Arthur leaned back again, against the broad trunk of the old tree, its thick canopy shading him from the midday sun. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves above, and for the first time in a while, he felt truly relaxed.
"This spot's too damn perfect," he muttered, stretching out his legs on the cool grass. "Might as well make this my official resting place."
With one hand lazily behind his head and the other flicking open his inventory, he scrolled through its contents to see if anything had escaped his attention.
And then—he saw them.
Two very familiar items gleamed at the bottom of the list, as if silently judging him for neglect.
Dimensional Portal – The Shattered Gateway
Skill Rank Up Scroll – Gold
A twitch of his eyebrow followed.
Then a flat stare.
(Author's Note: If you don't know what these two items are… seriously? Re-read the chapters. I'm not doing a flashback montage. We don't have the budget for it.)
Arthur shook his head, lips curling into a dry smile.
"I can use the Skill Rank Up Scroll now. But using the dimensional portal?" He scoffed. "That'll just slow down the stone collection. We can't have soldiers getting distracted in a new dimension trying to make friends with fire demons or something."
He sighed, dismissing the portal for now, and tapped the scroll with his finger.
The golden parchment shimmered faintly, as though it were aware it was about to be used—or ignored.
"Let's see which skill deserves a little promotion."
With a flick, Arthur opened his status panel:
---
Name: Arthur
Title: Lord of the Starblade, Bronze Breakthrough Pioneer, Silver Sentinel
Occupation: Lord
Species: Human
Cultivation Tier: 9
Rank: Silver (Advancement requirements not fulfilled…)
EXP: 1,000,000 / 1,000,000
Talent: Luck (Legendary)
Health: 8,000
Strength: 290
Agility: 310
Mana: 510
Intelligence: 410
---
Skills:
- Berserk(Silver)
- Mana Sense (Bronze)
- Wilderness Survival (Bronze)
- Basic Elemental Wave (Bronze)
- Basic Healing (Bronze)
- Basic Stealth (Bronze)
- Combat Focus (Bronze)
-
Mana Surge (Gold)
- Tactical Strike (Silver)
- Warrior's Endurance (Silver)
Exclusive Skills: Tactical Genius, Silver Strike
Artifacts: Auric Blade of Fortune (Gold), Starlight Shield (Gold)
---
Arthur rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"Berserk is tempting," he murmured. "But it's already a growable skill… better to let it grow naturally through proficiency."
He flicked past Mana Surge—already Gold—and landed on the Bronze tier skills.
"Mana Sense could be a game-changer if enhanced… being able to detect magic more clearly could help me prepare for stronger enemies or hidden traps."
"Combat Focus… that's underrated too. Better focus in battle equals better decisions, especially when commanding."
"Elemental Wave and Basic Healing… useful, but they're too shallow to dump a Gold scroll on right now."
He paused.
"Then there's Tactical Strike… it's Silver, and one of my core damage-dealing moves. If I upgraded that, it might synergize well with Tactical Genius and Silver Strike."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he weighed his options.
Then his eyes settled on it: Warrior's Endurance (Silver).
"Hm. This… this is what I need," he murmured. "I've been throwing myself into fights headfirst lately. It's time I focus on survival too."
With a confident tap, the scroll dissolved into radiant light, flowing into the "Warrior's Endurance" skill. The skill icon pulsed in response, its silvery border shifting into a bold, majestic gold. A wave of warmth surged through Arthur's body, and a new panel appeared before his eyes.
Skill Upgraded: Warrior's Endurance → Gold Rank
You have unlocked new effects!
Upgraded Skill: Warrior's Endurance (Gold)
Description: Tap into the depths of a warrior's resilience, unlocking your body's hidden potential to endure pain, fatigue, and attrition on the battlefield.
Effects:
1. Health Regeneration: +35% (Up from 20%)
2. Stamina Regeneration: +30% (Up from 15%)
3. Damage Reduction: +10% physical and magical resistance for 10 minutes
4. Endurance Aura (New): Allies within 10 meters receive +10% stamina regen and minor regen over time
Cooldown: Reduced to 25 minutes
---
Arthur blinked a few times as the golden light from the skill upgrade faded. A gentle warmth pulsed through his veins, not fiery like his offensive boosts, but steady—like a constant heartbeat reinforcing every inch of his body. He clenched and unclenched his fists, then stretched his legs out before him, eyes narrowing with a sharp gleam.
"…Whoa," he muttered, lifting his arm and feeling the tension in his muscles melt away, replaced by a faint, soothing energy. "This… this feels different."
He tapped on the new skill details, eyes scanning the upgraded effects.
"Thirty-five percent health regen, thirty percent stamina recovery… and damage reduction?" he read out loud, then paused as he spotted the last line. "Passive aura for allies within ten meters…" His eyes widened. "I can keep others ticking in battle just by existing near them?"
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth—equal parts mischief and satisfaction.
"Now that's what I call a lord's skill," he said with a short laugh. "Offense is great, but nothing says authority like standing tall while everything around you burns… and your people keep fighting because you're standing there with them."
He closed the window with a casual flick, then leaned his head back against the bark of the tree and exhaled deeply. "Good choice, Arthur."
The leaves rustled overhead, almost as if the world itself agreed.
Arthur lay back down beneath the same tree AGAIN..., arms folded behind his head, the cool grass tickling the back of his neck. The soft rustle of leaves above him was oddly soothing, and he let out a deep sigh like someone who had just completed a grand mission—which, to be fair, he had. Sort of.
He blinked up at the dancing light between the leaves, squinting a little. "Now all that's left is to wait... George will probably be back soon, marching in like some war god after conquering that goblin town of kaldor," he muttered with a lazy smile.
His fingers idly scrolled through the event store, but he didn't really buy anything. He was waiting for more stones. Let the subjects and soldiers do the grinding, he thought. I did enough today.
He stretched one leg lazily, then the other, adjusting his position until he found the perfect spot beneath the curve of the tree's roots. He sighed again—this time with the full weight of someone completely at peace with their sloth.
And then, if the tree could speak—if its bark could form words—it might have groaned in annoyance.
"He's back. Again. Using me like some oversized pillow. Typical human. Comes into the world, fights some monsters, thinks he owns everything he touches."
The wind tugged at the leaves, and a single one floated down and landed squarely on Arthur's face.
He didn't even flinch.
"Unbelievable," the tree might've huffed. "My mother warned me. 'Trees that grow near humans grow bent from the weight of their egos.'"
Arthur, leaf still on his cheek, chuckled to himself. "This is definitely my spot now. I should build something here… maybe a little shrine. Or a bench. No—no, a throne. Yeah, a throne under the tree."
The tree visibly shuddered.
Then Arthur opened his eyes like he remembered something but still sprawled lazily beneath the tree, Arthur tapped open his communication ability, linking directly to Joseph, the ever-reliable head of the Territory Administration Department.
"Joseph, have you finished developing the military credit system?" Arthur asked without moving a muscle, his voice carrying the slow drawl of someone who was deeply committed to doing absolutely nothing physical.
On the other end, Joseph was knee-deep in parchments, crystals, and floating data projections. He didn't even blink at the sudden voice in his head—it had become as routine as roll call.
"Yes, my lord," Joseph replied calmly, flipping through a floating report. "It's nearly complete. The administration department is ready to begin implementation immediately."
Arthur grunted in acknowledgment, still watching the clouds drift overhead.
Joseph continued with his usual efficiency, "We've already catalogued the treasures and resources that can be exchanged through the credit system. Your vault is overflowing with rewards—plenty of incentive for the troops."
"Good," Arthur muttered, eyes half-lidded. "Motivated soldiers are happy soldiers."
Joseph gave a small smile. "Indeed. As per your suggestion, we've also tied the credit system to promotions. A soldier who accumulates 10,000 credit points can qualify for the vice leader position within their respective unit. And leader position with 25,000 credits, 50,0000 for vice captain position and so on. And as their rank increases so their salary."
Arthur perked up slightly. "Nice. Gives them something to fight for besides glory and survival."
Joseph nodded, though Arthur couldn't see it. "Exactly. And we've settled the kill-to-credit ratio as well. Each confirmed-
1. Balck rank monster kill earns 1 credit point.
2. Bronze rank monster kill earns 10 credit points.
3. Silver rank monster kill earns 100 credit points.
4. Gold rank monster kill earns 10000 credit points.
5. Platinum rank monster kill earns 50,000 credit points...
...
...
"Efficient," Arthur said. "And simple. Just how I like it."
There was a brief pause, and then Joseph added, "Also, a few officers are already enthusiastic about it. They believe it'll boost competition and performance in the ranks."
Arthur smirked lazily. "Let them compete. Let them fight to earn their glory."
Joseph chuckled softly. "As you say, my lord. I'll send the finalized system to your panel by evening."
"Perfect. You're a lifesaver, Joseph," Arthur said, finally adjusting his position just enough to brush a leaf off his face. "Now go do what you do best. I'll just… keep supervising the sky."
Joseph blinked. "...Yes, my lord."
The connection cut.
And once again, the tree probably sighed.
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