294: Chapter 295 The Warren Family's Reaction

Due to the Bond Aura activated by Lin Muyang, the levels of the four of them—he, Alice, Gui Wanwan, and Sagiri—were all disguised as level 77 under the judgment of the secret realm's rules.

This allowed them to perfectly meet the requirements, and they could obtain full experience point gains from killing any monster within it.

For Sagiri, who started at level 1, this experience was like a surging river, pushing her to the peak of level 49 in a short time; this speed of improvement could be called a miracle.

However, for Lin Muyang himself, whose actual level had reached 100, the experience gained from killing these level 77 legendary-grade monsters, while still considerable, was merely a few decent streams compared to the vast ocean of experience needed for his current level-up, far from reaching a level that could cause a qualitative change.

"The efficiency of experience acquisition is still not ideal."

Lin Muyang felt his experience bar growing slowly but steadily and shook his head slightly, "A level 77 secret realm is too low-level for me.

If I want to level up quickly, I must find a secret realm with a higher level and higher grade, preferably a 100-level mythic grade secret realm, so that the experience gains will be maximized."

He quickly made a decision and instructed the two young ladies beside him, "We won't continue farming here.

Once we clear out the remaining monsters in this secret realm and collect the loot from the first kills, we will leave.

Let's go find a more suitable place."

"Yes, Master."

Alice and Gui Wanwan responded in unison without the slightest hesitation.

The following process was another round of cognitive shock for Sagiri.

The two older sisters, who were as powerful as goddesses in her eyes, began an efficient sweep of this legendary-rank secret realm.

Alice's figure flickered, and wherever she passed, either scarlet blood rain descended silently, frost breath froze everything, or shadows coiled to strangle living things...

She skillfully utilized the skills of the other young ladies obtained through Cooperative Linkage; each one was astonishingly powerful and used with ease.

Those thick-skinned and strangely attributed legendary-grade oozes, lurking vine demons, and blood-vine wild beasts were as fragile as paper in front of her, falling in droves.

Gui Wanwan was like the most elegant messenger of death; she did not often attack directly, but more often controlled underworld energy to perform battlefield control, weaken enemies, or precisely finish them off.

Her attacks were often silent, yet carried a chill that went straight to the soul; many monsters often fell into eternal darkness before they even understood what had happened.

And what made Sagiri widen her eyes and almost unable to breathe was what happened after those monsters died.

On the corpse of every monster killed for the first time, dazzling, mesmerizing, deep red light would suddenly burst forth!

The light was pure and powerful, carrying an indescribable rhythm of rules.

The red light quickly converged and condensed, turning into pieces of equipment with various shapes and flowing colors, or skill books with mysterious runes branded on their covers, emitting vast fluctuations of knowledge, hovering in mid-air.

"Deep... deep red light... mythic grade?!"

Sagiri covered her small mouth, nearly screaming out loud.

She had learned in the basic education at the orphanage that the color of the light emitted when equipment and skill books dropped corresponded to their grade.

Such a pure and deep red was exactly the mark of a mythic grade!

But this was clearly a level 77 legendary-rank secret realm!

According to common sense, it could at most produce legendary-grade equipment and skill books, with a very small probability of drops exceeding the secret realm's level, but it was absolutely impossible for it to be like this, where almost every monster above elite rank would stably drop mythic grade items upon death!

This completely violated all the common sense she had learned!

"Another piece of mythic grade cloth armor for a mage."

Lin Muyang casually put a mage robe emitting a soft moonlight glow into his storage space, his tone carrying a trace of faint helplessness, "Mage equipment drops the most.

Warrior and Priest equipment are relatively balanced, and there are quite a few for Assassins and Archers... but the proportion of Mages around me is too high."

He looked at Alice, Gui Wanwan, and Sagiri beside him, and thought of the young ladies in the Eternal Garden... indeed, Mages occupied half the territory.

Although the Cooperative Linkage trait allowed everyone to use each other's skills, the basic attribute bonuses of equipment were still bound to classes, and the consumption rate of Mage equipment was far higher than other classes.

"If only there were a function or item for equipment conversion..."

Lin Muyang shook his head and temporarily suppressed this thought, "skill books are more practical; now everyone can share and use them."

At this moment, his gaze fell on a skill book he had just taken out, with a dark gold cover and phantom images of time sand flowing along the edges.

【Time Stasis Barrier (mythic grade)】

【Type: Barrier Master exclusive skill book】

【Effect: Create a persistent Time Stasis Barrier.

All enemy units within the barrier will have their time flow significantly slowed (the effect depends on the caster's Spirit attribute and Barrier Master Talent).

This effect is a deceleration at the concept of time level, which cannot be dispelled, purified, or negated by conventional resistance, and can only be countered or overwritten by time-type abilities of equal or higher level.】

【Learning Requirement: Level 50 or above, Barrier Master class, Spirit attribute higher than 10,000 points.】

"Time Slow Barrier... conceptual deceleration?"

A flash of interest crossed Lin Muyang's eyes.

This skill was interesting; unlike ordinary slow debuffs, it acted directly on the "time" level, and its priority was very high.

He turned his head to look at Sagiri, who was still stunned by the mythic grade radiance everywhere, and casually tossed this precious skill book over.

"Catch.

Your level is about right, learn it first."

Sagiri caught the flying skill book in a flurry; it was slightly heavy in her hand, the cover was cold, and it contained the power of time laws that made her soul tremble slightly.

She subconsciously checked the attributes, and when she saw the words "mythic grade" and the incredible effect description, her brain fell into a brief blankness again.

Myth... mythic grade skill book?!

Just gave it to her like that?

As easily as giving a piece of candy?

"M... Master, this is too precious!

I only have an E-rank Talent; even if I learn it, I won't be able to unleash much power, it's a complete waste..."

Sagiri held the skill book tightly, as if holding a branding iron, feeling both scorching and precious, as well as deep anxiety and inferiority.

As a Barrier Master with an E-rank Talent, what right did she have to possess and use a mythic grade skill?

This was simply a waste of a heavenly treasure!

"Level 57, not bad, but it can be higher."

Lin Muyang did not directly respond to her anxiety, but first glanced at her level before casting his deep gaze at her pretty face lowered in inferiority, "I know your Talent, E-rank, Weak Barrier Resonance."

Sagiri's delicate body trembled, and she looked up abruptly, her eyes full of confusion.

How could he know so clearly?

Even the specific name of the Talent?

"However, it doesn't matter."

Lin Muyang's tone remained calm, yet carried an unquestionable certainty, "Talents are not immutable."

Sagiri was stunned.

Previously, Lin Muyang had used methods that could be called miracles to raise the Talent of her former companions to C-rank; could it be that this was not his upper limit?

Looking at her dazed eyes, which also held a trace of unbelievable hope, Lin Muyang suddenly chuckled, reached out, and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek, which was slightly cold due to nervousness.

"Don't think too much, and don't feel burdened."

His voice softened, carrying a convincing magic, "From the moment you decided to follow me, your life trajectory has already changed.

The weakness, inferiority, and despair of the past will all become pages that have been turned.

It won't be long before you find that what you once had to look up to, you can now look at on equal terms; what you once felt was unattainable, may already be at your feet.

Even making the entire Atlantis World look up to you is not impossible."

"Look... look up to me?"

Sagiri was completely dumbfounded, repeating these words that were as absurd as a dream.

Let the whole world look up to her?

Her?

An E-rank Barrier Master who was begging in a dirty alley not long ago and could have died silently at any moment?

How is this possible?

Even though Lin Muyang had demonstrated various incredible abilities, the weight of this statement was still so heavy that she couldn't imagine it, and she even felt a trace of instinctive fear.

However, when Lin Muyang said these words, his expression was so natural, and his eyes were so calm, as if he were just stating a fact that was about to happen and was as ordinary as could be.

There was no passion of grand rhetoric, no deliberately created sentimentality, only a calmness derived from absolute strength.

It was precisely this calmness that instead cast a huge stone into Sagiri's heart, stirring up unprecedented ripples.

She suddenly realized that her understanding of this Master was probably still stuck on the most superficial surface.

The power and secrets he possessed were far deeper than the miracles she had already seen.

A complex emotion mixed with shock, confusion, and inferiority, yet quietly giving birth to a faint flame, churned in her heart.

"I... I will work hard, Master."

A thousand words were stuck in her chest, and in the end, they only turned into a weak yet firm response.

She hugged the mythical grade skill book in her arms tightly, as if holding a heavy contract that would change her destiny.

Not long after, the Blood Vine Cavern secret realm was completely cleared.

Lin Muyang harvested over twenty pieces of mythic grade equipment and several mythical grade skill books; although the class distribution was not satisfactory, it was still an astonishing fortune.

Sagiri's level eventually stopped at level 58, her attributes skyrocketed, and her control over power was still unfamiliar, but her eyes were completely different from when they first met.

The four left the secret realm and reappeared in that clearing surrounded by poisonous man-eating flowers.

Under the dual cover of Divine Concealment and the Void Aura, they rose into the air silently and sped towards the next target detected by Alice through the Nether Eye—that was a mythic grade secret realm entrance located deep in a mountain range over 1,300 kilometers away, with a level as high as 101.

There, richer experience and higher-level loot would be waiting for them.

Meanwhile, in Stanro City, the noble district, the Valen family mansion.

The atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water.

In the luxuriously decorated hall, a middle-aged man wearing a magnificent purple mage robe, with a dignified face and sinister eyes, sat on the main seat.

He was the current patriarch of the Valen family and one of the few powerhouses in Stanro City, Virgil Valen.

Below, several Class Transferees wearing city guard officer uniforms with sharp Auras, as well as stewards responsible for intelligence and security within the family, were bowing to report, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"Still haven't found him? Trash!"

Virgil's voice was not loud, but carried a bone-chilling coldness, "Valen is my most valued son!

He went out with his guards, and it has been over six hours since he went missing!

No sight of him alive, no corpse to be found!

I can't even sense the bloodline tracking mark on him, as if he evaporated into thin air!

What are you city guards for?

Are the spies our family raises all blind?"

"Patriarch, please calm down!"

A city guard squad leader answered while bracing himself, "We reviewed the magic monitoring playback of the area where Young Master Valen last appeared, and found that the images in that area appeared weirdly blurred and missing during a specific time period, as if affected by a highly sophisticated illusion or spatial interference.

We also repeatedly surveyed the scene; there were no traces of fighting, no bloodstains, no energy residue... it was eerily clean."

"Family spies reported," a steward added, his voice trembling, "The last time someone saw the Young Master, it was near the lower city; the Young Master seemed to be with the second son of the Hawke family, taking a few informants into the depths of the alley.

According to what the informant Third Luo vaguely revealed earlier, it seemed they had discovered some good merchandise."

"Good merchandise?"

A cold light flashed in Virgil's eyes, and he instantly understood something; his expression became even uglier.

He naturally knew about his son's sordid hobbies.

To go missing over a few lowly drifters?

And it even involves the Hawke family?"

"What movement is there on the Hawke family side?"

"The Hawke family is also investigating in secret; their second son also went missing together.

So far, there has been no information shared, and it looks like they are also having a headache."

Virgil's fingers tapped heavily on the gem-encrusted back of the chair, making a dull sound.

Two noble sons, in the city, in broad daylight, went missing at the same time, with no clues at all.

This was definitely not an ordinary accident or vendetta.

To be able to do this so cleanly and without leaving a trace, it was either an expert whose strength far exceeded theirs, or an existence that had mastered some extremely rare and special ability.

Was it an assassin hired by a rival family?

Or a lawless, powerful lone traveler passing through Stanro City?

Or perhaps those resistance forces hiding in the dark who have always been dissatisfied with the nobles monopolizing resources?"

Whichever one it was, it meant trouble, and meant a provocation to the majesty of the Valen family and the Hawke family.

"Send more men, expand the search range!

Mobilize all the forces you can, including informants in the underworld!"

Virgil ordered coldly, his voice full of killing intent, "I want to see them alive, or see their corpses!

Also, keep a close eye on all strange and suspicious high-ranking Class Transferees in the city!

Especially those who have entered the city in the last day or two!

If there is any abnormality, report it immediately!"

"Yes!"

The crowd below responded in unison, not daring to breathe loudly.

Virgil stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at Stanro City, which was brightly lit but had undercurrents surging beneath it.

Although his son was useless, he was still his bloodline and represented the face of the Valen family.

This matter must not be let go easily.

"No matter who you are, if you dare to touch someone from my Valen family... you will pay the price."

He muttered to himself, his eyes as cold as a venomous snake.