Chapter 413: Teleportation and Mutation

Chapter 413: Teleportation and Mutation

"Jennifer, why don't you stay in the Imperial City? I can handle the situation in Minster," Rain suggested to the elegant lady.

She smiled and replied, "Dear, I know you're concerned about my safety. But despite the unrest in Minster, business is actually better than ever."

"Moreover, I won't be leaving the city, and you've arranged the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Company for my protection. So, I'll be safe for the time being."

"Then, what would I do if I stayed in the Imperial City?" Rain pondered.

After a moment, Rain nodded in agreement.

What should Jennifer do in the Imperial City?

His business empire had not yet expanded to the Imperial City, and perhaps after this secret realm mission, he could collaborate with Luther, Halowen, and the others to expand there.

If necessary, he could also contact the Stewart family where Alyosha was from.

After Jennifer retired to her room, Rain thought for a moment and picked up the wooden box again.

He opened the box and took out all twelve soul energy crystals.

[Ding! Soul Energy Crystals that can enhance the degree of crystallization have been detected. Do you wish to accelerate their absorption? (Note: The system can remove impurities and complete the absorption in one go.)]



"Yes!"

In an instant, Rain felt the number of small crystals in his spiritual sea rapidly increasing.

The liquid began to take on a crystallized honey-like appearance.

However, this process lasted only two to three seconds before it ended.

Rain felt a bit unsatisfied.

Although the number of small crystals had visibly increased, the increment was far less than the Ancient Dragon Soul Elixir he had consumed before.

Rain checked his system attributes panel:

Spiritual: 132 (Crystallization: 17%)



"After consuming the Dragon Soul Elixir, my crystallization progress was at 13%, but now, after using twelve soul energy crystals, it has only increased by 4%?" Rain furrowed his brows, speaking to himself.

"So, three soul energy crystals only increased it by 1%."

"This is still the early stage of crystallization. If it were the middle or late stage..." Rain's brows knitted slightly.

No wonder so many talented wizards with exceptional talents were stuck at the crystallization level.

If he didn't have the system and various rare elixirs to consume, it would take dozens, or even hundreds of years to push the crystallization progress above 90%.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial City of Tamriel.

In a luxurious mansion within the Third Ring, a group of people were gathered in the reception hall.

Rain's fellow Dragon Scale Brotherhood members, who had participated in the Dragon Knight preliminary exam, were seated on one side of a long table, discussing something with someone across from them.

If Rain were there, he would have recognized the person across from them as an old acquaintance—Buchanan.

"So, have you observed the preliminary exam? Are you confident?" Buchanan asked with a smile.

"To be honest, Buchanan, if it were just me against Rain, I'd probably not even have a chance to escape," Reagan spoke up first.

"I'm in a similar situation, Buchanan. His strength is even stronger than what your intelligence suggested!" Bronson added, his expression turning solemn.

After hearing their responses, Buchanan didn't show any signs of disappointment. Instead, he turned to Barnes, who was seated between the other two.

He knew that among the three, Barnes was the strongest.

"And what about you, Barnes?" Buchanan asked.

"It's hard to say, maybe a fifty-fifty chance. During the preliminary exam, he showed too little. Unless..." Barnes paused before continuing.

"Unless what?" Buchanan asked curiously.

"Unless... if we can stay together during the mission, our chances of success should be above ninety percent." Barnes thought for a moment before responding.

Barnes had his reasons for saying this.

The three of them often trained together due to their similar temperaments and close ages, and their combined strength was at least equivalent to two of Barnes.

Upon hearing this, Buchanan laughed and said, "Barnes, I've come up with a solution for that very problem. As you know, the teleportation into the secret realm randomizes everyone's positions. But His Highness has already thought of a solution. These are three specially made positioning crystals that His Highness ordered to be made urgently."

As Buchanan spoke, he took out a brown wooden box and placed it on the table.

He opened it and turned it towards the three of them.

"These positioning crystals have been specially treated, so even in the unique environment of the secret realm, they can still locate each other."

"With these, you three can quickly gather after entering the secret realm. I believe that with your combined strength, dealing with Rain shouldn't be a problem, right?" Buchanan smiled.

Seeing the sparkling rhombic crystals in the wooden box, the three of them exchanged glances, especially Reagan and Bronson, who burst into laughter. They both expressed their gratitude, "Please convey our thanks to His Highness on our behalf, Buchanan."

"Rest assured, Your Highness and Buchanan, with these, we will definitely complete the mission."

Even the usually reserved Barnes smiled and nodded, "Please wait for our good news, Buchanan."

"Excellent. By the way, this is a blood essence extractor." Buchanan pointed to another square box he had brought and smiled.

"Rest well, and feel free to contact me if you need anything."

Meanwhile, in the inner ring of the Imperial City, a similar scene was unfolding in the Dram family mansion.

In the luxurious banquet hall.

The long dining table was filled with sumptuous dishes, and the constant flow of maids ensured a continuous feast. Lambert, the top disciple of the Tidal Sword Saint, was the only one eating, and he devoured the food voraciously.

After Lambert had his fill, Duke Dram spoke, "He's a formidable opponent, and fighting him should help me reach the realm of my teacher."

"Lambert, a well-built man, wiped his mouth with a white tablecloth and said, "In that case, I'll rest assured."

Duke Dram smiled, understanding Lambert's implied meaning.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, the capable young widow Alena accompanied the female brigadier general Tatiya to the Rayn Manor.

In the study, Alena greeted Rain with a smile, saying, "Good morning, Lord Rain."

She had already heard that Rain had passed the initial trial for the Dragon Knight.

"Lord Rain, congratulations on passing the preliminary selection for the Dragon Knight," Tatiya said, offering her congratulations upon seeing Rain.

"Thank you, Brigadier General Tatiya and Alena, please take a seat," Rain said with a smile.

After some small talk, Tatiya sat up straight, her well-tailored brigadier general's uniform accentuating her feminine curves, and said, "Lord Rain, I'm here to give you the special communication device used within the secret realm."

As she spoke, Tatiya opened a dark wooden box she carried with her and took out a thin crystal plate emitting a faint magical glow. She handed it to Rain.

Rain's eyebrows rose, and he immediately took it and examined it carefully.

The communication device was about the size of a cell phone from his previous life, made entirely of a transparent crystal with intricate patterns engraved on both sides, resembling a circuit board at first glance.

"The usage of this communication device is simple. In the secret realm, you only need to infuse a bit of mental power to communicate."

After a moment of thought, Rain asked, "Communicate?"

"Is it communication between the task participants or with the command center?"

Tatiya apologized, "I'm sorry, Lord Rain, I didn't explain clearly earlier. The device's communication is limited to two-way communication between you and the command center. As for the execution team, communication is not possible."

"This special communication device also has a one-way communication function even in extreme situations. In other words, even if you're in a spatial flow, the command center on the Astral Mage Platform can still send messages to you."

Communication only with the command center?

Logically, if a group has a common task goal, it would be more reasonable for them to be able to communicate with each other.

Could it be to avoid some kind of risk?

Although Rain was puzzled, he didn't ask further, but nodded and said, "I understand."

"Secondly, this device has another function, which is positioning. All task personnel within the secret realm can check whether the 'rift' closure device has reached the designated position and been activated."

"Can we position each other?" Rain asked.

"No," Tatiya shook her head.

"The locations of all personnel will only be displayed in the command center of the Astral Platform."

"This is also to ensure that no unexpected situations arise. For example, if there's a spy among the task execution personnel..." Tatiya trailed off, but stopped there.

"I understand," Rain nodded.

Indeed, there was a reason for this arrangement.

The locations of all task personnel would only be displayed in the command center of the Astral Platform, preventing any potential sabotage in case one of the personnel was infiltrated by a cult or other organization.

At the same time, the unified coordination and command from the command center would allow for the efficient deployment of personnel, avoiding any conflicts between different departmental squads.

"What is my task for this mission?" Rain asked, looking at Tatiya.

"Currently, you don't have any specific tasks assigned. You're merely a backup for this operation," Tatiya said with a smile.

Hmm? Tatiya's words seemed to startle Rain.

No tasks assigned?

Well, that's fine.

"However, as a candidate, you already have a task during the retake exam. At that time, you can complete the assessment task within the secret realm."

"Hmm," Rain nodded.

"By the way, Lord Rain, there's something else you should be cautious about," Tatiya said, as if she had something else in mind. "That is, some of the creatures within the secret realm may have undergone mutations due to the invasion of the Void Beasts. Therefore, the information you saw last time is only for reference."

"Okay, I understand," Rain immediately recalled the memory crystal given to him by General Augustus, which contained information about the secret realm.

Within the crystal was an introduction to the Dragon Valley secret realm.

As the name suggests, the Dragon Valley is a vast, crater-like valley surrounded by towering mountains.

Beyond the mountains lies various chaotic void flows, and within the valley, there are diverse terrains and vegetation, including swamps, meadows, forests, deserts, and various species with different habits and ferocious beasts.

Many of these ferocious beasts are unique to the secret realm, each with different abilities, and even legendary powers must be cautious when dealing with them.

Now, with the mutations, these ferocious beasts have become even more challenging to handle.

"Lord Rain, Alena, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. Oh, and please take good care of the communication device, as it takes a long time to create."

"Okay, Brigadier General Tatiya," Rain replied.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The day of the retake exam arrived.

The northwest corner of the Imperial Palace, the Astral Mage Platform, was heavily guarded.

Dozens of airships filled the sky, and among them was a team of Royal Griffin Guards.

On the ground, the Imperial Guard was stationed every five steps.

At that moment, Rain and the other candidates for the retake exam were in the Starry Hall of the Astral Mage Platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next, the Imperial Grand Astrologist, Lord Dalian, will announce the retake exam evaluation."

A white-bearded old man with a nearly one-meter-long beard, wearing a gray robe and holding a wooden staff, smiled as he stepped forward.

Hmm? Rain's eyebrows rose.

As the name suggests, astrologists are wizards proficient in astrology and prophetic magic, and their individual combat abilities are not to be underestimated.

If a Level 1 Wizard is proficient in astrology, they can also be called an Astrologist.

Similarly, if a Level 1 Wizard is proficient in a certain type of divination, they can also be referred to as a Diviner.

A Grand Astrologist usually refers to a Third Tier Crystalization Wizard or above, as astrology also requires a powerful mental force to support it.

The stronger the mental power, the higher the accuracy of astrology.

But now it seems that the Grand Astrologist Lord Dalian in front of him is at least a Dawn Wizard-level Grand Astrologist, and possibly even stronger.

Because the other party appeared in front of him, but Rain could hardly sense their presence.

Additionally, this wasn't the first time Rain had heard of Lord Dalian's name. Previously, Kayla had mentioned him to Rain regarding a prophecy he had made.

In essence, the current turmoil in the Empire was just the beginning.

Rain remembered this clearly.

"Later on, the Empire's Grand Astrologists will open the ancient teleportation array leading to the Dragon Valley Sanctuary."

"At that time, you will enter this sanctuary, which is of utmost importance to the Empire. You will also see the dragons that are most revered by the people of the Empire. Of course, they will be young dragons."

"Your task is to gain the recognition of a young dragon. Help them solve a difficulty, and they will bestow upon you a Draconic Mark."

"Difficulty?" Rain's expression turned pensive.

Many of the candidates below began whispering among themselves.

Most people didn't quite understand what this difficulty represented. Obviously, Grand Astrologist Lord Dalian heard the discussions below, and he stroked his beard with a smile, saying:

"Solving the difficulty is quite straightforward. For example, young dragons need to hunt for blood food, and if you help them capture a prey they love to eat, you can gain their favor."

"Usually, one or two hunts will earn you a Draconic Mark."

So that was the case.

Upon hearing Lord Dalian's explanation, everyone's faces showed a mix of realization and relief.

Judging from this, it didn't seem difficult to obtain the Draconic Mark.

"Since the final exam only has six spots, the more marks you have, the better."

"The more marks you have, the higher your chances of being favored by the dragons."

Upon hearing this, all the candidates, including Rain, understood.

Obtaining a single Draconic Mark wasn't difficult, but the challenge was to get as many marks as possible to secure a spot in the top six.

"By the way, there's a little trick I'd like to share. It's better to choose a dragon's bloodline heir for your task."

"For example, if you choose a Red Dragon, try to stick with Red Dragon heirs for subsequent tasks."

"If the Draconic Marks of different bloodlines are mixed, their effect will be slightly weaker compared to those of a single bloodline." Grand Astrologist Dalian smiled faintly.

"Finally, you only have twenty-four hours. When the time is up, you will be forcibly pulled back due to the Teleportation Mark that was just applied."

"This is also to ensure your safety."

"Additionally, there are Void Beasts in the sanctuary, so be vigilant during your tasks."

With the instructions concluded, the group walked through the heavily guarded circular corridor and descended into the depths of the earth. Soon, including Rain, the candidates arrived in a spacious underground hall.

As they entered the hall, they saw a roughly twenty-meter-high, ancient stone archway standing in the center.

The archway was rectangular in shape, with its frame and borders made of a dark-colored stone material. Its surface was engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns, and energy resembling electric currents occasionally flashed through the carvings.

Even from a distance of over a hundred meters, a powerful presence washed over them.

"Is this the ancient teleportation array leading to the Dragon Valley Sanctuary?" Rain examined the ancient stone archway in amazement.

The other candidates also looked surprised.

At this moment, Grand Astrologist Dalian, accompanied by five elderly men of advanced age, arrived in front of the stone archway.

"Hiss~ Five Dawn Wizards!"

"What a grand gesture!"

Soon, a powerful surge of magical energy emerged, and the five elderly men channeled a beam of energy as thick as a water barrel towards the ancient stone gate!

In an instant, a strange light curtain door appeared within the stone archway.

The crowd could clearly see the scene on the other side.

The night sky in the Dragon Valley Sanctuary was filled with countless twinkling stars, a dazzling sight.

"All candidates, enter in an orderly manner," a commanding Imperial Guard leader shouted.

As Rain and the other twenty-nine candidates entered the light gate one by one, three groups of people suddenly appeared in the hall. One group consisted of three people dressed in Swordbearer attire, another was a four-person squad in military uniforms, and the third was a trio in Imperial Guard uniforms. Notably, one person in each group carried a box-like object.

"You all can enter too," Lord Dalian said.

The groups nodded in agreement.

Just as they were about to enter, a surge of powerful energy suddenly emanated from a distance.

This caused everyone present to turn and look towards the southeast of the imperial city.

That was the direction from which the energy was coming! A white-haired Dawn Wizard within the Pentagram Array furrowed his brows in thought.

"Not good! They're forcibly connecting to our teleportation channel!" Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

"Quick! Get in there!"

"We must end this teleportation array immediately!"

Hearing the old wizard's words, the three groups exchanged glances and immediately rushed into the sanctuary.

"No, ending the teleportation here isn't enough. They've already connected to the sanctuary. We must send someone to interrupt their teleportation immediately!" Grand Astrologist Dalian's expression turned solemn.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end