A group of Awakeners waved their Combat Sabers in training.
The shiny blades glinted in the sunlight, as they gripped the handles tightly and swung out, the blades cleaving the air and the whistling sound of wind cutting echoed throughout the training grounds.
"The equipment provided to us Awakeners are all Rune Battle Blades, and this…" The deputy commander of the second battalion walked over to the area where weapons and equipment were placed, and with one move, he lifted the cover cloth off the rack to reveal the dark muzzles below.
"My most beloved 160 mm mortar, refurbished to shoot specialized rune shells. Needless to say about its power, if one round doesn't resolve the problem, then it's just a matter of firing another."
The person in charge from Heng City was filled with envy as he spoke sincerely, "Your rune weapons are truly impressive. We still haven't found a way to integrate runes into equipment back in our place. Truly worthy of Academician Sun."
The deputy commander's mouth curled up into a smile, "This time by taking back some rune samples, you will soon be able to figure out the method of producing rune equipment."
He couldn't help but feel proud.
Heng City's strength was a notch above Lindong, which was why Heng City had sent a convoy to exchange with Lindong. There was no rivalry or desire to compete, but as they were both military men, Heng City had significantly more advanced Awakeners than Lindong.
The deputy commander felt rather downcast, sensing himself at a disadvantage, but fortunately, in terms of equipment, they were far ahead of Heng City.
'Ah, wait a minute, rune equipment, it seems the science academy also got stuck on that before, and it was because of that kind.. Right, the Demon-slaying Longsword, and then Lindong's version of rune equipment was developed'
He pondered, realizing that if they hadn't chanced upon the Demon-slaying Longsword, their progress on researching rune equipment might not have been much faster than Heng City's.
Suddenly, the deputy commander felt depressed again.
He decided not to think about it anymore and led the people from Heng City on a tour around the military camp while exchanging combat experiences.
"Why don't we hold a simple exchange meeting, where everyone can share their insights on fighting Demonized Beasts. Combat isn't something you can learn by just reading about it—it's incomparable to warriors sharing their personal experiences."
The person from Heng City suggested.
The deputy commander thought about it and nodded, "That's a good idea, especially for ability users, exchanging ideas might lead to discovering new ways to utilize their abilities."
"Since it's an exchange for ability users, we shouldn't limit it to our military's ability users only. There are plenty of ability users among civilians as well. While they may not be as strong, their development and use of abilities might not be much worse. How about I call some ability users from this convoy as well?"
"Sounds good, I'll also call some of Lindong's well-known ability users."
He was a decisive person, and instructed his subordinates to arrange it on the spot.
Both sides would benefit from an ability exchange, and in the deputy commander's opinion, those ability users should be eager to come here.
Sure enough, those people did not keep him waiting long. Within ten minutes, the soldiers he sent out had brought the ability users to the scene.
However, upon seeing the number of people arriving, the deputy commander was stunned, "Why are there so few?"
With his position, he had access to the mercenaries' profiles and was aware of how many ability users were in Lindong.
The number present was not even one-fifth of that; "Could it be that they are still out in the field and haven't returned to the Sanctuary yet?"
He glanced at the sky; the setting sun was tilted towards the end of the heavens, leaving only a trace of orange glow lingering over the earth.
Based on the time, the majority of the mercenaries out on missions should have returned to the Sanctuary by now.
The soldier saluted and reported, "Reporting to the commander, most of the mercenaries have already returned to the Sanctuary, but the top tier mercenary teams are nowhere to be found. I asked the person in charge of the mission center. It seems those people hurried off again after returning to the Sanctuary, saying if they were slow they'd miss out."
"Oh, right, most of those mercenaries who left in a rush were Awakeners who escaped from the Secret Realm."
The soldier's tone carried confusion.
The deputy commander: "..."
Although he was unsure what had happened, he felt as though someone had cut him off.
Annoyance for no apparent reason!
Tang Yu walked out of the Spirit Space feeling refreshed and lively.
He still did not know that the advertisement he had planted in the Secret Realm was gradually taking effect.
The mercenaries in Lindong clung to the opportunity to buy the Demon-slaying Longsword, but mercenaries were mercenaries after all, and someone always had a big mouth.
"Zhang Laosan, I'm telling you a secret, and I'm only telling you this because of the life-and-death bond between us. You mustn't tell anyone else…"
"Li Laosi, I've heard a secret. If we hadn't grown up wearing the same pants, I would never tell you this…"
Word of mouth spread; ten told a hundred. While not everyone in Lindong was aware, within that particular circle, many knew about the Green Shadow Sanctuary, and the real seller of the Demon-slaying Longsword.
The mercenaries also exaggerated Tang Yu and his companions' frightening strength in the Secret Realm.
No one doubted, for these words all came from members of top squads, even those belonging to the Four Great Mercenary Corps, relations forged in life-and-death situations and close as the pants they wore. Some Awakeners, outstanding in their power, didn't even bother to rest, rushing to Green Shadow through the night.
They had just experienced an explosive increase in strength, a sensation of unmatched prowess while cutting down hordes in their Spirit Space.
Tang Yu had no idea that in the real world, a whole bunch of chives were eagerly waiting for the mercy of the sickle.
After dinner, Tang Yu brought Eileen to the tavern.
"Lord, what brings us here?"
She had a deep impression of this place—it was here that she first laid eyes on this world, the quaint tavern, and the Lord standing within.
He smiled and handed her a bottle of wine.
That scene, she would never forget for the rest of her life.
"Come on, let's go to the second floor. You'll understand when we get there."
Eileen, dressed in a beige dress, climbed the stairs following Tang Yu.
Upon reaching the second floor, she saw the five lifelike statues at the far end.
Tang Yu was about to start explaining the Mage's inheritance to Eileen.
But he saw the girl suddenly freeze.
Her eyes were fixed on one Mage Statue, and she took steps toward it, a step at a time, slowly advancing.
Not just Eileen, the Mage Statue itself seemed to resonate, as if it had been silent for ages and couldn't wait to awaken.
Tang Yu quickly activated the Inheritance System.
Bright light scattered the darkness, and the surroundings became as clear as day.
The Mage Statue seemed to come to life, and the phantom of the Frost Mage appeared behind it, significantly more tangible than the Demon Swordsman phantom that had appeared before him.
Even the pupils within that phantom seemed to traverse the river of time, projecting into the tavern.
A pale blue column of light enveloped Eileen.
The inheritance began.
Her eyes closed, pale blue hair floated upward, her skirt danced about, serene and graceful. Under Tang Yu's gaze, her body slowly began to float, defying gravity, rising to the same height as the phantom.
Eileen's aura fully released, Awakening Seventh Layer, Awakening Eighth Layer, Awakening Ninth Layer... all the way to the peak of Ninth Layer, hitting the second bottleneck of the Awakening Tier.
Tang Yu's mouth hung open in astonishment.
Receiving an inheritance could improve strength too? How... How did he completely miss out???
The white light of the Mage Statue gradually dimmed, and Tang Yu thought the Frost Mage's inheritance was about to end. However, the pale blue column of light grew even brighter, condensing into an ellipsoid that enveloped Eileen.
A sound as soft as a mosquito's whisper.
The beige dress Eileen was wearing, along with the pure white sneakers on her feet, instantly shattered into light particles.
Tang Yu's eyes widened.
As the Holy Light faded, Eileen had completely transformed.
She was dressed in a resplendent ice-blue gown, her feet adorned with shimmering purple-blue crystal shoes. A pair of earrings with Blue Crystal inlay and bordered patterns took shape by her ears.
On her head, she wore a headdress with Mysterious Inscriptions, and in her hand, she gripped an Ice Crystal Magic Wand nearly as tall as she was.
The scene was dreamlike.
Not just the spectacle, but also Eileen, at the very center of the light ensemble.
Tang Yu's mouth remained agape, unable to close for a long time.
Had the inheritance he received been a fake?