Chapter 110: Progression and Rank Up!

Chapter 110: Progression and Rank Up!

A few minutes later, Emanuel brought a girl with curly blonde hair and a red-haired boy in a servant's cloth.

When Rebecca and Ronald saw Raven, they bowed and greeted him.

"Greetings, My Lord."

"Emanuel, close the door and wait outside," Raven ordered.

"Yes, My Lord." Emanuel hurriedly nodded and left the room while closing it tightly.

Meanwhile, Raven stood before the group of eight people and looked at them individually.

"From now on, what you will learn will be kept strictly secret. You cannot even tell your friends or even parents. Anyone has objection?" He asked in a cold tone. 

"No, My Lord! We'll keep our lips sealed!" Edgar said as others nodded in unison.

Raven nodded and turned his attention towards Rebecca and Ronald, who had been showing confused looks.

"You two will be signing a contract later, too. And your monthly salary will be increased to 3 gold coins like the graduates." Saying so, he clapped his hands together to gather everyone's attention and added.

"And I'll be turning you guys into Wizards."

All of them looked shocked. After all, becoming a Wizard was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for even the Knight Families and low-rank nobles.

"For the next three months, your job is to meditate using the 'Mystic Spirit Convergence' technique and increase your spirit power." As he spoke, he took out eight books and gave them each.

"If you are slacking off in training, I'll not hesitate to kick you all out. Understand?" He asked.

"Yes, My Lord!" All nodded stiffly.

"Good. If you have any doubts, come to my room on the third floor and ask me immediately. I'll let Emanuel know this." Saying so, he turned around and left, leaving the eight young kids in shock.

When Raven walked out of the room, he met with Emanuel again.

"If anyone from the room asks for me, bring them to my room. Also, Rebecca and Ronald will be training from now on. Give them a separate room on the second floor and proper food."

"A-Are they going to become Walkers, My Lord?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Yes. Do you also want to?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"N-No, My Lord. I'm nothing more than a mere servant." He instantly bowed his head and shook his head.

'Hmm, I hope he stays loyal.' But Raven didn't plan on giving him any techniques or his secrets for now.

'I still can't find out what he did when he left Giaris and learned swordsmanship.' He let out a deep sigh and spoke.

"Tell Marcellus, Leone, Felicity, and Reece to come and meet me in the study." Saying so, he walked towards the left side corridor, past the split staircase, and moved to the study.

As he entered his study, he sat at his desk and soon saw a newspaper placed on it.

'Weekly news, huh?'

Raven took the newspaper and looked at the first page before started reading.

"Legacy News!!!....

"Emperor agrees to the reformation of the Imperial Law Book under the request of Chief Judge Jamison! Will it be the turning point for the Royal Family? Chief Judge said that seventy-eight old laws are against Democracy and must be removed completely. He also stated that it may reduce the Royal's and Noble's authority, but it will benefit the masses… Surprisingly, Wizard Union made an official complaint and opposed this decision…"

"Further delay in Duke Solman's visit to the Zenith Empire due to security reasons! Did the Rebel Prince's warning make them scared? The Royal Family said they would inform the public after they talked with Vega Empire but assured everyone that there would be no change in the Sword Princess's engagement. However, a member of the Starkey Household told a member of our news that their family plans to cancel the engagement…"

"Graduates of Knight Academies are gathering at the capital for Crows Misery's entrance exam…"

"New Age of Walkers to start! Exam to select the next generation's 'Seven Serpents' and 'Five Sages' will be held in 1421!..."

"A new inferior version of the 'Mind of Insight' potion is making a storm in the capital! But the creator of this potion remains secret!..."

"Rise of the Wizard Union! After the death of Prime Minister Gavin, the Wizard Union announced their full support to let Judith become the next President of the Crows Misery! Six among the twelve Ancient Noble Families also supported her decision…"

"The appearance of Giants strikes fear in the Southern Wild Fortress! The Southern Army's first division has sent a reinforcement of 15,000 soldiers to the Southern Wild Fortress for emergency purposes. Mercenaries from different parts of the Empire are storming towards the Fortress… Scouts of the Southern Army have spotted the appearance of a large settlement. Vice Commander Eddie told the press that there might be a possibility of a large settlement appearing deep in the woods…"

"Threat of looming War! Viser Kingdom made its first move in the name of the resistance and gathered 300,000 soldiers near the border of Western Fortress…." 

Raven heard a knocking sound from outside as he looked at the news.

"Come in!" He closed the newspaper and ordered them to enter.

Soon, Marcellus, Leona, Reece, and Felicity entered the study and stood before the desk.

"You called us, My Lord?" Marcellus asked.

Raven nodded his head and spoke.

"I gave complete Mystic Spirit Convergence books to all the students. From now on, you can also use the complete spirit technique and focus on reaching the peak stage." As he spoke, he took a 'Mystic Spirit Convergence' book and tossed it to him.

"But you said you will only give the complete technique at the end of the contract period, My Lord. Why now?" Marcellus asked in confusion.

A chuckle came out of Raven's mouth.

"Do you know the worth of the potions Jacob and others are selling at the capital?"

Marcellus and others shook their heads.

"A single potion vial sells for 12,000 gold coins. I gave them 80 potions, so Jacob and others will be returning with 960,000 gold coins. It's almost 1M gold coins."

His words made Marcellus and others freeze in shock.

"Before, he returned with more than 300,000 gold coins and even worried about the dangers. If he wanted to betray me, he had countless chances to run away with all the money and settle in a foreign country. The same goes for the rest of you guys, too." He paused for a moment to look at everyone's face and continued.

"That's why I plan to give you guys a good Knight Technique based on your specialty. Train harder with the techniques and teach the kids everything you have." Raven said as he summoned six more books and gave them.

"Once Jacob and Quincy return from the mission, tell them I gave them these techniques as a gift for their loyalty. Also, tell Selene to come and look for me."

"Y-Yes, My Lord!" Marcellus took a moment before he snapped out of the shock and bowed his head.

"We will do our best to serve you, My Lord."

"You guys may leave now." Raven waved his hand and sent them away.

Then, he focused his attention on the newspaper.

'Two large-scale battles might happen sooner. One against monsters and the other one against the Viser Kingdom.' If even a single side faced a loss, the Royal Family would interfere and ask the nearby Nobles to send reinforcement.

'I heard that the twelve ancient families always send the low-rank nobles to participate in the battles and only reap the benefits.' Although the territory of Count Spade was on the eastern side and remained a safe zone, Raven felt even Count Spade might get dragged into the battle if the situation in the Southern Wild Fortress became serious.

'The same goes for the Western Fortress.' Raven felt a sense of urgency as he looked at the newspaper.

Then, he also checked the news concerning his sister's engagement and felt relieved upon seeing the other side backing away.

'I wanted to attend the graduation ceremony this year and search for talents among those kids. But it seems I have to give up now.' A look of disappointment appeared on his face.

Raven didn't need genius or prodigy-level talents right now. What he needed most was the Elite Squad members' help to take his first step.

'I'll visit next year and try out my luck.'

After that, Raven focused his full attention on only two things. First was the alchemy. For the next three months, he concocted more than 550 'Mind of Insight' potions and used 300 on himself to improve his comprehension. Then, he let Jacob sell the rest to different shops in the capital, earning around 3M gold coins. Thanks to Judith depositing money for the affinity potions in the Royal bank, he also earned around 300,000 to 400,000 gold coins per month.

Even after subtracting the cost of potion materials, Raven had 3.5M gold coins!

What was more amazing was that the succession rate of the beginner-rank potions rose to 75%!

The second thing he most focused on was comprehending the spell models. In the first five days, he completely comprehended the 'Mind Eye' spell and managed to use that spell passively for 5 minutes!

Then, he chose the 'Cold Breath' spell model as his next target and comprehended it in a single day!

After that, he took one 'Darkness' affinity potion from the gift he received and increased his affinity to the 'Intermediate' level.

After that, it only took him 15 days to comprehend the Shadow Shift spell!

In less than three weeks, Raven managed to comprehend three spell models.

'I could lessen the time by half if I have intermediate affinity potions for all elements.' Unfortunately, he still wasn't proficient enough to concoct an intermediate affinity potion.

After that, he chose Iron Resilience and Poison Touch spells and started comprehending.

March 28th, Year 1421, Rune Era.

Raven sat up in his bedroom and looked at his status.

'Haa, I finally comprehended five spell models out of eleven.' Considering his 'Low' affinities in many elements, it was a miraculous achievement!

'My alchemic potion and the 'Mind Eye' spell made everything possible.' He stood up from the bed and went downstairs.

During the past three months, the Sepoy Mercenaries have guided all the children with everything they knew and have focused on improving their strength.

On the other hand, a few incidents occurred in the Empire that caught his attention.

One was a temporary truce that occurred at the Western Fortress, thanks to the intervention of the Wizard Alliance.

Second, the Sword Princess's engagement was officially canceled.

The final news was the discovery of another new Giant Settlement deep in the deepest part of the Southern woodlands. The Army scouts reported that this Giant Settlement would be as large as a County, with countless orcs, goblins, cyclops, and other low-rank monsters under control. Due to that, the Southern Wild Fortress was completely occupied by the Southern Imperial Army and mercenaries.

'I must improve my strength.' Raven said as he walked out of his room. 

As soon as Raven walked down the split staircase, Emanuel ran towards him with hurried footsteps and bowed his head in greeting.

"Tell Edgar's group to come and meet me in the guest room." Saying so, he turned towards the left side corridor and went to the guest room.

Within a few minutes, eight kids around his age gathered inside the guest room.

Raven adjusted his monocle and looked at everyone's status.

Other than a change in their spirit power, no noticeable change appeared in their attributes.

'Hmm, their spirit power rose to 2.5 to 3.5 points.' Raven nodded inwardly and looked at Edgar.

Then, he took out a book with a red cover and gave it to him.

"This spell is called 'Flame Body,' which allows you to turn yourself into flame for around 30 seconds. During this time, your fire resistance will be increased to 70%. Try to construct it in your mind space. Once you finish constructing the spell model, meet me in the study."

Saying so, he turned his attention towards the next person. It was the slightly obese boy with blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Memphis… You should focus on your body, too." Saying so, he took a spell book and gave it to him.

"This is a wind spell called 'Feather Steps.' Construct it in your mind space and come and see me." Raven then turned his attention towards a boy with short auburn hair and brown eyes.

"Jeffery. This 'Blink' spellbook is for you."

Then, he turned his attention towards a long black-haired boy with thick eyebrows and pale skin.

"Next is Jamie… Hmm, this 'Spark Step' is for you. It's a spell that allows you to move 20 meters in a flash of lightning. But be careful when using this spell. A single misstep might cost your life."

"Thank you, My Lord!" Jamie said with a bow.

Raven nodded at him and turned his attention toward a boy with a round face, short black hair, and deep blue eyes.

"Miley… Construct this 'Ice Spear' spell and come and meet me."

"Yes, My Lord," Miley said as he grabbed the spellbook with both hands and bowed deeply.

Then, Raven turned his gaze towards Drake, the boy with red hair and amber eyes, and gave him a spell book.

"Light's Embrace- A unique spell capable of curing dark magic and necromancy curses and even helping people recover from normal diseases. Okay, you guys return to the allocated rooms and focus on constructing the spell models."

Saying so, he turned his attention towards Rebecca and Ronald.

"Unlike others, you two still don't know much about basics. Especially, Ronald. For the next few months, I'll personally teach you about the basics of Wizardry and help you construct spell models. Got it?" Raven asked.

"Yes, My Lord." Both bowed their head in unison and nodded.

After that, the Holmes Household moved to a short period of seclusion.

During the next few months, Raven's progression in comprehension and alchemy skyrocketed.

By the end of 1421, Raven managed to comprehend all the spell models and reached a bottleneck.

At the same time, news of 'Insight' potions with similar effects to 'Mind of Insight' started to appear in the market, reducing the potion's market price to a mere 3000 gold coins!

Still, Raven managed to earn more than 11M gold coins from the 'Mind of Insight' potion alone.

Along with the amount he gets from Judith monthly, he had around 13M gold coins!

What made him happier was his progression in the Alchemy.

At that moment, his progression rate had reached 100%!

He also concocted an Adept Rank potion called 'Life of Nectar' with a succession rate of 5% and increased his life affinity to intermediate rank!

Raven sat in his bedroom and looked at the black vial in his hand.

It was the potion used mainly by Wizards of Runeth's world to break the first soul shackle.

'Dawn Shackle potion, huh.' As he looked at the dawn sky, he opened the potion vial and gulped it in one go.

A second later, a tearing pain appeared out of nowhere and assaulted all over his body. At the same time, Raven felt the whole mind shake fiercely, causing him dizziness.

Simultaneously, he felt his alternative self was taking control of his body and panicked. What shocked him most was that his skin became dark red, and his hands and nails became longer and sharper.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect you would make such a reckless move and try to break through without any preparations." A creepy voice came out of his mouth, slowly causing his consciousness to fade.

As he was about to be devoured by his madness, a mysterious power appeared from the deepest part of his soul and suddenly enchanted the potion's effect.

It also guided the spirit power released from the potion toward the weakest part of the shackle and made a final push.

The shackle that bound his body and soul from improving further suddenly shattered like a mirror.

"N-NOOOO!" A desperate cry resounded from Casper as Raven slowly regained his consciousness.

Soon, his alter self was pulled back by the golden chains that Runeth had made to seal his split personality.

Meanwhile, Raven endured the pain for over an hour, finally noticing the dizziness and pain disappearing.

"I-Is it over?" He asked stiffly and opened the system interface.

A bunch of notifications appeared before his eyes in a blink, causing him to be surprised.

…

[Unknown changes are happening in the Host's body due to the consumption of Dawn Shackle Potion!]

[A sudden increase in the surge of an unknown power causes the Host's body and soul to undergo a breakthrough!]

[Congratulations! The Host has finally succeeded in a breakthrough and become a Radiant Warlock!]

[Strength has been increased by 1.2 points!]

[Agility has been increased by 1.0 points!]

[Vitality has been increased by 1.1 points!]

[Spirit power has been increased by 2.01 points!] 

[Inventory slot no.2 has been unlocked!]

[The space inside the inventory has been expanded to 20 cubic meters!]

[Memory Library's second floor will be available to host from now on!]

…

[Name: Raven Sillalus Jorvot,

Age: 16

Nationality: Zenith Empire

Title: 66th Prince of Zenith Empire, Rebel Prince.

Level: 11

Class: Radiant Warlock (0th Circle)

Life Pathway: Adept Alchemist

Health: Normal

Lifespan: 300+ years

Attributes:

Strength: 11.1

Agility: 10.9

Vitality: 11.0

Luck: 0

Spirit: 22.00

Bloodline Spells:

Rank-1:

Iron Resilience, Poison Touch (Poison Immunity), Fortuitous Finder, Blood Control, Face Morph, Mind Eye, Cold Breath, Past Self, Eye of Destruction, Shadow Shift, Memory Seal.

Rank-2:

None

Additional Skills: Intermediate Spearmanship (1%), Ruler's Dominance (Beginner).

Affinities:

Life: Intermediate, Blood: Low, Poison: Low, Lightning: Low, Darkness: Intermediate, Time: Low, Ice: Genius, Spear: Low, Luck: Low.]

…