Chapter 400: Crystallization

Chapter 400: Crystallization

"This must be the crystallization of spiritual power," Rain thought to himself.

At that moment, the system prompt sounded again:

【Host is detected breaking through Tier 3 Wizard, unlocking the improved restriction on Tier 2 Talent Spell 'Cutting Web'. Do you wish to improve this spell? This improvement will cost 28 Golden Skill Points.】

(Note: The improved Talent Spell will be better suited to the host's casting style, increasing its power, range, or other aspects.)



Rain had experienced a similar improvement with the Tier 1 Talent Spell 'Metal Deformation' when he advanced to Tier 2 Wizard.

So, he wasn't surprised by this system prompt.

Without hesitation, Rain immediately chose 'Yes'!

Instantly, a vast amount of information regarding the improvement of the Tier 2 Talent Spell 'Cutting Web' flooded into Rain's mind. For a moment, it was as if Rain had spent nearly a century in a mysterious space, refining and adjusting the spell's model to better suit his casting habits.

At the same time, the three layers of spiritual power crystals in his spirit sea underwent synchronized adjustments.

Soon, the system prompt sounded again:

【Ding! Host's improved Tier 2 Talent Spell 'Cutting Web' is complete. The new spell model is adjusted, increasing spell power by 13% and reducing spiritual power consumption by 18%.】

"Excellent!" Rain's eyes lit up.

"Although it consumed more Golden Skill Points than Metal Deformation, it's impressive to have increased the power of a Tier 2 spell."

The improvement of the Tier 2 Talent Spell was just a small part of this promotion. As Rain looked on, the system prompts continued:

【Host is entering Crystallization.】

【Ding! Promotion to Tier 3 Wizard successful! Spirit +25!】

【Acquired Tier 3 Talent Spell: Steel Armor】

When Rain opened his eyes again, he felt his perception of the world around him become even clearer. He could easily distinguish the subtle differences in the footsteps of Claire and Bianca, who were walking briskly behind him from a distance of several dozen meters.

It wasn't just the difference in sound, but also the variations in their pace and the force of their steps.

He didn't need to turn around to perceive these details; his senses were incredibly sharp.

Even from over a hundred meters away, among the dozens of guards, Rain could pinpoint the location of Dick, the Swordbearer Captain, through his heightened perception alone.

Additionally, his perception allowed him to detect subtle differences in the surrounding energy particles, such as whether the distribution of energy elements in the area was uniform.

The concentration of metal and shadow energy particles in the vicinity was noticeably denser, likely due to his recent battle with the half-spider demon Naiou Blakcan.

This level of discernment would have been challenging, if not impossible, for Rain when he was a Tier 2 Liquidization Wizard.

Rain then shifted his attention to the system panel.

Since it was a promotion to Tier 3 Wizard, the War Hammer Wizard (Legendary) profession panel hasn't changed much, since it's not a class change.

"My Spirit attribute increased by 25 points, which is significantly more than when I advanced to Tier 2. Excellent!"

Rain checked his attribute panel and saw that his Spirit attribute had reached: 123 (Crystallization 1%).

"I've finally entered the Tier 3 Crystallization Wizard level. Now, my spellcasting alone is considered to have reached the threshold of Legendary power." Rain couldn't help but feel proud.

Next, he focused on the effects of the Tier 3 Talent Spell, 'Steel Armor'.

He quickly scanned the War Hammer Wizard (Legendary) profession panel and found a new icon at the top.

The icon depicted a silver-glowing humanoid, different from the typical knight armor design. The humanoid's surface was entirely covered in metal protection without a single crease, resembling the liquid robots he had seen in his previous life's Terminator movies.

Below the icon, a small line of text read:

【Tier 3 Talent Spell: Steel Armor】

Steel Armor (Tier 3 Talent Spell) Effect: Consumes a small amount of spiritual power to activate a specific spell model, harnessing special metal energy particles from the ground to cover the caster's body with a thick layer of steel armor.

"Special metal energy particles?"

"Thick steel armor?" Rain immediately understood the difference in description between Steel Armor and Iron Armor.

However, it wasn't the right time to cast the spell, as Claire and Bianca had already arrived.

"Captain, are you alright?" Claire asked with a hint of concern.

"I'm fine," Rain waved his hand.

"Captain, do you want to wear this?" Bianca's face turned slightly red as she offered Rain a black cloak.

"Oh, thanks." Rain looked down and understood.

He took the cloak from Bianca and put it on.

Although his tailoring profession level in spell patterns had improved rapidly, the stretchable underwear he was wearing had already turned to shreds.

So, basically, all that's left is a pair of shorts.

When Dick and the other guards arrived beside Rain, they were already surrounded by pits and craters, and the forest was in disarray, as if hundreds of meteorites had fallen, leaving them in a daze!

In their hearts, they exclaimed, "Could this destruction be caused by humans?"

Even the adults from the Imperial City would find this too exaggerated.

"Sir Rain, although I've heard of your formidable reputation, I find that the rumors have underestimated your combat strength!" Dick bowed deeply to Rain, his eyes filled with deep admiration.

"Sir Dick, I also thank you and your companions for your bravery," Rain smiled.

Meanwhile, in the Cyrodiil Plateau, deep beneath the earth, at the Tutkash Academy Outpost.

Just as Rain eliminated the incarnation of the Demon God Naiou Blakcan, Graham felt his heart flutter, as if something terrible had happened.

Immediately, his face changed.

As a Fourth Tier Dawn Wizard, he could hear the faint, distant Divine Murmur:

"Kill that bastard!"

Although the Spider God's words were intermittent and unclear, the anger in them was evident.

Graham quickly realized that his Spider God's incarnation had encountered trouble.

"How is this possible? Could it have failed?"

"If Sir Staven's mission failed, it's possible, but my master's incarnation had successfully descended before!"

The tall Graham paced in the underground hall, his four sharp limbs scraping the ground, but after much thought, he couldn't understand why.

"Could it be that my master's incarnation was defeated after descending?"

"Even the Imperial Guardians might not be able to defeat my master's descended form."

"As a vessel, my master's incarnation must have reached the Epic Tier."

"As a last resort, even if there happened to be an Imperial Guardian nearby, retreat should have been possible."

"But from my master's angry tone, the incarnation must have been completely destroyed."

"This..."

Graham's eyebrows furrowed.

At the foot of Blade Volcano.

Having witnessed the formidable combat strength of Rain, a fellow Swordbearer, in defeating the descended incarnation of the Demon God, Dick and the other Swordbearers from Mosel Province felt honored. After a brief rest, they headed towards Blade Volcano with boosted morale.

Soon, they arrived at the mouth of Blade Volcano. A scorching wave of heat hit them, along with a pungent smell of sulfur.

Looking down from the volcano's mouth, they saw the dark red lava slowly writhing like cracked earth. However, despite searching, they couldn't find any trace of the Lava Dragon.

"Huh? Last time, before we even reached the entrance, the Lava Dragon rushed out upon sensing our presence."

"What's happening this time?"

Many of the guards whispered among themselves.

"Sir Rain, I think this Lava Dragon must be scared of you and is hiding in the lava lake, afraid to come out," Dick speculated after some thought.

Creatures like the Lava Dragon are highly territorial, yet they had approached boldly, and the dragon hadn't moved.

This was clearly illogical.

After careful consideration, Dick concluded, "A dragon is hiding in the lava!"

Dick, in his forties, had experienced numerous missions with the Mosel Swordbearer Branch, and this was the first time he'd encountered such an absurd situation.

Hearing Dick's words, the others exchanged glances. Although they felt Dick's theory was a bit exaggerated, it seemed reasonable.

Claire, standing nearby, also paused upon hearing Dick's words. Her beautiful eyes widened, and she thought to herself that this was the first time she'd heard of such an absurd situation.

However, when she glanced at her captain, she noticed Rain's furrowed brows, seemingly disappointed at failing to complete the Lava Dragon mission.

After a moment, Claire suggested, "Captain, should I use the Flame Eye to check?"

"The Flame Eye? Good idea," Rain's eyes lit up, and he nodded.

He had heard of the Flame Eye, a Tier 1 Fire Magic spell, which could create a fist-sized eye made of flame elements to scout the enemy.

As Claire began chanting the incantation, a somewhat unusual, semi-transparent fireball appeared floating in mid-air before her.

With a tap of Claire's fair finger, the Flame Eye rapidly descended towards the lava lake below.

After several minutes, Claire wiped the fine sweat from her fair forehead and stopped the spell, apologizing, "Captain, I'm sorry, I couldn't find it. It must be hiding deep within the lava lake."

Rain nodded, "It's okay."

He understood that despite the volcano's small mouth, the area below was quite spacious.

The lava lake at the base of Blade Volcano was as vast as a real lake, especially its depth, which was likely astonishing. Additionally, there might be winding underground passages at the bottom of the lava lake.

In the vast lava lake, finding a deliberately hidden Lava Dragon was an extremely challenging task.

Rain had considered sending his Blood Feather to search, but although the Blood Feather Wyvern Beast was a ferocious breed, it could only briefly fly over the lava without issue. Searching for an extended period of time, it was impractical to search the lava lake for an extended period.

Furthermore, it was too dangerous. If the Blood Feather were to be swallowed by the Lava Dragon, the loss would be immense.

After some thought, Rain turned and said, "Let's go. I'm afraid that after it recovers, it will find a new hiding place."

"I wonder if this counts as completing the mission," Rain muttered.

The two women, Bianca and Claire, exchanged glances upon hearing this.

Indeed!

After all, the threat of the Lava Dragon had been eliminated, but their captain had not used the method of killing it.

Bianca waved at Dick and said, "Sir Dick, have someone observe the mountain for a while. If the Lava Dragon Hemados leaves, report it to headquarters."

"Yes, Miss Bianca," Dick immediately understood Bianca's intention and nodded in realization.

For Rain, even though he didn't kill the Lava Dragon Hemados, he didn't feel disappointed.

On the contrary, he was in high spirits on the return journey.

This trip's harvest far exceeded his expectations, and he had successfully advanced to a Tier 3 Crystalization Wizard, something he hadn't anticipated before. Rain had thought it would take him several months to achieve this promotion.

As for the Lava Dragon, whether it was killed or not, it wasn't a matter of particular concern to him.

Half an hour after Rain and his group left, several fist-sized red firebirds suddenly emerged from the lava lake and flew into the sky, circling the area several times.

Then, a massive creature slowly emerged from the lava lake in Blade Volcano, cautiously poking its head out.

Apparently, out of caution, the Lava Dragon Hemados flew to the volcano's mouth and stopped, waiting until Rain and his group were truly gone before letting out a long sigh of relief.

"What a terrifying human, an incarnation of divine descent, even managed to defeat it," Hemados muttered.

"I guess I can't stay in this Blade Volcano anymore."

"After my wound heals, I'll have to find a new habitat." Hemados' vertical pupils flashed.

Hours later, on the returning airship.

Rain, alone in the luxurious cabin, pondered.

"Now, I've completed the prerequisites for becoming a Dragon Pulse Wizard, and all that's left is the Draconian Blood Essence."

Previously, Rain had tried the blood essence of the ancient dragon Colas in the Frostwind Tundra, but the system didn't recognize it.

This was why Rain wasn't particularly concerned about the Lava Dragon Hemados.

According to the records, fire dragons weren't considered true dragons; even the top-tier sub-dragon species were merely sub-dragons.

Upon closer inspection, the prerequisites for the job change were clear: 'A complete essence of a true dragon's blood.'

The key words were 'complete' and 'true dragon.'

"This is a bit troublesome, but in half a month, it will be time for the Dragon Knight Cadet selection."

"Perhaps, I'll soon have the opportunity to encounter a true dragon." Rain contemplated.

After all, if he couldn't even encounter a true dragon, how could he obtain 'a complete essence of a true dragon's blood'?

"In the meantime, I can earn some contribution points at the Academy and exchange for the third layer of Steel Heart."

"Ideally, I'd also like to exchange for the Tier 3 Metal School Spell 'Steel Fist,' but with fourteen thousand contribution points, it's unlikely to be achievable in a short time."

"After all, it's not like we can always have a Fiery Canyon Secret Realm."

Upon Rain's return to the Swordmaster Headquarters in the Imperial City of Tamriel, he received a message from the airship staff.

"Sir Rain, the mission went smoothly!" Soon, a smiling Olena, dressed in a black straight-cut pant and a white patterned long-sleeved shirt, arrived.

However, she swallowed her next words as she noticed the absence of the heavy golem and any Lava Dragon-related loot.

This was the first time, to her knowledge, that the young Rain had failed a mission.

When Olena's questioning gaze turned to Claire, Claire shook her head and spoke up, "Miss Olena, although we didn't kill the Lava Dragon Hemados, I don't think we can call this mission a failure."

"That Lava Dragon Hemados kept hiding from the captain, concealed deep in the lava lake, never daring to show itself."

"Hiding from Sir Rain?" Olena's beautiful eyes blinked in confusion.

Although she was a clerical staff, Olena had worked in the Swordmaster Department for over a decade.

She naturally understood that all ferocious species had a strong sense of territoriality, often risking their lives to defend their territory, let alone a fire dragon like Hemados.

"Hmm!" Claire nodded heavily.

"Lady Olena, you're just in time. Perhaps you should contact Lieutenant General Tatiya immediately." Upon seeing Olena, Rain smiled and nodded.

"We encountered some trouble along the way. Although we didn't kill the Lava Dragon, we did encounter an incarnation of the Demon God."

"What!" Olena's beautiful eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in surprise.

"What about that Demon God now?"

"The captain has already eliminated that Demon God," Bianca said at the right moment.

"Rain, I'll contact Lieutenant Tatiya immediately. Please wait a moment." Olena, wearing five or six-centimeter high heels, quickly walked away.

"By the way, Rain, there's something important. Miss Anna had an emergency yesterday and said she had to return to Ferdinand Forest first. Here's a letter from Miss Anna for you."

Olena suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, "Rain, I'll go contact Lieutenant Tatiya right away. Please wait a moment." As she spoke, she handed a letter to Rain.

"Hmm?"

"So urgent?"

"After all, it's only been two days since she left. Is Anna already impatient?" Rain's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately opened the envelope and started reading the letter.

Meanwhile, Olena quickly left again to find Tatiya.

At this moment, Claire seemed to notice something.

She looked up and watched Olena walk away, her gaze lingering for a moment on the curves of her tight-fitting skirt. She thought to herself, 'Our captain's part-time liaison officer is quite charming.'

"By the way, Bianca, did you know? This is Rain's original liaison officer in Munster." Claire pursed her lips and whispered to Bianca beside her.

Bianca glanced at Olena's graceful figure and then at Claire, immediately understanding her friend's meaning. She shook her head and said, "It's not like that. With the captain's strength and status, he can have anyone he wants."

"You never know," Claire said, placing her hands on her hips. "Many nobles have special fetishes."

"Bianca, think about it from another angle. How difficult would it be to transfer a female clerk from a Swordbearer branch in a lower province to the headquarters in the capital? You must know how challenging that is, right?"

Claire's words left Bianca speechless for a moment.

Indeed, the difficulty level was exceptionally high.

Even if the leader of the Swordbearer branch got involved, coordinating such a transfer would be complicated.

Moreover, if the captain only wanted a liaison officer, there were at least dozens of young candidates at headquarters. Why go through the trouble of transferring someone from a lower province? It seemed to indicate that the captain was quite devoted.

However, Rain, being busy with the letter, didn't have time to pay attention to his teammates' gossip. He carefully read the letter:

"Dear Rain: Aunt Delana was seriously injured by the followers of the Ancient Mother Tree Cult while on a mission. I must return immediately. After Aunt Delana recovers, I will come back to the capital."

Rain's heart relaxed as he read this.

"However... the Mother Tree Cult?"

Rain immediately recalled the time when he and Rudolf, the head priest of the Goddess Church, had killed the Flesh Tree Spirit. That place seemed to be an ancient Mother Tree Cult's temple.)



"It seems the situation is getting worse. Even the elves in Ferdinand Forest are affected."

"But wait, we can ask Olena to check the intelligence on the Mother Tree Cult. After the Dragon Knight selection, I might consider going to Ferdinand Forest." Rain thought to himself.

After only about seven or eight minutes, Olena returned with a female lieutenant general, Tatiya, by her side.

"Welcome back, Rain. General Augustus is waiting for you in the conference room," Tatiya said with a smile.

She also nodded to Claire and Bianca.

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"Rain, let's go." Rain nodded.

Indeed, the Swordbearer headquarters took news of deities very seriously.

Soon, the three of them were led to a small conference room with advanced security and privacy measures.

Rain noticed that the corridor, floor, and corners of the room were all adorned with magic array patterns, similar to the secret room he had encountered in the Marne Province. However, the arrays here at headquarters seemed more intricate.

"Rain, this room is equipped with multiple anti-eavesdropping and surveillance magic arrays, effectively preventing prying eyes. You can safely mention the true names of certain deities."

Tatiya introduced the room's features.

Rain nodded in understanding.

At this moment, General Augustus, whom Rain had met twice before, was already seated in the conference room, smiling at him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end