Chapter 50: Chapter50-Star-Thorn Manor, Beginning to Level Up
The Crowned Witch was slightly startled.
She seemed to have never expected that an adventurer who had just cleared the Trial of the First Seat, one who now carried a God-Rank class and clues to the Path to Divinity, would make such a simple first request.
Not God-Rank materials.
Not forbidden spell scrolls.
Not authority within the Round Table.
Not anything that could directly increase his combat power.
Only a quiet house.
"...Just a residence?" There was a trace of uncertainty in the Crowned Witch’s tone, as though she was confirming that she had not misheard him.
John nodded.
"Hidden enough. Safe enough. Somewhere I won’t be disturbed."
The Crowned Witch looked at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
She leaned back in her chair and shook her head, her smile carrying a hint of something hard to define—perhaps surprise, perhaps appreciation.
"Someone who cleared the Trial of the First Seat, and the first thing he asks for is not God-Rank materials, not forbidden spell scrolls, and not authority within the Round Table.
"But a quiet house."
John said calmly, "Resources can be obtained slowly. But a safe base is better secured as early as possible."
The Crowned Witch fell silent for a moment and did not refute him.
On the contrary, she seemed quite satisfied with this answer.
After all, someone who knew exactly what he needed was far more worthy of investment than someone blinded by treasures.
She raised her hand and lightly tapped the empty air.
The next moment, a map of Axis City appeared before them.
On the map, all territories belonging to the Witch Council were marked out.
The Crowned Witch casually tapped one of the locations.
"This place is close to the Witch Council’s inner district, and it is not far from my own residence.
"It was originally a vacant independent manor. It comes with a basement, a magical workshop, storage rooms, and a small training field.
"There are also Witch Council barriers protecting the surrounding area, making it very difficult for outsiders to investigate.
"This location is hidden enough and quiet enough. It should absolutely meet your requirements."
John glanced at the location on the map.
He immediately realized that the Crowned Witch had arranged the manor near her own residence not only for convenience of protection, but also because there was a certain intent to observe and monitor him.
But that did not matter.
At least for now, the Witch Council had shown no hostility toward him.
Moreover, this manor did indeed meet John’s requirements.
Seeing that John seemed quite satisfied, the Crowned Witch continued, "In addition, your manor can also be assigned a group of maids and a butler.
"They are all people trained by the Witch Council. They are trustworthy, know the rules, and understand the importance of secrecy."
John decisively refused.
"I don’t need them. Don’t arrange anyone for me."
The Crowned Witch did not seem surprised. She merely nodded slightly.
John said calmly, "What I need is a place where I absolutely won’t be disturbed.
"Beyond that, anyone I do not trust getting too close is nothing but trouble."
The Crowned Witch nodded faintly.
"A little caution is indeed a good thing."
In the next moment, she raised her hand slightly, and a contract document condensed in her palm.
The document bore the insignia of the Witch Council, as well as the transfer mark of the manor.
"Once you sign this transfer contract, that manor will belong to you.
"The Witch Council will not send anyone inside, nor will we inspect it privately.
"The manor’s original barriers will remain, but all control over them will be transferred to you.
"When you arrive there, someone will naturally complete the final handover with you."
John took the contract and carefully reviewed it several times.
After confirming that there were no problems, he signed his name.
The next moment, the system notification rang out.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a special identity within the Witch Council: Round Table Guest Elder.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained a private residence: Star-Thorn Manor.]
[Manor authority has been bound!]
[Current Owner: Outlander!]
Seeing the system notification, John’s heart finally settled slightly.
From this moment onward, he had a true foothold of his own in Axis City.
Moreover, this manor was under the protection of the Witch Council, giving it an extremely high safety rating.
The Crowned Witch looked at him and said softly, "Welcome to the Witch Council, Outlander."
John put away the contract and nodded slightly.
"Thank you."
John did not remain there any longer.
He decisively left the round table hall and followed the map marker toward his own Star-Thorn Manor.
Next, he needed an absolutely quiet place to level up.
...
Following the location marked on the contract, John soon arrived at the manor gifted to him by the Crowned Witch.
The manor was located on the edge of the Witch Council’s inner district.
It was not far from the core area of the Round Table, yet it just happened to avoid the busiest streets, making it exceptionally quiet.
From the outside, it appeared to be a low-key blackstone manor.
It had pointed attic roofs and was surrounded by a circle of heavy iron fencing.
Gray-white vines climbed along the walls, and inside the courtyard grew several night-blooming flowers that emitted a faint glow.
John walked inside, crossed the courtyard, and gently pushed open the door.
The interior of the manor appeared before his eyes.
The space inside looked much larger than it appeared from the outside.
The first floor contained a reception hall, a study, an alchemy room, and a storage room.
John looked around and discovered that there was also an independent training field underground.
With a sweep of his senses, he noticed that the walls of the manor were carved with isolation runes belonging to the Witch Council. They were capable of withstanding high-intensity skill bombardment.
What satisfied John the most was that there was not a single servant here, nor were there any unnecessary NPCs.
The entire manor was as quiet as a safe house that belonged to him alone.
John inspected the place and discovered that the manor was protected by three layers of barriers.
The first layer could isolate all forms of investigation, preventing his secrets from being pried into.
The second layer could withstand ordinary attacks, preventing any blind fools from coming here to cause trouble.
The third layer was directly connected to the defensive system of the Witch Council’s inner district.
Once a high-level intruder appeared, the Witch Council would receive an alert immediately and arrive to provide support.
John was very satisfied with such a defensive system.
This was exactly the kind of place he needed most right now.
With this base, whether he was leveling up, organizing skill fusion and equipment, or preparing for a foothold after the game fused with reality, he now had the most basic guarantee of safety.
After confirming that the surroundings were truly secure, John walked toward the underground training field.
The underground training field was extremely spacious.
Even if over a thousand training dummies were placed inside, there would still be no problem.
He sat down cross-legged and opened his experience pool.
During this period, he had experienced the world-class quest in the Starter Village, the battle in the Northern Exclusion Zone, and the rewards from the Trial of the First Seat.
After all these events, the experience he had accumulated was quietly stored inside his experience pool.
Together with the batch of EXP Stones that the City Lord’s Mansion had recently settled with him, the total amount of experience was astonishing.
The world-class quest alone had provided nearly one million EXP.
And the first batch of EXP Stones given by City Lord Shyron added up to nearly 500,000 EXP.
At present, he had a total of 2,314,200 EXP.
John did not hesitate.
He decisively used this batch of experience and began to level up.
