MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC28: Grace
Chapter 28: Grace
As he passed through the gate, Richard blended into the crowd.
His small figure quickly disappeared from sight.
There were also many children from nearby villages, brought along by their parents.
(I am Richard, the one who gathered 1000 Points in the Forest of Darkness. I was forced by Olivia Skylight to take the Slave Seal from Lady Rebecca's cat's corpse, and that Seal is now in her hands!)
Richard sent the message to everyone within a twenty-meter radius.
Most of the people there knew nothing about him, since they hadn't even heard of the incident in the northern Forest of Darkness—but whether they knew or not was irrelevant.
Now they knew, and it was certain to become a topic of discussion.
Richard didn't care even if Olivia exposed his identity—because there was nothing wrong with who he was.
"Who just spoke?" someone wondered.
"Richard? Did he really gather 1000 Points in the Forest of Darkness?"
"So he was the one who took the Slave Seal? How bold."
"It was Olivia Skylight who forced him."
"Could it be that woman who poisoned Lady Rebecca's cat?"
While people whispered, Richard was already gone, and Mr. Joe hadn't heard anything.
He mounted his horse and spurred it faster.
The words he had spoken spread quickly, merging with the other rumor—that he was only seven years old.
The more people spoke, the faster it reached Olivia's ears, who was almost never still, always roaming the town.
She had just stepped out of a shop when she overheard a group talking.
"Olivia Skylight, I always knew she was daring. She's been toying with stronger people since long ago, but they all failed to teach her a lesson. In the end, she even surpassed them. But this time, she's in serious trouble..."
When her name was mentioned, Olivia instinctively froze mid-step, though the people speaking hadn't noticed her.
"Mm, most likely she's the one who poisoned Lady Rebecca's cat. Apple Town isn't that big—there aren't many who could do such a thing. But to provoke Lady Rebecca... things won't end well for that woman."
"I think she wasn't so smart this time. Forcing a child to act for her—only for that child to expose her secret."
"But that boy is incredible too. He's only seven, yet it seems he's already a True Magus."
"Yes, his power is far too great. The only explanation is that he already has an Aether Will to control all his gathered Aether."
"Richard, he's actually..."
Olivia's cheeks flushed as she realized what had happened.
How could he have told others—how could he even say she forced him? Weren't they supposed to be partners? Hadn't she paid him with something valuable?
Whoosh!
Overcome with unease, Olivia vanished.
The distance between Apple Town and Night Valley City might seem far, but great news traveled quickly. Some people sent messages via carrier pigeons that flew at astonishing speeds.
Within just a few hours, Richard's name spread among the upper circles of Night Valley City.
A seven-year-old boy who had already reached the Realm of Aether Will—such a thing had never been heard of before.
Among those who heard was Mrs. Wilson, who received the information directly from a servant of Lady Rebecca's household, even in the form of a letter sent straight from Apple Town.
From the servant, the news should have gone to Rebecca herself.
But for Mrs. Wilson, this was no simple matter. The boy's name was Richard—and he was seven years old.
She instantly guessed—it truly was Richard.
But that name... it was the very name Rebecca had wanted for her child before his birth. Mrs. Wilson herself had told Sister Lisa that the baby's name was Richard back then.
Could the young master truly have already reached the Realm of Aether Will? At the time, I did feel he had gathered a lot of Aether, but this is far too fast, she thought.
How will madam react if she hears this? Even if she never cared about her son's fate, she could hardly forget his name and age.
Mrs. Wilson grew restless.
It would be dangerous to hide such a thing from Rebecca.
She would eventually hear of it anyway.
After much hesitation, Mrs. Wilson decided to tell her. She walked to a door on the second floor of the grand castle.
Knock! Knock!
"Madam, it's me..." she called.
"Enter. I'm not busy." A cold voice echoed from within.
Mrs. Wilson pushed the door open.
A black-haired woman in a black gown sat by the window, sipping tea.
She looked as though she were in her mid-twenties, yet carried a mature aura.
Her expression was more than indifferent—she seemed utterly detached from life itself, as though she would remain unmoved even if the world collapsed.
Her eyes were cold and filled with a clear ambition.
All of it matched perfectly with her pale, beautiful face.
"What is it, Mrs. Wilson?" Rebecca asked.
"Madam, I have just received information from Apple Town—about a new genius, and about someone suspected of killing your cat," Mrs. Wilson replied, taking out the letter and handing it to Rebecca so she could read it herself.
Rebecca accepted the letter and began reading.
In no time, her brows knitted together.
Just that reaction alone was enough to make Mrs. Wilson's heart pound.
But in the end, Rebecca's response went no further.
"Send people to find Olivia Skylight. And that genius, I think he's a great talent, even if he's training a Codex that absorbs Tier 1 Aether, his talent is still very, very high. If his identity is found, recruit him, give him any offer until he agrees. If necessary, tell him he can marry my daughter. I will train him and make him start all over again with a better Codex," she said.
At that, Mrs. Wilson swallowed hard, wondering whether this woman had no suspicion at all that it was her own son.
But on reflection, she realized—Rebecca didn't even know which orphanage her child had been sent to.
And now she wanted to recruit him—going so far as to marry him to her daughter.
That daughter was not her real child, but her adopted one—the rising star of Night Valley City. She was also seven years old, yet even with all the Moonshadow Family's resources, she was still far from the Realm of Aether Will.
At present, she had only gathered about 500 Aether—still a long way off.
After a long silence, Mrs. Wilson nodded.
She turned around and took a step while wondering what if Rebecca knew that Richard was training a Codex that absorbed Tier 3 Aether.
"Call Grace here," Rebecca added as Mrs. Wilson reached the door.
The latter nodded again.
Not long after, a black-haired girl who resembled Rebecca in style appeared at the doorway.
Even at her young age, her extraordinary beauty was evident, and her cold demeanor was strikingly similar to Rebecca's.
The only difference was her hair—perfectly straight, her bangs falling neatly to cover her forehead.
And her blood-red eyes sometimes gave the impression that she wasn't entirely human.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC29: Phenomenon
Chapter 29: Phenomenon
"Mother!" The young girl, Grace, greeted Rebecca respectfully.
Rebecca had always wanted to raise her own child, but it was clear she lacked the talent for it.
Between her and Grace, things were stiff and distant.
Even if Grace had been her biological daughter, perhaps it would have been the same.
"I want to tell you that there is a boy your age who has already reached the Realm of Aether Will. Even if he relied on something, or stumbled upon a stroke of luck, it doesn't change the fact that his achievement surpasses yours," Rebecca said, bringing up Richard.
Grace was slightly startled at her words, but since she was used to wearing a cold expression, her surprise lasted only a moment and was barely visible.
"I intend to recruit that boy to my side once we discover his identity. And afterward, you will be engaged to him," Rebecca continued.
Though only seven, Grace had received the finest education. Her insight was higher than that of most adults.
She understood what the future demanded—that during her childhood, she must work tirelessly so that, once grown, she could secure a good life.
Knowing she was merely Rebecca's adopted daughter pushed her to work even harder.
Even so, she found it difficult to stay calm when her marriage was being arranged now, with someone she had only just heard of and had never met.
Unfortunately, she had long been conditioned never to defy Rebecca's orders.
Without realizing it, she nodded.
"I am forcing you, yes. But if you truly have the ability, you can refuse," Rebecca added, giving Grace a path to determine her own fate.
But it was a path she could only walk with her own strength.
"You may go," Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. Grace left, burdened with countless thoughts.
Rebecca watched her go, the faintest smile curving her lips.
"If you cannot be the best, then you must help me bring the best to my side," she murmured softly.
She wanted a really strong adopted daughter. Grace was the best he could find.
If only she found Richard, she would naturally choose him as her adopted son.
As she was alone and started reading the information in the letter again, she suddenly showed a doubtful expression.
"Richard, 7 Years..." she said in a quieter voice, finally remembering the baby she had given birth to.
Hasn't it been 7 years since then?
When she thought about it, she couldn't help but have the strange thought that this boy might be her son, but a moment later she shook her head.
"What a stupid thing to think," she said to a quiet laugh which was unusual considering she almost never laughed.
---
Richard hurried back to Purple Rose Village with Athena.
He wasn't troubled by what he had done in Apple Town, but in truth, he worried that Sister Lisa—or his ancestor—might be concerned because he had been gone too long.
After all, he hadn't told his ancestor about this. Surely the old man must be wondering why he hadn't shown up in days.
At noon, the journey was easier for Athena. Her pace was faster than at night, and the upward paths didn't tire her at all.
As they passed through other villages, Richard finally noticed how much more prosperous they were than Purple Rose Village—especially Red Wheat Village. Around each village stretched vast fields of wheat, glowing crimson, their quality far superior to ordinary grain.
Richard had to slow Athena because the roads were crowded with children playing.
Many of them were his age, but perhaps because their lives were comfortable, with parents and families, they seemed far more childish than the orphans.
Richard couldn't be bothered to watch them. He rode past, gaze wandering over the scenery. The children, meanwhile, stared at him in awe—a boy so small, yet riding such a massive horse.
"Old Joe..."
To Richard's surprise, someone suddenly called out to Mr. Joe.
It was an elderly man—tall, but extremely fat—wearing a robe that looked far too luxurious for a villager, more befitting a noble.
"What is it, Old Bear?" Mr. Joe asked, his expression showing clear displeasure.
Richard didn't know if that was truly his name, but it suited him well enough—tall, fat, like a bear.
"Old Joe, I didn't expect you to still hold a grudge against me for losing at gambling," Old Bear replied, which only made Joe's face darker.
"I only wanted to tell you—this morning, a flock of birds descended from the mountain, as if migrating en masse. Ten years ago, the same thing happened, and two days later a horde of terrifying beasts appeared around your village. You and your people should evacuate quickly."
"What!" Joe's eyes went wide. "That's impossible. Old Bear, don't joke about something so serious."
"Don't accuse me of lying. Do you think I would lie about this?"
The fat old man looked deadly serious, enough that Richard furrowed his brows.
Before Joe could say more, Richard tugged Athena's reins, urging her forward.
"Old man, what kind of beasts appeared ten years ago?" Richard asked.
"Similar to the beasts in the Dark Forest—some even worse. Fortunately, Lisa was still a member of the Sky Armor Legion back then. She sensed something was wrong, so she called her comrades in time. Otherwise, the entire village might have been slaughtered," Joe answered breathlessly, panic creeping into his voice.
"Do you know what caused their appearance?" Richard pressed.
Beasts weren't unheard of near Purple Rose Village and its neighbors. At night, their howls could sometimes be heard. But overall, these mountains were considered safe. Most beasts here were only Tier 1, rarely Tier 1+, and often hunted by adventurers—making them even scarcer.
The mountains themselves were protected by the kingdom, as they produced valuable crops.
There had never been a large-scale beast horde.
Surely something unusual had triggered this.
"Mm... I don't know the cause. Perhaps Lisa does," Joe muttered, staring ahead.
Richard stopped asking—this old man knew nothing. He was merely a witness to past events.
From Red Wheat Village, it wasn't long before they arrived at Purple Rose Village.
Old Bear hadn't been lying. The villagers were clearly restless. Everyone stood outside their homes, though the children still played, ignorant of how terrifying even one beast could be—let alone a horde.
"Get down here!" Richard ordered Joe to dismount.
After that, he went straight to the orphanage.
The children inside were carrying on with their usual activities. Richard asked where Sister Lisa was, and they said she was inside.
When Richard stepped in, he found Sister Lisa herself, her face clouded with worry.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC30: Just a Small Matter
Chapter 30: Just a Small Matter
The woman was startled to see him, but then looked relieved.
"Richard, thank goodness you're here—quick, help me write a letter," she said hurriedly, clearly not in the mood to ask why he had only just returned after several days.
"Sister, is it true that a beast horde is coming?" Richard asked in response.
"So you've already heard? Yes, it's true—there may be a beast horde. Ten years ago, they appeared two days after the birds left," Sister Lisa answered.
She scratched her hair anxiously while searching for paper and ink.
"Where do they come from? What causes them to appear? Isn't this region supposed to be safe?" Richard pressed for answers.
"I don't know. Our investigation ten years ago yielded nothing. The beast horde seemed to just... appear out of nowhere."
Hearing that, Richard furrowed his brows again.
So even Sister Lisa and her comrades in the Sky Armor Legion didn't know.
At that moment, Sister Lisa finally found paper and ink. She handed them to Richard.
"Quick, write this: 'Brother Carlos, Purple Rose Village may be attacked by a beast horde again. Please inform the commander about this.'"
Richard reluctantly took the materials and went to the table to write down exactly what Sister Lisa said.
Though he had never studied writing in this world, he had memorized the shapes of every letter. He could write naturally, though his hand was stiff and the result not very pretty.
Anyone reading it might be annoyed at the sloppy handwriting.
But to Sister Lisa—who couldn't read—it was already extraordinary.
She quickly took the paper and hurried off, clearly intending to send it with a pigeon.
Left alone, Richard fell into thought but couldn't figure out anything.
Finally, he left the orphanage and rode his horse into the forest to meet his ancestor, whom he hadn't visited in quite some time.
Richard sometimes worried the old man might vanish if he didn't come see him.
Fortunately, the man was still there, lounging in a freshly made chair.
He was eating roasted duck and drinking wine from who-knows-where.
"Ohhh, Richard, you're finally back..." The man immediately sat up when he saw him.
"Grandfather, are you all right?" Richard asked.
The question made Aldric laugh.
"Boy, are you worried about me? Come now—you know your ancestor once competed for the World Magic Aether, and I'm still alive after sleeping for so long in the Sea of Calamity. What could possibly threaten me in a forest like this? Ohhh, you seem to have formed an Aether Will. Did your trip outside grant you much benefit?"
His eyes narrowed as he sensed the difference in Richard.
"Grandfather, you knew I went outside?" Richard asked.
"Of course I knew. I sneaked into your village when you didn't show up for days and heard that you had gone to a town," Aldric replied.
Richard nodded. "Yes, I did gain much from it. By the way, Grandfather—the birds left the mountain. I heard that ten years ago, when this happened, a beast horde suddenly appeared around the village. It seems it will happen again. In your opinion, what causes it?"
"Just a small matter," Aldric said, confusing Richard.
"You see, if the sky falls, let the great ones handle it. If it's a small problem, leave it to the small folk. This is only a minor matter—you don't need to worry too much. Didn't they deal with the horde ten years ago? This time, they should be able to handle it again."
Richard: "..."
"Grandfather, you seem to enjoy making jokes," Richard said, his expression torn between a smile and a grimace.
But Aldric beckoned him over to the chair.
"Sit. Let's talk about your training. You've improved a lot—have you mastered the Codex of Moonshadow and the two Arcanes I gave you?"
"I've begun to master them," Richard replied.
"How much?" Aldric pressed.
"Among them, my progress with 100 Shadow Monsters has been the fastest..."
As he said this, Richard waved his hand.
Whoosh!
He released shadow energy that instantly formed into eight massive shadow lions, five times larger than normal lions.
Compared to last time, they were far bigger—because Richard's Aether had doubled.
Aldric's eyes widened at the sight.
For him, this was unimaginable. But to Richard, it was nothing special.
"Grandfather, as you can see, I've made great progress. Now, will you tell me how those beasts appear?" Richard asked again.
"I already told you, it's just a small matter. You don't need to trouble yourself over small matters," Aldric replied again, making Richard roll his eyes.
The problem was, Aldric truly saw it as a trivial issue, not worth attention. It wasn't that he was hiding anything—he simply didn't care.
Richard fell silent for a while, then remembered something.
"Grandfather, what do you think about the Black Heart Soul?"
"That is something remarkable. Dragon Knights rely on it to become unstoppable, for it gives the heart the ability to gather hidden power... If I had it, I could grow even stronger..." Aldric said at once, serious this time.
"But, the Black Heart Soul demands too much slaughter. Without killing, one cannot charge the heart with power. Even its assistance in training is not that great without slaughter. Still, who would object to slaughter if it meant greater strength? Unfortunately, it's said only one book records the method of creating a Black Heart Soul, and its whereabouts are now unknown."
Aldric looked at Richard curiously.
"Where did you hear about the Black Heart Soul?" he asked.
"From here," Richard replied, showing him the black book. Aldric snatched it immediately, though Richard didn't mind—he had already memorized the method.
Aldric quickly opened it, eyes widening in shock, his mouth slightly agape.
"You—where did you find this?" he asked, breath quickening.
"From an acquaintance whose name and features I won't mention," Richard replied calmly, making Aldric the one to roll his eyes this time.
"Boy, you dare keep secrets from your ancestor," Aldric said, annoyed but clearly joking.
He read the black book again, frowning from time to time.
"The method is truly simple, but this ritual..." he murmured, his expression growing grave.
"Is something wrong with the ritual, Grandfather?" Richard asked.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC31: Sacred Flame
Chapter 31: Sacred Flame
"It's not a serious problem, but I'm concerned. This ritual is extremely painful, involving wicked souls—it could be enough to make even a good-natured person turn hot-tempered," Aldric replied.
"Ohh..." Richard showed an uncertain expression upon hearing that.
Personality changes might be natural, but only when they came after various experiences.
Richard couldn't say he was willing for his personality to suddenly become short-tempered.
"In the end, the Black Heart Soul wants a person to become a butcher in order to gain power. Although slaughter itself isn't necessarily a grave problem, if it happens because we can't control ourselves... are we still truly ourselves?" Aldric chuckled as he went on, while Richard felt he was right.
"This is something I avoided," Aldric added, tossing the book aside.
Then, he fixed his gaze seriously on Richard.
"Richard, your soul is undoubtedly extraordinary. While you could make it more versatile by having two different types and thus enhance your talent further, I advise you to choose another soul type—not the Black Heart Soul."
Richard furrowed his brows at that, then asked, "Is there a way to overcome its side effects?"
"Yes, of course there is. The Sacred Flame—fire that does not burn hot, but can consume all forms of evil. With it, one could easily purge any unwanted evil side from oneself. However, to fuse with the Sacred Flame requires a 90% affinity with the Fire Element."
"Grandfather, where can I find the Sacred Flame?" Richard asked immediately.
For him, the requirement was almost too easy.
His very first elemental affinity was fire. It was also the first to reach 90%.
Richard's quick response surprised Aldric.
"Boy, don't tell me you have a 90% Fire Affinity?" he asked, clearly scolding him for jumping straight to where it could be found.
In answer, Richard released an Aether, shaping it into a fist-sized fireball.
This one had no violet streaks anymore—it was pure flame. Most astonishing was its brilliance: even under the bright midday sun, the fire's glow stood out strikingly.
Richard himself felt no heat from it—but Aldric could.
The heat was evident in the way nearby leaves began to dry and curl.
"My affinity with Fire is indeed 90%," Richard said casually.
"You—" Aldric's mouth hung open, struggling for words.
Of course, he had never known exactly what Richard's elemental affinities were.
Usually, even those with great talent didn't start with 90% affinity. Only a rare few were born that way—most people had to train diligently to raise it.
Since Richard was his descendant, and seemed to have inherited his clan's gifts, Aldric assumed his talents lay only in Darkness, Shadow, and Lightning.
And even then, he never imagined Richard had a 90% affinity with any of them.
Yet here he was—with Fire at 90%.
"Wait, boy—the Fire Spirit Queen has the Sacred Flame. I'll take it from her body," Aldric said, standing abruptly before striding toward the unconscious red-haired old woman.
"Ohh..." Richard grew curious, recalling how his ancestor once said the Fire Spirit Queen's body was an extraordinary treasure. Was it because she possessed the Sacred Flame?
But he still wondered—how could something be taken from another person's body?
At that moment, Aldric forced the Fire Spirit Queen upright, though she remained unconscious.
With her body tied to the tree all the way up to her head, the old woman was made to stand.
Then Aldric pried her mouth open and sent his Aether inside.
"Aghh..."
Suddenly, her slack mouth let out a raspy cry.
Richard then saw a white light shine forth.
"Hahaha, so easy! Truly, without strength, anyone becomes helpless," Aldric laughed heartily.
Right after, Richard saw a serene white flame emerge from the Fire Spirit Queen's mouth.
It floated gently, settling into Aldric's palm.
"Richard, the Sacred Flame is something born of nature—a fire that never dies. It's an external power, and can also be considered an artifact. Although fusing with it is extremely difficult, its uses are many. People sometimes use it to purge poison, or to eradicate all kinds of evil power. It can even be merged into weapons of justice. Once it has fused with you, it can still be taken by others, just as I did now. That's why you must guard it well—never let it be stolen," Aldric said.
Then he tossed the white flame toward Richard, and it floated slowly like a drifting balloon.
"Swallow it," he added.
Richard didn't wait for it to reach him. He opened his mouth and inhaled sharply, sucking the flame in.
It wasn't his power that did it—but it wasn't hot at all.
Instead, it filled him with comfort as it entered his mouth.
Though it had just come from the mouth of an old, now-ugly-looking woman, he didn't hesitate to swallow it.
Gulp!
He felt it fall into his stomach, then begin merging with every cell of his body, filling him with a mysterious sensation.
DING!
(You have fused with the Sacred Flame, fire that can burn away all evil!)
[External Power:
Sacred Flame]
As Richard bonded with it, he realized he could transform his Fire Element into Sacred Flame, or merge it with his own fire.
He released some Aether onto his palm, immediately converting it into Sacred Flame.
In an instant, a calm white fire appeared above his hand.
'Not fire for destruction... but for support,' Richard thought.
"How do you feel, boy?" Aldric asked, approaching him.
"Incredible. Grandfather, does that old woman still have things like this inside her?" Richard asked in return.
"Don't think there are many like it. This woman has various other flames in her body since she's the Fire Spirit Queen. Some come from her bloodline, some are fires she cultivated herself. But they're not things you can just swallow like the Sacred Flame," Aldric explained.
Richard smiled wryly because he was indeed too hopeful.
"Of course, I wouldn't say there are no other useful things from her body for you. After all, in the previous era, she was the strongest in terms of fire power. But, for now you are still too weak for stronger things. Not everything you can get just with an elemental affinity that reaches 90%," Aldric said again.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC32: Athena's Evolution
Chapter 32: Athena's Evolution
"Grandfather, can I perform the ritual to obtain the Black Heart Soul now?" Richard asked.
"Yes, you can, you truly can. It might not even be painful for you, since the pain it brings comes from evil influence, not physical assault," Aldric replied.
"But... do you have the required materials?" he then asked.
The necessary ingredients were both easy and difficult to find, for they consisted of human parts.
The very first was the blood of a virgin woman.
In this world, there was no such thing as blood donors. One could not expect to obtain blood without hurting someone.
Aside from blood, a brain was also required—specifically, the brain of someone with a strongly evil nature.
Then, ten pairs of different eyes.
All of these were needed to summon wicked souls.
They were special—not ordinary evil souls. And even with those materials, one could not summon them without having at least 90% Dark Element Affinity.
"You don't need to worry about the virgin's blood, we can take it from the Fire Spirit Queen," Aldric said when Richard fell silent.
Richard's eyes widened at that, staring at his ancestor with a twitching face.
"Is she still a virgin?" Richard asked, struggling to even say the words.
"Yeah, of course. In this world, many powerful women are too busy practice from a young age. They have no time for marriage—or even dating..." Aldric chuckled as he explained.
"In that case, I only need to find the brain of someone with an evil nature, and ten pairs of eyes," Richard said.
That was something that required him to act ruthlessly.
Of course, he didn't have to target ordinary people, since this world was not lacking in criminals.
At times, such things were indeed necessary—not just for soul rituals, but often to help increase elemental affinity.
For example, someone who wanted to raise their affinity with the Wind Element could use the body of another who had the same affinity as a material.
The methods varied—turning them into potions, concoctions, or other means.
Though it seemed cruel, few would hesitate when it came to gaining power.
"Grandfather, was there anything else that drifted down the river?" Richard asked.
He was a little curious about what had happened while he was away.
"Unfortunately, nothing useful," Aldric replied.
"Were they useless?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean worthless. Most of them were fragments of weapons and such, all made of high-quality materials."
"Ohh, could you give me one to sell? I need money."
Richard knew those fragments could be recycled, but he lacked the knowledge to do so. Naturally, if they were high-quality, their price would be high as well.
"Take this..." Aldric casually handed him something from his pocket.
Richard found it was a sword hilt, made of wood that seemed stronger than most iron yet still as light as ordinary wood, has a long dragon carving.
"That's Obsidora Wood. Don't sell it for mortal coin—you must sell it for Nature Spirits," Aldric instructed.
Nature Spirits were the currency of Magi, known for being able to rapidly restore their spent Aether, among many other uses.
Richard nodded and stored the sword hilt away.
"Grandfather, I also have a Bloodline Potion. Do you think it would be suitable to give it to my horse?" Richard pulled out the red liquid-filled vial he had obtained from Olivia.
"It's worth a try. The result might be good," Aldric answered.
"Mm..." Richard then looked at Athena, gesturing for her to approach.
The horse obediently came closer, looking at him with curious eyes.
"This drink can help you evolve, so try drinking it," Richard told Athena as he opened the bottle.
Athena, obedient as ever, nodded her head to Richard, opened her mouth, and allowed him to pour the potion inside, swallowing it without hesitation.
Afterward, Richard stepped back, curious to see what would happen.
Buzz!
The horse's body shone with a red light, glowing even in her eyes.
Richard saw her muscles grow tauter, while her skin darkened with a faint red tint.
Yet the horse remained calm—not even restless—as though nothing unusual had occurred.
"Ehh..."
The red light suddenly condensed into radiant wings upon her back, fluttering gently, though not lifting the horse into the air.
"Not bad—the Primordial Bloodline of this horse has awakened. It has evolved into a Primordial Beast, now at Tier 1+. Richard, if you want it to continue evolving, you must feed it grass mixed with Nature Spirits. If it reaches Tier 11, it will gain true wings and be able to carry you through the skies..." Aldric explained.
"That's too far off," Richard replied.
Tier 1, 1+, and so forth were still considered mortal ranks. Tier 10 was the equivalent of a Magus in the Aether Will Realm.
For Magi, there was only the Aether Will Realm, but within it, their strength varied based on both the quantity and quality of their Aether.
Their power could be gauged as equivalent to what tier of Primordial Beast they compared to—or also to Sky Armor Knights.
As for wild beasts, though they were divided into similar tiers, they usually peaked at Tier 5 unless they evolved into Primordial Beasts.
"But grandfather, since this horse can release wings of light now, can't it be used for flying?" Richard asked.
"Of course not. At most, it can only slow its descent when falling from high places," Aldric replied.
"I see..." Richard nodded.
"In that case, grandfather, I'll be going now," Richard said.
"Yes, make sure to surprise me again when you return."
"Hahahaha, that's a promise..." Richard chuckled.
He mounted Athena, but had her retract her wings of light before galloping away.
'I'll train first,' he thought, not rushing to gather the materials for the Black Heart Soul, since he had only just returned to the village, and for now there was an unknown crisis—though it should only be a small matter, to be resolved once the Sky Armor Knights arrived.
Not wanting to waste time, he planned to spend the rest of the day in training.
DING!
(Your affinity with the Wave Element has increased from 79% to 85%!)
(Wave: 85%)
Richard suddenly received a notification from the System—but only his elemental affinity had risen.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC33: Augus' Return
Chapter 33: Augus' Return
When Richard returned to the village, he found more commotion caused by the panic of the villagers, with Lisa trying her best to calm them down.
Many of them actually refused to evacuate, as it would not be easy for them.
The reason was that they were not as wealthy as Mr. Joe. Most of them had no savings and lived by relying on the natural resources of the village.
If they were forced to evacuate, they feared they would have nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep.
Fortunately, once they were informed that the Sky Armor Legion would be sending their knights, the villagers finally began to calm down.
Richard was too lazy to approach the villagers. Instead, he entered the orphanage, went to his room, locked the door, and sat down to absorb Aether.
Perhaps later, if a horde of beasts truly came, he would just roar at them.
Unlike Apple Town, the amount of Aether in this village was indeed lower, but not by a great margin.
With his current ability, Richard could still absorb one Aether in less than thirty minutes.
Now, he realized he could not completely rely on the System if he wanted to advance faster, since the amount of Aether he needed to gather was overwhelming.
By evening, he had managed to gather 17 Aether, plus 17 more from his Aether Bottle, making it 34 in total.
[Aether: 34/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 2034
Richard smiled in satisfaction at the result, though he did not feel much stronger, since 34 compared to 2000 was barely a 1% increase.
'Time for a bath,' he thought as he stood up.
His body felt dusty now. In this state, he would not be able to train comfortably later tonight.
"Mm..."
Just as he stood, he felt faint vibrations and the sound of many horses' hooves.
He quickly went to the window and spotted a group of white horses, ridden by knights in gleaming white armor.
There were around twenty of them, led by Carlos—the same one who had come two years ago.
Richard had not expected them to arrive so quickly, barely half a day since Sister Lisa had sent the message.
Although they had not yet entered the village, Richard could see Sister Lisa and the villagers already there to welcome them.
What caught his eye, however, was Augus—he had grown taller, though still a child.
He was already wearing Sky Armor, mounted on his own horse.
And he wasn't the only child among them.
There were two others—one boy and one red-haired girl.
Among the three, the girl seemed to hold the highest status, as she rode in the center while the others flanked her sides.
Her eyes shone with curiosity as she looked at the village, as if it were a whole new world to her.
She spoke with Augus, probably asking him about his past life here.
Though only two years had passed, Augus clearly had not forgotten his village, and his temperament had not changed much. Yet, he already bore the gaze of a child raised in the city.
More importantly, he looked sharper now.
Richard knew he could no longer trick Augus so easily in a fight, not like when they had both been ordinary boys.
After observing them for a while, Richard went to bathe, then dressed in fresh, comfortable clothes to await the night.
Unexpectedly, Augus actually entered the orphanage with the red-haired girl and the other boy.
"Look, Emma, this is where I used to live," Augus said enthusiastically.
Emma must have been the one curious to see Augus's former home.
Her bright eyes scanned the orphanage, then moved toward Richard.
When they landed on him, her gaze lingered, trailing over him from head to toe, as he looked completely different from the other children.
Augus's brows knitted slightly when he noticed Emma's gaze fixed on Richard.
"Who is he, Augus?" Emma asked.
"Uh, he's my friend, Richard..." Augus explained softly, but Richard's sharp hearing picked up every word.
"Richard? Did he fail to control the Sky Armor?" Emma seemed too curious about him.
"Yes, he failed. I was the only one who succeeded back then..." Augus quickly answered.
Richard almost laughed. It was so obvious—Augus wanted to gain Emma's attention and panicked the moment she showed interest in another boy.
On the other side, the other boy's expression soured, clearly displeased at how much Augus spoke with the girl.
"Emma, let's go somewhere else. There's still much of the village to see," Augus said again.
When she learned Richard had failed to control the Sky Armor, the girl seemed to lose interest. She simply nodded at Augus.
As they left, Augus didn't even spare Richard a glance.
'He's no longer afraid of me, nor does he bow down to me,' Richard thought with a chuckle.
Of course, he had no problem with that—as long as Augus did not become his enemy.
If he did, Richard would simply show him who the real boss was.
With the arrival of the knights, the village finally regained complete peace.
The Sky Knights began investigating the surrounding area.
Yet, they found no signs of beasts anywhere.
What was happening remained unclear.
After dinner, Richard once again secluded himself in his room, absorbing Aether.
From time to time, he tried practicing his two Codices and Arcane Art on his own, but they were still too difficult, so he gave up.
He absorbed Aether until midnight, gathering 19, plus 19 more from his Aether Bottle, making a total of 38.
[Aether: 72/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 2072
His eyes could no longer stay open, and he soon fell asleep, awaiting the next day.
In the morning, Richard woke up a little late.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
He was roused by the knocking on his door.
"Who could it be?" he wondered, thinking it couldn't be Sister Lisa, who usually just called his name.
Curious, he opened the door—only to be stunned.
Augus.
He was the one knocking, leaning casually against the doorway.
Naturally, Richard had thought he might run into him sooner or later, but not this quickly.
Was it because of Emma?
"Richard, can you help me?" he asked—surprising Richard even more.
He was actually asking for help.
But even while asking, the way he spoke to Richard was different now.
No longer like a subordinate to a superior.
"What do you want me to do?" Richard asked curiously, his eyes falling on the boy clad head to toe in armor.
Augus looked slightly taller, likely because of the high boots that were part of his Sky Armor.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC34: Trauma Again
Chapter 34: Trauma Again
"You know that red-haired girl. She's the commander's daughter," Augus said, slightly surprising Richard.
The commander was the leader of the Sky Armor Legion in a province, a truly formidable figure.
In this province, the Eight-Star Province, he was without doubt one of the most powerful individuals.
The governor might outrank him in position, but that did not mean he was stronger or more influential.
If compared to Earth, he would be the equivalent of a Two-Star General.
Of course, in this world, everything was determined by individual combat strength. One could not obtain a position—let alone a military one—without the power to back it up.
It could be said that such a figure would fear no one in the province, except perhaps the Moonshadow Clan, who happened to reside here.
That clan had declined, once famed for an ancestor even stronger than the kingdom itself.
Yet now, with Lady Rebecca, the clan once again bared its fangs.
Regardless, the truth remained that even though Emma was just a little girl, if she went to Apple Town, the city's lord would personally welcome her.
Richard, of course, was very surprised she had come to this village.
"What about her?" Richard asked, narrowing his eyes at Augus.
"I hope that in the future, I'll become her husband. That way, I can receive better training," Augus replied.
But Richard was not surprised at his thought.
Living in a smarter environment, Augus had clearly begun to understand how the world worked, knowing what he needed to do to climb higher.
Of course, even if his talent was remarkable enough to let him associate with the commander's daughter, his ambition was still far too lofty given his background as an orphan from a remote village.
Richard held back from mocking him, instead becoming more interested in what he was planning.
"What can I help you with?" Richard asked.
"Of course, help me make her fall in love with me. If you succeed, I'll definitely help you in the future."
"I understand what you want. But what's the plan?"
"That's why I came to you. I want you to help me think of one. After all, you're smarter than most kids."
Richard: "..."
At first, he thought the boy had come with some elaborate plan that required him to play a role. But no—he came because he wanted Richard to come up with the plan for him.
"I don't have any skill in that. Go ask someone else," Richard replied bluntly, not bothering to play along.
"But you're the only one I can ask. You're the only one I can rely on," Augus said.
Of course, he didn't look like he was begging. It was only his words; his expression was already starting to look forceful.
"If it were that easy, I'd just make her fall in love with me instead," Richard answered.
"You—" Augus's eyes widened instantly.
"Augus, it seems you need to be reminded who the boss is..." Richard didn't wait for him to show his anger.
He grabbed the boy's armored collar, dragged him into the room, and shoved him down.
And Richard couldn't help but be surprised by how heavy the armor Augus wore was.
If his movement hadn't been sudden, he doubted Augus would have fallen at all.
'Has he already reached Tier 2?' Richard thought, finding it hard to believe.
Although training with the Sky Armor indeed accelerated growth, this kind of speed meant Augus's talent was extremely high.
"Richard, how dare you! You think this is the same as before!" Augus finally shouted.
But before he could stand, Richard raised his hand.
Whoosh!
Something invisible struck him, his eyes and mouth opening wide.
He shuddered, and moments later blood trickled from his nose and mouth.
Richard had attacked with Wave, one of the elements he was attuned to.
Though it sounded ordinary, Wave was terrifying precisely because it was invisible.
Richard could even send his waves through matter—through Augus's Sky Armor, through his flesh and skin, striking directly at his cells.
He could even carry other elements along with the waves.
If he had used any other attack, defeating a Sky Armor Knight would not have been so easy, since the armor granted such powerful defense.
Of course, he had gone easy. Otherwise, Augus would have died without even knowing how.
All he did was shake his organs.
Cough! Cough!
Augus hacked violently, staring at Richard in horror.
Two years in the Sky Armor Legion had made him familiar with magic, as he often trained alongside Magi.
Without any need for explanation, he immediately realized Richard had just used magic. His perception, sharpened by wearing the Sky Armor, let him feel the magical energy when Richard unleashed it.
Yet he could not understand what kind of magic it was. He only thought it far too terrifying, crippling him instantly before he could even fight back.
This had never happened—since attaining Tier 2 Sky Armor, he had been able to spar with lower-class Aether Will Magi on even footing for a time before losing.
"Get out, now!" Richard said coldly.
Augus forced himself to stand, nodding repeatedly before stumbling out awkwardly.
The fear of Richard, which had only just faded, returned in full.
DING!
(Your affinity with the Wave Element has increased from 85% to 90%!)
(Your mastery of the Codex of Moonshadow has increased from 4% to 6%!)
(Wave: 90%)
[Codex:
Codex of Dragon Emperor (30%)
Codex of Moonshadow (6%)]
"So fast, even an extra point..." Richard was stunned by the sudden notification.
Not long after Augus left, Sister Lisa suddenly arrived.
"Richard, are you the seven-year-old boy who shocked Apple Town?" the woman asked with great excitement.
From the look on her face, she had just received the news and was now absolutely certain it was him.
"Yes, that's me..." Richard saw no need to hide it, since she was already so sure.
Whether it was her or Mrs. Wilson, both already knew he had been training.
When she heard it, Sister Lisa drew a deep breath, her eyes gazing at him as if wondering if he was the same baby she had once taken in from his aunt.
Only seven years since that day—how could he already have reached this point?
"Sister Lisa, I hope you'll keep it a secret. This could cause me trouble," Richard said.
"Of course, of course..." Sister Lisa nodded quickly.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC35: Eggs
Chapter 35: Eggs
Richard didn't eat breakfast or take a bath. He walked straight out of the orphanage to see the situation.
The Sky Armor Knights were still roaming around on their horses, searching for the reason the birds had fled the mountain.
So far, their investigation seemed to have yielded no results.
Sniff! Sniff!
Suddenly, Richard heard the sound of a horse, as if calling out to him. It even raised both front legs when it saw him.
Richard quickly approached.
"What is it?" he asked while stroking its head.
The horse responded as if urging him toward a place in the forest, though in a different direction from his ancestor's location.
Curious, Richard nodded, mounted its back, and let Athena take him where she wished to go.
Richard strongly suspected his horse had sensed something.
After all, she had become a Primordial Beast. Matters related to beasts were likely things she could sense more quickly than others.
Not only did she feel the threat—she also knew the location of that threat.
"Richard..."
As Richard set out, he heard Augus's voice and saw him riding up from behind, already looking recovered even though his nose and mouth had been bleeding earlier.
Perhaps he had relied on something to recover faster.
"Where are you going?" Augus asked when his horse came up beside Athena.
His tone once again resembled that of a subordinate, like the old days when he always followed Richard wherever he went.
Of course, now it was likely because he was curious about Richard's strength.
"You'll see," Richard answered, too lazy to explain further since there really wasn't much he could explain.
Athena walked at a slow pace into the forest, whose trees were thick and tangled with countless vines hanging from tree to tree, blocking the path.
Yet Athena was a clever horse, always able to find a way through, so Richard didn't have to do anything.
"Have we ever been here before?" Augus wondered aloud as he looked around.
Richard didn't respond. By his own memory, he had never been here.
Athena carried him deeper and deeper, where the forest grew so dense that sunlight barely penetrated below.
Though it was still morning and the sun was bright, here in the forest it felt like twilight beneath storm clouds.
Augus began to look uneasy, visibly unsettled by such a silent area.
Elsewhere there would be the sounds of insects, but here, everything was silent.
He could only hear his own breathing and the hooves of the horses.
Soon, Richard spotted a cave, entirely green with vines that covered it.
It was massive, even taller than the surrounding trees.
Inside, it looked bright—apparently, the cave's ceiling had many openings where light streamed in.
"How can there be a cave here?" Augus muttered, while Richard signaled Athena to keep moving forward.
He couldn't just look at the cave. He had to go inside.
At the entrance, he had to push away several vines before they could enter.
Though hesitant, Augus still followed when Richard went in.
What they found inside left them both stunned.
The cave was so vast that Richard thought it was larger than two football fields.
The shocking part was that it held thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—of massive eggs, each about as tall as a seven-year-old boy like him.
Some of the eggs were already cracked, as if ready to hatch at any moment, and Richard could feel the aura of beasts emanating from those broken shells.
Beasts that hatched from eggs—serpents, crocodiles, lizards, all sorts of reptiles—would consume their shells upon birth, gaining high-level nutrients. That would allow them to grow strong enough to instantly become Tier 1 or Tier 1+ Beasts.
"So this is what you felt," Richard said to Athena, who gave a light nod.
But who had placed so many beast eggs in this cave? Richard wondered.
"What—?" Augus suddenly seemed shocked by something else.
Richard turned to him with a confused look, seeing nothing else surprising.
"Richard, the knights are returning to the fortress," Augus said, causing Richard to furrow his brows.
Sky Armor users could transmit messages to each other, so long as they weren't too far apart.
It seemed Augus had just received such a message.
"Why would they return to the fortress?" Richard asked.
The problem hadn't been solved, yet they were withdrawing. Richard felt a scheme at work.
"I don't know, maybe an order from above. They said everything is fine," Augus answered.
"You know everything is not fine," Richard replied.
Augus's eyes trembled.
"Someone must be planning to slaughter Purple Rose Village with these beasts," he said.
"Yes—and someone influential enough to make the knights withdraw," Richard replied.
He wondered who it might be. Many Magi committed massacres of common folk as part of their training.
Of course, the person didn't have to be overwhelmingly strong. But they might very well have a strong background.
"Richard, let's just destroy the eggs," Augus said.
"At least you know what must be done," Richard answered.
There was indeed a sinister scheme—but if these eggs were destroyed, could that scheme still proceed?
"You wait outside. I can handle this alone," he added.
"Richard, there are too many of them. I can help you," Augus protested, unwilling to leave.
"I don't want my attack to accidentally kill you," Richard replied, sending a wave into Augus's body without causing harm.
Of course, Augus immediately felt the threatening force inside his body, paling as he realized it truly could kill him.
"Go!" Richard ordered sharply.
Augus quickly commanded his horse to leave.
Richard directed Athena to move deeper into the cave.
Now, the beasts were still weak inside their eggs. Killing them would be as easy as killing ants for him.
The only problem was the sheer number of ants he had to kill.
Luckily, he possessed Wave attacks that could reach farther than fire.
Richard closed his eyes, spreading his waves, sharper and more dangerous than before.
They could even be used for cutting.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
Faint popping sounds echoed from egg after egg as Richard's waves passed through them.
What he did was nothing more than shattering the hearts of the beast infants within.
As they died, the eggs cracked open, but only lifeless bodies spilled out.
Richard smiled at the result, though he couldn't reach all of them in one go.
Afterward, he moved dozens of meters forward before repeating the action.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
The popping sounds echoed again, hundreds, then thousands of times.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC36: King Bloodline
Chapter 36: King Bloodline
Richard didn't spend much Aether to kill all the beast infants inside their eggs.
From outside, Augus couldn't believe what he was seeing—Richard, whom he had thought would only ever be a star in a remote village, suddenly wielding such overwhelming power.
Up to this point, Richard hadn't even gotten off his horse.
But to his surprise, Athena began eating the eggshells.
Apparently, their nutrients were useful even for a Primordial Beast like her.
Richard didn't stop her since Athena wanted to eat, but he couldn't wait around. He dismounted.
"Return on your own later," he told her.
Athena nodded lightly, and Richard went over to Augus.
"I'll ride with you," he said before climbing onto Augus's horse.
"Richard, why is your horse eating?" Augus asked curiously, but Richard couldn't be bothered to respond.
Hua! Hua! Hua!
Receiving no answer, Augus gave up and urged his horse back toward the village.
When they returned, Richard saw the knights had already gathered in front of the orphanage.
They seemed ready to leave, but the villagers were protesting.
The knights, however, simply insisted that everything was fine.
Augus's arrival caused the debate to pause for a moment.
"Where have you been? Why did you take so long?" one knight scolded.
"Mm, I went for a walk, and my horse wanted to eat. I couldn't force him to stop until he was full," Augus replied cautiously.
Richard had, of course, dismounted before leaving the forest, so he slipped away unnoticed.
He strolled calmly toward the orphanage, his eyes falling on Sister Lisa, who was speaking with Carlos.
"Lisa, there's nothing I can do. Orders from above command me to withdraw. I can only hope you'll be careful. Of course, it's better if you leave quickly," Carlos said, while Sister Lisa looked anxious.
Naturally, she understood how the Legion worked.
If an order from above had been given, subordinates could not refuse unless they were ready to be branded rebels.
"Brother Carlos, have you not discovered why the birds fled?" Lisa asked in response.
"I searched the area, but I found nothing. Of course, I can't guarantee there's nothing out there—there are still many places left unexplored. The time was too short, and the forest around this village is far too vast..." Carlos sighed helplessly.
"You know, even though this kingdom is anti-crime, its power has been declining continuously. Some noble clans have grown aggressive, eager to strengthen themselves so they might at least play a role when the World Magic Aether appears," he added.
"Who do you think the mastermind is? Clearly, they would start with Purple Rose Village, then move to the others nearby. While everyone is slaughtered, he'll watch from the side and draw in the slaughtered souls," Sister Lisa said.
"It's hard to say. The Moonshadow Clan is the unofficial ruler of the Eight-Star Province, but they don't have the habit of mass slaughter for growth. While they do kill often, it's usually out of conflict," Carlos replied.
Sister Lisa fell silent at that.
Carlos sighed again.
"I hope we meet again someday. Please be careful," he said before mounting his horse.
With him leading, the knights departed at once.
Augus occasionally turned to glance back at Richard, while Emma clearly didn't understand anything.
To her, this village and its people were merely something curious.
"Richard..." Sister Lisa was slightly startled to see him.
"Where's your horse?" she quickly noticed he hadn't returned with it.
Of course, she had seen him leave on horseback.
"Sister, there's no need to worry too much. Everything is fine now," Richard said casually before walking off again.
Lisa was baffled by his words, unsure what Richard meant.
Meanwhile, Richard walked toward his ancestor's hut.
Today, the old man was fishing, sitting on a chair he had built himself.
"Ohh, Richard, where's your horse?" he asked as he saw Richard approaching on foot.
"She's eating the eggshells I destroyed," Richard replied.
"Your horse is eating them?" Aldric looked so shocked that he rose from his chair.
"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Richard asked in confusion.
This man knew about the eggs but had only regarded them as a minor problem.
The fact that Athena was eating them was what shocked him.
"Not every Primordial Beast can eat just anything to grow stronger. Normally, only Nature Spirits or some pure resources. But those eggshells—they're coarse, suitable only for their original owners. Yet, there are Primordial Beasts that can consume anything and absorb its nutrients. They are the ones who carry the King Bloodline."
"The King Bloodline?" Richard was somewhat surprised to hear this.
Though he had never heard of it, the word King was obviously not something ordinary.
"If your horse can continue to grow, there's a chance she could approach the peak level of the magical world, close to my level in my prime," Aldric said with a chuckle.
"Only close?" Richard asked.
"It's not so easy to reach the peak. You should know—in this kingdom's long history, only three people ever reached that level: the kingdom's founder, who eventually obtained the World Magic Aether in his era, then one of its kings, and myself. To reach that height, a Primordial Beast must carry the Emperor Bloodline."
"So there's an even greater bloodline. But Grandpa, who placed those eggs there?" Richard couldn't help but bring up the matter.
Even though he had destroyed them, the mastermind was still unknown.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy for the mastermind to act again. After all, how easy was it to find over ten thousand beast eggs?
"I found those eggs while wandering around, but I didn't see who put them there. Aren't they destroyed already? Why dwell on it?"
"If I hadn't found them, this village could have been destroyed because the knights from the Sky Armor Legion suddenly withdrew," Richard said with a frown.
"Ohhh, then the culprit must be connected to the Sky Armor Legion..." Aldric chuckled, still treating the matter lightly.
Richard scratched his head. Talking to him about this seemed useless.
"Grandpa, I'll be training here..."
Richard climbed up into his ancestor's hut, sat down, and began absorbing Aether again.
Until Athena finished, he couldn't wander far, so while she ate, he would keep cultivating.
After that, he could embark on adventures to gather materials for the Black Heart Soul.
If possible, he wanted the brain of the mastermind behind this massacre plot—along with a pair of his eyes.
And perhaps the lackeys too—he could take their eyes as well.
Of course, he was filled with hatred, knowing his village had been marked for slaughter.
---
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC37: They
Chapter 37: They
[Aether: 110/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 2110
By evening, Richard had gained an additional 38 Aether.
When he opened his eyes, he saw his ancestor watching him.
"Boy, your speed in absorbing Aether is remarkable. If you keep this up, you could gather everything you need within a year," Aldric said.
Richard smiled at that but then shook his head.
"Even so, I still need to gather the fragments of the Aether Skeleton. If luck doesn't favor me, who knows whether I'll even find one," he replied.
"You don't need to worry so much. Someone as blessed with fortune as you will actually find it difficult not to come across those fragments," Aldric answered.
"I hope so..."
Richard then stood up. "Grandpa, I'll return to the village now..."
"Good, good. Tonight, you must train again. And don't just absorb Aether—master the Codex and the Arcane Arts I've given you."
"Of course..."
Richard chuckled to himself.
He made his way back leisurely, walking along the path.
The village had grown rather calm after the Sky Armor Knights' departure.
The villagers seemed to believe everything was fine now.
Richard didn't see his horse, Athena, and assumed she still needed more time to eat.
If her strength grew, Richard would have little reason to worry about her.
He bathed, changed his clothes, and had dinner with the orphanage children.
"Richard..."
Sister Lisa called out as he was about to return to his room.
"What is it, Sister?" Richard asked curiously.
"I just heard—the Moonshadow Clan has been inquiring about your identity. They even invited you to join them. They're offering you the chance to be betrothed to one of their girls. What do you think?"
Richard didn't know how to react at first. But then he quickly shook his head.
"I'll just stay in this village. Life was already complicated enough in Apple Town. I wouldn't last in the tangled web of noble clans," he said.
Sister Lisa was a little surprised by his words, but then she seemed to agree.
"Hahaha, true. You'll only run into endless trouble if you join a major faction. Besides, you've grown well in this village. Your achievements are something no great clan could replicate, so why bother with them?" she replied.
Richard suspected she might have suffered troublesome experiences during her time with the Sky Armor Legion—likely the reason she returned to manage the orphanage.
"Sister, I'll train for a while. Good night," Richard said before entering his room.
Not long after he sat down on his bed, he received a notification from the System.
DING!
(Your mastery over Codex of Dragon Emperor has increased from 30% to 31%!)
(Your mastery over Codex of Moonshadow has increased from 6% to 8%!)
(Your mastery over Lightning of Darkness has increased from 4% to 7%!)
[Codex:
Codex of Dragon Emperor (31%)
Codex of Moonshadow (8%)]
[Arcane Art:
100 Shadow Monster (8%)
Lightning of Darkness (7%)]
It wasn't Aether, but mastery. Richard was still satisfied with the System's rewards for today.
He resumed absorbing Aether, slightly faster than during the afternoon.
He didn't continue for long—drowsiness overcame him.
Still, he managed to absorb 17 Aether, and with the added 34 from his Aether Bottle, his total increased.
[Aether: 144/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 2144
The next morning, Richard woke up late again, having gone to sleep too late the night before.
He rose slowly and looked out the window—only to see Athena grazing near the orphanage.
Without hesitation, he rushed downstairs.
Athena didn't look different, the same as when he had last seen her.
But Richard felt the horse was concealing her true form.
She had clearly evolved again, for he could sense a faint pressure emanating from her.
"Did you eat all those eggshells?" Richard asked. Athena gave a light nod.
Richard couldn't imagine how she managed to devour them all, given their sheer number.
"Let's go..."
Richard wanted to wander and seek the mastermind behind his village's intended slaughter.
He was certain that whoever had placed those eggs must be lurking nearby—if not in this village, then likely in another, more prosperous one.
Richard suspected they might be in Red Wheat Village, a place often visited by outsiders and far better suited for townsfolk to live in.
He mounted Athena, and she immediately carried him out of the village, traveling once more.
Her speed was nearly double what it had been last time.
It didn't take long before they arrived at the thriving Red Wheat Village.
At this hour, most villagers were in their fields, but the settlement was far from quiet.
Besides passing adventurers, Richard also saw many city merchants arriving to buy wheat.
"James, James, quickly bring out your prettiest girls..."
Richard suddenly heard shouting from within a closed tavern—a familiar voice he recognized.
It was Old Bear's voice.
"Old Bear, the girls are still asleep. They were up all night," another voice replied.
"Don't refuse. Tell them I'll pay them three times their usual rate each. I don't believe they won't wake up..." Old Bear's voice grew louder.
"Old Bear, what's wrong with you? You have a young, beautiful wife, yet you want my girls now?"
"Idiot, they're for my guests. They're honorable men."
"..."
Some time later, Richard saw Old Bear leave the tavern with three blonde women dressed in elegant gowns.
They seemed freshly bathed.
Though their eyes still looked drowsy, their excitement was clear at the promise of hefty payment.
Old Bear spotted Richard, recognizing him as the boy who had been with Mr. Joe yesterday.
But perhaps too busy, he merely spared Richard a brief glance before hurrying along.
Richard observed him from a distance as he entered a large concrete house—three stories tall.
Even in Apple Town, houses of that size were rare.
'Could they be the ones?' Richard wondered.
For Old Bear to accommodate them, their background had to be powerful. Ordinary adventurers would certainly be dismissed.
"Lord Damon, Lord Damon, see if they suit your tastes..." Old Bear shouted as he arrived at the house.
Soon, three men emerged.
One appeared to be in his twenties, with neatly combed brown hair, wearing a luxurious surcoat with a sword at his waist. His face was naturally cold, yet he smiled brightly when he saw the women Old Bear had brought.
The other two looked to be in their thirties—likely his subordinates.
Without a doubt, all three were Magi in the Aether Will Realm, for they didn't bother to conceal their auras.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC38: Follow
Chapter 38: Follow
'Looks like they want to have some fun first,' Richard thought.
But what he didn't expect was that the man called Damon took all three women inside while his two subordinates waited outside.
By his estimation, they should have acted today.
Today was supposed to be the day the eggs hatched, the beasts feeding on their shells before launching their assault on the village.
Of course, none of that would ever happen.
Richard was confident he could deal with them, but he would wait—wait until they made their move.
"That's Damon. I wonder what he's doing here. Doesn't he usually waste his time in Night Valley City, sleeping with pretty girls?"
Richard suddenly heard an adventurer speaking outside a restaurant. Curious, he approached and stood nearby to listen.
"It can't be anything good. Rumor says he's been collecting human souls for someone. If he's left the city, it's probably for that. He was even brazen enough to do it in Night Valley City."
"Yeah, his backer is a big shot—that's why he's still alive."
"We'd better leave now."
"Agreed, we can't afford to cross him."
After their brief exchange, the adventurers mounted their horses and quickly left.
Now things became clearer to Richard, though it seemed Damon himself was just someone's pawn.
"What?"
Richard was taken aback moments later.
From Old Bear's house, he felt killing intent—the first time he had ever sensed it so vividly.
The reason he could feel it was his affinity with the Dark and Blood Elements.
He sensed the hatred of death and the stench of spilled blood.
And the dead weren't just three, but six.
'Did Old Bear and his family get killed too?' Richard wondered.
Damon's two subordinates glanced back briefly before grinning.
Soon after, Damon emerged from Old Bear's house—alone.
He signaled his two men, and they mounted their horses, white steeds similar to those used by Sky Armor Knights.
Of course, many could own such horses if they had the coin.
They set out toward the edge of the village, in the direction of Purple Rose Village.
Damon looked indifferent about most things—except when it came to beautiful women.
When his eyes fell on Richard riding the Red-Black Horse, his gaze lingered, especially on Athena. He even narrowed his eyes.
After passing Richard, he glanced back, his curiosity deepening as he continued watching him.
'Did he sense Athena's power?' Richard wondered.
One thing was clear: Damon would target him sooner or later, though for now it seemed he had more pressing matters.
Athena couldn't conceal her hidden aura as well as Richard could, so it was only natural for another Magus to notice her uniqueness.
'I'll just follow them.'
Richard wasn't afraid—ready to fight to the death at any moment. Boldly, he trailed them from behind.
Damon, at best, was his equal in strength, given his youth. He couldn't possibly be stronger unless he was some high-level genius—but no genius would stoop to such dirty work.
Richard was fairly certain of victory. With his Tier 3 Aether and affinities reaching up to 90%, a single roar might be enough to end them.
When their horses sped up, Athena matched their pace.
When they slowed, so did she.
His deliberate mirroring made them suspicious—it was clear he was tailing them.
"Boss, what's that kid doing?" one of Damon's men asked.
But Damon himself looked confused.
He certainly hadn't expected this.
In Night Valley City, children usually trembled before him—his cold face, coupled with his ruthless reputation, ensured that.
Even if this boy didn't know who he was, why would he dare follow?
"Ignore him. Let's see what he does. He'll probably be scared to death once he sees what we're about to do," Damon said with a cold chuckle.
To him, Richard was just a child—nothing to worry about.
This way, he wouldn't even need to hunt him down later to claim his horse.
Richard had expected Damon's nonchalance. That was the advantage of being underestimated—a child posed no threat in their eyes.
Their destination was indeed Purple Rose Village.
But instead of entering, they headed to a nearby hill overlooking the entire settlement.
Once atop the hill, they dismounted.
Whoosh!
Damon suddenly waved his hand, and something appeared before him—a massive magical lamp, large enough to rival his horse.
It seemed to be made entirely of gold—though a darker shade—exuding a powerful, sinister aura.
Richard was a little surprised at the sight.
"Hahaha, boy, do you realize now? We are Magi—and we are Evil Magi," one of Damon's subordinates sneered at him.
But Richard remained silent.
"This kid must be an idiot. He's not even running," the other laughed.
"Maybe he's smarter—he knows he can't run."
"You two, shut up..." Damon snapped, irritated by their nonsense.
Chastised, they immediately fell silent.
Damon turned his gaze on Richard, raising his hand toward him.
Richard instinctively stepped back.
A light-blue Aether flared and enveloped his body, freezing him in place.
"Stay there, boy. I still need you so your horse will submit to me," Damon said.
This time, Richard pretended to be frightened.
He couldn't move, couldn't even speak.
The pale-blue Aether pressed down on his entire body.
Of course, if he wanted to break it, it would be easy.
After all, it was only Tier 2 Aether.
"Why haven't the beasts appeared yet? Not even a single roar," one of the men muttered.
"Maybe soon," the other replied.
Minutes passed. Damon frowned, glancing upward whenever a hawk flew overhead. He seemed puzzled by their presence—birds should have fled sensing the danger, yet some remained.
Still, Damon was patient. He waited, eyes rarely blinking.
But after more than an hour with no sign of the beasts, his expression soured.
"You two, check the cave. See if they've hatched yet," he ordered coldly.
"Actually, you don't need to do that..." a boy's voice suddenly cut in from behind, startling Damon and his subordinates.
They spun around, shocked to see Richard standing freely.
"How is that possible? How did he break free of the boss's Aether bind?"
"What's going on?"
"Boy, who are you?" Damon drew his sword, pointing it at Richard.
But Richard calmly replied, "Just a seven-year-old boy named Richard. As for those eggs? I destroyed them all. Naturally, no beasts will be attacking this village."
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC39: Power
Chapter 39: Power
"What? Boy, how dare you do that."
All three of them widened their eyes when they heard he had destroyed all the eggs.
What did that mean?
It meant their plan could no longer proceed, and worse, they had suffered a massive loss—buying those eggs had cost them nearly all their wealth.
They needed to harvest large numbers of souls to make back their investment and gain profit.
"Wait, his name is Richard. Could he be the boy everyone's been talking about lately?"
"Looks like it. He could only have broken free of the boss's Aether bind if he was at least an Aether Will Magus."
The two subordinates spoke while Damon stared at Richard with greater interest, lowering the sword he had pointed at him.
He stepped forward with a smile.
"Boy, this is truly unexpected. But tell me, why did you do this? Did you follow me here just to tell me?" Damon asked with a curious expression—but if one looked closely, it was clear he was suppressing great anger.
He wasn't speaking to waste time, but rather thinking about how best to make this boy suffer before extracting value from him.
"Besides telling you, I'll also kill you—take your brain and your eyes. I've heard you're famous in Night Valley City. I'll make sure the people there know of your gruesome death," Richard replied.
"Boy, how dare you..." Damon's two subordinates, who had been restraining their anger all along, glared fiercely at Richard's words.
But when they moved to attack him, Damon raised his hand to stop them.
The man nodded toward Richard.
"I like brave boys like you. It's been a long time since anyone had the guts to threaten me. And here you are—a seven-year-old—actually doing it," he said with a cold chuckle.
"You probably think I'm just some ignorant child, thinking I can do anything just because I became a Magus at this age. You think I'm only lucky, that there's no way I could threaten you," Richard answered, making Damon's mouth fall open in surprise.
His two men were even more shocked, never expecting a child to speak like that to an adult.
"It seems you're quite clever, boy," Damon said.
Though his thoughts had been guessed, Damon refused to let himself look rattled in front of a child.
"Even smarter than you, because I understand you while you don't understand me. And of course, I'm also stronger," Richard replied.
"Hahaha, you really are a magic prodigy." Damon couldn't help but laugh when Richard claimed to be stronger.
"Boy, how much do you even know about magic? At most, you've trained with a Codex that absorbs Tier 1 Aether—you must have gotten it by sheer luck. That's why you've advanced so fast here in this backwater village. You're still amazing, of course—other geniuses couldn't reach this level even with a Codex like yours under a master's guidance. But that only means your magical foundation is weak. Even I trained with a Codex that absorbs Tier 2 Aether..."
Before Damon could finish, Richard gave him a look as if staring at an idiot, making him stop mid-sentence with a scowl.
Richard then said, "Why are you talking about such basics?"
"Is this Tier 1 Aether?" he asked, showing several strands of his own Aether—deep purple in color. Damon and his men froze in shock.
"Purple... Tier 3... he actually has Tier 3 Aether!"
"All Codices that absorb Tier 3 Aether are hoarded by powerful clans. How could a village boy like him obtain one?"
"It doesn't matter how he got it—what matters is how he advanced so quickly. This... this is a level of genius never before seen in history."
"..."
At that moment, Damon's face darkened, realizing that during all his talking, he had made himself look like a fool.
But of course, the real problem was Richard's strength.
If he had Tier 3 Aether, that meant he was overwhelmingly powerful.
Even if he had only just entered the Aether Will Realm, he had already fused with the head portion of the Aether Skeleton. His Aether accumulation was far higher than a mere beginner in that realm.
What made Tier 3 Aether wielders so powerful wasn't just the quality of their Aether. Those who possessed it usually also had at least one elemental affinity above 80%.
BOOM!
A wave exploded outward with Richard at the center.
Knowing his opponents were Magi, Richard held nothing back.
He poured a great amount of Aether into the blast, sharpening it to the utmost, striking both their bodies and their cores.
Damon was flung away, blood spraying from his mouth. But to Richard's shock, Damon's two subordinates instantly exploded, their bodies bursting apart into countless shards of blood and flesh.
Their eyes were completely annihilated.
Damon's own eyes trembled at the sight.
Even though his men only had Tier 1 Aether and very low accumulations, they were still Aether Will Magi.
Yet they hadn't merely died—they had been utterly obliterated.
"Damn you, boy..."
Damon slashed his sword at Richard, unleashing a massive, lightning-fast blade of wind.
Richard narrowed his eyes, then stomped his foot on the ground.
Thud!
The earth in front of him rose up, forming a hardened wall of stone.
The wind blade cut a third of the way through before dissipating.
"Impossible," Damon muttered in disbelief.
Then the wall suddenly lurched forward, slamming into him and sending him flying back into a massive tree.
"So this is the difference in quality," Richard murmured, astonished by his own power—he had thought their strengths were nearly equal.
But it was like comparing a sharp blade to a rusted one.
Whoosh!
He waved his hand, and four massive shadow lions materialized in front of Damon. Each one bit down on his limbs, immobilizing him.
Damon struggled, unleashing razor-sharp winds from his body, but they passed right through—the lions shifted into pure shadow.
Physical attacks had no effect.
Of course, this meant they couldn't deal damage either—but they could still bite him again the moment he tried to move.
Damon barely had time to stand before he was bitten down once more.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC40: Dead From Fear
Chapter 40: Dead From Fear
Richard approached Damon, who was beginning to show fear.
"W-What exactly are you?" Damon asked, his voice trembling.
A criminal, once thrown into a hopeless situation, would always feel greater fear.
Now, Damon felt as if he were no longer facing a human being.
After all, how could a seven-year-old boy be so sharp, able to read his mind so well, and wield such terrifying power?
He tried to recall if there had ever been a child like this, even without such strength—but in his memory, all the seven-year-olds he had ever seen were still just playing games.
Richard chuckled at his words.
"Do you know how disappointed I am? My first real opponent, a human I thought would give me a fun fight, turns out to be this weak?" he said, making Damon fall silent.
"But fortunately, you didn't explode like your two subordinates. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to take your brain and your eyes."
Damon: "..."
As soon as Richard finished speaking, his hands suddenly thrust toward Damon's face, his fingers jabbing directly into the man's eyes.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Damon's scream was so shrill it startled even the insects nearby.
This was Richard's first act of deliberate cruelty. His previous killings had been accidents.
But knowing cruelty was a necessity among Magi, he forced himself to embrace it.
For a moment, Damon's screaming unnerved him—but remembering what he needed to do, Richard quickly grew indifferent.
Ripp!
He pulled the eyeballs from Damon's sockets, tearing them free and leaving his eyelids hollow.
Damon only screamed louder.
Unable to stand the sound, Richard stuffed a wad of grass into his mouth, silencing him.
"How do I take his brain?" Richard muttered, and Damon could still hear him.
What he needed was the brain of a villain—but in his mind, few could be more wicked than Damon, who delighted in slaughtering innocents.
The only question was how to extract it without damage.
Though he had Damon's sword, Richard wasn't skilled at cutting.
As he thought, his eyes fell on the black ring on Damon's finger.
He immediately recognized it as a Storage Artifact.
Richard slipped it off and instantly felt the space within, peering into its contents.
But aside from copper and silver coins, there seemed to be nothing of value.
He squinted, scanning more carefully.
In the corner, he finally spotted skeletal fragments—an arm and a leg—gleaming like crystal.
The Aether Skeleton.
Each piece was incomplete, just a single arm and a single leg.
Of course, one couldn't fuse with only a limb—it would destroy the body's balance.
'At least there's something valuable,' Richard thought, feeling a flicker of satisfaction.
But aside from those, there was nothing else.
It seemed Damon had spent the rest of his fortune on beast eggs.
"Huh, is he dead?" Richard muttered in surprise when he noticed Damon was no longer breathing.
His wounds weren't fatal—losing his eyes shouldn't have been enough to kill him—yet he had still died.
"Looks like he died from fear," Richard said.
It was unexpected, but it didn't matter. All he wanted was the brain before it rotted.
Still, it was ironic—Damon himself had once claimed Richard would die from fear.
Richard first placed the eyeballs into the Storage Artifact, preserving them in its frozen stasis.
Finally, he thought of a way to take the brain.
He pressed his palm against Damon's hair.
A searing flame burst forth, burning away the top of his skull.
He stopped after only a moment—the brief blaze was enough to expose the brain.
"Pull!"
With a light suction from the Storage Artifact, the brain was drawn out, slowly sliding free before vanishing into storage.
Damon's head was left hollow.
Richard quickly stored the body too—he couldn't bear to look at it.
'I'll dump it in Apple Town later. Hmph, whoever was behind him will be shocked to see their pawn dead so miserably while Purple Rose Village remains untouched,' Richard thought.
He wasn't afraid of that person. If they were too strong, then they would simply become his ancestor's problem.
After all, his ancestor's strength was rising rapidly every day. A Peak Magus who only needed to recover his power.
Richard also took Damon's sword, then turned his eyes toward the massive magic lamp.
'That must be the artifact that absorbs and seals souls,' he thought.
Placing his hand on it, he sensed a mysterious inner space—unseeable, but perceivable.
Inside were three trapped souls—they felt like Damon's and his two subordinates'.
If one died near the lamp, their soul was absorbed automatically.
Holding the artifact, Richard gained a faint understanding.
It required souls as its energy source—it couldn't run on anything else.
That was likely why Damon had killed Old Bear and the others.
'And this must be incredibly expensive,' Richard mused.
He stored it as well before glancing at the three white horses Damon's group had used.
But he was too lazy to deal with them.
Instead, he mounted Athena, patting her side so she began to run.
The day was still long—he had time for more.
With Damon dealt with, Richard planned to head back to Apple Town.
With Athena's current speed, they could reach it much faster than before.
His name was already stirring rumors there, but no one knew his true identity. Olivia must have fled already—there was no way she'd dare remain in the city while being hunted by the Moonshadow Clan.
Richard didn't rush into the town.
He stopped at the edge of a forest on the outskirts, sliding down from Athena's back.
Knowing the city held many Magi, he decided not to bring her inside—too conspicuous. They would surely sense she was no ordinary horse.
He left her hidden in the forest. If danger arose, she could always escape.
Once Athena disappeared into the woods, Richard walked alone toward the city gates, blending in like an ordinary child.
He had a few copper coins ready to pay, but as a lone boy, the guards didn't even bother asking for toll—they just shoved him inside.
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