Chapter 385: Treasures Move the Heart

"No, this time I'm looking for you because there's good news." Hearing Murphy's words, Yaheng scratched his head and quickly explained.

"Good news from you?" Murphy looked at Yaheng with extreme skepticism. This guy, nine times out of ten, would bring trouble, and the tenth time would be him seeing himself tortured into unconsciousness, barely hanging onto a breath.

"Of course there is." The boy with the back axe patted his chest, his face showing excitement, "This is it."

"Let's hear it, what's the good news?" Murphy's expression remained unchanged as he began to clean up the slag produced from a failed potion-making attempt.

"You know the newly appointed Grand Duke Muria of our kingdom, right?"

"I know."

"He has ordered a competition called the Golden Dragon Cup. Anyone under the age of thirty can register without any other restrictions."

Yaheng excitedly described the information he saw on the announcement posted by the city lord, speaking out the message about dividing all competitors into five different age groups for the competition,

"Just by obtaining the right to participate, you can get a reward of one hundred gold coins."

"Hmm!" Murphy was unimpressed, as he could make more than that amount just by casually concocting a potion.

"Don't think it's too little, this is just the beginning." Yaheng chuckled, "Next, as long as you win each match, the prize money will double. Winners can choose either gold coins or equivalent value in weapons, armor, potions, metals, and the like. All these are said to be rare items provided by the royal family."

"Potions?" Interest flickered across Murphy's face, but then he shook his head. He was well aware of his own strength. He loved crafting potions but disliked combat. To date, he had little real combat experience.

"Yaheng, you know, although I possess the strength of a Silver Tier, I'm not good at fighting. Any adventurer you pull off the street has killed more monsters than I have."

"The monsters you've killed testing potions, I couldn't even match up to ten of you combined," Yaheng muttered.

"Enough talk, this competition is good, but it doesn't relate much to me, so I won't participate."

"I've told you it's a competition all geniuses can join, and naturally, you can too. You excel in alchemy, making potions, so you could participate in the competition among potion makers, and if you win, you'll still get a substantial reward."

"A competition among potion makers?"

"Yes, your rewards, those of you who are different from us fighters, are much better than ours. Just by obtaining the right to participate, you get a reward of one thousand gold coins, and the prize money doubles with every victory you achieve.

If you choose treasures instead of gold coins, you can pick from royal treasures such as various potion formulas, finished potions, and some rare alchemical materials. You can pick anything you like."

Speaking, envy appeared on Yaheng's face, "I also saw something called Dragon's Blood in the winner's reward list of your potion makers' competition, geez, Grand Duke Muria really is generous."

"Since the Grand Duke is a dragon, having Dragon's Blood is nothing for him." Murphy, his face showing a flicker of temptation, asked somewhat unsettled, "How do I qualify to participate?"

"For me, just by defeating ten people in my age group consecutively in the arena, I can qualify. As for you, just concoct a Silver-level potion."

"How do I register?" Hearing such a "simple" registration requirement, Murphy asked eagerly.

"Hehe, don't rush, you should prepare first. There are still more than ten days left to register, and the competition will be even later."

...

The news that Muria was hosting a competition had already spread throughout the entire kingdom in just one day through the Kingdom of Rockman's efficient teleportation array, drawing more and more attention to it.

At this time, almost everyone in the kingdom was discussing this matter, from the nobility to the commoners, making this yet-to-start competition incredibly popular and a hot topic.

The details about the competition format, location, and advancement methods were ordinary, but what really made this competition so popular was Muria simultaneously announcing the list of winners' rewards.

Weapons, armor, high-level combat techniques, spell models, secret breathing techniques, meditation methods, alchemy potion recipes, and more could all be found in the list. Even geniuses with fortunate encounters would be tempted by these rewards.

And to obtain these, one had to participate in the competition, keep winning, and the more victories achieved, the richer the rewards. The strong would obtain everything they desired in this competition.

"I have prepared such generous rewards, you troublemakers will absolutely not be able to resist." Muria, getting feedback from all around through secret mechanisms, revealed a smile

 that suggested everything was under his control, "Geniuses, obediently register all your information and participate in the competition! Then swallow the bait I have prepared for you."

But just two days later, as Muria was busy preparing for the genius competition and about to begin registration, he received an expected message.

The former king of the Kingdom of Rockman, Beladion, while traveling with his daughter, had quietly passed away the night before after telling Remilia a quiet story and soothing the little princess to sleep.

Caught up in a whirlwind of activity, Muria was stunned for a while when he received this message, then could no longer focus on his duties. After handing over the affairs to Mia, he took a team of storm giants to receive Beladion's body.

"Farewell then!" Riding in a carriage pulled by eight celestial warhorses, Muria's expression was somber. For the first time since birth, he experienced the sorrow, regret, and a sense of emptiness that comes with a friend's death.

He remembered that right after his own inauguration ceremony had ended, Beladion, eager to get on the road, had disguised himself as a wealthy merchant and started traveling around the country with his daughter.

Muria knew then that his time was short. Beladion's soul had been so riddled with curses that it was perforated beyond repair, and his death was a shattering of the soul, a fate worse than that of ordinary mortals.

"Life is so fragile." Muria recalled the time when he had just been summoned to the Kingdom of Rockman. Back then, Beladion, in order to help him take control of the kingdom more quickly, had tirelessly taught him day and night.

"Rest easy, I will clear all dangers from the Kingdom of Rockman and then return the kingship to Remilia, allowing her to become a worthy ruler."

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