Chapter 285: Talent Enhancement

Chapter 285: Talent Enhancement



"It turns out to be an ancient legendary from the evil cult. Tasa can smell the decay in their soul."

Following the voice, Rain looked up and saw a woman in a dark red mage robe floating down from the back of a red dragon.

Her mage robe seemed to have been specially tailored, with a wide neckline that pushed up a pair of pale, towering assets, giving the impression that they might spill out at any moment.

In contrast, her waist was much slimmer.

The hem of her mage robe was very long, dragging all the way to her heels, but the slit was extremely high, almost reaching the root of her thighs, perhaps for the convenience of riding a dragon.

This bold yet somewhat reserved style of dress made Rain involuntarily scrutinize her face.

Her nose was high-bridged, and her deep, piercing blue-purple eyes carried a hint of allure, as if one more glance would plunge one into a trance.

On either side of her light red hair, a pair of inconspicuous small hair clips held two strands of hair back, while the rest flowed naturally behind her.

Overall, Rain found it hard to judge her age beyond her beauty.

She could be in her twenties, thirties, or even forties.

At this moment, Viscount Filck, the deputy captain of the Minster Province Griffin Squadron, clad in light golden armor, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Princess Menia, Viscount Filck Finch, I pay my respects."

"Oh, you're the Finch family's youngest son. I remember I held you when you were a child," Menia glanced at Viscount Filck and said, looking somewhat nostalgic.

This made Filck's face turn slightly red, and he replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

However, it was clear that Menia's focus was not on Filck. She continued, "This ancient legendary from the evil cult, you must have killed him. Truly, heroes emerge from the young."

As Menia spoke, her appreciative gaze and penetrating eyes were fixed on Rain.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects," Rain bowed slightly and said.

"Yes, Princess Menia, this is Sir Rain from the Minster Swordsmen Branch. He was the one who killed this legendary from the evil cult," Kraya stepped forward and curtsied.

Menia glanced at Kraya and nodded, "A descendant of the Habsburg family, hello."

"Hmm?" Menia continued to curiously examine Rain, suddenly looking surprised and saying, "Rain, you might not have noticed, but you've been cursed by this ancient legendary."

Huh? Cursed?

Rain was taken aback and immediately opened his attribute panel to check.

Sure enough, the first line read: 'Rain Caran (Mark of Evil Flame)'

He had been focusing on the remaining attribute points at the bottom of the panel, so he hadn't noticed.

No wonder, despite using the special skill of the Beast Priest to heal his injuries, he still felt something was off.

However, the term used in the attribute panel was 'mark' rather than 'curse.'

Rain wasn't sure if this was just a difference in system terminology.

"Milady, is there any way to remove this curse?" Rain asked with a troubled expression.

"Removing curses is not my specialty. Generally, the Goddess Church can help you with that."

But after a moment's thought, Menia changed her mind, "Never mind, I'll do it. I can remove a legendary's curse."

"Great Flame Spirit" With a soft chant, Menia waved her staff, which was embedded with a fiery red crystal.

As she pointed her staff at Rain, a red fire ring suddenly appeared around him.

However, strangely enough,

In the next second, the fire ring suddenly shattered and disappeared into the air.

Hmm?

Menia's beautiful eyes widened, and her cherry lips parted in shock as she stared at her failed curse removal spell.

"How can this be?"

"How is this possible? Could it be—"

Menia quickly approached the deceased ancient hero Mong, her high-slit mage robe revealing glimpses of her inner attire as she walked.

When she crouched down to examine the body, her exaggerated waist-to-hip ratio was even more pronounced.

Soon, Menia frowned and turned to look at Rain, saying,

"Young man, it seems I cannot help you with this. The mark placed on you is not a curse, but a mark, meaning it was actually inflicted by an epic powerhouse."

"What!" Viscount Filck's eyes bulged in surprise, looking at Rain as if he had seen a ghost!

"An epic powerhouse?" Kraya's mouth opened slightly, her beautiful eyes wide open, completely stunned.

"An epic powerhouse?" Olenna, who followed behind, covered her mouth with her small hand, her face frozen in shock.

Menia's words caused a stir, and the surrounding guards were mostly confused.

What does an epic powerhouse mean?

Clearly, this was a blind spot in most people's knowledge.

Because they had never heard of such a thing.

Including Rain, everyone looked equally bewildered.

"Didn't I kill a legendary powerhouse?"

"How did it turn into an epic powerhouse?"

"Only Epic-level powerhouses can bestow such seals, so the opponent's true strength is undoubtedly Epic. However, due to being sealed away for an extended period, their power has likely diminished significantly."

"Princess Meynia, is there a way to remove the seal on me?"

"Of course. You can go to the Imperial Capital, and many Imperial Guardians there can help eliminate this curse."

"Is it only possible in the Imperial Capital?" Ren furrowed his brows slightly.

"Not necessarily. Perhaps you can try seeking the Minster Archbishop and see if they can remove the seal through a prayer ritual."

"Speaking of which, Ren, you don't need to worry too much. I can sense a violent and agitated power from this seal."

"The effect of this seal is to gradually make you more irritable and eventually, lose yourself completely."

"However, due to the opponent's weakened state, the intensity of the seal isn't too severe. It's more of a subtle influence that will take several months, or even half a year, to slowly change your temperament."

Ren nodded.

What a sinister seal.

This type of seal was far more insidious than ordinary curses that reduced one's physical attributes.

If not for his system panel, he might not have even realized he was affected.

However, with several months as the timeframe, there was no need to be overly anxious.

"You are indeed a lucky young man," Princess Meynia said, glancing at the warhammer in Ren's hand.

"That warhammer in your hand should be the opponent's Legendary Artifact."

"Legendary Artifact?" Ren asked, puzzled.

He had merely sensed that the weapon was extraordinary, but he wasn't sure of its exact caliber.

"Indeed, the blue and white square-shaped warhammer has a unique design. Perhaps you can look for information in the Wind and Ocean Goddess Church; they should have relevant records." Princess Meynia nodded.

"Ren, judging by your appearance, you're probably not even twenty years old yet. You are indeed an exceptional young talent. Even in the entire Empire, such cases are extremely rare."

"Perhaps you should consider joining the Royal Griffin Guard."

"If you're interested, you can take this Red Dragon Scale and become a Dragon Knight." As Kraya spoke, she took out a Red Dragon Scale.

Ren accepted the floating Red Dragon Scale, but his entire body stiffened slightly. He then said, "Thank you, Princess Meynia."

"Well, since everything seems to be in order here, I should return to the frontlines." Princess Meynia nodded at everyone and once again floated up, slowly rising into the air.

The massive Red Dragon spread its wide, meaty wings and flapped them, soaring into the sky.

Soon, its enormous body abruptly disappeared into the air.

"The Dragon Knights in the Imperial Capital are more numerous, but to avoid disturbing ordinary residents with the presence of these massive dragons and to prevent potential enemies from tracking the movements of the Dragon Knights, they usually conceal themselves and their dragons."

"Basically, every Dragon Knight will hide their own and their dragon's tracks." Kraya explained to Ren.

"Kraya is indeed knowledgeable and well-versed in these matters," said Viscount Filck, smiling at Ren.

Meanwhile, Olenna, standing beside them, looked at Ren with concern.

Her worry wasn't about the seal Ren had, as Princess Meynia had just explained its nature.

Although even Princess Meynia couldn't help Ren remove the seal for the time being, both the Imperial Guardians and the Minster Archbishop have the ability to do so.

Olenna's concern was that Princess Meynia might take Ren away.

The Minster Swordsmen Branch had finally found a top-tier talent like Ren, and if he were to be taken away, General Edward would undoubtedly feel a great sense of regret.

No!

She needed to immediately report this situation and suggest that they offer the best possible treatment and rewards to keep Ren.

"Ren, are you not interested in joining the Royal Griffin Guard?" Olenna asked, her voice slightly anxious.

"Hmm? Olenna, is there a problem with the Royal Griffin Guard?" Ren, who had been staring at the Red Dragon Scale, was a little confused by Olenna's question.

"Well..." Olenna wanted to say that it was a problem, but glancing at Viscount Filck, a Griffin Knight, she didn't know what to say.

At this moment, Ren's mind wasn't on the seal.

Because as soon as he touched the Red Dragon Scale, he received a system prompt:

【Ding! Host touches Dragon Scale, triggering the advanced class change - Dragon Knight (Epic)!】

【The prerequisite for the Dragon Knight (Epic) class change is: One, contract with any dragon; Two, Beast Knight level 5 or above; ??? Current conditions are not met! Dragon Knight (Epic) class change failed!】

At this moment, Langgel and Flay, covered in dust, rushed out from the tunnel, their faces dusty and disheveled.

As the guards nearby looked on with disappointment, Roland felt a pang of regret.

"Sir Roland, I'm so sorry. Freeman was severely injured by the enemy's powerful spell, which caused the tunnel to collapse. We had no choice but to retreat for the moment," said Flay, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Roland, a captain of the Golden Rank Swordsmen and a skilled fighter himself, had confidently assured his team that they would capture the enemy before the pursuit. But now, the enemy remained at large.

"It's alright, Captain Roland. You and your team have done your best. Take some time to rest and recover," Roland said, unbothered by the setback.

As the enemy rushed into the tunnel, Roland realized it would be challenging to keep them in check.

Firstly, due to the tunnel's unique terrain, if it collapsed, reopening it would require a soil-element wizard. Otherwise, they would have to rely on divine intervention, and the enemy would likely escape long before that.

Secondly, considering the strength of the Darkflame Church's Freeman, who was stronger than Laksoor, capturing the enemy wouldn't be easy.

Especially if the enemy was determined to flee, even with Roland in pursuit, success wasn't guaranteed.

Severely injuring the enemy was already a significant achievement.

Roland bid farewell to his team and returned to his room, deep in thought.

Roland contemplated the words spoken by Menia earlier.

Becoming a member of the Royal Griffin Guard was an honor and an opportunity, in the eyes of most Swordsmen, it was the best choice.

However, Roland knew that rapid progress in strength relied on constant battles and the tasks assigned by the Swordsmen organization.

Without these battles, his growth would have been much slower.

Roland quite enjoyed his current position within the Swordsmen organization. While he had the authority to assign tasks, the frequency was relatively low, with only a few tasks assigned each month.

Additionally, Roland had only recently joined the Minster Swordsmen Branch, and there was still much for him to learn and experience.

Therefore, in the short term, it was unlikely that he would consider traveling to the Imperial Capital.

However, speaking of which, Roland decided he should make a trip back to Minster soon.

"First, I must deal with the Darkflame imprint. Otherwise, it will remain a persistent issue," Roland thought.

"The Goddess Church's Archbishop Gomez should be able to help remove the curse, given the Golden Conch Medal. If there's a problem, I can ask the Swordsmen Branch for assistance," Roland added.

"I don't foresee any issues, but if necessary, I can request the help of the Swordsmen Branch."

Furthermore, upon returning to the branch, Roland wanted to inquire about a Near-Legendary level instructor who could teach the Willpower Light.

Although Roland now knew of a method to learn the Willpower Light, he felt that there might be other ways to accelerate the process.

Finally, after submitting this task, Roland expected to receive a substantial task evaluation, medals, and points. He considered requesting the assistance of some Grand Knight instructors to spar with and improve his newly acquired Extraordinary Battle Techniques.

Having witnessed the power of the Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) profession's core skills, Roland decided that he should quickly fulfill the promotion conditions for his current Epic profession, the Thousand Blade King.

The first prerequisite, 'Weapon Mastery Level 9 or higher,' has already been met.

The next prerequisite is 'Mastery of Nine Different High Techniques.'

This requirement will take considerable time and effort to fulfill.

Previously, Roland had been hesitant about allocating talent points, and the reason for this hesitation becomes clear.

If the talents 'Basic Weapon Mastery (Passive)' and 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' are both upgraded to intermediate talents.

As a result, not only will the power of other weapon techniques increase, but the cultivation speed of Extraordinary Battle Techniques will also enhanced.

In simpler terms, the promotion conditions for the Epic profession, Thousand Blade King, can be fulfilled in a shorter time.

"But life is but a single thread!"

Roland thought of his Darkflame imprint.

"In case any special circumstances arise during this period, enhancing defense and combat power is the top priority!"

After a moment's thought, Roland decided to prioritize upgrading his 'Intermediate Steel Body (Passive)' talent.

Roland had already suspected that the 'Talent Steel Body' talent, when upgraded from 'Basic' to 'Intermediate,' would also enhance his affinity with metal elements.

It's worth noting that for ordinary wizards, element affinity is determined at birth.

However, for Roland, by upgrading his Steel Body talent, he could further improve his affinity with metal elements.

This implies that once his Steel Body talent reaches the 'Advanced' level, his affinity with metal elements will increase further, thereby enhancing the power of metal-element spells he casts.

From this perspective, Roland decided to allocate talent points to 'Intermediate Steel Body (Passive)'.

Instantly, a strange heat flowed through Roland's body, and as he extended his right hand, he noticed a dense silver-gray metallic glow emanating from his skin.

The glow rippled like waves for a few seconds before gradually subsiding.

At that moment, a system prompt appeared:

【Congratulations, your Talent 'Intermediate Steel Body (Passive)' has been upgraded to 'Advanced Steel Body (Passive)'!】

Upon seeing the first Advanced Talent on his attribute panel, a radiant smile appeared on Rain's face.

It was night in Minster.

In the brightly lit Intelligence Hall deep within the Swordsmen Division.

Due to the recent turmoil in the Empire, the hall was bustling with activity. Dozens of staff members were scurrying back and forth, almost too busy to touch the ground.

The duty leader in the Intelligence Hall tonight was still the slightly pot-bellied Deputy Governor, Colin, a middle-aged balding man.

Leaning back in his soft and spacious deer skin chair, with his legs crossed on the desk, he casually sipped Yuton black tea, looking relaxed.

"Knock knock knock!"

"Sir Colin, there's an urgent report from Deputy Governor Olenna of the Task Hall." A petite and pretty female staff member hurried to the door, knocked, and reported somewhat hastily.

"Hmm? It's from Olenna? Read it!" Colin frowned, took another sip of Yuton black tea, and wondered why Olenna would have an urgent report.

Moreover, as the Deputy Governor of the Task Hall, shouldn't Olenna be staying in the Swordsmen Division, diligently handling official duties?

Why did she go out?

It seemed that the work in the Task Hall was indeed quite leisurely.

".Maistre, Count Habsburg's Manor, was attacked by a Black Flame Cultist, an ancient legendary powerhouse, 'Ancient Hero Mong', who has not yet fully recovered his strength."

".Our Golden Rank Swordsman Captain Rain, in a one-on-one battle, killed Ancient Hero Mong on the spot."

"Pfft~" Colin sprayed the Yuton black tea onto the front of the young, pretty female staff member.

Especially on her chest, which was soaked, but Colin didn't take the opportunity to wipe it off. Instead, he froze in place.

When Colin heard the first sentence about the Demon Legionary, his expression changed!

He thought that the next sentence would report the number of casualties, and it was possible that Count Habsburg had also suffered an unfortunate fate.

Or even that no one in the entire manor had survived, a dire situation.

But the next sentence suddenly took a turn, saying that Rain had instantly killed the Demon Legionary?

Wait, what?

Rain?

The newcomer Rain, who had joined the division less than two months ago?

"You just said Rain? Is it that Rain with the nickname 'Master Siege Hammer'?"

Ever since Rain took the opportunity to kill the Black Flame High Priestess of Wales County, Galina, and destroyed a Golem Guardian, Colin had firmly remembered Rain's name.

The pretty female staff member took out a tissue and wiped the Yuton black tea foam off her fair and lethal chest, glancing at her boss with a slightly annoyed expression. "Yes, Sir Colin."

"A legendary powerhouse? Seriously injured?"

"Yes."

"That's amazing! It's incredibly amazing!"

"He's only been in the Swordsmen Division for a short time, and he's already this powerful? Truly, his future is limitless." Deputy Governor Colin touched his shiny bald head and said.

At that moment, another female staff member appeared at the door, looking anxious.

"Come in!"

"What's the matter? Speak."

"Umm, Sir Colin, this... I can't say."

"This is a top-secret report from Deputy Governor Olenna of the Task Hall, marked as confidential. Currently, only you have the authority to view it in the entire Intelligence Hall." The female staff member looked around and said.

Confidential reports were not accessible to ordinary staff members in the Intelligence Hall. According to regulations, only the Deputy Governor and above could view them.

"Hmm? Olenna again?" Colin was taken aback.

After receiving the report, Colin waved his hand, signaling the two female staff members to step back.

He first checked the integrity of the red wax seal, then examined the seal imprint on the red wax to ensure it matched the sender's seal. Only then did he open the envelope.

After reading the confidential report, Colin was shocked beyond words. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open.

The two female staff members, seeing their boss's expression, couldn't help but exchange glances, wondering in their hearts if something major had happened to Maistre? Was the cult that formidable?

Colin's mind was buzzing at this moment!

Several keywords kept echoing in his mind: 'Imperial Griffin Knight Princess Menia', 'Epic Powerhouse', 'Named Holy Artifact'...

Each of these keywords should be extremely distant from a Swordsman newcomer, but now, they were all surrounding a newcomer!

"Sir Colin?"

"Sir? According to regulations, confidential reports should be reported to higher-ups immediately. Have you forgotten?" The female staff member cautiously asked.

"Oh, right! I remember!" Colin patted his shiny forehead and said, "I'll go to Admiral Edward right away and be back soon."

"Okay, Sir Colin!"

Colin quickly moved his slightly plump body and hurried out of the Intelligence Hall.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end