The bright moonlight shone through the wide-open window, flooding the room with a silvery sheen, as if the darkness had been wrapped in a layer of frost. Turning on the lights would only disrupt the tranquility of this mont.
Rhett sat alone on the edge of the bed, opening the family panel that he hadn't checked in a long ti.
[Family Head: Rhett Green]
[Second Generation mbers: Tucker Green, Riley Green, Thales Green]
[Third Generation mbers: Dick Green, Carres Green, Kazena Green, Abel Green]
[Text Simulation]
[Real Simulation]
[Destiny Points: 98]
His gaze locked onto the bottom of the panel—98 Destiny Points.
"Hmm, this should be enough for a small training session. I’ve been wanting to try continuous consumption of Blood Source Pearls and Aurora Potions for 24 hours. I wonder what effect it will have."
With that thought, Rhett's mind stirred as he activated the system.
[Activate Real Simulation? Consus 1 Destiny Point per simulated day.]
"Yes!"
In the dim room, a ripple suddenly spread out.
Rhett's mind involuntarily cald as he took out a dark yellow circular stone box from his chest. Channeling his ntal power, the earth elents shifted, and the box imdiately ford a recess.
He tilted the stone box, allowing three purple-red and one crimson Blood Source Pearls to roll out. Without hesitation, Rhett swallowed one of the purple-red pearls.
Boom
A surge of evil energy erupted within him.
Like a greedy demon, it rushed toward Rhett's ntal sea, as if sensing a great nourishnt, devouring it with the ferocity of a starving beast. Pain spread throughout his body, and soon Rhett felt a murky substance being corroded and polluted inside him, making his mind gradually foggy.
Rhett held his breath and focused, his face remaining calm. After all, with previous experiences, he was now adept at adapting. He mobilized his ntal power, quickly refining the Blood Source Pearl, enduring the gradual loss of sanity within his mind.
Finally, after absorbing all four Blood Source Pearls, Rhett opened his eyes, heavily slapping his forehead and occasionally shaking his head. His eyes flickered between clarity and madness. Using the last of his rationality, he stood up and slowly walked to the corner of the room, where he retrieved over twenty bottles of Aurora Potions from a dark drawer and began refining them one by one.
Having grown accustod to the volcanic ferocity of the crimson Blood Source Pearls and the devilish evil of the purple-red ones, swallowing the Aurora Potions now felt like child's play, with no pain at all.
After a day and night, the room was littered with empty potion bottles, and Rhett's body and spirit were in a terrible state. His overall appearance had aged slightly, and his mind was struggling to suppress the chaotic ntal energy.
At this point, he carefully assessed his mind. The boiling ntal power had gradually cald down, and he estimated that, with the dual support of his talent and multiple Blood Source Pearls, the progress he made this ti was several tis more effective than his previous simulations.
Satisfied with the results, Rhett decided to end the simulation.
The ripples around him spread out.
Rhett returned to reality, seeing the familiar screen before him.
[Real Simulation Complete. Please choose one attribute to retain.]
[1. Constitution]
[2. Battle Qi]
[3. ntal Power]
"I choose ntal Power!"
It felt like a gentle rain had fallen in his mind, delicate yet soothing, making Rhett feel as if he were basking in a warm spring breeze.
Standing up from the bed, Rhett sensed the improvent in his ntal power, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"With the combined boost of talent and Blood Source Pearls, my training speed has increased, reducing the consumption of Destiny Points."
"Given this, the amount of Destiny Points needed to advance to a Level 6 Magister has significantly decreased."
"However, there's no rush to break through now. Sharpening the knife doesn't delay the cutting of firewood. Since the long-term hunting plan is set, starting a bit later might help reach an even higher realm sooner."
He paced slowly to the desk, sitting by the window to enjoy the curved moon for a while.
The clouds tangled with the moon, and before long, a cool breeze blew in, dissipating his remaining interest.
Pulling the curtains closed, Rhett enjoyed the darkness and returned to his bed to ditate.
The next day, September passed into history, ushering in the chapter of October.
The butler, Sveta, exhaled hot steam as he tore a page from the calendar on his desk, crumpling it into a ball and tossing it into the trash.
Squinting at the fresh page, he muttered, "Hmm, October is here, winter has arrived, no wonder it’s so cold..."
He stretched his arms and legs in his room, performing a few simple warm-up exercises that Ellie had taught him a few days ago, then opened the window to let in so fresh air as the dim light of dawn began to creep in.
"Good morning, Maru."
Passing by the kitchen, Sveta imdiately spotted the plump woman, her back to him, with golden waves of hair shaking as her shoulders moved with the sound of chopping ingredients.
The noise quieted down, leaving only a few kitchen assistants moving around inside. Maru turned around sharply upon hearing Sveta's voice and exclaid in surprise, "Oh, good morning, Sveta! I didn’t expect you to wake up half an hour early today."
Sveta shook his head, deliberately shivering as he said, "Last night’s temperature was too cold, and I didn't get a chance to change my blanket. I slept poorly and had nightmares all night, so I just got up early."
"Oh my gosh!" Maru gasped, a trace of worry in her eyes. "You’re too careless. As the head of the castle, you should take better care of your health..."
"Maru, don't worry. I just forgot last night. I didn't expect the temperature to drop so suddenly. I thought we had at least half a month before the big chill, so three days ago, I had Scarlett make a blanket. If I had known about this crazy weather, I would have asked her to make it earlier..." Sveta muttered a few complaints.
"Hmm? Scarlett again!" Maru's mood darkened, her expression changing rapidly as she grumbled, "You could have told earlier. I've always said my sewing skills aren't any worse than hers..."
"Next ti, next ti for sure..." Sveta replied awkwardly.
"The milk by the door is for you. Take it and drink it." As she spoke, Maru had already turned back to chopping vegetables.
"Hehe, thank you. On a cold day like this, having a hot cup of milk in the morning is such a wonderful thing..." Sveta smiled happily.
He reached out to touch the cup, but as soon as his fingers made contact, he recoiled as if shocked, his eyes widening. "Hot, hot, hot!"
Shouting loudly, he blew on his burnt fingertips and muttered in dissatisfaction, "Honestly, you could’ve warned that the milk was so hot..."
Chop, chop, chop
There was no response.
Only the sound of chopping grew louder, the rhythm suddenly accelerating.
Sveta suddenly closed his mouth, glanced at Maru's back, shook his head, and sighed as he walked away.
Rhett, who had finished a night of ditation, had long noticed the sudden drop in temperature during the night.
October brought winter, and he deliberately woke up early to witness the first winter morning of the year!
As he reached the first floor, several servants greeted him respectfully as they cleaned the rooms. Rhett smiled, nodding as he prepared to leave.
Suddenly, he saw Sveta approaching from the corridor.
"Sveta, what happened to your hand?" Rhett asked with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
At this mont, Sveta was holding his right hand to his mouth, occasionally blowing on it.
Seeing Rhett, Sveta quickened his pace and greeted, "Good morning, sir."
"My hand is fine, I just accidentally burned it."
"When did that happen?"
"Just now."
Rhett raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, be careful. Winter’s arrival is inevitable, but there's no need to show your resistance like this..."
Sveta lowered his head, smiled bitterly, and remained silent.
"Here, you might need this right now!"
Rhett summoned water elents, quickly condensing a small ice cube in his palm.
Sveta looked up again, overwheld with gratitude. "Thank you, sir, this ans a lot to !"
He took the ice cube and pressed it to his burnt fingertip. The coldness instantly relieved the pain, and Sveta's mood brightened again.
"Is this what they call giving coal in a snowstorm? No… maybe it's more like giving snow in a coalstorm!"
Rhett chuckled as he leisurely left Dark Rock Fortress.
A night of winter wind had co.
As soon as he stepped outside, it felt like a cold hand had slapped his face, yet Rhett spread his arms wide, embracing the wild arrival of winter's spirit. This level of cold was nothing to him.
After wandering around the manor for a while, he noticed that most of the flowers and plants had withered in the battle against the weather, greatly affecting the scenery.
Rhett didn’t stay long and soon left. Passing by the training ground, he heard the shouts of excitent and the surging energy of Battle Qi.
Intrigued, he stood at the entrance for a while. Wearing a light blue robe, Unica, with her wine-red hair cascading like a waterfall, hurried over from the manor's gate, carrying a tal canister. Her lively face quickly turned timid upon seeing Rhett.
"Good, good morning, Lord!"
"Good morning, Unica." Rhett smiled at her. One hand held the canister, and the other a small magic wand, as she stood seriously. He glanced at the canister in her hand and casually asked, "Why didn’t you eat breakfast before coming to train?"
Unica smiled shyly. "Ah, I’ve already eaten. I had a sandwich and milk this morning.
This canister is premium fruit tea that Mr. McCoff gave yesterday. I made a cup to bring to Lawrence!"
"I see. Go ahead, then. It’s cold in winter, rember to use fire elents to keep warm."
"Yes, Lord!" Encouraged, Unica happily ran toward the training ground.
She had deliberately co early today.
At this ti, neither the instructor nor Young Master Riley would be here.
She ran lightly to a deeper part of the training ground, found a corner, and quietly watched a team of knights in training. Her eyes narrowed into crescents as she gazed at a certain young man.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
The knights' enthusiastic shouts filled the air, and the shadows of swords flickered chaotically.
…
A few minutes later.
Beep, beep, beep, beep!
The sharp sound of a whistle suddenly rang out, and the knights sheathed their swords, stopping their movents in an orderly fashion and gathering together.
Tadel, still in his light blue coat, showed no fear of the cold with his knightly physique. He walked forward slowly, his expression stern.
"That’s it for this morning’s training. Everyone, go to the secondary fort for breakfast. Be back here in half an hour."
"Yes!"
The loud voices responded in unison.
The crowd quickly dispersed, with many knights dashing out like bullets, their enthusiasm for food undeterred by the cold. There’s nothing more satisfying than a hearty al after exhausting yourself!
Most of them left, but Lawrence walked straight to the corner, coming to the red-haired girl's side with a gentle smile.
"Unica, you look so pretty today!"
"Hehe." Unica giggled, shaking the canister in her hand. "Lawrence, guess what I brought you?"
Lawrence listened carefully, hesitating as he said, "Is it… milk?"
"No, but you’re close! It’s fruit tea~"
Lawrence suddenly understood. "I could only hear the liquid sloshing but couldn’t sll anything. This canister has amazing sealing!"
"Hehe, it’s a gift from Instructor McCoff!" Unica grinned proudly as she handed the canister over. "Drink up, I’ll start training soon."
"Thanks!" Lawrence didn’t stand on ceremony, feeling that their relationship didn’t require such formalities. He took the canister and drank it in large gulps.
"Wow, it tastes amazing!" Lawrence was pleasantly surprised, his eyes lighting up as he held the canister.
"Really? Then I’ll make you more next ti." Unica’s cheeks turned rosy, and she quickly left with light steps.
Lawrence smacked his lips, savoring the taste, his smile widening as he watched Unica walk away.
With a contented expression, he too slowly departed.
Bang!
A heavy sound ca from deep within the training ground, and the ground cracked.
"Armando, why are you standing there instead of going to breakfast?"
Tadel and Curls, who had been chatting, were about to leave but noticed that Armando had been standing still, suddenly smashing the ground in anger. They were puzzled.
Armando seed oblivious, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the ground, his fists trembling lightly as they touched it.
His heart was a mix of emotions, and eventually… it brewed into a surge of unwilling fury.
"Why is Unica so close to him?!"
"Why isn’t that person ?!"
"Is talent really that important?! Why is fate so unfair?!"
"Ah!"
These were his inner thoughts, but the last shout was sothing Armando actually yelled out.
"Armando, you... huh?"
Seeing Armando acting like a madman, Tadel frowned, trying to stop him, but halfway through his words, he suddenly looked surprised!
Before him, Armando's body began to emit wisps of mist.
It wasn’t the vapor of sweat in winter but a greenish aura spreading around him.
A new, powerful force was taking root and sprouting in this winter!
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