Chapter 161: Unexpected Letter

Chapter 161: Unexpected Letter



As Rain ascended the stairs to the second floor, he noticed that two of the three bedrooms were now vacant, causing him to sigh.

While Rain had anticipated Lagre's departure, as she had mentioned it before, Anna's sudden decision to leave caught him off guard. He had assumed she would stay for a considerable amount of time, but their separation had come unexpectedly.

Moreover, he was curious about Anna's sudden choice to leave.

Given his understanding of Anna, this didn't seem like her decision, or at least, she shouldn't have been in such a rush.

Upon entering his bedroom, Rain's gaze fell on three neatly stacked items on his bedside table: a letter, a stack of papers, and a scroll made of beast hide.

Without hesitation, he picked up the letter and began reading.

"Aunt?" Rain exclaimed.

Druid Circle? Rain immediately recalled the beautiful elven lady who had wanted to trade the dark mother tree seed with him. Most likely, the black-haired elf was Anna's aunt.

Otherwise, the chances of two druids appearing in Shangjin Town within a short period were incredibly slim.

"I never expected her to be Anna's aunt!"

"Wait, if that's the case, then isn't Anna also an elf? But her appearance..."

Suddenly, Rain thought of a crucial detail, but even after stroking his chin and pondering for a while, he couldn't quite understand the reason.

"And is the Druid Circle in Ferdinand Forest?"

Rain couldn't recall ever hearing of a forest named 'Ferdinand,' indicating that it was likely located far from Myester County.

"I hope I can help you next time we meet?"

Reading this, Rain felt he vaguely understood why Anna had decided to go to the Druid Circle.

He had witnessed Anna's efforts in learning basic meditation and her determination when treating Lagre.

Thus, Rain knew that despite Anna's delicate and shy demeanor, she possessed a strong will and was a girl with determination and her own opinions.

However, when Rain read the last sentence—'I'll let you in on a little secret; I can now visualize eight Will Runes at once'—he couldn't help but imagine Anna's expression as she wrote those words.

Her pure and beautiful face must have been adorned with a shy and delighted smile.

At this thought, a smile also appeared on Rain's face, and he silently said to himself,

"I look forward to your growth, Anna. But let me share a secret with you too; I can already visualize twenty Will Runes at once."

"So, most likely, I'll still be the one protecting you next time we meet."

After a while, Rain finally calmed his slightly melancholy mood.

The feeling was akin to the end of the college entrance exam in his previous life, when close friends parted ways. Even though they promised to meet again, by the time they did, a significant amount of time had often passed.

He carefully folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Then, Rain picked up the stack of papers and immediately recognized their content.

"Hey, this is..."

Rain realized that the 'Beast Taming Diary,' or the Silver Tome, had been taken by Anna's aunt, the black-haired elf.

However, Rain didn't feel any sense of loss, as the item had returned to its rightful owner.

The last item was a beast hide scroll, and when Rain unfurled it, his eyebrows rose, and his face lit up with joy! It was a new spell, and it was the fire-element spell he had been seeking!

"I never expected to find a fire-element spell in the Vigins Family's library, but here I am, discovering one at home."

After some thought, Rain wasn't sure if this was a gift from Anna or a token of gratitude from the black-haired elf for his care of Anna. But it didn't matter; what mattered was that he wouldn't have acquired this gift if not for Anna.

So, he attributed his gratitude for this gift to Anna.

Rain carefully examined the beast hide scroll.

"Blazing Light!" Rain whispered the name of the new spell.

A burning ray of light? After reading it several times, Rain found that the visualization difficulty of this new spell, 'Blazing Light,' was similar to that of 'Heat Field,' both belonging to the same level of difficulty.

Since Rain had already mastered two fire-element spells, 'Scorching Touch' and 'Heat Field,' and his Mental Power had reached a level where he could attempt to learn this new fire-element spell without much difficulty.

He headed to the storage room.

About half an hour later, after seven or eight failed attempts, Rain finally succeeded! A flame about twenty to thirty centimeters tall suddenly appeared in his right palm, burning fiercely and instantly illuminating the entire room.

The overall shape of the flame wasn't very large, resembling an enlarged flame, but it seemed to emit intense heat.

Rain could only glance at it for a second or two before his eyes felt overwhelmed by the brightness, and they began to tear up and blink involuntarily.

Of course, tearing up and blinking were natural protective mechanisms for the eyes, and there was nothing wrong with that.

However, if this happened during a battle, especially against an evenly matched opponent, it could be fatal.

Because, it was very likely that a blink of an eye would miss the initiative, and if one encountered such a bright light and couldn't help but cover their eyes with their hands, they would very likely be sent back to the embrace of the goddess.

At the same time, Rain also felt a slight sting in his retina.

He knew that if he continued to stare at this extremely bright flame, his retina would be damaged in no time.

With a light wave of his right hand, Rain canceled this new spell and pondered with his hands on his chest.

The effect of this new spell was similar to the 'Flashbang' from his previous life! At the same time, Rain already had some ideas about the application scenarios for this spell.

However, there were still a few minor issues to solve if he wanted to use it in combat and coordinate it with his original combat rhythm.

At this moment, the system prompts also arrived:

【You have learned Blazing Light, and your understanding has improved!】

【You have understood a new skill - Blazing Light】

【Your skill Blazing Light has improved, experience +1】

At the same time, below the Sorcerer Apprentice (Extraordinary) panel, a brand new icon appeared next to the High Temperature Field icon.

The border of the icon lit up slightly, and the pattern on the icon was a blazing flame, surrounded by multiple short horizontal lines representing light.

This was like the sun in a child's drawing, with 360 degrees of short horizontal lines around the red sun, obviously representing the continuous emission of light.

Rain focused his attention on the new icon and saw a line of small text below it.

Blazing Light lv1 (1/100)



Blazing Light lv1 effect: Consumes a certain amount of mental power to activate a specific spell model, gathering fire-based energy particles around the host's palm to form a blazing flame that continuously emits intense light for about ten seconds.

(Note: Casting time 3 seconds, power proportional to mental power.)



The first of the few minor issues to solve was the casting time; 3 seconds was obviously too long.

It was too difficult to find a precious 3-second gap in combat, but if it could be compressed to 1 second, that would be more reasonable.

Because if it were 1 second, there would be many such opportunities in combat.

For example, during a weapon collision, when both parties are pushed back simultaneously, and then, taking this opportunity to suddenly use 'Blazing Light', there would be a high probability of causing temporary blindness to the enemy.

Even if the opponent is not blinded, it can still create a good initiative or some degree of advantage.

However, to achieve this effect, it was natural to improve the level of the spell 'Blazing Light'.

According to the experience of the spell 'Scorching Touch', if 'Blazing Light' could be improved to lv2, the casting time should be reduced by about 20%, i.e., from 3 seconds to 2.4 seconds.

Rain pondered and quickly calculated in his mind.

But 2.4 seconds was still too long.

If it were lv3, then it would be from 2.4 seconds to 1.9 seconds.

Rain raised his eyebrows; this casting time would basically catch the enemy off guard, after all, it started with a one.

Of course, it would be best to further reduce the time, even shorter! If it were lv4, then it would be from 1.9 seconds to 1.5 seconds.

A casting time of one and a half seconds? Rain nodded, revealing a satisfied expression.

If it were only half of the original casting time of 3 seconds, then the practicality would be much higher.

"I have 5 remaining skill points, and if I continuously add 3 skill points to the spell 'Blazing Light', I can achieve this goal."

"Even if I use all 5 remaining skill points, I can reach this new spell's 1-second casting time."

Rain stroked his chin, muscular man with a hammer, couldn't help but be a little tongue-tied!

However, Rain thought for a moment and shook his head slightly.

"This one, let's not rush!"

"After all, 3 skill points is not a small number, whether added to the Grizzly Sword Technique or the Thokkal Hammer Technique, it can bring me a significant improvement." Rain pondered.

The second minor issue to solve was the application scenario.

Obviously, on a rainy day, this spell's blinding effect should be very effective in such gloomy weather.

Of course, to achieve the best effect, it would naturally be at night, directly blinding the unprepared enemy for several seconds and thus sealing the victory!

However, on a clear day, especially in bright sunlight, the effect of the new spell 'Blazing Light' would be greatly discounted.

Rain paced back and forth in the room, summarizing the application scenarios for the new spell.

"Additionally, the new spell should be extremely effective in dark and damp environments like mines."

"Especially for those accustomed to darkness and dampness, and dim light environments, my spell 'Blazing Light' could directly blind their eyes."

At this thought, a flash of light passed through Rain's eyes.

"Also, if you want to cause a strong blinding effect even in daylight, it's not impossible."

"As my mental power increases, the power of the spell 'Blazing Light' will also increase to a certain extent, and once it crosses a certain brightness threshold, it should be able to blind the enemy even in broad daylight."

The last minor issue to solve was a habit.

The Channel of Fire

Rain had realized that casting the spell 'Blazing Light' required him to free up one hand, which was a challenge given his current proficiency with the Giant Sword Technique and Thokkar Hammer Technique, both of which were two-handed weapons.

"So, in my daily practice, I need to consciously train in this aspect, so that in combat, I can naturally and smoothly seize the opportunity to cast the spell 'Blazing Light'," Rain thought to himself.

He began to consider which moves would create an opening for the new spell.

"After the secret technique 'Ascending Dragon Hammer', there's a high probability I can follow up with the new spell 'Blazing Light'."

"And after the secret technique 'Roaring Strike', if the enemy manages to withstand it, I can also cast 'Blazing Light'."

Half an hour later, Rain's face lit up with satisfaction.

He had mentally gone through his commonly used sword and hammer techniques, finding several opportunities to weave in the new spell.

The rest would require daily practice and accumulation over time.

At that moment, Rain suddenly remembered that he had wanted to test the effect of the spell 'Heat Field' now that his Spirit Force had increased by 3 points, but the arrival of the Crowley family carriage had interrupted him.

Now was the perfect time to conduct the test.

Rain placed three basins of water on the table, just like before, at distances of one, two, and three meters from himself.

After ten seconds, Rain voluntarily stopped casting 'Heat Field'.

Previously, Rain had observed that the temperature within the field rose rapidly, akin to a combination of a microwave and an air fryer, capable of heating the air to a specified temperature in just a few seconds.

Although water heated more slowly, the time it took to reach the desired temperature within the field was not significantly longer.

To his delight, he noticed that the basin at the two-meter distance was emitting a faint wisp of white steam, indicating a temperature of around 90 degrees Celsius.

It was not far from reaching a full boil.

The spell's power had indeed increased slightly since the last time!

Rain then touched the water in the basins at one and three meters.

The water temperature in both basins had risen from the initial 40-50 degrees to a scalding 60-70 degrees Celsius.

Clearly, if an enemy were to fight within this high-temperature field, they would suffer immensely, as the temperature exceeded that of the scorching Sahara Desert.

Every second within the field would be agonizing for them! Especially if the enemy was also clad in metal armor.

In that instant, Rain envisioned the multi-layered, brightly colored stainless steel steamers from his past life, filled with plump meat buns, with steam billowing out—a vision that brought a radiant smile to his face.

---

Over the next few days, Rain rarely left his home.

Aside from occasionally training his spirit hound 'Cookie', Rain spent most of his time practicing the integration of spells, sword techniques, and hammer techniques.

During this period, Rain not only shared a small portion of the mutated bear meat with 'Cookie' but also devoured the remaining dozens of pounds himself!

Regarding transportation, Rain considered asking the Crowley family to prepare a carriage with a noble emblem, which could help him avoid some of the checkpoint inspections along the way.

However, Rain decided it would be best to maintain a low profile on this trip to the Ennoblement Examination.

After all, his conflicts with the Black Flame Cult had escalated to the point of no reconciliation, and it wouldn't be wise to let them know his destination.

Additionally, while Baron Alonso had been quiet lately, Rain didn't want to take any chances.

Rain recalled the route from Shangjin Town to Rosby City.

According to the information he had gathered, the journey from Shangjin Town to Rosby City had various options, especially as one approached Rosby City, where numerous smaller roads branched off.

If he wanted to maintain a low profile and take advantage of these smaller roads, a carriage might not be the best choice, as some of these roads were rough and uneven. Riding a horse alone would be more flexible and suitable for such terrain.

So, that afternoon, under the warm winter sun, Rain arrived at the southern edge of Shangjin Town, at John's Stable.

Unlike his previous visit for riding lessons, Rain was here to purchase two sturdy warhorses.

Soon, Rain encountered the ruddy-faced, middle-aged man—the stable owner, John Moyer.

"Sir Rain, what brings you here today?" John asked politely.

It seemed that John had already heard the news of Rain's appointment as the deputy city guard of Shangjin Town.

"Mr. John, I plan to buy two sturdy horses today, so I'd appreciate your help in selecting them," Rain said with a smile.

An hour later, Rain rode a black horse and led a brown one back home.

The reason for purchasing two horses was that a single horse couldn't bear the combined weight of Rain's full armor and luggage.

So, one horse would be for riding, and the other for carrying the luggage.

Rain also had a small experiment in mind.

Experiment: Researching the changes in muscle strength and endurance of horses after consuming the Mutation Growth Potion.

Subjects: Two almost equally strong black and brown horses.

Experiment Process: Over the course of seven days, a record was kept of the differences between a black horse fed with a mutated growth potion and an untreated brown horse.

One day before departure.

Rain obtained the experimental conclusion.

Experiment Conclusion: Within seven days, no dominant mutation was observed in the black horse, but it was estimated that the horse's muscle strength and endurance had increased by about twenty percent.

Apparently, the mutated growth potion not only worked on canines but also had a certain strengthening effect on animals in general.

That afternoon, Rain's home received an unexpected visitor—the head maid of the Habsburg Estate, Shadiya.

The usually stern maid, for once, smiled and said, "Rain, as per Miss's instructions, I have a letter to deliver to you."

"Hmm? Is this a letter from Miss Claire sent from the Imperial Capital?" Rain asked as he took the letter.

At the same time, he had a hunch.

"That's right! Miss was surprised to learn that you've entered the Extraordinary," Shadiya nodded and said.

As expected, Claire knew that he had entered the Extraordinary. Rain thought to himself.

The seal on the letter was intact, indicating that no one had opened it before Rain.

Without further ado, Rain opened the letter in front of Shadiya.

Inside were two sheets of paper.

The first sheet read:

"Rain, when I learned that you had entered the Extraordinary, I can only imagine the shock on my face at that moment.

Please allow me to retract my previous words.

Perhaps one day, you will achieve even greater things on the path of knighthood than I did.

But good talent requires the guidance of a master.

Now that you've entered the Extraordinary, you should understand this even more.

So, I have a letter of introduction here for Master Gunther Oettinga.

If you're interested, you can go to the Golden Coast in Rosby County, where he lives in seclusion, and study with him for a period of time within three months.

Master Gunther is undoubtedly a master of exquisite swordsmanship.

If you can gain something from this, it will surely be beneficial for you to pass the Ennoblement Examination later on."

At the end of the letter, Rain recognized the signature: Claire.

The second sheet of paper was Claire's letter of introduction for Master Gunther Oettinga.

"By the way, Rain, is there anything you'd like me to pass on to Miss?" Shadiya asked after seeing that Rain had finished reading the letter.

After a moment's thought, Rain replied, "Please tell Miss Claire thank you for her concern and support. I think I'll find a suitable time to visit Master Gunther."

Regarding Claire's suggestion to study under a reclusive swordsmanship master, Rain had no intention of refusing. After all, his knightly path had been inspired by Claire's guidance.

So, Rain had always held a favorable impression of Claire.

Furthermore, this letter demonstrated Claire's further goodwill towards him.

Initially, Claire had thought that he only had the potential to become an Extraordinary.

The next morning, at daybreak, after bidding farewell to his family, Rain mounted the sturdy black horse that had been 'enhanced' with the potion for seven days and set off towards his destination for the Ennoblement Examination—Rosby City.

Soon, Rain's figure disappeared at the end of the avenue.

Five days later.

Amidst the winter's icy rain, a gray winding path stretched through a forest covered in white icicles, leading towards the distant coast.

Two horses, one ahead of the other, trotted slowly along the path, with the stronger black horse carrying a fully plated knight. The knight had a distinctive appearance, carrying a greatsword and a two-handed warhammer on his back—a rare combination of dual weapons.

This was a significant departure from the typical knight's sword and shield or sword and bow pairings.

This knight was Rain.

Fortunately, the knight's armor was lined with sheepskin, providing excellent warmth, so even in the icy rain and damp surroundings, Rain didn't feel uncomfortable.

As for why he didn't use the fire spell 'Heat Field' to dry off?

Don't forget the warhorse beneath him, which couldn't withstand such high temperatures.

Behind him was a brown horse carrying three or four bundles, mostly containing daily necessities and food.

After five consecutive days of riding, their destination, Rosby City, was not far ahead.

Rain estimated that he would reach his destination in half a day at most.

After about half an hour, even Rain's sturdy black warhorse began to breathe heavily, and in the cold icy rain, two columns of steam rose slightly hurriedly from in front of the horse.

Rain knew he had to find a place to rest.

This was partly due to the weight of his two weapons, which exceeded the combined weight of a standard knight's armor and weapons! Moreover, Rain's Chrome Iron Set added to the burden, so it was normal for the black horse to tire, even though it was strong.

Perhaps, with continued feeding of the mutated growth potion, the black horse might undergo some mutation, but it would take a period of feeding to see the results.

After turning a bend in the forest path, Rain's keen ears caught the crisp sound of burning firewood.

Looking up, Rain saw through the icy rain and mist that someone had lit a campfire in the forest to his left.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end