Chapter 161: Earthquake Spell

"Moreover, the idea I had of taking care of the Darkstripes Eagle branch in advance to gain favor with the Alchemy Master in Ice City yielded an unexpected reward!"

Rhett's lips curled into a smile. "An Alchemy Master's insights into potion-making? Tsk, tsk, that's a valuable resource, one that can definitely enhance the foundation of a family."

After spending a few minutes reflecting on the content of the simulation, Rhett opened his eyes and stood up from the bed. He didn't immediately reveal the news of his breakthrough to the fifth-level Magister, but instead, he walked out of the room directly.

"Commander, is there a mission?" Rhiley asked, waking from his meditation as he noticed Rhett's movement.

The Snow Spirit had already awakened this year, but to avoid exposure while on missions, they found a suitable opportunity to let the Snow Spirit dissolve into snowflakes and drift in the sky.

This year's awakening of the Snow Spirit had also successfully advanced Rhiley to the mid-stage of a second-level Magician.

At this rate, Rhiley might be able to break through the bottleneck of the third-level Magician in a few more years.

"Not for now, but stay here and don't move around until I return. We have a patrol mission tonight!" Rhett's voice floated back as he opened the door and left the dormitory.

A thick fog had risen today.

As Rhett stepped out, he noticed several Wind Magisters using levitation magic, floating in the sky, manipulating wind elements to blow away the dense white fog gradually.

Although the noonday sun hung overhead, it wasn't scorching at all; instead, it added a touch of warmth to the early winter weather.

Rhett made his way to the central war fortress. After gaining permission, he smoothly entered the first-floor hall.

At that moment, not only was Ambiru present, but even Commander Avalon was there.

The two of them sat on opposite sides of a sand table, discussing the situation on the battlefield at the Gorge Defense Line in low voices.

As soon as Rhett entered, both of them stood up, staring at Rhett in surprise, sizing him up from head to toe.

After a moment, Avalon fixed his gaze on Rhett and spoke, "Rhett, have you… broken through to the fifth-level Magister?"

"Yes." Rhett admitted openly; he knew it would be impossible to hide such a breakthrough from the eyes of a Sky Knight.

Although Ambiru had known that Rhett had taken bloodline potions, witnessing it firsthand still left him full of amazement. "Rhett, you're undoubtedly the most dazzling Magician talent the Gorge Defense Line has seen in recent years!"

"Just luck," Rhett replied humbly.

"Haha, no need to be modest," Avalon approached and gave Rhett a firm pat on the shoulder. "I wish every soldier on the Gorge Defense Line could grow stronger! If that were the case, we'd have defeated those beastmen long ago, haha!"

He placed one hand on his waist and didn't dwell on Rhett's breakthrough. Instead, with a broad perspective, he quickly moved on from the topic and asked, "You didn't come here just to report this, did you? Or do you have new intel?"

Upon hearing this, Ambiru's expression grew more serious. Considering Rhett's track record of providing accurate information, there was a good chance he had something significant to share.

However, Rhett was about to disappoint them this time.

"I don't have any new information," he shook his head. "Commander, since you already know I've just broken through, I now need a fifth-level Earth magic spell—'Earthquake Spell.' I'm here to exchange my merits for it."

The two commanders nodded in understanding, realizing Rhett's request made sense.

Ambiru was about to handle the formalities when Avalon stopped him with a glance. He then turned back to Rhett with a smile and said, "Rhett, I've heard about your past. A veteran who's contributed to the battlefield for over a decade, experienced and capable. Even after sounding the alarm, you returned to the battlefield without hesitation. And since your return, you've made remarkable achievements. Therefore, I intend to personally gift you the fifth-level Earth magic book you need."

Rhett was visibly surprised, feeling both honored and shocked. "Commander Avalon, this is too valuable. I can't accept it. Besides, I have enough merits to exchange for it myself."

Avalon chuckled and shook his head. "It's just a spellbook, not some rare treasure. But if talents like you grow stronger, the impact on the beastmen will be profound. You saw how Somjet's breakthrough to Sky Knight changed the course of the battle, disrupting the beastmen's plans. I'm not giving you this gift for a favor; if you feel grateful, just kill more beastmen in the future."

Rhett fell silent for a moment, thinking, "Is this some kind of talent support strategy? Well, it makes sense."

He watched as Avalon ascended the stairs, returning shortly after with a book bound in earth-colored leather, which he handed to Rhett.

After a brief hesitation, Rhett decided to accept it. Avalon was right—everything was for the fight against the beastmen. Helping those with potential was essential for victory.

Rhett held the spellbook tightly in his hands.

Avalon nodded with satisfaction. "I hope to see you break through to Grand Magister one day!"

"I will!" Rhett responded confidently, thinking, "Not just Grand Magister—my goal is to reach the Saint Realm…"

At that moment, Ambiru interjected, "Rhett, since you've broken through to the fifth-level Magister, the position of squad leader might not be suitable for you. I think…"

"Don't rush, Commander Ambiru," Rhett interrupted. "In my opinion, the beastmen haven't yet learned of my breakthrough. Over the past few months, I've killed quite a few royal bloodline beastmen. Based on past experiences, the beastmen often target talented humans or those with significant merits. I suspect that once they find out, they'll send someone after me. So why not use this to our advantage? I can conceal my strength for now and continue leading my squad, using the opportunity to kill more royal beastmen."

"Hmm… That plan could work," Ambiru agreed after a brief pause. "But it could be refined further."

Rhett, eager for input, asked, "Commander, please elaborate."

"I'll assign a fifth-level Earth Magician to your squad, hidden among your men. The first time, you won't reveal your strength; the person I send will handle the situation. The second time, I'll request a few sixth-level experts to lie in wait, luring the beastmen into action and further depleting their forces. And for the third time, we'll have Somjet step in, testing the beastmen's next move, then adjust accordingly."

Rhett's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Indeed, as a seasoned vice commander, Ambiru's strategy was more refined. He agreed immediately, "Let's proceed with your plan, Commander!"

After finalizing the details, Rhett left the central war fortress with the fifth-level Earth magic book securely tucked away.

Returning to the dormitory, Rhett decided to keep the matter private for now. To quickly master the newly acquired spell, "Earthquake Spell," Rhett chose to accelerate the process through simulation.

With a thought, he activated the system.

"Activate real simulation? Each day simulated consumes 1 Destiny Point."

"Yes."

As the ripples in his vision expanded and dissipated, Rhett knew he had entered the simulation. He confidently took out the spellbook and headed to the training grounds, much to the astonishment of Tuck, Rhiley, and Maccaf.

The practice was grueling.

It took 60 Destiny Points and countless hours of continuous training before Rhett finally mastered the fifth-level "Earthquake Spell."

Having reached the fifth-level Magister, Rhett no longer needed to conserve Destiny Points as he did when he was at the peak of the fourth level.

He knew that advancing to the sixth-level Magister would require a massive amount of Destiny Points, something that wouldn't be possible anytime soon.

Rhett planned to use the sustainable hunting opportunities in the Darkstripes Eagle range to steadily accumulate Destiny Points and gradually increase his power.

That's why he insisted on breaking through to the fifth-level Magister during the Gorge Defense Line battle—to better control the Darkstripes Eagle range!

It wasn't just for his territory's development; it was also about having a stable place to harvest Destiny Points regularly.

Now, with only a few hours left in the simulation, Rhett decided to test the Earthquake Spell in the training grounds.

He began to channel his mental energy, drawing on the earth elements below with a unique frequency, oscillating between fast and slow, following a precise trajectory.

Suddenly, the ground in front of him seemed to warp slightly, and the earth began to tremble violently.

Rumble, rumble.

Rumble, rumble.

A fierce tremor shook the ground!

This was no ordinary earthquake.

While a regular earthquake might pose a threat to ordinary people, trained knights could easily avoid its dangers.

But this was different.

Rhett's Earthquake Spell not only shook the ground but also caused the entire area's earth elements to resonate in a complex pattern, creating gravitational and repulsive forces that twisted the very space around them.

Rhett had heard of such powerful spells in the past, referred to as a demonstration of the Earth Arcane Law known as "Gravity Space."

Although the Earthquake Spell was far from achieving the full effects of "Gravity Space," there were similarities in its principles.

During his visit to the central war fortress, Rhett had learned from Avalon that Somjet had not only broken through to Sky Knight but had also grasped the rudiments of the Wind Arcane Law—Speed.

With this in mind, Rhett closed his eyes and tried to sense the mysterious "Gravity Space" as he cast the Earthquake Spell.

But after more than ten minutes, there was no sign of insight.

Instead, the intense vibrations made the surrounding trainees uneasy, and they began to regard Rhett as a monstrous figure.

From a distance, Ambiru's voice boomed, "Rhett, we already have a plan! Why are you revealing your power now?"

The sound grew closer as Ambiru, ablaze with anger, rushed over, glaring at Rhett.

"Oops, my bad, Commander Ambiru. Let me just rewind time…" Rhett muttered with a smirk.

Before Ambiru could react, Rhett ended the simulation.

When the ripples faded, Rhett found himself back in the dormitory, still sitting on the bed.

Maintaining his posture, he sank back into meditation.

Half a month later.

In the evening.

On the assembly square, Rhett stood at the head of a hundred-man squad, waiting for the fifth-level Earth Magician that Ambiru had assigned.

Before long, an old man in a cloak appeared from the left side of the road, his face concealed by a mask. Rhett couldn't make out his features, only noticing his graying hair.

"Third-level Magician, Karrie, reporting as instructed by the Vice Commander to join the squad."

The old man saluted Rhett with military precision, speaking with utmost respect, as a subordinate would to a superior.

"Join the ranks," Rhett replied with feigned indifference.

Once Karrie had joined the team, Rhett gave the command, "All units, head to Sector 43!"

Thud, thud, thud.

The hundred-strong squad marched away with heavy steps.

As the sun set, they arrived at a barren, flat hill at the northernmost end of a mountain range.

Shortly after.

Dusk fell like a curtain, and a darker shadow deepened the twilight in the northwest—that was where a vast, deep valley lay.

Rhett raised his hands, signaling a change of direction toward Sector 45.

The team then shifted their course to the northwest.

After about half an hour, they reached the bottom of the valley, standing on the west bank of a pond covering several hundred square meters. To the right of the pond, in a quiet corner of a forest, stood a lone gray, withered tree. To the left, the east bank sloped upward, extending to the top of the valley—the quickest and flattest route out.

Other areas required more time to climb.

The barren, brown ground along the shore appeared scorched and lifeless, as if a fire had ravaged it, leaving no trace of greenery.

Rhett surveyed the surroundings, his gaze finally locking onto the water's surface, where he sensed ten Blood Moon Werewolves and over forty Minotaurs, Boarmen, and Nightcats lurking below.

He coughed twice and tapped his foot on the ground.

This seemingly ordinary action was a prearranged signal.

Karrie, in the squad, reacted subtly, stepping forward and pulling out his staff.