Chapter 418

Anser had no time to think. He instinctively teleported back to Holrewen.

However, the strange sensations in his body didn’t last long, and everything soon returned to normal.

Yet those few short minutes had left him feeling extraordinarily relaxed and free. More importantly, they had allowed him to glimpse the true nature of his soul:

A humanoid creature covered in soft scales, with three pairs of dragon wings!

‘Strange. Why isn’t it in the form of a true dragon?’ He opened his eyes, somewhat puzzled.

He was a true dragon. In theory, his soul should be a dragon’s soul, which meant his true form ought to be draconic.

‘Even I can’t figure out what kind of dragon I am.’ He shook his head.

‘Whatever. There’s no rule saying dragons have to look like those enormous beasts.’

He turned his attention back to his “Indomitable Soul” and found that his soul level was still 6, with no apparent changes to its traits.

Those traits were excellent, but some of their benefits overlapped with those granted by the Artifact he had just obtained, the Book of Exalted Deeds. It felt like something of a waste.

‘There should be other changes.’ He considered the matter.

The sensations in his body couldn’t be wrong. He could feel that numerous noticeable changes had taken place both inside and out. He felt remarkably good, though in a way that was difficult to describe, with an unusual sense of vitality and vigor.

He checked the detailed description, and his eyes immediately lit up.

The basic traits hadn’t changed, but his strengthened soul had brought numerous additional benefits.

…

[Indomitable Soul]: Your life potential has increased, breaking the upper limits of certain physical attributes. You gain the following benefits:

Hit Points +30, Magic Power +50, Lifespan +80, Psionic Power +5.

Your psionic energy has become more potent. Current Psionic Power: 21 units. Psionic Die: d10 (1–10).

…

‘This…’

The sheer magnitude of the improvements astonished him.

Then he immediately realized that a level 6 soul must be exceptionally powerful. After all, he possessed the “Brilliant Soul” trait and had undergone six soul sublimations.

A stronger soul meant improvements in every aspect of his being. It was a positive feedback loop.

‘My lifespan is downright ridiculous now.’

If he ever encountered a powerful enemy, he could simply hole up in Holrewen and outlive them.

Beyond the improvements reflected in his stats, there were many hidden benefits that couldn’t be seen on his Character Sheet.

His mental state and control over Magic Power, for example.

‘If the basic benefits are already this impressive, what would happen if I gained another level?’

He clicked on his soul level. It currently stood at level 6, with 5,137/9,600 progress.

It looked as though he would level up soon, but advancing his soul level didn’t require experience points.

The primary way to improve it was through training. In addition, the elevation of one’s life essence that accompanied increases in class level could also strengthen the soul.

There were also more sinister methods of advancement, such as devouring souls, absorbing Spirit Coins, or merging with divinity. However, these methods carried severe negative consequences that were almost impossible to reverse.

‘How the hell am I supposed to train my soul?’ Anser smacked his lips, feeling rather helpless.

Both his Signature Spells and Legendary Feats could be improved by investing experience points. Yet his soul level was different. His all-purpose experience points were useless here.

‘Looks like increasing your class level works from the outside in, indirectly strengthening your soul in the process.’

This method of advancement was fundamentally no different from that of ordinary Professionals.

In fact, there were quite a few ways to alter a soul. As far as he knew, the River Styx could wash away memories and cleanse a soul of its past.

Divine power could also accomplish such changes. The Silver Fire of the goddess of magic could grant her Chosen immortal life and even allow them to return from the dead.

‘There’ll definitely be even greater changes at level 7.’

Still, he didn’t think there was any need to rush, much less start consuming all sorts of questionable substances to accelerate the process. At the very least, he had no intention of touching souls or Spirit Coins.

What had happened to Sakkors was a cautionary example. He was now like an emotionless supercomputer, dividing his mental capacity into countless parts every day to handle an enormous volume of tasks, and actually “enjoying” it.

Perhaps he had already considered this possibility centuries ago when he began modifying the mythallar, and had chosen not to resist it.

But Anser was different. He would rather give up the Spirit Net than work day and night without rest.

He had never experienced the glory and destruction of the Netherese Empire, so he couldn’t understand Sakkors’s obsession.

Everyone’s upbringing and experiences inevitably shaped what they pursued in life.

He stretched and stood before the transparent wall, looking down at the lush green island.

Little Claira was riding Nornoth, racing wildly across the island, her bell-like laughter ringing out along the way.

Not far away, beside a field ridge, Anser’s parents watched her with beaming smiles, holding quite a few wooden toys in their hands.

‘I knew it.’ The corners of Anser’s mouth curved upward.

Iris was too much of a homebody, and she occasionally had to attend to matters involving the Federal Commercial Alliance. There was no way she could look after Claira around the clock.

So Anser’s parents had taken over the responsibility, largely because they were simply too bored.

Whenever they wanted to farm or find something else to occupy themselves with, their special status inevitably got in the way. Their plans would come to nothing, leaving them with no choice but to enjoy a life of leisure.

And to avoid any appearance of favoritism, Anser hadn’t brought them into the Spirit Net.

In fact, none of the non-core members of Holrewen had joined the Spirit Net. He was concerned that ordinary people who didn’t understand the situation might go around talking carelessly.

You could never be too careful!

Ding!

Just then, a new notification appeared on the Spirit Net, coming from the “Around the Sea of Fallen Stars” group.

[The war has begun!]

Immediately after the message, Shamar sent a photograph.

It was a nighttime photograph taken covertly from among the trees on a mountainside. Cold moonlight illuminated a long, winding valley packed with a dark, sprawling mass of orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and other creatures. Their formations were disorderly, and their numbers stretched beyond sight.

A muscular orc nearly three meters tall sat astride a white worg atop a massive boulder. His head was turned toward the treetop where the photographer was hiding, his cold, gleaming eyes fixed directly on it. His presence was overwhelmingly intimidating.

“Hope the photographer is okay. Where is this?” Anser hurriedly asked.

“He’s gone.”

Shamar immediately sent another photograph.

This one hadn’t been taken covertly. It showed a distant view from a castle wall, also under the moonlight.

An ordinary person wouldn’t have been able to make out anything from that distance, but the photographer had taken full advantage of the Spirit Net’s exceptionally high photographic resolution. By taking the picture and then enlarging it, details invisible to the naked eye could be revealed.

Anser zoomed in and could make out the woodland not far from the castle, along with blurry figures concealed among the trees.

Judging by their builds, they were undoubtedly orcs!

“This is Felbarr…” Shamar followed up with a lengthy explanation.

According to a letter from his friend, the orcs of the Kingdom of Many-Arrows had marched south.

They had followed the River Surbrin, burning, killing, and plundering along the way. They had arrived outside Felbarr in the early hours of the morning, catching everyone completely by surprise.

Their forces included not only orcs, half-orcs, and goblins, but also frost giants.

Anser was somewhat surprised. He had always assumed that the orcs of the Spine of the World would be the first to launch an offensive, while the Kingdom of Many-Arrows might actually side with humanity.

After all, the Kingdom of Many-Arrows was different.

After Obould I established the Kingdom of Many-Arrows, he imposed discipline and order upon the orcs. For a time, he had even managed to give a civilization of their own to a barbaric, backward people who had previously known little beyond raiding and plunder.

They had lived peacefully alongside their neighbors, traded freely, and gained recognition from most human nations.

Later, however, Lolth had incited a coup within the orc kingdom. The old, barbaric faction seized power and once again launched a war.

In the end, the Silver Marches had narrowly emerged victorious, and the orc kingdom fractured.

Some descendants of the Obould dynasty remained committed to peaceful coexistence and integration, but regaining the trust of others had become extremely difficult.

‘Could Lolth be behind this again?’ Anser couldn’t help wondering.

After all, the drow stronghold of Menzoberranzan lay directly beneath the Silver Marches!