Chapter 67: Thunder Spear Tucker

Chapter 67: Thunder Spear Tucker

Back in the Fragment of the Divine Domain, the four large coins obtained from Hal began to float and move on their own.

Essence?

Compared to his previous surprise, Karl was now much calmer as he faced another item containing essence.

"Hmm?"

Karl's eyes widened in surprise.

This was different from before.

In the past, when essence was absorbed from items, he would lose certain qualities, but his body would remain.

This time, it was different.

The four large coins slowly disintegrated in the air, and as the essence was absorbed, they vanished into nothingness.

"Hmm..."

Karl stroked his chin, pondering:

"Could it be that this item is entirely made of essence?"

There were too many secrets about essence and the Fragment of the Divine Domain that he didn't know, and he couldn't find the answers right away.

He decided not to think about it anymore.

The four large coins, in addition to expanding the space of the Fragment of the Divine Domain, gave him 0.4 essence.

Each coin had 0.1 essence.

Without much thought, Karl directly added the essence to his Constitution.

Name: Karl

Constitution: 2.3

Psychic Energy: 2

Essence: 0

Professions: Knight, Apprentice High Mage

The reason for adding it to his Constitution was twofold. Firstly, it was out of habit, as a stronger constitution meant a greater ability to resist risks.

Secondly, with the 'Wisdom Light' elixir, his Psychic Energy could still be cultivated to increase, and even with resistance, the progress would only be slower.

For Constitution, unless there was a constant supply of high-quality beast meat, the difficulty of further improvement would be immense.

Cultivation was a process that became increasingly challenging over time.

Setting aside a box of unidentified meat buns for now, Karl picked up the two new black iron plates he had obtained.

As expected!

They were just as he had imagined.

The inscriptions on them were related to the Titan Breath Technique.

One of the plates had engravings about the operation techniques of the Titan Breath Technique, which included secret techniques.

It wasn't just about secret techniques.

It covered various aspects such as how to conceal one's breath, how to enhance endurance, how to burst out quickly, and even how to digest food quickly!

If the Titan Breath Technique taught one how to cultivate and temper the physical body, then this iron plate was a supplement to the technique, providing cultivators with more detailed instructions on breathing.

Only when the two plates were combined could it be considered the true Titan Breath Technique.

The last plate.

Engraved on it was a martial technique.

"Guardian Bracelet!"

Karl murmured to himself.

This martial technique could be used with a sword, barehanded, or even with knives, spears, and other weapons, without any restrictions.

And its rank,

Extremely high!

Karl's knowledge was limited.

But he could still tell that the rank of this 'Guardian Bracelet' was far beyond the Blazing Wind Sword Technique he had learned, and even surpassed any martial arts he had ever seen, including the sword techniques of the Lieutenant Hal.

"Legendary Martial Technique?"

Karl's eyes lit up:

"It's almost certain!"

"With a legendary breath technique and its accompanying martial art, it was worth taking the risk."

"If I had known about the legendary martial technique beforehand, why would I have struggled so much in battles?"

Once he fully comprehended the knowledge on the iron plates, he believed his strength would increase again.

Of course.

This was not something that could be achieved overnight, so he decided not to rush it.

In the early morning, Karl stood before a dressing mirror.

Compared to when he first arrived, the person in the mirror now had a more determined look in his eyes, and the confusion had faded.

His slightly curly black hair had grown past his shoulders, and the burn scar on his left cheek remained.

The scar marred his otherwise handsome features, making his face look somewhat fierce, and most people would probably not dare to look at him for too long.

His tailored suit and polished leather boots maintained a gentlemanly demeanor while also exuding a sense of strength and uprightness.

These were custom-made clothes for him.

It was said that they had already started to become popular in Signo City.

Karl picked up a black staff that was lying nearby and twirled it in his hand.

The staff was straight, with a beautifully curved handle, showcasing excellent craftsmanship. At the joint, there was an inconspicuous golden thread.

With a slight twist, a sharp rapier could be quickly drawn out.

He deftly picked up a wide-brimmed hat from the rack with the staff, lightly covering his black curly hair.

"Bang!"

"Bang, bang!"

"Open the door!"

The heavy banging on the gate disrupted Karl's pleasant mood, and the person in the mirror frowned slightly.

Unbeknownst to him, the area outside the gate was already crowded with people.

This place had never been so lively before. Among the crowd were men and women, most of them with expressions of indignation.

Standing in front of the crowd were several uniformed police officers.

"What's going on?"

Karl unlatched the gate and opened it, his gaze falling on the knocking officer. With a hint of annoyance in his voice, he asked:

"Don't you see the crest on the wall? A baron resides in this courtyard."

The gate was spacious, and he stood alone.

On both sides, there were large gaps, but an invisible pressure kept the crowd from taking a step forward.

"Baron?"

The officer was taken aback and instinctively looked at the wall in front of the gate.

A three-leaf clover crest was nailed to the wall, and according to the noble ranks, it was indeed a baron's symbol.

"This..."

The officer's face turned pale.

He would never have imagined that in a place just next to the slums, a baron would be living here! He had noticed the crest on the wall earlier but had thought it was just a decorative item, not realizing it was a noble crest.

Who would have thought of that? And the neighbors didn't mention it either!

"You are..."

A police officer hesitated and spoke up:

"Baron Karl?"

"Yes." Karl nodded.

"Have we met?"

"Yes, we have." The officer, named Eugene, exclaimed with surprise, "I was a colleague of Ham's at his funeral. I never expected to see you living here."

Ham?

The talented detective who died while investigating the mummified corpse case?

Karl slowly nodded.

"Respected Baron Karl," Eugene bowed and said, "A young girl named Amy from a nearby family has gone missing. Someone saw her come here before she disappeared."

"So..."

"I'm so sorry to disturb you!"

Karl tilted his head.

In the crowd, a middle-aged couple was hugging each other and crying, occasionally calling out Amy's name.

After all, they were neighbors, and even though Karl rarely went out, he was familiar with Amy.

At the age of fourteen or fifteen, due to malnutrition, Amy was rather skinny, but she was a sensible girl.

Karl spoke up to comfort them, "Maybe she went out to play somewhere. There's no need to worry too much."

"No, she didn't." The middle-aged man shook his head, crying, "Amy wouldn't run off. She only goes to the Lap Textile Factory; otherwise, she stays at home."

"She's so sensible!"

The Lap Textile Factory was located in the north of the city, and it was one of the sources of the recent environmental issues in Signo City.

This factory hired a large number of female workers, as long as they were over ten years old and skilled with their hands.

The wages were not high.

For ordinary families, having a daughter with a formal job was a blessing. Not only was she not a burden, but she could also contribute to the family's finances, which was already satisfying.

So many girls worked there, including Amy.

"Respected Baron Karl," Eugene said, his face turning pale.

"Can we... take a look inside?"

"Of course!"

He continued, "If you don't want to, we'll leave immediately!"

Without the permission of the Noble Council, the police officers had no authority to search a noble's residence, even if it was a fallen noble.

"There are no outsiders in my yard," Karl shook his head, noticing the suspicious glances from the crowd. He sighed and stepped aside, "Just don't break anything."

"Yes!"

Eugene quickly agreed and praised, "Your honesty and openness are admirable. The great Lord of Dawn will surely bless you, Baron."

"Hurry up," Karl said, his expression unchanged by the officer's praise. "I still have a banquet to attend."

"Yes, yes," Eugene nodded repeatedly, waving his hand to signal the other officers to enter, "Be careful!"

They conducted a brief search, only glancing around casually.

"Sir," a bearded officer named Nelson spoke up, "There's a basement, and the door is locked."

Hmm?

As soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers turned their attention towards the officers.

"There's no one in the basement," Karl said, his voice becoming stern.

"It's just some research materials I use," Karl explained.

"Yes, yes," Eugene nodded repeatedly, "I trust the Baron's assurance. Nelson, come here quickly; we still have another house to visit."

"But..." Nelson hesitated, "I find this place suspicious."

"Basements like this are rarely used, but there are many footprints here, indicating frequent visits."

The basement was damp and cold, with poor conditions. It wasn't a place that would be visited every ten days or half a month. Who would go there regularly?

In an instant, various thoughts of child abuse, perverted criminals, kidnappings, and even sexual assault filled the minds of the crowd.

Their gazes towards Karl became dangerous.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Eugene's face turned pale.

"The Baron is not that kind of person!"

"Heh..." Karl chuckled, looking at Nelson, "So you think it's interesting? Then go ahead and take a look. Just don't be scared by what you find."

He threw the key to the basement.

"Baron," Nelson said.

"Open it!"

"Yes."

Eugene's expression turned serious, and he quickly ran to the basement, calling for a few officers to join him.

After a while, the officers emerged from the basement, their faces pale.

"Baron Karl," Eugene said quietly, "There's no problem, but the things inside..."

"It's normal for me to have some animal remains, isn't it?" Karl took the key and spoke calmly.

"Yes, yes," Eugene nodded repeatedly, remembering the rabbit and animal corpses soaked in unknown liquids, almost making him sick.

"But Baron, among them were some human organs. If I didn't have some knowledge in this area, I would have been truly shocked."

"My apologies."

He took a step back, "I apologize for the disturbance. May the gods protect you!"

...

"That's complete nonsense."

The carriage driver shook the reins, offended, "The Baron is a person of such high status; how could he possibly be involved in a young girl's disappearance?"

"I think they're just being difficult."

(End of Chapter)

As Karl's long-term hired coachman, he felt a sense of injustice on behalf of his employer.

"If you ask me, they should be investigating the vagrants outside the city!" he exclaimed.

"Missing persons case?" Karl, sensing a pause in the coachman's tone, stopped reading the newspaper and looked up to ask:

"Are there other missing persons?"

"Of course!" The coachman replied matter-of-factly:

"West Signo City is so large, people go missing every day, especially female textile factory workers."

"I've heard..."

"They get sold to brothels, forced into serving men. Some young girls, naive and unaware, are deceived by coworkers and even if found, their marriage prospects are ruined."

"People go missing every day?" Karl shook his head:

"That's an exaggeration."

"I'm not exaggerating, sir," the coachman assured him:

"Just last month, I know of at least a dozen missing female workers, not counting other cases."

"How is this possible?" Karl frowned:

"Such a significant issue, and I've never heard of it."

The coachman sighed:

"Your Lordship's esteemed position means you rarely interact with common folk, and the northern factories are major enterprises. If problems arise, they're often suppressed, and no one dares report it."

"Sir..."

The coachman realized he had spoken out of turn, slapped himself, and hastily added:

"Please, consider my words mere nonsense, not to be taken seriously."

Karl's expression turned contemplative before he shook his head and continued reading the newspaper.

Today's encounter was, to him, just a trivial matter, hardly noteworthy. However, the people involved were quite interesting.

A strong spiritual force, evident not only in spellcasting but also in everyday life.

For instance,

empathy towards others' emotions.

As a mid-level wizard apprentice, Karl could vaguely sense the true intentions of those interacting with him.

Malice?

Kindness?

Apprehension?

...

Earlier, he had sensed malice from two individuals: the mustachioed Nelson and, surprisingly, the seemingly respectful Eugene. The latter's malice ran deeper.

"No wonder wizards often live in solitude; the ugliness of human hearts, with duplicity at every turn, is unbearable."

...

At Lord Rendon's Manor

Lord Rendon frequently hosted banquets at his estate outside the city. This evening was no exception.

Upon Karl's arrival, numerous guests were already present, engaged in small groups.

He avoided the crowds, heading straight for the rear guest hall.

"Thud!"

A muffled sound stopped him in his tracks.

"This is impossible!"

The familiar voice belonged to mid-level wizard apprentice Sebel, causing Karl to instinctively halt.

"One thousand gold coins?"

Sebel's outrage was palpable:

"Our mentor's estate was purchased for two thousand gold coins, and it was in shambles at the time."

"After meticulous renovation, two new buildings were added, along with various furnishings..."

"You're offering one thousand gold coins?"

"Robert, are you insulting the intelligence of a mid-level wizard apprentice?"

Sebel's indignation was met with an unfamiliar voice, presumably the renowned physician Robert, who spoke calmly:

"If you feel it's too low, we can negotiate the price, but three thousand gold coins is definitely not feasible."

"Unnecessary!" Sebel retorted:

"Our mentor's estate has many potential buyers. I approached you first as a courtesy to a fellow wizard apprentice."

"No need to discuss further."

"Please leave!"

Robert sighed:

"Very well..."

As Karl quickened his pace, a plain-looking middle-aged man approached him.

"Baron Karl!"

"Physician Robert."

The two exchanged polite greetings.

"Sister," Karl said upon entering the guest hall:

"No need to be upset; our mentor's estate will find a buyer."

Their mentor, having confirmed his absence, had entrusted Sebel with handling their city assets.

The estate,

adjacent to Lord Rendon's manor, should have been easy to sell, given its vast grounds and prime location. However, the steep price limited potential buyers.

"Hmph!" Sebel's scowl deepened:

"What was in the news today?"

"Robert's audacity to lower the price must stem from some inside information, giving him confidence."

Karl pondered briefly before responding:

"The front-line war efforts are unfavorable, with the vanguard, led by Thunder Spear Tucker, gaining momentum on the Cologne side. West Signo City is no longer safe."

"Tucker?" Sebel sneered, her tone laced with disdain:

"That man from Gandor Kingdom, who later defected to Sachs Kingdom and now serves Cologne?"

"Yes, him," Karl confirmed:

"A promising legendary knight, Tucker."

End of Chapter

Chapter end