The Low-key Evil Wizard BOSS-Chapter 46 - 42: Front-Page Headline: Ogrande City
[Star Trace Fighter] (30th Anniversary Exclusive Commemorative Edition) (Untradeable)
Level: Level 2 (0%)
[Talent]
Gangyi Iron Bone (SS-Level): You possess a will and body of steel.
[Skills]
Basic Skull-Splitting Fist: Level 1 (0%)
Vigorous Qi Mastery (Passive): Level 0.
...
’I got a passive mastery for Fighting Masters.’
He carefully examined his status panel and saw that he had reached Level 2.
His [Fighting Master] class had only gained the passive "Vigorous Qi Mastery."
His [Evil Spirit Wizard] class, on the other hand, got nothing.
But Zorn just smiled.
’It’s a bit of a loss in the short term, but it’s a definite win in the long run.’
In the world of Holy Relic: Eternal Poem,
if you didn’t gain a Skill upon leveling up,
you were guaranteed to get a powerful Skill, or even a Forbidden Technique, the next time you leveled up.
Since his [Evil Spirit Wizard] class didn’t get a Skill when reaching Level 2, it meant that when Zorn reached Level 3,
he would inevitably obtain an extremely strong "Extraordinary Magic," or possibly even a powerful Forbidden Technique like "Scythe of the End."
Moreover, by combining it with the power of the Calamity Black Mist, Zorn could leverage it to acquire the powerful Magic he truly desired.
Such opportunities wouldn’t come often, even for an [Evil Spirit Wizard].
As for the [Fighting Master] class,
this passive Skill was much more valuable than an active one.
The passive skill "Vigorous Qi Mastery" would allow Zorn’s Gang Qi to develop faster and be used with more flexibility, while also strengthening its power.
A Fighting Master’s strength lay in their Gang Qi.
With "Vigorous Qi Mastery," a Fighting Master’s close-quarters combat ability would be enhanced by more than just a little.
The [Fighting Master] class would rapidly enhance his Gang Qi and overall strength at Low Levels.
Meanwhile, the [Evil Spirit Wizard] class would play it safe, building up to a more powerful Evil Spirit Witchcraft.
This was arguably one of the best combinations for early-game leveling.
Inside the carriage, Zorn examined his status panel, basking in the joy of having leveled up.
But outside, Ogrande City...
...was dancing with the Calamity of Death amidst the turmoil of the Rat Plague!
...
「June 6th.」
The [Rat Plague] in Ogrande City officially erupted on a massive scale.
Tragic rat tide catastrophes unfolded in multiple locations across the city.
In the Old Town District, tens of thousands of gray rats and Calamity Rats swarmed across the streets, giving pedestrians no time to escape.
After the rat tide passed, only bare skeletons remained.
New City District.
Led by Nightmare Ratmen, they shattered doors and windows, dragging residents into the sewers.
At the Noble Academy, a brutal, bloody graduation ceremony took place, where thirty to forty students and teachers were dragged underground by the rat tide, their fates unknown.
The most tragic scene unfolded at the Holy Fierce Sun Church, where tens of thousands of Calamity Rats climbed the high tower, chewed through the ropes, and sent the church’s Holy Bell plummeting to the ground.
The brazen Calamity Rats even tried to storm the Holy Fierce Sun Church.
However, as they charged, vast numbers of the Calamity Rats were ignited by a mysterious flame.
In front of the Holy Fierce Sun Church, the furious flames consuming tens of thousands of Calamity Rats burned deep into the night.
Although it was only the Holy Bell that fell,
the impact was unprecedentedly severe.
That very night, news of the [Rat Plague] in Ogrande City was transmitted to every corner of the continent via steam telegraph and other means.
In the early morning hours, the steam-powered newspaper factories worked overtime to print the story of Ogrande City’s [Rat Plague].
The next day, as the Sun rose,
amidst the cries of newsboys hawking the steam-powered daily,
the [Ogrande City Rat Plague Incident] officially made the front-page headlines across the Holy Land Continent.
It was also on this day that extraordinary Calamity events began to emerge across the continent.
A new Era Era came roaring in on a tide of steam.
...
「Early Morning.」
In the manor’s backyard, beneath a dense thicket of trees,
Zorn controlled his Gang Qi, practicing the Basic Skull-Splitting Fist, which had already reached Level 1.
With Star Trace Gang Qi infused within it, every explosive punch contained astonishing destructive power.
Combined with "Gang Qi Mastery," Zorn felt the Gang Qi surging through his body like a furious tide.
While adapting to the comprehensive transformation that came with advancing to Level 2, Zorn also took stock of his resources.
’The offerings I previously sacrificed to the Secret Land are about two-thirds gone.’
’The remaining third can probably help me advance my level progression by twenty to thirty percent.’
’Fortunately...’
Zorn completed the final move of Skull-Splitting Fist and gazed to the south.
WHOOOO...
Faintly, he could hear the roar of the steam tide.
Mixed with the roar of steam was the din of workers conversing inside the Steam Factory.
’Fortunately, the Steam Factory is up and running.’
’It gives my Evil Spirit Traits a place to dwell.’
’At the same time, thanks to the bug-like nature of my Dual Sequence, my leveling speed is incredibly fast.’
The plan he had previously laid out, which had cost a great deal of time and money, had now become a powerful engine for his steady development.
「Breakfast Time.」
Zorn picked up a freshly printed copy of Ogrande City’s steam-powered daily.
Just as he expected, numerous pages were densely packed with reports about the Rat Plague outbreak in Ogrande City from the previous day.
The newspaper’s illustrations included a scene of the rat swarm devouring the tower of the Holy Fierce Sun Church and gnawing the Holy Bell free.
There was a scene of tens of thousands of rats marching through the streets, dragging away pedestrians.
There was a scene of a swarm of rats covering a glass window before breaking through.
Of course, the bloody ceremony at Ogrande’s Noble Academy, with its gory remains scattered everywhere, was also reported.
Fear and unease were casting a pall over Ogrande City.
As the frontline for the landing of Catastrophe Power,
Ogrande City was facing the first great test of the Extraordinary Era’s tide.
Zorn, being in Ogrande City, knew very well that the city had now captured the attention of the entire continent. The swirling vortex of the Extraordinary and the Calamity was growing ever stronger.
"Hmm?"
After finishing the paper, his gaze swept over the small advertisement section in the middle.
A peculiar combination of words caught his attention.
After analyzing it for a moment with different arrangements and combinations,
Zorn’s mind stirred.
’A Transcendent gathering... is it finally time?’
’It’s scheduled for tomorrow.’
’It seems... the Rat Plague has also catalyzed action among the Transcendents.’
After finishing his breakfast, Zorn had also finished skimming the newspaper.
"Has the situation in the basement improved?"
Zorn asked, looking at the old butler, Glangk, who stood to the side.
"For now, the basic doorframes have all been sealed up quite tightly. That grayish-green miasma shouldn’t be able to drift up anymore."
"And I’ll be checking it every day."
The old butler, Glangk, replied.
"Good."
Zorn nodded. Glangk was always very reliable.
The [Rat Plague] had broken out yesterday.
After returning, Zorn had inspected the sewers and the basement.
A toxic miasma, carrying corruption and curses, had already begun to spread through the sewers.
Although the rat holes in the manor’s basement had been blocked, the toxic miasma was still seeping in.
Zorn could only order Glangk to seal the main door to the basement entrance completely.
If this corrupting and cursed miasma infected an ordinary person, a mild case would result in a serious illness. A severe case would lead to corrupting mutation, causing their head, limbs, arms, or other body parts to become rat-like until they transformed into a mutated ratman.
Catastrophe!
For ordinary people, it was a life-threatening disaster!
’Tomorrow... is the Transcendent gathering in Ogrande City.’
’It’s a fairly important gathering among Transcendents for the month of June.’
’Not only will many special Transcendents with powerful methods be participating,’
’but some unique, valuable items will also show up.’
’And as it happens, no one here will recognize these unique items.’
’This is the perfect chance to snag a bargain.’
With this in mind, Zorn turned to his butler, Glangk, and said,
"Uncle Glangk, I need a sum of gold pounds, about 5,000."
Glangk didn’t ask what Zorn planned to do with it and immediately nodded.
"I’ll go to the bank this afternoon and withdraw it for you."
Zorn currently had about 1,800 gold pounds on hand.
Adding the 5,000 he was withdrawing, he would have a total of 6,800 gold pounds, which was more than enough for Zorn to make significant gains at the Transcendent gathering.
Although he probably wouldn’t need that much,
it was always better to be overprepared. This had always been Zorn’s principle.
When the Goddess of Fortune wasn’t on his side, Zorn would use gold pounds as a weight on the scales to secure an overwhelming chance of victory.
Although Zorn didn’t need to continue his formal studies after graduation,
he began to study geography and the science of steam navigation on his own.
This knowledge would prove to be quite useful in the future.
After enjoying a hearty lunch, Zorn had intended to take a short nap and, at the same time, better digest the offerings he had previously seized.
"Young Master Zorn, a lady is here to see you. She is waiting outside the manor."
Vanessa came in with the message.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Zorn rubbed the bridge of his nose.
’She’s here... so soon? That shouldn’t be!’
’Did something go wrong somewhere?’
Looking through the window, Zorn saw a tall, middle-aged woman standing at the gate. She wore a simple, well-fitted black dress and a veil, and was using a match to light a lady’s cigarette.
She was looking toward the window, and deep within her silver pupils, she seemed to reflect Zorn’s image from inside the house.
