Chapter 301: Enhancement and Direction

Chapter 301: Enhancement and Direction



The Swordsman Branch.

Exchange Hall Service Desk.

A tall young man in silver armor approached.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The young female staff member's eyes lit up upon seeing Rain, and she immediately stood up to greet him.

"I'd like to have an item appraised."

"Of course, sir. Please follow me." The girl led Rain to a nearby lounge.

"Sir, is the item a potion, equipment, or raw material?" she asked after a moment.

"Since the items are different, I need to contact different Appraiser Masters for their respective fields."

"I suppose it's a raw material," Rain replied after some thought.

"In that case, I recommend Master Dubes from our branch. He specializes in raw material appraisals."

"That's fine," Rain nodded.

Rain didn't have any specific preferences for the Appraiser Master; he just needed someone to answer his questions.

"By the way, Master Dubes' appraisal fee ranges from 50 to 200 Merit Points, depending on the rarity of the item. Is this acceptable to you?"

"No problem," Rain nodded again.

"Sir, may I have your emblem, please?"

When Rain handed over the crystal emblem, the female staff member was taken aback. She accepted it with both hands, her eyes filled with respect. With a sweet smile, she quickly left.

Soon, an elderly man with grayish-white curly hair and a thick yellow beard followed the girl into the room.

"Captain Rain, this is Master Dubes," the girl introduced.

"Hmm? Captain Rain of the Diamond Rank?" Master Dubes' squinted eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Rain in disbelief.

Upon seeing Rain's youth, he hadn't shown any disrespect, but he also hadn't given him much attention.

"Greetings, Captain Rain," Master Dubes said with newfound respect.

"Master Dubes, hello," Rain replied with a slight bow, continuing, "I need your help in appraising this item."

"This is something I obtained from an enemy during a battle."

As Rain took out a heart-shaped object from a wooden box, Master Dubes' eyes widened in astonishment.

Master Dubes carefully picked up the red crystal and examined it closely. After a while, he spoke:

"Based on what you said, Captain Rain, after the enemy used this Lava Heart to enhance a Lava Hound, it evolved into a Lava Giant. This clearly indicates its origin."

"Actually, there are several sources of Lava Hearts. Any Lava creature that reaches the legendary rank has a chance to generate one."

"However, if it were the heart of a Lava Hound, then the Lava Hound, upon merging with this Lava Heart, would transform into a Lava Hound-like form."

Rain nodded at this explanation.

But what truly interested Rain about the Lava Heart's origin was its purpose.

"Master Dubes laughed and said,

"Captain Rain, this Lava Heart is extremely rare. At least, it's not listed in our branch's exchange catalog. If you want to exchange it, you'd have to go to the Imperial Capital's headquarters."

"Additionally, its uses are quite extensive."

"For instance, it can be used in special War Golems. As a Fire and Earth dual-attribute energy crystal, it's perfect for powering War Golems engraved with Lava magic arrays."

"The next best use is in giant puppets engraved with Fire magic arrays. It's highly suitable for that purpose."

"For personal use, if you're casting Lava spells while holding this Lava Heart or using it as a staff, it can increase the power of your spells by about one and a half levels."

"Of course, if it's purely a Fire spell, the power boost might only be around ten percent."

"And if it's an Earth spell, the increase would be even less, perhaps not even half a level."

Rain listened thoughtfully, then pointed at the Lava Heart and asked,

"Master Dubes, if this is used as an energy source for a War Golem or a giant puppet, can it only be used once?"

"Of course not, sir. Your Lava Heart, once its energy is depleted, can be placed in magma to slowly recharge. Generally, it takes about half a month to fully restore its energy."

"Naturally, after repeated use, it won't return to its initial full state, but it can still retain around seventy to eighty percent of its energy capacity."

Rain understood this point very well.

Master Dubes' explanation immediately reminded Rain of the tram batteries from his previous life.

Similarly, after repeated use, their charging efficiency would gradually decrease.

After hearing this, Rain gained a comprehensive understanding of the Lava Heart's functions.

He then took out a metal prosthesis from Iron Man and handed it to Master Dubes, asking, "Master, do you have any knowledge about this?"

"Oh, this is a puppet part. The craftsmanship is exquisite," Master Dubes exclaimed, gently caressing the inside of the metal prosthesis with his fingers and examining its internal structure.

"This level of craftsmanship should be the work of a puppetry master. I'm not particularly familiar with this."

"Master, I just visited the library, and it seems that our branch doesn't have any specific blueprints or books related to puppetry. Most of them are general discussions," Rain inquired.

"Yes, that's right. As far as I know, detailed information on this subject is only available in the imperial capital or within the Assembly School. The masters proficient in puppetry are mostly located there. Perhaps Lord Rain could inquire there," Master Dubes suggested.

"The Assembly School?" Rain immediately thought of the 'Bius Assembly School'. When he purchased the spell 'Metal Shapeshifting', the notes mentioned that the Bius Assembly School was the supplier.

"Yes, the Assembly School. They specialize in researching puppet creations and other types of magical creations," Master Dubes explained.

Rain then took out a smaller, white crystal from the metal prosthesis and asked, "What about this crystal?"

"Oh, this is a purified energy crystal. Originally chaotic crystals can be purified through special purification arrays, transforming them into attribute-less crystals, thus expanding their application," Master Dubes explained.

"I see," Rain nodded in understanding.

After seeing Iron Man's metal prosthesis, Rain developed new ideas about the 'Metal Shapeshifting' spell and metal-type Wizards.

He was eager to learn more about puppetry, but given his current situation, he realized that he might only have the opportunity to do so if he joined the Bius Assembly School or traveled to the imperial capital.

He needed to give it some more thought.

Before leaving the Exchange Hall, Rain replenished his supply of Tempered Gold Ore and Enchanted Seren Silver Ore. He also acquired an Extraordinary Combat Skill called 'Shadow Spear Throw'.

Then, Rain headed towards his residence.

Why did he choose a spear-throwing Extraordinary Combat Skill?

It was mainly because, after encountering the Lava Giant, a massive creature with scorching lava that made it difficult to approach, Rain once again felt the inadequacy of his long-range attack capabilities.

It wasn't that bows were ineffective, but the tiny arrows were limited in the damage they could inflict on gigantic creatures with heights of nine meters and weights of several dozen tons, or even nearly a hundred tons.

They were hardly more effective than toothpicks.

However, spear-throwing was different!

A heavy spear, when thrown at high speed, could cause considerable damage to such massive creatures.

Moreover, Rain's innate spell was 'Metal Shapeshifting', which meant he could adjust the weight and length of the spear in his hand, thereby increasing the power of his throws.

There was also another important reason.

The prerequisites for the Epic-level job change to 'Thousand Blades King' included 'II. Mastery of nine different techniques.'

Rain had already fulfilled 5 out of 9 requirements.

After job changing to a Warhammer Wizard, Rain acquired the core skill 'Soulbreaker Warhammer', which was incredibly powerful.

Rain believed that upon successfully job changing to the Epic-level Thousand Blades King, his strength would significantly increase.

Out of the five prerequisites, he had already met the first and fourth conditions, and the fifth condition, which was related to attribute points, did not seem to pose any difficulties at the moment.

The second condition, 'Mastery of nine different techniques', and the third condition, 'Second Stage Physique Limit Break of 90% or more', would still require considerable time and effort to fulfill.

Rain's current Second Stage Physique Limit Break had reached 52%. It wouldn't be long before he could enter the peak of the Great Knight rank.

This rapid progress was due to two main reasons. First, he had consistently allocated points, and his Strength, Agility, and Endurance were all at 46 points or higher, with Strength reaching 48 points.

Secondly, the improvement of his Breath Technique played a significant role.

In just a few days, the subtle effects of the technique had increased Rain's Second Stage Physique Limit Break by nearly two percentage points.

Therefore, the job change to the Epic-level 'Thousand Blades King' did not seem overly challenging, making it Rain's top choice.

As for spells, after upgrading the defensive 'Metal Barrier' to level 12, he could set it aside for now, unless he encountered a more suitable spell.

Rain opened a pale yellow parchment, which was the 'Shadow Spear Throw' scroll.

After carefully studying and learning the technique from start to finish, Rain closed his eyes and contemplated.

With the foundation of five different Extraordinary Combat Skills, Rain found it relatively easy to comprehend the Shadow Spear Throw.

The once-familiar courtyard now lay in disarray, and as he flipped through the pages, the system prompted:

【You have studied Shadow Spear Throwing Technique and your understanding has improved!】

【You have learned a new skill - Shadow Spear Throwing Technique】

【Your skill Shadow Spear Throwing Technique has improved, experience gained +1】

Below the Weapon Master (Legendary) profession panel, among a dozen or so skill icons, a new one lit up.

Shadow Spear Throwing Technique lv1 (1/100).

The icon's design was simple, depicting a strong silhouette with legs spread wide, left arm extended diagonally upwards, and the right arm holding a spear in a spinning, throwing stance.

Although Rain could still improve his Shadow Spear Throwing Technique proficiency through self-study, he decided to opt for a more efficient method this time.

In a second-floor office of the Training Building, a young lady was reporting to a muscular middle-aged man.

"What did you say? A Diamond-ranked Swordsman Captain is looking for me?" The man's surprise was evident on his face.

"Yes, Instructor Asara. Captain Rain specifically requested a private training session with you." The young lady respectfully informed him.

"But I've never heard of a Captain Rain among the Diamond-ranked Swordsmen Captains in the branch. Could he be a newcomer?" Asara's face showed doubt.

After a moment's thought, he nodded and agreed, "I'm available. Let's go now."

His training fees were not inexpensive, and it was challenging for ordinary Swordsmen to afford them, so most sessions were conducted in small groups. This was a common practice among the instructors.

However, the instructors naturally preferred one-on-one sessions as they were less tiring and more rewarding in Merit Points.

No one would turn down the opportunity to earn more Merit Points.

"Of course, Captain Rain also wishes to begin immediately." The young lady couldn't help but smile.

When Asara entered the room and saw Rain's youthful face, he thought to himself, 'Is there a mistake? Is he really a Diamond-ranked Swordsman Captain at such a young age?'

But he knew better than to say such things to Rain's face.

"Cough, Captain Rain, may I ask you to demonstrate a throw so I can observe?" Asara picked up a steel spear from the training room and handed it to Rain.

"Of course." Rain smiled and took the spear, testing its weight.

"It's a bit light."

Suddenly, Rain spun, twisting his hips and driving forward with a powerful step! A silver streak of lightning shot from Rain's fingertips, piercing the Attack Power Tester several dozen meters away.

"Swoosh!"

After the spear's shadow passed, a sharp whistling sound followed, indicating that the spear's speed had surpassed the speed of sound!

"Boom!"

The steel spear had penetrated nearly half its length into the massive cylindrical metal block on the Attack Power Tester!

Asara roughly estimated the depth to be around 0.7 to 0.8 meters!

"Hiss~" Asara's eyes widened, and his eye corners twitched involuntarily.

With such power, how could Rain claim to be a novice? It was more likely that he would be teaching Asara.

"Captain Rain, have you never practiced spear throwing before?" Asara adjusted his address to 'you.'

"Yes, today is my first time."

For a moment, Asara wasn't sure what to say.

He carefully recalled Rain's throwing stance and found it nearly perfect. If he had to nitpick, it would be the hand positioning.

Considering this, it seemed that Captain Rain might indeed be a novice at spear throwing.

"Your core muscle stability in the waist and abdomen, as well as your full-body rotational power, are already exceptional. You just need to pay attention to minor details like finger strength and force adjustment."

"The rest is just a matter of practice."

Half a day passed, and under Asara's meticulous guidance, coupled with Rain's innate talent for Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive), his Shadow Spear Throwing Technique reached level 12 (12/1000) in just one morning.

The speed of his improvement was beyond ordinary imagination!

At noon, as Rain approached the door of his third-floor suite, he saw Olena walking down the corridor from the other side.

Upon seeing Rain, Olena smiled gently, "Captain Rain, I was just looking for you. There's a response from the Axson Auction House in the Minster Branch."

Hearing Olena's words, Rain's eyebrows furrowed, thinking to himself, 'So soon?'

"Captain Olena, thank you for your hard work. Let's discuss this inside."

The two sat down in the living room.

"Last night, after reporting this matter to Admiral Edward, he was quite furious."

"With the authorization of the Admiral, this morning, I spoke with Drak, the representative of the Olen Family."

"They expressed their willingness to transfer 10% of the Axson Auction House's Minster Branch to Captain Rain. This portion originally belonged to the Olen Marquis Family and was their entire stake in the branch."

10% of the shares?

Rain was momentarily stunned.

He recalled that Drak had only mentioned 2% during their previous conversation.

According to Drak, the annual income was around 20,000 gold coins, so 10% would mean nearly 100,000 gold coins in annual revenue, a significant amount.

"I'd like to ask, Your Excellency Rain, are you satisfied with this compensation?"

Rain thought for a moment and asked, "Your Excellency Olena, what are your thoughts?"

The capable woman pondered for a moment and replied, "It's like this, Your Excellency Rain. If we report this matter to the Imperial Senate, the other party may suffer greater losses, but for you, there won't be any significant benefits."

"Additionally, you crushed the Bloodcap Mercenary Group. As far as I know, there aren't any stronger teams than them. In other words, unless the other party chooses to personally get involved, they won't be able to pose a threat to you, but the possibility of that is minuscule."

"So, in my personal opinion, Your Excellency Rain, you can consider accepting these 10% shares as compensation."

"Whether you choose to hold onto them or sell them, you'll gain considerable profits."

Rain nodded and said, "Alright, Your Excellency Olena, let's proceed with your suggestion."

"However, regarding the shares, can they be registered under a different name?"

"As long as Your Excellency Rain authorizes and agrees, that shouldn't be a problem." Olena nodded.

At the same time, the capable woman was curious about this person. Could she be one of Your Excellency Rain's two little mistresses?"

Olena naturally assumed that Rain's two mistresses were Winonica and Evelyn.

But if he only gave one, could the other be able to settle down? For Rain, as time passed, his strength would only increase.

By then, this Marquis family, don't look at him now as a certain threat.

But in half a year, in his eyes, they'll become ants.

At this stage, if he could obtain 10% shares of the Axson Auction House, with Jennifer's business acumen, there's a high probability of exchanging them for valuable resources.

Or, by utilizing the Axson Auction House channel, he could acquire some rare resources.

"By the way, Your Excellency Olena, does the Bius Assembly School have a branch in Mist Vale?" Rain thought of another question and asked.

"Actually, there isn't one." Olena shook her head.

But the next second, a bright light flashed in her eyes, as if she had thought of something, and said, "Your Excellency Rain, I just remembered that recently, there are a few puppetry masters from the Bius Assembly School in Mist Vale."

"This is actually related to you. Do you remember the giant axe golem guardian you defeated in Wales County?"

"These masters are currently in Mist Vale researching this ancient evil cult puppet."

"If you have any questions, I can help you contact them."

Rain nodded and said, "That's perfect. However, I need to think about it first. You know, these masters might have a bit of a temper, so..." Olena carefully chose her words to remind him.

"By the way, Your Excellency Rain, there's one more thing," Olena said with a smile, taking out an invitation-like document from a nearby bag and handing it to Rain. "This is your invitation as a Viscount. On the last Sunday of Grass Moon, four days from now, the annual award ceremony will be held at the Duke of Mist Vale's mansion. Please don't forget to attend."

"At that time, Admiral Edward will also be present, and the event will be one of the most important activities in Mist Vale Province this year."

Rain took the invitation and nodded, "Alright, I'll be there."

This was the same as the invitation he had received during his time as a Baron, but he hadn't even used the previous one yet, and it had already been updated to a Viscount's invitation.

Midnight, 12 a.m.

Near the provincial capital of Mist Vale, Balington Town.

Extor's residence.

"Burges, is the blood crystal collection ready?" Extor asked, swirling the Bordeaux in his glass.

"Grand Priest, there's one more left. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be ready tomorrow," Burges replied.

"Hmm, speed it up!" Extor took a sip of the Bordeaux and turned to Freeman. "Freeman, what about you? Any news from Mist Vale?"

"Grand Priest, there's something. That Rain you mentioned before seems to have fought a near-legendary expert last night."

"Based on the combat scene, Rain's strength seems to have improved again!" Freeman said with a worried expression.

"Freeman, are you still scared from your experience in Meyster?" Burges seized the opportunity to taunt him. "Near-legendary experts aren't something the Grand Priest needs to worry about."

"You..." Freeman's face turned angry.

"Alright! But Burges is right about one thing. As long as they aren't legendary, they aren't our focus," Extor said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end