“Truly worthy of the perfect quality of Superclass magic runes!” Luca clenched his fist, excitement bubbling within him.
The “Frostborn” magic runes provided three powerful skills, each formidable in its own right. The “Ice Pattern Awakening” was particularly impressive, allowing him to unleash immense strength in a short time.
With a skill duration of a full 30 minutes, he could turn the tide in many battles. With this magic runes, he even felt bold enough to challenge a Gold Grade Elitemonster!
“How on earth did you do it?” Jormungandr’s voice cut through Luca’s thoughts.
The shock on her face hadn’t faded, and she couldn’t fathom why this guy was able to create perfect quality Superclass magic runes. How did he even manage to craft such magic runes?
The level gap was a barrier that many, including herself, found hard to overcome. Even the most talented prodigies could typically only master skills or comprehend them by crossing two tiers at most.
But someone like Luca, who had crossed three tiers to inscribe Superclass magic runes and achieved perfect quality—she had never even heard of such a feat.
In that moment, Jormungandr felt that, compared to her, Luca was the true monster!
Luca couldn’t be bothered to answer her question. After tidying up, he stretched lazily and walked out of the training room without looking back.
“Just lucky, nothing to be proud of,” Jormungandr scoffed, transforming into a silver streak of light that attached itself to Luca’s wrist, morphing into a silver bracelet.
Once outside, Luca realized that over twenty hours had passed since he entered the training room.
He estimated that the banquet was about to start.
With that thought in mind, he walked down from the second floor and entered the hall of the Mages’ Association.
At this time, the sky was approaching dusk, and many practitioners were chatting and laughing in the hall, making it much livelier than during the day.
As Luca descended, he saw a carriage slowly coming to a stop outside, and a tall figure stepped down.
It was Cassman.
Dressed in a black suit, his robust frame filled it out impressively. Even though he had taken off his armor, which was splattered with countless monster bloodstains, the fierce aura he exuded was still palpable.
Upon seeing Luca, a smile broke across his rugged face, and he waved his hand. Just as he was about to greet him, he suddenly paused and said in surprise, “How is it that one day away, and you seem to have changed so much? It looks like you’ve even grown taller!”
Luca had always had a handsome appearance, and after drawing the fixed magic runes, his features had become even sharper, making him look noticeably more mature.
Coupled with the full charm boost, he truly was striking.
Cassman couldn’t help but tease, “With looks like yours, even if you didn’t become an adventurer and just lived off your charm, you probably wouldn’t starve to death.”
Luca merely shrugged at this and asked, “Is the banquet about to start?”
Cassman didn’t dwell on the question and nodded with a smile, “That’s right. The young lady asked me to come pick you up. She and President Lucia personally prepared a formal outfit for you. This treatment is truly enviable.”
Both Sophia and Lucia held very high statuses.
Even someone as prominent as Count Ryanthe wouldn’t enjoy such treatment; Cassman was speaking the truth.
Luca was a bit taken aback and replied in surprise, “I have to change into formal wear? Is it really that grand?”
Cassman smiled mysteriously and said, “I can’t reveal anything just yet; you’ll find out when you arrive.”
Luca found his cryptic behavior amusing but didn’t press further.
After leaving the Mages’ Association, the two of them boarded the carriage and headed towards the lord’s mansion of Riverfall City.
On the way, Luca unexpectedly noticed many ragged-looking homeless people on the streets.
These individuals were gaunt and emaciated, starkly different from the local residents of Riverfall City. Some even had different skin tones, easily identifiable as outsiders.
This made Luca feel a sense of unease.
Riverfall City wasn’t impoverished—where did all these homeless people come from?
Sensing his confusion, Cassman, who was driving the carriage, sighed, “The recent monster horde didn’t just impact Riverfall City; surrounding towns and cities have been affected too. Many areas in the Southern Territory have recently experienced monster hordes, and several nearby county cities have been overrun.
These people heard that Riverfall City withstood the monster horde, so they came here hoping to find food and a safe haven. They’re all poor souls without homes…”
As Luca gazed out at the scene, the bustling passersby reflected in his eyes, and the slight relaxation brought on by his power increase was quickly overshadowed by a heavy feeling again.
The images before him and the implications served as constant reminders.
He still had a long way to go; he must not let his guard down and certainly couldn’t afford to stop.
Although Hydra had been repelled and Jormungandr enslaved, the Eternal World was definitely not limited to just one Spatial Node or two King-level monsters.
No one knew what was being nurtured in some dark corner.
Perhaps by the time they realized it, whatever was inside would have already crawled out from the Abyssal Demon Realm.
The prelude to the apocalypse had begun; all apparent calmness was merely a facade.
When everything erupted, death and chaos would become the themes of this era.
For both the Eternal World and the real world, time had entered the final countdown.
He carried not only his own life but many others as well.
Just like the people in Riverfall City.
In his past life, this nameless little town would have surely been devoured by the monster horde, but in this life, tens of thousands in the city had survived.
Fate was quietly slipping from its original trajectory and was gradually changing.
This was exactly what Luca wanted to see.
If he were to live again and still could not avoid those painful tragedies or change humanity’s fate, then this rebirth would hold no meaning for him; it would simply be a repetition of a painful life.
The carriage sped along, nearing the lord’s mansion.
As darkness gradually descended, the streets near the mansion remained brightly lit, with many stalls adorned with colorful ribbons. There were numerous food stalls lining the streets, offering a variety of dishes, and Luca even spotted a giant bear leg taller than a person.
Residents of Riverfall City strolled along the streets with their families, bustling about in lively excitement.
“Is today some kind of festival?” Luca asked.
Cassman paused before shaking his head. “We lost many people in the previous war. Count Ryanthe had a large quantity of supplies brought in from outside to hold this event. Everything is free. He said the scars won’t disappear, but this can help alleviate some of the pain brought on by the war.”
Luca fell silent and said no more.
As the carriage entered the street, people moved aside.
Many showing respect upon seeing the Howard family insignia on the carriage. Many individuals bowed in greeting; Count Ryanthe’s reputation in Emerald State exceeded Luca’s expectations.
This was understandable; under the threat of monster hordes, being able to provide the citizens of one’s territory with a relatively stable and peaceful life, without oppressing them, marked him as a very capable lord.
The carriage came to a slow stop in front of the mansion, and someone promptly approached, respectfully taking the reins from Cassman’s hands.
Luca lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down, instantly causing a stir among the crowd.
“Whoa! Who’s that? Why did he get out of Miss Sophia’s carriage?”
“I think I heard someone say this guy is Sophia’s fiancé!”
“Fiancé?! Is that for real? When did Miss Sophia get engaged?”
“It must be true! I’ve seen him in Sophia’s carriage several times. If he wasn’t her fiancé, why would Captain Cassman be driving for him?”
“Ugh, that pretty boy can’t compare to me! I don’t approve of this marriage!”
…
The chatter around him made Luca’s lips twitch slightly.
If he had known, he would have preferred to walk here himself.
But now that he was here, he could only brace himself and push through.
The lord’s mansion had been beautifully decorated, and all the bloodstains and signs of the previous chaos had long been cleaned up.
Although the banquet hadn’t officially started, the opulent hall was already filled with people laughing and chatting.
Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow, and various exquisite meats, fruits, and drinks were laid out around the room. The gentlemen attending the banquet, like Cassman, were dressed in sharp suits, while the ladies wore beautiful long gowns.
Waiters in black jackets and white shirts moved gracefully through the crowd, and the lively atmosphere certainly dulled the edges of sorrow.
Besides some unfamiliar faces, Luca recognized many familiar ones, such as Kaman, Norton, and several soldiers and officers he had fought alongside on the battlefield, all present for the banquet.
And there were many more people arriving continuously.
Luca estimated that there were at least hundreds of attendees at the banquet, and if he included the crowd outside, there were likely tens of thousands. At that moment, he truly understood what Cassman meant by grand.
When Kaman and the others saw Luca, they all came over to greet him.
They were comrades who had fought together, and Luca responded to each with a smile.
At that moment, he noticed a striking figure in a fiery red dress walking towards him.
It was Catherine. Her long, fiery red hair was styled up, revealing her snow-white neck. She wore a stunning off-shoulder red gown that accentuated her curvy figure, making her stand out in the crowd.
Luca genuinely complimented, “You look beautiful today.”
It was clear that Catherine had put a lot of effort into her appearance. Today, she looked like a completely different person compared to the warrior who bravely fought in armor on the battlefield.
She had lost some of her rugged charm but gained an alluring femininity.
Hearing Luca’s words, a blush crept onto Catherine’s fair face.
“You look handsome today too!” Her beautiful eyes curved as she smiled brightly.