Chapter 166
Does he have a special ability to counter magic?
"Wait, it's not because of this thing, is it?"
Ryan glanced at the number 6 on the back of his right hand; once it was printed on, only he could see it.
The imprint of desire can theoretically increase others' goodwill towards him. Even Blood Knight like 'Shally' took the initiative to get close to him, so the effect must be significant.
I reckon it should give me at least 20 points of charm after I put it on, right?
Speaking of which, during the Imperial Conference, Caslathdi didn't hate him at all, and that woman Haino would glance at him from time to time. Although Ryan knew that he was indeed a handsome guy, Haino, as a great mage, still had a very strong will.
Hmm, maybe? After all, the other party also possesses the power of desire; the image of spraying Rainbow Bridge is still vividly etched in my memory.
"Damn, I almost forgot about this thing." Ryan clicked his tongue. It seemed that no matter how much he guarded against it, he was still targeted by desire.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing... There's something, Your Grand Duke, I've transferred Ina to Baron."
"Oh? Why?"
"My identity has been exposed, and I need to find someone to replace me here. Although Ina has done things for me before, she was just a secretary after all. Vainay currently without anyone else, and it wouldn't be difficult for Ina to be given an important position with her abilities."
"But what if we get discovered? Wouldn't that be the end of us?"
"No, Ina will protect herself. Besides, being a mole is a dangerous job, and no one is more suitable than her. It's all for the Grand Duke."
Magana said no more.
After all, she hadn't really cared about 'Ina' to begin with. Ryan was back, so what did she need 'Ina' for?
Moreover, if the mole's work is truly successful, it will also benefit her.
More importantly, Ryan definitely values 'Ina' more than she does. Since Ryan said there's no problem, why should she think so much?
Why not think about becoming Empress after unifying the Great Grasslands!
After talking with the Grand Duke, Ryan left the camp. To test the effect of the 'Lust Mark', he specifically approached a few girls on the road. He was successful every time he approached them. After only a few words, they expressed their willingness to go to a bar together to deepen their understanding. Afterwards, they could even stay at the bar without going home.
Although Ryan has become quite famous in the Imperial Capital recently, very few people actually know him. More than 90% of people only know the name Ryan and have no idea what he looks like.
Therefore, the conclusion is that while good looks certainly play a role, the Lust Mark does have a significant effect. However, this thing has a much smaller impact on Supernatural Being. As for the Grand Duke, Seventh Tier Transcendent should theoretically be largely unaffected as long as she has the will to defend herself. The main reason the Grand Duke is close to her is that she already trusts Ryan.
This unconscious trend is like developing feelings over time. If it continues, it probably won't be long before they're ready to embrace the Grand Duke and make a sprint.
"Damn it, it's all the God of Desire's fault!"
I'm such a pure person, it must be the fault of the god of desire no matter how I look at it.
After returning from their stroll, Jonathan was also found by 'Vainay' and they discussed the Burning Covenant.
Old Joe's idea was firm: the Fire Chaser should not be handed over to the royal family for direct control, and the Fire Chaser should always prioritize maintaining the stability of the empire.
After a lengthy and eloquent explanation of the principles of the Burning Covenant, Old Joe revealed his true intentions, proposing to hand over the leadership of the Burning Covenant to Ryan.
"Rest assured, the Burning Covenant will never become an accomplice to Magana's rebellion!" Jonathan said with certainty. "Besides, I only need to use the name of High Lord Ryan. I don't trust anyone else to put the Burning Covenant under their name."
'Vainay' took a sip of black tea and said calmly, 'Lord Jonathan trusts Ryan a lot.'
"Yes, at least on this point, I trust my judgment. Ryan is genuinely concerned for the people of the Empire."
"But he is ultimately Magana's man. Even if you say that, what can you do when that day comes?"
Jonathan remained silent.
Guaranteeing this is merely a subjective factor.
"If that day ever comes, I will fight for His Your Majesty with all my might, and I will end that brat Ryan's life."
"There's no need to be so extreme," 'Vainay' said calmly. "I can agree to hand over Firechaser to Ryan, but I need your loyalty, and you will continue to be the leader of Firechaser. I'll feel at ease with you there."
"This..." Jonathan hesitated. "Your Highness, to be honest, my situation is a bit special. I'm not even sure how long I can live. I'm afraid that one day I will betray myself."
Why do you say that?
"Because I've been targeted by the Blood God."
That's how feelings are.
Looking at Jonathan's explanation on the screen, Ryan finally understood why he had two powers within him at the same time.
Jonathan is indeed Son of the Sun, and he even reached the level of Seventh Tier Transcendent at one point. Back then, he founded Fire Chaser with the goal of protecting the empire.
Later, however, the Old Emperor took him into the rift between the Inner World beneath the palace, where terrible things happened. Jonathan was corrupted by the Blood God's Power in order to save the Old Emperor.
This is why the Old Emperor always trusted Jonathan so much.
Actually, this erosion is more like 'divine power'. The Blood God did not kill him, but wanted to transform him into a path of Blood God Faith Path, turning him from a human into a 'Great Demon'.
Simply put, it's about ascending to higher levels of power.
But Old Joe didn't want to; he wanted to continue being the Son of the Sun and didn't want to become a demon.
Given his volatile temper, once he made up his mind, he wouldn't change it. So, in order to suppress the Power of the Blood God erupting within him, he used most of his power to seal it, turning himself from a seventh-tier expert into a third-tier expert.
Meanwhile, to prevent the power of the Blood God from becoming uncontrollable one day, Jonathan gave up his position as the leader of the Fire Chaser and chose to guard the border for the Empire, and went to Berman City.
Ryan felt that Old Joe was the real protagonist, right? His experiences were even more bizarre than his.
According to Old Joe, he did not want to stay in the Imperial Capital, but since 'Vainay' promised not to let him use this power, he also had the right to leave if he was forced to.
"Why does Your Highness keep me around?" Jonathan asked helplessly.
"Just as you trust your judgment, so do I." 'Vainay' chuckled. "As much as you trust Ryan, so much I trust you. I feel very reassured with the Burning Covenant under your leadership."
Old Joe is not only highly capable, but more importantly, he is not rigid or inflexible in character, which is what Ryan values most.
What does it mean to have a flexible moral bottom line?
If you only think about protecting and wanting to safeguard everyone, you'll end up protecting nothing.
In this respect, Old Joe's thoughts are actually very similar to his.
"Old Joe, I have no choice. We don't have enough people. I'll buy you a pack of cigarettes later." Ryan silently mourned for Jonathan. Anyway, it wasn't like he had to work from nine to nine. This job was better than being the head of the Bureau of Governance, right?
After much persuasion, Old Joe finally agreed to 'Vainay's' conditions.
"Speaking of which, it's best not to go into that underground fissure lightly."
After hearing what Old Joe said, that Inner World is very dangerous. Fortunately, nothing has happened to it all these years, so leaving it unattended should be fine.
After dealing with Old Joe, Ryan switched to Noxiya's interface, where his sixth wife had successfully leveled up to level ten.
With good equipment, leveling up is naturally faster. Moreover, she has already been promoted by 'Vainay' to the Royal Guards in the castle, temporarily serving as 'Vainay's' personal bodyguard. Afterwards, 'Vainay' will rebuild the Imperial Army, and people like 'Noxiya' will definitely become legion commanders and eventually join the High Lord.
Military power is of paramount importance. With her and 'Shally' in charge, the Imperial Army will no longer be a concern.
As for Kalkart, Ryan will leave it to the sidelines for now and see who can't hold back first.
Ryan doesn't intend to recruit people by promising them benefits. If someone only pledges loyalty after receiving something in return, then such a 'loyal subject' is hardly loyal at all.
If Kalkart had returned to reclaim his command immediately, even without swearing allegiance, Ryan would have looked at him with more respect and might have even given him a more important position.
Now, well, hehe~
You keep taking the 200,000 with you, and see what you do when the food runs out!
Rebel?
You need someone to follow along.
"Let me see... the Soul Eater's Proof, OK~"
Level 10 allows for direct job advancement.
In the scene, Noxiya returns to her room in the castle, her long brown hair flowing smoothly down her back, her emerald green eyes sparkling, and she wears silver armor, looking incredibly heroic.
Should I switch to the 'Soul Eater' class?
[Yes.]
The Power of Death began to spread, and the cold black mist was like the ghosts that permeated the Styx. Noxiya was bathed in the black mist, and her whole demeanor was also subtly changing.
"Not bad."
Ryan looked at the changes in the character's artwork after the job change—a black, fitted outfit, with a black trench coat draped over her shoulders. The hem of the trench coat looked like it had been burned, giving it a tattered appearance. The black mist swirling around her occasionally took the shape of a soul and drifted around Noxiya.
Surprisingly, it looks pretty cool.
Congratulations on successfully changing your class to 'Soul Eater'.
[Professional Talent]
[Devour: Soul Eater can assimilate and absorb energy of different attributes; the effect is related to the strength of their Magic Power.]
[Profession-Specific]
[Devour - Ultimate Lv1: The Soul Eater unleashes devouring energy, increasing damage and health by 10%, while reducing damage taken by 10%.]
[Devour - Defense Lv1: The Soul Eater can convert the target's attack, reducing the damage taken by 10%.]
[Career Attribute Growth]
[Physical Constitution: ★★★★☆]
[Mental State: ★★★☆]
[Magic Power: ★★★★☆]
"Not bad. Who said the Soul Eater class is trash? If you level this up, it'll be harder than a city wall!"
This profession specializes in defensive skills, and at higher ranks, it can learn a reflection skill that reflects the opponent's damage back.
The downside is that the attribute growth isn't very high, but as long as you have enough relics, you can easily stack up the attributes, as long as the skills are strong enough.
"Noxiya, don't worry. Although you're not a hidden profession, your status as the sixth wife will not change."
Ryan said happily, telling Noxiya to continue AFK, and then switched to the 'Shally' character interface.
At this moment, the Second Wife was leading the Holy Blood Legion into battle. The Northern Coalition's army had already arrived, and this battle was destined to be bloody.
Second update! A little early today, I'm starving and haven't eaten yet. I'll grab a bite and get back to writing. Please vote with your monthly tickets! Please support me!!