Chapter 244: The Concert

Chapter 244: The Concert

"Andie and I once made a pact." Luo En spoke slowly:

"The Ralph Family will form a marital alliance with the royal family to solidify our bond. Specifically, the heir's descendants will marry Andie's future lineage."

The news exploded like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the hall.

Eldest Brother Edmund's face twisted in disbelief, while Father instantly surged with excitement, nearly leaping from his seat.

"Marriage... with the royal family?!"

Earl's voice trembled, his eyes blazing with euphoric light:

"This is an honor our family has never dared to dream of in centuries!"

"Luo En... Is this truly real?" Edmund struggled to contain his excitement. "Prince Andie actually agreed to such an alliance?"

Luo En nodded.

"Not only did he agree, but we've formalized this pact through an official Contract. Its validity spans one thousand years, sufficient to cover countless future generations."

"One thousand years..." Earl murmured, reverence flooding his expression.

"This is practically an eternal alliance."

"One thousand years is the longest duration I can currently impose on an extraordinary Contract", Luo En explained, his tone contemplative.

"To ordinary human dynasties, it's an immeasurably vast span."

He recalled Andie's complex expression when signing the Contract.

"Andie remarked back then, 'Even for a royal family like ours, one thousand years feels unimaginably long. Historically, the longest-lasting dynasty barely endured five centuries. Whether our royal bloodline survives until this Contract's end remains uncertain.'"

Luo En had simply smiled at the time:

"As long as the Falu Keroyal bloodline persists, the Contract will hold. Besides, for beings like me, one thousand years is merely a fleeting moment."

Snapping back to reality, Luo En noticed Father and Brother still reeling from shock and joy.

"My child... allied with the royal family..."

Edmund seemed unable to believe it: "This means the Ralph Family will become the kingdom's royal kin!"

"Precisely", Luo En added.

"Andie promised that once he ascends the throne, the Ralph Family will be ennobled as hereditary dukes, becoming the kingdom's highest-ranking nobility."

The declaration struck Earl and Edmund like lightning. This time, Edmund even knocked over his wine glass in shock.

Crimson wine spread across the tablecloth like blooming roses.

"A hereditary dukedom..." Earl's voice cracked, tears glimmering in his eyes:

"Luo En, my child, the glory you've bestowed upon our family has surpassed centuries of our ancestors' efforts."

Watching Father's face tremble with excitement, Luo En felt an indescribable reflection stirring within.

His mind drifted to his past life's family—a simple yet warm household where his parents had toiled tirelessly to provide him a better life.

Now, in this world, he wielded his power to bring honor and security to his new family.

Though their forms differed drastically, perhaps their essences were the same.

"These are merely things within my capability", Luo En said softly, warmth flickering in his eyes. "The family raised me, granting me my initial identity and status. Naturally, I should repay them within my abilities."

Edmund's eyes glistened at these words. After a pause, he finally gathered courage to ask:

"Luo En... I've always wondered, what's it like to become a Full Mage? Is that power truly as legendary as tales claim?"

Luo En fell silent briefly, as if contemplating how to describe such transcendence to mortals.

"That shock and transformation—that's the sensation of becoming a Full Mage."

He paused, continuing:

"It's not merely enhanced power, but a complete reawakening to the world's essence. I perceive mana flows undetectable to ordinary people. I comprehend laws transcending common knowledge. Such experiences... defy accurate verbal description."

Father and Brother listened spellbound, reverence and yearning glowing in their eyes.

"Then... your lifespan..."

Earl hesitated before asking the sensitive question. "Has it been dramatically prolonged as legends claim?"

Luo En nodded slightly.

"A Full Mage's natural lifespan indeed surpasses mortals. A Dawn Star Rank Mage lives around five hundred years, Moonlight Rank around six to seven hundred, and Dusk Sun Rank exceeds eight hundred. As for Archmages, their lifespans stretch into thousands of years."

Earl and Edmund fell silent, a flicker of sorrow passing their eyes.

This meant their lifespans were but candle flames compared to Luo En's—flickering out in an instant.

Seeing their thoughts, Luo En gently reassured:

"But this doesn't weaken our bonds. No matter how time flows, the bloodline remains. Even hundreds of years later, the Ralph Family will always have my protection."

This reignited hope in their eyes.

Though mortal lives were fleeting, family lineages could endure eternally.

With a powerful guardian like Luo En, their future would inevitably shine brighter.

"Speaking of time..."

Luo En's gaze turned distant, as if traversing endless ages:

"In hundreds of years, I don't know where I'll be or what I'll become. The path ahead remains long, each step shrouded in unknowns."

Father and Brother listened silently, unwilling to interrupt the young mage's musings.

After the banquet, Luo En ascended to the castle's rooftop—a place he cherished when not venturing into the Black Mist Jungle.

The stars above glittered like an endless sea, the Milky Way stretching across the heavens like a road to eternity.

Standing at the castle's highest point, gazing at the gradually familiar constellations, Luo En's thoughts roamed boundless.

Now, he could sense the connections between stars, drawing power through "Star Projection" from those distant celestial bodies.

The journey ahead remained long, but each step would bring him closer to ultimate transcendence.

...

...

The northern border winds always howled especially fiercely.

Particularly during this season, icy currents swept down from polar plains, carrying fine ice crystals that sliced unprotected skin.

Luo En stood atop a cliffside observation platform, overlooking the winding valley below.

This marked the last line of defense in the kingdom's northern territory—a natural barrier where rebellious earls sought to halt Andie's armies.

Under morning light, the valley lay bare—rows of tents, Half-Beast soldiers in formation, and most notably, the Polar Half-Beast Cavalry Division.

These creatures averaged two meters tall, riding colossal snow wolves, wielding cold-iron weapons. Each radiated heart-pounding primal energy.

"Looks like the intelligence was accurate", Andie stood beside Luo En, golden vertical pupils gleaming with dread. "These beasts are among the north's most terrifying forces. Ordinary soldiers stand virtually no chance against them."

Luo En's expression remained calm, seemingly unfazed by the terrifying spectacle below.

His gaze pierced the valley, settling on the massive black tent ahead—the likely rebel command center.

"How many?" he asked casually, as if inquiring about today's weather.

"According to scouts—approximately three hundred Polar Half-Beast Cavalry, plus over two thousand mixed troops", Andie reported, then added grimly:

"If it were ordinary rebels, I'd confidently suppress them with our forces. But these Half-Beast Cavalry..."

His voice trailed off, concern etched on his face.

Each Polar Half-Beast rivaled seasoned knight squires in power.

And their steeds—the domesticated Tundra Colossus Wolves—were equally terrifying war machines.

"No need to worry", Luo En said softly, lips curving slightly.

"Today, I'll let these savages appreciate a little... true music."

So saying, he withdrew a violin from his Storage Bag.

The one gifted by Cui Xi had become a mere collectible, as ordinary instruments couldn't withstand his mana.

This new creation was one of his recent alchemy projects—a translucent blue crystal body, with harp strings painstakingly crafted from a rare creature's intestines, emitting faint silver light.

Andie's eyes widened in surprise. He'd never seen Luo En wield a musical instrument in battle.

Yet he knew better than to question—whatever came next would certainly defy normality.

"Order your troops to block their ears and retreat to the downwind position", Luo En instructed seriously.

"The upcoming concert is meant for enemies alone."

Andie quickly relayed the command through his Messenger.

Soon, after the kingdom soldiers retreated to a safe distance, they stuffed their ears with special wax balls, readying for an immediate charge.

Luo En strode to the cliff's most protruding point, offering a panoramic view of the entire valley.

The valley naturally functioned as an acoustic chamber, amplifying any sound multiple times over.

He placed the violin on his shoulder, inhaled deeply, closed his eyes—sensing the subtle mana flows wafting through the wind.

Unconsciously, Andie stepped back two paces, a nameless fear rising in his chest.

Even he could feel the subtle transformations rippling through the air around Luo En, like ripples expanding across water's surface.

"You'd best block your ears too", Luo En reminded, voice carrying concern.

"Though I'll try controlling the effects, music's power sometimes creates unforeseen consequences."

Andie swiftly complied, inserting wax balls before retreating downwind, anticipating the terrifying spectacle ahead.

Luo En slowly raised his bow, stillness lingering for a moment as if waiting for the perfect timing.

Then, as a mountain gust howled past, he began playing.

The first note fell like a single droplet into still water.

Seemingly mundane, yet invisibly triggering ripples of mana.

The melody started gentle, like a lover's hushed whisper—irresistibly enchanting.

Below in the valley, human soldiers paused their activities, puzzled, lifting their heads to locate the sound's source.

The Polar Half-Beasts vigilantly perked up their ears, their innate sensitivity to Mana Fluctuations detecting an unusual aura.

Andie stood nearby, his ears plugged yet still feeling faint vibrations in the air.

He watched as Luo En’s body began emanating a murky, flowing sheen. Each note from his violin rippled outward as tiny mana waves, spreading concentrically through the air.

As the melody deepened, the rhythm grew more complex. Luo En’s fingers danced across the harp strings, each note carrying precisely calculated frequencies and mana that formed distinct vibration patterns.

These seemingly random melodies were actually based on ancient syllables recorded in The Murmuring of the Star Devourer, cleverly transformed by Luo En into a form conveyable through musical instruments.

This was the terrifying essence of Erosion Sonata—it bypassed conventional spirit defenses, directly resonating with the essence of souls to inflict irreversible damage.

In the valley, the Tundra Colossus Wolves were the first to sense the anomaly. They growled restlessly, some circling in place as if struggling against invisible restraints.

The music intensified. Luo En’s bow slashed like lightning across the harp strings, releasing a barrage of high-frequency notes. These notes solidified into countless soundwave blades, sweeping toward the valley.

Andie gasped as visible twisting trails formed in the air, like tidal waves crashing into enemy ranks.

When the first sonic wave struck the Polar Half-Beast Cavalry Division, a bizarre scene unfolded: these mighty beasts froze mid-movement, their eyes widening in terror. Some clutched their ears, howling in agony; others fell from their mounts, rolling wildly as if ants were devouring their brains.

The Tundra Colossus Wolves reacted even more violently. They bit their own fur, turned on their comrades, and plunged the valley into chaos.

But this was only the beginning.

As Luo En’s playing reached a crescendo, his violin emitted a sinister glow. Each note between the harp strings pulsed with tangible mana, forming purplish-black ripples visible to the eye—a vast web engulfing the valley.

His power peaked. The music sliced through the air like blades, each note a lethal force. A lavender mana vortex swirled around him, expanding and contracting with the melody.

Andie stared, awestruck. Even knowing Luo En’s strength, witnessing this miracle of destruction left his heart trembling.

The second wave struck harder. Wails erupted from the Cavalry Division as black liquid spilled from noses and eyes. Some clawed at their skin, as though something writhed inside. Most horrifying were the heads exploding like overripe melons struck by hammers.

Chimeric splatters of red and black stained the battlefield, dyeing it crimson. The Tundra Colossus Wolves collapsed next, their orifices bleeding black. They twitched and fell still.

The scene was a nightmare cloaked in sinister beauty—a gruesome painting of blood unfolding to the symphony of death.

Regular soldiers, though unscathed, fled in panic, abandoning weapons and purpose alike. Commanders in black tents rushed out, only to freeze at the sight of their once-invincible Cavalry Division reduced to a blood-soaked ruin.

Worst of all was the eerie energy fluctuation—a suffocating pressure, as if unseen hands gripped their throats.

And the source stood atop the cliff: a black-cloaked figure with a glowing violin.

As the final note of Erosion Sonata faded—a dying star’s last light—Luo En lowered his violin, gazing calmly at the valley below.

The battlefield was now a graveyard. The once-feared Polar Half-Beast Cavalry Division lay in pieces; surviving soldiers either bled out or scattered like ants.

Most astonishingly, Luo En felt Soul Mana streaming from the corpses, drawn into his body’s "Thousand Shifting Shadows" like rivulets merging into a river.

[Detected sufficient Soul Mana. Charging Progress +25%]

[Current Charging Progress: 57%/100%]

Luo En raised an eyebrow. The Polar Half-Beasts’ Soul Mana was far richer than ordinary beings—a pleasant surprise.

Meanwhile, a new message appeared on his profession interface:

[New Feature Notification:

Fusion Recording unlocks at 100% Charging.

Fuses two Recorded Abilities to create a new effect.

Note: Results depend on original ability compatibility and user understanding.

Outcomes of deep fusion are unpredictable in strength and traits.]

"Interesting", Luo En murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Merging abilities had been his focus. Combining their strengths into a new effect could exponentially boost his power.

Andie removed his earplugs, approaching with reverence. "Incredible. A single song destroyed an entire division."

Luo En sheathed the violin into his Storage Bag. "Erosion Sonata channels the Whispering of Stars and spirit shocks through music. This was its first battlefield test."

He glanced at the ruins. "The effects met expectations."

Met expectations? Andie thought, stunned. To Luo En, this godlike devastation was merely routine.

This was the gap between a Full Mage and commoners.

"But what now?" Andie asked. "Attack their command?"

Luo En shook his head. "The deterrence is complete." He pointed to fleeing figures near the black tents: "They’re already retreating."

The Rebellion Army withdrew orderly, leaving corpses and weapons. Survivors understood one truth: opposing a Full Mage who annihilated Polar Half-Beast Cavalry was suicidal.

"The goal was to show Resistance’s cost", Luo En said coldly. "Soldiers are valuable labor. Killing needlessly is wasteful."

Andie nodded, eyes gleaming. "This will shake the border Earls’ neutrality."

"Indeed." Luo En turned to leave. "Clean up the battlefield. I have other matters."

With that, he vanished into shadows, leaving Andie atop the cliff, staring at the dead valley, his heart brimming with anticipation.

Back in his private Palace chamber, Luo En meditated, analyzing the battle.

Erosion Sonata surpassed expectations, especially amplified by the valley’s natural acoustics. He’d also solved a critical flaw—collateral damage. During the Sonata, non-targets like the Half-Beast Cavalry Division showed no adverse effects.

Yet, the upcoming "Fusion Recording" of Thousand Shifting Shadows enthralled him most.

"Still need 100% charge", he muttered, mind racing with possibilities. Each fusion combination held infinite potential—and risk.

This was the essence of transcendence: relentless exploration, seeking breakthroughs through unknown perils to seize power.

He closed his eyes, feeling mana flow and his transformed shadows. A faint smile crossed his lips. The Northern expedition had yielded far more than he’d hoped.

Tomorrow, he’d visit the Royal Treasury to seek the complete lineage of Solar Corona Breathing Technique—especially the knights’ ultimate realm, Sun Crown Knights.

That was his journey’s final destination.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end