Chapter 329: Achievement Unlocked

The kiss was long, but that was all they could manage for now.

First, time and place did not permit deeper contact.

Second, crossing the final threshold before the marriage was officially announced would tarnish both Ronin’s and Blanch’s reputations.

Especially Blanch—already under constant scrutiny as a princess, any further lapse in decorum would surely make her the subject of fresh gossip.

After a brief moment of tenderness, they stepped out of the lounge and rejoined the lively banquet.

The feast lasted long into the night, until the midnight bell chimed and guests began to drift away one by one.

“My lord, you’re back!”

Tom and David hurried forward to greet him.

Ronin asked, “Has the Golden Feather Palace sent the champion’s reward yet?”

“Yes, my lord,” Tom replied. “Five large chests. We counted them—each contains ten thousand gold coins. They’ve all been moved to your study.”

“You counted them?”

David sighed helplessly. “Yes, my lord. You know, Tom and I aren’t well-educated. Counting these chests of gold felt harder than hunting two wild boars in the mountains.”

Ronin burst into laughter.

Fifty thousand gold coins—yes, counting them would take time.

And with these two having such poor math skills, they’d likely make mistakes, forcing them to start over from the beginning.

“Enough. It’s late. Go rest.”

Ronin walked straight to his study, where the five large chests stood neatly arranged in the center of the room.

“The Four Great Families didn’t bargain—they swiftly carried out the King’s decree. Clearly, Bruno’s rule remains stable.”

Though intrigue and rivalry simmered among the nobles, all at least outwardly bowed to and served the royal house with unquestioning loyalty.

Ronin stepped forward and opened each chest one by one.

The sight reminded him of that day in Shore City, when he had opened chests and claimed twenty thousand gold coins, completing the “Fortune’s Favor” achievement.

Today, he had received fifty thousand.

Following the old pattern—one, three, five—he wondered if he might now complete two achievements in one go.

As the five chests flew open, the room blazed with golden light under the glow of magical lamps.

Fifty thousand gold coins—equivalent to over a decade’s income for a baronial domain.

Such a reward was rare even in the grandest knightly tournaments.

At that moment, text flashed into Ronin’s vision:

【“Fortune’s Favor” achievement unlocked. Attribute points +1000, Energy Essences +2000】

Immediately, a second line appeared:

【“Fortune’s Favor” achievement unlocked. Attribute points +2000, Energy Essences +4000】

Ronin smiled. “Of course—I’ve cleared two tiers at once!”

He glanced at his panel. The new requirement for “Fortune’s Favor” now demanded a single windfall of one hundred thousand gold coins.

This fifty thousand was like winning the lottery—such luck would be unlikely to strike again.

So, one hundred thousand? That would never come easily.

“Unless… I raid the vault of some great noble.”

As he pondered, he glanced at his attribute panel.

Thanks to these dual bonuses, his attribute points had surged to 3,003—and his Energy Essences had skyrocketed to an unprecedented 7,560!

“With this much essence… if I become a Meteor Knight, could I instantly elevate Elron from Grand Mage to an Eighth-Rank Mage-Lord?”

Any mage-lord, even one of light affinity, wielded formidable power.

For Ronin, if Elron ascended to mage-lord, it might finally purge the Soul-Devouring Surge from Rulans.

Then, long-silent Wushan Domain would welcome back its once-great meteor-tier prodigy!

This would benefit both Wushan Domain—and Ronin himself—immensely.

“But… 7,560 Energy Essences might still be insufficient.”

According to current progression, advancing from Sixth-Rank Mage to Seventh-Rank Grand Mage required 3,500.

To leap from Seventh to Eighth-Rank Mage-Lord? It would demand far more than 4,500.

Thus, to elevate Elron all at once, Ronin would need to accumulate even more essence.

Fortunately, he still had time before becoming a Seventh-Rank Transcendent.

He could keep accumulating through monthly check-ins.

And once he returned to Wubei Domain, to Stone City and Red Mountain Village, he’d unlock a cascade of new achievements.

Like “Population Flourishes” and “Conquest and Occupation” on his achievement board.

As long as Rogner delivered the personnel promised by Viggins and Kabir, and as long as the new administrator Selin completed the population census of Stone City and Red Mountain Village, Ronin would gain vast quantities of attribute points and essence.

“But after this wave of achievements is complete, the next ones will grow far harder.”

Becoming a Marquis. Earning one hundred thousand gold coins in one go. Slaying an Eighth-Rank Transcendent…

Each demanded either immense power or years of cultivation.

It was unlikely he’d ever again complete so many in just a few months.

But he had already taken his place among the powerful.

Ronin drew his thoughts back. Before setting out to crush the White Whale Pirates and journeying to the Torrent Island, he needed to spend every last attribute point.

After allocating them, his knight progression was fully complete—Gold Rank (2500/2500).

With the remaining points, his mage level climbed to Mage (1699/3500).

Ronin closed his eyes, feeling the shift within.

Deep in his qi sea, the “Fah Lun” barrier that a knight must shatter now lingered only as a faint, fading shadow—like a candle guttering in the wind, ready to be snuffed out.

For ordinary men, the moment that shadow vanished meant the knight had shattered the Fah Lun and stepped into a new realm—the Meteor Tier.

After observing the qi sea’s transformation, Ronin turned his attention to his mana space.

As his mage level rose, his mana space expanded further.

And within it, the “Yin Lun” was struck, its radiance dimmed by nearly half.

“To advance, I need 1,801 more attribute points. With tripled monthly check-in bonuses, even without other achievements, I’ll reach it in five months.”

Five months—long, yet short.

“This trip to Golden Feather City has been immensely rewarding.”

Ronin opened his eyes, satisfied, and sealed the five chests of gold into his space ring.

In barely ten days, he had seized a ship, amassed wealth, sealed a business deal, embraced a beauty, reshaped his reputation, and recruited two talents.

The word “bountiful” no longer sufficed to describe the harvest.

Next came the White Whale Pirates and the Rapids Island.

If all went well, Luo Ning would soon be granted a new title and territory. (End of chapter)