"Is that how you grow stronger and wealthier?" Erose asked, looking at a peach with purple spots and a blue-striped tomato.
"Yep, that's it," Rilden said, wiping the peach and tomato before eating them next to the public fountain.
Using his usual
No one in the city knew Erose was the City Lord's favorite daughter from his favorite wife, and her identity remained secret to protect her from harm. That proved useful during the Ludiron Cult incident when they targeted her elder half-brother instead and didn't know of her existence. It also made moving through the city simple, and she didn't need to hide anything. At most, everyone believed she was a side-branch daughter trained to be a mistress, thus mostly ignored.
After eating them, Rilden felt a warmth in his body, and his mind felt clearer, so he checked his status. His Magician Talent rose by 0.4 points, up to 1.4, and his Comprehension hit exactly 2, and its evaluation turned to Superior. It was the same Comprehension Ven had after awakening his bloodline and being blessed by Bulthar.
"Not bad. My Magician Talent and Comprehension improved." Rilden nodded.
"You want to be a magician, my husband?" Erose tilted her head.
"Who wouldn't want to shoot lightning?" Rilden joked.
"My husband, you need far higher education than you currently have to be a Magician. Even then, it would take years of practice to master the arcane arts unless your Comprehension is phenomenally high. Young Magicians almost always started their studies from as young as 7 years old as apprentices to wizened sages." Erose said.
"Even if I am already a Peak tier 1 magician?" Rilden asked.
"Yes. Without modur training, you could, at most, be considered a wild sorcerer who is dangerous to himself more than others. At most, you can charge and use magical items as a living battery." Erose said.
"Ouch..." Rilden felt the burn.
"I apologize, my husband. But that is the cruel truth. I do not wish to see you hurt due to fruitless delusions." Erose lowered her head.
"No need to apologize. I prefer an honest opinion to a sugar-coated one." Rilden said.
"Then I shall continue doing so." Erose nodded before adding, "By the way, husband, those were merely tier 1 natural treasures, yes? Such treasures can, at most, allow you to reach tier 2. From my knowledge, most such natural treasures are grown in local farmnds by random chance, and those lucky to find them benefit by selling them or eating them themselves. However, over 90% are usually wasted or eaten by other animals, often creating tier 1 monsters. Regardless, tier 2 natural treasures are almost impossible to grow near the city, so you won't be able to rely on this method after you exhaust the effects. Such treasures and opportunities only grow in more remote areas, such as wild forests, or during special occasions, and they st for short durations unless picked. At most, you might be able to buy them if they are auctioned in the city, but their price is exorbitant, and you won't find anything above tier 3. Those cannot be bought with simple money, especially natural treasures. Even my father would have a hard time obtaining them, and that is after paying a ridiculous price."
"We will live and see what I can do after exhausting my options." Rilden shrugged and got up. "For now, I will just enjoy my quick gains. Let's go, Erose."
"As you wish, my husband." Erose also got up and followed Rilden back to the mansion.
Day 18:
After five more days, Rilden had several opportunities and obtained some items and natural treasures.
As Erose said, once Rilden hit the limit with a certain type of treasure, such as Comprehension fruits, the
Every person was somewhat different based on their bloodline, resulting in bloodline families with different techniques incompatible with other bloodlines. The more different they were, the more considerable the incompatibility.
For example, a Fme Dragon Bloodline is compatible with the Fire Lizard Bloodline but is incompatible with the Water Shark Bloodline.
The Greybde Family's bloodline, unoriginally named the Greybde bloodline after its founding father's name, was a non-elemental bloodline focusing on using pure, brutal strength to overwhelm everything else and resist everything. It might sound simple, but it was a legendary bloodline belonging to one of the founding heroes of the Erebium Empire and considered a legendary bloodline.
Those with non-elemental, strength-based bloodlines could use their training method, thus their subordinates and branch families were usually those with simir bloodlines. However, these methods were controlled, and only loyalists could learn them.
Rilden's bloodline was most compatible with neutral, non-elemental training methods, which was the most common. These methods were publicly sold everywhere, and all other bloodlines could use them, albeit to a lesser effect. As such, when Rilden requested it, he immediately obtained the best manual in the Greybde Family's library, the Harmony Breath method, and was taught by a senior knight with a simir bloodline.
It didn't take long for Rilden to understand the technique and start practicing it while wearing equipment that multiplied training speed and consuming tonics.
With the combined effect of his Warrior Talent of 2, Comprehension of 2, a compatible manual, high-end equipment, tonics, and training advice, breaking through to tier 2 was almost a given. Within three hours, Rilden smoothly advanced from the peak tier 1 warrior realm to the initial tier 2 realm in a training room.
Hum*
Rilden's body was reinforced. He grew slightly taller again, and his muscles and bones were strengthened. But more importantly, due to his advancement, his vitality improved, and his bloodline was stimuted, awakening and improving his abilities.
[The Bloodline Abilities,
[You have awakened a new Bloodline Ability:
]
Rilden opened his eyes, a joyful smile tugging his lips.
"Great! With
After moving his body to adjust, he checked his new bloodline abilities and improvements.
[
"Nice. Each charge means another opportunity or important piece of information."
And then, he curiously looked at Analysis, which also improved.
[
"Oh?! I can now analyze creatures and items. But the accuracy depends on the difference in strength, and I can't overuse it. But on the bright side, there is no clear limit, so I guess it is more like exhausting a muscle." Rilden muttered.
He then sensed his new ability.
[
: When activated, you gain vision into the immediate future. Will passively activate when in danger. It strains the mind whenever it triggers, and higher Comprehension lowers the strain.]
"I can see into the immediate future? It sounds incredible, but I am not sure of its extent. Passively activating when I am in danger is a lifesaver, but could it change anything if I am targeted by someone overwhelmingly more powerful? However, using it also strains my mind, so Comprehension is now the key attribute I must focus on above everything else." Rilden figured.
In Rilden's eyes, Comprehension was already valuable, enabling him to learn things quickly. As a borderline mental retard for the first 18 years of his life, he knew better than anyone else how precious being intelligent was despite its woes, such as having more worries.
"Oh, well. I will find ways to raise it ter. Let's see what the
[
[The tensions between —]
Listening to everything, Rilden's face turned pale.
"Fuck! Couldn't you say that sooner?!" Rilden cursed, got up, and hurried out of the room.
Erose, who waited outside and saw him come out, noticed Rilden's energy fluctuations and lightly smiled, "Congratutions, my hus—"
"I need to talk to Father, NOW!" Rilden hurriedly said.
Without asking more, Erose immediately took him to her father's office. Rushing into the office without knocking, Varkas, who was discussing something with a merchant guild official about trading permits, looked up. He was about to tell his daughter and son-in-w to wait for ter, but when he saw their dire expressions, he changed his mind.
"I'm sorry, but we will need to speak ter. Something urgent has come up." Varkas said to the guild official with a deep frown.
"I... yes, my lord. We will discuss it ter." The official, sensitive to the atmosphere, didn't object and politely left the room under Pesem's guidance.
Once the official left the room, Varkas looked at his son-in-w and asked, "What did you see?"
"War," Rilden said one word, making Erose and Varkas change expressions.
"When, and with who?" Varkas gravely asked.
"The Kadin Barbarian Coalition. Border states will now csh with the Erebium Empire due to religious, ideological, resource, and territorial conflicts, and we will bear the brunt of it. The states of Osnines and Steorus received orders to invade in three days, pilging and massacring civilians on the way and sacrificing them to their barbaric war god of march, battle, pilge, and sughter, Qhiion, to obtain a boon while they quickly marched to the city, arriving in one day through a blessed forced march. If we start emergency evacuation now, we can evacuate almost all civilians to the city since the farthest distance from the city is 30 miles." Rilden expined.
"Tsk... Their pantheon is as unpleasant and cruel as ever, no better than rogue evil gods like Ludiron. Little wonder since they were originally fur-wearing savages until 300 years ago." Varkas clicked his tongue in disgust before asking, "Would they stop if we evacuate the civilians?"
"No. They will be even more driven, knowing the prize is in the city." Rilden shook his head.
"I see. Anything else?" Varkas asked.
"I haven't checked yet. Please wait..." Rilden said.
After several minutes, Rilden revealed another piece of news, even more shocking than the st.
"The Ludrion Cult contacted Osnines and Steorus and reached a deal to become a recognized force in their territory in exchange for their help, but it is mostly to take revenge on you since they are petty. They will send one peak, one intermediate, and one initial tier 5 assassin to murder you and all the top echelons of the city on the evening before the battle, leaving us without leadership and in chaos, and even opening the gates during the invasion. However—"
"They don't know I am a legendary warrior since I haven't publicized it yet, and I will turn the tables and kill the assassins. They will overconfidently continue marching without confirming the result to save time and prevent reinforcements from arriving and will attack once the gates are open. Is that right?" Varkas sarcastically smiled.
"Not exactly. The assassins will arrive inside the city tomorrow, disguised as a pelt merchant and his two guards, Elron, Bolem, and Zankar to attempt to assassinate you the night before the joint armies arrive. You will catch them off guard when they attack, but the leader will sacrifice himself to stop you, letting the other two escape, reying the news of their failure and your strength. At that time, the joint armies would withdraw and prepare legendary warriors to confront you, which could end catastrophically. However, 2 initial tier 5 warriors could certainly dey the assassins. One is Knight Captain Enderson, while the other is... hehe. A recent friend of yours." Rilden knowingly grinned.
Varkas's lips twitched, took a deep breath, and stood up. "Thank you for the information, Rilden. I have much to do and arrange and I won't see you off."
"Of course." Rilden grinned and left together with an expressionless Erose.
Once outside, Erose asked curiously, "Who is my father's friend? Why do I feel she is a woman? I didn't know there was such a powerful dy in the city."
"Women have scary intuition..." Rilden inwardly sweated.
"Eh... You can say that. A recent casual dy friend." Rilden pyed dumb.
"Oh... I hoped Father finally moved on and found a new lover. He was depressed after my mother died and became a workaholic, and even neglected his two other concubines but recently became more cheerful and spent more time with them." Erose had a disappointed look.
"Well, you got it right... But I can't tell you I made him start regurly seeing a succubus lover, which reignited his lost passion for carnal pleasure and romance..." Rilden thought.
According to the
With that, Rilden returned to his studies as usual while the City Lord arranged an emergency evacuation to the surrounding 30 miles.
Meanwhile-
In an abandoned barn 10 miles from Tulens, with a cart waiting outside.
There were three fyed corpses, their faces removed, their muscles frozen in a look of anguish and horror they felt in their final moments.
After treating their new masks with a special solution, the butchers put on their new disguises, like a snake shedding a yer of skin for a new yer, adopting a new identity.
"Are there any fws?" One asked while checking a mirror.
"I don't notice anything, brother." Another said, his mask already worn.
"We are ready. Set off and kill the infidel who killed our younger brother, Varkas, and his ilk, offering their skins and slit throats to the most devious one, before massacering the city that failed to embrace our gift." The third said, his eyes serpentine, before reverting to a human look.
"For Ludiron."
"Vengeance."