"Sis, why do you look so angry?"
Marina had just returned to the carriage when her brother asked her. She puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, "Ronin is no gentleman at all! He wouldn't even let me rest in his tent!"
The young Malik glanced around. Although the carriage wasn't as spacious as a tent, there was still enough room for him and his sister to lie down and rest.
But soon, as the heir to the Green Family, Malik understood his sister's true meaning. He couldn't help but laugh.
"Sis, Ronin just had his right of inheritance revoked two days ago over Selena's death, and you still dared to try and enter his tent? Have you been reading too many Knight novels about heroes saving damsels in distress? Did you want to sleep with him?"
"Hmph!"
Marina snorted unhappily. "And what if I did?"
Malik felt compelled to remind her, "Sis, don't forget you're engaged to Jamie from the Dennis Family. Fooling around with your classmates from the academy is one thing, but don't you dare get into Ronin's bed. It could cause a lot of trouble later on!"
"I know, I know! You talk too much!"
Marina rolled her eyes. "That fatso Jamie... just seeing his dead-fish eyes makes me want to puke!"
Malik rolled his eyes too. 'Who's the fatso calling fatso?'
He lifted the window flap and looked out at the night. "I'm very grateful that Ronning Baron saved us this time."
"It's just... I heard from a classmate that he was stripped of his inheritance, had to change his surname, and was exiled to the remote Mountain Forest Town. I'm afraid things will be difficult for him from now on."
Meanwhile, Ronin was lying on a rug in his tent, wincing as he enjoyed a massage from Chahar.
He had been practicing his swordsmanship for the past few hours, and now his muscles were incredibly sore and stiff.
It wasn't that he'd suddenly become so diligent. He was just trying to use sword practice to avoid Marina. Who would have thought the girl would stand there and watch him for over three hours without leaving!
In the end, Ronin was too exhausted to continue. He tried to slip into his tent when she wasn't looking, but she followed him anyway, saying she wanted to come in and sit for a while.
Seeing how Marina looked like she had no intention of leaving once she came in, how could Ronin dare let her?
He wasn't even attracted to her, and besides, he had things to do tonight...
In the end, Ronin could only refuse her directly, which led to her calling him ungentlemanly.
"Alright, Chahar, you can go and rest too."
Ronin felt the soreness in his body ease considerably, so he had Chahar stop. "Your technique is good. I feel much better."
Chahar stood up respectfully. "Good night, my lord. I'll be resting just outside. Please call for me if you need anything."
After his manservant left, Ronin sat up and rotated his arms a few times.
'These Otherworld girls are too direct!'
He couldn't help but shake his head as he called up the system interface.
He didn't have to wait until midnight today, because it had already passed.
'Today is the seventh day. The check-in doesn't automatically add Attribute Points. Instead, I get to claim a 'Heartwarming Gift Box.''
Ronin was curious to see what this Heartwarming Gift Box contained, so he opened it directly.
[Attribute Points +20, Energy Essence +20]
'As expected... It's heartwarming, but not by much.'
It was similar in nature to the rewards he had designed in the proposals he used to write.
He glanced at his current Attribute Panel:
[Level]: 1 - Basic Level Knight (100/100); 1 - Basic Level Mage (25/150) +
[Attribute Points]: 50
[Energy Essence]: 220
He had gained so much in this recent string of events that his Energy Essence had already accumulated to 220.
Ronin spent the 50 Attribute Points on his Basic Level Mage progress. Instantly, he felt his Mana Space expand again!
After the consumption from learning Clear Wind Skill, combined with this new expansion, Ronin estimated it would take him quite some time to refine his Mana again.
'My progress has increased to 75/150. I just need another 75 Attribute Points and I can break through to the Intermediate Level in both my classes.'
For an ordinary person, advancing from Basic Level to Intermediate would take two to three years, even for the faster ones.
At Ronin's rate of advancement, even the most exceptional genius would feel inadequate in comparison.
After dealing with the Attribute Points, Ronin finally turned his attention to the seven-day login interface.
Today was the seventh day. He could finally claim the Light Attribute Mage with the potential of a Seventh-level Great Mage.
As he claimed the seventh-day reward with a thought, the seven-day login interface dissolved into motes of light and vanished from his sight.
From now on, only four interfaces remained before him: Monthly Check-in, Attribute Panel, Achievement Master, and First-Time Top-Up Gift.
Ronin figured that after he completed the first top-up, only the first three interfaces would remain.
The moment his attention was on the disappearing interface, a Magic Array appeared on the ground before him, just like the one that had appeared when he summoned Macken.
The white light was brilliant and dazzling. If the black tent weren't blocking the light, it would have undoubtedly attracted a crowd of onlookers from outside.
"This Summoning Magic Array is so complex! Even more complex than the patterns on a Contract Scroll!"
Ronin exclaimed in amazement. With his limited knowledge from just having learned the Magic Patterns of the Clear Wind Skill, he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
The Magic Patterns for the Clear Wind Skill only had five nodes, and the nodes were all connected by straight lines.
But this Magic Array was different. It had numerous nodes, and if Ronin were to try and draw it, he wouldn't know which node to start with or which to end on.
Furthermore, the paths between the nodes of the Summoning Magic Array weren't straight lines; they were a complex mix of curves with different arcs and polylines with different angles.
As Ronin observed it intently, he felt dizzy, and an extreme, throbbing pain shot through his head.
How to describe this feeling? It was like an ordinary middle school student trying to deeply understand and derive Fourier's transform—utterly overwhelming.
Fortunately, a figure appeared just in time, drawing Ronin's attention away. A slender man in a sky-blue robe materialized on the Magic Array.
He had greyish-white, shoulder-length hair. If not for his face, Ronin would have mistaken him for an old man.
In reality, he was very young. Unlike Macken's burly and rugged appearance, this Mage before him had a rather delicate look.
He placed his left hand over his chest and bowed to Ronin. "Elron Faao, at your service, Master. May the light be with you!"
His tone was gentle, and his voice had a relaxing quality.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mage Elron!"
Ronin happily greeted his new Mage subordinate and asked a few simple questions about his situation.
Simply put, regarding past experiences and language, Elron was the same as Macken.
The difference was that Elron had a certain understanding of the principles of Magic and how to create Magic Scrolls.
Of course, this understanding wasn't very deep, only about the same level as Pedro.
Through Elron, Ronin also confirmed one thing: the purple crystal he had obtained from Pedro was indeed a Magic Crystal Stone.
That being the case, he only needed to gather five more Magic Crystal Stones to claim his First-Time Top-Up Gift.
Next, Ronin asked him how many Magics he currently knew.
"My lord, I have currently mastered two Magics: Flash Skill and Vitality Skill."
Ronin was full of anticipation. "Quick, cast one for me to see!"
Elron did not refuse. He first extended a finger, and Ronin felt Energy gathering at its tip.
He guessed that Elron must be tracing Magic Patterns.
"My lord, this is the Flash Skill."
As Elron's voice fell, a small light glowed at his fingertip.
The light wasn't large, about the size of a student's desk lamp, but it could illuminate the entire tent, far brighter than a candle.
Ronin raised an eyebrow. "Besides illuminating the environment, this Magic doesn't seem to have much use?"
Elron nodded. "That is true. But later, if my Mana is sufficient, I can enhance its brightness to interfere with enemies."
Ronin nodded slightly. 'The interference he's talking about must be something like a flashbang.'
Elron stopped demonstrating the Flash Skill and began to cast the second Magic.
This time, he pointed his palm at Ronin, and as he cast, a faint light fell upon Ronin's body.
In that instant, Ronin felt his entire body relax, and the previous soreness was completely gone.
His eyes lit up and he praised, "The effect of this Magic is quite good!"
Elron continued, "When my Mana is more abundant, I can apply this Magic to multiple people. It is said that a powerful Mage can use this Magic to inspire an entire army!"
"Not bad!"
Ronin was very satisfied with this support Magic, but he found it a little strange. "Don't Light Attribute Mages have any healing Skills?"
In his mind, the Light Attribute was always associated with things like the Light Church and saving lives.
Hearing this, Elron shook his head. "I apologize, my lord. I have not yet mastered that kind of Magic. Perhaps I will come across it later, after my strength increases."
Ronin immediately recalled that when Macken was promoted to Intermediate Knight, he automatically mastered two Combat Skills. Perhaps Mages could do the same when they leveled up.
"Hold on a moment."
He focused his attention on the Mage before him, and soon, Elron's Attribute Panel appeared.
[Elron Faao]: Basic Level Mage · Light (0/150) +
Ronin had accumulated 220 Energy Essence, enough to promote Elron to an Intermediate Mage.