Chapter 472: Returning to the Imperial Capital
Chapter 472: Returning to the Imperial Capital
As the 4th-tier Sorcery Steel Thorn Grove became an Innate Spell upon reaching the 4th-tier Dawn Wizard, Ren now had four spells that met the requirements for casting the Dawn Kill after the other two 2nd-tier spells, Iron Thorn Path and 1st-tier Iron Thorn, also reached level 20.
Next, Ren had to repeatedly attempt and master the trick of chaining these four spells together.
This was actually the part that Ren was most confident about.
After spending 16 Gold Skill Points, he still had a total of 516 Gold Skill Points left.
Ren surveyed the garden and walked straight ahead, soon finding a relatively open clearing in the forest. He then began his attempts.
"1st-tier Sorcery, Iron Thorn!"
"2nd-tier Sorcery, Iron Thorn Path!"
"3rd-tier Sorcery, Thorn Iron Ball!"
"4th-tier Sorcery, Steel Thorn Grove!"
After more than ten minutes, the system notification rang out:
[Ding! Host has comprehended the prototype of the Dawn Kill. Consume 286 Gold Skill Points to refine it?]
"Wow, it actually requires 286 points," Ren exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
"This is too exaggerated!"
"You should know that the last time I refined the Crystallization Kill 'Sawtooth Net,' it only cost 79 Gold Skill Points. This time, it's more than tripled!"
"I thought I had a lot of Gold Skill Points, but now it seems like it's not that much after all." Ren couldn't help but think to himself.
Of course, despite his grumbling, Ren quickly chose 'Yes.' He had saved up so many Gold Skill Points for a reason.
If it could enhance his combat power, there was no need to be stingy.
As before, the system's refinement process was essentially adapting the Dawn Kill 'Steel Forest' to Ren's personal attributes, making it more suitable for him to cast. This would increase the casting speed, and the power would also see a slight boost.
Therefore, even with the high cost, Ren knew it was a worthwhile investment.
If any other Dawn Wizard were to do this, it would likely take at least a century!
As Ren allocated the points, a torrent of sorcery training memories flooded his mind. It was as if he had been practicing the combination of these four spells in some mysterious space for two to three hundred years!
When Ren opened his eyes again, his understanding of these four spells had become an integral whole.
[Ding! Refinement successful! Host has comprehended the Metal Attribute Dawn Kill, 'Steel Forest'!]
"Finally, I have my own Dawn Kill," Ren said with a delighted expression.
He couldn't contain his excitement and planned to find a place to properly showcase his first mastered Dawn Kill.
Since he was in a corner of the Elf Royal Garden, casting the Dawn Kill here would create too much noise and alert the entire Elf hierarchy.
So, Ren rode Blood Feather to a clearing in the forest dozens of kilometers away.
As Ren chanted the incantation, the Metal Attribute energy around him began to intensify rapidly.
"Dawn Kill: Steel Forest!"
Ren gently placed his hand on the ground.
The next second, a dark silver circular ripple rapidly spread out from where he stood.
Fifty meters...
One hundred meters...
Two hundred meters...
Two hundred and twenty meters...
"Shua! Shua! Shua!"
From a bird's-eye view, one could see that within a huge circular area, all the trees, bushes, and low-growing flowers had turned into metal.
Meanwhile, on the clearing, trees and thorns of various sizes, with sharp spikes and a metallic sheen, sprouted instantly.
For a moment, it was as if a steel forest had surrounded Ren.
Several seconds later!
"Boom!!!"
The Steel Forest shattered!
All the trees, bushes, and even vines within the covered area turned into shards, leaving behind only a large circular wasteland.
At that moment, a trembling mole poked its head out of its burrow, saw the barren land, and quickly retreated back into its hole.
"It has an effect similar to petrification," Ren thought to himself.
"It's almost like the concept of metalization."
Based on the previous effect, it was as if the original bushes and trees had been covered with a layer of metal.
And in the clearing, metal bushes would quickly cover the area.
Regardless of the type, the surface would rapidly form dense metal spikes.
"Plus a piercing effect."
Ren was satisfied with the power of this Dawn Kill.
"Not good!"
Ren's expression changed, and he quickly rode Blood Feather away from the scene.
He had been focused on finding an unoccupied area but hadn't expected to destroy such a large forest.
The Elves highly valued environmental protection, and the Druids were among the most extreme environmentalists.
Ren knew he had to leave quickly, or else, although there wouldn't be any trouble, he might face Anna's complaints.
And indeed, Ren had barely left when several Arch Druids arrived at the scene, their faces solemn as they inspected the area.
However, when Elder Nessa arrived, her expression was peculiar, as if she had an inkling of something.
That afternoon, at the aerocraft docking point in Ferdinand City, a group of people were seeing Ren off.
"By the way, wasn't that vast clearing in the forest your doing?" Anna whispered in Ren's ear, her bright eyes sparkling as if to say, "It must have been you."
"It was just an accident," Ren replied, his face slightly reddening.
"Yes, I suspected it was your doing, so we'll let this matter go," Anna said.
"Ren, be careful on your visit," Anna said, her eyes filled with reluctance as she watched him leave.
"Mhm."
As the Swordsmen's aerocraft slowly took off, Ren concluded his trip to the Ferdinand Forest.
His gains from this trip were undoubtedly significant.
At that moment, his cabin was filled with an abundance of Elf Leathercraft materials, all gifted by the Elves.
Although he hadn't yet changed his class to Elf Leathercraft, after learning from Elder Nessa for several days, he had already met the requirements for the class change.
In other words, as long as he followed the proper procedures, he could smoothly proceed with the class change.
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Tamriel, at the Hamadi Mansion.
In the study.
Hamadi anxiously asked his subordinates again, "Has Count Ren returned yet?"
"No, my lord!"
"We've arranged for two teams to keep watch at Count Ren's mansion around the clock. As soon as Count Ren returns, we'll know immediately," a servant replied respectfully.
"Yes, report back as soon as there's news!" Hamadi waved his hand impatiently, dismissing the servant.
He continued to pace back and forth in the study.
After a while, he sighed and said, "Sigh, why hasn't Lord Ren returned yet? If he doesn't come back soon, our plans will be in jeopardy!"
A couple of days ago, when he received a message from his superior, Royce, that the Empire would send a delegation to visit the Union, they both agreed that this was a perfect opportunity to invite Ren to the Union.
Getting a spot for a single member in the Imperial delegation wasn't a significant challenge for them.
However, the problem was that Lord Ren hadn't returned since his trip to the Ferdinand Forest.
Naturally, they needed Ren's consent to proceed with this operation; otherwise, it might backfire.
They had been waiting until now.
But more importantly, just yesterday, his superior, Royce, had spoken to him very seriously, emphasizing the need to persuade Ren to join this delegation.
The reason was that the news from the Ferdinand Forest indicated that Lord Ren's potential exceeded their initial estimates.
This revelation shocked Hamadi; was Ren's potential even higher than they had anticipated?
Didn't that make him the top talent the Union was trying to recruit?
Hamadi was well aware of what this implied.
"Lord Viscount, Count Ren has returned!"
Suddenly, the servant's voice, slightly hurried, came from outside the door!
This had left Buchanan somewhat perplexed.
"Buchanan, do you remember that Void Dragon incident?"
"I've always felt that the report's narrative was a bit off. Now it seems my instincts were right, and someone is covering for Ren?"
The Second Prince carefully examined the investigation report Buchanan handed him, then spoke with certainty.
"Oh? Could it be the Swordsmen? Marshal Alfred?" Buchanan's eyebrows arched, and his eyes lit up as he spoke.
"No, the Swordsmen don't have that kind of influence," Second Prince Everton shook his head.
"This time, in the Ferdinand Forest incident, the Imperial reinforcements were led by Loza and Reginald, both Imperial Guardians who aren't from the Swordsmen system. Even Marshal Alfred doesn't have that kind of clout."
"But later, when Lady Mernya arrived at Ferdinand Forest, she took full responsibility," Buchanan frowned, puzzled.
The Second Prince, Everton, remained silent, pondering Buchanan's words.
After a long while, the Second Prince murmured,
"Could it be that Lady Mernya is covering for Ren?"
This...
Upon hearing the Second Prince's words, Buchanan was taken aback, and he immediately lowered his head even further.
He knew better than to voice his opinion on this matter.
After all, Lady Mernya, the Red Queen, was no ordinary person; she was a revered member of the Imperial Royal Bloodline and the Second Prince's aunt.
It was, in essence, a family matter for the Second Prince.
The Second Prince waved his hand, signaling Buchanan to leave for the time being.
He, on the other hand, continued to ponder.
"If that's the case, what could Lady Mernya's intentions be?"
"You see, the Multi-Headed Dragon, according to Dragon records, has long been lost in the annals of history. Once, it was a formidable foe to the Dragon Empire's Five-Colored Dragons. Lady Mernya couldn't have been unaware of this."
"And during the battle, a translucent dragon head appeared..."
"Combined with the Void Dragon corpse Ren brought out from the Dragon's Vale Labyrinth, it seems this fellow has some ability to absorb and merge with the bloodlines of other dragons."
"I really want to capture him for experimentation," the Second Prince sighed.
"Unfortunately, his strength has already reached the Epic Tier, making it a bit troublesome."
Meanwhile, on Ren's side.
Upon arriving at the Swordsmen Headquarters in the Imperial Capital, he naturally planned to pay a visit to Marshal Alfred.
However, the Marshal had just left the capital.
Although General Augustus was in the capital, he was attending a meeting in another department at that moment.
So, Ren returned to his mansion first.
But before he could even exchange a few words with his family, Hamadi came to visit.
In the reception hall.
"Your Excellency Hamadi,"
"Your Excellency Ren, do you remember our agreement from last time?"
"Of course," Ren nodded.
Previously, after obtaining the 'Jagged Ring' from Hamadi, he had promised to visit the Federation within six months.
"Your Excellency Ren, due to the urgency of the matter, I'll get straight to the point. In the near future, the Empire will send a delegation to the Federation for a return visit, and I strongly suggest that you accompany them. As for the delegation spots, we will handle it for you."
"This visit is to seek your personal opinion."
"Oh?" Ren raised an eyebrow but didn't say more.
Apparently, the Federation's spies were unaware that he would also be joining this delegation.
That made sense, as General Augustus was initially supposed to be the Swordsmen representative, and Ren had only agreed to it a couple of days ago.
Of course, Ren wanted to hear the other party's reasons.
"Is it that urgent?"
"Yes, Your Excellency Ren, the situation is even worse than you know."
"The Empire and the Federation, with their ample power as a backing, are currently able to control some of the dangers. But you may not be aware that beyond the Empire's borders, many tribes have completely fallen and become followers of the Demon God."
"Take the Ferdinand Forest incident, for example. If the Empire hadn't provided support, how do you think the situation would have developed?" Hamadi asked.
"Hmm," Ren nodded, agreeing with Hamadi's assessment.
This aligned with the confidential intelligence he had access to after being promoted to Deputy Chief.
"Many primitive tribes on the islands have been enticed and corrupted, embracing the Demon God."
"So, in the near future, there will inevitably be the descent of a Demon God Avatar of the Demi-God tier."
"At that time, the Dragon Empire will face an immense crisis and challenge! Your Excellency Ren, that's why we very much hope you can visit the Federation as soon as possible."
"If that's the case, then I'll go. As for the delegation spots, I should be able to handle it without troubling Your Excellency Hamadi."
"However, I also have a matter that requires Your Excellency Hamadi's assistance," Ren smiled.
(End of Chapter)
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