《How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?》
Chapter 0: Prologue ~ The Unlucky Fool Who Hit the Jackpot
(Note: This novel follows a controble gender transformation system, meaning the protagonist can freely switch between male and female forms at willsimr to "Blood Princess" or "Dragon Princess," but unlike "Elf and Fox." However, this feature is only present in the early stages;ter on, it may or may not be permanent. If this bothers you, feel free to skip this novel. Thank you~)
(Also, the female form ys a major role in this story, and the romance primarily revolves around it, meaning there will be a lot of yuri elements.)
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The carefully prepared blue rose, along with the long-treasured affections, were ruthlessly thrown onto the red carpet of the banquet, shattering the young man''s adoration-woven fantasies, along with all his aspirations, like a mirage dissipating into bubbles.
In the splendid golden pce, a gorgeously dressed blonde girl stood out like a noble and elegant white swan, contrasting starkly with the boy in his old-fashioned suit, looking disheartened and despondent.
The girl''s stunning beauty showed no trace of emotion; her eyes, like deep sea gems, obscurely fixed on the boy who maintained his confessing posture, though his face and gestures had already stiffened.
"Winnie, your confession only makes your love seem cheap and frivolous, an insult both to the object of your affection and to yourself. Please, respect your own love first, or rather, learn how to truly love someone," said the noble princess, dropping these words before pulling away the silver-haired girl beside her who was sshed with red wine, and left with her head held high.
As they left, the polite yet disdainful silver-haired girl revealed a schadenfreude and yful smile, visible only from an angle he could see.
Named Winnie, the boy stared vacantly as the princess he had adored for over a decade walked away without a hint of hesitation, his umted courage over the years utterly depleted at the moment of rejection.
Darkness blurred his vision, slowly consuming his consciousness.
A burning pain in his chest made him stagger back two steps, unclear what was clouding his sight; he could no longer see clearly nor hear properly, unaware even of the mocking and ridicule from other nobles surrounding him.
"Good heavens, that good-for-nothing actually confessed to Princess Mirecia? Ha, does he not realize his own worth?"
"Common toads dreaming of swan meat are rare, cherish this sight as they dwindle."
"Strange, did someone invite a circus today? Howe the clown has appeared but not the show?"
"If it wasn''t for the king''s mercy, inspired by the goddess to grant his family a title, this brat wouldn''t be any better off than a beggar on the streets."
"Still dreaming of grandeur despite being dirt poor? Ha, he should focus on maintaining his precarious dignity."
"Has the pretender of a goddess'' descendant no shame? Proposing to the princess is beyond his station."
The banquet hall was filled with mocking jeers, and Winnie''s mind clouded over; he couldn''t hear anymore, moving like a puppet, lifeless, feeling as if his life was a joke.
Somebody purposefully tripped him, and the boy tumbled under everyone''s gaze,nding face-first.
"Ha ha ha ha......!" No one reached out to help him up, nor did they care who had tripped him; they simply enjoyed the spectacle like it was aedic performance after a meal, their harshughter drowning him like icy tides.
The constant foot traffic crushed the blue rose that hid his tender feelings of love. Perhaps due to the shock or his head hitting the ground, Winnie''s consciousness faded, and he copsed in front of everyone.
In that moment of unconsciousness, a strange yet familiar memory flooded into his mind.
Kareliman Citrus? Citrus game? Viinous cannon fodder? A sword through the heart? Winnie?......
What is all this??
Ah!......
Waking up again, Winnie was drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air, the chandelier''s soft light above him now unbearably harsh.
"Me? Winnie?......" Looking through the floor mirror, the boy observed himself in the reflection, his skin jaundiced and splotched with freckles, his blue hair matching the portrait in his memory.
"Winnie Fasulis, Mirecia Peano??" Lying on the banquet couch, the boy murmured to himself, his thoughts gradually clearing.
That familiar name almost instantly made him realize.
If he remembered correctly, he had been hit by a truck when he left home, and had transmigrated.
Or rather, he had awakened the memories of his past life.
And now, he was in the world of a game called Kareliman Citrus that he had yed in his previous life.
The good news was, although the character he transmigrated into wasn''t the protagonist, he was a crucial plot-driving character in the game.
Alright, perhaps it''s a plot about being a supporting character stealing the protagonist''s spotlight.
Unfortunately, that''s not the case.
He transmigrated into a character with the highest evil rating, universally despised, irredeemable, and inevitably doomed to an untimely end as a viinous cannon fodder.
His name now was Winnie Fasulis, and as far as he knew, this character in Kareliman Citrus held several roles: a taunting face of evil, a catalyst for the heroines'' emotions, a victim of humiliation, a plot driver, and an experience bag for the protagonist. It''s fair to say, without Winnie, the story couldn''t move forward.
Indeed, a perfect script for a viinous cannon fodder,ter tainted with dark magic, gradually losing his sanity, harassing the destined maidens of the game, getting kicked around like a football by the heroines, taking turns beating him mercilessly.
The list of those who beat him includes, but is not limited to, the reborn Phoenix Arrogant Sky, the Genius Dragon Princess, the Golden Elf Queen, the Demon Fox Overlord, and his former fiance, the Grand Imperial Princess, with whom he has an almost void marriage contract.
Each one of them is a heavyweight, yet they form such a luxurious all-star lineup to beat up a viinous cannon fodder man who has no magical talents and only grew stronger by taking the evil path. It really makes one wonder how much they actually respect him toe together like this??
In the original story, Winnie''s defeat is not unjust; his luck is indeed too terrible.
If he were just a viinous cannon fodder, perhaps he could get a sip of soup in some other game, but unfortunately, Kareliman Citrus is a game purely of the citrus genre.
In such a game, do men even dream of wooing women? Wrong gender, no luck at all!
Since the inception of this game, it has been established that Winnies character is doomed to be constantly humiliated by the heroines, ending up joyfully and prosperously receiving his own cold lunchbox at the end.
The ending is just like that; he didnt save anyone, not even his first love, Princess Mirecia, whom he has unrequitedly loved for years.
He still remembers the CG where he met his demise, where the viinous Winnie, acting as the main antagonist, had a sword stabbed through his chest, kneeling on the ground vomiting blood, watching helplessly as the heroines and Mirecias rtionship elevated, the two stunningly beautiful girls embracing and kissing in front of his dying self.
They even tantly yed a letter game right in front of him.
Who is the real viin here, huh?
So, am I just a part of your y too?!
However, even with all this, it can''t really be said that the heroines overshadowed Winnie, because overshadowing implies mutual affection, and as Mirecia just mentioned, she never had those kinds of feelings for Winnie, her childhood friend. Its always been one-sided from Winnie, so how can it be considered overshadowing?
In essence, Winnie is at most a lovelorn Tengu, not even worth mentioning in terms of being overshadowed.
Thinking back to everything Winnie did in the past, hepletely understands why Mirecia would drop his flower at the banquet without any sentimentality.
In the original story, Winnie was a person with strong possessiveness and extreme behaviors. He unterally saw Mirecia as his possession, and any male interaction with her would provoke Winnies targeted hostility, often executed quite clumsily.
As a noble, acting like a clown in public by baselessly insulting other nobles and openly disying his possessiveness towards the princess was simply nonsensical. Add to that the fact that Winnie''s family had long been destitute, with only him remaining, poor as a church mouse, while his beloved was revered as the brightest jewel in the Camellia Kingdoms crownPrincess Mirecia.
Remember, Mirecia is the only child of the king of Camellia Kingdom, the first in line to the throne.
Even setting aside moral issues, just the countless suitors within and outside the capital for Mirecia alone were enough to give Winnie a hard time.
Due to Winnie''s extremely twisted character, he frequently brought significant trouble to Mirecia. Imagine, during a tea party meant to foster rtions between the princess, an heir to the royal throne, and other high-ranking nobles offspring, suddenly a nonsensical childhood friend pops up iming she can only belong to him and shamelessly insulting the nobles she was engaging.
Just thinking about such a scenario is both embarrassing and blood-pressure raising.
Winnie also constantly gifted Mirecia with bizarre items ording to his own tastes, proving Mirecias point that ''people who are too self-centered cannot see others'' and ''should first learn how to love someone.''
Truthfully, Mirecia had great restraint. Considering she had negative feelings for Winnie yet still remembered their childhood friendship, if the roles were reversed and Winnie faced this kind of golden deity, he would probably have torn off his mask long ago.
In the original story, Mirecia still remembered their childhood friendship; while being constantly bothered by Winnie, she had to clean up his messes. But everything Winnie did was simply depleting this friendship.
As the plot progressed to Winnies rejected banquet confession, everyone looked at him as if he were a clown. From there, this extremely unloved guy never recovered, ultimately turning to the dark path, never looking back, until the heroines pierced his heart with a sword and decapitated him.
Winnie touched his neck, feeling a chill there.
This was simply flooring the gas pedal on the road to doom.
Is it still possible to hit the brakes now?
Thinking it over, there seemed to be some hints in this plot segment.
When he yed as the protagonist, it seemed unremarkable, but now, finding himself in Winnie''s shoes and having essed his memories, some plot points felt increasingly off.
Remembering carefully, this infamous viinous man, known as a street rat, hadnt actuallymitted any heinous acts before being publicly rejected by Mirecia in his confession.
Yes, he was disagreeable, often offending his peers without self-awareness, but to say he was extremely harmful wouldnt be urate; he had the desire but not the capacity.
Winnie indeed wasnt a good person, but tobel him as a major viin might be an exaggeration; his frequent fits and his inappropriate clinging to Mirecia were perhaps his only faults, hardly amounting to monstrous evil.
Yet, for some reason, in the original story, Winnies infamy and his actual misdeeds didnt match up. usations like being greedy, cowardly, despicable, and shameless were piled on his head, with the entire kingdom looking down on him, his bad reputation even spreading to other nations.
But if asked what exactly he did to deserve such a bad reputation, its hard to pinpoint.
This bes ratherical, almost making one suspect that the scriptwriter just wanted to create a punching bag for the protagonist, writing negatively just for the sake of it, regardless of his actual deeds. It wasnt important what he did; everyone just needed to know he was an unforgivable viin.
After all, the yers were there to see the sweet interactions between the soft and tender heroines. Winnie, this disgusting viinous cannon fodder, just made the audience sick to their stomachs, with no one really bothering to delve into his past.
But turning around and looking closely, before he turned to the dark path, had this universally detested viin trulymitted actions that matched his notoriety?
In the original story, part of the reason for Winnies fall was due to ack of love from childhood, leading to a distorted growth, and the other part was the rumors and environment surrounding him.
Nobles shunned him, talented magicians frommon backgrounds despised him for hisck of magical talent, and even ordinary citizens avoided him due to his infamy.
Everyone rejected him, looked down on him, and anyone with a bit of status spat on his face before leaving, as if not doing so wouldnt align them with the refined society.
The lucky are cured by their childhoods, the unlucky must spend their lives curing their childhoods, and Winnie was among thetter.
Growing up orphaned, discriminated against in the capital, without a single rtive or friend, and with no one to even talk to, his loneliness and exclusion became a breeding ground for extreme psychological conditions.
The only one still willing to interact with him and offer help was his childhood friend, Princess Mirecia.
However, due to Queen Camellia''s difficult childbirth and King Camellia''sck of ns to remarry, as the kingdom''s only heir, Mirecia was destined to be the future Queen of Camellia. Therefore, her daily affairs were incredibly busy, truly making her a greatbor model in Theris. At home, she had to help her father with state affairs while also managing her training and magical studies. At school, she had to take on the responsibilities of the student council president while also juggling her studies.
It''s easy to imagine how helpless a person under such pressure, working overtime all year and always busy, would feel when dealing with a friend who only acted unreasonably.
After being rejected by Mirecia in the original story, Winnie believed that Mirecia had abandoned him too, and in despair, he chose to go to extremes, mistakenly entering the wrong path, vowing to kill those who bullied him without reason and spat on him.
He was childish, but that was the only means he could think of to fight against fate.
His parents died when he was very young, and no one taught him how to behave or guide him towards maturity.
He only knew that everyone in the world despised and rejected him, looking at him with eyes a hundred times worse than they would a stray dog on the street, as if they wished he would just die.
What did it matter to him if such a world was destroyed?
Additionally, he naively believed that Mirecia left him because he was not strong enough. If he were stronger, he was sure Mirecia would change her mind.
After taking a shortcut through dark magic, he became uncontroble, a psychologically twisted child with a terrifying power that was not meant for him, and its clear what that meant.
Those baseless rumors were proven true by his actions before anyone else.
Since these people wouldn''t listen to his exnations, he decided to fulfill their wishes and make all the evil acts they used him ofe true.
To punish the devil, one must first be the devil. He could kill the people spreading rumors, but he couldnt kill the rumors themselves, and even he was engulfed by them.
Reviewing Winnies memories andbining them with what he knew of the plot, he realized that Winnie was not inherently evil initially, at least not the utterly vile and wicked character portrayed by the rumors.
Rumors are not formed overnight, simr to the metaphor of boiling a frog in warm water; they grow from one misunderstanding and anonymous witness to another, bing increasingly exaggerated. Unknowingly, over time, Winnies reputation and image among the kingdoms nobilitypletely rotted, then spread from the top down.
When the rumors started to spread, he tried to reverse his bad reputation, but he found that no matter what he did, it was futile, and his infamy even led to more misunderstandings.
When someone ispletelybeled as a viin, everything they do is seen through a lens of preconceived notions, thus bing distorted.
Winnies descent into darkness wasnt formed in a day either; he struggled and resisted, but eventually, overwhelmed by these chilling rumors, he was swallowed up and walked towards his destruction.
Mirecias rejection was just thest straw that broke the camels back.
Furthermore, there was one more thing that deeply impacted the original Winnie.
Although it had fallen into decline, Winnies family was the founder of the Fanghui Church, descendants of the Goddess Fanghui, a revered saintly family across the continent, carrying the Holy Angel bloodline. Each head of the Fasulis family had been a saint, leading the entire Fanghui Church.
During Winnies grandfathers generation, the Fasulis family became a dead lineage, no longer producing saints, thus losing their voice in the church. Later, due to a mistake, the entire family was expelled from the Fanghui Church.
The goddess founded the church, and the church expelled the descendants of the goddess over a murky issuea ludicrous urrence.
Logically, even if reduced to a dead lineage and expelled from the church, the Fasulis family, with the relics and treasures left by the generations of saints, should not have ended up as destitute as they were today.
However, on the night of Winnies parents'' deaths, people from the Fanghui Church came to his house.
He remembered that day, the sky was filled with rolling dark clouds and pouring rain. The visitors were from the high council of the Fanghui Church, led by a cardinal in red, followed by fully armed church knights, crowding the Fasulis family courtyard.
Were they there to mourn? No.
These uninvited guests came to kick them while they were down.
Logically, after this, the Fasulis family should have severed all ties with the Fanghui Church without any further connection. However, after the death of Winnies parents, under the pretense that the Fasulis family had illegally upied church property, they came to reim the relics and treasures left by the Goddess Fanghui and the past saints.
They imed that these items should belong to the church, not the Fasulis family.
Recalling this deeply engraved memory, Winnie felt a chill as he lived through it.
Dim candlelight lit the peeling yellow walls; young Winnie stood helplessly in front of his parents'' corpses, his tiny body swallowed by the tide of despair, his soul captured.
At that time, he was devastated and filled with confusion about the future. How could he, having lost his closest rtives at a young age, reach the end of this path filled with loneliness and curses?
Outside, orderly heavy footsteps sounded; dazed, he went to the door, pushed open the wooden door, and found a group of church knights armed to the teeth outside, a tall man in a red robe leaning on a jeweled scepter, wearing an expensive crystal holy cross, the great difference in their heights oppressive.
A lightning bolt split the dark sky, casting the seemingly righteous red-robed man and knights'' shadows onto the ragged young boy, looking monstrously terrifying.
"Search, don''t miss any corner," the cardinal said decisively to his subordinates, not bothering to exin.
Then, the boy watched helplessly as these knights, sworn to fight for the goddess and all beings, stormed into his home, smashing it to pieces and taking every treasure left by the past saints.
Some knights even tried to forcibly search Winnies parents'' bodies shortly after they had passed.
"Stop!" Young Winnie, tears brimming in his eyes, threw himself on the knight to stop him but was ruthlessly pushed away, mming into the wall, the pain causing him to curl up, a bruise forming on his back.
"You, you looters!"
"Robbers? Mr. Thief, you should be thankful for the Church''s mercy," the cardinal sneered coldly.
"Your family has illegally upied the Church''s property for three generations. Considering the Goddess and all the past saints, we merely ask for its return without imposing any additional fees. That is already the greatest mercy."
That night, Winnie watched helplessly as the Church turned his home upside down, manhandled his parents'' corpses, and left with all the Fasulis family''s heirlooms.
The house was left in shambles, the boyy on the ground, his face drenched with tears, in a home that could no longer shelter or support him with his parents gone...
After that, Winnie''s reputation only got worse, with rumors even circting within the capital that Winnie was a fraudulent descendant of the Goddess.
Suddenly, Winnie felt a pity for the original host, or rather, for his former self.
He wondered, were these malicious rumors really just a plot device?
Was there no deeper meaning?
But who would go to such lengths to fabricate rumors about a destitute noble?
Was it the work of the Church? But Winnie was already so destitute, and all valuable heirlooms had been taken by them; why continue to target him?
If someone deliberately spread these rumors so widely and with such malicious effect, it indicated that the perpetrator held a significant position and influence.
Why can''t a person in a high position tolerate a small ant like Winnie, when the cost and the benefit are so disproportionate?
He couldnt understand what benefit there was in smearing a penniless orphan to death. Was it really necessary to crush himpletely?
"Master Winnie? Youre awake?" The voice of a servant snapped Winnie back to reality.
Winnie gathered his thoughts and looked toward the servant at the door.
"Are you alright?"
"...Just now, was it you who carried me in?"
"...Yes, it was me." The servant answered hesitantly.
After all, Winnie''s bad reputation was well known in the capital; other nobles might not fear this fallen noble acting like a mad dog, but he was just a lowly servant.
Winnie, a man extremely concerned with his appearance, had just been publicly humiliated and ridiculed after his confession was rejected.
He had no power to retaliate against any nobles at the banquet, but he could easily vent his anger on an uninvolved servant.
If he had known, he would not have involved himself...
The servant regretted his decision, but unexpectedly, Winnie just sighed deeply, his expression devoid of the earlier hysteria, his demeanor calm and introspective.
"Thank you," Winnie said, then passed by the servant, his steps heavy as he exited the room.
"Ah, ah?" The servant, still surprised by the thanks from Winnie, didn''t react until after Winnie had already left the room.
"Master Winnie? That way isn''t the route to the hall," the servant called out kindly.
"I know." Winnie shook his head, half-jokingly thinking that after the spectacle he''d just caused, losing facepletely, why would he stay at a banquet that didnt invite a circus?
"I''m not feeling well, Ill take my leave now," he said without further exnation and headed toward the back door.
Stepping outside, the cold air hit Winnie''s face, somewhat clearing his foggy consciousness. The streets in front of him felt both familiar and strange.
Although he had sorted out his thoughts, his emotions were still a tangled mess.
Damn, who would have thought that one day he would transmigrate? To be dispatched by a stroke of fate into a world of citrus-themed games as a viinous cannon fodder.
Please, what kind of world had hended in? Of all ces, a world with a citrus-themed game backdrop? Men have no rights in such worlds! All significant female characters inevitably turn lesbian; even if they don''t start that way, they tend to show tendencies.
The always straightforward General Winnie was furious.
What kind of worlds do others transmigrate into? They be the male leads in harem stories! At worst, they could be a side male character in a harem story and steal the protagonist''s thunder.
What did he transmigrate into? A notoriously doomed cannon fodder in a citrus-themed game, where even being male was the wrong gender, doomed to not even have a soup left for him.
No, soup was too luxurious; he didnt even have a life, let alone soup. Female antagonists might get seduced by the heroine and be redeemed and taken into the Crystal Pce, but male antagonists just waited to be crushed into dust by the heroine.
One has to wonder, sometimes being reincarnated is a skill.
Better think about how to survive...
ording to the usual style of transmigration stories, even if he''s infamous, if the viinous character brakes in time and reforms, there''s a chance for redemption.
He could just live as an NPC unrted to the plot... right?
Memories of the banquet, along with the chill of his limbs and the stiffness of his expression, extinguished the slight glimmer of hope he had seen.
At that moment, his death knell tolled.
He remembered.
The banquet was not only attended by the princess and the nobles of the capital but also...
Kareliman Citrus''s heroine, the only designated cheat character of this game, the dual soul art and dual divine patronage holder, Aeciphysis Getus.
Yes, the silver-haired girl he had sshed with red wine during the banquet.
Her real name was Aeciphysis Kareliman, the sole descendant of the ancient Theris Empire''s royal Kareliman family, with pure and wless silver hair and captivating violet eyes, like a fairy untouched by worldly filth, stunningly beautiful, even slightly surpassing her Crystal Pce peers.
Winnie remembered that what originally attracted him to the Kareliman Citrus game was Aeciphysis''s character design, breathtakingly beautiful.
Now, he indeed had the opportunity to see her in person, but his head was also under the guillotine, ready to fall at any moment.
Because just earlier at the banquet, he had spilled red wine all over Aeciphysis.
In front of so many people, soaking her dress.
"Damn! Have I already offended the protagonist??
Winnie remembered the incident started when Aeciphysis imed she liked Mirecia, even ambiguously and jokingly said she fell in love with the beautiful princess at first sight, asking Mirecia not to be so rigid about gender and to give her a chance.
Indeed, Aeciphysis said it jokingly, and most people present didnt take it seriously, just thinking that Miss Aeciphysis was finding creative ways topliment Princess Mirecias beauty.
After all, such jokes among girls can still somewhat fall within normal bounds.
But with Winnie''s character, as those who know him would understand, whether it was true or not, saying such things in front of him was like a provocation. Could he tolerate it??
Then trouble ensued.
With his pure and naive childish temperament, he angrily sshed red wine on her, not even pretending, especially since Mirecia was standing right next to Aeciphysis at the time.
And the heroine, true to her role, while Mirecia was unusually angry and demanded Winnie apologize, with Winnie turning pale and remaining silent, just smiled warmly and imed it was fine, even trying to smooth things over by suggesting it might have been an oversight on Winnies part.
Compared to her high emotional intelligence, Winnie waspletely a bull in a china shop, with an emotional intelligence so low it was staggering, ungraciously stating that he did it on purpose and that it was personal.
This made things very awkward, and it''s why Mirecia was so angrily upromising when she publicly threw Winnie''s flowers.
Thinking about this, Winnie couldnt help but facepalm.
The original Winnie thought he was standing his ground against Aeciphysis, not realizing he was actually making Mirecia lose face.
In contrast, Aeciphysis not only showed her magnanimity and tolerance but also sharply harvested a wave of goodwill from Mirecia and other nobles.
But these are not the main points.
Aeciphysis is the type who pays great attention to things and people she''s interested in butpletely ignores those she does not care about. You could never tell what was truly going on under her angelic, beautiful smile.
If it were any other viin, stopping in time might work because Aeciphysis is not interested in men. But the problem is, Aeciphysis is the protagonist, possessing one of the protagonist''s essential traits: a reborn character.
The so-called reborn character naturally has to die once to count as reborn. So, who killed the protagonist in her previous life?
Answer: A corrupted Winnie.
........
Can this be reconciled?
Winnie felt a profound malice from this world.
Sshing the wine was just stepping on the elerator; he was already speeding on the road to ruin!
This left no room for maneuver.
This situation isplex.
But it''s also notplex; he could do absolutely nothing and just wait at home for death.
Seeing the plot, Aeciphysis was just waiting for him to take the wrong path, ready to strike at any provocation.
The worst part is Winnie knows very little about the plot of Kareliman Citrus; he only yed the prologue and watched some discussions andter CGs, knowing only bits of the plot and main characters.
About Aeciphysis, the Chosen One, all he really knows is that her sexual orientation is very clearly and thoroughly non-straight, a confirmed spaghetti lover when ites to her tastes.
She loves beautiful, soft girls, and upon finding a pretty girl she likes, she spends a lot of time flirting. And in the original, Aeciphysis is quite the flirt, a genuine siren.
As for why Aeciphysis has such a character design, well, its a citrus-themed game, isn''t that typical?
Her exceptional flirting skills paired with her perfect beauty mean that neither men nor women can resist her charm.
In fact, this is true; Aeciphysis has a strong personal charisma, is extremely polite to everyone, even to those she is not interested in or even dislikes. She can smile so naturally at anyone, speak in a tone and with a voice that makes everyone feel weed, making it impossible for anyone to dislike her.
Well, except for the original Winnie.
To be honest, the original Winnie is pitiable but also pretty scummy. As the only remaining member of one of humanitys few saintly families, the Blessed Angel Fasulis family, which is now extinct and almost devoid of any magical talents, orphaned and fallen into poverty, with a terribly neurotic personality, he indeed doesnt match up to a single hair of the ancient imperial heroine.
Not to mention, Aeciphysis is silver-haired, Mirecia is golden-haired; one silver, one gold, they actually match quite well.
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If possible, he doesn''t want to be a part of these two cmities'' y in the future; keeping as far away as possible and wishing them a hundred years of happiness would be the wisest choice.
But now, the issue is not aboutpatibility, but whether his future will involve Aeciphysis beheading him.
The evil path is definitely not an option; that is a road to death.
But even without taking the evil path, he can''t guarantee that in the future, for some trumped-up reason like stepping in with the left foot first, Aeciphysis wont behead him.
System? Save me! Winnie tried to invoke the transmigrator''s essential golden finger to save himself.
After a long silence, hisst bit of luck was utterly dashed.
Damn!
Isnt a system standard issue with transmigration?! Howe I dont even have a hair of it here??
Sir, please have pity on me, I havent eaten in three days, just then, a ragged beggar passed by, begging from Winnie.
Winnie instinctively searched his purse, only finding a single copper coin.
This destitute noble is indeed thoroughly destitute, huh??
He simply threw the coin to the beggar.
Thank you for your generosity! Seeing this, the beggar gratefully epted the copper coin, fearing Winnie might change his mind and hurried off, not at all like someone who hadn''t eaten in three days.
Ah, ah.... Winnie shook his head, murmuring to himself. I pity a beggar, but who pities me?
As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of golden text appearing above the quickly departing beggars head.
Huh? Winnie rubbed his eyes incredulously, making sure he wasn''t seeing things.
......Virtue +1?? he read the text,pletely confused.
What virtue? Plus one? What is this, a digital prayer wheel??
Then, as he stood there in disbelief, arge golden-framed panel appeared before his eyes.
The massive panel had only two options: Best Technique Soul Selection Guide, marked as needing three virtues.
The other was Awaken Family Bloodline and Open Virtue Tree, marked as needing thirty virtues.
To the side, it showed his current virtues: 1
(Note: Unlike other books where the transformation happens right at the beginning, the transformation takes ce a few chapterster in this book.)
(The cover features the protagonist Winnie in her female form.)
Chapter 1: Virtue? Bloodline Awakening??
"Best Soul Art Selection Guide??"
"And what''s thisawakening the family bloodline? Is this for real??"
"What the hell is a Virtue Tree??"
Winnie waspletely dumbfounded. He checked multiple times to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating.
The golden-framed panel before him was clearly not an illusion. The background of the panel depicted a six-winged cross engulfed in sacred mes. Winnie recognized it instantlyit was the emblem of the Aeciphysis family.
Virtue? Purchase?
Winnie noticed the amount of Virtue he possessed, and suddenly, a golden-framed notification popped up.
''Ways to Obtain Virtue: Fulfill the duties of the Aeciphysis family or cause emotional fluctuations in key characters.''
Duties? Emotional fluctuations in key characters??
Who the hell are the key characters? ...Dont tell me it''sthose disasters??
At that thought, Winnie''s face turned pale.
That second method might as well not existdid hedareto mess with those so-called "Heroines of Fate" right now??
The good news was that his reincarnated self at least had a system.
The bad news? This system seemedpletely useless.
There was no way he was stirring up trouble with those walking cmities.
Survival instincts kicked in, and Winnie immediately ignored the second method. People are naturally inclined to seek benefits and avoid harmheabsolutelywasnt going to take that suicidal risk.
What if he got tangled up in the main storylines causality? For Aeciphysis and her harem, it would be nothing more than an emotionally charged but ultimately harmless character development event. But forhim, still stuck with the identity of a viin, it would be an insurmountable mountain crashing down on him!
And what the hell was this "Best Soul Art Selection Guide"? Wasn''t this just mocking him??
As thst heirof the Aeciphysis familytheBlessed AngellineageWinnie was infamous throughout the capital for having onlyone-starmagical aptitude.
What did a one-star rating mean? It meant that evenregr peoplecould beat Winnie senseless with their magic talents.
Amongmoners, the majority hadnomagical aptitude. The number of people with a one-star rating was almost the same as those without any talent at all. The remaining poption consisted of those withaboveone-star aptitude, including many prodigies born frommoner backgrounds.
So even byordinary people''sstandards, Winnie wasexceptionallymediocre and powerless.
And they were calling this aBest Selection Guide? No matter what he picked, it wouldnt change the fact that his magic aptitude wasone star!
Soul Arts avable for one-star aptitude werethe weakest of the weak, barely capable of any magical attacks. Calling them "Soul Arts" was misleadingmost of them were just physical enhancements at best.
As for awakening the family bloodline?
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TheBlessed Angellineage of the Aeciphysis family had already turned into a"dead bloodline"since his grandfathers generation.
A "dead bloodline" referred to asage family that had lost its "Divine Favor."
In ancient times, the strongest figures blessed by the divine established human civilization. They wereter known as"Sages."
The descendants of these Sages inherited their family''s immense power, capable of unleashing divine might that defied thews of reality. This power was known as"Divine Favor."
Most Sage families were named after the bloodlines they inherited. For example, thePeono Royal Familyof theKingdom of Camelliawas one such Sage family. Possessing theFurygold Dragon Bloodline, they could manifest the might of the Furygold Dragon throughDivine Favor, earning them the title"Furygold Dragon."
However, theBlessed Angellineage of the Aeciphysis family lost theirDivine Favorduring Winnies grandfathers generation. This resulted in theabsence of a sessor to the Holy Maiden, leading to the Aeciphysis family''splete loss of influence and control over the Church.
However, losing theirDivine Favorand forfeiting theHoly Maidentitle wasn''t the direct reason why the Aeciphysis family was expelled from theFanghui Church. Despite falling from grace, they still carried the name of theGoddess, serving as a symbol of theFanghui Churchdescendants of Aeciphysis, theGoddess of Radiance, whom humanity widely worshipped.
The real reason for their exile seemed to be agrave mistakemade by Winnie''s grandfather. Whatever he had done, it resulted in the Aeciphysis familyalready reduced to mere mascots due to the loss of Divine Favorbeinpletely cast outfrom theFanghui Churchand stripped of theHoly Maidentitle.
By the time it reached Winnie''s father''s generation, the Aeciphysis family had settled in theKingdom of Camellia. The ruling king, out of respect for theGoddess Aeciphysis, granted Winnie''s father aViscount title, ensuring that the family could at least survive within the kingdom.
Winnie''s father was a formidable man. Even withoutDivine Favor, he earned his status through sheer military prowess, achievingnumerous battle merits.
Thanks to that, Winnie had the opportunity to interact withMireciain his childhood.
If things had continued on that trajectory, even ifrevivingthe Aeciphysis family was out of reach,sustainingit wouldn''t have been a problem.
But, as fate would have it,disaster struck relentlesslyhis fatherdied in battle, a sudden and unexpected casualty. His mother, unable to bear the grief,withered away and passed soon after.
And then,the Church pounced at their weakest momentjust when the Aeciphysis family had barely begun to stabilize, they wereruthlessly crushed once again.
To make matters worse,rumorsbegan to spread:
"Winnie isn''t truly a descendant of the Goddesshe''s a fraud who stole the name! The real Aeciphysis lineage died out long ago!"
Thipletelyruined his reputation.
There was no way to refute such ims. After all, Winnie''s bloodline had alreadybe a "dead lineage", meaning he had no means of proving his descent from the Goddess. He could onlystand powerlessas these rumors festered and spread.
Other nobles, when their family declined, couldrely on their maternal rtivesfor support.
But Winnie''s father?A pure-hearted war god. He had refusedanynoble alliances, marrying arural vige womanwith no background. He wasonly good at war, knew nothing aboutfinance, and had no clue how tomaneuver noble politics.
This wasexactlywhy the Church had beenbold enoughto openly raid their household. The Aeciphysis family was nothing but awithered weedpletely alone, with no noble allies or powerful inws to shield them.
Not that it would have mattered. Evenhigh-ranking noblesandroyaltyhesitated to provoke theChurchhow could minor nobles possibly stand against them?
What Winnie inherited was nothing but aruined legacya family that had onceled the Fanghui Church, bathed in the faith of thousands, now reduced to asingle living descendantof a fallen Sage lineage.
As thedirect descendantofGoddess Aeciphysis, his family had beenexpelled from the Fanghui Church. The Church no longer had aHoly Maidenonly aPope.
And hisstarting rtionshipswith the twoheroines?
Negative.
One of them even had a"life-and-death grudge"with him and would love nothing more than tosee his head roll.
Not to mention, hisreputationwasworse than a gue rat''s.
It was the kind ofperfect opening scenariothat made one want to sarcastically scream:
"Never before has there been such a splendid start!"
Was thereanyway out of this?
Winnie''s gazelockedonto the words"Awaken the Family Bloodline."
His expression turned serious.
It wouldn''t hurt totry, after allhe hadnothing to lose.
But as for thesecondmethod of gaining Virtue?
Heh.
Right now, Winnie was absolutely sure he couldprovoke intense emotionsin theHeroines of Fatespecifically, theburning rageof wanting tochop his head off.
Compared toaffection points,emotional fluctuationswere amysteriousthing.
Happiness? That''s an emotion.
Excitement? Also an emotion.
Anger? Still an emotion.
Murderous intent skyrocketing?Definitelyan emotional UP UP!
Maybe hecouldearn Virtue byenragingthe heroines to theirbreaking point.
But what would thecostbe?
Yeah, no thanks. He wasn''t about to be a"tragic senpai"anytime soon.
Then, what exactly didawakening the Aeciphysis bloodlineentail?
Was itsimplyabout regainingDivine Favor?
Winnie had a feeling itwasn''t that simple.
...Could itmake him more handsome?
That wouldn''t be so bad.
Returning to hisdpidated, deste estate, Winnie sighed.
Ever since both thehead of the householdand thdy of the househad passed away, thefamily finances copsed, and nearly all theservantshadleft.
The only one who remained wasan old servant named Dark.
"You''ve returned, Young Master."
The elderly man, sweeping the courtyard, looked up at Winnie and gave him arespectful nod.
"Yeah."
Lost in thought, Winnie barely acknowledged the old servant before heading straight inside.
Dark watched him for a moment.
Thesilent, withdrawn demeanor.
The way he barely reacted.
For a brief moment,a flicker of surpriseshed in the old man''s eyes.
It was gone in an instant.
The Aeciphysis estate, while not particrlysmall, wasnt exactlygrandeither. It was atwo-storybuilding, but due to years ofneglectanck of fundsfor proper maintenance, much of it had umteyers of dust. The house was sodpidatedthat it resembled anabandoned ruinleft untouched for decades.
The moment Winnie stepped inside, apungent stench of cheap alcoholwafted up from thecer, causing him to instinctivelyfrown.
TheformerWinnie, drowning indepressionandlethargy, hadsumbed to alcohol. And since hecouldnt affordanything decent, all he drank were thenameless, bottom-shelf brewsfrom back-alley distilleriesso cheap that a few copper coins could buy an entire jug.
Whenever he was in abad mood, Winnie woulde home anddrink himself into a stupor, refusing to stop until he wapletely wasted.
On top of that, henever exercised, allowing his body towaste awayover time.For someone so young, he was already frail and hollowed out.
Winnie shook his head.
"If he couldnt even care for himself, how could he possibly care for anyone else?"
Hed have toget rid of those cheap, wretched liquorsat some point. No point in letting them take up space.
Asdusksettled in, its fading lightcascadedover the estatespeeling yellow walls.
Back in hisroom, Winnie shut the door behind him, gazing quietly out the window as thegolden afterglowstretched across theold wooden floorboards.
But he wasnt actuallylookingat the sunset.
Nor was he looking at the floor.
His eyes were locked ontothe golden-framed panelthe one thatonly he could see.
"...Virtue."
He murmured the word, rolling it over in his mind.
This was thekey to his survival.
Even if he wanted to test it, hed have toumte enough Virtue first.
Buthowexactly was he supposed togainit? The systemdidnt specify anything clearly.
Other thandonating to beggars, was there any other way?
Dont tell me this so-called "Virtue" is just about doing good deeds...??
In that case
Winniestood up, his mind already forming a n.
Hepulled outan oldleather suitcasefrom under his bed.
Inside was thst of his familys savings.
A singlecopper coincould only earna tiny bitof Virtue.
For him, that was aluxuryhe couldnt afford.
But this was anecessary sacrifice!
If awakening hisbloodlinewas truly possible,would money even matter in the future??
With that in mind, Winniegritted his teethand pulled outwhat little remainedof his money.
He was already backed into acorner.
There wasno other choice.
Living off hismeager inheritancelike this was nothing more thanwaiting to diehe probably wouldnt evest long enoughfor Aeciphysis to make a move.
With that settledtime to act!
Just as hestrode toward the door, asudden soundechoed from the hallway.
Hurried footsteps.
Winniepaused, hesitating for a moment before pulling open the door.
Outside, standingrespectfully, wasDark, the old servant.
"...? What is it?"
"Young Master Winnie, it is time for dinner,"Dark lowered his head slightly.
"Im not hungry. You eat by yourself."
"This... but, Young Master, no matter whats happening, you still need to eat. Otherwise, your body will"
"Thats none of your concern. Alright, alright, Im in a bad mood right now. I just need to go out for a walk."
Winnie deliberatelyfeigned impatience, waving Dark off.
"...Understood, Young Master."
"Hmph."
Winniebrushed past him, descending the stairs.
But just as he stepped out into thecourtyard, he suddenlypausedand turned his head to nce back at the estate.
His eyes flickered witha deep, thoughtful gleam.
How interesting. How very interesting.
Winnie had originally assumed thatDarkthisold servanthad simplynowhere else to goand hadstayed behind out of necessity, willing to work formeager wagesjust to survive.
But apparently, hedbeen wrong.
Someone hadnted a spyrightunder his nose.
Who, exactly, is so wary of a worthless, one-star magician with a dead bloodline?
Recalling thesudden infamyhis past self had gained in the original timeline, Winnies eyesnarrowed slightly.
Even now
Someone was still working against him from the shadows.
Chapter 2: This Young Master Has a Cleanliness Obsession!
So, what are the duties of the Aeciphysis family? Perform a good deed every day?
Winnie, hands in his pockets, arrived at the slums of the capital city. Looking around, he noticed the shabby people staring at him.
This was to be expected. Even though the Aeciphysis family had fallen into poverty, a few sets of noble clothes could still be gathered, and his present neat attire made him stand out in the slums.
This was rare, after all. The slums were considered a filthy gutter in the eyes of the nobility, and they never visited personally.
Seeing the various gazes on his fine clothes, mixed with emotions such as envy and longing, Winnie shook his head.
These poor folks might not know, but if this fallen noble didnte up with a solution soon, he would soon be living here with them.
Hey, you. Winnie didnt waste words. He approached a bent old man and casually tossed a silver coin from his pouch to the man.
This? The old man didnt reach out but looked at the young noble in front of him with confusion and fear.
The slums werent a safe ce, and no one was foolish enough to provoke a noble.
What are you staring at? Take it, this is a charity from this young master, Winnie said with his arms crossed, adopting an aloof, high-and-mighty pose, though inside, he was feeling a sting of pain.
A silver coin! That was a silver coin! For him now, every coin counted!
F-for me? The old mans face was full of disbelief. His cloudy eyes brightened for a moment, but then he hesitated, not sure if he should ept.
Winnie immediately saw the old mans hesitation, and his gaze shifted to the strong, young people around them. From their looks, he saw greed.
They were indeed afraid of provoking a noble, but that didnt mean they wouldnt snatch the coin once Winnie left.
But what did that have to do with him? He wasnt here to do charity work. He was giving away money just because he needed Virtue. Whether the old man got robbed after he left didnt matter.
All he needed to do was witness the old man epting the coin, say nothing, and leave.
What are you all looking at? Winnies gaze swept across the strong punks. Whats the matter? Youve got arms and legs, youre all stronger than me, you must eat well, so why are you staring at an elderly man who cant even take care of himself?
Little thugs, do you know who I am? Im the infamous viinous, mad dog noble of the capital, Winnie Aeciphysis. Winnie said, his arms still crossed, speaking each word slowly and with pride.
Not gonna lie, his imposing presence didnt scare others, but it was enough to make these unworldly punks freeze, especially when paired with his fierce face and the freckles on itfull marks for effect.
As soon as Winnie spoke, these punks all fell silent, too scared to say a word.
I dont care who you are, I dont care how nasty youve been, I just want to tell you that when ites to being bad or crazy, youre no match for me.
What you guys y with, Ive already yed and left behind. Winnie smiled, showing a grin that fit his viinous persona, as he continued to point at the punks while speaking.
What you usually do, its none of my business, but Ill make it clear. This money is from me. If any of you try to steal it, youll be challenging my authority. Youre opposing the bad noble of the capital, and youll see if I dont send knights to break your legs!
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...S-sir, you... youre saying that... The leader of the punks stammered, his face pale.
It was clear that even if they were eyeing the coin, they now had to reconsider.
Of course, all that talk about challenging the capitals bad noble, sending knights to break their legsit was all just bravado from Winnie. He didnt even have a single household guard. Knights? Ridiculous.
Seeing the old man take the coin, Winnie immediately focused on the Virtue panel.
One second passed, then ten seconds.
He heard the old man thank him for his generosity, but he didnt see the Virtue entry prompt.
Whats this?! Winnie jumped up in a panic. I gave the coin, wheres my Virtue!
If he didnt get it, was this silver coin just wasted? Did they think he was some rich young master? He was practically broke!
This startled both the old man and the punks, who quickly stepped back.
After waiting a few more minutes.
Under the gaze of everyone, Winnies expression darkened, bing as grim as water.
In the next moment, the old man saw Winnie ring at him fiercely. The old man, feelingpletely innocent, had no idea what he had done wrong.
At this moment, Winnie was thinkingthis damn Virtue system must be malfunctioning. It hadnt given him any Virtue. Should he just take the money back?
He nced at the old mans frightened, pale face, then at the cane in the corner and the empty pant leg. Winnie clicked his tongue in his mind.
Forget it, a noble like him wouldnt go back on his word. Taking back the money in front of so many people would be too embarrassing.
"If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen."
But...
Damn, it still hurt so much!
Why?! Why didnt it add any Virtue?! That was a silver coin, damn it!!
Even a copper coin could add some Virtue, so how much could a silver coin add?
That was the n Winnie, the brilliant mind of Camellia, hade up with.
But it seemed the Virtue system didnt work the way he had imagined.
Damn it, where did it go wrong?!
Winnie walked out of the slums, biting down hard on the bread in his mouth, ripping off a piece and chewing vigorously.
What the hell?! Giving a copper coin gets Virtue, but giving a silver coin gets nothing? This damn Virtue system is really something elseprobably a dinner that cant even count!
While cursing the damn system in his head, Winnie took his frustration out on the bread in his hand and walked in the direction of home.
Everything just feels like its going wrong.
As he walked, Winnie felt something lightly tugging on the bread bag in his hand.
He looked down and met a pair of dark, shiny eyes.
Big brother, can... can I have a piece of bread? ...No, just half, half is fine! A little boy with messy hair, his eyes filled with pleading, like a little puppy, lightly grasped the bread bag in Winnies hand and swallowed nervously.
It was clear that the skinny child was starving, or else he wouldnt have risked getting beaten toe up and beg for bread.
Tch, damn it! Winnie looked at the little boy with disdain, then immediately shoved the bread bag into the boys arms.
My bread bag got dirty because of your filthy hands. Here, take it, all of its yours!
Th-thank you, big brother! The boy took the bread bag, repeatedly thanking him in disbelief.
Thank my ass. I just have a cleanliness obsession and didnt want to touch something you dirtied. Now, scram! Winnie waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.
The boy thanked him again and ran off.
Once the boy was gone, Winnie was stunned.
He discovered that, after giving the bread to the boy, his Virtue had gone up by +1.
What does this mean? Did the damn system fix itself?
Or could it be...?
Winnie stroked his chin, feeling like hed discovered some kind of pattern.
Before, he had given moneyboth copper and silver coins, and this time, it was food. This was the first time hed given someone food.
Could it be that...?
Chapter 3: Soul Art Compatibility
To test his theory, Winnie changed his route. Instead of heading home, he made a beeline for the toy store, spent eight copper coins on a doll and some candy, and arrived at an orphanage on the outskirts of the city.
You are? The old director, leaning on a cane, looked at the visitor with confusion. But upon seeing his noble attire and appearance, she assumed he must be a noble.
It was rare to see a noble here.
Winnie didnt waste words on exnations. He simply handed the doll to one of the little girls at the orphanage.
Here, this is for you. Take it. The little girl, hugging the doll in a daze, looked at Winnie, who immediately nced at his Virtue panel.
As expected!
Virtue increased by 1.
Ha, haha!
Hahaha! I did it, hahaha! Seeing the Virtue total now at 3, Winnie couldnt contain his sense of aplishment and jumped up in excitement.
He got so carried away that he forgot that the old director and all the children were staring at him.
By the time he realized, the orphanage had gonepletely silent. Even the old director was looking at him with a strange expression.
Sis, this big brother looks like a fool, a boy said innocently.
This little brat?!
Winnies temper red in an instant. He walked up to the boy who had spoken ill of him, using his height advantage to loom over him.
The boy shrank back, probably intimidated by Winnies viinous aura, tears immediately starting to form.
Stop crying, little brat. Winnie shoved a piece of candy into the boys hand.
Now you know your lesson, huh? Still calling me a fool?
He casually popped a candy into his own mouth and handed the rest to the other kids.
During all this, he kept an eye on his Virtue progress. As expected, giving out candy increased his Virtue, but when he gave a second piece, there was no further increase.
So its like thatno stacking for the same thing.
Ah! Before Winnie could think much more, a ball smacked him right in the face.
He picked up the ball, ring angrily at the mischievous boy who had thrown it.
You little brat! You dare throw that at me?!
Hehe, big brother, youre so clumsy. Can you even kick a ball?
Do you think something so simple would be hard for me? Underestimate me, and youll see what it means to mess with the God of War, the Diamond King! With that, Winnie kicked the ball back with all his might.
The director shook her head and stopped wondering about Winnies identity, watching the noble young man who was now ying with the children, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Thank you for bringing gifts to these poor children who arent favored by fate, and for ying with them for so long. As evening approached, the orphanage kids headed to bed, and the director took Winnies hand, thanking him.
Its nothing. No need to thank me. This was the truth. Winnies only goal was to gather Virtue, and his intentions werent pure. Of course, there was no need for thanks.
He had earned some Virtue from ying football with the kids earlier, and now his total was 5.
It was all for the Virtue, of course.
I can tell you get along with these children very well. May I know your name, honored sir?
No need. I donte here often. With that, Winnie waved his hand and left.
Watching Winnies back, the old director stroked his beard.
He quickly returned to his dpidated, cold home and locked himself in his room, where he began fiddling with his panel.
This was the reward for a day of effort.
Virtue: 5 points. Still far from the 30 points needed for the bloodline awakening, but the guide for the best Soul Art selection, which only required 3 points, could now be purchased.
After hesitating for a moment, Winnie decided to make the purchase. Even though this thing soundedpletely useless, it was one of the only two avable options the damn system offered.
Winnie could only trust the system''s integrity, hoping it wouldn''t make him waste three Virtue points on somethingpletely useless.
With a nervous heart, Winnie chose to buy the Best Soul Art Selection Guide.
He heard a ding, and his three Virtue points were deducted. The option to purchase the guide grayed out on the panel.
A line of text appeared on the screen.
How much do you know about Soul Arts?
Ha? Winnie was confused. What does this mean? Is the damn system trying to talk to me now??
How much do I know? Once a Soul Art is bound, its hard to change. The magic you can learn in the future can only be rted to it. I guess its like a job ss choice in a game? Winnie said, summarizing his entire understanding of Soul Arts.
Correct. Different Soul Arts require different levels of magical aptitude. Soul Arts with lower magical aptitude require fewer magical abilities in their techniques. Among them, Soul Arts with one- or two-star magical aptitude barely have any magic at all. Conversely, Soul Arts with higher magical aptitude requirements have more magic included in their techniques...
Sounds like one of those vague exnations I could get from anyone, Winnie grumbled. Hey, dont tell me I spent these three Virtue points just to hear you babble nonsense like This ones offensive, that ones defensive, right?
If you keep going around in circles like this, I swear Ill snap.
Of course not. You should be thankful you didnt ignore the option to purchase the Best Soul Art Selection Guide, the panel continued, showing more text.
Oh?
Ill ask you another question. Does a Soul Art with low magical aptitude always mean its weak?
Isnt that obvious? Why else would there be a hierarchy of magical aptitude if there wasnt some kind of discrimination? As the lowest on this food chain, Winnie had often felt the disdain and scorn from other noble children.
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It may seem like that, but in reality...
In reality, its just like that, Winnies mouth twitched. If you keep dragging this out, Im really going to snap.
It seems your understanding of Soul Arts is quite limited.
Are you familiar with something called "Soul Art Compatibility"? The panel disyed the text again. For some reason, even though the panel had no face, Winnie felt that the damn panel spoke with an air of superiority.
So whats that? Stop teasing me and just tell me already.
Soul Art Compatibility refers to how well an individual adapts to a certain Soul Art. To put it simply, its how well a person fits with a particr Soul Art.
The higher thepatibility, the greater the potential activated by the Soul Art. Generally speaking, if a personspatibility with a certain Soul Art exceeds 40%, they can absorb it; 50% means it''s a good match, 60% is considered excellent...
What about 100%? Winnie asked.
A once-in-a-thousand-years urrence, incredibly rare.
If someone were truly fortunate enough to absorb a Soul Art with 100%patibility, leaving their name in history would just be the beginning.
That amazing? Even if its just a one-star trash Soul Art?
Of course.
Then heres the question: If its really as magical as you say, how can I know which Soul Art has the highestpatibility for me?? ording to you, each personspatibility with each Soul Art is different, so why dont people go out of their way to find the Soul Art thats mostpatible with them? Winnie asked.
The answer is simplethey cant, because they cant see theirpatibility with Soul Arts. And thats the very reason the Soul Art Selection Guide exists, the panel replied.
Oh? So what youre saying is that you can help me find the Soul Art thats mostpatible with me? Winnies eyes lit up.
Of course. The panel gave a confirming response.
Chapter 4: Fanghui Goddess [Aeciphysis]
"[Hawkeye], a two-star magical aptitude Soul Art, typically used with crossbows. The few avable magical spells are high-level... Tch,patibility is only 36%?? Even with a two-star magical aptitude, I cant learn it? What trash among trash."
"[Titan], a two-star magical aptitude Soul Art. This ones not bad, with a 55%patibility, but sadly, I only have one star in magical aptitude, so I cant learn it. Besides, Ive heard it barely has any usable magical spells. Sigh, trash."
"[Assassin], a one-star magical aptitude Soul Art. This one I can learn and it has decentpatibility, but... I dont care for it? How could I, the young master, be content as just a sneaky little thief? Toome."
"[Magical Swordsman], a three-star magical aptitude Soul Art. Now this is good. Thepatibility is eptable as well, but s... Three stars, out of reach. I dont know why this kind of Soul Art is even avable. How many people wandering the streets can afford it? Even if they could, it would be useless."
"Is this thergest non-private Soul Art repository in the royal capital? There are so few kinds of Soul Arts... The highest is only three stars, howme."
"........" Inside the Soul Art repository, the owner sitting on a long bench listened to Winnies grumbling, unable to hold back.
He knew Winnie, of course. After all, he was quite a ''famous'' figure in the capital, how could he not recognize him?
It was already surprising enough that this good-for-nothing viinous young master appeared here today, but his strange mutterings while looking around made no sense at all.
Well, the owner could ignore his bizarre remarks, but then Winnie started saying that his collection of Soul Arts wascking and that the highest was only three stars??
Seriously? Doesnt he know his own magical aptitude? How dare hein, acting like some unrecognized genius?
The owner couldn''t help but twitch his lips at Winnie.
If he truly was a genius, he wouldn''t be here. The owner''s shop mostly served ordinary people with some magical aptitude or wealthy customers. If he were truly a four-star or even five-star magical genius, the nobility or royal family would have noticed him long ago and brought him into their private Soul Art repositories to choose his Soul Art.
Could the Soul Arts in a shop on the streetpare to those in the royal familys private collection? A three-star Soul Art would already be the prized possession of a shop.
Private Soul Art collections of the royal family and nobility were different. There, you could find a dazzling array of three- and four-star Soul Arts, more than you could even look at.
If he truly had talent, why would he be here?
The ownerined in his heart.
"Useless." After saying that, Winnie closed the panel and walked out of the repository.
He wasnt here to actually pick a Soul Art. He just came to see if the Soul Art selection guide worked well.
And it worked quite well. The three Virtue points were well spent; all he had to do was align the Soul Art with the panel to see hispatibility with it. Very convenient.
If he was going to select the best Soul Art for his whole life, he would have to go to a bigger and moreprehensive repository.
Like the Peono Royal Familys Soul Art repository.
Normally, Winnie wouldn''t have the qualifications to go there. But, thanks to the King of Camellia granting an exception because of Aeciphysis'' bloodline, Winnie was allowed to enter the royal Soul Art repository.
However, the King''s special treatment didn''t sit well with other nobles. On the contrary, young nobles in the capital mocked him.
Some even snidely remarked, "His Majesty the King really knows how to make things difficult. It''s like putting a mountain of gold in front of a starving beggar, tempting him but letting him take nothing. Pathetic."
This was naturally a mockery of Winnies magical aptitude. The implication was that he had no need to go to the royal repository, because he wouldnt be able to take anything valuable.
In the past, if the foolish Winnie had heard such remarks, he might have gotten furious. But now, he felt nothing inside.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Who cared about that?
He hade to the capital for important matters today.
Gripping the royal Soul Art repository pass personally given by the King, he looked out at the vast royal city, the towering city walls stretching to the horizon.
It was said that each jade brick on the wall was inscribed with magical runes, and from the top of the walls, magical crossbow cannons were set up, with golden dragon gs fluttering in the wind.
From time to time, fully armored golden-d Red Crest Guards could be seen patrolling the city walls. They wore dragon-like closed helmets, donned in golden armor, wielded enchanted dragon-tooth swords, and were equipped with excellent gear, exuding an air of majesty and power.
Those were the elite guards serving the Peono family, the Angry Dragon Knights.
They were the most trusted and relied-upon military force of King Camellia.
King Camellia might notpletely trust his personal butler, his courtiers, or even any outsiders, but he had absolute trust in the Angry Dragon Knights. In fact, the mere appearance of the leader of the Angry Dragon Knights symbolized the Kings presence.
The reason for this wasnt because the Angry Dragon Knights were the royal familys personal guards, but because the King had granted them the status of the royal knight order, making it impossible for the Angry Dragon Knights to betray the royal family.
As a family with a long history, the Peono family inherited their own unique Root Soul Art.
The Root Soul Art was a Soul Art created by a Sage, who had independently explored and developed it.
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The Soul Art created by the Peono familys ancestor was called Dragons Eye, with a magical aptitude requirement of four stars. It was the Soul Art mostpatible with the Peono family, and it had been used by every Peono king throughout the generations.
Moreover, every member of the Angry Dragon Knights used the Dragons Eye Soul Art. Without a doubt, each Angry Dragon Knight was an elite among elites, a genius among geniuses. Only such talents were qualified to join the Angry Dragon Knights.
This was also the reason why the King could trust the Angry Dragon Knights unconditionally.
First, the Angry Dragon Knights was a knight order created by the royal family itself, and second, the Soul Art used by every knight was Dragons Eye, a Soul Art whose originy with the Peono family. The familys head, if powerful enough, could even strip others of their Dragons Eye Soul Art.
This was why the Angry Dragon Knights would never betray the royal familythe Soul Art they used could be stripped by a sufficiently powerful family member. Betrayal would mean certain death.
In front of the royal city stood a church made of silver-white stone, surrounded by pink roses.
As Winnie passed by this church, he hesitated for a moment and stopped.
This magnificent and grand church was the church of the Fanghui Church, the most widespread faith among human nations.
Beneath the churchs great bell, there was an intricate six-winged burning cross. It was the family crest of the Aeciphysis family, also symbolizing the Fanghui Church.
In the past, whenever Winnie saw a church, he would avoid it as though instinctively reacting to stay away.
This was natural, as the events from his childhood were still vivid in his memory, leading to his strong aversion toward the Church.
He couldnt understand why the Church, which had shown him such kindness before his parents died, sending him sweets from time to time, would act so ruthlessly after their death.
Speaking of sweets, Winnie remembered that before his parents died, the Archbishop of the Church had been particrly kind to him, always secretly giving him various candies.
However, after his parents passed, the Church had raided his home and publicly tested his magical aptitude, revealing that his magical aptitude was only one star.
It was also after this incident that rumors began to spread that "Winnie was a false descendant of the Goddess."
Recalling these memories, it all seemed too coincidental.
Winnie noticed a detailthe Cardinal who had performed his magical aptitude test had a certain certainty in his expression, as though he had known from the beginning that Winnies magical aptitude would be one star.
Wait, could it be??
Thinking of a possible scenario, Winnies face changed drastically.
.......No, these were just his suspicions; he had no proof.
By the time he snapped out of it, he had already walked into the church.
In front of the churchs main doors stood arge silver-white stone sculpture of a beautiful, holy maiden.
Her hands were raised in a prayer position, with long hair flowing down to the base of her legs, dressed in a holy princess gown. Her eyes were closed in a humble, devout prayer, and six massive white wings behind her seemed to summon the spring winds that revived all things.
The artisans had crafted her features with exquisite skill, her beauty radiating as the cross-shaped holy spear beside her purified the worlds impurities. Her wless and immacte sanctity purified the darkness in people''s hearts.
No matter how beautiful the flowers in front of her were, they could only feel ashamed inparison.
Even so, ording to the ancient records, the top craftsmen who sculpted the statue of the Fanghui Goddess were still ashamed, as they couldnt fully replicate even half of the Goddesss beauty in the lifeless stone.
Yes, the statue in front of the church was the sculpture of Fanghui Goddess, the founder of the Fanghui Church, who was also Winnies ancestor. Her faith spread across all human nationsAeciphysis.
Chapter 5: Old Deng, explode the gold coins!
Fanghui Goddess Aeciphysis, the founder of the Fanghui Church, creator of the Root Soul Art [Holy Messenger], one of the ancient Sages, and the bloodline carrier of the Blessed Angel.
Among the many Sages, some of their titles were self-proimed and spread widely, but Aeciphysis title, the Fanghui Goddess, was passed down by others.
She was called the Fanghui Goddess because, during a time when the continent of Terellis was gued by both disease and war, the sick and injured could only lie in bed waiting to die. The continent was overwhelmed by despair, and death hung heavily over it.
The Fanghui Goddess Aeciphysis,passionate towards all life, generously offered the Root Soul Art she had created, Holy Messenger, for free to anyone who could learn it. It was then that the first healing-type Soul Art appeared on the continent.
This generosity set Aeciphysis apart from other Sage families, as most other Sages kept their Root Soul Arts hidden or only taught them to their loyal followers. Only Aeciphysis openly shared her creation with the world, showing no greed.
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As the strongest healing Soul Art ever created, Holy Messenger saved countless lives. Even today, Holy Messenger remains the only healing Soul Art in the human kingdoms, still revered by the Fanghui Church as their "Fanghui Treasure."
This is also the reason the Fanghui Church exists todayHoly Messenger has be their exclusive Soul Art, with only those who join the Church allowed to absorb and learn it.
Interestingly, as a direct descendant of Aeciphysis, Winnie couldnt learn Holy Messenger, because the magical aptitude requirement for Holy Messenger was four stars, and Winnie only had one star.
Aside from his dislike of the Church, Winnie might have also found it hard to ept that as a descendant of the Fanghui Goddess, he couldnt even absorb Holy Messenger. He was afraid of being ridiculed, so he avoided interacting with the Church.
Its worth mentioning that Aeciphysis is depicted in the game Karelman Citrus, where she is portrayed as a beautiful young girl with pale cherry-colored hair, pink heart-shaped eyes, and a gentle smile that radiates healing energy while also carrying a certain seductive charm.
In the artwork, she wears an immacte whitece dress and white thigh-high boots, perfectly embodying the image of apassionate angel.
Having seen the artwork of Aeciphysis, Winnie felt an immense sense of regretwhy wasnt she a character that could be pursued?
In Karelman Citrus, all the female characters were stunning beauties, butpared to the heroine Aeciphysis, they were still a step behind. Only Aeciphysis could match her in both appearance and figure. To Winnie, Aeciphysis was even more to his liking.
Unfortunately, she wasnt a character that could be pursued, and in the games background, Aeciphysis had died over a thousand years ago.
Winnie couldnt understand why the developers had gone out of their way to create an illustration of a character who had been dead for over a thousand years.
Arriving in front of Aeciphysis statue, Winnie looked up at the sculpture.
He wasnt here just to admire his ancestors statue. He hade up with an idea.
After a day of experimentation, he felt like he was beginning to understand the Virtue system.
Since good deeds earned Virtue, wouldnt praying in front of the Goddess in the church count as a good deed?
Besides, the Virtue system was clearly tied to Aeciphysis family, wasnt this a sign?
If praying could earn Virtue, then why waste money? He could simply pray to his ancestor!
Out with the money!
Start praying!
With that, Winnie stood before the statue, hands sped in prayer, head lowered in silence.
During this time, several members of the Church walked by, noticing Winnies devout prayer. Some recognized him and wore expressions of disbelief. Their faces were mixed, with many showing contempt or sarcastic smiles.
In just one day, Winnies clownish behavior at the banquet had be the talk of the entire capital. Not only that, but the scandal was spreading beyond the kingdom to other nations as well.
After all, the absurd things he did were so abstract that even the pursuers of Mirecia enjoyed watching the situation escte. Some even secretly fueled the fire.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Winnie had long been known as a notorious and disliked young scoundrel in the capital, with a reputation as bad as a rat in the street. Even the dogs would turn their noses up and walk away from him. Yet, without self-awareness, he relentlessly pursued the kingdoms most dazzling jewel, Mirecia. Everyone loved to see him fail and would dly join in on the ridicule, spreading exaggerated rumors.
With rumors swirling that Winnie was an imposter pretending to be a descendant of the Goddess, most Church members held him in disdain.
"That useless good-for-nothing must have been triggered too much, running to the Church to pray to the Goddess," one of the clergy muttered quietly.
"Shh, keep your voice down, dont let anyone hear."
"So what if they hear? The whole capital is already condemning this fool who doesnt know his own worth. What can he do to me?"
"Hey, dont say that~ After all, doesnt he still im to be a descendant of the Fanghui Goddess? Hahaha."
"A descendant of the Goddess? Tch, you really believe hes the Goddess descendant? Isnt there a saying...?"
"Everyone says, how could the Goddess Divine Favor just disappear like that? Maybe the real Aeciphysis family has died out, and thats why this shameless little family had the chance to impersonate them!"
"Look at him. Everyone knows that the Aeciphysis family is full of beautiful women with cherry-blossom-colored hair and peach-colored eyes like the Goddess. But him? Hes so in, with light blue hair. How can he possibly be Aeciphysis? He doesnt even deserve the family name."
Winnie ignored the surrounding insults and jeers. He was too busy with his own thoughts and had no time to care about the irrelevant chatter.
At this moment, there was only one thing on his mind: Old Deng! Explode the gold coins!
The clergymen continued to discuss loudly, thinking they were being quiet.
Even if they werent being quiet, it didnt matter. Winnie, this viinous scoundrel, was now hated by everyone in the capital, and anyone who condemned him would have people backing them up. What was he going to do about it?
What they didnt know was that while Winnie didnt care, someone else had been watching the whole scene closely.
"Please forgive me for this," said the embarrassed Fanghui Church Father, following Mirecias gaze, looking at the scene in the church courtyard, nervously gripping the porcin tea cup in his hands.
"Your Churchs clergy really have a unique way of greeting the faithful," Mirecia, dressed in a gorgeousce-edged gown, remarked calmly without acknowledging the Father beside her.
With golden hair, sapphire eyes, skin as fair as frost, and eyshes as delicate as wings, her noble and elegant aura made her appear like a gemstone adorning a crown.
She rested one hand on a tea tray, sipping delicately, her piercing gaze coldly watching the two clergy members below, and Winnie, who clearly heard them but ignored thempletely.
"Uh, well..." The Father was visibly embarrassed. Today was an important day for Mirecias visit to the church, and this incident was certainly not expected.
The Father remembered just earlier how he had praised the Churchs rigorous selection process for clergy, highlighting their attention to etiquette and manners...
Now, it felt like a p in the face.
Mirecia''s words were elegant and cold, as usual, with no hint of mockery or criticism. But to those who heard it, it felt like a sharp, biting satire.
Perhaps this was the art of royal speechchoosing words and tone that seemed to express no personal emotion yet conveyed everything.
"No offense, Im just curious. Do your clergy greet other believers this way?"
"This... this... I beg your pardon, Princess. I will ensure better management in the future. As for these two, I will handle it today," the Father said, sweating profusely.
Yes, the Camellia royal family couldnt directly manage Church affairs, but as the first heir of Camellia, Mirecia could easily send a letter to the Pope, subtly hinting at the matter, and those responsible could be reced on the spot.
Mirecia, however, remained silent, her gaze drifting back to Winnie, who was still praying before the statue. She took another sip of her tea.
It was rare to see such a spoiled young master in the Church.
She had thought that after being rejected at the banquet, Winnie would haveid low for a while. But now, what was he up to?
Mirecia couldnt figure it out just yet.
Chapter 6: Goddess Statue: Escaped a Close Call
At this moment, the Church Father was still sipping tea with Mirecia, inwardly cursing his two ipetent subordinates.
Seriously, of all the times to make a scene, you pick when the royal family is visiting?? Just when I praised your manners, you go and p me in the face with your actions! Youre trying to make me look bad on purpose, arent you??
Even though the person being criticized was that infamous scoundrel, Winnie, who made Princess Mirecia very ufortable, it was still the worst timing. Didnt this make the Churchs clergy look terrible? What were they thinking?
As for Winnie, he too was grumbling in his mind, but he wasnt ming the clergy; rather, he was angry at the statue in front of him.
Come on, buddy, where are my gold coins??
Old Deng, Ive been praying in front of you for almost two hours now, and you havent given me a single coin?!
If it werent for the clergy and the faithful around him, Winnie would have been tempted to kick the goddess statue to see if it could trigger any gold coins.
As for what the clergy were muttering nearby, he didnt even pay attention. Even if he did hear them, he couldnt be bothered.
What? Cursing me? Go ahead, just dont get in the way of my gold coin explosion.
Finally, two hours passed.
Winnie could no longer hold back and was just about to pull out his "double-barreled shotgun" to give the statue another go when, suddenly, a line of text appeared on the statue.
Virtue +2
Good, good, good! Praise the Goddess! Winnie instantly felt overjoyed, and his hand instinctively lowered the "shotgun" he was about to fire.
The statue had narrowly escaped.
The response startled the nearby clergy, and even Mirecia and the Church Father, watching from the second floor of the church, were momentarily stunned.
Honestly, +2 Virtue wasnt much, but for Winnie, it opened a potential path forward.
Thats rightpraying!
Praying in front of the goddess statue for two hours earned him two points of Virtue, which was a huge gain for the impoverished Winnie!
ncing at his current Virtue totalfour points.
This meant that even if he didnt spend money to avoid disaster, if he prayed in front of the statue for two hours each day, in just thirteen more days, he could awaken his familys bloodline!
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Not bad, not bad! A little family bloodline awakening trick every day.
Stretching his stiff shoulders after two hours of praying in front of the statue, Winnie ignored the looks and whispers from the people around him and leisurely walked out of the courtyard, oblivious to the gaze from the second floor of the church.
He was feeling great now, and no matter what others said, he could just smile.
Uh-oh, it seemed like umting Virtue was a bit addictive, like spamming Q with a dogs headno matter if it crashed or not, just stacking it felt good!
Now that he had his Virtue, it was time to move on to more important things.
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Winnie focused his gaze on the magnificent royal city in the distance, his eyes shining as though he had found a new direction.
Looking on the bright side, being reincarnated as cannon fodder and stuck with the viins wasnt necessarily a bad thing. It was still better than lying t, after all.
As long as he stayed careful and didnt give the protagonist a chance to kill him, things should be fine, right?
Being a slightly capable extra might not be so bad. As for being hated by everyone? Who cares??
He wasnt the old Winnie anymore,pletely unconcerned with the opinions of others.
Ill live my life the way I want, and how you see me is none of my business. After all, they can talk all they want, but they cant control me.
But even though he wasnt going down the viinous path like in the original story, staying close to the protagonist group, those harbingers of doom, was bound to cause trouble sooner orter.
So, cherish life and stay away from the harbingers of disaster.
Why not leave the capital and head to a small kingdom that hasnt been tainted by his bad reputation? Be a knight captain or get a small fief and be a small lord, find a girl who likes him, and spend the rest of his life in peace. Wouldnt that be great??
With that, Winnie had another brilliant idea.
How could he achieve this goal? The little kings of small countries werent idiots. Could he really be a knight or even a small lord with his current resources?
Clearly, no.
But this wasnt a problem. A diploma from a prestigious university could solve most of his issues.
For example, the renowned Karelman Academyanyone who graduated from this academy was considered exceptional, and the diploma carried great weight. Getting one meant you were someone special.
The reason this game was called Karelman Citrus probably had to do with the academy being the central stage of the story.
Indeed, the games plot started at Karelman Academy, where Aeciphysis, Mirecia, and most of the other heroines were students.
As for the risk of being with the harbingers of doom in the same academy, Winnie only had two words: all in!
All in was a strategy.
Wealth and power are sought through risk, and Karelman Academy, as the continents premier institution, wasrge enoughits campus was as big as an ind. If he stayed careful, he could avoid crossing paths with the harbingers of doom. As long as he avoided the main storyline, disaster would always be a step behind!
Once he survived this difficult period and graduated from the academy, a bright future awaited him! He would soar to new heights!
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Under normal circumstances, someone like Winnie would never get an entrance exam spot for Karelman Academy.
But no worries, King Camellia would give it to him.
King Camellia had been quite benevolent. In the name of the Goddess, he had helped the fallen Aeciphysis family, but only to a certain extent.
In the original story, it was King Camellia who provided Winnie with the entrance exam qualification and covered his tuition and living expenses. The Church had seized the Aeciphysis familys property but didnt dare do much to Winnie, likely because the Aeciphysis family was a barony granted by the King.
At least now, Winnie wouldnt me the Peono royal family for not stopping the Church. After all, even when they took in the Aeciphysis family, they did it for the Goddesss sake. The rtionship between Aeciphysis and Peono wasnt very close. The royal family didnt owe them anything, and they had no reason to offend the powerful Fanghui Church for Winnies sake.
As for how Winnie managed to pass the entrance exam in the original story? The shortcut was a form of dark magicfocused on quickly boosting power, but it came at a steep price.
The price was his life.
This time, Winnie had no shortcut to take to get into Karelman Academy. With his aptitude, he was under immense pressure.
This might be an impossible road, but he had to try.
If he could pick a Soul Art that suited him, perhaps there was hope.
Winnie let out a sigh of relief.
Approaching the gates of the royal city, two fully armored Angry Dragon Knights blocked his way.
Of course, they recognized who Winnie was, but without a pass, no one was allowed into the city.
Gentlemen, I am Winnie Aeciphysis. Here is the pass granted to me by the King, allowing me to enter the royal city to select a suitable Soul Art, Winnie said, clearing his throat and respectfully handing over his pass.
The knights were surprised. The pleasantries were normaling from others, but hearing them from Winnie, a notorious troublemaker, was odd.
Who didnt know that this guy was a sycophant to his superiors and a bully to everyone else? A scoundrel with a reputation for doing evil wherever he went, always spewing venom?
But they didnt ask any further. It wasnt their ce to meddle in matters outside of their duty.
After verifying that the pass was indeed sealed with the Kings personal stamp, the knights handed it back to Winnie, bowed, and made way without saying a word.
Winnie thanked them and entered the royal city.
This wasnt his first time in the royal city. In the past, Winnie often found excuses toe to the royal city to visit Mirecia.
The royal city lived up to its namemagnificent and grandbut he didnt have time to appreciate the scenery. He headed straight for the royal Soul Art repository.
Whether he seeded or not, it all depended on this Soul Art guide.
If he could find a Soul Art with 70... or even 80%patibility, a one-star Soul Art would be enough.
Winnie wasnt asking for muchjust that.
Stop right there, a young voice suddenly came from behind.
Winnie ignored it. With so many people in the royal city, it couldnt be him they were calling, right?
Not wanting to cause trouble, he quickened his pace.
I said stop! Didnt you hear me? The voice came closer, and footsteps followed.
Before long, a figure d in armor stood in front of him, blocking his path.
Winnie looked up at the tall, handsome young man, and once he saw who it was, he rolled his eyes inwardly.
Great, he had encountered a sticky problem.
The young knight in front of him was named Karon, the son of the Angry Dragon Knights leader. With extraordinary magical talent, he had absorbed the Dragons Eye Soul Art at a young age and joined the Angry Dragon Knights as their youngest member ever.
Additionally, Karon was one of the most fervent suitors of Princess Mirecia in the game.
Chapter 7: On the clown, it has to be you
As everyone knows, Winnie is a cultured and easygoing person, generally refraining from using curse wordsunless he encounters someone truly unreasonable.
"Damn it," he thought to himself. In the original story, Winnie was the crazy troublemaker, and this guy in front of him was like the ultimate troublemaker. A real battle-hardened version of a pain in the ass. In the end, he would end up with nothing.
Normally, in a game following standard tropes, this young knight would have received some kind of recognition or reward, but sadly, this was an orange-themed game, and being born the wrong gender meant he got nothing.
Who wouldve thought that, in the end, the princess hed pursued for years would be swept away by another woman?
And still, he had the nerve to say, "Your gaze doesnt need to rest on me, I would be honored to always be your knight." Just on the clowning front, buddy, youre even better than original Winnie, arent you?
Naturally, this guy was undoubtedly Winnies enemy in the original story. Winnie could never do anything about him; he couldnt win in a fight, nor could he insult him. Most of the time, he could only make a harsh remark and storm off.
In the end, this guy was also one of the main forces that beat up the corrupted Winnie.
It seemed that the incident atst nights banquet was still causing waves, and this guys memory recovery seemed quite ill-timed.
"Do you have something to say?" Winnie asked with a tone that conveyed disinterest.
"This is the royal pce. No unauthorized individuals are allowed. Go back from where you came from, or Ill have to personally escort you out," Karon said, looking down at Winnie with a tone full ofmand.
Oh, really? ying the part of not knowing me?
Winnie was a bit confused. In the original, everyone was a clown, and no one was better than the other, just at different levels of it. So why was this guy acting so important?
"No unauthorized individuals? Then you shouldnt be here either," Winnie replied, crossing his arms, a yful smile on his face as he looked at Karon.
"Dont joke around, Winnie. Im a member of the Angry Dragon Knights. Im here for training and patrol. What about you? What reason or qualification do you have to be in the royal pce?" Karon frowned slightly.
Ah, now Winnie understood. This guy was probably annoyed by him always wandering into the royal city to see Mirecia. He probably thought Winnie was here to see the princess he was so obsessed with.
Ah, the foolishness of young love.
"Oh, so you do know me? What a surprise. Were old friends, yet youre pretending not to know me. I thought you had amnesia," Winnie teased.
"Dont try to get close to me. Whos an old friend to you?" Karon responded.
"Not trying to get close? Alright then, I wont waste your time. You can go talk to the King about it. Im busy, I dont have time to deal with a lonely boy whos afraid to confess his love. Goodbye!" Winnie waved his hand dismissively and started to walk away. He didnt know if it was thest sentence that angered Karon, but once again, Karon blocked his path.
"...Not gonna let me go, huh? What, are you hoping for some free pie by stopping me?"
If he could, Winnie wouldve liked to toss his handkerchief and challenge this guy to a knight duel, but that was just a fantasy. Karon was a magical genius with four stars of magical aptitude, and he had broken the rules to join the Angry Dragon Knightsif they fought, Winnie would end up being nothing more than a background character.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
"Ha, some dog whos been rejected by the princess doesnt even know his own worth. He dares to confess publicly, but ends up looking pathetic. A real washed-up dog," Karon sneered.
"At least Im not like some cowardly turtle who only dares to secretly love someone but never says anything. At least I have the courage to speak up," Winnie retorted dismissively.
"You!" Karons anger red. "Winnie, say that again. Whos the turtle?"
Ah, young and na?ve. He gets angry too easily.
"Huh?" Winnie acted surprised, looking around. "I didnt say who. What, is someone in the royal pce like that? Or do you know who I mean? Oh, dont get defensive."
"Winnie!" Karons face twisted in frustration, as if he had swallowed a fly and couldnt spit it out.
"Looks like you want me to handle this personally," Karon said, his fists cracking with tension.
"Dont! You should go through the proper channels. Just call other Angry Dragon Knights over and tell them Im an intruder. Lock me up in the dungeon. Its really that simple," Winnie grinned.
"You said it," Karon said coldly.
"Sigh," Winnie shook his head.
"Whats that sigh about?"
"I sigh because young love really does make a person lose their intelligence. But I understandits better this way. If you were this dumb all the time, well, thats your life," Winnie shrugged.
"What did you say?!"
"Use your little brain for once. The two Angry Dragon Knights guarding the royal pce gates, do they just sit there and eat? Do you think they let me in for no reason?" Winnie continued, unbothered.
Just as Karon was about to lose his temper again, a clear, elegant voice, like a lily in a valley, rang out behind him.
"Karon, who are you arguing with?"
Hearing that beautiful voice, Karon, who had just been heated and flustered, suddenly felt like cold water had been poured over his head, and he immediately calmed down. He transformed from a stubborn, annoying boy to a polite and courteous knight.
He immediately kneeled, bowing his head respectfully to the golden-haired princess who had appeared behind him.
"Ah..." Winnie thought to himself, clicking his tongue.
This guy really did have two faces.
Winnie had noticed Mirecia approaching from a distance earlier, but Karon had been so riled up that he didnt even hear the sound of high heels clicking closer.
"Sorry, it was my mistake. I didnt notice you had arrived, Princess," Karon knelt down, one hand over his chest, looking up at Mirecia with a gaze full of reverence and a hint of deep admiration and nervousness.
Just now... Did the Princess hear those words?
Karon was slightly nervous inside.
Winnie watched the radiant girl in the distance, her golden twin tails cascading down like flowing water, her goldenshes casting shadows, and her eyes shining like deep blue agateshe was a perfect blend of youth and nobility, as if an unreachable flower on a high mountain.
Winnie momentarily lost focus, but quickly snapped out of it.
No wonder the old Winnie was so obsessed with herseeing her in person waspletely different from recalling the memories.
Noticing Mirecia, Winnie knew that with her presence holding Karon back, there was no need for him to speak any further.
He simply gave a respectful nod, acknowledging her, before turning and leaving. There were no extra words or gestures.
Mirecia gazed after his retreating back, her clear blue eyes filled with confusion and surprise.
She didnt know what this notorious young scoundrel was up to today. First, he went to the Church, something he had never done before, to pray for a long time. Now, he was here at the royal pce, not to annoy her as usual.
In the past, whenever Winnie saw her, he would alwayse up, disregarding the situation, and greet her in a familiar way, asking about her health, which always made her ufortable. Hed often do strange things and say awkward things that were difficult to understand.
She thought today would be the same, but instead, he simply gave her a brief greeting and left, as if the greeting was merely out of courtesy.
It was as if he was keeping his distance from her.
Winnies behavior was so out of character it felt like the sun had risen from the west. Such a huge shift felt surreal, almost more absurd than an old drunk suddenly turning over a new leaf.
However, she wasnt overly surprised, still thinking that Winnie was probably just trying to attract her attention in some new way.
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It was hard to change the impression built over so many years.
Beside her, Karon looked equally surprised. He had expected Winnie, that troublesome fool, to be here to annoy Princess Mirecia again, and was about to give him a piece of his mind, but today... it didnt seem like that at all?
Chapter 9: 100% fit?!
To know, a one-star Soul Art is different from a high-star Soul Art. The variety is overwhelming.
After all, the creation threshold for a one-star Soul Art is low. Unlike high-star Soul Arts, where the creators must be Sages, with a one-star Soul Art, anyone can create one, regardless of their level.
The quality is uneven, and thus you end up with all sorts of creators and purposes.
Moreover, the royal library''s collection was so diverse that it left Winnie dazzled, to the point that by the end, his head was getting a bit hot.
It had gotten hard, his fist had gotten hard.
Wait, what does that even mean?!
Why, when the rtively decent one-star Soul Arts have apatibility rate of only 50%, do those strange and bizarre Soul Arts have absurdly highpatibility rates with him??
Among them, the most absurd one was a one-star Soul Art called "Fishing Alone for Ten Thousand Years". Itspatibility rate with him reached 85%, the highest of all the Soul Arts he''d seen.
But when he shifted his expectant gaze to the effects, he instantly felt the malice of the world.
After reading the vague description on the panel, with his powerful information gathering ability, Winnie concluded that the only effect of this Soul Art was fishing.
It was literally fishing!
It was said that if you practiced it to immortality, you could catch ancient fish species that had been extinct for centuries in the Tairelis continent, using nothing but a wooden rod and white line.
But it was just a rumor. Perhaps the person who wrote this didnt even know whether it was true or falsejust wrote it casually, and a fool would bite.
Even the description of the Soul Art was fishing, huh?
It was also said that it was, indeed, going to be the future Saintess of the Fanghui Church.
Ah, no, it should be Saint, not Saintess, right? There''s no way it would be a Saintess.
Looking at it for a while, Winnie felt like he was going to lose his mind.
Damn!
Couldn''t they give him a rtively normal Soul Art??
His expectations weren''t highanything over 70% would be fine. Oh no, he didn''t even need 70%, he''d settle for 60%!
But little by little, his hope faded, and Winnie''s smile slowly disappeared. ording to the Law of Smile Conservation, it wasn''t clear who elses face it might have shifted to.
However, a tiny bit of hope still remained within him, wishing to find a suitable Soul Art.
In order to survive well in this world, this was one of his few hopes. If he didnt have a decent Soul Art by his side, without needing Aeciphysis to act, he might just die from some unknown AOE attack one day.
He searched all afternoon, even making the gatekeeper Eric wonder if he had fallen asleep.
Finally, dragging his exhausted body, Winnie arrived at the end of the hall, in front of the jade cab where the one-star Soul Arts were disyed.
After scanning the Soul Arts on the edges and in the middle, he emotionlessly looked toward the final corner.
Of course, this useless guy couldnt possibly find a good way out. In this world, where talent was everything, it was even more impossible.
Something shed past.
What was that?
There was even one with only 10%patibility with him? Really interestingjust to annoy him, they didn''t even care about their faces.
Out of curiosity, Winnie nced at the crystal bottle in the corner of the jade cab, rolling his eyes.
...Wait, what?
Winnie realized, and for a moment, he stood still, his expression frozen.
Hed searched for an entire afternoon, and he hadnt seen any decimal pointswas it possible that the number hed just seen didnt have one?
Winnies breath caught in his throat, and his brain slowly caught up. He turned back to the corner and immediately froze in shock.
Soul Art Name: [Armor of Irond]
Compatibility: 100%
???
Ah??
Ahhh?!
Hundred, hundred, hundred?! Winnie stammered, rubbing his eyes repeatedly to confirm he wasnt mistaken.
It was real, really real! More real than pearls!
It was truly a 100%patibility rate!
In the blink of an eye, it was a leap from heaven to hell, and a leap back from hell to heaven.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
Winnie hurried over, hugging the crystal bottle to his chest as if fearing someone would steal it, even though there was no one here who would want to steal a one-star Soul Art.
Heh, heh heh... hehehe.... Winnieughed foolishly, holding the crystal bottle.
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After a moment, he regained hisposure.
What if this Soul Art wasnt a normal one?
For that reason, Winnie cautiously read the description on the Soul Art panel.
[Armor of Irond]: Created by a powerful court mage of the ancient Tairelis Empire, this Soul Art was once used by the Empire''s military and was invincible, unstoppable.
It was fully covered in metal armor, truly a Soul Art armed to the teeth.
Praise the Fanghui Goddess!
After reading the description, Winnie breathed a sigh of relief, his joy immeasurable.
This was a massive fortune!
Holding the crystal bottle with the gray-white Soul Art inside, Winnie was reinvigorated, feeling that the entire afternoon of hard work was worth it!
At this moment, the only thing in his world was the gray-white Soul Art in that crystal bottle.
With delight, he cradled the bottle and walked out of the jade cab toward the door of the hall.
You brat, whats going on with you? What happened just now? That sound was like stepping on a mouse trap. Eric, with his arms crossed, remarked as he watched him.
Its nothing, nothing. Winnie waved his hand, trying to hide his joy, though he couldnt help the smile that crept up at the corners of his mouth.
Have you picked one? Are you sure? Eric, of course, noticed the crystal bottle Winnie was holding.
Im sure.
Are you sure? This is your only chance; once you pick it, you can''t change your mind.
No regrets, no regrets. Winnie held the crystal bottle tightly, not intending to let go.
Alright, its your choice. Eric extended his hand. Give it to me.
.... Winnie, as though he hadn''t heard, stood stiff as a board, not moving.
Didnt realize youre such a money grubber? You think I care about that crappy one-star Soul Art? Eric rolled his eyes at Winnie. I just need to check the Soul Art type to register it.
Of course, Eric used a four-star Soul Art, [Dragons Eye], so he wasnt interested in these one-star Soul Arts.
Reluctantly, Winnie handed over the crystal bottle, looking as though he was a mother handing over a child in swaddling clothes.
This brat.
Eric snorted coldly and then turned his gaze to the Soul Art inside the crystal bottle, a strange glint shing in his eyes.
Weird.
This Soul Art... it looks somewhat familiar? But his impression was vague.
He nced at thebel on the crystal bottle.
Armor of Irond? Eric mumbled to himself, feeling that this Soul Art''s name was somewhat familiar.
Old man, is it done? Winnie eagerly asked, unable to resist urging.
Alright, alright, stop being so money-hungry. I said I wont take it from you. Eric returned the crystal bottle to Winnie, then added, You should know how to absorb a Soul Art, right? I have a guide here if you need it?
Yes, yes.
You wouldnt ask unless I ask you, would you? Eric rolled his eyes and handed a small booklet to Winnie.
Thanks, old man, may you live long, like the mountains! Winnie smiled brightly, even more so than when he saw Mirecia, though this time, his smile seemed a lot more sincere.
As Eric watched Winnies retreating figure, he stroked his beard, then his face suddenly changed.
He remembered!
Oh, damn, hed been so confusedhe remembered what that Soul Art was!
Just as he was about to call Winnie, he realized the other had already disappeared without a trace.
Hey! Eric pped his thigh.
It wasnt that the Soul Art was particrly precious and couldnt be given awayafter all, even four-star Soul Arts like [Dragons Eye] were freely given away. The kingdom certainly wasntcking in one-star Soul Arts.
Eric wanted to stop Winnie because this Soul Art had a huge problem...
Chapter 10: Do you want me to play? You have to pay a fee for the show
Winnie was in an unusually high-spirited mood today, to the point where his tolerance for others had increased considerably. As long as others didnt get in his way, whatever they did was none of his business.
But this was an alternate world, one based on an orange game, and he was still the notorious viin here. His reputation was no better than a rat in a stinking gutter, and naturally, he couldn''t avoid being provoked by others.
Looking at the young knight blocking his way in front of him, no matter how he tried to get around, Winnie fell into silence.
Are all the Angry Dragon Knights made of nut walls? Why not just rename them Nut Wall Knights?
He didnt understand. In the streets, being automatically provoked seemed like something that should happen to the protagonist. How did it end up happening to him?
No protagonist''s luck, but he got the protagonist''s debuff. Did he have the ability for that?
"Young Master Winnie, long time no see, how have you beentely?" The two young knights in front of him greeted him with smiles, as if they had juste to chat casually.
"I see you just came out of the royal Soul Art library, huh? After carefully picking for an entire afternoon, you finally got your own Soul Art?" One of the knights nced at the crystal bottle Winnie was holding, smiling, but the mockery in his tone was unmistakable.
"You spent the whole afternoon picking from the royal Soul Art library. It must be a very powerful Soul Art, right?" The young knight''s words were full of provocation.
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"To specifically pay attention to a man for an entire afternoon, I can hardly imagine your mental state and sexual orientation," Winnie didnt mind at all and even sarcastically turned it back on them.
"If Young Master Winnie wants to y with words, now is the time," one of the knights said with a sly grin.
"If there are no issues with your sexual orientation, then move aside. Im very busy." Winnies smile faded, and he became more serious.
"Busy? Are you in such a hurry to go absorb your precious Soul Art?" A young knight nced at the dull gray-white Soul Art in Winnies arms, his eyes shing with disdain.
As members of the Angry Dragon Knights, they absorbed four-star Soul Arts like Dragons Eye, which was based on the Camellia royal family. To them, even three-star Soul Arts were insignificant, let alone a lowly one-star Soul Art. They looked down on it entirely.
"You ask even though you know? I seriously question your intelligence," Winnie tilted his head, giving them a yful yet mocking look.
"Winnie, dont ask for trouble!" The more impulsive young knight almost lost his temper but was stopped by hispanion. After all, they were at the royal pce, and even if it was Winnie, they couldnt act out here.
Ask for trouble? Did you give me a drink first??
Winnie rolled his eyes in his mind.
"Young Master Winnie, youre holding it so tightly? You really care that much about your one-star Soul Art? I see youre a good match for it." The other knight also mocked him.
"What, looking down on one-star Soul Arts?" Winnie smiled lightly. "I should remind you, dont say too much. Its easy to end up with a p in the face."
"Who knows, one day in the future, you, or the person standing behind you, might get beaten by the one-star Soul Art that you despise so much?"
"Heh, you talk big. If I could get beaten by you, I might as well go eat horse manure," the angry young knight sneered.
"And what do you mean by the person standing behind us?"
"Literal meaning?" Winnie looked at the two of them, his lips curling up. "You knew I came to the royal library, and you waited outside for an entire afternoon just to stalk me? Arent Angry Dragon Knights really idle?"
"Let me guess, Karon sent you here, right?" Winnie smiled, but his tone turned colder. "He doesnt even dare to do bullying himself, afraid hell lose his image in front of his love."
"I thought he was somewhat of a person, but I didnt expect him to choose the cowards path between being a viin and a small person," Winnie shook his head.
"Young Master Winnie, we dont know what youre talking about." The knights expression didnt change. "You call others viins and small people, but what about your own character? Youre a degenerate, despicable, and shameless yboy, notorious for your bad deeds in the capital. Everyone in the kingdom knows."
"Yes, I admit Im a viin," Winnie raised his head and looked at them, or perhaps at someone behind them. "But does he dare to step forward and admit that hes a small person?"
The two knights were momentarily stunned. They had never imagined that Winnie would show such toughness.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
Wasnt he always a loud-mouthed bully, the type to retreat at the first sign of a threat?
"Young Master Winnie, your words are iprehensible, but thatst one, I cant pretend I didnt hear it." After a moment, the other young knight spoke sharply.
"You just said youd beat us with your one-star Soul Art, right?"
"I can only say youre good at twisting words," Winnie raised an eyebrow.
"How about this, Young Master Winnie, well give you a chance, one-on-one, how about it?"
"Interesting. So, one of you is going to step up? To fight me, a novice who just absorbed his Soul Art?" Winnieughed.
"What are you thinking? Of course not, fighting you would be too beneath us," the two knightsughed. "No one in the capital would ept a challenge from you, even if you announced it publicly. It would be too embarrassing."
"Weve found someone to fight you one-on-one, though. Hes also a novice, but not a knight apprenticehes a knight retainer apprentice."
"Knight retainer?" Winnie frowned.
Every knight order had knight retainers, those who werent talented enough to be regr knights and had to work as assistants. They trained with knights but couldnt absorb Dragons Eye because of their low magical aptitude, so they became retainers.
After all, having a four-star magical aptitude was rare, and not everyone had it.
In contrast to the regr Angry Dragon Knights who all had Dragons Eye, the knight retainers used all sorts of Soul Arts, but none of them should be as poor as a one-star Soul Art.
"So, what do you think? Will you ept?"
"No, I wont," Winnie rejected without hesitation.
"Oh? Just a moment ago you were so confident, and now you want to turtle up?" The knight continued to provoke him.
Normally, Winnies character would make him easy to provoke.
But the Winnie in front of them only smiled lightly. "If you want me to fight one of your guys, then pay me."
"? Huh?"
"What? Dont I deserve a fee for showing up? You think I should waste my time and energy on your childish idea for free? Do you think I shouldnt get a littlepensation?" Winnie gave them a strange look.
".......How much do you want?" The two knights expressions turned uncertain.
"Twenty gold coins, no negotiation."
Twenty gold coins?!
The two knights eyes widened.
Why dont you go rob someone?
The knights hesitated, ncing behind them as if consulting with someone.
"If we give you the money, will you actuallye?"
"Of course, and Ill do it openly," Winnie said, holding his head high.
"Alright, dont forget what you said today."
"Fine, I agreed. Pay up then?" Winnie stretched out his hand.
"Dont try to y tricks, we havent even started yet. What if you take the money and dont show up?"
"Im just asking for a deposit, five gold coins, thank you for your patronage," Winnie held up five fingers.
"No, we have to change the rules. Isnt that too cheap for you?" One of the knights smiled.
"Change the rules? Then Ill take my leave," Winnie said, turning to leave.
"Dont rush off. Heres the deal. If you lose, you wont have to pay anything. If you win, well double it and give you forty gold coins. How about that?"
"Is that true?" Winnie stopped, his eyes bright.
"Of course, absolutely. The Angry Dragon Knights always keep their word. But lets see if you can actually win and get the money," the two knightsughed, obviously thinking it was an empty promise. After all, how could this useless young man beat a knight retainer apprentice? What a joke.
Chapter 11: Soul of the Arts【A Base】
"Crash!" The te was thrown to the ground by Winnie, who furiously red at Dark. "I told you I don''t like peas in my soup! Why can''t you understand that?!"
"Sorry, young master, truly sorry, I..." Dark repeatedly apologized.
"Tomorrow, you don''t need toe." Winnie coldly nced at Dark, then turned and left. "Dont ever let me see you again."
"Young Master Winnie, you...?" Dark was clearly caught off guard by Winnie''s words. Although Winnie would sometimes pick fights during meals when in a bad mood, he never thought Winnie would actually fire him.
After all, where else could he find a servant this cheap?
"One thing, dont make me say it twice." Winnie coldly added. "You better pack up tonight and leave, and if I see you in this house tomorrow, dont me me for being rude."
With that, Winnie turned and went upstairs, leaving Dark alone in the dining room.
Once upstairs, Winnie''s expression changed instantly, and he nced meaningfully at the stairs.
This was the most legitimate and simplest way he could think of to remove the eyes and ears around him, using the persona of a viin.
He returned to his room and opened the window.
His room had a broad view, and opening the window revealed the entire yard, so anyone passing through the courtyard could be clearly seen.
However, there was no hurry. Dark wouldn''t act so quickly, even if he thought Winnie was an ipetent fool.
He lightly shut the window and began studying the crystal bottle and the grayish-white Soul Art inside it.
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He had already finished reading the Soul Art absorption manual. Compared to high-star Soul Arts, the process of absorbing a one-star Soul Art was much simpler.
He opened the stopper of the crystal bottle, hesitated for a moment, and followed the instructions in the manual, pouring the Soul Art from the bottle into his mouth.
Surprisingly, as soon as the stopper was opened, the grayish-white Soul Art began to jump restlessly, almost as if it wanted to leap out of the bottle and rush straight toward Winnie.
Winnie was somewhat surprised. This was not a phenomenon mentioned in the manual, but soon, he realized the reason.
Hispatibility with this Soul Art was 100%.
Perhaps this Soul Art was attracted to him?
On a whim, Winnie swallowed the Soul Art.
Swallowing something resembling a me was difficult for him to ept, but after swallowing the grayish-white me, he didnt feel any burning sensation.
A momentter, he felt a fire ignite in his chest. This fire didnt cause any difort or heat, but it felt as though his soul had undergone some kind of elevation.
It was as if the dull soul had found its essence and lit amp within.
All the negative side effects described in the manual, such as feeling unable to eat or move after absorbing a Soul Art, did not ur for him. The entire process was smooth, as if this grayish-white me had always been a part of his body.
The manual also mentioned that absorbing a one-star Soul Art would typically cause extreme difort, but there was no such feeling for Winnie.
Was this the benefit of fullpatibility?
Winnie looked outside the window.
The duel with the knight apprentice was scheduled for three dayster.
If he won, he wouldnt need to worry about money for a while; if he lost, it wouldnt be much of a loss.
As for the reputation blow? Humiliation? It didnt matter. He already had a terrible reputation, so what difference would a little more humiliation make?
Winnie took a deep breath. He felt that his soul had be much brighter, and in addition to that, the Soul Art power felt like a natural part of his body, as if it had always existed, just unnoticed.
So this is Soul Art?
Winnie went to the mirror and swallowed nervously.
The most exciting moment had arrived.
The magic from another world he had always dreamed of.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
[Armor], an armored Soul Art, huh? Let''s see what it can do.
Winnie closed his eyes, and with a thought, countless rays of light began to weave and construct around him, forming silver armor tes.
When he opened his eyes again, the mirror no longer reflected the unremarkable freckled blue-haired boy, but a figure fully encased in metal, a "steel pile."
A closed helmet with golden decorations on the eye slits, a red plume on top, the face enclosed in chainmail with only the eyes visible through narrow slits.
The silver-scaled fish scale armor and brass shoulder tes gleamed under the light, with a belt around his waist and the legs covered by a skirt armor, all topped off with a pair of exquisitely designed silver-gold ted boots.
The person in the mirror was entirely encased in steel, with only his eyes showing, yet oddly, it didnt impair his vision.
Fully armed, an armored fortress, as the name suggests.
This... This is...
This is simply...
Simply too cool!
At this moment, Winnie could only see himself in the mirror,pletely d in the closed armor. The scales of the armor glimmered under the light, perfectly matching his ideal of fantasy armor.
It was fantastic! This armor wouldst him five years! ...No, ten years!
Indeed, armor is a man''s romance! Women just get in the way.
Besides, this was Soul Art armorno maintenance needed, no worrying about damage, and no need for repairs. It would automatically repair itself once removed.
Was there anything more perfect than this Soul Art?
Soon, Winnie remembered the introduction to [Armor] from the panel.
Created by an unknown powerful court mage from the ancient Terrellian Empire.
This Soul Art was created by the ancient empire, but that empire had long fallen. If [Armor], a one-star Soul Art, still had practical use, it shouldnt have been lost to history. But why was it only found in royal collections, not in general Soul Art archives?
Winnie walked around in the armor for a few steps, feeling the weight. It was heavy, but the actual weight seemed reduced, because if it was the full weight, his small frame would have been crushed under it.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Winnie grew more and more satisfied, realizing his judgment was correct.
But he had no choice, after all.
And since hispatibility with Armor was 100%, all its potential would be unleashed, so there must be many powers he had yet to discover.
However, after thinking for a moment, Winnie felt something strange.
Why had he never heard of such a low-requirement Soul Art before? Why had he never seen anyone use it?
Could it be because its creation method was lost and its extremely rare?
No, it shouldn''t be that way.
Armor-type Soul Arts were always a weak type of Soul Artthose with high aptitude wouldnt use it, and those with low aptitude wouldnt need it. Moreover, with current Soul Art crafting techniques, reproducing such an ancient one-star Soul Art shouldnt be difficult.
But why had he never seen anyone use [Armor]?
Chapter 12: Winnie Aeciphysis, don’t let me down
Winnie opened his personal status via the Virtue panel.
Name: Winnie Aeciphysis
Soul Art: [Armor] (High Defense, Reduced Agility)
Root Soul Art: Unawakened
Divine Favor: Unawakened
Soul Art Level: Entry-Level
His gaze moved to the Soul Art Level section, and Winnie remembered that Soul Art levels were ranked.
From lowest to highest, they were: Entry-Level, Apprentice, Sorcerer, Demon Spirit, Master, Grandmaster, Purgatory, Immortal.
Each level was divided into three stages: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Since he had just absorbed a Soul Art, it was naturally at the Entry-Level Beginner stage.
When he saw the Root Soul Art section, Winnie was somewhat surprised. Root Soul Art was something that only Sage families would have. As a Dead Bloodline, his Root Soul Art wasnt None, but Unawakened, which was a bit puzzling to him.
Also, his Divine Favor was also unawakened.
If the family bloodline were to awaken, would these two sections unlock as well?
If Winnie wasnt mistaken, the Aeciphysis family was the bearer of the [Blessed Angel] bloodline. The Divine Favor abilities were [wless Holy Feather] and [All-Gods Blessing me].
Winnie wasnt entirely sure about the specific effects of [wless Holy Feather], since the only heir of the Aeciphysis family in Caryliman''s Citrus was Winnie, a Dead Bloodline cannon fodder. As a result, Aeciphysis became one of the weakest and least prominent Sage families in the story, only existing in the background from start to finish.
This was normal, after all. In the original story, Winnie''s death symbolized theplete extinction of the Aeciphysis family. After that, the Goddess Fanghui and the generations of Fanghui Saintesses lived only in history books. The Aeciphysis familys Divine Favor was buried under the sands of time, with only the [Saint''s Envoy] Soul Art proving the familys existence.
As for [All-Gods Blessing me], Winnie knew a little about this Divine Favors effect. The reason was simplethis Divine Favor was too powerful.
ording to the original story, [All-Gods Blessing me] wasnt ordinary fire; it was thepanion me of the Blessed Angel, capable of purifying the world and eradicating evil, rendering any magic ineffective and turning it into fuel for its own me. It was also the only Divine Favor in the game that could bypass all resistances and enchantment protections.
Whether living or dead, anything touched by it would bepletely purified. Many Demon Kings throughout history had perished under the [All-Gods Blessing me]. It was universally feared, known for being so deadly that there were no survivorsit was famous throughout the world. Humans knew how terrifying it was but couldnt quite describe it, while the Demon Race understood it all too well.
It was a weapon that made even the proudest Demon families tremble.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
But unfortunately, this universally acknowledged ultimate weapon had only ever appeared in the background of the original story. Apart from the spark of the me left by the Goddess Fanghui, it had never shown itself.
If he could summon [All-Gods Blessing me], it would be unthinkable...
In that moment, Winnie felt a surge of desire to awaken the family bloodline.
However, Winnie then realized a blind spot.
If he wasnt mistaken, there was something strange about the Aeciphysis family.
The first Aeciphysis was called the Goddess Fanghui, and her descendants were all the Saintesses who led the Fanghui Church and its followers.
Thats right, only Saintesses, no Saint Sons.
ording to records, the features of every Fanghui Saintess were the same as the Goddess Fanghuipeach-pink hair and cherry-colored heart-shaped eyes.
It wasnt surprising that their features were the same, as in the setting, the genes of Sage families were incredibly strong. It wasnt just Aeciphysis; other Sage families were the same.
What was strange was that, despite the Aeciphysis familys long lineage, why had there never been a Saint Son? Why were there only Saintesses? Could it be that the Aeciphysis family could only produce girls and not boys?
But thinking about it, this was a Western fantasy magic world, and having these strange settings wasnt too out of ce.
Yet, why was it that in his grandfathers generation, all three of them were boys? And in those three generations, the Divine Favor disappeared, the features vanished, and the family became a Dead Bloodline.
Could it be that there was a problem with the Aeciphysis familys gene expression? Maybe the most important part of the gene became recessive in males and only expressed in females?
That was very possible.
But if that was the case, how could he awaken the family bloodline? No matter how much he awakened, it wouldnt change the fact that he was a man, right?
He didnt know. For now, he would just take it step by step. Before he umted enough Virtue, he had no idea what the future would hold.
With that thought, he extinguished the candle, but he didnt n to go to sleep immediately. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, calmly watching the courtyard under the moonlight with his legs crossed.
After a long time, a suspicious shadow appeared in the courtyard.
Finally, he had waited long enough.
Winnies lips curled into a smile as he caught Darks tail. However, he didnt intend to follow him right away.
He just wanted to confirm that Dark was indeed doing something shady behind his back. As for following him to investigate?
Winnie still wanted to live. He didnt know who had been so bored as to nt eyes on him, an utterly insignificant Dead Bloodline, but rushing in without knowing the enemys identity would be a dangerously reckless move.
His instincts told him that the person, no, the force, watching him wasnt ordinary. At the very least, it wasnt something he could face head-on with his weak self, so he couldnt let the enemy know that he had already detected their spy.
When cornered, a dog would jump the walltaking down someone as weak as him would be too easy.
On the other side, Dark sneaked out of the courtyard gate, wrapped in a ck robe. Although he didnt think the idiot young master Winnie could detect his trail, it was better to be cautious.
As usual, he arrived at the designated meeting spot. After exchanging the secret signal, a tall man wearing a cloak stepped out from the shadows of the street corner.
"Greetings, my lord," Dark quickly bowed.
"You''ve advanced the meeting time; I assume you have important intelligence?" The man''s voice was muffled, making it hard to distinguish the tone. As he got closer, Dark noticed he was wearing a mask that obscured his face.
"Yes, thats right," Dark respectfully reported that Winnie had decided to fire him.
"...You mean, that fool young master wants to fire you?" After a long pause, the man finally spoke.
"Yes, he went to the pce again today. I''m not sure what for, but when he came back, he was furious. It might be because of the previous incident, or maybe he discovered something suspicious about me...?"
"Did I allow you to make assumptions?" Before Dark could continue, the man gave him a sharp look, making Dark quickly lower his head.
"I dare not!"
"That useless fool was rejected by the princess recently. Its not surprising he would take his frustration out on someone weaker than him. This is very much in line with his personality," the man analyzed, speaking to himself.
Hearing this, Dark was somewhat surprised by the mans judgment but didnt dare to speak out.
"So, my lord, what about me?"
"Thest living member of the Aeciphysis family has fallen to this point. I think continuing to monitor him is just a waste of resources."
"As for you, just as we agreed, you will get what you want."
"Thank you, my lord!" Darks heart swelled with joy upon hearing this.
This was the moment he had been waiting for, taking risks all this time. Wasnt this what he wanted?
"So, my lord, where are you going to take me to treat my dark illness?" Dark believed the person before him had a way, after all...
"You dont need to go anywhere." The man turned around.
Darks face immediately turned pale with disbelief as he stared at the cross-shaped sword of light that had pierced his chest.
In an instant, his breath was filled with choking blood.
He was pierced by countless swords of light.
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The seemingly holy swords of light had be the weapon that killed him.
"My lord, you...?"
"Dark, I really wanted you to live, but I can''t guarantee you can keep the secret in your stomach," the man said with a lightugh.
"Only the dead can keep secrets forever."
"This isnt a breach of contract, though. After all, we agreed that the [Saint''s Envoy] would heal your dark illness. This is a [Saint''s Envoy] technique. It could be considered healing, but not using healing magic."
"You, you! This bastard!..." Realizing he had been tricked, Dark widened his eyes in fury.
"What? A thing that sells out its master, do you deserve to live?" the man sneered.
Darks eyes grew dull as he gradually lost vitality. His body was burned into ash by the light swords, which were soon blown away by the wind, never to be seen again.
"With so many eyes watching... Winnie Aeciphysis, I hope youre worth me doing this."
"Dont let me down." The man whispered softly, flicking his cloak and disappearing without a trace.
Chapter 13: The revenge of the previous life, she hasn’t avenged it yet
Therge house was now left with only Winnie, yet to his surprise, he felt a sense of freedom. The next morning, he woke up feeling much better, his mood lifted as well.
Perhaps it was because he had found a new direction in lifejust stacking up Virtue points, or rather, farming Virtue.
He was a little hooked.
What surprised Winnie even more was that after he forcefully dismissed Dark, Dark, acting as someone else''s spy, had really left without lingering, his presencepletely absent from the courtyard the next day.
Winnie had expected that Dark would hang around for a while, either clinging on or pretending to be clueless, thinking that after some time, Winnies anger would dissipate and he would retract the dismissal.
Even though the Aeciphysis family had fallen from grace, they were still considered noble, and Dark, as a spy, must have been promised something significant. He wouldnt give up until he had received his reward, or so Winnie thought.
It seemed now that Dark had some sense of self-preservation, or perhaps the person behind him had simply grown tired and no longer thought that a little shrimp like him could stir any waves, so they dismissed the spy to avoid leaving any trace.
Winnie got up early, walked down the creaky stairs, grabbed a few bites of stale ck bread, and headed out of the courtyard, not even bothering to lock the door.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
All his possessions were on him, and his home was so shabby that even a thief would shed a tear if they visited, leaving behind just a few copper coins or so. He wasnt worried about anyone breaking in.
However, instead of heading straight to the church to pray, he went to the slums again.
Even though, with his current savings, giving a single copper coin pained him, he still decided to explore the full mechanism of the Virtue system.
"Hey, kind old man, you''re back again?" It was a coincidence that he ran into the beggar he had previously given a coin to. The beggar, in ragged clothes, seemed happy to see the young master, as any other noble would walk around him in disgust, let alone offer charity.
"Tch, its you again?" Winnie raised an eyebrow, then pulled a copper coin from his pocket and tossed it to the beggar. "I happen to have some spare change today. Take it, you dirty, stinky guy."
"Ah! Youre too generous!" The beggars eyes lit up, immediately taking the coin.
With the ''Virtue +1'' notification appearing in his field of vision, Winnie smiled.
Just as he had expected.
It was just like daily tasks in a game, they could be refreshed. Simrly, the Virtue system worked the same wayafter he donated and earned Virtue today, he could donate again tomorrow and earn more, albeit only a small amount each time.
Now, both the beggar and Winnie were happy. The beggar had received alms, and Winnie had stacked up more Virtue.
Both had bright futures ahead.
Winnie now had 5 Virtue points.
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He went to the junk shop again, bought some candies, and went to the orphanage to distribute them to the children there. He spent the afternoon ying with them as well.
"Hahaha!" As he saw his Virtue umting little by little, Winnie couldnt stop smiling. The orphanage director was also deeply moved.
What a good person! He had said he didnte often, but now he was almosting every day, spending time and money on charity, and so happy about it. He was truly a great person!
"Big brother, youre here again."
"Stupid brat, I didnte to y with you, what are you crowding me for?"
"Oh, you mustve lostst time and got scared, huh?" The little boy pouted.
"Scared? Last time, it was you who lost, you silly little brat. Looks like the lesson I gave youst time wasnt enough, huh?"
After handing out the candies and ying with the children, Winnie earned another 2 Virtue points, bringing his total to 7.
After lunch, Winnie left the church contentedly. Though tired, he felt like he had earned a lot.
Whistling as he left, not long after, a striking figure walked out from the main building of the orphanage.
A silver-haired girl, like a fairy, appeared on the old street. She seemed out of ce in the mundane world, as if a fairy had descended into the mortal realm. Her ethereal beauty shed with the reality around her, making her stand out like the brightest star, as if she was the main character wherever she went.
Even though she was dressed casually today, with a uniform top and a red id pleated skirt, her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her hair was tied in a princess braid with arge ck bow behind her, and at the hem of her skirt, a violet jade stone matching her eye color was fastened. Her enticing ck stockings reached her knees, paired with leather boots.
"Aeciphysis-sama!" Upon seeing the beautiful silver-haired girl, the children rushed up to her, surrounding her and chattering nonstop. She seemed to be very well-liked by the children in the orphanage.
Her eyes, filled with a smile, briefly nced at the figure who had already walked far away. A trace of coldness and meaning shed across her eyes, but it was gone in an instant. She then looked down at the children.
"Did you have fun ying earlier~?"
"It was okay, but that big brother was so bad, it wasnt even fun."
"Does that big brother oftene here to y games with you?" Aeciphysis smiled with sincere warmth. Anyone who saw such a pure, soul-stirring smile would probably open their heart to her.
"No, he just starteding recently. Hes really clumsy, and his tone was so bad, but when he yed with us, he was patient," the boy said with a pout.
"I see."
"Aeciphysis-sama," the director of the orphanage came over, respectfully bowing to Aeciphysis. The reason for his respect was simplethis beautiful silver-haired girl was the big benefactor of their orphanage, and her donations were almost as much as the Church''s.
She was both beautiful and kind-hearted. The phrase "beautiful and kind-hearted" couldnt be more fitting for Aeciphysis.
The old director used to have some prejudice against nobles, thinking they were all arrogant and looked down onmoners. But now, he had realized that not all nobles were the same. People like Winnie and Aeciphysis, who treated others with kindness, existed, though Winnies way of expressing himself seemed more awkward.
"Its no trouble at all, Director. Please prepare some tea and snacks for me," Aeciphysis said politely.
"Not at all. If it weren''t for your support, we wouldnt have made it through this winter. I should be the one thanking you," the old director said with a smile, looking at the children. "Its me who should thank you."
"Its just a small thing," Aeciphysis smiled carelessly. "Before the Goddess bestows blessings, thank you for taking care of these children who have no luck with fate."
"Thats my duty."
After chatting with the director for a while, Aeciphysis left the orphanage.
She had been having tea there before Winnie arrived, so naturally, she had been observing everything that happened after he came.
It wasnt the behavior that was strange, but the person.
These actions didnt belong to him.
That person, who in the previous life had fallen into the hands of a demonic cult, causing destruction and leading to her death.
Thinking back to what she had seen before, whether in this life or thest, it was clear that these werent things he would do.
But why was he pretending?
Aeciphysis narrowed her eyes.
She needed to observe what this viin was up to again. Besides...
She still hadnt avenged her previous lifes grudge.
Chapter 14: Almost Forgot the Identity of the Queen Ghost
After visiting the orphanage, Winnie arrived at the church, as thoughpleting a daily task in a mobile game, and stood before the statue of the goddess to pray.
His arrival, as always, caught the attention of some people in the church, but Winnie didn''t care at all. He couldn''t care less about how they looked at him, what they thought, or what they said.
"Dont disturb me while Im stacking Virtue."
Two hours of hard workter, Winnie sessfully harvested two points of Virtue, bringing his total to 9 points.
"Very good, very good! Just 21 more points and Ill evolve!"
After praying for two hours, Winnie, feeling sore from standing in the same position for so long, stretched his stiff shoulders and nced at the sun on the mountainsideit was almost evening.
He had thoroughly enjoyed stacking Virtue, but at this point, he suddenly remembered that he had a duel in two days. He had been so focused on umting Virtue that it seemed like he might have disrespected others a little.
So, Winnie decided to visit the Soul Art shop in the capital to select somemon spells.
Well, in the capital, Winnies reputation was good, so even the shopkeeper, who was sitting in a rocking chair reading a newspaper, couldnt help but sit up when he saw him. The shopkeeper clicked his tongue and frequently cast respectful nces in Winnies direction, as if the very presence of Winnie made the shop seem more prestigious, and he was unable to stop worrying about his distinguished guest.
What the hell is this guy doing here again??
The shopkeeper didnt even know what kind of sin he hadmitted, to have this guye into his shop two days in a row.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
A perfectly fine day ended the moment he saw Winnie.
By the way, whats up with this scoundrel? Why is he suddenly interested in Soul Arts? Wasnt he always dismissive of this stuff before??
No, more urately, he used to avoid itpletely.
Winnie had once thought that he hid his insecurities well, but in reality, anyone could see the self-doubt lurking within him.
Could it be because of Princess Mirecia?
Aside from Mirecia, the shopkeeper couldnte up with any other reason why Winnie was doing all of this; it was truly baffling.
Never mind, never mind. Just pretend I didnt see anything. Back to the newspaper.
Boss, where can I find general Soul Art spells for armor-type? Can you point me in the right direction?
Over there, the boss instinctively pointed in the direction, then quickly realized who was asking him. He gave Winnie an oddly scrutinizing look.
Thanks. Winnie turned and waved his hand as he walked in the direction the boss had pointed.
If you''re just looking to have fun for three minutes, Id rmend checking out the mage-type Soul Arts spells. There are many varieties. Armor-type Soul Arts have already declined, and there arent many people using them, so there arent many spells avable, the boss nced at Winnie, clearly thinking that he was just there for a quick thrill.
A person who couldnt even absorb Soul Arts wasing to the Soul Art shopwasnt that like a deaf person going to a concert? What else could he do there besides indulge himself?
Winnie didnt respond, heading straight to the armor Soul Art disy cab. As the boss had said,pared to other types of Soul Arts, the armor-type spells were pitifully scarce. Even the disy case for these spells was the cheapest wooden one, highlighting how little importance these Soul Arts were given.
Armor-type Soul Arts were indeed highly unpopr, especially among talented individuals, as only those with particrly poor magical aptitude would choose armor-type Soul Arts as ast resort.
Soul Arts, Soul Arts, how could they not be rted to magic? If they werent rted to magic, could they even be called Soul Arts?
Whats more, Kareliman was the domain of the mages. Mages werent just some upper ss, they were beyond thatone could even say they were the top of the top.
In Kareliman, even the most powerful enchanted equipment and alchemical potions couldnt provide overall magical resistance; they could only resist single types of magic at most. Magic, after all, was an umbre term for the elements, which wereplex and varied. The difference between magic elements could be greater than the difference between physical and magical attacks, making it impossible to ssify them all together.
Stopping a sword or dagger strike was easy; a good suit of armor would suffice. But absorbing magic attacks without taking any damage was practically impossible. Even the best alchemical potions and enchanted tools could only absorb some types of elemental magic.
Even if you poured all your resources into maximizing resistance to one element, it wouldnt make youpletely impervious to damage. And with so many magic elements, if you max out fire resistance, youd still be vulnerable to wind or earth magic attacks.
It was aborious and unrewarding effort, offering insufficient protection, which allowed mages to dominate Kareliman, bing the very top of the hierarchy.
After all, knives, swords, and spears might create a hole, but magic could reduce a person to nothingespecially with magics AOE (Area of Effect) nature, which could affect arge area, unlike physical attacks, which could only harm one or a few targets. It was clear which had more destructive power.
However, there was one exception: Winnie remembered that ording to the setting, only one race had overall magic resistanceBlessed Angels. But the Aeciphysis family had already fallen to the Dead Bloodline, so magic immunity wasnt a factor in the game.
Although armor Soul Arts hadnt beenpletely phased out, their decline was undeniable, especiallypared to other types of Soul Arts. Only the most mediocre, with no other choice, opted for them, and no one had innovated any new techniques, causing armor Soul Arts to fade from people''s view.
This Soul Art shop already had an iplete selection of spells, and due to the unpoprity of armor Soul Arts, the number of avable armor-type spells was even fewer, with barely any usable ones.
But fortunately, each spell had a description of its general effects, so it wasnt like he was blindly picking based on the names of the spells.
After scanning around, Winnie noticed that most of the armor-type spells looked useless, or in fact, were utterly useless, like trying to mine gold in a trash heap.
After considering it, Winnie settled on a spell called Light Armor.
But when he saw the price, he immediately felt troubled.
He was out of money.
Damn.
Winnie facepalmedhe had been so busy doing good deeds and stacking Virtue that he forgot he was also broke.
What should he do? Is there a way to make money?
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After thinking it over, the only solution he coulde up with was to take on a mission from the Adventurers Guild to earn some reward money.
But this wasnt a joke. With his reputation, he knew it was impossible to find a team to party up with. Everyone would avoid him as soon as they saw him.
How could someone who had just acquired a Soul Art handle an Adventurers Guild mission alone? Even the simplest one would probably be impossible, right?
For a moment, even Winnie, the king of ideas, was stumped.
No, theres always a way. What if some missions are tasks that only my Soul Art can do?
...Got it!
Chapter 15: Poke the goblin nest
Berek Vige is located on the southeastern edge of the Kingdom of Camellia''s capital. Due to the dense forests and numerous hills nearby, it has be a breeding ground for mountain bandits and robbers. As a result, the viges Adventurers Guild is always receiving escort or bandit extermination tasks.
The Berek Forest is quite a mysterious ce, much like a monster spawn trap in a game. You can never know how many groups of mountain bandits are hiding within the vast forest, or how much they have grown in strength.
Historical records state that those arrogant bandits eventually grew in number to over a hundred, causing havoc in the area. In the end, their arrogance drew the attention of the king, who sent the Fury Dragon Knights to exterminate them.
After that purge, Berek Vige enjoyed peace for a long time. However, as mentioned, the Berek Forest is like a monster spawn trap. The knights, skilled in battling organized armies, arent specialists when ites to dealing with bandits. Many areas of the forest werent fully searched, allowing several bandits to escape. As a result, the problems around Berek Vige were never fully solved.
In fact, the bandits subdued behavior led to an "invasion by foreign species." While the bandits were no longer a problem, goblins emerged.
Today, the goblin nests near Berek Vige are no secret, but these goblins are even more cunning than the bandits from before. Theyve made their nests difficult to attack. Low-level adventurers cant enter, mid-level adventurers find it too troublesome with poor rewards, and even if they form a party, there''s still a risk of failure. Thus, the goblin issue has been left unresolved.
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Moreover, who knows how many new goblin nests have appeared in this "monster spawn trap" of a forest?
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
The Berek Vige Adventurers Guild, marked by the crossed long swords, gathered many adventurers. Most of them were low-level adventurers, because any adventurer with any real skill would nevere to this small vige for work.
However, today, an unusual person arrived.
A young girl at the counter of the Adventurers Guild was half-asleep when she suddenly looked up as the sound of heavy footsteps and nking armor reached her ears.
The other adventurers also turned to look at the door, all drawn to the figure entering.
The silver-scaled fish scale armor gleamed in the sunlight, shining brilliantly. The heavy armor made each step sound heavy, and one could tell just from the sound that it was incredibly weighty.
A closed helmet with a metal fringe gave only a faint glimpse of a calm andposed gaze through the dark slits of the helmet.
Silent, yet full of killing intent.
The neer had one hand resting on the scabbard of his sabre, walking in silence until he reached the counter.
As he entered the Adventurers Guild, the previously noisy room fell into silence.
The reason was simple: the silver fish scale armor was so imposing that anyone who wore it seemed like a big shot showing up in a small ce.
Little did they know, this "big shot" was visiting the Adventurers Guild for the first time, and as he entered and saw everyone stop chatting, those who had been dozing off suddenly woke up, and those who had been ying chess also stopped. Everyone was staring at him, making him feel a bit ufortable.
What the hell? Why is everyone staring at me? Keep ying your music, keep dancing! Pretend Im not here!
Trying to ignore the gazes, Winnie, fully armored in his "Iron Rampart" suit, rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and stood in front of the task board, contemting for a moment.
What the hell? What are you looking at? Do I have flowers on my face or something?
After some thought, he picked up a sheet of paper from the center of the task board and walked to the counter.
"Ill take this task." Winnie spoke in a low voice, keeping it brief.
"Ah, okay, is it just you?" The girl at the counter snapped out of her daze and quickly began the registration process.
"Yes."
"Alright, please show me your Adventurers Guild ID card."
"Can I register now?" Winnie asked after a brief silence.
"Huh??" The counter girl was stunned, looking Winnie up and down,pletely bewildered.
No way, right? The Adventurers Guild ID card is universal, any Adventurers Guild can issue one, but such a big shot doesnt have one?
It wasnt just the girl at the counter who was surprised; the other adventurers in the room were also confused, quickly reassuring themselves in their minds.
Could it be that they were fortunate enough to witness the emergence of a hidden master?
"What? Is there a problem?"
"No, no, of course not. Please tell me your name."
"......Winnie."
"Winnie?" The counter girl tilted her head, then looked at Winnie with a confused expression.
It sounds like a girls name?
"No, its Winnie."
"Ah, sorry! I misheard!" The counter girl apologized quickly, feeling that the name was oddly familiar but didnt think too much about it. She walked into the back room and soon came back out, handing Winnie his ID card and the Adventurers Guild rules.
Winnie looked at the ID card, which was made of copper, symbolizing the lowest rank of adventurer. His name was engraved on it.
"Thank you." After saying that, Winnie took the form and the rules, hung the ID card around his neck, and turned to leave.
After Winnie left, the adventurers in the guild began to discuss.
"Hey, did you see that? His armor is so cool! Wonder how much he spent on that?"
"Yeah, it looks awesome. Tsk, how many years would it take me to save up for something like that?"
"Who cares about looks? That heavy armor is outdated. One or two magic attacks and itll be useless."
"Hey, did you see what task he took?"
"I think it was a goblin extermination task."
"Ah? Goblin extermination? Seriously, thats kind of embarrassing, isnt it?"
"You dont get it. With that iron-d guy, you can tell hes no amateur. Maybe he just wants to start with something easy and practice. Also, goblins might be weak, but you should know how troublesome they can be."
"Exactly, those savage goblins wont stand a chance against someone in that armor. Their weapons wont even scratch it, and they dont even use magic."
Exactly, as the scarred adventurer at the guild had said, the reason Winnie took this task was because it was a good matchhe could easily deal with the goblins, who couldnt use magic.
Thats what only the Iron Rampart could do.
After deciding to make some money first, Winnie gave up on buying spells and decided to head to the weapon shop the next day to buy a suitable weapon before heading to the viges Adventurers Guild.
He chose a sabre, the one currently hanging on his waist, which drained thest of his money.
This was a do-or-die situation; failure meant death.
Following the path indicated on the task form, Winnie walked out of the vige and into the dense, shadowy forest.
Chapter 16: Have you made enough trouble?
Since he had left early today, Winnie hadnt had time toplete his daily tasks, and his body felt like ants were crawling all over it.
Walking through the forest, his silver fish-scale armor and brass shoulder pads shimmered brilliantly, reflecting dazzling light. Winnie tightened the sabre at his waist, seemingly finding this action to provide him with a little more sense of security.
Nervousness was inevitable. This was his first time, in both of his lives, holding a weapon and engaging in a violent battle with monsters that only existed in Western fantasy.
And ording to the information he knew, the goblins in this world were living up to expectations. They killed, set fire, raided, and kidnapped women without a single one being left out. They were the embodiment of evil, with much more professionalism and capability in their field than Winnie ever had as a viin.
As for the human women that had been kidnapped... The end results didnt need to be borated, those who understood, understood.
In fact, in several sources of unknown origin, there were even rumors of goblins kidnapping elven princesses and human saintesses.
Winnie was d he wasnt a woman, or the goblins would probably catch the scent and apply some sort of buff to make things even worse.
The dense forest blocked out the sun, and Winnie began to understand why the knights couldntpletely wipe out the bandits in Berek Forest. With how thick the jungle was, it would be hard to see even five meters ahead if you just picked any random hiding spot.
The knights werent familiar with jungle warfare, and since they didnt know the terrain, it was no surprise that the local bandits, familiar with the forest, were able to use all kinds of evasive maneuvers and hide behind countless obstacles, avoiding the knights search. It was essentially a natural sanctuary.
No wonder Berek Vige was jokingly referred to as a monster spawn trap. This natural barrier was perfect for harboring all kinds of filth and monsters, so it wasnt too surprising that goblins had made their home here.
In the breeze carrying the scent of soil, a sudden, sharp smell of blood filled the air.
Shaking off his thoughts, Winnie looked up.
He had arrived.
Looking ahead, a cluster of dense vines covered a moss-covered stone cave. If one didnt look closely, it might appear to be just arge rock.
If you are reading this trantion anywhere other than Novelight, it has been stolen.
A sharp scream suddenly echoed through the air, followed by the sound of hurried footstepsing closer from inside the cave.
Winnie knew that he had been spotted by the goblin sentries. They had retreated into the nest to report to the others that an intruder had entered.
The goblins had probably already reported on his numbers and equipment.
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These goblins werent capable of much, but they were experts in preying on the weak and avoiding the strong. The reason there was no immediate action was because they werent sure whether he was alone. Once they confirmed he was by himself, the rest of the goblins in the cave would likely swarm to him.
Sure enough, after a brief silence, the cave erupted with strange, high-pitched shrieks. Then, a momentter, the area above and around the cave was filled with green goblins with yellow eyes.
They were dressed in a hodgepodge of clothes, most of which appeared to have been ripped off from unlucky adventurers. Their weapons were a mix of short bows, slingshots, throwing knives, and improvised materials, with some even picking up sharp rocks from the ground.
While these weapons werent impressive, they could still pose a serious problem for adventurers. Getting hit with a rock or sharp object could severely impair ones ability to move. After all, this was real life, not a game, and getting struck by sharp rocks wasnt as simple as losing some health points.
The goblins waved their weapons and shouted at Winnie in their strange, garblednguage, "Waka, waka!" They couldnt speak humannguage, and Winnie naturally didnt understand a word.
However, he noticed several details about the goblins. For example, goblins werentpletely hairless creaturesthey had pores, and their yellow eyescked pupils. He could also smell a rancid odor, reminiscent of wild boars. If Winnie got too close, he would have wanted to pinch his nose, but he couldnt reach it while in his armor.
It seemed that goblins didnt know what bathing was. Were they trying to suffocate him with their stench?
Winnie noticed that the goblins on both sides were trying to encircle him, leaving him with no escape.
But it didnt matterhe hadnt nned on retreating.
The ones who should run were the goblins.
"Waka!" The goblins stared at Winnies shimmering silver fish-scale armor with greedy eyes, as if they had seen a treasure.
The goblin in front of them, holding a small g that seemed to have been scavenged, waved it wildly in the air, shouting in a strangenguage. The goblins behind him, like they were on stimnts, raised their bows and began firing arrows, throwing stones, andunching knivesbasicallyunching all their ranged attacks at him.
"Swoosh! Swoosh!" The arrows and knives, even though they were looted, didnt even prate the fish-scale armor. They bounced off easily. As for the stones and slingshots, the projectiles hit the thick steel armor and werepletely absorbed by it.
The armored man stood motionless, as if he hadnt even noticed their attacks.
"Waka?" The goblins froze in confusion.
"Done already?" Winnie stretched his sore shoulders from the armor and drew his sabre.
The goblins, seemingly unwilling to give up, stubbornly continued their assault. A string of stones and arrows hit the iron-d man but didnt hurt him at all. He didnt even budge.
Seeing the armored man charging towards them, the goblins lost their courage, and the group hastily shoved theirrades aside, scrambling to retreat back into the cave.
The goblins who had fallen were left behind. When they finally raised their heads, a huge shadow loomed over them.
"Done ying?" Winnie raised his sabre and swiftly decapitated a goblin who hadnt made it back to the cave.
Seeing the goblins scrambling to escape, Winnie considered pursuing them but hesitated.
Although the armor-type Soul Art lightened the weight of his armor, it didnt make it weightless. He still had to bear the burden of the armors weight.
He couldnt afford to burn through his energy too soon.
ncing at the motionless goblin on the ground, Winnie trudged toward the cave.
Inside the cave, the firelight reflected off his silver fish-scale armor, and the sound of his footsteps nged as he slowly advanced, exuding a palpable sense of pressure.
"Waka!" The goblins, now armed with short swords and knives they had looted, looked at the advancing armored figure. Despite their fury, none of them dared to step forward.
Winnie, seeing their hesitation, grinned and gestured provocatively with his hand.
Two goblins, enraged, rushed toward him from either side and shed at him.
"ng! ng!" The sound of metal shing rang out. Winnie looked at his abdomenhis armor hadnt even shifted.
He swung his sabre with ease, grabbing one of the goblins by the head and tossing it to the ground. A heavy boot crushed its skull, and he swung his sabre again, shing the neck of the other goblin who had been frozen in ce.
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