Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

“In that case,” Merrick tossed the crystal to Rhodes, “here is a very interesting task for you.”

"Ok?"

Rhodes gazed at the crystal, his eyes lost in thought.

No matter how long he looked at it, the crystal didn't change at all...

"Don't worry, crystal is just crystal, it has no special effects," Merrick scoffed.

Chapter 78 The Abnormalities of Marine Species (Please Subscribe!)

“…” Rhodes’ forehead twitched slightly. “Professor Merrick, please don’t play me.”

“Anomalies have now emerged in the eastern coastal region, specifically at the port of Phillips.”

Many people have spotted the [marine species], and they are all alien [marine species]. They all seem to have unusual purposes, heading towards a certain location.

Rhodes frowned slightly. "And then?"

"Based on my assessment, I can roughly guess that... someone took away the treasure of a special life form of the marine species and placed it here, which is why it turned out this way."

Merrick paused slightly, his tone turning cold:

“And the worst part is… that place is our Stasen Holy Academy.”

"Currently, many students at St. Starson Academy are experiencing parasitism, causing widespread fear."

There are already enough corrupted demons, and now there's the threat of a marine species. The students are so afraid they don't dare go outside.

"Yes, that's right. Someone deliberately wanted to put Stasen Holy Academy in danger, and coincidentally, I was summoned here by you."

"So, this matter can be considered to have started because of you, so naturally it is up to you to resolve it."

"Your mission is to find that special treasure hidden inside the St. Starson Academy. Treasure hunting is easy for you Soul God Seeds, isn't it?"

"As for the reward, it's very simple: the unknown treasure you find is yours."

Furthermore, I will give you five Tier 3 [Link Scrolls] to advance your skills to the next stage.

Furthermore, since this mission was issued by the Imperial Military, you will also receive 1,000 Military Points and the qualification to be promoted to lieutenant.

Professor Merrick finished speaking, and the commission was finally clear.

"in this way……"

Five precious Tier 3 Link Scrolls, a large amount of military points, and an unknown treasure.

Very generous rewards.

The previous second-tier link scroll already demonstrated how much the effect of skill upgrades would be enhanced.

It can be said that as long as Rhodes' skills are all upgraded to level three, he will be able to fight against an opponent who has been upgraded four times, even at his current level.

Not to mention military points. He hasn't even redeemed the rewards from the last hundred points yet, and with an extra thousand points, there are so many things he can exchange for.

Military points can be exchanged for many upgrade items, including some that directly boost attribute values ​​through brute force.

For example, the [Heart of Elements] item can greatly increase attribute values, giving Rhodes the chance to upgrade four times, and its exchange value is only one thousand points.

Moreover, there is an unknown treasure...

It was very plentiful, indeed very abundant.

This is a very rewarding quest even in a low-level dungeon, and Rhodes knows exactly what he should do.

"You won't refuse, will you? After all, once you complete this mission, your strength will almost jump to the level of a fourth-level upgrade."

This means you can return to the capital with great confidence and go and crush those so-called geniuses.

"Yes, including... that so-called church saintess, isn't it?"

"That's how it is." Rhodes nodded slightly.

"But I still need to help Ivina get out of the Duke's mansion first, and I also need to deal with those witches, so I can only complete this task after I return to the academy, right?"

"It's alright, no rush. After all, the spread of marine species is actually very slow now, and only about ten students have experienced abnormalities."

The most urgent task now is indeed to eliminate those witches who are preparing to participate in this coming-of-age ceremony; they pose a far greater threat than the sea-dwelling race.

"Understood. Then, after Ivina's request is completed, I'll handle this matter."

Rhodes nodded slightly, but then changed the subject—

"But Professor Merrick, I didn't come to you initially to ask for a new commission."

"Hmm?" Merrick's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Actually, I need your messenger to go to the capital to contact someone and have her send someone to Phillips."

"You want to send people from the capital to deal with the witches? Do you think I can't perfectly handle those witches?" Merrick said coldly, his dissatisfaction growing.

This is a series of times being looked down upon.

Even if she is weak now, a person who has been promoted five times is like an ant in her hands, so what threat could she pose?

In this seaside town, there is no danger whatsoever.

"It's not that I look down on you," Rhodes shook his head.

"The main reason is that the early start of this coming-of-age ceremony means that Cecilia and the others' plan has fallen apart."

"So, whether they will choose to continue fighting us to the death over the coming-of-age ceremony, or whether they will back down and carry out other tasks, remains to be seen."

"So you're saying that trouble arises because of the unknown?" Merrick retorted.

Rhodes shook his head again:

"No, it's just because it's unknown, so we might as well use violence to gang up on them and wipe them out completely."

After all, I said at the beginning that I didn't have much time left and I didn't want to waste any more time with them at Phillips.

What I want to do now is, once the situation stabilizes, deal with Cecilia and the others, and incidentally resolve the so-called "sea-dwelling species" issue, then return to the capital.

“Okay.” Merrick rarely agreed to Rhodes’ request so readily.

With a flick of her fingertip, a small, deep blue swallow appeared on her fingertip—

This bird is clearly much stronger than the previous one...

“A summon that has been upgraded five times.” Rhodes recognized it instantly.

"Hmm, not bad." A hint of proud arrogance appeared on Merrick's lips. "Not only does it have extremely high speed, but... its combat power is also quite impressive."

Rhodes bowed slightly, then stepped forward, took the envelope he had prepared from his pocket, and handed it to the blue swallow's claw.

"Please deliver this letter to a girl named Natalie at the Linlank Imperial Cathedral. She is a priestess and is known as a saint."

"Chirp chirp." The bird flapped its wings twice, then took flight like a shooting star. In just two seconds, it determined its direction and disappeared without a trace.

Rhodes stared at the edge of the window, his eyes darkening.

So, everything is ready.

Now, let's see what Cecilia plans to do.

Should they fight to the death at this coming-of-age ceremony that no one was prepared for, or should they back down and wait a few days before facing her again?

or……

Is it really true that they'll gladly give up the capture of Phillips?

Three possibilities... have led to the unknown.

Chapter 79 Take revenge on Lilith, Cecilia! (Please subscribe to the first issue!)

Rod walked out of Professor Merrick's room.

The process of notifying the capital and then having people from the capital come to Phillips takes at least three days.

Although it took quite a while, it couldn't coincide with Ivina's coming-of-age ceremony.

But it doesn't matter.

After all, from the very beginning, the Church's power was an external force deployed to prevent Cecilia from unleashing her new trump card.

However, this means that Ivina's coming-of-age ceremony still needs to be handled by them.

Tread...  

Light and shadow weave in, and the 11 a.m. sunshine in winter is a source of joy and comfort.

Rhodes walked along the corridor of the Duke's mansion, and it always felt so long.

It's hard to see the end at a glance, and the key is that the corridor is laid out in a circular pattern, so it always makes people feel a little confused about the distance.

"The only way to determine the location is by looking at the room number."

Rhodes glanced at the room beside him, but suddenly, his expression froze—

Room number seventeen?

He was quite certain that room number seventeen, being the closest to the edge of the guest rooms, couldn't possibly have been there for most of the day...

As if defying all superstition, Rod took two more steps forward, only to find himself in another room, number seventeen.

That's right.

Swish swish swish—

A gentle breeze stirred outside, and in an instant, a figure appeared beside him, jolting him awake.

but.

Upon sensing the girl's familiar rose scent, all tension in his body vanished completely, leaving only a deep sense of helplessness hidden in his eyes.

Because he knew this guy was the most dangerous enemy, but also the safest.

[Her reason for living was for him, so she would never kill him] This is a fact that has been verified countless times.

“Cecilia.” Rhodes rubbed his temples, finally swallowing hard before speaking.

"Darling, it's been so long..."

Cecilia.