You''re stuck at the 5th enhancement?"


    ''Did I make a mistake? I felt something higher than that though¡­'' Vincent mused as he asked if he could check her enhanced items right now.


    A then handed over a ne with an amethyst gem as a pendant.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''<sub> </sub>


    [ Prim Ne ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 5/10


    Durability: 49/80


    Charm: 10


    Cold Aura: 2


    Description: A piece of jewelry that can increase the attractiveness of the wearer. It is made of charm brass and a cold amethyst gem.


    Remarks: Charm and Cold Aura attribute has been found. Every sessful enhancement will increase the attributes and durability of the item. ]


    ''The durability is lower than I expected. Normally, a +5 was already enough to reach 100 and above durability.''


    Vincent thought as he checked the result of the appraisal.


    The attributes were alsomonly seen among the jewels so he didn''t think too much of it as he returned the item to A.


    "This is a good enhancement, A¡­ You''ve aplished a lot in just a few months."


    "Right?! It was all thanks to the items you''ve given to me¡­ At the moment, I''ve been interested in the attributes of my items. I''m thinking that there is a certain requirement to reach the +6 and above¡­ so I''m starting there."


    A exined but from the tone of her voice, Vincent can tell that she was not doing well in this direction of research. She''scking samples after all.


    "Attributes, huh¡­ That''s possible¡­ Right, how did you break through from +3 to +4?"


    "Oh, it is rted to the amount of mana and durability during the enhancement. I''ve modified my enhancement circle to be able to umte enough mana. I also used a few Refined Burr to increase the durability by several points."


    Vincent nodded. It seems that A''s enhancement methodcks a significant increase in durability. This might even be the reason why she can''t pass the +5 enhancement.


    The two of them chatted for a while as he learned that A received a gift from Faviona. It is a +6 ne and a Magic Artifact!


    It is Faviona''s treasure and was gifted to her after she shared her knowledge about the Enhancement Theory. It was no wonder he felt the unusual fluctuation of energy.


    With that said, he decided to give her twelve more items reaching +8.


    They were potions, talismans, and small weapons like knives and staves in his possession.


    "So many?! Is it alright to give these all to me?" A was shocked as soon as Vincent took out all these items within his interspatial ring.


    "Well, I''m also interested in this research. Just make sure not to hand them over to anyone."


    Hearing this, A jolted as she made a promise.


    "I will keep this to myself! I won''t let anyone take them. I will not even let Master Turhan touch them!"


    "Ahh¡­ You can let him see it. Sir Turhan isn''t a stranger anyway."


    "R-right¡­ Are you going to stay here? I will arrange a room for you and your friends." A offered.


    Vincent thought for a moment before he nodded. Anyway, he wanted to have some rest first before they enter the dungeon he wanted to visit.

 Chapter 266 Hero

    On the next day, Vincent bade his farewell as their Vermillion Hawk headed to the dungeon¡­


    "You''re excited?" Rem asked seeing how Vincent couldn''t stay on his seat as they travel through the sky.


    "Eh?"


    Vincent was startled as he thought that Rem was right. He couldn''t help but smile as he replied.


    "Ahhh¡­ I''m just curious about these dungeons¡­ They were mysterious ces that have been here in this world before you and the other Celestial Beings even arrived. All kinds of artifacts inside these dungeons were difficult to recreate or can''t be recreated at all. In short, we have a fairly high chance of finding an artifact that I haven''t seen yet."


    "Hmmm¡­ That indeed sounds very interesting¡­ You won''t be able to appreciate their beauty though." Rem teased as she looked ahead.


    Vincent scratched his head in realization as he decided to just sit down and started his visualization method to calm himself¡­


    It didn''t take very long before theynded near the dungeon. It is located at the center of a valley which is really a good ce to build a settlement.


    Because this dungeon is owned by the ck Tower, there is obviously an outpost filled with soldiers guarding this area.


    It is to make sure that Savage Beasts or even Magic Beasts wouldn''t destroy the surrounding area of the dungeon and make it essible to the members of the ck Tower anytime.


    As soon as the marvelous red airshipnded nearby, the soldiers realized that an important person had arrived.


    They have already seen many magiciansing here using a majestic carriage or even dropping from a passenger airship. However, it''s their first time weing someone with their own aircraft. They hurriedly lined up to wait for the guest.


    Whoosh~


    With a puff of air and mechanical gears activating, the door of the aircraft opened.


    A small figure came out and the first they recognized was the familiar design of the ck Tower''s robe followed by the Blue Emblem on his chest.


    The leader of the battalion stationed here became nervous. After all, even those with Red Emblem he had encountered before don''t have such luxury.


    ''Probably a son or disciple of some rich Archon?'' The leader mused as he took a nce at the young man.


    He was followed by two beauties who seems to be his servants and he couldn''t help but feel jealous. The beauty of these two was definitely in apletely different realm than those he had seen in the brothel that he thought to be goddesses already.


    This is the first time he realized that someone could be more beautiful than the most expensive courtesan in Heavenly Dew Pavilion!


    The leader then took a deep breath as he greeted the young man.


    "It''s an honor to see you here, Senior. I''m Tadeus,mander of the 27th Tower''s Fifth Magician Battalion. I''m currently assigned here to guard the Silent Creek."


    Tadeus, a man with long red hair and has a brawny figure, introduced himself with politeness. Though Vincent is obviously younger than him who is approaching his thirties, he still needed to treat him with respect. This is because he''s only a Gray Emblem member of the Tower.<sub> </sub>


    In his battalion, there were only three with Gray Emblem, and all the others were just trained and recruited outside the tower. They may have received weapons and Mana Arts from the organization, but they were unable to receive the benefits of entering the Tower itself.


    "I''m Vincent. Commander Tadeus, I''m here to enter the Silent Creek. Is it possible now?" Vincent asked as he used his cane to walk closer.


    After three weeks, the cane is already back to its full durability thanks to his recent breakthrough in Soul-Forging Method. Although he now has plenty of other weapons as well, he really likes this wooden staff since he inherited this from his grandfather.


    "It might be a bit difficult right now, Sir Vincent. There are already three groups who had entered the dungeon. That is the maximum number of groups that were allowed to enter."


    "Hmm? Isn''t this dungeon rarely gets explorers? Howe it suddenly became popr?" Vincent asked as he made a research about this dungeon before he decided toe here.


    "That''s true¡­ However, there is a recent gue in the southern area. I''m unsure about the severity of the situation but I heard that the 22nd and 24th Towers'' cities were affected."


    "gue? I''m not aware of that¡­ But, are you saying a cure can be found inside this dungeon?"


    "That''s correct¡­ There is a flower inside called Dispelling Death that was said to be capable of curing the affected. A single petal can cure one person."


    Vincent nodded after hearing this. He already knows about this flower.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this kind of flower can only be obtained after destroying a certain golem inside. Can it be obtained infinitely?" Vincent asked.


    "Well, there are three known caverns inside where you can get this opportunity. After the flower was taken, it can''t be harvested again after three weeks. However, if you sacrifice a couple of Magic Cores, the golem that will grant the Dispelling Death will emerge again¡­"


    "That''s possible?" Vincent was surprised as this seems like a system glitch.


    "Yes, Sir Vincent¡­"


    "That''s so mysterious¡­ and also expensive. Wait, is that really Magic Beast Core and not Savage Beasts? Did I hear it wrong?" Vincent asked in disbelief. He just slowly realized how messed up it was.


    He knows how difficult it is to find Magic Beast''s cores or Magic Nucleus after all!


    "It''s correct¡­ That''s why there are only three groups here¡­ All the other hunter groups couldn''t just waste their time waiting for the three weeks cooldown and left toplete different missions instead."


    Vincent nodded in understanding as doing nothing while waiting for the flower to be avable in three weeks is just too wasteful.


    As Vincent was thinking of what to do, he suddenly felt the fluctuation of a mysterious energy at the center of the camp and realized that someone wasing out of the dungeon!


    Soon, six figures wearingmon hunter clothes appeared from the gate made by a tree.


    That''s right, the entrance to the dungeon this time is a huge tree with a dark cave made of its trunk.


    ''Hmm? This is a familiar mana fluctuation¡­ Ahhh. I remember now¡­ Was it Azer? The future hero of mankind?''

 Chapter 267 Silent Creek

    Azer also recognized Vincent together with the other two beautiful servants following him. Although the previous veileddy and the middle-aged man was nowhere to be seen, Azer can still remember this group.


    However, what he didn''t expect is that Vincent is now wearing a Blue Emblem! He previously, thought that Vincent and his group were just normal wealthy travelers and nning to enjoy the tourist attractions within the city.


    "It''s you¡­ Hero Azer." Vincent called out to him as the man was stunned speechless.


    ''Pft..''


    His subordinates behind did their best to stop chuckling as they realized that Vincent is not aplete stranger at all.


    "Ehem¡­ So we meet again. Are you nning to harvest the Dispelling Death Flower as well?" Azer asked.


    "Well, we already harvested them. If you don''t have Magic Cores¡­ You have to wait for a while." Azer''s female subordinate who is wearing worn-out leather armor spoke.


    "It''s fine. We''re not here for the flower. In any case, is it true that the flower can cure the people affected by the gue?"


    "That''s correct. This is our second harvest since we''recking Magic Cores before. Right, I can see that you''re a Blue Emblem now, Sir. Do you know any Tier 5 Alchemist who specializes in healing medicine that could take a look at the situation within the 22nd and 24th Tower cities?"


    Azer suddenly asked which surprised Vincent.


    "Hmm? You''re telling me that there''s no Tier 5 Alchemist in those towers?" Vincent asked in shock.


    "Err¡­ Tier 5 Alchemists specializing in medicine weren''t easy to find, Sir. Even in the alchemist union, there is only a handful of them."


    Vincent finally realized how important his connection with Faviona¡­


    "I''ll consider it. By the way, you can just call me Vincent, Hero Azer. I''ll head inside now." Vincent said as he looked at Tadeus.


    "Thank you, Sir Vincent. I hope that we''ll meet again." Azer said as he left with his team.


    Their group wasn''t part of the ck Tower but they could enter the dungeon after making some payment aside from getting a clearance from the tower. Well, the clearance is the most important since the Tower needed to ensure that no criminals could enter and hide within the mysterious dungeons.


    Tadeus then guided Vincent and the other two to the tree gate as he informed Vincent what to expect inside.


    After a few moments, three figures vanished from the tree gate. Tadeus finally sighed in relief as he looked at his subordinates.


    "Guard the aircraft properly! Your yearly sry is not enough to cover a scratch on that!" Tadeus exaggerated but his men understood what he was trying to say as they immediately assigned someone to ensure the Vermillion Hawk''s safety.


    ***


    "How is it Tara, Rem?" Vincent asked after entering the dungeon.


    The dungeon this time is like a huge tunnel with brick walls and tall ceilings. They are currently standing on a huge tform surrounded byrge tree roots. The light inside ising from a luminescent stone that is sticking out of the walls and ceilings¡­


    It is quite a unique dungeon for Vincent.


    He then nced at the tform they were standing on.<sub> </sub>


    Just like what he expected, the bottom of the tform is somehow a source of water. From here, a silent stream of water was formed heading to the three different paths ahead.


    Well, this is the reason why this dungeon was called Silent Creek.


    "Hmm¡­ I can feel three sources of unique energy at the end of each path." Tara replied.


    Rem, on the other hand, needed some time before she spoke. "The left path has ice energy on it. I don''t think it''s the ce you''re looking for, Vincent."


    While Tara can sense all types of energies from a very wide range, Rem could sense the Ice Element as this is the element she had fully mastered.


    "That''s probably the oil¡­ Tara, which path has the strongest energy fluctuation?" Vincent asked.


    "Hmm¡­ That would be at the center. I can sense that there is still a group ahead though."


    "I see. In any case, they should only be focusing on harvesting those flowers. We''re not aiming for that."


    "Alright. I''ll lead the way." Tara said as they decided to take the middle path. Currently, Tara and Rem are wearing normal adventurer clothes instead of their dress. It is to make them appear like warriors or dungeon explorers serving him. This isn''t just because Vincent wanted to hide their beauty but another way to surprise their enemies.


    Furthermore, even if they both have Celestial Weapons and Armors, Vincent decided to provide them with decent weapons and leather armor toplete their disguise.


    ''I hope they won''t be arguing with us if we met them¡­'' Vincent thought as he followed Tara''s footsteps.


    Vincent didn''t just select this dungeon randomly. Aside from knowing that this ce shouldn''t be visited a lot, he also knows the three incredible items that can be harvested here if you''re lucky. Although there were asional Magic Artifacts found, only eight of them were recorded so finding artifacts here is close to impossible.


    Anyway, the Dispelling Death Flower, which only found its purpose now, is not included in those three.


    The first one is the Fine Burr that only Magic Craftsman can use. The other is the Cold Cryptic Oil which can be used in various things especially for maintaining steel weapons.


    Lastly, there is a mysterious item here called the River Dragon Scale!


    That''s right, it is a scale of a Mythical Beast!


    Many people assumed that there is a corpse of a River Dragon inside the dungeon but after several decades of explorations, no hidden path was found or any other signs of a River Dragon aside from its scale.


    In total, over a hundred River Dragon Scales the size of an adult''s palm, were found inside this dungeon during the past few decades. People then assumed that the scale was only brought here by someone and there really was no corpse inside. Or perhaps, the body has already turned into ashes leaving the scales washed away by the stream of water.


    With such information, Vincent couldn''t help but be curious and explore this ce. Especially after knowing that Tara has a unique ability that can help him during exploration, he knows that this exploration might bring him some surprise.


    Soon they arrived at the cavern where a group of seven people can be seen resting.


    The signs of battle can be seen around the ce as one of them was even grilling some meat.


    "Stop right there!"

 Chapter 268 Options

    Vincent sighed as he heard the voice of a man warning them.


    Though he expected this, he still felt a bit troubled as this group suddenly withdrew their weapons.


    He already assumed that this group just finished killing their targeted golem. They are just resting for a while before they would summon one again.


    Since the golem can only be summoned after sacrificing two Magic Beast Cores, they weren''t too worried about getting ambushed so their reactions were quite understandable.


    "We''re not here to hunt the golems. We don''t have Magic Beast Cores with us. We''re nning to head deep inside this path."


    Vincent immediately said.


    From the seven mana fluctuations he just felt, he was able to tell that there were four Master Magicians and three Magic Knights.


    The man who spoke is a Magic Knight and Vincent assumed that he was the leader of this group as well.


    "Hmm? You''re a member of the ck Tower? Blue Emblem?" The leader suddenly noticed Vincent''s clothing and emblem.


    Since his Tower Robe has a shade of maroon, this Magic Knight failed to quickly recognize Vincent''s identity.


    "That''s correct. I''m Vincent. I just recently received my status as a member with a Blue Emblem."


    The leader hesitated as he looked at his group. Just like what Vincent guessed, these people were only Hunters and weren''t members of the tower.


    Since they''re willing to spend so much for acquiring the flower, Vincent couldn''t help but wonder about the profit they''re making from selling these.


    "I''m sorry for my actions just now. Sir Vincent. I''m Laurin, I''m the leader of the Fatal Spirit Hunter Group. I would like to let you pass us but I can''t."


    Laurin said but his voice was calm this time. He even decided to just sheathe his sword showing his resolve not to fight.


    "Oh? You can''t let us pass? Can you tell me the reason?" Vincent didn''t get mad and calmly asked as he held Rem who was about to confront them.


    Although using force would make this a lot easier, Vincent felt that it would be too hasty considering their group intends to harvest a cure for the people affected by the gue.


    "It''s dangerous¡­ We don''t care if you die inside. However, if you wake up those crawling creatures ahead, we will be in danger as well."


    "Hmm? What kind of creature is ahead of us? I''ve seen the information about this dungeon and even the Commander outside told me that the strongest creature here is the armored Lycan. It''s not even a living one but something like a puppet. If you''re afraid of that, you don''t have to worry, I can deal with it."


    "Hmph! It may be the strongest creature in terms of strength but the most troublesome to deal with are those bugs¡­ Unlike the golems and the armored Lycan, those bugs can move from cavern to cavern."


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing this. So it was like that. He just ignored the information about the bugs but there is indeed a piece of information about it. However, those bugs can be easily dealt with by the fire. Although he can''t use Elemental Mana Art, he already prepared a Magic Tool that can create a trick simr to a methrower.<sub> </sub>


    "So those bugs can actually freely move around the dungeon? Anyway, I have a way to deal with them so don''t worry." Vincent said.


    However, Laurin was still not convinced as he continued to exin.


    "It''s not the simple, Sir Vincent. Those bugs have just eaten the Golem that we''ve killed. It means that for a while, they will be resistant to fire. However, it also means that they needed to sleep to digest that steel-like golem. If you bother the Lycan, they will wake up without fully digesting the golem¡­ It would be difficult to deal with them¡­"


    Vincent finally understood their concern. That was indeed a valid reason to stop his group. If a fire, which is known to be their weakness, is no longer usable against them, it would indeed be a disaster for them.


    "Tara, is there another way?" Vincent asked silently as they stood at the entrance of the cavern.


    "There is another secret passage behind that luminescent stone¡­" Tara softly replied copying Vincent.


    "Oh? A passage undiscovered all these years?!" Vincent was excited.


    Currently, this cavern only has five sources of light. Because of that, the ce wasn''t that brightpared to the other caverns. With that said, it was obvious that the people would make sure not to destroy them while searching for a secret passage.


    ''Now¡­ How do we open this secret tunnel with this group watching us.'' Vincent mused for a moment as he was unsure whether is fine to just let them know about their discovery of a secret passage.


    "Ehem¡­ How long will you guys be staying here?" Vincent asked after not getting anywhere.


    "We still have six cores with us¡­ We can still kill the golem three more times. We needed four hours of rest in every battle so it would take some time¡­ Well, each battle also takes about an hour to finish¡­"


    "That long?!" Vincent couldn''t believe that they have to take an hour to kill the golem! He wasn''t too surprised about the long rest since they needed time to recover their mana as well.


    ''But, why does it take so much time to kill the golem?'' Vincent was confused.


    Based on what he knows, it shouldn''t be that strong¡­ Vincent grumbled at this thought.


    Perhaps the information he has was already too old and the dungeon already evolved?


    ''Should I just help them?'' Vincent had this thought since there was no way he would wait for so long. He also does not wish to reveal the secret passage to them.


    "Hmph! An hour isn''t that long. Golems do not get tired unlike us. It also doesn''t feel pain. The only method to defeat them is to let them consume all the energy inside their core. Ugh, aren''t you aware of these basic things¡­ Sir?" Laurin exined treating Vincent like an idiot but still recalled to call him sir since he''s a Blue Emblem member.


    Vincent didn''t take offense to this as he announced his ns.


    "I''m nning to thoroughly explore this ce and I might wake up the bugs... Before you react, I''m telling you now that I can give you two options."


    Vincent took a deep breath as he wanted to ensure that they were listening. Noticing that they were silent and waiting, he continued¡­ "First, summon the golem now and I''ll kill it for you to make things faster. The second option is that I''ll force you to leave this cavern. In any case, there is still another ce here where you can hunt the golem."

 Chapter 269 Fatal Spirit Hunter Group

    Laurin and his team didn''t expect these sudden choicesid out to them. Although they felt contempt for Vincent for not knowing basic things within the dungeon, they also don''t want to fight him since he''s part of the ck Tower.


    Furthermore, he''s a Blue Emblem member! No matter what, this young man should be pretty strong to get such recognition. Lastly, the two female warriors on his side look quite threatening as well.


    "Are you bullying us because we''re only Hunters and did not sell our freedom to the ck Tower?" Laurin asks with a cold voice. He hates these kinds of young masters who only cares about their well-being.


    "Being part of the ck Tower is selling your freedom? I didn''t think of that¡­ Well, that''s not important¡­ I''m not looking down on you people. I''m just in a hurry¡­ So make a decision now." Vincent urged.


    Seeing that Vincent has a firm stance on this, Laurin looked at everyone in his group. They have already recovered quite a bit so even if Vincent wouldn''t be able to help them at all, they shouldn''t be helpless against the golem if they summoned one.


    "Since we''ve recovered about 80% of our strength, it should be fine¡­ Alright, since you said that you''ll kill the golem for us¡­ Do it then¡­" Laurin said as he nced at one of his subordinates.


    "Alright, Lew¡­ Sacrifice two of our cores again."


    "Yes, leader¡­" Lew, a man wielding a halberd,plied without question.


    He immediately pulled out two Magic Beast cores and inserted a bit of mana into them before throwing these two into a small mound of ck sand. This mound is at the center of the cavern and Vincent thought at first that it was the ashes of the golem or perhaps, the bugs they tried to kill.


    In the end, it is actually the altar where you can sacrifice the two Magic Beast cores.


    Vincent found this interesting as he waited for the golem toe up.


    He then gestured to Rem to make her move once it was summoned to make things faster. Although Vincent wanted to try fighting the golem as well, it will take quite some time as hecks the burst damage enough to destroy a moving lump of steel.


    Rem then walked forward as the golem was slowly summoned from the earth¡­


    It is such a mysterious event that could only happen in the Dungeon or at the very least when a Magician tried to recreate it.


    Crank¡­ Crank¡­ Crank¡­


    The sound of the golem''s joints being connected can be heard as it stood about four meters tall.


    It has a figure simr to an ape with arge hand and shorter legs. On its head is a glowing red stone that is either serving as its eye or core.


    "Hmph! Let''s see how you will deal with this." Laurin said as he ordered his group to stand guard.


    In case Vincent and his group failed to deal with the golem, they have to immediately get into formation and fight it with attrition.


    <o>,m Shiing~</o>


    Rem pulled out her sword seeing that the golem has been formed. This sword is not the Celestial Weapon that she always uses but a Pseudo-Legendary Broadsword that Vincent prepared for them.


    It''s not that he wanted to weaken them but because this broadsword has special attributes that can be very useful in certain situations than the destructive power of the Celestial Sword.


    [ Cobalt Broadsword ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 470/480


    Sharpness: 45<sub> </sub>


    Swiftness: 350


    Prate: 95


    Description: A broadsword forged by a Master cksmith. It is made of mystic cobalt and Skullbasher Boar bone dust.


    Remarks: Sharpness, Swiftness, and Prate attributes found. These attributes including durability will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    This light broadsword that Rem is using now ispletely different from the heavy celestial sword she previously had.


    Nevertheless, this change allowed her to form a new battle style!


    Whooshh~


    Rem vanished from her spot only leaving a trail of dust and a gush of wind.


    In a blink of an eye, she arrived in front of the four-meter-tall golem and jumped to its face! No one was able to react as she thrust her sword with swift movement!


    Crash!


    Just like that, Rem was able to destroy the red gem on its head! It happened so quickly that the golem was unable to even raise its guard or dodge from her!


    "So fast?" Laurin was shocked at first but he immediately calmed down and added.


    "Even if you''re fast, killing the golem is not that easy¡­ The gem will just reform. You have to drain its energy you¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, he saw something incredible¡­ From the golem''s head, a small frostbite urred as slowly spread to its head throughout its body!


    The golem can still be seen moving but as it continues to do so, the frost started gettingrger until it was turned into an ice sculpture!


    What a terrifying Elemental Mana Art!


    ''Is it a Tier 5 Mana Art?! No, that woman doesn''t seem to be a Grand Magus at all. What''s going on?'' Laurin and his team were shocked.


    To be honest, even Vincent didn''t expect that it would go this well too!


    Although he knows that Rem has an incredible mastery over the ice element, he hadn''t really seen much of it. Furthermore, based on her words, elemental tricks wouldn''t work against fellow Celestial Beings so she didn''t have that much chance of using them against stronger opponents.


    Well, the people she previously had to deal with can''t even force her to use the elemental art.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s a lot easier if I pour the ice energy from the inside, huh¡­" Rem muttered as she returned to Vincent''s side.


    Clink~


    At this moment, the ice sculpture suddenly cracks before shattering into many pieces!


    Crash~


    The golem has been defeated!


    Laurin and the others couldn''t believe it. However, seeing the flower emerge from the mound meant that it was really defeated as simple as that!

 Chapter 270 Secret Passage

    "What? How can a Magic Knight be this strong¡­" Laurin looked at Rem. It is a gaze filled with admiration as he saw her magnificent performance. As a Magic Knight himself, he knows how difficult it is to inject that much ice element into the steel golem.


    Furthermore, this ice element was so strong that it had frozen the golempletely and shattered it into thousands of pieces.


    "Leader, I think it''s about the blue sword she''s holding¡­"


    "That''s right, Laurin¡­ She only has a better weapon. It''s probably an Epic Weapon."


    "Epic? No, isn''t that a Cobalt Sword being sold at many weapon shops?"


    One of them suddenly noticed the familiar blue sword. The rest immediately took another nce and indeed, they found it simr!


    ''How can it be the brittle cobalt sword?''


    The cobalt sword isn''t really a good choice because it''s very light so it''s difficult during a sh of swords or when fighting against armored opponents. It also had a high chance of breaking when it shed against an Arcane Alloy that ismonly used to create swords and spears within the ck Tower''s territory.


    The ones who use these swords were mainly those with frail bodies but looking at Rem''s physique, she definitely isn''t one of those.


    "If it''s really the cobalt sword, then the golem wasn''t defeated by the weapon but it was done by this beautiful warrior¡­"


    Laurin sighed as he failed to realize the greatness of this woman.


    Seeing that Vincent have the strength to back up his words a while ago, he couldn''t help but be ashamed of his actions. He had underestimated them too much!


    "Ehem¡­ I apologize for the rudeness of my team. It''s because we''re already too tired after killing the golem three times today. We''re unable to properly think so I hope you can forgive us."


    Vincent raised his brows seeing how Laurin easily changed his tone after realizing his situation. Well, it''s a good thing that he knows how to adapt so he didn''t mind it. Anyway, he didn''t really want to waste his time educating them so showing them their strength is just the best thing he could think of.


    "I get it¡­ I get it. Just harvest the flower now and summon the next golem¡­ After you spent all of your cores, I want you all to leave this ce." Vincent ordered as urged them to start working.


    "Yes, Sir Vincent! We won''t ever forget this. Lew, carefully take the flower then start the summoning immediately¡­"


    Laurin ordered as his group immediately acted.


    The next event went smoothly as Rem killed two more golems using her frost technique¡­ She even decided to y with them a little bit since it was rare for her to find someone who won''t easily die after a simple frostbite.


    As Laurin''s group started packing up, Vincent called out for him.


    "Yes, Sir Vincent, is there anything I can help you with?"


    Her tone has already changed from an arrogant one to a respectful one.


    "Well, I just want to check the Dispelling Death flower¡­ Can I see one of them?" Vincent asked.


    Without hesitation, Laurin handed over a small pot where they transferred the flower. Well, they can''t just cut off the flower itself since it doesn''t have a long shelter life. Furthermore, they don''t have an interspatial ring like Vincent so they have no choice but to do this instead¡­


    Vincent smiled as he epted the pot.


    When his Appraisal Skill was only at the basic level, he couldn''t appraise living things like nts and animals. To appraise a part of a nt, he has to cut them off from its stem orpletely remove them from the ground.


    However, now that he has the Advanced Appraisal skill, he can do a simple appraisal of nts even when they were on the ground. It wouldn''t be detailed information but its name and a few words of description would be there.


    In this case, Vincent wasn''t sure whether he could appraise withplete information since it is still on a pot of dirt so he was a bit curious.<sub> </sub>


    Vincent triggered the skill.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ You have discovered a pot of Dispelling Death Flower ]


    [ Dispelling Death Flower ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Description: A mutated carnation flower that has a mysterious effect that can attract negative or death energy.


    Remarks: The flower''s effect can be strengthed in every enhancement. Direct consumption can cause death. ]


    "Hmm¡­ This is the first time I''ve seen this kind of flower¡­"


    Vincent muttered after reading the appraisal result. Although he''s young, he has worked as an appraiser for quite a while in huge organizations like the Guardian Auction House and the ck Tower''s Appraiser Hall.


    During this time, he had seen numerous alchemy ingredients.


    Most flowers that can be used for alchemy have attribute enhancement effects. However, this flower has a different effect which could absorb a certain type of energy like a Mana Art¡­


    "How are you using this to cure the people affected by the gue?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "We''re only selling them to the pharmacists, Sir Vincent. They have developed a way to make this into medicine. With its five petals, they can make five medicinal pills from it."


    "I see¡­" Vincent nodded as he handed over the pot.


    "We will leave now, Sir Vincent. Be careful inside¡­ Since the bugs just ate the golem, they gain its steel attribute and it would normallyst for six hours. Although you can probably defeat them with frost technique, their number is just incredible¡­ It''s probably hundreds of thousands. If you needed help in the future, my Fatal Spirit Hunting Group will be at your service."


    "I understand¡­ Thank you for reminding me." Vincent replied as watched them leave.


    As soon as Laurin''s group disappeared, Vincent couldn''t help but smile at himself.


    Well, because of his actions no one realized that he actually has terrible eyesight. He really acted like a normal person and he couldn''t help but be proud of it.


    "Ehem¡­ Tara, Rem¡­ What do you think? Should we visit the Armored Lycan for now or we just open the secret path?" Vincent asked as he surveyed the surroundings.


    Rem was the first one to answer after considering their options.


    "It''s a problem if the steel-like bugs can tear off my frost skill or if they have stronger burrowing skills. If that were the case, they will just pop off under our feet¡­ and I don''t like that."


    Vincent imagined this scenario and indeed, it was quite ufortable dealing with thousands of bugs. Though they can probably get away with their Celestial Armor, it wasn''t worth spending his energy just for that.


    Tara had the same opinion as shecks area or field magic to deal with thousands of bugs that could crawl out everywhere¡­


    "All right then, let''s crush that wall and reveal that secret passage¡­" Vincent said excitedly as he equipped his gauntlet preparing to make a hole in it.

 Chapter 271 Water

    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent took three punches to create a hole¡­ The luminescent stone somehow lost its glow after getting detached from the wall leaving only four glowing stones in the cavern.


    "Allow me¡­" Tara suddenly said seeing that Vincent is struggling.


    Well, he only made a small hole, and obviously, not enough for them to pass through.


    "A-alright¡­ I just want to try this gauntlet anyway¡­ I can make itrger if I use the cane." Vincent didn''t know but he felt that he needed to exin.


    "It''s okay¡­ Let me deal with it."


    With this said, Vincent moved back and allowed Tara to do it.


    Crash~


    Rubbles started falling as Tara controlled her Celestial Armor to only cover her hands as she wed through it.


    That''s right, to ensure that the tunnel won''t copse, she decided to be careful with it as she cleared the path ahead of them.


    Soon, a path wide enough for them to use has finally been revealed.


    The path ahead was quite dark but the three of them had no issues about it. Their concern is whether there were trapsid out ahead or perhaps creatures hiding¡­


    "It''s clear¡­ The tunnel should be quite safe. It seems that it''s connected to another cavern or room."


    "Can you tell what kind of ce it is?" Vincent asked Tara.


    However, she shook her head at this.


    "I can''t. It feels like another space. My senses are being blocked."


    "Hmm¡­ That''s good enough. It means that it''s a special ce. Let''s head inside¡­ Oh, do you think we should cover this secret passage?"


    Vincent asked for the two''s opinions. It''s not like he''s being petty but it''s because he could feel that the level of danger ahead is higher than the level of explorers going here.


    If the others decided to enter without enough preparation, they''ll just end their life.


    Although it shouldn''t be rted to him anymore, he just felt that being a good citizen from time to time might give him some sort of good karma in return.


    After considering their options, Vincent decided to just simply block the path with the rubbles. If the others decided to remove these stones and dirt, they could easily see the passage since there was no mana art or special technique involved.


    However, this is mainly to ensure that the bugs wouldn''t see the new path that has appeared within the dungeon and follow them inside.


    Plop~ Plop~ Plop~


    The sound of dripping water can be heard as they headed inside. They only walked for about 30 meters so they were quite confused.


    "Tara, Rem, I think there''s a pond ahead¡­"


    Vincent doesn''t have a bat-like ability or echolocation, however, he was able to tell the size of the pond from the dripping water. He doesn''t know how he did it as it just came to him. If he would make a guess, it seems to be rted to his improved senses after his eyes became blind.


    Nevertheless, what''s important is that this pond wasn''t here when they scanned the surroundings from the outside.


    Tara was seemingly surprised as well.


    "It''s too dark¡­ I can''t tell how deep it is."<sub> </sub>


    The only source of light that they have was Vincent''s Ring of Light. It is just an umon ring that has been enhanced and ascended to Epic +10.


    "Hmm¡­ Do you think there''s a creature underneath it?" Vincent asked.


    "It''s better to use our armor to survey¡­"


    "Oh~ Can you use it to dive underwater?¡ªAh, that''s a stupid question, you can probably use it even in space¡­ Alright¡­ Please check the pond ahead of us."


    Vincent immediately corrected himself as he allowed Tara and Rem to check how deep it is and what could possibly be hiding underneath.


    Of course, Vincent felt quite nervous at this since no matter how strong they are, this ce can still be full of surprises.


    Clink. Clink. Clink¡­


    Their protective suits activated as their bodies were covered by the alloy that seems to have its own life.


    While Tara has metallic silver and blue armor, Rem has this ck armor with an aesthetic design.


    Tara''s armor seems to be very fit for her but Rem, on the other hand, has an armor that is a bit bulkier.


    It''s certainly different from what Vincent saw before.


    ''Does the armor has different forms? Is it a perk for being a Celestial?'' Vincent mused as he saw the two diving in the pond.


    Since they disappeared, it shows how deep this pond was and Vincent couldn''t help but feel rmed after his connection to them was cut off! He can''t feel their presence at all!


    He waited for a while but since there are still some ripples on the surface of the pond, he knows that they should be fine somehow¡­


    It seems that this pond is actually very special.


    ''Can I appraise it?'' Vincent thought. Anyway, no one was stopping him so he knelt close to the pond and took a handful of water.


    Surprisingly, he was able to appraise it without any issues.


    [ You have discovered the River Dragon Saliva ]


    [  A small amount of River Dragon Saliva ]


    [ Quality: Mid-Grade


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Disruption: 2


    Description: An odorless liquid to many but incredibly foul to certain types of bugs and creatures. Consuming a small amount may not be important but consuming three vials of this liquid can cause Mana Disruption disabling any Mana Practitioner from connecting to their Mana Source for a long duration.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effects of the liquid. ]


    Vincent had a hurried breathing as he was shocked by this discovery.


    ''Saliva?! This pond is saliva!''


    He immediately tossed out the ''water'' in his hands as he pulled out a towel from his ring to wipe his hands. Luckily, the towel is quite special as well so Vincent was sure that even if it has a scent that he can''t smell, it should''ve disappeared by now.


    Then, a realization came to him¡­ It was quite weird that the saliva hasn''t gone dry yet¡­ Furthermore, why is iting from the stctite?!

 Chapter 272 Source

    Vincent took a deep breath.


    It''s a good thing that Tara and Rem wore their armor before diving into the pond of saliva¡­ They would probably be so disgusted if they learned the truth¡­


    At the very least, the liquid doesn''t seem to be harmful to them since it could only be used to disrupt the Mana Practitioner''s casting ability.


    For the Celestial Beings that don''t use Mana, they could just ignore itpletely.


    He then noticed that the quality is actually described as [ Mid-Grade ] instead of item ratings like Umon, Rare, Unique, or others. This shows that the liquid is considered by the system as a potion and not some sort of alchemy ingredient.


    Vincent couldn''t help but feel envy for this creature that is capable of creating an endless amount of potions!


    ''Is it still alive?'' Vincent mused as he nced at the leaking ''water'' from the stctite hanging just above the pond.


    He did his best to focus his senses on that spot but he can''t find anything unusual about it.


    Ssh~ Ssh~


    The two Celestials finally came out of the pond as Vincent noticed that they were bringing a bunch of stones.


    They weren''t at the end of the passage yet but they are already found something to loot. Vincent couldn''t help but feel excited about this.


    "What did you find out?" Vincent asked as he assisted them in getting out of the water.


    "There''s no creature underneath. However, we found a bunch of these unusual stones. We don''t know what it is but they seem special and you can probably appraise them to see if they have value." Rem exined.


    They were clearly aware of Vincent''s habits so they didn''t hesitate to take the bunch of stones they found underneath. Aside from unraveling the mysteries of the River Dragon Scale, they''re here to find any materials that could pique their interest.


    "Alright¡­ Let me see."


    Noticing their enthusiasm, Vincent used his towel to pick one of the stones. Well, he doesn''t know what kind of ck stone it is so this time, he decided to be careful.


    [ You have discovered an Energy Stone. ]


    [ Corrupted Energy Stone ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 10/10


    Corrupted Force: 30


    Description: A stone containing strong corrupted energy that can be used as an Energy Source or Corruption Source. The force contained can also attract a certain type of Magic Beasts.


    Remarks: Corrupted Force Attribute found. The existing attribute and durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    "How is it?" Rem asked after seeing Vincent frown.


    She knows that Vincent''s appraisal skill is very high level and he would just take his time whenever someone he didn''t trust was observing his appraisal.


    Right now, there were only three of them so Vincent should''ve finished appraising by now.


    Haa~<sub> </sub>


    Vincent sighed.


    "I''m not sure how to use it but it contains corrupted energy. It''s my first time seeing something like this I wonder---Ah! No, there is another one."


    Vincent suddenly recalled another item that has a corruption attribute!


    Tara and Rem looked at him with an amused smile as they remained silent.


    "Right, there is a Bloodstone that also has this kind of energy. There must be something about corruption energy that I''m not aware of¡­" Vincent couldn''t help but ponder over this situation.


    The single Enchanted Bloodstone can be traded for a personal flying aircraft. Is it rted to the Corruption ability that it has? Or does it have another purpose? Maybe it really is just food for the Magic Beasts?


    It feels like he''s solving a puzzle.


    Vincent knows that the Enchanted Bloodstone also attracts Magic Beasts simr to the effect of this corrupted energy stone.


    ''Ugh¡­ There''s no use thinking of this right now.''


    "Never mind that¡­ Let''s collect this water for now. Can you help me? I have a few empty bottles here." Vincent said as he pulled out a bunch of bottles made of ss.


    Unfortunately, he only has about 35 bottles prepared in his interspatial ring so he could not collect all the liquid in the pond.


    The two assisted Vincent without question as he collected the stones and ced them inside his ring. There are a total of 28 pieces of Corrupted Energy Stone and he may not have a use for them right now but he knows that this kind of unusual item has an important purpose.


    After they filled all the bottles, Vincent appraised them one by one to make sure that they are indeed saliva and stored them safely.


    He then pointed at the ceiling to get the two''s attention.


    "Ehem¡­ Do you think that the source of this liquid is that dripping water from that hanging icicle-shaped stone?" Vincent suddenly asked.


    Rem and Tara thought that they will already continue moving ahead but it seems that Vincent is still interested in this.


    Rem thought for a moment before she nodded.


    The creek is no longer reaching this passage so it should be safe to assume that the water just gathered here because of the dripping water on the ceiling.


    "I see¡­ The truth is that this pond is the odorless saliva of the River Dragon. I''m thinking whether the dragon is actually above us¡­"


    "What?" Rem and Tara asked at the same time after they heard Vincent''s revtion.


    They both looked at their hands that scooped the pond a while ago to fill several bottles. They couldn''t help but look at Vincent withplicated eyes.


    "Err¡­ Take this towel to wipe your hands. These towels are special and will make you feelfortable." Vincent could only give up his extra towels as he handed them to the two Celestial Beings.


    After a few moments, the two were ready to check the ceiling.


    "I can''t sense anything¡­ Do you want me to cut that stctite? It might be something special since it has been soaked with saliva for so long."


    Vincent liked this idea but he shook his head. If the saliva stopped dripping after it was cut, he wouldn''t like the feeling of removing the source of "life" from the pond.


    It might dry up and the next adventurers may no longer discover it.


    Furthermore, this is also the unwritten rule within the dungeon, do not remove the source of any valuable materials for the next explorers!

 Chapter 273 Krusk

    "If that''s the case, should we just leave it at that?" Rem asked as she looked at the indecisive Vincent.


    He was deep in his thoughts as he considers the best thing to do. Should they just leave as Rem suggested? He wasn''t sure.


    "Hmm¡­ Tara, can you find any other hidden passage?"


    Tara shook her head as if she was expecting this question.


    "I already checked a while ago. There is only a room or space ahead of us. Well, it could also mean that there might be a passage that I can''t detect."


    Vincent wryly smiled at this. If Tara can''t sense it, none of them could. So there was no point searching for another passage as he decided to just move forward.


    Anyway, the pond didn''t take all the space on their path as they easily passed through it. He believes that as long as they traverse this path, the secrets of this dungeon will be revealed to them.


    Thud¡­


    The group finally arrived at the huge and bright cavern.


    There were no other paths or exits as the tunnel they passed through seems to be the only link between this cavern to the rest of the dungeon.


    Nevertheless, that was not the important part, the most important thing is that a bright light ising from an acacia tree at the center of the cavern!


    Its leaves were glowing with white light! Tara and Rem smiled and enjoyed this scenery. After being through a long dark path, their eyes and senses can finally rx for a bit.


    Even if Vincent has a luminescent ring with him, it doesn''t really cover a lot of space so they have to extend or spread their senses all the time.


    "Be careful¡­ I can feel an unusual energy fluctuation within the branches of the tree¡­ Something must be hiding or living on top of it." Tara suddenly reminded as Vincent warily held his weapon.


    "Yes¡­ There is also something that''s suppressing my senses¡­" Rem added.


    It wouldn''t be surprising if a battle broke out right now so it''s better to remain vignt.


    In the first ce, it''s already quite weird that everything has gone so smoothly. Although they used a secret passage, he was still expecting some sort of trap but none of them were triggered.


    Was it because the "final boss" is very strong and doesn''t need it?


    Bam!


    Suddenly a small figure fell down the tree as Vincent and the other two moved in unison.


    Vincent backed away to gain distance while Rem and Tara rushed forward from both sides¡­


    "W-wait! Stop!"


    Suddenly, they heard the figure cry¡­


    They thought that it was about to attack but it seems it wants tomunicate with them! This is quite surprising since finding intelligent species inside a dungeon is extremely rare.


    "Hmm? You''re not human¡­ What are you?" Vincent was surprised as he signaled for Rem and Tara to halt.


    The being that just came out was quite small like an 8-year-old kid. But even though it has a humanoid figure, it appears more like a lizardman!


    It has lizard scales on its body except for its face, palms, and some other parts¡­


    After listing this in his mind, something immediately came to his mind.


    ''Demihuman?!''


    Vincent felt nervous after reaching this conclusion. As far as he knows Demihumans have the characteristics of humans and animals. In addition, they are the enemies of the Celestials!<sub> </sub>


    The creature in front of him can''t be a savage beast since they weren''t sentient enough tomunicate with humans. As for the Magic Beasts, although they can still somehowmunicate, their evolution wouldn''t include having the appearance of humans.


    The one in front of them is certainly a human-like creature!


    "I''m Krusk!" The lizardman said as he warily looked at Vincent''s group.


    His answer didn''t really help Vincent determine what kind of creature it is so he added.


    "What are you doing here, Krusk? Do you have other friends or family in here?" Vincent asked dispelling his killing intent while remaining vignt.


    "Hmm? I''ve been living alone here ever since I woke up¡­"


    "Then how did you get your name?"


    "Memories¡­ I inherited some memories from my parents who left me here to go to the outside world." Krusk answered without hesitation.


    Vincent wasn''t too sure how to proceed with this. It feels like it is much better if it just started attacking them so they could easily suppress it.


    However, since it''smunicating calmly and not showing hostility, Vincent felt he would be some kind of a thug if he just started beating him.


    "Rem, Tara¡­ Be cautious, it might be trying to divert our attention." Vincent softly said as he felt something wrong with this situation.


    He might be overthinking but it''s certainly better to be more cautious.


    "Really? Alright¡­" Rem didn''t think that they were in any sort of danger but she still agreed while Tara just nodded silently.


    ''First, we need to gather more information about this ce. His identityes next and--''


    Before Vincent could ask again, Krusk spoke softly while getting closer to the glowing acacia tree.


    "Who are you? Are you here to destroy this tree?" Krusk asked.


    Indeed, before asking this lizardman a question, they must introduce themselves first.


    Vincent smiled as he introduced himself and the two Celestial Beings. Krusk didn''t seem to be wary of them after the introduction as he started talking calmly.


    "Vincent¡­ Rem¡­ Tara¡­ I got it."


    "We''re not here to destroy the tree. Rather, we want to know what it does¡­ Why do you think we would destroy it?"


    "Well, I really don''t know¡­ I just know that anyone whoes here would want to cut off this tree."


    "Then, are you its guardian?"


    "Guardian? No¡­ I don''t know how to fight. I''m just here since this tree can feed me."


    "Feed you?"


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent sighed as this lizard wouldn''t really tell him anything without him asking the right questions. It seems like this will take longer. At the very least, they were pretty much sure that there is no hidden danger here and they could safely converse with the young lizardman.


    Tara has already concluded that although the tree suppresses their senses a bit, it was only because it''s emitting mana fluctuations that disrupt their senses but not their awareness. It wasn''t trying to harm them.


    With that said, Vincent started his interrogation with the young lizardman to find out the secrets of this dungeon.

 Chapter 274 Goal

    Krusk was so cooperative while he was being questioned and Vincent couldn''t help but be suspicious about it.


    It could be because he''s just innocent and honest or he was just trying to loosen their guard against him.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was finally able to understand what was going on. Apparently, after Krusk woke up and got out of its shell, he was already alone and has been living in this cavern for quite a while.


    He doesn''t know how long had passed but he had basically grown up in this cavern alone.


    He feeds himself by eating the fruits that this tree would bore from time to time.


    Furthermore, Vincent learned that his group wasn''t the first visitor who reached this ce. There seems to be another humanoid creature here that warned him about humans who might cut down this tree.


    Based on his description, Vincent guessed that it could be the humanoid River Dragon! This creature seems to be very injured and has been recuperating somewhere in the dungeon for a very long time!


    ''River Dragon¡­ It''s definitely one of those Mythical Beasts¡­ If this information gets out, I''m sure that there would be numerous magicians that will explore this dungeon and hunt it down.''


    Vincent sighed as he felt that this exploration is really going well.


    Anyway, Krusk also added that he was able to observe a few ces within the dungeon once he connected his mind to this tree¡­


    This is another reason why he doesn''t want this tree to be cut down!


    It seems that it is his entertainment to watch the adventurers explore the other parts of this dungeon as they fought against creatures and loot any materials they could find.


    ''This is like the control room of the dungeon? The dungeon''s core?'' Vincent mused.


    The only thing he was curious about now is the glowing tree. He wanted to know what fruit it could give them or at least get a few leaves from it to be appraised.


    "There''s no dry leaves on the ground¡­" Vincent muttered and Krusk heard it.


    "Hmm? They turn into ashes before they reach the ground¡­"


    "I see¡­ Anyway, Lizardman¡ªI mean, Krusk, can you stop us if we wanted to cut this tree?" Vincent''s question was so abrupt that the young lizardman was stunned.


    After a few moments, Krusk shook his head.


    "I''m not strong¡­ I can''t even destroy that rock¡­ My scales just fell off."


    "Hmm? Your scales fell off?" Vincent''s attention was shifted as he added, "Can I have one of your scales? In exchange, I''ll give you some tasty food. I''m sure you''re bored at the taste of the same fruit every time¡­"


    "No way! I won''t get tired of its fruits. They''re really good. Anyway, I don''t really care much about my scales so just take it, I don''t need your food. I collected a bunch of them take as much as you want but don''t destroy this tree."


    "Alright¡­ I promise. I won''t cut it down." Vincent said. Since the tree is rted to the dungeon, he felt that destroying it might affect the dungeon itself and it might even copse.


    Based on what he heard from his grandfather, it''s possible to destroy a dungeon and it actually happened in the dungeon where Tara''s Sleeping Chamber was previously located.


    With that said, Vincent asked Rem to take a few of the scales that Krusk gathered. From its size, it''s definitely not the River Dragon scales that were being found here. It was just too small.


    However, as soon as Vincent appraised the scales, he was frozen.


    [ Appraisal Sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered the Scale of a Young River Dragon. ]


    [ Damaged Young River Dragon''s Scale ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 18/95<sub> </sub>


    Magic Resistance: 30


    Blunt Weapon Resistance: 10


    Description: A badly damaged scale from a young river dragon. The condition of scales stops it from being a decent item to craft a weapon or armor.


    Remarks: Special Resistance Attributes found. Durability and its attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    Vincent did his best to calm down after getting the result of his appraisal.


    Tara and Rem noticed his reaction and they were curious.


    "It''s not a lizardman¡­ Maybe that''s the offspring of the River Dragon that has previously appeared here." Vincent was excited.


    If he could just appraise this humanoid river dragon, he would''ve probably done it by now.


    "Are you not aware of what species you are? Is it not in your inherited memories?" Vincent asked.


    "Hmm? No. I can''t recall. The memories I inherited don''t even show me the images of my parents.  But at least, I know that I''m different from the humans that have been exploring this dungeon."


    "Is there anything more you can recall regarding your inherited memories? I willpensate you¡­"


    "I have a few more. But if I answer you, can you leave this ce?"


    Krusk finally negotiated with them.


    "I can''t... I still want to get a sample of the leaves from this glowing tree¡­"


    "You can''t take them. They will turn into ashes in a few seconds after being cut."


    "It''s fine¡­ I should have enough time to check it."


    With that said, Vincent stepped forward as he was nning to take a leaf or two. Krusk wanted to stop him but after looking at the two Celestial Beings holding their weapons, he decided to back off and allow Vincent to take it.


    It seems that he really has nobat abilities or he''s aware that he can''t win against their group.


    ck¡­


    Vincent jumped to get a few leaves.


    After forcefully grabbing a few of them, he immediately appraised the ones that were left in his hands. He also noticed that the glowing light on them was already dying at this brief moment.


    [ You have discovered the leaves of the Tree of Faith. ]


    [ Failed to further appraise the item. ]


    [ Increase the level of appraisal skill to find out more. ]


    Vincent wryly smiled at this as the leaves turned into ashes.


    ''It''s been a while since I failed to appraise something¡­'' He wasn''t disappointed at all since this only meant that this tree is something very valuable.


    He then looked at the glowing tree with even more curiosity before he shifted his gaze back at Krusk¡­


    "Alright, we will leave this ce after you tell me what other important memories did you inherit."


    Krusk paused for a moment as gathered his thoughts. After taking a deep breath, the young River Dragon replied.


    "When I grow up and got stronger¡­ I must kill the Overseer¡­"

 Chapter 275 Beacon Magic Shop

    "Manager Yulia, There''s another order for the Seamless Kitchen Knife¡­ It should be the 200th order."


    Calidia, the acting leader of the Followers of Qheglena, reported to Yulia who was training Lar and his team.


    "Two hundred? Ugh¡­ Sir Vincent should be passing down his technique already. It''s too difficult if he''s the only one who can produce this¡­ Anyway, do we still have stocks?" Yulia asked as she wiped the sweat on her forehead.


    They are no longer strangers but she''s still wearing her white veil. It is simply because of her Darkness Mystic Eye that can be very sensitive to the sunlight.


    Now that she''s cultivating it to the next level, it started bing more sensitive and she''s expecting it to be like this until shepleted the third level of her Mystic Eye.


    "We only have sixty pieces left. However, we have ten boxes of these knives that Sir Vincent hasn''t modified yet."


    "I see¡­ It should be fine. Vincent should be returning tonight or tomorrow. Just empty our current stocks first. Complete the orders of those important clients. If they weren''t important, just dy their orders."


    "Yes, Manager¡­"


    Calidia answered with a helpless smile. She wanted toplete the orders of those who ordered first but since it was Yulia''s orders, she can only follow her. In any case, she really has a point as it could make their rtionship with the important clients better.


    Those unlucky can only me themselves for not being important or not having backers.


    Thanks to Vincent''s title as the Tower Lord''s disciple, their Beacon Magic Shop became popr as many people woulde and check the items they were selling.


    Seeing the huge influx of people, they decided to take this opportunity to promote other products and earn more money.


    Although Vincent still has the crates of Mana Crystals he found in the first dungeon he explored, there were only three of them left.


    With this in consideration, Vincent ordered his ''servants'' to gathermon items for him to enhance. After a few changes in carvings and putting their Beacon Magic Shop logo, it will be their new item.


    Thanks to that, they have new items in their store.


    Since the knife was just turned from a Common Rank to a Rare Rank, it is only worth 500 gold coins. It is very cheap but since only a few people use this kind of knife, it''s not their best seller.


    Apparently, their shop''s most popr item is their Magician Robe!


    None of the Followers of Qheglena has smithing skills yet but at the very least, some of them have decent tailoring skills.


    They just need to buy some exceptional fabrics like cotton, leather, linen, or satin, and they would have different kinds of magician robes!


    In a single day, Vincent can enhance and ascend hundreds of them if he wanted to!


    Not only will he get experience in both skills, but he could also earn a lot of money from this.


    Currently, they have plenty of Magician Robes in their warehouse so Calidia wasn''t about not getting enough supplies in the meantime.


    "Miss¡ªUhmm¡­ Manager Yulia! Someone is looking for Sir Vincent! They''re inside the store¡­"


    Caesus corrected himself as he came running with a report. Calidia and Yulia who heard this frowned at the same time. This is not a new thing. There have been many people who wanted to see Vincent. They either want to propose a business or just establish a connection since his identity is very important.<sub> </sub>


    Apparently, bing the disciple of the Tower Lord gives you a higher chance of bing a Tower Master or even the Tower Lord itself! Although Vincent isn''t the first disciple, his status is still more


    Of course, Vincent would rarely meet anyone unless they have a status that he would have difficulty rejecting.


    "Did you mention that he''s not here?"


    "Yes¡­ However, he''s really adamant to see the boss. We tried chasing him out but he also has a Blue Emblem like Sir Vincent. He also mentioned that he''s a disciple of a powerful Archon. I''m not sure what to do." Caesus exined with a helpless look on his face.


    To be honest, he can also tell that even if they use force to send them away, his group might not even win against this customer so he decided to just call for the Manager.


    In any case, Yulia is still considered to be the security manager of the residence and the store.


    "Wear your uniforms quickly. Come with us." Yulia said to Lar''s team as they immediately understood what they were about to do.


    "Yes, Ma''am!"


    Since the five of them were the only ones withbat skills and learned offensive Mana Arts and Martial Arts, they certainly are considered the elite guards of this residence.


    ***


    At the Beacon Magic Shop¡­


    ng~ ng~ ng~


    The bell chimed as the door opened. The employee and the difficult customer looked at the door behind the counter.


    Yulia''s group has finally arrived at the store bringing Lar and his team who are all wearing their +9 shiny armor.


    With the veiled whitedy at their center, the customer who was previouslyining couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Although he can''t see Yulia''s face, her figure and demeanor allowed him to imagine a peerless beauty behind her white veil.


    He can also feel that dangerous aura emitting from the five shiny guards!


    The man previously thought that he only has to worry about Vincent but he didn''t expect that the blind man has actually hired some strong warriors.


    As for the veileddy, he has no idea who she was!


    "Ehem¡­ Who are you? Why haven''t you brought Vincent yet!" He immediatelyposed himself after being stunned for a moment.


    He can''t lose his momentum now.


    Since he''s a Blue Emblem member, he should be simr to Vincent in terms of status as a Magician!


    "I''m Yulia, the manager of this store¡­ Vincent has allowed me to deal with this matter on his behalf. Introduce yourself." Yulia said as she secretly activated her Darkness Mystic Eye.

 Chapter 276 Challenge

    The hidden eyes behind Yulia''s veil slowly turned ck as she activated the third level of her Mystic Eyes'' ability. It wasn''t a perfected version but she can already use it to some degree.


    ''Delude¡­''


    This ability isn''t simr to any of Vincent''s mind attacks. Instead, it is the improved version of her Mystic Eyes'' first level called Control.


    While the ''Control'' is an ability that allows her to summon darkness energy to control the movement of her target externally, the ''Delude'', on the other hand, works internally as it allows her to deceive the mind of her target and make them vulnerable.


    In short, it will subtly make them trust Yulia with all their heart! It ispletely different from the ''Nightmare'' or the second level of her Mystic Eyes ability.


    "I''m Karsten! I''m here to see who defeated my precious sister! After she returned from thepetition, she entered her third seclusion and has been trying to practice a very dangerous Tier 4 Mana Art! Aside from Vincent who made her do this, is there anyone else I should me?!"


    Karsten became surprisingly honest as Rufia, who is managing the counter, looked at him with a strange gaze. It was such a petty reason after all.


    Furthermore, before Yulia arrived, this person said that he has important business with Vincent regarding the Assembly of the Blue Emblems.


    In the end, it wasn''t the truth¡­


    Karsten, who just blurted out his inner thoughts couldn''t help but be terrified at the whitedy in front of him!


    He definitely wouldn''t say this secret voluntarily! It was as if he was charmed by this woman!


    "Y-you¡­" He couldn''t really say anything about her method as there was no evidence of what she did.


    "Customer Karsten, if you have any disputes or issues with Sir Vincent, you can send an official letter or issue a challenge to him. He wouldn''t refuse it as long as the one challenging him is not an Archmage or Grand Knight."


    Yulia said with a smile.


    "Is that true?! Can I really challenge him?"


    "Of course. If all you want to see is his strength, there shouldn''t be a problem. However, since he''s a very busy person, he mentioned that a wager is necessary to not waste both of your time."


    Yulia exined. Vincent had truly instructed her to do this.


    After all, he had already expected that his duel against Magnus wouldn''t be thest. As a disciple, he was already warned by Tower Lord Ignacy that many people would covet his status.


    If Vincent was defeated by someone at the same level of his cultivation or even lower, although Ignacy didn''t like it, he might be forced to consider epting that person as his disciple as well.


    After all, he didn''t like the fact that someone would brag that they have defeated the personal disciple of the Tower Lord.


    With this mindset, it was no wonder why the Tower Lord wasn''t stingy to his disciples at all.


    Of course, this also shows how strong the other disciples are.


    Since Vincent is only the seventh disciple, it means the other disciples weren''t weak at all.<sub> </sub>


    "Ehem¡­ I will issue a challenge to Vincent then. As for the wager, how about you? I mean, if I beat him, you will serve me from now on. No---I will hire you as the manager of my store instead." Karsten corrected himself as he did his best to hide his inner desire before he continued.


    "This is such a small shop and I''m sure that you''re not satisfied with this. My shop has five floors and sells numerous Magic Tools! We''re earning millions of gold coins every month¡­ Your sry there will certainly be triple or maybe even ten times than your sry here!"


    His confidence astounded everyone.


    Lar even wanted to smack his face but did his best to control himself.


    Although Lar has learned powerful Mana Arts, the martial arts and techniques that their group has learned were meant to deal with people like him in a closebat battle! He wasn''t afraid to face him in battle.


    Furthermore, they were confident that with the armor bestowed to them by Vincent, they could defend against two or three of his attacks until they get closer.


    "Is that so? What would happen if you lose?" Yulia didn''t get mad after hearing this wager as she decided to get more from this person.


    "I will¡ª"


    This time, Yulia''s Delude finally stopped working as Karsten realized that he has gotten himself in huge trouble.


    However, his pride didn''t allow him to back out on this as he decided to be a man of his word.


    "I will give up my precious sword in exchange! This is a Pseudo-Legendary Sword I obtained when I defeated the Sword Demon of the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Hmm? So I assume that you only see my worth as a single sword?" Yulia asked.


    "I¡­ Well, of course not!"


    ''It''s not like you will sell your body¡­ You will only work in my store¡­'' Karsten wanted to add this but he knows deep inside that it wasn''t his only n for her.


    He thought for a moment about what more could he offer before finally deciding to wager another thing.


    "I''m willing to give up my chance to enter the 15th Tower''s Immortal Project! You have to know that even if Vincent is a disciple of the Tower Lord, he could never get this chance since this has already been decided five years ago. Someone must give up their chance in order to join this project." Karsten said filled with confidence.


    "Hmm? What''s with this project?" Yulia curiously asked as Rufia, Lar, and the others suddenly felt nervous as memories of their captivity started to resurface in their minds.


    "This project might allow him to get a cure for his blindness. I can''t tell you much but it''s a project that only the best Magicians, Alchemists, Researchers, and Craftsmen of the ck Tower have ever created!"


    Yulia was obviously interested and surely, Vincent wouldn''t pass this opportunity as well. After all, this might be their chance to truly understand the inhumane projects within the 15th tower!


    Furthermore, this could help them from ending the Tower''s chase of the Followers of Qheglena¡­


    "Very well¡­ We will ept it. Once Vincent returned, I will inform him about this challenge."

 Chapter 277 Visitor

    Thanks to Yulia for handling this difficult person, the store has finally returned to its usual state.


    After Karsten left his contact information, the customers starteding back as they started checking the inexpensive Magician Robes that they were selling.


    Most of their customers were people who couldn''t afford the overpriced robes beings sold in other stores. They weren''t rich people but because there were a lot of them, their shop could easily earn a lot of money.


    Not only quality is guaranteed in their shop, but its appearance also suited their taste.


    Since there are so many designs avable, they could choose whatever robe they wanted that could provide them with magical and physical defense.


    Although all the robes don''t have Item Skills, they still possess high attributes befitting their rank as Rare, Unique, or even Epic Rank.


    "Alright¡­ Rufia and Hirtia, I will leave the rest to you. Lar, stay here in the shop to add on our security a bit."


    Yulia gave instructions and they immediately followed her without question.


    Although crimes rarely happen around here, it doesn''t mean that they wouldn''t happen at all so they have to show their strength from time to time.


    After arranging the matters within the shop, Yulia decided to leave to look for Severin.


    ***


    "Manager, about the 15th Tower''s Immortal Project¡­ Do you think it''s rted to the Celestial Incarnation Project?" Caesus asked as their group is currently at the pavilion in the garden.


    Severin, Yulia, Calidia, Caesus, Vel, and Yasin are currently having a simple meeting regarding the matters they heard from Karsten.


    "I''m not sure¡­ But it shouldn''t be a coincidence that it''s all happening in the 15th Tower. Perhaps they already gained the result they wanted in the Incarnation Project and have now developed the Immortal Project?" Yulia muttered as she looked at Yasin.


    "Hunter Yasin, what do you think? Do you have any information about this?" She asked.


    However, even Yasin, their informant in the outside world, shook his head. He has no prior knowledge about the Immortal Project.


    "I already sent a few people to investigate this Immortal Project. We should get a result in a couple of days." Yasin replied.


    This time, Severin spoke.


    "Calidia, Caesus, Vel¡­ I''d like to know what you think¡­ Is it really possible to be immortal? Is that the reason why you''ve undergone those surgeries? I''m sure you''ve been curious about why you guys have been subjected to such experiments." Severin asked.


    Surprisingly, Calidia didn''t deny this as she exined.


    "The experiments in our body are indeed unusual. Once our bodies didn''t reject the imnted parts of the Celestials, we will be considered sessful experiments and our blood will be taken for further studies. If they happen to create a breakthrough from that, then I wouldn''t be surprised. They are a bunch of insane magicians¡­"


    "I hope they didn''t capture more Celestial Beings for this project¡­ They''re too cruel." Vel could only say as he took a deep breath.


    Yulia listened silently as she will have to report all of this to Vincent once he returned.


    <o>,m Since everyone has been informed about the Immortal Project, she was nning to end their meeting but she noticed that Severin is holding something.<sub> </sub></o>


    "Sir Severin, I wonder if you have something for us today¡­" Yulia said as everyone''s attention shifted to the Poison Expert.


    "Hmm?"


    Severin jolted before he broke into a smile.


    "Well, our recent experiments bore fruit¡­" The man said with enthusiasm as he showed a small bottle containing three green pills.


    Recently, Severin''s alchemy team has been busy doing various experiments to create an original, or at the very least, unique pill or potion that can only be purchased in their store.


    Currently, he has two helpers who have incredible talent in alchemy.


    They were Rudy and Boeres. The former has the Precision Mystic Eyes while thetter has the Rippling Mystic Hands. Of all the members of the Qheglena''s Followers, these two are the ones who only have talent in alchemy.


    Severin can even tell that they could easily exceed him in this path as he mainly focuses on poisons instead of medicines.


    Anyway, the green pills that he created caught everyone''s attention.


    "What pill is this, Sir Severin?" Yasin asked with interest. As a member of the Hunter Organization, he would always look for various pills and potions that could help in his missions.


    Severin smiled as he naturally exined what the pill does.


    "This is something that Sir Vincent requested us to make, a top-grade Mana Gathering Pill. Just by consuming this pill, a huge amount of mana will flow in your core¡­ After that, the surrounding mana will naturally be attracted for 10 to 15 mins as it can either help you during your battle or during  Mana cultivation."


    "A top-grade pill? Incredible¡­ Did you have someone appraise it already?"


    "Yes¡­ It''s a Tier 3 Pill but it seems to be reaching the level of a Tier 4 Pill¡­ Well, it''s all thanks to the enhanced ingredients provided by Sir Vincent"


    Severin exined.


    It seems that their Beacon Magic Shop would have another item on its shelves.


    "Right¡­ I cannot sell this yet. Sir Vincent mentioned that it will be given to all of us once he modified it a bit. We''ll only be selling them once we have plenty of supplies of unmodified version¡­" He added. It will probably take a while.


    Hearing that Vincent would modify this Tier 3 Pill, everyone couldn''t help but smile as they know what this means. It wouldn''t be surprising if this pill reaches the limit of the Tier 4 Pill after Vincent''s enhancements or modification!


    No one was doubting about that as they know what Vincent was capable of. Everyone felt excited about this.


    Most Mana Gathering Pills they can purchase were only Tier 1. It''s simply because those alchemists who were capable of making Tier 2 or Tier 3 Pills already have contracts with some organizations and all their top-grade pills and potions have to be sent to them.


    With the appearance of this pill, they were sure that the market will be broken again.


    After the meeting was finished, Yulia and the others were nning to resume their work but they suddenly heard the sound of an aircraftnding on their front court.


    Yulia and Severin looked at each other as they hastily went to wee Vincent.

 Chapter 278 Avian Lion

    "Eh?"


    As they thought that the Vermillion Hawk has finally returned, they saw a different aircraftnding at their front court.


    Surprisingly, their defense formation didn''t activate at all!


    Yulia immediately looked at Vel who was supposedly controlling the defensive formation art only to see that he was marveling at the sight of the expensive and luxurious-looking aircraft.


    He didn''t seem rmed as he appear to be expecting this aircraft to arrive.


    Thud!


    The aircraftnded sessfully. Unlike the Vermillion Hawk which truly looks like a bird with its wings, this vessel in front of them appears like arge flying boat instead. There is even a golden head of a lion at the bow of this airship.


    Whoosh~


    With a puff of air, the aircraft''s engine turned off as the door of the ship opened.


    "Vel, Yasin¡­ What''s going on?" Yulia asked after noticing that the two were quite excited.


    Yasin then replied with a grin. "That''s something that Sir Vincent won from a bet. It happened during thepetition and I was tasked by Sir Vincent to coordinate with that loser about this airship."


    "Loser, huh¡­ I bet that person is really rich. They can give an aircraft for losing a bet? Just how did Vincent find someone he could swindle?" Yulia couldn''t believe that they have another aircraft in their yard.


    Although she had mostly stayed within the Ster Residence, she''s still aware of how rare can these ships be considering personal aircraft was only recently promoted by the manufacturers of these vessels.


    nk~


    Soon an old man came out of the airship and stepped down to meet their group. He seemed to be a steward working for Alexander.


    He nodded at Yasin whom he already knows before looking at the white veileddy.


    "You must be Manager Yulia and this is Steward Severin, I presume. I''m Seth, just a servant of Young Master Alexander. I''m here to present to you the airship that my young master promised to Sir Vincent."


    Old Seth was then invited inside the residence as Yulia wanted to know more about this aircraft. Apparently, piloting this thing is quite harder than Vermillion Hawk. Seth has to deliver it to them and teach them how to use it.


    Because of this, Yulia couldn''t help but have a good impression of this Alexander who made sure that they can use the aircraft that he had given them.


    It only took them four hours to learn how to fly this thing up. However, unlike Vermillion Hawk which has a Core Crystal that only needed to be sustained by mana to function, this Avian Lion needed someone who knows how to operate a Formation Core. This core isn''t just the power supply of the airship but also the control system!


    The Avian Lion requires numerousmands to make it fly. So if you''re a beginner, it is suggested to have two pilots operate it.


    Fortunately, everyone in Yulia''s group had decent skills. Although some of them weren''t skilled in Formation Arts, they have talents that allowed them to learn it on the spot.<sub> </sub>


    In the first ce, they wouldn''t be selected for the Celestial Incarnation Project if they weren''t skilled. As for Severin and Yulia, they certainly have a lot more experience dealing with Formation Arts so it only took them a couple of hours.


    Old Seth then left bringing a few items from the Beacon Magic Shop gifted by Yulia. They were Magician Robes, Seamless Kitchen Knives, and Tudor Tea that are being sold at the store.


    ***


    Three days quickly passed after the Avian Lion was delivered. Currently, Yulia and the others felt a bit worried for Vincent. The young man said he wouldn''t be out for long but a total of six days had already passed since Vincent left with the two Celestial Beings.


    They were thinking about whether Vincent met trouble during his dungeon exploration.


    Luckily, their worry was for naught as the Vermillion Hawk finally appeared above the Ste Residence.


    Since the Avian Lion was parked at the Front Court.


    They had tond the Vermillion Hawk at the space outside their estate.


    It was obviously not covered by their defensive formation but he had no other choice at the moment.


    "Should I consider moving to arger estate?" Vincent mused as he observed the Ster Residence with his Soul Sense.


    Although he can still use the ck Tower''s dockyard for his aircraft, it seems much better if they could be ced in his estate instead in case there is some emergency.


    As soon as theynded, Vincent immediately scanned the new aircraft that is currently on his front court.


    It appears to have an old design of the airship but it is certainly made of the best materials. If his Vermillion Hawk isn''t enhanced by his system, it would probably be more valuable.


    Vincent already knows that this is the aircraft that Alexander arranged for him. He was already notified about its appearance in the letter given to him so he wasn''t too surprised.


    Soon, Yulia and the others arrived at the front court as they weed Vincent, Tara, and Rem who seem to be exhausted in their journey¡­


    "Eh? Who is that kid?"


    Yulia noticed that a fully cloaked kid was following behind the three. No one can tell how the kid looks because of the effect of the cloak he was wearing. Obviously, it is enhanced by Vincent to make him unrecognizable.


    Any probing using Mana Sense or Soul Sense was also being blocked by this cloak so none of them could tell who that kid was.


    "Oh¡­ He''s a friend we''ve made when we''re traveling. It''s a long story. For now, we needed a bit of rest since we''re quite tired." Vincent answered with a tired voice.


    Their dungeon exploration actuallysted for two more days because of some unexpected event. Nevertheless, this allowed them to befriend Krusk and he even got him to join them.


    Vincent may not have the n to recruit a young Mythical Beast but this is certainly in his favor after learning the secret of this''s Overseer.

 Chapter 279 Another Grind

    A day had passed after their return. Vincent is now meeting with Yulia and Severin who had just reported about Karsten''s challenge to him.


    "An ess to the 15th Tower''s Immortal Challenge¡­ That''s certainly enticing. It''s a good thing that you''re confident in mybat skills, Yulia." Vincent replied with a smile. After all, if he loses the match, it wasn''t him who will bear the consequences but her.


    He finds it quite amusing.


    "Haha¡­ It just shows how I trust your unique fighting style. Well, I''m pretty sure that even if you''repletely blind, you can beat that arrogant man. I already had Yasin investigate him so I''m even more confident now."


    "Oh? What''s the result of the investigation?"


    "Although he reached the level of an Adept Mage, he has done it with the help of numerous medicines from their alchemists. They were loaded with money after all. As for his Tier 4 Mana Arts, it has something to do with Growth Modification. There were rumors that there is a small horn on his head that is covered by his hair."


    "Really? In any case, since he''s Elena''s older brother, I''m sure that he still has decent skills. Elena has incredible control over her Mana after all." Vincent replied as he recalled her incredible Mana Bullets.


    To be honest, he really wanted to learn this technique so after he gained ess to Ignacy''s library, he immediately tried looking for the skill books that may allow him to learn Tier 2 Mana Arts.


    Luckily, his hard work paid off!


    It was probably because of the Rejuvenation Pill or the enhanced Mana Upheaval Potion, he could finally learn Tier 2 Mana Arts!


    Perhaps, if he was able to get that Magus Essence Potion, he might even get a chance of learning Tier 3 Mana Arts. The chances are low but that''s certainly something he would look forward to.


    ''I haven''t tried fighting using my Tier 2 Mana Arts yet¡­ I''m still not used to it so that guy is probably a good way to measure my skills.'' Vincent thought as using his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to cast a Tier 2 Mana Art is quite destructive.


    It must be remembered that all Tier 2 Mana Arts were techniques that send out mana out of the Mana Practitioners'' bodies. They were like Mana Bullet, Mana Dome, Mana Wave, Mana Burst, and Mana Sword.


    They were the mostmonly seen Tier 2 Mana Arts and practitioners would learn them in their early days of cultivation. Well, that is except for those practitioners who have poor talent in cultivation like Vincent who needed many years in order to advance.


    Anyway, Vincent immediately had her arrange the challenge as quickly as possible so he can already get ess to the Immortal Project aside from practicing his newbat style.


    "Right, I forgot to mention¡­ Yasin also reported that Karsten''spany seems to have Celestial Beings working for them. He hasn''t confirmed whether they were really Celestials but there is a high chance considering their status within the ck Tower." Yulia reminded.


    She was simply implying to bring over Tara and Rem in the duel to ensure that he wouldn''t get taken advantage of by Karsten''s scheme if he ever has.


    Vincent took this seriously as he mentioned it to the two immediately.


    After this meeting, Vincent ordered Severin to send over all the pills his team has made in the past few days.


    "There were a total of 200 pills made, Sir Vincent."


    "That''s great¡­ If the remaining ingredients weren''t things I''ve enhanced, send them to my room as well."


    "I will¡­ About the items in the magic shop¡­"


    "Send them over as well¡­" Vincent replied with understanding. It''s not easy to earn money after all. He has to work hard and keep enhancing or ascending lots of items.


    In any case, his grind has be several times easier,


    Once it was sent to his room, he can finally begin his grind.


    In truth, he''s already reaching the Item Ascendence Skill Level 8 so he''s very excited to ascend these pills for the experience.<sub> </sub>


    This means that Vincent is closely reaching the third stage of his Item Awakening System!


    Once he managed to activate his Transcendence Skill, his magic tools will finally have Item Skills!


    Most of his equipment right now had to use either the One-Time Transcendence Card or the One-Time Item Random Skill Card to get their active or passive skills. Now that he already spent all of them, acquiring new weapons or equipment wouldn''t really affect hisbat style.


    What he needed right now is the advancement of his System!


    Vincent spent his whole night using his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to advance the items and thanks to one of the skills he learned in the library, his recovery rate has gone a lot faster.


    Halfway through this, Vincent finally received the notification from his system confirming the advancement of his Item Ascension Skill!


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 15 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 1850/2090 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv9, Item Ascension Lv8 ]


    [ System Feature: Advanced Item Appraisal, Auto Enhancement Mode, Enhancement Erasure, Learn Skill, 20-Slot Inventory, Item Sense ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Advanced ), Mana Drain ( Advanced ). Corrosive Mana ( Intermediate )


    Tier 2 Mana Arts List: Mana Bullet ( Beginner ), Mana Distortion ( Beginner ), Guidance ( Beginner ), Silent Tracer ( Beginner ) ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Aura Resonance, Soul Forge, Soul Gaze, Aura Pulse ]


    Needless to say, all the Tier 2 Mana Arts that were added to his skill list were learned in the library.


    Furthermore, he also learned two more 3-Star Level Soul Arts! They were the Soul Gaze and Aura Pulse!


    In truth, he has a few more Soul Arts that he wanted to learn there but he needs to increase his Soul Cultivation. Unfortunately, it would probably take him a year or two to get the requirement for that.


    It was a shame that even Ignacy doesn''t have a stronger visualization method than what his Grandpa Raizen had given to him or else, he could''ve gone a bit faster in his Soul Cultivation.


    This night has been very fruitful to Vincent as he suddenly felt someone was looking at him behind the windows of his room¡­


    ''Ahh! Krusk! I forgot about you!''

 Chapter 280 Senior

    Krusk was given his own room and wasn''t allowed tomunicate with the others yet. Nevertheless, he should''ve received food, clothing, and his other needs from Yulia.


    Vincent quickly opened the window of his room to let the young Mythical Beast inside.


    "Vincent¡­ The amount of mana here is very thin. It''s making me ufortable. How can you stay rxed like here?" Krusk asked.


    Vincent helplessly smiled as he replied. "Well, if youpare it within your cavern where the Tree of Faith is located, it is indeed quite a thin... Normally, we only need to use special rooms or cultivation rooms with rich mana to get stronger or to advance or cultivate. Unfortunately, we have to set up a Mana Gathering Formation to create those kinds of rooms and it''s not easy to make that. Lots of materials were required for this formation."


    He exined it clearly since Krusk has no clue about Mana Cultivation.


    "I see¡­ Can you make it for me?"


    Vincent pondered after hearing this request.


    He has been considering this for a while now so there shouldn''t be a problem. Since he''s already the disciple of the Tower Lord, he should be able to request the materials needed to create that formation.


    As for the expert who will have to make it, hiring someone to do it will be easy.


    After reaching this thought, he agreed.


    "I''ll have it done. I''m also nning to move to arger estate since I already have two airships with me. I will set up several cultivation rooms once I arranged everything."


    Vincent exined. He''s also nning to ask his Master or Tower Lord Ignacy about this since if he wasn''t mistaken, the first and second disciple already has their own small territory outside of the 36 Towers. It may not be as huge as the Alchemy Union but it is still a territory the two disciples owned.


    The only problem owningnd outside of the tower''s protection is that they have to defend it without relying on the powers of the ck Towers.


    The ck Towers weren''t just some aesthetic building after all.


    It is also called a Mage Tower and only the Tower Lord has the blueprint to create this massive weapon. That''s right, it is truly a massive weapon as it could literally cast a powerful attack on anyone within a 5 to an 8-kilometer radius of it depending on who''s controlling it!


    It may even be more than that but there weren''t just any enemies worth using the limit of the tower so he can''t really tell the limit of the Mage Tower.


    "That''s great!"


    Krusk finally let out a smile after hearing this. He then stared at Vincent curiously and asked sincerely with his innocent eyes. "Vincent, may I know what kind of human are you? I''ve observed all the other humans in your residence but you''re different. I understand that I can''t probe the two Celestial Beings since as you said, they are powerful beingsparable to or stronger than the Overseer. But why is your energy so weird¡­ No, I mean, it feelspletely different from any others¡­"


    Krusk asked as if he was looking at an alien¡­


    "I''m different, huh¡­"


    Vincent can understand where he''sing from. After all, he has Pseudo-Celestial Energy and no one indeed has the same type of energy source as him.


    "It''s my secret¡­ I can''t exin it even if want to. The important thing is that I''m human just like the others¡­ and just a bit special."


    "Hmmm¡­ You don''t look like you''re lying." Krusk replied as he suddenly shifted his gazed outside the window.


    "Someone very very strong ising¡­ There are three of them. Are they just passing by or they''re heading here? Do you know any of them?"


    As Vincent was nning to discuss his n about the Tree of Faith that was left in the dungeon, Krusk''s sudden words rmed him!


    "Someone''sing? I haven''t even noticed them yet. Just how far can you reach with your senses?"<sub> </sub>


    Vincent was impressed by Krusk''s probing skills but he''s also a bit worried about this. He used "very very strong" to describe these people! Even he was not described as a very strong person after all!


    "I''m not sure who they were but we should be their target¡­" Vincent replied.


    However, as soon as he said this, he was able to sense the presence of those three and they were indeed emitting a very powerful aura as they travel across the sky!


    They weren''t running or using any mode of transportation at all. They were actually flying in the sky at an incredible speed like missiles heading to their residence!


    ''If they''re not Grand Magus, they probably have a flying tool.''


    Thud! Thud!


    Rem and Tara immediately appeared outside the vi as they also felt the three flying individuals.


    Whom~ Whom~ Whom~


    The three suddenly stopped above their estate creating shockwaves that would probably disturb everyone in the residence. If not for the Formation Art ced throughout the whole Ster Residence, the others would surely wake up from their peaceful sleep.


    "Hide inside, Krusk¡­"


    "I will¡­ I''m wearing the cloak you gave me anyway¡­"


    Vincent no longer replied as he headed outside.


    "Rem, Tara¡­ Can you recognize them?" Vincent asked immediately after getting closer to the two.


    It''s already dark and only the moonlight is allowing them to see the visitors. Vincent can''t recognize their appearance including their Mana Fluctuations.


    It means that they are definitely not someone within the First Tower since he had pretty much familiarized himself with the fluctuations of the strong Mana Practitioners there.


    "There is one human and two Celestial Beings..." Tara reported as she looked calmly above them.


    The flying trio was also looking down at them as if they trying to gauge their strength.


    "Two Celestial Beings?" Vincent muttered while frowning. He was not expecting any Celestial visitors at all.


    ''What do I do now?'' He asked himself.


    Since he wouldn''t gain anything offending them, it''s probably better tomunicate. With this in mind, he finally spoke.


    "Guests, are you here to meet us or you''re just passing by?" Vincent asked amplifying his voice a bit so the three can hear him.


    After this, they didn''t reply immediately as they seem to be hesitating and discussing something above before the cloaked figure in the middle finally replied.


    "I''m here to visit my junior disciple¡­ I didn''t expect that you''re working with two Celestials as well. Master Ignacy didn''t mention this to me."


    It is from a woman''s voice as Vincent realized the identity of his visitor!

 Chapter 281 The Poor

    Vincent has six senior disciples and surprisingly, Ignacy only selected one female disciple. Furthermore, this disciple is the second disciple who has her own territory outside the 36 ck Towers!


    ''Two Celestial Beings¡­ No wonder she was able to own and protect hernd. Good, I should be able to do it as well.'' Vincent felt d after considering this.


    He then took a deep breath as he decided to wee his visitors.


    "So it is Senior L Hamblin. Ever since Master Ignacy mentioned you, I''ve always wanted to visit your ce and learn from it, Senior."


    Vincent said as he did his best to tter her. Based on what Ignacy mentioned, thisdy is already ten years old than him and he has to be careful mentioning her height. It seems that she has an inferiorityplex about this since she would always be mistaken as a kid.


    Whoosh~ Whooosh~


    The three visitorsnded on the ground as Vincent realized that his senior sister is indeed smaller than him by a few inches. For someone, who''s in histe twenties, to be smaller than a 15 or 16 years old kid, this is indeed quite saddening.


    "Wee to my humble abode, Senior Sister. Who are these people behind you?" Vincent asked casually.


    "Hehehe¡­ They''re also Celestial Beings. I''m sure you''re already aware. They''re ranked 910 and 940. They were Numbered Celestials? Incredible¡­ As expected of my senior sister. May I ask their names?"


    "Huh? I already gave it to you. Just call them Nine-Ten and Nine-Forty."


    "Oh¡­" Vincent was a bit stunned but he immediatelyposed himself. They have different values after all so he shouldn''t be too surprised about this. In any case, he invited the three inside since it is quite chilly at night.


    "Vincent¡­ You have a small residence. I can tell you have a lot of people living here."


    "Senior Sister L Hamblin, I''m actually nning to move to a different ce. I might have to consider purchasing arger estate or getting my ownnd outside. I''m nning to get support from Master Ignacy." Vincent replied.


    "Hey, can you stop calling me by my full name? Just call me Senior L¡ªNo, call me Second Sister L¡­"


    "I will¡­ But who''s my First Sister then?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "Oh¡­ My mistake, I killed the first female disciple of Master Ignacy so I became the only female disciple now. There''s no First Sister¡­ Just call me Sister L then."


    Vincent was speechless after hearing this. He had no idea about this history at all. Not only Master Ignacy took revenge for his disciple, but he also epted her killer as his disciple?!


    Wouldn''t Master Ignacy''s reputation take a blow from that? No matter what, ending the life of your disciple should be a valid reason to exact vengeance, right?


    He couldn''t believe what he just heard. At the very least, if he ever had a disciple someday, he felt that there was no way he would ept the person who killed the disciple!


    That was just too inappropriate!


    "Hahaha! I can tell what you''re thinking from your expression! Do not worry, I exaggerated. I didn''t ambush and killed her to get this status. It is a proper battle presided by a couple of Grand Magus referees¡­ We didn''t even wager the status of being a disciple for that battle. It was just apetition to test our new Mana Arts. Unfortunately, I still couldn''t control my Tier 4 Mana Art at that time and imed her life in the ident. We''re quite close with each other¡­ Closer than my real siblings."


    L exined with a smile but Vincent can tell that she was just trying to be strong.<sub> </sub>


    "I understand. Second Sister¡­ By the way, what brought you here thiste at night?"


    Vincent asked.


    "Ugh! Let me rest first. I traveled for five days just to get here! Thend I purchased is at the edge of the ck Tower''s territory."


    "Eh? Don''t you have a flying vessel!"


    "What? I need to power them with Energy Stones or Mana Crystals... I''m not using them unless important¡­" L answered as she fixed her blond hair tied in a ponytail.


    From her answer, Vincent can tell that L doesn''t seem to have very good living conditions in her territory. If thisnd owner can''t afford the "fuel" for her vehicle, then it only means that hernd is not earning a lot of money!


    Vincent couldn''t help but be curious about her situation. She has two Celestial Beings and hugend near the sea after all! She''s also a strong Grand Magus so it''s very difficult to imagine that she can''t afford the energy stones and mana crystals!


    Nevertheless, Vincent still decided to give her group some time to rest as he wasn''t in a hurry.


    He immediately arranged a guest room for the three with Yulia''s help who had easily woken up after noticing the disturbance.


    Vincent even briefly noticed her eyes glowing. It seems that she was cultivating her Darkness Mystic Eyes during the night.


    Haaa~


    Vincent sighed after returning to his room.


    So many things happened today and he wanted to take a rest as well. However, before that, he confirmed that Krusk is in his room and that all the formation arts hiding his presence is activated.


    "Rem, Tara¡­ Make sure they won''t notice Krusk''s presence¡­" Vincent softly said to the two Celestial Beings close to his room.


    "We''ll take care of it. Just sleep well¡­" Rem guaranteed as Vincent heaved a sigh of relief before passing out.


    "¡­"


    After Rem and Tara confirmed that Vincent was finally asleep. They both left the residence and went to the rooftop to meet the two Celestials brought by L¡­


    The two groups weren''t hostile with each other but one will notice the awkwardness. It appears that Celestial Beings weren''t socializing people after all.


    Anyway, it was Rem who broke the silence¡­


    "We have found clues about the existence of Qheglena¡­"

 Chapter 282 Secrets

    This sudden statement from Rem surprised not just the two Numbered Celestial Being but also Tara.


    However, she immediately understood what Rem was trying to do.


    "Are you also searching for a way to avoid the Overseer?" Tara followed up with another question.


    This surprised the two other Celestials even more.


    They looked at each other for a brief moment as they let out a rare smile.


    They realized that Tara and Rem weren''t newly woken up Celestials so they finally replied.


    "We''ve also found clues about the location of Qheglena¡­"


    "Yes¡­ It''s under the control of the Overseer. We have no choice but to go to war at this rate."


    Rem took a deep breath after hearing this. She didn''t know any details about the Overseer aside from what she learned from Yulia and Krusk.


    As for the Overseer controlling the Qheglena, she had no idea at all. She''s even thinking that the Qheglena was already destroyed through the passage of time.


    "What are your ns? Recently, Vincent encountered a Xonid Race¡­ He managed to kill it but it seems that the war is getting closer to thisnd."


    As soon as they heard the Xonid Race appearing in thisnd, the two Celestials'' eyes trembled.


    "Those parasites are here? I thought they were already annihted?" Celestial 910 was obviously exasperated after hearing this.


    Just recalling the invasive parasite made her recall the tragedy it had caused them in the past.


    "That''s true¡­ It was able to hibernate together with another celestial¡­" Rem then exined what she heard from Vincent.


    This information is very important for the Celestials like them.


    Celestial 910 and 940 know this so they simr shared what they know about the current situation of the world.


    Rem smiled as this is what she wanted from the very beginning. The two were Numbered Celestials following a very strong Mana Practitioner. It means that they were most likely exposed to more important knowledge that they needed to know.


    Their information exchangested for almost an hour before they finally decided to separate.


    Rem and Tara hadplicated expressions after this meeting. They just learned that more and more Celestial Beings were being taken by the Overseer!


    Celestial 910 and 940 were even worried that the war might already reach this continent! After all, sending more Celestial Beings on the front line means that the situation there is getting more and more critical.


    What''s even more important about this is that the Overseer isn''t some kind of righteous being that wanted to protect thisnd!


    It might even be wishing for all the Celestial Beings to die!


    "Hmmm¡­ How much information do you think should we share with Vincent?" Tara asked for Rem''s opinion which rarely happens.


    "As long as our bindings allow us¡­ We should just inform him as much as we can. You should''ve already noticed by now."


    Rem mysteriously said as she looked at Vincent''s room.<sub> </sub>


    "I noticed¡­ It seems that the deities of this are finally making their move¡­" Tara replied.


    "Yeah¡­ It took them a very long time¡­ I even thought that they would wait until thisnd was embroiled in war."


    "Considering numerous powerful species were trying to invade theirnd, they probably wanted to be very careful."


    "Hmph! Maybe they were just injured when they tried stopping Number 1 and Number 5 or was it Number 8? Wait¡­ My memory is a bit too fuzzy¡­" Rem was a bit confused as she doesn''t have her full memories of the past events yet.


    However, she can still somewhat recall that entering this world is not easy. They had to force the deities of this world to ept them by sending their strongest Numbered Celestials¡­


    After that, Rem could no longer recall how they were able to beat up the Demihumans, Xonid Legion, Arkhan Legion, Thoran Empire, and Morian Collective.


    "My bindings were starting to loosen up¡­ I probably have three to four years more¡­ I think that the Overseer will then notice my existence¡­" Tara suddenly revealed which rmed Rem.


    She wasn''t expecting her to reach this state so soon.


    "This¡­ Isn''t that dangerous? Even if you get the minimal requirement to rejoin the war. You''ll just be cannon fodder. It''s better to avoid that Overseer until you fully assimted yourself with your new abilities." Rem voiced her opinion.


    Indeed, Celestials like them were previously unable to useplex techniques like creating elements or controlling their Energy like an extension of their hands.


    They would just previously rely on their weapons and pieces of equipment to fight against their enemies.


    However, it ispletely different now after they learn how the Demihumans use their mystical powers. They also discovered the secrets of mana and artifacts. They were no longer clueless about various skills or mystical abilities. They can even ept these new things and learn them to get stronger.


    They weren''t bound by the rules to stop themselves from learning new things anymore. However, what was stopping them right now is the Overseer who didn''t want them to reach a certain level of strength¡­


    Being taken by the Overseer is definitely not a good thing as they would just be sent to die on the battlefield.


    Rem and Tara sighed as they were unsure of their future as well. Currently, they are just doing their best to be informed and to regain all their memories.


    They also wanted to get stronger because they wanted to survive.


    Nevertheless, for some reason, they feel that following Vincent would make them in a better position in the future. This young man is just too mysterious so they still have hope for whatever the future holds for them.


    ***


    On the next day, Rem and Tara met the two other celestials like they don''t know each other. Vincent didn''t notice anything amiss as he just brought the two to the gathering hall.


    "Rem. This set is for you. Tara, take this one instead¡­" Vincent suddenly said as he handed over a bag to Rem and a small pouch to Tara.


    "Hmm? What''s this?" Rem asked as she took the bag from Vincent.


    She opened it up and confirmed that they were filled with various potions that could increase her Celestial Energy.


    On the other hand, Tara only received three bottles from Vincent.


    Rem was confused.


    "You don''t want me to get stronger?" Tara asked trying to understand Vincent''s ns.

 Chapter 283 Lolas Plan

    "It''s not like that¡­ In fact, I want you to get stronger¡­ These three potions are quite special and have very strong effects. If the information you''ve given me before is correct, consuming three of these every two days for two years, or even less than that will probably be enough to reach your peak strength again."


    Vincent exined. At his current level, considering all his usual activities, he can only make six or seven +10 potions in a single day and he needs to push the limit of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to a critical level to do that.


    Of course, he can''t do it every day since he also has other things he needed to enhance. He also has to ensure that he always has energy reserves in case of an emergency. With that in mind, Vincent decided to just supply Rem with +8 potions or an asional +9 potion and give the best ones to Tara.


    "Less than two years, huh¡­ If that happens, the Overseer will know of my existence." Tara muttered as this was her main concern for regaining her strength.


    "It''s alright¡­ Two years¡ªNo, one year is enough¡­ I want to meet this Overseer. I should be ready by that time." Vincent said with confidence as the two Celestials looked at each other. They were unsure what Vincent was nning and how did he suddenly gain such confidence.


    They only met Krusk and the dying River Dragon after all.


    Did he gain some enlightenment during that time?


    They weren''t sure.


    At that time, after they met Krusk, they explored the dungeon and found another path leading to the catb where the dying River Dragon is hiding. It could no longer speak but it could still transmit its thoughts to them for a brief moment before the mythical beast took its final breath.


    The message given to them was to take care of the young River Dragon which was obviously Krusk. Vincent had, of course, promised to do it if it will leave its valuable parts to him.


    Vincent read in the Knowledge Base Crystal that Mythical Beasts were capable of disintegrating themselves with their energy if they wanted to.


    This is why Mythical Beast''s parts were extremely difficult to find and considered a myth in the first ce. They simply won''t leave their bodies intact.


    Their carcass can only be found if they experience sudden death or they decided not to disintegrate their bodies for some reason.


    With all that said, Vincent kept his promise after receiving the River Dragon''s eyes, scales, and heart.


    It was unfortunate that the other parts are already in terrible condition because of the many injuries that ultimately took his life.


    p He then buried the River Dragon while Krusk was watching them using the mystical connection he has with the Tree of Faith inside the dungeon.</anda>


    "Are you nning to fight the Overseer?" Rem curiously asked.


    "If it''s necessary, I will handle it. I gained something incredible after all."


    Vincent replied. As a matter of fact, he clearly knows that he would be no match against an Overseer who had probably taken Celestial Number 12 or the Celestial being worshipped by Calidia and the others. However, it''s not like he would be fighting using his Mana Arts.


    What he would use were obviously his precious items!


    "Vincent! Everyone¡­ You all woke up so early!"<sub> </sub>


    L finally arrived at the gathering hall. She greeted everyone in the hall and she seemed to be looking for something.


    "Good morning, Second Sister L¡­ Breakfast will be ready in a minute." Vincent immediately said as she knows that Rufia and Hirtia is already in the kitchen at this time.


    "Oh! Did I wake up a bit too early? Let''s discuss why I''m here after I have my fill then¡­" L said as she looked at the window.


    After a while, Vincent introduced L to Yulia and Severin who were important members of this residence.


    "Oohh~ It''s been a while since I''ve smelled roasted pork¡­ We''re always eating white meat since my territory is near the sea¡­" Lmented as their small group started eating.


    Vincent was curious why her territory wasn''t raising livestock. As far as he knows, animal husbandry is a thing here. People weren''t just hunting for food anymore.


    Nevertheless, he decided not to ask since this shouldn''t be important.


    "Burp!"


    L truly enjoyed her meal.


    Realizing that everyone is looking at her, she immediately cleared her throat as she decided to start the discussion.


    She gathered her thoughts as she stated the reason why she hade here.


    "Vincent¡­ I''m nning to attack the Red Alliance¡­ Those Barbarians must die! Join me!"


    "Huh?"


    Vincent didn''t know how to react. It was such a concise statement and invitation. This was so sudden as he even nced at the two Celestials behind her. He wanted to know where L is joking or what.


    "I mean¡­ I only want to stop the ships carrying the prisoners from anothernd! I can''t take it! Those ships were perfected by your First Sister and they''re using them to capture humans! They''re taking it too far! The ck Tower wouldn''t do anything about it since they received some bribe from those Barbarians but I can''t let it go like this. We must kill all the barbarians and free those prisoners!"


    Vincent finally understood. He didn''t expect that his senior sister is actually a righteous individual. Well, it might be because the ship being used was rted to the First Sister but this is still such a brave announcement. After all, this isn''t just going against the Red Alliance but also against the will of the ck Tower Organization.


    ''Well, I''m already nning to go there in the first ce but let''s see the situation first¡­''


    "I admire your conviction, Senior¡­ I mean, Second Sister¡­ However, isn''t this a bit too dangerous? How about the other disciples? Why did you look for me instead?"


    Vincent asked.


    At this question, L helplessly smiled as she answered, "The First Disciple is in seclusion. He was poisoned by his jealous girlfriend¡­ The third disciple is probably in Solomon''s Pir. The Fourth Disciple is hunting those members of the Demonic Cult¡­ the Fifth Disciple can''t leave the 15th Tower for some reason¡­ As for the Sixth Disciple, he''s blind and a spoiled brat. I can''t trust him."

 Chapter 284 Rescue Operation ( 1 )

    "Right! I forgot to tell you that the status of all the disciples is a secret. You can''t tell to anyone. Especially how the first disciple got poisoned by her partner¡­ Pfft¡­ Do you understand?!" L said as she was holding back herugh.


    It seems that she finds it funny that the first disciple ended up being poisoned.


    He doesn''t know what kind of history the first and second disciples had but it''s probably not a good one.


    Anyway, he promised not to tell to anyone as he made sure to remember this information in his heart.


    Especially the status of the Fifth Disciple¡­ He was actually at the 15th Tower? Ignacy didn''t mention it to him at all.


    ''Is he rted to the Immortal Project?'' Vincent frowned at the thought.


    If he was indeed rted to the Celestial Incarnation Project and the Immortal Project, Vincent would probably not be surprised. As a disciple of the Tower Lord, he must be somewhat special and this might be his strong suit.


    "I understand¡­ But, I''m also blind. Although I can see some light, it''s not even enough to recognize people."


    "It''s alright! I know that you''re still strong¡­ After realizing that you also have two Celestial Beings, my confidence in your strength increased even more."


    "Well, even if that''s the case, do you know the strength of the Barbarians there?"


    "Yes! There should a 20 Barbarian Kings¡­ I can handle them alone. However, the real problem is those three Totemic Barbarians. They canpletely cancel all my attacks. I heard that you were good with Mind Attack¡­ or was it Soul Attacks? That should do!"


    ''Oh¡­ No wonder you came to me¡­'' Vincent thought.


    "It''s my first time hearing about the Totemic Barbarians. I heard about the Warlocks of the Barbarian Race. They should be stronger than the barbarian, are they the same?" Vincent asked.


    L shook her head.


    "No¡­ Those Totemic Barbarians were the secret weapon of the Red Alliance. No one has ever heard about them until the invasion of that small ind. If I didn''t send spies to monitor the battle, we wouldn''t even know about their existence¡­ Tsk. Those old fools in the tower were too careless." L exined as she seemed really worried about these new or probably secret warriors of the Barbarian Race.


    L then informed Vincent about the Totemic Barbarians'' abilities as Vincent realized why having Mind Attacks is extremely important when dealing with them.


    In exchange for having an incredibly strong physique, magic resistance, drug or potion resistance, and even resistance against aura techniques, their minds have be vulnerable.


    Based on how L exined it, the Totemic Barbarians were basically unstoppable machines that can only be killed by targeting their minds.


    He felt relieved hearing this since his weapon skills will indeed help him a lot.


    "I guess that you really have a high Consciousness Energy¡­" L muttered seeing how confident Vincent was.


    "No. I''m not that strong. I''m just relying on my weapons¡­ I was lucky. Most of my weapons have this convenient ability."


    "That''s possible?"


    L was shocked to hear this. She shook her head as she immediately changed her question.


    "No way¡­ Then why can''t I probe your cultivation? Isn''t that because your Consciousness Energy is higher than mine? I can barely feel any energy fluctuations from you."<sub> </sub>


    This is what she really thought about Vincent. As far as she knows, only those with Consciousness Energy can create Mind Techniques. Since her consciousness energy is already at the level of a Grand Magnus, only those individuals who had practiced their mental strength to a high level can cancel her probing skills.


    "Ahh¡­" Vincent wryly smiled. It was probably because he has Pseudo-Celestial Energy so she was having difficulty probing his fluctuations.


    "I have an item that can hide my cultivation¡­ Ehem¡­ Anyway, what would you do after dealing with the Barbarians? I mean, you will be offending not just the Red Alliance but also the ck Tower since you represent our organization, right?"


    "Of course, I have a n for that! So¡­ Does it mean you will join us?"


    Vincent sighed after hearing this as he nodded slowly.


    "Yes¡­ I will join you if you have a n for a smooth operation. We have to make sure that we won''t be too implicated in this... You''ve seen my residence. I have my people. I can protect myself but they can''t." Vincent said with seriousness in his voice.


    "Me too! I have a territory with 10,000 people! Dealing with the aftermath is easy, I have something that can block any divination and tracers¡­ As long as we kill all the barbarians, no one will suspect us. As for the prisoners, I can even bring them back to my territory if they want.


    "Well, that''s an exaggeration, I can probably take half of them¡­" L immediately corrected herself after recalling the total number of prisoners that were reported to her.


    There were over 5,000 prisoners!


    That''s a lot of mouths to feed!


    Even if they do have the money to buy food, L''s territory''s food production wouldn''t be enough for them¡­


    "Then it''s probably about time I set up my own territory¡­" Vincent muttered as L immediately be excited.


    "Really?! Buy thend near mine! I know a good ce for settlement! There is an untouched gold deposit close to it. It''s also near a freshwaterke and forest. Well, you need to kill eight Magic Beasts guarding that ce but that should be easy for you."


    "A gold deposit?"


    "That''s right¡­ The ce isn''t that expensive since you still have to kill eight Magic Beasts¡­ but I''m sure you can manage that." L said with a nonchnt voice.


    It was as if she had already seen Vincent defeat eight Magic Beasts. Vincent thought for a moment since this suggestion is indeed quite tempting.


    ''Well, I still have an Enchanted Bloodstone¡­ I could probably set up a trap to kill those eight Magic Beasts but¡­''


    "Hmm¡­ I''ll look into it first, Second Sister. To be honest, I will be asking Master Ignacy for a suggestion."


    "Fine¡­ Let''s do it after we rescued those prisoners¡­ Although we still have two weeks, we needed a week of preparation since we have to find a perfect ce tond an ambush." L exined.


    "I guess you already have something in mind."


    "Of course¡­ I already know the path they''ll use. Also, we can''t bring your aircraft. My anti-divination can''t cover that thing¡­" L said as she exined what she can do¡­


    Vincent listened silently as they perfected their n topletely annihte the barbarians.

 Chapter 285 Rescue Operation ( 2 )

    Two weeks had quickly passed.


    Vincent and his group are now waiting for the Mystic Flying Airships that were carrying the prisoners from the Tudor Kingdom¡­


    Vincent looked at the dark sky as he silently prayed for the safety of his childhood friends if they were ever caught as a prisoner. He wasn''t sure whether he will meet someone he knew but if he ever will, he would certainly do his best to save them.


    The ce they have selected to ambush the enemies is a valley near the border of the Martial Arts Alliance and ck Tower Organization. The area around this valley doesn''t have any strong flying beasts around so it''s a perfect path for aircraft or any flying travelers.


    This path may take longer to arrive at the Red Alliance''s territory but since they''re traveling at night when many Magic Beasts are active, they would rather have a longer flight than take a risk.


    In any case, they were already traveling for more than two months so it shouldn''t be a huge deal to add another day or two.


    ''Totemic Barbarians¡­ As long as I can really make them vulnerable with my Weapon Skills, our operation should be a sessful one. No need to be nervous¡­'' Vincent said to himself as he patiently waited in his spot.


    ***


    "Millie¡­ Can you still move?"


    The familiar weak voice of her senior sister woke her up¡­


    "Ugh¡­ I-I''m hungry¡­" Millie was barely able to speak. Unfortunately, the food supply inside the aircraft didn''tst that long¡­ It may have been enough if only humans were boarding the airship but because there were numerous barbarians as well, there have been some miscalctions.


    Their appetite just can''t be measured in a normal way. Because of this, they weren''t given any food for 10 days and were only given some water.


    Thankfully, all the prisoners taken by these barbarians were Mana Practitioners or those who had at leastpleted their Mana Baptism.


    "Come here¡­"


    Ceri, one of the senior disciples of the Primal Sword Sect, urged Millie to get closer to her.


    Millie didn''t think too much as she did she was told.


    Soon, Ceri showed a couple of pills in her hands and gave one to Millie.


    "We''re close to thend¡­ You have to trust my Primal Senses."


    "I believe you, Senior Sister. Are we going to consume the pills once the ship docked?"


    Millie asked as she stuck the pill on her chest. She had to keep it safe since this pill will give them theirst hope to escape from the Barbarians.


    "The pill doesn''t take effect immediately¡­ Its effect will only show after half an hour so we have to time it perfectly. I will give you a signal if we need to consume it."


    ? Ceri said as she did her best to remain calm. She knows that they were truly in danger.


    Previously, their small cabin has seven people inside, but now, there were only four people left. For some reason, one of the barbarians took two of the healthy-looking females and they have no idea where they went. This happened to the other cabins as well.


    Millie could only sigh in relief while saying her gratitude to Ceri in her heart. Ceri was actually right to make her act really weak and listless weeks ago.


    Of course, the two of them weren''t acting weak now as they were not fed any food in the past 10 days.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    The sound of footstepsing from a huge bronze-skinned being started getting closer. This familiar sound put everyone in panic as they know that it was not time yet to give them water.<sub> </sub>


    It means that the barbarian has a different reason foring here and it''s probably not something good.


    Within this hallway, there should be around 20 cabins. Millie and Ceri''s cabin is the nearest to the door so after hearing that the barbarian passed through them, the two felt relieved.


    Right now, although they have the skills to kill a lone barbarian, they were still unable to act.


    Within this airship, they know that there are five barbarian kings and one weird barbarian filled with tattoos¡­ It is a barbarian no one had ever seen before and the same barbarian who had killed the upper echelons of their Primal Sword Sect.


    During that time, only their Sect Master was barely able to stop its advance to let them escape¡­


    Unfortunately, they were already surrounded. After several days of fighting and running, they were still captured and taken as prisoners. Their elders and sect master died in the battle while the young disciples will now serve as a ve of the barbarian race.


    "AAhhh! Stop! Don''t! Not me! Stay away from me!"


    A woman in one of the cabins suddenly cried as she was dragged by the barbarian. She doesn''t know what was about to happen to her but those who were taken did note back anymore.


    At first, they thought that these females would actually be used to satisfy their pleasure¡­ However, a few days ago, the smell of the strong scent of blood wafted throughout the airship. It is even stronger when the barbarians got closer.


    Right now, some of them were already thinking that these women being taken were instead being used to feed the hungry Barbarians!


    This thought had obviously crossed everyone''s mind as they did their best not to appear ''tasty''.


    Unfortunately, the barbarians don''t seem to care as one of them is being dragged again¡­


    "P-please! Save me! Anyone?! Help me!" The woman cried out loud but it was useless.


    Certainly, they could probably help and save this poor woman if they worked together. However, no one acted. After all, saving her would just be temporary. They are in a flying airship¡­ They can''t escape anywhere.


    Some of them even tried destroying this airship to escape but to their surprise, the magic technology used to create this was too unfathomable... Their Mana Arts, Martial Techniques, Aura Strikes, and Magic Tools were barely able to damage the airship at all.


    Furthermore, those who tried doing this are already dead¡­


    Millie clenched her teeth as she can''t do anything¡­ She was powerless.


    She can only look down as the cries of the woman slowly dissipated¡­


    Thud!


    The door to their hallway closed as everyone was feeling empty. They can only pray that they wouldn''t be the next victim¡­


    As everyone was despairing with their current situation, Ceri remained focused on using her Primal Sense¡­


    "Hmm?"


    Ceri jolted as she seemed to have noticed something.


    "Is there any problem, Senior Sister?" Millie immediately asked seeing how Ceri sat up as if she regained some energy.


    "There might be chaos happening soon¡­ Consume the pill now."


    Ceri instructed as she took out her pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

 Chapter 286 Rescue Operation ( 3 )

    Millie realized the urgency in Ceri''s voice as she swiftly took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    The pill needed about half an hour to take effect after all.


    In their current situation, every second counts, and hesitation may lead to death.


    As soon as she swallowed the pill, Ceri suddenly held her hand with her left hand while her right hand grabbed the railings of their small bed.


    Millie wanted to ask what was going on but she was interrupted by the sound of an explosion!


    Boom!


    It was so strong that her body was almost thrown aside!


    "Ugh!"


    Millie felt a bit disoriented but thanks to Ceri, she was in a better condition than the others¡­


    Did their airship crash on something just now?


    It was a shame that she hasn''t trained her Primal Sense to the advanced level yet. If she did, she would''ve noticed iting too¡­


    She was truly lucky that she was able to stay by Ceri''s side all this time. She would probably be so helpless and maybe already eaten by the Barbarians if not for her.


    "Are you alright, Millie? I think we have a chance!"


    "Y-yes¡­ What''s going on, Senior Sister?"


    "I felt foreign energy colliding to our airship¡­ I think it''s happening with the other flying ships as well. It''s familiar. It''s simr to the Formation Art within our Sect''s Sword Pavilion¡­ No, it''s definitely stronger than the Formation Art there¡­ I think the airship is being attacked!"


    Excitement grew on their faces after reaching this conclusion.


    Since gs of the barbarians were raised everywhere outside the airship, the attackers should know what kind of beings were inside this airship.


    If they still attacked despite knowing this.


    It probably means that they are confident in defeating them or at the very least, they should be able to buy time for them to escape!


    The only concern now is whether they couldst for 30 minutes until their pills took effect.


    "Everyone, calm down¡­ Someone seems to be attacking this airship¡­ This might be our chance." Millie said as she sensed that everyone in the other rooms was worried.


    Her words weren''t loud but certainly enough for everyone to hear. This made everyone tense up as their eyes lit up in expectation¡­


    Ceri approved of this since if they are nning to escape, it will be very difficult if there were only the two of them. It is much better if everyone tried escaping in different directions making it harder for them to get caught¡­ if ever they reached that point.


    "Do you think they''re here to save us?" Millie whispered to Ceri.


    "I don''t know¡­ However, we should be prepared. We don''t have weapons with us so we will be using these towels for now. You have reached an intermediate state with your Flicker Martial Technique, right?"


    "It''s advanced state already, Senior Sister."


    Millie replied with a weak smile. The Flicker Martial Technique or Flicker Art is one of the basic techniques being taught in the Primal Sword Sect. It allows them to use a belt, scarf, jacket, rolled towel, and other simr things as a weapon.


    Of course, this is mostly for defensive techniques which is what they needed right now. Since they are nning to escape, they can''t carry heavy items or spend their time battling. Even if they wanted to carry a sword, they don''t even know where to find one.<sub> </sub>


    Bam! Bam!


    Two more explosions urred somewhere in the airship as the vessel finally started dropping¡­ Everyone felt nervous. They weren''t sure how high they were in the air¡­


    Luckily, the ship wasn''t dropping fast so it means that its floating system is still somewhat working.


    "Hmmm¡­ They''re not targeting the cabins¡­ Do they know that the ship is filled with prisoners?" Ceri muttered as she noticed something off with how the ship is being attacked.


    Right now, she doesn''t look really well as she had be thinner after not being able to properly eat.


    They haven''t taken a bath for more than two months but her calmness while assessing their situation made Millie truly respect her. She still looks pretty and most importantly, reliable!


    "Ehem¡­ Senior Sister, perhaps we should make contact with them? Can you tell whether they are humans are not?" Millie suggested. However, Ceri could only shake her head.


    Her primal sense can only allow her to sense the fluctuations of energy¡­ Furthermore, the fluctuations of energy she''s feeling right now were too weird. It was not something she had ever felt before.


    With this in mind, she doubts that humans were actually helping them at this moment. Since they were being brought to some unknown continent, she wouldn''t be surprised if there are other intelligent races here!


    "I''m not sure if they''re friendly or not. I think it''s better to just think of escaping¡­ Once we''re out, I''ll check again if we''re being helped by humans." Ceri suggested as sheposed herself.


    As she said this, their airship finally hit the ground throwing everyone to the overheadpartment of their cabins. They were lucky.


    They weren''t injured even after this since they have prepared themselves in advance. They coated themselves with their mana as they were able to endure the roughnding¡­


    "Graaahhhh!"


    A roar filled with anger suddenly echoed throughout the ce. It was followed by a menacing aura filled with bloodlust as everyone was able to recognize this barbarian. It is certainly from the unique barbarian filled with tattoos!


    This specific barbarian is several times stronger than the Barbarian Kings! Furthermore, there should be a total of three of them¡­


    Bang!


    Ceri kicked the cabin''s door.


    "This is our chance! Move with haste!" She shouted.


    Those who were still shocked at the powerful auraing from the unique barbarian, jolted at her words and immediately acted.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Since one of them already decided to take this opportunity to escape, the others were able to easily follow.


    This situation happened to the other cabins on different decks as full chaos finally erupted¡­


    "Do not fight! Our Martial Techniques don''t work against Barbarians. Just focus on your escape!"


    Millie shouted as she moved with Ceri to go outside¡­


    Surprisingly, they didn''t meet a single barbarian blocking their passageways! Everything had gone smoothly by far but they soon met trouble at thest reinforced door connected to the outdoor deck!


    The door isn''t just made of thick metal but it''s also protected by a Formation Art or some sort of Mana Art. The hundreds of prisoners on this deck, who wanted to escape, couldn''t move forward.


    "Move aside¡­ I can open it¡­" A young man with glowing eyes suddenly said as he continued to get closer to the door.

 Chapter 287 Rescue Operation ( 4 )

    The young man''s glowing eyes weren''t just some sort of decoration. It is an indication that his Mystic Eye has activated and from the looks of it, these eyes were capable of unlocking the door or perhaps removing the Formation Art on it!


    They didn''t question the young man as they allowed him to work on it. They don''t want to empty their mana reserves after all. They haven''tpletely escaped yet and preserving every bit of their strength is necessary.


    "I need some time to open this up¡­ The mana formation is tooplicated. It will burn me alive if I made a mistake. I need 15 minutes¡­ No, maybe 10 minutes¡­ Should we find another way?" The young man said as he looked at the people gathering behind him.


    He then noticed Ceri shaking her head.


    <o>,m "All the other doors are most likely simr to this. There''s no point in going elsewhere. Ten or fifteen minutes should be just fine. We''ll just try to recover our mana in the meantime."</o>


    "But I won''t have my mana afterpleting this¡­" The young man wryly smiled as he felt that he would be left behind once he sessfully opened the door.


    "Don''t worry¡­ We''ll bring you along."


    "I can carry you so it should be just fine."


    "That''s right¡­ We will not leave you."


    Before Millie and Ceri could even reply, the others already reassured the young man.


    "Alright! I''ll work now. My name is Cedric Schuman! Once I opened the door. I will rely on you guys."


    As soon as he finished introducing himself, he immediately worked on dismantling the Formation Art engraved at the reinforced door.


    ''Schuman family, huh¡­ They were a family of merchants and were known for their many humanitarian acts. I guess the rumors about their family are true¡­'' Ceri thought as she was able to recognize the Schuman Family.


    Soon, everyone started calming down as they decided to umte their mana while waiting.


    It seems that they have arrived in and with rich mana. Considering that there were thousands of them here, they should only get a little bit of mana within their cores. However, the amount of mana they could umte was a lot better than they were in the Tudor Kingdom!


    Just from thisparison, one would easily realize that this new continent is several times better than their previousnd!


    "Aaaarrgghhhhh!"


    As everyone was trying to concentrate, the cries of the unique barbarians can be heard outside¡­ Furthermore, it wasn''t just one of them! The three tattooed barbarians seem to have encountered a powerful creature as they cried in pain!


    Unfortunately, none of them could tell what was going on. Even Ceri wasn''t sure about the situation outside but at the very least, she can tell that the ambushers of their flying ship were still outside.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    They then heard the barbarians running away from the ship as they seem to be nning to chase the enemies that took down their flying ships.


    After about 12 minutes of dismantling, Cedric finallypleted his task¡­


    "The door can now be opened¡­ Just use a bit of force since the door is quite heavy. There shouldn''t be any traps or formation art stopping you. Ugh¡­ I''m tired."


    Cedric said as he felt drained. Using his Mystic Eye for this task wasn''t really suited for him. Unfortunately, he has to take this risk since they were pressed for time.<sub> </sub>


    Luckily, the others were true to their words as someone immediately helped him up¡­


    Though he needed to rest, he doesn''t have that much time.


    "I have to rest my eyes for a while¡­ Thanks for carrying me." Cedric said as he looked at the buffed guy who was helping him.


    "No problem, Cedric. Thank you for opening this door. I hope that we won''t encounter too much trouble. Some guys seem to be causing chaos outside."


    "Yeah¡­ I hope they can buy us a bit more time."


    As the two were hoping for the best, Ceri finally opened the door¡­


    She immediately assessed the situation and confirmed that a battle is going on right now! There were people who were flying while fighting against the Barbarians while someone in the forest nearby seem to be dealing with the tattooed barbarians!


    "It''s an opportunity! Just think of escaping! I can only feel six foreign energy fluctuations fighting the barbarians. There''s no way to win this! Just escape!"


    Ceri shouted to everyone so they know the situation.


    Hearing that only six people were dealing with the barbarians, none of them felt impressed at all. Instead, they immediately acted in a hurry as they know that those six will probably be defeated anytime by now.


    Even if those six were all Grand Magus at the level of the Royal Teacher of the Tudor Kingdom, there was no way they could win against this many barbarians who had incredible resistance against Mana Arts and Martial Techniques.


    Perhaps, they could kill a thousand normal barbarians but there are still many Barbarian Kings among them!


    The other flying ships were also in a simr situation as they tried escaping after getting out. They were actually quite lucky since unlike them that has to dismantle the door''s formation arts, they just used a huge crack on the ship as a path to escape.


    Although only 2 people can pass through at the same time, they were doing it incredibly fast as they started recovering their mana.


    Soon, a small group started heading in the direction of the waterfalls toward the south. Some headed to the forest and some decided to be brave and run to theke.


    Those who wanted to escape to theke were probably Mana Practitioners with high mastery of Water Elements and they most likely have techniques that could allow them to survive underwater.


    Bang!


    An explosion followed by a shockwave disrupted Ceri and her group''s movement¡­


    They just saw a tattooed Barbarian being thrown by almost 500 meters after being struck by something!


    It was the same immovable barbarian that killed their Sect Master!


    This incredibly heavy and bulky barbarian crashed into the path they were nning to take.


    It was already heavily injured as its body was full of cuts and bruises¡­ The barbarian is already dying at this point!


    They have finally realized that those who had ambushed these mighty beings weren''t just messing around!

 Chapter 288 Rescue Operation ( 5 )

    Step¡­ Step¡­ Step¡­


    As they were marveling at the sight of the fallen tattooed barbarian. They heard someone''s footsteps walking closer to them.


    It came from the dark forest where the barbarian just came from.


    "Hmm?"


    Since they were only relying on the moonlight to see the situation. They were unable to identify the figure.


    Ceri took a deep breath as she whispered¡­ "Do not flee. Just stay here for now. Since that''s someone who can kill that tattooed barbarian, I''m sure he could chase you as well."


    Everyone nodded after hearing this. There are currently eight of them on this path as the others fled in different directions.


    Sticking together is much better since there is also a chance that their "rescuer" is someone who can they rely on.


    Crack¡­


    A twig was stepped on by the man who had juste out of the dark forest.


    "This¡­" Ceri couldn''t believe what she just saw.


    The silhouette of the person who just defeated the Barbarian is definitely from a young man in his teens!


    Millie and the others felt overwhelmed deep inside.


    Is it really possible for a young man to defeat a unique barbarian who can kill their Sect Master?


    If they didn''t see this with their own eyes, they probably wouldn''t believe it if they heard it from someone else.


    Their Sect Master, who can go toe-to-toe with a Grand Knight, could only stall for time against this barbarian!


    How could a young man who was only holding a stick defeat this being that is over three-meter tall?


    The stick that the young man has wasn''t even thick enough to be used as a decent weapon. It feels like that stick will break once it hit that barbarian''s bronze-like skin!


    "Hmm? Get away from him¡­ That barbarian is still alive¡­ You can just wait at your airship. We''re here to take you guys away¡­" The young man spoke and Millie couldn''t help but feel something in her heart after hearing that voice. She couldn''t understand why but her heart started beating faster¡­


    In any case, although they couldn''t see the face of the young man, they were able to tell that he wasn''t from another species and just a human like them.


    "Alright¡­" Ceri agreed with the young man without hesitation.


    Even the young man was surprised to see how cooperative she was. He couldn''t help but smile as he added, "This ce is already surrounded by Formation Art¡­ No one else can sense what''s happening here unless the formation is broken. The others who were running away won''t be able to escape as well so it''s better to stay in your airships since we will still be using themter."


    The young man exined as he reappeared close to the heavily injured barbarian!


    "Grrr¡­ Die!" The barbarian seems to be waiting for the young man to get closer!


    The tattoos on its body suddenly glowed with purple light as the barbarian struck the figure''s stick that was about to strike him!


    If the stick was broken, the punch would head straight to the young man''s face!


    It''s dangerous!


    Millie and the others could only close their eyes as they can''t bear to see the result! They were not strong enough to help him!<sub> </sub>


    Bam!


    An unexpected sound was heard followed by a crying from the tattooed barbarian! It wasn''t the sound of flesh being squished but metal hitting the bronze-like muscles of the barbarian!


    They immediately looked at the result of the sh only to see the disfigured knuckles of the barbarian!


    They were expecting that the young man would get into trouble after the tattooed barbarian squeezed all its energy for that final strike, but they saw something unbelievable.


    The wooden stick seems to be made of the toughest metal on the as it was able to withstand the final blow of the tattooed barbarian¡­


    St!


    The young man swiftly acted after the barbarian loses his focus¡­ The wooden stick was used like a piercing weapon directly prating the barbarian''s skull.


    It was finally killed!


    "Incredible¡­" Ceri could only mutter after seeing the simple yet incredible destructive move of the young man. She had actually frozen on her spot after she was pressured by the barbarian''s tattoo that glowed with a mysterious purple light. Its final attempt to strike was definitely not something a normal weapon could stop.


    The amount of energy gathered from that punch was a level that she could never hope to achieve!


    "A Pseudo-Legendary weapon? No, that must be a Legendary weapon¡­ It might even be a weapon that was once wielded by Celestial Being." She could only reach this conclusion.


    It also feels like they have already lost their chance to run away.


    "Senior Sister¡­ What should we do?" Millie whispered as she stared at the figure of the young man who seem to be doing something at the corpse of the barbarian.


    Ssakk¡­ Ssakk¡­


    Two huge eyeballs of the barbarian were instantly collected by the young man. Everyone started thinking twice about whether he was really human or not!


    Is this some kind of hobby? Collecting the eyes of the enemies he killed as a trophy?


    As soon as the young man stored the ss jar containing the two eyeballs in a different dimension, he looked at Millie''s group with his kindest smile. He wanted to ensure that they won''t be afraid of him although there was too much blood on his clothes.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m from the Tudor Kingdom. My team is here to help. You can continue returning to the airship now. It should be quite safe as the other barbarians have been drawn somewhere else."


    The young man said as his figure was finally exposed by the moonlight. Millie''s group had finally seen his face!


    It is from a handsome young man who seemed very familiar!


    "Vincent?" Millie uttered¡­ She hadn''t seen him for a long time but that face is definitely something she wouldn''t forget.


    p Furthermore, it wasn''t just her who recognized him!</anda>


    Even Cedric and the man who was carrying him recognized Vincent as well!


    As soon as he heard his name being called, he immediately tried to use his Soul Sense to identify them. However, he couldn''t recognize their mana fluctuations probably because of how chaotic his internal energy is right now.


    The disruptive power of the Totemic Barbarians had exceeded his expectations. It seems that he can''t rely on his Mana Sense right now.


    "Ugh¡­ I''m sorry¡­ My eyes¡­"


    "Vincent, you can''t remember me?" Millie spoke like she was in pain before Vincent could even finish his words.

 Chapter 289 Rescue Operation ( 6 )

    As soon as Vincent heard them calling his name, he realized that the people he just saved were definitely someone he knew! He only knows a few people in the kingdom that were aware of his name so it shouldn''t be difficult to recognize them.


    Unfortunately, the barbarian just now used a technique that disrupted his senses¡­


    With his poor vision, there was no way he could recognize them, especially during this night.


    "I''m sorry¡­ It''s not that I can''t remember you. I just can''t see you right now since I''ve been blind for quite a while¡­ Though I''m starting to get healed, I''m only seeing a bit of light at the moment." Vincent exined.


    "Y-you''re blind? But you managed to kill the tattooed barbarian¡­" Millie spoke with disbelief. This is the same for the others as they looked at Vincent with interest.


    They have never heard of a blind person capable of bing this strong. They were known as invalid people and were normally thrown aside in this harsh world!


    "I killed a Tattooed Barbarian? Ahhh¡­ That''s indeed how they look. I believe they''re called Totemic Barbarian but in any case, you''re right. It was difficult but I managed to kill this one¡­ The other two are already weakened but not dead yet so I needed to hurry."


    "Ahh? You¡­ you still need to fight? Aren''t you exhausted?"


    "I''m good. Let''s catch upter once I''ve finished them all." Vincent wanted to leave immediately after sensing that two other Totemic Barbarians were about to remove the shackles binding them.


    Even though he had already made the Totemic Barbarian vulnerable with his weapon skills, it wasn''t enough to kill them still.


    He needed to finish them by either destroying their hearts or their brains. Even Rem and Tara would actually have difficulty finishing these Totemic Barbarians with their Celestial Weapons alone.


    They were truly tough and capable of using mysterious energy to aid them in battle.


    "B-be careful, Vincent¡­ By the way, it''s me, Millie¡­" She said in a weak voice as Vincent started moving¡­


    He paused for a moment after hearing her name as he couldn''t help but nce back. Unfortunately, he really can''t see Millie right now.


    "So it''s you, Millie! I''m in a hurry but I''ll be back!" Vincent said with a hint of excitement in his voice. He was very happy to know that she was alright... Although he wanted to chat with her, he still has a task he needed to finish.


    He then used his Shrouded Steps as he disappeared into the forest.


    ''It seems that it was truly a good decision to stop the barbarians from taking prisoners to their territory¡­''


    Vincent thought as he left Millie''s group to head back to the forest.


    He wanted to study the two barbarians for a little bit more but he really needed to kill them now.


    Currently, he has five mind techniques that can attack the barbarian''s weak Consciousness Energy, and since he had never fought against these Totemic Barbarians before this, he was still unable to know what kind of technique is truly suited to deal with them.


    This is the reason why one of the three Totemic Barbarians was able to escape and cause trouble for a bit. One of his techniques failed miserably as he realized that not all Mind Techniques were able to stop them.


    The Tranquil Mind Crystal has Soul Shake.


    The Nightbane Robe has Chaos Night.


    The Aura-Forged Mythril Sword has the Fatal Mind.


    The Aura-Forged Orichalcum Sword has the Sword Charm.<sub> </sub>


    The Madness Mask given to him by Ignacy has Hypnosis.


    Unfortunately, he used the mask against the Totemic Barbarian he just killed. The Totemic Barbarian resisted the Hypnosis and was able to escape the Formation Art trapping them in a loop of Mind-Attacking Skills


    The Madness Mask was already an Epic Rank and was enhanced to +9¡­ This level wasn''t low at all but certainly not at the top tier considering Vincent''s current set of items. However, Ascending the mask just proved to be so difficult even with Vincent''s current sess rate.


    Perhaps, he needed to enhance his Ascension Skill to Level 9 before he could push it to the Pseudo-Legendary Rank.


    "Graaahhh!"


    "You''ll regret this!"


    Vincent heard the two Totemic Barbarians as they struggled to get away from the formation art¡­


    ''Hmm¡­ So it took them a lot of time to recover¡­ Let me try something else. Soul Shake for the one on the left and Fatal Mind to the other.''


    Vincent nned and he immediately acted.


    p Apparently, the main reason why his Senior L was able to protect hernd was due to her deep knowledge of Formation Arts.</anda>


    It was at a terrifying level that she could probably fight a hundred Grand Magus at the same time if she was able to prepare beforehand¡­ with enough money of course.


    The materials needed to create the Formations weren''t cheap after all. It requires rare treasures and sometimes even alchemy ingredients.


    Currently, Vincent is using a Looping Formation Art.


    It is a formation that L made in two days and it allows him to cast a skill or any Mana Arts and the Formation''s Effect can loop it almost endlessly as long as its core still has energy¡­


    Although the size or range of this formation is small and it can''t also be moved from its ce, it is still something that Vincent had not thought to exist. He truly found great respect for these Formation Experts.


    ***


    As Vincent was finishing off the two Barbarians, Millie and the other two who simrly know Vincent immediately became friends as they chatted casually.


    "So you''ve met Vincent before when he wasn''t blind yet. I wonder what happened? Do you think it''s because he explored one of the dungeons owned by your family?" Millie asked Cedric as they leisurely returned to the airship.


    "I don''t think so¡­ The guard didn''t report any unusual behavior from Vincent. He was also together with a female warrior so I don''t think it was due to that." Cedric replied as he exined how he met Vincent and thest news he heard about him.


    "I see¡­" Millie replied as she looked at the brawny guy who was helping Cedric when he drained his mana.


    "I''m Pascal¡­ I''m a Magic Craftsman. He was my customer and I could easily recognize him since he had provided me a Mythril Ore to make him a sword. There was no way I could forget that." The man said with a smile recalling how he had advanced his crafting skills thanks to that ore.


    "Hmm¡­ Let''s talk about Vincent next time. We need to check whether this thing can still fly." Ceri interrupted as they arrived at the airship.


    Everyone agreed and they decided to head toward the control room hoping that they could really use this airship toplete their escape.

 Chapter 290 Guests

    "Hmmm? You just finished?"


    Vincent heard Rem''s voice behind him while he was collecting the eyes of the Totemic Barbarians.


    "Well. Something unexpected happened. What about the others?"


    "They''re almost done. Your senior sister''s formation arts are too mysterious. No wonder she had to prepare for seven days for this ambush." Remmented as she looked at the sky.


    Currently, the flying mystics ships carrying the five thousand prisoners and over a thousand barbarians including them were inside a huge barrier that is isting them from the outside world.


    Whatever they do here, no matter how much destruction they made, it wouldn''t be detected by anyone at all¡­ not even a Celestial Being like Rem since they have tried it already.


    If it''s not too costly, Vincent would sure want this formation art as well.


    ck!


    Vincent sealed the jar with the eyeballs as he ced it inside his interspatial ring.


    "My senior sister is indeed impressive. I now understand why she needed to save a lot of money. These formation arts are just too expensive to make." Vincent wryly smiled as he went to Rem''s side.


    "Are you nning to collect all the Barbarians'' eyes?" Rem asked.


    "No way¡­ Only these three Totemic ones¡­ Maybe if the Barbarian Kings'' eyes are still fine, I might consider taking those as well." Vincent said with a little hope.


    "Oh~ That''s true¡­ I''ve experienced 910 and 940''s battle styles and they''re quite brutal. I think that there is no way they would leave their eyes intact." Remmented.


    Over the past two weeks, aside from setting up a trap, they have run several simtions for a sessful operation.


    This includes a duel between the four Celestial Beings so they can all gain an understanding of their strength.


    Of course, Vincent and L weren''t included in this as they would just get seriously hurt.


    "Let''s go¡­ Tara should be waiting for us¡­" Vincent said as their figures disappeared leaving only a trail of wind and dust.


    ***


    Outside the Barrier Formation set up by L¡­


    A group consisting of 20 Grand Knights appeared and started looking around the area. They are swift with their movements and under the cover of the night, they look like calm and cold assassins who were trying to chase their prey.


    However, it wasn''t close to the truth¡­


    "It''s weird¡­ TheaAirships just disappeared around here. Are we going the right way?"


    "Perhaps what we were chasing was a decoy and it already dissipated into thin air? That can be done, right?" A Grand Knight wearing a silver robe voiced his opinion.


    The group just lost the airships they are chasing.


    None of them could understand how the huge Flying Mystic Airships just disappeared from their sensors.


    The silver-robed grand knight who spoke just now basically suggested that the Barbarians have used some kind of trickery to stop anyone from following them.


    This was hard to believe! There was no way that the barbarians have developed this kind of technique. They were a race known to be incapable of wielding such aplicated technique.


    Then, Horatio, the Grand Knight who has the strongest probing skills, tried to continue searching for possible clues around this ce.<sub> </sub>


    A few minutes ago, he was confident that he was able to feel the presence of humans! It''s something that can''t be easily faked especially if there are thousands of them. He believes that they just needed more time to find more clues.


    ''They must be here somewhere¡­ Are they using some underground tunnel? No¡­ Those ships are too big¡­ Don''t tell me¡­''


    This old grand knight realized something as he looked up at the sky. Although no flying airship can be seen, there must be a clue somewhere!


    "Master Horatio¡­ Did you find something?"


    "There might be a clue in the sky. We have to move around and find it."


    "In the sky? Isn''t it empty?"


    The other grand knights had simr thoughts but since Horatio has the finest probing skills among them, they decided to just follow him. In any case, they do not have any better suggestions as well.


    Time passed and as they were thinking of giving up, one of them finally discovered something unusual.


    Their hard work paid off as someone noticed something off with the moonlight''s reflection!


    They finally found one feasible method to hide the huge airships! It wouldn''t be a tunnel or hidden under the canopy of the trees but a Formation Art!


    "It''s huge¡­ Incredible huge¡­ It is probably covering 5 kilometers?" Someone said after studying the formation art for over ten minutes.


    "Just who had managed to set up this kind of formation?"


    "It''s definitely a huge organization¡­ Did they trap the Barbarians inside?"


    "Since it''s not us from the Martial Arts Alliance, it''s probably from the ck Tower."


    They can only conclude this since this ce is still the territory of the ck Tower. However, there is a problem with this conclusion.


    "They consented to this ve transfer to happen. If I''m not mistaken, they received bribes that couldn''t be rejected¡­ I don''t think the Tower Lord will go back to his words."


    Although they don''t like the current Tower Lord, he''s known to be a man of his word and there was no way he would just betray the Barbarians.


    "Master Horatio, what do you think we should do? The Alliance Master only told us to destroy the engines of the airships and force the barbarians to walk¡­ The Nine Paragons should be dealing with them after we''vepleted our job."


    The silver-robed man said with uncertainty as he looked at the oldest Grand Knight. Their group of twenty wasn''t enough to deal with the Barbarians, but they have a special technique to destroy the flight capability of those gigantic airships.


    After using this special technique, the Nine Paragons would deal with the aftermath and will be waiting for the Barbarians to cross the border of the Red Alliance.


    It is quite tedious but this is the best they can do considering the number of people they can mobilize and the number of Barbarians they would have to deal with.


    They needed to tire them out a little bit before they could send their Nine Paragons to guarantee their victory.


    "Let''s just wait for now¡­ If there is a battle going on inside, we need to see the aftermath. Even if we have to wait here for several days." Horatio said with determination¡­


    Whom~


    Their conversation was interrupted as they felt a powerful fluctuation of energy. It ising from the Formation Art!


    "Hmmm? The formation is trembling! Hide quickly!"

 Chapter 291 Control

    Bang! Bang!


    Pascal tried forcefully opening the door of the control room but it was too thick.


    It is only made of wood but for some reason, it feels like he''s hitting a metal door.


    "It doesn''t seem to be reinforced by a formation art. The material used is probably a mystical wood simr to the Undying Tree, Drake Conifer, or Sage Wood. Unfortunately, I can''t appraise it with my current level." Cedric exined.


    He has the Lesser Truth Eyes¡­ It is a Mystic Eye that he can use for appraisal and other things. However, as the name suggests, it''s just a lesser variant. To appraise a higher level item, he would need to boost his Mystic Eyes using a Magic Tool which he doesn''t have right now.


    "It''s alright¡­ The two of us will open it. Just wait for a while." Ceri said as they were still waiting for the pills to take effect.


    Furthermore, there are only four of them right now as the other men went to the storeroom where they could supposedly find some weapons or pieces of equipment they could use.


    "For now, can you tell whether there is someone inside?" She added.


    Cedric thought for a moment before he shook his head. "I can''t tell¡­ My Mystic Eyes doesn''t have that kind of ability."


    Ceri didn''t mind it as she stared at the wooden door. After pondering for a moment, she sighed and revealed her worry.


    "I see¡­ I just want to confirm something. My Primal Sense had noticed some movements inside. However, I''m not sure if I was just mistaken. If someone is hiding inside, they could be one of us but it could also be a Barbarian." She exined as everyone tensed up.


    "You sensed someone inside?" Pascal asked.


    "I''m not sure but after you tried banging it, I sensed a reaction on the other side. It was just for a brief moment though. I might also be mistaken¡­ Ah! Now that I think about it, it could be a reaction from the room''s defensive mechanism."


    There was no way they would ignore this possibility so they decided to be careful about opening this door.


    Although they have not encountered any Barbarians so far, there is still a chance they could find one inside this room.


    Their group then waited for a little while as immense fluctuations of energy suddenly filled the passageway¡­ Ites from both Ceri and Millie! They have finally recovered their strength and it seems that they were even stronger than their original strength!


    "You guys have been hiding your strength?" Cedric asked in shock. This is definitely a strength simr to an Arch Knight! Furthermore, with their current fluctuations of energy, it was as if they were reaching the initial stage of the Grand Knights already!


    "Don''t be too surprised. We consumed a pill and we''re supposed to use this strength to forcefully escape from the Barbarians." Ceri said as she started controlling the leaking energy from her body.


    Millie started doing the same thing as she concentrated for a few seconds¡­


    As soon as they opened their eyes, the violent fluctuations of energy has already disappeared.


    It was at this time the other group arrived. They were carrying a bunch of weapons that they''d found inside the storeroom!


    Seeing that there were a couple of swords among them, Millie and Ceri took it without hesitation.


    As a member of the Primal Sword Sect, their main weapon is obviously a sword. Just by holding one, a sense of security suddenly developed in their minds.


    "Alright¡­ Get back for now¡­ I will cut open the door. Millie, assist me from behind¡­" Ceri instructed and everyone followed without raising any questions.


    Seeing that everyone is in ce, Ceri''s sword glowed with a red light like it was about to burst¡­


    Sshiiiing~


    A swift diagonal sh from the sword was made as a cut was made on the door. It wasn''t enough so she did this three more times!


    As soon as a hole enough to pass was made, they were immediately alerted by a strong fluctuation of energying from within the room.


    "Graaahhh! Die you ves!"<sub> </sub>


    A small barbarian shouted in contempt as he tried grabbing Ceri''s neck.


    It happened so quickly and Ceri didn''t have the time to back away! However, she had at least prepared for an ambush so it didn''t matter!


    Millie took a step forward and a swift vertical sh was made!


    Thud!


    ? The hand of the young barbarian was cut as it dropped to the floor!


    She didn''t end it there¡­ She had actually noticed that this young barbarian has a few tattoos on his body! There were only three or four tattoos on him but this barbarian is definitely special! They can''t give him an opportunity!


    Primal Cleave!


    Millie and Ceri worked together as they killed the young barbarian in just two strikes!


    Bam!


    The huge body of the young barbarian dropped to the floor as everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was a good thing that they could not open the door and had to wait for their weapons to arrive.


    ***


    "There are only three usable airships, huh¡­" Vincent muttered.


    After the four Celestial Beings killed all the Barbarians and Barbarian Kings, L and the others immediately checked the airships and confirmed the number of usable vessels.


    Unfortunately, she had miscalcted the power of her formation art¡­ She was only nning to disrupt the flight engine or cores of the airships but it was greatly damaged instead.


    A simple repair wouldn''t work at all. It has to be recedpletely and although she can work on it, they do not have enough time.


    The Isting Barrier Formation Art she used wouldn''tst forever after all.


    "We can just squeeze all of them inside these three. It''s a pity we can''t take the two other airships¡­ I could sell its parts after dismantling them¡­" L could onlypromise.


    "So we''re going to leave the two flying ships? Shouldn''t we destroy it? They might find some clues about the technique you used." Vincent asked as they headed to one of the vessels.


    "It''s fine¡­ Let''s leave it to the Martial Arts Alliance outside."


    "Martial Arts Alliance? Ah? Are they nning to free the prisoners as well?" Vincent asked. He had almost forgotten what Faviona mentioned to him before.


    From her words, it was likely that the Martial Arts Alliance wouldn''t allow the Red Alliance to capture humans. Unlike the ck Tower which can ept bribes, the Martial Arts Alliance has its pride and wouldn''t easilypromise with the Barbarians.


    "That''s right¡­ In any case, call a few leaders of the airships. We need to have a short meeting¡­" L said as she looked at the freed prisoners.


    Soon, a group of twelve people gathered in front of Vincent and Yulia.


    From the looks of it, they were quite famous people in the Kingdom.


    Furthermore, among these twelve, three of them were acquainted with Vincent.


    They were Yvette Marshall, Cedric Schuman, and Luc Diederich¡­

 Chapter 292 Move

    Under L''s leadership, the next events went smoothly.


    After they heard that they would be sent to a territory of a fellow human, they finally eased up. Furthermore, they were able to calm down after reuniting with their family or rtives that are on the other flying ships.


    ''I hope we can safelyplete this task¡­''


    While everyone was boarding the three avable airships, Vincent couldn''t help but be concerned about what was about to happen.


    Once they leave the Isting Barrier, they would be exposed to the outside world. Even after L''s massive preparations, the beguiling formation core that she has would only allow the airships to be undetectable for 10 minutes.


    It means that they have to use this Formation in the most crucial moment.


    Nevertheless, this is much better than his n if ever he''s the only one who nned to save them.


    "Vincent¡­ Did you notice something off?"


    His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he heard L''s voice.


    "Something off?" Vincent tried recalling the past event but he could only shake his head.


    "Hey, did you forget about the report? It was said that the prisoners should be about five thousand people¡­ Why are there only less than four thousand here?"


    "Ahh¡­"


    Vincent finally recalled as he used his Soul Sense immediately. Of course, he can''t count them exactly but he has a rough estimate of what five thousand souls feels like.


    "You''re right¡­ Let''s ask someone if they know something."


    Vincent immediately found Yvette and called for her.


    Yvette was a graceful woman he had encountered before. He can remember her as a brte with pale skin and green eyes¡­ It was such a shame that he couldn''t see her right now.


    "It''s been a long time Vincent. I didn''t think that you would be this strong¡­ my knight¡­" Yvette said with a teasing voice.


    Vincent was confused at first but he immediately recalled how he saved this youngdy before and how he got his Honorary Knight title from her father.


    "You''re right¡­ I''m still an honorary knight of the Marshall Family. But this is quite confusing¡­ I thought that the Marshall Family has connections with the Martial Arts Alliance¡­ You guys were supposed to be protected by them, right?"


    "Oh, you know that too?" Yvette was shocked but after thinking about it. It would indeed not be surprising considering how strong he had gotten. Vincent must have a backer that could give him such information.


    "Ehem¡­ You''re correct. My Marshall Family is indeed connected to the Martial Arts Alliance. I only learned about this from my father after the Duke took control of the kingdom and left our county from his purge."


    Vincent was silent as he allowed her to continue.


    "However, the Barbarians don''t seem to care about this at all¡­ They decided tounch an attack and even our Celestial Being almost perished. She can only bring my father and my siblings to escape¡­ I was left behind and captured."


    Yvette exined what happened in a few words but Vincent could tell that it wasn''t that simple.


    ''Will there be a war between the Red Alliance and Martial Arts Alliance soon?''<sub> </sub>


    Vincent mused but as he remembered the real reason he called for her, he immediately brushed these thoughts aside.


    "It must''ve been difficult for you. It''s a good thing that you managed to survive. Right, can you tell me what happened to the others? We received a report that there should be about five thousand prisoners being transported¡­"


    After hearing this, Yvette bitterly smiled.


    To be honest, she wasn''t sure about what happened to them and could only specte. This spection is simr to the conclusion that Millie and the others had made.


    She exined everything to Vincent including theck of food given to them¡­ They are all starving right now and they were just barely holding on thanks to the abundant source of mana around them. Although it can''t fill their satiety, it is giving them some strength to continue moving.


    L, who was listening from the side, couldn''t help but clench her fist in anger.


    Humans were possibly eaten by the barbarians!


    Although they do not have proof, it is not impossible to happen since she already heard about this before.


    However, it was only used to scare children¡­ No one had really seen barbarians eating humans.


    "They all deserve to die¡­ We need to avenge them. Vincent, don''t you think that we should annihte the barbarians this time?" L suddenly asked Vincent as her anger rose.


    "Calm down, Second Sister¡­ We can talk about it after saving all these starving people¡­ We''ve also exhausted our strength right now."


    "Ahhh¡­ That''s right."


    Vincent wryly smiled as he knows that it was close to impossible to defeat the Red Alliance with just theirbined strength. It must be remembered that these Barbarians were able to send Celestial Beings to the 15th Tower for the continuation of the Celestial Incarnation Project.


    It means that still have secrets unknownst to them.


    <o>,m ***</o>


    After about fifteen minutes of preparation, the airships are finally ready to leave. The 12 selected leaders were divided into three groups as they were tasked to control the airships''mand center.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    The Isting Barrier Formation started breaking as L controlled it to disintegrate. If she did not do this, the airships wouldn''t be able to pass through.


    Boom!


    An explosion that sounded like a st of thunder urred¡­


    Just like that, the Formation Art that is worth over 500,000 gold coins was destroyed. This may sound a bit cheap ifpared to other expensive things like the price of an Epic Weapon, but this is because L was the one who made it. If Vincent would decide to hire her to create a simr Formation Art, he might even be charged about ten million gold coins.


    Haa~


    L sighed as she saw her masterpiece break into many pieces.


    Vincent saw this and could somehow understand how she feels. Nevertheless, he decided to remain silent as he ordered the leaders to control the airships and head in the direction of L''s territory.

 Chapter 293 Night

    The news about the sudden disappearance of the five flying airships within the eastern border of the ck Tower Organization spread like a wildfire.


    Numerous magicians, knights, hunters, and even journalists arrived at the scene to see what was left behind.


    There, they saw the burnt corpses of the Barbarians and the wreckage of the two aircraft that would normally cost millions of mana crystals to make.


    Many things can certainly be salvaged from this wreckage but no one was daring to touch it. It was simply because a group of Archons apanied by a few Barbarians preserved the scene forter investigations.


    "I demand an exnation from your Tower Lord! Are you looking down on us?!"


    Not too far from the "crime scene", a group of five powerful Archons was having a discussion with five angry representatives of the Red Alliance. They are in a temporary camp surrounded by several guards.


    It wasn''t unexpected that the barbarians of the Red Alliance are fuming right now since not only thousands of them were killed silently, even the only heir of their current Alliance Leader was killed in this ambush.


    Apparently, the young barbarian that was killed by Millie and Ceri was the next leader of the Red Alliance.


    He had unfortunately perished and there was no way they would easily let this go easily.


    Someone must pay an appropriate price!


    "We understand your concern, Representative Praedr¡­ We are also concerned about this incident as this breaches the security protocol of our organization. We wanted to know the culprit as well as you do. Right now, we have sent someone to bring the divination Magic Artifact to find out who''s trying to tarnish our reputation¡­" Archon Florian said as he appealed to the raging barbarian.


    "That''s right, Representative. I think we are being falsely used here. This might even be their n in the first ce. Perhaps they want us to fight each other and weaken our forces. We have to calm down. Let''s just wait for the Divination Artifact to arrive¡­" Archon Cezary tried to exin in a calm manner.


    He knows that confronting this barbarian with the same level of anger will just escte the issue. He needed to


    These two Archons were the ones who were previously nning to recruit Vincent to their faction. Currently, they were tasked by the Tower Lord to investigate what has happened here and ensure that if the culprit is actually a member of the ck Tower, they must not reveal this to anyone.


    What the Tower Lord all cares about is the reputation of their organization. Anything that could tarnish his name must be erased.


    ''Should we just me the Martial Art Alliance?'' Florian thought as he didn''t really want to investigate this matter. In any case, he believes that nothing will happen if they med the Martial Arts Alliance for this incident.


    The two organizations weren''t ready to escte this matter into war¡­ Perhaps, the Red Alliance would send some barbarians to intimidate the Martial Arts Alliance to give up the culprit but that would be it¡­


    "Fine! Let''s wait for that divination artifact¡­ But we will also investigate in our own way so tell your men not to touch anything on the site." Praedr said as he could onlypromise.


    Although he really wanted to start a war because of this incident, he knows that he can''t decide on behalf of the Alliance Leader¡­


    He was sent here because he''s one of the most reasonable members of the Barbarian Race. He must prove what he''s capable of and try to resolve this matter by getting the most out of this situation.


    ''Should I ask them to give us the five thousand ves instead aspensation? No, it should be ten thousand. There should be over twenty million people within their territory. Ten thousand lives shouldn''t matter to them that much.'' Praedr thought as he was already considering what he would offer at the negotiation table¡­


    ***<sub> </sub>


    The aftermath of this incident no longer mattered to Vincent.


    Currently, in the northernnds, a huge city owned by the Tower Lord''s Second Disciple is currently bustling with activity. With the sudden addition of about four thousand people, L has be too busy helping everyone settle down¡­


    Her Nidite City only has about 10 thousand people after all.


    The sudden increase was just too much for her administrators to handle so she has to assist as much as she can.


    Luckily, she had already ordered them to prepare for this event and made some preparations.


    "Hey, Vincent! Go and tell Master Ignacy that you want to get yournd already¡­ Take these people with you¡­ Since you''re all from the Tudor Kingdom as you said, it should be a lot easier for them." L said as she exhaustedly seated on her couch.


    She actually didn''t mind having them all here as well but he was also considering Vincent''s feelings.


    The two of them are currently at the Municipal Hall of the city. This is also where Vincent and his group are staying at the moment.


    "It''s not that easy¡­ Although I have plenty of money right now, I realized that I still need to save more."


    "So you''re also having an issue with money, huh."


    ''Well, not as much as you do¡­'' Vincent thought as he was considering selling some of his Pseudo-Legendary Items¡­


    However, he immediately shook his head. Pseudo-Legendary Items are too precious and if they got into the wrong hands, chaos might happen.


    He might only consider selling them if it''s an emergency or it would bring him more benefits, like trading them with precious items that he needed.


    As of now, he might have the money to purchasend but not to build something out of it¡­ He needed more money!


    ''I should collect more Epic Items I guess¡­ Ah, there is also another option.''


    "You''ve mentioned that the ce you''ve suggested has a gold mine, right? Do you think I''ll get permission to mine it if I purchase thend?" Vincent asked with renewed excitement.


    "Yes! You just have to kill the Magic Beasts living there. That''s a difficult task since they are Flying Beasts. Even a Grand Magus would be helpless if they don''t have enough skills to hunt flying creatures. Do you want my help? I''m pretty sure mind attacks don''t work against those magic beasts¡­"


    "It''s alright¡­ I will handle it. I''ll speak with the tower lord as quickly as possible to get permission." Vincent said as he nned to leave the Nidite City¡­


    "Ah! Before that, can you tell why this city is called Nidite?" Vincent asked as he was curious about his senior''s naming sense. Furthermore, he''s nning to create a territory as well so he must consider getting better at naming things.


    "Eh? You don''t know her? Are you serious? She''s the Goddess of Night!"

 Chapter 294 Nidite

    Vincent has already heard about the existence of the goddesses so he wasn''t too surprised about that. What he didn''t know are the names of these mighty beings.


    Even during the Arcane Mysteries ss, they were only referred to by their titles such as the goddess of wisdom, wind, or light¡­ The only exception was Asione, the Goddess of Life and Death as her name has spread far and wide.


    "Nidite¡­ The goddess of night. It sounds cool. I mean, why did you choose her? Are you worshipping her?" Vincent curiously asked.


    L smiled at the question as she already expected this reaction.


    "Yes¡­ You can say so. It wasn''t obvious but I wanted to make a statue of her but I''m worried that I may not portray her beauty properly and bring shame to her name¡­"


    Vincent perked up after hearing this as he asked what happened to her and how she got herself connected to Goddess Nidite¡­


    "Heh~ You want to know more about me, huh¡­ You should also tell me a story about you."


    "Of course!" Vincent answered without hesitation.


    "Very well¡­ Listen to me. Before I became a sessful mana practitioner, I previously trained as a Soul Arts Practitioner. I basically inherited a visualization technique from my family... After further research conducted by my ancestors, they learned that the goddess we are visualizing is the Goddess of Night, Nidite¡­ I believed that as well."


    "Did you also find proof that she''s Nidite?"


    "Probably¡­ Whenever I tried to call for her name, the visualization bes clearer. Especially during the night. Furthermore, there were times I was able to feel her presence. It happened when I found an altar from ancient times¡­ It''s unfortunate that it was already destroyed."


    L revealed with a bitter smile but Vincent felt excited. The story about the altar feels simr to his experience.


    "Incredible¡­ Can you tell me a bit about her appearance?"


    "Hmm¡­ Appearance? She''s really beautiful with her shining purple hair¡­ Unfortunately, I don''t have talent in Soul Arts Cultivation. I''m only a 2-Star Aura Knight. So my visualization isn''t perfect."


    "A purple hair¡­ It''s different from the goddess I''m seeing in my visualization method¡­"


    "Really? Which one?"


    Vincent shook his head at this. He knows the name of one of the goddesses aside from Nidite but he''s unsure whether she is the one appearing in his visualization method.


    "Do you know of Asione? Based on what I learned in my ss, she''s the goddess of Life and Death." Vincent asked.


    "Asione? I''ve heard of her. However, I only remember that she''s the goddess of death¡­ Does she also rule life? I forgot. Well, it''s not like people had seen them personally. The knowledge about the gods and goddesses was only discovered in the dungeons. Most of the ancient text discovered were difficult to decipher and there are many interpretations." L exined as she stared at the ceiling whilefortably lying on the couch¡­


    "That makes sense then¡­ Right, since there are several visualization methods¡­ Does it equate to the number of gods and goddesses? What do you think?"


    "Who knows? The families who have visualization methods wouldn''t let it show in public. It''s considered to be their precious secret."


    "That''s true." Vincent smiled as he epted this exnation. In any case, it doesn''t change the fact that the existence of the gods and goddesses is real.<sub> </sub>


    "Do you know any other goddesses?"


    p "You''re curious, huh¡­"</anda>


    "Well, will you believe me if the reason I''ve been blind is because of one of the goddesses?"


    "Haha¡­ Are you telling me that you''re one of the cursed children? Just what sin have youmitted? Well, kidding aside, I''m pretty sure they can no longermunicate with us mortals after the First Rapture¡­ I don''t think a goddess would blind you. Perhaps a demon found you being naughty and blinded you."


    "First Rapture?" Vincent repeated ignoring herst words. He learned in the Arcane Mysteries ss the details of the Second Rapture but not the First Rapture. The only information he got about this is a bloody war that is just too vague.


    "Yes¡­ Unlike the Second Rapture which is quite detailed, the First Rapture only has bits of information¡­ There was no proof but many people believed that this was a war where the gods and goddesses of this world had to fight against many evils trying to dirty this world. Any survivors of this war can only be called immortals¡­"


    L spoke nonchntly as this information isn''t reliable as well.  During ancient times, recording history isn''t a thing so it was difficult to deduce what really happened.


    Of course, she knows a few more things about this, after doing her own research but she decided not to say it for now.


    Vincent wanted to ask more but a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.


    "Leader, the shipment of fabrics from Grandon Ait has arrived. Do you want to check it with me?" L''s secretary spoke from behind the door.


    "Oh? They''re here already! I''ll go!" L sat up with excitement as she fixed her clothes.


    "Grandon Ait?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ It''s a small ind that''s trading with us with inexpensive fabrics¡­ There are three small inds out there where I''m doing trade. Hehe¡­ Isn''t my port city awesome? If you get your own territory, I''ll let you join my One Sea Merchant Union."


    "You established that union? That sounds great..." Vincent replied. He already knows that this city is arge producer of Formation Cores and some convenient magic tools, so getting supplies from them is certainly a good idea.


    Furthermore, he had already seen the power of her Formation Arts so he wouldn''t doubt its quality at all. Enhancing a top-tier item is so much better than enhancing a bottom-tier item after all.


    In addition, the reason why he''s also nning to establish his territory is to make a safe haven for himself. Just from the prophecy of the blond goddess and the secrets he had discovered recently, he already knows that this world is about to fall into another chaos or perhaps, the Third Rapture. He needed to be prepared.


    He doesn''t know exactly when but he feels that it''s getting closer and closer¡­


    After a while, Vincent was left in the municipal hall as he finally decided to visit Millie¡­ They were both quite busy after arriving in this territory but now that things have calmed down, he felt that it was about time to hear what happened to his other childhood friends¡­


    Haa~


    Vincent sighed.


    He doesn''t have a good feeling about this but he wanted to learn what happened.

 Chapter 295 Invitation

    "Millie, what are you doing here?"


    Ceri asked after noticing that Millie was lost in her thoughts again. She''s currently looking at the huge water wheel close to their house but Ceri knows that her thoughts was wandering elsewhere.


    They have just finished their hunting mission outside the city.


    This is the job they received from one of the administrators after they have shown their swordsmanship. After submitting the various parts of the savage beasts, they were able to have a stable ie. They weren''t earning a lot but this allows them to stay within the city and live a simple life in their thatched house.


    Of course, this is just temporary as they heard that the city lord has ns for them. It appears that they are still settling the aftermath of the battle as the Barbarians must be looking for them everywhere.


    About 4000 people have disappeared after all. There were also numerous barbarians that were killed. There was no way those barbarians would just ignore everything considering the price they paid for getting those flying airships and traveling in a farawaynd.


    They have put so much effort into this so it wouldn''t be surprising if they used all their resources just to find them¡­


    "Ceri, how long do you think we can stay here?" Millie asked as she was uncertain about their future right now. She''s not even sure whether she wanted to return to the Tudor Kingdom or just live a different life now that the Primal Sword Sect was destroyed.


    "I don''t know. However, I think we will find the answer now."


    "Huh?"


    Millie looked confused. She then realized that Ceri is looking somewhere else and followed her gaze.


    "Vincent!"


    Millie jumped up and immediately ran toward him.


    She was excited. She wanted to hug Vincent but she still stopped in front of him as she tried to suppress her emotions. Looking back, there were so many times he thought of him.


    She actually waited for Vincent to visit them in the Primal Sword Sect only to be disheartened every day¡­ Nevertheless, she didn''t forget all the fond memories she had with him and the others.


    "You''ve grown taller..." Milliemented.


    "Yes. And you¡­ you''ve be prettier."


    p "Hmph¡­ Aren''t you supposed to be blind? Or maybe with blurry vision? How can you see my appearance?"</anda>


    "Ahh¡­ I can feel it." Vincent sheepishly smiled as he changed the topic.


    "How about Kiefer, Vivian, and the others?" He asked.


    Millie took a deep breath after hearing this question.


    She then gathered her thoughts for a moment before she replied to Vincent.


    "I''m sure that Kiefer and Vivian are still somewhere in the kingdom¡­ As for Kian, Gerard, and Tristan, they have decided to join the new government. They were recruited and left the sect before the war even started. They said that they wanted to get revenge and destroy the Lucius n from the inside¡­"


    Millie further exined that after training within the sect, her hatred of the n has already dissipated. Instead of aiming for revenge, she''d rather try to live a normal life just like what her parents wanted. She just wanted to have the strength capable of protecting herself.


    She''s clearly aware that the Lucius n has Celestial Beings that are out of her reach. She believes that no matter what level of strength they attain, there was no way they could fight a Celestial Being. Perhaps they could put a draw against an unnumbered Celestial once they reached the level of a Grand Knight but that''s it.<sub> </sub>


    In any case, she didn''t stop her friends as revenge was what drove them to train harder and reach a higher levelpared to their peers.


    Millie then continued¡­ "Unfortunately for me, I only have an average talent in swordsmanship so I''m really struggling even when I was still within the sect¡­" She weakly said.


    "That''s not true¡­ You''re hardworking Millie. Although it indeed takes more time for you to master our Sword Art, you''re good at perfecting these techniques once you learned them." Ceri suddenly said on the side.


    This was actually the first time she heard about Millie''s past. She noticed that Millie was indeed close to the other disciples of the sect she named just now but she didn''t think they all came from a small vige.


    From the looks of it, the Lucius n seem to have done something to their vige which drove them to join the Primal Sword Sect.


    Vincent encouraged her as well and promised to help her in any way.


    ''It''s a good thing that the others are all alive and perhaps doing well.'' Vincent thought as he sighed in relief.


    He couldn''t help but admire his childhood friends. His memories of the vigers were a bit vague to him so he wasn''t able to feel the emotions that his friends had.


    Of course, it doesn''t mean that he had already forgiven the Lucius n for ultimately killing his grandfather. He just didn''t have the chance all this time since he decided to meet his fianc¨¦ first.


    Unfortunately, before he could find Corrine Lucius, the archmage who was the culprit of that incident, he hase here to Parasol Continent to cure his blinded vision.


    "Do you want to join me, Millie? I have a small estate in another city. I also have transportation we can safely use for travel¡­ Currently, I''m nning to build my territory¡­ If possible, I want you to be a part of it."


    "Oh~ Won''t you invite me as well?" Ceri immediately said after hearing the invitation. It''s not that she hated here but this ce already has too many people. It will also be a bit boring once Millie left.


    Lastly, she felt that Vincent appears too mysterious and she wanted to learn more about him.


    "Of course¡­ How about it, Millie?"


    Millie smiled as the answer should be obvious.


    "Let''s go¡­ Where is this safe transportation of yours?"


    Vincent then brought the two to where his Vermillion Hawk was docked. They didn''t have to bring many things anyway.


    "Whoa~"


    Seeing the crimson and bird-like aircraft in front of them, Millie and Ceri couldn''t help but be amazed.


    "You''re rich? Or is this cheap in this country? Our kingdom doesn''t even have one of these!"


    Ceri eximed as she can tell how good this was based on her Primal Sense.


    "I just traded an item to get it. It should be quite expensive if I purchase it." Vincent answered as he showed them the inside of the aircraft. He was quite proud of it and was fond of Ceri''s reaction.


    After a while, he met L to bid his farewell as he needed to return to the First Tower¡­


    His duel with Karsten is getting close.

 Chapter 296 Security

    "Vincent, do you already have a family?" Millie suddenly asked while they are traveling. She was a bit hesitant to ask this question but she really wanted an answer to this.


    Their group is currently in the Vermillion Hawk. Rem and Tara were tasked to pilot this time while Vincent, Ceri, and Millie were in the passenger seat.


    "Huh?" Vincent was surprised at the unexpected question.


    "Ugh¡­ I mean, why do you have your own estate? Who are the people living there? I''m just curious since we''re about to go there. I need to know about them."


    "Ahh¡­ It''s like that. Don''t worry about it. I''ll introduce you to themter. In any case, no¡­ I don''t have a family. I almost had one because my parents arranged something for me but I already settled it."


    Vincent answered.


    Millie was a bit confused by the answer but she decided to just let it go.


    "How about a cksmith? Do you have a cksmith there? I really want a customized sword. I can''t use some techniques of my Primal Sword Art with the swords from Nidite City¡­ They''re not thick enough."


    Ceri said as she looked at the sword on her waist with a helpless smile.


    Vincent also checked the sword with his senses and realized something.


    It is a standard sword used by many knights but indeed, it is quite different from the Arcane-Forged Primal Sword that he received from the elder of the Sect. He got it when he helped the Primal Sword Sect''s caravan before and is still within his interspatial ring.


    "We don''t have a cksmith yet. But we will certainly have lots of them once I get my territory. Don''t worry, you will get your swords."


    "Really? That''s great¡­ I''ll pay for it once we''re earning already."


    "Hmm¡­ Instead of that kind of payment, it would be great if you could train some of our people as well. There are five great talents in the residence but they do not have a sword teacher. If you can teach them some basics about swords, that would be great."


    Vincent said as he started naming the people within the residence. He didn''t borate on their identities since they will be meetingter on but it should at least give them some impression about the Ster Residence.


    "It''s a ce filled with talent! Are you sure you can invite us? I think we''re not talented enough." Ceri said with worry while Vincent was unsure whether she was just teasing him or not.


    It seems that Ceri has an impression that only those talented can join the Ster Residence.


    "It''s not like that¡­ They were a bit special. Ahh¡­ It''s better if they''re the ones to tell you about their condition. In any case, I''m sure they''ll be happy if they learn from sword experts. Their current teacher is a Mana Practitioner after all."


    Vincent said referring to Yulia. Although Yulia knows some Martial Arts after being taught within the Zemin n, it was only at an intermediate stage. However, her sword skills are only at the beginner level so Yulia decided to just teach them some Martial Arts instead of Sword Arts. She doesn''t want to embarrass herself after all.


    Soon, the Vermillion Hawk arrived in the vicinity of the city.


    Surprisingly, they were stopped by the Sky Guards this time! This has never happened before!


    Within the cockpit, Rem and Tara received amunication request so they called Vincent for assistance. They can''t deal with this kind of thing.


    "Tell us your name and affiliation¡­"


    This is what Vincent heard from themunication crystal as soon as he entered the cockpit.


    "I''m Vincent. The Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord." He kept it simple. He''s unsure about the sudden tight security so it''s better to cooperate and say less.<sub> </sub>


    There was silence from the other side as if they were trying to verify his words.


    Currently, Vincent was able to sense ten Dragon Riders following their aircraft. They were equipped with Magic Tools that seems to be capable of shooting down their aircraft.


    ? Of course, this might only be possible if he hadn''t enhanced the aircraft.


    However, now that it''s already a +10 Epic item, there was no way it would be taken down by those weapons.


    "We have confirmed your identity. However, there is still an inspection that must be done. Please follow the Sky Guards and they will lead you to the inspection site."


    "Understood."


    Vincent agreed without hesitation. In any case, he doesn''t have anything to hide. He also wanted to know what was going on since the security before wasn''t this strict. If there was some sort of incident he missed, he wanted to hear about it.


    They then followed the Sky Guards to a huge field where 10 or so aircraft were currently being inspected.


    All of them were quiterger than Vincent''s aircraft as they seem to be carrying heavy cargo.


    As soon as theynded, an officer informed them not to go out yet since the inspection with the other vessels was still ongoing.


    It seems that there are only two inspection teams and they have to wait for a while.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was informed why they are doing this so he was very patient¡­


    "The gue has reached the other towers already?" Vincent muttered.


    A few weeks ago, Vincent encountered Azer''s team as they collected a special flower to cure the people who were affected by a certain gue.


    During that time, he didn''t think too much of it since only the 22 and 24 Towers were affected. They were quite far from the first tower and as he understood, strong mana practitioners would not get affected by the gue at all.


    After about 10 minutes, Vincent noticed amotion happening outside and immediately checked it using his senses.


    His sudden sweep of Mana Sense and Soul Sense was noticed by both Millie and Ceri who had trained their Primal Sense to a certain level. They then tried to find out what was happening outside as they looked through the window.


    There, they witnessed a group of people being taken by Medical Practitioners! They didn''t look well and were surrounded by heavily armed guards who were also wearings masks while observing the situation.


    It seems an infected person was found in that aircraft.


    After five more minutes, the inspection team finally began checking the passengers of the Vermillion Hawk.


    The inspection officer is apanied by two medical practitioners and three security escorts. They were all wearing protective masks and they appear quite intimidating.


    They immediately checked the identities of the people inside and realized something.


    "Hmm? We have no records of these two people."

 Chapter 297 Return

    Of course, they were referring to both Ceri and Millie.


    Vincent didn''t panic as he immediately provided them with an exnation.


    "We''vee from Nidite City. That ce is my senior sister''s territory. I selected these two to be my apprentices in the tower after her rmendation."


    Vincent said as he showed his Blue Emblem to remind them of his status.


    Within the ck Tower, a Gray or Yellow emblem allows you to bring one apprentice to receive your que. They can simrly enter and leave the tower as long as they are carrying this item.


    As for those with Blue Emblem, they are allowed to get two apprentices at most.


    Since the official member will shoulder the responsibility if the apprentices did something wrong within the tower, they would normally choose to take in a servant instead of a real apprentice.


    "Apprentices from Nidite City?"


    The inspection officer immediately checked something in his records.


    "There''s no report of gue in the city¡­ That''s a good start. Anyway, we will still check everyone''s condition. I hope you can all cooperate with our medical team." The officer said as he looked at the people behind him. He realized that Vincent had good taste after carefully observing the two beautiful women.


    Vincent, on the other hand, did not refuse to receive a medical checkup but he wanted to know what was the situation outside.


    "Can I ask for a bit of information about this gue? I want to know its symptoms and possible effects on our bodies."


    The officer thought for a moment before nodding his head.


    In any case, he is talking with the Tower Lord''s disciple so it''s just a matter of time before thetter knows the full situation.


    With that in mind, he decided to exin the disease so he can at least gain his favor.


    Vincent then learned that the spreading disease was suspected to be a pneumonic gue. Aside frommon symptoms like fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough, there is also blistering and severe eye discharge.


    Currently, they have named the gue as ck Decay. It was mainly because people who are in severe conditions can see parts of their bodies decay over time before they die.


    Because the ck Tower never encountered this kind of disease before and most diseases are cured by alchemist recovery potions and pills, they underestimated the gue as it spread to twelve more ck Towers.


    There were now fourteen towers affected.


    This had obviously rmed the remaining towers and immediately tightened the security of their territories.


    "Is there a cure already?" Vincent asked.


    "Unfortunately, it is still in the developing stage. The most that we could do right now is to suppress the symptoms. If they''re already in a severe state, we''ll need to use a special flower to cure them¡­ but getting this flower is too difficult." The officer said as he sighed after recalling the steep price of this flower.


    Vincent understood that he was referring to the Dispelling Death Flower that the others were collecting.


    ''The Silent Creek Dungeon must be very busy, huh¡­'' He mused.


    Most likely, only those very rich people could purchase the petals of the flower. Sacrificing two Magic Beasts Cores to get a single flower is too expensive after all.


    Furthermore, defeating the golem wasn''t easy for average explorers as well. There was no way they would set the price low for such an item.<sub> </sub>


    Ten minutes had passed before the medical team confirmed that everyone is safe. Vincent also noticed that they looked weirdly at Tara and Rem but didn''t say anything.


    ''Did they get surprised by their physique?'' Vincent mused.


    After they were released, they left the dockyard and moved the Vermillion Hawk to the front court of the Ster Residence as Calidia and the others weed them with smiles on their faces.


    ''Hmm? Avian Lion isn''t here? Did someone use it?'' Vincent thought after realizing that his other airship can''t be seen in the vicinity of the estate.


    Anyway, it shouldn''t be a big deal so he looked at Calidia.


    "Calidia, give these two a room they can use. They''ll be the sword teachers of Lar and the others. Millie, Ceri, I''ll be a bit busy so please follow her for now. She''ll also tour you around the ce."


    "Yes, sir Vincent¡­" Calidia said as she approached Millie and Ceri and introduced herself.


    Millie and Ceri epted this arrangement without question as they followed the young and beautifuldy.


    Vincent then turned to Yulia¡­


    "Was it tomorrow?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ Karsten wanted the battle to happen in the arena within the Tower. He also didn''t want many people to watch so he mentioned that you can only bring two people to witness the battle aside from the referee working in the tower.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s good¡­ I should bring Millie and Ceri to the tower as well."


    <o>,m "Eh? Are you not going to bring Celestial Tara and Celestial Rem? I think that Karsten might bring their two Celestial Beings instead." Yulia worriedly said.</o>


    "It should be fine. We''re inside the tower anyway. If we''re outside, I might be worried and bring more than just Rem and Tara." Vincent answered with confidence.


    Since they are inside the Tower, Vincent grew more confident in this battle. After all, he knows how the Tower Lord can be protective of his disciples in a certain way.


    Noticing that Vincent already made his decision, Yulia stopped persuading Vincent as she mentioned another matter¡­


    "Have you heard about the gue spreading throughout various towers?" Yulia suddenly asked catching Vincent''s attention.


    "Yes¡­ What about it?"


    "I think Severin had a breakthrough and he wants to meet you. He was able to get a blood sample from one of the patients and¡­ well, you know he''s a poison expert¡­ He did his thing and it seems that he believes that he found a way to cure the disease even by not using the Dispelling Death Flower¡­ However, he mentioned that it''s not very effective for those patients with severe symptoms¡­ You can ask him for more details about it." Yulia said as she''s not really a medicine expert and couldn''t give more information about it.


    "Oh¡­ He wants my help?" Vincent immediately realized what Severin wanted.


    Yulia also approved of this as she added.


    "I think so too¡­ It''s not a secret among us that you have an incredible modification ability¡­ It''s probably a Tier 4 gift or something, right? In any case, that''s how it is."


    Vincent nodded. He didn''t really hide his skills from these two. Even the Followers of Qheglena already have an idea about the gift or talent he possesses. Just the unusual improvement of the products being sold in the Beacon Magic Shop is already enough to trigger their suspicion.


    In any case, if it''s true that they have a solution to end this gue, then they could certainly find the budget to build their territory!

 Chapter 298 Cure

    Vincent immediately went to find Severin.


    Once he arrived in theboratory, he noticed that Rudy and Boeres doing something at the workbench while Severin had passed out on a couch in the corner of the room.


    He seemed to be extremely tired so he should be having his rest.


    "Ahh¡­ Sir Vincent." Rudy was the first to notice Vincent.


    He''s already neen years but his height is about the same as Vincent''s. This seems to be the side of the experimentation done to his body when he ''received'' his Precision Eyes from the crazy doctors of the 15th Tower.


    On the other hand, Boeres is quite skinny but it seems to have something to do with his dark hands¡­


    While Rudy has a Mystic Eye, Boeres has Mystic hands or called the Rippling Hands that sseem to be very useful in alchemy.


    They both politely greeted Vincent and exined that Severin has not been sleeping for three whole days and only found the time to take a rest today.


    "It seems that I arrived at an inappropriate time¡­ Anyway, Yulia mentioned that you guys were developing a cure for ck Decay. Is that true?"


    "Yes, sir Vincent. Here are thetest samples we''ve made." Rudy said as he pointed at the five bottles that they just made.


    "I see¡­ Can I have one?''


    "Of course!" Boeres answered.


    Vincent immediately came here to confirm whether they can use this cure to be rich and solve their money problem.


    As soon as he held one of the bottles containing a red liquid, he used his Appraisal Skill without any hesitation.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ You have discovered a Bottle of Fairer Potion. ]


    [ A Bottle of Fairer Potion ]


    [ Grade: Middle


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Description: A magical liquid made from the essence of Crimson Guava, Cold Finger Leaf, powdered Fair m Shell, and variousmon alchemy ingredients. It is capable of greatly improving the respiratory and digestive systems of the human body. It has a weak effect on improving the consumer''s integumentary system.


    This potion is ineffective in curing internal injuries caused by Mana but it can provide weak protection from possible external harm caused by Mana.


    The potion''s effect had a high chance of increasing up to 15% if consumed directly instead of applying it to the skin.


    Remarks: Every sessful enhancement will improve the effectiveness of the potion. ]


    "Oh~ This is indeed a decent one."


    Vincentmented after seeing the effects of the potion.


    This potion can actually improve the condition of the respiratory system! This is the most important thing considering the symptoms caused by the current pneumonic gue!


    Once the respiratory system was taken care of, the other symptoms like blistering and eye discharge can be cured by many other diluted recovery potions.


    Hearing Vincent''s approval, Rudy and Boeres couldn''t help but smile as they looked at their master.<sub> </sub>


    It was unfortunate that Severin is napping right now and he didn''t hear Vincent''s praise.


    "I''ll take all thepleted ones. I''ll modify it to make it better."


    "Ahh! That''s great, Sir Vincent. Master Severin mentioned this to us as well. He said that you''ll be doing the finishing touches¡­ Right, Sir Yasin also had contact with a few patients affected by ck Decay. We can ask for his help to see the effectiveness of the potion."


    "Yasin? So you guys are already prepared for this, huh¡­ That''s good. If it can really cure the people affected by the gue, do you have an idea how much this should be sold to the public?" Vincent asked.


    This time, Rudy and Boeres couldn''t answer and only mentioned that Yasin might be able to help.


    After asking a few more questions about the potion, Vincent left theboratory.


    He also brought the three boxes of the said potion or a total of 300 Fairer Potions in his interspatial ring.


    Right now, he''s thinking of his next moves.


    ''After enhancing and putting them to test, I should ask Master Ignacy and perhaps Miss Faviona for the permission and authenticity of this potion.''


    Although getting Ignacy''s permission is enough to circte the medicine, people may not purchase it if the Alchemy Union hasn''t proven its authenticity yet. People might be afraid of trying it even if it''s already on the shelves of various pharmacies and shops.


    With that in mind, he felt more excited and wanted to just start enhancing the potions in his possession.


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent felt refreshed.


    Although he spent all his Pseudo-Celestial Energyst night and only recovered half of his energy now, he doesn''t feel ufortable at all.


    He''s looking forward to the start of the distribution of the potion Severin and his team made. To do that, he has to quickly finish dealing with Karsten and get Yasin to test out the potions on the patients that he knows.


    ''Right¡­ I don''t have to be there for the testing¡­ I can just give them a sample potion so they can test it.'' Vincent thought as he felt quite confident with the +9 version of the Fairer Potion.


    However, he shook his head after contemting.


    ''No¡­ It''s better if I''m present during the trial just in case something went wrong due topatibility or something.''


    Vincent mused as he stretched his body. He looked around his room and he suddenly felt something off.


    ''Hmm? Am I forgetting something?'' Vincent thought as he scratches his head. Today is the date of the duel against Karsten but it feels like Vincent was still missing something.


    After a while, he finally reminded himself.


    "Ah?! Krusk! Where is that guy?" Vincent recalled atst.


    He didn''t notice the kid since yesterday so he immediately looked for Yulia to get an answer.


    "Krusk joined Yasin and Vel collecting the necessary ingredients to make potions. Some ingredients that Severin needed can''t be found around here. They''re using the Avian Lion¡­" Yulia exined as she put down the newspaper she was reading.


    Seeing that Vincent was still worried like a responsible parent, she added. "In any case, they should be returning in a couple of days. It shouldn''t be dangerous for the young man. He was getting bored staying here doing nothing after all."


    Vincent indeed neglected the young Mythical Beast and was a bit worried.


    However, it wasn''t because Krusk is weak but because that young and innocent-looking Mythical Beast can be very strong! He might cause huge trouble if he failed to properly control his power!


    It wasn''t just Vincent who benefited after finding the dying River Dragon but also Krusk!

 Chapter 299 Brave

    While Vincent managed to acquire the River Dragon''s eyes, scales, and heart, Krusk obtained the damaged core and assimted with it.


    The previous weak Krusk who was living in the branches of the Tree of Faith is no more!


    His strength had greatly increased and to be honest, he decided to set out with Vincent in order to find more clues about the Overseer that he needed to kill.


    Currently, they weren''t hurrying to find clues about the Overseer since they are still trying to strengthen themselves a bit more while waiting for Tara to recover her Celestial Energy.


    ''I must be overthinking¡­ I''m sure he would be just fine.'' Vincent thought as he took his breakfast with everyone.


    When Severin saw Vincent, he was smiling from ear to ear as he requested to see the modified version of the potion.


    As soon as he saw the red potion with glittering gold in it, he knows that the potion has indeed undergone an incredible modification in Vincent''s hands.


    He swiftly took out his appraisal tool and confirmed that the potion''s effects didn''t just increase by 100% but probably 500%!


    "Incredible as always Sir Vincent. We should be able to contact Yasin to immediately return here and have it tested." Severin said.


    "Oh? You have amunication crystal connected to the Avian Lion?"


    "Yes¡­ It was included when Alexander brought the aircraft to us." Yulia answered.


    "I see¡­ How about their entry to the city? The inspection was quite tight, don''t you think that Krusk might get into trouble?" Vincent suddenly recalled.


    The others jolted as well after hearing this. It seems that they have forgotten this concern.


    "There shouldn''t be any problem, right? You''ve given Krusk those magic tools that could hide his unique aura. As long as their tools did not detect the disease in him, they shouldn''t pry too much about his identity." Yulia hopefully said.


    "Well, you can vouch for his identity so that shouldn''t be a problem..." Severin said putting his trust in Vincent''s status as the seventh disciple of the Tower Lord.


    Vincent nodded as he nced at Millie and Ceri who were silently listening. They already heard about the Krusk from Calidia and were told that the young kid was quite special.


    After hearing their conversation, they couldn''t help but be curious and asked Vincent for rity.


    Vincent didn''t mind answering as they would meetter on. It''s better to just inform them now so they wouldn''t be too surprised.


    "Krusk is a young Mythical Beast I befriended when I was exploring a dungeon. He''s capable of transforming into a humanoid form and he''s capable of human speech¡­ Right, I will be bringing you both to the ck Tower so get ready after this."


    Vincent said as the two could only nod in silence.


    They were still processing Vincent''s revtion.


    ''Mythical Beast!''


    It is said to be a creature above the Magic Beasts!<sub> </sub>


    Unlike Magic Beasts which are considered to be an evolution of Savage Beast, Mythical Beasts were creatures who were born extremely powerful and considered rulers of thend before the humans gained the ability to practice mana.


    At the very least, this is what they heard from their elders.


    While they were in the Primal Sword Sect, they learned about the existence of Primal Apes, Metal Dragons, and Phoenixes¡­ They were Mythical Beasts that were said to be the inspiration of the previous masters who established the Sect. No one knows whether this is true or just a legend made by their elders to make their sect mysterious but if what Vincent just said is true, then the founder of their sect may not be lying at all!


    "Incredible. I can''t wait to see the Mythical Beast¡­ I hope they can return soon" Ceri said excitedly.


    "They''ll return in a couple of days¡­ Severin will be contacting them anyway..." Vincent said with a smile after noticing their excitement. He''s unsure whether they would be disappointed or really happy once they saw the young lizardman but in any case, their reaction might be amusing to watch.


    After a while, their small group headed toward the First Tower. This time, they did not board the aircraft as Vincent decided to use their carriage.


    He wanted the two to have a good look around the city since this is their first timeing here. They then found out that the city here wasn''t that different from the cities in the Tudor Kingdom.


    The only difference is perhaps the number of Mana Practitioners around and the asional Airships passing above their carriage.


    As for the tall tower that they could see from everywhere in the city, they just thought of it as equivalent to the pce of the ruler of thisnd.


    "This ce is quite lively¡­ There are peddlers, alchemy shops, and weapon shops on almost every street. Hmm? Is itmon to tame flying beasts here?" Ceri said after noticing several practitioners who have flying beasts around them.


    Vincent thought for a moment. It wasn''t like this before when he was still attending sses in the Tower''s Academy every day.


    "Ahhh¡­ We did have a product capable of catching these flying beasts. We sold several thousands of them so there are quite a lot of tamers now." Vincent answered with a smile after recalling the product that had previously be their shop''s best seller.


    The two felt curious about it so they decided to visit the Beacon Magic Shopter.


    After a while, their horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the Tower and Caesus opened the door for the group.


    "I''ll wait here, Sir Vincent." Caesus said.


    "Alright¡­ We won''t be long." Vincent replied confidently. Although he would be battling against Elena''s brother right now, he wasn''t worried at all. With his current set of Magic Tools, even if he faced a Celestial Being, he''s confident that he would be able to survive.


    After they entered the tower, Vincent arranged Millie and Ceri''s identification as they received the que or the document they needed to prove their identity as Vincent''s apprentice.


    Now, they finally have an official identity. Aside from the convenience that this could bring them, it can be used as their protection as well.


    As they were walking towards the arena to meet Karsten, Vincent suddenly noticed a group of barbarians who were brave enough to cause some trouble within the Tower!


    It was quite weird considering how they are in the heart of the ck Tower''s territory! Furthermore, there are only 20 of them!


    Although there are ten Totemic Barbarians, five Barbarian Kings, and five other Barbarians who seemed to be Warlocks, this lineup doesn''t mean anything, especially within the Tower!

 Chapter 300 Disturbance

    "What''s going on here, Professor?" Vincent suddenly asked one of the professors who were watching themotion.


    Well, he didn''t know the professor''s name since he was not attending his ss but based on the robe he was wearing, Vincent can guess that he was one of the professors in the academy.


    The old professor looked at him and recognized the seventh disciple of the Tower Lord.


    "Oh, Vincent¡­ They seem to be requesting your Master to meet them. They wanted to get somepensation for the death of their young heir and the missing ves they brought from a faraway ind."


    "Hmph! They were fools. The tower didn''t even care about their ns to take those prisoners. There was no way we were connected to the disappearance of those people. They should look for the Martial Arts Alliance instead." Someone from the gathering crowd added after hearing the professor''s answer.


    "Aren''t they afraid of being killed? Although we have a non-aggression pact with the Red Alliance, it doesn''t give them the right to act like that right?" Vincent curiously asked after seeing the group of barbarians causing more trouble.


    One of the Warlocks was just talking with one of the administrators and he didn''t seem to like the administrator''s answer so he smashed the desk and other barbarians even punched the wall. This is already something that could put them in the Tower''s jail.


    "Well, if they decided to hurt the administrator, they will be dead. They can only smash things in anger. But the Archons should be here by now so this farce will be settled shortly¡­"


    Vincent heard the professor and confirmed the presence of five archonsing this way.


    To be honest, he knows the strength of these Barbarians after battling against them and he knows that five Archons were not enough, especially with the presence of the ten Totemic Barbarians¡­


    Perhaps, the five Archons may not even handle three Totemic Barbarians because of their immunity to elemental magic!


    That''s right, it would be difficult to suppress them like this unless the number of Archons increased or if the Tower Lord controlled the mysterious powers of the ck Tower.


    ''There should be twenty or so Archons in the tower¡­ Did they go somewhere else?'' Vincent mused. If a battle truly break out, the five Archons would be in great danger. They should mobilize morebat magicians.


    Vincent shook his head as he decided to just leave this area. The Tower Lord should be able to handle this matter.


    He knows that Ignacy should be somewhere here watching so he didn''t think too much of this as he went straight to the Arena where Karsten was waiting.


    "Hmm? Millie¡­ Ceri¡­ You guys are stiff¡­ Ah, did you get scared just now? I''m sorry, I forgot about your situation." Vincent didn''t know what happened during their captivity but they were obviously ufortable after seeing those Barbarians again.


    "It''s alright, Vincent. I think that it''s also a good thing that we''re facing them instead of running away." Millie replied.


    "That''s true¡­ Should we hunt Barbarians once we''ve settled down?" Vincent suggested.


    "Ha! That would be a great idea¡­ But¡­ I don''t think our Primal Sword Art can kill them¡­ Even our Sect Master was barely able to stall one Totemic Barbarian. We probably needed a new technique or better weapon."


    Ceri answered. Although she hates to admit it, their Primal Sword Art was quitecking. It may be good against Archknights or Archmages but for beings above that, they would need more than just their skills.


    Of course, if they also possess better physiques and better mana control, the skill gap can probably be ignored. Sometimes, strength or brute force can ignoreplicated skills¡­ The barbarians are living proof of that.


    "Don''t worry, with your current status, you should be able to visit the library and find Martial Techniques suited for you. To be honest, I''m not a good swordsman as well so I can''t really give you any advice. I can probably ask my professor to help you."


    "A library with Martial Techniques? That''s awesome!"<sub> </sub>


    "We''d like to check it out!"


    Millie and Ceri said at the same time, their eyes glittering with excitement.


    "Yes¡­ You can do thatter. For now, you have to witness my battle against Karsten." Vincent said as he led the two inside.


    "Of course! You have to win this duel, Vincent."


    "Sister Yulia has to put herself on the line for this match¡­ You have to make that man suffer."


    The two were also looking forward to this match since they were told about the risksid down to set this up¡­


    Furthermore, they want to see Vincent in action.


    It was quite dark when Vincent killed the Totemic Barbarian before, so although they know how strong he was, they weren''t able to really appreciate it.


    Today, however, they are in a brightly lit arena and they could observe the battle from the beginning to its end.


    "Is that Karsten?" Millie muttered after seeing a perverted-looking man on the opposite side of the battlefield.


    Behind him were a couple of female warriors who are fully armored as if they were the ones going into battle.


    On the left side was a middle-aged man wearing a long red robe who seemed to be the facilitator of this duel.


    ''This familiar aura¡­ He really brought a couple of Celestial Beings? Is he nning to intimidate me with that?'' Vincent mused after recognizing that familiar fluctuation of the Celestial Energy.


    Although it was extremely subtle, he was already familiar with it after being together with Tara and Rem for a while now.


    In addition, after Vincent became the disciple of the Tower Lord, he has been exposed to some secrets contained by the Tower. This is why he''s not bothered about the appearance of the two Celestial Beings.


    ''I guess he''s not aware, huh¡­ Those two won''t be able to do anything to me¡­ At most, they can probably use their aura to pressure me since they can''t touch me. This should be easy¡­'' Vincent thought as he entered the arena.


    "Haha! I thought you already escaped Vincent. Manager Yulia will be working for me from now on so make sure to send her after this match. She should be preparing already¡­"


    Karsten said arrogantly.


    "I already made preparations. However, I want to make sure that the items I''ll get are all here so I can just collect them after this match." Vincent replied with a simr tone.


    "Hmph! I brought them with me but don''t worry, you won''t have a chance of taking them." Karsten said as he looked at the facilitator for this match.


    "Let''s begin the duel! Hurry up!"

 Chapter 301 Not A Swordsman

    The middle-aged man, who was assigned to facilitate this match, did not mind being shouted at as he stood at the center of the stage.


    "Stand behind the line¡­" He said to the two as they needed about 15 meters of distance from each other.


    After he confirmed that the two were already in position, he continued¡­


    "There is no time limit in this match. If you left the stage, it''s considered a surrender and I''ll end the match. If you were put unconscious or I think that you''re about to die, I''ll stop the match and it will be your defeat¡­ You''re allowed to use any weapons of your choice but any external assistance once the match started will result in disqualification and be considered a loss. Do you get it?" The man asked the two on the stage.


    "Yes!"


    With this reply, he immediately announced the start of the match!


    Vincent only pulled out his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane while Karsten held what seem like a new weapon¡­ It''s something that Vincent was quite familiar with but definitely not something he would normally see here!


    "Is that a rifle?!"


    Vincent blurted out after seeing the metallic hunting rifle held by Karsten.


    This man seems to be using an interspatial ring simr to Vincent''s and could bring out his weapon so swiftly!


    He thought at first that Karsten brought out a sword since this is the information he got about him. However, as soon as his Mana Sense and Item Sense abilities scanned the weapon he was holding, he was able to make a picture of it in his mind.


    ''I thought you were a swordsman!'' Vincent wanted to add. It''s not surprising that Vincent thought of this since, as a matter of fact, Karsten even included his Pseudo-Legendary Sword in the wager!


    From what he said to Yulia, he treasures this sword since he won this weapon after defeating the Sword Demon of the Martial Arts Alliance¡­


    However, now that they are here, Karsten appears to be the opposite! He was supposedly a sword and mana practitioner who specializes in closebat. But with the rifle in his hand, that''s definitely not the case!


    "Oh? You know what this thing is called? Haha! Then you should know that you won''t be able to win against me!" Karstenughed as he didn''t mind whether Vincent knows his artifact or not.


    What''s important is that this weapon could easily put a hole even in a Grand Magus'' Mana Shield!


    They would need at least 3 to 5yers of Mana Shield topletely stop the bullet from his rifle!


    Karsten then pointed the gun at Vincent¡­ Since they weren''t too far from each other, it was not difficult to aim it at his body¡­


    Click!


    As soon as he pulled the trigger, a loud explosion was heard surprising not just Millie and Ceri but also the facilitator of the match. He didn''t seem to expect that the weird ''staff'' that Karsten was holding would create an explosion.


    nk!


    Karsten was excited to see Vincent scream in pain! All the people he shot with this artifact during his practice, would scream and even die at some times¡­


    Of course, this is what he was expecting to happen as well so the dull sound of the bullet hitting some sort of steel caught him off guard.


    Even the sound of breaking Mana Shield wasn''t like this¡­


    He looked carefully at Vincent and realized that he indeed hit Vincent''s body¡­ He could still see the hole in the robe he was wearing but it seems that something had stopped his bullet!


    "You''re wearing armor? No way! Even an Epic Armor can be pierced by my Core Bullets!"


    Karsten was surprised. He couldn''t understand how his bullet was stopped since he knows how powerful it is. If the gun was aimed at him instead, he would have no way to stop it at all!


    Nevertheless, he was still an experienced magician so after being flustered for a moment, he immediately took action as he reloaded the gun while moving.<sub> </sub>


    Unfortunately, this weapon seems like a flintlock rifle so it takes quite some time to reload. Karsten has to run away using his movement technique to avoid Vincent''s attack.


    Of course, Vincent has no intention of prolonging this battle as he has a lot of things to do.


    Vincent triggered his robe''s Chaos Night to see how Karsten had prepared himself.


    Whom~


    His attack seemed to be blocked by an invisible energy.


    As expected, Karsten learned about his techniques and prepared an artifact to defend against his mind or consciousness attacks.


    "Haha! Your tricks won''t work on me! Just wait on your spot and I''ll shoot you again!" Karsten was no longer flustered as he feels confident in this battle. If Vincent''s mind attacks won''t work, he has nothing to be afraid of!


    During the past two weeks, he had gathered many Beast Cores to be used as his bullets and he had also obtained treasures to protect him against Vincent''s tricky attacks.


    "Well done¡­ I won''t be using those attacks then¡­" Vincent replied as he used one of his favorite control skills.


    Ensnare!


    Ensnare!


    Ensnare!


    Vincent had to cast it three times to catch the hastily moving Karsten! If he would make a guess, Karsten was using an improved version of the Earth Shifting Technique with the way he moves.


    Although this movement technique is very agile or difficult to predict, it is still a lot slower than Fire Dash. Perhaps, even if it was mastered to the advanced state, it can still be slower than intermediate-state Water Treading Steps.


    Thanks to this w, the Cane''s Ensnare Skill only has to be spammed three times and he already captured the arrogant man.


    "You!"


    Karsten didn''t expect that Vincent could summon these iron vines continuously! It waspletely different from the reports he had read.


    "Break!!" Karsten shouted in panic as he exploded with an intense fluctuation of mana. His defensive artifact activated as the iron vines exploded into many pieces¡­


    However, it was enough time for Vincent to use another weapon skill¡­


    Soul Manifestation!


    A huge image of an old man appeared behind Vincent¡­ It flew towards Karsten making him flustered for a moment. It feels like a ghost was attacking him!


    Although he heard about this weird technique, seeing it in person gave him quite a scare!


    Luckily, he already reloaded his gun and shot it at the old ghost!


    Bang!


    It contained mysterious energy as it distorted the manifested soul that Vincent summoned. It was about to dissipate!


    However, before he could celebrate, he saw the wooden cane getting closer to his face¡­

 Chapter 302 Careless

    Karsten opened his eyes and realized that he was looking at the ceiling of an unfamiliar room instead of the arena.


    He was immediately rmed as he looked at his surroundings. He seems to have been brought to the Tower''s clinic¡­


    He''s alone and no doctors or other patients can be seen¡­


    ''What happened?! Could it be¡­'' He immediately checked his ne and confirmed that it is still there. He swiftly gathered his mana and activated its imbued Mana Art. This ne is a magic tool that could cancel any illusions or mind attacks that are affecting him.


    However, the ne didn''t find any of these in his surroundings as it failed to activate¡­


    "N-no way¡­ Did I really lose?"


    Since this is not an illusion and he couldn''t remember what happened, he can only think that Vincent knocked him out without being able to react at all.


    He closed his eyes to try and recall what happened but he can only remember that after he shot the old ghost chasing him, he saw a wooden stick zooming in on his face.


    ''That stick¡­ Was that Vincent''s cane?!''


    "Tsk¡­ Howe those two allowed that to happen?! Hey! Alpha, Beta! Where are you?" Karsten called out referring to the unnumbered Celestials working for him.


    However, instead of the two Celestials answering him, a different person came in¡­


    "You''re already awake. That took quite a while. I didn''t think that you have a terrible physical defense." Vincent said as he entered the clinic.


    He''s together with the tower''s doctor who seemed to be nning to check Karsten''s condition.


    "You! What did you do to me? No, where are those two useless things?! I told them to beat you if---" Karsten immediately stopped speaking as he realized that he shouldn''t reveal this matter.


    "So you really ordered them to do that, huh¡­ I initially thought they were just concerned about you and they want to take revenge¡­"


    "So what? Those two are my pawns! Tsk... How are you still fine?!"


    Karsten did not care anymore as he shouted in anger.


    "Well, let''s just say that they were not fast enough to stop me¡­ In any case, give me the pseudo-legendary sword and the chance to enter the 15th Tower''s Immortal Project¡­"


    "This¡­ I¡­ I request a rematch! I was not defeated yet. I just fainted because of the weather."


    "Pfft! Stop that¡­ That''s embarrassing, Senior Karsten. Your sister is listening behind the door."


    As soon as Vincent said this, Elena entered the room as he looked at his pathetic brother. She seems to be very exhausted.


    "Our father is furious. You had our Celestial arrested for attacking the disciple of the Tower Lord. It''s even within the Tower? What are you thinking?" Elena said in a tired voice as she looked at Karsten in dismay.


    To be honest, she was thinking that Vincent manipted him to order the Celestials to attack him so he could use this opportunity to detain the two Celestials.


    This is why she made a simple arrangement to confirm that Karsten truly did this.


    First, she confirmed that Karsten is no longer affected by any form of magic and that Vincent could not use any Mind Attacks for a short period.


    Then, Elena just needed to listen to their conversation to know the truth of this matter.


    Unfortunately, she underestimated the foolishness of her brother. Now, the lives of the two Celestials are in the Tower Lord''s hands!


    If they wanted to take them back, they have to pay a sufficient price since they have attempted to kill Vincent, his seventh disciple!


    If not for the Tower''s Suppression ability, Vincent would''ve probably died from their ambush¡­<sub> </sub>


    "I¡­"


    Karsten couldn''t find the words he wanted to say as he wasn''t expecting his sister woulde here. He was too surprised about this sudden development.


    "That''s enough, brother. I''ll handle the matters of the Celestials. Just give the reward you''ve promised to Vincent."


    As soon as she said this, she decided to leave the clinic¡­ She didn''t even wait for his brother''s reply.


    Needless to say, she was really disappointed with his brother this time.


    Of course, Vincent didn''t feel pity as he just looked at Karsten with a strange smile on his face.


    "Alright¡­ Take them¡­" Karsten finally gave up as he activated his interspatial ring¡­


    ***


    After taking the Pseudo-Legendary Sword and the Immortal Stone from Karsten, Vincent went to meet his Master on the upper floor to discuss his ns with the medicines Severin and his team had created. He even brought a sample so he could allow Ignacy to appraise it.


    However, it seems that his master is quite busy with the matters of the Barbarians.


    He was informed by one of his master''s servants that Ignacy has to personally appease the rampaging barbarians within the Tower.


    ''Did it escte already?'' Vincent mused. He knows that the five archons weren''t a match against the 20 elite barbarians on the ground floor.


    It''s normal that Ignacy has to make his move since even if another batch of Archons arrived, the battle would certainly cause damage in the surroundings and many would be injured.


    With this in mind, Vincent decided to check the situation¡­


    "Hmm?"


    Before he even arrived at the ground floor, he already heard a battle going on¡­


    The numerous crowd was no more and only a few Purple-Robed Magicians were present. Behind these Archons was the Tower Lord who seemed to be observing the battle.


    As soon as Vincent spread out his senses, he realized that the numbers of barbarians have declined¡­ There were only 13 Barbarians left!


    "They really went to fight? Crazy¡­" Vincent muttered after finding out that the barbarians are now surrounded.


    There were only eight Totemic Barbarians and five Warlocks left as all the Barbarian Kings already died.


    He didn''t know what was going on in their minds but they are certainly on a suicide mission. There was no way they could get out of here alive!


    ''Master Ignacy shouldn''t be too troubled with the Totemic Barbarians using the Tower''s formation¡­ But what''s going on?'' The atmosphere in this battle is not what he expected¡­ The Archons are actually wary of the barbarians and were only defending¡­


    Before he could continue investigating, Vincent heard his master''s voice talking through his mind.


    "Vincent. Be careful. The warlocks were capable of putting a strange curse on their target. The Tower was also unable to suppress those barbarians with unusual tattoos on them¡­ This is the first time I encounter this so I''m trying to see the limits of their abilities for now."


    "Eh?" Vincent was surprised by this sudden revtion.


    Nevertheless, he quickly recovered as he recalled that only L was aware of the strength and weaknesses of the Totemic Barbarians.


    After all, unlike this careless Tower Lord, she sent a spy to the Tudor Kingdom!

 Chapter 303 Weakness

    The Tower Lord was unaware of Totemic Barbarians'' existence and called them tattooed barbarians just like Millie and the others did.


    Needless to say, they shouldn''t be aware that these types of barbarians were immune to elemental arts but vulnerable to mind attacks.


    It means that if Ignacy controlled the Tower to suppress them with an elemental art, it would really be useless against them.


    Vincent wanted to tell him about this information but he was rmed by the mention of the strange curse.


    No wonder the others left the area as they were afraid of being cursed by the Warlocks. Perhaps, there is already a sample made so they immediately dispersed.


    "Master Ignacy¡­ I have a way of dealing with curses¡­ For now, please focus on using Consciousness Energy to attack the Totemic Barbarians¡­" Vincent replied surprising not just Ignacy but the other Archons who heard him as well.


    "Boy¡­ Their curses are on a different level¡­ If we don''t properly suppress the curse and affected us, it could kill us. We''re already in bad condition" One of the Archons said. Even though Vincent is the Tower Lord''s disciple, it doesn''t mean that he''s knowledgeable about all the curses that these Warlocks could do.


    If they believed in him and died from the curse, they could only me themselves for believing a child who wasn''t even half of their age.


    Nevertheless, his suggestion of using their Consciousness Energy to attack was something that they could try.


    After all, to be a Grand Magus that could cast multiple Mana Arts at the same time, they needed to possess a strong Mental Strength or Consciousness Energy.


    The only problem is that they weren''t normally using this type of energy to attack someone.


    This is why even if Vincent suggested this method, they needed quite some time to adjust their energy and form an attack.


    ***


    While they were still hesitating, the Barbarians started attacking again¡­ The Warlocks muttered something on their staff before they summon multiple balls of ghostly purple mes!


    ''Hmm?''


    <o>,m Despite the fiery and strong appearance of the purple me, they seem tock some sort of power.</o>


    There is no intense fluctuation of mana or violent energying from it.


    Vincent can only guess that these are the curses that they were talking about.


    Realizing this, Vincent immediately pulled out one of the items that he recently obtained¡­


    [ River Dragon''s Left Eye ]


    [ Quality: Mythic


    Number of Enhancements: 8/10


    Durability: 625/840


    Cold Aura: 300


    Charm: 30


    Description: The left eye of a River Dragon. This material can attract other Mythical Beasts and can be used to create Mythical-Rank Equipment.


    Remarks: Cold Aura attribute found. Durability and its attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Skills:


    Anti-Curse Field: In exchange for 600 units of mana, the left eye will create a powerful field that stops any Mana Arts or techniques rted to malediction or curse. Durability will be consumed every usage of the skill.


    Summon Flood: In exchange for 3,000 units of mana, the eye will summon a flood. Durability will be consumed every usage of the skill. ]


    It is rare to find an alchemy material that has an active skill like this.


    Normally, these materials would only have attributes on them and it requires the skills of alchemists to bring out the powers contained within them.


    However, the Mythical Rank item is obviously different. Not only it has attributes, but it also has two active skills that anyone can immediately use if they have enough mana.


    Whoosh~


    The Cold Auraing from the River Dragon Eye was immediately sensed by everyone as soon as he pulled out the item. Nevertheless, they didn''t seem to care about it since it may just be an ice elemental mana art.


    But suddenly, something unusual happened.


    The purple mes that they n to contain using their sealing technique dissipated!


    These mes should be indestructible or something that no elemental Mana Arts could stop! However, they just disappeared as if the Warlocks decided to call them off!


    They wanted to find an answer by asking Vincent but five of the Totemic Barbarians pounced over them!


    They hastily created a wall of earth to block them! Previously, they have only killed two Totemic Barbarians after one of them used his Tier 5 Elemental Art but they can''t do it again¡­ After all, they were already affected by the curse and it is stopping them from using any of their Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts again.


    Bam!


    The earth wall was destroyed.


    It was obviously not enough but it bought them some time. Since attacking them with elemental arts was just a waste of time, the most they could do was to slow them by using water or earth elemental sealing arts.


    Earth Wall! Water Prison!


    Soft Ground! Water Bind!


    Since they were all Grand Magus, they can cast multiple Mana Arts at the same time and it was enough to push these barbarians away. They may not kill them but they can at least stop their advance. Each of their Mana Arts can buy them 2 to 3 seconds¡­


    Currently, they are waiting for the Grand Knights to deal with these unusual barbarians. The problem is that most of their employed Grand Knights were sent to assist with matters regarding the spreading gue.


    It would take a few more minutes before they coulde back here. Of course, calling the Magic Knights or even the Arch Knights will not going to help so they didn''t bother calling for them.


    They had truly made a miscalction today. They blundered.


    They didn''t expect the Barbarians have already reached the level of strength that could just ignore their Elemental Arts. It might be understandable if the magicians that were casting are only Adept or Archmages but they are already Grand Magus! They can''t believe that they were unaffected!


    If they know that this race is capable of doing this, they have probably eliminated them early on.


    "Everyone, listen to my disciple. Use your Consciousness Energy¡­ Stop wasting your Mana with your elemental arts. Hurry!"


    Ignacymanded as he seem to have realized the authenticity of Vincent''s words.

 Chapter 304 Fairer Potion

    Ignacy has a few techniques in his arsenal that allows him to use his consciousness to affect his target. It may not be as strong as those Magic Artifacts that specialize in this technique but it is still very easy to cast and only requires a brief moment to activate.


    As soon as Vincent mentioned using their consciousness energy to attack, he didn''t hesitate and followed it since they have no better choice.


    The barbarians were advancing and not giving them time to try their Magic Tools or ephemeral mana arts.


    Since time is not on their side, he used his Command Inducement to one of the tattooed Barbarians. Normally, this technique isn''t that powerful and could only affect weaker mana practitioners.


    Hemanded the barbarian to step back.


    It is a simplemand. If the barbarian followed his instruction, then Vincent was truly their lifesaver.


    It ismon knowledge that strong beings can''t be affected by mind control techniques or any illusion traps. This is why they have an impression that these fierce and robust barbarians wouldn''t be affected by this simple technique.


    However, they werepletely wrong. The tattooed barbarians were truly vulnerable!


    This is a perfect time to counterattack! Since the Warlocks'' curses were no longer effective after Vincent did something, they were able to focus and activate their mind techniques.


    Techniques simr to Command Inducement like Sleep Inducement, Sensory Possession, Thought Maniption, and Hypnosis were used!


    Normally, even Adept Mages can resist this kind of attack. But to their surprise, these tattooed Barbarians werepletely vulnerable!


    "It''s working!"


    "Hahaha! Kill them all!"


    The Archons started celebrating after seeing that the tattooed barbarians are struggling¡­


    The warlocks, on the other hand, were rmed seeing that their "walls" suddenly copsed. The Totemic Barbarians they brought were unable to defend them anymore! Since they can no longer rely on them to safely cast their spells, their defeat is only a matter of time.


    They were bombarded not just by the Archons'' mind attacks but also by elemental arts!


    This is the scary thing about the Grand Magus. Multicasting is something so difficult to defend! While the Tier 5 Mana Arts are techniques that would have the most destructive power, it is not the scariest thing about the Grand Magus.


    Vincent then saw the group of barbarians being crushed into a meat paste as the Archons were truly angered this time.


    Although they were able to win this battle, they were terribly humiliated. They were all looking down on these barbarians but in the end, they caused so much trouble and they were even cursed in the process.


    This served as a lesson to these Archons. They didn''t think too much when 20 Barbarians arrived in the tower¡­ They grewcent over the past peaceful decades and they stopped caring about the advancement of the Barbarians.


    "Vincent¡­ You did well. However, how did you know that their weakness was rted to Consciousness Energy?" One of the old Archons suddenly asked after cleaning up the corpses.


    The barbarians'' corpses were incinerated by a blue me including the items they brought with them. It was a shame to destroy it like that but they probably do not want any evidence of their humiliation so they made sure to clean up everything.


    "Well¡­ I''m quite sensitive to this kind of thing. You know that I''m specializing in that technique, right?"


    Vincent could only lie after being questioned. After all, he can''t say that he already fought against these Totemic Barbarians since it will be revealed that he was involved with the disappearance of the prisoners being transported to the Red Alliance.<sub> </sub>


    Luckily, they didn''t pry too much and respected his answer.


    Although he received a few suspicious looks from his master, thetter decided not to ask any more questions.


    Cough! Cough!


    Suddenly, the group of Archons started coughing violently as their temperature also started to rise. Although Ignacy was also affected, he seem to be in a better condition than the others.


    "We''re affected by the curse¡­ No¡­ This is familiar¡­ Is this ck Decay?"


    "What? Check your symptoms again¡­ I''m-"


    Everyone immediately listed the symptoms of the ck Decay in their minds and checked their condition. To their surprise, it really seemed like they weren''t simply cursed¡­ They were affected by the gue that has been spreading throughout their territory!


    "Those barbarians..."


    "Did they really spread that disease?"


    "There''s no other exnation! They must be the ones trying to slowly kill our people!"


    "This¡­ This is war! Tower Lord! We must engage in war! They''re looking down on us!"


    As the Archons just suffered terribly, they were all quite hotheaded and wanted to immediately retaliate.


    However, there are many things that Ignacy has to consider. He can''t hastily decide the fate of millions of people under his rule.


    "Let''s focus on recovering first. If it''s really the ck Decay, we can still probably use the medicines made by our alchemists¡­ If not, we will have to find that Dispelling Death Flower." Ignacy said as prioritizing their health should be the first thing.


    Vincent heard everything but he decided to remain silent for now.


    Soon, the doctors of the tower arrived and immediately checked everyone''s condition. As expected, everyone was affected by the disease.


    It was really the ck Decay!


    Furthermore, it seems more potent than the ones spreading throughout the other cities. The current medicines they have can''t suppress the disease as it is slowly corrupting their bodies.


    Right now, they can''t use their Tier 4 and Tier 5 Mana Arts but soon, their bodies will start weakening, and even casting Tier 3 Mana Arts would be difficult.


    The doctors could only suggest finding the Dispelling Death Flower in the dungeons where they can be harvested or purchasing them from the merchants who have been monopolizing them.


    ''So it really end up like this¡­'' Vincent thought as he heard everything after following everyone to the infirmary.


    As everyone felt helpless about their situation, Vincent finally decided to speak up and introduced the Fairer Potion that Severin has made.

 Chapter 305 Business Opportunity

    Vincent did his best to exin the origin of the Fairer Potion.


    Of course, he can''t tell that he made it since he would certainly be questioned how it was made and there was no way he could answer that.


    He can only reveal that he has a team in his residence that was able to sessfully produce it. For now, Severin can only take all the credits since he can''t mention his ability to modify potions as well.


    Although Faviona and her disciple are already somewhat aware of his ability regarding this, he decided to just limit the information he could give to these Archons.


    "Very well¡­ We''ll wait for the appraiser before we try your potion, Vincent." Ignacy replied.


    Although he trusts his disciple about this matter, the other Purple-Robed Grand Magus may not be satisfied with only an exnation.


    Getting a Master Appraiser to inspect the potion is certainly the best option that they have.


    Furthermore, finding the Dispelling Death Flower is quite difficult as well. Now that everyone is looking for that flower, no one might want to sell it in this current situation.


    Everyone agreed with this arrangement as they waited for the appraiser to arrive at the infirmary.


    They already received some medications to alleviate the symptoms they have but they know that it wouldn''tst very long.


    The people they sent to find the flowers must arrive immediately or they can only hope that Vincent''s potion can really cure them.


    Wilmer, one of the oldest Archons, felt that his condition is getting worse. He was the first one to use his Tier 5 Mana Art which allowed him to kill two of the Totemic Barbarians¡­ This Tier 5 technique is called Elite Phantom Body and gives him incredible assassination abilities. Unfortunately, he had to get close to his target to maximize the power of this technique.


    This was a perfect opportunity for the Warlocks to put a curse on him. He was too confident with the defenses he made and didn''t even dodge their attack and only focused on killing the tattooed barbarians.


    He was the first one to get cursed as the others followed suit.


    "Let me drink the potion. Although I don''t have good appraisal skills, I can at least tell whether a potion will do harm to my body or not. Hurry up¡­" Wilmer said as he did his best to stop coughing.


    Vincent smiled after hearing this.


    He immediately assured the old man that he will be effective and make him feel a lot better.


    "A red potion with glittering gold in it? Hmmm¡­ This is the first time I''ve seen this kind of potion¡­ Very well¡­" Wilmermented after seeing the potion up close.


    The others also noticed this as they waited for their friend to try the potion.


    To be honest, all of them know someone that was working as an Alchemist. They have been told that finding a cure for the spreading disease would take at least a year if they do not include the Dispelling Death Flower petal which is basically an anomaly in the field of medicine.


    The flower itself was difficult to appraise and they only know its name and that it could cure many types of sickness thatmon people would normally contract. Furthermore, it has some magical properties that they can''t replicate so copying the effects of the flower is almost an impossible task.


    It is much better to start a new potion which is not an impossible thing to do but would certainly require a lot of time.


    In short, Vincent''s hastily-made potion doesn''t have that much credibility. If he''s not the Tower Lord''s disciple, they have probably thrown him out already...


    Gulp! Gulp!<sub> </sub>


    Wilmer had to swallow a couple of times to drink all the potion within the vial.


    As soon as the potion entered his body, he immediately felt the flowing energy spreading throughout his veins¡­


    The clogged Mana Flow started moving again as his shortness of breath was immediately resolved.


    Everyone noticed the changes in his body but they all remained silent as they waited for Wilmer to speak.


    At this time, the appraiser they called finally arrived.


    "Sir Elias¡­" Vincent spoke as he recognized the man that has just arrived.


    Since he was working as an appraiser within the Tower for more than two months, he obviously befriended many appraisers including Elias who was one of his ''supervisors'' at work.


    "It''s you, Vincent¡­ You''re the one who brought a potion that can cure the ck Decay? Ahhh¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Elias immediately stopped as he faced the Tower Lord to greet him¡­


    However, Ignacy just waved his mind as he didn''t really care about this kind of courtesy.


    "Just appraise the potion that he brought. We want to ensure that it is safe and we can be cured of the ck Decay." Ignacy added.


    "Of course, Tower Lord. Let me check it now." Elias said as he took the vial of potion that Vincent provided.


    Vincent knows that Elias has a mystic eye but he still likes to use an appraisal tool to enhance its effect.


    It took him over five minutes before he was able to make a conclusion¡­


    This is already quite fast considering the normal appraisal time of others in the same profession so everyone was patient and silently waited for him to speak¡­


    At this time, however, Wilmer already stood up and started to stretch his body.


    Since Elias didn''t know that Wilmer already consumed this potion, he didn''t think too much of it but the others were obviously delighted seeing this result.


    Before Elias could even reveal the result of his appraisal, Ignacy already spoke¡­


    "Elias¡­ It is effective, right?"


    Elias was preparing to exin what he found out about the potion. He wanted to list the effects it could do on their bodies before saying his conclusion.


    However, with this straightforward question, he obviously couldn''t do that and can only state the conclusion he made.


    "You''re right, Tower Lord. This potion really has a very high chance to cure anyone with ck Decay. The severity of the disease doesn''t matter with this kind of incredible potion. The one who made this is probably a Tier 5 Alchemist¡­"


    Hearing these words from their trusted appraiser, they no longer hesitated and asked Vincent for a potion.


    Ignacy was the same and he even advised Vincent to sell this potion for a high price!

 Chapter 306 Deal

    Vincent stayed within the infirmary for another hour as he discussed his ns with the Tower Lord.


    He even gained a group of investors that would help him sell the potions in all 36 Towers. They would even help him get the authentication from Alchemist Union and he no longer needs to get Faviona''s assistance in the matter.


    The only thing he has to worry about was the supply of these potions. After all, each Tower has millions of people living in it. Even if just 1% of them wanted to buy the potion, it will still be tough for the 3 alchemists in his residence.


    Furthermore, he can''t really hire other people to work on this since his modification or enhancement skills might be revealed.


    In the end, he can only limit the number of potions he can supply and increase their price. Although this means that many people would not be able to afford it, he really can''t do anything about it. He can''t lower its price since everyone might just decide to purchase it even if they don''t need it.


    After dealing with this matter, Vincent then returned to the library where he left Mille and Ceri.


    He noticed that the two were actually waiting for him already. It seems that they have already found a Sword Art suited for them¡­


    "How was it?" Vincent asked after approaching the two.


    "It''s awesome! Thank you for bringing us here, Vincent. We''ll work hard and be reliable swordsmen!" Ceri said as she was truly thankful for the opportunity that Vincent had given them.


    A few days ago, they were still worried about how to escape from the Barbarians.


    Right now, they were already peacefully learning sword techniques and this is all thanks to Vincent and of course, L who had been a great help for their escape.


    "It''s fine as long as you don''t hurt yourself."


    "Of course! We found a sword technique quite simr to our Primal Sword Art so it wouldn''t be difficult for us. I think that we can evenbine these two techniques and get a stronger Sword Skill. I''m really excited¡­ Can we use the front court of the house to practice our sword?" Millie asked in excitement.


    "Is there a need to ask for permission? You''re free to use that ce¡­ Did you forget that you still have to teach Lar and the others?"


    "Ahh! You''re right¡­ We will still teach them to use swords¡­ Since they haven''t learned the basics yet, I guess we''ll start teaching them the Three-Part Sword Technique first."


    Vincent had no idea what kind of technique was that but in any case, they''re the professionals so he can only nod and hope that Lar and his group can learn from them.


    Soon, their group returned to the Ster Residence, and unfortunately, Yasin and the others have not returned yet.


    The good news is that they were already returning in hurry after learning that more Towers were being affected by the spreading gue.


    Furthermore, there are already rumors that a war against the Red Alliance is brewing¡­


    It seems that the recent attack on the First ck Tower has already spread throughout the other towers. It was quite fast and Vincent couldn''t help but be surprised about this.<sub> </sub>


    "Sir Vincent¡­ How was it? Did you get ess to the Immortal Project?" Calidia asked as soon as they met in the house.


    Vincent was nning to return to his room and continue with his job as an enhancer when Calidia approached him.


    "Yes¡­ Don''t worry. Hopefully, this could really help me repair my eyes and allow us to know more information about their experiments. They''re really very suspicious¡­" Vincentmented as he didn''t forget what Karsten said about this event that could help him regain his vision.


    Of course, he also knows that Calidia and the others were hoping that they''ll meet Qheglena again. If Qheglena wasn''t taken by the Overseer, there is a huge chance that the 15th Tower knows where she is.


    "Great¡­ When can you visit the 15th Tower?"


    "I can actually use it now to visit the ce¡­ However, Karsten told me that the event regarding the Immortal Project will happen in three more months. I''ll try visiting the tower at ater date to confirm this." Vincent exined.


    Based on what Karsten told him, there will be 9 more people who will be participating in this Immortal Project.


    Just like Karsten, these nine Mana Practitioners were sons and daughters of some powerful family within the ck Tower Organization.


    In this event, they will be allowed to request a Body Modification that is applicable to them¡­ The payment will not be through gold coins, mana crystals, or tinum coins but the Immortal Stone that was given to him by Karsten¡­


    After returning to his room, Yulia arrived and gave Vincent a warm smile.


    "Yulia, it''s all thanks to you. If you did not trust me, I wouldn''t get the chance to obtain the Immortal Stone and his Pseudo-Legendary sword." Vincent immediately said as he knows why Yulia has arrived.


    She had literally wagered her body for that duel to happen¡­ If she didn''t do that, the price of the bet wouldn''t be that much. Karsten would certainly not bring out the matters regarding the Immortal Project¡­


    "Hehe¡­ It''s good that you know¡­ So, can you enhance my things as well? I have five of them ready¡­" Yulia said as she brought her stash of equipment.


    "Is that it?" Vincent asked. Yulia''s request was quite simple since he just have to spend a bit of his Celestial Energy to aplish it.


    "Yes¡­ Please make them the best itemsparable to the heirloom of my family¡­" Yulia joked as he put the stash on Vincent''s workbench.


    "Haha! I''ll do my best¡­ Give me a few days for that to bepleted." Vincent replied with certainty.


    "That''s great¡­ How about the matters regarding the potions?"


    Vincent then exined what happened within the ck Tower and the business opportunity he received from the Archons. Because of this opportunity, their residence has gone a lot busier since there were many things they have to consider to distribute their potions¡­


    After a while, Severin reported that they have a shortage of ingredients but luckily, on the next day, the Avian Lion finally returned.

 Chapter 307 Enhanced

    Vincent is currently in his room as he continuously enhances the piled-up items on his workbench.


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    After getting three consecutive failures, Vincent would stop his enhancement as he believes that continuing with it is just a waste of his energy and time.


    It has either reached the item''s limit or it''s already high level.


    Apparently, Vincent had already noticed that certain items can''t be further enhanced unless he Ascend them.


    For example, Vincent is now holding Yulia''s belt.


    [ Vintage Newt Belt + 6 ]


    [ Quality: Unique ]


    With the quality of this weapon, +6 should be the normal limit. Of course, he can forcefully enhance it and reach +9 or even +10 but it would be extremely difficult. He would probably have to experience hundreds of failures for that to happen. It is too wasteful.


    However, if he ascended this to Epic rank, he can reach +7 or +8 a lot easier. If he even Ascended it to Legendary, +10 can be easily done.


    This is why he would stop his enhancement and consider whether to ascend the item to continue enhancing it or not.


    Furthermore, Ascension also has another benefit. A chance to get a free attribute!


    Although this is not guaranteed and probably a very low chance, it is still possible. Perhaps, he can say that it has a 1 out of 20 chance that the ascension gives a new attribute.


    ''I hope there will be a new attribute this time¡­'' Vincent thought.


    Since this is Yulia''s belt, Vincent decided to Ascend it. He really appreciate the help that she had given him all this time so he wanted to give her the best item she could get.


    [ No Ascension Crystals found. Do you want to Ascend this item with Mana/Pseudo-Celestial Energy? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent answered as he really has difficulty finding Spirit Stones or Ascension Crystals as recognized by the system. It doesn''t mean that Spirit Stones are extremely rare. It is simply because no one is collecting them since people would barely earn anything from them. They are also quite heavy so no one would normally carry them around.


    His only hope was perhaps the Alchemist Union where they are collecting all sorts of items.


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    Ascension takes a lot more mana than Enhancement but seeing the sessful notification was all he needed.


    He didn''t even bother appraising it after hearing the notification as he continued with the enhancement.


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    "Good thing¡­" Vincent said with a smile. He thought that he was about to get three consecutive failures again¡­


    This time, he finally felt satisfied and appraised the item.


    [ Vintage Newt Belt ]


    [ Quality: Epic<sub> </sub>


    Number of Enhancements: 8/10


    Durability: 450/450


    Magic Resistance: 50


    Charm: 20


    Swift: 30


    Description: An old but elegant belt made of Vintage Newt''s essence and other materials. It has a natural fragrant scent suited for female users.


    Remarks: Magic Resistance, Charm, and Swift attribute found. Durability and these attributes will increase in every sessful enhancement. ]


    There is actually a new attribute after the ascension.


    "Swift, huh¡­"


    This attribute is normally seen in small weapons like throwing daggers, arrows, or darts so seeing it on a belt is quite unusual.


    In any case, it can probably be used as a weapon as well considering how tough it was¡­


    The 450 points in durability can certainly tten a steel pipe without taking much damage so referring to it as a weapon should be just fine.


    Vincent then tried to enhance it again but as expected, he failed three times consecutively. He has to ascend it to Pseudo-Legendary to continue but he decided to stop for now.


    Ascending from Epic to Pseudo-Legendary requires five times more energy after all. In this case, using Spirit Stones is a lot better since the sess rate will be higher if there is a medium being used.


    For now, he decided to enhance the other items to +8 and ascend to Epic.


    ***


    While Vincent was busying himself inside his room, the Avian Lion finally returned.


    Yasin parked it outside the estate since the Vermillion Hawk has upied the space of the front court. Lar and others also had a small training area because of this.


    Whoosh~


    The hatch of the ship opened as Vel, Yasin, and Krusk came out.


    They brought out several boxes of potion ingredients and even needed help from Lar''s group to carry everything out.


    They had truly busied themselves to purchase the potion ingredients needed for their business to be sessful.


    Thanks to this, Severin and his team can finally continue with the potion production.


    "Is that the Mythical Beast that Vincent mentioned?" Millie asked softly after seeing the kid beside Yasin.


    This kid is wearing a maroon cloak and surprisingly, even their Primal Sense can''t pierce through its defenses¡­ They can''t even tell whether they are looking at a male or female Mythical Beast.


    "Hmmm?" At this time, Krusk noticed their gazes and nced at them curiously.


    "New faces¡­" Krusk muttered as he decided to ignore them. In any case, he felt Vincent''s Mana Fluctuations so he immediately went to visit him in his room.


    To Millie and Ceri''s surprise, the kid seem to have disappeared in a blink of an eye leaving a few traces of water droplets on the path he had probably taken.


    They looked at each other in surprise as they have not expected that to happen. There was no doubt that that is indeed the Mythical Beasts that can only be heard in folklore.


    "Incredible¡­ I wonder whether it could still transform to its real form¡­" Ceri muttered. They both know that Krusk is supposedly a River Dragon after all.


    "It''s probably dangerous. Calidia said that Krusk might be captured for his blood and scales. So he''s not allowed to transform except in ces where no one can see him like inside the dungeon."


    "Right¡­ That''s too bad¡­" Ceri said as they went to help the others to transport the items from the airship.


    "Eh?"


    As Millie went to help them carry the boxes, she noticed that aside from the boxes of potion ingredients, there is actually a huge metallic capsule inside.


    She doesn''t know what it is but it is certainly emitting an unusual aura¡­

 Chapter 308 Chamber

    Millie curiously observed it but didn''t think too much of it. It might be some kind of rare artifact or ore they are nning to melt to create various things or weapons.


    However, after just a few minutes, Vincent came running to where the airship was.


    He brought Krusk with him as Tara and Rem followed shortly after¡­


    "This¡­ Is this real?" Vincent asked in disbelief. It was as if he had seen a Legendary Item.


    Millie just remained silent as she doesn''t know what was going on. It was the same for Ceri who can''t tell what was happening.


    Soon, Yasin and Vel arrived and exined the origin of the metallic capsule.


    They seem to have obtained it from a group of merchants. They were in a caravan and nning to transport this item to the nearby 6th Tower.


    However, they were stopped from entering the Tower because one of them was actually affected by the ck Decay¡­ They were nning to return to their ce and this was the time Yasin noticed them.


    Of course, their group wasn''t afraid of ck Decay since Krusk has his own method to protect them from any type of disease¡­


    They bought a few items from them and found the capsule being sold for a low price.


    p Krusk actually felt something from it and instructed Yasin to purchase it at all costs.</anda>


    Vincent took a deep breath as he nervously touched the capsule.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent answered loudly and everyone heard it. Nevertheless, he didn''t care about it and excitedly inspected the result of the appraisal.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Cryogenic Chamber. ]


    [ Origin Form: Cryogenic Sleep Chamber ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 995/1,000


    Description: A Cryogenic Sleep Chamber that is almost in perfect condition. The world''s mana is supplying it with energy to preserve the being inside.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    "It''s real!" Vincent couldn''t help but exim.


    There were a few scratches from the capsule and seemed to be wed by some feline creature but it was still in very good condition.


    He looked at Rem and Tara who were also rarely smiling as they could tell that this is a genuine chamber from a nce.<sub> </sub>


    Now, the only concern is whether this capsule contains another Xonid Creature.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t forget to thank Krusk and the others for getting this capsule. He''s unsure how much they paid for it but it doesn''t matter.


    He will certainly reward them.


    After all, even if inside the capsule is a creature they needed to kill, the Source Cube will still be there.


    "Vincent¡­ Is this something really important?" Ceri decided to ask as she can no longer contain her curiosity.


    "Yes¡­ It''s rted to the Celestial Beings." Vincent answered with a smile. He doesn''t know where to start exining this thing so he made it simple.


    "Really? Is this the source of tinum Coins?" Millie tried to guess.


    "Ahh¡­ No. It''s different. There might be a pleasant surprise inside this thing but there is also a chance that there''s a danger waiting for us. I''m not sure yet but we''ll see¡­"


    Vincent paused as he softly mumbled his thoughts¡­ "Hmm... We should probably strengthen the estate''s formation art¡­ No, perhaps I can borrow Professor Levent''s dungeon for a while¡­"


    He has to consider the possible danger of opening this capsule after all. It is a good thing if they meet a normal Celestial Being inside, however, it would be a huge problem if they met a strong alien instead.


    The Xonid Creature before was quite tricky to deal with after all.


    He doesn''t have that much knowledge about the creatures living in space or enemies of the Celestial Race but they are certainly very strong considering the fact that they are targeting the Celestial Beings.


    After pondering for a while, he decided to postpone this matter until the production regarding their business has been taken care of.


    In the next three weeks, the Ster Residence became very busy¡­


    It came to the point that Severin need more hands in theboratory so the few others who weren''t that busy had toe and help his team. Although his team was already used to their work and had gone a lot faster, the spread of the disease had also picked up its pace.


    Currently, the total number of affected Tower was twenty¡­ It''s now more than half of the erected ck Towers!


    Many people already suspected that the spread is being done deliberately, the first suspects were obviously the Barbarians since their Warlocks seems to be capable of creating this curse.


    However, after the incident in the First Tower, there is no longer any news regarding the appearance of other Barbarians in other Towers.


    It means that they shouldn''t have that chance to spread it¡­


    Furthermore, they have already set up a tight lockdown when 6 Towers have been affected before. It means that the spread should''ve gone slower¡­ but nothing happened. If not for the hundreds or thousands of Fairer Potions from Vincent, the casualty in their territory would have probably increased by more than 50%.s


    Right now, the top officials are already thinking that there were humans that are helping the barbarians to spread this disease¡­


    Florian, one of the oldest Archons in the ck Tower, even suggested that this is done by fellow humans in the first ce and not by the Barbarians.


    He had guessed that there is a human organization that nned this all out. In his theory, even the arrival of Barbarians who used the Curse of ck Decay on them was actually a part of their n to hide the real mastermind.


    This way, their thoughts will be focused on finding Barbarians instead of humans who are sabotaging them in reality.


    This theory wasn''t well-received at first, as they believed that they do not have any human enemies that would bother doing thisplicated matter.


    However, after three more weeks had passed, news of riots started happening in many Towers affected by the gue¡­

 Chapter 309 Price

    The riot that has been happening and the gue that is spreading everywhere are already out of Vincent''s control. He can only trust that his Master Ignacy would do something about it.


    He only has to do his part and that is to safely produce the potions and send them to all the Towers, especially those that have many affected people.


    In these few weeks, their Fairer Potion has increased its price 3 times already.


    At first, it was sold for 8,000 Mana Crystals. It is not a small amount but certainly not expensive for a potion that could cure a special type of disease.


    However, as the number of affected increased, they had to involve more people in the production and distribution phase to make it faster.


    In addition, the price of the ingredients started increasing as well.


    With this in consideration, Vincent decided to double the price to 16,000 Mana Crystals with a heavy heart. In any case, this means that production will also get faster.


    There is also another reason why they had to increase the price again.


    It is because some batches of potions they have sent to another tower were stolen. It happened twice. Since they didn''t earn money from the stolen potions, they have to increase the price to cover their losses.


    This is why, right now, the price of a single bottle of potion is 21,000 Mana Crystals.


    This is the same price as the Permanent Transformation Potion that was previously sold in the Nexus Auction house.


    In any case, Vincent didn''t really assist with the prices of the potions. It was handled by Yulia''s team instead as they were always thinking for the betterment of their small organization, also known as Ster Residence.


    Although this price could no longer be afforded by themoners, they have realized that the Fairer Potion can actually be diluted.


    A single vial of potion can now be used by more than 5 people as long as they weren''t in severe conditions.


    If their symptoms are just in the early stage, a diluted version or just a sip of the potion can be used as an alternative. This was discovered by those desperate people and even Vincent didn''t know that it was possible.


    He thought that potion must be fully consumed for the benefits to take effect.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t stop people from doing this and even encouraged them as long as it is truly effective.


    Thanks to this news, the demand for the potion soared even more.


    There were now many ''poor'' people that would group up and save money to buy a single potion. They would all get a diluted version to keep for their families in case of emergency.


    In addition to that, many alchemists and appraisers testified that the potion''s shelf life was something they have never seen before.


    Normally, Low-Grade medicine-type potions have about 2 to 3 weeks of shelf life if they weren''t ced inside an interspatial ring or any dimensional storage space.


    Most Middle-Grade potions have 1 to 2 months of shelf life while High-Grade Potions have 3 to 6 months.


    However, after inspecting all the potions being distributed by the Beacon Magic Shop, they discovered that they couldn''t tell its expiry date.


    It was as if this potion doesn''t expire at all!


    Many appraisers who specialize in durability and longevity tried inspecting them as well but they all had the same result, they couldn''t tell when this potion will expire.


    Since this is the first time they experienced it from a man-made potion, they couldn''t believe it¡­<sub> </sub>


    Of course, potions that couldst for probably an eternity indeed existed. However, these potions were normally those that could be found within the mysterious dungeons.


    The origins of these potions were unknown just like the dungeon itself.


    There was no way that the Beacon Magic Shop has found a dungeon with ake of potions so they can only conclude that their store has a unique method to lengthen the lifespan of their potions.


    "I didn''t think that this would be a big deal¡­" Vincent muttered after hearing this news from Yasin.


    It was Yasin''s group who had gathered this information before the so-called expert appraisers even knocked on their doors.


    To be honest, he thought that he would have to worry about the Alchemist Union or other famous Alchemy Stores who wanted the recipe of their potion.


    Instead, he was now worried about the incredible potential that their potion had shown to the public.


    He didn''t feel good about this since they might realize that he was using an Enhancement Method to create this high-grade potion if they investigated further.


    "Don''t mind them, Vincent. Our potion production is considered a top secret so they can''t really investigate how we are producing this. They will just offend your Master¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ In any case, if they wanted to investigate, you can just tell them that they are free to reverse engineer the potion."


    Severin and Yulia said as Vincent invited them all to eat together in the dining area.


    With their busy schedule, the dining area that they have is the only chance they have to talk with each other¡­


    Together with them in the table are Calidia, Yasin, and Krusk¡­


    As for the others, they either ate earlier or nning to eat a bit moreter.


    "Sir Vincent, can you bring me as well when you''re nning to open the capsule?" Calidia suddenly asked after they finished discussing the matters of the Fairer Potion production.


    "Hmm? Sure¡­ However, since I''m nning to do it inside a dungeon, perhaps you can wait outside. Once we confirmed that it''s safe, I''ll allow you to enter¡­"


    Vincent replied.


    However, she didn''t seem satisfied about this as she immediately exined.


    "Is it really not possible? To be honest, I''m feeling something from the capsule itself. Before I even learned that a Celestial Being is possibly inside it, I already felt some connection with it¡­"


    "A connection?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ As you know, we are the survivors of the Celestial Incarnation Project¡­ We are the 15th Tower''s almost perfected product. Part of our bodies was from the Celestial Beings. Even our blood has already mutated to amodate the surgeries¡­ I think that whatever is inside that thing isn''t harmful to me¡­ or us¡­" Calidia exined. She wasn''t a talkative person and would normally just follow instructions.


    However, she really tried expressing herself today so Vincent couldn''t help but smile.


    "Alright¡­ In any case, we will have Tara and Rem with us¡­" Vincent finally agreed as he also felt that it was about time to open the capsule.


    After two more days of waiting, they have finally settled all the important matters and they now have the time to do something else.


    They transported the Sleeping Chamber inside Professor Levent''s Green Lake Dungeon as Vincent decided to wake up the being inside the chamber.

 Chapter 310 Stink

    Because of the size of the metallic capsule or the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber, their group has to use the Avian Lion instead of the Vermillion Hawk to fit in.


    ? Their number had also increased since aside from Calidia, Vincent brought Krusk and Yulia as well.


    Krusk was really interested in the Celestials since they are connected to the Overseer. Furthermore, he is strong enough to protect himself while Yulia has to stay behind with Calidia in case something went wrong.


    In any case, Yulia''s Darkness Eye should be quite tough to deal with¡­ She had actually tried using it on Rem and Tara. Although the effects didn''tst very long, it was still alright since she only needed to buy some time for them to react and assist.


    Of course, Professor Levent, the owner of this dungeon, was here as well. There was no way she would miss this event.


    She also made several improvements to the Formation Art ced in the dungeon so she wanted to try and see how much improvement it had made.


    Vincent observed everyone and confirmed that they are all in their position.


    Rem and Tara were beside him while Yulia and Calidia is in a corner.


    As for Professor Levent, she decided to stay near the exit or probably the portal connected to the outside. She seems to be worried that the being inside might try to escape¡­


    "Alright, everyone¡­ I''ll start now."


    Vincent said as he tried to open it the way he did with Tara''s chamber. However, it didn''t work just like before so he has to do n B.


    He poured his energy into his Astral Night Dagger and hit the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber with at least 50% of his strength¡­


    Bang!


    The collision between the two created a shockwave as they seem to be on par with each other. Vincent felt a bit numb in his hands but he just shook it off.


    He didn''t mind this ufortable feeling as he noticed that he managed to actually scratch the Chamber itself.


    Soon, they heard the mechanical gears activating as everyone nervously looked at the capsule¡­


    Whooshhh~


    It didn''t take that long before a puff of air was heard as the hatch opened up¡­


    There, Vincent noticed a naked pale woman who seem to be smaller than Tara.


    Her skin was too pale that Vincent might mistake the woman as made of metal or perhaps, she was already dead? It is such a shame that his vision is still quite blurry so he can''t really say¡­


    Perhaps, he has to consider touching her to confirm that she really has human skin and flesh.


    As he was considering whether to touch her, the woman inside finally moved¡­


    ''She''s alive¡­ Good. Now, we have to confirm whether she''s being controlled by a Xonid Creature or not¡­'' Vincent thought as he immediately activated his cube and wore his armor. It''s not a full-armor mode as he only controlled it to protect his torso¡­


    He didn''t want to appear like he really wanted to start a fight. He just wants to have enough protection in case the Celestial Being is aggressive.


    "Tara¡­ Rem¡­ Can you tell if she''s numbered?" Vincent asked as the Celestial Being seemed to be quite groggy from her very long sleep.


    "I can see a number. It''s Eighty¡­"<sub> </sub>


    "Eight zero¡­"


    Tara and Rem answered.


    Vincent had hurried breathing after hearing this.


    ''Two digits!''


    Just how strong is this Celestial Being?! If she was truly controlled by a Xonid Creature, they would certainly have a hard time defeating her. The only chance they have is when they decided to ambush her when hasn''t fully adapted herself yet. Furthermore, they had to separate her from the Source Cube as well since once she transformed it into a protective suit, they would be in big trouble.


    "Hi there¡­ Are you alright? I''m Vincent¡­ I apologize for waking you up¡­" Vincent said politely. He''s dealing with a powerful Celestial Being after all. As much as possible, he didn''t want to offend.


    As he thought that he was being respectful enough, the Celestial Being looked at him with a frown as she pinched her nose¡­


    "You''re smelly¡­ Get away from me."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The two Celestials, Professor Levent, Yulia, Krusk, and Calidia were speechless.


    Vincent was stunned hearing this and he unconsciously stepped back. Memories of his past when he was still in his previous life emerged in his mind. He immediately sniffed his armpit but he actually smell quite good.


    Furthermore, he had just taken his shower.


    With his Nightbane Robe that protects him from dirt and various essories that boost his charm and cleanliness, he knows that he wouldn''t be smelly after just a trip from the Ster Residence to this dungeon¡­


    Vincent took a deep breath as he tried to remain calm.


    "I apologize¡­ Allow my friend to speak for me then¡­" Vincent said as he backed away. He decided to let Tara handle this matter. This way, he can also concentrate on his Magic Tools in case a battle broke out.


    "Number 80¡­ Can you still recall what happened to you?" Tara asked as she observed the woman in front of her.


    Number 80 isn''t that tall and her proportions were like those of teenagers. She also has short white hair which is quite unusual even for the other Celestial Beings.


    If they do not know that she''s a Celestial Being that is probably more than 400 years old, they would certainly treat her like a child.


    The Celestial then looked at Tara curiously before she nodded her head.


    "I clearly remember¡­ Why aren''t you killing this person?" Number 80 said while pointing at Vincent.


    "What do you mean? Why would I kill him when he''s helping me recover my strength?"


    "What? Are you crazy?" Number 80 seem to be very shocked as she looked at Rem for confirmation.


    Rem nodded to this and added, "Yes¡­ I''m also getting help from him. Is there a problem with that?"


    "Unbelievable¡­ Can''t you smell that stinking from him? That''s definitely the smell from this''s guardian or deity or goddess or whatever they call it." The Celestial said as Vincent realized something from her words.

 Chapter 311 Marked

    Vincent heaved a sigh of relief. From her words, he realized that it wasn''t him that was smelly. It was probably the seal left behind by the blonde goddess or whatever traces she left on him.


    He can no longer hold back as he immediately exined his situation. He didn''t feelfortable being called smelly after all.


    "Celestial, I''m not sure why you''re calling the curse left by the goddess as smelly¡­ However, rest assured that I didn''t ask for this curse." Vincent exined.


    "Is there a way for you to help me remove it?" He added.


    "Hmmm¡­ A curse? No way, it must be a blessing from your goddess." The Celestial answered with certainty as she shook her head.


    "Anyway, what''s important is that you''re helping two Celestials as well. It means that you do not care about this goddess who did this to you. Because if you are, you should be hating all the Celestial Beings."


    "I should be hating the Celestials if I''m with the goddess?"


    Vincent went silent for a moment as he absorbed her words. It seems that his previous guess was right. When the Celestial Beings arrived here using the Qheglena Spaceship, they fought against the ''guardians'' of this world which are the gods and goddesses in the legends.


    That would really make sense as it would exin the mysteriousness of the dungeons as well. Since the clues rted to the gods and goddesses were found in the dungeons, it should be reasonable to conclude that they were powerful beings that has been living here before the Celestials had arrived.


    "May I ask what happened, Celestial? Did you beat the deities after arriving here?"


    "Huh? Why are you asking me that? Did these two not tell you?" She asked in confusion. However, she immediately realized something and looked at Tara.


    "Wait¡­ Right, you asked if I can still remember what happened to me, don''t tell me that you guys lost your memories?"


    Tara and Rem didn''t reply but their silence meant a lot to the white-haired Celestial. She couldn''t help but look at them with pity.


    Vincent was the one who answered instead.


    "They have been heavily injured before they went to slumber. Furthermore, something seems to be stopping them from providing information about themselves and their past so they can''t tell me many things."


    "Interesting¡­ These two were probably marked by the Overseer then."


    At the mention of the Overseer, Krusk jolted as he could still recall the mission given to him.


    He doesn''t know why he has to fight the Overseer so he wanted to at least get more information about this being and judge whether he should really do this task. After all, if it''s incredibly stronger than him, he would have to consider backing out and letting the others deal with it instead.


    "Overseer¡­ Overseer¡­ Do you know him?" Krusk suddenly asked as he sprinted over to the Celestial. He wasn''t cautious at all as he seemed defenseless approaching the Celestial.


    "Who is this kid? Hmm¡­ You''re surprisingly powerful¡­ Demihuman? No¡­ You have a core¡­ Demihumans doesn''t have them. A humanoid beast? Interesting." The Celestial seem to be talking to herself as she assessed Krusk who just came out of nowhere.


    She then realized that she was actually inside a formation art and blocking her senses¡­


    As soon as she realized this, she swiftly used her Celestial Energy to scan the surroundings. She found out that aside from the four in front of her, there are two others who were outside the Formation Art.


    They seem to have nned really well before they decided to wake her up.


    "He''s a transformed Mythical Beast. A friend of mine¡­ He''s only curious about the Overseer because of what his parents told him."<sub> </sub>


    "Ho~ A humanoid beast¡­ You might be friends with the Demihumans¡­" The Celestial said with her teasing voice as she tapped the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber beside her.


    Then, like it has its own life, it disassembled into tiny pieces as they started to cover her body.


    All this time, she was talking to them fully naked. Now that Krusk has appeared and realized that there were two others watching her, she probably thought that it was about time to get dressed.


    Clink¡­


    It covered her whole body except for her head.


    "Demihumans? Are they like me?" Krusk asked curiously after watching her wear her armor.


    "Something like that¡­ They''re quite powerful with beastly powers¡­ However, they don''t have a core which is probably their biggest w." She said with a hint of a smile.


    "Maybe they went here to get a core?" Krusk innocently asked but the Celestial did not answer.


    Vincent listened to them as he felt a bit worried for a different reason. Now that she wore her armor, it would be difficult to fight her.


    "Krusk¡­ Get back here. We are still not sure if she''s being controlled." Vincent warned.


    "What do you mean controlled?"


    The white-haired Celestial frowned as she seem to have been offended by Vincent''s words.


    "The Xonid Legion." Rem reminded.


    "Those parasites¡­ They were notpletely eliminated as expected. Anyway, I''m not controlled by those parasites. You can easily tell whether someone is controlled by a Xonid by checking their eyes¡­ However, that is only effective if they have fully controlled their target¡­ There are cases in which they will just live inside their target and not control them¡­ It''s much more difficult to find them but as long as another Celestial Being used their energy to inspect the body, they would be able to tell whether a Xonid is living inside your body or not.


    "Do you want to inspect me?" She added in the end while looking at Tara and Rem.


    "Yes¡­" Tara answered.


    The white-haired Celestial wasn''t surprised and nodded.


    Tara then did as she was told and confirmed that the Celestial this time is safe¡­


    "Whew~"


    Vincent heaved a sigh of relief. There is no need for a dangerous battle this time. This is for the better.


    The Celestial then asked how they got involved with a Xonid and Vincent told her the full story. Since she was willing to freely share information with them, he didn''t mind reciprocating it and he even informed her about the current situation of the continent.


    They decided to chat for a long time as Vincent finally had a clear picture of this world''s past and perhaps the world''s direction.


    "As expected, the gods and goddesses were truly beaten until they have to go into hiding, huh¡­"

 Chapter 312 Targeted

    Vincent was really curious about how he got here and how he received the Awakening System.


    For the first issue, he already concluded that it has something to do with his parents from the Tudor Kingdom''s Star Garden Sect.


    In addition, after getting all the information rted to the Star Garden Peak in the Parason Continent, his suspicions just grew even more since he learned how they were considered hermits who are all studying astrology and other mysticism.


    Considering the fact that he died in his previous life because of a meteor, he couldn''t help but suspect their involvement in this.


    It was all but a guess but that''s the best that he got.


    As for the mysteries of the Awakening System, he wasn''t sure which divine being gifted this to him but since it was meant to help him, he didn''t really mind even if he didn''t get to know its origin. He''s already thankful that he was selected to have this.


    "They were strong¡­ There were only 20 or so of them but they really held up against the gctic¡ª" Before the Celestial could finish her words, an earthquake within the dungeon suddenly urred.


    "Professor?" Vincent immediately looked behind him.


    To be honest, he wasn''t exactly sure about the situation of this dungeon as well. He only knows that this ce should be quite safe thanks to the Formation Art that Levent built in this ce.


    Levent looked nervous as she nced at the tunnel leading further inside the dungeon.


    "It''s not me¡­ I think we woke something up inside this dungeon. When this was sold to me, I was told that many explorers disappeared here without a reason. However, those cases only happened to the weakest explorers in the industry so I didn''t think too much of it¡­" She exined.


    Although she had pretty much explored this dungeon and confirmed that it was safe, she could still miss a secret passage since she was not really a trained explorer in the first ce.


    "Hmmm? It seems that something ising our way¡­" Vincent said as he felt the strong mana fluctuation getting closer and closer.


    The mana fluctuation doesn''t seem to be that scary but nevertheless, this feels simr to the level of a Grand Knight¡­


    Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­


    Soon the sound of heavy footsteps was heard as they all readied for battle.


    Rem and Tara immediately went in front to block their guest.


    "A golem?" Tara muttered after having a clear view of the creature in front of them¡­


    "That''s weird¡­ Golems would normally stay within their designated area inside the dungeon. They will never roam around¡­." Levent said as she studied a bit about golems. Not because she wanted to hunt them but because she was previously nning to create her own golem.


    "That''s right¡­ It probably got attracted by something¡­" Vincent mused but he couldn''t think of anything that might attract this golem.


    They only opened the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber and caused a bit of disturbance. It is certainly not as messy as before.


    Nevertheless, this was immediately answered after the Golem rushed in a specific direction.


    The golem roared or perhaps made a creaking noise, as it covered itself with a ferocious wave of mana.


    "Krusk? Did you do something to that thing?" Vincent asked in surprise as he saw the golem angrily rush at the young mythical beast¡­


    "I don''t know! I didn''t do anything!" Krusk replied a bit frightened. Seeing the huge golem suddenly rushing at him caught him off guard.


    He thought that it will charge toward Tara and Rem so he didn''t prepare himself. Furthermore, although he is physically strong, he felt that his hands would be crushed if he decided to punch that steel-like golem.


    This golem was even four meters tall making it really scary to get close to.


    Of course, Rem and Tara didn''t remain idle as they brought out their weapons to destroy the golem.<sub> </sub>


    Boom! Boom!


    Two strikes from its back made the golem stumble¡­ It was not destroyed even bybining their strengths!


    The golem was still able to move and ignored the two¡­ It was as if the golem has a grudge against Krusk as it was only focused on killing him!


    "Krusk! Run away! Let the others deal with it¡­ Ah! Draw it closer to Tara¡­" Vincent instructed.


    Krusk followed this instruction as he knows that although he was quite strong with his Mana Control, he is still squishypared to this golem.


    He focused his mana on his legs as it boosted his speed and agility¡­


    Although the golem has destructive power, it doesn''t have the speed it needed to catch up to him¡­


    Boom! Boom!


    At this time, Rem and Taraunch another series of attacks using their Celestial Weapons¡­ To their surprise, the golem wasn''t stopping at all.


    A few rocks were torn from its body but it is actually recovering!


    "We need to destroy the core of the golem to kill it or it will just recover endlessly..." Vincent said after recalling the weakness of golems.


    Of course, it was exaggerated when he said it could recover endlessly since there is definitely a limit to that. Nevertheless, the trouble it would bring them will be huge if the core wasn''t destroyed as quickly as possible.


    Vincent had actually noticed that the golem started growingrger!


    It was as if this wasn''t its final form and still recovering its full strength.


    Obviously, he can''t allow that to happen. They have to destroy the enemy as quickly as possible.


    Vincent then triggered his Cane''s Ensnare hoping to slow down the golem¡­


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The iron vines were easily snapped by the moving golem¡­


    It wasn''t enough but Vincent continued summing ensnare by spending his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    "Tara, Rem¡­ Stop holding back!"


    Vincent said as he already realized that the two seem to be worried about something. They''re probably being cautious of Celestial Number 80 or perhaps he''s just being paranoid... He wasn''t sure.


    Anyway, as soon as they heard him, the two started to charge stronger Celestial Energy as they tried to crush the golem¡­


    Rem used her sword to cut the golem''s head while Tara used her de to cut one of its legs.


    They still got an incredibly strong resistance from the golem but in the end, they were able to cut it into several parts¡­


    At this time, Vincent saw the glowing core from the head that Rem just split into two.


    However, there was a problem!


    "It''s about to explode!" Vincent warned as he realized that the core was getting too hot¡­

 Chapter 313 Thing

    This time, Professor Levent acted¡­


    "Let me take care of it"


    She immediately controlled the Formation Art to control the golem''s core¡­ That''s right, she wasn''t trying to shield them from the explosion but she was trying to divert the umting energy to the Formation Core she was holding!


    This is supposedly her trump card against the Xonid Creatures or any creatures that are just too strong for her.


    This formation is using the same concept as Vincent''s Mana Drain! It could gather the energy of anyone or anything within the formation and transfer them to its Formation Core!


    p Of course, this is her first time using it on a core that was about to explode but this is certainly a good chance to show off her Formation Arts¡­</anda>


    However, to her surprise, the energy of the core was just too strong and she can''t drain them fast! She onlysted for about 20 seconds!


    "I''m at my limit¡­ But I''ve already weakened it!" Levent immediately announced as she had to ask for their help.


    Krusk didn''t hesitate as he swiftly summoned a huge water prison! A huge sphere of water immediately surrounded the golem''s core that is currently floating above them.


    "Haha! I''m strong! Let me contain it for you!"


    The young River Dragonughed seeing how he was able to convert his mana into water. This is the power of Master Magicians but the speed of his conversion and the volume of water that was made was certainly something that not many magicians were capable of pulling off.


    Vincent watched everything as he was also preparing to do something on his side¡­ However, after seeing Krusk''s move, he believes that it would be strong enough to contain the explosion if it really came to that point¡­


    The most that he could do is to ensure that Yulia and Calidia wouldn''t get affected at all.


    Whoosh~


    The sphere of water did not remain unmoving, it actually started spinning extremely fast as the energy of the core started fading away¡­


    It seems that most of the mana inside the golem''s core was transferred to the water! Vincent didn''t know that Krusk has this kind of trick.


    Soon, the core weakened to a great degree that they no longer feel threatened about it¡­ However, they still remained cautious seeing that the body of the golem wasn''t disappearing yet.


    Normally, the golem will disintegrate or just crumble into many pieces once its core has disappeared. However, it is still brimming with energy which confused Vincent for a bit.


    As he was nning to check the golem, he heard the voice of the white-haired Celestial.


    "Stop¡­ The Golem is still active¡­ It has two cores¡­" She warned Vincent¡­


    After saying this, she didn''t hesitate to step forward and crushed the golem''s chest with her bare hands!


    She did not even use her armor to do this!


    Crash!


    Her hand pierced through the golem''s body and swiftly pulled it out with a blue core in her palm¡­ This is the same golem that Tara and Rem couldn''t easily crush without circting their Celestial Energy¡­


    It must be remembered that their Celestial Energy is very precious and difficult to recover without Vincent''s support. To spend it against a golem is certainly proof that this creature is stronger than many people or beasts that they''ve met.


    "Impressive... As expected of Number 80, those numbers do not lie, I guess." Vincent muttered.


    Rem looked at him with disappointment but he didn''t notice this as Number 80 threw the golem at him.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm?"


    "Take it¡­ I have no need for that core. You''re the leader of this group, right? In any case, I need to get more information from you. I''ve been asleep for a very long time."


    "That makes sense. All right, I will take it. In case you also want to replenish your Celestial Energy, I can help you as well."


    "Hahaha¡­ What? Do you want to give your blood essence? You already have two Celestial Beings sucking your energy. Do you want to die?" Sheughed as she was aware that taking blood essence isn''t as safe as how others made it seem.


    They would take their cultivation making it more difficult for them to advance. If it was done many times in a week, there''s a chance that the provider will rank down or even die if they were not careful enough.


    That was only for supporting a single Celestial Being!


    If Vincent decided to take more, no matter how talented he was, he would still suffer. Even top-grade or heaven-grade talent wouldn''t be able to support three Celestial Beings.


    Vincent smiled as he understands her concern. She''s not aware of how he does it after all.


    "I''m quite special so I can assure you that I won''t die."


    Vincent answered with confidence.


    Number 80 was a bit confused as she looked at Tara and Rem who were also calm and didn''t seem to mind Vincent''s decision. She became curious about it.


    She then recalled something¡­


    "Right, you''re blessed by some deity¡­ It must be rted to that! Am I right?"


    She immediately said.


    Of course, Vincent did not answer her as this involved his secret. Instead, he just continued asking her.


    "So, are you interested now?"


    The Celestial hesitated for a moment¡­ To be honest, she wanted a stronger Mana Practitioner to provide her with some blood essence. A Grand Magus would suffice her. That way, it would be a lot easier for her to recover.


    Vincent was obviously not a Grand Magus from her perspective. However, she also wanted to know what was special about Vincent¡­ He''s blessed by a deity after all.


    "I won''t make a contract with you yet. Give me a few weeks so I can see how much Celestial Energy I''ll recover if I stick with you."


    "Hmmm¡­ That doesn''t sound bad. Alright, let''s do that."


    Vincent answered with a smile¡­ He knows that she''ll stay after all.


    The Celestial found his confidence quite amusing as she looked around to see his ''followers''.


    To her surprise, she seems to have missed one of them a while ago.


    "Wait¡­ What is that?" She asked in a confused tone.


    She''s referring to Calidia as a thing instead of a person.

 Chapter 314 Golem Core

    Vincent realized that the white-haired Celestial noticed Calidia''s unique body.


    He hesitated for a moment since Professor Levent is still with them. He''s unsure whether it is alright to let her know about Calidia''s origin and about the 15th Tower''s project. With this in mind, he decided to dy introducing her and told her that he''ll exin after they went out.


    "Professor Levent¡­ Thank you for helping us here. I really appreciate it."


    "It''s fine, Vincent¡­ I''m sure that you can ask your Master for help as well but you decided toe here instead¡­ Haha¡­ Am I more trustworthy than Ignacy?" Levent teased.


    "Well, you can say so¡­ If you need my help in the future, just let me know¡­" Vincent answered as he really felt that Levent can be more trusted than his master who seemed so fixated on his reputation.


    After hearing that she can even request Vincent''s help someday, Levent actually felt excited as she looked at Tara and Rem. Obviously, asking for his help will also allow her to ask for the two Celestial''s help!


    "I will remember that, Vincent¡­"


    "Of course¡­"


    Soon, their group started going out of the dungeon¡­ Although the dungeon has be quite messy after the Golem rampaged, it wasn''t a big deal for Professor Levent as her formation art includes Earth Element that could control the terrain of its surrounding area.


    "Hmm? Is everything alright, Krusk?" Vincent asked after noticing that the young River Dragon was silent. They have just gone out of the dungeon¡­


    "Check this thing¡­" Krusk said as he handed over one of the golem''s cores to Vincent.


    To be honest, he had already seen numerous cores like this so he wasn''t really interested and he didn''t even appraise the core he received from Celestial 80. At most, it will just be a bit stronger than the previous ones he appraised.


    Nevertheless, he decided to appraise the core as Krusk requested.


    It barely consumed his energy after all.


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered an Unintelligent Golem Core]


    [ Unintelligent Golem Core ]


    [ Durability: 20/20


    Pure Mana: 1800


    Talent: Devour


    Description: The Golem''s source of life, magic, and intelligence.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Devour: Any being that has this talent can get stronger after consuming another Core. ]


    "This¡­" Vincent realized why Krusk wanted to show it to him.


    Normally, a golem''s core is just a type of brain where all kinds ofmands are stored¡­ It is a bit simr to Formation Core.


    However, this golem ispletely different.


    ''Devour!''


    This is the first time he had seen this appearing on a golem core! Normally, there wouldn''t be any ''talent'' option for Golem Core!<sub> </sub>


    This shows that the golem from the dungeon was really something special.


    It also finally made sense why Krusk was being chased by the Golem!


    It probably wanted to consume Krusk''s Mythical Beast Core.


    His core is certainly very attractive to be devoured. Unfortunately, it doesn''t have good intelligence so it made a bad decision of confronting all of them. The golem doesn''t know when to retreat or wait for an opportune time.


    <o>,m "How was it?" Krusk asked.</o>


    "The golem has a skill called devour¡­ With that skill, it will get stronger once it consumed another core."


    "Just like what I thought¡­ I don''t have any appraisal skills like you but I can tell that this core is very dangerous. Take it¡­ I don''t want that close to me." Krusk said with a hint of disgust at the said item.


    He was previously nning of keeping it since he was able to suppress or stop it from exploding, but since the core has an evil skill hidden inside, he didn''t feelfortable pocketing the core.


    "Alright, I''ll keep it then, just tell me if you want something. I also heard how you assisted Yasin and Caesus to ensure that they won''t catch the gue¡­ so don''t hold back when. As long as I can help you, I''ll definitely do so."


    "Ho? Then, can you give me an aircraft? I want something simr to Vermillion Hawk that you have but change its color." Krusk immediately stated his request. It was as if he has been thinking of this for a long time now.


    "Ugh¡­ That has to wait for a while. It''s a bit too expensive for us right now." Vincent wryly smiled after hearing the request. There are only threepanies capable of building flying vessels within the ck Tower Territory, so they are certainly very expensive right now.


    "Alright¡­ I will wait for it then¡­ Or maybe I''ll change it to a different request." Krusk said softly as he seemed to be enjoying the fact that he will be receiving a gift from Vincent soon.


    Their group then continued heading back to the Ster Residence. Thanks to the potions they started selling, the security was no longer as strict as before. They just needed to confirm whether they have ck Decay or not and if they''d taken the Fairer Potion.


    There is no need to get into a long line to let the inspectors search their whole aircraft and confirm their identity one by one.


    As soon as they returned, they were weed by Severin and the others¡­


    Severin, who was always busy creating potions, can be seen excitedly looking at the white-haired woman behind Vincent''s entourage.


    He was already informed about the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber so his excitement was understandable.


    They might have another Celestial Being that would protect them after all! To be honest, the rumors of the Barbarians starting to invade the ck Tower Territory have been going on for a few days now.


    Although they weren''t really entering the vicinity of the 36 Towers, they have been sighted in some hunting grounds within the ck Tower''s jurisdiction.


    This made them a bit worried if ever Vincent decided to purchase his own territory¡­ Nevertheless, with the addition of this Celestial Being, they feel safer once they are separated from the First Tower.


    ***


    After a while, Vincent called for Calidia, Caesus, and Vel in the meeting hall together with a few others.


    "Incredible¡­ How many are they?" Celestial Number 80 asked referring to the Followers of Qheglena who all has unusual physique.


    "There are sixteen of them¡­" Vincent answered before he shifted his gaze to Calidia.


    He introduced her to the Celestial and allowed her to tell her story of how they got captured, experimented on, and met Qheglena in their escape¡­


    Caesus and Vel helped her add some detail to the story as the Celestial''s face darkened. She obviously didn''t like what happened within the 15th Tower.

 Chapter 315 Name

    "Propesterous¡­" The Celestial said fiercely as she clenched her fist in anger.


    Their story seems true because everything would make sense. She could feel a bit of connection to the bodies of these Qheglena Followers¡­


    Although it was extremely subtle, she could still sense it thanks to her special talent.


    Furthermore, the strongest connection she could feel was from Calidia.


    It seems that she had received more Celestial Blood than any others¡­


    Calidia also has a scar on her chest giving them a clue that her heart might''ve been changed already. It''s just a pity that most of them don''t know which of their organs has been reced exactly. There is even a possibility that they were just opened up and nothing was really transnted since they didn''t really see or remember what happened once they were in the operating room.


    Except for those few who had obvious changes in their arms, legs, and eyes, the others can only make a guess based on the improvement they received in their bodies.


    "Calm down, Celestial¡­" Vincent said seeing that she was already gathering her energy. If she decided to vent out her anger inside their residence, their Ster Residence would certainly copse.


    Although Vel and Yulia created a stronger Formation Art already, there was no way it could defend against a Celestial Being''s attack.


    Luckily, she realized her mistake and immediately retracted her energy.


    "Sorry about that¡­ In any case, why haven''t you done anything? I''m sure that if the other Celestial Beings heard of this, they would help you destroy that Tower." The Celestial said as she looked at Vincent.


    "It''s a bitplicated. However, I can assure you that I''m doing something about it. As a matter of fact, I already obtained a pass that will allow me to enter the Tower without any suspicions. I''m nning to investigate the situation inside before deciding on what to do." Vincent replied.


    Since the 15th Tower is capable of capturing Celestial Beings for their body parts, they definitely have some secrets or perhaps, they might even possess some alien technology he''s unaware of.


    The worst thing is that they have the support of other alien species like Xonids which were enemies of the Celestials.


    Vincent decided not to exin this since these were things that could be too far-fetched after all¡­ In any case, he didn''t want to just engage with them with hostility without getting more information.


    "Hmm¡­ That sounds fair. We can''t underestimate an organization capable of doing this hideous experiment. However, I don''t think that they should live. Once youpleted your investigation, we must act and eliminate them, or else, they will just continue doing this."


    She said with certainty. Although she hasn''t fully recovered her Celestial Energy and only has a bit left in her body, her aggressive nature didn''t seem to be affected at all.


    "Alright¡­ It''s good that you understand. By the way, do you have a name? I don''t think calling you Celestial Number 80 is appropriate¡­" Vincent finally asked¡­


    He has been thinking of this from the start but didn''t have a chance to ask her.


    "A name¡­"


    The Celestial thought for a moment as Calidia and the others watched her.


    They also wanted to call her but were unsure what to name her¡­ They can only safely refer to her as Celestial but that doesn''t seem appropriate if Tara and Rem are also present.


    She then looked at Vincent for a moment before answering¡­


    "Help me recover my Celestial Energy and I will allow you to have the honor of naming me." She said with pride as Vincent was stunned.


    He doesn''t feelfortable doing this since he knows that he wasn''t that good at naming things, especially people. Even the name Tara was just another word for the number nine in a differentnguage.<sub> </sub>


    Nevertheless, he still decided to agree as it would be a bit awkward if he decided to refuse this "honor".


    "Alright¡­ Take this potion then." Vincent said as he pulled out a +10 Health Recovery Potion.


    She looked confused after seeing the vial of potion. Although it was red, it was definitely not the blood essence she was expecting.


    Furthermore, there is a hint of glittering gold kes in the potion.


    She looked at Rem and Tara, who were watching this silently, and gave her a nod.


    ''Fine¡­''


    It seems that she trusts her fellow Celestial so she decided to uncap the vial and drank the potion.


    As soon as the potion entered her body, she immediately felt a warm Celestial Energy umting in her body¡­


    "This¡­ No way¡­ A potion that contains Celestial Energy? How is that possible?" She was stupefied by this realization.


    She couldn''t believe that something like this is already existing!


    Although this is technically not an impossible thing to do, the technology to create this has already been lost.


    No one should be capable of doing this, especially on this that wasn''t even able to properly utilize its resources.


    <o>,m "No wonder¡­ No wonder¡­" She repeated herself as she found out why Vincent has two Celestial Beings following him.</o>


    If he''s capable of mass-producing this, it wouldn''t be a problem to support several more Celestial Beings!


    In addition, she can tell that the Celestial Energy that entered her body was also pure. It was unlike the Blood Essence that still has to be filtered by her Celestial Core.


    "How was it?" Vincent asked.


    "It''s great! If I continue consuming this every day, I can probably recover in just two or three years¡­" She excitedly replied.


    Vincent helplessly smiled since he knows that it will be difficult to give her potions of this quality every day.


    He immediately exined the limitation of his potion production and that he may not be able to supply this same quality every day¡­ Furthermore, he will now have to supply three Celestial Beings so he really has to increase his allotted time for Enhancement and Ascension grind.


    It''s a good thing that she understood this so Vincent heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Alright, I confirmed that you''re capable enough¡­ You can now give me a name."


    Vincent didn''t think for too long as he just decided on a name that is quite easy to call.


    "Luna¡­"

 Chapter 316 Move

    "Isn''t that amon name?" The Celestial asked as she looked at Vincent.


    "Ah? Really?"


    He didn''t know this as he nced around to ask for their opinion.


    "Hmmm¡­ Perhaps not in this territory. I don''t know anyone with that name." Calidia said.


    "Right, no one has that name in the Tudor Kingdom as well¡­ Does it mean something?" Yulia asked.


    After hearing this, the Celestial understood something as she just epted the name. In any case, it seems to be quite suited to her¡­


    "It''s fine¡­ I''ll ept that name. It doesn''t sound bad." Luna said with a smile.


    They concluded their meeting today as they also needed a bit of rest while Luna still needed to adjust herself.


    Vincent then wanted to speak with Tara for a moment but he noticed that the three Celestials went to the garden as they seem to be nning to get to know each other.


    He decided to just let them be as he went to his room to continue his grind.


    ***


    A month passed after Luna joined their residence.


    During this time, the matters regarding the spread of the ck Decay have already calmed down thanks to the potions that they were able to supply at a steady pace.


    Of course, they earned an incredible amount of money because of this and Vincent was already confident that they''ll be able to build a decent settlement on thend he was nning to purchase.


    However, the problem with the Barbarians was still there.


    There were many confirmed skirmishes between the members of the ck Tower and the Barbarians in several hunting grounds within their territory.


    If the Tower decided toin to the leaders of the Red Alliance, they will just say that they weren''t part of their alliance and were considered criminals in the race.


    They weren''t nning of taking responsibility at all as they allowed the ck Tower to deal with them as they wish. The problem is that it''s not easy dealing with these Barbarians.


    This had obviously pissed off many high-ranking officials of the tower as they decided to eliminate all the "criminal barbarians" freely roaming in their territory.


    Most of the Archons were sent out to hunt these barbarians.


    Since the Barbarians exceeded a thousand, they were quite tough to deal with if the Archons didn''t work together. Furthermore, there are Totemic Barbarians mixed among them so they have to be careful.


    For some reason, the Tower Lord and the Tower Masters weren''t doing anything about it and just allowing their external forces and the Archons to deal with this problem¡­


    It was as if they were waiting for something to happen before they could decide whether to engage in an all-out war.


    "Vincent, what are you doing here?" Ignacy asked after seeing Vincent outside his office.


    He was about to go out of the Tower and noticed his seventh disciple just looking at the paintings in the hallway¡­


    ''I thought you have blurred vision?'' Ignacy wanted to ask.<sub> </sub>


    "I''m waiting for you, Master Ignacy. I''m nning to purchase thend I''ve previously mentioned" Vincent said politely.


    "Oh? That valley with a gold deposit? I heard that it''s difficult to take that ce because of the numerous Savage Beasts led by three Flying Magic Beasts¡­ Do you need help?" The Tower Lord asked.


    Everyone knows that Flying Magic Beasts were tricky to deal with since aerial attacks weren''tmon techniques being taught in the Tower.


    "I''m fine, Master Ignacy. I already made an arrangement to deal with them. I just need the permission¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ Alright¡­"


    Ignacy no longer questioned Vincent''s decision as he gave him a medallion that will prove that he is the owner of thend.


    He taught how Vincent could use it before he collected the money that Vincent had saved up.


    Purchasing thend cost him 850,000 Mana Crystals and it''s already a discounted price. Perhaps, if thend wasn''t infested by Savage Beasts and Magic Beasts, this price would be tripled¡­


    Nevertheless, he still has another 2.5 million Mana Crystals that he could use to develop thend.


    "Master, may I ask about the situation of the Tower and the Red Alliance?" Vincent suddenly asked as he wanted to know what was really happening right now.


    "Are you worried? Don''t think too much about it. The Red Alliance just wanted to cut down their numbers." Ignacy answered which confused Vincent even more. He didn''t expect this answer at all.


    "Cut down their numbers?" He repeated.


    "Yes¡­ The current Alliance Leader''s heir died after the Martial Arts Alliance ambushed their airships. The young barbarian was supposed to inherit the title as the leader but after this incident happened, the other officials wanted to take the title¡­  They were basically sending those loyal to the Alliance Leader to their death to get the power and position they wanted¡­" Ignacy answered with a weary voice.


    "What? So they have this kind of conflict as well? I thought only humans were dealing with this kind of politics."


    "Well¡­ Now you know more about the Barbarians¡­ This is probably the reason why they were able to advance and create those Totemic Barbarians. They all wanted to get stronger¡­"


    Ignacy replied.


    Vincent finally understood why those barbariansunch a suicide attack on the First ck Tower! They were basically forced by the enemies of the Red Alliance Leader in the name of avenging the death of their heir.


    "No wonder they seem so desperate with their actions¡­" Vincent muttered.


    "Since you''re already aware, don''t try to get involved and let the others deal with it¡­ unless they tried getting on your way."


    "I understand, Master¡­" Vincent replied as he left the Tower to get everyone ready!


    Since everything has been prepared, they now need to im thend and clean up all the beasts living in that valley.


    Of course, he didn''t forget to get the three Cargo Airships they rented from the ck Tower.


    These three cargo airships were carrying the necessary materials together with workers to help them build settlements.


    Soon, the Ster Residence became empty as three Cargo Airships together with the Avian Lion and Vermillion Hawk were seen moving towards the northeastern region.

 Chapter 317 New Territory

    Yulia and others felt a bit nostalgic after leaving the Ster Residence¡­


    Calidia even shed a tear after seeing their estate getting smaller and smaller in her view. This residence is a ce they could call their home after being homeless for a very long time thanks to the Dragon Riders chasing after them.


    They learned various things within this residence with the help given by Yulia, Severin, and Vincent.


    Although they can''t go out because of the possible danger of being caught, they didn''t mind it at all as they were able to cultivate peacefully and help earn money by working at the Beacon Magic Shop.


    They felt that they really belong to this residence since there were no other servants hired at all aside from them working together to make the ce better.


    "We will make a new home there, Lidia¡­" Caesus said with a smile after noticing that Calidia seemed to be nostalgic about the Ster Residence.


    "You''re right¡­ We''ll make something even better."


    She suddenly felt excited about this new thing that they were about to do.


    Settling in a new ce. Building their own territory. Protecting it from invaders. Recruiting people and many other things.


    They were even informed by Vincent that they have to learn rted things about animal husbandry, agriculture, metallurgy or machinery, and some words she had already forgotten. Nevertheless, she already has a rough idea that Vincent wanted to make their territory capable of sustaining its own.


    Although Vincent was able to set up trade with his senior sister''s One Sea Merchant Union, they shouldn''t heavily rely on food and other products from this union.


    Once it was cut off due to some circumstances, they will be the ones to suffer after all.


    These were the most basic things that they have to secure.


    Those that are rted to Formation Arts, Magic Academy, Magic Weapon Factory, Apothecaries, and other things rted to practicing mana, would have to be handled by other people.


    Once they have cleaned up the valley, she will be assigned to help with the construction of a steel fence together with other workers that they''ve hired¡­


    There will be two other groups of workers that will build temporary houses and another special group of builders that will focus on creating a small tower. Everything has been arranged by Vincent and Yulia as they were nning to create a small city in only two years.


    "I wonder if that Tower is also as good as the ck Tower¡­" Calidia muttered.


    Caesus, Vel, and other Followers of Qheglena heard her.


    The 16 of them were currently inside the Avian Lion as this vessel carries many of their important things as well.


    "I heard that Vincent''s senior sister doesn''t have a Mage Tower in her city¡­ I wonder where Sir Vincent get his blueprint."


    "Do you think that he made it himself?"


    "That''s impossible¡­ It was too detailed. I saw a glimpse of it and it seems it was made by a professional." Caesusmented.


    He had a chance of seeing it after he saw Luna and Vincent discuss it in the garden previously. He wasn''t sure whether Vincent was asking for an opinion about the blueprint or if Luna had actually made it for him.


    Thetter doesn''t seem to be appropriate since Luna had just woken up after a very long slumber. She shouldn''t have the time to design aplicated Mage Tower. In the end, he could only think that Vincent had already hired someone to make that blueprint.<sub> </sub>


    Their group chatted for a while longer before they finallynded near the valley that they were about to conquer¡­


    From themunications crystal within the airship, they heard Vincent''s voice exining that only thebatants will join the Celestials in clearing the ce. As for the others, they have to wait inside their airship since they will still have to moveter once the area has been cleared.


    "Ugh¡­ I want to see the Celestials fight¡­" Calidia couldn''t help but look at Lar''s group who were about to go outside and join the clearing operation.


    Lar''s group of five was the only one trained in battle. It is mainly because of their unique physique and acquired talent after the sessful experiments made on them.


    Based on their assumptions, these five were already as skilled as Magic Knights and as strong as Arch Knights in terms of destructive abilities.


    "Haha! Don''t worry, we''ll tell you how strong they are¡­ I''m a good storyteller!" Ross said as Lar and othersughed. They immediately left the airship and met with the Celestials and Vincent who would also be joining them¡­


    ***


    "Hmm? Are these guys going to be of help?" Luna asked after seeing Lar''s group. She was obviously unimpressed by their current strength or at least with the Mana Fluctuations that she could feel from them.


    "They should be able to protect themselves. In any case, I will go with them while the three of you can just clear the areas I''ve previously mentioned." Vincent said as he already arranged a n beforehand.


    "Hmm¡­ Alright¡­ I don''t really think that this will be very dangerous. In any case, you''re the one supplying me with those potions so I won''tin¡­ Let''s go." Luna said as she urged Tara and Rem.


    "Wait¡­ I think I''ve forgotten to give you a weapon¡­ You only have your armor, right?" Vincent suddenly recalled as he saw Rem and Tara bringing out their sword and de.


    "Hmmm? I think my punches are just enough¡­ It''s not like I''m going to fight against a Demihuman or your Deity¡­" Luna said matter of factly.


    "T-that''s true¡­ However, you can have this for the time being. It not that muchpared to a Celestial Weapon but it''s should help you a bit." Vincent said as he decided to hand over his Orichalcum Sword.


    As soon as she saw the greenish sword in Vincent''s hands, her eyes went wide as she could feel that it was probably at the same level as other Celestial Weapons she had seen before!


    Vincent was obviously lying when he said that it can''t bepared to a Celestial Weapon!


    However, she decided not to point it out since she thought that Vincent is just trying to be humble.


    As she grasped the sword, she swung it twice to get a good feel of it.


    "It''s decent¡­ It seems very sharp and also quite heavy¡­ I like it. Are you some sort of swordsmith?" Luna asked.


    "Haha¡­ I''m not¡­ I just have a few tricks in my sleeves. In any case, be careful out there. Don''t underestimate the Magic Beasts. Most of them have unusual Mana Arts but as long as you''re cautious, it shouldn''t be a problem¡­"


    Vincent reminded the three once more like a parent.


    The three of them nodded at this before they disappeared from his view.


    They were now headed to the areas where the three Magic Beasts could be hiding¡­

 Chapter 318 Clearing Operation

    "Alright, now that they''ve left, let''s proceed to clear the path to the central area... We''ll only be facing some Savage Beasts¡­ It''s good training for the five of you as well. Although you''ve been trained for a while and acquired some decent skills, you still need to hone them in real battles."


    Vincent said as he looked at the group of five behind him...


    "Yes, Sir Vincent! We won''t disappoint you¡­"


    "We will show you what we''ve learned all this time."


    "Since we''re not worried about a Magic Beast suddenly appearing, these Savage Beasts can''t stop us."


    Lar and the others said with confidence.


    "Hey! I want to join too, why did you not call for me?"


    Krusk suddenly appeared behind themining about why he was left out. Vincent nced at the young mythical beasts and patiently exined.


    "Krusk, once we left, I need you to protect this area¡­ Although Yulia is a good fighter, she doesn''t have the stamina needed." Vincent said as he decided not to mention Millie and Ceri who will be helping him as well.


    "I''ll protect the five aircraft?"


    "That''s right¡­ I know you can do it¡­ Aside from that, I think you should also try learning how to hide your aura first. So that other beasts won''t notice you¡­"


    "Urgh¡­ You''re right¡­ I will return to the ship then. Don''t take too long."


    Vincent nodded at him as he watched him leave. To be honest, Vincent wanted Krusk to join them as well but the main issue is that they won''t be able to hunt these beasts with him following them.


    Krusk is a Mythical Beast that has an incredible beastly aura after all.


    It may not be noticeable to some humans but the instincts of Savage Beasts and Magic Beasts were strong. Once they felt Krusk''s presence, they will immediately run away or hide in their caves or whatever tunnel they could fit themselves into.


    If that happened, hunting these beasts would have been a lot harder.


    Of course, Vincent had also purchased a scented powder that will attract these beasts from their hiding ce. However, it may not be as effective if Krusk joined their group.


    Soon, their group steadily moved forward to the central part of the valley. They were now all equipped with their battle gears and ready to fight at any time¡­


    "There are three wolves ahead¡­ It''s probably Stoneback Wolf or Inferno Wolf¡­ Can you handle them?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course! Leave it to us¡­" Lar answered with confidence.


    Vincent wanted to see their skills as well so he allowed them to move on their own.


    Vincent nodded as he pointed to the location of the three wolves who seem to be searching for prey.


    "Ross, Kian¡­ Secure the sides in case they escape¡­ Mark and Terrence will follow me." Lar instructed as they immediately moved with haste.


    Since the wolves are also moving, they had to move faster and ambush them while they are still unaware of their presence.


    They were not equipped with long swords but instead, they were short des that suited them really well. Although they''ve received training from Millie and Ceri, they started learning de techniques from them as well.


    After trying the long swords and short des, they all concluded that short des suited them¡­ Well, their decision is probably influenced by Tara''s fighting style. They have previously had a glimpse of her de techniques when she was practicing her Nimble Mavis de and were all mesmerized by it.


    Vincent decided not to interfere with them but he used his Soul Domain to ensure that everything is under control¡­<sub> </sub>


    It covers over 300 meters but he could certainly increase its range if he decided to spend more of his Aura.s


    ''Fourrge snakes are hiding but they should be able to handle it even without my warning¡­'' Vincent thought after realizing that the wolves seem to be getting closer to the nest snakes.


    If he would make a guess, this is what these wolves were hunting.


    He then used his Shrouded Steps to get into a better position to observe the battle.


    Previously, Vincent had seen them use three Martial Arts Techniques that Yulia taught them, they were Deadly Seven Fists, Flying Swallow, and Armor Breaking Kick¡­


    He already knows that they were skilled in this unarmedbat but he hadn''t seen them yet in action using their des¡­


    ***


    "Sir Vincent is watching¡­ Let''s show him our skills." Lar said as he tried to boost their morale. After all, this will be their first battle against Savage Beasts after being trained in the Ster Residence.


    Lar nced at Ross and Kian who had separated from them and confirmed that they were in a position where the wolves might escape¡­


    With this in consideration, he immediately used his ''talent'' tounch a surprise attack¡­


    He focused his energy on his feet as pounced at the gathered wolves¡­


    Bam!


    His sudden boost of speed created a shockwave rming the wolves. Because they have hidden their mana fluctuations until now, the wolves only realized their presence after they started circting their mana¡­


    Awooo!!


    One of the wolves gave a warning to the approaching man or perhaps it tried calling for reinforcements¡­ They didn''t really know what this howl means but they didn''t stop¡­


    Lar thrusts his de threatening to stab the nearest wolf¡­ Because of the distance, the wolves were able to predict his trajectory and decided to jump aside while nning to maul him after¡­


    Lar missed his charge but it was all part of his n¡­ It was only his way to separate the four wolves from each other.


    At this time, Mark and Terrence showed up with their charged des¡­ They have learned how to properly transfer their mana to their weapons simr to how Aura Knights use their Aura Resonance. Although it wasn''t perfected yet, it is already enough to injure these wolves¡­


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    Two Mana des were thrown and Vincent couldn''t help but be surprised about it. This is definitely a Tier 2 Mana Art!


    Although he can now learn Tier 2 Mana Arts as well, he hadn''t learned any technique simr to this! The closest would be his Mana Bullets which were obviously smaller in size.


    He can only think that it was taught to them by Millie and Ceri¡­


    Soon, he saw two of the wolves unable to defend themselves and had their limbs torn apart. This was only the start of the battle as Lar exploded with Mana Waves disorienting the wolves¡­


    However, Vincent frowned at their situation..


    ''Hmm? Did they not notice the snakes?'' Vincent mused as he realized that therge snakes were sneaking behind Mark and Terrence¡­

 Chapter 319 Collected

    Therge snakes were sneaking up behind the two and Vincent wasn''t sure whether they already noticed it or not. Nevertheless, he decided to get a bit closer while hiding his Mana Fluctuations. This is done with the help of Shrouded Steps since he didn''t really have a specific Mana Art that could hide his presence aside from this movement technique.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The wolves dropped one by one as Lar''s group was able to easily kill them after separating them¡­ Vincent also confirmed that the beasts were indeed Stoneback Wolves so aside from their tough hide, they didn''t really have to worry about their speed¡­


    As long as they could use their distance, they can certainly kill these weak creatures. If they decided to approach these wolves recklessly they would just suffer and might even be injured in the process.


    "Awwoooo!"


    Thest wolf seems to be grieving about the death of his pack. Its eyes were red and they could tell that this wolf was about tounch its final attack¡­ The amount of mana umting from its body was getting to a critical point after all.


    "Don''t approach it¡­ Just use your Mana des!" Lar reminded. He really wanted to show his de skills instead of just throwing some Mana Arts to kill this wolf.


    However, as soon as he realized that the wolf they were fighting had an incredibly high physical defense, they can only resort to thisbat style.


    Getting closer will put too much danger on them. After all, no matter how skillful they are, they weren''t made of steel and are still softpared to this Stoneback Wolf.


    Even if they weren''t bitten by them, as long as they got mmed by these wolves, they would surely end up with broken bones¡­


    As they were about tounch their final attack against the wolf, Ross and Kian finally felt the threatening aura behind them!


    "Aaahhh! Myriad Snakes!" Mark shouted in panic as he jumped away!


    Terrence did the same but he was a bit toote!


    Two of the snakes were already about to bite his legs!


    Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!


    Suddenly, several throwing daggers hit the snakes sneaking up on them!


    <o>,m "Get away!"</o>


    "We''ll help you!"


    Ross and Kian arrived on time!


    Unlike Mark and Terrence who were too focused on killing the wolves in their sight, these two were always observing their surroundings.


    Well, they actually almost missed these snakes if they did not notice Vincent looking in this direction. Nevertheless, after they scanned the foliage with their senses, they were able to notice living creatures hiding there.


    They were lucky that Vincent is in their field of vision and gave them an idea of where to search¡­


    Ssssiii~


    The snakes weren''t harmed by the throwing daggers as they didn''t put enough Mana in each of them. It was only enough to deter them a bit¡­


    As the snakes realized that their sneak attacks failed, they decided to justunch a head-on attack on the nearest person¡­<sub> </sub>


    ***


    Vincent smiled seeing the teamwork of these five¡­ Although he wasn''t sure how Ross and Kian were able to react quickly, it''s good that they are keeping an eye on their teammates.


    He almost acted just now to save the two but as soon as he noticed the mana-imbued daggers heading in the snakes'' direction, he was able to stop himself in time.


    ng! ng!


    Ross and Kian charged at the snakes and found out that their scales were as if made of steel. They have to imbue their mana in each of their strikes to make significant damage.


    With this in mind, their battle became a lot easier¡­


    It onlysted about 10 minutes before their group ended the lives of the wolves and the snakes.


    They then collected the Beast Cores in their bodies and kept them in a small pouch.


    "It''s a good start¡­ Keep in mind that this forest is filled with Savage Beasts¡­ You have to be wary of your surroundings and not put down your guards." Vincent reminded as he ordered them to continue moving forward¡­


    They silently epted Vincent''s reminder as they heaved a sigh of relief for making their first battle sessful.


    This continued for two more hours as they battled against many other Savage Beasts. There were Silver Bears, Stone Smanders, Ethereal Panthers, Infernal Apes, Brute Horned Beetles, and others¡­


    As for the Beasts that can be consumed like Cinder Rabbits, Demon-Eyed Goats, Great Nose Boars, and others, they were just scared away to some other parts of the forest since killing them right now would be such a waste.


    They only targeted the vicious beasts that would attack anyone on sight or those who might sneak on them during the night.


    As soon as they reached the central area of the valley, their group saw Tara, Rem, and Luna chatting with each other.


    Lar and the others couldn''t help but gulp after seeing the moving lips of the three Celestial Beings¡­ It is not every day that they could see such beauties talking together after all.


    Vincent did not notice this as he used his Mana Sense to scan the surrounding area.


    After a while, he couldn''t stop himself from smiling as he realized how good this ce was¡­ They are actually on a huge in surrounded by mountains. There is only one clear path without a mountain on the eastern side¡­


    Although it is still filled with forest, once they cleared it and made a road there, it would be perfect¡­ Of course, they still have to fix the terrain a bit but he has already prepared for it so it wouldn''t be a huge problem.


    "Lar, inform the others that they can already bring the airships here¡­" Vincent instructed.


    Lar immediately nodded as he pulled out hismunication crystal connected to the Avian Lion¡­


    It didn''t take long before they heard the engines of the airships and were covered by these vessels'' shadows.


    At this time, Vincent already went to the Celestial Beings and interrupted their chat to confirm the status of beasts in the surrounding area¡­


    He then confirmed that the Magic Beasts were already killed and aside from obtaining their intact bodies, they also hauled the natural treasures these beasts have obtained over the years they ruled thisnd.

 Chapter 320 Treasures

    "Natural treasures?" Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing this. Although he has blurred vision, the excitement could not be hidden in his eyes.


    As someone who had studied in Arcane Mysteries ss for about two months, he had learned a lot of things about these treasures¡­


    Although they are treasures that can be found in the dungeons as well, the chance isn''t that high.


    Normally, these treasures were those that can be found outside nurtured by the environment¡­ They could be special stones, heavenly fruits, divine nts, or any objects that have evolved thanks to their environment or exposure to mana. They were simr to some alchemy ingredients but also different.


    He hadn''t thought that he would encounter these precious things in just a few hours after arriving in thisnd. Having three Celestial Beings truly made things a lot easier for him.


    "Can I see them now?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course¡­"


    Tara smiled as she showed the Obsidian Treasure Box to Vincent.


    Since he''s already using the Interspatial Ring he bought from the Auction, this treasure box that has dimensional pocket space as well was no longer being used.


    He decided to lend it to anyone who would need it just like today. He thought that it would be inappropriate for these Celestials to drag the Magic Beasts they''ve killed so he gave it to Tara¡­


    As Vincent was thinking of checking them, the noise of the airships interrupted him as he decided to just open itter tonight¡­


    He still has a lot of things to do although he already assigned his people their jobs¡­ Currently, they''ve hired over 300 workers that will help them build the settlement. Furthermore, they weren''t normal workers as they were all Mana Practitioners, or at least, they have gained their Mana Baptism.


    In addition, about 40 of them were decent magicians who had mastery over Earth Elements. This would make their jobs a lot easier.


    "Sir Vincent, ording to the map, we will make the temporary shelters near the westernke¡­ Is it already cleared of savage beasts?"


    Krishan, one of the engineers they hired, approached Vincent. As soon as he came out of the airship, he immediately surveyed the surroundings and confirmed that it is quite simr to the estimation Vincent had given them¡­


    He''s someone who had also worked in the creation of the Alchemist Union''s territory so Vincent knows that he could trust this person to help him build the territory he wanted.


    As long Krishan follows his city n, Vincent knows that hisnd will be very beautiful and modernpared to the current city structures of this date and time. Well, he must also thank Luna for her input on his n regarding this.


    ? "Yes¡­ They were taken care of by the Celestials¡­ There shouldn''t be any problem¡­ In any case, you will bring the cloaked kid with you. He would be able to help if there is any unexpected trouble regarding the beasts that they might''ve missed." Vincent said.


    After all, the Celestials have a different interpretation of strong beasts that must be eliminated. Although Vincent already informed the three about his concern, he can''t just be blindly confident about it.


    Once he sent Krusk with the workers, any hiding beasts would certainly run away from him. Furthermore, Krusk is a River Dragon so Vincent thought that he might want to be in the water¡­


    Of course, this was just his own thoughts, and he didn''t ask Krusk about it.


    "That kid? I indeed noticed him¡­ Is he a special being?" Krishan tried to find an answer since he couldn''t pierce through the cloak Krusk was wearing¡­


    Vincent didn''t answer this question and he just smiled in return.<sub> </sub>


    Krishan realized that he was overstepping his bounds so he immediately apologized before leaving with his team to build the shelter.


    In any case, Vincent is the Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord so he should be able to trust his words.


    ***


    The next eight hours passed quickly as the temporary shelters were made and the outer fence they were nning to create was already marked and started by another group of workers.


    Everything is going smoothly since this has been nned for quite a long time already.


    Vincent entered the camp he was assigned and found a bed to take a rest¡­ He just finished taking a bath and felt quite sleepy. However, he still wanted to check the treasures that the Celestials had found so he immediately sat up and opened the Obsidian Treasure Box¡­


    Aside from the bodies of the five Magic Beasts they killed, Vincent sensed the various treasures inside.


    "Eh? Wait¡­ There are five of them?" Vincent was shocked.


    He tried to recall if Tara mentioned about this but he couldn''t remember. He didn''t ask as well since he thought that there wouldn''t be a mistake in their intelligence report.


    ''Sigh~ It''s really dangerous to blindly trust the reports, huh¡­'' Vincent thought as he pulled the treasures out of the box.


    Nevertheless, after thinking about it, he realized that this isn''t an impossible thing to happen considering the size of this area.


    Although there were only three ''active'' Magic Beasts around, it doesn''t necessarily mean that there were no other Magic Beasts living in their territory.


    As soon as all the natural treasures appeared in front of him, a sudden surge of suffocating mana surrounded him¡­


    ''W-what?!''


    Vincent was rmed as he immediately used his Mana Drain to calm the dangerous wave of mana that is forming around him¡­


    His heart beat faster as he knows that it could be very dangerous if he did not do anything about it.


    Thud! Thud!


    Two people immediately entered his room as soon as this happened.


    "Tara, Rem¡­ Everything is alright¡­" Vincent immediately said as he waved his hand to the two. It took him quite a while to drain the mana around him as he heaved a sigh of relief¡­


    "Are you sure? You look pale?" Rem asked after seeing Vincent''splexion¡­ Normally, after Vincent uses his Mana Drain, he would feel refreshed instead of stressed out.


    "Well, I was too careless just now. I almost triggered a Mana Cmity¡­ Luckily, my Mana Drain is already at an Advanced level." Vincent answered with a helpless smile on his face.


    Mana Cmity is one of the things he learned in the Arcane Mysteries ss. It can''t be easily triggered unless Vincent had pulled out an item that will exceed the Legendary Rank!

 Chapter 321 Appraisals

    Professor Levent had hinted that there are items that exceed the rank of legendary. However, Vincent didn''t think too much of it since he thought that it would still take a lot of time for him before he could encounter such an item.


    The only thing he could remember is that their presence could trigger a phenomenon called Mana Cmity if two or three of them are gathered¡­


    As soon as he calmed the surrounding mana with his technique, he immediately used his Item Sense to confirm the three suspiciously powerful items and immediately stored two of them inside his interspatial ring¡­


    In any case, no Mana Cmity will be triggered if they are in dimensional storage space.


    Currently, there are 12 treasures in front of him and if he included the two he just stored, there are a total of 14 treasures¡­


    "Tara, are you sure that there are no more Magic Beasts around this region?" Vincent suddenly asked as he shifted his gaze to the two Celestials who hasn''t left yet.


    "That''s right¡­ Luna confirmed it as well. There are only five of them dividing thisnd¡­ As for the savage beasts, we killed those in the development area as you told us. If they are not in the development area, we only have to kill those that could threaten Lar and his group." Tara answered.


    "If they could hide from these two''s senses, then they might be stronger than Magic Beasts, perhaps Demihumans?" Rem said with a smile. It seems that she''s even looking forward to that happening.


    Vincent shook his head as he knows that Demihumans shouldn''t appear around this region in the first ce¡­


    ''Ahh¡­ No¡­ it''s not impossible¡­ I almost forgot about that.'' Vincent suddenly recalled the Celestial Beast in the Celestial Mountain.


    This Celestial Beast took the White Tiger that their caravan was protecting so he shouldn''t forget about that¡­


    The "Celestial Beast" was a name given by the natives to a humanoid creature which is also called Demihumans by the Celestial Beings.


    Since a being like that can live in the mountains, Vincent should not be surprised if he discovered another Demihuman living here¡­


    "If possible, I want the three of you to patrol the surroundings to ensure that there are no hidden dangers that our workers might encounter..." Vincent said.


    If thisnd can produce three items above legendary rank, it means that thisnd is also a perfect ce for beings who needed a huge supply of mana.


    "That''s easy¡­ We''ll look forward to tomorrow''s potions then¡­" Rem said as she dragged Tara outside.


    As soon as they left, Vincent continued what he was doing and appraised the items in his possession.


    Before he appraised the most precious item in front of him, he started with the others that seemed a bit less important¡­


    [ Appraisal Sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Blue Moon Stone. ]


    [ Blue Moon Stone ]


    [ Quality: Special


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 120/120


    Moon Energy: 245


    Description: A stone that contains the mysterious power of the moon. It can be used to nourish special trees or be absorbed to increase the user''s talent.


    Remarks: Moon Energy found. The existing energy and durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    Vincent paused for a moment after reading this description. He was at most, expecting a unique or epic rank item after he appraised the dark blue stone in his hands.


    However, he instead discovered a "special" rank that he had never seen before!


    Common, Umon, Rare, Unique, Epic, Pseudo-Legendary, and Legendary¡­


    These were the ranks that his system had given him before¡­


    Vincent immediately checked what "Special" means and luckily, the system was able to exin it to him.<sub> </sub>


    [ Special Rank: Any item with this rank can beparable to a useless item or something that can even surpass a Legendary Item. They can also be very harmful or useful depending on the type of special item you obtained. ]


    It wasn''t too useful as it basically says that it could be anything. Nevertheless, he could at least tell that the one in his hand isparable to a Legendary Item or perhaps a high-grade potion considering it could increase someone''s talent!


    He was even tempted to absorb it immediately but he knows that he has to hold back at this moment.


    ''This is incredible¡­ I wonder if there are some side effects not written here?'' Vincent mused.


    Since there was no point thinking about it, he continued with his appraisal of other items.


    [ Mortal Root ]


    [ Quality: Special


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 100/140


    Vitality: 25


    Description: A root that contains incredible vitality. If processed correctly, it can be used to increase someone''s vitality or lifespan.


    Remarks: Vitality found. The vitality and durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    "A medicine?" Vincent was shocked after seeing the red root in his hands. At first, he just thought that it was some old twig that was soaked with a powerful beast''s blood and evolved into a special rank item.


    However, he waspletely wrong as he read the description.


    Although he can''t quantify his vitality with his current level of appraisal, he knows that the number 25 isn''t a small amount at all.


    Once he further enhances or even ascended this root, it would certainly be more useful!


    In addition, there were three of them in front of him!


    The other two have 23 and 27 points in vitality!


    He hasn''t appraised half of his natural treasures yet but he already felt so satisfied just from these four items!


    He continued appraising the other Special Rank items as he realized that his friends would certainly benefit from them once he further enhances each of them.


    Finally, he appraised the 12th item which he suspected was something above the Legendary Rank.


    [ You have discovered an Enlightenment Stone ]


    [ Enlightenment Stone ]


    [ Quality: Ancient


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 390/470


    Unknown Attribute


    Unknown Attribute


    Description: A mysterious stone that contains the blessing of a god.


    Remarks: The enlightenment''s sess rate will increase with every sessful enhancement. ]


    Vincent''s eyes lit up as soon as he read this description¡­ Finally! He found definitive proof of the existence of the gods and goddesses!

 Chapter 322 Night

    As Vincent was enjoying himself in his room appraising his treasures, the others outside were also having fun with their first night in this secludednd.


    They were grilling meat and enjoying their food. It was a pity that they can''t drink alcohol since they still need to work tomorrow.


    They were able to be this carefree since the workers have already heard that there are three Celestial Beings around making them feel reallyfortable.


    Before they heard about their presence, they were actually quite nervous staying here at night considering that Vincent did not bring an army to guard them. After all, the nearest ck Tower would be six hours away from here so if trouble came up, reinforcements will not arrive in time.


    Initially, they thought that bringing at least 200 guards is necessary to safely clear the surrounding beasts¡­


    However, they have obviously underestimated the seventh disciple of the Tower Lord. Just the presence of the three Celestial is definitely more than enough for this¡­


    "Millie¡­ You''re lost in your thoughts again." Ceri interrupted Millie''s thoughts after she saw her staring at the campfire that is warming them up. They were on the other side of the shelter area where they can view the peacefulke.


    The campfire in front of them isn''t really needed since the surrounding is bright thanks to the Luminescent Stones they prepared and the temperature is also good since there is already a Formation Art that would regte the temperature in the area.


    The campfires are only there to create a good atmosphere where everyone could gather and perhaps gain some friends.


    "I was just thinking of our Master¡­ Today is the day I entered the sect with my friends." Millie answered with a smile.


    It was quite rare for people to remember the exact date of this event so Ceri felt a bit surprised.


    "So it has been 8 or was it 9 years? Anyway, about your master, are you talking about the Third Guardian Sword of the sect?" Ceri asked after recalling the person she was talking about.


    "Yes, he''s Master Thierry¡­ He took care of us after knowing our past¡­ Right, Master Thierry was also introduced to us by Vincent''s grandfather at that time¡­ Hmmm¡­ I wonder what happened to Grandpa Raizen¡­ I wasn''t able to ask Vincent." Millie muttered as she seem to be reminiscing the past.


    Ceri noticed that Millie wasn''t acting like she used to be so she decided to ask what happened.


    Finally, Millie revealed that she was thinking of doing the secret art of the Primal Sword Sect¡­


    This shocked Ceripletely. It doesn''t feel like she was talking to Millie whom she knows!


    "What? I thought that you just want a normal life¡­ How did you get this idea? Once you used that secret art, there is indeed a chance that you can stronger. However, there is also a chance that you get an internal injury that you may not recover from¡­" Ceri reminded her bestfriend.


    She doesn''t just think of Millie as her junior sister but also as an important person in her life.


    "I know¡­ That''s why I''m thinking of asking for Vincent''s help. I heard from Miss Calidia and the others about his mysterious ability¡­ Once it went sessful, I''ll be stronger and also capable of protecting this ce we''re building. I just think that I''m not contributing enough." Millie said with a bitter smile.


    Although she teaches Lar''s group, it wasn''t really that much in her opinion since she''s just sharing her basic knowledge that any swordsman can probably teach as well. For some reason, she wanted a bigger role in this growingmunity¡­ She also didn''t feel like she''ll be able to fully utilize her status as an apprentice at her current level.


    "Is that so¡­ Then let''s do it together!"


    Ceri couldn''t help but smile after seeing her friend''s determination as she decided to try andplete the secret art with Vincent''s help as well.


    "Even if he''s truly capable of modifying things, we still have to worry whether Vincent will help us or not¡­" Ceri added.


    "That''s true¡­ In any case, we can repay him easily once it went sessful¡­ It will also benefit him if we get strong, right?" Millie said with confidence as she looked at the camp where Vincent should be staying.


    They know that Vincent''s Celestial Beings just killed a few Magic Beasts so it is a perfect time for them to make this kind of request.<sub> </sub>


    At this time, the two heard a group of people going in their direction.


    They were Lar, Ross, and Kian who seem to have finished their evening de practice.


    "Teachers! Calidia is calling for you. She said that the hot spring was ready and she''ll wait for the both of you¡­" Kian said as he politely bowed to his sword teachers. Although he''s older than the two, they were still their sword teachers so they didn''t feelfortable just calling them by their names.


    "Hot spring?"


    Millie and Ceri immediately felt excited and thanked the three for letting them know. They''ve been in the field for a long time so they felt quite sticky. They were thinking of just having a quick bath at theke before they meet Vincent but it doesn''t seem necessary now.


    ***


    Vincent felt overwhelmed after appraising all three Ancient-Rank items in his possession.


    Aside from the Enlightenment Stone that would allow him to obtain a blessing or enlightenment from a god, he was able to obtain a Destiny Charm and an Arcane Orb.


    These two were items that would certainly cause a sensation in the ck Tower once it was revealed to the public¡­


    It was a good thing that the three Celestial Beings were able to collect these things¡­


    He should also thank thezy Mana Practitioners of the ck Tower who weren''t exploring the isted regions of their territory and just allowing the Magic Beasts and Savage Beasts to grow like this.


    If not for theirzy attitude of exterminating these beasts, they would''ve found these treasures already and left him nothing.


    Vincent then happily stored the Ancient Rank items in his ring and continued with his daily appraisals.


    Before theye here, he already purchased a lot of health and mana recovery potions that he ns to enhance in the next two weeks or so.


    Most of them were only low-grade items and once he runs out of potions to appraise, he just has to send someone back to the city and purchase some.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failure. ]


    Vincent continued doing this for a while until he heard a voice outside his camp


    "Vincent, are you still awake?"

 Chapter 323 Agreement

    Vincent listened to Millie and Ceri''s request and found it really interesting.


    First of all, their Primal Sword Sect actually has a secret technique that allows them to get even stronger. It involves the usage of Magic Beasts Cores so they immediately went to him in case he decided to waste them.


    Vincent had never heard of something like that at all. He previously thought that the Magic Beast Core, also known as Magic Nucleus ording to his system, can only be used to add specific abilities to any weapons or perhaps to Transcend an item.


    Anyway, it is good to know that it has other things it could do since it wasn''t even mentioned in his Arcane Mysteries ss.


    "Alright¡­ ording to your secret art, the core has to be modified by adding a Fine Burr or a simrponent that increases the durability of the core¡­ Before the durability has increased, the secret art can''t be triggered." Vincent repeated.


    "That''s correct. If we perform the secret art without modifying it, it will just fail and likely injure us."


    "If you''re confident that you can increase its durability, our chances of getting more enhancements will increase as well."


    Millie and Ceri exined as Vincent listened seriously.


    "If that''s the only thing you''re worried about, then I guess this will be very sessful. However, I will have to spend two precious Magic Beast Cores¡­ I was previously nning to make weapons out of these¡­"


    Vincent exined as the two felt nervous¡­ This is indeed what they were worried about.


    "We don''t really have anything that might satisfy you. However, you can at least gain two strong swordsmen after this¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ We can see that you''re heavily relying on those three Celestial Beings. However, they can''t always run around or handle simple conflicts within your territory. Soon, you will need people like us!"


    Millie and Ceri could only try to persuade Vincent.


    Although this is wed since Vincent can still find other people, he didn''t really mind helping these two a little bit more. In any case, the reason why he allowed them to be his apprentice in the Tower is that he wanted them to get stronger and be able to protect themselves.


    "Hmm¡­ I will indeed need trustworthy people, especially once this ce started developing¡­ Very well, I will invest with the two of you. However, I really need to know about this secret art of yours." Vincent said.


    Millie and Ceri looked at each other and smiled¡­


    They didn''t really mind letting Vincent know of this since they know that he can''t learn this art without developing his Primal Sense¡­ They wouldn''t feel guilty to their masters if they taught this to Vincent.


    This Primal Sense isn''t simr to Mana Sense or Aura Sense at all. They were only able to possess this ability after training inside a special meditation room within their sect.


    Without this kind of special training, they wouldn''t be able to learn or develop the Primal Sense.


    Anyway, Vincent wasn''t in a hurry to learn this secret art as he asked them to give him a few more days toplete their request.


    After all, Magic Beasts Cores can''t be enhanced ording to his system... However, they can at least be ascended. Now that his Ascension Skill is about to reach level nine, he wanted to level it up first before working on these beast cores.


    They happily agreed with this arrangement and left his room filled with smiles.


    Vincent watched them leave his room before he turned his gaze to the small window¡­


    "Krusk¡­ What do you want?" Vincent spoke. He hadn''t seen Krusk at all. He couldn''t even sense him¡­ However, thanks to the cloak Krusk was wearing, Vincent can use his Item Sense ability to know that he''s close.<sub> </sub>


    "Amazing¡­ You can really feel my presence. I thought I already perfected my technique¡­ How are you doing this?" Krusk couldn''t understand why he failed again this time.


    Krusk was like Rem who wanted to find out the limit of his sensing abilities.


    "You can try when I''m tired¡­ I won''t sense you at all."


    "Hmph¡­ There won''t be any purpose then¡­ Anyway, I came here after noticing that the Savage Beasts in the deeper region are going restless¡­ It seems that the death of the five Magic Beasts resulted in a chaotic atmosphere. I think that you should handle it before an outbreak urs." Krusk suddenly gave a piece of surprising news.


    Vincent didn''t think about an outbreak at all. However, now that Krusk mentioned it¡­ It does indeed makes sense if they go out of control without their leaders.


    They have only killed the beasts in the vicinity of thend he proposed to be their city so there should still be a lot of beasts hiding in the forest.


    "Alright¡­ I will have the three actively hunt some of the beasts then¡­ I initially told them to just defend our territory. I guess that was a bad decision, huh¡­" Vincent muttered as he stood up to call the three.


    He also wanted to give them their supply of potions so it should be a perfect time.


    "Then who will guard us once they left to hunt?" Krusk asked.


    ? "Aren''t you here? I will rely on you¡­" Vincent answered with a smile.


    Of course, it wasn''t just Krusk. He will be here protecting thisnd as well. He just wanted to tease this young Mythical Beast¡­


    "Me? Kekeke¡­ I guess you''re already aware of how strong I''ve be, huh¡­ Don''t worry, I''ll work for you for free since you''re helping me find the Overseer."


    "That''s good to hear¡­" Vincent replied.


    On the next day, the construction of their city continued¡­


    Unlike yesterday which was a bit messy because everyone is still adjusting, today''s work has gone smoothly as they were already getting used to their new environment. Furthermore, everyone already has their own tasks making the ce really busy¡­


    Yulia looked at everyone from above the hill and found this scene really interesting. If she could paint this, she would surely do so and paint the scenery here again once the city was built. It would be very satisfying topare them and see the massive changes they''ve made.


    "Miss Yulia¡­ We''ve found all the edible fruits here¡­ There are two of them that we can consider using on the orchard we''re nning to create." Vel said after approaching Yulia.


    There are a total of 10 people in their group as they explore the surrounding area to confirm what kind of nts or shrubs they could grow in their orchards.


    Of course, they weren''tcking in food yet.


    Although their food supply will onlyst them for another five days, the One Sea Merchant Union should arrive here in the next three days so they weren''t too worried about it. They were just preparing themselves for the agricultural development of theirnd.


    "That''s good to hear¡­ Let''s go check the other area that Celestial Tara noted to be very safe¡­" Yulia said as she lead the group to the other side of the hill.


    As they were peacefully doing this, none of them notice that someone was following them. This being doesn''t seem to possess hostility and is only filled with curiosity. Furthermore, the fact that Yulia''s Mystic Eyes failed to notice this means that this being is certainly a special existence¡­

 Chapter 324 Level Up

    Ding!


    [ Item Ascension Skill is now level 9. The skill''s sess rate permanently increased by 5%. ]


    Five more days had passed and Vincent was finally able to advance his Ascension Skill to level 9¡­


    It is a very significant milestone for him as advancing this skill to this level has many implications.


    As expected, it was followed by a series of notifications from the system.


    [ Congrattions! You have fulfilled the final requirement to obtain the Third Stage of the Awakening Sequence. ]


    [ You have sessfully obtained the Item Transcendence Skill. ]


    [ Awakening Sequence ¨C Third Stage ]


    [ Item Transcendence Lv1 ¨C The user can use their Mana or Transcendence Crystals to upgrade the item they are holding. ]


    [ Transcendence Exp: 0/5000 ]


    ''Finally!'' Vincent celebrated in his mind.


    He was only able to upgrade his level this fast thanks to the changes made by the system in his core. If he was still possessing the normal Mana Core in his body, there was no way he would be able to do this quickly. With a normal Mana Core, the amount of mana that he has and the recovery he has wouldn''t be the same.


    With a small mana capacity and slow recovery, there was no way he would be able to grind as much as he did to reach this level.


    The notifications of the system didn''t end here as he continued reading.


    [ You have obtained a System Inventory Expansion and Remodel Card. ]


    Vincent didn''t have to read what this card was meant for as he knows that it is to increase the slots in his system inventory¡­


    However, he only thought that his 20-Slots would probably be 30-Slots which is already quite good but he realized that the changes were actually quite a lot.


    "Sixty slots?" Vincent was surprised. It wasn''t just that, he also read that the system can now store real-world items thanks to the remodel card!


    "Is this real?" Vincent couldn''t help but be surprised¡­ Although he already has interspatial ring, the system inventory slots are still on a different level. After all, the ring can be stolen but not his system inventory.


    He immediately tried using the inventory and found it quite difficult to use¡­ Nevertheless, after a few tries, he was able to learn how to store some objects.


    The item must be covered by his Pseudo-Celestial Energy before he could pull them inside his inventory¡­ If the item isrge, he has to use a bigger amount of energy to pull them in.


    This amount of energy will be consumed every time he tries to pull them inside or outside his inventory.


    "Incredible¡­ This is too useful¡­" Vincent could only imagine the changes it would make¡­ This is truly an important feature that would be extremely useful in his hands.


    Anyway, this isn''t the most important thing, his Ascension Skill is now level nine, and as expected he was able to ascend the Magic Nucleus to a higher level because of it.


    Although items like Magic Nucleus, Beast Cores, and others don''t have a rank title, their stats would still increase if he uses Ascension Skill on them.


    The Ascension Skill isn''t really focused on upgrading the rank title in the first ce. It focuses on improving the quality of the selected item, once the overall quality improves, the rank title naturally changes.


    This is what he just did with the three Magic Nucleus in his possession. He has to help Millie and Ceri with their journey to get stronger.


    After trying out his level 9 Ascension Skill, he finally decided to test the Transcendence Skill.


    He decided to choose his Luminescent Ring for this experiment. This ring can only be used to provide light. It is only a Unique Rank Magic Tool and Vincent didn''t bother ascending it further since it really had no other purpose than being a shlight.


    However, with the Transcendence Skill, it should be able to gain another "skill" once it was sessful.


    [ No Transcendence Crystal Found. Do you want to Transcend this item with Pseudo-Celestial Energy? ]<sub> </sub>


    "Yes!"


    Before Vincent answered, he checked his energy units and saw that it was 335/2090.


    [ Transcendence Failed. ]


    "Whoa~" Vincent was surprised after seeing a huge amount of his energy taken away after a failed transcendence.


    [ Pseudo-Celestial Energy: 235/2090 ]


    It''s 100 points! It means that it was about 500 units of mana on each attempt! It is such a huge amount considering his Enhancement Skill only consumes 3 Pseudo-Celestial Energy each time at its current level and only 10 points in every Ascension¡­


    "Hmm?" Vincent noticed that there is another message.


    [ Luminescent Ring +9 ]


    [ Transcendence Attempt: 1/5 ]


    [ Remarks: If all 5 attempts failed, the item will be destroyed. ]


    "What? Then what''s my chance of getting a sessful Transcend?"


    [ Item Transcendence Skill Lv1: Sess Rate: 5% ]


    "¡­"


    Vincent was speechless¡­ With such a terrible sess rate, how could he make a sessful Transcendence with only five tries?


    "What if I''m using a Trancedence Crystal in my attempts?" Vincent suddenly recalled this option.


    [ Transcendence Crystal: Provides an additional 50% chance of sess. ]


    That sounds a bit reasonable.


    With his current level, it will be a 55% chance of sess. It means that he really has to grind this new skill that he has and increase its level as quickly as possible. Perhaps, once it''s level 9, he will get a total of 95% chance with a transcendence crystal¡­ That would be very appealing to use by then.


    Of course, he''s unsure whether he would get an additional 5% Sess Rate in every level up but that is something he would look forward to.


    Nevertheless, this means that he has to continuously use this skill in order to gain experience points and level it up¡­ That would eat up a lot of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy so it seems that he has to consider increasing his capacity again.


    ''I should consider finding that Magus Essence Potion or perhaps, I should use the Arcane Orb for myself¡­'' Vincent mused for a moment.


    The Arcane Orb is one of the Ancient Rank items that he obtained and it can be absorbed by any Mana Practitioner. However, its full potential will only be unleashed if it was absorbed by a Grand Magus or at least an Archmage¡­ Since he wasn''t even a Master Magician yet, it would be such a waste to absorb it.


    Vincent has to think carefully about this.


    "Hmmm?"


    As he was thinking of Transcending his other useless items to get some experience points, he noticed that Yulia was anxiously waiting for him outside.


    He immediately stood up thinking that there must be something important she wanted to discuss.


    As soon as Yulia saw him, she no longer hesitated and exined that some suspicious people had arrived and wanted to see the Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord¡­


    Vincent didn''t feel too surprised about this but her next words caught him off guard.


    "They said that they came from the 15th Tower, they seem to have been informed that you''re now the owner of the Immortal Stone and wanted to meet you."

 Chapter 325 Suspicious

    Vincent had no idea that they woulde to him at all. He thought that they would just wait until he arrived at the tower to participate in the Immortal Project.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t feel worried that they would take the Immortal Stone from him or deny his participation since he still has the Tower Lord backing him up.


    No matter what, they have to at least respect Ignacy.


    After confirming all the details from Yulia, he decided toe out and meet the guests in their reception area.


    Over the past few days, their shelter area had improved significantly as they''ve made a small building to meet any visitors to theirnd¡­ Well, it was mainly for the people of the One Sea Merchant Union who woulde here from time to time but they can also use this as a receiving area if they''re not present¡­


    Before entering this building, Vincent paused for a moment and then instructed Rufia, who seem to be going to the kitchen area, to call for someone.


    Soon, Vincent entered the reception hall and saw three magicians wearing the robe of the ck Tower and red emblems on their chests. It means that these people were actually Grand Magus at the same level as Professor Turhan or Levent.


    Yulia joined him as the two of them approached the group.


    "Vincent, it has been a while¡­" One of the magicians said as soon as he saw Vincent entering the room with Manager Yulia.


    ''Ah? Did we meet before?'' Vincent tried to recall but he was sure that he hadn''t met this man before. Although blurry, he can tell that this blond man with a mustache never had any sort of conversation with him. He would surely remember this kind of face.


    Did he meet him before he consumed the Moonbreaker Potion? Well, he couldn''t tell since he was obviously blind before that happened.


    "Oh¡­ I haven''t introduced myself yet. I''m Bertram, I watched thepetition and saw your incredible performance that time. I have tried to recruit you to join our faction but you declined my offer¡­" Bertram exined after noticing that Vincent could not recognize him anymore. He really can''t me him as well.


    Nevertheless, Vincent finally recalled how he just rejected the people who wanted to recruit him since he had already be Ignacy''s disciple.


    He had certainly forgotten them since he didn''t even bother recalling their Mana Fluctuations.


    "So it was you¡­ I didn''t expect that you''re also part of the Immortal Project..."


    "Haha¡­ I was just lucky since the leader decided to help me¡­ I was previously an average magician who couldn''t even reach the level of an Adept but thanks to him, I now own this red emblem¡­" Bertram said as he touched the red emblem of the Tower on his chest.


    "I see¡­ So joining this project have this kind of benefit? The leader of this project must be incredibly talented¡­" Vincent replied.


    The three Grand Magus, on the other hand, were surprised to see how calm Vincent was.


    Bertram already mentioned that his talent had increased because of this project. It is already considered an act of god if it was heard by others. People wouldn''t normally believe them as it was too unbelievable but Vincent just epted it without any suspicion at all.


    ? "Right¡­ Our leader is definitely a talented individual. After hearing that Karsten willingly gave up his chance to get this kind of benefit, he was really interested in meeting you." Bertram said but he seems to be hinting at something.


    "It was just a coincidence¡­ I didn''t even know about the Immortal Project at all. Karsten just came to me and offered the immortal stone as his wager. Well, he obviously lost and I obtained it." Vincent exined. He had a sudden feeling that these three were thinking that he had forcefully taken the Immortal Stone from Karsten.


    As expected, they all had shocked faces as Karsten seem to have mentioned a different story to them.


    "So he actually used the stone to gamble, huh¡­" Bertram muttered as he shook his head¡­ This is no longer important. What''s important is that Vincent now has the Immortal Stone instead of Karsten.<sub> </sub>


    He looked at the two people beside him to signal something before they nodded their heads.


    This didn''t escape Vincent''s eyes although he doesn''t have good vision.


    Click¡­


    Suddenly, the door of the reception area opened. Luna entered and stood behind Vincent like a guard.


    "This is¡­" Bertram trailed his voice.


    "Ahh¡­ She''s my assistant for today. She just got dyed by something. As you know, I''m blind and needed some help¡­" Vincent replied matter-of-factly.


    The three looked at each other since they have previously seen Tara and Rem apanying him in the Tower.


    This white-haired woman ispletely different from those two.


    Her face was delicate and slightly pale. Although she appears like a teenager with her body proportions, herrge eyes, sharp chin, slightly tilted nose, and oval face certainly make her really attractive.


    Nevertheless, there is something that they have noticed from her aura¡­


    ''Another Celestial Being?''


    ''He has three Celestials working for him?''


    ''This¡­ Perhaps he has a method to make them work for him?''


    The three of them silentlymunicated using Telepathy. They can''t believe that their 15th Tower, which should be specializing in countermeasures against Celestial Beings failed to gather this important piece of information.


    They thought that they were already fully informed about the number of Celestial Beings within the ck Tower''s territory but it was obviously not the case. They have no report about this white-haired Celestial at all.


    Bertram took a deep breath as he realized the seriousness of this matter.


    "Vincent, we would like to invite you to the 15th Tower. If it''s possible, you can follow us now¡­ You can also bring all the Celestial Beings working for you. I''m sure that this will be very beneficial for them as well¡­"


    As soon as Luna heard the invitation, she squinted her eyes as she looked at the three with piercing gaze¡­ The three stiffened for a moment but they immediately tried to brush it off and act normally.


    "Don''t be nervous, Sir Bertram¡­ Don''t worry, I''ll bring them with me. However, I have important matters to do at the moment. Can it be done in the next two days?" Vincent replied.


    "Two days? There shouldn''t be a problem then. However, the two of us will leave now since we also have to invite the others."


    "I see¡­ Please be careful on your trip then¡­" Vincent replied as the three decided to stand up and immediately leave.


    Vincent followed them with his gaze, his thoughts were unknown.

 Chapter 326 Bad Weather

    "What do you think? Should I bring the three of you?" Vincent asked.


    He is currently in his room together with the three Celestial Beings and of course, Yulia joined them since she has to know what their decision is as Vincent will have to leave the management of this city development in her hands.


    Luna already mentioned that she feels something off about their invitation.


    Since she was already informed of the 15th Tower''s past deeds, she knows that these magicians were certainly not friendly with Celestial Beings.


    As a matter of fact, she believes that they see their race as some experimental subject that they wanted to obtain.


    Instead of helping their race, it can be said that they were a menace to their race. Although they weren''t originally from here, it wasn''t like they were thinking of controlling this. As a matter of fact, they were protecting it right now after the deities of thisnd mistaken them as the real enemies¡­


    Luna obviously didn''t like these people who doesn''t care about Celestials.


    "Can''t we just siege that ce instead? With the three of us, including Krusk, I think we should be unstoppable, right?" Luna asked.


    She had just found out how capable Krusk was and knows that although he''s not able to threaten the Overseer yet, he can certainly be an unstoppable figure against other Mana Practitioners.


    Nevertheless, Vincent immediately rejected this idea. After all, this is an Immortal Project they were talking about¡­ Just its name is already suspicious. If the Tower have already created an immortal, he wanted to see it first before engaging it in battle.


    He also wanted to know how they started this project and what''s the limit of this mysterious leader¡­


    Lastly, he wanted to know if they have some sort of secret backers. He just couldn''t believe that these magicians would just randomly think of dissecting a Celestial Being and transnting their organs to some other humans.


    Well, there might be some crazy researchers that might attempt this but it''s certainly difficult to hunt a Celestial Being. They would also not willingly ept dying at the operating table. They would surely fight with all their might just to survive¡­


    "If they have something in that tower that can suppress Celestial Beings, it will be very dangerous to the three of you. The risk is too high¡­" Vincent muttered as he needs to consider this possibility.


    He only agreed to Bertram''s suggestion of bringing the Celestial Beings a while ago just to make them leave.


    He doesn''t have to follow it at all since he can just reason out that they have some urgent matters to attend to.


    Yulia sighed as she realized the graveness of this matter. If something happened to these three, their city development would certainly have a huge setback and Vincent would not keep quiet about this. There might be some sort of war that will happen once the Celestials were captured.


    "How about asking your Master? Ask him for his opinion¡­" Yulia asked.


    "Ugh¡­ He might even be the mastermind of collecting Celestial Beings. I can''t carelessly ask him about it." Vincent replied.


    He can actually tell that their Master doesn''t care about these things after talking with him for a long time. However, Ignacy may just be feigning his ignorance.


    At this point, Tara finally spoke.


    "Aren''t you just worried that we might get captured or something might happen to us? Then we just need to make enough preparations¡­" Tara said as she continued exining her n¡­<sub> </sub>


    Of course, this heavily involves Vincent''s ability to modify items for them.


    If they possess enough items that could protect themselves, then they shouldn''t be too worried even if there are trapsid out for them¡­


    Furthermore, Vincent can consider bringing only Luna inside, leaving Tara and Rem outside the Tower to monitor the surroundings. If something came up, the two outside can just try to put a hole in the tower to pull them out.


    Well, it was an exaggeration but this is a good start.


    The five of them started discussing their n for almost an hour before Vincent started to busy himself¡­ He even ordered Yulia tomunicate with the One Sea Merchant Union and purchase all Magic Beasts Core they could get with their money¡­


    He needed that additional 50% chance to Transcend some crucial items before they visit the 15th Tower!


    His full Pseudo-Celestial Energy capacity is only 2,090 units. It means that he can only transcend 20 times which is certainly a very small number.


    He has to obtain Magic Nucleus as much as he can so he can at least get a higher chance of sess once he decided to transcend some of his magic tools.


    ''I only have five tries on each item, I can''t carelessly Transcend important magic tools or they''ll just break. I''ll probably have to use up all my Energy Cards this time¡­'' Vincent mused as he started taking out all the items he was nning to Transcend in preparation for his participation in the Immortal Project¡­


    There were a total of 16 items here and some of them haven''t reached their Ascension limits yet so he decided to Ascend them for now while he was waiting for the Magic Beasts Cores.


    ***


    Three days had passed before theypleted all the preparations they needed.


    They werete for a day but it doesn''t really matter since Bertram already mentioned that they''ll be waiting for all possessors of the Immortal Stone before they begin the project.


    Currently, Vincent''s group is heading to the 15th tower using their Vermillion Hawk.


    This is their fastest flying vessel so it was natural to use this as their main airship.


    Aside from the three Celestial Beings, Yasin and Krusk joined them. Their main force is basically here and theirnd will be vulnerable so Vincent had to ask for his senior sister to protect hisnd in the meantime. With his current wealth and various high-ranking weapons, she immediately agreed and sent her elite army to help Yulia manage their territory while they are away.


    Soon, they arrived at the vicinity of the 15th Tower and were shocked at the site of the ck Tower.


    "What is this?" Yasin couldn''t help but gasp after seeing the tower.


    Dark clouds were above the ck Tower and so many arcs of lightning building up across the dark sky. It didn''t just cover the tower but perhaps its whole 3-kilometer radius! The arcs of lightning almost seemed like a river of stars! Perhaps a river of lightning!


    It is such a magnificent sight if seen from another point of view but also scary for the people living below this dark sky.


    Vincent squinted his eyes as he didn''t expect this phenomenon to happen. His confidence heading to the tower had certainly dived down after being weed by such bizarre weather.

 Chapter 327 15th Tower

    Tara, Rem, and Luna also looked really serious after seeing the gathering dark clouds above the tower. It seems that it hasn''t stopped umting at all and it is still gettingrger andrger.


    "Sir Vincent, should wend outside the city?" Yasin asked. He''s co-piloting this aircraft with Rem and their original n was to dock at the Tower''s designated ce. However, he feels like it is not a good idea to get near that area.


    Vincent sighed as he could certainly understand Yasin''s worry.


    "Alright¡­ Just find a good spot then. In any case, it does seem a lot better if wend outside..."


    Yasin heaved a sigh of relief after hearing his approval. He immediately found a good spot tond and guided the aircraft there¡­


    In the meantime, the Sky Guards who were thinking of stopping the Vermillion Hawk from entering the airspace of the city realized that the aircraft suddenly slowed down and docked at a nearby in.


    There have been many visitors who were intimidated by the dark clouds of the ck Tower and did this same thing so they weren''t too surprised.


    They can onlyugh thinking that a bunch of scaredy-cats had arrived here again.


    "Haha! Another group of weaklings wanted to participate in the Immortal Project¡­"


    "Tsk¡­ They already got scared just from the gathering storm¡­ I wonder which family is this from?"


    "Shut up¡­ Be careful of your words. If they are able to obtain Immortal Stones, they must have an important background."


    "Hmph¡­ It''s not like they can hear us from here."


    The group of guards couldn''t help but make fun of Vincent''s group. Nevertheless, they still have to meet them since they were informed that they have to wee those people who have been invited to the immortal project.


    Their group of five immediately went to meet the visitors to the tower.


    "Eh?" Their leader saw Vincent''s group going out of the aircraft and he was stunned. He knows this person and he recalls that he wasn''t involved with the Immortal Project at all. If he was, he would''ve been informed beforehand.


    After all, he had almost searched his residence by force. He would certainly not think of doing that if he knows that he was participating in the project.


    "Commander Ersin? Are you okay?" One of his subordinates noticed his unusual behavior.


    "Tsk¡­ Can''t you remember them from the First Tower? They''re from the Ster Residence of the First Tower¡­" He answered.


    "Ahh¡­ Now that I think about it¡­ Isn''t he the disciple of the Tower Lord?"


    "Y-you''re right¡­"


    This surprised Ersin for a moment. His subordinates were right¡­ The man certainly fits the description of the new disciple of the Tower Lord.


    The name of the owner of the Ster Residence was also the same as his. Ersin then recalled how he made an invitation for this man to enter the Dragon Rider Squad when VIncent was still studying at the ck Tower.<sub> </sub>


    He was only a squad captain before while Vincent was only a student¡­ He couldn''t help but smile as he approached the group and introduced himself.


    Anyway, he decided to be professional with his work and guided Vincent''s group to the tower. Although he''s already themander of the Dragon Rider''s Third Battalion, it''s nothing in front of the Tower Lord''s direct disciple.


    "Don''t mind the others, they will only look around the city and perhaps purchase some souvenirs. Only the two of us will go." Vincent said as he gestured to the white-haireddy in front of them¡­


    Thisdy appears very average in their eyes¡­ She was certainly not at the level of Manager Yulia that he had met before.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll bring the both of you to the Tower. Please follow me." Ersin said as he signaled for his men to follow Vincent''s subordinates.


    Although Vincent did not notice this, he was able to tell that a group of people started watching over Rem and Tara who immediately separated from them.


    Vincent only smiled as he continued on his way to the tower. He''s a little bit nervous after seeing the dark sky but he''s also quite excited now that he''s getting closer to the tower.


    As soon as he entered the ck Tower, he noticed that the suppression in his senses was weaker¡­ It is almost negligible so he found it quite surprising¡­ He''s unsure whether he had just gotten stronger or this Tower''s Formation Art was just weaker than the First Tower.


    The two of them were then brought to the second floor.


    "I can only guide you up until here. Once you entered that door, the Administrator will be assisting you."


    "Alright. Thank you, Commander Ersin." Vincent said as he walked forward with the help of his walking cane.


    "Let me¡­" Luna said as she approached the door and opened it without even knocking. Well, it doesn''t seem necessary in her case and Vincent didn''t mind it at all.


    He entered the hall and immediately used his Item Sense ability.


    He doesn''t want to use his Mana Sense or Aura Sense since he knows that it''s not at the level where it could hide from the sensitive sense of the magicians in this tower.


    At the very least, he doesn''t want to offend them yet.


    "You''re finally here, Sir Vincent¡­" An old man suddenly approached him. This person didn''t nce at the average-looking girl beside him so Vincent was able to confirm that his magic tool was really effective. Normally, people will turn their gazes to Luna once they have seen her. However, it''s obviously not the case today.


    "I''m indeed Vincent¡­ May I know if you''re the administrator?"


    "That''s correct. You can call me, Administrator Bon, before I bring you to the Immortal Project''s area, I would like to thank you for creating those potions¡­ If not for your timely supply of Fairer Potions, we would''ve sumbed to the ck Decay and dyed this project even further." The old man said as he slightly bowed to thank Vincent''s efforts.


    "Oh¡­ That was good to hear¡­" Vincent replied with a stiff smile on his face as he confirmed with his Item Sense ability that three people are watching them secretly.


    Vincent''s group was then brought to a secret passage leading to another space as if he entered a dungeon¡­ That''s right, after entering several dungeons including the First Tower''s secret library, he''s already familiar with this sensation of passing through some sort of warp.


    ''That''s not a good start...'' Vincent thought as this normally means that he can only rely on these people to get out.

 Chapter 328 Nina

    ''Thirty-six, huh¡­''


    Vincent mused as he counted the number of people inside this secret ce including the administrator. With the addition of his group, there were now thirty-eight of them. It is quite a smaller number than he expected.


    After all, ording to Administrator Bon, he was thest one to arrive.


    "Right, I forgot to mention, there will be some people who will not be attending since the modification that they wanted can''t be provided yet. They were quite picky..." The administrator exined as if he could read Vincent''s mind.


    "Is that so? How many of us attended then?"


    "There were only nine of you¡­ Since it''s your first time here, I''m sure that you weren''t of this modification that I''ve mentioned¡­ One of the Alchemists here will exin  it to you."


    Administrator Bon replied as he left Vincent to another person. This is a young female alchemist that is exuding a weird aura.


    If they''re outside the Tower, he would just think that she''s a normal young maiden. She''s wearing a schrly dress spun by silk from tasar silkworms and covered by a white shawl with red plums embroidered on it.


    She doesn''t seem like an alchemist at all. Vincent would normally imagine alchemists as middle-aged people with eyebags and skinny figures.


    However, her long sash that was tied to her waist says otherwise. She wasn''t skinny but instead, she has a perfect figure that even his blurry eyes could see.  Her hair was borately pinned up by a pearl ornamental hairpin and the rest of her hair flowed down her back¡­ If Luna didn''t signal something on him, he would mistake her for a Celestial Being.


    "So you''re Sir Vincent¡­ The Seventh Disciple¡­ I''m not sure how much you know about the Immortal Project. Well, even Karsten didn''t know that much aside from the modification we can provide in exchange for the Immortal Stone you''re holding¡­" The female alchemist said.


    "Oh? Is this something really important?" Vincent asked.


    To be honest, he tried appraising his Immortal Stone but he didn''t get a result. He obviously knows that it is important but he wasn''t sure of its details.


    "Well, it''s an item that can only be purchased by the top families of the ck Tower. I''m sure that Karsten received a huge amount of scolding after losing it to you." The alchemist said with an amused smile on her face. She doesn''t normally see people who don''t know the value of the Immortal Stone.


    "Anyway, since you''re already here, let me exin how this event will start¡­ We are still waiting for the Project Leader to arrive so I should have some time to exin it to you."


    Vincent then went silent as he listened to the alchemist.


    Apparently, this Immortal Project has three stages¡­ The first stage was the Modification Project that they have recently been perfected which allowed them to produce numerous talented Mana Practitioners.


    Vincent guessed that this is the result of the Celestial Incarnation Project where they had to sacrifice many people in order to confirm the viability of transnting the Celestial Being''s organs to humans.


    The second stage was the one that involves the Immortal Stone¡­ She said that these Immortal Stones are needed as some sort of energy to provide gifts or unique abilities to the practitioners. There were no surgeries or transnts needed for it to happen. What was needed appeared to be some kind of ritual and she wasn''t too clear about it. Anyway, he would know itter on.


    As for the third stage, she hinted that it is rted to achieving an Immortal Body¡­ It seems to be considered as Tier 5 Mana Art. Unfortunately, the technique to attain the Immortal Body wasn''tpleted yet.<sub> </sub>


    ''The result of the first stage was certainly Calidia and the others¡­ As for the second stage, I''m about to experience it now¡­'' Vincent mused.


    "Thank you for exining it to me¡­ Right, I haven''t asked for your name yet¡­"


    "I''m Nina¡­ Just a Tier 3 Alchemist." The young maiden replied as she gestured to Vincent to follow her.


    The ce they were in right now seems like a theater stage¡­ It was as if they were about to watch some people perform on the stage.


    "A Tier 3 Alchemist, huh¡­ Do you know Miss Faviona from the Alchemist Union?" Vincent asked. For some reason, he wanted to just continue chatting with her¡­


    "You know teacher Faviona? She was my teacher in the academy at the 13th Tower before she joined the Alchemist Union." Nina replied as she looked at Vincent with surprise.


    "Are you acquainted with her as well?" She added.


    "That''s right¡­ I received a jade tag from her and was told to visit the Alchemist Union if I have the time¡­ I didn''t know that she was a teacher before."


    Nina realized that Vincent was saying the truth after he pulled up the jade tag which is something that she also has. It is an item necessary to enter the Alchemist Union.


    The two of them chatted about random things for a little while longer until the Project Leader finally arrived.


    To be honest, Vincent was feeling several gazes on him and he felt ufortable about it. Thanks to Nina, he was able to calm himself and secretly monitor the people who have been observing him as well.


    During this time, he was able to identify the eight other participants of this project, and just like him, they brought one person to escort them.


    Step¡­ Step. Step¡­


    The project leader stood on the stage and looked at everyone present, the Immortal Stone holders, the Alchemists, and the guards they''d brought¡­


    "Thank you for arriving, everyone¡­ I called you here after hearing that Vincent, thest Immortal Stone holder, is finally here." The Project Leader said as he looked in Vincent''s direction.


    As expected, the others arrived earlier in the 15th Tower and were only called to gather after his presence was known. Since hended outside the city and took his time to get here, everyone has already gathered by the time he entered¡­


    Vincent felt a bit apologetic for beingte. Nevertheless, if he didn''t do this, he wouldn''t feelfortable going here at all.


    He then noticed the old Project Leader looking at Luna and he seem to be confused about whether she was a Celestial Being or not.


    "I will not make you wait for long then¡­ Everyone with the Immortal Stone cane up here on the stage one by one tomunicate with the Magic God and receive your blessing¡­"

 Chapter 329 Magic God

    Vincent''s expression was frozen after seeing a group of people bringing a small altar onto the stage. It seems to be a necessary item toplete the ritual.


    Furthermore, he didn''t expect that the Immortal Stone is an item that can be used tomunicate with another deity! Magic God?


    Is there something like that?


    Vincent tried to recall but he couldn''t remember any gods or goddesses with such an arrogant title.


    Furthermore, if there really is a god of magicians, then his name would surely be known and there would be many records of his existence.


    Anyway, the Project Leader wasn''t finished speaking yet. He seems to have recalled that Vincent is new to this so he added.


    "Aside from the Immortal Stone that you will have to hand over, the blessing or modification, you''ll receive needs a corresponding material that wille from us. Hmm... It''s better to show it to you¡­ Ciara, you''re first."


    Ciara stood up and Vincent realized that this girl was one of the few who kept staring at him with a hostile gaze.


    She appears quite distressed over something and anyone could tell that her health is not in a good condition.


    She then received something from the Project Leader. It is a ss jar that contains something Vincent didn''t know¡­


    He then saw Ciara kneel in front of the altar while holding the ss jar and immortal stone in her hands¡­


    It was at this point that the old Project Leader spoke while looking at Vincent.


    "Ciara wanted to gain any sort of blessing rted to her voice¡­ The Immortal Stone that you all have can only allow you to meet the Magic God through this altar. It is not enough¡­ The jar here contains another sacrifice that will allow her to please the Magic God into fulfilling her request¡­"


    Vincent was stunned as soon as he heard this.


    Communicating with the Magic God through the altar? Furthermore, they can make a request to this mighty being as long as they have the right sacrifice! It is inconceivable for Vincent.


    He couldn''t help but look at Luna beside him but she was also bewildered by this situation. However, Vincent subtly noticed that she was worried about something.


    He wasn''t too sure but this is how he interpret the aura surrounding her right now¡­


    ''Does she know something?'' Vincent mused¡­


    Whom~


    A wave of energy came from the altar catching everyone''s attention¡­ The ss jar that Ciara was holding broke into many pieces as the contents seem to have been absorbed by the gray altar.


    As for the immortal stone, its shiny colors disappeared. It now looks like a dull stone that can be found on every side of the road.


    It was at this point that the alchemists of the ck Tower stood up and congratted Ciara¡­


    "Congrattions, Ciara¡­"


    "I''m sure that the Dorrian Family will have another great talent that will attend the Tower Academy¡­"


    "Everything is going to be fine from now on."


    "Right, you no longer have to be afraid of your sister."


    "Your voice is amazing! Congrattions on having it back!"


    Vincent had no idea what they were spouting. Nevertheless, he can conclude that Ciara didn''t juste here to have some fun. There is definitely a reason why she was doing this. It may be for herself, for her family, or for whatever reason he wasn''t interested in.<sub> </sub>


    What he wanted to know is whether the ritual is effective or not.


    Then, he noticed that her previous haggard or distressed face haspletely changed. She''s now brimming with confidence as she faced the crowd.


    "Thank you all¡­ I hope everyone here will also be a follower of the Magic God." Ciara said as she looked at the other participants of this event and handed over the dull Immortal Stone to the project leader.


    The others seem to be shocked after hearing her voice but Vincent didn''t find anything wrong with it.


    Her voice was definitely attractive and his magic tool even reacted slightly. Her voice contains a little bit of charm magic but it wasn''t too rming.


    ''Hmm?'' After analyzing this for a moment, Vincent suddenly had a bad feeling about this.


    Especially after she hinted that she had be a follower of the Magic God!


    He immediately turned to the Tier 3 Alchemist beside him.


    "Nina, what just happened?" Vincent asked.


    "Ah? Didn''t you hear her speak? She was previously a mute¡­ Although she wasn''t a mute since birth, she became like that after something happened with her and her sister. In any case, everything is fine now that she has the support of the Fifteenth Tower''s Magic God." Nina said with excitement.


    Well, all the alchemists seem to have the same look as her as they look at the altar as if they were seeing the Magic God himself.


    Vincent frowned but he didn''t show it. He could only nod at this as he continued watching the event.


    The next person came up and received a blessing rted to his blood. His blood seem to have be poison but he wasn''t really sure since he only briefly saw the blood he spat on the ground.


    It continued for a while and each person needed about five to twenty minutes toplete their connection with the altar. Vincent guessed that the length depends on the request they''d made to the Magic God.


    The eighth person finally came and it will be Vincent''s turn next.


    "What do you think, Luna?" Vincent asked.


    "You''ll be fine. If the Magic God is not the same as the one who had given you the blessing, then you''ll probably be rejected. I''m sure they don''t want to mess with their colleague''s blessed one, right?"


    "Colleague?" Vincent smiled after hearing this. He''s not sure whether he can call the rtionship of the gods and goddesses colleagues but anyway, Luna has a point.


    He was reminded that he has indeed taken the attention of a different goddess.


    However, if the magic god and the blond goddess were hostile to each other, he might be in trouble¡­


    Well, he might be overthinking this...


    After 10 more minutes, it was finally his turn. He was called to the stage by the Project Leader.


    "Vincent, we have made a lot of preparations, you can request any sort of blessing or modification to your body¡­ We have all the needed items for any kind of request, so just let me know what you''ll ask the Magic God."


    Vincent took a deep breath.


    He no longer has to think as he already knows what he wanted. Well, everyone is probably aware of it already.


    "My eyes¡­"

 Chapter 330 Suspicious

    The old leader smiled as he had already expected this request. The Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord was known for being blind. There is also the Sixth Disciple but that person seems to have never left the First Tower and was being trained there every single day.


    "Very well¡­"


    He immediately gave a ss jar to Vincent that is necessary to get the Magic God to agree to his request.


    "Hold this with your left hand. Hold the Immortal Stone with your right hand and kneel in front of the altar and call for the Magic God while imbuing your mana into the Immortal Stone."


    The old man instructed.


    Well, Vincent had actually received a notification from his system that he could connect to the altar even without kneeling at all. Nevertheless, he knows that he still has to do it since all of them were watching him.


    He can''t appear too suspicious.


    Anyway, this Immortal Stone seems to have the same effect as the Memory Connection Stone but it''s a bit better considering how it could allow anyone to directlymunicate with the deity connected to the altar.


    Vincent thought of immediately imbuing his mana to the Immortal Stone but he suddenly thought of appraising the ss jar first. After all, once his request was fulfilled by the Magic God, the contents of the jar will dissipate and he would no longer have the chance of checking it again.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ You have discovered a jar containing a Damaged Beast''s Eyeball ]


    [ Damaged Beast''s Eyeball ]


    [ Quality: Common


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 3/19


    Description: An eyeball soaked with an unknown liquid that prevents anyone from appraising using a low-level skill. It is inedible.


    Remarks: An item with an unknown purpose. Every sessful enhancement will improve its durability. ]


    ''What? Amon item?'' Vincent found this really unexpected. It was a good thing that he managed to control his expression after reading the appraisal result.


    He was expecting some high-level material to be used to grant his request to the Magic God¡­ After all, it''s not easy to remove the seal made by that blond goddess. He even had to raise the Moonbreaker Potion''s quality from Middle to Peak aside from making it a +10 item.


    <o>,m Will this be alright? Did he give me the correct ss jar?</o>


    Vincent wondered as he found this quite suspicious.


    ''Perhaps he wanted me to fail and be aughingstock for everyone¡­ Ugh¡­''


    Although Vincent didn''t mind getting mocked in case he failed, he didn''t want it to happen because he was sabotaged.


    Unfortunately, he can''t reallyin right now since he might have been mistaken as well. Perhaps this is really the requirement for this ritual.


    ''Tsk... Whatever¡­ Let''s meet this magic god first¡­''


    He can only trust them for now. He briefly nced at Luna who was still seated beside Nina before he followed their instruction.


    As soon as he imbued his energy to the Immortal Stone, he immediately felt his eyes throb¡­ It wasn''t painful but he feels that it was rted to the seal ced on his body!


    Whom~<sub> </sub>


    His mind was suddenly taken away¡­


    ''Hmmm¡­ What''s this ce?''


    His consciousness, or maybe his soul, arrived on a floating ind¡­ It ispletely different from the goddess'' ce when he previously use the altar from the Zemin n.


    "Ahh? What''s going on?"


    Suddenly, the surrounding space distorted as the ce he was brought to started crumbling¡­ The floating ind and the sky started breaking into many pieces¡­


    ''This is dangerous!''


    He wanted to get away as he felt that he would also be shattered by the distortion if he decided not to move¡­ However, where else would he go?!


    It was as if this whole dimension didn''t like this arrival and started to self-destruct!


    ''Not good¡­ This isn''t part of my n¡­ I can''t use my items here¡­'' Since only his incorporeal body has arrived, there was no way to trigger the use of his weapon¡­


    No, perhaps he can try using the System Inventory here!


    As he was about to try and pull out an item from his inventory, Vincent felt warm energy wrapping up on his body as he felt safe from the destruction that is happening around him¡­


    ''What now?'' He was confused for a moment but luckily, his question was immediately answered.


    In the next second, he found himself in a familiar ce where he met the blond goddess who had taken his vision¡­


    ''Did she interfere?'' Vincent thought as he looked at the figure in front of him.


    This blonde goddess was showing her back to him as she seem to be observing the small tree that had grown in her space.


    She still has the same sacred aura around her and her beautiful figure remains the same.


    "What did you do this time?" It was the goddess who asked.


    Her voice seem tired as she finally looked at Vincent. Her eyes no longer show the previous brightness that he had seen before as she seem to have exhausted her strength.


    "Huh? I''m... I''m just trying to get rid of the seal on my body¡­ I was told I can meet the Magic God to fulfill it¡­ However, I was brought here instead¡­ Are you the magic god?"


    Vincent doubted that she was the magic god but he still needs to ask.


    "I''m not the magic god¡­"


    She answered weakly as she shook her head followed by a sigh¡­


    "Did I do something wrong?" Vincent couldn''t help but ask. For some reason, he felt that the goddess was disappointed in him!


    He felt a bit bad about it but after recalling that she was the one who blinded him, he immediatelyposed himself. Although she seem to have a good intention for sealing his eyes, she still did it without his permission.


    The blonde goddess seem to have read his thoughts as she red at him.


    "That ce where you were brought into was a trap¡­ if I didn''t pull you out in time, your consciousness will be trapped there forever while another being will possess your body¡­"


    "W-what?" Vincent was shocked.


    If what she''s saying is real, then his visit here was really a trap!

 Chapter 331 Damaged

    "This¡­ So, the Immortal Project is a scam?"


    Vincent was rmed after realizing this. After all, there was no way the trap for them would just end here. Once he returned, they would surely realize that he wasn''t affected by the trap they set up against him.


    "If they were sessful, who will control my body then?" Vincent asked.


    He can somehow tell that they have a lot of time to talk, unlike the previous time he was here.


    He made this assumption because the ce has be vivid and no longer dreamy like before. He can even clearly see the small details of the tree that seems to be quite simr to the Tree of Faith. The only difference is that the leaves weren''t glowing, unlike the one he had seen in the Silent Creek Dungeon.


    "Who will control your body? Hmmm¡­"


    The goddess pondered for a moment before she answered.


    "I''m not sure¡­ Perhaps it''s the magic god that you''ve said. I don''t even know anyone with that title¡­ It''s probably a made-up name and you fell for it. If there is one, it''s probably a new title then¡­"


    "You mean it could possibly be a new deity like you?" Vincent asked.


    However, the goddess coldly looked at him as if she didn''t like beingpared.


    "As I said, I don''t know¡­ I can only tell that whatever pulled you into that dimension doesn''t have a good intention. I only managed to save you because you haven''t  unsealed your eyes yet¡­"


    "Then, can you unseal it now?"


    "I can do that¡­ However, I''m sure that you''ve noticed the benefits it gave you. Do you really want it to be removed now or just let your fate remove it?" The blonde goddess asked as if she knows that Vincent would really want to get the full benefits of the current seal.


    "Ugh¡­ Why is it fate this time? Can''t you just tell me how I can remove it myself?"


    "I can''t¡­ However, I know that you can do it without my help. Just be patient. You will get there¡­"


    The goddess replied with encouragement as she stepped closer to Vincent.


    Thetter was a bit surprised as she tried getting closer so suddenly. It''s not like he didn''t like it but her sacred aura is a bit suffocating for him¡­ or he wasn''t used to it yet.


    Vincent then saw her point his finger at his forehead. He was confused at first but he saw her fingertip glow before she tapped his forehead.


    "What was that? Is it another seal this time?" Vincent asked with a frown.


    He didn''t feel anything from that but he knows that she had done something without his permission again.


    "It''s a little help. Once you returned, the one trying to control your body will most likely be inside you right now¡­ You have to fight against it so I wish you good luck¡­"


    "What? I thought I''m already safe after you pulled me here¡­"


    "You''re safe right now¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ T-thank you for the blessing you gave me just now then¡­ May I know your name, goddess?" Vincent asked.<sub> </sub>


    He already tried asking her name before but he didn''t get an answer. He prepared himself to get rejected again but surprisingly, she decided to answer him!


    "You probably haven''t heard of my name so I didn''t bother telling it to you¡­ However, now that you have gotten yourself involved with another deity, you must at least know which side are you¡­ I''m Vera¡­"


    "You''re not Asione?"


    This was Vincent''s reaction¡­ To be honest, he really thought that she was Asione, the goddess of life and death.


    After all, there are many clues pointing at this identity¡­


    "I''m not her¡­ However, you can at least say that I''m pretty close to her¡­ Well, enough of this¡­ You can''t stay here any longer. If the other deity is stronger than I expected, you''ll have a hard time fighting against it if you''re dyed for too long¡­" Vera said before she waved her hand to send Vincent away.


    He didn''t even manage to reply as his vision turned ck and found himself in his body again¡­


    He''s still holding the Immortal Stone but the ss jar was no more¡­


    This time, he felt a couple of his defensive magic tools reacting¡­ As expected, they were the magic tools that protects him against mind control, hypnotism, or something simr.


    It seems that while his consciousness was away, his magic tools had actually defended his body!


    As expected of +10 Pseudo-Legendary items in his possession, even the goddess did not predict this at all.


    He tried to check his own status and confirmed that there is no abnormal status on his body. No parasite or magic traces can be found¡­ The only concern now is that his Magic Tools were still reacting¡­


    It means that it is still happening at this very moment.


    He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the blessing or whatever gift that goddess gave him¡­ Unfortunately, he still can''t find it after a few seconds so he decided to give up and just rely on his own magic tools


    ''Well¡­ I guess the blessing won''t work unless my body was already controlled or something¡­''


    He could only think of this since based on what the goddess said, she was thinking that his body was already in the possession of another being and that he would fight against this being once he returned.


    That was obviously not the case since he''s perfectly fine thanks to his magic tools.


    Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he fully activated his Magic Tools. They were only working passively a while ago but now that he''s conscious, he was able to use his items'' active skills topletely remove the force or magic that is trying to mess up his mind¡­


    After a few seconds, he was able to bepletely free from the trap set up for him and the only problem was his items'' durability have reached a critical level.


    The Memory Connection Stone with Mind rity skill is now 12 out of 300 durability points.


    His other tools had also taken great damage. His Prudence Ring, Sagewood Ring, Furious Ebony Armlet, rity Band, and his very important Brilliant Zeal Ring had all taken almost 70 percent damage.


    That is a huge amount and Vincent will be in trouble if he was attacked with simr intensity again.


    After all, these pieces of equipment were items that are difficult to repair!

 Chapter 332 Fallout

    His Brilliant Zeal Ring was previously a ring that only has a passive ability that protects him from any foreign energy invading his body.


    It was a great tool to protect himself against any type of energy that his Mana Shield or Aura Protection could not stop.


    As a matter of fact, it had previously contained the energy called Aether which was the energy used by the Xonid Creature. He had almost died at that time.


    If he didn''t have this ring, he would''ve sumbed to this unknown and deadly energy that could corrupt almost anything.


    This is the reason why Vincent found this ring very important to him. Furthermore, for some reason even after buying another Brilliant Zeal Ring, he was unable to push them to a higher rank than the one that he currently has.


    The other Brilliant Zeal Ring he tried to ascend had only reached Epic Rank and a couple of Pseudo-Legendary Ranks.


    Because of this, he decided to just Transcend the ring that he originally has. This is the same ring that contained the Aether before¡­


    ''Ahhh... Perhaps it has to contain that kind of deadly energy before I can ascend them to Legendary?'' Vincent thought¡­


    When he fought that Xonid Creature before, his brilliant zeal ring was only Pseudo-Legendary¡­ He only managed to ascend it to Legendary after removing the Aether from it.


    Obviously, Vincent can''t try out this idea since he didn''t know how to use Aether or where to find it. Right now, he''s only happy that his only Legendary Ring is still working and was able to contain the energy that tried to invade his body.


    [ Damaged Brilliant Zeal Ring ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 175/620


    New Energy Protection: A passive ability that helps the user contain any forms of energy that invades their body. Consumes durability in each use.


    Currently Contained Energy: Aether ( Harmful )


    Unfocused Protection: In exchange for 200 units of mana, the user can use all the Contained Energy of the item to return it to a selected target.


    Description: A slightly damaged ring that has a very strong effect against harmful energy. Every usage will decrease the durability of the ring. It can only be repaired by upgrading it into a Soul-Forge item.


    Remarks: The item can not be enhanced. ]


    Vincent was shocked after appraising the ring for a brief moment.


    ''Aether? This Aether again?'' He was rmed by this notification.


    After all, thest time he had contained Aether was when he fought against the Xonid Creature!


    He thought that what was trying to control him was another deity so he was expecting some kind of divine power or sacred energy that would be contained in his ring.


    He did not expect the same Aether to appear¡­


    Does it mean that the mastermind in this Immortal Project is a Xonid Creature all along? Or is there another alien race he''s unaware of that is also capable of manipting this energy?


    Vincent had this sudden thought as he realized that this project is really too suspicious.<sub> </sub>


    Nevertheless, he is still in the center of the enemy base so he can''t act rashly or let them know that he''s aware of Aether Energy and the Xonids¡­


    "Hmm? How was it, Vincent? Can you properly see us now?" The old Project Leader asked after seeing that Vincent already stood up and regained consciousness.


    "It didn''t work¡­ You can probably say that my request was denied. I guess even the Magic God couldn''t do anything about my body." Vincent replied after thinking for a moment.


    As expected, the Project Leader including the other alchemists looks confused after hearing this¡­ They believe that the deity they were worshipping is omnipotent and should be capable of giving vision to a blind person.


    "That''s impossible¡­"


    "There must''ve been something wrong with your request after entering the magic god''s realm."


    "Right, you must''ve changed your request."


    Vincent heard a few people from the crowd and they seem to genuinely believe in the existence of this deity that would cure him.


    He listened to them for a bit more and he realized that some of them doesn''t seem to be aware that his ritual just now was meant to trap him¡­


    There were only a few suspicious people who were looking at Vincent with terrified faces as they have probably realized that he managed to ovee the trap that wasid out to control his body.


    They probably thought that as soon as he connected to the Immortal Stone, there was no way for him to get away from the Magic God''s control.


    Unfortunately for them, Vincent has his magic tools including a goddess who was able to assist him even without asking for it.


    "Vincent, did you meet the magic god?"


    The Project Leader asked as he looked at Vincent solemnly. It was as if he would do something to him if he answered incorrectly.


    Vincent can feel a threatening auraing from the old man. Although it is subtle, his Aura Sense was able to catch it.


    "I did not¡­ I wasn''t even able to meet the Magic God. I thought that it was normal not to meet this deity so I just made a request like I was praying¡­ But as you can see, I don''t think my prayers were answered." Vincent can only make a story since telling them that he met a different deity would justplicate things.


    The alchemists weren''t sure what to believe but they have to do something about this.


    "Tsk¡­ You''re supposed to meet someone¡­ Ugh, whatever, we''ll know the truth soon¡­"


    Because of this unexpected situation, the Project Leader had no other choice but to pull out another Immortal Stone and meet the Magic God himself and see the situation.


    Vincent found this interesting since he wasn''t sure to what extent did Vera interfere with this magic god¡­ He wanted to know whether these people can stillmunicate with the deity.


    Vincent returned to his seat as he signaled to Luna to prepare herself to escape...


    ''Hmm?''


    She immediately understood that Vincent did something to the Magic God and he was actually lying! She couldn''t help but smile as she nodded to Vincent¡­


    Soon, the Project Leaderpleted his ritual and red at Vincent and Luna beside him¡­


    "Capture those two immediately!"

 Chapter 333 Escape ( 1 )

    From the voice of the Project Leader, everyone can tell that Vincent did something horrible when he ''met'' the magic god a while ago.


    They weren''t sure what exactly Vincent did but for the usually calm andposed leader to react like this, it is definitely not something trivial¡­ It must be a serious matter that involves the deity himself!


    Unfortunately for them, the alchemists that are currently here weren''tbat magicians¡­ They rely on their tools, potions, and other tricks to fight in a battle.


    They arepletely unlike Luna who has the physical strength, agility, and armor that make her an unstoppable force.


    As soon as Luna burst with power, they immediately realized that they were dealing with a Celestial Being. They weren''t sure whether she was Numbered or not but what''s important is that they have to keep them here!


    They don''t even have the time to ponder how they missed her presence even though she was so near them. Normally, they would be able to know whether there is a Celestial Being in the vicinity using their tools and mana arts¡­


    The old leader looked at Vincent and Luna solemnly as he realized that even though they might capture the two, the damages might be too severe and even the altar might be a casualty. That is obviously not something they could afford.


    "Vincent! Do not fight back! We need to properly interrogate you as you have done something atrocious! I''m not sure how you did it but we will know once we''ve interrogated you. Order your Celestial Being to stand down! If you''re innocent, it can be easily proven and we willpensate you for the trouble we''ve made."


    He immediately tried to calm the situation seeing that Luna has already worn her Celestial Armor. Although they have Mana Formations, Magic Artifacts, and Secret Arts that they could use to subdue her, it would still be too troublesome.


    Their original n is to control Vincent after all. If they did that, the Celestial Beings under him would be easily controlled so they weren''t too worried about his Celestial Beings initially. They were too reliant on this n that now that it has failed, they were having trouble controlling the situation.


    "I''m sorry but I don''t want to. I will leave now. If you want to stop me, just try." Vincent said as he pulled out a few magic tools in his interspatial ring.


    "Hmph! Do you think you can leave in this dimension? You''re probably not aware of this but after you entered this hall¡ª"


    "I know¡­ I also thought that I won''t have a way to escape but someone I''d just seen someone destroy a dimension¡­ I think I can do that as well." Vincent said mysteriously as he pulled out one more item from his ring.


    "Luna¡­ Protect me for a while." Vincent whispered as he decided to rely on her this time.


    "That''s easy¡­ How about I just kill them all?"


    "Ugh¡­ I can''t move while I''m doing this¡­ They might attack me while you''re away."


    "That''s true¡­ Make it fast then¡­" Luna said as she seem very disappointed that she can''t just rush and kill the alchemists who were showing hostility toward them.


    Actually, Nina, who was previously beside them didn''t show any form of hostility but instead confusion about the situation. She''s obviously not part of the group that tried to control Vincent.


    When the old leader ordered the two to be captured, instead of following his orders, she had actually retreated to the corner¡­


    Well, it may be because she''s not abat magician but the fact that she didn''t just try capturing them means that these people weren''t as organized as he had expected.


    Vincent was able to tell that there were alchemists who were some sort of fanatics of the magic god while the others were truly just here for research and advancement of the Mana Practitioners.


    Since he wasn''t fully sure of the situation of the 15th Tower, he didn''t want to just randomly kill anyone they meet in this tower.


    He wanted to ensure that he''ll only deal with the real sinners. Those who had truly dabbled with forbidden practices like human experimentation.


    "Momentum Freeze!"<sub> </sub>


    A group of magicians finally finished their preparation and activated one of their Formation Arts. It didn''t end there¡­


    "Mana Solidification¡­"


    "Hymn of Confusion¡­"


    Two other formation arts that were set up in this ce were activated.


    Luna smiled after seeing this as she clenched her fist and punched into the air.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Formation Arts that were meant to suppress the two copsed in an instant.


    Her punch contains a wave-like form of Celestial Energy that disrupted the surrounding mana¡­


    "Hahaha! Is that all?!"


    Lunaughed as she saw the group of magicians spitting some blood after she forcefully canceled the formation art they were trying to control.


    At this moment, no one was able to control the surrounding Mana because her Celestial Energy was mixed into them¡­


    The magicians in front of her can only rely on the mana that is inside their core¡­


    Realizing that they can''t rely on their Formation Arts, they know that they have to fight using their Mana Arts instead.


    However, they were a bit hesitant¡­ It may not be a big deal for some but the alchemists here know that they can''t just empty the mana inside their cores. Since they are in a secret dimension, the natural mana recovery doesn''t work here!


    If their mana was used, they can only use potions to recover them!


    In addition, they know how durable the Celestial Beings can be¡­ Even 10 of their strongest Mana Arts may not be enough to destroy that armor she''s wearing¡­


    Among the magicians within the ck Tower''s territory, they were probably the ones who were more knowledgeable about this.


    The magicians looked at their leader with hopeful eyes since they know that there is another method to deal with a Celestial Being in front of them¡­ If their leader can afford to sacrifice a bit, she will surely get captured.


    However, they noticed that he wasn''t looking at the Celestial Being but instead at Vincent. He seem to be shocked at something as he roared in anger.


    "Stop! Everyone! Use all your Mana Arts and focus them on Vincent! Hurry! They will escape!"


    The old man shouted as he realized that Vincent has reached a critical point. He wasn''t exactly sure how Vincent did it but he can feel that the surrounding dimension is starting to distort!


    This is not a good sign so they have to stop him at all costs!

 Chapter 334 Escape ( 2 )

    Luna was able to tell that the situation is in their favor.


    Nevertheless, they can''t be too careless so she has to do her best to protect Vincent and get out of this dimension.


    Once they did that, they will be able tomunicate with Tara and Rem which could further assist them in escaping.


    Luna looked at the forming elemental mana arts in front of them¡­ Perhaps, if she did not receive numerous potions from VIncent, she would have to rely on her armor to protect herself from this bombardment of elemental art.


    However, now that she knows that Vincent has a very stable method of providing Celestial Energy, she didn''t mind exerting herself a little in this bout¡­


    She took a deep breath and focused her Celestial Energy on her palm¡­ After this, shepressed this energy into a size of a fingernail and made it float on her fingertip.


    Now, everyone can see a genuine Celestial Energy ball glowing in front of them¡­


    It is emitting a red light as if she''s wielding apressed fireball. Nevertheless, everyone here is some sort of expert and they know that there is not a single elemental fluctuation in thatpressed energy. In short, that was pure energy that came from the core of the Celestial Being¡­


    "Release!"


    The old leader shouted as he noticed that everyone''s mana arts are ready¡­ Anyway, they can''t just randomly throw their Mana Arts. To fully benefit from their multiple attacks, they have to properly time it and use different techniques depending on the situation.


    "All multi-casters will follow up with fire elemental arts!" He continued giving instructions as he knows that they wouldn''t go down with only this much firepower.


    Their first attack was to suppress Luna who was meant to protect Vincent¡­ It will be followed by fire elemental attacks to shake Vincent up. The heat wave that wille after their attack might at least affect the young man from whatever he was doing.


    "That''s not enough! Bring me more!" Luna was like a crazed magician who just wanted to experience some challenging battles¡­


    She didn''t feel threatened to see the 30 or so Mana Arts thrown at their location. Instead, she was even more energized by the situation they were in.


    She felt more alive being on this battlefield as she taunted them even more.


    After slumbering for a long time, she felt that her skills had already rusted¡­ She tried sparring with Tara and Rem and she can tell that her skills have already declined.


    It''s probably because she hasn''t fully recovered her Celestial Energy yet.


    However, as a Numbered Celestial with two digits, she just can''t feel happy that she was on par with a rank 999, and an unnumbered!


    Apparently, during her sparring with Tara and Rem, she wasn''t able to defeat them. Although she didn''t lose as well, she just can''t win against the two which is quite humiliating for her.


    When she was still at her peak, she was capable of defeating ten or so low-ranking Celestial Beings at the same time without any issues!


    With this in mind, she decided to turn her frustration to these magicians!


    ''I will get strong again!'' Luna shouted in her mind as she weed the iing attack¡­


    She pointed herpressed Celestial Energy ball and threw it in front of them¡­ With a flick of her finger, thepressed ball of energy exploded¡­ It didn''t affect her and Vincent as she was able to at least control the direction of explosion.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!<sub> </sub>


    The elemental mana arts were destroyed mid-air¡­


    Even the secondary attacks of the multi-casters were affected. Everyone was surprised at this as they have never seen a Celestial Being use this kind of technique before.


    Everyone also suffered some light injuries but thanks to their magic tools and prior defensive formation, they were able to withstand the attack of this Celestial Being.


    "Hmm?"


    Although they weren''t in a good situation, the old leader noticed that Luna''s posture seems to be off. It seems like she was already tired after doing this much¡­ Right, her body is taking a toll!


    There was no way she could easily stop all the attacks of magicians here who can do multicasting.


    "She can''t use it for many times! Try it again!"


    The old leader shouted as he tried to raise his subordinates'' morale¡­


    He was right¡­


    They did this three more times and Luna was indeed exhausted. It became very visible after their third try.


    It hasn''t been that long since she started recovering her Celestial Energy after all. She obviously has a lower energy reserve than other Celestials at this point.


    "Hmph! Bring it on!" Luna wasn''t afraid since she still has other methods.


    Furthermore, if her Celestial Energy is not enough, she''ll just charge through them using her Celestial Armor¡­


    Fighting them in closebat will certainly be easy¡­ The only problem is that Vincent doesn''t have protection! It means that she has to quickly kill them in closebat before they could act against Vincent.


    It may be difficult to do so but she trusts herself that she will be able to protect Vincent if it really came to that point.


    Luckily, she was able to buy enough time for Vincent toplete his preparations.


    "We''re going out! Hold me!" Vincent immediately shouted seeing that Luna was about to engage in closebat.


    Luna was relieved hearing this as she jumped back and held Vincent''s left arm¡­ Currently, Vincent is holding what seems like a pocket watch in his right hand¡­ She knows that it''s the item that will create an escape path for them and she couldn''t help but be curious about what it is¡­ She wanted to own one as well if it''s possible.


    Whom~


    Her vision suddenly turned ck as a forceful distortion of space urred on their spot¡­ The moment she was able to see again, they were already on the second level of the tower!


    Vincent smiled as he realized that he really should thank Master Ignacy for this escape¡­ Apparently, what he had just used to escape was an exclusive item given to only disciples of the Tower Lord. It was initially meant to enter and exit the First Tower''s special library.


    However, because the altar room and the special library is using the same principles of dimensional control, Vincent was able to use it here as well after a few adjustments.


    "Luna! Let''s move! Send the signal to the two outside!" Vincent shouted as he immediately used his shrouded steps to the limit!

 Chapter 335 Escape ( 3 )

    About half an hour ago, Tara and Rem were observing the vicinity of the 15th Tower¡­


    They have been very curious about the unusual weather that is happening right now. Well, they have a few guesses since they have seen some simr events in the past but this is their first time seeing it in such close proximity.


    No, they were basically at the center of this unusual phenomenon¡­


    They tried probing the internal structure of the 15th Tower to find out what was gathering spot of this huge amount of negative energy but they weren''t sessful.


    They asked the people around as well if they have an idea of what was going on but unfortunately, they have the same answers¡­


    "We''ve heard that the researchers of the Tower are conducting an experiment to control the weather. It hasn''t beenpleted yet so it''s like this¡­ In any case, this had only started three weeks ago. It hasn''t been that long but it''s enough for us to get used to it." One of the peddlers answered after being asked.


    Everyone would answer roughly the same thing and they can only conclude that this is really something that they were afraid of.


    "Do you know how long this willst?" Rem asked solemnly.


    "They said that it shouldn''tst for a month so I guess this will be over in another week or so. Are you buying my watermelons or not?" The peddler replied.


    Rem awkwardly thanked the old peddler for answering her questions and left in a hurry.


    "Controlling the weather, huh¡­" Tara muttered after concluding their investigation. There is no point asking more people about the dark clouds above them.


    "Well, that''s a good excuse¡­ I''m sure they were hiding in this tower. Hmm¡­ If they''re not from Xonid Legion, perhaps from  Morian Collective? What do you think?" Rem pondered as she looked at the dark clouds above them.


    There are still arcs of lightning that can be seen as if it''s threatening to pour heavy rain and thunderstorm. This scene might really happen if there is bad weather but because the dark clouds have been staying above the ck Tower for a long time now, it''s obviously not something normal.


    "It''s not important¡­ As long as they''re enemies, we''ll purge them¡­" Tara confidently said as she stopped staring at the dark clouds.


    This city isn''t in danger yet but considering the expansion speed of the dark clouds, they could estimate that it would still take several months before the Mana Cataclysm forms.


    That''s right¡­ They have concluded that what''s happening right now is something that the Celestial Beings had seen before and it''s called Mana Cataclysm¡­ Nevertheless, since centuries had passed since thest Mana Cataclysm urred, the citizens around here were clueless about this.


    This is different from the Mana Cmity that Vincent was aware of. Mana Cmity happens when some godly items that shouldn''t be next to each other were put together. This instance will create chaotic mana that will affect a huge area.


    On the other hand, Mana Cataclysm happens when one of the Celestial Beings died by sumbing to Aether.


    From what they know, there are only three races that use Aether. They were the Xonid Legion, the Morian Collective, and the Arkhan Legion.


    Thetter is highly unlikely since the Arkhans were creatures that are too weak. Although they can''tpletely eliminate the possibility, the Xonids and Morians were still the likely cause of this.


    As the two continued wandering around the Tower, they suddenly felt Luna''s signal¡­


    Since Vincent and Luna are in the tower, they can''t really use a magic tool tomunicate outside since it will be blocked by the ck Tower''s defense. However, the Celestial Beings don''t have to use this method since they can use their Celestial Energy to at least signal someone close to them.


    Tara and Rem looked at each other as they immediately understood what they needed to do.


    Although they weren''t sure what exactly is the situation inside, they only have to do their tasks.<sub> </sub>


    It is to create a diversion!


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    The sound of activating mechanical gears was heard as the two of them immediately wore their Celestial Armors¡­ It covered their entire body as they immediately disappeared from their previous spot. Some passers-by noticed them wearing their Celestial Armors and attracted a bit of attention.


    These people were able to recognize those armors that only the Celestial Beings could wear.


    "So the rumors were true! The Celestials walk among us!"


    "I remember them! They ask me about the dark clouds! Perhaps, they are here to investigate the 15th Tower''s experiment?"


    "Why does it matter? They can stay here forever¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ I should''ve offered them something. But why aren''t they beautiful as the rumors said? They look average so I didn''t suspect them at all."


    "Fool¡­ That''s because they don''t want to show their beauty to a lecher like you¡­"


    The small crowdughed at the man who was called a lecher as they didn''t mind the sudden battle formation of the two Celestials.


    They didn''t think too much of it as they believe that they were always safe within the territory of the ck Tower.


    However, their reverberatingughter was buried by the deafening sound of an explosion¡­


    It was followed by an earthquake scaring almost everyone in the city.


    This is the first time this happened and none of them were prepared for this.


    Screams and cries were heard after the earthquake as some people saw a cloud of smokeing from the mighty ck Tower!


    The Tower that they believe would protect them for eternity was damaged!


    "This¡­ The tower is under attack!"


    "Who dares?!"


    "N-no way¡­ Maybe this is just another failed experiment¡­ I''m sure everything is fine¡­"


    They tried convincing themselves but they suddenly recalled the two Celestial Beings just now¡­ They have a sudden feeling that their appearance was connected to the current situation in the Tower!


    Soon they saw the Dragon Riders mobilizing in the sky as if they were chasing someone!


    It was then followed by the sounds of battle as the citizens could only ept that their Tower was truly under attack!


    After realizing this, everyone immediately took cover as they didn''t want to be a casualty or die from stray Mana Bullets being thrown by the magicians.

 Chapter 336 Escape ( 4 )

    "You will not get away! Stay here!"


    The old project leader came out of the altar room and followed Vincent with renewed vigor. Now that they are out of the dimension, their natural mana recovery started working again.


    They no longer have to rely on potions to recover their energy.


    This gave them more confidence to fight against the Celestial Being and Vincent.


    Well, considering their situation, they only need to capture Vincent and his Celestial Being would be easy to deal with.


    "Hmmph! You dare attack the Tower Lord''s disciple?! You have a death wish!"


    Vincent shouted to remind them of his status¡­ A fireball had almost connected to him because of this but he still continued¡­


    "I will tell this to Master Ignacy and you''ll be dead!"


    Vincent said in a loud voice as he tried to scare them away including the others who were just passing by in the hallway.


    These clueless people immediately recognized Vincent as they made a path for him. They were indeed quite scared after hearing the Tower Lord''s name¡­


    Not many would dare to mention his name, especially those with Gray Emblems. They would only refer to him by his title but since Vincent is a disciple, he has no troubles at all.


    This shows his status so they unconsciously made a path for him¡­


    The old leader was obviously frustrated at this but he has no time to scold these people¡­


    "Tower Master! Please! Stop this man!"


    The old leader pleaded as he realized that Vincent is about to escape.


    He needs to get the 15th Tower Master''s assistance to subdue these two!


    Vincent was actually quite nervous after hearing this¡­ The minimum requirement to be a Tower Master is to be a Penta-Caster, a magician capable of casting five Mana Arts at the same time!


    If this Tower Master arrived, they would certainly be in trouble¡­


    Luckily, the Tower Master was busy defending the tower from the external threat!


    Boom! Boom!


    Explosions were heard from the outside as they realized that someone was attacking the tower¡­


    "Warning! Warning! The tower''s lockdown will begin in 30 seconds to preserve itself."


    "Warning! Warning! The tower''s lockdown will begin in 30 seconds to preserve itself."


    This announcement was heard throughout the Tower¡­ It seems to be a recorded mechanical voice and Vincent couldn''t help but think that it was from artificial intelligence.


    Anyway, he still smirked after confirming that Tara and Rem started to act. It''s easy to guess that they were the culprit for themotion outside.


    The old leader realized this as well as soon as he saw Vincent''s smile.


    "You¡­ This is part of your n?!"


    He was shocked to find out that Vincent has helpers ready to attack their tower! It wasn''t only them that made preparations but also this young man whom they thought they could easily control.


    They have truly made a mistake this time. They shouldn''t have failed to control Vincent inside the Altar Room! Now, this man started creating huge problems and he wouldn''t be able to exin this to the Tower Master.


    "Hmph! Just leave us alone!" Vincent shouted as he continued using his shrouded steps to get to the ground floor with Luna¡­<sub> </sub>


    "You will not get away!"


    The project leader no longer cared about his condition as he activated a powerful Mana Art¡­


    His facial orifices started bleeding as he overexerted himself.


    Luna felt rmed as she turned her head to nce at the umting power behind them. She only has to briefly see it and she recognized what kind of power it was.


    "Aether?!" Luna was shocked but as she understands the gravity of the situation, she immediately calcted her next move¡­ She doesn''t know whether Vincent could survive this attack after all¡­


    "Vincent, wear the full-body suit now!" She warned in a hurry as she formed another wave of Celestial Energy and mmed the umting Aether to push it away¡­


    It is not meant to destroy or stop the attack at all but only to dy it¡­ If she wanted to stop this attack, she would need to concentrate for a few seconds which she didn''t have. She can only hastily throw her raw energy without anyplicated formation to dy the old man''s desperate attack.


    Vincent followed her instruction and activated his Protective Suit Mode.


    This will consume 100 units of Pseudo-Celestial Energy every 3 minutes.


    It is a huge amount considering he only has over 2 thousand units but he doesn''t have an intention of wearing this for long¡­ Once they got out of the tower, he will be able to use the armor''s boost mode and escape easily¡­


    "Die!" The old man shouted as he managed to still gather some Aether to attack the two¡­


    Although it wasn''t much because he was interrupted by Luna, he believes that it will buy him some time until the Tower locked down.


    If Vincent was trapped inside, it wouldn''t matter how powerful he was, he will sumb to the endless Formation Arts of the Tower that is controlled by the Tower Master.


    Vincent felt the danger behind him¡­ They were already close to the exit and he wasn''t sure whether they could get out in time.


    No wonder Luna asked him to wear the armor.


    ''I just need to buy some time¡­ We can do this!''


    With this in mind, Vincent pulled out one of the items in his Interspatial Ring.


    It is the River Dragon''s Left Eye and it has two active skills that he can use.


    "Please work¡­ Summon Flood!" Vincent did not hesitate to activate this skill.


    He felt a huge amount of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy taken from him. He then learned that he could actually control the direction of the summoned flood¡­


    Needless to say, he aimed the flood at the old man to push him and the other pursuers away.


    Unfortunately, the ball of aether energy was already thrown and stilling to them¡­ The summoned flood was unable to push this lump of energy so Luna has to block it with her Celestial Armor¡­


    ''Ugh!''


    She doesn''t have enough Celestial Energy to contend against it.


    She can only gather a bit of energy to wrap around her arms and catch the dark energy balling at them.


    Boom!


    Luna triggered an explosion after doing this and the impact actually helped them get closer to the exit!


    "We''re out!" Vincent shouted in delight as soon as he stepped outside the tower. However, he noticed that Luna''s arm was hurt so he immediatelyposed himself and helped her get away under Tara and Rem''s cover.

 Chapter 337 Escape ( 5 )

    "Another Celestial¡­ So it''s like that¡­"


    A man wearing a ck robe and ck emblem looks at the two who had just gotten out of the Tower. He is the Tower Master of the 15th Tower and currently the strongest Mana Practitioner in this city.


    Since Vincent and Luna didn''t get out quietly, he easily noticed them.


    The explosion that followed after their escape created damage to his Tower and he wanted to tear them apart if he could.


    This man then took a nce at the two other Celestial Beings who had caused some trouble outside his Tower...


    "If our Tower has enough energy¡­ All of you would be dead." The man said calmly as he assessed the situation. Their ck Tower isn''t in the best condition already so the Celestials'' sudden attack revealed its ws...


    "Haha! Do you think that your Tower can really stop us?" Rem taunted as she looked at the floating magician above them.


    This Tower Master can fly and is quite annoying to deal with. Furthermore, he has a very impressive technique to avoid getting killed.


    Whoosh~


    Tara didn''t bother speaking at all as she pounced on the Tower Master and sliced him with her Nimble Mavis de.


    Ssak!


    The man was cut into two but just like before, this Tower Master was able to summon another him and cast a set of Mana Arts to annoy them.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Tara defended against the multiple fireballs heading her way as she looked at the corpse she just split into two.


    The corpse that she just cut didn''t disappear immediately. After itnded on the ground, it started rotting and after a few seconds, it melted to the ground.


    It was like they were killing the clones of the Tower Master. Whenever they seeded killing one, another clone would just appear like some endless illusion.


    The two Celestial had never fought anyone with this ability before.


    "I told you before¡­ You can''t kill me." The Tower Master said but he didn''t seem to be happy about it¡­ Tara and Rem know the reason why.


    After all, he can''t kill them either¡­


    "Tara, we should leave now¡­" Rem whispered after noticing that Vincent and Luna were already moving away¡­


    Their mission is already considered a sess. They managed to create heavy damage on the exterior of the Tower forcing it into lockdown hoping that it would stop the damages from spreading to the interior of the Tower. However, this actually helped them as well in escaping.


    To be honest, they were surprised to realize that the Tower wasn''t as sturdy as Vincent told them. They expected to spend a huge amount of Celestial Energy just to destroy the defensive formation and the enhancements made on the walls of the tower.


    However, instead of having a hard time, they were able to do this without spending too much of their energy. The only problem is that the Tower Master did not send some normal mana practitioners to stop them... They thought that they''ll be fighting against some pushover Dragon Riders or Archmages first but instead, the Tower Lord came out himself and stopped them from causing more destruction to the Tower.


    "I can''t allow you to leave¡­"


    The Tower Lord said as he finally decided to go all out¡­


    The dark clouds above the Tower started moving¡­ Arcs of lightning sh across the sky threatening to descend at any moment.


    "Hmm? Do you think that those bolts of lightning will stop us? Dream on!" Rem taunted as she showed her back to the Tower Lord before dashing away¡­<sub> </sub>


    Tara did the same but the Tower Lord didn''t follow¡­


    His hands remained pointing to the sky as if he was trying tomunicate with it.


    "As long as you''re under this dark sky, you will not be able to escape¡­" The Tower Lord solemnly said as he pointed his finger to Vincent and Luna who were running to the eastern gate of the city where their Vermillion Hawk is currently waiting.


    The sky started rumbling and just a few seconds after, a thick bolt of lightning came crashing into Vincent and Luna''s spot!


    The Tower Lord roared inughter after seeing a sessful strike¡­


    However, his hands started trembling since he wasn''t used to controlling the dark clouds ording to his will. This is the first time he had tried this as no one had really dared to offend them to this degree.


    "Incredible¡­ I can probably only use it two more times before this body disintegrates¡­ How marvelous¡­" The tower master muttered in amazement after feeling the feedback frommanding the dark clouds.


    He was then nning to take the corpses of the two people he just hit with lightning but to his surprise, he saw their figures dashing away again!


    It was as if they were cockroaches that wouldn''t die!


    ''Impossible!''


    The Tower Master knows that the lightning just now isn''t anything that could be copied by Elemental Mana Practitioners. This lightning is the umtion of negative energy nurtured by the aether clouds!


    There is no Mana Barrier or Magic Artifact that could defend against it!


    Even he knows that his real body wouldn''t be able to stop it without suffering severe injuries¡­


    No wonder Vincent was able to stay alive and escape the altar room! He was filled with mystery.


    ''As expected of the Tower Lord''s disciple¡­ However, it''s not over yet!''


    The man then continued hunting Vincent using lightning strikes¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    He''s unsure how powerful Vincent''s defenses are but there is definitely a limit to that. He would not believe that Vincent could defend against his attack forever!


    The fifteenth Tower Master had to sacrifice three of his clones to continue summoning lightning strikes to crush Vincent¡­


    He decided to focus on him since he knows that once he''s dealt with, the Celestial Beings would no longer pose any problems. They would lose their purpose to fight¡­


    However, he couldn''t understand what was going on¡­ Vincent was like an invincible man who would not die at all.


    Vincent had taken over ten lightning strikes but aside from slowing down, he didn''t stop at all!


    The Tower Master looked at the traces of lightning strikes and knows that it was truly powerful¡­ The paved roads had craters, the buildings were devastated, and there were even some unfortunate passers-by caught by the lightning strikes and werepletely charred.


    Looking at this scene, he knows that those bolts of lightning were real¡­ However, Vincent was able to stop these lightning bolts without suffering any injuries at all¡­


    "Monster..."

 Chapter 338 Escape ( 6 )

    The Tower Master couldn''t help but admit that Vincent was truly unpredictable.


    He had already expected that Vincent is not a simple man since he was able to entice Celestial Beings into serving him.


    Not many people would be capable of doing that¡­ Furthermore, Celestial Beings wouldn''t normally choose to serve a person with a Celestial Being already on their side.


    After all, the quality of the blood essence they''ll get would be lower at that point and their recovery would be stalled for a long period of time.


    The Celestials didn''t want that to happen and they would always want to get stronger as fast as possible. This is what he knows about the Celestials. However, it seems that he still doesn''t know many things about the Celestials¡­


    "I shouldn''t have killed those Celestials before¡­ Now I''mcking strong soldiers that could serve me." The Tower Lord regretted his decisions for a moment.


    After all, if he has a Celestial Being serving him, perhaps they could help him stop Vincent''s escape. They have relied too much on their trick to control the controller of the Celestials that after it failed, they were almost unable to do anything at all.


    However, he immediately shook his head since they have gained a lot as well after killing those few Celestial Beings they caught.


    It advanced their Magic Technology and they were able to obtain knowledge from someone even more powerful than many Celestial Beings. Lastly, they also learned how to manipte Aether to some degree.


    Even the dark clouds above them are also a part of their new Magic Technology¡­ The mysterious being who taught them to create this called it Tribtion Clouds but ancient records told him that it was likely the Mana Cataclysm¡­ Its power should be capable of killing unnumbered Celestials Beings.


    ''Tsk¡­ Is it too young?''


    The tower master muttered as he looked at the dark clouds above him¡­ This is the only reason he could think of why Vincent managed to stay alive¡­


    He had already given up chasing Vincent''s group.


    He only has a single clone left and sacrificing this to summon a few more bolts of lightning seems pretty useless at this point.


    Anyway, he hasn''t despaired yet. Once the cloud reaches its critical stage, they were nning to refine it and make an Artifact out of it¡­ That time, he believes that no matter what kind of trick Vincent would pull off, he wouldn''t be able to survive it¡­ He can just allow them to escape for now and deal with them once their preparation waspleted.


    After a while, he saw the Vermillion Hawk fly away at a great speed. He was sure that it even broke the sound barrier! He was speechless after seeing this since he knows that their engine technology is not capable of doing this yet!


    ''This young man is truly too mysterious¡­ That aircraft shouldn''t be capable of reaching that speed. Perhaps--'' The Tower Master frowned as he can only think that a special Celestial Being might''ve helped him.


    One of the three Celestials working for Vincent must be specializing in engineering or creation instead ofbat¡­


    That is not a good thing for them since he knows that Vincent will just get more difficult to deal with.<sub> </sub>


    The Tower Master remained floating near the Tower as he watch the Vermillion Hawk disappear in his sight.


    ''Now¡­ How should I exin this to the Tower Lord¡­'' As the Tower Master thought of this, he felt the very familiar aura of the strongest magician in their organization.


    ''He''s fast¡­ I wonder if he''s been here watching all this time¡­'' He mused for a moment as he looked at the dignified middle-aged man that has appeared in front of him.


    He is floating as well just like him but his aura was greatly suppressed.


    If he''s not floating in front of him. He would think that this person is just an ordinary man. He wouldn''t suspect him as a magician at all.


    However, that is obviously not the case as he greeted the man.


    "Tower Lord, this is a very far ce from the First Tower? What brought you here? You should''ve informed me so I¡ª"


    "Fifteenth Tower Master Aarav, I think that you have pushed your luck way too much. We agreed that you''ll not bring trouble to our Organization so I won''t be bothering your experimentation in your Tower. However, aren''t you bringing trouble if you''re nning to kill my disciple?" Tower Master Ignacy said in a cold voice as he looked at the Aarav.


    "This¡­ We''re not nning to kill your disciple, Tower Master¡­ It''s just that he¡­ his Celestial Beings started attacking our Tower." Aarav exined.


    "Hmph¡­ I''m sure you guys are having thought of acquiring his Celestials. He wouldn''t have done that without reason. You are being too greedy, Aarav."


    The fifteenth Tower Master couldn''t reply since Ignacy was indeed fully aware of their recent operations. It is pointless lying to this person who basically knows what was happening in every Tower.


    At this moment, the old project leader had finally gotten outside of the Tower after the lockdown was removed.


    "Tower Master¡­Did you capture Vincent? Ahh! Tower Lord, you''re here!" The old man was visibly scared as soon as he recognized the person talking to their Tower Master.


    The two floating men then descended to meet the old project leader.


    "Archon Byrne¡­ I failed to capture Vincent. What happened inside?" Aarav answered as he was sure that Ignacy had seen his battle against Vincent. He can only own this mistake and apologize to the Tower Lordter on.


    Byrne hesitated for a moment since Ignacy is listening but he hardened himself and still spoke up.


    "It''s Vincent¡­ I mean, Sir Vincent was thest person to meet the Magic God. He was meant to receive his blessing during the ritual but instead, the Magic God has disappeared. No¡­ Perhaps, the altar that we''ve been keeping with us can no longer be used. We can''t really tell. We only wanted to interrogate Vincent about why that happened so we''re trying to stop him from leaving¡­"


    Byrne exined cautiously as he knows that the Tower Lord doesn''t really stand with their ideals.

 Chapter 339 Success

    "We escaped¡­" Vincent heaved a sigh of relief after they managed to safely get away from the dark clouds surrounding the 15th Tower.


    "Kekeke¡­ You have to thank me for that¡­ Although you can take two or three of those lightning strikes, there was no way you can survive ten of them with only that armor of yours."


    Kruskughed as he was proud of what he did to save Vincent and Luna from those scary bolts of lightning.


    In the first ce, they already know that the dark clouds above the tower weren''t a natural phenomenon that will just appear out of nowhere.


    Something must''ve triggered it and the two Celestials informed Krusk about the situation.


    As soon as he learned that this cloud can most likely be controlled by someone, Krusk had already made preparations to protect their airship in case they were attacked.


    Well, this preparation was obviously used to protect Vincent so he couldn''t help but feel that he had truly done something great.


    "Thank you for that, Krusk. I didn''t expect the River Dragons has that kind of ability¡­" Vincent said as Krusk was indeed correct. He knows that his Celestial Armor wouldn''t be enough to protect him from the lightning that could probably pass through his armor and burn his body.


    Although he has other magic tools that could protect him, the intensity of those bolts of lightning would just be too much for him.


    In any case, Mythical Beasts were truly beings that are on a different level. Their abilities weren''t simr to the Mana Arts that Mana Practitioners can create.


    What they have were innate skills that couldn''t be copied unless you''ve decided to do extreme modification and forcefully learn them as Tier 4 Mana Arts.


    Just like what Krusk did just now which was to secretly protect Vincent using the scales of the adult River Dragon.


    It must be remembered that aside from River Dragon''s eyes and its heart, Vincent also received a few scales from the Mythical Beast that they found.


    He doesn''t have any use for it yet so he allowed Krusk to y with it since he seems to have some kind of connection to them¡­


    Thanks to this, the ten or so scales were now Krusk''s secret weapon. He can control them like his additional limbs and they even possess stealth mode ability so it wasn''t obvious that they were tanking the damages from the bolts of lightning just now.


    Rem and Tara then exined to Vincent what really the dark cloud was and he felt a headache after learning its secret.


    ''Another being capable of manipting Aether? Ugh¡­'' Vincent groaned. Even though he had already expected this much. It still doesn''t feel good to know that it''s the truth.


    It matches what they''ve found out inside the Altar Room. After all, Vincent''s body was attacked by Aether and he only survived thanks to his Brilliant Zeal Ring. Furthermore, the old project leader was also using the Aether to attack them¡­


    It means that someone is teaching them how to manipte it or perhaps, they discovered this after they found some remnants of this particr being from the past.


    After all, it''s not impossible to find some ancient materials that were left behind during the First or Second Rapture when great battles urred. They might''ve studied this and learned how to use Aether but this didn''t exin their connection with Magic God.


    Nevertheless, Vincent can only be on the defensive for now. They have to quickly build their territory and gather enough resources to protect themselves¡­<sub> </sub>


    Luckily for them, Vincent was contacted by the Tower Lord on the next day that his dispute with the 15th Tower was already settled.


    Professor Turhan delivered this message after he was dragged by the Tower Lord from his vi.


    "Professor, I didn''t expect that you''lle here yourself just to deliver a message." Vincent was a bit surprised that a Grand Magus can be used as a messenger now.


    "Haha¡­ It''s not like that. I also want to visit thisnd before youpletely transform it. I can''t wait to see what kind of city you''ll build¡­"


    Turhan said as he nced at the many workers that Vincent hired to build his territory.


    "It will probably take two to three years toplete this even with the help of the Earth Elemental Magicians that we have¡­" Vincentmented.


    "That''s true¡­ I can see that arge portion of them is focusing on digging¡ªNo, are they creating a huge drainage system?"


    "You can say so¡­ I''m nning to make thisnd''s sewage system a bit better¡­ Well, I''m not really a nner myself and I just took this suggestion from one of my subordinates." Vincent said as he sat on the couch. They were currently in his temporary shelter as the residential area was still under development.


    "Hmmm¡­ This looks impressive." Turhan said with admiration as he spread out his Mana Sense.


    He realized that the sewage system that they are creating as some sort of foundation for the city had already reached over six kilometers. He believes that all cities should''ve created this as well before they became overpopted.


    He can somehow see what Vincent was nning with this foundation and couldn''t help but be excited about the future.


    Well, Turhan believes that he has already reached his peak as a magician after he obtained the secret techniques of the Zemin n so he was no longer busy with his research and found this territory development as decent entertainment.


    In short, he no longer has the inspiration he needed to continue doing intense Magic Research and visited this ce to unwind and perhaps, regain his previous enthusiasm for researching various techniques to increase his multi-casting ability.


    ***


    Just like that, another two years passed as Vincent was able to peacefully develop their territory thanks to the Tower Lord''s protection and the One Sea Merchant Union''s unending support.


    This means that the previous citizens of the Tudor Kingdom that were captured by the Barbarians now have a new ce they could call their home¡­


    Then, just like what his senior sister did, Vincent decided to name his city after a deity''s name and called it Vera City.


    ''Hmm¡­ I hope she won''t get mad and add another seal on my body¡­''


    Vincent mused as he looked at the city they have created with their blood and sweat.

 Chapter 340 Vera City

    There was technically only one Vera City. However, with the way it was built, there were actually two more citadels and two more wing cities in this territory making a total of five partitions.


    It was made like this because they don''t want to waste the five strategically important locations across the mountain ranges that were closely linked together. It is such a waste to ignore the advantage of their location so Vincent and Luna modified their city ns ordingly.


    The central city had twoyers separated by the outer wall and the inner wall.


    The outer wall was 20-meter tall while the inner wall was 30-meter tall.


    The height of the walls wasn''t that impressive ifpared to the fortresses in the Tudor Kingdom. However, Vincent knows that this is already more than enough considering their location. He believes that even if they were attacked by Barbarians, they wouldn''t be able to easily scale the walls since they have focused more on creating defensive armaments that Vincent was truly proud of.


    Anyway, part of the walls was made from enhanced ck steel and they have decent attributes that Vincent liked the most. Aside from its toughness, the enhanced ck steel has an attribute that naturally deflects mana so they are also a great material for shields or armor.


    Lastly, Vincent mixed in some Arcane Steel which has a decent ability to conduct Mana in some parts of the city walls.


    Its primary purpose was not to withstand attacks but to be used to power a Formation Art that Vincent bought from his senior sister for a very high price.


    Well, he really has no other reliable sources of high-level Formation Arts aside from his Senior Sister.


    The things he could get from the Tower Lord''s library weren''t that advanced since they were mostly old formation arts that could only be used to expand someone''s knowledge about this field.


    Just like the old Magic Artifacts found in the dungeon, they weren''t always useful and new magic tools can be a lot better.


    Anyway, the number of Formation Arts that were ced was proven to even cause some trouble with the Celestial Beings after conducting many tests and spending many resources. Spending this much was worth the price as they were able to learn the limit of their Formation Art and formte extra defenses.


    Of course, this is only one part of the city development as what Vincent truly focused on was the living conditions inside.


    ***


    A middle-aged man wearing civilian clothing started walking around the streets of Vera City. He has short ck hair and his face seems average among the citizens living here.


    But even though he looks very normal, he was previously one of the respected appraisers of the Tudor Kingdom''s southern region.


    His name is Luc Diederich and was now living a simple life within this city.


    To be honest, he was already prepared to die when he was captured by the Barbarians before¡­ However, he was given an opportunity to continue living thanks to Vincent''s efforts of saving them from the ferocious barbarians¡­


    Right now, he has a simple work and that is to inspect the goods that areing to their cities¡­ As an experienced appraiser, this is just an easy job. Furthermore, this job only happens two times a week or sometimes even just once a week.


    This is the reason why he has plenty of time to look around the clean and peaceful City of Vera. At this moment, Luc was nning to visit the tavern that was owned by one of his friends.


    Apparently, his friend is a vintner, and all the wines he made were top quality when he was still in the Tudor Kingdom. He was unfortunately captured by the rebel army because he was friends with many supporters of the King during that time.<sub> </sub>


    He was then passed over to the Barbarians which is why he ended up here even though he''s not really a decent Mana Practitioner.


    Unfortunately for Luc, before he could even enjoy his day, a familiar voice called out to him.


    "Sir Luc! Miss Calidia has been looking for us. It seems that we''ll have to join the caravan going to the Nidite City tomorrow¡­"


    The young man who just called him was Cedric. He is one of the junior appraisers of the Guardian Auction before and they already know each other since both of their names were quite famous in the field of appraisers. They were both working as appraisers in this city.


    They were both born with Mystic Eyes making them very special among the people working in the same field.


    "Nidite City? What happened?" Luc was a bit surprised since in normal cases, the caravan from the Nidite City will being to their Vera City instead. If they needed to transport something to the port city, they don''t have to bring appraisers like them for that.


    "Ugh¡­ I''m not sure as well. We''ll know once we met her." Cedric answered as the two of them went to visit Calidia''s office in the Municipal Building close to the Kayser Tower at the center of the city.


    This building is easy to locate since the tallest structure in the city is the Kayser Tower. Once you got closer to this tower, you can easily locate the municipal building with a huge za in front.


    The two of them admired the beautifully designed tower for a bit before entering the municipal building.


    The municipal building isn''t just a ce of work for the officials of the city but is also considered home by most of them.


    As soon as they entered the reception hall, they realized that there were about fifty of them that were called to gather.


    They waited for about ten more minutes before Calidia showed up and announced the reason they were called there.


    "I''m sorry for calling all of you in such a manner. I know that you don''t have enough preparations but we''ll have to leave tomorrow morning for Nidite City... and we might be staying there for two or three months." Calidia said, surprising almost everyone.


    They were expecting to stay in that city for at most two or three weeks instead of months. Many of them couldn''t help but feel a bit curious about this situation.


    Nevertheless, none of them are really angry about this since they were basically blessed to live in very good conditions here. They wouldn''tin about this kind of demand from their superiors.


    Calidia smiled seeing that although the news abruptly came, none of them opposed it.


    ''Sir Vincent was right¡­ These people wanted to be useful as well¡­'' With this in mind, Calidia continued exining the situation.


    Apparently, Nidite City was attacked by some humanoid sea creatures and they will be going there to provide some aid.


    Calidia wasn''t sure of the situation as well but it seems that these creatures were trying to invade the port city!


    Currently, their city''s Mage Battalion has already gone there using three of their airships to help them resist the invasion.

 Chapter 341 Visitor

    Mobilizing three airships is not a small matter. They consume a lot of resources or energy stones. After all, unlike the Vermillion Hawk aircraft that can be powered by a small butplicated Mana Formation to generate energy, the huge airships could only run by using energy stones.


    Currently, their city doesn''t have many sources of ie so they know that Vincent wouldn''t easily mobilize these airships if the Nidite City isn''t in a dire situation, especially when they can travel to the Nidite City in just a couple of days using the road they have developed.


    Since Vincent opted to use airships instead of the roads for their Mage Battalion, it must have been a very urgent matter so everyone couldn''t help but be curious about the situation of the city.


    Some of them were even worried for the friends they''d made there after staying there for a few months.


    "Miss Calidia, can''t we start traveling this evening? I''m not sure how could we help there but it might be better to arrive earlier thanter¡­"


    "That''s true¡­ I don''t have a lot of things to prepare anyway¡­ Even if we stay there for months, there shouldn''t be a problem."


    Everyone seem to agree with this suggestion since they were all aware of the feeling of being helpless. They certainly don''t want their friends to experience such a situation.


    Calidia smiled after hearing their suggestion but she shook her head. She appreciates their concern but rushing there without preparation will just result in another problem.


    "Sir Vincent needed to prepare something and he mentioned that he''ll need this whole night toplete it¡­ So we can only move tomorrow morning. To give you a heads up, you will be helping in the development of the Mage Tower there. You might''ve noticed this already but those that have been called today were the ones who had participated in the creation of the Kayser Tower."


    Calidia revealed. Everyone finally understood what was going on. They indeed participated halfway through the creation of the Mage Tower so they have some experience.


    However, they have built the Kayser Tower for almost six months! Do they have that much time to spare during the invasion of sea creatures?


    Furthermore, she previously mentioned that they''ll only stay there for two or three months¡­


    "Oh! Have they started building the Mage Tower already? Are we just going there to help themplete it?" Cedric asked.


    Everyone nodded in agreement after he pointed it out. It would indeed make sense if the tower is already under construction they only needed to help build it.


    However, Calidia shocked them again after she revealed that there is no Tower being constructed yet.


    "I can''t exin to you theplete details but Sir Vincent has ns for it. In any case, the city defense matter will be handled by some trustworthy individuals so you only need to focus on following Sir Severin''s instructions once you got there."


    Calidia then discussed the payments and benefits that they will be receiving after thepletion of this project which added a bit of excitement to these people.


    After all, they were all Mana Practitioners here. They wanted some Magic Tools that are being sold in the branches of Beacon Magic Shop.


    Within the city, there are five of these branches and everyone here has visited these stores several times.


    The quality of all the items that are being sold there is top-notch¡­ Even some items that shouldn''t be that good were somehow ''boosted'' in that store. They are always better ifpared to simr items sold elsewhere.


    Of course, the downside is that they were costly but that is still understandable considering the quality. Well, it''s already eptable since the markup price was only about 15 to 20 percent of the original price with better attributes.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    As everyone was getting excited about the payment once theypleted their task, a group of people arrived at the southern gate of the city.


    They were all wearing a Magician Robe that has been made popr within the ck Tower''s territory in the past year because of how effective they were. Needless to say, they were products of the Beacon Magic Shop.


    This group of magicians seem to have arrived here on foot so the people were a bit curious.


    After all, the nearest Tower is a few days away even with a horse-drawn carriage. Arriving here on foot isn''t normal so they have easily caught the attention of many passers-by.


    However, what truly caught their attention was the handsome man at the center of the group.


    This man wore a modified green Beacon''s Magician Robe. His temperament was ethereal, like an Immortal who had descended from the sky, giving off an indescribable feeling. The people who had seen him weren''t sure if it was an effect of a magic tool or his natural aura.


    Before this group of six can even enjoy the busy street of the city, a young man suddenly appeared in front of them, shocking those who were ncing at the handsome man in the center of the group.


    Almost everyone could recognize this young man who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    "Lord Vincent!"


    The people who recognized him immediately greeted but Vincent waved his hand to calm them and faced the group who had just entered his city.


    "I believe it''s our first time meeting, Senior Jairo?" Vincent asked as he looked at the man in front of him.


    His eyes are still blurry but he was able to recognize the fifth disciple of the Tower Lord.


    "Ohh? You recognized me? That''s impressive. I''m sure that we''ve never met before." The handsome man called Jairo replied.


    He was indeed curious about this since he was sure that he doesn''t have anything with him that would reveal his identity. Even the identification que and the disciple robe that he received from his master were kept inside his dimensional storage space.


    Of course, Vincent wouldn''t reveal his secret to this person who had been staying in the 15th Tower all this time.


    Instead of answering him, Vincent immediately got to the point.


    "May I know why have youe here?" Vincent tried to be polite but the aura he was emitting was easily noticed by Jairo''s group so they know that Vincent is wary of them.


    "Hmmm¡­ Your personality was as described by Sir Byrne¡­ Anyway, I''vee here to invite you back to the 15th Tower¡­ This time, Master Ignacy can no longer help you."


    Jairo coldly said as he stepped forward in an attempt to grab Vincent''s cor.

 Chapter 342 Battle

    Vincent frowned after seeing his action.


    He was curious why his Master can no longer help him but that is not something he has to worry about right now.


    Previously, he learned that the fifth disciple was staying in the 15th Tower but he wasn''t sure whether he is part of the 15th Tower''s anomaly. However, he has now confirmed that this person is most likely serving the Magic God as well.


    There is no point in being polite to this person. Well, Jairo doesn''t seem to have any intention of being polite from the beginning.


    Boom!


    Vincent''s Mana Barrier activated followed by Soul Shake from his Tranquil Mind Crystal, Chaos Night from his Nightbane Robe, and Ensnare from his Ironbark Cane.


    He cast these abilities consecutively like he had practiced this countless times. In truth, his casting speed had just gone a lot faster over the past couple of years so he was able to do this much quite easily.


    The group of six was of course, aware of Vincent''s abilities. They know that two years ago, this young man was able to escape from the 15th Tower even after Archone Byrne and Tower Master Aarav was there.


    Of course, it must be said that the ck Tower at that time was in its weakest state as its energy was entirely focused on maintaining the Tribtion Clouds or the Mana Cataclysm above it. It couldn''t properly show its strength aside from its basic defenses


    ? "Hmm?" Vincent realized something was off as soon as he managed to catch them using his ensnare. They weren''t panicking or trying to remove the iron vines wrapping their feet.


    They didn''t seem to care at all as they were all ring at Vincent¡­


    Crash! Crash!


    Two of his rings suddenly exploded!


    These rings were Prudence Ring and Sagewood Ring that could protect him from any invasive Mana Arts that would sneakily enter his body.


    If they exploded just like that, it means that his enemies have used a technique to target it, or perhaps, these rings have reached their limit and could no longer protect him.


    It was at this point that he realized that the six people in front of him have purple eyes!


    These guys were definitely part of the Immortal Project and they probably received these eyes from the magic god¡­


    ''Master Ignacy, why have you chosen this man as your fifth disciple¡­ Tsk¡­'' Vincent frowned at this but he didn''t panic.


    As a matter of fact, he has been signaling Luna and the others to stay on their spot and just observe his battle. That''s right, he has been using telepathy with the others during this time so they don''t interrupt his first meeting with one of his Senior Disciples¡­


    Well, it must be his pride or arrogant nature that he wanted to beat Jairo and the others alone before reporting it to Ignacy.


    Since he had already beaten the sixth disciple, he felt that doing the same with the fifth disciple would be very satisfying¡­


    "Come!"


    Vincent taunted the six as he stored his Ironbark Cane in his system inventory and held the River Dragon''s left eye in his left hand while the Aura-Forged Orichalcum Sword in his right hand¡­


    The green sword in his hand appears just like a decorative weapon since it was too shy. Nevertheless, they know that Vincent is an expert in mind techniques and possesses a very high Consciousness Energy.


    The sword may look brittle in their eyes but it''s definitely a weapon with imbued abilities. In any case, there was no way Vincent will pull out a useless weapon.<sub> </sub>


    With this in mind, Jairo and his group decided to encircle him. Their Mystic Eyes were already deactivated as the ability they used probably has some sort of cooldown.


    "Hmph! You''re really thinking of dealing with us alone? You''ll regret this!" Jairo said as he signaled something to his team.


    Apparently, they were expecting to be attacked in all directions once they revealed their intention of taking Vincent away.


    This is why they weren''t fully concentrating on capturing him. They were trying to bait out his helpers so they could use one of their secret techniques to deal with them.


    Obviously, this n didn''t go well since Vincent was quite stubborn and refused to be assisted by his subordinates.


    This is out of their expectation since they believe that Vincent was only able to escape the 15th Tower through the help of his Celestial Beings.


    Vincent did not reply to them as he started circting his Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ He already activated the Anti-Curse Field of the River Dragon''s Eye and was prepared to get attacked by their Mystic Eyes¡­


    However, he didn''t expect that they''ll stop using their mystic eyes after they sessfully destroyed his two rings.


    Instead, he saw them cast two Mana Arts at the same time hinting that these six were all Grand Magus.


    Although they were only capable of dual-casting, it is still quite troublesome to deal with since there are six of them.


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    The six of them manifested their Mana Arts at the same time surprising the crowd that has been watching them. The temperature started rising as those who curiously watching started stepping back.


    However, Vincent was not impressed.


    ''Is that it?'' He was a bit disappointed after seeing their Mana Arts.


    Twelve fireballs were summoned by Jairo''s group and each of them was the size of an adult''s head. Furthermore, it was a rare blue me instead of themon red me¡­ They should be considered dangerous, However, he knows that this kind of Tier 3 Mana Art is not enough to leave a dent in his defenses anymore¡­


    At most, these fireballs would be more useful for destroying buildings instead of burning a Mana Practitioner at his level.


    ''Wait¡­'' Vincent realized something as he immediately used telepathy to speak with Krusk¡­


    ''They might target the surrounding buildings instead of me¡­ Krusk, protect them if that happens!'' Vincent immediately sent this message.


    Luckily, it was not toote.


    As soon as Krusk heard Vincent''s warning, he already acted and spread out the dragon scales he was keeping close to him¡­


    "Now!"


    Jairo shouted in ecstasy believing that his ns would work.


    Two of the fireballs came rushing in Vincent''s direction while all the others were indeed directed at the crowd and the buildings nearby!

 Chapter 343 Improvement

    ''This is weird¡­'' Tara mused after seeing the six Grand Magus facing Vincent.


    They were too confident or perhaps arrogant for nning to attack Vincent in his territory. Since they came from the 15th Tower, they must be aware that Vincent was being assisted by at least three Celestial Beings.


    Did the Tower Master at that time really think that sending six Grand Magus is enough to deal with Vincent after a couple of years?


    Tara found this idea ridiculous as she shook her head in contemtion.


    She pondered for a moment and thought that perhaps they were sacrificial pawns and they are only nning to cause damage to the city in exchange for their life¡­ This is a suicidal mission after all.


    Tara couldn''t really understand their intention. It was such a foolish ideaing here with only the six of them.


    She already tried asking for Luna''s help to scan the surrounding area but they didn''t find any reinforcements that could be hiding.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t put down her guard and was always ready in case something unexpected urs.


    Soon, she saw the six Grand Magus throwing several fireballs in different directions and she almost acted in instinct to protect the crowd.


    However, before she even made her move, she noticed Krusk''s familiar mana fluctuation¡­ She''s very familiar with this kind of aura. Krusk is definitely mobilizing his dragon scales right now to stop the fireballs from reaching their target¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Several explosions were triggered because of this and she confirmed that no one was harmed after all that happened.


    At this point, she knows that Vincent will be very furious. Based on what she knew about him, he doesn''t like these kinds of enemies who would try and mess with the people around him instead of just focusing on him.


    As expected, she felt the familiar but also unfamiliar type of energy around Vincent.


    Even Luna beside her couldn''t help but focus on Vincent¡­


    "Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ How interesting¡­" Luna muttered while observing Vincent''s actions.


    For someone like them with genuine Celestial Energy, they couldn''t quite understand how Vincent could wield such kind of energy. He could harness both Mana and Celestial Energy at the same time which shouldn''t even be possible.


    Although the Celestial Energy that he could use is quite diluted or low quality, the fact that he could still somewhat use it may be quite dangerous for the Celestial Beings if they were still in ancient times.


    "Do you think Vincent can pilot our spaceship if he was existing back then?" Luna asked¡­


    Tara wryly smiled at this since this was also what she was wondering when she felt Vincent''s Pseudo-Celestial Energy for the first time.


    "He wouldn''t be able to survive in the First Rapture. The single digits were present at that time." Tara answered without much thought.


    "That''s true¡­ I''m sure they will not allow him to exist at that time." Luna said in a soft voice as she watch Vincent pummel the six grand magus.


    Vincent has three floating swords beside him and they are all shooting Mana Bullets. They were covering him from the other five while he was smashing the face of his senior disciple using his Basilisk Gauntlet.


    After dealing with one of them, Vincent will use his Perfected Shrouded Steps to close his distance to another one and engage in closebat¡­


    It was a one-sided fight as Luna expected.


    To be honest, Luna felt so much pressure sparring against Vincent. His battle style is too unpredictable. It can be said that his style would basically depend on what weapon he wanted to pull out in his dimensional storage space.<sub> </sub>


    There was a time when she tried to spar with him and thought that she could easily win against him. However, this young man pulled out several grimoires in his possession and all of them have imbued skills that would always surprise her and target her weakness.


    Not only that, all kinds of equipment or essories attached to him possessed an item skill. This includes his rings, armband, belt, brooch, ne, or basically everything on him.


    At first, Vincent wasn''t adept at using these numerous items. They were being wasted in his possession since he can''t put them to proper use. However, as he continued acquiring more and more battle experience, he was able to familiarize himself with all the skills of his equipment and dominate his battles.


    Just like now, after Vincent baited them with his "mind techniques", he immediately switched his battle style by using his new weapons.


    He had only used his Soul Shake and Chaos Night a while ago to give them false hope that he was still relying on these tactics to win his fight.


    Now that he suddenly showed his ferocious closebat skill, they were obviously unable to quickly react.


    In addition to that, his Soul Domain and Soul Pressure had probably gotten stronger by three or four times over the past two years.


    Right now, his visualization method allows him to clearly see Vera''s image making his soul stronger. Meeting her a few times had probably helped a lot to aplish this so his achievement as an Aura Knight is definitely above those with a normal 3-Star level.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The battle in the street continued for 10 more minutes before they finally sumbed to Vincent''s tactics.


    "Incredible¡­ I only consumed over one thousand energy units to defeat six Grand Magus¡­" Vincent muttered after checking his status.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 18 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 1625/2980 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv10, Item Ascension Lv9, Item Transcendence Lv5 ]


    [ System Feature: Advanced Item Appraisal, Auto Enhancement Mode, Auto Ascension Mode, Enhancement Eraser, Ascension Eraser, Learn Skill, 60-Slot Enhanced Inventory, Item Sense. ]


    [ Skill List ]


    Well, Krusk technically helped him defend the city from being harmed but still, he was able to defeat them after they started focusing on him.


    However, he didn''t feel too happy about this since he feels that something was off. Jairo''s team was basically on a suicide mission. Even if they defeated him with luck, they should know that he has many helpers here¡­


    Anyway, this is the reason why he kept them alive. He needed to understand what was going on by interrogating them.


    "Hmm?"


    Before he could ask Rem to take them away to start their interrogation, he suddenly felt a strong yet familiar fluctuation of energy outside their city¡­


    ''This¡­ Isn''t this fluctuation simr to the dungeon''s entrance? What''s going on?''


    Vincent was shocked as he realized that their problem today isn''t as simple as it seems.

 Chapter 344 City Defense

    A woman wearing a blue robe started packing up her training materials.


    She was extremely beautiful but her face was as cold as ice. It was Millie.


    She just finished her training and was satisfied with her current improvement speed. However, she felt that her training regimen may no longer be sufficient after a couple of months so she has to think of another way to advance. She can feel that she''s about to reach her limit again.


    After Vincent assisted them toplete their Sword Sect''s secret technique, their talent in swordsmanship increased by leaps and bounds. Perhaps, if their sect is still active, they could easily pass as Sword Guardians.


    "Grand Knight¡­ I didn''t expect to reach this level at such a young age but¡­" Millie muttered as she clenched her fist. She couldn''t believe how she had achieved this status in just two years and was about to reach a bottleneck again.


    She only needed one year to be an Arch Knight and another year to be a Grand Knight.


    Of course, this wasn''t only because of the Secret Art of their sect but also Vincent''s support. It was like he was some kind of factory capable of producing high-quality drugs.


    Furthermore, these drugs were capable of improving their physique without any side effects.


    Millie and Ceri were familiar with strengthening pills and potions that have permanent effects on their physique They consumed some of these when they were still young after passing through some tests within their sect. It is a reward given to them to help them get stronger a lot faster.


    However, these drugs have temporary side effects and some of them even have permanent side effects too.


    Of course, their sect wouldn''t provide those consumables with permanent side effects since it is not good for sword practitioners like them.


    For those with temporary side effects, they can either be removed by another medicine, Mana Arts, or perhaps, people can just wait until it was removed naturally.


    But Vincent''s drugs were different. They were all top-quality without any side effects. They do not even need to wait for several months before they can consume the same potion again.


    It felt even refreshing consuming his potions, unlike the potions they consumed before that they wanted to vomit.


    As she was about to return to her house, she suddenly felt a strong wave of energy sweeping their entire city¡­ The wave of energy didn''t harm them but they feel extremely exposed after being subjected to it.


    The Mana Formations immediately activated and protected the citizens very quickly¡­ However, more than half of them have already been affected by that wave.


    "W-what''s going on? Are we under attack?" Millie suddenly felt nervous.


    The people near her had simr thoughts as they looked at the sky.


    "W-we''re under attack?"


    "Who would dare?"


    "This is crazy¡­ Should we go to the shelter?"


    The others felt nervous as well but since all of them were Mana Practitioners, none of them panicked.


    Almost all the people living here have participated in the city construction and they were aware that although this city is new, it is not something that anyone could just attack.


    First of all, the current owner of thisnd is Vincent. He''s the Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord. If someone from the ck Tower tries to attack him, they would face the wrath of the strongest magician.<sub> </sub>


    In addition to this, they have the support of three Celestial Beings! This number can even increase if the Celestial Beings of his senior disciple at Nidite City arrive here to assist them.


    Furthermore, their Formation Art wasn''t just built for defensive purposes¡­ Everyone believes that it''s enough to fend off a siege from Totemic Barbarians. Millie can make this assessment since she had participated in the construction of the Formation Art after all.


    Lastly, Vera City is under the protection of a deity!


    As Millie and the others looked at the sky, they saw a dozen warships floating above their city¡­ It was such a terrifying sight.


    "Warships¡­ What''s going on? And---Ah!"


    Millie was shocked as she saw the warships point their Mana Cannons at their city before firing them at once¡­


    It happened so quickly as she was worried whether Vincent and the Celestial Beings would be able to react quickly and activate the formation arts or any of their defensive strategies.


    Boom!


    Luckily, they were able to respond quickly as the twenty pirs of light started pressuring the dome-like Formation Art that is currently protecting them.


    Everyone in the city did not expect something like this to happen. They know that they should be going to the designated shelters right now but they feel that they can''t do that considering their situation.


    Although they believe that this city has incredible defenses, they were aware that defending against the attackers will not be enough. They have to attack as well!


    Unfortunately, the timing of this attack is terrible. Their Mage Battalion had just gone over to the Nidite City to help them resist the sea creatures'' invasion.


    They have just been informed about this so they know that they do not have elite magicians that would protect them in this crisis.


    This is why they were hesitant to run to the nearest shelter. Since they were Mana Practitioners as well, they might as well help in the defense.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After the beams of light failed to destroy the city''s defenses, the warships started firing using their artilleries instead.


    "This is bad¡­" Millie muttered as she knows that once the Mana Cannons finished charging up, they would fire those beams of light again and it would be very dangerous if it happens.


    Right now, they do not care who was attacking or what was their purpose. What they needed now is to stop them from continuing their bombardment.


    Suddenly, they heard Calidia''s voice giving them clear instructions of what they should do and it wasing from the Kayser Tower.


    Her voice can be heard throughout the whole city and it''s actually just a simple technique developed by Professor Levent.


    "Everyone in the city must use their Mana Shield to protect themselves. The Kayser Tower willunch its counterattack and you might get dizzy or fall unconscious if you''re unprepared. I repeat, everyone in the city must use their Mana Shield to protect themselves right now. The Kayser Tower willunch its counterattack and you might get dizzy or fall unconscious."


    Everyone did not hesitate to follow her instruction as they felt some vibrationing from the Kayser Tower.


    They know that this Mage Tower isn''t just for decoration after all. The Tower is the centralmand of Vera City!

 Chapter 345 Kayser Tower

    Millie knows that the Kayser Tower wasn''t just designed to look like a Mage Tower. Although it is smaller than the ones made by the ck Tower Organization, she knows that all of the materials used to build this were items that Vincent had personally modified.


    During these past two years, she already had a rough idea of Vincent''s gift. Just like the others with gifts simr to Mystic Eyes or perhaps cultivation talents, Vincent also had one which is rted to enhancement or modification techniques.


    She wasn''t exactly sure how it works but it seems that he can bring out the best of whatever item he was holding.


    There was a time when she brought Vincent a Magic Artifact that she found inside a dungeon and it was supposedly a useless item. However, after Vincent took it with him for a while, the pendant that she found suddenly became brand new and its skills had somehow awakened.


    When she first brought it to Cedric to be appraised, thetter only mentioned that the pendant has a cooling and refreshing aura making its wearer alwaysfortable no matter what the weather is.


    But when Vincent returned the item to her, it was suddenly imbued with a skill called Crystal Nova and Frost Bite. That was the moment that she believed the rumors surrounding him.


    "Kayser Tower¡­ I wonder what kind of retaliation you can show us¡­" Millie muttered to herself as she covered her entire body with threeyers of Mana Shield.


    As a Grand Knight, she can use both Mana and her Life Energy to an advanced degree so putting threeyers of Mana Shield is quite easy for her.


    About twenty seconds after the announcement, Millie watched the top of the Kayser Tower glow with a purple light¡­


    It was also noticed by the warships that have been trying to create a hole in the southern part of the city. After these people realized that they are gathering energy on top of the Kayser Tower, they could tell that it posed a threat to them so they quickly tried bombarding the city.


    They wanted to break the protective barrier as quickly as possible!


    They even started firing the Mana Cannons even if it wasn''t fully charged yet just to increase the pressure on the barrier.


    Unfortunately for them, the Kayser Tower didn''t need to cast its attack for long¡­


    After only ten seconds, the purple light reached its limit and exploded¡­ The light spread like a wave as it formed another dome that covered the entire city.


    "This is¡­" Millie felt something after the purple light exploded¡­ It didn''t just cover the airspace of the city but she somehow felt that even beneath the ground was protected by the purple light.


    Traces of this purple energy linger around them for a moment before being dissipated by the Mana Shields they have activated.


    It doesn''t seem to have enough energy to harm them but it may cause slight dizziness if they weren''t coated with their Mana.


    Whom~


    The projectiles being fired by the warships'' artilleries suddenly stopped midair¡­ Only the Mana Cannons were able to continue attacking.


    However, it is not important, the projectiles stopped by the purple barrier suddenly started returning to the warships!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The warships didn''t just watch these projectiles return as they vaporized them by their Mana Cannons midair and caused several explosions.<sub> </sub>


    Thankfully, the returning projectiles were quite slow so they were able to react this quickly.


    nk! nk! nk!


    However, the counterattack didn''t end there¡­ Several artilleries mounted on top of the city walls have been activated as well. There were about 50 of them pointing at the sky where the warships are! These artilleries were purchased from the Alchemist Union!


    "Incredible¡­ I didn''t expect our Aerial Defense is this advanced¡­" Millie muttered after seeing the power of the purple dome and the appearance of their artilleries.


    When they were building their defenses, she was only thinking of the Totemic Barbarians as their possible invaders.


    She did not consider these warships at all. Obviously, Vincent was well-prepared and considered this possibility unlike her.


    ''I should help there¡­''


    This time, Millie decided to get closer to the southern gate. The garrison brigade that will operate the artilleries might require some assistance so she wanted to go there as quickly as possible.


    In any case, as a Grand Knight, she can certainly help if it came to the point that they needed some sort of protection.


    She used her Shadow Blink Steps to the limit and noticed a few people with simr thoughts.


    She saw Ceri moving with a simr movement technique and she seem to havee from the eastern gate. There is also Lar behind her who was using the Phase Boots gifted by Severin in order to step in the air and move with haste.


    Finally, she saw Archon Thyrus flying through the air and moving in the same direction.


    This man in his fifties hade from the First ck Tower as Ignacy''s representative when the Kayser Tower has officially opened a few weeks ago.


    He seem to have taken a liking to this city and decided to stay here for several more days.


    Millie smiled after seeing this. It is good to know that they were all thinking the same thing and wanted to help.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The deafening barrage of the mounted artilleries caught Millie''s attention again. She realized that the purple energy protection of the city can easily defend against any attacks from outside but it doesn''t stop any of the attacksing from their side.


    Furthermore, she noticed that the artillery shells beings shot contained an immense amount of energy that she wasn''t sure of. It was definitely not simr to the artillery shells used by the Barbarians when they started wreaking havoc and causing destruction in the southern part of the Tudo Kingdom.


    In just a single volley of projectiles, three of the warships had taken heavy damage and started descending at an rming rate! They were crashing to the ground!


    ''What? They couldn''t even defend against that?'' Millie was surprised. She was expecting a bit more from the attackers¡­ At this rate, the battle might even be finished before she could arrive at the southern gate.


    Nevertheless, as the three Warships were descending, she saw hundreds of magicians jumping out and gliding towards the city wall!

 Chapter 346 Hidden

    "Tsk¡­ Is this another diversion?" Vincent frowned after seeing the destruction of the three warships of the enemies.


    He felt that they could''ve dodged or probably defended themselves from their bombardment but they did nothing except for protecting their main engines¡­


    He then saw the group of magicians that seemed to be nning to descend on their city. This is wishful thinking since the Kayser Tower is still operating and there was no way he would allow this to happen.


    However, his expression suddenly changed when he noticed that the three warships that were about to crash on the ground outside the city suddenly changed direction.


    They were nning to crash these warships to decisively destroy their barrier!


    It was such a reckless but certainly effective move!


    "This is bad¡­" Vincent knows that their defenses couldn''t handle the weight of those three warships especially once they exploded in close range.


    No matter how much energy they put into their barrier, the instantaneous burst from their explosions would be too much to handle!


    "Celestials! Can you do something to stop those?" Vincent asked in a hurry.


    Although he gained numerous items with special skills, they weren''t good enough to stop three humongous warships from crashing into the city.


    Furthermore, they didn''t have a huge Mana Cannon yet that could destroy warships in one shot. They only have these special artilleries and he was still nning to purchase or create one of these Mana Cannons once they were more financially stable.


    Anyway, Luna was the first one to answer.


    "If we only need to change its direction, we should be able to do something about it¡­ However, it will consume some of our Celestial Energy, Tara''s full recovery might be dyed again because of this¡­"


    Vincent nodded after hearing her exnation. That''s right, they don''t need topletely stop the warships by destroying them. Changing their trajectory path should be enough for the task.


    "I''ll count on you then¡­" Vincent said as he ryed the n with Calidia using amunication crystal.


    For sure, Calidia noticed that the warships were about to crash in their city. She might think of using the Kayser Tower''s strongest offensive technique to try and destroy them so he has to tell her quickly.


    "I understand, Vincent. Right, the scanner also noticed that a few people were trying to sneak in through the eastern gate. The defenses on that site have weakened a lot so I''m nning to send a few people to check the situation."


    Calidia said while she was seated in themand center within the Tower.


    "Alright¡­ Just send someone who can observe them closely. Don''t bother them until they managed to put a hole in our barrier." Vincent replied from the other side of the crystal.


    "Got it¡­" Calidia nodded as they ended their conversation.


    Currently, there are five people inside themand center and they were all monitoring the overall situation of the city.


    In this room, they could also activate several Mana Formations just by triggering a few glowing crystals. These formations can either be used for surveince, defense, offense, and even to connect to specific people within the city.


    Of course, the five people here were trustworthy individuals and were all Followers of Qheglena. Vincent was assured that none of them would even think of betraying him.


    "Ugh¡­ We have to end this quickly¡­"<sub> </sub>


    Calidia muttered nervously as she was actually feeling a lot of pressure right now.


    The Kayser Tower''s Mana Gathering Formation is already working to its limit but she can tell that it could only supply energy to the defensive formations for eight or ten more minutes.


    Now that they were under attack by the enemies, they were able to find their shorings regarding the consumption of energy. Since this is the first time they got into this situation, they only learned now that the speed of gathering mana and the speed of consumption aren''t bnced at all.


    "Lydia! Look! The Celestials are finally making their move¡­ We probably don''t have to worry anymore¡­"


    Rufia said in delight after seeing the white-haireddy at the "monitor" they were using.


    This device is another creation of Professor Levent that Vincent had enhanced. It allows them to transfer images from one Imaging Stone to another.


    Within the city, there were over a hundred Imaging Stones that they could use for surveince.


    At this moment, they were watching Luna who had flown up in the sky carrying only her sword as a weapon. She''s not even wearing her Celestial Armor which shouldn''t be the case considering the boost it will provide to her strength.


    Nevertheless, she was followed by Tara and Rem as they seem to be getting into some kind of battle formation.


    The citizens below had also noticed their presence after they felt the unusual energy fluctuation above them.


    Their Celestial Energy started stirring up the surrounding mana and all Mana Practitioners could feel it whether they like it or not¡­


    Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the three Celestial Beings went out of the barrier and shed with the dropping warships!


    Each flying warship was about 120 meters in length and weighs over 400 tons, this is definitely not an easy task as everyone watched the three with bated breath¡­


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Three consecutive explosions urred as the Celestials used their Celestial Energy to trigger an explosion!


    These explosions shifted the direction of the warships as Vincent followed up with another move¡­


    "Frost Field¡­"


    This ability came from his blue gloves, a new item he had transcended, and its ability is meant to stop the Magicians who were trying tond on their city.


    Although he trusts the durability of their barrier, he felt that dealing with them midair would be more satisfying. They might have a secret n to put a crack in their defenses after all.


    Vincent felt satisfied as soon as he saw the magicians freezing before crashing into their barrier. It had certainly surprised them and were unable to immediately react to hisrge-scale Mana Art.


    "Hmm? They''re still trying to attack?" Vincent frowned as he saw the remaining warships continuing their assault instead of retreating after suffering heavy casualties.


    "Since you''re so eager to die, then so be it¡­" Vincent thenmanded his three Celestial Beings to be on the offensive so they could see the limit of their enemies¡­


    To his surprise, the enemies were actually hiding their trump card all this time! As soon as the three Luna and the others wore their Celestia Armors, five Celestial Beings came out to intercept them!

 Chapter 347 Final Defense

    The sudden appearance of the five Celestial Beings surprised everyone.


    Some of them felt that their appearance was already toote considering the casualties they suffered.


    Hundreds if not thousands of people on their side have already died. However, Vincent can somewhat understand why they dyed the mobilization of their Celestial Beings.


    They certainly have a clear goal in their mind and they didn''t mind how many sacrifices they offer as long as they achieve this goal.


    As for their goal, Vincent feels that it''s rted to him. Perhaps, they didn''t just want to kill him¡­


    Vincent looked at Luna and the others and realized that they were retreating to the safety of their barrier.


    It is a good decision to return to the top of the walls andunch their attack from this side.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    A group of people suddenly arrived close to him as he acknowledged their presence¡­


    They were Millie, Ceri, Archon Thyrus, and Lar.


    "Is there anything we can do to help?" Archon Thyrus spoke as he offered his assistance. With his skills as a Grand Magus, he believes that he could even stop one of the warships alone if he pushes himself to the limit.


    Vincent smiled as he certainly needed this person''s help. However, it is not for fighting but for something else.


    "Archon Thyrus, can you identify these warships? I''m thinking that they are rted to the 15th Tower¡­ If that''s the case, what do you think will happen if Master Ignacy learned of this?"


    Vincent asked as he knows that aside from this specific tower, there shouldn''t be anyone who would bother spending this much just to get revenge on him.


    Of course, the Barbarians may be considered the culprit as well but the chances were extremely low.


    Thyrus sighed after hearing Vincent''s question. Indeed, before he even got here, he already recognized those warships¡­ Tower Master Aarav didn''t even bother disguising their warships at all.


    In addition, the five Celestial Beings that intercepted Luna''s group were also familiar to him. They did not even hide their faces!


    It was as if they were worried that Vincent wouldn''t recognize the culprit of this incident.


    "You''re correct, Vincent. It''s really them. There''s no doubt about it. If Master Ignacy learned this, they''ll be in huge trouble. However¡­ I think something happened in the First Tower while I''m gone¡­"


    Thyrus exined.


    "I see¡­ For now, I need your help to interrogate those people. Millie and Ceri, I would appreciate it if you can help me take care of them." Vincent said as he pointed at Jairo''s group which has been tied by an enchanted chain. He wasn''t surprised at Thyrus'' confirmation.


    He already expected this much and that something had happened to his Master.


    "Who are these people?" Millie asked after seeing the six unconscious magicians tied together.


    She can also tell that these six will not be able to use their Mana even if they were awake as the chains were constantly draining their energy.


    Ceri only looked at them without asking as she realized that they were all Grand Magus. Although they were already suppressed, the uniqueness of her Primal Sense allowed her to probe them a lot easier.<sub> </sub>


    "They''re the vanguards sent by our enemies. Use this to interrogate them." Vincent said as he handed over a bottle of orange powder.


    They didn''t have to ask and they already know that this powder is some kind of drug that would make these people tell the truth.


    Millie epted it without question and dragged Ceri with him.


    Thyrus and Lar remained on Vincent''s side waiting for instructions.


    "Lar, watch over the garrison brigade. Since our Mage Battalion is gone, only the Magic Knights and Arch Knights were left here. As a Grand Knight, I''ll need you to step up and reassure them of our situation. In a few minutes, our barrier will probably be destroyed so you will be needed there."


    Vincent said as he looked at the man on his left.


    They have very few people with leadership skills and power to back them up. Lar is a good candidate for this but he was too used to being ordered around by Millie and Ceri over the past year.


    Because of this, although he previously has the skills tomand people, it hasn''t developed and started to degrade.


    Lar took a deep breath as he looked at the Magic Knights who were operating the artilleries mounted on top of the walls.


    None of them have decent cultivation at all so he could understand why Vincent wanted him to watch them over.


    "I''ll take care of it..." Lar replied as he immediately went to their side.


    Since the barrier is about to copse, these people will certainly feel the pressure and they might start panicking. With his presence as a Grand Knight, he could use his Resplendent Vigor and Imperious Will to control the situation.


    Both of these skills were exclusive to a Grand Knight like him so he would certainly contribute a lot just by standing there.


    As soon as he left, Vincent nced at Thyrus and asked about the possible situation of the First Tower and Master Ignacy¡­ Vincent wanted to also hear his opinion on what he should do from now on.


    ***


    While this is all happening, the warships did not stop bombarding their barrier. The five Celestial Beings were also doing the same thing but because they were constantly avoiding the attacking from Luna''s group, they were unable to contribute that much.


    Apparently, these five were also unable to enter the city because of the Kayser Tower''s protection. At the very least, they needed some time to create a hole and that is obviously easier said than done.


    There was no way Tara, Rem, and Luna would just watch them do it after all.


    Furthermore, unlike those five, these three Celestial Beings didn''t care about the amount of energy they spent since Vincent doesn''t have to use his Blood Essence to recharge them.


    As long as they procure potions outside, Vincent can just do his magic to modify them.


    Crack! Crack!


    After a few minutes of attacking and defending, the Kayser Tower''s barrier could no longer hold on as it started cracking¡­


    This had obviously excited the enemies and scared some of the citizens who has been monitoring the situation¡­


    Nevertheless, Vincent''s expression didn''t change as he pulled out an artifact in his System Inventory.

 Chapter 348 Awakened

    Just like the other stages of the Item Awakening System. Vincent was able to get a reward after leveling his Item Transcendence Skill up once.


    The reward that he received was a card rted to the fourth stage or thest stage of the sequence, a clue to the next sequence he''ll get once he leveled up this skill to nine!


    [ Item Awakening Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that awakens any item with a 100% sess rate. A sessful Awakening provides sentience to the selected item. Depending on the overall quality of the target, the level of sentient can be low-level to high-level. ]


    [ Remarks: All awakened items by the user will automatically have 100 points in loyalty that can increase or decrease depending on the wielder. ]


    This card had truly surprised him.


    Providing sentience to the item is like giving life to an object! It is something that he had never thought he would be capable of doing!


    After analyzing this, Vincent was now able to understand why his system was called Item Awakening System in the first ce.


    Apparently, all the system skills that he received before were just a preparation for the real awakening skill at thest stage of the Awakening Sequence!


    It was such a huge revtion and he couldn''t help but be excited to level up his Transcendence Skill.


    It was unfortunate that grinding this skill is too difficult considering the consumption of Pseudo-Celestial Energy and the Magic Nucleus that is bing rarer as time goes by.


    Anyway, since he only has one Item Awakening Card he wanted to select an item that would always be by his side. After all, the next awakening card may only appear in the next five years or so considering his slow method of gathering experience points.


    It took him quite a lot of time to find the perfect item for this. After all, he didn''t just want to awaken low-level sentience. If possible, he wanted to give his Awakened Item the highest possible sentience.


    To do that, he has to select an item that is Legendary Rank or above and has reached 10 enhancements.


    With that in consideration, he was left a few choices¡­


    His top three choices were the Enlightenment Stone, the Tome of Skill, and the Astral Night Dagger.


    He removed the River Dragon''s Eyes from the options since that item looks quite scary especially if it gained sentience.


    He also didn''t think of selecting swords since all his swords right now possessed a skill that he really liked to use. He felt that once these swords gained sentience, he wouldn''t be able to enjoy using them again.


    In the end, he decided to use the Tome for his first Awakened Item.


    Vincent previously obtained a nk Tome of Skills. The Tome of Skills, also knowns as Grimoires can be used to store specific abilities or Mana Arts inside them.


    ? Furthermore, these tomes that were made by the Barbarian Warlocks can actually absorb any magic nucleus or cores from any Magic Beasts.


    Of course, Vincent did not hesitate to use the best core in his possession and that is obviously the golem core he had taken from Professor Levent''s dungeon.


    That''s right, this is the core of the golem that interrupted them when they awakened Luna.


    This core is so valuable that it didn''te to his mind to use it as his Transcendence Crystal when he was grinding for experience.


    [ Unintelligent Golem Core ]


    [ Durability: 20/20


    Pure Mana: 1800


    Talent: Devour


    Description: The Golem''s source of life, magic, and intelligence.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]<sub> </sub>


    [ Devour: Any being possessing this talent can get stronger after consuming another Core. ]


    With this information, it was no wonder why Vincent decided to get the Tome to consume it.


    After the Tome managed to obtain the Devour Skill of the golem core, its 50 nk pages became 50 devour skills ready to be used.


    It didn''t end there, once Vincent awakened it using the Awakening Card, it be crazier¡­


    [ Awakened Tome of Gluttony ]


    [ Quality: Mythic


    Sentience: Mid-Level


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1240/1240


    Description: An awakened tome with 50 pages that is storing the power of gluttony. This item has broken its limit and can now devour or store 1 target per page. The target can be an object or a living being.


    Storage Space: 0/50 ]


    [ Remarks: The stored object or being can only stay within the page for 100 days before they get devoured by the Tome. The user can also devour the selected target at any time by spending some mana. ]


    [ Special Attributes: Intelligence, Growth, Flight, Mana Source ]


    When Vincent first saw the quality of the item, he was confused but also excited at the same time.


    Awakening the item didn''t just provide sentience to the object but also improved its quality!


    He previously thought that above the Legendary Rank was the Ancient Rank! However, it seems that he was wrong it was actually the Mythic Rank.


    Vincent smiled after seeing the floating ck tome in front of him.


    "Glutton¡­ Can you do something about the warships above us?" Vincent asked the sentient Tome.


    This surprised Thyrus since he thought Vincent was speaking to him. However, after noticing that Vincent wasn''t looking at him, he realized that he was staring at the floating book¡­


    Thyrus didn''t hear the book answer which is obviously normal but Vincent continued speaking to the book like an insane person.


    "Go ahead then¡­ The barrier protecting us is about to copse¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Alright¡­ I''ll trust you. If you need more supply of mana, just devour some of those magicians¡­"


    As soon as Vincent said this, Thyrus saw the ck book open and its pages started turning as if they were stimted by something.


    Soon, everyone in the city was dumbstruck as the warships started getting closer to the city wall like they were attracted to something! Everyone thought that these massive flying vessels were about to crash but in the end, they seem to have disappeared just the way they appeared in the sky!


    It was as if they entered another dimension that they couldn''t see!


    Thyrus, who had seen everyone from the beginning to its end couldn''t be speechless by the scene! This is no longer within the realm of his understanding of Mana Art!


    "Impossible¡­" Thyrus muttered as he stared at the floating ck book that just closed itself after doing something incredible.


    As far as he knows, there is definitely no Tier 4 or Tier 5 Mana Art capable of doing that!

 Chapter 349 Clueless

    The five Celestial Beings were not affected by the power of the Sentient Tome.


    They were able to easily get out of its range as soon as they felt the vacuum dragging them to another dimension.


    The five of them looked in Vincent''s direction with terrified faces as they know how powerful that was. There was no way those fully functioning warships could be dragged over into another dimension so easily. The engines being used for these specific vessels were thetest technology that this era could offer.


    Furthermore, they have never encountered any kind of technique close to this.


    Their reaction is basically simr to Thyrus who had seen everything closely.


    Suddenly, the soldiers on top of the walls and the citizens who were nervously watching the battle cheered and apuded themselves!


    "Hahaha! We did it!"


    "We survived! Take that! Our Kayser Tower is the best!"


    "Ah? Is that the power of the Tower? I thought it was from the Celestials?"


    "No¡­ The Celestials working for Sir Vincent were busy dealing with the other Celestials¡­"


    "That''s true¡­ Did they just retreat? They just disappeared in our sight into some hole or something."


    "I don''t so¡­ I must be another Mana Art we''re not aware of."


    "Incredible¡­ I wonder what happened to the warships¡­"


    The people were unsure of what truly happened. Considering how these warships were able to arrive instantly above their city like they opened some portal, some of them thought that they just did the same thing and retreated in an instant.


    They couldn''t find the traces of their enemies after all. Perhaps, if the wreckage of the three warships can not be seen outside their city, they might think that all of it was just an illusion.


    However, the artillery shells they fired were real, the wreckage of the three airships was there, and the five Celestial Beings were also outside looking at them with cautious eyes.


    "Vincent¡­ That was incredible¡­ You handled this matter very well." Thyrus can only praise Vincent.


    He has so many questions in his mind but he felt that it''s not that important at the moment.


    "It''s all to protect the city¡­" Vincent replied as he motioned to the floating ck book to return to his hands.


    Thyrus nodded in understanding. Many lives were lost just now but he doesn''t have ns to reprimand him at all. Those guys were truly nning to kill the people living in this city. Wherever they are right now, they should deserve it.


    "Right, I''m thinking of returning to the First Tower to see the situation of the Tower Lord. Since the 15th Tower broke all the pretenses and attacked you, the Seventh Disciple, something must''ve happened."


    "That makes sense¡­ Do you need our help?" Vincent asked as he thought of sending a few people to assist Thyrus in case he got into trouble after returning to the city."<sub> </sub>


    "There''s no need for that, I''m still an Archon and I won''t easily go down. For now, I think you have to focus on those five Celestials. They don''t seem to have ns of leaving just yet." Thyrus reminded as he looked in their direction.


    Vincent jolted as he had indeed forgotten about them¡­ He thought that after they saw those warships get ''eaten'' by the Tome, they would leave already. However, that wasn''t the case at all as if they were waiting for a miracle that the people in those warships were still alive.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll deal with them¡­ Be careful, Archon Thyrus."


    "I will. Do you have any message you want me to pass over to your Master?"


    "Hmm¡­ Just reassure him that I''m safe and that I''ve dealt with the enemies without taking any damage on our side." Vincent replied after pondering for a moment.


    Thyrus nodded with a smile as he floated above the city before flying off back to the First Tower.


    Vincent sighed after seeing him leave. To be honest, he''s really quite worried for his Master. He is his strongest backer after all. If something happened to him, Vincent would have to rely on himself to fend off his enemies.


    Of course, he might be able to get some help from his other senior disciples but he wasn''t sure about their situation as well.


    ''Is it a coincidence that Senior L''s city was also under attack?'' Vincent frowned at this thought but he immediately shook his head.


    This is not an important matter right now.


    "Luna, Tara, Rem¡­ What do you think they were nning to do? Are they still looking for a fight?" Vincent asked the three.


    If those five decided to leave now, they would certainly be unstoppable. Vincent can''t do anything about it at all.


    At his question, Rem actually looked at Vincent with raised brows¡­


    "Are you sure you''re not aware why they''re staying there?" Rem asked as if Vincent''s question was unbelievable to her.


    Of course, Vincent was stunned after hearing it as he was really unaware of the reason.


    He looked at Luna and Tara for answers but they were also looking at him like he was a very cruel person.


    Well, that may be true considering how he didn''t think too much of the deaths caused by his Sentient Tome.


    However, he wasn''t really like this. His values have just greatly changed because of his experience throughout these years. He knows that as their leader, he has to make choices that will benefit the entirety of theirmunity.


    He is no longer alone and he has to consider things from a different perspective.


    Seeing that Vincent was truly unaware of what he had just done, Luna decided to exin.


    "Vincent¡­ You just captured or maybe killed their contracted Mana Practitioner. Right now, no one can provide them with the Blood Essence they needed. They can''t just change their contract to another person for at least three or five years¡­ Well, it depends on how long they''ve been dependent on those Blood Essence so it could be longer than that¡­ So of course, they won''t just give up¡­"

 Chapter 350 Negotiation

    "Ahhh¡­ This¡­" Vincent was stunned after hearing this reason.


    That''s right, he didn''t consider whether the contracted magicians of those Celestials were inside the Warship. He just ordered the Awakened Tome to take care of them¡­


    In any case, since he''s not using his own Mana to use the Devour Skill, he didn''t mind how much it will consume at all.


    He just thought that if Glutton''s mana is not enough, it could just devour the magicians to boost its mana.


    "This is not good¡­ We can''t go outside if those five decided to surround our city¡­" Vincent said as he knows that fighting these Celestials outside the range of the Kayser Tower would be very difficult.


    Furthermore, because they are usingrge Mana Gathering Formations within the city, the Mana outside isn''t in the best condition. It is thinner and would obviously be harder for Mana Practitioners to manifest their Mana Arts in such conditions.


    "That''s true¡­ But you have options. First, you can consider giving back their contracted practitioners. Next, you can create a battle n to defeat those five and get them to leave our region. Killing them is close to impossible. Thest method is to gain their trust and change their view of recovering Celestial Energy¡­" Luna exined as she stared at Vincent seriously.


    She wanted to know what would Vincent choose with these options.


    The young man then went silent for a moment as he realized that these Celestials were anticipating something from him.


    They were looking at him with expectant gazes and he knows that he should give them a satisfying answer.


    Well, the first option is obviously not on his list. The Tome of Gluttony has already converted them into energy to strengthen itself. Its growth attribute requires this kind of conversion after all.


    ''Should I just send them away? Ugh¡­ But they will just return if they contracted some Practitioners who were serving this Magic God or something¡­'' Vincent thought as he looked at the five from afar.


    He really can''t see them with his terrible vision but he can tell from their aura that they were quite nervous.


    ''Nervous?''


    It is not easy to sense the behavior or the condition of the Celestial Beings. They have this Celestial Energy which could block normal probes to them after all.


    However, since he can easily sense or feel their emotion using his Aura Sense, it means that they were truly in shock after he captured those warships where their contracted magicians are at.


    ''Can I really invite them to my flock and supply them with enough enhanced potions?'' Vincent contemted as he looked in their direction. Although his sess rate had certainly increased a lot, he still has a lot of things he needed to do.


    His Pseudo-Celestial Energy is about 3 thousand units and may not be enough to support more Celestials¡­ Furthermore, he didn''t feel safe with them. Perhaps, if he only needed to invite one or two Celestials, he wouldn''t mind it at all since he has three trustworthy Celestials with him.


    However, inviting five Celestial Beings might create some kind of tension between these Celestials¡­


    ''Ugh¡­ Am I overthinking this?'' Vincent thought as he shook his head¡­


    He looked at Luna for a moment to think of an answer but he suddenly remembered something.


    "Are they Numbered Celestials like you?" Vincent asked.<sub> </sub>


    That''s right, if they weren''t that strong, perhaps he can indeed consider taking them all if they wanted to join him. After all, he knows that if they can''t take Blood Essence in the next five years, they will be forced to hibernate or use their Cryogenic Sleep Chamber again. They probably didn''t want that to happen.


    "I''m not sure¡­ However, Tara is a lot stronger than each of them and she''s already Rank 999¡­ So I''m thinking that they were unnumbered or at least in at the bottom rank¡­" Luna exined.


    However, she felt thatparing them with Tara is a bit unfair considering that she was already about to reach her peak strength while the other five were not.


    "At the bottom rank, huh¡­ Alright, can you try to speak to them outside? I''ll wait right here. Bring them these five potions so you can negotiate with them." Vincent said as he handed over five +8 potions. They do not have plenty of Celestial Energy insidepared to +9 potions but they are still enough to attract those five who might be considering hibernating already.


    The three Celestials then looked at him curiously.


    "You don''t want to meet them? I will protect you¡­" Rem said as she stood behind Vincent thinking that thetter was just afraid to face the five Celestials.


    Well, that is one of the reasons but Vincent shook his head and replied.


    "I''m good¡­ I''ll stay here inside the Kayser Tower''s range. Ehem¡­ I want you guys to handle them without my interference. In any case, you''ll be the ones who will be working with them most of the time if they joined us. You need to establish your authority as early as now¡­" Vincent tried to exin.


    Luckily, they epted this exnation as they headed off outside.


    Their movements had obviously attracted the soldiers'' attention and they were a bit worried about the Celestials going outside.


    Nevertheless, there is nothing that they could do since this is a matter between Celestial Beings.


    ***


    Vincent watched the group of Celestial Beings go into a discussion just about 100 meters away from their artilleries'' range.


    They seem to be arguing in the first five minutes but when Luna brought out the five potions, they started calming down as the five decided to inspect the potions for over 10 minutes.


    They needed this much time to assess the potion but in the end, consuming them is the best way to confirm their findings.


    Soon, one of them dared to drink the potion as the four others watched seriously. They even seem ready to fight if something went wrong with their colleague.


    However, their worry was for naught since Vincent had no desire of betraying them¡­


    Soon, Vincent saw them consume the potions one by one as they probably realized the effectiveness of the +8 potions that he provided.


    They seem to be ted by this discovery but after several minutes, Vincent noticed that their aura had suddenly changed¡­


    The five Celestials suddenly became extremely wary of Luna and the others!


    Vincent was confused about this but what happened next surprised him even more, Tara actually removed her armor and seem like she was going to undress!

 Chapter 351 Dead Or Alive

    Luna nodded in satisfaction after seeing the five Celestials praising the potions that Vincent had given. Well, she expected this much since she was also captured by Vincent through this method.


    As far as they know, only the Mystic Link Serum was the type of drug or medicine capable of providing Celestial Energy to them. This is the only artificial method that they have aside from consuming the Blood Essence of Mana Practitioners.


    However, because the machines needed to create these serums were already broken during the many wars against the other species, they thought that it was already impossible to recreate this serum.


    The potions that they received were basically something that none of them had ever thought to help them recover their energy.


    This is why the five Celestials were highly doubting their ims at first which even led to an argument.


    Nevertheless, now that everything has been cleared up, Luna started to introduce themselves since their hostility had already subsided.


    It''s about time to get to know each other.


    "I''m Luna¡­ It''s the name given to me by Sir Vincent. I''m Number 80 as well¡­ This is Tara, she''s Number 999 and--"


    They didn''t react much after knowing that she was Number 80 but, as soon as she said Tara''s Number, they reacted differently.


    "No way¡­ Rank 999? That''s shouldn''t be her number¡­"


    "That''s not possible¡­ Rank 999 is already dead¡­"


    "We''ve seen her die in the First Rapture. She died battling against one of the guardians or deities of thisnd¡­"


    "That''s right, isn''t it weird that the lowest rank managed to survive the First and Second Rapture?"


    "That''s true¡­"


    The Celestials said as they were confused by Tara''s existence.


    Of course, there is a hole in their argument considering how Rem, an Unnumbered Celestial managed to stay alive as well.


    However, the three could understand their argument since the Numbered Celestials were basically the elites who had directly fought off against the deities of thisnd¡­ If they didn''t win against them, their deaths would be guaranteed.


    "Have you really seen Number 999 die before? Perhaps she managed to survive¡­ Tara had actually lost her memories. When she was woken up by Vincent, she barely recalls her past." Rem added as she had also seen Tara''s mark. That number on her shoulder could not be faked.


    "But¡­" The red-haired Celestial said wanted to argue but she stopped herself and bit her lips. She was trying to recall the past repeatedly. She''s the only one who has a Celestial Armor among her group and seems to be their leader as well.


    The others did the same but no matter how much they try to recall it, the events that they have seen were very clear.


    "Number 999 fought against the yellow-haired deity of thisnd together with others in the Nine Hundred... I''m sure that she was cut in half¡­" She muttered softly after recalling the past before she looked at the other four.


    "It''s the same thing I saw at that time¡­"<sub> </sub>


    "I didn''t see it happen but I saw the lower half of her body turn into ashes¡­" One of them added.


    "Number 999 is already dead¡­ Can we see your mark?" The leader of the five requested since she also wanted to trust Tara.


    Tara, who has been silent all along even started doubting herself after hearing their ims. She was simrly confused and wanted to know the truth so she decided to cooperate.


    At this rate, they might think that she''s another species taking Number 999''s appearance if she refused.


    With this in mind, she retracted the armor on her body and only covered a part of her torso. Since the clothes given to her by Vincent were a bit tight, she can''t just roll them up so she had to remove her elbow-length sleeves blouse.


    As soon as she removed her blouse, everyone, including Luna and Rem checked the number marked on her¡­


    They looked at it for a period of time but none of them could find any anomaly in it.


    It seemed genuine no matter how they look at it. They can tell that it wasn''t some form of replication. In the first ce, only their race was capable of storing Celestial Energy within their bodies. The fact that Tara could do it just fine means that she''s no doubt, a Celestial Being¡­


    "You guys probably made a mistake. Perhaps the one you saw at that time was number 666 or 998 or another one that looked just like her. The battle at the time was chaotic, I''m sure that you might''ve missed something¡­" Luna can only say as the five were also unable to speak after seeing Tara''s number.


    They can only give up as they decided to just continue where they left off and introduced themselves.


    The red-haired Celestial was indeed the strongest Celestial among the five and she was Number 778. The others were Number 815 and 833 while thest two were unnumbered Celestials just like Rem.


    After the three "original" Celestial Beings established their authority as their seniors, they finally invited them to meet Vincent.


    They were brought to the Kayser Tower where Vincent felt safer and as soon as he heard about their suspicions about Tara''s identity, he couldn''t help but be surprised.


    "Cough! Cough! W-what?" Vincent was shocked as he looked at Tara nervously.


    "I''m a Celestial Being just like them¡­" Tara coldly said to Vincent after seeing his exaggerated reaction.


    Realizing that he was a bit rude to his very first Celestial Being, he immediately apologized¡­


    "Sorry, I was just surprised by their ridiculous im. I never doubted your identity even for a second¡­" Vincent said confidently as he finally realized why Tara suddenly started undressing a while ago.


    At that time, he ordered Calidia to make the barrier''s appearance be a fog to stop his soldiers and himself from seeing any further.


    This is why he didn''t know what happened afterward.


    "I guess they just really made a mistake¡­ Don''t think too much about it. It''s not like you were really killed by the yellow-haired---Hmm? A blonde deity killed you they said?" Vincent asked as he shifted his gaze to the five to ask for confirmation.


    After seeing them nod, Vincent couldn''t help but shake his head as it seems that he has to meet Vera again.

 Chapter 352 Terrible

    Thyrus silently arrived at the vicinity of the First Tower¡­


    In his current position, he should be able to see the tall and majestic ck Tower which is also the source of envy of many organizations.


    Furthermore, he should be able to feel the gazes of the Sky Guards patrolling the surroundings of the Tower secretly.


    However, he couldn''t see any of that¡­


    There are no guards spying on him and there is no ck Tower!


    At first, he thought that this is just a trick used by Ignacy to hide the tower and the city surrounding it. He had previously heard that the Tower Masters were capable of using this special ability in case of emergency.


    Based on what he heard from the old Archons in the First Tower, the second Tower Lord, or Ignacy''s master, used this Stealth Ability to hide their city from Mythical Beasts.


    This is also how he learned that a peak Mythical Beast can''t be defeated even by thebined power of twenty Archons with Mage Tower boosting them.


    Anyway, he felt that Ignacy just used this same trick to hide from something or someone¡­


    However, as he got nearer and nearer, he realized that there is actually a crater about 100 meters deep in the previous location of the First ck Tower!


    "W-what''s going on? Is this an explosion? No way¡­" Thyrus sucked in a breath of cold air after reaching this thought.


    However, there shouldn''t be a power capable of doing that!


    He started to reject his first idea as he carefully observed the surrounding.


    After a while, he finally calmed himself. The surrounding trees andnd seemed to be alright. There are no signs of an explosive force that removed the Tower¡­ No meteor had descended or a bomb that exploded¡­


    ''Since it''s not an explosion, what could it be¡­'' Thyrus frowned as hended on the crater.


    It didn''t seem like the Tower had sunk as well so he was really confused right now¡­ He wanted to find some traces left behind but there really is nothing in there aside from the soil and rocks¡­


    This is the first time he had seen anything like this so he wasn''t sure how to proceed with his investigation. It was unfortunate that he doesn''t have any Magic Artifact that could help him find any clues about what happened here.


    ''Tsk¡­ This is bad¡­ If the Tower Lord is gone, there would be chaos¡­'' Thyrus considered his options. If Ignacy died, then their ck Tower Organization would be doomed.


    Their territory will be vulnerable to external attacks since Ignacy is the only one who can wield the Ancient Arcane Staff¡­ This staff is the same wooden staff that Ignacy would always hold and is capable of uniting everyone in the organization.


    The fact that Vincent was already attacked means that the Tower Lord might''ve perished already¡­ Even if not, he was probably injured and he can''t stop the 15th Tower from attacking his disciple.


    In the end, Thyrus decided to visit the Tower Masters that were loyal to Ignacy¡­


    "The sixth and the thirteenth towers are the nearest¡­ I should go there first¡­" He can only check these close towers since he doesn''t have many options to begin with.


    These Towers were the ces that Ignacy might actually visit to recuperate if he''s still alive so it should be a good shot. With this in mind, Thyrus flew as fast as he could to deliver the news of what happened here.<sub> </sub>


    The tragedy of the First Tower must spread immediately to let everyone be alert for any sudden invasion from the enemies.


    ***


    Vincent was also clueless about this situation but it wasn''t for long. After Ceri and Millie took Jairo''s group to their interrogation room and fed them the potions Vincent gave them, they were able to learn the situation as well.


    However, it wasn''t easy. Jairo''s group was still Grand Magus and possessed a high-level Mana Body. It means that their natural resistance against drugs and invasive Mana Arts was quite high¡­ They were even immune to Tier 1 or Tier 2 poison.


    They had to spend a lot of time, just to get the information they needed.


    "The 15th Tower is backed by another powerful being simr to the previous deities of thisnd?" Millie was shocked as soon as she heard Jairo''s confession.


    After being together with Vincent and the other Followers of Qheglena she already learned a lot of things rted to the celestials and the deities¡­


    ''This is bad¡­'' Ceri thought after realizing that this is a huge matter involving the future of the whole ck Tower organization


    Based on Jairo''s words, Aarav, the Tower Master of the 15th ck Tower, made a contact with such a powerful being without the Tower Lord''s knowledge.


    Furthermore, this powerful being isn''t on the side of the Celestials and the Deities at all. As a matter of fact, this being proimed himself as the Magic God and wanted this world to be ruled by only magicians!


    ? This ideal had obviously attracted many Mana Practitioners who believe that they are the superior race! They wanted to slowly control the bnce of power and remove the Celestial Beingspletely¡­ This was previously a feat that no one can possibly achieve.


    However, with the help of the Magic God, numerous practitioners gathered to make these ideals be reality.


    Unfortunately, as they slowly learned how to kill the Celestial Beings and achieved sess with their Immortal Project, and were about to start their world domination, Vincent suddenly appeared and did something to their Magic God¡­


    The Magic God was severely injured and took a year to recuperate and another year to prepare for their revenge today¡­ Furthermore, they had to change many of their ns and have now decided to use the powers of Celestial Beings instead¡­


    ***


    "So that''s what happened¡­" Vincent muttered after listening to Millie''s report.


    He couldn''t help but feel worried about their situation¡­ However, it''s a good thing that they survive this sudden siege without casualties.


    This must''ve disrupted the 15th Tower''s n so they should have some time to recuperate and strengthen their defenses¡­


    As Vincent was thinking of his next ns, one of hismunications crystals suddenly reacted.


    ''Hmm? It should be connected to A¡­ She will never contact me unless it''s important¡­ Did she learn how to Ascend this time?''


    Vincent mused as he picked up the blue crystal.

 Chapter 353 News

    "Vincent! Bad news! Master Turhan heard that your city will be under attack by the enemies of the Tower! You should escape from there immediately¡­"


    A''s voice was trembling as she said in hurry.


    Currently, Vincent is in his residence and was together with the top officials of the city and they all can hear A''s voice¡­


    Except for the Celestial Beings, everyone was here to supposedly n their next move. After all, their Mage Battalion has been sent to Nidite City and they were heavily relying on the Kayser Tower and the Celestials to defend the city.


    They needed to allocate their remaining forces ordingly so that even if they were attacked again, they can properly respond to them.


    "A¡­ Don''t worry, we have just fended them off. How about you and Professor Turhan?" Vincent felt that it was a good time to gather some information.


    "You''ve really defeated them? That''s incredible. I heard from Master that there might be warshipsing for you¡­ I guess it wasn''t true, huh¡­ That''s good. That''s good¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Ahh¡­ Right, we''re both fine. However, we have decided to leave the ck Tower for now and head to the Alchemist Union. Master Turhan mentioned that he didn''t like the current status of the Tower and that the Tower Lord is not responding to his calls. Something must''ve happened¡­" A exined.


    "There might be a coup d''etat happening so it might be best to go to the Alchemist Union¡­" Vincent approved this decision since he had already visited the Union''s headquarters using the Jade Tag that Faviona had given to him.


    Just like everyone said, the union is indeed a paradise for all Alchemists. In addition, that ce is also very mysterious¡­ It''s protected by many Magic Beasts that were being controlled by the Tamers¡­


    These Tamers were also alchemists who specializes in mind-controlling drugs which is something that frightens Vincent at some point.


    After all, they might go down the path of controlling humans as well if they have decided to be evil.


    "Coup d''etat? Do you know something, Vincent?" A asked from the other side¡­


    Vincent then exined what he learned from Jairo and the Celestial Beings that turned to their side. This news was obviously something big so A decided to pass themunications crystal to Turhan who happened to pass by.


    They seem to havepleted their preparations to leave the ck Tower and were about to go to the Union''s headquarters.


    After exchanging information with them, they ended themunication hoping they would meet again sometime.


    "As you heard, something must''ve happened to the Tower Lord. Number 815 said that the attack against the Ignacy was led by the Magic God''s Avatar¡­ Is that true?" Vincent asked Lar who was also in the meeting.


    He couldn''t ask any of the Celestials since they weren''t here. He had ordered them to patrol the surrounding area of the city since he didn''t want to be sieged again. If possible, he wanted to eliminate the problem before they could even get near and pose a threat to their city.


    "That''s correct¡­ Celestial Rem mentioned it to me before I separated from them." Lar confirmed as he would never forget the Celestial''s words.


    Anyway, they have also learned that the warships managed to get so close to their city because of the new Magic Technology that the magic god had bestowed on them¡­<sub> </sub>


    Apparently, it''s simr to the mysteries of the dungeon''s entrance¡­ It was some sort of spatial technology that had surpassed this era''s current magic advancement.


    After all, the current Magic Technology simr to what they used can only amodate a few people¡­ However, they have used this new technology for several gigantic warships! The difference is just too huge!


    It was no wonder that these people were loyal to the magic god¡­ Since this being is capable of giving them something incredible, they would only benefit if they decided to follow him.


    Vincent felt a headache after he put these pieces of information altogether.


    "We don''t have to be too worried. No matter what, the Tower Lord is the strongest magician in thisnd¡­ He''s also possessing the legendary staff that was said to have created the ck Towers. I''m sure that he has many tricks up his sleeves and once he showed up again, he will be able to handle this situation¡­ Even if not, I believe that we will be fine¡­ We''re not only protected by the Kayser Tower and the Celestial Beings but we''re also being guided by the goddess¡­"


    The one who said this was unexpectedly Yasin¡­ He is the leader of the Garrison Brigade.


    He was unable to immediately respond to the battle at the southern gate since he was stationed at the northern gate. Nevertheless, he was the one who had actually led the salvage team to recover any usable parts of the fallen warships.


    Vincent wryly smiled after hearing this¡­


    Apparently, he didn''t expect that Vera, the blonde goddess who blinded him, had really blessed this city with her sacred presence¡­


    This happened about half a year ago when Vincent had given an official name to the city and was announced to everyone.


    Vera had somehow appeared in their dreams and everyone naturally learned the visualization method!


    That''s right, everyone in the city started visualizing her image after seeing her in their dreams and realized that their souls started growing stronger. Of course, the intensity is different for everyone but it is still Soul Cultivation to some extent.


    This actually confused Vincent a lot.


    Does she want to have many believers? If she does, she could''ve just shown herself in the dreams of many many people. She could''ve done this a long time ago.


    If she did that every day, everyone would''ve surely grown stronger after visualizing her. She would also gain a lot of followers that way¡­


    However, she had instead waited for that day as if Vincent had triggered something to be blessed like that.


    This is the reason why everyone here believes that they are being guided by the blonde goddess.


    Vincent can''t really argue with that so he just lets them believe what they wanted to believe.


    "I guess we only have to worry about the Mage Battalion we sent to Nidite City..." Calidia said after listening to Yasin.


    "We should send another group to help them¡­ I don''t think we''ll be attacked again since we just destroyed their warships and taken their Celestial Beings. Even if we didn''t cripple their main force, we must''ve taken a huge chunk of theirbat force." Lar added.

 Chapter 354 Pouches

    Everyone in the room agreed with this statement as they all discussed their next course of action.


    Vincent felt satisfied with this meeting since he no longer has to think about everything they have to do¡­ It''s good that he has many capable people and he only needed to worry about the things that only he can do.


    One of these is to use his Item Awakening System¡­ He can''t bezy using them since he needed to increase the levels of his skills and improve the items circting within the city.


    Since their manufacturing industry isn''t going well, Vincent''s system is really needed to improve the quality of the items here.


    Of course, there are cases where it''s alright to have lower-quality items for financial reasons but as much as possible, Vincent wanted to circte only the best-quality items.


    Anyway, as soon as the meeting ended, Vincent decided to return to his room but not to take a rest.


    Apparently, he just received four Dimensional Pouches thanks to Jairo and his team.


    He''s quite excited to browse through them and hopefully find something that might interest him.


    The previous owners of these pouches were Grand Magus after all. They must possess some decent items that they would be able to use.


    [ Dimensional Snakeskin Storage Space Pouch ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    [ Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 2,250/3,000


    Stored Items: 10


    Description: A mystical pouch made from the Myriad Snakeskin. It can store anything except for living things. It has limited space but can be expanded if conditions are met.


    Soul Bound: Jairo Niemas ( Deceased )


    Remarks: This dimensional pouch can not be opened by another person aside from the bound user. Durability and Storage Space will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    "What? I can''t open it?" Vincent was disappointed as soon as he saw the appraisal result. He was so excited to open the pouch but this result dampened his mood.


    However, he knows that he can''t just give up¡­


    He checked the other three pouches and they were all bound to the previous users as well¡­


    After thinking for a moment, he decided to call Yulia¡­ but he immediately recalled that she was sent to help in Nidite City together with the Mage Battalion¡­


    In the end, he can only try to ask for Vel''s help.


    This man specializes in this kind of Magic Tool so there should be a good chance that he''ll be able to help.


    "So this is a dimensional storage pouch made of Myriad Snakeskin¡­" Vel muttered after getting the pouch from Vincent.<sub> </sub>


    He was previously checking the barrier covering the city if there is a repair needed to be done. However, as soon as he heard that Vincent needed him, he immediately went over to meet him.


    At this time, Vincent just remained silent as he wanted Vel to just concentrate and find any loophole he could use to open the item. Vel may not be an appraiser but he''s a Mana Practitioner with a gift that allows him to see the flow of mana¡­ With his sensitive eyes, he can see through Formation Arts and break them with unconventional methods. He can interrupt this Mana Flow or even control it to break many Formation Arts¡­


    This is also the reason why he''s very talented in the field itself.


    Vel took quite a lot of time to assess the item¡­ He spent over two hours inspecting it and as Vincent was about to give up, he heard Vel heave a sigh of relief as he put down the pouch¡­


    "Did you find anything?" Vincent asked as he looked at Vel expectantly.


    Although the chances are small, soul-bound items should have an undiscovered weakness¡­ Although there is no information regarding this in the Knowledge Base Crystal, he believes that it''s simply because no one is studying how to break these items since they are just too rare¡­


    Furthermore, even though the owners of such items were always Grand Magus, Grand Knights, or prestigious organizations, they wouldn''t carelessly study this item just in case it was broken¡­ They are too expensive after all.


    Vel looked at Vincent with a smile as he nodded in affirmation.


    "Yes, Sir Vincent¡­ However, it might be a bit difficult."


    "It''s alright. Just tell me."


    "Well, if you want to remove the Soul Bind, you have to find a way to degrade this item. Based on what I can see, this Snakeskin Pouch is an Epic Rank item created by an Adept Mage¡­ If you managed to degrade it to a Unique Rank the bind will be removed."


    "Degrading it will do the trick? That''s incredible. You can even tell that it''s made by an Adept Mage. I thought you''re not an Appraiser?" Vincent was impressed after hearing Vel''s assessment.


    It wasn''t something he could get in his appraisal result after all.


    "Haha¡­ I was just lucky. I already joined a lot of inspections so I can tell the difference between magic tools made by a Grand Magus and those that were not."


    Vel said as gestured to Vincent to take the pouch.


    "I see¡­ I guess I still have a lot to learn. Wait here, let me try to degrade it now." Vincent said as Vel looked at him in shock.


    This is a precious item after all. Degrading it without devising a proper n might lead to its destruction.


    It would be such a shame if Vincent identally destroyed this storage pouch because of hisck of preparation.


    He was about to warn him what may happen if he dealt with this hastily but he was blinded by a lighting from the pouch and he can only step back.


    It seems that it is already toote as Vincent had started modifying the item!


    The blinding light didn''tst very long.


    In just a few moments, Vel could hear Vincent celebrating as he had probably seeded in removing the Soul Bound!


    As expected, as soon as Vel realized what was going on, Vincent has already started taking out the items inside the dimensional storage pouch.

 Chapter 355 Crystal And Core

    Lowering the rank of any Magic Tool is something that Vincent can do as long as certain conditions are met.


    This is all thanks to his Ascension Erasure skill.


    This is one of the System Features that he gained over thest couple of years. If he recalls it correctly, he received this skill as a reward after sessfully ascending a total of 50 Legendary Rank items.


    It is not an easy thing to aplish, so getting such a good reward is quite fulfilling. Well, he didn''t really think too much of it at first.


    At most, he only thought that he could just this Erasure skill so he can endlessly grind experience using a single item.


    However, there is actually a drawback to doing a forceful rank down on a Magic Artifact and he learned it the hard way. There is actually a huge chance of an item being destroyed if he tried repeating this method three or four times.


    Degrading a magic tool once or twice is considered safe but degrading them for the third time has a 50% chance of destroying an item.


    It is such a huge chance that Vincent would only use this Erasure skill if he the user wanted a lower-rank version of an item that would suit them the best. In short, he rarely uses this skill.


    He didn''t expect that degrading a magic tool would have such an effect on Bounded items like the pouch in his hands.


    As soon as he confirmed that the bindings with Jairo has beenpletely removed, he excitedly checked the 10 stored items inside and pulled them out after confirming that none of them were inappropriate.


    Currently, Vincent and Vel were looking at the 10 items in the former''s workbench.


    "Impressive¡­"


    They were quite amazed at Jairo''s collection.


    "As expected of a Grand Magus, these things are valuable¡­ However, isn''t it weird that he did not use these items against you earlier?" Vel asked since he already heard that Vincent took on six Grand Magus alone and won against them.


    Vincent nodded as he confirmed that these items would certainly put him in a precarious situation. Though the two of them haven''t appraised the items yet, they can tell that these were special Magic Artifacts meant to kill or destroy.


    "Well, they easily fell into my trap and I didn''t give them the chance to use these as well. I think they''re nning to use these for someone else. Right¡­ at that time, they weren''t paying full attention to me¡­ They were probably waiting for the Celestial Beings to appear. Unfortunately for them, I was confident with myself." Vincent chuckled as he looked at the fourrge crimson crystals in front of him.


    These crystals appear just like some normal pieces of gemstone but both of them can tell that they were possessing an incredibly powerful and violent Mana inside¡­ It even felt familiar to Vincent.


    Anyway, even Luna and the other Celestials outside the city were rmed by this violent fluctuation of mana.


    Vincent noticed that they were about to check the situation so he immediately activated his Celestial Armor tomunicate with them since they are already rushing over.


    This is one of the features of the suit but Vincent had a very hard time learning how to use it since it requires pure Celestial Energy and not a hybrid like his.


    As soon as he assured them about his safety, Vincent got back to checking the items¡­


    He swiftly appraised one of them and as soon as he read the result, he realized why the fluctuations of mana are quite familiar¡­


    ''Is this a part of the Mana Cataclysm at that time?'' Vincent mused.


    He already learned that the dark clouds above the 15th Tower had disappeared six months after he escaped from that ce.


    He wasn''t exactly sure why they decided to make that phenomenon but it seems that he got an exnation today.


    [ Chaos Tribtion Crystal ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 450/450<sub> </sub>


    Chaos: 4,000


    Lightning: 500


    Description: A mysterious crystal made using an unknown method. It contains a huge amount of Chaos Aura that could summon a cataclysm in a small area. Imbuing 20 units of Mana on this item will trigger the cataclysm born from Chaos and Lightning.


    Remarks: Special Chaos and Lightning Attributes were found. These attributes including Durability will increase in every sessful enhancement. ]


    Although it wasn''t deliberate, Vincent can tell that this crystal has the attributes of the Mana Cataclysm above the 15th Tower.


    Those people had actually created a bomb out of that disaster!


    It was no wonder why they were patiently waiting for the Celestials to appear. If Luna and the others had really shown up, they might have achieved their goal and crippled them¡­


    The Celestials weren''t omnipotent beings after all.


    It''s a good thing that it can only cover a small area so Jairo and the others didn''t immediately use this item in case they scared the Celestials away¡­


    Vincent sneered seeing these crystals as they were already his possession.


    He looked at the other Magic Tools lying around but they were just spare weapons and no longer that interesting¡­ in Vincent''s perspective at the very least.


    For Vel, they were all precious weapons that could be Epic or Pseudo-Legendary Items based on their appearance and the aura they are emitting.


    Vincent continued checking the other items after he sessfully lowered the ranks of the three other pouches¡­


    This time, other than some spare weapons and chaos tribtion crystals that were left unused, they found three Formation Cores.


    These cores were even ready to be used to create a powerful to catch their prey¡­


    [ Formation Core: Dreadful Spider Net ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Durability: 1,200/1,300


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Stored Mana: 2,000 units


    Description: A core capable of summoning the Dreadful Spider Net that covers a 100-meter radius. Once the stored mana was consumed, durability will be used to maintain the formation.


    Dreadful Spider Net: A formation art that could simte the impressive draining ability of Dreadful Spider''s web. Anyone touched by the web within the formation art will have their mana constantly drained.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effectiveness of the item. ]


    Vincent smiled seeing this and he confirmed that Vel had taken an interest in this Formation Core. Of course, he decided to give it to him as a reward once hepleted his enhancements on it.


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent finally received an update from the Nidite City and confirmed that they have sessfully defeated the invading sea creatures and forced their retreat.


    This is certainly good news for Vincent but as he felt that he would have a great day today, unexpected news suddenly came¡­


    The Overseer has finally made his move!

 Chapter 356 Injured

    The Overseer.


    This mysterious being is a mighty individual that is supposedly created to help the Celestial Beings adapt to any new environment wherever Qheglena brought them.


    However, Luna can recall that the Overseer would rarely show himself to the Celestials unless they were in a dire situation.


    In most cases, it would be the single digits that would be supervising all of them.


    Especially, Number 3 who is the most active in the leadership role.


    Anyway, there are a few things that can be guaranteed about the Overseer. The first is that he is extremely strong andparable to the Single Digits. Secondly, he can regenerate his own Celestial Energy even without the Blood Essenceing from the Mana Practitioners.


    Another thing is that the Overseer is not a Celestial Being like them. He is more like a hybrid but unlike Vincent, the Overseer is more like an android.


    Furthermore, this mighty being is the only one capable of controlling Qheglena even without getting inside its control room. That''s right, he can remotely control the spaceship of the Celestials.


    Lastly, they know that the Overseer would do anything to keep their race alive. It was his main role but he wouldplete this task even by sacrificing 99% of them!


    It is such a twisted role so it was no wonder why so many Celestials are being killed. He was fulfilling his role to the extreme!


    As soon as Vincent heard about the Overseer''s appearance he immediately felt nervous since their strongest Celestial is only ranked 80. If the Overseer is reallyparable to the Single Digits, then they might be in huge trouble.


    After all, based on the praises he heard from Tara and the others, these Single-Digit Celestials were incredibly powerful. Rem even illustrated that the strength gap between Number 9 and Number 10 is like the bottom floor and the top floor of the Kayser Tower!


    Vincent wasn''t sure if it is only an exaggeration but since none of the Celestials refuted it, he can only feel nervous as he couldn''t imagine how strong that was.


    At the very least, it seems that the deities of this world did a good job defending this world against such beings.


    ''I''m sorry, Vera¡­ I looked down on you¡­'' Vincent mused at that time.


    Anyway, as soon as Vincent met with Luna and the others, he immediately noticed their nervous faces.


    He had never seen them like that before.


    However, as their ''leader'' he can''t show any form of weakness as he calmly asked about the situation.


    "Luna, you don''t look good¡­ What happened? Did you meet the Overseer?" Vincent asked as he looked at the Celestials who seem to have been defeated in a battle.


    "Hmmm? Where are the others?" Vincent asked after noticing that there are only five of them. Numbers 778, 815, and 833 are missing.


    ''They''re not taken by the Overseer, right?'' Vincent wanted to ask but he decided to just listen to them first.


    Luna took a deep breath before answering Vincent''s question.


    "Those three are with Krusk¡­ If I didn''t leave them with that kid, he might think of following the Overseer if we left him alone..." Luna said as he continued to exin what happened a while ago.


    Apparently, while they were investigating the surroundings of the city to ensure that there wouldn''t be any more ambushes, they stumbled upon a destroyed or closed dungeon.


    They were able to tell that it was previously a dungeon because they can still feel the tear on the space that can normally be felt at the entrance of each dungeon.<sub> </sub>


    It means that there was previously an entrance in the ruins they''ve found and this seems to have happened just recently.


    "Recently? I''m pretty sure we''ve conducted a thorough investigation to make a perfect geographical map¡­ If it was only destroyed not long ago, does it mean that we missed this dungeon in our investigation?" Vincent asked in disbelief since he didn''t work alone to create this map¡­ There were others as well and there was no way all of them wouldn''t notice the dungeon entrance at that time.


    Well, unless it''s blocked by a god-tier Formation Art¡­ However, the chances are just too small.


    "You''re right¡­ This surprised us as well. However, since the traces of tear on the space was still there, we can guarantee that it happened just recently." Rem added.


    Vincent can only ept this exnation.


    "What happened then?"


    "The culprit was probably the Overseer¡­ He appeared above us for a brief moment and he didn''t even look at us. I''m thinking that he was only checking if he has properly destroyed the dungeon entrance so we can''t go inside¡­" Tara answered.


    "He destroyed the Dungeon?" Vincent was confused.


    "That''s right¡­ We''re not sure of the reason yet but since he''s not interested in us at that time, there can only be one reason and it''s rted to the dungeon that was previously there."


    Luna answered this time.


    That reasoning certainly made some sense but Vincent could only wonder what kind of dungeon that was.


    She then continued telling what happened next.


    Krusk, who had joined them to investigate the surroundings, immediately acted as soon as the Overseers appeared.


    It was as if he knows by instinct that that was the target that his parents had given him to hunt.


    The rest of the story was just a one-sided battle¡­


    The overseer didn''t even retaliate and only yed around with them for 5 minutes before leaving¡­


    However, before he left, he made sure that the traces of tears in the space has beenpletely removed.


    Once it was gone, even Number 8, the Celestial Being who specializes in Space Element, wouldn''t be able to do anything about it.


    As Vincent listened to the whole story, he finally sighed as he felt that it was a good thing that there were no casualties¡­


    "Eh? You said that he did not retaliate, why are you guys injured?" Vincent asked.


    Although it wasn''t obvious with their outer appearance, Vincent was able to tell that they were injured with his special skill.


    Upon hearing this question, the Celestials felt a bit embarrassed as it seems that the Overseer had really yed around with their group.


    Vincent can only shake his head as he gave them a few bottles of recovery potions to get themselves healed faster.

 Chapter 357 Seclusion

    Vincent had previously thought that they were already quite strong. He had saved several Legendary Magic Artifacts, Ephemeral Mana Arts, and Formation Cores, so once they encountered the Overseer, they would be able to at least trap him and take the Qheglena away from him.


    That''s right, this spaceship is very important for Tara and the others¡­ As a matter of fact, the reason why Tara needed to gather some tinum coins was in preparation for this matter. Based on what Vincent understood, the tinum Coins can actually be used to activate a few things within the spaceship that might be very helpful for them.


    Well, there could be other spaceships as well but the devices in Qheglena were the ones truly important.


    However, based on what happened just now, it seems that even with all his preparations, he wouldn''t be able to win against the Overseer just yet.


    Vincent has to think of another way to deal with this unpredictable variable.


    "I guess it''s time to get my eyes back¡­" Vincent sighed as he ordered the Celestials out of his residence.


    He needed to get his eyes back and he requires some time to do this¡­ Apparently, he had already discovered what should be done to undo the curse or blessing that is blocking his vision. However, because it helped him increase the capability of his senses, he decided to just keep it for a while to strengthen his senses as much as possible.


    Unfortunately, over thest couple of months, he realized that he seems to have reached the limit of the improvement he can receive in this kind of ''training''.


    "Tara, Luna¡­ I will be doing something inside this house for several days or maybe weeks. I need you guys to protect this city while I''m in seclusion¡­" Vincent said before the Celestials could go out of the house¡­


    The Celestials were a bit confused by his sudden decision but they didn''t show it and just agreed with Vincent''s words.


    To be honest, they really can''t tell that Vincent''s vision is bad. After all, his Aura Sense, Mana Sense, and Item Sense were just too high level and it doesn''t seem like he was suffering from it at all.


    As soon as they left, Vincent was left in his residence as he activated the Formations surrounding it to ensure that no one can disturb him in the meantime.


    ***


    Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!


    The Celestials drank the potions given to them and the three new unnumbered Celestials sighed in admiration after feeling the changes in their bodies.


    Although they already consumed a bottle of potion from Vincent previously, they still felt that this is such an incredible experience and opportunity for them¡­


    "Truly amazing¡­ It really seems like one of those Mystic Link Serums. This one even tastes better. Can Vincent really supply all of us with these potions?" One of the numbered Celestial asked.


    She''s the weakest among the Celestials and had only woken up for about six months or so. It means that she had barely consumed Blood Essence and not even 20% of her strength has recovered.


    She has ck hair and fair skin that ismonly seen but what sets her apart from the other Celestials was her bluish right arm.


    It seems that it was an injury she sustained after fighting against the Arkhan Legion in the past that can''t be cured anymore. Even her Celestial Energy and her Cryogenic Chamber could not remove this mark or scar that was left behind so she can only live with it.


    "That''s for him to worry about¡­ I''m sure he has ns for it since he decided to keep you all.~"


    "That''s true¡­ He''ll work harder than before so we should reciprocate it by doing a better job."<sub> </sub>


    Rem and Tara answered.


    They were fully aware that these new members of their group were curious about Vincent¡­ It is not that surprising at all since they have probably felt his unique energy already.


    Furthermore, he even has a secret technique that could assist Celestial Beings to recover.


    "Right, you guys don''t have proper names yet¡­ We should''ve asked Vincent to give you names as well." Luna said after thinking for a moment.


    The two weren''t really looking forward to getting new names but thinking that it would be Vincent that would give them, they felt a little excited about it.


    "Names, huh¡­ I hope he can give us a good one."


    "Oh? You''re already looking forward to it¡­"


    "But I think we have forgotten to tell one more thing to Vincent.~"


    "Hmmm? What was it, Rem?" Luna asked.


    "About Krusk¡­ We only mentioned that he helped us against the Overseer but we forgot to mention that he reverted back to his original form¡­"


    The Celestial finally recalled. Indeed, this seems to be an important matter as well. After all, the main point is that Krusk was unable to turn himself into his human form again!


    Since Krusk was only as big as one of the warships, his size wasn''t really a big deal, however, using this form will be disadvantageous if there were enemy Grand Magus around.


    After all, Krusk would be a very easy target.


    For a Grand Magus that could cast four or more Mana Arts at the same time, they would pose a huge threat to Krusk if he was attacked in his weak spots


    Since he hasn''t reached adulthood yet, he still has a weak belly and throat. Though they weren''t soft it would be easy for Magicians at that level to prate it especially if they have mastered some offensive Tier 5 Mana Arts.


    Krusk will only be safe if he''s at least in his territory or if a huge body of water is around him.


    "Should we send him to theke for now?" Luna asked.


    The others agreed with this since Vincent has already started his seclusion. They can''t ask him for a piece of advice and they have to make their own decisions for now.


    Luna and the rest looked at Vincent''s residence for onest time and realized that a sealing Formation Art has already been activated.


    They were unsure how long this willst but they can only hope that he could get his eyes back as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 358 Peak

    "I guess all the weapons given to all of you weren''t wasted, huh¡­" Yulia said with a smile while looking at the Mage Battalion that their Vera City has created over the past two years.


    Themander of this Battalion was none other than her, a Grand Magus that has mastered the four Tiers of her Darkness Mystic Eyes.


    "Haha! We have to thank Sir Vincent for that¡­ Most of our items are Epic Rank and I even have this Pseudo-Legendary Sword¡­ Cutting those sea creatures is as easy as cutting weeds!" Ross replied with a big grin on his face as the others followed with augh.


    Lar''s five-man team is no more as the other four already have teams on their own that they need to lead.


    Anyway, their battalion was actually expecting huge trouble here and was very worried when they first arrived. They heard that the Sea Creatures'' invasion would normallyst for two to three months but considering how they could easily win against them, they believe that even if they extend their invasion, these sea creatures wouldn''t be able to win against their Mage Battalion.


    Well, it''s probably better to say that they are Knights and Magicians Battalion but since all of them were decent Mana Practitioners as well, they were just called a Mage Battalion.


    As everyone was celebrating in their temporary headquarters, someone from themunications team approached Yulia and Severin and reported the news they have gotten.


    They learned that Vincent is now in seclusion and wouldn''t be contacted for a while. They also learned about the siege that was easily taken care of by their Kayser Tower and they even captured the Celestials working for the enemies. Then, Vincent somehow brainwashed them and turned to their side¡­


    This is such a piece of incredible news but Yulia and Severin only smiled at this as they can no longer be too surprised by what Vincent can do nowadays.


    He''spletely different from when he was still in the Tudor Kingdom¡­


    In addition to this, there is another piece of information that was passed over to her and it''s about L calling for her. Apparently, she asked Yulia and Severin to meet the captured sea creature in the interrogation room.


    The two immediately agreed with this as they were also curious about this creature.


    Why was this one creature kept alive and can even be interrogated?


    During the battle before, they already realized that although these creatures were quite intelligent, they are not capable of speaking the humannguage.


    If that''s the case, how was she nning to interrogate this sea creature?


    With these questions in their mind, Yulia and Severin headed toward the interrogation room.


    ''This sea creature was captured even before our forces arrived. I heard that Vincent''s senior sister used a very special Formation Art to separate this being from its guards¡­ I wonder what she was nning to show us this time¡­'' Severin mused as he looked at the building.


    As a researcher, he was obviously very curious about this species and he wanted to study them if possible. However, given the situation, he has to give up on it as he can''t have leisure time here.


    They met a couple of guards outside and led them inside a room where L was waiting for them.<sub> </sub>


    "Yulia, Severin¡­ You guys are probably busy but I think that you need to know what''s our situation before another wave of sea creatures arrives¡­" L said bluntly after seeing them enter.


    "Hmm¡­ So it seems that this invasion isn''t just a normal event, huh¡­"


    They have already met before so they felt quitefortable with each other''s presence. L is also together with two robust female guards who seemed to be Grand Knights based on their energy fluctuations and looked very serious.


    Behind these three was a transparent ss window where they could see the humanoid sea creature on the other side, chained and trapped by a Mana Formation.


    It is quite bigger than the other sea creatures almost simr to a Barbarian''s physique.


    However, although they were human-like, it only refers to their single head, two arms, a torso, and two legs¡­ They were stillpletely sea creatures with their fish scales, fins, eyes, gills, and other non-human-like on their bodies. They don''t even have noses¡­


    "This one is already trapped in your Formation Art but you''re still using that Suppressive Molten Chain to bind him¡­" Severin muttered after assessing the condition of the sea creature.


    "Well, if I didn''t do this, that creature will be able to slowly corrode the Formation Art I built¡­ and if I only bind it with that chain, it can then release a toxic gas that would kill all of us. This one ispletely different from the sea creatures or cannon fodders a while ago."


    L exined as the two realized that this sea creature is indeed very dangerous and also special. The ones they massacred a while ago only rely on their physical strength and simple techniques like Water Bullets to fight them. This technique can be easily defended using their normal Mana Body Protection and didn''t pose too much threat to them unless they were attacked by the same Water Bullet hundreds of times.


    "This creature sound very dangerous. It''s a good thing you managed to catch it before it created a huge problem." Yulia muttered as she looked at the sea creature behind them.


    "That''s right¡­ This information came from the other inds that have been attacked before... Anyway, I called you here to let you know what we''ve discovered after interrogating this creature." L said as her face showed signs of worry.


    Apparently, this sea creature may not be able to speak theirnguage but high-level telepathy allows them to hear his thoughts andmunicate with each other.


    After they tortured this creature, they were able to learn that this sudden invasion was actually nned by a human organization that everyone was aware of!


    Furthermore, they weren''t just nning to destroy this city but to upy thend! The ones that were sent today and the previous invasion attempts were only to grasp the current strength of the Magicians to this date.


    Considering that there were countless of them under the sea, even the death of a hundred thousand of them wasn''t a big deal at all.


    "This is nned by a human organization? Which one?" Yulia asked with a frown.


    "It is the Star Garden Peak¡­"


    L answered with a sigh.

 Chapter 359 Meteor

    The Star Garden Peak is a mysterious organization within the Parason Continent.


    They didn''t have a huge territory and it is even a teau surrounded by vast Mountain Ranges¡­ It is extremely difficult to visit their ce and based on the information they have in their Knowledge Base Crystal, there were only about two hundred thousand people in this organization.


    It is an extremely small poption ifpared to the ck Tower Organization in which each Tower''s city has over a million residents.


    Nevertheless, their small organization is still on par with otherrge organizations like the ck Tower and the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Apparently, the Star Garden Peak is known for practicing unique Mana Arts that are not part of the Elemental Arts and othermon Mana Arts that normal Practitioners learn.


    Instead of using Mana to create Fireballs or Wind des, they were using it simr to a Puppet String¡­ This is what Faviona learned when she previously had a chance of entering the Star Garden Peak and was shared with them by Vincent.  They were using techniques to control puppets to fight for them!


    Their strength is based on how powerful their puppets are and how many can they control.


    This is such a unique style and none of them had seen such techniques whether in the Tudor Kingdom or in the ck Tower.


    Severin and Yulia were shocked after hearing the name of this organization and they immediately recalled all this information that came from Vincent.


    "How are you so sure? Perhaps they only pretended to be part of the Star Garden Peak when they convinced the Sea Creatures¡­" Yulia asked after thinking for a moment.


    "We''ve thought of that as well. The real culprit might''ve worn the emblems of the Star Garden Peak to pass the me on them in case they were caught. However, they''re the only ones who can predict the movement of the stars or other things outside our world. There are no other organizations capable of doing that¡­"


    L continued to exin that the Star Garden Peak seems to have used the fact that a meteor might hit a part of the ocean where many sea creatures are living and used it to induce them to invade thend.


    She also knows a few things about the Star Garden Peak. These people were crazy about the moons and stars and known for wasting their talents with useless things¡­


    She didn''t expect that this same organization would actually think of plotting against them!


    After a while, L decided to have Yulia and Severin connect with the sea creature as well so they can properly pass the information to Vincent at ater date.


    She knows that it''s better if they hear it directly from the Sea Creature after all.


    "Here¡­ I set up the Formation. Just pour your mana in this crystal to connect with thework¡­" L said as she gestured at the small crystal on her table.


    The two then followed her instruction and didn''t take long before the link with Mind Network was made.


    "I''m hungry¡­"


    Yulia heard the voice of the sea creature, it is deep and seemed very tired¡­


    She looked at the creature''s body and although it seems weak, it wasn''t on the verge of death at all. L mentioned that this creature was tortured but it appears that the sea creature received treatment after or perhaps, the torture only caused some internal injuries.


    "May I know what kind of food you want to eat?" Yulia asked testing if the Mind Network can properly send her voice to the creature.


    As soon as she spoke, the Sea Creature looked at the ss window with fierce eyes¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Did you not hear me?" She asked again.


    "I can hear you, human¡­ I can eat anything with flesh. I like young humans as well. Just give me something. I already answered all your questions."


    "We will ask you some questions again. If it differs from your previous answers, we will know it immediately and you''ll suffer¡­ If it matches, we will give you something to eat."


    Yulia said as she looked at L for a moment. Thetter then gave her a thumbs up confirming that it was alright to promise him this.


    The sea creature did not reply but Yulia can tell that they already reached an agreement.


    "Alright¡­ Tell us who incited your race to leave the ocean and invade thend¡­"


    "It''s a group of humans with an immense amount of Mana covering them. They can breathe and speak under the water and they don''t get wet at all. The mark on their clothes is simr to a tree with stars on them."


    "They can speak underwater?"


    "Our King can speak the humannguage underwater as well. I''ve already told you about this¡­"


    "I see... Then tell me about the conversation they made with your king."


    Yulia asked.


    The sea creature didn''tin about being asked the same question again and answered promptly.


    Simr to what L said, they were indeed warned by a group of humans about the tragedy that will happen and it is a sign that they must invade thend.


    During that time, he can remember how thousands of Sea Creatures decided to move to the shallow part of the water to wait for the meteor that was prophesied by the humans¡­


    It indeed arrived at the exact time and many sea creatures who didn''t believe it died a meaningless death.


    It was such a tragic event and the humans warned them that it will happen again if they don''t send soldiers to invade thend


    Yulia then asked a few more questions confirming that there are indeed millions of humanoid sea creatures that can be used to attack thend and thousands of elite like him that can be used by the Sea King at his disposal.


    "It seems that it''s really the Star Garden Peak as you said¡­ However, just what are these people thinking?" Yulia muttered as she frowned for a moment.


    Do they really have to fight the sea creatures from now on? Is there a possible way to stop this instead?


    These are some of the questions she wanted to be answered but anyway, it is a good thing that they have learned of this earlier.


    They have at least learned the mastermind behind this attack and perhaps, they could start investigating the Star Garden Peak starting now.

 Chapter 360 Counter

    Ssh~


    A huge wave of water overflowed out of theke after the giant blue River Dragon dived so suddenly¡­ Thanks to its huge size, everyone was terrified by the sudden appearance of this Mythical Beast.


    Luckily, they were immediately informed by Calidia through the Kayser Tower''swork to stop them from panicking.


    Krusk''s dragon form can not sustain flight for a long period so as soon as he saw theke, he immediately dived in.


    Just like what Vincent had seen in the Silent Creek Dungeon, this River Dragon has four short limbs and a long body¡­ It doesn''t have any wings but it has delicate dragon scales that seem like treasures.


    The Celestials watched Krusk resting on theke and realized that there was an unusual movement on theke¡­


    "What''s happening?" Number 815 asked after noticing that theke started having a faint green glow¡­


    "That young dragon is probably doing something on theke¡­ It''s a River Dragon, we shouldn''t be too worried¡­"


    "Right¡­ In any case, we''re really in huge trouble right now. I think that the Overseer has eyes on Number 999. We might get affected by this¡­ We can still try and escape from this city if we wanted. We haven''t formed a formal contract with Vincent anyway¡­"


    Number 778 said as she looked at her twopanions, 815 and 833.


    Although they were really tempted by Vincent''s offer, they were a bit scared of facing the Overseer.


    Of course, they didn''t like this arrogant being as well but they know their position very clearly. They are aware that they can''t defeat this powerful being even if there are ten of them working together¡­


    Furthermore, if they angered the Overseer, they might be taken and sent to the front line and fight the other powerful races that wanted to take control of their body or kill them.


    Although this battle is something they would willingly do so, they would only participate in it if they were in better condition. However, with the loss of many Celestial Beings and their ability to properly replenish their Energy, they weren''t really in a good condition to continue the war. What they should be thinking of doing is to try and coexist in this world and perhaps find better ways of recovering their energy just like what Vincent had done¡­


    "To be honest, I was also thinking of just leaving as well. However, I think that Vincent is quite special and we can''t just give up this opportunity." Number 815 suddenly said as the other two looked at her curiously.


    "Special?"


    "Yes¡­ Luna mentioned how Vincent was blessed by a deity of thisnd and how he had some sort of mutation that she couldn''t exin¡­ so I think that following him is a better choice."


    "Ugh¡­ That''s true. I don''t think we''ll find another practitioner like him¡­ He''s emitting a weirdly mutated Celestial Energy and I''m sure that there is no other human like him. I wonder how he did it¡­"


    "Who knows¡­ Maybe he''s not even from this world in the first ce."


    The three of them chatted for a while as they also wanted to know each other''s opinions about their current situation.<sub> </sub>


    In the end, they concluded that staying on Vincent''s side is a lot more beneficial than hibernating again.


    Although they were quite scared of fighting against the Overseer, it is much better if they stayed together and see what Vincent is nning to do.


    ***


    Three weeks quickly passed after the people from the 15th Tower attacked Vera City. Vincent was still inside his residence and the Mage Battalion led by Yulia was still in the Nidite City.


    Unfortunately, the invasion of the Sea Creatures did not stop at all. They would send several humanoid sea creatures every other day as if they just wanted to lessen their poption.


    They weren''t going all out fighting against the magicians and these creatures seem to be waiting for something to happen.


    This can''t continue like this or they will be in a disadvantageous position.


    This may be quite easy for the Mage Battalion in the beginning but their condition is getting worse with every invasion. Their supplies were being consumed constantly, especially their recovery potions that is running out a lot faster than they have expected. They may be able to resupply their potions but the quality will bepletely different since Vincent was unable to produce them in these past few weeks.


    They have miscalcted the tenacity of the Sea Creatures. Although they were quite weak and only needed to use two or three Mana Arts to kill one of them, their number is just too much for them to handle.


    Currently, Yulia was looking at the Tower that is being built at the center of the city. It was previously the spot of the granary but has been reconstructed to build a Mage Tower.


    "Manager Luc, do you think that you can finish the First Phase of the Tower within this week?" Yulia asked Luc who hade from Vera City to assist with the construction of the tower.


    The creation of the Tower has three phases and finishing its first phase would allow them to at least use the unique Centralized Formation Art that only Mage Towers can create.


    With itspletion, the pressure from the swarm of Sea Creatures would be a lot lesser. Furthermore, the thousands of Beast Cores they have collected would finally be put to use as fuel for the Tower.


    That''s right, over the past three weeks, they were already unable to track the number of beast cores they have collected.


    Nevertheless, they weren''t able to use them since their quality is a bit lowpared to the ones they could find on thend.


    "Rest assured, Grand Magus Yulia¡­ Our team will be able to finish the first phase in the next five days. Sir Vincent prepared all the materials we needed before he went into his isted training." Luc answered with a confident smile as he looked at the Blue Mage Tower being built by his team.


    "That''s good to hear¡­" Yulia replied but she was still worried about their situation.


    After all, they can''t just defend this city forever, they have to stop the source of the problem and that is to convince the Sea King to stop the invasion, either through force or some sort of negotiation.


    ''I guess we really have to send someone to investigate this Star Garden Peak and see what they''re really nning to do.'' Yulia thought as she recalled L''s n to end this invasion.

 Chapter 361 Another

    L was already being pressured by these Sea Creatures and she knows that her city wouldn''tst for long if the enemies decided to just send out their forces to invade them all at once.


    In the end, she thought ofmunicating with the Sea King and reaching an agreement with it just like what the members of the Star Garden Peak have done.


    Perhaps they can tell me to invade a different plot ofnd instead of starting on their city. She can even offer her help to conquer some othernd if necessary just to make them stop.


    However, she had to visit the Underwater City of this race in order to do that. The problem is that they have no way of breathing underwater just like what the members of the Star Garden Peak did.


    They don''t even have a Magic Artifact that could help them move in the water.


    Of course, they have the Water Treading Steps but this technique only allows them to move on the surface of the water¡­ They also have a few magicians who had mastered the Water Element but they were still unable to dive deep under the water and stay there for a long period of time.


    Luckily, she was recently contacted by the eldest disciple of the Tower Lord and was informed about the vessel they have created that can be used to fly in the sky and dive underwater.


    Using this ship, they would be able to find a way to contact the Sea King as long as they can protect it from the sea creatures.


    "Yulia, have you contacted Vincent''s Celestials? I only need the help of those with Celestial Armor since they''re the only ones who can protect the ship." L said to the veiled Yulia after finding her near the construction site.


    "Yes¡­ They will be sending Celestial Tara and Number 778 for this task." Yulia replied as she looked at L was dressed like a soldier instead of a magician. She doesn''t seem to be fond of the Magician Robes.


    "Hmm? 778? A new Numbered Celestial?" L asked in surprise.


    "That''s right¡­ It seems that Vincent managed to find a few other Celestials before he isted himself in his residence."


    "That sounds great!"


    L was contented with this since she can only mobilize two unnumbered Celestials with Celestial Armor.


    It''s really a good thing to have reliable fellow disciples that she could always depend on.


    "Regarding the other thing we''ve talked about¡­ Do you have someone in mind we can send to join the team?" L asked referring to the team that will be sent to the Peak.


    They were troubled about the fact that they don''t know anything about the Star Garden Peak''s real n.


    In the end, L thought of sending a few people to confront the Star Garden Peak directly. They would send a group of reliable Magicians who will be bringing the recorded testimony of the Sea Race as a piece of evidence.


    They must be strong magicians who are capable of protecting themselves since that ce is unknown to them. They preferred those with incredible movement skills that can help them escape in case those people decided to stop them from leaving. This is not an easy decision since they might be sending their people to death but they have to confront the Star Garden Peak sooner orter.<sub> </sub>


    Furthermore, L has recently purchased a specialized flying vessel and she thought of using this aircraft to send people to that mysterious organization.


    It was such a perfect time.


    This flying vessel is like a small flying fortress that cost over ten million Mana Crystals and L believed that it would be difficult for the Star Garden Peak to stop it if they don''t have anti-aircraft artilleries.


    It can carry a total of 18 people and she only has ten people that she could rmend so she asked Vincent or Yulia''s help regarding this. In exchange, she offered them limited ess to two of her Dungeons that are providing her endless resources like¡­


    "I already have a few people in mind¡­ However, I still have to speak with them. If possible, I even want to wait for Vincent''s opinion. If I''m not mistaken, he''s really interested in this organization and he might even join the team himself."


    "What? Isn''t that dangerous? We can''t send him there as well. We don''t even know if that cult sees humans as its enemies." L said as she shook her head to reject this idea.


    Vincent is just too important for Vera City. If the Star Garden Peak turned out to be their true enemy, it would be very dangerous for them once Vincent got captured.


    That could be the territory of the enemy after all. Even if he brings all the contracted Celestials with him, the Peak would obviously have them as well.


    "Don''t worry too much about Vincent. He has many tricks with him. Furthermore, I believe that once he finishes this istion, his eyesight would''ve returned already. I''m sure we will be seeing apletely different Vincent at that time."


    Yulia said with a hint of excitement.


    L thought for a moment and realized that Yulia''s words makes sense indeed. She already heard the backstory of Vincent''s blindness so she knows that it was rted to the goddess or deity of his city.


    Getting his eyes back may really get him stronger.


    "Ugh¡­ Alright¡­ Let''s just wait for Vincent¡­ When is he going to end his seclusion anyway? I heard that your supplies are also running out."


    "Maybe in just a few more days. In any case, we should still have enough supplies until hees out..."


    ng~ ng~ ng~


    As Yulia finished speaking, they heard the bells being sounded by the soldiers from the watchtower. This means that their city is under attack by the Sea Race again!


    Yulia and L looked at each other with helpless smiles on their faces before they separated to get into their station.


    "I hope that today''s battle can end as quickly as possible¡­" Yulia muttered as she saw Severin hurrying over.

 Chapter 362 Defense

    Yulia stood on top of the outer wall of the city and saw the swarm of Sea Creatures below her.


    Currently, there are five types of sea creatures that have been trying to invade them. The first type is the weakest fishmen or humanoid fish and was very weak against Fire Elemental Attacks but incredibly resistant against water and ice elemental attacks for obvious reasons. These fishmen would normally use their sharp teeth and water bullets for their main attack. They would sometimes use spears and shells as a shield but there weren''t many of them probably because of the scarcity of resources as well.


    The second type is the humanoid seals which are incredibly tough and bulky. Piercing them with sharp weapons would be very difficult unless they are using an item at a Unique-Rank or above¡­ These creatures also have slow movements but their punches, headbutts, and kicks would easily create a crack in the city walls that has been repaired numerous times.


    Sending at least an ArchKnight to stop their advance is necessary.


    The third type is the one that Yulia captured and brought to the interrogation room and is very dangerous because of its toxic fumes¡­ Luckily, even the other sea creatures would die from these toxic fumes so they wouldn''t normally use it unless they are in a dire situation.


    The fourth type was the humanoid sharks¡­ Their numbers weren''t that hugepared to the first type but they were twice the size of an adult human so they can be easily seen. Their sharp fins and fangs were their main weapons aside from their powerful physical strength¡­ It is a good thing that these creatures weren''t adept at using water techniques and only uses their physical attributes in battles.


    Apparently, Yulia was able to sense that these sharkmen have a huge amount of mana but they weren''t capable of controlling it¡­ which is obviously a good thing for their Mage Battalion.


    The fifth type, on the other hand, was no longer a humanoid one but they are still an intelligent Sea Race, they were therge purple octopus that would normally be used as mounts of these sharkmen.


    If Yulia can have a choice, she''d rather face the toxic fishmen than theserge octopuses that can move onnd.


    "Tsk¡­ There are more sharkmen than before¡­ I heard that many ArchKnights were injured in the previous fight, are they all healed now?"


    Yulia asked after noticing the rming number of enemies this time. Their Mage Battalion can only work properly if the frontlineposed of Archknights and Magic Knights can withstand the assault of the enemies.


    As long as this line of defense is not broken, the Mage Battalion can bombard these Sea Creatures with their Elemental Arts and sweep through them.


    "There''s no need to worry about their troops, Yulia¡­ I heard that they''ve been stockpiling the potions from our city¡­ They should have more supplies of recovery potions than us¡­"


    "Haha¡­ Is that so? Then there''s no holding back¡­ Let''s quickly end today''s invasion using our new formation." Yulia said as she looked at the 20 squad leaders of their Mage Battalion.


    Their faces showed a hint of excitement as they were about to use a high-level Fusion Art. Furthermore, this is not a simple fusion art like what the other talented magicians can do.


    Fusing Earth and Fire Elements to summon a zing Meteor is called Fusion Art. It is the same with Wind and Water to create a Storm Burst. They were both Fusion Art and they are normally done by genius Mana Practitioners to create a stronger elemental art against opponents of simr level.


    However, what they were about to do is a Fusion Art through the help of twenty or so Magicians led by Yulia!


    This is only possible thanks to her mastery over the Darkness Mystic Eye!


    The entire Tudor Kingdom has been very wary of this special Mystic Eyes before because of how it could grow stronger the more you cultivate it.<sub> </sub>


    Yulia may just be categorized as an Elite Magician if she has only mastered two tiers of this technique. However, now that she mastered its fourth tier, she can easily go toe to toe against the older Grand Magus or those Penta-Casters and above.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The sounds of battle at the front lines have finally started. They were no longer using the Barrier Formation since it will only be destroyed in just a matter of time¡­ Instead, they would just save the energy used to create this barrier and use it to guide the sea creatures on their path to the fully-armored Archknights and Magic Knights waiting for them.


    Boom! Boom!


    Several bodies of sea creatures would fly all over the ce as their limbs and weapons were easily destroyed by a Magic Knight''s wave.


    The sea creatures would scream in pain or shout in anger but the Knights would just ignore them. After so many battles, they learned how to properly save their energy¡­ There were no wasted actions as they move steadily to cut them off.


    However, this will only continue when dealing with the first and second types of Sea Creatures.


    Once the Toxic Race and Shark Racee, they would have to depend on the Magicians while they hide behind their shields and armor.


    ck¡­ ck¡­ ck¡­


    Soon, the sounds of moving octopuses can be heard as the second batch of invaders started moving forward.


    It was at this point that Yulia gave her orders.


    "Let''s begin!"


    Soon, ten Archmages with mastery over Fire Element and eleven Archmages with mastery over Earth Element worked together to cast elemental spells.


    They formed a circle like they were in a ritual while Yulia stood at the center of it.


    The Archmages did not release their Mana Arts and only formed it within their casting tools¡­ Yulia stood there silently while her eyes were closed as she was preparing to activate her Mystic Eyes'' fourth-tier ability¡­


    After a few more seconds as the sharkmen are getting nearer to the Magic knights, she finally opened her eyes and gave another order¡­


    "Now!"


    As soon as she said this, her eyes turnedpletely ck as the Mana Arts of the Archmages surrounding her were absorbed by her Mystic Eyes! It created strong Mana Fluctuations that scared even the Knights on their side!

 Chapter 363 Fourth Tier

    This is the first time that Yulia used this technique so those who were unaware of their n were caught off guard. They thought that a strong opponent managed to pass through their defenses and caused chaos within the ranks of the Mage Battalion.


    However, they soon realized that they were worrying for nothing¡­


    Suddenly, the cries of the sea creatures resounded throughout the whole battlefield as Yulia had actually summoned a river ofva in the midst of the sea creatures!


    It was like a volcano suddenly erupted and started burning all the sea creatures!


    The sudden rise in the temperature also created huge steam making poor visibility for the knights.


    They were unsure what had suddenly happened but they know that the pressure on the frontline has suddenly weakened.


    "Kill the sea creatures in front! Do not let them climb the walls!"


    One of the Grand Knights stationed at the wall cast his Resplendent Vigor and Imperious Will as it affected all the knights in his surroundings.


    <o>,m The other Grand Knights did the same to empower everyone around them.</o>


    "Kill!"


    The magic knights felt their sudden rise in power so they didn''t waste their time and immediately circted their energy. They moved in unison as they shed the Sea Creatures and use a bit of their knowledge about Fire Elements to burn the corpses in front of them.


    They have learned that the blood of these creatures can cause headaches and dizziness so they have to immediately burn them using a special technique that wouldn''t create fire but burn their target. It is a technique that only Magic Knights can use since it uses their life energy instead of mana.


    Soon, the smell of burnt fish wafted throughout the whole battlefield.


    The smell was so strong as Yulia''s river ofva started gettingrger andrger¡­


    On the other side of the wall, L had seen everything. She saw how Yulia had be a catalyst wielding the power of twenty-one Archmages to cast a powerful Elemental Art that is obviouslyparable to Tier 5 Mana Art."


    "Just what was going on¡­ I thought her strongest ability was her Darkness Mystic Eyes'' Delude¡­ This is definitely the Delude¡­"


    L muttered as she couldn''t understand what she just saw.


    Yulia''s Darkness Eye was something she had read in the books. It has seven tiers and each tier gets stronger exponentially.


    The first tier was Control, followed by Nightmare, then Delude¡­


    These three tiers have the same ssification in which they can be used to subdue their human target. The one she''s seeing right now is obviously not one of these three.


    "Is this the fourth tier?" L can only guess as she looked at Yulia''spletely ck eyes like she was possessed by an evil spirit.


    She doesn''t have information about the fourth tier to the seventh tier and only the possessor of this technique can know them.


    Even her subordinates can''t answer this as they were very little knowledge about the gifts or more specifically, the Tier 4 Mana Arts.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s a good thing that Yulia has this technique being reserved all this time¡­ However, is this not dangerous? Theva is gettingrger andrger and it might affect the Knights. Should we tell them to move away?"


    "We can also activate the barrier in time so there''s nothing to worry about. Our barrier is more durable fighting against fire so it won''t easily copse."


    Two of L''s advisors spoke after a bit of contemtion. Regarding their barrier, they certainly have better ways of defending against fire attacks since they could easily gather enough cooling force by using seawater.


    After being reminded of this, L heaved a sigh of relief since she was also quite worried about that. She then looked at the two and gave hermand.


    "This is good¡­ We have to get rid of these creatures as many as we can¡­ Send Reymar''s team to take advantage of the situation¡­ Thatva they created can''t be wasted!"


    L then gave a series of orders as this is a great opportunity to remove a huge chunk of sea creatures.


    Once they did this, meeting the Sea King might be a lot easier. After all, they needed to pose a huge threat so they can be entertained by the most powerful Sea Creature living in the ocean.


    After a while, L looked at the battlefield that is starting to go in their favor. Normally, this battle should''vested for over five or six hours.


    However, thanks to Yulia''s surprise, their fight this time might end in just an hour or so.


    L took a deep breath as it seems that she would have to make the next move.


    ''I know that the Sea King doesn''t really care about the few thousand of his species dying from the previous meteorite predicted by the Star Garden Peak. That thing also doesn''t care about the creatures we''re killing right now. I''m sure that it has something in mind why he''s sending his soldiers to death¡­ I need to meet that thing to end this meaningless war¡­'' L thought as she really has no one else that could be a messenger to the Sea King.


    Instead of ordering someone to do it, she decided to just do it herself.


    In any case, she can still be apanied by the Celestial Being with Celestial Armor since they can be used in water as well.


    Other than that, she would have to rely on her Magic Tools and Formation Cores to move underwater.


    ***


    In the central part of the ck Tower''s territory, within the Alchemist Union''s Headquarters.


    A young girl carrying a hammer in her hand is watching the mobilization of soldiers from the window of her room. She looks very worried seeing this situation as she knows what this mobilization indicates.


    "Are theying to this ce as well?" The young girl muttered with a heavy sigh.


    A new organization has emerged and several Tower Masters have already joined this Organization.


    It is called the ck Magic Organization and currently, a total of 16 Towers were confirmed to have joined this new organization¡­


    Furthermore, this isn''t just a normal coup d''etat or revolution by the magicians who hated the Tower Lord. It seems that this organization is worshipping a deity who can bestow powers on all living beings!

 Chapter 364 Deities

    A looked at the soldiers leaving the headquarters of the Alchemist Union.


    She and her master had taken shelter in this ce since they weren''t really sure who are the enemies at this time. Turhan can only guarantee that the Alchemist Union which is currently led by an old man who grew up in an orphanage will not be any part of the internal strife that is going on.


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    A then heard footsteps going to her room and realized that her Master has finally returned. She immediately stood up and opened the door for her master.


    ck¡­


    As she opened the door, she noticed that her Master Turhan is carrying several scrolls ced in a small wooden crate¡­


    "Master, I didn''t know you were interested in ancient scrolls..." A said in surprise as she knows that her Master wouldn''t normally browse scrolls like these which are still filled with dust and obviously weren''t made of valuable material.


    The parchment''s quality is obviously quite low and she even felt worried that unrolling these scrolls would break them apart after being unused for so many years.


    "A, your Master needs a bit of help¡­ As you can see, they were already quite brittle so I need you to do something about it so I can read all of them."


    "Is this an important scroll, Master? Can you tell me what''s inside this?" A curiously asked as she picked up one of the scrolls and appraised it with her appraisal tool.


    "It contains information about the deities and other powerful beings aside from the Celestial Being and Celestial Beast¡­ They''re very important¡­"


    "Is it rted to what''s happening right now?"


    "That''s correct. We don''t know who should we trust at the moment. Who knows, this new organization might even be the righteous one and we should join them and worship the Magic God¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ That''s not a good joke, Master Turhan¡­ I don''t think I can do that to a suspicious being that has only appeared now."


    "That''s why we need to know more about them¡­ In any case, you also know what happened to Vincent when he went to the 15th Tower."


    "Of course! He risked his life to investigate that suspicious tower and informed us about the existence of the Magic God¡­"


    A finally sighed after realizing the situation. If the scrolls truly have information about the Magic God, it wouldn''t just help them but they can also give this information to Vincent who has been looking for this information for a long time.


    She became very curious about its content so she immediately agreed to help. In any case, she''s already familiar with this task since she had been increasing the durability of numerous items in the past few months.


    She also had to thank Vincent for this since she would not think of researching this path without his guidance.


    Clink~


    It didn''t take long before she managed to increase the durability of the ancient scrolls that Turhan has found.<sub> </sub>


    This time, she no longer needed to use Fine Burr or some expensive ingredient to increase its durability. She has already created a Formation Core capable of helping any small objects permanently increase their durability!


    "That was faster than I expected." Turhan said with a smile after seeing how his disciple easily aplished a task that even he can''t do.


    "I''ve been doing this for a while now, Master. That''s to be expected." A replied proudly as she handed over the scrolls to Turhan.


    There are a lot of wondrous things that their Mana can do. It''s not only meant for hurting people or self-cultivation. It can also be used to create things that needed to be fully explored.


    Currently, A isn''t just focused on Enhancing Items but she''s also trying to find other things that their Mana could possibly do.


    Turhan looked at A with a satisfied smile on his face as he checked the scrolls one by one to find some information.


    A then confirmed that the scrolls don''t contain too sensitive information so she decided to join him and read the scrolls after getting Turhan''s permission.


    Soon, the Master and Disciple finished reading the dozen of scrolls within the wooden crate.


    "Master¡­ I thought you were finding information about the Magic God being worshipped by the ck Magic Organization. However, all the contents of these scrolls seem to be rted to the Celestial Beings and the Overseer." Amented as she put down thest scroll from the crate.


    The scrolls indeed contain information about the powerful beings of this world but they arergely rted to the single-digit Celestial Beings and only a few passages describe the deities they''ve fought against with. The names of the deities weren''t even revealed and only mentioned their abilities and a bit of their appearance.


    "That''s right, A¡­ Don''t you think it''s weird that it seems to be written from the Celestials'' perspective?" Turhan asked as he continued reading the scrolls even though he already finished reading them.


    "T-that''s true¡­ But it''s not like a Celestial had truly written this, right?" A muttered but she realized that it is indeed weird how it was written from the perspective of a Celestial and how it was so detailed.


    The content of the scrolls is basically about the Celestial Race fighting against the guardians of the newnd they''ve found. It was mentioned how the Numbered Celestials were so strong but still incapable of winning against the creative fighting method of the deities using their Mana.


    If seen from another perspective, this can be some form of encouragement for Magicians about the limits of Mana. As long as they know how to properly control it and be creative with how they use it, even Celestials would have a hard time winning against them.


    ''Ahhh¡­'' A then recalled something and she immediately browsed the scrolls again and found some suspicious details¡­


    "The guardians, or perhaps deities of thisnd, weren''t only fighting against us¡­ They are fighting among themselves for a reason we don''t know¡­ but it''s an opportunity we shouldn''t miss¡­ We must strike while they''re disorganized and weakened."


    A read this part and also read a few more things rted to the internal strife of the deities¡­


    In the end, Turhan and A muttered the same thing¡­


    "The Magic God¡­"


    Both of them looked at each other as they realized that the Magic God is possibly the one that had created internal strife among the deities.

 Chapter 365 Omen

    A and Turhan continued analyzing the scrolls and discovered a few more pieces of information about the Magic God¡­


    Although the name or the title of the deity wasn''t mentioned at all, they were able to tell that it was the Magic God who has been causing trouble to the deities since it uses the same method of eliminating their target. It is through the use of an Avatar and something that only a being at his level was capable of.


    However, there is something unusual about this Magic God. After reading through the scrolls, they realized that he was always depicted as a blind man because he was blindfolded by a ck iron around his head.


    The master and disciple were quite confused by this since there was no way that a deity who seem to be omnipotent is actually blind.


    Unfortunately, they can''t find any more information within the scrolls so they can only try to look for another way of getting information about the magic god.


    Now that the ck Magic Organization is spreading all over the ck Tower''s territory, they have to know who are they dealing with and the possible weakness of this organization.


    "Master, I remember that Vincent mentioned how he was saved by another deity when he was trapped within another realm created by the magic god." A suddenly said while Turhan was packing the ancient scrolls.


    "Yes¡­ What about it?"


    "Then, should we just find another way to contact a different deity to help us? If the scrolls we''ve read are true, it means that it wasn''t only one deity that wanted to eliminate the magic god but all of them."


    "That would certainly make sense¡­ However, it''s not easy to find ormunicate with another deity. I''m sure a lot of people wanted to do that for a long time but none of them seeded."


    "But then¡­ How did Vincent get connected to goddess Vera?"


    Turhan paused for a moment as he found this difficult to answer.


    "I guess we''ll only find out once we asked him¡­"


    "Should we go to his city now? I also wanted to inform him about my recent breakthrough¡­" A said with excitement as it has been quite a while since she met Vincent.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s a good idea¡­ However, we should stay here for a while as I need to help the union settle a few things in exchange for letting us stay here."


    "Ahhh¡­ What kind of help?" A asked curiously since the Alchemist Union also has several Grand Magus at their disposal.


    Turhan wasn''t even the strongest of them all since he was only a Tri-Caster. He''s also not qualified to be called an Archon at this point.


    "I was told that a few messengers of the ck Magic Organization will visit the union soon and they probably want to recruit the alchemists here to work for them..." Turhan said as he already predicted this to happen.


    Within thisnd, aside from the members of the ck Tower, there are only four groups that could pose some threat to the ck Magic Organization.<sub> </sub>


    They are the Alchemist Union, the Hunter Organization, the Nexus Group, and the Builders Guild.


    The Alchemist Union has a deep background and its members are all influential considering the field they were in. Messing with the union is like cutting off your own supplies of rare potions and ingredients. No mana practitioners would want that.


    The Hunter Organization has mixed members and they were difficult to deal with since they are more simr to a brotherhood than a professional business. These people could be magicians, magic knights, or aura knights and they have numerous bases inside our outside the Tower''s city.


    The Nexus Group and the Builders Guild, on the other hand, were known for their impressive projects like Aircraft, Warships, and other vessels being used within the ck Tower.


    Of course, if they were really to bepared with each other, everyone would say that it''s the Builders Guild with the best creations in this field since they are only focused on creating things, unlike Nexus Group which has spread its influence in all kinds of business like auction houses, entertainment houses, taverns, and many more.


    In any case, if the ck Magic Organization wanted to take control of thisnd, they would have to get their hands on these four groups.


    Turhan sighed as he recalled what the head of the union told him.


    Apparently, the magicians who wille to visit the Alchemist Union were people that he knows from the ck Tower. They were his fellow Red Emblem members that had decided to join the ck Magic Organization.


    Turhan exined this to A but he also promised that once the meeting with the ck Magic Organization was over, they would move to Vera City.


    After making this n, the two decided to prepare themselves and Turhan even mentioned this to the Union Head to inform them beforehand.


    However, they didn''t expect that another person within the Union has the same thoughts¡­


    The old Union Head looked at Turhan with surprise after hearing his n. He was having his afternoon tea in his garden when Turhan came to visit him and informed him of his decision to visit Vincent''s Vera City.


    "Faviona, one of the best Alchemists in our union is also nning to visit the Seventh Disciple''s city. What a coincidence¡­ Is there something going on that I''m not aware of?"


    "Ahh¡­ She''s also nning to go there? I''m not aware of that, Union Head. My disciple and I were only thinking of visiting Vincent to ask him a few things about the deity he was involved with¡­"


    "Really? Faviona mentioned the same thing¡­ It seems that this young man was truly blessed by a deity, huh¡­" The old man muttered as he showed a hint of worry on his face.


    "Is there a problem with that Union Head?" Turhan asked curiously.


    The old man in front of him isn''t just an Alchemist after all. He is also one of the Tier 5 Grand Alchemists of the ck Tower. This man wasn''t even worried about the visiting ck Magic Organization in a few days.


    "I''m not sure myself¡­ I only know that being a Blessed One wouldn''t normally end well for someone if they are unprepared. I just hope that this person can withstand the trials he would soon face."

 Chapter 366 Seals Secret ( 1 )

    As the matters regarding the ck Magic Organization spread throughout the whole continent and created panic among many people, Vincent remained in his istion and was unaware of this.


    He is currently in his residence lying on the floor while tearing with blood.


    No, if one looked closely, there was shallowness in his eye sockets as if he doesn''t have any eyeballs at all!


    However, this didn''tst very long.


    Pssh¡­ Pssh¡­ Pssh¡­


    Suddenly there was a sound of moving flesh and Vincent''s eyes started bulging as if his eyes were being restored!


    Aside from the various empty vials of potions, there is a pool of blood around his body and if people would see this scene, they would think that they have just witnessed a murder scene.


    The amount of blood that was lost was also quite rming. It seems to be about 3 liters of blood and this amount can certainly cause death for normal people.


    However, Vincent is still breathing. It was calm and steady as if he was sleeping. He wasn''t in any pain or at least, that''s how it appears from one''s view.


    Vincent has already isted himself for almost four weeks and he seems to havemitted suicide but that is not the truth¡­ This is all part of his n to get rid of the seal on his body.


    That''s right¡­


    This is the method he thought of to regain his vision. He only needed to forcefully remove the sealed eyes and repair them.


    It may sound simple and idiotic since regrowing eyes isn''t something a human can normally do since an eye is not the same as hair or nails that can just grow if you wait for a few days. However, this is a method that Vincent knows will be very effective.


    Anyway, he had only gained the courage of doing this after getting a reward from the system. Well, he didn''t gain a skill that allows him to regrow a part of his body but he gained a healing card that allows him to repair his body¡­


    After he learned that the seal on his body was only on his eyes thanks to the Moonbreaker Potion he consumed before, he already thought of doing this method but he has no way of recovering his eyes.


    However, his system solved this problem for him.


    [ One Breathe Healing Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that provides powerful healing to a target. As long as the target is still breathing, the can restore its body to its perfect condition without any external or internal injuries. ]


    [ Remarks: The target has a chance of being in a dormant state for a while once it was used so using this card without preparation can lead to a huge danger. ]<sub> </sub>


    Vincent only has this one card so he can''t really test it out. Nevertheless, he knows that he can trust his system so he decided to just go for it.


    Whom~


    As Vincent was feeling the restoration going in his body, his mind was suddenly brought to a different realm, and met the blonde goddess, Vera.


    Vincent wasn''t sure why he was brought here but he immediately smiled as soon as he saw the beautifuldy.


    During his istion, he didn''t immediately destroy his eyes¡­ He had tested a few things to get his vision back. He tried doing some meditation and experimented with his Pseudo-Celestial Energy cirction.


    That''s right, he tried to imbue his eyes with excessive energy and tried to see whether it would make some changes in his vision. However, he can only feel that the seal in his eyes would actually block his vision. He tried weakening the seal as much as he can but obviously, it wasn''t all effective and he still ended up destroying and reconstructing his eyes with the help of his system.


    "You''ve really done it¡­ I felt that the seal had just disappeared on your body even though it was not time yet."


    "Ugh¡­ As much as I appreciate your help, goddess Vera, it was almost three years since you sealed my eyes. That''s already too much, do I have to wait for five or ten more years? I won''t be able to enjoy my teenage years at that point¡­"


    Vincent exined as he looked around the realm he just entered.


    It is simr to the ce he was brought into. It seems like he''s on a floating ind and the small tree he had seen before has grown muchrger already.


    "That''s true¡­ However, how did you remove my seal¡­ I''m sure that no one down there is capable of undoing that seal. Did you use another weird potion to break the seal?" Vera asked as she looked at Vincent with a curious gaze.


    She was sure that another Moonbreaker Potion that had reached the Peak Grade wouldn''t be effective anymore. If that was the case, was it a Magic Artifact this time? Or perhaps another deity has decided to assist him?


    Vincent smiled after hearing Vera''s confirmation that the seal has already been broken. Well, he wasn''t able to test his eyes yet when he was brought here so he wasn''t sure of the result until now.


    "Hahaha¡­ I won''t tell you. It''s not like I''m getting a reward. It''s enough that you know that I did it." Vincent said as he wanted to tease the goddess... He didn''t really mind telling a bit of information to the goddess as long as he doesn''t reveal the system to her. After all, she might think that he had gone insane once he tells her about the Awakening Skills.


    "Fine¡­ I''m not that interested anyway. However, you should know that that seal of yours isn''t just meant to give you a certain Eye Sensitivity ability. It''s supposed to help you avoid detection from your real enemies¡­ However, since you forcefully removed it, it would be up to you to deal with it¡­ Good luck!"


    "What? That''s supposed to hide me from my enemies? Who''s my enemy? Ahhh! Goddess Vera! Beautiful goddess, wait!!"


    Vincent tried calling out to her again but he was forcefully sent back to his real body.

 Chapter 367 Seals Secret ( 2 )

    Vincent nervously opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of his room. It was made of wood and unpainted. There''s even a spider web on the corner. It doesn''t look that well but happiness can be seen on his face as soon as he saw this scene.


    He blinked a couple of times to confirm that he is seeing this clearly before he looked at his hands¡­


    "I did it¡­" Vincent muttered with excitement as he clenched his fist.


    He unsteadily sat up and realized that he was still lying in the pool of blood that already started drying up¡­


    His body was quite sticky so he immediately stood up to wash in the bathroom. He has a Magic Tool that allows him to cleanse himself but he decided to go with the normal way of cleaning his body. In any case, he also wanted to see himself in the huge mirror there.


    After a while, Vincent came out of the bathroom and cleaned the pool of blood using a cleansing artifact that utilizes both water and fire elements to wash and dry the floor.


    After feeling refreshed, Vincent took a deep breath as he decided to start with his experiment. Although he wanted to know about the enemies that the goddess mentioned to him just a moment ago, what was important right now is to master his eyes'' ability.


    Apparently, he has been feeling that his eyes could do something more than just see things. It was as if he gained genuine Mystic Eyes after he repaired it!


    Unfortunately for him, he''s unable to appraise his eyes, and even after checking his status panel, he can''t find anything rted to the new ability of his eyes.


    That''s right, it wasn''t detected as a skill by the system so he needs to identify it himself.


    He found a ce to sit down and calmly circted his Pseudo-Celestial Energy into his eyes to see if there would be any changes in his vision¡­


    He did this very slowly since he wanted to feel any subtle changes that might happen.


    As soon as his circted energy reached his eyes, he realized that he was able to see something around his room that wasn''t there previously.


    He observed it for a while and it didn''t take that long before he reached a conclusion¡­


    "So this is what Mana looks like¡­"


    Vincent muttered with a grin on his face.


    It is a well-known fact that mana cannot be seen but it can be felt.


    There may be some ways to see mana like materializing it using Tier 2 Mana Arts method but what you''ll see is already processed mana and not the raw mana that he''s seeing right now.


    He pulled out various items within his storage space and confirmed that the amount of blue glow or mana would increase the higher quality¡­


    It wasn''t unexpected but as soon as he checked the Ancient Rank items in his possession, he realized that there is no mana around them at all.


    ''I guess items involving the deities don''t emanate mana, huh¡­'' Vincent mused since it was the same with Vera.


    He would expect that this mighty being would have incredibly powerful mana fluctuations that would make him suffocate.<sub> </sub>


    However, Vera was only exuding a sacred aura that ispletely different from mana. It doesn''t make him fear her but it does make him feel respect and a sort of adoration although it wasn''t too obvious.


    After this, he tried to familiarize himself with this new ability and found various ways of using it. He tried using this ability with only one eye and confirmed that it was actually possible.


    The left eye could the real world while the right eye can see the mana world and vice versa. Furthermore, it would only take him about 3 to 5 seconds to activate it after practicing for a bit.


    He then proceeded to cast normal Tier 2 Mana Arts like Mana Bullets and Mana Distortion that he learned in the library of the First Tower and realized that the activation sequence of the Mana Art was smoother and faster.


    He did this with other abilities as well and confirmed that he really has better casting speed now!


    "What''s going on? Did my talent receive an upgrade as well?" Vincent muttered since he knows that a Mana Practitioner like him with a poor or low-grade talent wouldn''t have this smooth casting ability.


    Anyway, since he doesn''t have a way to measure his talent grade at the moment, he can only think that it is rted to how he could see the Mana Flow clearly.


    Vincent then spent his time grinding his system skills with various items in his inventory including the collection of items within the warehouse of his residence.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to end his istion since he knows that he can trust his people to deal with any problems outside.


    "Eh?"


    As he was starting to use his enhancement skills, he realized that his energy capacity had increased again.


    "This is incredible¡­ Is this part of Vera''s gift?"


    Vincent thought for a moment but suddenly, a crazy idea came to him.


    What if what the goddess said about the seal helping him avoid the enemy''s detection was real?


    What if he was really talented when he was born?


    What if his talent was sealed by his parents but as he grows older, the seal had gotten weaker and the goddess decided to strengthen the seal?


    "Ugh¡­"


    As he reached this thought, he realized that it would actually make sense and it would also fit his story here as a protagonist that transmigrated from another world.


    Cough¡­ Cough¡­


    Vincent felt a bit embarrassed with himself after thinking that he was something sort of a protagonist.


    "I can''t think like that¡­ I''m not the protagonist here. I''m not in a book or a movie set¡­ I can really die here unlike those real protagonists in books¡­ I should still be wary and get myself stronger." Vincent thought as he erased these random thoughts and checked his status panel again.

 Chapter 368 Double

    "Let''s see¡­"


    Vincent muttered as he carefully checked his status panel this time¡­


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 18 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 5360/6180 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv10, Item Ascension Lv9, Item Transcendence Lv5 ]


    [ System Feature: Advanced Item Appraisal, Auto Enhancement Mode, Auto Ascension Mode, Enhancement Eraser, Ascension Eraser, Learn Skill, 60-Slot Enhanced Inventory, Item Sense. ]


    [ Skills List ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Advanced ), Mana Drain ( Advanced ). Corrosive Mana ( Intermediate )


    Tier 2 Mana Arts List: Mana Bullet ( Advanced ), Mana Distortion ( Advanced ), Guidance ( Intermediate ), Silent Tracer ( Advanced ) ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Aura Resonance, Soul Forge, Soul Gaze, Aura Pulse ]


    "Ugh¡­ Isn''t this increase a bit too big?"


    Vincent said in disbelief as he confirmed that his energy capacity had actually doubled after removing the seal on his body.


    "No wonder I feel so much better¡­"


    Because of this sudden increase in his Pseudo-Celestial Energy unit, he can now confidently enhance all the items in his Interspatial Ring including the special ones inside his System Inventory Slot.


    In addition to that, his natural Energy Recovery Speed had increased as well making it very convenient to continue with his grind.


    ? Thanks to this, Vincent spent another two days in his residence before he felt satisfied. His Ascendence Skill is about to reach Level 10 and once it happened, he would receive another decent reward from the Awakening System.


    Furthermore, if he still has a collection of the Magic Beast''s Cores, he can probably level up his Transcendence Skill today as well.


    Afterpleting all his tasks, he then checked the residence''s Formation Core if there is any indication that someone tried contacting him. It is simply an emergency measure to let him know if there is an issue that requires his immediate presence.


    However, Vincent didn''t find anything at all. It means that there shouldn''t be any huge problems that can''t be handled by the people he assigned to manage the city.


    This is a good thing as it means that he can continue with his istion¡­ But after thinking for a bit, he felt that it was already enough since he was already in istion for several weeks.


    He needed to know the current situation outside even though there is no urgent matter on hand.<sub> </sub>


    "Ahhh¡­ Before that¡­"


    Vincent then recalled something as he took out one item in his inventory slot.


    It is a ck book that could float on its own andmunicate with Vincent using some sort of telepathy.


    That''s right, he took out the Tome of Gluttony which is his only Awakened Item as of right now. Its sentience was only Mid-Level so this tome doesn''t have intelligenceparable to a human. However, it is at least capable of basicmunication without any emotions. It''s more like an A.I. than a real human sentience.


    "Glutton¡­ Have you digested all of them already?" Vincent asked referring to the magicians including the warships that it had devoured weeks ago.


    Although the devouring ability of the Tome is very powerful, it needed some time to digest them all. The speed can be faster if Vincent or the Tome itself decided to boost it with mana but it requires a lot of it so they wouldn''t do it unless they are in a hurry.


    Now that Vincent has a huge pool of energy right now, he thought of helping the Tomeplete its consumption to assist with its growth.


    It must be remembered that this Tome has four special attributes and Growth is one of them. As the name implies, the tome''s current specs weren''t permanent and it would only get stronger.


    [ I''ve devoured all the living beings. The objects were the only things left. ]


    "Objects? You mean their Magic Tools including the warships?" Vincent asked.


    Although other people might consider it a waste that all those items will just be devoured by the Tome, Vincent doesn''t have any problems with this since he doesn''tck high-quality items at all. Although he can''t make some Magic Artifacts himself, he can still transcend an existing one and make something even better.


    [ That''s correct. I need 2,580 units of mana toplete my devouring process. ]


    The mechanical or emotionless voice from the tome replied.


    "Alright¡­ That''s only a bit over 500 Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ Let me lend it to you¡­" Vincent said as he held the tome and poured his energy into the Awakened Item.


    Because of the versatility of this unique energy, it can be easily converted by the Tome as its mana recement but it is not possible for other Mana Practitioners.


    It means that Vincent can easily receive Mana from other practitioners but he can''t provide them with Mana since what he has is Pseudo-Celestial Energy. After all, he possesses a Synthetic Celestial Core that can convert iing Mana to Pseudo-Celestial Energy but the others do not have it.


    As for his Tier 2 Mana Arts like Mana Bullet¡­ to be honest, they were only called Mana Bullets but what he was actually manifesting is made of Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    After about fifteen minutes with the Tome, Vincent confirmed that the awakened item was able toplete its digestion and gained a reward.


    [ The number of targets I can devour has increased by 20. ]


    "That sounds great¡­ However, it would be better if your mana capacity has increased instead."


    [ I probably need to consume more¡­ ]


    "Yeah¡­" Vincent just nodded at this as he decided to keep the tome in his system inventory¡­


    He didn''t really want to keep it outside since it''s not a very durable item. Its durability is only simr to some Pseudo-Legendary and perhaps some bottom-level Legendary Items.


    If a Celestial Being targeted it, it might be easily destroyed.


    Afterpleting all this task, Vincent finally decided to remove the formation barrier in his residence, and as soon as he did this, the people who has been waiting for him noticed this change.

 Chapter 369 Completed Seclusion

    "Whoa¡­ They''re real. Master, it''s a good thing that we''vee here." A excitedly said as soon as she had a glimpse of the blue River Dragon living in theke within Vera City.


    Turhan was also looking at this majestic creature and he was speechless for a moment. He observed the river dragon until it dived under the water and could no longer be seen.


    "Y-yeah¡­ It''s incredible. It''s also my first time seeing a real Mythical Beast. I didn''t know that Vincent has this so many secrets."


    "Oh? It''s your first time as well, Master?"


    "Of course, it''s not like they can be seen everywhere. I''ve only seen a Mythical Beast Soul Projection before and they are normally forbidden since this technique requires someone''s spirit to be consumed."


    "That''s true¡­"


    A recalled this method as well and this was actually the same method that was used to attack Magnus, the sixth disciple of Tower Lord Ignacy.


    At that time, Necdet used a Mythical Beast''s drop of blood to create a Soul Projection attack that surprised everyone in the crowd.


    At first, it seems that the requirement is very negligible since it''s only a drop of blood. However, before this blood can be used, plenty of spirits must be used to power it up¡­ Spirit, also known as the breath of life, is some sort of energy that any living beings possess. Needless to say, humans or Mana Practitioners have strong spirits, and they are the best source of energy for the Soul Project attack.


    This is one of the reasons why it''s forbidden to use a Mythical Beast''s blood to create a Soul Projection attack.


    "Master¡­ Should we head back? I want to check the Kayser Tower as well."


    "Hmm? Do you think they will allow us to just visit that ce?"


    "Why not? Vincent even invited us to visit the Tower before¡­ That invitation should still be valid up until now¡­" A said as she looked at the majestic tower at the center of the city.


    It wasn''t asrge as the old ck Towers of the organization but it doesn''t seem tock anything other than its height.


    "Very well, but let''s see if Alchemist Faviona had finished her task¡­"


    The master and disciple had actually arrived here together with Faviona and her disciple Dianne.


    Just now, Faviona and Dianne had actually discussed something with the River Dragon before it dived underwater.


    Turhan and A just put some distance from them since they weren''t reallyfortable being near such a powerful beast.


    They are unlike those two alchemists who don''t fear anything¡­


    Soon, the small group got together again and Turhan realized that the alchemists weren''t happy. It seems that their discussion with River Dragon didn''t end well.


    "Is everything alright?" Turhan asked.


    "Ugh¡­ I''m just shocked. I can''t even get a single drop from him¡­ I even offered my Tier 5 potions for a single drop¡­ I''m not sure if the Mythical Beast just doesn''t know the value of Tier 5 potions or it''s scared to scratch itself to get a drop of blood." Faviona said with a sigh as she really tried offering her best items to the River Dragon.


    "What would he do with a potion anyway? Perhaps it wanted something else? Perhaps a jewel or even some food instead."<sub> </sub>


    "I tried asking it what it wanted but he simply answered he wanted the Overseer to die¡­"


    "Overseer?" Turhan repeated¡­ Instead of being surprised, he finds this very amusing¡­ He has a bit of knowledge about the existence of the Overseer. He knows that it''s rted to the Celestial Beings but he didn''t expect that even Mythical Beasts were actually aware of its presence.


    This also confirmed that the Overseer really exists and is not just some fictional name in ancient stories.


    "It''s a pity¡­ Maybe you can ask Vincent about it¡­" A said as she knows the value of that drop of blood as well. Furthermore, Faviona is an alchemist so she probably has a better method of using this blood instead of wasting it for a Soul Projection attack.


    "Yeah¡­ I just don''t know when will he finish his istion¡­"


    "Let''s not make him hurry¡­ Perhaps he''s already a Grand Magus once hees out¡­"


    The groupughed for a bit as they thought that Vincent was truly an unusual fellow and filled with surprises.


    As they were chatting on their way back to the residential area, they soon noticed the group of Celestials flying across the sky. They seem to be hurrying to a specific location and at first, they thought that the city is actually under attack¡­


    However, they immediately noticed that they were heading to the central part of the city instead of the garrison wall.


    Soon, they realized that they were actually heading toward Vincent''s residence¡­


    "I guess he already finished his istion?" Dianne muttered as this is the only reason she could think of why the Celestials were moving in a hurry.


    ''We should also hurry¡­" Faviona said with excitement as she recalled the real reason why she went here in the first ce.


    It was the same for Turhan and A as they swiftly moved in unison.


    Soon, everyone in the city realized what was going on and most of them couldn''t help but feel relieved. Although it seems very peaceful within the city, the news of the Magic God Organization spreading throughout the whole continent had actually reached their city already.


    They have found out that the ones that have attacked them with several warships were actually from this same powerful organization and it''s obvious why they are worried. Over half of the ck Towers have already joined this organization and they just keep expanding!


    They can''t just remain passive right now and something must be done¡­


    They don''t know what could it possibly be but they know that Vincent would do something about it. This young man is just that capable and everyone knows that they can rely on him, the Blessed One!


    ***


    Vincent was soon surrounded by several people and listened to their concerns¡­ It took him quite a long time to understand everything.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t feel worried at all.


    "Alright¡­ Let me handle this¡­" Vincent said with confidence as soon as he heard the matters regarding the spread of the ck Magic Organization.

 Chapter 370 Vincents Decisive Plan

    Tara looked at Vincent curiously as soon as she heard his confident tone.


    The ck Magic Organization isn''t a small group of banditsposed of inexperienced leaders after all. This is a real organization with veteran Grand Magus and even a deity who calls himself a magic god at the center of it.


    Furthermore, even the first ck Tower where the Tower Lord was residing had just vanished without any traces. This isn''t a simple matter at all.


    What was left behind from the previous First Tower was just an empty crater without any signs of rubbles from the previous prosperous city and majestic tower... It was as if it waspletely obliterated which is an unthinkable thing.


    After all, if there is such a powerful attack, it would''ve been noticed by other Tower Masters near the first First Tower.


    However, no one had noticed any of this until someone checked the location¡­


    Furthermore, there is no Mana Cannon or Tier 5 Mana Art capable of doing this.


    This means that the rumor about the existence of the magic god''s avatar might actually be real. There might really be an existence more powerful than the Tower Lord roaming theirnd right now. With all that said, the Celestials couldn''t help but ask the young man himself about his thoughts.


    "You sound really confident, Vincent¡­ I want to you hear your n." Luna said but she immediately noticed Vincent''s vibrant eyes¡­ It only took her a moment before she realized that Vincent had regained his eyesight.


    "Ahhh¡­ Your eyes¡­ Congrattions, Vincent¡­"


    "Oh¡­ It seems it''s already fixed. That took some time but congrattions on your recovery." Rem added.


    "That''s great¡­ Can you really see us now?" Tara asked as she squinted her eyes.


    All the Celestials arrived at the residence and they obviously wanted to celebrate his recovery as well. Although there are much more pressing matters on hand, Vincent''s recovery is a huge deal for them, especially for the people who are close to him.


    Vincent smiled at this as he looked at the Celestials in front of him and appreciated the good view¡­


    "That''s right¡­ My eyes are better now¡­"


    Vincent thanked them but he did not immediately mention his ns to fight the ck Magic Organization as he looked at Turhan''s group.


    He didn''t know why they havee here and he wanted to know first if they have important matters to discuss.


    Realizing that they were noticed, they immediately spoke and exined their curiosity about the existence of the deities and the method of contacting them and getting their aid if possible. Faviona''s concern on the other hand was rted to the Mythical Beast at the river.


    Vincent didn''t get this at first but as soon as the Celestials exined what happened to Krusk, Vincent could onlyugh as he didn''t expect that the young beast was unable to revert back to its human form.<sub> </sub>


    Unfortunately for him, Vincent had no idea how that can be done as well. Although he has some clues, he wasn''t exactly sure if it can really be done.


    "I''m not sure how he can return to his human form as well. We might be able to find a clue if we return to the Silent Creek dungeon where we found him. As for getting the help of the deities, we can probably consider that if we managed to find the altar tomunicate.


    Vincent doesn''t really know how to contact the deities since it was Vera that was pulling him to her realm.


    However, based on his experience with Vera and the magic god, he knows that there is an altar that can be used to directly make contact with these mighty beings.


    Vincent then exined the existence of the altar and its corresponding traits. As soon as he finished exining, Faviona and Turhan seem to have recalled something¡­


    "Those are altars that can be used tomunicate with the deities?" Both of them asked at the same time. It seems that they have already seen something like this which isn''t really surprising.


    After all, even the Zemin n has one of them and coincidentally, it was the altar meant tomunicate with Vera¡­


    ''Hmmm?''


    As soon as Vincent reached this thought, something immediately clicked in his mind.


    ''Wait¡­ Is it really a coincidence? I was betrothed to thedy of the Zemin n before I was born¡­ I also learned Vera''s visualization technique from my grandfather¡­''


    Vincent took a deep breath after realizing that this might actually be an arrangement made by his parents all along. Perhaps, his parents wanted him to be in contact with Vera after reaching the right age and get assistance.


    This wasn''t really a wild guess considering how Vera seem to be too connected to him. In addition, the Star Garden Sect was just too mysterious to think that this is all just a coincidence¡­


    Vincent sighed after realizing this. If his guess was correct, he can only admire his parents for arranging things for him even after their death. But if not, then it would seem that he was just lucky aftering to this world.


    Vincent then chatted with Turhan''s group for a while to ask about the Altars that they know before he took the Celestials for a serious meeting.


    After all, his next ns to win against the ck Magic Organization would heavily depend on these eight Celestial Beings¡­


    The Celestials then remained silent as they don''t have a better idea to win against thisrge organization. They have tried to think of a long-term solution to this since they know that they would be up against more Celestial Beings, Grand Magus, and Warshipster on and their city would certainly have difficulty defending against this.


    Now that Vincent has a n, they were curious and excited to listen at the same time.


    "Everyone, my n is actually simple¡­ I want the eight of you to hunt the other contractors of the Celestial Race. You can either peacefully invite the other Celestials to join us or kill their mana practitioners if they rejected this idea then invite the Celestial to join us¡­ I will give you plenty of my enhanced potions so you can use them to entice your fellow Celestial."

 Chapter 371 Grouped

    "W-what?"


    "You want to kill their contractors then invite the Celestials?"


    "Ugh¡­ Is this alright? I doubt that they will willingly join us¡­ Are you confident you can provide several potions at once?"


    "Isn''t this quite evil? I didn''t expect that you''d think of this crazy n just to strengthen your forces."


    The Celestials'' reactions were within Vincent''s expectations. After all, this n indeed sounds very cruel since he got this idea from an evil person, Joran.


    That man who caused trouble in his peaceful vige.


    At that time, he killed Kai outside their vige and invited doom to their ce. There was no way he would forget that event.


    Nevertheless, after Joran killed Kai, thetter''s unnumbered Celestial Being started working for him.


    Vincent had seen Joran a few times with that spear-wielding Celestial so he already knows that killing the contracted Mana Practitioners would work in his favor.


    It is just a question of morality so Vincent wasn''t really fond of this idea before. However, he can''t just hide right now after building this city. He would really die if he didn''t do something about it.


    He doesn''t want this city to be destroyed after sacrificing so much. He wanted to defend this newly built city at all costs!


    The only method that he could think of is to increase hisbat force. One method to do this is to create more Awakened Items or top-quality materials and drugs for his Knight and Magicians'' battalion.


    The other method is to use external force to aid them. Aside from Celestial Beings, he couldn''t think of anyone else that could help him in his situation.


    "I know that this method is quite cruel but there are no other options. If we want to stand our ground and hold off the forces of the ck Magic Organization. We have to do this. In any case, we should have several more months before they would even think of attacking this city again. They lost several warships and Celestial Beings so I''m sure that they won''t act again without gathering arger force. In addition to that, they still needed to stabilize the overall situation of thend if they don''t want to be backstabbed while attacking us." Vincent exined.


    Since not all the Tower Masters agreed to join the ck Magic Organization, the territory was basically split into three divisions because of this. The first division is this new organization. The second one is the remnants of the ck Tower Organization, and the third division isposed of several organizations that are not part of the two. They could be the Alchemist Union, the Hunter''s Organization, Vincent''s Vera City, L''s Nidite City, and other small groups that had decided to live outside the influence or barrier range of the towers.


    The third division wasn''t a big problem for the ck Magic Organization. They know that these small groups can''t start a fight since they didn''t have arge military in the first ce. It is only the remnants of the ck Tower that might pose a huge threat to them in terms of war capabilities.


    With all these scattered forces, it would make sense that the new organization has a lot of matters they needed to attend to before they could focus on Vera City. Furthermore, this city is far from the central part of the territory close to the eastern border so it''s difficult to mobilize their forces here if they want to siege them again.


    Haaa~


    Luna sighed after thinking for a while. She knows that Vincent''s suggestion is really good. It would maximize their advantage of having special potions capable of providing Celestial Energy. She knows that once they killed their contracted Mana Practitioners, these Celestials would have no choice but to join them if they don''t want to hibernate in their Cryogenic Sleep Chamber.


    Of course, they wouldn''t really go around finding these people and killing them on sight¡­ They would still have to negotiate like a civilized person since these Practitioners might give up their Celestial Being if they do so¡­ Only when the negotiation didn''t bear any fruit would they think of doing the extreme as Vincent instructed.<sub> </sub>


    ''I wonder what he''s thinking¡­''


    Luna looked at Vincent for a while before she nced at the other Celestial Beings¡­


    With their current strength, handling Unnumbered ones would be a piece of cake while three digits would require two or three Celestials working together.


    If they have to deal with two digits that had recovered their Celestial Energy by more than 50%, Luna must be involved with it with the help of two more Celestials.


    If Luna isn''t involved, all the seven Celestials must work together to handle a two-digit Celestial.


    Of course, this will only happen if the contracted practitioner refused to give up their celestial and decided to order his Celestial to fight instead. Although their main focus was to eliminate their contracted practitioner, they would still have to prepare themselves to fight against their fellow Celestial.


    "I don''t mind doing it¡­" Tara suddenly said as she already knows what the others are thinking.


    "I have no problems with it. Should we group ourselves into four? Maybe two?" Rem added.


    After hearing their approving response, Vincent smiled as he decided to flesh out the details of his n.


    He wanted to form three groups for this.


    The first group would be led by Luna with Rem.


    The second group would be led by Tara and the two unnamed Unnumbered Celestials.


    Thest group would be led by Number 778 together with Numbers 815 and 833.


    Their distribution may seem unbnced since Tara is only Number 999 and is considered to be the weakest Numbered Celestial.


    However, she''s also the one with the most Celestial Energy right now and she also has several high-end pieces of equipment that came from Vincent. This doesn''t include the Transcended Celestial Armor and de!


    That''s right, Vincent used his Transcendence skills on her items and it gave her additional skills. Of course, he used them with Luna and Rem''s items as well but the random item skills that Tara''s weapon received were several times better than the one they got.


    This is also the reason why Vincent was confident with Tara''s ability to lead a group.


    Lastly, Vincent was able to tell that Tara is a special Numbered Celestial¡­

 Chapter 372 Lake

    Vincent gave them over a thousand potions which were divided into three and all of them came from his inventory so they can already set out and find their targets.


    He also made sure to provide them with enough magic tools so they could move in stealth if necessary. After all, the ck Magic Organization probably has eyes monitoring their situation. They can''t let them know that their Celestial Beings have decided to go out of the city or it would be dangerous for them as well.


    In addition to this, Vincent decided to only inform the important officials of the city about his decision to send out the Celestial Beings. They were, of course, quite nervous after hearing that the celestials wouldn''t be present for a while.


    They have no idea when will they face the ck Magic Organization after all.


    However, Vincent assured them that these Celestials would be able to return in time if they really have to fight the enemies.


    After about six hours after going out of his istion, Vincent finally decided to visit Krusk in theke.


    He''s together with A who seemed to be very happy that Vincent could finally see again.


    "Are you sure that your seal won''t being back anymore? There are cases that if the core of the body seals weren''t broken, they can stille back and cause some trouble." A asked.


    "Don''t worry about it. I received a confirmation that the seal was already gone¡­ In any case, can you now enhance an item above eight?" Vincent asked curiously¡­


    A wryly smiled as she shook her head.


    "My limit is still 8 enhancements. It''s even difficult to reach that¡­ Most of the time, the items are being destroyed so I have limited experiments. It''s not like Master Turhan is giving me plenty of allowances."


    "Hmm? Aren''t you earning from selling your enhanced items?"


    "Ugh¡­ It''s difficult to get repeat customers¡­ Maybe if someone helped me close down the Beacon Magic Shop, I will have a huge market¡­"


    "Ahhh¡­" Vincent scratched his head after hearing this. Their magic shop has indeed taken over a huge market over thest few years thanks to his influence as the Tower Lord''s disciple.


    "Hahaha! I''m just joking¡­ In any case, most of my enhanced items are only Rare and Unique Rank. I''m not enhancing Epic Items or Pseudo-Legendary Items so I''m not earning as much as you think."


    "Oh¡­ Did you not sell the items I gave you to study? You can just sell them if you''re done studying them."


    "Really? Then I''ll do just that¡­ Though I don''t want to sell them since they helped me a lot, I guess it would be better if they find their suitable owners¡­" A pondered for a moment before agreeing to Vincent''s suggestion.


    "In any case, I wonder why you''re helping me so much with my enhancement research¡­ I already know that you have better enhancement skills than mine¡­" A suddenly said as she suspiciously looked at Vincent. Although Vincent already mentioned that he''s also interested in her enhancements, it doesn''t make sense to her considering how he already has better skills.


    Does he enjoy watching her struggle and slowly learn how to enhance an item?


    Vincent, on the other hand, wasn''t too surprised about this as he replied with a smile¡­


    "Let''s just say that I have a different Enhancement Method¡­ I was thinking that if I learned both methods of enhancement, perhaps I will have a better sess rate and maybe even my consumption of energy will lessen as well. Hmm¡­ Is that a bit too greedy?" He asked.


    "Of course not¡­ Advancement is something that any magician would aspire for¡­ But¡­ will you teach me the other method as well?"


    "Ugh¡­ That''s the problem, I can''t teach it to anyone else¡­"<sub> </sub>


    "I thought so¡­" A replied. She wasn''t disappointed at all as she already knows that Vincent''s enhancement ability was rted to his talent or gift. Obviously, it is not something that he could teach to her as it should be something that he was born with.


    Soon, the two of them arrived at theke. Vincent was immediately greeted by therge River Dragon as soon as his aura or perhaps, mana fluctuation was noticed.


    "You''re finally out, Vincent¡­ I can''t tell if something changed on your body though¡­"


    "I''ve already regained my eyesight and I''ve also gotten a lot stronger¡­"


    "Really? It wasn''t that obvious¡­ Anyway, I know that you are knowledgeable about various things. Do you know how other creatures like me transform into their human form?"


    "I''m sorry, Krusk¡­ I have no idea how it can be done as well. My suggestion is for you to return to the Silent Creek Dungeon and find clues there. Of course, I will not be sending you there alone."


    "Back to that dungeon? Ahh~ Do you think that the glowing tree will help me?" Krusk suddenly asked since aside from this mysterious tree, there are only a few rare or unique items that can be found within that dungeon.


    "Yes¡­ I think that it might help you retain your form¡­ If not, you may still find inspiration there that may help you."


    "T-that''s true¡­ Should we go now?"


    Krusk asked as he lifted half of his body out of the water.


    His shining blue scales reflected the sunlight giving a majestic aura to him... Vincent paused for a moment to appreciate this sight before he replied.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t leave this city right now. I also sent out the Celestials toplete a mission¡­ Are you in a hurry to get your human form back?"


    "Well, I''m not in hurry¡­ I just want to learn it as quickly as possible¡­ It''s inconvenient to move like this. You know that I enjoy walking around the city and meeting interesting humans¡­ I also want to taste different food¡­" Krusk replied while reminiscing about the past..


    Of course, his satiety can be easily satisfied by using his mana¡­ Unlike normal beasts, he doesn''t need to eat solid food since what he needed is energy which is something he could get as long as he has mana. Even if he doesn''t eat for months or years, he wouldn''t die at all.


    Nevertheless, it doesn''t mean that he can''t enjoy the good taste of human food.


    "Alright then, let''s schedule it at ater date¡­ I wouldn''t be worried if a Celestial can go together with you so we will have to wait for them toplete their mission¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ Fine. Since they left, I will defend this ce until they return¡­ Is that right?"


    "That''s correct, Krusk¡­ I will count on you. In the meantime, I''m giving you a different task¡­"


    "I knew it¡­ You have to reward me with plenty of those high-grade potions, alright?" Krusk said with a grunt but he wasn''t angry about this at all.


    Vincent immediately agreed with this condition and stated his next mission.


    After making some arrangements with Krusk, he then left with A to check the Kayser Tower this time¡­

 Chapter 373 Cargo

    While Vincent was doing his inspection within the various departments of the city, the news of his sessful seclusion reached Yulia and Severin''s ears.


    Furthermore, they were informed that a new batch of supplies would be on its way in just a few more hours.


    After a very long battle within the outskirts of the Nidite City, their Mage Battalion has grown incredibly stronger after umting a lot ofbat experience.


    However, it doesn''t mean that they can just continue fighting without end since they weren''t some sort of golem or puppet that has infinite stamina.


    They were still exhausted, mentally and physically.


    Realizing that Vincent had finished his seclusion, they believe that he has already been informed about their situation and perhaps, the answer to their problem would be sent together with the supplies.


    Apparently, their n to negotiate with the Sea King was unsessful.


    They have already tried getting assistance from the other Celestial Beings but unfortunately, once thoserge octopuses started spewing ck ink everywhere, they were basically incapacitated under the water and they could only move up and escape.


    The ck inking from those creatures contains disruptive energy that would stop any of their Mana and Aura senses from reaching out more than two meters.


    Later on, they learned that this ck ink was actually used to coat the ck Tower as well to stop any outsiders from peaking through the important infrastructure.


    It is used almost everywhere in the Tower so it was no wonder that even Vincent was also affected by it when he was still studying there.


    "I wonder what kind of supplies are we receiving this time?" Yulia muttered.


    "Aside from the recovery potions, I believe that Vincent would send some new weapons as well." Severin said as they have clearly informed Calidia about their situation and she should''ve passed on the information to Vincent.


    Before they went here, they have little to no information about their enemies so they were unable to prepare proper weapons and devices to deal with them. However, it is different now.


    Their young leader must be aware of the difficulty they are facing.


    Although Tara and Rem had alsoe here for five days to ease up their burden, it was obviously not enough and they needed more assistance¡­


    Luckily, they didn''t have to wait for very long as the Avian Lion, the small cargo ship of their city, had arrived with plenty of resources¡­


    The group of knights and magicians were like excited children that wanted to receive their gifts as they surrounded the vessel as soon as itnded.


    Ross, Kian, Mark, and Terrence, the squad leaders of the battalion, immediately stood in front as they recognized that familiar aura of the person inside the flying vessel.


    "Hahaha¡­ I didn''t expect that I would be weed like this¡­" Larughed heartily after seeing the crowd that was waiting for his arrival¡­<sub> </sub>


    "We''re waiting for the supplies that were sent, not you, Lar¡­" Ross replied with a smile as the other squad leadersughed.


    The five of them were part of Qheglena''s Followers and were trained together by Yulia. Their closeness did not disappear even after being separated but had only grown stronger.


    "Ross, did Vincent send you to solve the matters regarding the Sea King?" Yulia asked curiously. She would actually believe him if he answered yes. After all, Vincent could''ve provided this man a Legendary Weapon that might be able to help them resolve their problem.


    However, Lar just shook his head¡­


    "I only brought some supplies prepared by Sir Vincent and the Beacon Magic Shop¡­ The young leader mentioned that he will be sending someone to deal with the sea creaturester on¡­ It might take quite some time to arrive but he said it should be within the day¡­"


    "Oh? Do you know who will be sent?" Yulia furrowed her brows and asked. She knows that the Celestials were sent to hunt some other Celestials after all.


    It means that their strongest fighting force couldn''t help them this time.


    "I''m not sure as well¡­ In any case, I will be staying here for a while to wait for this reinforcement as well." Lar said as he urged the knights to take out all the crates of potions inside the small cargo ship.


    Yulia and Severin looked at each other with confusion but since this was Vincent''s arrangement, they can only wait and trust him for now.


    Soon, L arrived together with her administrators. She also brought the partial payment for the assistance that Vera City had provided them. Well, she thought that the Avian Lion will immediately return after sending some supplies so she hurriedly ran here to hand over the payment so Vincent can immediately look at it.


    As per their initial agreement, the assistance that their city received would be paid for by some of their natural resources including ess to their dungeons. However, it was only a part of it since L also has to provide Vincent with top-ss Formation Cores and materials needed for high-level Formation Arts.


    This is actually a really good deal for the Nidite City as well since the materials that can be looted from the dead Sea Creatures would be theirs. After killing hundreds of thousands of them, their city has already collected numerous cores and alchemy ingredients!


    If these materials were converted to Mana Crystals, they would be worth millions of Mana Crystals! Well, it wouldn''t even be a surprise if their gathered resources would pass over a hundred million mark.


    Although the quality is low, they are still Beast Cores and many would want to have this item. The only concern is that they can''t sell too many of them at once since their value would obviously go down.


    Anyway, Lar still epted the partial payment. Once the Sea King has been dealt with, ess to the dungeons would be immediately given as well.


    After three more hours when the sun is about to set, they suddenly heard a rumbling noiseing from somewhere. They couldn''t pinpoint the location but after a while, a group of messengers hastily arrived in front of L to give a report¡­


    "E-emergency! We''ve seen a huge blue dragon heading this way!"


    "We need to put up our defenses to the highest level!"

 Chapter 374 Attack

    "Dragon?! Are you saying that my city is under attack by both Sea Creatures and Dragons?!" L eximed as soon as she heard this ridiculous statement.


    Although she was a sinful woman who had caused the death of her senior sister, she shouldn''t havemitted a crime that would deserve this kind of treatment¡­


    This city has over a hundred thousand people. She has built this ce using her wealth and skills as a Formation Arts Master. Furthermore, she managed to develop the surroundingnd and created a livable and safe ce.


    There were no bandits around this region thanks to her relentless efforts of eliminating them and making a safe environment for merchant caravans to travel back and forth. She would always keep her citizens happy and kept the taxes really low so her pioneering businessmen would have an easier time developing.


    If a Dragon is really going to attack them now, L can only guess how many attacks could her Formation Barrier hold against this mighty creature.


    Perhaps five attacks¡­ or maybe three¡­


    If this Dragon that exists only in folktales is one that can use its Dragon Breathe, maybe her Formation Barrier may not even block a single attack.


    She needs to make a quick decision in order to save as many people as she can! She then used various surveince systems they have to monitor the iing blue dragon.


    As soon as she confirmed it with her own eyes, she no longer hesitated.


    "Tsk¡­ I didn''t think that I would have to use this method¡­ We have no other choice¡­ Activate the Anti-Celestial Defense!"


    L decisively ordered as the people in themand center understood her intention.


    The Anti-Celestial Defense that they have wasn''t even used once during the Sea Creatures'' invasion. They weren''t in that desperate situation after all. At most, they were thinking that they would only use this as a final defense if the Sea King has already made its move to attack them.


    However, the situation now is different. The iing dragon has enormous power that could tten their city if they did not do something about it.


    In addition to that, it''s already getting dark as well and the sea creatures might think of attacking again to exhaust them¡­


    If they are going to fight the dragon, they have to make it quick. They have to show that they could pose a threat to its existence and hope that it would be injured and flee.


    Soon, everyone in the city realized the sudden change in the Formation Arts. The atmosphere turned colder and the cirction of mana in the surroundings started moving insanely fast.


    Yulia noticed this as well but she checked the sea using her Darkness Eye but she didn''t sense the arrival of Sea Creatures yet¡­


    ''What''s going on?'' Yulia mused for a moment as she tried looking elsewhere¡­ Perhaps, she might''ve missed something¡­


    However, before she could do that, she sensed the location of the most concentrated amount of mana and it was not facing the sea!


    It''s on the opposite side!


    Are they being pinned by their enemies?!


    Yulia jolted up after reaching this thought as she quickly used her Darkness Mystic Eye to sense the changes in the surrounding mana.


    "Huh?"


    Yulia was speechless as soon as she realized what was going on¡­


    This city actually has some sort of Mana Cannon in the form of huge satellite infrastructure. This huge device is like an inverted umbre and is forming a very concentrated violent Mana!<sub> </sub>


    If Vincent was here, he would notice that the danger level it has reached is probably simr to or above the Mana Cataclysm!


    It is incredibly powerful that the citizens started getting worried. They weren''t informed about this sudden situation after all.


    "W-wait¡­"


    As Yulia continued spreading her senses, she finally found the opponent that L was targeting!


    It was indeed arge creature that she couldn''t identify¡­ However, it was oddly familiar to her but she couldn''t figure it out¡­


    It took her a few more seconds to recognize the aura and she immediately rushed to themand center while taking out themunication crystal connected to L.


    "Please answer!"


    Yulia nervously said as she poured her mana into the crystal. This isn''t an automatic messaging system after all. The other end must ept the connection and it might be toote if L was too busy to notice this¡­


    The one they are targeting is none other than Krusk in his dragon form. Although she hadn''t seen his dragon form yet, Calidia already notified her about his appearance and they were sure that he was the one sent by Vincent to handle the Sea King and its army!


    To be honest, she also wanted to ask for Krusk''s help considering he''s a mighty Mythical Beast that could fight in the water. However, Krusk wasn''t really an approachable being and everyone knows that he didn''t like fighting unless it is rted to the Overseer.


    However, it seems that Vincent managed to convince the young Mythical Beast and was sent here as a surprise.


    The problem is that Vincent seems to have forgotten that L hadn''t seen Krusk''s real form yet.


    Yulia doesn''t even know if L is aware of Krusk''s real identity.


    Anyway, she needs to hurry and clear up this misunderstanding.


    Boom!


    Suddenly a deafening sound was heard and Yulia couldn''t help but nce back at the huge satellite that was pointed at the iing dragon.


    It was toote!


    What she has feared hade true! A pir of blue and ck light surrounding by lightning arcs headed towards the Blue Dragon!


    It happened so quickly¡­


    "Ugh! Not good!" Yulia didn''t have the time to me Vincent for this surprise he prepared. Vincent probably didn''t think that L would react this way or perhaps, Vincent wasn''t even thinking at all.


    As soon as she arrived in front of themand center, L finally answered the call.


    "Don''t worry¡­ I know that you''re worried about the creature that is attacking us on the other side. We have already dealt with¡­ Even if it''s not dead yet, I''m sure that it''s already heavily injured¡­" L suddenly said as Yulia almost despaired.


    That attack could kill a Mythical Beast?


    She was unable to react after hearing this as she nervously looked behind to find out the fate of the River Dragon¡­

 Chapter 375 River Dragon

    "Hmmm? The Dragon is still alive and heading here?! Isn''t that supposed to st off a two-digit Celestial?!"


    L was shocked as soon as one of the surveince systems noticed the movement of the Dragon. The one who reported this to her was simrly stunned and couldn''t reply to her.


    Yulia, who was still on the other side of the Communication Crystal, heard this and heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Miss L¡­ It''s alright! I think that this dragon was sent by Vincent to help us¡­"


    Yulia immediately said just in case themunication link gets disconnected.


    L, who was obviously worried about their situation, was confused after hearing Yulia''s words followed by a shocked expression before clenching her fist in excitement.


    "Is that really true?!" L had a roller coaster of emotions as the Anti-Celestial Defense that they have is already their strongest offensive attack.


    Even though they can still use it for three or five times more, with the speed of the dragon, perhaps they can only fire one more time before their city would get trampled.


    If this dragon was truly here to help them, she must offer an apology and give him a gift or something! What they''vemitted is a crime!


    "Yes¡­ That seems to be Krusk¡­ The young boy that was following Vincent all this time."


    "Krusk? Wait! That mysterious and suspicious boy?!"


    As soon as L recalled the young boy who was always wearing a high-level concealing cloak, everything finally made sense and the authenticity of Yulia''s im had just increased. After all, she had met that young boy numerous times and felt something off about him.


    Her artifact which should only activate on certain beasts would sometimes react when she was near the young boy. It was as if it was malfunctioning¡­


    At that time, she just thought that it could happen since the artifact is already half of its durability and extremely old. However, it appears that her artifact is really working fine and is onlycking because it''s dealing with a mythical beast.


    "That''s correct¡­ We should wait for this dragon to arrive¡­ Right, you should also order your men to stop pointing that cannon at him¡­" Yulia reminded.


    L immediately acted on this as the Anti-Celestial Defense was swiftly hidden by the formation art again.


    Soon, the River Dragon finally arrived at the city.


    It doesn''t seem to be injured by the beam of light thrown at him¡­


    This blue dragon didn''t even bother discussing that matter! The dragon just pause for a moment outside the city as if it was inspecting the hidden cannon within the city.


    After being satisfied, he just left and entered the water to probably deal with the Sea Creatures!


    He didn''t even wait for L to bring the items she wanted to offer as an apology for making a mistake!


    "Hmm¡­ I guess you''re Anti-Celestial Defense system isn''t that strong, huh¡­" Severin suddenly said behind L.


    They are currently on top of the city wall watching the huge wave of water caused by the dragon''s sudden dive.


    Severin and Yulia followed L''s team here as they thought that they could help her exin the matter to Krusk.


    Unfortunately, this young dragon didn''t even bother talking to them.<sub> </sub>


    "As long as it''s not going to bear a grudge on me¡­ I''m happy to be ignored." L suddenly said as she was still looking at the bright side of this ordeal.


    "And no! I''m sure that my Anti-Celestial Defense is strong! That Mythical Beast is probably just a bad match on it¡­ Probably an immunity or trait from his race. If it''s another Mythical Beast, I''m sure that it will work." L added with confidence.


    Of course, this is the first time they tried that satellite cannon on a mythical beast but they have certainly tried it against a Celestial Being before!


    This is even the reason why it was called the Anti-Celestial Defense in the first ce. Before, L just called it the Judgement Light. However, as soon as she learned that it could st off a Celestial, she immediately called it an Anti-Celestial which should make people realize how strong it was.


    "I wonder about that¡­ In any case, do you think we should go down as well and see if we can help the River Dragon¡­" Severin suddenly asked.


    "We''ll probably just get in his way¡­ Besides, we no longer need to meet with the Sea King¡­ They''re probably the ones who will ask for negotiation after Krusk finishes his task¡­" Yulia replied.


    She knows that Vincent didn''t order Krusk to eradicate everyone under the sea. That is a task that would be too much even for Krusk¡­


    At most, Vincent probably ordered Krusk to only attack the main force of the Sea Race or perhaps the Sea King himself.


    ***


    As the news about the dragon was rified by L''s administrators, the citizens were finally able to rx and silently prayed that the River Dragon would be sessful on his mission.


    Everyone is already exhausted from this invasion¡­ Although they are all remaining strong and not showing fear most of the time, it is mainly because there are still many innocent children in the city. They don''t want these children to be affected and leave a scar on their minds.


    As the River Dragon stayed underwater for three more hours, everyone started worrying about its situation.


    Did it get captured instead? Was it unable to defeat the Sea King?


    If even a Mythical Beast of that caliber was incapable of winning, how can they even stop the Sea Creatures?


    Yulia and the others from Vera City were also feeling a bit nervous. Nevertheless, since they know Vincent very well.


    He wouldn''t send Krusk here if he wasn''t confident that the young beast would win¡­


    Soon, someone from the watch tower noticed a huge movement in the sea. It was a few kilometers away from their port city.


    The leaders immediately went to the top of the wall after receiving this report. This is rted to the fate of their city after all!


    If what came out there is a swarm of sea creatures, it means that the Dragon must''ve been defeated and they are hereing for revenge or counterattack.


    If it was the blue dragon who hade out instead, the dragon must''ve seeded andpleted its mission.


    Whoosh~


    A huge wave of water suddenly sshed everywhere as a huge figure came out flying out into the sky!


    "It''s the blue dragon!" L shouted in happiness. She was truly indebted to Vincent this time¡­

 Chapter 376 Evacuate

    Vincent received the report about what happened in Nidite City. It contains all the events that had happened and he was stunned for a moment after reading the part about Krusk''s sudden arrival.


    "I was careless¡­" Vincent said as he started scratching his head.


    He didn''t know that L has a satellite cannon hidden by her Formation Arts. Based on the report, it seems that it can actually defeat a Celestial Being which is certainly a huge feat considering how slow they are advancing with their Magic Technology.


    He thought that the current peak of their technology is their Flight Engine and Magic Cannons¡­ He didn''t expect that L can already create something that can match a Mana Cataclysm''s attack.


    ''I wonder how strong that was¡­''


    Vincent mused as it seems that the young River Dragon was injured but didn''t rest at Nidite City to recuperate at all.


    After its battle with the Sea King, Yulia and the others had seen that the dragon was actually bleeding but as they were preparing to give him treatment, the Dragon just flew away after taking a nce at them. It left without saying any words.


    Of course, Vincent wasn''t too worried since as long as the young dragon is alive, he has potions in his hands that could provide him a full recovery¡­ Once Krusk returned to hiske, he can just send some food and potions to him as a way of showing his gratitude.


    Anyway, Vincent also wanted to confirm the result of the mission since Yulia and the others were unable to get it from Krusk. At most, they realized that there will not be an invasion today and they are hoping that there wouldn''t be any more in the future.


    "I guess I should give Krusk something more for that trouble..." Vincent said as he put down the report...


    ''Hmm... Reading reports is much better...''


    ***


    Three days had passed after Krusk attacked the Sea Race''s underwater city.


    The young dragon had created chaos in that ce and killed numerous Sea Creatures. Faced with such a mighty beast, the Sea King tried to appease it with its wealth but was obviously rejected by the Mythical Beast¡­


    It was at that time that the Sea King learned that the beast was actually working for the humans onnd and wasn''t there by mere coincidence¡­


    This is the real reason why the Sea King doesn''t want to attack thend and opposed the messengers of the Star Garden Peak as much as possible. They don''t want to provoke beings that are out of their league. They are clearly aware that they can''t rule thend since their bodies require water. The idea of making a swamp is just too unconvincing for him¡­


    Unfortunately, what he feared hade true as the humans have finally sent their trump card.


    They probably realized that there was no end to their skirmish and wanted to end the battle all at once.


    In the end, the Sea King can only promise that he would no longer attack if there the humans will no longer drop a zing star on their ocean¡­


    "Star Garden Peak, huh¡­ I don''t think it''s the right time yet¡­'' Vincent muttered as he looks at the constructions going on in Nidite City.


    He has arrived at the city to confirm the dungeons that L would share with them. This is an important resource to them so he wanted to personally check the dungeons together with the other officials of the city.


    "I thought you were interested in the Star Garden Peak?"


    "I heard about it too¡­ Have you learned something about them recently?"<sub> </sub>


    Yulia and Severin asked. They are currently on the streets of Nidite City and were about to check the Mage Tower being built by Luc''s team. Although the Tower can already function and provide some assistance, it hasn''t beenpleted yet and still needed about two or three more months to be finished.


    At the mention of the Star Garden Peak, Vincent immediately recalled all the information that Faviona has given to him¡­


    It is a ce where puppets are the main type of weapon. The rank of the magicians there is determined by the strength and number of puppets they can control at once.


    "I just don''t think that we''re ready to face them yet¡­ We still have to worry about the ck Magic Organization. Perhaps, if we stabilize our situation here, I can set up a group for an expedition." Vincent exined.


    "That''s true¡­ There''s also the matter regarding the Overseer¡­"


    As the three were walking around, they heard the sound of hooves clopping on the ground grow louder. A carriage slowly advanced until it reached the group of three.


    Soon, L came running out and her face was filled with excitement. Vincent was curious about this since he just left her office a while ago.


    He had already met her to discuss the payment before he even decided to walk around the city. There shouldn''t be any more matters left to discuss.


    "Junior Brother! I have news about Master! He''s alive!" L said with a big smile on her face.


    This is indeed good news!


    They have already learned about the sudden disappearance of the First Tower. Vincent was, of course, shocked when he heard about it and wanted to investigate it.


    Even Thyrus, the first Grand Magus to see the aftermath, was unable to find any useful traces to know what had truly transpired in that ce.


    Instead, the terrible act was imed by the ck Magic Organization. This organization spread that it was done by the magic god''s avatar and no one can deny this im.


    That was the only clue they have.


    "Finally¡­ What happened to him? Is he injured?" Vincent asked.


    "He''s fine¡­ He has at least 8 Tower Masters working for him so there is nothing to worry about."


    "That''s good to hear¡­ How about the deity''s avatar? Is that really true or was it just a rumor to scare the people?"


    L wry smiled after hearing this question¡­


    "It''s true¡­ The avatar really exists¡­ Luckily, Master Ignacy has the Legendary Staff with him so he was able to escape with a few people on his side¡­"


    L exined.


    "Right, Master also warned us about the possible attack in our territory¡­ He believes that it would be our Eldest Senior Brother who is going to be attacked first so he had them evacuated¡­ He said that we should also do the same¡­ What do you think?" She added.


    Vincent furrowed his brows after hearing this.

 Chapter 377 Recruitment

    "Evacuate? Where are we going to hide? In the dungeons?" Vincent scowled. There was no way he would evacuate now.


    Furthermore, he no longer feels safe entering a dungeon. It is all because of how he learned that the Overseer is capable of destroying the entrance to the dungeon.


    What would happen if the portal was destroyed while people are still inside the dungeon?


    Vincent didn''t want to test it at all. Although the Overseer wouldn''t probably do it randomly, the fact that the entrance can still be destroyed makes him a bit nervous.


    "Haa¡­ I also don''t want to evacuate¡­ A while ago, a messenger from the Sea Race hase to us. It''s capable of human speech and offered some deal to us¡­ We are about to obtain some treasures from the sea?! I don''t want to miss that opportunity!" L said with enthusiasm¡­


    It seems that they have gained a good business partner.


    "Hmm¡­ We can''t ept that¡­ In any case, we should still have some time to strengthen our forces¡­ I just hope that my recruitment process would be effective this time." Vincent softly muttered thest part.


    "Alright¡­ I will tell Master¡­"


    "Right, how were you able to contact him?" Vincent suddenly asked recalling how he couldn''t find a way to know his Master''s situation.


    "Hmm? I gave him a crystal that can connect to my Messenger Artifact. It''s very useful since I can easily request something from him¡­ Hehe¡­ You should also give him something, you know?"


    "Aaahh¡­ That''s true." Vincent then realized that he was only receiving things from his master. Although Ignacy wasn''t asking anything from him, he should have still given something in return.


    Anyway, he can think about itter.


    The news of Ignacy''s condition started spreading in the continent. After all, the Tower Lord isn''t just a normal title that anyone can have.


    Furthermore, Ignacy has connections to otherrge neighboring organizations and if he decided to rally them to defeat the new organization, he will certainly gather a lot of strong Magicians with his cause.


    It will be a huge war that would affect the bnce of power in the continent.


    ''However¡­ I think that Master Ignacy isn''t in a good position¡­ He was already defeated once. He''s also acting so defensive right now? Can he really not win?'' Vincent mused as he noticed a few things from Ignacy''s message.


    ''No¡­ If he was truly afraid of facing the ck Magic Organization, he wouldn''t show traces of himself being alive and just hide forever, never to be seen again. However, he didn''t do that and decided to gather a few Tower Masters¡­ Perhaps, there is still a chance? Did he find a way to deal with the magic god''s avatar?''


    Vincent thought as he couldn''t help but be concerned about the bnce of power in thisnd¡­


    "Oh¡­ I forgot to mention that the third and fourth disciples are already returning¡­ They will be visiting your Vera City first since they haven''t met you yet¡­ They''re really interested in you so make sure to make them stay for a while¡­ Those two are really strong. Stronger than any Aura Knights and Grand Magus that you''ve ever seen¡­"


    "Hmm? Are they both Grand Magus and Aura Knight? I didn''t know about that?"


    Aside from the names of the others disciples, he only knows a rough idea about what they were doing right now.


    The third disciple was supposedly at Solomon''s Pir expanding his knowledge while the fourth disciple was at the Martial Arts Alliance helping them hunt the members of the Demonic Cult.


    "Yeah¡­ The third disciple that was studying at Solomon''s Pir was one of the strongest Aura Knights before he decided to leave¡­ As for the fourth disciple, he was a Penta-Caster and decided to learn martial arts and hunt the cult members with his martial skills. Hahaha! Aren''t they weird?"


    Vincent nodded as they were indeed quite entric disciples. As expected of Ignacy¡­ He will really only choose disciples with unique traits.


    "I should prepare to meet them then¡­ Should I inform you when they arrived? Don''t you miss them?"<sub> </sub>


    "What? Miss them? That''s funny¡­ Those two don''t like me at all. I guess you already know the reason. In any case, those two have onemon thing¡­ They were extremely curious¡­ They will surely like your ce since there are many exotic things there."


    "Ugh¡­ They have been all around the continent. I think they have already seen more exotic things out there. I don''t think they''ll be interested in anything in my city¡­ Well, aside from the River Dragon, of course." Vincent replied.


    There aren''t many remarkable things in Vera City like¡ª


    ''Hmmm?''


    As Vincent looked around his surroundings, he suddenly realized that Vera city itself is actually quite different from the other cities.


    If hepares it to Nidite City, his city appears more vibrant and modern.


    Well, it shouldn''t be that surprising since he had used his knowledge from his past life to create the city. He recalled L''s reaction when she first visited the city and she was certainly impressed and curious at that time.


    ''I guess my senior disciples would have the same reaction, huh¡­'' Vincent smiled as he realized that the city itself can be an attraction for the others.


    ***


    Meanwhile, about four hundred miles away from Vera City, a couple of Celestial Beings arrived at the Ghastly Mountain Range.


    This ce was known as a stronghold made by a few powerful Hunters.


    The two Celestials observed the stronghold situated at the center of the mountain range for a while as if they were looking for something¡­


    They were currently on top of a hill and they don''t seem to be in a good mood.


    "I didn''t expect that finding our fellow celestial would be this difficult¡­" Luna weakly said as she focuses her gaze on the stronghold.


    Several days had already passed and they still haven''t recruited one.


    "Maybe their contractor left for the Martial Arts Alliance or perhaps some other organization after learning about the messy situation here." Rem guessed.


    "There''s no way they have decided that fast¡­ They would still wait until the conflict spread everywhere¡­"


    "That might be true¡­ Anyway, how is it this time, is there a Celestial in that ce?" Rem asked.


    Unlike Luna, she''s only an unnumbered and her detection skills aren''t that great. If the Celestial wasn''t emitting her energy, it would be difficult for her to sense them unless she was close to them¡­


    If they were within 10 meters, it doesn''t matter if they hide their Celestial Energy, she would be able to tell if they are from the same race.


    ''Hmm?''


    As Luna didn''t answer, Rem looked at her curiously¡­


    She then realized that Luna was actually smiling! It seems that they have finally found one!

 Chapter 378 Task

    Eugene was previously a beggar living in the streets of the 11th Tower. His parents were Master Magicians that have been killed during a mission and what he inherited was their huge debt from the Nexus Organization.


    All their assets were taken away from him including the heirloom of his family that would supposedly help him train to be an Adept Mage.


    With his mid-grade talent, he can easily be a Master Magician with a good chance of bing an Adept Mage as long as he has enough resources he could use to train.


    Unfortunately, all of it vanished after his parents perished in a mission. He had barely finished his Mana Baptism when this had all happened.


    He was unskilled and unable to use his abilities. No one was able to teach him and he was too busy trying to survive. He didn''t have the time to study how to use properly use his mana at all.


    A few years passed and he was then recruited to be a servant by a small hunter team. From that day on, he started learning how to fight and studied how to use his little bit of mana¡­


    Unfortunately, a tragedy struck their team and he was the only survivor. It may also be a blessing in disguise as that event changed everything for him as he awakened his real talent.


    With his experience and decent skills, he built a small organization consisting of skilled, talented, but less fortunate mana practitioners. He shared his knowledge and taught them various Mana Arts he learned while he was still in a Hunter Team.


    Furthermore, his parents seem to be watching him from the sky and sent someone to further assist him in his ambition, a Celestial Being!


    One day, an extremely beautiful woman arrived in their stronghold and assessed his strength¡­ He thought at first that his organization was about to be destroyed by this Celestial¡­


    However, after showing his fighting skills, he was able to gain her blessing!


    He thought that only those with high status in society or great backgrounds can have a chance of being selected by a Celestial.


    He didn''t expect that by just donating his blood essence, he''s able to borrow a helpingnd from this powerful being!


    He was proud of his achievement and he was even thinking of expanding his territory¡­ He believes that with his loyal members and the help of his Celestial, he can maintain the safe haven they have created.


    "B-but what is going on now?" Eugene muttered as he looked at the previous mighty Celestial that would always stand by his side.


    The Celestial was now kneeling on the ground after a white-haired Celestial mmed her with the sheathe of her sword.


    "You still don''t understand? We told you that you have to end your contract with her¡­ However, you instead ordered her to attack us¡­ You''re crazy¡­"


    "What?! Do you think I can just abandon her? Why are you doing this to us?! We have never harmed you!" Eugene tried to reason out.


    "Ugh¡­ So noisy¡­ I don''t want to end it like this but it seems that you really have to die, huh¡­" Rem can no longer listen to this man.


    She knows that he''s already too attached to the Celestial so he can''t just give her up.


    ''So this is why Vincent ordered to get them killed instead, huh¡­'' Rem thought as she stepped forward to grab the powerless man¡­


    However, with the sudden threat to his life, the man realized that his death is imminent¡­ He needs to do something!


    "Aahh! Aah! I''m sorry! Please spare my life! I will end the contract with Celestial. Please take care of her. I''m not even too familiar with her. I can no longer advance my cultivation because she keeps taking my blood essence¡­ Please take her away from me." Eugene eximed as he saw Rem moving closer.


    Although she did not unsheathe her weapon, he knows that using her physical strength would be enough to crush him.<sub> </sub>


    He had barely trained his Martial Skills and focused on practicing Mana after all.


    Thud¡­


    Rem stopped in her tracks as she looked at Eugene who was begging for his life. It seems that this method is really effective. They just caused damage in the surroundings because of the battle and no one died.


    "Alright, dissolve the contract then¡­" She coldly replied.


    "Yes¡­ Yes¡­ Number 442, release the contract now!" Eugene immediately said as the Celestial raised her head to look at Luna and Rem before ncing at Eugene¡­


    "Guk¡­" Eugene felt something off from that gaze and he couldn''t help but step back.


    Although the Celestial still looked very beautiful, he somehow felt afraid of being stared at by her.


    Number 442 then stood up to approach her contractor.


    The contract itself isn''t some kind of paper that is being signed. This contract is actually a connection to the selected person that is providing her with the Blood Essence¡­


    Without this, even if the Celestial tried robbing others'' Blood Essence, it wouldn''t be effective at all. They can only recover their Celestial Energy with their contracted Mana Practitioner.


    Tap!


    The Celestial tapped Eugene''s forehead as he felt that the mysterious connection that he had with her suddenly disappeared.


    It felt ufortable.


    He was already used to having a Celestial by his side that he can use from time to time. With her disappearance, his n of expanding his territory would remain his dream that would nevere to fruition.


    Number 442 then looked at Luna and Rem with a frown.


    "What now? You''re aware that I can''t make another contract for a while¡­" She said with a tired voice. She already knows that the white-haired Celestial in front of her is a Numbered Celestial that should be in double digits¡­ There was no point running away.


    Before answering, Rem and Luna brought her out of the stronghold first to talk about their business.


    "You''ll be fine... You will even thank us for bringing you out of your contract. We didn''t mention it to you before but we have already found a recement for Mystic Link Serum¡­"


    "W-what?! Is that possible? Why didn''t you just tell me earlier? Ugh¡­ Anyway, have you been to Qheglena?" Number 442 asked continuously.


    Rem chuckled after hearing her many questions but she can understand how she feel.


    "It''s not like that. Anyway, we just want to recruit someone without telling the benefit first¡­ As for the recement for the serum¡­ It''s better if you try it instead."


    Rem then passed over a bottle of healing potion to the new recruit which made her confused for a moment.

 Chapter 379 Celestial Recruitment

    The Celestial looked at the red potion with golden kes inside it¡­


    Although it looks different from the normal healing potions, she can still tell that it''s really just a potion that mana practitioners would normally consume if they are injured.


    She can''t be mistaken about this since the smell and auraing from it were the same.


    Nevertheless, she did notment on it since she can at least tell that there is no poison in it. Furthermore, if they wanted to eliminate her, they don''t have to be this borate at all.


    ck¡­


    She pulled out the cap of the vial and drank the potion without hesitation.


    Gulp¡­


    Since the potion was small, she easily swallow the liquid and it didn''t take long for her to feel something¡­


    Normal recovery potion is not effective on their bodies¡­ However, she can feel something warm after drinking the potion, and soon, she realized that her Celestial Energy recovered slightly!


    It wasn''t as incredible as the Mystic Link Serum but 50 or so of this potion must beparable to the serum!


    Nevertheless, this is still several times better than the Blood Essence!


    "This is incredible! How did you get this? Can we make this ourselves? Wait, have you been approached by the Overseer?"


    Number 442''s face lit up as she asked several questions¡­


    "Overseer? Why did you suddenly bring him up? Anyway, this potion is made by our contractor¡­ No other person can make this aside from him¡­" Rem replied proudly.


    "That person is incredible. I''ve met many Alchemists before who tried making this kind of potion but none of them seeded¡­ The project was then abandoned after several years¡­ I didn''t expect that someone managed to seed in the end. This is good news¡­"


    "If you understand, then that''s good. I no longer have to tell you what to do¡­" Luna said.


    "Of course¡­ I will work for this contractor of yours. If this person can provide me with this potion as well, then I will have noints¡­ and you''re right, I should really thank you for this opportunity¡­"


    "Haha¡­ I told you¡­ In any case, why did you mention the Overseer just now? Did hee looking for you?"


    Number 442 shook her head¡­


    "It''s not like that¡­ I was only informed by a few celestials that I met. They said that the Overseer has been looking for a Demihuman¡­ They said that he would reward them if they found that Demihuman and brought it to him. So I just thought that you guys received this potion as a reward."


    "A Demihuman?"


    Luna and Rem looked at each other with confusion. They were both clueless about this.


    It seems that it''s really a good thing to meet new Celestials since their informationwork can easily expand.


    "What kind of demihuman was he looking for?" Rem asked.


    "It''s a Shapeshifter¡­ The only method to identify this Demihuman is the mark left behind by the Overseer. It will transform back to its original form if you infuse Celestial Energy into its body¡­ Well, I never bothered searching for it since it''s a waste of energy." The celestial exined.<sub> </sub>


    "A Shapeshifter, huh¡­ I wonder what he did to piss off the Overseer¡­" Luna chuckled after thinking about it.


    "He had probably stolen something or perhaps, this Shapeshifter was from the front lines and managed to escape here."


    Number 442 guessed.


    "Right, I also heard that it might be inside the dungeons since it''s a safe dimension that Celestials wouldn''t just enter¡­ Some even said that the Overseer started destroying some dungeons because of this¡­"


    "Ahhh¡­" Rem and Luna finally realized why the Overseer destroyed the dungeons near Vera City before. It seems that it was actually looking for this Shapeshifter Demihuman.


    "We should probably find the Demihuman before the Overseer finds him¡­" Luna muttered as she was really curious about this demihuman. She wanted to know what really happened to the Overseer to act like a desperate person.


    "We can do that¡­ But our priority is still the mission Vincent gave us¡­" Rem said as Luna nodded in understanding.


    "Vincent? Is that the name of your Contractor?" Number 442 asked.


    "Ugh. Yes¡­ I guess there''s no point hiding this anymore."


    "Is that the same Vincent that I''ve been hearing about¡­ The blind Seventh Disciple of the Tower Lord¡­ The  Blind Alchemist?"


    "That''s him¡­ However, I didn''t hear anyone call him Blind Alchemist¡­" Rem answered with a bit of uncertainty.


    "Hmm? But that''s what the people in the stronghold call him."


    "I see¡­ I guess we haven''t gone outside for a long time¡­" Luna muttered as she also had no idea that Vincent has gained that title already.


    As they continued chatting for a while, Rem and Luna also learned that Number 442 doesn''t have Celestial Armor or Celestial Weapon at all.


    It was quite unfortunate but her Celestial Armor was actually taken by a group of other Celestials who ganged up on her.


    Of course, although she can tell that those Celestials enjoys robbing as well, it was also under the order of a group of Grand Magus who was contracted with them.


    As for the reason why she wasn''t captured by these people, it seems that it was because she look like an unnumbered Celestial. She was so weak at that time and her number is on her inner thigh so it can''t be easily seen.


    She should probably be thankful for that since she didn''t like those arrogant Grand Magus as well.


    "Alright¡­ We will be searching for other Celestials¡­ Take this¡­ Use it as your weapon right now¡­ Your sword is so brittle." Remmented as she decided to give her a small dagger.


    It doesn''t look anything special. It was just an ordinary ck dagger that is almost like a kitchen knife.


    Number 442 wanted to refute Rem that her sword is still better but as soon as she held the small dagger, she immediately kept her mouth shut¡­


    ''She''s right¡­ Is this one of those Pseudo-Legendary weapons? I didn''t think that they could be this good¡­''


    She gave it a few swings to familiarize herself before she felt satisfied and thanked Rem for it.


    Soon, their group continued on their way to find new Celestials.

 Chapter 380 Corrupt

    While all the Celestials were busy with their recruitment, Vincent did not remain idle as well. He received a bunch of items from L who has now ess to the treasures under the sea.


    Since his fellow disciples haven''t arrived yet, he decided to grind some more experience points as he knows that he will be busy once those two visited.


    [ Midnight Sea Pearl ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 45/65


    Mind Break: 100


    Corruption: 90


    Description: A previous healing pearl tainted by corrupted energy. This item can be consumed for arge amount to have a painless death.


    Remarks: Mind Break and Corruption attributes found. Durability and its attributes will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    There were over fifty of these pearls and L gave them to him since she doesn''t really have a use for them. Though it can be used to create some Magic Tools, none of her magicians would be able to use them since they are unable to handle corrupted energy.


    It can probably be used to create destructive Formation Art but she felt that it would be too dangerous if it is not properly maintained.


    In the end, she decided to offer it to Vincent since she knows that this man can handle any type of Magic Tool.


    "What a high corruption energy¡­" Vincent muttered with admiration.


    It must be remembered that even the Enchanted Bloodstone only has 16 points in the corruption attribute with zero enhancements.


    After fully enhancing the bloodstone, it could only reach 220 points in its corruption attribute. The limit of the bloodstone is really lowpared to this Midnight Sea Pearl.


    The small ck pearl already has 90 points even without enhancements!


    "I wonder where can I use this corruption energy¡­ Is it only to attract Magic Beasts?" Vincent thought but he immediately shook his head.


    There was no way that this menacing attribute was only for baiting Magic Beasts. Furthermore, the appearance of corruption energy has been very high recently. It was as if someone was telling him that his surroundings is being corrupted already.


    In any case, he continued with the enhancement of the item.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Mana? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent replied without hesitation.


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    He didn''t even look at the changes in attributes before he decided to continue with enhancement. He had a few failures but he did not give up. In any case, he has plenty of Pseudo-Celestial Energy right now and he didn''t mind losing some of them to get this into +9 or even +10 if he was lucky.


    As soon as it somehow reached +10, he was finally curious about its attributes.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes¡­"<sub> </sub>


    [ You have discovered a Midnight Sea Pearl. ]


    [ Midnight Sea Pearl ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 290/290


    Mind Break: 550


    Corruption: 405


    Description: A previous healing pearl tainted by corrupted energy. This item can be consumed for arge amount to have a painless death. The pearl will corrupt the mind of nearby living beings and it can only be suppressed by stronger energy.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    "A passive effect of corrupting mind, huh¡­ No wonder my ring is taking effect¡­" Vincent muttered as he realized that the attributes is already too high that they have already formed a passive effect.


    He''s not unfamiliar with this since he has plenty of items with simr effects. However, he realized that only those with negative effects can actually create this passive ability. It is quite troublesome but he only needs to store them in his System Inventory or in his interspatial ring to resolve this issue temporarily.


    Vincent then continued doing this to the other pearls as he had a hunch that these things will be very useful someday. Well, to be honest, he believes that like the Enchanted Bloodstone or anything that has a corruption attribute, would have its real value revealed someday.


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    Vincent heard footsteps in his residence. It was light and unhurried. He then used his Mana Sense but failed to identify the person so he used his Item Sense ability instead


    He then realized that it was Faviona who hade to visit him this time. It seems that she''s really using a higher level of anti-detectiontely.


    ''I guess she''s about to tell the real reason why she came here¡­'' He thought.


    He already expected this much since he knows that this great alchemist wouldn''t juste here to ask about the River Dragon and the Deity. There must be something else.


    Vincent kept his things on his workbench and opened the door to wee her. He didn''t mind amodating her since she has been really helpful over the past years during the construction of the city.


    After all, when he needed some rare items that can''t be found in the Tower and One Sea Merchant Union, the Alchemist Union is always there capable of providing them.


    ck¡­


    Faviona was surprised to see that the door opened even without her knocking. It was as if Vincent has been waiting for her all along.


    "Vincent¡­ Is this a good time to talk with you? I hope I''m not interrupting you." Faviona politely asked. From her tone, Vincent can already tell that she was about to ask for a favor or make a request that only he can do.


    "Yes¡­ I''m not that busy¡­ I can continue itter. Just befortable and tell me what I can do for you."


    Vincent smiled as he gestured for her to enter his room. He then noticed that she was still wearing her Alchemist Robe and she seem quite tired.


    She then looked around the room and realized that Vincent was checking his inventory. There are a lot of scattered magic tools and mystical objects on his workbench as if he was organizing them.


    After she found a chair and seatedfortably, she finally stated her real concern.


    "Vincent, I received another task from the Star Garden Peak¡­ It''s rted to a Tier 5 potion that they want me to make¡­ However, they told me that they are still preparing the ingredients needed for it and they might need four months to do that."

 Chapter 381 Peaks Invitation

    Vincent had previously mentioned to her that he wanted to visit the Star Garden Peak. He had almost forgotten about it but it seems that Faviona kept it in her mind.


    However, from her tone, there seems to be a problem with this request.


    "In four months, huh¡­ I''m fine with that. However, is there something wrong with this request?" Vincent asked.


    Faviona then sighed as she revealed her concern.


    "They asked me specifically to bring you there as well. I''m quite worried¡­ The one who contacted me is an elder of that organization and at the mention of your name, it doesn''t seem that he was looking forward to your arrival at all."


    "W-what? They''re asking for me? Wait, how can they even know me? Did you tell them? I have never met someone from that organization¡­" Vincent was surprised as he didn''t expect this at all. He thought that Faviona will just request something from him that is rted to his specialty.


    It didn''te to his mind that he would be invited by the Star Garden Peak so suddenly.


    "Haa~ I did not¡­ I''m not sure how they know about you, Vincent. However, since you have recently be popr, your name and title were probably spread around more often." Faviona replied.


    Vincent was quite suspicious about this¡­


    ''Did I reveal myst name? I''m sure that I''m only known as Vincent here¡­'' He mused.


    There shouldn''t be any records about him being a member of the Kayser Family. Even if the people from the Star Garden Peak are rted to his parents, there was no way they could recognize him.


    "Did they mention the reason why they''re inviting me?"


    "They only mentioned that they wanted you to see your ability¡­ I''m not sure which ability it was¡­ In any case, they promised that they will pay you somepensation if you agree to join me."


    "Apensation, huh¡­"


    Vincent weighed his options for a while¡­ He knows that this is actually a good opportunity as well since he already has ns to visit that ce.


    He ns to confront them about their coercion to the Sea Race to attack thend. His only concern is that he only has four months to prepare.


    During that time, he has to ensure that this city wouldn''t be in trouble during his absence. The matters regarding the ck Magic Organization and the magic god''s avatar must be settled.


    It is certainly a difficult task but if the Celestials he sent out during this time canplete their mission, then he shouldn''t be worried at all. He just needed to make sure that their potion production line is constantly producing low to mid-grade potions that he can enhance.


    "Yes¡­ If you requested them crates of Mana Crystals, they will not reject that at all¡­ However, if you will ask forpensation from them, I suggest that you request their best puppet¡­ They were called Diamond Automatons if I''m not mistaken¡­"


    Faviona said as she exined the human-like puppets or automatons that these people are using¡­<sub> </sub>


    Unlike golems that have cores containing a bit of sentience, these automatons were more like puppets that needed precise orders or controls to work¡­ However, they can be controlled by the owner''s thoughts so it is very easy to move them ording to their will.


    The Brass Automaton is the lowest grade and the Diamond Automaton is the highest grade. As for their prices, the highest grade was actually 3 or 4 times more expensive than the warships of the ck Tower.


    "Automatons¡­ That''s very interesting¡­ I will try and ask for thispensation if possible¡­"


    Vincent said as he already knows that these things weren''t being sold elsewhere. If you''re not part of the Star Garden Peak, you wouldn''t have a chance of obtaining this item.


    "That''s right¡­ So can I tell them now that you''ll being with me?"


    "Don''t tell them yet. We still have four months anyway. If they asked about it, tell them that I''m still thinking about it."


    "That should be fine then¡­ You have to make sure that youplete your preparation. I won''t be able to help you there once we arrived at the peak."


    "I understand¡­ In any case, do you know if controlling those automatons requires a special type of cultivation?" Vincent asked as he suddenly recalled that these things would''ve been copied by other organizations if they don''t have some sort of uniqueness that could stop others from fabricating them.


    "Hmm¡­ Not really. However, they have something called a linking process to connect the automaton to you. It should be very safe as it is simr to soul bind. I know you''re not unfamiliar with soul-bound items since I''ve seen you wielding a few of them."


    "That''s true¡­ Thank you for answering that¡­"


    "No, I should be the one thankful for your help all this time. Did you know how many alchemists you''ve helped because of the high-quality items that you''d always bring us?" Faviona said as Vincent was indeed doing such transactions with the Alchemist Union.


    Faviona then stayed for a little while as Vincent asked her about any of her knowledge regarding the existence of the corruption energy.


    Unfortunately, although she knows that this type of energy exists, she doesn''t know its origin at all. Furthermore, there are no ancient records about the corruption energy as well. Based on the information they have, the first discovery of corruption energy was about 30 years ago and the corruption was a very insignificant amount so no one really took it seriously.


    Even now, although there were a lot of them appearing in the market these days, they weren''t being seen as dangerous materials since some alchemists still have a use for them and they weren''t harmful to many magicians¡­ The effect of the corruption energy is quite weak as far as they know.


    Only those who hadn''t gone through Mana Baptism could possibly be affected by this. In short, the existence of corruption energy isn''t a big deal at all.


    Vincent kept it in his mind as his curiosity about the Enchanted Bloodstone only grewrger.


    ***


    Seven days after this event, Vincent finally heard the news about the Celestial Beings he sent out¡­ It didn''te from the Celestials themselves but surprisingly, it came from his two senior disciples!

 Chapter 382 Welcome

    "Whoa¡­ This city looks awesome from above¡­ It lookspletely different from the previous ces I''ve been before¡­ Didn''t Master Ignacy say that it was only built about two years ago?"


    "Hmmm¡­ I remember that he mentioned that¡­ But you shouldn''t be surprised since this person defeated that blind Magnus. There''s no way he''s a simple magician. He''s probably being helped by a few factions within the organization."


    Two men can be seen floating above Vera City as they discussed the magnificent view of the walled city. They weren''t using flying ships or Mana Art to do this but instead, they are using a Magic Artifact on their bodies¡­


    These artifacts were things that can no longer be replicated as their blueprint was already lost in time. Not even the best magicians can reverse-engineer them since they seem to be missing some ancient knowledge regarding the manufacturing process of these artifacts.


    Currently, these two guys who appear to be in their thirties have unkempt hair. They didn''t shave their beards and mustache as well as they look quite older than their age.


    If they were seen on the streets instead of the sky, they can probably be mistaken as homeless people since they are wearing what seems like rags instead of elegant magician robes that people of their status would normally wear.


    "Should we really secretly enter and inspect the city?" The man with long ck hair asked while holding the ck orb that is allowing him to float above the city.


    Beside him is a man wearing a tattered cloak that seems to be about to get torn because of the wind. However, this is actually the Magic Artifact allowing him to fly.


    This man has bright blue eyes and he was observing the city very carefully. He already noticed theid-out defenses so he didn''t answer immediately.


    "We should. We need to confirm the situation of the city with our own eyes. If Vincent learned of our presence, it would be difficult to do that. But can''t you feel the dangerous Formation Art surrounding the city?"


    "I can feel it¡­ But it can probably be fooled by our stealth ability right?" The man with long ck hair said as he activated his Ethereal Phase Shift¡­


    His body started rippling like water before disappearing from the sky¡­ After a few moments, he reappeared behind hispanion.


    "How''s that?" He asked smugly.


    "You''ve improved¡­ However, you were still caught by the celestials we bumped into¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ Don''t make me remember that¡­ Those Celestials are too freaky¡­ I''ve met several Celestials in the Martial Arts Alliance as well but they aren''t as aggressive and unpredictable as they were."


    "Well¡­ I can agree with that, the Celestials at Solomon''s Pir werepletely different from them."


    The man with the tattered cloak said as he recalled his experience with those Celestials. They seem to have mistaken the two as their attackers and they almost died as a result. Luckily, the misunderstanding was easily cleared after the real attackers revealed themselves.


    Anyway, the two of them weren''t normally helpless against a Celestial. Furthermore, they have received several contractual offers from other Celestials as well but they have all declined them since they don''t feelfortable providing them with their Blood Essence.


    As Mana Practitioners who heavily rely on their own skills, they couldn''t imagine weakening themselves to strengthen another.


    It wasn''t their style so there was no way they would think of contracting with a Celestial.


    "I finished my scan¡­ There is no Celestial below¡­" The cloaked man announced,


    "Great! As long as there is no Numbered Celestial down there, we can enter this city without being detected."


    The two immediately felt confident as soon as they confirmed that there is no Celestial Being within the city.


    With their current level, they believed that aside from those highly-rated Numbered Celestials and a few Tower Masters, no one could stop them if they wanted to do something¡­ They don''t only have Epic grade Magic Artifacts but also skills to back up this im. They were both Aura Knight and Penta-Caster Grand Magus¡­<sub> </sub>


    Soon, both of them rush toward the city barriers and activated their defenses including their stealth ability.


    They know that even if they managed to break the barrier, the disturbance can be felt by the magicians maintaining it.


    However, if they used their Ethereal Phase Shift, no one would sense their presence and the magicians from the city might just think that it was some kind of malfunction and ignore it.


    Of course, it wouldn''t be thisplicated if Vera City''s gate was actually open.


    Unfortunately, because of the current situation of the city that could be attacked by the ck Magic Organization at any time, only those who can show a permit will be allowed to enter¡­


    They waited for three hours for people who can enter the city, unfortunately, no one arrived after waiting for so long and they decided to do this instead.


    As they reached the barrier, they immediately felt a strong force blocking them but they didn''t give up.


    "It''s bearable! We can do this¡­"


    Luckily, although the barrier was durable, it wasn''t to the point of bing helpless against it. They know that with enough strength, they will be able to pass through the mana barrier¡­ It''s just a matter of time¡­


    "More¡­ More¡­" The two muttered in unison as they can feel that the barrier is starting to create a small hole for them.


    nk!


    It took them seven seconds to do this and they can maintain their Ethereal Phase Shift for 20 seconds. It was enough to drop to the ground and use a disguise technique.


    However, something unexpected happened¡­


    Bam!


    Another Mana Barrier blocked them!


    They had shocked faces as they didn''t think that a second barrier would activate this fast!


    A Layered Barrier isn''t a new thing but it normally takes quite some time to activate.


    "Hey¡­ Should we stop or use Master Ignacy''s Void Phase?" The cloaked man asked as he was already preparing to use their finest movement technique to pass through this barrier.


    "Alright, let''s use Void Phase¡­ Let''s surprise Vincent¡­"


    As soon as they made up their mind, their presence suddenly disappeared and reappeared within the airspace of the city¡­


    They seeded!


    However, before they could celebrate, several artillery shells weed them!

 Chapter 383 Fight

    "What the¡ª"


    Vincent sat up from his bed as soon as he felt that their barrier was suddenly being pressured by an unknown force¡­ It was subtle but it is definitely happening.


    Since one of the barrier''s formation cores is with him, he was able to control it a little even if he''s not inside the Kayser Tower.


    Vincent then spread his Mana Sense to the location where he felt the disturbance but he didn''t notice anything. Aura Sense didn''t work as well so he swiftly activated his Item Sense¡­


    At this time, it was already toote as the barrier seem to have been breached already¡­ Nevertheless, because the intruder only created a small hole, it was immediately repaired by the Formation''s Auto-Recovery.


    ''Two people?'' Vincent thought as he felt the gathering of magic tools above the city.


    These two intruders were then blocked by the second barrier and this time, they wouldn''t have an easier time.


    Suddenly, Vincent''smunication crystal lit up¡­ It was from Calidia inside themand center of the Kayser Tower¡­ It seems that this woman is working 24/7 inside the tower¡­


    ''I should tell her to take proper sleep¡­'' Vincent mused as he answered the call.


    "Sir Vincent¡­ There was a bit of disturbance on our barrier. We''re thinking that it could be a flying magic beast that tried to break our barrier¡­ However, we didn''t find any traces of it. Should I send Rufia''s team to investigate?" Calidia asked. Although this disturbance doesn''t seem to be that important, she knows that she still has to report it to Vincent.


    "There''s no need for that¡­ Prepare our artillery guns¡­ We have intruders¡­ Move silently and not alert the enemies¡­"


    "Yes! Sir Vincent!"


    Calidia was surprised for a moment but she immediately agreed. Her decision to inform Vincent was correct!


    After ending the call, she informed Caesus about their n. He then swiftly led a squad to ready the artilleries without anyints. Caesus even felt excited to be part of this operation¡­


    "Get ready! We will receive our orders soon!" Caesus shouted at the group of ten people preparing five artillery guns.


    After theypleted their preparation, Vincent then showed up beside them while looking at the sky.


    They are currently at the eastern gate of the inner wall within the central city.


    It wouldn''t be surprising that Vincent is here but all of them were surprised by his silent appearance. They didn''t feel any Mana Fluctuations until he got closer.


    It was very impressive but also quite scary since he moves like a ghost.


    "I''ll trigger a sh at the barrier. Use it as a guide to shooting the intruders down¡­ Ready?" Vincent suddenly spoke surprising Caesus and his squad.


    "Y-yes! We''re ready, Leader!"


    "Good! Look up¡­"


    Vincent said as he controlled the formation core to trigger a light to a specific spot on the barrier... The Mana Barrier doesn''t really have this kind of function¡­ It is only lighting up since Vincent is triggering a self-repair in that position.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Suddenly, the citizens heard the familiar sound of artillery shells being fired. It is a sign that their city is under attack.


    However, none of them panicked and only looked in the direction of the enemies¡­ To their surprise, they seem to be shooting at a flying enemy¡­


    None of them could see the target of the artillery so many of them guessed that it was just some flying beasts¡­<sub> </sub>


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The bombardmentsted for a minute more before it finally stopped and waspletely forgotten by the citizens... Since there is no announcement from the tower, it could just be some form of live fire training from the Artillery Team.


    None of them are aware that the garrison squad is now surrounding two Grand Magus that dared to enter their city without permission¡­


    ***


    "This is so unexpected, we were both taken down by those artillery rounds¡­ How scary¡­" Brycen, the Tower Lord''s third disciple, said in surprise.


    During the time they were defending themselves from the artillery rounds fired at them, they felt that a magician was actually disrupting their defenses¡­ They were having a hard time maintaining their defenses and they were unable to properly show their skills as Penta-Casters.


    It was as if they entered a field with chaotic mana¡­


    "It''sing from that guy¡­ From the description we received, I guess he''s that Vincent¡­" Shane, the fourth disciple, replied with a bitter smile as he pointed at the young man who was staring at them with a curious gaze.


    This young man doesn''t emit any hostility at all and he only seems interested in their intruders¡­ It was as if he knows that he was fully in control of the situation.


    Well, they didn''t expect that even with their Ethereal Phase Shift and Void Phasebined together, they can still be detected¡­ It was really their loss this time.


    It must be said that even the Tower Lord would not be able to do that if he''s not holding his legendary staff.


    ''Should we continue testing him? We''re already surrounded¡­'' Brycen spoke to Shane using telepathy¡­


    ''Let''s hear what he''s about to say first¡­''


    ''Alright¡­''


    The two then took a deep breath as they warily looked at the magicians looking at them. They weren''t really injured when they were shot down¡­ Even if their Mana Control was disrupted, they were still Grand Knights with an incredible physique.


    Even if they don''t use mana, they have life energy they can use and it can never be disrupted, unlike mana.


    "Are you done nning?" Vincent suddenly spoke after the two ended their telepathy¡­


    "Who are you?" Brycen asked like he didn''t know that he was Vincent.


    "I''m the owner of thisnd. Anyway, I''m not expecting a visitor that would enter my city that way¡­ Can you just state your reason foring here or do you want to be interrogated after beating you up?" Vincent asked with a sinister smile¡­


    It seems that he was waiting for them to answer but suddenly Brycen and Shane felt a suffocating Soul Domain pressing down on them¡­


    Vincent was not nning to discuss things with them at all. He was only bidding his time¡­


    Suddenly, they saw the young man pull out his wooden cane.


    The two of them heard several stories about this cane from the elders of the ck Tower. It was rumored that this cane was second only to the legendary staff of the Tower Lord!


    "Good!"


    Brycen and Shane felt excited after feeling some pressureing from Vincent. It had been a while since they felt like this and they were looking forward to it!

 Chapter 384 Flying Swords

    Vincent was obviously aware of their real identities since L described their appearance already. Although they weren''t wearing proper magician clothes and looked like beggars, the description of his seniors matches them.


    In addition, after he used his Item Sense ability, he already sensed the emblem that they have referring to their identities as the Tower Lord''s disciples.


    However, he wasn''t really sure whether these people have be part of the ck Magic Organization already.


    After all, Jairo, the fifth disciple that he captured is part of the organization¡­ Speaking of which, this person is still imprisoned serving his life sentence¡­ He was previously nning to send him to Ignacy but because of the recent events, he had already forgotten about him.


    ''My Mana Distortion wasn''t too effective against them¡­ It can only disrupt their Magic Tools'' activation and their Mana Protection¡­ I should try something else¡­'' Vincent thought as he pulled out his cane¡­


    As soon as he did this, he immediately attacked them with his Ensnare.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Several thorny iron vines suddenly started coiling around their feet but because of their incredible physique, they weren''t even scratched from that attack.


    However, this was only a distraction. He only wanted to keep them in their position for a brief moment so he could use his Soul Manifestation¡­


    Whom!


    A huge ghost-like figure of his grandfather suddenly appeared.


    Unlike before, this Soul Manifestation seems more real¡­ Although it is still made of smoke or some sort of mist, the manifested figure was more detailed and its eyes appear more intelligent than before.


    "It''s really the exclusive skill of a Soul-Forged Weapon! Amazing¡­"


    "Let''s see if it''s really as scary as the rumor says¡­"


    The two weren''t panicking and they even grinned seeing that strong Soul Manifestation getting closer to them¡­


    Vincent then gave the order to attack but this time, he gave the manifested soul aplicated instruction¡­


    It didn''t just fly directly to the two intruders. Instead, its movement was unpredictable as it tried getting closer to them¡­


    Vincent then watched his senior disciples deal with the manifested soul using their skills as Grand Knights¡­


    They suddenly made a ck sword out of thin air and it seem to be a materialization of mana!


    ''Is that even possible?'' Vincent was surprised since this is the first time he saw someone do this trick. However, he suddenly recalled some Elemental Mana Arts that can create various things¡­


    ''Fusion Arts?'' He surmised after sensing the mana fluctuations from them. It was quite impressive but definitely possible if you are a Penta-Caster.


    After a few moments, he realized that the two were able to equally fight against the manifested soul without using Lightning Arts. It should be the weakness of the skill that he just used but it appears that his seniors didn''t need to exploit its weakness at all.


    ''Ugh¡­ I wanted to see how much lightning art it can take but they''re not using it¡­'' Vincent felt a bit disappointed¡­


    After all, there is no magician capable of using lightning within Vera City. It means that he couldn''t test how long the Manifested Soul canst after it received a Magic Resistance attribute.


    Vincent then saw the two using some sword techniques that he had never seen before¡­ The two even seem to be enjoying their battle as they were able to fight it to their hearts'' content.


    Whenever the Manifested Soul is being weakened, Vincent just has to pour more energy into the Cane and it will regain its vigor¡­ It was like they are fighting an unkible summons and this gave them a bit of excitement to try some of their technique¡­


    Vincent smiled as he knows that they were having fun¡­ He doesn''t feel hostility toward them, unlike Jairo. They seem to be genuinely testing out his capabilities¡­


    ''Ahh¡­ Did they really juste here to secretly test my abilities? Hmmm¡­ If that''s the case, I should show them some more¡­''


    After figuring out the real intention of these seniors. Vincent no held back as he canceled his Soul Manifestation¡­


    Since these two were capable, he should be able to try some of his new Artifacts without worrying about their safety.<sub> </sub>


    Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­


    Three floating swords suddenly appeared beside Vincent¡­ They were weapons that he had previously used and they weren''t sentient items, unlike the Tome.


    However, these three were the result of his acquisition of the Enlightenment Stone or the Ancient-Grade item¡­


    Although the swords don''t have sentience, he can control them easily without having to split his mind into three¡­


    He can simply order the swords to execute pre-made attack patterns to cut his target¡­


    [ Wind-Blessed Sword ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 805/810


    Flight: 175


    Sharpness: 450


    Wind Flow: 210


    Description: A sword blessed by the deity that governs the wind.


    Soul-Bound: Vincent Kayser


    Remarks: The item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Skill ]


    [ Controlled Unit: A passive ability that allows the bounded user to control the wind-blessed sword with 10 attack patterns. The patterns will coordinate automatically with other simr controlled units. ]


    This sword was only a Unique-Grade Lite Arcane Sword before. However, after he used the enlightenment stone, it had be like this with the two other swords. It was unfortunate that he could no longer use the enlightenment stone again but this is still a good exchange.


    Furthermore, he was able to receive some enlightenment as well on how to provide a blessing to his items¡­ The problem is that he can''t do this unless he became a deity as well.


    Vincent smiled after seeing the reaction of his two senior disciples¡­ They seem to be figuring out why his swords are floating as they scanned the swords using their Mana Sense¡­


    ''First Pattern¡­''


    Seeing that the two were waiting for him to attack, Vincent obliged as he controlled his three flying swords to attack¡­


    Two of them flew up while one of the swords remained very low almost touching the ground¡­


    As soon as they are in their position, the swords started moving again as they targeted their heads and feet!


    In addition to this, Vincent strengthened his Soul Domain and pressured the two Grand Knights even more.


    "Hmph! Mere tricks¡­ Bring it on!"


    "Those tiny swords were nothing if the Magician controlling them gets taken down!"


    Brycen and Shane taunted Vincent.


    Instead of waiting for the swords to reach them, they also rushed toward Vincent with their gleaming swords!

 Chapter 385 Annoying Mana Arts

    Brycen exploded with power as his Imperious Will covered his entire body¡­ Because of this, Vincent''s Soul Domain was easily taken care of and as for Shane, his Magic Artifact seems to have an ability that could block his Domain.


    They were both very experienced in dealing with Aura Knight''s skills as they weren''t even impressed by the power of this domain¡­ It must be said that after being able to perfectly visualize Vera in his training, his Aura has already increased by leaps and bounds.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The two swords aiming for their head came rushing down exactly above them. The sword''s movement was loud as if they are asking to be noticed by the targets.


    The two Grand Knights then raised their swords to defend themselves. They didn''t even look at the flying swords properly since they can easily tell the location of the swords above them.


    Although the flying swords are very fast and sharp, their swords weren''t normal either¡­


    Their focus was on Vincent.


    ng! ng!


    The swords shed together but Brycen and Shane were confused. The third sword that was supposedly targeting their feet somehow vanished¡­


    Although the movement of this sword was silent and stealthy, it shouldn''t be to the point that it be undetected. They finally left their eyes on Vincent as they tried to find the sword that just vanished from their mana field.


    This is a very dangerous variable if it was left unnoticed.


    However, before they could even try to find this flying sword, the two other swords that they deflected returned extremely fast!


    "Behind!"


    Shane warned as he realized that Vincent''s control over the sword did not disappear even after they struck it with their powerful Mana de¡­


    Normally, this mana de would cut off Vincent''s connection to the sword if he was controlling them with Mana Strings.


    However, they are unaware that he wasn''t using Mana Strings to control them¡­ What he was using is the skill of the swords themselves!


    They deflected the swords again but they felt the danger that it had brought to them¡­ Without any hesitation, the two activated their strongest Mana Shell allowing them to be perfectly protected from any angles¡­


    Clink!


    The third sword appeared at the same time and Brycen''s thigh was almost pierced if he didn''t activate his defense in time.


    They have finally realized that they can''t underestimate the level of control that Vincent had over these swords.


    "Good! It wouldn''t be interesting if you''re not this strong, Vincent¡­" Brycen said as he threw his sword creating a trail of fire¡­


    Now that he can see and feel the presence of the three flying swords, he no longer felt threatened¡­ Especially, after confirming the strength behind the flying sword''s strike.


    From their sh just now, he surmised that the flying swords weren''t that dangerous to a Grand Knight''s body. Their strikes are bearable and he doesn''t have to be worried about it even without a weapon in his hands.


    His normal Mana Barrier partnered with his Bronze Skin should be more than enough to stop it.


    Vincent raised his brows after seeing that Brycen just threw out his only weapon¡­


    Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity to weaken his opponent¡­


    Vincent swiftly controlled the three flying swords to attack Brycen''s ming swords¡­<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    The sh between the swords created a shockwave as the crowd who had been watching them stepped back¡­ The force from that collision was just too strong¡­ The three flying swords were scattered away and the me sword struck the ground instead.


    As expected of a Grand Knight, the sword he casually threw has an immense force behind it. The three flying swords were only able to redirect its trajectory.


    "Ensnare!" Vincent immediately activated the cane''s ability as he felt Shane use the ghost-like movement technique and arrived behind him.


    It was the same technique he used to bypass the Tower''s Mana Barrier.


    "Tsk! Annoying technique¡­" Shane wanted to curse as the Iron Vines that suddenly disrupted his movement almost tripped him to the ground. It also revealed his position so Vincent was able to move away in an instant¡­


    "Oh? Is that a Tier 1 Movement Technique? Shrouded Steps?" Brycen noticed Vincent''s technique and he couldn''t help but be impressed. Shrouded Step is a technique that anyone could learn but not everyone could master. He can easily tell that Vincent''s mastery over this movement technique had already reached its peak and it doesn''t just require talent to do this but also hard work.


    He likes these kinds of people who work hard so his impression of Vincent immediately improved.


    On the other hand, Vincent heard him speak but he didn''t answer. Instead, he decided to unleash his finest Tier 2 Mana Art, his Mana Bullets¡­


    Although he can''t form multiple bullets at the same time, he was quick at forming these bullets, and shooting them at his target was even faster.


    It would only take less than a second toplete all this action. Furthermore, Vincent can now see with his own eyes!


    Using this technique is now morefortable and less taxing to his body¡­


    "Haha! Kid, do you think that those Mana Bullets can hurt someone at our level? You should create a Fusion Art or something to make it more interesting¡­" Shane mocked Vincent after sensing the weak mana fluctuation from the bullet thetter made.


    Vincent didn''t get mad at this as he even smiled after hearing him look down on his technique¡­


    "Don''t worry, I will adjust my Mana Bullets depending on how you fair against it¡­" Vincent replied as he started shooting them with his Pseudo-Celestial Energy Bullets!


    Bam! Bam!


    The first two bullets were deflected by the Brycen and Shane''s simple mana barrier¡­ They didn''t think too much of these bullets as expected.


    However, their expression suddenly turned serious after feeling the impact that followed after.


    It was heavy¡­


    The bullet formed by Vincent was something they have never experienced before. Well, it is only a Tier 2 Mana Art and people wouldn''t normally use this low-level technique to fight a Grand Magus.


    They have never thought that Mana Bullets can be this strong!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Vincent didn''t stop shooting at them¡­ This time, his two opponents decided to dodge and deflect it with their equipment. They realized that if they get cleanly hit by these bullets, they would only need three shots to destroy their shields and expose their bodies!


    They then started getting closer to Vincent as they wanted to put pressure on him¡­ However, they suddenly felt their Mana being consumed a lot faster!


    ''What''s going on? A formation art? Is it a trap? How is our mana being drained this fast?!''


    These are the questions in their minds but they have no time to look for an answer. They suddenly felt five of the artillery guns mounted on the wall being pointed at them!

 Chapter 386 Tier 5

    "Not good¡­" Brycen didn''t feelfortable being pointed at by those freaky artillery guns. He already knows that the shells being used in each shot from them were enough to destroy the first generation of flying warship he had seen before.


    In addition to this, his Mana is being drained and Mana Bullets are flying at him every now and then¡­


    ''Tsk¡­ Fine! Let me show you what a Penta-Caster is like!'' Brycen signaled to Shane that he was about to start bullying Vincent.


    He didn''t really want to win by Penta-Casting Tier 3 Mana Arts since he knows that Vincent isn''t a Grand Magus yet. However, he has no other choice. Shane smiled at this as he also wanted to end this battle¡­


    Ending this sh with their dominance is something he wanted to happen before they introduce themselves as Ignacy''s disciples.


    "Eh? It''s that annoying field again!" Shane was flustered after realizing that the surrounding mana suddenly started acting differently. They can''t properly form their Tier 3 Mana Arts!


    However, they also noticed that Vincent stopped shooting them with Mana Bullets¡­ Even the draining of their mana stopped after the magic-canceling field was created.


    It seems that Vincent can''t do anything as well if this field was activated.


    "This is impressive¡­ Is this one of his gifts or is it a Mana Art?" Brycen muttered.


    They don''t know the official name of this technique so they just named it the magic-canceling field. They have no idea how this is being done but they weren''t too worried about their situation.


    "What is this technique?" Brycen asked curiously while looking at the Artillery Guns warily¡­ He''s more concerned about those guns pointed at him than Vincent''s Mana Arts.


    To their surprise, Vincent actually answered his question.


    "It''s called Mana Distortion¡­ It works really well against Mana Arts formed by Mana Practitioners¡­"


    Vincent replied implying that if they used the skills embedded in Magic Artifacts, the Mana Distortion would have a weaker effect.


    "Ohhhh¡­ Mana Distortion. I''ve heard of that¡­ But I remember that this is extremely difficult to learn¡­ Even the Tower Lord needed five years to master this technique¡­" Shane muttered after hearing the name of the technique. He didn''t even dare to learn this technique¡­ However, Vincent can actually learn thisplex technique. No wonder he became the seventh disciple.


    ''Five years?'' Vincent repeated in his mind. He didn''t expect that it would be that difficult to learn this Mana Art. If the Tower Lord took that much time, how much more for the others?


    Well, he can''t look down on them since he learned it through the system''s Skill Learning feature.


    It was basically cheating so Vincent wouldn''t proudly im that he learned it in just a few minutes.


    Anyway, Vincent stopped chatting with them as he wanted to try a few more Mana Arts and Magic Tools to suppress them¡­


    Vincent used other Magic Tools like Beast Crown Bow, Dark Arcane Sword, and Discipline Staff. They were some of his Pseudo-Legendary Weapons that he was nning to nurture and advance them to the Awakened Rank someday¡­


    Because there is a chance that his selected item can be destroyed during the Awakening process, he didn''t want to Awaken his favorite items. Furthermore, he felt that he wouldn''t enjoy wielding them if he knows that they are sentient.


    The battlested for 10 more minutes because of this¡­ Brycen and Shane also realized that they are being used by Vincent to try all his new Artifacts which annoyed them a little. They felt that Vincent was just ying around.


    Furthermore, the item skills were quite random and it''s stressing them out¡­


    The Beast Crown Bow can shoot fire and ice arrows while the Dark Arcane Sword can create illusions and it could even cut their weakened Elemental Art.


    ''This Mana Distortion is so annoying¡­'' Shane thought as he looked at Vincent wielding his Discipline Staff this time.<sub> </sub>


    Although the two of them can use Tier 5 Mana Art to stop the Mana Distortion from affecting them, that would consume a lot of mana and they won''t be able to use it for 10 to 15 days.


    Is it worth the price?


    They didn''t think so. After all, they only wanted to test Vincent''s skills and personality.


    Boom! Boom!


    Brycen and Shane were pushed to the wall of the inner city¡­


    Vincent just used the staff to push them away¡­ It didn''t hurt them in any way but they are unable to stop being pushed pack¡­


    It was a mysterious artifact with a pushing ability and the two felt very frustrated about this¡­


    "Aahhh! I don''t care anymore¡­ I''ll go all out¡­ I''ll show him what Tier 5 Mana Art looks like¡­ Shane, just watch me¡­" Brycen said as he knows that once he used his Tier 5 Mana Art, Shane didn''t have to act anymore as it would just be too much.


    Vincent noticed what was going on as he even stopped his Mana Distortion from affecting Brycen¡­ Yes, he wanted to experience his Tier 5 Mana Art¡­


    It''s probably arrogance or confidence that is making Vincent assured that he wouldn''t be in danger. He has been training with Celestials before and his fear of things had basically changed because of it.


    The soldiers or the crowd watching the battle noticed the sudden change in the surrounding mana.


    Brycen, the man with dirty blond hair and wearing rags as his clothes, suddenly be like a ck hole as he started sucking a lot of mana¡­


    At this rate, even the mana supplies of the City Barrier will get taken!


    Vincent''s first reaction was to stop it from happening but he realized that the rate of mana consumption suddenly slowed down.


    It seems that Brycen didn''t require that much mana¡­


    ''Now, show me this Tier 5 Mana Art of yours¡­'' Vincent thought as he looked at Brycen.


    Whom¡­ Whom¡­ Whom¡­


    Strong fluctuations of mana surrounded Brycen as he curled up like a fetus while floating above the ground. He also covered himself with red energy or perhaps, a fire element to protect himself during his transformation¡­ This preparationsted for 10 more seconds¡­


    Thud!


    Brycen finally removed the red energy covering him and showed his glossy ck body with a red pattern on his torso¡­


    It was like he had transformed into a ck Steel Body!


    ''What is this Tier 5 Mana Art?'' Vincent mused but suddenly, he felt Brycen staring at him as he realized that the man''s eyes had also turned red¡­


    If he adds a couple of horns on his forehead, Vincent will probably mistake him for a ck demon.

 Chapter 387 Clash

    When Vincent was still in the Tudor Kingdom, he encountered a Tier 4 Skill Book which is a requirement to learn a Tier 5 Skill.


    It is the Skill Book that was used to test the Appraisers in the Guardian Auction House.


    At that time, he was the only one with the ability to appraise it so he was able to get the job.


    [ Skill Book: Demonic Body ]


    [ Quality: Tier 4


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound by female human skin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn the skill called Demonic Body. Demonic Body is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Ethereal Demon Body, a Tier 5 Skill.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    This is the first skill book that Vincent appraised, so obviously, he wasn''t able to forget this item at all.


    Now that he saw Brycen''s body, he couldn''t help but be reminded of this skill. Perhaps, if learning this skill doesn''t require special materials, he would''ve learned the skill book as well using his Learn Ability of the system¡­


    Unfortunately, only skills or Mana Arts that don''t require some ingredients or materials are the things he can learn.


    "Hoo~ You don''t seem too surprised after seeing this form¡­ Have you fought someone with the same skill?" Brycen didn''t immediately attack as he looked at Vincent and asked calmly.


    Now that he used his Tier 5 Mana Art, he knows that those Artillery Guns, Flying Swords, Mana Bullets, Ensnare, and Mana Distortion wouldn''t affect him anymore.


    It was the same for Shane since he knows that with Brycen''s skills, he wouldn''t have to make a move anymore.


    "It''s my first time seeing this¡­ So I want to see how strong you''ve gotten¡­" As soon as Vincent finished speaking, heunched an invisible attack.


    Vincent''s eyes turned almost blue as Brycen almost felt like coughing up blood¡­


    Instead of being rmed, Brycen actuallyughed after being attacked.


    "I almost forgot that you''re a decent Aura Knight¡­ Is that the Soul Gaze? You probably learned it from your master¡­" Brycen said as he recognized that technique.


    He was indeed correct. Currently, Vincent has six 3-Star Soul Arts and Soul Gaze is one of them¡­ He decided to use this technique since Brycen''s physical appearance seem like he wouldn''t budge even if a battering ram mmed on him.


    With this in mind, he tested Brycen''s mind and soul. It seemed effective at first but after he tried it two more times, Brycens seem to have adapted to his Soul Gaze and was no longer being affected.


    "Is that all you can do? Then I''m my turn now¡­" Brycenughed as pounced at Vincent¡­


    The knights behind Vincent felt a bit worried about this since the man they were fighting looked more like a demon instead of a Magician.


    Nevertheless, Vincent didn''t panic and signaled the Artillery Team to fire!


    Since Caesus was ready, as soon as he noticed Vincent''s signal, he immediately ordered his man and five guns fired almost at the same time¡­


    Bang! Bang!


    Brycen ignored this as he only looked at the young man in front of him.


    He''s no longer wielding a weapon since his body has already evolved into something even stronger and tougher. All his weapons weren''t as tough as his body so using them will just get in his way.<sub> </sub>


    He reached out his right arm and tried grabbing Vincent''s neck in a swift motion¡­ However, Vincent stepped back using his Shrouded Steps and kept his Flying Swords and his Discipline Staff in his System Inventory¡­


    Vincent knows that the Flying Swords can no longer harm Brycen. As for the staff, it doesn''t really have any destructive ability and it can only push away its target. It is only good for buying time or ying around with his opponent.


    What Vincent brought out was surprisingly a ck wooden cane that they have seen a few moments ago when he used the Soul Manifestation and Ensnare¡­


    "Haha! Did you use all your weapons already? If you think that old man can do something to me, try and summon him again... I''ll end it quickly!" Brycen said as he waved his hand above his head and smashed the air¡­


    The artillery shells exploded midair! It appears that Brycen didn''t just strengthen his body but also his control over his raw mana.


    Brycen didn''t think too much of it as he charged forward only to meet Vincent''s cane strike¡­


    Brycen''s fist and the Ironbark Cane shed together¡­


    Boom!


    A powerful impact followed and the ground they were standing on started cracking due to the sheer force that came from the sh¡­


    Because of this, some of the soldiers around started worrying about their current situation.


    "S-so strong! These intruders are too powerful¡­"


    "Don''t worry¡­ The Kayser Tower''s Mana Cannon is not being used yet. The River Dragon is also on our side¡­ Even if the Celestials weren''t here yet. We can still win this¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ Aren''t you curious why Sir Vincent pushes himself to fight instead of ordering us to surround and bombard our enemies?"


    "T-that true¡­ Is he actually just ying around with these intruders¡­"


    "Probably¡­ He''s a master of eight Celestial Beings, don''t underestimate him¡­"


    The soldiers started seeing through Vincent''s ns as they continued being on the defensive and controlled the situation.


    They do have limited skills in Mana Arts but all of them can at least use Mana Bullets which is a basic Tier 2 Mana Art that almost all Mana Practitioners can learn.


    If all of them started shooting these intruders at the same time, they believe that it would be effective at some point or at least, create an opening for Vincent to end this battle¡­ Nevertheless, they remained still and maintained their position as Vincent ordered them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three more shes urred with the same intensity as the first sh¡­


    The ground started breaking and dust filled up the surroundings.


    To their surprise, they can still feel Vincent and the intruder''s stable Mana Fluctuation almost without any changes¡­


    However, one of them suddenly jumped back after the fourth sh...


    It was Brycen who is now warily looking at Vincent''s wooden cane¡­


    "What in the world is that thing? Is that made from a branch of a divine tree or a world tree?"

 Chapter 388 Result

    Vincentughed as he can understand the man''s confusion.


    His Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane isn''t just durable¡­ Its Crush Attributes also makes it destructive¡­


    He didn''t even have to put too much strength on his strikes and this attribute will do its magic. The only reason why Vincent needed to put enough force behind his strike was to ensure that Brycen wouldn''t push the cane on him and suffer from the crush attribute instead¡­


    "Is that all, Mr. Intruder?" Vincent taunted while looking at Bryce with a sneer on his face.


    Thetter was checking his knuckles and although there is no visible injuries or cracks on his ck iron skin, he can feel the pain from it¡­ He wasn''t exactly sure how many more shes he couldst but he knows that he can''t continue with this method.


    For some reason, his Tier 5 Beast Demon Body wasn''t too effective against that wooden cane. It was as if the cane was some kind of a blessed item.


    "Hmph! Don''t think that you''ve already won¡­ I haven''t started yet¡­" Brycen said as he annoyingly nced at the Artillery Guns mounted on the wall.


    Apparently, he felt that they were about to fire again¡­


    His prediction was correct as Caesus ordered another bombardment¡­ This time, they used a different artillery shell. This shell is no longer meant for Magic Beasts.


    They used an Artillery Shell meant to kill Barbarians!


    Vincent prepared this in case the Totemic Barbarians decided to attack his vige. However, seeing that Brycen became incredibly strong, Vincent was reminded of the Totemic Barbarians and secretly ordered Caesus to change the shells.


    Of course, Brycen was unaware of this so he didn''t think too much of it¡­


    Only when he noticed Vincent''s sinister smile did he feel something off.


    "Hmmm?"


    However, it was already toote, the shells that he smashed with his materialization of raw mana didn''t explode and disappeared midair¡­


    Instead, it created a sticky bomb that weed Brycen and because of the short distance, he was unable to react in time and was covered by this sticky bomb¡­


    "What? Do you think this can stop me?" Brycen was confused but when he tried using me Body, a Tier 3 Mana Art, he realized that it was actually ineffective. He remained stuck on the ground, half-kneeling!


    He then used Mana Discharge to dissolve the sticky liquid attached to him but even with that, it barely did anything to help him. He probably needed to do it more than 50 times topletely remove this adhesive liquid from him.


    He is not taking any damage from it but he can no longer dodge any attacks because of this¡­


    "Hey, young man¡­ Do you think that I''ll be defeated with just this? Even if I sit here all day long, I won''t be injured by your Mana Bullets. If you got closer to me, I can also crush you with my Mana Pressure¡­"


    Brycen said with confidence. After activating his Tier 5 technique, he had limited his magic abilities in exchange for an incredibly tough body. However, this body could ignore most of the known Mana Arts so he wasn''t too worried about being bombarded by Tier 3 Elemental Mana Arts even less from a Tier 2 Mana Bullet.


    Although his Mana Field can only affect around ten meters in radius, once Vincent entered that range, he''s confident that he will be able to win. This time, he won''t force himself to grab Vincent anymore and just deal with him by suffocating him with his Mana.


    "I won''t get near you then¡­" Vincent yfully said as he nced at Shane.


    After confirming that the man wasn''t too worried and not showing signs of helping his friend, Vincent continued with his ns while informing Caesus to watch Shane carefully¡­<sub> </sub>


    Vincent then pulled out hismunication crystal and started contacting Calidia who was in the Kayser Tower¡­


    After a few seconds, everyone felt a huge amount of mana gathering at the top of the Tower¡­


    "W-what?" Brycen, who hade from Solomon''s Pir, can recognize that that is something his body couldn''t take¡­


    Shane was also rmed by the violent mana being gathered above the Tower.


    ''Did he actually learn the ck Tower''s secret? How can he create this kind of powerful weapon?''


    Needless to say, only the Tower Lord knows how to create the ck Tower''s Great Destion. It is the ultimate attack that the mage tower can create. Of course, this is exclusive to the Mage Tower made by the organization.


    Right now, however, Shane and Brycen can feel the same threating from the small and somehow cute Tower that Vincent created at the center of his city.


    When they first saw it, they just thought it is some sort of imitation to scare people away. However, this tower is actually a genuine Mage Tower! The two looked at each other with helpless smiles on their faces.


    They can probably survive this attack if they work together and they can even continue fighting. They may also capture Vincent if they took this seriously and cast a forbidden Mana Art.


    However, the battle has gone on for so long already so it should probably be the right time to give up. After a few moments, Brycen and Shane raised their hands up¡­


    "We surrender¡­ You did well, Vincent¡­" Brycen said.


    Shane was about to introduce themselves but Vincent''s reply stunned them.


    "Thank you for helping me realize my ws, Third Brother and Fourth Brother..."


    Vincent called them brothers since L told him to call them that¡­


    The two finally realized that they have been recognized by Vincent from the start and wanted to y with them as well!


    No wonder they weren''t being bombarded from all sides!


    The group of soldiers who were also watching this realized what was going on. Since they all know that Vincent doesn''t have a family anymore, they were able to tell that these third and fourth brothers were actually his senior disciples!


    It means that they are also the Tower Lord''s disciples!


    "So it was like that¡­ No wonder Sir Vincent didn''t order the next bombardment¡­"


    Caesus wryly smiled as he can''t believe that he just tried to kill the Tower Lord''s disciple¡­ Apparently, the sticky bomb they fired had a follow-up bombardment. It is supposedly followed by a poisonous artillery shell and was meant to take advantage of the weakness of the Totemic Barbarians.


    He believes that it could also kill the two Grand Magus below¡­


    Luckily, Vincent was able to stop him in time telling him there was no need for such actions. If he really ordered his men to fire those shells, he wouldn''t know how he would take responsibility¡­

 Chapter 389 Signs Of Aliens

    The situation immediately calmed down as the news of the Third and Fourth Disciple''s arrival spread throughout the whole city.


    The soldiers just exined that Vincent and his seniors were sparring for a while so there was some disturbance in the central part of the city.


    The exnation was easily epted by everyone and continued with their work.


    On the other hand, Shane and Brycen received decent treatment as they can finally wear clean and high-level Magician Robes.


    They wanted to pay for it but Vincent didn''t ept their payment¡­ Well, he will be asking for a few requestster on so he wanted to make them feel that they owe him a favor.


    In any case, Vincent confirmed that these two aren''t part of the ck Magic Organization. As a matter of fact, they even fought with a squad of them while on their way here.


    "You''ve fought against them? Is that why you guys have torn clothes and everything?" Vincent asked as they were walking on the streets of the city.


    Vincent was quite proud of his city so he decided to bring them around personally.


    "Ugh¡­ That¡­ It''s different. We bump into a group of Celestials and somehow, we got into trouble¡­" Shane then exined what happened and based on their description, they seem to have encountered Tara''s group!


    Vincent, of course, remained quiet about it. He didn''t tell them that they are working for him and it was probably a misunderstanding.


    Anyway, he was able to indirectly get an update from them and confirmed that Tara''s group has already grown into five Celestial Beings.


    No wonder these two can only escape.


    "Hmmm? What are those things? I can feel a familiar aura from them?" Shane asked as he looked at the wagons filled with jars being transported to the huge warehouse near the tower.


    He doesn''t know the content of the jars but whatever it is, he can sense a familiar aura on it. The smell seems nostalgic and he couldn''t help but be curious about it.


    Vincent nced at the wagons and carts being moved.


    "Oh¡­"


    Vincent smiled as he can understand why these two felt familiar on these items.


    "They contain some special octopus ink¡­ I was informed that it was used to coat the ck Towers¡­ L confirmed it as well so I took a few jars of them to cover my Mage Tower. She mentioned that it can also help gather mana a lot faster so I purchased as much as I can¡­" Vincent answered as the two looked amazed by the amount of ink he gathered.


    As far as they know, the creation of the ck Towers had stopped at 36 because of theck of materials. Four main materials arecking and one of them is this ck ink¡­


    "Incredible¡­"


    "I didn''t expect that this ink can still be harvested."


    The two can only sigh in admiration as they realized Vincent''s dedication was on a different level. Creating a great cityparable to or even better than the current cities in the ck Tower''s territory is not an easy feat.


    "Well, I was just lucky¡­ It was all thanks to Senior L''s ability to grab an opportunity." Vincent replied.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh? What happened? Did she make a deal with the Sea Creatures or something? As far as I know, they stopped making contact with humans several decades ago¡­" Brycen, who had juste from Solomon''s Pir, know this story well since there were many records of it.


    It''s not just the northern Sea Creatures that stopped contacting humans but also those in the western and eastern parts of the continent.


    Since this was brought up, Vincent had no choice but to exin what happened in Nidite City and how they deal with the Sea King.


    Vincent isn''t really a good storyteller so it took him almost an hour before he finishes the story. They were already inside the Kayser Tower''s reception room and were even served some tea and snacks¡­


    "Those bastards! I already know they are up to no good¡­ I didn''t think they''ll order the Sea Creatures to conquer thend¡­ What a bunch of lunatics!" Brycen eximed as soon as he heard theplete story.


    On the other hand, Shane remained quiet as he seems to be deep in his thoughts.


    "What are you thinking about?" Brycen suddenly asked after noticing hispanion frowning.


    "I just find it really weird¡­" Shane muttered.


    "Weird? Of course, it''s weird¡­ They were trying to harm their fellow humans! They probably wanted to live with their puppets and not with humans. Hmph¡­ Disgusting cult."


    Vincent listened as he realized that Brycen is actually quite an aggressive fellow. Nevertheless, he looked at Shane since he had a simr thought. He couldn''t think how it would benefit the Star Garden Peak if they ordered the Sea Creatures to attack. It was too suspicious. It was as if they were aiming for something else.


    Furthermore, it even seems that it would greatly harm the Sea Creatures instead of helping them if they decided to upy thend.


    "Everything lies on their ability to predict or maybe even summon that meteor¡­" Shane said after a while.


    "That''s true¡­" Vincent agreed.


    The meteor that was summoned isn''t something that a Fusion Art can create. The sheer size was just too much even for a Grand Magus of the highest level.


    "Perhaps it''s rted to their Astromancy¡­ We don''t even know what they are observing in the skies all year round. Maybe their prophecy about the future of the Sea Creatures is real?" Brycen replied.


    He wasn''t too interested in the Star Garden Peak before but now that they have involved themselves in the matters of their Second Sister, they couldn''t just let this go.


    "That might be the case¡­ In any case, I was already invited by this organization to visit their ce together with Alchemist Faviona¡­ I will probably find out once I got there."


    "What? They invited you?" Shane and Brycen asked in surprise.


    "However, it won''t happen soon¡­ We still have to deal with the ck Magic Organization." Vincent hastily said as heid out his ns to help their Master deal with the organization.


    After all, this organization was also targeting them because of their identity as Ignacy''s disciples¡­


    Time quickly passed and the three fellow disciples spent a peaceful week within the city sharing their knowledge about the outside world Vincent learned a lot about the Martial Arts Alliance and the Solomon''s Pir.


    He even learned about the Demonic Cult that Shane has been hunting for a long time and he can''t help but be surprised after learning that the leader of this cult is possibly one of the alien races that are aiming for the Celestials!

 Chapter 390 30th Tower

    Vincent had first heard of the Celestial Beasts that turned out to be Demihumans. They were an alien race that followed the Celestials here to take control of thend or some other reason he doesn''t know.


    There is also the Xonid Legion which he already encountered after it parasitized a Celestial''s body.


    The other three were the Arkhan Legion, Thoran Empire, and the Morian Collective.


    Even when Luna was talking about them, she didn''t seem well and didn''t want to recall her experience with these aliens.


    Needless to say, they are troublesome opponents because how most of them were capable of wielding Aether, a different type of energy that can corrupt things¡­


    ''Hmm? Corruption?'' As Vincent reached this thought, he immediately had an idea.


    "May I ask more about your experience dealing with the members of the Demonic Cult?" Vincent asked. The reason why he thought that the cult is being led by an alien race is because of how they are wielding another type of energy which is most likely Aether based on his description.


    "Of course! I''ve been hunting them for years! I have a lot of stories to tell¡­" Shane said with enthusiasm.


    Currently, only Vincent and Shane were inside the reception room. As for Brycen, he went to visit theke where the River Dragon is currently resting.


    He had never seen a Mythical Beast before so he wanted to observe it as much as possible and perhaps, he could get lucky and get a chance to fight against it.


    Well, he at least wanted to fight against a Mythical Beast once in his lifetime.


    ***


    While this was all happening in Vera City, a huge battle between members of the ck Tower and the ck Magic Organization was happening at the 30th Tower¡­


    Dark clouds started to loom over the entirety of thisnd and numerous warships can be seen across the sky¡­


    The warships are ten times more than the ones that attacked Vera City and they are raising the g of the ck Magic Organization.


    "Tower Lord, you should escape for now! You haven''t fully recovered yet¡­" Archon Thyrus urged Ignacy to escape while they are still in control of the situation.


    Currently, the area around the 30th Tower has be a battleground filled with many corpses of magicians¡­


    The previous prosperous city was now filled with rubble and fires can be seen everywhere. It was such a painful sight considering they were all previous members of the same organization.


    "I can''t leave this tower and watch it get destroyed like the others! This should end here! We have to win! Cough! Cough!" Ignacy coughed out a mouthful of blood as he was still suffering from internal injuries.


    His previous battle against the magic god''s Avatar didn''t end well.


    Although he managed to survive and saved several people who were close to him at that time, he received an injury in his heart, and not even the finest elixirs of the organization can cure him.


    At the moment, he is using almost half of his strength to continuously suppress it with his mana making him really weak at the moment.<sub> </sub>


    Perhaps, if not for his Legendary Staff, his strength would just be the same as some other Archons from the Tower. However, with the existence of his staff, he can at least be equal to other Tower Masters¡­


    "Tower Lord, there are too many of them¡­ The tower''s defenses wouldn''tst for a long time¡­ They have nned it really well and destroyed several formation arts from the inside. We have been careless and we didn''t eliminate their spies in time. We have to retreat for now and gather our strength¡­" Thyrus did his best to convince Ignacy.


    At this time, the 30th Tower Master had also arrived. This tower master is an old woman who seemed to be in her 90s¡­


    Although she can probably use transformation arts to appear a bit younger, she had decided not to use such trickery and maintained her real appearance.


    Currently, she''s holding a scepter with a blue gem embedded on top of it. It is such an attractive Magic Tool that it consistently emits a cold aura in its surroundings.


    "You don''t look well, Ignacy¡­" The Tower Master said seeing how Ignacy was wiping the blood he coughed up with his hands.


    "I''m fine. I can still fight¡­ Even if we can''t win this time, we have to least destroy all their vessels and their formation cores¡­ This way, they won''t be able to attack my disciples¡­" Ignacy said since he knows that they are really outnumbered this time.


    "Hmph¡­ You should just recuperate¡­"


    "I will fight with everyone¡­ We still have a chance of winning¡­ Right now, there is no Avatar that we''ll have to face¡­ We''re just fighting against magicians!" Ignacy said to boost their morale. He knows that it will be very difficult.


    Although he had gathered many magicians on his side to fight against the ck Magic Organization, he just can''tpete against the mysterious powers of this organization.


    They have medicines that seem to havee from a devil which allows many magicians to be incredibly stronger in just a single night¡­ Furthermore, it doesn''t seem to have side effects so it was very convincing to join their organization.


    However, Ignacy can tell that although there are no visible side effects, there is a huge consumption of life energy for every magician involved with the ck Magic Organization.


    He was able to tell that at least 20 to 30 years of their lifespan was consumed after they have forcefully increased their talent in magic or cultivation.


    They probably used some type of drug to do it or this magic god really assisted them¡­


    If that''s the case, the magic god is probably getting stronger the more magicians he "helped" to get stronger¡­


    Is he eating those lifespans to get stronger?


    The Tower Lord can only guess since he doesn''t have a clue what kind of being that magic god was¡­


    This is also one of the reasons why he doesn''t want this to continue for long and eliminate them as quickly as possible. If his guess was right, the longer this war goes on, the stronger the magic god could get.


    "What about the Martial Arts Alliance and Solomon''s Pir? I''ve been helping them for a long time but what happened now? Are they really going to watch us die here?" Ignacy angrily asked as he clutched his chest in pain.


    However, as soon as he said this, hismunication crystal lit up.


    It was a message from the Martial Arts Alliance!

 Chapter 391 Breach

    Boom!


    The tower started trembling as they seem to have been hit by a powerful Mana Cannon from the warships outside.


    Nevertheless, Ignacy ignored this and activated themunication crystal without any hesitation. He wanted to know the message from the Martial Arts Alliance.


    [ Five Paragons have been sent to you. They should be on their way. ¨CAlliance Head Maximillian. ]


    It was the only message within themunication crystal but Thyrus, Ignacy, and the 30th Tower Master showed a rare smiles on their faces.


    Paragons. They are the peak existence within the Martial Arts Alliance. Their strength can''t be measured by normal means and there are only Nine Paragons within the Alliance.


    Since they have sent five of them at the same time, it means that they are truly taking this matter seriously.


    As expected of a righteous organization. Although the ck Tower made a deal with the Barbarians that could endanger the lives of many humans, this alliance still came to help as soon as they know what the magic god was doing to theirnd.


    "Paragons! They''re reallying to help us! This is good news Tower Lord!" Thyrus eximed as he clearly knows how strong they are.


    They were like killing machines that never get tired or injured at all. There were many rumors around them and the mostmon thing about them is that they are capable of destroying space¡­


    The news about the Paragons immediately spread as the morale of the magicians shot up. Although they know that other Towers wereing to help as well, the presence of Paragons from another nation ispletely different.


    They were beings said to be on par with Celestial Beings¡­


    Boom! Boom!


    Several lightning bolts started hitting the 30th Tower as the dark clouds above continuously expand¡­ The longer they stay here, therger it gets.


    This is one of the ck Magic Organization''s trump cards when sieging a Tower.


    They can create this storm cloud and weaken the defense of their tower by summoning lightning strikes! Currently, no one is capable of removing the dark clouds above them so they can only watch as their tower gets struck multiple times¡­


    They only know one method to stop this and that is with the help of the Tower Lord. Unfortunately, Ignacy is already injured and although he can still wield the Legendary Staff, there would be a huge toll on his body.


    Furthermore, there is also the bombardment of the Warships! With so many bombardmentsing at them, it was no wonder why even their mighty ck Tower couldn''t hold on for long¡­


    The tower is constantly shaking as cracks started appearing on the building¡­


    It is just a matter of time before the defenses getpletely destroyed and they would have no other choice but to fight without the support of the Tower.


    Although everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the Paragons, they have to at least survive until they arrived! They have to hold on!


    "Tower Lord! Your disciple is here!"


    A group of people started rushing to the hallway as Professor Levent arrived together with a man wearing a schr robe.


    This man is Ignacy''s first disciple and has returned to this Tower after evacuating all his people to another shelter.


    He has long ck hair tied in a ponytail and a white mask covering half of his face. As soon as he saw Ignacy''s condition, he immediately rushed toward his side and checked his pulse¡­


    "Master, you''re still injured. We have to prioritize your recovery¡­ There are three Tower Masters here and we also have several Archons on our side¡­ We will be fine here." The first disciple said as he knows that Ignacy''s survival is the most important thing right now since he was the only one who can wield the Legendary Staff.


    This wooden staff is their only chance of reversing their current situation so they have to ensure his safety¡­ Even if they have to sacrifice many deaths, they have no choice but to follow this n¡­<sub> </sub>


    "No!"


    Ignacy firmly rejected this idea as he has a different idea¡­


    He looked at his first disciple whom he had epted because of his rare talent.


    Ignacy''s Mystic Eye is capable of seeing the hidden talent of his target and it is obviously the best thing he could ask for to recruit the best disciples and people that will work for him.


    The man in front of him is Mikhail Tal. One of the best magicians that he had ever seen in his life.


    At the age of 16, this man has already be a Dual-Caster Grand Magus. Furthermore, he can dual-cast two Fusion Arts! It is a feat that not even Penta-Casters of today are capable of.


    After all, Fusion Arts involve not just the level of Mana Control but also talent in formting Fusion Arts. It requires strong Mental Energy which is something not easily acquired.


    However, Mikhail was able to bridge this gap at the age of 16, and caught his attention. Furthermore, after Ignacy used his Mystic Eye to check Mikhail''s talent, he discovered that the young man was born with a Blessed Body. A body that could master all types of elements just like his!


    "It''s time, Mikhail. I''m proiming you as the New Tower Lord! Cough! Cough!"


    "Master!"


    Mikhail was worried that Ignacy is overexerting himself. Passing the title to him isn''t just a simple ceremony.


    Just now, Ignacy started to send over the unique World Essence that can only be inherited from the Tower Lord. It is some sort of energy that only the Tower Lord is allowed to take.


    Thest part of the ceremony was to get the acknowledgment from the Legendary Staff that he was holding¡­


    Despite Mikhail''s concern, Ignacy continued with the quick and simple ceremony as he created some array or formation under his feet¡­


    Soon, the wooden staff started hovering around Mikhail before giving a warm light to everyone!


    It was a sess!


    Ignacy smiled as he looked at Mikhail with satisfaction¡­


    "Tower Lord!" Thyrus cried as he saw Ignacy weakly kneeling on the floor.


    "Master! You were too hasty! How can I fulfill this duty?" Mikhail felt troubled as he looked at the weakened Tower Lord¡­


    "I''m no longer the Tower Lord¡­ Hurry up and fulfill your duty as the new Tower Lord! I believe in you..."


    With that said, Ignacy passed out due to exhaustion¡­ Nevertheless, there was a trace of relief on his face knowing that he had a sessor that he could put his trust in.


    Unfortunately for them, before Mikhail can even grasp the power that he just obtained from Ignacy, his life was already in danger¡­


    "We have to move..." Levent said as she activated a barrier to protect them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Several explosions urred as the Tower trembled as if it was about to copse!


    [ The 4th Floor has been breached! Protect the Core of the Tower! ]

 Chapter 392 New Tower Lord

    [ The 4th Floor has been breached! Protect the Core of the Tower! ]


    This announcement was repeated three more times warning everyone within the Tower.


    The enemies have already entered! Everyone immediately tensed up as they were about to engage in a close-range battle.


    Because of this, the bombardment also stopped as they probably don''t want their own men to get killed by their cannons.


    ''They''re not nning to just kill us all¡­ They want something within the tower!''


    This is what everyone thought since there was no way they''d send people in if they only wanted to kill and destroy.


    Perhaps they wanted the Core of the tower? Perhaps something else that only the Tower Master or the Tower Lord is aware of?


    No, they may even be looking for the Tower Lord himself!


    Whatever the case may be, this is their best chance to turn the tides of battle!


    Mikhail took a deep breath as he needs to be on the front lines and show the might of the staff that he just obtained. He needs to increase their morale and wait until the reinforcements arrive!


    "Sir Thyrus, please take care of my Master. Bring him to the safest shelter you can find."


    "Yes¡­ I already have a ce in mind. Be careful." Thyrus no longer waste any more time as he carried Ignacy to use a secret passage to escape from this ce.


    Now that there is a new Tower Lord that is also acknowledged by the legendary staff, he believes that they have a higher chance of saving this tower today¡­


    "Tower Master, can you help deal with the intruders? I will go outside and stop the advance of the Warships¡­" Mikhail suddenly said as soon as Thyrus left with his master.


    "What? Are you going alone? You should at least bring me with you¡­ Although I''m already this old, I wouldn''t die from those warships no matter how many they are." The 30th Tower Master confidently said.


    She then released a bit of her energy showing her might as a Tower Master¡­


    It covered the entirety of the Tower and weakened all the Magicians that entered the tower without her permission. With this, killing all the intruders would be a lot easier for the Archons who are probably dealing with them right now.


    "Oh¡­ That was done really well¡­ Alright, please support me¡­ Since it''s my first time using this stuff, there might be some unexpected factors. Your presence should be able to help me." Mikhail finally agreed and they immediately went outside to see the enemies surrounding them.


    The 30th Tower is already surrounded by many warships and just the northern side already has a dozen warships in its field of vision.


    As soon as he appeared, the members of the organization immediately noticed him especially the staff that he was holding¡­ It is emitting very strange fluctuations of energy so it was no surprise that it would be noticed so easily.


    They all recognized this staff since this is something that only the Tower Lord can wield. It is drawn in many books and listed as one of the most powerful items that someone can obtain.


    Three figures appeared about a hundred meters away from the two. They were also floating and assessing Mikhail and old grandma beside him.


    "So he already passed over the staff to you¡­ It is a wise decision¡­ However, it''s already toote." The cloaked man wearing the insignia of the ck Magic Organization spoke with a serene voice as if he already knows what was about to happen.


    Mikhail gritted his teeth as these were the people that pushed his Master to his current state. Without these people, his master wouldn''t be in a pitiful condition!


    As rage starts to upy his mind, the Tower Master beside him patted his shoulders¡­


    "Calm down¡­ You are now the Tower Lord. You have the right to rule thisnd¡­ You are also not fighting alone." She reminded.<sub> </sub>


    "You''re right¡­" Mikhail took a deep breath as he gathered his mind.


    He then looked at the cloaked men in front of him and asked.


    "What do you want?"


    "Good question¡­ We want that staff and your Master''s ring¡­ Hmm¡­ I don''t think you have the ring¡­ I guess he hasn''t fully trusted you yet."


    "Shut up!" Mikhail felt angry after hearing thisment and he swiftly activated the power of the staff. It consumed a lot of mana and mental energy but he didn''t mind at all. He can''t forgive these people!


    "Space Rend!"


    Almost instantly, the space around the three cloaked men started distorting. Their bodies had suddenly split into two and their faces shows signs of disbelief. They didn''t expect something like this to happen!


    Their defensive artifacts and mana barrier didn''t even help!


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Pieces of the bodies dropped to the ground! It happened so quickly!


    The magicians within the Tower, who saw all this happen, couldn''t help but cheer in pure satisfaction! The three magicians he just killed instantly were all Grand Magus who had received the blessing of the magic god!


    After seeing their deaths, they were all delighted and wanted to see more!


    "Avenge their deaths!"


    The ck magic organization wasn''t fazed by Mikhail''s actions as they continuously sent Magicians to their deaths! Five, eight, ten, twelve Grand Magus were killed so easily as they dared to face Mikhail¡­ These peak existences in the magic world died just like that!


    Two warships were even caught by the Space Rend!


    Everything is going well as they believed that they may not even need the Paragons to arrive.


    However, after another group of Grand Magus appeared, Mikhail was already being carried by the Tower Master as he was bleeding in all of his facial orifices¡­


    The use of Space Rendes with a price after all! His body could no longer take the stress even after consuming the expensive elixirs in his possession.


    This is bad!


    The old Tower Master retreated in haste while carrying the Tower Lord¡­ Unfortunately, the enemies wouldn''t allow that to happen so easily!


    "Protect the Tower Lord!"


    Several Archmages, Dragon Riders, and Grand Knights suddenly arrived as they did their best to protect Mikhail who had just exhausted himself.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t strong enough as they were easily killed by the group of Grand Magus. Even the ck Tower couldn''t help since its main functions has already been destroyed by the lightning strikes and bombardments from the Warships.


    As the group of Grand Magus surrounded the 30th Tower Master and Mikhail, a blinding light suddenly enveloped the whole city¡­


    It only happened in an instant but as soon as they recovered their vision, they realized that the dark clouds looming over the Tower were gone and five mysterious people can be seen standing at the top of the Tower!

 Chapter 393 Avatar

    Vincent can see what is happening in the 30th Tower¡­


    A while ago, when he was chatting with Shane regarding the Demonic Cult, Brycen interrupted their conversation and brought a crystal that is showing the situation of ck Tower.


    Vincent was surprised by this sudden surveince record as he knows that the 30th Tower is really far from their city.


    Brycen immediately exined that it is all thanks to his Soul-Bound Artifact that is worn by him and his pet¡­ He owns a flying beast and he actually sent it to the 30th Tower to supposedly send an item to his master¡­ However, as soon as it arrived, it instead saw that the tower is being bombarded by the enemies.


    The moment they started watching is when Mikhail started slicing up the Grand Magus of the ck Magic Organization.


    It was such a satisfying show but as expected, Mikhail couldn''t take bacsh for using such a powerful technique.


    "Paragons?" Brycen and Shane stood up as they saw the figures standing atop the tower.


    Vincent had also heard of them but since he can''t feel any aura from the five with just the crystal in front of him, he can''t recognize them.


    "Have you met these paragons before?" Vincent asked Shane who was recently living in the Alliance''s territory. Although his main task there was to hunt the members of the Demonic Cult, it wouldn''t be surprising if he encountered these people.


    "Yes¡­ I''ve met two of them before and I can easily recognize them even just by seeing their figure because of their weapons." Shane exined as he looked at the crystal.


    Although their faces couldn''t clearly be seen, their huge weapons easily caught Vincent''s attention.


    Two of them are wielding swords that seemed like doors in his perspective. One of them is carrying a ballista and it is something that he had never seen until today.


    The fourth one doesn''t seem to have a weapon and he even looks like a monk. Nevertheless, he can be recognized easily with the belt hanging on his waist which is quite long as it dances through the wind¡­


    As for thest figure standing atop the tower, Vincent can tell that it is actually a woman. There are several lightning arcs surrounding her gauntlet and stood at the center of the group¡­


    Vincent was also able to tell that she was the one who destroyed the Mana Cataclysm above the Tower.


    Although the cataclysm has already weakened, it is still an incredible feat to destroy something that is so high in the sky.


    As soon as they arrived, the atmosphere on the battlefield immediately changed.


    The Magicians of the ck Tower immediately used this time to redo their Formation Arts and strengthen their defenses¡­


    They were previouslycking some meat shield so they were unable to fix their formation arts and arrays.


    However, with the presence of the five unkible machines, the magicians immediately used this opportunity to take control of the Tower''s surroundings.


    Over a hundred magicians came out as they ready themselves to help the Paragons¡­


    "Is it alright to just watch here?" Vincent couldn''t help but ask after noticing the tension that is going on.


    "We''re too far away from there. I also received a message from Sir Thyrus that he''sing here with Master Ignacy." Shane suddenly said which surprised Vincent.


    "Huh? Master ising here? Why wasn''t I informed?" Vincent was surprised.


    "Oh¡­  I guess he had just forgotten... They were in a hurry since Master is injured."


    "I see¡­ I should make preparation then¡­" Vincent said as he swiftly informed Calidia about Ignacy''s arrival to prepare a vi where he could stay together with the people he brought.


    After doing this, he returned to watch the current situation of the 30th Tower¡­


    By the time he arrived, the battles against the ck Magic Organization were already reaching their climax¡­


    Although the Paragons arrived, they do not have wide-scale attacks that could wipe out the enemies instantly. They can only deal with a small group of enemies at the same time.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was impressed by how they were so capable like the Celestial Beings¡­ They are unstoppable and not even the bombardment of the warships can stop them from moving.


    This is especially true for the guy who was carrying a huge ballista on his back¡­ Every time he shoots a huge bolt of an arrow, lives will cease to exist.


    The magicians from the ck Magic Organization were unable to stop these arrows and all they can do was hide!


    Not even Fire Storm, Wind Vortex, or Earth Totem was able to stop them!


    Vincent then realized that there this world truly has so many mysteries that he has yet to discover.


    "They''re incredible¡­" Vincent said in admiration as he watches the battle.


    Shane and Brycen nodded in agreement but they seem to be worried about something else.


    Vincent wanted to ask about this but something suddenly changed the situation on the battlefield. Suddenly, a mighty dark figure arrived from the backlines of the enemies.


    This slim figure was probably three meters tall simr to many Barbarians that Vincent had seen. However, it wasn''t too bulky and it was not even wearing clothes!


    As soon as this being appeared, Vincent had a bad feeling about it. It is more so for the magicians who were on the battlefield¡­


    They tried bombarding this newly arrived being with several powerful Elemental Arts but all of them were ineffective¡­


    "What''s going on?" Brycen muttered as he felt worried now¡­ Although the Paragons hadn''t acted yet, he can tell that they were also wary of this mighty being.


    "It''s the Avatar¡­ I can''t think of anything else capable of making the Paragons frozen¡­" Shane deducted and this is also what Vincent realized.


    He noticed that the Paragons wanted to act but are hesitating to move. They can probably feel how strong this being was.


    ''Hmm?''


    Vincent then saw the magic god''s Avatar wave its hand to crush the magicians who were throwing elemental art in his direction.


    Because of this, the Paragons were infuriated and they decided to attack in unison! If they hesitated any longer, there will just be more casualties¡­


    The female Paragon, who was using a gauntlet, charged forward with a lightning fist¡­


    The strike was quick and the Avatar didn''t have the time to dodge thanks to the other four Paragons who had tied its movement¡­ The first strike was weak as it didn''t create a strong impact but the second and third strikes summoned a bolt of strong lightning that should fry almost anyone¡­


    "Not good¡­" Vincent and his Senior Disciples muttered at the same time as they saw a second Avatar behind the Paragons!

 Chapter 394 Intruders

    ''Two Avatars? Can it actually make more than that?'' Vincent frowned after seeing the second Avatar sneak behind the five Paragons and attacked the one who was carrying a ballista¡­


    It was such a swift movement and if not for the shadow that was cast over them, they wouldn''t even notice its arrival.


    Boom!


    The Paragon was able to dodge and the Avatar only struck the ground. Unfortunately, the former''s ballista was now destroyed and he could no longer cause trouble to the warships that were surrounding them¡­


    The battle became chaotic as it suddenly became five versus two¡­ This is not good for the Paragons.


    Currently, the mages of the ck Tower are busy fending off the enemy magicians who are all bombarding them from above the sky¡­


    "Is that---" Vincent was shocked as soon as he saw the Avatars emitting a powerful dark energy.


    Previously, they were only fighting using physical techniques but after a while, they suddenly started using very unusual energy.


    Vincent wasn''t one hundred percent sure but this energy might actually be Aether!


    Something that only those alien races should be capable of!


    Of course, he already suspected that the magic god is capable of wielding this after he visited the 15th Tower and fought against the Research Leader in that ce. However, the amount of Aether that these Avatars can wield is probably five times more than the Xonid creature that he killed before.


    It was no wonder why Ignacy was defeated and the First ck Tower was gone. Fighting Aether using Mana isn''t really a good matchup¡­


    As expected, the Paragons, who are both relying on their immense mana and vitality, started struggling after being exposed to Aether.


    Although they can defend themselves using the barrier they have created, it is still not enough because of the Corruption properties of the Aether.


    Boom! Boom!


    Several explosions urred as the Paragons were thrown into the walls of the Tower¡­ Just now, the Avatars burst with Aether and created a small crater that destroyed its surroundings¡­


    "This is not good¡­ Even the Paragons can''t deal with the ck Miasma they''re emitting¡­" Shane worriedly said as he can tell where this battle is heading to.


    He also couldn''t think of a way to deal with this unless they know what kind of effect the ck miasma has.


    "Eh?"


    The three fellow disciples, who were watching everything from their seats, were suddenly stunned as they saw the two Avatars looking up as if they can see them.


    "Ahhh! Brycen! Order your pet to flee!" Shane quickly reminded his friend.


    Brycen jolted as he realized what he meant but it was already toote. A swift dark energy covered the entire vision of the flying beast before the connection was cut off¡­


    They can only imagine the fate of the flying beast that was attacked by the Avatars.


    "Ugh¡­ I lost my connection to my Soul-Bound Artifact¡­" Brycen clenched his fist as a very important and expensive Artifact was lost just like that.


    Shane sighed as well since he knows how important this item was. He doesn''t even have any magic tool capable of projecting images.


    "That''s a shame¡­ However, thanks to this, we at least have more information about our enemies than before¡­"


    "That''s true¡­ We found out that the Avatar may not be just one¡­ There''s also the ck miasma they are using¡­ It''s the first time I''ve seen that." Brycen said as he weakly sat on the couch¡­


    The two then discussed how they would study this ck miasma since they can''t just fight the ck Magic Organization without ample preparation.


    Vincent then thought for a moment before he decided to share his knowledge about the existence of Aether¡­


    "Ehem¡­ Seniors¡­ To be honest, I''ve encountered someone capable of releasing this type of energy. It includes one of the Arcane Researchers of the ck Tower." Vincent said shocking the two as they were just nning on how to get more information about this scary ck miasma that the Avatars are releasing.


    Vincent did not exin further as he instead brought out a ring that he has been keeping all this time.


    "Seniors, do you have appraisal skills?" Vincent asked as he ced the ring on the tea table.


    "We both have Appraisal Skills. However, it''s not a talent or magic tool''s skills but a rare Tier 2 Mana Art." Brycen said as he tapped the ring with his index finger.


    "There is Tier 2 Appraisal Skill?" Vincent asked curiously. Even the First Tower''s library doesn''t have this Mana Art so he was a bit surprised.


    "Yes¡­ It''s not as greatpared to the skills of the Appraisers but it is quite decent." Shane replied as he started appraising the ring as well.


    This ring is something that Vincent has been inside his Inventory for quite a while now.


    [ Soul-Forged Brilliant Zeal Ring ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 250/290


    Currently Contained Energy: Aether ( Harmful )


    Description: A ring that has a very strong resistance against unknown types of energy. Every usage will decrease the durability of the ring.


    New Energy Protection: A passive ability that helps the user contain any new forms of energy that invades their body.


    Remarks: The item can not be enhanced. The contained energy will be released if the Durability points reached a critical level. ]


    Previously, this ring was damaged because it trapped a huge amount of Aether that was supposed to inflict internal injury on him. At that time, it was about to be destroyed and it could release the Aether if he did not convert it to a Soul-Forge item.


    Luckily, this item was sessfully converted using this Soul-Forge Technique and remained in his possession all this time.


    As soon as the two Senior Disciples appraised the ring, they immediately found out that it is containing an unusual form of energy.


    "Is this simr to the ck Miasma that the Avatars had shown?" Shane immediately understood Vincent''s intention of showing this ring¡­


    "You''re correct. I was lucky to trap this energy using this ring. What do you think? Can it help you with your research?"


    "Of course! With this, we can learn its weakness and formte ns to suppress it or perhaps,pletely annihte this energy!" Brycen said with confidence.


    "Oh¡­ It seems that you''ve learned something in Solomon''s Pir." Shane said with a chuckle since he knows Brycen isn''t that great at Arcane Research before he went to the Pir.


    As the three were chatting about their ns, Vincent suddenly received a message from Calidia¡­


    [ Intruders have been detected, there are six of them¡­ ]

 Chapter 395 Arrival

    "Do we have a visual?" Vincent asked while tightly holding themunication crystal.


    [ We don''t¡­ However, the tower''s Mana Fluctuations detector picked something up for a moment before vanishing¡­ It was the same signs when your senior brothers bypassed our defenses. ]


    Calidia reported.


    She was nning to sound the rm to get the soldiers ready but she decided to contact Vincent first¡­ In any case, mobilizing troops to fight an invisible enemy isn''t really going to help.


    Vincent looked at his Senior Disciples and realized that they were actually smiling all this time.


    "Are they here already? Isn''t that a bit too fast?" Vincent muttered as he can guess that they are probably Ignacy''s group.


    [ Vincent? What should we do? ] Calidia asked on the other line.


    "Ahh¡­ I''ll look for them personally. Wait for my instructions."


    [ Got it. ]


    Their conversation ended just like that as the three disciples went to find the "intruders".


    They activated their perceptive abilities and scanned the whole city¡­ It didn''t take long before one of them found a result.


    "Found them!"


    It was Shane who first found the group. He immediately went in their direction as the two followed behind him.


    "Tsk¡­ That was too quick." Brycen grumbled as he didn''t even have a chance to find any traces of the intruders before Shane found them.


    The two friends seem to bepeting with each other and Vincent found this quite amusing.


    Well, he can''tpete with them anyway. He doesn''t have a good scouting ability since he didn''t learn any special Mana Art aside from the skill that his system has given him, the Item Sense Ability.


    He didn''t use his Item Sense just now since he will just sense the presence of all magical tools in the city which is difficult to filter and find the target he was looking for. He needs a rough idea of the location he will search for before activating it.


    Now that he has a good direction, Vincent swiftly activated the technique and he can now sense the presence of six people who had entered their city.


    Theynded near the westernke where the Mythical Beast is resting. Luckily, Krusk just ignored them even though he had probably sensed their presence the moment they arrived here.


    ''Are they injured? Why are they staying there?'' Vincent mused as he followed his Seniors.


    "Right¡­ You''re probably not seeing them, Vincent. But they set up a barrier making them invisible and untraceable to the naked eye. You have to use a fewbinations of detection arts to find them¡­ It''s difficult if you''re not a Grand Magus¡­ Here, they are under the Witchhazel Tree beside theke¡­" Brycen proudly exined as he pointed at the fully bloomed tree.


    Now that he''s near, he can already find Ignacy''s location and see them with his detection skills.


    Of course, Vincent can''t see them as well but thanks to his Item Sense ability, he can detect the magic tools of the six people hiding in the shade under the tree.


    "They should be able to see us now¡­ They''ll remove the barrier anytime soon¡­"


    Shane guessed and he was indeed correct. As soon as he finished speaking, the barrier that was making them invisible suddenly started cracking and after a few moments, it shattered into many pieces like a piece of ss.


    There, Vincent found six people inside and he can tell that they weren''t in a good condition.


    It seems that traveling here wasn''t so easy for them...


    ''Even Professor Levent is here¡­ She probably made that Barrier Formation then¡­'' Vincent mused as he looked at the group.


    Aside from Ignacy and Thyrus whom he was expecting toe here, there are three more people who had followed them. They were Magnus, Guven, Elena, and Professor Levent.


    They seem to be quite exhausted as if they have just gone through a long battle¡­


    "So we''re safe now, huh¡­" Thyrus heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Ignacy''s disciples gathered together.


    "Thyrus¡­ What happened? Why is everyone injured? Did those bastards follow you until here?" Shane asked worriedly as he pulled out a bell Magic Artifact and rang it a couple of times.


    It seems like a normal brass cow bell and can be bought anywhere. However, it is actually emitting a sound that has healing properties and is capable of relieving fatigue.


    Furthermore, based on Vincent''s observation, the bell also provides a weak enhancement to their self-recovery. It is a good first aid measure but they still need to be treated.


    "Thank you, Shane¡­ There''s indeed a group of people that ambushed us when we were jumping into the Red Valley Waterfall¡­ If not for Magnus and Elena''s help, we would''ve been captured¡­"


    Thyrus then exined that when they used a secret tunnel to escape from the 30th Tower, a group of people was waiting for them and guarding their ''jump site''¡­ They were caught in a battle against five Archmages and over a dozen of Adept Mages.


    This jump site is a special ce that the Tower Lord, or anyone he permitted, can use to "jump" into another predetermined site. There were only seven of these sites and the nearest to their city is the Red Valley Waterfall about 20 kilometers away from here.


    This is also the first time that Vincent heard of this so he found it rather interesting. After all, this confirms that the Tower Lords really do have the ability rted to the space element.


    "I already called for a carriage. They will be here soon. In any case, why did you enter our city like that? That was dangerous. You could''ve just informed us, Archon Thyrus." Vincent said as Thyrus has been here before and the guards know him as well.


    There shouldn''t be any issues if they used any of the city gates. Thyrus also knows a bit about the Tower''s operation so he should know what to do.


    "Ahh¡­ We were worried that there are spies here as well. We wanted to ensure that our entry wasn''t known by anyone. If it was leaked, this city might get attacked as well." Professor Levent answered hinting that Vincent has to make preparations to ensure the secrecy of their arrival here.


    "I see... That makes sense then..." Vincent muttered.


    Thyrus then exined how the spies of the ck Magic Organization destroyed many of their preparations against them.


    As expected, the ck Magic organization didn''t just act after gaining some power. They have nted countless spies inside every tower and have been waiting for orders all this time.


    Currently, there are only a few magicians capable of catching these spies, and unsurprisingly, Guven was one of them.

 Chapter 396 Night

    Guven is one of Vincent''s ssmates in the Arcane Mysteries ss. Aside from being mute, Vincent can easily recall this man since he was very interested in his Mystic Eye which is capable of detecting lies.


    Vincent thought for a moment and agreed to their decision. It was indeed a good precautionary measure but he doubts that there is a spy in his city. After all, more than 90% of the people living in this city are from the Tudor Kingdom. They were people captured by the Barbarians and brought here to be ves¡­


    There was no way the members of the ck magic cult could approach them and turn them into spies.


    Anyway, he decided not to exin further and just agreed with it¡­


    Clop¡­ Clop¡­ Clop¡­


    The sound of hooves clopping on the ground grew louder as the carriages he called had finally arrived.


    Vincent no longer bothered them and brought them to a small vi he had prepared. In any case, once they rested, they would have plenty of time to discuss their ns to deal with the enemies.


    "This looks simple but also quite grand¡­ It''s certainly better than what I expected." Leventmented after seeing the vi they will be using.


    This vi is meant for VIPs that would visit his city so it wasn''t difficult to prepare.


    It has a modern touch to it and there weren''t any traces of bricks that can be seen because it was properly polished and painted as well.


    Vincent was quite proud of this since he spent a lot of money to build this ce.


    He then toured Levent for a bit since she was the only one who wasn''t tired in their journey. The rest of them found a room to clean themselves and take a rest.


    As for Ignacy, he''s still unconscious so Shane carried him to his assigned room.


    "I haven''t seen the Celestials following you around¡­ Did they leave you already?" Levent suddenly asked as she looked around.


    They are currently on the third floor''s balcony where they can see the Kayser Tower and the Municipal Building.


    "I sent them away for a mission¡­They should be returning soon." Vincent replied.


    "I see¡­" Levent weakly nodded.


    Vincent noticed that she has something in mind so he immediately asked.


    In the end, he learned that Levent''s Celestial Sword was already broken.


    It was previously broken by the magic god''s Avatar that attacked the First Tower.


    During that time, she managed to buy some time for the Tower Lord to activate the first jump site and fled with a group of people.


    This includes her, Magnus, Elena, Guven, and a few others who didn''t have the time to flee when the enemies arrived outside the city.


    This Celestial Sword is the one he used to trade with her Celestial Armor¡­


    Currently, the Celestial Armor is still on Vincent and would rarely be used unless he faced a very strong opponent.


    "Can I see the broken Celestial Sword?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course¡­ Are you thinking of fixing it?" Levent replied as she handed over three pieces of the celestial sword.


    It isposed of a hilt and two broken des.


    There were even several chips on it and Vincent can only imagine how tough that Avatar was.


    "Even a Celestial Sword can be broken by that being, huh¡­" Vincent muttered as he realized how serious this was. If Celestial Swords and Armor are nothing for this being, beating it with the help of his Celestials would be a difficult task.


    "Or maybe because I''m too weak¡­" Professor Levent said as she weakly smiled.


    "I can''t bring out the full potential of the sword. I think it was wasted on me¡­ Perhaps, if we have a Celestial Being working for us at that time, the situation would be different." She added.


    Of course, this bit caught Vincent''s attention as he asked about the whereabouts of the Celestial Beings at that time.


    He knows that even though the ck Tower isn''t relying on Celestials, they still have many Celestial Beings on their side.


    "Most of them were killed and some of them fled after their contractors died. You already know about the spies that were nted. Those weren''t simple spies but also assassins. It was a really well borate n. Whoever was the mastermind of this organization, was incredible and patient... He made up this n for two or maybe three decades before he acted on it."


    Levent couldn''t help but praise even their enemies for their dedication to overthrowing the Tower Lord.


    "Assassins, huh¡­ That''s indeed big trouble¡­ Alright, once Guven has fully rested, I will ask him to help me check if any spies have entered the city."


    "That''s a good idea¡­ You can do it tomorrow with me. I''ll help youmunicate with him using my Mind Network¡­ or did you learn Telepathy already?" Levent asked.


    "Unfortunately, I haven''t learned it yet. Your Mind Network will be helpful, Professor."


    ***


    Elena woke up in the middle of the night. It is quite dark and only the moonlight passing through the slits of the curtain was lighting up her room.


    Glug¡­ Glug¡­


    Her stomach started growling as she seem to have forgotten to eat before she slept. She was really exhausted all this time.


    She didn''t even have a chance to mourn the death of her brother when they were caught in the middle of a war against this cult-like organization.


    She stood up to find food in the kitchen and luckily, there were some leftovers yet. Perhaps, they know that she hasn''t eaten yet and left some food for her to eat¡­


    "Great¡­ Thanks for the food¡­" Elena muttered before gobbling up the food.


    It has been a while since she tasted proper food so she couldn''t help but tear up eating some tender meat and even a soup on the side. She was always eating some crunchy and dry rations after all.


    With a little use of fire magic, she was able to heat up the soup and make it taste better.


    After a while, she went to the balcony of the second floor and saw the lively city below her¡­


    "Eh?"


    It is in the middle of the night and she can tell that it wasn''t some kind of a drill or patrolling guards.


    It seems that businesses are still open and she found it interesting¡­


    "So this is Vera City¡­ A city that was built by someone younger than me¡­ Should I take a look?"

 Chapter 397 Elenas Night

    Elena has been to various cities including the neighboring countries¡­


    As far as she knows, the ck Tower Organization should have the most advanced or modern cities built because they are focusing on these types of development.


    After all, the Airships, Communication Crystals, Artillery Guns, Advanced Medicines, and other magic technology were made by this organization. Their advancement in technology couldn''t be doubted at all.


    However, she realized today that Vincent''s city isn''t just a hastily built settlement with a poor foundation.


    There are streetmps everywhere, the streets themselves are clean, the road is paved and the main road has enough space for six carriages to pass side by side. The buildings are all well built and she can feel the essence of water and electricity flowing into each structure¡­


    ''Wait¡­''


    As soon as she realized this, she extended her senses and felt that there is an undergroundwork of water that passes through everywhere in the city.


    It is such an incredible method and every citizen will certainly benefit from this kind of efficient method of supplying water and energy.


    She then entered a tavern to have some drinks¡­ It has been a while since she drank alcohol so she was looking forward to this.


    She checked her purse and confirmed that she has some money left and ordered a drink. The bartender realized that Elena is new here so he decided to strike up a conversation¡­


    Elena liked this development since she wanted to gather information as well.


    After talking to the bartender, she realized that there are many businesses open at night because of the working shifts¡­


    Apparently, the threerge factories within the city are operating 24 hours with three working shifts. These factories produce things rted to tools of magic and even normal items like house furniture.


    There is also a factory attempting to build a flying vessel which was said to be better than any other vessels built by the ck Tower.


    "Isn''t that supposed to be a secret project or something? Howe a bartender like you knows about it?" Elena asked suspiciously.


    "It''s not a secret at all. If you go to the municipal building, there is a post there recruiting experts or someone who wanted to learn how to build these flying vessels. You can always visit that ce if you want to look for a job. Hmm¡­ Are you from Nidite City?"


    It was now the time for the bartender to be suspicious of Elena. Of course, he wasn''t too worried about her identity since he knows that their city has the best surveince system for this kind of thing.


    "I''m from a different city¡­ Thank you for letting me know. Can you suggest a good ce to visit in this city?" Elena indirectly answered.


    "Hmmm¡­ You can check theke, you might see a dragon there¡­ There is also the statue at Vera''s za. It''s a meeting ce for couples¡­ This ce is also quite fun¡­ From time to time, there will be performers and even storytellers on stage. It wouldn''t be in the middle of the night though¡­"


    The bartender replied as he continued wiping a ss.


    There are only six customers in the tavern so it wasn''t busy at all. He didn''t mind entertaining the lonely beautifuldy seated in front of him.


    ''Dragon?''


    "Anyway, there''s not many ces I can visit, huh¡­"


    "Well, there are many shops here selling interesting magic items. Especially, the Beacon Magic Shop managed by the City Lord himself. There is also a training ground that turns into an arena from time to time."


    "Arena?"


    "Yes¡­ It''s a known ce where practitioners with the same level fight each other out for money or whatever deal they made."


    "I see¡­ I like that¡­ Tell me where it is."


    "Sure¡­ But since it''s already thiste, you won''t find many people there."


    "It''s alright¡­ I just want to release some stress¡­" Elena said as she felt really good right now.


    Perhaps it''s because she received some high-quality healing potions a while ago that her body is filled with energy.


    She wanted to release some of her strong Mana Arts to exercise for a bit¡­ The training ground is certainly the best ce to do that.


    She followed the bartender''s instructions and soon found a huge training ground where she can see four airships parked around the corner.


    She hesitated for a moment since she felt that this might be a restricted area. After all, she knows that those vessels aren''t just for decoration. It appears that this ce is also military ground.


    However, as she was hesitating, a familiar figure came into her view.


    "Vincent?"


    Elena asked in surprise.


    "It''s me¡­ Are you going to check the training grounds as well?"


    "Ahh¡­ Eh, yes! I also forgot to thank you for the potions you''ve given¡­ I know that those are high-quality potions. I don''t have much with me but once I sold a few of my magic tools collection, I can repay you."


    "Oh¡­ There''s no need. Sir Thyrus already paid for all of you. After all, he dragged you here and wasn''t able to protect you from the ambush."


    Vincent said as he also knows that Thyrus should''ve taken responsibility for this youngdy. She''s not even an Archmage yet. She''s only an Adept Mage with an extremely unique method of using Mana Arts.


    Thyrus is aware of this so he was really sorry for putting Guven, Magnus, and Elena in danger¡­


    They should''ve been sent to safety instead of keeping them beside the Tower Lord who can easily attract trouble.


    "Ugh¡­ Is that so¡­ I can already take care of myself. I''ll just pay him then¡­ In any case, why are you going to the training ground thiste? You''re not following me, are you?"


    "Haha¡­ Does it seem like that? I just finished my job earlier so I came here... Look, I recently got a new weapon so I want to test it¡­" Vincent exined as he showed a Forging Hammer.


    This hammer is supposedly just an Umon Item and wasn''t anything special. He didn''t n to Ascend this item but something happened. It somehow received a decent new skill after a single use of the Transcendence Skill.


    This skill was even an offensive ability so he decided to just fully ascend and enhance the item.


    "Did you make this weapon? I didn''t expect that you''re interested in Hammer Artifacts¡­ Should we have a duel then?"


    Elena invited with gleaming eyes.

 Chapter 398 Mana Sensitivity

    From time to time, Vincent will try to Transcend his item and see if he gets lucky.


    There are many times that this would seed but most of the skills that the item will get were only passive abilities¡­


    They were Cold Aura, Affinity Boost, Damage Reduction, Magic Defense, Physical Immunity, Swift Movement, and many more.


    These passive abilities were quitemon and not really helpful¡­ Perhaps, this will be very useful for new Mana Practitioners and even for those who weren''t practicing mana at all.


    After all, these items have passive skills and it doesn''t consume their mana.


    There are also some items where he could get lucky and obtain an active ability.


    This is what happened to the Forging Hammer he''s holding right now.


    [ Forging Hammer of Strength ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Durability: 1,800/1,800


    ? Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Crush: 105


    Description: An enhanced Forging Hammer made from ck Arcane Steel. It has to be held tightly because of its slippery handle.


    Remarks: Crush attribute was found. The Durability and Crush Attributes will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skill:


    Torrent Smash: In exchange for 150 to 500 units of mana, the hammer''s next smash will be empowered by a wave of disorienting mana.  ]


    Vincent wanted to try this Torrent Smash¡­ It is the first time he had seen this so he couldn''t help but be curious about it. He also likes how the power of the Torrent Smash can change depending on the amount of mana he imbued on it.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s have a duel. I won''t go easy on you."


    The two finally agreed as their arrival caught the attention of many guards who were sweating profusely¡­ They seem to be training really hard even during this night and Elena found this quite admirable¡­


    "Ahhh¡­ Isn''t that A, professor Turhan''s disciple? Is she also training here at this time?" Elena suddenly as she recognized the youngdy who had caused quite a sensation a year ago.


    Apparently, her enhanced items had attracted a lot of attention and there were many people including her n that wanted the enhancing method.


    "A? Is she here?"


    Vincent didn''t think that A would be here. He then looked in the direction where Elena was ncing and he realized that A is inspecting the new crossbow weapons that their factory is developing...


    Since they don''t have many of these crossbows being released yet, A had no choice but to borrow the soldier''s issued weapons if she wanted to inspect them.


    At this time, Vincent finally recalled that Calidia informed him about this and he just agreed nonchntly... He had forgotten about it since he can''t release the crossbow to the public yet.


    "She''s just checking the crossbows we''ve recently made¡­ She''s probably got some inspiration from it so let''s not disturb her."


    Vincent replied.


    "Alright! Let''s use the field¡­ I''m still going to use my Mana Bullets just like before. You have to be careful, they''re faster and stronger now¡­ It''spletely different from our previous battle." Elena proudly said.


    This is also the reason why she suggested having a duel with Vincent.


    After all, she still can''t forget how she was defeated by Vincent during thepetition years ago.


    "You''re still using that as your main weapon? That''s impressive¡­ Alright, I''ll be careful, Elena¡­"


    The soldiers on night duty immediately cleared up a space for Vincent and Elena''s duel. At this time, there were only a dozen of them but as they were about to start, the crowd suddenly grewrger¡­


    A had alsoe to watch and even offered to be the referee after noticing that no one was volunteering for the job.


    "Do not kill each other! Fight!" A was very concise as she announced the start of the battle.


    As soon as the signal was made, Elena summoned six spinning Mana Bullets at the same time.


    She no longer has to wave her hand to do this and it happened almost instantly, it seems that she has improved a lot over the past couple of years.


    "Six at the same time¡­ Isn''t this multi-casting already?" Vincent was shocked at first but he immediately realized that he was wrong.


    He couldn''t feel the pressure of the strong Grand Magus on her¡­


    Furthermore, although she had created six spinning Mana Bullets, she wasn''t able to shoot them all at the same time.


    There was at least a second of a gap between each shot.


    "W-what?!"


    Bam! Bam!


    Two Mana Bullets hit Vincent''s Mana Barrier. It happened so quickly and there weren''t even any traces of bullets that can be seen.


    Crash!


    The third one destroyed his barrierpletely¡­


    "This¡­"


    Vincent couldn''t understand how those bullets are way too fast! It waspletely different from before when he could still follow the movements of the bullets easily. The destructive power of her Mana Bullets didn''t just increase but also its speed¡­


    It seems like she was really holding a gun in her hand instead of just summoning a spell. At this rate, he will be hit by the remaining three bullets!


    As soon as his erected defense was broken, he swiftly activated the Forging Hammer''s skill¡­


    Torrent Smash!


    The hammer glowed with yellow light as Vincent felt confident to smash it on the next Mana Bullets! He then used the new ability that his eyes had gained after reconstructing it¡­


    ''Show it to me!'' Vincent shouted in his mind as his Mana Sensitivity increased by 300%. Thanks to this, he can now sense the movement of Elena''s bullets!


    He smashed the fourth bullet with his hammer using all his might!


    Boom!


    The collision activated the effect of the Torrent Smash as it disoriented Elena for a little. The fifth Mana Bullet missed Vincent and the sixth one remained beside her¡­


    "Amazing¡­ Is that the effect of that Magic Tool?" Elena asked after recovering herself.


    "That''s correct¡­ I want to try another method of using this Torrent Smash. Can you still continue?"


    "Of course! I still have more to show!"


    The two continued battling for an hour more. It was a great match as Vincent was obviously holding back and was only using his new hammer and a few Tier 1 Mana Arts.


    Everyone who was watching was impressed by their disy. Even A had forgotten the reason why she hade here in the first ce¡­


    It was at this time that Magnus suddenly arrived.

 Chapter 399 Cancel

    "Your battle sense has greatly improved after you regained your eyesight¡­ Your movements were no longer stiff and filled with confidence now¡­"


    Elenamented as they ended their match¡­


    "Well, being able to see would really change my movement."


    Vincent paused for a moment before he added¡­


    "About your Mana Bullets¡­ I realized that they were also trying to invade my body¡­ Isn''t that a bit too dangerous?"


    "Oh, you''ve noticed that¡­ I just tried it a little. It should only block your Mana Flow for a bit but in any case, that''s ineffective against you so I guess I just wasted my time and concentration to do that."


    "I''m just lucky. I have a magic tool that protects me from that kind of attack."


    "Really? I thought that it was your Aura that protected you¡­ Hmmm¡­ It seems that you have another challenger, Vincent." Elena suddenly said as she looked at Magnus.


    Magnus'' sudden arrival surprised many of them¡­ Most of the soldiers here weren''t aware of his existence but they can tell that Magnus has an indescribable aura around him¡­


    He seems dangerous yet gentle.


    "Vincent¡­ How about a duel with me¡­ I noticed that you guys are just ying around so I''m sure that you''re not tired yet."


    "Urgh¡­ I''m thinking of resting right now." Vincent replied trying to avoid a duel against Magnus.


    "What? Are you getting scared now?" Magnus taunted.


    "Of course not¡­ How about this, let''s make a bet¡­ If I win the duel, allow me to inspect your hands. If I lose, you can request something from me¡­"


    Vincent answered. He didn''t really like Magnus so he decided to put up this suggestion. He has been really curious about the imnted eyes on Magnus'' palms¡­


    Although it does look creepy, Vincent knows that it is still incredible and it would be a lie if he say that he didn''t think of copying Magnus.


    There was a night that he was very infuriated about his eyes and thought of copying Magnus and getting an eye imnted on him as well.


    ? He even read a book regarding that at the First Tower''s special library and as far as he knows there are three stages on this imnt¡­ He wanted to know the stage that Magnus is in and ultimately grasp his weakness as well.


    "A bet, huh¡­ That would be fun. Alright, if I win, I want that wooden staff of yours¡­"


    "You''re still interested in my staff? That was given to me by myte grandfather though." Vincent replied.


    "I''m sure he will be happy if it went to the right hands¡­ I will take care of it for you, don''t worry."


    "Fine¡­ I ept this deal." Vincent replied as he ignored Magnus''st words.


    There was no way he would allow him to get his Ironbark Cane.


    ''Let''s see how strong you''ve gotten, Magnus¡­'' Vincent thought as he signaled for Elena to be the referee this time.


    With her incredible senses, she should be able to properly judge the situation of the battle.


    ***


    "Heh, I guess our juniors can''t get a proper sleep, huh¡­" Shane muttered after seeing Magnus and Vincent about to fight.


    "I don''t think Magnus can win against Vincent right now¡­ He hasn''t fully mastered his Demonic Eyes yet. Ugh¡­ That''s not important right now, I should be looking for a new flying beast¡­"


    Brycen replied as he was still grumbling about the death of his pet flying beast. He wanted to find a recement for it and he felt that flying beasts that are active in the middle of the night would be the best choice¡­


    "You can do itter¡­ Finding flying beasts around this region should be easy. What''s more important is to know whether Vincent will use those flying swords again¡­ I want to observe it clearly this time. Aren''t you curious about those flying things as well?" Shanemented.


    Brycen wanted to say more but he noticed the start of the battle.


    Thud!


    Magnus no longer considered the eyes on his palms as his trump card.


    As soon as the battle started, he immediately removed the gloves that were suppressing these imnted eyes.


    The guards who had never seen anything like this had different reactions after watching this happen.


    "What?"


    "Is that real?"


    "How is that even possible?!"


    "It''s cool! I wonder what can it do¡­"


    Currently, advanced prosthetic limbs aren''t even a thing in this world so seeing the creepy eyes on Magnus'' palms, was quite shocking for many of them¡­


    Nevertheless, because of the fast phase battle, the people had immediately forgotten the creepiness of this as they were amazed by how Magnus can ''cancel'' all types of Mana Arts being thrown at him.


    They realized that those eyes were actually capable of disintegrating Vincent''s Mana Bullets, Iron Vines, and even Mental Attacks!


    Vincent couldn''t help but admire this impressive ability. Although he has Mana Distortion which has a simr effect, it is incredibly weakerpared to Magnus'' eyes.


    "So you''ve mastered those already¡­" Vincent said after seeing that even his Fatal Mind and Chaos Night didn''t affect Magnus at all.


    "Hmph¡­ Not yet. If I''ve mastered these demonic eyes, I will have your Mana Source dried up in an instant¡­ Speaking of which, I know you can drain my mana¡­ Try it now!"


    Magnus taunted with a proud smile on his face.


    In their previous battle, VIncent''s Mana Drain was very annoying and weakened him a lot.


    However, after a couple of years, he''s now confident that those tricks would no longer work on him.


    Vincent was, of course, pumped up by this provocation as he decided to fulfill Magnus'' wish¡­


    "Alright¡­ You have to be careful though¡­ My Mana Drain has increased by a lot¡­ It might even drain your life¡­" Vincent said which rmed the viewers.


    Of course, it wasn''t really true but aplete drain of mana can be life-threatening as well.


    "Bring it on!" Magnus taunted¡­


    Vincent smiled at this as he kept his Mythril Sword in his Inventory System. Instead of immediately activating his Mana Drain, he instead pulled out his three Flying Swords¡­

 Chapter 400 Empty

    The sudden appearance of the flying swords surprised not only Magnus but also Elena and A¡­


    Flying weapons weren''tmon after all. In addition to that, most of these weapons were only made of light materials since even though it is said that they are flying, they are still being controlled by Mana Strings connected to them. The heavier they are, the more difficult they are to control.


    However, to their surprise, they couldn''t feel the presence of Mana Strings on these swords. They have simr reactions to Shane and Brycen who had seen these flying swords as well.


    Furthermore, the swords are also quite heavy so using them as Flying Weapons should be a very bad idea.


    ''Wait¡­ Are those one of his legendary weapons again?!'' This idea immediately crossed their minds since they know that Vincent has seemingly inherited a nation''s worth of treasure.


    Magnus frowned after seeing the flying swordsing after him, they weren''t something that his Demonic Eyes could cancel¡­


    He tried to remove the Mana Strings as quickly as possible just like any normal magician would but to his surprise, he couldn''t find these mana strings. Magnus had no choice but to be on the offensive as well.


    Vincent suddenly felt a familiar mana fluctuationing from Magnus¡­


    ''Is that his original Mana Art?'' He thought.


    During their previous battle, Magnus used me Dragon Lightning Technique which caused some trouble to him. Although it has been over two years since that battle, Vincent can still remember it since he would rarely see an original Mana Art.


    ''It''s stronger, huh¡­ I need to take this head-on or the training grounds will be destroyed¡­'' Vincent thought as he nced at his surroundings.


    They did not set up a strong Barrier Formation here.


    If he decided to dodge this attack, he would have to spend quite a lot of money to repair the structures standing here.


    Vincent then controlled the three Wind-Blessed Swords and formed a triangr formation. This is another attack pattern of the swords targeting his opponent''s three sides.


    The swords also started moving in a circle while maintaining the triangr formation. Vincent didn''t immediately order to attack as he was nning to release the swords once Magnus used his Original Mana Art.


    However, Magnus seems to have noticed VIncent''s n as instead of targeting him, he targeted the three swords first!


    "I''ll destroy your toys first!" Magnus summoned a me dragon surrounded by lightning and targeted the Wind-Blessed sword in front of him.


    "Release!"


    With Vincent''smand, the three swords moved in unison as they targeted Magnus'' body.


    Crash!


    The first sword lost its strength after being targeted but the me Dragon didn''t stop moving¡­ It crashed on the second flying sword while the third sword was evaded by Magnus¡­


    "Did you see that?" Magnus arrogantly said. He looked at Vincent provocatively while his summoned me dragon surrounded him.


    ''It is still not disappearing? Just how long can he maintain it¡­'' Vincent was interested in Magnus'' technique as he can tell that the mana used to summon the dragon isn''t a small amount. It means that maintaining is quite difficult as well.


    As expected of the Sixth Disciple, Magnus is truly a talented individual.


    Vincent smiled at Magnus as he just activated his controlled units again. His Wind-Blessed Swords received significant damage reducing their durability by almost 10%. Nevertheless, it wasn''t at a critical level so he decided to just stick with these weapons to defeat him.


    As soon as the swords floated again and made another formation, Magnus realized why Vincent was only smiling¡­ He had literally felt that the imbued mana on those swords had disappeared after striking them¡­ However, they can still be controlled even in that state!


    It was quite unexpected.


    He didn''t have time to taunt Vincent again as the swords started moving faster¡­


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Head, Shoulder, and Right Leg!


    Vincent targeted his head ruthlessly since he knows that Magnus'' Mana Barrier can stop his swords in time.


    As for the man''s shoulder and right leg, Vincent didn''t hold back and imbued them with a vast amount of Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ Injuring Magnus on his limbs should be enough to win this battle.


    "Not bad, Vincent¡­" Magnus said as he opened his palm and controlled the me Dragon Lightning to protect his body¡­


    The sword targeting his head was sent flying away by the me Dragon but the two that were targeting his limbs almost pierced the summoned dragon and hit his body!


    It was close!


    Magnus realized that those two swords were a strengthened version of Vincent''s attack. If not for the lightning arcs that stopped its movement, those swords would probably pierce his body.


    ''Tsk¡­ You''re really trying to end this duel with only these Flying Swords, huh¡­ I''ll show you my new Mana Art.'' Magnus no longer hesitated as he prepared to use the Mana Art that he has been training on over thest two years.


    This is a technique he directly learned from Ignacy after his defeat two years ago.


    On the other hand, while Magnus was nning his next move, Vincent was disappointed that his attack didn''t end the battle.


    ''Tsk¡­ I spent 50 units of Pseudo-Celestial Energy on that¡­ I should just try again.'' Vincent thought as he controlled his three swords to try andunch another attack¡­


    Magnus'' preparation was dyed because of this¡­


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Magnus did not panic as he did his best to crush the swords into many pieces. His control over the me Dragon started getting better¡­


    However, the swords were too slippery!


    The sword can move like a ghost unable to be caught no matter what he does¡­ He had to change his tactic and controlled his dragon to self-destruct as soon as it was pierced by the swords.


    Boom!


    nk! nk! nk!


    The swords struck the ground as Magnus finally found an opportunity to use his new Mana Art¡­


    However, to his surprise, his Mana was already depleted!


    He didn''t notice that when he wasn''t using his Demonic Eyes, Vincent would activate his touchless Mana Drain!


    "This¡­"

 Chapter 401 Outside

    Magnus didn''t expect that he would be defeated using the same trick¡­


    He had strengthened and improved his control over his Demonic Eyes just to ensure that he wouldn''t be defeated by this lowly mana-draining technique.


    However, because he was controlling his me Dragon Lightning, he had difficulty activating the powers of his imnted eyes.


    It doesn''t mean that he can no longer activate these eyes but it would require more effort and he only nned to do it if he noticed that Vincent started casting another Mana Art.


    In the end, he failed to notice the Mana Drain''s activation until it was toote.


    The drain in his mana was too subtle that he didn''t notice immediately.


    "Tsk¡­ Just what kind of technique is that¡­ I''m not even near you¡­" Magnus grumbled as he recalled that Vincent''s Mana Drain before has short cast range. Even if it had gottenrger, the draining rate shouldn''t be that fast if the distance was wide¡­


    "It was slightly improved¡­ In any case, I think I''ve already seen enough¡­ Should we end the night here?" Vincent said.


    "What? I haven''t even---" Magnus wanted to say something more but he suddenly looked up and noticed Shane and Brycen watching them.


    "Hmph!"


    He immediately turned around and left the training ground. It seems that he still respects the 3rd and 4th Disciples. Furthermore, the reason why he went here was to blow some steam off because he knows that the 30th Tower was probably destroyed by now.


    Although he didn''t want that to happen, it would probably be a miracle if the first disciple somehow won and defended the Tower.


    Magnus sighed at this as felt that his actions were futile¡­


    As soon as he left, the soldiers including A and Elena started celebrating Vincent''s victory¡­ If it wasn''tte at night, Vincent would probably invite them to a drink.


    Their night ended just like that as he worriedly looked at the vi where his master is resting.


    ***


    Three days had passed and Ignacy has still not woken up.


    ording to Thyrus and Levent, passing over the title of the Tower Lord to Mikhail took a lot of stress on his body.


    The ceremony didn''t just involve passing over the staff but also a World Essence¡­


    Vincent had no idea about this new word but it seems like it was some sort of powerful liquid that will stay in the Tower Lord''s body to strengthen him and increase his talent in magic.


    There could be more effects from having this but only the Tower Lords are truly aware of its secrets.


    Because it left Ignacy''s body, he has been weakened by a lot and if not for Vincent''s top-grade potions, he would probably be in an even worse condition.


    "Are you guys ready?" Vincent asked after seeing A, Turhan, Faviona, and Dianne.


    Vincent has been waiting for them to get ready since he''s nning to bring Krusk to the Silent Creek Dungeon and he needed a few people that will go with him.


    As soon as his n was leaked, these four immediately volunteered since they were all interested in the Mythical Beast''s transformation.


    Well, it wasn''t a sure thing that Krusk can transform after going there. However, this young mythical beast might find an inspiration to turn back to his human form.


    This is still so much better than doing nothing at all.


    "We''re ready!"


    "Vincent, can you really not help me? I just want some drops of his blood¡­ If he transformed into a human, there might be some changes in his blood¡­ right? So it''s better to do it now before we go to the dungeon¡­" Faviona whispered as soon as she got near to him.


    She''s really interested in the Mythical Beast''s blood and perhaps, any Alchemist would have the same reaction.


    "I''ll try to speak with him but it will still be his decision."


    "That''s good enough!" Faviona sped his hands in joy as if it was already guaranteed that she''ll receive the drop of blood she was requesting.


    She then swiftly entered the Vermillion Hawk and docked outside his residence¡­


    "I apologize¡­ My master has beencking some inspiration with her research for a few years now¡­" Dianne softly said as she gave an apologetic smile to Vincent.


    "It''s fine¡­ I''ve also received a lot of help from your Master¡­"


    "Thank you¡­" Dianne replied and as she was about to enter the Vermillion Hawk she immediately recalled something.


    "I think I forgot to congratte you on your recovery¡­ You look better with those eyes¡­"


    "Thank you¡­ But is there a difference?"


    "Of course¡­ Your eyes were previously dullpared to now. It''s now full of life. You look so much better and also¡ªAh¡­ I mean, you''re probably unable to notice it since you''re not looking in a mirror¡­ Hehe."


    "Oh¡­ That''s true¡­" Vincent agreed since he couldn''t remember when he hadst seen his face in a mirror.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Suddenly, the Mythical Beast that was resting in theke starteding out as it headed towards Vincent and the others.


    "Krusk¡­ activate the cloth that I''ve given you¡­ I have plenty of them so don''t mind if they lose durability a lot faster than you expected."


    "I got it¡­"  Krusk replied as he triggered the piece of cloth tied on the tip of his tail.


    Well, mythical beasts can use Magic Tools without any issues.


    With this in mind, Vincent looked for an item that will provide stealth or any anti-tracking skills to Krusk.


    Since he''s arge mythical beast, he can easily attract others'' attention and might cause some trouble while they are traveling.


    The Night Spider Silk is the best item for this, so Vincent prepared a lot of them during the past few days for this event.


    After everyone boarded the Vermillion Hawk, Vincent piloted it with A who volunteered to be the co-pilot¡­ She was very interested in the flying vessel because she had realized that it was actually fully enhanced by Vincent.


    This girl had truly be an Enhancement Enthusiast¡­ She would always take an interest in anything that was enhanced¡­


    As they were peacefully traveling in the sky, Krusk suddenly warned Vincent¡­


    ''Vincent, I can feel the Overseer''s presence around here¡­ Be careful.''

 Chapter 402 Illusion

    Ever since Krusk returned to his original form, he was able to use telepathy if he wanted to, so Vincent was not surprised when he suddenly heard Krusk''s voice in his head.


    ''The Overseer? Where? Are we going to be attacked?'' Vincent worriedly asked as he looked behind him.


    Luckily, he brought Faviona with him so they should be able to escape using her mysterious technique if they have to. It must be remembered that she was the one who allowed her group to bypass their City Barrier almost without being noticed.


    ''I can only feel the traces of his presence here¡­ I can''t tell if he''s close or if he already left¡­ My senses have be too sensitive so I might be sensing the traces he left a few days ago or something¡­'' Krusk added.


    ''I see¡­ However, we still have to remain vignt. Also, even if the Overseer appeared, make sure not to fight him. We just need to flee since we can''t beat that being at the moment.'' Vincent reminded.


    ''Of course¡­ Don''t worry, I already learned my lesson.'' Krusk replied.


    As soon as he ended his conversation with Krusk, Vincent increased their speed not caring about Krusk''s flying speed who was following behind them. In any case, Krusk should be able to follow them since he knows where the dungeon is.


    "Vincent?" A looked at the man beside him curiously. She noticed the sudden pick up in their speed so she wanted to know what was happening.


    "There might be an enemy around this area so I thought that we should leave as quickly as possible¡­" Vincent responded.


    "An enemy?" A jolted as soon as she heard this.


    "Yes¡­ It''s better to avoid them for now¡­ Don''t worry about it."


    Vincent replied.


    He can only hope that the Overseer will just overlook them since there shouldn''t anything in the airship that would interest him.


    ***


    A peaceful 30 minutes had passed and Vincent can finally heave a sigh of relief.


    Krusk confirmed that he can no longer feel the presence of the Overseer.


    Vincent can only think that the Overseer just destroyed another dungeon entrance around that area leaving some of his traces behind.


    "Silent Creek Dungeon, huh¡­ I''ve only heard about this ce because of the flower that can cure the recent gue. I didn''t expect that you will bring us here."


    Diannemented after disembarking and seeing the deste surroundings leading to the dungeon entrance. There were settlements around the dungeon but there are no people around.


    Well, that was to be expected since the war against the ck Magic Organization is still going on. Guarding these dungeons wasn''t their priority.


    "Hmmm¡­ I don''t think that the Mythical Beast can fit in the entrance¡­" A remarked after seeing the small cave where the entrance is located.


    "It''s fine¡­ All dungeon entrances are quite special¡­ As long as there is enough room inside, the young dragon only has to make contact with the entrance and he can enter without any issues." Professor Turhan answered with a smile.


    A may have entered a dungeon but it was only for research purposes and not some exploration mission.


    "I see¡­"


    Noticing that she was the only one who was curious, she felt a bit embarrassed but she immediatelyposed herself¡­


    In any case, she wanted to see how this would happen.


    In the meantime, Vincent surveyed the surroundings for a while and confirmed that this ce has truly been abandoned¡­


    Since the gue has already been taken care of, there is no need for the Dispelling Death Flower that can only be found in this dungeon.


    "Let go inside¡­" Vincent said as he walked towards the entrance¡­


    However, as he got near, he recalled that the Overseer might be around here and it would be dangerous if the dungeon''s entrance was closed while they were inside.


    "Wait¡­ Professor Turhan, can you help me set up this Formation¡­" Vincent said as he pulled out a Formation Core.


    It is a formation core he bought from L¡­ It doesn''t have offensive capabilities but it can be used to camouge the surroundings.


    [ Formation Core: Traceless Optical Illusion ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Durability: 1,300/1,300


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Stored Mana: 21,000 units


    Description: A core capable of summoning an Illusion Field that covers a 100-meter radius. Once the stored mana was consumed, durability will be used to maintain the formation.


    Traceless Optical Illusion: A formation art that could simte three 50 kinds of Illusion. Anyone who entered the field would have their senses weaken by 80% and mana consumption will increase by 40%


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effectiveness of the item. ]


    "This looks incredible¡­" Turhan said after holding the Formation Core. Although he doesn''t have Vincent''s Advanced Appraisal Skills, he still has an inspection skill that allows him to see the grade and basic effect of the Formation Core.


    "Ohhh¡­ It''s also enhanced." A added after noticing a few things about the core.


    "You can tell that even without touching it?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "It''s not that difficult¡­ Besides, Formation Cores that reach the level of a Pseudo-Legendary aren''t amon thing¡­" A answered matter of factly.


    Although there are a lot of new Formation Arts, they were mostly Unique Rank and on some rare asions, an Epic Rank would appear.


    Vincent''s Pseudo-Legendary Rank Formation is definitely not something that you would see every day.


    "Interesting¡­ This is a Formation Art that creates an Illusion¡­ Anyone can enter and exit within the field but this is probably the best trapping Formation Art I have ever seen¡­" Professor Turhanmented.


    He can tell that even though it only creates an illusion, it is far more dangerous since it can affect the mind of the people who unknowingly entered the Formation. An undetectable Formation is more dangerous than those that can be seen and touched.


    With this in mind, Turhan proceeded to set up the Formation with Vincent''s help. As for the reason why Vincent asked him to do this, it is simply because the formation requires not just sufficient Mana but also Consciousness or Mental Energy.


    Needless to say, Turhan has a stronger Mental Energy than Vincent since in the first ce, Turhan was the one who introduced him to this type of Energy.


    This only took about 15 minutes toplete and as soon as they confirmed that the illusion is working well, they finally entered the dungeon¡­


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    As soon as they entered, Vincent realized that the aura of the Tree of Faith has be even stronger!

 Chapter 403 Hidden Monster

    Bam!


    Krusk''srge body appeared inside the dungeon and almost squeezed everyone¡­


    Luckily, the cavern is huge so they only need to move to the side for Krusk to give him some space.


    "I can smell the tree¡­ There should be some fruits on it right now¡­ Let''s hurry." Krusk immediately said as soon as he entered the dungeon.


    This shocked A and Turhan since this was the first time they heard Krusk speak.


    ''So you can actually speak humannguage¡­ Why are so silent until now?'' A thought as she confirmed that the dragon didn''t even open its mouth to speak.


    It was quite mysterious but she decided not to ask this for now¡­


    Anyway, aside from Vincent, the rest were also curious about the tree he mentioned that could bear fruit. After all, the young mythical beasts seem to be very excited after smelling it so it must be some sort of treasure and they would like to see it as well.


    "Let''s see it then¡­ However, the path leading to the tree is narrow. You have to open up a bigger path." Vincent reminded.


    "It''s fine¡­ As long as there''s a river leading to the tree, I think I can use it. I haven''t tried it yet but my instinct is telling me that I can do it."


    "Ohhh¡­ A racial trait? I guess you''re a River Dragon for a reason¡­ Alright then, let''s head in." Vincent said as he led the ground deep inside the dungeon.


    As expected, there were Cryptid Crawlers and Golems that had piled up in some areas because the adventurers stopped hunting them. They had to clean the area for some time so they can move with ease¡­


    This is not a big deal for this group of Magicians. Just Vincent''s Flying Swords alone would be enough to clear the dungeon mobs¡­


    Faviona also has a skill that allows her to attract all types of creatures in a certain area. It was quite easy and none of them even bothered to collect materials from these creatures.


    All the things they left behind were only Umon Rank materials and the only valuable item would probably be the Crawlers'' cores but they were crushed by Vincent''s swords.


    "I didn''t even have a chance to use my skill¡­" Professor Turhanmented as he looked at the pile of carcasses.


    "It would be great if you can help me bury these creatures¡­" Vincent said after noticing that the smell of blood in the cavern has gotten thicker.


    Unlike the golem that would return to earth after being destroyed, the Crawlers would probably rot here¡­ Vincent wasn''t exactly sure so he thought of just burning or burying thempletely.


    "I''ll take care of it then¡­" Turhan said as he pped his hands¡­


    The gloves in his hands triggered an Item Skill and created a huge fireball¡­ It then flew slowly to the pile of carcasses and burned them into ashes¡­


    What made Vincent curious about this is that he couldn''t feel any heat from the fire that Turhan just created.


    As a matter of fact, it even feels cold!


    "What kind of Mana Art was that?" Vincent asked as he looked at Turhan''s gloves.


    "It''s just an Item Skill, Vincent. It only burns my target so no one will get harmed unknowingly¡­"


    "That sounds incredible¡­ A Mana Art that can distinguish your enemy, huh¡­" Vincent muttered in admiration.


    After confirming that everything has been settled in this area, they decided to follow Krusk''s path. The young mythical beast had already gone ahead and he is probably the reason why they encountered so many creatures as well.


    The creatures they just killed were most likely escaping from Krusk in a hurry¡­


    Several minutes passed and they finally saw the Tree of Faith which was glowing brighter from what he recalls.


    There were more branches and the glowing leaves were lusher¡­


    "Eh? Where''s the Mythical Beast?" Dianne asked curiously. Although she was also interested in the Tree, she was also looking forward to Krusk''s transformation¡­


    There are several Tier 5 Mana Arts that use Transformation Techniques and she''s actually learning a Tier 4 Mana Art that would lead her to a Tier 5 Transformation after mastering it.


    She believes that if she saw this Mythical Beast transform, she can gain some inspiration and perhaps hasten her mastery over her Tier 4 Mana Art.


    "Hmm¡­ Did he transform already?" Vincent muttered as he looked at the branches of the tree¡­


    Sshh¡­ Sshh... Sshh¡­


    Soon, they saw the glowing leaves move as they realized something hiding in the branches of the Tree¡­


    "I did it! Haha! I just need to eat the fruit!"


    A young ''lizardman'' suddenly appeared in their view and eximed with delight.


    It was Krusk who had justpleted his transformation¡­


    "That''s incredible¡­ However, do you have to eat that fruit again in case you need to transform again?"


    "No! Look!"


    Krusk answered as he went down the tree and went to the open space. After doing this, he immediately transformed into his Beast Form.


    Thud!


    His majestic dragon form with blue scales and fierce yellow eyes has returned. The dignified aura and the unique beastly atmosphere around him had also be stronger.


    Everyone was speechless seeing this since they realized that something had changed in him.


    After a few seconds, Krusk transformed back to his Human Form with a bit of exhaustion seen on his face.


    "I just forgot the sensation of Transformation so I wasn''t able to do it before¡­ Now that I recall it, I can do it so easily just by spending some of my stamina¡­" He added.


    Vincent was happy for Krusk since this issue was resolved quite easily.


    Faviona and Dianne, who were also interested in the Transformation technique of the Mythical Beast, were even more delighted as they somehow gained insight during his Transformation.


    "Wait there¡­ I''ll take a few more fruits so you can taste them..." Krusk said which obviously excited everyone here.


    They didn''t expect that they would have this kind of benefit at all.


    "Wait¡­ It might be dangerous for human consumption¡­" Vincent said since it was quite obvious that a Dragon''s metabolism isn''t the same as a human''s.


    "Don''t worry about it¡­ You won''t die¡­ If you''re really curious, have her eat one first¡­ This female monster is quite special so even if there is a problem she won''t die easily¡­ She''ll let you know that it''s also safe." Krusk suddenly said as he handed over a piece of fruit to A¡­


    After hearing Krusk''s words, Vincent and the others were confused while A had an ashen face.

 Chapter 404 Mystery

    After Vincent heard Krusk calling A a monster, he thought that he was just teasing him or something¡­


    However, as soon as he saw A''s nervous and ashen face, he immediately realized that something was wrong.


    "W-who are you calling a monster?" A responded while stuttering making her even more suspicious.


    Krusk tilted his head in confusion before his eyes lit up in understanding¡­


    "Aren''t you hiding your true form as well? Don''t worry¡­ Vincent epts anyone. I''m also a Beast but he epted me on his team. He even has Celestial Beings on his side. He also has the Book with its own mind¡­ It''s more creepy than you so you don''t have to be scared."


    Turhan seem to be speechless as he was only looking at A while squinting his brows. The existence of the sentient book didn''t even register in their minds as they were too focused on the first words he said.


    Turhan heard Krusk loud and clear so he knows what the young Mythical Beast was implying. Furthermore, with his innocent look and genuine smile, it''s hard to believe that he''s lying. Perhaps, a misunderstanding¡­ He thought¡­


    ''How could A be a monster? Transformation? Is she a Mythical Beast as well? No, probably a Celestial Beast? Well, if she is, the Celestials around Vincent and within the Towers would''ve noticed her. Is Krusk lying and just ying a prank?''


    Turhan''s mind was in a mess as he doesn''t know how to react to this¡­


    He took a deep breath to collect his mind and in the end, he decided to smile and looked at A¡­


    "It''s alright, A¡­ No matter what you are, you are still my disciple¡­" Turhan said as he wanted to make sure that A would feel epted even if her true identity was revealed.


    After all, she has been with him for over a decade now so he had obviously grown fond of her and he wouldn''t just leave her just because she was a monster in human form.


    "This¡­ N-no I''m just¡­ It''s not like that¡­" A couldn''t find the words she wanted to say. She seemed to be overwhelmed by the sudden attention.


    Furthermore, Krusk doesn''t seem to care about her situation as he keeps pushing her to reveal herself.


    At this point, Vincent felt that he has to intervene¡­


    "Alright¡­ Alright¡­ That''s enough for now¡­ We can simply appraise the fruit if it''s edible. There is no need for her to try it first¡­ If A has secrets, I''m sure that you guys have secrets too¡­" Vincent said to calm down the situation but Krusk butted in again.


    "But I don''t have secrets¡­"


    "Alright¡­ Except you, Krusk¡­ In any case, A''s secret isn''t important right now¡­ I think we should investigate this Tree for a bit as well."


    Vincent added.


    A''s matter doesn''t seem to be that important¡­ Right now, this majestic tree shoulde first¡­


    "That''s true¡­ A is still A¡­ For now, can we take a few leaves from the tree?" Dianne added. Although she''s curious about A''s identity, Vincent was right. The thing she wanted to know more about was the glowing tree in front of them.


    With this shift in their topic, A heaved a sigh of relief but she remained quiet.


    "We can take the leaves but they will just dissipate¡­ I tried it before. You can try it yourself¡­" Vincent replied.


    Faviona and Dianne looked at each other with confident smiles on their faces and tried to take a leaf¡­


    As expected, as soon as the leaves got ''disconnected'' from the tree, the glow would disappear and the leaf would dissipate into nothingness.


    Puff¡­


    A new leaf then came up from the same spot as if it was telling them that it will just return to its original spot.


    This was truly interesting and also beautiful¡­


    "It''s magical¡­ I''ve never read anything like this in the books¡­" A muttered as she tried to change the atmosphere around her.


    "That''s true¡­ Not even in ancient texts¡­ However, I''ve seen murals about this tree in other dungeons¡­" Turhanmented¡­


    Everyone immediately looked at him but he immediately added.


    "The mural I saw seems like a burning tree and human figures are worshipping it¡­ I guess it wasn''t really burning but instead, glowing¡­" He exined.


    "It is being worshipped? Does it have Sentience or something?" Faviona asked.


    "Based on the depiction I''ve seen, yes¡­ They were kneeling in front of the burning or glowing tree so I assume it''s some sort of ritual or act of worship."


    "That''s true¡­"


    Faviona nodded in agreement as she pulled out an empty ss jar from her storage bag. Dianne, who had seen this happen, looked quite excited.


    It seems that Faviona is about to do something¡­


    Vincent then watched her cover her hands with a thickyer of mana before pulling out a single leaf from the tree¡­


    To their surprise, the leaf''s glow did not disappear.


    At this time, Faviona ced the leaf inside the ss jar that seems to be a Magic Tool.


    ck¡­


    As soon as she closed the lid, they immediately looked at the leaf to see whether it has disappeared or not¡­


    "I did it!" The Tier 5 Alchemist couldn''t help but celebrate as soon as she noticed that the leaf remained in the ss jar.


    It was a sess!


    "Now¡­ If I have the young mythical beast''s blood¡­ It would be perfect¡­" Faviona blurted out as Krusk was stunned for a moment.


    "You still want my blood?" Krusk asked after recovering from his shock.


    At this time, Vincent decided to join in the conversation.


    "If it''s possible, I hope you can give them a drop of blood¡­ They are alchemists and in case you got injured or needed some help, you can easily ask them¡­ You can even request special armor from them¡­"


    "Oh? I can get armor even with my true form?"


    With this question, Vincent did not answer as he nced at Faviona¡­


    She immediately understood what she has to do and tried to convince Krusk¡­ Although she''s a Tier 5 Alchemist, she had also learned Magic Crafting so making arge armor shouldn''t be a big deal as long as she has the materials needed for one.


    "Fine! I will give you a drop¡­ However, make sure that you''ll fulfill your promise!" Krusk finally agreed.


    However, before he could try to poke his finger to make it bleed, the Tree of Faith started acting strange.

 Chapter 405 Investigation

    "What''s going on?" Turhan asked as he looked at Krusk for an answer.


    No one here knows what this tree signifies.


    "I''m not sure¡­ It never acted like this before¡­ There''s also no winding in and out of this cavern¡­ Isn''t this a bit too weird?" Krusk replied.


    Currently, the Tree of Faith is waving its branches like there was a wind breeze that passed by. Vincent and the others immediately surveyed their surroundings and activated their detection abilities¡­


    However, their Mana Sense, Aura Sense, and other investigative skill have not found anything.


    "I''ll try to appraise it¡­ However, I need to touch its trunk¡­ Krusk, is it safe to approach the tree?" Vincent asked cautiously.


    Krusk was the one who knows this Tree more than anyone else so asking for his opinion is very important.


    "Yes¡­ It should be fine¡­ As long as you don''t attack it. There shouldn''t be any problem¡­" Krusk replied with assurance.


    "I see¡­ For now, try to wear these clothes and put those fruits inside this bag¡­" Vincent said as he pulled out a few things in his Interspatial Ring.


    Although Krusk looks like a lizardman, he is still naked while talking to them¡­ He wanted to give these things to him a while ago but the fruits that he showed them caught his attention.


    Anyway, Krusk thanked Vincent for the clothes. Especially the cloak that he was very familiar with¡­ This cloak can hide his aura as a Mythical Beast and he enjoys using it when he was in his human form.


    "Can I also try and appraise it?" A asked as she saw Vincent walking towards the tree.


    This tree is emitting a very majestic aura around it and she wanted to understand it as well. Furthermore, this tree is suspected to be something that is being worshipped in ancient times¡­ Perhaps, she can find what she was looking for after appraising this tree.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s go." Vincent answered.


    As for Faviona and Dianne, they were already happy to get two more leaves from the tree¡­


    "Hey, don''t you think it''s angry because you took three of its leaf?" Turhan suddenly asked after seeing Faviona pulling out another ss jar.


    "What? It has thousands of them. I''m only thinking of getting four of them¡­ There shouldn''t be a problem¡­ It even allowed the Mythical Beast to get its fruit. The leaf shouldn''t be a big deal." Faviona replied withplete sense.


    Turhan did notment on this as he knows that Faviona''s words are logical. It doesn''t seem like there''s an issue with it since the plucked leaf would also be reced in a few seconds.


    In the end, Turhan just watched them do their thing as he observed the surroundings.


    It is just too weird that this tree would grow this big inside a cavern where there is no light¡­ No, the tree itself is the light so it was very unique¡­


    ''Is it feeding on the dead dungeon beasts? Perhaps it''s the dungeon''s boss monster? I''ve heard about treants that use dead or alive magicians as their nutrients to grow stronger¡­ Is it the same as this one?''


    Turhan couldn''t help but suspect the tree. This is the reason why he doesn''t want to approach it.


    If it suddenly turned sentient and its branch suddenly moved to grab him and drain his mana like those treants, it would be very disastrous for him. After all, he is not a Knight with great physical abilities and he''s relying on his Mana Control to survive.


    He then looked at Vincent and A who had fearlessly approached the trunk of the tree.


    "Ahhh!"


    Vincent shouted in panic as soon as he touched the tree¡­ He immediately pulled out his hand scaring A away¡­


    "What happened?" A asked. She didn''t appraise the tree yet so she wasn''t sure what was going on.


    "I think it''s trying to take me¡­ Urgh¡­ I might be hallucinating¡­" Vincent said while Turhan and the others listened in worry.


    There was no way Vincent would react like that if there really was no problem¡­


    Turhan wanted to advise A to stop appraising it but before he could speak, he saw her touching the trunk of the tree and used her magic tool to appraise¡­


    Unlike Vincent who was scared after touching it in a few seconds, A waspletely different as there was no strong reactioning from her.


    "Vincent, are you just scaring us here?" Faviona asked after putting the bottle inside her inventory bag.


    "Haha! I didn''t know that he can react like that¡­ I guess he''s still a kid, huh¡­" Krusk added with augh.


    While they were teasing him, Vincent just remained silent as he watches A''s movement.


    After a few minutes, A finished her inspection¡­ Nothing strange happened to her.


    "How was it?" Vincent was the first to ask¡­ He just experienced something horrifying and he wanted to know why A remained calm andposed during her inspection.


    "I¡­ I think I failed¡­ I can''t appraise it¡­ I can only tell this might be a tree connected to a divine being¡­ I mean a Deity¡­" A answered seemingly unsure of what she just saw in her appraisal.


    "You mean a Tree of Faith¡­" Vincent replied. This is the only result in his previous appraisal. However, he didn''t expect that A was able to tell that it was connected to Deity as well.


    He was unable to see this in his appraisal result¡­


    "It''s probably that¡­ However, I didn''t get to experience that horrifying thing you mentioned. Perhaps it''s already gone?"


    "M-maybe¡­ Let me try again¡­" Vincent took a deep breath as he felt nervous about this.


    Although he didn''t like experiencing it again, it might just be a one-time thing as a self-defense action of the Tree of Faith.


    ''Let me just prepare for a bit¡­''


    This time, he decided to pull out a few more Magic Tools in his inventory¡­


    There were now eight rings on his fingers, a bracelet, and a ne.


    The limit of Magic Tools that he can wear, depends on his Mana Capacity so taking out a bunch of them is not really a problem.


    Although Faviona and others felt that Vincent is overdoing this a bit, he just wanted to ensure his safety.


    As soon as he felt satisfied, Vincent finally decided to touch the Tree of Faith.


    Unfortunately, all his preparations were futile¡­

 Chapter 406 Last Gift

    A, who was close to Vincent, clearly saw everything happen.


    As soon as Vincent touched the Tree of Faith, a huge suction force tried to reel him in.


    The suction force wasing from the Tree and it was as if it was trying to merge with Vincent! No, it was trying to make Vincent a nutrient perhaps to make more fruits because Krusk took so many of them at once.


    A wasn''t exactly sure but she can tell that Vincent''s energy keeps weakening¡­ She wanted to pull Vincent from being dragged in by the Tree but Turhan immediately held her back¡­


    "Stop. A¡­ Look at him¡­" Turhan suddenly said while grabbing her away.


    A wasn''t able toin at all as she looked at Vincent with worry.


    ''Hmm?''


    Although Vincent was shocked after experiencing the same thing when he touched it again, he didn''t seem to be too scared this time. He was concentrating on something as if he already found a clue why this is happening¡­


    "Vincent, can you hear me?" A asked to get his attention.


    Vincent didn''t respond and just continued touching the tree like he was deep in his thoughts. Nevertheless, his fingers are slowly being sucked in by the Tree as if it turned into a soft and squishy object.


    Of course, they know that the tree didn''t turn soft but it was trying to suck Vincent for some unknown reason.


    "W-what''s happening? I think he passed out while holding the tree¡­ Shouldn''t we save him?" Krusk asked filled with worry.


    He had never seen the Tree act like this¡­


    "We might be dragged in as well if we touch Vincent¡­ I will try to attack the tree." Faviona suggested. She was familiar with this kind of trick and she knows that touching the victim recklessly will just increase the number of victims.


    "Alright¡­ But if it turns out to be more dangerous, I have to consider cutting Vincent''s arm¡­ Faviona, do you have something that can heal him?" Turhan replied.


    "What? I can''t regrow limbs¡­ I can at most reattach his limbs¡­ Anyway, let''s see what happens first¡­"


    They immediately made a n and acted on it.


    Faviona pulled out her fan and waved it with all her might¡­


    Ten purple des suddenly appeared and started attacking the tree.


    Dianne joined in as well and used a scepter to cast a fireball. Although she can cast this without using the scepter, the power wouldn''t be as strong as the one cast from a magic tool. Furthermore, the fireball that she created can be easily controlled mid-flight!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Their Mana Arts sessfully hit the tree. Well, it shouldn''t be a surprise to hit their target since they''re aiming at a non-moving target.


    However, they didn''t get their expected result.


    Faviona bit her lip seeing that the Tree ispletely unscathed¡­


    Even the fireball that was formed using the scepter''s Lavastone was unable to do anything at all.


    "Ah! Cough! Cough!"


    Luckily, something seems to have happened after disturbing the tree. Vincent woke up from his stupor!


    His hand is still sticking to the tree but he seems to have regained his consciousness.


    "Everyone¡­ I''m fine. Don''t worry about this. I think I already know what this tree was. Just give me a few moments¡­"


    Vincent spoke finally calming everyone in the cavern¡­ Krusk was already about to transform into his dragon form and uproot the tree but as soon as he heard VIncent''s voice, he heaved a sigh of relief and found a corner to sit in and wait.


    "Alright¡­ We''ll wait¡­ Tell us if something is wrong, and we will try out best to help you." Turhan said.


    "Yes¡­ This shouldn''t take too long¡­"


    Vincent replied and he was right¡­ It only took five minutes before the matter was over¡­ The Tree of Faith disappeared!


    It happened so quickly¡­


    They just saw the Tree glowing like a sun that almost blinded their eyes¡­ They can only cover their eyes with magic since using their hands wasn''t enough as the light still passes through!


    "Where did it go?" Krusk ask.


    He was the one who was the most surprised since he had known that that Tree was something older than even the dungeon itself¡­


    There was no way it would disappear just like that¡­ It didn''t even leave its roots behind.


    "It dissipated like the leaves when they were plucked¡­ Perhaps it went to a different dungeon?" Turhan couldn''t help but give a ludicrous idea.


    Nothing is making sense to him at all so suggesting such an impossible thing felt appropriate.


    "Haa¡­ Ha¡­ Ha¡­" Vincent was exhausted as he sat on the ground catching his breath.


    "Are you alright, Vincent?" Dianne rushed to his side and pulled out a Health Recovery Potion. Although Vincent doesn''t appear to be injured, his left hand had signs of being turned into a tree and it was already reaching his elbow!


    Her potion is probably not as good as the ones Vincent had fully enhanced but this healing potion is one of her prized possession¡­ It doesn''t just improve someone''s health but also increases the person''s Mana Capacity and removes most curses or invasive mana on one''s body.


    Vincent immediately rejected this as it would be such a shame to consume it without being enhanced or ascended first.


    He will exin it to herter but for now, he needed to take some of his own potions.


    He drank two Health Recovery Potions +10 and one Mana Recovery Potion +10.


    He spent over 80% of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy protecting himself from the Tree so he had to consume a lot of them.


    As a matter of fact, he had almost activated his Celestial Armor as ast resort but luckily, he was able to discover the Tree''s real intention for helping him¡­


    That''s right, it wasn''t trying to harm him at all.


    Vincent sighed after recalling his reaction¡­ Well, it can''t really be med on him since it was just too creepy.


    ''It''s all because my seal has been removed, huh¡­ Is this Vera''sst gift?'' Vincent thought to himself.


    He had not forgotten Vera''s warning to him. His unknown enemies are probably looking for him right now after his seal was removed.


    The Tree of Faith was most likely Vera''s final gift to him to deal with these enemies.


    As for why he was being assisted by the deity¡­ It is still a mystery for him¡­

 Chapter 407 Wrath

    "Are you really fine now, Vincent?" Krusk worriedly asked as he approached the young man.


    Krusk felt quite sad after the tree had disappeared but since it also tried to hurt Vincent, so he felt a bitplicated.


    "I''m really fine¡­ But I think we should leave this dungeon as quickly as possible. It''s starting to copse¡­"


    Vincent replied as he noticed that the ground started vibrating¡­ In just a few seconds, he can tell that it will just get worse and this is not a good sign.


    "That''s true¡­ Let''s go. It must be rted to the disappearance of the tree." Turhan nodded as he cast a Wind Haste Skill for everyone¡­


    This made their bodies feel light so they can move easily.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    Just like what Vincent expected, the walls started cracking and the ground suddenly started to shake¡­


    "We need to hurry¡­"


    Vincent only has his Shrouded Steps as his movement technique so the Wind Haste that Turhan cast on him was really helpful¡­ He''s the only one here who can''t use Elemental Mana Arts after all.


    In just a couple of minutes, they managed to reach the exit and returned inside the Illusion Formation¡­ Their path behind started breaking apart and it will copse at any moment¡­ It was such a scary sight that no one even dared to look back.


    Thud! Thud!


    As soon as they came out and breathe fresh air, they heaved a sigh of relief. They escaped sessfully and they learned a lot in today''s exploration.


    Vincent nced around and confirmed that everything is safe so he decided to lead everyone back to the airship. He also wanted to study what he gained today so he was excited to return to his room and check it out.


    As he was walking to the Vermillion Hawk, a strong energy fluctuation suddenly covered their entire surroundings.


    "Not good! Run away!" Faviona warned the group as she noticed that the dungeon''s destruction would actually affect its surroundings.


    They might caught up in the spatial distortion and die a gruesome death!


    They have to move away!


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Everyone moved in haste and jumped away from the dungeon entrance¡­


    They even left the Formation Core behind since they didn''t have time to take it with them.¡­


    Zap!


    Like lightning tearing up the sky, the surrounding space started acting differently¡­ It was being distorted and anything caught inside was being sent to the other side or into nothingness.


    The rocks, trees, and even the small settlement around the dungeon entrance started getting warped into somewhere else.


    Needless to say, Vincent''s Pseudo-Legendary Traceless Optical Illusion Core was also destroyed!


    Although he still has a spare of this Formation Core, he couldn''t help but feel dismayed after recalling the amount of money he has to spend just to purchase it from L.


    Whom¡­


    "Move back!" Faviona warned them again as the suction force of the distortion might catch them off guard. There is no saving once they got eaten by that.


    "This¡­" Vincent had seen something like this in movies or even animation he had watched in his previous world. He was normally fascinated by these kinds of things but seeing it in person, however, made his scalp feel numb.


    Crack¡­ Crack... Crack¡­


    The destruction of the entrance seems to be in its critical stage. The distortion around them is getting stronger andrger¡­


    Luckily, they have docked the Vermillion Hawk quite far from the settlement so it was safe rtively safe¡­


    Whoosh!


    In a blink of an eye, the dangerous distortion of space disappeared. It was sudden and silent like it had never happened at all.


    "That was so magical¡­ So that''s how a dungeon closes¡­" Diannemented. Although her heart was beating fast because of the dangerous phenomena just now, she still felt admiration for the unique experience she just had.


    "It''s fascinating yet quite scary to think about¡­ I wonder what would happen if we didn''t get out of the dungeon before it disappeared?" A asked.


    "Don''t try to find out A¡­" Turhan answered immediately.


    "What? Of course not¡­ Although I''m curious about a lot of things, I wouldn''t do something so dangerous." A pouted as she run over to the Vermillion Hawk.


    It was quite stuffy in the surroundings after what happened and she wanted to get into a close space.


    Everyone had the same thoughts as they left the previous entrance to Silent Creek Dungeon and boarded the airship.


    Again, Vincent piloted the airship on their return but this time, it was Krusk who was on the co-pilot seat.


    He seem to have experienced piloting the Avian Lion and he wanted to observe Vincent fly this Vermillion Hawk.


    "It''s still here¡­ Great! I thought it disappeared as well."


    Suddenly, Vincent heard Faviona''s relieved sigh as she checked the ss jars where she put the leaves. The glowing leaves are still there as the jar seems to have preserved its unique properties. Vincent was happy for her since she can no longer get another set of leaves because of what happened.


    Anyway, as they were nearing the city, Vincent''smunication crystal suddenly vibrated¡­ Someone is trying to connect to him so he immediately activated the item.


    "Vincent! Where are you?! We''re under attack!"


    Everyone here Calidia''s worried voice in the other line.


    Everyone, including Krusk was rmed after hearing this¡­ The young mythical has a preciouske in that ce and he was slowly transforming it into something he could call home. If the city was destroyed, he can no longer stay there as well so this is bad news!


    "Stay calm, we''re already heading back¡­ What''s the situation? Is it the ck Magic Organization? Did they bring the Avatar?" Vincent asked.


    If those Avatars were really attacking them, Vincent doesn''t know how he could save the city.


    "It''s not them! Barbarians! Thousands of Barbarians are marching here! They already sent 10 of those Totemic Barbarians and almost destroyed the city walls. Luckily, your Senior Brothers stopped them in time¡­"


    "What? Barbarians? What are they thinking this time?" Vincent frowned as he continued to fly their airship as fast as possible.


    Turhan and Faviona were also surprised since it was quite unusual for the Barbarians to mobilize such arge number¡­


    ''Just what did Vincent do to attract their wrath?'' This was the question in their minds.


    Vincent, on the other hand, realized a possible reason why they are doing this.


    ''Ugh¡­ Did they find out what I did to them?'' Vincent grunted.

 Chapter 408 Barbarians

    Shane was just hanging out with Brycen at Vera''s za since there are a lot of peddlers here with their mats on the ground showing off their goods.


    They are various items they''ve collected outside the city. Some were even handcrafted materials and were magic crafted to turn into Magic Tools or essories.


    Brycen found their items quite unique so he spoke to a few of them and realized that they were actually from a different continent ornd¡­ Theye from the Tudor Kingdom which is in the north of the Parason Continent.


    The two of them have heard ofnds across the north ocean but it is their first time hearing about the Tudor Kingdom.


    Unlike L who was privy to this type of information, these two don''t really care about these things.


    "So the handcrafter materials here have some cultural aspect of your kingdom, huh¡­ I guess it''s a sign that we should buy these things." Shane said as he picked up a unique amulet¡­


    Brycen also found a dreamcatcher that was being sold for only 25 Mana Crystals.


    "What? Are you having bad dreams?" Shane couldn''t help butment after seeing his friend take the dreamcatcher with him.


    "Haha¡­ What''s surprising about that? I just felt that my pet''s spirit is visiting me every night.¡­ I probably still feel guilty about his death in the 30th Tower. Maybe this thing can help me sleep well." Brycen replied. He was trying to be cheerful as he didn''t really want to recall the death of his pet.


    Although he tamed another flying beast, he still can''t forget the partner that he had for a very long time.


    As the two were nning to check the items of other peddlers around the za, they suddenly felt a powerful detection ability scanning throughout the city.


    "What?"


    "Where is thating from?"


    The city''s barrier was also unable to stop this detection scan making them aware that this city is being surveyed by a very strong magician.


    Brycen and Shane looked at each other as they guessed that the ck Magic Organization had already set their eyes on the city.


    This is not a good thing since Vincent and his Celestial Beings have not returned yet.


    They have to join the military and defend the city until then!


    At this time, Calidia''s announcement from the Tower''smand center came out as well.


    She briefed everyone about the iing enemies. A horde of barbarians started marching towards them and there were several Totemic Barbarians that are already outside their city gate!


    The garrison brigade and the mage battalion were immediately mobilized.


    Even Thyrus came out of the vi he was staying at to help with the defense.


    He immediately caught up with Shane and Brycen to inform the two about Vera City''s defense protocol.


    Thyrus was here when it was attacked by several warships before so he knows what they should do at this point.


    He informed them that they can''t carelessly join in the fight unless they were told to do so. It''s simply because there is amand center monitoring the whole situation and making real-time tactics.


    "Ho¡­ I guess Vincent had really trained and prepared for this type of event¡­ Let''s see what they''ll do then¡­" Brycenmented as he decided to just observe the situation like what Thyrus suggested.


    After a few minutes, they heard the sounds of battle going on as the artillery guns started firing at the Totemic Barbarians who are trying to break the city gate¡­


    At this point, two people who had an aura of a Magic Knight came to their side and asked for their assistance. They are Lar and Ross who were supposedly leading a squad of their own.


    "Sir Brycen and Sir Shane, Commander Calidia is asking if the two of you can deal with the Warlocks who are protecting Totemic Barbarians¡­"


    "Warlocks? Not the Totemic Barbarians themselves?"


    "Yes¡­ As long as you were able to kill the Warlocks, we can easily win. The Totemic Barbarians were quite weak against Mental Attacks so we can defeat them without our prepared Magic Tools once they lost the protection of the Warlocks."


    "Oh¡­ So that was the case. Alright¡­ Let me check the situation." Shane nodded in understanding as their group went to the top of the city wall to see the battlefield.


    About 500 meters away from them is a group of Warlocks using some sort of ritual or magic to cast protection among the group of Totemic Barbarians.


    They were all carrying some Grimoire and Staves which makes them easily identifiable. Behind these warlocks was a horde of barbarians who seem to be waiting for the gates to open¡­


    ''They were trusting the Totemic Barbarians that much, huh¡­ Are they stronger than the Demonic Cult''s captains?''


    Shane mused after seeing therge tattoed barbarians aiming to destroy the barrier and the gate¡­


    The artillery guns keep firing at them to weaken their bodies but it doesn''t seem to be effective because of the protection they are receiving from the warlocks behind them.


    ''It''s a good strategy¡­ However, we should end it now¡­''


    He honestly wanted to fight head-on against a Totemic Barbarian to see who is stronger. However, he knows that it''s not the right time to satisfy his curiosity.


    "Can we just destroy the Grimoire and Staves they are using?" Shane asked Lar who was waiting for them on the side.


    "Oh¡­ That''s fine as well. As long as their magic stopped, our n should still work." Lar replied after thinking for a moment.


    At this time, Shane and Brycen no longer hesitated as they jumped out of the city wall and rushed towards the cluster of warlocks¡­


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    They both used Ground Shifting Movement Technique that allowed them to move from one ce to another making them difficult targets.


    As soon as they reached the Warlocks, they immediately created havoc disrupting their support for the Totemic Barbarians near the city gate.


    This time, they were no longer holding back unlike when they faced Vincent¡­


    They immediately activated their Tier 5 Mana Arts transforming their whole bodies into something more powerful! They were unafraid even in the face of the thousand of Barbarians that were surrounding them.

 Chapter 409 Roar

    "They are really strong¡­" Lar muttered after seeing the two Grand Magus holding off the group of Warlocks¡­


    "I''m curious though¡­ I''m sure that the Kayser Tower has some energy to spare to kill those Warlocks from afar. Why did you not use them instead of ordering those two?" Thyrus curiously asked.


    He knows about the Mana Cannon of the Tower so it wasn''t surprising that he was interested in their ns.


    Lar started scratching his head since he knows about it as well. As a matter of fact, it is the protocol that they have when dealing with Barbarians.


    In the first ce, the walls and defensive formations that they have were really meant for fighting off the Barbarians.


    Vincent had a thorough n to deal with them so even without his presence, they already know what to do. However, Calidia seems to have a different n.


    Instead of using the cannons, she decided to ask for their help. Even though he has questions about the order as well, he just followed the instruction since he knows the woman''s ability as well.


    "There must be a reason¡­ After all, the Mana Cannon we have can''t be used indefinitely¡­ She''s probably considering other factors. Who knows, the ck Magic Organization might just be waiting for an opportunity." Lar replied as he looked at the Totemic Barbarians below them¡­


    The Berserk Mind buff that the Totemic Barbarians had received from the Warlocks hadn''t worn off yet so their Mind Splitting Formation Art was still not working against them¡­ However, he can tell that this buff is slowly wearing off and it in a matter of minutes, it should bepletely depleted and these Totemic Barbarians would bepletely destroyed.


    ***


    Within the Command Center of the Kayser Tower, Calidia and her team were doing their best topletely assess the situation of the western gate where the barbarians are concentrated.


    They have various tactics they can use to defend the city since they are in an elevated position. They were on top of a hill so they are certainly in an advantageous position but most of their ns involve Celestial Beings working for Vincent¡­ Even just two or maybe one Celestial Being is needed in their ns to fight off the Barbarians.


    "Commander Lidia, we still haven''t found the magician who used the wide-scale detection skill."


    "We only found traces where it came from¡­ However, we didn''t find any presence. We can at least tell that no one has sneakily entered the city yet."


    Calidia listened to them with a frown since finding that magician is a very important thing for obvious reasons. Anyone capable of ignoring their huge anti-detection formation can only be a powerful Grand Magus. Even if they used a Legendary Rank item to do it, only magicians of great status are capable of using that.


    "Are you sure it did note from the horde of barbarians?" Calidia asked.


    "Yes¡­ It came from the northern side. There is no doubt about it. What should we do?"


    "Tsk¡­ Is it really the ck Magic Organization? They might be hiding their warships again and once we''re exhausted, they''ll just appear out of nowhere. We have to be prepared." Calidia replied.


    She has to think of a different n that wouldn''t expose everything they have.


    Although their Tower is incredibly powerful. It doesn''t have unlimited energy after all. It may be enough to kill half of the Barbarians but after that, they will be at mercy of the enemies if warships suddenly started appearing above their city.


    With this in mind, she crafted a n to deal with the Barbarians until Vincent''s group returned. At the very least, she still has a lot of people she can mobilize thanks to the presence of three Grand Magus within their city.


    After she requested for Shane and Brycen to move, she also asked Thyrus to investigate the ce where the source of detection ability was used.


    Perhaps, this Grand Magus would have a different result once he personally checked the location.


    After she confirmed that Thyrus already made his move to investigate the ce, Calidia turned her eyes to the Totemic Barbarians¡­


    She no longer has to give her next orders as the people on the site should already know what to do in this situation.


    As soon as the protection provided by the Warlocks wore off, the Magicians carrying a special magic tool immediately activated their item skill.


    Although the Mind-Splitting Formation would weaken these barbarians, it wouldn''t kill them after all.


    "Burn them alive!"


    The attack was led by Ross, one of the squad leaders of the Mage Battalion, and the bombardment of Mana Arts isn''t really to his liking¡­ He''d rather charge at the weakened Barbarians and slice their head off but because of the orders, he has to follow them and used Magic Tools to toast the barbarians below the city walls.


    Multiple Fireball Mana Arts rained down on the barbarians who are already struggling to stand because of the Mind-Splitting Formation.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The temperature of the surroundings increased as the heat started to spread. The Magic Tools they used were enhanced by Vincent after all. The Fireballs they cast wouldn''t just burn the Barbarians but also their surroundings turning the ground into a small pit ofva.


    "Their physical bodies are really tough¡­ Continue!" Ross shouted as he ordered another bombardment¡­


    This continued five more times before he saw the Totemic Barbarians unable to get up anymore¡­They are still alive thanks to their impressive vitality but they could no longer fight.


    Ross and others who saw everything couldn''t help but be impressed. Some of them even started thinking of learning how to get those tattoos on their bodies.


    If getting those marks would allow them to get this strong, they would certainly like to have them as well.


    At this point, they looked at Shane and Brycen who had gone ahead to disturb the Warlocks, and realized that the two were in a tough position.


    Rooaaar!


    A deafening roar filled with bloodlust hit the two Grand Magus.


    Apparently, after they destroyed the weapons of the Warlocks, they did not immediately leave and continued on their killing spree. However, they got surrounded by the Barbarians.


    Although they are tough and incredibly powerful after using their Tier 5 Body Transformation Arts, they still have to spend their mana in their every action¡­


    As they killed over a hundred Barbarians and half of the Warlocks, the two were already nning to return but they were unexpectedly caught by the Barbarian''s Roar making them stunned and leaving them vulnerable for a second!

 Chapter 410 Another Side

    Being vulnerable in this kind of situation is probably the worst thing that could happen to a magician. They are in front of Barbarians that are twice their size and Warlocks who have mysterious abilities using their Grimoires.


    Once they made a mistake, they would be in trouble.


    This is what happened to them as they didn''t expect that the horde of Barbarians would use a deafening roar that is capable of immobilizing them¡­


    Their Mana Barriers broke and the Tier 5 Body Transformations were canceled in that brief moment. It seems simr to Vincent''s Mana Distortion but instead of manipting mana, they used the sound waves filled with their bloodlust to break them down!


    ''Bloodlust! It''s simr to the Demonic Cult! What''s going on?!'' Shane was shocked.


    He did not expect this kind of attack toe from the Barbarians. They know them as a race that is incapable of mastering mana or other types of energies except for the Warlocks.


    Although Barbarians can have Mana or even Aura in their bodies, they shouldn''t be capable of controlling them. This is the reason why there are Totemic Barbarians who had their bodies filled with markings like some sort of circuit.


    These markings help them release their Mana and get incredibly stronger and tougher.


    As for the Bloodlust, anyone can certainly have this after taking many lives¡­ Whether they are beasts, humans, or even barbarians, as long as life was taken, Bloodlust will start to develop in that person.


    The only difference is that there are a group of people who are capable of controlling this Bloodlust and they are known as members of the Demonic Cult.


    There were even some of them who has powers that goes beyond bloodlust and Vincent told him that it was Aether.


    Anyway, the Barbarians in front of him had certainly used Bloodlust and there was no way he would mistake it for something else¡­


    Thanks to his experience dealing with this kind of energy, he was able to build a weak resistance against it.


    The only problem is that he was hit by numerous barbarians at the same time¡­ Even with his resistance developed through hunting the members of the Demonic Cult, it was still too much.


    "Not good!" Shane felt the Warlocks'' magic was about to put them unconscious.


    If they passed out now, that would certainly be their end. There was no way they can defend their bodies with an unconscious mind.


    At this time, their help finally arrived¡­


    The Kayser Tower''s Mana Cannon was used to assist them!


    Boom!


    A pir of light disrupted the Warlocks and killed off several Barbarians who are near them¡­


    Shane used this opportunity to circte his Mana to resist the Barbarian''s Bloodlust that was suppressing his veins.


    It is some form of invisible oppressive energy and Mana can still be used to fight against it. However, it was his Soul''s Aura that can ensure that no Bloodlust Energy can enter his body again.


    "Brycen! Let''s go!" Shane shouted as he poured his mana into his friend to hasten his recovery¡­ Noticing that it would take time for Brycen to gather his strength.


    Shane picked him up instead and dashed away¡­ He can''t use his Elemental Movement Technique while carrying another Mana Practitioner so he has to use his Void Phase Shift¡­ If he did not do this, they might get caught by another pir of light that was about toe.


    After picking up his speed, he was able to activate the Void Phase Shift and disappeared from their sight¡­


    He can tell that the Kayser Tower wasn''t done with its bombardment yet. Calidia trusts them that they can avoid it in time so he has to use this exhausting technique¡­


    He arrived near the city gate where he saw the twenty or so Totemic Barbarians that were charred to death.


    It was a pity that he didn''t get to experience fighting them but it''s not the time to think about that¡­


    "Hey¡­ I''m exhausted¡­ Open the gate."


    Shane shouted to get the attention of the guards. They were observing the horde of barbarians and failed to notice their arrival.


    Since Shane used the Void Phase Shift, the garrison brigade didn''t feel their presence until he spoke¡­


    nk¡­ nk¡­ nk¡­


    Without a word, the gears of the gate started moving as a path was made for them¡­


    Shane smiled seeing how fast they reacted as he looked at Brycen who had finally removed the foreign Bloodlust that entered his body¡­


    "Ugh¡­ That was terrible. Is that some sort of Killing Intent¡­ If normal humans were hit by that, they''ll probably die."


    "It is killing intent but in a form that could physically affect reality. This is what the members of the Demonic Cult use every time." Shane exined.


    "That''s not good. Do you think they learned it from them¡­"


    "I don''t think so¡­ Those guys hate Barbarians as well for different reasons. In any case, we should get some rest since the battle isn''t over yet¡­" Shane replied as he saw a group of soldiers heading their way.


    They seem to have brought some healers or perhaps alchemists as they are carrying potions for their injuries¡­


    "Please take them¡­ They are potions that were being issued by the Beacon Magic Shop¡­ They''re very effective." The young man spoke as he gave a potion to each of them¡­


    Shane and Brycen didn''t question it as they have already visited the Beacon Magic Shop and looking at the young man, they recalled that he was one of the assistants working there.


    Gulp! Gulp!


    As expected, as soon as they drank the potions, their fatigue was immediately relieved and their almost-drained mana was instantly half-filled. It didn''t even end there as their Mana Recovery Speed Rate had almost tripled.


    "Are these high-grade potions? I think that I will do just fine with a low-grade recovery potion¡­" Shanemented as he would only treat these top-grade potions or top-tier pills in case of an emergency¡­


    However, they weren''t in a critical situation now so a normal potion should be just fine at this point.


    "It''s alright Sir Shane. These potions will be paid for by Miss Calidia. She also mentioned that your payment for dealing with the Warlocks can be discussedter."


    "I guess that''s fine then¡­" Shane replied as he focused on his recovery¡­


    As this was happening, they realized that the Kayser Tower''s Mana Cannon started firing in a different direction!

 Chapter 411 Armored

    It was on the northern side of the city!


    If there is an enemy that is needed to be stopped by Mana Cannon in that direction, it means that the strength of the enemy on that side can''t be ignored.


    Is there another horde of Barbarians in that direction?


    At this time, a messenger came to them informing them of terrible news. The ck Magic Organization is attacking the northern side of the city¡­.


    They have to deal with the Barbarians as quickly as possible so help Thyrus and the others at the northern gate!


    "Ugh! There are too many barbarians¡­ There''s no way we can kill them quickly¡­" Brycen grunted.


    He can''t use his Tier 5 Mana Arts again for some time so killing one Barbarian will take a bit of his mana. There are still thousands of them outside. Perhaps eight thousand or more so it will not be easy.


    He can also tell that only about 600 Mana Practitioners are guarding the wall and most of them are only Master Magicians and Adept Mages. As for Archmage or Archknights, there were only about ten of them.


    The only good thing about it is that they have plenty of top-quality weapons that willpensate for theirck of numbers.


    It may not be easy to stop the horde of barbarians, but it''s definitely possible if they have plenty of time to spare.


    "There is no other choice¡­ Let''s just kill them as fast as we can."


    Brycen said as he looked at Lar and Ross who had already raised their weapons¡­ It seems that they are ready to jump down the wall and face the barbarians head-on once the artillery shells were used up.


    The guards'' Magic Tools that can shoot fireball and others offensive mana arts weren''t unlimited after all. Their durability and the Practitioners'' mana capacity must be considered as well.


    Furthermore, it is not a good thing to spend all their mana using long-range attacks since the Barbarians'' bodies are tough and possess high magic resistance.


    Long-range Mana Arts is only good for weakening them, slowing their movement, or ensuring that they won''t be able to reach the city gate with full health.


    Killing them with these techniques would be very difficult¡­ Using swords and des was still the most effective killing method to end their lives.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After a while, the firing rate of the artillery guns started slowing down as the mana shells are about to be used up.


    Nevertheless, these bombardments were able to change the terrain and kill some barbarians. As for the number of injured, half of them should''ve suffered some minor injuries and a few with critical injuries¡­


    It was a shame the Artillery Shells weren''t so easy to make and they can''t fire them indefinitely. After all, each shell requires a Beast Core and various special materials that need to be imported from the Alchemist Union which is quite far from Vera City.


    Boom!


    Thest bombardment waspleted as the Barbarians struggled to move forward. They were weakened physically and their minds are also being disrupted by the Mind-Splitting Formation.


    Although they weren''t as vulnerable as the Totemic Barbarians when ites to mental attacks, they are still being affected and they needed to concentrate in order to resist it.


    At this point, the soldiers are waiting for Lar''smand to attack¡­


    "Hold on!" Lar shouted as he observed the field and confirmed that the terrain has cooled down from the fire Mana Arts that was used a while ago¡­


    "Now!"


    As soon as he made this signal, the soldiers started jumping down as they used the basic attribute of their boots and basic movement technique tond safely before they charged towards the Barbarians¡­


    Although their size is smaller than their enemies, they did not falter or show any hint of being intimidated at all.


    Lar and Ross, two of the five Grand Knights of the Battalion, used their skills to empower the surrounding soldiers.


    Resplendent Vigor!


    Imperious Will!


    Thebined abilities increased the knights'' strength by more than 10% and speed by 15%!


    "Kill!"


    They shouted filled with rage.


    Most of the people fighting right now are from the Tudor Kingdom. These Barbarians had upied most of the kingdom and captured them to be used as freeborers or ves in thisnd.


    They''ve lost against them before because they weren''t united in fighting them and the Totemic Barbarians are just too strong.


    Now that those Totemic ones have been dealt with, they are confident that they can kill the remaining barbarians.


    sh! sh! sh!


    The heavily injured barbarians in front were easily killed. They were the ones who had received numerous injuries from the bombardment and were barely able to stand up¡­


    Nevertheless, their thick muscles and bronze skins were still difficult to cut. The knights have to be really serious when cutting them and imbue a lot of strength to be sessful.


    "They''re weakened¡­ Target their feet and make them kneel so you can cut their heads off easily!"


    No matter what, their necks are still softer so stabbing their throats or slicing their necks is still the fastest way to kill them.


    Shane and Brycen couldn''t help but smile after seeing the smooth battle techniques of the soldiers. They seem to have been trained really well for this situation.


    Although most of them are only Magic Knights, they have decent movement skills and their swords are really sharp¡­ They were able to executeplicated sword techniques and blood couldn''t even be seen from their des.


    "Good! We''ll weaken the others for you!"


    "Just charge forward!"


    The two Grand Magus immediately know what they have to do to coordinate with Magic Knights¡­ They only have to weaken the Barbarians!


    Because of this, they would have plenty of mana to spare¡­ Fighting in a group is really a lot easier than fighting alone.


    "Gahaha! Arrogant humans!" Suddenly, amid the horde of Barbarians, a huge and almost red barbarian wearing an armor and axe, appeared out of nowhere.


    None of them noticed him a while ago!


    Furthermore, this barbarian is emitting an aura that surpasses thebined aura of their five Grand Knights!


    "It''s just an armored Totemic Barbarian! Don''t fear him!"

 Chapter 412 Darkness

    Yulia suddenly shouted behind them.


    No one knows when she arrived but she just appeared wearing a white robe and a white veil covering her face. Most of them thought that she was in Nidite City so Lar and Ross were a bit surprised¡­


    Anyway, it wasn''t time to think about why she was here¡­


    ''That''s a Totemic Barbarian?'' Lar repeated in his mind as he looked at the armored barbarian.


    He didn''t expect that Yulia can recognize the enemy even with full armor. They can''t see any tattoo marks from it after all.


    He then tried using probing skills but it didn''t work.


    If that''s the case, he can only conclude that Yulia was indeed telling the truth¡­


    ''Their leader is actually an armored Totemic Barbarian¡­ I didn''t expect that. But what''s bothering me is that they haven''t sent a single Barbarian King yet¡­ How suspicious.'' Lar thought


    Everyone knows that there should be more Barbarian Kings than Totemic ones. However, the numbers are not adding up so he found this really unusual.


    He felt that the Totemic Barbarians have be disposable in the Barbarian Race which shouldn''t be the case considering how strong they are.


    Of course, while it''s true that it''s just another Totemic Barbarian, the armor and the axe that it was carrying were giving them goosebumps¡­


    They seem to be legendary items that could affect their minds.


    Roaarrr!


    This armored barbarian roared with all its might! He was then followed by the other barbarians as they tried to intimidate them.


    It seems like they were just being noisy but just like what they did to Shane and Brycen, the roar contained Bloodlust that would make the Magic Knights weak!


    Shane and Brycen were prepared for this but it was already toote for the Magic Knights¡­


    "We need to use a strong Fusion Art to stop them! Hurry!" Shane shouted as he was worried that the magic knights would be stunned and get trampled by the barbarians. They need to do something about it.


    Brycen was thinking the same thing as they showed their might as multi casters, they cast several mana arts and created havoc in the midst of the barbarians¡­


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A wall of fire was made and the ground''s elevation was even disrupted¡­


    It stopped the barbarians'' advance but certainly not enough to hold off thousands of them at once.


    Nevertheless, their worry was for naught as the soldiers'' emblem that has the engraved insignia of Vera City suddenly lit up and gave warm light to their bodies¡­


    It is the emblems'' passive skill, Status Ailment Reduction!


    With this passive ability, the barbarians'' stunning roar was almost neutralized. Although the Bloodlust was still present in their bodies, they were able to circte their mana to try and suppress it.


    As for removing the Bloodlust in their bodies, it''s not an urgent thing and they can do itter on as long as it doesn''t greatly affect their movement. Suppressing it should be more than enough for a short period.


    Thanks to this emblem, the soldiers were able to move again and continue fighting against the Barbarians¡­


    "Piercing me Swords¡­ Now!"


    Lar ordered as every one of them used the same sword technique. Since Shane and Brycen created a firewall for them, their Piercing me Sword had be even more dangerous.


    The Barbarians saw hundreds of swords that are covered in me trying to reach their throats! It even looked beautiful from another perspective but these swords are aiming for their life¡­


    Some of them raised their weapons to block and some of them dodged the swords to counterattack.


    However, to their surprise, the Piercing me Swords weren''t actually iron swords covered with mes¡­ They were just an extension of their swords that doubled their length!


    Even after blocking or dodging them, the real swords still managed to stab them. It was such a tricky move and it was sessful!


    Some were pierced in their throats and some lucky ones were able to redirect the strikes on their chest or shoulders. Nevertheless, the soldiers weren''t finished yet as they continued with their assault¡­


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, as the Barbarians and the soldiers were shing, a lone figure wearing a white robe like a heavenly being treaded through the air and arrived in front of the armored Totemic Barbarian!


    "Hey! Isn''t that dangerous?!" Shane couldn''t help but worry about the beautifuldy just now.


    Brycen felt the same way as he wanted to rush over and assist her at the very least. Even if she can fight the armored barbarians, she was still surrounded by many enemies and she at least needs someone who can guard her back.


    However, before he can make his move to help and protect her, they saw her wave her hand in front of therge barbarian and a ck energy started creeping up on his body!


    Shane can tell that it''s not an energy simr to Aether but it feels like some sort of elemental mana art¡­


    "What? Did she just use the Darkness Energy?" Brycen was shocked as soon as he what Yulia did.


    It''s extremely rare for a Mana Practitioner to learn Darkness and Light Element. All of these people were recorded in the tower. However, as far as they know, no one at her age should be capable of using this element.


    "Now that you say it¡­ It''s indeed Darkness Element¡­ I didn''t expect Vincent to have a subordinate at this level." Shanemented filled with envy.


    Anyone that can use this element is extremely valuable. Once they started learning those nasty Tier 5 Darkness Arts that he heard about, they can probably fight against the two or three Paragons at the same time.


    Mana Practitioners who are capable of manipting the Element of Darkness may be considered weak during their introductory stage but once they have matured and learned all their advanced techniques, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    "We''ll help the beautiful whitedy! Continue with your advance!" Shane shouted to Lar who seemed to be worried about thedy.


    Lar immediately heaved a sigh of relief as soon as he saw Shane and Brycen flying over to her side.


    "Just hold on! We will get there as quickly as possible!"

 Chapter 413 14th Tower Master

    Thyrus arrived at the site where he was told to investigate. ording to Calidia, the source of the massive detection scan used on their city hade from here.


    They don''t know whether it was from aplex Mana Art or they used a Magic Tool to do it.


    Nevertheless, she wanted him to find any traces of the person who used it and report it back to her. It seems that they wanted to create a countermeasure after knowing what kind of detection art was used in their city.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s really quiet around here¡­" Thyrus muttered after looking around the hill.


    After a while, he found a good spot to observe the city and used a Tier 3 Mana Art.


    "Wind Tracer¡­"


    Whom!


    From his feet, a shockwave was created spreading throughout the hill to the forest below.


    It only took eight seconds before this wave of energy reached the edge of the forest and send feedback to Thyrus.


    "Weird¡­ There should be some beasts around here¡­ They were all gone into hiding?" Thyrus was confused.


    His wind tracer did not detect any movement of beasts living on the hill or the surrounding forest.


    It means that they have either died or left this forest to find a new home. However, that doesn''t make sense since he can still find traces of beasts that were living here just a few minutes ago.


    He can only think of another reason. Perhaps, all the beasts are hiding and unmoving while concealing their aura. If that were the case, even his wind tracer won''t pick up their movement.


    As he was thinking of summoning another wave-type Mana Art, he felt a sudden distortion in space. This is something that he''s extremely familiar with!


    "A portal?"


    Thyrus looked above with wide eyes¡­ There was a sudden tear in the space above the hill and several Dragon Riders came out!


    He wasn''t sure whether it is deliberate but thankfully, the portal wasn''trge enough to let a warship pass through so only the Dragon Riders or perhaps humans can pass through it¡­ They shouldn''t worry about warships bombarding them¡­


    "Hmmm?" Thyrus received a signal from the Tower to retreat.


    Needless to say, his investigation was no longer needed since the enemy has appeared.


    With a swift movement technique, he returned to the city and confirmed that the guards were now waiting for the enemies to arrive.


    He looked at the Kayser Tower and its Mana Cannon seem to be targeting the hundreds of Dragon Riders that keep pouring out of the portal.


    ''Are we waiting for them toplete their preparation?'' Thyrus mused as he observed the enemy formation. If he was the one inmand of the defense, he would stop them froming out of the portal by bombarding them with artillery and cannons.


    However, Calidia doesn''t seem to have ns of interrupting them. He can only think that she was waiting for all of them to appear and eliminate them in one fell swoop.


    This might also be a good idea if they wanted to end this battle once and for all.


    "Sir Thyrus¡­ I will be joining the defense¡­ Please, lead us."


    Suddenly, Thyrus heard Magnus'' voice behind him. He then looked at the young man who is now wearing his full battle gear. He is apanied by several magicians who were probably guarding other stations and was transferred here in a hurry.


    Currently, there are no Grand Magus here aside from him so it wasn''t a surprising thing that he was assigned to lead the magicians.


    As for the knights, they will be led by a Grand Knight under Calidia''smand.


    "Alright¡­ So far, only Dragon Riders areing out. They will be quite tricky to deal with¡­ But we have the City Barrier to protect us. We just have to wait for the portal to close and Calidia''s signal to attack."


    "So we''re really waiting for them to finish their formation, huh¡­"


    "Yes.. leaving some of them behind will just create more trouble in the future so this might be a good n..." Thyrus replied¡­


    Suddenly, he saw the pir lighting from the Magic Tower.


    It was directed to the flock of dragon riders hitting them directly!


    Apparently, the second the portal was closed, the Mana Cannon was fired in an instant¡­ As expected, Calidia has really nned this out.


    The pir of light wasn''t small. It was wide enough to hit three or four dragon riders¡­


    Since they were lined up neatly, the sudden burst of fire hit about 20 of them at the same time!


    There were about 500 Dragon Riders that appeared this time so the cannon could''ve hit more but it was stopped by an Aura Knight who is probably the leader of this battalion.


    The beast he was riding on was alsorger and equipped with better armor and weapons.


    "A tricky one has appeared¡­ That''s not a simple 3-Star Aura Knight¡­ It''s better to focus on his subordinates first. Don''t waste your energy fighting that knight¡­ Sending low-level Mana Arts to distract him is more than enough." Thyrus immediately said to the group of the Magicians under hismand.


    He already had a hunch about the identity of this man. After all, there aren''t many 3-Star Aura Knights that had reached this level within the ck Tower.


    Another pir of light came to attack this man but as expected, his sword was able to cut it in half¡­ Although it hit five of the Dragon Riders behind him, the force was already neutralized and they were only slightly injured from the scattered mana beam.


    "It is the 14th Tower Master¡­ Ugh¡­" Thyrus grunted as he knows this Tower Master. This man is not only a 3-Star Aura Knight but also a Penta-Caster Grand Magus.


    Perhaps, if they have five Mana Cannons aiming at this guy, it''s possible to bring him down without approaching him.


    However, Kayser Tower only has one Mana Cannon since it''s really an expensive thing.


    "Tsk¡­ Just stick to the n¡­ The Magic Knights will deal with these people if they managed to breach the barrier¡­ Target one of the Dragon Riders and fire at them!"


    Thyrus ordered as they started their bombardment. In the meantime, he also cast four Mana Arts at the same time.


    Thyrus knows that he can''t fight the 14th Tower Master since he''s only a newly appointed Archon. However, he doesn''t really need to fight him¡­ Once all of his subordinates died, this person will naturally retreat since there was no way he would siege the city alone.


    No matter how strong he is, his Mana Core isn''t unlimited after all.

 Chapter 414 All Sides

    Calidia nervously looked at the arrival of the Dragon Riders at the northern side of their city.


    She was nning to dedicate five shots of Mana Cannon in their area to eliminate most of them. However, after seeing how the leader easily split the beam of light into two, she realized that it would just be a waste of energy¡­


    It is better to save the remaining shots of the Mana Cannon for an emergency situation.


    For now, she can only trust the Magicians and the Magic Knights stationed at their side.


    "Commander¡­ Should we send Grand Knights Millie and Ceri to their side?" Hirtia, one of the staff who was monitoring the City Barrier''s durability, made a suggestion after considering their few options.


    Millie and Ceri were stationed on the southern side of the city with a squad of ten Magic Knights. They were sent there since this is their weakest spot at the moment¡­


    Calidia and everyone in themand center just couldn''t believe that there are no Barbarian Kings sent to attack them and there are only Dragon Riders from the ck Magic Organization.


    It was too suspicious like they wanted to catch them off guard. Calidia would obviously not fall from this trick. Since the enemy is not showing all their forces, she won''t be showing theirs as well.


    If they concentrated their forces in just one spot, they might suddenly see numerous warships heading on the other side of the city.


    "Should we send them?" Calidia asks for their opinion instead.


    There are ten people in themand center right now so she wanted to hear what''s in their minds.


    Rufia thought for a moment before she spoke.


    "Let''s just leave them for now¡­ Those two are incredibly strong but they will be facing Dragon Riders up there. They might have a few tricks to kill those flying beasts and bring them down but Thyrus can probably do the same thing with his multicasting¡­ For now, we should reserve them in case of emergency¡­"


    "That makes sense¡­ Then, send the support team to the northern gate quickly. If the potions on hand weren''t enough, order Rudy and Boeres to take out those in the warehouse."


    Rufy and Boeres were Severin''s assistants and has ess to the potions at the warehouse.


    They were probably working nonstop to get the potions distributed to the eastern gate quickly. Nevertheless, now that the enemies have shown in the northern gate as well, they would need more potions and support teams on the ground.


    "I sent the order¡­ Sir Vincent also contacted us that they were already on their way¡­ They''ll be here in five more minutes."


    "Five minutes? That''s good¡­ We should be able to hold on for that long." Calidia heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this news.


    However, before she could even announce this to everyone on the field, they heard a thunderous roar outside the city¡­


    Boom!


    A huge boulder crashed on the City Barrier! It was thrown by a group of sneaky barbarians at the southern gate!


    It didn''t stop there.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Several boulders that seem to be enhanced with magic continuously rained down on the barrier! Millie and Ceri may be able to slice two or three of them if they go out but it would be very dangerous even for Grand Knights like them.


    These boulders that were thrown from a long distance had a force stronger than the artillery guns they are using.


    The explosive force behind each boulder wasn''t something they can easily ignore¡­


    "How did they get there so quickly?! There should be two artillery guns on that side! Order them to stop those barbarians!"


    Calidia wasn''t expecting this to happen. Did a portal also appear on that side without their knowledge?


    It was possible.


    They tried scanning that lush area before but they did not find anyone at all. It was impossible not to notice 50 or so barbarians who are carrying huge boulders.


    Since that was the case, they can only me themselves for being incapable of detecting the appearance of portals with their current magic technology.


    The few Magic Knights stationed in that gate immediately operated the artilleries and started firing.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Several artillery shells were used up disrupting the barbarians from throwing another set of boulders.


    The intensity of the barrage had also created a smoke screen blocking their view¡­ Because of this, they stopped firing at them and waited for the smoke to clear up¡­


    This only took a few seconds to happen and as soon as they saw the Barbarians again, they realized that they were actually Barbarian Kings!


    They do not have tattoos like the Totemic Barbarians they just obliterated but they are all Barbarians with incredible aura around them¡­


    ''Kingly Rage is it?'' Millie thought as he saw the fifty or so Barbarian Kings¡­


    ording to the reports she read before, one King can normally lead five thousand Barbarians. They have a skill called Kingly Rage that allows them to empower the racial trait of those around them.


    However, right now, they are seeing fifty Barbarian Kings empower each other with this same ability!


    The result was incredible as everyone could feel the pressuring aura looming over the city! It doesn''t matter whether you are on the opposite side of the city, you would be able to feel the dense aura that these Barbarian Kings are emitting right now!


    "Hey¡­ I don''t think we can stop these guys even with the two of us working together." Cerimented after seeing the enemies racing to the city.


    "The barrier is still working¡­ There''s also the Tower''s Cannon that can help us¡­ We should still try and dy them." Millie replied after assessing their situation. She wasn''t nervous or panicking in this situation. Instead, she remained calm and considered their best option.


    Two other sides of the city are being sieged so they can''t call for reinforcements.


    The most they could do is to block the barbarians under the cover of the Artilleries and Mana Cannon.


    "Fine¡­ Let''s get our revenge, Millie¡­"


    "Of course¡­ We''re stronger now. They will not capture us again."


    Millie said with a hint of excitement.

 Chapter 415 Barbarian Kings

    "Aren''t we going a bit too fast? The vessel''s engine is already overheating¡­ There might be some problems if we continue with this speed." A worried said as she noticed how fast they are going.


    She can''t evenfortably look out the window as she felt dizzy seeing the moving clouds.


    "It''s alright¡­ The Vermillion Hawk can withstand this. Sir Turhan and Lady Faviona should get ready for battle. We''ll probably join the battle as soon as we get there." Vincent replied.


    "Don''t worry, Vincent. We''ve already prepared ourselves. Just open the hatch and I can even jump down while you go to the Tower and take control of the situation." Turhan suggested as he felt that dropping from the sky to stop the barbarians'' advance would be such a marvelous way of entering the battle.


    Faviona only smiled at this as she thought that it wasn''t a bad idea.


    "No¡­ I will be joining the battle with you. A will pilot this airship and dock at the Tower. Dianne will apany her." Vincent replied as he already nned this out while piloting.


    "What about me?" Krusk asked as he pointed at himself.


    "You will help any areas that were losing¡­ I know that you have a good vision and you will be able to tell the situation clearer than mine. If possible, I want you to keep moving around and assist the Magic Knights at the front line."


    "That''s true¡­ So you know how good my eyes are¡­ Alright¡­ I will as you say. Anyone who dares to attack my ce will be eaten alive!" Krusk said filled with enthusiasm.


    "Are you going to transform, Krusk?"


    Dianne asked¡­ It seems that even in this situation, her curiosity about the Mythical Beast''s transformation art has not disappeared yet.


    "Hmm¡­ If the enemy isn''t as strong as the Overseer or perhaps Celestial Being. Of course, I won''t have to waste my energy on that."


    "Overseer?" Dianne repeated as she curiously looked at the young mythical beast.


    "Yes¡­ Anyway, I can feel that we are getting near¡­ Vincent, can you feel it? That one who was observing from afar¡­" Krusk suddenly said as everyone heightened their senses.


    It was quite natural that this mythical beast has stronger senses than them but Turhan and Faviona couldn''t help but feel disappointed about how they were unable to sense anything at all.


    It took them over 20 seconds of concentration before they were able to sense something. In these few seconds, they have also gotten closer to their target so they can''t reallypare with Krusk.


    Furthermore, they can only feel the presence of barbarians and some flying beasts who seem to be Dragon Riders¡­ They can''t sense the one that he mentioned.


    ''Someone is observing the siege from afar?'' Turhan mused as he felt nothing aside from those who are trying to breach the gates of the city.


    "I found him¡­ Luckily, he doesn''t seem to be the magic god''s Avatar so we don''t have to worry." Vincent suddenly said.


    "Is he the leader of this attack? How can he lead both the Barbarians and the ck Magic Organization? Tsk¡­Can you tell how strong he is?" Faviona asked.


    "He''s probably the leader¡­ I''m not sure how strong he is but since he has 3 Legendary Rank Magic Artifacts, he''s definitely a troublesome opponent." Vincent revealed as everyone was shocked by this sudden news.


    Possessing a single Legendary Weapon is already something incredible. Having three of them is something that not even Tower Masters would enjoy.


    Most Tower Masters only have Pseudo-Legendary items and a small percentage of them have Legendary Equipment which isn''t even a weapon.


    "Three? Is that true?" A repeated¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Yes¡­ No more questions. We''re near. A, I''ll leave the Vermillion Hawk to you¡­ Dianne, once you''re in the Tower, look for Severin. Tell him I sent you to help."


    "Got it¡­"


    Vincentpleted his arrangements as he went beside Turhan and Faviona¡­ Just like the man suggested, they would be dropping off the sky to join the battle.


    ***


    "Ceri¡­ Let''s attack together!" Millie shouted as she raised her sword and dashed towards the Barbarian King who went ahead to destroy the gate.


    The other barbarian kings were dyed by the bombardment of Artillery Guns and Mana Cannon. However, one of them managed to reach the gate and smashed the barrier a couple of times. If they decided not to do something about it, the Barrier won''t be able tost long so they have no other choice but to work together and kill this Barbarian King¡­


    The two of them used their Shadow Blink Steps as they arrived on its side almost instantly.


    This is already an Advanced-State technique so it wasn''t surprising that the Barbarian was unable to notice them until they were about to stab him¡­


    Primal Sword Style: Ethereal Thrust!


    Two sharp des aimed at its lungs came swiftly to end the life of the Barbarian King.


    This sword technique is their enhanced version of their Primal Sword Style after learning several techniques from the Tower''s Martial Library.


    The barbarian king''s bronze skin including its stone-like muscles was unable to stop their swords.


    "Gaaarrrhhh!"


    A mournful cry resounded throughout the battlefield as the Barbarian King was unable to dodge their surprise attack. Nevertheless, it didn''t die yet¡­ He raised his sword and concentrated all his energy on it tounch his final desperate attack against the two smalldies on his side¡­


    However, the two Grand Knights were already aware of this technique and it is something that even their Sect''s Sword Guardians would have a hard time stopping.


    "You should just die quietly¡­" Millie softly muttered as she triggered the mana they left behind in his body¡­ This invasive mana targeted the Barbarian King''s heart and ended his life¡­


    Thud!


    The huge body of the barbarian dropped to the ground, lifeless.


    It happened so quickly as the Magic Knights above the wall cheered in celebration¡­


    Although there are still about 50 Barbarian Kings ahead, seeing a gleam of hope would certainly raise their morale.


    Unfortunately, Millie and Ceri know that they can''t do this continuously. Especially if the Barbarian Kings flocked together.


    As expected, after a few minutes, terrible news came¡­


    The artillery shells have run out and they have to stop the advance of the barbarians without its assistance.

 Chapter 416 Descent

    "Dodge!"


    Ceri shouted as she saw three Barbarian Kings tackling Millie¡­


    If she was caught, there was no way she would be able to survive that without critical injuries. Even though they have be Grand Knights and had incredible vitality, the Barbarian Kings can still crush their bodies if they decided topete in strength.


    Millie didn''t see the two enemies behind her but after Ceri''s reminder, she was able to jump away and escape from their encirclement¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Barbarian Kings did not stop as they tried catching them¡­


    Millie felt awful about their situation since they can''t use most of their technique because they don''t have the time to gather their energy and execute them.


    She also felt a terrible headache around these Barbarians who are continuously shouting at them in anguage they don''t understand.


    The two of them did their best to dy the advance of the Barbarian Kings but in the end, they only managed to stop 10 of them while the otherspletely ignored them and raced towards the city gate¡­


    Bam!


    Millie was hit by the Barbarian King''s metal club and she was almost knocked off by the shocking force behind the strike¡­ It was extremely heavy and she felt numbness in her chest.


    Ptui!


    She spat a mouthful of blood as she seems to have suffered an internal injury¡­


    "What kind of strike was that?" She couldn''t believe that getting hit once would already make her like this¡­


    Nevertheless, she felt that she can continue fighting so she wasn''t too worried.


    She was hit directly on her chest and has confirmed the strength of the Barbarian King. She now knows that she can take three or four more of those strikes before she might pass out.


    Well, she can''t help but appreciate the sword that Vincent had given to her. It has a skill that reduces physical damage which was really helpful this time.


    Furthermore, no matter how many times she blocked the attacks and cut them apart, the sword''s sharpness and durability barely changed. It wasn''t like any other Epic Items that she had heard of.


    She can feel that as long as she has this sword, she would always have a chance to kill a Barbarian King no matter how different their strengths are.


    "Drink this!" Ceri threw a bottle of potion to Millie and protected her side¡­


    Millie caught it swiftly and gulp the potion in one continuous movement¡­


    She immediately felt better like she wasn''t hit at all¡­


    "Great potion as expected¡­" Millie muttered as she eyed the iing metal club and broadsword¡­ Two Barbarian Kings ganked on her but she was ready for it.


    She didn''t dodge the metal club but punched it instead with her left hand using her Primal Fist¡­


    Bang!


    Her right hand holding her sword then shed with the broadsword creating sparks that flew everywhere.


    ng!<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Now that she had a full grasp of the strength behind their strikes, Millie had can now use the right amount of strength that she needed in battle.


    However, before she could even continue getting used to this battle style, a loud crash interrupted her concentration.


    Everyone in the city heard this noise as they realized that the barrier was finally broken!


    The Formation Art that Professor Levent has been maintaining all this time could no longer hold on!


    This had obviously rmed everyone in the city but nevertheless, they were not nning to escape!


    ***


    Vincent felt the shockwaveing from the destruction of the city barrier¡­ Four hundred thousand worth of Mana Crystals were gone just like that¡­


    Although he has no issues making money through his enhancements and ascension, selling them all is not an easy matter.


    No, perhaps selling his items during this war will probably be a lot faster but the problem is that his connection to other towers was already cut off after the appearance of the ck Magic Organization.


    Aside from the One Sea Merchant Union, he can only rely on the Alchemist Union or perhaps the Hunter Organization to purchase items from him.


    Perhaps, he would take several weeks to rebuild this barrier.


    "We''ll be heading on that side¡­ A bunch of Barbarian Kings has already infiltrated. This is not good¡­" Vincent pointed to the southern side of the city. He was able to sense the situation below and the two Grand Magus beside him agreed.


    "I''ll deal with the ones that were causing trouble to the Magic Knights¡­ Turhan can handle those who had infiltrated, is that alright?" Faviona suggested.


    "That''s fine by me¡­" Turhan replied as he noticed that eight Barbarian Kings were already inside the city.


    Vincent didn''t reject this idea since he originally nned to help Ceri and Millie who was being surrounded by the enemies.


    The hatch of the Vermillion Hawk opened slowly and as soon as it opened.


    The three of them jumped out and headed to their destination¡­


    This is Vincent''s first time doing this but he wasn''t too worried at all. He''s not afraid of heights or falling to death.


    As they were falling at a high speed and about to reach the ground, they swiftly activated the Mana Arts they have prepared.


    "Featherfall¡­" Turhan muttered as he was suddenly surrounded by wind energy that helped himnd on the ground like nothing.


    He wasn''t even noticed by the nearby Barbarian Kings until he started attacking them.


    "Chains of Fire¡­" Faviona, an alchemist who had mastered the Fire Element to the peak, used an offensive ability to tie herself to the Barbarian Kings on the ground¡­


    There''s a total of five chains made of fire that struck the barbarians and it didn''t just help her tond safely but also heavily injured them with her Elemental Art.


    As for Vincent, he summoned his three Flying Swords and stepped on one of them while the two others hovers around him.


    He wasn''t even done yet¡­ As he was getting near Millie and Ceri, he pulled out another item.


    It is his strongest Artifact right now and needless to say, it is his Sentient Book, the Tome of Gluttony!

 Chapter 417 Backup

    "The enemies are thoserge bronze-skinned people¡­ Make sure not to injure our allies."


    [ I understand. ]


    Vincent nodded after hearing the Tome''s confirmation.


    The ability of the Tome of Glutonny is rted to the Devouring Ability that it had assimted before. Devouring any living being doesn''t necessarily kill them but they are stored inside the page of the book itself.


    If they have the power or special ability to escape from its confinement, then they were lucky. If not, they will be at Vincent''s mercy whether he orders the Tome to just leave them be on their upied page or get devoured and have their mana consumed by the Sentient Book.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    A powerful suction force started affecting the nearby Barbarian Kings as they finally realized that they have a new enemy heading over their location¡­


    ''They''re resisting?'' Vincent mused as he realized that the Barbarian Kings started using an energy that is not simr to mana.


    It was disrupting the devouring force that was trying to pull them inside the tome''s pages.


    Nevertheless, their movement was stalled for a moment allowing Millie and Ceri to have a breather, and even took this time to counter-attack.


    Although the Tome failed to devour the enemies, they still managed to kill four Barbarian Kings at once.


    Millie looked gratefully at Vincent while Ceri nodded at him.


    There was no need for greetings at the moment since they are still at war and the other Barbarian Kings are still present¡­


    "Can you do that again to the other Barbarians?" Ceri suddenly asked Vincent as she gulp down a potion¡­


    "Yes¡­ There''s no problem repeating this technique¡­ They have some decent resistance but they won''t be able to adapt to it in time¡­ Just kill them as quickly as possible." Vincent replied.


    "Got it¡­"


    With thisbination, the battle against the Barbarian Kings on their side had gone a lot easier.


    Although he can''t devour them with his Sentient Tome, with the help of the two Grand Knights, they were able to win easily.


    ''But what was that energy? It''s not Aura or Aether¡­ It seems violent and full of killing intent¡­ Wait, is that something rted to Corruption Energy?'' Vincent thought as he had never encountered the cult''s Bloodlust yet.


    ***


    A few minutes ago outside the eastern gate, Yulia noticed a flying vessel rushing toward the city.


    ''Is that Vincent''s group?'' Yulia mused as she avoided the Armored Barbarian''s attack.


    The Armored Barbarian in front of her was very tricky to deal with, although she can use her Darkness Mystic Eye to restrict its movement, no attacks can injure this Totemic Barbarian.


    Elemental Arts doesn''t work including the Mind Attacks that they have prepared.


    Bang!


    Another strike was avoided as the ground broke into many pieces. Rocks and dust flew everywhere hitting several barbarians around the area.


    "You keep running away¡­ Is that all you can do!!" The Armored Barbarian taunted.


    He was moving slowly because of the bindings from the Darkness Energy and it was quite impossible to hit his target.


    The most he could do was put an explosive power in each strike that would affect the surroundings. He was hoping that Yulia gets careless and get hit by some stones or stumble on something.


    This Totemic Barbarian knows that once Yulia lost her concentration, he would have a chance to be freed from her control.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Yulia didn''t bother replying to this guy as she remained focused on controlling his movement. Brycen and Shane already tried attacking this Armored Barbarian but it was useless.


    Instead, she ordered the two to just eliminate the remaining barbarians¡­.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Several Barbarians started dropping to the ground as Brycen and Shane killed them as fast as they can.


    They have consumed over 80 percent of their mana and the Magic Knights near the gate are already dying¡­ They would lose this battle at this rate. The Barbarians just keep pouring at them!


    Their injuries keep piling up and they would probably die here if this continued.


    If Yulia wasn''t controlling this Armored Barbarian, they have probably infiltrated the city and caused mass destruction.


    "This is not good¡­ I''m already too exhausted¡­ Should we escape?"


    "I don''t even have the energy to run¡­"


    Shane and Brycen were leaning on their backs as they held their weapons tightly. Their arms, thighs, chest, and even their heads are bleeding from the injuries they suffered.


    Even if the normal barbarians have slow movements and couldn''t keep up with their swords, they are still incredibly tough and wouldn''t die easily.


    Their enormous vitality won''t kill them even if you pierce their hearts¡­ They can still grab you with their hands and squeeze you to death.


    There are many times that the two of them almost died after one barbarian on the ground just suddenly grabbed their feet or bit their legs¡­


    "Ak!"


    They heard Yulia''s cry as she was struck by a sneaky barbarian who lost the lower half of his body¡­


    Atst, the Armored Barbarian was freed from her bindings!


    "Gahaha! Die!" The totemic barbarian didn''t waste his time as Yulia might use her Mystic Eye again.


    He has to kill her as quickly as possible¡­


    Whoosh!


    He threw his sword in her direction creating a buzzing sound¡­ At this moment, Yulia was still disoriented by the strike. Although she managed to put a hole in the head of that Barbarian who struck her, she still felt the Bloodlust energy that entered her body¡­


    Her movement became stiff and although she discovered the sword flying at her, she was unable to react in time¡­


    ''I''ll die---'' This is her final thought as she closed her eyes and greeted her teeth¡­ She can only me herself for being weak.


    Perhaps, if she mastered the fifth stage of the Darkness Mystic Eye, this wouldn''t happen at all. She wouldn''t be too hopeless in front of the heavily armored Totemic Barbarian¡­


    Crash!


    As she was expecting to get hit by the sword, she felt a cold aura surrounding her¡­ It wasn''t hurting her and she even feltfortable¡­ It was as if it was apanied by a healing aura¡­


    ''What''s going on?''


    She opened her eyes to see what was happening. To her surprise, the huge blue river dragon was by her side and cleaned up all the surrounding barbarians¡­


    "K-Krusk? Did you fail to transform into a human?"

 Chapter 418 Crunch

    "Hey! I didn''t fail okay¡­ I just know that I can''t kill that armored one if I remain in that tiny form. I can tell that it has special powers¡­ I think it''s a legendary item or something. Hmm¡­ Vincent will like it so I should probably not destroy that armor¡­"


    Krusk replied as he swung his tail to clear up the barbarians who had already stood up and pounced on him.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Most of them were flung almost five hundred meters away as their descent created small craters¡­ The force behind that tail whip was too strong for them and they can no longer stand up after being hit.


    ''This was too easy for a Mythical Beast, huh¡­''


    Yulia heaved a sigh of relief as she knows that the situation is already under control.


    Although there are a few Barbarians that sneakily passed through their defensive formation, the Magic Knights can work together to defeat them since the citizens living in the city are all Magicians to some degree¡­


    "Are you a Mythical Beast?! Haha! This is fun!" The Totemic Barbarian asked as he pointed his axe at the dragon.


    Although the dragon wasrger than him, he wasn''t afraid at all¡­


    "Hmm?"


    Krusk nced at the Armored Barbarian and opened his mouth¡­ He didn''t even think of using his skill and decided to bite him!


    "Fine! Come at me!" The armored barbarian taunted as he aimed at the dragon''s mouth.


    Whish! Whish!


    He continued swinging his axe in an attempt to make Krusk hesitate¡­ However, the River Dragon didn''t care about his axe¡­.


    nk!


    The axe failed to hit the River Dragon''s jaw!


    Flying scales under the beast''s control stopped it from hurting him. They were hovering around his body like sentient shields...


    Apparently, Krusk still has the scales that he received from Vincent!


    Crunch!


    In one swift movement, Krusk bit the head of the Barbarian crushing his helmet and squeezing his brains out.


    It was such a simple move and Yulia couldn''t help but realize how weak she was.


    It was the same for Brycen and Shane who had even gone over to other countries just to train their skills. They thought that they have already seen everything and they are just waiting until they mastered their Mana Arts.


    However, they realized today that reaching the peak state of their Mana Arts wouldn''t change their status as a Magician.


    They would still be nothingpared to Mythical Beasts¡­


    ''How did Vincent even tame this monster?'' Brycen couldn''t help but admire his junior disciple''s talent.


    As someone who was also taming beasts or magic beasts, he knows the difficulty of getting along with them and taming them to do your bidding.


    Normally, the stronger they are, the more prideful they can be. It means that they are more difficult to control.


    However, this dragon, which should only appear in myths and folklore, would easily follow Vincent''s instruction which should be considered an impossible thing.


    Clink. Clink¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Two bottles of healing potions were ced in front of them as they realized that a few alchemists from the city starteding out to help those heavily injured.


    "T-thank you¡­" Brycen said as he picked up the potion.


    "You''re wee¡­" The alchemist said as he left to check the others'' condition. Since he noticed that Brycen is just tired and can move easily, he surmised that the potion would be enough for his treatment.


    If the patients can''t move, he would uncap the potion and pour it on their bodies to start the healing process. Although pouring the potion externally would weaken its effects, it is still a decent first aid to ensure that they would survive¡­


    Apparently, over 50 Magic Knights have already died and the rest were injured¡­


    The battle against the Barbarians this time wasn''t easy¡­


    If not for the appearance of the River Dragon, they would have more casualties.


    Gulp.


    Shane looked at the sky as he drank the potion that he just received from the alchemist.


    "I wonder what happened on the other side of the city¡­ I''m sure I felt the presence of the 14th Tower Master a while ago¡­"


    "That''s true¡­ Sir Thyrus must be there¡­ There''s also Levent, Magnus, and others¡­ Even if they can''t win, they should be able to wait for Vincent''s arrival, right?"


    Brycen said.


    Just the presence of the Mythical Beast already tells him that Vincent has returned and taking care of the situation.


    Although it''s difficult to admit, they know that this young man is someone they can''t mess with¡­


    He may not be capable of emitting immense pressure like other Grand Magus, but his possession of unusual Magic Artifacts is something that could prove to be very dangerous.


    "Let''s not worry about them¡­ Although there''s no way they can win, they can still buy some time¡­"


    Shane added as he has been noticing that the focus of the Mana Cannon was the northern side of the city where they felt the presence of the 14th Tower Master.


    It means that the threat there is more dangerous but Thyrus and the others are at least getting support from the Tower.


    ***


    Outside the Northern Gate, Thyrus kneeled on the ground as he looked at the endless number of Dragon Riders pouring out of the three portals¡­


    After they have annihted the first batch of dragon riders through their use of Elemental Arts, Artillery Guns, and Mana Cannon, three Portals came out and spat out numerous Dragon Riders to rece the first batch¡­


    The Mana Cannon can no longer fire, and Magnus was already drained and couldn''t assist with the Elemental Arts bombardment. Even his imnted Mystic Eye was already shedding tears of blood.


    After the City Barrier was removed, it became a huge disaster for them. The Magicians and Magic Knights can no longer continue with their bombardment after losing the protection of the barrier.


    In the end, there were many casualties on their side.


    ''Not good¡­ The Tower''s Mana Cannon is no longer firing¡­ Did they use up all the charged energy already?'' Thyrus bit his lips as he looked above the sky¡­


    The 14th Tower Master seem to have noticed that the threat of Mana Cannon had already subsided¡­ He remained on his spot for a while to protect the Dragon Riders behind him but after noticing that no cannons are being fired, he finally made his move¡­ His first target was the fleeing Magicians who were previously bombarding them with elemental arts¡­


    ''I need to move!''


    Thyrus can''t let Magnus die at this point¡­ He was entrusted to him by Ignacy!

 Chapter 419 Another Tier 5

    Thyrus wanted to use his Earth Shifting Movement technique but he realized that his Mana is not enough¡­ He can only boost his speed by putting his remaining mana on his feet.


    Unfortunately, the enemy is too fast, it reached the group of magicians easily and killed three of them using a long spear¡­


    ''No!''


    Thyrus despaired as he saw what happened¡­ He knows that it wouldn''t end just by killing those three...


    Suddenly, when the Tower Master was about to chase Magnus and his group, a beam of light, different from the Mana Cannon, hit the Tower Master from above¡­


    Boom!


    The flying beast he was riding on cried in pain before the beast dropped to the ground, lifeless. As for the Tower Master, he wasn''t sure whether he survived.


    Thyrus was shocked by the sudden turn of events as he looked up at the sky. It was the red Vermillion Hawk that was hovering over them and facing the numerous Dragon Riders alone!


    Seeing this opportunity, Thyrus shouted and ordered everyone to retreat into the city¡­


    There was no way that the Tower Master died from that attack. Furthermore, there are still hundreds of Dragon Riders above them.


    No matter what, a single Flying Vessel is not enough to defeat all of them¡­


    The most it could do is dy the enemies'' advance until the reinforcements from the other sides have been defeated.


    Soon, Thyrus witnessed the numerous Mana Arts thrown at the Vermillion Hawk¡­ It was a beautiful but dreadful sight since he knows that if he was the one on the receiving end of this, he would probably have difficulty escaping from it.


    The mostmon attack was the Fireballs of differing sizes and Stone Bullets.


    The Dragon Riders know that it was pointless to chase a Flying Vessel that could outmaneuver them so firing some ranged mana arts while surrounding it was a good idea¡­


    However, to everyone''s surprise, the Vermillion Hawk did not dodge and remained in its position¡­


    As a matter of fact, it did not even retaliate and fired at the same spot where the 14th Tower Master should be¡­


    Boom!


    Another beam of light came from the Vermillion Hawk and hit the ground¡­ Thyrus wasn''t sure if the Tower Master was hit again since there are still dust around the area¡­


    "This¡­"


    He then saw the Vermillion Hawk get bombarded by several elemental Mana Arts and he couldn''t help but worry¡­


    Even if Vincent, or perhaps L, ced a Defensive Formation Core in that airship, it is not invincible¡­


    This barrier has a limit and being hit by over a hundred Elemental Arts might be too much for it.


    However, his worry was for naught as he saw the Vermillion Hawk without any damage at all.


    ''Incredible¡­ Just what kind of enhancements did he do to make this small airship stronger than the Warships made by the Nexus Organization?''


    As he was observing the situation, an alchemist came running to his side and gave him a potion. It seems that the support team is also doing its best to help the magicians on the front lines.


    "Sir Thyrus¡­ You need to recover for now¡­ Take this." A young female alchemist said as she handed over a blue potion with golden threads.


    "This is a high-grade Mana Recovery potion¡­"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Thyrus took it gratefully but he hesitated to consume it immediately.


    "Is there something wrong? If you need a health recovery potion, I may not give it to you at the moment as they are being distributed on the back lines."


    "No¡­ I just consumed six Mana Recovery Potions so I built some tolerance¡­ I probably need several hours of rest before I can fully benefit from this potion. If I consume it now, I''ll probably only use 20% of its effects."


    Thyrus exined. This ismon knowledge after all.


    Of course, he also knows that he has to consume it now even if he can''t fully benefit from it since he needed to help the Magic Knights in their defense.


    Even if he only gets 10% of its effects, he should still consume it to be of use.


    "Ahh! Don''t worry about it, Sir Thyrus¡­ These ones are specifically modified by Sir Vincent¡­ You don''t have to worry about the built-up tolerance if you consume this¡­ Anyway, I need to go help the others now."


    The young alchemist left Thyrus confused for a moment before thetter smiled and consumed the potion without hesitation¡­


    ''I forgot that Vincent''s modification is the real deal¡­''


    Thyrus thought as he felt the surging wave of mana rushing to his Mana Core¡­


    He felt refreshed and powerful. Seeing this, the young alchemist left with a smile.


    Thyrus can tell that his Mana Recovery Speed Rate has increased and it would probablyst for several more minutes¡­ With this in mind, he activated his Tier 5 Mana Art¡­


    He can''t let the Vermillion Hawk be the focus of bombardment!


    He looked at the hundreds of Dragons Riders above the sky and pointed his index finger that has already turned ck¡­ His armed had already turnedpletely red as if it was trying to support his ckened finger.


    He may not be strong enough to receive all of the enemy''s attacks like the Vermillion Hawk but he certainly has a way to bring them down!


    As long as those Dragon Riders hadn''t started their mutation of mana to reach the status of a Grand Magus, they should suffer from this technique¡­


    "Spirit Conjuring: Bending Will!"


    As soon as he activated this Mana Art, the Dragon Riders including their mounts started falling one by one by one¡­


    It was an invisible Mana Art that forcefully blocks the mind of his targets.


    Crack!


    Unfortunately, it didn''te without a cost¡­


    Using Tier 5 Mana Arts would always have bacsh in different forms. The mostmon form of bacsh was being unable to use Mana for a few hours to even days and the rare ones would even take a part of their memories away.


    On the other hand, Shane and Brycen''s Tier 5 would only weaken them but it means that their Tier 5 isn''t the strongest one out there.


    At the very least, they wouldn''t have to worry about its bacsh that much¡­


    As for Thyrus, he actually has one of the extreme Tier 5 Mana Arts¡­


    Although he managed to kill so many Dragon Riders all at once by spending almost all of his mana, he can no longer use his index finger and he usually needs several weeks to fully heal his whole arm¡­

 Chapter 420 Fire

    "Have they already died? Ahhh¡­  N-no, they''re still breathing¡­" A was shocked as soon as she saw the Dragon Riders starting to fall¡­


    It seems that someone used a forbidden technique and knocked them out all at once. She didn''t see any elemental art, soul art, or weapons that were used to annihte them so it was no wonder why she was so surprised.


    "It must be Sir Thyrus'' Tier 5 Mana Art¡­ It''s a peculiar ability¡­ I heard it from Master Faviona."


    Dianne said as she clenched her fist while looking at the falling Dragon Riders.


    She can still feel that they are alive but the problem is that they all passed out including their mount. She feels like she really needs to improve herself to be useful in these times of war.


    "Amazing¡­ It looks more powerful than Master Turhan''s Tier 5 Mana Art¡­"


    "You probably shouldn''t say that in front of him¡­"


    "R-right¡­ Of course¡­"


    A replied as she looked at the hundreds of people falling in the sky.


    If they didn''t use their Mana Protection or Magic Tools before they reach the ground to protect themselves, no matter how tough their bodies are, they would still die considering this height.


    She then shifted her gaze to the Tower Master that they shot down using the Vermillion Hawk''s Anti-Magician Shooter.


    It is basically a modified version of Mana Cannon but instead of just firing a concentrated form of Mana into the enemy, Vincent seems to have modified it to only attack the cores of the targets. It is tiny cannon attached at the bottom of the vessel.


    Whether it is their Beast Cores or Mana Cores, this cannon can easily bypass their defenses and get them destroyed.


    Of course, this means that it is quite weak against buildings or other flying vessels. Nevertheless, Vincent didn''t mind this since he knows that most of the enemies they will be fighting with will be magicians.


    If they have to fight against a Celestial Being, another Alien Race, or even the Avatar, he will only flee using this flying ship or if he has Celestial Beings on his side, he would make use of them.


    "Do you think we defeated the Tower Master?" A asked¡­


    "I don''t think so¡­ I saw him wearing some glittering armor. Those aren''t just for decoration¡­"


    "I guess so¡­ But Vincent mentioned that this Shooter directly attacks someone''s core, right?"


    "That''s true¡­ Can you tell if there''s any movement below?"


    "I''m trying¡­ But there''s no reaction¡­ I''m not sure if he escaped or perhaps died from the second shot."


    A replied as she waited for the dust to recede.


    "Ugh¡­ I guess we can''t defeat him with this weapon, huh¡­"


    She added after noticing a powerful fluctuation of mana below them. It seems that aside from disrupting the Tower Master, their attack didn''t do much.


    "Should we retreat?"


    "I think so¡­ We already dyed them anyway¡­"


    As they were considering what to do, Calidia connected to their channel.


    [ A! You did great dying the Tower Master! Vincent and the rest are already heading your way¡­ Just keep the Tower Master busy for three more minutes. ]


    "A-Alright¡­ We will try¡­"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    A replied. She really had no other choice given the situation¡­ Their Anti-Magician Shooter can only be used 10 times and they were certainly nning to use them all against this Tower Master.


    Apparently, although Vincent instructed them to dock at the Tower, they were instructed by Calidia to help upon their arrival¡­ Since this is an emergency, they decided to help¡­


    They can only hope that everything will go well.


    ***


    Vincent was hurrying to the northern side of the city after assisting Millie and Ceri with the Barbarian Kings¡­


    The Sentient Book alone could not easily devour them, but with the help of the two Grand Knights, consuming these barbarians was possible. They only have to weaken them or heavily injure them with their swords and the Tome of Glutonny will do the rest.


    The only problem is that he had used all pages of the Tome already so he can''t use it in a few days or even weeks depending on how long these Barbarian Kings canst inside their Prison Pages.


    Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­


    Behind Vincent was Millie who was using her Shadow Blink Steps to follow him to the Northern Gate¡­ She was obviously slower but she was keeping up with his speed the longer they travel.


    ''Shadow Blink Steps¡­ It''s only a Tier 1 Mana Art like my Shrouded Step but it looks more impressive.. I should probably learn this technique after this farce¡­'' Vincent mused.


    Anyway, he wasn''t flying that high with his sword and was only above the houses or infrastructures of the city...


    He then looked from afar and found the Vermillion Hawk bombarding someone with the Anti-Magician Shooter that he made for the flying vessel.


    "Five hits and still not over? Just who are they fighting this time¡­" Vincent muttered as he knows how powerful this +10 weapon was.


    A single hit from this gun can kill high-level Savage Beasts. A Magic Beast might take two to three shots¡­ He hadn''t tried it against Magicians since he didn''t have a chance before¡­


    If someone can defend against this weapon five times or more, perhaps they really have to call everyone to defeat that guy¡­


    As he was nearing the northern gate, he felt a suffocating pressure that wasing from the Tower Master¡­


    This pressure is not the same as Mana or Soul Pressure but a different type of energy¡­


    "Not good¡­" Vincent felt the dangering from the enemy as he hastens his speed. He also brought out a couple of defensive items in his system inventory to protect himself from this unknown field¡­


    Suddenly, he heard a deafening roar and a pir of me rose up and burned the Vermillion Hawk!


    The blue and red me was so hot that the surroundings started melting away¡­


    Vincent has to do something about this or everyone will be affected.


    ''Do I have something that can stop this?!'' Vincent furiously searched his mind as he wasn''t sure what can he do to suppress this Pir of me¡­


    He has many items in his inventory and in his interspatial ring so he was taking some time recalling all of them¡­


    After a few seconds, his eyes lit up and recalled one of his Mythic Grade items.


    ''Right¡­ I just need to put some water on it¡­''


    Vincent thought as he pulled out the River Dragon''s Left Eye that could Summon Flood!

 Chapter 421 Half-Human?

    The River Dragon''s Eye has two Active Skills.


    They are the Anti-Curse Field and Summon Flood. These two are already powerful skills even if Vincent hadn''t enhanced the item. Especially the Summon Flood that could easily rival a Grand Magus'' Tier 3 Fusion Art.


    After it became a +10 item, however, it became even more powerful to the point that he can''t test it out since it could really change the terrain and affect the ecosystem¡­


    This is the power of an Enhanced Version of a Mythical Beast''s attack after all.


    The Vera City might be affected by the sudden flood but he has no other choice since he can''t think of another item that would help him quickly resolve this issue¡­


    ''Activate¡­''


    Vincent poured his Pseudo-Celestial Energy into the Left Eye¡­ As soon as his mind connected the Mana Arts'' Sequence inside the Eye, he immediately found the Summon Flood and triggered it in the direction he wanted¡­


    ''Summon Flood¡­''


    Soon, a huge wave of water formed in front of him as it started surging to the origin of the pir of fire¡­


    Whooosshhh!


    Many citizens started worrying after seeing the gushing flood. They immediately found a ce to hold on to make sure that they won''t get swept away¡­ Almost all of them don''t know how to swim after all. It would be such a shame to die by drowning in this current war.


    Crash! Crash! Crash!


    The flood resulted in the destruction of many houses and Vincent felt pained after seeing this. Nevertheless, this is necessary to stop the pir of fire from destroying the Vermillion Hawk and melting the surroundings.


    At this point, Millie was able to catch up on Vincent as she looked at him with worry¡­


    "Are you alright?" She asked while looking at therge creepy-looking eye he was holding.


    "Yes, I''m fine. Let''s hurry¡­" Vincent said as he controlled his Flying Sword to move again.


    "Aahh! The Vermillion Hawk is falling!" Millie suddenly cried out in shock as she noticed that the airship''s engine was burning¡­


    It seems that the Pir of Fire was just too much for the vessel.


    Vincent was rmed after seeing this since A and Dianne must be inside the airship¡­ Although he prepared many emergency measures for this type of asion, he''s still unsure whether it had worked as he expected them to.


    ''Aura Sense¡­ Item Sense¡­''


    Vincent searched for the 14th Tower Master who should''ve been swept away by the flood.


    As expected, he didn''t feel the Tower Master''s presence so he shifted his gaze to the falling Vermillion Hawk¡­


    Thanks to the Float System that is still partially active, they should still have time to rescue A and Dianne inside the airship¡­


    He can only hope that they weren''t toasted inside the airship yet¡­


    Whoosh!


    Vincent flew as fast as he can and controlled the two flying swords to cut open a path¡­ Since all the defensive devices or formations have been broken, Vincent did all of this in just 5 seconds or so¡­


    Crank!


    Vincent immediately entered the vessel and found A and Dianne unconscious¡­ Luckily, they only passed out and the vessel''s emergency protection mode seem to have activated¡­


    He immediately carried the two and jumped out¡­ Since he''s now heavy, he has to control the three Flying Swords to carry him andnd safely in the city¡­


    At this time, however, his senses felt the killing intenting from the Tower Master¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Whoosh!


    He leaned his head back as the Mana Bullet narrowly missed his temple.


    ''Crap¡­ I need to get away quickly¡­''


    There was no way that the sneaky attack would end in just one Mana Bullet.


    As expected, five more fast and almost invisible Mana Bullets targeted him.


    Furthermore, the origin of each bullet wasn''t the same! This is a different level of multicastingpared to the other Grand Magus he had seen¡­


    ''So it''s possible to use Mana Bullets this way¡­'' Vincent had a sudden inspiration but he knows that he can''t try this considering the situation.


    Crash!


    The Vermillion Hawk finally crashed to the ground and created a small explosion¡­


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    At the same time, all the mana bullets thrown by the Tower Master reached Vincent.


    Luckily for him, all the bullets were actually targeting him instead of the girls in his arms¡­ With this in mind, Vincent decided to ignore the bullets and dashed down to bring the two to safety¡­


    "Millie¡­ Take care of these two!" Vincent shouted as he was hit by the five Mana Bullets¡­


    "Vincent!" Millie worriedly shouted as she saw the two girls being thrown in her direction. She immediately kept her sword and caught the two with a grunt¡­


    She didn''t expect that Vincent would just throw the two so suddenly¡­


    Nevertheless, she still checked Vincent''s condition and confirmed that he was unhurt.


    ''Armor? When did he---''


    Millie was shocked to see Vincent in armor but as soon as she realized what kind of armor it was, she was obviously speechless. She immediately recalled what it is!


    This is the same for the others who had never seen Vincent wear this armor.


    "I-is that a Celestial Armor?!"


    Shane and Brycen who were rushing to this site after seeing the Pir of Fire were shocked after seeing Vincent wearing the armor.


    As far as they know, Celestial Armors are off-limits to humans like them¡­ They may be able to wield the Celestial Weapons, but that would be such a waste since they won''t be able to use their weapon skills.


    As for the Celestial Armors, activating them is a mystery¡­ They only know that it could be hidden under your shirt or in a different form. However, activating them to cover your body with armor is not something that they can do¡­


    "I knew it¡­ This guy is definitely a son of the Celestial Being¡­ Half-human half-celestial!" Shane uttered in shock and it was heard by many.


    "Half-Human Half-Celestial! No wonder he was so powerful and was able tomand so many Celestials!"


    "Amazing!"


    "The City Lord is really the best!"


    Brycen was a bit surprised when the people nearby epted what Shane just said¡­


    ''This guy¡­ I''m sure that he also knows that Celestial Beings can''t reproduce due to some unknown reasons¡­ There was no way that Vincent came from a Human and a Celestial¡­ Ugh¡­ Whatever, this might be a good thing as well¡­'' Brycen thought as he returned his gaze above the sky.

 Chapter 422 Break

    Because of how Vincent suddenly used his Celestial Armor, the hidden Tower Master had to pause in his attack for a moment¡­


    It seems that he was also surprised by how Vincent was able to use this Celestial Armor.


    Needless to say, as a Tower Master governing arge piece ofnd and owning a mountain of wealth, he also had Celestial Beings with him before and he had tried wearing this armor as well.


    ? Unfortunately, it never worked for him or in other experimental subjects.


    Not even the 15th Tower, which has the best research equipment, was able to discover the mystery of this armor. No one can modify it to make it suitable for magicians or even recreate a simr armor.


    The most they could do is to create automated armors that only have 8-10% of the Celestial Armor''s capabilities.


    "So a human found a way to wear a Celestial Armor, huh¡­ I wonder if it retained its original properties¡­"


    The 14th Tower Master said as he summoned several Mana Bullets ago¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent did his best to find the origin of these strikes but unfortunately, his opponent seem to be capable of forming Mana Bullets even from afar.


    The Tower Master might not even be here anymore and was just watching him from 100 kilometers away.


    ''Ugh¡­ This is so frustrating¡­'' Vincent grumbled as he ignored some of the shots and dodge those that he can see.


    Although he can just ignore those Mana Bullets being thrown at him, it feels like he was doing his enemy a favor if he just stands there without doing anything.


    Vincent looked at the battlefield field with corpses¡­ They are the Dragon Riders that fell from the sky¡­ They were either crushed by their own weight or crushed by the mounts that toppled over them.


    It is such a tragic sight as none of the corpses were in a good shape¡­ Nevertheless, what was troubling was the thick scent of blood that is covering the whole area¡­


    Vincent felt quite worried that it would attract a wave of Savage Beasts or even Magic Beasts. After all, their City''s Formation Barrier would take a long time to be repaired.


    ''Tsk¡­ Did he leave already? I can''t sense him with my Item Sense or Aura Sense¡­ Is he too far from here? How did he even defend against my Anti-Magician Shooter?'' Vincent could onlyin in his mind since he doesn''t know when the opponent will suddenly attack.


    This is one of the most troubling situations that he had experienced.


    Perhaps, if Tara was here, she would be able to find this Tower Master without any trouble¡­


    Vincent took a deep breath as he cleared his thoughts¡­ His armor is continuously using up his Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he has to do something about his situation.


    He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated his energy on them¡­


    3 seconds¡­ 5 seconds¡­ 10 seconds¡­


    After reaching twenty seconds, Vincent opened his eye again and looked around¡­ This time, Vera''s gift to his eyes was activated¡­


    It is the Peak of Mana Sensitivity¡­


    Soon, he found arge amount of mana gathering behind a hill 400 meters away from the city.


    Furthermore, there is actually a formation art there that is hiding this aura from him! No wonder he couldn''t sense anything in that location.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    It was a very mysterious formation art considering how his Item Sense couldn''t prate that barrier.


    ''No, perhaps he wasn''t wearing anything high-level Item so I didn''t notice?'' Vincent thought as he could not believe that his System''s Skill would fail him at all.


    ''Ahh¡­ Did he notice that I sensed his presence?'' Vincent mused as knows he himself would feel if someone managed to peek through him.


    It might be the same for the Tower Master.


    He watched the energy for a moment and confirmed that it remained calm and steady. It means that the Tower Master should be unaware that he was already discovered.


    Suddenly, three Mana Bullets were formed around Vincent in a triangr formation¡­ This time, these bullets wererger and even spinning so much that it is starting to affect the surroundings.


    A wind vortex was suddenly formed behind these Mana Bullets before suddenly rushing on him¡­


    ''So he took his time to create this, huh¡­ No wonder his attack was dyed¡­''


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Two Mana Bullets were avoided easily but the third one seem to have a mind of its own and changed its trajectory hitting him squarely on his head.


    Bang!


    It didn''t hurt him a bit but the Tower Master was probably satisfied with this result¡­ After all, if he could hit him once in his head, he only has to be patient and repeat the process until Vincent''s armor was gone.


    ''Alright¡­ I should end this now¡­'' Vincent thought as he pulled out one of his Magic Tools.


    He can''t let the Tower Master escape again so he wore his Basilisk Gauntlet after retracting the Celestial Armor. The consumption would just be too much if he continue wearing it.


    Anyway, it has been quite a while since he used this gauntlet so he felt that he has to warm up for a bit¡­


    He waited for another set of Mana Bullets toe at him before he blocked them with the gauntlet and punched a few of them¡­


    "Vincent¡­ I tried looking for the Tower Master but I can''t tell where he is¡­ He must be using a high-level item to hide his presence. I think we should focus on defense and build another City Barrier for now." Thyrus suggested as he saw Vincent getting targeted by Mana Bullets that are forming out of nowhere.


    The others had the same thought as they felt that if they were together, these Mana Bullets wouldn''t hurt anyone. They wanted to at least cover for Vincent to defend against these Tier 2 Mana Art.


    Vincent shifted his gaze for a moment and realized that there are many soldiers around who are indeed watching him with worry¡­


    Although he is wearing the Celestial Armor, they felt worried for him since the Mana Bullets just keep appearing and they can''t find its source.


    "There''s no need¡­ I will finish him off now." Vincent replied with a confident smile as he looked at the hill from afar...


    He activated his boots'' movement speed buff and he arrived at the hill in just a few seconds¡­


    As soon as he reached the area where the Tower Master was, he no longer hesitated and punched the ground with all his might¡­


    "Come out!" Vincent shouted as he triggered the Legendary Item''s Active Skill¡­


    Groundbreak!

 Chapter 423 Cut

    The Basilisk Gauntlet is one of his old Legendary Items that have decent passive and active skills.


    [ Basilisk Gauntlet ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 580/820


    Magic Resistance: 400


    Physical Resistance: 400


    Description: An enhanced gauntlet made of Basilisk hide and refined by Shimmering Dust.


    Remarks: Magic and Physical Resistance found. These attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    [ Skills


    Attack Boost ( Passive ): All damages inflicted by the gauntlet will be increased by 30%.


    Knockback ( Passive ): Every sessful hit would have a 60% chance of triggering a knockback to the target.


    Groundbreak ( Active ): In exchange for 600 units of mana, the user can channel an energy punch to the ground before hitting the target. ]


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent used the Groundbreak consecutively and destroyed the Formation Cores that were arranged on the hill¡­ These Formation Cores were hiding the Tower Master so he has to destroy them first.


    This way, his Mana Sense and Item Sense would have no issues finding the Tower Master.


    "Vincent!" The Tower Master cried in anguish as Vincent destroyed his hiding ce.


    As a matter of fact, he was injured because of this sudden attack! He was toocent believing that his Formation Art would hide him from Vincent¡­


    As the name implies, the Groundbreak Skill that Vincent just used has no issues destroying the terrain. Each of his strikes can shatter the surroundings and affect any living beings who are on the ground.


    Apparently, the Tower Master was hiding underground and was only fighting Vincent using an Observer Magic Ward that he can use to remotely attack using a Tier 2 Mana Art.


    He was nning to weaken Vincent using this method since he was confident that his Mana could easily oust this young man.


    He thought that he can continue doing this indefinitely but he did not expect that Vincent would even think of destroying the whole hill just to find him!


    "There you are¡­" Vincent smiled as soon as he saw the Tower Master who had jumped away¡­


    He also noticed that this man is actually quite old¡­ He seems to be in his sixties but because of hisrge build and the armor he was wearing, he appears to be younger at a first nce.


    After finally seeing his target, Vincent''s eyes lit up as he first ordered his Flying Swords to distract the Tower Master¡­


    However, the Tower Master is slow either as three Fire Balls were made with a flick of his finger before throwing it on Vincent¡­ He actually ignored the Flying Swords and opted to attack Vincent instead.


    Vincent had no choice but to cancel his preparation for a big attack and kept his gauntlet in his System''s Inventory to reactivate his Celestial Armor¡­


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    The Fireballs were ineffective and didn''t even leave a dent in his Armor.


    As for the flying swords, Vincent was surprised to see that the Tower Master was actually grazed by the three of them.


    His shoulder, thigh, and arm got injured!<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    He was simply hoping that it would distract the Tower Master for a moment and he didn''t expect that it would be this effective.


    ''Hmm?'' Vincent was confused as he looked at the Tower Mater carefully. There was no way that someone at his level would fail to avoid that¡­


    This time, he found out that the Tower Master''s ears were actually bleeding!


    It seems that it was due to the aftershock from his Groundbreak.


    Based on what he knows, the Groundbreak isn''t just a simple technique that summons an earthquake to destroy the ground after every punch. It creates a strong vibration underground that softens its hold and makes everything above it copse¡­


    ''Good!'' Vincent smiled seeing this as a perfect opportunity to get closer to the man¡­


    p!


    Realizing that Vincent wanted to get closer, the Tower Master pped his hand and it seem to trigger his Magic Tool''s barrier.


    Vincent didn''t care about this as he just punched it with all his might.


    Although he''s no longer wearing the Basilisk Gauntlet, this Celestial Armor is incredibly tough and he doesn''t need to hold back or worry about its durability at all.


    Although he doesn''t have a method to repair this item if it loses durability, he can simply ask Tara or the others to help him repair it.


    Bang!


    The Barrier didn''t crack after being hit but Vincent wasn''t worried.


    ''Touchless Mana Drain¡­''


    ''Soul Pressure¡­''


    One Mana Art and One Soul Art were used at the same time.


    This time, Vincent knows that he''s going to win¡­ As long as he stays near this Tower Master, it''s only a matter of time before this old man gets exhausted.


    Of course, he wouldn''t just stay still as he pulled out his Ironbark Cane to beat up this Magician¡­


    The battle between themsted for over 30 minutes and there were many times that Krusks and the others wanted to help him.


    However, Vincent rejected their offer as he can tell that this old man would just escape as soon as he realized that the battle wasn''t in his favor. On the other hand, if Vincent continued fighting alone, the Tower Master would have a false hope that he would be able to escape anytime he wanted¡­


    Little did he know that his Mana is being drained little by little and Vincent''s Corrosive Mana is also slowly affecting him¡­


    This is Vincent''s current limit at the moment, casting 2 lower Tier Mana Arts at the same time.


    Although he can''t cast Tier 3 Mana Arts, he was at least capable of dual-casting Tier 1 or Tier 2 Mana Arts which is quite a decentpensation.


    He wanted to capture this Tower Master alive!


    If he did this sessfully, the secrets of the ck Magic Tower will be revealed to him. Furthermore, he would be able to know the extent of cooperation they have with the Barbarian Race¡­


    "You---"


    Suddenly, the Tower Master tried using a higher-tier Mana Art to melt the armor but realized that something was wrong with his body¡­


    He wanted to just y around to see the limits of the Celestial Armor as he had never fought against someone capable of using this¡­ Unfortunately for him, his curiosity backfired and he was now caught in Vincent''s trap¡­


    "So you finally noticed¡­" Vincent smiled after seeing that the Tower Master was about to use a potion to heal his body from his abnormal status¡­


    Of course, Vincent didn''t allow him to consume whatever elixir this was and used his Astral Night Dagger to cut the Tower Master''s arm¡­

 Chapter 424 Monster?

    "Aaahhh!"


    The old man cried in pain after his arm was cut off! Blood sttered everywhere as the stench of blood wafted through the air.


    Vincent didn''t mind this as he hastily grabbed the arm and took the purple potion on it. He doesn''t know what potion it was but it might be something precious so he wanted to keep it forter.


    Pah!


    Vincent pped the Tower Master as he felt his head ringing after hearing him cry¡­ The old man finally passed out but he was still bleeding.


    Thud¡­


    Vincent caught him and poured a healing potion on his arm to ensure that he won''t die from blood loss.


    He also concentrated for a bit to retract the Corrosive Mana that he had ced on the old man''s body¡­


    Well, the skill is originally called Corrosive Mana but since he''s actually using Pseudo-Celestial Energy, this name might be called differently already.


    Anyway, this is Tier 1 Mana Art where he needed to infuse Mana on his target after touching him¡­ It can normally be defended by using Mana Protection or if you have Magic Tools that protect you from foreign energying in contact with your body¡­


    Of course, the Tower Master has that and it is actually his armor that protects him from simr attacks. However, because of Vincent''s mutation, any normal protection would no longer work.


    They need something different to block his Pseudo-Celestial Energy which is not easy to find.


    They have to think of Vincent as a weaker version of the Celestial Being if they ever think of battling against him. Unfortunately for them, he has no ns to publicize his Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he can continuously trick them.


    "Vincent¡­ Are you hurt?" Thyrus arrived beside Vincent and looked at his condition.


    "I''m fine¡­ I just spent most of my Mana¡­ It''s a good thing that he underestimated me so I managed to win before he used his Tier 5 Mana Art." Vincent replied.


    "That''s true¡­ I''m actually thinking that he''s waiting for Ignacy to appear before he ns to use it."


    "Oh¡­ That might be possible. Since he knows that Magnus and everyone else are here, he must''ve realized that Master Ignacy is also hiding here." Vincent agreed as he carried the Tower Master to bring him back to the city. He has to interrogate himter.


    At this point, he already retracted his Celestial Armor so he felt a bit too small to carry the old man. Luckily, Thyrus volunteered to carry the Tower Master and Vincent just agreed to it¡­


    For thest time, Vincent used his Mana Sense and Item Sense to ensure that the battle is over.


    He searched the surrounding area and after confirming that no Barbarians or Magicians were around, he finally heaved a sigh of relief¡­


    ''Right, I need to check their condition¡­'' Vincent recalled A and Dianne who had fainted after being surrounded by the Pir of Fire cast by the Tower Master.


    Although they weren''t in critical condition, they seem to have suffered some internal injuries even after being protected by the vessel''s Emergency Protection Magic.


    At this point, Calidia also started reporting to him about the situation in the city. He then allowed her to handle the rebuilding of the structures since she already has experience with this. As for the reconstruction of the Formation Arts, he ordered it to Yulia.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    He also ordered her to handle all thepensation they needed to provide to all the victims of this tragedy. Although their treasury might be emptied because of this, Vincent is willing to part with his wealth


    It didn''t take long before Vincent arrived at the medical ward where all the patients who weren''t fully cured by potions are all staying.


    Some lost their limbs, their eyes, and even Mana Cores so they can never be a Magician again. Losing your Mana Core would result in a critical internal injury that not even Vincent''s potion could heal at this point.


    Vincent clenched his fist after seeing this scene¡­ He didn''t expect that the Barbarians and ck Magic Organization would attack at the same time and even timed it when he was away and his Celestial Beings.


    Although he made plenty of preparations and considered many things before he left the City, it just didn''te to his mind that the Barbarians would suddenly siege their city¡­


    Vincent felt frustrated at this but he has to move forward. He needed to see the two youngdies who bravely fought against the Tower Master.


    As soon as he arrived at the room, he saw Turhan and Faviona who are already beside their student. They seem to be checking the condition of the two who were still unconscious even though they didn''t seem to have suffered any injuries.


    Their appearance looks better now as if they were only sleeping.


    He then heard Turhan and Faviona''s conversation beside the patient''s bed.


    "This is weird¡­ I can''t find any internal injuries or sickness from the two. However, they won''t wake up no matter what we try." Faviona frowned as she thoroughly checked Dianne''s condition.


    "Even my Mystic Eye can''t find anything off about them. Perhaps we just need to give them some time to rest." Turhan suggested as they have already tried everything they could.


    "There must be something that we''ve missed. The Tower Master is also an Aura Knight¡­ Did he use a Soul Art we''re unaware of?"


    "T-that''s possible¡­ Not good, I''m not well-versed in Soul Arts."


    "Me too¡­" Faviona replied as she finally noticed Vincent''s arrival.


    "Let me see their condition."


    There was no need for greetings as he immediately stood beside Dianne who was closest to the door. He did not study medicine and was certainly not a doctor but he could at least try to check whether both of them has foreign energy inside her body.


    Unfortunately, even after Vincent tried using his Magic Tools to detect any forms of energy from the two, he failed to find anything. This might be implying that they were affected by intrusive energy at all.


    Vincent also tried to be bold as he used his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to scan their bodies¡­


    Dianne had no reaction to it but a few seconds after A received the Pseudo-Celestial Energy, her body suddenly glowed as if she was about to transform¡­


    It was at this moment when Vincent recalled how Krusk was calling her a monster!


    ''This¡­ Is she really a monster?!'' This was in the mind of the three conscious people within the room as they unconsciously backed away from A.

 Chapter 425 Tara

    "We''re done here¡­" Tara said as she wore the gray cloak that Vincent had enhanced for her.


    Her group of three has now expanded to six after they sessfully killed three Mana Practitioners who are contracted with Celestial Beings.


    Recruitment was a lot easier after killing the Mana Practitioners after all.


    Although Vincent probably wanted them to have a gentler approach to this mission, Tara believes that they would be more efficient if they decided to be forceful once they got rejected.


    "Are we going to return now?" One of the Celestials in her original team asked.


    "I think we need to recruit one or two more¡­" Another Celestial suggestion.


    Apparently, Vincent had forgotten to give names to these two Unnumbered Celestials. He can only recognize them because of how they have short ck hair which isn''tmon to the Celestial Beings and their bluish right arm as if that arm has been poisoned.


    In the end, it was Tara who gave them names¡­


    "We''re not going to return yet¡­ I''m even thinking of making another group¡­ Alpha, I think you can take Beta and the other three to recruit more Celestial Beings while I go alone to increase our efficiency."


    The other Celestials were surprised as soon as they heard her suggestion.


    It didn''te to their minds that Tara would think of separating from them.


    ''Is she nning to escape from Vincent?''


    ''Should we consider escaping as well?''


    The two had this idea for a few seconds but they immediately shook their heads after recalling the potions given to them.


    Those potions may not be as good as the Mystic Link Serum that they would always use as a supplement before, but it certainly has the potential of bing one if Vincent somehow modified it even further.


    There was no way they would pass up this opportunity to regain their powers.


    After a few moments, Alpha replied to Tara.


    "I think that it''s not a good idea. Sir Vincent ordered us to stick together¡­ He mentioned that the Overseer might even attack us at one point. We need everyone''s strength if we wanted to fight against the Overseer."


    This reply confused the three other recruits who doesn''t have any idea or news about the Overseer.


    Nevertheless, they remained quiet as they felt that they would learn more if they just keep listening.


    In any case, they also benefited from the potions that Vincent had made so they already know his name. Based on what Alpha said, it seems that their group was actually fighting against the Overseer!


    It is quite unexpected since they were too busy regaining their Celestial Energy. They weren''t aware of the situation outside the domain of their previous contractor so hearing this conversation was an eye-opener for them.


    "Vincent is not here. We have to adapt to our situation. It has been several days and we only recruited three. It''s too slow. I think that the five of you working together will be fine. In any case, you have the Enhanced Weapons by Vincent and potions as well. Even if you guys have to fight a Numbered Celestial, I think that you can easily win."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Tara answered as she really want to work alone¡­


    In the meantime, Alpha and Beta were speechless at her reply. After all, they know that even if the five of them worked together, they don''t have a chance of winning against Tara, the "weakest" Numbered Celestial in terms of rank!


    How could they confidently think that they can win against other Numbered Celestial if they can''t even beat her?!


    They wanted toin to her but in the end, the two of them looked together and nodded their heads.


    "Fine¡­ We''ll let you go¡­ Do you want to meet up after a few days?" Alpha asked.


    "No need. I''ll return to the city if I finished my recruitment."


    "I understand¡­ We will be heading in that direction then¡­ Although it''s close to the central part of the ck Tower''s territory, there are many hidden groups there waiting for the re-emergence of the Tower Lord. We might find someone there." Alpha


    In any case, if Tara left them, they can justze around and perhaps attempt some recruitment if they were lucky to meet one. However, they''ll just avoid fighting if possible since Tara isn''t watching them.


    As they were thinking of this, Tara suddenly spoke as if she could read their minds.


    "Recruit at least two more Celestials. I don''t expect much from you but if you managed to do that, I''ll tell you the locations of two celestial weapons¡­ Even if they weren''t fated to you, you should be able to do something about it."


    Tara suddenly revealed such precious information and the two can''t help but be interested in such an offer. Their highest-grade item right now is the cloak that Vincent had given them. They don''t have the Source Cube or celestial-grade weapon with them.


    They were only using Epic-Rank weapons right now which is the best they can find.


    If Tara can really give them the location of these Celestial Weapons, they would certainly take it for themselves even if the magic god''s Avatar blocks them.


    "Two more? That''s easy¡­ We''ll try to double that. Don''t worry, we won''t ck off searching for our newpanions." Beta replied with enthusiasm. She was already excited and wanted to leave to search for other Celestials.


    "We will see each other again in the city¡­ We will wait for you, Tara." Alpha added.


    "Alright¡­ Take these potions with you." Tara then handed over a bag of potions to Alpha containing about a hundred +8 and +9 potions.


    After doing this, she immediately left to search in the opposite direction that Alpha had pointed a while ago.


    The five Celestials can only look at her receding as they all have the same thoughts¡­


    ''She wasn''t just nning to recruit other Celestials¡­''


    They can easily tell from her behavior but the most important thing is that they noticed a bunch of humans in the direction she was heading at.


    There was no hint of having a Celestial Being there but Tara was still heading into that area with a hint of excitement as if she found her prey!

 Chapter 426 The Clan

    Tara''s sinister smile was hidden from the five Celestial Beings behind her.


    They were right about their guess, she has indeed other ns aside from recruiting other Celestial Beings. Nevertheless, she decided not to exin it to them since she believes that it wasn''t necessary.


    Of course, after she settles her concern, she can just simply continue with her recruitment as if nothing happened.


    In any case, she''s confident that she can recruit other Celestial Beings alone even if they are higher ranked than her¡­


    After a few minutes, Tara climbs to the top of arge tree to observe a group of people.


    These people weren''t strangers to her but certainly not her friends. She headed toward this location to confirm their identities and now that she found them, she can''t help but smile as she gripped her sword tightly.


    It was as if she was trying to consider her next moves.


    Tara recognized the man leading in front of the group¡­


    It was Leon, also known as Patriarch Leon of the Zemin n.


    She then continued looking at the wagons and carriages behind them as she gave a very rare smile.


    That''s right, the group of hundred people that are crossing the forest was the Zemin n from the Tudor Kingdom¡­ The same n that blinded Vincent and made him suffer for years.


    ***


    About six hours ago, the hideout of the Zemin n was discovered by the members of the ck Magic Organization¡­ They had no choice but to fight a losing battle.


    They lost over five hundred members of the n including three of the n Guardians¡­ Perhaps, if they did not leave their Celestial Beings to fight to its death, none of them would be able to escape¡­


    Of course, the Celestial may have escaped before she died after Leon''s son, who was contracted to her, died from a stray shot.


    As far as they know, the Celestials can tell whether their contractors are still alive or have died already.


    "Where are we heading now, Patriarch? We have tried contacting the Archons who are supporting us but none of them are replying to us¡­ They must''ve died already or maybe even converted to be members of this cult¡­"


    Tezcan, one of the n''s remaining Guardians, asked quietly.


    The others must be worrying as well so he didn''t really want to make them worry and create panic.


    "We''ll be heading to Vera City¡­" Leon answered after taking a deep breath.


    "V-vera City? You mean Vincent''s City?" Tezcan asked in shock¡­


    He still hasn''t forgotten what they did to Vincent after learning that he has be blind and couldn''t be cured even by the Divine Doctor.


    They can''t possibly let Lesley marry a blind man even if he''s a 3-Star Aura Knight¡­ They believe that they can find a better partner for the only daughter of the n Head.


    However, after they arrived on this new continent, not only did they fail to get Lesley to marry a powerful mage in thisnd but they also learned that Vincent was doing well and became the disciple of the Tower Lord.


    In the end, they can only do their best to bribe some people to get better living conditions so they can expand a lot faster.


    "We have to try and ask for his help¡­ We are all from the Tudor Kingdom so he will show mercy¡­ In any case, Lesley is still here¡­ We have made agreements with their parents so we''re still somehow connected. I''m sure we can still ask him to consider her or perhaps make her his concubine if he''s already married." Leon replied as he revealed his n.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Tezcan was shocked after hearing this.


    It was an absurd thought.


    However, he can''t ssh cold water on the Patriarch''s hope¡­ He can only pray that Vincent will indeed take them to his city which should be under the protection of the Tower Lord.


    They have few options left after all.


    They have already tried going out of this territory and considered living under the protection of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Unfortunately, they discovered the Barbarians'' n. These barbarians are slowly surrounding the ck Tower''s Territory as if they were working with the ck Magic Organization¡­ If they want to get out of this ce, they have to face those Barbarian Kings which is not something they could do with their current force¡­


    ''Haaa~''


    Tezcan sighed as he added a suggestion to the patriarch¡­


    "We have to think carefully about this¡­ We need to provide him with something that he can''t reject so he will help us and give the Tower Lord a few good words for us."


    He doesn''t have a better n right now so he can only try and help Leon by giving a suggestion.


    Leon agreed with this... However, he had already said their best gift which is Lesley¡­ A genius Archmage that has learned five types of Fusion Arts.


    If she has the time, she will certainly be a Grand Magus and Vincent should be able to see that and will be happy to take her in.


    If that happens, Lesley might also benefit from the Tower Lord''s guidance.


    As they were nning to continue heading forward, one of their scouts suddenly signaled for everyone to get ready for battle.


    Clink¡­ Clink¡­ Clink¡­


    Everyone was prepared for battle as they immediately draw their weapons. They have been in constant battles in the past few days so this is not a surprising reaction.


    They have fought against several Magic Beasts and Savage Beasts in their journey¡­


    Currently, they were expecting to fight some forest beasts again as they looked around the trees and even at the sky.


    However, even after using their Mana Sense to the limit, none of the felt the presence of enemies.


    "Hey¡ª"


    They were about to scold the scouts who issued a warning but suddenly, a suffocating pressure bore down on their group!


    It is powerful enough that even their Patriarch has to go all out to ensure that the core members of the n don''t get too affected by it.


    The Zemin n finally realized that they have entered a powerful beast''s territory!


    ''Just how many Magic Beasts are living here to make such a powerful aura.''


    Everyone had these thoughts when suddenly, a lone figure of a woman appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 427 Mission

    The woman was dressed in a dark suit and a gray hooded cloak covering her body.


    She wasn''t that tall and was probably about 1.6 meters tall.


    She walked closer to them and they saw her beautiful yet delicate facial features and she even looked weak at a first nce.


    However, she had an imposing manner that makes her mysterious and dangerous.


    Some of them found her familiar but they can''t quite remember where they had seen her before.


    In the end, it was only the Patriarch was able to recall this woman¡­


    "Y-you''re one of Vincent''s contracted Celestial, am I right? Does it mean that we''re close to Vera City? Right, did he send you here to wee us?"


    Leon immediately asked after recognizing the woman. As soon as he mentioned these, many of them finally recalled the woman in front of them.


    However, instead of being happy, they immediately went on guard. They were clearly aware that the Zemin n and Vincent weren''t on good terms.


    It is even more surprising that the Patriarch was too calm in this situation.


    As they waited for the Celestial to reply with a positive note, they saw her raise her arm with a weapon and swing it downwards¡­


    Boom!


    The force behind the strike was so strong that Leon and the three other Guardians has to work together to ensure that none of them gets blown away.


    "H-hey! W-what going on? Did Vincent order you to do this?!" Tezcan asked in anger. He also wanted to wake up their Patriarch with his wishful thinking with this question.


    Unfortunately, the Celestial Being did not think of answering them with words. It seems that she only wanted their destruction which is obviously something they can''t allow to happen.


    Bang!


    She waved her weapon and twenty Magic Knights were blown away by this simple attack.


    "Y-you''re crazy!"


    "This Celestial has gone mad!"


    "We have to eliminate her!"


    "Formation!"


    Realizing that words don''t work for the Celestial in front of them, they immediately change their tactics as they tried to eliminate her for real. However, they failed to react in time!


    ng! ng! ng!


    The Celestial burst forward and shed several Magic Knights¡­ They were all unable to react to her incredible speed.


    Most of their weapons were destroyed because of this and the lightest injury they have was a broken arm¡­


    She had trulye here to eliminate them! It was so unreasonable that they can''t even put a word to this madness.


    Crash!


    The carriages and wagons they brought were also destroyed because of her charge. It was like a herd of buffalo just passed by in their midst destroying whatever was left in their possession¡­


    Soon, Lesley, who was in the middle of their formation, realized that the Celestial was looking at her with cold eyes¡­


    Click. Click. Click¡­


    The sound of mechanical gears was heard as she saw the Celestial wear her Celestial Armor making her even more dangerous.


    ''Not good¡­ I''m being targeted.''<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Lesley wanted to use her Fusion Arts to stop the Celestial but the surrounding Mana was chaotic¡­


    The Guardians including her father are casting their Tier 5 Mana Arts making it difficult for her to use the Fusion Arts that she learned. Apparently, her fusion arts use external mana to manifest since the burden on her body would be too much if she tried manifesting them from her Mana Core.


    Bang!


    She retreated in haste after noticing the Celestial''s attack but her bag containing precious materials was still destroyed¡­ The Celestial in front of her is actually using a sheathed de all this time!


    She only noticed this after she had gotten closer to her.


    ''Why is she not using her de? What is she thinking?!'' Lesley can''t understand the Celestial''s mind. If she hade here to kill them, why not draw your sword?!


    Unfortunately, she doesn''t have the time to ask her as she needed to flee and get into safety first.


    She took a nce at the three Guardians and her father and they seem to havepletely transformed and were now chasing the Celestial¡­


    Although it is said that there is no Magician that can equal a Celestial Being, it doesn''t mean that the Celestials were unbeatable.


    If one Grand Magus is not enough, they just had to add more until they were able to fight equally!


    Furthermore, they know that Celestial Beings had limited energy and they won''t normally use it all up during their battle.


    With this in consideration, they believe that as long as they can fight her at a standstill, they will be able to win against her in just a matter of time.


    "Stay here!" Tezcan shouted to get the Celestial''s attention. He can''t let her kill Lesley no matter what¡­


    His left and right arms are in mes and although he wasn''t in pain, his mana consumption was at an rming rate!


    He opened his palms and pointed them in the Celestial''s direction. As expected, the Celestial noticed the danger from this attack but she can''t just focus on him¡­ The two other Guardians including the Patriarch had already surrounded her and were about to release their Tier 5 Mana Arts!


    Fire, Wind, Water, and Lightning!


    This Elemental Art was at the extreme level that it wouldn''t be surprising if the Celestial died from this attack.


    Boom!


    A series of explosions followed after as the area where the Celestial was previously at has now turned into arge crater¡­ Scattered elemental mana art was still there but no members of the Zemin n were hurt.


    They were already aware of their core members'' powers so they swiftly retreated as soon as they noticed that they were using their Tier 5 Mana Arts.


    "She''s gone¡­"


    Patriarch Leon said with a confused tone¡­ He knows that the Celestial did not die from this attack. Instead, she had actually fled as if knowing that she has no chance of winning against them.


    They can''t feel her presence anymore...


    "Her actions are too unpredictable¡­ Although she injured many of our members, she didn''t kill anyone¡­" Tezcan added.


    "Perhaps, she''s just buying some time? We might get attacked for realter on¡­" One of the Guardians said as he called off his Tier 5 Elemental Body Transformation¡­ He won''t be able to use this same technique for a few days so it was quite a shame that he has to cancel it after just a single attack.


    "I don''t think so¡­ It feels more like she already aplished her mission that''s why she left." Lesley suddenly spoke as she held the remaining pieces of the items in her bag.


    The patriarch including the guardians seems to have realized something as well as they checked the wagons¡­


    As expected, some of their treasures are destroyed¡­


    "What''s going on? Did she just destroyed all our treasures rted to the deities?"


    Leon was shocked as he didn''t think that a Celestial would actually think of targeting these things.

 Chapter 428 Similarity

    The items that have been destroyed were actually treasures that they have brought from the Tudor Kingdom.


    Although they weren''t aware of the real mysteries hidden within them, they were sure that those things weren''t simple.


    All the appraisers they know were unable to even grade them¡­ It means that those things were most likely above Legendary Grade or perhaps, those Special Grade items that they''ve read in books or ancient texts.


    They were lucky enough to put them in "active" mode and they started using them to train themselves to be stronger Mana Practitioners.


    They were benefiting just from the aura effects alone but it wasn''t really enough to cross the talent gap of each individual.


    No matter how fast they get in their cultivation, their talent would still limit them with the amount of mana they can take in their Mana Core. After they reached this limit, these ancient stones or fragments would be useless to them.


    In the end, even though they think that they are still very valuable, they weren''t grieving their loss as it only means that they get to train at a normal speed.


    "From the looks of it¡­ It seems that she just really aimed her weapon at those things¡­" Patriarch Leon muttered as hepleted his investigation.


    Although many of them were injured, no one died in this sh against the Celestial which is already something they should be thankful for¡­


    "Father¡­ You really shouldn''t have let those Celestials go¡­" Lesley said with an annoyed tone since they no longer have a Celestial Being with them¡­


    "How many times do I have to tell you? I did not let them go¡­ Someone took them." Leon said as he took out a bottle of Mana Recovering potion to replenish his mana.


    The Tier 5 Lightning Elemental Body Art he used consumed over half of his Mana. He can''t just wait for his natural mana recovery speed since they might get ambushed again.


    "That''s impossible¡­ There''s a contract¡­ Even if they got taken away, they should be able to return by themselves."


    "It''s not as simple as that¡­ The one who took them might be the Overseer I''ve read about¡­ In any case, we''re still going to Vera City¡­ We can ask Vincent forpensation for the mess that his Celestial has made."


    Leon announced their next n as he looked in the direction of Vera City.


    ***


    Within the Vera City''s hospital, Vincent and the others watched A glow and start to mutate¡­ It is a very mysterious phenomenon and their eyes never left her body.


    The scene was somehow simr to when Mana Practitioners are using their Transformation Arts which is quite confusing for the three of them.


    Was her Transformation Arts wearing off after being put in aatose?


    Vincent wanted to immediately call Krusk to ask him what he knows about her but he felt the surrounding mana started to get thicker¡­ It wasn''t threatening to them and as a matter of fact, it felt beneficial to Mana Practitioners like them¡­


    Their Mana Recovery Speed Rate started to increase and they felt that casting Mana Arts right now will be 15% stronger than before.


    "W-what going on?!" Turhan was surprised as he clenched his fist as he was trying to feel the minute changes in the surroundings.


    "Look! A is really transforming!" Faviona had a look of surprise and excitement as she saw this happening with her own eyes.


    As an Alchemist who deals with numerous mysterious phenomena, seeing these things personally would be a great help to her¡­


    Vincent then looked carefully at A and was stunned to see her face.


    She seems to be transforming into another woman''s face but it keeps changing back to her original appearance. It was as if the conditions hasn''t been fully met yet that''s why it keeps going back and forth¡­


    What''s even more surprising, however, was that she was transforming into a very familiar face!


    Vincent thought that he was just hallucinating so he rubbed his eyes for a moment and stared at her again.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    A''s face keeps changing still and Vincent can confirm that her other face was really simr to Tara, the Number 999 Celestial!


    ''What''s going on?''


    Vincent was really confused this time¡­


    "She''s simr to Tara¡­"


    "R-right¡­ That''s what I was thinking as well."


    Turhan and Faviona finally said what he was thinking as well. There was no way that the three of them are hallucinating right now¡­


    Anyway, none of them acted after seeing this since they don''t really know what they should do at this moment¡­


    Thissted for about five minutes before the mysterious phenomena finally ended.


    The surrounding mana had stabilized and A''s figure stopped glowing.


    "Ugh¡­"


    A grunted as she seems to be having a nightmare¡­


    Nevertheless, the three people who were watching her felt d after seeing this reaction. It means that waking up should just be a matter of time.


    As soon as A opened her eyes, Turhan immediately held her hand as he almost cried in happiness¡­


    "A! You''re awake! Thank goodness..."


    Although A''s weird transformation shocked him for a while, it doesn''t change the fact that she''s still the disciple that apanied him for over a decade now.


    "M-master¡­ What''s going on?" A weakly spoke as she looked at her surroundings¡­ The wooden ceiling, the smell of medicine, and her Master''s worried but relieved expression, all of these were unfamiliar to her.


    "Y-you don''t remember anything?" Vincent suddenly asked as she stood beside her bed.


    "No¡­ I---"


    A suddenly felt a headache as she grabbed her head trying to ease the pain. It was as if her head is being drilled as she couldn''t even hear her master''s words.


    If this continues, she might pass out again¡­


    Suddenly, she felt a cold liquid ssh on her and she immediately felt refreshed.


    She looked beside her and confirmed that Vincent just poured a high-grade potion on her¡­ Even Faviona was shocked to see this extravagant use of a potion.


    Even for a Tier 5 Alchemist like her, it was quite rare to see someone waste a high-grade potion like that.


    "I think you need to rest a little more¡­ We can ask you questions once you''re feeling better." Vincent said as he checked Dianne''s condition as well.


    To his surprise, Dianne''s breathing had changed, and it seems like she was just sleeping now.


    ''Was she also healed after A released that high-quality Mana a while ago?'' Vincent mused but in the end, he decided to leave it at that¡­


    He wascking too much information and he wanted to talk to Krusk as well about A''s identity.

 Chapter 429 Crafting

    "I''m not really sure¡­ However, I can tell that she''s hiding something and not showing her true self¡­ Hmm¡­ I think I can smell it." Krusk said after Vincent asked him what he knows about A''s identity.


    He''s the one who had noticed that something was off about A after all.


    "So it was like that¡­ However, you referred to her as a monster¡­ Can you tell me why?"


    Krusk smiled after hearing this question. It was as if he was expecting Vincent to ask this.


    "That''s simple! I can feel her spirit is different¡­ Someone that I''ve never felt from humans or other beasts¡­ I don''t know what to call her so I said that she''s a monster¡­ Right?"


    "This¡­ You can feel someone''s spirit?" Vincent asked curiously.


    It is said that a person isposed of three things, the body or the physical flesh, the soul or the inner nature of the person, and finally, the spirit which is considered the breath of life.


    Vincent already knows about this in his previous life during their theology sses when he was in high school but he also learned it here in the Arcane Mysteries ss.


    The only difference, however, is that the Soul and Spirit here are not something that only exists in faith¡­ It is something that can be trained and as a matter of fact, he has already trained his Soul to be an Aura Knight.


    As for the Spirit, Vincent had no idea how he can even have a glimpse of it.


    "I can feel it¡­ Every living being has it. Hmm¡­ If someone as strong as you can''t feel it, perhaps this is a unique trait of Mythical Beasts like me. Kekeke¡­ You should be thankful that I''m here to tell you."


    "R-right¡­ Thank you. In any case, do you think A is actually dangerous?"


    "I don''t think so¡­ You mentioned that she looks like Tara for a moment¡­ Perhaps she has some inferiorityplex and wanted to copy her?"


    "Inferiorityplex? Where did you even learn that word? Anyway, it doesn''t feel like that at all. For me, it even feels like her original face was that of Tara''s face¡­ Ugh, I''m confused." Vincent grunted since he can''t really believe this as well.


    ''Transformation Magic? A twin? A clone?'' Vincent started having some random thoughts as he was really curious about this.


    Suddenly, Vincent''s eyes lit up as he recalled what the other Celestial Beings said about Tara¡­


    ''T-they mentioned that the Rank 999 was already dead. If I''m not mistaken, one of them said they saw her get cut in half during the first war they had against the deities of this¡­''


    Vincent shuddered after recalling the conversation with the five new Celestials that he had taken to his side.


    Although they have brushed it off as something that they have mistakenly seen, Vincent just can''t believe that the Celestials would make such a mistake to recognize who was cut in half at that time.


    He can''t underestimate their senses after all.


    ''Tara''s unconfirmed death¡­ A''s mysterious connection to her¡­ There''s also Vera''s warning about my real enemiesing for me¡­ I thought at first that it could be the magic god''s Avatar or even the Star Garden Peak¡­ But¡­ is this perhaps rted to that?''<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Vincent sighed as he felt worried that he don''t know who should he be wary of. The most that he could do right now is just to stay vignt and hope that his Magic Tools can always protect him from his enemies.


    ***


    Five days quickly passed as the situation within the city finally stabilized¡­ The reconstruction of the City Barrier was a lot faster than expected thanks to the supplies that L provided to them.


    The dead soldiers of the city already had their funerals and even though Vincent wanted topensate the families they left behind, not even a quarter of them has families living here.


    Most of them do not have partners because they are still too young and they think that they could live longer life after bing a magician.


    Their n was simply to get stronger until they reached the limit of what they can do before starting a family. Vincent can''t really me these people as Mana Cultivation can take a lot of time¡­ He''s basically the same as them.


    Currently, he''s looking at the cemetery that he has made not too far from Vera''s za. His thoughts are unknown¡­


    After a while, someone came next to him.


    "It''s not your fault, Vincent¡­ Those armors and weapons you''ve given were the best. Not even the heirloom of therge n in the Tudor Kingdom canpete with those swords."


    Therese spoke after finding Vincent observing the cemetery. She knows a few people that have died in the siege as well and she was nning to put some flowers in their graves.


    "You''re here¡­" Vincent replied as he cleared his thoughts. He also noticed that she wasn''t alone.


    Yvette Marshall was behind her looking at him with a weak smile on her face.


    During the siege, these two were guarding the gate that wasn''t attacked by the Barbarians or the Dragon Riders so they were quite safe.


    Well, although they have decent skills, they weren''t really ustomed torge-scale battles so Calidia didn''t call for them as a reinforcement.


    The three of them spent some time in the cemetery as Vincent learned about their dead friends. It was really unfortunate that this had happened and he can only vow to himself not to let this happen again¡­


    ''It''s not enough¡­ I need new things¡­'' Vincent mused as he bit his lips.


    In the previous battle, he realized that he has to stop relying on enhancing weapons or items¡­


    He needs to create new things. He can''t just rely on his production team to create new inventions for him since it is close to impossible. He has to start with the creation and enhance them using his skills.


    On the same day, Vincent decided to learn Magic Crafting.

 Chapter 430 Tower Core

    Mana Practitioners have other professions aside from being a Magic Knight or a Magician.


    They can be Pill Masters, Potion Masters, Formation Experts, Appraisers, Tamers, and the most popr among them were the Magic Craftsmen.


    These people were capable of creating weapons that can enhance the powers of any Mana Practitioners...


    Scepters, Swords, Spears, Arrows, Talismans, or any equipment and essories can be turned into Magic Tools by these Magic Craftsmen.


    They can either modify these items to turn them into Magic Items or make them from the scratch¡­


    Vincent was very interested to do this but because it takes a lot of time and patience to learn how to do it, he decided to just enhance the items he can purchase for a few silver coins¡­ It was much more efficient.


    Although the designs may not be to his liking, he felt that what really matters are their attributes and effects.


    However, now that he recalls it, he wanted to scold himself as he wasn''t thinking far ahead¡­ If he learned Magic Crafting earlier, he can create new and advanced items¡­ Furthermore, he wouldn''tck firepower if he did that in the first ce.


    Once he can create magic weapons of his own, his imagination will only be his limit¡­


    Anyway, Vincent found the best teacher in the city, it was Professor Levent who was also his teacher in Arcane Mysteries ss.


    "Magic Crafting is actually easy if you''re only nning to create Umon or Rare grade Magic Items¡­ However, there is going to be a huge obstacle when learning to create a Unique Grade and above¡­ You should prepare yourself for many failures. There will be a lot of materials to be wasted to learn so you have to keep it in mind.


    Professor Levent exined as she wanted to condition Vincent''s mind. After all, it would be a waste if Vincent just decided to give up in the middle of his training.


    "I understand, Professor¡­ Don''t worry, I won''t stop learning even if it is hard."


    "Good¡­ Magic Crafting takes a lot of time so you have to ensure that you finish all your important matters before diving into it¡­ If you were too engrossed in it, a day or two may even pass without your knowledge while you''re crafting..."


    "Ugh¡­ Isn''t a bit too¡ª"


    "It''s not an exaggeration¡­" Professor Levent proudly said as she pump up her chest. It was as if she telling that she experienced it herself.


    "Alright¡­ I have to learn it before I visit the Star Garden Peak¡­" Vincent muttered as he felt that if he ns to leave the city in the next two months, he has to ensure that this city can stand strong even against an army of Barbarian Kings and Mage Battalions from the ck Magic Organization.


    Vincent spent his time learning Magic Crafting from Levent and this continued for another two weeks¡­


    During this time, A and Dianne have already recovered and are doing their work. A decided to help Severin from time to time but Vincent asked her to just focus on her enhancements research.


    As for A''s identity, Vincent tried to ask her about it but she only said that she can''t remember what happened or why she was unconscious at that time. She also exined that she was really just her and wasn''t hiding her identity¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Of course, Vincent didn''t give up.


    He brought Guven to confirm this. He wanted to ensure that she wasn''t lying but in end, he felt sorry for not believing A. Guven didn''t find any falsehood in her ims and she doesn''t know about her slight transformation, or perhaps, her memories were somehow tampered with.


    In the end, Vincent can only leave it at that and perhaps ask Tarater on¡­


    With regards to the matter of the 14th Tower Master that he captured, his interrogation took a lot more time than expected because of his resistance to drugs and other types of potions that would make him talk.


    His Mana Body was no joke¡­ He managed tost for so many days before they managed to get something from him¡­


    "So there are actually four Avatars..." Calidia muttered after hearing the report.


    In her hands right now was a list of information that they obtained from the Tower Master.


    What was even more surprising is that one of the Avatars was actually killed during their confrontation with the new Tower Lord¡­ Mikhail Tal had actually sacrificed the 15th Tower''s core to destroy one of the Avatars and create an escape path for them.


    This news brought happiness to Brycen and Shane who had tried to investigate what happened in the 15th Tower after their observing magic tool was destroyed.


    The news about Mikhail''s escape was worth a celebration. The only concern right now is that Ignacy hasn''t woken up yet¡­


    It seems that passing over the powers of the Tower Lord to another was really a dangerous move¡­ He might''ve even died if Vincent did not cure him with his +10 Health Recovery Potions.


    "If a single Tower Core can kill an Avatar, then this will be easy, right? There are 36 Towers Avable¡­ We just need to sacrifice a few of them to win¡­" Rufia suggested as she felt that this is a good method to end this war.


    "It''s not as easy as that¡­ The new Tower Lord might''ve even sacrificed a part of his life to use the Core as a weapon. There was no way he can keep doing that without paying a price."


    Calidia answered as she finished reading the paper.


    Right now, they have confirmed that the ck Magic Organization had already taken over half of the Barbarian Race as well.


    This is rming news considering how their citycks the necessary capabilities to defend itself from continuous assault. If they were really surrounded by the full force of the ck Magic Organization¡­ They would certainly lose tragically unless the Celestial Beings that Vincent had sent out decided to appear with a bunch of other Celestials apanying their return.


    As Calidia was checking the status of the reconstruction of their new defensive Formations brought by L, a piece of good news had finally arrived.


    The Sea King was willing to form an alliance with the One Sea Merchant Union to bring down the Barbarian Race!

 Chapter 431 Magic Crafting ( 1 )

    "I already told you I''m fine¡­ You don''t have to visit me here."


    L grumbled as she saw Brycen looking at her with worry.


    Brycen went alone here in Nidite City to visit his senior sister. Although he didn''t expect to be weed, he still felt disappointed after seeing how he was being treated.


    ''She''s still upset about that matter¡­'' Brycen thought as he felt difficult to state his real purpose foring here.


    L saw his dejected face and realized that she seemed to be too harsh on her junior disciple.


    In the end, she tried to exin her situation¡­


    "I have a lot of matters to attend to¡­ I can''t bring you around the city."


    "It''s fine, Senior Sister¡­ I just came here to learn more about the Sea Race¡­ I''ve never encountered them before so I''m curious." Brycen promptly replied. Although he indeed wanted to see her, he was also interested in these Sea Creatures that dared to invade her city after they were threatened by the Star Garden Peak¡­


    There wasn''t much information regarding this race and not even Solomon''s Pir can tell the limit of their capabilities.


    The only thing he knows about this race is that they have thergest territory in this world! Through much research and experiments, they learned that the world they are in has a vast ocean surrounding their continent.


    It means that if they really felt threatened in their current territory, they could''ve moved away from there instead of nning to conquer a piece ofnd above them¡­


    He was curious how they were forced by the Star Garden Peak to move above ground.


    "Hmm¡­ Do you want to join our traders?" L asked after thinking for a moment¡­


    "Yes! That would be great." Brycen agreed as this is the best way to get in contact with them.


    He then spent a few days within the city as he waited for the traders to set off. It seems that trading with the Sea Race only happens once a week.


    Their transactions are being done on a small ind 15 kilometers away from the shore of the Nidite City.


    The Sea Race will trade various treasures that can be found under the sea like pearls, precious stones, shells, live fish, eggs, or receable parts of the members of the Sea Race like shark fangs, octopus ink, scales, and fins¡­


    On the other hand, the One Sea Merchant Union will use Savage Beast''s Cores and Mana Crystals to trade with them¡­


    Unsurprisingly, they were valuing the cores more than the Mana Crystals.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    A group ofrge Sea Creatures that seems to be shark variants approached the leader of the traders while the others started working and making transactions with other Sea Creatures that can speak theirnguage.


    They went inside the ship that was docked at the shore of the ind. It seems that they will be having an important meeting.


    If Brycen wasn''t mistaken, the leader of the traders was L''s right-hand man and one of the administrators of the city.


    He immediately followed them and luckily, he was allowed to enter and join the meeting thanks to his status as the old Tower Lord''s disciple.


    "The Sea King wanted the Barbarians to be eliminated¡­ We''re here to make a proposal to make this happen¡­"


    This is what the sharkmen said and the trade administrator was shocked by the sudden announcement. It was too abrupt!


    The administrator immediatelyposed himself as he tried to understand the situation¡­ He asked for more details and apparently, the Sea Race has been visited by the Star Garden Peak again and brought them a few corpses of the Barbarian Race.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The Sea King and many high-level members of the Sea Race liked the meat of the Barbarians, especially those that have many tattoos. They can actually get stronger by consuming them!


    Furthermore, the Sea King learned that the Barbarians are a threat to humanity so they decided to ally with them and kill the Barbarians¡­


    ''This¡­ What are those people from the Peak thinking?'' Brycen was bbergasted by this sudden revtion. He was truly confused by this mysterious organization that keeps trying to control the Sea Race through various methods.


    However, he knows that they can''t pass up this opportunity as well.


    ''I''ve never thought that the Barbarians can be treated as food¡­ This Sea Race is too scary¡­'' Brycen mused and perhaps, everyone had a simr thought about this.


    Nevertheless, if they were nning to eat the Barbarian Race, he immediately recalled the corpses that they''d burned several days ago after the siege¡­


    They killed hundreds of Barbarians at that time and burning them is the best method they thought to ensure that no disease will in the surroundings of their city.


    Of course, they''ve done this after looting their weapons and anything that can be harvested.


    The normal barbarians have no valuable parts in their bodies but the Barbarian Kings and the Totemic Barbarians have¡­ It was their eyes that can be turned into Magic Tools.


    Although their hearts can be used as an alchemy ingredient as well, they have been unfortunately corrupted by the Bloodlust so they have be useless. It seems that they''ve actually wasted these corpses. Perhaps, they could''ve used those as trade materials if they were aware of it.


    ''The Star Garden Peak ordered them to attack thend before¡­ Now they were using them again to eliminate the Barbarians¡­ Just what is going on here?''


    Brycen frowned thinking about it.


    After a while, he can only try and convince Vincent to bring him as well to the Peak.


    ***


    In the meantime, Vincent remained busy with his lessons and started his Magic Crafting¡­


    After learning the basics from Levent, he was now attempting to create a higher-level Magic Item¡­ He''s not nning to create aplicated Magic Item yet but he wanted to see the limit of his skills. Creating an Umon Rank was already too easy for him so he''s nning to use better materials now to create a Rare or even a Unique Rank Magic Item.


    ''This should do¡­''


    Vincent thought as he looked at his workbench¡­


    There are currently five items on it as he confirmed all of their qualities¡­


    [ Primal Toadwood Branch +0 ]


    [ Bright Amethyst Crystal +0 ]


    [ A Bottle of Luxury Earth Powder +0 ]


    [ A Bottle of Fine Burr +0 ]


    [ Jagged Flower Essence +0 ]


    These five items can supposedly make him a Magic Staff if he was sessful¡­


    "Alright, you can begin if you''re ready¡­" Levent said as she sat in a corner to watch Vincent with his magic crafting.

 Chapter 432 Magic Crafting ( 2 )

    ''Hmm¡­ The qualities of the materials we''ve found were good¡­ If he tried making the Magic Staff with a few errors, a Rare Grade shouldn''t be a problem¡­ If he perfectly followed the steps, there should be a chance that the result can be a Unique Grade.'' Levent thought as he watched Vincent start with his magic crafting.


    It''s not guaranteed that a Unique Grade will appear even if he does this all perfectly. Even veteran Magic Crafters can''t guarantee that they can make such a high-grade item.


    If they can, there wouldn''t be ack of top-quality items in the market at all.


    The first step in crafting magic items was to have a suitable Mana Gathering Array that will help the crafter wield his mana fluidly or to control them ording to his wish. After all, he would have to extract the qualities of supplementary ingredientster on and that would require a high-level control in mana that would normally be found at Mana Practitioners at the Grand Magus level.


    Of course, Vincent wasn''t using his Mana for this step and was using his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    It means that all the Arrays that Levent knows wouldn''t help him with his Energy Control. Nevertheless, Vincent still opted to use the best Array there is as it could at least make him slightlyfortable wielding his energy.


    The workbench that Vincent was using suddenly lit up as he activated the array on it¡­ It was ced by Levent beforehand and she can''t help but be proud of her work. This array can certainlyst for 10 or 15 days even without her maintenance as long as Vincent will only craft Rare to Unique Grade items¡­ This is already considered a top-tier array in the field of Magic Crafting.


    Levent then watched him ce the Primal Toadwood Stick at the center of the array¡­ It then lit up for a moment as it was surrounded by blue and red energy¡­


    Purification¡­


    This is the first step to cleanse the item and even fortify it a little before the real magic crafting begins.


    ''Ohh¡­ That''s faster than I expected. He''s really going all out this time. Is it because of his mutation?'' Levent mused as she observes Vincent.


    Well, the purification should only have blue energy on it but Vincent has red energy as well so she already questioned him about it and learned about his mutation.


    This red energy seems to be one of Vera''s gifts based on how he exined it.


    She found it suspicious but of course, she decided not to pry too much on his secret since she also has her own¡­


    After Vincentpleted the purification with a bit of fortification process, he uncapped the bottle of Luxury Earth Powder and poured it carefully at the surface of the stick¡­


    By perfectly controlling his energy, all the powders attached to the stick and the previous purple branch turned darker¡­ It didn''t end there as Vincent activated the powder''s effects¡­


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    The powder suddenly turned red as it seems to be scorching the stick. If non-magic crafters were watching this, they would think that the stick was turned into charcoal and getting destroyed.


    However, this process will actually amplify the stick''s trait¡­


    Apparently, the Primal Toadwood has the effect of enhancing Water-Based Mana Art. With the help of the Luxury Earth Powder, this effect will awaken and get even stronger so it can be ready for real magic crafting.


    Vincent spent some time doing this as it requires a careful and bnced ''scorching'' process. Itsted for about 20 minutes before he thought that the amplification had beenpleted.


    Normally, this process can exhaust young Magic Crafter but Vincent was different. His Pseudo-Celestial Energy was easier to control and he believes that even if he does this for six hours without break, there wouldn''t be an issue.


    Levent then watched Vincent pick up the third item, it''s the Bright Amethyst Crystal the size of his fist¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    This crystal isn''t an expensive item, as a matter of fact, this item can easily be found in various markets as they are normally used as an ornament by jewelers.


    However, it has one decent attribute that makes it a good choice when making a staff using a Primal Toadwood branch. With thetter''sbination with the crystal, there will be an effect called Mana Flow Enhancement that is very helpful to magicians.


    There are many magical items like this in this world that only shows their hidden properties when paired with a specific magic item.


    In this case, Primal Toadwood and Bright Amethyst Crystal work together to create an effect that helps Magicians with their Magic Casting¡­


    Vincent poured his Pseudo-Celestial Energy into the Crystal¡­


    It didn''t take that long before the crystal started cracking because of being overloaded with energy¡­


    ''Just a little bit more¡­'' Vincent said in his mind as he watches the crystal slowly¡­


    Crack... Crack¡­


    When the crystal was about to break into many pieces, Vincent suddenly stopped and heaved a sigh of relief. The crystal didn''tpletely break¡­


    At this point, he took the stick that was ced on the array with his other hand before he used it to tap the crystal¡­


    Crash!


    The Bright Amethyst Crystal was finally broken but instead of its pieces messing with the workbench, they actually gathered at the tip of the crystal as if there was a ma on it.


    Vincent didn''t find it weird as this is the effect that he was looking for.


    While this is all happening, he immediately grabbed the bottle of Jagged Flower Essence and poured it on the stick¡­


    This time, however, the five drops of the Flower Essence did not touch the stick at all¡­ It remained floating close to the broken pieces of crystal.


    This process is called the Binding and Modelling process and this is thest part where Vincent has to design the Magic Item and bind them all together.


    During this process, Vincent can supposedly add a skill to it¡­ If he knows a Water Elemental Mana Art, he can inscribe it on the crystal with the help of the Flower Essence to bind it to the Magic Item.


    However, Vincent was incapable of using any Water Elemental Mana Art so putting a skill on it without the help of his system is quite impossible.


    Nevertheless, even without imbuing it with Mana Art, this process will naturally help the Magic Item amplify any water-based Mana Arts¡­


    Levent nodded in satisfaction after seeing how Vincent was smoothly following the process.


    Finally, she saw him take the Fine Burr and sshed it on the Magic Staff before the designing process waspleted¡­

 Chapter 433 Magic Crafting ( 3 )

    Levent saw the Magic Staff lit up as the design was finallypleted.


    The Staff isn''t that long and was only about 120 centimeters.


    Nevertheless, the Primal Toadwood has be incredibly elegant after itsbination with the Bright Amethyst Crystal.


    The staff widens greatly at both ends but is thin enough in the middle to form a handle. It is even decorated with smaller pieces of crystal which makes it beautiful to the observer''s eyes.


    Furthermore, Levent didn''t notice when, but Vincent had actually made an borate carving at the bottom ends of the staff with seems to be the logo of the Beacon Magic Shop.


    Vincent had probably carved it using his mana during the Binding and Modeling process.


    The Magic Craftingsted for over 45 minutes and this is considered to be a decent duration considering he''s only a beginner craftsman.


    "Can you appraise it now?" Levent asked as she also pulled out her Appraiser Tool to check the quality of the item once he finished.


    Vincent heard this as he nodded his head. He''s indeed interested to see the result of his hard work.


    [ Purple Toadwood Staff ]


    [ Quality: Rare


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 240


    Strength: 28


    Swift: 10


    Description: A staff made of Primal Toadwood branch and other materials. It is capable of amplifying Water-Based Mana Arts by 3%.


    Remarks: Special Strength and Swift Attribute found. Durability and other attributes will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement.  ]


    Vincent wryly smiled after seeing the average result of the item.


    It must be remembered that he did not enhance any of the materials he used when crafting this staff so it wasn''t really that surprising. At the very least, it had be more durablepared to normal Rare items possibly because it was refined and purified using his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    ''If this is the result of unenhanced materials, I should probably get a Unique grade item and higher attributes points after enhancing them...''


    Vincent thought as this is really his intention for not enhancing the materials he used.


    He wanted topare the quality of the items he made with and without enhancement¡­ Well, he also wanted to know how good or bad he was as a Magic Crafter.


    In any case, this is only a start,ter on, once he had gotten used to crafting, he will start designing modern weapons for everyone''s use¡­


    He''s also nning to consult his contracted Celestials for this if they can possibly help him¡­


    "How was it, Vincent?" Levent asked as she noticed that Vincent was just staring at the item.


    She thought that the result might''ve disappointed him so she wanted to console him for a moment.


    "Ahh¡­ I''m done appraising it, professor¡­ You can check it now."


    "Alright¡­ This is the first time you used Purple Amethyst Crystal so whatever the result is, I think that you did great." Levent said as she epted the Magic Staff¡­


    "I understand, Professor."


    It took quite a few minutes topletely appraise the item since she was only using an Appraisal Tool.


    "Hmm¡­ A Rare Magic Staff with two attributes¡­ This is a good result¡­ Its durability was also above average. I think this can be sold for a decent price."


    "Yes¡­ I think it''s quite good too¡­ But I believe I can still do better."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Of course¡­ Would you like to continue practicing like this or are you nning to craft a new Magic Item?"


    "I''ll keep practicing for a while, Professor¡­ I have plenty of materials here that I can still use."


    "Alright¡­ I''ll be leaving you here then¡­ If you''re nning to make a new item, don''t hesitate to ask me¡­ I''ve done quite a lot of exploration when I was still young." Levent said with a smile as she left Vincent in his workshop.


    It''s already enough to know that Vincent can finally make this level of Magic Item. Although she still has plenty of things to teach him, it''s not a good idea to just flood him with knowledge. What he needed more in crafting is experience and not just information¡­


    In the meantime, she still has to check Ignacy''s condition so she needed to leave Vincent on his own ord.


    Unfortunately, Ignacy hasn''t woken up yet, and based on Severin''s diagnosis, they would probably need a miracle medicine to wake him up from his current state.


    As soon as Vincent was left alone, he picked up the same materials to make the staff but this time, he did not immediately start crafting.


    Instead, he started enhancing them to their limits and he even ascended all of them!


    This process took about 10 minutes and he even has to drink a couple of Mana Recovery Potions to replenish his energy.


    After sessfully ascending them and enhancing them to +9 or at least +8 items, Vincent started his Magic Crafting.


    He repeated the same process but because of the enhancements done, the items became more difficult to control as they became sturdy.


    Instead of the usual 45 minutes, the crafting increased by another 10 minutes which shouldn''t be that bad considering the item he''s making¡­


    As soon as he finished making the staff, he immediately appraised it to see the difference.


    [ Purple Toadwood Staff ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 380


    Strength: 50


    Swift: 25


    Description: A staff made of Primal Toadwood branch and other materials. It is capable of amplifying Water-Based Mana Arts by 7%.


    Remarks: Special Strength and Swift Attribute found. Durability and other attributes will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement.  ]


    "Ohhh¡­ Now it looks a lot better."


    Vincent smiled in satisfaction after seeing the result. The grade has finally reached the Unique Rank.


    This item isn''t enhanced yet so once he did enhance it, its current attributes will still increase a few more times.


    Furthermore, what he really likes about this is that the amplification starts at 7%!


    ''This is a good start¡­''


    He can only imagine its result once he ascended it to Epic or Pseudo-Legendary¡­


    Vincent then spent his day trying to make other things so he can familiarize himself with the process of Crafting before he makes the real items he wanted to¡­


    ***


    On that night he also learned about the Sea King''s n to eliminate the barbarians. This is quite beneficial to them since the Sea Race is probably the best cannon fodder out there.


    Vincent then called for an emergency meeting as he shared his thoughts about this¡­ In the end, everyone agreed to cooperate with the Sea King as they mobilized their forces to assist their operation.

 Chapter 434 Another Prophecy?

    Three weeks after Vincent sent a Battalion of Magicians to assist the Sea Race in their Barbarian Hunting, his city was visited by a few magicians loyal to Ignacy¡­


    They came from the 29th Tower and one of them is even the Tower Master himself.


    Because the 29th ck Tower is located at the edge of the southern territory close to Solomon''s Pir, they were hardly affected by the invasion of the Barbarians and the destruction caused by the ck Magic Organization.


    After learning Ignacy''s whereabouts, they immediately set out to find him¡­


    They did this secretly so it took them quite a long time before they managed to reach Vera City.


    Although they are using a small flying vessel to make their journey faster, there are many times that they had to change their path to avoid the surveince of the ck Magic Organization.


    With their small group, there was no way for them to engage in battle¡­ They can''t be chased either since they will just lead them to Vera City and may just lead to anotherrge-scale battle.


    After Vincent finished his Magic Crafting session, he quickly took a bath and wore clean clothes before meeting the visitors.


    Yulia already brought them to the vi where Ignacy is resting¡­ Shane and Turhan were also there since they personally know the 29th Tower Master.


    As soon as Vincent arrived, he noticed that four people wearingmoner''s clothes were seated and talking to Shane and Turhan.


    All four of them were middle-aged men and seem to be normal people at first nce.


    However, Vincent can tell that these people were nothing normal¡­ If he would make a guess, all of them are at least Grand Knights considering the amount of vitality they are emitting.


    Although they were showing off their aura, Vincent''s eyes can tell that their vitality exceeds that of a normal person.


    They immediately stood up to greet Vincent as soon as they noticed him entering.


    "We''ve finally met, Sir Vincent¡­ I heard a lot about you from Ignacy when he epted you as his seventh disciple. I''m Abe, the 29th Tower Master¡­ These are my trusted aides, Iori, Miyara, and Hatsu¡­"


    "It''s nice to meet you, Sir Abe¡­ I hope that Master Ignacy only told you about my positive traits¡­"


    "Haha¡­ He did¡­ He mentioned that you are unusually capable of learning Tier 1 and Tier 2 Mana Arts so easily."


    "Ohhh¡­ So he noticed that." Vincent muttered after hearing Abe''s words.


    "Right, this is a small gift we''ve prepared¡­ We''re really thankful that you''re helping Ignacy during this time. I heard that he could''ve died if not for your help." Abe said as he handed over a Skill Book to Vincent.


    It seems that Shane already recounted the story to the four of them.


    "I did it because he''s my Master¡­ In any case, I won''t reject your gift since I know that you''ve really prepared this for me."


    Vincent replied as he can at least tell that the Skill Book is a Tier 2 Mana Art.


    "Great! We''ll feel more at ease if you epted it¡­"


    After taking the book, Vincent did not immediately appraise it. He only looked at it for a moment before keeping it on his side.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Thank you¡­ Is there something I can do for you?" Vincent asked as he knows that these people didn''t just ask to meet him to give this gift.


    Realizing that Vincent wanted to get to the point, Abe finally revealed his thoughts¡­


    "To be honest, we can tell that this continent is bing more and more dangerous. Aside from the Barbarian Race being impatient and the ck Magic Organization appearing in our territory, the Demonic Cult has gone even more active¡­ Furthermore, I recently heard the news that the Sea Race has be more active as well."


    Vincent listened silently as he already knows this much¡­


    Abe looked at Vincent''s reaction and after confirming that he was aware of this, he continued.


    "The Wisemen from Solomon''s Pir also informed us that a race that came from the deepest part of the world is starting to emerge¡­ The Star Garden Peak also predicted that another race aside from the Celestial Beings wille down from the sky to cause destruction¡­"


    Vincent finally raised his brow after hearing this. This is the first time he heard about these enemiesing from the depths of the earth and the sky above¡­


    He can''t help but recall what Vera said about him being detected by his real enemies¡­


    ''Are they the ones I should worry about?'' Vincent thought as he was now invested to know who these enemies are.


    "May I hear more about the warning given to us by those from Solomon''s Pir and Star Garden Peak?" Vincent asked as he can''t be satisfied just by those prophetic words¡­


    Abe nodded and decided to borate on it.


    "The creatures that the Wisemen has warned us were most likely the unopened dungeons that will soon reach their limits¡­ In other words, outbreaks of monsters will soon fill thisnd." Abe replied.


    "Unopened dungeons? Outbreak?" Vincent repeated in shock.


    Needless to say, he already knows that there are still many dungeons out there that haven''t been explored. If this world is quite peaceful, he would even think of just finding and exploring each of them.


    He wouldn''t mind passing his time in some adventurous dungeon explorations.


    However, what he didn''t expect is that these dungeons can actually cause trouble in the outside world.


    "That''s correct¡­ Whatever creatures living in those dungeons, they maye out once they reached a certain limit¡­ It would be a disaster especially if we don''t know where these dungeons are¡­ If they aren''t on the surface, they might be underground or might even just below this city of yours." Abe answered.


    He also exined that the Wisemen seem to have discovered this after tranting some ancient texts and studying the history of this world. They seem to have discovered that the Dungeon Outbreak has already urred even before, based on the traces they''ve found in many parts of the world.


    As for the warning given by the Star Garden Peak, however, was quite simple¡­ They seem to have noticed a star carrying another race that will descend on their soon.


    Furthermore, the Star Garden Peak appears to be aware of the possible Dungeon Outbreak but they were more worried about the alien race''s invasion¡­


    Vincent''s mouth twitched slightly after hearing this.


    It seems that this world wouldn''t be peaceful anytime soon at all.

 Chapter 435 Cure

    "Thank you for bringing this news to us¡­ However, I still don''t know how can we help you. Is there anything we can do about this news?" Vincent asked since he knows that bringing this news to them wasn''t all.


    "That''s right¡­ We''re nning to create an escape route¡­ No, we have already created an escape route in case we''re unable to fight against these enemies¡­" Abe replied as he looked into Vincent''s eyes.


    Vincent thought for a moment and realized what he was implying¡­


    "Regarding the escape route that you''re talking about, it seems that only Master Ignacy can help you with it, is that correct?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s correct¡­ Tower Master Ignacy together with six more Tower Masters like me has found another space dimension and we have developed it to make it ourst bastion." Abe finally exined as Vincent realized how they were taking this seriously¡­


    Thest bastion¡­


    It seems that only the Tower Master can actually open the path to this ce so they needed him alive. No wonder they have to travel here and check his condition.


    "I assume that only the Tower Master can open the entrance to this shelter, is that right?"


    "Well, right now, only the Tower Master can open it¡­ Previously, the six Tower Masters can just gather together and unseal the entrance¡­ Unfortunately, two of us have already perished and their seals have disappeared. There was no way for the remaining four of us to open it anymore." Abe helplessly smiled after exining it.


    Vincent bit his lips as he just realized that two Tower Masters have already died because of this war. Their deaths are certainly the fall of their Tower as well. It means that the city they are protecting had most likely been destroyed or perhaps taken over by the enemy.


    "So only Master Ignacy can open it alone¡­ No wonder¡­" Vincent replied.


    "That''s right¡­ If he''s still not waking up, I''m thinking of bringing him with us to see the Wisemen of Solomon''s Pir. They should have a way to heal him since the Divine Doctor is residing there right now."


    ''Oh, they also have a Divine Doctor here.'' Vincent thought as he considered it for a moment.


    Honestly, he doesn''t have the right to keep Ignacy here since he hasn''t woken up yet and he doesn''t know when will he.


    Nevertheless, it wouldn''t just be him who should be deciding this.


    He looked at Shane and asked him for his opinion¡­


    Since he doesn''t know any of the Tower Masters, he can''t really say whether he should trust these people.


    Shane jolted after realizing that the question was passed over to him¡­


    "Hmm¡­ I''d really like to see Master Ignacy get better as well. However, isn''t this too dangerous? The ck Magic Organization is everywhere and the Solomon''s Pir is quite far. You might encounter them on the way to their territory. There''s also the threat of numerous Magic Beasts migrating to the south because of the changing season."


    Shane expressed his worry. He would certainly do anything to make his Master get better but they might be putting him in an even more dangerous situation if they sent him out of the city''s protection.


    This is also Vincent''s concern but he doesn''t know how strong these people are or whether they are capable of protecting Ignacy on their journey.


    Now that Shane also expressed his worry, Vincent decided to back him up.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "That makes sense¡­ Should we try to wait for a while until our reinforcements arrive? If Master Ignacy hasn''t woken up yet at that time, we will send someone to escort you to this Divine Doctor." Vincent added.


    "Oh? You will have reinforcements? Are they a group of Grand Magus or Grand Knights?" Abe asked as he was interested in this reinforcement.


    "No¡­ They will be Celestial Beings. I''ve sent them out for while and they should be returning anytime soon. Speaking of which, I noticed that you haven''t brought a Celestial Being with you. I''m pretty sure that the Tower Masters have one or two of their own."


    Vincent said as he looked at his subordinates.


    "Celestial Beings, huh¡­ Although they are indeed incredibly strong to the point that they are so terrifying to meet on the battlefield, they can''t use Elemental Arts without using a special weapon for it. They also can''t fight for a very long time. At most, they are good at skirmishes or duels. We will normally hide them unless the other opponent we have uses them as well."


    "I see¡­ So it would always be Celestials versus Celestials¡­"


    "That''s correct. Aside from that, for Grand Magus like us, our Blood Essence is too important, especially during these turbulent times."


    "That''s true¡­ Then, are these Celestials contracted to lower-rank mages in your tower?"


    "Yes¡­ We''ve selected those young talented Mana Practitioners that have a chance of bing an Archmage."


    Vincent nodded at this since this is just a polite word for saying that they''ve selected not-too-talented Mana Practitioners to get contracted to the Celestial Beings.


    "I see¡­ If possible I want to bring them on my side instead¡­ Anyway, I can probably try thatter on¡­"


    "Hmm?" Abe raised his brows after hearing this.


    Recruiting Celestials isn''t easy after all. Most of the time, they will follow their instinct as they will be the ones looking for their possible contractors.


    In the meantime, those Celestial Beings in the Towers were the Celestials of the previous generation.


    Since the Celestials don''t age, they would have to end their contract with the Magicians that has already grown too old since their Blood Essence has be too weak to satisfy them.


    In these cases, these old magicians would rmend their disciples. Most of the time, the Celestials just can''t be bothered to find another contractor and will just agree to them and get tied to the Tower again for another generation.


    "It''s nothing¡­ In any case, I assume that you''re fine waiting for a week or two, right?" Vincent said as he shifted the topic.


    "That''s fine¡­ We''re not nning to leave right away in the first ce"


    Abe replied as he then tried to check or investigate the potion that stabilized Ignacy''s condition¡­ After all, they heard from Shane and Turhan that Ignacy was on the brink of death when he arrived here.


    They heard that only when Vincent used a special potion from his Interspatial Ring did he get better.


    It is definitely something they wanted to see and appraise themselves.

 Chapter 436 Try

    Vincent didn''t mind filling their curiosity since this isn''t a big secret¡­ They only know that he has such a potion and not that he can make them indefinitely.


    He swiftly took out one of his Health Recover Potions +10 as he was kind of looking forward to seeing their reaction.


    "A red liquid with golden kes¡­ This is incredible¡­" Abe muttered as soon as he caught the potion.


    "Ohhh¡­ Have you seen one before?" Vincent asked.


    "Not really¡­ However, you should already know the colors of the health recovery potions."


    "Yes¡­ If I''m not mistaken, the lowest grade was the diluted one with light purple color¡­ The low grade was dark purple, the mid-grade was green and the high grade was red potion¡­" Vincent replied. This is something that he learned not in the Arcane Mysteries ss but in the Auction House in the Tudor Kingdom.


    During that time, he has been exposed to many types of potions so he managed to remember it all.


    "That''s correct¡­ The one above the high grade was said to be a golden potion¡­ Of course, I haven''t seen a golden potion yet. It might even be just a mistake in the records¡­ In any case, what I''m saying is that this might be the highest grade or it''s probably approaching it if this is not the limit." Abe exined.


    "I see. Have you appraised it already?"


    "Aahh¡­ Not yet¡­" Abe said as one of his subordinates pulled out a magnifying ss. It is obviously their Appraiser Tool.


    It seems that no one in this group has a Mystic Eye or ability rted to appraisal skills.


    Well, it is quite a rare ability so it wasn''t that surprising.


    It took the Tower Master about three minutes to appraise the potion which is already considered quite fast. Normally, appraisals can take more than 10 minutes and if you are at the auction houses, it would have to be appraised by ten or so other Appraisers to ensure that there is no error.


    "How was it?"


    Vincent asked after seeing him put down the magnifying ss.


    "It''s Peak Grade¡­" Abe spoke in a soft voice like he still can''t believe what he had just seen.


    Vincent smiled at this since he already knows the grade of this potion.


    It is indeed Peak Grade¡­ It is the rank given to the potion that surpasses the High Grade.


    His very first Peak Grade potion was the Moonbreaker Potion which he consumed to get a chance to break the seal in his body. It is the potion that led to him meeting Vera for the second time so he wouldn''t forget about it.


    "A peak grade?!"


    His subordinates repeated in shock. They know that the tower master wouldn''t joke around in this situation.


    "This¡­ If even the peak-grade potion can''t heal the Tower Lord, can the Divine Doctor heal him?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    One of them asked.


    "I can''t tell¡­ However, the Divine Doctor isn''t just relying on his potion skills as a healer¡­ He''s using ancient methods that he said to have found inside a dungeon. If modern medicine can''t, ancient medical techniques might be possible."


    Abe exined as he can only believe that the Divine Doctor can give them a miracle.


    "However, have you tried giving this potion to the Tower Lord a few times? If this is a very expensive potion, I''ll do my best to pay for it, can we try giving this to him again¡­ Perhaps, he only needs two or three of these¡­" Abe suggested as he looked at Vincent.


    "I haven''t¡­ If you want to try it¡­ Then I wouldn''t mind it. You only need to pay for a thousand Mana Crystals." Vincent replied.


    "What? Isn''t that too cheap? Even a high-grade potion would be 10 times more expensive." Abe asked in shock. It was the same for everyone including Turhan and Shane who had seen Vincent''s wealth.


    "If you''ll be using it for Master Ignacy¡­ I can''t give you a high price¡­" Vincent exined. The thousand Mana Crystal is a payment for Severin and his team who are making the low-grade Potions for him so he didn''t really mind giving them a low price.


    Furthermore, Abe gave him a Skill Book as a greeting gift so he can''t treat them poorly now. Although he hasn''t checked it yet, he knows that it''s a valuable Tier 2 skill from a Grand Magus.


    "Hmm¡­ I can''t do that¡­ How about this, instead of Mana Crystals, I''ll give you this instead." Abe said as he handed over a small dagger to Vincent.


    It has a very exquisite design with a gilded pattern on its handle¡­ This dagger appears more like a piece of ceremonial equipment instead of a weapon.


    Nevertheless, Vincent can tell that it''s something valuable based on his experienced eyes and Mana Sensitivity¡­


    The flow of mana surrounding it was actually moving faster as if they were being boiled¡­


    "Impressive¡­ Are you sure you''re giving this to me?"


    "Haha¡­ You''re the impressive one. You can already tell how valuable it is just by looking at it." Abe replied this dagger is an item that can probably be worth more than 100,000 Mana Crystals. Of course, no one would really sell this dagger in exchange for crystals used for cultivation. Instead, this will most likely be traded for a simr high-grade item.


    "I won''t decline then¡­"


    "Here¡­ You can appraise it now." Abe said as he handed over the dagger.


    Soon they saw Vincent''s eyes lit up¡­


    ''I heard that he was a blind teenager like Magnus¡­ I wonder when he got cured and even obtained a Mystic Eye? No, perhaps he was only blind at that time since he was awakening his Mystic Eyes? I heard it happened before, so I guess it must be the case for him¡­'' Abe mused as he watched Vincent appraise the item.


    The others thought of the same as they waited for Vincent to finish appraising it¡­


    To their surprise, it onlysted for a minute¡­ It was quite an impressive Mystic Eye, it can surpass the speed of the Pseudo-Legendary Appraiser tool of the Tower Master!

 Chapter 437 Sealed

    Vincent appraised the item using his System Skill and was shocked by the result¡­ His Mana Sensitivity didn''t lie at all.


    [ ( Sealed ) Blood-Forged Viin Dagger ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 580/900


    Critical: 120 ( 80 )


    Dagger Insight: 50 ( 90 )


    ( Sealed ) Corruption: 200


    Description: A sword forged by the Bloodstone through Ancient Forging Method.


    Remarks: Special Critical and Insight Attribute found. Critical and Insight attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. ]


    [ Skill:


    Bleed: A passive ability that enhances the bleeding of the wounded target. It consumes 5 durability points every time it was activated. The skill can''t be deactivated.


    Vampiric Strike: ( Sealed ) ]


    "Sealed? What''s this?"


    Vincent muttered as this is the first time he had encountered a Sealed Item. Of course, he was also interested in the fact that it was forged using the mysterious Bloodstone.


    He didn''t know that the Bloodstones has such a purpose after all.


    However, its Sealed state seems to be more important considering about half of its attributes can''t be used because of that.


    There are 80 points sealed from the Critical Attributes and 40 points sealed on the Dagger Insight. As for the Corruption Attribute, it waspletely sealed which is quite disappointing.


    He has been looking for a weapon with this attribute after all.


    "Hmm? You were able to appraise it so quickly? Do you have the rumored Eye of Truth? The finest Mystic Eyes on our record?"


    Abe asked in surprise.


    Although Vincent spoke softly, they definitely heard him.


    Vincent was stunned for a moment before he shook his head.


    "I don''t have that mythical Mystic Eyes¡­ In any case, I still need a bit of time to appraise it fully¡­"


    Vincent replied as he tried to recall if he had ever encountered a skill simr to Vampiric Strike¡­


    However, after going through his memories, he can''t recall any skill name simr to this.


    Vincent sighed as he yed around with the dagger¡­


    Swish... Swish¡­ Swish¡­


    It was light and feltfortable to swing.


    "This is a nice dagger¡­ I wonder why this is sealed though¡­ Do you know how to unseal this item?" Vincent asked.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    However, as expected, Abe shook his head.


    "If I know how to unseal it, I would''ve done it already¡­ Unfortunately, all the great Alchemists and Magic Craftsmen I met could only give up. Even its durability was messed up when they were trying to unseal it using some ancient method¡­This is why I decided to stop the experiment as its durability might get too low in the process. It will be apletely useless weapon if its durability continued to decrease."


    "Hmm¡­ That''s true."


    Vincent helplessly smiled after hearing his answer. He studied Arcane Mysteries as well but "Seals" weren''t included in this topic at all.


    "I will keep it then¡­ I might find a way someday¡­" Vincent added. He will just do what he can do. Enhance, Ascend, and Transcend the item¡­ If it didn''t get unsealed even after that, perhaps the Fourth Stage or the Awakening Skill might do the trick¡­


    "Alright¡­ I will study this potion for a bit then I will give it to the Tower Lordter."


    "I understand¡­ I will send a few people here to help with the vi. If there are other matters, you can inform Manager Yulia." Vincent replied as he decided to end their conversation here.


    The vi has more people now so it should be appropriate to add an attendant or two who can assist them. As for Yulia, he''s nning to send her with Guven to confirm the identities of these people. After all, there was no way for him to tell whether they are connected or not to the ck Magic Organization just by their words.


    With Guven''s special ability, it should be easy for them to clear their suspicions.


    ***


    After Vincent returned to his residence, he did not continue doing his Magic Crafting or strengthening the items that were brought to him by Calidia¡­


    Instead, he decided to call a few people who were previously outstanding individuals in the Tudor Kingdom¡­


    Those who had answered his call were Yvette, Luc, Cedric, and Machio¡­


    He has been acquainted with them when he was still in the Tudor Kingdom except for Machio.


    Machio is actually from the Illustrious Sword Sect. This sect has a very good rtionship with the previous Star Garden Sect so Vincent has a good impression of him¡­


    After all, the Star Garden Sect was destroyed by the Barbarians at that time and while the nearest sects did not do anything about it, the Illustrious Sword Sect had sent a few of their elites to actually help them.


    As soon as the four arrived at his residence, they found out that Vincent had prepared some snacks and tea for them.


    "City Lord¡­ I wonder how can we help you this time?" Yvette asked with a smile.


    If they were alone, she would normally tease him by calling him her Knight which shouldn''t be far from the truth considering the document that is still in his possession.


    However, since there are others, she decided to be formal.


    "I''m sorry for calling you all here when you''re busy¡­ However, I really need to hear everything that you know about the Blood Mist Sect that was established in the Tudor Kingdom. Well, if you know someone who was connected to it, I will like to know as well."


    Vincent said as he can no longer contain his interest in the Bloodstones¡­ Especially the Enchanted one which has the same worth as his previous Vermillion Hawk¡­


    "Blood Mist Sect?"


    The four of them looked at each other¡­


    "I only know superficial things about that minor sect¡­ Like their Sect Leader who was doing business with the Marshall Family.  I''m not sure about the others though¡­" Yvette spoke first.


    "I only worked for them a few times as an Appraiser so I don''t know much¡­ However, I met a few of their elders." Luc said as he touched his white beard.


    "Well, I know that the Blood Mist Sect doesn''t ept nobles in their ranks. They only ept orphans or those who were living in the streets." Cedric said. He''s the only noble here so he has a different perspective.


    "Hmm¡­ Our Illustrious Sword Sect isn''t that far from the Blood Sect so I know a few things about them¡­ What do you want to know, City Lord?" Machio finally said as Vincent''s eyes lit up.


    It seems that he really made the right decision to call for them.

 Chapter 438 Skill Manual

    Vincent then asked them about the Bloodstones and the Enchanted Bloodstones¡­ Luckily, they all know of this thing, especially Cedric and Machio¡­


    Vincent already knows that the Bloodstones were things that the Royal Family wanted to acquire after working at the Guardian Auction House.


    However, for some reason, they weren''t being shy when they were trying to look for it¡­ They were not doing special announcements and it even seems quite secretive.


    Cedric then exined that the Bloodstones seem to incorporate evilness as well so the Royal Family weren''t openly acquiring them¡­ They would normally use other channels to acquire them like the Guardian Auction House where he previously worked.


    At the very least, the Royal Family is still trying to maintain their sacred image to the public.


    "Unfortunately, I only know that the Bloodstones are going to a secret workshop that only a few people can enter¡­ My father mentioned to me once that the workshop contains top-secret information about the Knight Order''s special weapons." Cedric exined while trying to search his memories for any more important information.


    It has been quite a while since he heard about the Bloodstones after all.


    "Right, I also heard that only Elders and Inner Sect Disciples of the Bloodmist Sect can make these Bloodstones¡­" Cedric added.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s also the things I heard regarding the Bloodmist Sect¡­ The only thing I can add is probably the hiddenke within the sect itself. They are calling it the Blood Lake where they will baptize or perform some sort of ritual before they ept their Outer Sect disciples to the Inner Sect." Machio added.


    "Hmm¡­ Blood Lake? Perhaps it''s rted to how they make the Bloodstones?" Vincent asked.


    "I''m not sure¡­ However, I remember that Blood Lake supposedly has a statue of an unknown creature at its center¡­ It''s probably the deity they''re worshipping or something. In any case, it''s not like the Bloodmist Sect is the only producer of the Bloodstones¡­ If I''m not mistaken, Bloodstones can be found in some dungeons as well. It was only recently when that sect was able to trade Bloodstones to the public." Machio replied.


    It was agreed by the other three since they have indeed seen bloodstones that weren''t from the Bloodmist Sect.


    Nevertheless, Vincent''s interest in the Bloodmist Sect just grew stronger because of this. After all, others can only find Bloodstones by treasure hunting but the Sect can actually make them!


    Perhaps, over the past decades, they''ve studied the bloodstone-making process until they were able to produce as much as they can. Then it was no wonder why they won''t teach such a crafting technique to others aside from their Inner Sect Disciples and the Elders.


    ''If possible I want to return to the Kingdom and ask them about it¡­'' Vincent thought.


    The main reason he was like this is because of the corruption attribute that this Bloodstone can actually provide.


    Aside from the dagger given to him by Abe, he recently acquired a lot of Midnight Sea Pearls which he purchased from the One Sea Merchant Union.


    It has corruption attributes and its effect of corrupting someone''s mind is quite terrifying¡­


    As a matter of fact, he''s already nning to use these pearls as his weapon¡­


    He has already purchased a few jars of them and after enhancing them to the limit, they would be a very destructive weapon.


    There was no way he would allow his city to be so weak against siege attacks ever again.


    Unfortunately, the supply that he has is only limited. This is why he wanted to acquire plenty of Bloodstones so he can start having a few people research them and if possible, produce them to make stronger weapons.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Vincent then shared his idea with these people and agreed to help him. There are several thousand here in the city that were previously living in the Tudor Kingdom. Some of them might even be previous members of the Bloodmist Sect.


    There shouldn''t be any harm if they decided to look for them and pay them to share their knowledge about the Bloodstone if they find one.


    Furthermore, he learned from Yvette that the Corruption Attributes that were on the weapons can actually destroy the durability of another weapon so easily¡­ It seems to be even better than having a Crush Attribute!


    Lastly, the Corruption Attribute can also affect the opponent''s mind upon contact. It doesn''t need a special skill at all as it will naturally happen. With all of these benefits, it was no wonder why he was doing all of this¡­


    ***


    After Vincent finished his meeting with them, he finally had his dinner and slept soundly to recover his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    On the next day, he heard that the Peak Grade potion has been used again to try and wake up Ignacy but as expected, aside from his vitality that has increased, nothing has changed.


    At the very least, Abe and the others have already satisfied their curiosity.


    Before he start his daily routine, Vincent recalled the Skill Book that he received from Abe¡­ He just kept it without checking so he''s still unaware of what Tier 2 Mana Art it was.


    "Ugh¡­"


    As he took it out of his interspatial ring, he finally realized that the cover of the book seem to be made of human skin as well.


    ''Why are these ancient people so fixated on using human skin for a book cover¡­ Is it a trend at their time?'' Vincent couldn''t help but frown after realizing it.


    He felt ufortable about this so he immediately appraised the item.


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Skill Book: Beginner Rune Magic. ]


    [ Skill Book: Beginner Rune Magic ]


    [ Quality: Special Tier 2


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound using a female human skin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn the skill called Beginner Rune Magic. Beginner Rune Magic is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Intermediate Rune Magic, a top-grade Special Tier 2 Mana Art. ]


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]

 Chapter 439 Visitors

    "Hmm? What''s this?" Vincent muttered after reading the unusual Mana Art in front of him¡­


    "Rune¡­"


    Vincent softly said as he read the description again. He wasn''t new to this word since he had literally encountered Runic Badger and Runic Basilisks before. These Magic Beasts were using Rune Magic to strengthen themselves¡­


    However, he previously thought that this is exclusive to Magic Beasts¡­


    It is quite fascinating to see that this is something that humans can learn as well.


    Without any hesitation, Vincent triggered the System''s Learn Skill to get this Mana Art in his collection of abilities¡­


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the skill Rune Magic? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    [ ¡­ ]


    [ You have failed to learn the Rune Magic. ]


    [ You need to learn the Prerequisite Mana Art before you can learn this ability. ]


    "I failed?"


    Vincent was surprised after seeing the result. This is the first time he failed to learn a Mana Art. Nevertheless, after learning that there''s a prerequisite to obtaining the skill, he realized that this skill must be very powerful.


    After all, as far as he knows, only Tier 5 Mana Arts would have prerequisite Mana Arts before learning them¡­


    For a Tier 2 Mana Art to have this, it means that it must be very special after all.


    ''Let''s try one more time¡­''


    He then tried learning the skill again, unfortunately, he really can''t learn the skill. He can only give up for now until he learned the Prerequisite Mana Art.


    Four days had quickly passed and the city has be even stronger. The signs of the terrifying siege before were no more. What was left was the newly built weapons delivered to them from the One Sea Merchant Union¡­


    Now, their city walls had be more fortified and the number of their Formation Cores have increased as well.


    In addition to that, the city walls have already been painted with the mystifying Octopus Ink.


    It''s no longer just the Kayser Tower that was painted with ink but the long line of the wall surrounding Vera City.


    The only thing missing was the new weapon that Vincent was trying to build for his army¡­


    After all, the Midnight Sea Pearls that he acquired from the Sea Race were limited. He can only use them in critical situations.


    As Vincent was continuing with the development of the Magic Weapon, someone arrived outside his workshop¡­


    Thedy seems to be worried that he''ll disturb Vincent so she wasn''t sure what to do¡­


    ''Well, it''s also time for me to take a break¡­'' Vincent thought as he put down Arcane Ore in his hands and headed outside.


    nk. nk¡­


    Vincent opened the door and found Yulia who seem to be fidgeting like she doesn''t know what to say¡­ This is the first time he saw her hesitate this much¡­


    "Is there a problem?" Vincent asked.


    At this point, Yulia took a deep breath before she replied to Vincent.


    "The Zemin n is outside the city¡­" Yulia finally spoke and brought very surprising news to Vincent.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Really? I thought they''ve already left this territory¡­"


    "They seem to be in trouble. The patriarch wishes to meet you. Should we decline them?"


    ''No wonder Yulia was acting like that¡­ No matter what, she''s still Yulia Zemin¡­ It''s probably normal to be worried about them as well. Anyway, What kind of trouble it is? Is the Zemin n victim of the ck Magic Organization?''


    Vincent thought as he didn''t really care about this n anymore. He neither hates them nor likes them¡­


    Whether they disappeared in the face of the earth, he wouldn''t be happy nor sad¡­


    Nevertheless, he felt that all this time, Yulia has been very helpful to him¡­ If she wanted him to help the Zemin n so she can have peace of mind, he didn''t mind doing it for her.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll meet the Patriarch. You shoulde as well." Vincent finally said and he saw Yulia with grateful eyes.


    It seems that he made the right decision.


    ***


    "Is this the Vera City?" Patriarch Leon muttered after seeing the towering city wall painted in ck. It looks intimidating from afar and they can tell that numerous eyes were watching them.


    Although they can only see a couple of guards blocking the gate, they can tell that many others were observing their every movement.


    Instead of being scared, the members of the Zemin n felt relieved seeing such a fortified structure.


    After all, once they took shelter within the city, they would certainly benefit from this high-level security¡­


    Leon was soon approached by the guards as he stated his reason foring here¡­ He wasn''t sure whether he will be allowed to meet Vincent so he made sure to mention that Lesley Zemin is also here and wanted to meet him.


    In the end, he waited for more than half an hour before a familiar figure appeared at the gate to wee them¡­


    "Y-Yulia? You''re serving Vincent?" Patriarch Leon stuttered as he had already forgotten about this talenteddy.


    After she left the n, Leon didn''t really have any problems running the n since Yulia is simply amander of the n''s Elite Squad at that time. In short, she has many recements he could find.


    The only regretful thing is that they won''t be able to know whether she will seed in controlling the Darkness Mystic Eye or get destroyed by it after reaching its 5th or even 6th stage.


    "Yulia! It''s good to see you again!"


    "Haha¡­ Your beauty has never changed¡­ Have you mastered your Darkness Eyes already?"


    Tezcan and Emrah, the two Guardians of the Zemin n, said with excited voices.


    It was as if they were truly close friends that hadn''t met each other for a long time.


    Yulia didn''t mind this at all as she looked at them with cold eyes before ncing behind them¡­


    After a moment, she finally spoke while looking at Leon.


    "Only the Patriarch was allowed to enter and meet with Vincent. Follow me." Yulia calmly said surprising the elders of the n.


    "Alright¡­" Leon didn''t hesitate as he stepped forward to follow her.


    "Patriarch¡­ It might be dangerous. You should let us apany you."


    "That''s right¡­ We still can''t be sure whether this is a trap or not."


    The guardians said but Leon paid no heed. He just red at them to signal them to stop speaking before hurrying to follow Yulia.

 Chapter 440 Entry

    "We will be epted, right?" Lesley asked the Guardians of the n as she worriedly looked at the closed gate.


    They were left outside the city and almost an hour had already passed. They weren''t sure what happened to their patriarch and could only pray that everything will be alright.


    It is a good thing if he''s still negotiating with Vincent, however, what if Vincent was still bearing a grudge and killed their n Head secretly?


    They might be next to be killed so she couldn''t help but worry.


    "It''s fine¡­ If he''s in trouble, he should have the ability to send a signal to us. Aside from that, he''s wearing the treasures of the n so even if he received a critical strike from an ambush, he wouldn''t die easily." Tezcan replied as he was really confident with the n Head''s ability.


    He wouldn''t be in that position if he''s weak after all.


    As everyone was feeling the heat outside the city, they noticed that the guards blocking the gate seem to have received an order and signaled for them to enter.


    The gate was opened and the guards stood neatly at the sides. Then, a young guard came and looked at everyone.


    "Follow me¡­ I will be bringing you all to the residence assigned to your n. However, before you can enter the residence, you will meet someone and you have to honestly answer his questions."


    "Hmmm¡­ That''s great. Thank you for assisting us." Tezcan said as he stepped forward to lead the group.


    The Zemin n felt happy after hearing this announcement. They can finally rest peacefully without worrying about the ambush of Magic Beasts or even Celestial Beings who had nothing better to do.


    They didn''t even think too much about the questioningter on.


    They just wanted a roof above their heads and the security provided by the city.


    They also have allowances with them so it might be a great idea to visit the nearest tavern as well. Some of them were even nning to check if there is a branch of Flower Pavillion here to meet a courtesan that will ease their mind and body.


    Of course, they will just be disappointed as Vera City ispletely different from the cities they''ve been into.


    Soon, their group was brought to a small guardhouse in front of the residence where they have to enter one by one to answer the guard''s questions.


    There is also a small guy beside him who was only silently watching them. He would sometimes frown and shake his head before writing something on a piece of paper¡­


    Some of the quick-witted ones immediately felt something was off¡­ They immediately became careful answering their questions as the small guy seemed to be capable of reading their hearts.


    Nevertheless, they didn''t really get to know why he was there and only had suspicions.


    Needless to say, the small guy was indeed Guven as he made sure that none of the members of the Zemin n were part of the ck Magic Organization or harboring malicious intent to destroy the defense of the city.


    Vincent already heard several times that the ck Towers had copsed because of an insider.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    There was no way he would ignore this kind of information so everyone who ns to stay in the city must face Guven¡­ The trump card that he never thought he would need.


    He was really thankful to Levent for bringing his ssmate here to his city.


    ***


    A few hours quickly passed as the members of the Zemin n had finally settled themselves and were already resting peacefully¡­


    None of them seem to be worried about their n Head who hasn''t returned yet.


    It was only at night when Patriarch Leon returned did they finally recall that he was away and had a meeting with Vincent¡­


    They immediately asked him what was Vincent''s condition for letting them stay here.


    Some of them even looked at Lesley since they know that Leon was thinking of having her marry the son of the Kayser Family¡­


    "Father¡­ Please let me know what I should do now¡­" Lesley said believing that Vincent had only agreed to ept the n because of her.


    "I wouldn''t mind epting him. You just need to tell and I''ll do it for the n." Lesley added filled with pride and confidence.


    She has been epted as a student in the ck Tower but she was unable to finish her five years of study because of the incident. In the end, none of the Zemin n was able to possess an Emblem from the ck Tower.


    Patriarch Leon then sighed as he looked at the elders of the n including his sons and daughter¡­


    "You don''t have to worry about it, Lesley¡­ We were lucky that they arecking some personnel¡­" Leon said as he recounted what happened during his meeting with Vincent.


    "So this city was attacked a few weeks ago by a group of barbarians kings and even a battalion of Dragon Riders¡­ They managed to kill all the barbarians and capture the Tower Master leading the Riders. Isn''t that incredible?" Tezcan repeated as he was indeed impressed by the might of this Vera City.


    Although the city is quite small, he already realized its strategic position. It is surrounded by a mountain range so a normal siege wouldn''t be effective against the fortified wall of the city.


    Furthermore, the city itself isn''t on t ground. A few important parts of the city were elevated to the ground making a perfect spot for watchtowers and cannons to be ced on.


    ? "That''s right¡­ We will be part of a special battalion and he will only send an advisor here to help with themunication. We are still quite free in the city as long as we don''t enter the inner wall where the Tower and other important structures are located."


    The others agreed with this since they can guess that the Magic Weapon factory is also located within the inner walls of the city. Most of them have already explored the city and they can all agree that the weapons or any random equipment being sold here have high quality. It was normal for them to tighten their security and keep their secrets hidden.


    Nevertheless, Lesley was at a loss after hearing about this arrangement.


    She was already expecting to be called by Vincent but in the end, she waspletely ignored and she hadn''t even seen his shadow.

 Chapter 441 Finished Product

    Vincent did not expect the sudden appearance of the Zemin n so he can only ask Yulia herself for suggestions.


    In the end, he just followed her arrangement with the n as long as Guven confirmed that none of them are spies or had any intention to betray the city.


    After that, he did nothing else¡­


    He has more important things to do than pping them in their faces.


    At the moment, the new weapon he was crafting had experienced some minor issues that he needed to fix¡­


    He had to spend some time remaking his weapon before he can try it on the real battlefield.


    "Do you need some help with that?" A asked after arriving at Vincent''s workshop three days after the Zemin n entered the city.


    Vincent called her here to indeed get some assistance regarding the weapon or prototype he just made¡­ A seems to be the best candidate to test his weapon since he wanted this weapon to be usable by young and old regardless of their gender.


    On his workbench, there are two pairs of weapons. A handgun and a rifle.


    "Yes¡­ Can you try and hold it like this?" Vincent said as he picked up one of the handguns and showed her how to use it.


    "Hmm¡­ Alright¡­" A said as she copied Vincent.


    "It''s a bit heavier than I expected. Is this fully made of iron?" She asked.


    "That''s right. Now, I''ll show you how to use it¡­ Point it at the target right there and put your index finger on the trigger. You will feel that a bit of your mana will be taken away during this action and all you have to do is pull the trigger."


    Bang!


    Vincent fired at the wooden target at the corner of the workshop¡­ A was surprised by the suddenbustion. She didn''t think that it would make much noise.


    Nevertheless, she looked at the wooden target that now has a hole in its center¡­ She also noticed that there are many thrown wooden targets at the side and it seemed that Vincent had used them for practice.


    "The bullet was fast¡­ Is this some sort of mini Artillery Gun?" She asked curiously while looking at the gun in her hands.


    "That''s correct¡­ This weapon doesn''t have a name yet and I''m just calling it a Handgun for now. If there''s probably a new model, I''ll think of another name."


    Vincent replied.


    The pistol that he made only has a shape simr to Desert Eagle but its inside ispletely different as it obviously operates differently¡­


    He had made a few failed variations of this because he tried to make it shoot mana bullets using small Beast Cores as a source of energy.


    However, it was too weak and could only kill low-level Savage Beasts at most. It will be useless in war.


    He then adjusted its power and used metal bullets¡­


    This is where he really consumed a lot of time since he needs to find suitable materials such as a bullet. The Mana Art Sequence that he has to imbue was also brand new since he can''t use the Sequence of the Artillery Guns or Mana Cannons. They were too powerful after all.


    In the end, he has to make an entirely new Mana Art Sequence toplete this handgun.


    Of course, this is still quite fast considering how he just made a new weapon in less than a month. Perhaps, only the Celestial Beings have seen a simr weapon. Once this weapon was supplied to the public, it will surely create a sensation.


    After all, the materials used to make this weapon is only worth about 800 gold coins.


    The only thing that may make it expensive would be the bullets which can cost 5 gold coins each.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Can I try this as well?" A asked as she looked at Vincent.


    "Of course¡­ There might be a weak recoil when the bullet was released but there''s nothing to worry about. Just hold the gun firmly."


    "Alright¡­" A replied as she copied Vincent''s aim before pulling the trigger.


    Bang!


    It missed the target by an inch but she still did it quite easily¡­


    "That looks so powerful¡­ It might even prate the Stone Turtle''s shell¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ I haven''t tried that yet but I''m confident that it can put a hole in it. Check the bullet that I''m using¡­ Can you inspect it? I want to hear your thoughts about it as well. I''m sure that it still has room for improvement."


    "Of course¡­ Give me a few minutes to inspect it¡­ Let me first start with this handgun. Right, how did you evene up with this? I really thought that you were just helping the shipyard develop a new engine for our flying vessel. I didn''t expect that you''ll make such a convenient weapon." A said as she took out her appraisal tool.


    She knows that Vincent wouldn''t call her just to chat so she''s always carrying her tools with her whenever she meets up with him.


    The weapon she was holding is veryplicated. It isn''t just a smaller version of an artillery gun or a weirdly designed staff that shoots Mana Bullet.


    "I''m also nning to do that¡­ After all, my Vermillion Hawk was already gone. I will have to rece it with something even better. In any case, just tell me your thoughts about this new weapon¡­"


    "Right¡­ I''m checking it now¡­"


    A replied as she first used her Mana Sense to conduct an initial investigation into the internals of the weapon.


    ''This is really quiteplicated. Did he find an ancient blueprint? When did he even explore a dungeon to get such a blueprint?'' A mused after giving it a swift inspection.


    The existence of Artillery Guns, Aircraft, Mana Cannons, Mage Towers, and other mystical things had alle from blueprints¡­ These blueprints can only be found in dungeons that have been existing before humans had even gained abilities to wield their mana.


    So it was only natural that A would think that the handgun was the result or perhaps an inspiration brought by an ancient blueprint.


    In the meantime, Vincent also inspected the weapon so he canterpare it with A''s appraisal.


    [ ck Pistol ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 480/500


    Rust Resistance: 70


    Description: A hand weapon used to shoot a specific type of bullet.


    Remarks: Rust Resistance and Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skill:


    Arc Alloy Bullet Strengthening ( Passive ): All bullets made of Arc Alloy will have a 15% Damage Increase.


    Arc Alloy Bullet Roar ( Passive ): All bullets made of Arc Alloy will have a 30% Critical and Bleeding Increase to the target.]

 Chapter 442 Lesley

    While Vincent and A were trying to perfect the new weapons, the Zemin n received an instruction to send 20 of their guards to be trained on how to use the artilleries and other mounted weapons on the city walls.


    Although most of them are Archknights and will have more advantage in the battleground, it is still better to train them in case of emergency¡­


    In the meantime, Lesley decided to look around the city and realized that there are some familiar people here¡­


    "W-what going on?" Lesley felt like she was hallucinating when she saw Yvette from the Marshall n.


    The Marshall n is known for its military achievement. Especially Yvette''s father, Count Miller Marshall. That man created the Swordbreaker Army which was said to be capable of matching against the Royal Knights of the Kingdom.


    It is not an easy feat.


    The Marshall n is basically one of the most powerful forces in the southern region of the kingdom. It was no wonder why she had known about them.


    She wanted to approach her and ask about her current situation but she saw her busy with her work so she hesitated.


    Instead, she just observed her enter the training grounds as she was greeted by the soldiers with tense smiles on their faces.


    It seems that these people had a hidden crush on her.


    Lesley knows this gaze and smile as she was always getting this kind of attention.


    She observed the training ground for a while before she decided to leave¡­ She has a few suspicions about this city so she went to thergest tavern where information can be easily acquired.


    Since it''s still quite early, most people are at their work so only a few customers can be seen inside.


    ''All of the customers are high-level Mana Practitioners as expected¡­ They''re definitely Master Magicians or even Adept Mages.'' Lesley thought.


    She already realized that most of the people in the streets or even the people running the stores and shops were strong Mana Practitioners. She has never seen a single non-practitioner here which is quite impressive.


    She would even believe that all the citizens here were soldiers if someone told her so.


    Clink¡­


    She put down a few gold coins on the bar and asked the bartender a few questions.


    ''Another one, huh¡­''


    The bartender wasn''t new to this and as a matter of fact, Vincent had already informed them about this long ago. He was told that he just needs to answer honestly as long as they don''t reveal the secrets of the city like their underground shelter and tunnel, their Magic Tower''s floor n, or some other things within the Inner Wall of the city.


    Soon, Lesley learned the history of this city¡­


    "Y-you guys were also from the Tudor Kingdom? I didn''t know that the Barbarians have decided to take the ve from there¡­ Ugh¡­ That disgusting duke has really done it."


    "Oh? You''ve heard about our homnd?"


    "Yes¡­ Of course, I''m from the Zemin n¡­" Lesley replied as she expected the man to fawn over her¡­


    However, to her surprise, the bartender only nodded not continuing to speak.


    Lesley was taken aback as she added.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Have you heard of it?"


    "Well¡­ I can''t say I haven''t heard it. However, I''m not too familiar with this n. Ahh! Now that I think about it, was it the same n dealing with salt mining?" The bartender finally stopped as it has been a while since he has talked about the kingdom.


    "Yes! That''s right..." Lesley finally smiled after hearing this."


    "I see¡­ So you guys weren''t captured by the barbarians and migrated here of your own volition¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ Since we''re from the same homnd, can you tell me some secrets here in the city, like a ce where there is tasty food or perhaps even news about the City Lord''s married life¡­ Anything will do."


    "Hmm? I don''t think that Sir Vincent was married yet¡­ Well, if he was, it would probably be Manager Yulia or Miss Calidia."


    "Yulia¡­ I know her¡­ What about Calidia? Is she one of his Celestial?"


    "Nah¡­ I''m not too sure as well, I heard she was part of some cult before but no one really knows¡­ In any case, I can''t answer any more of your questions. Customers areing in."


    The man politely said as he tended to other customers.


    Lesley heaved a sigh of relief, it seems that Vincent had truly forgotten about her already and found another woman.


    Nevertheless, she knows that once he saw her again, he would certainly try to get her and that would be her chance to get closer to the Tower Lord.


    Right now, she needs a reliable helping hand since her n isn''t in a good position.


    Getting Vincent''s help is certainly good but getting the favor of the Tower Lord would be the best oue for her.


    She''s confident with her skills and talent especially after obtaining an opportunity within a dungeon. What she just needed now is a strong supporter that will provide her with plenty of cultivation resources so she can develop and be a Grand Magus that can protect her family.


    She also vowed to herself that the Zemin n will return to the Tudor Kingdom one day and reim theirnd.


    Although most of their n members were no longer thinking of returning to their homnd, she had never forgotten or given up on it.


    Even if she has to swallow her pride and ept Vincent to be her man, she would grit her teeth and do so¡­


    "Lesley? So you''re really here. I''ve heard that your n was recently epted to the city. I know that we''ll meet again but I didn''t expect that I''ll see you walking around the streets alone."


    "Ahhh¡­ So it''s you, Sir Luc¡­ This ce is pretty safe and I''m also quite strong now. There shouldn''t be any problem."


    Lesley replied as she looked at Luc Diedrich, one of the appraisers that she personally knows and not the Zemin n.


    She chatted with him for a while and learned that Luc is still working as an appraiser here. She''s currently on her way to the military ground to conduct an inspection and ensure that all the weapons of the army are in their best state.


    Lesley was impressed by this meticulous monitoring of the army''s weapons since the Zemin n and other organizations that she knows wouldn''t even care about the weapons of their soldiers once they are provided¡­


    Normally, the maintenance of weapons would already fall on their shoulders and not their employers.


    She also learned a few more interesting things within the city as her interest in Vincent just grew evenrger¡­

 Chapter 443 Swarm

    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Within the military grounds, the sound of bullets being fired can be heard almost every morning and evening as a lot of people started practicing it¡­


    The handgun that Vincent made has been simplified even more but its destructive power remained the same¡­ Of course, if he enhance or even ascended them, they would be a lot stronger that even a Grand Magus''s Mana Shield can be destroyed by three bullets!


    Well, killing a Grand Magus is still difficult since they can simply cast multiple Mana Shields if they wanted to or even get away from the bullets during that time.


    Nevertheless, the fact that it could threaten them was more than enough¡­


    "What''s going on?" Terrence, who has been staying in Nidite City, arrived at the training grounds where multiple guns are being fired creating a very intimidating sound to anyone nearby.


    Just by the sound itself, it can already be considered a weapon as it can easily scare away Savage Beasts¡­ These Savage Beasts would always have sensitive ears and there was no way they can endure so much ringing in their ears.


    Soon, he saw the familiar faces of the Magic Knights training with a pistol.


    He didn''t find Lar, Ross, and the other Followers of Qheglena as heter learned that they were part of the Barbarian Subjugation Group and were assisting the Sea Race.


    "Captain Terrence! You''ve been away for some time¡­ Come here, we have a new weapon developed by Sir Vincent. Once the other Magic Crafters can make this weapon, everyone will have to train with it and use it in battle." One of the soldiers called out as he showed the weapon to Terrence.


    "A new weapon, huh¡­ It doesn''t look like a slingshot or a crossbow but it shoots small bullets. Interesting... Is this a weapon from a dungeon''s blueprint?" Terrence asked after observing the others who were shooting a wooden dummy.


    "Most likely¡­ It looks too weird so it''s probably some ancient method of throwing small metals at the enemies." The man answered.


    Terrence nodded as he guessed as much since this isn''t just a new weapon. This is a new invention. A weapon that has never been seen at all.


    He had seen a cane that secretly shoots poison darts or a staff that has a hidden weapon after pulling a trigger but this one seems to be perfect for a small but deadly weapon. It can be hidden inside their clothes and will certainly surprise their enemies.


    As long as they know when to use this weapon, they might even be able to kill higher-level Mana Practitioners.


    "It seems that Sir Vincent is preparing us for another battle, huh¡­"


    "That''s right¡­ For some reason, the Celestials Beings haven''t returned yet. I''m worried that something happened to them."


    "Celestials Beings? We shouldn''t be worried about them, there are Numbered Celestials among their group. If they encountered a problem they can''t resolve, there was no way for us to handle it." Terrence replied as he decided to test the new weapon as well.


    As he went to the shooting range, he noticed a few girls who were also trying the weapon. One of them is a new face so he felt a bit curious¡­


    There aren''t many young and powerful female practitioners in the city so it was normal that he would take an interest. Based on his instincts, thedy was most likely an Archmage which is an incredible achievement for a young age.


    Normally, the Archmages in his eyes were already middle-aged or even with white hair. Only when they managed to be Grand Magus and mutated their mana can they look younger again. Of course, this excludes those who had taken the potion to maintain their appearance.


    ''I didn''t know that another genius has arrived¡­ I wonder where she came from¡­'' Terrence mused as he signaled for one of the magic knights and pointed at the beautifuldy.


    "She''s from a small n that was devastated because of war. They have taken refuge in the city. I heard she''s the daughter of the n Head¡­" The knight whispered.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Terrence kept it in his mind as he considers introducing himselfter on.


    For now, he wanted to see whether he has the skills to use the new weapon¡­


    He first confirmed that there are bullets in the magazine before he copied the posture of the others.


    Bang!


    As soon as he pulled the trigger, he felt a little amount of mana leaving his body¡­ Furthermore, this little amount didn''t mean that the attack was weak, it was actually incredibly strong and he felt that it could prate an ArcKnight''s defense if they weren''t careful.


    "Whew¡­ That was strong¡­ There''s a little recoil but this weapon can even be wielded by a child. As long as they have undergone Mana Baptism, their age wouldn''t matter and they''ll be able to use this weapon easily. How scary¡­" Terrence suddenly realized that once mass production has started, it will certainly boost the offensive and defensive forces of the city.


    "That''s correct, captain¡­ I just hope that the price wouldn''t be so expensive¡­ This is only the beta version for us to test¡­ Anyway, you didn''t hit the target, Captain¡­" One of the Knights said and it was heard by the others.


    The othersughed at this as it wasn''t every day that they can look better than their captain.


    "Hmph¡­ I only tried once¡­ Before I empty this magazine, I''ll be a sharpshooter¡­" Terrence said with confidence as he continued shooting the target¡­


    ***


    Vincent smiled in his room after reading the feedback from the soldiers and a few ''normal'' citizens who had tried the gun¡­


    He needed this kind of feedback to improve the weapon after all.


    As a matter of fact, he just finished reading a reporting from Lesley after she tried the handgun. Most of them are positive but there is a suggestion that he really needed.


    ''I guess I have to make a proper holster¡­ It''s a good I was reminded.'' Vincent mused as he was too focused on training the other Magic Crafters to make the gun and bullets. He had forgotten about the holster to carry them.


    He immediately called for Rufia and Hirtia to design or make a holster since they are the ones who are trained for this¡­


    ? Bzzt¡­


    After finishing his arrangements, hismunication crystal received a connection request from Calidia and he suddenly felt nervous about it. Whenever the people from the Kayser Tower contact him, it is mostly regarding the security of the city or when they are under attack.


    As soon as he epted the connection, he heard Calidia''s excited voice¡­


    "A group of Celestials is returning!"


    "Great! Can you tell how many are there?" Vincent asked in excitement as he stood up from his chair.


    "Ahhh! Wait! They''re being chased! We have to activate the City''s Barrier!"

 Chapter 444 Third Gen

    "Ugh¡­ I knew it¡­" Vincent grunted as realized that the Celestials seem to have brought some trouble to their city.


    There was no way that these Celestial Beings would run away from normal enemies. It means that the enemies this time are quite strong or the Celestials are just a bad match against them.


    "Can you tell who dares to chase them?" Vincent immediately asked as he wore his Nightbane Robe and came out of his workshop.


    He has to immediately oversee the situation to ensure that their city will survive this new disaster.


    "I-I don''t know¡­ Wait¡­ Ahh! It''s a swarm of insects!"


    "What? Alright! Open the gate and activate the barrier as soon as the Celestials are inside!" Vincent instructed as he hurried to reach the top of the city wall.


    "They are too close to each other¡­ The insects might enter the city before we can close the gate¡­"


    "Just send all the Magicians who can use Fire Element¡­ Hurry!" Vincent said as he knows that Artillery Guns or their Handguns weren''t a good match against these insects.


    Needless to say, the Celestial Beings might be in a trouble as well if they don''t have Celestial Armors with them.


    Calidia immediately made an announcement as the Magicians started heading to the southern gate. Since the Kayser Tower is making a fuss over a bunch of insects, they realized that this isn''t a simple swarm but a deadly one.


    Everyone immediately became wary as they watched the Mage Battalion move in haste. Some of them started returning to their houses and closing their windows just in case a bunch of insects managed to bypass their defense.


    They weren''t sure what kind of diseases they were carrying so they have to be careful.


    ***


    "What''s the problem this time?" Yulia sighed as she entered themand center to see the situation of the whole city.


    She then saw Calidia and her team monitoring the surroundings of the city to ensure that they only have to worry about the swarm brought by the Celestials.


    "So those are the insects¡­ They appear like Scourge Hos but¡­ they''re mutated?" Yulia muttered as she saw three of the monitoring crystals showing images of the insects.


    "Yes¡­ I''m sure that the Fire Magicians can stop them¡­" Calidia replied as she showed 50 or so magicians readying their Fire Mana Arts.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s normally the case. However, they look like they''re made of metals. They''ll probably need stronger fire elemental arts for that." Yuliamented but she can''t really help in this situation as well.


    She only knows basic fire Mana Arts after all.


    "Oh? Is that Luna¡­ and Rem?" Yulia finally recognized the returning Celestial Beings¡­ Behind them were seven more Celestial Beings making a total of nine¡­


    "Now that you said it¡­ You''re right!" Calidia said as she didn''t focus her attention on them a while ago. She thought that it was all the Celestials that has left the city after recognizing Rem in front.


    As she looked at the others behind her, they were indeed new faces. They are certainly beautiful like what a Celestial Being should be but they are definitely not at Tara''s level.


    "Miss Yulia, I think that Sir Vincent already noticed that something was off about these insects¡­ He sent a message to Sir Yasin to operate the new vessels¡­" One of the operators of the Monitoring Crystals reported.


    In front of her is the image of the shipyard opening up its gates.


    "Eh? Are they functioning already?" Yulia asked in surprise as she looked at the crystal¡­


    While the magicians are preparing their Mana Arts, five Flying Ships starteding out of the shipyard in the inner part of the city.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "It seems so¡­ Right, I think I received a report about them a few days ago¡­ I didn''t think too much of it before." Calidia muttered as she swiftly checked the documents beside her. It didn''t take that before she found what she was looking for and read them again.


    "Incredible¡­ ording to this report, Vincent called these five the Third Generation Light Aircraft, Tempest 1."


    "Third Generation? What are first and second generation though?" Yulia asked but she immediately thought of an answer.


    Calidia was the same.


    "I guess the first generation was the Flying Airship, those things that look likerge flying boats. The second generation was most likely the Enhanced-Aircraft like Vermillion Hawk, it has a different shape with a little improvement in their engine¡­" She answered.


    "That makes sense¡­ I wonder what inspired Vincent in these aircraft¡­" Yulia muttered as she can''t help but feel excited about this new advancement in Magic Technology.


    These new aircraft also seem to be heavily equipped¡­ No, it''s just that their weapons can be easily seen and not hidden at all.


    "I guess they have something that can stop the insects?"


    "For sure¡­" Yulia muttered as her eyes didn''t leave the crystal monitoring the aircraft¡­


    She noticed that it is using a different propulsion system and it is definitely not simr to the Floating System that was developed by the Nexus Organization.


    "I''ll go outside to see them clearly¡­" Yulia said as she headed outside.


    "Alright¡­ Be careful¡­ Just in case the insects entered, retreat inside the Tower immediately¡­"


    "Got it!"


    Yulia responded. As soon as she came out, she noticed that the Zemin n was also being mobilized. It seems that Vincent didn''t think twice about using them during this situation.


    Well, they certainly have to work if they want to stay here for a long time.


    nk!


    As she was moving, she suddenly heard the gears of the southern gate working again¡­ It seems that the Celestials are already reaching the city and the guards started closing the gate knowing that they can reach the city in time.


    Soon, multiple fire Elemental Arts were thrown to burn the hos that were following the Celestial Beings¡­


    However, they didn''t seem afraid¡­ Although the outside seems like an inferno, the insects didn''t seem to care as they just charged forward¡­


    "Not good¡­" Everyone noticed that it wasn''t easy to burn the insects. They seem to possess some level of resistance against fire¡­


    Nevertheless, this should be the best element to usepared to wind or even water.


    Whom~ Whom~


    Suddenly, they heard the five Tempest I, hovering above the city¡­


    Yulia watched them with bated breath as her interest in these aircraft grewrger¡­


    As soon as the Celestial Beings entered the city, these vessels finally showed their might!

 Chapter 445 Return

    Patriarch Leon mobilized the members of his n to deal with the swarm of insects that were chasing the Celestials Beings.


    With the skills of his n members, there shouldn''t be any problem facing a swarm of insects. However, he knows that it wouldn''t be that simple considering a group of Celestials Beings has to flee from them.


    ''These insects are probably venomous ones¡­ and since this is a different continent, there are many weird creatures unknown to us¡­ I hope that using normal Fire Element will be enough¡­'' Leon mused as he didn''t really like the idea of sending his elite squad in front.


    Vincent should first send some cannon fodders to test the strengths of these insects before sending them forward.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t show his unhappiness and just followed his order with a smile on his face.


    "The Celestials are going in! Wait for my signal!"


    One of the Commanders on top of the city wall announced. Leon recognized him as Lar and he should be the Commander of the Garrison Brigade.


    He has a deep impression of this man as he feels that he isn''t a normal Grand Knight¡­ The aura he exudes was quite simr to a Celestial Being albeit extremely weak. He couldn''t probably exin it since it was the first time he felt something like this.


    Of course, he didn''t mention this to others since he''s the only one with a special ability to detect such minuscule detail¡­ and no one would probably believe him.


    He shifted his gaze back to the front and as soon as the Celestial Beings were getting close to the gate, he heard Lar''smand.


    "Release!"


    As soon as thismand was heard by the magicians, they finally controlled their Mana Arts to throw at the swarm of insects¡­


    A rain of Fire Elemental Mana Arts blocked the path of the insects and the smell of burned insects started spreading everywhere.


    Nevertheless, the swarm is extremely huge that could cover the entire city together with the mountain range beside it¡­


    It means that burning the ones in front is not enough¡­


    "Continue!"


    Lar shouted as he knows that this is the only thing they can do for now¡­


    Whooshh! Whoooshh! Whooshh!


    Several Fireballs were thrown as the heat started affecting the magicians on top of the city walls. Unfortunately, they can''t stop!


    The swarm is still continuing to surround the city and they know that the Barrier won''t be able tost that long if they did nothing¡­


    Soon, Leon noticed that the ground is vibrating¡­ It was followed by the roaring sound of the enginesing from five aircraft from within the city!


    ''What are those?'' Leon can tell that those aircraft weren''t for transporting passengers or cargo¡­ They were emitting a deadly aura as if they can be used to fight against a Celestial Being!


    Furthermore, he can tell that only two Magic Knights are piloting each aircraft!


    Not even an Adept Mage!


    It means that the deadly aura wasn''ting from the pilots but from whatever weapon was mounted on them!


    Soon, his questions about the power of these flying ships were answered.


    The five of them formed a "V" formation and flew above the swarm of insects before dropping tworge "bullets" at their center. A total of 10 was dropped and it wasn''t that fast or slow¡­


    If they willpare it with the bullets used with the handgun, they are probably a hundred times bigger so it was quite easy to see.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Many of them were curious about this but as soon as they reached the center of the swarm, Leon realized that these things were bombed!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    He didn''t know how Vincent''s engineers did it but the explosion is definitelyparable to Tier 5 Mana Arts!


    Each bomb would cause a terrifying explosion that would make the earth tremble¡­


    Furthermore, Leon noticed that they weren''t exploding upon contact with the ground. They exploded mid-air causing more destruction to the hos¡­


    Just from this attack, he can tell that more than 50% of the insects were crushed¡­ Not even Beast Cores remained from them¡­


    "Hahaha! Look at that! We''re strong!"


    "Incredible¡­ I only heard it from the first battalion but it''s really true¡­"


    "If we have this against the Dragon Riders again, they''re definitely going to die¡­"


    "It''s better to use them on those tough barbarians¡­ Ugh¡­ Those disgusting creatures are too durable¡­"


    "Hey! It''s not over yet! Get ready for another bombardment of Fire Elemental Arts!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    The soldiers rxed for a bit after seeing the powerful attack from those five airships¡­


    Although this airstrike can only be done once since they don''t have any more bombs, it was still a great help so Lar felt a lot more confident dealing with this attack.


    ***


    Vincent nodded with a smile after seeing the sessful airstrike from the five Tempest I.


    "Good... Good¡­ I should continue making those missiles¡­" He muttered with excitement as he saw the massive explosion and the destruction caused by his new invention.


    He felt satisfied with it although there is still plenty of room for improvement.


    The bombs that were used just now wouldn''t be possible to make without the special materials from the Sea Race.


    Normally, bombs created by Magic Crafters use Magic Beast Core to trigger an explosion. It means that the strength of bombs will depend on the stored mana within the core itself.


    However, the ones he created uses a special fuel that can only be found deep in the sea.


    That''s right, these bombs can also be called incendiary shells with some adjustments that would make them incredibly stronger.


    He probably would have to thank the Star Garden Peak for disturbing the Sea Race so he was able to get connected with these creatures who have plenty of resources that wouldn''t be normally found in thend.


    The only problem about this missile is that they don''t have a guiding system¡­ They would literally just drop these bombs and trigger them once they are near the target or just wait for them to make contact with the target.


    "We''ve returned¡­"


    While the knights and magicians were still busy fending off the remaining insects, Luna and Rem arrived in front of him bringing the other seven Celestial Beings they recruited.

 Chapter 446 Crystal

    "Good work¡­" Vincent replied as he took out a reward for Luna and Rem.


    Well, they are just +10 potions but they are still a supply of Celestial Energy.


    They probably need a few years of Blood Essence of Mana Practitioners to get the same amount of energy. In short, this is the best reward he can give to them¡­


    "Thank you¡­ However, we still have some leftover potions you gave us before you sent us out." Luna replied but her hands were still taking the pouch of potions.


    "Oh, just distribute them to everyone¡­"


    "Alright¡­ Then, they''ll officially make a contract with you today¡­" Luna said as she really can''t trust these other Celestials as well unless they formed the contract with Vincent using their Celestial Energy.


    This contract is very important as it would bind their hearts to ensure that they will follow Vincent''smand as long as it wouldn''t threaten their lives or go against their principles.


    "We can do thatter¡­ For now, tell me where these insects came from." Vincent asked as he looked at the swarm that has been cut in half.


    At the moment, he can see the magicians throwing as many Mana Arts as they can. At this rate, it will probably take an hour or two before they can finish cleaning this up.


    He has to think of something.


    "We''re not sure as well¡­ However, if we will make a guess, it''s probably from the dungeon." Rem answered.


    "What? Is the dungeon outbreak already happening?" Vincent was shocked as he was just recently warned by Abe and the others about the subterranean Dungeon Outbreak and some sort of Alien Invasion that wille from space.


    "Hmm¡­ So you call it a dungeon outbreak. This is the first time I''ve experienced this as well. Do you think it will happen in other dungeons too?" Luna asked.


    "It seems so. Someone recently informed me about this outbreak and more subterranean creatures will appear soon. We are expecting that the whole continent will be engulfed in war if this really happened."


    "What? Isn''t that really dangerous? Is it alright to remain here?" Rem asked. This is also the concern of other Celestial Beings."


    "It''s not like they will concentrate their forces on us¡­ They will certainly be scattered and it won''t happen in one go¡­ He said that it will gradually happen over the years so we should have plenty of time to prepare."


    Rem nodded at this since if they have a few more years, they were indeed confident that they''ll get even stronger.


    "That makes sense. I guess the other organization is also making their preparations."


    "That''s true¡­ For now, can you tell me what''s special about these insects? I know that they are difficult to burn and you have to flee from this swarm¡­ However, I''m sure you''ve fought against them at close range¡­ Tell me your thoughts¡­" Vincent asked.


    Perhaps, if he has plenty of those missiles or enhanced incendiary shells, he would just bombard them until they were annihted but unfortunately, he doesn''t have that luxury¡­


    "You shouldn''t try fighting them in close range, their pration ability is too much for humans. Being stung by these hos will melt your flesh and even bones¡­" Luna said with a grave expression.


    "W-what? Isn''t that too powerful?" Vincent bit his lips as he knows that even if Mana Shield can block a few of them, it may not be the same once you were swarmed endlessly¡­


    In the end, Vincent decided to join the extermination job with one of his one-time use Magic Tool.


    [ Echo st Crystal ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10<novelnext></novelnext>


    Durability: 110/110


    Description: A unique crystal has Echo st Mana Art stored in it. Due to the unique properties of the crystal, the Mana Art''s power has increased by 700%.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. Releasing the Mana Art will destroy the Crystal. ]


    This crystal isn''t new¡­ It is previously the [ Magic Sealing Crystal ] that is in his possession.


    The sealing crystal that he obtained before has been enhanced and ascended so it isn''t just capable of "sealing" the Mana Art anymore, it can also store them now.


    After storing the Echo st Mana Art, which is actually a technique used by Magic Knights, the crystal adapted and became Echo st Crystal.


    Normally, the Echo st can only cover a small area with some concussing effect on the targets. However, with Vincent''s enhancements and ascension, it had be incredibly strong and he''s confident that it will be quite effective.


    After making a n, he used his Shrouded Steps to get nearer¡­


    As soon as he felt that he was in a good distance, he poured a bit of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy into the crystal before throwing it to the swarm of insects. He did it as quickly as possible since he felt worried that the hos might start scattering because of the bombardment of Fire Elemental Arts.


    Luckily, the hos remained dumb and were still gathered together¡­


    Seeing that the crystal was already in the midst of the hos and was being surrounded as if it was some attractive food, Vincent swiftly released the Echo st Mana Art by triggering it using the bit Pseudo-Celestial Energy he poured on it a moment ago.


    Boom!


    Like thunder, everyone felt the thump in their chests and felt the ringing in their heads. It happened so suddenly¡­ Without any warning from Vincent at all!


    Some of them almost lost their bnce because of this sudden attack.


    "W-what was that?"


    "A sound wave attack?"


    "Ugh¡­ Is it a Grand Knight?"


    "Even a Grand Knight can''t do such a thing..."


    The knights were a bit flustered because of how powerful it was. It waspletely different from the missiles that were dropped by the Tempest.


    "Look! All the insects are falling!"


    "This is it! Finish them! They might still be alive!"


    Lar didn''t have to receive an order from Vincent as he immediately ordered all the Magicians to start the cleanup operation.


    In just another 20 minutes, they confirmed that no insects were able to enter the city and they were annihted.


    "Victory is ours!" Lar shouted in celebration as it was followed by everyone who was also exhrated by their victory¡­

 Chapter 447 Missing

    "I should probably make more of that¡­" Vincent muttered as he thought of searching for more Magic Sealing Crystals.


    He only has three of them remaining after all.


    As for the supplier of the Echo st¡­ It wouldn''t be a problem since it''s from Millie. He can also ask Ceri for that so he has no issues as long as he has the sealing crystal with him.


    Anyway, seeing that everyone is celebrating, he also felt happy as he called the Celestials in his residence to finish the contract with them.


    He decided to take all the responsibility with the Celestial Beings so he wouldn''t be asking others to get contracted with one of them.


    In any case, he can just request for the Celestials to take care of his trustedpanions if they really needed some help.


    "Hmmm¡­ So the highest Numbered Celestial you recruited was her¡­ Number 442." Vincent muttered as he looked at the cloaked Celestial in front of him¡­


    Currently, his highest ranked Celestial is Number 80 which is Luna¡­ Followed by Numbers 442, 778, 815, 833, andstly, 999 which is Tara.


    All the others were Unnumbered Celestial Beings.


    Vincent finished contracting with them and asked a few questions. Since these Celestials were probably roaming this continent for a long time, he felt that he could get some answers from them.


    "Just in case, have you encountered a sleeping Celestial? I mean, the one that''s still resting in her Sleeping Chamber?" Vincent asked as he sat down on his couch.


    Yulia also arrived serving them some refreshments so they can focus on their meeting.


    "Hmm¡­ I''ve seen one when I was still roaming around the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory¡­ It''s now buried deep underground after a strong earthquake urred three years ago."


    "I''ve also seen one in a dungeon¡­ I didn''t bother waking her up since she might''ve been parasitized"


    "I''m sorry¡­ I haven''t seen one."


    Three of the Unnumbered answered and the others remained quiet and only shook their heads.


    ''Well, I guess it''s not that easy to encounter them, huh¡­''


    Vincent thought as he looked at the Celestial who said she saw one in the dungeon.


    Unlike the other Celestials who were bright and beautiful, this one looks gloomy with her ck hair and fringe covering her eyes. She''s standing out in apletely different way than the others.


    "Have you also encountered a Celestial that was parasitized by Xonids?" Vincent asked.


    "Hmm? That''s correct¡­ They were Xonids. It seems that you''ve also met them. My first encounter with them was more than six years ago¡­ Since that day, I decided not to disturb any chamber I''ll encounter."


    "I see¡­ We''ve also encountered a Xonid and ended up killing the Celestial with it¡­ Right, do you have a method to save these Celestials that have a parasite?"


    "No¡­ Perhaps the Overseer might be able to do something but it seems that something went wrong with him after the first war against the guardians of this world¡­ He''s acting strange so it''s better not to make contact with him for now." Number 442 answered.


    Even Number 80 didn''t know that much about the Overseer so Vincent was a bit surprised.


    "Ho~ So you know this much¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent then shared what he knows about the Overseer and the others also shared their knowledge. Well, he wouldter inform Krusk about this since he has a unique mission of killing the Overseer.


    It seems that all of them were at least aware that the Overseer has been closing multiple dungeons around the continent¡­


    ''Wait¡­ Is he actually trying to prevent the Dungeon Outbreak by destroying the dungeons itself?'' Vincent mused as this might indeed be rted to that disaster.


    Unfortunately, he has no way of confirming this but in any case, he can only hope that all the dungeons being closed are those dangerous or useless.


    After all, there are still dungeons that would constantly supply them with precious resources like herbs and ores. Without them, it would greatly affect the market and the raw materials that he needed would be more expensive.


    "Are you still thinking of increasing the number of your contracted Celestials? You might have a problem supporting us¡­" Number 442 said as she looked at Vincent.


    "Eh? Luna, did you not mention Tara and the other group to her?" Vincent asked.


    "Oh¡­ I don''t think it''s important¡­ I also thought that they''ll be here before us.." Luna replied as she started to exin to them about the two other groups who were also looking for Celestial Being¡­"


    "What? Are you nning to build a second Qheglena?"


    "Won''t you have a problem providing us those Mystic Link Serums? I mean the unique potions¡­"


    The new Celestials asked in concern.


    Vincent can''t help but smile as he didn''t expect that it would seem like that to them. If he remembers correctly, Qheglena was the name of the spaceship that the Celestials were using before. It should be under the Overseer''s watch right now.


    "Don''t worry about the supply of potions¡­ I have a special way of procuring them¡­ In any case, I really need the strength of Celestial Beings¡­ Especially right now when I''m about to get hunted by an unknown enemy." Vincent said¡­ He really doesn''t know about the identities of his real enemies so he can only prepare as much as he can.


    Vincent chatted with the group of Celestial for a few more hours before sending them out to familiarize themselves with the city.


    He has a lot to ask them since he wanted to hear about the situation outside the city and he wanted to know a bit about their abilities as well.


    What''s more important is that he asked them about A¡­ Unfortunately, they don''t know about transformation skills and have no idea why she looks like Celestial Number 999 during that time.


    "It''s very weird¡­ Perhaps Celestial Tara would know about this¡­" Luna frowned as she replied mysteriously. It was as if she knows something but can''t fully express it.


    Anyway, he can only leave it at that.


    Heter informed the Alchemy Department to produce more potions. Luckily, Faviona and Dianne are currently in the city and were willing to help produce more potions¡­


    Since he''s not asking for Mid-Grade or High-Grade potions, their production has gone incredibly fast.


    He wouldn''t even mind if they are producing Poor Quality potions since he can just improve themter on.


    ***


    Three days after Luna and Rem''s group returned, another group of Celestials finally returned¡­ However, another problem has urred!


    Tara is missing!

 Chapter 448 Intention

    Tara has previously partnered with two Unnumbered Celestials that had previously attacked their city. They were doing really fine with their recruitment but all of a sudden, Tara decided to leave them to do something else.


    "Wait¡­ Perhaps it was really Tara?" Vincent muttered as he called for Leon, the Patriarch of the Zemin n.


    The man had previously mentioned that they were attacked by a Celestial and some of their items were destroyed. Leon thought that Vincent was the one who ordered this Celestial but of course, he denied it at that time since he knows that the Celestials working for him wouldn''t be that aggressive.


    However, Vincent suddenly felt that it might really be Tara who had attacked them during that time.


    As for the reason why she did that, he has no idea at all.


    "They''re here¡­" Yulia announced as she looked outside.


    It didn''t take long before Leon, together with Lesley, entered his residence.


    At this time, he already finished contracting with six more Celestial Beings.


    Currently, there are a total of 17 Celestials Beings in his city. This is certainly a huge number making everyone feel safer even though they have enemies that even the Tower Lord would have a hard time with.


    "You''ve called for us, Sir Vincent?" Leon asked while bowing slightly¡­


    Vincent is surrounded by several Celestial Beings right now so he couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous¡­


    "Oh! It''s really them¡­ I can tell that he has a simr aura to the people that Tara encountered before."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right."


    Alpha and Beta said after seeing the two members of the Zemin n.


    "Pardon?" Leon was confused so Vincent immediately exined what happened.


    As soon as they confirmed that the one who attacked them was really a Celestial working for Vincent, they couldn''t help but feel aggrieved as they started to recount what happened at that time without needing Vincent to ask them.


    "So she just targeted your artifacts rted to a goddess and left?" Vincent repeated.


    Leon nodded as he added.


    "That''s right¡­ However, after that incident, we were unable to properly sleep during our journey. We were worried that another Celestial may attack us. It was such a terrible experience. We''re really thankful that you epted us in your city after arriving here."


    "Right¡­ Right¡­ I understand. Don''t worry, I won''t be sending you out¡­ I''ll alsopensate you for the destroyed artifacts."


    "T-there''s no need! They aren''t that valuable since we don''t really know how to activate those things. The only reason we aren''t disposing of those artifacts was that they''ve been with us for a long time."


    "Perhaps, it''s something she didn''t like¡­ I''m not really sure but there are records left by our Ancestors that Celestial Beings and Deities weren''t on good terms."


    Leon and Lesley replied.


    In the end, Vincent still had no idea why Tara did that. It''s not like they have records of which deity those artifacts are connected to¡­


    She then looked at the Celestials and expressed his opinion.


    "Very well¡­ Let''s just assume that she''s not missing. Perhaps she has some matters to attend to¡­ She''s still probably recruiting other Celestial Beings. It''s not like I''ve given you a timeframe¡­ I just assumed that you''ll return once your supply of potions started running out. Maybe she still has potions with her¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent replied as he put this matter to close.


    He knows that he can''t send the others to search for her. He can only trust that she''ll be able to return safely¡­ Furthermore, aside from her Celestial Weapon and Armor, he had also provided her with a few Magic Tools and potions¡­


    It''s probably not that surprising if he says that Tara is her "favorite" Celestial¡­ Not only she was the first to be part of his team, but she was also very mysterious considering how she can contend against higher ranked Celestial.


    She is definitely very reliable so Vincent couldn''t help but like her.


    As the Celestials left his residence, he noticed that Lesley didn''t immediately leave as she seem to have something to say.


    Vincent observed her for a moment.


    Well, he had almost forgotten her face since he became blind a few days after meeting her.


    She still has lightly tanned skin and grey eyes that seem to be unique to the Zemin n. Her previous long dark hair, however, was now shorter and seem to becking some luster¡­


    "Is there something you want to say?" Vincent asked.


    He doesn''t need to be polite to her so he just directly asked without even formally addressing her.


    Lesley didn''t seem to like it as she replied.


    "Are you still mad about what happened before? You''re not that petty to bear some grudge against me, right? I was just foolish and young at that time. I can''t go against my family''s decision."


    ''Ohh¡­ So she''s ying the victim card¡­'' Vincent mused as he smirked unconsciously.


    Lesley noticed this and frowned.


    "Is it funny?"


    Vincent immediately shook his head.


    "Of course not¡­ I just recalled something. In any case, I''m not mad at you. I don''t hate your n either. If I do, you guys will still be outside this city¡­" Vincent exined matter of factly.


    ? "Y-you''re right¡­"


    "Mhmm¡­ Is that all you want to say? If it is, you can leave now so I can start with my work¡­" Vincent said. He can tell that Lesley still has something to say but she was hesitating so he was pushing her out to make her spill whatever she wanted to say.


    Vincent''s decision was right¡­ As soon as he said this, Lesley could no longer hold on and finally stated her real reason for staying.


    "Since you''re going to work, is there something I can help you with? I''ve recently advanced into an Archmage and I''m quite confident with my crafting skills as well."


    "Hmm? I don''t need your help¡­ I also have secrets I needed to keep, so no¡­ You can go ask Yulia for a job if you want to be of help¡­"


    "This¡­ I¡­ Then, can you give me work that will get me closer to the Tower Lord? I really respect him a lot ever since I attended the academy¡­ It would be my honor to serve him¡­ If you can rmend me, I will¡ªI mean you can request anything from me and I''ll fulfill it to the best of my ability."


    Lesley stuttered for a bit but she still announced her real intention and showed her sweetest smile at the end of her sentence.

 Chapter 449 Sacrifice

    ''So it was like that¡­''


    Vincent sighed as he recalled that aside from the core members, no one knows that Tower Lord Ignacy isatose or unconscious until now.


    The public only knows that Ignacy is currently here and resting after being injured in his battle against the ck Magic Organization.


    Anyway, he''s also not nning to reveal the truth to Lesley.


    Although Guven didn''t find any issues with the members of the Zemin n aside from their arrogant attitude, some things might change in the future. They might be approached by the people of the ck Magic Organization and he can''t tell whether they will remain loyal or change their minds once they were offered the chance to get their wish fulfilled by the Magic God.


    "I''m sorry¡­ I can''t help you with that. There are already people serving him at the moment¡­ One of them is even a Tower Master."


    "Really? A Tower Master is residing here?" Lesley was shocked since this is the first time she heard of this. Vincent has more secrets than she had expected.


    ''He was really patient hiding his trump cards¡­ Even though there was a swarm of powerful insects that could cause trouble to his city, he didn''t mobilize them¡­'' Lesley thought as she bit her lips¡­ She has to think of something to get closer to the ck Tower''s Grand Magus¡­


    If she just followed the advancement path of the Zemin n like her father, her peak would only be a Dual Caster¡­


    She didn''t want that¡­ She wants to be a Penta-Caster or even higher!


    Vincent can see her desperation but he didn''t flinch¡­


    "That''s correct¡­ So you can''t really help with anything."


    "But¡­" Lesley knows that she can''t just give up now as she may no longer have another opportunity to meet Vincent like this.


    "I''m already willing to serve you. What more do you want so you can allow me to get closer to the Tower Lord? I just need the guidance of a Grand Magus so I can advance¡­ I''m already an Archmage but I need to prepare for my advancement before it''s toote. Please¡­" Lesley pleaded as she can only tell the truth since she needed a solid foundation as an Archmage before she can think of advancing to the Grand Magus.


    If she continued with her Zemin n''s Mana Cultivation Technique, she may be a Grand Magus in the future but she will just be an average one¡­ She didn''t like that to happen.


    She knows that she''s talented, a genius that can rarely be found in hundred years¡­ It would be such a shame if her talent and skills were limited because of her poor Mana Cultivation Technique.


    Vincent sighed after hearing this¡­ Although he wanted to continue rejecting her, he might just push her and her n to betray him in the future.


    He remained silent for a moment as he needed some time to think of a solution to this¡­


    First of all, he has no ns to make her his servant¡­ Yulia might also feel awkward to her if she started attending to Vincent.


    He''s also not nning to introduce her to Abe, the 29th Tower Master since if this girl is not that talented or shemitted some sort of crime, he would have to take responsibility for it.


    In the end, he can only ask his senior disciples to help him with this matter. In any case, it doesn''t seem like they have a lot of things to do so he might as well give one of them a job if they wanted.


    "Hmmm¡­ Alright. It''s not possible to get you closer to Tower Lord. To be honest, I don''t really like you so I won''t rmend you to Master¡­ However, I will ask my Senior Disciples if they wanted to teach you or perhaps ept you as their apprentice or something¡­ I can''t guarantee that but you might get a chance¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Lesley''s eyes lit up as soon as she heard this¡­ She was delighted by this decision as she even tried hugging Vincent to thank him¡­


    However, Vincent didn''t like it as he can still recall how this woman immediately changed after his eyesight was taken by Vera.


    He pushed her away and reminded her of her position¡­


    "I''m sorry¡­ I was too excited. Nevertheless, as a sign of gratitude, I will for introducing me to your Senior Disciples¡­ You can call me tonight and I---"


    "Stop¡­ You can go out now before I change my mind¡­"


    "O-of course¡­ I will leave now. I will wait for good news."


    Lesley replied as she hastily left the residence.


    After a few moments, Vincent looked at the other door of the reception hall and spoke.


    "You heard us?"


    "Well, I didn''t intend to listen¡­" Yulia replied as she showed a mischievous smile. It was as if she was satisfied with how his conversation with Lesley ended like that.


    Vincent only sighed as he asked Yulia.


    "Are you here to report about Master''s condition?"


    "That''s correct¡­ Just like what you instructed, I asked Celestial Luna to check his condition and she seems to have a method to wake her up¡­ However, she''s not sure whether you will like it or not¡­"


    "Oh? What method is this?" Vincent curiously asked since even his +10 potions are not working on Ignacy¡­ Ignacy''s life force or vitality is only increasing but he wasn''t waking up at all.


    Vincent was also interested in why he may not like the method she thought of.


    Yulia then repeated what she heard from Luna.


    "She said that Ignacy might wake up if he rests inside the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber¡­ However, the problem is that this chamber might be broken after he wakes up¡­ It might be too extravagant to heal him so you may not like it."


    "What? It costs a Cryogenic Sleep Chamber?!"


    Vincent was shocked as this is indeed quite expensive.


    Of the seventeen Celestial Beings that are currently in his city, only five of them have an Origin Cube that can transform into a chamber.


    Can he really sacrifice one of them for Ignacy''s sake?

 Chapter 450 Kayser

    Vincent frowned after hearing Yulia''s exnation¡­


    Ignacy is certainly a very important figure not just for him but for the entire ck Tower. Aside from the knowledge that he has, his strength is also something many of them wanted to achieve.


    Furthermore, even if he no longer has the Legendary Staff, Ignacy is still a magician capable of manipting space. He also has deep connections with otherrge organizations that can be really helpful in the future. This connection can''t be ignored since L had actually mentioned to him that he even has a connection inside the Demonic Cult.


    "Aside from us, who else knows about this?" Vincent asked Yulia seriously.


    Thetter noticed Vincent''s grave expression as she softly replied.


    "No one knows about this other than the three of us. Luna strictly reminded me not to leak this information."


    "That''s good¡­ After all, we don''t have a lot of Cryogenic Sleep Chamber¡­ I''m still hesitating, to be honest¡­ What do you think we should do, Yulia?" Vincent asked.


    Yulia already knows about the existence of Sleep Chambers after he brought Luna to his team. It means that she already knows how valuable it was.


    Yulia bitterly smiled at this as she replied.


    "I knew you would ask me¡­ Well, I''m not really sure about Ignacy''s wealth but if we cured him and ask forpensation after, he might be able to pay for the loss of the Chamber¡­ Of course, I don''t know how wealthy he is so I can''t really tell if that''s a good idea."


    "That''s true¡­ He''s still the Tower Lord for several decades¡­ He probably has a secret stash of treasures somewhere." Vincent hesitated.


    "Hmm¡­ The problem is that if we mention this to the Tower Masters, they might cure him. Or if they asked other Celestials to check Ignacy''s condition, they will certainly discover this method to cure him¡­ If they have a spare Cryogenic Sleep Chamber, they will be the ones who will be Ignacy''s benefactor."


    If they be "the person who saved Ignacy", they will certainly receive Ignacy''s favor. Whether this favor is useful or not, the answer is obvious.


    ''Should I use my armor to cure him? I don''t even know when I can get another one of these.'' Vincent thought as he can''t really order his Celestials to sacrifice their armor like this.


    Exploiting them in this manner isn''t part of the contract¡­


    Of course, they might agree with such a condition if he put several promises to them but Vincent knows that it''s not a good decision to deprive them of their precious equipment.


    It means that only his Source Cube can be used.


    "I think that we should wait until Tara or at least, the other Celestials have returned." Yulia suddenly said¡­


    "Oh? Tell me what''s on your mind."


    "I''m just thinking of buying some more time¡­ It''s not like we are in a hurry to cure Sir Ignacy¡­ ording to Celestial Luna, his current vitality would even allow him to survive for six months even if we don''t feed him potions."


    "Six months? Isn''t that incredible for a human?"


    "Well, he''s a Grand Magus with heavily mutated mana thanks to his talent in Spatial Magic. He can easily survive as long as he has internal mana¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s really impressive¡­ In any case, we can leave it at that for now¡­ However, I have to visit the Star Garden Peak''s territory so I should have an answer before we leave the city."


    Vincent replied.


    The two chatted for a little bit more as Vincent asked about the situation in Nidite City.


    Yulia was the one who had spent a lot of time in that city after all. Thanks to that, Vincent has a clear grasp of the items being traded by the Sea Race¡­


    "About the expedition that we sent to exterminate the Barbarian Race, how was it going?"


    "You should probably ask Calidia for that¡­ We only have one person who has Communication Crystal among them and it''s connected to the Kayser Tower."


    "You''re right¡­ I should visit her sometime. Anyway, there shouldn''t be an emergency if she''s not reporting anything."


    Vincent said as he ended his meeting with Yulia¡­


    ***


    Three more days passed and the traders that went to Nidite City finally returned. It means that the supply has been refilled so Vincent can continue with his Magic Crafting¡­


    He also started his adjustments with the missiles or incendiary shells of his Third Gen Aircraft, Tempest I. After its debut, he noticed a lot of room for improvement and he certainly needed to work on it since there is no other person who can help him with the design.


    "You really have an incredible imagination, Vincent¡­ I was already impressed when you showed me the ck Pistol and the ck Rifle, however, I''m even more impressed by this Missile of yours¡­"


    Professor Leventmented after entering hisboratory¡­ She woulde here from time to time to see Vincent''s progress¡­


    It didn''t even take a month for him to advance from a Novice Crafter to a Junior Crafter.


    Even without having him take the official advancement test, she knows that Vincent can easily pass it and earn the Junior Crafter emblem. Once a Crafter possessed this title, all his works in the market, even if it was just Common or Umon Rank, their value will still go up¡­


    "Professor, even if I have a good imagination, making them into reality is still difficult¡­" Vincent replied as he stopped working for a moment.


    "That''s true¡­ You can only try and gain more experience to make it happen. Well, I''ve actuallye here to give you an opportunity to improve¡­"


    "Oh? Then I''m all ears, Professor¡­" Vincent replied with excitement¡­ Although he''s a bit tired, he knows that Levent wouldn''t joke around about this. He knows that this is very important¡­


    "Good¡­ I''m telling you this since I heard that you''re about to visit Star Garden Peak¡­ To be honest, I know someone in that organization. She''s also the one who gave me the location of the Sleeping Chamber. If you mention my name, she will certainly meet you."


    "Really?! I didn''t know you have such a connection, Professor¡­ May I know her name?" Vincent asked excitedly as she knows that a person capable of giving such information is definitely the real deal.


    "Of course, her name is Vivian Kayser¡­"

 Chapter 451 Reward

    "Vivian Kayser?" Vincent repeated in shock.


    It was such a coincidence after all.


    His full name is Vincent Kayser¡­ His parents were also rted to Star Garden Sect which is connected to the Star Garden Peak.


    Furthermore, he was now being invited by this organization because they were interested in his abilities.


    "That''s correct¡­ Is there any problem? I don''t think that you''ve heard of her name since she''s not famous outside their organization." Levent replied with certainty


    Well, she doesn''t know Vincent''sst name so it was quite understandable.


    "Nothing¡­ I just found it very mysterious¡­" Vincent replied confusing Levent even more.


    "Wait¡­ I know you''re hiding something¡­ Can''t you just tell me?" Levent sincerely asked. She wanted to know why Vincent suddenly looked troubled.


    Vincent thought for a moment before conceding to Levent. In any case, there shouldn''t be a huge problem if he revealed his identity to her.


    "I wasn''t using my full name, Professor. I actually have ast name. Kayser, I''m Vincent Kayser¡­"


    "W-what? No wonder you were so special¡­ You''re rted to the Sage of the Star Garden Peak!"


    Levent said in excitement as she looked at Vincent with interest. It was as if she was seeing a celebrity so Vincent felt ufortable.


    "I don''t understand¡­ Can you tell me more about this Sage?" Vincent immediately asked.


    "Right! Of course¡­ There were a few Kaysers in the Star Garden Peak and all of them have be Sages¡­ This title is only for those who had achieved the peak of their profession¡­ In Vivian''s case, her profession seems to be rted to being a Seer."


    "A Seer?"


    "That''s correct¡­ Although the Star Garden Peak is known for their Automatons, they still have other professions that aren''tmon outside their organization."


    "That sounds reasonable¡­ However, you should already know that I''m from Tudor Kingdom¡­ My Grandfather never mentioned to me that I have some rtives in this farnd¡­ Perhaps it''s just a coincidence?"


    "No way! Having thatst name is notmon¡­ Who knows¡­ Maybe one of your ancestors left the maind and decided to form a family there¡­ It''s not like the members of the Star Garden Peak are prohibited from leaving their territory¡­"


    That makes sense.


    Vincent went silent for a while as he wasn''t really sure what to expect once he arrived at the Peak''s territory.


    Nevertheless, he thanked Levent for informing him about Vivian¡­ He might need to meet her if he wanted to know the truth¡­


    Though he wasn''t expecting too much, who knows, she might even be his rtive.


    ***


    A few more days passed and the 29th Tower Master is already urging Vincent to take the Tower Lord with them to meet the Divine Doctor.


    They have decided to dy this n because of the unrest around the city and they can''t risk the life of the Tower Lord. However, the surroundings have already calmed down and the other towers have reported that the ck Magic Organization has finally settled down after taking over 19 Towers and destroying 9 Towers.


    In the end, only 8 ck Towers remained under Tower Lord Mikhail''s control.


    The Organization seems to be consolidating its strength. After all, one of the magic god''s Avatar was killed by the new Tower Lord.


    No matter how strong this organization was, they still have to respect the deep foundation of the ck Tower that ruled over thisnd for centuries.


    "Is there really no other option?" Vincent sighed as he felt that it would be a waste to just let his Master leave right now¡­


    "Enhance¡­" Vincent muttered as he continued to do his job as an Enhancer although his mind is still thinking about his Master''s condition.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failure. ]


    After hearing the first failure, he immediately switches to Ascension like how he normally does it¡­


    However, this time, after one sessful Ascension, he received another notification from his Awakening System.


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    Ding!


    [ Congrattions! You have reached your 5000th Sessful Ascension ]


    [ You have obtained Item Awakening Card x1 ]


    [ Item Awakening Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that awakens any item with a 100% sess rate. A sessful Awakening provides sentience to the selected item. Depending on the overall quality of the target, the level of sentience can be low-level to high-level. ]


    [ Remarks: All awakened items by the user will automatically have 100 points in loyalty that can increase or decrease depending on the wielder. ]


    "Oh!"


    Vincent had a pleasant surprise. It''s been a while since hepleted a hidden task from the system.


    After having the Item Awakening System for almost a decade now, he alreadypleted a lot of hidden tasks so he knows that it''s difficult toplete another one considering that these missions are hidden¡­


    He can''t tell what he should do to get a reward from the system. Of course, he at least knows that he just needs to use his skills as much as he can like what he has been doing over the past years.


    "Now¡­ Where should I use this?" Vincent muttered softly as he checked all his avable items¡­


    For his weapons, he has a few swords, des, axe, daggers, and even a bow in his inventory¡­ For his equipment, he has a few cloaks, robes, vambrace, shoes, rings, and even amulets¡­


    Poof¡­


    He summoned the Sentient Tome beside him and asked for its opinion.


    "I will awaken another Sentient Item¡­ What item do you think I should awaken?" Vincent asked. He would still be the one to decide but he felt like he wanted to hear others'' opinions about this¡­


    Since he can''t reveal this ability to others, he decided to just ask his Tome.


    [ Since you already have me as your strongest offensive weapon. Why not choose the strongest defensive weapon? ]


    "Ohhh¡­ Is that how it is?"


    It does indeed makes sense¡­ However, wouldn''t it be better to have another strong offensive weapon? Why would he need to be on the defensive if he can just kill them with his Sentient Weapons?


    Furthermore, he already has the Source Cube that provides him an incredible defense¡­


    ''Ahh! That''s right!''


    Vincent suddenly had an idea as he pulled out the Awakening Card in his inventory.

 Chapter 452 Solution

    The golden Item Awakening Card shines brightly and Vincent could tell that there is enormous energy hidden inside it. However, this energy is not ssified as one of the things he knows. It seems otherworldly andpletely different from Celestial Energy or even the Aether¡­


    He wasn''t sure what it is but he doesn''t have ns to study it anyway.


    He then took out the Source Cube and appraised it for a moment. He wanted to see the changes that will happen after he Awaken this Cube.


    That''s right¡­ After contemting for a while, he decided to Awaken the Source Cube¡­ Although it might feel weird to have Sentient Armor that will cover his entire bodyter on, he has no better choice than this.


    After remembering the result of the appraisal, he finally decided to use the card.


    [ Would you like to use the Item Awakening Card? ]


    "Yes!"


    [ Please select the item you want to Awaken. ]


    [ You have selected the Source Cube. ]


    [ Are you sure you want to Awaken this item? ]


    "I''m sure!"


    Vincent answered as he saw the card disintegrating into the air¡­


    Then, a golden cloud of dust started umting around the cube in his hands.


    Thissted for almost five minutes¡­ Before the strong fluctuation of energy was emitted within his room. This was obviously detected by the Celestials Beings but Rem just informed them not to worry¡­


    Since it''sing from Vincent''s room, she can easily guess that he was doing something incredible again.


    Because of that, no one bothered checking Vincent''s situation¡­


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ You have discovered the Awakened Origin Form: Source Cube ]


    [ Awakened Origin Form: Source Cube ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Sentience: High-Level


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1,500/1,500


    Description: A sentient object made of a titanium alloy capable of having four forms. The Source Cube, The Chamber, The Protective Suit, and The Celestial Mode.


    Bound to Vincent


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    [ Special Attributes: Intelligence, Growth, Flight, Stealth, Mana Source ]


    Ding!


    [ Only Pseudo-Celestial Energy has been detected on the user. The Celestial Mode of the Source Cube can not be activated. ]


    Vincent smiled seeing this result¡­


    ''The durability increased by 500¡­ That''s a great additional benefit¡­


    Although it''s disappointing that the Celestial Mode is still locked, he''s still d to see that it had better durability and of course, awakened a High-Level Sentience!


    It must be remembered that the Tome of Gluttony is a Mythic Grade item but it only awakened Mid-Level Sentience.


    On the other hand, this cube is only a Legendary Rank and awakened a High-Level Sentience¡­


    ''It seems that the grade of the weapon isn''t the basis for the sentience''s level, huh¡­'' Vincent mused as he read the resultpletely. Of course, he felt satisfied with the item and was quite excited to see how strong it had be.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He will also have to check the improvement in its Suit Form and Chamber Form but for now, he has to talk with it¡­


    "Are you awake?" Vincent asked the cube in his hands¡­


    [ I''m awake. Thank you for giving life to me, Owner. ]


    "Oh! You can express gratitude¡­ As expected of a high-level Sentient Item. Right, you have a flight ability so I don''t have to hold you like this."


    Vincent said as he released his hold on the cube¡­


    [ That''s correct, Owner. Then, I will use my Flight from now on. ]


    Whoosh¡­


    The cube floated from his palm and steadied itself at his eye level.


    "Good ¡­ Can you use your Stealth while floating?" Vincent asked curiously. Well, that would seem like dual casting after all.


    [ I can. I will use Stealth now. ]


    Suddenly the cube in front of him vanished but he can still feel that it is there in front of him.


    "Awesome¡­ Now follow me¡­ We have somewhere else to go."


    Vincent said as he wanted to visit the vi where Ignacy is resting.


    [ Yes, Owner¡­ I will follow you from behind. ]


    "Mhmm¡­ Don''t fall behind¡­"


    Vincent replied as he felt better talking to this sentient cube rather than the tome.


    ''Right, the Tome is still here.''


    "Gluttony, you can return now¡­ Thank you for your suggestion a while ago."


    [ Understood. ]


    After hearing its reply, Vincent stored the Sentient Tome in his System''s inventory.


    It didn''t take long before Vincent arrived at the vi which surprised Abe and the others in the residence.


    "I will just check his condition. You can continue what you were doing." Vincent said as he noticed that these people were actually studying the ck Pistol that he had recently invented¡­


    "Very well." Abe answered as she watch Vincent enter Ignacy''s room.


    Seeing that Vincent is nning to check Ignacy''s condition, they realized that he was probably nning to check on him onest time before he approves of their n to send him to the Divine Doctor¡­


    Of course, they decided not to disturb Vincent as they waited in silence.


    Inside the room, Vincent immediately asked the cube¡­


    "I was told that it''s possible to cure this person after giving him a rest inside the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber. Can you confirm whether it''s possible or not?" Vincent said.


    He didn''t reveal that the chamber might also be destroyed in the process since he wanted to hear its opinion first and whether it would match what Luna said.


    [ I need to send a wisp of my energy to the human to see his condition. Is that alright? ]


    "As long as you''ll only check his condition. You''re free to do so." Vincent replied.


    [ I understand. I will start now. ]


    Vincent waited in patience as the floating cube checked Ignacy''s condition. Itsted for almost 20 minutes which is quite longer than he expected.


    He thought that it would only take a few seconds.


    Nevertheless, Vincent did notin as he wasn''t doing anything anyway.


    [ Ipleted my inspection. This human has a sealed soul so he can''t wake up. The Cryogenic Sleep Chamber can slowly remove this seal but it will cost Durability in the process. ]

 Chapter 453 Cure

    "A sealed soul? Ugh¡­ At the very least, it''s indeed possible to cure him, huh¡­"


    Vincent frowned as he heard the confirmation from the cube itself. He couldn''t help but recall how his eyes were sealed as well. This time, it was actually a soul that was sealed!


    [ That''s correct. A sealed soul and curing him will probably cost 1000 durability points in normal cases. ]


    "Oh! So that was why Luna mentioned that the Source Cube will be destroyed. Normal Source Cube only has one thousand durability points. However, you have an extra five hundred durability points! Wouldn''t that solve the problem?"


    Vincent said in excitement. The only problem was the fact that he can''t repair the Source Cube with his Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­ Even if he could, it''s probably an extremely tedious process since what he has is just a "fake" version of Celestial Energy.


    ''But it is still a sealed soul¡­ It wasn''t detected by even the Tower Master¡­ Hmm¡­''


    Vincent mused for a moment. He did not immediately order the cube to cure his Master. Since they''ve at least learned the real problem of why Ignacy wasn''t waking up, the experts around him might have at least heard about this and has a different solution¡­


    ''Perhaps there''s a Soul Art that can help him?'' Vincent mused.


    As a 3-Star Aura Knight, his understanding of Soul Arts has already reached a high level. At the moment, he''s capable of using many Soul Techniques that are not included in the requirement for advancements like Soul Gaze, Aura Pulse, and Soul Forge.


    These are just three of the many Soul Arts that he can learn as long as he has their skills books.


    Anyway, since there seems to be a Soul Art that can seal a soul, then perhaps, there is also an Art that can unseal it¡­


    If he thinks of this, then Abe and the other experts here might have a solution¡­


    "Alright¡­ There''s no point hesitating now¡­ I should inform the others about Ignacy''s current state."


    Vincent said as he called for everyone rted to Ignacy and informed them what he had just found out.


    ***


    Within the reception hall of the vi, Abe, together with his subordinates can be found calmly seated at the round table. Shane and Brycen had also arrived waiting for Vincent to announce what he learned.


    Thyrus, Levent, and Faviona were also in a group but they are still waiting for someone.


    "I apologize for arrivingte¡­" Turhan said as soon as he arrived.


    He was previously having fun with the ck pistol in the training ground since the soldiers made several moving targets and it was quite challenging for him.


    He only needed to pay for the bullets he was using and he was able to train his shooting skills for a few hours.


    ? "It''s alright¡­ Thank you everyone foring here¡­ I won''t make this long." Vincent said as he looked at everyone who was curious why they were suddenly called here.


    "I have recently discovered the truth about Master Ignacy''s real condition. Unfortunately, his soul is currently in a sealed state so we have no way of waking him up with our recovery potion. I gathered you all here to ask whether you''ve heard of this state."


    Vincent said shocking everyone in the room.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Sealed Soul? Hmm¡­ Is there a technique like that?"


    "Probably one of the forbidden Soul Arts¡­ However, I''m not versed in Soul Arts¡­ I''ve only trained my Soul enough to reach the 1-Star."


    "It might even be a result caused by an Ephemeral Art¡­ There are many unknown Magic Artifacts after all."


    Abe and his subordinatesmented after hearing Vincent.


    "I also haven''t heard of any Soul Arts capable of sealing someone''s soul¡­ However, it shouldn''t be impossible that a technique like that exists¡­ I wonder how they did it to him¡­" Turhan muttered as he thought that it really made sense why he was unable to discover Ignacy''s illness.


    His medical tools and even his Mystic Eyes can only check his physical condition. Since this issue is rted to Soul, he can only me himself forcking in his abilities.


    "Hmmm¡­ I think I read something about it¡­ Please wait a moment¡­" Levent muttered after noticing that no one is expressing their knowledge about the Soul Sealing Technique.


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing the Professor speak.


    ''So it is called Soul Sealing Technique¡­ As expected of the Arcane Mysteries Expert¡­ I wonder if I could learn this overpowered technique.''


    Even Brycen who hade to study at Solomon''s Pir doesn''t seem to know about the Soul Sealing Technique¡­


    Soon, Levent pulled out a deep purple crystal from her dimensional storage box¡­


    It is a Knowledge Base Crystal but it is obviously smaller than the ones in the Academy. She then browsed it for a while to search for any information about the technique.


    "It''s the first time, I''ve heard about the Soul Sealing Technique. However, I know a few people who are experts in Soul Arts so they might be able to help us even if the Divine Doctor fails to cure him¡­" Abe spoke with certainty after noticing that Levent is spending a lot of time searching for answers in her crystal.


    "That''s a good idea¡­ However, I already found a solution. So there''s no need for Tower Master Abe to bring the Tower Lord to a farawaynd."


    Suddenly, Levent spoke with a cheerful voice as she put down the purple crystal in her hands.


    "Whoa¡­ As expected of Professor Levent." Turhan didn''t waste his time praising his friend. After all, the person who will cure Ignacy will certainly receive favor from thetter.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s good if you found it¡­ Please enlighten us, Professor." Abe calmly replied.


    Levent took a deep breath and looked at everyone before she answered.


    "The Soul Sealing Technique is said to be one of the Soul Art''s peak techniques. There are two possible solutions to help Sir Ignacy. The first method is to kill the one who cast this ruthless magic on him. The second method is to break the seal using a certain potion."


    At this point, Levent looked at Vincent before shifting her gaze to Faviona, the only Tier 5 Alchemist within the room.


    "I don''t think I know a potion that can do that¡­ However, if I have the recipe and its ingredients¡­ I''m confident I can make anything." Faviona replied with confidence.

 Chapter 454 Flower

    Faviona has the right to be arrogant regarding this since she''s truly one of the best Alchemists alive.


    Levent, of course, acknowledged this with a nod as she continued.


    "That''s great to hear. The potion''s name is called Enhanced Soul Wisdom Potion and we should probably have most of its ingredients here. However, the recipe on the record was only Soul Wisdom¡­ and it wasn''t for an enhanced version¡­"


    At this point, she looked at Vincent since she knows that this young man has a strange ability¡­ They may not have an enhanced version, but perhaps, Vincent can use his strange gift to strengthen the potion¡­


    Vincent immediately realized what was going on as he nodded to Levent.


    Indeed, if their recipe isn''t the enhanced version, he should be able to do something about it with his System Skills.


    However, the others don''t seem to be convinced about this.


    "Enhanced Soul Wisdom Potion¡­ It''s my first time hearing this¡­ Are you sure it won''t make this matter worse?" Abe cautiously asked as he wasn''t sure whether this is really a solution to cure Ignacy.


    "That''s true¡­ I think we need to consult this matter with other experts as well. This is the Tower Lord''s life after all." One of Abe''s subordinates added.


    "That makes sense¡­ How about this, Professor Levent will reveal all the information she found about the Soul Sealing Technique. This includes the ingredients or the potion recipe to make it. I''m pretty sure that even with just the ingredient, we will be able to know whether the potion will be helpful or not." Vincent said to at least satisfy everyone.


    They immediately agreed with this and checked the ingredients for the potion.


    "What a difficult potion¡­ This concoction will be brutal for the alchemist."


    "Even with Alchemist Faviona''s abilities, she will probably need a week or two toplete this."


    "However, all the ingredients seem very safe and it might really unseal the Tower Lord Ignacy''s soul."


    "Yes¡­ The only problem is this unknown ingredient¡­ I''ve never heard of it. Wisdom Feverfew."


    "At the very least, it''s an ingredient that can''t be found near the 29th Tower."


    Everyone revealed their thoughts about the potion. They were sure that if the Alchemist followed the procedure, it will indeed make a potion that can affect a human''s soul.


    Nevertheless, aside from the issue that it has to be enhanced, one ingredient of this potion is something unknown to them¡­


    Wisdom Feverfew.


    They read its description about being a palm-shaped flower and its effect but even though they can think of a flower that might have a simr effect, they were sure that it was not a palm-shaped one¡­


    "Sigh¡­ I''m also clueless about this flower. This is why I only mentioned that almost all the ingredients can be acquired." Levent said with a sigh.


    She can only look at Faviona hoping that the Alchemist Union has this ingredient¡­ However, she also frowned after some time as she can''t recall any ingredient like this.


    "I''m not sure about this¡­ It''s probably a flower that can only be found in a specific dungeon." Faviona replied.


    That is certainly bad news but they can''t give up just yet¡­ They have to find out where this flower can be obtained or if there is actually a recement for this flower.


    On the other hand, Vincent was quite surprised that these people were having a hard time determining what this flower was.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Is it really the Wisdom Feverfew that I know?'' Vincent mused as he recalls the flowerbed that were surrounding Tara''s capsule or sleeping chamber at that time.


    He immediately checked his Obsidian Treasure Box.


    This box is his very first Dimensional Storage equipment¡­ It costs mana for every use and he can''t put just any object inside of it. The items he wanted to put inside must possess some unit of mana before they can be epted by the box.


    ''It''s not here as expected¡­ Did I transfer it to the Interspatial Ring?''


    Vincent mused after not finding the knapsack that he inherited from his grandfather.


    ''It''s here¡­''


    As he suddenly took out a worn-out knapsack from his ring, everyone''s attention was shifted to the item.


    This knapsack was already quite old but because it was made of beast skin, it can actually be stored inside his Obsidian Treasure Box as well.


    He then swiftly opened the bag and found five stalks of dried flowers¡­


    ''Ugh¡­ It''s in bad condition as I thought¡­ What a waste¡­ At least they''ll know how it''s supposed to look like¡­'' Vincent thought with a sigh.


    That''s right, these dried flowers are some of the Wisdom Feverfew Flowers he collected before.


    A few years ago before he obtained the treasure box, his items were just stored inside this bag. The flowers he had collected when he left the forest had obviously be dried up and could no longer be sold after finding a town.


    In the end, he had just forgotten these flowers that had dried up inside the bag¡­


    After obtaining a dimensional storage box, it hadpletely left in his mind until it was mentioned today...


    Although the flowers were in poor condition, the high-level magicians in the room immediately noticed the flowers and th Faviona wanted to scold Vincent but she has to move quickly. ey eximed in excitement.


    On the other hand, Faviona wanted to scold Vincent but she has to move quickly.


    "Hurry! Give it to me¡­ It''s in poor condition! Why did you store it in such a terrible bag?"


    As soon as Vincent handed over the stalks of flower, Faviona took out a basin and a few vials of brown potion.


    She then poured them into the basin and after confirming that it was enough, she gently put down the flowers starting from their stem.


    Vincent watched all of this happen in front of his eyes and in just a few seconds, he saw that dried flowers started looking better as if Faviona just pulled up some sort of time magic!


    "Amazing, isn''t it? It''s one of my original creations. You can''t find these potions anywhere." Faviona suddenly said.


    "You''re really impressive¡­ I didn''t expect that these flowers can still be used. I guess we have all the ingredients now?" Vincent replied as he acknowledge her skills.


    "Yes¡­ But these five stalks are just enough for one potion. I can''t make a mistake¡­"

 Chapter 455 Practice

    "Well, we can only trust you about that¡­ If you somehow failed, you don''t have to take all the responsibility. I will do something about it. However, I have to check all these ingredients first before you start your concoction." Vincent said.


    If Faviona failed to concoct the potion, he can still use his Awakened Source Cube to cure Ignacy¡­ Although it would be left with 500 durability points or so, it would at least not be destroyed in the process.


    "Then I won''t hold back¡­ I''ll just focus on making the potion¡­" Faviona replied.


    After a few more minutes, they finished their meeting as Vincent personally handled the gathering of ingredients.


    The reason was simple, he needed to enhance them a little so they can get a decent result. He doesn''t have to make them +10 or ascend them to a higher rank. He only needed to at least make them +5 or +6 and that would be enough.


    Faviona also has to make some preparations so it was only after three days did she start to concoct the potion¡­ She''s also together with Turhan, Dianne, and Severin to assist with the concoction and to ensure that nothing goes wrong.


    In the meantime, while they are all busy doing their tasks, Rem had some free time and had just entered the tavern.


    She''s wearing the cloak that Vincent had given to her so no one can recognize her as a Celestial.


    She ordered a drink and looked around¡­


    "There are fewer people here¡­ Did they really die during the invasion of those barbarians?" Rem muttered after noticing that the tavern wasn''t as lively as expected.


    There aren''t many sources of entertainment here after all.


    There are no brothels, gambling dens, or other shops that offer such entertainment to people. Needless to say, most of the people who wanted to have fun would be in the tavern, in the training ground that serves as an arena, in the za, or theke waiting for the dragon to appear.


    "Oh¡­ You probably just arrived here, youngdy¡­ There is recently a popr toy¡ªI mean a weapon that was very fun to use. It''s powerful and anyone can use it regardless of gender or age¡­ You don''t even have to be a powerful magician to use it. Everyone bought one and was either practicing at the training ground or the Tower''s arena." The bartender suddenly said as he heard Rem''s words.


    "Hmm? What''s this weapon?" She curiously asked.


    "It''s a handgun¡­ Its official name seems to be ck Pistol¡­"


    Rem raised her brows after hearing this.


    "Where can I purchase one?"


    "It can only be purchased on the lower floor of the Kayser Tower. However, I heard that the Beacon Magic Shop can now sell them as well. I haven''t visited that shop for a long time now so I can''t be sure."


    "I see¡­ Thank you for the information." Rem stood up after leaving her payment for her drinks. She wanted to see this ck Pistol since she has some free time.


    To her surprise, as soon as she arrived at the Beacon Magic Shop, she found that the other Celestials have already bought one for themselves!


    "You''re also here¡­" Luna greeted with a smile after seeing Rem approaching the store.


    "Mhmm¡­ How was the pistol?" Rem asked after seeing they also purchased this new product.


    "It looks ancient. I haven''t tried using it yet. Hurry up and purchase one. Let''s test it outside the city."


    "Alright."


    Unlike the others, Celestials are allowed to freely enter and exit the city. There are basically no restrictions to their movements unless Vincent ordered them to.


    Rem entered the shop and found several ck Pistols and there is even one ck Rifle. Unfortunately, the rifle isn''t for sale yet and was only sent here at the shop for disy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The one inside the store is one of the Followers of Qheglena and immediately recognized Rem¡­


    She didn''t ask for payment telling that Vincent already informed her not to charge the Celestials if they went to purchase one.


    "Thank you. How about the ammunition?" Rem asked.


    "I can give you one box with 200 rounds. If you''ll ask for more, we will have to charge you."


    "I''m fine with 200 rounds."


    "Here it is, Celestial Rem."


    Rem took the small box to thedy and thanked her again. The transaction was smooth since she''s one of the Celestials. However, it would be quite different for others.


    ***


    After a while, the Celestials went out of the city and found a clear space to test out the pistols¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    There are a total of eight Celestials practicing with the gun and the targets weren''t some wooden dummies. They were targeting each other!


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Rem dodges three bullets heading her way and fires back¡­


    Bang! Bang!


    Her swift movements, aim, and positioning was like a veteran soldier¡­ Everyone can tell that she''s enjoying this gun¡­


    It was the same with the other Celestials as if they unlocked some of their memories and created some nostalgia about this weapon.


    The eight of them had fun for almost an hour before they stopped since they ran out of bullets.


    "What do you think?" Luna asked as she looked at the gun carefully.


    "The design is definitely familiar¡­ He could''ve found a blueprint but he modified it ording to this world''s standard." Rem replied.


    "That''s what I''m thinking as well¡­ However, no one has ever found a blueprint of this kind of weapon¡­ Isn''t it quite a coincidence? A man with Pseudo-Celestial Energy, blessed by a Deity, with a strange gift that can modify almost anything¡­ even potions that isparable to the Mystic Link Serum¡­ He has too many secrets that will be very helpful to us, Celestials¡­ It was as if¡­" Luna''s voice trailed as she didn''t finish her words.


    "It was as if he''s receiving guidance from the Overseer." Rem added in a whisper.


    The other unnumbered Celestials froze after hearing this conjecture.


    "Is that possible?" Alpha asked as she couldn''t help but tighten her grip on the gun.


    To be honest, she was curious about Vincent''s identity but since she was receiving his potion, she decided to not ask¡­ it was the same for the others.


    "There''s no way that it''s true¡­ He must have some secrets but it''s not something we should be worried about. In any case, we shouldn''t be discussing this right now¡­ I think those stinking beasts areing." Luna said as she looked at the western hill where they could see the setting sun.

 Chapter 456 Another Guests

    As the night approaches, the Celestials suddenly became wary as they returned to the city¡­


    They didn''t warn the guards or the Kayser Tower but one of them headed to Vincent''s residence to report their findings.


    "Come in¡­" Vincent said as he noticed someone''s presence outside his workshop.


    After enhancing the ingredients that Faviona and others needed to concoct the Soul Wisdom Potion, he continued his grind to increase his Transcendence Skill level to 9.


    As a matter of fact, he had already destroyed numerous items because of this method but he has no other choice but to continue doing it to get more experience. He may not have a Magic Beast Cores to increase his chances but it doesn''t matter to him since he can still gain experience even if he fails as long as he uses the System Skill.


    "Pardon my intrusion." Rem replied copying Yulia''s courtesy.


    She then entered the workshop and looked at Vincent''s back before shifting her gaze to the items on his workbench.


    As she expected, Vincent is still modifying or perhaps strengthening various items.


    There were even a couple of them that she could tell were Legendary Items¡­ These items which could rarely be seen around the continent were as if mushrooms that can just appear out of nowhere around him.


    "Mhmm¡­ How can I help you, Rem?" Vincent asked as he turned to face the Celestial.


    "Did you not smell the stench of those wolves?"


    "Huh? I did not¡­ What are you talking about? Is there a Wolf-Variant Magic Beast around the city?"


    "Oh¡­ It''s not that¡­ These wolves were different. They are Demihumans. People of this world call them Celestial Beasts. It seems that some of them have been eyeing the city for a while now. They''re quite difficult to deal with since they''re resistant to Celestial Energy."


    "Hmm? That sound''s troublesome¡­ Do you think they''ll attack us?" Vincent stopped what he was doing as he put all his attention on Rem.


    He can''t underestimate these Demihumans since he already knows that they''re capable of standing off against the Celestial Race. They have strange mystical abilities that he can''t simply ignore.


    Considering how the Mystic Eyes and other body transformation arts originated from them, he can already tell that fighting against them will be difficult.


    "Most likely¡­ It will be a full moonter on and it''s a perfect time for them to attack."


    "Eh? Full Moon¡­ Wolves¡­ Are they some sort of Werewolves?"


    "Hmm? How did you know of it? I''m pretty sure that there are no werewolves in this world." Rem asked in confusion.


    "Aahhh¡­ I just guessed it¡­ I mean, I have some vague memories that I read it somewhere. In any case, we should be ready to face them. Can you tell me their traits or any weakness we can exploit?"


    Vincent asked.


    Rem did not pursue the matter regarding Vincent''s incredible knowledge and just answered his question.


    It didn''t take long before Vincent learned all the things he needed to know about the Werewolves¡­


    Aside from their incredible speed and offensive capabilities, they also use a strange sound and stench as their mystical skill.


    Their roars weren''t normal and the stench emitting off their bodies wasn''t normal as well¡­


    In short, this Demihuman Race was the worst possible opponent for meleebat. It is better to fight them in range as they have brutal means of incapacitating their opponents at close range.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Right, are the silver bullets effective against them?" Vincent asked.


    Well, this ismon knowledge in his previous life, especially to those who like watching fantasy stories or romance that involve werewolves¡­


    "Silver Bullets are indeed quite effective¡­ Your creation of pistols is quite timely¡­" Rem said as she was no longer surprised that Vincent would also know of this.


    "Hmmm¡­ If we gather all the Magic Crafters, all the silver coins and craft in our possession can be turned into bullets in no time¡­ We still have a few hours before the full moon so we should be able to make them in time¡­"


    "That''s good¡­ For now, we will be patrolling the surroundings so we''ll know where will theye from." Rem replied.


    "Got it¡­"


    Vincent then called all the Crafters to change their Arcane Steel Bullets to Silver Bullets. He also informed the Magic Battalion and the Garrison Squad to prepare for battle¡­


    Of course, he also informed them about the changes in the bullets if they encountered the Demihumans.


    "Is this enough?" Vincent asked himself as he finished contacting everyone.


    He doesn''t know the number of Werewolves that may attack their city but if they think that they can win, it means that they probably have a huge number or they are relying on something that they think will guarantee their victory.


    If that''s the case, he has to have at least n B or n C in case he faced an unexpected situation.


    ***


    Three miles away from the city, a group of 30 people wearing bear skin as their clothes looked in the direction of Vera City.


    "Is that the ce we''ll have to attack, father?"


    A teenage girl asked as her eyes turned red to look at the fortified city ahead of them.


    "Stop observing them using your abilities¡­ You might get noticed. We''re not here to fight them but to take something that is ours."


    A middle-aged man with a huge build and standing above 7 feet tall answered with a stern voice.


    Nevertheless, the teenage girl didn''t have an ounce of fear as she rebutted.


    "Isn''t that the same? After uncle and the rest create a diversion, our main group will infiltrate the cave¡­ If there''s anyone who dares to block us, we''ll kill them¡­ Right?"


    "Ugh! You brat¡­We will have to avoid fighting as much as possible¡­"


    "Huh? Then why are we waiting for the full moon if we will avoid fighting?" The girlined.


    Many years ago, their tribe has hidden an important item deep within the gold mine that is now upied by the city. It was supposed to be a safe hiding spot considering numerous beasts are living within the mountain range. The path from here was also difficult to traverse because of the uneven ground.


    However, an ambitious person managed topletely change this ce in just two years¡­ Aside from the fortified city, they also built paved roads making transportation a lot easier.


    The leader of the pack then seriously replied¡­


    "We need to be careful. Although we have no issues dealing with the humans, the disgusting Celestials are guarding the city¡­"

 Chapter 457 Tunnel

    "Hmm? There are Celestials in the city?!"


    Beatrice asked in surprise. She''s the youngest in their pack and she hasn''t fought against a Celestial Race yet.


    She only knows that these powerful beings that the Mana Practitioners would always admire can be suppressed easily with their special ability.


    That''s right, the Celestial Energy can be greatly weakened if they used their Moonlight Energy.


    They can''tpletely block the Celestial Energy but because of their incredible physique, it would be enough to just weaken it and endure with their body.


    Once they transformed, they can also kill the Celestial Race with their sharp ws and fangs that could drill through their skin.


    "That''s correct¡­ I can''t tell how many they are but there should be at least five of them¡­"


    "There are only five? Then I don''t think we need to worry about them.?" Beatrice replied with confidence.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s right, my daughter¡­ Even if there are more of them, we shouldn''t be afraid. They might even flee once they saw us¡­"


    "Haha! That would be very funny to see."


    As the father and daughter were chatting, one of the scouts in their group appeared at their side and reported¡­


    "Master Clovis, We''ve noticed a total of eight Celestials who were out of the city¡­ We didn''t get too near as we might be noticed by their senses¡­ They seem to be practicing a weapon but we weren''t able to see it because they were too far from us¡­"


    "Oh? Eight Celestials? That should be eptable then¡­ We''ll get 16 of us against 8 Celestials¡­ Another 10 will distract the magicians¡­ Then thest four will enter the cave¡­"


    The leader of the pack said as he already nned how they will enter the city. To be honest, they didn''t expect to have this many Celestials in this city.


    They were even thinking that there won''t be any Celestial in this city right now because of the recent unrest in the central ins.


    "Understood¡­" The scout replied as he left to inform the others about the n.


    "I''m excited, father¡­ Are we going to use the secret tunnel? Although they built a city, it should still be there right? Shouldn''t we check it first?" Beatrice asked.


    "With the presence of the Celestials, it''s difficult to check its condition¡­ However, it should be safe since the mountain is still there¡­ Anyway, we can''t be too careless¡­ We''ll wait until the full moon rises to hide our scent and see if the tunnel works¡­ If not, we''ll just force a path¡­" The leader said as he looked at the clear sky.


    The Full Moon doesn''t just give them speed and power, it also enhances their natural trait and control with the moonlight energy so they can use it to hide their presence that not even the greatest Grand Magus can detect them.


    A few hours quickly passed as the night finally arrived. Soon, a bright and beautiful blue moon can be seen in the clear sky illuminating the entirend.


    However, this beautiful scenery is apanied by an eerily quiet night and not even the sound of insects can be heard in the surrounding forest.


    Whoosh~ Whoosh~


    The sound of breeze seems everywhere as the trees and grass move about. There are moving figures in the forest and they seem to be heading straight to the mountain near the city.


    Needless to say, they are the werewolves who hadpleted their transformation and searching for the entrance of a tunnel¡­


    This tunnel will supposedly lead them to the gold mine that they have discovered before.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, a series of explosions urred at the southern gate of Vera City¡­


    It was followed by a ringing bell rming everyone in the city that they are under attack¡­


    Clovis smiled after hearing this as he led his team to the tunnel.


    Now that the distraction has started they should quickly enter the tunnel that will lead to them inside the city¡­


    "Found it!" Beatrice announced using her telepathy¡­ She''s currently looking at a huge boulder surrounded by tworge trees¡­


    The roots of the trees were even intertwined with each other around the boulder making itpletely natural if seen by unknowing people.


    "You''ve found, Beatrice¡­"


    The father and daughter were apanied by two strong Werewolves that wouldn''t pale inparison with the leader of the pack.


    Even though there are only four of them, they weren''t scared of infiltrating the city that was filled with Magicians.


    After all, the moon is bright and Mana Arts weren''t effective against them!


    "But there are so many roots around the boulder, we can''t flip it like this¡­ Should we just destroy it?" Beatrice asked as she caressed the boulder.


    If her father ordered her, she would make a hole in it.


    "Alright¡­ We''ll move quickly¡­"


    As soon as she heard the signal, Beatrice gave a menacing smile and used her ws to carve the boulder¡­


    Bang!


    After carving a path on the boulder, she simply pushed it with a little bit of her strength and the boulder crashed¡­


    The sharp ws of the werewolves are no joke¡­ Each w is sharp and as durable as an Epic item. It''s like they have 10 Epic-Grade Sharp des in their hands making them extremely terrifying in close-rangebat.


    As soon as the path opened, they swiftly jumped inside without any hesitation. The darkness of the tunnel was nothing to them as they moved quickly to reach the gold mine¡­


    It took them a few minutes to move around the dark tunnel but they safely reached the end of the path¡­ It was again blocked by boulders and they easily took care of it with their immense strength.


    "We''re getting closer¡­" Clovis said as he lead the pack as quickly as possible.


    He knows that the other members of his tribe are doing their best to get the city''s attention. No matter how strong they are, there is still a limit to their strength especially if the Celestials are involved...


    After breaking a few boulders and going deeper into the gold mine that is within the jurisdiction of the Vera City, they finally found what they were looking for!


    However, none of them noticed that a few figures hiding in the shadows were following them all this time.

 Chapter 458 Chase

    A few hours before the werewolves attacked the city, Vincent thought of surprising them by finding out their base of operation andunching an ambush¡­


    After all, since he managed to know that they will be attacked, isn''t it better to surprise them instead while they are unprepared?


    With this in mind, he set up a small team to attack with him as soon as the production of silver bullets has beenpleted.


    He decided to join in this operation since he also wanted to see how effective these bullets are¡­ Furthermore, he hadn''t seen a real werewolf yet so he was looking forward to seeing one.


    "Hmm? There''s a detachment force¡­ Not all of them heading to the city¡­" Luna reported as soon as she noticed the four Werewolves moving extremely fast.


    Currently, Vincent''s group isposed of five people¡­ He''s together with Luna, Rem, Beta, and Yulia.


    Vincent felt that it was enough to have one Numbered Celestial and two Unnumbered to conduct an ambush operation. As for Yulia, she seemed to have another breakthrough in her Darkness Mystic Eye so Vincent allowed her to join the operation.


    Well, the other reason is that Vincent only has five legendary-grade Ethereal Stealth Cloaks with him.


    These cloaks were previously just Rare-Grade Stealth Cloaks that have 10 attribute points in Stealth and 8 attribute points in Agility. They weren''t that impressive even for a rare-grade product.


    However, after ascending them to Legendary, they have be Ethereal Stealth Cloaks that can fool even the noses of the Werewolves.


    "We''ll follow them¡­ The guards should be able to handle the remaining werewolves that headed to the city." Vincentmanded.


    "Understood¡­" Luna replied.


    Vincent was curious about what these werewolves are nning to do. Although they were changing their ns, he didn''t mind it at all considering they could find out the secrets that these Demihumans.


    In addition to that, the garrison squad has already prepared themselves so they wouldn''t be caught off-guard by the enemies.


    Bang!


    After a few minutes of tailing, they suddenly heard a noise. It was the copse of a boulder that was blocking a cave.


    Although the noise was suppressed by some sort of energy, they didn''t miss this at all.


    ''Hmm? There''s something like this near my city? I''m pretty sure I''ve sent several people to scout this ce. Howe no one noticed this¡­'' Vincent mused as he looked at Luna and the others.


    Everyone seems surprised as well so he can only leave it at that.


    "Lead us, Yulia." Vincent said.


    Yulia didn''t hesitate as he followed Vincent''s orders.


    Since she has the Darkness Mystic Eye, her strength wouldn''t just be doubled within the tunnel¡­ Since there isn''t any source of light inside, it is a ce where her skills will shine.


    "Alright¡­ Follow me¡­ There might be some trap so follow my footsteps." Yulia said as she entered the tunnel with confidence.


    Her eyes then gleamed in the darkness. She adjusted herself in the darkness in less than a second before moving quickly to follow the werewolves.


    Luna followed in with Vincent¡­


    Beta and Rem camest as they confirmed that no one''s following them before going in¡­


    "Hmmm? They stopped inside a huge cavern. We will be discovered if we get too close¡­ Should we reveal ourselves now?" Yulia asked.


    "What are they searching for? If I''m not mistaken, this area is already underneath our city." Vincent replied as he calcted the spot they were at by recalling the path they used to arrive at this ce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m not sure¡­ They seem to be opening a box¡ª" Yulia answered but she immediately stopped after noticing that there is something wrong¡­


    "Not good!"


    Luna, Vincent, and the rest noticed that the werewolves had triggered something in the cavern¡­


    Boom!


    A cold and powerful energy was released upwards and the ceiling of the cavern copsed!


    Soon, water gushed down as it seems that it destroyed the water pipe system that they have installed around the city. It was then followed by a few buildings being sucked inside the hole that was created.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The ground started caving in as rocks and soil filled the cavern.


    The copsested for a minute before everything calmed down.


    The moonlight then started covering the whole area that was previously a cavern¡­ It was a mess¡­


    Luckily, the area that was destroyed was the barracks on the eastern side of the city¡­ There shouldn''t be any soldiers in the barracks right now considering the situation.


    "Is everyone alright?" Vincent asked as he poured his Pseudo-Celestial Energy into his magic tool. He used an Amulet to protect everyone from the copse but it may not be enough.


    Nevertheless, the copse seems to be controlled as the four werewolves just moved aside and didn''t get injured at all.


    "We''re fine¡­ However, I think that we should deal with the werewolves now. They seem to be nning something. They know that reinforcements were already on their way but they were still waiting for something to happen..." Yulia said as she noticed the movement of the werewolves.


    Vincent knows this as well so he pulled up his gun like the others¡­


    Mana Arts wouldn''t work on these guys after all.


    "Alright¡­ We already know that they were after that box¡­ We should end this now" Vincent said as he nced at the red box for a moment.


    "The energy just now seems to havee from that red box. I''ll suppress it¡­ You guys can take care of those four." Luna added as she has a very bad feeling about the content of that red box.


    With this signal, they finally made their move and aimed their guns at the four werewolves¡­


    They wanted to swiftly end this but it seems that they were sensitive to being pointed at by guns!


    These werewolves were shocked as well after noticing the killing intenting from a certain direction¡­ They can''t see where their enemies are hiding but they know that they aren''t alone inside the copsed cavern!


    "Scatter!"


    Clovismanded. Being together right now is not a good idea. He needed to make sure that they wouldn''t be an easy target¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Four trails of lights suddenly chased after them¡­ They didn''t think too much of it at first, since they can''t feel any mana or unusual energy from them¡­ They know that they easily block a physical attack.


    However, one of the guards who tried to block it with his hands got pierced by this light!


    "Aaarrggh! Careful! They''re silver bullets!"

 Chapter 459 Against Werewolves

    Beatrice shivered after hearing the guard''s cry.


    ording to her father, no one knows about this weakness of their race aside from the Celestial Race. They have never seen a human use Silver Bullets against them. As a matter of fact, no one even uses pistols or guns in thisnd!


    This means that the people of this continent shouldn''t be capable of harming them¡­ The most they could do was to suppress them with their formation arts and weird abilities that they may not expect¡­


    The Celestial Race was also incapable of helping the people here to make an advancement with their technology or discuss any of them. She heard that it was because the Overseer put a seal on them or perhaps, the Overseer would kill them if they do so. They weren''t too sure about it¡­


    In any case, they know that they need to be careful¡­


    "Shields!"


    Clovis shouted as everyone increased the Moonlight Energy surrounding their bodies.


    The silver bullets wouldn''t just put a hole in their bodies if they got hit, the injury will slowly affect their entire bodies and they needed to suppress it with their energy as quickly as possible.


    The werewolf that had his hands pierced backed off as she needed some time to suppress it. However, Vincent and the rest wouldn''t give them such an opportunity!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    They immediately emptied their magazines as they made sure to hit them at least once or twice¡­ Unfortunately, these werewolves were still too fast for them¡­ It''s difficult to aim them with their quick feet¡­


    Realizing that they ran out of bullets, Clovis didn''t order a retreat. This is their only chance!


    There was no way he would miss this opportunity!


    "Die!"


    Roooarrr!!


    All the werewolves used their unique abilities at the same time!


    The roar just now wasn''t just a loud noise but it was a sound attack that could stun most of their prey!


    Vincent felt some headache after hearing this roar but it was only that!


    He can still concentrate and ignore it to some degree!


    His preparations for this battle were truly astounding¡­ It was good that he knows the traits of these demihumans.


    Boom!


    Vincent faced the smallest werewolf for some reason. He can even tell that it wasn''t paying too much attention to him since it keeps observing the other battles.


    Well, he has a small figurepared to the werewolves and he''s a bit skinny too so it wasn''t that surprising.


    Nevertheless, Vincent felt a bit annoyed about this as he pulled out his sword¡­ He has no time to reload or pull out his rifle from his System Inventory so he can only grab his sword to block the enemy''s ws¡­


    ng! ng! ng!


    Sparks flew everywhere as Vincent blocked the rumored Epic-Grade ws of the werewolves.


    No matter what, he is still a 3-Star Aura Knight!


    The werewolf seem to be surprised that he wasn''t stunned or hurting from the sound attack just now.


    Whoosh!


    Vincent suddenly felt an iing threat so he swiftly jumps back only to narrowly avoid the werewolf''s tail!


    "T-that was dangerous¡­" Vincent muttered as he didn''t hear anything about this. He wasn''t warned by Luna that their tails can also be used as a weapon.


    Of course, the Celestials may have thought that it doesn''t really matter so he can''t really me them as well.


    Anyway, Vincent continued dodging and parrying the attacks of the enemy. They were moving extremely fast and Vincent can''t find an opportunity at all.


    One of his backup weapons is actually a silver dagger. However, he can''t seem to find an opportunity to use it or even his rifle¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Not good¡­" Vincent suddenly felt that the werewolves are getting stronger¡­


    "The longer they are in the moonlight, the stronger they get¡­" Rem reminded as she kicked thergest werewolf away from her¡­


    Bang!


    The werewolf mmed into the wall and got half of his body stuck¡­


    "Grrr¡­"


    Crash!


    With a simple jolt, he managed to free himself and stared at Rem with his vicious eyes.


    ''Incredible¡­ It can take a kick from a Celestial¡­ No wonder they''re so tough¡­ However, with this skill, I''m sure they can establish a country and rule thend they wanted¡­ But they aren''t doing it. Why are these werewolves in hiding?'' Vincent mused as he fled from his opponent.


    He was trying to keep his distance from the werewolf so he can test his rifle. His pistol was already kept in his inventory and his rifle can be taken out whenever he wanted.


    ck¡­ ck¡­


    As soon as he got used to the speed of the werewolves, he easily found an opportunity to use the rifle¡­


    He did not hesitate to pull it out of his inventory and aim at the surprised werewolf in front of him.


    Vincent saw Werewolf''s eyes go wide as soon as it saw the rifle aimed at its head.


    "Die!"


    Vincent shouted as he pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The power behind this rifle is stronger and its bullet has piercing attributes as well!


    As long as it got hit, Vincent knows for sure that this werewolf is done¡­


    At the same time, the werewolf roared with all its might¡­


    Roooarrr!


    The roar surprised Vincent for a moment but it wouldn''t stop his bullet!


    ng!


    When his bullet collided with the werewolf''s head, thetter glowed brightly¡­ The werewolf was filled with Moonlight Energy and even he could feel the immovable force on its body¡­


    "Not good¡­"


    The Silver Bullet failed to prate the werewolf''s head! Furthermore, the werewolf did not stop moving and wed Vincent''s body!


    ''I trust you, Cube!'' Vincent shouted in his mind as his body was suddenly covered by ck and silver armor¡­


    Screech!


    The ws of the werewolf scratched at his armor making a screeching noise¡­ Unsurprisingly, the armor was able to stop the werewolf''s ws and barely damaged its durability¡­


    Seeing how tough his armor was, Vincent became even bolder as he sent a rain of bullets in the Werewolf''s direction!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Finally, three silver bullets pierced through the body of the werewolf!


    Thetter howled in pain as it tried retreating to the darkness!

 Chapter 460 Silver Bullet

    The other werewolves heard the cry of the smallest or perhaps youngest among them as they suddenly turnedrge and redder!


    Berserk Mode!


    It seems that Vincent just triggered them even more¡­ Although they are already injured, he can''t recklessly fight them at this moment.


    "Alright¡­ I can''t finish it off¡­ Unlucky." Vincent said as he backed off. He wanted to give a finishing blow to the werewolf but he knows that he would be in a precarious situation if he pushed himself forward.


    He knows that he can''t underestimate the Berserk Mode of the Werewolves. Even the Celestials had to tread carefully when they are in this state. He was repeatedly warned by Luna about this state after all.


    He then briefly nced at the area where Luna was and confirmed that she was really suppressing the red box¡­ If she wasn''t there, the box would probably continue to emit that energy and would destroy his city¡­


    Rooaarr!


    Seeing that Vincent wasn''t paying attention, the werewolves who separated themselves from their opponents to help the injured, pounced on him while baring their fangs!


    Whoosh!


    Vincent jumped to avoid the pounce as he confirmed that the others were already using this time to reload their pistols.


    ''Fine¡­ Come at me!'' Vincent shouted in his mind as he provoked the Werewolves by shooting at them.


    Of course, he continued moving away from them since he knows that his armor might be destroyed if he carelessly relied on it.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The bullets that were hitting the Berserk Werewolves were certainly harming them to a certain degree but because of their current enhancement, they seem to be invincible¡­


    However, Vincent knows that their Berserk Mode wouldn''tst forever¡­


    Hoool!!


    A long and deafening howl suddenly disrupted Vincent''s thoughts as he realized that the previously heavily injured werewolf has already recovered to some degree.


    Nevertheless, their Berserk Mode is about to end so Vincent can tell that they were about to win¡­


    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!


    "They''re escaping!" Rem noticed their movements but it was also a sign for them to end this¡­


    This time, Yulia used her Darkness Mystic Eye!


    "Control¡­"


    She exerted almost all of her Mana to stun the four Werewolves! Arms made of darkness started sprouting beneath their feet and disrupted their movements.


    It onlysted for a second but enough for their bullets to pierce through their defense!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    It was a well-coordinated attack as the werewolves cried in pain!


    Rem dashed forward and pulled out her sword before shing at the neck of one of the nearest werewolves! It was swift and decisive!


    Blood sttered everywhere as they finally killed one of the werewolves! Beta did the same but she only managed to cut the arm of the werewolf!


    Although these demihumans are weakened because of the Silver Bullets stuck on their bodies, their Berserk Mode hasn''tpletely dissipated yet¡­


    It can stillst for about a minute.


    They have to decide whether to flee or fight to their death!


    Of course, the mage battalion is surrounding the pit right now and their only path to escape was the tunnel they used to get here.


    In the end, they decided to fight to the death like true warriors!


    Thergest werewolf then howled as loud as he can¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Awwoooo!


    It seems to be some sort of signal as Vincent felt with his Mana Sense that the werewolves that were already climbing the walls started retreating!


    Now that he noticed, the City Barrier has a huge hole that the werewolves used to reach the city wall!


    They seem to have caused some casualties to the Garrison Squad but thanks to their pistols, it was immediately controlled¡­


    A few werewolves seem to have perished as well making Vincent quite relieved.


    ''Are they going to fight to the death now?'' Vincent thought as he looked at the three injured werewolves¡­


    Thergest werewolf seems to be the leader of the group¡­ It noticed that Vincent seem to be the leader as well and looked at him with menacing eyes.


    Vincent flinched for a moment as he felt the killing intenting from the werewolf.


    "Come!"


    He taunted.


    However, instead of dashing on him, the werewolf targeted Luna who was suppressing the red box! Vincent can tell that its Berserk Mode is about to end so this seems to be the final attempt of this werewolf!


    "That''s not gonna happen!"


    Vincent shouted as he activated his three flying swords to stop the Werewolf!


    Whoosh!


    They flew incredibly fast and precisely targeted the enemy''s head!


    Although he can use his gun, he can''t control it like how he does with the flying swords.


    After all, the guns can only shoot in a straight line and he''s not an expert shooter as well. It''s already challenging for him to shoot immobile targets so it''s not surprising that he has lesser uracy against moving targets.


    The flying swords surprised the werewolf. However, it noticed that the swords weren''t made of silver¡­ They were only sharp and fast¡­


    The werewolf then decided to parry the swords with his ws while still aiming at Luna¡­


    nk! nk!


    Two of the flying swords were destroyed by the ws but one of them managed to pierce the shoulder of the werewolf¡­


    "H-how¡ª"


    The werewolf was in disbelief after seeing that a sword managed to pierce his body¡­


    Vincent, on the other hand, smiled at this result.


    ''Nice¡­ Sacrificing those two swords was a good choice¡­'' Vincent sneered as he already calcted this¡­


    In addition to that, he already noticed that Yulia and the rest were restraining the two other werewolves so he only has to focus on this one.


    He then pulled out his Astral Night Dagger as he saw that the Berserk Mode has finally ended¡­ It means that this Legendary Weapon of the Celestial Race can now kill this weakened Demihuman.


    It probably has six silver bullets in its body that are slowly eroding its energy¡­


    Thud!


    "Eh?"


    As he was about to activate the dagger''s Assassinate Skill,  Vincent saw the werewolf suddenly kneel on the ground, unmoving.


    By using his Aura Sense and Mana Sense, he can tell that it had already perished¡­

 Chapter 461 Promise

    "What?" Vincent frowned as he knows that the Werewolf may have been weakened but it shouldn''t die yet¡­


    It still has some vitality left enough to live for a while. Perhaps, if potions and proper medical treatment were given to remove the stuck bullets inside its body, he can still live for a VERY long time.


    "Is that surprising?"


    Luna suddenly spoke¡­


    This time, however, she''s no longer suppressing the box. She had actually opened it and is currently holding a red stone¡­


    The previous red box had also turned to ck and it seems that it was only red because of this stone¡­ It is very mysterious but he felt that this stone is quite familiar.


    "Luna¡ª" Vincent wanted to ask the Celestial about the stone she was holding but he recalled that the fight isn''t over yet.


    Awwoooh!


    Another werewolf died after Rem and Beta pierced its chest several times and put tens of bullets in its body¡­


    They truly have an incredible vitality¡­ Vincent even noticed that Rem and Beta received some slight injuries after getting near the werewolf.


    As for thest werewolf, it seems that it was stunned by what was happening and couldn''t move at all.


    Well, it just witnessed how three members of its pack died at their hands. This remaining werewolf is probably scared since the Berserk Mode was already over.


    Crack¡­ Crack... Crack¡­


    Hmm?


    Vincent then noticed that the dead werewolves lying on the ground suddenly transformed into humans! All of them are tall and dark males that seem to be in their forties¡­


    He also noticed that although they have several bleeding wounds on their bodies, they don''t have old wounds or scars at all.


    It was as if this is their first time getting injured¡­


    He then looked at the remaining werewolf and had an idea.


    "Hey, you! Can you understand what I''m saying? If you don''t want to die, transform back into your human form¡­ I won''t kill you if you obey my words from now on."


    Vincent said as he looked at the werewolf. Of course, he''s nning to save this werewolf since he might learn a lot of things about Demihumans. Imprisoning him should be a decent option as well.


    Anyway, if he was stubborn, Vincent wouldn''t hesitate to kill him. But for now, this werewolf might prove to be useful.


    "Grrr¡­"


    The werewolf started growling instead of answering¡­


    Well, Vincent did not expect it to immediately converse with him like it was nothing.


    "Speak! You invaded my territory so I have the right to attack you all. If you''re not going to talk¡ª"


    Vincent''s voice trailed as he pointed his rifle at the werewolf.


    Yulia and the rest did the same as they made sure that thisst enemy wouldn''t be able to escape. There''s also Luna who was just watching everything unfold while holding the red stone as if everything is under her control.


    After a few moments, the werewolf finally rxed¡­ Its long ws retracted a bit as if it was showing that it was no longer inbat mode.


    ''Finally¡­''


    Vincent smiled after seeing this as he believes that the werewolf will finally transform back to its human form and surrender.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It then looked at Vincent one more time before finally retracting its werewolf form¡­


    ''Hmm¡­ Even though it''s a full moon, he can still control his transformation¡­ I guess the books I read before were fake.'' Vincent mused as his mouth went wide after seeing the woman who was kneeling not too far from him.


    The transformation of the werewolf was actually quite grotesque in his eyes since its muscles, hairs, ws, and tail would somehow warp on its body like a wriggling amoeba¡­


    He even wanted to close his eyes for a moment but it didn''t take long before his eyes were cleansed by a beautiful figure of the woman¡­


    ''So a girl can be a werewolf too¡­'' Vincent was a bit speechless as he was expecting another forty-year-old hairy man to appear.


    "Tell me your name¡­" Vincent asked as he signaled to Yulia and the others to arrest the woman¡­


    The woman sighed for a moment before she answered.


    "I''m Beatrice¡­ Remember my name, I will return to take your head."


    As soon as she said this, Vincent had an ominous feeling, he didn''t hesitate to pull the trigger of his rifle.


    Bang!


    He didn''t have to think for too long to recognize that those are the words of someone who is about to escape!


    He can''t allow that to happen!


    Yulia also activated her Darkness Mystic Eye to ensure that Beatrice wouldn''t be able to escape.


    "Delude!"


    It is the third stage of her Mystic Eye!


    It consumed a lot of her Mana but she has to do this to ensure that this woman wouldn''t be able to escape!


    However, Beatrice''s entire body was covered by a blue light¡­ It seems to be the Moonlight Energy that is protecting her.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Their Silver Bullets didn''t work¡­


    Luna and the two other Celestials also acted and tried to stop Beatrice from whatever she was trying to do¡­


    Unfortunately, it was toote, before they got in her range, the woman who introduced herself as Beatrice vanished into thin air¡­


    Vincent gulped after seeing it happen. He had a bad feeling about this¡­


    "She''s injured! She shouldn''t have gone too far, search for her!" Vincent immediately ordered.


    It was heard by the Mage Battalion who was guarding the pit as they immediately scattered to find traces of the woman.


    Vincent also reported this to the Kayser Tower so they can use their Observer Crystals to help them search for her.


    After giving hismand, he looked at the corpses of the werewolves to see whether he could find some clues from them.


    "Hmm¡­ They are not using other weapons, huh¡­" Vincent muttered after observing their bodies.


    "That''s right¡­ They have incredible regeneration abilities. They can even regrow their limbs. If not for the Silver Bullets, they probably wouldn''t die from our ambush." Remmented after hearing Vincent''s words.

 Chapter 462 Good News

    "She managed to escape¡­ How did she do that? Do all werewolves capable of doing that kind of trick?" Yulia asked as she stood at the spot where Beatrice vanished.


    She still can''t believe that someone managed to escape from the encirclement of three Celestial Beings. Although Celestials were more focused on their physical skills, they still have incredible senses that could easily locate their target.


    However, Beatrice hadpletely disappeared from their senses as if she got teleported to a farawaynd.


    "No¡­ She''s quite special. However, it means that she''s probably not just a werewolf¡­ No werewolf is capable of doing that." Beta replied as she also went over to check the spot where Beatrice disappeared.


    She tried looking for clues but aside from the remnant Moonlight Energy, she can''t tell where Beatrice had gone into¡­


    "Wait¡­ Not just a werewolf? Are you telling me she could be another species?" Yulia asked curiously.


    She didn''t expect that Demihumans could be like that¡­


    ''Ahhh¡­ No, Beatrice is already a human and a wolf¡­ She might have a third race or something¡­'' Yulia suddenly realized it after thinking about it.


    "Yes¡­ It may be a race that was capable of traveling through space¡­"


    Vincent, who was trying to figure out the red stone in Luna''s hands, heard the two''s conversation.


    "Did you just say that Beatrice is capable of traveling through space?" Vincent asked as he looked at Beta¡­


    He also noticed that Luna and Rem nodded at this as if they already thought of it as well.


    "That''s the only answer I can give by eliminating other possible answers." Beta replied.


    "So a demihuman is capable of doing that? As far as I know, even the Celestial Race can''t do such a thing¡­ unless you have a device that could help you, right?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s correct. Their race has an incredible affinity with Mystic Arts¡­ Aside from manipting space, I don''t think there is any other answer. Actually, I''ve spread a thin made of Celestial Energy before she disappeared." Beta replied as she looked into Vincent''s eyes before she continued


    "The was perfectly fine after she disappeared. It wasn''t broken or anything¡­ It means that she really shifted her position to somewhere else instead of moving extremely fast that we didn''t see with our eyes."


    "I did the same¡­"


    "I also tried to stop her by surrounding her with my energy¡­ I didn''t expect that she''ll disappear by manipting space. Even among the Demihuman Race, such an ability is extremely rare.


    Rem and Luna added as they also felt regret that one of the Demihumans had escaped from them.


    "Hmm¡­ What are we going to do with the corpses?" Yulia suddenly asked.


    "I''m not sure¡­ Do you have an idea?" Vincent asked.


    "Well, Severin asked me if he could get a werewolf''s corpse¡­ Unfortunately, they had transformed back to human forms but he might still be interested."


    "Got it¡­ Just send them to Severin then¡­" Vincent answered as he finally decided to leave the pit with the others.


    ***


    After Vincent confirmed the casualties on their side and made arrangements for them, he returned to his residence with the Celestials.


    He then quickly asked Luna about the stone.


    "Can I hold it?" Vincent asked.


    Luna didn''t mind it at all as she handed it over to Vincent.


    [ Appraisal Sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Bloodstone Armament. ]


    [ Bloodstone Armament]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 600/600


    Corruption: 999


    Description: A special stone that can corrupt anything except for the bound user.


    Bound to: Luna ( Celestial Number 80 )


    Remarks: Special Corruption Attribute found. Durability and Corruption Attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. The Skill Effects will increase tenfold if used by a Specific Race. ]


    [ Skills:


    [ Focused Corruption: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the user can select 1 target to experience Corruption. ]


    [ Stagnation: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the selected area will experience Stagnation, a field-type Skill that affects the 30-meter radius of the user. ]


    "This is¡­"


    Vincent was shocked after reading the appraisal result¡­


    It is a weapon made of Bloodstone!


    He felt extremely excited as he found another clue about this mysterious stone.


    ''Hmm? It uses the attribute points of the armament to activate its skill¡­ 1 point for Focused Corruption¡­ Hmm¡­ I guess the Corruption Attribute was previously one thousand.''


    Vincent mused after seeing the skill.


    All the other weapons he had appraised before needed to spend mana and sacrifice durability to activate their skills.


    However, the red stone in his hands has to sacrifice its Attribute Points to activate its skills!


    It is quite unique as he couldn''t help but feel excited about discovering something new.


    "I''m sorry¡­ It got bound to me after opening the box¡­ I was just trying to take a nce." Luna apologized since she knows that unbinding Bound Items to someone is not going to be easy.


    "It''s alright¡­ It''s better that you have it instead of the Werewolves¡­ However, why was it previously aggressive? It even destroyed the ceiling of the cavern." Vincent asked curiously.


    "Ahh¡­ That didn''te from this stone. The werewolves sealed the box with that energy¡­ They''re probably thinking that if someone managed to find this treasure, they''ll get buried to death if they didn''t know that it would release such a powerful energy." Luna replied as she noticed that the energy from a while ago seem to be from a formation art.


    "I see¡­ Keep this thing with you then¡­ It seems really useful, especially the Stagnation Ability. If its attribute points are getting too low, give it to me and I''ll try to enhance it." Vincent replied as he returned the stone to Luna.


    Although he''s interested in the Bloodstone Armament, it wasn''t to the point that he would covet it from his subordinate. He already has too many weapons at his disposal after all.


    "Thank you¡­ Since it still has nine hundred ny-nine uses, I guess it will still be a long time before I ask for help." Luna replied with a smile.


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent went to the Kayser Tower to see how everyone was doing.


    nk!


    As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by Calidia with good news.


    "Good morning, Sir Vincent! We found traces of the female werewolf and the rest who had escaped!"

 Chapter 463 Again?

    "Oh? Tell me¡­ Can we still chase after her?" Vincent immediately asked Calidia as soon as he heard the good news.


    He felt uneasy leaving this werewolf on the run after all. He doesn''t know when she''lle back as she would always be a threat to him unless she was eliminated.


    Perhaps not this week, or maybe not this month or year¡­ However, that woman can certainlye back together with other werewolves that had survived.


    "Ah, it was Sir Brycen who found their traces with his tamed beast¡­" Calidia replied.


    "Sir Brycen? I guess I should thank himter¡­"


    "Yes¡­ Since most of the werewolves are injured, they left some traces and even blood on the ground can be found. At the moment, they seem to be resting in a hidden cave¡­ ording to Sir Brycen, the werewolves were diving in and out of ake so he guessed that there must be a hidden tunnel leading to a safe ce."


    "Or maybe a dungeon¡­" Vincent added.


    "That''s true¡­"


    "So where is thiske?"


    Calidia pointed at a map and realized that it was already in the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory.


    ''It''s a bit too far¡­ How did they get there so quickly¡­'' Vincent mused as he was impressed with the skills of these werewolves.


    Did they travel for over a hundred miles by foot?


    Well, werewolves are truly on a different level.


    "What do you think we should do? We need to kill them if we can''t capture them¡­ There''s already a grudge built up and they will only seek revenge once they got stronger. We have to deal with them while they are still weak." Vincent spoke with a cold voice.


    Calidia took a deep breath as she realized how unforgiving Vincent was.


    "I can make a n, however, it would involve the Celestials¡­ After all, if the werewolves managed to approach our magicians, they will certainly die even with their pistols with Silver Bullets. We need the Celestials to prevent such idents." She answered after recalling that although the Silver Bullets weaken the werewolves and stop their cheat-like regeneration abilities from working, they wouldn''t suffer an instant death¡­


    These werewolves only needed a few seconds to kill and slice humans with their sharp ws.


    "Alright, take as many Celestial as you can..."


    "Great¡­ However, we still have no way of confining Beatrice in case she uses that same technique." Calidia added.


    "That''s true¡­ The Celestials mentioned that it seems to be Spatial Magic. Do we have a Formation Art that can do something about that?" Vincent asked.


    "Spatial Magic? Simr to the principle behind the Dungeon Entrance?"


    "That''s correct¡­" Vincent replied.


    "Then we should probably wait for Sir Ignacy to wake up¡­"


    Vincent jolted as he was reminded that Faviona was actually making a potion that will cure his master. The concoction was supposed to take a week or maybe even more depending on Faviona''s skills.


    Anyway, he didn''t receive any news about it yet as it hasn''t been a week since they started making the potion.


    "Sigh¡­ I guess it''s only Master Ignacy who can be trusted to deal with Spatial Magic, huh¡­"


    Vincent muttered after thinking for a while.


    If they attacked the werewolves now, Beatrice may just escape again, and finding her again might be more difficult than today.


    They can''t just waste this opportunity¡­ They have to end this once and for all.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although the werewolves would bepletely healed if they waited until Ignacy woke up, it''s better than being unable to find them at all.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s wait for Master Ignacy to help us regarding that Spatial Magic¡­ I trust Faviona''s skill. She should be able to make that potion without a problem." Vincent added with confidence.


    Calidia nodded in acknowledgment as she made preparations for this subjugation mission while they wait for Ignacy''s recovery.


    ***


    In the meantime, Vincent checked the Alchemy Laboratory and confirmed that Faviona is no longer that busy¡­


    He noticed from the window that she was only monitoring the fire under the potion cauldron¡­ The Soul Wisdom Potion might bepleted in another day or two at this rate. As for the two assistants that she has, they seem to have left or probably sleeping right now.


    Anyway, Vincent left theboratory as he didn''t want to disturb the alchemists.


    He can only pray and wait for the potion to bepleted.


    He went to theke to rx and found Krusk who immediately came running at him as soon as he was noticed.


    "Vincent! Why are you here?" Krusk asked after seeing Vincent alone.


    Krusk remembers that whenever hees here, he was always together with another girl. It was quite surprising to see Vincent alone.


    "What? I just came to check on you¡­"


    "That''s good! Then tell those people not to shoot their guns on theke!" Krusk suddenlyined and shocked Vincent.


    He didn''t expect this suddenint¡­


    "Hmm? People are shooting on theke? That''s dangerous¡­" Vincent said as he looked at thekeside.


    At the moment, there wasn''t anyone shooting at it and all of them just seemed to be rxing and having some barbeque. Most of them are those in their fifties or families that have some free time together.


    "That''s right! Did you not give them a space to practice those guns?"


    "There''s a training ground and even arena within the Kayser Tower that they can use¡­ Anyway, you can just warn those people who will try to disturb yourke¡­ I''ll also let the others know not to rain yourke with bullets. Right, did you get hurt?" Vincent asked.


    "I''m fine! Those bullets wouldn''t scratch my scales¡­ If I''m in my dragon form at the very least."


    "I see¡­"


    "So, what made you visit this ce?" Krusk asked as he looked at Vincent with questioning eyes.


    "I''m just here to rx for a bit¡­ I''ve been busy for a while now¡­ I need some time off as well. There are no holidays or days off here you know?" Vincent said which confused Krusk for a bit.


    Nevertheless, the young Mythical Beast still understood what he meant to say.


    "Alright! Rx and enjoy your free time! I''m sure you''ve been very busy¡­"


    Vincent thanked him for that as he looked at the sky¡­ It was a bit cloudy so the sunlight was warm and with the cold wind breeze, it was refreshing¡­


    However, as he was enjoying the scenery, he noticed that as soon as the clouds moved, a huge Flying Airship came into his view!


    "What in world is it this time?!"

 Chapter 464 Detection

    Vincent felt weak and tired after seeing the Flying Airship.


    Is it an enemy? Howe it wasn''t detected at all? Are there more airships surrounding the city?


    How about the ground troops? Are they going to endure a siege again?


    Vincent has so many questions. After being attacked several times, he didn''t get used to it at all. He wanted to just end all these fights!


    He thought that if he keeps winning, he would scare off other attackers but it wasn''t happening at all!


    It seems that it has the opposite effect as they keep getting attacked!


    "What now?" Vincent muttered as he used his eyes'' mystical ability to fully sense the airship that was above their city.


    Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­


    Suddenly, Vincent felt hismunication crystal in his pocket. It was vibrating and it seems that Calidia is contacting him about this airship.


    He immediately answered thems request and listened to her.


    "Sir Vincent, the Alchemist Union is here!"


    As soon as he heard these words, he heaved a sigh of relief. No wonder the bell to signal that their city is under attack didn''t sound at all.


    Well, Calidia was quitete to inform him about this, or perhaps, it was the Alchemist Union that waste informing them.


    "Alchemist Union¡­ What are they doing here?" Vincent asked. Although he has some transactions with the union, he was only doing it through Faviona.


    "They said that they needed Lady Faviona''s help. It seems to be urgent so they decided to meet her instead."


    "Got it¡­ Bring them to the dockyard and call for Guven to filter them¡­ Make sure that he''s with Lar or any Grand Knights avable."


    "Yes, I will notify everyone."


    Calidia replied as she informed everyone who will be involved in weing these new guests.


    ***


    "Sir Guven, you have another task. It''s a request from the Tower." Millie said as she approached Guven who was painting in the garden of his house.


    Guven is currently living in a residential area in the eastern part of the city¡­


    ? "Alright¡­ Do I have time to get ready?" Guven replied using Telepathy as he looked at his clothes. There were sttered paints all over his clothes and he honestly wanted to take a bath since he was sweaty.


    "I''m not sure¡­ The Alchemist Union''s airship is already in the dockyard. They are just being dyed since they can''t roam the city without your approval."


    Ceri replied as she looked at Guven¡­


    This is her second time meeting this young man who was capable of differentiating truth and lies. She''s interested in his ability so when Millie was ordered to escort him to the dockyard, she volunteered as well.


    "Is that so? Then I guess I just have to change my clothes¡­" Guven sighed as he swiftly fixed his things and returned to his residence to get a Magicians Robe.


    It is the Noble Beacon Magician''s Robe bought from the Beacon Magic Shop.


    As soon as he wore this, Guven, who seemed like a broke painter on the streets transformed into a respectable young noble.


    Well, it has 30 points in Dignity and 15 points in Charm Attributes.


    "I didn''t expect to be apanied by two Grand Knights, I''m honored¡­" Guven said to the two using Telepathy.


    Since Millie and Ceri can''t answer using the same skill, they can only reply with words from their mouth¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well, I really want to see your skills in action¡­"


    "You''re very important in Vincent''s ns so you we have to ensure that nothing bad happens to you¡­"


    Ceri and Millie replied as they led him to a horse-drawn carriage.


    It didn''t take long before their small group finally arrived.


    They were immediately weed by a few guards and led to the room where Guven can start his observation.


    Millie and Ceri remained on his side to ensure his safety.


    Currently, they are in a room where they could observe the interrogation room through a one-way mirror.


    The people from the Alchemist Union will only see the knight who will be asking questions to them¡­


    "Sir Guven, we will be calling in the Alchemists from the Union now¡­" The knight who will be interviewing the alchemists spoke in a respectful tone.


    "I understand¡­ Ahh¡­ Before that, how many are there this time?" Guven asked using his telepathy.


    "There are only fifteen people¡­ The other crew members don''t have ns of leaving their airship."


    "Fifteen? That''s fine¡­ Please start now."


    Guven''s lie-detection ability doesn''t work on multiple people at once. This is why the interview has to be one or one.


    The good thing about this is that the Mana consumption is just low so he wouldn''t have to worry about overexertion.


    Thud!


    It didn''t take long before the first alchemist came inside the interrogation room.


    He is a middle-aged man with brown and greasy hair¡­ Although he was trying to appear calm and collected, they can tell that he was nervous after being sent to an isted room.


    The knight who saw him had seen this many times so he was already used to it.


    "Don''t be too nervous¡­ Just like what we mentioned before, you only need to answer truthfully and you can leave this ce." The knight said as he tried to make the man rx¡­


    "G-great¡­ I''m not nervous¡­ You can ask questions now." The middle-aged man answered with his deep and awkward voice. He also observed the room for a moment and even at the mirror which clearly shows his reflection.


    From Millie and Ceri''s perspective, this seems to be the normal behavior of Alchemists.


    "Alright¡­ Please, introduce yourself¡­"


    "Ehem¡­ I''m Caiden Wakelin¡­ I''m a Tier 3 Alchemist."


    "Are you a member of the Alchemist Union?" The knight continued.


    "Of course, I''ve been a member of the Alchemist Union for 12 years now."


    "Twelve years¡­ I see, are you a member of other small orrge organization aside from the Alchemist Union?"


    "What? I''m not¡­"


    "Then are you at least working for another organization?"


    "Hmm? What are you saying? I''m only working for the Alchemist Union!"


    At this moment, the knight heard Guven''s telepathy as he looked at Caiden with cold eyes¡­

 Chapter 465 Interview

    "Are you sure you''re not working for the ck Magic Organization?" The knight suddenly asked as the middle-aged man flinched for a moment.


    "I''m not! I have never seen them even once¡­ I heard that they are only active in the central ins. Even if they tried visiting the union, they will only meet the higher-ups¡­ I''m only a leader of a small department!"


    Caiden replied in hurry.


    "Then why are you being nervous? If you are not one of them, there''s nothing to be afraid of." The knight asked with an eerie smile on his face.


    "W-what? I''m just afraid that you''ll falsely use me¡­ No one wants to get imprisoned for a false usation¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ That''s true."


    "Yes¡­ Is that all your questions? I''m feeling ufortable. This room is suffocating me." Caiden said as he wanted to get away from here as quickly as possible.


    "Ahh¡­ Myst question is about your n here. Is it true you''re here for Miss Faviona!"


    "Yes¡­ She''s a Tier 5 Alchemist and we need her help."


    "Alright¡­ That''s all my questions you can follow the guards outside."


    Caiden heaved a sigh of relief as he stood up to leave the room.


    ***


    Inside the secret room, Ceri felt confused.


    "Hmm? Are we just going to him leave the room? Did you not mention that he was lying? He lied about not working for the ck Magic Organization and his reason foring here. It''s not about Miss Faviona at all." She asked.


    "It''s alright¡­ The others will find it suspicious if they felt that a battle broke out. It''s better if we interview them all first to know who is innocent and who is not¡­ Cleaning them up after isn''t hard anyway."


    Millie replied as she already knows the protocol for this task.


    Nevertheless, this is her first time finding a member of the ck Magic Organization sneaking up in their city!


    She couldn''t help but grip her sword tightly as she felt eager to fight against them.


    Thud¡­


    The door opened as the second person finally came in¡­ While Caiden was considered to be the leader, the man in front of them is the vice-leader for this expedition.


    He appears to be in his thirties but with his short and clean cut hair, he appears younger.


    He also has a reading ss which is quite unique since most magicians, especially alchemists, would use high-grade potions to treat their eyes and grant them better vision.


    Blurry eyes for magicians weren''tmon at all.


    "Please introduce yourself." The knight said after he gestured to the man to sit down.


    "I''m Erasto¡­ I''m a Tier 3 Alchemist¡­ A Pill Master to be exact."


    "Sir Erasto, is that your real name?"


    "Hmm? Yes. Although I do have an alias, I don''t think it''s appropriate to use it since you''re not part of my field."


    "I see¡­ Are you a member of the ck Magic Organization?"


    "What? Are you suspecting me?" Erasto asked with a frown."


    "Not really, it''s just a question, Sir Erasto. If you don''t want to answer, I''ll just write here that you don''t want to answer. It''s not a big deal, Sir."


    Erasto immediately calmed down after hearing this.


    "Ohh¡­ Ehem,  Is that so? I apologize for being too sensitive. In any case, I''m not a member of the ck Magic Organization. Although the Alchemist Union epted a truce with them, bing a part of their organization is still considered a sin."


    "A sin?" The knight repeated.


    "Yes¡­ It''s because of how they killed thousands of men just to rule a small territory of this continent. Isn''t thatughable? I mean, isn''t that a sin that deserves death as a punishment?"


    "Hmmm¡­ I see." The knight paused for a moment as he listened to Guven''s words.


    "Did you reallye here to visit Lady Faviona?" The knight continued with his question.


    "Yes¡­ She''s one of our best Tier 5 Alchemists. We need her help on something important. Though I would like to share it with you, I have to get Lady Faviona''s permission before I could tell you that."


    "I see¡­ That''s good enough, Sir Erasto. Thank you for your cooperation."


    Erasto nodded with a relieved smile on his face before leaving the room.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The knight then looked at the one-way mirror. Although he can''t see the people inside the secret room, he can still feel the tension brewing inside.


    Two members of the ck Organization had just appeared!


    "Just continue, Sir Knight."


    He suddenly heard Guven''s instruction in his head as he nodded solemnly.


    The interview continued for a while and to their surprise, all 15 of them are members of the ck Magic Organization.


    The knight even made sure to ask varying questions to ensure that Guven wouldn''t make an incorrect judgment. Nevertheless, these Alchemists were only telling the truth about their names and attainments in alchemy andpletely lied about their innocence regarding their membership with ck Magic Organization.


    They can already guess that even the people who didn''t leave the airship were all members of the ck Magic Organization.


    To be precise, the ones who didn''t leave the airship were probably the original members of the organization or those who weren''t members of the Alchemy Union at all.


    "If it''s only one or two spies, we can deal with them easily¡­ However, there are hundreds of people in the airship that might be enemies, we have to be careful¡­" Millie spoke after the 15th person left the interrogation room.


    "That''s right. If we capture one of them and they managed to send a signal that their cover was blown, there might be chaos and we need to avoid that." Ceri added.


    In the end, they had no choice but to consult this matter to Vincent. Capturing those alchemists including the people inside the airship would cause a lot ofmotion after all.


    ***


    Vincent learned everything after Calidia gave a report.


    ''I really have to thank Guventer on¡­ Should I give him Legendary Equipment?'' Vincent mused as he consider what reward he may give to his lie detector device¡­ or man.


    After thinking about it, he decided to give him a better Magician''s Robe. If he wasn''t mistaken, the one he was using was just the mass-produced one¡­


    ''Alright¡­ I should make a team to capture those spies now¡­''


    Without any hesitation, Vincent organized a Punitive Force consisting of all the Celestial Beings, Grand Magus, and Grand Knights¡­


    Since he doesn''t want any casualties from this mission, wanted to ensure that only the best would act.


    In any case, the enemies are inside the city. There shouldn''t be a problem if they leave their posts for a while to deal with the intruders.


    "Calidia, have you informed Miss Faviona about their arrival?"


    "Ahh¡­ No, Sir Vincent. Since she was busy with the concoction, I decided not to disturb her. But I told those from the Union that she already knows that they are here and was hurrying toplete the concoction¡­ Ugh, they were too demanding so I can only say that to appease them."


    "Oh¡­ No worries. That''s fine. In any case, these people weren''t really here for her."


    "That''s what I thought as well."


    After theypleted their arrangement, Vincent decided to meet with the 15 Alchemists inside the Kayser Tower.


    He''s together with Luna and Rem and three other Celestials who were observing from a distance.


    As for the rest, they were sent to subjugate the entire Airship. The leader of this second team was Yulia since Vincent trusts hermanding skills. There may be other people who had better skills than her but Vincent trusts her the most.


    The Alchemists are currently inside the reception hall and they don''t seem to be aware that their cover was already blown.


    Vincent used his eye''s Mana Sensitivity to confirm that all these Alchemists, who were actually acting on behalf of the ck Magic Organization, are real Mana Arts Practitioners.


    ''As expected, they have hidden Aether in their bodies¡­'' Vincent frowned after noticing the deeply hidden energy inside their bodies.


    Not all members of the Organization have Aether¡­


    Vincent knows this fact after battling against them several times already. Those who possess Aether were all high-ranking individuals or perhaps those who had directly made contact with the magic god and made a wish.


    "Activate the Dragon yer Formation Art¡­"


    Vincent announced the start of the battle¡­ Since his opponents this time are Alchemists, silently dealing with them with drugs or poison would easily be seen through.


    With this in mind, he can only trap them inside a huge Formation Art to suppress or kill them.


    As soon as the Formation was activated, the previously rxing Alchemists stood up in horror¡­ They can easily tell that the Formation Art that was trapping them is aplex one and powered by the Tower itself¡­


    "W-what''s going on?!"


    "Who activated this Formation Art? We are still inside the hall?! Release us from here!"


    "Are you guys dering war against the Alchemist Union?!"

 Chapter 466 Formation

    Caiden, the leader of the group, was unable to speak as he clenched his teeth in anger¡­ He already had a bad feeling inside the interrogation room¡­ He was even nning to leave the city as he didn''t feel right about this mission.


    However, after they were treated with meals and decent amodation while they wait for Faviona, he thought that he was just overthinking.


    After all, even the Union Head and other Tower Masters weren''t able to tell that they have already pledged allegiance to the ck Magic Organization.


    As long as they deny their involvement with the Organization, there shouldn''t be anyone capable of telling otherwise considering their status as an Alchemist as well.


    They also met with a few knights and staff inside the Tower and they didn''t feel any form of hostility at all.


    They were truly caught off-guard by the sudden activation of the Formation Art.


    Caiden carefully observed the Reception Hall and confirmed that there were only 15 of them inside.


    "Calm down¡­ Find out what type of Formation Art is this¡­" Caiden instructed after realizing that no one is answering their cries for help.


    As soon as they heard his order, the others immediately worked as they pulled out their Magic Tools¡­


    As expected of the Alchemists from the Union, identifying things wasn''t difficult for them¡­


    "I can''t exactly tell but this is a Killing Formation¡­ It uses Sword and de Formation... It is still inactive so there might be more. At the moment, it''s only using the Trapping Formation¡­"


    One of the Alchemists suddenly announced and the others had simr answers.


    "Good¡­ Find the Formation Core and deactivate it¡­" Caiden ordered but as soon as he finished speaking, the Sword Formation suddenly activated!


    Thousands of Swords made of Mana started forming above them!


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Soon, the swords started rotating like a grinder as it slowly closed in!


    "Defensive Formations! Don''t panic! Those swords are just made of mana!"


    The Alchemists may have focused on their field for a long time but it doesn''t mean they were weak Mana Practitioners.


    As a matter of fact, most Practitioners with incredible Fire Elemental Mana Arts are Alchemists. After all, being able to control fire is one of the core requirements of an Alchemist¡­ Without being able to control fire, they would have a bleak future in the profession.


    Soon, the whole reception hall was covered with fire and smoke.


    Boom! Booom! Boom!


    The Sword Formation and Fire Elemental Arts collided as the whole ce started trembling¡­


    Vincent, who was watching from another ce smiled in excitement¡­


    ''It resisted without any damage!''


    The Sword Formation wasn''t destroyed by the Alchemists'' attack! Furthermore, this is just 50% of its power!


    Once the rotation got faster, it would be unstoppable!


    Vincent then looked at the leader of the Alchemists and realized that he wasn''t panicking at all. It seems that they still have a card up their sleeves¡­


    "Increase the intensity!" Vincent ordered the magicians who are currently controlling the Formation Cores.


    "Yes!" The magicians answered.


    This powerful Dragon yer Formation has to be controlled by a total of ten Mana Arts Practitioners. Without their guidance, this formation would only be considered a strong Trapping Formation.


    As the Rotating Sword Formation got stronger, the Alchemists no longer held back as dark energy started creeping up their bodies¡­


    "Destroy the Formation Art and sent the signal to the rest of the team!" Caiden announced as he tried sending a signal to the people they left in the airship a while ago, but it just failed because of the formation.


    They need to destroy the formation first or at least put a hole in it before they can send amunication signal to the other team.


    ''Here it is¡­ They can really use Aether¡­'' Vincent said in his mind as he watch them expend their Aether¡­


    Using his Eyes'' Sensitivity, he was able to tell that the Aether inside their bodies wasn''t some kind of renewable energy¡­ Each time they use or release this energy, the Aether in their bodies would be gone without any form of recement.


    Crash! Crash! Crash!


    The Sword Formation started getting destroyed.


    Although the practitioners who are controlling the Formation tried to remake the broken swords, the speed of destruction was just too much¡­ A fingernail size of Aether was able to destroy two swords at the point of contact and it would spread to at least 30 more swords beforepletely dissipating¡­


    "Abandon the swords. Activate the de Formation."


    "Yes, Commander!"


    As soon as Vincent gave themand the remaining swords dissipated into thin air. Soon, thousands of des reced them¡­


    This time, the des didn''t try grinding them into dust but rained upon them!


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Numerous des would head their way every second injuring half of them in an instant¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nevertheless, as soon as they realized the change in the formation, they immediately changed their tactics. They swiftly created a barrier to be on the defensive mode.


    "Stop! Why are you doing this to us?!" Caiden shouted in anger. Although they still have some trump cards, it would also damage them and they didn''t want to do that unless truly necessary.


    If possible, he wanted to negotiate and leave this ce!


    "Don''t listen to them¡­ Continue." Vincent spoke as he noticed that the Magicians are looking at him.


    Since he already confirmed the existence of Aether among them, there was no way he would allow them to leave with their lives.


    Ssaak! Ssakk!


    A couple of alchemists were beheaded as they failed to stop the des aimed at them¡­


    "Y-you!" Caiden was shocked as he saw the deaths of his subordinates¡­


    "We will die at this rate¡­ Release everything now! We will escape from here!" As soon as he said this, their bodies started mutating and Vincent even took a step back in surprise.


    He recalled the disgusting transformation of the werewolves as he ordered the magicians to increase the intensity of the de Dance.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Alchemists who were turning into a ck demonic creatures stopped the des from damaging their bodies!


    After a few more seconds, their transformation waspleted and Vincent was perturbed after seeing the scene within the Reception Hall¡­


    These people were onlycking horns and they might be considered demons!


    "Ggrrrr¡­ I don''t want to use this because of the terrible penalty¡­" Caiden grumbled with his demonic voice as he looked at the ce where Vincent and the rest are hiding!


    Vincent saw his dark red eyes and realized that they could pierce through the defensive formation!


    "Luna! Take care of them, hurry!" Vincent announced as he sent the Celestials inside the Formation Art¡­


    He also jumped in to help since he wanted to familiarize himself with these creatures.


    "Gahaha! You''re fighting us now with this form? Stupid!" The 13 Demonized Alchemistughed in disdain after noticing that a few female Knights entered the formation¡­


    "Kill!"


    Caiden ordered as he tried grabbing the nearest female knight¡­ Although this is his first time doing this transformation, he had seen others use this power and easily kill high-level Magicians¡­ Even Grand Knights and Aura Knights wouldn''t be a match against them while in this state¡­


    Pah!


    To his surprise, the female knight just pped his hands away! He then saw a sword about to pierce his throat at the same time!


    "Humph!"


    Caiden jumped back in hurry but he was still grazed by that sword¡­


    ''Female Grand Knights? No, they''re probably Aura Knights since I can''t properly sense their energy¡­''


    "Aack!"


    While he was assessing the strength of the woman in front of him, he heard the cries of his subordinates as they were easily injured by the female knights¡­


    Nevertheless, they weren''t in despair as their bodies were easily healed by their natural regeneration! While they were in their demonized form, they were unkible!


    "You''re going to pay for this!"


    The Demonized Alchemists suddenly changed their battle style as they tried locking the Celestials with their bodies even if they get injured!


    It was a very dangerous move but it is certainly effective against the Celestials who rely on closebat.


    Vincent then saw that the Celestials weren''tfortable because of the existence of Aether in the surroundings¡­ Although they could slice the bodies of these Demonized Alchemists, they would just reform their bodies and will continue to do so until all their Aether was consumed.


    "Alright¡­ Gluttony, let''s see what you can do¡­"


    Vincent said as he summoned the Tome of Gluttony from his inventory.


    "The enemies are those dark creatures fighting against the Celestial Beings¡­ Take care of them¡­"


    [ I understand. ]


    As soon as the Tome replied, its pages started to open mid-air¡­


    Two nk pages suddenly glowed with a bright light before forming a ray of light targeting two of the demonized alchemists.


    Whoom~


    This attracted a lot of attention but Vincent didn''t mind it.


    "Hmm?" Vincent raised his brows after seeing the light.


    Normally, the tome is capable of imprisoning 50 people at the same time. However, it seems that because of the strength required to capture the Alchemists, it can only capture 2 of them at once.

 Chapter 467 Dockyard

    Caiden suddenly felt a boundless form of energy aiming to drown him forcefully.


    He didn''t know where it came from or how it reached him in an instant but he knows that he would die if he sumb to this energy.


    He mustered all his strength and protected his body with all energy that he has left¡­


    ''W-what kind of Mana Art is this?'' Caiden gritted his teeth.


    Blood started oozing off his facial orifices as he tried to protect himself¡­


    However, his resistance onlysted for ten seconds before he felt his whole body turn cold¡­ He felt his body was being warped into something else until he realized that he was chained in a dark and cold ce¡­


    He can''t even see his body as there was no light around him¡­ He can only feel that chains wrapping up his arms and feet.


    "This¡­"


    Caiden tried to sense his surroundings but he failed to do so.


    He already transformed back into his human form as he already spent all his Aether resisting the sucking force a moment ago. Nevertheless, he knows that he still has some strength to scan the surroundings¡­


    Unfortunately, for some reason, he was unable to use any of his Mana Arts at all.


    "Let me out of here!" Caiden shouted as he tried to call the person who did this to him.


    "I know you''re listening to me! Let me out of here¡­"


    He shouted in anger as he felt humiliated. He is a proud Tier 3 Alchemist and has many followers. People would normally try to curry favor with him and he was used to that.


    Even when he was approached by the members of the ck Magic Organization to switch sides, a few Archons bowed down to him just to invite him¡­


    After seeing their respectful attitude, he agreed to meet with their master and was allowed to meet the Magic God who granted their desire.


    However, right now, he was slowly thinking about whether it was worth it or not.


    Caiden tried to call out a few more times before he started to beg¡­


    "Please! I know you can hear me! I''ll tell you everything I know¡­ Don''t kill me! I haven''t done anything wrong to you!" He cried out in despair as he realized that his life or death is no longer up to him to decide.


    Unfortunately for him, only the Tome of Gluttony can hear him¡­ and even if it does hear him, he wouldn''t get an answer at all.


    ***


    Within the Reception Hall, as the demonized alchemists saw that their leader was somehow captured by a bright light, they immediately went crazy as they don''t want the same thing to happen to them¡­


    They started attacking recklessly as several cracks appeared in their Formation Art!


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The Celestials immediately tried to take control of the situation but it wasn''t easy¡­ These people no longer cared about saving their Aether and spent it all to destroy the Formation Art!


    Boom!


    After a few minutes, the Dragon yer Formation Art was half-destroyed!


    The magicians controlling the formation started coughing out blood as the bacsh from the destruction of the Formation was turned to them¡­


    "Not good¡­" Vincent then used his shrouded steps to block the Alchemists from escaping¡­


    Apparently, the Tome of Gluttony needs a minute or two to gather enough energy to capture the Alchemists with aether energy surrounding their bodies.


    "Move!"


    The alchemist in front shouted at Vincent with his red eyes ring at him with full hostility¡­


    Vincent didn''t flinch at all as he covered himself with his Celestial Armor¡­ Although his agility will bepromised with the armor, his defense would be in the highest state while wearing this¡­


    He then used his magic weapons to cast powerful magic continuously¡­


    Well, since he has armor to defend himself, he wasn''t worried about getting interrupted in his weapon skill activation.


    He used his Tranquil Mind Crystal''s Soul Shake, Aura-Forged Mythril Sword with Fatal Mind, and Madness Mask''s Hypnosis¡­


    These series of Weapon Skills would affect a small area interrupting his target especially if they have weak Consciousness or Mental Energy.


    This interruption may not kill them but it''s enough for the Celestials to catch up and bring them down!


    Thud! Thud!


    The Alchemists were soon knocked down by the Celestials¡­ They can only struggle for a moment before their consciousness faded away.


    The 15 Alchemists working for the ck Magic Organization have been eradicated!


    Six of them died, four of them were captured by the Tome of Gluttony, and five of them were taken captive as they were imprisoned to be questionedter.<novelnext></novelnext>


    None of them knows how their cover was blown but it''s no longer important to them.


    The remaining five alchemists can only worry about their life at this point.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Vincent immediately went to the dockyard to assist Yulia and her team.


    "Lydia¡­ What''s their situation?" Vincent asked Calidia while he was rushing to the area.


    "They''re fine. As expected, none of those people have that Aether that you mentioned. They''re only normal members of the ck Magic Organization ording to Sir Guven¡­"


    Calidia answered as she exined what happened... It seems that before they suppressed the airship''s crew members, they decided to capture someone to confirm their identities.


    In the end, the Grand Knights and Grand Magus that went to subjugate them were a bit too overkill. The highest-ranking officer among the enemies is only an Archmage after all.


    "That''s good to hear¡­ But what''s taking them so long?" Vincent asked as he can still feel the fluctuations of manaing in the direction of the dockyard.


    Howe the battle is still going on even though they aren''t that strong?


    Vincent was curious.


    "Ugh¡­ It''s about their Airship¡­ It seems that the Alchemists Union had spent a lot of money on this airship¡­ Even though the people inside were weak, the ship itself has plenty of arsenals they could use. It''s a good thing that Professor Levent is here as she was able to dismantle most of the ship''s armament with her ability."


    "She has that kind of skill? Alright¡­ I''m on my way¡­"


    Vincent said as he was only a hundred feet away from the dockyard¡­


    As soon as he arrived he witnessed that although the Alchemist Union''s ship is already in a poor condition, it can still defend itself after a huge tree grew on its deck!


    This tree seems to be alive and was only attacking the Grand Knights and Grand Magus on their side!


    "They''re controlling a Treant?" Vincent muttered as he realized what was going on.


    One of the unpopr professions of Mana Practitioners was the Beast Tamers. After all, taming beasts can be extremely expensive as you have to take care of them and feed them quality food to ensure their proper growth rate.


    Nevertheless, a Beast Tamer not only tames beasts but specifically, any creatures with mana cores.


    This includes golems and treants that could normally be found in dungeons.


    Crash! Crash!


    The branches of the treant started growing and they were even trying to cover the whole dockyard. It was as if it gained some source of energy as it started growing exponentially¡­


    The Grand Knights started cutting the growing vines and branches but the speed of their growth was just too much.


    One of them wanted to use fire Elemental Mana Art but was immediately reminded that it might just make the matter worse.


    After all, the tree can just regrow its branches and this whole ce might be burned in the process¡­ It would cause too much damage to this important area¡­


    "Find the Berserk Treant''s core!"


    Yulia shouted as shemanded a group of Grand Knights dashing towards the growing treant¡­


    They were Lar, Ross, Millie, Patriarch Leon, and the Sword Guardians of Zemin n, Tezcan and Evrim.


    Their small group was like an arrow that was released from the bowstring as they crush anything that was blocking them¡­


    Soon, they reached the airship''s deck which is also the base of the Treant¡­


    Vincent watched them cut and crush the treant''s limbs or vines but they were just aimlessly doing this to hopefully find the core¡­


    ''Let''s try¡­''


    Vincent then used his eyes'' Sensitivity to search for the core¡­ This is the gift that Vera had given him and it isn''t just capable of seeing mana but it can also detect any form of energy.


    To his surprise, he did not find the core on the trunk or branch of the treant but inside the Airship!


    The treant had actually started to grow from a small wooden crate inside the Airship!


    If they wanted to destroy this creature they have to destroy the core on its crate or it will just continue growing and regenerating.


    Vincent immediately ryed this to Yulia so she can think of a n to do it.


    "Thank you!"


    Yulia briefly nced at his location and gave a grateful smile after she heard Vincent''s report from themunication crystal.


    In just a few seconds, Yulia managed to create a n to destroy the Treant''s Core hidden inside the airship.

 Chapter 468 Obedience

    "Tsk¡­ I should be included in the Vanguard Force¡­ Why did Yulia exclude me?! So annoying¡­" Lesley grumbled as she used Wind de to cut the climbing vines of the Treant¡­


    Her team was only tasked to cut off the growth of the treants which can be done by any Magicians. At her current level, she believes that she could do something better than this. She wanted to get closer and have better achievements in this battle.


    Unfortunately, she can''t simply disobey Yulia''s words.


    Currently, she was able to gain Brycen''s favor and is now his prospective apprentice. Though she wasn''t fully epted yet, she believes that she will be his disciple soon as long as she passes all the tests he gives and if she performed well in this battle against the ck Magic Organization.


    This is why even though she wanted to disobey Yulia and go to the frontline, she still remained in her position¡­ She can''t show how disobedient she was in front of Brycen.


    However, she feels that her contribution is just not enough to be praised by Brycen¡­


    ''Right, father said that I should do above and beyond what I''m supposed to aplish¡­ That way I can gain more recognition from Sir Brycen¡­


    Lesley suddenly had an idea. She needed to impress Brycen so she can be epted as an official apprentice¡­ That way she can learn the Mana Cultivation Method that he knows and she can advance her rank with a solid foundation¡­


    "I''m nning to destroy the Treant''s body¡­ Are you going to follow me?" Lesley suddenly asked as she looked at her team.


    "Ah? We''re told not to leave our position."


    "It doesn''t matter. I will follow you wherever you go, Lady Lesley¡­"


    "Me too¡­"


    "Just lead the way, Lady Lesley!"


    Lesley has four subordinates right now and all of them were from the younger generation of their Zemin n as well. While one of them was hesitant, the other three were willing to go since they know that she won''t be punished anyway since she was the daughter of the patriarch.


    Furthermore, she was the ex-fiance of the city lord so there shouldn''t be a problem.


    Lesley looked at the hesitant guy on her team. She didn''t scold him but she even showed a smile.


    "It''s alright if you can''t follow us¡­ Just stay here and continue with the task of cutting vines¡­ You should be able to do our part as well, right?"


    "Y-yes¡­ I will do my best, Lady Lesley!" The young man replied. Even though it will be tough, there shouldn''t be a problem if he goes over his limit for a short duration¡­ He has plenty of potions in his pouch as well.


    "Good! We will leave now¡­"


    Lesley then used the Zemin n''s famous movement technique, Vanishing Steps.


    This technique allowed them to move almost undetected. Although it isn''t as fast as other Movement Techniques, the Vanishing Steps allow them to move stealthily.


    They then immediately headed toward the main body of the Treant at the deck of the Airship.


    Since the group of Grand Magus and Grand Knights decided to enter the airship to search for its core, no one was bothering the Treant that is on the deck right now¡­


    All the others were also busy dealing with the roots and vines that were spreading towards the whole ce.


    As soon as they arrived, they immediatelyunched an assault to try and destroy the treant''s body¡­


    "zing Meteor¡­"


    Lesley, who was also known for her Fusion Arts, immediately used her strongest Mana Art in a close range...


    Using it in a long range can be quite dangerous since it might be pushed away by the treant''s roots and may spread the zing me everywhere¡­


    However, with such a close distance, Lesley doesn''t have to worry about missing the target¡­


    Her Mana Art attracted some attention as the others realized that Lesley have decided to attack at such a close distance¡­


    Boom!


    The zing Meteor, a fusion of Fire and Earth elements, crashed at the treant''s huge trunk and created a huge hole in it¡­


    The edges of the hole were even burned and it was starting to spread throughout its body¡­


    "Now!"


    Lesley signaled her subordinates as they used several Mana Arts to widen the hole that her zing Meteor had created.


    She also joined in and used her other Fire Elemental Arts against the treant¡­


    Well, Earth and Water aren''t quite useful against it. As for the Wind Element, she doesn''t have a powerful Wind Mana Art that could be useful in this situation.


    "Fire Arrow¡­"


    "ming Serpent¡­"


    "Fire Ball!"


    Three basic Fire Elemental Arts were used¡­ They have mastered different styles because of their own preference, however, the power was still about the same.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As the three magic collided with the Treant''s body, the magicians had to defend themselves with their Mana Shield since the shockwave created by the explosion may sweep them away.


    After all, the Treant''s body is still emitting strong fluctuations of mana. It means that their Mana Arts will collide with this energy and will certainly result in an explosion.


    They braced themselves and realized that they have indeed made the right decision¡­ They wanted to continue doing this until the Treant''s huge trunk was fully split into two but they suddenly heard someone''smand from afar!


    "Move back! Now! It''s dangerous!<novelnext></novelnext>


    They don''t know where this order came from but they know that it wasn''t from Yulia¡­


    Of course, they know that it''s dangerous getting this close to the treant so they weren''t too surprised hearing this warning.


    However, they believe that there wouldn''t be any problems since they have prepared themselves and they have life-saving Magic Tools with them¡­ Even if they were in a life-threatening situation, triggering those magic tools should be enough to deal with it¡­


    Instead of heeding the warning given to them, they instead looked at Lesley to decide what to do next¡­


    "Hmph! Just continue! After we finished this thing off---" Lesley wanted to say something more but she immediately felt something wrong¡­


    Several huge roots suddenly sprouted around them¡­


    They cast several Mana Arts to cut them off but to their surprise, the enemy magicians appeared from it!


    They were hidden inside the roots of the treant!


    This took them by surprise as they hastily cast their Defensive Mana Arts in anticipation of the iing bombardment¡­


    me Wall!


    Boulder Defense!


    Boom! Boom!


    Their decision was right! As soon as their Tier 3 Defensive Mana Arts were summoned, Mana Bullets rained down on them!


    The Fire Wall and Boulder Defense dissipated most of the Mana Bullets but some of them still pierced through!


    Bang! Bang!


    Two of Lesley''s subordinates were hit by Mana Bullets which disoriented them for a moment. The bullet may not have put a hole in their bodies, but it is still strong enough to stun them.


    Lesley and the other two have to protect them during this!


    "Cyclone Field!"


    Lesley used another Fusion Arts easily. Though she didn''t finish her studies in the ck Tower''s Academy, she had at least learned how to maximize her talent in Fusion Arts¡­ She had focused on this area so she no longer takes a lot of time to cast one Fusion Art after another.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Cyclone Field stopped the attacks temporarily. Lesley then checked the condition of the two and confirmed that they weren''t heavily injured.


    "We''ll kill the Magicians of the ck Magic Organization first¡­" Lesley said as she confirmed that they were only facing Archmages and Adept Mages.


    They shouldn''t encounter trouble dealing with these people.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    "Aahh!"


    Suddenly, the deck they were standing on crumbled as they nearly fell to the vines that were about to embrace them¡­


    "It''s dangerous! We need to leave this area!" One of Lesley''s subordinates can no longer take it as he activated his life-saving tool. It is called Overload Mana Crystal which can enhance his abilities.


    He didn''t mind spending this Ephemeral Mana Art that he has been saving since it would be useless if he died right now¡­


    A strong burst of mana suddenly enveloped his body!


    During this time, his mana had increased by five times, and his Mana Control had reached an Advanced Level as well.


    Vanishing Steps!


    He used the same movement technique but this time, he didn''tck the speed! He was even faster than Fire Dash users of his level.


    As he felt that it was too easy and that he reached a safe distance, he decided to stop midway to attack the magicians that were aiming at him¡­


    Well, since he can''t cast multiple Mana Arts at the same time, he has to stop his Vanishing Steps. Anyway, his speed casting is still at a decent level so he wasn''t worried¡­


    Mana Bullets!


    "This is the real Mana Bullets! Die!"


    Since his Mana had increased and his control had also reached a higher level, he felt confident that his Mana Bullets can pierce anything¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three Mana Bullets were shot in session!


    "Hahaha!"


    He hit the enemy magicians with great precision and as he was celebrating, he felt a warm sensation on his chest only to see that a wooden spear created by the Treant pierced his body!


    Aaaarggghhh!


    It was the same for Lesley and her two other subordinates!


    The two young men were unlucky to get pierced in their throats while Lesley managed to survive thanks to her Epic-Grade Armor that protected her chest¡­

 Chapter 469 Affected

    "Idiots¡­"


    Vincent muttered under his breath as he saw the tragedy happening in his eyes. He was able to see how Lesley rushed in and how they got instantly cornered.


    He clearly remembered that Yulia did not give such amand but Lesley''s group still decided to be heroes only to end up in their current state.


    Patriarch Leon, who saw that his daughter was in danger, no longer cared about the orders and dashed towards the Airship''s deck to save her¡­


    Although he can only do Dual Casting, he is still a Grand Magus that has achieved a mutation in his mana¡­


    "Wind Razor¡­ Wind Haste¡­"


    Two Wind Attribute Mana Arts were used as he arrived near Lesley so quickly¡­


    The spear-like roots and vines were easily cut off by his Wind Razor but they just quickly grew since the area they are in right now is the nearest to the core¡­


    Regeneration is extremely fast in this spotpared to the edges of the surrounding field created by the huge and towering Treant.


    Wind Razor! Wind Razor!


    He continuously cast the Mana Art and was indeed sessful at first¡­ However, the remaining enemy Adept Mages used Mana Bullets to disrupt him.


    "Tsk! You pests!"


    Leon grunted as he grabbed Lesley to his side. Although the Mana Bullets won''t hurt him because of his Magician Robe, it would disrupt him from casting Elemental Mana Arts¡­


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Six Mana Bullets hit his back as several vines and roots started blocking his path¡­


    Whom~


    At this time, a beam of light blinded him for a moment but it created a path for him to escape while carrying Lesley¡­


    Apparently, even though Lesley wasn''t pierced to death by the spears, she had been shot by tens of Mana Bullets from the Adept Mages of the enemies¡­ Three or five of them may not be a huge problem but once her Mana Shield dropped, the Mana Bullets would still damage her internal organs¡­ It is not something that her armor can block that relies on its durability.


    Anyway, the beam of light was from the Mage Battalion which decided to support their retreat.


    Leon used this opportunity to escape but not before he cast a nce at the Adept Mages who dared to hurt his daughter.


    The four Adept Mages saw a single Mana Bullet released from the Grand Magus'' fingertip¡­


    Thud!


    They decided to hide behind the roots of the Treants again and wait for an opportunity¡­ However, they didn''t expect that the released Mana Bullet would move freely in the air as it pierced through their throats!


    One Mana Bullet killed four Adept Mages with a single Mana Bullet, a Tier 2 Mana Art!


    "Hmph!"


    Seeing that the Adept Mages died, Leon continued with his retreat as the Treant tried catching up to him.


    These Adept Mages were only able to survive the Vanguard Force because they werepletely wrapped by the Treant''s roots so they were hard to recognize. Now that they revealed themselves, they were easily killed by Leon, a Grand Magus, that is certainly experienced in killing lower-level Magicians.


    As the Mage Battalion continued cutting off the expansion of the treant¡­ They suddenly heard a huge explosion from inside the Airship¡­


    The huge Treant that was previously rigorously expanding suddenly stopped and it turned lifeless!


    Atst, the main team managed to destroy the Treant''s core!


    It took them quite some time but it is still a sessful mission¡­


    Vincent, who was thinking of making a move to help everyone couldn''t help but smile and celebrate with the rest¡­ Although there were some casualties in this battle, Vincent was able to tell that they were able to limit it greatly thanks to Guven''s abilities¡­


    If not for him, these members of the ck Magic Organization would''ve certainly caused more trouble than what happened today.


    After all, if the core of the Treants was ced elsewhere and not inside this confined space, it would certainly be a lot bigger and harder to deal with¡­


    Furthermore, after using his Item Sense ability, he was able to find many suspicious objects inside the airship that might really destroy the internal situation of the city¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Ahhh¡­'' As soon as he reached this thought he immediately contacted Calidia to monitor the surroundings outside the city.


    After all, if this airship was the Trojan Horse that was nning to sabotage their defenses, then there might be an external force that is waiting outside their city!


    Then, he informed the magicians to be careful of handling the items that were thrown everywhere after the airship exploded.


    There might be some dangerous items included so they have to be mindful of them.


    ***


    "Huh? What''s the problem this time?"


    Half an hour after subjugating the Alchemists or members of the ck Magic Organization, Vincent heard that a disease seem to be spreading inside the city¡­


    He had juste out of the Kayser Tower when he heard this report. He was about to send the Celestials to scout the surroundings of the city but this news halted his n.


    "At the moment, we''ve noticed that only those people who fought in the dockyard have been affected. This includes the people who had entered to clean up the area." Yulia reported as she also managed the reconstruction of the dockyard¡­


    "Hmm? Does it mean that it came from the airship? Did they carefully handle the materials there? That airship is not only owned by the members of the ck Magic Organization, but it''s also something owned by the Alchemist Union. It must have some dangerous items inside that did all this." Vincent muttered as he heard Yulia''s words.


    "Yes¡­ We also considered that and sent Lady Dianne to check to assist and find the root cause. For now, she still studying the symptoms caused by the disease. Once she identified the disease, it will be a lot easier for us to cure the infected."


    Yulia replied as she also exined the symptoms¡­ Itchiness of the skin, fever, nose bleeding, shortness of breath, and unusual fluctuations of mana as if your mana source is being attacked.


    "Dianne? Isn''t she helping Faviona with her concoction?" Vincent asked,


    "It seems that the critical part is already over so she allowed Dianne to leave. However, Severin is still inside theboratory so he can learn from the Tier 5 Alchemist¡­"


    Vincent nodded in understanding. Anyway, Dianne may only be an apprentice but she can''t be a normal apprentice considering she''s learning from a famous Tier 5 Alchemist.


    "I see¡­ However, I''m curious why our Health Recovery Potions weren''t effective this time?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ I''m not sure why but Dianne mentioned that not all diseases can be cured by health recovery potions¡­ She mentioned something about treating injuries or external wounds being different from treating diseases."


    Yulia answered and noticed Vincent''s frowning face.


    "We should be fine. Only weaker magicians are affected. It means that it''s not a very strong disease¡­ As long as we give Dianne enough time, I''m sure that she can cure this disease even without Faviona''s help." She added.


    Vincent agreed with this and decided to assist with the contamination of the spreading disease.


    He made sure that anyone who shows the symptoms of having the disease would be sent to the istion area¡­


    ''The situation is not good¡­ If there is an enemy force waiting to attack outside the city, it would be very troublesome to deal with them¡­'' Vincent mused as he patiently waited for the result of Dianne''s investigation¡­


    About two hours had passed before a piece of good news was finally heard.


    During this time, about eight people started having severe symptoms. The most that their health potions can do was just to alleviate a few symptoms or dy the disease from spreading further in their bodies.


    Vincent also has no other way to cure them since it seems like it requires a specific type of pill or medicine to cure them instead of just a strong healing medicine.


    "Dianne has finished her diagnosis¡­ She reported that the disease seems to have attached to the person''s mana source¡­ She mentioned something about corruption¡­ She''s looking for you regarding the method that she needed to cure these people. It doesn''t seem simple¡­"


    Rufia, one of the magicians who had assisted Dianne, worriedly reported to Vincent.


    "Corruption? What does she need to cure the patients?" Vincent asked as he followed her to where Dianne is currently at.


    "She said that she''ll tell it to you¡­ I only heard that she might need the Kayser Tower''s help regarding this."


    Vincent felt curious after hearing this.


    ''She needed the Kayser Tower to cure patients instead of miraculous ingredients to make a pill or potion?'' He thought.


    That was quite unusual but Vincent did not ask any more questions.


    As soon as he saw Dianne at the hospital, he didn''t even ask about the situation and she immediately went to speak with him.


    "Sir Vincent¡­ The situation is not good¡­ We''re dealing with a very strange disease that erodes someone''s Mana Source. Almost everyone I checked is affected. This included the Grand Magus and Grand Knights!"

 Chapter 470 Cure

    "What? What do you mean by almost everyone? I thought only Mana Arts Practitioners that are lower-ranked were affected by the disease?" Vincent asked in confusion.


    "It''s not like that¡­" Dianne shook her head as she continued.


    "The affected includes Grand Magus and even Grand Knights with strong bodies¡­ The disease is targeting any life with Mana Source¡­ It feels simr to Corruption. It''s a certain symptom that my Master had previously treated in Star Garden Peak¡­"


    "Corruption? This¡­ Are you telling me that this disease is corrupting everyone with Mana Source? How can we treat it?" Vincent asked.


    He has many questions about this including the matter regarding the Star Garden Peak. Nevertheless treating the patients is the most important thing right now¡­


    "Right, we needed the Kayser Tower since it has a huge Formation Art that allows you to control your Mana freely. It is difficult to treat the patients with external force¡­ We have to do both¡­ While I try to remove this disease or corrupting force inside their bodies, they have to work as well to make it less dangerous."


    Dianne replied.


    Since the practitioners at the lower level have terrible mana control, it might be very dangerous for them to extract the disease-causing energy in their Mana Source. However, if they do the treatment inside the Tower''s Formation Arts, then their control would at least improve by two or three levels.


    "I''ll arrange for it immediately, however, you mentioned that even the other magicians are affected, right?"


    "Yes¡­ It is just that they are too strong to notice any changes at the moment¡­ Especially the Grand Knights with monstrous vitality¡­ Their Mana Source won''t be easily corrupted¡­ It will take some time before they feel it¡­"


    "Won''t it just naturally dissipate if the Magician is very strong?" Vincent casually asked as he took out hismunication crystal. He was nning to contact Calidia about this to make preparations to ept the patients.


    "No¡­ Why do you think the Star Gaden Peak has to ask Master Faviona to cure them?"


    "That''s true¡­" Vincent nodded in agreement and at this moment, Calidia answered hismunication request and exined what happened.


    Calidia acknowledged what to do and immediately went to prepare the ce for the patients.


    "Should we include the otherster on?" Vincent asked.


    "Later¡­ We will only treat the patients with severe symptoms right now¡­ I''ll be helping them extract the energy and I''m the only one who can help them so it will be very tiring¡­ For those who weren''t too affected, they can be treated tomorrow or maybe even next week¡­"


    "I see¡­ You''re really reliable¡­"


    "Of course! However, I''m not going to do this for free¡­"


    "Certainly. I won''t be making you work for free even if you want to¡­" Vincent replied.


    "Sure, I want 200 gold for each patient and I want a customized ck Rifle and thousands of bullets¡­"


    "R-rifle?" Vincent didn''t expect such a request from her.


    "Yes! I''m happy with the pistol that I have but I feel like that rifle will suit me the best." Dianne exined.


    "Sure, sure¡­ Please help the patients now¡­" Vincent agreed since he felt that it wasn''t a big deal at all.


    Dianne smiled happily after hearing Vincent''s agreement as she went to the ward to assist them to move to the Kayser Tower.


    Vincent wanted to help Dianne as well so instead of leaving, he decided to follow her and see how she does the extraction.


    In any case, he has a different core or source of energy so he shouldn''t be easily infected by the disease that is spreading.


    Dianne noticed that he was following but remained silent about it.


    Well, she will be paid 200 gold for each patient so she thought that Vincent wanted to ensure that the payment is worth the price.


    ***


    Inside the Kayser Tower, Vincent met with Calidia and a few others staff of the Tower. They wanted to observe the treatment as well.


    It''s not easy to witness a medical practitioner capable of curing an unknown disease after all.


    "Lady Dianne mentioned that she''s the only one who can help the patient because she knows human  anatomy unlike us¡­" Calidia said as she got closer to Vincent.


    "Did she mention that?"


    "Yes¡­ Have you also studied human anatomy in the academy, Sir Vincent?" Calidia softly whispered. She initially tried to offer her help but Dianne mentioned that she needed to know the human anatomy so she can help her.


    Obviously, she doesn''t know anything about that so she can only try and assist with misceneous stuff.


    "A little¡­ Hmm¡­ Anyway, no wonder she was adamant to work on this treatment alone with the patients. Aside from her Master, she probably doesn''t trust other medical practitioners." Vincent muttered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He can''t really me her for that since not everyone who is studying medicine wouldn''t have experience in these kinds of treatments. Most of them only rely on the potions and pills they have learned to cure people.


    ''It seems that Lady Faviona is a good teacher¡­'' Vincent mused as he watched Dianne''s treatment.


    The first patient came in and it seems to be a member of the Zemin n because of their unique clothes that have their insignia on their clothes.


    "Ingest this pill. Then, sit down and show your back to me."


    Dianne instructed.


    They are currently on a stone tform where a Mana Gathering Formation was set up. This is only one of the rooms where this formation is arranged and is helping the Tower to function daily.


    The patient felt the dense mana in his surroundings and felt a littlefortable. Although he can still feel the pain in his Mana Source, there is still some sense of relief after stepping on the tform.


    He didn''t doubt the pill in his hands and immediately consumed it.


    He then seated cross-legged and showed his back to the beautiful doctor. He doesn''t know her name but if he survives this, he promised himself that he will work hard to be someone worthy of marrying her.


    "Concentrate¡­ We will extract the energy corrupting your Mana Source¡­ If you concentrate, you will feel this energy."


    The man then closed his eyes and followed Dianne''s instruction. Although he wanted to appreciate Dianne''s angelic voice, he needs to show hispetence first so she won''t be disappointed in him.


    "I can feel it¡­" He finally said after ten minutes of concentration¡­  He felt proud of himself for taking only this much time to sense this evil energy inside his body.


    He also noticed that the medicinal energy that came from the pill wrapped around the evil energy!


    "Alright¡­ You only need to carefully remove it¡­ I will help you guide it outside your body¡­"


    "I will do my best¡­"


    Although he wanted to know how or where she will guide it to be sent out of his body, he decided to just focus on the task given to him.


    ***


    Vincent watched everything that is happening using his eyes'' Energy Sensitivity¡­ He could see how the man tries to use his Mana to push the ''evil energy'' out of his Mana Source.


    This person was failing multiple times since he has to do it all in one go¡­ If he only removes a part of it, the other part will stick to his Mana Source and it would not detach itself.


    Three minutes¡­ Five minutes¡­ Ten minutes¡­ Twenty minutes¡­


    He was still unable to sessfully do it even with Dianne''s guidance¡­


    Unfortunately, she can''t be the one to remove the energy on his Mana Source as it will only make this matter worse.


    Nevertheless, after trying for about 30 minutes, the man finally seeded as guided the ''evil energy'' out of his body¡­


    Blerrghhh!!!


    He vomited the energy causing him some problems with his throat¡­ However, his condition is already a lot better and he only needed some time or even a potion to fully recover.


    Vincent then saw that the extracted energy just dissipated into thin air¡­ If he would make a guess, it''s probably due to the Formation Art that was set up here.


    After all, this may be called a Mana Gathering Formation but it also has a weak function of mana purification.


    ''Hmm¡­ It''s trickier than I expected, but can I help with this treatment?'' Vincent asked himself.


    Since he has a different form of energy, he believes that he can actually help with the extraction of energy. Furthermore, he has the Gift of Energy Sensitivity and also has better control over this Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    He looked at the other patients who had to drink health recovery potions every five minutes to sustain their life force¡­


    If each patient needed about 40 minutes or more, then this treatment will take a longer time than he expected.


    "Dianne, I will help with the treatment¡­" Vincent suddenly said as the former called for another patient.


    ? "You probably saw what happened just now. Are you sure you can help them?"


    "Yes¡­ I''m confident."


    "Alright¡­ I know you''re not going to disregard their life. I''ll take the female patients. You take the guys with you." Dianne agreed after a moment of thinking. In any case, Vincent is a disciple of the Tower Lord so he might even have a better way to cure them.

 Chapter 471 Pill And Potion

    Vincent took the pills that would be used to contain the energy that was corrupting the patient''s Mana Source.


    After taking a single pill, he secretly appraised it to understand how it really works.


    [ Do you want to appraise this item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    [ You have discovered an Anti-Destruction Pill ]


    [ Anti-Destruction Pill ]


    [ Quality: Tier 2


    Durability: 10/10


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Life: 10


    Description: A pill capable of suppressing and containing harmful energy inside a person''s body. The effectsts for an hour. Multiple consumptions will decrease the efficacy of the pill.


    Remarks: Enhancement of any medicinal pill will result in an improvement in its medicinal effects. ]


    "A pill with life attribute?"


    Vincent muttered. It''s quite rare to see this attribute so he couldn''t help but notice it immediately.


    He then decided to enhance the pill to +5 before calling for his first patient.


    He gave the pill to the middle-aged man and instructed him to consume it.


    Since the patient saw the first person to be treated sit down cross-legged, he followed it as well and showed his back to Vincent.


    Vincent then put his palms on his back to assist him with the extraction.


    "Feel the corrupting energy that''s surrounding your Mana Source¡­"


    "Yes, Sir Vincent¡­"


    The middle-aged man felt Vincent''s guidance and it didn''t even take him a minute to sense the presence of the corrupting energy¡­ He was now curious why the first guy took so much time to do this process.


    "I feel it now¡­ Ugh¡­ It''s too big¡­" The man worriedly muttered as he realized that his Mana Source was almostpletely wrapped by this energy¡­


    He was even wondering how he was still able to remain alive¡­


    ''Right¡­ It was definitely thanks to the high-grade potions I was drinking a while ago.'' The man suddenly recalled the potions given by the alchemists. Every time he felt like he was being drained, the potion would help him feel alive.


    If not for that, he can''t think of any other reason why he wasn''t dead yet.


    "Good¡­ Remove it from your Mana Source. I will guide you." Vincent said as he used a wisp of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to assist the man''s control over the invading energy.


    The man was cautiously doing it and not in a hurry but it still took him five minutes to aplish it! It was definitely faster than the first patient!


    "Bleergghh!"


    He also vomited the energy out of his body and causing someplications in his throat¡­ Nevertheless, this type of injury is easily healed by a potion.


    "Good¡­ Next patient¡­" Vincent said surprising Dianne¡­


    She can''t even ask Vincent how he did it because she''s also busy treating one of the patients.


    ''Incredible¡­ Just how can he assist with the extraction so easily¡­ Even with the pill given to the patients, it won''t be that easy for them to detect the corrupting energy. If it was that easy, anyone would be capable of curing this disease.''


    Dianne thought as she couldn''t help but admire Vincent''s abilities. No matter what, he still seeded with the treatment and deserves praise.


    Thanks to Vincent, the treatment was a lot easier and some female patients even wanted to be treated by Vincent. However, he decided not to after recalling the treatment with the male patients just now.


    Once he touched their backs and spread a wisp of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy, he would be able to sense everything from them without being able to hide anything at all.


    Although it''s for the sake of treatment, he would feel a bit guilty especially, if Dianne, Calidia, and others were looking at him with teasing eyes.


    They know very well the sensation once they spread their mana to someone else after all.


    ***


    "Phew¡­ That was exhausting¡­" Vincent muttered after finishing the job and returning to his residence.


    He may still have plenty of Pseudo-Celestial Energy but it was quite nerve-wracking to concentrate for a long time like that.


    It was at least five times more difficult than concentrating to craft a Magic Weapon. Although crafting requires intense focus as well, he would sometimes be in a trance while doing this and it is something he can''t do during the treatment.


    Two days had quickly passed and Faviona''s concoction has finally beenpleted.


    During this time, she wasn''t aware that the Alchemist Union or members of the ck Magic Organization had entered the city and caused trouble¡­


    "Vincent, it''s not up to you to enhance this potion." Faviona said as she handed over two bottles of potions. Apparently, although the set of ingredients that she had was only for one bottle of potion, she was able to make it for two bottles because of Vincent''s enhancements with the ingredients.


    Faviona noticed this detail as well so she felt confident that Vincent can really modify certain things if they met his certain conditions.


    "Mhmm¡­ Let me see the potion." Vincent said as he epted the potion from Faviona.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ You have discovered a Bottle of Soul Wisdom Potion ]


    [ Soul Wisdom Potion ]


    [ Grade: Middle


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Soul Energy: 300


    Description: A mystical liquid made from the Essence of Wisdom Feverfew. It has mysterious effects on anyone affected by Soul Binding, Soul Sealing, and Soul Confinement. It has Soul Enlightenment Effects on anyone who will consume it without any of the three issues.


    Remarks: Every enhancement will improve the effects of the potion. ]


    ''Ohh¡­ It already has decent effects even without my enhancements and ascension.'' Vincent mused after reading the appraisal result.


    This wasn''t simply because he gave better ingredients to Faviona but it''s also a testament to her incredible skills as a Tier 5 Alchemist.


    "You did really well to make a potion with this quality." Vincent praised.


    Faviona''s face lit up after hearing this. Although she has been hearing simr praise so many times, she felt that Vincent''s words matter a lot more for some reason.


    "You seem tired¡­ My modification will take some time so you should rest now."  Vincent said.


    Faviona wanted to watch Vincent''s modification but he was right.


    She was indeed exhausted right now and just wanted to slumber¡­


    With a sigh, Faviona epted Vincent''s advice and went to take a rest.


    "I hope that after my rest, there''s already a piece of good news on the Tower Lord''s condition."


    "I will make sure it happens¡­" Vincent replied with confidence. Even if the potion doesn''t work, he can just use his Source Cube to ensure that it will happen.


    After hearing Vincent''s confident tone, Faviona heaved a sigh of relief as she leave the matter into Vincent''s hands.


    She has already done her part and she can only wait for the result.


    Vincent didn''t take so much time to enhance the potion since he also has plenty of Savage Beast Cores that can act as Enhancement Crystals and crates of Spirit Stones that can be used as Ascension Crystals.


    The Savage Beast Cores and Spirit Stones only had one source which is the One Sea Merchant Union. Needless to say, the Sea Race can drop Beast Cores and the ocean floor has countless Spirit Stones.


    There''s an uncountable number of Sea Race that have died in the ocean and their cores weren''t being used. Needless to say, L purchased these from them including the Spirit Stones.


    Vincent then appraised the potion again.


    [ Soul Wisdom Potion ]


    [ Grade: Peak


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Soul Energy: 5,800


    Soul Insight: 500


    Charm: 40


    Description: An enhanced version of mystical liquid made from the Essence of Wisdom Feverfew. It has beneficial effects on anyone affected by Soul Binding, Soul Sealing, and Soul Confinement. It has extremely strong Soul Enlightenment Effects on anyone who will consume it without any of the three issues.


    It has a 30% chance of triggering Soul Awakening.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Soul Awakening: A process of unlocking the person''s past life''s memories. ]


    "Huh?"


    Vincent was speechless after reading thest part of its description.


    He also expected an exponential increase of the Soul Energy Units and additional attributes. However, the Soul Awakening was not something he had even thought of¡­


    Consuming this allows him to remember his past life? Although it''s only a 30% chance, it is still quite incredible¡­ Furthermore, there are two more.


    It was so incredible!


    He was even tempted not to use this to cure Ignacy anymore and just use the 1,000 durability points of his Source Cube to unseal Ignacy''s soul.


    Vincent decided to think about itter as he continued with the enhancement and ascension of the second potion.


    In less than 20 minutes, the second Soul Wisdom Potion reached the same result as the first one.


    The only difference is that instead of having a Charm Attribute with 40 points, it gained a Mind Attribute with 35 points.


    Although he didn''t know what Mind Attribute does because it was his first time seeing such an attribute, he didn''t think too much of it since the value is too low. It means that the effects will be barely noticeable.


    If it was at least 100 points or more, he knows that it will be pretty important¡­


    "What should I do this time?" Vincent asked himself as he looked at the potion in his hand.

 Chapter 472 Unseal

    It was simply too precious and Vincent doesn''t know when he would ever get the chance to get this potion again.


    Even Faviona, a Tier 5 Alchemist, took a week to prepare this potion. It means that he won''t be able to easily find another Alchemist capable of concocting this potion.


    Furthermore, the Wisdom Feverfew Flower doesn''t even grow on this continent!


    It means that making another potion wouldn''t happen any time soon. After all, traveling from Parason Continent to the Tudor Kingdom took several months!


    "What should I do this time?" Vincent asked himself as he looked at the potions in his hands.


    Should I ask for someone else''s opinion?


    He pondered for a moment before recalling the Sentient Source Cube. That''s right, since it has sentience, it should be able to make a choice.


    The said Sentient Item is also involved in this matter so he should discuss it with him.


    With this in mind, Vincent swiftly summoned the Source Cube to ask questions.


    [ Is there anything I can help, owner? ]


    "Yes, I already have a potion that can cure Master Ignacy. However, after checking its effects, I realized that it was too valuable. Aside from curing Master Ignacy, it has another effect that can allow someone to recall their past life. Although it''s only a 30% chance, I think that it''s still too precious."


    [ You want to recall your past life? Are you unable to make more of these potions? ]


    The Source Cube asked after hearing Vincent''s concern.


    "Yes? It''s possible to make them again¡­ However, it will take some time."


    [ Are you in a hurry to recall this Past Life of yours? ]


    "Eh? Well, not really¡­ I''m just quite curious." Vincent replied. If he didn''t know that this potion can allow him to recall his past life, he wouldn''t be bothered at all.


    [ Do you have a method to recover my Durability? ]


    "Ugh¡­ I don''t have Celestial Energy so I can''t really help with that. I can''t ask other Celestials as well since you''re bound to me."


    With this answer, the Source Cube made a decision.


    [ If you think you will soon have the power to use Celestial Energy, it''s better to just use my Durability to wake up your Master. If not, it might be better to use the Potion since you previously mentioned that you are being targeted by unknown enemies. If I have more durability, I will be able to better protect you. ]


    Vincent thought for a moment after hearing this advice¡­


    "You''re right¡­ I''m being too hasty¡­ The potions can be remadeter on, but the durability of the Source Cube can''t be recovered yet with my current abilities." Vincent finally decided as he went to visit Ignacy and called for two Celestials¡­


    Tower Master Abe and the others noticed Vincent''s arrival and their eyes lit up.


    They already heard the news that Faviona finished making the potion and Vincent only has to modify it before it''s ready.


    They were surprised that he managed to enhance it so quickly. Not even an hour had passed after all. However, they didn''t question him as they were more excited to see him cure the Tower Lord.


    "Let''s wait here¡­" Abe said to his subordinates as Vincent entered Ignacy''s room while leaving the two Celestials outside to guard the door.


    Since Vincent made this arrangement, he obviously didn''t want any disturbance during the healing process.


    Vincent looked at his Master who seem to be peacefully sleeping on his bed. Without Celestial Luna''s help, he wouldn''t even think that his Master''s soul was already trapped.


    "Alright¡­ You''ve been sleeping for quite a while now, Master. It''s time to wake up."


    Vincent muttered as he helped his master drink the potion.


    As soon as it entered its body, the potion immediately made some sort of miracle as the fluctuation of Ignacy''s aura started getting stronger.


    Each fluctuation causes some pressure on everyone who''s near the room.


    Vincent smiled seeing that something is going on¡­ Although Ignacy isn''t waking up yet, he knows that the potion''s effect hasn''t dissipated and still working inside his body. He has to patiently wait¡­


    If needed, he doesn''t mind giving thest potion as well.


    While this is all happening, several eyes shifted at this vi since they felt the miraculous energy that came from the potion.


    It is a Peak-Grade potion after all. It has a potent medicinal effect that everyone could easily notice.


    ***


    "Is master about to wake up?" Shane muttered in excitement as he headed towards the vi. He was regretting that he failed to return in time when his Master was fighting against the ck Magic Organization.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Perhaps, if he was beside his master, thetter wouldn''t be too pressured in his battle. Based on what Professor Levent said, Ignacy has to protect the other members of the Tower while fighting the magic god''s Avatar, making it really difficult for him to fight aggressively.


    The Tower Lord has to be on the defensive most of the time.


    "Hey! Where are you going? Are you done checking the area you''re assigned with?" Brycen shouted after seeing Shane leave in hurry.


    The two of them were searching for people that are affected by the Corruption Disease. Vincent informed them that this disease will be stuck to someone''s Mana Source and would be unnoticeable to lower-ranked Magicians.


    Grand Magus like them has to step up and scan the magicians to ensure that they weren''t slowly being corrupted.


    "Yes! I''m done¡­ Master Ignacy might wake up soon. Hurry up." Shane reminded Brycen as thetter froze in realization. He also felt the fluctuation of aura from the vi but only now did he connect it to their Master.


    "Yes¡­ I''ming." Brycen no longer waste his time and swiftlypleted his task.


    When he arrived at the vi, he felt a familiar vigorous aura that he has been admiring ever since he was a child¡­


    "M-master¡­"


    He knows that it was Ignacy''s aura¡­ As soon as he entered the room where he was resting, he saw that there are already many people surrounding him including Shane who went ahead of him.


    "Master¡­ Your third disciple is also here." Brycen softly said as he went forward to greet Ignacy.


    The man was already seated on his bed and wearing the Tower Lord''s Robe. He didn''t look like someone who had beenatose for months!


    "Hmm¡­ Your cultivation has improved. Going to that Ancient Sage''s Pir is a good decision." Ignacy replied as he looked at his third disciple.


    "That''s right¡­ I learned a lot. I even started taming beasts¡­ But Master, are you really good now? No hidden injuries caused by that Avatar?" Brycen asked worriedly as knows that the Avatar wasn''t a simple being.


    This is also the same question that Tower Lord Abe and the others asked.


    "Mhmm¡­ I''m alright now¡­ I even got stronger. I didn''t expect that I could make a breakthrough while in such a predicament. I should thank Vincent for preparing that potion. It was an incredible experience." Ignacy said as his eyes lit up with profound light.


    Vincent didn''t miss this.


    ''Did he recall his past life?'' Vincent mused as he heard this.


    "It''s not only me, Master. It''s thanks to everyone and Lady Faviona who concocted the potion for more than a week. I only modified the potion for a bit to make it stronger."


    Vincent replied.


    "Haha¡­ Very well. I guess I have to give everyone a gift."


    Ignacyughed as everyone felt excited. Although they don''t want to be shameless since Ignacy just woke up, receiving a gift from this person is certainly a blessing to them.


    They don''t want to lose such an opportunity.


    "Master, that can be der. For now, I think you should know about one of your disciple''s situation."


    Vincent muttered.


    When Ignacy woke up a while ago, Vincent didn''t even have a chance to exin the situation and the former already asked a few things regarding his condition and what happened while he was unconscious.


    He also asked about Mikhail and his other disciples.


    As for his fifth disciple or Jairo''s situation, Vincent didn''t speak about it since he felt that the others must hear of this as well.


    "Is it about Jairo? What happened to him?" Ignacy asked and everyone else looked at Vincent.


    He already noticed that Vincent skipped the report about Jairo a while ago.


    In the end, Vincent exined to him how Jairo be part of the ck Magic Organization and he was currently imprisoned at the underground facility of the city. This includes the 14th Tower Master who had previously led a legion of Dragon Riders to siege the city.


    This surprised everyone since they didn''t know that Jairo was actually locked up by Vincent.


    "I understand¡­ This is already up to you, Vincent. I''m not sure about the casualty they caused to you and your people so you don''t have to worry about me¡­" Ignacy replied.


    He knows that Vincent has reservations since Jairo is his fellow disciple. Nevertheless, he knows that the high-ranking members of the ck Magic Organization have already been marked by the magic god. It is some unknown seal that would make them incapable of betraying the organization.


    He learned this after fighting against the organization for quite some time.


    "Alright, Master¡­ I''ll be taking care of this matter." Vincent replied as he looked at 29th Tower Master Abe¡­


    He can tell that this Tower Master could no longer wait to ask Ignacy to open their secret dimension to escape from the cmity brought by the magic god.

 Chapter 473 Blueprint

    Ignacy''s recovery boosted everyone''s morale. Even though he''s no longer the Tower Lord, it doesn''t mean his strength had diminished.


    Although he lost the treasures that only the Tower Lord can possess, he is still a Grand Magus capable of casting eight Mana Arts at the same time!


    He is a genuine Octa-Caster! There was even a rumor that he can already cast nine Mana Arts at the same time¡­


    Furthermore, Ignacy didn''t just master the normal elements but also the Spatial Magic which is extremely rare.


    As a matter of fact, Vincent doesn''t know anyone proficient at this element except for his Master.


    A couple of days passed and Ignacy felt so much better.


    During this time, he already met Faviona and sincerely thanked her for making the potion. He had given her an amulet that can save her life during a critical time.


    "There''s still room for improvement¡­ Do you want to have a copy of the ck Tower''s blueprint?" Ignacy asked as he stood on top of the Kayser Tower with Vincent.


    They were overlooking the entirety of the Vera City as Ignacy wanted to appreciate the ce that Vincent built by himself.


    He also finished having a tour inside the Tower and noticed that there are still many missing parts in it.


    Although the Tower has Mana Gathering Formation that supplies power for its operation, it doesn''t have mystical abilities like what a Mage Tower should be. It was heavily relying on mounted armaments that they have created.


    Vincent was stunned after hearing Ignacy''s offer.


    "Can I really get a copy of the Tower''s blueprint? Wouldn''t that cause some trouble?"


    "What? The ck Tower is already in terrible condition. Not even half of the Tower Master remains. The enemy had also upied some Towers we''d built¡­ Giving you a blueprint isn''t even enough to pay you back for taking care of me." Ignacy said with a smile as he pulled a long fabric scroll containing the blueprint of the Tower.


    Vincent saw the scroll and even if he hadn''t checked it yet, he knows that it was full of secrets that will make the Kayser Tower ten times stronger.


    "If that''s the case, I''ll dly ept it, Master. I''ll make the best Mage Tower ever."


    "Good¡­ Good¡­ I would like to see how you improve your Tower."


    Vincent smiled after hearing this. It felt like a challenge as he couldn''t help but be excited.


    As he appraised the scroll, he confirmed that it is indeed an [ Advanced Mage Tower Blueprint ].


    With this, he''s certain that he would be able to protect his city from the iing danger. Furthermore, he can even consider building another Tower or two!


    Using that potion to cure him was really worth the price.


    He then recalled something as he swiftly asked his Master.


    "Right, Master¡­ Are you nning to stay in the special dimension that you''ve made with the Tower Lords?" Vincent asked curiously. If possible, he wanted Ignacy to stay in the city since he knows that they can be safer if they have a magician who had mastered the Spatial Element.


    That way, he would no longer be surprised if a portal opened above their city.


    As far as he knows, Ignacy should be capable of sensing any disturbance in space allowing them to be prepared beforehand.


    "I will open it for the Tower Masters involved in the project but I won''t be staying there¡­ We''re not sure if the ck Magic Organization had really stopped expanding its territory or if they''re only consolidating its strength. I need to personally visit the Martial Arts Alliance as quickly as possible."


    "The Martial Arts Alliance?"


    "Yes¡­ ording to Shane, the Paragons seem to have retreated after they killed one of them with Mikhail''s help."


    Vincent nodded at this since he knows that those Paragons were truly the mightiest Martial Arts Practitioners on the continent. They may not possess incredible Mana Arts, but they do have incredible techniques and weapons with them that can certainly destroy most Grand Magus and Grand Knights.


    They were existences that can certainly change the bnce of this war.


    He already asked Luna about their incredible abilities and ording to her, Celestial Number 6 seems to have been inspired by Number 5 and created a few Martial Arts techniques that surpass many Mana Arts that Number 5 had created.


    Number 5 may be the best in research among the Celestials but it appears that Number 6 was the best in Martial Arts.


    With this in mind, Vincent wasn''t surprised that Ignacy would look for these people.


    "Then, before you leave, Master¡­ May I ask something?"


    "Hmm? Go ahead¡­" Ignacy replied as he looked at Vincent who turned serious.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Currently, I''m the only one who knows about the secret of the Potion you drank to get cured¡­" Vincent paused as he looked at Ignacy¡­


    Thetter seem to know what he was trying to say but remained silent.


    "That potion has Soul Awakening effects. It has a small chance of unlocking someone''s past life memories¡­ So I''m wondering if you managed to awaken yours."


    Vincent spoke as he gave Ignacy a bright smile. Thetter grinned as well but he didn''t reply¡­


    After a while, Ignacy gave him a hint¡­


    "I''m still me, Vincent. Don''t worry¡­ At the very least, I think I''ve gotten even stronger."


    Vincent wryly smiled after hearing this¡­


    It seems that he had really created a miraculous potion this time.


    Vincent then decided to ask a few more questions to Ignacy that were not rted to his secret. It is mostly rted to his experience with the Avatar and how to deal with them¡­


    Vincent also discovered that Ignacy knows about the Aether but he just didn''t know what it was called.


    Lastly, Vincent asked him about A''s condition. He retold what happened to her and this time, Ignacy frowned¡­


    "You''re telling me that A briefly transformed and looked like a Celestial Being? Not even some random Celestial but one that you''ve first contracted?"


    "Yes, Master¡­ I''ve been really curious about this but since I can''t understand what was happening, I decided to just keep silent about it. However, it''s always bothering me¡­ Do you have an idea, Master?"


    Vincent shared his trouble. There was no way he would forget what happened to A. Although he wasn''t showing it, he was always thinking about this incident as it wasn''t just too freaky but also feels like it was some sort of a key¡­


    He feels that if he learned more about this, he would be able to uncover a huge secret.


    "Hmm¡­ You also mentioned that this Celestial Being was suspected by the others to have perished¡­ However, it might just be a mistake ording to them¡­"


    "Yes, Master¡­"


    Although Vincent wasn''t hoping that he would really know what happened to A, he couldn''t help but look forward to his reply considering how he was pondering for quite some time.


    It means that he might have an idea but he wasn''t too sure or perhaps, he was trying to recall his past life memories!


    Vincent just made a guess but he was quite excited now.


    Ignacy looked into Vincent''s eyes as if thinking whether he should say what he knows about the situation.


    Vincent noticed this and immediately said¡­


    "Master, you can just tell me anything you know. Even if it''s just a guess¡­ I don''t mind even if it turned out to be incorrect after further research."


    "I understand¡­ However, can you tell me what the other Celestials said about this?"


    "I asked the others but they seem to be clueless¡­ Or perhaps, they weren''t allowed to tell me for some reason. You know the Celestials as well, Master. They weren''t allowed to tell certain things unless I''m the one who brought it up¡­ As for  the Celestial Being that was involved--I mean the one that A transformed for a brief moment, she hadn''t returned yet so I can''t ask her for now."


    Vincent exined.


    Ignacy sighed after hearing this as he decided to just say what he knows about this situation. In any case, he wasn''t even sure if his guess was right.


    "I''m not particrly sure about this, but I seem to have read a few records about Celestial Number 1¡­"


    "Eh? The strongest Celestial?" Vincent was shocked as he heard the Number.


    There was no information about this Celestial at all. Well, this Celestial might even be in the front line right now under the Overseer''s care so he may not meet her¡­


    Not even Luna, his highest-ranked Celestial, knows about her whereabouts. It is more appropriate to say that all the other Celestials hadn''t met any Celestial with a single digit yet.


    Currently, Vincent only knows the location of one single-digit Celestial. That is the Celestial Number 9 that should be at the Tudor Kingdom''s royal pce.


    Nevertheless, he was curious as to what Ignacy was about to say.


    "You''re correct, Vincent. The strongest Celestial. As far as I know, the Celestial Number One''s ability was cloning¡­"

 Chapter 474 New Celestials

    "Hmmm? Cloning?" Vincent repeated. He knows this word but he had never heard of any Mana Art or ability that is capable of doing this.


    "That''s right¡­ ording to what I''ve learned from Licht, the first Tower Lord, the Celestials have their own unique talent or ability. He mentioned that it was awakened thanks to the existence of Mana¡­ and the Number One Celestial was said to have the Cloning Ability¡­"


    Ignacy answered as he recalls the words of his Grandmaster.


    Vincent knows that the creator of the ck Tower was a legendary existence within the organization so he couldn''t help but be surprised after hearing his name.


    Anyway, he agreed with his words about the Celestials having unique skills.


    "That makes sense since all the Numbered Celestials I know seem to have special abilities. So you''re telling me that the strongest Celestial has a Cloning Ability? But why did you mention it? Is it rted to---"


    Vincent paused as he suddenly had a realization.


    ''This¡­ Is it possible that Tara and maybe even A were both clones?'' Vincent''s eyes went wide after reaching this thought¡­


    For sure, his Master Ignacy thought of this as well.


    Perhaps, Tara did really die ording to the other Numbered Celestials¡­ They may not have seen it wrongly during the First Rapture.


    Furthermore, A''s case may not be some sort of disease but there was just a problem with the cloning ability because she had almost died inside the Vermillion Hawk!


    "Master, do you know how this cloning ability works?" Vincent immediately asked.


    "I''m not sure as well. However, since this is the ability of the first Celestial, it wouldn''t be surprising that it''s very unusual. Calling it cloning may even be an understatement to her ability¡­" Ignacy said.


    Vincent can agree to this since if it is really Cloning Ability, he would certainly be surprised that each clone could have their own life or identity¡­


    One clone became Tara the Number 999 Celestial and another one became A, the Magician capable of remaking his System Enhancement. It''s more than just cloning!


    "Ugh¡­ No wonder you''re hesitating to tell me this¡­ This is just too unbelievable." Vincent muttered.


    "I already told you that it might be wrong¡­ Anyway, the Celestial involved is probably returning now¡­"


    "Ahh? Can you sense an iing Celestial from afar?"


    "Yes¡­ I can sense nine Celestial Beings rushing to this city¡­ I''m not sure if they''re enemies¡­"


    Vincent raised his brow since Calidia wasn''t contacting him yet.


    Currently, the Kayser Tower has the best detection device in the city¡­ It can normally cover a 30-kilometer radius and can be extended depending on the energy fluctuations of the target they''re trying to sense¡­


    If the Tower hasn''t detected the Celestials yet, it means that Ignacy''s detection range is wider than theirs!


    "As expected of Master¡­ Let''s see if they''re enemies or not¡­"


    Vincent said as he informed the Celestial Beings to gather¡­ After all, if the nine iing Celestials are enemies, they have to be ready to fight against them.


    Soon, the 17 Celestial Beings arrived at the southern gate where Vincent asked them to gather.


    Vincent and Ignacy also arrived there in time as he looked at the Celestials with proud eyes¡­ These Celestials Beings really ease his heart as he knows that they will be able to protect the city even if he decided to visit the Star Garden Peak¡­


    "Sir Vincent¡­ Are we waiting for an enemy?" Luna asked as she approached Vincent.


    "I''m not sure. However, Master Ignacy felt the presence of Celestials going in this direction¡­ They should be here in a few minutes if they continue with their speed.


    "Ohh?" Luna couldn''t help but look at Ignacy. She knows that this person is Vincent''s Master. She was the one who examined his body and learned about the seal in his soul after all.


    "That''s right¡­ I sensed nine of them, Celestial Luna. Vincent told me that you''re the one who diagnosed my condition perfectly. Thank you for your assistance, this is just a small gift from me. I hope you can ept it." Ignacy added as he handed a jade amulet to Luna.


    Thetter didn''t ept it and looked at Vincent first.


    After thetter nodded, Luna epted it with both hands and thanked Ignacy.


    "Thank you. I don''t have the skill to appraise it but I can tell that it has some protection magic in it. Sir Vincent, can you appraise it for me?" Luna asked.


    "Ahh¡­ I got a simr amulet as well. It has the ability to protect you from a sure-death attack or at least an attack that can cease your life. Keep it." Vincent answered.


    He may have stated it in a simple manner but the truth is much moreplicated. This amulet actually controls space.


    When your life is in danger, the amulet will put you in another dimension for a brief moment to avoid a disaster. Once you''re in the other dimension, you will still be able to see what was happening outside¡­ During this time, you can prepare any magic or weapon until the time runs out and return to the original dimension¡­


    From the outsider''s perspective, your body will appear as if you''ve turned illusory and invincible but in truth, you''re already in another dimension and only left an afterimage¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, Ignacy can''t indefinitely make this amulet as well. After all, its base material is called Torrential Sage Jade and it''s a very rare type of jade¡­


    They were mostly used by rich people as an ornament since it has no other known usage but in Ignacy''s hands, who had mastered the Space Element, it can be a life-saving treasure that many people would covet.


    "Ohhh¡­ I can sense them now¡­" Rem suddenly spoke as she looked ahead of them.


    Luna also concentrated as she gave a rare smile.


    "It''s not enemies, Sir Vincent. They''re Number 778''s team¡­ Hmm¡­ So they managed to recruit six Celestials this time. It''s not bad considering they went to the desert."


    "Really? The desert should be in the western region¡­ They really went so far, huh."


    "Yes¡­ It seems that they also recruit a very strong Celestial." Luna added as her face suddenly turned serious.


    "Is she higher ranked than you?" Vincent curiously asked.


    Number 778 is the strongest in her three-man team so it was quite surprising that they managed to recruit a two-digit Celestial.


    Even Luna and Rem only recruited Number 442 after some difficulty.


    "Hmm¡­ Probably¡­ The other exnation is that she may have recovered 80% or 90% of her Celestial Energy." Luna answered.


    After a few more minutes, Number 778''s team finally arrived in front of the southern gate. The guards have already been informed so they immediately opened the gate after noticing their presence.


    Above the city wall, Vincent saw Number 778 speak to the Celestial Being that is giving him under some pressure... This must be the Celestial that Luna was wary of.


    "Do you know her?" Vincent softly asked.


    "Yes¡­ She''s Number 18¡­" Luna answered and as soon as she said this, the other Celestials couldn''t help but be surprised.


    "That''s Number 18? I heard that during the First Rapture, she managed to kill a guardian¡­ Awesome! She''s a very strong ally, Vincent." Rem suddenly said which surprised the other Celestials.


    Normally, they are restricted to say anything rted to the First and Second Rapture unless the person they were speaking to has started it. They can only confirm whether it is true or false and add a few details.


    "The restriction doesn''t work on you?" The newly recruited Celestials asked in surprise.


    This time, however, it was Luna who answered them.


    "The restriction will be gone if you continuously consume the serum that Vincent has been giving you. It will probably take a few months¡­"


    "Ahh? Is there something like that?"


    Not only the Celestials but Vincent was also surprised upon hearing that. The newly recruited Celestials then looked at Vincent like he was some sort of angel.


    "Yes, I didn''t mention it before since it doesn''t seem to matter to you anyway..." Luna answered.


    Vincent could only nod to this¡­ Well, he wasn''t really asking the Celestials about the aftereffects of the potions he''s giving to them.


    "We''ve returned, Sir Vincent."


    Number 778 said as she approached Vincent''s group.


    Number 815 and 833 was beside her and seem very proud of their aplishment.


    Well, they managed to invite a high-ranking Celestial after all.


    Vincent even wanted to ask how they recruited her¡­ He was curious whether they killed her Contractor or just persuaded her¡­


    ? ''I''ll know it after asking the Celestial herself¡­ I should be patient¡­'' Vincent reminded himself.


    "Ehem¡­ You did well¡­ I heard that you even went to the desert to recruit them¡­ If you have any requests just tell me."


    "Those serums, Sir Vincent. We don''t need anything aside from those serums."


    "They''re potions¡­ But alright, I''ll give you plenty of them¡­ For now, can you introduce these Celestials to us?"


    Vincent asked as he looked at Number 18¡­


    She has a strong aura around her and unlike the feminine and dangerously beautiful appearance of the Celestials, this woman appears more like a warrior, especially in the way she wears an adventurer''s armor.

 Chapter 475 Numbered Celestials

    Number 778 introduced everyone as Vincent learned that aside from Number 18, they also recruited two more Numbered Celestials.


    They are Numbers 105 and 115!


    These two were also wearing identical armor so they were perhaps together before they were recruited by Number 778''s team.


    "Impressive¡­ How did you guys recruit them?" Vincent could no longer wait as he curiously asked. They are certainly better recruiters than Luna and Rem!


    "Huh? We killed their Contractors as you''ve instructed¡­" Number 778 replied matter of factly.


    "Aahhh¡­" Vincent gave an awkward smile after hearing her answer. He indeed told them to do that as he was desperate to have more Celestials in his city.


    After all, he clearly knows that contracted Mana Practitioners wouldn''t give up their Celestials as it is something that can protect their lives. He also learned how effective this method was from Joran.


    Nevertheless, it is still quite surprising that they managed to do that considering they were on the weaker side based on their ranking.


    "You guys are skilled¡­" Vincent muttered. He wasn''t sure how they did it but without certain skills, they would probably fail to recruit Celestials that were higher ranked than them.


    "Hmm? The three of us specialize in assassination techniques... Did you not know?" Number 778 asked as she looked at Vincent. She realized that this young man wasn''t aware of their special abilities.


    ''How would I know that?!'' Vincent replied in his mind as he didn''t expect that these three were so reliable.


    "Great! If you''re that skilled I guess I should make a special division for you¡­" Vincent replied.


    "Oh¡­ A division made up of assassins¡­ I didn''t think that my disciple would be this decisive." Ignacy said on the side as he realized that Vincent didn''t even take that much time to consider making a new division.


    It means that he has already been thinking about it and decided to implement it immediately as soon as he heard about the skills of the three Celestials.


    "Ahhh¡­ I think that it was necessary to use their skills efficiently. Ehem, I''m nning to have a chat with the new Celestials in my residence¡­ Master, do you have other ns?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes, I''m nning to visit L in her city today¡­ It''s been a while since I met her. You also mentioned that they opened a trade route with the Sea Race¡­ I want to see it myself."


    Ignacy replied after thinking for a moment.


    "I understand¡­ Right, if you don''t mind¡­ Please give this to Senior Sister, Master. She previously requested a potion. I''m nning to give it to her once she visited me again but it seems that it''s difficult for her to leave the city these days."


    Vincent said as he handed over a vial of potion. It seems like it contains caramel in it but it''s a peak-grade potion that not many people could easily see.


    Ignacy was shocked to see a top-quality potion that Vincent just pulled out carelessly. Although he hadn''t appraised the potion yet, he knows that it was definitely a high-grade or even a peak-grade potion!


    As soon as he received the potion, he felt that he had already seen this before as he swiftly appraised it and confirmed that it was a Peak-Grade¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Its name and other details weren''t shown in his appraisal¡­


    Since it''s a peak grade, it would take him quite some time to fully appraise it since unlike Vincent, he doesn''t have a system that can help him to inspect items so easily. He didn''t continue with his appraisal and asked Vincent.


    "It feels very familiar¡­ Ahhh. Is this the Unending Blossoms?" Ignacy suddenly recalled.


    "Yes, Master¡­ I think that Senior Sister found a partner¡­" Vincent muttered softly as he saw Ignacy keep the potion inside his robe''s inner pocket.


    "I see¡­ She wanted to keep her youth, huh¡­ That wasn''t surprising. Do you know her real age?" Ignacy suddenly asked.


    Vincent just shook his head after hearing this. Although he didn''t ask L, he knows that someone who had so much knowledge, especially in Formation Arts, wouldn''t be so young.


    This is one of the most difficult professions as a Mana Practitioner after all. A few decades of study wouldn''t be enough to be an expert in it¡­


    "Haha¡­ Then I guess it wouldn''t do well if I tell you. Alright, go ahead and finish your business with the Celestials. I will be moving as well. If you have questions about the blueprint, just use themunication crystal."


    "Yes, Master."


    Vincent replied with an awkward smile as he left with the new Celestials brought by Number 778''s team¡­


    As for Luna and Rem, he decided to keep them by his side and let the others return to their position.


    Inside his residence, he discussed a few things with the Celestials and confirmed that he will provide them with potions¡­


    Because of the nature of his potion production, he couldn''t help but reveal his "gift" that allows him to modify potions. They were instantly relieved by this since they were actually worried that Vincent had taken too many Celestials and he won''t be able to support the newer ones.


    After this, the contract process came smoothly as they swore their loyalty to Vincent¡­


    Just like what he did before with the new recruits, he asked them about their understanding of the current situation of the continent. He also asked them whether they met other aliens like demihumans, Xonid Creatures, and others¡­


    He also asked them about their impression of the Overseer.


    This discussion took almost two hours since he knows how important it is to have information¡­


    "Lastly, may I know if anyone of you encountered the Magic God''s Avatar?" Vincent asked.


    Although he already has a rough idea about the strength of the Avatar through Ignacy''s recollection of the event when he was attacked in the First Tower, learning more of it from a different person''s perspective is not a bad idea.


    "I''ve fought against one of them once¡­" Suddenly, Number 18 answered surprising even Number 778 who had recruited her.

 Chapter 476 Sentient

    Vincent looked at Number 18. She appears like a warrior and has short blonde hair tied neatly to show her attractive face.


    Her leather armor and equipment were quite old¡­ Needless to say, she doesn''t have a Source Cube or Celestial Armor, and even a Celestial Weapon.


    "Ehem¡­ Can you tell me what happened, Number 18? Ahh, before that, do you have a name?" Vincent asked.


    As much as possible, he wanted to call their names instead of the number marked on their bodies. Anyway, he can faintly see the number "18" on the left side of her neck and it is strangely attractive to see¡­ Aside from her, the other Celestials seem to have their marks hidden by their clothes.


    "I was previously called Agatha¡­" The Celestial replied with a smile. She liked how Vincent wanted to call her by her name instead of her number.


    She immediately had a good impression of him.


    "Agatha¡­ It''s a good name. Can you tell me what happened with your encounter with the Avatar?"


    "Yes, it happened only two months ago near the 15th Tower¡­ Have you seen the Mana Cmity surrounding that Tower before?" She asked.


    "Yes¡­ That was quite some time ago¡­ I thought it has already disappeared earlier than that." Vincent was confused.


    He indeed went to the 15th Tower before but quite some time had already passed since then.


    "It seems that they were able to trigger this Mana Cmity a few more times¡­ I''m not sure how they wanted to use it so I got curious that time and saw the Avatar bathing on the Mana Cmity above the 15th Tower." Agatha exined.


    "What? The Avatar was at the top of the Tower surrounded by the Mana Cmity?" Vincent asked.


    Bathing might be an exaggeration but it means that the Avatar''s body can actually survive while inside the Mana Cmity¡­ That is an incredible feat since he knows how chaotic and destructive the Mana Cmity was at that time.


    "Yes¡­ However, I''m not sure whether it''s trying to control it or perhaps, it was trying to strengthen himself with the cmity¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ No wonder why it was so strong ording to Master¡­ Anyway, do you think it''s really using Mana and not Aether?" Vincent asked.


    This is what he truly wanted to know. After all, if the Avatar is using Aether, then he might have to consider changing his set of items when dealing with that being.


    "It''s both¡­ It can use both Mana and Aether¡­ However, although it can wield mana, it doesn''t seem to be able to store it inside its body." Agatha replied.


    "No wonder Master Ignacy couldn''t properly appraise or inspect the Avatar''s physique¡­ So it can only control external Mana and there is no mana inside its body¡­" Vincent softly muttered as he finally discovered a crucial thing about the Avatar.


    He then asked about its appearance and it was simr to what he have seen using Brycen''s observation tool.


    The Avatar has a body of a man that seems to be made of iron and has a blindfold on his eyes.


    Well, the blindfold was really what instilled his appearance into Vincent''s mind since it does seem intimidating.


    "Are you nning to fight against the ck Magic Organization?" Agatha asked.


    This seems to be the concern of the new Celestials as well.


    Vincent noticed this in their eyes so he immediately answered¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Even if I have to fight the Avatar, we won''t lose¡­ I''m not just relying on Master Ignacy or you guys¡­ I also have a few tricks in my sleeves¡­" Vincent confidently said.


    "Hmmm? Even if I have a Celestial Armor and Celestial Weapon, I won''t be confident fighting against the being alone." Agatha spoke as if she was trying to probe Vincent''s limits.


    She couldn''t help but doubt Vincent''s words after all.


    Normally, she would feel the strong Mana Fluctuation of a powerful Mana Practitioner. She will be able to tell how good they were just with this fluctuation.


    However, Vincent is barely emitting some Mana Fluctuations¡­ No, it doesn''t even seem like Mana at all. It feels very familiar¡­


    ''Wait¡­ What''s going on?'' Now that Agatha tried to observe Vincent closely, she noticed something inconceivable.


    "V-vincent¡­ You aura¡­ You''re not a Mana Practitioner?" Agatha suddenly asked which alerted the other Celestials.


    They were too focused on the Serums given to them that they failed to notice Vincent''s abnormal body¡­


    "Celestial Energy? No¡­ It seems to be mutated¡­"


    "T-that''s true¡­"


    Numbers 105 and 115 muttered after sensing Vincent''s abnormality.


    The others also realized it as they couldn''t help but give Vincent a questioning look.


    "Don''t worry¡­ This is just one of my secrets¡­ Look."


    As Vincent said this, he activated the Source Cube hidden inside his clothes and covered himself with the Celestial Armor¡­


    "You can use it? So it''s really Celestial Energy¡­ No, a variant¡­" Number 105 said as everyone here knows that only members of the Celestial Race can use that armor, or at the very least, someone who can imitate their Celestial Energy.


    Vincent is obviously not a Celestial Being so it only means that his energy is really a variant of their Celestial Energy¡­


    With this in mind, they were no longer surprised that he was able to create the serum or potion that can recover their strength.


    "Well, it''s not a perfect Celestial Energy¡­ I call it Pseudo-Celestial Energy. It allows me to use the Armor but unlike the member of your race, I can only use it for a limited time." Vincent replied as he deactivated the armor and turned it into the Source Cube.


    However, Vincent forgot to order it to just hide as it floated beside him and even spoke out loud to everyone¡­


    [ I can use my own Energy to extend your current usage, Owner. You don''t have to use your Pseudo-Celestial Energy all the time. ]


    As soon as it spoke, all the Celestials were stunned and some of them even rubbed their eyes to see whether they are hallucinating.


    "I-it can speak? I don''t remember that it has that kind of function, though¡­" Lunamented as she looked at the other Celestials to confirm that she had heard and seen things correctly.


    They also couldn''t believe it so they immediately interrogated Vincent.

 Chapter 477 Armory

    "Ugh¡­ You don''t have to speak now¡­ Return here¡­" Vincent awkwardly smiled after he heard the Source Cube speak. He swiftly ced it inside his System''s inventory space as it disappeared from the Celestial''s senses¡­


    Vincent already knows that he will be questioned by the Celestials so he wanted to think of an excuse. He can''t reveal that limit of his skills after all.


    "What''s this? Did you give life to it?" Rem asked jokingly. However, it actually made some sense considering they are in a world filled with mysteries.


    Furthermore, they were already informed that Vincent had some sort of blessings that he received from a Deity.


    "Did you install artificial intelligence? Is that possible? Where did you even put it?" Luna followed up as she looked at Vincent with passionate eyes.


    "It''s not like that¡­ Well, it might be¡­ But it''s not really important, I need you guys to get your weapons in the armory. Since most of you don''t have Celestial Weapons and Armor, you all need to have better items. Take whatever suited your taste¡­ If possible, I want you all to have a pistol as well."


    "Pistol? You''ve made one?" Agatha asked.


    "Yes¡­ There''s a rifle as well but it''s still in the trial period since it can''t handle prolonged bursts¡­ Anyway, hurry up¡­ I will give you an assignmentter on. For now, just familiarize yourself with the city."


    Vincent said as he heaved a sigh of relief after sessfully changing the topic. He doesn''t really want to discuss his Awakening Skill. He wanted to at least keep it a mystery to them.


    "Alright, let me lead you all to the armory¡­" Luna noticed that Vincent wanted to keep his secret so she urged the Celestials to follow her.


    ***


    After passing through the barracks and meeting a few Magic Knights along the way, the group of Celestials safely entered the armory.


    There were several shelves inside filled with weapons and pieces of equipment.


    Furthermore, they were all top-quality items!


    If not for the Formation Art restricting the aura of the weapons, it will certainly create a disturbance and everyone within a hundred miles will notice it.


    "The Epic Grade items are on the leftmost shelf to the middle. The remaining ones have Pseudo-Legendary Grade items and there is one shelf with Legendary Items. If you think they''re suited to your fighting style, you can take one of them." Luna dered as she showed the Armory to the new Celestials.


    "We can even take Legendary Items? Did you guys excavate a dungeon filled with treasures?" One of the Celestials asked.


    "It''s not like that¡­ Vincent has his own way of obtaining items. You will learn more about this if you stay closer to him." Luna replied.


    "I didn''t expect that Vincent would be this rich¡­" Agatha muttered as she looked around.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She also noticed that the items weren''t too eye-catching. If they also suppressed the items'' aura, these weapons would seem normal to the public''s eyes. She liked this kind of style since she doesn''t want to appear too conspicuous.


    "This is impressive¡­ I''ve contracted with a powerful Hunter Group with centuries of history but they weren''t even able to collect this much wealth." Number 105 added as she approached the nearest shelf.


    The shelves containing Epic-Grade Items were filled without any spaces in between as if someone was always filling them up if one was taken.


    There were swords, des, spears, shields, and even pieces of equipment like bracers, shoulder guards, chest tes, and helmets.


    "You don''t need to be shy and take what you need. Sir Vincent is richer than you thought¡­" Luna added as she had already seen Vincent use his modification ability.


    She was previously ordered to deliver things from Beacon Magic Store to Vincent''s workshop. Then, he wouldter return these things to her and send them back to the Store. This time, however, things were already in a higher-quality form¡­ She may not have seen it personally, but she knows how efficient Vincent was in terms of upgrading these items.


    Anyway, she had a simr reaction when she first saw this armory. Even if their Celestial Weapon and Armor are quite superior to these weapons in terms of durability and destructive power, the items within this ce are still more convenient¡­


    After all, the items have various skills that Celestials like them can trigger as expected of Epic Grade weapons. It was quite fun checking them. They contain fantastic elemental skills and some of them have convenient skills like weight overload, float, cleanse, corrosion resistance, and other skills that make them a very convenient weapon.


    Well, umon-rank items, or perhaps even rare items, couldn''t handle their Celestial Energy and can be easily destroyed if they weren''t careful. Only Unique-Grade items and above can somewhat handle their energy and would at least not be destroyed as quickly as umon items.


    This is why they couldn''t help but be happy to get several high-grade items with them¡­


    "Finally, I can rece my rapier¡­" Number 115 muttered as she tried looking around at Epic-Grade items'' shelves. The others also started walking around to look for their weapons.


    Number 115 first looked at the shelf containing Legendary Items, but unfortunately, there are no swords or des there¡­


    As she checked the shelves with Pseudo-Legendary items, she noticed that all the swords were too thick¡­ They were broadswords or double-handed swords which does not fit herbat style.


    These kinds of swords weren''t popr so she could understand why they were left on the shelves. Of course, a rapier is also quite unpopr and the reason why there weren''t any Pseudo-Legendary of this kind was most likely because they were too unconventional¡­


    "Eh?"


    As she was looking for a piercing sword, she suddenly noticed a wooden sword in the row of Epic-Grade items¡­


    She looked around again and confirmed that there is only one wooden sword there. It was obviously ignored by other Celestials who are also looking for their weapon.


    However, for some reason, she felt attracted to this ck wooden sword and decided to pick it up.

 Chapter 478 Suspicious Item

    "Hmmm¡­ What kind of wooden sword is this? It''s included in the Epic-Grade Shelf so this should be good, right?" Number 115 muttered as she looked at the small card ced beside the wooden sword.


    It seems that Vincent hired an appraiser to inspect all these items and leave a detailed specification list for the people who would soon enter the armory.


    [ Arcane-Forged Ebony Sword ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 8/10


    Durability: 690/690


    Sword Insight: 800


    Description: A sword forged by Master cksmith. Any sword practitioner who uses this sword has a very high chance of gaining enlightenment. It can also trigger Sword Trance once you''ve used the sword for a certain amount of time. ]


    [ Special Ability:


    Self-Repair: Pouring your energy into the sword can trigger its self-repair function. You must be out of the battle for some time for this to take effect. ]


    Since it was rewritten from the System''s appraisal result, it was quite different from the system''s temte of appraisal.


    Number 115''s eyes lit up as soon as she read the description of the item¡­


    ''It''s so incredible? And what''s with the enhancement number? Does it mean it has been strengthened eight times? How is that done anyway?'' Number 115 mused as she also looked at the next time beside the wooden sword.


    She noticed that there were also a number of enhancements to them which she didn''t notice earlier. Well, she focused on the item itself instead of its descriptions after all.


    Suddenly, she heard the Celestials beside her.


    "Ohhh¡­ They all have unique attributes and most of them have incredible skills."


    "Do they have Grandmaster-level Magic Craftsman in this city?"


    "That would make sense¡­ These items don''t seem to be artifacts excavated from ancient ruins. It feels like they were all made by a magic craftsman of modern times."


    The Celestials started voicing out their opinions as they observed more and more items on the shelves.


    "You''re right¡­ All these items weren''t found in the dungeons¡­ They were items that have been enhanced as you can see on their descriptions¡­"


    As soon as Luna revealed it, everyone sighed in admiration¡­ They now understand the meaning behind the Enhancement Number.


    While the other Celestials were still looking around to find the best item for them, Number 115 held the ck wooden sword and gave it a few swings.


    It wasn''t as light as he expected and it feels like it was made of steel instead of wood. Furthermore, its durability isn''t that bad at all. She just checked a few swords and their durability was just slightly higher.


    There was even Iron Turtle Shield with only 800 Durability points which isn''t that different from the wooden sword with 690 points and Self-Repair function.


    "This might be better than a normal rapier¡­ I''ll hold it for now. If I can''t find something better, I''ll take this instead." Number 115 said as she held the sword and searched for another weapon that she might like¡­ Although the ebony is really good, it seems that it''s more like a training sword¡­


    With the Sword Insight attribute effect, it will easily improve her sword skills, and if they all started training with it, wouldn''t they all get better with the sword?


    However, instead of finding a better weapon, she found a ne instead.


    It''s a Pseudo-Legendary Ne that has a sword-rted effect!<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ Soul-Forged Protector''s Ne ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 550/550


    Sword Aura: 600


    Agility: 550


    Tranquility: 350


    Description: A special ne that can assist Sword Practitioners with its two Special Abilities. It also has a small amount of Sword Aura that can help the user''s sword proficiency. It also provides an incredible boost to the wearer''s Agility and with Tranquility, you can resist panic, fear, and even mind-control magic. ]


    [ Special Abilities:


    Soul Manifestation: In exchange for a small amount of Mana or even Aura, you can give strength to the soul living inside the ne and summon it to fight for you.


    Sword Protection: A passive ability that allows you to sense any killing intent aimed at the wearer especially if the enemies are sword users. It can trigger a defensive aura to slow down or even stop any ambush. ]


    [ Remarks 1: Do not rely too much on the Sword Protection since it''s not super strong.


    [ Remarks 2: You can also try to use Soul Manifestation even if you''re not Mana or Soul Practitioner. Other forms of energy might work as well as long as you can strengthen the tiny soul on the ne. ]


    ''Whoever the appraiser was, they did a good job noting everything. They even gave some remarks about the skill¡­ I want to try it.'' Number 115 mused as she decided to take the ne and the ebony sword to the testing ground¡­


    The ne truly deserved to be called a Pseudo-Legendary Item.


    Before she left the armory, she noticed that more and more Celestials are leaving as they also started trying their weapons.


    She looked around for a moment and found Number 105 who was still lingering around even though there was already a sword in her hands.


    "Lucia, are you not done yet?"


    "Aahh! You surprised me, Katea. I''m still checking the Legendary Items¡­ Although I don''t have the n to take one of them, it''s quite entertaining reading their descriptions."


    Lucia is Celestial Number 105 while Katea was Number 115.


    They were used to this name as they''d already been using it for several decades. They were previously working with a Hunter Group and were guarding two dungeons upied by the group. Their work there is to either stop any intruders from entering the dungeon or to cut down the number of dungeon creatures from time to time.


    As their contracted Mana Practitioner is already getting old, they were nning to switch to a young and powerful practitioner¡­ So when Number 778''s team assassinated their contractors, they weren''t too inclined to join them after being recruited.


    They were thinking of finding a better contractor themselves. As for taking revenge, they didn''t think of that at all, since the people they contracted weren''t good either.


    Anyway, after seeing the serum and meeting Vincent, they realized that they have truly made the right decision.


    "Alright¡­ Which one of them took your interest?" Katea asked as she joined Lucia. Anyway, they weren''t in a hurry.


    "Here it is, look¡­" Lucia pointed at the item that was at the bottommost row of the shelf.


    The legendary items in this row are all unusual things. There''s a whip, a badly designed book, a w of some creature, a sapling on a pot, and the one Lucia just pointed, a very suspicious codpiece¡­

 Chapter 479 The Pot

    "What''s this? A codpiece is a legendary item?" Katea couldn''t help but be surprised after seeing the item on the shelf that supposedly contains legendary-grade items¡­


    It''s not that she was looking down on this item, she was just expecting that items with this grade would be simr to the Holy Light Sword, Incarnation Staff of Malice, Moonlight Vanquisher Dagger, Champion''s Axe, and World Crusher Gauntlet to name a few.


    These are famous Legendary items that she heard from the Hunter Organization. She even had a chance of seeing the gauntlet called World Crusher that was being used by a Paragon from the Martial Arts Alliance.


    "Isn''t it interesting? We only know famous legendary items¡­ Anyway, it''s not as terrible as you think¡­ Read its description." Lucia urged Katea as thetter checked the specification sheet beside the codpiece.


    [ Mourning Skull Codpiece ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 900/1,000


    Charm: 400


    Description: A Rare Grade Codpiece that has ascended to reach the realm of Legendary. It is made of Supreme Arcane Alloy and Mourning Demon Skull. ]


    [ Special Ability:


    Death Eye: A passive ability that shoots a deadly ray of light to anyone who stares at the codpiece for at least 5 seconds while it is worn.


    Damage Reflect: A passive ability that reflects 400% of damage taken into the attacker.


    Fierce Will: In exchange for 100 Durability Points, the user would be invincible for 2 seconds. ]


    As soon as Katea finished reading, she felt impressed and even had the urge to use it.


    As expected of a Legendary Item, it truly deserves its grade.


    Thest ability that allows the user to be invincible for 2 seconds is quite incredible. Although it''s only 2 seconds, young can''t underestimate it. For Celestials like them, being invincible for 2 seconds would allow them to be bold and help them win critical battles.


    She also didn''t doubt this ability''s effectiveness since she could sense the mysterious power hidden inside the codpiece.


    The demon skull on it was also giving her a chilling vibe so she knows that it is highly possible that it was really from the demon race.


    "It''s amazing¡­ Although I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to use this codpiece, this is still quite interesting. It''s good to know that items like this exist¡­ Especially this skill called Fierce Will¡­" Katea muttered. Now that she knows that there is this kind of skill, she wouldn''t be too surprised if she fought against someone with such a unique ability.


    "That''s right¡­ It broadens our horizons as well. Look, the durability is now only 900 points instead of 1,000¡­ I guess someone tried using the Fierce Will¡­" Lucia added.


    She couldn''t help but imagine Vincent using this Codpiece¡­


    Ehem, anyway, she was also curious about the 400 points in charm but she decided not to question it. She doesn''t know how would that help her inbat and felt that it was quite useless.


    "It''s too bad that all these legendary weapons are a bit too unconventional¡­ I don''t use a whip or a scythe¡­ The staff is also made of mucus of some sort¡­" Katea said as she nced at the items on this shelf.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She''s already quite satisfied with the Ebony Sword and didn''t find a better recement even among the Legendary Items.


    "That''s true¡­ But you should look at this sapling¡­ How did they even get this kind of nt? Did they really discover a Guardian''s Dungeon?" Lucia said referring to the Deities as Guardians.


    "Hmm? This one? Let me see¡­" Katea said as she looked at the inconspicuous sapling on a tiny pot.


    As soon as she read the written note beside it, her eyes went wide in shock.


    [ Mysterious Sapling ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Description: A small sapling connected to the Tree of Faith. ]


    [ Remarks 1: It has an unknown use. Information about this sapling is vague and can''t be fully inspected by our current Appraisal Skill. ]


    [ Remarks 2: It might grow some fruit someday once it grows big. The fruit it can bear is very beneficial to one''s physique ]


    [ Remarks 3: Anyone can try to take care of it if you think that you can make it grow. ]


    The note is quite simple and missing a lot of information. Nevertheless, the remarks on it made sense to them since this sapling is indeed unusual.


    Well, the two Numbered Celestials have heard about this from the Hunter Group they previously belong to.


    "How can they have something that''s rted to the Tree of Faith?" Katea asked in surprise.


    "Right? This is awesome¡­ We know how to make this grow so I''m thinking of taking it. What do you think? Should we tell Vincent the real purpose of this sapling?" Lucia asked. She can certainly benefit from this thing but she would feel guilty if she didn''t inform Vincent how valuable it was.


    This sapling is indeed from the Tree of Faith. Specifically, it came from the seed or perhaps the essence of the fruit they''ve eaten.


    It must be remembered that Krusk had taken a few fruits from the Tree of Faith before¡­ This fruit didn''t just affect everyone''s Mana Cultivation but also their physique.


    The sapling they have in the armory is just one of them. There are several more in Vincent''s garden and being taken care of by the Followers of Qheglena who would visit the ce from time to time.


    "We should probably inform Vincent¡­ From the looks of it, this isn''t just the only sapling he has¡­" Katea answered after thinking for a moment.


    The reason Lucia was hesitating to inform Vincent is that this sapling is only enough to supply the two of them with power. If they mentioned it to Vincent and it was taken from them, they might regret informing him instead¡­


    "Well, I hope he has more of these¡­"


    With this in mind, Lucia took the small pot with her.


    They didn''t immediately go to Vincent''s residence but decided to test their new weapons. Well, they weren''t in a hurry to give the good news to Vincent.

 Chapter 480 Transformation

    "Alright¡­ Now that we obtained Master Ignacy''s treasure, we can start our n to capture Beatrice¡­" Vincent spoke in front of hismunication crystal.


    He is currently in his residence and was nning to enhance a few potions that were delivered from the Beacon Magic Shop when Calidia made amunication request.


    Their previous n of capturing Beatrice was postponed because she will just escape from them using her Spatial Magic even if she got surrounded by every Celestial Being on his side. It would be futile and waste their opportunity so they decided to wait for Ignacy''s recovery.


    They were currently monitoring the werewolves'' hideout and if they failed to capture them, they may no longer find them again. After all, once the night came, they were like fish that were released into the water. They will move unimpeded and following them isn''t just difficult but also dangerous.


    Calidia heard Vincent''s affirmation and smiled.


    "Yes¡­ We obtained two Formation Cores and three Field Sealing Beads from your Master¡­ I think that this is more than enough."


    "Right, I haven''t appraised them yet but since he mentioned it''s enough, they should work just fine." Vincent replied.


    "Just in case, you still have to modify them, Sir Vincent."


    "Fine¡­ Fine¡­ Send them to me." Vincent agreed as that is indeed for the best.


    When he toured Ignacy inside the Tower a while ago, he also brought him to themand center where he met Calidia¡­


    During that time, Calidia reminded Vincent about their n to capture Beatrice and made sure that Ignacy heard it while she was speaking.


    Thanks to that, they didn''t even have to ask Ignacy to help them as he voluntarily gave the formation cores and beads from his interdimensional storage space.


    ording to his words, the Formation Core contains Slow Field.


    Vincent recalled in his Arcane Mysteries ss that this field may not stop Beatrice from using her Space-Type Movement Technique, but it will certainly slow her down from using it¡­


    During her casting sequence, the Celestials would be able to cancel her movement technique as long as they have a second or two to stop her.


    Well, the Slow Field Formation may sound so simple but the way it works is mind-boggling for Vincent since it doesn''t slow the targets within the field using some form of mana but it actually changes the field''s perception of space.


    The Formation Core affects the surrounding space and not the people themselves. In short, fighting inside this Slow Field will be a nightmare for the Werewolves.


    As for the Field Sealing Beads, he wasn''t really sure about this and Ignacy only mentioned that it can only target one person at a time¡­ During that time, it can stop not only teleportation but also other Mana Arts.


    "Lastly, I already drafted a n but since we have several more Celestials, would it be fine to use 10 of them?"


    "Hmm? Aren''t we just going to capture werewolves in their base?" Vincent asked.


    He felt that as long as they have the items that Ignacy had given to them, there was no way they would fail even if he just sends Grand Knights and Grand Magus to deal with the problem.


    He expected that the five Celestials in the original n were good enough.


    "We can''t just trust on our gathered information since we are only using the observer ward provided by Sir Brycen¡­ Although we can estimate that there are only 15 or so werewolves left, we might have missed something, or perhaps they were only making it appear that they were few to lure their enemies." Calidia exined.


    Vincent felt that she was overreacting a bit since he believes that if there are really more werewolves around this region, they would''ve joined the previous ambush they made.


    Nevertheless, he decided to agree to her suggestion so he can give the Celestials some meaningful tasks aside from lingering around the city.


    ***<novelnext></novelnext>


    On the next day, Vincent finished his daily routine in the morning and was about to enter his workshop¡­


    Knock! Knock!


    Visitors suddenly came and Vincent was a bit surprised to see the two Celestial Beings outside the door.


    "Good morning... How may I help you?" Vincent asked politely as he opened the door.


    Yesterday, he asked for the names of the Celestials so he should know the names of these two.


    But since they were quite new, Vincent couldn''t recall their names.


    "It''s about the sapling of the Tree of Faith in the armory."


    "I guess you can''t recall our names. I''m Number 105 and she''s Number 115¡­" Lucia said as she noticed Vincent''s trouble. She decided not to say their names.


    "R-right¡­ Of course, I remember you both. Anyway, get inside¡­" Vincent said as he opened the door for them to enter.


    He wanted to offer them some hot drinks in this cold weather but they both refused.


    In the end, he just brought them into the living room and asked about the sapling in her hands¡­


    "As you can see, we''ve brought it here." Katea said as she ced the pot on the tea table.


    Vincent mused for a moment and had an idea¡­ They''re certainly not here to ask him to appraise it or to ask how it can be used. After all, there is already a note on it about the limit of their investigations.


    "Do you know how to use it? Or perhaps, you know how to make it grow?" Vincent asked.


    He then noticed Lucia''s smile after hearing his question.


    "You''re quick¡­ That''s right. The two of us came from arge Hunter Group. It has a bit of history and they have various connections so we learned about the Tree of Faith¡­ If we grow this sapling sessfully, it will allow us, Celestials, to transform¡­"


    Lucia answered leaving Vincent speechless.


    After all, Lucia didn''t just say they''ll get stronger or they will recover their energy but they will actually transform?


    What kind of transformation is that?


    Vincent was curious and also shocked. This information doesn''t seem to bemon knowledge among the Celestials.


    If it was, Luna and the Celestial Beings who had joined his team earlier than these two should''ve noticed the sapling as well and taken an interest in it.


    However, he didn''t hear anything from them at all!


    After processing this in his mind, Vincent smiled and finally spoke with a hint of excitement in his voice.


    "Tell me more about it."

 Chapter 481 Agatha

    Before Lucia and Katea went to Vincent''s residence, Agatha noticed them walking in caution¡­


    It seems they were anxious and also excited to meet Vincent.


    ''Are they going to ask for an advance payment?'' Agatha mused¡­


    She had just consumed a bottle of golden healing potionst night and it was truly refreshing¡­ Well, it didn''t just contain healing attributes after all.


    The replenishment of Celestial Energy was fast, clean, and has better side effects on her body.


    It was so much better than refining blood essence to increase their Celestial Energy.


    She also heard from Luna that consuming the potion multiple times wouldn''t create some sort of antibodies in their system and will always be 100% efficacy.


    It was truly simr to their Mystic Link Serum. The only difference is that the serum they know is more potent and expensive.


    Today, she was tasked by someone in the Kayser Tower to visit theke and guard it¡­ She wasn''t sure why she has to guard it but she can only guess that there might be something valuable deep within theke or at least nearby.


    She then nced at the Tower for a moment and felt a mysterious power lingering around it¡­ It feels as if the Tower can observe everything that is happening within the city.


    Well, she wouldn''t doubt that since she knows that the current magic technology should be capable of doing that.


    "Ahhh¡­ Miss Celestial, are you going to theke right now?"


    A youngdy suddenly approached her as she realized that she was being too carefree. She actually didn''t notice her presence until she had gotten so near!


    ''Did I get sofortable after entering this city? That''s dangerous¡­'' Agatha thought as she made a quick check on thedy only to realize that she was quite strong!


    She had hidden it really well but she''s definitely a Grand Knight!


    It is a profession of Mana Practitioner that normally requires several decades of training before someone could achieve it.


    However, she can tell that she''s really just young ording to her bone age.


    ''A very talented human, huh¡­''


    "Hmm¡­ I''m going to theke. Is there a problem?" Agatha asked. Since she couldn''t feel any form of hostility, she decided to answer her question.


    "Well¡­ Last night, a few Celestials went to theke and disturb the one living there¡­ It caused quite amotion, especially to the nearby residences¡­ If possible, can you not practice any of your Martial Arts or techniques on theke?"


    Before Agatha can even answer, the youngdy continued.


    "Ahh! I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Millie, I''m a Grand Knight and part of Vincent''s Private Guards."


    "Millie¡­ Alright, I will remember that. But can you tell me who''s living near theke?" Agatha curiously asked. If it''s someone who can''t be offended, it''s better to know about it right now.


    After all, the Celestials didn''t receive some briefings or tours from the others. They really have to explore the city themselves to learn more about it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Of course¡­ There is a powerful beast inside theke¡­ However, he''s not a pet but Vincent''s ally instead¡­ I was told that they reached some sort of agreement so it will protect the city if it''s in danger."


    "Hmm? A Guardian Beast? I heard that somerge sects or noble ns have that sort of being living in their territory. I didn''t expect Vincent would have one. Is he part of a royal family?" Agatha couldn''t help but ask.


    Of course, Millie knows Vincent''s background since they were childhood friends so she immediately shook her head.


    "He didn''t mention anything to me but I''m sure he has many secrets. Alright, I''m also visiting theke so we can go together." Millie replied. She felt that she can''t just reveal Vincent''s secrets to her so she decided to vaguely answer.


    "I''ll follow you. Wait¡­ Is that a rifle? I heard that it was still in trial and only the pistols are avable." She asked while following Millie.


    She noticed that the weapon on Millie''s back wasn''t actually a sword but a rifle.


    "It is still in the trial period¡­ He mentioned that it was a bit too weak and may not prate a defensive-type Magic Beast''s Mana Barrier even after emptying a full round. I think that he''s nning to change the materials to make these¡­"


    "Incredible¡­ Did he find a blueprint in the dungeon to make these things?"


    "That seems to be the case, however, it doesn''t seem to have happened recently. Perhaps he found it when he was still in the Tudor Kingdom. Aaahh¡­ Look! He''s leaving¡­"


    Millie suddenly eximed at the end of her sentence as Agatha''s mouth went wide open after seeing the "Guardian Beast" that Millie told her just now.


    "I-is that the beast you mentioned?! Isn''t that a Mythical Beast?"


    What she was seeing right now is a huge River Dragon with shining blue scales.


    Although it was suppressing its innate beastly aura, she was able to sense it with her unique trait no matter how he hide it.


    "That''s correct, it''s a Mythical Beast¡­ The Celestials Beingsst night seem to have offended him so I''m nning to meet him to give him some gifts¡­ I guess I was toote¡­" Millie muttered as she saw the River Dragon leave the city¡­


    It is quite surprising since she knows that Krusk wouldn''t leave theke easily. The only time he would be considering leaving his territory is when he wants to transform into a human and walk around the streets to enjoy some delicious food or when Vincent requested him to do so.


    "What are your ns now?" Agatha asked as she looked at the dragon leave the city.


    "I''ll probably join the Beast Extermination Team to test this rifle in livebat¡­"


    Millie paused for a moment as she looked at Agatha''s questioning look.


    "Ah, it''s a team that will normally clear the path to Nidite City¡­ Although airships are avable, they are too expensive to operate so we normally use carriages tomute. We have to ensure that even if our transportation encounters Savage Beasts, there wouldn''t be too many of them." She immediately added after recalling that this Celestial had just arrived here and doesn''t know a lot of things.


    "I see¡­ I guess there are many things I don''t know¡­" Agatha muttered.


    After a while, the two of them separated as she went to thekeshore while Millie left to find the Extermination Team.


    Just fifteen minutes after they separated, she saw the dragon returning to theke and started looking at her with wariness.

 Chapter 482 Werewolves Slayer Squad

    "You look very young¡­ It''s my first time seeing a young Mythical Beast." Agatha muttered as the Dragon looked at her menacingly.


    It seems that it was trying to intimidate her but although she admits that the dragon is difficult to deal with, she knows that she wouldn''t be helpless against it especially now that she has two Pseudo-Legendary items in her body.


    Previously, she would always choose her opponent to ensure that her weapons wouldn''t break. Either because the enemy is too strong or her Celestial Energy will cause its durability to drop really low.


    However, with the high-grade items with her, she no longer has to worry about something like that. As long as she does proper maintenance and gets them checked by a Magic Craftsman, she shouldn''t worry about it anytime soon.


    Suddenly, the dragon tilted its head and started shrinking¡­


    Poof!


    In a few seconds, a human who seems to be twelve or thirteen appeared in front of her.


    "Have you seen my kind?" The young man asked as he started wearing clothes that has appeared out of nowhere.


    "Ohhh¡­ You can control your transformation. Interesting¡­ About your question, yes¡­ I''ve met three Mythical Beasts¡­ The one that should still be alive is a Fire Phoenix living in the mouth of a volcano¡­"


    "A Phoenix?"


    Krusk immediately searched his memories about the Phoenixes¡­ He may not have learned in school or read any books but he has the memories of his ancestor thanks to his bloodline¡­


    "Yes¡­ It''s a very old Mythical Beast¡­"


    "Wait¡­ How can you even tell our age?" Krusk suddenly asked with a frown.


    "It''s my unique ability." Agatha answered with a smile.


    "What? That''s already your unique ability? Isn''t that so pathetic? What use is that?" Krusk ridiculed her for a moment before recalling that it might be rude¡­


    "No¡­ That''s not what I meant¡­ I just thought that having an offensive or powerful unique ability is better." He added.


    "It''s alright¡­ In any case, you''re right¡­ Having a support-type unique ability isn''t helpful inbat but it can help me survive in many battles." Agatha added with a smile. She didn''t mind the way Krusk speak.


    Anyway, although her unique ability allows her to tell the age of someone near her, it wouldn''t just end with that¡­ If she continued using her ability, she would learn a lot more!


    "I see¡­ Then did that Phoenix also has a special mission?" Krusk asked.


    "Special mission?"


    "What I mean is a task that he needed to do¡­ A mission that was given to him to give meaning to his existence."


    Agatha''s eyes lit up after hearing this.


    "Oh¡­ So all of the Mythical Beasts have this kind of life mission¡­"


    "Yes¡­ Mine is rted to the Overseer¡­ Can you tell me the Phoenix''s mission?"


    "Overseer?" Agatha repeated as she even ignored his question.


    Krusk then exined his mission. Agatha listened attentively since it was certainly different for the Fire Phoenix.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Killing the Overseer will be difficult¡­ Although it seems that the Overseer is already corrupted, he didn''t get weaker but even got stronger¡­ It was as if it can control the corruption to its advantage instead of weakening him." Agatha replied.


    "Corruption? The one that can eat away a person''s Mana Source?"


    "Well¡­ Yes, the Corruption Energy can be used to do that¡­"


    "I see¡­ So it wasn''t the one that the strong members of the ck Magic Organization were using¡­"


    "Ahhh¡­ So you''ve met those people as well. What they were using is Aether and not Corruption Energy."


    The two of them chatted for quite a while. Krusk even filled her up about the Werewolves and a bit of history of this city¡­


    The two of them hit it off and even decided to eat together in their lunch¡­


    Vincent then saw them together when he was about to visit theke.


    A few hours ago, Krusk somehow sensed the Overseer and left theke in a hurry¡­ However, the Overseer''s presence immediately vanished when he was moving to the ce where he sensed it. He can only report it to Calidia and return to theke¡­


    Vincent wanted to ask for more details about it but by the time he finished his work, Krusk was already busy with his new friend.


    ''Since Krusk doesn''t appear too worried, I guess the Overseer just passed by¡­ But, is that reasonable?'' Vincent mused...


    ''Did I gather too many Celestials and the Overseer started noticing it?''


    In the end, Vincent can only remind everyone to tighten their security since they can still be targeted by the enemies.


    Two days had quickly passed and the Werewolf yer Squad was finally formed to kill, or possibly capture, Beatrice and the other werewolves.


    During these two days, they confirmed that their hideout was still the same and the number of werewolves was indeed 18¡­ At the very least, there were exactly 18 different werewolves who would move in and out of the cave¡­


    Because of this, they have decided to form a 30-man team.


    There were 10 Celestials Beings, 5 Grand Magus, 5 Grand Knights, and 10 Arch Knights.


    The group of Celestials was led by Luna and Agatha¡­ the other eight were unnumbered Celestials. The five Grand Magus were Patriarch Leon of the Zemin n, Archon Thyrus of the First Tower, Professor Levent of the Tower Academy, Brycen the Fourth Disciple, and Archon Iori of the 29th Tower.


    Iori was Abe''s subordinate who had previouslye to the city to take Ignacy with them and bring him to the Divine Doctor. Now that Ignacy was cured, they weren''t in a hurry to leave and decided to stay here for a while.


    As for the Grand Knights, they were Lar, Roy, and Terrence from the Followers of Qheglena.


    For the two other Grand Knights, Calidia was thinking of sending the two Sword Guardians from the Zemin n but Vincent requested to have Millie and Ceri take over the mission instead.


    Of course, Calidia didn''t question it and agreed immediately. Anyway, she had long seen how skillful these two young Grand Knights are.


    As soon as they left the city, it would take them several days to return so Vincent made sure he''d tighten the security¡­


    Unfortunately, just three days after the Werewolf yer Squad left, Vincent found himself in a predicament¡­


    Something went wrong with Lucia and Katea''s transformation!

 Chapter 483 Side Effect

    A few days ago when Number 105 and Number 115 visited Vincent, they convinced him to give the sapling to the two of them to confirm its effects.


    They said that they will volunteer themselves to ensure that whatever they heard in their previous Hunter Group was true¡­


    They will be the first ones to transform!


    They were willing to sacrifice themselves to learn the secrets of the Tree of Faith for the future of the Celestial Beings¡­


    Of course, Vincent didn''t buy that but he agreed to them anyway. After all, they were the ones who had discovered it and he doesn''t have ns to take it away from them.


    If it will strengthen them, it will also help him in many ways¡­


    Apparently, they mentioned that once they grow the nt for a little bit more and use its energy on their bodies, they would gain a stronger connection to the Tree of Faith and gain a miraculous transformation so they can start collecting energy from the sun!


    Although the Hunter Group''s leader didn''t specifically mention that it was for the Celestials, they know that it will also be effective for them.


    This is where the problem started.


    It must be remembered that when Vincent and his team visited the Krusk''s Dungeon, something happened to him and the Tree of Faith¡­


    He even called it Vera''s Last Gift to him. During that time, he thought that the Tree of Faith would suck himpletely and be a nutrient to the tree.


    He even used almost all of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to resist being part of the tree. However, during that time, he suddenly felt Vera''s presence around him and decided to just let the Tree of Faith take him¡­


    In the end, he realized that it was actually trying to connect with him and it requires a little bit of his energy¡­


    However, that little bit of energy took 500 units of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he was rmed and resisted in full force.


    Nevertheless, after clearing up the misunderstanding, he realized that something has changed in his Status.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 19 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 3,600/3,600 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv10, Item Ascension Lv10, Item Transcendence Lv7 ]


    [ System Feature: Advanced Item Appraisal, Auto Enhancement Mode, Auto Ascension Mode, Enhancement Eraser, Ascension Eraser, Learn Skill, 60-Slot Enhanced Inventory, Item Sense. ]


    [ Skills List ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Perfected ), Mana Drain ( Perfected ). Corrosive Mana ( Perfected )


    Tier 2 Mana Arts List: Mana Bullet ( Perfected ), Mana Distortion ( Advanced ), Guidance ( Advanced ), Silent Tracer ( Advanced ) ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement<novelnext></novelnext>


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Perfect Aura Resonance, Soul Forge, Soul Gaze, Aura Pulse ]


    [ Special Status: Blessed by the Deity of Mercy, Enlightened by the Deity of Spirits, Vessel of Faith ]


    This is Vincent''s current status result and it''s certainly a lot different thanks to the three special statuses he received.


    The impressive improvement in his Pseudo-Celestial Energy recovery rate and capacity was due to the Enlightenment he received from the Deity of Spirits.


    He received this status after activating the Enlightenment Stone that he had previously taken¡­ It was the item that has an "Ancient" grade which was together with the Destiny Charm and Arcane Orb. These three were items that he had taken from the Magic Beasts of this ce before he even built the city.


    Of course, he didn''t know how to use it before until he was blessed by Vera, the goddess of Mercy. Though he didn''t obtain the blessing of the deity of Spirits, he was at least enlightened and received an incredible boost in power and natural immunity against Spiritual Attack.


    Anyway, Vera''s blessing was rted to his eyes which gained some sort of mystical ability. Currently, he''s calling it Energy Sensitivity but it''s really just an effect of Vera''s Blessing.


    Finally, the Vessel of Faith, is obviously from the Tree of Faith. As for its purpose, he wasn''t really sure about it since he can''t even use his system to identify it.


    At the very least, ever since it appeared in his status, he was able to see the aura of humans.


    It is not the Aura used by Aura Knights or Soul Cultivator but if he would make a guess, it seems to be their faith¡­ to him¡­


    Yes¡­


    He was able to make this guess because the aura is stronger with those people closest to him and there is no aura like this when he looks at strangers.


    He further tested it with the newly recruited Celestials and he felt more inclined to believe this theory¡­ Of course, he also thought of this because of the name of the status itself.


    ''It should just be rted to faith¡­ Even if they use the power of the sapling, there shouldn''t be a huge problem¡­''


    This is what Vincent thought until he sensed his connection with the two Celestials after almost six days of their experiment¡­


    He had given Number 105 and Number 115 permission to use one of his rooms to conduct this experiment since aside from the Kayser Tower, this ce has the strongest defensive Formation Arts.


    Any changes that are happening here would be hardly detected by someone outside. Even if something went wrong with them, Vincent is confident that his residence wouldn''t be in huge trouble.


    Furthermore, his status as a Vessel of Faith allowed him to sense the changes of the two even if he is outside his residence¡­


    As soon as he entered, the two Celestials immediately pounced on him!


    He should be able to dodge them if they were enemies but there was no hostility from their movement so he missed the timing and failed to dodge.


    He felt the heating from their bodies as they hugged him tightly!


    Vincent was flustered as soon as this happened¡­


    "Lucia, Katea¡­ What''s going on?" Vincent asked in a hurry¡­


    Just what kind of transformation did they trigger?

 Chapter 484 Assimilation

    Vincent had a hard time dislodging himself from the two Celestials. Although they were only using their physical strength to clutch his body, he had to furiously revolve his Synthetic Celestial Core to untangle them.


    They seem to have gone out of their mind as he tried calling their names but they have no reaction whatsoever!


    "Hey! Wake up!"


    Vincent shouted. It was apanied by a wave of energy in an attempt of waking them up. Luckily, it was quite effective as they immediately woke up from their stupor¡­


    They felt somewhat ufortable as they immediately looked around. As soon as they saw Vincent, they immediately felt d and approached him.


    "Vincent! Come here¡­"


    "We need your help¡­"


    Lucia and Katea said as they held Vincent''s hands¡­ He decided not to evade them and instead, observe their actions. He noticed that as soon as they held him, their faces with difort suddenly calmed¡­


    He felt their soft hands and warm bodies as he looked at them with worry.


    They suddenly seem peaceful which confused him even more.


    ''Are they sick?''


    "What''s going on? Tell me. Did you guys fail?" Vincent asked.


    "We didn''t! It''s sessful but I don''t know¡­ Did you modify the sapling? It suddenly feelsfortable being with you¡­"


    "T-that''s true¡­ Did you ce some kind of mind-controlling medicine in it?"


    The two Celestials started analyzing their situation and even used Vincent. Thetter didn''t feel offended as he can tell that they didn''t mean it.


    "I''m confused¡­ You said that the sapling you started growing should transform you both and allow you to collect energy from the sun¡­ But what happened?"


    Hearing Vincent''s question, Lucia hesitated for a moment before answering.


    "T-that''s true¡­ However, the sapling seems to be connected to you¡­ Is that right?" Lucia asked.


    "Maybe¡­ I''m not sure if it''s connected to me¡­ What I can confirm is that I''m connected to the tree where it came from." Vincent answered.


    "That''s it! After we assimte the nt to ourselves, we lost our mind!" Katea replied.


    Vincent was still confused so he had to ask them to tell it in detail.


    Apparently, as soon as the small nt had two decent leaves, they immediately decided to assimte it with their bodies¡­


    Supposedly, the leaves would transform their Celestial Cores so they can finally absorb the sun''s energy without terrible effects or having impure bodies¡­


    That''s right, Celestial Beings can really absorb the sun''s energy but only for emergency measures. After all, it will cause impurities in their bodies and they will require more Celestial Energy to clear their bodiester on. If they did not do anything about it, their Celestial Core may no longer be as efficient as before.


    Their previous 100% capacity may even turn into 50% making them a lot weaker and unqualified with their ranking.


    Unless they''re desperate, they wouldn''t do it mindlessly.


    Their assimtion with the nt was sessful but before they could even try to absorb sunlight, their senses suddenly dulled as they felt the presence of the towering tree!


    They felt the Tree of Faith pressuring their bodies as if it was trying to test them whether they deserve the transformation or not¡­


    They both tried to resist it but they unfortunately failed!


    In the end, they felt their desire to be with Vincent!


    "What?" Vincent asked as he started removing their hands from him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s right¡­ If it''s normal humans, they would probably try to do something to your body¡­" Lucia answered.


    "We have to ensure that only the Celestials know how to assimte with the Tree of Life since if it''s others, they will have a weaker resistance and would probably do something more pleasurable other than hold you. As we said before, it seems that anyone who tried this would have desire on your body¡­"


    "What? Isn''t that weird? If it''s having faith in me, I would understand it¡­ But why would you even desire my body¡­" Vincent asked in confusion.


    "How can I answer that? Perhaps the Tree of Faith is naughty?" Kate replied.


    "Wait¡­ It would actually make sense since Vincent is connected to the Tree as he mentioned. Are you perhaps some sort of Tree of Faith''s representative in thisnd?" Lucia asked.


    Vincent shook his head and replied.


    "I''m not sure about being representative but I have a special status called Vessel of Faith¡­ With this status, I can somehow see someone''s faith in me and I can tell right now that both of you have the strongest ones¡­"


    "I knew it!"


    Lucia then analyzed the situation and it seems that assimting with the Tree of Faith will make them connected to Vincent¡­ They weren''t sure how it would benefit both sides but that can be investigatedter on.


    Nevertheless, they were hopeful that it will bring them profitable gains.


    "Alright¡­ Assimtion with the nt from the Tree of Faith will only be for you guys¡­ I still have many questions but for now, can you try absorbing the sun''s energy?" Vincent asked.


    "Let''s try it outside¡­"


    The three of them went outside the garden and the two Celestials noticed a few more saplings...


    "So this is where you were hiding the others¡­"


    "I knew it¡­ You really have plenty of them."


    Vincent just smiled after hearing them.


    Soon, the two Celestials started their meditation while basking under the warm sunlight¡­


    Vincent watched them at the garden''s pavilion as it seems that this would take quite some time.


    "Hmm?"


    He suddenly noticed that the air surrounding the Celestials started moving fast¡­


    He immediately activated his Energy Sensitivity since Mana Sense is useless to them.


    "They''re heating up¡­" Vincent muttered as he realized that Lucia and Katea started to get hot¡­ It was as if they n to imitate the sun!


    ''Is this dangerous?'' Vincent asked himself. He has no idea whether this type of meditation will cause harm to the surroundings. Nevertheless, he can only pray that his Formation Arts will protect his garden in time.


    After 15  minutes, one of them finally woke up.


    "I did it¡­" Lucia spoke with a hint of excitement in her eyes.


    She then sneered at Vincent and added¡­


    "I no longer need your potion so¡­"


    Cling!


    Lucia drew her weapon!


    Vincent felt rmed as he saw the terrifying smile on Lucia''s face!

 Chapter 485 MIscalculation

    Clink!


    Vincent didn''t hesitate and activated his Sentient Source Cube.


    It immediately covered his entire body and he even pulled out the Tome of Gluttony from his inventory¡­


    He felt threatened by how Lucia just acted so he swiftly made his defensive move.


    "Urgh¡­ My bad¡­"


    Suddenly, Lucia groaned and clutched her head as her terrifying smile disappeared.


    "W-what the heck was that just now?" Vincent asked while still wearing his armor. He didn''t dare to be careless in front of this Numbered Celestial.


    She''s number 105 after all!


    The strength she has is several times stronger than Rem, who was an Unnumbered Celestial.


    "Well¡­ It''s just a momentary slip of my desire, I guess? Haha¡­ Luckily, I''m already connected to you with Faith so it was immediately suppressed." Lucia exined.


    "What? Are you telling me that your inner desire wants to slice me because you no longer need my potion?"


    ''Isn''t that a bit too absurd?!'' Vincent thought as he stared at Lucia with a disappointed look on his face.


    "Maybe? I''m not really sure, Vincent¡­ But as you know, I''m a Numbered Celestial, a being that is stronger than any Grand Magus or Grand Knights out there. Stronger than what the peak of your race can ever achieve¡­ There was no way I would like to be a ve forever¡­"


    Vincent paused for a moment after hearing that.


    That would indeed make sense. After all, if the Celestials weren''t weakened, would they even bother working with Mana Practitioners?


    That was unlikely¡­


    "So that absorption of sun''s energy has some side effect of triggering your inner desire?" Vincent asked with an incredulous look on his face.


    He couldn''t understand why it would have such an effect.


    "That''s probably just a one-time thing¡­ Anyway, I think that our connection to you with the Tree of Faith was helpful¡­ It immediately woke me up and reminded me that you''re someone I could rely on¡­ or something like that¡­" Lucia exined.


    The power of faith is still new to her so she can''t really describe the feeling that she has for Vincent.


    "Hmmm¡­ I guess the strong aura of faith around you isn''t just for show¡­" Vincent mused as he can guess that the stronger the faith, the lesser chance they would have of betraying him.


    This is more reassuring than words of promises!


    Perhaps, even mind-control magic wouldn''t even make them betray him¡­


    Soon, Katea woke up and had the same reaction as Lucia¡­ She also felt her desire to cut off her rtionship with Vincent but in just a couple of seconds, she groaned in pain and woke up to reality.


    ''Is this the effect of my title, Vessel of Faith?'' Vincent mused.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In the end, he decided to just ept it for now and asked the two about the rate of their recovery¡­ If it''s really effective, he would certainly help the other Celestials to connect with the Tree of Faith if they wanted to.


    Of course, he''s also nning to just observe the two to ensure that there are no other side effects they weren''t aware of. Even if hepleted the observation process, he wouldn''t force the Celestials as well and he''ll just make them choose whether to do it or not.


    After learning that their recovery rate wasn''t that really fast and also requires quite some time, Vincent realized that this method of recovery wouldn''t be suitable in various situations.


    First of all, it can''t be done at night for obvious reasons. It''s also not possible to do it duringbat¡­ After all, it is not a natural or automatic ability to absorb the sun''s energy. It has to be through meditation mode.


    They can also be vulnerable during the process. They had to be in a safe ce or at the very least, someone should be guarding them during their meditation.


    Nevertheless, with all these downsides listed, it doesn''t change the fact that the Celestials would have another option of recovering their energy aside from being contracted with a Mana Practitioner to get their Blood Essence. Because of this benefit, it is certainly alluring for the Celestials and is worth the risk.


    ***


    After a while, Vincent decided to move the saplings in his garden to a pot¡­ This way, it would be easier to take them once the Celestials learned how to assimte with them.


    After doing so, Vincent suddenly felt hismunication crystal vibrating¡­


    It wasing from Calidia so he immediately answered.


    "What''s going on, Lydia?" Vincent asked.


    "Three Unnumbered Celestials and the ten Arch Knights died while hunting the werewolves¡­ They''re already returning¡­" Calidia solemnly reported.


    Vincent was stunned by this sudden news¡­ Three Celestial Beings! Furthermore, the ten Arch Knights were extremely valuable to them¡­ They do not have many Arch Knights after all. They were also heavily trained and had been in several battles and even survived the Sea Race''s invasion¡­


    How could they even die from such a solid lineup?!


    "What happened?!" Vincent couldn''t help but raise his voice as this is a serious matter.


    He''s already regretting not joining the hunt¡­ After all, with his presence, he believes he would be able to save many people even if the opponent is really strong.


    At the very least, he should''ve sent the Tome of Gluttony to them as ast resort.


    "It''s my fault¡­ If I just gathered correct information about the enemy, we wouldn''t end up like this¡­" Calidia felt that she has no excuse for this matter as she continued to exin what happened to Vincent.


    She had several weeks to investigate the matter and only confirmed 18 Werewolves including Beatrice living in their secret base.


    With the lineup that she proposed and the items that Ignacy has given to them, there shouldn''t be a problem dealing with the werewolves.


    After all, they already fought with them once and they already know how strong these werewolves are¡­


    Lastly, they also have Pistols with Silver Bullets which should be considered their weakness.


    However, to their surprise, as soon as the Werewolves yer Squad entered the vicinity of the enemy base, they were ambushed by over a hundred berserk werewolves!

 Chapter 486 First Squadron

    "A hundred? Furthermore, they were using their berserk ability¡­ That''s impossible¡­ The Celestials mentioned the werewolves can''t use their berserk ability during daylight¡­" Vincent can only reply as he recalled how important having the full moon was for the Werewolves.


    Even if it''s not a full moon, as long as it''s night, these werewolves may be really strong but their berserk ability is another matter.


    "That''s true¡­ I didn''t get the full report yet but it seems that they have gained powers that can suppress the Celestials¡­ No, at the very least, they were able to surprise the Celestials because of that¡­" Calidia replied and through her voice, Vincent can tell that she was already about to tear up.


    Vincent can''t understand what happened to them but he needs to know their situation for now.


    "Are they already retreating? If the number of werewolves is too much¡­ They should''ve retreated immediately."


    "Yes¡­ They''re already on their way¡­ Should we send the Third Gen Combat Airships?" Calidia asked.


    Previously, they decided not to send these airships because they needed to ensure that Beatrice wouldn''t have the chance of using her space-type ability to escape.


    After all, no matter how fast these airships are, the sound of their engines would easily give away their location. It can''t be used in stealth operations at all.


    Nevertheless, now that the situation has changed, Calidia suggested using them immediately.


    "Alright! Support their escape as much as possible¡­ Send other Celestials as well¡­ Do you think it''s possible to counterattack and kill them all in one go?"


    Vincent asked.


    Although he really felt ufortable about the death of the Celestials and Archknights under hismand, he knows that he can''t just waste this opportunity. Since the werewolves have appeared, wouldn''t this be a perfect chance for them as well?


    "We can possibly do that¡­ Should I give the order?" Calidia asked. She can''t justmand the Celestials after all.


    "Alright¡­ Send them¡­ I''ll inform Krusk as well and we''ll go together¡­ I will join the fight. I''ll leave the city to you, Lydia."


    Although their city would have a weaker defense if they send all the powerhouses outside the city, Vincent can''t underestimate the enemies¡­


    If he decided not to go all out, they might be the ones suffering¡­


    Calidia clenched her fist as she nodded¡­


    "Please save them¡­"


    ***


    Ring! Ring!


    Yvette was practicing with her pistol at the training grounds in the central part of Vera City when she heard hermunication crystal¡­


    She knows that no one would contact her aside from her superior so she immediately answered.


    She heard the situation from her superior and her eyes lit up.


    "Yes! I''m joining the mission!" She answered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As a pilot of the Third Generation Aircraft - Tempest, she rarely had a chance to join battles as normally, enemies would be dealt with by the mounted weapons on the city wall or even the Celestial Being themselves.


    Even the task of subjugating the surrounding Savage Beasts or Magic Beasts wouldn''t be given to them¡­


    Furthermore, even if she can fly the aircraft for practice, she wouldn''t be able to use the mounted missiles on it since they were extremely expensive.


    ording to her friends in the Tower, each missile costs about the same as an Epic Grade weapon or even more!


    It was such an incredible invention and she can''t wait to use it!


    How does it feel to waste so much money with just a single press of a button? She wanted to feel it! She wanted to have such an experience!


    Soon, she met with the four other pilots¡­


    Since they were all from the Tudor Kingdom and were captured by the Barbarians, the five of them have an unusual connection that allows them to work really well together.


    Currently, they were all wearing the pilot uniform with the logo of Vera City¡­


    "It seems that we''ll be covering the escape of the Werewolf yer Squad¡­ I hope we get there in time¡­" A bald man in his twenties said as he watch the engineers do ast check with the aircraft before they were allowed to enter the cockpit.


    He is the leader of the squad and considered the Ace Pilot¡­ His name is Silver and was obviously a made-up name after entering this continent. He mentioned that after being betrayed, he had already abandoned his previous identity and will live as a new person.


    Yvette guessed that his hair, or perhaps, his hair color would give a clue to his real identity so he decided to shave it off and use some sort of alchemy to ensure no hair would grow on his body.


    "We will surely be there in time¡­ There are two Numbered Celestials in their squad¡­ Furthermore, I heard that they are two digits. Even if they''re in a precarious situation, I''m sure that they wouldn''t be so helpless in their situation." One of them added.


    "That might be true¡­ However, I''m also worried. What if this is just a trap to lure us out? The city''s defenses will weaken if we leave. I also heard that the other Celestials will be transported by another aircraft¡­" Yvette worriedly said.


    The others couldn''t help but agree with this statement.


    Apparently, after Vincent''s Vermillion Hawk crashed, he immediately built another aircraft that is unlike the Tempest¡­ Although the engine may be the same, the design and purpose are different. It is meant to be transportation for Celestial Beings!


    It means that Vincent will truly go all out and bring the rest of the Celestials to counterattack! The city will only be left with a few Grand Knights and Grand Magus¡­


    They might be overthinking this but since they''ve been attacked several times already, they couldn''t help but be paranoid for a bit.


    "No need to worry¡­ It''s not like Sir Vincent doesn''t have a n¡­" Silver answered as he saw the engineers'' signal¡­


    They have finished their preparations and were ready to sortie!


    As expected, they soon heard the announcement calling for their team...


    The First Squadron: War Eagles will join the battle!

 Chapter 487 Chase

    Vincent immediately visited Krusk and informed him about the situation¡­ Since thetter was also a bit bored, he agreed immediately and transformed into a dragon¡­


    Vincent now gained a mount that could travel as quickly as the Celestials but a bit slower than the Third Gen - Tempest¡­


    Anyway, before he left the city with Krusk, he already informed Rem that they can use the specially modified aircraft so they can get there a lot faster.


    The presence of tens of Celestial Beings would give a lot more impact than his presence alone after all.


    As for the reason why he decided to travel with Krusk, it''s simply because he recently Transcended an item that will go well with Krusk¡­


    He believes that even if they encounter the Overseer, he wouldn''t be killed so easily with this new item.


    ''It''s a pity that not everyone received Master Ignacy''s amulet¡­'' Vincent mused as he recalled Calidia''s report.


    He wasn''t sure how the Arch Knights and Celestials died in the ambush but he knows that if they have the Void''s Crack Amulet that Ignacy gifted to many, they would surely survive.


    ''Haa~ This is such a disaster¡­''


    Vincent shook his head as there is no point thinking of this now. He has to move forward and save as many as he can.


    "Vincent, I''m increasing our speed. Just tell me if I''m on the right path¡­" Krusk spoke in his mind.


    "Yes¡­ Just continue this way. It will probably take a long time so if you need to rest, tell me¡­ I have potions with me as well so you can replenish your energy faster."


    "Alright!" Krusk answered as he felt more energetic and showed his true speed.


    Since the Werewolf yer Squad took about two and a half days to arrive at the enemy base, it will take them several hours even if they travel non-stop¡­


    A lot of things might happen at this time but Vincent knows that the squad was already out of immediate danger so he wasn''t too worried.


    As a matter of fact, thest report they received was that they were trying not topletely be out of werewolves'' sight or senses¡­


    They were keeping their distance so they can be followed!


    That''s right, they were confident that they can keep their distance from the werewolves and are waiting for reinforcements as well.


    ***


    At the border of the Martial Arts Alliance and ck Tower''s territory, a small group consisting of three powerful Martial Artists arrive at the location where they felt a strong fluctuation of energy that could threaten their organization¡­


    It was so strong that they have to send these three people to investigate¡­


    "It''s not the Avatar, right? I no longer want to fight with that creature again." Colm, a man who seem like a monk spoke in a tired voice as he recalled his battle against the Avatar before. It was one of his worst nightmares and he was sure that he wouldn''t survive that battle if he fought alone.


    As a Paragon, he can say that the Avatar is the strongest being he had ever fought with.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hopefully not¡­ In any case, we''re only told to investigate this matter. If it can threaten the alliance, we have to deal with it before it''s toote¡­ But if we can''t handle it, we can just escape since the Alliance Head did not tell us to solve this matter with everything we have."


    A huge old man who was twice the size of the monk spoke in a deep voice. He is also a Paragon and his name is Niall. Aside from his huge figure, he can be easily recognized because of therge battle axe on his back.


    "That''s true¡­ I hope they were just Celestial Beings fighting with each other."


    The only woman in the group wearing a long schr robe added as she grinned with excitement. Her name is Ariana and she''s also one of the Alliance''s Paragon.


    "¡­and if their contractors are present, do you mind if we kill them?" She continued.


    As they looked ahead of them, they can see the vast prairie that will lead them to the ck Tower''s territory.


    They wouldn''t normally pass thisnd if the ck Tower is still the same¡­ but because of the ck Magic Organization, the Archmages that will normally patrol this area were no more.


    "Hmmm¡­ The Alliance Head said that we capture all the Celestials we meet as long as we can do so¡­ I guess killing their contractors would be a good method to do it." Colm replied as the forces in the Alliance are starting to gather Celestial Beings as much as they can.


    They weren''t previously interested in the incredible power of the Celestial Beings since as Martial Artists, they seek individual powers. They''d rather focus on strengthening their n or alliance instead of relying on the powers of the Celestials.


    However, the situation has changed. Recently, numerous dungeons within their territory started acting up¡­


    The number of dungeon creatures would increase at an rming rate.


    If this would happen to only one or two dungeons, they wouldn''t mind this at all but it happened to over 30 dungeons already and it keeps increasing¡­


    The thing that truly disturbed them are the words mentioned by the Alliance Head, a monster outbreak might happen soon!


    The dungeons may no longer stop the beasts from leaving their territory and would create chaos in their territory!


    Stopping this from happening is not even an option.


    The most they can do is adapt to the situation and survive. It may not be a huge threat to Paragons like them but it will certainly create chaos and havoc in the Alliance.


    With this in mind, they have to find strong fighters that could lead the front lines¡­


    Needless to say, the Celestial Beings were selected for this task so they were already searching for them¡­ It may be difficult to search if they''re not showing themselves but as long as other Celestial Beings would work for them, finding others would just be a matter of time.


    "Hmmm? What''s going on?! Those aren''t Magic Beasts, are they?" Colm asked in shock as soon as he saw the bipedal wolf from afar¡­ Even though they were three miles away from them, they can still see the figures clearly!


    They have followed the strong fluctuations of energy for several hours now and only this time have they managed to see them with their eyes¡­


    "It might be the Lycans that I''ve seen in the old records¡­ I didn''t expect they''re actually real¡­ Furthermore, they''re chasing some Celestial Beings!"

 Chapter 488 Confrontation

    Thanks to the Martial Arts of the three Paragons, they were able to hide their presence naturally even without using Magic Tools¡­ Even their scents werepletely blocked off by a body technique they possess.


    "We should be careful¡­ Our distance right now should be safe from detection but if we move further, not only those Lycans but also the Celestials will notice us." Niall, the old man who was carrying arge axe, suggested after considering their location¡­ It was also a good thing that the wind''s direction is in their favor.


    "We''ll observe for now¡­ We don''t know what''s happening here¡­ Perhaps this is the first Monster Outbreak? Those bipedal wolves were probably the first dungeon creatures that has gotten out of their prison¡­" Ariana muttered as she had never seen bipedal wolves before¡­


    It means that they could possibly be some rare creatures that only specific dungeons can house.


    "Alright¡­ Let''s save them if necessary¡­ However, those Celestials were apanied by several strong Grand Magus and Grand Knights as well. I think some of them are contractors so we can probably wait until they''re cornered¡­" Colm suggested as he wasn''t taking those bipedal wolves seriously.


    In his mind, they were justrger beasts that could move faster¡­ Even if they''re stronger than normal Savage Beasts, he still wouldn''t take them into his eyes. They were just a bunch of moving Beasts Cores for him¡­ Harvesting themter shouldn''t cause a problem¡­


    As for why the Celestials are escaping from these Beasts, he can only think that they were already tired, or perhaps, their contractors were too afraid to fight them¡­


    "Got it¡­ We only need the Celestial Beings after all. If their contractors died, it should be very easy to invite the Celestials to join us." Ariana nodded in agreement as she lead the group to follow the bipedal wolves'' tracks¡­


    ***


    Three more hours had passed and they realized that they weren''t heading towards the central ins but instead, they were moving to the northern region!


    "It seems that they''re leading the beasts¡­ They weren''t just escaping mindlessly¡­ Should we stop them? What do you think?" Niall asked the two Paragons beside him¡­


    They don''t know where this is going and how long they will escape. Furthermore, they saw a few skirmishes between the two groups¡­ Apparently, they realized that Celestials seem to be holding back¡­ Or perhaps, they can''t show their real strength for some reason¡­


    "If the Celestials are truly injured as you suggested, we might have to intervene and save them¡­ We can just kill those bipedal wolves and their contractors altogether." Niall suggested as he was also getting tired of following this group of people.


    Seeing that another skirmish will happen again, Ariana finally agreed with his teammates since if they go further, they might arrive in the vicinity of a Mage Tower and it won''t do well for them¡­


    "I''ll go and stop the bipedal wolves with my weapon¡­ You two can go and block those Grand Magus and Grand Knights¡­ Tell them to help us eliminate the beasts." Ariana instructed the two.


    Although they believe that they can eliminate all the bipedal wolves, they know that it would take some time.


    Hence, if they all worked together with the Celestials'' group, it will be a lot faster and the Celestials wouldn''t escape from their grasp.


    After all, once they killed the bipedal wolves, the Mana Practitioners would certainly let their guards down and at that time, they can easily backstab them.


    It is such a perfect n so they immediately acted on it.


    Ariana burst with power rming the bipedal wolves even the Celestials ahead of them¡­


    "Lightning Field¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    She activated her Magic Artifact and attracted the attention of the beasts¡­


    "Hurry! I''ll take care of them!"


    Ariana dered as she looked at the bipedal wolves that were ring at her with extreme malice.


    Nevertheless, she wasn''t afraid. She can''t even feel any manaing from them! It means that they were most likely relying on their physical bodies and strong vitality¡­ For her, these types of beasts were the easiest to deal with¡­


    "Alright! But don''t kill them all! We need to see observe the Grand Magus and Grand Knights for a bit¡­" Colm reminded as he proceeded to call the group of Mana Practitioners ahead of them.


    He''s together with Niall and they were both moving faster than the beasts without any issues¡­ Being a Paragon isn''t an empty title after all.


    As soon as he reached the Celestials'' group, he immediately exin their intention. After all, they might be misunderstood¡­


    "We''re only here to help¡­ We''re nning to kill all the Beasts¡­ Stop escaping and let''s fight together¡­"


    "Don''t worry, we will protect you as much as we can¡­ Just assist us. My friend is already stopping the beasts as we speak¡­ We''re all Paragons and you can trust us!"


    Colm and Niall announced with great pride.


    As expected, as soon as they mentioned that they were the legendary Paragons of the Martial Arts Alliance, they heard the Mana Practitioners'' awes and grateful voices.


    However, instead of stopping, they actually continued backing away as if they have no ns of assisting them¡­


    Colm can understand that those Grand Magus would have to gain more distance but the Grand Knights shouldn''t run away as well!


    They wanted to call them up but the bipedal wolves are alreadying¡­


    Although Ariana attracted their attention, she was at the center of the pack. Her lightning field can only cover about 100 meters after all.


    The other wolves that were out of her range were able to attack them still.


    "Tsk¡­ Cowards¡­" Niall grunted as he saw the Grand Knights backing away¡­ He knows that Grand Knights weren''t as tough as Aura Knights but it is still quite disappointing to see how they cower in front of these wolves that were a little biggerpared to normal ones.


    He then decided to show just how easy it is to kill these bipedal wolves¡­ He raised his battle axe and poured almost all of his strength in one sh¡­


    He wanted to create a stunning move that will make the Mana Practitioners behind him exim in awe¡­


    "Mountain Splitter!"

 Chapter 489 Operation

    "Who are these people?" Millie asked Ceri.


    A group of strong Martial Artists arrived out of nowhere and they seem to be trying to stop the werewolves. They seem to have good intentions but all of them can tell that they don''t have good intentions.


    It is thanks to the essories they received from Vincent that could allow them to sense killing intent¡­ It may not be an almighty essory that could truly identify someone''s thoughts, but it would at least warn them to be cautious with them¡­


    After all, they may have shown a bit of killing intent, it might just be misdirected to them since they were still fighting off the werewolves.


    "They introduced themselves as Paragons¡­ Didn''t you hear? I think they''re from the Martial Arts Alliance¡­" Ceri replied.


    Their knowledge about this world is basically everything they heard from Vincent and the Followers of Qheglena who had voluntarily educated them about some important matters here in the continent.


    Lar, who was not too far from them, heard their conversation and added.


    "Ceri was right¡­ They''re from the Martial Arts Alliance so it''s quite weird that we sensed their killing intent¡­ I even thought that our essory isn''t working right since we can''t sense it from the werewolves.."


    Apparently, the werewolves seem to have the ability to hide their killing intent from their magic tool. This is also the reason why they have been ambushed sessfully.


    These werewolves weren''t like those they encountered the first time¡­ The ones in front of them don''t seem very intelligent like before. It was as if they were just fighting with their instincts!


    Even the Celestial Beings were surprised about their change and power. Normally, even if a werewolf had gone berserk, they can still retain their sentience and not like this¡­


    Instead of being demihumans, they seem to have turned intoplete beasts.


    "Are we just going to watch them?" Patriarch Leon of the Zemin n suddenly asked in a concerned tone. He also knows about the Paragons and he felt that it''s really a good time to gain their favor.


    They only need to assist or perhaps block the werewolves that would sneak on them and that shouldn''t be a huge issue for them. Once they gained the favor of these famous individuals, perhaps they might even be given a chance to migrate to the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory¡­


    If they stayed there, then the ck Magic Organization who wanted to take control of thisnd would no longer think of attacking them!


    Leon had this idea and wanted everyone to realize these benefits as well.


    However, Thyrus, the one assigned to lead the group of Grand Magus, replied with conviction.


    "We''re not going to get involved in their battle¡­ They seem to have underestimated the werewolves¡­ Look."


    They immediately shifted their nce to the woman who had bravely entered the fray and taken on tens of werewolves at the same time using her Lightning Field.


    At first, her strategy seem fine since she was fighting with incredible power behind every punch and kicks she throws¡­


    However, it wasn''t enough to win against the Berserk Werewolves! At most, she was only able to keep them at bay with her special artifact¡­ The werewolves would be thrown away from time to time but they weren''t being killed. Even if they suffer some critical strikes, they seem to be able to stand up and fight again.


    Well, if these werewolves were weak, how could they kill those three Unnumbered Celestials and Arch Knights under the protection of the Grand Magus?


    "Haaa!"


    After using the Mountain Splitter to scatter the werewolves, the huge man among the Paragons waved his battle axe and scared off a few werewolves who were sneaking behind him¡­


    The werewolves seem cautious but it wasn''t because they were weaker. Rather, they were wary of the axe since it is glowing with purple light¡­


    They can feel that not only it could cut them but it also has corroding attributes!


    The monk also made his move as he used his movement technique to appear behind the nearest werewolf¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!<novelnext></novelnext>


    He made three consecutive punches and although his attack seems very simple, it is actually his Echo Punch! It is a highly-rated Martial Art capable of damaging internal organs by using vibration waves!


    "That''s one¡­"


    As soon as the monk finishes his move, he knows that the beast is already dead so he swiftly targeted the next one. After all, this same move had even killed a Stone Basilisk, a magic beast who is known for its incredible defense.


    Bam!


    He did the same move to the next werewolf but to his surprise, he felt some movement from his first target that should''ve died just now¡­


    "What the---"


    Even the toughest Magic Beast that he knows wouldn''t be able to survive his Echo Punch!


    "Be careful!"


    Suddenly, he heard hispanion warning him. Even though he didn''t see who was attacking him, he didn''t hesitation to explode with power¡­


    Bam!


    His energy suddenly burst protecting his whole body¡­


    However, to his surprise, the bipedal wolves that he was looking down onpletely ignored it as he saw them get covered by some sort of dark and suffocating energy¡­


    Their ws reached out to him as he had no other choice but to retreat and get closer to Niall.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The bipedal wolves missed their target but they didn''t mind it and just continued with their assault!


    "Hey! Help us out here! We''ve already stopped them¡­ Use your Mana Arts now!" Colm shouted¡­


    Luckily, they listened to him as the group of Grand Magus used several Domain-Type Mana Arts to control the surroundings¡­


    Ice Field¡­


    Quicksand¡­


    Gale Vortex¡­


    These Domain Skills shrouded the werewolves including the Paragons!


    It was quite infuriating that the magicians failed to exclude them but they didn''t mind it that much since they also have skills that could neutralize this field¡­


    The Body Techniques of the Paragons weren''t so simple after all.


    They wanted to clear a path and back away so they can drag the Celestials into battle but suddenly, they heard a roaring sound above them!


    Whooom~


    They quickly look up in the sky and saw fivebat aircraft moving almost as quickly as the speed of sound!

 Chapter 490 Bombardment

    "We''ve been given orders to fire as soon as we saw the werewolves¡­ We don''t have to worry about the squad." Silver announced through themunication crystal connected with the other four Tempest.


    They have already heard about the traits of these werewolves and unfortunately, not even Tier 5 Mana Arts were capable of killing them¡­


    Mana Bullets wouldn''t pierce them. Fire Elemental Arts wouldn''t burn them. Wind Elemental Arts wouldn''t cut them. Earth Elemental Arts wouldn''t even stop their advance.


    The only method to kill them is to destroy their brains which is very difficult to do so even with a group of Celestials.


    After all, these werewolves use some weird magic that makes them invulnerable against Celestial Energy as well.


    "I can see them¡­" Yvette replied as soon as the observation crystal of her Tempest sensed the presence of the yer Squad and the Werewolves¡­


    Everyone may have the same observation crystal but her control with its function was better than most of them¡­


    She may not be as good as Silver when ites to piloting skills, but she still has the best understanding of the tools they''re using in the cockpit.


    As soon as she made this announcement, the others also focused on their crystal and soon detected the presence of their target¡­


    "Aim your target!" Silver announced.


    Although the Werewolf yer Squad were quite near to the target, they didn''t mind it at all since they should''ve been prepared and had a method of escaping.


    Of course, they weren''t unfeeling people. They still feel a bit nervous since they know that the missile they''re about to fire would create tremendous changes in the terrain. It will st any living or non-living things in the area of the explosion.


    Yvette and the others waited for Silver''s orders as they can see that the target is getting nearer and nearer¡­


    At this moment, they can tell that the yer Squad was already moving away as they used their life-saving treasures to get away as quickly as possible¡­


    There seem to be three people that were quite slow in retreating but nevertheless, Silver ordered them with hesitation.


    "Fire!"


    As soon as they heard this, everyone pressed the trigger andunched their missiles.


    ***


    Brycen looked above as he continued his escape. He saw the five Tempest rushing from above and felt a sense of relief.


    "They''re finally here¡­" He muttered.


    He was told that the missiles they can fire have a range of explosions that can easily cover 300 meters followed by an incredibly mortifying st wave that would cover a kilometer.


    Furthermore, he was told these missiles were capable of even destroying Legendary Weapons that were known as almost indestructible items in the world.


    Soon, he saw a total of five missiles heading the way of the werewolves. These werewolves were slowed down by the Domain Magic that they cast right away¡­


    As for the three Paragons, they already realized the terrifying power of the werewolves as they weren''t even able to kill one of them during their battle.


    At most, they managed to hurt a few of them¡­


    In truth, these hundred werewolves were already cut down by almost half¡­


    It is thanks to their Pistols with Silver Bullets¡­ As long as they managed to break the energy defense of the werewolves, the Silver Bullets will still work perfectly and kill them in the process.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, they already emptied their magazines¡­ They no longer have any bullets in their hands¡­


    After all, a single bullet isn''t nearly enough to kill the werewolves¡­


    They need tens of them to ensure their deaths.


    At the moment, they have no other choice but to flee since they have truly miscalcted the number of werewolves they would be dealing with.


    "Careful!" Professor Levent shouted as she felt that the Paragons were about to do something¡­


    One of them seems to be very pissed off by the fact that they didn''t help with their battle against werewolves¡­


    Although the huge man who was carrying an axe tried to hide his killing intent, their magic tool can easily detect their malice. They can''t underestimate him as well since he''s obviously at the peak of his profession.


    There was no way they would allow themselves to get ambushed again.


    "Hmph! He''s just a fool¡­ He''s thinking of getting revenge on us but he didn''t know that he''s still in the range of missiles¡­ Let''s see how he would survive this."


    Grand Magus Iori spoke up as he didn''t like the Paragons as well.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the missiles finally dropped and decimated the surroundings.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions urred as they heard the mixed cries of the werewolves¡­ At first, the cries sounded beast-like but after a few seconds, they heard human-like cries of agony¡­


    "Tsk¡­ The st wave ising¡­ Activate your Magic Tools!"


    Thyrus shouted as there was no ce to hide. They can only create a stronger defense to survive¡­


    "W-what''s going on?! You devil!" The Paragons realized that the initial explosions caused by the missiles were just the start of their nightmare¡­


    What was truly terrifying is the magic that was left behind!


    It not only created a field where they can''t feel any source of mana¡­ Their senses also dulled as they felt that they were being corroded by something they don''t know.


    They started to furiously activate their Body Strengthening Techniques and barely managed to regain control of their bodies¡­


    However, it took a toll on their physical strength and they would have a hard time recovering at a normal rate¡­


    In short, they no longer have a chance of defeating those Grand Magus and Grand Knights in an ambush.


    Even if they were confident of defeating them, it wouldn''t be fast enough since the Celestial Beings would surely act once they revealed their true colors.


    "It''s not over yet! Look behind you!" Thyrus shouted in reply as he saw the shadowy figures of the werewolves that wereing out of the fire and smokes.


    It seems that there were still plenty of werewolves who managed to survive that¡­ It wasn''t so surprising but many of them were still disappointed.


    Luckily, the War Eagles'' mission hasn''t ended yet!


    They were all carrying two missiles each after all!

 Chapter 491 Cloaked

    As soon as the second wave of missiles started moving across the sky, the Werewolf yer Squad braced themselves.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The ground started shaking followed by a terrifying wave of energy that can easily wipe out normal humans.


    Even normal Mana Barriers wouldn''t be enough to defend against this st.


    The Grand Knights gritted their teeth since aside from their Magic Tool, they only have a technique called Resplendent Force to defend their bodies from this level of attack.


    "Ugh¡­ Let''s work together!" Ceri spoke to Millie as she reached out her hand.


    Millie and Ceri then held their hands together as they were able to ease the pressure this way¡­ The three men also did the same as they all worked together.


    After almost a minute had passed, they were able to tell that they were no longer in danger and finally released their defensive magic tool¡­


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    A few cracks were heard after the tool was deactivated beforepletely shattering¡­


    The first thing that they immediately notice were the Paragons who were in a very bad state¡­ Millie felt that they really had very bad timing on this incident.


    These three had actually arrived to "help" them when their yer squad just received news that the War Eagle Squadron is about to arrive.


    Their awful timing led them to their current state and they can only me themselves for showing their malice towards them.


    Perhaps, if they were genuinely trying to help and didn''t show the killing intent directed towards them, they might''ve warned them.


    However, they became perfect bait for the werewolves and stalled them long enough until the five Third Generation Aircraft: Tempest had arrived.


    "Tsk¡­ The werewolves are still alive¡­ So tenacious¡­" Millie groaned in frustration as she saw dozens of werewolves climbing out of the craters created by the explosions¡­


    All of them are in terrible condition and most of them have missing limbs. It seems that they didn''t care about their limbs as long as they manage to protect their heads¡­


    "We should be able to clean them up this time, right?" Ceri asked as she nced at the Celestials who were also itching to dive into battle.


    As far as Ceri understands, these Celestial Beings were some sort of super soldiers that came from another world.


    This is what Vincent hinted to them when they chatted about the Celestials before. After recalling this now, she can easily tell that these Celestials were indeed simr to the veteran soldiers she had seen before¡­


    ''Once the signal was given, they will surely take the frontlines¡­ We just have to support them.'' Ceri thought for a moment as there is nothing more satisfying than fighting together with a Celestial Being.


    She believes that fighting with these beings would give her an opportunity to get stronger than ever.


    Luna surveyed the surroundings and confirmed that the werewolves are all in a terrible state. The Paragons wouldn''t be able to disrupt them as well and there are no other living beings around the area that may ambush them¡­


    "Let''s kill them all!"


    Luna finally ordered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Agatha also made her move and charged forward.s


    Although Agatha is higher-ranked as a Celestial Being, she didn''t mind taking orders from Luna since she''s only new to the group.


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    They immediately brought out their weapons no matter whether they are Celestials Weapons or not¡­ With the current state of the werewolves, even a Unique-Grade weapon would surely end their lives.


    Luna was the first one to get closer to the nearest werewolf and shed its head off with her sword!


    Its blood sttered everywhere but she didn''t stop or even look at the corpse of the demihuman. There is nothing on her mind right now aside from eliminating these creatures.


    Now that the mysterious energy protecting the werewolves had disappeared, they were no longer afraid as they revolved their Celestial Core to its limits¡­


    They didn''t care about the Celestial Energy they''ll use just to kill the werewolves!


    Agatha, on the other hand, uses two short des that she recently acquired from the armory, to kill a werewolf that was already starting to regenerate its limbs¡­


    Her short des are both Pseudo-Legendary Items and aside from her, none of the Celestials had actually taken a liking to these weapons.


    They were short and although they are Pseudo-Legendary Items, they don''t have active skills that can be triggered as they heavily rely on their seven special attributes. They are Sharpness, Critical, Swiftness, Pierce, Rust Resistance, Self-Restoration, and Focus attribute.


    The Celestial Beings already had enough of the boring but very durable and destructive Celestial Weapons¡­ If they had a chance, they certainly wanted something that isn''t just sharp but could also trigger some unique abilities¡­ This is why no one bothered with these des aside from Agatha who likes the ssic type of weapons.


    Anyway, since they weren''t dealing against enemies that use almost indestructible Celestial Weapons, they should be able to enjoy using weapons that have some good active skills.


    Soon, the five other Celestial Beings used their weapons skills.


    One of them could cause frostbite with every injury her sword makes. Another one can trigger a bleeding effect that makes her surrounding so scary. The third one can poke a hole in the werewolves and st them apart after leaving them on the ground.


    It was like she was nting a bomb on their bodies and making them explode in their death.


    The Grand Magus and Grand Knights saw these scenes as they held their weapons tightly¡­ They were excited to join the battle andpletely finish the enemies off!


    ng! ng! ng!


    As the werewolves started recovering, they were able to somehow fight back as the battle between the two sides became more intense.


    The First Squadron has alreadypleted its operation and should be heading back to the city right now. They can only trust themselves to finish this battle.


    "We can win this¡­"


    Millie and the yer Squad believe that although the reinforcements should be arriving soon, it may still take a few hours. They can''t let the werewolves recover at that time so although they are outnumbered, they should still be fine.


    Only about 70 werewolves survived the bombardment of the aircraft squadron after all.


    However, at this moment, another problem urred, a group of cloaked men, who appear like cultists, suddenly appeared from afar and seem to be interested in this battle!

 Chapter 492 Missing

    Luna looked at the group of cultists as she felt that the auraing from them was quite familiar.


    She immediately nced at Agatha who has a unique ability to see through things¡­


    "They''re probably rted to the changes in the werewolves. We have to be careful." Agatha immediately said as she already knows what Luna wanted to ask.


    "Got it¡­ Let''s eliminate all the werewolves first¡­"


    "Mhmmm¡­"


    Since the cloaked men weren''t showing any form of hostility yet, they decided to finish their task first before dealing with these people.


    The angry cries and painful screams of the werewolves resounded throughout the battlefield as the Werewolf yer Squad started working on their tasks.


    As everything was going smoothly, some of them started looking for their specific target¡­ Beatrice.


    They were all informed about Beatrice''s human form and werewolf form so they should be able to notice her. Aside from being a female, she was quite smaller than everyone else after all.


    "I can''t find Beatrice on my side¡­" Patriarch Leon reported.


    "She''s not here as well." Brycen also added.


    "Did she escape the bombardment? How did she even do that?" Lar couldn''t believe it since he had seen how the Grand Magus cast their domain magic to ensure that no one escapes from the bombardment of the War Eagle Squadron.


    However, he suddenly recalled Beatrice''s ability to control space. Perhaps, even though she had activated her Berserk Ability, she was still able to fully control this ability.


    Or maybe, Beatrice didn''t use her Berserk in the first ce. After all, they didn''t really see her transform into a berserk werewolf as they were flooded by so many werewolves and they can only focus on escaping while firing their pistols.


    At that time, they lost track of her and could only guess that she has transformed like everyone else.


    "She''ll appear soon¡­ There''s no way she would just watch all her kind eliminated like this." Luna suddenly said as if she truly knows the werewolves.


    "What about those people?" Agatha asked as she shed at the werewolf that had suddenly pounced on her. The werewolf was hidden by rubbles and dirt but she was able to sense its presence and killed it by chopping its head off.


    "They should be waiting for something¡­ We can''t wait for it though¡­ Once we dealt with the werewolves, we''ll go to them¡­" Thyrus suddenly said as he was also wary of those people. He then drank a healing potion as he was already getting tired.


    No matter what, these werewolves were still very tough and required a lot of energy to kill them even in their current state.


    It was the same for the Grand Knights as they needed more stamina to continue with the battle against the werewolves.


    After over ten minutes of cleaning up the battlefield, they finally eliminated all the werewolves at the expense of all of their reserve potions¡­


    Unlike Vincent, these people don''t have an interspatial ring or dimensional storage box after all. They can only carry a few vials of potions with them since they still have to carry some rations including their weapons.<novelnext></novelnext>


    If they also decided to carry the materials left behind by Magic Beasts or Savage Beasts they have killed. It would be very difficult for them to move.


    Now, if these cloaked men were also capable of dealing with Celestials, they might be in trouble¡­


    Suddenly, Lar recalled the three Paragons who had been injured because of the bombardment.


    "They''re still alive¡­" He muttered after seeing them treat their own injuries while watching the movement of the squad¡­


    He immediately approached the three since he wasn''t really sure whether they have to fight or not¡­ He signaled for the other Grand Knights to surround them before asking his question.


    "What are you doing here? If you''re really the Paragons as you imed, what''s your purpose foring into our territory?" He asked.


    Powerful individuals like the Paragons have a lot of restrictions, especially when entering another border. After all, their presence is a huge threat¡­


    "Hmph! We were previously asked by your Tower Lord to help them deal with the magic god''s Avatar¡­ We spent a lot of resources to make that happen. Can''t we at least roam around here since we sensed those bipedal wolves?"


    Ariana aggressively spoke as soon as she heard Lar. They can''t appear weak now as they know that they may just get bullied.


    While the yer Squad was finishing off the werewolves, these three saw their battle clearly. They learned that although they can kill these Grand Knights and Grand Magus, they felt that it would take some time and the Celestials may kill them at that moment.


    Currently, they no longer have the intention of killing the contractors to take the Celestials for themselves. They wanted to just escape and recuperate.


    They used their weapons to defend themselves a while ago and they certainly needed these weapons to be checked by a cksmith or crafters who can repair them. Otherwise, they might be broken if they engaged in battle.


    They were truly caught off guard by the bombardment and even though they wanted to release their anger to these people, they know that it was not the time¡­


    "Is that so? Then leave this ce immediately. You guys aren''t our targets anyway¡­ Just try to avoid us if you want to live for long." Lar warned the three as if he were stronger than them.


    Ariana has never been treated like this before so she really wanted to smack Lar''s face and graze it to the ground.


    However, she has to stop herself from doing this even just for the sake of her twopanions¡­ Furthermore, she also sensed the presence of those cloaked men¡­ That''s definitely a huge trouble even for them.


    Suddenly, she heard Colm''s voice in her mindforting her and making her calm.


    ''It''s fine¡­ There are other enemies ahead of us¡­ They have noticed this group as well. They seem to be part of the Demonic Cult¡­ I''m not sure why they are here but I can tell that there will be a battle¡­ We can recuperate for now and observe what will happen.''


    ''That''s true¡­ Those Bipedal Wolves weren''t simple¡­ I think that the Demonic Cult was involved with those beasts. There are also those Airships supporting this squad of Celestials from the sky¡­ We need more information.''


    Niall added as he swallowed his pride and started to back away¡­

 Chapter 493 Altair

    Lar including the other Grand Knights was actually surprised as soon as they saw that the Paragons just epted his words and left.


    They didn''t think they would be able to control themselves.


    "Is this alright?" Millie asked as she watched the three Paragons'' back.


    All of them should''ve sensed their hostility just now¡­ However, the Paragons were smart enough to back away instead of fighting them. If they really acted on impulse, the Werewolf yer Squad would certainly beat them up or even kill them if necessary.


    "It''s a bit difficult because they''re still part of the Alliance and they didn''t really try fighting us..." Lar answered with a helpless smile.


    Millie understood this as well but the only problem is that they can''t control the future actions of these three people.


    She wanted to end any future troubles since she was confident that with the presence of Celestials, they can easily win against them even if they were Paragons.


    That''s right, they weren''t afraid of dealing with the Paragons but they might be in an awkward position once Ignacy learned that they killed them. The other Paragons may also counter-attack making their rtionship with the Martial Arts Alliance terrible.


    It might trouble Vincent if even the Martial Arts Alliance had be their enemy¡­


    "Those cloaked men areing¡­ Be careful everyone. I don''t feel right about them. They''re dangerous." Thyrus suddenly said rming everyone as they focused their vision on these people.


    Suddenly Brycen eximed as he had just recalled something.


    "They''re part of the Demonic Cult! I''m sure of it!" He said with a hint of surprise as he held his weapon tightly.


    Although he hadn''t seen them before, Shane had actually informed him about them.


    Shane was the one who had trained in the Martial Arts Alliance for several years so he truly knows a lot of things within the Martial Arts Alliance''s territory.


    The training that he did wasn''t normal at all. He was hunting the members of the Demonic Cult that had established their branch within the Martia Arts Alliance''s territory secretly.


    Shane mentioned to him how these people act, how they possess numerous weapons, their fighting techniques, their weird energy, and their obsession with ghastly creatures that he had never seen until then. They were people who seem to be worshiping another deity that may be more powerful than the ck Magic Organization''s Magic God who had only be popr recently.


    "Demonic Cult? Should we retreat? They should''ve noticed the Celestial Beings but they aren''t afraid at all. They might have some method to deal with them. What do you think?"


    Patriarch Leon asked everyone since if he was in their shoes, he would surely change his path away from the Celestial Beings. However, these people seem fearless and don''t put the Celestials in their eyes.


    These types of opponents were the most difficult to deal with.


    Firstly, their mission was to kill the werewolves anyway. Now that they have done so, shouldn''t they retreat already?


    In addition, Beatrice, the special werewolf, has a space-type ability that allows her to move to a different ce unhindered.


    This continent is huge so finding her again will bepletely difficult. They should just give up now and return to the safety of the city.


    Lastly, Leon also noticed that Brycen was previously controlling his flying beast pet to look for the werewolf''s traces but there was obviously no result¡­ At this point, Beatrice should''ve escaped far away from this region.


    ? With Leon''s suggestion, even Thyrus hesitated since he doesn''t really know much about the Demonic Cult.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Brycen¡­ Do you know whether we can win against them with our current lineup?" Thyrus asked.


    ''No wonder the Paragons left in a hurry¡­ They probably noticed that the newly arrived group were members of the Demonic Cult.''


    Brycen thought for a moment before he replied.


    "If the Celestials weren''t suppressed by their unique ability, we should be fine. However, I heard that the Demonic Cult is worshipping a demonic being that might be more powerful than the magic god so it wouldn''t be surprising if they have a special ability that makes them unafraid of the Celestials."


    Thyrus also thought of this as he nodded.


    "That''s not a good thing¡­ However, they don''t seem to be showing hostility¡­ Or perhaps they''ve hidden it very well unlike the Paragons? Should we escape now?"


    "No¡­ Let''s hear what they have to say. We should be fine."


    Suddenly, they hear Agatha speak which is quite rare to happen. She would just normally go along with their decision.


    Nevertheless, since she''s Number 18, they immediately decided to follow her.


    "I have no problems with that¡­" Thyrus said as he looked at everyone. Only Patriarch Leon was hesitating but the others didn''t seem to mind this decision at all.


    With this in consideration, Thyrus just ensured that everyone had taken their potion and had their full attention on the members of the Demonic Cult.


    Even if a battle broke out, he wanted to make certain that everyone is ready to fight.


    Thud¡­


    The members of the cult stood about 50 meters away from their group as Thyrus confirmed that there are a total of 36 people opposite them.


    They were all wearing cloaks and they can barely see their nose and mouth.


    "What do you want? You won''t tell us that those creatures we killed were your pets, right?" Thyrus didn''t wait for them to speak first as he started to engage them in a conversation.


    Instead of answering, the leader of the cult stepped forward and showed his face to everyone by removing his cloak.


    Unexpectedly, this man is actually quite good-looking. His attractive facebined with his fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes make him appear like a noble lineage instead of a demonic cult.


    Brycen furrowed his brows since this man appears to be from Solomon''s Pir.


    His hair and eyes can only be seen in that region after all.


    "We''re certainly not here to fight. I''m Altairs Vasils, just a low-ranking member of the Cult. We''re only here to im the Celestials on your side. You only have to gift them to us and we will leave peacefully."


    The man spoke amiably as if what he was telling them is a great favor for their squad.

 Chapter 494 Beads

    "What?! Do you think we will just give the Celestials to your side?! You don''t even look like a human! Look at your face! Do you think any Celestial would want toe with you?!" Patriarch Leon burst out in anger as soon as he heard the man''s words.


    He was already infuriated by the fact that he was momentarily captivated by the man''s face so as soon as he heard that he wanted to take away their Celestials, he immediately wanted to curse the man.


    In any case, he is at the center of the group so if a battle broke out, he should be able to defend himself.


    He doesn''t believe that these humans would be able to win against two-digit Celestial Beings!


    Thyrus looked at him with an approving nce. Although he didn''t show it, he was also angered by Altairs'' words.


    "Altair¡­ I don''t care what your position is in the Demonic Cult. You should consider where you are right now¡­ You''re outside the Cult''s territory and you''ll regret it if you provoke us more."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he signaled to the whole squad to prepare for battle. There was no way they would just let them pass with those insulting words.


    "Ho~ So you won''t peacefully hand them over to us? I guess we have no other choice but to kill you all." Altair finally showed his real face. He stopped doing his fake expression and smiled evilly at Thyrus'' groups.


    Professor Levent noticed that the battle was about to start so she swiftly activated the Formation Cores that wereid out on the battlefield.


    When she noticed the presence of the cult members a while ago, she stealthily arranged a Formation Art around them since she felt that they might cause some trouble.


    Luckily, her intuition was correct and she could protect the squad even more¡­


    She took out tenrge Mana Crystals in her pocket and triggered the Formation before the Cult Members could even react.


    "Excellent River Dragon Formation¡­"


    Suddenly, a huge formation that covers over 200 meters was activated.


    This formation requires the use of several River Dragon Scales¡­ That''s right! This is a Formation Art that uses the power of a Mythical Beast!


    At first, the cult members didn''t care about it as they just continued with their attacking formation.


    "My squad will suppress the Celestials! The first and second squads will deal with the Grand Magus! The third and fourth will deal with the Grand Knights!"


    Altair dered.


    They actually have four squads with nine members each¡­ The squad that Altair is part of seems to be the strongest as they dared to deal with the seven Celestial Beings.


    Altair and his squad suddenly released a menacing energy that started to disrupt the flow of mana within the surroundings. Perhaps, even Celestial Energy can be suppressed by this!


    Luna frowned after seeing this¡­


    It ispletely different from the Moonlight Energy of the Demihumans just now¡­


    She could feel the Aether from them!


    It wasn''t only that, it seems like abination of other energy!


    "This is Bloodlust and Aether ording to Sir Vincent¡­ Be careful!" Millie suddenly spoke.


    Most of them have heard about Bloodlust which is the specialty of the Demonic Cult. As for the Aether, many of them weren''t familiar with it since they have rarely fought someone with such an ability.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "So that''s it¡­ No wonder you''re confident¡­ You think that having Aether is enough to deal with us?" Agatha spoke out as she disliked the fact that these humans were underestimating their Celestial Race¡­


    Even if they can be suppressed by Aether, it will only happen if the Aether is more than their Celestial Energy!


    "We''ll engage in closebat¡­ Kill them¡­"


    Luna announced. The reason they allowed the Demonic Cult to get closer was for this moment after all. Although they were 50 meters away, this short distance can be easily passed with their speed and weapons!


    Soon, a battle between the Demonic Cult and the Werewolf yer Squad started.


    "You will all die!" Altair shouted as he knows how powerful they are. Although he told them that he was only a low-ranking member, that is certainly far from the truth.


    Soon, they started suppressing everyone with their Bloodlust and Aether!


    None of the Grand Magus can properly use their Mana Arts¡­ Tier 1 Arts would easily disappear, Tier 2 Arts were only effective for three to five seconds, and Tier 3 Arts weren''t even possible for some reason. It was as if converting mana to an element ispletely prohibited while fighting the Demonic Cult members!


    No wonder the Martial Arts Alliance which uses marvelous Martial Techniques was the one dealing with the Cult.


    Only Tier 4 Mana Arts were somehow usable and their Tier 5 Mana Arts¡­ However, using Tier 5 Mana Arts means that they will suffer some bacsh after it''s over.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The Grand Knights who weren''t very much affected by the suppressive energy of the cult members stepped forward and blocked the enemies¡­


    They used various sword techniques allowing them to cover a wider range¡­ Their move bought enough time for Professor Levent to control Formation Art which she just activated.


    "Hmmm?" Altair suddenly noticed that the Formation that he thought was ineffective against them suddenly burst with power...


    He soon regretted not targeting Levent himself as he saw a dragon w aiming at his squad!


    He wanted to scold the squads that should be dealing with her but he doesn''t have the time to do so¡­


    He weakened the Aether and Bloodlust that were surrounding the Celestials and raised his palm to block the Dragon w.


    Of course, there was no way he can catch the w since it was three times bigger than himself. He activated the Artifact on his wrist and his palm suddenly produced a huge fireball¡­


    "Don''t think that this Dragon w can stop me!" He dered with certainty as he released the fireball¡­


    Boom!


    The explosion caused stopped the momentum of both sides¡­ This had actually surprised Altair since he was thinking that the fireball produced by his artifact would easily dissipate the dragon w and continue destroying everything in its path¡­


    This is what happened before after all¡­


    But he was momentarily at a loss, he realized that the Celestials suddenly disappeared from his senses!


    "Not good! Everyone, shatter the beads! Now!"

 Chapter 495 Sacrifice

    The bead he was talking about was one of their life-saving treasures within the Demonic Cult¡­ This bead can enhance their abilities to be protected by a pure and unsullied Aether that wouldst for a while.


    During this time, they can use this huge amount of pure Aether at their own discretion.


    Apparently, after their initial confrontation with the Celestials, Altair realized that he had actually underestimated the Celestial Beings this time.


    He didn''t expect that he would encounter a high-ranking Celestial!


    If he would make a guess, he believes that they are certainly ranked under 100!


    If they were only Unnumbered Celestials or perhaps, those at the lower end of the ranking, he was confident that their suppression was more than enough to stop them for about five minutes. At that time, the other members of the squad should''ve killed their contractors already¡­


    So even if the five minutes were over, they will just convince the Celestial Beings to join their side since their contractors would be dead by then.


    This was their n and this is what they''ve been doing over the past years.


    The Demonic Cult has already gathered many Unnumbered Celestial Beings and they were only waiting for their deity to give them themand to conquer the world.


    However, they didn''t stop collecting Celestial Beings to strengthen themselves.


    Unfortunately, they seem to have encountered troublesome opponents this time. They have to take them seriously. They can''t hold back dealing with these Celestials at all!


    Crack! Crack!


    A series of cracking noises were heard as their treasure beads crashed and emitted a suffocating amount of Aether.


    Even Agatha felt nervous as soon as she saw this¡­


    Aside from Luna, all the other Celestial Beings don''t have Celestial Armor after all. Although they have incredible robes and armor provided by Vincent, Aether can''t be underestimated at all.


    Three more Dragon ws suddenly appeared as Professor Levent pushed the formation''s limit.


    She knows that the sudden move made by the cult members would be very dangerous for them if they didn''t act now¡­


    She also reminded the other Grand Magus to make their move.


    "Use your Tier 5 now before it''s toote!"


    As the controller of the Excellent River Dragon Formation Art, she was able to feel the drastic change in the surrounding mana.


    She was able to clearly tell how dangerous their situation was¡­ Even though it seems that Altair and others were using the abundant Aether to defend themselves, she can tell that they were able to control it freely as well!


    Hearing Levent''s warning, Brycen and the others no longer hesitated and used their Tier 5 Mana Arts¡­


    Their bodies suddenly emitted a terrifying force of mana¡­


    Just the surrounding Mana Fluctuationsing from the four Grand Magus were enough to detect numerous Magic Beasts that were observing the battle.


    Everyone''s Tier 5 Mana Art would normally be rted to their Tier 4 Mana Arts¡­


    Grand Magus Thyrus'' Tier 4 Mana Art was his Shredding Palms. It would normally allow him to shred anything that his palm touches especially if it is Mana Arts or Aura Techniques¡­ As for his Tier 5 Mana Art, it was called Great Destroyer Body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As soon as he used this Tier 5 Mana Art, he would be able to push his limit, and instead of only casting four Mana Arts at the same time, he would be able to cast six Mana Arts at the same time!


    Furthermore, his body would be engulfed with a fiery energy that could destroy any Mana Arts or Aura Techniques that woulde to him just like the effect of Shredding Palms


    As for destroying Bloodlust and Aether, he hasn''t tried it yet and he would know it now.


    He was the first one to test the waters and disrupted the Cult members'' n to suppress the Celestial Beings¡­


    Currently, they were able to tell that only Luna was able to somehow fight against them because she was now wearing her Celestial Armor. As for the others, they were having a hard time because of the Aether¡­


    "We will bring the Celestials Beings away¡­ Focus on dealing with the cultists!" Millie suddenly said as she realized that the Celestials were having trouble.


    It was as if they met their nemesis.


    Ceri and the other Grand Knights heard her n and immediately acted on it¡­


    "Good! Please take care of them!"


    Levent immediately said as she had the same thought. She wanted to bring away the Celestials for the time being while the Grand Magus disrupts the cultists with their Tier 5 Mana Arts.


    A huge battle soon broke out as Thyrus arrived in the midst of the Cultists¡­


    His bravery astounded even Altair¡­ He didn''t expect that a magician would actually dare to stand in their midst!


    "You dare to look down on us?!" Altair shouted in anger.


    After all, even if the Aether specializes in suppressing Celestial Energy, it can still affect the Mana Practitioners!


    Thyrus, on the other hand, just ignored him as he cast six Ice Spears at the same time.


    The reason why decided to get near was simple, he realized that his Mana Arts would be affected by the surrounding Aether and will not work if the enemies are 8 meters away from him.


    He needs to get near and kill them at a closer range¡­


    Previously, he was confident of casting his skill up to 80 meters but unfortunately, he had to acknowledge that the Aether is disrupting his ability even after activating his Tier 5 Mana Arts.


    At the very least, he knows that he has the support of the other Grand Magus so he doesn''t have to worry that all 36 cultists would focus on him.


    Iori had actually summoned three Rock Golems using his Tier 5 Mana Art!


    With the appearance of the Golems, the Cultists had no other choice but to abandon their previous ns.


    "Fourth Squad! Sacrifice! Death to our enemy!"


    Altair dered as the fourth squad of the Demonic Cult who had blocked the Grand Knights pounced on them. At the same time, they triggered an explosion that came from their bodies!


    This suicidal attack caught the Grand Knights off guard!

 Chapter 496 Death

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Nine explosions urred as it stopped the Grand Magus from casting any more Tier 5 Mana Arts. Luckily, all the Grand Magus are on the other side of the battlefield so even though they were affected, they weren''t in a terrible condition, unlike the Grand Knights¡­


    Lar, Roy, and Terrence were critically injured while Millie and Ceri had luckily activated their life-saving treasures in time that protected their bodies from the explosions.


    Nevertheless, the two of them still went unconscious after having their Mana drained.


    Professor Levent looked at the five Grand Knights who were at the bottom of the craters created by the explosions.


    At this moment, the Excellent River Dragon Formation is already destroyed. There are no hopes of repairing them at all.


    She then shifted her gaze to the Cultists who seem to be affected by the close-range explosion as well. However, they might charge again and finish off the Grand Knights!


    "Not good¡­ We have to retreat¡­ If another squad decided tounch that suicidal attack for the second time, we''ll all be annihted here. Our defenses are weaker than the Grand Knights."


    Brycen nodded at this as he immediately moved.


    "I''ll take the Grand Knights with me while my Transformation is still active. Cover me¡­"


    Patriarch Leon and Levent agreed on his n as they decided to cover Brycen with everything they''ve got.


    While Levent controlled the ground to lift the Grand Knights so Brycen can easily take them, Leon cast a Smokescreen and Fire Wall to block the vision of the cultists¡­


    He knows that the explosions just now had also affected the cultists so they should have some time to recover the injured Grand Knights.


    Furthermore, he had actually seen Thyrus attacking amid the cultists using his manifested spears¡­ He was able to tell that Thyrus still has plenty of mana so he should be able to buy them enough time to save Lar and the others. Unless someone clung to him and trigger the bomb in their body, he shouldn''t be too worried about him dying.


    In addition to that, one golem managed to survive the explosions. It is already on its way to create havoc as Irio controlled it to mess with the cultists.


    The two other golems had died protecting the Celestials Beings near them¡­


    At this point, the Celestials had already engaged in meleebat against the Cultists!


    ***


    Luna charged forward as she was the only one with the Celestial Armor¡­ Currently, the other Celestials weren''t able to show their full strength because of the Aether Field that the cultists have created.


    Although she only appears very youngpared to the other Celestial, she''s actually quite aggressive with her fighting techniques¡­


    ng!


    Her sword was blocked by a shield covered by Aether, if she stayed like this, it will slowly consume her Celestial Energy so she hastily kicked the man away in the direction of the golem!


    Bam!


    At the same time, the five-meter-tall golem mmed this cultist perfectly as if the two had talked about thisbination.


    Well, Luna was actually good at throwing her targets¡­ She wouldn''t engage with Cultists for a very long time and she would just push them really hard to the location of the other Celestials or even the Golem tond the finishing blow.


    This way, none of them would be too exposed to the Aether¡­


    "Aaarghhh!"


    Suddenly, Luna heard Thyrus'' cry who had dared to charge in the midst of the cultists¡­ He really did a good job stalling for time and killing two of the cultists but his mana is already at the critical moment.


    As he was stabbed by a spear in his stomach, his Tier 5 Body Transformation has finally deactivated¡­


    He failed to retreat before his Tier 5 Mana Art was over!


    "We''ll save him!"


    Three Celestial Beings pounced forward and used the abilities of their Magic Tools.


    They suddenly bombarded the cultists with Elemental Arts that surprised Altair and the other squads. After all, the Celestials they were previously dealing with were incapable of using Mana Arts. Or perhaps, they have chosen not to use Elemental Arts¡­


    "So annoying!" Altair bit his thumb and sprayed his blood in the direction of the Celestial Beings who had pounced on them¡­


    The three Unnumbered Celestials didn''t dodge it. It was not because they were arrogant, it was because they trust the defensive magic tools they have with them¡­


    Although these tools only have about 15% of their durabilities, they know that they would still work until they werepletely destroyed.


    Pssshhh~~


    As soon as the sprayed blood touches the Celestial Beings'' defenses, they suddenly turned like some sort of acid corroding their armor and weapons!


    Seeing this, they immediately threw their weapons in the cultists'' direction.


    Bam!


    Altair didn''t expect that these Celestials wouldn''t care about their high-grade magic tools. After all, fighting their cult members barehanded wouldn''t be easy even if they are Celestial Beings.


    This had obviously disrupted his ns¡­


    He was thinking of secretly engraving explosive runes on their weapons and surprising themter on by triggering them closer to their faces.


    However, now that they decisively threw these weapons, he had no other choice but to dodge¡­


    Two of the weapons struck the cultists behind him killing them on the spot! He really can''t underestimate the physical strength of these Celestials. Although their Celestial Core should be having a hard time right now, their bones and muscles were still deadly to humans like them.


    ''Tsk¡­''


    Altair realized that his mission this time can''t bepleted. They have to acknowledge their defeat this time.


    "I will remember this!" Altair angrily stepped back as he saw the three Celestials protecting Thyrus and carrying him back to their line.


    Altair then shifted his gaze to the members of his group.


    "Our life for god! Death to the enemy!"


    He shouted at the top of his lungs. At first, it seems like a normal battle cry.


    However, Luna and Agatha felt something off about this as they realized that the cultists, other than Altair, seem to have received the signal to do something dreadful!


    ''No way! These cultists were suicidal maniacs!''

 Chapter 497 Return

    Among all the enemies, those who don''t care about their lives can be the most challenging opponents.


    They wouldn''t be easily deterred without having a fight and injuries wouldn''t make them retreat. They were truly the worst especially if they weren''t afraid of exploding themselves for the sake of killing their enemies.


    Even the Berserk Werewolves they fought recently would still have the instincts to know whether to retreat or not. If they can retreat, they would certainly do so.


    After all, most of the werewolves were shot by Silver Bullets and after getting hit, they wouldn''t rashly dash at their enemies and they would actually take cover to remove the Silver Bullets that are stopping their regenerative abilities.


    On the other hand, these Cultists would trigger an explosion in their bodies as long as they''ve gotten near to the members of the yer Squad!


    "Everyone! Retreat! We¡ª"


    Luna wasn''t able to finish her words as a series of explosions suddenly covered the entire valley.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Cultists exploded one by one creating a massive disturbance in the surrounding mana¡­ After all, they were entirely covered by Aether and these explosions were starting to even bend the fabric of space!


    It was difficult to escape once caught by the explosion!


    To save themselves, they probably have to use life-saving magic treasure, endure it with their bodies, or use an incredibly powerful Mana Art that can push them away from the wave of explosions.


    Thissted for over five minutes before the surroundings started calming down. The ce was filled with rubbles as the ground haspletely copsed.


    At this point, the battlefield becamepletely silent. The presence of humans and Celestials haspletely disappeared as if they have all died in the explosion.


    About 15 more minutes had passed when changes in the surroundings urred.


    Within the rubbles of the explosions, a huge boulder started cracking¡­ It was slow and steady but it is certainly splitting the boulder apart.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Boom!


    After a few minutes, the boulder was shattered into many pieces as a person suddenly came out of it.


    It was Luna who was still wearing her Celestial Armor¡­ It was already in terrible condition and as soon as she had gotten out, it immediately deactivated and turned into a dull cube.


    It finally used up all its energy.


    ''I''m finally out¡­''


    Luna struggled to stand up but her eyes remained wary¡­ She looked at the surroundings and heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she noticed there are no enemies around.


    After a while, Agatha and two more Celestials came out. They were in a bad condition because they do not have armor simr to hers. Anyway, she wasn''t too worried about the three since they weren''t in a critical state.


    After another minute, she finally sensed the presence of the surviving Grand Magus and Grand Knights¡­ Soon, she was able to gather everyone and sighed.


    They were truly defeated this time.


    Luckily for Millie and Ceri, they were saved by their Artifact which was probably gifted by Vincent.


    Roy and Terrence didn''t survive while Lar''s right hand was caught in the explosion¡­


    As for the Grand Magus, only Archon Iori has died¡­ Although his Void''s Crack Amulet was activated, he was too close to the Cultists who had triggered an explosion¡­


    It disrupted the space and he was forcefully sent out of the void and got caught in the explosion¡­


    As for Levent, Thyrus, and Brycen, they had luckily survived thanks to the higher version of the amulet they received from Ignacy plus the treasures they got from Vincent. Unfortunately, they were still heavily injured, especially Thyrus who have lost his left arm and right leg.


    Patriarch Leon, on the other hand, was prepared for this kind of disaster as he brought the treasure of their Zemin n for nine generations¡­ Although the treasure that he used had imed his vision in exchange for saving his life, he didn''t mind it.


    He didn''t feel bitter even after bing blind¡­


    He even felt that this is an opportunity for his family to be truly part of the city. After all, even if they were living in the city and their members were epted as guards or soldiers, they weren''t able to get a position above that.


    Their promotion was basically impossible as long as they are part of the Zemin n. However, with his contribution today, he believes that he would be able to get a decent reward once he managed to return alive.


    ''They''re finallying¡­'' Leon thought as he sensed the presence of an iing aircraft¡­ Because the magic artifact he used was still functioning, his heightened senses even detected the presence of the aircraft from afar.


    Not even the other Celestials noticed this aircraft.


    Previously, they were notified that aside from the War Eagle Squadron that was tasked to bombard the werewolves, the city would also be sending another aircraft to bring them away and it is boarded by other Celestial Beings to protect them and even deal with any remnant enemies¡­


    They were the reinforcements that he was waiting for¡­


    With their presence, there shouldn''t be any more problems even if the Werewolves were still here.


    But as he was feeling relieved and wanted to rx while waiting for their rescuers, he noticed some changes happening.


    "W-what?!"


    Suddenly, he sensed that the aircraft from Vera City was blocked by five other flying airships! These airships were huge and seem to be one of those cargo ships¡­


    However, what was boarding these ships were humans¡­ Furthermore, he could sense one of the Paragons there! It should be the same man who was previously carrying a huge axe.


    This Paragon has a mighty aura that he could easily distinguish from the thousand martial artists¡­


    At this point, his magic artifact stopped functioning and he could no longer sense them¡­ His original Mana Sensitivity zone can only reach 100 to 150 meters so he has no way of sensing what was going on¡­


    "Leon¡­" Luna called his name as she noticed his grim face¡­ The others were also looking at him but since they were recuperating, none of them bothered asking and just waited for him to speak.


    This prompted Leon to tell them what he had found out with the help of his artifact¡­


    However, before he could fully exin what happened, the two other Paragons they''d sent away havee back with reinforcements from the Martial Arts Alliance!

 Chapter 498 Threat

    "Hey¡­ Are you here to help us or not? We''re already injured after fighting off the Cultists¡­ If you''re here to capture them, then you''re toote. They already died¡­" Thyrus weakly said as he recovered a bit of his energy.


    Since their organizations are basically allies, he didn''t feel threatened by their presence and treated them as rescuers.


    He then noticed that the Paragon who was previously wielding a huge axe is missing and the group of Martial Artists was only led by the female Paragon who can use a Lightning Field and monk Paragon.


    There are over 50 of them right now and none of them seem to be some sort of doctors that could help them. Nevertheless, they should be able to help with first aid and perhaps they can borrow the potions they were keeping in their pockets.


    Brycen took a deep breath as he looked at the three Grand Knights he was able to save in time.


    Millie and Ceri seem to have recovered some of their Mana while Lar is suppressing the bleeding on his arm¡­


    They were really not in a good condition so if these Martial Artists have malicious thoughts, there was no way they could fight back.


    Even the Celestial Beings were not in a good shape.


    Brycen look over at their side and noticed that there are only five Celestial Beings that were left and only Luna seem to be capable of fighting¡­


    "Haha! Of course, we are here to help you. Unfortunately, we didn''t bring enough potions for everyone but if you allow us to take the Celestials, we will be the ones taking care of them back in the Alliance''s territory."


    Ariana replied as she held back the Martial Artists who were about to run and save the Werewolf yer Squad.


    As soon as they heard her condition, not only yer Squad were surprised but even the Martial Artists they''d brought from the alliance.


    Archie, the leader of the Border Security Team, couldn''t help but look at Paragon Ariana and Paragon Colm who seem to be angry at the weakened magicians in front of them.


    His team was originally just patrolling the border of their territory when they received the Paragons'' signal for help.


    He recalled that the three of them weren''t in their best condition¡­


    ''Are they the ones who defeated the Paragons?'' Archie mused.


    "Paragons¡­ Isn''t this a bit too harsh? With our potions, we can still treat all of them. Taking a contracted Celestial wouldn''t be good. We''re also in the territory of the ck Tower. If the Tower Lord learned about this¡ª"


    "Shut up! Do you think I don''t know all of these?!" Colm shouted breaking his image as a calm and collected monk.


    Right now, in their eyes, Colm seem to be seething in anger as if he wanted to devour them.


    "Those potions aren''t for them¡­ They''re originally ours and we can''t give all of them to these people for free. Since we''recking potions at the moment and they can''t take them off themselves, we''ll take care of the Celestials to ensure that they will receive proper treatment. We''re doing this for their sake." Ariana calmly exined.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, everyone already realized their true colors so Archie can only nod in agreement. No matter what, these two are Paragons and only the Alliance Head is capable of handling them.


    He can only look at the magicians with pity as he stepped back.


    Ariana smiled seeing that Archie understood his position.


    Luna looked at the Paragons and the Martial Artists and knows that fighting them would be suicide at this point.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t falter and looked at Ariana¡­ She has a pretty face but also a wicked mind¡­ Luna couldn''t help but sneer as she spoke.


    "Are you really sure that you want to step on us while we''re weak?" She asked.


    Brycen and the others were too weak to even argue at this point. Leon, on the other hand, was a bit scared about speaking out of the line, so he just remained silent.


    Only Luna can speak for them at this point.


    "Haha! I''m not trying to sound arrogant, Miss Celestial¡­ However, I don''t think that with your condition, you have the right to negotiate... You were already lucky that we didn''t forcefully take you and the four other Celestials¡­ We can also eliminate all the witnesses but we didn''t. We are even here willing to give potions to these people from the ck Tower."


    Ariana calmly as Thyrus could only grit his teeth in anger¡­


    Ariana was right¡­ They can really be defeated right now but he couldn''t help but feel betrayed!


    "Aren''t you the Paragon of the Martial Arts Alliance? Should you really be doing this to us? You''re allied with the ck Tower Organization! Tower Lord Ignacy is alive and healthy¡­ Once he learned about this, do you think you can get out of this unscathed?!" Thyrus shouted in anger¡­ He even started coughing up blood because of this.


    The amount of stress and injuries that had umted in his body started to gnaw at his health.


    On the other hand, Colm didn''t waver after hearing his threat. He couldn''t help but chuckle especially after hearing the Tower Lord''s condition.


    "Do you think we care? Hahaha! The ck Tower will soon be gone and be reced by the ck Magic Organization... Oh, you seem surprised¡­ Your information-gathering skills have probably declined so it''s not surprising that you don''t know¡­" Colm sneered.


    "W-what are you talking about? The ck Tower will not disappear! What are your evil schemes this time?!" Thyrus was bbergasted by his reply.


    "Hmph! The leaders of the ck Magic Organization have already visited the neighboring territories. Everyone has already epted that they will be the new ruler of this northern region. At this point, I can even help them remove some of their problems but here we are, still convincing you to live in exchange for giving up your Celestials¡­ Do you really think we''re the viins here?!"


    "This is madness! The ck Magic Organization is serving an evil god! Do you want another Demonic Cult to appear?!"


    "Hey! I''m not the Alliance Head¡­ If you want toin about the allies of our organization, talk to the Alliance Head." Colm replied matter-of-factly infuriating Thyrus even more.

 Chapter 499 Arrival

    Thyrus and the others were stunned after hearing this revtion.


    They have no idea that during their peaceful times living in Vera City, the ck Magic Organization had actually started buying off the neighboring territories to ensure that the ck Tower wouldn''t be able to receive any more reinforcements.


    It seems that after the Paragons worked together and destroyed one of the magic god''s Avatars, the ck Magic Organization realized the threat of the other organizations.


    They were probably worried that since the Martial Arts Alliance had sent their Paragons to help, the Solomon''s Pir might send the Magicians of the Wisemen or even the Wisemen themselves.


    The peculiar Star Garden Peak might also send their help or even the Demonic Cult might join the battle to create an even more chaotic battlefield.


    With all these in consideration, it was no wonder why the ck Magic Organization decided to stop their operations temporarily and send their delegates to the other organizations.


    ''Not good¡­ His words might be true¡­ If this magic organization was able to give them what the others desperately needed, they might really agree with the organization''s request.'' Thyrus knows that even if the Martial Arts Alliance appears righteous and would want to destroy the Demonic Cult and the Orc''s Red Alliance, they also have various needs since they werecking Magic Crafters.


    Currently, the Martial Arts Alliance is relying on the ck Tower to provide almost 60% of their magic weapons supply.


    If the ck Magic Organization can also provide this and even at a lower price, they might really agree! Furthermore, this new organization might offer several more benefits that the Tower Lord wasn''t able to provide them.


    "Keke¡­ Looking at your faces, it seems that you''ve all realized how smart they are. The leaders of the ck Magic Organization are the real deal. They know how this world works so at the very least, we will be taking care of your Celestials. Don''t let them die with you¡­" Colm said.


    "Alright¡­ Enough of that¡­ We''ll take the Celestials and give all of you our remaining potions¡­ Although they are only low-grade, they should be enough to treat your injuries."


    Ariana said as she signaled for Archie and others to "help" Luna and the others¡­


    However, as they were about to make their move, a huge shadow suddenly covered everyone¡­ It was followed by a strong gust of air so they couldn''t help but look up at the sky.


    Ariana thought that it was the airship from their Martial Arts Alliance that had supposedly blocked one of the ck Towers'' fast airships.


    Niall should be leading these airships now to take the special aircraft that they have detected. After all, it would be a pity if the ck Magic Organization would be the one to take it.


    Before they got their hands on it, it should be better if their Alliance discovers its secrets first.


    "W-what''s that?!"


    Ariana''s mouth was wide open as she looked at the creature above them¡­


    It seems to be a huge wyvern but its scales were beautiful and appeared even more majestic than those of the wyverns.


    ''Is that¡­''


    At this point, she can no longer mistake it¡­ That was definitely a blue dragon right there!


    "N-not good! That might be a Mythical Beast¡­ The battle that has urred here probably attracted its attention!" Archie can only think of this as he can still feel the remnant energy around the battlefield.


    He can easily guess that a very tough battle has urred in this ce. There was also the thick scent of blood so he wouldn''t be surprised if some Savage Beasts started appearing.


    It is normal for these beasts to be attracted to the scent of blood and chaos after all.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, it was out of his expectation that a Mythical Beast would actually appear here right now!


    Normally, this creature can only be found in ancient texts and some fables made for children. None of them had seen one of them in flesh until now¡­


    Just how did it even live up until now without their knowledge?


    He can easily tell that the one above them isn''t some sort of illusion or Beast Soul Projection. From its aura to how it breathes, it was definitely real.


    "How could this be?! Is this the reason why the ck Magic Organization wanted to take over thisnd?! Perhaps there are more Mythical Beasts here?!" Colm spoke in excitement.


    Archie can only gulp in nervousness as he felt that this was really strange.


    Furthermore, he noticed that the magicians behind them doesn''t seem to be scared!


    As a matter of fact, he saw some of them smiling!


    The Paragons didn''t notice this as they were focused on the Dragon but he can''t be mistaken!


    ''What now?!¡­ If the Mythical Beast is rted to them, we''re in big trouble.''


    They didn''t know that the ck Tower Organization would have this kind of trump card! No wonder they were able to rule thisnd for many generations!


    Archie wanted to signal the two Paragons about the unusual behavior of the magicians but it was toote!


    They started wielding their weapons and were even ready to fight¡­


    Whoosshh!


    Suddenly, the blue dragon descended close to them¡­ Nevertheless, they didn''t fail to notice the person riding the dragon!


    "Impossible!"


    Everyone saw the figure of a man donning an elegant Magician Robe and various essories that were all emitting some mysterious powers.


    "S-Someone''s riding the dragon?!"


    Ariana was already prepared to escape when she saw the Dragon descending. However, the figure of a man standing on its back halted her actions.


    There was no way that an unknown person is riding that thing within the territory of the ck Tower.


    Her mind started working furiously as she analyzed their situation.


    In just a few moments, she concluded that this man had a higher chance of being a member of the ck Magic Organization.


    After all, believes that the ck Tower is incapable of taming this highly-rated Mythical Beast. If they really have this trump card, shouldn''t they be strong enough to defend several more Towers?

 Chapter 500 Descent

    Based on the report they have received, the ck Tower has 36 Mage Towers that are known to the public.


    Then, there were 4 other Mage Towers that can only be essed by Red Emblem members and above. Well, even if you have the red emblem, special permission is still required to enter these towers.


    Currently, the ck Magic Organization has already controlled 21 Magician Towers and 9 were destroyed in a siege. As for the remaining towers, they were fully controlled by Tower Lord Mikhail except for the four independent Mage Towers that are basically at the north, east, west, and south of thend.


    These four Mage Towers haven''t fallen yet and the Martial Arts Alliance believes that perhaps, the only remaining chances for the ck Tower Organization to survive would depend on these four special Mage Towers.


    There was certainly nothing about a Mythical Beast. There were no signs of them over the past few decades.


    If that were the case, they can only think that this Dragon wasn''t from the ck Tower but from the uprising organization that is destroying them¡­


    With this in mind, Colm and Ariana immediately disyed their might to show that they weren''t members of the dying ck Tower and in fact, the Paragons of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    "Greetings, Senior¡­ We are from the Martial Arts Alliance. I''m Colm and the Alliance Head bestowed the title of Paragon to my name. Our group here is currently in conflict with the members of the ck Tower and we only want to teach them a lesson."


    Colm spoke with respect in front of the man capable of riding a Mythical Beast.


    Even if the man doesn''t appear to be too old, he knows how to position himself in front of a very strong person. Although he acknowledges that he''s an arrogant person, it doesn''t mean that he''s stupid.


    He will only look down on people whom he can.


    If he knows he''s at a disadvantage, he would do his best to suppress his arrogance.


    "I''m Ariana and I also received the title of Paragon." Ariana spoke with a hint of pride in his tone since there aren''t many Paragons in the first ce.


    As expected, as soon as they lowered themselves and didn''t show their superiority, the man riding the dragon spoke with a hint of amused tone¡­


    They didn''t feel any hostility at all!


    It was a good start!


    "Hmm¡­ So you two are the Paragons I''ve heard a lot about."


    "Yes, that would be us¡­" Ariana replied as she looked at the man who had decided to descend from the head of the dragon.


    Honestly, she''s wishing that he orders this dragon to fly away or at least wait in the sky so she can calmly think.


    Right now, the presence that the dragon exudes was really getting into her mind.


    The pressure was a bit suffocating if she stopped using her Body Cultivation Technique.


    "So it was like that¡­" The man replied obviously uninterested in their title as a Paragon.


    "May I know if you''re the rumored Apostle of the Magic God?" Ariana cautiously asked.


    In the meantime, Vincent was stunned after hearing her¡­


    ''Apostle? Is there something like that?'' Vincent was confused again but it sounded true considering there are indeed gods or deities in this world. Perhaps, he might even be considered Vera''s apostle considering the gifts that he had received from her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Anyway, Vincent didn''t answer the woman and only smiled as he shifted his gaze to Luna and the others. They can only show their relieved expression and didn''t even have the energy to greet him at all. They were too exhausted and perhaps, they were still enduring the pain in their bodies.


    His gaze swept at the surroundings and immediately understood the situation.


    ''Haa~ I was still toote¡­'' Vincent sighed as he brought out a bag of potions and threw it to Luna¡­


    Luna caught the bag easily and she didn''t even have to ask as she already knows what to do.


    "Immediately treat the ones critically injured. I''ll deal with the rest." Vincent said as his gaze returned to Ariana and Colm¡­


    At this point, they already realized that the person in front of them is unlikely to be the Apostle of the Magic God.


    "Y-you''re from the ck Tower?!" Colm asked as he gulped in nervousness.


    Vincent didn''t answer him as he threw his question instead.


    "Can you tell me about the Apostles you''ve mentioned?" Vincent asked with an interrogative tone.


    "Huh? Are you ignoring my question? Why would I answer that? You think this Mythical Beast can protect you?!" Colm angrily said as he dashed towards Vincent.


    He already knows that escaping will be difficult with the Dragon''s presence so their only chance of survival is to capture Vincent and threaten the Dragon.


    It may not work but that''s the best option he could think of so far. Furthermore, even though the Dragon is near, it is quite huge and shouldn''t be fast enough to protect Vincent with its tough scales.


    Bam!


    Colm used his Cunning Palm to hit Vincent. This would use almost half of his energy but it will allow him to turn Vincent into a vegetable state without any chance of killing him.


    That''s right, he wasn''t nning to kill Vincent since he needs to negotiate with the Mythical Beastter on¡­


    Using the Cunning Palm, Vincent''s brain will only be damaged and his heart will remain beating¡­ Colm felt that he could easily fool them that Vincent can still be saved as long as they follow his words.


    However, to his surprise, he didn''t feel the human muscle that he should have hit but instead, felt a cold steel that had reflected some damage back at him¡­


    "Aaaarrgghhh!"


    ? His wrist was broken and failed to achieve his n¡­


    He wanted to retreat in haste but was met by a kick on his cheek!


    Boom!


    He was thrown a few meters before he was caught by the female Paragon.


    At this moment, they saw Vincent wearing a familiar armor that he shouldn''t be capable of wearing!

 Chapter 501 Domain

    "How is that possible?" Ariana was in disbelief after seeing a human male wear the Celestial Armor.


    That shouldn''t be possible ording to the many studies made by the best Magic Craftsmen and Arcane Researchers. Even the Solomon''s Pir that was led by the Great Wiseman was unable to bridge the gap between the two races.


    The Celestials were using a different form of energy and no humans should be capable of using their armors. There is also no existing tool that could actually


    However, no matter how curious she was, she couldn''t afford to waste her time waiting for Vincent to answer¡­


    Right now, the blue dragon was ring at them with its fierce eyes!


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, the River Dragon''s tail swept through them and they can only flee! There was no hope of stopping this!


    Boom!


    The ground shook and a few martial artists who failed to escape in time were killed in the process.


    But Vincent wasn''t happy at all!


    "Hey! Don''t do that! Can''t you see our allies aren''t in a good condition, they have no time dealing with your earth-shattering moves!" He shouted as the dragon immediately stopped what it was about to do¡­


    Indeed, they were too near to the injured!


    Krusk was about to use his Great Flood but had to stop because of this.


    In the end, Vincent was the one who made the next move¡­


    Soul Domain!


    In an instant, all the martial artists entered his domain and felt the pressureing from his Soul''s Aura.


    "Ugh! He''s an Aura Knight as expected¡­" Ariana muttered as she resisted the pressure.


    Vincent''s current Aura is very suppressive but it wasn''t enough to frighten the Martial Artists. They were only flustered for a moment but after circting their energy in their bodies, they were able to feel a lot better¡­


    However, at this moment, Vincent finished his preparation and directly used his first Sentient Magic Tool!


    The Tome of Gluttony!


    Suddenly, the Martial Artist felt a sucking force that was pulling them closer to Vincent''s book!


    It seems to be a wind elemental art but it was incredibly strong to the point that most of them were unable to properly condense their energy!


    The pulling force seems to be capable of disrupting their energy cirction. They have to do something or they''ll fall into the enemy''s trap.


    Lightning Field!


    Ariana gritted her teeth as she triggered her Magic Weapon''s strongest field-type ability¡­ However, it was only enough to weaken the pulling force of the Sentient Tome.


    Furthermore, Vincent increased the intensity of this force by adding his energy to the Tome of Gluttony!


    Colm realized that they weren''t in a good situation so he ignored the pain in his hand and used his left hand to punch the ground¡­


    Echo Burst!


    There wasn''t a strong reaction at first but Colm didn''t mind it¡­ He continued to pour his energy into his fist to the ground¡­


    Then, in a few seconds, the ground trembled and slowly got stronger and stronger¡­ The shaking even moved and continued to where VIncent was!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Bang! Bang!


    The ground started breaking and every crack would release a gush of energy that could hurt them!


    As expected of a Paragon, they weren''t really easy to deal with.


    Vincent had to move away but the Tome of Gluttony didn''t mind the distraction caused by the earthquake¡­ It only needed to fly to ensure that it wouldn''t be affected at all.


    "Don''t think that we''ll be defeated with that Book!"


    Ariana gritted her teeth as she stomped on the ground and punched the air¡­


    A lightning bolt came out of her first as it went straight to the Tome of Gluttony!


    Zzzaapp!


    The tome was hit perfectly as it really stopped the Sentient Magic Tool from using its ability!


    Vincent was shocked by this as well since he didn''t know that the Tome can be stopped by lightning attribute.


    Nevertheless, the tome only had to retreat and Vincent can tell that it could cast its ability again¡­


    "I need to use Mana Arts, I have to release you for now¡­" Vincent spoke to the Sentient Cube¡­


    It then detached itself from Vincent but remained floating around him. It formed like a floating shield ready to protect Vincent at all times.


    Vincent had no choice but to do this since the Celestial Armor isn''t a good Mana Conductor.


    Using Mana Arts while wearing the armor is a bit too difficult for him. Although it is still technically possible to use Mana Arts, he wouldn''t be able to release a hundred percent of its power.


    "Gluton! One more time!" Vincentmanded the tome as he also used his technique¡­


    Mana Drain!


    This low-tier Mana Art is incredibly powerful in Vincent''s hands.


    With the help of the Tome, none of the Martial Artists notice that their mana is being drained slowly.


    Well, even though they are Martial Artists and not Magicians, they use Mana as well but they weren''t using it to fill their Core with mana.


    Instead, they were cultivating it to every part of their bodies¡­


    Their skin, muscles, bones, and even their organs would be tempered by Mana. Of course, this is not easy to do as one mistake can make your organs blow into pieces inside your body.


    It is very dangerous and only a few powerful ns in the Martial Arts Alliances have a Body Cultivation Technique that will allow them to have a hundred percent chance of seeding in this cultivation.


    Most body cultivation techniques would only have a 70 percent chance and there was even as low as a 10 percent chance.


    Archie, the border security team leader, is one of those lucky cultivators that had be a Martial Artist after cultivating a Body Technique with only a 10 percent chance of sess. People may think that he cultivated a lowly technique but this allowed him to be very sensitive to his surroundings¡­


    Not only he could tell what was happening around him, but he could also see that they were dealing with someone they shouldn''t mess with¡­


    The sense of Mana Loss was the trigger for him to escape and leave the Paragons behind!


    With a sense of urgency, he ordered his men!


    "We''re retreating!"

 Chapter 502 Astral

    Archie''smand was like a light at the end of the tunnel¡­


    They didn''te here for a life-and-death battle after all. They only followed the Paragons because they have no other choice.


    However, at this moment, their survival is their top priority¡­ They


    The Mythical Beast Dragon is already something they don''t want to deal with and the young man who rode it was even more mysterious¡­


    They noticed that this man didn''t even feel threatened by the presence of the two Paragons! He was more difficult to deal with than they have expected.


    Swoosh~ Swoosh~


    The Martial Artists under Archie''smand immediately fled as soon as they heard his order¡­


    The Paragons felt conflicted about this since even though they wanted them to stay, they also knows that they wouldn''t be able to help that much. At most, they can only sacrifice their lives for a moment of distraction.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Colm used three more Echo Bursts as he targeted Vincent¡­ He believes that as long as the man was shaken by his attack, the floating book would also stop suppressing their movements.


    "Good¡­ Use your skills recklessly¡­" Vincent muttered as he dodges the havoc created by the Echo Bursts¡­


    He even has to move away since the injured members of the yer Squad might be affected. Nevertheless, he was happy to see the two Paragons frantically chasing him and using their powerful Martial Arts at the same time.


    They''re definitely spending plenty of mana in every technique they use.


    "Stop jumping around and face us!" Colm was infuriated at the fact that Vincent was only using a normal movement technique to dodge their attacks¡­


    Colm already noticed that although his movement is being restricted by the floating book, he was fine using Martial Arts that can affect their surroundings¡­


    Right now, they''re nning to wait until the book loses its power since they know that it''s impossible to maintain its mana consumption for long¡­ especially if it affects a very wide range of suppression.


    However, to their surprise, their realized that their Mana was actually the one being consumed faster!


    As someone who had reached the title of Paragon, they were confident with the amount of energy in their bodies¡­ They should be able to use a hundred high-grade Martial Techniques before feeling exhausted.


    Now, however, they have barely used 30 Martial Arts of varying grades and they''re already sweating a lot!


    ''What''s going on?'' Colm was confused as he halted his attacks and focused on his defense against the pulling force of the book.


    It wasn''t consuming much energy so he knows that he can maintain his stance for an hour before noticing the toll on his body¡­


    At this point, even Ariana realized that she had weakened quite a lot¡­


    "Retreat! Move away from him!"


    Suddenly, they heard Archie''s voice from afarmanding them on what to do¡­


    This person had already gone out of the Mana Drain''s range so he was able to realize that difference of being near to Vincent!


    At first, they thought that it was just a side effect of his Soul Domain. After all, they know that each domain has different quirks, and messing with their energy might be Vincent''s Soul Domain.


    However, they were able to easily recognize the difference between his Soul Domain and Mana Drain after getting out of his range!


    "What?! Do you think that we can''t kill this person?!" Colm shouted back in anger¡­ He thought that Archie and his team were just too scared¡­


    On the other hand, Ariana swallowed his words since Colm already replied.


    Although she also wanted to retreat and make another n, she felt that it was already toote¡­


    Furthermore, after Vincent heard Archie''s advice, he actually charges at them as if he was afraid that they would really flee!


    In addition to that, the man also ordered his Mythical Beast to kill the remaining Martial Artists out of his range!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Vincent engaged in closebat against a Martial Artist! This is normally a suicidal move since Magicians wouldn''t normallyst once hit by a Martial Technique.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was able to fight thanks to the floating armor and his essories with so many Passive Abilities¡­


    Even if he gets scratched or injured, he can easily heal himself.


    The lighting and vibration attacks of the two were also nullified by his Legendary Magician Robe!


    "Y-you¡ªHow are you doing this?!"


    Colm was shocked that a magician is capable of exchanging a few moves with a Paragon like him.


    He thought that once Vincent got closer and received his Martial Arts at point-nk range, he could easily kill him!


    In the meantime, Vincent stealthily pulled out his Astral Night Dagger!


    This is a weapon only used for assassination because of its item skills but due to his recent sessful transcendence, it gained a really powerful ability!


    [ Astral Night Dagger ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 900/1,000


    Critical: 100


    Pierce: 200


    Magic Damage: 100


    Physical Damage: 100


    Erosion Resistance: 300


    Sharpness: 50


    Description: An enhanced dagger made of Mavis Iron using an unknown technique. It is in very good condition. The stronger the energy applied, the sharper it could get.


    Bound Item to Vincent Kayser.


    Remarks: Fully Enhanced Object. There will be no Enhancement results if Enhancement Skill was used. ]


    [ Skills ]


    [ Return: In exchange for 30 units of mana, the Dagger can return to its wielder''s hands.


    Assassinate: In exchange for 50 units of mana, the skill can mark one target. The marked target will always be aimed by the dagger whenever it''s thrown for the next 10 minutes. The thrown dagger can only change direction once.


    Haunting Hymn: In exchange for 120 durability points, the dagger can ignore the location and defenses of the marked target and pierce them precisely. ]


    The price to pay was a bit too high considering he has no ability to repair a legendary-grade item. Aside from that, 100 points were already deducted from the dagger because of how he was using this for quite some time.


    Anyway, he has no intention of underestimating his opponents right now¡­ They are Paragons who have malicious thoughts so they have to be eliminated!


    With a flick of his fingers, the small dagger vanished from his hand¡­ It ignored the space or the distance between him and Colm as it immediately stabbed Colm''s heart!

 Chapter 503 Lightning

    Hiss~


    Vincent sucked in a cold breath of air as he was also stunned by the result of this technique.


    This is his first time trying this ability since it consumes a lot of durability points. There was no way he would use it for practice.


    When he activated the ability, he only heard the tearing of space before seeing the dagger stabbed at Colm''s chest.


    ''So that was Haunting Hymn¡­''


    The name truly suits the ability as the sound was truly haunting¡­


    "Ugh!"


    Colm spat a mouthful of blood as the injury he received can''t be easily healed by normal methods. The Astral Night dagger has other attributes after all¡­ It has 100 Critical Points and 200 Pierce Points!


    With thisbination, Colm''s internal organs weren''t able to stay intact¡­ Even if he cultivated his organs to an incredible degree, the weapon that pierced him was still a Legendary Grade item. No matter how tough he was, he still has limits!


    Furthermore, Vincent kept using his Mana Drain weakening the Paragon even more.


    Return¡­


    Vincent activated the dagger''s other skill and brought the dagger to his hands¡­


    They can no longer be surprised that he even has this ability.


    "You''ve gone too far!" Ariana was furious seeing Colm''s condition. She no longer cared about the dragon that was massacring the Martial Artists behind her.


    "I will kill you!"


    With these words, Ariana seems to have triggered her hidden abilities as her whole body was surrounded by lightning sparks¡­ Her eyes turned white and her hair turned silver¡­


    It was as if she was going through an evolution¡­


    Vincent frowned at this as he realized that his Mana Drain was no longer working against her¡­ It seems that lightning attributes can cancel a lot of Mana Arts. Although he knows that lightning ability is quite difficult to deal with, he didn''t expect that it would be such a menace.


    ''No wonder the Mana Cmity has a form of lightning¡­'' Vincent mused as he saw Ariana charging at him¡­


    Bang!


    Her fist met the floating source cube that had transformed into some sort of shield. It created a powerful shockwave that was felt by the people watching the battle.


    Nevertheless, it didn''t disrupt Ariana''s momentum as she continuously uses her lightning strikes to pin Vincent to the point that even Awakened Source Cube was unable to follow her movement.


    Vincent was hit once on his shoulder and his ring protected him this time¡­


    Crack!


    This ring can protect him against external force but Ariana''s power is just too much¡­ Just a single punch was enough to destroy the ring that can block several attacks from a Grand Magus'' elemental Mana Art!


    It means that each punching from her is equivalent to five Elemental Mana Arts of a Grand Magus!


    ''That''s enough experimentation¡­ I might die at this rate¡­'' Vincent concluded that this Paragon is truly strong.


    He believes that even a Celestial Being would have a hard time fighting against her.


    Vincent then used his Shrouded Steps to get away from Ariana¡­ Then, with the same method a while ago, Vincent stealthily used his Astral Night Dagger''s Haunting Hymn¡­


    [ Durability: 660/1000 ]


    A total of 240 Durability were used in today''s battle.


    Nevertheless, Vincent wasn''t unhappy at all¡­


    Cling!


    The dagger tore through the space andnded on Ariana''s body¡­


    "Aaaarrghh!"


    Ariana cried out in pain but she didn''t retreat¡­


    "You''ll pay for this!" She angrily shouted she didn''t even bother at the dagger on her stomach as she charged ahead.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''What?'' Vincent was flustered for a moment seeing that it didn''t stop Ariana and he even made her burst with anger.


    For some reason, the dagger actually failed to hit the target''s heart! Vincent was sure that he had marked her heart just now.


    ''Tsk¡­ Is that the lightning''s doing again?! So annoying¡­'' Vincent grumbled as he had no choice but to do it again¡­


    ''No¡­ She''s already injured¡­ Using another 120 points of durability would be too much¡­ Other weapons should still work against her.''


    Although he wanted to end this battle as well¡­ He believes that Ariana is already reaching her limits.


    Bang!


    Vincent was hit by Ariana''s kick but although he was thrown away, one of his rings took almost 80% of the damage for him¡­


    He wasn''t injured at all after the passive healing of his belt was also activated.


    He then brought out his Mythril Sword and used Fatal Mind¡­


    Bzzt¡­


    Unfortunately, even this mind technique was ineffective against someone who was covered by lightning!


    It seems to be his nemesis!


    Item Skills seem to be somewhat weak against the lightning attribute!


    He can also guess that Soul Manifestation is weak against lightning so he didn''t bother pulling out his Cane¡­


    He then immediately reviewed all his weapons and found a few ones that may work against her.


    One of the weapons he thought would work was the Orichalcum Sword.


    Shiing~


    The green sword appeared in his hands as he pointed it at her¡­


    [ Aura-Forged Green Orichalcum Sword ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1170/1310


    Knockback: 350


    Bonus Damage: 800


    Description: A broadsword forged by a Master cksmith. It is made of Orichalcum and a Magic Beast''s Core ¨C Runic Badger.


    Remarks: This item cannot be enhanced. ]


    [ Skills ]


    [ Sword Charm: A skill capable of charming the target to offer their head to the broadsword. This skill can be activated depending on the amount of energy infused.


    [ Sword Obelisk: In exchange for 160 Durability Points and 300 Mana Points, the sword will be able to cut anything that has below or equal to 1,310 Durability Points but will be ineffective against higher durability. ]


    "Haaa!"


    Vincent struck Ariana as quickly as he can¡­ He didn''t put too much strength on it, but as long as he forced Ariana to parry it instead of dodging, that would be enough.


    The second skill of the Green Orichalcum Sword should work on her!


    As expected, Ariana''s momentum didn''t allow her to maneuver and dodge his attack as she was forced to raise her arm guard to deflect his strike!


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after seeing this!


    Sssaakk!


    With a swift strike, Vincent critically injured the lightning woman!

 Chapter 504 Agreed

    "Aaarrrgghh!"


    A scream not befitting a Paragon came out of Ariana''s mouth.


    ? ''How is this possible?!'' Ariana asked herself as she retreated in pain.


    Her Pseudo-Legendary Grade Vambrace was actually incapable of stopping Vincent''s sword!


    Her Vambrace is also strengthened by her Lightning Coil so she didn''t expect this to happen.


    Her skin, muscles, and bones were also incredibly tough¡­ In truth, there were many asions when she was struck by a sword but none of them managed to scratch her at all.


    She thought that the dagger that stabbed her stomach was already her enemy''s trump card¡­ However, the man managed to pull out another legendary sword that could cut a Paragon¡­


    ''So unlucky¡­ This person must be very important to the Tower Lord¡­ There was no way he can possess two Legendary Grade items and even control a Mythical Beast at such a young age¡­'' Ariana said in her mind as she finally realized that she was dealing with someone she can''t mess with.


    "Stop!"


    Ariana suddenly shouted as she saw Vincent walking towards her.


    At this point, the screams of the martial artists behind her have already stopped so she can easily guess that the Mythical Beast has already dealt with them.


    Anyway, she wanted to buy some time to recover a bit of her energy so she wanted to engage in a conversation with the young man in front of her.


    "Are you willing to surrender now? I won''t be killing you if you happen to give up now." Vincent said as during this time, Professor Levent has been using her telepathy to ry what happened during his absence.


    As soon as he heard that the ck Magic Organization has already "bribed" the other organizations against the ck Tower, he knows that he has to know more about this.


    And obviously, the Paragon in front of him would be able to provide all the information he needed to understand their situation.


    "Surrender? Who are you, anyway? Are you really part of the ck Tower? Why haven''t you acted until now?"


    She was really curious about this. She knows that with Vincent''s peculiar ability and his Mythical Beast, the ck Tower would''ve been able to defend several more strongholds.


    ''I''m sure he''s not Mikhail¡­ Perhaps, he''s Ignacy''s son? There''s no way a normal organization can lend out these legendary items to him unless he''s from a rich family or supported by one.'' Ariana thought as she realized that the dagger stabbing her had already returned to Vincent''s hands.


    Her bleeding was stopped by her lighting attribute so her wounds were easily closed and her organs had started to regenerate.


    "My name isn''t important¡­ But your life is¡­" Vincent replied as he started to pressure Ariana with his Soul Domain and the Tome of Gluttony.


    Suddenly, her lightning protection disappeared and Vincent didn''t miss this chance to drain the mana in her body¡­


    Because of this, Ariana''s recovery slowed down again.


    Vincent then pulled out a potion from his inventory.


    "If you want to live, drink this potion¡­ It won''t kill you but it will suppress your abilities for a period of time. If you cooperate with us, you might only be imprisoned for some time and you definitely won''t die¡­ but if you ignore my kindness now, I will have to kill you here." Vincent threatened as he coldly look at Ariana.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ariana could only bite her lips in anger¡­ Even if she can escape here, she would be in a very precarious situation if she didn''t treat her arm immediately. Vincent cut her right arm cleanly with his legendary sword. If it wasn''t treated anytime soon, it might be permanent¡­


    No matter how great their Magic Technology was, this kind of injury will still be difficult to treat if a certain time passes. Reattaching a limb is just too difficult and a normal recovery pill or potion that people bring every day wouldn''t be enough.


    After considering her options, Ariana can only nod and spoke with an aggrieved tone.


    "I will cooperate¡­ However, you must heal my arm quickly¡­" Ariana immediately said as she looked at her right arm on the ground.


    "Hmmm¡­ That''s easy. We should still have plenty of time. You have to drink this potion first¡­" Vincent said.


    "B-but if you seal or suppress my energy with that potion, I won''t be able to maintain the pressure on my arm. I might bleed to death instead."


    "It''s fine¡­ This potion has weak healing properties¡­ I''m not sure why it appeared but trust me¡­ Hurry up."


    Vincent said but he swiftly appraised the potion to confirm that he got the correct one in his inventory.


    [ A Vial of Subordination Impulse Potion ]


    [ Grade: High


    Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Description: A magical liquid made from the essence of Hazel Avens and Venom Mind Leaf with various supplementary ingredients. Consumption can lead to disorientation and hypnosis vulnerability. During this time, you will have an impulse to serve the first person you see after the consumption.


    The potion''s effect can onlyst for 10 days.


    Remarks: Every sessful enhancement will improve the effectiveness of the potion. ]


    That''s right¡­ It has no healing properties at all.


    Vincent didn''t show his expression as he gave it to Ariana. It''s also better if she thinks that the potion can just suppress her powers instead of hypnotizing her.


    She then swiftly checked the potion and appraised it with her limited ability. She''s abatant and not an alchemist or appraiser after all. Although she has a method to appraise things, it wasn''t to a degree that she can find out the effects of a high-grade potion¡­


    The most she could do was to check whether it is a poison that can threaten her life or not.


    Obviously, she didn''t find anything wrong with the green potion since she can''t really die just by drinking them¡­


    Ariana sighed as she evaluated her situation.


    ''That''s right¡­ There''s no need to borately poison me if he has this level of strength to begin with¡­ As long as I''m alive, the Alliance Head would be able to rescue me.''


    With this in consideration, she finally agreed.


    "Since it only has weak healing abilities, you have to treat me immediately after I consume this¡­" Ariana dered to which Vincent replied with a nod.

 Chapter 505 Silence

    The next events happened smoothly as Vincent took control of the female Paragon. Interrogating her can happenter as he swiftly instructed her to treat herself with another vial of potions that can help her reattach her limb¡­


    Well, she was actually exaggerating when she appears like she has no time to treat her arm. As a Paragon, her body has already evolved or perhaps transcended a normal human being¡­


    Though they certainly have a weaker physique than the Celestial Beings, they were still above the Grand Knights and even the Aura Knights.


    She shouldn''t have a problem reattaching her limb even after 24 hours. Even if the amputated arm wasn''t properly cooled or sealed during that time, there shouldn''t be any major problem


    Nevertheless, that won''t be the case if Vincent''s Mana Drain continued exhausting her¡­ Once her amputated arm got drained of mana, it would be a different story.


    "Alright, Krusk¡­ That''s already enough ying around¡­ Just send them off." Vincent spoke as he looked at the Mythical Beast who had tortured the Martial Artists¡­


    It''s true that they were quite difficult to kill with their incredible body but Krusk''s ability could nullify their martial arts¡­


    Vincent can see that Krusk''s scales have several scratches and some of them even fall off. Apparently, during the start of their battle, the Martial Artistsunched a very brave assault and used some weird martial art that is simr to Echo Palm or those with vibration attacks.


    This momentarily hurt Krusk as he swiftly changed hisbat style¡­ Krusk summoned water and used it to protect himself from melee attacks!


    "I thought you want to interrogate them so I didn''t kill them all. Oh, well." Krusk replied as he started crushing everyone with his tail¡­


    The only person left seems to be the leader of the Martial Artists.


    Bang!


    Krusk mmed his tail on the old man and he felt the resistanceing from this person¡­


    "One more time!"


    Bang!


    Krusk attacked again using the same method and this time, he was really impressed seeing that the old man managed to survive. It seems that he was using some sort of technique that transfers the damage he receives to the ground.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    With a few cracking sounds, Krusk transformed into his human form¡­ He prepared his clothes beforehand so he wasn''t naked.


    "What? You can transform?! Cough¡­ Cough¡­"


    Archie was surprised to see that the dragon turned into a young human. It means that he''s really dealing with a being that shouldn''t even exist¡­


    There shouldn''t be any beast that is capable of doing this! Not even the Mythical Beast¡­


    "Amazing! How are you not getting killed by my attacks?! Tell me!" Krusk asked with enthusiasm. It appears that he was really curious about the damage transfer technique that Archie was using¡­


    Archie couldn''t help but be stunned after hearing his excited tone as if this beast wasn''t emitting his killing intent a while ago.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent, who was checking the condition of the Werewolf yer Squad members, looked in Krusk''s direction as well.


    After realizing that Krusk took a liking to the man, he only shook his head as he treated the injured with higher-grade potions.


    "Where''s your missing arm, Lar? We might still be able to reattach it¡­" Vincent asked as he checked Lar''s condition.


    Aside from the internal injuries that can''t be easily cured and his missing arm, Lar already looks a lot betterpared to when Vincent arrived.


    Lar shook his head after hearing his question.


    "It was blown into pieces after those cultists trigger a bomb in their bodies. Their self-destruction disrupted even the space and I was pulled out momentarily causing this injury¡­" Lar gave a helpless smile. He can only feel d that he''s still alive.


    After all, Roy and Terrence have already died¡­


    Their heads were unluckily caught by the explosions. Perhaps, if only 1 or 2 cultists exploded near them, they would be able to survive with their enhanced bodies. It must be remembered that they are still survivors of the 15th Tower''s Celestial Incarnation Project so they certainly obtained immense vitality and resistance to such damages.


    However, the explosion from dozens of people near them was just too much.


    "I''m sorry to hear that¡­ Don''t worry, I''ll think of a way to give at least give you better prosthetics¡­" Vincent can onlyfort Lar with this since a pill or potion that can regenerate a missing limb isn''t something he could make with just his Awakening System.


    He has to at least find a lower-grade Potion that is rted to regrowth ¡­ Then, he can try ascending it to a higher level and see whether he could get lucky¡­


    However, Vincent has been here for several years now and he hasn''t seen a potion that can regrow a limb.


    The only clue that he has was the one in the Knowledge Base Crystal telling him that this potion exists.


    "If you''re the one to make a prosthetic limb, I guess I should look forward to it." Lar forced a smile on his face as he grasp his shoulder with a missing arm.


    For a Grand Knight like him, his arm is very important and without it, he would certainly be a lot weaker, especially since it was his dominant arm that was amputated.


    He can only look forward to Vincent''s prosthetic limbs hoping that they would at least help him live a normal life¡­


    ''I guess getting married is already out of option¡­'' Lar sighed as a figure of a veiled beauty appeared in his mind. With his missing arm, he fully lost his confidence to even confess his feelings¡­


    On the other hand, Vincent continued checking everyone''s condition¡­


    Millie and Ceri were forcefully fed potion while they were unconscious and were finally able to wake up. Luckily for them, they don''t only have one or two life-saving treasures but actually four of them!


    Without these amulets and charms, perhaps not even their corpse will remain intact.


    Ten minutes after the battle, everyone has rested enough and took a moment of silence for theirrades who had died in the battle.

 Chapter 506 Loot

    "What are you nning to do with her?" Luna asked after looking at Ariana who seem to have been hypnotized by Vincent.


    She saw how Vincent tricked her into drinking the potion that was normally used for prisoners. She didn''t have to appraise the potion to know that it was the infamous Subordination Impulse Potion that could easily control anyone.


    "I need to ask her a few questionster. ording to Levent, they seem to have alreadymunicated with the enemies. A while ago, they also mentioned the Apostles of the Magic God¡­ I''m curious about them. Anyway, where are the other reinforcements? I''m pretty sure that they''ll arrive here first." Vincent asked¡­


    At this time, it was the blind Patriarch Leon who answered.


    "I noticed their presence a while ago when I used our n''s artifact, they were blocked by some airships from the Martial Arts Alliance¡­ I felt the presence of another Paragon there. They must be fighting against them right now." He immediately replied.


    "I see¡­ If there''s only one Paragon out there, then there shouldn''t be a problem. By the way, your eyes weren''t healed by a high-grade recovery potion¡­ Was it simply injured by the explosion or from other reasons?" Vincent curiously asked as he looked at the man who is now wearing a blindfold as if he was afraid that they wouldn''t know that he was blind.


    Leon then exined the negative effects of the artifact he used. Although he had be incredibly stronger in a short period of time to take all those explosions with his physical body, ites with a price.


    Unfortunately, even a high-grade potion wouldn''t be enough to heal his eyes back to normal.


    "That''s too bad¡­ I''ll see what I can do¡­" Vincent replied as he looked in the direction where Leon sensed the presence of the other Celestials.


    Well, he was really concerned about Leon''s eyes since the city doesn''t have many Grand Magus in the first ce. Even if he dislikes this person, Vincent can at least tell that he genuinely wanted his n to prosper and will do anything for it.


    Furthermore, Guven already confirmed that the members of the Zemin n weren''t thinking of harming the city so it should be fine to give them a bit more benefits from now on.


    ''Rem and the others should be just fine¡­ There''s no need to worry.'' Vincent said to himself as he shifted his gaze to the monk Paragon.


    He must admit that this person was quite difficult to deal with. It was a good thing that Vincent rushed to kill this man before he was able to show his true might.


    Even right now, Vincent can tell that the monk still has plenty of energy in his body even if he''s already a corpse. If he wasn''t caught off guard by his Astral Night Dagger, he can prove to be a very tough opponent.


    Vincent then decided to loot the items of the Paragon¡­


    [ Damaged Soul Killer Ring ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 45/380


    Soul Killer: A passive ability that can contain a part of the soul of the killed target. Each soul can increase the user''s strength with a limit of up to 1,000 soul units.


    Contained Soul: 0/1,000


    Soul Defense: An active ability that consumes the Contained Soul to protect the user''s Soul.


    Description: A damaged ring that has a very strong rtion to the Soul Cultivators. Every usage will decrease the durability of the ring. It is forged using an unknown method closely rted to Soul Forging.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Remarks: The item must be worn for at least 10 days before the skills can start to take effect. Every sessful enhancement will improve the durability and effects of the ring. ]


    "Hmm¡­ This is quite an unusual ring¡­" Vincent muttered after seeing the ring''s effects.


    The Soul Killer ability and Soul Defense ability seem to be very useful but it''s a pity that it already has terrible durability.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t a Soul-Forged item so he can''t use his Soul-Forging Method to fix it. It also seems that his Magic Crafting skill wouldn''t work on this peculiar item.


    Nevertheless, he still kept it inside his system inventory as he might find a method to repair itter on.


    The Paragon''s clothes were all Epic-Grade but they aren''t in a good condition. In addition, the clothes don''t have unique item skills aside from increasing his defense and sensitivity which is quitemon to highly rated clothes.


    Vincent didn''t take interest in his clothes but he found that the person''s ne was quite good.


    It is only a unique-grade item but it actually has a very useful effect. It was no wonder the Paragon was using it even though he can afford a Pseudo-Legendary grade magic tool.


    [ Damaged Stone Basilisk''s Fang Ne ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 30/210


    Destruction: 120


    Petrification: In exchange for 100 units of mana and 5 durability points, you can select a single target to petrify. The chance of resisting this magic will decrease if the target is affected by the destruction attribute.


    Description: A damaged ck gauntlet made of basilisk scales. Effects have declined by 50% because of the damage.


    Remarks: Special Destruction Attribute found. This attribute and its Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. Skill effects will only be upgraded if the item has ascended to an Epic Rank. ]


    This is Vincent''s first encounter with Petrification ability. At the very least, this should be his first time seeing an item with such an ability. He didn''t expect that it would alsoe from a Basilisk Fang that doesn''t seem to be very useful¡­


    He had seen many items made from Basilisk Scales so he thought that only its scales were usable for Magic Crafting...


    It''s a good thing to know that its fangs can be useful so he decided to keep it with him even though it''s only a low-grade item.


    He can only hope that it can be ascended and get a stronger petrification ability.


    ***


    Fifteen minutes had quickly passed and as Vincent was getting bored and thinking of leaving with Krusk''s help, they finally heard the sound of the aircrafting to take them home.

 Chapter 507 Apostle

    The white and red aircraft steadilynded near their group.


    Vincent didn''t fail to notice the several scratches and holes on it¡­ It seems that they had quite a hard time dealing with the ambush.


    Nevertheless, Vincent can tell that none of the Celestials appear to be injured in the battle they encountered.


    "Sorry for beingte¡­ Did you encounter the magic god''s Avatar?" Rem asked aftering out and seeing that half of the Celestials were missing.


    Currently, there are only 5 Celestials in the Werewolf yer Squad and she knows that with the presence of Luna and Agatha, they should be capable of at least protecting themselves even if they can''t win against the demihumans.


    Vincent sighed after hearing Rem''s question.


    The five that were killed were their new recruits so this honestly depressed Vincent as well.


    The mass suicide or self-destruction is something he must consider in every battle from now on. He must think of a method to ensure that this devastating result would no longer happen again.


    ''I should find a life-saving item that can be mass-produced¡­'' Vincent thought with a dispirited state.


    He looked at the Celestials behind Rem and as expected, they do not look good after realizing the situation of the surviving Celestials. It hasn''t been long since they started working with Vincent and some of them already died.


    It is even in a mission that shouldn''t be that dangerous since they only needed to hunt the female werewolf that caused trouble in their city.


    ''They''re probably deliberating how ipetent am I¡­ Perhaps, they''re thinking that our decision tounch an attack was all a mistake¡­'' Vincent thought as he couldn''t really me them if they were thinking like that.


    Since only a few of them has Celestial Armor or Celestial Weapon, it was quite obvious that they weren''t in their best condition to fight dangerous opponents relying on their physical abilities.


    He can only imagine the effect of this failure. Most likely, none of these Celestials would willingly be sent out of the city again to conduct some dangerous missions.


    In the end, he knows that he has to say something about this.


    "It seems that we weren''t prepared enough. However, I assure you that this won''t be happening again. From now on, all the Celestials would have at least two Legendary Items with them at all times that can help them protect themselves. Allow me a month to make this¡­ Ah, but my trip to the Star Garden Peak is nearing so I should at leastplete half of them before leaving¡­ Once I returned, I promise that every Celestial, Grand Knight, and Grand Magus would receive a Legendary-Grade Item¡­"


    Vincent paused for a bit as he swept his gaze at everyone.


    "Please encourage everyone in the city as well. Tell them that if they advanced in their profession and took a position to serve the city, they will receive a Legendary-Grade item from me¡­"


    Although it was only a little, Vincent managed to lift everyone''s mood¡­ Even if he has to work harder because of this, he knows that he has to do this.


    After all, if they leave right now in this gloomy mood, it could affect everyone''s motivation for staying in the city. He can''t let that happen.


    Now that he created the city that he can call his home¡­ There was no way, he would just let it die because of this one setback.


    As soon as they left using the aircraft the Celestials brought, a figure of a female human slowly appeared not too far from the previous battlefield¡­


    She looked at the rubbles caused by mass self-destruction made by the cultists before shifting her gaze to the disappearing figure of the aircraft.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She clenched her fist tightly as she vowed to herself that her revenge isn''t over yet.


    "This isn''t over yet¡­"


    With these words, she vanished again leaving no traces behind¡­


    ***


    After returning to the city, Vincent decided to interrogate Ariana together with some high-ranking officials of the city.


    This includes Thyrus, Calidia, Lar, Yulia, Severin, Luna, Rem, Brycen, and Shane.


    Vincent wanted to ensure that he was not the only one who knows about the situation they are in. He wanted them to make decisions for him as well since he can''t really do everything by himself.


    Thanks to the Subordination Impulse Potion, Ariana was very cooperative¡­


    First, they learned that the ck Magic Organization had truly gone to their Martial Arts Alliance and had persuaded the Alliance Head to ept them to be the next ruler of this northernnds.


    Aside from the tons of gifts they''ve brought, they have promised that they would also provide the Alliance with three times more Magic Toolspared to their original agreement with the ck Tower.


    Of course, it didn''t end there since the Alliance Head, can still be considered a "righteous" individual. He wasn''t persuaded by this offer.


    He only agreed to acknowledge them when the representative of the ck Magic Organization mentioned how corrupted the Towers had be during Ignacy''s rule. They mentioned that the ck Tower is conducting inhumane experiments that should be condemned by other organizations.


    This was obviously denied by Thyrus who is one of the Archons helping Ignacy manage the other towers. To be exact, it was the Towers under the rule of the ck Magic Organization that is conducting these inhumane experiments.


    Vincent knows this as well. A sample of that is the 15th Tower which is probably the base of operations of the ck Magic Organization.


    ''Well, this is amon strategy I guess¡­ ming your crimes on other people is probably the fastest way to appear clean and gain support from others.'' Vincent mused as he looked at Calidia and Lar within the room.


    They were basically the result of the inhumane experiments conducted by the ck Magic Organization so there was no way they would fall from such a lie. However, it''s different for the Martial Arts Alliance who didn''t know the truth.


    After this, they also learned about the Apostles of the Magic God¡­


    Aside from the Avatars that were difficult to deal with, these Apostles can prove to be one of their biggest threats¡­


    "How many Apostles are there?" Vincent asked.


    "We don''t know. At the very least, we know one of the Apostles who was included in the delegation that visited our Alliance. We didn''t see his face but the Alliance Head warned us that we''ll need at least five Paragons working together to suppress this person."


    Ariana replied with a serious look on her face.

 Chapter 508 Paragons Equipment

    Vincent already expected that the Apostles of the Magic God isn''t someone they could easily deal with so he wasn''t too surprised to hear that they could be equal to five Paragons or maybe even stronger than that.


    To be honest, he even thought that they were weaker than he expected.


    After all, he just dealt with two Paragons in a few minutes. Although it involved using several Legendary items and even his two Awakened Items, it can still be considered a lot easier¡­


    He can easily guess that a few Celestial Beings should be more than enough to deal with the Apostles. As long as they have Celestial Armor and Celestial Weapons. If they don''t, they should at least possess Magic Items that he had enhanced to guarantee their victory¡­


    The interrogationsted for an hour, as they also asked about the current situation within the Martial Arts Alliance and her knowledge about the Demonic Cult¡­


    This is the most crucial information they needed right now.


    Apparently, they have discovered a huge part of the territory of the Demonic Cult has be inhabitable.


    It seems that some sort of miasma started spreading in the central part of their territory and they have to move even their headquarters because of it.


    Ariana wasn''t exactly sure about this miasma either but she knows that it forced the Cultists to seize morend in their neighboringnds.


    "It was no wonder they''ve be so active over the past few years¡­"  Shane muttered after hearing this revtion.


    He had trained in the Martial Arts Alliance in the past few years and had encountered a lot of these cultists¡­


    As a matter of fact, he knows about their suicidal tendency but these things wouldn''t normally happen in such arge group.


    Normally, within a  squad of 50 cultists, there is only one person who is willing to do this to let hisrades escape the danger they were in.


    He had never heard about a whole squad willing to sacrifice themselves just to eliminate their enemies.


    "Perhaps their leader at that time forcefully ordered them to do it?" Vincent mused.


    "That''s also possible. If they were affected by some sort of hypnosis, it wouldn''t be surprising then." Shane agreed.


    "But I wonder what''s their rtionship with the werewolves? You mentioned that they appeared after you dealt with the berserk werewolves, right?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s true, I initially thought that they were controlling the werewolves with how they appeared. However, I can''t really tell since they didn''t seem to being for us for revenge¡­ They made it seem like they were only interested in us, the Celestials."


    Luna replied.


    Well, they can''t really tell the rtionship between the cultists and the werewolves right now since not even Ariana has a clue about that.


    They can only leave it at that since none of them knows the answer.


    Vincent then asked Ariana to surrender her Magic Tools to him before he decided to send her elsewhere.


    With the Subordination Impulse still active, Vincent decided to make her an instructor or trainer for their soldiers. She might be a prisoner or a defeated enemy, but it doesn''t mean she''s weak.


    With herbat skills and Martia Arts, she can still easily defeat the Grand Knights of their city. She''s still a Paragon after all so she''s very useful to them right now.


    If she trained their Magic Knights and Archknights with some of her Martial Arts, perhaps, it wouldn''t take them long to advance to their next level, or even if not, they would at least be stronger once they learned other fighting techniques that he couldn''t provide to them.


    Well, his soldiers, or Knights and Magicians, were relying on their own skills in battles. Vincent did not provide them with any cultivation techniques, mana arts, orbat techniques that are unique to this city.


    There are basically no original techniques that came from Vera City and making Ariana their trainer is the best he can do right now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He can only hope that he''d be able to find some excellent techniques that can be exclusive to his city someday.


    In the meantime, he checked the three decent items that Ariana has¡­


    She actually has a total of six Magic Tools but Vincent didn''t take the other three since they were her sleeveless dress, her corset, and her thigh band where she keeps her small knife.


    What was in Vincent''s hands right now are the knife, ne, and gauntlet which seems to all have lightning element attributes.


    He already learned that Ariana has a special physique allowing her to learn Spiritual Lightning Body Cultivation Technique. This cultivation method allowed her to bring out the potential of her physique leading to her sess in reaching the level of a Paragon.


    Unfortunately, no one other than her can learn this technique since it requires a special physique that only Ariana has.


    "Appraise¡­"


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes."


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered an Omni Knife. ]


    [ Omni Knife ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 300/390


    Sharpness: 70


    Bleed: A passive ability that increases the bleeding of the target that was cut by the knife.


    Quick Heal: In exchange for 40 units of Mana, the cut made by the knife can be healed quickly as long as it is within 30 seconds.


    Description: An enchanted ck knife made of ck gold and soaked in cursed green blood.


    Remarks: Special Sharpness Attribute found. Durability and Sharpness attributes will improve in every sessful enhancement. Skill Effect will only be upgraded if the item has ascended to an Epic Rank. ]


    Vincent raised his brow after reading the item skill effect¡­


    He wasn''t too surprised about the bleeding skill since he had seen some of them and he even has a few items with simr abilities in his inventory.


    What truly surprised him was the Quick Heal that was included in the knife! Furthermore, it can only heal the target that was cut or wounded by the knife¡­


    ''I guess this is made for torture, huh¡­'' Vincent mused as he swing the knife a couple of times before checking the other two items.

 Chapter 509 Paragons Equipment II

    Although Vincent is interested in the knife, he wasn''t too inclined to enhance it since it doesn''t seem to be too practical.


    He also wouldn''t use torture since he has a few Subordination Impulse Potions in his hands... This is actually just a charm-type potion and should only be a low grade or even a poor grade at that. It should only have a weak charming ability to the first person they see after drinking the potion.


    However, after enhancements and ascension from his System, it had be a strong ve-making potion. There was no need to use such an evil Knife. As long as they keep drinking this potion before the time limit ends, theoretically, they can be kept forever.


    Perhaps, he would only use the Omni Knife if he really hated this person and he wanted him to experience hell. Cutting them and then healing them afterward to make them feel endless pain could certainly be considered hell.


    If hees to hate a person, this knife may not even be enough.


    As for now, he doesn''t have a person in mind that deserves to be tortured by this knife.


    ''Ahhh¡­''


    Suddenly, a figure of a youngdy popped into his mind. It was Beatrice''s face.


    Now that he thinks about it, Beatrice was nowhere to be seen. She disappeared during the chase of the Berserk Werewolves¡­


    The Celestials guaranteed that Beatrice wasn''t included in the group of werewolves that were hit by the War Eagle Squadron''s bombardment.


    It means that she''s still alive¡­


    Perhaps, she was even watching their battles against the cultists and martial artists all this time. He has a gut feeling that the defeat they suffered this time was because of that demihuman.


    Vincent shook his head at this idea since there was no way he would know the answer.


    Anyway, he continued with his appraisal and confirmed that the two other magic tools were really important.


    [ You have discovered a Static Pearl Ne. ]


    [ Static Pearl Ne ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 410/490


    Curse Resistance: 100


    Electric Shock: In exchange for 300 units of mana and 6 Durability points, the user can send an electric shock to your target including yourself.


    Static Burst: A passive ability that can paralyze a target. It automatically activates if the user was touched or grabbed by another person that doesn''t have a lightning affinity.


    Description: A newly created ne made of Static Pearl and Lightning-Enchanted String. It is crafted by an Advanced-Tier Magic Craftsman.


    Remarks: The Curse Resistance and its Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. Item Skills will slightly improve in every sessful enhancement. ]


    Vincent knows that this item will be very useful for closebat fighters. After thinking for a moment, he realized that it wouldn''t be suited for him who already has a Sentient Source Cube and various defensive magic tools.


    In the end, he decided that he''ll give this to Millie after enhancing it¡­ He''s also hoping that it could still be Ascended and Transcended. After all, he still promised them to provide legendary items for their survival... Furthermore, Millie''s life-saving treasures were already broken. Ceri has a simr situation so he has to Ascend some items into legendary¡­


    Anyway, since this is a Pseudo-Legendary Grade item already, it has a very high chance of bing a Legendary weapon so his prayers should be answered.


    Thest item was Ariana''s gauntlet¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Unlike the bulky gauntlets that he had seen before, this gauntlet is thin just like a part of the Celestial Armor¡­ It appears brittle since it seems just like thick steel gloves¡­ Well, since Ariana is using it, it''s probably an aesthetic that she wanted.


    [ Enlightenment of Lightning Gauntlet ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 1120/1820


    Magic Resistance: 450


    Description: A special gauntlet made of Thunder Steel and Lightning Origin Crystal.


    Remarks: Special Magic Resistance attribute found. This attribute and Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skills


    Magic Protection: A passive ability that protects the user from most Tier 1 Mana Arts. It consumes a small amount of durability every time it sessfully protects the user.


    Lightning Blessing: A passive ability that provides a 30% boost to any lightning abilities cast by the user. ]


    The lightning blessing alone proves that this is really a Legendary Item¡­


    A constant 30% boost is certainly a big deal, especially in high-end battles where results can be determined in a matter of seconds.


    It was unfortunate that none of them have an affinity for lightning¡­


    ''Should I see whether the Celestials have an affinity with lightning?'' Vincent mused.


    Although it''s true that the Celestials weren''t capable of wielding mana, it doesn''t mean that they don''t have any sort of affinity to the elements.


    Rem actually has an affinity to ice elements and Vincent knows of this fact when Rem was still serving the Baron at the Tudor Kingdom.


    He had seen her use an Ice Elemental Sword but because there weren''t any decent weapons with Ice Element, Rem was no longer using this sword. Instead, she''d rather use her rifle nowadays.


    As for the rest of the Celestials, he doesn''t really know whether they have an affinity to other elements since they haven''t tested it yet.


    ? After confirming that there are no problems with the items of the Paragons, Vincent took his dinnerte and went to bed¡­ Today was eventful and he needed to rest his mind for some time.


    ''Ahhh¡­ I wonder what happened to that man¡­'' Vincent suddenly recalled the man that was taken by Krusk.


    He wasn''t really too worried about him causing trouble since Krusk should be watching him and Calidia was already informed¡­


    Anyway, he soon fell asleep after thinking of this.


    In the next few days, Vincent spent his time grinding his System Skills. He sessfully Ascended a handful of normal-looking Legendary Items and even broke some of them during the Transcendence phase.


    It was also unfortunate that he probably needed two or three more months to advance his Item Transcendence Skill to level 8.


    Lastly, the city no longer has a supply of Savage Beast Cores, Spirit Stones, and Magic Beast Cores. They were Vincent''s Enhancement Stones, Ascension Crystals, and Transcendence Crystals respectively so it means that his grinding will also greatly decrease since he can only rely on his Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­


    As Vincent went out of his residence to get some fresh air, he met Alchemist Faviona who seem to be in a bad mood¡­ Her expression was grave so Vincent felt nervous for a moment.

 Chapter 510 Faint Smile

    "Is everything alright?" Vincent asked after seeing Faviona¡­


    "We need to go there in hurry¡­ I was informed that the symptoms of my patient had gone worse. They''ll need a Tier 5 Pill as quickly as possible." Faviona answered as Vincent realized that she actually has a method tomunicate or perhaps receive a signal from Star Garden Peak.


    That''s right¡­ Vincent didn''t have to ask and he already knows that this is about their visit to Star Garden Peak.


    "I got it¡­ We''ll be using one of our aircraft then to get there quickly. Would that be fine?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s alright¡­ We just can''t fly above their main base¡­ We will have to descend somewhere else and there should be a member of the Star Garden Peak waiting there for us." Faviona replied as she heaved a sigh of relief.


    She knows that Vincent is quite busy regarding the matters of his city after all.


    "Do I need to prepare something?" Vincent asked.


    "Well, just bring a few Celestial Beings with you. Even Ariana mentioned that the Star Gaden Peak was most likely not visited by the ck Magic Organization''s delegation so there shouldn''t be a problem."


    "I see¡­ I''ll bring Luna and Agatha¡­" Vincent said as he paused for a moment considering whether he should bring Krusk with him. In the end, he decided to Visit the Mythical Beast and asked whether he wanted to join.


    ***


    "Is the Overseer in that location?" Krusk asked after hearing Vincent''s question. They are currently at thekeshore while Archie is teaching Krusk some kind of Martial Arts.


    "No¡­ We still don''t have any news about the Overseer."


    "I will stay here then. Since there are many Celestials here in the city, the Overseer might show up since they are good bait¡­" Krusk replied surprising Vincent for a moment.


    Does he really think of those Celestials as bait?


    After thinking about it, aside from the Celestial Beings, there isn''t really any other reason for the Overseer to look at this city¡­ If Krusk truly felt the Overseer''s presence before, then it might be true that the Overseer might return and check the condition of the Celestial Beings or something simr.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll leave you here then. Protect the city while we''re out. If Tara returned during this time, tell her not to leave this city for a while and wait for me." Vincent said as he knows that aside from the other Celestials, only Krusk would have the capability of sensing Tara''s presence.


    To be honest, he was actually quite worried that this Celestial hasn''t returned yet even after several weeks had passed. He didn''t know whether Tara was captured by an enemy or even died.


    Although he wanted to scold her for not staying with her team, he was more worried that she would no longer return to his side.


    "I understand¡­ I will tell her."


    As Vincent was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something as he spoke to Krusk again.


    "Whatever you''re trying to learn from this Martial Artist, make sure that it won''t harm your body. As you know, you have a different physique from humans even if you transform like us." Vincent warned.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Martial Arts is some sort of Body Cultivation after all. Since Archie is a human, there might be some setbacks or even dangers once Krusk practices his technique. Archie''s method of circting his mana might be different from Krusk''s¡­


    "Of course¡­ In any case, these Martial Artists were actually simr to Savage Beasts. They don''t really use their cores that much and they''re heavily relying on their physical enhancements¡­" Krusk exined enlightening Vincent for a moment.


    He didn''t think of it like that but after Krusk mentioned it that way, it does really seem simr to Savage Beasts.


    "I guess it''s really meant for you, huh¡­ Alright, good luck with your study¡­ I hope it''ll make you even stronger."


    Vincent replied as he left thekeshore.


    After a while, he met with Millie and Ceri who wanted to join them at the Star Garden Peak. They''ve already mentioned it before so Vincent they were already quite prepared after he notified them.


    After about thirty more minutes, their team that''s going to the Star Garden Peak has beenpleted. Vincent already informed Calidia to handle all the matters here while he''s away so he can leave this ce with peace of mind.


    There weren''t many in the team that is about to leave. There were Faviona and Dianne who had been in the Star Garden Peak before and Vincent''s group. The group includes Luna, Agatha, Millie, and Ceri. With this lineup, Vincent already felt pretty safe.


    As soon as they entered the Pale Raven, the name of the Third Generation Aircraft they''ll be using, Vincent realized that they will be together with Turhan and his disciple A.


    "I''ve learned how to fly this thing for two weeks, so you don''t have to worry..." Turhan said immediately after seeing Vincent''s surprised face.


    "Is that enough to learn how to fly this thing?" Faviona asked as she boarded the ne.


    "Of course¡­ I''ve flown this thing for an entire day when I was helping the Beast Extermination Team in their reconnaissance. Just sit back and rx¡­" Turhan replied as he ended his greeting and headed towards the cockpit with his disciple.


    Vincent didn''tin about this. In any case, as long as Turhan knows where to go, there shouldn''t be a problem. Once their aircraft flew 15,000 meters above the ground, not even Magic Beasts would be a threat to them¡­


    Aside from a possible issue with the weather, there isn''t anything stopping them to travel to the Star Garden Peak territory.


    Once they were in the sky and steadily flying above, Faviona briefed Vincent about the things they should do and be careful about.


    After this, Faviona looked at Luna and Agatha as she posed a question.


    "Do you know a couple of Celestial Beings named Teresa and ire?"


    Vincent heard of these two Celestial Beings before but he never asked Luna and the others since he felt that they should only know their Numbers¡­


    However, to his surprise, Agatha actually nodded and answered with a faint smile.


    "Teresa is Number 2 while ire is Number 10¡­"

 Chapter 511 Calamity

    Vincent''s eyes went wide open as soon as he heard this revtion.


    The only single-digit Celestial that he has a clue about their location was Number 9. Apparently, this Celestial Being is somehow rted to the previous duke of the Tudor Kingdom and should be hiding there for some unknown reason.


    As for the other single-digit Celestials, he only knows about their abilities or aplishments.


    The Celestials said that Number 8 uses Space Element, Number 5 was the source of the Mana Cultivation Technique, Soul Cultivation Method, and others¡­


    The Number 1, on the other hand, has Cloning Techniques¡­ He only recently learned about this as well and even suspected that Tara and A were actually Number 1''s clones¡­


    His interest in this topic grew as he listened to their conversation. It was the same for the others, especially Ceri and Millie who had recently been interested in the Celestials because of how the incident with the werewolves happened.


    "What about the two of them? Are you telling me that they''re at the Star Garden Peak?" Agatha asked.


    Faviona smiled hearing her reply as she continued.


    "Yes¡­ They''re both quite interesting. However, I could tell that they weren''t that friendly to outsiders so I asked Vincent to bring the Celestials with him. It''s a good thing that you know them. Are you on friendly terms with them?"


    "Not really¡­ I''m Number 18¡­ I can probably get along with ire but single-digit Celestials were arrogant. They won''t normally bother with others¡­ If I''m making a guess, Teresa is only using ire¡­"


    Agatha replied matter of factly.


    "What? How can you say that? Ugh¡­ Well, it''s not that I doubt you but I''m curious about what you know about them¡­ Can you share it with us?" Faviona asked.


    Since they have plenty of time on this journey, gossiping¡ªor perhaps gathering information, is the best thing they can do to pass the time.


    "Hmm¡­ Teresa should be at her full strength right now¡­ Unlike the other Celestial Beings, she can use Astral Energy to fill her core¡­ Vincent, you''ve done something with Number 105 and Number 115, right?"


    Vincent jolted after hearing his name suddenly. He was expecting this so his mind went nk for a moment.


    He didn''t do anything to the Celestials at all so he was confused¡­


    ''Aahh!''


    It took him a moment to recall what happened to the two as he answered.


    "W-well¡­ It wasn''t really me¡­ They''re the ones who discovered something and made changes to their bodies. I''m still observing whether their changes are quite safe or not¡­ We''re also looking for possible side effects¡­"


    After pausing for a moment, Vincent immediately added¡­


    "Ah, actually, there is indeed a side effect so we want to make sure that it wouldn''t get worse."


    Vincent exined as he subtly recall how he was hugged by Katea and Lucia at that time. They seem to be too attracted to him for a brief moment so he can consider it a side effect.


    Agatha and Luna nodded at this time as they seem to have noticed this as well. As for the others, they were obviously clueless about what they were talking about but they remained silent and just listened to their conversation.


    At the very least, they were able to pick up some clues during their conversation and got an idea about what happened to Numbers 105 and 115.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If I''m not mistaken, the changes of those two are rted to their Celestials Energy recovery¡­ They seem to have learned another method of recovering their energy and it''s quite simr to how Number 2 does it¡­ However, it was a lot weaker since I noticed that they were only doing it during the day."


    Luna added.


    "That''s correct. They can only use the method if there''s sunlight¡­ It doesn''t work at night. Well, they might be mistaken as werewolves if they can collect Moonlight Energy as well."


    Vincent joked for a bit but no oneughed.


    Faviona then spoke relieving Vincent from the awkward atmosphere.


    "It''s still a good thing that you know them. However, in case you fight against Teresa, do you have a chance of winning? The truth is, they might challenge you into battle. The Celestials living in the Star Garden Peak are quite bored in their life so if you''re not there, they might challenge the Grand Knights that Vincent brought instead." Faviona exined as she looked at Ceri and Millie who were frozen for a moment.


    These two know for themselves that fighting against an Unnumbered Rank Celestial is already their limit. It doesn''t even mean they can win against an Unnumbered but they can at least survive or escape from them for a period of time.


    There was no way they could win against the Number 2 Celestial even if they worked together.


    Luna shook her head at this and added.


    "Well¡­ I understand why they''re so bored. We normally have a virtual dueling system to relieve our boredom but we can no longer use that since Qheglena is missing."


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing this.


    "Virtual Dueling System? That sounds interesting¡­"


    The group started chatting for a while as they learned more about the Celestial Beings¡­ In the end, Agatha and Luna agreed to deal with Teresa if she decided to challenge them to relieve her boredom.


    Well, Faviona also mentioned that she wouldn''t be surprised if the elders of the Star Garden Peak instigated Teresa to challenge them.


    The Star Garden Peak can be mysterious and filled with weird people after all.


    "Right, about Vivian Kayser¡­ Will introduce me to her?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course. I didn''t forget about that. But once we''re in their territory, be sure to address her by her title¡­ You have to call her Sage Vivian¡­" Faviona reminded.


    "Sage Vivian¡­ I got it."


    "Kayser? Is he rted to you, Vincent?" Millie asked.


    Many of them already know that Vincent''sst name is Kayser because of the Kayser Tower so Vincent wasn''t surprised.


    "I''m not sure as well so I want to meet her at the very least. It''s quite rare to find someone with the samest name after all." Vincent replied.


    As Millie was about to ask more about Sage Vivian, Turhan suddenly announced that there are dark clouds ahead of them¡­


    Furthermore, it is getting bigger and bigger simr to the behavior of the Mana Cmity!

 Chapter 512 Journey

    "What''s the problem this time?" Vincent asked as he looked outside.


    The aircraft has already changed its direction and they''re observing the dark clouds from the side windows of the ne.


    ''It looks like the Mana Cmity¡­ However, I can''t really tell since the aircraft has a strong Mana Formation that stops us from probing it¡­'' Vincent mused as he observed the clouds. He can''t really tell just by seeing it.


    He''s the one who designed the Pale Raven Aircraft so he knows that even if it has an incredibly strong defensive formation, it affects the people inside as well. He can''t send his Mana outside the aircraft so easily. At the very least, it would be incredibly weaker and useless in terms of probing¡­


    "Let''s just move away from it¡­ It is far from the city anyway so there shouldn''t be a problem with Vera City¡­ Hmmm?"


    As Faviona was talking, she suddenly noticed a group of cloaked people on the ground just below dark clouds¡­


    "They''re probably members of the ck Magic Organization¡­" Turhan also noticed this as he guessed their identities.


    Faviona and Turhan have some sort of Vision Techniques so even if they don''t have Mystic Eyes, they were able to notice it faster than the others.


    "Wait¡­ If the Mana Cmity is right here, then the Magic God''s Avatar might also be here! Turhan! We need to get out of here as quickly as possible! Fire the missile on the clouds to distract them!"


    Other than the ck Magic Organization, there is no other organization that uses Mana Cmity like some sort of object.


    Vincent immediately ordered Turhan as thetter initiated the attack and used the backup Mana Crystals to boost the speed of the Pale Raven.


    "They won''t catch us! Don''t worry." Turhan confidently said as he piloted the Pale Raven with Dianne''s help. None of them even looked at the explosion caused by the missile to the Mana Cmity.


    The result of that strike doesn''t matter to them. They only need to disrupt whatever they were doing to ensure that they won''t get followed so easily.


    Anyway, the engine of this aircraft is still being run by Mana Crystals. Once Turhan sped up the consumption of the Mana Crystals, the flight engines will also work faster and the speed of the aircraft naturally elerates as well.


    This method ispletely different from the First Generation Aircrafts that heavily rely on Formation Arts.


    "It seems that they noticed us as well¡­ However, there was no way for them to catch up to us even if they have flying airships¡­" Faviona said as she noticed that the people on the ground pointed at the aircraft for a brief moment. One of them even seems so hostile after noticing their aircraft above the clouds.


    They probably didn''t think that an attack against their organization suddenlye out from the sky. It wouldn''t be surprising that they were fuming in anger right now.


    ''I wonder who that guy is¡­'' Faviona mused as he felt that this person was incredibly strong.


    Normal magicians may not see this person so clearly but Faviona, who is an alchemist that has a very good vision technique, wouldn''t miss it.


    In her job, she has to inspect every ingredient and even the microorganisms living on them. So it is natural that she has such a special technique for this.


    "If they really can''t catch up to us, then that''s good to hear. I don''t want to be tangled into another problem before arriving at Star Garden Peak. That missile is a sign of warning¡­"


    "Yes. Even if the missile doesn''t do too much damage to the enemies, you have to trust in your creation. The technology of your Aircraft is just too advanced¡­ I believe that we''re even flying faster than Gopher Falcon which is known to be the fastest-flying beast. There was no way other aircraft can chase us."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent could only nod and make a mental note of it since this is also the first time he heard about the fastest-flying beast.


    ''Gopher Falcon¡­ I wonder what it looks like¡­''


    As their aircraft passed through the ritual that the ck Magic Organization was conducting, Vincent and his group were unaware of themotion they have created.


    The person that Faviona noticed just now is actually an Apostle of the ck Magic Organization!


    The missile they fired didn''t just interrupt their ritual butpletely stop it!


    After the missile exploded inside the dark clouds caused by Mana Cmity, the creation of Avatar has been halted and they have to restart all over again!


    There was no way they''ll calmly ept this action against their organization!


    "Which organization uses that airship?! I need to know immediately!"


    The Apostle gritted his teeth in anger. The number of resources used to trigger the Mana Cmity isn''t something he could easily take out again.


    He also has a mission to create another vessel for the Magic God''s Avatar using the Mana Cmity¡­


    Now that it was messed up, he would be the one in huge trouble!


    ***


    All of this is no longer Vincent''s concern as his mind is now fully on his visit to Star Garden Peak.


    After more than 18 hours of continuous flight, they finally arrived at the territory of this mysterious organization.


    Unlike the other organizations that have fortresses, towers, or castles guarding the border of their territory, Star Garden Peak''s territory is naturally guarded by a long mountain range and forests¡­


    They have Savage Beasts and Magic Beasts in these forests that naturally stop any non-members of the organization to enter their territory.


    Of course, there are hidden beguiling formations set up in specific locations of the forests to allow the guests or members of the organization to travel in and out of the Star Garden Peak.


    Since Vincent''s group have an aircraft, they don''t have to pass through Star Garden Peak''s territory with this method but they still have to stop at the "checkpoint".


    The Pale Ravennded near an old manor. Faviona imed that the one that will guide them will be here but Vincent was surprised that the first thing he would see wasn''t a human¡­


    "This¡­ Robot¡­ No, they''re the automatons you''ve mentioned?!"

 Chapter 513 Automaton

    Although it was quite dark already, Vincent was able to clearly see the automaton waiting for them.


    "So you remember what I told you¡­" Faviona replied with a smile as she indeed mentioned this to Vincent. However, she certainly didn''t tell him how they look at all. She only mentioned that these automatons were simr to puppets.


    "Of course¡­ Ever since you told me about their specialty, I''ve been curious about them. Automatons are basically non-existent outside their territory, I would naturally research more about them."


    Vincent replied as he looked at the dark silver human that weed them at the Manor''s gate. Well, it only has, at most, an image of a man. Aside from having a head, torso, and limbs like humans, there are no other details that can be seen.


    There are no hairs, ears, nose, or gender.


    "Oh¡­ It''s gesturing for us toe in¡­ It''s a bit creepy but it''s fascinating¡­" Milliemented after seeing the automaton wave its hands at them.


    "Alright, just follow me inside¡­" Faviona said as she entered the gate.


    On the side, Ceri was actually quite curious why no humans greeted them. After all, they are here with Faviona, a very important alchemist. She would even treat an important person within their organization.


    Was it difficult to be greeted by a real representative of Star Garden Peak?


    Ceri couldn''t help but wonder if they are being looked down on right now. She hinted this to Vincent who was beside her but it seems that he also realized this.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t speak about it since they''re in the territory of another organization.


    Their customs might be different from theirs.


    Currently, Vincent has Millie and Ceri by his side while Luna and Agatha were behind them. Turhan and Dianne, on the other hand, remained inside the Aircraft to guard it. In any case, the aircraft also has a decent living space so they wouldn''t be ufortable there. The Pale Raven is unlike the previous generation of airships after all.


    As they followed Faviona, Vincent noticed that at the doors of the manor, a middle-aged woman was waiting for them.


    The most noticeable thing about her is that she''s in a wheelchair¡­


    "It''s been a while, Lady Collete¡­" Faviona greeted as she hurried her footsteps.


    "Faviona¡­ You''re still young as always. I wish I have your abilities¡­"


    "The potions I used are incredibly expensive¡­ You won''t be able to afford it." Faviona chuckled as Collete followed with augh¡­


    They seem to be good friends so Vincent heaved a sigh of relief, it seems that they will be fine here.


    Soon, Faviona introduced everyone to Collete.


    She seems just like a kind aunt who just went out to greet her guests. Nevertheless, Vincent can tell that she has a mysterious Mana Cultivation and is definitely not weak.


    The wheelchair itself is even a Magic Artifact itself ording to his Item Sense ability.


    With his blessed eye, he was also able to notice that Collete''s mana isn''t just staying in her body¡­ It was in constant movement and seems to be connected to other things¡­


    ''Ahh¡­ That''s right, she''s controlling the Automaton¡­ and she doesn''t only have one. Well, since she dares to live alone in this Manor, it only means that she has the strength to protect herself.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent mused as they entered the manor¡­ Collete''s wheelchair appears to be capable of moving on its own since Vincent can''t see how she was steering it¡­


    ''Is it another form of automaton or remote control?''


    "You guys are probably tired of your journey. I''m sure it''s difficult to travel from the ck Tower''s territory to thisnd. I''ve prepared some food so you can eat for a while before taking a rest." Collette kindly said as she looked at Vincent.


    "Thank you. We will take that offer then. There are still two people outside so I''ll be calling them." Vincent agreed.


    They didn''t talk about their business foring here as Collette doesn''t seem to be in a hurry. Perhaps, the patient was already in a stable condition.


    After having a sumptuous meal with everyone, they were led by Collette''s automaton to their rooms to rest.


    Of course, since they are in a foreignnd, Vincent didn''t forget to set up a Formation Art just in case. Although Luna and Agatha would probably stay awake to protect them, he felt morefortable with the defensive Formation Art active.


    ***


    Vincent woke up early and had a really good rest. Since they were outside Vera City and know that there are no territorial matters to deal with in the morning, his mind is more peaceful¡­


    He realized that he has really been stressed for quite a while now because of this.


    After a few stretches, he went out of his room to meet everyone.


    "Are we moving now?" Vincent asked as he noticed that everyone is already awake and preparing to go out.


    "Yes¡­ Collette made some bread for us this morning and she even packed us some lunchter¡­ We can only move using a carriage right now since the Aircraft is prohibited." Faviona exined.


    "I see¡­ Are we supposed to leave the Pale Raven here?"


    "I''ll be staying here, Vincent." Turhan suddenly said.


    "Me too! Lady Collette allowed me to have her old Automatons!" Dianne suddenly said surprising Vincent.


    ''How did she get so close to her so quickly?'' Vincent mused as she looked at Dianne''s excited face.


    "Alright¡­ Both of you have life-saving treasures from me so I shouldn''t be worried. Please take care of the aircraft then." Vincent replied as he went downstairs to get his bread for his breakfast.


    Though he has prepared some food inside his Interspatial Ring, he decided to just have this bread since this isn''tmon in Vera City.


    After a while, a huge carriage enough to fit all of them arrived outside the manor.


    It is being escorted by four white-armored Knights and a man wearing a butler uniform weed them¡­


    "I''m Ronan, a servant of Sage Vivian. I''ll be apanying you to the Main Peak and it will take us four days and three nights to arrive. We can also stop at two Sacred Peaks along the way if you desire."

 Chapter 514 Arctic Locusts

    Vincent looked at Ronan who seemed like a warrior before shifting his gaze to the four "knights".


    If he''s not mistaken, these fully-armored knights were Automatons as well¡­ Although it''s also possible that they were equipped with anti-probing artifacts, Vincent believes that it was unlikely for them to have that.


    "We''ll leave it to you, Ronan¡­" Vincent said as they boarded the carriage.


    Turhan and Dianne watched them leave the manor before going back to meet Collette. It seems that they have also discovered an opportunity in this ce so Vincent can only wish for their luck.


    Inside the carriage, Vincent asked Faviona about the other Peaks of the organization¡­


    In the end, he learned that because of the terrain in this territory, the Star Garden Peak has decided to build all their bases on top of a mountain or teau. Another reason for this is perhaps they could easily observe the sky when they were in a higher spot.


    Faviona also mentioned that they may find some viges around these Peaks but they wouldn''t be visiting these ces as it could be dangerous.


    "Is itwless inside the vige?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "Not really¡­ But the authorities would not bother checking the Automatons in these viges. Some could be really dangerous to people so we have to avoid them¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ Illegal Automatons?" Vincent guessed.


    Faviona nodded at this as she immediately exined¡­


    "Because they''re not within the protection of the peaks, these vigers have to protect themselves. There are cases where they have to modify their automatons to the extreme to fight against Savage Beasts or Magic Beasts roaming around their vige from time to time¡­ Well, I''m not sure of the details since I only heard it from other Alchemists."


    Vincent nodded in understanding.


    "Is there a chance we get to meet Sage Vivian before we go to the Main Peak?" He asked after a few moments.


    "That''s possible¡­ She''s leaving in one of the Peaks that we''ll be passing by in two days. We can rest there if you want¡­ I don''t think we''re in a hurry so I think we can even stay there for a few days."


    Vincent agreed to this as Faviona informed Ronan about their ns¡­


    As they traveled, Vincent realized that the number of Beasts in this ce is quiterge. It was as if the Star Garden Peak wasn''t periodically eliminating them. Even though they are using amon road, the Savage Beasts were still everywhere and the knights had to fight most of the time.


    After six hours of travel, Vincent couldn''t help but ask Ronan if they needed help¡­


    It appears that the estimated time given to them includes the time it takes to kill these Beasts to continue on their journey.


    "My Silver Knights should be more than enough, Sir Vincent. However, if you insist on fighting, you are certainly free to do so. I can''t stop you from that after all. Ahh, you''re probably bored right now¡­ The next waves of Beasts should be handled by your side¡­ Is that alright?" Ronan asked respectfully.


    "Yes¡­ We''ll make it a lot faster." Vincent replied with a confident tone.


    He actually wanted to join the battle from the very start but because he was curious about the silver knight automatons, he decided to just watch them for a while.


    He studied their movements and observed Ronan as well from time to time so he knows that it was extremely easy for this man to control those four Automatons. It even feels like they were sentient beings with the way they move.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Now that he finished his observation, he wanted to capture a few beasts around here since he had never seen them before...


    Most of the beasts here were some form of insects!


    There were no Cinder Rabbits, Stonebreaker Wolves, Red-Winged Serpents, Bronze Bears, or Demon-Eyed Goats that aremonly seen in the mountains and forests in the ck Tower''s territory.


    What he was seeing was Vtile Wasp, Abstract Lacewing, Infernal Millipede, Arctic Locust, and Giant Velvet Scarab to name a few¡­


    These bug-type beasts were quite difficult to deal with by using swords and arrows since they were fighting in numbers¡­


    However, the Silver Knights have special magic weapons as well so even though they''re also using swords, they were able to steadily kill the bug beasts¡­ Furthermore, they don''t care if some tiny bugs managed to enter their armor since they weren''t humans in the first ce.


    They don''t have flesh and they''re made of silver¡­ As long as the bugs weren''t metal-eating beasts, they wouldn''t be in too much trouble facing the attacks head-on.


    After about fifteen minutes, the buzzing noises in the sky can be heard as a swarm of Arctic Locusts started targeting their carriage¡­


    Perhaps, if their horses weren''t automatons as well, they would really get dyed in their journey.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll make my move¡­" Vincent immediately said as he came out of the carriage.


    He didn''t have many items that can deal with a swarm of bugs but since he already knows that fire element is effective against them, Vincent made his choice¡­


    He first wore his Celestial Armor to ensure that no bugs would sneak attack him before pulling out a rifle!


    That''s right¡­ It is one of histest creations! Because of the recent problems he faced, he had inspiration and made a few types of bullets.


    Since he already made Silver Bullets that were targeted at Werewolves, he had decided to make a few more types of bullets that target a certain types of enemies.


    This time, he pulled out a magazine that was filled with Midnight Sea Pearl bullets!


    It must be remembered, that these pearls were abundant in his territory after their sessful battle against the Sea Race¡­


    Furthermore, because it has Corruption Attribute, Vincent really wants to use it as some sort of weapon. He knows how powerful this corruption was so he wanted to make use of it.


    After a long series of experiments, he realized that using these pearls as a ne-type magic tool is very ineffective since it slowly corrupts the wearer as well.


    It was just too dangerous¡­


    In the end, he decided to use the broken pieces of the Pearl as a bullet after modifying them¡­


    Bang!

 Chapter 515 Gift

    Vincent started firing at the swarm of Arctic Locusts¡­


    Each bullet creates a trail of fire and once these bullets bump into something, a dark mist woulde out of the explosion.


    The cloud of dark mist wouldn''tst for long either and it would only stay in the air for about 2 to 3 seconds¡­ Nevertheless, every Arctic Locust that was inside the range of this mist would perish¡­ Not even their tiny cores could remain at all.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The swarm of bug beasts was immediately reduced by more than half before they surrounded Vincent. At this point, using the rifle would be dangerous for him as well since he can also be affected by the corruption brought by the Midnight Sea Pearl bullets.


    ''They''re a lot quicker than I expected¡­ However, since they''ve gotten near, this will be a lot easier.''


    After making up his n, Vincent used his 40-meter zone Soul Domain to slow down the Arctic Locusts¡­ These bugs may not pierce through his Celestial Armor but they can emit some sort of cold energy that may cause problems to his armor if he didn''t properly defend himself.


    Whom~


    Vincent''s domain spread out and at the same time, a floating book suddenly appeared beside him¡­


    Ronan, who was watching Vincent closely, didn''t even notice when this book appeared.


    ''Interesting¡­ That book must be seen by the Sage¡­'' Ronan thought for a moment as he noticed something unusual with the book. He can''t figure it out at the moment but he knows that their Sage should be able to sense the uniqueness of this book.


    As he was thinking of this, he suddenly saw this book open up and turn several pages¡­


    Then, a powerful suction force appeared!


    The source is the book and it seems like they were in some sort of vacuum¡­ He was also affected!


    Ronan felt rmed for a moment but after a few seconds, the suction force seem to have found its target. It no longer affected the whole surroundings but only the bug beasts!


    ''This is incredible¡­ There shouldn''t be an Item Skill simr to this¡­ It was as if the book was Sentient¡­ Ugh¡­ This should be really seen by the Sage. It''s a pity I didn''t bring a recording crystal.'' Ronan could only sigh as he watch Vincent end the battle in just a couple of minutes.


    Compared to his Silver Knight Automatons, Vincent''s method is indeed a lot faster.


    "That was an amazing performance, Sir Vincent. I witnessed something incredible. Thank you." Ronan said as he saw Vincent walk back to the carriage. Vincent already recalled his armor and book and appeared very rxed in this battle.


    "Thank you¡­ It was quite helpful for me as well so I would deal with another wave of beasts."


    "I understand¡­ Right, would you mind if I ask about the name of the ck scepter you''re using a while ago? It was the first time I''d seen something like that." Ronan asked confusing Vincent for a moment.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ahhh¡­ Do you mean the Rifle?" Vincent asked.


    He then swiftly pulled out his rifle from his Inventory System.


    "That''s it¡­ It was my first time seeing such a weapon. If I''m not mistaken, you''re using some sort of corruption bullets so I was really curious. Even in this country, the power of corruption is not easy to obtain. However, it feels that you''ve already mastered it. At first, I thought that you were not even a Master Magician who had learned an elemental art¡­ but I was wrong¡­ You''re actually a specialized magician."


    Ronan replied with a bit of excitement in his tone.


    On the other hand, Vincent was also surprised because Ronan actually realized that he was incapable of using Tier 3 Mana Arts!


    He already has a Legendary Magic Tool with him that protects him from probing magic. However, this man can easily tell it so easily¡­


    Ronan noticed Vincent''s surprised expression so he immediately realized his mistake and exined himself.


    "Oh! I didn''t probe you with my Mana Sense¡­ That would be rude. I only guessed it since you''ve barely emitted any form of mana while fighting¡­ I''m guessing that you''re an Aura Knight and a Mana Practitioner so I called you Specialized Magician¡­ That''s what we normally call them here."


    "I see. Anyway, you are indeed correct. I''m an Aura Knight and practiced a bit of Mana Arts enough to use some Magic Tools." Vincent replied as he showed the Rifle to the curious middle-aged man.


    Ronan appraised it for a while before giving it back to Vincent¡­


    "Do you want it? You can it if you want¡­ Let me just change the bullets¡­ I don''t have many corruption bullets after all." Vincent said seeing that Ronan really likes it.


    He still has a few in his System Inventory so he didn''t mind giving it as a gift. He also felt bad that this person is working alone to bring them to the Main Peak after all.


    He will be stuck with them for several days so giving him a "tip" shouldn''t be a huge deal. Furthermore, Vincent wanted to befriend this person as it might be helpful for his group once Ronan introduced them to various things they needed to know about this area.


    "I''m indeed interested¡­ In exchange, allow me to give you this Automaton¡­ It is only an Iron Tier but it can definitely be useful¡­ It has the lowest requirement among the Automatons so as long as you practice Mental Energy then you should be able to use it someday."


    Ronan said as Vincent epted a fist-size iron ball.


    "Thank you! I will ept it then. You have to teach me how to use this while we''re moving. Is that alright?" Vincent asked.


    "Sure¡­ if you don''t mind sitting next to me¡­"


    Vincent happily agreed as he seated next to Ronan¡­ Although thetter is driving the carriage, it shouldn''t be a huge problem for him to teach him at the same time.


    Inside the carriage, Faviona couldn''t help but smile seeing how Vincent easily befriended a famous person within the Star Garden Peak''s territory¡­

 Chapter 516 Imperfect

    Ronan may have introduced himself as Sage Vivian''s servant, but Faviona has actually heard of his name before.


    ''Ronan the Imperator of Silver. I wonder why you epted this escort mission¡­'' Faviona mused as she listened to their conversation from inside the carriage.


    Ronan is a strong warrior of the Star Garden Peak under Sage Vivian''s faction and Faviona heard a lot about him.


    In the first ce, someone who can use a Silver Tier Automaton is already considered a professional magician in thisnd.


    On the other hand, Ronan is already showing how he can control four Silver Tier Knights at the same time. It must also be mentioned that he''s controlling the two carriage''s Brass Tier horses while controlling the Knights.


    It means that he''s already controlling six automatons at the same time and it wasn''t even his limit.


    Faviona heard rumors that when Ronan was still actively clearing dungeons, he was able to control 10 Silver Tier Knights at the same time¡­ With this number even if he fights against someone who can control a Gold Tier Knight, he could easily defeat them using the number of his automatons.


    Anyway, Faviona wasn''t sure why Ronan stopped his dungeon explorations and decided to serve Sage Vivian¡­ There must be a very important reason for that to happen but she didn''t really care about that.


    In the end, the people inside the carriage decided to just listen to the two''s conversation sitting in the driver''s seat of the carriage.


    ***


    "Are you telling me that only Iron Tier Automatons can be controlled by Mental Energy alone?" Vincent asked as he looks at the iron ball in his hands.


    He still hasn''t tried using it since he wanted to learn more about the Automatons first. Faviona may have informed him about it but she only exined in a sentence or two¡­


    He only has a rough idea about it and he is still clueless about how it works.


    "That''s correct¡­ If you want to control Brass Tier and above, you have to learn a specific mind cultivation method or what we call a meditation technique." Ronan answered with a smile.


    "Meditation Technique¡­ I''m unfamiliar with it but I know a method to increase my mental energy and I''ve been using it a few times a week."


    Vincent replied after recalling Turhan''s gift to him when he decided to join the ck Tower. It may not have the highest quality out there but that book allowed him to be conscious of his Mental Energy and how important it was.


    "I see¡­ I guess you have a really good foundation¡­ I heard that most magicians nowadays would only hear about mental energy when they became an Archmage¡­ That''s important to be a Grand Magus¡­ or multicaster to be specific."


    "That''s true¡­ Most magicians would spend their time learning Mana Arts, especially their Tier 4 techniques and fusion arts¡­ They''d also consider strengthening their Soul Cultivation and gaining morebat experience. It''s not surprising that Mental Energy Cultivation isn''t popr¡­"


    Vincent replied since he had already observed this as well. Even the old magicians in the ck Tower weren''t too adept at using Mental Energy techniques¡­ Vincent can still remember how the Totemic Barbarians caused a lot of trouble inside the First Tower because the first responders didn''t even think of using it¡­


    ''Well, I guess there aren''t a lot of mental cultivation methods existing in the ck Tower. Even if there are, they are only meant for cultivation and they stillck offensive mind techniques.'' He mused.


    "Indeed, they just didn''t have enough time to learn all the various things that could be important for them. We couldn''t really me the magicians nowadays since practicing a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Mana Art already takes a lot of time. Furthermore, there are also other important skills to learn like Magic Crafting, Pill-Making, Formation Arts, and other things¡­ So it''s a good thing that you''ve already started cultivating your Mental Energy at a young age¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ronan nodded and added.


    "Now, you should try using your mental energy and find the core inside of the Iron Tier Automaton that you''re holding¡­ Once you felt it, you should be able to know how this Iron Tier Automaton works."


    ''Normally, a novice practitioner that learned a meditation technique for three years takes two to three hours to pierce the Ironball with mental energy¡­ I wonder how long will Vincent connect to it.'' Ronan mused as he looked at the road ahead of them.


    It is quite peaceful but once a wave of beasts approached them, he decided that he''ll go all out to ensure that Vincent can focus on his task.


    "Alright¡­ Let me try¡­" Vincent replied with a smile. However, instead of using his Mental Energy, he decided to appraise the Ironball first¡­


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ You have discovered a Dormant Imperfect Iron Sparrow Automaton ]


    [ Dormant Imperfect Iron Sparrow Automaton ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 500/500


    Energy: 1000/1000


    Description: A dormant automaton that requires a certain level of Mental Energy to activate its bird form and functions. It requires a weak connection of Mental Energy to continue its operations. It is mainly made from Arcane Iron and Virtue Crystal as its core. It uses two Energy Cores as batteries. It is made by Magic Technician Airi Kayser.


    Replenishing its energy requires mana. It can naturally absorb Mana Crystals or receive Mana through Mana Transfer of Mana Practitioners.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. The Automaton can''t be used during its dormant state. ]


    ''It''s actually a bird automaton¡­ That''s quite surprising¡­'' Vincent mused as he read the full appraisal result.


    He wasn''t expecting that the iron ball can be an iron sparrow once he activated it. He thought that the ball is the automaton itself.


    ''Hmm¡­ It has very high durability considering it''s only a Unique Rank quality.'' Vincent thought after seeing a staggering 500 points in its Durability. With this durability, not even Legendary Sword can destroy it in one sh!

 Chapter 517 Iron Sparrow

    ''It seems that it has something to do with the crafting method of this item. Magic Technician Airi Kayser¡­ I wonder if she''s rted to me¡­ Should I ask Ronan about herter?''


    Vincent thought as he finished reading the appraisal result.


    He then shook his head since that could be done once he increased his "affinity" to Ronan.


    Anyway, he was also tempted to Enhance and even Ascend this item because he was bothered by the word "Imperfect" but he has to hold back.


    Perhaps, the Ironbird was really made imperfect and not some abnormal status after it was crafted with poor skills.


    Vincent then took a deep breath as he started to gather his mental energy¡­


    He doesn''t have impressive mental strength so he has to concentrate for a while. This ispletely different from using mental techniques through his items after all.


    After gathering his mental energy, he immediately focused on pouring it into the Iron ball¡­


    However, it doesn''t seem to be going well.


    ''Hmm¡­ Something is blocking¡­ I can''t touch the Virtue Crystal at this rate.'' Vincent mused as he observes his Mental Energy gets blocked by some mysterious power surrounding the dormant automaton.


    Nevertheless, he decided to continue pouring his Mental Energy and after ten minutes, he realized that he made a progress. But it wasn''t even a centimeter! His Mental Energy managed to poke the Iron ball but at this rate, it will take him more than 9 hours!


    ''Not good¡­ Let me try another method¡­'' Vincent thought as he decided to study the Iron ball using his other sense.


    After a couple of minutes, he realized a few things. He can tell that the Virtue Crystal or its core is inside the Iron ball by using his Pseudo-Celestial Energy perception.


    It seems that Pseudo-Celestial Energy is not being blocked by the Iron ball¡­ It can only block Mana Sense, Soul Sense, and Mental Energy.


    He can tell that if he forcefully or aggressively uses his Mana Sense or Soul Sense, the Virtue Crystal will break and make the Automaton unusable. That would be a waste of Automaton.


    He wasn''t sure how expensive this is but it was definitely pricey considering it came from the Star Garden Peak and none of this can even be seen in the ck Tower.


    Anyway, during his tests, he learned that the Virtue Crystal can only ept the forceing from Mental Energy¡­


    ''Ahhh¡­ If that''s the case¡­ Is it possible to make a path using my Pseudo-Celestial Energy to the core?'' Vincent''s eyes lit up.


    Since Pseudo-Celestial Energy is somehow being ignored, Vincent thought of an idea and carefully implemented it.


    He has to do it slowly since it would be quite embarrassing if the Iron ball''s Virte Crystal was destroyed during his attempt¡­ After all, if that happens, it would seem that he tried using his Mana to pierce through the Iron ball and Ronan would certainly judge him for that and think that he was trying to cheat.


    Vincent visibly calmed down as he concentrated on his task¡­ Since this is his first time doing this, he wanted to be very careful and not care about the time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even if Ronan thinks that he''s really slow at this, he wouldn''t mind it at all.


    He wouldn''t mind being untalented in this profession since he already has his System Skills.


    After another ten minutes¡­ Vincent unwrapped his Mental Energy that was previously covered by his Pseudo-Celestial Energy¡­


    As soon as he did this, the Virtue Crystal immediately sensed his Mental Energy and absorbed a wisp of it.


    This small amount was more than enough to create a connection to this lowest-tier Automaton.


    Soon, Vincent heard the gears activated within the Ironball¡­


    "Eh? You''re done?" Ronan asked in surprise after hearing the turning gears inside the Iron ball that Vincent was holding. Not even 30 minutes had passed when Vincent took the Automaton from him!


    "Yes¡­ I think I managed to get a connection. It was quite difficult since I didn''t really practice my Mental Energy¡­"


    "¡­"


    Ronan was a bit flustered after hearing Vincent''s excuse¡­ After all, Vincent''s speed in making a connection tells him that he had probably practiced his mind cultivation technique for a dozen or so years. Furthermore, it should be a high-level Mind Cultivation technique since he wasn''t able to sense Vincent''s cultivation even if he was so near to him.


    ''I guess I''m already getting old. The standard of the younger generation is already different¡­ In my generation, only 15 years old can start their mind cultivation¡­ But this young man probably started learning when he was seven or eight... Ugh, is that really possible?''


    Ronan couldn''t believe that someone below 12 years old could learn high-level mind cultivation. He could probably ept if they''re genius so they learn it at 14, 13, or 12¡­ but those younger than that should not have the mental capacity of learning such aplicated method that even those in their 30s would find difficult if they don''t have a solid foundation.


    In the end, he can only think that Vincent is quite special, or perhaps, he was using a high-grade magic artifact that helps him concentrate and feel his Mental Energy easily.


    "Now that you''ve made a connection and the automaton responded, you can start controlling it¡­ The one you''re holding is an Iron Sparrow and the range it can cover will depend on your mental strength."


    "Got it¡­ Let me try¡­" Vincent replied as he focused his mind.


    Just like what Ronan mentioned a while ago, as soon as he made a connection, it was already quite easy¡­ The bird easily flew out of his hands as he willed it to circle their carriage.


    ''That was easy¡­'' Vincent thought after seeing the Iron Sparrow''s movement.


    Of course, although it was easy, it was all thanks to how it was engineered and not how good he was with his mental energy. It is definitely rted to how it was crafted as an "automaton" and not just an "iron with a shape of a sparrow".


    "Can this thing be used as a weapon?" Vincent asked.


    "Err¡­ With its size, it can only poke a bug-type Savage Beast so it''s not possible. Well, it can still be used for scouting if you want to."

 Chapter 518 Spirit Stones

    "I see¡­ I guess Iron Tier Automatons were only for convenience, huh¡­" Vincent muttered.


    "That''s right¡­ Most servant-type Automatons are at this tier. They have very low requirements and as long as they have received some enchantments like Rust Resistance, they can be used for a long time."


    Ronan replied.


    These words jolted Vincent¡­


    "Rust Resistance? Wait¡­ You''re capable of adding some functions or abilities after they were created?" Vincent asked.


    Although the ck Tower''s Magic Craftsmen were capable of putting "Item Skills" on their crafted weapons, it happens during the crafting method, specifically in thest part. The Binding and Modeling Process.


    This is also what Levent taught him. Once the item is already made and the Magic Craftsman wanted to put skills on it, they would have to at least restart the binding and modeling process of the item.


    Ronan smiled after seeing Vincent''s surprised expression. He already heard that other organizations were incapable of doing Enchantments. However, he didn''t expect that they weren''t even aware that Enchantments of pre-made items exist.


    He couldn''t help but look down at the education system of the ck Tower.


    "Yes¡­ Although there are limited types of Enchantments that can do this, it''s certainly possible to put enchantments after the magic tools or automatons are made." Ronan answered.


    Seeing that Vincent was interested, he immediately added.


    "I can''t tell you how these enchantments are done but you can ask some of our Enchanters to do it for a hefty price. Depending on the Enchantments you wanted, the price can reach up to a million gold coins. Right, most transactions here use silver or gold coins and not Mana Crystals. There are some cases in that Spirit Stones can be epted as well if you''re doing somerge transactions.."


    Ronan exined as he can tell that Vincent doesn''t know a lot of things in this country.


    "I see¡­ I''m indeed interested in this enchantment. Is it possible to try it at our first stop?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course. We just need to kill the beasts that we''ll encounter as quickly as possible and we''ll most likely arrive at the nearest Peak in less than two days."


    "That''s good to hear¡­ Anyway, you also mentioned the Spirit Stones¡­ Are they abundant in this country?" Vincent, of course, didn''t forget to ask this.


    Spirit Stones are recognized by the system as Ascension Crystals and he is obviouslycking these precious items. He doesn''t have a steady supply of these Spirit Stones which is unfortunate.


    They were quite rare in the Tudor Kingdom and not many people were interested in collecting them in the ck Tower since there weren''t a lot of people buying them.


    Even if they know that they could be valuable in the Star Garden Peak, it''s just too hard to create transactions with this organization considering the distance they have¡­


    In addition to that, Spirit Stones are heavy!


    Transporting them is not easy so choosing other items to sell would be the best decision for ck Tower''s merchants.


    Perhaps, only the Alchemist Association has a few Spirit Stones in their warehouse.


    "Well, there is certainly a huge number of Spirit Stones being circted within thisnd."


    "I see¡­ May I know what can a Spirit Stone purchase then?" Vincent asked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ronan didn''t answer immediately as he started exining how the market works here in the Star Garden Peak''s territory.


    The Iron Sparrow Automaton that was given to him can be bought for 4,000 silver coins or 400 gold coins.


    Most Iron Tier Automatons are cheap because even beginner Magic Technicians can create them. There are basically a few thousand Iron Tier Automatons being made every day either just for gaining experience or a little bit of ie.


    Their prices can vary from 100 gold coins to 10,000 gold coins depending on their sizes andplexity¡­


    Vincent Iron Sparrow may be considered very small but it can at least fly in the sky unlike Iron Rats so it wasn''t the cheapest out there.


    ording to Ronan, the cheapest Automaton in the market was the Iron Snake since this is always the first Automaton that Magic Technicians would learn to create in their ss.


    The most expensive Iron Tier, to Vincent''s surprise, was actually an Iron Butterfly¡­ It exceeded the price of Iron Bulls and Iron Horses!


    Apparently, the reason why it was so expensive is simple. It requires the knowledge of an Expert Magic Technician to make this. The butterfly is really thin and fragile after all. Making their internals is soplicated and it seems impossible for Beginner Magic Technicians.


    "Then this butterfly is worth 10,000 gold coins?"


    "That''s right¡­ Depending on the seller, they can also ask you to pay 5 normal Spirit Stones."


    "Hmm? So Spirit Stones is worth 2,000 gold coins¡­"


    Vincent muttered then immediately added after noticing something.


    "You said ''normal'' Spirit Stones? Are there other types of Spirit Stones, Sir Ronan?"


    At the very least, he had only seen one type of Spirit Stone within the ck Tower and Tudor Kingdom so he was very interested in this. That''s right, he had only found "Low-Tier Spirit Stone" ever since!


    If there are better types of Spirit Stones, would it affect his Ascension Sess Rate?


    After all, Spirit Stones or Ascension Crystals don''t give guaranteed sess in his next ascension¡­ At the very least, by using these Spirit Stones, his chances of getting a sessful Ascension increases by 30% or so.


    Of course, now that he maxed his Ascension Skill to level 10, his sess rate is already t at 90%. He would rarely fail and most of the time that he fails when that item already reached its limit to the point that forcefully Ascending them could break the item instead.


    "That''s right Vincent¡­ Instead of exining it, let me show it to you instead. I''m sure that you can''t find it in your ce."


    Ronan replied as he pulled out a fist-size stone from his coat''s inner pocket.


    With Vincent''s Item Sense ability, he didn''t fail to notice that Ronan''s pocket is actually simr to his Interspatial Ring. Nevertheless, he didn''t react to it as Ronan may not like it if he exposes him.


    "Do you have an appraisal ability or tool?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Good¡­ You can try and appraise it yourself. There is no swarm of beastsing for us anyway¡­ You can take your time."

 Chapter 519 Ascension Crystal

    Needless to say, Vincent doesn''t need to take his time appraising the Spirit Stone given to him.


    He only needed a moment to know what tier of Spirit Stone this is.


    ''So it''s like this¡­'' Vincent thought after appraising it.


    Unfortunately for him, just like the result when he tried appraising the Low-Tier Spirit Stones, he was only given its name.


    No descriptions, durability, or other functions in the Appraisal Result.


    [ Mid-Tier Spirit Stone ]


    It only appears like this and it was followed by a familiar notification.


    Ding!


    [ Ascension Crystal found. Would you like to use 1 Ascension Crystal to Ascend an item? ]


    This is what he got after checking it out.


    Currently, he can select his robe, rings, belt, shoes, and other Magic Tools on his body to be Ascended.


    Of course, he immediately answered "no" to it since he can''t spend Ronan''s Spirit Stone.


    ''Err¡­ Should I pretend that I''m taking time to appraise it?'' As Vincent thought of this, he immediately shook his head.


    There is no point and he can simply say that he has an Appraisal Mystic Hands or something.


    As he was about to tell Ronan about his findings and ask if he has High-Tier Spirit Stones in his possession, Vincent felt the presence of a few beasts watching their carriage. They weren''t some form of insects this time and seem to be an ambush of tigers.


    There were nine of them and observing them very closely.


    Before Vincent could react and notify Ronan, thetter already made his move and controlled two of his Silver Knights to scare off these beasts.


    After all, unlike the insects or bug-type Savage Beasts who only know how to attack, the Savage Beasts at this level know how to retreat if they encountered a tough opponent.


    Under Ronan''s control, the Silver Knights performed a few Sword Techniques destroying the trees and rocks nearby¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As soon as the tigers saw how the Silver Knights cleanly cut the trees and boulders, they immediately fled and decided to wait for the next people that will use the road.


    They may be tough but certainly weren''t as tough as those boulders¡­


    "Are you done appraising it?" Ronan asked after noticing that Vincent was watching the Silver Knights¡­


    "Yes¡­ I worked as an Appraiser before so I''m quite used to it." Vincent casually replied.


    "Oh¡­ So you also have a talent in appraisal. That''s impressive."


    "Thank you. Your abilities are more impressive. I didn''t expect that Automatons can also perform suchplicated Sword Techniques..." Vincent muttered thest part. It seems that he was looking at real knights instead of controlled automatons.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Sword Techniques that the two Silver Knights used were quite high-level. If he would make aparison, these Silver Knights appear to be at the level of Archknights when they were using their Sword Arts.


    "Yes¡­ But Silver Tier Automatons weren''t normally capable of doing that. Think of it as my specialty. I could bring out the hidden potential of Automatons¡­"


    "Wow¡­ So you''re really special."


    "Haha¡­ You can say so. Anyway, only Gold Tier Automatons weremonly capable of performing high-level Martial Arts since the burden would be too much. If Silver Tier Automatons does martial arts, its life, or perhaps durability, wouldn''tst that long¡­ except if it is my automaton."


    Ronan exined with a hint of pride in his voice.


    Vincent can only praise Ronan''s abilities and decided not to ask for the reason why. After all, he already mentioned that his method isn''t normal.


    If he will make a guess, Ronan probably has a secret method that could increase the durability of his automatons. It''s also possible that Ronan has a high-level Mental Technique to make the Silver Knights perform Martial Arts without too much stress on their Silver Bodies.


    Anyway, Vincent shifted the topic to the Spirit Stone again.


    "Right, this Spirit Stone is a Mid-Tier one¡­ Can you tell me how much it''s worthpared to the normal or Low-Tier ones?"


    "That''s right¡­ It''s indeed a genuine Mid-Tier Spirit Stone. You have to be careful since there were fake Mid-Tier Circting around here. Anyway, Mid-Tier Spirit Stones can be traded with 10  Low-Tier Spirit Stones in normal cases¡­ And although it is technically worth 20,000 gold coins, it can''t be traded with gold. No one in their right mind would do so."


    "Hmm¡­ Why is that?" Vincent curiously asked.


    "It''s because Mid-Tier Spirit Stones are quite rare and extremely helpful to Sages. There were cases where Mid-Tier Spirit Stones were sold for 20 or so Low-Tier Spirit Stones because of that. It happens when they needed to breakthrough or advance in their cultivation¡­ The Sages can also use Mid-Tier Spirit Stones in some high-level rituals like worship rites or even divination¡­"


    Ronan slowly exined. He didn''t mind Vincent asking many questions. In his mind, the ck Rifle that he received was probably worth over 20,000 gold coins.


    "So it was like that¡­"


    Vincent nodded but he was a bit overwhelmed with the information he had just heard. He had to organize his thoughts since he didn''t expect that the Star Garden Peak would be so different from other organizations.


    First, there were fake Mid-Tier Spirit Stones so he has to always use his Appraisal Skill on these stones and not just on the items he wanted.


    Next, these Mid-Tier Spirit Stones are quite special since no one would want to trade them with gold.


    In addition to that, they can be used for rituals and divination¡­ Vincent wasn''t sure but it feels like something a cult would do. Nevertheless, he knows that he can''t ask about these rituals since they''re only being done by the Sages.


    Since Ronan is a servant of the Sage, it may not be appropriate to ask him.


    ''Right¡­ I''m already asking about the prices of things around here¡­ Do I even have enough money?'' Vincent immediately recalled how he was actually quite poor.


    Since he has everything he needs in the city, he wasn''t really umting any money as all the profits he gets from selling his Enhanced Magic Tools or potions go back to the city.


    His real wealth was the high-grade items in his possession and the fact that he could create something very valuable with his system''s help.


    As soon as Vincent checked his money in his inventory, he only found a pouch of coins that contains 100 silver and 30 gold.


    ''Not good¡­ I think I should start finding a way to earn money here¡­'' Vincent mused as he wanted to at least purchase some low-tier Spirit Stones for his Ascension Skill.

 Chapter 520 Potions

    "Do you know a way for me to earn some Low-Tier Spirit Stones?" Vincent asked Ronan as they continued on their way to the nearest Peak.


    Ronan thought for a moment before answering.


    "Well, selling those bug beasts wouldn''t earn you anything¡­ But the Savage Beast Cores with an element may be worth 50 gold coins¡­ For the normal size non-elemental Savage Beast Cores, they can only be sold for 5 gold coins."


    "That was a huge difference..." Vincent was curious. In the ck Tower or even the Tudor Kingdom, every thumb-size Beast Core is the same. They weren''t being differentiated whether they are Elemental or Non-Elemental.


    How do you even differentiate them?


    Vincent was sure about this since his system only recognizes them as [ Savage Beast Core ] and then "Enhancement Crystal" once he triggered his Enhancement Skill. He had never seen an Elemental Savage Beast Core.


    Can it only be found in the territory of Star Garden Peak?


    "That''s right¡­ As you know Elemental Savage Beast Cores can only be found in the Dungeons. Dungeons Explorations is obviously harder. It can''t bepared to hunting beasts in the ins or forests here." Ronan exined.


    ''I don''t even know that you can get Elemental Beast Cores in the dungeons¡­ Is this supposedlymon knowledge?'' Vincent thought as he immediately nodded and agreed with Ronan. He instinctively refused to admit that he doesn''t know about it.


    "So it was like that¡­ How about selling Magic Items? To be honest, I have quite a few Magic Tools in my collection that I can sell. Do you think it''s possible to make transactions in the nearby viges or at the Peak?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s certainly possible. However, I think potions would be the most weed item unless the Magic Tools you''re selling were Enchanted."


    "Enchanted Items? Alright¡­ Can you take a look at this?" Vincent asked as he decided to hand over one of the cloaks in his possession.


    [ Defiance Hooded Shawl ]


    [ Quality: Epic ]


    [ Number of Enhancements: 9/10


    Durability: 590/590


    Fire Resistance: 75


    Pierce Resistance: 90


    Description: A fleece, magic-resistant shawl that protects the wearer from most tracking or detection skills. It is created from the wools of Demon-Eyed Goat and other alchemical products.


    Remarks: Fire and Pierce Resistance has been found. These attributes and Durability will increase in every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skills:


    Weak Presence: In exchange for 20 units of mana, the skill can help the wearer weaken their existence. Effective for 40 minutes.


    Slightly Untraceable: In exchange for 300 units of mana, the skill can cover the wearer with a barrier to block any tracking skills including divination. Effective for 60 minutes. ]


    As Ronan took the shawl, he also took out a magnifying ss from his coat''s inner pocket.


    Needless to say, Ronan doesn''t have Appraisal Skills so he has to use a Magic Tool to identify the item.


    Vincent waited for about 10 minutes before Ronan showed signs of surprise.


    "It doesn''t only have enchantments, it was also inscribed with abilities¡­ This is definitely at the top quality in all of the Epic Grade items I''ve seen. You have a good collection, huh¡­"


    "Thank you¡­ I''m quite proud of it as well." Vincent replied.


    This Defense Hooded Shawl is actually quitemon and even the members of the Qheglena Followers were no longer using them.


    There are already many more cloaks, shawls, robes, or coats that are several times better than this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Furthermore, the limit of this Defense Hooden Shawl is only Epic Grade perhaps due to the fact that they were only made from the fleece of Demon-Eyed Goats.


    No matter how powerful his system was, the main material that was used to make this Magic Tool was just toomon.


    Even with his Ascension Skill that has reached Level 10, he would just receive a notification that further ascension may break the item which he would obviously take seriously.


    "Right¡­ I think that this will certainly be entertained if it was sold to the market¡­ Since it''s an Epic Grade with 2 Enchantments and 2 Inscriptions, this can be exchanged for 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ However, if you find a decent buyer, you can increase this price by another 5 Low-Tier Spirit Stones."


    ''Two inscriptions? Just like what I thought, they refer to the Item Skills as Inscriptions¡­'' Vincent thought before he replied.


    "It''s not as much as I thought¡­"


    "Well¡­ Just like what I said before, potions are more wee here. Although we have plenty of Magic Technicians, we don''t have many doctors or alchemists around here."


    "Why is that?"


    "Hmm¡­ There are various reasons but the most crucial thing is the fact that even though there are forests and mountains here, medicinal herbs can''t grow in these ces because of the number of bug-type beasts. Even if people can grow herbs indoors, there''s a limit to it so we only have low-level Alchemists or Physicians in our territory¡­"


    "I see¡­"


    Vincent finally understood why they have to request Alchemist Faviona from the ck Tower¡­ If the Alchemists in this ce are only Tier 1 or Tier 2, then they certainly can''tpete against a Tier 5 Alchemist like her who had learned to refine and concoct high-level medicinal potions and pills.


    Of course, he was curious why they can''t grow herbs within the Peaks but there must be a reason for it and he wasn''t too inclined to know the reason.


    Vincent then checked his inventory and found out that he only has a few potions with him. A total of 102 to be exact and 20 of them were meant for the Celestials.


    It means that he only has 82 potions he can use¡­


    The 20 potions for the Celestials were simply Stamina Recovery Potions that are all High-Grade and +10


    Anyway, the Celestials only needed enhanced or [ +10 ] potions to recover a decent amount of Celestial Energy.


    The other potions that he has in his possession are as follows:


    10 [ Bottle of Health Recovery Potion +10 ]


    10 [ Bottle of Mana Recovery Potion +10 ]


    10 [ Bottle of Strength Potion +10 ]


    1 [ Bottle of Soul Wisdom Potion +10 ]


    10 [ Vial of Subordination Impulse Potion +10 ]


    8 [ Vial of Eagle Vision Potion +10 ]


    8 [ Vial of Vitality Boost Potion +10 ]


    8 [ Vial of Mana Block Potion +10 ]


    7 [ Vial of Tranquility Potion  +10 ]


    5 [ Vial of Camouge Potion + 10 ]


    3 [ Vial of Aura Bncing Potion +10 ]


    2 [ Vial of Insight Potion +10 ]

 Chapter 521 Bandits

    Once Vincent returns to Vera City, he can easily replenish his set of potions so there shouldn''t be any problem selling some of them.


    Of course, there is one exception. He still can''t sell his remaining Soul Wisdom Potion. He wasn''t even using it since he was still unsure whether he should use it or let others, specifically a Celestial Being, use it.


    Furthermore, the Soul Awakening''s chance is only 30% so he felt that he should get more of these potions before thinking of consuming them.


    Vincent then asked Ronan about the price of the potions and just like what Ronan previously said, these Potions can really make him rich!


    He was even stunned after seeing a Peak-Grade Potion in his possession. He only knows about High-Grade Potions and he had only seen them a couple of times as well.


    He had never even touched a high-grade potion and had only seen them being used by the Sages.


    "Hmm¡­ I can actually buy some of your potions right now. Five of them to be exact. Would that be alright? Since you''ve wanted Spirit Stones, I can give you 75 Low-Tier Spirit Stones in each High-Grade Health Recovery Potions that you can sell. I''ve given you a price that is a bit higher than the market¡­" Ronan said as he added 5 more spirit stones.


    Apparently, Low-Grade Potions can be sold for 5 to 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones while Mid-Grade Potions can normally be sold for 10 to 30 Low-Tier Spirit Stones.


    As for High-Grade Potions, they can be sold for 50 to 80 Low-Spirit Stones.


    The High-Grade Health Recovery Potions that Vincent was priced at 70 Low-Tier Spirit Stones ording to Ronan.


    "So you have plenty of Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ 375 Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ I can ept that."


    "That''s great!"


    The two swiftlypleted their transaction as Ronan obtained his precious potions.


    "How are you normally getting Spirit Stones if I may ask?"


    "Hmm? It''s through dungeon explorations¡­ When I was still an explorer, I''d normally find 1 to 3 Low-Tier Spirit Stones every exploration I made."


    "Eh? Isn''t that too low? How long does this explorationst?"


    "Not that long, perhaps 2 to 3 weeks in each exploration. Of course, other than Spirit Stones, we''re also getting Beast Cores and other materials so it wasn''t as bad as you think¡­" Ronan exined seeing as Vincent wasn''t too knowledgeable about Dungeon Explorations.


    He wasn''t too sure but he can guess that the ck Tower seem to have a very limited number of Dungeons in their territory.


    ***


    After three more hours in their journey, their next attackers have finally shown themselves.


    However, they weren''t bug beasts or normal savage beasts¡­ Instead, they appear to be bandits!


    "I didn''t expect that the Star Garden Peak also has these kinds of people roaming around." Vincent muttered after noticing their presence.


    "Haha¡­ There are all sorts of humans wherever you are¡­ These people must be those who were rejected by the Peaks¡­" Ronan mysteriously said as he slowed down the carriage.


    Inside the carriage, Luna''s voice was heard.


    "Do you need help to deal with them?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent thought for a moment before he decided to agree.


    "Yes¡­ They seem to have plenty of Automatons. I want to see how the Celestials would fare against them."


    "Understood¡­" Luna and Agatha replied as the two of them went out as soon as the carriage stopped.


    This time, the carriage is already surrounded by 30 Iron Tier Automatons and 10 Brass Tier Automatons.


    The people who were controlling them were only observing from 100 meters away. It appears that they have a decent mental strength to be capable of controlling Automatons at that distance.


    Nevertheless, there is one person who had decided to step forward¡­


    "We can spare your lives if you give us all your belongings¡­ Leave the carriage now and you can walk away peacefully. Do you understand?"


    The intimidating man gave no room for negotiation as hemanded them what to do¡­


    The man has sparkling silver eyes and a scar stretching from just under the right eye. He wore a coat made of wolf fur and appears to be used to this kind of situation¡­


    "Interesting¡­ I''m pretty sure that you can see in my carriage that we belong from the Eternal Sun Peak¡­ Are you sure you want to do this?" Ronan asked in an amused tone.


    "Heh¡­ It might be different if you''re using Gold Tier Automatons¡­ Can''t you see our numbers? Even if you have four Silver Knights with you¡­ There was no way you can win against us. Now, I already said so much¡­ I''ll give you three seconds to surrender and leave the carriage." The bandit leader said as Ronan could only sigh.


    "It seems that I''ve been away in the field for such a long time. I didn''t expect that our Peak could no longer scare some group of bandits." Ronan softly muttered disappointedly at the death-seeking bandit in front of him.


    "Luna, Agatha¡­ There''s no need to hold back. Please destroy the Automatons." Vincentmanded after noticing that Ronan no longer wants to continue talking to the bandits.


    Upon hearing Vincent''s signal. Agatha swiftly made her move¡­


    She''s using two short des as her main weapon and although they were not Celestial Weapons, they were still enhanced and ascended by Vincent.


    She first arrived in front of a Brass Automaton that seems like a Minotaur¡­ However, its two hands were in the shape of an axe.


    The automatons controlled by the bandits weren''t all human-like¡­ They were more like deformed monsters. They have been heavily modified to be some sort of killer machine.


    ng! ng!


    Agatha shed against the Minotaur Automaton¡­ Her shorts des parried its axe but with the Sharpness, Critical, and Pierce Attributes of the des, it managed to cut the axe like paper!


    Ssaaakk!


    With a swift motion, Agatha destroyed one of the Automatons so easily¡­


    Luna did the same but her weapon was even stronger.


    It must be remembered that she has a Soul-Bound weapon! Bloodstone Armament!


    Its power may be terribly ineffective against the Werewolves but against these Automatons! Luna could easily sweep through them!

 Chapter 522 Confiscate

    Perhaps because this Bloodstone Armament was originally from the Werewolves, it is not advisable to use it against them¡­ It may be possible to use it on a surprise attack against the Werewolves but once they''ve learned that she has the Bloodstone Armament, it will be easier for them to stop its power of corruption.


    Of course, that didn''t stop Vincent from enhancing this precious armament.


    Even if it''s already Soul-Bound to her, he was still able to use his system for it after all.


    [ Bloodstone Armament]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1850/1850


    Corruption: 3500


    Description: A special stone that can corrupt anything except for the bound user.


    Bound to: Luna ( Celestial Number 80 )


    Remarks: Special Corruption Attribute found. Durability and Corruption Attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. The Skill Effects will increase tenfold if used by a Specific Race. ]


    [ Skills:


    [ Focused Corruption: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the user can select 1 target to experience Corruption. ]


    [ Stagnation: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the selected area will experience Stagnation, a field-type Skill that affects the 30-meter radius of the user. ]


    [ Absorb Corruption: By spending 100 units of the user''s life energy, the Bloodstone Armament can absorb up to 3,500 units of corruption in the surroundings. ]


    This was the final Appraisal Result that Vincent had before giving it back to Luna.


    After enhancing this armament to level 10, its 1,000 Corruption Units became 3,500 Corruption Units. Furthermore, Vincent even used Transcendence on it adding 1 additional skill to the item, the Absorb Corruption.


    The Bloodstone constantly revolves around Luna''s fist and every time she activates its powers, one Automaton would start decaying, or perhaps, corroding¡­


    Even if they have Rust Resistance, Magic Resistance, or even Corruption Resistance, Luna just has to spend more Corruption Units to overpower its resistance ability¡­


    "You¡­ What''s going on?! What grade are these female Automatons?!"


    The leader of the bandits asked in surprise after seeing their unstoppable force. He had even mistaken them for Automatons since he can''t really feel their energy aside from the energying from their Magic Tools.


    That normally signifies that he''s dealing against Automatons.


    He did not suspect them as Celestial Beings since he had never seen one in his whole life.


    "Female Automatons? That''s an amusing way of describing them. Unfortunately, they''re not automatons¡­" Vincent replied to the bandit leader as he watches the Celestials tear through the Automatons¡­


    He can see that the Brass Tier Automatons were more nimble and capable of reacting to the Celestials'' movements.


    It means that the people who were controlling these Automatons weren''t simple either¡­


    ''As expected of people who had trained their Mental Energy¡­ They were able to parry almost every strikeing from Agatha¡­ It was unfortunate that they''re dealing with a Celestial Being with a Legendary Weapon.'' Vincent mused.


    If their opponents were Archknights who hadn''t trained their Mental Energy, these Brass Tier Automatons would surely win the fight.


    "Tsk¡­ Retreat! Those two must be Gold Tier! What bad luck¡­"


    After the leader realized that half of the automatons have been destroyed, he was no longer confident in winning this battle. After all, even if they win against the two with casualties, there are still four Silver Knights at the back that they have to deal with.


    Right now, they can only ept their losses and find a different target.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ronan¡­ I''d like to take their Automatons¡­ Would that be a problem?" Vincent softly asked after hearing the bandit leader.


    "There''s no need to ask for permission. They''re the ones at fault so you can do whatever you want with them."


    "Good¡­"


    As soon as Vincent got the signal, he summoned his Tome of Glutonny out of his System Inventory.


    "Take all those Automatons inside your pages¡­ Do you still have some space?"


    [ Yes. All the insects have been converted into Energy Units. ]


    "Alright¡­ Go ahead."


    Vincent replied.


    On the other hand, Ronan was shocked after hearing Vincent''s conversation with the book. He had already seen it a while ago and suspected it to have sentience¡­ but he didn''t expect that it could reallymunicate!


    As a matter of fact, he even thought of showing it to Sage Vivian when he first saw it since he felt some sort of intelligenceing from the book.


    As someone who had trained their Mental Energy, they were extremely sensitive to this sort of sensation.


    They were able to tell whether they were dealing with intelligent or non-intelligent beings with this ability.


    He was only suspicious a while ago but this time, he''s already sure!


    He was really seeing a Sentient Artifact from the legends!


    "Ohh¡­ So you''ve heard¡­" Vincent muttered as he froze for a moment.


    "Anyway¡­ It''s not a big deal. Can you keep this a secret?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course¡­ I''m honored that you allowed me to see this. I''ve only read about it in some Ancient texts." Ronan excitedly replied.


    "Really? Do you mean there are ancient texts about Sentient Items? Do you know an existing one?"


    "I''ve only read about the King of Justice Sword. It''s said that it couldmunicate with people and only those it approves after a series of tests can wield it." Ronan immediately exined.


    He was fascinated by this story and there was no way he would forget about it.


    "What a picky sword¡­" Vincent muttered.


    ''Well, with that terrible name, it wasn''t that surprising¡­'' He thought. Although he has a terrible naming sense for his weapon, he certainly wouldn''t call his weapon King of Justice¡­


    Soon, the Tome of Glutonny captured a total of 12 Iron Tier Automatons and 4 Brass Tier Automatons...


    The 24 others were unfortunately destroyed by the two Celestial Beings.


    They turned into unusable scraps of metal scattered in the forest.


    It was good that he ordered the Tome immediately or else, the Celestials would''vepletely destroyed them.


    "Are we not going to kill those puppeteers?" Agatha asked after returning to the carriage.


    Vincent raised his brows and answered.


    "Puppeteers? Well, you can probably call them that¡­ Anyway, you don''t have to worry about them. They''re not even as strong as an Apprentice Mage without their Automatons. I don''t think they''ll survive here for long without those Automatons."


    "Understood¡­" Agatha didn''t question his decision.

 Chapter 523 Slaves

    Far away from thends of the Star Garden Peak, a group of strong individuals gathered together.


    The ce they were gathered at appears to be a huge throne hall.


    Polished braziers at the bottom of each twelve ivory columns light up the entire throne hall. The intricate golden pattern on the vault ceiling dance in the flickering light while stone statues of fierce men and women look down upon the mosaic floor of the monumental hall.


    A silver rug runs from the throne to the doors and is matched by smaller ones on either side of the hall. One can also see 10 burgee banners with printed golden weapons droop from the walls.


    These banners represent the Nine Paragons of the Martial Arts Alliance and thest one was from the Alliance Head.


    The towering throne of silver sits in front of a giant painting of the first ruler of the Alliance.


    Currently, an old man sitting on the throne was looking down at the six Paragons that were respectfully bowing at him.


    There are rumors that Paragons are the strongest Martial Artists and not even the Alliance Head can do anything about them¡­ They believe that the Paragons were beings that can do whatever they want in the Alliance and no one would be able to stop them.


    However, that is far from the truth and the Paragons know this very well.


    For them, the Alliance Head is someone who had already transcended the limits of the human realm¡­ Although Paragons, to a certain extent, transcended the limit of the human body as well, they haven''t removed the shackles binding them to this world yet.


    On the other hand, the Alliance Head is genuinely capable of defeating Celestial Beings with only his physical strength and that is something that Paragons couldn''t do unless they have their weapons or tools that can help them push the limits of their bodies.


    "Colm, Niall, and Ariana haven''t returned. We can assume that they''ve died at the border¡­" The Alliance Head spoke with his deep voice showing no emotions at this news.


    "That seems to be the case, Alliance Head¡­ However, I don''t think this is done by the ck Magic Organization. We have recently agreed to their conditions and there''s no reason for them to break the deal." A slightly thin middle-aged man said. His name is Dromio and the youngest Paragon of all nine.


    He wasn''t previously this thin but after they battled against the magic god''s Avatar, he had weakened quite a lot and he hasn''t fully recovered yet.


    "Was it the ck Tower''s people then?" Another imposing man said as he touches his chin. He has a twin de on his back and doesn''t appear to be too bothered by the death of their threepanions.


    He didn''t have a name and only goes by his title, Twin de Master.


    "Who else?! It must be the Tower Lord¡­ They must''ve learned that our Alliance decided to stop supporting them and got angry. No matter what, the Tower Lord can stillmand several Tower Masters and they have many weird tricks up their sleeve. If 10 or so Tower Masters work together¡­ Those three would have a hard time dealing with them even if they work together." An old man among the nine paragons said with anger¡­


    It can easily be noticed that his eyes are quite simr to Ariana''s eyes since they were father and daughter.


    His name is Lancelot and he sure loves his daughter. If not for the Alliance Head, he''d already rushed to the territory of the ck Tower and caused havoc¡­


    He wanted to find out who killed his precious daughter and torture them¡­ He wouldn''t even be satisfied with that as he also ns to find their rtives and extermination their whole nine generations. If he found out that some of them are already dead, he would also find their graves and destroy them with his hands.


    Everyone in the hall can feel his fury but none of them spoke about it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Alliance Head then spoke to break the silence.


    "That''s possible¡­ I''m also thinking that it''s the Tower Lord so I''ve sent my shadow to fully investigate this incident. I called all of you here since I wanted you to get his report once he arrives. It shouldn''t take long before he gets here¡­"


    As soon as he said this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    If it''s the Alliance Head''s "shadow" they believe that he would be able to find out what truly happened¡­ It doesn''t matter what kind of tricks they used to hide the traces of the incident, the shadow would be able to find out the truth¡­ Nothing would escape from it.


    After five minutes had passed, the Alliance Head''s shadow has finally returned¡­ A dark figure appeared at the ceiling before coursing through the Alliance Head''s figure.


    It was his literal shadow that had returned.


    "Inform everyone of the result of your investigation¡­" The Alliance Headmanded his shadow.


    Suddenly, six shadow tentacles stretched towards the shadows of the Paragons¡­ As soon as it connected to the six, information suddenly went directly to their minds.


    Apparently, the shadow just now was simr to Levent''s Mind Network¡­ It allowed the Alliance Head to connect with the six Paragons and pass the information to them in an instant.


    As they browsed through the information, they were first confused since the shadow seem to have found traces of demihumans, demonic cultists, celestial beings, mana practitioners, and grand knights aside from the traces left by the Martial Artists of their alliance.


    However, the shadow organized this information and found out about the series of events that has urred¡­


    It had concluded that except for Niall who had died far away from Niall and Ariana, the two Paragons died in a battle not against the Celestials but against a Magician.


    "Wait! The Shadow didn''t report any traces of Ariana''s body¡­ Is it possible that she''s still alive?" Lancelot asked in a hopeful tone.


    Parts of Colm and Niall''s bodies were found and confirmed to have died¡­ On the other hand, since only Ariana''s items of clothing were found, she might have escaped and tried to recuperate in hiding.


    She might even be waiting for someone to rescue her.


    "Hmmm¡­ It''s good that you still have hopes¡­ However, do not expect too much. For now, we''ll follow the lead brought by my shadow and visit the nearest base of Ignacy''s disciple at Nidite City." The Alliance Head said.


    Lancelot didn''t hesitate and replied.


    "Please allow me to lead my team to investigate¡­"


    The Alliance Head nodded in approval.


    "I will allow it. Go pick up 10 useful ves inside the Scarlet Dungeon and bring them with you."

 Chapter 524 Scarlet Dungeon

    Lancelot didn''t immediately reply after hearing the Alliance Head''s instruction.


    After a moment of hesitation, he replied¡­


    "Alliance Head, I think it''s not necessary to get their help. They''re merely some ves and might drag us down. Their job in the Scarlet Dungeon is more important than this¡­"


    "No need to hesitate, Lancelot. Just take at least 10 of them and they''ll be useful in case the enemies have Celestial Beings as well. They could buy you some time."


    "Then, I''ll assure you that this mission will be sessful. I''ll take 10 ves with me and kill the ones who dared to touch the martial artists of our alliance. Even if it''s the Tower Lord, I will exact my revenge."


    The Alliance Head nodded as he looked at the other five¡­ He knows what they wanted to say so he immediately spoke up.


    "We can''t let you all leave our territory. I will allow one of you to apany Lancelot¡­"


    As soon as he said this, the other four Paragons immediately offered their help to Lancelot. Only one of them decided not to bother.


    This person is Cromwell and he is the Alliance Head''s first Disciple. He is also the only Paragon among his disciples and would rarely leave the headquarters¡­


    Lancelot actually wanted Cromwell''s help regarding this mission since he believes that Cromwell is the strongest among them. After all, Cromwell is receiving direct guidance from the Alliance Head unlike them¡­


    Unfortunately, Cromwell didn''t show his interest. Anyway, he can only ept the Twin de Master''s help since he believes that he''s the next most appropriate person for the task. Among all the Paragons, the Twin de Master has killed the most humans and had also genuinely killed seven Unnumbered Celestial Beings before.


    He was even named War ughterer before he was epted as a Paragon by the Alliance Head.


    "Good choice, Old Lancelot¡­ I heard that the disciple hiding in Nidite City is a Formation Art Expert¡­ With my de, I can break any formation arts she''ll throw at us¡­ This will be easy." Twin de Master said with a jovial tone after hearing Lancelot''s decision.


    The others can only shake their heads at this but didn''tin about Lancelot''s decision.


    The meeting finally ended and they can only wait for Lancelot''s sessful mission.


    Soon, only the Alliance Head was left inside the Throne Hall. His eyes were closed and his thoughts were unknown. After a few seconds, his shadow suddenly started stretching again before itpletely detached itself¡­


    "Secretly follow Lancelot''s group¡­ Save the Paragons if they''re in danger."


    The shadow didn''t answer but it swiftly left after hearing his instruction.


    ***


    Outside the Throne Hall, the Twin de Master and Lancelot went straight to the Scarlet Dungeon¡­


    The entrance of this dungeon is actually hidden inside one of the halls of the Headquarters, the Protector''s Hall.


    It was also guarded by several First ss Martial Artists in a very secretive manner. This ce is normally used to amodate Martial Artists that have made certain contributions to the alliance. This is a ce of recreation and could even be a training hall.


    The two Paragons entered a few rooms before arriving in a secret room with a dark hole in the middle. Without any hesitation, the two of them jump at the hole and felt their bodies warp for a moment before noticing the changes in their surroundings.<novelnext></novelnext>


    They have entered a cavern with glowing rubies lighting up the whole ce.


    The red light brought by these rubies was the reason this was named the Scarlet Dungeon.


    The ce looks eerie but the two Paragons were used to it.


    A First ss Martial Artist immediately came to greet the two as soon as he realized that they were Paragons.


    "We received instructions from the Alliance Head to take 10 ves¡­" Lancelot spoke after acknowledging the man''s greeting.


    "Understood, Paragon Lancelot. I can bring you to them right now. Do you want me to rmend the best ves for you or would like to select them yourself?" The First ss Martial Artists offered his help immediately.


    He doesn''t need to confirm whether Lancelot is telling the truth that he was instructed by the Alliance Head. He knows his position well so he didn''t dare to question him.


    Lancelot thought for a moment before replying.


    "I''d like to see them first¡­"


    "Of course... Please follow me."


    The man nodded as he brought the two to another tunnel where the ves are working¡­


    At the end of the tunnel, there is another cavern where the ves are doing their job¡­


    At the center of the cavern, one can easily see a huge red crystal about 30 meters in height. It may seem just like a humongous deposit of crystal but if you looked closely, there is actually a dark figure of a creature inside it.


    It seems to have been frozen by red crystal. Lancelot and the Twin de Master weren''t surprised at the sight of this unknown creature as they shifted their gaze at the female ves.


    About 300 ves were working together slowly chipping away the red crystals as if they wanted to uncover the creature inside. They weren''t even using any sort of tools to do this and were only chipping it with their fingers or even teeth¡­


    The First ss Martial Artists that were guarding the ves couldn''te close to the crystal and could only watch at the sides forming a huge circle. They were even wearing some protective masks showing how dangerous it is to get closer.


    Seeing that one of the "managers" arrived with the Paragons, those who are near immediately saluted.


    "Oh¡­ There are Numbered ves here! Good! Lancelot, choose that girl with crimson hair¡­ She has Number 882 on her shoulder¡ªNo, wait, did I just see Number 294?" The Twin de Master asked in surprise.


    Although he knows that Celestial Beings were kept here as ves, he didn''t expect that he could see a Celestial Being rated under 300 here.


    The First ss Martial Artists beside them immediately answered.


    "Yes, Paragon. The highest-rated Celestial ve that we have here is Number 201¡­ If you want to take 10 Celestial ves, I rmend all Numbered Celestials¡­ However, I would suggest that you take three Unnumbered Celestials who have incredible talents¡­"

 Chapter 525 Numbered Celestials

    The ves that are working inside the Scarlet Dungeon are indeed the mighty Celestial Beings, the mysterious and well-respected beings outside this dungeon.


    However, the Martial Arts Alliance had captured so many of them to turn into ves to uncover the creature inside the red crystal.


    If this was known to the public, other strong Celestial Beings would surelye to wreak havoc and this ce would be taken advantage of by other organizations to cause trouble for their organization.


    This is why this ce was hidden and heavily guarded by numerous First-ss Martial Artists.


    As a matter of fact, they have selected this location as their headquarters to properly hide the entrance to this dungeon.


    As for the reason why they have selected the Celestials, it is simply because they are immune to the corruption brought by the red crystal.


    "Hmm¡­ Did you say 201? Where is she?" The Twin de Master asked after hearing the man''s words.


    Right now, the Celestials were only wearing tattered clothes barely hiding their private parts because of the corruption that could affect almost anything except for the Celestial''s bodies.


    "She should be resting on the side right now¡­ Only about a hundred Celestial can work together at the same time¡­ They would normally switch every 3 hours."


    The first-ss Martial Artist replied as he swiftly looked around¡­ He immediately found Number 201 and pointed to her.


    She has long silver hair and a slender pale body so she was quite easier to find.


    She also noticed that they were looking at her so she nced at them with cold eyes. She didn''t show any more reaction and returned her gaze to the red crystal¡­


    Lancelot seem satisfied with her as he spoke to the martial artist¡­


    "I want her¡­ Tell me about the three Unnumbered Celestials you mentioned just now."


    "Of course¡­ I suggested them since I believe that you''re sending them to a battle. The three Unnumbered Celestials may not be as powerful as the Numbered Celestials but these three have Awakened their talent in controlling Elements."


    The martial artist immediately replied surprising the two Paragons.


    "Ohh¡­ So it''s true that they can awaken their hidden talent. However, even if they can use elements, will they be better at it than the Grand Magus? They may not be as good as Unique-Grade Magic Tool. We might be facing a few Grand Magus so I don''t think using the power of elements would work well against them. I believe that the brute force of the Numbered Celestials is better." The Twin de Master said as he faced Lancelot who nodded in agreement.


    He didn''t mind that the martial artist is making a suggestion. The Twin de Master only wanted to hear more from him since he knows that aside from controlling some elements, there should be more to it.


    He was right¡­


    The First-ss Martial Artist smiled and immediately exined himself¡­


    "The truth is that if the three of them work together, they can be an unstoppable force¡­ They can create a small field where Mana Arts will be ineffective. They seem to have identally discovered it when practicing together with their elemental techniques. I''ve trained them really well so they will listen to your words." The Martial Artist grinned after seeing their surprised expression.


    He already deduced that the Paragons will be fighting against Magicians since they''re nning to bring Celestial Beings with them. If they''re only dealing with the Demonic Cult, the Barbarians, or other Renegade Martial Artists, there wouldn''t be a need to bother these Celestials after all.


    "Ho~ That sounds interesting¡­ How small is this field you''re talking about?" Lancelot ask.


    "It should be around 30 meters¡­" The man replied with a smile.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s impressive!" The Twin de Mastermented. It is definitely not a small field.


    With that field, they would be able to surprise the Magicians and kill them in surprise.


    Although Magic Tools that disrupt Mana Arts also exist, they are simply another type of Magic Tool and they can be easily disabled once noticed by some detectors before they were activated.


    However, if this can be done by the three Celestials without using tools, then it can give their enemies a huge surprise.


    "Fine¡­ Select the Celestials suited for battle¡­" Lancelot said after considering for a moment.


    "Yes! Please give me a few seconds."


    Soon, the man spoke to the assigned guards as they called for the selected Celestial Beings.


    Currently, the Celestials weren''t in a good condition because they were working in harsh conditions. Lancelot doesn''t even know whether they are being fed here in the dungeon¡­


    All the Celestials here were bound by some sort of curse or magic used by the Alliance Head on each of them. The Paragons weren''t aware of how it was done but nevertheless, they know that they don''t have to feed these Celestials with Blood Essence, unlike themon knowledge.


    It seems that they can also absorb some energy here without the Blood Essence.


    However, it is obviously not enough to make them powerful to the point that they could break the curse cast by the Alliance head.


    Soon, ten Celestial ves were brought in front of the two Paragons.


    There are seven Numbered Celestials Beings and three Unnumbered.


    They are Numbers 201, 294, 399, 679, 692, 882, and 835¡­


    "Consume these¡­"


    Lancelot said as he brought out ten potions to be fed to the Celestial Beings¡­


    These potions weren''t able to help them recover their Celestial Energy but they can relieve their mental fatigue and stamina¡­


    Lancelot nodded in satisfaction after seeing the ten of them follow his instructions without any problems¡­


    "Hmm¡­ I think I should test their abilities¡­ Hey, give them back their equipment. I want to try how strong they are." The Twin de Master said and Lancelot wanted to protest it but he was indeed curious about these Celestials.


    He wasn''t worried about the Twin de Master since he clearly knows that he had already killed a few Celestial Beings before.


    The First ss Martial Artists hesitated for a moment before ordering someone to give their equipment back¡­


    ''I won''t be med for this if there''s an ident, right?''

 Chapter 526 Duel

    They soon brought the ten Celestials to another cavern inside the Dungeon.


    Since their battle can be explosive, they decided not to do it outside.


    "This is a good ce¡­ Are you going to challenge the strongest of them first?" Lancelot asked after looking around the cavern.


    The ceiling is about 50 meters in height they have a huge space enough to dock a huge cargo ship¡­


    "Do you think I can''t handle two or three of them at once?" The Twin de Master asked with a chuckle.


    "You can probably do that since these ves weren''t even in a good condition. However, you''ll still overexert yourself. You know about their physical strength." Lancelot reminded the loud and arrogant de Master.


    "Hahaha¡­ You''re right¡­ I''ll hold back then. If there is someone brave enough to fight me,e forward." Twin de Master dered as he looked at the Celestial ves that are now wearing some decentbat gear.


    They are all wearing at Unique-Grade Equipment and Armor. As for their weapons, they are all Epic-Grade Silver Staff¡­


    Thud. Thud.


    It was Number 882 who first stepped up to fight against the Paragon.


    "Hmm¡­ You''re brave, I like it." The Twin de Mastermented as he looked at the Silver Staff Number 882 was holding. He can tell that the Celestial wasn''t toofortable with the staff as her weapon but he didn''t mind it.


    He''s aware that these Celestials have incredible adaptability and he also knows that with just a few swings of the staff, this Celestial ve would easily be an expert in it.


    Number 882 did not reply but she held her Silver Staff and pointed it forward.


    "Are you mute? Can you understand what I''m saying?" The Twin de Master asked with a hint of frustration.


    "Let''s just fight¡­" Number 882 replied. It was as if she doesn''t want to spare an effort to talk to him.


    The Twin de Master didn''t like this and he pulled out his two des hanging on his back¡­


    "You have no manners. So it''s true that you''re only respectful to the Alliance Head. I''ll teach you a lesson so you''ll remember how to treat me."


    With that said, the Paragon stayed on the ground and shed his de at the Celestial ve. The sh created a wave of energy heading straight to the Celestial ve in front of him.


    Bang!


    Number 882 didn''t dodge the strike as if she wanted to test how strong was the Paragon who dared to challenge them.


    The collision of her staff and the energy released by the Paragon pushed her back. She had to step back three times before she was able to stabilize herself.


    She didn''t look fearful or surprised by that strike and only had a thoughtful expression. It appears that she had already expected this much powering from him¡­


    Number 882 then looked at the Paragon. Noticing that thetter was waiting for her to attack, she no hesitated and pounced at him¡­


    Whoosh~


    Her leg strength was powerful. In an instant, she crossed the ten-meter gap between them. She thrust her staff forward and sessfully hit the Paragon¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    No! It was only an afterimage of the Twin de Master¡­


    ng!


    Number 882 waved her staff above her without even looking and hit the Paragon''s de¡­


    However, it wasn''t over yet, the Twin de Master has a couple of des after all!


    The second de shed at Number 882 shoulder¡­ The Paragon didn''t want to heavily injure the Celestial so he was only nning to cut her shoulder to see her blood.


    However, to his surprise, the de stopped about 3 centimeters from the Celestial''s skin.


    It was as if she had covered herself with something simr to Mana Shield¡­


    Thud!


    He wasn''t able to slice her skin and only felt a tough resistance¡­


    "Interesting¡­ So you have this trick... Let''s see how long can itst." The Paragon replied. He can roughly guess what was stopping his de so he wasn''t too disappointed about it.


    If the Celestials are truly easy to kill, there was no way they would bring them in the battle against the Magicians of the ck Tower or the Nidite City.


    Lancelot then watched the battlest for over 10 minutes. During this time, he can tell that the Twin de Master is holding back while the Celestial was trying to get ustomed to her new weapon¡­


    It was pretty obvious that silver staff wasn''t her main weapon but nevertheless, the rate of her improvement is astonishing¡­


    As soon as they reached the 10-minute mark, the Twin de Master has to increase the intensity of his de techniques¡­


    He also had to use his movement techniques to sh against the Celestials aside from using his de techniques¡­


    Number 882 felt that if this keeps going on, she''ll be able to defeat the Paragon!


    However, as soon as Number 882 felt confident with her skills and thought that she had a clear grasp of the Paragon''s strength, she suddenly felt pain in her stomach before she notices her vision darken¡­ In an instant, Number 882 passed out and lost against the Paragon.


    The other Celestials ves who are watching frowned at the sight in front of them¡­ Except for Number 201, they couldn''t understand why Number 882 was suddenly defeated.


    "The Paragon can use an invisible de. He''s not using a Twin de. It should be a Tri-de." As soon as Number 201 said this, the Paragon loudlyughed¡­


    "Hahaha! So it was like that. I can fool the weaker Celestial ves but those around your rank are quite troublesome." The Twin de Master didn''t mind being exposed as he pulled his third and invisible de.


    Thud¡­


    In a sh, they noticed that something came back to his hands.


    It was as if he used some sort of string to pull the invisible de back to him¡­ They may not see the de but they can feel it.


    "The de is smeared with a strong sedative. Your friend had only passed out so there''s no need to re at me. You guys will still be useful so I won''t be killing you." The Twin de Master said after noticing the sharp gazes directed at him.

 Chapter 527 Eternal Sun Peak

    In the meantime, while the Celestials are being tested by the two Paragons, one of the "ves" working in another cavern looks in their direction.


    Because the Paragons and the ten Celestial Beings were far away, there should be no way for her to see what was happening but her gaze looks as if she could even hear the conversation between the Paragons and the Celestials.


    Furthermore, unlike the other Celestial ves that are working in an almost animated manner, she''s the only Celestial that seems to have full control of her consciousness¡­ She appears to be in her twenties and she has long ck hair and blue eyes.


    If Vincent was here, he would certainly recognize that she''s Tara, the Number 999 Celestial and his firstpanion! However, the number on her shoulder seems to have been missing so she can be mistaken to be an Unnumbered Celestial.


    She briefly nced at the First-ss Martial Artists guarding them and as always, they weren''t really paying much attention to them. They were only waiting for their shift to end and hoped to get out of this dungeon as quickly as possible.


    The red crystal is emitting some form of corruption after all. Even if the Martial Artists are wearing protective gear, they still have to circte their martial cultivation to ensure that they wouldn''t be affected.


    ''Is it already time to make my move? These Celestials should be more than enough, right?'' Tara asked her as she considered her option¡­


    Apparently, she''s stillpleting Vincent''s mission for her!


    It was to recruit Celestial Beings!


    She had never abandoned Vincent nor the mission given to her! Nevertheless, she had really gone to the extreme and even had herself captured to recruit more Celestial Beings¡­


    A few more minutes passed and she sensed that the Paragons and the ten Celestials have left the Dungeon¡­


    During these few minutes, she heard their conversations and learned that they will be rescuing a Paragon¡­ It seems that two other Paragons died in a major battle so they have to be careful in this mission.


    She heard that they will be attacking a certain city under the ck Tower''s territory filled with Grand Magus and a few Celestial Beings. The Paragon tested the ve''s strength just now and passed his test so the ten of them will be used as cannon fodder¡­


    Tara has a bad feeling about this. For some reason, she felt that the city that is going to be attacked is Vera City.


    This prompted her to hasten her ns¡­


    ''My preparations should be more than enough¡­ If the two Paragons will leave this ce as well¡­ I''ll only have to worry about the Alliance Head...''


    Tara mused for a moment as she looked at the creature that was crystallized.  She looked at the Celestial beside her for a brief moment before secretly poking the other''s be.


    In that brief moment, the color in the Celestial''s eyes returned as if she had woken up from her deep sleep.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t make a noise and only observed her surroundings. She noticed Tara''s gaze and realized that Tara also has simr eyes¡­ She immediately understood their situation without the two making any noise.


    Tara smiled at this as she repeated the process secretly¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    It will take quite some time for her to finish this task but she wasn''t in a hurry¡­ Since she had made such long preparation to recruit these Celestials, she certainly has a lot of patience and would not ept any mistakes.


    ***


    At the Star Garden Peak''s territory, Vincent''s group has finally arrived at the Eternal Sun Peak. It took them quite some time but aside from the previous bandits they''d encountered, they were no longer blocked by other bandits or Renegade Maniptors.


    Maniptor is the title given to the people who are capable of controlling Automatons and Vincent only learned it here since this type of profession seems to be exclusive to thisnd¡­


    Anyway, they have decided not to enter other viges ande straight here after considering their options.


    The Eternal Sun Peak is situated on top of the northeast ridge of Mount Kayser and to their surprise, only 10,000 people were living here ording to Ronan. It was like a small town but it is very clean and the wind breeze is refreshing¡­


    The poption is a lot lower than Vincent''s estimation. It ispletely different from the ck Tower''s cities which have about 2 to 3 million inhabitants each of them.


    "This ce looks so big¡­ I''m pretty sure you can allow 100 to 200 thousand people to live here." Milliemented after having a quick look.


    "I''m more impressed at this carriage that can climb this mountain with such uneven road..." Ceri added as they entered the Eternal Sun Peak.


    The carriage that they were using also attracted the people''s attention so she couldn''t help but think that the carriage is quite special.


    "This carriage was previously being used by Sage Vivian before she passed it to me. I only modified it a bit." Ronan replied as he continued to drive the carriage to the central part of the town.


    "That reason why only a few people can live here is that they need qualifications¡­ Those bandits we encountered were people that had probably lost their chance to enter the Peaks. Well, I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to discuss this since you are visitors from anothernd. You''ll probably know it soon." He added with a smile.


    After a while, they entered the inner wall of town where the sage''s residence is located. As they began to disembark the carriage, Vincent noticed that they are being watched. Faviona noticed this as well but they did not react since there was no hostilitying from it.


    Ronan didn''t notice anything as he spoke.


    "Right, Vincent, if you want, I can call a merchant here to put a proper price on the items you wanted to sell. I can only give you a rough estimate after all. Of course, you can also go to the shops that we''ve seen a while ago but if we called them here in the Sage''s residence, they might give you a better price¡­"


    Ronan was indirectly hinting at Vincent to use the Sage''s reputation.


    Vincent didn''t mind it as long as the Sage, or the owner of this residence, wouldn''t mind¡­


    "It''s up to you. As long as it wouldn''t get me into trouble with the Sage." Vincent replied as he looked to the side¡­


    He suddenly felt a familiar energy and realized that the Eternal Sun Peak''s Celestial Beings have finally taken notice of them.

 Chapter 528 Magic Tools

    "Hmm¡­ We have guests." A Celestial Being came to greet them. There are two of them and they are both Numbered Celestials.


    They weren''t Teresa and ire though.


    Vincent can see the numbers on their skin they aren''t single-digit Celestials.


    Number 95 and Number 106.


    Their appearance waspletely different from other Celestial Beings he met.


    They weren''t like warriors in his eyes and seem more like schrs with the way they dress. They are wearing schr robes and their hair was neatly tied to their back. They were even wearing a bit of makeup on their faces adding allure to their already attractive faces.


    "Ahhh¡­ They''re Celestials as well and they''re working for Sage Vivian¡­ It''s been some time since they''ve seen other Celestial Beings so they must''ve thought of weing you. Alright¡­ I''ll just call for someone to assist you all in your rooms." Ronan said as he was also nning to report to Sage Vivian about his arrival.


    "There''s no need, Ronan. We''ll assist them from here." Number 95 kindly said stopping Ronan in his tracks.


    Ronan thought for a moment before agreeing.


    "Alright¡­ Please take care of them." As soon as he said this, he left Vincent''s group and headed to another building to meet with the Sage.


    After he left, Numbers 95 and 106 guided Vincent''s group to the residential hall where they will be staying at.


    They seem polite and not as aggressive as Vincent thought¡­ He thought that once they arrived here, they will suddenly be challenged by the Celestial Beings into battle.


    "It seems that none of you brought any Automatons¡­ I''m assuming you''re the envoy from the ck Tower?" Number 95 suddenly asked.


    Speaking of which, Ronan didn''t introduce them so the two Celestials have to guess their identities.


    "You''re right¡­ Is there a problem with that?"


    It was Faviona who answered.


    Her attitude surprised the Celestials for a bit but they didn''t mind her tone at all.


    "There''s none¡­ However, I assume that you''ve seen several Automatons along the way. You can only buy Iron Tier Automatons but for those higher than that, you need to have your identity verified and you can''t purchase them with your identity.  If you allow us to fight against your contracted Celestials, we''ll give you a reward of Silver Horse Automaton if you win."


    Vincent was dumbfounded after hearing this. He already thought that these Celestials were meek or friendly but they just proved him wrong.


    They just issued a challenge. Not even 5 minutes had passed since they''d met.


    Nevertheless, Vincent was interested in their offer.


    "I heard that Silver Tier Automatons requires certainly cultivation method to be controlled. Even if we have them, I don''t think we''ll be able to make use of it." Vincentmented as he recalled Ronan''s words.


    "You''re right¡­ However, it''s not forbidden to learn it. You just need some contribution points to get the Maniption Technique for it. I can tell that your friends here are Alchemists based on the smell they''re emitting so it will be easy for you to request this technique from the Sage¡­ How about it?" Number 106 replied this time.


    "I see¡­ I''m indeed nning to meet the Sage¡­ If she epts potions or pills for these "contribution points", then I guess there wouldn''t be any problems." Vincent replied.


    "Great! Then let''s go to the arena now!" Number 95 said with a hint of anticipation. It seems that she was really itching for battle¡­ She didn''t even discuss what would happen if they lose the duel.


    Anyway, Vincent didn''t immediately agree as he decided to buy some time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He advised them to wait for an hour since they''d just arrived and needed some time to rest. They epted this unwillingly and could only wait for another hour¡­


    "I''m not tired¡­"


    "Me neither¡­"


    Luna and Agatha softly said after the two other Celestials left.


    "Of course¡­ Let''s just wait for a while as we have to ensure that you''ll not lose. Let me check your weapons¡­" Vincent replied.


    The two Celestials on his side were confused but they still handed their weapons to Vincent.


    Seeing theirpliant behavior, Vincent immediately exined himself¡­


    "I was able to sense that they have an abnormal number of Magic Tools in their bodies. Can you guess how many it was?" He asked.


    Faviona and others perked up as they were curious about this. They didn''t feel Number 95 and 106''s Magic Tools after all.


    The two Celestials were wearing schr robes so it doesn''t feel like they were equipped with weapons¡­ If their hair decorations and clothes were Magic Tools, it should be about 4 or 7 magic tools. It wasn''t abnormal at all.


    "I wasn''t able to tell. Are there seven¡ªNo, ten magic tools?" Luna asked deliberately increasing the number since he felt that Vincent wouldn''t ask such a question if it was just a normal number.


    Vincent smiled and looked at Faviona and the others to make their guess.


    "I think there were five for each of them." Ceri guessed.


    "Eight?" Faviona tried.


    "I think seven is the limit. It would be difficult to control magic tools more than that." Millie joined it¡­


    However, Vincent only shook his head and revealed the truth to them.


    "There were twenty-two on Number 95 and twenty-one on Number 106''s bodies."


    As soon as they heard Vincent''s answer, they could help but realize how they have underestimated those pretty Celestial Beings.


    ***


    After thirty minutes, Ronan returned to their residence with his merchant friend.


    Previously, Vincent was able to sell 5 High-Grade Health Recovery Potions to Ronan worth 75 Low-Tier Spirit Stones each.


    Apparently, that is already equal to 7 Epic Grade Weapons here in the Star Gaden Peak. It wasn''t a good rate of exchange but since this ce knows about Enchantments and Inscriptions, the prices of Magic Weapons here are terrible. Vincent has no ns of selling his enhanced magic tools here at such an unfair price.


    It must be remembered how Ronan offered him 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones for his decent Epic-Grade Shawl which shows how bad the rate of exchange was.


    However, the potions here are different. They have staggering prices and depending on how he ys his cards, he could get much richer.

 Chapter 529 Merchant

    Since Ronan suggested calling for a merchant, Vincent decided to just listen to him first and if the price sounds reasonable, he wouldn''t mindpleting a transaction with them¡­


    As a matter of fact, he was considering purchasing low-grade potions here so he can Enhance them to increase their prices before selling them again¡­ But he immediately scratches this idea since he recalled that the prices of potions are still unreasonable.


    "Faviona¡­ Do you have some low-grade potions with you?" Vincent asked as they were left in their residence.


    "I don''t have¡­ Dianne should have them since she''s been training a lot recently." Faviona replied.


    Soon, Vincent made an offer to Dianne and decided to purchase all of her Low-Grade Potions for an Epic-Grade Magic Tool.


    Of course, Dianne immediately agreed to this since these potions were indeed low-tier and some can even be considered imperfect. Even if she sells them here, it wouldn''t make her rich.


    There were a total of 67 Low-Grade Potions that she kept inside her Storage Pouch¡­


    Vincent can easily enhance them with his system skill Auto Enhancement Mode. As long as he had the required energy, he can enhance them to their limits in just a few minutes.


    It was at this point that Ronan returned to their residence bringing the Merchant with him.


    The merchant that has arrived is a short man with sharp eyebrows and with gold essories all over his body. It was as if he was afraid that people wouldn''t notice that he was rich.


    Of course, Vincent wouldn''t judge someone by his appearance, especially someone who was directly invited by Ronan. This person must be trustworthy so Vincent politely greeted them.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Vincent. I''m Priam, the Eternal Sun Peak''s branch manager of the Diamond Merchant n. Our Merchant n expands not only throughout the 36 peaks but also to the viges within thisnd. I''m confident that I can give you the best prices for your potions." Priam said with a smile.


    "That''s great to hear, Merchant Priam. May I ask how much will you purchase this?" Vincent said as he pulled out the same high-grade Health Recovery Potion that he sold to Ronan for 75 Low-Tier Spirit Stones from his system inventory.


    He still has five of them and he wouldn''t mind selling two more of them. Having three of these potions as his backup is already enough considering he still has his system''s [ One Breathe Healing Card ] which could revive someone to full health as long as they are still breathing.


    Anyway, now that there is another person he could ask, he decided to cross-check what he was told. It wasn''t that he feels that Ronan is a liar but it would be safer to have a second opinion.


    Ronan, who was listening on the side, did notment on this as he already expected Vincent to ask these questions to Priam. He only showed his kind smile telling that he understands Vincent.


    "Of course¡­ Allow me to appraise it first¡­" Merchant Priam said as he took a monocle out of his pocket to appraise the potion. It seems to be a higher-grade appraiser tool than Ronan''s magnifying ss. He only needed three minutes to check the item.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He then showed his surprise as he almost didn''t want to put down the potion.


    "It''s really a high-grade potion¡­ It''s been a while since I''ve seen this. The people at the ck Tower are truly blessed. These potions were only given to the rich here¡­ Ehem¡­ Anyway, I can buy this right now for 80 Low-Tier Spirit Stones. If you can sell me 10 of these¡­ I''ll give you a bonus and add another 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones."


    Ronan suddenly had a stiff smile after hearing this. He purchased 5 of these potions for only 75 Low-Tier Spirit Stones each after all.


    Since the merchant is buying this for 80 Low-Tier Spirit Stones, it means that Priam would still be able to profit from it. Furthermore, Priam was also nning to give Vincent a bonus that he couldn''t give.


    Right now, he can only think of giving an Automaton to Vincent as a giftter¡­ The high-grade health recovery potion is truly important for him. If nothing goes wrong, he might be able to advance his cultivation and qualify to control Gold Tier Automatons!


    Although he achieved an incredible reputation by killing many Gold Tier Maniptors with only his Silver Tier Automatons, he wasn''t really satisfied with this¡­ Not even after gaining the title of Imperator of Silvers.


    Unfortunately, he doesn''t have Spirit Stones anymore. He has ten Mid-Tier Spirit Stones but that is needed for his Mind Cultivation¡­ He had saved it for a few years and he can''t use it to pay Vincent.


    Before Vincent could reply to Priam, Ronan immediately spoke.


    "Ehem¡­ Vincent, since I no longer have Spirit Stones I can spend, I''m thinking of giving you one of my Brass Tier Automatons¡­ They are worth over 80 to 100 Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­"


    Priam was confused but he decided to just listen.


    Vincent was also confused but it didn''t take long for him to understand why he said this.


    "Don''t worry, Sir Ronan¡­ I don''t mind the price you''ve given me for the potions. There''s barely any difference and you already mentioned to me that they can be priced at 70 to 80 Low-Tier Spirit Stones depending on the buyer. I also want to thank you for bringing us here and telling us various things about the Peak."


    Vincent didn''t wait for Ronan to reply as he spoke to Priam.


    "I can only sell you three more high-grade potions¡­ However, I have other potions here that I want to sell."


    "Other potions? Are they also high-grade ones? Don''t worry, I will appraise them all and give you the best price in the country." Priam replied with excitement.


    "That sounds great¡­ Aside from that, I want to sell the automatons I received from the bandits¡­ ording to Sir Ronan, these Automatons are heavily modified and quite dangerous to use. Can you also purchase them?"

 Chapter 530 Spirit Stones

    Priam''s eyes lit up after hearing this, the Automatons that came from bandits and not from the official stores are normally heavily modified.


    They probably possess dangerous weapons, poison, or even self-destruction options in many cases. These weapons and poison were normally much more expensive than the automatons themselves.


    Of course, there are also cases where they can be terrible. Their core may be Brass Tier Automaton but their external parts were for Iron Tier Automatons. This is quitemon as well since the bandits or renegade maniptors would normally cut the repair costs of their automatons and use parts that were supposed to be for a lower tier.


    However, it doesn''t always mean that their prices would be lower, they can even be higher if the bandits have really decided to invest in their automatons.


    They would normally modify their Brass Tier Automatons with Silver Tier parts to make their automatons look a bit stronger and increase their durability. They would also equip them with Magic Tools with inscriptions and it would certainly attract his attention.


    Priam controlled his excitement and focused on the potions first¡­


    "Let me have a look at these potions of yours first¡­ It''s not easy even for me to see some high-grade Potions. I hope that you have many of them" Priam said while also hoping that every potion was indeed high-grade.


    "Of course¡­" Vincent replied as he brought out the potions he would like to sell.


    Aside from the 3 High-Grade Health Recovery Potions, he also decided to sell 7 High-Grade Mana Recovery Potions, 7 High-Grade Strength Potions, 5 Vial of Eagle Vision, 5 Vial of Vitality Potions, and 5 Vial of Tranquility Potions.


    He decided to keep some for himself in case of emergency and only sold a portion of his potions.


    And for obvious reasons, he didn''t sell his Soul Wisdom Potion, Subordination Impulse Potion, Mana Block Potion, Camouge Potion, Aura Bncing Potion, and Insight Potion.


    These potions were something he would like to keep for himself.


    Priam took half an hour to appraise each one of them before he gave Vincent a price.


    He was willing to pay 80 Low-Tier Spirit Stones in each Health Recovery and Mana Recovery Potions.


    The Strength Potions were worth 76 Low-Tier Spirit Stones each. Surprisingly, the Eagle Vision Potion had a higher offer than the recovery potions. They were worth 90 Low-Tier Spirit Stones each and Vincent found it quite unusual. After all, it could only enhance the vision of the consumer. Even if it has an effect of permanent enhancement to vision, it was only 5 Attribute Points and can''t stack with another simr potion.


    Anyway, Vitality Boost Potion was 78 Low-Tier Spirit Stones each, andst but not the least, the Tranquility Potion is worth 4 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones each! If he didn''t like Mid-Tier Spirit Stones, Priam suggested selling the Tranquility Potions to him for 160 Low-Tier Spirit Stones.


    "Ahh¡­ The tranquility potion is so expensive?" Vincent asked in surprise. This had also confused him about the real value of the Mid-Tier Spirit Stones.


    ording to Ronan, Mid-Tier Spirit Stones are only worth about 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones though no one really trades them at that price.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nevertheless, the 4 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones were converted to 160 Low-Tier Spirit Stones just now!


    Doesn''t it mean that 1 Mid-Tier Spirit Stone is worth 40 Low-Tier Spirit Stones?


    "Yes. Tranquility Potions, especially at this grade, are really helpful to Gold Tier and above Maniptors. No, it might even be too extravagant for Gold Tier¡­ This can be easily sold to Crystal Tier or Diamond Tier Maniptors so I''m giving this price. But to be honest, I''m not really profiting from this transaction¡­ but if I''m able to trade this Tranquility Potion, my reputation will allow me to control more branches in the future."


    "Is it that rare for Tranquility Potions to appear here?"


    "Yes¡­ To be honest, not even the ck Tower or Solomon''s Pir can supply us with a high-grade Potion. Normally, Tranquility Potions were only at Low-Grade quality¡­ There were often cases that Mid-Grade ones would appear but for High-Grade quality, they are just legends around here."


    "The price is good¡­ I will add 2 more Tranquility Potions¡­ I''m nning to save it but with this price, I don''t think it''s needed."


    "Great! Would you like it to be in Mid-Tier Spirit Stones or Low-Tier?" Priam repeated his question.


    "Right, can you tell me about the exchange rate of the Mid-Tier and Low-Tier Spirit Stones? I''m quite confused." Vincent asked as he was indeed unable to understand why their prices vary so much.


    "Very well¡­ If you have an appraisal tool, you''ll probably notice that 1 Mid-Tier Spirit Stone would have the same energy as 10 or so Low-Tier Spirit Stones if put together."


    "That''s right¡­" Vincent nodded in agreement.


    Priam then continued.


    "Then, you should know that Spirit Stones are used for Mind Cultivation. Low-Tier ones are good for beginners since they have a small mind power capacity¡­ However, once you reach a certain level, you will need Mid-Tier Spirit Stones during Mind Cultivation¡­ The energy inside wouldst longer, unlike Low-Tier Spirit Stones which is probably only enough for 3 to 5 minutes for Silver Tier Maniptors¡­ During mind cultivation, an interruption can lead to insanity or even death at worst¡­"


    Vincent understood what Priam was trying to tell.


    Since Mid-Tier Spirit Stones have more energy, it means they can be used for a long time without an interruption in cultivation. If they are in a crucial moment or about to break through, they certainly needed the ones with higher capacity to ensure their safety.


    "It seems that you don''t have anything simr to Mana Gathering Formation, is that right?" Vincent asked. This is the method that Mana Practitioners use during cultivation after all. They were also using Mana Crystals to cultivate mana. But with the gathering formation, the efficiency is better since they don''t have to activate the Mana Crystals one by one.


    "Unfortunately, the Spirit Stone is quite mysterious so up until now, we are still using an ancient method. It only allows us to activate 10 spirit stones at the same time. Normally, for a Silver Tier Maniptor like me, 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones can onlyst for half an hour¡­ It''s definitely not a good choice for cultivation¡­" Priam exined.


    Vincent finally understood the value of the Mid-Tier Spirit Stones so he made a decision¡­

 Chapter 531 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones

    "Very well¡­ Can you pay me 4 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones for this 1 Tranquility Potion first¡­ Let me just try something out¡­" Vincent said as he made a n to ensure that he''ll get the best deal.


    Priam was confused why Vincent wanted to sell 1 Tranquility Potion but he didn''t think too much since he was about to obtain a special potion. He gave Vincent 4 of his Mid-Tier Spirit Stones and took 1 Tranquility Potion from the table with a smile.


    "Alright¡­ Wait for me for a moment¡­ This won''t take long. I''ll just check something with this Mid-Tier Spirit Stone." Vincent said as he stood up to return to his room.


    They were currently in the reception room and Millie and Ceri were actually standing behind him¡­ As for Faviona and Dianne, they were inside their room while the Celestials were outside¡­


    ''Is he going to check if my Spirit Stones are fake? Well, I guess he has a unique Appraisal Method he didn''t want to show.''


    "Ehem¡­ I don''t mind. You can take your time checking it, Sir Vincent." Priam said as he doesn''t really have a choice here.


    Anyway, as soon as Vincent entered his room, he decided to use the Mid-Tier Spirit Stone as an Ascension Crystal and see how it differs from the Low-Ter Spirit Stones in terms of Ascending the items.


    He found his Unique Grade ck Pistol and decided to Ascend it¡­


    Well, Unique Grade is currently the lowest grade of magic item in his inventory¡­ He decided to choose the lowest grade because he want to see its effectivity from the lowest to the highest grade. He wanted to test all Mid-Tier Spirit Stones.


    [ Ascension Crystal found. Would you like to use 1 Ascension Crystal to Ascend an item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent replied and he guided the system to activate the Ascension Crystal into the ck Pistol in his hands.


    As soon as he did this, the ck Pistol glowed for a few seconds signifying that he sessfully ascended the item.


    ''That was quick¡­'' Vincent mused seeing the sessful ascension without any dy.


    It happened so fast that there was no suspense at all. It would normally take 5 to 10 seconds before he gets to know whether he seeded or not.


    Anyway, the glowing effect is the reason why he chose to enter his room. Enhancements would only have a glowing effect at the 7th Sessful Enhancement but Ascension would have such an effect in every Sessful Ascension.


    He wouldn''t be able to exin why his item lit up if he did this in front of everyone.


    "Appraise¡­"


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a ck Pistol. ]


    [ ck Pistol ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 900/900


    Rust Resistance: 170


    uracy: 300


    Mind Focus: 100


    Critical: 100<novelnext></novelnext>


    Willpower: 100


    Corruption Resistance: 200


    Spiritual Attack Resistance: 150


    Description: A hand weapon used to shoot a specific type of bullet. It has an effective range of 150 meters and a maximum firing range of 360 meters with a 9-round magazine.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Skill:


    Arc Alloy Bullet Strengthening ( Passive ): All bullets made of Arc Alloy will have a 25% Damage Increase.


    Arc Alloy Bullet Roar ( Passive ): All bullets made of Arc Alloy will have a 39% Critical and Bleeding Increase to the target.]


    "What?!" Vincent was shocked as soon as he saw the attributes¡­


    The Unique-Grade ck Pistol only has a single Special Attribute before.


    It was only Rust Resistance.


    However, as soon as he used the Mid-Tier Spirit Stone as his Ascension Crystal, and ascended it to Epic-Grade, not only did it guarantee the sessful ascension, but it also added six more attributes excluding Rust Resistance and Durability attributes!


    As for the skills, there wasn''t any addition to them since only Transcendence Skill guarantees new skills and there is only a low chance to gain new skills during Ascension. However, it still increased the percentage of damage increase and critical and bleeding effects.


    "Incredible¡­ Ascending using Mid-Tier Spirit Stones is really a lot better¡­" Vincent couldn''t help but feel excited about this.


    Then, he also realized that there is actually a new Attribute on this pistol.


    Spiritual Attack Resistance.


    This is the first time he had seen such an attribute. Furthermore, it has 150 points, so it must be quite a strong resistance¡­ Though he hasn''t been attacked by a Spiritual Attack before, it''s better than not having it. He doesn''t know how it works but it''s good that he has obtained this resistance in case he needed it.


    Vincent then made up his mind and decided to trade his Tranquility Potion with Mid-Tier Spirit Stones. Although he would miss hundreds of Low-Tier Spirit Stones, he felt that the six attributes that the Mid-Tier Spirit Stones would provide are more important.


    Based on his experience with Low-Tier Spirit Stones, he was only able to get 1 or 2 new attributes in every sessful ascension. There were very rare cases of 3 new attributes and as for having 4 new attributes, it hadn''t happened before.


    ''Let''s try it again¡­'' Vincent thought as he wasn''t in a hurry anyway.


    He was only away for a couple of minutes and they should be able to wait for more than that¡­ He tested it again with the ck Pistol and his hands trembled after seeing the swift Ascension of the pistol from Epic to Pseudo-Legendary!


    ''Incredible¡­'' Vincent thought as he waited for the glow to dissipate before appraising it again.


    This time, the Durability increased from 900 to 1150 and there were three more attributes!


    The ck Pistol now has Swiftness with 100 points, Silence with another 100 points, and Weapon Mastery with 120 points.


    For some reason, Vincent felt that he had be a professional shooter while holding the gun. It seems to be rted to the 120 points of Weapon Mastery! It is an incredible feeling¡­.


    Furthermore, the other attributes had also increased by 30 to 40 points after its sessful Ascension and the skill effects improved its damage percentage as well.


    Vincent no longer has any hesitation¡­


    He will get as many Mid-Tier Spirit Stones as he can!

 Chapter 532 Record

    Before Vincent returned to the reception hall and traded all of his Tranquility Potions to Mid-Tier Spirit Stones, he checked all the low-grade and poor-grade potions he received from Dianne recently¡­


    He was hoping that some of these potions were Tranquility Potions¡­


    He quickly appraised them one by one since using his appraisal skill could barely deduct his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    "Dream Recall Potion¡­ Insanity Potion¡­ Mana Recovery Potion¡­ Sleep Inducement Potion¡­ Cure Disease Potion¡­ Blind Potion¡­ Temporary Impotence Potion¡­ Health Recovery Potion¡­ Tranquility Potion¡­ Oh! Finally¡­"


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after seeing the Tranquility Potion.


    He then continued his appraisal for a few more minutes and found a total of 4 Tranquility Potions. They were only Low-Grade Potions with zero enhancements so he decided to Auto Enhance the four before Auto Ascending them¡­ He only used his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to do this.


    Anyway, he decided to enhance them as well since Ascending a +10 item is easier than Ascending a +0 item.


    As soon as they all reached a High-Grade quality, Vincent came out of his room¡­


    He noticed that Priam heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the smile on his face.


    Well, since he saw that Vincent was in a good mood, he believed that he didn''t find any issues with the Mid-Tier Spirit Stones he provided.


    "I have four additional Tranquility Potions here¡­ Let''splete the transaction now." Vincent said as soon as he returned to his seat.


    "Great! That would be a total of 2,172 Low-Tier Spirit Stones and 44 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones including the 4 that I''ve provided you¡­ I have here 2,200 Low-Tier Spirit Stones and 41 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones. You can ept the remainder as a bonus for thisrge transaction."


    Priam replied with a joyous smile as he already calcted the amount of Spirit Stones he has to give.


    "Ahh... You can also have that Spirit Stone Pouch as a gift. I''m sure that you will need most of the time while you''re here in our country." He added.


    Vincent was satisfied with this transaction.


    Vincent originally has 375 Low-Tier Spirit Stones which came from Ronan¡­ He spent ten of them to Ascend the four Tranquility Potions since he failed twice during the ascension process.


    Currently, he has a total of 2,565 Low-Tier Spirit Stones and 43 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones since he used 2 of them just now.


    Vincent noticed that even Ronan was looking at his wealth with envy¡­ Well, he couldn''t me him for that after hearing that his normal Dungeon Explorations would only yield him 1 or 3 Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ That exploration would evenst for weeks! Although they will still get other resources like ores and herbs, it is certainly an underwhelming result, especially if what you only need is Spirit Stones.


    After another five minutes, Priam was able to organize all the potions and left the building hoping that he would meet Vincent again¡­


    "Vincent¡­ Are you nning to cultivate your Mind Power thing as well? Are you going to be Maniptor?" Millie finally asked after Priam left.


    Ceri and the others looked in Vincent''s direction to hear his answer.


    They also had simr guesses since Spirit Stones were meant for mind cultivation and would rarely be used for magic crafting¡­ Since Vincent decided to get a huge amount of Spirit Stones instead of gold coins, they believe that he''ll use them for cultivation.


    Vincent smiled and answered.


    "I''m also interested in that since I''ve been developing my mental energy or my mind power¡­ However, it wouldn''t be my focus." Vincent vaguely replied.


    At this moment, Luna entered the hall from the outside and Vincent can already guess what she was about to say¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are they here?" Vincent asked.


    Luna nodded in confirmation as she replied.


    "They want to challenge the two of us¡­"


    "Two versus two? Alright¡­ I transcended¡ªI mean, I modified your items a while ago. Have you checked your weapons'' new ability?" Vincent asked.


    "There''s no time to practice but we''ll consider it depending on their tactics. They said that they don''t have Celestial Weapons as well so we should still be fine." Luna exined.


    "Got it¡­ We''ll be watching¡­ This doesn''t happen every day." Vincent said as he shifted his gaze to Ronan¡­


    "Did you meet the Sage?" He asked.


    "Yes¡­ However, she said that she''s monitoring someone right now and she needs a few more hours. She said that she''ll meet you in the morning tomorrow." Ronan replied.


    "It seems that she''s busy¡­ Alright, let''s watch the Celestials'' Duel first¡­" Vincent said as he followed Luna outside.


    "Do you mind if I record their duel?" Ronan suddenly asked as he brought out a recording crystal.


    "That''s fine¡­ Hmmm¡­ I should''ve purchased some of these as well." Vincent muttered as he thought that it was fun using this recording crystal and that it can also be used to record battles. Some battles were worth reviewing after all.


    He might be able to learn a lot and it can be used to study his enemies as well.


    The ck Tower may have something simr as well but it is a Magic Tool that requires a certain Mana Art to activate and is also quiterge. It''s basically not easy to use.


    On the other hand, the one in Ronan''s hands seems very portable and can be kept inside his pocket.


    "You don''t have one?" Ronan asked curiously.


    He can tell that Vincent is rich with the number of potions and the quality of magic tools he had. It was quite surprising that he doesn''t have a recording crystal.


    "Yes¡­ Recording Devices weren''t a popr thing in the ck Tower."


    "Oh¡­ It seems that your ck Tower doesn''t have an advanced Recording Inscription?"


    "You can say so." Vincent bitterly smiled.


    "Hmmm¡­ Then I guess I can sell one to you. I brought another one just in case." Ronan replied as he showed a ck crystal with a red orb inside¡­


    It was half the size of Vincent''s fist and was cold to touch. Ronan wanted to sell it for 10,000 gold coins since it can record for 5 hours. It appears that the price of the Recording Crystal depends on its capacity.


    Since Vincent doesn''t have gold coins with him, he can only request to pay it with 10 low-tier Spirit Stones.


    Ronan epted it as they went on ahead to watch the exciting battle between the Celestials.

 Chapter 533 Duel ( 1)

    "Are we going to fight here?" Agatha asked Number 95 after looking around in the small arena not too far from their residence.


    "Yes. It''s not being used right now since the Maniptors are all cultivating during this time¡­ They won''t return for another three or four hours." Number 95 answered as she could tell what they were thinking.


    Vincent''s group seem to have entered the military grounds but they didn''t see a single person. No guards, servants, or other Maniptors outside. It was quite unusual considering there is such arge arena close to them.


    After Number 95 replied, they shifted their senses to the other buildings and they finally felt the presence of humans.


    If not for Number 95''s words, they''ll probably think that these people were deliberately hiding from them.


    "Are you sure that it will be two versus two? You guys are Celestials so the intensity of your battle might destroy this arena." Vincent asked.


    He checked the stage with his senses and confirmed that aside from being a little durable, he didn''t feel any Formation Arts ced on it and within their surroundings.


    It means that once the Celestials started to fight, the people who would be watching them would have to protect themselves.


    "Don''t worry¡­ The arena can be easily reced. As for the observers, there will be Crystal Tier Automatons that will protect you all from danger, if there''s any¡­" Number 106 replied.


    "Crystal Tier?" Vincent repeated.


    The Crystal Tier is a rank higher than Gold Tier. He was curious about this automaton so he swiftly used his system''s Item Sense Ability¡­


    It didn''t take long for him to notice that there is actually an invisible and floating automaton above the arena! Based on the feedback from his Item Sense Ability, it was in the shape of a turtle!


    It is an Invisible Floating Turtle! Furthermore, Vincent was able to find two more of them forming a triangr formation.


    Number 95 and Number 106 noticed that Vincent was looking at the invisible Crystal Tier Automaton and they couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    After all, even Celestial Beings like them would fail to notice this automaton with their normal senses. They would have to at least focus on its specific spot for about 10 to 20 seconds before they could notice something was off.


    "You found it?" Number 95 asked.


    Vincent didn''t answer immediately as he thought of what to reply.


    "Hmm? What am I supposed to find?" He probed.


    He has to be careful. After all, he knows that being able to see through this level of deception may bring trouble.


    It may also be to his advantage if they don''t know that he can see through this level of invisibility.


    Number 95 and Number 106 could only shake their heads after seeing how Vincent replied.


    "Nothing¡­ It''s alright."


    The two then shifted their gaze to Luna and Agatha as they repeated the rules of the duel.


    There is no need for killing or even critically injuring their opponent. However, no one is allowed to surrender. The match will only end if they were incapacitated.


    Vincent frowned at this rule but since Luna and Agatha agreed, he didn''t voice out his opinion.


    Anyway, he still saved 20 potions for the Celestials. They can easily replenish their Celestial Energy if needed.


    ***


    Luna and Agatha stood side by side and about 20 meters away from them were Numbers 95 and 106. Thetter group was still wearing their schr robes hinting to them that these robes were indeed meant for battle and not just for fashion.


    Luna didn''t summon her Bloodstone Armament immediately and instead, pulled out a dark de that Vincent had Transcended a while ago.


    On the other hand, Agatha showed her two short des¡­ She doesn''t have a proper stance and the des weren''t even pointed at her opponents but on the ground.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As for Number 95 and Number 106, they were both using a jade fan¡­ They were both alluring and seem like courtesans in therge cities¡­


    "Alright¡­ I''ll flip this coin and as soon as it hits the ground, the battle will begin¡­" Number 95 said as she pulled out a silver coin¡­


    Seeing that there were no objections, she no longer waited and flipped the coin¡­


    ng!


    As soon as it hits the ground, Vincent realized that Luna had activated a piece of magic equipment that she shouldn''t have¡­


    Electric Shock!


    Two of them were thrown at the same time to greet Number 95 and Number 106¡­


    That''s right, Luna is using the Static Pearl Ne that he had given to Millie!


    It is the Pseudo-Legendary Ne that Ariana was using but after he had enhanced and ascended it to Legendary Grade this equipment, he gave it to Millie as his promise to give Legendary Tools to his loyal subordinates.


    He didn''t expect that Millie would let Luna borrow it from her¡­


    "Hehe¡­ You said that those two have over 40 Magic Toolsbined¡­ It wouldn''t be fair if Miss Luna and Miss Agatha only has six for each of them." Millie noticed Vincent''s gaze so she immediately replied.


    Bang! Bang!


    The Electric Shock reached its target but they were blocked by something¡­


    Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­


    Electric Sparks can be seen on the bodies of Number 95 and Number 106 and they were both frowning at this¡­


    Vincent then recalled the natural suppression effect of electricity against magic tools¡­ It seems to be capable of creating a temporary jamming effect on magic tools that aren''t legendary grade or pseudo-legendary.


    Suddenly, Agatha appeared behind the two¡­ She almost didn''t make any sound as she stabbed Number 106''s back¡­


    nk!


    Agatha hit her sessfully but it feels that she just hit a stone¡­ Their soft-looking robe can actually be as tough as a rock!


    "Not bad¡­" Number 106mented as 20 flying daggers suddenly floated above her¡­


    Agatha realized that she was too close and would have difficulty dodging these daggers.


    She attempted to jump away but to her surprise, the ground floor she was stepping on suddenly turned soft.


    Whooshh~


    The daggers finally made their moves as they dashed toward Agatha attempting to put holes all over her body¡­


    Nevertheless, Agatha wasn''t panicking as she briefly nced at Luna¡­ She finished her preparation and was about to make a move as well.


    Agatha seeded in bringing their attention to her!


    "Go! I can take these!" Agatha shouted afraid that Luna would hesitate to strike because she was close to the two opponents¡­


    At this moment, Number 95 realized that Luna was suddenly shrouded with a deathly aura rming not only her but also the Crystal Tier Automatons that were observing them.

 Chapter 534 Duel ( 2 )

    ng! ng! ng!


    The daggers don''t have enough momentum so they weren''t able to pierce through Agatha''s defense. This defense came from her ring and not even 100 points were deducted from its durability.


    It seems that these daggers were only at Unique Grade at most!


    At this moment, Number 95 decided to just let herpanion deal with Agatha. She doesn''t have the time to worry about her since Luna''s attack finally came¡­


    It waspletely different from the Electric Shock that greeted them at the start of the battle.


    "What?"


    Number 95 was surprised after seeing that the move that Luna just made was unstoppable¡­ The Magic Tools that protect her from any targeted abilities didn''t work¡­


    She can only guess what kind of trick Luna was using.


    "A field-type magic?"


    The whole field suddenly felt suffocating¡­ Her mental perception had weakened and she even felt that her Celestial Energy was having difficultying out of her body¡­


    It was as if this field was specifically meant to deal with Celestial Beings!


    Vincent, who was watching the battle, realized what was going on¡­


    "Stagnation¡­ So she can use it like this¡­" Vincent muttered after noticing that Luna can actually control the Stagnation Field that she has created using the Bloodstone Armament.


    When he previously read its effects, it only says that it could cover a 30-meter range¡­ However, under Luna''s control, it was able to iste Agatha from the field making herpletely unaffected.


    Perhaps, if others took control of this armament, even their allies would be affected by the Stagnation¡­ But with Luna''s ability, it waspletely different¡­


    "Impressive¡­ Celestial Luna probably has a talent for Maniption as well. Perhaps she can try controlling automatons too¡­" Ronan suddenlymented after noticing the lively movement of the field-type magic that she activated.


    He was able to tell that this field was probably isting Agatha even though she was moving.


    The flying daggers that Number 106 had thrown may have slowed down after being affected by Stagnation but it doesn''t mean that it was no longer threatening¡­


    The daggers are genuine Magic Tools and it even feels like they are some sort of Automatons or perhaps, a mix of two technologies.


    nk! nk! nk!


    Finally, Agatha managed to destroy six of the flying daggers with her Legendary Grade des. Perhaps, if the daggers weren''t working together, she would''ve done this a lot faster.


    However, Number 106 seems to have a lot of experience in battle¡­ Even though she was obviously affected by Stagnation, a part of her consciousness was still able to control these daggers¡­


    "Careful¡­" Suddenly, Number 106 heard hispanion''s warning and realized that the Stagnation Field is just the start of Luna''s attack.


    The two of them suddenly felt something off on their clothes¡­ Their schr robes were both Epic-Grade and has a couple of Inscriptions that could provide them defensive capabilities¡­


    One of them is that it could turn hard as a diamond whenever it was attacked by an enemy. The second ability is that it could disperse most of the Mana Arts thrown at them¡­ Elemental Mana Arts would normally copse in front of these clothes and return to their original state, raw mana¡­


    However, the one that ising after them doesn''t seem to be mana¡­


    It feels like a concentrated version of the Stagnation Field!


    They have no other choice but to continuously move¡­


    Apparently, Luna is indeed using Focused Corruption at the two.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She decided to target their Magic Tools since she knows that Corruption is more effective on them rather than the Celestial''s body.


    This is the n that Millie had actually suggested, a n to destroy all of their Magic Equipment and Weapons!


    Once they did that, winning this battle would be a walk in the park¡­


    Electric Shock¡­


    After the cooldown of the ne was finished, Luna casted the same skill as it rushed towards Number 95''s direction¡­


    "Hmph!"


    Number 95 realized that Luna''s long-range ability is better than what she expected¡­ She had to change herbat style. She looked at the Electric Shocking at her as she threw a card at it.


    The card seems to be a hidden weapon but it looks quite pathetic. After all, it wasn''t as sharp as Number 106''s flying daggers.


    Nevertheless, Luna didn''t underestimate this magic tool as she focused her gaze on Number 106. Although Agatha looks like she was being suppressed by the flying daggers, she actually just wanted to destroy all these daggers!


    In normal cases, Agatha would certainly dash toward the controller of these daggers to stop them from moving¡­


    However, since this is a group battle, she doesn''t have to force herself¡­ She has to coordinate her attacks with her partner.


    Agatha received Luna''s signal as she swiftly swept away the flying daggers¡­


    ng! ng! ng!


    None of them were destroyed but they were forcefully thrown back away from her.


    It was an opening¡­


    Suddenly, the Stagnation''s effect increased¡­


    Since the two opponents were just resisting the field-type magic with their own physical prowess, the burden on their bodies would easily umte and weaken their senses¡­


    This time, Agatha pulled out her pistol and aimed at Number 106!


    Number 106''s eyes went wide after seeing such a familiar firearm in Agatha''s hands.


    She instinctively moved away not only to avoid the Focused Corruption that Luna casted but also to avoid the trajectory of the bullet.


    Bang! Bang!


    Number 95''s card hit the Electric Shock and at the same time, Agatha''s gun was fired.


    The card absorbed the Electric Shock and remained in the air for a second before rapidly dashing toward Luna''s direction. This time, the card seems to have obtained the attribute of the electric shock¡­ It started spewing sparks everywhere as it crashed at Luna''s defense field.


    Boom!


    Her defense field shattered as she realized that the card not only copied her Electric Shock but it also increased its power by 4 times!


    Luna realized that most of Number 95''s magic tools were probably these magical cards. This is certainly a nightmare if Number 95 fought against a Grand Magus.


    On the other hand, the bullet that Agatha fired had sessfully put a hole in Number 106''s schr robe!

 Chapter 535 Duel ( 3 )

    Thud¡­


    Number 106 was hit by the enhanced bullet. It was quite painful but she gritted her teeth and endured it.


    She quickly checked her body and confirmed that she didn''t bleed and it was blocked by her inner armor. She looked at Agatha''s pistol with wariness as she realized that it was so magical¡­ It wasn''t simr to the firearm that she knows.


    The bullet was invisible and its piercing power is too much¡­ Her robe didn''t even have the time to harden before she was hit on her body.


    If not for the Legendary Armor beneath her robe, she would''ve certainly been pierced by that bullet. It was so powerful and it seems to be equal to a Crystal-Tier Automatons full power attack.


    "Not good¡­ We can''t stay in our position¡­ We have to take them seriously or we''ll be defeated at this rate." Number 106 said.


    "Got.." Number 95 agreed as she realized that Agatha''s gun isn''t just for show.


    Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­


    At this point, the flying daggers that Number 106 controlled a moment ago finally hit Agatha''s defense field. This field is created by her ring and protected her from immediate danger.


    This is the reason why she dared to fire her gun without caring for the daggers aimed at her. Furthermore, the defense field she created wasn''t some sort of Mana Shield. It actually cause the flying daggers to be stuck on this shield! The daggers were unable to escape from it¡­ They can only produce some vibrations hinting that Number 106 still has control over them and they are still resisting that trapping shield.


    Realizing that her dagger seem to have been stopped by a sticky defense, Number 106 had no other choice but to trigger their other skill.


    Self-Destruct!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions urred as six of the daggers exploded on Agatha''s defense field.


    Bang!


    Agatha dashed out of her own defensive circle and she didn''tnd perfectly¡­ Her body hits the ground but she immediately bounced back and stood up¡­


    Number 106 felt that this is an opportunity as she controlled her remaining flying daggers again¡­


    This time it was to disrupt Agatha''s concentration¡­ Apparently, Agatha wasn''t too injured from that explosion and is now pointing her gun at her¡­


    "Hmph! Explode!"


    No matter what, Agatha has to aim and shoot to hit her. As long as she disrupts her from doing that, she would have a higher chance of avoiding these bullets.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two bullets missed her.


    Number 106''s distraction was good¡­ But she wasn''t happy!


    "Tsk¡­ "


    After she revealed the self-destruct option of these daggers, Agatha was prompted topletely destroy all her remaining flying daggers.


    Agatha started firing at these daggers!


    This would obviously weaken Number 106 long-range capabilities so she had to control her daggers to execute a formation attack¡­


    The flying daggers targeted different angles. It pressured Agatha to use her mental perception to the limit. Although she has a strong mental perception, Number 106 also has this ability so she can''t disregard the daggers even though they are just Unique-Grade¡­ If they were working together, it can still be troublesome for her...<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nevertheless, Agatha didn''t forget that this battle is two versus two!


    She would asionally fire at Number 95 giving Luna some space to execute her long-range skills.


    Luna actually has better closebat skills¡­ She normally uses her Celestial Sword before and trained with it before for several decades¡­ However, after obtaining the Bloodstone Armament and other magic tools that allow her to fight at a distance, she started to train her long-range skills.


    Nevertheless, it doesn''t mean that she had forgotten her swordsmanship skills!


    Focused Corruption!


    Luna activated her Bloodstone Armament again and met the card thrown by Number 95


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    "This¡­"


    Number 95 had just thrown this card and realized that it was destroyed again by some sort of decaying power. She was really curious about this decaying or corrosive abilitying from the Bloodstone Armament¡­


    The Epic-Grade Magic Cards that she has was actually incapable of copying it and throwing back at her enemy with stronger force! This card had never failed her before and Luna was the first one to make it useless.


    If her card was able to copy that and amplify it by several times, she believes that even a Celestial would die from it.


    Bang!


    ''That pistol again¡­'' Number 95 thought as she avoided the line of fire¡­ It came from Agatha''s gun.


    Number 95 also activated her ring to soften the ground around Agatha''s area so she can''t escape from the flying daggers¡­


    After doing this, she shifted her gaze to Luna only to see another Electric Shocking at her face¡­ This time, she no longer used her card. She triggered her hairpin''s ability and created a mirror in front of her¡­ She was nning to trap this Electric Shock and save it forter against Agatha¡­ She believes that her pistol would stop working once it was shocked and it would allow Number 106 to release her killing move.


    Buzz¡­


    The Electric Shock was absorbed by the mirror¡­ This mirror then disappeared and Number 95 was expecting to see Luna with a surprised look. However, she realized that Luna had actually dashed toward her with her sword aiming at her throat!


    Shing~


    Number 95 instinctively blocked Luna''s sword with her fan¡­ This fan is Epic-Grade Equipment so she would normally use it as a weapon even though it is best to use it as support equipment to boost Mana Arts.


    The fan wouldn''t normally break or even get a scratch when she''s fighting against other Automatons. So she didn''t think it was wrong to use it to block a sword.


    However, she immediately regretted her decision.


    Crack!


    The fan was pierced by the sword and it only bought her some time to shift her neck and avoid being pierced¡­


    "You--!"


    This was her favorite fan and it was destroyed just like that!


    Number 95 was careless as she allowed her opponent to destroy her favorite tool!

 Chapter 536 Duel ( 4 )

    "You''ve done it!" Number 95 was so mad at this as she red at Luna.


    Her fan''s durability went down from 600 points all the way to 75 points! Number 95 regretted that she didn''t go all out at the start of the battle and decided to y around and observe their capabilities¡­


    Whoosh!


    She threw the remaining pieces of the fan to Luna and distracted her from making another move with her sword.


    She then swiftly returned to her partner''s side as they decided to really work together.


    In the blink of an eye, three Magic Cards appeared in her hands, and Number 106 struck these cards with an exploding flying dagger¡­


    It created a natural barrier around them and it stopped Luna from following Number 95.


    It was as if Number 106 attacked Number 95''s magic weapons!


    However, Luna recalled the attribute of the cards and realized that those cards must''ve possessed the destructive power of the flying daggers just now¡­ Furthermore, it was able to amplify the power of that explosion¡­


    As expected, as soon as the shockwave that followed the collision of card and daggers disappeared, two Magic Cards flew toward Luna, and one toward Agatha who had just finished destroying all the Flying Daggers.


    Luna still has a defensive ring that could protect her from immediate danger so she wasn''t too worried. If she adds the defensive skills of her clothes, she should be able to endure the explosion¡­ Or at the very least, she wouldn''t die from the explosion¡­


    However, it doesn''t mean that she''ll allow the cards to explode in her face¡­ She only wanted to use this as an opportunity now that the two opponents were stuck together!


    Bloodstone Armament!


    Focused Corruption!


    Luna targeted the card in hopes of weakening its power¡­ She didn''t just end it there as she swiftly threw her de aiming at Number 95''s body¡­


    Based on her observation, Number 95 would have to concentrate to control the Magic Cards and follow her target. The cards don''t seem to have homing skills, unlike Vincent''s Astral Night Dagger which could lock on its target.


    As expected, Number 106 suddenly covered Number 95''s body with a shield created by her Magic Tools¡­


    Agatha didn''t miss this chance as she charged forward!


    That''s right!


    The single exploding card didn''t deter her from closing in!


    Boom!


    Since Agatha went forward, she was the first one to be hit by the cards and it really made her dizzy¡­ The explosion just destroyed her ring and heavily damaged her armor¡­ Perhaps, another explosion of this level could really knock her out!


    She''s lucky that her Magic Tools were either Pseudo-Legendary or Legendary Items!


    "W-what?! How can you resist that?!"


    ''Just what kind of armor are you wearing? You''re not supposed to continue moving after taking that head on¡­''


    As expected, Numbers 95 and 106 were thinking that thebination of this card and the flying daggers would defeat the two¡­ Of course, they might have morebinations they can do but Agatha and Luna would certainly not allow them to do that.


    At this point, the two cards that were aimed at Luna reached her¡­ These cards were extremely fast and were able to chase her wherever she goes so Number 95 was sure that she could disable Luna after all.


    However, when Number 95 triggered the explosion, Luna was suddenly sucked into another dimension escaping the brunt of the explosion!


    Although it was weakened because of the Focused Corruption made by Luna, it was still powerful enough to immobilize her¡­ Unfortunately, the explosions hit nothing!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the de thrown by Luna reached Number 106''s defense.


    The de pierced through her defense like it wasn''t even there¡­ It was only stopped after Number 95 caught it with her hands¡­


    The de wasn''t only sharp but it also has a terrifying piercing ability.


    However, she can''t worry about this now as Agatha revealed her full might¡­ Celestial Energy covered her entire body as she charged at the two Celestials while holding her short des¡­


    The pressure was incredibly suffocating that even the cultivating Maniptors couldn''t help but stood up and gaze in their direction¡­


    Agatha decided to show the might of Number 18 Celestial!


    As she was about to stab Number 95''s back, Agatha suddenly felt something was amiss but she still struck with all her might.


    ng!


    She was blocked by an incredible force and her short de was broken into two!


    Her Pseudo-Legendary Short de was cut in half just like that!


    "W-what''s this?"


    Agatha frowned after seeing a crystallized turtle shell that is protecting Number 95¡­


    "That''s enough¡­ Number 95 and Number 106 have lost."


    Suddenly, a woman appeared inside the ring, and no one knows when did she get there.


    "Is that Sage Vivian?" Vincent asked in a soft voice.


    Ronan immediately shook his head.


    "She''s Sage Vivian''s favorite student. Her name is Nerissa. She normally teaches other Maniptors in this arena¡­ She''s also one of the two Crystal-Tier Maniptors in this Peak."


    "I see¡­ So she owns these three Crystal Tier Turtle Automatons?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ Since Agatha was about to kill the two, she decided to intervene and announce the result of the battle. I didn''t think that she''ll appear here as well."


    "I guess they''ve caused too muchmotion just now¡­"


    Thud¡­


    Suddenly, inside the ring, Luna''s figure appeared as she deactivated the Void Crack Amulet that Vincent had temporarily given to her to ensure her safety.


    This is the amulet he received from Ignacy. It is capable of saving the wearer''s life by putting them into another dimension for a brief moment. It was kind of simr to the Tome of Gluttony''s ability to trap anything inside his pages¡­


    "Hey¡­ We haven''t lost yet. We haven''t used our secret techniques yet. Why did you interrupt?" Number 95 said as she showed her dissatisfaction to Nerissa.


    Thetter didn''t seem to mind it as she replied with a calm voice.


    "During this battle, aside from the Unique Grade Flying Daggers, several Epic-Grade, Pseudo-Legendary, and Legendary weapons were destroyed¡­ This is simply too wasteful." Nerissa replied.


    "Hey! You''re the one who broke Agatha''s short de just now!" Number 95 couldn''t help but snide after hearing Nerissa''s

 Chapter 537 Damaged

    "Hmph¡­ The short de was already heavily damaged after destroying those expendable flying daggers¡­ Weren''t you nning to destroy her short de using that method in the first ce?" Nerissamented.


    She didn''t seem to be afraid of the Celestials at all.


    It was either because of her strength or because they were just bantering as friends.


    Nevertheless, the duel was still interrupted because of her appearance so the two Celestials immediately apologized to them.


    They also mentionedpensating them for the Magic Tools they have destroyed because of their duel.


    Agatha and Luna epted this apology after seeing Vincent nod at them.


    As for the broken magic weapons, they weren''t really feeling that it was a waste since Vincent had already changed their perception about these incredibly expensive and powerful weapons.


    Nerissa then looked in Vincent''s direction and showed a surprised expression. Her eyes went wide for a moment before squinting them as if she wanted to make sure that she can probably recognize Vincent.


    Vincent didn''t miss this as he nodded to her politely. He wasn''t sure what she was thinking but it was better to show that he was an approachable kind of man.


    As Nerissa walked closer, Vincent greeted her and introduced himself.


    "I see¡­ So you''re with Alchemist Faviona¡­" Nerissa said with a smile as she nced in Faviona''s direction. The two may not know each other but they have heard of each other''s name


    Faviona is a Tier 5 Alchemist that the Star Garden Peak trusts while she''s Sage Vivian''s representative in many events


    Well, Sage Vivian doesn''t really like leaving the Eternal Sun Peak so Nerissa was the one that was always being sent out to handle matters outside this peak.


    "About this duel, the Celestials promised to give us a Silver Horse Automaton after this duel so I''m looking forward to it..." Vincent said surprising Nerissa for a moment.


    She didn''t expect that Vincent would immediately ask for the payment.


    "Of course¡­ I will handle it for you¡­ Aside from the Silver Horse, I can also give you a Mind Cultivation Method that will allow you to control Brass Tier up to Silver Tier Automatons." Nerissa replied with a smile.


    "Really? I heard that only once we''ve contributed to the organization can we ask for this cultivation method." Vincent asked.


    "That''s right¡­ I heard from Priam that you have supplied us with some high-grade quality potions. Furthermore, I was also thankful to you for epting the duels that our Celestials requested. You can think of it as payment for the Pseudo-Legendary Items that were destroyed today and the Legendary Items that were heavily damaged because of this duel¡­"


    Nerissa exined.


    "Well, I will ept it then¡­"


    "I will send these things to your residenceter together with the Silver Horse Automaton that they promised¡­"


    "I understand¡­ However, I was curious why you were so surprised after seeing me¡­ Can you tell me the reason why?" Vincent bravely asked. With his incredible eye sensitivity, he wouldn''t mistake such detail so he knows that Nerissa was hiding something.


    Thetter smiled after hearing Vincent''s question and replied.


    "You have some semnce with Sage Vivian so I was a bit surprised¡­ It''s nothing, it''s probably just a coincidence."


    Vincent didn''t buy that. It was certainly not a coincidence. He has a very handsome face after all. He also has short ck hair, brown eyes, fair skin, and a height that is taller than his age. It means that he shouldn''t look like just anyone¡­


    He guessed that he really has some close semnce with the Sage Vivian and Nerissa noticed it quickly.


    In the end, he decided to ask her to meet the Sage instead.


    "You want to meet Sage Vivian?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nerissa repeated as she considered for a moment. However, just like what Vincent had expected, she still shook her head to deny his request.


    "She''s quite busy¡­ But she can have the time to meet you tomorrow¡­"


    Vincent didn''t ept that.


    "We are not going to stay here for long since we have to get to the Star Garden Peak¡­ We will leave at dawn tomorrow. Can you tell her that Vincent Kayser is looking for her?"


    As soon as he revealed hisst name, it wasn''t only Nerissa and Ronan who were surprised, but also the Maniptors inside the buildings who were listening to their conversation secretly.


    "Y-you¡­ What did you say yourst name was?"


    "Kayser¡­ I''m Vincent Kayser." Vincent repeated.


    Although he may not be rted to Vivian, Vincent wanted to know the answer as quickly as possible.


    "Is that your real name?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Very well. Let me ask my teacher¡ªI mean, Sage Vivian if she wanted to meet you. For now, please return to your residence so I can tell her that you''re waiting there."


    "Alright¡­"


    Vincent agreed with this arrangement.


    In any case, the duel is already done and even though he wanted to appraise the Crystal Tier Automaton that Nerissa was controlling, he felt that it wasn''t really important at the moment.


    "Very well, I''ll guide them back to their residence and you can head to the Sage immediately to inform her about the situation." Ronan volunteered as he escorted Vincent''s group.


    As soon as Vincent''s group left, the Maniptors who hadpleted their training starteding out as they headed towards the arena¡­


    They can still feel the remnant Celestial Energy around the stage and it was quite exciting for them.


    Suddenly, one of the practitioners noticed something off about the Crystal Tier Automaton that blocked Agatha''s de¡­


    The Automaton had actually remained unmoving after it was struck by Agatha.


    "Look¡­ The turtle''s shell was damaged!"


    As soon as one of them noticed this, everyone started looking at it confirming the former''s im.


    "Y-you''re right!"


    "It was really damaged¡­ Just what kind of weapon was that?"


    "Look¡­ The broken de was still here. Can we try and appraise it?"


    About 30 Maniptors of Automatons were gathered at the stage looking at the broken de¡­


    As for Nerissa, she couldn''t help but be curious about this as well since the Crystal Tier Automaton was indeed damaged.


    This is an extremely rare event considering that the materials used to make this automaton were ores that came from outer space!

 Chapter 538 Communication

    Of course, the Star Garden Peak didn''t gather this material by going into outer space but by collecting them from the meteors thatnded on their continent.


    That''s right¡­ One of the requirements of Crystal Tier Automatons is to be constructed using some meteorites.


    Seeing that this Crystal Tier Turtle Shield Automaton was damaged from a single strike, everyone would certainly want to know how it happened.


    After all, none of them here could even break the natural energy shield of the Crystal Tier Automatons much less for giving it a scratch. This is something that would rarely happen.


    Soon, a couple of practitioners started appraising the broken de¡­ They brought out their Appraisal Tools. One of them is using an Appraisal Magnifying ss while the other one has an Appraiser Book.


    After a few moments, their excitement turned into a frown¡­


    "I failed¡­ I can''t appraise it¡­ It''s not even being detected by my appraisal tool."


    "Me too¡­ Just what kind of material is this made of¡­ It was too awesome. Furthermore, they just left it here! Aren''t they thinking of recycling this piece of metal?"


    If it is really so hard that could damage a Crystal Tier Automaton, doesn''t it mean that it''s valuable? Why didn''t they take this with them?


    As far as they know, only Crystal Tier Automaton can defeat another Crystal Tier Automaton. However, if they learned what kind of metal is this, perhaps it wouldpletely change their battle styles.


    Soon, another group of practitioners tried appraising the metal again only to fail miserably¡­


    "There is only one or two possible answers¡­ This is probably a Pseudo-Legendary or maybe even a Legendary Item. It can also be an item that has Inscriptions that could cancel our low-level Appraisal Tools."


    Everyone agreed to this statement since their Appraisal Tools were at least Epic-Grade¡­ It means that anything above this level would not be possible to appraise.


    Then, a path was suddenly cleared as Nerissa walked to the broken de to see it closer. The practitioners cleared a path for her hoping that she could appraise it for them¡­


    "Hmm¡­ This is indeed not made from a meteorite¡­ It seems to be an Arcane Alloy¡­ However, there are several Inscriptions on this de making it a lot stronger. This is a fine de. I''ll take it with me to study. I will also ask themter about this de if we can really have this. They might''ve just forgotten to take it." Nerissa said.


    "Understood¡­"


    After hearing their reply, the practitioners covered the de with a cloth and handed it over to her. Then, Nerissa looked for the two Celestials as she wanted them to apany her to meet Sage Vivian. However, she realized that the two has already left¡­


    She can only shake her head as she went to the Sage''s Residence.


    ***


    "How was the battle, Luna?" Vincent asked after seeing her frowning face.


    He can tell that Luna wasn''t satisfied that the battle ended just like that.


    "Tsk¡­ I haven''t shown my realbat abilities when the battle ended. It was quite frustrating¡­" Luna answered.


    "Well¡­ We can''t help it. If you continue that battle, it would bring danger to both you and your opponents."


    Vincent said as he looked at Agatha.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She immediately understood what Vincent wanted to say so she already spoke.


    "That battle was an eye-opener¡­ I didn''t expect that we still have so much potential¡­ I also realized that Magic Weapons can really dictate the phase of battle if we are all not wearing our Protective Suit¡­"


    She was referring to the Celestial Armor and Vincent could understand that¡­ No matter what, their Celestial Armor is still the best kind of armor that he had ever seen.


    "That''s true¡­ However, it was a good thing to know that the Celestials can also use their mind power like that."


    "Really?"


    "Yes¡­ They were certainly using their Mind Power in that battle. The flying daggers and those cards are flying at such a strange angle. They were definitely controlled"


    Ronan, who has been listening to their conversation, smiled and confirmed Vincent''s deduction.


    "You''re right¡­ The Celestial Beings are indeed capable of cultivating their minds. As a matter of fact, they were even better than that. It''s just a pity that their mind power consumed a bit of their Celestial Energy as well. They werepletely unlike us, humans when ites to controlling mind power."


    ? Vincent wanted to ask for more details about this but hismunication crystal suddenly vibrated.


    He immediately took it out of his pocket and realized that it was A who was contacting him from the Aircraft''s Communication Crystal.


    "A? Are you alright?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes¡­ We''re doing good here. We''re even starting to cultivate our Mind Power¡­ I can already control one Iron-Tier Automaton without any issues." A replied with a smile.


    ''That was an impressive aplishment¡­''


    Vincent then heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her cheerful tone. It seems that she wasn''t calling because of some trouble they encountered.


    "That''s good to hear. So both you and your Master have talent in Mind Cultivation?" Vincent asked.


    "Not really¡­ Master Turhan seems to have reached his limit long ago. It was difficult for him to restart his cultivation. It might affect his status as a Grand Magus¡­ However, I can continue with my cultivation without any issues."


    "Oh¡­ Does it mean that all Grand Magus would have difficulty learning this Mind Cultivation?"


    "Well, it''s still possible to learn but aside from strengthening their mind to empower their Mana Arts or casting abilities, they would have difficulty using it to release Mind Arts or any Maniptor''s technique¡­" A exined¡­


    "I see¡­ You really found a good teacher there. Anyway, can you tell me why you called me? You didn''t call me to brag about your achievements in mind cultivation, do you?" Vincent asked.


    "Of course not. I''m calling you because of the dungeon that we''ve discovered. Since I can already control Automatons, me and my Master wanted to explore the dungeon that we''ve discovered. You may not be able to contact us for some time so we have to inform you first just in case."


    "Is it alright with just the two of you?"


    "It should be rtively safe¡­ We can easily escape if there''s some danger anyway¡­"


    Vincent thought for a moment before agreeing to this. In any case, Turhan isn''t a simple Grand Magus either. As long as they don''t encounter Demihumans, Celestial Beings, or Aliens inside that dungeon, they should be able to explore that ce easily.

 Chapter 539 Kayser Clan ( 1 )

    Half an hour had quickly passed and as Vincent was thinking of grinding his skills while waiting for the Sage, he finally felt Nerissa''s presence getting closer.


    She was apanied by the two Celestial Beings a while ago and there is someone else that was shrouded with magical fog or some sort of energy that blocks him from sensing anything beyond that.


    Perhaps, if it wasn''t for his special status as a Blessed, he wouldn''t notice this other person at all.


    If he would make a guess, she was probably the mysterious Sage Vivian.


    He has many questions for her so it was obvious that he was quite excited to meet her.


    As soon as they entered, Vincent retracted his senses and looked at them with his eyes.


    ? Soon, she saw the woman who really has semnce with him!


    She was certainly beautiful but the light in their eyes was quite simr to his. She''s wearing the same style of schr robe that Number 95 and 106 wore but the one she''s wearing has a much simpler design. It has in blue and white colors. There weren''t even some patterns woven on it.


    Nevertheless, if someone saw their group, they''ll be able to easily tell that she''s the leader of this small group because of the aura around her.


    Her presence was quite mysterious¡­ If you closed your eyes and only use your normal Mana Sense, you would fail to sense her presence. She was like a ghost and it doesn''t feel like she was there at all.


    Vincent stood up to show respect to the Sage and he greeted her group with a polite tone.


    "I''m Vincent Kayser. Thank you for meeting me tonight despite your busy schedule."


    "It''s fine¡­ You''ve probably noticed so I''m sorry for meeting you like this. I''m monitoring someone and I can''t leave my room during this time so I can only send my projection to meet you." Sage Vivian said in a somewhat monotone voice.


    ''Ahh! No wonder I can''t properly sense your presence.'' Vincent thought as he looked at Ronan who nodded his head.


    "She''s indeed Sage Vivian..." Ronan said.


    "Alright¡­ I''m fine with it¡­ First of all, are we rted?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "Before I answer that, I want everyone else to leave this room. It''s better if we only talk about this topic by ourselves." Sage Vivian said.


    "That''s true¡­" Vincent agreed as he signaled for the others to leave.


    After a few moments, only Vincent and Vivian were left in the reception hall.


    Even though Vivian is only a projection, she is also seated opposite Vincent like she''s really a real person.


    ''No¡­ She might even be a real person and was only saying that she''s a projection as some kind of trick to misdirect her enemies. She''s probably being careful in case this is an ambush¡­'' Vincent thought to himself.


    After all, he just can''t imagine what kind of magic she was using to make this almost-perfect projection.


    Anyway, the truth doesn''t really matter right now so Vincent continued with his question.


    "Can you tell me now if you know something about my origin?"


    Vivian paused for a moment as she looked at Vincent carefully¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm¡­ I can''t confidently answer that since we''ve only just met. However, you look like a Kayser so I think that you''re my rtive at some point. In any case, there are a few characteristics that might help us to identify whether you''re a real Kayser or not."


    "Characteristics? We''re not going to test our blood or something?" Vincent asked.


    Although there shouldn''t be any DNA test here, this is still a magical world so he was hoping that even though they don''t have a scientific method, there should be a magical method¡­


    "As I said, I''m only a projection so I can''t test it with our blood. In any case, if you''re really a Kayser, you wouldn''t have a decent talent to be a magician¡­ At most, you should only learn Tier 1 Mana Arts. Are you a Master Magician, Adept Mage, or even an Archmage? There was no way the Celestials would follow you if you''re only an Apprentice Magician, right?"


    "What? Being terrible at Mana Arts is a sign of being Kayser?" Vincent reacted as his mouth went wide open. That was quite a shocking revtion.


    It was also a terrible trait of a Kayser¡­


    ''Tsk¡­ Perhaps it wasn''t really a good thing to be a Kayser? Ugh¡­ Did I get excited too early?'' Vincent mused.


    "Yes¡­ That is one sign¡­ Another sign is that we are all talented in Soul Cultivation¡­ Oh, aside from that, there is a sign that you may not be aware of the answer."


    "What is it?"


    "There will be a meteor shower the night before the Kayser is born. Did you ask your parents whether there was one?"


    Vincent could only shake his head at this.


    "I wasn''t sure about that. However, I certainly have terrible talent in Mana Arts¡­ but I have solid Mana Cultivation. As for my Soul Cultivation, I''ve be a Tier 3 Aura Knight in just a few years of cultivation."


    "Hmmm¡­ I see¡­" Vivian slowly nodded.


    "What kind of cultivation are you using with your soul?" She added.


    "It was visualization method¡­" Vicent said.


    "Oh? Which creature was it? Hmm¡­ Perhaps a goddess?"


    When she asked whether it was a creature, Vincent immediately had a confused look on his face so she realized that it might be a goddess¡­


    "Yes¡­ It is indeed a goddess¡­"


    Vincent also found it interesting that there could be some sort of creature in some other visualization method.


    "Hmmm¡­ That''s good too¡­ But I''m curious how those two high-ranking Celestial Beings were following you even though you don''t have a decent Blood Essence." Vivian muttered.


    Everyone knows that the Blood Essence with the best quality wille from the young magicians who have incredible talent in Mana Cultivation¡­


    "It''s my secret¡­ Anyway, since we can confirm that I''m highly likely one of the Kaysers, can you tell me what''s so unique about our bloodline? Why did you say that there would be a meteor shower before we are born and why do we have terrible talent in Mana Arts?" Vincent asked curiously.


    In the end, Vivian''s answer could only shock him.


    "You''re right¡­ You should probably know the answer¡­ The reason is actually quite simple. Our family''s bloodline isplicated. It had only appeared in the First Rapture¡­"

 Chapter 540 Kayser Clan ( 2 )

    "W-what? First Rapture?"


    Vincent repeated in shock.


    Everyone who had studied history would certainly know what these words mean. It means that their family''s bloodline had only appeared when the otherworldly beings started invading this!


    That signifies the First Rapture after all.


    Vincent started guessing in his mind why it was like that but he decided to just ask Vivian.


    "Are you telling me that the Kayser''s bloodline is rted to that event?" He asked.


    "You''re right¡­ Our family was born after the otherworldly beings arrived here and made contact with the gods and goddesses of ournd."


    "Can you tell me what really happened?" Vincent asked since he still couldn''t make sense of it.


    "I wasn''t born yet when it happened so I can only tell you a few things that I''ve learned after I started my own investigation¡­ However, I can not tell you the reason for free. You have to tell me one of your secrets as well." Vivian replied.


    "This¡­" Vincent paused for a moment after hearing this.


    Vivian wanted to know why the Celestials were following him. Since there are two other Celestial Beings at this peak, she definitely knows that these Celestials were picky about their contractor.


    She knows that they will certainly not pick a Mana Cultivator who can''t even practice Mana Arts at the third tier. Vincent can''t just simply say that he was lucky or that the Celestial took a liking to him.


    However, he still doesn''t feel right about telling her that he can enhance potions to the point that they can replenish a Celestial Being''s energy.


    After all, he would certainly be targeted if this secret was revealed to the public¡­ He would be targeted for good or bad reasons depending on the person who will learn about it.


    After thinking for a moment, Vincent decided to negotiate¡­


    "I can''t tell you why the Celestials are following me¡­ However, I can tell you another secret that you might be interested in." Vincent said¡­


    "Oh? What is it?"


    "A while ago, we left the broken de of my Celestial friend. Several members of your group tried appraising it to no avail¡­ It piqued their interest since it could damage the Crystal Tier Automaton in the arena. Right now, they are still unable to appraise it and Nerissa was even thinking of returning it to us instead¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ So you''re saying that you''ll tell me the secrets of this de in exchange for the information I discovered about our bloodline?"


    "Well, since we are from the same blood¡­ I don''t really think that we should calcte it like this. Here¡­ I can also give you this gift."


    Vincent said as he handed over an amulet to Sage Vivian.


    Since he still has many questions for the Sage, it would be difficult for him to continue asking questions if they were trying to get the best out of each other.


    With that in mind, he decided to just show his sincerity.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Vivian didn''t expect this move from Vincent but she must admit that she liked how decisive Vincent was. She then took the amulet from Vincent and realized how valuable it was. Although it wasn''t showing on her face, she was definitely shocked by the quality of this item.


    ''Oh? She didn''t take time appraising it¡­'' Vincent mused after noticing the movement in Vivian''s eyes. Although she was trying to hide it, Vincent''s sensitive senses wouldn''t escape the minute changes in her eyes and muscles at such a close distance.


    "This is a Legendary-Grade Amulet¡­ A life-saving treasure¡­ Are you sure you''re giving this to me?" Vivian asked.


    "Yes¡­ I heard that the Magic Tools here weren''t being valued a lot because of the existence of Automatons¡­ However, I believe that it''s simply because you don''t have items that could rece the value of the automatons." Vincent replied.


    Vivian didn''t take offense at this as she acknowledged Vincent''s words.


    "Well, that''s correct. The Magic Craftsmen here weren''t as diverse as the ones in your country. Our craftsmen require 5 to 30 years of study just to make automatons from Iron Tier to the Diamond Tier."


    "I expect as much¡­" Vincent muttered after realizing the huge difference between each Tier of these automatons.


    Although he hadn''t seen all automatons of their respective tiers, he can tell the great difference between Iron Tier to Silver Tier and Silver Tier to Crystal Tier.


    The difference wasn''t just the items used to make them. It was also the mechanical technology of each tier.


    "Alright¡­ I will ept this Amulet¡­ I heard from Nerissa that she''s nning to give you a mind cultivation technique. I''ll give you a better one. You can use it up until tinum Tier. As for the Diamond Tier, I can''t give you that since that requires the approval of other Sages."


    "Thank you, but I want to learn about our bloodline¡­" Vincent said.


    "Of course, I''ll also tell you everything I know since you''ve shown your sincerity¡­ However, you should tell me first about your parents or every Kayser that you know aside from me¡­" Vivian exined.


    Vincent finally smiled as he agreed to this.


    He then mentioned to her what happened to his parents just like what his Grandfather Raven told him. He also mentioned the Star Garden Sect in the Tudor Kingdom but it seems that she wasn''t aware of this sect''s existence.


    Then, it was Vivian''s turn to tell her story¡­


    Apparently, there are only six members of the Kayser Household that are remaining in the Star Garden Peak. Seven if they include Vincent.


    She''s the only Sage among them and the other five were all warriors, or perhaps, Maniptors at the Diamond Tier that is serving this country.


    It also means that she''s the only one that had really taken the time to study the origin of their bloodline.


    Of course, she had also learned a lot of things from the older generation of their n before they died. Nevertheless, thanks to her research, she discovered many things that even her parents weren''t aware of.


    It was the fact that their bloodline has simrities to the Celestial Beings!

 Chapter 541 Skill Book

    The Kayser n has been involved with the Celestial Beings in the First Rapture. One proof of this is the keepsake of their n. It is an item that has very advanced technology that shouldn''t have appeared more than 500 years ago.


    Although their n has already declined and couldn''t even be called a n anymore, the treasures or relics of their glorious past still remain and are still under her care.


    Vivian had alsopared the words of the older generation of their family to the ancient texts that she read and confirmed that the Celestial Beings were truly involved in the appearance of their n.


    "What kind of simrities are you trying to say?" Vincent asked.


    Right now, he''s also thinking about how the system helped him with the evolution of his Mana Core. It had be Synthetic Celestial Core with the help of the system but perhaps, it was also thanks to his body which allowed him to receive such help from the system.


    Perhaps, if it wasn''t for the uniqueness of this bloodline, it wouldn''t even be possible in the first ce.


    "Our physical qualities are quite unique¡­ Although we aren''t as great as the Celestial Beings, our bodies can also ignore the powersing from otherworldly beings. However, in exchange for that, we can''t sense the elemental essence of mana. It means that we can''t transform our Mana into other elements."


    These words struck Vincent''s mind as he finally understood why he was unable to advance his progress in Mana Arts.


    He''s currently stuck at Tier 2 Mana Arts with no hope of advancing to Tier 3.


    "This¡­"


    Surprisingly, he didn''t feel disheartened about this. Instead, he felt like he was freed. He felt relieved after discovering this abnormality in his physique. It wasn''t because he was untalented but because his physique is unique.


    "You look like you''re fine with it?" Vivian asked after seeing Vincent''s reaction.


    "Yes¡­ It''s enough for me to know the reason why. In any case, I already received a lot of blessings." Vincent replied mysteriously.


    "Is that so? In any case, Ipared our blood to those of the Celestials and confirmed that the ancient texts were telling the truth. Our Kayser bloodline was most likely made to help the Celestials deal with the otherwordly beings¡­ You can say that it is our mission to eliminate those beings but since our family declined to this state¡­ Our ancestors probably failed in the end."


    Vivian said with a weak voice.


    "I don''t think that it would be our fault though¡­ Well, can you at least tell me about these otherworldly beings that you mentioned?" Vincent asked.


    Vivian nodded at this as she didn''t think of keeping it a secret from Vincent.


    "They''re the beings that followed the Celestial Beings to thisnd. You may not believe this but there are actually other civilizations out there that weren''t humans."


    "I can actually believe that since there are Barbarians as well. Those giants with red skin are too different from humans¡­ There are also those members of the Sea Race¡­" Vincent reminded her.


    "You''re right¡­ I''m about to tell you something about them. These Barbarians seem to be products of otherworldly beings as well¡­ They have only appeared after the First Rapture so they have a short history¡­ As for the Sea Race, they are the abnormalities of this world." Vivian exined.


    Vincent wasn''t too interested in this but he took note of it nheless.


    Vivian then continued¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You don''t seem too surprised, huh¡­ Alright, the otherworldly beings are creatures that can be as strong as the Celestial Beings or maybe even stronger than them considering how the Celestials'' power has declined so much after the Second Rapture."


    "So you''re also aware of the existence of the Demihumans, Xonid Legion, and the others?"


    Vincent could no longer take it so he just said it.


    Vivian''s eyes almost popped out after hearing Vincent''s words.


    "Have you also read about the Demihumans and the other? Are they also existing in the Tudor Kingdom?"


    "No, I''ve encountered them before. Furthermore, my Celestial Beings can tell me about them¡­" Vincent said.


    "Is that even possible? Aren''t they restricted by some sort of power? They shouldn''t be allowed to speak about their past and other important things since it was prohibited by their Overseer."


    Vincent smiled after seeing her reaction.


    "You''re right¡­ However, I have my own ways to make them speak¡­ Now that I''m somewhat clear about my background, can you now tell me about the reason why your organization made contact with the Sea Race and even triggered them to appear on the surface and take a piece ofnd?" Vincent asked.


    ? "It''splicated¡­ The Sea Race has a very important role so they can''t simply remain in their territory¡­ You''ll know more about it once you''ve apanied Faviona to the Main Peak." Vivian replied.


    Vincent sighed after hearing this but he already felt thankful to her after learning about the members of their n.


    If he would make a guess, the reason why he had appeared in the Tudor Kingdom was because of the Main Peak¡­ Perhaps, they have decided to establish another sect and unknowingly sent a member of the Kayser n there¡­


    After all, not even Sage Vivian was aware of another Kayser existing in thatnd.


    "Here¡­ This book will allow you to learn a Mind Cultivation Technique up to the tinum Tier." Vivian said as she handed over a book to Vincent.


    He only checked the title of the book and appraised it briefly. He also wanted to see whether it could trigger his system''s Learning Skill.


    [ You have discovered a Skill Book: tinum - Ethereal Mind Cultivation Technique. ]


    [ Skill Book: tinum - Ethereal Mind Cultivation Technique ]


    [ Quality: Special Tier 4


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound using a Sea Race''s Sharkmanskin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn a cultivation technique that trains one''s mind to the tinum Tier. tinum Tier Mind Energy is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Intermediate Rune Magic, a top-grade Special Tier 2 Mana Art. ]


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]

 Chapter 542 Recollection

    Just like the Beginner Rune Magic Skill Book that Vincent had received as a gift before, this book also has the word "Special" on its tier.


    It was unfortunate that he can''t learn Rune Magic because it has a prerequisite skill that he must learn first. Right now, he was hoping that it wouldn''t be the same for this Cultivation Technique.


    As soon as he triggered the Learn Skill, he nervously looked at the notification that appeared in front of him.


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the skill Ethereal Mind Cultivation Technique? ]


    "Hu~"


    Vincent heaved a sigh of relief after seeing this notification.


    ''I can actually learn a Tier 4 technique even though I can''t master any Tier 3 Mana Arts¡­'' Vincent mused.


    In a way, this is actually not that rare to happen. After all, many magicians are born with a talent that equals a Tier 4 Mana Art even though they haven''t properly learned magic yet.


    Prime examples of these were the Followers of Qheglena who had obtained incredible talent after obtaining a part of Celestial Beings in their bodies. Some have Mystic Eyes, Mystic Ears, Mystic Hands, and other mystical abilities that people are born with.


    Vincent dyed learning this technique since it would make him dizzy once he agreed to learn it. The sudden flow of knowledge in his mind isn''t something that can be ignored after all.


    "Thank you¡­ I will do my best to learn this."


    "That''s good. In any case, I can tell your talent is rted to Magic Crafting. That was why you managed to create that incredible de that the Celestials are using¡­ Once your Mind Cultivation improved, you will benefit a lot from it especially when you''re crafting a Magic Weapon¡­ You''ll easily apply inscriptions on it¡­"


    Vivian exined.


    "Well, since I''m not a good Magician, I can''t really ce a decent inscription¡­" Vincent replied.


    Of course, he has Transcendence Ability to put a skill on his item but he certainly wouldn''t tell her that.


    "As long as the inscriptions are excellently done, even a Mana Reinforcement inscribed on a sword would be quite deadly even against the Totemic Barbarians¡­" Vivian exined.


    "Is that so? I guess I have to practice more." Vincent said.


    "You should also learn more about Tier 1 or Tier 2 Mana Arts¡­"


    Vincent wryly smiled after hearing this. It seems that she had guessed that he doesn''t know many low-tier Mana Arts.


    "Do you know any other Mana Arts I can learn to inscribe?" Vincent asked.


    "I do¡­ But if you want to learn a few more Tier 1 or even Tier 2 Mana Arts, it''s better to ask Nerissa about it. I''ll let her know¡­"


    Vincent didn''t argue with this as he immediately agreed.


    "Thank you¡­"


    "It''s fine¡­ I need to leave now since I still have a task¡­"


    "Right, I heard that you''re observing someone¡­ Is there something I can help you with?"


    Vincent offered his help. He wasn''t too sure about the situation but seeing Vivian''s attitude about it, it seems really important and he couldn''t help but try to learn more about it.


    Vivian already stood up and was about to leave when she heard this. She thought for a brief moment considering whether she should tell Vincent.


    In the end, she felt that this young Kayser might really help her in her current predicament.


    "Hmm¡­ It''s about the disaster that is about the great tribtion that is about toe¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Great Tribtion?" Vincent frowned after hearing this.


    He then recalled something really important¡­


    "It is rted to the cmity that wille from the sky?" Vincent asked recalling Tower Master Abe''s words.


    While Wisemen of Solomon''s Pir warned about the cmity that wille from the subterranean creatures, the Sages of the Star Garden Peak warned about the cmity that wille from the beings of the sky¡­


    "Oh? So you''ve heard about this?"


    "Yes¡­ I was informed by one of the Tower Masters of the ck Tower¡­"


    "I see. We indeed warned them about this. However, I doubt that they could make any preparations. After all, the magic god has appeared there¡­" Vivian muttered.


    "That''s true¡­ So what about this person you''re monitoring? Is he rted to the beings of the sky that will bring a cmity to ournd?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s right¡­ This person will open a path for otherworldly beings to reenter the surface of our. This is might trigger the Third andst Rapture¡­" Vivian said worriedly.


    "Last Rapture?"


    "Yes¡­ I don''t think this world would still be a ce where humans can live if another war simr to the scale of the First and Second Rapturesmenced."


    "This¡­ Isn''t there a way to stop him?" Vincent asked¡­


    "I''ve already contacted three of our Diamond Tier Maniptors¡­ The others are tasked with important missions so we can only trust them for now and wait for good news¡­ Currently, they have entered a special dungeon to eliminate this person and I''m monitoring the portal of this dungeon."


    "Is there a possibility that this person can defeat those three¡­"


    "There is a small chance for that to happen¡­ However, it doesn''t mean that it couldn''t escape. This person controls a total of six Celestial Beings after all." Vivian exined.


    "Six? Isn''t that impressive? Can they provide them with enough Blood Essence?"


    "It''s most likely rted to his ability¡­" Vivian answered with a look of fear in her eyes¡­


    "Just who is this person?"


    "We don''t know if it was his real name but he once called himself Joran¡­ We can''t find anything bout this person since all the other organizations don''t have any records of this person." Vivian exined¡­


    "W-what? Joran? Is it the Joran I know?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    "You know him?"


    "I''m not sure¡­ But if he''s the Joran I know, maybe the reason why you can''t dig his background is that he''s from the Troy n in the Tudor Kingdom¡­" Vincent said.


    Vivian''s eyes lit up after hearing this.


    Indeed, their investigation is only within this continent so it does make sense that they couldn''t find his origin¡­


    "That must be the case¡­"


    "Yes¡­ But how did he be so strong? I''m sure that he was only an Adept Mage a few years ago¡­" Vincent asked¡­


    Vivian gave a helpless smile at this as she replied.


    "This person called Joran is blessed of the Deity of Corruption¡­ It''s extremely difficult to defeat him. If you have a way to deal with him, can I ask for you help?"

 Chapter 543 Joran

    "What? He''s blessed by one of the gods or goddesses?" Vincent asked in surprise. It would really make sense that he''s difficult to deal with if that was the truth.


    Vincent received a blessing as well and it was a huge help for him. His energy sensitivity had be crucial in various decisions that he had made before.


    "I don''t think I will be able to help you. I''ve only brought two of my Celestial Beings here." Vincent added as he also recalled that Joran has six Celestials now.


    "It''s not like like the team we''ve sent didn''t bring Celestial Beings... It''s just that they were all unnumbered. There were a total of three Celestials with them so they should provide some help¡­ Furthermore, the three of them have three Diamond Tier Automatons and a couple of Crystal Tier Automatons each."


    Vincent nodded in understanding. However, he was curious why they can''t bring a tinum Tier and decided to bring a couple of Crystal Tier automatons instead. Anyway, he didn''t think it was too important so he just made a mental note for now.


    Instead, he asked a different question.


    "They can control multiple high-level Automatons at once? I heard from Ronan that he''s already quite special since he can control multiple Silver Tier Automatons¡­"


    "Yes¡­ It''s also because the Automatons in this tier are extremely capable. They can act ordingly with fewer instructions. The crude quality of lower tiers wasn''t as flexible as the ones in the higher tier so they''re normally difficult to control. Anyway, if you can help us, I''ll simply ask you to guard the portal of the Dungeon to ensure that he wouldn''t be able to escape." Vivian said as she immediately focused on the topic.


    "Ugh¡­ You guys are really suffering from the shortage of personnel."


    "Haa~ That''s true¡­ Why do you think Faviona is called? It was to treat the people who were affected by corruption. Currently, she''s the only one capable of treating these people."


    Vincent''s eyes widened after hearing this.


    "Corruption? So the cause of all these problems is Joran?"


    "In most of them, yes¡­ However, it wasn''t only Joran who has been blessed by the Deity of Corruptions. These people are also causing trouble so we can''t concentrate our forces on Joran only." Vivian exined.


    "That makes sense then¡­ But do you think I can deal with Joran if he''s capable of escaping from three Diamond Tier Maniptors?"


    Vivian looked at him seriously after hearing his question before she solemnly nodded.


    "Yes¡­ I believe so¡­ I''ve already heard a lot about you Seventh Disciple of Ignacy¡­ Not only were you capable of contracting with Celestial Beings, but you''ve also tamed a Mythical Beast. If you''re not special, I don''t think anyone would."


    Vivian then observed Vincent''s expression and added.


    "I don''t think I can pay you anything of value at this point. I know that you''re rich as well and you even have your own city with thousands of people¡­ Just think of it as a mission to save humanity..."


    Vincent wryly smiled at this. He didn''t really mind being paid money. However, he can say it since in a sense, he can easily earn money with his system skills.


    Furthermore, he felt that he can make future trades with Star Garden Peak if he handles this case properly¡­ If he gets an exclusive right to trade potions and other things to them, wouldn''t that be the bestpensation he could get?


    However, to do that, he has to gain their trust. Of course, it doesn''t mean that he has to work for free since they might think that he''s some sort of a pushover¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    He then thought of a different way to get easilypensated.


    "Well, you can actually do something for me. I want to see the relics or whatever treasure was left behind by the Kayser n that made you think that we''re rted to the Celestial Beings¡­ I want to see that Advanced Technology that you''ve mentioned."


    Vincent requested.


    "Hmmm¡­ I guess there''s no harm in doing that for you¡­ However, we can do that after we deal with Joran, is that fine?"


    As expected, there''s no harm in making this request.


    "Yes¡­ Let me speak with Faviona first. As you know, I was also invited to the Main Peak¡­"


    "Well, she can go first since she has patients that needed to be treated. Although the other Sages managed to stabilize the condition of those who were corrupted and weren''t in immediate danger now, it''s still better if she arrives early to ensure that there are no longsting effects in their bodies even if they got cured." Vivian exined.


    "That''s true¡­"


    Vincent then called for the others and discussed with them what was happening.


    He certainly wouldn''t want Joran to seed in his mission to let the aliens enter this world again so he can''t help but agree to Vivian¡­ After all, he will also be affected if they really descended.


    He doesn''t know how Joran would even do it but capturing or even killing him would surely stop him from doing whatever he needed to do. That''s the easiest method of doing this so he didn''t mind it.


    "Joran? That same person who brought cmity to our vige?!" Millie asked in surprise after hearing this name again.


    It has been quite some time but she had never forgotten this name since they were the ones who opened their eyes about the existence of Celestials and powerful Magicians. It wasn''t a good memory.


    "That''s right¡­ It''s him¡­"


    "Then I want to join you. Is that alright?" Millie immediately said. Her eyes were filled with conviction and wouldn''t take a no for an answer.


    Vincent can only nod at this and allowed her to join.


    Ceri, on the other hand, looked at Faviona and Dianne as she made a decision.


    "Our two Alchemists need someone to apany them. I''ll be joining them to act as their bodyguard." Ceri announced.


    As a Grand Knight, she felt that it was her duty to protect the "weak" alchemists so she decided to volunteer. This way, Millie won''t feel guilty about leaving the two behind.


    After making this arrangement, Vincent''s group hurriedly left to deal with Joran.

 Chapter 544 Chase

    Although the Eternal Sun Peak has many Mind Cultivators or Maniptors, they were mostly at the Brass Tier with a handful of Silver Tier¡­


    As for Gold Tier Maniptors, they normally venture out of their Peak when they reached this level. They could be everywhere training their mind and perfecting theirbat style with their Automatons with real battle experience.


    It is said that there is a huge chasm between the Silver and Gold Tier so thetter was quite special and had plenty of privileges they can all enjoy.


    This is the reason why Vivian couldn''t send Gold Tier Maniptors to apany Vincent and his team. As for sending Silver Tiers, it didn''te to their mind since Joran will just easily destroy them. Silver Automatons doesn''t have the toughness andplexity that Gold Automatons has.


    Nevertheless, Vivian allowed Nerissa to apany Vincent''s team.


    As for the two Celestial Beings, they have to stay in the Peak since Sage Vivian needs constant protection as well. With the absence of Crystal Tier Nerissa, the two Numbered Celestials have to be on guard at all times.


    In the end, Vincent left the peak with Luna, Agatha, Millie, and Nerissa as they went to the dungeon during the night¡­


    On the other hand, Ronan, Faviona, Dianne, and Ceri would head to the main peak tomorrow morning.


    ***


    Vincent''s group wasn''t tired and doesn''t need any sleep at the moment. Their bodies are blessed with Mana so there shouldn''t be a problem even if they don''t sleep for two or three days straight.


    "Nerissa¡­ May I ask how many Crystal Tier Automatons can you control?" Vincent asked.


    Currently, they are traveling across the forest to head to the dungeon. No roads are heading to the dungeon so they have to move on their feet.


    "I can only control one at a time¡­ Crystal Tier Automatons may be incredibly powerfulpared to Gold Tier but they consume plenty of mind energy. If I switch to Gold Tier¡­ I can control six or maybe even eight of them at the same time if I push myself." Nerissa exined.


    "I see¡­ So it isn''t better to just control many Gold Tiers." Vincent asked.


    "You''re right¡­ Unless you have Ronan''s talent, you can certainly use lower-tier Automatons to deal with high-tier Automatons¡­" Nerissa exined.


    Vincent heard something simr from Ronan but before he could continue to ask a question, Millie suddenly warned the group.


    "I can sense some people ahead of us¡­"


    As a Grand Knight who uses life energy as her main source of power, her sensitivity to life essence or vitality is the highest among the group.


    Vincent wasn''t surprised that she found them first and asked.


    "How many? How far are they?"


    "There are three of them¡­ They''re about 300 meters away from us."


    Nerissa frowned after hearing this as she seem to have guessed the identity of these people.


    "They''re probably Joran''spanions¡­"


    She then looked at Millie with admiration since she can actually sense someone from that far¡­ Although Maniptors also have a huge mind domain zone, 300 meters is already around the peak of it. It means that only Diamond Tier can reach this distance¡­


    "Joran''spanions¡­ The ones who can also use the power of Corruption?" Vincent asked.


    "You''re right¡­ Are they going in the dungeon''s direction as well?" Nerissa asked Millie.


    "I think so¡­"


    "If that''s the case, we have to stop them¡­ If they helped Joran, he would certainly get a chance to escape." Nerissa said. She was about to hasten her speed but Vincent immediately stopped her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wait¡­ I heard from Sage Vivian that only Diamond Tier Automatons can have a chance against the power of corruption. Don''t act rash¡­"


    Vincent reminded.


    Nerissa hesitated but she still insisted.


    "That''s true¡­ However, the Crystal Tiers can at leastst for a while. If we can''t defeat them, we can at least dy them."


    "It''s alright¡­ You don''t have to sacrifice your Crystal Tier Automaton¡­ The reason why Vivian confidently sent me out is that she realized Luna''s special ability. I think that she was watching the duel between the Celestials from the start."


    Vincent said with a smile. He had actually noticed Vivian''s projection ncing at Luna from time to time. Not Agatha who was ranked 18 but Luna who has ranked 80¡­


    Vincent can only think of one reason why she was doing that.


    It was the Bloodstone Armament that she had shown in the battle against the two other Celestials. She must''ve realized that Luna was utilizing the power of Corruption at that time.


    "R-really?"


    "Yes¡­ Luna can deal with them¡­ Although I have some items that can defend against Corruption, it may notst long if we''re dealing with the three of them at the same time so I have to be at a distance¡­ It is the same for you since you don''t have protection against Corruption at all."


    Vincent said¡­ Although strong Mind Energy can also be used against Corruption, it isn''t really that reliable.


    Nerissa couldn''t find fault in his words and could only nod in agreement.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll watch and observe for now."


    Vincent then gave his signal to Luna.


    Without any hesitation, Luna picked up her speed until she came to the range of the three people''s senses...


    As soon as they realized that someone was chasing them, he swiftly acted and even stopped moving forward¡­


    "Oh? It''s not a Savage Beast¡­"


    "Is that one of the Maniptors again? Why is he alone though?"


    "It''s suspicious¡­ Be careful of your surroundings."


    Since it was dark, they can''t tell who was chasing them until they sense the weak fluctuation of energy that is not simr to Savage Beasts. They can roughly see the figure of the person chasing them but they can easily make a guess.


    The figure seems to be blocking their Mana Sense since they can feel his mana so they guessed that it was another Maniptor sent by the Star Garden Peak.


    However, as soon as the moonlight reflected on the figure''s face, they realized that it was actually a beautiful woman chasing them!


    They had assumed it was a man since all of the Maniptors they have killed over the past few days were all men¡­


    "It''s been some time since we''ve encountered a female Maniptor¡­ Should we enjoy ourselves first?" One of them cautiously asked.


    The two others knows what he was thinking so they hesitated for a moment before they weakened the power of corruption they were about to release.


    "Fine¡­ Let''s just destroy all her Automatons first¡­" One of them finally said as they looked at the beautiful woman with burning desire.

 Chapter 545 Lunas Armament

    The three of them were confident of winning¡­


    Over the past few days, they''ve killed several Silver Tier and Gold Tier Maniptors who were thinking of gaining fame by killing at least one of them.


    However, they have already killed a couple of tinum Tier Maniptors and didn''t leave any evidence¡­ The bodies of these Maniptors have been destroyed by the power of corruption and no traces could be found. Not even their Automatons.


    Those two unlucky tinum-tier maniptors were probably just reported as missing people and weren''t connected to them¡­


    Anyway, this means that no one knows about the real power of their Corruption ability¡­


    This is the reason why they were confident about dealing with the woman charging at them. She was so hasty and didn''t even conceal her presence. She may have concealed her Mana, but her movements were still too obvious for them.


    "She''sing¡­ Do not attack her face!" The tallest one among them shouted.


    He has a pockmarked face and yellow teeth¡­ He seems to have not taken a bath for several months but the two people beside him didn''t mind at all. They were all dirty and reeks of the stench of blood.


    They immediately congealed the power of corruption in their hands as they waited for an opportunity to strike¡­


    As soon as the woman reached the 80-meter mark, the three men released their Mana Sense to the limit as they want to target her Automatons.


    At this range, she should be releasing her Automatons and preparing for battle¡­


    However, to their surprise, no Automatons came out¡­ or at the very least, they can''t sense the Automatons she has¡­


    "Tsk¡­ It must be those Assassination-Type Automatons."


    "Don''t worry¡­ Just protect me and I''ll disable this woman. Those hiding Automatons would be useless if she''s knocked out."


    The two others agreed to this arrangement.


    Soon, one of them pulled out a ne¡­ It made the pulsating corruption energy in his hands be even more deadly¡­


    "Hey! You''re not going to kill her, are you?"


    "Shut up! I''m concentrating¡­ I know what I''m doing¡­" The man replied as he released the power of corruption. It targeted the woman''s body¡­


    The other two finally realized what he was trying to do after sensing the corruption that was released. It was actually the corruption that targeted the person''s mind and not the physical realm.


    The two heaved a sigh of relief after noticing this but they still remained vignt as her automatons might appear out of nowhere when they''re rxed.


    "What?!"


    Soon, the man who attacked the woman just now eximed in surprise.


    The attack he released couldn''t be defended by normal means. They need a strong Mind Repulsion Art to extricate the Mind Corruption that his ne released.


    He didn''t expect that the woman would just release a blood-red stone and cancel his attack so easily!


    Release! Release! Release!


    Three more Mind Corruption attacks were released. He no longer cared if she turned into an idiot because of this¡­


    "Hmph! Take that!"


    He poured almost all his energy to ensure that his attack was stronger than thest.


    ''I don''t care if you be a vegetable because of this¡­ I can still enjoy you¡­'' The man thought as he kneeled to the ground. Because he releases a huge amount of energy at once, he felt a little dizzy and needed the protection of the other two.


    He was smiling as he looked at the woman who appear so confident¡­ He wanted to erase that smug face of hers!


    He believes that there was no way for this woman to stop his attack¡­ He had never seen anyone capable of stopping this level of Mind Corruption¡­ Even Diamond Tier Maniptors who had trained their minds for more than four decades would have a hard time dealing with this technique if they don''t have an item that could protect their minds.


    However, are there magic tools that can provide Resistance against Mind Attacks?<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yes¡­ There may be few of them but they certainly exist.


    But Star Garden Peak was proud of its Mind Cultivation and wouldn''t think of using Magic Tools with a simr purpose.


    They were too confident in their Mind Cultivation so he knows that this woman wouldn''t have any magic tools with Mind Attack Resistance.


    Because of this, the Mind Corruption he released would directly hit their target and wouldn''t get diverted to the Magic Tools. It will be very effective¡­


    Unfortunately, the one they encountered right now is Luna who has obtained the Bloodstone Armament that was a treasure for the Demihumans¡­


    It has one amazing item skill that is extremely helpful against Corruption Attacks. It doesn''t matter what form of corruption it was!


    [ Absorb Corruption: By spending 100 units of the user''s life energy, the Bloodstone Armament can absorb up to 3,500 units of corruption in the surroundings. ]


    Vincent doesn''t know how many units of corruption were released by Joran''spanion but he can tell that it wasn''t much¡­


    After all, the Bloodstone Armament barely lit up after the person released his series of attacks.


    Soon, the other two notice the problem and no longer bothered to divide their attention.


    "Stagnation!"


    "Focused Corruption!"


    These two attacks came from the other two¡­ They were simr to the attacks that the Bloodstone Armament can also do.


    The only difference is the scale of power behind these attacks.


    Luna smiled seeing this as he continued using the Armament''s third skill.


    Whom~


    The bloodstone armament was like a vacuum draining all the corruption in the surroundings. They have never seen anything close to this.


    "H-how¡­"


    How can she be unaffected by Corruption¡­ Even the Celestials would frown at it and would have to utilize their Celestial Energy to counter it.


    Even if she has magic items with the Mind Attack Resistance or Abnormal Status Resistance that could weaken the power of Corruption, she should still be affected to a certain point!


    The three of them continued releasing the power of their Corruption until their facial orifices started bleeding¡­


    "Fast Decay!"


    "Stagnation!"


    They were obviously overexerting themselves but they didn''t care¡­


    They believe that the woman in front of them has a limit.


    If they continued releasing the deadly power of corruption, they believe that it will soon affect her body¡­


    "Die¡­ Die¡­"


    They were no longer thinking of capturing her.


    Unfortunately, from the beginning to the end, she had never shown any emotion¡­ She remained expressionless as she watched their futile struggle.


    As soon as she reached the three of them, they saw her pull out her shining de and the next thing they saw was darkness.

 Chapter 546 Loot

    Vincent and the others arrived at the scene.


    Nerissa confirmed their identity as she took out a couple of things from their bodies.


    There was three identity que that was given to them by the Demonic Cult¡­ As expected, it was the cult that was backing this group. That''s right, the cult was only backing or supporting them¡­ They weren''t really nurtured by the cult itself.


    "They''re not members of the Demonic Cult?" Vincent asked as he observes Nerissa''s actions.


    "That''s right¡­ The Cult is using a different kind of power and Sage Vivian called it Aether before. Although some cult members were studying the destructive power of corruption, it wasn''t their source of power. They were just ying with it after learning it from others. They are still wary of the Corruption Energy since they can''t control it and they have no cure for those affected by corruption." She exined.


    Indeed, practicing the power of Corruption must be very dangerous especially if they don''t have something simr to Bloodstone Armament that can extract or absorb corruption.


    Vincent nodded in agreement as he noticed Nerissa pulling out another item in their bodies¡­


    "Bloodstones?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    These things are precious! Furthermore, there are three of them with the size of a fingernail.


    "Yes¡­ You have a good eye. However, these aren''t simple Bloodstones¡­ These are proof that they are members of the Creed. Creed of Eiqehin."


    Nerissa replied as she showed the ck markings on the bloodstones. It seems to be a throne with an eye in the middle.


    Vincent raised his brows after hearing these new words and asked about it.


    "Creed of Eiqehin? Is it a gathering of corrupt energy users?" He guessed.


    "Yes¡­ Eiqehin is the deity¡­ or perhaps the goddess of Corruption. I would like to chat more about it but I don''t think we have the time. We have to move¡­"


    "I understand¡­ But are we just going to leave these corpses here?" Vincent asked.


    "Do you want to bury them?"


    "No¡­ I think that they''re still wearing some Magic Tools, do you mind if I take them?"


    "I don''t mind. Go ahead but be quick¡ªAh¡­"


    Before Nerissa could finish her words, she saw Vincent suddenly pull out a book and consumed the three corpses with its vacuum powers¡­ Then, the book coughed out a total of six magic tools.


    From this, she could guess that the three bodies just now have 2 magic tools each.


    This is the first time she had seen such a weird Inscription in the book.


    "That was impressive." She could only say this as she didn''t really expect what he just did.


    "It''s nothing¡­" Vincent said as he gestured at her to continue moving. They were in a hurry after all.


    They were still quite far so they have to quickly move¡­


    Although Sage Vivian nned to trap or kill Joran inside the dungeon, there is still a small chance he could escape so they have to hurry.


    "Should we have captured them alive? We can probably ask them if they still have other members lurking around."  Vincent said.


    "It''s fine¡­ Even if there are, they will be in the same ce¡­" Nerissa replied.


    If there were really other members of the Creed, then they would certainly go to the dungeon where Joran is currently trapped with the three Diamond Tier Maniptors¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    ***


    After almost an hour had passed, they sessfully crossed the mountain. They no longer encounter any members of the Creed but they were still blocked by dozens of Savage Beasts and a couple of Magic Beasts¡­


    These beasts were quite active during the night after all. Nerissa would always take the front with her Automatons while Agatha would support from the side.


    On the other hand, Millie would remain by Vincent''s side as she felt a sense of duty to protect him from harm.


    "We''re getting closer¡­ Be vignt¡­" Nerissa announced as they got closer to the river.


    This river is the sign that they''re only 500 meters away from the Dungeon''s portal¡­


    "I can''t sense any powerful Magic Beasts¡­ They''ve probably been killed already." Millie muttered after observing the surroundings and using her senses.


    As they continued moving and got closer to the dungeon, Nerissa looked at Millie again and asked.


    "Can you try to focus underground? My sense can hardly prate the ground¡­ The range would get even shorter."


    "Let me try¡­" Millie replied.


    Soon, her eyes were shocked as she realized a life force moving underground. It was actually slowly moving toward their location.


    "What''s this? I can sense something moving underground¡­ If you didn''t tell me to concentrate below, I''ll definitely miss it."


    Vincent frowned at this as he looked at Nerissa. He didn''t know that there could be a potential threat underground.


    "They''re Crystal Snakes¡­ They''re active around this area. They''re also the natural protectors of the dungeon''s portal so there are not a lot of peopleing into this area."


    Nerissa exined.


    "Are you going to kill them?" Vincent asked as he noticed her taking three silver spheres out of her pouch.


    The size of the spheres doesn''t match her small pouch so it must have the same principles as his Interspatial Ring.


    "We can''t¡­ We just have to temporarily immobilize them¡­ There should be 10 to 15 Crystal Snakes lurking around this area. My Silver Automatons can deal with this."


    Soon, three Silver Mongooses appeared. They were all automatons that can be conveniently brought.


    As soon as they received Nerissa''s instructions, they immediately burrowed into the ground and released a sound attack¡­


    "The one approaching us stopped moving¡­" Millie suddenly said.


    "Good¡­ It''s only temporary so we have to move quickly. I''ll continue stunning them like this until we reach the vicinity of the portal. We can''t kill these snakes yet as we can still use themter in case Joran managed to escape." Nerissa said.


    "We can use them? How?"


    "They''ll follow anyone whoes out of the dungeon for at least three kilometers. They can be ferocious so we can use them to test the waters. Of course, we can also surround Joran and block his escape path but we might as well get their help since it''s free." Nerissa exined.


    Although Vincent felt that it was unnecessary, he decided to just let Nerissa do as she wish since his senses have already been locked on the portal.


    Anyone whoes out of it would be weed by his Soul Domain.

 Chapter 547 Heads

    After a few minutes, Vincent''s teampleted their preparation. They have found good spots to observe the portal and surrounded the area to ensure that no one can escape from them.


    Their positions have been marked by the Mongoose Automatons so the Crystal Snakes wouldn''t cause trouble for them during this time. Of course, they can also climb trees to avoid these snakes but doing this will slow them in case of emergency.


    Anyway, they also wanted to ensure that Joran would not receive any backups from the Creed of Eiqehin. To do this, Nerissa decided to spread out her other lower-tier Automatons to monitor the surroundings.


    Vincent wanted to set up a Formation Art but unfortunately, it will just be destroyed by the Crystal Snakes ording to Nerissa.


    He had no choice but to change his n and just gave rifles to his teammates except Nerissa who doesn''t know how to use it. At the very least, he also gave her a shawl that can hide her presence since they have to ensure that their ambush will seed.


    "Thank you¡­ I''ll return it after this mission¡­ Right, are those weird staff more powerful than the Celestials'' weapons? I''m pretty sure they''re equipped with Pseudo-Legendary Grade Items if not Legendary Items, right?" Nerissa curiously asked. She actually felt that using those high-grade weapons might be a lot better.


    She had a deep impression of them when the Celestials used them in the duel.


    On the other hand, she could tell that these Rifles were only at Epic Grade or maybe even lower so she was confused.


    "This ck staff is called a Rifle. They''re quite special." Vincent vaguely replied. Anyway, she would seeter how it works so there''s no need to rush.


    He then asked¡­


    "Are you finished with your preparation?"


    "Yes¡­ My Automatons have already moved to surround the area. I won''t miss anything within 150 meters."


    "I see¡­" Vincent said.


    He was actually counting the number of Automatons that Nerissa was controlling.


    "Eight¡­ A total of eight automatons are currently out¡­" He softly muttered after sensing all the automatons.


    Nerissa heard this and smiled.


    "Yes¡­ But they are all Silver and Brass Automatons¡­ I''m mostly using them for reconnaissance."


    "Can you still control your Crystal Tier Automaton?"


    "I can''t. I have to relinquish my control with the Silver Tier to use the Crystal Tier¡­" Nerissa exined. Although she doesn''t like telling about the limit of her abilities, she knows that it is important to let her teammates know about this.


    Vincent nodded at her answer and as he was about to reply, he suddenly felt the fluctuation of space or the portal of the dungeon.


    Someone ising out of the dungeon!


    Even the snakes were alerted and already started gathering near the portal.


    These Crystal Snakes were still underground and it appears that they were nning to just ambush anyone who was about toe out.


    Indeed, it was the right choice not to kill them. They actually gained another set of attackers.


    ''Now¡­ Let''s see who''sing out¡­''


    Whom~


    Suddenly, a figure of a woman came out and it was definitely not the Diamond Tier Maniptors. ording to Nerissa, the three people who had chased Joran inside the dungeon were all adult men.


    It means that the one who came out was actually Joran''s Celestial!


    This is not good¡­


    Unless Joran eliminated the threat inside the dungeon, his Celestials would certainly not leave him!


    There is a high chance that the three Diamond Tiers have died inside the Dungeon!


    Sssaaaa~


    A couple of Crystal Snakes suddenly pounced toward the Celestial¡­ Thetter wasn''t too surprised by the attack as if she was expecting an ambush¡­


    nk! nk!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The two Crystal Snakes were brushed away by the Celestial''s kick but they were not killed.


    They were truly quite tough considering they could withstand the Celestial''s attack.


    Three more snakes charged forward as they targeted her limbs¡­


    "Get lost!"


    The Celestial no longer saved her Celestial Energy as she cut the snakes with des that were formed by her energy.


    After this, the remaining Crystal Snakes stopped in their tracks but they remained underground monitoring her movements.


    The Celestial''s leather armor wasn''t in a good shape and her clothes were tattered. Some wounds on her jade white skin can also be seen showing that she wasn''t in her best condition.


    From her appearance, everyone can tell that the Celestial fought a very tough battle inside the Dungeon.


    She looked around the area and tried looking for any enemies or perhaps, any reinforcements from their allies¡­


    ''It''s a good thing I''ve prepared the Stealth Shawls¡­'' Vincent thought.


    After a few moments, the Celestial didn''t find anything wrong in the surroundings aside from the hiding snakes before returning to the dungeon again¡­


    ''Phew¡­ It''s a good thing we all agreed to wait for Joran to appear before making a move.'' Vincent thought as he realized that Joran was a really cautious person.


    He actually sent out a Celestial to scout the outside first¡­


    "The Celestial just now shouldn''t have noticed our presence. Joran and his team might being out next." Agatha dered as soon as she saw the Celestial Being reenter the Dungeon.


    Vincent heaved a sigh of relief.


    Since it was said by Celestial Number 18, then it must be true.


    It didn''t take long before something happened.


    In just a couple of minutes, the Dungeon Portal started fluctuating again. This time, it was quite stronger so it must be a group of peopleing out.


    Everyone held their breaths as they gripped their weapons tightly¡­


    Once Vincent and Millie confirmed that Joran has appeared, they will attack immediately.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Several figures appeared in front of the portal. There were four female warriors and one tall man who was in the midst of the group.


    No one attacked.


    Not even the Crystal Snakes. These snakes just remained underground waiting for an opportunity.


    As for Vincent''s team, they can''t attack just yet since Joran might escape inside the dungeon again. He was too close to the entrance. They can''t let him escape.


    As Vincent waited for them to move, he suddenly felt Nerissa''s aura leaking out!


    Even if she''s wearing the stealth shawl, she has to cooperate with it and not aggressively send out her energy!


    Because of this, Joran and the others noticed where she was hiding!


    ''You¡ª''


    Vincent wanted to scold Nerissa but he suddenly smelled the stench of blood from the portal''s direction.


    He quickly shifted his gaze to Joran and soon, he realized why Nerissa wasn''t able to control her emotion¡­


    The heads of the three Diamond Tier Maniptors were actually hanging on his waist!

 Chapter 548 Charge

    Joran and his team didn''t just kill the three Diamond Tier Maniptors, he actually beheaded them and he was even nning to take their heads somewhere!


    Although two Celestials working for Joran seem to have died because of the three maniptors, it is still a huge setback for the Star Garden Peak.


    Nerissa could also recognize the faces of those three so she couldn''t help but emit her bloodlust¡­


    It was brutal.


    On the other hand, Vincent, Millie, Luna, and Agatha, remained calm and didn''t leak their aura¡­


    ''Tsk... This girl can''t even control her emotions...'' Vincent thought but he knows that ming her right now will not do good, they have to change their ns.


    Suddenly, Joran nced in Nerissa''s direction and spoke.


    "Hey¡­ You cane out now. We can tell that you''re there¡­ Are you alone?" Joran calmly asked.


    Nerissa realized her mistake as she calmly took a deep breath¡­ As soon as she noticed that Vincent and the others weren''t making a move, she understood that she has to do something to get Joran away from the portal.


    Then, the rustling of leaves can be heard in the silent forest as Nerissa showed herself.


    "I''ve surrounded you with my Automatons, you can''t escape." Nerissa bravely said and she even smiled at them provokingly.


    "Really? Are you stronger than these three Diamond Tier Maniptors?" Joran asked with a grin on his face. He obviously didn''t care about the Automatons that she was controlling.


    He just sessfully killed three of the strongest mind cultivators of the Star Garden Peak, and he certainly feels confident winning against a lone Maniptor in front of him.


    ''Just keep provoking them¡­'' Vincent thought as he observes Joran from his position.


    He remained unmoving even though Nerissa exposed herself since he knows that he can''t miss a perfect chance to shoot them.  His finger remained on the trigger of his rifle as he contained his killing intent and calmed his heart.


    Nerissa then smiled as she pointed at Joran¡­


    "Why don''t you see for yourself?!"


    ? Suddenly, Nerissa burst with energy as she controlled the hidden Crystal Tier Automaton above the Dungeon''s portal!


    She had actually moved the automaton very stealthily from the back lines and ced it above their heads!


    Boom!


    The Crystal Tier Turtle Shell Automaton dropped from the sky!


    Joran and the Celestials can certainly stop it from causing chaos. However, as soon as they were about to block the Automaton from crushing them¡­


    They suddenly had a bad feeling and change their movements, they immediately dodge to the side and allowed the Crystal Tier Automaton from blocking the portal!


    Now, if they want to enter the dungeon, they have to spend some time making a path!


    The Turtle Shell Automaton immediately burst with energy as it expands its defense to cover the whole portal.


    "Tsk¡­ What was that?" Joran grunted as he looked at his surroundings.


    Just now, they felt a dangerous threat aim at their heads when they focused on the Automaton above them.


    However, it immediately disappeared as soon as they remained vignt and dodged the Crystal Tier Automaton¡­.


    "We can''t sense them through normal means, they''re probably Automatons simr to the ones controlled by the blond guy." One of the Celestials reported.


    She was referring to one of the heads hanging on Joran''s waist. One of them has blond hair and all of his Automatons were like beings of the shadow.<novelnext></novelnext>


    They were the best assassins they''d encountered and inside the dungeon, they were incredibly fierce. It even led to the death of two Celestial Beings.


    However, they are no longer inside the dungeon so they actually felt safer here. The world is vast and they can move freely¡­


    "I understand¡­ Let''s escape for now¡­ This woman is probably just being used as bait or something." Joran analyzed their situation and made a decision.


    The battle against the three Diamond Tier Maniptors consumed all of their resources. All their potions were used up, their magic tools were broken, their Celestial Weapons were damaged, and their Celestial Energy hasn''t been replenished yet.


    If they continue to stay here, the enemy reinforcement might arrive and they might really get captured this time.


    "I remember your face¡­ We''ll see you soon!" Joran announced as he red at Nerissa¡­ A wave of corruption energy rushed toward her and it was invisible to the naked eye¡­


    It might be a problem if Nerissa was caught in this attack but Vincent can''t worry about her. She''s already a Crystal Tier Maniptor and she should have a way to survive this attack¡­


    ''Now!''


    Since Joran used his technique, he had to divide his attention to control his attack going to Nerissa¡­ Needless to say, this is what Vincent was waiting for¡­


    Click!


    They all pulled the trigger of their rifles as their bullets headed straight toward the heads of their targets¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Joran and the rest have less than a second to react¡­ It happened so quickly and Joran wasn''t prepared at all!


    "Aackk!"


    Joran was hit by three bullets but only one of them hit his vital organ¡­ He was shot in the side of his neck, his left shoulder, and his heart!


    The ones aimed at his head were luckily blocked by the Celestials beside him!


    Apparently, the Celestial Beings weren''t targeted at all. All the bullets were aimed at Joran.


    The Celestials were only able to dodge or block the bullets that were randomly in their path.


    Of course, they weren''t unscathed as they protected Joran even if they have to block the bullets with their bodies¡­


    ''Tsk¡­ They''re actually willing to die for Joran? Just what kind of potion did he give to them?'' Vincent mused but he immediately shook his head.


    The Celestials have probably calcted the trajectory of bullets before blocking them. After all, he can see that even though the Celestials were also shot, they only allowed themselves to be hit on their non-vital parts.


    Anyway, Vincent didn''t change his n. He clearly understood that once Joran died, these Celestials would have a very low chance of wanting to continue their fight.


    They decided to empty their magazine to get the kill!


    ng! ng! ng!


    The seeding bullets were finally blocked by the Celestials'' weapons¡­ Furthermore, they were exhausting their Celestial Energy!


    They can probably tell the abnormal attributes of the bulletsing from their guns.


    It was unfortunate but Vincent doesn''t have an infinite number of bullets¡­


    As soon as their magazines were emptied, he ordered everyone to charge!

 Chapter 549 Against The Celestials ( 1 )

    The Celestials under Joran were shocked as soon as they sensed the presence of their enemies.


    They weren''t automatons but real people! Two of them were even Celestial Beings!


    They would probably consider retreating with all their might if the other two were also Celestials.


    However, one of them is simply a Grand Knight and the other person who has a weird aura seems to be an Aura Knight.


    Although they were also quite difficult to deal with, they shouldn''t be as tough as the other Celestial Beings.


    "The two of you, block the two Celestials. I''ll handle the two knights¡­ Eighty-Five, stay here with Joran¡­ Stabilize his condition. That Crystal Tier Maniptor might have other Automatons hiding somewhere."


    One of the Celestials spoke¡­ She has a number on her neck showing the number Thirty-Six.


    As for the two who were tasked to block Luna and Agatha, they were both unnumbered Celestials.


    Vincent wasn''t worried about Luna and Agatha since they only have to deal with a single Celestial each!


    They would certainly deal with it very quickly¡­ Furthermore, these two are already injured and shouldn''t be in a good shape to fight the two double-digit Celestials.


    Vincent squinted his eyes as soon as he sensed that the strongest Celestial was aiming for them¡­


    ''I see¡­ You''re nning to just buy some time¡­ You''re also thinking of eliminating the contractor of the two Celestials on our side. It was either me or Millie¡­'' He immediately realized Celestial''s n.


    It was a good strategy but he''s not a simple Aura Knight either¡­


    He already stored his Rifle inside his Inventory System and took out his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane¡­ It has been a while since he used this in battle so he didn''t hesitate to use its mighty skills¡­


    Soul Manifestation!


    In a blink of an eye, a huge misty figure appeared in front of him¡­ It has the image of his Grandfather Raizen and it was also holding a cane!


    Whom~


    As soon as it saw the Celestial charging at him, the manifested soul acted and attack the Celestial¡­


    At first, the Celestial ignored this figure as she couldn''t feel any pressure from it. In her mind, it seems more like an illusion¡­


    This was why she just continued on her way and targeted Vincent, the one who summoned this figure¡­


    The misty cane struck from above and she simply raised her arm¡­ She''s wearing a bracer and she believes that it''s enough to block the illusion. She also used a bit of her Celestial Energy to cover her arm. Even if the attack was real, she believes in her equipment and her physical body to withstand it¡­


    Bang!


    To her surprise, the misty figure of an old man was able to attack her Soul! The cane didn''t strike her bracer as she was hit directly by some sort of Soul Attack!


    The Celestial trembled as she doesn''t have a way to defend against such an attack. Unless she was brimming with Celestial Energy, it would be difficult for her to win against it!


    As soon as Vincent stopped the movement of the Celestial, he didn''t hesitate to continue¡­ While maintaining his speed, he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the Celestial.


    This time, the bullets that he has was different. The Celestial can also feel this. It wasn''t simply a piercing bullet but a magical one.


    Click!


    Vincent pulled the trigger and shot the Celestial multiple times.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Celestial didn''t despair as she gritted her teeth in anger¡­


    "Don''t underestimate me, human!"


    Suddenly, she covered her entire body with Celestial Energy. The bullets stopped in front of her but just like what she noticed, these bullets weren''t piercing type¡­


    As soon as the bullets hit something, they suddenly exploded and spread chaotic and decaying energy¡­


    They were very familiar with this, Corruption!


    Indeed, these are Vincent''s bullets made of the Midnight Sea Pearls¡­ He previously used these bullets against a swarm of insects and they are very effective.


    As for the Celestial, she was obviously frightened as soon as she felt the familiar energy¡­ There was no way she would mistake this¡­ After all, Joran is another Corruption Energy user.


    She immediately retreated but the Manifested Soul didn''t allow that to happen¡­


    Another strike from its cane came¡­ It was faster and the Celestial was unable to dodge¡­


    "Aakk! You''ll regret this!"


    She also felt the power of corruption weakening her body. She immediately circted her Celestial Energy to stop it from spreading inside her body.


    She looked at the old figure of a man that Vincent summoned as she calcted her next move¡­


    Knowing that this misty figure wasn''t an illusion but an abomination that can attack a person''s soul, she decided to pull out the ring on her finger and directly crushed the gem embedded in it¡­


    The gem turned into a blue mist and gathered in front of the Celestial.


    Vincent had no idea what was happening but he knows that he can''t just watch doing nothing¡­ He continued firing his pistol aiming at the Celestial¡­


    ck¡­ ck... ck¡­


    It was suddenly blocked by a wall of water¡­


    The bullets were unable to prate the water. This shocked Vincent for a moment. After all, it was only three inches thick of water. It shouldn''t have the ability to stop his bullets¡­


    He then realized that the Celestial at the back, who was healing Joran, had the time to use a Magic Tool to help herpanion block his attack¡­


    "Hmph!" Vincent stored his gun after emptying its magazine and was about to pull out another weapon.


    However, the strongest enemy Celestial had finished her preparation. When his Grandpa''s figure struck once again, the Celestial led the blue mist to block the attack¡­


    This mist created by crushing a gem possessed an incredible amount of energy!


    Boom!


    A shockwave urred interrupting everyone''s movement for a moment¡­ At the same time, Vincent realized that the Manifested Soul had actually disappeared along with the shockwave!


    He wanted to stabilize his body for a bit but he felt a threatening aura aiming at his neck!


    ''Tsk¡­''


    Vincent had no choice but to reveal his Sentient Armor!

 Chapter 550 Against The Celestials ( 2 )

    nk¡­ nk¡­ nk¡­


    The sound of turning gears was heard as Vincent''s body was instantly covered by armor!


    "What?!"


    The sudden appearance of the armor surprised the Celestial¡­ After all, she can recognize that the armor that he instantly wore was the Source Cube''s Protective Suit form.


    There was no way she would mistake this since she also has one before. Unfortunately, her Celestial Armor was already lost and there was no way for her to find a recement unless she managed to return to Qheglena¡­


    Supposedly, this suit can only be worn by Celestial Beings¡­ In other words, only those with Celestial Energy can activate this thing.


    She wanted to find out what kind of trick he used!


    Bang!


    Her sword still struck the armor and as expected, she didn''t even scratch the armor. She only pushed back Vincent.


    "Are you surprised?" Vincent asked as he stabilized himself. The strike just now didn''t hurt him and he can still continue to fight.


    "You''re human¡­ How is that possible?" She muttered to herself.


    The man in front of him is definitely a human male and not someone disguised to look like one¡­


    Vincent understands why she was shocked. But he''s not nning to answer.


    At this moment, Millie alreadypleted her preparation¡­


    Her sword was suddenly covered by a bright light¡­ It was as if she could extinguish any form of evil with this sword!


    She wasn''t idling when Vincent and this Celestial were fighting¡­


    A crescent form of Celestial Energy had actually sted her away for about eight meters. She didn''t rush in again after this so the Celestial must''ve thought that she was heavily injured.


    However, she was only umting the strength to unleash a finishing move.


    Since she''s fighting against a Celestial, there was no way she would hold back¡­


    Shadow Blink Steps¡­


    She arrived swiftly at the Celestial''s side as she stabbed her sword with all her might!


    Ssak!


    It was sessful!


    Millie stabbed the Celestial''s body! Although the trajectory was off because the Celestial tried dodging at thest second, she was still sessful in her surprise attack.


    The Celestial was hurt but she didn''t retreat. She knows that retreating would just bring her more trouble since he noticed that the man in front of her was already holding a dagger in his hands!


    It was definitely a Celestial Weapon!


    He doesn''t only have a Celestial Armor but he also has a Celestial Weapon!


    ''This is bad¡­'' The Celestial thought as she realized that she had underestimated the magic items of her opponents.


    Celestial Number Thirty-Six gritted her teeth as she endured the pain caused by Millie''s sword¡­


    Luckily, the sword only has a cold energy that was trying to hamper her movement. She can easily suppress it with her Celestial Energy.


    At this time, she waved her hand and sted Vincent away with her Celestial Energy which was in a crescent shape¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    This form of Celestial Energy can supposedly kill a Magic Beast but it can only st Vincent away.


    Seeing that Vincent was thrown away, Millie felt extremely angry as she red at the Celestial¡­ She realized that her sword''s special ability was being suppressed by the Celestial through some unknown method¡­


    She had to make a move!


    As soon as the Celestial finished attacking Vincent, Millie found an opening and attacked again.


    She thrust her sword forward aiming at the Celestial''s body!


    This time, she didn''t activate the sword''s skill and focused on her ne instead¡­


    Unlike Vincent with strong mind power, she only has a normal one so she can''t activate multiple Legendary-Grade Magic Tools at the same time¡­


    Electric Shock!


    Millie activated the Static Pearl Ne''s first ability! She only lent it to Luna to win their duel and she got it back after¡­ Now that she''s wearing it, there was no way she would just put it on a disy.


    While the Celestial in front of her was drawn by the sword, she knows that this Electric Shock woulde at the right time¡­


    Bang!


    As expected, the Celestial only dodged the sword by shifting her body. She didn''t expect that Electric Shocking at her head!


    ''She''s already tired¡­ She doesn''t have an overpowering Celestial Energy as well¡­ I can do this¡­'' Millie said in her mind as she realized that the Celestial was already weakened.


    "Y-you¡­"


    Celestial 36 didn''t expect that the power behind that Electric Shock was so deadly¡­ She was able to tell that the sword in Milie''s hands was actually a Legendary Sword. She thought that she only has to be wary of it since her Celestial Energy would have a hard time blocking its special ability if she was hit by the sword once more.


    The appearance of the Legendary Ne was out of her expectation¡­ This is the first time she had seen a person possessing multiple Legendary Items in their body!


    Bam!


    Celestial 36 suddenly felt like throwing up after being kicked¡­


    The human male wearing a Celestial Armor had actually returned and kicked her away!


    ''Why?''


    Celestial 36 was confused. After that Electric Shock, she was obviously paralyzed and it was a perfect chance to kill her.


    However, instead of cutting her using the Celestial Dagger in his hands, the man decided to just kick her away¡­


    Boom!


    She was thrown to a nearby tree as she caved inside its trunk¡­


    That kick was just too strong as her bones were broken. It would take her quite some time to recover without the help of the Source Cube.


    She struggled to move because of her injury and she knows that she was now useless in this battle¡­ If her Celestial Energy wasn''t exhausted in the battle against the Diamond Tier Maniptors, she believes that she wouldn''t be in such a condition.


    She could only look at the two humans who were now rushing towards Joran, her contractor.


    She then nced at the two Unnumbered Celestial Beings that she ordered to block the two Celestials of their opponent.


    ''So it''s impossible from the very beginning¡­'' Celestial 36 thought as she finally acknowledge their defeat.

 Chapter 551 Against The Celestials ( 3 )

    Luna looked at the Celestial Being that was targeting her. This Celestial was quite brave for charging in considering she only has a little Celestial Energy left in their bodies¡­


    ''Oh¡­ I see¡­ She''s only buying time. Joran is severely injured and he can''t move¡­ There was no way out of this but to bet with their strongest Numbered Celestial.'' Luna mused as she nced at the battlefield.


    She couldn''t help but smile after realizing this since she believes that Vincent is actually the most dangerous one among here.


    Luna believes that Vincent has an uncountable number of treasures in his possession. Coupled with the fact that he has both Celestial Weapon and Armor, there was just no way to kill Vincent without paying a huge price.


    "Haa!"


    Her opponent struck with her sword and from the way it looks, this sword probably has about a quarter of its durability. It was in a terrible condition that Luna even believes that she can block it with her hands¡­


    Of course, she knows that it''s the right idea so she still triggered her Celestial Armor to activate.


    Bam!


    The sword struck her armor and created sparks everywhere. This armor wasn''t used during her duel a while ago since it was prohibited. Now that they are in a real battle, she didn''t hesitate to use it to her advantage.


    She then used her de to strike back¡­


    Using her Bloodstone Armament isn''t a good idea since the power of corruption is quite weak against their race.


    This was why Luna decided to just overpower her opponent with her mightier Celestial Energy!


    Her de was so quick and her opponent didn''t even have the chance to block her strike using her sword!


    The poor Celestial can only muster her Celestial Energy to weaken the de strike¡­


    Thud!


    "Aackk!"


    The de strike shed the Celestial''s waist cutting a bit of her flesh¡­ If the Unnumbered Celestial was slower, she knows that she would be cut in half¡­


    The injury caused by the de was quite painful but she had to endure it¡­


    ''I''m not going to die here!''


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Several de swings followed her retreating figure¡­ She realized that her opponent must be a double-digit Celestial and she has no way of winning¡­ She can only buy some time until help arrives.


    Luna didn''t stop attacking just because her opponent was injured. In a battle against other Celestial, the one who has the initiative shouldn''t waste it or they might regret it.


    As Luna felt that she was about to corner her opponent, she realized that thetter had already thrown her weapons away¡­ It wasn''t because she was surrendering.


    Luna can tell that she has some other ns.


    Swish!


    As Luna''s de missed again, she couldn''t help but frown as she noticed that her opponent''s speed started getting faster¡­ It was quite unusual considering the one in front of her shouldn''t be a Numbered Celestial.


    Luna squinted her eyes as she suddenly recalled one possible reason she can do this¡­ She was awakening her speed talent¡­ The Unnumbered Celestial''s figure started leaving afterimages!


    It was not good for Luna¡­ She had to end this quickly¡­ Without any more hesitation, she poured her Celestial Energy into her Celestial Armor.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Her energy then started gathering on her feet before she finally release it.


    Boom!


    Luna stomped on the ground propelling herself in the enemy''s direction.¡­ The earth trembled and she instantly arrived in front of the Unnumbered Celestial¡­


    She clenched her fist tightly and struck the Celestial''s face with her full strength!


    Bang!


    It was a sessful hit! The Unnumbered Celestial was unable to dodge because Luna had also dispersed the umting energy of the opponent with that stomp!


    Although Luna felt the resistance of the Celestial, it was easily destroyed by her overpowering strike¡­


    She was finally incapacitated. Even if she''s still alive, she would need plenty of time to recover.


    Seeing that the Unnumbered Celestial was thrown away for about 50 meters, Luna nced at Agatha and realized that she had just ended her battle as well.


    Agatha was more ruthless than her. Perhaps it''s because she doesn''t care about a fellow Celestial or her opponent was just too weak.


    Apparently, Agatha had already cut off the limbs of her opponent¡­ Two severed arms on the ground and since it was cleanly cut by Agatha''s des, there should still be a chance to reattach it.


    The two then looked each other in the eye as they nodded silently.


    They shifted their gaze in Joran''s direction and noticed that Nerissa had actually tried attacking Joran while he was injured.


    Unfortunately, Nerissa almost died because of this. The Celestial beside Joran didn''t pull her punches against her. If not f


    Currently, they can only sense that Nerissa is still breathing and needed some treatment to survive.


    As for Vincent, he seems to have just won the battle without any injuries¡­


    Everything went too well probably thanks to the three Diamond Tier Maniptors who had thoroughly exhausted the Celestial Beings.


    Vincent couldn''t help but respect those three¡­


    They did really well against the six Celestials under Joran.


    ''Perhaps, this is the reason why Joran beheaded them and wanted to humiliate them even after their death¡­ He was probably so mad at them¡­'' Vincent mused as he stared at the dying man¡­


    Joran seems to have taken medicine or some kind of healing magic after the Celestial extracted the bullets from his body. Unfortunately for him, the bullet that pierced his heart wasn''t just a chunk of metal.


    It was metal made of Arc Alloy that naturally disrupts the mana flow of all Mana Practitioners. They would leave a few of their properties inside Joran''s body which can be toxic and incurable at a certain period of time.


    In short, Joran''s natural healing quality was weakened and he quickly needs a Tier 3 recovery pill to stabilize and at least a Mid-Grade healing potion to heal.


    However, Vincent had no ns of giving him a cure¡­


    "Vincent¡­ Allow me to end his life¡­"


    Suddenly, Millie, who has been silent all this time, spoke with a cold voice. Her eyes were staring at Joran and she was not even bothered at the remaining Celestial Being beside him.

 Chapter 552 Against The Celestials ( 4 )

    Joran may not have been the one to kill Millie''s parents and other vigers several years ago, but he was the one who made it all happen.


    Their small vige was dragged into their conflict leading to the early deaths of their friends and family.


    "I understand¡­" Vincent whispered to Millie as he looked at the remaining Celestial.


    He walked slowly in her direction and stopped at a 10-meter distance.


    At this point, Luna and Agatha had also finished their battle and surrounded them¡­


    ''Eh? Where''s Nerissa?'' Vincent suddenly recalled the woman and realized that she was actually thrown far away¡­


    It seems that she also joined in the battle and ended up in a terrible condition¡­ He immediately signaled for Luna to check her condition since he doesn''t know how Nerissa was defeated like that.


    Since Luna is also carrying a healing potion, she should be able to help and if she was affected by Corruption Energy, then Luna can also absorb it¡­


    After doing this, Vincent shifted his gaze back to the remaining Celestial.


    "We''ve won¡­ Are you going to sacrifice your life to save that person beside you?" Vincent calmly asked as his eyes lit up.


    He activated his Energy Sensitivity and confirmed that the Celestial in front of him wasn''t doing something dubious while he was talking.


    If possible, he wanted to just end this battle now¡­ Since his mission here is just to kill Joran, as much as possible he wanted to avoid killing the other Celestial Beings. After all, he knows that they were simply bound by a contract and were only doing this to survive as well.


    "Do you think you''ve really won after doing this to Joran?"


    The Celestial suddenly asked as she looked at Vincent.


    "Oh? Do you still have a chance of defeating all of us? I don''t think that''s possible. Not even if you''re all fully recovered." Vincent said as he knows that none from their side had unleased their real strength yet.


    He didn''t even use his other Sentient Magic Tool.


    Furthermore, both Luna and Agatha have Legendary weapons equipped and he can tell that not even one Legendary-Grade weapon was on the enemy side.


    The Celestial then shook her head as she replied.


    "It''s not that¡­ I''m sure that your mission here is to stop Joran from opening a gate for the otherwordly beings¡­ Unfortunately, even after his death, you won''t be able to stop it."


    Vincent froze after hearing this. Indeed, their mission is to stop Joran from doing that.


    He couldn''t help but frown at this and asked again.


    "Why are you helping him do this? Were you not going to be affected if that happens?"


    "We will all be affected. It can be very dangerous for Celestial Beings like us as well. However, it is also an opportunity to recover our strength¡­ Right now, collecting Blood Essence is too slow. The magicians here are getting weaker and weaker over the past few years. We need another way to get stronger before it''s toote."


    Vincent wasn''t convinced by her answer but he still decided to finish his mission.


    "If it''s not possible to stop it. Then it can''t be helped. We''ll deal with it once they''re here. For now, we''ll take Joran''s life¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent paused for a moment and looked at the Celestial before continuing¡­


    "You''re not going to stop us and say that Joran can close the gate, right?"


    The Celestial looked at Vincent amusingly as she replied.


    "I was thinking of doing that to buy some time but I guess it''s not going to work¡­ You''ll be able to see through my lies easily."


    She then looked at Joran onest time before sighing¡­


    "He''s almost dead¡­ Even if you just let him be, he will die eventually¡­ We already spent all of our healing potions..." The Celestial said in a mncholic voice.


    "I see¡­ Then move back and let us see his condition¡­" Vincent said.


    "Alright¡­ By the way, did you make that gun?"


    Vincent was a bit surprised by the question. He thought for a moment before he replied.


    "I can answer that if you tell me your ns from now on¡­ Since Joran will die, you''ll no longer be supplied with Blood Essence. Do you think you can join me along with the other three?" Vincent asked.


    The Celestial looked surprised including Number 36 and the two Unnumbered who were still trying to recover their strength.


    After all, they just tried killing Vincent''s group but Vincent seemed so innocent that he could let the grudge go just by killing Joran.


    Furthermore, they have killed three Diamond Tier Maniptors on their side! Why would he even think of recruiting them at this time?


    Celestial Number 85 couldn''t help but look at the other three Celestials who were defeated in no time. They were all feeling indignant since they believe that they were just too exhausted and lost the battle unfairly.


    Ever since they entered the territory of the Sacred Garden Peak toplete their mission of opening the gate, they have been in a constant battle against many top-tier warriors of this country.


    The Creed of Eiqehin even have to send over half of their finest warriors just to give Joran the time he needed to open the gate¡­ Although they seeded in the end, they didn''t expect that the Star Garden Peak is still hiding a powerful warrior on their side¡­


    Not only does he have two Celestial Beings on his side, but he also has incredible Magic Tools with him¡­ He can also use a Celestial Armor and Celestial Weapon which makes him a really mysterious person¡­ To be exact, he is a person who shouldn''t exist!


    "Since Joran is still alive¡­ I can''t just give up on him¡­ You have to defeat me if you want me to change my side."


    With that said, she immediately pounced toward Vincent and waved her weapon¡­


    Millie wanted to act but Vincent stopped him¡­


    "Just kill Joran¡­ He''s all yours¡­ I''ll deal with this Celestial. I want to see my limits this time¡­" Vincent said as he wore his Celestial Armor again.


    Since the otherworldly beings can''t be stopped from descending, then there will be a huge battle at some point in time...


    With that in mind, he might as well gain morebat experience¡­

 Chapter 553 Against The Celestials ( 5 )

    Millie nodded as soon as she heard Vincent''s words. She''s confident that he can survive against the Celestial even if he might fail to defeat her.


    ''Good luck¡­'' She said her mind as she made her move.


    She swiftly jump to the side to give them some space and as expected, the Celestial just ignored her and focused on Vincent.


    Millie can only trust him at this point. Anyway, there is also Agatha waiting on the side¡­ She may just be standing there but she''s actually monitoring the three other Celestials to ensure that no one interrupts Vincent''s battle.


    If they still dared to attack, Agatha would no longer show mercy and kill them using her de.


    ***


    In the meantime, Vincent immediately felt the pressureing from the Celestial in front of him.


    ''Bring it on¡­'' Vincent thought as he gripped the dagger in his hands.


    Thanks to his incredible vision, he knows that this Celestial is Number 85 while the other one he defeated with Millie''s help was Number 36¡­


    Supposedly, his opponent right now should be weaker than Number 36 but the pressure she''s emitting says otherwise¡­


    The Celestial in front of her can actually pressure him even though he''s already wearing the Source Cube''s Protective Suit mode.


    It was quite baffling but he has no time to think of it¡­


    Number 85''s weapon was a stick or perhaps, a baton that seems to be made of white jade¡­ At first, Vincent thought that it was a wand to help her cast Mana Arts, but as soon as she tried smashing him with it, he realized that it was really a baton¡­


    Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­


    Her shing move was apanied by a tearing sound as if the space around it was being destroyed!


    Vincent didn''t dare to block it with his armor since there might be some sort of vibration that could hurt him inside his armor.


    He tried backing away but he realized that he can''t match her with her speed so he had no other choice but to parry it with his dagger¡­


    Thud!


    The dagger was his Soul-Bound weapon, the Astral Night Dagger which was made of Mavis Iron. It may not be his toughest item but it should be able to withstand a few attacks from this Celestial.


    The collision between the two weapons was so powerful that Vincent believed that about 10 to 15 points of durability were gone just like that.


    There was no way a normal Epic-Grade or Pseudo-Legendary Grade weapon can do that on his Legendary weapon with six special attributes. It also has full enhancements so its durability is one of the best out there¡­


    Vincent frowned after noticing the weirdness of her weapon¡­


    ''It must be coated by a stronger and sharper Celestial Energy¡­ I can''t fight her like this¡­'' Vincent thought.


    He then pulled out another weapon. It is his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane on his other hand. If durability is the problem, then he can only use this Cane since this is the toughest one that he has that can be easily repaired.


    After learning the Soul Forging Technique, it can be said that all Soul Forged Weapons in his inventory had be extremely valuable.


    After all, as long as there is 1 Durability point on them, he can still repair them, unlike the other ones that aren''t Soul Forged.


    Celestial Number 85 noticed the appearance of a new weapon but she didn''t mind it. She struck again with her baton aiming at Vincent''s head¡­


    Bam!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The cane blocked it swiftly and created another shockwave¡­ Vincent felt that the cane was also damaged but he didn''t take it to his heart.


    Bam!


    Another strike again but it was aimed at Vincent''s liver¡­


    This time, however, Vincent stabbed his dagger¡­ He didn''t use the Assassinate or the Haunting Hymn skill. It was a normal stab to send her back and it was quite effective¡­


    He blocked with his Cane and stab with his dagger.


    He wanted to follow up and fight in closebat¡­ Unfortunately, he found out that his Pseudo-Celestial Energy started bing unstable¡­


    ''What?''


    He was confused¡­ He still has plenty of Pseudo-Celestial Energy so he shouldn''t be suffering from energy exhaustion¡­


    He also has rings and amulets that passively protect him from poison or foreign energy attacking his insides without his knowledge.


    In the meantime, Celestial Number 85 didn''t wait for Vincent to recover as she used her baton again¡­


    This time, Vincent already knows that she wasn''t just swinging her white jade baton like an ipetent Celestial¡­ The baton seems to have an effect that makes his Pseudo-Celestial Energy unstable¡­ He can''t properly muster strength so he was heavily relying on his item skills right now.


    It may not sound bad but his Pseudo-Celestial Energy is actually very important in his battle at the moment. It naturally protects his internal organs, muscles, and skin after all.


    Without this, the shockwave or impact from each of his opponent''s strikes would be more painful to him. It will also disrupt his supply of Pseudo-Celestial Energy to his Armor!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Three more exchanges urred and Vincent failed tond a clean blow with his dagger strikes and cane strikes¡­


    Although the baton looks like it will break any moment now¡­ It actually seeded in disrupting Vincent''s energy flow as his armor was forcefully canceled.


    That''s right! The Source Cube: Protective Suit Mode was forcefully canceled! This had never happened before to Vincent.


    Celestial Number 85 found an opening and was about to stab Vincent in his heart! She seems to be nning to kill him simr to how Joran was hit¡­


    Vincent noticed this so he obviously can''t allow that to happen.


    "Hey! I can''t supply you with energy! Just use your own energy for now!"


    [ Understood. ] The Sentient Source Cube answered.


    Before his armor was even fully retracted, it suddenly started moving again and covering his entire body¡­


    The Celestial was shocked as she can''t believe that her n has failed just like that.


    "That''s¡­"


    "That''s cheating¡­ I know¡­ But it''s quite effective¡­" Vincent said with grin on his face.


    This time, he finally decided to use his Dagger''s third skill.


    Haunting Hymn¡­

 Chapter 554 Against The Celestials ( 6 )

    Vincent rarely uses the Haunting Hymn skill of the dagger¡­ Normally, it''s only used when he truly wanted to kill his target¡­ After all, it''s not cheap to use this ability.


    [ Haunting Hymn: In exchange for 120 durability points, the dagger can ignore the location and defenses of the marked target and pierce them precisely. ]


    That''s right! A staggering 120 points of durability will be lost in each usage of this ability!


    Nevertheless, Vincent decided to use it against the Celestial not because he wanted to kill her but because he knows that if he don''t make such a decisive skill, this Celestial might do some more tricks to disrupt his Pseudo-Celestial Energy flow¡­


    He can''t let that happen since he has limited Magic Tools that don''t require his energy to activate their skills.


    Luckily for him, Haunting Hymn only consumed durability points and not his energy¡­


    Buzzz¡­


    Vincent threw the dagger in his hands and the Celestial was ready to block it with her baton¡­ However, the dagger seem to have altered reality as it instantly pierced her chest!


    Celestial 85 eyes almost popped out after seeing the miraculous dagger throw that Vincent just did¡­ What was even scarier is that it actually ignored her Celestial Energy and directly attacked her body!


    It was too magical and not even the top brass of Creed of Eiqehin has this kind of ability.


    Aside from the power of corruption, her Celestial Energy had never failed her in defending her body¡­ Obviously, she can tell that Vincent didn''t use Corruption Energy from this strike¡­


    She can only guess that it''s a power that he had added in the Celestial Weapon through some high-level Inscriptions.


    "Haaa!"


    With a burst of energy, the dagger only pierced about 2 and a half inches into her chest before it was pushed away¡­ It wasn''t life-threatening but bleeding might lead to irreversible injury so she has to treat it immediately.


    She then swiftly stepped back to close the wounds¡­


    However, Vincent didn''t give her enough time to recover as several thorny iron vines dragged her feet into the ground¡­


    The Celestial was caught off guard by an unusual method of attack since she didn''t feel any strong Mana Fluctuations just now¡­


    However, because the thorny vines were only made of iron, they weren''t too difficult to remove especially for a Celestial like her¡­


    Thud¡­


    With a stomp on the ground, the area in her surroundings started disintegrating leaving a small crater behind¡­


    The iron vines were destroyed because of this but Vincent didn''t give up¡­ He used the Ironbark Cane''s Ensnare ability again to limit the movement of the Celestial¡­


    ''Now!''


    Vincent found an opportunity as he dashed toward the Celestial¡­


    The Celestial just disintegrated the iron vines and saw Vincenting at her with incredible speed. She had no choice but to face him head ¡­


    With a wave of her hand, the white jade baton shined for a brief moment before it struck the cane in Vincent''s hands¡­


    Crack!


    With the Crush Attribute of the Cane, the baton could not withstand it any longer. Just another strike and the baton will split into two!<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ugh¡­ That disruption again¡­" Vincent muttered as he felt his unstable Pseudo-Celestial Energy start showing signs of going awry again¡­


    Celestial Number 85 truly has an unusual method of dealing with him. Luckily, not all Celestials seem to be capable of doing this to him¡­ At the very least, he knows that those Celestials working for the ck Magic Organization weren''t capable of doing anything simr to this¡­


    His interest in her just grew stronger. He wanted to keep her or get her on his side and learn about her secrets¡­ He wants to formte a technique to counter this disruption method that she was using¡­


    The Celestial looked at her weapon and then at Vincent who seemed to be doing fine after all her ''sessful'' attacks.


    "You''re really persistent¡­ I can''t believe that you can fight me without releasing your internal energy¡­ Your Legendary weapons are too impressive."


    "You''re just unlucky¡­ Anyway, is this how you fight against the Maniptors in this country? Do you also use this kind of disruption to cut off their connection to their Automatons¡­" Vincent asked.


    "You''re correct¡­ It works against Mana Practitioners as well and it''s normally effective¡­ I''m really unlucky just like what you said¡­" She replied¡­


    "Alright¡­ I guess this was your final trump card. I don''t think you have anything more that can stop me¡­ So allow me to show a glimpse of my real ability as well."


    "Hmm? Are you telling me that the dagger that could alter space isn''t your trump card?"


    "Yes¡­" Vincent answered with a smile as he decided to pull out his other Sentient Arcana¡­


    "Tome of Gluttony¡­ It''s your turn now."


    [ What do I have to do? ]


    "Do everything you can to seal the Celestial¡­"


    [ Affirmative. ]


    The tome then floated beside Vincent and opened its pages¡­ The Celestial felt the deep and mysterious powering from the Tome as she had forgotten that Vincent can still attack¡­


    A series of Mana Bullets rained upon her and before she could dodge, she immediately felt the suppressing force of the Tome!


    No, it was sucking her as if it wanted to pull her inside its pages!


    It was such a scary thought that she poured almost all her strength to form a steady defense¡­


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Her body was hit by Vincent''s bullets but it didn''t end there¡­ Several Mind Techniques started attacking her!


    Soul Shake¡­


    Chaos Night¡­


    Fatal Mind¡­


    Three consecutive mind attacks disrupted her focus and she was unable to muster her strength¡­ Her Celestial Energy became unstable and in that brief moment of vulnerability, the Tome of Gluttony didn''t waste its opportunity and sessfully sealed the Celestial inside one of the pages of the book!


    The next thing she saw was that she was already inside an empty ce¡­ It didn''t take a genius to realize what happened to her¡­


    The Tome really took her as a prisoner inside its pages!

 Chapter 555 Against The Celestials ( 7 )

    Seeing that one of them has been sucked inside a small book, all the Celestials contracted to Joran gulped in nervousness¡­


    ''Is that even possible?''


    ''Perhaps it''s a dungeon inside a book?''


    ''It''s definitely a Magic rted to time and space¡­''


    Although they have seen a lot of magical things in this world, they have never seen a book create such a powerful vacuum force that seems to be capable of sucking almost anything.


    They could only guess what happened just now.


    It is just too scary. This unknown and mysterious power that they couldn''t understand put a big pressure on them as if they were just new people in this world. It was as if they just started learning about this ce¡­


    "Alright¡­ Joran has already died¡­ Our grudge against each other should stop here. Agatha, give these potions to others¡­"


    Vincent spoke after noticing that Joran''s life force was finally extinguished¡­


    His encounter with this man was a bit anti-climactic.


    Joran was severely injured by a bullet and was beheaded by Millie''s sword. There were no explosive fights, long-drawn battles, or even chasing phase as they ended his life in just a matter of minutes.


    It was quite understandable since he fought against the three finest warriors of the Star Garden Peak inside a small dungeon¡­


    Vincent then nced at the other Celestials especially the one with torn limbs as Agatha gave them potions to heal themselves.


    Luckily, Vincent saved enough potions for this situation¡­


    As for Nerissa, she was also cured and was already resting.


    After a while, Vincent walked towards Millie¡­ He nced at Joran''s body before throwing a towel to cover the corpse¡­


    "Are you alright?" Vincent asked Millie.


    "He died so easily¡­" Millie answered with a mncholic voice.


    Vincent shook his head and replied.


    "That bullet was quite painful¡­ He was conscious all the time and was suppressing the injuries caused by the bullets from spreading throughout his body¡­"


    "Really? Then I guess he heard what I said. He deserves it¡­ The only one left toplete our revenge is the Celestial¡ªNo, it was the whole Lucius n¡­ Because of their stupid tradition and honor, they sent that Celestial to kill all of us." Millie said in a soft voice.


    "That''s true¡­ But I wonder if Kiefer and the others already exacted their revenge¡­ I hope they''re doing fine¡­" Vincent muttered as he patted Millie''s shoulder.


    He hasn''t forgotten his childhood friends left in the kingdom. ording to Millie, they were still bearing their grudge and were looking for an opportunity to take vengeance.


    "They''re not only strong¡­ They''re also careful and smart¡­ I''m sure they''re doing just fine." Millie finally replied with a smile after recalling their friends.


    They survived the invasion of the barbarians and were captured so she can only hope that the group of friends was doing fine in the kingdom.


    After a while, everyone gathered together outside the dungeon portal. At this time, all the Crystal Snakes in the surrounding area were killed by the Celestials.


    "Is she already dead?" Suddenly, one of the Joran''s Celestials asked.


    She was Number 36 and she seemed concerned about her friend.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She''s fine¡­ You don''t need to worry about her¡­"


    Vincent then ordered Gluton to spit out the Celestial¡­


    Everyone then saw the book open up and summon out Celestial 85¡­ Thetter was disoriented and weakened but she was able to tell that she has returned to the surface.


    "W-what happened?" She can only say this as she kneeled on the ground. Her energy was unstable and her many years of umtion of Celestial Energy were gone¡­


    She barely has energy in her body and she couldn''t help but sigh in regret.


    The other three Celestial helped her and told her the situation. Vincent then gave a potion to Number 85 as well since she looks really pitiful.


    He wasn''t sure what she experienced inside the Tome but it must be horrifying.


    "Are you the leader of this group now?" Vincent asked Number 36¡­


    "Since Joran is gone¡­ We''re no longer a team. We can go wherever we wanted." Number 36 answered.


    "If that''s the case, I''m inviting all of you to join my team... You''re not nning to return to the Creed of Eiqehin and find other contractors there, are you?"


    The four Celestials looked at each other as they hesitated upon Vincent''s invitation. They looked at Luna and Agatha as if they could help them decide but they only kept their silence behind Vincent.


    Haa~


    Number 36 sighed as she decided to probe Vincent''s ns.


    "Since you already have two Celestial Beings working for you, adding another four might be difficult¡­ Joran is a bit different since he has natural talent capable of producing high-quality Blood Essence as long as he uses his absorption technique." She exined.


    "Ohh? So he has that method? I didn''t know that." Vincent nodded in acknowledgment before he continued.


    "I also have my own method to assist you. I think you''ve already noticed it as well. Although it was subtle, I''m sure you felt something different after drinking those potions¡­"


    Vincent said as the potions that he gave to them were only those with +8 Enhancement. Even if they are High-Grade in terms of quality, the amount of Celestial Energy recovery they''ll get would greatly differ if they drink +10 potions.


    "Now that you said¡­ I really felt a subtle increase in my Celestial Energy just now¡­"


    "Wait, did you mix Mystic Link Serum in your potions?"


    Numbers 36''s words immediately attracted their attention.


    "Is that even possible? There''s no way we can still find ingredients for the serum in this world."


    "Then there''s only one possible reason¡­"


    The Celestials looks at each other and they all had the same idea¡­


    ''He might have found Qheglena and retrieved the Serums there!''


    As they thought of this, they couldn''t help but nce at Vincent in a new light.


    Vincent had no idea what they were thinking but he knows that his message was sent to them¡­


    He has a method to let them recover their Celestial Energy¡­

 Chapter 556 Apostle

    After a while, all four Celestialspleted their contract process with Vincent¡­ They already introduced themselves to each other and Vincent realized that Joran didn''t give them any names at all.


    Anyway, he handed them one +10 potion each to immediately increase his "affinity" with them¡­ As soon as they consumed the potion, they finally felt happy about their decision to join Vincent''s group.


    After all, if they decided to find other contractors in this country or perhaps in the Creed of Eiqehin with which they are acquainted, it will take a lot of time¡­


    Seeing their shocked expression, Vincent couldn''t help but smile.


    "If you''re thinking that it''s rted to your Mystic Link Serum, you''re wrong¡­ This potion isn''t rted to it whatsoever¡­" Vincent said.


    "So you know about the serum¡­" Celestial 36 muttered as she looked at Vincent carefully¡­


    "The Celestials working for me mentioned it once¡­ In any case, that''s not important, I want to tell you that you can receive more of these potions once we return to our base¡­ I only have a limited amount of potions with me." Vincent exined.


    "That''s understandable¡­ However, shouldn''t we be moving now? This ce has been marked by the Creed of Eiqehin¡­ Once the other members have finished disrupting the Maniptors of the Star Garden Peak, they will certainlye here to assist Joran¡­ You should know by now that he''s an important member of the Creed considering he was able to contract six Celestial Beings."


    Celestial 85 said¡­


    "They''re nning toe here? How many are there? We already killed three others before you got out of the dungeon¡­" Vincent replied.


    "Among those three, was one of them using a huge scythe as a main weapon?"


    "No¡­"


    "I see¡­ Since you kill one team¡­ There are still other twelve teams on their side¡­ Each group consists of 3 or 5 members depending on the strength of the members. Each group is capable of defeating tinum-Tier Maniptors and they can escape or fight to a standoff if they faced Diamond-Tier Maniptors."


    At this point, Nerissa finally spoke.


    "Hmph¡­ We also mobilized our Diamond Tiers to deal with them¡­ Each of them is apanied by a group of Crystal Tier Maniptors so those people are probably dead by now¡­"


    Celestial 85 looked at her calmly before she replied.


    "I don''t think so¡­ Vincent just mentioned that you encountered one group¡­ It means that they escaped or perhaps killed the Maniptors chasing after them¡­ These people aren''t simple after all. They''re capable of using the power of corruption which ispletely different from the Bloodlust Ability of the Demonic Cult¡­"


    As she said this, she couldn''t help but look at Luna¡­ She previously felt the power of corruption from her Bloodstone Armament. Although she wasn''t attacked by the armament, she was able to feel the pressureing from it.


    It was simr to the power that Joran obtained after bing a member of the Creed. No, it can even be said to be stronger.


    If Joran has a Magic Tool to stop those bullets from piercing his body, he would certainly put up a good fight against Luna¡­ Perhaps, Joran can even control the power of Luna''s corruption against herself¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are you telling me that we will be defeated by your Creed? If not for the fact that our borders have to deal with the Demonic Cult and Barbarians at the same time, we would''ve eliminated all your people here¡­"


    Nerissa angrily said as she clenched her fist in anger.


    Vincent immediately mediate as he felt that if Celestial 85 answered her, Nerissa would just be angrier.


    "Calm down, Nerissa¡­ I know you hated them because they killed those three¡­ However, Celestial Beings normally don''t have this hobby of killing people¡­"


    Vincent then shifted her gaze to the four Celestials.


    "Right? You''re only ordered by Joran to kill them¡­ You had no choice, right?"


    Celestial 36 can certainly understand Vincent''s thoughts so she immediately nodded.


    "Well, we''re certainly ordered to do this. It''s also to protect ourselves since Diamond Tiers were really powerful¡­ They have automatons that could not be underestimated at all. However, you shouldn''t underestimate the power of Corruption as well. Not only physical objects, but this power can also affect a person''s mind and energy¡­"


    "Very well. We won''t underestimate them¡­ However, who was this scythe user that you mentioned?"


    "Her name is Phoebe¡­ You can say that she''s one of the Apostles of Eiqehin. Facing her might leave some casualties on our side. She''s not easy to deal with¡­ Our original n is to find her and recuperate under her protection."


    "Phoebe¡­ An apostle, huh¡­ Is she stronger than a two-digit Celestial?" Vincent probed.


    "I haven''t seen her use all of her abilities¡­ But if I don''t have anything with me aside from my Celestial Energy to stop her power of Corruption, then I''ll be in trouble. At the very least, I can only fight from a distance."


    "I understand¡­" Vincent answered as he looked at Nerissa who has now calmed down. He was considering whether they should wait here and eliminate some members of the Creed or just escape¡­


    He then recalled something and immediately asked the Celestials.


    "About the gate¡­ Where is it? What is it? Can it really not be stopped? Is it ordered by the Creed or you just wanted to benefit from the chaos?" Vincentid out all his questions¡­


    "Joran received an order from the Creed. The reason we agreed is indeed about the benefit it will bring us. After all, we''re already collecting Blood Essence for many years and we still can''t see the peak of our abilities¡­ It was too slow¡­" Celestial 85 answered with a sigh. All of them wanted to get stronger but it was just too difficult for them without the help of the serum.


    Number 36 then continued for her¡­


    "As for the gate, it is an altar¡­ It was alreadypleted a few days ago. The news that Joran will still have toplete the ceremony was leaked purposedly to ensure that no one interrupts the site of the ceremony¡­"


    "What?!" Nerissa was shocked¡­ She couldn''t believe that their Star Garden Peak had actually been duped by the Creed all this time!

 Chapter 557 Collection

    The Celestials then further exined the things they know about this altar and the ceremony that needed to bepleted.


    ording to higher-ups of the Creed, the otherworldly beings already have an anchor in this world and only needed to create a safe passage for them to enter this world¡­


    The Ceremony will do that job and as they speak right now, the otherworldly beings should be entering this world now¡­


    This news suddenly brought gloominess into the atmosphere...


    Celestials 36 sighed as she exined everything she knows.


    "However even if they get here, we heard that they will be weakened during their entry¡­ Just like how Celestial Beings like us have weakened a lot, those beings will simrly suffer from the abundant amount of Mana in the surroundings. Any non-natives would suffocate from the Mana they''ll breathe¡­ Adapting here will probably take two to three years¡­ If we can''t find them at that time, they''ll be difficult to deal with even with the help of Celestials."


    "Two to three years, huh¡­ Do you think Phoebe and the rest of the members of the Creed that were here are aware of the location of the altar they used?" Vincent calmly asked.


    He already heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that they still have some time. After all, if aliens really descended now, they''ll be in big trouble.


    "I''m not sure¡­ But I believe there is only a small chance that she knows¡­ After all, she was still sent here to the enemy territory¡­ No matter how strong she was, the higher-ups would certainly restrict this information from being leaked. Everyone knows that the Star Garden Peak is known for mind techniques¡­ Mind Reading and Hypnosis can be easily used by the Sages of this Organization¡­ If they captured someone¡­"


    Vincent nodded in understanding. Even if she didn''t finish her words, he knows that the Star Garden Peak will indeed be the best detectives if they captured the right person.


    Perhaps, the reason why the Peak believed that Joran was still in the process of opening the gate was because of this Mind Reading ability. It is also their bane if the higher-ups of the Creed know about this¡­ Perhaps, the Creed allowed some people to be captured and leaked a piece of false information in the process unknowingly¡­


    "I understand¡­ In any case, this is also our chance to deal with the members of the Creed¡­ Since they are scattered as well, this will be an opportunity for us. With our group, we can deal with anyone that wille here to save Joran." Vincent said with determination.


    He can''t just allow this enemy organization to leave this ce¡­ They have conspired against the whole of humanity and they must be stopped at all costs.


    If Vincent''s group leaves now, they might lose their best chance to kill the members of the Creed¡­ After all, these teams have also faced other Maniptors sent by the Star Garden Peak. They shouldn''t be at their hundred percent capabilities right now.


    Nerissa looked at Vincent carefully. He was indeed correct so she really appreciates his decisiveness in this situation.


    "Thank you, Vincent¡­ Don''t worry, if Sage Vivian noticed that we''re still staying here, she will give the order to scout this ce¡­ She might have even realized our ns by now. Once we returned, she will greatly reward you for such contributions¡­"


    Vincent smiled after hearing this¡­ He had long heard about this contribution system of the Star Garden Peak and he''s really interested in it.


    To be specific, he wanted a Cultivation Method that will allow him to reach the Diamond Tier!


    Although he already received the Skill Book for tinum Tier, there was no way he would miss a chance to obtain something even better. If killing the members of the Creed will allow him to acquire the technique, then he would dly do so.


    Vincent contained his excitement as he faced Nerissa seriously.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s good. Then, do you want to use this Rifle? You should''ve seen how powerful it was. With this weapon, I''ll be more at ease that you can protect yourself from the enemies."


    Vincent said as he gave one of his Rifles in his inventory¡­


    "Thank you¡­ I will use it well. Can you teach me how to use it?" Nerissa asked.


    Of course, Vincent agreed to this as he also gave two more extra magazines to Nerissa¡­ He also gave a few more magazines to the others since they already emptied their rounds a while ago.


    After a few minutes, Nerissa learned how to use the Rifle and the four other Celestials looked at her with a hint of envy¡­


    ''Do they want to use it as well? Unfortunately, I don''t have any rifles and extra magazines left¡­ I didn''t bring enough¡­'' Vincent mused as he noticed their gazes.


    He can only look away and browse his Interspatial Ring to see suitable weapons for the four new Celestials working for him¡­ Their weapons were destroyed or in extremely terrible condition so they aren''t really ready to fight.


    In the end, Vincent gave them a mix of Epic Grade and Pseudo-Legendary Grade weapons and equipment to increase their chance of survival.


    Unfortunately, since he''scking some decent items that he could hand over, they were only items that were previously Umon or Rare that were turned into their current grade by his System''s Ascension Ability.


    Although they look sturdy, they didn''t have the uniqueness of an Epic Grade or the mysterious aura of the Pseudo-Legendary Grade.


    It was quite deceiving¡­


    Nevertheless, when the Celestials equipped them, they were surprised to feel the hidden power hidden in these pieces of equipment.


    Vincent didn''t have the time to receive their praises as he spoke¡­


    "Alright¡­ I will set up a Formation Art in the surroundings to ensure that no one will escape from our encirclement."


    "I will help you¡­ I have learned a bit from Sage Vivian¡­ Ah! Before that, I have a question for these Celestials¡­" Nerissa said as she looked at Number 36.


    Her tone suddenly changed and her voice was firm¡­


    "Can you at least tell us why Joran beheaded those three Diamond Tier Maniptors? We can''t even make a proper burial for them¡­ Is it because he''s bearing a grudge or is this a tradition or maybe a hobby?"


    The Celestial didn''t answer immediately¡­ She looked at Vincent first and after seeing him nod, she answered¡­


    "It''s not a tradition or a hobby. The Creed is collecting the heads of Diamond-Tier Cultivators in an attempt to create a Sentient Magic Artifact¡­"

 Chapter 558 Ambush

    Vincent''s eyes widened as soon as he heard the Celestial''s answer. Simr to what Nerissa was thinking, he also thought that beheading those three practitioners was due to Joran''s vengeful spirit, or perhaps it was aplex he built after killing a lot of people.


    It''s possible that he won''t be satisfied until he could behead his enemies¡­


    But contrary to his expectations, it actually has a deeper meaning!


    It was to create a Sentient Magic Artifact!


    It was simr to the fourth stage or the final stage of his system which was the Item Awakening Ability. Vincent stopped in his footsteps¡­


    "I want to hear more about it but it''s not a good ce and time to discuss this¡­ Enemies might start to arrive. We have to be ready." Vincent said as he pulled out the Formation Cores he brought with him and started setting them up.


    He''s probably the one who was the most interested in this topic but he has to restrain himself.


    "This¡­"


    Nerissa wanted to ask more questions but after hearing Vincent''s reason, she can only give up. He was right, there has to be a suitable ce and time to discuss that. It''s enough to know that the Creed of Eiqehin has such thoughts about their Diamond Tier Maniptors.


    "It''s truly an evil organization¡­ They''re worst than the Demonic Cult¡­"


    Can they really create a Sentient Magic Artifact using the heads, or perhaps brains, of the Diamond Tier Maniptors?


    Wait¡ªMany other Maniptors had gone missing over the past few years¡­ At first, they were only Gold Tier and Crystal Tier with a few tinum Tier Maniptors¡­ It was believed that they died because of some powerful Magic Beasts lurking in the mountains of their territory¡­ What if they were actually abducted and taken captive to be used as subjects for this experimentation?


    Maybe because lower-tier Maniptors weren''t enough for the experiment, they''re now seeking the top cultivators of their country!


    Nerissa couldn''t help but shiver at this thought¡­ She recalls that the incident of missing cultivators started over six years ago and they keep increasing.


    There was no way that the Creed of Eiqehin only thought of doing this today¡­ It must''ve started long ago!


    After reaching this thought, her hate towards this organization grew even stronger. Her killing intent started leaking out but as soon as she noticed what she was doing, she immediately stopped and calmed herself.


    She looked at the rifle in her hands as she vowed that she would kill as many members of the Creed as she can.


    ***


    Vincent wasn''t aware of Nerissa''s thoughts. Nevertheless, he was able to guess a few things after sensing the killing intent that she momentarily leaked.


    He can only sigh as he continued setting up the Formation Art.


    Two of them were even the Field Sealing Formation that he had obtained from his Master Ignacy¡­


    With these two, he was confident that no one would be able to escape from them.


    "It''s done¡­ Let''s wait for them to arrive¡­" Vincent said as he looked at everyone.


    They are all looking forward to this operation. They may have different reasons but they''re certainly itching for battle.


    An hour had quickly passed and as everyone was starting to loosen their guards, they heard Millie''s soft voice¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I can sense five people with strong vitalitying from the southeastern hill¡­"


    Vincent then focused on the direction she mentioned and nodded.


    "Indeed¡­ They''re moving very fast¡­ Restrain your aura."


    After saying this, he couldn''t help but look in Millie''s direction. She truly has an incredible scouting ability¡­ Since they do not have a high-level Magician that has scouting ability, Millie''s skill was really helpful this time.


    It''s not that her senses exceeded Vincent''s or those of the Celestials'' but it was because she can specifically tell the difference in the energy fluctuations she was sensing¡­


    After all, even if Vincent can sense their mana or energy fluctuations, he wouldn''t naturally think that they were from human cultivators in this forest¡­ In the first ce, there are plenty of Savage Beasts and Magic Beasts around the area.


    There are also many precious herbs, treasure nts, and valuable stones that are emitting this kind of fluctuation¡­


    In short, Vincentcks a skill that allows him to properly identify the source of energy he was sensing.


    It didn''t take long before they heard some rustling of leaves as a group of people arrived not too far from the dungeon''s entrance¡­ It was a cave created by rocks and roots from the nearbyrge trees.


    Vincent felt a bit disappointed that Phoebe, the Apostle of Eiqehin, did not arrive. ording to the Celestials, Phoebe uses a huge scythe as a main weapon so seeing that everyone has swords tied to their waist, it seems that they to kill them as quickly as possible and wait again for another batch¡­


    ***


    "It''s safe here¡­ Let''s wait for Joran to arrive¡­" A hoarse voiceing from the leader of the group was heard as they arrived near the Dungeon''s portal.


    This group of five was from the Creed of Eiqehin and was waiting for Joran''s arrival.


    The leader held hismunication crystal and confirmed that there wasn''t any news he missed. Apparently, thest message they heard from Joran is that he was being chased by the three Diamond Tier Maniptors and had to enter that 23rd Dungeon to make his stand¡­


    Any group that was free or able to survive in their mission can consider helping him... After all, Joran can be considered one of the elders of the Creed since he has contracted not only one but six Celestial Beings¡­


    Everyone wanted to gain favor from him.


    As the leader was thinking, he heard his subordinate speak.


    "Leader, there aren''t any signs of battle¡­ It''s quite suspicious¡­" A young man with long hair spoke as he surveyed the area¡­


    "Isn''t that normal?"


    "Well, didn''t Sir Joran mention that he was being chased? Why isn''t there any traces of theirbat or movement techniques on the nearby trees and ground?"


    As soon as the leader heard this, he immediately realized the problem¡­ If what he said is true, then it really seems that someone erased the traces of battle or movement techniques used.


    They can even see the footprints they left behind¡­ Howe no traces were left by the two groups who came here earlier?


    The leader''s eyes widened as he suddenly heard a series of explosions in their surroundings¡­

 Chapter 559 Trap

    ''They''re smart¡­''


    Vincent wryly smiled after hearing their conversation.


    He must admit that they have really gone overboard in removing the traces of battle they''ve made¡­ Even the broken trees in the previous battle were covered by a Formation Art so no one would suspect that something was off in the surroundings.


    He didn''t think that being too good at his job would result in being discovered.


    ''Fine¡­ Let''s just start.''


    Since the members of the Creed have discovered a problem, Vincent has to eliminate them immediately. Initially, he wanted to ambush them once they started spreading out or when they put down their guard a little.


    However, he can no longer wait as he signaled for everyone to start.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The five of them immediately pulled the trigger of their rifles as a series of gunshots was heard. Each bullet has Pierce and Swiftness attributes so they are almost an unstoppable force.


    With the rifle''s burst mode, the group of five elites from the Creed of Eiqehin was rained by bullets¡­


    "Great Wyrm Shield!"


    The leader of the group activated his Magic Artifact¡­ It was his Vambrace and it''s capable of producing a huge barrier to cover his whole team¡­


    This is the reason why Vincent wanted them to be scattered before attacking. He knows that at least one of them has a magic tool that can protect the entire team.


    Nevertheless, Vincent still smiled seeing how slow their reaction was.


    The leader may have set up a defense immediately but the other two people on his team weren''t so lucky¡­ They have magic that can protect them from immediate danger but it wasn''t enough to stop the 100+ Pierce Attribute Points in each bullet.


    Two of them were on the ground, bleeding¡­


    They were shot in their bodies and wouldn''t have a hard time returning to the battle.


    After a few seconds, the noise of gunshots finally stopped as Vincent''s group emptied their magazines¡­ Right now, the Leader already has a pale face as he exhausted all his energy to maintain the shield¡­


    He even used the power of corruption to make the bullets brittle since he thought that he might not have a chance to use them. It consumed a lot of his energy making him look really weak¡­


    Nevertheless, his eyes didn''t lose their light. He''s still confident of winning¡­ After all, these powerful Mana Arts thrown at them must''ve consumed plenty of mana as well.


    He wasn''t the only one being drained but also their attackers¡­


    As soon as the attack stopped.


    The leader chuckled softly as he red in the direction of the bullets.


    "Hahaha¡­ Now that you''re exhausted it will be your turn to face the nightmare!"


    This was also a signal for his able subordinates to attack¡­


    Dark and eerie miasma suddenly started spreading¡­ It originated from the group of five and this miasma is getting thicker and thicker.


    "Die!"


    Their eyes started turning red as they push the limits of their abilities.


    They weren''t sure about the condition of theirpanions and they wanted to see their current situation. They might need quick medical treatment but they had no choice but to attack as they know that the enemies they were facing hade prepared.


    They can''t show any weaknesses at this point.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoossh~


    They released a dark fog that is slowly creeping up on their enemies. However, all the nts and trees it came into contact with would also start to decay¡­ This is certainly not a normal fog, it is the power of Corruption.


    Furthermore, the corruption abilities they''re using can affect the physical realm to such a degree it''spletely different from mind corruption that the other group had used against Luna before¡­


    Vincent''s eyes narrowed as he felt the dangerous threating at their side¡­


    "Hmph! Luna, take care of it¡­ All the Celestials will attack after Luna made a path!"


    After giving instructions Luna swiftly activated her Bloodstone Armament, the bane of all Corruption Energy users!


    Absorb Corruption!


    The red lighting from the Bloodstone was like a signal for the dark miasma to stop spreading and move in one direction¡­


    It was all heading toward the bloodstone like they were being sucked in!


    This surprised the members of Creed as they haven''t seen anything like this before. Perhaps, it''s possible if it was the Patriarch of their Creed doing this¡­


    Normally, people would avoid making contact with this miasma through a Mana Shield, Wind Mana Art, or Magic Tools that specialize in istion techniques.


    However, the one in front of them was charging forcefully at it as if the miasma doesn''t have any decaying properties¡­


    "T-this¡­ How is she doing this?"


    "I can''t control the miasma¡­ Are they also from the Creed?!"


    "Stupid, most of them seem to be Aura Knights¡­ Tsk¡­ Maniptors of the Star Garden can''t do this¡­"


    "Who are you? Do you know who you''re messing with?!" The leader asked in anger as his brain started thinking fast to decide their next course of action¡­


    No one answered on their opponent''s side but their presence remained hiding while the female warrior continued advancing¡­


    Realizing that the Miasma is ineffective, the team leader made another n¡­


    To escape!


    After all, they were ambushed and unsure about the number of enemies and the location of their Automatons. They were at a disadvantage so they can''t continue lingering here.


    At the very least, they have to move out of their encirclement and fight in a different location¡­ No matter what, they believe that their Corruption Abilities would win against any Mana or Soul Cultivators they''ll meet.


    As for the Maniptors, they were even more confident of defeating them since they have Mind Corruption that allows them to stop Maniptors from controlling their Automatons¡­


    "Ugh¡­ I¡­ I can''t move properly!"


    Suddenly, one of them realized something was off and alerted the leader.


    As the female warrior in front was nearing them, he tried taking a few steps back so he can retreat faster¡­ However, to his surprise, his movements are slowed, and his senses started declining¡­


    He could previously sense 40 meters in his surroundings but as soon as he tried spreading his senses again, he realized that he can only sense about 15 meters around him!


    The leader finally realized that they have truly gone inside a trap!


    "It''s a Turbid Cage Formation Art!"

 Chapter 560 Random Magic Tools

    The Turbid Cage Formation Art isn''t that rare and it''s normally used to trap Magic Beasts Beasts or even strong Savage Beasts¡­


    One of its key points is that it could hinder fast-moving targets and weaken their senses¡­


    As soon as they heard their leader''s words, they realized that they were indeed in a bad situation and they needed to escape from this Formation. Battling in this condition would just lead to their deaths.


    "Not good! We have to destroy this formation quickly!"


    "Control the remaining Miasma! We need to forcefully open a path!"


    They shouted almost in unison.


    The leader knows this as well as he replied impatiently.


    "We can''t! The Miasma is out of control¡­ It''s being absorbed by the female warrior¡­ Once she finished absorbing all, we will be a sitting duck... Stop releasing the miasma. Break the Formation Art with your Martial Arts."


    No one questioned his decision as they immediately circted the Mana inside their bodies. Even though they can use Corruption Abilities, they still have to learn how to use Mana since if they don''t they will also be affected by this corruption.


    As they muster their strength, strong energy fluctuations surrounded them as they unleashed their Martial Arts immediately¡­


    "Aakkk!!"


    "It hurts! There''s another formation!"


    Before they could release their Martial Arts that have the essence of Corruption, the ground suddenly started having abnormal behavior¡­ The ground turned soft as a pulling force started burying their feet. They immediately went out of bnce hastening their fall¡­


    Furthermore, iron vines started entangling their feet as if their enemies are worried that they wouldn''t get buried fast enough!


    The people they encountered this time are too ruthless!


    Two or three formation arts had actually been prepared for them!


    They wouldn''t normally be in a dire situation like this since they have special abilities. Corruption normally allows them to destroy this kind of Formation in less than a minute. However, the female warrior''s unique ability to absorb this energy made them helpless.


    It was the bane of their abilities!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The trapped members of the Creed had no other choice but to rely on their other techniques¡­


    They destroyed the Iron Vines with a bit of their corruption and then, they started firing Mana Bullets in the surroundings to find the key points of the Formation Art and to distract the female warrior from absorbing the remaining Miasma¡­


    Unfortunately, their Mana Bullets were useless since they were shooting aimlessly hoping to get lucky and destroy the key areas of the Formation Art.


    "Hmm? They''re disorganized¡­"


    Vincent realized that their enemies are already starting to panic¡­ He couldn''t help but smile as the pressure on their enemies was probably too much for them to handle.


    They have been caught inside a trap and Luna, who can absorb Corruption Energy, is just a nightmare for them.


    As Vincent noticed that the Miasma was about to run out, he noticed Luna tucking away the Bloodstone Armament¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    He immediately understood that the item just reached its limit¡­


    It can only absorb a total of 3,500 units of Corruption Energy after all. Once it reached that limit, Luna has to refine it to increase the capacity of her Bloodstone for its next usage. Refining it will take plenty of time so she can only hide the Bloodstone Armament for now and fight using her de.


    ''This is enough¡­'' Vincent thought as he nced at his team¡­


    "Luna! No need to get closer¡­ That''s enough¡­"


    Vincent immediately said as he controlled the Formation Art. Since the enemies can still fight, he has to be careful dealing with them for obvious reasons.


    Luna could only halt her movement and look at Vincent for a moment before retreating silently.


    "Alright¡­ Just trigger the long-range abilities of your items¡­ Use them as your target practice¡­"


    Vincent said with a smile as he strengthened the Sealing Formation around the enemies¡­


    Celestial 85, 36, and the two Unnumbered Celestials looked at their weapons and smiled. Indeed, these unassuming weapons have skills that they wanted to try¡­


    Nerissa, who was about to use her Automatons stopped for a moment as she looked at Vincent¡­


    ''Well, the situation is under control. I don''t have to be hasty¡­''


    With this in mind, she watches the Celestials y around with their weapons.


    While the members of the Creed were suppressed by the Formation Art, the Celestials activated their Magic Tools and used some very unusual mana arts¡­ It wasn''t simr to Elemental Arts and was quite unorthodox¡­


    No fireballs were flying around, not even stone bullets, or wind des that she normally sees in many Item Inscriptions in the country¡­ These magic tricks were something she looks down upon since almost all Automatons are immune to this level of attacks.


    The materials that were used to make Automatons were incredibly sturdy and has natural resistance against Elemental Mana Arts after all.


    ''Those are very unusual Item Inscriptions¡­ I''ve never seen them before.'' Nerissa muttered.


    Celestial 85''s dagger, or perhaps a ck knife, was capable of releasing an illusionary knife that can be used to attack.


    Nerissa had never seen something like that¡­


    On the other hand, Celestial 36''s gauntlet can use a vibration attack that could aim at their opponent''s magic tools! She had previously seen this kind of inscription on a Magic Artifact found inside a dungeon. It was something no one could copy at the moment. They believed that it was due to ack of key material that they weren''t aware of.


    It was quite surprising to see it here again.


    The two Unnumbered Celestials were simrly using some weird Inscriptions in their Magic Tools.


    One of them has a staff that can sprout some vines from the ground and tangles up its target. It wasn''t as strong as the Ensnare Skill that Vincent used but it was still quite decent.


    As for thest Celestial, she has two weapons with her. She has a short sword on her back and a bell in her hand. That''s right, at the moment, she was using the bell to create a powerful attack!


    Nerissa didn''t even think that it can be used as a weapon¡­ Nevertheless, she was rmed to see that each time the bell rang, the energy fluctuations of the enemies were in shambles!


    Although Celestial was also affected by the item skill, she has a stronger resistance thanks to her physical abilities so there was nothing to worry about!

 Chapter 561 Interrogation

    Nerissa noticed the w on thest magic item but it wasn''t important since the enemies have be more vulnerable to the others'' attacks.


    Even if the Celestial was suffering from her own Magic Tool, herpanions were still there doing more damage to the enemies.


    ''Well, all their Magic Tools'' abilities weren''t too scary if faced alone. However, if they''rebined with the others and the target can''t move, it''s definitely scary¡­''


    Nerissa thought as she observes the battle. If the members of the Creed weren''t trapped inside the Formation Arts that Vincent had set up, they would certainly have the ability to dodge the attacks or create a strong defense¡­


    Unfortunately for them, they were destined to die.


    "Leave the leader alive!" Vincent immediately shouted.


    The Celestials nodded in acknowledgment and stopped attacking as soon as everyone had copsed in the trap¡­ The leader was only exhausted and emptied his energy¡­


    They marveled at the sight since they were quite new to this kind of battle. Normally, they would charge with their weapons and rely on their physical strength and Celestial Energy to win every battle.


    With their speed and power, they could win almost every battle they faced.


    However, it waspletely different right now¡­ They took advantage of the Formation Art and used the Magic Tools that can be activated using their Celestial Energy!


    There aren''t many Magic Tools that can be triggered with Celestial Energy after all. They would normally require a high amount of durability which is quite difficult to find from low-grade Magic Tools.


    Clink¡­.


    At this point, Vincent pulled out the Subordination Impulse Potion from his inventory and gave it to Celestials 85.


    "Make the leader drink this potion¡­"


    "Got it¡­"


    The Celestial didn''t ask unnecessary questions as she acted immediately.


    After confirming that the four others were dead, she assisted the disoriented middle-aged man to drink the potion.


    It provided a weak healing effect enough to make the middle-aged man wake up. This time, however, the light in his eyes was quite different.


    Seeing that everything went well, Vincent finally approached them.


    "Tell us your name and identity including your reason foring here¡­" Vincentmanded.


    "I''m Belch, the 13th Squad Leader. We''vee here toplete the mission given by the Creed. It is to support Joran''s mission¡­" The middle-aged man answered without any hint of emotions.


    This time, Celestial 85 realized that she just fed the man some kind of truth serum. The other three realized this as well and couldn''t help but give Vincent a profound look. They weren''t new to this type of serum but they didn''t expect that Vincent would readily prepare this one.


    This young man was bing more and more mysterious.


    Vincent didn''t care about their reactions as he asked again.


    "Do you know about Joran''s mission?"


    "No, we aren''t allowed to know it. I''m only a Squad Leader that has never seen the main branch."


    "Fine¡­ Tell us how many squads were left in this region?"


    "Thest time I checked, there are still six active squads and a few survivors from others squads. There should be less than ten of these survivors."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmmm¡­ Six squads and remnant survivors¡­ The Sage must know about this. The members of the Creed might escape once they realized that something happened to Joran." Vincent muttered as soon as he heard Belch''s report.


    "Don''t worry about that¡­ We may not be using Communication Crystals but we have a method tomunicate with other people from afar." Nerissa said while patting her chest.


    "Can you do it now?"


    "Ehem¡­ I can only speak to Sage Vivian once she contacted me. It has an hour of cooldown¡­ so she''ll be contacting me again in half an hour."


    Vincent wasn''t too interested in how theymunicated so he only nodded and continued to interrogate Belch¡­


    Apparently, two more squads were expected to arrive here after two hours¡­ His squad was tasked to set up a formation art to hide the Dungeon Portal from Sky Vision and Divination.


    ''Oh?'' Vincent started digging for more information


    This time, he learned that the Creed was aware of the Sage''s abilities.


    They know that one of the Star Garden Peak''s Sages can use a technique that can observe ces from afar using some sort of Magic Artifact and divination techniques.


    With that in mind, they have brought anti-divination artifacts, traceless magic tools, and an Illusion Sight formation core¡­


    Unfortunately for them, they were toote to arrive and were still defeated by Vincent''s team.


    "Phoebe¡­ Do you know if Phoebe wille as well?" Vincent said after being reminded.


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing this. It was the Apostle of Eiqehin after all.


    "How strong is she?"


    This question attracted everyone''s attention. They all wanted to know the strength of a deity''s Apostle.


    Belch could only shake his head as he can''t answer the question. He had never seen her fight seriously before.


    "I can only say that she can kill me from a 100-meter distance using her special ability in a single breath. She had done it to one of the previous Squad Leaders and I witnessed it. That squad leader is as strong or maybe stronger than me."


    Vincent frowned after hearing this.


    ''She was that strong? Perhaps it was only a trick?'' Vincent thought.


    Within one hundred meters, he could sense Mana Fluctuations without straining his mind. He could exceed that distance when he maximizes his cirction of Pseudo-Celestial Energy and put a hundred percent of his focus on it. However, sensing is different than killing¡­


    Right now, aside from his Rifle and Astral Night Dagger, he doesn''t have any killing move at that distance¡­


    Although he has plenty of Magic Tools in his inventory, they were normally swords and staff which are suited for closebat¡­ Even the skills that he was getting from his Transcendence Skill don''t have a very long-range ability as seen from the skills that Celestial 85 and the others used.


    They had to get closer by about 10 to 15 meters before they can be affected by their weapon''s skills.


    Vincent sighed after realizing how tricky Phoebe can be but he didn''t give up¡­ He looked at Nerissa and smiled at her¡­


    "We''ll have to rely on your Automatons then¡­"

 Chapter 562 Spoils

    Vincent found a Deep Sleep Potion from Dianne''s collection of low-level potions and ascended it to a high-grade one¡­


    He then let Belch drink it since Nerissa wanted to imprison him instead of killing him. Well, they can''t let him meet the other members of the Creed since Subordination Impulse Potion isn''t omnipotent after all. Putting him to sleep is their only option.


    With the weird corruption ability, his fellow members of the Creed might find a way to remove the power of the Subordination Impulse without their knowledge. So it is safe to just hide him and send himter to the Eternal Sun Peak.


    Of course, before they did that, Vincent asked him to send a message to other squads that they are still waiting for Joran to appear and that they must hurry.


    "We have a few more minutes¡­ The two other squads will arrive at the same time. We can''t miss this opportunity¡­ Recover your Mana or Energy and silently wait for them in the positions I''ve mentioned. We no longer have any bullets so our battle n will change¡­"


    Vincent continued speaking as heid out his n based on their abilities.


    Once Phoebe showed up, Nerissa would have to deal with her using her Automatons and Luna will support her with her Bloodstone Armament¡­


    "Luna, are you done refining it?" Vincent asked.


    Her Bloodstone was filled to the brim a while ago and could no longer absorb any Corruption Energy¡­ She had to refine the contained energy to level up the Bloodstone and it shouldn''t take very long.


    "Almost done¡­" Luna muttered and after a few seconds, the Bloodstone Armament in her hands glowed for a brief moment before returning to its normal color.


    "It''s done¡­"


    "Let me appraise it..." Vincent said as Luna handed the item without question.


    [ Bloodstone Armament]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 2250/2250


    Corruption: 4550


    Description: A special stone that can corrupt anything except for the bound user.


    Bound to: Luna ( Celestial Number 80 )


    Remarks: Special Corruption Attribute found. Durability and Corruption Attributes will be upgraded in every enhancement. The Skill Effects will increase tenfold if used by a Specific Race. ]


    [ Skills:


    [ Focused Corruption: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the user can select 1 target to experience Corruption. ]


    [ Stagnation: By spending 1 Corruption Attribute, the selected area will experience Stagnation, a field-type Skill that affects the 30-meter radius of the user. ]


    [ Absorb Corruption: By spending 100 units of the user''s life energy, the Bloodstone Armament can absorb up to 4,550 units of corruption in the surroundings. ]


    "Impressive¡­ It increased by 30 percent¡­" Vincent muttered after seeing the result.


    Luna had actually increased its quality by a lot without the use of Enhancement or Ascension skills. It is still Legendary grade and a +10 item but the Corruption Energy it can release increased by more than a thousand.


    Needless to say, the amount it could absorb increased as well.


    Vincent returned the item to Luna.


    "Work together with Nerissa. Once we dealt with the others, we''ll help you." Vincent said.


    "I understand¡­" Luna replied.


    After a while, Vincent checked his energy units and confirmed that he still has enough to continue fighting.


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 2,300/3,600 ]


    Although his energy had decreased by quite a lot, it was still a huge amount if converted to Mana Units. He wasn''t worried that it wouldn''t be enough since he also has potions that could increase his energy if necessary.


    Furthermore, his abilities don''t use a lot of energy in the first ce. Activating Magic Tools is quite cheap and he only has Tier 1 and Tier 2 techniques that don''t consume plenty of energy.


    Vincent looked at the surroundings. The area around the portal seems like it was burned by a high-level fire technique. However, it was the power of corruption that did this¡­ The nts, trees, and grass decayed because of the miasma that the squad had released a while ago.


    Vincent can only cover it using the trickery of the Formation Art that he is in his possession.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Seeing that no oneing yet, Vincent decided to appraise the items that he collected from Belch''s squad.


    Although their magic items were in terrible condition because they resisted a rain of bullets, most of them survived in a critical state.


    To be specific, the magic tools that were destroyed are those that could release or control the Corruption Energy.


    He first grab the leather armor in his inventory and appraised it. Even if it was badly damaged, he can tell that it was once an elegant leather armor.


    "Appraise¡­"


    Ding!


    [ Appraisal has been sessful. ]


    [ You have discovered a Damaged Myriad Snake Leather Armor. ]


    Vincent then checked the appraisal result¡­


    [ Damaged Myriad Snake Leather Armor ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 20/420


    Magic Attack Resistance: 100


    Physical Attack Resistance: 40


    Description: A handcrafted leather armor made of Myriad Snakeskin and refined by Tinkerer Dust.


    Remarks: Magic and Physical Attack Resistance found. These attributes and Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skills


    Agility Enhancement ( Passive ): Movement Speed increases by 11% if worn.


    Agility Boost ( Active ): In exchange for 40 units of mana, the wearer will temporarily gain the movement enhancement of Myriad Snakes for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. ]


    There are five of these items one for each member.


    Vincent read the skill and realized that the Formation Art that he ced before was truly helpful. If no Formation Arts are trapping them, they would''ve certainly fled once they heard the gunshots¡­


    It would be difficult to stop them once they used this Agility Boost.


    Repairing magic items wasn''t his forte but he can certainly fix this after a sessful Enhancement or Ascension.


    He didn''t appraise the other four Myriad Snake Leather Armor and continued checking the leader''s ne¡­


    The ne''s string was made of ck string with a pendant made of wood¡­ It has ancient text marked on it. It looks quite ordinary and cheap.


    However, Vincent knows that it wasn''t simple¡­


    ''Tranquility¡­'' He read the text written on it before appraising the item.


    [ Damaged Wooden Ne of the Chosen ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 20/210


    Mind Attack Resistance: 350


    Description: A handcrafted wooden ne made of Fahran Sandalwood and refined by an Unknown Mystical Ink. It can resist low-level mind attacks and weaken mid-level mind attacks.


    Remarks: Mind Attack Resistance found. This attribute and Durability will be upgraded in every sessful enhancement. ]

 Chapter 563 Vincents Items

    "So high?" Vincent muttered after seeing the abnormal attribute points of the ne.


    The Mind Attack Resistance was actually 320 points!


    For a Unique-Grade Item, it was too high and it should be Legendary Grade +8 or even +10 to reach this number.


    However, the item isn''t only zero enhancements it also didn''t receive any ascensions¡­


    Perhaps, the only reason it was graded as Unique was that it doesn''t have any item skills and it has low durability.


    After all, he had seen a Unique-Grade item with active skill. However, this ne doesn''t even have one¡­


    As he carefully read the description, he can only think that it was rted to the Unknown Mystical Ink that was used to write the ancient word or character for Tranquility.


    Vincent looked at his surroundings before shifting his gaze to Millie. As he confirmed that the enemies weren''t in range yet, he turned back his gaze at the ne in his hands.


    After realizing that he has some time, he immediately started his enhancement and ascension¡­ Of course, since he already has Spirit Stones, he decided to use them to get a better result.


    After spending over a hundred Pseudo-Celestial Energy, he finally got what he wanted. Furthermore, his sessful ascension even added five more attributes and two passive skills!


    [ Wooden Ne of the Chosen ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 560/560


    Mind Attack Resistance: 680


    Cold Resistance: 140


    Evasion: 130


    Charm: 130


    Concentration: 80


    Luck: 5


    Description: A handcrafted wooden ne made of Fahran Sandalwood and refined by an Unknown Mystical Ink. It can resist low-level mind attacks and weaken mid-level mind attacks.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Skills:


    Meditation ( Passive ): Once the wearer is in a meditation state, injuries will heal 3 times faster. No mana cost. No cooldown.


    Skill Mastery ( Passive ): Attacks performed using Martial Arts will have 10% more damage. ]


    Vincent smiled after reading the skill effects.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This ne suits martial artists but of course, he would still wear it.


    He removed his current ne that creates an automatic mana shield for him and wore the Wooden Ne.


    Although the automatic mana shield helps him in an ambush or sneak attacks, it wasn''t as great as his Sentient Source Cube which could be auto-equipped¡­


    Since it has sentience, it''ll know if Vincent is in danger and would immediately cover for him. It is certainly better than the Mana Shield.


    As for wearing two nes at once, that wouldn''t be possible since it will create dissonance and none of the two will work.


    Unfortunately, he can only wear 18 magic items on his body.


    One headgear, one weapon in each hand, one ne, three body equipment, one arm equipment in each hand, two rings in each hand, one lower body equipment, and two more for his feet. That was a total of fifteen and as for the remaining two slots, they were his carry-on magic items like charms, amulets, and talismans that can be kept in his pocket.


    If he exceeded the number of his carry-on items, he would notice that it will be harder to use any of his Magic Items. But it doesn''t mean that he can no longer carry magic items while wearing all of these¡­ He can still carry them but he can''t wear them or Magic Dissonance will be triggered if he tries to activate them and the items will be useless. There is even a chance that the items will be destroyed.


    Of course, this number limit is only for him and it differs from other Mana Practitioners¡­ The number of Magic Items in their body seems to depend on how theypleted their Mana Baptism and obtained the Mana Body.


    As for earrings, he hadn''t tried them yet but it seems possible since he found earring magic tools¡­


    Vincent smiled as he checked his battle gear.


    His headgear can be a circlet, monocle, mask, hat, or others but he wasn''t wearing anything for that at the moment so he only has 17 magic items worn.


    His weapons right now were his [ ck Pistol +10 ] and his [ Astral Night Dagger +10 ].


    As for his body equipment, they were his [ Elegant Silk Shirt +10 ], [ Sentient Source Cube


    +10 ] and his [ Nightbane Robe +10 ] to top it off.


    His arm equipment can be a shoulder guard, bracer, gauntlet, or gloves¡­ However, he decided to wear [ Left Silver Dusk Glove +10 ] and [ Right Silver Dusk Glove +10 ]¡­ They were items he crafted to boost his Tier 1 Mana/Energy Gloves ability. It allows him to control his Pseudo-Celestial Energy smoothly, especially during magic crafting.


    As for his four rings, one of them is his [ Interspatial Ring + 8 ] which is on his right index finger. There''s also his favorite [ Brilliant Zeal Ring + 10 ] on his right middle finger.


    For his left hand, he''s wearing the [ Prudence Ring + 10 ] and [ Luminescence Ring + 8 ]. He was previously wearing his Sagewood Ring but decided to change it with the Luminescence Ring since the forest is getting really dark at the moment¡­ With this ring in his hand, it can be very convenient if they needed light.


    "This feels great¡­" Vincent muttered with satisfaction.


    After feeling the subtle change in his own aura, Vincent couldn''t help but smile as he recalled the effects of the ne. It has 130 Charm Attribute points and Concentration Attribute with 80 points.


    These two were the attributes that make some "visible" changes so he was able to easily tell that his ne is working. The 80 Concentration Attribute points allow him to add 20 meters to his Magic Zone or casting range, which is an incredible feeling.


    As for his charm, there was a subtle change in his Soul''s Aura which he can easily tell as a Soul Cultivator.


    Suddenly, Vincent heard Millie whisper as their wait is finally over.


    "Vincent, they''reing¡­ There''s a total of nine people¡­ One of them has very strong Mana Fluctuations. It must be the Apostle."


    ''Phoebe¡­'' Vincent said in his mind as he carefully spread out his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.

 Chapter 564 Phoebe

    "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Paige, the leader of the fourth squad, asked after seeing Phoebe stop walking.


    Her squad met up with Phoebe''s squad after killing the tinum Tier Maniptors that were chasing after them. She was initially nning to end her mission here but Joran seem to have made a mistake and was targeted by three Diamond Tier Maniptors and was trapped inside a dungeon.


    She had no choice but to assist in extracting the man¡­


    However, as they were following the path headed to where Joran was trapped, her instincts tells her that she should just give up and return to their base.


    As soon as they were getting closer to the dungeon, her instincts is telling her that something was off but she can''t find what was wrong¡­


    As soon as Phoebe stopped, she immediately asked her question as the Apostle might see something that she can''t.


    "I can''t sense the thirteenth squad ahead of us¡­" Phoebe suddenly said.


    Paige frowned at this as there could be a few reasons¡­ She wanted to extend her senses as well but unfortunately, she can only sense about 50 meters around her. It''s already quite an impressive range but it''s obviously not as great as the Apostle.


    She had no choice but to wait for Phoebe''s decision¡­


    "Should we observe the surroundings first? Let''s try to contact Squad Leader Belch again¡­" Paige suggested.


    All the other members weren''t just idling around and listening to their conversation as they already formed a defense formation to protect the two leaders at the center.


    There was no way that Phoebe would make a mistake¡­ If she felt something was wrong, then there must be one and they have to trust her¡­


    "I already tried¡­ He must''ve cut it off since there will be energy fluctuations once he activated themunication crystal. He probably found an enemy nearby and needed to hide." Phoebe tried to analyze but she still shook her head.


    She can''t sense any other people aside from some random Savage Beasts that were living here in the forest.


    "Did he perhaps enter the Dungeon? He probably couldn''t wait and was worried about Joran''s condition¡­"


    "There was no way he would be that brave¡­ If Joran can''t win against three Diamond Tier Maniptors with his six Celestial Beings, there''s no point making him a Deacon¡­ Belch must have encountered an enemy¡­ We don''t know if it''s from the Star Garden Peak or it''s the Guardian of this forest¡­" Phoebe replied.


    After a few moments, she continued.


    "Let''s move in an arrow formation¡­ Davy, get in front and use your heavy shield¡­"


    Finally, Phoebe decided to advance as she knows that she can''t just retreat aftering here. Even if there is an ambush or their ns werepromised and leaked to the enemies, it wouldn''t really matter if they were stronger than them.


    As an Apostle, Phoebe was confident that even if a Sagees forward to deal with Joran, she would be able to do something with her current level of strength.


    There was no way she would show weakness here.


    After two more minutes of careful walking, Phoebe was able to observe the surroundings better. The moonlighting from the gaps in the canopy of trees helped her notice the extremely hidden formation arts¡­


    These types of formation arts can not be sensed using normal Mana Sense but they would leave some markings where the mana flow changes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Did Belch and the others set up these formation arts?'' Phoebe thought as the 13th squad was indeed tasked to create a Formation Art to iste the dungeon.


    If they really arranged this, then it would make sense that she can''t feel their presence at the moment.


    ''Am I overthinking things?'' Phoebe mused as she looked at Davy in front. The man wasn''t just heavily protected by his Magic Tools but he also has a Mystic Eye that allows him to see abnormalities in the surroundings.


    If they were caught in a trap, he would able to sense it first.


    As Phoebe was thinking about how they should call the 13th Squad to inform them about their presence, Davy suddenly burst with mana as he activated his shield to the limit!


    Haaa!


    Without any warning, a burst of purple light came out of his shield and created a corrosive barrier. As soon as he triggered this, the Mana Bulletsing after them were immediately blocked and dissipated¡­


    Nevertheless, the rain of Mana Bullets continued¡­ From this, they can guess that they are facing 10 or more Magicians that specialized in this Tier 2 Mana Art. It neveres across their mind that only one person is firing these Mana Bullets¡­


    After all, each of them is packed with power and could easily break steal based on how the corrosive shield trembles each strike.


    At this point, there was no need to ask about the origin of their enemies as everyone realized that they were ambushed. Belch and the rest of the 13th Squad may be defeated by now or at worst, were already killed by the enemies.


    "Be ready¡­ Once they exhausted their mana, we''ll attack!" Phoebe said as she knows that the perfect time to attack magicians is when they were exhausted after casting some Mana Arts.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    To their surprise, the attackers weren''t stopping yet and the shield is already about to be destroyed.


    "Twenty Magicians? This is weird¡­" Phoebe muttered to herself.


    Although Maniptors can also cast Tier 2 Mana Arts because they are quite simple to do, she still can''t believe that they would use this low-level technique to deal with her, the Apostle of Eiqehin!


    They should at least bring out dozens of tinum Tier or a few Diamond Tier Maniptors if they want to kill her¡­


    As soon as they felt that the shield was about to break, the rain of Mana Bullets finally stop¡­


    Thud!


    Davy knelt on the ground as he exhausted his energy just now. Within this team, he''s second only to Phoebe when ites to energy capacity¡­


    Since he was already exhausted and had to kneel on the ground, they would be in deep trouble if another bombardment rained upon them.


    However, at this moment, looking at the surrounding grass, six figures of people came out of the grass¡­


    They surrounded them from different directions, the weapons in their hands flickering with cold light.

 Chapter 565 Against The Creed ( 1 )

    After surviving the sinister sneak attack from the ambushers, Phoebe''s team already pulled out their weapons and warily observed the surroundings.


    The people they saw appeared to be Martial Artists as they could barely feel their Mana Fluctuations. To be specific, the Mana Fluctuations seem to being from their weapons and equipment instead of their bodies.


    So they only guess that they are facing Martial Artists instead of Magicians.


    They are wearing simple leather armor on their bodies and they were ones that the Maniptors hated to use¡­


    At this moment, Phoebe and her team can feel the killing intenting from these people.


    ? "They don''t seem to be Maniptors¡­ However, don''t lower your guard¡­ Automatons might still appear." Phoebe reminded as she drew her scythe.


    Cold air started spreading in the surroundings¡­


    She remained at the center of the group waiting for the enemies to enter her range.


    "Hmm?"


    As she was observing the enemies, she realized that most of them were female and she couldn''t help but have a bad feeling about this.


    After all, if they weren''t just female knights or martial artists, they might actually be Celestial Beings!


    This may not stop her from fighting them but she may no longer be able to protect her squad members.


    "This is our chance¡­ Fourth Squad! Cast the Malevolent Miasma¡­"


    Seeing that all the enemies dared to show themselves, Paige knew that it was her only chance to surprise their enemies.


    Phoebe didn''t stop her from doing this and even signaled for her team to follow her instructions¡­


    Soon, a block fog started spreading in their surroundings.


    Vincent saw all of this and knows that it was faster and deadlier than the ones cast by Belch''s team. Nevertheless, he wasn''t worried about its lethality as he knows that Luna will do something about¡­


    Instead, he looked at Nerissa who was itching for battle¡­ She was perfectly hidden and ced her Automatons behind the members of the Creed to cut off the path they used to enter their Formation Art.


    That''s right¡­ Their opponent this time is already inside the Formation Art and it will be activated once Nerissa triggered it.


    Vincent left the Formation Cores to her since he has other things to do¡­


    Mana Drain¡­


    After standing at a perfect range, he was able to start using his touchless Mana Drain¡­ Since this Tier 2 Mana Art is already in a Perfected State, he can already use it on an area instead of a specific target.


    This time, he aimed to drain their mana from their feet¡­


    Apparently, the miasma affects his touchless Mana Drain so he has to avoid it.


    "Absorb Corruption¡­"


    Luna''s Bloodstone Armament glowed brightly and started sucking all the miasma that the enemies are spreading.


    Its bright red glow attracted the enemy''s attention so they immediately realized what was going on.


    "No wonder Belch and the others are defeated. They already found a way to counter this technique¡­" Paige muttered after seeing the miraculous ability of the magic tool that the female knight was using.


    However, her voice doesn''t contain a hint of panic as she even found it interesting¡­


    It was the same for Phoebe as she was observing their enemies¡­


    Although she wanted to immediately attack¡­ She knows that her enemies this time weren''t Maniptors who are relying on Automatons. She has to know the enemy''sbat style so she can decide what to do¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Try all your Corruption Techniques and see if they still have other tricks aside from that red stone¡­" Phoebemanded.


    "Yes¡­ That''s what I was thinking¡­ Everyone, don''t hold back¡­"


    As soon as Paige said this, everyone started releasing their Corruption Techniques¡­ These techniques were normally what they used when they were dealing with Maniptors.


    Focused Decay!


    Stagnation...


    Air Corruption¡­


    Mind Corruption!


    Mind Corruption!


    Mind Corruption seems to be the most casted ability as it wasn''t only fast but it was also effective against enemies that needed plenty of concentration.


    However, they suddenly noticed the difficulty in casting their skills. They felt slower than how they used to. Furthermore, the female warrior with the red stone dissipated these attacks again.


    "Turbid Air Formation Art? There are also a couple more Formation Arts¡­ It''s beguiling and trapping formation art¡­" Phoebemented after seeing the weakened and slowed attacks of the squad members.


    ''Do they think this is enough to fight against me?!'' Phoebe felt she was being ridiculed by her enemies¡­


    ''I guess I was being too careful¡­''


    With this in mind, she decided to act¡­


    Whoosh~


    With a wave of her scythe, a form of energy in a red crescent shape came out and destroyed the Formation Arts¡­


    Bang! Bang!


    Two Formation Cores were destroyed at the same time¡­ The powering from her scythe was too much and could easily destroy the Formation Art that was enhanced by Vincent''s ability.


    What she released seemed to be different from the Corruption Energy that the others were using.


    "Normal corruption energy is ineffective¡­ Use your weapons and martial arts!"


    "Hmm?"


    As Phoebe thought that it would be a lot easier for them once the Formation Art was destroyed, she realized that a stronger Formation Art or perhaps a stealthy Technique was draining their energy¡­ She couldn''t find where it wasing from and could only face the iing enemies.


    The female warriors drew their des and daggers as they surrounded their group¡­ At this point, the Miasma they released was already fully removed by one of the female warriors.


    She can tell that these female warriors weren''t targeting her and were focused on her subordinates¡­ It was a good strategy but it wasn''t enough¡­


    As soon as they charged forward, Phoebe also found her target.


    She targeted the one who had dissipated their miasma and was nning to kill her first. Once she did that, they can freely use the power of corruption again.


    A red light started umting in her eyes and as she was about to release the power of her eye, she noticed a projectile aimed at the back of her head. It was flying extremely fast and she had no other choice but to dodge...


    Her long-range attack was canceled as she realized that a group of Automatons have appeared behind them¡­


    She still can''t find the Maniptor controlling this but it didn''t matter.


    "There are weak Automatons behind us¡­ Destroy it first!" Phoebemanded as she can''t be bothered with it. They were mostly Silver Tier Automatons and using her Legendary Grade Scythe for it would be a bit too much¡­

 Chapter 566 Against The Creed ( 2 )

    Nerissa held her breath as she focused on controlling her Automatons¡­


    Since the automatons she''s controlling are only at Silver Tier, she can''t use the skill to see their perspective. It ispletely different from Gold Tier and above.


    It means that she has to rely on her own vision to fight against Phoebe.


    One of her Silver Automatons threw a silver needle only to be blocked by Phoebe''spanion¡­


    nk!


    The silver needle was stopped by a metal shield and only left a scratch on it. Seeing that the strike wasn''t that strong, the member of the Creed charged forward to destroy all the Silver Automatons.


    However, the Celestials didn''t stay idle as they have one job, to deal with all the squad members except Phoebe¡­


    Celestial 85 used the Illusionary Knife skill of his weapon again creating two flying knives heading towards the shield user behind the squad.


    Several Magic Items were activated at the same time to defend and attack but the members of creed were mostly using their techniques to block the attacksing from their ambushers.


    Vines started sprouting beneath their feet¡­ A bell was constantly ringing that causing problems with their energy and there is also a vibration attack that targets their weapons¡­


    This battle style feels like they were trapped by magicians instead of Maniptors¡­


    Paige realized that they are being heavily suppressed by the unusual attack pattern of the enemies but she didn''t panic¡­


    She pulled out a rare gem from her pocket.


    It was an amethyst and it is emitting suppressed cold fluctuations which are difficult to sense if you''re not touching it¡­ Anyway, this gem is dangerous she even has to use special gloves to hold it in her hands.


    ''This is worth 20,000 Mana Crystals¡­ I don''t want to spend it here but we don''t have enough time¡­ We need to find Joran and leave this ce quickly.''


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    Suddenly, Paige started putting pressure on the rare gem¡­


    It only took about 10 seconds topletely crush it!


    Bam!


    As soon as it was destroyed, a purple wave of energy spread throughout the surroundings¡­ It covered over 500 meters radius and it attracted dozens of Magic Beasts for a brief moment.


    However, as soon as they felt the weirdness of the purple energy just now, these Magic Beasts retreated and went further away¡­ No one dared to investigate at all.


    "This¡­"


    "All the Magic Items stopped working!"


    "Was that done by that pulse of energy just now?"


    "It appears so¡­ It''s interesting¡­"


    The Celestials noticed that the magic items in their hands suddenly stopped working. It was as if it was malfunctioning. They know that it wasn''t an ident as it all happened at the same time.


    Nevertheless, they could still feel that their leather armor that has magic attributes was still working¡­ They can still feel the magical strength of these items and the only problem is drawing them out.


    ''So you still have this trick¡­ You can actually restrict Magic Items from triggering their Active Skills¡­'' Vincent thought as he recalled the EMP in his previous life¡­ However, this time, it wasn''t electronics that were targeted but the Magic Items.


    This is the first time Vincent had experienced this kind of trick.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He immediately checked the items that he can''t use and realized that all his Awakened Items can still work¡­ His Sentient Source Cube and Sentient Tome of Glutonny are still active. Well, Luna''s Bloodstone is still working but it seemed to have been damaged as it decreased the speed of its absorption.


    The other unawakened items werepletely disabled which is a huge threat to normal magicians¡­


    "Impressive¡­ I wonder how long will thisst¡­" Vincent thought as he looked at the Celestials.


    He wasn''t worried at all since the Celestial Beings and even Millie weren''t Magicians in the first ce. They were all capable of fighting even without the magical abilities of their weapons and equipment.


    The Celestials are only using Magic Tools to see the limit of their enemies or to see how they would respond to it.


    Now that it was useless, it was fine for them to shift with their closebat weapon and use their Celestial Energy to fight¡­


    As soon as they released their energy, the members of the Creed trembled as their eyes widened in shock.


    "C-celestials!"


    "Those aren''t female knights¡­ They''re Celestials!"


    "Tsk! Why are they acting as if they''re Magicians?!"


    "Not good! Do not stop releasing the Miasma! We need to control the environment or we''ll be at a disadvantage!"


    The familiar energy fluctuations brought panic to their midst and they even failed to recognize that Millie was only a Grand Knight and not a Celestial Being. However, since she''s surrounded by Celestials and moving together with them, they also thought that she''s one of them¡­


    Furthermore, she''s also very attractive which is one of the requirements for being a Celestial¡­


    Vincent smiled seeing how the battle was going on¡­ Since the purple energy pulse stopped his Mana Drain, he decided to order the Sentient Tome to start working.


    Soon, the battle intensified as the swords and shields shed together.


    ***


    As the members of the Creed were thinking of intensifying the power of miasma they were releasing, the ground suddenly started to tremble¡­


    Without a word, they immediately jumped away knowing that there was an attack beneath them¡­


    Boom!


    A huge crystal coffin appeared¡­ or that was what it seems like¡­


    However, looking at it closely, it was the Crystal Automaton that was previously blocking the entrance of the dungeon.


    It had actually hidden underground and targeted Phoebe at such a crucial time¡­


    Luna had thrown a couple of daggers with Pierce''s attributes to get Phoebe''s attention¡­ Thetter waved her scythe to cut these daggers into two but the sudden appearance of the Crystal Automaton disrupted her movement and missed the daggers.


    Cling¡­ Cling¡­


    The daggers hit Phoebe''s bracers as she mockingly smiled at Luna¡­ She can tell that those daggers are incredibly sharp but corrupting their tip is more than enough to stop them from doing damage to her.


    She then looked at the Crystal Automaton and chuckled¡­


    "Not even a tinum Tier¡­ Pathetic¡­"

 Chapter 567 Against The Creed ( 3 )

    Nerissa gritted her teeth after hearing Phoebe''sment.


    ''Pathetic?!''


    With such a provocation, Nerissa felt annoyed. She decided to show her that she was not just any Crystal Tier Maniptor!


    She instantly circted her Mind Technique to the limit¡­


    At this time, she wasn''t only controlling the Crystal Tier Automaton but also a couple of Gold Tier Automatons!


    She didn''t want to do this since controlling two more Automatons would greatly affect her mind but she has to show that she was different!


    She''s Sage Vivian''s finest student!


    The Crystal Turtle spun extremely fast and headed toward the Apostle¡­


    At the same time, the two Gold Falcons that were previously perched on a tree flew above Phoebe¡­ After gaining some altitude, they dived toward Phoebe aiming to put a hole in her head!


    Phoebe sneered at the iing attacks¡­ She didn''t think too much of it as she even has the time to see the situation of her squad members¡­


    She can tell that they were at a disadvantage after the Celestials decided to fight in closebat¡­


    Luckily for them, the Celestials they were dealing with doesn''t seem to have Celestial Weapons equipped.


    It would bepletely different if they were equipped with one since none of their Corruption power will work on the Celestials¡­


    After all, the Magic Tools or any other items that aren''t Celestial Weapons couldn''t properly handle the mysterious force of Celestial Energy¡­


    Only Celestial Weapons can properly show the might of the Celestial Beings¡­ Without their true weapons or equipment that''s capable of utilizing the Celestial Energy, the Celestials were merely two or three levels higher than the Paragons in their eyes.


    Although they were extremely strong, it''s not to the point that they''ll be ughtered so easily¡­


    "Do not panic! I''m starting to gain the blessing¡­ It''ll take a bit of time but just hold on and I''ll deal with all of them at once¡­"


    Phoebe spoke with confidence calming the hearts of her subordinates.


    Their eyes lit up as they realized that they weren''t defeated yet.


    That''s right, they have an Apostle with them¡­ Someone blessed by a deity! There was no way the goddess would allow her blessed to die here so easily¡­


    After motivating the others, Phoebe used her right hand to catch the spinning Crystal Turtle¡­


    Thud!


    The spin was stopped abruptly creating a small shockwave¡­ Soil and dust flew everywhere as the force behind that spin was incredibly strong¡­


    At this time, Phoebe also looked above her and used her left hand to wave her Scythe aiming to cut the two falcons into two.


    Crash!


    With a single wave of her weapon, the two Gold Tier Automatons were destroyed¡­


    However, Nerissa actually didn''t stop at this as the Crystal Tier Automaton that had stopped moving suddenly expanded¡­


    She thought that it was only gigantification like other Diamond Tier Automatons could do but she immediately realized that something was wrong.


    "Y-you! Are you a bandit?!"


    Phoebe shouted in anger as she realized that the Maniptor working for the Star Garden Peak had actually dared to put explosives inside its automatons¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Putting self-destruction options on automatons goes against the principle of the Star Garden Peak and it is prohibited!


    Only bandits or renegade maniptors would do such a thing!


    This desperate action of her enemy angered Phoebe as she used her umting energy to iste the explosion¡­


    This umting energy was supposed to kill the Bloodstone User since it was annoyingly blocking threatening attacks from her subordinates¡­


    Corruption Techniques were useless with her around.


    Unfortunately, she had to change her n¡­ Dark energy covered the ballooned turtle¡­ Phoebe knows that she doesn''t have time to throw it. She can''t muster enough strength to send it away and could only use this method¡­


    Boom!


    A suppressed explosion urred as the dark capsule that was formed started trembling violently¡­ A crack even appeared and bright light appeared from it¡­ It was immediately closed but everyone could tell that the explosion that urred was barely controlled by Phoebe.


    Drip¡­ drip¡­


    After a while, blood started dripping on Phoebe''s right hand¡­ Though she controlled the explosion, her hand was injured¡­


    At this time, she already found where Nerissa was hiding¡­


    "Shameless! You have no honor!" Phoebe shouted in anger. She had never been injured like this before. Not even when she fought against a Celestial a few years ago!


    She waspletely in rage as she dashed towards where Nerissa was hiding¡­


    Vincent saw her predicament and he immediately ordered Luna.


    "Save her¡­ We''ll follow up once we killed all the others." Vincent said as he pointed his pistol at Phoebe''s squad members.


    He didn''t shoot it before since Phoebe was near them. With her skills, blocking his gunshots would be possible and it would be a waste of bullets¡­


    Now that she had left her position, Vincent would obviously take this opportunity to end them¡­


    Luna, on the other hand, did not hesitate to chase after Phoebe¡­ Even if the other members of the Creed saw this, they have no way of helping their leader since they were also surrounded by the closebat expert Celestials¡­


    They don''t even have the time to tap the power given to them by their goddess since a momentary distraction might cost them their life.


    "Die!"


    Phoebe shouted as she struck Nerissa''s figure with her scythe¡­ The de of the scythe was glowing with red light and thetter knew that once she was hit with this, it would end her life.


    Now that her Crystal Tier Automaton was destroyed, she can only use her lower tier Automatons to protect her¡­


    Nerissa was actually hoping that even if Phoebe didn''t die from that attack, she would at least be heavily injured.


    Unfortunately, that didn''t happen and only caused some light wounds on Phoebe''s right arm¡­


    ''So this is the power of an Apostle¡­ It was too strong¡­'' Nerissa sighed as she controlled her automatons to block the attack for her¡­


    Unfortunately, they were easily destroyed and couldn''t even stop the scythe for a split second.


    As she was expecting to be cut in half by the scythe, Luna''s figure appeared behind Phoebe¡­


    She''s holding a short de and if Phoebe continued attacking Nerissa, she would suffer from Luna''s sneak attack¡­

 Chapter 568 Against The Creed ( 4 )

    Phoebe ignored Luna behind her and continued her attack on Nerissa¡­


    Thud!


    Her scythe struck thetter''s body only to be stopped inches away from Nerissa''s neck.


    Even Nerissa seems to be shocked by this and thought that Phoebe had shown mercy on her¡­ However, she suddenly felt her que heating up.


    This que made of wood was given to her by her teacher, Sage Vivian, and was proof of her being Sage''s student. From the looks of it, this que could actually protect her from danger!


    She didn''t expect it at all!


    At this time, Phoebe also noticed the problem and wanted to swing her scythe again to split Nerissa into two. She knows that a stronger strike would break the trembling defense made by that que.


    However, she doesn''t have the time to attack once again. Luna''s de already struck her from behind¡­


    Pah!


    Her figure turned into a cloud of ck smoke and Luna missed her de. Only the Scythe remained floating with the cloud of smoke¡­


    It seems that she was relying on this technique so she wasn''t too worried about Luna''s attack.


    Nevertheless, Luna didn''t act too surprised and decided to follow the moving cloud.


    Her eyes didn''t blink as she calmly held her de with her left hand and the Bloodstone Armament in her right hand.


    As expected, this technique didn''tst very long as Phoebe''s figure reappeared after a few seconds¡­


    "Hmph!"


    She waved her scythe and blocked Luna''s attack this time with her scythe¡­


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    Three consecutive strikes were parried¡­ Then, Phoebe''s eyes glowed with red light but Luna''s bloodstone Armament lit up as well¡­


    Nothing seem to have happened but Phoebe''s hidden attack was just dissolved so easily by Luna''s stone. It was very frustrating since that was Phoebe''s fastest corruption attack as well.


    "Tsk!"


    Phoebe wanted to curse seeing that her attack was ineffective¡­ Luna''s item is truly a bane for Corruption Energy users like them. She knows that it should have some limitations but unfortunately, she doesn''t even know the name of this item.


    The most that she could do is to try and overload that red stone in Luna''s hands. However, she was worried that she would be too exhausted if she tried doing it. It would be great if she only needed to consume half of her energy for it to be overloaded but it would be a huge problem if it reaches more than that.


    Even if she managed to destroy the stone, the Celestial will certainly take advantage of her weakened state and she''ll be in huge trouble.


    At this time, Nerissa already collected herself and found an opportunity to attack¡­ Her Crystal and Gold Automatons may have been destroyed but she''s still keeping a few Bronze and Silver Tier Automatons with her.


    They may be extremely weakpared to her high-level Automatons but they could still cause trouble if they were controlled by her.


    To be exact, her Mind Cultivation Technique is quite special. She could actually make an exploding automaton even without using explosives used by the bandits.


    ''I can''t do this many times¡­ I have to wait for an opportunity¡­''


    Nerissa reminded herself as she controlled her Automatons to attack Phoebe¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, when Phoebe took notice of it and was thinking of destroying it, Nerissa would stop her automatons and let them linger around Phoebe¡­


    Making her automaton explode isn''t something she could do without paying a heavy price after all. If she felt that Phoebe would be unharmed, she would just halt her attack and find another chance.


    Furthermore, it was helping Luna as well.


    It may seem like she was doing useless moves but Luna was using the opening she was creating to attack with her short de¡­


    ng! ng! ng!


    Phoebe was frustrated as she can''t gain an advantage over Luna¡­ Her right hand is also hurting and Nerissa''s Automatons were also troubling her¡­


    ''You''re forcing me¡­''


    Now that she knows that Nerissa was as evil as the bandits, she would certainly expect that the other Automatons may explode as well.


    With this in mind, she no longer cared about the side effect of her forbidden technique and immediately triggered it¡­


    The Legendary Scythe in her hand suddenly start breaking apart as they revolved around her arms¡­ It was as if they gained sentience and started floating around her left arm.


    As Luna tried to use this as a chance to critically injure Phoebe, she realized that another force seem to have been summoned.


    Phoebe''s aura instantly changed and her left arm seem to have sucked all the power of the Legendary Scythe¡­


    Luna wanted to retreat since she felt something off about her opponent but the next thing she saw was a ck light passing through her¡­


    In the next moment, she saw Phoebe''s hands piercing her chest¡­


    Phoebe had instantly arrived behind Luna and used her hand to pierce through her Celestial Body!


    "Luna!"


    Vincent shouted filled with worry¡­ He already noticed that Phoebe had be incredibly strong simr to the Avatar of the magic god that he had seen previously.


    However, before she could warn Luna, Phoebe already made her move and struck Luna''s body¡­


    ''This¡­''


    Nerissa shuddered after seeing the extreme speed Phoebe had shown¡­ She only saw a ck light and Phoebe appeared behind Luna¡­ It was an instantaneous movement! It was at the speed of light! There was no way she could defend against that.


    Furthermore, the que given to her by her teacher had already lost its power¡­ She no longer has any defenses around her.


    Nerissa then saw Phoebe looking at her¡­


    She knows that she will be the next target but since she can''t follow Phoebe''s movement, she can only try and dy her¡­


    She gritted her teeth and released all her automatons around her¡­ After a few moments, she decided to explode them to create ayer of protection¡­


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions followed.


    Since she was only triggering low-level Automatons, it was a lot easierpared to the Crystal Tier just a while ago.

 Chapter 569 Against The Creed ( 5 )

    Phoebe was indeed struck by the explosion¡­


    She was supposed to appear beside Nerissa but the Bronze Tier Bat had exploded on that side¡­ Although she was able to protect herself, it at least dyed her from killing Nerissa.


    It pushed her away and Nerissa had the time to get closer to Agatha.


    Phoebe grunted after seeing two more Automatons beside Nerissa.


    As for Luna, Phoebe had already forgotten about her since she believes that she''ll die in just a few more seconds. After all, she was able to critically injure her and she also left the corruption seed in her body¡­


    In ten or so seconds, the Corruption Seed would devour Luna and she would experience an extremely horrifying pain until she dies. Phoebe wanted to torture her since she was extremely angered by that stone she was holding.


    There is no cure for this Corruption Seed once nted and it''s something that even the Creed of Eiqehin wouldn''t be able to stop¡­


    Even if Celestial Beings have incredible vitality iparable to other humans, they would still die if their main organs stopped functioning. It is one of the trump cards that she can only use once a day.


    ***


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Vincent shot his pistol and killed two of Phoebe''s squad members. The bullets that he used were all +10 and has three attributes each. After being distracted by the four Celestials, Vincent was able to find an opportunity to shoot¡­


    Since the Pistol itself has an uracy attribute of over one hundred, he was confident that he wouldn''t miss his target in a 100-meter range.


    Each bullet he fired was ten times stronger than a Grand Magus'' Mana Bullet.


    After confirming his kill, he immediately ordered Agatha to help Nerissa. He then shifted his attention to Millie.


    Millie will take over her position and kill the remaining members of the Creed together with the four other Celestials.


    After making this arrangement, Vincent runs towards Luna.


    "Luna¡­ Can you hear me?"


    She was in terrible condition¡­ She was bleeding profusely and the chest where she was struck was turning ck and it is expanding all over her body. He can also tell that Luna was in great pain seeing all her nerves bulge up.


    She could barely look at Vincent after hearing his voice.


    "You''re going to be fine¡­" He whispered.


    He pulled up a couple of High-Grade Health Recovery Potion +10 and poured it into Luna''s body. With this level of potion, it doesn''t have to be consumed and it will still work wonders.


    However, Vincent frowned after seeing that it only slowed down Luna''s suffering¡­


    ''What to do?!'' Vincent gritted his teeth as he looked around his Interspatial Rings¡­ After noticing that there are nothing there, he immediately switched to his System Inventory¡­ His eyes lit up as he found an answer.


    Without any hesitation, Vincent swiftly pulled out one of his precious cards¡­


    [ One Breathe Healing Card ]


    [ Description: A one-time use card that provides powerful healing to a target. As long as the target is still breathing, the card can restore its body to its perfect condition instantly. The card can only work on living beings. ]


    Vincent triggered the card with his senses¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ Are you sure you want to use the One Breathe Healing Card? ]


    ''Yes¡­''


    [ Please select a target. ]


    Vincent then focused on Luna and as soon as he selected her, the card in his hands shattered like ss and its pieces turned into hundreds of yellow lights before covering Luna''s entire body.


    Just like what the card said, Luna was instantly healed. The dark energy in her body retracted until it was gone and the hole in her chest was patched up immediately.


    Only her leather armor wasn''t repaired.


    However, it didn''t just end there. It seems that Vincent had underestimated this Healing Card.


    Suddenly, a powerful fluctuation of energy interrupted everyone¡­


    The energy was so powerful that all the beasts and animals within 30 kilometers felt the scary energy and started moving away.


    Phoebe was also attracted to this as she looked at Luna and Vincent¡­ There was no way Luna would just be healed in an instant and get stronger at the same time.


    She can easily guess that the man beside her did something to the Celestial¡­


    ''Howe this Celestial feels so different¡­ Is she a single-digit Celestial?'' Phoebe mused as she considered her next move.


    She was warned by her deity not to anger any of the single-digit Celestial and if possible, run away from them if she ever meets one.


    ''No¡­ She''s not a single digit¡­''


    The Celestial in front of her was definitely not a single-digit Celestial a while ago when she shed against her. It means that the man beside her must''ve used something to make her like that.


    ''Is it simr to a forbidden Hundred Breath technique? Is she only strong for a brief moment and dies after a hundred breaths?''


    Phoebe heard about a few forbidden techniques that draw the life of their user. In exchange for their life force, they would temporarily obtain incredible power to kill their opponents. There are many types of these forbidden techniques and the Hundred Breath Realm was the most popr one.


    In short, it should be a move that would only be used as ast resort.


    However, Phoebe felt uneasy about the Celestial''s temperament.


    The Celestial wasn''t in a hurry like she can maintain this power for a long time. It feels like she was even trying to get used to it as she clenched her fist and made a few punches in the air¡­


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    Each punch from her seems effortless but the wind around her says otherwise¡­ They can feel the power from each of those strikes.


    It doesn''t seem like she''s using a forbidden technique that could onlyst for a hundred breaths.


    Phoebe decided to ignore Nerissa and Agatha as she vanished from her spot and appeared behind Vincent.


    This time she decided to target this variable so she can control the tide of the battle again¡­

 Chapter 570 Against The Creed ( 6 )

    Vincent felt someone behind him and realized that Phoebe found an opportunity to attack him¡­ She truly had perfect timing since he wasn''t in a position to fight at the moment.


    However, that is only if he doesn''t possess Sentient Magic Items with him.


    In the instant that Phoebe appeared behind him, his Sentient Source Cube has already made its move. It started to cover Vincent''s upper body until his whole body was fully protected.


    nk!


    Phoebe''s strike was blocked by the sudden appearance of the armor. It appears that she was also trying to skewer Vincent like what she did to Luna¡­


    A glint shed in Luna''s eyes and her majestic Celestial Energy instantly tensed up. Luna had to be precise with her attack since Phoebe is too close to Vincent.


    In a blink of an eye, Luna was able to kick Phoebe''s shoulder throwing thetter away from Vincent.


    Phoebe was shocked after feeling the force behind that kick. She''s currently in her Blessed Mode and has gained tiny plenty of power from her goddess. She should have very stable energy and wouldn''t easily get hurt by a physical attack.


    Even the Bronze Tier Automaton''s explosion a while ago had only pushed her back and didn''t injure her at all. Bn


    However, that kick not only broke her defense but cause internal injuries as well. Her energy started trembling as if she would lose control of it in a moment.


    "Urghh¡­"


    Phoebe didn''t feel well as she felt some blooding up to her throat. She tried to suppress it but she still failed in the end. She spat a mouth of blood and looked at Luna dreadfully.


    Her kick just now was filled with Celestial Energy and even invaded her body¡­


    "Y-you¡­ You''ve fully recovered!"


    She muttered in disbelief. This is the only reason she could think of¡­


    In her previous state, not even Grand Knights would be able to wound her but just a single kick from Luna had reduced her to her current state.


    Vincent jolted after hearing Phoebe''s words.


    ''That''s right! It''s possible!'' Vincent thought as he recalled the healing card''s effect.


    He was also confused when Luna disyed an incredible fluctuation of energy. After all, she wasn''t as majestic as this just a few moments ago.


    However, after using the card, she wasn''t only healed but also recovered her true peak of power.


    Luna only smiled at their confusion as she targeted Phoebe again. This time, she would no longer allow her to tap the power of the goddess backing her.


    With her extreme speed, she was able to pummel her again and again until Phoebe''s Blessed State started weakening until it was gone¡­


    On the other hand, Luna was still filled with power and she wasn''t even using her Source Cube. It must be remembered that the third ability of the Source Cube was the Celestial Mode¡­ By using this mode, Celestial Beings would be in a state where they could even fight against 10 or so Xonid Creatures at the same time¡­


    Boom!


    Phoebe crashed to the ground near the remaining members of the creed. A small crater was created and Phoebe was left there filled with bloody wounds.


    "Apostle Phoebe!"


    "Leader!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Two of her squad members immediately went to her side ignoring everything else. As for Paige, she also arrived and stood beside the fallen Apostle and looked at Luna warily¡­


    She may not be able to win against her but she still has to show the spirit of their Creed.


    There are only four of them remaining and the other five have been killed.


    All of them weren''t in a good condition as well and were only able to survive until now since they''ve covered themselves with Corruption Armor as ast resort.


    Corruption Armor can also consume their life force but they have no other choice but to do this if they want to fight against the Celestial Beings.


    It was already good enough that they were able to survive for several minutes.


    At this moment, Vincent already knows that they have already won this battle.


    "It''s over¡­ Lay down your weapons and I''ll let you live." Vincent said as he scanned the surroundings. He wanted to interrogate them so it wouldn''t be good if they desperately attacks if they think that they couldn''t live anymore.


    If he tells them that they have a chance of living, they may not act rashly and think of cooperating instead.


    "Ha! We''ve killed dozens of Maniptors and a handful of Diamond Tiers at that. Do you think that Sages will let us live?" Paige answered mockingly.


    She wasn''t showing any signs of weakness at all. Although she probably knows that she can''t defeat any Celestials here, her bravery made Vincent admire her even for a bit.


    "Very well, I have no other choice but to use the other method¡­"


    With a wave of his hand, Luna and the others attack.


    They only left Paige and Phoebe alive since Vincent knows that they have a special position within the Creed.


    At this point, both of them were extremely exhausted and they could barely feel any mana inside their bodies.


    They were captured and tied by the Celestials. Furthermore, they noticed that they were tied with a special rope that constantly interrupts them from using their Corruption Powers.


    Well, Vincent has limited Subordination Impulse Potion so they have to find a proper way to disable the Creed members'' special ability.


    The robe binding them has an attribute of Chaos which makes it difficult for them to muster their internal energy, whether it was mana, aura, celestial energy, and others.


    Needless to say, this came from Vincent''s rope with Chaos Attribute.


    To be specific, he ced a Chaos Attribute on it by using a few of his Chaos Stones.


    "This is an incredible item, Vincent. Do you have more of these?" Nerissa asked after realizing the incredible power of the rope in her hands.


    "This is only one set I have¡­ If I managed to get more, I''ll definitely let you know." Vincent answered with a smile.


    These Chaos Stones were a reward from his system afterpleting some hidden quests years ago. It includes other attribute stones and he had barely touched them in his System Inventory because he was getting most of the attributes he wanted anyway.


    After a while, they interrogated Paige and Phoebe and confirmed they''re indeed sacrificial pawns to push ahead the ns to open the gate for otherwordly beings¡­


    ''We were still toote¡­''

 Chapter 571 Reward

    Five days had quickly passed and all the members of Creed of Eiqehin were either captured or killed by Vincent''s team. The other squads led by some tinum Tier or Diamond Tier Maniptors had also contributed and killed more than them.


    Because Vincent''s team dealt with Paige and Phoebe''s team, there weren''t strong opponents anymore and the victory of the Star Garden Peak was soon announced.


    There were plenty of casualties because of the Corruption Energy but thanks to Faviona''s presence, almost everyone who had arrived at the main peak in time was able to receive a pill that can cure their abnormal status.


    Although many have died on the side of the peak, there are more members of the Creed that suffered.  In any case, the Maniptors were still lucky since many of those who had almost lost their hope gained new hope after being brought to the Main Peak and receiving treatment from Faviona¡­


    "We''ve finally returned¡­" Nerissa said with a smile after seeing the Eternal Sun Peak again. She had never missed this ce until now.


    She looked quite dirty because they''d been living in the wilderness and she only wanted a nice long bath¡­ She then nced behind her but noticed that Vincent and the others weren''t too worn out like her. Although they also seem like they''d been in the wilderness, they looked cleaner and still filled with vigor.


    Vincent smiled at her and nodded.


    "Indeed¡­ I wonder what Sage Vivian thought of the Creed''s ns this time¡­" He muttered.


    After sealing Phoebe and Paige''s internal energy, they met up with a group of Gold Tier Maniptors who had epted a mission from Sage Vivian. They were supposed to help and resupply them with their needs but Vincent decided to send them back to the Peak together with their prisoners.


    Sage Vivian will decide whether she''ll kill Apostle Phoebe and Paige, or not.


    After entering the Peak, a few servants immediately assisted them and Sage Vivian allowed them to rest for two days¡­


    They have been really exhausted during this mission after all. Even if they were still quite strong and recovered their Mana, physical fatigue isn''t easily cured.


    At night, noticing that Vincent wasn''t asleep yet, Agatha could no longer hold it in and came to visit him.


    "What''s the problem?" Vincent asked after seeing the anxious Agatha. Although she''s a Celestial that doesn''t hide her emotions in front of her friends, she still wouldn''t show any sign of weakness in front of Vincent.


    Her current state piqued Vincent''s interest as he looked at her blocking the door of his room.


    He''s currently seated on his bed and was thinking of Transcending a few items to remove half of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    He was doing this at night since it would replenish anyway after waking up the next day.


    "Ehem¡­ I just want to ask a few questions." Agatha said.


    "Is it about Luna''s current state?" Vincent asked as if he could read what was on her mind.


    Agatha''s eyes widened after hearing this but Vincent smiled knowingly.


    Luna has indeed replenished her powers. There was no doubt about it. It wasn''t temporary and was aplete recovery.


    Her strength was incredible and even Agatha couldn''t fight against her equally¡­ The difference in Celestial Energy is just too huge. Although she has more energy capacity than Luna, what would be the point of it if she doesn''t even have a quarter of energy stored in it?


    As for the four new Celestials under his team, they had already seen Vincent as their hope. Recovering their strength through Blood Essence was just too slow.<novelnext></novelnext>


    If they followed Vincent faithfully and sacrifice their life for him, they might also get a chance to be healed like that!


    Agatha obviously had a much simpler thought as she directly asked Vincent.


    "Yes¡­ It''s about Luna, can I also receive that kind of special treatment? I''ll do anything for it." She dered with a serious face. Gaining back her peak strength is something that every Celestial Being here would want to obtain.


    She had investigated Luna''s condition and confirmed that there are no side effects whatsoever. It wasn''t a trick, forbidden technique, or ephemeral mana art. It was a genuine recovery magic that helps the Celestials achieve their peak strength.


    "Just tell me what I should do¡­" Agatha as her eyes trailed all over his body.


    Vincent may have seen it incorrectly, but she seems to be hinting at something more. Unfortunately, he can''t really help her.


    After all, he no longer has any healing card with him. He can only hope that he''d get rewarded again. Perhaps after 300 or 500 sessful Transcendence? He can''t tell¡­


    "That was myst healing card¡­ I''ll let you know if I have that again. Don''t worry, you''re Number 18, I know for a fact that recovering your strength is important for you and myself¡­" Vincent replied.


    "I understand¡­ You''re really a mysterious being, Vincent. More mysterious than the gods and goddesses of this world."


    With that said, Agatha closed the door and left.


    Vincent can only shake his head as he continued grinding his skills. He wanted to level up his Transcendence Skill to level 10 as quickly as possible¡­


    ***


    On the next day, Sage Vivian finally had the time to meet with Vincent again. The matters regarding the Creed of Eiqehin within their territory have been handled and their ce has be peaceful again¡­


    "Thank you for your assistance this time, Vincent¡­ Without you and your Celestial Being''s help, we would probably have more casualties on our side. Furthermore, Joran and Phoebe would''ve probably escaped¡­" Sage Vivian said as she weed Vincent to her residence.


    This time, she had decided to show her real self and not the projection.


    Vincent can finally sense her vitality so he knows that this Vivian is true.


    "Well, I''m also doing it for the rewards¡­" Vincent said straightforwardly.


    This answer made Vivian smile as she nodded.


    "You''re right¡­ You can look forward to it¡­ However, do you have any specific request?" She asked. Since Vincent wanted to talk about the rewards first, she didn''t mind it.


    Vincent didn''t hesitate to reply as he already thought of an answer¡­


    "How about a Diamond-Tier Mind Cultivation Technique?"

 Chapter 572 Plans

    Vivian smiled after hearing Vincent''s answer. She mentioned before that the Diamond Tier can only be provided to those members of the organization with enough contribution points. It also has to be approved by a Sage.


    Well, thest requirement is the most important thing¡­ Any Sage can provide this cultivation technique as long as they wanted.


    Since Vincent had truly helped them this time, she didn''t even bother asking him to be a member of their organization and just agreed to it.


    "Here, I know that you''ll request it¡­" Vivian said as she reach out to her ring and materialized a small crystal.


    She was also using an Interspatial Ring and it even seems that she was wearing two of the same rings¡­


    "Thank you¡­" Vincent replied.


    In his mind, he was actually curious about her rings.


    ''Does she have so many things in her that she needs two Interpatial Rings?''


    Vincent then shook his head as he removed his random thoughts.


    The tinum Tier Mind Cultivation Technique was written in a book but this time, the technique seems to have been stored inside a crystal.


    He wasn''t too new to this magic technology since he had seen the Knowledge Base Crystal in the ck Tower. He can only guess that this is a smaller version of that.


    He was right¡­


    As soon as he took it, he send a wisp of his mental energy inside the crystal and confirmed that it contains information about the Diamond Tier Cultivation.


    Furthermore, he didn''t even have to use his system''s Learn Skill as the crystal seem to have simr effects.


    After obtaining the knowledge he needed, the crystal crumbled into pieces bingpletely useless. He didn''t even have the time to appraise it.


    Anyway, Vincent was still happy as he learned the Diamond Tier Cultivation Technique¡­


    "Hmmm¡­ So I actually need plenty of Spirit Stones to train this¡­" Vincent muttered.


    "You''re right. That''s why our currency here is the Spirit Stones."


    "No wonder¡­ Ehem, can I also get some Spirit Stones¡­ The higher the quality, the better¡­ I''m willing to exchange it for some potions¡­" Vincent said.


    Last night, he had finished enhancing all the potions that he received from Dianne. He has more than fifty high-grade potions that are all +9 or +10¡­ Perhaps not all of them were popr but they are still high-grade potions that are rare to be seen.


    If he exchanges it here, they would certainly have more value.


    "That''s fine by me¡­ I''ll send one of my students to youter to discuss it¡­ However, I can still give you these as a reward."


    Vivian said as she took out a small box. She then opened it in front of Vincent to show what was inside.


    There, Vincent found fiverge Spirit Stones that have an incredible density of energy. Without appraising it, he can tell that each of them has a higher rank than a Mid-Tier Spirit Stone.


    "Are these High-Tier Spirit Stones? You''re giving this to me?"


    "Yes¡­ Thanks to you, we dealt with Joran. You even captured an Apostle and a high-ranking official of the Creed. Both of them were able to provide us with some leads about the bases of the Creed and their future ns regarding the descent of the otherwordly beings."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vivian said as she handed over the box to Vincent. Thetter was full of smiles as he looked at Vivian. He''s already excited to use these Spirit Stones.


    "Speaking of which, what are your ns now? Since the Creed''s task was basically sessful, are you nning to eliminate those otherworldly beings before they can strengthen themselves?" He asked.


    "If possible¡­ We''ll do that¡­ However, the Overseer is already taking action against them. Although the Overseer no longer cares about the lives of the Celestials, it is still doing its task toplete its mission¡­"


    Vincent was shocked after hearing this.


    "You know about the Overseer and his actions?"


    He didn''t expect this at all.


    However, Vivian shook her head and replied.


    "It was Teresa who had informed us."


    "Celestial Rank Number 2¡­ Teresa." Vincent wasn''t new to this name¡­


    "That''s correct. ording to her, the Overseer has some malfunctions and can only carry out thest few instructions given to it. As for the specific instructions, I wasn''t aware of it."


    Vincent sighed at this since this is also his impression of the Overseer. After all, the Overseer should be friends or at least serve the Celestial Beings so they can get back to their full strength.


    "It''s a good thing that he''ll do something about it."


    "Yes¡­ But we can''t really rely on him too much since the Overseer is alsocking some soldiers¡­"


    "Soldiers¡­ You mean the Celestial Beings?"


    "That''s right..." Vivian replied.


    Apparently, Sage Vivian is fully aware that the Overseer will take a Celestial Being that has reached at least 80% of its strength. The Overseer was even able to detect these Celestial Beings in any part of the world. He truly deserves his title as an Overseer.


    However, ording to Teresa, the Overseer doesn''t have many Celestial Beings right now and most of them were even Unnumbered Celestials.


    "That''s tough¡­ So we will still be expecting some of the otherwordly beings causing trouble to us in a few years. I hope they won''t be too strong."


    "Yes¡­ But I doubt that they''ll be weaker than Grand Knights¡­ So we have to find their hiding ce and we need to find a clue about their location by raiding the Creed of Eiqehin. It will be our mission. We''ve already contacted the Wisemen of Solomon''s Pir and we will be working together with them."


    "I see¡­ It''s a pity that the ck Tower is not in a good state to join your operation."


    "Indeed. However, the ck Magic Organization wanted to join but we refused. Their magic god is quite suspicious and we believe that it didn''t originate from our world."


    Vincent and Vivian continued talking about the situation of the continent and the various issues they''re facing¡­ From the way Vivian speaks, it was as if the end of this world ising.


    It was quite a scary thought considering the dungeon outbreak isn''t happening yet.


    Nevertheless, it was a very fruitful conversation for Vincent since he learned a lot of things. He even heard about Sage Vivian''s Divination Ability which helped her uncover a lot of mysteries in this world.

 Chapter 573 Confirmation

    Vincent thought that Vivian was only an Astrologist with incredible power but it was actually just one of her many skills.


    Apparently, Divination is still her main ability.


    It was a pity that her Divination ability would actually consume her life force so she can''t use it repeatedly.


    Nevertheless, this allowed them to learn about the threat that the Creed has on them¡­


    Although they ultimately failed to stop it from happening, they were able to dy the descent of the otherwordly beings.


    They also learned how long it will take before the real invasion starts.


    During this time, they will be able to prepare better Automatons and produce stronger Maniptors.


    After talking about this, Vivian recalled something.


    "Follow me¡­ You wanted to see the relics of our Kayser n, right?" Vivian said as they finished chatting about the dangers surrounding the continent and her abilities.


    "Ahh¡­ I almost forgot about that. Yes, you mentioned that the relics you''ve found made you sure that we have connections with the Celestial Beings." Vincent replied¡­


    He also gestured to the Celestials who followed him here to stay in the receiving room while speaking to Vivian.


    Luna and the others obediently followed his instructions as they stayed behind.


    "You''re right¡­ I can''t really exin it since there is nothing like those in this world so it''s better if you see them." Vivian said as she leads the way.


    They went further inside her residence. Vivian opened three doors before arriving in what seemed like a study room.


    There is a shelf filled with books on each side and a desk at the center of the room. There''s also a carpet made of a huge lion''s skin¡­ The ce looks normal to Vincent.


    However, Vivian sat behind the desk and pressed something¡­


    ''Oh¡­ A hidden room¡­'' Vincent thought as he saw the left shelf move a little. Vincent almost failed to notice it if it wasn''t for his sensitive vision.


    Vivian stood up then walked to that shelf and pushed a book with a brown cover. Soon, gears started turning and the shelf made a path. A tunnel came into Vincent''s view and he saw variousmps start lighting up¡­


    Vincent appreciates that Vivian is willing to show this to him and couldn''t help but give her an approving nce.


    They entered the deep tunnel and stepped on the stairs going down¡­


    After more than 10 minutes. They arrived at an extremely safe underground room¡­ Vincent felt more than a hundred Formation Arts around this ce and he believes that even Luna might have a hard time breaking through it without her weapon.


    "It wasn''t only the relics of the Kayser n stored here¡­ Some of the best Diamond Tier Automatons I have is here as well." Vivian exined after noticing that Vincent was curiously staring at the various Formation Arts that were arranged.


    Vincent''s eyes lit up after hearing this.


    The highest rank of Automaton he had seen was Crystal Tier¡­ In his opinion, these Crystal Tier Automatons were really good since they could store Mana as well. They weren''t just puppets that could fight in closebat but they could also release some Mana Arts.


    As for the Diamond Tiers, he was looking forward to seeing some of them. If possible, he wanted to appraise a few of them.


    Anyway, Vincent looked at the empty room and waited for Vivian to open another secret door. However, instead of opening a door, she deactivated a formation art instead.


    Suddenly, the empty room was filled with treasures¡­ Even the trapped energy poured out so he instinctively cast a Mana Shield on his body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, the energy that was released wasn''t harmful at all and it was even refreshing¡­


    It was some sort of concealing Formation Art that was removed.


    ''Incredible¡­ What a high concentration of mana¡­'' Vincent thought as he realized that the purity of mana here is denser than the one outside.


    It was quite a magical experience.


    It even feels like he was undergoing the Mana Baptism for a brief moment.


    "Are you alright?" Vivian asked.


    "Y-yes¡­ I was just surprised¡­" Vincent answered as he looked at the items on the floor.


    There were shelves and boxes inside. He can tell that all the items here are treasures.


    He also noticed a dozen of human-like automatons and even though they are inactive, Vincent can feel the majestic auraing from them.


    He was also surprised to see some kind of generator in his previous life at the center of the room. Vincent can guess that this is the relic of the Kayser n¡­ He wasn''t sure what kind of device was that but it seems like a modern power generator or some sort of engine to Vincent.


    However, what was even more surprising was the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber at the corner of the room!


    ''This¡­''


    He had forgotten about the relics of the Kayser n and immediately asked about the chamber¡­


    "Ehem¡­ Sage Vivian¡­ Are you aware of what this is?" Vincent asked pointing at the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber in the corner.


    "Yes¡­ I was told that it''s an item used by Celestials. I even thought that a Celestial Being was inside this thing but I was told that it''s empty."


    "Oh¡­ So it''s empty¡­ Why is it here and not being used by your Celestial?" Vincent asked. He assumes that the one who told her that it was empty was the Celestial Beings as well.


    Vivian smiled and answered.


    "It''s a Soul-Bound item. It can''t be used unless the Soul Link was disconnected. I''m not really sure how it works but it seems that the items of the Celestial Beings are all linked to their original user."


    "Ahh¡­ You''re right¡­ I forgot about it." Vincent scratches his head as he already knows of this.


    As a matter of fact, Tara would remove this ''Soul Link'' for Vincent so he can use Celestial Weapons and Armor.


    "Right, can''t you ask other Celestial Beings to remove the Soul Link so it can be used by other Celestials?"


    "Huh? Not even Teresa is capable of removing that¡­ She mentioned that it may be possible if they''re still in Qheglena or if the Number 1 Celestial is still alive. But right now, removing Soul Link would be extremely difficult."


    Vivian answered stunning Vincent for a moment. After all, she just confirmed that only Rank Number 1 can remove Soul Link!


    Then, why was Number 999 capable of doing it as well? Was Tara really a clone of Celestial Number 1?


    Vincent''s breathing quickened as he felt that he had truly confirmed Tara''s identity this time¡­ He couldn''t imagine that he was would be so lucky!

 Chapter 574 Treasures ( 1 )

    "You''ve confirmed this from Teresa?" Vincent asked again.


    "That''s right¡­ Unfortunately, she mentioned that the Number 1 Celestial has been missing since the First Rapture. No one knows whether she''s still alive or just in hibernation somewhere."


    "I see¡­ Thank you for informing me¡­ Right, is it alright for me to purchase it instead?"


    Vivian didn''t immediately answer as she felt that this Celestial Chamber is still valuable to her. Although she can''t use it right now, it is still an item with great research value¡­


    After a few moments, she probed Vincent.


    "What are you willing to pay in exchange for this Celestial Chamber?"


    ''If the price is right, then it might be fine selling it.'' Vivian thought.


    On the other hand, Vincent was amused by its name.


    ''Celestial Chamber? What a fitting name¡­'' He thought.


    Since he''s already nning to sell his potions for Mid-Tier Spirit Stones. He only has a few options left.


    "I''m thinking of paying you using Legendary-Grade Items¡­ If possible, I can even help you to further enhance or strengthen your Automatons."


    After hearing thest part, Vivian looked at Vincent in surprise. Legendary Items may also be important to her but improving their Automatons would certainly bring more benefit.


    After all, the designs of Automatons have has been around for centuries and they have barely made any improvements. Each high-level automatons are extremelyplicated to make and changing some materials from what was in the blueprint may cause malfunctions or greatly weaken it.


    It''s not asplicated with lower tier Automatons but those in tinum and Diamond Tier were basically unimproved for the past centuries. The most improvement they could do was only change their weapons and add something to their external appearance.


    Tinkering their internals is almost prohibited.


    "Are you also a Magic Technician?" Vivian asked with great interest. Their engineers need several decades of experience to craft automatons. Looking at Vincent''s appearance, she can tell that he''s probably only in his early twenties.


    "No¡­ I''m not a Magic Technician¡­ I''m a beginner Magic Craftsman but still, I have this talent for enhancements¡­"


    Vincent learned that the Star Garden Peak''s craftsmen distinguished themselves differently from normal Magic Craftsmen. They call themselves Magic Technicians since what they''re making ispletely different from normal magic tools. The principles and engineering involved greatly separate them from the traditional magic items.


    "Talent for enhancements? Hmm¡­ I guess it''s better to see it then¡­ I''ll lend one of my Automatons to you. How many days do you need toplete your improvement?" Vivian asked.


    "I canplete it overnight¡­" Vincent replied confidently.


    "Really? Then let me see it first¡­ How many Diamond Tier Automatons can you enhance in exchange for the Celestial Chamber? I won''t be requesting any Legendary Items as long as you enhance our tinum Tier and Diamond Tier Automatons¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ How many Automatons are you thinking?" Vincent asked instead.


    "How about this, we have 10 Diamond Tier Automatons in our Eternal Sun Peak and 20 tinum Tier Automatons... Can you help me enhance all of them?"


    Vivian replied after thinking for a moment.


    On the other hand, Vincent shook his head.


    "Isn''t that a bit too many? Although I can do it, it will take a lot of time. It''s not even possible to remove the Soul Link as you said. I can only use it for research purposes."


    Although he can certainly help her enhance that number of Automatons, he wouldn''t work that hard if the price is not right.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well¡­ Don''t you think that it''s worth the price? I heard from Nerissa that you can use the items of Celestial Beings¡­ There was no way it was possible unless you have a way of removing the Soul Link. I know that you won''t just use it for Research." Vivian said with a smirk on her pretty face.


    "Ah¡­"


    Vincent finally recalled that Nerissa indeed saw him use his Astral Night Dagger and Celestial Armor. That basically confirms that Vincent has tricks up his sleeves regarding the Soul Link.


    He miscalcted that and could only sigh¡­


    "Ehem¡­ It was still a bit too much since I''ll be enhancing 30 Automatons¡­ Once I''m done with one of them, you can appraise it and you''ll realize who they''d greatly improved."


    "Fine¡­ Let''s talk about the number of Automatons tomorrow after you work with one. For now, I''ll let you check the relics here... I won''t be introducing them to you since you have appraisal ability, right?"


    Vivian said. In any case, she barely has any information about these relics since most Appraisal abilities and tools won''t work on them.


    "Very well, let''s go with that¡­" Vincent said as he stepped forward to start inspecting the relics.


    He first went to the one that caught his attention. It is the device at the center that he couldn''t figure out.


    It seems to be a modern item with intricate machinery that can be seen through the damaged part of the device. Perhaps, if not for the Formation Art that is maintaining its appearance, this item would''ve rusted long ago.


    Vincent touched the item and triggered his Appraisal Skill.


    [ Do you want to Appraise the item? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Ding!


    [ You have discovered a Damaged and Iplete Subspace Rebounder Node. ]


    [ Damaged and Iplete Subspace Rebounder Node ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 80/2,000


    Description: The item is 73% Damaged and has 10% Missing Parts. A device that creates Subspace Rebounder. It requires six nodes to function. Once the nodes are gathered together, it can create an energy field that rebounds any form of energy into a slightly different angle. Hidden effects will be revealed once the item ispletely fixed.


    Remarks: It is a special item. Ascension and Transcendence Skills may have different effects on the item. Sessful enhancements will increase the item''s durability and effects. ]


    "Whoa¡­"


    Vincent was impressed after reading the appraisal result¡­ He first noticed that the item is only unique but it originally has 2,000 durability pointsparable to most defense-type Legendary Items.


    It was a pity that it has missing parts so it can''t be fixed by simply fixing its durability¡­


    Nevertheless, as soon as he saw the remarks, he felt that there is still some hope in this item.

 Chapter 575 Treasures ( 2 )

    Of course, Vincent doesn''t own this device so he can''t really experiment with it. He also doesn''t have ns to take it from Vivian unless he could use his Automaton Enhancement Deal on it as well.


    After all, he would only be exchanging his mana, or perhaps his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to enhance the automatons. It can be replenished naturally so he wouldn''t lose anything.


    Anyway, this item doesn''t seem to have any rtion to the Kayser n¡­ It was quite interesting to know that the n has this as their heirloom or relic.


    ''If I''ll make a guess, this item should be part of the spaceship¡­ It should be a node ced at the surface or external part of the spaceship that can blockser bullets or something¡­'' Vincent let his imagination run wild he imagined the majestic space battle that the Qheglena had before.


    After a while, Vincent shook his head to erase his random thoughts and checked the other device that he found.


    [ Damaged and Iplete Advanced Miniaturization Device ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 60/4,000


    Description: The item is 83% Damaged and has 15% Missing Parts. A device that can miniaturize objects. It has an unknown Object Compression and Dpression Technology. It is made to help save space. Hidden effects will be revealed once the item ispletely fixed.


    Remarks: It is a special item. Ascension and Transcendence Skills may have different effects on the item. Sessful enhancements will increase the item''s durability and effects. ]


    It has a ridiculous limit for its durability. This is the first time Vincent had seen anything like this at all. Aside from that, Vincent didn''t think that it was a valuable thing at all. With his Inventory Slot and Interspatial Ring, it''s not that usable for him.


    He then appraised another item.


    This time, it was finally the item that seems to be rted to the Kayser n.


    [ Damaged and Iplete Bloodline elerator ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 50/2,800


    Description: The item is 63% Damaged and has 5% Missing Parts. A device that can awaken a human bloodline potential through a Gic eleration Sequence. It has blood samples inside that havepletely dried up. Hidden effects will be revealed once the item ispletely fixed.


    Remarks: It is a special item. Ascension and Transcendence Skills may have different effects on the item. Sessful enhancements will increase the item''s durability and effects. ]


    ''Bloodline elerator¡­ These are indeed items that are way out of its timeline¡­''


    There was no way that the magicians of this world that couldn''t even properly make sustainable electricity would have such an advanced mechanical device.


    The people here are still heavily relying on transformed Beast Cores or Energy Stones to provide power so there was no way their technology would advance this much.


    ''So this is what she used to find our origin?''


    Vincent can guess that Vivian found the blood samples inside the device and perhaps, she connected them to the Kayser n.


    She also mentioned other ancient texts she found in the dungeon, so it must be really true¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''However, it''s still a pity that I can''t be a Grand Magus¡­'' Vincent sighed since there is still a defect in their Kayser Bloodline. Although they are really made to help the Celestials, it stilles with a price.


    However, after recalling his Diamond Tier Cultivation Technique, he still felt a lot better.


    He continued appraising other "unusual" items and confirmed that they were precious devices that can probably be found inside a spaceship¡­ There are Serum Stabilizer, Part of Psyonic Shredder, Adamantium Armor, Advanced Deflector Nodes, and others.


    Of course, all of them are damaged and iplete. It seems that the early members of the Kayser n had collected plenty of these things hoping that they have some value.


    Unfortunately, it is destined to collect dust in their treasury¡­


    "It''s difficult to put a value on them, right? Only when you read the texts I''ve found will you think otherwise¡­" Vivian suddenly said after noticing that Vincent just finished appraising those items.


    She even seems nning to show it to Vincent.


    "Indeed¡­ however, I don''t have the time to read those texts¡­ I trust your decades of research about it. Ehem¡­ In any case, can I appraise the Diamond Tier Automatons here as well?" He asked.


    "Of course. Take your time¡­ I''ll even give you one of them. Even if you haven''t trained your Cultivation Technique yet, since you''re a Kayser, it will be easy for you¡­ In a short decade, you''ll certainly reach the Diamond Tier."


    "Thank you¡­ But am I going to get it for free?"


    "Haha¡­ Of course¡­ That''s my personal gift to you¡­ The five high-tier Spirit Stones were a gift from the Eternal Sun Peak."


    "I appreciate it¡­"


    Hearing this, Vivian waved her hand and replied.


    "Don''t mind it¡­ It''s not like you know a Magic Engineer that can help you make an Automaton. The ones you can buy on the market are only Iron Tier to Crystal Tier¡­ so you''ll need my gift."


    Vincent nodded at this as he indeed would have a hard time finding a suitable automaton.


    Anyway, he proceeded to appraise the Diamond Tier Automatons.


    [ You have discovered a Dormant Diamond Sword ve Automaton ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Sword ve Automaton ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 1950/1950


    Energy: 12,000/12,000


    Description: A dormant automaton that requires a certain level of Mental Energy to activate. It requires a very strong connection to Mental Energy to continue its operations. It is mainly made from Refined Arcane Alloy, Arcane Diamond Dust, and ten Virtue Crystals as its core. It uses thirty Energy Cores as a source of energy. It is made by Magic Technician Airi Kayser.


    Replenishing its energy requires mana. It can naturally absorb Mana Crystals or receive Mana through Mana Transfer of Mana Practitioners.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. The Automaton can''t be used during a dormant state. ]

 Chapter 576 Vincents Choice

    "Eh? It''s her again?" Vincent muttered softly after seeing the name of the magic technician who created the Automaton.


    "Did you say something?" Vivian curiously asked.


    "The Magic Technician who made this is Airi Kayser¡­ I already heard of her name before. To be specific, I appraised an Iron-Tier Automaton she had made before. I didn''t expect that she can actually make a Diamond Tier."


    "Oh? An Iron Tier made by Airi? Was it an Iron Sparrow?"


    "You''re right¡­ it''s indeed an Iron Sparrow I received from Ronan, the one who escorted us here¡­" Vincent exined.


    "I see¡­ That was one of her favorite Automatons¡­ She probably made over ten thousand of that when she was still learning. It''s quite difficult to make a small flying automaton so it''s a very good automaton to practice her skills. That was over 40 years ago¡­ I didn''t expect that they''re still around."


    "Is she still around?" Vincent asked.


    ording to Vivian, there are only six members of the Kayser n excluding him¡­ She only mentioned that the other five are all Diamond Tier Maniptors but their specific jobs weren''t mentioned at all.


    "Yes, she''s still alive¡­ She already stopped making Automatons and maintaining her own peak. Right, it''s the Great Forge Peak in the eastern region, you can visit her if you have time. I''m sure she''ll be happy to find another Kayser."


    Vincent nodded as he noted it at the back of his mind.


    "Certainly¡­ Are all of these Diamond Tier Automatons made by her?" Vincent said as he looked at the dozen of humanoid Automatons.


    "If you''re asking about the Diamond Tier Automatons she made by herself, there should be three more of them¡­ As for the others, she made it together with other Magic Technicians. You don''t normally make high-tier Automatons by yourself¡­ Senior Airi just has plenty of time."


    "Oh¡­ Now I''m curious¡­" Vincent muttered as he continued appraising the dormant automatons.


    Apparently, all three Diamond Tiers that Airi had made were all Sword ve with different variations.


    Based on their appearances, one of them uses dual des, another one was a great sword and thest one uses a rapier.


    Aside from the swords that are "installed" on them, they could also use other people''s weapons which is quite amazing.


    Vivian further exined that these Automatons could basically execute plenty of actions with a singlemand.


    The Automatons aren''t sentient yet but they somehow possess a lower tier of Artificial Intelligence which makes them really convenient to use. As long as you have enough Mental Energy, they could really work wonders.


    Vincent then appraised the one that was made in coboration with other Magic Technicians.


    [ You have discovered a Dormant Diamond Brawler  Automaton ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Brawler Automaton ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 2900/2900


    Energy: 17,000/17,000


    Description: A dormant automaton that requires a certain level of Mental Energy to activate. It requires a very strong connection to Mental Energy to continue its operations. It is mainly made from Refined Phantom Alloy, Arcane Diamond Dust, Myriad Basilisk Bone Powder, and ten Virtue Crystals as its core. It uses twenty Energy Cores as a source of energy. It has an imprint of six Magic Technicians.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Replenishing its energy requires mana. It can naturally absorb Mana Crystals or receive Mana through Mana Transfer of Mana Practitioners.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. The Automaton can''t be used during a dormant state. ]


    "So the ones made through the coboration of other Magic Technicians is a lot better¡­" Vincent muttered after seeing therge difference in their durability and energy capacity.


    "That''s right¡­ However, the ones made by Airi alone have a special ability that she can only ce if she''s working alone. Well, you won''t be able to see it if it''s in a dormant state¡­" Vivian exined.


    "That would make sense then¡­ After all, they are all Diamond Tier Automatons so they shouldn''t have a huge difference in strength right?"


    "Well, it''s all aboutpatibility with the Maniptors¡­"


    Vincent nodded at this as he continued with his appraisal¡­


    "How was it? You can select one. I''ll give it to you as a gift." Vivian said after seeing that Vincent had finished examining all the Diamond Tier Automatons.


    Vincent needed some time to consider what Diamond Tier Automaton he would choose. It was unfortunate that he can''t see their special skills because of their dormant state but anyway, he decided to just select one of Airi''s creations.


    Although they have lower Energy Capacity and Durabilitypared to the ones made by six Magic Technicians, Vincent can feel that there is something different from them.


    "I''ll select this Automaton¡­" Vincent said as he ced his hand on the ck and silver humanoid automaton with a rapier as its weapon.


    Vincent then looked at Vivian to see her reaction.


    ''It seems I made the right decision¡­'' Vincent thought after seeing Vivian''s expression.


    She looks d at his selection and it even seems like there was a hint of understanding on her face as if she was expecting it.


    "Is it alright to choose this?" Vincent spoke again.


    "Ahh¡­ Of course, it is. I''m sure that Airi would be happy if she saw you using this Automaton. I hope you train your Mind Cultivation Technique as quickly as possible."


    Vivian said to encourage Vincent in his cultivation.


    "I will¡­ I''m also excited to use this Automaton."


    "Then go ahead and store it in your ring¡­"


    Vincent did what he was told¡­


    Then, Vivian also took the remaining Diamond Tier Automatons¡­


    "You''ll be enhancing themter. I''ll send them to your room once I''ve seen the result." Vivian said.


    Vincent paused for a moment processing what she just said. After a few seconds, Vincent understood that it was about their deal a while ago.


    "I thought you''ll be testing me first with one Diamond Tier Automaton?" Vincent asked.


    "Heh¡­ I know that you''ll be surprising me so I''ll be bringing these Automatons now so I don''t have to get back here. You can also take the Celestial Chamber with you¡­"

 Chapter 577 Diamond Tier Automaton

    Vincent''s eyes lit up.


    "I''ll take the Celestial Chamber then¡­"


    Without any hesitation, Vincent immediately went to the corner and stored the Cryogenic Sleep Chamber in his Inventory.


    It was as if he was afraid that Vivian would change her mind.


    "Alright¡­ Use my Automaton in your first enhancement. I''ll see the result tomorrow. If you need more time, just let me know." Vivian said as she revealed her Automaton.


    It is a female automaton that seems to be quite simr to a maid¡­


    ''A battle maid? I wonder who made it¡­'' Vincent mused. He didn''t expect that Vivian would have this kind of hobby.


    In any case, he immediately epted the Automaton¡­ He also appraised it very quickly to see what kind of automaton is this¡­


    He then discovered that it is not a Dormant Automaton. Thanks to that, he can finally see the special ability of this specific automaton.


    [ You have discovered a Diamond Pdin Automaton ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton ]


    [ Quality: Pseudo-Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 2200/2200


    Energy: 14,000/14,000


    Description: An automaton with bnced offensive and defensive abilities. It requires a very strong connection to Mental Energy in order to continue its operations. It is mainly made from Refined Crusader Alloy, Arcane Diamond Dust, Night Pearl Power, and ten Virtue Crystals as its core. It uses twenty Barbarian Energy Cores as a source of energy. It has an imprint of four Magic Technicians.


    Replenishing its energy requires mana. It can naturally absorb Mana Crystals or receive Mana through Mana Transfer of Mana Practitioners.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. The Automaton has established a connection with Vivian Kayser. ]


    [ Skills:


    Barbaric Roar: It uses 100 units of energy to activate. The Barbaric Roar can paralyze its targets within a 30-meter range and induce fear. During the state of fear, the targets will see the Pdin Automaton as a fearsome being.


    Phantom Dash: It uses 200 units of energy to activate. Upon activation, the Automaton''s speed increases by 200% within 10 seconds. It has a cooldown of 5 minutes.


    Pdin Mode: It uses 3,000 units of energy to activate. The Pdin Mode canst for 10 minutes and during this time, it can fight alone using a set ofmands that have been imnted in its Virtue Crystals. A strong connection with Mental Energy is required during the process.


    Phantom Mode: It uses 1,000 units of energy to activate¡­


    Guard Mode: It uses 500 units of energy to activate¡­


    Scout Mode: It uses 500 units of energy to activate¡­


    Gentle Maid Mode: It uses 400 units of energy to activate¡­ ]


    "So it''s really like this¡­"


    Vincent muttered. He realized that although the Automatons weren''t sentient, they really do have Artificial Intelligence. Their "Mode" phase, doesn''t require precise control since once it was activated, they would simply follow a series of instructions that was "programmed" in their Virtue Crystal.


    Aside from the Modes, they could also perform special skills simr to item abilities that can be found in Magic Items¡­


    After a few moments of not speaking, Vivian realized what he was doing and asked.


    "How was it?"


    "Ah¡­ I was impressed. It has plenty of modes you can choose from."


    "Yes¡­ Isn''t it amazing? With its Pdin Mode, even a Grandmaster Martial Artist would have to take it seriously¡­" Vivian exined.


    Grandmasters were only below the Paragons so Vivian certainly has confidence in this Automaton.


    "It''s very useful indeed. No wonder Magic Tools here weren''t so popr¡­"


    "Well, Magic Tools can still be useful as long as they have some inscriptions that allow the Automatons to activate their imbued abilities. Without that specific inscription, the Automaton will just use these Magic Tools as blunt objects or something¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ahhh¡­ That certainly makes sense¡­" Vincent nodded. Automatons weren''t living beings after all. So they can''t activate Magic Tools if they don''t have proper ''programs'' installed on it.


    "How about if the Magic Tools have Passive Abilities? Those that don''t require activation to trigger its effects¡­ Can the Automatons use them?" Vincent asked.


    "Ahhh¡­ It''s possible to use them¡­" Vivian replied. She seems like she wanted to add more but decided to just let it be.


    Vincent nodded at her answer as he finally understood how the Automatons work.


    Vivian then put the Automaton in Dormant State before Vincent stored it in his Inventory¡­


    The two then left the underground facility and returned to their residence.


    Vincent was excited to start enhancing them but he was first invited to eat. It''s been a while since he ate some decent food so he decided to join everyone before returning to his room.


    He checked his Communication Crystal and confirmed that there is still no message from Turhan and A. They have previously entered a dungeon and they should be training their Automatons there.


    At the moment, he can only hope that they''re doing fine.


    He then turned his attention to the Automatons in his room¡­


    He checked his Pseudo-Celestial Energy units and confirmed that he still has plenty.


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 2,542/3,600 ]


    With this amount, he shouldn''t have any problems upgrading two Diamond Tier Automatons at once.


    He first started with Vivian''s automaton.


    He ced his palm on top of its head and triggered his Item Enhancement Skill.


    [ No Enhancement Stones found. Do you want to Enhance this item with Pseudo-Celestial Energy? ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +0 ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Ding!


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +1 ]


    ''Alright¡­ Continue.''


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Sessful. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    [ Enhancement Failed. ]


    "Hmmm¡­ It''s harder than I expected." Vincent mused as he saw that the enhancement had failed three consecutive times even though Automaton is only [ +4 ] at the moment.


    He would normally encounter this problem at the sixth enhancement so he was quite surprised. This shows that Diamond Tier Automaton is really a highly-rated item.


    "Let''s see how tough you are¡­" Vincent felt more excited enhancing this item as he continued.


    After more than 15 minutes and spending over 350 Pseudo-Celestial Energy, Vincent was finally satisfied with the result.


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +9 ]


    Although he can''t make it into a +10 item, he believes that this is more than enough since he''ll still ascend and transcend the Automaton.

 Chapter 578 Transcendence

    "Phew¡­ That was costly¡­" Vincent muttered as he decided to drink his Mana Recovery Potion¡­ It also replenishes his Pseudo-Celestial Energy but at a slower rate.


    After this, he immediately started the Ascension of the Pdin Automaton.


    Since it is Pseudo-Legendary Grade, a sessful Ascension means that it will be Legendary Grade and get additional attributes¡­ Once it had be Legendary Grade, any further sessful Ascension would just increase the units of Attributes or get an additional Attribute itself.


    Sadly, it won''t turn into a Mythic Rank item¡­ Perhaps it requires Ascension Crystals to do that or there must be a hidden requirement that he''s still unaware of¡­


    Vincent took out his High-Tier Spirit Stones before pausing for a moment¡­


    ''No¡­ I don''t need to use this¡­'' He said in his mind before putting it back.


    Instead of High-Tier Spirit Stones, he decided to just use Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­ At the very least, Low-Tier Spirit Stones guaranteed two additional attributes after a sessful enhancement.


    [ Ascension Crystals found. Do you want to Ascend this item with Mana? ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +9 ]


    "Yes!"


    As soon as Vincent answered, there was a moment of dy in his system before he saw the result.


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    Vincent wryly smiled after seeing the result. He wasn''t too disappointed since the item''s quality is already high.


    It is already Pseudo-Legendary Grade Automaton¡­ Nevertheless, he knows that the sess rate would increase a little the more he tried to ascend it.


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    Finally, after the sixth try and spending six Low-Tier Spirit Stones, Vincent was able to sessfully ascend the item. He didn''t even use his Pseudo-Celestial Energy for this¡­


    "Good¡­ Let''s try one more time." Vincent said as he wanted to add another attribute to the item.


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Failed. ]


    [ Ascension Sessful. ]


    This time, since it''s already Legendary Grade, the sessful ascension simply added another attribute and increased the existing attributes.


    After being satisfied with the result, Vincent proceeded to Transcend the item.


    This time, he doesn''t have any Magic Beast Cores he can use as Transcension Crystals so he knows that he''ll be spending most of his Pseudo-Celestial Energy to get a satisfying result.


    [ No Transcendence Crystal Found. Do you want to Transcend this item with Pseudo-Celestial Energy? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    [ Transcendence Failed. ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +9 ]


    [ Transcendence Attempt: 1/5 ]


    [ Remarks: If all 5 attempts failed, the item will be destroyed. ]<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vincent helplessly smiled after seeing the result. Since he doesn''t have a Magic Beast core, the sess rate wasn''t that high¡­


    He then checked his Transcendence Skill again and pondered for a moment.


    [ Item Transcendence Skill Lv7: Sess Rate: 35% ]


    "A 35% sess rate, huh¡­" He muttered as he viewed the information about the Transcendence Crystal.


    [ Transcendence Crystal: Provides an additional 50% chance of sess. ]


    Vincent bit his lips as he only has 4 attempts left¡­  It would be 85% if he has a Magic Beast core but at the moment, he doesn''t have one. He can probably get some of them in the market for a fair price¡­ However, these Magic Beasts Cores are really expensive.


    "Let''s try 2 more times¡­ If I failed my 3rd attempt, I''ll purchase a Magic Beast core¡­" Vincent said as he took a deep breath and began his Transcendence attempt again.


    [ Transcendence Failed. ]


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +9 ]


    [ Transcendence Attempt: 2/5 ]


    "Tsk¡­ This will be thest."


    Vincent then closed his eyes and silently prayed to Goddess Vera¡­ He''s unsure whether that blonde goddess can help him but it''s better than not trying at all.


    [ No Transcendence Crystal Found. Do you want to Transcend this item with Pseudo-Celestial Energy? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    Vincent held his breath before looking at the result¡­


    [ Transcendence Sessful ]


    Vincent clenched his fist and didn''t make a noise. He suppressed his emotion and took a deep breath. His eyes filled with excitement as he checked the Pdin Automaton.


    [ Dormant Diamond Pdin Automaton +9 ]


    [ Transcendence Attempt: 0/5 ]


    The Transcendence Attempt counter returned to zero. It means that he can try transcending it again to add another skill to the Automaton. However, based on his experience, the second Transcension would be three times more difficult than the first one.


    Vincent is already satisfied with this result as he spent his night grinding his skills on other items. Well, these items were those that he had collected from the members of the Creed. They''re quite decent so he decided to save these items and reward his peopleter on.


    On the next day, Vincent went out for a morning walk but saw Nerissa wearing all ck including a ck veil.


    Nerissa saw him as well and exined¡­


    "I''m going to attend the funeral of our fallenrades¡­ Sixteen Maniptors in our Eternal Sun Peak have been killed by the members of the Creed¡­ Would you like to join me?"


    Vincent thought for a moment before nodding his head. He informed Millie about this so she could apany him as well.


    After a while, Vincent witnessed the memorial service of the fallen Maniptors of the Eternal Sun Peak. It was attended by over a thousand people.


    Vincent also learned that the identities of the dead¡­ There is one Diamond Tier Maniptor, three tinum Tier, and the rest were Gold Tier¡­ There weren''t any Crystal Tier that has fallen.


    After the ceremony, Vivian met Vincent but they didn''t talk about their deal first.


    If Vincent wasn''t mistaken, there were about a hundred casualties during their sh against the Creed of Eiqehin¡­ More than a thousand Automatons were destroyed in the process.


    He didn''t expect that 16 of the casualties are from the Eternal Sun Peak¡­ No wonder Vivian requested him to act since with the help of his team, they can certainly stop further casualties in their region.


    ? Vivian then talked about how she wanted to take revenge and would soon act on it once he sessfully upgraded their Automatons.


    "Have youpleted the task? Or do you need more time?" Vivian finally asked.


    "I''m done¡­ I can show it to you once we''re back¡­ However, have you heard about the Creed''s ns to create Sentient Magic Artifacts using the heads or brains of Diamond Tier Maniptors?"

 Chapter 579 Looming Danger

    The question brought some memories to Vivian as she gravely nodded her head.


    "Yes¡­ After we interrogated Phoebe and Paige, we learned about their ns to create the Sentient Artifacts. It was a cruel method and I want to stop it as quickly as possible." Vivian answered.


    She then looked at Vincent before continuing¡­


    "Do you have something in mind?"


    "Ah¡­ I was just curious whether you''ve seen a Sentient Artifact before. To be honest, I also have a Sentient Artifact or Magic Tool with me. However, I can assure you that it''s not created by getting the brains of Mind Cultivators." Vincent exined.


    "Yes¡­ I''ve heard about your Sentient Magic Tools. I''m actually interested in it. I''ve read ancient texts about it but based on it, they should no longer exist¡­ May I ask where did you find it?"


    "I can''t reveal it¡­"


    Vivian smiled in understanding after hearing his reply. She wasn''t disappointed.


    "I understand¡­ To be honest, you may be asked the same question once you disyed your Sentient item. Since we''ve learned that the Creed of Eiqehin can create such abomination through the sacrifice of many Maniptors, others might think that you''ve got it from the Creed so it''s better if you don''t show it most of the time."


    "Yes¡­ I''m nning to make them silent most of the time. In any case, no one would suspect my Sentient Magic Tool as long as they don''t speak."


    "That''s good¡­"


    Vivian nodded as she looked at Millie who was following them.


    They were walking back to their residence and there were several people showing respect to Vivian as they passed on various people. There were also many eyes looking at the silent Millie so Vivian couldn''t help but look at her.


    She was a very beautiful Grand Knight and her temperament was impable as well.


    "You''re Millie, right?" Vivian said as she started a conversation with Millie while walking.


    Vincent heard this and just remained silent.


    Millie, on the other hand, was jolted awake as she didn''t expect Vivian to talk to her.


    "That''s indeed my name, Sage Vivian."


    "Hmm¡­ I haven''t rewarded you yet¡­ However, I''m not really sure what to give to a Grand Knight like you¡­ Do you like to learn our Mind Cultivation Technique?" Vivian asked.


    Millie''s eyes lit up after hearing this. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Vincent. Seeing that Vincent was smiling, she nodded her head.


    "Yes, Sage Vivian. I''ve long heard about this cultivation technique. It would be my honor to learn this cultivation technique."


    "That''s good to hear¡­" Vivian replied as she handed over the crystal simr to what she had given to Vincent.


    This Diamond Tier cultivation technique is certainly more expensive than the Diamond Tier Automatons. Once Millie mastered the technique, she would be able to control any level of Automaton she could get in the future.


    "Thank you, Sage Vivian¡­"


    "It''s nothing¡­ I was thinking of giving you a sword a while ago but after seeing your sword now, I don''t think I can give you something better than that." Vivian replied followed by a dryugh.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Millie smiled at this since she knows how good her sword was. This is a weapon that has been upgraded by Vincent''s special talent after all.


    ***


    Meanwhile, about 4 thousand miles away from Star Garden Peak, the Kayser Tower within Vera City received a piece of rming news.


    Ever since they have been besieged by various groups of enemies, they have set up some rally points in many hidden areas surrounding their city.


    These hidden areas were guarded by groups of 5 to 10 people who would constantly ry information back to the Kayser Tower from hundreds of miles away.


    This time, one of the rally points near the border of the ck Tower Organization and Martial Arts Association discovered the movement of hundreds of Martial Artists¡­


    Furthermore, if these people weren''t ustomed to seeing Celestial Beings, they would certainly miss 10 Celestial Beings that were together with the Martial Artists¡­


    In addition to that, they could easily guess that the two people leading this battalion were actually Paragons¡­ They were exuding intense pressure even from afar so there was no way they would miss that.


    "This isn''t good¡­"


    Calidia muttered as she felt troubled in their current predicament. She wasn''t scared facing them but without Vincent, she doesn''t feel confident.


    "Well, we at least know that the Cloaks from Beacon Magic Shop are effective¡­ Not even the Paragons and Celestials can sense the presence of our scouts." Vel said with a smile.


    "Right¡­ In any case, we have plenty of Celestial Beings on our side¡­ I don''t think that we should be worrying about them, right?" Caesus added.


    The three of them were the original members of the Qheglena''s Followers and were now top officials within Vera City.


    Calidia called for the two since they have been working with the Celestial Beings for several days now¡­ They should have a better understanding of their current strength.


    "Are you guys confident that we can stop them if they attacked us?" Calidia asked the two¡­


    Vel and Caesus thought for a moment since they can''t absolutely tell what would happen once they arrived.


    "I think that they don''t know that we have plenty of Celestial Beings here. They wouldn''t expect that so if we do this right, we can even eliminate all of them and capture their Celestials so we can surprise Vincent once he''s back." Vel replied as he hoped for the best.


    "That''s true¡­ Furthermore, we have Ariana with us. We might be able to use her as our hostage if we''re really in a tough situation." Caesus weakly said since he didn''t really want to suggest this idea.


    He carefully looked at the two and luckily, they didn''t show contempt or dislike for his idea¡­


    "It''s not a bad idea. However, we can only do that as ast resort since it may backfire on us. If she suddenly had a strong emotion, it might break the hypnosis." Calidia exined.


    The Subordination Impulse Potion that Vincent gave to them willst for three months. It was meant to train the Magic Knights and Aura Knights in the city. Since training people isn''t new to Ariana, she waspletely immersed in her hypnosis and there were no signs of resistance¡­


    However, if she was used as a hostage and met other Paragons, it might be difficult to say.


    In the end, the three of them mobilized a force that can fight to fortify the city and even requested Krusk''s assistance in case necessary¡­

 Chapter 580 Scale

    In the tavern in the western district of Vera City, a group of people was celebrating their sessful dungeon exploration.


    They have collected plenty of precious materials and even found an extremely rare herb that can be used to create a Tier 4 Pill. It can be sold for tens of thousands of gold.


    The person who had found this herb was Cedric so everyone at their party was giving him a toast.


    "It''s our first time earning this much money in one exploration¡­ We should really do this often, don''t you think so?" Yvette asked as she poured another cup of alcohol for herself.


    Cedric and Yvette were two people that were involved with Vincent back in the Tudor Kingdom. With a mutual friend, Cedric and Yvette easily became friends as they built a team to explore the nearby dungeons during their free time.


    Even though they have regr jobs in the city, it wasn''t a big deal to skip a few days as long as they were going to explore dungeons or exterminate the surrounding Savage Beasts¡­


    After all, Savage Beasts have an incredible reproduction rate, especially in ces with a rich concentration of Mana.


    "Fine¡­ Let''s do this again next week¡­ Are you saving up for something?" Cedric asked as he believes that Yvette has plenty of money right now. Instead of constantly exploring dungeons and risking getting injured, she should be spending some of her money right now¡­ Unless she wanted to purchase something he wasn''t aware of.


    "Yes¡­ I want to buy my personal airship." Yvette revealed. She spoke in a soft voice since there are many people within the tavern.


    Cedric and the others were stunned after hearing this.


    "What? Are they even selling those?"


    "I haven''t heard anything about that¡­ Is that true?"


    "Tell me, how much should we save for one, Beautiful and Finest Yvette¡­"


    As expected, her members were also interested in it as she replied.


    "It''s not avable yet. However, one of the engineers working on the project is one of my friends. I heard from him that he''s saving his money to buy one of his own. They''re developing two types of airships. One for military use and one for public or personal use."


    "Amazing¡­ Now, tell us how much should we save." Cedric asked.


    Yvette didn''t keep them in suspense as she replied.


    "Hmmm¡­ Three hundred thousand Mana Crystals."


    "What?! So cheap?"


    All of them eximed in unison. They were expecting half a million or even more than that. After all, they have seen how awesome those third-generation Aircraft are.


    It wasn''t just the speed but also how tough it was. It was like a flying fortress capable of decimating hundreds of Savage Beasts at once.


    They have seen some of them exterminating Savage Beasts Outbreak in nearby regions and stopping disasters from happening.


    "Well, the equipment will be sold separately so you have to ready your pockets..." Yvette added.


    Cedric and others finally understood the reason for pricing¡­ Needless to say, everyone would start saving now and think of buying them once they''re avable to the public.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With this in mind, everyone was already thinking about how to earn more money in the next few months.


    On the next day, as their group was thinking of meeting up again to discuss their next exploration, an urgent message from the Kayser Tower disrupted their ns.


    "Nidite City is in danger?" Yvette frowned after getting the message from the Tower.


    There are only a few forces that can threaten that fortified city¡­ After it was besieged by the Sea Race, it had undergone massive changes and built a mage towerparable to Kayser Tower.


    She also heard that Vincent sold firearms to that city so they should be considered strong right now.


    Aside from that, L had also contracted to a few Celestial Beings and they''re protecting the city¡­ Lastly, the previous Tower Lord was supposedly in that city¡­


    ''Is it the ck Magic Organization again? Aren''t they getting tired?'' Yvette sighed at this since she believes that the organization had incurred massive damages after failing to destroy Vera City several times.


    In addition to that, the current Tower Lord is still actively opposing them so they shouldn''t have the time to bother their region.


    Soon, Yvette attended the briefings of many team leaders¡­


    There, she learned that two battalions of soldiers will be sent to Nidite City¡­ The number of Celestials who will be joining them was a secret but what was reassuring to hear was the squad of Tempest 1 that will be supporting them from the sky.


    With the third-generation light aircraft watching them from above, they felt more confident joining the defense.


    There was even a rumor that the Mythical Beast Dragon of the Lake would be joining them.


    During the meeting, Yvette also met familiar faces in the briefing hall.


    After everything was announced, it felt like a reunion so she was only able to leave after almost an hour. In any case, the siege is expected to happen in six days so they still have some time to prepare, one day to be exact.


    Everyone had also received their advanced payment so they could purchase whatever items they need. Although there are supplies that are going to be sent as well, it was better if they have their own equipment to use.


    Yvette went to the fourth branch of the Beacon Magic Shop since there weren''t many peopleing there. It was simply because most of the entertainment establishments were in the northern district.


    The southern district mostly has factories. Whether it was for garment, carpentry, or steelworks, it was mostly here in this district.


    She soon found the Magic Shop and as expected, there weren''t many people inside.


    "Yvette¡­"


    Suddenly, she heard a soft female voice on her left side. She immediately recognized the voice as she looked at her.


    "Lesley? Are you also preparing for the expedition?" Yvette asked with a smile. Her Marshall n and Lesley''s Zemin n don''t have many encounters in the Tudor Kingdom so they weren''t too wary of each other. They easily befriend one another after a few meetings here and there.


    "Yes¡­ I''m part of the first battalion. Are you also here to get Sir Krusk''s magical scale?"

 Chapter 581 Doubts

    "Magical Scale? What was that?" Yvette asked in a soft voice.


    Lesley found it surprising that Yvette wasn''t aware of this since it was quite popr within the Zemin n. Most of the members were able to purchase a scale or two of this Mythical Beast. They may be expensive but they''re still very a life-saving treasure so anyone is expected to purchase a few of them if possible.


    "It''s a scale that came from the River Dragon. It seems that Sir Krusk can create 50 to 80 of them per day. It would then be processed by some Formation Experts and Magic Craftsmen to create a life-saving treasure."


    Yvette was surprised to hear this since none of her exploration team mentioned anything about this.


    "Well, it would always be sold out immediately once they''ve appeared so perhaps the news didn''t spread¡­" Lesley added.


    "So it was like that¡­"


    "Yes¡­ I also heard that Sir Krusk must be fed with special meat so he can shed more scales¡­ That''s likely the reason why it''s very expensive." Lesley exined with a dryugh.


    Yvette was even more curious now as she couldn''t wait to be her turn to purchase. Luckily, there were only six people inside so it didn''t take long before it was her turn.


    She first purchased the potions and pills that she had originally thought of buying here before asking for the River Dragon''s Magical Scale.


    "The scale is sold for 5,000 gold and 100 mana crystals." The clerk said as she took out a fist size scale which is super small considering the River Dragon''s size.


    Is this a scale Krusk made when he was in his human form?


    For a moment, Yvette entertained this thought.


    The clerk seems to have noticed her reaction as she smiled and exined to Yvette, "A single scale from the River Dragon can be crafted into six magic tools like this. To ensure better sales, the craftsmen made them all look like a smaller version of the real River Dragon scale."


    "I see¡­ Having a uniform look makes it slightly better indeed." Yvette cleared her thoughts as she paid for the item¡­


    She also asked the clerk to view the item description or the Appraisal result of the scale. In any case, all the items being sold in the Beacon Magic Shop have been inspected by an expert Appraiser.


    She was then redirected to the shelf on the leftmost side of the store where the scale was disyed and on its side was a square wooden b where its item description was fully listed.


    [ River Dragon''s Magic Protection Scale ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Durability: 650


    Description: A refined magical ornament made of River Dragon''s Scale, Fine Arcane Burr, Red Coil Dust, and other ingredients. It can provide strong protection until the energy stored inside is depleted.


    Remarks: This is a one-time-use item. The energy inside can''t be recharged.


    It can block 20 shots from the Rifle before showing signs of destruction.


    It is strongest when blocking any form of water elemental art.


    It has a weaker effect when blocking Poison Fog or rted abilities. ]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ Activation: Pour a bit of mana to feel the Formation Core inside the scale. Releasing the seal of the core will release the Formation Art imbued on the scale. ]


    The list clearly noted the use of the scale and even how to trigger it.


    ''It''s only an epic grade but it can block 20 shots from the ck Rifle?''


    Yvette is clearly aware of the power of that firearm develop by Vincent''s special team of crafters. She heard that these people were the first members of Vincent''s n. When Vincent arrived on this continent, she heard that he found these talented people escaping from the grasp of the cruel magicians of the 15th Tower.


    Some of them would normally drink in the central tavern and when drunk, they would tell stories about when they were still in a small residence at the First ck Tower''s city.


    Then, they would boast about the knowledge passed down to them by Vincent which includes the knowledge of the firearm.


    Needless to say, they somehow leaked that these rifles can easily destroy Rare or Unique grade items and needs three to four shots for an Epic Grade to be destroyed.


    These experiments were done inside the military grounds so normal people wouldn''t know about it at all.


    Furthermore, aside from Vincent, no one would waste an Epic Grade item at all!


    When they were still in the Tudor Kingdom, Unique or Epic Grade items would normally be heirlooms of their families. However, after arriving in Vera City, their concept of precious items had beenpletely turned around.


    With this scale, Yvette''s preparation has beenpleted.


    She then looked at Lesley who had justpleted her purchase. They weren''t sure about the real dangers they''ll encounter in Nidite City but with this protection, they somehow felt a lot better.


    In the early morning of the next day, two flying airships left Vera City to station at Nidite City.


    Most of the citizens in the city heard about the situation in Nidite City.


    Silently, they prayed to Vera to give them protection and peace including strength to give them the courage to fight for the things they wish to protect.


    ***


    On top of the Kayser Tower, two Celestial Beings watched the two airships leave the city.


    They were Celestial Number 115 or Katea and Celestial Number 105 or Lucia.


    "We''ve recovered more than 15% of our Celestial Energy in just a few days. Shouldn''t we help defend the Nidite City?" Katea asked as she looked at Lucia confused by the decision she made.


    Lucia didn''t feel guilty about her decision and shook her head while exining.


    "Vincent informed us to investigate our own bodies and make sure not to find any problems. It''s obvious that he''s nning to increase the number of Celestials who will be connected to him through the Tree of Faith. We can''t put ourselves in danger."


    "Do you think there''s really a danger with that lineup? There were only 10 Celestials and 2 Paragons. The rest are just a bunch of Martial Artist Experts." Katea asked doubtfully.

 Chapter 582 Nidite City

    "Three of their Paragons were defeated without being able to send the news out. They weren''t able to escape even with the help of their border security. The Alliance Head must know that the ones who killed their Paragons would be incredibly strong or perhaps a huge force. I find it suspicious that they only sent this much force with them."


    Lucia answered as she had asked Calidia about the full details of the danger they were facing this time.


    Paragons, Celestials, and Martial Artists¡­ Somehow, they decided not to bring any airships and traveled through the border by carriage or on foot!


    There must be something they have missed!


    There was no way they would be that confident to siege a city with only these forces.


    "It''s not like we have made a contact with them. We only assumed that they''ll be attacking the Nidite City. Who knows, their Tower Lord Ignacy might be able to negotiate with the Paragons¡­" Katea replied as she also knows the situation on their side¡­


    "Whatever¡­ Just focus on recovering your energy¡­ We have to give Vincent a surprise once he returned." Lucia said as she turned her back and headed to the stairs.


    The two of them returned to Vincent''s residence and used his garden to recover their Celestial Energy. This is their routine every day and nothing seems too different today.


    However, after a few minutes of meditation, they felt their connection to Vincent getting stronger.


    The connection was extremely ethereal and they couldn''t properly exin it.


    They looked at each other in shock as they were confused by their own situation.


    "Did you feel that?" Lucia asked unsure of the sensation she experienced just now.


    "Yes¡­" Katea answered as she closed her eyes. She wanted to experience it again but she wasn''t sure how to do it¡­


    Lucia wryly smiled at this as she made a guess.


    "I think Vincent is trying tomunicate with us¡­ Unfortunately, the connection is still too weak."


    "That''s possible. Since we didn''t do anything unusual, Vincent might be exploring his blessing as a Vessel of Faith."


    Then, the two Celestials no longer bothered about this as they continued their routine.


    ***


    A couple of days had quickly passed and this time, the two battalions sent by Vera City to aid Nidite City had fully integrated with the local forces.


    During this time, everyone was alert as there was a precedent that the enemies could open a portal or gate simr to the dungeons just outside the city wall.


    The Archmages and Grand Magus of the ck Tower concluded that opening such a portal can only be done within 10 kilometers of their target. This was confirmed by the previous Tower Lord Ignacy so L Hamblin made enough preparations.


    During this time, L is watching the city on top of her Tower together with Ignacy, Brycen, and Shane.


    The Master and Disciples were chatting joyfully as they were recalling their past experiences.


    "Hmph! You guys are making fun of Magnus again. Look, he didn''t even bothering here and stayed in Vera City." L suddenly said as she heard Brycen teasing the missing person.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Magnus'' attitude had changed after entering Vera City and being taught a lesson several months ago. He was no longer arrogant and remained focused on his cultivation.


    He knows that he''s a very talented individual and he just needed time to develop. However, this made him very unapproachable as he would always remain in his residence absorbing Mana and training in various Mana Arts.


    "Well! He was too obsessed with his Mana Arts. It''s not a bad thing but what he needed is experience. He''s not even a Grand Magus yet but he''s attempting to create an Original Mana Art!" Brycen said in exasperation.


    Shane wryly smiled and didn''t me Brycen for reacting like that... He can''t really scold Magnus for attempting it as well since he also felt that he can do it before but as he grew up, he realized his limitations and just improved or enhanced another Mana Art.


    Of course, one requirement of bing a Grand Magus is having original mana art but it doesn''t have to be groundbreaking or cutting-edge Mana Art. As long as you managed to create a simple one, even if it is not useful, the Core will acknowledge it and will help you advance.


    After that, you can simply learn a Tier 5 Mana Art that will eclipse your original mana art.


    "He''s brave¡­ Who knows, he might really create an Original Mana Art. I''m sure that he has found the inspiration to start doing it." Shane added as he doesn''t like looking down on that kid.


    After all, he''s still a disciple epted by Ignacy. He might have a chance to improve.


    "What do you think, Master?" L asked as she was curious about this as well. She hadn''t seen Magnus for a while so she can''t really tell whether Magnus has the ability or not.


    "Hmm¡­ If he perseveres, it wouldn''t be surprising if he develops a terrifying technique in five to six years." Ignacy answered.


    It appears that he had seen Magnus'' research and was also looking forward to it.


    This shocked the three disciples since Ignacy described it as terrifying¡­ There was no way that a Grand Magus standing at the peak would easily describe a technique as terrifying.


    It means that Magnus truly deserves to be epted by Ignacy¡­


    As they were chatting, L''smunication crystal suddenly vibrated.


    She immediately picked it up and listened to the message.


    After a few seconds, L took a deep breath and stored hermunication crystal.


    "It seems that they''vee prepared. Although their main force was the group of Paragons and Celestials, they also mobilized their connection with the ck Magic Organization." L spoke as she knitted her brows.


    She''s also quite suspicious of the small number of enemies. With the report she just received, it finally made sense since the Martial Arts Alliance had indeed acknowledged the rule of the ck Magic Organization.


    "What are the forces they mobilized this time?" Ignacy asked. His eyes were serene and his voice was incredibly calm.


    After surviving the battle against the Avatar of Magic God, he had be even stronger.


    L then answered with a hint of nervousness in her voice.


    "There were traces of gates being manifested three to five kilometers away from the city¡­ They confirmed three flying warships this time. This is a strategy simr to what they employ in Vera City but this time, they ced it farther... Thankfully, Master assisted us in setting up many new formations so any ripples can now be detected."

 Chapter 583 Ignacy

    Ignacy, an expert in Space Magic, had assisted both Vera City and Nidite City in setting up formations with Space Elements.


    It is unfortunate that only Ignacy was able to grasp this element or they could''ve made more protection rted to space.


    Nevertheless, with his help, they may not stop the creation of the gate but they could at least be warned and prepare some traps within one kilometer or so.


    Beyond that, they only have formation arts that can detect the ripples of space.


    "Indeed. It''s a good thing that we already have the capabilities of detecting their presence." Shane added as he also knows the terror of this strategy.


    They weren''t sure where the ck Magic Organization obtained this magical technique but if they would make a guess, it hade from the magic god they are worshipping.


    "Do you think that you''ve prepared well for this battle?" Ignacy asked L, the owner of thisnd.


    "I think that the Paragons are the real problems here. Based on the report, the Organization didn''t bring their main force¡­ Perhaps, the warship is only meant to weaken our defenses¡­ and the Martial Artists would be the ones causing havoc internally." L paused to think for a moment before continuing¡­


    "I believe that as long as our barrier held on until our sky support arrives, we''ll be able to win."


    L answered with confidence.


    She was already informed about the Squad of Tempest 1. They are stationed from afar and will be mobilized at a crucial moment to obtain the best possible oue with theirbined strength.


    ***


    As expected, the forces of the ck Magic Organization didn''t attack after a few days and waited for the arrival of the group of Martial Artists.


    They nned to attack the city bybining their forces!


    Nevertheless, the morale in Nidite City didn''t fall as Ignacy''s presence held them together¡­ His words bring them courage and his actions give them hope.


    On the fifth day, when the sky suddenly turned dark because of the thick dark clouds, the Paragons, and the ck Magic Organization finally made their moves.


    The three flying iron warships flew above the Nidite City.


    They werepletely different from the wooden warships from before. The warships this time look more intimidating than before.


    Perhaps, after the ck Magic Organization obtained key ces with iron mines, they didn''t hesitate to use theirrge force to bring out tons of iron ores to make such a weapon of war.


    The magicians and knights guarding the city wall can tell that low-level Mana Arts wouldn''t even scratch the monstrosity above them.


    "Activate the Defense Formation!" Lmanded as she looked at the flying warships. Their cannons are already pointed toward their city and they can''t do anything with them.


    The warships are too high up in the sky and the range of their Mana Arts would reach it.


    The city has cannons and other weapons as well but it''s also impossible to shoot down those warships.


    L may have a couple of airships in her shipyard but those are only for transportation and not weapons of war¡­


    ''I really want to capture that warship¡­ Unfortunately, I have to destroy it.'' L regretfully thought as he looked above.


    She doesn''t think that her city will be defeated by the warships sent by the Organization.


    She has confidence in her forces but the problem is that capturing the warship without dealing damage to it is impossible¡­ Their only method of destroying it was to bring it down. Yes, they''re nning to drop it from the sky and this warship would bepletely useless after. At most, they can recycle the metal scrapster.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Soon the bombardment of the warships started¡­


    Numerous iron cannonballs were fired like fireworksing from the sky.


    Whom~


    At the same time, the barrier of the city was created above the city. It is a formation that L is extremely proud of. With the rich resourcesing from the Sea Race, she was able to develop a Formation of Art that is stronger than the ones found in the ck Tower.


    "Marvelous..." Shanemented as she looked at the mighty barrier protecting them.


    "Unfortunately, we don''t have the ability to fire back¡­ Should we call all the Grand Magus to attack together?" Brycen suggested.


    Even if he''s a Grand Magus, he still has a limited number of Mana Arts he can use in this situation. It was the same for the others. However, if they worked together, they should be able to release a terrifying attack that could destroy the airship above them in an instant.


    "There''s no need. Master Ignacy said that he''s willing to act." L answered with a smile as the barrier continued to tremble from the bombardment of the enemies¡­


    "Really? Master¡ª" Brycen wanted to ask Ignacy but as soon as he looked on his side, he realized that Ignacy is already missing.


    In a blink of an eye, Ignacy figure reappeared in the sky.


    He''s capable of using a high-level Flight Technique!


    Normal floating Mana Arts can only lift a person 30 to 50 meters above the ground, however, Ignacy''s ability allowed him to fly about two thousand meters above the ground!


    The enemies seem to have noticed Ignacy''s presence and the people on board pointed their weapons at him.


    "Kill him!"


    "Hurry!"


    The captain of the ship realized that the man was dangerous and even seem familiar¡­ He didn''t hesitate to order the waiting soldiers to fire¡­


    Soon, the brave man who dared to go near their warship was rained with Elemental Mana Arts and various projectiles¡­


    "Hmph! Do you think we don''t know that magicians can fly?! You''re dead meat!" The Captain proudly dered as he smiled.


    Since he knows that Grand Magus has a limited range of attack, about 300 to 500 meters depending on their strength, he knows that these magicians would fly closer to them to try and bring down their airship.


    However, he had obviously prepared himself and had several Magicians waiting for a Grand Magus to pop out.


    At this point, the smoke created by the focused bombardment dissipated¡­


    The figure of the man is no more so he should''ve been turned into ashes by now.


    The captain wanted to celebrate but a deep and coarse voice interrupted his words¡­


    "Spacial Rend."

 Chapter 584 Again

    The attack was sudden.


    The warship was protected by Formation Arts, numerous Magic Tools, and Artifacts but as soon as the attack from the unknown person arrived, they realized that those things were useless!


    In a blink of an eye, one of the warships seems to have twisted for a moment before splitting into two!


    "W-what happened?"


    "Help!"


    "We''re dropping!"


    "Move out!"


    Some people on the deck started panicking as they saw their ship start dropping.


    Luckily, the engines are still somehow working so they have some time to adjust. As soon as they realized that the airship has no way of being saved, many of them immediately pulled out their life-saving treasures.


    As for those who don''t have, they can only pray that the airship wouldn''t explode or their natural mana shield can keep them alive from the fall.


    The people within the Nidite City witnessed all of this happening.


    Although it happened so quickly, they were all paying attention to what was happening above them so they were able to see a figure wearing a magician''s robe fly close to the warship¡­


    As everyone thought that he died, he reappeared somewhere else and the warship has already split into two¡­


    "Incredible¡­ Is that a Celestial?"


    "No¡­ The Celestials haven''t acted yet¡­"


    "Ahh¡­ They''re here!"


    Suddenly, a group of female warriors dashed to where Ignacy was!


    That''s right, the ones who made a move this time were the Celestial Beings inside the warships!


    There were five of them in total and they are all wearing a uniform of the ck Magic Organization. They have simr Magic Tools as they dashed toward the Grand Magus¡­


    The reason the spectators believed that they are Celestials was simply because of their gender and their bravery to face the man who split the warship in a few seconds.


    Who would dare attack a man capable of controlling space?


    Seeing the female figures, they can only think of Celestial Beings.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    During this time, the other two warships didn''t stop attacking¡­ The barrier continued trembling as numerous Mana Crystals are being consumed.


    That''s right, aside from the Magicians constantly pouring Mana into the formation core, there''s also a Mana Gathering Formation that quickly replenishes the power of the formation.


    It uses Mana Crystals but at this point, L doesn''t care!


    She remained calm in front of the enemies and observed the battlefield carefully¡­


    After Ignacy sessfully dealt with the warship, his Mana significantly decreased and she could easily feel this change.


    As soon as the enemy Celestials targeted Ignacy, she immediately informed her master through their special connection. Ignacy has to lower his altitude so their cannons and Mana Arts could support him.


    Furthermore, L also has a Formation Art that can bind the Celestials for a few seconds so Ignacy doesn''t have to sacrifice himself¡­


    Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Several Grand Magus flew above to support Ignacy''s retreat.


    They may not be capable of flying quickly but they are still experts in various fields. After they reached the highest altitude where the formation can still protect them, various Tier 5 Mana Arts were seen.


    With a total of fourteen Grand Magus in Nidite City, six of them flew above and used their strongest long-range Mana Arts to kill the Celestials chasing Ignacy¡­


    Strong fluctuations of energy reverberated throughout the whole city as six pirs of light struck out!


    The six Grand Magus that had just appeared were all working for L Hamblin¡­ They have one thing inmon and that is the Tier 5 Mana Art they''ve mastered.


    Soul Decimation!


    The attack seem to have hit Ignacy as well since he was on the same path as the Celestials. He was covered by the light!


    It momentarily dumbfounded the spectators since they thought that the group of Grand Magus had made a mistake.


    Luckily, Ignacy was aware of this n and had disappeared in time. He reappeared about 300 meters away from the pirs of light and was slowly descending back to the city.


    As for the Celestial Beings that were hit by the pirs of light, the people below believe that even if they did not die, they would be incapable of further continuing the battle.


    After a while, the pirs of light dissipated. This time, the bombardment had also halted because they had to move away from their position¡­


    "What?!"


    "They''re still alive?!"


    "How can they survive that attack?!"


    "As expected of Celestials¡­"


    The crowd eximed as soon as they saw the floating Celestials. They have focused on defense and stopped chasing after Ignacy. They remained floating above the city and overlooking the whole surroundings.


    Their imposing presence made many of them hold their weapons tightly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The flying warship finally dropped to the ground close to the city¡­ It created several explosions and countless pieces of debris were thrown into the barrier of the city.


    With this explosion, even the ck Magic Organization had to stop and ensure their safety¡­


    Then after the situation calmed down, the five Celestials above seem to have received an order as they immediately descended¡­ They put a distance from the city so the attacks from the magicians with a limited range wouldn''t reach them at all.


    This baffled many of the stationed soldiers but they can only guess that the Celestials can''t fly up again for some reason and needed to descend safely.


    After a while, someone finally noticed that a weird situation is happening on the two remaining iron warships¡­


    Groups of people were fleeing the warships¡­


    They seem to be abandoning the warship which is quite weird since it hadn''t received any significant damage at all.


    L was confused by this situation as well. Nevertheless, she didn''t rx and ordered the controller of the Mage Tower to use their Mana Cannons!


    "Hurry up! I have a bad feeling about it." L reminded her subordinate using hermunication crystal as she recalled something about this particr move of the enemies.


    They might think of directly mming the warship to their Formation Art!


    That would be a disaster!

 Chapter 585 Intruder

    L''s worry wasn''t for nothing.


    The previous attack in Vera City hadpletely woken her up about the real situations in a war. Before, she only believes that battling against other organizations would be against a stronger Grand Magus or a higher number of Celestial Beings.


    It can also be by having better and stronger Magic Tools or a collection of Artifacts.


    However, after the appearance of Mana Cannons, Flying Warships, and many forbidden techniques, she realized that she has to adapt¡­ The most she could do was to develop her Formation Arts and advance them to a higher level.


    She indeed seeded in doing this but she hadn''t tried pitting it against a copsing monstrosity yet¡­


    Right now, she was about to witness this as she saw the two flying warships decisively descending on their city!


    "I won''t let you seed!" L shouted as she pulled out two Formation Cores.


    Soon, the Mage Tower''s cannon was fully charged and fired a pir of light stronger than thebined attack of the Grand Magus just now.


    The pir of light was apanied by a scorching heat aiming to melt the warship!


    L was intending to use it against the Avatar if it ever appeared in her city. However, she had no other choice but to use it now and destroy the suicidal members of the ck Magic Organization.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Magic Tower''s cannon sessfully shot one of the warships and triggered several explosions inside¡­


    However, it can be noticed that the cannon didn''t pierce through the warship at all. At most, it only damaged a quarter of it!


    It was incredibly tough.


    Nevertheless, L believes that it''s due to the elevated angle and distance that''s why it didn''t deal the damage she was expecting.


    At this time, the Mage Tower''s cannon has to recharge and it will normally take 5 minutes if they want to fire again. If they want a full-power shot, however, it has to be 20 minutes.


    ''Good¡­ The angle of descent was changed¡­ As for the other one¡­'' L looked seriously at the descending warship... She could tell that the warship has several bombs or explosives stored inside¡­


    Once it dropped, it wouldn''t just be a normal crash but an explosion in her city!


    "Hmmph! Let''s see what you got!"


    L shouted as she controlled her two strongest Formation Arts to stop the crashing warship¡­


    ***


    While L was busy doing this, the soldiers on the city wall weren''t idling at all.


    The Magic Knights and the Magicians were observing the descending groups of enemies as they know that once the barrier protecting them was destroyed, these people would charge in from all sides!


    It will be an all-out battle so they can''t be too careless¡­


    Yvette is included in the east wall''s defense and was holding the River Dragon''s Magic Protection Scale all the time.


    Her squad of three Adept Mages and ten Arch Knights were looking at the Martial Artists that are waiting on top of a nearby hill. They couldn''t see the Paragons nor the 10 Celestials that were reported but they know that they should be here somewhere.


    ''When are you going to make your move? The ck Magic Organization will be annihted at this rate¡­'' Yvette said in her mind as she nced at the sky.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, the destruction of the second warship urred and crashed on the barrier¡­ The barrier trembled for a long time as its powers were slowly being consumed.


    Perhaps, hundreds of thousands of Mana Crystals had been consumed by now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nevertheless, Yvette noticed that L has really prepared for this moment.


    Yvette was expecting an order to retreat after the two warships decided to just ram themselves to the barrier.


    However, L used a Formation Art to halt the movement of the warships or at least, stop their momentum! The Formation Art onlysted for 5 or so seconds but it was enough!


    With the loss of momentum, the direction of their fall had changed!


    "The barrier has weakened! Destroy all the pieces of debris that will crash into the barrier so it holds out for a bit longer!


    With this instruction from Brycen, everyone on top of the wall started releasing their Mana Arts to protect the barrier.


    ''As expected¡­ We expended too many Mana Crystals¡­ The barrier won''tst for long.'' Yvette mused as she also realized that it was better to just use the barrier to stop the bombardment and not the iing enemies.


    It''s better to use the Mana Crystals for charging up their Mana Cannons.


    Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions followed as the warships were finally destroyed outside the city¡­


    With thebined efforts of all the Grand Magus in the city including L''s Original Formation Arts, they were able to survive the predicament¡­


    Whom~~


    After clearing up the debris, the barrier finally dissipated leaving them open to any type of attack¡­ Nevertheless, no one was nervous.


    Without those warships, they will have an air superiority once their reinforcement arrives.


    "Hahaha! We survived that!"


    "Those steel warships are just for show! They actually decided to ram it after expending all their cannon balls. What a bunch of idiots."


    "Indeed. It''s a waste of resources¡­"


    "Yes¡­ It was quite weird¡­ They were so desperate to remove the barrier¡­"


    Shwing!


    As the people werementing about the wasted warships, a gleam of swords suddenly blinded a group of people on the southern side of the wall.


    Without being able to make a sound, four heads suddenly flew up as they were separated from their bodies!


    A gush of blood followed this event as everyone was frightened by the sudden change in the flow of battle.


    "Where did ite from?!"


    Without being noticed, a lone warrior has gone close to them. Someone managed to climb up the wall as soon as the barrier was lifted!


    "Enemy!"


    "The defense has been breached!"


    "He''s alone! Kill him!"


    The intruder hear their cries and instead of panicking, he evenughed at them as he waved his twin des¡­


    One of the Paragons has entered the Nidite City!

 Chapter 586 Hidden

    A while ago, Twin de Master, one of the Paragons of the Martial Arts Alliance, had found the Formation Arts ced around the city¡­


    "This is stronger than I expected¡­" The man frowned as he looked at the mighty Formation Arts activated by the City.


    "I don''t think it will stop you though¡­ How many strikes do you need?" Lancelot asked while observing the Formation Art using an artifact that appraises magical objects.


    There are only two of them in this area about 500 meters away from the city. Watchtowers are observing this ce but the city didn''t seem to notice their presence.


    Instead, the observers from the city can only see the group of Martial Artists waiting above the hill far from their location.


    "Three to five strikes¡­ However, it will attract Ignacy''s attention and it will be very difficult for us." The Twin de Master said with apprehension as he looked at the city.


    Their previous n was to simply open a path so they can secretly get closer and avoid being bombarded by Mana Arts, cannons, and even arrows.


    Lancelot sighed as he understood his concern¡­


    "Indeed¡­ Are you still willing to join me in attacking this city?" Lancelot probed as he knows that retreating can also be an option.


    "Hmph¡­ I just didn''t expect that Ignacy is still alive¡­ If he''s not here, I can simply wipe out this entire city. But with the two of us, we should be able to kill him. I''m sure that he hasn''t fully recovered yet. It was confirmed by the apostle of the magic god that he was struck by a curse."


    As they were making their ns, they saw what happened to the warships that were brought by the ck Magic Organization, they seem to really hate the city and wanted to destroy it even with the exchange of their lives!


    "Haha¡­ Those people are probably better than the Demonic Cult¡­ Incredible!" The Twin de Masterughed in delight after noticing the move that was made by the ck Magic Organization.


    It was ruthless and decisive.


    They didn''t mind sacrificing many lives including their warship just toplete their mission of destroying the barrier.


    They are more insane than the members of the Demonic Cult that they''ve met before. Furthermore, Ignacy seem to have expended plenty of mana because of this!


    Boom! Boom!


    As soon as the barrier was lifted, the two Paragons immediately dashed toward the city wall¡­


    Climbing up the stone wall wasn''t a big issue for them. Furthermore, the soldiers weren''t even able to sense their presence until it was toote!


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The soldiers waiting on the city wall heard several loud thumping sounds on the wall¡­


    A few of them immediately checked if there is someone hammering the wall but as soon as they looked down, two waves of light suddenly appeared cutting off the heads of four Magic Knights!


    "Enemy!"


    "Sound the horn!"


    Realizing that a huge man with two des had suddenly appeared amid the soldiers, the three Grand Knights who were overlooking this side of the wall immediately dashed to help their soldiers.


    There was no way a normal warrior would dare to infiltrate alone! This person must be a powerful warriorparable to Grand Knights like them!


    ng! ng! ng!


    At this point, an older man with no visible weapons arrived a few meters away from the de user.


    With a single punch, the armor and swords of the Magic Knights would be broken into pieces. Each strike contains an incredible power that targets the people''s equipment and weapons!


    They weren''t expecting sudden meleebat above the wall!


    "Those two dared to attack us?! Kill them!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Clear the path for the Magicians!"


    As soon as the General grasped the situation, he immediately sent a signal to the Archmage that is in charge of this area¡­


    Soon, a series of Wind Mana Art assaulted the two intruders¡­


    They didn''t use any Fire Mana Art that could heavily injure the other soldiers as well. Destructive Mana Arts might inflict their own allies so they have to use an element that is very easy to control.


    It is the Wind Element and the second easiest to master after the Water Element.


    "Throw him out!"


    The Grand Knight shouted after seeing that the two had suddenly halted after being bombarded by Tier 3 Wind Elemental Art.


    They seem to be struggling and can copse any moment now¡­


    However, instead of panicking by the sudden assault of many magicians, the two warriorsughed loudly¡­


    "Ahahaha! Is that it?! Bring it on!" Suddenly, the de userughed and simply nced at the group of magicians who were trying to send him away¡­


    Pssshhh!


    No one noticed how he did it but the heads of the five Magicians just separated from their bodies¡­


    They were beheaded in an instant!


    The Grand Knights and even the Archmage who had ordered the Wind Magician Squad were frightened by the invisible attack!


    At this moment, one of them finally recognized the identities of their enemies!


    "Paragons! These two are the Paragon of the Martial Arts Alliance!"


    "No way! We can''t kill these two!"


    "We need the help of the Celestial Beings!"


    "Sir Grahm! Please for the Celestials'' help!"


    Grahm is one of the Grand Knights that was working for L. A few months ago, he was only an Archknight that was fighting against the Sea Race.


    However, thanks to his life-and-death experience at that time, he was able to grasp the essence of his cultivation technique and advanced to a Grand Knight.


    At this moment, he can tell that he''s no match against the Paragons. He may be overflowing with strength but the Paragons'' movements were on apletely different level.


    They don''t only have strength but also high-levelbat arts that are iparable to what he learned.


    Suddenly, hismunication crystal vibrated.


    This crystal is only connected to the Tower so the one contacting him is probably the strategist. However, normal orders should be done through signals they''ve arranged before.


    It seems that the content of this message isn''t included in the briefings or perhaps, it''s even a secret message.


    Seeing that the two other Grand Knights have made their move to block the Paragons, he didn''t hesitate to listen to the message.


    "The Paragon isn''t a twin-de user, he uses three des! The third de is capable of the vanishing technique! It''s invisible! You''re the only one who can see it with your Mystic Eye! Don''t act suspiciously and take care of that invisible sword without him noticing it!"

 Chapter 587 Marked

    Themunication crystal dimmed after the message was done.


    ''So it was like that!'' Grahm finally realized how those magicians were beheaded so easily!


    He obviously recognizes the Paragons in front of them after they have used their techniques¡­


    One of them is the Twin de Master and the older man is definitely Lancelot¡­ They match the descriptions of the Paragons that had previously assisted their ck Tower to fight against the ck Magic Organization.


    ''Twin de Master¡­ Did he make that name so no one will think that he''s really a Tri-de Master?'' Grahm frowned at this idea as he focused his mana on his eye.


    His Mystic Eye can also be called spirit vision and had assisted him in a lot of ways. He even used this to find the best partner in his life.


    Anyway, the spirit vision helps him see things that normal people can''t. It includes a weak x-ray vision that allows him to see through physical objects.


    Unfortunately, this vision doesn''t allow him to see the intricate flow of mana so it wasn''t simr to Vincent''s mystic eye. Furthermore, he uses plenty of mana just to activate this vision.


    As soon as Grahm used his Mystic Eye, a faintly glowing blue light appeared in his eyes as he slowly surveyed the surroundings.


    ''I need to hurry and find that sword¡­'' Grahm''s mind churned as he concentrated on his task.


    He has to at least focus on one area for a few seconds before the invisible things can be uncovered by his vision.


    Only once he saw his target can he put a mark on it and would no longer miss it even if he looked in another area.


    Suddenly, as he was focusing on the area where the magicians are beheaded, a silver thing flew past his eyes, and realized that it is most likely the invisible sword!


    It flew above them and seem to be charging its power tounch another deadly attack! As expected, the invisible sword can''t be repeatedly used without paying a price.


    It probably needs to charge for several minutes before it can be controlled again. In addition to that, the Paragon has to concentrate on it for a few seconds before he could use it. He noticed this when the Paragon red at the magicians few a while.


    It may seem like he was only angrily staring at them but he should be controlling the invisible sword at that time.


    Furthermore, the de has to gather strong energy since it has to ensure that it can break the Mana Shield of their target.


    After all, if the sword failed to break the Mana Shield, there is a high chance that the invisible sword will be exposed by the sensitive magicians.


    ''I could only faintly see the sword¡­ I wonder who was the one who noticed this first.'' Grahm thought as believes that there should be another person watching this battle and they were the first ones to notice the invisible sword. He couldn''t help but admire the one who discovered this.


    Grahm took a deep breath as he focused on the floating sword that is gathering some energy.


    He could not be bothered with the two Paragons for now since the Grand Magus should be arriving by now and other Grand Knights.


    He also faintly heard that the Martial Artists are already charging over to their side but he didn''t mind it at all.


    The battalionmanders should know what to do in this situation.


    ''Mark it!'' Grahm chanted in his mind as he sent a unique energy to the invisible sword.


    It is his Soul Aura!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although he is a Grand Knight, he is also a 2-Star Aura Knight. He can''t advance to a 3-Star Aura Knight because he had already advanced as Grand Knight but nevertheless, his skills as an Aura Knight did not disappear.


    As soon as he marked the sword with his Aura, he was finally able to cancel his Mystic Eye and heave a sigh of relief.


    With the aura marking the floating invisible sword above them, it wouldn''t be an issue to stop it as long as he had enough preparations.


    "Hmm?"


    ? Suddenly, he noticed that the sword started quivering¡­ At first, he thought that the Paragon noticed what he did but it seems to be preparing for another attack!


    ''I need to stop it.''


    Without a second thought, Grahm moved to block the sword¡­


    He swiftly calcted the trajectory of the sword and confirmed that it was heading toward the Grand Magus from afar.


    This Grand Magus seems to be preparing to cast a Tier 5 Mana Art and the Paragon was nning to interrupt it.


    "You''ll stay here!"


    Grahm spoke with his deep and powerful voice as he dashed forward with a broadsword in his hands.


    The soldiers were unsure why he was heading to the ce opposite the Paragons and couldn''t help but think that he was fleeing for a moment.


    However, they were immediately reminded by their squad leaders to focus on assisting the other Grand Knights and filling the gap in their positions.


    They can''t allow the Paragons to disrupt their formation and enter the city!


    Although the Paragon will be in huge danger as well once they got closer to the main force of the city, it will still create chaos on their sides and the martial artists outside would have a better chance of following the path that the Paragons made.


    "Those fools from the Alliance areing! Kill them all! They''ve been corrupted by the ck Magic Organization!"


    One of the Battalion Commanders shouted as he knows that most of the people here had a good rtionship with the Martial Arts Alliance before. Their territory can be visited as long as you have money and they would always trade from time to time.


    Their southern territory is also a good training area since there are plenty of savage beasts and magic beasts in that mountainous region. It means that many of them had some rtionship with the people in the alliance.


    However, themander has to remind his soldiers that the ones attacking them weren''t the same people anymore.


    Seeing the determination in their eyes, themander nced at the two Paragons causing havoc not too far from them¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Suddenly, the Paragons were struck and thrown outside the city wall!


    They soon noticed a couple of Celestial Beings in their previous spot!


    "The Celestials are here!"

 Chapter 588 Chase

    ng!


    Grahm''s sword struck the invisible sword that was about to pierce the Grand Magus''s throat.


    Sparks flew everywhere caused by the collision.


    "Urghh! I don''t have enough strength? What''s with this force?! It feels like a Barbarian King is holding it."


    Grahm was shocked by the force behind that invisible de! He even thought that an invisible Barbarian King is holding it. He almost failed to stop it!


    Thankfully, he already prepared himself in case he was really unable to block the de. The moment he felt the unstoppable forceing from it, he didn''t hesitate to use his Magic Artifact¡­


    It was his bracelet and is capable of producing binding chains!


    He normally uses it to capture weakened people since it doesn''t have a strong sealing ability. It can only restrict movement but not the mana flow of his target.


    Nevertheless, he will have more chance of capturing or destroying this invisible de if he bound it with his artifact!


    "Now!"


    Clink. Clink. Clink¡­


    As he was about to get thrown away by the force behind that de, ck chains suddenly started appearing from his bracelet and wrapped around the invisible sword!


    Then, Grahm used his weight and his movement technique to trap the sword down and cut off its connection to the Paragon!


    "You''ll. Stay. Here.!"


    Grahm used all his might to pressure the sword as it tried toe out of its bindings.


    At this point, many people had noticed his strange battle against the invisible. As soon as the binding chains had appeared, they realized what Grahm was doing!


    He was suppressing something that they can''t see!


    "Help Sir Grahm!"


    "I''ming!"


    The two Grand Knights, who no longer had an opponent after the two Celestials seeded in throwing out the two Paragons, decided to help Grahm in his battle against the invisible¡­


    They only looked at the Celestials with gratitude and immediately used their me Dash and Earth Shifting Movement technique.


    As soon as they arrived near Grahm, they immediately felt the source of the problem. Even if they can''t see it, they can now feel it after it was bound by the chains.


    "An invisible de?" One of them asked in surprise. An invisible item that can emit this powerful aura is definitely not simple.


    It wouldn''t be surprising if it was actually a legendary-grade weapon!


    "Help me sever the connection it has with the Twin de Master! Quick!" Grahm shouted as he looked at his twopanions¡­


    ***


    In the watchtower not too far from the eastern side of the wall, a veiled woman can be seen on top of it and observing Grahm''s actions.


    "It''s already settled. It''s a good thing that we have a Grand Knight with that Mystic Eye." The woman said as she held themunication crystal near her mouth.


    The person on the other side of the crystal heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Thank you, Yulia."


    The connection with themunication crystal was then cut off as their conversation ended.


    That''s right, the one who first noticed the problem with Twin de Master''s third sword was Yulia. Thanks to her Darkness Mystic Eye, she was able to sense the concealed de floating not too far from the Paragon.


    Ever since she noticed that problem on that side of the wall, her Mystic Eye has remained active and monitoring their situation.


    "It''s up Rem and others¡­" Yulia muttered under her breath as she looked at Rem in the distance.


    The two Celestial Beings who had dared to attack the paragons were Celestial Rem and Celestial Number 778.


    The other Celestials remained on standby and waiting for the appearance of other Celestial Beings. There''s already a report that 10 Celestials were working with the Paragons so they have to be patient.


    ***


    In the meantime, while this is all happening, a very unassuming shadow swiftly entered the Nidite City without being detected by any Formation Arts or Magicians in the surrounding area.


    This shadow started moving swiftly and passing through various buildings.


    It seems to be searching for something. Itsted for almost half an hour and the battle outside has already reached a critical stage.


    Numerous magicians, knights, and martial artists have sacrificed their lives. The Celestials have also started showing up as the battle intensified¡­


    Nevertheless, all of this is unimportant to the shadow as it started to head toward the Mage Tower after failing to find what it was looking for.


    "Hmmm?" Yulia suddenly noticed something off.


    Her Darkness Mystic Eye doesn''t just allow her to use various magical abilities but it also allows her to be sensitive to various things, especially those that have the power of concealment, darkness, and light.


    She was observing the 10 unusual Celestial Beings that were working for the Paragons when her eyes caught a glimpse of a fast-moving shadow¡­


    At first, she thought that there was just a bird in the sky flying above the city and monitoring them. Brycen has a simr ability so she wouldn''t be too surprised about it.


    However, after spending a few moments searching for its origin, she realized that the shadow itself was behaving in a very suspicious manner.


    ''There''s no source of shadow¡­ It''s a living shadow!'' Yulia didn''t doubt her guess.


    There are many things in this world that she wasn''t aware of so it wouldn''t be surprising if there is a living shadow or the ability to control the shadow itself.


    With this in mind, she immediately contacted someone to ask Ignacy about it. After all, she can''t think of anyone who can be knowledgeable enough.


    Luckily, she didn''t have to wait for long before a reply was sent back to her.


    She was told that it was possible that the shadow was rted to the Alliance Head! ording to Shane and Ignacy, the Alliance Head had a strange ability that is rted to shadow.


    No one knows exactly what kind of ability it was since even the two had only heard rumors and haven''t seen it before.


    ''Since we''re fighting against the Paragons, then it''s not surprising that the Alliance Head had also made its move¡­ However, why is it lurking around? It feels like it''s searching for something¡­'' Yulia thought for a moment.


    Then, her eyes lit up after a few seconds as she finally had a guess.


    She immediately informed a few people to switch in her position as she decided to act herself¡­ Normal Grand Magus or Grand Knights may have trouble dealing with this shadow¡­


    "Let''s see if Vincent''s Magic Tool is effective against it¡­" Yulia softly muttered as she followed the shadow that was approaching the Mage Tower.

 Chapter 589 Seal

    Yulia may have been worried about the 10 unusual Celestials brought by the Paragons but she trusts Rem and the others to deal with them.


    After all, she had brought 12 Celestials Beings and four of them are Numbered. They are Numbers 442, 778, 815, and 833.


    Furthermore, their aerial support is about to make its move and it will surely change the bnce of this war.


    Whoosh~


    Yulia moves unimpeded as she reached the Mage Tower in a few seconds. Her aura was restrained and no one had noticed her at all after leaving the observation tower.


    She nced at the nearby areas that the shadow had gone through a while ago and confirmed that there are no abnormalities in them¡­


    As soon as he arrived in front of the Tower, she was greeted by a couple of guards who are maintaining the security of the vicinity.


    They were aware of her identity as one of the top echelons in Vera City.


    After giving them a gentle nod, she entered the Tower and found the traces of the shadow¡­


    ''It''s heading towards the underground prison?'' She realized the path that the shadow has taken.


    Luckily, she knows an elemental movement technique and her boots are also providing her additional agility¡­


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Yulia arrived in front of a metal door leading to the prison.


    ''The shadow is looking for prisoners? If that''s the case, it''s likely that my guess is right¡­'' Yulia thought as she took a deep breath.


    She didn''t open the door immediately as she closed her eyes for a brief moment¡­ She was gathering her Mana and spreading the mystical awareness brought by her eyes.


    As soon as she confirmed the shadow''s position, she no longer hesitated.


    She opened her eyes and spoke with a calm voice.


    "Seal¡­"


    Dark energy suddenly started spreading throughout the whole prison.


    This prison only has about 20 people so the shadow would soon finish searching for someone¡­


    Whom~


    As soon as her Darkness Mystic Eye activated, the Shadow quivered for a moment before immediately trying to the venttion to escape¡­


    Thud!


    The shadow bumped into the dark energy created by Yulia''s Mystic Eye¡­


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    It tried to forcefully create a hole but it failed repeatedly¡­ The shadow seem to have realized that it met its nemesis and soon, it heard the metal door opening¡­


    A woman with enchanting ck eyes appeared and looked at the living shadow¡­


    Though the living shadow seems perfectly hidden in the darkness, it was different for Yulia.


    "You''re going to stay here¡­ Control."


    This is the first tier of the Darkness Mystic Eye.


    The living shadow suddenly stiffened as it felt the controlling abilitying from Yulia''s eyes¡­


    Suddenly, the shadow started growingrger before getting closer to the nearest prisoner. It was an old man who had passed out after being starved.


    To Yulia''s surprise, the shadow escaped her ''Control''!


    Then, the weakened old prisoner suddenly started moving and held the metal railings in his jail.


    It didn''t take long before she realized what happened.


    The living had actually possessed someone else''s body! She didn''t think that it is the old man''s original shadow since the living shadow tried fleeing a while ago.


    It means that it only possessed the old man since it had no other choice.


    Bam!


    The railings were forcefully bent and the old man swiftly dashed towards Yulia. His speed and strength don''t match the frail body of the old man at all.


    Furthermore, he wasn''t emitting a strong or intimidating fluctuation of mana.


    Yulia didn''t panic as she even felt better since the shadow finally had a body¡­ It would be much easier to control and she wouldn''t have to stress her Mystic Eye locating the living shadow in the darkness.


    At this time, she held the pendant of her ne with her right hand and triggered the magic ability imbued in it!


    "Radiance!" Yulia shouted as she closed her eyes.


    She used the Legendary Item that Vincent had given to her before he left!


    Just like what Vincent promised after the incident several weeks ago when a few Celestials died, he had provided those people who were close to him with Legendary Items.


    Though he wasn''t able to provide for everyone because of time constraints, Yulia was still able to enjoy the VIP treatment and be one of those who had received the item.


    The ne she had obtained has been Transcended sessfully and obtained three skills. One of them is called Radiance.


    Once triggered, the targeted enemy will experience a burning sensation like they have been burned by a Mana Cannon.


    The old man and the living shadow failed to react in time and wailed loudly¡­ It had certainly attracted the attention of other people.


    Nevertheless, Yulia wasn''t over yet.


    She released the Seal that had covered the entire prison and while the possessed old man was stunned by the Radiance, she immediately cast the Seal to the person in front of her!


    Seal!


    This is the fourth-tier ability of the Darkness Eyes!


    Control, Nightmare, Delude, and Seal!


    Instead of sealing the whole prison, she decided to recast it to the possessed prisoner.


    Everything happened so quickly¡­ As soon as the reinforcements arrived, the battle was already over.


    Pah¡­


    Yulia uncapped a bottle of Mana Recovery Potion and drank it immediately¡­ The use of Seal and the Legendary Ne made her spend so much mana.


    She didn''t expect that she would use this much just to seal the living shadow¡­


    ''As expected, the shadow seems to be looking for Ariana¡­ They thought that she was here and imprisoned in Nidite City.''


    Yulia sighed inwardly after realizing the purpose of the shadow foring here. It appears that her Darkness Eyes and the living shadow had some sort of connection so she was able to vaguely municate'' with it and get information about its mission.


    At this time, she was troubled about whether they should continue using Ariana or eliminate her directly and leave no traces of her behind¡­


    In the end, she can only sigh as she thought of contacting Vincent about this.

 Chapter 590 Teresa

    While the Nidite City was shrouded in the war brought by the ck Magic Organization and the Martial Arts Alliance, Vincent had finally reached the Main Peak of this secretive organization.


    A week had already passed so Faviona and Dianne should''ve settled most of the matters regarding those people who were affected by the corruption brought by the people of the Creed.


    At this time, Vincent''s group alighted from a carriage and they have to walk the stairs leading to the peak of a mountain if they want to see the Star Garden Peak.


    Ahem¡­ Vincent cleared his throat as he looked at the woman behind him.


    "You didn''t leave with the carriage? I didn''t think that you''ll be following us till here." Vincent spoke with a hint of amusement in his tone.


    He was talking to Nerissa who was supposedly guarding the Eternal Sun Peak. Considering that many experts have died at their peak, shouldn''t she protect it with her teacher?


    Your Peak iscking security!


    Vincent wanted to remind her but chose not to.


    At this point, Nerissa smiled at him since she understands his concern.


    "It''s fine¡­ The Sage told me to ask for a Technician from the Main Peak. We''recking a few high-level Automatons. The technicians in the peak are only capable of repairing or making Gold-Tier Automatons."


    "I see¡­" Vincent nodded as he no longer asked questions. He then allowed Nerissa to lead the group.


    They met a few guards who wanted to stop them but after recognizing Nerissa, they no longer bothered checking their identities and allowed them to continue¡­


    "Just how many steps are here?" Vincent asked in exasperation after seeing the unending stairs going upwards.


    "Don''t worry, there are three resting points so you can enjoy the view of the mountains..." Nerissa replied with a chuckle.


    Vincent really wanted to rest as he had spent quite a lot of Pseudo-Celestial Energy going here since they''d encountered several Savage Beasts and some renegade maniptors.


    Because he didn''t want to waste their time dealing with these matters, he would immediately use the powers of the Tome of Glutonny to finish them off.


    This action consumed plenty of energy.


    If he just allowed the Tome to use its reserve energy, it would take a lot of time and there''s a high chance of failure if the target is at its full strength.


    After about an hour, they finally arrived at the first checkpoint where they could choose to rest¡­ There are a few empty cottages that they could use so Vincent didn''t hesitate to choose one.


    However, before he could even enter, he had an uneasy sense of foreboding as he looked at the stairs¡­


    "Celestials¡­" Vincent muttered as the group nced at the two beautiful Celestial Beings who were going down the stairs.


    Unlike the schrly vibe that Vincent felt from the Celestial Beings in the Eternal Sun Peak, the two in front of him feel like some sort of assassins that were trying hard to hide their bloodlust.


    The two are wearing tight-fit clothes that cover their whole body up to their necks. The clothes perfectly entuate their well-proportioned body and Vincent couldn''t help but take a few more looks at them¡­ In addition to that, they are both carrying a one-handed sword and he can tell that they are Celestial Weapons.


    One of them has long, wavy, pale blond hair parted down the middle and showing a faint smile to Vincent¡­


    The other one was a bit skinny and seem like a pre-adolescent girl with short brown hair.


    As they held their weapons, Vincent suddenly recalled the tradition of the Celestial Beings in the Star Garden Peak!


    That is to seek a battle!


    Vincent felt a headache as he can already tell what was about to happen.


    He looked at Luna and Agatha and they seem to have realized the current situation as well.


    Nevertheless, no one acted rashly as Vincent looked at Nerissa.


    Unfortunately, thetter just shrugged as she can''t control the Celestial Beings as well.


    ''Tsk¡­ I hope that this can be resolved without having to fight each other.'' Vincent inwardly sighed as he decided to stop the Celestials.


    Of course, he didn''t appear without any weapon in his hands. He unbuttoned his cloak and revealed the holster on his chest.


    As soon as they saw his pistol, he immediately caught their attention. Seeing that he got the reaction he wanted, he calmly spoke to the two.


    "I''m Vincent from ck Tower. May I know your names, Celestials?"


    At this question, the Celestials looked at him with interest and replied.


    "I''m Teresa¡­ this is my friend, ire. We will be fighting against your contracted Celestials to see if they''re corrupted by the Overseer. Don''t interfere."


    Vincent almost choked after hearing her words.


    It''s really the Number 2 and Number 10 Celestials!


    He can tell that they both possess a Celestial Armor and Celestial Weapon.


    On his side, on the other hand, only Luna has a Celestial Armor. As for Agatha, she''s carrying three Legendary Weapons that could hopefully bnce herck of Celestial Item.


    Vincent turned to Luna and asked¡­ "Are you going to fight them?"


    Luna thought for a moment before she gently nodded.


    "I don''t think that it will take a long time. Don''t worry." Luna added.


    This confused Vincent for a bit but Luna suddenly flicked her fingers and the Bloodstone Armament suddenly floated beside her.


    Teresa and ire suddenly frowned as soon as they saw the glowing red stone appear. They weren''t sure what it was but they felt something familiar from it¡­


    Finally, Teresa looked at Luna and spoke.


    "Is that a Demihuman''s treasure?"


    As expected of Celestial Number 2, she realized the origin of the Armament so easily.


    "Yes¡­ Let''s see if you''re already strong enough to ignore its power." Luna replied as her lips curled up. She''s filled with confidence since she can''t feel an overwhelming Celestial Energy from the


    On the other hand, Teresa remained calm as she nced to her side.


    "I don''t even need to act¡­ She''s already more than enough¡­"

 Chapter 591 Conclusion

    Vincent soon witnessed the battle between ire and Luna¡­


    Luckily, they decided to fight one-on-one so he wasn''t too worried that the ce would be destroyed. Agatha has a very destructive ability after all.


    Although Luna''s bloodstone has the power to corrupt everything, she knows how to control it and only affects a definite target.


    His only concern about this battle was the fact that the Celestial Beings has a natural resistance to the power of corruption thanks to their mysterious Celestial Energy.


    It means that the Corruption may not work well against ire.


    "Don''t worry¡­ Luna''s Bloodstone has improved a lot after she refined it a couple of times¡­" Agatha said after seeing Vincent''s frown.


    Her words finally reminded him how the Bloodstone had been enhanced after their battle against the members of the Creed of Eiqehin¡­


    "You''re right¡­ Let''s see how it fares against the Celestial Armor." Vincent nodded as he looked at the battle between Number 80 and Number 10.


    Based on their ranking, ire should be the stronger one. However, Luna isn''t just equipped with a Celestial Armor, she''s also carrying several Legendary Items with her.


    As soon as the battle started, Luna didn''t hesitate to trigger the first ability of the Armament.


    Focused Corruption!


    A wave of ck energy traveled through the air and headed toward ire¡­ She wasn''t unfamiliar with the power of corruption but she felt amused that a Celestial Being is using it.


    "It feels like I''m fighting against a Demihuman¡­" iremented as she wore her Celestial Armor¡­


    Then, without any hesitation, she swiftly activated the Celestial Mode!


    This mode is the fourth mode of the Source Cube and it is something that Vincent can''t activate because he only has Pseudo-Celestial Energy.


    Even if the cube turned into a Sentient item and could act on its own, it simply can''t activate the fourth form without any Celestial Energy, to begin with.


    Luna didn''t look surprised as she also did the same, she triggered her Celestial Armor and activated the Celestial Mode!


    An intense battle had finally begun!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Their extreme speed and their mighty force could create shockwaves that could break apart trees and stones in the surroundings.


    At this point, Vincent almost failed to see their movements! Their movements weren''t just fast but also unpredictable!


    If not for Vera''s blessing, he wouldn''t have an idea of what was going on!


    "This¡­ What''s happening? Why did that rock explode? Even that---"


    Boom!


    Another explosion near them had urred and Vincent protected his group by summoning a Mana Shield.


    Nerissa stepped back as she was surprised by the sudden development. She couldn''t hide her shock as she had never expected that Celestials can fight this way¡­


    She had seen some battles of Celestial Beings but it was never this dangerous and iprehensible.


    ''Is it because of their number? Is this the real strength of the Celestial Beings?'' Nerissa thought as she stepped closer to Vincent.


    ''No, these Celestials have recovered more Celestial Energy that the ones I''ve met before. Perhaps they''re already at their peak?'' She added after seeing another explosion of ground nearby.


    She can guess that the two Celestial just stepped into the ce and exchanged one or two moves. Nerissa then decided to control her Crystal Tier Automaton and ced it in front of her as she felt safer this way.


    "Who''s winning?" Nerissa asked as she can''t really follow the two Celestials.


    Vincent didn''t answer immediately and observed the battle for a few more seconds before hemented.


    "Luna can surprisingly fight equally against the Number 10¡­ She''s only Number 80¡­" Vincent muttered after recalling the difference in their rank. He couldn''t help but wonder how is that possible.


    She then nced at Agatha and confirmed that she also seemed surprised.


    "Does the Celestial Mode provide a simr burst of power?" He asked.


    Nerissa didn''t know what Celestial Mode was so she knows that it wasn''t her being asked. She nced at the Celestial Being beside Vincent and noticed her nodding.


    "You can think of Celestial Mode as a program in the armor that increases the power output of the Celestials by 10 times."


    "Ten times¡­" Vincent nodded as he repeated in contemtion.


    Although both Celestials have basically received a simr boost, it still depends on their base strength whether they can overwhelm their opponent or not.


    After over half an hour of battle, the Celestial Mode of their armor has finally been depleted.


    Thud!


    Thud!


    The two Celestials finally stopped battling andnded at the central area of the resting area as they stood there facing each other.


    Clink. Clink. Clink¡­


    Their armors retracted and Vincent realized that even though they are wearing their Celestials Armor, they still sustained several bruises on their bodies.


    No, it was Luna who had many purple bruises that can be easily seen on her arms, legs¡­ There might be others hidden under her clothes so Vincent quickly took out a health recovery potion.


    On the other hand, ire, the Number 10 Celestial''s condition is difficult to see since she''s wearing full-body tight clothes. Nevertheless, she doesn''t look happy even after seeing Luna''s condition.


    "Why is that red stone so powerful?" ire asked with a frown as she removed the tight gloves she was wearing¡­


    There, one could that her skin had turned darker and she was definitely affected by the Corruption.


    "Do you want me to remove it?" Luna asked.


    Her Bloodstone Armament can use Absorb Corruption so it can treat her easily.


    "It''s fine¡­ I want to try the efficacy of the girl''s pill as well." ire replied as she pulled out a tiny pouch on her belt.


    She took out a pill from it and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Soon, her corrupted hands turned brighter and slowly returned to normal.


    The effect was surprisingly quick¡­


    "As expected of a pill made by a Tier 5 Alchemist¡­ It''s very potent." iremented in surprise.


    This time, Vincent immediately understood that it was a pill that Faviona had made. At this time, Vincent also gave Luna a bottle of potion. This isn''t only for her injuries but also to replenish a bit of her Celestial Energy.

 Chapter 592 Morians

    Vincent nced at Teresa who seemed to be deliberating whether she should challenge Agatha into a fight.


    Of course, Vincent wasn''t interested in that since he knows that the Number 2 is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Since Agatha is only Number 18 there''s nothing to prove at all and there''s no need to know who was stronger or weaker.


    In the end, Vincent immediately spoke as he decided to just give a gift to the two Celestial Beings and hope that it will change the atmosphere between the two groups.


    He felt that by doing this, the Celestials would be friendlier and perhaps, even help them once they entered the Main Peak.


    "These potions are simr to what she used?" Teresa asked after getting the potion from Vincent.


    She was referring to the potion that Luna just used to cure her physical injuries.


    "Yes¡­ It''s what Celestial Luna used just now." Vincent answered as she gently nodded to the beautiful Celestial.


    "I understand. This is quite special. I can feel it. Did you make it?" She continued to ask.


    Vincent shuddered after noticing Teresa''s gaze. He took a deep breath before he answered carefully.


    "Unfortunately, I''m not an Alchemist¡­ The potion is made by the people in my city. I''m only helping them a little." He vaguely replied.


    "Mhmm¡­" Teresa no longer questioned Vincent as she pocketed the potion with her.


    She instead looked at Luna and Agatha. She seemed to be satisfied with what she saw and continued.


    "It''s impressive that it wasn''t only us who had gathered enough Celestial Energy to activate the Celestial Mode. I guess we can use your help to disable the Overseer."


    "You want to disable the Overseer?" Vincent asked.


    Teresa squinted her eyes as she seem to be surprised that it was Vincent who spoke for them.


    She ignored the man''s question and asked Luna and Agatha once more.


    "Are you going to let him speak for the both of you?" She asked in a baffled tone.


    Her treatment of Vincent also showed that she was looking down on him. Well, it wasn''t that surprising.


    The reason the Celestials were only willing to work for the humans was because of their inability to recover their Celestial Energy.


    Perhaps, Teresa has other methods of recovery so she was proud and haughty as she doesn''t care about Vincent at all.


    Vincent''s mouth twitched after noticing the tant disregard but he didn''t mind it at all as he looked at Luna and Agatha.


    "Answer her¡­"


    Hearing Vincent''s permission, the two replied to Teresa.


    "He''s fully aware of our situation so you can speak to him."


    "I''d rather trust him than you. He''s already gathered numerous Celestial Beings and is helping them recover while I can only sense that there are five Celestials around here."


    Luna and Agatha replied respectively and Vincent felt like he was blushing because of this.


    Nevertheless, he controlled his facial reaction as he looked at Teresa with his raised chin.


    Seeing this, Teresa could only focus on Vincent and asked him directly.


    "Do you have ns to deal with the Overseer?"


    Vincent didn''t hesitate and replied sinctly.


    "No¡­"


    Teresa didn''t expect such a decisive answer and continued. "Why?"


    "The Overseer is still helping us deal with the mess that the Creed of Eiqehin made. Aren''t you aware of that?"


    "I''m aware¡­ However, this is also the best opportunity to get rid of him. I wouldn''t suggest it if he''s at his peak. He''s already a lost cause."


    Vincent can certainly understand her concern and weighed his options¡­ Since the Overseer had also taken the Qheglena that the Celestial Beings needed, he doesn''t really hate the idea of fighting against the Overseer.


    "Very well¡­ If you help me deal with the ck Magic Organization''s magic god, I will help you."


    After hearing his request, ire actually chuckled and even Teresa couldn''t hide her grin.


    Vincent quite hate this but he remained silent. If they wanted to say something, they should just say it!


    After a few moments, ire signaled to Teresa to allow her to speak.


    "The magic god you''re talking about isn''t just a single being. It''s the Morian Collective. It will be difficult."


    At these words, it wasn''t just Vincent who was enlightened, this included Luna and Agatha who were silently listening. It was only Nerissa who had no idea what they were talking about.


    "That Morian Collective?" Vincent repeated as he recalled the details that he knew.


    There should be six otherwordly civilizations that were vying to control this world. They are the Celestial Beings, Demihumans, Xonid Legion, Arkhan Legion, Thoran Empire, and Morian Collective.


    Vincent has already encountered three of the six¡­


    Of course, although he hadn''t met the Arkhan Legion yet, he already suspected that this Legion is rted to the Demonic Cult based on the clues they''d left behind during his encounter with a few of them.


    This is also what the other Celestials believed.


    As for the Thoran Empire and Morian Collective, he only knows that they are human-like, unlike the Xonid and Arkhan that are literally in such an alien form.


    Vincent then recalled something as he felt something off with the conclusion that ire has given. He deliberated for a moment before speaking.


    "If I''m not mistaken, the Morian Collective are Aether Users. However, based on the clues we''ve got, they were able to trigger Mana Cataclysms and it seems to be a ritual to strengthen the magic god''s Avatar¡­ If that''s the case, the Avatar isn''t a part of the Morian Collective?" Vincent asked.


    Based on his understanding, the members of the Morian Collective shouldn''t be so powerful that could wield both mana and aether at the same time. Unless they were parasites like the Xonids and could control a mana practitioner to wield mana instead of Aether.


    "So you''re indeed aware of them¡­ As expected, you''re not a simple contractor¡­" Teresa gently nodded after hearing Vincent''s words.


    ire also realized that Vincent has enough knowledge so she continued¡­


    "The Morians have fully controlled one of the guardians of thisnd so the Avatar can exist. They''re close to bing real citizens of this world and would no longer be rejected by the world''s mana. Although it will probably take three or so more years for that to happen, I guess we can''t be toocent... We can work together to stop this from happening¡­"

 Chapter 593 Collaboration

    "W-what?" Vincent was shocked as soon as he heard this.


    He felt like he understand what he was trying to say but also did not.


    He then recalled her words as he felt that this is really a serious matter.


    ''The guardian she was talking about is probably one of the deities like Vera and Nidite¡­ The Morian Collective can actually control them¡­ Furthermore, this control seems to be different from Xonid''s parasitization.''


    "Can the deity¡­ or the guardian that was controlled still be saved?" Vincent asked as he realized that this is a huge problem. This is probably one of the reasons why the deities would rarely show their might.


    They probably don''t want to be discovered by otherworldly beings!


    "No, there''s no hope of saving them¡­" Teresa answered as she shook her head.


    "If that''s the case, can we defeat the Morian Collective? I mean, what does it take to destroy them?"


    "Well, if we get the help of other guardians, we can work together with them or maybe bring at least 50 Numbered Celestial Beings below 300 with us. If we don''t have that number, we can rece it with a probably 500 Grand Magus that can work together."


    "This¡­"


    Perhaps, 50 Celestials wasn''t impossible but 500 Grand Magus is definitely a dream.


    Vincent mused for a moment.


    ''Hmm¡­ 50 Celestials isn''t that impossible¡­ We can consider returning to the Tudor Kingdom as well to take all the Celestials hiding there. Even Number 9 is present in that ce.''


    Teresa then continued. "Those Celestials must have their Source Cube¡­ It will be a disaster if they get controlled."


    "So their controlling ability can be stopped by the armor? That''s good to know. Unfortunately, Celestials with Source Cube with them are rare." Vincent sighed as this is a huge problem.


    Although he can provide them with Legendary Items after some time, their item skills are random and couldn''t be trusted. On the other hand, the defensive capabilities of the Celestial Armors are absolute and have been tested over time.


    "We know¡­ That''s why we suggest dealing with the Overseer first... Once we got the Qheglena back, the Celestial Armors and Weapons will be in our control. Those that are missing can also be tracked with the help of Qheglena¡­"


    Vincent finally understood why they wanted to target the Overseer.


    Furthermore, this must be the reason why there is a rumor that these two are always fighting against their guests, especially the Celestial Beings!


    They were looking for possible allies and weren''t looking for a fight!


    Their actions finally made sense! Although their actions are quite impolite, dueling is indeed the best way to assess the strength of the other party.


    "Very well¡­ Let''s discuss our cooperation. I also want to know your information regarding the Qheglena. Of course, what''s important is the power that the Overseer wields. I need to know everything about him." Vincent said as he gestured for them to the cottage so they can discuss in a civil manner.


    "That''s understandable. I also want to know the quality of forces you can mobilize when the timees. If your forces are too weak, we have to consider asking the Martial Arts Alliance for help. Their Alliance Head is a mighty figure." Teresamented as she even praised the alliance that Vincent hates already.


    Vincent''s side had already killed two Paragons and captured another one!


    They are already at odds with that alliance so cooperating with them wouldn''t be possible. If the Alliance Head isn''t an idiot, he will certainly guess that the ones who killed the Paragons weren''t the members of the ck Magic Organization.


    With the process of elimination, it would be quite easy to guess the origins of their killers.


    Now that Vincent thinks about it, he suddenly felt worried about the people he left in Vera City. The Martial Arts Alliance might really think of retaliating because of the death of the paragons.


    ''It should be fine. The Celestials are there¡­ I can also feel that Tara is already returning. There shouldn''t be any problem with that number of Celestial Beings unless even the otherworldly beings attacked them as well.'' Vincent mused as he entered the cottage.


    Their discussion with Teresa and irested for only half an hour but it was very fruitful.


    First of all, he realized that the couple has already found a few helpers but they were just individuals and were waiting for Teresa''s signal to gather.


    No organization wanted to join their endeavor or no organization was able to pass her requirement.


    ording to her, Teresa can gather 13 Celestial Beings below Rank 300 with Celestial Armor and Celestial Weapon.


    In addition to that, she had approved 8 Grand Magus, 5 3-Star Aura Knights, and 3 Grand Knights to join their operation.


    Vincent felt that he has a stronger force than them!


    Although a few Celestials died in theirst operation, there were still quite a number of them he could mobilize.


    Furthermore, he had firm control over top-quality items and modern weapons.


    Just as Vincent thought of this, Teresa suddenly asked him about the pistol he had shown a while ago.


    "That gun¡­ Did you find it in your dungeon explorations?"


    Vincent thought for a moment before shaking his head.


    "I made it¡­ I also took the suggestion of the Celestials working for me."


    "I see¡­ How strong is it? Ahem¡­ As you know, we arecking some ranged weapons so the size of that pistol can be quite helpful for the Celestials. If it received a few inscriptions from the Magic Technicians, I''m sure that it will get stronger." Teresa suggested.


    "Our city can manufacture them. Unfortunately, we''re not thinking of selling firearms outside our city... At most, I can provide you with a gift if you wanted to have one."


    Vincent said as he wanted to control the firearms that are being produced in the city. After all, this pistol can be easily wielded by normal people and produce destructive power.


    Aside from putting a high price to discourage people from buying them, he also wanted to ensure that their city will remain as the only manufacturer of firearms¡­


    With the talents and skills that the Magic Technicians have, he was worried that their firearms might actually be reverse-engineered.

 Chapter 594 Warning

    "That makes sense¡­ Allow us to visit this Vera City of yours before we deal with the Overseer." Teresa replied after hearing a few more things about Vera City.


    She had quickly grown interested in the city especially after hearing that over a dozen Celestial Beings are living there right now.


    Well, she probably wanted to test their strength as well or perhaps, find anyone she know.


    "That''s good for me¡­" Vincent replied sinctly as he nced at his two Celestials.


    They didn''t mind if Teresa goes there at all.


    With that said, Teresa and ire decided to leave this resting point as they continued going down. It seems that they didn''t specifically go down here to request a duel. They actually have some matters outside the Star Garden Peak.


    Vincent and the group also did not stay in the area as they continued their way to the peak. This time, they no longer encountered any problems as they reached the mountain''s peak after a while.


    "This¡­" Vincent was shocked as soon as he saw the city on top of the mountain.


    "Why is this ce looks so much better?" Vincent muttered as he saw the modern houses and tall buildings of the city.


    What''s even more interesting is the cable cars that are used for transportation! There are still carriages made of automatons on the road but there are plenty of cable cars moving from station to station.


    As they entered the bustling streets of the city, he saw plenty of shops and children wandering around even without their parents. It seems natural as the ce is lively and there are many forms of entertainment to gather audiences on the roadside.


    There are puppet shows on one block, there is a magic show on another, and Vincent also found theatric y on an open stage.


    This ce ispletely out of his expectation.


    It appears that all the citizens of their territory have gathered in this ce.


    Furthermore, it''spletely different from the way Faviona described the Star Garden Peak to him! This ce just looks like a normal modern and thriving city of this era¡­ He can also tell that they had great urban nning in this city.


    Of course, Faviona may have had a different experience since she had only been here mainly to create potions and pills. She probably doesn''t have to explore the ces and was constantly guarded by several high-ranking Maniptors to protect her at all times.


    "Are you surprised?" Nerissa asked as she noticed Vincent''s reaction.


    "Yes. This ce looks lively¡­ You mentioned we''re going to the temple. I wonder if it will be lively as well." Vincent answered.


    Nerissa only smiled as she lead them to a less popted area¡­ As they walk along the pavement leading to the temple, the number of pedestrians they meet gets lesser and lesser.


    Nevertheless, the ce remains clean and safe since he could feel the presence of a few Automatons monitoring the streets.


    "We''re here¡­" Nerissa said as they brought the group to a huge temple. Apparently, there are no nearby cable car stations here so it was normal that they had to walk instead.


    As for using a carriage, Nerissa seems to have decided not to so Vincent and the others can appreciate the ce.


    In any case, they were in a hurry to enter the temple of the Star Garden.


    At this time, they were greeted by a gentleman with white sideburns. He seem to be waiting for Vincent''s group so Nerissa decided to separate from them as she had other matters to attend to.


    She has to request for Magic Technicians to transfer to their peak ording to Sage Vivian''s instructions.


    "I''m Faviona''s valet, Amiran. She instructed me to bring you to her residence first once you arrived. It seems that she doesn''t want the elders to meet you first." The middle-aged gentleman said as he slightly bowed to Vincent.


    "Mhmmm? Is there something I need to know?" Vincent muttered.


    It feels like Faviona wanted to warn him first about the elders of the Star Garden Peak before he meets them. This is also a good thing as he wanted to discuss a few things with Faviona as well.


    As they entered the front yard of the Temple, a few people wearing red robes and walking like they own the road passed by.


    They seem to be in their twenties and they were looking at Vincent with undisguised hostility¡­


    ''Huh? What did I do this time?'' Vincent was confused as he even thought that they were jealous since he was walking with two beauties.


    However, after ncing at Luna and Agatha, he realized that they are wearing the Defiance Hooded Shawl and they are also silently walking like some sort of assassin.


    The shawl they''re wearing may not make them invisible but it weakens their presence. They might be physically present but people would fail to notice them like they are some background characters. People will naturally ignore them.


    The Celestial Beings can also do this without the shawl but it uses their Celestial Energy in the process.


    Vincent shook his head as he decided to ignore those youngsters for now. Since he doesn''t know the real situation and they did not attack him, it''s better not to provoke them in case there''s a misunderstanding.


    Soon, he was led by Amiran to Faviona''s residence.


    The first person he saw was Dianne who seemed to have lost a lot of weight.


    "Dianne, are you not being treated here well? It hasn''t been that long since west met¡­" Vincent asked as they entered the reception room of the mansion where they were staying at.


    "Haa~ It was tough being an alchemist. Those lunatics spread a gue to the eastern region and affected thousands of people. It''s probably alright if we can mobilize a huge number of Alchemists. However, there were only a dozen of us and I even have to teach some of them!" Dianne sighed as she recalled the appalling situation they were previously in.

 Chapter 595 Changes

    Dianne wryly smiled as she had also not expected that the Star Garden Peak would neglect the growth of their Alchemists. They should know how important alchemists are.


    On the other hand, she also remembers how difficult it is to advance here as an Alchemist because of theck of many spiritual herbs. However, that was a problem they need to resolve. She can only think that they should work harder and develop more alchemists as that is what they should do to solve future problems.


    "Ahh¡­ I''m sorry for ranting, Master Faviona should be here any moment now. She''ll exin the situation here before you meet the elders."


    Vincent gently nodded.


    "Alright¡­ You might need to rest for a while more. You don''t look good. Do you want my potions?" Vincent asked.


    "For free?"


    "Of course, not¡­ You can pay with spirit stones. I''m sure you''ve earned a lot over these few days¡­" Vincent answered.


    "Then it should be in a friendly price¡­ I have 20 low-grade Spirit Stones here. I also have 20 poor-quality potions here. I know you wanted these scraps." Dianne replied with a teasing smile.


    Vincent didn''t mind this since he only need to spend some energy to increase their quality. As for learning how to make potions, he felt that it was already too much for him since it requires plenty of time to learn.


    He would have to spend most of his time to be a Diamond Tier Maniptor so he doesn''t have the time to study other things.


    He could barely even make use of his talent as a craftsman so he doesn''t have the drive to try another path¡­


    "Alright¡­ I ept this price." Vincent said as he gave a Mana Recovery Potion to Dianne.


    Dianne''s eyes lit up since the quality has exceeded her expectations. However, since they were friends, she didn''t feel any ounce of guilt for taking it.


    "You''re a good friend¡­"


    As Dianne said this, she left the reception room for a moment before bringing a few snacks for them. She then bade her farewell telling that she''ll be resting for a while.


    In just a few minutes, Faviona finally arrived as she joined Vincent and the Celestials with their snacks.


    "Do you want to rest first? The matters about the elders aren''t that important anyway¡­ Ahh, you didn''t meet any of them, right?" Faviona said after taking a biscuit on the tter.


    Vincent thought for a moment before he exined what happened a while ago when he met a few guys wearing red robes.


    "They''re probably the ones supporting the elders or maybe their rtives." As Faviona said this, she couldn''t help but sigh as she recalled the matters she heard in their discussion.


    She deliberated for a while before exining them to Vincent¡­


    "Do you know what kind of abilities the people in the Star Garden Peak have?" Faviona probed.


    "Mhmm? Most of them are Maniptors, right? Of course, there are also Magic Technicians¡­" Vincent answered.


    "That''s right¡­ However, I''m sure I mentioned to you that some of them are capable of divination and other forms of magical techniques that don''t align with Mana Arts." Faviona reminded.


    Well, divination itself isn''t part of Mana Arts. As proof, there is no Tier 4 Mana Art that has ever been recorded that could equal such an ability.


    "I think I can remember you saying that¡­ You also mentioned that they have observatory towers where they observe the stars¡­"


    "Yes¡­ I wasn''t sure what they are called before but I recently heard that they''re called Soothsayers."


    "Sages¡­ now Soothsayers¡­ Ugh. Is that how they learned about the descent of otherworldly beings? They predicted it?" Vincent asked thoughtfully.


    Since there are many mysteries in this world, he was no longer surprised if there is more.


    "Maybe¡­ Unfortunately, these Soothsayers have also predicted you''re going to cause a change in this era¡­ I didn''t know the exact prophecy but it seems that no one knows if the changes in the era are good or bad."


    After saying this, Vincent finally realized what this is all about.


    "This¡­"


    He was speechless for quite some time and couldn''t give a proper reply. After some thought, he also recalled the prophecy given to him by Vera.


    "Therees a day when what''s shrouded is revealed, the exiled one shall usher forth the beginning of a new era."


    He went blind at that time to supposedly suppress something. Perhaps, it was to suppress the advancement or changes in the era itself and not only to stop the enemies from detecting his presence.


    Vincent sighed as he felt at a loss. He looked at Faviona and asked with a frown.


    "What do you think I should do?"


    Expecting such a question, Faviona immediately gave a reply.


    "There are nine elders. Three of them suggested sealing you to stop the changes of the era. Apparently, their finest Magic Technicians were able to create a replica of the capsule used by the Celestials. They suggested putting you asleep for a few decades before waking you up once they are ready to face the changes in the era¡­"


    "What kind of messed up idea was that?" Vincent asked in horror. He didn''t want that to happen at all costs.


    Perhaps, if there is a pandemic that can''t be cured, he might be considering doing that to preserve himself. However, there was no way he would agree to that in present conditions.


    Faviona shrugged at this as she was only telling what she knows. She then added¡­


    "The other three suggested killing you directly to stop the changes in the era. They said that the era may not be that peaceful but it was still manageable. Making the era better is certainly a fantastic idea but since there is a chance of making it worse, they didn''t want to take the risk."


    "¡­"


    "Thest three elders wanted you to continue what you were doing and make changes in our era as you''re destined to be. However, since this is a matter that greatly affects everyone, they said that you must be under their supervision or perhaps, observation. They will assign a few people that will "protect" you in the shadows."

 Chapter 596 Threat

    "They wanted to protect me?" Vincent shook his head as he felt like some sort of prisoner. There was no way he would agree to those options.


    "There was no way I would agree to any of them¡­" He added.


    Faviona was helpless at this as well. Though she provided suggestions to the Elders, it was still up to them to decide.


    Even if she''s a Tier 5 Alchemist which is very valuable to the Peak, her words don''t carry too much weight if it''s outside the field of alchemy.


    "Their decision will depend on your meeting with them inside the templeter on¡­" Faviona exined as she nced at the table with 20 low-grade spirit stones and poor-quality potions.


    These items were Dianne''s payment for the high-grade potion she took from Vincent a while ago. Faviona found the potions familiar so she was a bit curious seeing them here.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll speak to themter on. I can bring my two Celestial Beings inside the temple, right?" Vincent asked.


    ''If not, I''ll be escaping immediately.'' He added in his mind. Although he has some means to protect himself, the addition of the Celestial Beings would make him morefortable entering the enemy''s den¡­


    "You can bring them¡­ I''m sure you can scare them away if they dared to act on you." Faviona confidently replied.


    This young man is filled with Legendary Items after all. There was no way he''ll be killed so easily by a bunch of old men or women who were left behind by the passing of time.


    "That''s good. Right, I''m sure you earned plenty of money. If you have spirit stones, I can trade you these potions¡­"


    Vincent said as he pulled out a few high-grade potions with him that he doesn''t have to use for a while.


    They were Vial of Vitality Boost, Eagle Vision, Mana Block, and Strength Potion.


    They may not be useful for him but for a Tier 5 Alchemist like Faviona, they were certainly a great specimen. After all, even if she''s a Tier 5 Alchemist, it doesn''t mean that she had already concocted all high-grade or higher-tier potions and pills.


    She still has some specializations and these potions would greatly help her boost her knowledge.


    Faviona''s eyes lit up after seeing the high-grade potions in front of her.


    Without any hesitations, she pulled up her bag and handed over a bunch of Spirit Stones.


    The Spirit Stones may not bepletely useless to an Alchemist like her, but in front of high-grade potions, she''s very willing to hand over these stones.


    "There are 40 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones here¡­"


    This time, it was Vincent''s turn to be surprised.


    Although he has 5 High-Tier Spirit Stones in his possession, it doesn''t mean he has plenty of mid-tier ones¡­ As a matter of fact, he only had 43 mid-tier stones all this time which had turned into 35 after using them in his experiments.


    The addition of 40 mid-tier stones was a huge deal for him. This is equivalent to 43 sessful Ascension after all!


    Since the descent of the otherworld beings is near and the outbreak of dungeons is alsoing, he obviously needs to create a powerful army¡­ One requirement of that is to get better weapons and pieces of equipment for them.


    Needless to say, these Spirit Stones would be his foundation for creating the best magic tools out there.


    The twopleted the exchange and after that, Vincent epted Faviona''s suggestion to rest in her residence for now before meeting with the elders.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This way, he would be able to organize his thoughts.


    During this time, Luna and Agatha didn''tment on the prophecy to him by the Soothsayers of the Star Garden Peak.


    For them, Vincent is truly an anomaly and they can even tell that he has already made changes in the current era.


    The fact that he was able to gather plenty of Celestial Beings alone with his unique ability, means that the era of Celestials is finally here once again.


    If they gathered more Celestial Beings and allowed them to recover at 80% of their real strength, they would be an unstoppable force that any country has to be careful about.


    ***


    In the early morning of the next day, the elders of the Star Garden Peak can no longer wait. As soon as Vincent and the others had finished their breakfast, the messenger of the elders has alreadye knocking on their doors to escort Vincent.


    At this point, Vincent truly felt like he was some sort of criminal that was about to attend his trial.


    ''Tsk¡­''


    Vincent grunted as he looked at the six arrogant escorts who hade to look for him.


    They seem to have ignored Luna and Agatha''s presence as well since they didn''t show any form of respect¡­ Well, it must be because of the defiance hooded shawl¡­ Nevertheless, this isn''t the treatment that Vincent was expecting at all.


    It''s not like he had some crimes that deserved to be treated coldly.


    He may not be expecting a grand celebration for his arrival, he had at least expected to be treated well like in the Eternal Sun Peak.


    Soon, Vincent''s group entered a left-wing hall of the temple while surrounded by the escorts.


    Inside the hall, he saw the nine elders of the Star Garden Peak wearing white and red robes draped on their bodies. They are all standing on an elevated tform behind a ss window where the sunlight is.


    One thing that Vincent immediately noticed was that his Item Sense Ability was greatly obstructed inside the hall.


    This is such a familiar feeling when he entered the ck Tower before.


    They may not have used the mystical octopus ink but they seem to have ess to something better.


    ''Interesting¡­'' Vincent mused as he tried to find out how his system was being restricted again.


    Thud¡­


    As soon as Vincent and his Celestials stood at the center of the hall, the door of the left-wing hall was closed by the guards.


    This time, no one spoke as if they were measuring each other''s strength.


    Finally, Vincent felt irritated as he broke the silence¡­


    "I won''t just ept being killed. So you have to remove those dangerous thoughts." He said with the most intimidating voice he could muster.

 Chapter 597 Blessed

    <h4>Chapter 597 Blessed</h4>


    The elders didn''t expect such an introduction so some of them were obviously surprised.


    They looked at each other before returning their gaze to Vincent.


    "If we want to kill you, do you think you can survive?" One of the elders asked as he tried to sound out Vincent''s preparation for today.


    Vincent sneered at this as he replied with confidence. "If you want to kill me, you will bear goddess Vera''s wrath."


    As soon as the elders heard the goddess'' name, everyone was rmed. Although they have received news from their Soothsayers and other intelligence channels, they couldn''t help but size up Vincent to whether he''s really Vera''s blessed or not.


    Since the deities they believe have been silent ever since the first Rapture, it was quite hard to believe that someone would suddenly be blessed. Although they know that some of the deities haven''t perished yet, it''s quite unusual for them to suddenly show a favor to someone.


    Of course, if he was truly a Blessed, that would certainly be a piece of good news for them. However, after vaguely knowing the situation with the Demonic Cult and the ck Magic Organization, it''s difficult to believe such a thing.


    Even if he had truly be Blessed, perhaps it''s a different existence disguised as the known goddess of mercy.


    "Vera, the goddess of mercy¡­ Have you truly be her blessed?" Another elder asked. There was a trace of agitation in his voice as he wanted to know the truth of this matter.


    Vincent can''t really tell which one of them is asking so he only nodded.


    There was another silence after his confirmation. It might have been a lot easier talking to them if they have someone like Guven who has an amazing Mystic Eye.


    Guven can determine whether someone is lying so he''s really an important member of his faction. Unfortunately for Vincent, the elders didn''t seem to have simr abilities and they were only using their intuition to determine whether he was telling the truth¡­


    "Do you still n on killing me?" He added after not hearing any reply from the elders.


    Finally, one of the elders spoke after ncing at his fellow elders.


    "I still believe that he needed to be observed by our people. Even if he has Celestial Beings, what would they do if they were in front of an army? The Celestials may be good in one-on-onebat but once they fight against arge number of people, they will easily exhaust their energy and would have to retreat."


    "I share the same thoughts. The Celestials are only a bit better than Diamond Automatons. No, some of our Diamond Automatons might even be stronger. Especially those above 600¡­"


    "Mhmm¡­ Good point. Vincent, if you''re truly Vera''s blessed, you will be a valuable asset to our entire race. With the recent activities of the ck Magic Organization, the Demonic Cult, and the Creed, you have to follow the guards we will be sending you for your safety."


    With that said, Vincent couldn''t help but frown.


    ''I will follow the guards you''ll arrange for me? Isn''t that supposed to be the opposite?'' Vincent frowned¡­


    ''Furthermore, the Martial Arts Alliance and the Barbarians are also dangerous. Why did you forget them?'' He added in his mind.


    Vincent felt like he was not going through these elders since they feel so privileged thinking that he''ll just follow their arrangement.


    In fact, the reason why he hade here was mostly because of Vivian Kayser and not these elders. He just felt like he has to show up since Faviona was the one who had given him a chance to get here.


    Lastly, he didn''t like how his precious Celestial Beings were being looked down upon. Although they don''t normally show their emotion as were like trained soldiers ready to fight, Vincent knows that they aren''t some sort of android that is void of emotions.


    Vincent pondered for a moment before he had an idea to resolve this.


    "I won''t be following anyone you assign to guard me. I also won''t ept such an arrangement unless you pay me with High-Tier Spirit Stones." He announced with a firm tone in his voice.


    "What? We will be the one giving you protection but we''re also the one paying you to allow that? That''s ridiculous." One of the elders retorted in dissatisfaction.


    "Yes¡­ Since you will be obstructing my privacy¡­ They can observe me from a distance but they won''t be doing anything aside from that. They''ll just be a nuisance since I know that your warriors aren''t that strong in the first ce¡­"


    At this point, the elders felt like exploding¡­ Vincent had just taunted them that they were weak¡­


    "Now you''re provoking us?! Very well, how about we see your strength in action? If you''re looking down on our warriors, you should be prepared to face them and see how wrong you are."


    All the elders agreed to this decision as they challenged Vincent into a fight.


    Vincent was looking forward to this development as he had recently ascended several items with his Spirit Stones.


    All the remaining bullets of his Pistol had be Legendary Grade and he couldn''t wait to use them!


    Soon, the battle was arranged and he would have to fight against one of their finest warriors. He is a Diamond Tier Maniptor that had recently returned after chasing the remnants of the Creed of Eiqehin.


    "Are you sure about this? You can suggest to them to let us fight instead of you." Luna asked as they went to the small arena that was prepared at the back of the temple.


    There were already quite a few people here including Faviona and Dianne.


    The members of the Star Garden Peak were mostly wearing robes that shows their level as a Maniptor.


    ording to Faviona, those who are wearing gray robes were Iron or Brass Tier. Those with blue robes are either Silver or Gold Tier. The red robe without the white and gold trim design like the elders was for Crystal and tinum Tier members.


    The ck robe with white color on its trim was for Diamond Tier.


    This time, Vincent''s opponent was a man in his forties that is wearing a ck and white robe.


    Vincent looked at Luna for a moment and curled up his lips.


    "Don''t worry¡­ This won''t take that long." Vincent answered as he stepped unto the stage.

 Chapter 598 Diamond Tier Manipulator

    <h4>Chapter 598 Diamond Tier Maniptor</h4>


    After seeing Vincent''s confidence, Luna no longer convinced him to change his mind as she allowed him to fight.


    In her mind, a direct battle against their "boss" doesn''t seem appropriate if his subordinates are still doing fine. They should be battling them first before they could get a chance to fight against Vincent.


    Agatha had simr thoughts to this but decided not to voice them out.


    Anyway, even though they believe that Vincent should only fight if they were unable to, they would still respect his decision.


    It only feels weird for them as it seems like Vincent was protecting them instead of the other way around.


    Luna could only shake her head as she returned to her position and stood beside Agatha.


    The two remained silent and carefully observed the surroundings.


    They have to ensure that there will be no foul y in this match¡­ For them, it''s quite impossible for Vincent to lose against a lone Diamond Tier Maniptor. If that happens, it might be because of external factors so they can''t allow such a thing to happen.


    Their vignce remained on high alert as they monitor the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, Vincent has already activated his Item Sense Ability.


    Activating his Energy Sensitivity Vision creates a weak fluctuation of energy and could be sensed by experts. However, his system''s Item Sense ability ispletely untraceable.


    Luckily, after leaving the temple, the range of his system ability has returned to normal.


    ''There''s really a problem inside that temple. I wonder what''s suppressing my sensing there.'' Vincent said in his mind as he allowed his Item Sense to find the opponent''s automatons.


    At this time, he realized that his opponent has two Humanoid Diamond Tier Automatons that has already taken a position. Furthermore, they have an incredible stealth ability and were already above the arena and hiding from everyone''s eyes.


    ''They already set up the battlefield before my arrival¡­ Impressive.'' Vincent mused as he looked around. Over a hundred audiences were anticipating their fight.


    After looking at them, his gaze returned to the ck-robed Maniptor. He can''t see his face since it''s probably the effect or ability of the robe itself.


    It''s a pity that he won''t be fighting that arrogant young man at the entrance of the temple but Vincent felt that this is also a good thing. Since that person was only a Crystal or tinum Tier Maniptor, fighting against him wouldn''t properly show the might of his items.


    ''Hmm?'' Vincent then noticed a couple of familiar spheres hanging on the man''s belt. Those couple of spheres were definitely Dormant Automatons. As for their level, he couldn''t urately tell at the moment.


    Whoosh~


    Suddenly, the referee for the duel arrived while riding a floating tform. It seems to be a magical cubicle and it was very eye-catching.


    ''So they can use automatons in this form?'' Vincent felt surprised as he realized that this city truly deserved to be called a modern city.


    There is a woman standing inside this floating cubicle and she should be the referee for this duel. She has long red hair and from Vincent''s distance, he can only tell that she looks very pale. It''spletely different from the normal paleness he had seen before as it seems like she had lost litters of blood.


    Then, Vincent heard her voice like she was talking close to him¡­


    "Vincent and Sir Roel, the elders mentioned that killing is not allowed and the winner will be decided if one has be incapable ofbat. In case there is a chance of dying, I will intervene essentially stopping the fight. However, I''d like to add that I''m not perfect. I may not save you time so do your best to survive¡­ Of course, I will do my best to stop any idents from happening¡­ You don''t need to hold back at all."


    Vincent felt suspicious about this referee¡­ He can feel that she actually wanted a bloodbath in this match.


    The man whom she called Sir Roel only nodded with a smile before turning his gaze to Vincent. On the other hand, Vincent thanked the referee as he hope that she''ll properly officiate the match.


    "I''ll give you another 20 seconds to prepare."


    With that said, the referee maintained her silence as she opened a book to read something.


    At this time, Vincent pulled out his pistol and checked his magazine.


    Clunk!


    After making sure that it was loaded, Vincent left the pistol''s safety off. In the meantime, the Diamond Tier activated his dormant Automaton.


    It was a couple of floating hands¡­ That''s right. This automaton isn''t in the shape of an animal or human. However, it is designed simrly to a part of a human! Vincent didn''t expect such a sight. This duel, even though it hasn''t started yet, has truly broadened his horizon.


    If he wasn''t aware that it was an automaton, he would think that it was probably a Legendary Magic Artifact or a Fusion Art of a Grand Magus.


    At this point, Vincent also heard the exmations of the audience as this thing is probably not thatmon as well.


    ''Hmph¡­ You wanted those two floating hands to be the focus of my attention instead of your invisible Automatons?'' Vincent sneered as he easily realized the sinister n of this person.


    As the twopleted their preparation, the female referee no longer hesitated as she announced the start of the battle.


    "Fight!" With a wave of the g signifying the start of the battle, the audience didn''t make a sound and focused on the match.


    Vincent let his Sentient Cube act on its own to protect his body. He only lifted his pistol and aimed at the ck-robed Maniptor, he didn''t even think of summoning his Book of Glutonny as he felt that it is unnecessary.


    With a pull of the trigger, a gunshot was heard...


    Bang!


    The floating hands blocked the first shot but Vincent continued.


    Bang!


    Another bullet was shot and this time, the floating hand automaton was shockingly destroyed! With just two attacks, the Diamond Tier Automaton was wasted just like that!


    Of course, it also means that he used two Legendary Grade Bullets!


    Vincent didn''t stop and continued. He''s nning to destroy the other automaton under everyone''s watch!

 Chapter 599 Diamond Tier Manipulator ( 2 )

    <h4>Chapter 599 Diamond Tier Maniptor ( 2 )</h4>


    Bang! Bang!


    Thest bullet can no longer be blocked by the small automaton. The bullet didn''t just prate the Automaton but it continued piercing the ck-robed man!


    "Careful! Aaah!"


    "No! Dodge it!"


    "H-he''s dead?"


    "This stupid Maniptor why is he even using a weak Automaton?!"


    The audience''s reactions were divided after seeing that the bullet pierced through the Maniptor''s body. They didn''t expect that Vincent''s mysterious weapon was so powerful!


    Although some of them already learned of his pistol thanks to his participation in the hunt of the members of the Creed, they didn''t think that it was this exaggerated!


    Diamond Tier Automatons didn''tst long and even the famous Sir Roel was killed!


    ''He''s not dead yet¡­'' Vincent frowned as he realized that even though his bullet pierced through the body of his opponent, no blood or flesh was scattered.


    His Legendary Bullet has Crush Attribute so it''s impossible to have a clean and silent effect when hitting a target.


    Bang! Bang!


    He pulled the trigger again to find out the man''s secret. However, Roel seems to have recovered quickly as he dodges the bullet by using a movement technique that allows him to move unpredictably.


    As Vincent realized that he already emptied his magazine, he felt one of the invisible Automatons starts moving¡­


    It emitted a strong fluctuation of energy so he didn''t miss its tiny movement.


    Boom!


    The humanoid automaton descended and stood in the middle of the two fighters.


    This automaton was quite slim and has two short des. It doesn''t seem to have other weapons aside from these des. Based on this appearance, Vincent can guess that it''s an agility-type swordsman or perhaps an assassin.


    Vincent smiled as he was unsurprised by its appearance. He simply changed his magazine and continued firing¡­


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    With these three continuous shots, his attention was sessfully shifted to the Humanoid Automaton, due to this, he failed to notice Roel''s movement behind it.


    In the meantime, the Automaton seems to have expected his attack as it swiftly deflected the bullets.


    "Hmm? You can do that?" Vincent muttered as he realized that the automaton has a method to save itself from sure death.


    In his mind, he believes that as long as his Legendary Bullets hits the target, they''ll be certainly destroyed.


    Even if it was stopped, he believed that it can only be done by another Legendary Item but even if that was the case, it should still consume plenty of durability points.


    However, he can tell that the humanoid automaton''s de wasn''t only undamaged but it seems to be getting stronger.


    As he was about to try one more time before switching his tactic, he felt that the second Diamond Tier Automaton was about to descend!


    Vincent jumps sideways without looking at the Automaton¡­


    Boom!


    The moment he left his position, another humanoid automaton that is bulkier than the other appeared. It is carrying a shield and a halberd like a true warrior.


    The shockwave and quake caused by the descent put Vincent in an awkward position as he missed his step.


    "He survived that... Finally, his real Automatons are here!"


    "Thebination of the Windwalker and the Legionnaire!"


    "There''s no way to defeat these two¡­"


    "I wonder how long this little guy wouldst."


    As Vincent was calcting his next moves, he also heard the words of the audience and their sigh of relief. Some of them even seem to forget that Sir Roel should''ve been shot by one of his bullets.


    ''Windwalker and Legionnaire?'' Vincent repeated in his mind. He can guess that the assassin-type automaton seems to be the Windwalker while the warrior is the Legionnaire.


    As he thought of this, he heard someone''s footsteps approaching him.


    Boom!


    Roel swiftly appeared next to him and tried to stomp his head¡­


    "Hmph!" Vincent didn''t try to defend himself as he used his Ghost Step to put some distance from Roel.


    Roel didn''t bother catching up to him as he looked at Vincent curiously. This time, Vincent can finally see some features on his face.


    A burn mark reaching from the bottom of the right cheek, running towards the left side of his lips, and ending above his left eye leaves a deep impression on Vincent.


    Realizing that his face was revealed to Vincent, he smiled at him and spoke with his deep voice.


    "I didn''t expect that you can dodge that second descent. Do you have eyes on top of your head?" Roel asked as he looked at Vincent with solemn eyes.


    "No¡­ I''m just sensitive to the changes in the airflow." Vincent lied as he stepped back while observing the two Automatons who are already circling him.


    "I heard that you had also obtained some Automatons from the Eternal Sun Peak. Aren''t you going to bring them out?"


    "Hmm? I''ve barely cultivated the meditation technique I got from the Sage¡­" Vincent replied with a helpless smile.


    He had truly tried cultivating his mind as well but the time he had spent was just too short. There was no way he could get a decent result from that.


    Nevertheless, this answer didn''t make Roel rx as he realized that Vincent is still hiding something.


    Roel''s thoughts quickly raced as he considered what Vincent was relying on to be so confident today!


    If Vincent was not intending to fight using a powerful Automaton, he must have another secret that made him confident of facing a Diamond Tier Maniptor!


    With this in mind, Roel no longer hesitated as he controlled his automatons to kill Vincent! He even followed up behind them for a finishing move.


    Whoosh!


    The Windwalker rapidly moved and shed at Vincent''s neck¡­


    However, it was shot several times!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Automaton deflected the bullets again as they crushed the floor of the arena.


    At this time, the Legionnaire arrived on time. Its halberd came shing down on Vincent''s spot¡­


    "Tsk¡­ Cube¡­ It''s all up to you¡­" Vincent muttered as his body was instantly covered by the Celestial Armor!


    Roel and the audience didn''t even have the time to be shocked as Vincent stopped all the attacksing at his body.


    Boom!


    The halberd was stopped by the armor but the impact was quite strong sinking Vincent by about 6 inches on the ground.


    Thud! Thud!


    The attacks of the two Automatonsnded but they seem to have weakened a lot as if they only touched Vincent''s armor!

 Chapter 600 Legendary Dagger

    <h4>Chapter 600 Legendary Dagger</h4>


    "What''s going on?" Roel muttered in shock after seeing the attacks of his Automatons.


    He has already recalled that Vincent was in a possession of full-body armor so he quickly recovered after seeing the fake Celestial Armor. Well, it was deemed as fake in the reports since ording to the Magic Technicians, only Celestial Beings can wear the Celestial Armors.


    There was no exception to it. If Vincent can wear it, then they can easily guess that it''s some sort of imitation. Since there are humanoid automatons already, it is not surprising to see the imitation that Vincent made.


    Well, it wasn''t that surprising since there are even religions worshipping the Celestial Beings. Their admiration for the Celestials went to the point of copying their weapons, armor, and even their habits.


    The religions worshipping them would want their members to act like Celestial Beings or be worthy of their attention by copying them.


    He guessed that Vincent is one of them.


    "Look at your Automatons¡­" Vincent spoke as he interrupted Roel''s thoughts.


    Thetter did as he was told and realized that the Windwalker and the Legionnaire were covered with thorny iron vines!


    Although the iron vines can''t damage the Automatons, it could still restrict their movement if there are plenty of them!


    Furthermore, the Automatons didn''t receive instructions about the removal of these vines so they were easily wrapped because of his inattentiveness.


    Roel frowned at this but he didn''t panic.


    He gave another series of instructions to the Automatons as he decided to fight like a real Maniptor this time.


    He jumped back and positioned himself at the edge of the stage.


    Normally, he would fight together with his two Diamond Tier Automatons since he was also a closebat fighter. As a matter of fact, he wasn''t even afraid of getting hit by bullets showing how confident he was.


    However, he realized just now that Vincent''s tactics arepletely different from his previous targets. Vincent doesn''t seem to be a pure Aura Knight. He was also a Magician with a high level of mastery in some invisible form of Mana Arts.


    Just now, when he tried getting near, his mind faltered for a moment, and if not for his Magic Artifact that protects him from Soul Attacks, he would''ve been defeated by Vincent¡­ He even had a moment of an urge to sleep in that brief encounter.


    ''Just getting near him, I already suffered several attacks. What a dangerous fellow¡­'' Roel thought as he controlled his two Diamond Tier Automatons to suppress Vincent.


    ***


    Luna and Agatha were watching the battle and felt that Vincent wasn''t acting normal¡­ He has plenty of things he could do to end the battle quickly but he wasn''t doing it for some reason.


    "Is he suppressing himself? Why isn''t he using most of his Magic Tools?" Agatha softly muttered as she watched the two Automatons continue suppressing Vincent for a few minutes now.


    "He definitely has a n¡­ I think he wanted to see the limits of the Diamond Tier Automatons¡­ As you can see, whenever that Maniptor tries getting closer, he will be bombarded by Soul Attacks to send him away¡­ Vincent doesn''t want to be disrupted¡­" Luna answered after realizing that Vincent has changed his weapon.


    The pistol is already stored inside his Inventory and was now holding the Astral Night Dagger and the Aura-Forged Orichalcum Sword to deal with thebination of the Automatons¡­


    At this point, it wasn''t only them who had realized Vincent''s unnatural behavior in this battle.


    Even the audience was surprised!


    "He can calmly fight against two Diamond Tier Automatons alone¡­ Just who is this guy?"


    "It feels like he was treating this as a game¡­ With his movement speed and the quality of his weapons, I''m sure that he can already disarm the Automatons or suppress thempletely. However, he''s not doing it."


    "If that''s true¡­ I guess the elders weren''t lying to us¡­ This guy must really be the rumored Blessed of the goddess."


    "Impossible! I''m sure that Sir Roel isn''t done yet!"


    At this moment, Vincent finally decided to end the duel¡­ While he was shing with the Automatons, his eyes focused on the Maniptor who was recovering from the Sword Charm''s effect.


    His Orichalcum Swords'' Sword Charm has improved quite a lot after a few Ascensions on it. The Sword Charm can now work even against someone with strong resistance as long as it meets certain requirements.


    Whoossh!


    Vincent threw his Astral Night Dagger in Roel''s direction¡­


    However, the Legionnaire waved its halberd behind while it''s body is still facing Vincent.


    nk!


    The grip of the dagger was slightly hit but it was enough to change its path¡­


    Roel obviously knows this as well but as he shifted his focus on Vincent, he felt a killing intent aimed at his chest!


    Thud!


    For some reason, the dagger that was off course had corrected itself and hit him on his chest! It was an iprehensible move!


    "Y-you!"


    Roel was angry but he didn''t despair, the stab of the dagger was nothing to him¡­


    As he was nning to grab it, he realized that it seemed to have vanished!


    "W-what''s going on?" Roel was confused but he heard the shing of weapons once again as his Automatons continued suppressing Vincent.


    There, he saw that Vincent was holding the dagger once more.


    ''Illusion? No¡­ Even the crowd watching us reacted when I was stabbed. They''ve definitely seen it as well. Furthermore, I can still feel the damage brought by that stab.''


    As he was thinking of this, he realized that his Windwalker seem to have lost its "life" as it dropped to the ground like a broken doll.


    "What?" Roel immediately tried gaining control of the Windwalker only to realize that he lost his connection to it for some reason!


    Then, as he looked at Vincent, he noticed that the ck dagger in his hands was gone once again¡­


    Thud!


    Just like that, he was hit by another stab from that dagger!


    Roel looked at Vincent in horror as he failed to understand the man''s weird tactics!


    Meanwhile, Vincent was also surprised to see that Roel wasn''t bleeding or hurt by any of his attacks!

 Chapter 601 Strange Body

    <h4>Chapter 601 Strange Body</h4>


    Vincent was confused about Roel''s impressive vitality. He had already used all three skills imbued on the Astral Night Dagger. The Assassinate, Return, and Haunting Hymn Skills!


    Furthermore, Roel was also shot by a bullet a while ago but he can still somehow ignore the damage and remain alive.


    It doesn''t make sense to Vincent at all.


    At first, he thought that it was because of Roel''s armor or the magic robe he was wearing.


    However, with the Legendary Bullet and the Legendary Dagger with tons of attributes like Critical, Pierce, Magic Damage, and more, he can''t believe that Roel would have such an item that could actually stop all his attacks.


    Even the Haunting Hymn with a ridiculous uracy rate and could almost kill any of its targets, had failed to immobilize the man!


    Nevertheless, his Astral Night Dagger did great attracting Roel''s attention so he can continue what he was doing on the two Diamond Tier Automatons.


    Apparently, he has been using his Mana Drain all this time!


    The Maniptor and the Automaton may not need mana to "connect" with each other but it doesn''t mean that the Automaton no longer needed some energy.


    This energy is mana and Vincent had drained it ahead of time!


    In his mind, the Automaton can most likely function without any issues for two to three hours but after he used his Mana Drain, the consumption elerated and it resulted in being "disconnected" from Roel.


    "Touchless Mana Drain is really scary¡­"


    Vincentmented in a soft voice as he also felt impressed with his ability.


    "What did you do?" Roel asked in confusion as this was the first time he got robbed of his ability to control his Diamond Tier Automaton¡­


    As a matter of fact, even the crowd watching the battle was also unable to understand the sudden malfunction of the Automaton.


    Vincent decided not to answer this time as he continued his Touchless Mana Drain on the other Automaton¡­


    It tried moving away from him but he easily followed the Legionnaire with his Shrouded Steps. Since this movement technique is in a Perfected State, the Automaton was unable to escape his grasp¡­


    Vincent moved like a ghost and maintained his close distance to the Automaton until it dropped to the ground.


    At this time, the cooldown of his Astral Night Dagger''s skills had also finished. He was able to use the Return, Assassinate, and Haunting Hymn once more!


    "I surrender!"


    Roel had no other choice but to give up.


    He still tried to win even after losing his Automatons but whenever he gets closer, Vincent would use three or more types of attacks that were directed at his mind and soul.


    He might be a Diamond Tier with a strong resistance to normal soul attacks, but Vincent''s item skills were no joke. They were all from Legendary Items!


    Lastly, Roel felt that the fake Celestial Armor is also quite tough like the real one used by the Celestials¡­


    ''I could probably win if I use the cursed automaton¡­ However, I would be killing him and it''s not appropriate.'' Roel sighed as he believes that killing Vincent in this situation wouldn''t do good for their future.


    He only has one Cursed Automaton and using it on someone that isn''t his mortal enemy would be such a waste of resources.


    At this point, Vincent also realized why Roel can survive his numerous attacks. There was a brief moment where Roel exposed himself after removing the dagger that was stabbed at his body.


    Vincent realized that Roel is a half-android! Or in this case, half-automaton!


    ''That robe is really blocking my senses¡­ If the dagger didn''t damage it, I would also fail to notice his strange body. From the looks of it, not even the residents of this city know about his condition¡­ I wonder how he did that¡­'' Vincent mused as he felt that this ability to turn yourself into half-automaton was quite useful, especially for those with disabilities that can''t be cured by potions or medicines.


    In the meantime, the crowd was also surprised by this result. Especially those who are supporting the elders that wanted to kill Vincent.


    "S-sir Roel was defeated¡­ I can''t believe this¡­"


    "How did those Automatons suddenly "die" in the battle anyway?"


    "That seems impossible... Is there a problem with the Windwalker and Legionnaire?"


    As soon as several doubts about the integrity of the two Diamond Tier Automatons went out, their creator suddenly appeared and voiced out his thoughts.


    "Impossible! My Automatons are perfect! They will not malfunction mid-battle! The one wearing the fake Celestial Armor must have done something we don''t know."


    An old man who was in his sixties cast his gaze on Vincent. He has no idea how Vincent achieved this feat.


    At this time, Vincent has already removed his armor.


    Then, he looked at the referee who also seem to be surprised at the result of the battle.


    "Ahem! Congrattions! Our guest, Vincent, is the winner of this duel!" The referee finally said before she went to check the condition of the two Automatons.


    She wanted to see if there were any hints she can find about their sudden death.


    Of course, Vincent didn''t mind this as he looked in the direction where the elders are secretly watching.


    Although they are hidden by a tiny wall, Vincent''s item sense ability and energy sensitivity would miss their presence.


    Since he wasn''t in a hurry to confront them, he decided to return to Faviona''s residence.


    He would give the elders some more time to discuss their future ns.


    As expected, after quite some time, the Elders of the Sacred Garden Peak decided to allow him to leave peacefully. However, they suggested bringing a squad of Maniptors with him.


    The squad is made up of 10 Crystal Tier Maniptors and 1 tinum Tier.


    At first, Vincent didn''t like it but after some thought, he felt that it will be quite convenient bringing them as well.


    Of course, he didn''t just ept anyone on his team. He decided to find the other Kayser that is still at this peak.


    He was thinking of asking this person to help him choose the Maniptors that he will be bringing with him.

 Chapter 602 Maxime

    <h4>Chapter 602 Maxime</h4>


    On the same day that he requested to meet another Maniptor of the Kayser family, Vincent was visited by the person he was waiting for.


    It was Maxime Kayser, a Diamond Tier Maniptor of the Sacred Garden Peak.


    The reason for seeking the man was simple. He was thinking of asking this person to help him choose the Maniptors that he will be bringing with him.


    After all, there are still elders that might be thinking of doing something to him. He would rather get an opinion from someone that might be rted to him.


    In any case, Sage Vivian hinted to him that the other Kaysers would be happy to meet him as well.


    ''I hope that he''s approachable simr to Vivian¡­'' Vincent mused as he waited for Luna to return with the visitor. He ordered her to escort him to the reception hall where they can chat peacefully.


    Currently, Agatha is in the city with Dianne as he ordered her to buy some things for him. They can be magic tools, potions, automatons, or anything they wanted.


    In any case, he only wanted to have a few things where he could use his system skills, his Transcendence Skill to be exact.


    This 3rd Stage of his Item Awakening Skill is quite difficult to level up. Furthermore, most of the items he''s trying to transcend would actually be destroyed.


    Out of 20 items, only 1 of them would survive the Transcendence so he needed plenty of items.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    As he started having some random thoughts, he heard the footsteps of the two¡­


    Soon, he saw a man in his fifties who seemed to be a normal viger because of his average clothing... If not for hisrge build and scars on his body, he would think that this person is just a servant in this residence.


    "Ahem¡­ Good evening Sir Maxime. I''m Vincent Kayser¡­ Thank you foring here."


    "Mhmm¡­ We''ve finally met. Vivian mentioned you to me¡­ I''ve also watched your battle a while ago. That was an incredible match. I didn''t expect that you can use a genuine Celestial Armor. Others might be thinking that it''s only an imitation but I can tell that it''s the real one." Maxime said as he gently smiled at Vincent.


    "It''s indeed a true Celestial Armor¡­ I didn''t know that they were thinking of it as an imitation¡­ I guess it wasn''t that surprising."


    "Yes¡­ The Magic Technicians here have a few devices or items used by Celestial Beings in their possession. Of course, they were from dead Celestial Beings¡­ They''re either in a form of a small chamber, a cube, or even armor. They have a better understanding of how these items work so they won''t believe that your armor is simr to those used by the Celestials."


    Maxime exined as he shook his head and added. "Anyway, you called me here for assistance to build a squad of Maniptors that will apany you, right?"


    "Ahh¡­ That''s right¡­ Some of the elders seem to have bad intentions so I can''t be confident with their choices so it''s better if I ask someone''s assistance regarding this."


    Maxime nodded in understanding and replied thoughtfully.


    "It''s not a problem for me to help you with that. However, just like what the elders mentioned, we can''t let you borrow our Diamond Tier. We also have to deal with the remnant members of the Creed and we will also be hunting for the secret location of those otherworldly beings."


    "I understand. I also heard that the dungeon outbreak is getting near. Sending out your Diamond Tier Maniptors would create a huge imbnce in your forces. Right, speaking of which, the man I fought a while ago, is he really a half-automaton?"


    Vincent finally had the chance to ask.


    "Ohh? You actually noticed?" Maxime asked in surprise after hearing the question.


    "I almost failed to notice. Thankfully, my dagger briefly distorted his cloak''s concealing effect. I almost thought that he was unkible." Vincent replied with a smile.


    "No wonder¡­" Maxime nodded as he continued. "It''s possible to use automatons as a recement for limbs or other parts of your body¡­ Although the Potion Alchemy isn''t in a good condition here, the Mechanical Alchemy is still quite more advanced than the other nations. I can assure you of that."


    "Mechanical Alchemy¡­" Vincent repeated as he finally had the answer. It seems that this nation has a lot more things to offer other than Automatons and Spirit Stones.


    Soon, the two Kaysers discussed the creation of the team. Luckily, Maxime has a student that is already a tinum Tier Maniptor. This person can lead 10 Crystal Tier Maniptors to join Vincent''s team.


    Of course, they will need a few days to prepare for this since they will be leaving their homes.


    Vincent isn''t that cruel so he allowed them to prepare for a whole week. In any case, he wasn''t in a hurry to leave¡­ He wanted to see whether this city can offer more surprises to help him level up his Transcendence Skill.


    Yes, he was thinking of purchasing Magic Beast''s Cores since they are equivalent to Transcendence Crystals.


    These cores may be valuable here but they weren''t as expensive as the ones sold in the ck Tower.


    He believes that someone would even trade their Magic Beast Core for his high-grade potions.


    On the next day, Vincent woke upte since he finished his Enhancements, Ascencions, and Transcendence after Agatha returnedte in the evening.


    During her shopping, she found several Iron Tier Automatons being sold and bought 5 of them. There are also some clothes and bags that were quite modern in Vincent''s eyes. As for the potions, all of them are basically of poor quality and many of them are actually those that are diluted.


    Of course, it doesn''t matter to Vincent so he didn''t mind the low-quality item. The other things Agatha bought were weapons meant for humanoid Automatons.


    Unfortunately, about 80% of the items she brought had been destroyed by his Transcendence Skill. Only some weapons and potions survived his skill.


    "Alright, I''m going out as well this time¡­ I heard from Sir Maxime yesterday that there''s a ce where I can exchange potions for Magic Beast Cores. Luna and Agatha, you don''t have to join me. Just continue with your tasks or shopping today."

 Chapter 603 Trade

    <h4>Chapter 603 Trade</h4>


    "Is it here?" Vincent muttered as he went to a dark alley and found the tavern that matches the description Maxime gave him.


    After a few moments of hesitation, Vincent entered the tavern and realized that there were plenty of customers inside.


    Most of them, have small Automatons beside thempletely different from other taverns he had seen before. It was quite a sight to see but he didn''t stare for too long.


    A few people nced in his direction so he shifted his gaze... As soon as walked to the bartender and was about to order, someone greeted him. It was another person seated in front of the bar.


    "So you''vee¡­ Commander Maxime mentioned you mighte today so I came here waiting. Ahh, I''m Emil, one of the Crystal Tier Maniptors in hismand."


    A man in histe twenties said as he saw Vincent approach¡­


    Vincent wasn''t too surprised by this as he acknowledged the man''s words.


    "I''m Vincent. I know that Maxime has a high position but I didn''t expect him to be amander."


    "Haha¡­ Is that so? Will you order a drink first or do you want to visit the ce now?" Emil asked softly.


    Since Vincent wasn''t in the mood to drink he decided to just let Emil lead him to the secret trading area.


    "Let''s go¡­ I''m not sure how much time I''ll be using in the ce. I heard from Sir Maxime that there might be plenty of things there I might need."


    "Mhmm¡­ That''s true¡­ I guess you also have plenty of valuable things with you. Are you using a space ring? You''re not carrying any bag at all." Emil asked.


    "Ahh¡­ You''re right."


    "No wonder¡­" Emil smiled as he stood up to lead Vincent to another room inside the tavern. Emil only nodded to the bartender while Vincent followed.


    The room seems to be a normal storage room but there is a door leading to an underground passageway¡­ It was only a few minutes of walking when they arrived at the backyard of a certain manor.


    Emil and Vincent met a few people who seem to be servants of the manor but they didn''t even bother looking at them while entering the manor from the backdoor.


    Vincent remained silent as he observed the ce carefully.


    Soon, they arrived at what seemed like a museum of ancient relics¡­ There were plenty of items covered in a ss case.


    The only difference between the museum and this one was the fact that there are prices listed on each item. The prices are listed to a certain amount of Spirit Stones or a trade of an item with an equal value¡­


    ''Interesting¡­'' Vincent mused as he realized that the owner of this ce had also collected various items from the First Rapture.


    He can easily guess this much since the items are all modern equipment that shouldn''t exist in this current era. There are devices, parts of armor, parts of engines, and parts of a spaceship, that seem to have been recovered from the wreckage of the First Rapture. He even found some exquisite-looking ss bottles¡­


    If this is really from the First Rapture, he guessed that this bottle might even contain the Mystic Link Serum that the Celestial Beings needed to recover their Celestial Energy.


    Of course, that is only a guess since it could also be an item that was used by other races who were able to enter thisnd as well.


    ''I like to appraise them but I can''t do touchless Appraisal yet¡­'' Vincent sighed as he continued looking around.


    He found a crown that was embedded with various jewels and it looks quite new.


    Name: Ghost Crown


    Description: A crown that allows all Mind Cultivators to increase the number of their Automatons they can control. The increase depends on the strength of the wearer.


    Price: 190 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones


    Trade: Any Magic Item that can help a person fly even for a short duration.


    ''It''s too eye-catching¡­'' Vincent mused as he continued walking.


    "This only the first floor¡­ If you can''t find anything here, I can you lead to the second floor." Emil said after noticing how Vincent was only casually walking around.


    "No wonder¡­ I''ll take my time for now. Are you just going to follow me?"


    "Yes¡­ I have nothing to do anyway. Commander Maxime already paid me with 2 days off so I have to do a proper job. Heh heh¡­"


    "So it was like that¡­" Vincent smiled as well as his gaze stopped in front of a ne.


    "Hmm?" Vincent was shocked after seeing the item with a green fang as its pendant.


    He had no idea what the ne is but he couldn''t avert his gaze after seeing the price written on it.


    Name: Unappraisable Fang Ne


    Description: Any form of Appraisal is impossible. The only information known is that the wearer of this fang might allow you to meet a Deity of this world. This is ording to the ancient books found in the Library Dungeon.


    Price: 100 High-Tier Spirit Stones


    The price was so ridiculouspared to the other items being sold! It hasn''t even been appraised! Who knows if it''s really working? It might even be a scam.


    ''Well, meeting a deity is indeed quite enticing¡­'' Vincent mused.


    Then his eyes looked below the price and his eyes froze for a moment.


    Trade: 15 drops of Mythical Beast''s Blood


    He may not have 100 high-tier Spirit Stones but he can certainly get a Mythical Beast''s Blood.


    "Emil¡­ I don''t have a drop of a Mythical Beast''s Blood in my possession yet. However, I can acquire them after returning to my ce. Do you know the seller of this item?" Vincent asked.


    "Oh? I know the seller. It''s the owner of this manor, Sir Lockwell. Furthermore, all the items on the first floor are his. The ones on the second floor are those items brought by the members of the group or other important people."


    "I see¡­"


    "Don''t worry, no one will trade for this ne¡­ A mythical beast''s blood is just too impossible to obtain. Furthermore, you need 15 of them¡­" Emil added as he shook his head¡­

 Chapter 604 Gift

    <h4>Chapter 604 Gift</h4>


    If he has 15 drops of Mythical Beast''s blood, he would never trade it with such a suspicious item.


    Those 15 drops can be made into 15 Legendary-Grade Items if the Magic Craftsman has decent crafting skills! It can also create the best auxiliary parts of his Diamond-Tier Automatons if handled by the Magic Technicians.


    Aside from that, there is also an item that can summon a Mythical Beast Projection with a drop of blood, and it''s probably the best option out there when getting a drop of their blood.


    After all, Mythical Beasts are known for their power and mysterious powers.


    It is just too wasteful to trade 15 drops of Mythical Beast''s blood for a ne with unsure origin. Vincent couldn''t think of anyone that would take such a deal except for him.


    "Do you know why Sir Lockwell needed this much blood?" Vincent asked. He also knows well how important the blood of a Mythical Beast was.


    If possible, he would offer several Peak-Grade Potions instead to get this ne.


    "Hmm¡­ I heard that he needed 30 drops of blood toplete his son''s mechanical limbs. It was his left arm and right leg¡­"


    "Ahh? It''s for prosthetic limbs? Isn''t that a bit too much?" Vincent asked in surprise.


    Emil smiled as this is also his reaction when he heard about this.


    "Sir Lockwell wants these drops of blood to be used as ingredients. I heard that he already collected fifteen drops of blood from a Mountain Drake to make his son''s arm but stillcking for the right leg."


    He exined as he recalled the rumors he heard.


    "I see, he must really love his son. He''s willing to spend this much, huh¡­"


    Vincent sighed as he continued. "Does he really thinks that 15 drops of blood are equal to the 100 High-Tier Spirit Stones he listed here?"


    "Well, no one is selling Mythical Beast''s blood so prices can vary depending on the ones buying or selling."


    "Ahhh¡­ That makes sense¡­" Vincent replied with a gentle nod.


    "If you''re nning to make this trade, you don''t have to worry that it will be taken anytime soon. I can tell you that there''s no one capable of bringing up 15 drops of Mythical Beast Blood or even 100 High-Tier Spirit Stones. They''re too precious. If I''m not mistaken, someone might even trade 40 High-Tier Spirit Stones for a drop of Mythical Beast Blood."


    "I see¡­ This price is really out of proportion." Vincent nodded as he continued checking the first floor.


    Aside from the ne, he didn''t find anything of value. The weapons and other equipment were too expensive because of their historical value.


    It would not be smart to purchase them unless they would be a really useful item for him.


    On the second floor, Vincent and Emil found several people¡­


    As expected, this floor has more practical items that people would want to trade.


    Vincent even heard a few people trying to negotiate the prices of items.


    "Hey¡­ Isn''t this High-Grade Recovery Potion a bit too pricey? I understand that they''re extremely rare in thisnd but no one will be able to purchase this at this price¡­ 20 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones are just too much."


    Vincent couldn''t help but raise his brows after hearing these words.


    Previously, he sold his High-Grade Recovery Potions for 80 Low-Tier Spirit Stones¡­


    1 Mid-Tier Spirit Stone is equal to 10 Low-Tier Spirit Stones so the price of his potion being sold for 200 Low-Tier Spirit Stones!


    He then heard the clerk exining with a calm voice as she seem to have expected this much.


    "As much as we want to sell this for a cheaper price, we only have 3 of these in our possession. We can''t lower its price anymore. If the injury you wanted to cure isn''t that severe, we still have Mid-Grade and Low-Grade Recovery Potions in our possession. However, those items aren''t being sold for Spirit Stones. The seller wanted some ingredients instead¡­"


    "Ugh¡­" The man who wasining wanted to continue but realizing that everyone is already looking in his direction, he can only give up as he fixed his coat and said. "Fine, let me see those Mid-Grade Potions¡­"


    Vincent only nced in their direction to confirm the potion that was being sold. The bottle has changed into a fancy one but he can tell that the content is something he had enhanced before.


    "Well, they''re businessmen indeed."


    He then continued looking around and found several items that he found quite useful.


    After almost an hour, Vincent purchased a few items.


    They were a couple of swords, a pair of gloves, a pair of shoes, a skill book, an unappraised ring, and a Silver Tier Automaton.


    This made him spend 8 High-Grade Potions of varying types, 50 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones, and a Pseudo-Legendary Cobalt Sword in his possession.


    The most expensive among them is the Unappraised Ring which Vincent had to trade with his Pseudo-Legendary weapon.


    The seller originally wanted a Legendary Sword for that ring but it was simply too unfair for the traders. With Emil''s help, he was able to contact the seller and the man easily agreed with the Pseudo-Legendary offer instead.


    If Vincent offered an Epic-Grade weapon, the man might''ve even agreed since no one is trading for the ring for several months already.


    "I didn''t expect you can casually trade a Pseudo-Legendary Item¡­ I guess that ck Tower''snd is truly prosperous and filled with genius Magic Craftsman¡­ I want to go there someday." Emil thoughtfullymented after seeing the trade.


    Aside from his Automaton, he only has Unique-Grade Items in his possession¡­ Of course, there are enchantments or inscriptions on these items but they''re definitely not as valuable as the Psuedo-Legendary Cobalt Sword he had seen just now.


    "Ahh¡­ Don''t expect too much¡­ I just have some spare items to trade because of the recent war¡­" Vincent replied.


    Before Emil can reply, Vincent added. "Take this ring¡­ It''s a gift from me¡­"


    "Aahhh¡­ I didn''t do anything, Sir Vincent. This is too much." Emil said in a hurry after seeing the Epic-Grade Ring in Vincent''s hands.


    Vincent smiled as he exined. "I need you to ensure that no one will trade for that ne while I''m away. I wille here again or I''ll send someone to trade for it after a few weeks or maybe a month."

 Chapter 605 Runes

    <h4>Chapter 605 Runes</h4>


    "So it was like that¡­" Emil finally epted the ring. Although it is a gift, it''s also hispensation for his work.


    "Very well¡­" Vincent nodded after seeing him ept the ring.


    He Transcended it four times already but it didn''t receive another skill. If he used the system skill once more, it would be broken so he decided to just give it to Emil before that happens.


    After Vincent returned to his residence, he finally had the time to inspect all his items.


    The two swords he purchased were quite decent and if he managed to Transcend them sessfully, it might be the time to let go of his Orichalcum and Mythril Swords.


    He hadn''t given them to his Celestials yet since he was still thinking of using them against the Totemic Barbarians.


    However, now that they are no longer a threat, he feels like he can already change these swords.


    [ Soul-Forged Evil yer Sword ]


    [ Quality: Epic


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 800/800


    Knockback: 150


    Bonus Damage: 110


    Description: A broadsword forged by rt Wiersma. It is made of Arcane Alloy and a Magic Beast''s Core ¨C Lightning Wolf.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skill ]


    [ Paralyze ( Active ): In exchange for 100 units of mana, the sword can stun its target with a 70% chance of sess. The stronger the target, the chance percentage may lower. ]


    Vincent liked this sword as soon as he saw that it was not only a Soul-Forged Weapon but also embedded with Magic Beast''s core!


    It means that once he Trasncended this item, there is a high chance that he''ll get the Soul Manifestation Skill!


    It is not easy to find a Soul-Forged Item with good quality so he definitely wouldn''t pass this out.


    Currently, his main weapon is the Astral Night Dagger and his Soul-Forged Ironbark Cane. However, if he sessfully Enhanced, Ascended, and Transcended this sword, he believes that he''ll have a new favorite weapon.


    After all, this yer sword is very light and can be carried with one hand.


    On the other hand, the second sword that he traded with his potion was only a Unique-Grade weapon.


    [ ck Mystic Sword ]


    [ Quality: Unique


    Number of Enhancements: 0/10


    Durability: 500/500


    Pierce: 80


    Magic Pration: 210


    Description: A long sword forged with an unknown type of alloy. It doesn''t rust or even get dirty.


    Remarks: The Durability and its other attributes will be upgraded with every sessful enhancement. ]


    [ Skills ]


    [ Knockback ( Passive ): Every sessful hit would have a 30% chance of triggering a knockback to the target.


    [ Stab ( Active ): In exchange for 80 units of mana, the sword stab of the wielder will be 5 times more powerful. ]


    If one looked at this sword, it would seem very simple unlike most of the things that caught Vincent''s attention.


    The Knockback rate was quite low and the Stab wasn''t something new.


    Nevertheless, the Magic Pration is something that Vincent was interested in. Although he had items with Magic Resistance, he doesn''t have any items with Magic Pration and this is the first one in his possession.


    With a weapon that can pierce through magic, Vincent would have an easier time dealing with the enemy Grand Magus or even their Magic Item skills.


    The only thing he needed to know is whether it could also affect Aether or even Celestial Energy. He would definitely look into itter.


    As for the skill book that he purchased it was actually the prerequisite to learning the Rune Magic!


    It must be remembered that Tower Master Abe had gifted him a few things, aside from the Sealed Blood-Forged Viin Dagger that he can''t use because it is in a Sealed State, Vincent also received Beginner Rune Magic Skill Manual.


    He can''t learn that Skill Manual with his system''s function because of a required skill. However, he had finally found the thing that he needed.


    [ Skill Book: Runic Body ]


    [ Quality: Special Tier 1


    Durability: 10/10


    Description: A book bound using a female human skin. It contains a full instruction manual to learn the skill called Runic Body. Runic Body is a prerequisite to learning a skill called Beginner Rune Magic, a high-grade Special Tier 2 Mana Art. ]


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    Vincent took a deep breath as he triggered his System''s Learn Function.


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the skill Runic Body? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    As soon as he answered this, he felt his body start warming up as information was forcefully injected into his mind.


    Then, there seem to have been new changes in his Core!


    This Runic Body isn''t simple at all. At first, he thought that by learning this, his body would just bepatible with learning the Beginner Rune Magic.


    However, he didn''t expect that it would give such a huge change to the point that his Synthetic Celestial Core would start mutating to amodate the changes in his body!


    "This¡­" Vincent felt his body rx after almost 30 minutes of numbing sensation.


    Then, he swiftly checked his status to confirm the changes in his body.


    [ Name: Vincent Kayser ]


    [ Age: 19 years old ]


    [ Pseudo Celestial Energy: 8,300/9,300 ]


    [ System Skill: Item Enhancement Lv10, Item Ascension Lv10, Item Transcendence Lv8 ]


    [ System Feature: Advanced Item Appraisal, Auto Enhancement Mode, Auto Ascension Mode, Enhancement Eraser, Ascension Eraser, Learn Skill, 60-Slot Enhanced Inventory, Item Sense. ]


    [ Skills List ]


    [ Mana Arts:


    Tier 1 Mana Arts List: Mana Gloves ( Perfected ), Surging Palm Strike ( Perfected ), Swift Wave ( Perfected ), Shrouded Steps ( Perfected ), Mana Shield ( Perfected ), Mana Drain ( Perfected ). Corrosive Mana ( Perfected )


    Tier 2 Mana Arts List: Mana Bullet ( Perfected ), Mana Distortion ( Advanced ), Guidance ( Advanced ), Silent Tracer ( Advanced ) ]


    [ Soul Arts :


    1-Star: Aura Manifestation, Soul Boost, Skin Enhancement


    2-Star: Soul Sense, Weak Aura Resonance, Muscle Enhancement


    3-Star: Soul Pressure, Domain, Perfect Aura Resonance, Soul Forge, Soul Gaze, Aura Pulse ]


    [ Rune Arts: ]


    [ Special Status: Blessed by the Deity of Mercy, Enlightened by the Deity of Spirits, Vessel of Faith ]


    "Ah? There''s not much difference¡­"


    Aside from the addition of the Rune Arts tab, there were no changes in his status at all.

 Chapter 606 Secret Knowledge

    <h4>Chapter 606 Secret Knowledge</h4>


    Vincent wasn''t unhappy with this since ording to the knowledge that he received after learning the skill book, he could already learn the Beginner Rune Magic Skill.


    He didn''t hesitate to learn it as he swiftly took it out of his inventory.


    Vincent looked at the rough book in his hands as he triggered his system''s ability.


    [ A Skill Manual found. Would you like to learn the skill Beginner Rune Magic? ]


    "Yes¡­"


    As soon as he answered, another set of information was injected into his mind.


    This time he had made a mistake¡­


    He had just learned a skill that exhausted his mind so after using it once more, he already felt the pain that he shouldn''t be experiencing if he had been patient and learned it after a few hours of rest.


    "Aahhh!"


    As the headache intensified at the 10 minutes mark, Vincent didn''t hesitate to drink one of his potions to alleviate the pain. He shouldn''t be learning Skill Books in a row!


    Luckily, the potion was quite effective and it didn''t affect his "learning" process.


    After a while, he finished absorbing the knowledge and confirmed that he learned four Beginner Runes!


    Abhord ( me ), Nonn ( Water ), Dihwa ( Thunder ), and Cid ( Break ).


    The Runes have incredible effects and it''s probably closely rted to the Inscription Skills of the Magic Technicians ording to the information in his head.


    "I wanted to test it but I''m too tired¡­ Let''s do it tomorrow¡­"


    Although the pain brought by learning skills was alleviated thanks to the potion, his mind was still under a bit of stress since a bunch of knowledge was currently in his head.


    He needed a good sleep or long rest to settle his mind.


    ***


    On the next day, Vincent felt sofortable that he even slept until he was called for lunch.


    After finishing his meal, he soaked in the bathtub for quite a while since he thought that it will be a very busy dayter.


    As expected, Luna and Agatha brought him plenty of things so he can start his skill grinding¡­ Faviona and Dianne also did the same and provided him with several potions.


    After several hours, Vincent went out of the residence to get some fresh air¡­


    To his surprise, a visitor for him suddenly arrived¡­


    Roel hade to visit him so even though he was surprised, Vincent decided to meet the person in the garden.


    "What made youe here?" Vincent asked curiously.


    "I''m just thinking whether you can give me any advice to improve myself..." Roel said after a moment of hesitation.


    Of course, even though Vincent defeated this person in a duel, he must admit that it was quite challenging for him.


    After all, he was heavily relying on his Celestial Armor to protect himself and his Celestial Dagger to attack.


    The pistol didn''t do much as Roel is half-automaton¡­ Then, the Bleeding or Piercing Effect isn''t that good against him as well.


    If Vincent doesn''t have the touchless Mana Drain to cut off his connection with his Diamond Tier Automaton, he would have to use a little bit more time to defeat this Diamond Tier Maniptor.


    "Well, I''m not really that strong¡­ Although I know a few Tier 1 and Tier 2 Mana Arts and some Soul Arts, I''m still heavily relying on my Magic Tools. If you''re asking for advice, I can only say that you need to be fully armed as well¡­ In case your Automaton can''t be used anymore, you should have other things or weapons with you so you can fight as well¡­" Vincentmented after a while.


    "T-that''s true¡­ That''s also my battle style¡­ However, my Magic Tool isn''t as good as my Automatons."


    Vincent looked at the man as he pondered for a moment.


    ''Is he hinting to me that he wanted some of my weapons? Well, I don''t really mind but¡ªAhh!''


    Vincent suddenly had an idea and he immediately asked the man.


    "I have a few more Legendary Weapons with me that I''m not always using¡­"


    "What? Really?! Ahem¡­ Are you thinking of selling it? Can you sell it to me?"


    Vincent smiled after hearing this.


    As expected, Roel had reallye here to inquire about his weapons.


    Vincent didn''t mind this at all as he replied with a smile.


    "I don''t really mind selling my Legendary Sword. However, I''m not sure if you can trade it for something with an equal value¡­"


    Roel was stunned after hearing this.


    Indeed, his only item that can probably equal the Legendary Sword was his Diamond Tier Automaton¡­ He no longer has Crystal Tier Automatons as he had to sell them to obtain his current Automaton in the first ce.


    "I obtained a dungeon long ago afterpleting an incredibly dangerous mission¡­ Unfortunately, you can only harvest umon-rank herbs and materials there. It can earn you about 5,000 gold monthly. I can give the ownership to you and pay you with 5,500 low-grade Spirit Stones as well..."


    Roel said after moments of hesitation.


    ''He''s actually quite poor even though he''s in the peak of the Maniptors¡­ I guess it''s also expensive to maintain their Automatons.'' Vincentmented in his mind as he listened patiently.


    "Well¡­ I don''t think I can handle the dungeon since I will be returning to my city in just a couple of days. Anyway, you might have some other things you can sell¡­ Hmm¡­ How about your knowledge?" Vincent asked.


    This is what he was aiming for since the beginning.


    "Knowledge? Ahem¡­ Although I graduated from our prestigious Academy, I''m only average when ites to intelligence. You might obtain all my knowledge from other reliable sources instead." Roel said truthfully.


    Nevertheless, Vincent just smiled and added.


    "How about some medical knowledge¡­ rted to your current condition. The knowledge that allowed you to live with your condition as a half-automaton. Can you sell it in exchange for this Legendary Sword?"


    As Vincent said this, he pulled out his Arcane-Forged Primal Sword¡­ This is one of the swords he was no longer using. He didn''t mind using this weapon in exchange for the knowledge that he wanted.

 Chapter 607 Transaction

    <h4>Chapter 607 Transaction</h4>


    As soon as Vincent hinted that he wanted the Human Automaton Alchemy, Roel was urged to immediately reject the idea. After all, he shouldn''t be allowed to provide this information to others.


    This is a very important medical secret of the Sacred Garden Peak¡­ Of course, it doesn''t mean that no one else knows of this aside from the Peak¡­ After all, there were times when it was used to help some important people in other nations.


    In short, he needed to report it and give a convincing reason if he wanted to give the knowledge to Vincent. Furthermore, even if he was given permission, there must be other Maniptors at the Diamond Tier who would facilitate the passing over of the knowledge.


    This is a very difficult task for him!


    He wanted to apologize and ask for a different request but he knows that he can''t really provide other things.


    ''Should I just give up?'' Roel shook his head as he shifted his gaze to the sword.


    As he looks at the exquisite sword in front of him, he knows that he couldn''t easily decline the request.


    Then, he looked at Vincent and asked calmly.


    "Why do you need this knowledge? As you know, this information is very crucial to us. If this technique was sent to the enemies, they wouldn''t just take advantage of it on their side but they might also develop a strange tactic to kill all half-automaton like us." Roel said with a serious look on his face.


    This is one of the most crucial things that he wanted to avoid.


    Vincent can understand his concern so he was expecting the such question.


    "Of course¡­ I understand that very well since I''m also running a city that I''ve built. Everyone''s safety is very important. However, rest assured that once I learned it, I won''t be writing it elsewhere and will keep it in my mind. I won''t be sending it to the enemies. If you have other requests, just tell me."


    Vincent paused for a moment as he took a deep breath before continuing¡­


    "The reason I''m asking you of this is that I''m also expecting an iing war. My potions may cure those injured but there is no possible solution for those who had their limbs destroyed¡­ I can fix those that were cut but if there is no part we can reattach, I will be helpless as well. With this Automaton Alchemy you mentioned, I think I might be able to help plenty of people."


    Roel nodded as he understands Vincent''s intention. He also felt Vincent''s sincerity since the iing war will certainly be very dangerous.


    Roel took a deep breath and remained silent to think for a while.


    If he decided to agree to this, he would basicallymit a crime¡­


    However, Vincent''s offer was too tempting¡­ In addition to that, he already heard that Vincent had a deal with the elders and he will be protected by a group of Maniptors.


    It was also epted that Vincent is truly a Blessed of a goddess who was believed to have perished in the First Rapture!


    That''s right!


    ''If Vincent is epted as a Blessed even by the Elders, then it must be true¡­ This person can definitely be trusted. Furthermore, if he asks the Elders about this, I''m sure that the knowledge will be given to him as well. He''s basically a partner of the Sacred Garden Peak¡­''


    After thinking for a while, Roel finally found the justification for this decision.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t rush to give an answer as he asked Vincent.


    "Can I inspect the sword first?"


    "Of course. You can take your time." Vincent replied with a gentle nod as he believed that the deal is already set.


    He knows that the Legendary Arcane-Forged Primal Sword had good specs after all.


    [ Arcane-Forged Primal Sword ]


    [ Quality: Legendary


    Number of Enhancements: 10/10


    Durability: 1,800/1,800


    Critical: 200


    Sword Insight: 150


    Rust Resistance: 180


    Pierce: 180


    Block: 100


    Description: A sword forged by a Master cksmith using an Arcane Hammer, Arcane Fire, on a Dragon Stone Anvil.


    Remarks: This item can not be enhanced. ]


    [ Skills:


    Unshakeable: An ability that releases a wave of energy that stuns any target within the surroundings of the wielder. The attack can be used three consecutive times in exchange for 110 units of mana. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    Sword Roar: An ability that releases a noise to disrupt the enemy''s flow of mana including the wielder. It can be used at any time in exchange for 50 units of mana. ]


    Although the Sword Roar is quite a suicidal move, this is still fine to use if you''re a Maniptor, Grand Knight, or even an Aura Knight.


    However, a Grand Magus using this will just result in self-destruction.


    Vincent waited for a few minutes since just like others, Roel''s appraisal tool isn''t that great. He would need plenty of time to appraise it and it''s not even sure whether he could get very detailed information simr to what he sees using his Appraisal Skill.


    "Incredible¡­ So this is what a Legendary Item looks like. It has several Enchantments and a couple of Inscriptions. Furthermore, the Inscription isn''t simr to any Magic Beast Ability that I know, it means that the skills brought out by the Inscriptions are all thanks to the great craftsmanship of the weapon."


    "¡­"


    Vincent didn''t understand what he was talking about but he has an idea. In any case, what he wanted to hear is his decision about this matter.


    After a while, Roel finally put down the sword as he spoke to Vincent.


    "I will be giving you the Human Automaton Alchemy. I wish that it will help many hopeless people to continue living with this medical knowledge. However, as you promise, you can''t pass down this knowledge as it might be taken by the enemies."


    Vincent immediately expressed his gratitude after hearing this and promised several things to Roel.


    After that, Roel handed over a small crystal to Vincent simr to what Sage Vivian had given to him before¡­

 Chapter 608 News

    <h4>Chapter 608 News</h4>


    It didn''t take that long before the twopleted the transaction.


    Roel left the ce with the Arcane-Forged Primal Sword in his possession while Vincent absorbed the knowledge inside the crystal.


    He didn''t even manage to keep the crystal but he also had to promise that he wouldn''t write down the knowledge he had obtained.


    ''Human Automaton¡­ This is incredibly good for the disabled but also quite terrifying¡­'' Vincent said in his mind as he browsed the information in his head.


    If this was taken by the enemies, it would indeed bring a disaster¡­


    He was sure that the ck Magic Organization has a mind-controlling technique on their side.


    If this Human Automaton Alchemy Technique was taken by them, they might even create an army of Human Automaton¡­


    By having half-human and half-automaton, they wouldn''t need strong maniptors to control Automatons at all¡­ They just need to turn one human, even an ordinary one, into this state and they would have a strong soldier all of a sudden.


    This technique might be very helpful if it is in the good hand, but definitely, hell if it was in the evil''s hands.


    Vincent took quite some time to learn the technique¡­


    After all, he wasn''t an alchemist. Although all the information is inside his head, he still had toprehend them¡­


    Comprehension requires some time even for him.


    ''This is really an eye-opener. Incredible medical knowledge. I wonder who made this technique¡­ Did they find this inside the dungeon again?'' Vincent mused before shaking his head.


    The origin isn''t important as long as its effects were already shown. What he needed now is to find a volunteer so he can apply his knowledge.


    As a Magic Craftsman and a Soul Forger, it didn''t take long for him to have a few ideas in his head on how to create a decent automaton limb or part.


    Once he returned to Vera City, he would certainly start making these body parts since there are already disabled soldiers in his city after several battles¡­ Giving them hope to at least live a fairly normal life would definitely increase the morale of the people living in the city.


    ***


    A few days quickly passed and Vincent''s support team was finallypleted.


    Maxime Kayser contacted him that the arranged Maniptors are already set and ready to leave. They already bid farewell to their families as they might be gone for a few years because of their mission.


    Vincent''s team had alsopleted their preparation. Faviona and Dianne will be returning as well since they''ve already finished training a few Alchemists in the region.


    Well, they taught these Tier 2 Alchemists how to create pills that can stop corruption so they were no longer helpless in case the Creed of Eiqehin or other Corruption Wielders attacked their nation.


    "This is Duri, one of my youngest subordinates. He''s only 23 but he''s already a tinum Tier Maniptor. He''s definitely a gifted person. If a few years or so, I''m sure that he''ll be a Diamond Tier as well."


    Vincent then shakes his hand with Duri. The man is taller than him but he wasn''t necessarily bigger. Duri is quite a skinny person like he has some sort of lung disease.


    Nevertheless, as soon as he held the man''s hand, Vincent can feel that this person isn''t simple. He was barely able to sense the man''s energy fluctuations. He already had his Mystic Eye activated but it still took him some time to sense the man''s power.


    "Nice to meet you, Sir Vincent. I heard how you defeated Sir Roel. It was a pity I wasn''t able to watch the duel¡­"


    "I was lucky¡­ He doesn''t know much about my abilities."


    "Isn''t it the same for you?"


    Duri and Vincent chatted for a bit before the former introduced his ten colleagues.


    The 10 Crystal Tier Maniptors haven''t taken out their Automatons so Vincent asked where they were keeping them.


    "Our Automatons?" Duri asked.


    "Yes¡­ Are they elsewhere waiting for us to move?"


    "Haha¡­ No¡­ Although it was quite expensive, our Magic Technicians here can provide us with a storage ball to keep our Automatons safely."


    "Storage balls?" Vincent repeated.


    "Yes¡­ Although it''s worth our yearly ie, it''s necessary to purchase these storage balls. It can store all types of Automatons inside. It was unfortunate that you can''t store other things aside from Automaton¡­ It wouldn''t even work if the Automaton lost their Virtue Crystals."


    Vincent gently nodded as he recalled that the Virtue Crystal is basically the heart, or maybe the brain, of the Automaton.


    As the group was about to leave the Temple, Vincent''s group was suddenly blocked by one of the red-robed Elders of the Star Garden Peak.


    "Elder Mirton, is there something wrong?" Maxime asked as he saw the lone Elder blocking their path.


    Vincent didn''t feel rmed at this since there are so many of them, even if the old man has bad intentions, they have nothing to worry about.


    The elder didn''t answer as he instead removed the hood that was covering his head. There, everyone saw the old man''s unusual left eye and its surrounding skin... It seems quite robotic simr to the machinery of the Automatons.


    Even the elder''s left eyebrow was affected and seemed like a machine as well.


    Aside from Vincent and hispanions, no one was surprised. Maxime, Duri, and the other Maniptors seem to be aware of Elder Mirton''s appearance.


    "I''m not here to stop you from leaving¡­ I''m only here to remind you of the danger you''ll be facing once you returned to your city¡­"


    Vincent jolted as he heard the mention of his city.


    "What danger?"


    The Elder looks at Vincent seriously before answering.


    "I can only say what the Soothsayer had mentioned." The elder paused and looked at Vincent before he continued. "She mentioned that the enemy seems to be the Martial Arts Alliance apanied by arge number of Celestials and otherworldly beings¡­ The ck Magic Organization also be involved. They''ve dealt great damage to the Nidite City and he saw that the Vera City is also in danger¡­"


    "W-what?! We have to return as quickly as possible!" Vincent was rmed as he knows that there is no reason that the elder will lie to him.

 Chapter 609 Dungeon

    <h4>Chapter 609 Dungeon</h4>


    Faviona and Dianne were also rmed as soon as they heard this revtion.


    "What happened? Can you tell us more?" Faviona asked worriedly.


    By now, Vincent should''ve received various messages from Vera City but since there is no message about the battle that is going on, it means that the enemies have either conquered the city already or they have a method of blocking their message from being sent outside.


    "I apologize¡­ The Soothsayer can''t see that much since that ce is heavily affected by a powerful deity¡­ She may have to sacrifice her life if she tried getting more information." Elder Mirton calmly exined with a depreciating smile.


    It would take a few days for Vincent''s group to return to their city. It might even take a week.


    In short, once they returned there, they may no longer have a ce to return.


    "Very well¡­ Thank you for letting us know, Elder Mirton¡­" Vincent said as he looked at Duri and his team¡­


    "Are you still nning to travel with me?" He asked.


    Duri didn''t hesitate as he answered. "It''s part of our job. Bring us with you. If the enemies are the Martial Artists, our Automatons can handle them pretty well."


    "That''s right¡­ We''ll easily break their bones if theye to us."


    "Leave it to us, Sir Vincent¡­"


    The others added as they tried to show their confidence in Vincent.


    Hearing this, Vincent no longer hesitated as he tried contacting Sir Turhan and his disciple A. Unfortunately, they were still uncontactable and may have encountered danger inside the Dungeon they were exploring.


    If that''s the case, they might have to rescue them first before rushing back to the city.


    "Do you have any transportation we can use to travel faster?" Vincent asked Maxime since he didn''t have anything with him that might help with the transportation.


    Maxime considered for a while before nodding to Vincent.


    "I will make arrangements. Give me five minutes¡­"


    "Thank you, Sir Maxime¡­" Vincent expressed his gratitude as he knows that Maxime would be using his Authority as a Battalion Commander.


    As expected, it didn''t take long before their rides arrived¡­


    It was a group of 5 floating automatons! They looked like some sort of fancy tforms and each of them can probably hold 5 people!


    From this, Vincent can subtly recall the one being used by the female referee when he fought against Roel!


    However, the ones in front of their group wererger in size and had moved here quite quickly. If these things have enough "battery" then it would be perfect!


    "Sir Duri, may I ask what kind of device is this?" Vincent asked as he felt that once he owned this thing, transportation within the city would be faster.


    Although he''s already thinking of adapting the cable car transportation that he saw here, these devices seem more reliable. Perhaps, he only needs Maniptor drivers to operate them.


    "They''re called Floating Golems¡­ All of them are Crystal Tier Automatons but they can be controlled by Gold Tier Maniptors thanks to the unique Virtue Crystals used as their cores."


    At this moment, Maxime showed up from one of the floating golems.


    "Duri¡­ Select five of your men to control each of these automatons. I''ll pass the control over to them." Maxime said as he''s currently controlling the five automatons at the same time.


    Duri quickly acted and selected five people on his team. After Maxime handed over the control to them, their group swiftly left Sacred Garden Peak under the watch of many people.


    Even those people in the cable cars were quite surprised to see the five floating golems carrying the group of 16 people.


    "Vincent, can you try contacting A once more?" Dianne asked. They''ve been traveling for half an hour but they still need a few days to arrive at the border of their territory.


    She''s worried that they might be toote so she wanted some assurance that they''ll be able to arrive in time.


    "Of course¡­" Vincent replied with a nod.


    He then pulled out themunication crystal that was linked to A''s.


    He poured a bit of energy into it but after a few attempts, there is still no response made on the other line.


    Of course, this is normal if they are inside a dungeon but this is certainly piece of bad news for them. After all, no one would deliberately stay inside a dungeon for an extended period.


    ''I hope you guys are fine¡­'' Vincent can only pray as he tried to control his emotions.


    Their group has to stop traveling for some time because the controllers of the Automatons have to rest. Although it can also be resolved by changing the Maniptors who will be controlling the Automatons, the mechanical stress on the Automaton has to be taken into ount.


    Because they''d been hurrying, they were able to arrive at the border of the territory in just less than four days.


    As soon as they arrived at the familiar Manor, Vincent immediately spread his senses to find the olddy living in this ce.


    "She''s not here¡­ Duri, can you sense anyone?" Vincent asked as he nced at their hidden airship¡­ It was already being covered by dried leaves after quite some time.


    At this point, everyone is trying to look for traces that they left behind. This includes the Celestials and Maniptors with him.


    "I can''t find them¡­ However, you mentioned that they entered a dungeon nearby. I can try to find it with my Automaton. Let''s start from that." Duri replied as he pulled out a tinum Snake Automaton.


    Noticing Vincent''s curious gaze, Duri exined.


    "This snake is made of chaos stones¡­ It can detect any ripples in space and it includes disruption made by the entrance of the dungeon¡­"


    "That''s very convenient¡­" Faviona replied with interest. She realized that this snake is their Scout-Type Automaton so it is quite useful¡­


    Soon, the snake lead them to a ravine blocked by many rocks. It seems to have been like that because of an earthquake. However, the Celestials including Vincent confirmed that it is the entrance to the dungeon.


    Without any more hesitation, Vincent entered the crevice created by the boulders and lead the team to the dungeon.


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