Chapter 394: Recruitment

Chapter 394: Recruitment

"Alright, Lord Ryan, I've displayed the Tier 3 Metal Affinity Witchcraft you requested on the Wisdom Stone Tablet. You can review the details." The Dwarf girl, having recovered from her initial shock, promptly assisted Ryan in his inquiry.

Ryan's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised.

The Wisdom Stone Tablet displayed the following:

"Steel Armor Spell: Tier 3 Witchcraft, consumes a certain amount of mental strength to activate a specific witchcraft model, stimulating special energy particles within the earth, covering the caster's body with a layer of steel armor."

"Exchange Price: 12,000 Contribution Points."

"Hmm? Steel Armor Spell?"

"It stimulates specific energy particles within the earth."

"Seems to be in the same lineage as the Iron Armor Spell!"

"Could it be that combining these two spells could form some kind of combination witchcraft, achieving a power akin to a Witchcraft Kill Move?" Ryan pondered.

For defensive-oriented witchcraft like this, even if they were combined, following the witches' tradition, they would typically not be named as kill moves but rather referred to as combination witchcraft.

Kill moves, by nature, were combinations of offensive witchcraft.

"Unfortunately, Metal Affinity Witchcraft is already scarce, and finding clear records of combination witchcraft is even rarer and more challenging." Ryan couldn't help but shake his head slightly, sighing inwardly.

He had spent the previous period delving into the Academy's library, naturally perusing the related records of witchcraft.

Relatively speaking, the Bius Armory School had slightly more documentation in this regard compared to the Swordsman Headquarters.

But most of them were personal biographies of Metal Affinity Wizards, documenting the use of a lost witchcraft in a particular battle, or the discovery of an ancient Metal Affinity Witchcraft while exploring ruins.

Additionally, there were records of various Academies pooling the strength of dozens of Metal Affinity Wizards to improve upon ancient witchcraft based on the work of their predecessors.

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

However, Ryan remained undeterred.

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

"As long as I can find some intrinsic connections between these Metal Affinity Witchcraft, I can combine them through system simulation, creating combination witchcraft or even Witchcraft Kill Moves!"

Next, Ryan reviewed an offensive Tier 3 Witchcraft.

"Steel Fist Spell: Tier 3 Witchcraft, consumes a certain amount of mental strength to activate a specific witchcraft model, stimulating metal energy particles to form a giant steel fist that delivers multiple strikes to the target."

"Exchange Price: 14,000 Contribution Points."

"Just these two?" At this moment, Ryan realized that there were only two Tier 3 Metal Affinity Witchcraft within the Academy.

"Yes, Lord Ryan." The Dwarf girl seemed to be confirming, nodding after a few seconds.

This left Ryan feeling somewhat disappointed.

After all, there was a gap between this and his initial expectations.

However, after some contemplation, Ryan, with his current Contribution Points, could afford to exchange either of the Tier 3 Witchcraft. Still, he didn't plan to do so immediately.

Because he had already exchanged a Tier 3 Metal Affinity Witchcraft, 'Thorny Iron Ball,' at the Swordsman Headquarters, and with his insufficient skill points, it would be excessive to exchange another one.

"Oh right, do you have Divine Power Crystals?" Ryan suddenly remembered something.

Although Ryan's Liquidation speed was already quite fast, the issue was that the only unfulfilled prerequisite for his class advancement to Dragon Vein Wizard was becoming a Crystalization Wizard.

Once he became a Crystalization Wizard, he would not only be able to learn the Tier 3 Metal Affinity Witchcraft 'Thorny Iron Ball' that he had exchanged at the Swordsman Headquarters, but more importantly, he could advance to Dragon Vein Wizard, gaining a significant boost in strength.

"Yes, Lord Ryan."

"How much is the exchange price?"

"The exchange price for a single Divine Power Crystal is 1,000 Contribution Points."

1,000 points? Ryan knew that this seemed cheaper than the exchange price at the Swordsman Headquarters, but in reality, it was because the Contribution Points in the Academy were harder to obtain than the Merit Points.

After a moment's thought, Ryan said, "Help me exchange for one hundred Magic Thread Balls."

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

Instead, he could wait for the rewards from the Swordsman Headquarters to exchange for Divine Power Crystals, as there were currently no other items he needed from the Headquarters, aside from some rare metals.

"Hmm? Oh, okay, Lord Ryan." The Dwarf girl was visibly startled, as if she couldn't understand Ryan's request, pausing for two seconds before responding.

She hadn't expected that after asking so many questions, Lord Ryan wouldn't plan to exchange for a Tier 3 Witchcraft or Divine Power Crystals immediately, but instead, he wanted to exchange for Magic Thread Balls.

"Each Magic Thread Ball costs 5 Contribution Points, totaling 500 Contribution Points."

"Alright."

Each ball of Magic Thread Strands was considered one portion, and one hundred portions made up one hundred Magic Thread Balls. The Dwarf girl handed over a large bag, filled to the brim, with some effort to Ryan.

"Thank you." Ren smiled.

"It's my honor to serve you, Lord Ren." The female gnome's dimples deepened in a sweet smile.

Ren nodded, feeling delighted as he held a large bag of magic thread balls and returned to his office at the Academy.

As it was already late at night, he decided to head back to the mansion and practice crafting the 'Apprentice Robe' the next day.

Upon returning to the mansion, Ren noticed that Anna was not in her bedroom.

However, with a quick perception check, he realized that his sister Mint was sleeping soundly in her room with another person.

Apparently, Mint had pulled Anna into her bed to sleep together.

Ren couldn't help but smile and shake his head slightly.

The next morning, after having breakfast with Anna and his family, Ren planned to head to the Academy's headquarters to complete the unfinished magic weaving promotion from the previous day.

Just as he was about to leave, having risen from behind his desk, a familiar voice suddenly called out from the doorway.

"Lord Ren."

Ren looked up and saw Olenna, a capable-looking young woman, wearing a black pleated skirt and a white princess-sleeved shirt, standing at the door with a smile.

"Oh? Lady Olenna, what brings you to the imperial capital?"

"Has General Edward come to the capital?" Ren asked, slightly surprised.

"No, Lord Ren." Olenna, the capable woman, covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"Three days ago, I received a transfer order from headquarters. I've come from the Minster branch to the Swordsman Headquarters, and my new position is Deputy Director of Reception at headquarters, and your personal liaison."

"That's great, welcome, Lady Olenna! With you here, some tasks will be much more convenient." Ren smiled and gestured for Olenna to come in and sit down.

Soon, the two of them were sitting face-to-face in the study.

"I should be the one thanking you, Lord Ren."

"Your reputation in the capital has soared. Headquarters' Major General Tatyia personally contacted me, hoping I could come to headquarters to assist."

Ren nodded in agreement.

He knew that Olenna had wanted to come to the capital's Swordsman Headquarters, but as an administrative staff member, the transfer process was quite challenging, so the matter had been put on hold.

"Recently, the higher-ups at headquarters even asked General Edward how he managed to cultivate such a powerful and young talent like you, making General Edward quite proud."

Olenna smiled as she shared some of the events that had occurred during this period.

"Lord Ren, the commendation from headquarters for your capture of the Black Flame Cult's High Priest in the Inferno Canyon Mystic Realm has arrived."

"Since you captured him alive, the reward has been increased to a Gold Medal and 20,000 Contribution Points."

As Olenna spoke, she couldn't help but observe Ren, marveling at his rapid growth.

"Oh, that's great. In that case, Lady Olenna, could you help me exchange these for ten Soul Energy Crystals?" Ren thought for a moment and said.

The last time he exchanged for Soul Energy Crystals, the price was 2,000 Contribution Points plus a Star Task Evaluation Medal.

Although the Gold Medal could be exchanged at a rate of 27 Star Task Evaluation Medals, the issue was that he didn't have enough Contribution Points to exchange for 27 of them.

"Of course." Olenna nodded without hesitation.

For the majority of Swordsmen, exchanging items required the individual to personally present their Swordsman Emblem at the exchange hall.

However, Ren was an exception.

As an Elite Swordsman, the highest rank within the Swordsman organization, Ren had this privilege.

And Olenna's primary task after being transferred was to serve Ren.

An hour and a half later, Olenna returned and handed Ren a special wooden box.

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

"Thank you."

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

"Well, in the near future, help me collect information on dragon or dragonkin slaying missions within headquarters, prioritizing powerful dragon creatures." Ren thought for a moment and said.

Currently, he didn't have enough Contribution Points, but if there were suitable dragon slaying missions, he could take them on.

By undertaking these tasks, he would not only receive substantial Contribution Point rewards but, more importantly, have the opportunity to enhance his bloodline concentration by absorbing dragon gene fragments.

"Okay, Lord Ren, I'll get on it right away."

"No rush, just summarize it for me after headquarters has been cleared." Ren waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, and there's one more thing. Help me recruit two team members, or you can ask Claire and Beyonce to start looking for suitable candidates."

"Yes, Lord Ren, I'll contact the two ladies right away." Olenna nodded.

After Olenna left, Ren opened the wooden box.

Inside, he found ten neatly arranged Soul Energy Crystals.

Ren grabbed the ten Soul Energy Crystals, and as he did, a notification rang out in his mind.

[Ding! Soul Energy Crystal detected, capable of enhancing mental energy liquefaction. Accelerate absorption? (Note: System absorption can remove impurities and complete absorption in one go.)]



"Yes!" Ren replied without hesitation.

Instantly, he felt the silver mist in his mind decrease, while the silver liquid began to increase.

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

Clearly, in the later stages of mental energy liquefaction, the effects of Soul Energy Crystals would gradually weaken.

Ren glanced at his system panel:

Mental Energy: 93 (Liquefaction 82%)



"Ten Soul Energy Crystals only increased it by 9%?" Ren furrowed his brows, thinking to himself.

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

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

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Ren calculated that the ten Soul Energy Crystals had only increased his liquefaction by 9%.

Although he had reached 90% liquefaction, which meant he could attempt the Crystallization breakthrough, Ren decided to solidify his foundation, just as he had done with the Mistification process. He aimed to reach 100% liquefaction before attempting the breakthrough.

By his calculations, if he wanted to advance to the third rank of Crystallization quickly, he would need at least 25 or more Soul Energy Crystals.

In the Imperial Capital of Tamriel.

In the innermost ring of the city, just a street away from the royal palace, stood a luxurious mansion.

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

A female steward, dressed in black trousers and a white lace shirt, was respectfully reporting something to Princess Lenalee.

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

"The information doesn't reveal how Ren defeated 'Carver' Harold," Princess Lenalee said, flipping through Ren's file, which was draped over her purple one-shoulder dress.

"Yes, it's said that Harold used his signature witchcraft skill, 'Earthquake,' which caused a sandstorm that obscured the scene. The only two female swordsmen present couldn't clearly explain how Ren defeated Harold."

"But according to the on-site investigation, Ren seems to possess some kind of bloodline transformation ability."

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

"Your Highness, I just received the latest news. Ren has captured a high priest of the Black Flame Cult alive in the Mystic Realm of Inferno Canyon."

"Oh? Captured alive? That's rare," Princess Lenalee's eyes lit up with a hint of surprise.

"Yes, it's extremely rare for a legendary member of the cult, known for their unwavering will, to be captured alive, even in death."

"Moreover, during this battle, many witnesses were present, and it's confirmed that Ren possesses a bloodline transformation ability. However, according to the descriptions of those who witnessed the fight, his transformation ability seems..."

"Seems like what?" Princess Lenalea asked, seeing the hesitation on her steward's face.

"From the transformed state, it appears to be a mutated dragon bloodline."

"Hmm?" Princess Lenalea couldn't help but pause at this news.

She finally understood why her steward had been so hesitant. The royal bloodline of the Dragon Empire was that of dragons, but over the empire's two-thousand-year history, there had been several major conflicts and upheavals within the royal family, causing some bloodlines to be lost outside the family.

So, it was possible that Ren shared a distant blood relation with Princess Lenalea.

Of course, there was also the possibility of human atavism, but this was so unlikely that it could be ignored; the probability was just too low.

Nevertheless, if it was a mutated dragon bloodline, then further observation of Ren was necessary.

"Let's observe him a little longer."

"Yes, Your Highness."

At the same time, Ren arrived at the school's outpost and resumed practicing the making of the Apprentice Robe.

Soon, as he successfully crafted the fifth Apprentice Robe, a notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Host has mastered Enchanting Patterns, unlocking the advanced profession—Magic Weaving Artisan!

[Prerequisites for advancing to Magic Weaving Artisan: 1. Master Tailor level 5 or higher; 2. Strength 10 or higher, Constitution 12, and Mental Energy 18 or higher; 3. Independently craft ten qualified Magic Weaving Artisan products. Current conditions met. Advance to Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary)?]



[Note: Upon advancing to Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary), the original Master Tailor panel will be integrated into the Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary) profession panel.]



Without hesitation, Ren chose "Yes"!

[Ding! Advancement to Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary) successful! Agility +3, Mental Energy +5! Master Tailor core skill 'Dextrous' is upgraded to Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary) core skill 'Focus'.

"Huh, Focus?" Ren's attention was drawn to the new core skill, 'Focus', and its 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 constitution and mental strength.)



"Enhanced limb coordination?" Ren pondered.

He clearly remembered that the previous core skill of the Master Tailor, 'Dexterous Hands', increased hand speed.

But this 'Focus' skill expanded the effect from just the 'hands' to the entire 'limbs'.

Out of curiosity and to verify his speculation, Ren activated the 'Focus' skill.

In an instant, the sounds of insects chirping, birds singing in the garden around the mansion, the whispers of the female servants, and other irrelevant things quickly faded away.

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

In just over a minute, Ren completed the Apprentice Robe, a task that would normally take several minutes of careful sewing.

Moreover, the quality of the magic weaving was even better than the previous ones.

"When used solely for magic weaving, it doesn't seem too different from the previous Dexterous Hands skill," Ren thought to himself.

After a moment's thought, Ren went to the training room, set up a one-minute hourglass, and began sprinting back and forth, performing regular attacks and signature attacks on the training ground.

After multiple tests, Ren had a good understanding of the effect of this new core skill.

When Focus was activated, the absolute speed increase was minimal.

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

This degree of improvement was significant. For Ren's current close-combat strength, every single point of increase was invaluable.

Additionally, this level of improvement and effect was already impressive for a skill at the Extraordinary tier.

Swordsman Headquarters.

Olenna quickly found Claire and Bianca.

"Lady Olenna, you're saying Captain Ren intends to recruit two new team members, right?" Claire glanced at the young, capable, and charming lady she was meeting for the first time, and then at Bianca beside her, seeking confirmation from Olenna.

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

However, during this time, they had heard discussions about their captain almost daily.

Moreover, countless people from various factions had come to seek them out, including investigators from the Swordsman Headquarters, officials from other departments, and even representatives from imperial noble houses.

The Swordsmen at the headquarters had been constantly asking about their captain and his battle with the 'Carver' Harold.

As for the other Swordsmen at the headquarters, they had been knocking on their dormitory doors non-stop.

Fortunately, they were prepared and responded with the excuse, 'It's hard to see clearly in a sandstorm.'

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

Looking at the two young and attractive women before her, Olenna couldn't help but marvel at how, even as Captain Ren's strength grew daily, his criteria for recruiting team members remained unchanged.

As long as the new member was female, she had to be young, beautiful, and have unique traits.

"If this gets out, I'm afraid there will be more than fifty, no, even over a hundred applicants," Claire said.

"And what are the recruitment criteria?" Bianca asked.

With so many applicants, they would need some standards to filter them.

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

But then she realized that it made sense.

The problem was, Captain Ren hadn't provided detailed criteria for recruitment.

"For male members, reliability is key. It's best if you know their background and they have a stable personality," Olenna said after some thought.

The men from Minster, like Neolo, Angus, and Vieri, were all level-headed.

"As for female members, young, beautiful, and unique will do."

"Huh? Shouldn't we look for those with strong abilities?" Claire's eyes widened in surprise at the criteria.

"Yes, or should we consider compatibility with Captain Ren in battle?" Bianca furrowed her brows, puzzled.

"Do you think your abilities are strong enough?" Olenna understood their concern and, after a moment's thought, replied.

"Hmm..."

Olenna's words immediately reminded the two of the battle in Tavlin Town.

After using a Tier 2 Witchcraft Scroll, Claire and Bianca had become quails, hiding and avoiding combat.

For a moment, they were speechless.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end