Chapter 301 You might die
Alice was somewhat taken aback by William's sudden anger.
Based on her understanding of the current Soulmaners, there didn't seem to be many impressive figures. Among those she had encountered, only Zoey and Lucien seemed somewhat stronger; as for the rest… well, she had never lost to them.
Besides, with her master backing her up, why did she need to exert herself?
She wasn't particularly keen on improving her abilities; being moderately powerful was enough for her. She never aspired to be invincible.
Pouting, Alice muttered under her breath, "Isn't having you to back me up enough?"
In Alice's eyes, William was an invincible being. He had effortlessly eradicated numerous "demi-gods." Even if he wasn't always by her side, just unsealing the Sword Spirit in times of danger would be enough to protect her from any harm.
Alice's voice was low, but William, with his keen hearing, caught her words, and his expression grew even grimmer.
"Although I was the one who acted this time, you'll be the one resolving the trouble! From now on, you will stay by my side, and any trouble I cause, you will handle! Even if you're in danger and close to death, I won't intervene. Do you understand me?" William was furious. When had taking a disciple meant having to provide constant support?
"I understand," Alice responded, appearing meek but inwardly almost bursting with joy, especially at the part about staying by his side from now on...
Woohoo!
Could that mean staying by William's side 24/7?
Seeing Alice's conflicted expression, looking both aggrieved and delighted, William couldn't help but ask, "What's with that face?"
Alice, struggling to contain her amusement, bowed her head and said softly, "You're right in your reprimand, Master. I will certainly work harder."
William nodded slightly and began walking towards East 62nd Street, with Alice closely following him.
Even though it was late at night, the city's nightlife was just beginning. As they passed a street lined with nightclubs, the area was bustling and lively, with luxury cars parked everywhere and many inebriated people wandering the streets.
Alice, excited, suggested, "Master, should we join a party? I bet you've never really experienced the nightlife. I rarely go too." She figured that someone as serious as William might not have experienced the typical modern nightlife.
At this moment, Alice thought it would be quite pleasant to have a drink with her master or even attend a party together.
However, William didn't even slow his pace and simply responded indifferently, "Is this the attitude of diligence you just talked about?"
Alice defended herself, "But it's already so late, and haven't I been constantly improving my abilities using the methods you taught? Relaxing occasionally shouldn't be a problem, right?" She had been diligent when studying medicine, but now she felt she already possessed considerable strength.
As they continued walking, William said, "Other Soulmancers undergo intense, isolated training, sometimes for months or even decades, enhancing their abilities day and night, all to become stronger, to survive, or to seek longer life. And their talents are far superior to yours."
"With your attitude towards improvement, you would have had difficulty surviving long in the past."
"…" Alice didn't understand why William suddenly cared so much about her improving her abilities. It seemed to her that the world of Soulmancers was relatively peaceful now.
Glancing at Alice, William explained, "I thought that in this era of declining energy, the overall strength of Soulmancers wouldn't be too great. But I just scanned the whole world and found that just in Texas, there are over twenty mid-level Soulmancers, five high-level Soulmancers, and one who has broken the limits of Soulmancers to become a demigod. Other major Soulmancer organizations have even more."
"I also need to remind you, just considering the Martinez family alone, besides one mid-level Soulmancer at the peak of their power, there's also a high-level Soulmancer. With your current strength, if you go to Texas, there's a high probability they would kill you." William wasn't idle while walking earlier; he used his divine sense to scan the entire world and discovered that there are not as few Soulmancers nowadays as he had imagined.
Many real masters had not registered with the 13th Bureau, many of whom had lived for over a thousand years, originally nearing death. However, William's revival of the Earth's energy sources had extended their lives, with many even showing signs of breaking their own limits.
Those major Soulmancer organizations or Soulmancer families generally have beings of a "quasi-god" status, possessing powers closer to true gods, sitting at their helm.
Texas might just be a gathering place for lesser-known Soulmancers, but it also has its fair share of masters.
Although the Arcane Society is quite famous, it's not actually considered a major Soulmancer organization. The real major Soulmancer organizations are located in very remote and secretive sanctuaries unknown to the common people.
Alice swallowed hard and asked weakly, "Master, this 'quasi-god' level of strength you mentioned… is it very powerful?"
William realized he had never actually explained the different levels of Soulmancer strength to Alice. He began, "You should already know about the ranks of novice Soulmancer, junior Soulmancer, mid-level Soulmancer, senior Soulmancer, and demi-god. Beyond that, there are quasi-god, sub-god, and high-god levels. Advancing to the next level is incredibly difficult. You're currently at the mid-term level of a mid-level Soulmancer. If you encounter someone of the quasi-god level, they could probably annihilate you in one move, and you wouldn't even have the chance to draw your sword."
Alice couldn't help but ask, "Then what level of strength are you, Master? You must be at least a high-god, right?"
William laughed mockingly, "As you see, I'm just a novice Soulmancer."
'I don't believe you for a second!' Alice thought, rolling her eyes. Her master was incredibly powerful, probably at least at the quasi-god level.
She had no idea that, millennia ago, anyone who hadn't reached the quasi-god level was simply considered a mortal.
"So… should I really go to Texas?" Alice was conflicted. If William truly stopped helping her and also forbade her from using the Sword Spirit, wouldn't going to Texas be suicidal?
"I've said it before,from now on, you'll follow me. If I go, naturally you'll have to go too!" William stopped in front of a bar named SPACEPLUS and said, "Didn't you want to drink? Tonight, you can indulge one last time."
"Sure!" Although Alice was frightened by William, the thought of being able to drink made her momentarily forget her worries.
The reason William agreed to go to the bar with her wasn't really for her final indulgence. When he was scanning the surroundings earlier, he discovered that there was a mid-level Soulmancer in the bar, and this Soulmancer was drinking with Lila.
Are Soulmancers nowadays so brazenly integrating into the world of ordinary people?
It's worth noting that not every Soulmancer can achieve mid-level status in just over a month like Alice. For an average Soulmancer, failing to reach the mid-level within two hundred years means certain death.
Even for a heaven-blessed genius, without extraordinary encounters, reaching mid-level Soulmancer status would require decades of rigorous training.
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