Carl picked up the rapier from the ground and walked back to Dana and the others, gesturing for them to bandage their wounds.
Thanks to the blond man treating them as a continuous source of Healing Medicine, he hadn’t struck to kill.
Though they were covered in bruises and cuts, none were fatal.
Dana’s eyes reddened with the grief of a companion’s death and the guilt of being powerless against a strong enemy, "It’s our incompetence. We were not only unable to help but also became a burden to you."
Without them, I would have definitely had an easier time.
Carl shook his head, "Gather up Hausman’s body. We’ll head back to Laka Market for now. Don’t go out for the next few days."
"The Dark City is very dangerous."
He looked at them and said slowly, "We can’t relax just because we’ve had a smooth ride recently. Today we encountered a master, and there’s no guarantee we won’t encounter another in the future."
The three nodded and responded quietly. All of them were injured, Carl included. Fortunately, the trip back was uneventful and safe.
「Divine Domain Fragment.」
Carl dropped the weapon in his hand and made his way to where the medicines were kept.
Hmm? A strange sensation made him whirl around. Huh!
He saw the rapier lying on the ground begin to tremble, strands of red energy emanating from it.
No! It wasn’t flowing out; it was being absorbed! The Divine Domain Fragment was devouring something within the rapier.
To facilitate the refining of Potions and meditative practice, Carl had placed many items here, but nothing had ever happened before.
As the master of the Divine Domain Fragment, a realization dawned on Carl. He summoned his data panel with a wave of his hand.
Name: Carl (Master of the Divine Domain Fragment)
Spiritual Power: 1.55
Occupation: Knight’s Attendant, Basic-level Wizard Apprentice
Everything else was normal. Thanks to the Exotic Beast Meat and Potions, his Constitution and spiritual power were steadily increasing.
But the Source Material, which had always been 0, had suddenly risen to 0.7, and related information flooded his mind.
"Source Material, the root of all things, the essence of all forms."
Carl murmured, his eyes shining, "As long as I have Source Material, I can use it to enhance my strength. Isn’t this like allocating attribute points?"
Then... how much Constitution or spiritual power can 0.7 Source Material increase?
With a thought, a warm current flowed into his body, and the 0.92 next to Constitution on the data panel changed to 0.93.
The Source Material decreased by 0.01.
Carl’s eyes flickered. A chill arose in his sea of consciousness, and his spiritual power jumped directly from 1.55 to 1.6.
The Source Material decreased by 0.1.
Two to one? Could it be that spiritual power is more special than Constitution?
Carl frowned slightly. After pondering for a moment, his gaze returned to the Constitution entry.
The warm current suddenly transformed into a roaring tempest. His flesh, bones, organs, and blood began to boil.
This was the threshold for a true Knight.
And the current didn’t stop there; his Constitution continued to strengthen.
Source Material: 0.32
It seems spiritual power isn’t special. Rather, when the value is below one, the enhancement ratio from Source Material is one-to-one. Once the value exceeds one, it requires two units of Source Material to increase by one point.
Carl nodded, then added, What a pity! The Divine Domain Fragment absorbed most of the Source Material, leaving only a small portion for me.
Indeed. Most of the Source Material contained in the rapier was devoured by the Divine Domain Fragment; Carl could use only a small part of it.
After devouring the Source Material, the Divine Domain Fragment also changed somewhat.
It grew larger! Originally, the Divine Domain Fragment was about thirty to forty square meters.
The space wasn’t small, but after Carl had filled it with various items, it had begun to feel cramped.
Now, its area had expanded by five or six square meters. At first glance, it indeed seemed much more spacious.
What a pleasant surprise! Without the aid of absolute rationality, Carl could hardly conceal his excitement. His heart pounded, his face flushed, and he kept clenching and unclenching his hands, feeling the power he now possessed.
1.1. Even though he hadn’t condensed a Life Seed, his body alone could now contend with a Knight’s based on Constitution.
The enhancement of his Constitution also made his previously severe injuries trivial.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his restless emotions. Don’t get too excited. Knights are not only physically powerful but also possess stronger Martial Arts. Some can even unleash Battle Aura. Compared to a formal Knight, I am still not their match.
However... condensing a Life Seed should be easier now.
The breathing method included a technique to condense a Life Seed. Anyone with sufficient Constitution could attempt a breakthrough.
According to Carl’s estimate, a Constitution of at least 0.9 met the minimum requirement.
However, a breakthrough could either succeed or fail. A weaker Constitution increased the likelihood of failure, while a stronger one boosted the odds of success. A Constitution of 1.1 was certainly much higher than 0.9.
Moreover, most Knight’s Attendants used Life Potions to assist their breakthroughs, and Carl had no intention of being an exception.
After all, the side effects of a failed breakthrough were extremely severe. Using a Life Potion would increase the chances of a successful breakthrough and could also save one’s life in case of failure. Why not do it?
Composing himself, Carl raised the rapier. It resembled a Western foil from his previous life, with a chopstick-thin blade and a sharp, fine tip.
Without the Source Material’s reinforcement, it appeared no different than before.
With a flick of his wrist, Carl thrust the rapier into a nearby lab rat, piercing it through effortlessly.
The sharpness hasn’t changed, but... it can’t draw blood anymore! Putting away the rapier, Carl shook his head with regret.
In the blond man’s hands, this rapier could recover from its own damage by devouring the blood of others.
Now, it had lost this wondrous ability.
Hmm... I could make a cane and hide this sword inside. That would certainly catch people off guard.
Carl put down the rapier and picked up his badly damaged broad sword, his face involuntarily showing a pang of regret.
This heirloom weapon is barely holding together. It’s time for a reforge.
As more and more miners were deployed, the gloomy aura shrouding the Forgotten City thinned, and the blurry city gradually became clearer.
Commander Hal peered down at the city below, his eyes narrowing slightly.
For some reason, as I get closer to the Forgotten City, a sense of crisis is quietly emerging in my heart, and it’s becoming increasingly pronounced. Could it be... there’s something terrifying inside?
Hal clenched his fists, his expression suddenly intent. The Forgotten City holds the secrets of the Divine. Now that I’ve encountered it, I must go in and take a look, no matter what.
"Commander!" At that moment, Squad Leader Barnard hurried over from behind, his face alight with elation. "We’ve discovered several hidden passages beneath Pit No. 3 leading to the Forgotten City! They were likely left by people from the past."
"Oh?" Hal raised an eyebrow. "Someone has been to the Forgotten City before?"
"That..." Barnard hesitated, then shook his head. "I’m not sure, but those passages aren’t very safe. There are traps, and Guardian Golems are patrolling them."
"Send someone to scout ahead," Hal commanded. "When will the slaves arrive?"
"Soon," Barnard replied. "Madame Butterfly has purchased the required number of people. They’re on their way and, if things go quickly, they’ll arrive in seven or eight days."
"Tell her to hurry," Hal said. "The news... we can’t keep it under wraps much longer."
"Yes," Barnard complied.