Chapter 351: Endless Star Ring of the Tail-Biting Giant Dragon, Bronze Imperial Decree LV5 (Extraordinary/Legendary Tier)

Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Endless Star Ring of the Tail-Biting Giant Dragon, Bronze Imperial Decree LV5 (Extraordinary/Legendary Tier)

The Lantern Carrier seemed to be recalling some unpleasant memories and let out a sigh.

"I, too, have paid the price for such arrogance. On the path of the Ascension Ladder, even the slightest detour can leave you falling just short of ultimate success."

His words made Lance truly understand where he currently stood in terms of real strength.

’Throughout my journey, I haven’t been facing the truly top-tier people of my level. The only one who could be considered top-tier, Elvira, I only beat because she had just started her Profession and her combat style was conveniently countered by mine.’

’Perhaps in the eyes of low-level Adventurers, or among novice Professionals, I’m already considered one of the best.’

’But if I’m being brutally honest and ignore my ability to resurrect...’

’...then my true Attribute panel and combat foundation don’t even reach the threshold of the most elite geniuses of my Tier.’

Moreover, when a Professional advances to the Excellence Tier, their body undergoes a qualitative transformation, beginning the process of becoming an Etherized Body.

They must then use their self-condensed Star Track as a core to construct their own unique Ether Armament.

And the power and growth potential of this Ether Armament is fundamentally built upon the Attribute foundation the Professional established before their advancement!

The more solid the foundation, the more powerful the resulting Ether Armament.

’I really am still too weak.’

Lance warned himself.

’I can’t get lost in that illusion of strength anymore. I can’t treat the temporary Burst Power I get from dying over and over as my true standard for getting by in this world.’

Seeing Lance deep in thought, the Lantern Carrier nodded in satisfaction.

He knew the young man had taken his advice to heart.

Then, the Lantern Carrier slowly extended a hand.

He made a grasping motion toward the misty, star-filled void above.

A brilliant point of starlight descended from the sky, landed in his palm, and transformed into a diagram.

He passed the diagram to Lance.

"This world is about to undergo a tremendous change."

"This Star Orbit Diagram will give you the chance to choose your own destiny in the chaos to come."

Normally, after a Professional’s Main Profession reaches the maximum of Level 5, the Star Realm automatically sends down several suitable Star Orbit Diagrams for them to choose from, based on their Professional Traits.

Lance never imagined that the Lantern Carrier had already carefully selected the most perfect diagram for him.

There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in his words, as confirmed by the response of this space.

Lance looked down.

[Endless Star Ring of the Tail-Biting Giant Dragon].

"In this world, certain hidden Knowledge pertaining to the divine is shielded," the Lantern Carrier explained, seeing Lance’s surprised expression.

"I know many secrets, but I’m bound by rules and cannot tell you directly. However, I can assure you that this Star Orbit Diagram is, without a doubt, the most powerful and the most suitable one for you among all known Sequences."

Just then, Lance noticed something.

The edges of the Lantern Carrier’s body began to ripple like water, his entire figure growing blurry.

It was a sign that this stream of information was about to dissipate.

"Oh, and there’s one last important thing I must tell you."

The Lantern Carrier spoke faster, as if trying to get the words out before he vanished.

"Since you became Jhin, the Virtuoso, I’ve noticed you seem to have the ability... to gain Power by continuously killing various Demons."

"However," the Lantern Carrier pointed out a long-held misconception of Lance’s, "you don’t seem to have found the right way to develop and utilize this ability."

"If you get the chance, try systematically studying true Alchemy. Trust me, it will bring you an unexpectedly great surprise."

The Lantern Carrier was referring to Lance’s [Biological Research] panel.

It was true that ever since Lance had arrived in this world, this system panel had been his greatest help and the core of his growing Power.

’Although the Lantern Carrier realized I can gain Power by killing monsters, he can’t perceive the existence of the system panel itself.’

Still, Lance took his words to heart. He was planning to learn Alchemy anyway. ’Could it be, as he suspects, that being an Alchemist could in turn enhance my system?’

’True or not, I’ll find out once I become an Alchemist.’

The Lantern Carrier’s body grew even more ethereal. His legs had already dissolved into specks of starlight.

Finally, he reached out to Lance with a hand that was now somewhat transparent.

"Alright, there isn’t much time. Take out the ’Epic Skill Crystal’ and the ’Star Spirit Base’ you obtained in the Underground City."

The Lantern Carrier’s voice sounded distant and ethereal.

"This phantom of mine still contains a final remnant of the Mad King’s Power as Jhin, the Virtuoso. Let me use this last bit of Power to help you take the two items most useful to your future from Galeos’s grasp. Consider it my final parting gift."

’Holy crap!’ Lance exclaimed internally.

’Senior Balthazar, with service this good, from this day forward, you’re the father I never had!’

Without any hesitation, he used his Telekinesis to retrieve the two strangely glowing items from his Imaginary Number Dark Grid, levitating them in the space between them.

The moment the two items appeared, they were activated by the Power of Jhin, the Virtuoso radiating from the Lantern Carrier.

Immediately, a wondrous change occurred in the Soul Space.

The blurry stars overhead vanished instantly, replaced by massive, flashing images that appeared in mid-air like a revolving lantern.

They were scenes from Galeos’s past.

However, what astonished Lance was that the Galeos in these scenes was a completely different person from the [Hydra] Legend form he had fought to the death in the Underground City!

The Galeos in the images looked very young. He wore a scholar’s robe and a monocle, exuding a strong academic air.

This future king had, in his youth, been a scholarly boy obsessed with books!

The scenes revealed that the fields he had loved most and been most obsessed with researching in his youth were, surprisingly, Mysticism and Ritualism.

When this memory was extracted, Lance’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

[Bronze Imperial Decree LV5 (Extraordinary/Legendary Tier)]

It was a rare skill used to analyze contracts and curses, and could even bind and inflict backlash upon the one who cast them!

This skill was doubly dependent on the user’s own Spirit and Perception Attributes.

The historical narration alongside the images was even more eye-opening for Lance.

This seemingly majestic Bronze Dragon King had once relied on this very skill to shamelessly sign marriage contracts of all kinds with hundreds of princesses from the surrounding Sub-human Species tribes, both large and small.

After using the marriage contracts to acquire vast resources and political capital, he had actually used the reverse-binding power of [Bronze Imperial Decree] to avoid fulfilling any of his husbandly duties without suffering any contractual backlash.

He even smugly dubbed this scheme his "greatest masterpiece"—a method for single-handedly establishing a vast network of alliances and promoting racial integration across the continent.

’Damn! He’s the founding father of deadbeats!’

Lance was dumbfounded.

He suddenly recalled the Legend he had obtained in the Underground City.

’So that "Thousand Descendants’ Blessing" really was his proudest Legend?’

Although he felt intense disdain for the king’s lack of integrity, his body was far more honest than his words.

Lance unhesitatingly reached out with both hands, eagerly accepting the ball of light—the skill—that the Lantern Carrier had forcibly pulled from the image.

The ball of light entered his body.

Lance immediately felt that he had not only mastered the Divine Skill [Bronze Imperial Decree], but had also gained a massive amount of complex knowledge regarding Mysticism and contract law.

However, this knowledge was fragmented, only containing what was necessary to assist in casting [Bronze Imperial Decree].

It was just enough to ensure Lance could manage to use the skill in a real fight without being completely lost due to a lack of understanding.

After absorbing the skill, Lance looked at the Lantern Carrier, a question forming in his mind.

’Why didn’t Galeos choose a Legend that played to his strengths? Why insist on using the "Hydra" Legend, which has such poor synergy with him, for his descent?’

Then, he heard a laugh from behind the Lantern Carrier’s mask.

"That’s not surprising."

The Lantern Carrier’s ethereal voice rang out.

"Because I toyed with him in the exact same way back then. He flew into a rage out of shame because he couldn’t kill me, and in the end, was forced to concede defeat."

"He’s held a grudge about it ever since. So, when he found you, he chose to descend as a Hydra. He wanted to pick himself up where he fell, to wash away the humiliation of being played by me all those years ago."

’Seriously? A backstory that melodramatic?’

Lance shook his head as he listened.

’So the story is that a Bronze Dragon threw everything he had at the Mad King but couldn’t break his defense, and in the end could only rage impotently and hold a grudge for a lifetime?’

However, the Lantern Carrier didn’t elaborate on the gossip.

He raised his nearly transparent arm and waved it gently in the air.

"Come and see Galeos’s true Power."

The Lantern Carrier pointed at the newly-formed image in the sky.

"Watch closely. This is the real... ’Bronze Dragon.’"