Chapter 301: Find Him And Sacrifice Him
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“So, all the churches have been repaired, and the priests have also recovered their connection with the gods?” Landhar asked Hoen.
They were in the king’s bedroom in the royal city.
“Yes, all the churches have been repaired; the previously cracked sculptures have all been restored to their original state,” Hoen said as he knelt on one knee.
Landhar supported his face with one hand and leaned against the bed. He closed his eyes slightly and fell into deep thought. “Did Macrotov’s civil officials do anything?”
“No, Your Majesty. They just sent someone for Master Antonio. The messenger should still be on his way. He shouldn’t have seen Master Antonio yet! The investigators I sent had only just arrived in the nearby town. They don’t know what happened either. Everything seems to have returned to normal. Macrotov told me to ask for your opinion.”
“I understand. You may leave.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Horn stood up and kept his head down. He walked out of the bedroom and disappeared into the long corridor.
Landhar was still lying on his side, mumbling to himself on the bed, “The sculptures repaired themselves. It’s just as I expected, but it’s a little slow.” Then, he seemed to have thought of something and stood up from the bed. He pushed the bed gently, and a deep, slanted tunnel appeared under the bed.
After tidying his clothes, he bent down and walked into the passage.
The passage slanted about ten meters downward, and there was an underground passage beneath it. There were stone doors that were locked with iron chains, but no one knew what was behind those doors. As soon as he entered the passage, a rotten and damp smell assaulted his nostrils.
Landhar lit a kerosene lamp with the flint next to the kerosene lamp after removing it from the right side of the tunnel. He advanced through the stone doors, aided by the dim light, to the end—it was an antique altar.
The ground was engraved with twisted symbols written in blood that were difficult to discern. Half of the bookshelf had been toppled into the corner. The books on it were relatively dust-free; it was as if they were frequently used. Following Landhar’s arrival, a squeaky sound came from the bookshelves. Then a flicker of a black shadow with crimson eyes passed by him.
Landhar placed the kerosene lamp in front of him and began to chant some ancient and mysterious incantations. Then, he blew at the kerosene lamp, and the orange flame immediately burst with a sound. The color changed from bright to miserable green.
The green flames shone around Landhar’s body, stretching his shadow infinitely. The Mysterious Magic Circle Underground could also produce a large shadow that squirmed and separated on the wall, turning into a blurry outline. There were seven of them.
“Landhar, you haven’t called for us in a few days.”
The first shadow made a statement. The voice was clear and neutral, and the shadow mirrored on the wall was a lovely silhouette clutching a harp. The silhouette wore what appeared to be a hat. He had broad wings and a coiled dragon-shaped tail.
“Agares, God of the Wind and Navigation, one of the seven gods of the Holy Dragon Kingdom, isn’t it a good thing for you to not see me?”
Landhar’s eyes were reflected in a horrifying green color. When he spoke, his body did not move at all, like a rock.
“That’s true. After all, nothing good happens every time you send a message. Speaking of which, we have been striving really hard to become the faith in the Holy Dragon Kingdom! It’s one thing for seven gods to share the same faith, but they still have to leave something for you from time to time. Furthermore, there will always be some unexpected changes in the kingdom. Just like the other time, a projection in a particular church had suffered a terrible attack, and we almost had to run away. Don’t you think so, Baldur?”
The second-to-last shadow had spoken. It was a god with a leopard’s head and bird wings. Its long hair spread on the wall like kelp, and it had a woman’s voice.
“Sidi, we have been here for more than ten years. As a god who controls the light, I have signed an ancient contract with the Holy Dragon Kingdom. It was just a projection that was destroyed. I will not go against the contract.”
Baldur was the leader of the seven gods in the Holy Dragon Kingdom; he was the shadow of a man in the middle. As he spoke, the light wheels behind the shadow, big and small, continued to rotate; it made most people dizzy.
As soon as he finished speaking, Baldur’s shadow on the wall seemed to have glanced at Landhar. “I want you to give me an explanation, Landhar. What exactly happened in the attack on the City of Steel? If you can’t give me a reasonable reason, we might just cut off any future engagement with you.”
Then, the entire basement shook. The lights also flickered non-stop, like a small boat in a storm that could be destroyed at any time.
“Lord Baldur, don’t be impatient. I will give you an explanation for that later. But before that, I want to obtain my Power of Faith for this month.”
Landhar looked around him.
“How bold! You haven’t even found out who attacked us, yet you dare to ask us for something?”
“You are a mere mortal king. If we hadn’t been helping you, your country would have been destroyed countless times! We can still find many people like you. Remember, you are the one who needs our help, not us. Behave yourself.”
It was apparent that Landhar’s request had triggered the gods’ anger; the shadows expanded rapidly. A strong sense of oppression filled the entire basement, but Landhar was completely fine. It was as if the pressure was nothing more than a breeze to him.
“Alright, stop arguing!”
“Landhar, you have reached a bottleneck in your diamond-tier progress. You need a large amount of Power of Faith to break through that. I can understand that, and I can fulfill your request. However, you have to agree to one of our requests. Otherwise, from now on, we will not respond to any of your prayers.”
Baldur, who was in the center, silenced the other gods’ arguments. Behind him, the light wheel-shaped shadow twisted, and milky-white phantom light spots erupted from it and invaded Landhar’s body.
After absorbing a large amount of Power of Faith, a divine radiance appeared on Landhar’s body; even his eyes were covered with a layer of gauze.
Absorbing the power would bring extreme comfort to most people, but he did not move. He waited silently for all the power to enter his body before he said, “I wonder what the leader of the seven gods wants me to do?”
“Find that youth.”
The flames in the kerosene lamp on the ground rose to draw a gorgeous portrait in the air—Watson. Whether it was the corners of his eyes, the tip of his brows, or his expression, they looked the same as Watson’s.
“Then what? Kill him?”
“No, we want you to sacrifice him to us. If you do that, then we will ignore that attack. At the same time, we will satisfy all your requests. Remember, it’s all of your requests, including the one you want to fulfill the most.”
After a short silence, Landhar nodded.
“Deal.”
....
Half an hour later.
Landhar returned to his bedroom and let out a long sigh. He pushed the wooden board silently as he smiled mockingly. “Those so-called gods are just a bunch of devils dressed in holy cloaks. Can they really fulfill my wishes? I doubt it, but I will reach that tier soon.”
“Everything is going according to plan. I can already feel the chaotic aura! Of course, some unexpected changes have to be removed as soon as possible. For example, the boy named Watson at the border, the mysterious youth in the City of Steel who pose a threat to gods, the Winter Nation’s strange actions, and the elves in the south...”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on a vase by the window sill. There was a flower in the vase. It was a beautiful three-colored flower, blooming brilliantly under the sunlight.
Landhar did not look like a terrifying king who played with people’s minds when he stared at the flower. He also did not look as calm as when he had talked to the gods. There was a gentle look at the corner of his eyes.
After a short while, he looked away. Then, his majestic voice resounded throughout the bedroom.
“Men, I want you to investigate a youth.”
Chapter 302: A Demonstration For Everyone
“Young Master Watson, you said you have something important to announce to us. What is it?” Annie looked at Watson and asked curiously.
Just a moment ago, Watson had called for them and Miss Nightingale into the room. He said that he had something important to announce to them. Leon stood beside Watson, his face full of joy; it seemed like he had encountered something happy.
Everyone had learned from Miss Nightingale that Leon had summoned Watson to the church that morning, and it was already noon. While Watson was absent, Annie had been pestering Nightingale to teach her about gold-tier mages. Meanwhile, Arthur and Clyde were listening on the side.
They already knew that Nightingale was a platinum-tier elite, even stronger than the swordmistress following the incident from the previous day. They would benefit tremendously from listening to an elite. Even if they received no rewards, it would be prudent to have a positive relationship with Nightingale, as her friendship with Watson was nothing average. Fawning over Nightingale was equivalent to fawning over Watson. Perhaps Watson would be pleased about that and provide them with more rewards.
“My reason for summoning everyone here is quite straightforward. We are about to attack the labyrinth. Prepare yourselves; we may remain in the maze for a few days to prevent running out of food and water,” Watson looked around and said in a loud voice.
He had killed a god’s projection in St. Antilles Cathedral half a day ago, bringing the entire country’s belief system to a halt. Even though it only lasted a few hours, it did inspire a widespread alarm in the city. He felt as though he had created a bit of a stir. It was preferable to accomplish Master Antonio’s objective quickly and leave the City of Steel.
“We’re going to the maze so soon?” Annie’s eyes flickered, and she clenched her fists. Her expression was more excited than nervous. She was a gold-tier warrior; she did not know how many levels she could clear in the maze.
Arthur and Clyde had similar expressions; only Nightingale remained calm. She had seen Watson do many great things. It was nothing for Watson to clear the entire maze. She would not be surprised if he used magic to fuse the entire maze, excavate it, and take it all away with him.
“Of course, before we go and make the relevant preparations, I have one more thing to announce. Leon has advanced to the peak of gold-tier,” Watson said as he pointed at Leon.
“Peak of gold-tier? It’s only been a day; how did that happen?” Annie and the other two men exclaimed at the same time.
Leon was only an ordinary gold-tier elite when he drank the potion the previous day. It was impossible for him to advance to the peak of gold-tier in just one day. Watson must have done something for him. The three looked envious and jealous; if they had known earlier, they would have kicked Leon aside and accompanied Watson to the church.
“I have reached the peak of gold-tier, indeed. This is all thanks to Great Master Watson. As his humble servant, it is great to receive his blessing.” Leon took a step forward and spread his hands as if he made a hugging gesture. He looked at Watson with reverence. “It is great to believe in Young Master Watson—it’s like believing in the sun.”
“Leon, what’s wrong with you? Are you out of your mind? Why are you speaking so strangely today?”
Arthur hugged his shoulders and shivered because of Leon’s inspirational words. Even though Leon usually spoke like a fake priest, he was not as exaggerated as that day.
“Arthur, you’re really stupid! Can’t you understand Young Master Watson’s greatness? You want to become stronger? I converted my faith from the Holy See’s seven gods to Young Master Watson, who had given me the knowledge in his mind. That profound knowledge was originally something that I could never understand in my entire life. I have only praises for Young Master Watson.”
Everyone felt strange when they heard Leon’s incessant cheers.
“Young Master Watson, did Leon eat something wrong at noon, like a poisonous mushroom, or maybe someone cursed him?”
The corner of Annie’s mouth twitched. She felt that Leon was behaving too strangely.
“Annie, it’s rude of you to say that. I’m just too excited and don’t know how to express myself.”
Leon defended himself, but no one, including Nightingale, believed him.
“It’s hard for me to explain to you why Leon became like that. Why don’t you experience it directly? Nightingale, please give us a demonstration.”
“Yes, Young Master Watson.”
When Nightingale heard Watson’s command, she moved toward him and gave him a questioning look. “I am curious as to what you intend to do to me, Young Master Watson.”
“It’s very simple. I need you to pray to me and treat me as a god you believe in! Leon, please teach Nightingale the prayer.”
“Miss Nightingale, you must remember the following prayer. It’s something that clerics spend a lot of time researching, and it can strengthen the probability of establishing a connection with the god!”! This is the prayer—I, Leon, the humble servant of the gods, am willing to offer my faith to Great Master Watson. My eyes, nose, mouth, arms, torso, and soul belong to Great Master Watson. He has the most beautiful appearance in the world, his words equally as impressive, his breath is flavorful, and his leftover food is the best delicacies. I am willing to offer everything to Great Master Watson. I hope that he can give me the key to the Kingdom of the Gods.”
“Flavorful breath and leftover food delicacies? Does Leon usually pray to the gods so openly?”
“It’s tough being a priest. That prayer is too embarrassing. I will never say it out loud.”
The three of them discussed their opinions at the side.
Nightingale listened to the entire prayer, and her face was a little red. If the target of that prayer were a god, it would be fine. However, she had to say all that to Watson, and it felt like a declaration of love—perverted love.
Should she say it?
It was too embarrassing to say that in front of everyone, and she did not know if Watson would misunderstand her.
Nightingale was in a dilemma. Suddenly, she felt Watson’s gaze and met it. She felt the anticipation and encouragement in his eyes, and her heart pounded inexplicably.
‘As a maid, I must fulfill my master’s request. I’m Watson’s maid. So how can I refuse his request? Yes, that’s right; I’ll say it. I’m doing this because I am a professional and it has nothing to do with personal feelings.’
Nightingale comforted herself in her mind. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. She bit her lips before she repeated Leon’s words. She was so shy that she looked very pitiful. It made Clyde and Arthur, who were watching from the side, a little stunned.
After she said her prayers, Nightingale felt relieved. Just as she was about to let out a sigh of relief, she felt a tender hand touch her forehead as she heard Watson’s voice.
“Excellent, Nightingale. I have received your prayers. Now I will bless you.”
As soon as she said that, a chunk of knowledge-filled memory fragments rushed into her mind.
Chapter 303: Collective Blessing
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Boom!
Before Nightingale could comprehend what knowledge had appeared in her thoughts, a tremendous aura erupted from her body with a muffled sound. Her level skyrocketed from platinum-tier to peak platinum-tier in an instant.
The terrifying aura turned into a whirlwind that blew in all directions. The storm swept through everything in the room. The sofas and beds floated upward under the effect of an invisible force. Then, they fell heavily, and the floor sizzled. It seemed that everything would shatter in the next moment.
“What is happening?”
The three people who had been discussing it fervently widened their eyes.
“Absolute Explosion, Absolute Seal, Absolute Defense.—those are Watson’s abilities.”
Nightingale looked at Watson in surprise. She realized that the information that appeared in her mind was Watson’s knowledge. Since she had been with Watson for more than two years in Mount Creation, she knew that not only did she possess a wealth of information, but she also felt much closer to Watson. It seemed like she had established a spiritual connection with him. Watson could hear her if she called him.
“So that prayer really works.”
Nightingale had initially intended to give it a try, but she was surprised at the change in her strength. Other emotions were pushed to the back of her mind. As long as she assimilated the knowledge she had just acquired, her strength would be increased dozens of times.
Watson’s gains were also not insignificant in comparison to Nightingale’s. His soul’s supply of chaos-elemental magic expanded again. Apart from Leon’s soul, the source also contained Nightingale’s soul. Nightingale’s soul projection appeared to be quite real, and it had a pale pink tint.
“I have a strong sense that my magical power and combat aura have increased significantly since I blessed Leon. Indeed, it is prudent to absorb the Power of Faith in advance.”
The Power of Faith was an energy that only starlight-tier elites possessed. Watson’s advancement toward the starlight tier would be facilitated by absorbing it in advance. Initially, he was stuck at the peak of the platinum tier. However, Watson recognized the possibility of moving to the diamond tier in a short time.
If the process of progressing from peak platinum to diamond-tier was equated to an insurmountable chasm, then Watson had already traversed one-tenth of it.
“The more powerful the person praying to me, the more rewards I will obtain. With the prayers, I have created a pyramid-like chain. The prayers are at the base of the pyramid, while at the top! The foundation would be more solid with more prayers, and I would be stronger. At the same time, I would be able to impart knowledge to the people at the bottom level. Perhaps this is the Kingdom of God in its infancy,” Watson muttered to himself.
If he could absorb more faith, there was no question that he would be able to expand his strength rapidly. That gave him a genuine sense of how wonderful it was to be able to step off Mount Creation. He might not have considered such a strategy if he had remained on Mount Creation.
The world outside was far larger than he had expected—Antonio had once said that to him.
He concurred with such a statement. Only with increased knowledge could he have a better grasp of that reality. Understanding the world was critical to developing one’s strength. He was also anticipating the maze’s next dungeon.
“In addition to the rules, I can also teach magic, fighting skills, and even the source of the chaotic magic to those who established a connection with me.”
In theory, Watson could impart all his powers except the system to those who prayed to him. When he established a connection with Leon, he had only passed on the powers of the laws. Leon was a priest, so he was afraid that magic and fighting techniques would cause chaos for the man.
However, Nightingale was different. As a peak platinum-tier elite and someone from the angel race, Nightingale had an innate capacity for absorbing information.
With that thought in mind, Watson extracted some power from the source of the chaotic magic and descended into Nightingale’s body through the soul projection.
Boom!
Two holes eroded on the solid wood floor beneath Nightingale’s feet with a muffled sound. A gray airflow erupted from her body, surprising her and prompting her to stretch her palm outward. “Is it the seventh element—the chaotic element? My body’s combat aura has completely shifted from dark-elemental to chaos-elemental aura?”
Nightingale knew that Watson was the one who created the seventh element. However, only Antonio and Sylvan were qualified to learn the chaos elements on Mount Creation. Even though she had reached the level to master the new element, that was the strongest element created by the fusion of all six elements in the world.
However, that element was then born spontaneously in her body.
Nightingale gently clenched her fist, and the chaos elements within her body instantly divided and transformed into the six elements of earth, fire, water, wind, light, and darkness. Then, the ground began to crumble slowly.
“That is an aura of all-elemental battle. Miss Nightingale has mastered a variety of combat auras. What kind of talent is that?”
“No, Miss Nightingale’s ability to use so much combat aura is due to Young Master Watson’s blessing. In other words, Young Master Watson is the one who has mastered the all-elemental combat aura.”
The three people standing outside had their jaws wide open; they were large enough to fit an egg. They believed Nightingale possessed only six distinct sorts of combat aura.
“Next, I’ll teach you some spells.”
The crowd’s surprise was not over; Watson had transferred a considerable amount of magical knowledge to Nightingale in her mind.
“Gold-tier spell, Consecutive Exploding Flames!”
Nightingale’s hand moved on its own, and a series of fireballs the size of a human head appeared beside her. The orange flames soared, and the scorching temperature made it difficult for the people in the room to breathe.
“I can do magic?”
Nightingale was taken aback by the fireballs swirling around her, and her expression seemed slightly absent-minded. After spending so much time by Watson’s side, she had assumed that she would no longer be surprised, but she continued to overestimate herself and underestimate Watson.
Watson had once again exceeded her expectations.
A person’s talent was destined from the moment they were born. For example, if a warrior were more friendly to the fire element, nurturing other elements’ combat auras would be extremely difficult. Of course, that could be solved with some treasures, like the Sun Gem and Moon Gem that Watson had made, but that was the first time Nightingale had heard of a person’s talent changing from one class to another.
That was particularly true for someone who had transitioned from a warrior to a mage. Due to their formidable offensive capabilities, mages were the rarest class in the entire kingdom. It was unimaginable how difficult it would be to teach them, yet Watson had effortlessly endowed her with that ability.
Nightingale was unsure whether she should be thrilled or relieved that she had successfully transitioned from a warrior to a genius adept at both magic and martial arts cultivation.
‘It is just how I anticipated. As a believer who absorbs other believers, neither a warrior nor a mage will affect the lessons I teach! This transcends the bounds of one’s talent. Mages can also make use of warriors’ abilities, and vice versa.’
A faint smile appeared on Watson’s face.
If the gods’ power could not be transferred to the worshippers, then the priests who prayed to the gods would not be able to become stronger. Typically, powers not earned through cultivation could be obtained through prayer, but that was borrowed power.
“Now that Nightingale has become my believer and has received my blessing, it is your turn next! Of course, I will not force you if you do not want to do it.”
Watson looked at the three of them. When he blessed Nightingale, the three of them made sarcastic remarks at the side, as if they were not interested in such blessings. Of course, as a kind and considerate person, he would not force others to do anything they did not want to.
“Young Master Watson, what are you talking about? How could we not be willing? You have misunderstood us. We are very willing to become your worshippers.”
“You’re right. I did not have faith before this, but from now on, I will respect Young Master Watson as the one and only God in the world.”
“Young Master Watson, when can we get our blessing? Why don’t we do it now? I can’t wait any longer.
The three of them pressed forward, sensing Watson’s stare. They grabbed Watson’s clothes and pleaded, nearly kneeling. They no longer regarded the prayer with contempt or even mockery.
They had mocked the prayer as they were unaware of the benefits. Their strength would substantially increase as long as they prayed to Watson. They could also acquire vastly superior knowledge to what they already possessed, even surpassing their own professions. Even if the prayer were ten or a hundred times more humiliating, they would not care.
Chapter 304: Learning Archery
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Great Master Watson, we are willing to become your servants. Believing in you is like believing in the sun.”
After the three of them expressed their strong desire, Watson did not refuse them. He let everyone pray according to the prayer Leon had taught them. The source of the chaos-elemental magic in his soul expanded again. Among them, the three of them manifested their soul projections.
He conveniently imparted parts of his abilities to the three of them via the soul projections.
For example, diamond-tier rules plus a pinch of magic. Of course, he did not impart the source of chaos-elemental magic to them because he had created that element. It was not that he did not trust the three individuals in front of him; it was simply that only those from Mount Creation were aware of the situation in the kingdom at that moment. The fewer people who knew about the new element’s discovery, the better.
“Young Master Watson, you are amazing! I can feel a lot of magical knowledge has appeared in my mind. Initially, I only mastered one type of magic with the fire element, and the highest level of magic I know was silver-tier. Now, I possess dozens of gold-tier fire-elemental spells. I have mastered at least hundreds of spells, not including the other five.
Annie shook her head and looked at Watson with dazzling eyes. Suddenly, a vast amount of knowledge appeared in her thoughts. She needed some time to digest it. Under normal circumstances, she would never be able to acquire such knowledge. It was entirely due to Watson’s assistance that she was able to master them.
With her head filled with vast magical knowledge, she had a new appreciation for Watson’s extraordinary skill.
Clyde had a similar expression; his cheeks flushed with enthusiasm. “I have gained numerous warrior skills from Young Master Watson. I believe I can even progress to the platinum tier.”
There was a period when he considered the gold tier to be an unreachable level. However, it seemed he could even ascend to a higher tier.
Arthur was the only one who was slightly disappointed. “Young Master Watson, the knowledge you have imparted to me is entirely focused on warriors and mages. I even possess the priest’s curses! These abilities are not insignificant, but I am an archer. Don’t you have anything about archers?”
The archers played a unique role among the kingdom’s four major classes. It differed from the other three roles. The abilities of other professions had little effect on him.
“I am a mage and a warrior, so I do not know much about the archer class. If it is convenient, you may demonstrate an archer’s ability to me. I may be able to assist you once I learn it,” Watson stated modestly.
He had already understood three of the four professions, but he still did not know much about the last one. In any case, he could swiftly learn anything with the assistance of the system. He intended to get essential knowledge about archery as he aspired to be a well-rounded practitioner.
“Young Master Watson, you want to learn an archer’s skills on the spot?”
Arthur was taken aback. Without considering how long it would take Watson to acquire an archer’s abilities, even if Watson mastered the talents he possessed, he would never be able to surpass Arthur. What could Watson teach him?
Could Watson enhance the knowledge he imparted to him?
“Arthur, don’t dawdle. Young Master Watson has already spoken. Just show him the skills. It won’t take much time.”
Clyde continued to say, “You’re right. Young Master Watson has already given us great benefits. He’s not trained as an archer, so you received fewer things. That is not a reason to feel unhappy. You have to learn to be grateful. Thank Young Master Watson as you would your parents.”
Annie, Clyde, and Leon stood together. Each of them treated Watson more reverently than the most devout priest. They seemed to have assimilated well with their roles. Nightingale looked at them with a strange expression.
“I know. I’d do that even if you didn’t tell me.”
Arthur’s lips were pursed. Since Watson had imparted a great deal of information to him and enabled him to reach the peak of gold-tier, he was powerless to resist Watson’s request.
As soon as he finished speaking, Arthur extended his right hand and extracted the gold-tier weapon Watson had fused for him—the Hunting Sky Bow. “The archer class originated in the south, in the elven kingdom in the Forest of Eternity. Since elves are normally smaller than humans, they were at a disadvantage in close combat. That’s why they invented archery! Archery is divided into two distinct schools. The first is the Windwalkers, who learn the skill that combines quick movement with their ability to shoot. The Druids, on the other hand, gain the capacity to manipulate or even transform into a monster by signing a contract with one.”
“Which school are you from?”
“I dabble in both. If I have to say it, I belong to the latter,” Arthur said.
“Young Master Watson, Arthur is an outstanding druid. When we explore the maze, Arthur’s primary responsibility is to support and explore. The magical beasts he controls can freely travel between the first and the ninth floor underground, which saves us a lot of time,” Clyde interrupted from the side. His praise made Arthur’s lips curl up slightly, looking complacent.
“The captain is right. Every Druid is a natural scout. The power that an archer cultivates is called the power of nature. That power is extracted from trees, flowers, and other plants. It can tame wild beasts. Not only that, but the power of nature can also borrow the characteristics of the magical beasts that they have a contract with, such as the Eagle Eyes.”
As Arthur talked, his previously dark human pupils transformed into a pair of yellow vertical pupils resembling those of an eagle.
“The capacity to see with an eagle’s eye comes from a bronze-tier Space Splitting Falcon that I fostered. It has the potential to improve my vision significantly. Apart from that, I have mastered the Sturdy Scales skill.”
Layers of fine scales lined Arthur’s body; even his face was covered with thick scale layers comparable to an iron-tier armor. His strength had increased by several times fold.
“Interesting.” Watson stroked his chin; he looked intrigued.
He possessed general knowledge of the archer class. Not only could they attack from afar, but they could also morph using a magical beast’s qualities. They could exploit other creatures’ abilities to compensate for their deficiencies and attain physical evolution. That was a trait that other classes lacked.
“Arthur, it appears as though your ability is pretty strong. Why didn’t I see you use it while we were in the dungeon?”
When Arthur met the gold-tier beast, the Evil Eye Monster, he had only some poisoned arrows.
He did not have any other eye-catching moves. That caused Watson to have a slight misunderstanding of the archer class. He believed that simply shooting arrows qualified one as an archer.
“When we faced the gold-tier monster in the dungeon, I didn’t have the time to act. Of course, even if I did, there would only be one outcome.”
Arthur scratched his head awkwardly. Then he said, “Young Master Watson, I have already shown you a druid’s most important ability. Next, I will summon a few of the monsters that I have raised. If you want to see more, please come outside. I will show you my shooting skills later.”
Arthur whistled as he inserted his finger into his lips. A loud cry came from the sky. A one-meter-long Space Splitting Falcon soared into the room through the glass. It came to a halt on the table and combed its feathers majestically.
Apart from the Space Splitting Falcon, the entire floor shook and cracked open. Three pangolin-like magical beasts ran out, curled up, and rolled on the ground.
Watson waved his palm in the direction of those amazing magical beasts. “Arthur, it is sufficient to demonstrate your ability here. Next, I will have to bother you with summoning some magical beasts and having you sign a contract with them. Teach me how to gain the magical beasts’ qualities.”
Arthur had only signed a contract with two bronze-tier magical beasts, yet his talents had already increased several fold. Watson kept two divine monsters in his abode, a dragon and a phoenix. Prior to that, he had only one attitude toward magical beasts, which was to fuse them. Then, he had a new thought.
Chapter 305: The Power of Dragons And Phoenixes
“Are you sure you want to learn it now, Young Master Watson?” Arthur asked with uncertainty.
“Yes, I want to learn it now.”
Arthur decided not to disturb his interest, even though he was sure Watson would not be able to learn it that quickly. “Alright, then I’ll teach you the secret to becoming a druid right now, Young Master Watson. The spell to sign a contract with a magical beast is like this...”
Arthur continued to babble. After he was done, Watson asked, “What level is that incantation?”
“It’s a silver-tier spell to sign a contract. I spent a lot of money to get it.”
“Are there any more incantations?”
“There are a few more, but they’re all bronze-tier.”
“No matter the levels, teach them to me at the same time.”
Arthur’s spells were not difficult, but Watson needed some time to master them quickly. After all, he had never been an archer, so it would be different if Arthur taught him a few more spells. He could use system fusion to master them all in one go.
“Okay, Young Master Watson.”
Inwardly, he secretly complained that Watson had not even mastered a single spell, yet he had to learn multiple spells simultaneously. Since he was not afraid of biting off more than he could chew, Arthur continued to teach Watson all the spells he had in his possession.
When he had close to ten bronze and silver-tier spells, Watson did not hesitate to fuse them.
“System fusion activated.”
[Congratulations, Master, for successfully fusing different types of druid spells.]
[Gold-tier Druid Spell: able to sign a contract with a magical beast and obtain a characteristic equivalent to that of a gold-tier elite from the magical beast that signed the contract.]
Arthur had mentioned that he did not need to have the magical beast with him during the contract signing. However, the magical beast had to acknowledge him as its master. That was not a challenge for Watson; he had already fused the Golden Flash and Emperor Cluck. They had tacitly acknowledged him as their master.
Even if Golden Flash and Emperor Cluck could not do that, he still had the Heaven-devouring Rat King, disguised as a horse pulling a carriage in the Golden Quill Pavilion. He would be able to complete the contract no matter what.
“Natural elements that fill the heavens and earth, please listen to my call and gather the tiny elves that are filled with spirituality. Grant me the ability to listen to life and control it!”
As Watson chanted the spell after the fusion, his body was suddenly engulfed with a rich green light. That light progressively condensed into a ball of light as it filled with the scent of nature. Then, it transformed into a ball of light with two little wings attached to its back. Those tiny spheres of light were dubbed micro-elves. They were different from the elven race. Micro-elves were born between the grass and the trees and with only a rudimentary sense of self.
Micro-elves were the medium for transferring abilities between the contract signer and the magical beast.
At that moment, Watson’s entire body was covered with green light balls, making him look like a human-shaped light bulb.
“Your talent is indeed amazing, Young Master Watson. Even the spell I taught you was mispronounced, you could still conjure an infinite number of micro-elves. These micro-elves are sufficient to acquire the strength of a gold-tier magical beast. If the intimacy level is sufficiently high, you can even get the power of a higher-tier magical beast! I have been cultivating for over a decade, yet the number of micro-elves I can summon is less than one-tenth of that.”
Arthur lauded Arthur wholeheartedly, his comments brimming with envy, jealously, and h. He had clearly stated that the spells he had given Watson were flawed; he thought Watson was greedy and could not possibly manage all of them. However, it seemed like Watson could use the mispronounced spells successfully. Perhaps the spell’s powers were enhanced by his incorrect recitation?
Watson closed his eyes slowly, ignoring Arthur’s comments, and felt the micro-elves hovering around him. Since the world had dense forests with flowers, plants, and trees, micro-elves could be found everywhere. He was able to communicate with the magical beasts who had acknowledged him as their master via those micro-elves, despite their great distance.
At that point, in his mind, an endless blue sky and white clouds emerged. A world tree had grown on the sacred mountain beneath the white clouds. That was the situation on Mount Creation; Golden Flash and Emperor Cluck, both crouching under the World Tree, appeared to have detected something. They threw their heads backward and howled in unison. A roar blasted beside Watson as it sped across space.
Roar!
Screech!
Suddenly, the cries of a dragon and a phoenix erupted from Watson’s side. The boom resonated around the room, shaking it as well. Following that, the number of green micro-elves rapidly rose on his body until it encompassed the entire room.
His body likewise changed in response to the micro-elves’ transformations.
A thick layer of dragon scales appeared on his body. Each layer of dragon scales was as stunning as a diamond, rendering the viewer powerless to look away. Two dragon horns sprouted from his head, and his back had two milky white phoenix wings. While burning with the Holy Flames, the temperature in the air dropped dramatically, and the milky white flames condensed into crystal-clear ice and snow flowers.
Watson’s eyes also changed—one of it had turned silver, and the other had turned golden. The scene looked very strange, and a terrifying diamond-tier aura had spread out. The hardwood floor in the room creaked as cracks appeared. It was not only the room, but the entire Golden Quill Pavilion shook as well.
“What happened?”
“Is it an earthquake?”
The Golden Quill Pavilion’s courtyard erupted with panicked adventurers.
“The power that appeared in young Master Watson’s body is so strange. Could it be a dragon or the Phoenix? I can feel the aura of a divine beast. Is it possible that he keeps a dragon and a phoenix as pets? Is that true?”
Arthur’s eyes grew wider.
It was one thing for Watson to accidentally grasp the druid’s ability to borrow the attributes of a magical beast, but what made that skill so extraordinary? He had assumed that even if Watson had mastered it, he would remain on an equal footing with him. He realized that he was gravely mistaken. Watson possessed an uncanny ability to elevate the knowledge he had to a higher degree.
‘How unfortunate. If Arthur’s druidic spells were of higher quality and permitted me to fuse them with a diamond or platinum level spell, I would transform into the Golden Flash or Emperor Cluck. I wouldn’t be able to transform locally as I did.’
Watson raised his hand and sighed as he looked around his body. He promptly extinguished the odd thing that had manifested in his body.
‘However, this is also beneficial. If I truly became a dragon or a phoenix, the entire Golden Quill Pavilion would have come crashing down! I had better put off searching for such powerful druid spells until I have some free time in the future.’
Druid spells were capable of utilizing the magical beasts’ limbs. Watson might use the fusion system to create all kinds of powerful magical beasts. He could significantly enhance his talents if he were to nurture an army of magical beasts in a short period.
‘I have made a decision. When I return to the maze later, I intend to concentrate on fusing with some extremely powerful magical monsters.’
Watson made up his mind and conveniently gave Arthur the ability he had obtained through the soul projection in the source of the chaos-elemental magic.
Arthur had mastered the abilities of partial dragonification and phoenix transformation.
He ran to the side and absorbed them as if he had obtained a treasure. At times, dragon scales would appear on his body, and phoenix wings would develop on his body at other times.
Clyde, Leon, and Annie, who were envious of that, approached Watson. Their faces filled with eagerness. “Young Master Watson, you’ve only casually learned Arthur’s druid spell, and he has become so powerful. Why don’t we also impart our abilities to you, so you can help us to improve ourselves?”
They had pitied Arthur, who had been given less knowledge, but it seemed that Arthur had benefited the most.
“There’s no need. I have given you advanced knowledge from the warriors and mages. Even if you show me your abilities now, you won’t be able to improve much.”
“I see.”
Annie and the other two were dissatisfied upon hearing Watson’s response.
“Alright, let’s not talk about that for now. Since everyone’s strength has been raised, let’s go to the underground maze to test it out.” Watson looked outside and walked toward the door.
The courtyard was still in an uproar due to the shock generated by the druid’s secret magic he had just cast. He chose to flee the area before they discovered him.
The people behind him exchanged glances and nodded. They followed him out; their cheeks flushed with unrestrained excitement. However, just as they approached the door, it was abruptly shoved open. A white-robed woman hurried into the room. After a quick scan of the area, her attention fell on Watson.
“It looks like I came at the right time, Watson. I’m sorry, but you can’t go to the underground maze yet! After what happened in St. Antilles Cathedral, I didn’t have time to look for you. You destroyed my platinum-tier Sky Severing Blade. Shouldn’t you compensate me for that?”
It was the swordmistress, Christina.