On that day, Rhett inspected various parts of his territory, checking on the conditions of Fire Mine Village, East Eagle Logging Camp, and Green Pastures Ranch. Everything was in order, running smoothly.
At the sa ti, he reminded Ryleigh to continue purchasing various ores in large quantities. Although Ryleigh was puzzled, wondering why they needed more when they already had Fire Mark Ore, Rhett's firm stance ensured that the task was carried out as instructed.
The next day, Rhett left the territory with peace of mind. This ti, he didn't travel alone. He brought along Tuck, Tadel, Kurs, and two attendants. He needed to sell so goods to exchange for gold coins, so several carts filled with goods accompanied them. As a lord, he couldn't personally handle every little task, so he brought a team with him.
It took six days to travel.
On December 11th, Rhett arrived in Twilight City. According to his plan, he was supposed to visit the Dalton Chamber of Comrce first, purchase the Sand Wolf Magic Book, sell so goods for gold coins, and buy interdiate spiritual potions. However, as he stood at the edge of the bustling streets in the city, Rhett recalled that he had arrived in Twilight City a day earlier than in the previous simulation.
So, to ensure he would et McCoffe as planned, he decided to delay his schedule by a day. Today, he would focus on sothing else.
"Father, where are we going next?" Tuck asked, looking at the diverse and lively crowd in the city.
"To Blue Shirt Street, the Adventurer's Cave!" Rhett's lips curled into a smile. With so many expenses ahead, it was ti to make a good profit.
Ever since he found treasure in the Adventurer's Cave last year, he had been eager to return for another round! Earlier this year, he had briefly visited the Adventurer's Cave twice while passing through Twilight City, deliberately showing a losing streak, all to set the stage for this final visit of the year.
Soon, they arrived at the Adventurer's Cave. This ti, Rhett didn't see the silver-armored knight he t last year. Being the personal guard of the third lady, it was normal for him to be reassigned. However, as he stepped into the luxurious hall of the Adventurer's Cave, Rhett unexpectedly encountered soone else—the count's third daughter, Joria.
Joria had long, golden wavy hair and wore a pink gown. Her figure was accentuated by a corset under her dress, while the hem was lined with pale gold, and a shimring necklace adorned her snow-white neck, glowing brightly under the lights. Unlike her older sister Karen, who was in her thirties, Joria was only twenty years old, brimming with youthful beauty.
Many adventurers in the hall couldn't help but glance in her direction, so even swallowing nervously, captivated by her appearance.
Rhett maintained a calm expression, rely giving her a glance before shifting his attention to the nearest knight attendant, saying, "Take to the Mythical Cave on the third floor."
However, the ntion of "Mythical Cave" rippled through the hall like a boulder dropped into a still lake, drawing the attention of several people. Upon seeing the falcon emblem on Rhett's chest, their eyes widened in recognition. They realized he was the Lord of Eagle Town, the tier-three mage who had eradicated the evil alchemy organization six months ago!
Their gazes held both reverence and curiosity. So wanted to approach and strike up a conversation with this viscount, but they hesitated when they saw a graceful figure heading towards Rhett, furrowing their brows and abandoning the idea.
"Greetings, Sir Rhett. It's a pleasure to et you." Joria walked up gracefully, her gaze fixed on Rhett's face with a charming smile. "This year, I've heard my father ntion your bravery and competence as the Lord of Eagle Town many tis. He described you as mature and steady, and today I see that his description was spot on."
"Oh, such praise is an honor," Rhett replied with a slight smile, offering a polite remark without engaging further in conversation. He quickly moved to the point, asking, "Miss Joria, could you take to the Mythical Cave?"
Surprised by his straightforwardness and lack of interest in small talk, Joria's expression remained unchanged despite her initial shock. She extended her arm, "Of course, Sir Rhett. Please follow ."
The staircase was made of various colorful gemstones, but a layer of sandblasting made the surface non-slip, ensuring even ordinary people could walk safely. As they ascended, Rhett followed behind Joria, catching a faint scent of mint. When they reached the corner, her soft voice floated back to him:
"I heard that on your first visit, you drew a tier-seven dark elental magic crystal. I spent a fortune acquiring that crystal, thinking it would stay in the Magic Cave for a long ti. I didn't expect you to take it so quickly. Are you planning to visit the Magic Cave again?"
"Yes," Rhett nodded, offering a plausible excuse, "December is my lucky month. Last year, I had a good haul around this ti, so I thought I'd try again this year."
"Oh?" Joria chuckled, "A lucky month, you say? That sounds nice. Well then, good luck!"
However, she secretly scoffed, "Once is lucky enough; what makes you think you'll get lucky again? Don't you realize I know you failed twice this year?"
"Thanks, I could use so luck," Rhett replied, smiling. "Maybe your blessing will bring a bit of extra fortune."
Joria remained silent with a smile.
Upon reaching the third floor, Rhett's heart stirred as he activated the system. A ripple spread through the space, signaling that he had entered the simulation. Using the sa excuse as last ti, albeit with more effort, he managed to find out the contents of the Magic Cave's treasure chests. In less than an hour, Rhett left the Adventurer's Cave.
In his mind, this simulation's goal of uncovering the treasure chest's contents was sufficient, and there was no need to waste more ti in the cave. He planned to use the next twenty-plus hours efficiently!
Leaving his attendants behind, Rhett quickened his pace and headed alone to the Dalton Chamber of Comrce.
At that mont, the bald-headed Carlton was leisurely pacing the hall. Upon seeing a familiar figure enter, his eyes lit up, and he quickly approached.
"Sir Rhett, long ti no see! What can I do for you today?" Carlton asked eagerly.
Rhett smiled faintly, "I'd like twenty-two bottles of Aurora Potion."
"Haha, right away!" Carlton exclaid with joy and imdiately sent soone to fetch the goods.
In a quiet room at the Dalton Chamber of Comrce, Rhett gazed at Carlton, who lay unconscious on the ground, and his eyes held a hint of apology. He softly muttered, "I'm sorry, Carlton. When I return to reality, I'll make it up to you with a big deal."
Rhett shook his head with a sigh but was quick to act. He sat cross-legged on the floor, decisively opening a bottle of interdiate spiritual potion—the Aurora Potion. Inside the wide-bellied, narrow-necked bottle, seven colors swirled together like a flowing rainbow, beautiful as a dream!
His eyes flashed with intensity, and he downed the potion in one gulp. The potent energy surged through him, flooding his mind with power. Rhett hadn't felt such a sensation in a long ti.
Each level of training potion had the greatest effect at its initial stage. For example, Moonlight Potion benefited a tier-one mage more than a tier-two mage and a tier-two mage more than a tier-three mage. The Aurora Potion was no different, designed to et the ntal strength needs of a mage at the Archmage level.
Now, as a newly advanced tier-four Archmage, Rhett was experiencing a sensation he hadn't felt in nearly two decades.
His expression changed as he entered ditation, striving to absorb the energy. After an hour, he slowly opened his eyes and reached for the next bottle.
After consuming all twenty-two bottles of Aurora Potion, Rhett didn't leave. Instead, he took out the Blood Source Pearl from his pocket and swallowed it without hesitation. Whatever side effects it had didn’t matter—everything would reset when he returned to reality.
As the Blood Source Pearl slid down his throat and into his stomach, it shattered instantly, releasing a thick stream of blood. A sudden surge of overwhelming energy assaulted Rhett's mind, his expression shifting instantly.
If consuming the Aurora Potion was like a gentle stream flowing into a river, this process was relatively mild. In contrast, taking the Blood Source Pearl felt like being struck by a massive waterfall, crashing down violently from above, creating a deafening roar.
The commotion and force were far more intense than the previous experience. This brutal energy left Rhett feeling overwheld. He also noticed a strange, bloody force seeping deep into his body, slowly eroding his life force. Although his ntal power was growing rapidly, much faster than with the Aurora Potion, he felt as if his vitality was being drained.
The expanding ntal strength brought a euphoric rush, but it was mixed with the hollow emptiness of life force being eroded. Rhett found himself in a contradictory state of mind, but he had to persist. He could feel the Blood Source Pearl's enhancent was imnse!
The amount was almost overflowing.
Refining the Blood Source Pearl took even less ti than the Aurora Potion. In just half an hour, it gradually subsided. Rhett slowly opened his eyes, his face flushed with an unhealthy redness. He exhaled deeply, trying to ignore the physical discomfort caused by the erosion of his life force. His eyes glead with excitent as he murmured:
"A fully charged Blood Source Pearl boosts ntal power equivalent to about ten bottles of Aurora Potion!"
Despite its extraordinary effect, Rhett couldn’t help but feel disgusted as he glanced at the Blood Source Pearl. "How many people must have been killed to fill this Blood Elf creation?"
The rapid increase in ntal strength ca at the cost of shortening his lifespan—sothing he had known beforehand. With a sigh, Rhett took out a mirror and examined his face. His gaze sharpened as he noticed the visible signs of aging, with faint wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.
At that mont, Carlton gradually regained consciousness, feeling a heavy fog in his mind. As he pieced together what had happened, a look of terror filled his eyes. "This Sir Rhett… he’s advanced to Archmage! He knocked out without a word—he must have had ill intentions!"
Carlton, still lying on the floor, instinctively scooted back, shouting, "Help! Sobody help!"
Rhett shook his head with a chuckle, "Sorry about that." Watching Carlton’s shocked expression, Rhett ntally commanded, "End simulation!"
A ripple passed through the scene, and Rhett's surroundings blurred as he returned to the third floor of the Adventurer's Cave.
Standing before the door of the Magic Cave, Rhett recalled the results of his simulation. His eyes showed a hint of regret. "The grand prize is still a tier-seven magic crystal? No surprises there. But… it's still a big windfall, and I need the money, so I won’t pass it up."
He tossed a small bag from his pocket, the coins inside clinking as it landed in Joria's hand. She weighed it briefly and, without counting, pocketed it.
Drawing a key from her sleeve, she unlocked the Magic Cave door, gesturing for him to enter. "Please, go ahead! You know the rules—300 gold coins for three chests. Choose wisely."
Rhett casually scanned the three rows of gleaming chests and, with a laid-back tone, said, "Hmm, I’ve made my choice. Number 1, number 11, and number 21."
As his words fell, Joria felt her heart sink like a stone. "Damn," she cursed internally but maintained a smile. "Are you sure, Sir Rhett? Once you open them, there's no going back."
"Tsk, the sa old routine?" Rhett thought to himself but outwardly remained indifferent. "Yes, I'm sure. Go ahead. I'm just playing for fun, so win or lose, it doesn't matter."
With that, Joria kept silent and turned to face the chests, her eyes flashing with regret. Finally, Joria opened the three chests in sequence, placing the three prizes into a gift bag and handing it to Rhett.
"Congratulations, Sir Rhett, on winning our grand prize again—a tier-seven wind elental magic crystal." Despite her inner turmoil, Joria maintained a professional deanor.
Rhett reached into the gift bag, pulling out a fist-sized crystal, its deep azure hue swirling with fierce wind energy. Without alchemical refinent, even an Archmage couldn’t directly harness it. But for Rhett, it was worth 2,000 gold coins.
"By the way, Sir Rhett, my eldest sister visited you recently. Did she discuss anything important with you?" Joria asked casually.
"I'm afraid I missed her, as I was told by my steward that she ca twice while I was away," Rhett replied. "Didn’t she ntion anything to you?"
Joria smiled, "I've been busy with the shop lately, so I haven't been ho much."
"I see…"
Having collected his prize, Rhett prepared to leave. After a brief exchange with Joria, he descended the stairs. Joria's smile gradually faded as she watched Rhett's figure disappear around the corner, her expression shifting entirely.
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