Chapter 289: The Gaze

Chapter 289: The Gaze



Extrester was well aware of his situation.

After reaching the tier of Crystal Wizard, further advancement became incredibly difficult.

At this point, the only way to enhance his strength was to find a way to please the great Hunting God and seek divine blessings.

Sacrificing ordinary people would only grant him the power to ascend to a higher tier if the number was in the tens of thousands.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"What a coincidence, Freeman. Burges has also returned," Extrester said with a smile.

Burges? Upon hearing this name, Freeman's expression froze.

Like Freeman, Burges was one of Extrester's deputies, and they had engaged in fierce internal struggles while Extrester remained behind the scenes.

As Extrester opened the door, Freeman caught sight of Burges' familiar figure.

This time, Burges was holding something frame-like, covered in black cloth.

Freeman could only guess its contents due to the concealment.

"High Priest, Freeman is here too," Burges exclaimed, surprised to see Freeman there as well.

"It seems the task went smoothly," Extrester said, closing the door and focusing on the black cloth-covered object in Burges' hands.

This piqued Freeman's curiosity, and he, too, turned his attention to the object.

"A stroke of luck!"

Burges didn't keep them waiting and immediately removed the black cloth.

Indeed, as Freeman had guessed, it was a painting.

As Burges turned the painting to face them, Freeman's pupils constricted, and his face showed shock!

He immediately thought of something and blurted out, "High Priest, is this the painting known as 'The Gaze' in the church's history?"

"That's right, Freeman. It seems you've been studying the ancient scriptures of the church lately," Extrester said with a slight smile.

The painting depicted a simple scene.

A seven or eight-year-old boy, holding the hand of a girl doll, stood before a glass-paned door. The inside of the door's square glass panes had various childlike handprints on them.

The handprints were small, indicating they were made by children, and their directions were inconsistent.

But if one stared closely at the glass door, faint, small, transparent figures seemed to be visible within.

The most striking feature of the painting was that the girl doll's eyes were entirely black, and the boy's eyes were the same. They stood with their bodies slightly turned, gazing at something.

Even though their faces were turned away, those who looked at the painting felt an eerie sensation of being watched.

Meanwhile, in the Meister County City, at the Hubert Duke Manor.

"I never expected the Flame Lizard Breath Technique to have such a good fusion effect. What about the Bloodline Breath Technique? Can I cultivate it? If I can, will the fusion effect be even better?" Rain thought, his sleepiness disappearing as he became excited.

After some contemplation, Rain left his room and headed towards Kraya's room.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Who is it?" a cautious female voice asked.

"It's me, Rain."

Rain could clearly sense Kraya's breath relax, and soon, footsteps approached from inside, and the door opened.

Kraya was wearing a white silk sleep gown, low-cut and lacy, revealing large areas of her fair and delicate skin. Her waist and below were accentuated by the gown, highlighting her full and curvaceous hips.

Kraya never expected Rain to come looking for her at this late hour. She had already changed into her sleepwear and was resting.

When she opened the door, she noticed Rain's gaze linger slightly on a certain part of her body.

Kraya realized that her sleepwear was not only lacy but also semi-transparent due to the thin silk material, revealing her fair skin. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Rain, you..." Kraya's heart raced, thinking Rain might have come with certain intentions.

"Cough, Kraya, I wanted to ask if the Bloodline Breath Technique can only be cultivated by those with a specific bloodline?"

Hearing Rain's question, Kraya's beautiful eyes fixed on him, as if saying, 'You woke me up in the middle of the night just to ask this?'

"Of course, it's not just that ordinary people can't cultivate it. If the offspring doesn't have the right bloodline, they also can't cultivate the Bloodline Breath Technique to completion."

Rain nodded at Kraya's response, not surprised by this conclusion.

However, Rain had something that others didn't—the system.

Whether it was possible or not, he had to try it to know.

Rain had just thought about this question. If he could cultivate the Bloodline Breath Technique, then where could he find it? The answer was obvious—the Habsburg family.

"Kraya, can I take a look at the Habsburg family's Bloodline Breath Technique? Of course, if it's top-secret or inconvenient, then never mind."

Rain chose his words carefully, speaking as politely as possible.

"Of course you can."

To Rain's surprise, Kraya readily agreed.

She immediately turned and fetched a scroll from the cabinet in the bedroom, handing it to Rain.

"Thank you!"

The delighted Rain opened the scroll right away.

Soon, he noticed the differences between the Bloodline Breath Technique and ordinary breathing techniques. The Bloodline Breath Technique had additional sensory descriptions in the accompanying movement posture annotations.

For instance, the first movement required one to sense a unique rhythm in a specific part of the body to be considered complete.

This caused Rain to fall into deep thought, and before long, he began performing the first movement right there in Kraya's room, disregarding her presence.

Kraya watched Rain with great interest, feeling both happy and a little disappointed.

It was a good thing that her Guardian Knight was so diligent.

But the fact that he came late at night to practice made her feel a bit let down.

Rain repeated the first movement several times.

He was certain that his posture was correct, but he couldn't sense the rhythm in his scapula at all.

According to the requirements of the Bloodline Breath Technique, one must feel this rhythm to complete the technique.

"Kraya, do you know about the bloodline breathing techniques of other families?" Rain asked.

"Yes, this is a special effect that only those with a bloodline can achieve when practicing the corresponding bloodline breathing technique." Kraya nodded.

Rain nodded in understanding.

It seemed that the Bloodline Breath Technique was indeed beyond his reach.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

For him, as long as he could get started, he could use the system to allocate points and directly enhance and merge the Bloodline Breath Technique.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the Bloodline Breath Technique was incompatible with him.

"It looks like I'll have to go back to the division and exchange for an excellent-tier breathing technique." Rain thought to himself.

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, the leaves in the garden were emerald green with dew.

Rain had already mounted his Swift-Stepping Horned Horse, Blacky, and Kraya and a few others were seeing him off.

The Langler Trio had left for Norm Province ahead of Rain.

"Rain, if you have any other matters to attend to in Mayorst, you can contact me directly. I'll probably be in Mayorst for the next month or two."

Kraya's beautiful eyes fixed on Rain as she spoke.

The situation in Mayorst was dire, and without Rain, the centuries-old heritage of the Habsburg family might have been destroyed in an instant.

Especially the Blackflame Church's secret weapon, which was the resurrection of an Epic-tier ancient powerhouse.

If it weren't for Rain holding off the opponent, even if Princess Menia, the Dragon Knight, could have quickly come to their aid, by the time she arrived, all they could do was collect the Habsburg family's remains.

"Well, there is actually one more thing. I was planning to go there myself."

"Kraya, the family of Shangjin Town Sheriff Lord Hamilton, who sacrificed himself, should be in the county city. I hope you can help take care of them."

"Of course, no problem. Shadiya, please find out where Hamilton's widow lives, and I'll go there in person."

Kraya turned to the head maid beside her and said.

"Yes, Miss Kraya." The head maid bowed slightly and replied.

After bidding farewell, Rain's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the road.

The head maid also felt a sense of loss as Rain left, saying, "Miss, why didn't you let Lord Rain stay?"

"It's clear that you have a good impression of Lord Rain, and he likes you too."

Kraya shook her head, her face slightly red, but she didn't deny it, saying, "It's not appropriate now. I need to deal with my father's and the family's matters in Mayorst first."

"Also, I'm about to awaken soon!"

"What? You're going to awaken?" The head maid covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide.

As Kraya's personal maid since childhood, Shadiya knew more than others.

The Habsburg family, as a bloodline noble family, had faced the challenge of insufficient bloodline purity in their descendants, resulting in not everyone being able to awaken in each generation.

For example, in Kraya's father's generation, no one had awakened their bloodline talent.

---

On the military airship, Rain frowned slightly as he saw the injured being brought on board.

These wounded soldiers were often quite capable, either full knights or veteran knights, judging from their shoulder insignia, they were at least captains or majors. Some of the severely injured had their lower bodies cut off by some powerful force, and they were being transported to the rear for treatment.

"Logically, with the Empire's Guardian, Dragon Knight Princess Menia, taking action, the battlefield should have been a walkover."

"Why does it still look like there are heavy casualties?"

Rain was about to stop a colonel in charge of transporting the wounded to ask, when suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Hey, is that you, Lord Rain?"

"Odins, from the Swift Dragon Squad!" Odins, a member of the Swift Dragon Squad, was delighted to see Rain and greeted him enthusiastically.

Odin was one of the personnel rescued by Rain in the Blood Curse Naga Cave, a member of the Earthshaker 'Velociraptor' Squad.

"Odin, do you have a moment to chat?" Rain asked with a smile, happy to encounter a familiar face.

"Of course."

The two of them proceeded to Rain's private cabin.

As Rain brewed some Yorton Red Tea, he inquired, "Is the battle at the Port Town front still intense? Didn't Princess Menia, the Red Queen, already intervene?"

"Eh? Lord Rain, how did you know about this? It's classified information," Odin exclaimed in surprise.

But he immediately seemed to realize something and continued, "Well, the commotion that day was too big; most people on the front line witnessed it, so it's normal for some information to spread."

"That day?"

"Yes, Lord Rain, didn't you see the pillar of light?" Odin looked puzzled, as if Rain's information source didn't align with his expectations.

"Was Princess Menia fighting the enemy?"

"This..." Odin hesitated.

Rain immediately understood that this was probably classified information, and according to the rules, Odin shouldn't disclose it.

However, after some thought, Rain took out a Red Dragon Scale, slightly larger than an adult's palm, from his pocket and showed it to Odin, saying, "Princess Menia gave this to me, so..."

"What!" Odin exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.

He was still hesitating about whether to violate the rules and share some confidential information with Lord Rain, who had rescued him.

But upon seeing the Red Dragon Scale, Odin realized his worries and hesitations were unnecessary.

Without further ado, he spilled the beans, "The Sealed Gateway... It was opened by the Sea Tribe and the Sea God Sect, and inside was the Tailfin Triple-Headed Sea Dragon, a divine creature. The Red Queen, Princess Menia, couldn't defeat it, allowing it to escape into the deep sea."

"Lord Rain, you know about the Sealed Gateway, right? It's said that the ancient human kingdoms and the True God Churches sealed some formidable evils within."

Rain nodded, his brows furrowed.

"So, the Tailfin Triple-Headed Sea Dragon was behind that Sealed Gateway."

"Yes, Lord Rain, you didn't see its might. It was terrifying!"

"A giant creature, thirty to forty meters tall, creating towering waves. Even as a Grand Knight, I felt tremors throughout my body, let alone the ordinary soldiers."

"I was there at the scene. The Red Queen used a Holy Artifact to heavily injure it, turning the tide of the battle."

"Odin, how many of these Sealed Gateways are there within the Empire's territory?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure about that, but this information is likely top-secret within the Empire."

Rain nodded, agreeing that it should be so.

Even the head of the Minster Swordbearer Division, Admiral Edward, might not have access to this information, let alone Odin.

He had been too anxious.

After Odin left, Rain crossed his arms and paced back and forth in his cabin.

"Why does this world feel increasingly dangerous?"

"Or is it that it's always been this dangerous, but because my level was too low, I didn't have access to this information?"

"The Sealed Gateway? Could the ancient hero, Mong, have been released from one of these gates by the Darkflame Church?"

"And divine creatures... Anything with the word 'divine' is probably formidable and likely stronger than the ancient hero, Mong."

After much contemplation, Rain sighed.

Ever since his class change to a War Hammer Wizard, Rain had been secretly pleased with his recent progress.

With the backing of the Empire, Rain felt he had gained some strength in this extraordinary world.

But now it seemed...

His strength was still insufficient!

The power of Princess Menia, the Red Queen, was unfathomable, which Rain had personally experienced.

The fact that even she couldn't defeat the weakened Tailfin Triple-Headed Sea Dragon that had been sealed away for so long was a testament to the enemy's strength.

"No wonder the front line could only gain a limited advantage without completely eliminating or expelling the enemy."

At that moment, a system prompt quietly appeared:

[Congratulations! Your Physique attribute has increased!]



"Hmm?"

"The effects of the merged breathing technique are so noticeable?" Rain raised his eyebrows.

He checked his attribute panel:

Physique: 45

Strength: 46

Agility: 45

Spirit: 55

Willpower (Hidden Attribute): 2

"Indeed, the original Bear King Breath Technique was barely fine-quality, after all, it was a regular Bear Breath Technique merged with an inner breath technique, with only seven movements."

"But now, the Fire Bear Breath Technique has twenty-four movements."

"Even for my current advanced Grand Knight-level physique, there's a noticeable boost."

Rain could feel a continuous warmth in his calves, waist, and other small muscle groups.

It was as if something was slowly nourishing those tiny muscle groups and fascia.

He remembered that this feeling was most noticeable after he woke up that morning and completed all twenty-four movements.

"A warm waist?"

"A warm waist means a healthy kidney? So, my physique increased?"

"

Additionally, Rain seemed to have a sense that his perception of the surrounding flame energy particles was slightly stronger.

But this change was extremely subtle.

If it weren't for his mental state as a formal wizard, he wouldn't have noticed this change.

However, he wasn't entirely sure if it was a natural enhancement of the energy particle concentration around him, something Kraya had mentioned.

In numerical terms, the change was in the decimal places.

This couldn't help but make Rain thoughtful.

"At the Knight stage, the Fire Bear Breath Technique combined with the advanced potion of the Iron Mane Bear King resulted in a certain evolution or mutation of the body, which led to the acquisition of extraordinary traits."

"Then, as I advanced to Grand Knight, my extraordinary traits were further enhanced and became talents."

"Seems like..."

As Rain pondered, he felt that the Breath Technique was primarily about improving one's physical qualities.

"At the same time, there's also a slight chance that it will allow a person to develop extraordinary traits."

"For ordinary people, the process would stop here."

"But because I have the system, I can further amplify this and turn it into talents!"

"So, in other words, if I..."

At this thought, Rain's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Before long, the military airship arrived in Minster after several hours of flight.

Due to the presence of the Black Warhorse and the Lurcher Warhound, Rain naturally went home first.

His mother Emma, father Old Rain, and sister Mint were all there, but Jennifer and Jenny were not.

Upon inquiry, Rain learned that the two had gone to explore new trade opportunities.

The reason for this was the unstable situation in Mayorst County. The overseas shipping routes that used to dock at Port Town had long been completely cut off due to the increasingly intense conflict between the Empire and the Sea Tribe.

Therefore, the newly established guild had just made its first fortune, and they couldn't afford to sit idly.

Rain nodded, feeling a slight heaviness in his heart.

He didn't stay long and, after greeting his family, quickly made his way to the Swordbearer Division.

After some thought, Rain decided to go to the Task Hall first.

He wanted to submit his tasks and also meet with Olena to inquire about when Admiral Edward would be available.

However, upon arriving, Rain noticed that there seemed to be more people than usual, and some of them were unfamiliar faces, which piqued his curiosity.

Why was it so lively?

It was quite rare.

But if he had to wait in line, it would probably waste half an hour.

After a moment's thought, Rain approached the service counter and spoke to a uniformed girl: "Is Undersecretary Olena available?"

"She is, but Undersecretary Olena has been quite busy these past few days and may not have time to receive you."

"Please tell Undersecretary Olena that Rain has returned."

"This..." The female staff member looked troubled.

Did this Swordbearer not understand? She had already politely informed him that Undersecretary Olena was busy.

"Why aren't you going?" Rain looked at her in surprise.

Rain's glance made the female staff member feel a sense of pressure, and she immediately said: "Okay, I'll go inform her, but Undersecretary Olena may not have time. You can wait on the sofa for a while."

"Mhm."

Soon, Rain saw the capable young woman Olena quickly stride out of her office with a warm smile.

The female staff member who had gone to inform her looked on in surprise.

Her superior had specifically instructed her not to be disturbed early in the morning, but now...

Olena's office.

"Rain, I didn't expect you to return just one day after me," Olena said with a smile.

"Yes, Undersecretary Olena, I'd like to submit these Gold Rank tasks," Rain said as he took out the Gold Rank Swordbearer emblem from his pocket.

"Of course, go ahead and submit Rain's tasks," Olena said to the girl staff member beside her.

"Oh, okay, Undersecretary Olena." The female staff member respectfully took the emblem from Rain and quickly left.

When she inserted the emblem into the slot, the tasks refreshed on the Wisdom Slate, causing her eyes to widen and her mouth to slightly open in astonishment.

"He completed five Gold Rank tasks!"

"No, one of them is even a Diamond Rank task!"

The pretty female staff member stared in disbelief as she reviewed the tasks:

"Killing Galina is a One-Star Gold Task!"

"Investigating the Golem Guardian is a Two-Star Gold Task, no, it's been upgraded to Three-Star!"

"Killing the Bloodthirster Laksur is also upgraded to Three-and-a-Half Star!"

"Protecting the Mayorst County City Governor is a One-Star Gold Task!"

"Investigating the Mayorst Attack Incident's truth is a Diamond Rank, and it's even a Triple-Diamond!"

"Oh my!"

She finally understood why her superior, Undersecretary Olena, had such a respectful and flattering expression when she saw this young man.

This Rain, was indeed extraordinary!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end