Chapter 350: Winterfort Academy

Chapter 350: Winterfort Academy



At that moment, within a nearby tent, Melita, being a wizard with keen senses, faintly heard a woman's voice from outside.

She rubbed her eyes and listened intently, quickly determining the direction of the sound, while her fair face turned red.

Though she had never eaten pork, she had at least seen pigs run.

Melita knew exactly what kind of sound it was.

"Tsk, that was too loud! Rain really should be more mindful of his surroundings."

"Hmm? Is Anna here beside me?" Melita glanced at Anna, who was sleeping soundly beside her, intoxicated by the sweetness of alcohol.

"It's not Anna, then who could it be?" Melita furrowed her brows.

"Could it be that barbarian girl? I think her name is Lagrea?"

"Well, barbarians are indeed open-minded."

This instantly piqued the curiosity of the gossip-loving Melita.

She was about to get up and eavesdrop, but thinking of Rain's strength, she knew she would likely be discovered as soon as she got close. That would be embarrassing.

After some thought, Melita could only open a small slit in her tent and try to listen intently.

(Omitted 10,000 words)



After three intense battles, Rain smiled at Lagrea, who was lying in his arm.

Asleep in his embrace, Lagrea's fair skin was exposed to Rain, her golden hair damp with sweat and hanging in messy strands.

Her delicate features and wild aura perfectly blended, exuding a unique charm.

Recalling the exhilarating battle, Rain couldn't help but smile.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

"Oh no! I forgot to set an alarm. I have to get up and get dressed quickly!" Lagrea opened her eyes, quickly getting up and starting to put on her clothes.

Rain was also awakened by Lagrea's movements.

After some encouragement, Lagrea observed her surroundings and hurriedly ran out of Rain's tent.

However, just as she left, someone from the opposite tent also came out, causing Lagrea to turn around and slow down.

"Hmm? Lagrea, you're up early. Are you looking for Rain?" Anna, still sleepy-eyed, noticed Lagrea's sudden appearance nearby and asked.

"Good morning, Anna. Yes," Lagrea's face turned red, but she pretended to be nonchalant and greeted Anna.

"It's indeed the innocent Anna. Tsk tsk, you don't know how wild that barbarian girl was last night," Melita, watching this scene, thought to herself.

Soon after, Anna returned to her tent.

At that moment, Anna noticed Melita's slightly haggard face and curiously asked, "Melita, why are your dark circles so prominent? Did you not sleep well? I thought we went to bed early last night."

"Huh? Yeah, is it that obvious?" Melita absentmindedly replied, then took out an ice crystal to use as a mirror to examine herself.

"Oh my, it's really obvious," Melita said, looking at her reflection in the ice mirror with a dejected expression.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, I've been having insomnia and lots of dreams lately."

"Don't worry, don't concern yourself with the affairs of the Winterfort Academy. Rain will take care of it," Anna said, as if she had just realized something.

She thought Melita was worried about the safety of the Winterfort Academy.

"Umm," Melita felt both amused and helpless at Anna's comfort.

In truth, it was Rain who gave me these dark circles, Melita thought to herself.

After breakfast, at the center of the Norton Tribe's migration team.

High Priest Rom and Chieftain Dalarius, along with a group of elite barbarians, were seeing Rain off.

"Sir Rain, we wish you a safe journey," High Priest Rom said.

"This is a small token of our gratitude," High Priest Rom took a soul crystal from the tray held by a nearby barbarian girl and handed it to Rain.

"This soul crystal is one of the spoils of war from our many battles with the Black Flame Cult. They used these to hire quite a few capable wandering wizards."

"This is too precious. High Priest, you're too kind," Rain was taken aback and waved his hand in refusal.

The Norton Tribe had suffered heavy losses in consecutive battles, with a population reduction of nearly one-third, and it was a time when they needed money the most. This soul crystal held great significance for them.

"Please accept it, Rain. I, as the High Priest, no longer need it, and the others can barely use it either," High Priest Rom pointed to a nearby barbarian warrior and said.

"Hmm," Rain furrowed his brows, understanding the situation.

That's indeed the truth.

"Then, I'll accept the soul crystal, but I also have a gift in return. Please accept it," Rain thought for a moment, then took the radiant coin from the Bloodfeather Griffin and handed it to High Priest Rom.

"This is a Radiance Ingot, and according to..."

Before Rain could finish his explanation, Dalarius, the chieftain, exclaimed in surprise, "High-purity Holy Stones!"

"Yes, according to your explanation, these are Holy Stones. When infused into weapons, they create Radiance Weapons, which are highly effective against certain evil creatures," Rain explained with a smile.

Dalarius and Rom exchanged a glance and then sighed, "Well, to be honest, Lord Rain, this is an offer the Norton Tribe simply cannot refuse."

In their battle against the Black Flame Cult, the lower-ranked Barbarian warriors were often at a disadvantage.

However, with a large number of Radiance Weapons, the situation would be completely different.

Upon seeing this, the Barbarian girl, Lagrelle, looked at Rain with even softer eyes.

However, when it came time to mount their rides, Rain faced another dilemma.

The twenty elite warriors from the Norton Tribe had Frostwolves as their mounts, and they knew the location of Winterfort Academy, so they didn't need Lagrelle to guide them and could catch up later.

The problem arose here. Originally, Rain, Anna, and Melita had been riding on a Bloodfeather Griffin.

Now, there was one more person—Lagrelle.

But the Barbarian girl didn't seem to be in a hurry at all; she smiled warmly at Rain.

"Melita, why don't you sit in front of me?" Fortunately, Anna came to Rain's rescue.

"Oh, okay, Miss Anna." Melita, aware of the close relationship between Rain and the two girls, nodded reluctantly and sat in front obediently.

Behind her were Anna, Rain, and Lagrelle.

Fortunately, all three were girls, and with Rain holding the Radiance Ingot, the griffin didn't seem overly burdened.

After several hours of flight, the ice plains came into view in the distance.

On the frozen tundra covered in snow, a tall white tower stood silently, surrounded by some low-lying buildings.

"Is this Winterfort Academy?" Anna asked curiously.

"Yes, Miss Anna. This is Winterfort Academy, the strongest Wizard School in the North. We mainly recruit Ice Wizards, but since they are rare, we also accept a small number of Wizards from other elements. However, the overall number of students is still small."

From a distance, the white Wizard Tower looked like a thorn piercing the frozen ground. A white cold wind swirled around the tower, seemingly a form of protection, and it appeared quite powerful.

This was the first time Rain had seen another Wizard Academy, and he couldn't help but feel curious.

It also made him wonder what the headquarters of his own Beshigou School looked like.

As the griffin drew closer, more details of the Wizard Tower came into view for Rain and the two girls.

The tower seemed to be constructed as a single piece from pure white ice blocks.

The base was relatively wide, and the top was slender, giving it a very stable appearance. From time to time, mysterious and intricate runes lit up on the tower's surface, emitting powerful energy fluctuations.

"Incoming flying predator! Prepare defenses!"

"No, there's someone up there, firing a warning signal."

"Foreign flying knight, you have intruded upon the territory of Winterfort Academy. Please state your purpose."

Rain spotted a large bird resembling a white owl carrying a male Wizard in a white robe. The bird rushed towards them, and the voice they had just heard belonged to this man.

"Oh, a rare Ice Plains Wyvern," Anna said, her eyes lighting up as she observed their mount.

"Michael, it's me, Melita!" Melita, sitting in the front, greeted him.

"Hmm? Melita?" Indeed, the male Wizard named Michael, following the sound, spotted a familiar face at the front of the Bloodfeather Griffin.

"It seems you received the Academy's message as well."

Seeing someone from his own Academy, Michael's expression relaxed.

"By the way, Michael, this is Lord Rain, whom I specifically invited to help us deal with Primordial Dragon Koraxus," Melita quickly introduced.

"Hmm?" Michael looked at Melita doubtfully, then at Rain and the others on the griffin.

Lord? What lord? The young man before him wore a white Wizard's robe and appeared to be under twenty years old. The two women were of similar age, and none of them seemed like important figures.

Based on their auras, they were First Level Wizards, weaker than himself by a third.

Deal with Primordial Dragon Koraxus? What a joke!

"Melita, you weren't there during the Academy's battle with Primordial Dragon Koraxus, so you might not fully understand his strength."

"First Level Wizards can do very little against him; we need high-level combat power. Think about it; even your mentor, Dean Bartolov, was severely injured, which shows the power of the Primordial Dragon."

"However, since he's your friend, you should treat him well." Michael said solemnly.

"I still need to invite Lord Luther, goodbye."

Without waiting for Melita to say more, Michael quickly flew away on the Ice Plains Wyvern.

Michael, you..." Melita was so furious that she couldn't finish her sentence.

It's true that I wasn't at Winterfort Academy or the battlefield against Primordial Dragon Korauxis, but I was at another battlefield, watching as Lord Rain repelled Koraxus' attack on the Barbarian tribe!

You fool, Michael!

Argh! I'm so angry!

In her mind, Melita cursed Michael a hundred times over.

"Lord Rain, please don't mind us. Winterfort Academy welcomes you. This Michael, I don't know what's gotten into him today. Melita forced a slight smile, apologetically addressing Rain.

"It's fine," Rain waved his hand.

Rain wasn't bothered by Winterfort Academy's attitude.

The reason was simple; he didn't come to Winterfort Academy by invitation but because of the deal between him and Melita, he came to aid Winterfort Academy.

As for the matter of slaying Primordial Dragon Korauxis, with his new ability to transform into the second form, Rain was confident he could take down Koraxus single-handedly.

Thus, facing Melita's indignation, Rain remained calm.

Soon, Rain and his two companions, led by Melita, arrived at the side building of Winterfort Academy, which was also the place for receiving guests.

"Lord Rain, Miss Anna, and Miss Lagrelle, please take a moment to rest. I'll go and inform the mentor of your arrival," Melita said with an apologetic expression, slightly bowing.

"No need," Rain nodded.

His room was centrally located between the rooms of Anna and Lagrelle.

The room was decorated with ice plain-themed ornaments like snow deer antlers, white bear pelts, and ice bug specimens.

Rain took out the black bag given to him by the Norton Tribe elder.

Opening it, three Soul Energy Crystals rested inside.

"Hmm, not bad, there are three of them."

Previously, when Rain defeated the Grand Priest, he only obtained five Soul Energy Crystals from the priest's body. Considering that most wandering wizards would use Soul Energy Crystals as soon as they obtained them, for the Norton Tribe to have three meant they had slain at least ten wandering wizards.

"If each crystal increases it by 4%, then I can increase my vaporization progress by 12%, not bad." Rain's lips curled up slightly.

Without hesitation, Rain decided to absorb the three Soul Energy Crystals.

He held the three Soul Energy Crystals in his hand and quickly activated the advanced meditation technique of Steel Heart.

As the Soul Energy Crystals resonated with the advanced meditation technique, a strange transparent aura emanated from them, and the system notification sounded:

[Ding! Detected Soul Energy Crystal that can enhance mental energy vaporization. Do you want to accelerate absorption? (Note: System absorption can remove impurities and complete absorption in one go.)]



"Yes!"

Instantly, Rain felt the silvery mist in his mind rapidly increase, and soon, another portion of his mental sea expanded.

By now, nearly half of his mental sea was filled with silvery mist.

At the same time, a refreshing sensation rose from his mind.

Rain glanced at the system panel:

Mental Energy: 64 (Vaporization 53%)



"Hmm? It was 42% before. Even if I calculate the minimum increase of 12%, it should have reached 54%. Why is it only 53%?"

Rain's keen observation noticed that the increase was 1% less than the minimum he had expected.

"In other words, a Soul Energy Crystal can barely manage 4%?"

"The effect of this Soul Energy Crystal diminishes as the vaporization process progresses."

"After the vaporization progress exceeds 50%, the effect will likely be around 3%." Rain thought to himself.

However, Rain wasn't unhappy about this.

These three Soul Energy Crystals were a pleasant surprise from the Norton Tribe. Additionally, his vaporization progress had already exceeded 50%.

This progress was unimaginable before he set out.

He had initially estimated it would take about a year to reach the threshold of becoming a Second Rank Liquidation Wizard.

But based on his current progress, it would take at most half a year, or even a few months, to become a Second Rank Liquidation Wizard.

This speed was unmatched! Of course, this was mainly due to the system's absorption of Soul Energy Crystals without any side effects, which gave him a significant advantage.

After all, for the Empire's top nobility, providing outstanding offspring with Soul Energy Crystals wasn't particularly difficult, but the side effects couldn't be eliminated.

According to the calculation that each point of vaporization increases the power of arcane spells by 0.5 points, Rain's current arcane spells were about 26% more powerful than when he first became a wizard.

This increase in spell power was not to be underestimated.

At this moment, Rain remembered that he hadn't reviewed the record of his battle against the Primordial Dragon and did so immediately:

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

[Congratulations, your hidden Will attribute has been enhanced!]



The experience required for the promotion of the Epic-tier King of a Thousand Blades (Otakar) was too high, and he did not level up from this battle. However, the number of Golden Skill Points obtained was quite substantial.

Combined with his previously remaining points, the Golden Skill Points reached an astonishing 49 points, while the remaining attribute points and skill points remained unchanged at 8 and 2 points, respectively.

Rain had already planned how to utilize the Golden Skill Points, but he had been hesitant to use them due to the previous scarcity.

"Now, I can finally enhance my skills."

At Rain's current level of power, the demands for casting spells during high-speed combat had become increasingly stringent.

If the casting time of a spell exceeded a certain limit, it would lose its practical value in actual combat.

Generally, the reaction speed limit of ordinary people was around 0.2 seconds, but Rain had read reports from his previous life that top athletes could achieve 0.1 seconds.

However, in this world, 0.1 seconds was merely the reaction speed of a Level 3 Knight Squire. After transcending into the extraordinary, Knights could typically reach a reaction speed of 0.05 seconds.

In other words, if Rain wanted to seamlessly integrate his spells with his close-quarters combat techniques, he needed to further shorten the casting time.

The Level 12 Metal Barrier spell, with its casting time of 0.25 seconds, was still not fast enough.

As Rain invested 8 Golden Skill Points into the Level 1 Metal Barrier spell, the spell's level instantly soared from 12 to 20!

In an instant, a vast memory related to the Metal Barrier spell flooded Rain's mind, transporting him to a mysterious space where he seemed to practice the spell for over a hundred years. The incantation became second nature, and the syllables compressed, allowing for even faster casting.

Eventually, Rain could complete the casting with a mere pursing of his lips.

After assimilating the memory, Rain discovered that the casting time of the Level 1 Metal Barrier spell had been reduced from around 0.25 seconds to approximately 0.04 seconds.

This speed was so fast that even a Full Knight would struggle to react in time, leaving Rain immensely satisfied.

Rain repeated the process with the Sharpening spell, investing 4 Golden Skill Points.

The Sharpening spell's level rose from 16 to 20!

Its casting time also decreased from around 0.1 seconds to approximately 0.04 seconds.

For these two Level 20 spells, Rain could say that he had reached a level where the spells responded to his thoughts.

With a mere thought, the spells were unleashed.

As for the other spells, Rain planned to identify the most compatible ones and enhance them.

After all, his regular skill points were limited, and he could only focus on improving a few of the most practical spells.

---

Deep within the ice fields, a vast expanse of white snow covered the glaciers, making it nearly impossible to find a trace of green.

This place was even colder and harsher than the Frostwind Tundra.

Within a towering, snow-white cave, a colossal Primordial Dragon, Kraxis, was devouring seal-like creatures, resembling seals or walruses.

By its side, Iceplain Beasts with white fur were carrying struggling walruses and seals, forming a queue.

After Kraxis's injury, he required a substantial amount of food to accelerate his recovery.

This responsibility naturally fell upon the shoulders of his Iceplain Beast minions.

"These foods don't provide enough energy."

"I need better nourishment," Kraxis's chest rumbled, and a buzzing voice echoed within the ice cave.

"This..."

The Iceplain Beasts exchanged glances, and even the Iceplain Beast priest looked troubled.

They were well aware of the scarcity of food in the ice fields, and they had already gone to great lengths to hunt these walruses and seals.

Moreover, the Iceplain Beasts themselves had barely eaten any of the catch, but they hadn't anticipated that Lord Kraxis would still be dissatisfied.

Just as the Iceplain Beast priest was at a loss, a swift Iceplain Beast hurriedly reported:

"Great King, Lord Diam has come to visit."

Lord Diam was also a wandering Primordial Dragon in the ice fields, but his size was only around twenty meters, making him much smaller than Kraxis. Usually, he wouldn't dare approach Kraxis, but hearing of his injury, he had mustered the courage to visit.

Evidently, Diam had come to assess Kraxis's condition.

"Oh? Let him in." A gleam flashed in Kraxis's enormous dragon eyes as he contemplated something.

"Lord Kraxis, I heard you were injured. I've come to pay my respects." Following the heavy footsteps, a normally-sized Primordial Dragon retracted its wings and crawled into the cave.

"Yes, those despicable barbarians have inflicted severe injuries upon me." Kraxis feigned weakness, turning to show Diam his bloodied and mangled back.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end