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Chapter 683: Between Light & Light (End)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The first thing Rhode saw when he opened his eyes was pure whiteness.

Anne hugged him tightly like a human-size doll. She showed a satisfied, blissful smile and blushed cheeks. Rhode revealed a bitter smile at the thought of the crazy night. He had never faced such a tough 'opponent' like Anne before. Perhaps due to her Half-Beast bloodline, she was exceptionally energetic and had strong resilience. If the spraining of his waist with Lize was an accident, then this 'violent battle' with Anne would be considered a 'war of attrition'. There were no techniques or shortcuts involved. It was purely based on who could gain the victory by lasting until the end.

What left Rhode between laughter and tears was that during the final 'fierce battle', Anne had fallen into a deep sleep, snoring away. He was working his way through and realized that something was amiss. He flipped her around to find her widening her mouth in her sweet dreamland, leaving him speechless. But even so, he perked up his senses and finished his job before leaving the battlefield.

"Hmm..."

Anne hummed in her sleep perhaps sensing Rhode's movements. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed her firm, upright bosoms against his back. Got to say, Anne's body proportions were great. Even though Lize and Marlene were also soft to the touch, they were still smaller in size, after all. Anne's chest presented a perfect shape and even though Rhode didn't favor women with balloon-sized chest, it would still be a shame if their chest was too small. The shape of Anne's chest was still the favorite type for males. They were neither too small nor huge. Not only was the tactile sensation was just right, but her delicate skin was also perfect.

Perhaps due to the overly fierce battle, Anne was still snoring away in her sleep after Rhode had washed up and changed into his clothes. It seemed that she wouldn't be awake without staying in bed for the whole day.

The imperial residence was oddly peaceful, but Rhode knew that the entire Casabianca was in the state of an unprecedented storm after the Dragon Soul Ceremony yesterday. The Light Parliament had embarrassed themselves before the people and even though the military exercise had taken place behind closed doors, the people of the Country of Light would surely hear about this news regardless if the ones spreading it harbored ill intentions or not. This was unacceptable humiliation for them because the Light Parliament had to come up with something to shift the people's attention and also guarantee that their authority could be consolidated. This was the simplest way for them to kill two birds with one stone...

Rhode lifted his head and gazed out the window. He couldn't spot a trace of darkness and shadow under the brilliantly lit sky.

"Ah, Mr. Rhode."

Even though Marlene and Lize were surprised to find Rhode stepping out of the room, they approached him immediately with smiles.

"Rhode, how are you feeling?"

"Everything's okay. I'm almost fully recovered."

Rhode waved his left hand. Even though this world wasn't logical enough, the effects of treatments from spiritual and alchemy spells were truly incredible. If he were to be injured this way in the real world, perhaps he might need a few months to recover fully. Not only that, but he might also undergo chest operations. On the contrary, in this Dragon Soul Continent, one could recover with spiritual spells no matter how hurt one was. Just like an illness, as long as the spell-caster was formidable enough, one could be treated from hard-to-treat cases or even minor flu and coughs. Of course, there were still 'illnesses' that couldn't be cured like Christie's or ones caused by curses, bloodlines, and other unchangeable reasons and non-illnesses.

It was due to this that there were so many Clerics in the Dragon Soul Continent, as they didn't need to specialize in medical knowledge of various disciplines such as internal medicine or surgeries. As long as one was sick or injured, the Clerics could treat them using spiritual spells. But if one's illness wasn't cured, it wouldn't be due to the failure of surgery or intake of wrong medication, but purely due to the incapability of the Cleric's strength or perhaps one wasn't just simply hurt.

Lize and Marlene let out sighs of relief after witnessing that Rhode's palm wound had been healed. Then, Lize clapped her hands together as she just thought of something.

"Ah, right, Mr. Rhode, Royal Highness Lydia has sent someone to pass a message earlier. Please head to the Dragon Soul Temple."

"Dragon Soul Temple?"

Rhode frowned and nodded.

"Got it, I'll get prepared."

"By the way, Rhode," Marlene said.

"Do you know where Anne is? Lize and I went to her room to look for her, but she wasn't there. The others don't seem to know where she has gone to."

As soon as Marlene finished her sentence, the door behind Rhode squeaked open. Then, a naked Anne peered out from the door with blurry eyes.

"Hmm... What's wrong, Sister Marlene? You were looking for Anne? Anne is so tired..."

Anne cupped her mouth and let out a long yawn.

"—"

Time had as though frozen at this moment.

Marlene and Lize widened their eyes in disbelief at the naked young lady. In an instant, the air had as though turned ice-cold.

"R-Rhode? What... What's going on? You and Anne..."

Marlene's fair cheeks flushed. She gazed at Anne blankly before turning to Rhode and he shrugged helplessly. In fact, this was the worst development that he could imagine. But before he answered, Anne shook her head curiously.

"What's wrong, Sister Marlene? Is anything the matter?"

"A-Anne... Y-You and Mr. Rhode. Did you two..."

Lize was wide-eyed. She shifted her gaze between Rhode and Anne, but was speechless. On the other hand, Anne nodded happily and wrapped her arms around his arm. Then, she lifted her head proudly.

"Uh huh, Anne and Leader have done it, Lize. Just like you've said, Anne likes Leader the most, so Anne wants to play with Leader. It was really a comfortable thing. So fun!"

"T-This isn't anything fun! Anne!"

Marlene exclaimed in a sharp, loud tone and it resounded in the empty corridor. She gazed at Anne blankly and couldn't utter another word.

"Waa!"

Anne shrunk back subconsciously and hid behind Rhode. But, she quickly peered out bravely and gazed at Marlene with puffed cheeks.

"Sister Marlene is so petty! You two can play with Leader, so why can't Anne too? Anne knows that you and Sister Lize have played with Leader a few times because Anne can smell Leader's scent from your down-there!"

"What—!"

Marlene's pale complexion instantly turned reddish. She pointed her trembling finger at Anne, but couldn't utter a single word. Lize let out a shiver and placed her hands on her upper thighs subconsciously. At this moment, Rhode, who was watching the show all these while, let out a helpless sigh.

"... Lize, help Anne get dressed. She can't run about in this manner. Alright then, I'm heading to the Dragon Soul Temple."

Rhode patted on Anne's head before swiftly fleeing the scene. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the corner of the corridor. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward and he got out while the going was good. Three women made a market, and he was better off leaving them alone.

It was already noon when Rhode arrived at the entrance of the temple.

As the residence of the Creator Dragon Soul, the architectural style of the Light Dragon Temple was incomparably majestic and oppressive in the form of white jade. A hundred wide steps spread along the hillside to the large entrance doors with two railings carved with sacred and exquisite designs into the spotlessly white temple. A ten meter tall, round stone column supported the dome ceiling and the dazzling sun spilled through the wide windows on both sides. It was apparent that the entire layout of this building was meticulously designed. No matter how the sun shifted through its course, the perfectly-placed skylight could guarantee that every corner of the temple would be blessed by warm sunlight. The tinted glasses and tulle curtains provided a layer of comfort, ensuring that the sun wasn't overwhelming, at the same time adding some beautiful coloration to the charming place.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I've entered this temple during a time of peace...

After announcing his name to the Battle Angels, they led him inside the Light Dragon Temple. Rhode sized up the temple curiously because, in the game, he wasn't a player of the Country of Light and the Light Parliament had put up several 'layers of protection' for the Light Dragon, so it wasn't easy for him to enter this place.

He had only been to this place once in the game. But that was after he led the players to destroy the Light Parliament. The Light Dragon Soul was long unoccupied and there were no signs of Battle Angels anywhere. All that remained was an empty temple. Rhode wandered about and all that came into view was the spread of burning flames, wreckage, and ruins scattered from the explosions. But now...

Rhode shifted his gaze forward and spotted Lydia at the end of the spacious corridor. She was squinting at himself with interest and presented a smile as Rhode approached.

"I didn't expect you to be this punctual, Earl Rhode."

"Your Highness, is anything the matter?"

Of course, Rhode wouldn't be that foolish to tell Lydia that he was dying to get out of the tangled and complicated situation between his subordinates, so he appeared this eager. He bowed respectfully and greeted. Lydia shook her head slightly and winked playfully at him.

"I'm not the one who's looking for you, Earl Rhode. It's Her Majesty who wants to see you."

Lydia beckoned to him with a gracious smile. Rhode pondered for a moment and followed her.

Upon entering through the large doors, Rhode saw what seemed to be an indoor botanical garden. The wide, transparent glass filled the entire ceiling from top to bottom. He looked up and spotted white clouds drifting in the clear blue sky in the distance. Vibrant flowers and lush vegetation had filled the spacious, round room while a stream flowed gently in the sound of soft splashing water. What was more surprising was that there was a huge lake in this spacious indoors and in its middle floated a green island about five to six meters large. On the green island, there was a round table with exquisite chairs and tea set. Not only that, but a detailed small bridge also spanned the lake, connecting the green island to the edge of the river bank. A petite figure could be seen sitting by the round table under the warm, glorious sun.

This is truly the extravagant life of capitalism.

Rhode commented inwardly. Even though she was the Creator Dragon Soul and it shouldn't be surprising that she owned such a luxurious palace, Rhode suddenly realized that his previous thoughts about her weren't exaggerated at all after witnessing this view.

This place was indeed the ideal 'greenhouse' that separated itself from reality.

"Ah..."

Lily revealed a smile and waved her tiny hand in the air to capture his attention. Rhode crossed the small bridge, went up to her, and gave a slight bow.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. It is my utmost honor to receive your summon..."

Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the little girl before him.

"Alright. Should I call you Lily? Or Your Majesty?"

The little girl stared blankly before shaking her head and let out a soft, awkward cough.

"About that... I'm sorry, Mr. Rhode. It wasn't with ill intention for me to hide the truth from you. Alright then, allow me to introduce myself once again."

The little girl laid her hands down and sat upright. She looked at Rhode sternly.

"Hi there, Mr. Rhode, I'm the Light Dragon Soul Heir, Lilian... You can call me Lily here."

"Alright, Lily."

Rhode nodded slightly and sat down on the other side of the round table. The tea set and desserts were ready on the table. It seemed that Lily was clear of her motive in inviting Rhode here. But when Rhode shifted his gaze, he realized that there was no one else apart from both of them.

"Have you always been alone here, Lily?"

"Serene will usually be here to accompany me, but she isn't around today... I've gotten her to handle the situation involving Dalkest.

The little girl fiddled with the teacup in her tiny hands and displayed a heavy look.

"Mr. Rhode, thank you for your guidance. If I didn't see it for myself, I would still believe that this world is perfect without any tragic lives. I thought that everyone led their blissful lives without any worries, troubles, or pain. Everyone in the Light Parliament told me that and with their management, the people of Country of Light are living peaceful and wonderful lives. This was why I didn't see the need to intervene with their jobs. But..."

Lilian lowered her head and bit her lip. Her body was shaking, but it wasn't due to anger. It was more of nervousness and uncertainties. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode worriedly.

"Mr. Rhode, do you think what I've done is right? I hope to use my strength to change this world and not rely on others. But do you think this is the right choice?"

"This isn't a question that I should answer on your behalf, Lily."

Rhode shook his head slightly.

"There's a saying in my hometown: Man proposes, but God disposes."

"What does that mean...?"

Lilian said and Rhode continued his statement.

"Since it wouldn't change anything by maintaining its current state, what's there to not make some changes? Lily. The result aren't most important. It's the determination instead. I do what I think is right. Perhaps I won't receive the best results, but, this is my choice... I won't regret the decision I've made. Perhaps the result that I gain isn't as perfect as I've imagined and it may bring pain, sadness, and failure... But I will never regret them because there's no purpose in regrets. Lily, I'm only a mortal. I don't know if every decision I make is correct or if it can lead me to the desired result. But the only thing that I'm sure of is that once I've made my decision to work hard for my desires, I will give it my best and also rely on some luck to ensure that I reach my goals. No matter if I succeed or failed, I've tried my best, at the very least."

"Man proposes, but God disposes..."

Lilian lowered her head and murmured under her breath. After a few moments, she raised her head as though she had figured things out. She presented a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Rhode. I think I know what I should do now."

Rhode gazed at her in silence and suddenly, a golden radiance flashed across his eyes, revealing a line of system prompt.

[Mission Completed — Between Light and Light]

Chapter 684: Mission Reward & System Upgrade (1/3)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

[Everyone has their own decision and fate. You've chosen a path full of thorns, with dangers, difficulties, and obstacles, but you braved on...]

Rhode shifted his gaze away from the system prompt. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

This mission is finally complete.

Rhode was ready for a prolonged war with this ridiculous mission without any specific goal. No matter what, the reward for this mission was incredibly generous. Even though there were no EXP and monetary rewards, it was still unbelievable that an additional Phantom Guardian could be unlocked. However, Rhode didn't have any clues until the start of the Dragon Soul Ceremony and the situation took a turn after he met Lilian.

The Light Dragon Soul and Light Parliament.

As a player, Rhode sharply realized the hints from the title of this mission and its contents, so he was determined to give it a shot. No matter what, the Light Dragon Soul was only a puppet in the original history of the game. It would be enough for him if he successfully instigated her even if the mission wasn't complete because he could still cause some troubles for the Light Parliament.

Thereafter, Rhode and Lilian spent a wonderful teatime together. He described the adventures that he and his companions had experienced on this continent, which included scenarios that had happened in this world and some that he had gone through in the game. For Lilian, who had always stayed home, they were full of keen interest and pleasure. She even exclaimed in awe as she listened to the exciting parts of the stories.

At the same time, Rhode ingeniously pried some information from Lilian. Got to say, even though this information wasn't some top secret, it left Rhode stunned.

The Dragon Soul Heirs were unlike the Archangels who bred offspring through asexual or sexual reproduction. In fact, the Dragon Soul Heirs couldn't bear children even if they were married. Perhaps this was due to their supreme power, where the vitality of other races couldn't withstand it. Even though the Dragon Soul Heirs possessed supreme powers, they weren't immortal. For instance, the Dragon Soul Powers were dominant sources of strength and the Dragon Soul Heirs were nothing more than vessels who sustained and transmitted them. However, just like how any energy vessels would wear out after long years, Dragon Soul Heirs would also grow old and be affected by various reasons and couldn't contain the Dragon Soul Powers. As a result, they had to search for a new heir.

But the heirs weren't selected through any beauty pageants. Angels, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Undead Creatures, Vampires and other ordinary lives couldn't bear the power of the Creator Dragon Souls. As long as they were not the selected ones, they would be completely devoured by the supreme powers and would disappear forever during the transmission of the Creator Dragon Soul Powers.

As the Creation Poem stated, this continent was formed from the bodies of the Creator Dragon Souls. Whenever the current Dragon Soul Heir grew weak and old, a new heir who possessed the essence of the Dragon Soul Powers and capable of bearing the Creator Dragon Soul Powers would emerge before the Dragon Soul Heirs on this continent. After the birth of this new life, they could carry out the inheritance ceremony and pass on the Dragon Soul Powers. The current Dragon Soul Heir would lose its aura, return to an ordinary life, and live the rest of its life peacefully until death.

The average age of the Dragon Soul Heirs spanned from 300 to 500 years old. If they were to engage in battles which diminished their Dragon Soul Powers, their life span would be drastically decreased and this was the same for Elves, Humans, and Undead Creatures. Even though they were the Dragon Soul Heirs, they weren't the Creator Dragon Souls themselves, after all. They were only the vessels of spiritual powers and naturally couldn't merge together as one. But even so, their life span was much longer than other races.

And it was the same for Lilian. It was 20 years ago when she received the powers from the former Dragon Soul Heir and became the new Dragon Soul Heir. However, what surprised Rhode was that she had never stepped out of this temple in the 20 years. She would only leave this place whenever the Dragon Soul Ceremony took place and take a stroll in Casabianca under the escort of the Light Parliament (But to Rhode, this felt more like allowing a prisoner out for exercise). Under the tight, watchful eyes of the Light Parliament, Lilian had no idea about the outside world. Even though her age was only a little younger than Rhode judging from a Human's perspective, she was only a newborn in the eyes of the Dragon Soul Heirs. Not only on her appearance, but her mentality was also as that of a child. It could also be said that even Lapis, who was the most innocent and pure subordinate under Rhode, was more mature than Lilian... In fact, Rhode felt unimaginable after knowing this truth. He let out an inward sigh of helplessness after gazing at this naive and innocent little girl. Either she was an extremely shrewd person who was an expert in disguise or the Light Parliament was too great in brainwashing, it wasn't easy for Lilian to maintain such a harmless character for the past 20 years...

"Your Majesty."

Suddenly, a deep voice sounded. Rhode and Lilian turned around and spotted Archangel Boulder on the other end of the bridge. He gazed at both of them silently.

"The Light Parliament Chairman is requesting to see you."

"Now?"

Rhode let out an inward smile as he observed Lilian's excited little face crumbling instantly. This Dragon Soul Heir before him was behaving like a little child who was having a lot of fun with her toy, but her parents took it away from her and urged her to do her homework. Lilian eventually lowered her head and let out a hopeless sigh.

"Mr. Rhode... I'm sorry, it seems that this is all for today..."

"It's a shame, Your Majesty."

Rhode stood up and bowed slightly to Lilian. He knew why she expressed such a lonely expression. After all, they were here to participate in the Dragon Soul Ceremony only and now that the ceremony had ended, they had to leave the Country of Light and return to the Munn Kingdom.

Lilian pouted in dissatisfaction. Shortly after, she sighed, stood to her feet, and presented a smile to Rhode.

"Thanks for accompanying me, Mr. Rhode. I've had a great time. Can..."

Lilian hesitated for a moment. She stole a glance at Archangel Boulder before leaning in to Rhode's ear.

"... Can I go to the Munn Kingdom to play with you next time?"

"..."

Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. Then, he showed a passionate smile.

"I will always welcome your arrival, Your Majesty."

Rhode sensed the gazes of reluctance and anticipation from Lilian as the large doors closed tightly behind him. But it seemed that his instigations worked to a certain extent... And this was enough. But... this wasn't the end.

"Hi there, Parliament Chairman."

Rhode gazed at the elderly man before him and greeted with a smile.

"... It's you?"

The elderly chairman sulked slightly, but he quickly dwindled his look.

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Earl Rhode. Have you recovered from your injuries?"

"Thanks for the concern, Parliament Chairman."

Even though Rhode sounded respectful, his attitude was otherwise. He didn't show any respect to this elderly man at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin proudly, and looked down on him in disdain. He perked up the corners of his mouth.

"It's merely a bite from a crazy dog and countless dogs have died under my sword, so I don't mind a few more. I might as well kill all of them and cook them up in a hotpot. What do you think, Parliament Chairman? It's the harsh winter now, so you might as well have some piping hot food for your frail body, isn't it?"

"..."

The elderly man's complexion turned ashen. He knew what Rhode was hinting, but what could he do? Fall out with him? What could he do even if he fell out with Rhode? Moreover, he wasn't here to bicker with him. The elderly man let out a snort and shifted his gaze away from Rhode. Then, Rhode's voice captured his attention.

"By the way, Parliament Chairman, I just thought of something. If I recall correctly, I was the victor from the battle yesterday, right?"

"... What are you trying to say?!"

The elderly man glared fiercely at Rhode while the latter twitched his brows before shrugging with a sigh.

"If I recall correctly... What is it called? Forget it. I'm not interested in remembering the name of that man who challenged me and was defeated. According to the rules of the Dragon Soul Ceremony, the victor should receive a generous reward, isn't it? I left too hurriedly yesterday and didn't manage to request it. Your honorable parliament wouldn't keep everything to yourself, huh?"

"... What do you want?!"

The elderly chairman no longer looked ashen. Instead, he had turned purple. Indeed, such a rule existed for the military exercise in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. Apart from receiving the blessings of the Light Dragon Soul, the final victor could also gain a generous reward. The Magician Knights were killed in the overly bloody battle and Andre was left gravely injured. The problem was that not only was Andre's life in danger, but according to the Clerics who treated him, he was also suffering from a mysterious and terrifying curse where spiritual spells couldn't remove it. Even though such a curse wouldn't take Andre's life, it would leave him incredibly weak and he couldn't get up on his feet. It could also be said that even if Andre wasn't dead, he would be no different from a handicapped person.

[Holy Sword Succubus—Curse Property: After striking its target, there is a 30% chance of inflicting a weakness curse. Undispellable.]

If Rhode knew about it, perhaps he would exclaim in awe on how lucky Andre was to hit the 30% probability. But... as for whatever happened to Andre thereafter, it had nothing to do with him anymore.

Even in true battles, the Magician Knights had never suffered such a terrible loss. This led to complete chaos in the Light Parliament and them forgetting about the rule in rewarding the victor. The elderly chairman didn't expect that this young man to be that shameless to ask for it!

Rhode didn't care if he was being shameless or not, since it was only right for him to receive the reward and it would be a waste not to. Furthermore, this could leave the Light Parliament fuming. Such a method to kill two birds with one stone was as great as gulping down an ice-cold drink on a warm, summer afternoon... Why would Rhode even reject it?

"I won't ask for too much."

Rhode revealed a smile and spread his arms apart.

"If I recall correctly, in the collection of your honorable parliament, there is a 'King's Protection', right?"

"What...!"

The elderly chairman opened his eyes wide. His aged, weak body swayed and he extended his trembling finger at Rhode.

'King's Protection' was one of the most valuable gems in the Light Parliament's collection. Rumor had it that it was one of the weapons used by the King who worshiped the Light Dragon during the founding of the Country of Light. It was a completely white shield embedded with magical runes filled with divine guardian powers. This shield was enormous and heavy, where ordinary humans couldn't move it at all. In fact, ever since the establishment of the Light Parliament, the 'King's Protection' had been hidden deeply in their treasure chest and conserved as a symbol of human bravery.

"This... I..."

"There shouldn't be a problem, right, Parliament Chairman?"

Rhode said with a smile.

"This is my privilege as the victor, right? If you aren't willing to, I will need to discuss with Her Majesty. I guess, according to the traditions..."

"Alright! Alright!"

The elderly man interrupted. He gritted his teeth and glared at Rhode as though he were his father's murderer. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh.

"... Alright, I will hand the King's Protection to you before you leave tomorrow. Is this arrangement fine?! Earl Rhode?!"

"Sure, I'm glad, Parliament Chairman."

Rhode's smile broadened into a grin. Anyone would burst into chuckles when a few words could exchange for a legendary artifact. But this was only the start for him.

"Alright then. Next..."

"Next?!"

The elderly man snapped.

"Earl Rhode! Our Light Parliament will not tolerate being bullied! If you go overboard, we..."

"How can this request be too much, Parliament Chairman?"

Rhode spread his arms apart and looked at the elderly man with an innocent-looking face.

"Have you forgotten? Only Anne and I have stepped onto the battlefield. In other words, both of us should receive a reward. The previous reward was for Anne and the next should be for me... Do you have any objections to this?"

The elderly man gawked, but couldn't utter a single word. His beard trembled constantly. Rhode wasn't sure if the elderly man would collapse to a heart attack. Finally, the elderly man lowered his head, perhaps due to Rhode's reasonable explanations or perhaps he was too fatigued.

"Alright then. Earl Rhode, what do you want?"

"My request is fairly simple."

Rhode extended three fingers delightfully.

"I just want 30 of the best Soul Cores."

"... Just like that?"

The elderly man widened his eyes in astonishment. He was mentally prepared for Rhode to raise a request that would rip him off. But he never expected that this young man only asked for 30 Soul Cores? Even though Soul Cores were indeed hard for ordinary people to lay their hands on and the best ones were rarely seen in the market, it wasn't surprising for a massive force like the Light Parliament to possess some. Although Soul Cores were precious, they were merely expensive and rare... On the other hand, a legendary artifact like the King's Protection was true wealth!

"That's right, Parliament Chairman. I think this shouldn't be tough for you."

"..."

The elderly man hesitated for a moment. Then, he frowned and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Earl Rhode. Even though we have Soul Cores in our possession, we don't have 30 of them. I'm sure you're aware that they are precious and rare. Moreover, you're asking for the best Soul Cores... I can give you 10 of them at most."

"No problem."

Rhode agreed instantly.

"Alright then, I look forward to you fulfilling your promise, Parliament Chairman."

Rhode nodded slightly before turning away without hesitation, leaving the elderly chairman before the large doors in a daze. He didn't expect that Rhode would agree to his words so straightforwardly.

What exactly is going on in his head?

The elderly man remain perplexed despite much thought.

Chapter 685: Mission Reward & System Upgrade (2/3)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Two days had past since Rhode's group returned from a 'rewarding journey' from the Country of Light. Not only did he strike down the Light Parliament's prestige, but he also weakened their strength, at the same time extorted a legendary artifact, completed the mission, and 'devoured' Anne. Rhode recalled the grudgeful faces of the parliament members when they handed over the 'King's Protection' to Anne. The solemn atmosphere appeared like the losing country in war paying reparations: full of humiliation and resentment. However, for Rhode, who was always glad to grow his happiness on the suffering on others, this was the most wonderful comedy.

Not only that, but Anne also behaved dramatically when she accepted the 'King's Protection'. She knocked on the shield a couple of times before nodding in satisfaction. Then, she pushed open an opening on the shield hanging on her back and squeezed the 'King's Protection' into it like a sandwich. The parliament members rolled their eyes and almost fainted on the spot.

Even though Anne handled the shield negligently, it didn't mean that this 'King's Protection' was just a 'fake legendary artifact' that would turn useless after the game updated its patches. As a fantasy-level item, the [King's Protection] and [Historical Wing] in Rhode's possession didn't only exist physically, but were also merged with rules and concepts. A single look at the attribute would be enough to show how insane this shield was.

[King's Protection (Ancient. Fantasy. Bronze)—The King has the duty of protecting his people. When darkness closes in, it will turn into a sacred fortress that stands tall and exists as the final barrier under the glory.]

[Perseverance—Enemies below the Master Stage cannot deal any damage to the holder. The damage received from enemies above the Master Stage will progressively decrease by 5% and up to 35%. The holder will not die on the spot even when harmed by lethal attack]

[Holy Inscription—Immune from curse and poison attacks. Enhance the holder's attack with Holy Attribute powers. Increase strength by 5%]

[Rule Watcher—Immune from attacks with Chaos Attribute. Resistance to Rule Attribute +100]

[Eternal Presence—Artifact will not be destroyed]

[Requirements to equip: Strength Attribute Above 30]

Rhode sucked in a deep breath of cold air after witnessing the amazing enhancements to the attributes and he flinched as soon as he read the final line of [Requirements to equip: Strength Attribute Above 30]. In the game, even a Berserker who had focused on the strength build and was equipped with the highest quality items couldn't exceed a value of 30. It was already great enough to exceed 20 and even Barbarians and Giants couldn't possibly exceed 15. Due to Rhode's bloodline, he possessed powerful strength. Even though he couldn't view accurate values due to the seal, he was sure that his strength was hovering between 15 to 20 and this meant that, for example, he could lift up a light armored tank high in midair. This strength was considered formidable on this continent, but he didn't expect that Anne was much more insane than him. But come to think of it, Anne had always been carrying this steel shield of a few hundred kilograms around singlehandedly and not anyone could achieve this. Even though Rhode could lift it up, it would still be too tough for him to brandish it freely like a light feather.

The matter between Marlene, Lize, and Anne was resolved unexpectedly successful. Perhaps due to Lize venting her frustrations in the Mind Devil's mental world previously, she was the first to forgive Anne. On the other hand, Marlene sulked along the way and gave up helplessly after being thoroughly defeated by this remark from Anne: "Anne likes Leader so Anne wants to play with Leader. Sister Marlene, don't you like Leader too?" This also extinguished the backyard flames that Rhode was expecting to spread. Even though Rhode was confident enough that he could settle this trouble if the flames spread, he was clear that there were many times when a guy shouldn't intervene with women's problems. It would be for the best if they could resolve the problems by themselves. If he intervened, perhaps he might cause an estrangement among them. It was especially so when this specific problem was involved. No matter which side he stood on, he would offend the other party and he would offend everybody if he didn't side with anyone. He might as well hide in the corner and wait for their conflicts to resolve.

It seemed like it worked out well.

Rhode twitched his eyebrows and smiled at this thought. Then, he gathered his thoughts and summoned the system interface. The dense list of his subordinates' names emerged, but, unlike before, there was an additional status bar behind them.

This was the hidden reward for completing this mission—System Upgrade. After Rhode upgraded the construction system, he received an unexpected function—Reputation System.

Frankly speaking, Rhode was surprised as players weren't aware of this in the game. The players had always built up their own reputation, but never heard of NPCs working on theirs. But it seemed that the construction system in this world had changed. It was apparent that, no matter what, the system had recognized Rhode as a unique force and he could check on his subordinates' loyalty and reputation using this Reputation System.

Rhode tapped lightly with his finger. Shortly after, the entire name list was sorted out in terms of levels. However, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum weren't indicated on the list. It was apparent that the system didn't recognize them.

Rhode's name was on the top of the list, followed by Anne who held the highest level among his subordinates; level 50 Elite Stage. Next were Marlene and Lize with level 45 and level 40 respectively. Joey, Marfa, and Randolf were ranked lower with levels relatively lower than Lize at 38, 39, and 37. Everyone else further down the list were averaging between level 35 to 36. This was almost the highest level for humans who didn't have any special encounters. Even if Rhode were to train them up and modify their equipment, their strength would only reach level 40 Peak Elite Stage.

On the other hand, Lapis's level was really, really low. Even though she was an Alchemist Master, she was ranked at the bottom of the list at slightly over level 20. It could also be said that she had no battle capabilities.

With this Reputation System, Rhode had a certain extent of understanding on his subordinates.

The members who had been following him since Starlight was a mercenary group held maximum loyalty. This included Shauna and Old Walker, whose respect for Rhode was [Worship]. The other mercenaries who had fought alongside him mostly had maximum respect and almost entered [Worship]. On the contrary, those mercenaries including John's Cavalrymen who didn't fight alongside him were relatively lower in respect.

Rhode realized that there was a variation in this Reputation System, where only Marlene, Lize, and Anne didn't have [Worship] indicated behind their names, but [Love] was indicated instead. As for the reason... It went without saying.

But... this was a bonus, after all.

Rhode shifted his gaze to the ten first-rate Soul Cores lying quietly on the table before him. The Light Parliament didn't do anything funny with them because, after all, these Soul Cores were nothing precious in comparison to the legendary artifact ,[King's Protection]. However, it was apparent from the darkish color on the Soul Cores that they mostly came from Demons. It was apparent that, even though the Parliament Chairman had agreed to Rhode's request, they purposely chose Soul Cores with dark energy as they weren't as useful as ordinary ones. The best usage of these Soul Cores was to summon various Demons in dark rituals or create some equipment with dark and undead spells. The Light Parliament was determined to mess with Rhode, which explained why they had given him these.

But, it was a pity that... Rhode didn't need the Soul Cores to create magical equipment or for summoning rituals.

The reason why he requested for them was for the mission reward.

After completing the [Between Light and Light] mission, he quickly took a peek at the rewards. Just as the system had stated earlier, he could unlock and summon an additional Phantom Guardian the moment he completed the mission. But after scanning through the rewards, he realized that this so-called 'additional unlock' wasn't as simple as increasing the name list with another Phantom Guardian. Most importantly... It provided an additional unlock method.

The first method was the same as summoning the existing Phantom Guardians. It would allow Rhode to restore one of the most familiar characters from his memories unconditionally just like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. They would come to this world without any equipment, but with supreme strength and limited movements within Rhode's territorial space. This was the basic summoning method of the Phantom Guardian.

As for the other method..

It would require ten Soul Cores and all Rhode had to do was to project one of the characters from his memories into one of the Soul Cores and create a set of summoning cards. Then, he could assign this card as the Core Card of one of the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks and materialize it. There was also a flaw to it. This Core Card would be born from level 0, but the benefits were also self-evident. It wouldn't be restricted within Rhode's territorial space like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, where it could freely roam to every corner of the continent.

Judging from this aspect, this Core Card appeared more like a player instead. It could level up, complete missions, roam freely, possess its own class, Talent Trees, and technique masteries. More importantly, as a summoned card spirit, it could respawn upon death like any other players in the game. Apart from its identity as Rhode's summoning card, it could be considered totally like a player.

Rhode instantly chose the second method without any hesitation. Since the territorial space under him wasn't considered large, it would be enough to have Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to guard his them. Moreover, it wouldn't serve too much purpose to increase the number of Phantom Guardians. As for the other areas, Rhode needed an assistant who could work perfectly with him. Lize, Marlene, and Anne performed well, but they didn't come to this world like Rhode, after all, and there would be inconveniences in communication. It would be better for him if he could have someone whom they were mutually familiar with each other.

Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum met his requirements, they couldn't leave his territory, after all. Although Gillian was a suitable fit, he felt that their mutual understanding wasn't great enough and it would be for the best if he could have someone who understood him well.

Rhode didn't see the 'level 0' as a problem at all. Anyway, it would be a summoning card spirit and it would respawn upon death. Besides, it could also utilize other cards from the deck, just like how Gillian was the Core Card in the Red Lotus Card Deck, where she could use [Sulfur River], [Seven Hells], and [Flame Killer]. It would possess its own class skills, battle techniques, and the summoning spirits belonging to the Spirit Swordsman were quite formidable. Rhode was sure that it would catch up to his level quickly after grinding it out for awhile.

Currently, in the summoning ritual of the Spirit Swordsman, Gillian occupied the 'Wisdom' position in the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks and the remaining cores were empty. All this while, Rhode had no intentions of placing Celestina, Celia, Gracier, or Madaras into those positions. After all, they were also limited in usefulness for him even if they were materialized in those forms and they were better off maintaining their state in card forms for battles.

Since that's the case, who should I choose?

Knock knock.

When Rhode was frowning upon this question, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary entered the room.

"Rhode, you were looking for us?

"You two came at the right time."

Rhode showed a relieved expression. He beckoned to them to take a seat before activating his system mission and informing them of the rewards that he had received. The two young ladies' eyes glinted as soon as they heard about the additional Phantom Guardian.

"Leader, can you assign us for it?"

Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet and swung her tiny clenched fist.

"I really want to go out for a stroll. There's no entertainment in here at all! It's so boring! Last time, I can at least play some games even when I stayed home all day! Ah, if I can head out, I will surely head to the Country of Light and show those stuck-up guys how powerful I am..."

"Bubble, didn't you hear what Rhode said? We are summoned beings and we can't be assigned to it."

Just as Mini Bubble Gum was brandishing her tiny fists and fantasizing on her wonderful future, Canary poured cold water on her and left her pouting resentfully. Mini Bubble Gum plunged back to her seat.

"I know, Big Sister. I was just thinking about it. Really..."

Canary smiled to her grumbles and turned to Rhode.

"Alright then, Rhode, what do you think about this? If you need someone who can help you, there are many available in the guild, isn't it?"

"You're right about that."

Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly. This was also why he had chosen to discuss with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. There would be nearly a hundred candidates among players who could provide assistance to him. In the beginning, Rhode had considered Mini Bubble Gum and Canary as suitable candidates because they worked well together and were extremely familiar with one another. In fact, apart from the enhancements of the Sphere of Mystery, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also effective in their training sessions. No matter if it was Lize, Marlene, Anne, Randolf, Joey, Marfa, and the others, everyone had benefited from their 'drills'. However, Rhode had decided that two persons were enough as instructors. No matter what, there was still a limit to the strength of the natives of this world. Most of them might not even reach their peaks in their whole lives and as a result, there were no need to teach them complicated and exquisite battle techniques.

Alright then, what role should the next Phantom Guardian take up?

"How about that old fella?"

Mini Bubble Gum kicked her legs under the chair.

"Isn't Marlene lacking manpower on her side? That old fella did rather well in the guild, so why not get him to help?"

"There's no need to."

Rhode shook his head.

"Olden Rascal is more fit to deal with players and his expertise isn't useful here. Also, Marlene is better off managing her matters on her own."

Rhode shrugged helplessly. Indeed, as one of the vice-leaders of Starlight Guild, Olden Rascal was popular among the players and was responsible diplomatically. However, Rhode realized that reality and here were entirely different. As a matter of fact, even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren't used to the customs here. But natives like Marlene and the others were. This world had strict classifications, where every social class had their own unique rules. Even though the restrictions were tight, players wouldn't mind bowing down all the way to show respect for others as they only treated it as just a game. On the contrary, this was extremely important for the natives and as a result, it was better to appoint Marlene to manage such serious matters. If the role was only responsible in providing suggestions, Canary and Rhode could carry out this duty out perfectly and it wasn't necessary to waste one precious summoning spot.

"How about べBunBun__ミ?"

"... Who's that?"

"It's "

"... Why would you think of her?"

"Everyone in the guild knows that she's interested in you, Leader. Since no one cares here, how about you summon her out and be a couple with her?"

"I'm not running a love variety show here. Be serious, Bubble."

"Eh? I just thought that it'll be quite interesting..."

Canary lifted her head and let out a cough. Mini Bubble Gum instantly shut her mouth and turned to the other young lady. Then, Canary spoke softly.

"I think we can focus more in terms of our army."

Rhode sulked slightly.

After the battle with the Cyan Goshawk on the ice field, the army had become the chief of Rhode's worries. Even though John wasn't wrong in his response, Rhode was clear that if his Cavalryman weren't that unfortunate to be captured and returned to their formation in time, perhaps Rhode wouldn't even know that his men were detained by the Light Parliament. It was also from that moment onward that Rhode realized his slip-up. Indeed, he knew that John Grayer was an impressive and brave commander in the game. However, he had neglected a point that this wasn't a game and everyone in this world grew up to the current state that they were in. This wasn't in the game where he could uncover a character with hidden attributes and groom him or her into a formidable character.

Even in reality, there were often times when the trend of events brought forth the heroes. If it weren't for the experiences that they had gone through in the past, perhaps they wouldn't even become well-known characters and would only become historians or young shepherds. John had the potential, but his experiences weren't rich enough for him to handle complicated situations. Rhode originally had the intentions of handing over all his private soldiers to John's leadership, but he changed his mind after that incident. John was still too young, after all, and was incapable of carrying this heavy responsibility. Currently, Rhode needed a talent who could command the army.

Rhode didn't have such a candidate, but a person came up in his mind after Canary mentioned the key word.

Rhode stood to his feet and Canary smiled to his expression.

"Have you decided, Rhode?"

"That's right. I've made up my mind on a suitable candidate."

Rhode nodded firmly.

Chapter 686: Mission Reward & System Upgrade (3/3)

Rhode walked to the center of the room and extended his right hand.

"...!"

Dazzling magical radiance flickered from the back of his hand like a soothing stream flowing from along his arm to the ground. A summoning ritual formed by three rings unfolded and the ten Soul Cores gradually hovered in midair as though guided by invisible strings. Rhode stood in the middle while lines of system prompt revealed before his eyes.

[Additional Phantom Guardian Unlocked. Please choose your target.]

Rhode lowered his head and a long list of names emerged before his eyes. He tapped on one of the names and in a dazzling flash, golden rays emanated from between his fingers as though running electric current.

[Target confirmed. To project into Soul Core?]

Yes.

Rhode gave a slight nod.

The spiritual radiance surrounding him abruptly transformed.

Columns of spotlessly white light from the summoning ritual rushed into the sky and enveloped the ten Soul Cores. A twinkling light beam connected them and they trembled like sandstones washed by a strong waterfall, allowing the spiritual radiance to infiltrate them from the inside out. Then, an explosion occurred.

Clink!

The ten Soul Cores surrounding Rhode cracked harmoniously in the crisp sound of rupture and transformed into ten cards that spun constantly on the spot. However, he didn't check their contents immediately. On the contrary, he shifted his gaze to the card hovering before him and a line of system prompt emerged.

[Detected the Core Card]

[Please appoint the card]

Without any hesitations, Rhode extended his finger and tapped lightly on the card with a black base and white edges.

[Core Card appointed—Joining the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks—Success]

Boom!

At the same time, a beam of pitch-black flames burst skyward from the ground. The cards hovering around him vanished to nowhere. The pitch-black flames slowly weakened, faded away, and was replaced with a slim figure.

It was a young lady who was about 20 years in age. She had fair, clear skin and dark, shoulder-length hair complemented her pretty facial features. The black-framed glasses gave her a knowledgeable boost in looks. She wore a black, thin skin tight top with a knee-length skirt, long socks, as well as a dark brown martens boots. Not only that, but she also had a black, red-lined fur shawl. Under the bright lights, strange magical patterns were seen flashing by.

The most eye-catching thing on her was the thick book with a gorgeously patterned hard-cover and stringed together by golden chains. She held it by her waist and she looked more like a scholar than a warrior in the battlefield.

Mini Bubble Gum's first reaction after seeing the young lady wasn't surprise, but utter disappointment instead.

"Ah... Really! Why aren't you naked!"

"Sigh..."

Even though Canary didn't speak, her exaggerated sigh had shown her thoughts.

So, after a long time, you two are only here for that?

Rhode rolled his eyes. It seemed that these two young ladies still remembered how they were fully naked when they first came to this world and now they were expecting the same sort of treatment to her? But it was a pity that she wasn't purely a Phantom Guardian. Instead, she was being appointed as a summoned spirit. This was why, even though her strength was forcefully brought down, the equipment on her wasn't stripped off. Gillian was also clothed when I first summoned her, isn't it?

"Ahh... Rhode, Bubble, Canary, long time no see..."

The young lady stifled a yawn before greeting them in her semi-conscious state. Rhode and Canary nodded in response while Mini Bubble Gum let out a 'tch' and hid behind Canary. Then, she peered out and stuck her tongue out.

"Tch. Sister Heart didn't change one bit!"

"Ahh..."

The young lady didn't have any response to Mini Bubble Gum and she appeared as though she was about to fall asleep anytime after staying up for the whole night. However, the group was long used to this behavior from her. This young lady was one of the vice leaders of Starlight Guild—Orchid Heart.

Just like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, Orchid Heart and Rhode knew each other in real life. She was Rhode's senior in university and they were also in the same activity club. However, he didn't get to meet her more than ten times throughout his life in university.

The reason was fairly simple. She lived life like a shut-in.

The first time Rhode met Orchid Heart was during the university freshmen party. Back then, this senior of his caused an uproar among the students as though she was a huge star. The freshmen felt ridiculous. Even though she looked decent with delicate and pretty facial features, she wasn't close to being the campus belle at all. Then, Rhode realized from the other seniors about the reasons behind the uproar.

In fact, Orchid Heart had also caused an uproar when she first entered this school. Back then, she entered the school with the best examination scores and was chosen to represent the freshmen in giving the opening speech. However, the school quickly learned about her odd side thereafter. Although she had been chosen to represent the freshmen, she didn't attend the freshmen ceremony at all. Ever since she entered her university dormitory, she never stepped out of her room to attend classes. Perhaps this wasn't too surprising if that was all. After all, many students let themselves go and pigged out after entering university and it was a common occurrence for them to skip classes. However, what astounded the students was that even though she basically didn't step out of the dormitory, the school had never given her any warnings or expelled her before. No one knew about the reason, but Rhode had once heard plenty of rumors. One of the rumors mentioned that she was a genius who came to this university to work on some research, which was why the school gave her the lenient treatment. Moreover, even though her sense of presence was frighteningly low, she always passed all her exams smooth and steadily. This was why she had become a legendary figure in the school.

Then, it was after Starlight Guild became formidable that she joined them. Rhode wasn't especially mindful about her, but he discovered that Orchid Heart was actually that legendary figure in his school after someone reminded him. Orchid Heart had also admitted her identity and that was when they started to know each other.

In the game, Orchid Heart advanced from the Scholar class to the special, hidden class of 'Spellcaster Scholar'. It was a support class within a support class, but unlike a Cleric like Mini Bubble Gum, the Scholar's expertise was in excavating remains, archeology, and analyzing the ancient text left behind in dungeons. It wasn't great in battles—in fact, Orchid Heart's attacking skills were rather average. In terms of battling technique, she was only above average at best among Rhode's subordinates and was totally incomparable to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.

But on the contrary, she was a total genius in commanding armies and unearthing hidden messages. A Scholar should have been a support class, but everything changed after she excavated the advanced 'Spellcaster Scholar' class. Not only did her abilities as a Scholar improved drastically, but she could also cast some AOE support spells like the Mages and Clerics and possess high level attack techniques. What was the most insane was the unique technique of the 'Spellcaster Scholar'—[Eternal Bibliography]

Through this technique, the Spellcaster Scholar could analyze any techniques being cast before her and once the analysis succeeded, she could store the technique into the [Eternal Bibliography]. Then, she could use the technique for her attacks and defenses, but it would only be limited to one usage. With sufficient time, the Spellcaster Scholar could choose to not cast the technique and undergo deeper learning of it. As long as the learning worked, the Spellcaster Scholar could grasp the technique and use it as her own. No matter if it was the Mage's magic spell, Cleric's spiritual spell, or Swordsman's swordsmanship, the Spellcaster Scholar could imitate and discharge them perfectly and wouldn't be faced with any class limitations.

But this class wasn't all that godlike and the reason was simple. The stronger the technique was, the harder it would be for the Spellcaster Scholar to analyze and learn it. Even though, theoretically speaking, the Spellcaster Scholar could also analyze and learn a BOSS's technique, it would take a long time for her to accomplish it as often times would it require the BOSS to cast the technique a few times before she could fully analyze it, which made the learning part even more challenging. In the past, Orchid Heart had once succeeded in copying the Dark Dragon's technique, but she realized that one and a half years was needed to learn this technique. And it was one and a half years of time in real life.

In one and a half years, perhaps the Dark Dragon would've died eight to ten times already.

Due to this reason and in addition to her low level of mastery, her combat skill only hovered above average even with assistance from Rhode and the other top-rated players.

On the contrary, when one door closed, another door opened. Even though she was incompetent in many aspects on combat skills, she was a talented commander who was rare to come by. Everyone knew that commanding a guild battle in game was tough as players weren't soldiers who strictly abided by instructions. Moreover, chaos was bound to happen when there were that many players in large-scale battles. Therefore, even though the battle tactic appeared doable in large-scale battles, it would often erupt into utter chaos thereafter.

However, Orchid Heart was entirely the opposite. No matter if there were 50, 500, 5000, or even 50,000 players on the battlefield, she could command them perfectly with her exceptional decision-making and quick reactions. Normally, there would be some delays when commanders gave their orders during chaotic warfare, but Orchid Heart was so quick that she could give out accurate instructions even before the situation took a drastic turn. Apart from formidable players like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who had assisted Rhode's Starlight in dominating the game and unleashing the best of their backstabbing, Orchid Heart's commanding skills had also contributed greatly in that aspect. If it wasn't for her capability in sorting everything out clearly and orderly in the battlefield, perhaps Rhode's tactics wouldn't have succeeded so easily.

However, she was often mistaken for being a person who would be full of zeal whenever she indulged herself in the game. In fact, no matter if it was reality or game, she would always appear sleepy as though she could close her eyes and fall asleep anytime after pushing through several days and nights of gaming without a break. Those who weren't aware of this often advised her to take a break if she couldn't endure the fatigue, as health was the most important. Then, they realized that she looked sleepy no matter if she had just gotten up in the morning, eaten her lunch, or before she turned in for the night. Everyone was used to seeing her sleepy eyes that were without any traces of tension. Not only in group battles, but also when their group was wiped out by the BOSS, she would always seemed to be lacking energy and vigor as though she didn't have enough sleep.

"Senior Heart, I guess you're aware of our current situation, right?"

Orchid Heart looked with modestly downcast eyes and nodded slightly. She held the <

> in her right hand while her left hand scribbled across the page. She leaned on the wall and her neatly cut fringe swayed along her movements. After a few moments, Orchid Heart gave a firm nod.

"... Yes, I got it, Rhode. Don't worry, I know what to do."

"Good to know."

Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright then, Senior Heart, have a good rest while I get Canary to arrange a room for you. I will inform you of my upcoming plans later."

"Sure. I'll leave those kids to you then, Rhode."

Orchid Heart let out a tired yawn before gazing at the card in Rhode's hand. Then, she pushed up her black-framed glasses from her nose bridge. Rhode turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.

"Find a room for Senior Heart. As for the others, I will introduce them to her afterward."

"Okay, Rhode, I'll go get prepared."

"Ah... How boring, but I do want to see their reactions when they meet Sister Heart. Hahaha, it's gonna be fun. Let's go, Sister Heart!"

Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile. He sat back to his table and scanned the ten cards before him. The ten cards had an above average level due to the top-rated Soul Cores used to summon them. Besides, some of them had even raised his spirits.

All the ten cards had black base and white edges and exposed some murderous aura within its solemnity. The ten cards were led by Orchid Heart as the Core Card and on her card showed the <

> with a black hard cover floating before her widely spread arms and behind her were several metallic pillars.

[Received the Ultimate Army Deck 10/10]

[Orchid Heart. Summoner (Number 1 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 3 Defense 5. Rare Spellcaster Scholar. Unfuseable. Analyzes, copies, and learns techniques. Incantation. Techniques Possessed: <

> (Everything in the world has its own meaning. Follow the footsteps of knowledge and wander into the endless ocean.)

Reverse Time Flow (Time Attribute)

Core Card (Can summon all cards)

Range Reward (Extend effective range of techniques by 3 x 3)

Time Manipulation (Accelerate or delay the technique casting time. Duration increases along with levels)

All in one (No punishment for using techniques from other classes)

Proficiency (Increase the speed of growth for mastery levels by 50%. Increase strength of techniques with max mastery levels by one-tenth)

Rate of Growth: 0%]

Apart from the godlike support techniques, her offense and defense values were unremarkable. But Rhode was able to accept this fact as she was level 0, after all. Moreover, she was more like a General who commanded everyone from the back and didn't need to lead the charge, so it didn't matter even if she had low offensive values. She could respawn even if she died, anyway.

Even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he was stupefied when he glanced over the ten cards. He was confident that the strength of these ten cards would be sufficient to take on an entire legion!

Chapter 687: Ultimate Army

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Orchid Heart's offense and defense values weren't remarkable as this was due to the price that she paid for being projected into the Core Card as a Phantom Guardian. However, the passive skills that came with her were sufficient to scare enemies away. Moreover, as the assigned Core Card of the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks, Orchid Heart didn't require Rhode's spiritual energy to sustain her presence and she could benefit from the special reward of utilizing one-tenth of her spiritual powers when summoning cards belonging to the same deck as her. Furthermore, even if she wasn't overpowered in terms of strength in her 'Spellcaster Scholar' class, it still wouldn't pose any problems for her to sweep enemies away.

The Ultimate Army Deck led by Orchid Heart was a rare set of cards that summoned groups of creatures. Normally, a Spirit Swordsman's summoning card mostly summoned individuals rather than groups no matter the equipment, magic, or spirits. Currently, only the [Sacrificial Shift] spell card in his arsenal could summon a huge group of Undead Creatures. But these Undead Creatures weren't true summoned spirits and were more of derivatives from the [Sacrificial Shift] spell card. Only with powerful Soul Cores would it be possible to summon strong groups of creatures.

Fortunately, it seemed that the ten top-rated Soul Cores that Rhode had extorted from the Light Parliament came in great. Every one of them turned out to be of best qualities in the Ultimate Army Deck. Even though their offense values weren't comparable to the Holy Sword Card Deck, they were considered impressive as ordinary cards.

Apart from Orchid Heart, there was a Venue Card, two Spell Cards, two Equipment Cards, and four Summoning Spirits in the Ultimate Army Deck. This was the first completed deck Rhode had gained ever since he came to this world. However, it wasn't only simply the completion of numbers. Every deck belonged to a unique world and was the materialization of their stories. When they came together as a whole, the potential that they unleashed would be completely different from individual cards. Every deck possessed distinct special effects that would only be unveiled when all the cards came together and the same went for this Ultimate Army Deck. Rhode shook his head and laughed in spite of himself after scanning through the entire deck. This deck appeared seemingly to be created with Orchid Heart as the core, where her tactical footprints could be seen in every aspect.

Summoning Spirits—In the second and third positions of the Ultimate Army Deck were the [Dark Rangers] and [Spear Defenders] respectively, while the [Ultimate Judge] and [Dead Enchantress] were in the fifth and eighth positions respectively.

[Dark Rangers (Number 2 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 9 Defense 7. Ranger Class. Unfuseable. Set Equipment Attribute. Long-range attacks. Techniques Possessed—Deadly Snipe (The figure flitting by the prairie of Casali in the night wind is the start of a nightmare.)

Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)

Elemental range shooting (Magical Technology)

Child of the Night Wind (30% chance to deviate long-range attacks)

Set Equipment Attribute (Double all allies' movement speed when two or more similar sets of cards are present)]

[Spear Defenders (Number 3 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 8 Defense 9. Spear & Shield Class. Unfuseable. Close & Mid-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Cybust Formation (The barriers built by flesh and blood are insurmountable.)

Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)

Increase damage dealt to Cavalrymen (Spear & Shield Attribute)

Fortification (Formation will not be destroyed)

Set Equipment Attribute (Lower all allies' chance of receiving critical attacks by 70% when two or more similar set of cards are present)]

[Ultimate Judge (Number 5 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 7 Defense 7. Close-Combat Class. Unfuseable. Close-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Final Judgment (Everything comes to an end)

Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)

Armor Crusher (Increase in damage)

Desires of the Grim Reaper (5% chance to inflict instant death on enemies)

Set Equipment Attribute (All allies offense +3 defense -1 when two or more similar sets of cards are present)]

[Departed Succubi (Number 8 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Succubi) Offense 6 Defense 5. Spellcaster Class. Unfuseable. Long-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Temptation of the Succubi (Even a hero will eventually become a slave to beauty)

Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)

Live and die for me (Doubles morale of allies once this card is summoned to the battlefield)

Imaginary Succubi (Doppelgänger)

Set Equipment Attribute (All allies' attack range increase by 3 x 3 when three or more similar set of cards are present)]

From the descriptions of the four cards, they were obviously the best tools for group battles. Their strength wasn't exceptional, but Rhode valued that their set equipment effects could enhance all allies. Even though he wasn't sure if the effects would be able to differentiate allies from enemies in reality, he threw this thought to the back of his head temporarily. Just like the Fantasy Daybreak that he had created, even though he wasn't sure of the reasoning behind the afterimage attacks, it didn't affect his unleashing of it, wasn't it?

[Dark Rangers] could increase their speed. [Spear Defenders] could increase their defenses and also guarantee that their formation wouldn't be destroyed. [Ultimate Judge] and [Departed Succubi] could increase allies' battle strength and range. Once these four cards were summoned, even a General with mediocre skills would crumble instantly. It was imaginable how formidable Orchid Heart would be when she used all these cards in war.

Apart from the four summoning spirits, the remaining Spell Cards and Equipment Cards shouldn't be belittled either.

[Disillusioned Spear (Number 4 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Magic Equipment) Targets a group's equipment. Unfuseable. Magical Technology Attribute. Holder can appoint a card to be equipped with the Disillusioned Spear and engage in attack. (They are like a forest of steel, piercing into the sky, undisputedly proclaiming their existence.)

Courageous Assault (Armor Crusher Attribute. Certain chance to ignore enemies' armor defense)

Fragile illusion shall return to nothingness (Spell Breaker Attribute. Destroys defensive spells below the Middle Circle)

[Dusk of Annihilation (Number 7 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Magic Equipment) Targets a group's attack. Unfuseable. Magical Technology Attribute. Engages in an 8 x 8 AOE attack when holder summons this card to the battlefield. Devastation of damage depends on the number of casualties. (Flesh and steel are the only remaining existences on the battlefield)

AOE Damage (The earth shall tremble before heavy artillery)

Chain Reaction (Certain chance to detonate an explosion attack in a 3 x 3 range)

Uniqueness (Can only be summoned once per day)]

[Mighty Flag (Number 6 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Spell Card) AOE Spell. Fusible. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Not to be used in addition with other cards. Summoner can trigger it by using experience. (The flying flag points to the direction of the heart)

Effects: Specify an area and conduct a round of will evaluation. Destroys enemies' formation if the will evaluation fails and also weakens attribute values by one-third. Resistible. Unavoidable. Once merged with other spells, attribute shall inflict additional damage]

[Recovery Breath (Number 9 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Spell Card) AOE Spell. Unfuseable. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Can be used in addition with other cards. Summoner can trigger it by using experience. (The breeze of recovery brings the breath of life and praises)

Effects: Cast on a specified area. Allies within the range will slowly recover from injuries. Eliminates poison. Unable to dispel curses. Can be dispersed]

[Casali under the Night Sky (Number 10 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Venue Card) Enchanted Field Spell. Unfuseable. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Can be used in addition with other cards. Can be used by summoner. (The war on the grassland under the dark moon has become the dust of memory.)

Effects: Envelope the battlefield entirely. Duration depends on enemies' strength.

Whispers under the night sky (Engage in uninterrupted will evaluation of the enemies. Enemies who failed the evaluation will face stagnation in movements, be blinded, and become desperate and fearful.)]

Rhode twitched his brows slightly after analyzing the last Venue Card with a picture of a breathtaking prairie under the night sky. This was the first ever Venue Card he had received in this world. The Venue Card was somewhat similar to the Order Dimension of beings in the Legendary Stage. When the Venue Card was activated, all creatures on the entire battlefield would be dragged into the depicted venue of the card and engage in battle. However, unlike the Order Dimension, the holder wouldn't have a god-like position within the Venue Card. But the holder would be advantageous in the favorable terrain while the enemies would be in calamitous grounds. Even so, there were still limits to the Venue Card. It would still work against ordinary armies, but was useless against beings in the Legendary Stage. No matter what, the Venue Card was a 'knockoff', after all. The Venue Card would be destroyed as soon as legendary beings activated their 'Order Dimension' or 'Mystic Realm'. It was also totally impossible to drag beings like the Archangels and Creator Dragon Souls into it.

But Rhode felt accomplished with this set of cards. After completing two mercenary missions, he had been focusing all his time on his territorial constructions and wrangling with the Light Parliament and basically lacked the energy to search for Soul Cores to summon these cards. Now that he had gained a decent deck of cards after extorting ten Soul Cores from the Light Parliament, he felt much more relaxed. With the help of this deck, it wouldn't that simple for the Dark Dragon if it tried to attack him anymore.

Rhode kept the cards and shook the bell on his table. Shortly after, the doors opened to the presence of Agatha who entered silently. Rhode nodded to her slightly and said. "Get Marlene and the others here."

Rhode gathered his subordinates and introduced Orchid Heart to them. Even though the group was surprised by the sudden emergence of this young lady, they didn't appear flabbergasted or nervous. After all, similar instances such as this had happened in the past and they were used to it already. But...

"Leader, Anne feels that the people around you have really weird names."

Anne suggested her thoughts and lazily kicked her legs under the chair. Even though the others didn't speak, the look on their faces showed their agreement. Indeed. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart. They didn't sound like any decent names and were more like nicknames instead. But even though they were dubious, they didn't specifically mention it. It was apparent that the three of them had out of the ordinary relationship with Rhode. Moreover, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary's intimidating strength were out in the open. In this world dominated by the strong, it was solely their right to do whatever they wanted and no one had the right to intervene.

"You'll get used to it."

Rhode shrugged and looked at the group with a stern expression.

"Orchid Heart can be considered my senior as we've learned together in the past. I've also decided to make her responsible for commanding and leading my army. Do you guys understand?"

"Eh?"

The group exchanged confused looks with one another and swiftly shifted their gaze to Orchid Heart. The looks that they had given her were filled with curiosity before, but they were mostly full of doubts now. Everyone knew what Rhode meant by this. This young lady would become the General of the entire Grenbell armed services, which was a role of utmost importance for the territory. Even though Rhode's territory didn't require too much protection at the moment and his subordinates were also capable, everyone knew that they would grow even stronger in the future and this role would become incomparably important.

But...

Marlene puckered her brows. Not only her, but many present also sensed that this sleepy-looking young lady wasn't that formidable. In the Dragon Soul Continent, even an army commander was a powerful being. However, they couldn't sense the matchless strength in this young lady that they felt from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. On the contrary, she left them a weak impression and defeating her wasn't difficult, at least in the eyes of Marlene. But why would Rhode assign such a critical role to her? Who is she exactly? Where did she come from?

Even though Marlene and the rest had heard from Rhode about the details, they still lacked understanding of this young lady. Such a crucial role... If given to the wrong person...

"Sir."

Marfa stepped forth and bowed respectfully.

"I would like to know if we..."

"No."

Rhode knew what Marfa was about to ask and shook his finger to interrupt him.

"You, Randolf, Joey, Sol, and others leading my elite squads will still listen to my commands. She will be responsible for the mobilization and promotion of the Infantries, Garrisons of the fortress, and Cavalrymen including John in future. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

Marfa nodded emotionlessly and stepped back. At this moment, everyone shifted their attention to another man: John. His face appeared a little stiff and bitter, and everyone knew the reasons why.

Ever since the clash with the Cyan Goshawk, many members had shown their disapproval at John's performance as he didn't react in time and was detained by the enemies like a dummy. Even though Rhode seemed to have suppressed the Cyan Goshawk entirely, he might really need to slaughter as many as he could if the Cyan Goshawk were to command his team and retaliate with all their might. Then, Rhode would need to bring everyone back to their territory and summon Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to destroy the corpses and any traces. On the other hand, Rhode had also heard an opinion spreading among his subordinates: John must have gotten used to being the lackey of the Light Parliament as a Southerner and wouldn't dare to move an inch before the Light Parliament. If it were them in his shoes, they wouldn't get their hands tied and have waited to be captured no matter what. If it wasn't for Rhode meeting the lucky Cavalryman who escaped the ordeal, who knew what would happen to John and his Cavalrymen.

Rhode had only occasionally heard such discussions among his subordinates, but he admitted that this was rather truthful. Most of his subordinates were Northerners and loathed the Light Parliament. Moreover, they were disgusted by the Reformist Party licking the toes of the Light Parliament. John's position as the commander of the Southern Legion was already awkward in Starlight and in addition to that incident, neutral people also grew to have such thoughts about him.

In the past, many of them believed that Rhode groomed John for the sake of having a competent military personnel. If not, he wouldn't have spent so much efforts in recruiting a loser from the Southern Legion. Although John did perform well, it was a pity that... a wrong step led to more wrongs. Rhode's pronounce that Orchid Heart would be responsible for military affairs in his territories and this meant that he had cut off all chances of John being promoted to a higher position and he might perhaps stay a Cavalrymen Leader forever.

"John."

Rhode turned to the ashen-faced Cavalrymen leader. How was it possible that Rhode wasn't aware of what was going through his mind? In the game, such similar instances had happened in Starlight too. It was a common occurrence among players about who should command the team, loot the corpses, or receive spoils of war for contributing more.

"Do you have any objections?"

"... Sir, no objections on my part."

Even though John appeared rigid, he lowered his head and answered. However, Rhode wasn't satisfied with this answer.

"Tell me the truth. Are you trying to make a fool out of me as an overlord? Or do you treat me as an idiot?"

"This..."

John stuttered while Joey couldn't watch any longer. He jumped out and gesticulated.

"Aiya, just speak when the boss asks you to! Everyone clearly knows what you're thinking so what're you hesitating for? Stop acting like an unhesitant woman! Uh... Sorry, Madam Canary, Madam Bubble, Madam Marlene, Madam Lize, and Miss Anne. I'm not referring to you. My stupid mouth... always shooting itself off..." Joey instantly sensed sharp daggers pointing at him. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Marlene gazed at him while harboring evil designs. Even the most innocent Lapis stared at him fumingly and left him shrinking, blending back into the group with embarrassed smiles and nods.

The atmosphere eased a whole lot after this silly commotion, while John had plucked up his courage, lifted his head, pushed out his chest, and stepped forward to face Rhode.

"Sir Overlord, I admit that I made a mistake in the past and I should receive my well-deserved punishment. But, I find it hard to accept this order of yours. We aren't aware of Miss Orchid Heart's capabilities and yet, you've made her the General of our three armed services. I guess, she should at least show us her skills!"

Not only John, but Marlene and the others were also filled with curiosity. Indeed, commanding an army wasn't as simple as individual battles. Orchid Heart wasn't powerful and could be considered weak. This way, it was impossible for her to convince the others just like how Canary and Mini Bubble Gum relied on their legendary strength.

"Good."

Rhode nodded and turned to Orchid Heart who was leaning against the bookcase.

"Senior Heart, what do you think?"

"Hmm..."

Orchid Heart gave an ambiguous response before swaying from left to right as she stood upright. Then, she lifted her head. But even so, her eyes remained half-shut as though she could fall asleep anytime.

"... No problem, Rhode."