Ethan was practically vibrating with excitement, his eyes gleaming like a child's on festival day. Kael couldn't help but sweatdrop internally—the old mage's obsession with artificing had reached fanatical levels.
"Forty mana cannons?" Kael raised an eyebrow. The amount of Solarite here wasn't particularly large—how could it possibly yield forty cannons?
Ethan nodded vigorously. "With the previous batch, I used most of it for experimentation, resulting in many defective products and significant waste. But now it's different! I'm confident I can utilize every ounce of Solarite efficiently to produce flawless mana cannons!"
His tone brimmed with absolute authority—when it came to alchemy, Ethan was the undisputed master.
"Then I'll leave it in your hands, Master," Kael said with a faint smile.
Ethan chuckled darkly, secretly pleased. No matter how monstrous this kid becomes, he still needs my alchemical expertise in the end!
"Don't worry, leave it to me. Within a month, your territory will be fortified with forty additional mana cannons!" Ethan declared triumphantly.
"A month? That long?" Kael blinked. Last time, Ethan had produced several cannons in just a few days—why the sudden delay?
Ethan's eyes burned with the fervor of a mad scientist dissecting lab rats, making Kael sigh internally. "Heh, now that I finally have proper materials, I intend to thoroughly research improvements to the mana cannons' functionality. That's why it'll take longer," Ethan explained, rubbing his hands together.
Kael's eyes lit up. Improving the mana cannons?!
The destructive power of mana cannons was already terrifying—could Ethan actually enhance them further?
"Master, are you certain you can refine them?"
Ethan shook his head. "I can't guarantee success. Mana cannons are the pinnacle of goblin engineering—back in the day, they were dubbed 'Mage-Killers.' Their craftsmanship is unimaginably precise. Merely replicating them is an achievement. As for improvements... I can't promise results, but I do have some leads."
Kael exhaled in understanding. Even so, this was astonishing. Ethan's alchemical prowess had truly reached the apex—perhaps even rivaling Kael's own mastery of potion-making.
After chatting briefly with Kael, Ethan couldn't wait any longer and hurried off to his laboratory in the magic tower.
Watching Ethan's retreating figure, Kael shook his head with a wry smile. After a moment's thought, he too made his way to the Tower of Hope.
At present, he had only achieved a preliminary fusion with the fire element and grasped the basics of its profound truths. There was still one final step before complete mastery. If he could fully integrate the fire element sooner, his strength would undoubtedly grow even further.
As Kael's power continued to increase, the difficulty of challenging opponents above his level also rose. In the past, with the aid of his Thunderflame Eyes, he had been able to instantly kill ninth-rank experts while only at the eighth rank. But now, such feats were becoming increasingly rare.
Those who reached the tenth rank and beyond all possessed their own hidden cards. While it might still be possible to challenge and defeat someone a minor rank above him, the idea of Kael killing an eleventh-rank expert at this stage was nearly unthinkable.
Entering the Tower of Hope, Kael sat in quiet meditation, immersing himself in the flow of fire elemental energy.
The power of fire surged toward him, enveloping his body as if he were submerged in molten lava. Yet, far from feeling discomfort, Kael found the sensation pleasant—these flames were like an extension of his own being, causing him no distress whatsoever.
After cultivating for some time, Kael painstakingly guided the fire element into his spiritual sea, drop by drop. It was a slow and arduous process, and despite his tremendous effort, he had only made the slightest sliver of progress.
"It seems I'll need some kind of fortuitous encounter or opportunity to break through,"Kael sighed inwardly.
By now, the sky had darkened, the silver moon hanging high amidst a scattering of stars.
Since his cultivation wasn't yielding significant results, Kael decided to stop for the time being and go check on Amelia.
As Kael's strength grew, Amelia had begun to feel the pressure. Lately, she had thrown herself into frenzied training, hoping to improve her own abilities enough to be of some help to him.
Kael didn't try to dissuade her—Amelia had always been strong-willed and independent, and she knew her limits. He trusted her judgment.
Still, it was late. She might still be training...
Leaving the Tower of Hope, Kael headed toward the plaza in the lord's manor.
The moonlight was hazy, casting a serene yet strangely desolate stillness over the surroundings.
Suddenly, Kael's instincts screamed a warning.
A nearly imperceptible thread of killing intent brushed against his senses. Fortunately, his spiritual perception was sharp enough to detect it.
"Whoever this is, they're extremely skilled at concealing their presence—a true expert!"
Kael's eyes narrowed. In an instant, his miniature world unfurled, enveloping the area within a radius of several thousand meters. Within this domain, all movement became sluggish, as if trapped in a mire of thick mud.
In the span of a single breath, Kael sensed his opponent's speed falter slightly.
A streak of green light flashed—revealing the figure of an assassin. The assailant was short in stature, clad entirely in black, with only a pair of murderous eyes visible above the cloth mask. In their hand gleamed a dagger, its blade emitting a faint green glow—the very source of the cold light Kael had glimpsed moments ago.
Kael's brow furrowed. A poisoned dagger!
A single glance was all it took for Kael to recognize the lethal toxin coating the blade. This was no ordinary poison—likely a venom exclusive to magical beasts of the tenth rank or higher.
Without a doubt, this was a targeted assassination attempt!
Kael didn't hesitate. In an instant, he activated his Thunderflame Eyes.
At a time like this, the Thunderflame Eyes were his fastest means of counterattack—requiring no incantation. A magic circle materialized in Kael's pupils as intertwined bolts of lightning and flames erupted forth, engulfing the assassin in a searing inferno!
The sheer power of the Thunderflame Eyes forced a pained growl from the assassin. However, the assailant's clothing seemed to be woven from some extraordinary material, boasting formidable magic resistance. Though devastating, Kael's attack didn't kill the assassin outright—only left them severely wounded.
Strike once, then vanish without a trace.
The assassin reacted with lightning reflexes. Realizing Kael's overwhelming strength, they immediately retreated, their figure blurring as they darted backward at blinding speed.
But Kael had no intention of letting them escape. This time, he wielded earth magic:
"Hundredfold Gravity!"
A tenth-rank earth spell. The assassin's movement abruptly slowed to a crawl, as if wading through molasses—every step now as sluggish as a snail's pace!
This was the might of a tenth-rank mage. Beyond the eighth rank, the dominance of magic-users became undeniable; warriors could no longer rely on brute force alone in such confrontations.
And Kael? He ensured the assassin couldn't even dream of fleeing.
The assassin's strength hovered around the early tenth rank—a cut above the rest. But unfortunately for them, their opponent was Kael.
A cold glint flashed in Kael's eyes as he prepared to capture the assassin for interrogation—when suddenly, another streak of light erupted from his left!
Damn it, there's another one! Two assassins!
The second assassin was also tenth-rank, moving with terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, they closed the distance, their hand erupting with a blinding radiance. The strike carried a force so sharp it could split mountains and sunder the earth.
Kael reacted instantly, retreating as a Lightning Barrier materialized around him. The shield shattered under the impact—but not before deflecting the lethal blow.
"Target's strength exceeds projections. Retreat!" The second assassin growled, their voice a hoarse rasp.
The two assassins moved in perfect sync, immediately disengaging with practiced precision. Kael's power had far surpassed their expectations, forcing them into a hasty withdrawal.
Kael snorted. "Think you can just leave?" As he spoke, flames erupted around him, surging violently as mutated frostfire engulfed the area in an overwhelming wave.
Having fully fused with the fire element, Kael's control over flames had reached an instinctual level—seamless and absolute.
"This is bad!" The assassins tensed, realizing their grave miscalculation. Kael's strength wasn't just beyond their estimates—it was monstrous.
Both were master assassins, their daggers coated with the venom of a tenth-rank magical beast—the Venomous Wyrm—a toxin capable of killing most tenth-rank experts with a single scratch.
Yet despite their preparations, they hadn't even managed to graze Kael's robes!
Truthfully, Kael himself felt a flicker of unease. Had this ambush occurred right after his breakthrough to the tenth rank, he might have fallen victim. But now? They're just not enough.
In the next instant, an endless tide of fire elements surged forth—consuming both assassins in its wrath.