Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Infiltrating the Imperial Garden
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What to do about infiltrating the Imperial Garden.
This preparation had actually been underway for some time already.
'If the Eastern Aristocrat Faction seizes control of the Imperial Palace, that'll open the door.'
The Eastern Aristocrat Faction backed by Leyzon.
If they took over the palace, slipping in there would become possible.
Until then, any rash approach was off-limits.
'There's a reason even that Puppet Troupe Leader hasn't managed to get in there yet.'
Even after the ossuary vanished, the Puppet Troupe Leader was still maneuvering from the shadows.
Yet that guy hadn't reached the garden.
Instead, he was hiding among the nobles, manipulating them in secret.
'There must be some restriction keeping him out until he gains the right authority.'
And Leyzon had sensed it the moment he laid eyes on the emissary.
That one was a dangerous sort.
The instinctive threat level rivaled the ossuary.
Any hasty move could turn toxic.
'In the end, my job boils down to this.'
Raising up the Eastern Aristocrat Faction.
"Leyzon, sir. Leyzon, sir."
At that moment, Syria called out to him.
She had been glued to the screen the whole time Leyzon was lost in thought.
Following her gaze to the screen, Leyzon's eyes narrowed slightly.
A party hosted by the palace.
It was originally meant to be a modest affair for Hero-rank Pioneers.
A way to give those who had worked hard so far a hearty rest.
But this party was far from modest.
"Oh, Hanok Wilbria, this is quite the promising other race, isn't it!"
"A Sword-Tooth Clansman like the Shadow Warlord, eh? Ha ha, who knows—he might become a lord himself one day!"
The party was swarming with nobles.
It was nominally for Hero-rank Pioneers.
There was no reason for such a crowd.
Leyzon clocked it immediately.
'Word must've leaked that Hanok is the Shadow Warlord's little brother.'
Regular folk might not know.
But the nobles would be aware that the Shadow Warlord had slain the White-Horned Sovereign.
He had been punished for it, sure, but the Shadow Warlord was still the Shadow Warlord.
His power as a lord was immense.
His brother Hanok was naturally a future star.
What's more, Hanok could potentially draw in the Shadow Warlord himself.
That's why the nobles were flocking here.
Snag Hanok, reel in the Shadow Warlord, and their faction's strength would skyrocket.
"Uh, uh."
Hanok looked flustered.
With all these nobles pressing in so aggressively, who wouldn't be?
But the nobles were sharper than they seemed.
They exploited his unease.
And kept grilling him relentlessly.
'What a circus.'
Leyzon stared at the screen, a mix of amusement and disbelief washing over him.
These nobles, going all out over one kid.
It really drove home how cutthroat the infighting among the factions had become.
Still, luckily, there was one person there to help Hanok out.
"Hanok Wilbria."
Hanok lifted his head at the familiar voice.
His face finally brightened.
"Sword Saint, sir."
The newcomer was the Sword Saint.
Begris Fernante.
Heir to the prestigious Fernante Marquisate.
As an Imperial Knight approaching Hanok directly, the nobles quickly parted ways.
They had welcomed the Sword Saint's return at first.
But they had underestimated him badly.
The Sword Saint wasn't some leashed hound for the nobles.
He was a beast that no collar could hold.
Once he gained authority as an Imperial Knight, he cracked down hard on corrupt nobles.
Imperial Knights' duties included managing public welfare.
Which meant they could hold nobles accountable too.
Plus, the Sword Saint was the son of Marquis Fernante.
Among nobles, a marquis's rank was elite.
With a marquis backing him, no one could rein in his rampage.
The Sword Saint walked straight up to Hanok and asked,
"Have you eaten?"
Hanok nodded vigorously.
No way was he chowing down here—not knowing if it'd go in his mouth or his nose.
He wanted out ASAP.
"Hold on, Sir Begris."
As the nobles tried to block him, the Sword Saint spoke up.
"The Marquis Fernante wishes to see you."
Every noble shut their mouths on the spot.
The Sword Saint alone was one thing, but add Marquis Fernante? No contest.
With everyone backing off, the Sword Saint led Hanok away.
Hanok scurried after him.
"Uh, um, are we really going to see the marquis?"
He asked, worry creeping in.
The Sword Saint eyed him for a beat, then shook his head.
"No. It was a lie—just to get you out of there."
Leyzon, overhearing it all, chuckled in disbelief.
"That guy's gotten slick with lies now."
He'd seemed so straight-laced before, but he was loosening up.
Leave Hanok to the Sword Saint, and he'd handle it fine.
So Leyzon rose from his seat.
"Leyzon, sir, where are you off to?"
"Once Hanok's back, we need to run Hero-rank dungeons."
Estelle and Pauli were closing in on Corruption Level 19 too.
They needed to hit dungeons harder and faster.
"But first, time to evolve."
Leyzon grinned.
The hatchling dragon flapped its wings with a chirp.
It wasn't just the hatchling summoning the Bloodless Sovereign.
He had asked her for a hefty stack of skill books.
Leyzon's evolution condition was simple.
One way to grow stronger wasn't limited to Ascension.
"Speaking of, that Bloodless Sovereign needs to name this little guy already."
Leyzon stroked the hatchling's chin, and it nuzzled right in.
The hatchling still had no name.
"Ah, Leyzon, sir! Pet me too, Syria!"
Syria rushed in, jealous, and Leyzon gave her plenty of affection before emerging from the shadow space.
"You're here."
The room was piled high with skill books alongside the Bloodless Sovereign.
"Hoo, you know how much hassle it was to gather this many?"
"The hassle was yours subordinates', not yours."
He had paid fair market price, after all.
"Absorbing skills... What kind of freak are you?"
"I wear it like a badge."
His undead modifications weren't even complete yet.
Leyzon had learned about undead from the former Gray Mage Tower Master, Garjun.
The next tweaks would be even finer.
'Step by step, getting stronger for sure.'
One regrettable thing, though.
'No decent chance to test it out.'
Since the ossuary, Leyzon hadn't unleashed major magic outside of dungeons.
Lately, his hands were itching bad.
Growing this much with nowhere to use it—what a waste.
"Why the constipated dog face?"
"Bloodless Sovereign, got any spots worth blowing up?"
The Bloodless Sovereign snatched the hatchling from Leyzon like she'd asked the wrong question.
Leyzon grumbled but settled before the skill books.
Now was the time to keep powering up.
No room for whining.
Besides, holding back and unleashing later? The satisfaction would be massive.
'Gotta endure.'
Leyzon rolled up his sleeves.
For starters, aim for the next evolution.
Skill Decomposition [Special].
Leyzon used it to steadily decompose and absorb skill books over and over.
A bizarre sensation as the broken-down skills piled up inside him layer by layer.
He felt himself drifting further from humanity, but the growing strength was unmistakable.
'Not sure which direction I'm heading, but...'
Before he knew it, he sensed he was nearing the cap.
Just a little more.
Leyzon reached for the next skill book and flipped it open.
He had already decomposed and absorbed so many that counting was impossible.
As he kept devouring them nonstop,
Leyzon's hand froze.
"Urk."
Nausea surged up, and he clamped his mouth shut.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
His vision swam.
It felt like the agony of overeating.
'No way—there's a daily limit?'
He must have crossed it.
Thinking back, skills were nutrients derived from transcendent beings.
Salt was essential for humans, but too much became poison.
Excess of anything turns toxic.
Leyzon was a Poison Necromancer, so poison meant nothing to him—but transcendent power wasn't poison.
'If I'm not careful...'
He might snap like with the Evil Dragon.
Stuffing transcendent power into one body was a failed experiment already.
Leyzon couldn't repeat that mistake.
'Skill absorption ends here for today.'
He caught his breath and stood.
His body felt heavy from the skill books' influence.
But not immobilized.
Just then...
Flash—
Leyzon froze mid-rise.
'Wait—I'm stuffed full of transcendent nutrients right now.'
Energy brimming inside.
Why let it sit idle?
Auto-Growing Undead Creation [?EX] flashed through Leyzon's mind.
He dropped back into position.
Activating the skill, he exhaled.
"Syria, Iden, Estelle, Pauli."
The four undead swiftly surrounded him.
Meanwhile, Leyzon began modifying himself anew.
His skill-activated hand pushed inward.
Black smoke-like wisps appeared inside.
The smoke was the decomposed skills.
Leyzon's eyes gleamed.
'Right—I don't need to rely on my absorption limit.'
Just infuse the power directly into every part of his body.
No need to struggle forcing it in.
Waiting patiently wasn't his style anyway.
This was right up his alley.
A wicked grin spread across Leyzon's face.
This power harvested from transcendent beings—it was prime material.
If he's to be called a parasite, might as well lean in fully.
'I'll absorb it at peak efficiency.'
Time to evolve.