Chapter 160: High-Level Divine Art Scroll (Part 1)

Chapter 160: High-Level Divine Art Scroll (Part 1)



As Rain entered the Wiggins family's library, something unexpected was unfolding in Shangjin Town.

Anna sat in her room, her right hand supporting her delicate cheek, and her left hand lazily flipping through the Silver Tome. She gazed out the window at the wintry landscape, her thoughts wandering.

Two days ago, she had successfully completed the eight Will Runes of the basic Sexual Visualization Meditation, officially reaching the level of a 'Level 1 Sorcerer Apprentice.'

Initially, she had planned to share this good news with Rain.

But Rain, now a full-fledged Knight, had been incredibly busy. Anna struggled to find a suitable opportunity to be alone with him.

When Ragre and Rain left for Night Song Forest, Anna felt a twinge of envy. She, too, longed to possess the ability to face challenges and unravel mysteries alongside Rain.

And today, Ragre's sudden departure left Anna with a suspicion that there might be a secret between Ragre and Rain.

As Anna's mind wandered, the door suddenly creaked open.

A cute squirrel scampered into the room.

Startled by the sound, Anna turned around, only to realize it was the same little rascal who had snuck into Rain's room that morning in search of food. Her lovely face lit up with a warm smile as she beckoned, "Come here, little squirrel."

But before Anna could finish her sentence, her eyes widened, and her cherry-red lips formed a perfect 'O' of surprise. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

The adorable squirrel had instantly transformed into a tall, hooded woman.

And to her astonishment, when the woman lifted her hood, she revealed a head of jet-black hair, a stunningly beautiful face, and a pair of pointed ears.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. The sight before Anna was incredibly shocking.

Yet, surprisingly, a sense of familiarity welled up within her, as if there were an innate, mystical connection between her and this mysterious elf.

"Child, let me take a look at you," the black-haired elf said in a melodious voice.

Before Anna could react, the elf approached her and waved her hand, causing a faint green magical glow to appear on Anna's body.

"As I thought, it's Darain's technique, a solidified Disguise Spell," the black-haired elf murmured.

The elf then began reciting an incantation.

Suddenly, a bright green light enveloped Anna.

Immediately, Anna felt a peculiar sensation, as if a mysterious cloak she had been wearing had just been removed.

"Child, you should call me Auntie. I'm your mother Darain Moonwing's sister, Delana Moonwing," the elf said.

"I... I..." Anna stammered, at a loss for words. Her mind was in a whirl.

"A stranger, an elf, suddenly appearing in my room, claiming to be my relative? But I'm human, and my mother is human, and her name isn't Darain," Anna thought.

The elf's aura felt so familiar, and the recent sensation she had experienced...

After a long moment, Anna finally calmed down and gathered her thoughts. She spoke, "Excuse me, beautiful elf, I think there's been a mistake. I'm human, and my mother's name isn't Darain."

"Child, touch your ears," the black-haired elf said, her eyes softening with a mix of gentleness and affection as she lightly caressed Anna's head.

Anna could sense the elf's genuine kindness, and her touch felt incredibly comforting.

But why did she ask me to touch my ears? I don't have pointed ears like hers.

Anna was certain of this, as she checked her reflection in the copper mirror every morning.

But as Anna's hand touched her familiar ears, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"How... How is this possible?" she exclaimed.

Rushing to the mirror, Anna stared at her reflection, a mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar. "So, I'm a half-elf," she whispered to herself.

As a half-elf, Anna's ears had a subtle curve instead of the pointed tips typical of pure elves.

Overall, without the Disguise Spell, Anna looked even more beautiful, with an exotic charm.

"I wonder if Rain will still..." Anna's thoughts trailed off, a question lingering in her heart.

It was only after Delana Moonwing, the black-haired elf, shared stories of Anna's mother, Darain Moonwing, that Anna finally accepted that this elf might truly be her relative.

(End of Part 1)

And this was also the first time Anna clearly understood her mother's story.

It turned out that when her mother, Darain Moonwing, was young, she was deceived by a human minstrel and fell in love with him. Soon after, at his instigation, she stole some materials from the Druid Circle, including the Trial Tome (Silver Tome).

In fact, that minstrel was a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice specializing in human body modification, and he had always coveted certain special methods of plant and animal modification within the Druid Circle.

However, he mistook the Trial Tome for a blank diary.

So, when Rain obtained it, he discovered that it contained a lot of negative energy and nature-related plant and animal modification techniques from Wizardry Scrolls.

After obtaining these materials, the Wizard Apprentice sold Darain Moonwing to an imperial noble, but later he heard that Darain had escaped. However, when the Druid Circle sent people to search for her, they couldn't find her either.

It wasn't until Anna touched the talisman last time that Delana sensed something, as she had personally made this talisman and given it to her sister, Darain.

If Rain heard this, he would surely curse that man as a 'scumbag'!

Not only did he deceive a woman, but he also made her steal from her own family.

But the worst part is that after using her, he sold her off!

What a despicable man!

"Aunt Delana, where is my mother now?" Anna asked anxiously.

"I don't know, but the one who can hide Darain and block our search must be a high noble of the Dragon Empire."

"Because I've heard that many of these high nobles, as part of the door opened, and she walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Since they are high-ranking officials of the empire, many of them like exotic beauties, especially elven beauties."

"Judging from this, I think Darain should not be in any life-threatening danger at the moment."

After listening to this, Anna nodded.

However, when she heard that her mother was probably still alive and not in any danger, she couldn't help but feel slightly relieved.

No wonder, for a period of time before, she and her mother had been living a life of wandering and hardship.

Her mother was probably hiding from the pursuit of a high noble, but in the end, it seemed she couldn't escape.

At this moment, Delana said, "So, child, it's dangerous for you to stay in the empire alone. You should return to the Druid Circle with me now."

"Huh? What..." Anna hesitated in her heart.

Delana continued, "As a half-elf, you need to have the strength to protect yourself."

"Child, your current age is the period when your strength grows the fastest. We must hurry back to the Druid Circle and make up for the time you've missed. Can you understand?"

After thinking about it, Anna nodded.

Indeed, all along, she had always been in a position where she needed protection from others.

If she could have enough strength, how wonderful that would be!

"Aunt Delana, I'll go to the Druid Circle with you. But..."

Anna looked at the Trial Tome in Delana's hand, which had now returned to its rightful owner, and her eyes flickered slightly. She knew that Rain was very interested in some of its contents.

Anna stammered a few times before asking, "Aunt Delana, can I copy down the content about taming and plant and animal modification from this Trial Tome?"

"Hmm? Are you going to give it to that boy named Rain?" Delana quickly understood Anna's intention, and her expression became complex as she looked at her niece whom she had just found.

"Yes!" Anna nodded firmly.

Alright then, Delana thought. The young man her niece liked...

In an instant, scenes from Rain's room the previous night flashed through Delana's mind, making her face turn red and her heart skip a beat.

"Aunt Delana, why are you looking at me with such a strange expression?" Anna keenly noticed that when she mentioned she wanted to give it to Rain, Aunt Delana's expression suddenly became very complex.

It was a mix of sympathy, pity, and more.

"Anna, do you like Rain?" Delana asked straightforwardly this time.

"Huh? No, no, Rain just saved me," Anna blushed, lowering her head, and told Delana about how Rain had rescued her from the two wanted criminals.

"So that's how it is," Delana's expression softened upon hearing that Rain had saved Anna.

It was a familiar and beautiful scene of a hero rescuing a 'princess' from the hands of villains, no wonder Anna had feelings for him.

Additionally, Delana immediately recalled that the Flesh Tree Spirit in the ruined temple was killed by fire-based Wizardry, but due to the heavy fog, she couldn't see clearly how Rain had defeated the Flesh Tree Spirit.

But now, thinking about it carefully, this young knight seemed to be more than meets the eye.

It was likely that he didn't rely on the Fire-based Wizardry Scroll to defeat the Flesh Tree Spirit but instead used his own Wizardry.

"In addition to making a copy of this, I will also give your 'good friend' Rain a copy of the Fire Magic 'Blazing Light' that I obtained by chance before. It's a gift for saving you," Delana said as she used her Imprint Spell to transfer the contents of the Trial Tome onto a piece of paper, which she then handed to Anna along with a beast hide scroll.

Anna was overjoyed. "Really? That's wonderful! Thank you, Aunt Delana. I'll leave a letter for Rain. Please wait a moment."

Anna quickly wrote a letter with a quill pen:

"Rain: By the time you read this, Aunt Delana and I will have already departed for the Druid Circle in Ferdinand Forest. I will work hard to improve my abilities. Love, Anna."

Anna carefully placed the letter, the paper with the copied beast taming content, and the beast hide scroll with the Fire Magic on Rain's bedside table.

She took one last lingering look at Rain's room, then turned to Delana and said, "Aunt Delana, shall we go now?"

"Yes, let's go."

Just as Delana was about to leave with Anna, she suddenly sensed someone spying on the residence from nearby.

"Hmm? Wait a moment!"

Delana signaled for Anna to stay in the room, and in the next instant, she transformed into a squirrel and darted out of the room, leaping onto the rooftop.

A large eagle then took off from the rooftop!

A moment later, the sound of a scuffle could be heard from the alleyway in the southwest corner!

But soon, the commotion subsided, and the fight seemed to be brief.

In the alley, Delana, with her black hair, observed the black flames surrounding her and whispered, "Black Flame... Could it be a follower of that deity?"

Although the black flames couldn't harm her, only hindering her movements, she recognized their origin.

"It seems the Windrunner's warning was right. The sleeping deities are showing signs of awakening," Delana mused, her expression turning somber as she realized something.

A short while later, Delana returned to Anna's room, her face now calm.

"Aunt Delana, what just happened?" Anna asked with concern.

At that moment, several City Guards were rushing towards the area.

"Nothing to worry about, it's taken care of. Anna, we must leave now!" Delana shook her head, not elaborating further.

"Okay, let's go!"

In the northern woods of Shangjin Town.

A tall knight with a scythe-like weapon strapped to his back was running with his hand pressed against his bleeding abdomen, cursing under his breath, "How could there be a Druid near Rain's residence?"

This person was none other than the Wilds Master of Myester County City.

Inside the Wiggins Family's library.

Rain, unaware of the events at his home, was diligently searching through ancient books.

Unlike the Crowley Family, the Wiggins Family's library was larger but didn't categorize books based on whether they were written in Arcanese or not. Therefore, Rain had to search through each bookshelf individually.

He flipped through book after book, mostly shaking his head in disappointment.

After some time, Rain paused. He had found a travelogue written in Arcanese that mentioned the Mother Tree Cult.

The travelogue explained the core doctrine of the Mother Tree Cult—that in the beginning, a Mother Tree from the distant void descended upon the world and scattered seeds, giving birth to the origins of life.

However, according to ancient sages, the so- called 'Mother Tree' was actually a powerful entity from another realm, luring intelligent beings to worship and sacrifice.

Of course, the Mother Tree Cult's followers received various rewards and gifts from the Mother Tree in exchange for their sacrifices.

Hours later, after going through all the ancient Arcanese books in the library, Rain found that only the travelogue was useful.

The rest were either records of long-forgotten rituals or eulogies of ancient figures, leaving Rain feeling somewhat disappointed.

Although this outcome was within his expectations, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss when faced with the reality.

"Perhaps I should change my approach to searching for Witchcraft," Rain thought to himself.

He realized that his current method of searching was like trying to find something in a primeval forest with tall trees blocking his view.

Without a clear sight of his surroundings, it was difficult to pinpoint the location of his target, leaving him to rely on luck.

This was obviously not a good approach.

A more effective method would be to first climb to a high vantage point, like a watchtower, and then look out to locate the desired object, or at least determine its direction.

Only then would searching for it be a precise strike.

"Currently, my position within the Empire is akin to a watchtower."

"Once I pass the ennoblement examination and become an official noble, I should gain access to more secrets. Perhaps then, I can gradually clarify the direction of advancement in wizardry or even the path of a wizard."

Just like Adams' legacy, it actually came from a wizard school called the 'Igni School'.

But how to connect with such a wizard school was the question Rain needed to consider.

However, as long as Rain continued to rise within the Empire's power structure, he would inevitably come across relevant information at some point.

To quickly ascend within the Empire's power hierarchy, the invitation from the Empire's 'Swordbearer', which Colonel Connor from the Imperial Army mentioned last time, could serve as a stepping stone for rapid promotion.

Rain continued his thoughts.

Colonel Connor's words from that time left a deep impression on him.

"The Swordbearer is an organization with extensive privileges spanning the entire Empire. If you can join, you'll transcend the boundaries of Master County, or even the province of Munster."

"You'll encounter a broader world!"

Would he encounter a broader world? Rain muttered to himself.

"In that case, the bottom line for my ennoblement examination must be to achieve the Baron rating, the highest evaluation."

"It seems I need to prepare well."

After all, even with the Baron rating, it didn't guarantee he would receive an invitation from the Imperial Swordbearer.

Only by standing out could he rise to the occasion!

At this thought, Rain's eyes gradually brightened.

At this moment, the entrance to the library echoed with Jenny and Agatha's silvery laughter. The two girls had quietly left the library earlier, seeing Rain so focused, and didn't stay for the entire time.

Rain checked the time; it was already twelve o'clock sharp. It seemed the two ladies were inviting him for lunch.

In the afternoon, after seeing off the Wiggins family, Rain politely declined Jenny's invitation to the Crowley family. He then went to the county city's supply room and exchanged his worn-out chrome iron set and otter skin armor for a brand-new set. Afterward, he boarded a carriage and returned to Shangjin Town.

The otter skin armor was something Hamilton had reminded him to prepare for the ennoblement examination, as the examination location was in Rosby City, which was near the sea.

However, upon arriving in Shangjin Town, Rain didn't go home directly but instead headed to Hamilton's office first.

Since Rain planned to depart for Rosby City in a few days, he wanted to inform Hamilton in advance.

"Oh, Rain, what brings you here?"

"Right, there's something I forgot to tell you. After you resolved the mysterious incident at Agatha's Mill, many nobles have contacted me, asking me to convey their requests for you to help resolve mysterious events in their territories."

"However, considering that you're about to participate in the ennoblement examination, these matters can wait. After all, if something unexpected happens and affects your performance during the examination, it would be a real pity."

"So, I've declined on your behalf."

"Thank you, sir," Rain nodded.

He had also planned to do this, as he needed to make some preparations before his departure and didn't have the time to handle these mysterious events.

Moreover, after experiencing the previous incident in the Night Song Forest, Rain realized that the danger level of mysterious events varied greatly, and their unpredictability made them far more perilous than he had anticipated.

Especially due to the uniqueness of these mysterious events, their investigation reports were often inaccurate.

"Rain, is the reason for your visit today to inform me that you're planning to depart in a few days?" Hamilton asked proactively.

Rain calculated the time and replied, "Yes, I'll leave in seven days."

Upon returning home, Rain suddenly noticed the house was much quieter. His mother, Emma, gave him a reproachful look.

Just as Rain was perplexed, his sister, Mint, rushed into his arms, looking upset. "Brother, Sister Anna left too."

"Hmm?"

"What?" Rain's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked in return.

"Sister Anna left. She seems to have left a letter for you on your bedside table," Mint said, her eyes wide.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end