Chapter 40: Factions
Chapter 40: Factions
Amidst the turmoil of international conflicts, a hidden undercurrent stirs beneath the calm surface of everyday life, unbeknownst to ordinary people. They remain oblivious until the great changes arrive, sweeping them along.
The Divine Birthday celebrations brought vibrant life to Sigono City.
The consecutive eradication of the 'Vermin' within the city, coupled with the Night Watch's rigorous patrols, significantly improved the city's security during this period.
Of course, none of this concerned Karl.
Recently, he had been preoccupied with moving into his new home, unpacking, and expressing gratitude for the housewarming gifts he received. He even had less time to visit Adolf's estate outside the city.
On top of that, he had to practice the Breath Technique, Martial Arts, Meditation, Spells, and brewing potions, leaving no room for procrastination.
His daily schedule was packed, and he had to decline invitations to gatherings with his colleagues during the Divine Birthday.
The Fragment of the Divine Domain.
Karl consumed a secret potion, contorted his body into an odd posture, and began to practice the Poison Wolf Breath Technique.
Soon, a thin layer of sweat formed on his skin, and the veins in his forehead and neck bulged prominently. His breathing became rapid.
The blood in his veins seemed to boil, and his heart pounded as if trying to break free from his chest, making a loud thumping sound.
After a while, Karl exhaled.
He stopped his movements, took a deep breath, and summoned the Data Panel with a wave of his hand.
Name: Karl (Master of the Fragment of the Divine Domain)
Constitution: 0.82
Psychic Energy: 1.43
Source Quality: 0
Occupation: Knight Attendant, Apprentice Wizard
Psychic Energy stability increased, approaching the Intermediate Mage Apprentice level. Even his Constitution, originally at 0.79, had risen to 0.82 after this period of tempering.
The changes in the data brought a smile to Karl's face.
"Beast meat is indeed useful," he said.
Indeed, with Karl's continuous funding, Aya's team had now established a solid presence in Black City.
Furthermore, they had acquired several portions of beast meat through connections.
For Karl, who had never consumed beast meat before, the effect of the first taste was comparable to that of the Light of Wisdom. His Constitution visibly increased at a rapid pace.
"If the Spell Seal hadn't taken away half of my life force, my Constitution might be at 0.84 right now," he mused.
Don't underestimate this 0.02 increase.
The Constitution data encompasses strength, burst, speed, recovery, and more, forming a comprehensive value. Even a slight difference can lead to significant variations in external performance.
Moreover, it becomes increasingly challenging to improve as you progress, and some Knight Attendants might not see any progress after months of training.
Grabbing the broad sword beside him, Karl took a step forward and unleashed a Furious Strike.
The sword wind howled.
His strength had noticeably improved.
Previously, using the Gale Slash combat technique would leave him feeling exhausted, but now he felt much better, no longer concerned about lacking the strength to fight after using the technique.
If his Constitution exceeded 0.9, his raw strength as a male might even surpass Dana's.
"But Elder Lev was right," Karl thought. "The existence of the Spell Seal severely hinders the path of a knight."
"Unless there's a constant supply of beast meat, it's almost impossible for a Knight Attendant with a Spell Seal to condense a Life Seed and advance to knighthood."
Pausing his movements, Karl pondered, "Perhaps..."
"It's better to construct a Flame Seal spell model in the Inner Sea of Spirit and remove the Spell Seal before tempering the body."
This had two advantages.
Firstly, he could continue on the path of a knight, although this wasn't crucial, as the path of a wizard seemed to have a higher ceiling.
Secondly,
he wouldn't have to purchase spell models from Adolf, thus avoiding exposure of his true strength.
If he could obtain more Spell Seals from the Foreign World, he wouldn't have to worry about a shortage of spells in the future.
Someday, secretly advancing to the Intermediate and Advanced Mage Apprentice levels might even be possible.
"Enough of this!"
Shaking his head, Karl stopped his wandering thoughts.
"Thinking about this now is pointless. The priority is to replicate the Flame Seal spell model."
Several days later.
Black City.
"The most powerful force in Black City is the City Guard, a team of several hundred men led by the City Lord himself."
"Among the City Guard, there are ten captains who are knights, and the Chief Captain Hal is an advanced knight with two spell seals, second only to the City Lord in strength."
Aya explained, "Some people are naturally gifted and can possess two spell seals, but such individuals are extremely rare."
Karl nodded. According to his analysis, spell seals consume one's physical constitution and psychic energy.
In this world, people have not practiced meditation, and their psychic energy is generally insufficient, allowing them to possess only one spell seal.
However, it's possible that some people are gifted and can have two spell seals.
As for the City Lord...
This person is shrouded in mystery, and no one knows their true strength. Even those who have seen their true face are scarce, but everyone knows that they are Black City's top expert.
They are most likely a Great Knight.
"The City Guard is strong, but it's impossible for them to manage the entire Black City, especially after so many years of excavation and mining. The underground passages are like a labyrinth, filled with semi-dead creatures and beasts. They don't have the energy to control all of it."
Aya explained, "So, aside from the major mines, the other mine tunnels are controlled by different factions. The City Guard collects black stones from them regularly and in fixed quantities."
"As long as they provide enough black stones, the City Guard doesn't interfere with anything else. There are even rewards for compliance. If the black stone tribute is insufficient, they will face severe punishment."
"Aside from the City Guard, there are four other factions in Black City with knights: the Betty Family, the Whispering Winds, the Brotherhood, and the Shadow Alliance. They compete with each other for control of the mines."
"Hmm..."
"The group we encountered the other day was the Brotherhood, hunting down the leader of the Scythe Guild. Now, the Scythe Guild no longer exists."
Karl rubbed his chin and asked, "How many knights are there in these four factions?"
"Several?" Aya shook her head. "The Betty Family has the most knights, with only three. As far as I know, the others have only one."
"Where would they find so many knights?"
Upon hearing this, Karl felt a sense of relief.
As long as they weren't knights, he wouldn't feel too much pressure from them.
As for factions without knights, he didn't need to worry too much. Even if the advanced knight's attendants weren't his match, he could always escape if he couldn't defeat them.
The group split up.
The shattered crimson moon still hung in the sky.
The dark night enveloped the city, and silence surrounded them.
Karl stood in the ruins, his expression changing as he looked at the corner where the goods were originally stored.
He bent down, picked up a pinch of dirt, examined it for a moment, and then hummed softly. He took out some white powder from his body and sprinkled it around.
Revealing Powder! This was a common powder used by apprentice wizards, capable of revealing traces left by living creatures within a certain period.
As the powder was scattered, footprints that shouldn't have been there appeared before his eyes.
"Investigating my identity?"
"Or are they curious about where I get my supplies and where I went during my absence?"
"Is it Aya, or someone else?"
Although Karl intentionally acquired low-quality black bread, milk, and meat strips, the abundance of food was enough to arouse others' curiosity. Interests always drove people.
It wasn't surprising that someone was secretly investigating him.
However, his greatest secret was his ability to cross over, and he would not tolerate any outsiders prying into this, let alone discovering it.
"I hope it's not Aya..."
"Otherwise, I'll have to change my agent."
From the beginning of their transaction, Karl had warned Aya not to inquire about his secrets, or he wouldn't hold back.
(End of Chapter)
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