Chapter 203: Holy Knight!
Chapter 203: Holy Knight!
Magic Forest.
The absolute intelligence of the Divine Domain Fragment allowed Karl to control his body, but it also suppressed his urge to advance.
And the collapsing Divine Realm...
There, the Moon Goddess's barrier was present, intolerant of second-rank life forms, making it even less suitable for a breakthrough.
Only in the Magic Forest could everything proceed as normal.
So, after adjusting his state in the Divine Domain Fragment, he returned here.
Wizard Tower.
"Open for me!"
Karl's eyes blazed with fury, and his Martial Will, heightened to its limit, felt like countless steel needles piercing deep into his bloodline.
Instantly.
The solidified bloodline and the dormant sequences within him began to change under the stimulation of this Martial Will.
Cell division, surging blood, and trembling organs...
"Ugh!"
Karl's neck arched, his muscles taut, and even his pores exuded hot steam.
"Boom!"
An invisible thunderous force emerged from his Sea of Consciousness, sweeping through his entire body.
Change,
began.
Constitution: 19.8
20!
20.5!
...
22!
With a solid foundation and divine blessings, the process became incredibly smooth after the initial difficulties.
It was like shedding a cocoon and transforming into a butterfly, a rebirth where everything was different from before.
Second Rank!
Holy Knight!
Karl's eyes lit up, and his heart was filled with wild joy, but he didn't notice a certain power accumulating deep within his bloodline.
His data panel underwent a massive transformation.
Bloodline Purity: 40%
43%
45%
...
50%
"Crack!"
It was as if an eggshell was breaking from within his body. Karl's face was filled with astonishment as he slowly raised his arm.
Unbeknownst to him,
his hands had already transformed, covered in eyeballs and serrated tentacles, and his body had taken on a squid-like form.
A surge of explosive pain rushed towards his mind.
"Ah!"
Karl clenched his teeth and roared, his heart pounding even harder. He was well aware of his situation, but he hadn't expected it to happen at this moment.
Bloodline Fog!
This was a process that every bloodline wizard had to go through when advancing to the second rank, and it was also one of the reasons why many wizards avoided the bloodline path.
When the bloodline integration reached a certain level, the wizard's consciousness would be forcibly pulled into the bloodline integrated into their flesh.
For instance, if one were to integrate with an ant's bloodline, they would experience the life of an ant and even perceive themselves as one.
If one could break through the fog, they would naturally be able to advance successfully.
But if they couldn't...
the bloodline wizard would completely transform into the bloodline creature they had integrated with, becoming an aberration.
Success was rare!
This was one of the reasons why bloodline wizards weren't very popular; breaking through was one step more challenging than for ordinary wizards.
The Six-Circle Tower had potions to aid in bloodline spell breakthroughs, and Karl had been trying to obtain one.
However,
he hadn't expected his bloodline purity to rise to the limit due to his advancement on the Knight's Path, leaving him with no time to act.
...
"Sizzle..."
In the darkness, something resembling a fish egg floated, and a tiny squid crawled out of it.
The squid waved its tentacles, devouring the fish egg, and its closed eyes opened a slit.
'Karl' looked around, following his instincts, he moved forward and eventually fell through a hole.
Below was an endless number of similar squids.
Some were large, others small.
Countless squids gathered together.
The larger squids waved their tentacles, wrapping around the smaller ones nearby and devouring them one by one.
'Karl' grew slowly through the slaughter and consumption.
As his body grew, certain knowledge emerged in his mind, instinctively grasped.
He was in one of the layers of the Abyss, and he was the offspring of a primary mother, bred to follow and be loyal to the Overlord.
One day.
A melodious voice sounded.
"Children, the time to conquer the world has come. My bloodline will spread across the Abyss and conquer countless realms..."
As the voice fell, one by one, the Abyssal Squids were swallowed into the passages, heading towards unknown worlds.
'Karl', unable to resist, entered one of the passages, heading towards an unknown realm.
Birth!
Growth!
Conquest!
And then, offer the conquered world as a sacrifice to the 'Great Abyssal Overlord'—this was his mission!
'Karl' suddenly understood, and soon after, he felt empty beneath him, falling into a body of water.
In the days that followed, he devoured the fish and other creatures in the sea, and his body gradually grew larger.
He learned more and more about the Abyss, other realms, and his kind.
Another day.
A power similar to the Abyssal Overlord's descended upon him, and the dazed 'Karl' was compelled by it to move towards the shore.
On the shore,
he encountered many 'humans' and was captured and killed by one of them.
Hmm?
Did I die?
Karl's consciousness regressed, returning to its nascent state, as if he were to relive the process from birth to death.
Just then—
"Boom!"
A flash of thunderous light illuminated the Mind Sea, causing Karl's consciousness to stiffen. His body then appeared within the Divine Domain Fragment.
"Ugh..."
"I almost got lost!"
"Fortunately, I returned to the Divine Domain Fragment before breaking through, and the absolute rationality of the fragment suppressed the bloodline miasma."
Karl sighed in relief, his eyebrows slightly raised. "I never expected the Abyssal Squid to truly originate from the Abyss, and it even imparted some knowledge about the Abyss."
"There are two suspected fourth-rank spells in the blood memory."
"What a pity!"
"These spells are for communicating with the Abyssal Overlord and the Evil Eye Demon. Using them would be suicidal."
Name: Karl
Constitution: 22.6
Mental Power: 13
Source Essence: 4
Rank: Second Rank Holy Knight, First Circle Wizard
Abyssal Bloodline Integration: 50%
Arcane Arts: Tidal Power, Thunder Wing, Thundering Wrath, Whisper of Life...
Sacred Techniques: Angel's Spear, Celestial Wolf Phantom Fist, Divine Demon Transformation, Thousand Buddha Hands...
Seal: Earth-Shaking...
"Second Rank!"
"Even though knights are no match for wizards, with the Thousand Buddha Hands of the Hundred Hands Realm can unleash several times its power. In terms of strength, it's not necessarily weaker than a newly-entered Second Circle Wizard."
"Moreover..."
Karl's eyes flickered with realization.
"After dispelling the bloodline miasma, the Abyssal Squid's innate ability, the Fear Aura, has its rank pseudo-Third Rank."
"This gives me some leverage against a Second Circle Wizard."
In the following days, after organizing his gains, Karl repeatedly contemplated the Divine Gift of the Phantom City, gaining no increase in cultivation but deepening his understanding of thunder-attributed arcane arts and sacred techniques.
"Messenger Bowen."
One day,
when he felt that his understanding of the Divine Gift was lacking, he visited Bowen and shared his thoughts:
"I want to see the cultivation methods that the Divine Messengers of the Phantom City have gained from the Divine Gift. I'm willing to offer something in exchange."
The Divine Messengers of the Phantom City had cultivated numerous techniques from the Divine Gift, including thunder-attributed sacred techniques and secret arts akin to arcane arts, which were of great help to Karl.
Especially the secret arts.
Not only could they enhance Thundering Wrath, but they also increased the power of the Thunder Wing, further improving his understanding of the Thousand Buddha Hands' thunder-attributed hand seals, offering numerous benefits.
"No need!"
Bowen waved his hand. "Karl, the Divine Messenger, saved the people of the Phantom City. He's our benefactor. You can freely examine these things."
He produced a thick stack of stone tablets.
The Phantom City lacked the technology and materials to produce paper, so much of its knowledge was recorded on stone tablets.
Furthermore,
literacy was uncommon, and most skilled individuals relied on oral traditions without written records.
"Feel free to ask me if anything is unclear." Bowen continued, "The records may have errors, and regarding the Thunder Summoning, I have my own insights."
His casual tone made Karl feel slightly uneasy.
For wizards, everything had a price, especially knowledge. There was never anything free. Even when a mentor taught a disciple, the disciple had to pay a fee.
Bowen's lack of caution in offering the Phantom City's accumulated wisdom was beyond Karl's expectations.
Karl ran his hand over the stone tablets and spoke softly, "I have two nests similar to the Queen Worm's, but they cultivate ants, which are edible."
"Consider this my payment for examining these things."
"Thank you!" Bowen's eyes lit up, but he didn't delay, as food was indeed scarce in the city.
"You're welcome." Karl shook his head. "This is a transaction."
Upon returning to the Magic Forest, Karl took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook his head.
"As expected!"
"At Second Rank, one has to endure the pressure from the Moon Goddess's barrier, and power will continuously weaken until it drops below Second Rank."
"In other words..."
"From now on, my strength in the other world can no longer improve!"
After collecting himself, he turned towards the direction of the high tower, a complex mix of emotions stirring in his heart.
A few days later,
they would embark on a journey to visit every wizard in the Calim Continent, the land of Omar and his companions.
Originally,
he was one of them.
"Alas!"
"The Calim Continent... After offending the Green Family, not only there but even here, I might not be able to stay. Thankfully, reaching Second Rank has given me some resistance."
(End of Chapter)
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