Chapter 166: Final Obsession & Return

[Final Obsession: Having inherited the will of a powerful Necromancer, your soul has gained greater resistance to death. When you suffer a fatal injury, you may forcibly remain alive for a short period of time. This effect can only be triggered once within a certain period.]

--

Aurelius stared at the effects of the Title and was instantly surprised.

This Title... was too powerful.

Demonic Prodigy. Dominion of Evil. Deathless Will.

Each effect was more powerful than the other.

There was no need to compare this new Title with the Rabbit Killer Title, which had long since been forgotten.

Even when compared to the Fated Hero Title, The Friend of a Necromancer was significantly stronger.

’Of course, the Fated Hero is a growth Title. As my reputation increases, it will constantly become stronger and stronger.’

’Although it is weaker for the time being, that doesn’t mean it will remain that way in the future.’

Even so, for the current Aurelius, the new Title could play a far greater role than Fated Hero.

Especially the first effect: Demonic Prodigy.

Whether it was allowing him to comprehend skills more easily or decreasing the number of Skill Points required to upgrade them through the Player Panel, both functions were extremely useful.

Particularly given his current situation.

After all, Aurelius needed to synthesize ten skills to complete his Rank 3 advancement. The easier it was for him to comprehend and improve his skills, the easier it would be to prepare for that advancement.

As for Dominion of Evil, its effects were also extremely practical.

If he encountered powerful evil creatures in the future, having weaker ones obey his commands could save him a considerable amount of trouble.

And then there was Final Obsession.

Aurelius’ gaze lingered on the final effect for a few seconds.

Being able to forcibly remain alive after suffering a fatal injury was undoubtedly a powerful ability.

Even if the effect could only be triggered once within a certain period, it could still save his life at a critical moment.

’As expected of a Title left behind by encountering a powerful Necromancer.’ Aurelius couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

After a few seconds, having confirmed that he had not missed anything, Aurelius equipped the new Title.

Immediately, he felt his mind grow clearer.

At the same time, the indifferent aura surrounding him slightly dispersed.

Due to the skills he had mastered, Aurelius had started exuding an indifferent, aloof aura long ago.

Whether it was the sacred skills or Ocean’s Wrath, which allowed him to summon a Divine Phantom, they were all related to the divine path.

Now, this demonic Title seemed to counteract them.

Aurelius’ aura continuously alternated.

Sometimes it was holy, as though an angel had descended to the mortal world.

At other times, it was bloodthirsty, making him look like a Demon Lord from Hell.

The two completely different temperaments clashed for several seconds before gradually merging together.

Before long, Aurelius’ aura calmed down.

He kept exactly the same appearance as before, except he now looked far more approachable. The strange sense of distance surrounding him had also disappeared.

’This is good.’ He nodded inwardly.

’Before, everyone could tell that I was somewhat mysterious, as though I were hiding certain secrets.’

’Although I could disguise this under my noble identity, it might have gotten me into trouble if I were to visit the Imperial City.’

Now, everything had returned to normal. At the very least, no one could tell he was a powerful Awakener with a single glance.

Aurelius was satisfied.

However, he hadn’t forgotten about the other matters at hand.

Looking at the rewards, he wanted to claim the Rank 6 Awakener inheritance.

Yet no matter how much he concentrated on the notification, there was no response.

Aurelius was briefly surprised. But soon, realization dawned upon him.

His gaze swept through his surroundings before finally landing on the only other item besides him and the Underworld Coffin.

The fragment of the Blood Crown.

As Aurelius leaned down and picked it up, he noticed that it had undergone certain changes following the Undead Knight’s death.

It seemed far more complete compared to before, as though some of its missing parts had been restored.

More importantly, Aurelius sensed a space hidden within it, as though it had been carved directly inside the Blood Crown.

It was not too big, at least compared to the System Inventory.

Even so, the discovery caused his eyes to flash with surprise.

As far as Aurelius knew, spatial storage treasures were extremely rare.

Only powerful nobles and Awakeners like his father were bound to possess them.

Until now, Aurelius had encountered several powerful Relics, including even an Epic one. Yet he had never seen a single storage treasure.

This was enough to showcase their rarity.

Now, however, he had finally obtained one.

And even more surprisingly, it wasn’t empty.

Aurelius’ heart moved. His previous guess was all but confirmed.

He immediately sent his Spirit into the Blood Crown.

The moment his Spirit flowed through the fragment and entered the space inside it, his vision suddenly shifted.

It was as though his soul had stepped out of his physical vessel and appeared above the space.

Instantly, everything inside became clear to him.

The space was not particularly large, but it was neatly arranged.

There were rows upon rows of items inside.

Skill Books. Materials. Potions.

The more he looked, the brighter Aurelius’ eyes became.

Especially when he noticed the constantly flashing notifications in his field of vision, he found it almost impossible to remain calm.

This was the inheritance of a Rank 6 Awakener!

Even Rank 5 beings would scramble over it, much less an "ordinary" Rank 2 Awakener like him!

--

Aurelius had come to the Dryad Forest alone.

Although many hours had passed since then and he had experienced several twists and turns, obtaining several companions in the meantime, he was alone once more when he left the Dryad Forest.

Raising his head, Aurelius stared at the moon above him.

Although it had been some time since he left the center of the Dryad Forest, his heart was still filled with enthusiasm.

He had never expected this adventure to be so thrilling, let alone that he would obtain so many benefits from it.

Thinking that everything had started because of the Dryad’s Scepter and an unexpected discovery, Aurelius couldn’t help but thank the Goblin Warlock in his heart.

This monster had made great contributions to who he was today.

It had helped him obtain the Sea God’s Trident and synthesize Ocean’s Wrath. Even in death, it was still helping him grow stronger.

’The Goblin Warlock is such a good person...’

’If there is a chance, I’ll try to visit his grave next year and pay my respects.’ Aurelius whispered inwardly.

Had the Goblin Warlock known his thoughts, he might have descended from the Kingdom of Gods just to slap him to death.

Unfortunately, this was not an option for him.

After taking another glance at the moon above him, Aurelius stared at the Dryad Forest behind him.

He knew that from today onward, both this forest and Blood Sun City would change.

In the past, the reason this place had managed to become a monster habitat was because of the Undead Knight and the Corrupted Dryad’s existence.

Now, with one dead and one lying inside the Underworld Coffin, the Mana in this place would significantly drop.

Perhaps another monster riot would soon follow.

Fortunately, Aurelius did not have to worry about it.

He had already obtained everything he needed from this place.

He was already powerful enough to fear nothing in the forest and was bound to make further progress upon his return to the city.

Aurelius recalled the items inside the Blood Crown, especially the many Skill Books inside it.

One of the two conditions for his advancement had already been completed.

Let alone ten, the skills with certain synergy in the Undead Knight’s collection numbered dozens.

All that was missing was a sufficiently powerful Synthesis to synthesize them together.

And that was not too far away.

’It has been some time since I last met the Players. I wonder what benefits they can give me this time.’

’With the Sun Knight Class right in front of them, I believe they must have worked tirelessly during this period.’

’Harvesting another wave of Experience through trade is possible. More importantly, most of them must have accumulated Skill Points during this time.’

Aurelius’ eyes flashed.

With the Beta Version ending soon, he had to fleece the Players for one final time!

Subconsciously, his footsteps sped up.

Before long, a pair of Wings formed behind him and carried him into the air.

The Dryad Forest was soon left behind him, looking the same as it did before his arrival.

No one knew that two beings powerful enough to threaten the Dawn Kingdom’s stability had been suppressed, with one dead and one sealed.

From this day onward, everything in the northern border would be different.