Lying in Raven's hands was a leather belt about three fingers wide and roughly one point three meters long.
It was a dull, dark black all over, absorbing every bit of light around it. It felt weightless in his hand and looked utterly ordinary.
But in Raven's eyes, it was breathtaking.
Under the gaze of the Eye of Truth, the belt radiated a deep-blue glow. Intricate magical patterns were engraved across it, packed together like rushing water in some places and dotted with starlike glimmers in others.
The belt had been pressed beneath the Enchanted Plate Armor, which was why Raven's Eye of Truth had failed to detect it.
This kind of special magical equipment could only be activated through battle aura or magic power. Eric had taught Raven a special method that allowed even ordinary people to use it.
Raven gripped a Demon Core and pressed it against the belt. The crimson energy within seeped inside, and a pale-white glow like mist spread across the belt. An empty, orderly space was then reflected in Raven's mind.
Spatial Equipment.
Anderson had used it to catch Raven off guard, nearly completing a comeback kill!
The space was about one meter long and two meters high. Most of it was still empty, with only a bag of Gold Coins piled in one corner.
"Careful. Stay calm!" Raven swallowed, placed his free hand on the belt, imagined himself grabbing the money pouch, and then suddenly lifted his hand!
The next moment, his hand sank with weight, and the pouch full of Gold Coins landed on the table with a thud.
It worked!
Although his two lifetimes added up to fifty years, Raven was like a child who had found a fascinating new toy. He grasped that wondrous feeling, sending the pouch in and taking it out, sending it in and taking it out, until he had done so more than a dozen times before stopping.
"How amazing!" Without bothering to count the coins in the pouch, Raven had already begun imagining all the ways he could use the belt.
In his eyes, Anderson's decision to store Gold Coins inside was simply unimaginative!
One meter by two meters—that was two cubic meters of space. If arranged properly, it could hold at least twenty fully cocked crossbows!
If he equipped those crossbows with Enchanted Crossbow Bolts and fired them in turns, then even the current Eric would be turned into a pincushion!
What did a humanoid artillery platform look like!?
"Too bad this Spatial Equipment can't hold living people." Raven sighed regretfully. "Otherwise, I could put Eric inside and release him at a critical moment. It would definitely scare someone half to death!"
After indulging his imagination, Raven roughly counted the Gold Coins. There were one hundred and twenty-seven in total. Considering Anderson's strength and the size of his group, that wasn't a lot.
But when he considered how much all that equipment must have cost, Raven felt relieved.
"The crossbows need to be put on the agenda soon. I can use these Gold Coins for them. I'll have Eric handle it..." Raven muttered as he fastened the belt around his waist. Then he suddenly froze when he saw the Demon Core on the table.
The crimson glow inside the Demon Core, originally as thick as a finger, had shrunk by about one-third.
Raven nodded. "So that means I was just consuming the energy inside the Demon Core to power this Spatial Belt."
Suddenly, an idea flashed into Raven's mind.
During the battle, using the Eye of Truth had caused his stamina and mental energy to plummet. That was also a manifestation of energy consumption.
He then remembered that when he had killed Donald, a certain force had flowed into the center of his brow, activating the Eye of Truth.
At the time, Donald had already effectively become a monster after being transformed through the ritual. The source supporting his power should have been the Demon Core.
"Could it be that I accidentally shattered his Demon Core, which was why I awakened the Eye of Truth? If so..."
Holding the Demon Core in his hand, Raven smashed it against the windowsill without hesitation!
The Demon Core struck the windowsill and instantly shattered into a cloud of crystalline dust like diamonds. Through the Eye of Truth, Raven clearly saw the crimson energy within erupt and transform into a hazy mist.
"What is this..." Raven lowered his head and gently rubbed the center of his brow.
At that moment, the center of his brow throbbed like a beating heart, revealing an almost instinctive craving!
"Come. Come. Come..."
Raven's thoughts gradually settled. The crimson mist filling the air seemed to be drawn by something and suddenly began to move, surging toward the center of his brow in unison.
The instant the mist seeped into his skin, Raven experienced an extremely contradictory sensation.
There was the refreshing feeling of a cool breeze brushing his face, as well as an indescribable heat!
The heat spread from the center of his brow, making his scalp itch before following his blood vessels and skin outward.
He leaned toward the bronze mirror. The blood vessels beneath his skin had burst into view, making him look savage and terrifying. He even resembled Donald after breaking free of his cocoon.
But soon, as the heat subsided, the blood vessels gradually vanished beneath his skin, leaving no visible change.
"Strange..." Raven had no idea what had happened to his body. He shook his head, and a series of popping sounds immediately rang out.
He froze for a moment before repeatedly moving his body. He felt that the blood throughout his body was flowing much more smoothly, as if he had just experienced a full-body massage from the inside out!
"Could the energy in the Demon Core strengthen my body?" Raven clenched his fist, feeling stronger than he had ever felt before.
He took out his hand crossbow, loaded a bolt, hooked four fingers around the bowstring, and began cocking it.
As a creaking sound rang out, the bowstring changed from a straight line into a V-shape. Delightful surprise burst from Raven's eyes.
The crossbow had originally required him to use his knee to cock it quickly, but now he only needed four fingers. The speed was certainly not fast, but it was something the old Raven could never have done!
"Should I try it again?" Raven licked his lips and smashed a second Demon Core without hesitation.
Just as before, the dark-red mist was drawn by Raven and surged into the center of his brow. This time, however, the heat was extraordinarily intense, making Raven feel as if a fire had been lit atop his head!
He leaned toward the mirror. Beneath his originally fair skin, blood vessels of every size—including the tiniest capillaries—had burst into view. They looked like the roots of ancient trees coiled through the earth, or writhing, ceaselessly squirming worms.
Bead-sized drops of sweat gathered on his forehead before sliding down his skin. At that moment, Raven could even feel the sensation of each drop passing over his skin.
Afraid that his blood vessels would burst, Raven stood completely motionless before the mirror. It was not until half an hour had passed that the heat finally disappeared.
"Whew... too much of a good thing." Raven shook his head. "I can't do this again anytime soon."
He stretched his body and then froze.
Through the mirror, he could clearly see his muscles pressing a perfect outline into his outer clothing.
"Huh? The effect is this obvious?" Raven removed his clothes and was instantly stunned by what he saw.
To be honest, the old Raven had never been a weakling. He had merely been considered strong among ordinary people. But now, he had been completely transformed.
His chest muscles were firm without being excessively bulky like those of someone obsessed with bodybuilding. Instead, he resembled a long-distance runner, with balanced muscles, fine yet powerful lines, and eight clearly defined abdominal muscles—enough to drive any woman mad.
He drew the rapier at his waist and flicked his wrist, causing it to stand with its tip pointed upward. Then, with a light pinch of two fingers, he began wielding the three-pound rapier like a wooden stick.
"The Demon Core has this kind of effect too?" Raven sheathed the rapier and slowly shook his head. "No. This should be an effect brought about by the Eye of Truth."
He had absorbed only two First-tier Demon Cores, one of which had already been partially depleted, yet his strength had increased by at least fifty percent. He was not yet a Transcendent, but he had already improved this much. Once he became a knight or mage and absorbed more and better Demon Cores...
The future was bright!
After all, Demon Cores were much cheaper than enchanted equipment and potions!
A smile curved at the corner of his mouth. Raven picked up the money pouch, which had felt somewhat heavy before but was now as light as a feather.
Just as he was about to put the pouch away, Raven's hand brushed beneath it, and he suddenly felt something rather strange.
When he opened it, a sly smile appeared on Raven's face. "Heh heh, Hyde Slate, I was planning to look for you in a few days. I never expected you to deliver such a generous gift right into my hands."
Time passed little by little. The sun withdrew its radiance, and the silver moonlight spilled across the earth. A carriage pulled by a Blood-Eyed Warhorse left Eagle Fortress and traveled all the way to the entrance of the Eagle's Wing Inn in Shining Gold Town.
Raven straightened his collar and stepped out of the carriage carrying a wooden chest. He said to Eric, who was driving, "Wait here until I come out."
"Your orders, my lord!"
Raven nodded and pushed open the tavern door. It was just as quiet as last time, but the bald owner's expression was much worse than before.
"I'm here this time for Young Master Hyde's sake," Raven said calmly. "If you don't want to watch your master get removed from the succession, you'd better not anger me."
Hearing this, a man in a brown cloak pushed his half-drawn sword back into its sheath.
"Take me to him."
The man in the brown cloak said nothing and walked ahead of Raven.
It was the same room, with the same furnishings. Raven pushed open the door and walked straight in, sitting down on the bench directly beside Hyde.
Hyde's expression darkened. His fingers brushed over his center-parted hair. "Baron Raven, is this how you show your submission to me?!"
"Submission?" Raven raised an eyebrow and tossed the chest onto the table. "Hyde—Mr. Hyde Slate—you seem to have misjudged the current situation."
"I'm here to negotiate terms."
Hyde let out a mocking laugh and pressed his slender fingers against the sword at his waist. "What right does a mere baron like you have to negotiate terms with me?"
"Because of this." Raven snapped open the wooden chest and turned it toward Hyde.
A thick stench of blood mixed with traces of decay instantly filled the room.
"Impudent!"
"Protect the lord!"
Two Enchanted Longswords were pressed against Raven's neck. He merely smiled disdainfully, reached over to the fruit platter on the table, picked up an apple, and took a hard bite. "Mr. Hyde, can't you even control your own men?"
Hyde's brows twitched faintly. He turned his head and saw Raven chewing loudly on the apple. Red peel mixed with white flesh clung to his teeth and tongue, making him look like a monster chewing on a vigorously beating heart!
"Stand down." Hyde's lips twitched slightly.
The two guards hesitated. "But, my lord..."
"I said stand down!" Hyde roared furiously from the depths of his throat.
The two guards sheathed their swords and turned, disappearing into the shadows.
Hyde's chest heaved violently. He did not want to look, but his gaze remained firmly drawn to the wooden chest.
Inside was Anderson's head!
His hair was dry and tangled like weeds. Blood from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears had smeared across his pallid face like a cruel, savage painting. His bloodshot eyes were stretched wide, and a finger-thick hole pierced his forehead, with even the leaking brain matter visible inside!
A severed head alone would not frighten Hyde. What truly shook him was the letter beside it—a bloodstained letter bearing his own wax seal!
"What do you want...?" Hyde asked darkly.
"That depends on your sincerity, Lord Hyde." Raven smiled. "It's truly heartbreaking that someone would collude with bandits from the Bloody Highlands and attack the territory of an Imperial Baron."
"I think I need something golden to mend my wounded heart!"
"In short, you just want money, right?" Hyde sneered. "Three thousand Gold Coins. That should be enough to buy your silence, shouldn't it?"
Raven reached into the wooden chest and picked up the letter. "Lord Hyde, I don't think you realize how serious this is. This is a letter in your own handwriting, stamped with your personal seal. If it appeared on Mr. Minsk's desk... what do you think would happen?"
Minsk Slate was the first heir of the Slate Family, the current centurion of the Iron Legion, and a Fourth-tier Iron Knight. He was also Hyde's elder brother, renowned for his impartiality and sternness.
That was not the problem. The problem was that Hyde and Minsk's relationship was notoriously terrible. Once Minsk got hold of this leverage, he would certainly force Hyde out of the line of succession without holding anything back.
"...You dare!" Hyde's furious yet cowardly gaze fell on Raven's face. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you here?"
"You don't have the guts. Otherwise, why would you commission someone else to take my head?" Raven smiled. "Besides, this letter is only a copy I made temporarily. The original is already prepared to head to Monen City at any moment."
Hyde drew a deep breath, feeling a heavy sense of defeat.
That damn Anderson—hailed as the rising star of the Bloody Highlands—had brought two First-tier Transcendents and sixteen battle-hardened bandits, yet they had been unable to deal with Raven and his mere thirty-odd serf soldiers!
And now things had gotten even worse. He had actually left behind a letter bearing Hyde's seal, leaving Hyde unable to hold his head up before this damnable commoner, this Little Bee!
Hyde rubbed his fingers together. "What exactly do you want!?"
"Eight thousand Gold Coins." Raven spoke calmly. "Besides that, I want you to cooperate with me and help me take back Shining Gold Town."
Hyde's hair stood on end, and he shrieked without a shred of composure, "You're extorting me!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, calm down!" Raven took a bottle of red wine from the table and poured it into the glass before Hyde. "This isn't extortion. It's the beginning of our great friendship, the start of mutually beneficial cooperation."
"You know that my origins aren't good. Territory and power aren't important to me. The only thing I care about is money!" Raven draped one arm around Hyde's shoulder and patiently coaxed him beside his ear. "But a few thousand Gold Coins are far too little for me. They aren't enough to make me give up my territory."
"You're still young, while I am a member of the Griffith Family."
"You know that the Griffith Family bears a bloodline curse, and none of its members live past forty. I'm already twenty years old, so I need money—lots of money—to dispel this ever-present shadow."
Hyde's lips twitched. He believed Raven's words to some extent. "What does that have to do with reclaiming Shining Gold Town?"
"It has everything to do with it. Shining Gold Town is a hen that lays golden eggs. I have at least another twenty years to live, and in those twenty years, Shining Gold Town can contribute more than ten thousand Gold Coins."
"You provide the money to help me reclaim Shining Gold Town. In return, I'll draw up a document stating that when I turn forty, whether I'm still alive or not, I'll hand the title of Baron of Eagle Territory over to you."
Raven poured himself another glass of red wine and concluded, "I get the Gold Coins I want, while you gain a complete Eagle Territory in your prime. Isn't that a mutually beneficial arrangement?"
Hyde was tempted.
His goal truly was a territory, but he was reluctant to give up his extravagant life in Monen City. Raven's proposal had struck precisely at his weakness.
"Eight thousand Gold Coins is too much. I can't take that out." Hyde said, "Six thousand Gold Coins is my limit."
Raven smiled and patted Hyde's shoulder. "I'm not unreasonable. Since Lord Hyde has put it that way, of course I'll show some consideration."
He raised his glass and clinked it against the one in front of Hyde. "Six thousand Gold Coins it is. Besides that, I need you to do me one more favor!"
Hyde's anger had yet to fade. He raised the glass and drained it in one gulp. "Don't get your hopes up. The resources I can mobilize within the family are quite limited."
"Of course. I only need you to cooperate a little."
A dozen minutes later, Raven carried a huge chest back to the carriage. Once it was loaded, the carriage wheels sank noticeably several inches.
He sat down in the carriage and let out a long breath. "Children are children. They're so easy to deal with."
"Lord Raven, should we go straight back to Eagle Fortress, or take a stroll around Shining Gold Town?" Eric asked.
"Neither." Raven twisted his neck. "Head east, to Snow Maple Fortress. I have business with Viscount John."
Eric froze. "But... visiting without an appointment would be rather abrupt, wouldn't it?"
"That's exactly the effect I want. Don't ask any more questions. Let's go!"
After a brief pause, the carriage wheels began to turn.
Raven leaned against the carriage and sighed.
"I was treated like a lord for a while just now. Next, I'll have to play the obedient grandson!"
Before you continue