Having secured the equipment dropped by Anz, Jeremy wasted no time lingering and promptly turned to lead his companions away.
The following day, all of Dawn City was engulfed in a state of chaotic bewilderment.
Overnight, the City Lord's mansion had been reduced to rubble, the eight major families suffered countless casualties, and even one of the city's two pillars, the Black Armored Knights, was completely annihilated. The remaining Ironclad Army was left severely weakened.
This turn of events was beyond anyone's expectations.
The sinners, who originally lived by the sword and had chosen the relative peace of Dawn City to escape their bloody pasts.
Now found their dormant ambitions rekindled in the face of a power vacuum.
In no time, numerous sinners with storied reputations from the past began forming factions and alliances.
Meanwhile, Jeremy returned to the inn he had previously rented, accompanied by Bonnie, Heber, and the mother daughter duo, Nina and Beatrice.
Fortunately, Beatrice seldom ventured out of the City Lord's mansion, so no one recognized that the cold and noble looking woman was, in fact, the Lady of the mansion.
Finally, Jeremy had a moment to examine the spoils he had acquired earlier.
Foremost among these treasures were the three radiant, orange glowing pieces of equipment from Anz.
[Bloodfang Necklace]
[Type]: Accessory
[Level]: Transcendent
[Quality]: Orange (Rare)
[Attributes]: Agility +800, Spirit +800
[Skill]: Bloodfang Thrust: Condenses into an attack that deals 100% of the Spirit attribute as magical damage, healing 50% of the damage dealt. Cooldown: 20 minutes.
Given that Jeremy's Spirit attribute had already surpassed 10,000, this meant he could potentially heal 5,000 health points every 20 minutes! This was nearly equivalent to a mid-tier health potion.
Satisfied with the acquisition of this extraordinary accessory, Jeremy's attention shifted to a pair of black boots with blood red trims.
[Blood Rhino Boots]
[Type]: Armor
[Level]: Transcendent
[Quality]: Orange (Rare)
[Attributes]: Strength +600, Stamina +1500
[Skill]: Charged Rhino Kick: After a five second charge, deals 500% of the Strength attribute as damage. Cooldown: 1 hour.
[Description]: Wearing these grants you the power unique to the King of the Blood Rhinos!
At this moment, Jeremy couldn't help but exclaim, "500%?!"
The sheer explosive power of dealing 500% of the Strength attribute as damage was enough for Jeremy to instantly annihilate many monsters!
Now, Jeremy eagerly turned his attention to the final piece, the one he valued the most: the knight's half-sword.
[Bloodline Radiance]
[Type]: Weapon
[Level]: Transcendent
[Quality]: Orange (Rare)
[Attributes]: Strength +800, Stamina +1200
[Skills]: Vampiric Instinct (Passive): 10% chance to heal 5% of the damage dealt on attack.
Boiling Blood: Sacrifice 30% of your health to gain a 50% increase in all attributes for 15 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
Dawn City was no longer a safe haven for him, he had decided to relocate.
With Heber gone, Jeremy was left alone with the three women.
Bonnie, for whom the situation was irrelevant, was momentarily set aside.
Nina, on the other hand, still had a bewildered look in her eyes.
Watching Jeremy sit quietly, she hesitantly asked, "Jeremy, is my father... truly dead?"
The ruins of the City Lord's mansion were conspicuous, even visible from the inn, resembling the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.
Yet, without Jeremy's confirmation, Nina seemed unable to fully accept that her invincible father could have perished so suddenly.
Faced with Nina's hopeful gaze, Jeremy found himself at a loss for words.
Just then, a calm and icy voice broke the silence: "It's true, Nina, your father has indeed passed away."
The speaker was none other than Beatrice, the Lady of the City Lord's mansion.
Despite having just endured the pain of losing her husband, Beatrice remained composed. Her noble and elegant face showed no trace of sorrow.
Only the occasional flicker of hatred and sadness in her golden eyes betrayed the turbulence within.
Nina let out a sob, her large eyes filling with tears as she buried her face in her hands and wept uncontrollably.
Elegantly wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes, Beatrice turned to look at Jeremy.
With a slight nod, she addressed him, "In the face of such calamity, it's only natural to lose one's composure. Please forgive me."
Jeremy shook his head and replied, "It's perfectly understandable."
After a brief pause, Jeremy asked, "What are your plans moving forward, my lady?"
Upon hearing this, Beatrice lifted her gaze, staring intently towards the east of Dawn City.
That direction was where Taal and his Ironclad Army were stationed.
Although Taal had been severely injured that night, he managed to return to his camp safely under the protection of the Ironclad Army.
However, it was rumored that a conflict erupted within the Ironclad Army shortly after Taal's return.
Beatrice declared, "Although Anz is dead, Taal remains one of the main culprits responsible for my husband's death. I cannot find peace until he is dead. "
"Moreover, Dawn City is the legacy built with the blood and sweat of my husband's family. I cannot let it fall into the hands of others."
Jeremy frowned, as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, Beatrice interrupted him with a calm and resolute tone, "I entrust my daughter to you. This is the Dawn City Lord's insignia, it holds some authority in most places."
As she spoke, Beatrice stood up, ready to depart.
Nina, who had been crying with her head down, instantly rose and clung tightly to the hem of Beatrice's garments with her delicate, alabaster hands. Nina, her voice choked with emotion, pleaded, "Mom, let's go together. I don't want to be separated from you."
For the first time, a trace of emotion flickered across Beatrice's previously stoic face, a mix of reluctance and maternal love.
"Nina, you have grown up. It's time for you to venture out on your own."
With that single sentence, Beatrice gracefully stood up, bowed to Jeremy, and said once more, "I entrust my daughter to you."
As soon as Beatrice finished speaking, her figure vanished like a fleeting bubble.
Regarding the Black Armored Knights' standard equipment that Jeremy had acquired earlier, Beatrice didn't even mention it.
Clearly, this was the compensation for Jeremy taking care of Nina.
...
On the Sunset Plains, a rather humble-looking caravan of only seven or eight wagons was slowly making its way under the golden hues of the setting sun.
Judging by their direction, it was evident that they were heading toward Nocturne City, the most prestigious city in the entire Land of Eternal Night.