“This kid named Luca will definitely become a serious threat in the future!” Rudolph’s eyes were cold and calculating.
Such strength at such a young age.
He could hardly imagine what kind of achievements this young man would accomplish once he matured.
If this kind of genius cannot be used for his own purposes, then he must find a way to eliminate him as soon as possible!
“Haha, did you see that? This is a student taught by me, Franklin!” Franklin laughed heartily, patting Bayou on the shoulder. His smug expression made it seem as if he had been the one to break the Blood-Sealing Formation.
Bayou, for once, didn’t argue with Franklin. His expression was complex as he looked at Lucia and sighed, “President Lucia truly possesses extraordinary abilities. To teach such a prodigy, I can’t help but admire her from the bottom of my heart!”
After all these years, Bayou was well aware of what kind of person Franklin really was.
So, the only person capable of teaching someone as talented as Luca could only be Lucia.
Moreover, given her remarkable background and status, Bayou was even more certain of his conclusion.
The others thought the same way, looking at Lucia with eyes full of admiration.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have believed that such a young person could possibly break a high-level secret spell.
They couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of strength Lucia, who had trained such an extraordinary genius as Luca, must possess!
“Ah, well…” A trace of embarrassment flashed across Lucia’s face. The truth was, she hadn’t taught Luca these skills at all!
Who knew where that little guy had picked up all this knowledge?
Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, or it would definitely bring unnecessary trouble to Luca.
Clearing her throat, Lucia raised her chin proudly and said, “I put a lot of effort into teaching Luca back then, but fortunately, the little guy is talented and didn’t let me down!”
Although she hadn’t actually taught Luca any of this and had no idea where he had learned these techniques.
But none of that really mattered. It was like how some kids secretly read adult books behind their parents’ backs—there was no need to dig too deep.
What mattered was that Luca had brought her great honor. His excellent performance was something she could take pride in as well!
Sophia’s lips moved slightly; she wasn’t sure what to say to her teacher.
However, she did feel a sense of relief. Now that they were free from the Blood-Sealing Formation, the weight pressing on her heart had lightened a little.
Outside the conference hall, everyone was equally excited.
Kaman clenched his fists in excitement and said, “Big brother Luca really did it! Riverfall City is saved!”
Catherine’s eyes sparkled brightly as well.
As long as the city’s powerful figures could act, neither the monster horde nor The Nightmare Cult would pose any more threats!
As the Blood-Sealing Formation was dispelled, a game notification appeared in front of Luca.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest “Return to the City for Aid.” You have received the Mithril Mage Spear (Silver) and 300 gold coins!]
A flash of silver light appeared before him, and in the next moment, a gleaming silver mage spear materialized in his hand.
[Mithril Mage Spear: Silver-grade weapon, usable by level 20 Demonic Rune Mages. When equipped: Magic Attack +240, Spirit +80, Magic Rune Attack Power +10%.]
“Not bad at all!” Luca thought to himself, barely able to contain his excitement as he inspected the spear in his hand.
A Silver-grade piece of equipment like this would usually cost at least a thousand gold coins, and weapons for Demonic Rune Mages were even more expensive, often fetching several times that amount.
Now that he had the Mithril Mage Spear, he wouldn’t have to craft any new weapons when he reached level 20. This would save him a significant amount of money!
Additionally, after dispelling the Blood-Sealing Formation, several more notifications appeared in front of Luca.
[You have successfully dispelled the advanced secret spell “Blood-Sealing Formation!”]
[Your maximum aptitude has been triggered. You have successfully learned the advanced secret spell “Blood Reversal Curse!”]
[Blood Reversal Curse: An advanced secret spell, exclusively learned from the Blood-Sealing Formation. When cast, it reverses the target’s life force, temporarily preventing them from using their vital energy. If the target’s level is lower than yours, there is a chance their body will explode and they will die. The exact effect depends on the level difference between you and the target.
Cooldown: 6 hours.]
This was an unexpected bonus.
Luca hadn’t anticipated that his max aptitude would be so extraordinary, allowing him to spontaneously comprehend an advanced secret spell.
“The person favored,” as expected, lived up to its SSS-level potential!
With the Blood Reversal Curse, Luca now had a deadly trump card against any melee-class opponent of the same level.
At that moment, a group of powerful figures emerged from the conference hall.
Sophia stepped forward.
She bowed slightly to Luca, Catherine, and the others, and said, “Everyone, I must thank you for what you’ve done. Without your help, I don’t know what kind of disaster would have unfolded.”
“All the credit goes to Luca, the Witch Doctor. We can’t take any credit,” Old Carl waved his hands modestly.
In truth, he was utterly in awe of Luca. This kid had managed to break even advanced secret spells—he was truly beyond exceptional!
Sophia, hearing this, turned to Luca with a serious expression and said, “Junior, you’ve done a great service this time. When this matter is settled, I will personally speak to my father to ensure you are rewarded!”
Upon hearing this, the people around them couldn’t help but look at Luca with envy.
This kid was about to rise to the top!
Given Luca’s performance in this incident, it was certain that when Count Ryan returned, he would not overlook Luca’s contributions!
But Luca didn’t seem particularly concerned.
He smiled lightly and replied, “You’re too kind, Senior. I was only doing what I should.”
After breaking the second, improved version of the Blood-Sealing Formation, Luca had also reaped considerable rewards.
Not only had he made significant progress on the three tasks he was handling, but he also comprehended an advanced secret spell.
Still, Luca was never one to turn down more advantages if they came his way.
At this moment, Bright stepped forward and asked, “Kid, do you have any idea what’s going on outside right now?”
Hearing this, Sophia and the other powerful figures turned to Luca, eager for answers.
Since they had been trapped inside the Blood-Sealing Formation, they had no way to communicate with the outside world, and the current state of affairs was unknown to them.
For them, the most pressing matter was to understand how far things had progressed and whether there was still time to salvage the situation.
Luca replied succinctly, “There’s a monster uprising in Beast Forest. Six Elite monsters and over ten thousand lower-tier monsters have been mobilized. The Iron Mountain forces are currently holding them off.”
“In addition, there’s been an incident within Riverfall City. The Nightmare Cult has pulled all the civilians into a nightmare realm.”
“The Nightmare Cult?!” Although Luca’s explanation was brief, it caused a noticeable shift in everyone’s expressions. No one had anticipated that the Nightmare Cult would be the ones targeting them!
“They’ve gotten bolder by the day, haven’t they? To think they would dare set their sights on our Emerald State!” Kurk, the lord of Redwind City, looked both furious and alarmed. A hint of fear even flickered in his eyes.
After all, Redwind City wasn’t far from Riverfall City. If the Nightmare Cult decided to set their schemes in motion there too, Kurk didn’t even want to imagine what would happen.
Sophia, being the noble daughter she was, quickly accepted the reality of the situation and regained her composure.
She turned and bowed slightly to the assembled group of strong figures, her tone resolute. “Everyone, I’ll leave the situation in Beast Forest in your hands. We may not know exactly what the Nightmare Cult has planned, but we absolutely cannot let them succeed!”
The gravity of the situation was clear to all, and they nodded solemnly.
After all, if the Nightmare Cult succeeded in their plot, it wouldn’t bode well for any of them.
Rudolph also nodded, though inside, he was seething with hatred toward Luca.
With these powerful figures free from the formation, they would undoubtedly disrupt the Nightmare Cult’s plans.
And if the cult’s plans were ruined, it meant his chance of gaining favor with the Emerald State Count was slipping further away.
“Damn brat, you dared to ruin the Church’s opportunity. I swear, you’ll pay for this—dearly!” Rudolph’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent as dark thoughts swirled in his mind. Yet, he failed to realize that his every change in expression was being carefully observed by the very “brat” he wanted to kill.
A cold glint appeared in Luca’s eyes.
From the moment these powerful figures had emerged, he had been secretly watching them, gauging their every move.
When Luca saw the sinister gleam in Rudolph’s eyes, he began to put the pieces together.
No wonder the Nightmare Cult’s plan had progressed so smoothly, while their own efforts were met with constant obstacles and hardships.
If Rudolph, the lord of Riverfall City, was aiding the Nightmare Cult, then everything suddenly made sense…
Noticing the murderous intent in Rudolph’s gaze, Luca knew this dog wasn’t going to let him off so easily.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes.
Since that was the case, it seemed fitting to send Rudolph and his father to reunite in the afterlife!
They would surely be touched by the family reunion…
At that moment, the group of powerful figures was preparing to depart for Beast Forest.
Acting quickly, Luca called out to Franklin and Lucia, “Teachers, please wait a moment.”
Franklin and Lucia turned back to him.
The others also glanced over, curious to see what Luca was up to.
With a warm smile, Franklin asked, “What is it, kid?”
He couldn’t be more pleased with his student.
Luca had made him proud!
Luca, ever modest, said, “I encountered some problems related to magic runes and Witch Doctor techniques earlier, so I wanted to consult the two of you.”
Franklin and Lucia didn’t think much of it, assuming Luca genuinely had some questions. They readily agreed.
After all, they were eager to finally feel the satisfaction of teaching Luca something. Up until now, despite having taken Luca as their student, they hadn’t really taught him anything.
The others paid little attention to the exchange and quickly turned away.
The situation with Beast Forest and the Nightmare Cult couldn’t be delayed. They had no time to waste.
Rudolph, however, furrowed his brows. Something didn’t feel right, but with everyone else leaving, it would be far too conspicuous for him to stay behind.
Reluctantly, he pretended to be just as indifferent and followed the group out.
Soon, everyone had left the City Lord’s Mansion, and only Franklin, Lucia, Sophia, and a few others remained in the corridor.
Catherine, along with Kaman and his group, had also departed. They needed to continue battling monsters in Beast Forest, having already delivered their message.
Once Luca was certain they were alone.
His expression turned serious. Without any preamble, he said, “Be careful of Rudolph. He might be colluding with the Nightmare Cult.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the three people present were frozen in shock.