Chapter 235: News of Two Spirits

"Ah, finally, I've arrived at the most prosperous capital of the Kingdom of Gillon!"

Half a month later.

Rhett, riding atop Firebird, arrived at the royal city.

Even before entering the city, from half a kilometer away, Rhett could already see several patrol squads of knights.

On the ground, well-trained and well-equipped knights in golden armor moved back and forth, while in the sky, sky knights—whose auras Rhett couldn't quite discern—rode flying beasts, patrolling the skies and protecting the airspace above the city.

Though the city walls appeared ancient, Rhett could sense the presence of alchemical runes reinforcing them. This was undoubtedly the work of a Saint-level alchemy master, and only a master of alchemical equipment could achieve such a feat. Beyond the walls, countless castles loomed in the distance, their towering spires seemingly piercing the heavens.

Rhett marveled at the grandeur of the royal city—it truly was the most flourishing place in the kingdom!

His Dark Eagle City still had a long way to go...

Not in a hurry to enter the city, Rhett commanded Firebird to stop at the edge of a wide, white stone-paved road and discreetly opened his system.

It had been six months since his last simulation. In that time, both small details and larger events had changed. After careful consideration, Rhett had decided not to expose the existence of the spirit in the simulation, as he believed the risks outweighed the potential benefits.

Additionally, he had already asked Black Star to gather information on the spirits.

Taking all factors into account, he needed to verify everything through a simulation.

[Do you want to initiate a text-based simulation? Each simulation of one year will consume 5 Fate Points.]

"Yes, simulate for one year."

[Year 478 of the Gillon Calendar, March 2nd: Since Dahar Town is close to the royal city, you made a stop there on your way. That evening, Hogus learned of your arrival through his informants and immediately sent someone to contact you. That night, you attended a banquet hosted by Hogus, attended by key figures of his faction, including Grand Magister Karina. You mentioned the budding relationship between Aura and Lawrence, which surprised Karina. However, upon hearing of Lawrence's astonishing talent, she tacitly approved of their situation. You then used your search for inspiration for your novel as a pretext to ask Hogus for any historical information about spirits being captured, as well as any future occurrences of spirits appearing or being captured. Hogus agreed to your request. Finally, you gravely informed him that you had received another mysterious note stating that the Circle Tower would be attacked by a powerful Blood God Cult leader. Hogus took the matter seriously and promised to report it.]

[March 3rd: You arrived at the royal palace. That evening, you were summoned by the King of Gillon, who sought to verify the authenticity of the information. You stated that you had only received the note and could not guarantee its accuracy. The King of Gillon, frowning, dismissed you.]

[March 4th: To avoid encountering Hypaster upon your return, you decided not to leave immediately and chose to stay in the city to cultivate.]

[April 11th: Mog broke through to Tier 1 as a magical beast.]

[April 23rd: You left the royal city.]

[April 29th: Whitebird broke through to Tier 1 as a magical beast.]

[May 23rd: A shocking piece of news spread across the nation—a Saint-level battle had erupted in the capital of the Kingdom of Rem. A blood-red figure launched a night-time assault on the Circle Tower, only to be repelled by five Saints, forcing them to flee in disgrace.]

[May 27th: Hypaster quietly arrived in your territory to visit you. His visit was to express his gratitude for your vital information, which saved the entire Circle Tower. Had the original plan proceeded, most of the high-level forces would have been out on missions, leaving the tower vulnerable to the Blood God Cult leader's attack. As a token of appreciation, Hypaster gifted you a Saint-level fire-element bloodline potion specifically for knights. Additionally, Hypaster left you a token—an Emerald Certificate, symbolizing your valuable friendship with the Circle Tower. With this token, you would enjoy numerous privileges at the Circle Tower and could use it to contact him.]

[May 30th: Hypaster stayed in your territory for a week before departing. During his stay, he provided meticulous guidance to your alchemical apprentices, greatly benefiting everyone. Felix successfully advanced to a full-fledged alchemist, and Hernan became an apprentice-level alchemy equipment specialist.]

[June 1st: Tark took the Saint-level bloodline potion, greatly enhancing his talent.]

[June 13th: News arrived from the palace that your information had earned you significant merit. With Hogus's efforts, you were awarded the title of marquis, justified by the generous rewards from the Kingdom of Rem and the strengthening of relations between the two nations.]

[June 18th: Firebird broke through to Tier 1 as a magical beast.]

[June 17th: The news of your impending elevation to marquis spread like wildfire across the kingdom. As more of your history became known, your fame skyrocketed, and more and more people came to seek your favor.]

[July 17th: You arrived at the royal city and attended the ceremony to elevate your rank, watched by many. Your domain expanded several times over, and you now governed the entire southwestern border. You became the first marquis in the history of the southwestern border!]

[August 15th: After returning to your territory, you announced that you would be going into seclusion and would not receive any visitors, causing the excitement from your elevation to gradually die down.]

[August 19th: An unexpected guest, Lilith—the former owner of the Rattlesnake Tavern in White Pumpkin City—came to visit you. She complained that you had tricked her. After you left, she had indeed gone to the eastern coast but found no trace of you. Now, she had come to Dark Eagle City, hoping to reopen her tavern. You gladly agreed and, feeling guilty, offered her some compensation, having Rileigh help her find a good location in the Transcendent Zone.]

[September 29th: Tark, with his excellent talent, advanced to a Tier 3 knight.]

[October 7th: Karina gave birth to a healthy baby. Congratulations were in order.]

[October 26th: A letter arrived in your hands. Upon opening it, you discovered it contained intelligence from Prince Hogus. The letter mentioned that in June of this year, a massive tsunami had occurred on the outskirts of the Storm Sea, triggered by an underwater volcanic eruption. During the Grand Duke of Blue Diamond's efforts to manage the disaster, he sensed unusual spatial fluctuations, suggesting the possible presence of a spirit.]

[Year 439 of the Gillon Calendar, January 17th: Vicky and Makoff's child was born.]

[February 28th: Black Star arrived at your territory in secret, informing you that toward the end of last year, there were reports of a dark-element spirit sighted near the Shadowy Mountains in the Greyland Kingdom, which was eventually captured by a mysterious woman.]

[March 1st: Lawrence broke through to Tier 3 as a knight.]

[Text simulation complete. Do you wish to continue simulating?]

"No."

As he made his choice, the screen gradually faded away.

After reviewing this simulation, Rhett's eyes gleamed with excitement! Overall, by choosing not to reveal the existence of the spirit in the simulation, he had avoided any significant disruptions. Moreover, it seemed that by establishing a preliminary relationship with Hypaster, the Saint-level mage, this time's visit not only yielded a Saint-level bloodline potion but also a highly significant Emerald Certificate—a double blessing.

Rhett recalled hearing that the Emerald Certificate was the highest level of token from the Circle Tower, extremely difficult to obtain. Possessing it granted outsiders considerable internal privileges. Its importance could not be overstated.

Beyond that, the news about the spirits, which Rhett cared about most, had also provided some leads—both Prince Hogus and Black Star had offered valuable information.

Both the Storm Sea and the Greyland Kingdom had reports of spirits—one being a confirmed dark-element spirit and the other likely connected to water, given its location near the sea.

"However... it could also be a non-elemental spirit," Rhett mused, stroking his chin in thought.

By now, he had gained some understanding of spirits. Since spirits were influenced by higher realms, the appearance of any unusual spirit was possible.

"But it seems neither of these spirits is suitable for me. Fortunately, Rileigh or Taylor might find them useful, so it's still a win!" A glint of satisfaction flashed in Rhett's eyes.

He wasn't too worried about his own growth or future, thanks to his special abilities. Instead, he was genuinely happy to see his children benefit from these opportunities.

After some contemplation, Rhett decided not to rush into the royal city. He needed to gather more information about the spirits.

Though the Eastern Coast was far away, there was still time to visit after concluding his business in the royal city.

So, Rhett decided to explore further through simulations to better prepare for capturing the spirit.

With that in mind, he opened the system again.

[Do you want to initiate a text-based simulation? Each simulation of one year will consume 5 Fate Points.]

[Year 478 of the Gillon Calendar, March 2nd: Since Dahar Town is close to the royal city, you made a stop there on your way. That evening, Hogus learned of your arrival through his informants and immediately sent someone to contact you.]

[March 4th: You left the royal city and hurried to the Eastern Coast, intending to investigate the intelligence on your own.]

[April 11th: Mog broke through to Tier 1 as a magical beast.]

[April 15th: After traveling at full speed, you finally arrived at the Eastern Coast.]

[April 29th: Whitebird broke through to Tier 1 as a magical beast.]

[May 5th: After nearly half a month, you rode Firebird eastward, crossed the azure sea, and arrived at the stormy region of the Storm Sea. You spread out your peak magister-level mental strength and noticed that the spatial fluctuations in this area were much more intense than elsewhere, likely due to the constant stormy weather. You decided to traverse the area, searching for any signs of the spirit.]

[May 11th: While searching at sea chart coordinates (73, 91), a silver-scaled flying fish suddenly attacked you from the sea. You used Rockfall to hit it, then controlled it with the Convergence Mysticism, finally finishing it off with a sharp Stone Spike.]

[May 14th: While searching at sea chart coordinates (49, 49), you came across two alchemical twin-mast ships engaged in battle. Upon closer inspection, you discovered that one was a merchant ship from the Dalton Trading Company, and the other was a pirate ship bearing a red moon emblem. You decisively intervened, clashing with a Tier 6 Earth Knight aboard the Red Moon pirate ship and defeating him with relative ease. The Dalton Trading Company's president was deeply grateful and, upon learning your identity, promised to reward you generously when they reached shore.]

[May 25th: While searching at sea chart coordinates (81, 23), you spotted the Red Moon pirates again. Three Tier 6 Earth Knights and one Tier 6 Magister launched a joint attack on you in retaliation. A week earlier, the Red Moon pirate ship had harbored a severely injured dark-element Tier 6 Magister, who had escaped and summoned reinforcements.]

[Amidst the thunder and lightning, you fought with all your might, engaging in a fierce battle with four opponents of the same rank. Though you emerged victorious, you were struck by a massive lightning bolt and severely injured. As you frantically absorbed earth elements to heal your wounds, three sea beasts, drawn by the commotion and the scent of blood, attacked you. Caught off guard, a black shadow darted from the ocean, piercing your chest. In a desperate move, you used the Mysticism of Dissipation to block a fatal blow. However, recognizing the creature as a Tier 7 sea beast, you soon found yourself overwhelmed. The endless ocean was its domain, and you eventually succumbed to exhaustion, drowning in the depths.]

"Sigh, as expected, the ocean is a dangerous place, especially the Storm Sea with its unique hazards."

After reading through this relatively short-lived simulation, Rhett frowned slightly.

He had anticipated the risks of venturing alone, which was why he had relied on simulations to mitigate them.

It didn't surprise Rhett that he couldn't defeat a Tier 7 sea beast in the ocean. Although he had some ability to fight above his rank, it depended on the opponent.

While magical beasts at lower and mid-tiers might lack intelligence compared to humans, that gap closed significantly at higher tiers.

And with their superior physicality, humans often found themselves at a disadvantage against magical beasts unless they had superior equipment or other means to enhance their combat power. Mysticism also provided a significant advantage in combat for those who had mastered it.

On land, Rhett believed he could stand his ground against an ordinary Tier 7 magical beast, but in the ocean, the margin for error was too small. A single mistake could be fatal.

Pondering for a moment, Rhett mused, "Coordinates (81, 23) on the sea chart, huh? I'll avoid that area on May 25th..."

He then opened the system again and continued simulating his exploration.

[Do you want to initiate a text-based simulation? Each simulation of one year will consume 5 Fate Points.]

"Yes, simulate for one year."

[May 26th: While searching at sea chart coordinates (10, 29), the Red Moon pirates appeared again. Three Tier 6 Earth Knights and one Tier 6 Magister launched a joint attack on you. Amidst the thunder and lightning, you fought with all your might, engaging in a fierce battle with four opponents of the same rank. Though you emerged victorious, you recalled your experience with the Sand Spirit and wisely collected all their bodies.]

[May 29th: While searching at sea chart coordinates (39, 03), you heard a deafening roar, and a blinding bolt of lightning split the sky, turning night into day. Stunned, you watched the scene before you, as if witnessing a divine ascension, miraculous and awe-inspiring. Suddenly, the air trembled violently, and you felt a dizzying wave of pressure. You suspected that the spirit was nearby, but no matter how hard you searched, you couldn't find it. Grasping the corpses, you pretended to faint, but within moments, the world returned to normal—you had missed your chance with the spirit.]

[Text simulation complete. Do you wish to continue simulating?]