Chapter 232: Rewards II

Kaiser nodded as he inspected the crystal.

’Another useful material.’

He had already collected quite a few valuable resources during his hunt, and this Winter Essence Crystal would certainly come in handy when he started crafting new equipment or experimenting with alchemy.

After storing it, he turned his attention towards the two Legendary skill books he had received from Baraka.

There were several rewards worth examining, but these two were particularly interesting. He had entered the Frostland Orc territory to improve his combat abilities, and acquiring powerful battle arts was an excellent bonus.

He picked up the first book and examined its information.

[Mountain Cleaving Strike]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Type: Active Skill]

[Category: Frostland Battle Art]

[Description: A powerful battle art developed by the warriors of the Frostland. By concentrating frost energy into a weapon, the user can unleash a massive crescent-shaped attack capable of cleaving through mountains and breaking even heavily reinforced defences.]

Kaiser recalled the enormous frost wave Baraka had released during their fight.

’So this is the technique behind that attack.’

He then picked up the second book.

[Frozen Battlefield]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Type: Active Skill]

[Category: Frostland Battle Art]

[Description: A powerful battlefield-type battle art that allows the user to spread frost energy across a wide area, transforming the surrounding environment into a frozen battlefield. Within its range, the user gains greater control over frost energy, allowing them to create ice structures, manipulate the terrain, and weaken enemies through intense cold.]

Kaiser read through the description twice before nodding.

’As expected, these are the two battle arts Baraka used.’

He remembered how Baraka had transformed the entire chamber into a frozen battlefield, summoning countless ice pillars and using the frost energy flowing through them to strengthen himself.

Mountain Cleaving Strike was a powerful offensive technique, while Frozen Battlefield offered much greater versatility. Both were valuable, but the latter was particularly interesting.

Although Kaiser had managed to destroy Baraka’s ice structures using Minor Vibration Manipulation, he understood how troublesome the technique could become in the hands of someone with sufficient ice affinity.

’If I can learn these, they’ll give me a few more options in combat.’

He placed the two skill books into his inventory and took another look at the rewards he had collected.

The hunt had been far more rewarding than he had initially expected. Apart from the Legendary equipment and materials, he had obtained several powerful skills and, more importantly, gained considerable experience using his newly created ability.

His fight against Baraka had also helped him understand the limitations of Minor Vibration Manipulation. There were still many ways he could improve it, but he now had a much better idea of how to use it in actual combat.

While Kaiser was going through his rewards, Ripple floated closer and looked at him expectantly.

"Father, are we going to hunt more Orcs?"

Kaiser glanced at him before letting out a chuckle.

"There aren’t any left."

He had already cleared the entire Frostland Orc territory. There was no point staying here any longer.

Kaiser took out his exit stone and activated it.

A flash of light surrounded him and Ripple. The next moment, the frozen cave disappeared, and they were transported outside the dungeon.

The guards stationed near the entrance immediately noticed their arrival.

"Hey, kid! You’re back in one piece!"

One of the guards looked Kaiser up and down, seemingly surprised that he hadn’t suffered any visible injuries.

"You must have a pretty good bond with your Soul Bond beast and excellent battle instincts to come out looking like that. Otherwise, I’d have to assume you found some miraculous healing potion inside!"

He laughed at his own joke.

Kaiser simply shrugged.

"I’m one of the Elites. It wasn’t that difficult."

The guard paused for a moment before looking at him again.

"An Elite? Well, that explains it!"

He nodded as though everything suddenly made sense.

"No wonder you managed to come out unharmed. The dungeon must have been a piece of cake for you."

The title of Elite was reserved for those who had comprehended Rule Power. Even among powerful Awakened, such individuals stood out because of the enormous advantage their comprehension provided.

An Elite could generally fight monsters two ranks above their own, although the actual difference depended on the individual’s level of comprehension and the nature of their Rule.

Against monsters that hadn’t comprehended Rule Power themselves, this advantage was even more apparent.

The guards were naturally aware of this, so Kaiser’s confidence didn’t surprise them.

"See ya!" Kaiser said, casually waving at them before walking away.

"Keep working hard, kid! Otherwise, you’ll end up with a boring job like mine one day!" one of the guards called after him.

Kaiser chuckled but didn’t bother responding.

Once he was far enough from the dungeon entrance, he glanced at his status.

’Time to challenge the Rank 3 trial.’

He had finally reached Level 300, making him eligible to undergo his next Rank-Up Trial.

However, he wasn’t in a hurry to begin.

The hunt had taken quite some time, and his battle against Baraka had pushed him to use his abilities repeatedly. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, he could feel that he needed proper rest before taking on another challenge.

’I should head home and get some sleep first.’

There was also the matter of informing his parents and the academy. His Rank-Up Trial might take some time, and he didn’t want them worrying if he suddenly disappeared.

With that decided, Kaiser began making his way back.

He would first return home, inform his parents about his plans, and get some proper rest. Once he had fully recovered, he would begin his Rank 3 Rank-Up Trial.

By the time Kaiser returned home, several hours had passed.

He entered the house and immediately noticed that the atmosphere was unusually quiet. After putting away his belongings, he headed towards the living room, where he found Michael and Emilia sitting together.

"You’re back!" Emilia said as she noticed him.

Michael looked up from what he was doing.

"How was your trip to the Frostland?"

"It went pretty well," Kaiser replied. "I managed to clear the Frostland Orc territory and reached Level 300."

Both of them looked at him.

"Level 300 already?" Michael asked, slightly surprised.

Kaiser nodded.

"Then you’re eligible for the Rank 3 Rank-Up Trial," Emilia said with a smile. "Are you planning to challenge it soon?"

"That’s why I came back. I want to get some rest first, and then I’ll prepare for the trial."

Michael nodded in understanding.

"That’s a good idea. There’s no need to rush. Rank-Up Trials aren’t something you should take lightly."

"I know."

Kaiser sat down and briefly explained what he had encountered during the hunt. He told them about the Frostland Orcs, the powerful Orc Warlord guarding the deepest chamber, and the battle that had allowed him to test his newly created ability.

He also mentioned the rewards he had obtained, including the Legendary Frostland Axe, the Frostland Battle Mage Attire, and the Orb of Winter.

When Michael heard about the Orb of Winter, his expression became interested.

"An orb that can store spells and improve ice magic? That’s a valuable treasure."

"Yeah. I was thinking of giving it to you."

Michael raised an eyebrow.

"To me?"

Kaiser nodded.

"Your Soul Bond has an Ice affinity, so it should be useful for you. I also obtained a Legendary battle axe, which might suit your fighting style."

Michael looked at his son for a moment before smiling.

"Then I’ll gladly accept them. They’ll certainly be useful."

Emilia chuckled as she watched their conversation.

"Okay, Do you have something for me too or have you forgotten about your old mom?"

"Oh, please you are still babe I fell in love with" Michael said as his mom turn red from embarassment while Kaiser laughed.

After spending some time with his parents, he informed them that he planned to begin his Rank-Up Trial after resting.

He also mentioned that he would notify the academy so they wouldn’t mistake his absence for an unexplained disappearance.

"Don’t worry about the academy," Michael said. "I’ll help you inform them. Your trial should be your priority."

"Thanks, Father."

Kaiser didn’t stay downstairs for much longer. He was already looking forward to getting some proper sleep.

After saying goodnight to his parents, he returned to his room.

Ripple followed him inside, still floating beside him.

"Father, are we going to sleep now?"

Kaiser glanced at him and smiled.

"Yes. We’ve had enough excitement for today."

Ripple nodded enthusiastically.

Kaiser settled onto his bed and closed his eyes.

For the first time in quite a while, he had no immediate plans to hunt monsters, explore a dungeon, or experiment with his abilities.

He simply wanted to rest.

***

The next morning, Kaiser woke up feeling completely refreshed.

The exhaustion from his battle against Baraka had disappeared, and his body was back in excellent condition.

He stretched before opening his status window.

’Now that I’m fully recovered, it’s time to prepare for the Rank 3 trial.’

He had already reached the required level, so there was no reason to delay his Rank 3 Rank-Up Trial any longer.

However, before starting, he wanted to make sure everything was in order.

"Alright, it’s time to begin the trial," Kaiser muttered.

At the moment, his only Soul Bond accompanying him was Ripple, the Golden Fate Goblin King. The golden-skinned creature floated beside him, looking more like a cheerful little child than a powerful beast.

"Father, are we going to kill more monsters?" Ripple asked excitedly, his rainbow-coloured eyes shining with anticipation.

Kaiser nodded.

’Aren’t Golden Fate Goblin Kings supposed to be greedy for treasure? Why does this one seem more like a battle maniac?’ he wondered as he glanced at Ripple.

Ripple seemed completely unaware of Kaiser’s thoughts. He simply laughed and spun around in the air, clearly looking forward to the upcoming battle.

’Whatever. As long as he is useful.’

Kaiser shook his head and focused on the system.

[Rank 3 Rank-Up Trial initiated.]

[Please select your desired difficulty.]

Once again, Kaiser chose the highest available difficulty.

Nightmare.

The system immediately responded.

[Lower-rank Supreme Rule Power detected...]

[Adjusting trial location...]

[Location adjustment complete.]

[Your Rank-Up Trial will take place in the Vampire Marquis Elmira Rosette’s territory, Minvera City.]

[Trial Location: Rank 3 Dungeon]

[Description: A city controlled by powerful Vampires. Most of the Vampires residing here possess Rule Power related to Blood.]

[Best of luck, Challenger.]

"Dam—"

Kaiser barely managed to utter the word before a flash of light engulfed him.

In the next instant, his surroundings changed completely.

He was no longer at home. Instead, he found himself standing at the entrance of a massive dungeon, with an unfamiliar city stretching out before him.