Chapter 166

Text flickered before Jason’s eyes—

[Swallowed a fraction of the ‘Cerek’s Pipe’ essence!]

[Physical strength and energy (injuries) restored to the maximum extent possible!]

[Satiety +66]

[Satiety: 45] (Having removed the previous depletion from death.)

[Excitement of Feast +2]

[Excitement of Feast: 4]

…

66 points of satiety!

2 points of Excitement of Feast!

This was by far, Jason’s largest single gain, especially the Excitement of Feast; he had never gained 2 points at once before.

And now, with 4 points of Excitement of Feast, it was enough to elevate Jason’s ‘Secret Keeping’ enhanced ‘Protection Against Evil’ from Proficient to Mastery Level!

However, Jason’s gaze lingered on ‘Barehanded Combat’ at the expert level.

From proficiency to expert level, aside from bringing Jason a multitude of combat experiences and techniques, ‘Barehanded Combat’ also brought gains of 0.1 to his constitution, strength, and agility in each aspect, which was quite substantial.

The benefits were already substantial at the expert level.

So…

What about beyond the expert level, at the master level?

Looking at the 15 points of satiety and 2 points of Excitement of Feast required to raise ‘Barehanded Combat’ to master level, and the 20 points of satiety and 3 points of Excitement of Feast needed for ‘Protection Against Evil’ to reach proficiency level, Jason hesitated.

Clearly, he could only enhance one of the two—’Barehanded Combat’ or ‘Protection Against Evil’.

Would he choose ‘Barehanded Combat’ which could rapidly increase his own power?

Or ‘Protection Against Evil’ which could deal with the ‘Bizarre’?

Ultimately, Jason chose ‘Protection Against Evil’!

Because ‘Protection Against Evil’ was his only means to address the ‘Bizarre’ at the moment!

Facing some ‘Bizarre’ without the potential for a qualitative change in his own strength would leave him completely powerless, just a lamb to the slaughter.

Even with Jason’s somewhat ‘undying’ trait, he absolutely did not want to face such a scenario.

Of course, there was another reason for choosing ‘Protection Against Evil’!

‘Protection Against Evil’ was related to his profession ‘Night Watcher’!

The explicit requirement for ‘Protection Against Evil’ in the advancement conditions to the higher profession, ‘Value Night Person’, was enough to tell Jason the importance of ‘Protection Against Evil’.

[Yes/No—Spend 20 points of satiety and 3 points of Excitement of Feast to upgrade ‘Protection Against Evil’ (Proficient → Mastery)?]

“Yes!”

After contemplating, Jason did not hesitate any longer and directly gave a positive answer.

[Protection Against Evil (Mastery): You have not only mastered this seal imprint secret technique, but also enhanced it with special power! In the city’s night, it can withstand most malice, but you still need to expend a great deal of physical strength to activate this secret technique! In the heritage of your Night Watcher, one of them made some changes to it, thus, you also mastered the long-range attack technique; effects: 1, a force field attached to the body’s surface that can protect against attacks from negative energy beings (Explosive-level), and can dispel them and their related powers (Explosive-level); 2, you can target the expulsion of evil power at beings or objects within a 6-meter radius with you at the center for a long-range attack.]

…

[‘Protection Against Evil’ upgraded to Mastery Level, gained inherent master option: Glyph Replication]

[Glyph Replication: You can store a ‘Protection Against Evil’ in advance, it has the same expense as a regular ‘Protection Against Evil’, but can only exist for 3 days, during which the power of ‘Protection Against Evil’ will gradually weaken, and at the end of the 3rd day, the power of the seal imprint will completely disappear; you can replenish ‘Protection Against Evil’ at any time within the 3 days; when released, only a short Dufol Language syllable (Yi) is needed.]

(Annotation: omitted)

…

The protection level really reached ‘Explosive-level’, and the distance increased by another meter.

What truly brought Jason joy was the mastery option ‘Glyph Replication’.

An extra ‘Protection Against Evil’!

And the release method was simplified to merely require a simple Dufol Language syllable (Yi).

Even if it would weaken over time, it was enough to give Jason more handling methods in the face of certain dangers.

He glanced satisfactorily over ‘Protection Against Evil’ now at mastery level.

To reach the next level (expert), ‘Protection Against Evil’ would need 25 points of satiety and 4 points of Excitement of Feast.

To this, Jason was not surprised.

“As ‘Protection Against Evil’ enhanced by ‘Secret Keeping’ becomes more powerful, its consumption also increases.”

“I just don’t know what the Night Watcher’s advancement profession is,”

Jason thought silently.

At the same time, the desire to return to ‘Lorde’ deepened.

Because only there could he accurately find information about ‘profession’.

And about Hans Port?

Jason couldn’t confirm.

After pondering for a moment, Jason’s gaze turned to Gerard.

What could be better than asking Gerard about matters of the Mystical Side?

As the head of Hans Port.

One of the founders of the New Federation.

Gerard could be considered one of the most knowledgeable people about the ‘Mystical Side’ of this world.

At that moment, Gerard was still thinking about how to defend.

However, when he sensed Jason’s gaze, he immediately looked up with a smile.

“Jason, what’s the matter?”

Gerard asked his cousin.

“Gerard, do you know of any systematic powers within the ‘Mystical Side’?”

“I’m not referring to a school.”

“But beyond schools,”

Jason asked hesitantly after a slight pause.

“Beyond schools?”

“As far as I know, there are!”

“But what exactly they are, I can’t verify!”

Gerard thought carefully and then responded.

Then, the head of the port seriously explained to Jason:

“Before the Old Federation, there was a period known as the ‘Chaotic Era’, which lasted for nearly 1500 years.”

“At that time, most of the schools we know today had not yet truly formed; there were only rumors of dragons, serpents, tigers, and crows. The ‘serpent’ and ‘tiger’ of that era are different from the ‘Serpent’s Nest’ and ‘Tiger Mountain’ you know now, or rather, the current ‘Serpent’s Nest’ and ‘Tiger Mountain’ are just offshoots of what was handed down from that time.”

“Between the ‘Chaotic Era’ and the ‘Old Federation’, there were also some witch and wizard schools intermixed.”

“However, according to my research, the origins of these witch and wizard schools are half true and half false.”

At this point, Gerard paused.

Allowing Jason to fully digest this information, the head of the port continued:

“According to records, before the ‘Chaotic Era’, there was an even more magnificent and radiant period—’The Queen Era’!”

“A Queen named Mary ruled that era for nearly 1000 years, then, with the disappearance of the queen, the ‘James Dynasty’ began to collapse and disintegrated in less than a century.”

“Of course, most scholars believe this to be the ‘James Dynasty’ embellishing their own history.”

“Because it is impossible for someone to live up to 1000 years, even for the masters recognized by the Mystical Side, 200 years is a limit.”

“Let alone finding the so-called ‘Queen Mary’s’ tomb in the ‘Chaotic Era’.”

“Moreover, the records of the ‘James Royal Family’ regarding this queen are minimal, as if deliberately erased by someone.”

“If you’re interested in this part of history, you can have a look in my study.”

“These records are considered secrets.”

“Very difficult to find.”

After finishing, Gerard looked at his cousin, who was frowning, feeling a pang of heartache.

He misunderstood Jason’s frown as frustration from not having core secret techniques to form a systematic power.

Therefore, the head of the port immediately said:

“Jason, don’t worry.”

“I have prepared a gift for you!”

As he spoke, Gerard took a box from his bosom and handed it to Jason.