Sophia had merely glanced over the square, but her attention was instantly drawn to Luca in the corner.
The young man was not only exceptionally handsome but also had an indescribable charm that made people feel inexplicably close to him.
Noticing Sophia’s gaze, Luca had a thought.
“Is this the effect of maxed-out charisma?” he wondered.
Maxed-out charisma not only enhanced his looks but also greatly improved the impression he made on NPCs. So even in a crowd, he was easily noticed by NPCs.
With this realization, Luca felt reassured.
Under the varied gazes of the surrounding players, he walked slowly to the front of the carriage.
Bowing slightly, he asked respectfully, “Miss Sophia, what can I do for you?”
[Ding! Sophia’s favorability towards you +10]
Seeing the notification, Luca couldn’t help but be impressed.
This charisma attribute was truly extraordinary, gaining favorability so easily!
In the Eternal world, NPC favorability maxes out at 999 points. The level of favorability not only determines whether players can trigger quests from NPCs but also influences the NPCs’ attitudes towards players.
Therefore, if players want to improve their status and position in any faction within the Eternal world, favorability and reputation are two essential metrics.
At this moment, Sophia found Luca increasingly pleasing to the eye. She glanced appraisingly at Luca and asked, “Are you a mere Apprentice Mage?”
“That’s right.” Luca nodded, unsurprised by Sophia’s ability to discern his profession. Nobles in the Eternal world were typically Transcendent beings, and the daughter of an earl like Sophia was no exception.
Moreover, Luca could discern her profession as well.
His maxed-out perception attribute allowed him to keenly sense the bone-chilling cold and the dense water elements swirling around Sophia.
She appeared to be, at the very least, a distinguished gold-level Ice Mage.
The foundational levels on the Eternal continent are divided into ten ranks: Level 10 Black Iron, Level 20 Bronze, Level 30 Silver, Level 40 Gold, Level 50 Platinum, Level 60 Amethyst, Level 70 Diamond, Level 80 Earth, Level 90 Sky, and Level 100 Stars.
These levels are further categorized into Beginner, Low, Intermediate, High, and Superclass tiers.
Beyond these, there are additional tiers, but those pertain to the Transcendent levels. This noble daughter had already reached gold level at such a young age and might one day advance to Transcendent.
Sophia then said, “Are you heading to the Mages’ Guild? We can give you a ride, as we’re heading there too.”
The other players exchanged confused and puzzled glances, their expressions mixed with bewilderment.
Some among them had been unceremoniously ejected from the main city just for daring to halt a carriage. Why, then, was this guy granted a ride?
They were all players—wasn’t this a tad unjust solely based on his appearance?
Cassman also cast a surprised glance at Luca.
It wasn’t like the lady to invite a man into her carriage; she rarely even spoke to men. But upon seeing Luca’s appearance, Cassman understood.
The young lady was almost of age, after all…
Realizing this was an effect of his charisma attribute, Luca didn’t refuse.
The Mages’ Guild was a few streets away from the fountain square, and taking the carriage would save him considerable time.
He wouldn’t have to spend hours fighting other players for tasks like in his previous life.
“Thank you, Miss Sophia.” Luca said, boarding the carriage amid the envious stares of the other players.
Pulling aside the curtain of the carriage, a faint feminine fragrance wafted out, somewhat reminiscent of jasmine.
The carriage interior was spacious, with incense burners, fruits, and pastries neatly arranged.
The décor was luxurious and intricate, clearly designed for a female passenger.
Sophia was sitting on a laid-out blanket.
Up close, Luca noticed that this noble daughter was not only beautiful with fair, delicate skin but also had clear, light blue eyes, as pure and transparent as an unblemished lake.
Everything about her was perfect, except for the coldness, Luca thought.
This coldness wasn’t just in her demeanor; it was literal coldness as well.
The temperature inside the carriage was significantly lower than outside, clearly influenced by this noble daughter.
Then, the carriage fell silent.
Sophia wasn’t one for conversation, and Luca didn’t want to force it.
Besides, he had a nagging feeling that the name Sophia was familiar.
Luca furrowed his brow, lost in contemplation.
It must have been a distant memory. He recalled that during the inception of the extraterritorial battlefield, in the fifth year since the onslaught of monsters, there had been a renowned mage in the Eternal world known as the “Frost Goddess.”
She had made the ultimate sacrifice by freezing the Spatial Nodes of two worlds, thereby postponing the second monster invasion and securing valuable time for the Human Race and the diverse races of the Eternal world.
It was during this critical juncture that the Human Race and other Eternal world races joined forces, successfully redirecting the monsters’ point of arrival to the cosmic expanse, thus giving rise to the extraterritorial battlefield.
And this “Frost Goddess” was named Sophia.
Luca was uncertain because the Sophia he remembered was vastly different from this current one.
Could a mage, who was merely at the gold level now, break through to god-level in just five years?
Luca knew all too well the immense gap between these two levels.
Thus, he couldn’t be sure if this earl’s daughter was indeed the Frost Goddess.
At that moment, the carriage slowly came to a halt.
Cassman’s voice came from outside the carriage.
“Kid, we’re at the Mages’ Association.” he said.
Luca’s thoughts were interrupted. He got out of the carriage first.
A uniquely shaped Mage Tower came into view, its architecture striking and unusual. The Mages’ Association looked like an enormous black pointed hat resting on the ground, with a diamond-shaped magic crystal floating at its very peak. The crystal rotated slowly, emitting a mesmerizing blue light that formed a large protective barrier, which enveloped the entire Starlight City.
Through the grand entrance of the Mages’ Association, Luca saw an opulent hall adorned with gold and jade, reflecting a sense of grandeur and splendor. Numerous individuals in various colored mage robes were bustling about, coming and going with purpose. At the front desk stood a small, white-haired old man, who seemed to be the receptionist.
At this moment, both the bustling people of the Mages’ Association and the small, white-haired old man were looking at him in shock and amazement, as well as at Sophia, who had just gracefully stepped down from the carriage behind him.
“Did I see that right? Did that rookie just come out of Miss Sophia’s carriage?” a mage rubbed his eyes and asked the person next to him.
“You might mistake the carriage, but you surely recognize Knight Cassman, right?” the person replied enviously. “In the entire Emerald State, the only ones who can have him drive their carriage are Count Ryan and his daughter, Miss Sophia.”
Everyone fell silent, staring at Luca with envy.
Their discerning eyes could see that Luca was still a rookie who hadn’t become a formal mage.
Judging by his novice clothes, he probably only entered Starlight City today.
Yet this guy, who hadn’t even been in Starlight City for a day, had gained Miss Sophia’s favor?!
Everyone felt a tinge of jealousy towards this rookie. If they were in his place, they would probably be laughing in their dreams.
However, upon seeing Luca’s face, they felt a bit more balanced.
No wonder. Some people are just born for this kind of work, something you can’t simply envy.
At this moment, Luca and Sophia entered the Mages’ Association.
Sophia explained patiently, “This is the highest-ranked Mages’ Association in all of Black Iron County. It contains a vast amount of knowledge and an extensive collection of materials about mages. If you want to buy or sell things or have any questions, you can always come here. If you still don’t understand something, you can go to the second floor to find a magic mentor. Their offices and the library, filled with countless magical tomes, are located there.”
Although Luca already knew this, he still thanked her.
[Ding! Sophia’s favorability towards you +10]
Sophia nodded slightly and said to the short old man at the front desk, “Old Charlie, this is a newcomer. Give him a simple novice task.”
“Of course, Miss Sophia!” Old Charlie nodded repeatedly and quickly stood on a stool to fetch a task card for Luca.
“Wish you to become a Formal Mage soon.” After finishing her instructions, Sophia said this to Luca and then headed to the upper levels of the Mage Tower.
In the Mage Tower, different levels represented different mage ranks. A gold-level mage like Sophia wouldn’t take tasks or trade in the lowest hall.
Luca turned his gaze back and saw that Old Charlie was still looking for a task for him.
After a long search, he finally picked a purple task card from the pile and handed it to Luca.