Chapter 402: Thorn Iron Sphere

Chapter 402: Thorn Iron Sphere

Li En contemplated the proposal made by Buchanan, the man he had just met. Without the system, the offer was incredibly enticing, almost impossible to refuse, especially for those with Dragon Bloodlines to join the Dragon Scale Brotherhood.

"It's imaginable that this Dragon Scale Brotherhood has recruited a significant number of people with Dragon Bloodlines," Li En thought.

"Although the Empire, aside from the royal family, has an extremely low probability of having Dragon Bloodlines, even as low as one in a hundred thousand or one in a million, but considering the vast territory and large population of the Empire..."

"The number of members could easily reach the hundreds or even thousands."

"Is the Second Prince's intention in establishing this hidden society truly to provide a platform for those with Dragon Bloodlines to communicate and improve?"

"Also, what did he mean by 'Bloodline Polluters' and 'Breakers'? They seem eager to join the Dragon Scale Brotherhood."

Li En decided to look up some information. A moment of contemplation brought several questions to mind.

However, with limited information, he couldn't make a judgment just yet.

After a brief pause, Li En's attention shifted to a wooden box on the coffee table, containing a red potion.

He picked up the so-called Dragon Vein Evolution Elixir and examined it. The potion, emitting a misty red wizardry aura, was especially beautiful in the sunlight. For some reason, Li En felt it resembled a blooming poppy, a sense of extreme beauty with a hint of evil.

His body seemed to have a certain craving for the elixir, but the feeling wasn't overwhelming. What was peculiar was that when Li En considered trying it, a sense of danger arose within him.

"Interesting, it seems to have a positive effect on my mutated Dragon Bloodline, but the benefit might not be significant."

"Moreover, there seems to be an unknown potential hazard." Li En stared at the red elixir, pondering.

"If I have the chance, I should find out how this elixir is made. If the potential hazards can be eliminated, leaving only the positive effects, it would be excellent."

After some thought, Li En decided not to consume the elixir, even though the system might be able to remove the potential danger. He carefully placed it back in the wooden box and kept it safe.

Earlier, Buchanan's arrival had interrupted Li En's testing of the 'Steel Armor' spell. Now, Li En returned to the training room to test the new combined spell.

As he glanced at the attribute panel, Li En was surprised to find that he still had 64 Golden Skill Points remaining.

Previously, he had 95 Golden Skill Points, which he had used twice.

First, he improved the Tier 2 innate spell 'Cutting Web' during his ascension, consuming 28 points. Then, he spent 42 points to develop the combined spell 'Steel Armor', totaling 70 points.

However, Li En soon realized why he still had remaining points. He hadn't checked the battle records of his fights with Stavven and the Incarnation of the Dark God.

Li En quickly reviewed the records:

[Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy and gained 39 Golden Skill Points!]



[Congratulations! Your Will (Hidden) attribute has increased!]



[Congratulations! Your Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) class level has increased!]



[Congratulations! Your Thousand Blade King (Epic) class level has increased!]



"Hmm, both classes have improved, excellent!"

Previously, the Thousand Blade King (Epic) class level was as high as level 13, requiring a massive amount of experience to level up. However, thanks to Li En's accumulated experience from defeating the Abyssal Fire Rock Giant and his intense battle with the Incarnation of the Dark God, Naiyoubrekhan, the class finally leveled up.

The Thousand Blade King (Epic) reached level 14.

Additionally, Li En's frequent use of spells during the battle, including the Activation Spell to control the Hellfire Golem, contributed to his progress.

The Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) class level also increased from level 11 to level 12.

These advancements granted Li En 2 attribute points and 2 skill points.

Recently, Li En had been diligently training as an Alchemist Master, reaching level 6 and accumulating 25 attribute points. After deducting the 5 points used in battle, he now had 22 attribute points remaining.

Regarding skill points, he initially had 12, and with the additional 2 points, he now had a total of 14 skill points.

Although Li En had used Golden Skill Points twice for spell development, he also gained 39 Golden Skill Points from the battle, leaving him with 64 points remaining.

"Once I become familiar with the combined spell 'Steel Armor,' I can learn the Tier 3 Metal Spell 'Thorn Iron Sphere' and quickly make it combat-ready."

"I have enough skill points to learn and master it."

After a moment of consideration, Li En decided on his next spell training plan.

"Tier 1 Innate Spell: Metal Transformation!"

"Tier 2 Spell: Iron Armor!"

"Tier 3 Innate Spell: Steel Armor!"

"Combined Spell: Steel Armor!"

With Li En's swift and precise incantation, a thick suit of armor enveloped him, shimmering with a dense dark silver wizardry aura.

"Hmm, it's actually an armor design?" Ren glanced at the mirror in the training room, examining his own appearance, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

It was common knowledge that the second-tier spell 'Iron Armor' and the third-tier spell 'Steel Armor', as well as the water-based defensive spell 'Water Shield', were all protective spells that resembled membranes or close-fitting shields.

However, the combined spell 'Steel Armor' that he was currently using had the appearance of a knight's armor.

This was the first time Ren had seen a protective spell with such an effect.

Additionally, although this combined spell resembled a knight's armor, the difference in their defensive capabilities was like night and day!

First, the defensive capabilities of the 'Steel Armor' spell were evident as Ren's body emanated a dense aura of metal-based wizardry, clearly providing strong defense against both melee and spell attacks.

Of course, the exact defense rating would have to be tested to know for sure.

Second was the flexibility. Ordinary metal armor, regardless of its material, would always feel heavy and cumbersome.

Due to the issue of joint hinges in the armor, even if soft leather was used, not only would the defense be reduced, but it would still not be particularly agile.

However, the metal at the joints of Ren's 'Steel Armor', which shimmered with dark silver light, flowed like mercury, greatly increasing its flexibility.

Ren's thoughts moved slightly, and the hardened mithril ingot in his hand quickly transformed into a two-handed greatsword.

Ren, covered in 'Steel Armor', moved swiftly in the field, slashing, stabbing, and finally, even performing an ultimate move.

After a series of tests, Ren discovered that aside from the difference in defense, the agility alone was at least a level higher than when he wore the magically enhanced silver armor.

At this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Ren's mind.

Ren first looked up at the height of the training room, then proceeded to transform.

But this time, Ren only activated the first form, the Draconian Warrior transformation, causing his body to instantly swell to over five meters tall.

Immediately after, he cast the combined spell 'Steel Armor'.

Soon, his muscular Draconian form was covered in a set of thick, shimmering wizardry-infused knight armor.

"Not bad! It doesn't hinder my agility at all," Ren looked down, delighted.

"Now, to harm me, an enemy would first have to break through this 'Steel Armor' created by the combined spell, and then they'd have to breach my Dragon Scale defense." Ren clenched his dragon claws, which resembled crucible gloves, and thought to himself.

"Agile and sturdy, my melee combat abilities have improved!"

"Hmm, this seems a little off. I enhanced my spellcasting abilities, but how did it ultimately translate into an improvement in my combat prowess, specifically in melee combat?"

Ren immediately thought of a problem.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ren couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Never mind which side it is for now, the increase in power is the most important thing."

After testing a few times, Ren returned to the study.

Just as he was about to take out the Tier 3 metal spell 'Thorn Iron Sphere' scroll to study, he suddenly remembered something else.

Ren focused and slightly activated the second level of the Steel Heart meditation technique.

"As expected, after entering the crystallization stage, the effect of the second level of the Steel Heart advanced meditation technique has significantly decreased, and its role in promoting the continued crystallization of spirit energy is now negligible."

This result was already anticipated, and soon, Ren refocused his attention on the scroll that recorded the 'Thorn Iron Sphere' spell.

Meanwhile, Buchanan, who had just left Ren's mansion, immediately boarded a luxurious carriage waiting at the entrance.

Before long, the carriage returned to the residence of the Second Prince, Eliot.

In the study, as Eliot was reviewing certain intelligence, he glanced up and saw Buchanan returning. He casually asked, "Buchanan, how did the Mother Tree Sect's operation in Ferdinand Forest go?"

Buchanan quickly realized that the Second Prince must have seen the intelligence from Ferdinand Forest. After a brief thought, he replied, "Your Highness, based on the information we provided about several elven outposts, they launched a surprise attack and reaped great rewards. The Mother Tree Sect has now sent word that they will deliver over ten elven female captives to the Dragon Scale Nest."

"Excellent. With this batch of elven captives, the issue of raw materials should be resolved in the short term." The Second Prince's effeminate face broke into a satisfied smile.

"Oh, and notify Lindon and Jing that they should speed up the development of the elixir."

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll contact these two master alchemists immediately."

However, before Buchanan could leave, the Second Prince asked, "By the way, how was the Dragon Bloodline user you met today? Was it someone named Ren?"

"Well, he's young, strong, but quite cautious. He politely declined my invitation to join the Dragon Scale Brotherhood."

"It was only after I mentioned that you would be the examiner for the Dragon Knight Cadets that his refusal softened." Buchanan provided a detailed report.

"Hmm, it's fine. Whether there's one more or one less Dragon Bloodline user doesn't really matter to the Dragon Scale Brotherhood."

"Our current focus is still on the experiment."

Clearly, Everton showed no enthusiasm for Ren's involvement, and he didn't seem to mind at all. After all, within the entire imperial territory, those with the Dragon Bloodline were not uncommon.

"Oh, Your Highness, this is a replication of his dragon aura."

At this moment, Buchanan seemed to remember something and took out a pocket watch-like object from his pocket, presenting it to Prince Eliot with respect.

The pocket watch-like magical creation had only one function: to record the dragon auras of nearby individuals.

With this, Prince Eliot could quickly understand the approximate origins, concentration, and other details of the person's bloodline.

As Prince Eliot took it, he initially maintained a nonchalant expression, but as soon as he held it in his hand and sensed it slightly, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed softly.

"Hmm? This dragon aura..."

"Your Highness?" Buchanan looked at his prince in confusion.

Could it be that Ren's dragon bloodline was unusual?

"His dragon bloodline aura is quite dense, although not as strong as mine or Rena's, but it's already comparable to the average royal offspring."

"What's even rarer is the feeling this aura gives me. It's not the bloodline of the common black dragons, red dragons, or the five-colored giant dragons. Instead, it's like the aura of a metal dragon, a species that has long disappeared from this world."

"A metal dragon?" Buchanan was even more perplexed.

"Yes, there's a faint hint of metallic particles within it."

"Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it." Prince Eliot shook his head and said.

"Adjust this Ren's attention level to Tier 1, and you go investigate his interpersonal relationships to find a breakthrough."

"Action: Recruit him into the Dragon Scale Brotherhood."

"His bloodline might be of great use!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Buchanan bowed respectfully.

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Just as Buchanan was about to leave Prince Eliot's study and enter the front garden, a personal guard hurried over and whispered:

"Sir, Duke Dram is here. He's waiting in the carriage near the mansion's entrance."

Buchanan waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need, I'll go out and meet him."

He naturally knew the reason for Duke Dram's visit.

However, this time, the other party's wishes might not be fulfilled.

A few minutes later, inside the carriage.

"Minister Buchanan, regarding this Ren, His Highness..." Duke Dram said, a hint of hope in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Duke, but this matter might disappoint you. His Highness is very interested in this Ren and even sent me to invite him to join the Dragon Scale Brotherhood."

"What?" Duke Dram's expression turned grim.

Ever since he received the firsthand information from the outpost, knowing that Stavven's assassination attempt had failed, Duke Dram had been somewhat restless.

It wasn't that he was worried about Ren discovering the clues of the assassination attempt; the entire matter was only slightly facilitated by them, and the actual execution was handled by the Isodre Academy.

Instead, he realized that Ren's growth rate was incredibly fast.

Even Stavven, a famous wizard who had been renowned for decades and possessed the top-tier necromancer artifact 'Iron Spine Necroplate', was no match for Ren.

From this, it was highly likely that Ren would become an Imperial Guardian in the near future.

And if he still held a grudge against the conflict with the Dram family, then this Ren would eventually become a great threat to the family.

At that time, even with the ancestral power of Pantoskirk, it might not be enough to suppress him.

"Has he agreed?" Duke Dram asked after some thought.

"Not yet, but if this Ren is smart enough, he should agree."

"Good, I understand. Thank you, Minister Buchanan."

Hearing this, Duke Dram's expression returned to calm, and after a brief contemplation, he bid farewell to Buchanan.

Upon returning to the Dram family mansion, Duke Dram pondered in his study.

"Your Grace!"

"Duke, sir!" A young butler immediately entered the study and bowed.

Obviously, this new butler was a replacement for the original butler, Owen.

"Has the information about Ren been spread?" Duke Dram asked.

"Yes, it has been spread. According to the intelligence from Minister Owen a few days ago, the news of Ren killing multiple high-ranking members of various cult organizations has already been leaked to the relevant cults."

"Very good." Duke Dram nodded.

Although the Dram family supported the second prince, they didn't have to obey every command. As an imperial noble and guardian family, within the framework of the law, they had their own interests, which was perfectly normal.

Even if Ren joined the Dragon Scale Brotherhood, if he was eliminated by the cult organizations, it would be due to his insufficient strength and not related to the Dram family.

At the same time.

The third ring of the imperial capital, Ren's mansion.

After about two hours of study, Ren, feeling he had initially grasped the new spell, went to the training room. Just as he was about to raise his hand to cast 'Thorn Iron Sphere', he suddenly lowered it.

"The power of Tier 3 Spells is a bit overwhelming. Perhaps I should head to the Swordsman Headquarters for a more suitable testing environment."

After all, Li En didn't want to accidentally destroy his new residence with a misplaced spell.

Soon, Li En arrived at the Swordsman Headquarters by carriage and was led by a young female staff member to the Tier 3 Spell testing room.

"Lord Li En, please ring the bell if you have any needs or requests," the young woman said with a smile and a slight bow.

"Thank you," Li En nodded in response.

"It's my pleasure to serve you!" she said with a bright smile.

After she left, Li En approached a giant cylindrical metal block on a sliding track and began to chant the incantation.

Soon, a solid iron sphere, two meters in diameter, appeared, spinning at high speed. Its surface was covered in densely packed, unevenly sized spikes that sparked as they scraped against the ground.

With a wave of Li En's right hand, the sphere shot forward in a straight line with tremendous kinetic energy, crashing into the smooth cutting surface of the metal ingot.

"Boom!!!"

A deafening sound reverberated through the room.

The giant cylindrical metal block on the track was instantly pushed to the top by the impact.

Even the floor of the room shook slightly from the force.

Li En looked closely and saw that the giant iron sphere, formed by the Tier 3 Spell 'Thorn Iron Sphere', had embedded itself into the metal ingot, with its hemispherical body penetrating deep into the metal.

"Clang!"

At the same time, the metal block, weighing several dozen tons, shook back and forth on the track.

On the nearby black wisdom tablet, a large number appeared—191!

"What immense power!" Li En's eyes lit up.

"Although the attack method of Thorn Iron Sphere is a bit monotonous, its power is truly astonishing."

It was common knowledge that the power of Tier 3 Spells typically ranged from 120 to 200 degrees.

Currently, with Li En's exceptional affinity for metal elements and the unique effects of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique, the destructive force of his Tier 3 Spells approached the upper limit of their potential.

According to the description in the ancient scrolls, the normal size of the Thorn Iron Sphere was around one and a half meters in diameter.

However, the sphere Li En had just summoned, without considering the length of the spikes, had a diameter of two meters.

At that moment, a system prompt appeared:

[You have learned the Thorn Iron Sphere and gained related insights!]



[You have learned a new skill - Thorn Iron Sphere!]



[Your Thorn Iron Sphere skill has improved. Experience gained: +5]



Simultaneously, a new icon appeared below the Tier 3 Warhammer Wizard's class panel.

The icon depicted a giant metal sphere covered in uneven spikes.

Below the icon, small text read:

Thorn Iron Sphere lv1 (1/100)



Thorn Iron Sphere lv1 Effect: Consumes a certain amount of spirit energy to activate a specific spell model, harnessing surrounding metal energy particles to form a giant thorned iron sphere. The sphere then charges and crushes all targets in a straight line.

(Note: Casting time is 3 seconds.)



"So, it attacks all targets in a straight line?" Li En immediately grasped a unique feature of this new spell.

While improving proficiency in Tier 3 Spells was significantly more challenging than Tier 2, Li En was well-prepared.

Without hesitation, he allocated 11 skill points and 8 golden skill points to the Tier 3 Spell 'Thorn Iron Sphere'.

As the spell's level increased from lv1 to lv20, a flood of knowledge about the 'Thorn Iron Sphere' poured into Li En's mind.

For a moment, Li En felt as if he had entered a mysterious space, constantly casting and practicing the Tier 3 Spell 'Thorn Iron Sphere' for a century or two, compressing the incantation to its essence and casting it with instinctive ease.

The next morning, in the inner ring of the Imperial Capital Tamriel, a carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the residence of the Chimera Knight Luther from the Snyder family.

As Li En stepped out of the carriage, two tall and dignified knights, who had been waiting at the entrance, approached him with quick strides.

"Lord Li En, it's been a while! Your recent achievements have left us all in awe!" Luther exclaimed upon seeing Li En.

"Indeed, Lord Li En, your defeat of the strongest legendary power, the Sculptor Harold, has become a widely discussed topic among the nobility in the Imperial Capital," added Halowen, standing by Luther's side.

"Lord Luther, Lord Halowen, it's been a while. Congratulations on your improved strength," Li En said with a smile.

He quickly sensed that both Luther and Halowen seemed to have made some progress in their cultivation.

Apparently, the two had not been idle during this time and were likely preparing for the upcoming Dragon Knight Cadet Selection.

After some friendly banter, the three men made their way to the reception room and took their seats.

Li En asked directly, "Lord Luther, I'd like to know, what is the specific format of the Dragon Knight Cadet Selection next week?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end