After his initial success gathering healing potion ingredients, Hikaru replicated the journey several times across different spots based on the map provided by Briana. His flying ability granted him a speed advantage over a typical D-rank mercenary group, resulting in substantial earnings. Some of his wealth was used to buy additional clothing, a small backpack, a large backpack, a small tent, and other useful utensils. After accounting for all these expenses, Hikaru was left with 7 gold and 10 silver coins.
As word spread about Oliver’s Clinic offering healing potions, the patient influx steadily grew. Nevertheless, Hikaru's rapid ingredient procurement surpassed the pace of potion usage, leading to an oversupply at the clinic. Fortunately, healing potions cannot spoil, so the surplus posed no risk to the clinic.
Hikaru halted his trips after Briana informed him that the clinic had more than enough healing potions. He returned Cyril's adventure card, knowing he wouldn't need it for a while. During this time, Hikaru dedicated all his energy and focus to mastering the chi control technique. With Lucretia's guidance, his training progressed smoothly, and before long, he successfully mastered the technique. After mastering the technique, Hikaru proceeded to meditate to examine his own stats.
Name : Kaya Hikaru
Cell Regen Rate : Moderate
Age : 18 years
Lifespan : 395 /400 years
Race : Human Lord
Sub-race : Bamborean
Soul Space : 20 Vose
Sacred Essence : 10.1 /10.1 Vose
Chi : 116k /116k
Chi Regen : 19.33 chi /minute
Mana : 165k /165k
Mana Regen : 4.58 mana /second
Attributes:
Str: 46 (16); Def: 36 (16); Int: 105 (24); Wits: 64 (24)
Affinities:
Fire: 64 (20); Water: 20 (20); Earth: 20 (20); Wind: 20 (20)
Resistances:
Heat: 3%; Cold: 3%; Electricity: 3%; Poison: 9%.
Traits & Talents & Imprints: Amun-Ra Elemental Sovereign Bloodline (trait)
Existential Essence composition: 9.9 Vose (0.9 Vose of Incomplete Skill Anima)
Fire Sovereign (Innate Skill/L1-L2): Phoenix Spiritual Booster (passive/L1), Phoenix Wings (active/L1), Fiery Breath (active/L2), Blazing Assault (active/L2)
Fire Sovereign (Innate Skill/L3-L4/locked): at least 200 points of fire affinity.
Neutral Magic (Solo Skill/L1-L2): Mana Control (active/L1), Magnifying Glass (active/L1), Mana Modulation (active/L2), Kudu Shrimp's Vision Mimicry (active/L2)
Body Arts (Solo Skill/L1): Body Fortification (active/L1)
* Chi Control (passive/L1): This technique allows the user to suppress or amplify the amount of chi their body emits, which can make others misjudge the user’s strength.
Leg Arts (Solo Skill/L1): Leg Chi (active/L1)
Fire Magic (Solo Skill/L1): Fireball (active/L1)
Status Effects: Irregular Soul, Extremely Severe Bloodline Regression
Hikaru was satisfied with his training progress as he completed his meditation. He briefly borrowed Lucretia’s Aura Monocle and adeptly applied the chi control technique to regulate the amount of chi he emitted. Committed to maintaining a low profile, Hikaru ensured his chi emission always remained within the medium range of a regular orby, rather than his normal range, which was a typical lord-grade orby.
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As night fell, Hikaru found himself alone in his bedroom, contemplating the uncertain path that lay ahead. The stillness of the room was broken only by the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the window, casting long shadows across the floor. Thoughts of the halted Aran war and General Fujimoto's mysterious disappearance weighed heavily on his mind. Lost in thought, he was abruptly interrupted by a tapping sound at his bedroom window — a crow seeking his attention.
He was shocked to see the crow for two reasons. Firstly, birds as animals were really rare, as most of them had died or transformed into beasts long ago. Secondly, crows usually have a timid nature, so they wouldn’t purposely call someone out. The fact that the crow was purposefully tapping his window piqued his interest, so he opened his window to welcome it.
The crow entered his room and unexpectedly spoke: “You must be Hikaru. General Fujimoto sends his regards. The General wishes to meet you. Come to the Brimstone Monkey Tavern near the Merchant Guild branch of Windmore city tomorrow at the eleventh hour!”
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The crow didn’t wait for Hikaru replies, but instead just directly flew away. Hikaru was taken aback by the talking crow and didn’t have time to react to the situation.
Hikaru pondered in his mind: 'How the hell the General knew my location? And what’s with the talking crow? Is this a trap? No, it shouldn't be. If it were, they wouldn't need to ask me to come to a tavern in the middle of a city.'
The next morning, wearing a cloak that partially obscured his face, Hikaru headed to the Brimstone Monkey Tavern mentioned by the crow. He then conducted a thorough perimeter check of the area surrounding the tavern, where he was scheduled to meet the general. He did this to determine possible points of entry to the tavern, as well as the fastest escape routes. After he was done with the perimeter check, he positioned himself in the bakery across the street with a clear view of the tavern while waiting for the general.
Hikaru waited patiently at the bakery until General Fujimoto, wearing a dog-patterned mask that covered only the upper part of his face, headed to his location instead of the tavern.
General Fujimoto briefly showed his face and greeted Hikaru, saying: “Greetings. Shall we proceed to the tavern?”
Hikaru followed the general while replying: “Of course, General. Let's head to the tavern."
Hikaru thought to himself: ‘Shit, I forgot the general can observe souls.’
Hikaru entered the tavern and took a seat across from the general in a private room. As they waited for their dishes to arrive, General Fujimoto broke the silence with a question: “So, how did you end up in Windmore city?”
Hikaru replied, recalling the recent events: “Oh, I stumbled upon an injured Elvira citizen and rushed her to the hospital. The guards allowed me to pass without checking any credentials due to the urgency of the situation.”
General Fujimoto nodded approvingly. “Resourceful, I like smart subordinates!” he remarked. “By the way, I heard you managed to escape from the Cathunter detaining facility. How did you pull that off?”
Hikaru thought to himself: ‘The General seems to have misunderstood my motives, thinking that I schemed to enter the city. Somehow, General also learned about what happened at the Cathunter detaining facility. If he knew about my Amun-Ra Elemental Sovereign Bloodline, he would be wary of me. Let's fabricate a believable lie.’
Hikaru responded to General Fujimoto's question, saying: “During my last experiment, I successfully activated my clan's Fiery Fowl bloodline. However, before I could submit my report, the Cathunter army raided our base. Now, I plan to upgrade my Fiery Fowl bloodline, but I lack the necessary equipment and blood to create the serum.”
General Fujimoto remarked: “Impressive, against all odds you survived a DNA integration procedure with only a 10% success rate. However, don’t get too greedy. While you may have been lucky the first time, the upgrade could be fatal. Furthermore, most of my assets have been seized by the Bailey Military, so I am forced to suspend all of my research.”
Hikaru then probed the General about the situation: “General, what exactly happened? Why was your secret base raided by the Bailey Military?”
Shortly after the waiter finished bringing all the dishes, the General looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping and proceeded to tell the story: “You might remember when you started making a lot of progress in your research, there was a time when I was absent for a long period. During that time, I was meeting with my supplier to gather more supplies for our research. On my way back, I encountered Princess Marcela Elvira leading a Cathunter army battalion while holding a very precious artifact called Orb Converter. Upon seeing the artifact, I was tempted to steal it. So I instructed my subordinates to head back to the base with our supplies, while I myself searched for an opportunity to take the artifact.”
The General elaborated on his story: “This little girl, being a young human lord, was rather immature and went to war solely to gain recognition from the king. Taking advantage of her carelessness, I disguised myself as a Cathunter soldier and infiltrated her military tent after her army marched that day. I managed to retrieve the artifact from her tent, but not before she discovered me. I was then pursued by her and her subordinates, but thanks to the speed of my horse, I managed to successfully escape.”
Hikaru furrowed his brow in concern. "What happened to Princess Marcela? I heard a rumor that she was abducted!"
General Fujimoto's expression remained unreadable as he responded: "I don’t know for sure, but I doubt she had been abducted. The rumor was probably purposely spread by Elvira Kingdom’s agents to pressure Bailey Kingdom."
Hikaru's eyes widened with alarm. "Pressure Bailey Kingdom to do what?"
"To apprehend me without stating the real reason," General Fujimoto explained, his tone grave.
"The king of Elvira is probably furious and plans to use the princess as a pretext to initiate a full-scale war with Bailey Kingdom. The Orb Converter is a priceless heirloom. If it falls into the hands of other nobles or enemies, the power dynamics could easily shift."
"But General," Hikaru interjected, his voice tinged with disbelief, "all your assets, research, connections—everything has been seized! Is it worth risking a full-scale war just to acquire this one artifact?"
Hikaru couldn't help but think: 'What a psycho, risking a war over an artifact!'
General Fujimoto's smile was enigmatic. "No need to worry! Instead, you should thank me. You see, I heard that the King of Bailey plans to give the Aran mine to Elvira to appease them, so you don’t need to worry about the Aran war anymore."
Hikaru was astonished, his thoughts racing: ‘Absurd! All my squad mates are gone, and now the king plans to hand over the mine we fought for with our blood to the enemies! How cheap are we!? What about the sacred duty the army recruiter was spouting?’
General Fujimoto then handed Hikaru a metallic box approximately the size of a zippo lighter and said: “I didn't call you here without reason. Inside the Bead Box are 10 Red Eden beads for your overdue salary as well as your bonus. You can use these beads directly as currency in major establishments or exchange them for other types of currency at the merchant guild. Your next task is to obtain a unique silver flask from my residence in Bailey Kingdom. Are you up for the task?”
Eden beads are a currency created by the merchant guild through a complex process. Each bead, measuring just 1 cubic centimeter, features an engraved Eden crest and color coding corresponding to its denomination. When placed on water, the beads emit a dim light in the corresponding color. Additionally, shining a flashlight on them produces a 3D hologram of the Eden crest, displaying its grade and serial number.
Hikaru accepted the bead box and hesitated, voicing his concern: “General, I was a fugitive in Elvira Kingdom. Bailey Military was supposed to transfer me along with your other subordinates to the Cathunter detaining facility, so it's risky for me to go to Bailey.”
General Fujimoto: “Do you have your Bailey Citizenship card with you?”
Hikaru: “Yes I have.”
General Fujimoto replied: “Then it doesn’t matter. Bailey doesn’t concern itself with fugitives from other kingdoms, and you aren’t important enough to be on Elvira's radar in the first place. So, don’t worry – you are safe in both Elvira and Bailey kingdoms as long as you avoid encountering those who captured you.”
Hikaru: “Although the Aran war has been temporarily halted, it is still ongoing. I can't just use my Bailey Citizenship card to pass the security to leave the city!”
General Fujimoto: “Nonsense, even if the Aran war wasn’t halted, all Bailey citizens can still come and go as they please. The Aran war is merely a competition between the nobles of Elvira and the Bailey kingdom.”
Hikaru was taken aback by the answer and pondered: 'Bailey truly views their citizens as expendable! All the identity borrowing was really unnecessary. It's good to know, but can I reject the General's proposal? No, let’s play along. I can use the additional money and learn more about his methods. Plus, considering he is a bloodthirsty psychotic killer, there is no telling what he's going to do if I reject him. He can track me down and make my life difficult.’
After Hikaru finished his thoughts, he agreed to take on the mission. He then engaged in a thorough discussion with General Fujimoto, delving into the intricate details of the task at hand. The General provided Hikaru with a detailed map of Bailey Kingdom and a key for accessing a secret passage leading to his residence.