Baron Cullen

Delano's first suspicion fell on the Waller family.

After all, the two families had a deep-seated feud, and Leo had almost caused the Waller family's demise, so they had ample motive to retaliate.

But then he thought again that the Waller family only had one superhuman, Jocelyn, and he was only a second-tier warrior.

It is absolutely impossible for a mere second-tier warrior to sneak into the prison undetected under his nose, kill someone, and then leave without a trace.

Moreover, the manner of Leo's death proves this point.

A soldier cannot allow a person to be burned to nothing but bones.

If it's not the Waller family, then who could it be?

Is it the person behind Leo?

"That's right, it's the person behind him, the real culprit behind this artifact swapping incident!" A glint of light flashed in Drano's eyes. "This is to... silence him!"

He paced back and forth in his study, forcing himself to calm down.

Leo's death undoubtedly confirmed the suspicions he and Albert had.

Behind this incident of the switching of sacred artifacts, there is indeed a deeper mastermind.

The mastermind was also an extraordinary individual, ruthless and decisive in his methods.

The study fell into a deathly silence.

After a moment's thought, he gave an order to the silent captain of the guards beside him: "From now on, strengthen the guards of the city lord's mansion and the church, and increase the number of people patrolling the city on a daily basis."

Details of Leo's death were kept strictly confidential, with the only public statement being that he died suddenly from a serious illness.

Finally, the remaining members of the Baal family will be burned at the stake tomorrow morning to avoid any further complications!

"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" The captain of the guards nodded respectfully and immediately left the room.

After doing all this, Delano walked to the window.

He looked down at the faintly lit city of No Breath by the moonlight, his eyes filled with a deep solemnity.

"I never imagined that such a terrifying murderer would be lurking within the city of No Breath that I govern!"

...

The next morning, Karen woke up early in her room.

He slept soundly and comfortably. Although he was in an unfamiliar world, his healthy body made him feel relaxed and carefree, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

However, just as he came out of the second-floor bathroom, he ran into the Waller family's old butler, Phelps Weber Frederick.

The old butler, Phelps, had an expressionless face with wrinkles, but a bad feeling was rising in his heart.

"Mr. Phelps, is there something you need?"

The old butler, Phelps, nodded, his tone still respectful, and said, "Your Excellency, the vice-commander of the chapter, Mr. Lamont Kenny, has sent a message."

He said if you're rested enough, you can come find him in the warband anytime.

"I understand, thank you very much."

Karen nodded, but the old butler, Phelps, did not leave.

He had a feeling that the other person probably had something else to say.

After a moment's thought, the old butler, Phelps, said, "The deputy commander also said that the Baal family members will be burned at the stake in Judgment Square at noon today."

Karen's pupils contracted, and shock appeared on her face.

"How could it be so fast?"

He clearly remembered that yesterday, when the city lord was detaining Leo and the other members of the Baal family, he specifically said that they would not be executed until all the details of the case were thoroughly investigated.

But why did such an astonishing change occur suddenly after only one night?

The old butler, Phelps, continued, "According to the deputy commander, it's because Leo Bal died in prison last night."

Karen's expression changed drastically, and her heart sank.

At that moment, for some reason, a word popped into his mind…

Murder to silence them!

Leo died that very night after being imprisoned.

It's hard not to suspect that the killer was trying to silence the witness.

If it was truly to silence them, then it means that someone else framed the Waller family, or it wasn't just Leo.

Thinking of this, a chill suddenly rose up from Karen's spine.

The other party can come and go freely even in heavily guarded places like prisons, where there are superhumans on duty, and can even kill people silently.

Wouldn't it be simpler to deal with him and his family?

His nerves, which had relaxed slightly because his family had been exonerated, tightened again.

strength!

In this world where the extraordinary exist, only power is the key to survival!

He must become stronger as soon as possible; he must have the power to protect himself and his family!

Thinking of this, Karen said to the old butler, Phelps, "Mr. Phelps, please prepare the car now; I need to go to the battle group!"

...

The downfall of the Baal family caused quite a stir in the City of No Breath, but only for a short period of time.

Soon, this news will be replaced by new topics of conversation, and the family that has been entrenched in the City of Extinction for more than a decade will be gradually forgotten.

At this moment, Karen had arrived at the warband's base in the eastern district of Breathless City.

The Warband's architecture is rugged and practical, with tall stone walls and heavy iron gates.

Two guards stood at the entrance, their postures upright and their eyes sharp, emanating a faint aura of extraordinary power; they were clearly true superhumans.

After giving his name, he was quickly led inside.

Deputy Commander Lamont received him in a training ground with weapons racks and training dummies.

"Baron Cullen, you've arrived." Lamont was still wearing simple leather armor, holding a heavy-looking battle axe in both hands, a smile on his face. "It seems you've made your decision."

"Vice Commander Lamont," Karen said solemnly, "I hope to join the chapter and become a true transcendent!"

"Good!" Lamont put the battle axe back on the weapon rack, turned around and patted him on the shoulder. "Our chapter doesn't have that many fancy rules; we value individual potential."

I saw your performance at the trial last time; you're a promising talent.

As he led Karen toward the interior of the compound, he explained, "Our chapter is one of the extraordinary organizations in the City of No Breath, but it is not under the jurisdiction of the City Lord's Mansion."

You don't need to feel any pressure after joining. If you are recruited by other forces later, you can also choose to join them, and you will still be a part of the warband.

Our battle group usually takes on commissions involving the extraordinary, and occasionally we also cooperate with the city lord's mansion and the church to carry out special missions.

The leader is Vaughn Sadworth, a Tier 5 warrior, currently the strongest member of the chapter, though he is frequently away on missions.

A fifth-tier warrior?!

Karen was startled.

He hadn't expected the leader of the warband to be so powerful, even on par with the city lord and the bishop.

"Judging from your expression, you must be very interested in learning about extraordinary beings, right?" Lamont smiled and began to explain the extraordinary system of this world to Karen.

"The extraordinary power we extraordinary beings possess originates from the extraordinary elements that are ubiquitous in this world."

Through specific secret medicines, we can guide these extraordinary elements into our bodies and gain power beyond that of ordinary people.

There are currently five known extraordinary professions: Warrior, Mage, Assassin, Wizard, and Divine Servant.

Each profession has its own unique power system and promotion path.

Karen listened intently.

Although this information was mentioned in the original owner's memories, the original owner was just an ordinary person and certainly did not have as comprehensive an understanding as Lamont, a superhuman.

At this point, Lamont continued, "Awakening is the first step into the extraordinary."

You need to drink the corresponding secret medicine in front of the stone of your chosen profession, then sit in meditation and endure the impact of the secret medicine's power and the infusion of extraordinary elements.

Success awakens one to become a first-tier transcendent being in that profession, but failure can result in anything from being bedridden for a few months to suffering lifelong health problems.

"What is a standing stone?" Karen caught this key word.

"Those are creations left over from ancient times, said to be related to the gods, but no one knows the specifics," Lamont patiently explained. "They are scattered all over the world and are an essential medium for every profession's awakening and advancement."

Our clan has a warrior's stone, and the city's mage guild and church each have a mage's stone and a priest's stone, respectively.

As for the Assassin's Stone and the Wizard's Stone, there are none within the City of Breathless, but there are scattered stones representing various professions in the wilderness outside the city.

"Then what about the promotion?" Karen pressed.

Lamont said, "Once you have fully absorbed and digested the remaining power of the secret medicine in your body, you can try to advance."

Promotion also requires drinking the corresponding profession's secret medicine in front of the standing stone, and then your consciousness will enter the illusionary trial created by the standing stone.

Completing the trial will allow you to advance to the next level.

Lamont paused, then emphasized, "But you need to remember that while the elixir is key, the Standing Stone is your bridge to transcendence."

Your personal will, talent, and understanding of the profession are the deciding factors in whether you can cross this bridge.

Especially the Illusion Trial, which is not simply a battle, often tests your compatibility with your class.

Karen silently noted it down.

He suddenly realized that the mysterious runes deep within his right eye might play an unexpected role in awakening and advancement.