Chapter 349: Breakthrough

Chapter 349: Breakthrough

With the affairs of the territory finally settled, Ronin at last found the leisure to elevate his own strength.

He summoned the attribute panel, and the details that manifest before his eyes brought a profound sense of satisfaction to his mind.

[Level]: 6-Gold Knight (2500/2500); 6-Grand Mage (1699/3500)

[Attribute Points]: 2458

[Energy Essence]: 11825

The four achievements he had completed in rapid succession had yielded an extraordinarily handsome bounty of attribute points and energy essence.

"At long last, the hour of advancement has arrived."

Meteor Knights and Archmages were figures who truly belonged to the forest of the ultimate elite, entities capable of altering the very course of a battle upon the grand stage of war.

Brooking no further delay, Ronin channeled all 1410 of his remaining attribute points directly into his mage progression.

As the threshold filled to completion, he felt a sudden, violent shattering of some unseen shackle within the depths of his being.

Upon closer internal scrutiny, he discovered that the valve of punishment within his sea of Qi had been forcefully breached, dissolving into absolute nothingness.

In that singular instant, Ronin's sea of Qi expanded to twice its original vastness, and the liquid profound energy stored within began to churn violently, as though undergoing a fundamental transformation of its very essence.

Much like how a grand mage gains the ability to augment the potency of ordinary spells, Ronin now felt that whenever he unleashed a standard combat technique, its destructive power would be markedly enhanced.

"This must be the 'Conquering Might' unique to a Meteor Knight."

Back then, Amicus, who had achieved a sudden breakthrough mid-battle, had proven a formidable foe even against the combined efforts of Ronin and several others; such conquering might was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Simultaneously, the seal wheel within his mana space was torn asunder, and he could feel a magnificent expansion unfolding within that mystical domain.

For an Archmage, it became possible to etch the complex patterns of lower-tier spells permanently within the mana space, allowing them to be triggered instantaneously when needed without the precarious delay of incantation or drawing.

In other words, an Archmage could achieve the instantaneous casting of lower-ranked magic.

Furthermore, as a mage's spiritual willpower grew ever more potent, the tier of spells capable of such instantaneous manifestation would rise accordingly.

This single ability elevated a mage's tactical flexibility in the crucible of combat to an entirely new echelon.

Even when confronted with the perilous proximity of a charging knight, so long as the adversary was not overwhelmingly superior, there remained ample room for tactical maneuvers.

Ronin cast his gaze back upon the attribute panel to appraise the progression required for the seventh rank of both knight and mage:

[Level]: 7-Meteor Knight (0/4000); 7-Archmage (0/6000)

[Attribute Points]: 1048

[Energy Essence]: 11825

To transition from an Archmage to a true Magister would demand a staggering 6000 points.

"Bella."

The maidservant waiting faithfully outside the door pushed it open and entered, "My Lord, what are your commands?"

"Go and summon Elrond hither."

With his current reserve of over ten thousand energy essence, it should be more than sufficient to propel Elrond, who still lingered as a grand mage, straight into the realm of a Magister.

He was exceedingly curious to see what manner of unexpected wonders Elrond's elevation would bestow upon him.

During the interval of waiting, Ronin invested the entirety of his remaining 1048 attribute points into his knightly progression.

A Meteor Knight cultivated the "Body Wheel," a node-like existence situated precisely at the location of the knight's heart.

Strengthening it would once more elevate a knight's physical constitution to unprecedented heights.

It was said that a Silver Moon Knight not only possessed flawless stamina, endurance, speed, and explosive power, but their physical resilience was so absolute that conventional arrows and mundane objects could scarce leave a scratch.

If a Meteor Knight could alter the tide of a skirmish, then a Silver Moon Knight possessed the power to dictate the outcome of an entire war.

Ronin took a deep, centering breath, the rapidly surging power within making it difficult for him to remain still, prompting him to rise and execute a brief flurry of martial forms.

"As I am now, I could comfortably withstand the simultaneous onslaught of at least three Gold Knights."

And that was assuming a contest confined purely to close-quarters martial combat.

Should Ronin master seventh-tier combat techniques, alongside the secret arts he had acquired from King Bruno, the number of Gold Knights he could simultaneously contend with would swell dramatically.

Before long, a soft knock preceded Elrond's entrance, "My Lord, you requested my presence?"

He secretly surmised within his heart whether the lord had simply forgotten to impart some piece of information earlier, thus summoning him back so soon.

"Elrond, I intend to elevate your strength."

Ronin offered a mysterious, knowing smile, "Take a guess—to what heights shall I raise you this time?"

Elrond stood momentarily dazed.

He, alongside Rhaegar and McCane, were Ronin's bound followers, bound by an unyielding, absolute loyalty to the latter.

Yet, they too harbored their own profound aspirations.

For Elrond, the elevation of his personal might and his accomplishments in the realm of magical elixirs were the twin pillars of his pursuit.

Consequently, all three of them held Ronin's extraordinary ability to bestow strength in the highest regard.

Hearing Ronin's words now, a sudden wave of joy washed over Elrond's heart.

"Does my Lord intend to elevate me directly into an Archmage?"

The moment the guess left his lips, he immediately realized that if it were merely that, his liege lord would not have posed the question with such theater.

Elrond's eyes widened in sheer disbelief, "You could not possibly mean to raise me directly to a Magister?"

Ronin snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, "Precisely!"

Elrond's excitement flared intensely, but almost immediately, as if struck by a sudden realization, the vibrant emotion on his face dimmed into melancholy.

"But My Lord, my innate talent is capped at the seventh rank."

Of late, Elrond had begun to feel the restrictive chains of his natural talent, making the advancement of his strength no longer as seamless as it had been in the past.

Under ordinary circumstances, the seventh rank was the absolute zenith of what his destiny allowed him to achieve.

Ronin froze slightly, only now recalling that when he had first summoned Elrond, the description had indeed stated the man possessed only the aptitude to become a seventh-rank Archmage.

His heart skipped a violent beat; could it be that upon reaching the seventh rank, further advancement would become an impossibility?

If that were the case, his grand designs would be utterly thrown into disarray!

"Let us attempt it first."

Ronin's brow furrowed slightly, a shadow of anxiety creeping into his thoughts.

If he wished to aid Rulance in breaking free from the insidious torment of the Soul-Devouring Surge, his only recourse lay within the path of Elrond, a mage of the holy light attribute.

Ronin called forth the other's compact attribute panel:

[Elrond Vao]: Grand Mage - Light (2090/3500) +

He first invested 1410 units of energy essence to propel him into the realm of an Archmage, and subsequently continued to pour in another 6000 units, preparing to force the breakthrough from Archmage to Magister.

Yet, the heart-warming radiance that usually accompanied such a triumph failed to illuminate Elrond's form, signifying that the man was incapable of making the further ascent.

Ronin's heart sank into an icy abyss; could it truly be an impossible feat?

Elron wavered between delight and trepidation.

He rejoiced because his strength had ascended to heights untouched in his past life;

He trembled because he beheld the somber cast of Ronin’s countenance.

"My Lord... did it fail?" he inquired, shifting uncomfortably.

Ronin gave no answer, keeping his gaze fixed upon the man's modest status panel:

[Elron Faol]: Grand Archmage · Light (6000/6000) +

Though the progress bar had filled without triggering an immediate breakthrough, a plus sign lingered beside it, indicating further points could still be bestowed.

Ronin peered closer with his mind, and the feedback materialized: "Consume 4,500 energy essences to elevate his talent to Archmage rank."

Beholding this entry, a breath of relief escaped him.

Though it demanded a staggering wealth of energy essences, at the very least, his path forward was not severed.

He turned his eyes to his own status panel; after a relentless cascade of heavy expenditures, a mere 4,415 energy essences remained, leaving him eighty-five points short of the required ascension.

"It did not fail, though you are still a hair's breadth away from breaking through to Archmage."

Failing to achieve it in a single stroke brought Ronin a touch of regret, yet knowing the deficit was meager, his heart grew light.

Observing Elron’s fallen spirits, he could not help but speak: "Rest assured, in just a few more days, I shall grant you your advancement."

Elron’s sorrow instantly dissolved into joy, and he cried out in excitement, "Truly?"

"Naturally."

Ronin seated himself once more. "Tell me, what new insights have you harvested from this elevation?"

Slowly, Elron’s racing heart found its calm.

"There are harvests indeed!"

He declared, "Upon becoming a Grand Archmage, a recipe for a magical potion named 'Auxiliary Elevation' manifested within my mind."

Auxiliary Elevation?

Hearing the name, a spark of fervor kindled within Ronin's chest. "And its effects?"

(End of Chapter)