At dawn, the two finally arrived at the Western Suburb Forest.
Because it was deep winter, most Magic Beasts were hibernating, but some cold-resistant low-tier ones were still active, so the area was far from safe.
Normally, an ordinary person like Mina—someone who couldn't use magic—would be basically finished if they encountered a Magic Beast. Even if they survived, serious injury was almost guaranteed.
Commoners who got hurt often couldn't afford medicine and could only endure it.
If they unfortunately lost the ability to work, most wouldn't survive the harsh winter—they would simply die from hunger and cold.
Rustle… rustle…
A disturbance came from the surrounding bushes. Mina's heart jumped straight into her throat, and she instinctively edged closer to Dick.
In dozens of previous lifetimes, Dick had never encountered Magic Beasts in the western suburbs, despite taking the exact same route.
"Is it because of the Demon King class…?"
He recalled the system description: as the Demon King, he naturally attracted Magic Beasts. Regardless of rank, as long as they caught his scent, they would come.
And the Western Suburb Forest was full of low-tier beasts with almost no intelligence.
They might be drawn to him, but they certainly wouldn't come to make friends—they would only want to eat him.
Dick slowed his steps. Soon, three gray Level-5 Snow Wolves emerged, blocking their path with bared fangs.
Snow Wolves were pack creatures, yet these three adults didn't call for reinforcements—apparently confident they could easily handle Dick and Mina.
"Mina, you have excellent Paladin potential. I'll teach you how to fight."
Among the nine major magic classes, Paladins were high-durability frontline tanks, specialists in absorbing damage.
Dick removed the shield from his back and drew its matching longsword. He channeled magic over both, producing a faint silvery glow.
This equipment had once been pawned to Andor by a Paladin desperate to buy medicine. Normally it just hung on the wall as decoration.
"ROAR—"
The three Snow Wolves lunged. Dick instantly raised his shield, standing firm as a mountain, completely blocking the first wave.
"Reflective Damage!"
"Shock Spell!"
"Binding Art!"
…
After a rapid chain of spells, the three wolves collapsed before the shield, twitching. Dick calmly finished them one by one with his sword.
"A good Paladin doesn't just tank damage—they also control enemies, apply debuffs, stabilize the battlefield, and provide emergency support…"
Dick taught patiently, answering questions and giving Mina a proper Paladin initiation.
With ninety-nine lifetimes of accumulated knowledge—and several lifetimes spent as a max-level Paladin—he could arguably be called the best teacher in the world.
"Now, take off your breastplate," Dick said calmly.
Mina didn't question him. She immediately unfastened it, revealing the soft inner lining.
Suddenly, Dick pressed his right hand forward. A warm energy flowed out, starting from Mina's heart and spreading through her limbs.
Mina froze at once. Soon her body trembled shyly—this was the first time anyone had done something like this to her.
"Don't move. I'm opening your Source so your body adapts better to magic."
Source Opening was an extremely specialized technique. Dick had to mobilize the magic rooted in Mina's heart core and circulate it through her entire body.
The benefit was clear: she could pass the early stages faster, build a stronger foundation, and gain advantages in mid- and late-stage growth.
Naturally, such a procedure was highly difficult—usually only top nobles or royalty could afford it.
Mina didn't fully understand, but seeing Dick's serious expression, she obediently stood still, though her body kept trembling and soft murmurs escaped her lips.
After several minutes, Dick exhaled lightly and gestured for her to put the breastplate back on.
"From now on, we'll do Source Opening once a day until you reach Level 10 Paladin. Understood?"
"Oh… mm… I understand."
Mina lowered her head; the blush on her face hadn't faded.
Afterward, they encountered several more waves of Magic Beast attacks, all perfectly handled by Dick—and each turned into practical combat lessons.
Mina truly was gifted. She learned rapidly and eventually managed to block an entire wave herself with sword and shield, successfully advancing to Level 2 Paladin.
Dick knew very well that she possessed the bearing of a Hero. With proper cultivation, she could certainly become a high-tier Paladin someday.
But many people possessed heroic potential—yet there were only nine Heroes. Effort mattered, but so did luck.
Soon, deep within the dense forest, Dick found the cave containing a Witch inheritance. It connected to an underground river, and the terrain inside was extremely complex.
Yet Dick navigated it effortlessly, leading Mina through twists and turns until they reached a gravestone deep inside.
It belonged to a Witch from tens of thousands of years ago. Ancient script recorded her life story.
Witches bearing the title of "End" were never ordinary—and this one was especially formidable.
She had once been a max-level Mage, dazzling an entire era and serving as the strongest Hero of her time.
Sadly, like Dick, her later years were tragic. She died alone in this dark cavern, denied peace.
As they approached, a pale green spirit drifted out of the gravestone, resembling the ghosts of legend.
Mina jumped in fright and immediately hid behind Dick—she'd heard plenty of stories about ghosts eating people.
"O destined one of later ages… I am the supreme powerhouse from the Valanci Continent, known as the End-of-World Witch… Worship me devoutly, and you shall inherit my power!"
Alice had always carried herself with pride; the only master she acknowledged was this Witch, which was why she inherited the title "End."
"Dick… should we bow?"
"Bow to what? Waste of time."
Dick curled his lip, walked up, and kicked the gravestone over. Then he dug out the coffin beneath it.
Inside lay a female skeleton clutching an ancient spellbook. A plain silver ring rested on one finger.
Dick ignored the spellbook entirely—he already knew its contents by heart.
The ring was what mattered. Engraved within it was a one-time miniature magic array—the Witch's life's work.
After taking the ring, he told Mina to keep watch outside while he sat cross-legged, preparing to absorb the End inheritance.
He took a deep breath, cut his finger with a small knife, and let a drop of blood fall onto the ring.
Buzz—
After a piercing hum, the ring shattered.
A complex magic array appeared in midair—her masterpiece: the Crimson Lotus Tempering Array.
Flames shaped like crimson lotuses ignited instantly, engulfing Dick at the center.
Yet instead of burning him, the heat felt incredibly soothing. His pores opened, impurities were expelled, old hidden injuries healed, and even long-standing scars faded.
He felt completely renewed.
But the real transformation occurred at the heart core.
Crimson Lotus Tempering refined the magic at the heart's origin, increasing its intensity by 30%—permanently, with zero side effects.
This was an astonishing boost. Magic intensity influenced nearly everything related to spellcasting.
Dick already possessed two other talents that increased magic intensity:
Mana Amplification (Mage class) — +15%
Empowerment Resonance (Healer class) — +10%
But those effects only appeared when the talents reached perfect rank—usually late in a class's progression.
Crimson Lotus Tempering, however, granted a direct 30% boost usable from the early stages. It exceeded both talents combined.
Even Dick, after a hundred reincarnations, had to admit:
This Witch was truly a genius. An unparalleled genius.
Unfortunately, Crimson Lotus Tempering couldn't be replicated. Attempting to analyze it would cause the ring to shatter prematurely, turning it into scrap.
Apparently, this Witch had a strong sense of intellectual property.