Chapter 33

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The grand hall of Extreme Night City's castle shimmered with golden chandeliers, and the air was filled with the fragrance of exotic wines and roasted meats. The nobles laughed and mingled, while scantily clad women circled the powerful men like moths drawn to a flame.

Leylin, dressed in an elegant black coat with silver embroidery, stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression cold and indifferent. The so-called "grand banquet" hosted by Viscount Jackson was nothing but a shallow gathering of weaklings and opportunists.

The noblewomen, hoping to catch his attention, giggled and whispered as they passed by him, but Leylin barely spared them a glance. He was here for one purpose only: to evaluate the strength of the acolytes Murphy had promised to introduce.

Yet, as the night wore on, disappointment settled deep within him.

These so-called wandering acolytes were nothing more than weaklings who lacked proper magical education. Some even had their own magical fluctuations chaotic, their control over spiritual force laughable. Compared to Leylin, who had studied under a proper Magus tutelage and possessed the great innate talent, they were insects beneath his feet.

The only advantage they held was their combat experience, gained from battling rogue creatures and each other in the wilderness. But without solid magical foundations, they were nothing but cannon fodder in the eyes of Magi.

Even Viscount Jackson, the supposed "star of the city," was nothing more than a Grand Knight. Impressive by mortal standards, but to Leylin, who already had Saeed, a Grand Knight slave bound by a contract, After his breakthrough to Level 3 Acolyte, Jackson would be no different from a dog that barked loudly but couldn't bite.

Yet, Leylin maintained his polite smile and noble demeanor. His charm and elegance captivated the crowd, and even the women he ignored couldn't help but be drawn to him.

The bloodline of the Misty Spirit Fox, which Leylin had integrated into his body, enhanced his physical beauty and natural charisma. It was a blessing for manipulation but, at times like this, felt more like a curse.

"Lord Leylin, would you care for another glass of wine?" A young lady, her cheeks flushed with excitement, approached him.

"No, thank you," Leylin replied curtly and turned away.

He despised wasting time on such trivial social games. His mind was focused on higher pursuits — the path of a true Magus, where strength ruled and knowledge reigned supreme.

Despite the disappointment, the banquet wasn't entirely fruitless.

Through Murphy's connections, Leylin managed to purchase several blood samples from other acolytes. One particularly sickly-looking acolyte even promised to procure him the blood of a beast with the strength equivalent to a Level 3 acolyte.

Such blood was invaluable for Leylin's research into magical artifact creation and bloodline enhancement.

Moreover, Leylin had successfully commissioned a mission through Murphy, who had connection with the Demisure family's market — a well-known small gathering for black market dealings in nearby areas.

He offered a handsome reward for acolytes willing to risk their lives to hunt powerful beasts and collect their blood.

Why dirty his own hands when he could simply manipulate others to do the work for him?

After enduring the dull banquet, Leylin returned to his private courtyard within his villa.

....

Under the pale light of dawn, Leylin stood in the courtyard, dressed in black combat robes. In his hand was a nine-inch silver dagger — a one-time magical artifact he had personally crafted through rune inscription. (Image)

Facing him was Saeed, his strongest combatant and loyal Grand Knight slave.

"Let's begin," Leylin said calmly.

Saeed nodded and raised his massive sword. Despite being bound by the slave contract, Saeed held no resentment. He was a weapon forged by blood and steel, and now, his life and will belonged to Leylin.

Leylin lunged forward, his dagger slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Saeed responded with a swift parry, deflecting the dagger's edge with practiced ease.

The clash of metal against metal echoed through the courtyard as the two exchanged blows.

Leylin's movements were swift and precise, enhanced by his top-tier Knight physique. However, the gap between a Knight and a Grand Knight was vast.

Aside from magical progress, Leylin's physical strength had also advanced significantly.

Through continuous knight training and absorbing the vitality from through Saeed's blood, Leylin had officially reached the top Knight level — only a single step away from breaking through to Grand Knight.

However, that final step was like a chasm that separated ordinary Knights from true monsters on the battlefield.

Without powerful resources or Grand Knight meditation techniques, most Knights could never reach that level in their lifetime.

But for Leylin, it was only a matter of time before he shattered that barrier and ascended to Grand Knight — a feat that would make him nearly invincible among mortals.

Saeed's strength overwhelmed Leylin. Every strike from his massive sword sent shockwaves through Leylin's arms, and after dozens of exchanges, Leylin's hands began to ache.

But Leylin didn't falter.

He smiled coldly. "Defend now, Great Knight. If you don't act fast, you'll lose your limb at best and your life at worst."

With a flick of his wrist, Leylin activated the rune inscribed on the silver dagger.

Buzz!

The dagger trembled and emitted a faint blue light. Its edge became sharper, and the speed of Leylin's attacks increased severalfold.

In the dimly lit courtyard, the air grew heavy as Leylin activated the runes embedded in the silver dagger. The faint blue glow that once flickered along the blade's edge intensified, pulsing with terrifying magical energy.

Before Saeed could react, Leylin moved.

In a blur of motion, Leylin's enhanced speed allowed him to close the distance between them. Saeed instinctively raised his massive sword to block the incoming strike, but the moment the dagger's edge met the steel, an eerie screech echoed through the air.

Clang!

The enchanted dagger effortlessly sliced through the thick metal of the sword as if it were mere paper. Saeed's eyes widened in horror, but before he could retreat, the blade continued its path, severing his arm just above the elbow.

Thud!

The severed arm fell to the ground, blood pooling around it. Saeed let out a guttural cry of pain, his remaining hand clutching the bleeding stump.

Leylin, however, remained calm.

He barely glanced at the agonized Grand Knight, his attention solely on the dagger in his hand. The runes etched onto the blade flickered weakly before dimming entirely. Cracks spread across the dagger's surface until it crumbled into dust between Leylin's fingers.

"Hmm… as expected, one-time-use artifact," Leylin muttered to himself.

The destructive power the dagger unleashed was equivalent to a full-fledged spell from a Level 3 Acolyte. By Leylin's estimation, the damage output was above 6 degrees, enough to kill even a Grand Knight if struck in a vital spot.

Leylin's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

This was the result of countless hours of research and experimentation with the Lowian Teaching and rune crafting. He had successfully created a disposable artifact that could rival magic spells far beyond his current acolyte level.

Through relentless study and experimentation, he had successfully crafted nine one-time magical artifacts. Each one contained runes that could temporarily enhance the weapon's strength or inflict special effects on the target.

This was only the beginning.

Leylin's true goal was to fully decipher the Lowian Teaching, an ancient text on magical artifact creation. Once he mastered it, he could forge permanent magical weapons, enhancing his strength far beyond the limits of ordinary acolytes.

Meanwhile, Saeed remained on his knees, trembling and pale from blood loss.

"My… my lord…" Saeed's voice was weak as he struggled to endure the agony.

Leylin turned his cold gaze toward him, showing neither pity nor sympathy. Saeed was nothing more than a tool — one that Leylin had spent considerable resources strengthening. Allowing him to become crippled would be a waste of investment.

With a slow clap of his hands, Leylin summoned the butler.

"Take him to the healer. Stop the bleeding and preserve the severed arm. Once he stabilizes, I will reconnect it," Leylin ordered indifferently.

The butler bowed respectfully and immediately signaled two servants to lift the wounded Grand Knight.

"As you command, Young Master."

As the servants dragged the bloodied Saeed away, Leylin remained deep in thought.

Restoring a severed limb was not an impossible task for Leylin. With his understanding of magical runes and bloodline enhancement, human anatomy combined with certain alchemical potions, he could easily reattach the arm and restore Saeed's combat abilities.

In fact, this incident presented Leylin with a unique opportunity.

'If I integrate some mutated beast blood during the reattachment process or even change his biological arm to an alchemy hand, I might be able to enhance Saeed's physical strength and reaction speed. Perhaps one day… I can even push him beyond the limits of a normal Grand Knight,' Leylin mused with a sinister smile.

Leylin's approach to experimentation was ruthless. He cared little for Saeed's suffering. To him, the Grand Knight was nothing more than a living test subject for his research.

After all, a slave bound by a contract could neither resist nor betray him.

Leylin turned his gaze toward the shattered remains of the magical dagger on the ground.

"With enough resources and refinement, I can create stronger, more durable artifacts. Perhaps… ones that can rival true Magus-level spells one day." he whispered to himself.

The path of magic was one of blood and sacrifice.