Qin Wei, now fully equipped with his newly acquired Ripple Drift Technique, didn't waste another second.
He opened the Gear System, its neat, categorized interface unfolding like a digital armory. Weapons, armor, and accessories are all far beyond his current budget.
He scrolled straight to the Basic Battlegear, priced at 100 credits. The description was minimal:
Basic Battle Attire
Lightweight, durable, and allows for swift movement. Agility: 10% increase.
Cost: 100 Credits
"Cheap, ugly, and paper-thin," Qin Wei muttered. "But better than running in wedding robes."
Without hesitation, he clicked Purchase.
[–100 Credits]
[Item Acquired: Basic Battle Attire]
[Item automatically equipped.]
[Agility increased by 10%]
In an instant, his system-modified body shimmered.
The flashy robes melted away, replaced by dark grey and muted blue attire, fitting exactly to his figure. Once he confirmed that it was perfectly alright, he unequipped the previous attire and stepped toward the adjoining bathroom.
His hands dipped into the heated water Vanessa had drawn earlier. The scent of mountain herbs lingered faintly. "Hmm... it smells good."
He washed quickly, methodically, like a soldier preparing for battle rather than a man getting ready to marry. By the time he stepped back into his chamber, he immediately noticed that the wedding robes were waiting.
And waiting beside them, two unfamiliar maids stood quietly, dressed in subdued blue-gray livery. Their heads bowed in practiced deference, but their eyes flicked toward him the moment he stepped out. One held a tray of combs; the other stood ready with the outer robe.
"Young Master Icarus," one said with a bow. "We have come to prepare you for the ceremony, per Lord Griffin's instructions."
Qin Wei's gaze lingered on the service maids just a moment longer. Understanding their position in the hierarchy, he gave them a practiced smile. "I'll handle this part myself."
The maids looked up, startled by his response. One of them hesitated, unsure if she had heard correctly.
Qin Wei's voice then sharpened. "You heard me. Get out."
That did the work. They lowered their heads again, rising in silence and stepping out of the chamber like leaves carried off by a breeze.
The moment the door clicked shut, Qin Wei moved swiftly.
"C'mon, Qin Wei, let's do this…"
He tossed the ceremonial robes aside and quickly slipped into the battle attire he had purchased.
Once he is ready, he mumbled. "Activate, Ripple Drift skill."
*Ding! Ripple Drift skill has been activated.
In the next instant, space rippled around him, like the surface of a disturbed pond.
For a split second, the room shimmered and warped, and then he vanished without a trace.
The next moment, Qin Wei stumbled slightly, crouching on the ground, "Ha." He found himself on the outskirts of Ashenford City. A narrow, dusty trail led ahead, winding eastward toward the mountains. "Great, it's a success…" Qin Wei couldn't help but smile.
The holographic screen then reappeared before him, now displaying a navigation map with a glowing marker blinking slowly at a distant point on the far side of the mountain.
"Ugh… the destination's 260 kilometers away to be considered the quest completion," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "And I have 5 hours to run? Can I really run like 50 kilometers an hour? I'm not a car."
Shutting his eyes tightly and taking a drawing in deep breath, he muttered in seriousness. "It may be impossible for a normal person, but I can do this. After all, I'm not a normal man now. If I put everything into this, I should be able to do that now that my movement speed is increased by 100%."
He didn't waste another second.
He sprinted into the forest trail at full speed, turning into a blur in the eyes of a commoner.
Back to the present, at Mt. Philanos;
Leaves rustled in the mountain breeze as Qin Wei moved at a rapid pace as his boots kicking up dust and pine needles. He was taking a shortcut rather than taking a safe path in order to reduce distance and time. The navigation adjusted the route automatically somehow.
And at the moment, the navigation screen flickered before his eyes, showing the destination just 2 kilometers away.
"Eleven minutes left," he mumbled between sharp breaths while his face flushed from the exertion. "Just a bit more. Then the wood element, and ten talent points…"
A future flashed before him. Living quietly in a bustling city where no one cares about even neighbors as long as one stays low-key, training the wood element to understand the essence of natural energy. Perhaps hiding in a mediocre guild or working in a store with a menial job, letting time pass until he awakened the God's Eye.
Once he had that power… he wouldn't have to fear anyone, neither the House Griffin nor the Emperor. The first thing he does after gaining that power is start preparing to destroy the ones who massacred his family. He needs to fulfill the vengeance of the host body before moving on, after all.
Just as he was bathing in his imaginary world of fantasy, the air shifted all of a sudden. Without any warning, seven massive swords of condensed light energy plummeted from the sky.
They pierced the trail around him in a ring, all at the same time.
As he was trapped, his face collided with one of the swords and jerked back, and he was once again hit by the sword in the back. "Ugh…" A painful groan escaped his mouth after being hit back and forth, and he collapsed to the ground.
"What the…?" He stood up and looked around. There was no one. Qin Wei narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to activate his Heaven's Eye...
FWOOOOOOOSH.
The clouds above parted like curtains. A single figure descended slowly, feet never touching the ground, robes fluttering in the wind.
Qin Wei took an unconscious step back.
The figure finally touched the dirt trail. The moment his boots hit the ground, the swords around Qin Wei pulsed faintly and spun around him.
Qin Wei's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Damn, I thought it was just dramas that had these effects. Even in real life, these spirit warriors would love to make such entrances. Hmm… wait a second." He suddenly frowned, staring at the figure. "He looks familiar."
The stranger looked tall, expressionless, wearing azure robes embroidered with golden five-clawed dragon patterns.
"Uhh…" Qin Wei swallowed his saliva as he stared at the figure before him, recognizing the figure.
"Where do you think you're running off to, Icarus?" The mysterious figure spoke with a smile.
Qin Wei's heart sank to his stomach. "Hello, Uncle…" he said weakly, forcing an awkward smile.
The man standing before him with eyes cold and piercing as a sword forged in flames was none other than Aerondor Dragon, the Emperor of Elysia, one of the four half-dieties, the man who united 27 independent kingdoms to establish the Empire, and Icarus' own maternal uncle.
"Uncle, why are you here in person?" Qin Wei asked, trying to sound casual as the original Qin Wei would act, his lips twitching at the corners.
Aerondor's expression didn't change a bit. If anything, his eyes narrowed and his voice turned sharp as he said. "Brat, you are just as rebellious as your mother. How dare you run off on the day of your wedding?"
Qin Wei took a deep breath, hiding his tension behind a half-smile. "Uncle… I don't want this wedding."
That earned him a glare from his uncle.
"Scoundrel," The Emperor snapped, and looked as if he wanted to beat up his nephew. " This discussion ended at the palace. Do you think my decrees are jokes to be taken lightly? Are you planning to defy the Son of Heaven's will?"
"What son of Heaven's will? You are just a guy who rules a mere few million square kilometers. You don't even know how big this planet is. And even then, you know how big this star system is? You know how big the universe is? Hmpf…" Qin Wei's lips parted with various words in his throat, but none came out. His gaze drifted instinctively toward the floating screen.
7 minutes left on the emergency mission timer. "Ugh… I can't waste time arguing with this unreasonable uncle of mine."
"Character interface," he mumbled.
The display flickered, scrolling down under his mental command.
Skill: Ripple Drift
Status: Cooldown – 45 minutes remaining
"Tch… useless skill," he muttered under his breath.
Emperor Aerondor raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing…" Qin Wei's mind spun. Forget about fighting the Emperor, who was one of the four half-deities of Elysia; he knows that there is no way to outrun him…
"Aria, any suggestions?"
Silence met his words.
"Aria..." He screamed inwardly.
[Yes, host? You called me?]
"I asked, Do you have any suggestions? Help me... Can you forcefully reduce the cooldown timer to zero? Anything you can help out with? The time is running out."
*Ding!
[I believe the host told me to shut up and asked the system not to speak up when it can't help.]
"Seriously? I'm in deep shit, and you are holding a grudge right now?"
*Ding!
[The system is sentient and has full rights to hold a grudge.]
Qin Wei: "..."
In the end, he took a deep breath, not intending to argue with the system about logic and that stuff. Instead, he tried to speak as calmly as possible. "I apologize, Aria. I'm wrong. Can you help me out?"
After a brief silence, the system sent the response.
*Ding!
[No, I can't.]
"You... mot*er fucker..." He couldn't help but scream in his head.
And what follows… A jolt of high-power electric shock ran all over his body.
"Argh..."
Qin Wei screamed aloud, falling to his knees. Aerondor's expression changed to a frown. "What's wrong with him? Another act?"
*Ding!
[Warning: Profanities are banned against the system]