099 Arrival at Nilodo

[Page 1/3]
【Name: Pale Knight (Incomplete)】
【Type: Ring】
【Rank: Second Ring】
【Composition: Mutated Rune + Combination Rune. The primary runes are the Pale-Eyed Vulture Rune and the Dark Guardian Rune; the auxiliary runes are the Bone Statue Rune and the Vampiric Vine Rune.】
【Characteristics: This is a killing machine specifically manufactured for combat, possessing formidable comprehensive attributes. Furthermore, due to its humanoid form, the rune allows for the additional use of extraordinary items.】
【Ability: Heavy Armor: The Pale Knight grows a layer of hard, bone-like armor over its body, providing powerful defense. The armor can be retracted or equipped; in the equipped state, defense is high but movement is clumsy, while in the retracted state, it is more agile.】
【Ability: Extraordinary Item Mastery: As a humanoid-form rune, the Pale Knight can manipulate extraordinary items with its hands, providing two additional combat attachment slots.】
【Ability: Gliding: The Pale Knight possesses a pair of wings, allowing it to maintain a gliding effect for a short period.】
【Ability: Blood-Red Knight: The Pale Knight's vitality increases upon contact with blood. When a certain threshold is reached, it enters a bloodthirsty frenzy state. All abilities are amplified, and physical attributes are significantly boosted for a short duration.】
【Trait: Corruptive Energy: Resonance with corruptive energy produces a special effect; the Pale Knight’s attacks possess a corrosive quality, dealing specialized damage to Ring Power energy shields.】
【Note: The Pale Knight is in an incomplete state, as the combination rune mount has not yet been integrated. Strictly speaking, the Pale Knight is not a Second Ring rune, but its combat effectiveness has already surpassed the limit of the First Ring, so it is provisionally classified as a Second Ring rune.】

Xiunan scanned the information, and his first reaction was that it was powerful! It was worth the substantial amount of time he had spent researching mutated and combination runes. He had envisioned most of these abilities, but the trait "Corruptive Energy" that emerged at the end was a surprise. The effect seemed quite potent.

Corruptive energy attached to attacks dealt specialized damage to Ring Power shields. In layman’s terms, it was an armor-piercing effect that could relatively weaken the enemy's defenses.

Furthermore, the fact that the Pale Knight was incomplete was intentional on Xiunan's part. He could not find a suitable rune to pair with the Pale Knight to serve as its mount. The knowledge applied here was that of combination runes.

If a suitable one couldn't be found, he would leave it empty for the time being; Xiunan did not want to fill the slot with substandard junk. One had to realize that the Pale Knight’s mount significantly impacted the overall combat effectiveness of the knight—if one were to choose, it had to be a "Red Hare" among horses.

Setting aside the items in his hands, he stepped back a few paces.

Pacing back and forth in the laboratory, Xiunan admired the masterpiece he had poured his blood and sweat into. The tall, burly frame, the ferocious and grim temperament, and the vivid, lifelike form were simply a work of art!

A deep sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

Perhaps this was the reason why Ring Mages were able to endure such solitude: the cold laboratories, the tedious anatomical modeling, and the frustrating failures one after another. None of these could compare to a burning, sincere heart in pursuit of mysterious power.

At this moment, the sun outside had completely set.

The sky turned dim, and cold gusts of wind swirled atop the mountain peak, whistling into the laboratory.

Xiunan took a deep breath of the cool air facing the window, cooling his overheated head slightly.

He turned back and stored the Pale Knight rune.

The Bone Secret Ring on his back spun rapidly, stopping only after several rotations. A thick, pale rune appeared upon it, even pushing the "White Wood" rune to the side.

The strokes of the Pale Knight rune resembled the crest of an ancient family: a heavy shield, huge wings pressing down on both sides, and trails of blood spiraling to form intricate patterns.

Click. The laboratory door closed.

Xiunan walked toward another laboratory.

At a glance, the various tools inside were far inferior to those in the other laboratories; they were too crude. They looked like cheap, mass-produced knockoffs.

But Xiunan didn't mind, because he had made every single one of them with his own hands. It had taken a great deal of effort to understand the principles, find the raw materials, and fabricate them independently.

Only then did he have this room full of experimental tools.

As of this point, Xiunan had achieved all the standards required for certification as a Rune Master by the Milodalen School.

This was also the greatest harvest from his journey.

He had built his own laboratory. He had mastered the basic skills of a Rune Master. He had formed a complete chain of knowledge. He had created an independently designed rune.

With this, Xiunan could be considered to have truly stepped into the world of Rune Masters. No, he had stepped into the vast and brilliant world of Ancient Rune Masters.

He had not yet learned much about the modern runic world; he wondered if it was an advancement or a regression compared to the era of the Twin Sages?

As he pondered, he suddenly slapped his forehead.

He had almost forgotten to upload these experimental tools to the Otherworldly Incubator. Xiunan immediately began to act.

In the blink of an eye, the entire laboratory was emptied as he uploaded all the tools he had made. If it weren't for the fact that the Otherworldly Incubator could only upload tools he had manufactured himself, Xiunan would have snuck into Laboratory No. 2 and cleared it out entirely.

Standing in the empty room, he checked the time; there were ten hours left until the end of his "Disciplined Life."

Sticking to the principle of not wasting time, Xiunan immediately returned to his original laboratory and threw himself into his research.

Morning. Crystal-clear dew shimmered on tender green leaves before slowly dripping from the tips.

The sun had just risen above the mountain peak, framed by the bright red morning glow. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds like countless roaring dragons spitting out golden waterfalls.

[Page 2/3]

Watching the sunrise from the mountaintop had a certain beauty to it.

On the edge of the cliff, a tall figure wearing a cloak stood gazing into the distance below. The black cloak fluttered in the mountain breeze, resembling a dark cloud drifting to and fro.

Tap, tap, tap... Footsteps sounded from behind.

A figure approached, the cold wind hitting their frame and outlining an exceptionally slender and fragile body.

Floating Ice walked all the way to Xiunan’s side, looking at the scenery below as well. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"In a bad mood? When you feel restless, it’s good to come out like this and catch some wind. Every Rune Master must endure long periods of monotony and loneliness; emotional imbalance is a common occurrence. The reason I built Laboratory B-2 here is because the view from the mountaintop is excellent..."

"Seeing the scenery below makes one's mood gradually improve..."

Floating Ice’s blue eyes gazed downward, reflecting a vast expanse of rolling green carpet-like meadows, separated by a river that looked like a silver ribbon.

Looking further into the distance, one could see a lush forest, with white birds circling above it.

"..." Xiunan shook his head. He raised his hand and grabbed at the wind, the cold airflow spilling out between his fingers.

"It’s not that I'm restless, just a bit reluctant..."

"Reluctant? Are you applying to the school for an independent laboratory? That’s good, too. Researching runes alone is the most efficient, and it's easier to produce results." Floating Ice gently stroked his face; his hand was as cold as his skin.

"That's true." Xiunan smiled faintly and nodded.

"If you have time, you can also come to your senior's place to conduct experiments. When the time comes, tell me your laboratory's rune elevator number, and I'll leave a transport authorization for you..."

"If you have any difficulties or troubles, you can always come to me..."

Floating Ice gently lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing a face as exquisite and perfect as an elf's. The morning light brushed a fine, warm sheen across his features.

"Alright." Xiunan nodded and sighed.

"Well, I'm going to finish the experiment I didn't complete yesterday..."

Floating Ice reached out and patted Xiunan on the shoulder, then turned to leave. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered something.

"Tang, today..."

When he turned back, there was no one on the cliff.

"Tang!"

Floating Ice rushed over quickly. He scanned his surroundings and finally turned his gaze toward the bottom of the cliff.

A piece of black cloak fluttered like a water bird.

「Forty days of 'Disciplined Life' concluded.」
「Calculating...」
「Your rewards are as follows:」
①: A vast amount of Ancient Ring Mage knowledge.
②: Tested numerous mutation pathways, mastered several mutated runes, and gained exposure to combination rune knowledge.
③: Successfully manufactured one Second Ring mutated rune.
④: Obtained 80 square meters of Otherworldly Incubator space.
⑤: According to the Milodalen School’s certification standards, you have become a qualified Ancient Rune Master, with a comprehensive ability evaluation score of 63.

The subtitles scrolled upward rapidly.

Xiunan’s current perspective was pitch black.

「Returning to the initial anchor point...」
「Breaching the First Era membrane...」
「Breaching the Second Era membrane...」
「...」
「Breach complete, time has been backtracked...」
「Warning: Due to the influence of the Mystery Ring and the era membranes, some ancient creations cannot enter the current era.」
「Ancient Creation: Handmade experimental equipment.」
「Ancient Creation: Pale Knight Rune.」
「Note: The ancient experimental equipment you made was damaged during the transit through the era membranes; some were destroyed, while others remained intact.」
「Note: The Holy Bone Secret Ring possesses unique properties; the Pale Knight Rune was protected and suffered no damage.」
「Time backtrack complete... Returned to the current era.」

Whoosh. Xiunan opened his eyes abruptly.

He saw a familiar ceiling, completely modern in style, with rows of stripes.

[Page 3/3]

Scanning the room, two high-achieving students from Koflun University, drunk as mud, were lying on the beds, groaning.

"Why? Why? Amily, how am I inferior to that kid? Why is it that he can..."
"Oh, my love is truly a sincere and honest heart..."
"Amily, my dear, I really want to..."

Kunde began to talk in his sleep, his words seemingly condensing a wealth of information. Regarding this, Xiunan only wanted to say: "Simps never end well..."

A few hours later, he changed his clothes and walked out of the room.

Xiunan returned to the cruise ship’s lobby, where the smooth marble reflected the light, and glass partitions and metal railings were everywhere. A celebrity poster was plastered on the wall.

In it, a beautiful female star wore a charming smile, with a lipstick tube hanging beside her plump red lips.

For a moment, that sense of familiar strangeness made Xiunan feel a bit uneasy, but he soon adapted. The architectural styles of the Twin Sages era and the modern era could be said to be worlds apart; both had their own distinct merits.

Pausing for a moment, Xiunan walked quickly toward the bar.

Elegant light music surrounded his ears once more.

He sat down on a chair in one stride, took out a banknote he had "borrowed," and tapped it gently on the bar counter.

"Give me a 'Parnind Hellfire'."

Tapping his fingers on the table, he added, "Oh, and add ice..."

Ten days later, the Republic of Agali.

Nilodo, the third-largest city, located on the east coast of the Republic of Agali, was a key maritime transportation hub.

Most cruise ships from all over the world arrived in the bustling Nilodo, especially at its "Wine Port."

The Wine Port had a superior geographical location, with over 50,000 ocean-going cargo ships from around the world docking there, plus about 250,000 inland river vessels, with a cargo throughput of 400 million tons. It was a distribution center for bulk imports and was known as the gateway to the East Coast.

This contributed to the prosperity of Nilodo!

Beer festivals, carnivals, nightclubs, bustling night markets, "White Chocolate" girls, orange champagne parties.

That noon, the Wine Port welcomed another ocean liner. On the modernized port, Xiunan was saying goodbye to Perrin and Kunde. The three were merely drinking buddies, so there was no sense of reluctance.

Those two were high-achievers from Koflun University, and with classes starting soon, they were likely heading back to school.

"Take care, Uncle Nan!"

Perrin waved and turned to leave with his friend.

Xiunan watched their figures fade into the distance, silently turned in another direction, and walked out of the Wine Port.

On a busy street filled with traffic, a tall figure passed by on the sidewalk.

Xiunan looked up to his left. It was a large, uniquely decorated shopping mall, with a huge, elaborately packaged stage set up at the entrance.

On the stage, more than a dozen beautiful girls in revealing outfits were moving to the rhythm of the music. Their bodies were exceptionally curvaceous, and their choreography was filled with suggestive movements.

Fair, long legs and plump buttocks attracted the attention of many old lechers, who crowded around to watch.

"The social atmosphere in Nilodo seems quite open..."

Xiunan stood beside a black streetlamp, watching from afar for a long time before offering such an evaluation.

Suddenly, lines of subtitles flashed before his eyes.

「You have arrived in the City of Desire, Nilodo.」
「By day, it is a prosperous and beautiful city; by night, it is seductive and sinful. People indulge their desires, chasing money, power, status, and women. This is a city that intoxicates the soul.」
「Gangs, erotic trade, gambling and money laundering, professional killers, extraordinary societies, and coveted secret treasures.」
「Go forth and display your power!」
............
「Note: A sudden event has been detected within 500 meters; one of the parties involved is the relic organization 'Holy Flame Society'.」
「Sudden event triggers dungeon prerequisite quest.」
「Resolve the sudden event to activate the main storyline.」

【Quest: Block the Holy Flame】
【Requirement: Disrupt the Holy Flame Society's plan, protect the target being pursued from harm for one hour. Stop the actions of five members of the Holy Flame Society, or kill them!】