Chapter 25: The Deep Sea Pearl, Iron Mountain Barracks

Sophia, anxious, asked, "Junior, what's happening? Why did my mother fall asleep again?"

Luca remained calm and said, "Don't worry. Lady Lenna had her mental strength drained by the Nightmare. She just needs some rest to recover."

Then, Luca wrote down a prescription and handed it to Charles, instructing him to gather some herbs to help restore Lady Lenna's mental strength.

Charles nodded quickly and left with a few servants to prepare the necessary ingredients.

Sophia offered, "Do you need anything else? I can fetch it from the Howard family's treasury."

Luca shook his head. "No, the potion she took will be sufficient. She just needs to rest. Let's leave her alone to recuperate."

With that, he was the first to step out of Lady Lenna's bedroom.

Having witnessed Luca's skills firsthand, no one dared to question his instructions.

Everyone followed him out of the room.

Sophia, now calmer, sincerely thanked Luca. "Junior, I cannot thank you enough! Your help will always be remembered by me and the Howard family."

"Here, this is your reward."

She then took out a storage ring and handed it to Luca.

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the task "Lady Lenna's Illness." Task Completion Rate: 100%, Task Evaluation: Perfect!]

[Task Rewards: High-level item "Spatial Teleportation Talisman," high-level material "Deep Sea Pearl," 1000 gold coins...]

[Congratulations! You have gained the friendship of the Howard family. Initial favorability of Howard family members increased by 200 points!]

[Ding! Sophia's favorability towards you increased by 200 points, reaching a total of 320 points. Favorability level increased to "Close"!]

...

"A task completion rate of 100%?!" Luca's eyes widened in surprise.

Lady Lenna's task awarded rewards based on the completion rate.

Any mistake would have reduced the completion rate and, consequently, the rewards.

Luca had never expected to achieve a perfect score, making this a delightful surprise!

Suppressing his excitement, Luca looked at the rewards.

[Spatial Teleportation Talisman: High-level item. Upon use, the player can instantly appear at any pre-marked location within 1000 meters, unaffected by any non-spatial skills. Cooldown time: 6 hours.]

[Deep Sea Pearl: High-level material, sourced from the high-level monster "Deep Sea Clam Spirit" in the western seas of the Kingdom of Clinton. It can be used to forge high-level water attribute equipment, with a chance to gain a special water element amplification effect.]

Apart from the 1000 gold coins and a platinum-grade item, Luca was most delighted by the high-level material he received as a reward!

Compared to the life-saving "Spatial Teleportation Talisman," the "Deep Sea Pearl" was even more valuable to Luca.

The "Hydra" is one of the top-tier monsters from the Abyssal Demon Realm. Even the Transcendent materials left behind by its phantom are at least high-level, possibly even Superclass materials.

To draw his first fixed magic rune using the "Hydra's Blood," Luca needed at least four high-level materials to harness the full power of the Hydra magic rune.

Originally, Luca planned to first obtain materials from the Hydra and then gather other high-level materials to draw the fixed magic rune. He never expected to acquire a high-level material so soon!

Noticing the change in Luca's expression and recalling his profession as a Demonic Rune Mage, Sophia spoke up, "Junior, you saved my mother. If you need anything, just let me know. The Howard family may not be a major family, but we do have some resources."

The others looked on enviously. Such treatment from the Howard family was beyond their wildest dreams!

Luca detected a hint of recruitment in Sophia's words.

He was certain that if he asked for high-level materials, Sophia would agree without hesitation.

However, after some thought, he politely declined, "Thank you, Senior. If I need anything in the future, I will exchange it for something else."

Although Count Ryan is a diamond-grade professional, the Howard family likely doesn't have many high-level materials. If Luca wanted high-level materials, he would probably need to offer something in exchange, potentially branding himself with the Howard family mark.

Unlike joining the Mages' Association, being marked by a family would impose many restrictions, so Luca preferred to keep his dealings simple and avoid deep entanglements with any family.

Understanding Luca's intentions, Sophia and the others nodded.

Cassman pursed his lips and said, "You really don't know what's good for you. So many people are trying to get the Howard family's help without success, and now that the lady herself offers, you refuse."

Luca just smiled in response.

Cassman's viewpoint might apply to ordinary people, but to him, the Howard family was just a minor family in the vast Eternal Continent.

Binding himself to such a family might bring some immediate benefits, but as his strength grew, this family would only become a burden. Therefore, there was no need to get too deeply involved; a friendly relationship was sufficient.

"If that's the case, you can come to me whenever you need help in the future," Sophia said, not taking it to heart.

Her intention was to express gratitude, and it didn't matter if Luca didn't want the Howard family's support.

Then she brought up another matter. "You mentioned the monster forest and the Abyssal Node earlier. Does that mean you've already checked it out?"

Luca nodded and recounted yesterday's encounter. "Yesterday, Catherine's brother was seriously injured, so we went to the monster forest to look for materials. We stumbled upon an Abyssal Node in a cave. A lot of Silver and Gold Grade monsters had already gathered there, and there was even a Purple-Gold Grade leader."

Luca concealed the true identity of the Hydra to avoid alarming Sophia and the others. Revealing the presence of a monarch-level monster could cause panic and lead to the evacuation of Riverfall City, ruining his plans to deal with the Hydra's arrival.

"A Purple-Gold Grade leader?!" Upon hearing Luca's words, both Sophia and Cassman's faces changed instantly.

A monster of that strength could easily destroy the entire Riverfall City, not to mention the other monsters present!

And this dangerous thing hiding under their brow.

Realizing the imminent danger, everyone's expressions turned grim.

Cassman, full of worry, said, "These monsters could attack at any moment. Why didn't you mention this yesterday?"

Luca replied helplessly, "This should have been reported to the city lord yesterday, but Catherine was blocked by Matthew at the city lord's mansion."

Hearing this, Cassman nearly erupted in anger.

Clenching his fists, he said furiously, "That scoundrel Matthew! He does nothing but cause trouble and sleep with women!"

Sophia's face was equally displeased. Regarding her cousin, she had no words.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia said solemnly, "Thank you for the warning, my junior. This matter cannot be delayed. I will report it to the people of Riverfall City and ensure they are prepared."

Luca nodded and cautioned, "That monster is no ordinary beast. To deal with it, it would be best to have the count himself intervene. Ordinary people might not be able to handle it."

Sophia sighed, "My father is not in Riverfall City right now. I will use a sound transmission crystal to inform him of the situation here and urge him to return from Southwind City as soon as possible."

"The count is not here?" Luca frowned. This was an unexpected complication. 

But he figured it shouldn't pose too much of a problem. After all, Riverfall City housed several high-level warriors.

"Cassman, head to the Emerald State barracks and ensure all soldiers are battle-ready. Also, send a team to the monster forest to gather intelligence," Sophia instructed Cassman to prepare in advance. She then apologized to Luca, "I'm sorry, junior. Given the urgency, we'll have to postpone a proper reception for you."

Luca shook his head slightly, indicating it was no trouble.

After Sophia left for her study to use the sound transmission crystal to inform her father and Baron Rudolph Barton, the lord of Riverfall City. 

Seeing this, Luca saw no reason to linger.

Once Sophia was gone, he and Cassman left Howard Manor together and boarded Sophia's carriage to head to Iron Mountain Barracks.

Luca planned to accompany the scouting team to the monster forest. 

Aiming to level up while also guiding them through the area.