After the meeting's conclusion, Thorian conducted a ceremonious funeral for all those who had lost their lives—either in combat or while fleeing the human invaders. After ensuring the deceased were honored with due respect, he permitted those who had reached the zenith of their respective classes to progress further.
In the interim, he returned to the Village Hall with Harald, intending to grant him citizenship. Unfortunately, this proved impossible, as did bestowing a class upon the direwolves. Still, Thorian claimed the reward for the Direwolves Quest, which resulted in the erection of a Wolf Totem adjacent to the Territory Altar. This totem allowed the direwolves to communicate with Wolvendale's citizens as if they too had been granted citizenship. Additionally, the Wolf Totem reinforced the Wooden Wall's material, enhancing its resilience against breaches.
The warrior, priest, and assassin kobolds successfully advanced their classes, leaving the orcs and magi trailing behind. Zogthar and his crew's late arrival meant they were yet to reach their classes' maximum level. The magi, meanwhile, were still striving to attain maximum proficiency in their secondary skills. Ventus had chosen the Fireball spell, Ifrit had taken Rock Bullet, whereas Saxum preferred Wind Gust. Concurrently, Aqua had already selected Wind Gust, influenced by Thorian's prior elucidation of its benefits.
Keen to maximize their time, Thorian assembled his usual party, replacing Nox with Forlune, and embarked on a journey to the Verdant Labyrinth. Mercifully, Harald and the direwolves could also participate in the dungeon—not as party members, but as companions. Since they had already successfully navigated the labyrinth once—despite being less experienced, less numerous, and lacking both preparation and strategy—Thorian and his team entered the dungeon brimming with confidence. During their foray into the first layer, all the magi exclusively practiced their new skills. Despite this self-imposed handicap, the dungeon was completed with ease, and Thorian managed to level up his race once.
The dungeon's bounty included an alchemical recipe, a blacksmith's blueprint, and the requisite materials to create both items. Naturally, they also each pocketed 200 Arcane Coins.
After conquering the first layer, Thorian and his team dared to challenge the second. For Forlune, this was uncharted territory, but he adjusted seamlessly to the new environment. Their expedition through the dungeon, right up to the golden grotto, was effortlessly accomplished. None of the members needed to resort to any skills outside of those they wished to train. Ventus and Thorian even managed to deploy their skill combination after a few attempts. This time around, it was Thorian who initiated Wind Gust, with Ventus following up with the Fireball. The wind magus needed a few attempts to perfect the timing, but he eventually achieved consistent success.
Having already ascended in their classes, Forlune and Vigil seized the spotlight. Forlune confronted each adversary with fierce determination, bolstered by the priest's increasingly potent blessings. Observing their efficient decimation of numerous monsters, Thorian became convinced that the duo could single-handedly conquer the dungeon. Forlune had even acquired a new skill capable of breaching armor, much like the formidable high orcs, positioning him as a foil to the giant guardian.
Upon vanquishing the enormous insect, the team collected their rewards. Among their spoils, the standout item was a Blue Gale axe, awarded to Forlune. This naturally elicited envy from Ventus, but with no magus item in the silver chest, he had no recourse.
As the group departed the dungeon, Ventus broached the topic of challenging the third layer. Thorian quickly quashed this notion. Although their party had benefited from dual leveling, he insisted that they all advance their classes and acquire their advanced skills before tackling higher difficulty layers.
Having accomplished their mission in the Verdant Labyrinth, Thorian and his team began their return journey to the village. Thorian had managed to level up thrice during their venture, once in the first difficulty level and twice in the second. Meanwhile, Vigil had succeeded in advancing his class five times, as the requisite experience was considerably less.
Naturally, Thorian had substantially improved the proficiency of his two remaining spells. Wind Gust had already achieved 100% proficiency, with Earth Bullet not far behind.
As the village drew nearer, Thorian's ears detected a shuffling noise to his right. A broad grin spread across his face as he turned to confront a hobgoblin, lunging at him from a small cliff.
Earth Bullet.
As the rocky projectile pierced the green humanoid's skull, the creature collapsed abruptly, hitting the ground with a thud. Simultaneously, Thorian's eyes widened in response to a notification materializing before him.
Requirement Fulfilled: New Skill Unlocked
Minor Elemental Affinity
Minor Fire Affinity Already Unlocked, Absorbing Lower Skill Proficiency.
Proficiency Absorbed. Minor Fire Affinity Deleted.
"Did something good happen?" Ventus inquired, drawing Thorian back to reality. "It's been a while since I've seen you wear such a broad smile, king."
"Did you unlock a new skill?" Forlune joined in.
"Yes, I did," Thorian replied, grinning. "I'm now eligible to advance my class."
Vigil chuckled, asking, "Congratulations, my king. Do you plan to upgrade your class immediately?"
"There are a few matters I need to address first, but I'll definitely advance soon," Thorian replied, casting a glance at Ventus and Saxum. "In the meantime, I want you two to concentrate solely on enhancing your new skills' proficiency. You wouldn't want to lag behind those who have already advanced."
With those words echoing, Thorian and his team, mounted on their steeds, resumed their journey back to the village. As they drew closer, Thorian opted to examine his status screen. Display Panel
Status Panel Race Flame Kobold Level 20/30 (exp: 23/4400) Class Magus Level 20/20 (exp: MAX) Lifespan 40 years Cultivation realm Qi Gathering Second Stage (21%) Stats Strength 69 Agility 75 Constitution 44 Mana 73 Qi 20 Free Points 15 Skills Minor Elemental Affinity (Passive) Flame resistance (Passive) Fireball (Active) Combustion Touch (Active) Waterball (Active) Wind Gust (Active) Rock Bullet (Active)
Glancing at his status screen, Thorian couldn't suppress a smile. The extent of his progress in the relatively brief time since his reincarnation was indeed extraordinary. However, the moment he took satisfaction in his advancement, the hazy image of a lady in green materialized in his mind, wiping the smile from his face.
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Just who are you? Thorian pondered, biting his lip before shaking his head. It doesn’t matter. No matter who you are or what you know, you will eventually succumb to my wrath. That - I can promise you.
Upon entering the village, the group immediately dispersed. Forlune and Vigil, resolved to quickly elevate their levels, dashed towards their respective units. Meanwhile, Ventus and Saxum concentrated all their efforts on enhancing the proficiency of their fledgling spells.
Thorian, conversely, directed his steps towards the Cultivation Hall. The invasion had left portions of its facilities damaged, but a few rooms remained intact where Thorian could practice his meditation. Given the scarcity of wood and the lack of enough resources for repairs, Thorian relegated this task lower on his priority list.
Reflecting on his monster subjects, Thorian clicked his tongue. It's a shame that they are squandering precious cultivation time, but nothing can be done at the moment. It would be more beneficial to wait until the Cultivation Hall is upgraded before they can truly reap its benefits. Having a true master to guide them in channeling ether through their external channels would be safer than my guidance. There's no point risking Qi deviation when we merely need to wait a few more days.
Thorian's thoughts shifted to Brix, the goblin, as he pondered over the requirement of five hundred citizens needed to upgrade the village. Brix's proposition to broker negotiations with his tribe seemed increasingly appealing. If a large goblin tribe joined their ranks, they might satisfy the criteria for a village upgrade sooner than anticipated.
Brushing aside these distracting thoughts, Thorian entered one of the rooms, taking a deep breath. As was his custom, he carefully set aside his Verdant Robe to avoid soiling it and assumed a lotus position at the room's center.
As he initiated his meditation session, ether swiftly flowed through his external channels, converging towards his dantian. The familiar friction he typically encountered had diminished due to regular cultivation, resulting in channels clean enough to allow smooth ether passage.
Resolved not to repeat yesterday's mistake, Thorian focused solely on amassing more Qi. He was aware that the more Qi he could gather, the greater his chances were of breaching the first gate of the Vermillion Bird meridian.
As time ticked away, Thorian steadfastly continued his meditation technique: deep, measured breaths aiding the flow of ether through his channels, condensing into drops of Qi in his dantian. Soon, his core was brimming with Qi, more than doubling the amount from before he began his session.
After two hours had elapsed, Thorian finally turned his attention to the true challenge. Collecting all the Qi within his dantian, he exerted pressure on the obstructed entrance of the Vermillion Bird meridian. Although he had already unblocked it the previous day, breaking through the viscous, elastic clog that had filled it again remained a significant challenge.
Minutes ticked by slowly as the Qi, akin to a pickaxe, steadily bored through the meridian. As the flow of Qi entered the meridian channel, it gathered momentum, rushing headlong towards the first gate: Ashen Ember.
The Qi pounding at the entrance of the first gate resembled raging ocean waves crashing against the shoreline. Despite failing to break through, Thorian could sense the entrance trembling violently. It was weakening.
Without wasting a moment, Thorian marshalled his Qi once again, retracting it to gain momentum before thrusting it towards the entrance.
This time, a crack appeared. The congested entrance to Ashen Ember was gradually loosening. Thorian was confident that with a few more attempts, he could breach it.
And so he did. Without any delay, he pulled back his accumulated Qi and hammered it once again against the entrance, akin to a sledgehammer. With each successive attempt, more cracks emerged until the obstructive substance was finally loosened.
With one final thrust, Thorian's Qi shattered the repulsive debris and residue barricading the first gate, allowing the Qi to surge into the Ashen Ember gate. The moment Thorian's Qi traversed the entrance, it underwent a fundamental transformation.
It metamorphosed from simple, colorless droplets of energy into fiery, hot orange Qi. The dual forces of fire's destructive and purifying power were imprinted on Thorian's Qi as it nestled within the Ashen Ember Gate, just as it did in the Dantian beneath.
Congratulations. You are the first in your kingdom to break through the Ashen Ember Gate