Chapter 57 - 58: The Wounds Left by Abyssal Corrosion!

Chapter 57: Chapter 58: The Wounds Left by Abyssal Corrosion!

Administrator Lucas Bennett paused.

He had originally wanted to ask Nathaniel whether his dungeon run had gone smoothly.

But after hearing those words, he almost lost his composure.

"Only?"

"Level 103?"

If he remembered correctly, Nathaniel had completed his first class advancement only that morning.

He had reached Level 100 in the morning.

Now, at eight in the evening, he was already Level 103.

In less than a day, he had gained three levels after his first advancement.

And he called that slow?

Lucas looked at Nathaniel’s slightly dissatisfied expression and asked cautiously.

"Sir, are you... unhappy?"

Nathaniel shook his head.

"It’s not that I’m unhappy."

"It’s just that leveling up has become a little slow."

Lucas: "..."

The corners of his mouth twitched.

Across all of Westmere, he had never heard of anyone advancing at such a speed.

How many professionals needed ten or twenty days just to gain one level after their first advancement?

Some even remained stuck at a bottleneck for several months.

Yet Nathaniel had gained three levels in half a day and still thought his progress was slow.

Lucas suddenly felt that there was an enormous gap between his understanding of strength and that of a true genius.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his disbelief, and spoke in a low voice.

"Sir, Director Adrian asked me to wait here for you."

"Westmere’s new Pillar has arrived."

"The newcomer is a Level 400 powerhouse."

"He is currently waiting for you at the Beaumont estate."

Nathaniel paused.

"A Level 400 Pillar?"

A hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

The High Command had acted this quickly?

His understanding of the High Command’s influence deepened.

Nathaniel didn’t delay.

"Let’s go home."

Lucas nodded at once.

"The car is ready."

...

At the entrance of the Beaumont estate, Uncle George had been waiting for some time.

When he saw Nathaniel return, he hurried forward.

"Young Master."

Nathaniel asked,

"Is he inside?"

Uncle George lowered his voice.

"In the living room."

"Senior Kessler has been waiting for you."

Nathaniel nodded and walked straight into the estate.

As soon as he entered the living room, he saw the old man sitting there.

The old man wore a dark cyan robe. His hair had turned gray, and his build was lean.

A cup of hot tea rested beside his hand.

He wasn’t deliberately releasing his aura.

Yet his presence made the entire living room feel calm.

He resembled a mountain.

There was no sharpness in his presence, yet it carried the weight to suppress any storm.

Hearing footsteps, the old man raised his head.

Their eyes met.

A gentle smile appeared in the old man’s eyes.

"Nathaniel Beaumont?"

Nathaniel nodded.

"That’s me."

The old man stood.

"Dorian Kessler."

"I was appointed to Westmere as its new Pillar."

Nathaniel cupped his fists.

"Senior Kessler."

"I’ve heard of you."

This wasn’t empty courtesy.

Nathaniel had heard of Dorian Kessler from his parents.

In his younger years, Dorian had guarded the northern frontier for many years and taken part in several large-scale battles against Abyssal Rifts.

Later, after suffering serious injuries, he gradually withdrew from the front line.

Dorian looked at Nathaniel with a hint of approval.

"Outstanding talent at such a young age."

"You’re only eighteen, yet you’ve already achieved an SSS-Rank first advancement."

"Westmere is fortunate to have someone like you."

Nathaniel shook his head.

"Senior, you’re being too generous."

Dorian waved his hand.

"I’m not exaggerating."

His tone then became more serious.

"Go ahead and pursue your path within the High Command without worrying about your hometown."

"I’ll protect this city."

"As long as I’m in Westmere, I won’t allow it to fall into chaos."

Nathaniel’s heart stirred.

Dorian continued.

"I’m old."

"The front line is no longer a suitable place for someone like me."

"But guarding a city and protecting its people is still something I can do."

"At least this way, I can continue making a contribution to the Aurelian Alliance."

The living room fell silent.

Uncle George stood to one side, his eyes slightly red.

Nathaniel solemnly cupped his fists.

"Thank you, Senior Kessler."

"I’ll leave Westmere in your hands."

Dorian smiled.

"Good."

After speaking, he suddenly turned his head and coughed twice.

"Cough! Cough!"

The sound wasn’t loud.

But Nathaniel noticed something unusual.

For a brief moment, Dorian’s face took on a grayish tint.

It wasn’t an ordinary old injury.

It looked more like an abnormal status lingering inside his body.

Nathaniel frowned.

"Senior Kessler, are you injured?"

Dorian’s expression remained calm, as though he had grown accustomed to it.

"It’s an old problem left over from my days on the front line."

Nathaniel asked,

"An abnormal status?"

Dorian glanced at him with some surprise.

"Good eyes."

"It’s residue from Abyssal Corrosion."

"Years ago, while purging a high-tier Abyssal Rift, an Abyssal Lord damaged my foundation."

"My life was saved, but the corrosion inside my body was never completely removed."

Nathaniel asked,

"Even the Healers couldn’t treat it?"

Dorian chuckled.

"I’ve invited plenty of them."

"Even Level 500 Healers have examined me."

"They could suppress it and ease its effects, but none of them could remove it completely."

Nathaniel’s heart stirred.

Even Level 500 Healers couldn’t cure it?

Just how severe was this injury?

Dorian seemed quite relaxed about it.

"It’s nothing."

"I’ve lived with this injury for many years."

"Most of the time, I only cough a few times. It doesn’t affect my daily life."

Nathaniel didn’t answer immediately.

After upgrading his Shadow Rebirth to Level 2, he had gained the ability to remove abnormal status effects.

He didn’t know whether it could handle the Abyssal Corrosion inside Dorian’s body.

But he could try.

"Senior Kessler, I might be able to help."

Dorian was taken aback.

"You?"

He didn’t look down on Nathaniel. He simply shook his head.

"I appreciate your kindness."

"But this isn’t an ordinary injury."

"You’re only at your first advancement. There’s no need to waste your energy on something like this."

Nathaniel replied calmly.

"I only want to try."

"What if it works?"

Dorian looked at Nathaniel’s determined expression and fell silent for a moment.

Finally, he smiled.

"Very well."

"Then I’ll let you try."

"Just don’t expect too much."

Nathaniel nodded and stepped in front of him.

He raised his hand.

Then he silently activated Shadow Rebirth.

The next second, a prompt appeared before his eyes.

[Target Detected: High-Tier Abyssal Corrosion]

[Abnormal Status: Severe]

[Required Shadow Energy: 3,000,000]

[Do you wish to proceed with cleansing and life-force restoration?]

Three million units of Shadow Energy!

Nathaniel’s heart twitched.

That was far more than the amount required to restore an ordinary Shadow Soldier.

But it made sense.

Dorian was a Level 400 powerhouse.

The abnormal status inside his body was Abyssal Corrosion that even Level 500 Healers couldn’t remove.

Three million units wasn’t an unreasonable cost.

Still, seeing such a large amount of Shadow Energy about to disappear made Nathaniel hesitate for a fraction of a second.

But only for a moment.

Three million units of Shadow Energy in exchange for restoring one of Westmere’s Level 400 Pillars?

It was worth it.

Moreover, Dorian was an old hero who had spent years defending the front line against the Abyss.

This was a price worth paying.

Nathaniel didn’t hesitate any longer.

"Yes."

Hum!

A pale light surged from Nathaniel’s palm.

It wasn’t the soft white glow usually associated with healing skills.

Instead, countless fragments of dark light gathered together, forming a flowing stream of condensed Shadow Energy.

The moment that light touched Dorian...

His calm expression suddenly changed.