Chapter 22: Conclusion of Phase Training

Chapter 22: Conclusion of Phase Exercise

About a week had passed since returning from the Fis Royal School of Magic.

During this time, William had been quite occupied. During the day, he continued practicing weapons with Welf and the others, picking up useful martial skills along the way. At night, he would immerse himself in the laboratory, often staying until the early hours.

William's hard work didn't go unrewarded. His progress in weapon training accelerated, almost reaching intermediate proficiency for all the weapons in his plan. He also accumulated a slew of related martial techniques.

There were advancements in his new magic studies as well. William had developed two new spells: "Fueling Spell," derived from the first-tier spell "Grease Spell," and "Slowdown ray," a modification of the third-tier spell "Aging Ray"."

The "Fueling Spell" enhanced the viscosity and combustibility of the generated grease, particularly effective when combined with William's preferred fire spells. As for the "Senescence Ray," it unexpectedly emerged during William's spell modeling experiments. Originally meant to enhance the weakening effects of the "Enfeeblement Ray," it instead reduced the physical strength of targets upon hit.

Through several tests, William found that the spell effectively weakened enemy agility, strength, and resilience by around 30%. Though resistances could mitigate this effect, it remained a potent means of restraint, earning it the name "Senescence Ray" due to its resemblance to rapid aging upon impact.

While these effects were temporary, they were enough to frighten Bill, William's experimental subject, who believed William had acquired the ability to shorten his lifespan. William found Bill's reaction both amusing and exasperating.

Despite these successful spell improvements, William didn't pause his efforts. For a mage, having an extensive spell repertoire was akin to holding a trump card for any situation.

He still had a long way to go!

Since his arcane subsystem seemed to have evolved into an ability to assist in fine-tuning spell models without the need to spend experience points as in his previous life, William was determined to make the most of his time!

As time passed, William's weapon training plan neared its completion.

With all ten shots hitting the bullseye at fifty meters, the system prompt came as expected:

"[99% 100%!]"

"Your proficiency in archery has reached intermediate level."

"[Intermediate Archery Mastery]: You have mastered the basic skills of archery, increasing the power of your arrows moderately when using a bow."

Putting down his bow, William sighed in relief. It was finally done; all the sweat shed during this time had not been in vain!

Now, only one intermediate weapon proficiency remained before he could obtain the "Master of All Weapons" title!

Moreover, with the battles during this period, William had seamlessly integrated the combat experience and techniques from his previous life's gaming memories, eliminating any remaining awkwardness. He felt perfectly rounded, capable of decisively defeating Dison without holding back.

"Young Master, well done!" Bill hurried over as William set down his bow, handing him a towel he had prepared in advance, complimenting him obsequiously.

"After just two days of practice, being able to hit the target so accurately from such a distance, Master William is truly a peerless genius! I believe the next legendary warrior of the kingdom will be you, Master!"

William took the warm towel and gave the guy a disdainful glance.

What nonsense! How dare he boast like that? It's so far-fetched that I don't even believe it myself. It's just embarrassing; I feel like punching this guy.

"Indeed, the young master is a genius," Welf chimed in, approaching from the side with heartfelt sincerity.

During this period of practice, Welf was not only amazed by William's astonishing learning speed but also because, amidst their training sessions, he had sparred with William several times. Though Welf always held back his own strength, William's spell power far exceeded that of mages at the same level, and his seasoned combat awareness made Welf feel as if he were facing a seasoned veteran mercenary.

Normally, William hadn't had much real combat experience, having spent most of his time studying magic at the academy and in the laboratory. However, his adept and calm combat techniques, along with his unruffled battle awareness in the face of danger, couldn't have been honed without hundreds of battles—real-life, do-or-die struggles, not just simple sparring matches. 

Welf couldn't fathom why William was so skilled in actual combat. He could only attribute everything to the young master's extraordinary talent.

Handing his bow and arrows to Welf, William wiped his sweat and said, "Let's call it a day with the training for now. Take a few days off. I have other matters to attend to."

"Yes, Master," Welf replied, taking the bow and arrows from William and tossing them to Bill nearby. He asked, "Shall we return to the mansion now?"

Glancing at the sky, William estimated it was only around three in the afternoon. After a moment's thought, he replied, "You all go back first. I have somewhere else to go."

"Do you not need me to accompany you?" Welf asked, slightly puzzled. After all, William had been accompanied by him as a guard whenever he went out these past few days.

"No need. You go back too. Tell Joyce he doesn't need to prepare dinner for me," William said. He wasn't worried about his safety; although he had been tested a few days ago, Welf had intentionally observed their surroundings during their recent outings and hadn't detected anyone following them.

As long as the enemy didn't deploy high-level professionals, those tracking him wouldn't be able to conceal their traces from Welf, a senior warrior.

This meant that nobody would be targeting him in the near future, allowing him to plan some things in peace.

After the experience on 16th Street, William made it a point to change into ordinary clothes before each training session, ensuring he looked like an ordinary handsome guy who wouldn't attract attention with a little disguise.

As a mage, as long as he didn't wear mage equipment, there was nothing particularly remarkable about William's appearance. But it was different for Welf. With his muscular physique and the imposing aura that couldn't be concealed by a warrior, he would be recognized at a glance, even if thrown into a crowd.

If William wanted to do something incognito and Welf was recognized the moment they stepped out, what was the point of hiding?

As for the other guards, it didn't make much of a difference whether they accompanied him or not. He would be more comfortable on his own.

Putting some weapons into his storage ring, William pushed open the courtyard door and walked out.

His warehouse was in a small alley in Belle Street, surrounded by ordinary residences, relatively quiet.

William identified the direction; his former base of operations was in the Sparkling City. He was very familiar with the city, having spent considerable time there in his past life. So, he headed towards his destination.

Objective: The Mercenary Guild!