Chapter 309: The Imperial Capital's Great Change

Chapter 309: The Imperial Capital's Great Change



Anna's heart clenched as she couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Her first thought was, 'Flashgold Town seems to have been attacked, and as the Deputy of Security, Ren is likely to be injured, or worse...'

One of the main reasons for her visit was to check on Ren and Mint.

Anna's graceful figure sprinted towards Flashgold Town, but after taking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something and stopped in her tracks.

A crisp, short incantation sounded, and a cluster of light sparkled across her face, transforming her slightly pointed ears into a more human-like appearance.

Her fair and pristine face now had freckles, and her complexion had paled significantly.

Anna now looked no different from an ordinary human girl.

After completing the spell, Anna continued towards Flashgold Town.

This time, she chose not to transform into the Great Deer, as it would be too conspicuous to turn into an animal in a human settlement.

Soon, Anna reached the outskirts of Flashgold Town.

Indeed, her eyes hadn't deceived her.

Inside Flashgold Town, although some time had passed since the Black Flame Cult's attack, the streets had been mostly cleared.

However, due to the significant population loss, many houses remained in a state of collapse, seemingly abandoned.

The entire town exuded an air of desolation.

Anna's expression changed as she quickly ran to Ren's new home, according to her memory of its location in Flashgold Town.

Minutes later, she stood dumbfounded before the vast ruins, her mind in a daze. She muttered to herself, "How is this possible?"

"It couldn't be."

"Ren is so strong; nothing should have happened to him."

But the scene before her seemed to tell her that the world was full of unforeseen dangers, so even if something unexpected had occurred, it wouldn't be surprising.

In fact, when the Black Flame Cult attacked, the town's administrative hall was one of the primary targets, and many surrounding houses had been damaged.

Ren's new house, located next to the administrative hall, was no exception.

After a brief moment of panic, Anna calmed herself and decided to ask around.

However, upon looking around, she noticed that there weren't many pedestrians on the street, and most of the faces were unfamiliar, hurrying by.

Fortunately, she soon spotted a patrol of three security officers and approached them, asking anxiously, "Hello, I'm looking for Ren, the former Deputy of Security in Flashgold Town." Anna didn't finish her sentence, instead pointing to the ruins.

The leading security officer looked at Anna with a puzzled expression.

He was very confused.

If this girl was a relative or friend of Ren, how could she not know that he had moved away from Flashgold Town long ago?

However, seeing the clarity in her eyes and the neighborly warmth in her demeanor, he didn't think she was a spy for the cult, so he replied, "Ren? He no longer lives here."

"What? He doesn't live here anymore? That's good." Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, nothing had happened, and it seemed he had just moved.

"Then, do you know where he moved to? I'm a friend of his." Anna asked again after some thought.

Another young security officer, who seemed to idolize Ren, said with admiration, "Ren has become quite remarkable. I heard he moved to the provincial capital, Minster. But the Baron has a mansion in the county town; you can try asking there."

"Baron?" Anna's beautiful eyes widened, and her mouth hung open in surprise.

Had she heard correctly?

A baron?

Had Ren become an imperial noble?

Anna's heart was filled with turmoil.

Although she had witnessed Ren's rapid progress, she hadn't expected that in just three months of being apart, he had become a baron.

Ren's promotion was incredibly fast!

"Yes? Aren't you a friend of Ren? How could you not know that he was promoted to baron? How long has it been since you last visited?" The young security officer looked at Anna with surprise.

"Um, it has been quite some time since I last came here," Anna explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.

However, despite saying this, she was a bit puzzled herself. Was three months considered a long time?

"Thank you very much." Anna bowed politely to the group of security officers.

"By the way, did Flashgold Town suffer an attack?"

Now that she knew Ren's whereabouts, Anna was no longer anxious and turned her attention to the condition of Flashgold Town.

"Yes, you've been away for a long time, so you might not know, but Flashgold Town..." The security officers were happy to answer the girl's questions.

After a warm conversation, Anna finally learned about the series of events that had transpired in Flashgold Town during her absence.

Hearing the names of familiar people who had sacrificed themselves or gone missing, Anna's heart tightened.

"Thankfully, Ren and Mint are safe."

"No wonder Aunt Delanna strongly opposed my going out, saying that the situation outside was volatile, and as a newly initiated Druid, my combat strength wasn't particularly strong.

"This time, after successfully advancing to a full-fledged Druid, Anna hurriedly left the Druid Circle in Ferdinand Forest and headed to Flashgold Town. She believed that she could now be of help to Ren.

In the past, she had watched Lagre and Ren venture into the Night Song Forest to eradicate evil, and she had felt a deep admiration for them.

Now, she had gained sufficient strength to accompany Ren.

Additionally, there was another important matter that brought her back.

When Aunt Delanna was away, Anna had been organizing her study and stumbled upon a secret letter.

Astonishingly, the content of the letter was related to her missing mother.

Unfortunately, the letter was vague, merely suggesting that her mother's disappearance might be connected to the powerful Axson Auction House, which had branches across the entire empire.

This news filled Anna with both excitement and apprehension. After much contemplation, she decided to quietly leave the Druid Circle.

She wondered why Aunt Delanna hadn't informed her about this.

Perhaps it was because Aunt Delanna was concerned that if Anna knew, she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to investigate.

Before leaving, Anna left a letter for Aunt Delanna, briefly mentioning her return to Flashgold Town and her intention to stay there for a while, assuring her aunt not to worry.

'I should go to Maister City and find out where Ren has moved to,' Anna thought.

'I should be able to see Ren and Mint soon,' she said, her eyes gazing into the distance with a smile.

This time, she felt more confident than ever.

After undergoing Druid training at the Druid Circle, her entire being, including her physique, had transformed from a frail, bean-sprout-like girl into a well-proportioned young woman.

Her body now had the right curves in the right places, and she exuded the vitality of youth.

Moreover, with the unique charm of a Druid, if Anna revealed her true appearance, most men would find it hard to look away.

More importantly, Anna had advanced to a full-fledged Druid within three months, and according to Aunt Delanna, her Druid talent was exceptional, even among pure-blooded elves.

'Perhaps Ren is no longer my match,' Anna thought, clenching her small fist with a smile.

She imagined Ren's surprised expression, and a faint blush appeared on her fair face.

After leaving the Flashgold Town area, the slender girl quickly knelt on the ground, and within two seconds, a tall, robust Great Deer appeared and began to run swiftly.

Soon, the Great Deer disappeared at the end of the road.

---

Minster.

Inside the Swordbearer Division.

At this moment, Ren was checking the system prompts:

[Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy and obtained 13 Golden Skill Points!]



[Congratulations! Your Will (Hidden) attribute has increased!]



[Congratulations! Your War Hammer Sorcerer (Legendary) profession level has increased!]



The War Hammer Sorcerer (Legendary) profession level had increased by one level, reaching lv9 (380/10000).

Additionally, the Beast Worshiper (Legendary) profession, which was previously at lv5, had also increased by one level, reaching lv6 (1022/3000) after the battle.

This was equivalent to a two-level increase, granting Ren an additional 2 points"The Peaceful Way"" in both skills and attributes.

Including his previously remaining points, he now had a total of 8 remaining attribute points and 2 remaining skill points, with 16 Golden Skill Points.

Ren checked his attribute panel:

Constitution: 47

Strength: 51 (2 points of strength added in combat)



Agility: 47

Spirit: 55

Will (Hidden Attribute): 7

'What? My will has increased by a full 3 points?' Ren was pleasantly surprised.

'No wonder I feel the influence of the Demon Flame Seal on me decreasing, and my attack power has slightly increased.'

Aside from this joy, Ren's attention once again turned to the talent points.

After witnessing the power of the projection force from a high-ranked individual, Ren felt that he should expedite his class change. The most likely epic-level profession he could achieve was the 'King of a Thousand Blades.'

The strength boost from an epic-level profession should surpass that of the War Hammer Sorcerer (Legendary) profession.

In the recent two challenges, Ren had relied heavily on the core skill 'Soul Fragmentation Hammer' of the War Hammer Sorcerer profession. Without it, he would have struggled to overcome these obstacles.

This made Ren's desire to change professions more urgent than ever.

The prerequisite for the class change was to 'Master Nine Different Techniques,' and Ren's progress was currently at 6/9, with three more to go.

Based on his previous experience, with 3 skill points, he would only need a week to cultivate an Extraordinary Technique to the point of insight, such as the 'Phantom Spear Throw.'

However, the current problem was that he didn't have enough skill points. With only 3 points, he could only enhance one Extraordinary Technique further.

On average, each Extraordinary Technique could only be allocated 1 skill point.

If he couldn't use skill points to enhance his abilities after reaching lv5, it would take at least several months.

As for changing to a subsequent job and farming skill points?

Ren had naturally considered this method.

For example, the clues for job advancement after the Extraordinary Insight (Passive) of the Master Poisoner (Extraordinary) could likely be found at the Royal Apothecary Association's Minster Branch. But how long would it take to trigger this?

This was hard to control.

It wasn't that Ren lacked patience.

But with the successive attack incidents and the current tumultuous state of the Empire, he might not have much time.

However, how much speed could be gained by upgrading the 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' to an Intermediate Talent was currently unknown.

But judging from the 30% increase from 'Basic', Ren estimated that 'Intermediate Extraordinary Insight' would most likely provide a boost of over 60%.

"Knock knock knock!"

An unexpected knock on the door interrupted Ren's thoughts.

When Ren opened the door, he saw Lady Olenna standing outside.

However, unlike her usual astute and capable demeanor, she appeared anxious and dejected at that moment.

This surprised Ren. Could it be because of the recent attack?

"Lady Olenna."

"Sir Ren, Admiral Edward requests your immediate presence at an emergency meeting." Lady Olenna forced a smile and said.

"Alright, let's go." Ren nodded, his expression turning solemn.

Apparently, the Swordbearer Division had received some important, or rather, not-so-good news.

As they walked, Ren couldn't help but ask, "Lady Olenna, what's the main topic of the meeting?"

"Admiral Edward just received a message through the Red Crystal Transmission." Lady Olenna paused before answering.

Read the error-free version at 69 Books! 6=9+Books_Bar First Release of this Novel.

"Red Crystal Transmission?" Ren was surprised, as he wasn't aware of what this level of transmission represented.

"Yes, this is the highest-level transmission method in the division."

"It's also a means to receive real-time messages from the Imperial Capital, Temurel, but it requires a special crystal, which is usually not activated lightly."

"As for the content, I'm sorry, Sir Ren. The Red Crystal is set up in Admiral Edward's office, so I'm not entirely sure about the specifics, but it's definitely not good news." Lady Olenna explained.

Ren nodded.

Apparently, the Red Crystal Transmission was similar to the concept of the red phone in the offices of high-ranking officials in his previous life.

This made his heart tremble, and he had a foreboding sense of unease.

"In addition to Swordbearer captains like you, the meeting will also include the heads of various departments within the division." Lady Olenna explained as they walked.

Soon, the two arrived at the large conference room on the top floor of the Administrative Building.

At that moment, the oval conference table was almost full.

In the center sat Admiral Edward, flanked by department heads, including Yuma, the head of the Mission Hall, and Stanley, Admiral Edward's secretary, a colonel.

Everyone had solemn expressions, and the atmosphere in the room was heavy.

When Ren entered, Admiral Edward nodded slightly to him.

Lady Olenna guided Ren to sit next to a burly man.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're almost all here, so let's begin the emergency meeting." Admiral Edward scanned the room before speaking.

"I just received a message from the Imperial Capital, Temurel. It's very bad news." Admiral Edward paused after saying this.

"Our great Emperor, at the critical moment of ascending to demigodhood, was ambushed by several avatars of foreign deities. Despite the efforts of the Imperial Guardians, the Emperor was severely injured.

"The Dragon Empire has now entered a state of full military alert!"

As Admiral Edward's words fell, the entire conference room fell silent for several seconds.

But soon, a commotion erupted.

"What!"

"Ascending to demigodhood?"

"The Emperor is severely injured?"

"This..."

Obviously, the few words Admiral Edward had spoken contained a vast amount of information.

Although everyone present was a mid-to-high-ranking member of the Swordbearer Minster Branch, they were the ones who truly understood what the severe injury of the Imperial Emperor meant for the entire Dragon Empire!

The news was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky!

Ren was also shocked by the sudden revelation.

But he quickly calmed down and made a swift connection.

'No wonder Lady Menia suddenly abandoned the favorable situation of heavily wounding the three-headed sea dragon and returned to the Imperial Capital.'

'So, the Emperor was about to ascend to demigodhood.'

"The attackers were avatars of foreign deities?"

Although Ren wasn't sure how much stronger avatars were than projections, they were clearly much more powerful.

To be able to injure the Emperor, who was protected by powerful Imperial Guardians like Lady Menia, the strength of these deity avatars must be at least epic-level, if not stronger!

'It seems I need to speed up my strength enhancement even more!'

'I must quickly change jobs to the epic-level "King of a Thousand Blades"!'

'When I return, I'll allocate talent points to "Extraordinary Insight"!'

'If the situation worsens, the Empire, which is already in turmoil, may not be able to provide shelter like a towering tree.'

'At that time, I can only rely on myself.'

"Silence!" Admiral Edward shouted, his voice commanding respect.

The once-boisterous conference room gradually fell silent.

"Fortunately, amidst this misfortune, the Imperial Emperor was severely injured after reaching the semi-godly realm."

"Additionally, news from Tamriel reveals that the incarnations of several deities have also fallen within the Imperial Palace. Even against high-ranking beings, losing an incarnation is no trivial matter."

"So, the situation isn't as dire as everyone imagined."

"However..."

"The Emperor's recovery will take time, and these evil gods, though gradually reviving, will also require time to regain their strength."

Hearing this, many in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

But Ren's brows remained tightly knit.

He understood Admiral Edward's earlier statement for what it was—a momentary dip before a rise.

The Emperor's severe injury was indeed true.

In the short term, the Imperial Capital would be unable to provide support to the various provinces. This, too, was a fact.

"The news from Tamriel has been disseminated to all provincial departments, including the Administrative Hall and the Goddess Church."

"Unlike the Administrative Hall's responsibility of relocating town residents to the county city..."

"The Empire has entrusted us, the Swordbearers, with two primary tasks. First, all Swordbearer divisions in the provinces must thoroughly inspect existing and undiscovered sealed gates, ensuring that no hostile forces can open them."

"Secondly, we must eradicate all heretical organizations within our jurisdictions!"

At this point, Admiral Edward glanced briefly in Ren's direction.

Ren represented several seats of the Star-grade Swordbearer captains, the most formidable fighters within the Swordbearer division in Minster.

Ren immediately thought of a problem—would his trip to the Bishu Armament Academy be canceled?

Or, at the very least, postponed for now?

'It's not appropriate to ask today. I'll try again tomorrow,' Ren thought, glancing at Admiral Edward, who looked exhausted and still recovering from his injuries.

The meeting, hastily convened, concluded swiftly.

Minutes later, the meeting was over.

Back at his residence, Ren wasted no time. He invested a Talent Point into 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)'.

He wanted to see the effects of this choice.

If the improvement was minimal, this rapid advancement method would be impractical.

If that were the case, he would have to consider other options.

At least he had three Talent Points left, which he could use to boost other talents—a backup plan.

Ren focused his attention on the talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' and silently added a point to it in his mind.

Instantly, a cool breeze seemed to blow through Ren's mind, leaving him with a feeling of heightened awareness and sharpness, akin to waking up from a deep sleep.

A system prompt appeared:

[Congratulations! Your talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' has advanced to 'Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive)'!]



Ren eagerly examined the intermediate talent, 'Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive)'.

The description read:

[Weapon Master (Legendary) Exclusive Talent: Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive)]



Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive) Effect: The Weapon Master effortlessly grasps various combat techniques, increasing the learning speed of any extraordinary combat technique by 80%.

"80%?!" Ren's eyebrows shot up, his face lighting up with surprise.

"This is much higher than I expected! I thought it would be around 60%."

"If the experience gained from practicing extraordinary combat techniques was initially +10, now it's +18!"

"Amazing! This means the time needed to train combat techniques is almost halved!"

"The key is, I still have Talent Points to further enhance this talent!"

After a quick moment of thought, Ren's eyes lit up.

Without hesitation, he added another point to 'Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive)'.

The same effect occurred, and the system prompt reappeared:

[Congratulations! Your talent 'Intermediate Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' has advanced to 'Advanced Extraordinary Insight (Passive)'!]



Advanced Extraordinary Insight (Passive) Effect: The Weapon Master effortlessly grasps various combat techniques, increasing the learning speed of any extraordinary combat technique by 200%.

"200%!"

"If the initial experience gain for practicing extraordinary combat techniques was +10, does that mean it's now +30?"

"Based on the 100 points of experience needed to advance from level 1 to level 2, I can complete the promotion in just one-third of the original time!" Ren quickly calculated the improvement.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Master Ren, there's a visitor from the Imperial Capital, Master Magar, who wishes to meet with you." At that moment, a guard's voice echoed from outside the door.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end