Raelis wiped the blood from his face and kicked aside the corpse of a Grade 10 Fire Rat.
Yet when he turned around, tens, if not hundreds, of Grade 10 Mana Beast corpses came into view.
And of course, he was responsible for each one of those kills.
I didn’t get hit this time. Didn’t even need to use any mana, he mused, stashing his worn Sabertooth Daggers.
They were pretty worn out by now, which meant he had to get some new ones.
And thankfully, tonight was the perfect time to do so.
After all, over the past month, he had undergone considerable changes.
Be it his physique or his control over the Flame, everything was displayed in the status interface.
—Flame Core: 1 Flame Ring
Flame: ??? Primordial Flame (★☆ — Mastery: 2% → 39%)
—Bloodline: Cinder Phoenix
Purity: 10% → 12% (Ember)
Next Rank: 20% (Kindle)
Magic Control: 21 → 32
Basic Fire Manipulation (★☆ — Mastery: 3% → 48%)
Intermediate Heat Control (★☆ — Mastery: 1% → 21%)
(NEW) Intermediate Fireball (★☆ — Mastery: 19%)
(NEW) Advanced Stealth Technique (★★☆ — Mastery: 3%)
(NEW) Intermediate Dagger Combat (★☆ — Mastery: 55%)
He realized that his attribute growth was influenced by his bloodline purity. The higher it was, the faster and further his attributes could soar.
In this case, since his bloodline purity only went up by 2%, his stats were not the best.
Still, he was satisfied.
The stealth and dagger techniques are coming along nicely too.
He no longer needed to exhale all the air from his lungs just to stay silent. Now, even without focusing, his footsteps made no sound. His heartbeat was faint. And his killing technique was much, much better than when he had first arrived here.
With that, he was confident he could take on a Grade 9 Mana Beast.
Maybe even a Grade 8 Mana Beast was possible if he were to assassinate it.
I definitely improved, so now’s the perfect time to go out.
He approached Lizbeth, who had been lying against a tree, and sat down beside her. f|ree(w)ebn\o.vel.com
"Hey, which way is Aurexis?" he asked.
She sighed and glanced over. "The capital? Planning to run off?"
"Am I a prisoner?" Raelis tilted his head. "Because if not, I’d appreciate a little direction. I’ll be back before sunrise."
Lizbeth stared at him for a few moments, then stood up and dusted herself off.
"As it so happens... I was about to head there anyway," she said casually. "I need to sell all the Mana Cores we’ve collected this month. There’s a good shop in the imperial capital. Might need an extra pair of hands to carry the containers."
Raelis chuckled. "Of course. I’ll help."
She smirked and turned to leave, but he stopped her.
"You know... I’ve been wondering. Why exactly are you helping me? I doubt it’s just curiosity."
Lizbeth turned her head slightly and shrugged.
"Does it matter? Even if I said no, you’d go anyway," she replied with a light giggle. "And besides, you already know where Aurexis is. You just wanted to test me."
He didn’t affirm or deny her words. After all, they were the truth.
Raelis had figured out where the imperial capital, Aurexis, was within just three days of arriving. It would take him around an hour to get there if he ran at full speed.
But Lizbeth’s someone I can’t read... Raelis pondered. She’s very strong, but she’s also caring. Whether she’s wearing a mask or not is something I can’t tell just yet.
He moved to the pile of containers nearby.
Each one held Mana Cores sorted by grade. Without wasting time, he packed them into a large potato sack and slung it over his back.
He turned to Lizbeth, who had done the same.
Then, without even waiting for him, she dashed away. She wasn’t moving at full speed, so Raelis was just barely able to catch up.
And with that, they were on their way to the imperial capital, Aurexis.
They arrived just under an hour later, stopping not too far away from the gates of Aurexis.
That was when Lizbeth turned to him and handed over a ring.
"This is a disguise ring. It’ll alter your appearance so people can’t recognize you," she explained with a smile. "Or do you want to flaunt your good looks around?"
"Not at all... thanks." Raelis accepted the ring and put it on.
His white hair faded to a plain brown, as did his eyes.
"Good. Now let me do the talking," Lizbeth added. "You just stand there and act like my kid or something."
Then together, they approached the checkpoint.
As she had said a moment ago, she did the talking, and after a not-so-thorough exchange, the watch guard let both of them through.
They passed by a crowded area, and soon, the imperial capital came into sight.
The stone roads stretched in straight lines, dividing the city into clean, organized blocks. The buildings were sturdy and practical, mostly two or three stories tall, made of dark brick and metal frames.
The streets were busy. Merchants pushed carts filled with supplies. Workers hauled crates, loaded wagons, and the guards patrolled in groups, keeping a steady pace.
Most people wore plain clothes, but Raelis could see the occasional better-dressed citizens who were clearly from wealthier families.
Raelis kept his head down and followed Lizbeth deeper into the city.
I was here a month ago... Not much has changed.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a particular shop. The building looked run-down, with cracks along the walls and a faded sign above the door.
"Hey, I know it looks rough, but trust me, this place gives the best prices in the entire city," Lizbeth said as she stepped forward and took the sack off his shoulder.
"You’ve got places to be, right? I’ll sell everything here. Meet me back in an hour. No longer, or I’m coming to find you. Got it?" Lizbeth said sternly.
"You’re acting like my mother..." Raelis sighed and turned away. "See you in an hour."
With that, he entered a nearby alleyway.
It was great to finally have some alone time, since there were a lot of things he wanted to do in this city.
I need to reach out to the Black Lotus....