Perment was worried since Emeros had not appeared yet. It was late even for the slave miners to move out, and this meant that he would be punished by the guards.
"Let's go. I'm starting to get worried."
Serena nodded and walked out.
The moment the group stepped out, they saw Emeros being escorted by numerous guards.
"What did you do?!" Perment's reaction was to immediately scream as he saw Emeros surrounded by guards.
"Master Mage Perment! Here is Emeros, safe and ready to serve you. We have also brought him meals for him to grow strong!" The guards bowed.
"Oh, great and strong, Mage Perment. Please forgive your lowly servants and take these offerings. They are some of the ores we found in the mine." Another guard appeared.
Perment's expression changed.
"Mage Perment! Your other slaves are here! We wish you good tidings and praise your skills! May you conquer and grow!" Another guard exclaimed.
The three slave friends of Emeros had strange, confused expression as they were treated like precious people.
"...Master. I had successfully threatened them. The failed Magic Blade and these other failures whom you have made extensive background checks will now cooperate."
"...G-Good. Guards. My slave will die when I say it will die." Perment made an unknown threat as he turned around.
"Come. Let's have our meeting..."
The group walked into the room, and the doors were closed.
"What... was that?" Perment asked.
"Memories of my master's lessons." Emeros smiled.
"But that is a tale for another time. Today, Serena should go with us to fight in the mines. Mage Perment. Do you have the weapons?"
"Yes!"
Perment opened the nearby door and revealed an array of weapons.
Last night, he left when it was dark to buy armor and weapons and discreetly moved them inside.
Swords, shields, bows, and spears were beautifully arranged.
Several chain mail armor of varying sizes was also laid out. Helmets, greaves, gloves, and other armor apparel were there.
"This cost me more than a hundred gold. But this should do! This should get you deep enough into the mines to harvest more magic stones for your next level."
"No. I was mistaken. The rule of cultivation is the balance between death and life. We need these two energy for people of our level and our race. Life and Death must be wielded. Otherwise, we tip the balance off and suffer hindrances that will stop us from cultivating. Luckily, my poor knowledge of using the Dark Dependent formula was only used to raise our team by a few levels. If there is too much, there would be irreversible side effects."
"What?! So it's possible for the Dark Maddening to happen if we keep using the Dark Dependent Formula?!"
"No. Dark Maddening only occurs if we take certain creatures like shades. And the side-effects are not that. Actually, for you, you need to focus on Dark Dependent! You've been using Light Grown formulas all your life. If you keep using Light Grown, the potential of your growth will be in danger. That's why very few have surpassed the Champion level in this kingdom! And you, who had nothing but life, have a very flaky foundation! You probably will have a peak level of Commander using my knowledge of energy conversion circles."
"Commander!? Why do you say it like it's a bad thing? Do you realize how impossible reaching a Commander is?!" Perement exclaimed.
"I know in this kingdom, being a Commander is great. But when my master told me about it in the past, I had little knowledge of the ways of this world. I didn't know that Commander is the peak here and that only the richest of the rich can reach that level. I grew up knowing that Commander is weak!" Emeros revealed.
"Weak?! How are they weak?"
"...My master was a Crown," Emeros revealed the peak level of Kyros and Noxus.
Perment and the rest were all shocked, and their mouths were open.
"I didn't understand it then, but looking back on our memories, I can tell that my Master wasn't from around here. The way he talked and his knowledge of cultivation was very different from this place. And honestly, my master could have easily reached Conqueror level. He was already close. If he had been given more time, he would have surpassed the Conqueror level and entered the Cherubim, and maybe become a Celestial. But..." Emeros trailed off.
The group was dumbfounded. How strong was his master? No one could imagine how strong the crowns were!
"Conqueror... There is a level above Crowns?!" Perment was stuck on that knowledge.
"What about us?" Wesret asked.
"Yeah... Young hero. What level can we reach?"
"If we have a good foundation, Cardinal."
"A Cardinal?!" Philip trembled.
"Yes. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves! We still have a lot to do! Mage Perment! I will teach you what I've learned through those memory potions. And everyone, please listen. I will need all of you to be masters at this as well. Energy Conversion Circles are reliant on three aspects."
"Three? Not two? Oh right... The flow of the mana!" Perment realized that what Emeros taught him yesterday was the third aspect versus what he had learned in school.
"Right. This place only has two. But the three are Glyph Engraved, the Movement of Mana, and the Formation Circle." Emeros pointed out.
"From your practice, I can tell this kingdom has invested in Formation Circle."
"That's right. I studied in one of the most prestigious Energy Conversion Circles and knew about Formation Circles! I may be weak at a lot of things, but in terms of knowledge of Formation Circles, I was equal to Baron Elford, the genius of the school!" Perment bragged.
"Erm... how do I say this? Those formula and formation circles that you memorized? They are trash. Basically, with this formula, you guys were trying to cook fish using lightning energy on a stone pan."
Perment's face turned red. His pride was insulted, and he felt those harsh words more painful than arrows to the heart.
"The three aspects of Energy Conversion Circles must work together. Yesterday you have already realized the Movement of Mana could increase the Formation Circle. And frankly speaking, I can see that you are very good at it. For now, I'll draw an Energy Conversion Circle. These are the basics. Try to understand it and see why the Glyph Engraved by my master is vastly different. I will only give you the basics piece by piece. Only when you can make reasonably good explanations for these simple theories will I tell you the next? You claim to be a genius, then prove it to me!"
"...Understood!" Perment gripped his fist.
"The rest of us... We will stay deep into the mines and probably stay inside for several days."
"...Master? What about the monsters we kill? We have to bring them back?'
"No, we don't. It would be very suspicious if we keep leaving Perment's quarters with a level-up. I can harness mana. I'll just borrow a Formation Plate and a receiving Plate, and I will bestow the level up inside the mines!"
"...He's right. If you keep going back here with numerous monsters, it will spread rumors and unwanted attention. Worst case, it would alert the other owners of this mine."
"Other owners? This place is not owned by Duke Ressongraze?" Emeros asked.
"He is. But as this mine is now being eyed for the harvest of the rare Mythril metal and various magic stones, a suspicious group of slaves bringing in numerous monsters could raise the suspicion of the Tri-Planet Union. Other miners will soon be sent here. The adventurers and guilds have also been summoned and will be here within the next week."
"So we have a one-week's head start! Everyone, we must reach at least level ten in one week!"
"In one week?!" Wesret exclaimed.
"That's impossible!" Perment also gave his unfiltered opinion.
"It is. Leave that to me!"
"Heh! You seem confident! It's those eyes and look that you made yesterday. Alright. I'll believe you!"
"Just do your part. You keep studying here and start your plan to contact other mages who could back you up by selling altered and improved versions of the energy conversion circle that you have. But, of course, leave out the Movement of Mana!"
"I know what to do!"
"Fighters, let's prepare for our departure! Get the wheelbarrow and hide the armor inside. Only pick one weapon and cover the rest in the wheelbarrow and cover it our mining equipment. Having strong weapons here is eye-catching enough. But a full set will surely spread rumors."
The group set out and pushed their wheelbarrow barrow and moved deep into the mines.
The other slaves saw the swords and the shield that these slaves had and could not help but look in envy.
But no one dared to stop them. With the rumors of Emeros's connections and the deadly mission he had, they didn't want to get in between whatever dark secrets Emeros and Perment had.
Deep in the mines...
The magic of the cave illuminated the darkness of the cave with such lights that it was easy to see even without torches.
But as the Day of Monster Passing was now underway, a team of imps numbering over thirty was rushing to get to the other end of the underground cave with haste. Among them were larger imps that were a head taller than all the imps and had more muscles and strength.
Behind the stones, on the other side of the wide branching path, Emeros and his fully geared allies waited.
"Serena. Philip. Are you confident in using these bows?" Emeros asked.
"Yes. My father was a hunter. He taught me how to shoot!" Philip answered.
Serena only nodded to confirm.
"Ma-Master Emeros... There are over twenty of them!" Wesret's voice trembled.
"Actually, thirty-three. But don't worry. We can bring down the numbers. And don't forget... I'm here!" Emeros smiled as he leaped out of the rock and shot the first arrow.
FWIP!
Serena and Philip moved out and shot their arrows.
FWIP! FWIP!
"ROAR!" A gremlin shouted as an arrow struck it's shoulder.
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