Ice Dance

The passive effect of Ice Dance Garden increased Luke's movement speed on ice by fifty percent.

Rain and freezing created the perfect battlefield for her. She glided over the ice as if she were wearing skates.

But at level 60, she still could not bring Ice Dance Garden's power to its fullest. Otherwise, she could have frozen these people directly into ice sculptures.

Luke's figure darted across the ice with astonishing speed, while the warehouse guards had to constantly struggle against the freezing restraint on their movements. They could not even attempt to attack or defend.

They could only watch helplessly as the Elf elegantly slipped past them like a dancer on ice. Every flash of the curved blades in her hands brought forth a broad spray of blood mist, which then congealed into crimson ice crystals.

Like blooming red petals.

The rain continued to fall, and Mist Frost Flowers continued to bloom.

The freezing left the guards unable to feel their wounds. They desperately tried to move, yet could not break free from the icy water binding them.

The frost traveled through their wounds, freezing their blood before seeping into their bodies. Their numb limbs lost all function, their bodies could no longer move, and the frozen blood spread inward through their veins.

Until their hearts froze solid.

Ron slowly turned along with Luke's movement. Every step took all his strength as he pulled his legs free from the ice. As he turned, he witnessed the deaths of his subordinates with his own eyes, watching them become sculptures wrapped in ice, their blood frozen in mid-spray.

White, red, and the Mist Frost Flowers that continued to bloom.

Ron turned around, and the Elf stopped as well. She stood there as ice crystals continued to fall from the sky.

Amid the frost flowers and ice sculptures, she stood with her back to him and sheathed her twin blades at her lower back, beautiful enough to make something strike at his heart.

The Elf's voice drifted over.

"I never meant to kill you, but I couldn't stop myself. Sorry about that! Bye-bye! You don't have what I want."

Ron opened his mouth, trying to call out to the Elf's back as she gradually vanished into the darkness, only to discover that he could not make a sound.

His limbs had already gone numb.

He lowered his head and saw more than ten blood-red ice spikes blooming from his body like scarlet petals...

Then darkness swallowed his vision.

The thickening ice sealed his corpse within it, standing at the warehouse entrance alongside more than a dozen humanoid ice sculptures.

Yet thirty meters beyond them, there was neither ice nor water.

An alarm blared inside the warehouse.

A large number of warehouse guards rushed out with weapons in hand, then froze in shock at the bloody yet breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Luke left Windbreak Alley and, after a stretch of rooftop parkour, returned to the Virtual Teleport Anchor where he had started.

He sat on the edge of a building, looking down at the sleeping city.

What should he do next?

The things in the warehouse were definitely gone, or perhaps they had not come to this world with his character.

Then there was no need to look for the money stored in the bank, either.

Right now, aside from what he wore, what he had on him, and the contents of his backpack, he had nothing.

How was he supposed to acquire the ritual items and sacrificial items his true body needed for Secret Arts?

Luke searched through the guides stored on the phone in his consciousness, checking whether there was anything suitable for him in Cape District at the beginning of Era.

Hmm?

This was...

Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.

Despite its name, Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon was not an actual dragon heart. It was a summoning item made by the Alchemist Association of Raging Wave City, capable of summoning Red Dragon Nilcolon from Dragon Kingdom to fight for ten minutes.

In Era, NPCs who possessed power beyond ordinary people were all called heroes.

Heroes were rated differently from Players.

Players were judged by level.

Heroes were judged by stars.

One to six stars represented the six tiers of a hero's power, with each star corresponding to twenty Player levels.

For example, Ron and his men in the Windbreak Alley warehouse district were at most three-star heroes. Some might not even have reached one star.

Level 60 Clear Sky was equivalent to a three-star hero. With buffs such as bloodline, modifications, Constellation, exclusive combat skills, and more, she naturally slaughtered Ron's group with ease.

Red Dragon Nilcolon was an overpowered five-star hero, commonly known as a five-and-a-half-star hero.

If a five-and-a-half-star hero were unleashed, even for just ten minutes, the destruction it could cause would be considerable.

Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon had been stolen from the Alchemist Association in Raging Wave City yesterday.

And now, it was in Cape District.

The guide contained a detailed process for obtaining Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.

If a Player chose not to take the "heart" and followed the storyline instead, they could trigger The Clover Armed Airship Heist. After that, depending on the Player's choices, the plot could branch into more than ten different outcomes.

Of course, following the plot was not what Luke intended to do.

He only wanted Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.

If he summoned Red Dragon Nilcolon and killed it, he could obtain the real heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon. Not only would he gain its heart, but every part of a dragon, a top-tier supernatural creature, was valuable.

Many of the materials required for top-tier Secret Art Incantations were related to dragons.

Then... his next target.

Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.

Following the guide, Luke found the location where Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon should currently be.

It was in the hands of Jumu, the Horned Demonkin boss of the Mad Axe Gang. The heart would be sold to Pirates the day after tomorrow.

The guide listed several ways to obtain Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.

He could steal it, deceive them... or simply take it by force.

As long as he was strong enough, he could kill his way directly into the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters.

The guide also suggested that Players could go to the Assassin Tavern in Cape City and accept the bounty on Jumu.

Two birds with one stone.

Five thousand Gold Vouchers was an enormous windfall.

But the Mad Axe Gang was a powerful gang in Cape District. Their headquarters was certainly filled with all manner of powerful heroes.

Furthermore, Jumu was a Horned Demonkin with four-star strength.

He hid in the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters, protected layer upon layer by gang members.

Killing him by force would not be easy.

But for Clear Sky... it was worth trying.

A lone five-and-a-half-star red dragon was far too tempting for Luke.

The decision was made.

He would first go to the Assassin Tavern and accept the mission. Five thousand Gold Vouchers could buy plenty of ordinary materials needed for Arcane Rituals.

Upon touching the nearby Virtual Teleport Anchor, every teleport anchor within Cape District appeared as available for use.

He searched for a teleport anchor near the Assassin Tavern.

Botu Square!

The unlucky thief Shelley had shot dead had hidden fifteen gold coins in a bird's nest atop the statue on the eastern side of the square.

Fifteen gold coins could be exchanged at the Imperial Bank for three Gold Vouchers.

No matter how small the gain, it was still a gain. Besides, this was no small sum—one gold coin could be exchanged for ten Silver Vouchers.

One Silver Voucher could be exchanged for one hundred Imperial Marks.

After arriving at Botu Square, Luke easily took the fifteen gold coins the thief had hidden.

After he left, Pisco, having dealt with the corpse in the interrogation room, staggered over to Botu Square.

He found the statue on the eastern side of the square, climbed it, and found the bird's nest as well.

But after feeling around in the nest for a long time, he found nothing except a hand full of bird droppings.

"Damn thief, he actually lied to me. Serves you right for getting beaten to death by big sis."

(Gold Vouchers and Silver Vouchers were currencies circulated throughout the world; Imperial Marks were the currency circulated within the Golden Shield Empire. During the Golden Shield Empire's paper currency reform, metal currency remained legal tender within the country but was not permitted to leave its borders.)

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