Chapter 556: Chapter 528: Angel Descent

Alfonso had fled with Facundo, which meant the territory controlled by Screaming Island had lost its leader. This greatly reduced the difficulty of conquering them.

What’s more, Ronin had Patridge, the Viscount who had surrendered to him. It was possible that wherever the army went, the enemy would surrender without a fight.

So, Ronin repeated the same orders he had given Ridder to Elron, Karda, and the others.

The nobles of Screaming Island could surrender, but regardless of whether they did so willingly or were forced, they would not retain their Noble Titles, nor would they be allowed to keep their lands and other properties outside their castles.

Although this policy might drive some to resist out of desperation, Ronin didn’t care.

"My lord, what are your orders for summoning me?"

Elron asked eagerly as he respectfully followed Ronin into the ship’s cabin.

He subconsciously assumed Ronin was going to critique his performance in battle, but he quickly dismissed the thought. ’After all, ever since I was summoned, Ronin has never expected me to be of much value in a fight.’

For Ronin, Elron’s value lay not in combat, but in the convenience and wealth provided by his mastery of Magic and his knowledge.

Being at a disadvantage against Alfonso was no big deal.

Ronin smiled. "Time flies. The last time I increased your power was two years ago."

At the time, Ronin had upgraded Elron to the level of an Eighth-level Mage on a trial basis, hoping to cure Lurans’s illness.

Hearing this, Elron’s eyes lit up. "My lord, could it be that you’re going to...?"

"Mm-hmm."

Ronin nodded slightly and, without further delay, summoned Elron’s Attribute Panel. He then invested all of his remaining thirty-thousand-plus Energy Essence into him.

Of that large amount of Energy Essence, fifteen thousand points were used to improve Elron’s aptitude. Of the remainder, over thirteen thousand points were used to fill his Magic Master cultivation progress bar.

In the end, Elron’s progress reached the level of Great Mage (5,989/30,000).

Feeling his Spiritual Power skyrocket, Elron entered an ethereal mental state.

He had long since surpassed the level of power he could have achieved in his previous life, experiencing a vista of cultivation he had never before witnessed.

And all of this was thanks to Ronin.

"Thank you for your blessing, my lord!"

Elron said with sincere gratitude.

"Over the past two years, although you haven’t been transferred around to fight campaigns like Ridder and Macken, you’ve used your incredible abilities to bring sustained economic benefits to the territory. Making you a Great Mage is an affirmation of your contributions."

Ronin smiled and asked, "So, did you gain any new abilities?"

Both Ridder and Macken had gained impressive abilities after their own power-ups. The latter, for instance, had obtained the "Earth Split" Combat Skill after becoming a Proud Sun Knight.

Logically, Elron should have gained some as well.

"I did!"

Elron responded enthusiastically. "I acquired two new Magic spells: ’Light of Judgment’ and ’Angel Descent’."

Ronin’s interest was immediately piqued, especially by the latter.

The word "Angel" was quite rare. ’Could it be a summoning spell?’ he wondered.

After Elron’s explanation, Ronin learned that wasn’t the case.

First, Light of Judgment was a powerful offensive Light Attribute Magic spell. It could summon an intense ray of light to scorch enemies and was particularly effective against the Dark Attribute, especially Nightmare Power.

Second, Angel Descent didn’t summon an Angel. Instead, it channeled the Power of Light to arm Elron, vastly enhancing his Purification Ability while also granting him powerful Close Combat Ability.

WHOOSH!

Ronin took the lead, flying out over the surface of the sea.

Elron channeled the Power of Light, brilliant golden wings sprouted from his back, and he followed close behind.

On the warship, Karda and the others watched, stunned.

They knew the Duke could fly—he was a Legendary, after all.

But how could Elron fly as well?

While the men were still baffled, Elron had already launched an attack on Ronin. The surging Power of Light roiled the air above the sea, kicking up massive waves.

Ronin felt the magical assault. The power of Light of Judgment was not weak, but it was slightly less powerful than a Ninth Level offensive spell of the Fire or Wind Attribute.

However...

Ronin looked at Elron, who was now enveloped in golden Armor. After transforming into this state, Elron possessed the Close Combat Ability of a Silver Moon Level Peak Knight—a massive improvement.

Five minutes later, the two landed back on the deck.

Elron reported, "The effect of this Magic is impressive, but a single use consumes at least a third of my Magic Power, and it only lasts for five minutes."

"It’s still a huge improvement for you."

Ronin commented, "You haven’t yet adapted to a Knight’s style of combat. You can learn some techniques from Karda and the others. Once your close combat ability catches up, combined with your various Magic spells, your overall combat power will likely be no less than that of a Proud Sun Knight or a Great Mage of another Attribute."

In their recent spar, Elron’s close combat had been completely unsystematic and full of openings.

This was inextricably linked to the fact that he had been a Mage in both his previous life and his current one.

Elron nodded, knowing in his heart that Ronin’s advice was correct.

’If I had possessed this kind of power when I accompanied Blanche to the Golden Feather Palace,’ he thought, ’I wouldn’t have been so helpless against Serdil and the others.’

"I will, my lord!"

Elron said in a deep voice, "Sooner or later, I will also be able to don Armor like Ridder and Macken and follow you onto the battlefield!"

"Haha~"

Ronin couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Elron might really become a Close Combat Mage.

"Then let’s start with this Screaming Island campaign. I hope you can capture its main city and present it to me soon."

Screaming Island was located in the heart of the Screaming Sea. Its land area was even larger than the Wubei Territory, and it had several cities.

The largest among them was Bihai City, the ancestral home of the Fleming Clan, a major city with a population of over one hundred thousand.

If he could capture this city, Ronin would have a total of seven major cities under his control: Purple Thunder City, Wubei City, Moonlight City, Watchtower Castle, Mist City, Mo’er City, and Bihai City.

By doing so, he could complete the eighth tier of the [Siege and Conquest] achievement, which would earn him twenty thousand Attribute Points and bring him one step closer to becoming a Sage.

Alfonso had revealed to Ronin that while Flame Wings’s personal power was not that great, their reliance on an Array and the Flaming Emblem could seriously tip the balance of a battle.

However, Ronin was confident that once he ignited the Fire of the Soul and underwent two baptisms of Heaven and Earth Will Power, his opponent would be no match for him, even if they turtled inside their Array with the emblem for protection.

He estimated that the day he became a Sage would also be the day Giant Dragon City fell.

After upgrading Elron’s power, Ronin returned to Wubei City to spend time with Blanche, his mind at ease.

Although Blanche’s due date wasn’t until September and it was only late February, there was still a long time to go.

However, Ronin had already delegated his tasks. Barring any special circumstances, he would not need to go to the front lines personally.

Therefore, for the foreseeable future, he chose to wait peacefully for the arrival of his child while also focusing his main energy on technological research.

With the invention of the steam engine, the Wubei Territory would be the first to enter a steam age.

Now that many Mages had joined the Wubei Territory, the number of researchers was growing. With Ronin’s conceptual guidance, it was only a matter of time before steam power was applied to fields like mining and textiles.

Once people accepted and grew accustomed to steam power, the internal combustion engine, electricity, and more could all be put on the agenda.

The key to all this was an ideological shift, a cultural reformation.

Although Ronin could turn the tide of a battle by himself, he could not advance the technology of an entire society single-handedly.

Therefore, Ronin summoned Randall, the Minister of Rites, along with Vice Minister Faslei and others, to the Wubei Territory. Their task was to discuss and formulate policies concerning social, political, economic, and cultural spheres, all to foster progressive and revolutionary currents of thought throughout the entire society.

He needed more people to realize his goal of transforming the standard of living, and the current social structure was clearly incapable of producing the kind of talent he required.

In the past, when he was just a Little Baron, he could only dream of such things. Taking action would likely have only brought about negative consequences.

Now, however, he stood at the apex of the Orland Continent. Even if these actions still carried unfavorable elements, he was powerful enough to suppress any dissent.

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