Adventure EXP -225,000
Thousand Phantom Cloudlancer Sword Style · Arcane Lv.1 (0/5000) → Thousand Phantom Cloudlancer Sword Style · Arcane Level Lv.10 (Thousand Shadows)
With enough Adventure EXP invested, this arcane-level sword art rapidly advanced to its maximum level.
It was as if he had practiced for years—countless sword techniques and insights surfaced in Nolan's mind. He had mastered this sword art to its absolute limit!
At the same time, reaching the maximum level awakened its arcane trait: "Thousand Shadows."
This trait was a strengthened version of its original extraordinary ability.
Each strike could summon up to a thousand shadow replicas, all possessing the same power as the original attack.
In other words, when using this arcane trait, it would appear as if Nolan had swung his sword only once, but in reality, he had unleashed a thousand slashes simultaneously.
It was just as absurd as the "Sharp Intent" of the Lumine's Sword God and the "Boundless Secrets" of Source-Flow Swordsmanship: Okuden!
However, if he were to unleash all one thousand shadow strikes at full power, even with his "Battery Body" ability, he might not have enough energy to sustain it.
Unless there was a continuous external energy supply.
Just like when collaborating with Raiden Ei to research the power of time—she always held her own hand to replenish her energy.
Otherwise, his power over time wouldn't be able to affect a godly being like Ei for long.
The same logic applied to summoning a thousand shadow strikes. There was a high probability it would drain him dry.
The ideal number of shadow attacks needed practical testing, but for now, fusing this with his other two arcane sword arts was the priority!
Hopefully, this fusion would push the skill beyond arcane level.
With anticipation, Nolan reached out and playfully rubbed Amber's cheek. She glared at him in irritation, but he took it as borrowing some good luck from a beautiful girl.
Then, he refocused on his character panel.
He selected Lumine's Sword God, Source-Flow Swordsmanship: Okuden, and Thousand Phantom Cloudlancer Sword Style for fusion.
Like being drawn into a vortex, the three sword arts merged together.
After a few seconds, a brand-new skill emerged:
[Lumine's Authority · Divine Level Lv.1 (0/10,000)]
Feeling the information from this new skill, Nolan was thrilled. The fusion of three arcane-level sword arts had truly evolved into an even higher-tier sword art.
Divine Level!
This clearly signified stepping into the domain of the gods, surpassing arcane-level skills in sheer power!
Not only did it enhance all the traits of his previous arcane-level skills, but it also gained effects comparable to divine authority.
These divine effects would gradually manifest as the Divine Level skill leveled up.
And at maximum level, it would fully unleash its god-tier potential!
However…
Raising it from Level 1 to Level 2 required 10,000 Adventure EXP.
Based on this pattern:
- Level 2 → Level 3 would cost 20,000 points.
- Level 9 → Level 10 would demand 90,000 points.
Adding everything up, reaching max level would require a total of 450,000 Adventure EXP!
Having just spent over 200,000, he now had barely 100,000 points left.
Looking at the panel, there were still two ninjutsu skills left to upgrade.
Might as well strengthen them too.
First was "Ninjutsu: Stealth Technique".
This skill worked by using elemental energy to bend light around the user, camouflaging them with their surroundings to achieve invisibility.
Adventure EXP -44,999
Ninjutsu: Stealth Technique Lv.1 (1/1000) → Ninjutsu: Stealth Technique Lv.10 (Vanishing Presence)
Among the available enhancement options, Nolan chose "Vanishing Presence", which not only granted invisibility but also suppressed his presence, drastically reducing the chances of detection.
A significant upgrade.
Next was "Ninjutsu: Smoke Bomb", a technique that used elemental energy to generate a thick smoke screen, concealing the user's movements.
Unlike the Stealth Technique, this didn't alter the user's body but instead manipulated the environment to obscure visibility.
Adventure EXP -44,999
Ninjutsu: Smoke Bomb Lv.1 (1/1000) → Ninjutsu: Smoke Bomb Lv.10 (Lost Path)
This secret technique had three possible enhancements upon reaching max level, and Nolan chose "Lost Path".
Now, when he used a smoke bomb, it wouldn't just create a white fog—if enemies entered the smoke, they would become disoriented and completely unable to locate the user.
A solid upgrade.
Since these three stealth-related secret techniques could be fused with "Form Concealment", there was no reason to hold back.
Ninjutsu: Stealth Technique Lv.10 (Vanishing Presence) + Ninjutsu: Smoke Bomb Lv.10 (Lost Path) + Form Concealment · Secret Art Lv.10 (Domain) → Ninjutsu: Hidden Mirage Domain Lv.10 (Vanishing Presence, Lost Path, Domain)
The skills twisted and merged, forming yet another new ability.
Unfortunately, it seemed like his luck had run dry after creating the Divine Level skill.
This new stealth ability did not ascend to arcane-level.
Still, a secret-art-level skill combining the strengths of all three techniques was quite useful.
However, for his plan to steal a Gnosis, this still wasn't secure enough.
It needed to be enhanced to arcane-level for guaranteed success.
Satisfied with his progress, Nolan looked at his now vastly improved character panel:
---
Name: Nolan Walker
Level: Lv.91 (362/910,000)
Race: Human
Titles:
- Honorary Knight
- Distinguished Citizen of Liyue
- Legendary Adventurer
- Honorary General of Watatsumi Island
Innate Talent:
- Entangling Affection
Skills:
- Lumine's Authority · Divine Level Lv.1 (0/10,000)
- Ninjutsu: Hidden Mirage Domain Lv.10 (Vanishing Presence, Lost Path, Domain)
- Anemo Manipulation Lv.10 (Max Level)
- Martial Arts Lv.10 (Subtle Mastery)
Specialties:
- [Descender]
- [Maiden Savior]
- [Monster Slayer]
- [Abundant Life]
- [The Gospel of the Sky]
- [North Wind]
- [Harmony]
- [Spiritual Threads]
- [Millennium Body]
- [Blue Vortex]
- [Battery Body]
- [Elemental Immunity]
- [Command Seal]
- [Spiritual Core]
- [Thoughtless Thunder]
Adventure EXP: 53,982
---
Whew…
In just one or two days, he had burned through over a million Adventure EXP, leaving him with a little over fifty thousand.
But it was so worth it—his power had grown tremendously.
Now, he was even more confident in his ability to explore and adventure across Teyvat!
Like water squeezed from a soaked sponge, time slipped away in the blink of an eye.
As evening approached, the General concluded Lumine's training, remarking on her rapid progress.
The effects of training under ten times gravity were clearly significant.
Exhausted, Lumine panted slightly as she invited Raiden Shogun to stay for dinner before leaving, but the General shook her head.
Having spent the entire afternoon here, she needed to return to Tenshukaku to check if anyone had been looking for her—lest they assume she had gone missing.
Since that was the case, Lumine did not insist. She glanced at Nolan, signaling him to open the door and send the General back.
Nolan nodded slightly in understanding.
After all, he had entered from Tenshukaku earlier, so opening the portal to the Wonderland now would lead directly back there.
Sending Raiden Shogun back was a simple matter—just opening a door.
"Not bad. I am quite satisfied with your 'Gravity Training Field.' Bring this body to Tenshukaku early tomorrow," Raiden Shogun said upon returning to her palace and confirming that no one had visited in her absence.
"Understood, General!" Nolan replied with a smile.
"By the way, you seem to have a close relationship with the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island. Kujou Sara has reported to me that she will be heading to the front lines tomorrow to negotiate peace with that priestess. Would you care to accompany her as a witness?"
"With you serving as a mediator, this matter should proceed much more smoothly."
Just as Nolan was about to leave, Raiden Shogun stopped him and mentioned the upcoming negotiations between the Shogunate Army and Watatsumi Island.
In fact, ever since the Vision Hunt Decree was abolished, both sides had made multiple attempts to negotiate peace, but no agreement had been reached.
Nolan stroked his chin in thought. Peace in Inazuma was undoubtedly a good thing, and if he could help facilitate it, he would be more than happy to do so.
Without much hesitation, he agreed, saying, "Sure, I have some ties with Lady Sangonomiya, but personal connections aside, when it comes to official matters, I can't guarantee how much help I'll actually be."
He agreed but made sure not to overpromise. If he ended up being unable to help, it would be quite embarrassing. So, it was best to set expectations upfront.
"Of course. If things go awry, I won't blame you. If they prove stubborn, I'll simply cut them down. For the sake of Inazuma's eternity, rebels cannot be allowed to exist."
Raiden Shogun, arms crossed, cast a sidelong glance at him and spoke in an indifferent tone.
"..."
Nolan was momentarily speechless.
Was she trying to intimidate him?
He didn't believe for a second that Ei would allow the General to draw her blade against innocent civilians.
The pursuit of eternity was meant to protect the people of Inazuma, after all.
Thinking it over, he concluded that the General was probably just joking.
Still, since she had spoken in such a manner, he felt it best to play along.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "Understood, General! I will give it my all tomorrow!"
"Good. Go back and make your preparations."
Raiden Shogun's lips curled into a faint smile, seeming pleased with his response.
[Raiden Shogun (Ei) Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 280 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (200/600)]
Nolan was pleasantly surprised by the notification, feeling even more motivated than before.
"Alright!"
With that, he stepped into the starry rift behind him and returned to the Wonderland.
By then, Captain Jean, Lisa, and Sucrose had already finished work and returned.
Fischl, however, was slightly late.
As an outstanding investigator, the Adventurers' Guild often tasked her with gathering intel on the otherworldly domains.
However, before officially heading out on such a mission, she needed to undergo training and study the Beast Realm.
The Knights of Favonius had records on it, after all.
Having prior knowledge was far better than diving into an unfamiliar world without any preparation.
Since she had to complete both her investigation and training today, Fischl returned later than usual.
But Nolan knew that his understanding of the Beast Realm far exceeded that of the Knights.
So that night, he sat with Fischl for a long discussion, giving her a detailed briefing.
—The next morning—
As everyone in the Wonderland went off to their respective jobs, Nolan headed to Tenshukaku early to escort Raiden Shogun to the Gravity Training Field for Lumine's training.
Afterward, he returned to Tenshukaku once more.
Kujou Sara had already been waiting for him for quite some time.
Today, Nolan would accompany Kujou Sara to the front lines, working to facilitate the negotiations and bring both sides to an agreement!
It was quite the daunting task.
"Let's go. If we set off now, we should arrive before noon and begin negotiations in the afternoon. Before that, you can have a chat with the Divine Priestess."
"It would be best if you could get her to agree to all of our negotiation terms!"
Kujou Sara looked at Nolan as she spoke.
"All of the terms? Miss Sara, you must be joking. How could I possibly make that happen?"
Nolan had already familiarized himself with the negotiation conditions from both sides. They could find common ground on basic matters like trade and economic exchange.
However, major issues—such as tax rates, whether the Watatsumi Army should be allowed to remain, and infrastructure development—were still unresolved.
All in all, these weren't the kinds of problems that could be settled in a short amount of time.
"Then do your best to push for it," Kujou Sara said after some thought. She knew the Shogunate's terms were rather harsh, making things difficult for Nolan. In the end, all she could do was ask him to try his best.
"That won't be a problem," Nolan replied with a nod.
To be honest, he had friends on both sides—both in the Shogunate and on Watatsumi Island. Taking a firm stance in favor of one over the other was a bit of a dilemma.
In the end, his only option was to find a way to persuade both parties to make compromises and see if he could create an opportunity for peace talks to succeed.
With that in mind, Nolan and Kujou Sara spread their wings and took off toward the front lines.
During the flight, Kujou Sara took out a crimson-colored fan, shaped like a maple leaf. According to her, this was the Red Feather Fan, a mystical artifact.
When wielded by a Tengu, it could unleash various powers. Even in the hands of an ordinary person, it could lighten their body and enhance their flight speed.
Naturally, with Kujou Sara—a descendant of the Tengu—holding it, its effects far exceeded those of a regular person.
She waved the fan lightly, and in an instant, a mysterious force enveloped both of them, drastically increasing their speed!
It was nearly on par with the acceleration Nolan achieved using Anemo energy for flight. No wonder Kujou Sara had said they'd arrive before noon.
Such a powerful treasure... If he could store it in the Wonderland, it would likely provide a significant boost to the space.
Hmm... Nolan pondered, a bit unsure.
In the game, the Red Feather Fan was only a four-star item—not even five-star quality. Its potential benefits were probably limited.
But seeing Kujou Sara use it now, it certainly didn't seem like a mere four-star artifact. Could there be a five-star version?
Never mind. If that were the case, then this Red Feather Fan was likely Kujou Sara's cherished treasure—there was no way she'd just hand it over.
He'd have to wait until their favorability improved before seeing if there was a chance to acquire it.
Time passed as Nolan secretly schemed about getting his hands on Kujou Sara's fan while occasionally discussing negotiation strategies with her.
Before long, the two arrived at the front lines—the Kujou Encampment region.
(Side note: Last time, I miscalculated the amount needed to max out an Arcane-tier skill—it's actually 275,000, not 280,000. I overestimated by 5,000… Ah, such carelessness!)
(End of Chapter.)
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