Chapter 290: Metal Barrier

Chapter 290: Metal Barrier



When Rain arrived at the entrance of the Swordsmen Branch, he spotted a luxurious carriage already parked there. An older man with a goatee and hunting attire stood by the carriage, waiting. Upon seeing Rain, Fabien, with a smile, approached and greeted him warmly.

"Your Excellency Rain, forgive my intrusion. I am Fabien from Akson Auction House."

"Perhaps there was some misunderstanding in our previous communication."

"Oh? Two attempts on my life, and you call it a misunderstanding, Lord Fabien? Can it be resolved with a mere apology?" Rain waved his hand, interrupting Fabien.

Fabien's face showed embarrassment at Rain's words, but he quickly explained his purpose, "Cough, that's why I attach great importance to this meeting. Lord Drake has even come personally from the Imperial Capital. He's waiting at the nearby Mona Coffee Shop. I hope you'll grant us a conversation."

Following Fabien's gesture, Rain looked ahead and saw a cafe. A coffee shop was visible a short distance away.

"Very well," Rain nodded.

Initially, Rain thought he would be meeting with the man before him, Fabien, Viscount, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

As Edward Admiral might be available for a meeting at any moment, Rain had already considered on his way that he wouldn't engage in lengthy discussions.

Since the meeting location was set at the entrance of the Swordsmen Branch, it saved him considerable travel time.

Additionally, the other party likely considered certain security factors; Rain might not have agreed if it were a private manor.

Indeed, the arrangement seemed reasonable. Rain approached the coffee shop located twenty to thirty meters away.

The entire coffee shop had been reserved, with two obvious knights guarding the entrance.

Upon entering, Rain saw a middle-aged man with a slight paunch and a neatly combed back-to-front hairstyle waiting in a booth. The surroundings were spacious and bright, with no signs of an ambush.

As Rain entered, the man's face lit up with a smile, and he stood to greet him, "Your Excellency Rain, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Drake Orland."

"Hello, Lord Drake," Rain nodded.

Noticing Rain's displeasure, Drake took the initiative to smile and explain, "Your Excellency Rain, your time is precious, so I'll get straight to the point."

"On behalf of Marquis Orland, I'd like to express our apologies for the previous incident. As compensation, the Marquis is willing to offer 2% of Akson Auction House's Minster Branch shares."

Upon hearing this, Rain nodded but remained silent. He had questions: What does 2% of the shares actually yield?

Fabien, seeing Rain's expression, couldn't hold back. He glanced at Drake for permission and continued, "Your Excellency Rain, you might not be aware, but even a 2% dividend from the Minster Branch can bring in two to three thousand imperial gold coins annually, and it's not a small sum. Moreover, there will be continuous returns in the future."

"I believe this demonstrates Marquis Orland's sincerity and his regard for you."

Two to three thousand imperial gold coins a year? That's indeed not a small amount.

Rain smiled, "Oh? And what do I need to do in return?"

Drake smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "It's simple. We ask that you set aside any misunderstandings and, should you encounter any troubles at the Minster Auction House, you'd be willing to lend a hand."

"So, it's as easy as that?"

"Yes, it's that simple."

"It seems you've agreed, Your Excellency Rain?" Drake's smile widened.

"Yes, I agree," Rain nodded.

The conditions seemed too good to be true, and Rain suspected there might be more to it.

Indeed, after his agreement, Drake continued, "By the way, Your Excellency Rain, there's one more thing. That pair of Ancient Golem Fangs was purchased by us. Your subordinate's actions were inappropriate, and naturally, the fangs belong to you. But this time, we are buying."

"I'm afraid those Ancient Golem Fangs have been used by me?"

"What? Used?" Drake stared at Rain in disbelief, his entire body stiffening.

This wasn't according to plan.

After informing the Imperial Capital about Rain acquiring the Red Dragon Scales from Princess Menia, his brother, Marquis Orland, decided to make some concessions.

The response he received suggested making a friendly gesture, offering a portion of the Orland family's shares in Akson Auction House's Minster Branch as compensation for Rain.

Additionally, they would propose repurchasing the Ancient Golem Fangs.

With this approach, the other party was likely to accept.

However, Drake hadn't anticipated that the Golem Fangs had already been utilized by Rain.

So, he was now a little unsure about how to handle the current situation.

"Is there a problem?" Rain asked with a hint of a smile, glancing at the other party.

"No, Lord Rain, we just need a few more days for the transfer of shares. Akson Auction House has a rule that requires the consent of major shareholders during share transactions."

"So, what do you think about three days from now?" Drake wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead and said.

"Of course, I hope everything goes smoothly then," Rain smiled and rose from his seat.

"Smooth, smooth," Drake said stiffly.

Rain's words made him feel that it was most likely true.

Additionally, whether the item was there or not, a formal Wizard or higher-level Diviner could easily determine this through divination, which wasn't difficult.

But the issue was, if the item was indeed missing, would his brother, Marquis Orland, still agree to give Rain the shares?

After all, his brother Marquis Orland was not one to be easily swayed!

Rain then returned to the Swordbearer Division.

After communicating with the other party, he had a basic understanding of their attitude and intentions.

"The other party is very interested in the Fang, and they are willing to offer 2% of the Minster branch's shares to secure a peaceful transaction with us."

"Unfortunately, the Fang has already been used."

"This 2% share of the Minster branch is my compensation for the mental loss, and I hope they don't try any more tricks."

"Otherwise..."

In the afternoon, just as Rain was about to head to the Exchange Hall again, Olenna hurriedly arrived at his dormitory.

"Lord Rain, Admiral Edward has returned. If you're available now, please come with me."

"Of course."

Soon, Rain arrived at Admiral Edward's office on the top floor of the administrative building, accompanied by the capable young widow, Olenna.

This was Rain's first time meeting the leader of the Swordbearer Division, Minster.

The other party was an elderly man dressed in an Admiral's uniform, with a pair of sharp, tiger-like eyes that exuded a sense of vigor. Although there were some crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, they did not detract from his presence but instead gave him an air of wisdom and experience.

"Admiral Edward, good day," Rain greeted with a respectful bow.

"Lord Rain, please take a seat," Admiral Edward said with a kind smile.

Strictly speaking, this was his second time meeting Rain.

The first encounter was one-sided.

Rain had left a deep impression on him when he knocked out the obsidian giant with a single hammer strike.

"Rain, I've reviewed your recent task performance, and I must say, I'm truly amazed, especially by your feat of defeating the Ancient Hero Mong. It exceeded my expectations of you."

"Thank you for your praise, Admiral," Rain said with a slight bow, smiling.

"I've called you here for two reasons. First, I wanted to meet you, and second, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

"First, regarding the mark on your body, I've spoken to Archbishop Gomez of the Minster Goddess Church, and he has agreed to personally help you with the issue."

"However, you'll need to find time in the next few days to visit him so that Archbishop Gomez can assess the strength of your mark."

"Thank you for your concern, Admiral," Rain bowed again.

"Secondly, I hope you won't leave the Swordbearer Division so soon. You've just joined, and I believe you can benefit from settling in and gaining more experience here."

"Of course, rest assured, for now, I haven't considered leaving the Swordbearer Division," Rain smiled and said.

"Excellent, Lord Rain, I've heard from Olenna that you're a rare Metal-type Wizard?"

"Er, yes, sir," Rain hesitated slightly before nodding.

There was no need to deny this; many people in the division already knew about it.

"Then I have something here that I believe will interest you greatly," Admiral Edward said, producing a mysterious sheepskin scroll and handing it to Rain.

Rain took the scroll, looking at Edward in confusion.

The other party smiled and gestured for Rain to open it.

Without hesitation, Rain untied the scroll, carefully unrolling it and examining it.

"Metal Barrier!" Rain exclaimed in shock.

It was a rare defensive Metal-type Level 1 Wizardry!

This was extremely rare.

Rain had searched for a long time but couldn't find any defensive Metal-type Wizardry.

This was why he had chosen Metal Transformation Spell as his innate Wizardry, which had proven to be an excellent choice.

But he never expected that at this moment, he would acquire a rare defensive Level 1 Metal-type Wizardry.

At the same time, Rain had a question.

He was certain that the exchange catalog in the division didn't include this Wizardry, or else he wouldn't have chosen Metal Transformation Spell.

"Although you should already have a defensive Metal-type Wizardry, this one is one of the best options I can help you apply for from the Swordbearer headquarters."

"Having an additional defensive Wizardry isn't a bad thing."

"You're young and have a bright future ahead of you, and surviving in combat is the most important thing." Admiral Edward explained the reason for choosing a defensive Wizardry.

"Thank you so much for your help," Rain said as he stood up and bowed.

Only Rain knew that he didn't have any metal-based defensive magic as his innate talent, and the 'Metal Barrier' in front of him was his first.

"However, the required exchange of medals and merit points cannot be waived, not even by me," Admiral Edward said with a wave of his hand and a smile.

"It's like this, Lord Rain," Olenna spoke up at the right moment. "According to the rules, this is an item that can only be exchanged at the Swordbearer headquarters after reaching the Mithril rank. But due to this task, as you know, the Admiral personally communicated with the headquarters."

Rain nodded.

Now he understood.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

At that moment, Colonel Stanley, whom Rain had met a few times, entered the room with a serious expression, holding a document. "Sir, you might want to take a look at this first."

Admiral Edward took the document, glanced through it casually, and his expression turned solemn. He stood up and said, "Hmm? Are you sure?"

"Yes, we've confirmed it with the South Sea Fleet," Colonel Stanley replied.

"I'm sorry, Rain, I have to go to Duke Minster right away. It seems like we'll have to postpone this until next time," Admiral Edward apologized.

"Of course, Admiral," Rain smiled.

However, Rain couldn't help but wonder if Admiral Edward's mention of the South Sea Fleet indicated a problem there.

He recalled that Red Queen Menia was stationed there, and logically, there shouldn't be any issues.

Perhaps he should contact Vinonica.

Back in his dormitory, Rain couldn't hide his excitement. He immediately opened the magic scroll and began reading, growing more delighted as he continued.

The magic 'Metal Barrier' effect: A certain amount of metal plates hover around the caster within a two-meter radius, blocking any attacks intended to harm the caster. Materials: Any metal plates.

Rain realized that this wasn't just a defensive metal-based magic; it was also a force field type spell.

Although the 'Metal Barrier' spell had come a bit late, it was indeed something he needed at his current stage.

At his current level, his opponents were formidable, either having few weaknesses or specializing in specific areas, like Galina, making them challenging to deal with.

The water-membrane steel knight set he wore was becoming less and less capable of withstanding the intensity of current battles.

Rain's defense primarily relied on his innate talent, 'Advanced Steel Body'.

If he could quickly master the 'Metal Barrier' spell, it would provide an additional layer of robust defense.

In combat, it wouldn't guarantee invincibility, but it would undoubtedly enhance safety significantly.

However, the complexity of the 'Metal Barrier' spell model surpassed that of other spells, which Rain attributed to the force field nature of the spell.

The fire-based magic 'High Temperature Force Field' was more challenging to learn than 'Scorching Touch'.

Regardless of the difficulty, once he succeeded, it would be etched onto the warhammer wizard's face, allowing for rapid improvement through skill point allocation.

And don't forget, he had a sponsor!

"But metal plates?" Rain asked.

"A certain amount of metal plates, this description probably means multiple metal plates. And this certain amount, does it refer to the total volume or total mass that cannot exceed a certain limit?" Rain hugged his chest with one hand and stroked his chin with the other as he carefully read the description of 'Metal Barrier'. He began pacing in the room, deep in thought.

"Let's try it first!" Rain decided.

Using his innate magic 'Metal Transformation Spell', Rain quickly transformed a piece of hardened serilium into a crane shield.

"This is probably just a metal plate in the shape of a shield," Rain said as he examined the crane shield in his hand, nodding in satisfaction.

He immediately began to experiment.

After more than twenty failed attempts, Rain finally succeeded! A thick crane shield hovered more than a meter away from him, slowly rotating with the shield's face outward.

"Is this shield being used for defense?" Rain frowned.

However, when he instinctively accelerated the shield, also known as Saigon cinnamon, is a variety of cinnamon native to Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam and Indonesia. It is known for its intense flavor and aroma.

It was as if he were the sun, and these two metal shields were Mars and Mercury.

At the same time, Rain could also control them with his consciousness, allowing the two shields to hover around him in the same direction.

This scene couldn't help but make Rain even more delighted.

"The defense of the two shields is naturally stronger than one."

"And it seems there's still some power left."

"What about three?"

Instantly, Rain transformed another crane shield.

Now, the fifty kilograms of tempered gold in his hand had mostly turned into three crane shields.

"Hmm?"

Although the spell was successful, Rain vaguely felt a sense of heaviness in his mind. The three crane shields, even in a slow floating state, caused his mental energy to rise sharply.

"It seems that the total amount has exceeded the limit, and I need to reduce it slightly."

Soon, Rain found the critical point through repeated attempts.

Additionally, Rain also confirmed that the certain quantity mentioned in the spell description referred to the total weight of the metal plates, not their volume.

At this moment, a system prompt appeared:

[You have studied Metal Barrier and your understanding has improved!]



[You have learned a new skill - Metal Barrier]



[Your skill Metal Barrier has improved, gaining 3 experience points]



At the same time, a new icon appeared below the War Wizard (Legendary) panel.

The icon showed a hooded, blurry figure in a gray robe, holding a short staff, with multiple shield-like metal plates floating around him.

The size of these plates was much smaller than Rain's crane shields, about the size of a palm.

Additionally, there was a small line of text below the icon:

Metal Barrier Lv.1 (1/100)



Metal Barrier Lv.1 Effect: Consumes a certain amount of mental energy to drive a specific spell model with a certain amount of metal plates, blocking any attacks that intend to harm the caster.

(Note: Requires casting material - metal plates of any material.)



(Note: Casting time is 3 seconds, and duration is proportional to the caster's mental energy. Can be canceled at will.)



"Three seconds casting time is too long!"

"If I want to quickly increase my combat power, I need to shorten the casting time by investing skill points to improve it." Rain thought.

After all, a 'Metal Barrier' with a three-second casting time had no combat power to speak of.

No enemy would wait three seconds for you to finish casting before attacking.

"But in that case..."

"My subsequent skill point allocation plan will have to change significantly."

Originally, Rain had planned to use his golden skill points to improve his breathing techniques, quickly enhancing his physical attributes.

He intended to use regular skill points to improve his Extraordinary Combat Skills, as one of the prerequisites for the Epic class 'King of a Thousand Blades' was the requirement of nine High Techniques.

However, it seemed that these plans could be put on hold for now.

He could allocate both skill points and golden skill points to improve 'Metal Barrier', quickly increasing his combat power.

"Additionally, although I have initially mastered Metal Barrier, I still need to test its defensive power."

Before engaging in actual combat, it was necessary to understand the upper limit of 'Metal Barrier's' defensive power to have a clear understanding.

Unlike testing the defense of 'Advanced Steel Body', where Rain could test his skin's defense with a dagger, the new spell 'Metal Barrier' required external force to test it.

So, Rain decided to head to the Training Hall.

---

Meanwhile, in the upper district of Minster, inside a wealthy merchant's villa.

Brina, a girl in a white woolen dress, stood in her bedroom, staring out the window in a daze.

That morning, she had visited the art exhibition of the oil painting master Franco Vancliff.

She seemed to have seen a slightly strange painting, at least one that she had never seen Franco master paint in a similar style, with a distinct difference in technique.

The content of the painting was also subtly eerie, seemingly depicting a little boy holding a female doll, gazing into the distance.

But whenever Brina thought of that painting, she couldn't help but associate it with the doll's eyes.

They were pitch-black, without any whites.

Although the doll's gaze seemed to be averted, Brina always felt as if it was looking directly at her, sending shivers down her spine.

Then, she seemed to have forgotten what happened next.

"How could this be?"

Brina shook her head, deciding to take a walk in the garden to clear her mind.

But as soon as she opened the door, she froze!

At the end of the hallway, she saw the boy from the painting, still holding the doll, staring straight at her.

"Ah!!!"

Brina screamed and slammed the door shut!

Her chest heaved, and her breathing quickened.

Because, in the moment she had rubbed her eyes, the boy from the painting had suddenly appeared a few meters in front of her, continuing to stare at her with the same intense gaze.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end