Four days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early that morning, on a mountain road winding through the jungle, Akali compared their position with the map and estimated the remaining distance.
"Guyuan is just a little farther ahead." She then looked at Ahri. "Let's find the third person there."
Over the past four days, the three of them had traveled north from the south. With the aid of Ahri's ability, they had captured another thoroughly wicked criminal along the way.
That was more than enough to prove that Ahri's ability was the real thing.
"Okay." Ahri nodded lightly.
The three of them continued forward on horseback.
While riding, Luke silently said, "Check in."
[Today has been identified as the host's birthday. This check-in will automatically be converted into a special check-in.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the skill: Sunlight Arts.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the advanced skill: Wind Underfoot.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained a peerless medicinal ingredient: Sacred Spirit Fruit.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the skill: Inner Sight.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Random Max-Level Skill Card.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained two Advanced Skill Upgrade Cards.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained three Intermediate Skill Upgrade Cards.]
[The system rewards have been placed in your inventory. Please inspect and claim them at your convenience.]
The succession of system notifications suddenly reminded Luke of something.
Without him realizing it, his birthday had come around again.
May 1.
Time truly passed without anyone noticing. In the blink of an eye, another year had gone by.
Still sitting on his horse, he did not immediately inspect the rewards. He decided to wait until they stopped to rest.
By then, Guyuan had gradually appeared in the distance. It resembled a small city, surrounded by a wall that was not particularly tall but looked solid and properly constructed.
Thin trails of cooking smoke drifted above the town. People passed continuously through the gate, coming and going in an endless stream.
It looked like a small town from centuries past brought to life before Luke's eyes.
He had to admit that many places in Ionia resembled the old-world towns he remembered from his previous life.
Before long, the three of them reached the gate and joined the line waiting to enter.
The militia stationed there did not conduct any inspections. They were only present to maintain order. Since there was nothing particularly strange about the way Luke and the others were dressed, they were allowed inside without trouble.
The buildings in Guyuan were not simply tree houses like the ones Luke had seen throughout their journey. Rows of brick-and-tile homes lined the streets, each possessing a natural sense of elegance and grace.
All kinds of stores and restaurants stood along both sides of the road, while vendors had set up stalls beside the street. People came and went amid an endless chorus of conversations and laughter.
Even though it was only morning, the town was already extraordinarily lively.
"There are so many people," Ahri exclaimed as she took in Guyuan's prosperity.
She had always approached only the fringes of human society with extreme caution. She had never entered a proper town like this before.
There were people everywhere, far more than in any village.
"Before the Noxian invasion, most towns in Ionia were like this," Akali said while looking around. "I never heard much about Guyuan in the past, though. It seems to have recovered remarkably quickly. There's almost no difference between this place and how it would have looked before the war."
Only about eight months had passed since Noxus withdrew its troops.
Yet before their withdrawal, the fires of war had burned across this land for more than ten years.
Vast stretches of territory had been occupied by Noxus, and those greedy invaders had plundered everything of value they could find in Ionia.
In such a short period, many places had not yet regained their vitality and were still recuperating.
Judging by Guyuan's appearance, however, the town had already recovered almost completely.
For a settlement of this size, that was impressively fast.
"Oh." Ahri nodded as she listened, still gazing curiously around her.
She had not personally experienced the war. By the time Noxus withdrew, she had only just left the snowy mountains.
However, she had witnessed through other people's memories what this land had looked like while engulfed in war. The sight had caused her tremendous pain.
Seeing the land recover was naturally a good thing.
"I heard the statue in the mountain temple grants miracles?"
"Of course. It's thanks to that statue that Guyuan was able to recover so quickly."
"It's really that powerful? Then I have to see it."
"Haha, I guarantee you won't be disappointed."
The voices of several people came from nearby. They appeared to be newcomers speaking with a local resident.
"Come to think of it, Ox got his protective charm from that temple," Akali said after overhearing their conversation. "We can go take a look when we have time. Let's rest here for the day and find somewhere to stay first."
Akali was rather interested in the mountain temple they were discussing. After all, she had personally witnessed the protective charm Ox had obtained resist even Ahri's ability.
That meant there was genuinely something unusual about it.
The three of them had spent the past several days traveling almost without pause. They generally slept outdoors, woke at dawn, and immediately resumed their journey.
Even if they did not need much rest themselves, the horses beneath them certainly did.
Luke had no objections.
There were bound to be inns in town, and the three of them soon found one without any trouble. Unexpectedly, however, every guest room was occupied.
"My sincerest apologies. Too many people have been coming to Guyuan recently. Almost every inn in town is full," the innkeeper explained apologetically.
"They all came because of Guyuan's mountain temple?" Akali asked.
"That's right. Word has spread that the statue in the temple revealed its miraculous power." The innkeeper looked rather proud as he spoke. "It's truly a blessing for Guyuan. Did the three of you not come for the temple?"
The more people who visited Guyuan, the better his business became. He could hardly contain his delight.
"We're only passing through," Luke said.
"That doesn't matter." The innkeeper smiled warmly. "When you have time, you should go up the mountain and offer a prayer at the temple. You might receive a miracle of your own. There's everything to gain and nothing to lose."
"We will." Luke smiled and nodded. "Do you know anywhere that still has vacant rooms? We plan to rest in Guyuan for one day."
"As far as vacant accommodations go, I do still have one place. It should be large enough for all three of you." The innkeeper studied them for a moment before explaining, "The available property is a private courtyard, though, so it naturally costs a little more. Most people find it too expensive, which is why it has remained vacant."
"Then we'll rent it," Luke said. "How much for one day?"
"Two gold coins." The innkeeper carefully watched Luke's expression as he stated the price.
That price had driven away many potential guests.
Two gold coins were by no means cheap for an ordinary person.
Without so much as blinking, Luke took out two gold coins. "Take us to see it."
The innkeeper immediately beamed. "Certainly. Please follow me."
He quickly led the three of them to the courtyard. It contained exactly three rooms, all of which were very clean, and the place looked peaceful and comfortable.
After confirming that everything was satisfactory and paying the rent, Luke and the others officially moved in.
Once the innkeeper left, Luke entered one of the rooms, carried out a reclining chair, and leisurely lay down.
Seeing this, Akali and Ahri tactfully began unpacking the luggage and leading the horses into the stable. By now, it had almost become second nature.
There was no helping it. There was no such thing as a free lunch.
Luke had cooked throughout the entire journey, while the two of them had shamelessly enjoyed every meal. Ever since they first tasted Luke's cooking, there had been no turning back. They were practically addicted.
All three meals had become highlights of the day for both women.
At the same time, they had learned to handle other tasks without being asked. Even Akali conscientiously did whatever work she could.
Whenever they stopped to rest, the two of them pitched the tents and handled the other miscellaneous chores. They were also responsible for cleaning up after meals.
Now, neither of them objected to Luke lounging there like some pampered noble. As long as he kept them well fed, they were perfectly satisfied.
Neither woman had noticed that, little by little, their daily lives had begun to revolve around Luke.
Luke had already started processing the rewards from his system check-in.
The first skill was called Sunlight Arts.
It reminded him of a skill he had obtained from a previous check-in, Moonlight Arts. It was an automatic training skill. Whenever moonlight shone upon him at night, the skill automatically absorbed it and increased his mental power.
The effect was not particularly strong, but its greatest advantage was that Luke did not have to do anything.
Now he had obtained Sunlight Arts as well. After briefly examining its effects, he discovered that it was indeed the same type of skill as Moonlight Arts.
Whenever Luke stood beneath the sun during the day, it would automatically cultivate his mental power.
"Learn Sunlight Arts."
[Skill successfully learned.]
[A skill of the same type, Moonlight Arts, has been detected. Would you like to fuse them?]
Upon hearing the system's prompt, Luke answered without hesitation.
"Fuse them."
[Fusion successful. Congratulations, host. You have obtained the skill: Sun-Moon Meditation Arts.]
Luke immediately examined the description of the new skill, and his eyes lit up.
Sun-Moon Meditation Arts was a method of meditation.
Luke naturally understood the benefits of meditation. Now that the two skills had fused, he could actively cultivate and enter a meditative state.
At the same time, the skill retained its ability to cultivate automatically during both day and night. As long as his body was exposed to sunlight or moonlight, he would automatically absorb it and increase his mental power.
When actively used, however, it would place him in a meditative state with two different effects depending on whether it was day or night.
When meditating beneath the sun during the day, he could absorb solar essence and use it to refine and temper his body. It would also temporarily enhance his constitution, strengthening his body and even accelerating his recovery from injuries.
When meditating beneath the moon at night, he could draw in the moon's cleansing essence to refine his mind and accelerate the cultivation of his mental power. The recovery rates of both his mental power and mana would also increase, while his mental power itself would be strengthened during the night.
Both effects were excellent, and Luke was quite interested in meditation.
The two effects would still activate when he was not meditating, but their effectiveness would probably be only one-fifth of what they were during active meditation.
Luke was currently lying beneath the sun. As the gentle morning sunlight fell upon him, he could clearly sense that his body felt different.
The sunlight seemed warmer than usual, enveloping him in an extremely pleasant comfort.
Luke's body unconsciously relaxed, and a contented expression appeared on his face.
He still had other rewards to examine, so he was in no hurry to test the meditation effect. Instead, he continued going through the remaining rewards.
[The advanced skill Wind Underfoot, Level 3, has been detected. Would you like to learn it?]
"Learn it," Luke answered inwardly.
[Skill successfully learned.]
As soon as the system finished speaking, detailed information about the skill appeared in his mind.
Luke immediately understood that Wind Underfoot was a magical skill.
Just as its name suggested, activating it generated wind beneath his feet, increasing his movement speed.
It was a very useful skill.
Luke immediately upgraded it to Level 7, greatly increasing the speed enhancement it provided. He did not raise it any further because he had another use in mind for the two Advanced Skill Upgrade Cards.
The third reward was a medicinal ingredient equal in rank to the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, the Sacred Spirit Fruit.
Luke briefly inspected it, and his eyes lit up once again.
The Sacred Spirit Fruit contained an enormous amount of extremely pure life energy. Calling it a miraculous medicine capable of bringing someone back from the brink of death would not be an exaggeration.
After storing it in his inventory, Luke moved on to the next reward.
It was a skill called Inner Sight. He chose to learn it immediately, and a strange sensation swept through him.
It was as though another pair of eyes had appeared inside his body.
The sensation was extraordinarily subtle.
Luke quickly came to understand the effect of Inner Sight.
Simply put, it allowed him to look within his own body and observe every part of it.
It was just like the inner vision practiced by mystics in old legends.
Intrigued, Luke activated Inner Sight. His perspective immediately changed, bringing him into a mysterious space.
Rather than examining the physical structure of his body, he chose to inspect his mindscape.
In the past, he had only been able to sense the existence of this place. Now things were different. He could observe it directly through Inner Sight.
Within his mindscape, two demonic powers occupied separate areas in different forms. Neither interfered with the other, and both were remarkably stable. They even seemed more powerful than when Luke had first obtained them.
On the other side, occupying a much larger region, were two World Rune fragments shining with crystalline light.
They hovered silently in midair as if asleep, radiating an alluring brilliance while coexisting in surprising harmony.
Orange and green light intertwined, creating a beautiful sight.
Because of their presence, Luke could also sense the rune energy they emitted. Small portions of that energy transformed into thin threads that drifted toward the two demonic powers.
Luke immediately understood.
He had been wondering why the two demonic powers seemed to have grown stronger.
So they had been secretly absorbing rune energy?
The nerve of them!
Luke had never noticed it before.
He looked at the two World Rune fragments, which showed no reaction whatsoever, and for a moment he could not tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
For reasons he could not understand, the two rune fragments had always behaved themselves while inside his body.
That was ultimately a good thing. Luke would much rather they remain docile for the rest of his life.
After leaving the state of Inner Sight, a bold idea suddenly occurred to him.
Since he could now observe the World Runes through Inner Sight, could he also attempt to actively touch them with his mental power?
He could probe them carefully and try to understand what was going on.
Why were they able to remain peacefully inside his body?
From everything Luke had seen and learned, there was no shortage of people who had been consumed by the power of the World Runes.
After considering it, Luke suppressed the idea for the time being. He decided that he could attempt it once his mental power became stronger.
They were World Runes, after all. Even fragments had to be approached with the utmost caution.
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