Chapter 424 - 236: Ancient Flame Furnace

"Okay, Raine, if you have things to handle, go ahead! I’ll be in Dorne City these days, along with Baron Olsen."

"Once you’re done, let’s celebrate together tonight."

"Alright, Lord Viscount."

...

As the griffin soared swiftly, Raine gazed at the distant rolling hills speckled with green and the winding river, and his thoughts began to wander:

’The Black Fist Army is merely a detachment, yet it includes extraordinary beings like Black Fist Commander Gelkuk. Moreover, there’s some deep-seated collaboration between them and the Talin Association. I’m afraid my days ahead won’t be peaceful.’

’And then there’s the divine avatar...’ At this thought, Raine frowned slightly.

Because for quite a long time, even with the advanced Monster Skill, he was unlikely to be a match for a divine avatar.

’But what does it matter!’

Soon, Raine’s frown eased out, his expression became solemn, fearless.

On one hand, different from when he first crossed over, he has now experienced numerous battles, even killing Frost Giants, bathing in dragon blood, and destroying demons. Facing future battles, Raine does not fear; rather, he feels a stirring sense of excitement.

Perhaps it’s due to the Golden Finger—whenever there’s a monster among his enemies, defeating them enhances his strength.

Of course, it might also be the fight itself; it’s an excellent way to temper one’s mind.

On the other hand, that divine avatar is unlikely to attack him personally in the short term; it’s probably going to be through their followers or external forces.

Since that’s the case, why worry too much?

’After this battle, I feel the Combat Skills "Frost Tremor" could break through at any moment. I wonder how long it would take to repair the Warhammer.’

’Perhaps during the repair period, I can smoothly advance to Classes Level 6!’

’Moreover, the harvest from killing the elite Enchanting Demon this time was quite enlightening. In the future, I might focus on tasks involving slaying demons through the Adventurer’s Association.’

"Those demons have very high Magic resistance, which is very useful when facing Casters."

Raine’s eyes sparkled, contemplating.

This time, after acquiring the Enchanting Demon’s bloodline, were he to face the Siegfried, who mainly uses Dark Corruption attacks, though not guaranteed to win, his odds have at least skyrocketed compared to before.

Were it not for Siegfried being adept at Light Magic, Raine was sure he would almost certainly win in a one-on-one duel.

’This actually seems like a good plan—eliminate all the monsters with the strongest resistances, then switch and load suitable bloodlines when facing different opponents?’

’However, the monster has to be strong enough; otherwise, even if the resistance improves, the overall enhancement would be too weak.’

’In that case...’

’It needs to be both strong and highly resistant. Besides demons, an alternative would be...’

’Giant Dragons!’

Raine’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’It’s said that black dragons have such high resistance to strong acids, comparable to white dragons’ immune-like resistance to frost. And green dragons to poison, red dragons to flames, are similar.’

’This... am I going to clash with dragons?’

...

Mill Town.

Adventurer’s Association’s second floor.

It’s the same as usual; compared to the daily lively market-like scene on the ground floor, the second floor appears much ’quieter.’

As a place serving only Black Iron Level Adventurers and above, along with being merely a small town branch, it truly doesn’t have much foot traffic.

However, compared to the somewhat desolate common rest area, today’s counter is relatively ’busy,’ with four female attendants chatting warmly.

"Wow! Liya, you secretly advanced to Black Apron Two-Star without telling us!"

"And you’re getting transferred to the Dorne City Association branch!"

Female attendant Lynn exclaimed enviously, grabbed a public letter from Liya’s hand, and covered her mouth in surprise.

"Yes! I’m so jealous! Dorne City is far more bustling than Mill Town; I’ve heard Daphne Tailor Shop, famous in the Soladin Kingdom, is open in the city," another female attendant said, showing longing.

"Congratulations, Liya!" Another slightly older female attendant, though maintaining a controlled expression, couldn’t hide the disappointment in her eyes.

As the longest-working female attendant in Mill Town, due to performance factors, she remains only at White Apron Three-Stars and has not successfully advanced.

The Adventurer’s Association, as a cross-continent megastructure, naturally has hierarchical divisions and a complete promotion system for its formal employees, even for receptionists.

Receptionists start from White Apron One-Star, then advance to Two-Star, and upon reaching the highest White Apron Three-Star, if performance meets standards, they can elevate to the next level—Black Apron.

Having Black Apron doesn’t only symbolize the association’s acknowledgment of one’s proficient skills but also represents the opportunity to be transferred to major city branches, gaining better working conditions and position advancement chances.

In the entire Mill Town branch, under normal circumstances regarding successful transfers, there’s typically only one in two years, truly a rare opportunity!

"Thank you! Thanks, everyone! I couldn’t have done it without your help." Liya’s pretty face naturally couldn’t contain her joy, excitement, and surprise.

In reality, according to her previous assessment, it wouldn’t be until next year that she might have a chance to complete the association’s Black Apron advancement performance criterion. However, that Shield directly completed her performance, not to mention the successful leap in promotion.