Chapter 394: Recruitment

Chapter 394: Recruitment

"Alright, Rain, the Tier 3 Metal Magic you're looking for is now displayed on the Wisdom Slate. You can examine it in detail." The dwarf girl, after her initial shock, promptly assisted Rain with his inquiry.

Rain's eyebrows rose, clearly delighted.

The Wisdom Slate displayed the following:

"Steel Armor Spell: Tier 3 Magic, consumes a certain amount of Mental Energy, using a specific magic model to draw upon special energy particles within the earth, covering the caster's body with a layer of steel armor."

"Exchange Price: 12,000 Contribution Points."

"Huh? Steel Armor Spell?"

"It draws upon specific special energy particles within the earth."

"Seems like it's in the same lineage as the Iron Armor Spell!"

"Could it be that the two can form some kind of Combination Spell, achieving a power akin to a Magic Killing Spell?" Rain couldn't help but ponder.

Even if defensive spells like these could be combined, according to the conventions of wizards, they would typically not be named as killing spells but rather referred to as Combination Spells.

Killing spells, of course, are combinations of offensive spells.

"Unfortunately, Metal Magic is already scarce, and finding clear records of Combination Spells is even rarer and more challenging." Rain shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly.

He had spent a significant amount of time in the Academy's library, naturally perusing through related Metal Magic materials.

Compared to the Artificer Academy, the Swordmaster Headquarters had slightly more records in this regard.

However, most of these records were personal biographies of Metal Mages, documenting the use of a lost spell in a battle or the discovery of an ancient Metal Magic spell while exploring ruins.

Additionally, there were accounts of academies gathering dozens of Metal Mages to improve an existing Metal Magic spell based on the work of their predecessors.

In other words, these records primarily documented the names and effects of the spells, but the specific magic models were mostly missing, lost in the vast river of history.

Nevertheless, Rain remained undeterred.

"Fortunately, I have the system to deduce and analyze."

"As long as I can find some inherent connection between several Metal Magic spells, I can use the system to deduce and combine them, forming Combination Spells or even Magic Killing Spells!"

Next was an offensive Tier 3 spell.

"Steel Fist Spell: Tier 3 Magic, consumes a certain amount of Mental Energy, using a specific magic model to draw upon metal energy particles, forming a massive steel fist that strikes the target multiple times."

"Exchange Price: 14,000 Contribution Points."

"Just these two?" It was only then that Rain realized that the Academy only had these two Tier 3 Metal Magic spells.

"Er, yes, Rain." The dwarf girl seemed to be confirming, nodding her head after a few seconds.

This left Rain feeling a bit disappointed.

After all, there was still a gap between this and what he had initially expected.

However, after some thought, although Rain had enough Contribution Points to exchange for either of the Tier 3 spells, he didn't plan to do so immediately.

He had already exchanged for a Tier 3 Metal Magic spell, 'Thorned Iron Ball,' at the Swordmaster Headquarters, and with his insufficient skill points, exchanging for another would be excessive.

"Oh right, do you have Soul Energy Crystals?" Rain suddenly remembered something.

Although Rain's Liquidization rate was already quite fast, the only unfulfilled prerequisite for his class advancement to Dragon Vein Mage was becoming a Crystal Mage.

"Yes, Rain."

"What's the exchange price?"

"The exchange price for a single Soul Energy Crystal is 1,000 Contribution Points."

1,000? Rain knew that it seemed cheaper than the exchange price at the Swordmaster Headquarters, but in reality, this was because the difficulty of obtaining Contribution Points in the Academy was higher than that of Merit Points.

After a moment's thought, Rain said, "Help me exchange for a hundred sets of Rune Threads."

He didn't choose to exchange immediately because he still needed Contribution Points to exchange for Tier 3 spells and the third volume of the Advanced Meditation of Steel Heart.

Instead, he could wait for the rewards from the Swordmaster Headquarters to be distributed and exchange for Soul Energy Crystals there, as there were no other items he particularly needed at the moment.

"Hmm? Oh, okay, Rain." The dwarf girl was clearly taken aback, as if she hadn't understood Rain's request, pausing for a couple of seconds before reacting.

She hadn't expected that Rain, after asking about so much, wouldn't exchange for a Tier 3 spell or Soul Energy Crystals but instead wanted to exchange for Rune Threads.

"Sir, the exchange price for each set of Rune Threads is 5 Contribution Points, making it 500 Contribution Points in total."

"Okay."

Each ball of Rune Threads was one set, and a hundred sets were a hundred balls of Rune Threads. The dwarf girl handed over a large bag to Rain, it seemed a bit heavy.

"Thank you." Rain smiled.

The gnome girl's dimples appeared as she sweetly smiled and said, "It's my pleasure to serve you, Lord Rain."

Rain nodded and headed back to his office at the Academy. As it was already late, he decided to return to his mansion and practice making the 'Apprentice Robe' the next day.

Upon returning to his mansion, Rain found that Anna was not in his bedroom. However, he sensed that his sister Mint was sleeping with Anna in her room.

It seemed that Mint had pulled Anna into bed with her.

Rain couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

The next morning, after having breakfast with Anna and his family, Rain planned to go to the Academy to complete the Magic Weaving promotion that he had left unfinished the day before.

Just as he was about to leave his desk, a voice called out to him.

"Lord Rain."

Rain looked up and saw Alena, dressed in a black pleated skirt and a white princess-sleeved shirt, standing at the door with a professional air.

"Alena, what brings you to the Imperial City?" Rain asked, slightly surprised.

"No, Lord Rain," Alena said, covering her mouth with a light laugh. "Three days ago, I received a transfer order from headquarters. I've been transferred from the Minster branch to the Swordmaster Headquarters, and my new position is Deputy Director of Reception and your personal liaison."

"That's wonderful, welcome, Lady Alena! With you here, many things will be much more convenient," Rain laughed and gestured for Alena to come in and sit down.

Soon, they were sitting face-to-face in the study.

"I must thank you, Lord Rain," Alena said.

"Your reputation has soared in the Imperial City. Major General Tatiyah from headquarters contacted me personally, hoping that I could come and assist here."

Rain nodded. He knew that Alena had wanted to come to the Swordmaster Headquarters in the Imperial City, but as an administrative staff member, the transfer process was quite difficult, so the matter had been put on hold.

"Recently, the higher-ups at headquarters even asked General Edward how he managed to nurture such a powerful and young talent like you. General Edward was quite proud," Alena continued, sharing some of the events that had taken place.

"By the way, Lord Rain, the headquarters has sent a commendation for your capture of the Black Flame Cult's High Priestess in the Flame Canyon secret realm two days ago."

"Since you captured her alive, the reward has been increased to a Gold Medal and an additional 20,000 Merit Points."

As Alena spoke, she couldn't help but marvel at Rain's rapid growth.

"Oh? That's great. In that case, Lady Alena, could you help me exchange those Merit Points for ten Soul Energy Crystals?" Rain thought for a moment and said.

He had exchanged Merit Points for Soul Energy Crystals before, at a rate of 2,000 Merit Points and a Star Task Evaluation Medal.

Although the Gold Medal could be exchanged for 27 Star Medals, the problem was that he didn't have enough Merit Points to exchange for 27 of them.

"Of course," Alena agreed without hesitation.

Although most Swordmasters had to personally present their Swordmaster Insignia to make exchanges at the Exchange Hall, Rain was an exception.

As an Elite Swordsman, the highest rank in the Swordmaster system, Rain didn't need to follow the usual procedures.

Alena's primary task was to serve Rain well.

An hour and a half later, Alena returned with a special wooden box for Rain.

"Lord Rain, here are your ten Soul Energy Crystals."

"Thank you."

"It's my job to serve you. What else can I do for you next?" Alena asked with a smile.

"Could you help me gather information on dragon or dragonkin kills within the headquarters, prioritizing powerful dragon creatures. The stronger, the better," Rain thought for a moment and said.

Since he didn't have enough Merit Points, executing suitable dragon-killing tasks could be an option.

By completing these tasks, he could not only earn substantial Merit Point rewards but, more importantly, increase his bloodline concentration by absorbing dragon gene fragments.

"Of course, Lord Rain. I'll get on it right away."

"There's no rush. Just summarize it for me after the headquarters' cleanup is done," Rain waved his hand.

"Also, there's another matter. Help me recruit two team members, or perhaps you could ask Claire and Bianca to start looking for suitable candidates first."

"Yes, sir. I'll contact the two ladies right away," Alena agreed.

After Alena left, Rain opened the wooden box.

Inside, he found ten neatly arranged Soul Energy Crystals.

Rain grabbed all ten Soul Energy Crystals at once.

[Ding! Detected Soul Energy Crystal that can enhance Mental Energy Liquidization. Do you wish to accelerate absorption? (Note: System absorption can eliminate impurities and complete absorption in one go.)]



"Yes!"

Instantly, Rain felt the silver mist in his mind decreasing, while the silver liquid began to increase.

The entire process lasted only a few seconds before the transformation halted.

Clearly, the effect of the Soul Energy Crystals would diminish as Mental Energy approached the later stages of Liquidization.

Rain glanced at his system panel:

Mental Energy: 93 (Liquidization 82%)



"Ten Soul Energy Crystals only increased it by 9%?" Rain's eyebrows furrowed as he pondered.

During this time, due to the effect of the second layer of the Advanced Meditation of Steel Heart, his Liquidization rate had increased by 1%, rising from 72% to 73%.

But after using ten Soul Energy Crystals, it only reached 82%.

Calculating, Rain realized that the ten Soul Energy Crystals had only increased his Liquidization rate by 9%.

Although he could attempt the Crystalization breakthrough with a Liquidization rate of 90%, Rain wanted to ensure a solid foundation, just like in the Fog Phase. He planned to increase the Liquidization rate to 100% before attempting the breakthrough.

To advance to a Tier 3 Crystalization Wizard quickly, Rain estimated he would need at least 25 or more Soul Energy Crystals.

In the Imperial City of Tamriel, within the most central area of the Inner Ring, just a street away from the Imperial Palace, stood a luxurious mansion.

This was the residence of Princess Renala, the eldest daughter of the Emperor of the Dragon Empire.

A female housekeeper, dressed in black trousers and a white ruffled shirt, was respectfully reporting to Princess Renala.

"Your Highness, this Elite Swordsman Rain has risen at an astonishing pace. After our assessment, we believe he has incredible potential and suggest making contact and winning him over early on."

Princess Renala, wearing a purple one-shoulder gown, casually flipped through Rain's file and asked, "It's not clear from the file how Rain managed to defeat the Sculptor Harold."

"Yes, it's said that Harold used his signature Magic Killing Spell, 'Earthquake,' which caused a sandstorm that obscured vision. The only two female Swordsmen present couldn't clearly explain how Rain defeated Harold."

"But according to the on-site investigation, Rain seems to possess some kind of Bloodline Transformation Ability."

As the female housekeeper was speaking, a maid hurried over and whispered something in her ear, handing her a thin piece of paper.

"Er, Your Highness, we just received news that Rain captured a High Priestess of the Black Flame Cult alive within the Flame Canyon Secret Realm."

"Oh? Captured alive? That's rare." Princess Renala's eyes lit up with surprise.

"Yes, it's uncommon for a legendary strong member of the cult to be captured alive, as they usually have strong willpower and would rather die than be captured."

Genres: Political Drama, Action

"Moreover, many people witnessed the battle, and it's almost certain that Rain possesses a Bloodline Transformation Ability. However, according to the onlookers' descriptions, his transformation ability seems..."

"Seems what?" Princess Renala's curiosity piqued as she noticed her housekeeper's hesitant expression.

"From the transformed state, it appears to be some kind of mutated Dragon Bloodline."

"Hmm?" Princess Renala was taken aback by this news.

She finally understood why her housekeeper had been so hesitant.

The royal bloodline of the Dragon Empire was likely connected to Rain's in some distant way.

There was also the possibility of a human atavistic phenomenon, but this was extremely rare and could be ignored.

Regardless, if Rain possessed a mutated Dragon Bloodline, further observation was necessary.

"Then let's observe him further."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Meanwhile, Rain arrived at the Academy's residence and resumed practicing the creation of Apprentice Robes.

Soon, as he successfully crafted the fifth Apprentice Robe, the system notified him:

[Ding! Host has comprehended Runes, triggering the advanced profession upgrade - Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver!)



[To advance to Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver, the following prerequisites must be met: 1. Master Weaver level 5 or higher; 2. Strength 10 points or more, Constitution 12 points, and Mental Energy 18 points or more; 3. Independently craft ten qualified Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver products. Current conditions met. Do you wish to advance to Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver?

[Note: Upon advancing to Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver, the Master Weaver panel will be integrated into the Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver profession panel.]



[Ding! Profession upgrade successful! Strength and Mental Energy increased by 5 points each. Master Weaver core skill 'Keen Hands' upgraded to Beyond Mortal Rune Weaver core skill 'Focus.'

"Hmm? Focus?" Rain's attention was drawn to the new core skill, 'Focus'. He read the skill description:

【Core Skill: Focus (Active)】

Focus (Active) Effect: Upon activation, focus and limb coordination are enhanced.

(Note: The duration of this skill is proportional to the host's physical and mental energy.)



"Limb coordination enhancement?" Rain pondered.

He clearly remembered that the original Master Weaver core skill, 'Keen Hands', increased hand speed.

However, the effect of 'Focus' expanded the scope from just the hands to the entire body.

Out of curiosity and to verify his guess, Rain activated the new core skill, 'Focus'.

In an instant, the insect chirps and bird songs in the garden surrounding the mansion, the whispers of the guards and maids, and other irrelevant sounds quickly faded away.

The entire world seemed to be reduced to just him, the rune thread, and the silk robe in his hands.

Within just over a minute, Rain completed the Apprentice Robe, a task that usually required several minutes of careful stitching.

Moreover, the quality of the rune sewing was even better than the previous ones.

"If used solely for rune tailoring, it doesn't seem much different from the previous Keen Hands," Rain thought to himself.

After a moment of reflection, Rain went to the training room, set up a one-minute hourglass, and began running back and forth, performing normal attacks and signature attacks in the training area.

After multiple tests, Rain had a good understanding of the effects of this new core skill.

The increase in absolute speed after activating Focus was minimal.

In comparison, the various attack movements involving full-body coordination, as well as signature attacks, showed a more noticeable improvement, with an increase of about ten percent.

Don't underestimate this degree of improvement; for Rain's current close-combat strength, every bit of enhancement was invaluable.

Additionally, it was already impressive to see this level of improvement and effect in a Beyond Mortal-tier profession.

Swordmaster Headquarters.

Alena quickly found Claire and Bianse.

"Lady Alena, you mean Captain Rain intends to recruit two new members?" Claire glanced at the young, capable, and charming lady she was meeting for the first time, then turned back to Alena for confirmation.

Since the day they returned to headquarters from Tavlin Town, they hadn't seen Captain Rain.

However, during this time, they had heard countless discussions about their captain almost every day.

Moreover, countless people from various backgrounds had come to inquire about their captain, Rain, and his battle with the Sculptor, Harold.

The other Swordmasters at headquarters had practically worn out the doorsteps of their dormitory.

Fortunately, they were prepared for this and consistently responded that they couldn't see clearly due to the sandstorm.

Rain began practicing in the training area, focusing on full-body coordination in attacks and signature moves.

After numerous tests, Rain had a clear understanding of the new core skill's effects.

The increase in absolute speed after activating Focus was minimal.

In contrast, the various attack movements involving full-body coordination, as well as signature attacks, showed a more noticeable improvement, with an increase of about ten percent.

Don't underestimate this degree of improvement; for Rain's current close-combat strength, every bit of enhancement was invaluable.

Additionally, it was already impressive to see this level of improvement and effect in a Beyond Mortal-tier profession.

Swordmaster Headquarters.

Alena quickly found Claire and Bianse.

"Lady Alena, you mean Captain Rain intends to recruit two new members?" Claire glanced at the young, capable, and charming lady she was meeting for the first time, then turned back to Alena for confirmation.

Since the day they returned to headquarters from Tavlin Town, they hadn't seen Captain Rain.

However, during this time, they had heard countless discussions about their captain almost every day.

Moreover, countless people from various backgrounds had come to inquire about their captain, Rain, and his battle with the Sculptor, Harold.

The other Swordmasters at headquarters had practically worn out the doorsteps of their dormitory.

Fortunately, they were prepared for this and consistently responded that they couldn't see clearly due to the sandstorm.

"Yes, Miss Claire." Alena smiled slightly and nodded.

Looking at the two attractive young women before her, Alena couldn't help but marvel at how Captain Rain's standards for recruiting female team members remained unchanged despite his rapidly growing strength.

Any female team member must be young, beautiful, and have unique characteristics.

"Hmm, are you sure you want us to handle this? Once the news of Captain Rain's recruitment spreads, there might be more than fifty, or even over a hundred applicants," Claire said with concern.

"What about the recruitment criteria?" Bianse asked suddenly.

After all, they needed some standards to evaluate the applicants.

"Hmm? Is it that exaggerated?" Alena showed surprise.

But then she realized it made sense.

The issue was that Captain Rain hadn't provided detailed information.

"For male team members, reliability should be the priority. Choose someone whose background you are familiar with, someone stable and trustworthy," Alena suggested after some thought.

For example, the members from Minster, like Neorolo.

"As for female team members, focus on youth, beauty, and unique characteristics."

"Hmm? Shouldn't we be looking for strong candidates?" Claire's eyes widened in surprise at the criteria.

"Shouldn't we consider compatibility with Captain Rain in battle?" Bianse furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Do you think your strength is sufficient?" Alena understood their underlying concern. After some thought, she said, "Hmm?"

Alena's words made Claire and Bianse recall the battle in Tavlin Town.

They had used a Tier 2 Magic Defense Scroll and then played the role of scaredy-cats.

For a moment, Claire and Bianse were speechless.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end