Chapter 143 : Druid Bloodline! A Dangerous Game!
Chapter 143: Druid Bloodline! A Dangerous Game!
On the other side, Anthony looked at Leo, who had just seemed to flinch slightly, and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, how is it? In chess, you still can’t beat me. But to reach this level against me—there’s no second person in Blackstone City who can do it.”
Anthony felt that this visit had brought him much closer to Leo.
Some things couldn’t be rushed; they had to be approached step by step.
Especially matters involving people’s hearts—never to be handled hastily.
After all, the two of them hadn’t had much interaction before. They needed time to understand each other.
Once familiarity was established, many things could be discussed gradually.
“You’re just going easy on me. But I feel that last rook move shouldn’t have retreated. Want another round?” Leo appeared regretful.
“Oh? Didn’t expect you, who rarely leaves home, to be so competitive.”
“A knight always has a burning spirit.” Leo casually made something up, while his Second Mind checked on the mouse’s condition.
Earlier, he had already found a clue—that drawer.
Once Shared State cooled down again, he would approach from another angle and force his way into that drawer.
“Well said! That’s the spirit of a knight!” Anthony had also been stirred into wanting another game.
Since childhood, his favorite pastime had been chess. That feeling of controlling the entire situation, of strategizing and commanding, intoxicated him.
When he played, every piece obeyed his will, advancing and retreating at his command.
In the end, using his superior intellect to make his opponent submit—this was a pleasure that crude knightly combat could never provide.
Moreover, Leo’s performance just now had given him a slight sense of pressure.
He had played many people, but Leo was actually the strongest among them.
This alchemist’s mind was incredibly sharp.
What a pity—he would eventually lose his soul and become a dull Corpse Servant.
Anthony quickly reset the board. “Come, you go first this time.”
Meanwhile, Leo remained calm.
Not only was he stalling for time to create opportunities for Steve,
but during the previous match, his panel had updated:
【Unassigned Class: Strategist (Blue)】
【Class Advancement Requirements:
1. Spirit Attribute reaches 3.0, current 2.1 (Not Met)
2. Play one hundred matches against a true chess player, current progress 2/100 (Not Met)】
Taking advantage of this, he could progress the second requirement.
Time passed quickly, and several hours went by in a flash.
Anthony looked at Leo, who kept losing by a single move, showing reluctance.
At that moment, he deliberately exposed a flaw.
Leo instantly seized the opportunity, placing the white piece decisively.
The outcome was already determined.
Clap clap clap clap!
Anthony slowly applauded.
“What a direct strike to the heart.”
“Anthony, did you go easy on me? That mistake doesn’t seem like something you’d make.”
Anthony smiled and coughed lightly. “Cough… no, no. I just didn’t expect your chess to improve so quickly.”
Leo noticed that Anthony wanted to leave. “No, I feel like I just thought of a new strategy. Come, let’s play another round.”
Anthony had already stood up. “Let’s stop here for today. There will be plenty of chances in the future. We brothers can meet anytime.”
He hadn’t expected Leo to be even more addicted to chess than he was.
After so long, it was time for him to return to cultivation.
He had only planned to play two or three games, yet they had played over a dozen.
He hadn’t come to play chess for its own sake—only to cultivate this future servant of his.
As a sage who would one day join the Secret Faith Gathering,
controlling one’s impulses was a basic requirement.
“Good brother. Next time I’ll come find you—I’ll defeat you completely.” Leo joked, giving a Knight’s Etiquette salute.
“Alright, I’ll be waiting.” Anthony returned the salute and left.
Leo watched his departing figure, his expression turning serious.
Just now, he had already seen the Body Tempering Potion—he had almost managed to retrieve it.
Meanwhile, Anthony walked away with a smile, thinking the foolish boy had already treated him as a brother.
‘Heh, these simple-minded knights are all the same. Even if he’s a bit smarter than the rest, the result will be no different.’
Anthony thought of Laforin. The reason he had earned such trust was due to an incident years ago.
During a hunting trip, he had arranged for Wilderness Knight Order members to attack the hunting party.
With a small trick, he had taken a blade for Laforin. Though it was only a superficial wound, Laforin had since regarded him as a brother for life.
Aside from his wife and daughter, Anthony had become his closest person.
“What brotherhood? They’re all just chess pieces.”
Anthony believed he had gained Leo’s trust and could soon proceed further.
With everything seemingly under control, he opened his door—
and his smile froze.
He noticed faint indentations on the bed.
The silk surface easily retained marks.
Those indentations clearly belonged to a palm-sized animal.
Anthony’s expression froze. “Damn it! Someone!”
Over a dozen servants searched the room inside and out.
They found no trace of the mouse.
With no other choice, they followed Anthony’s orders—pouring boiling water into holes, laying poison, trying to kill the creature lurking in the shadows.
After the servants left, Anthony retrieved a key hidden on his person and opened the hidden compartment at the head of the bed.
Inside, the Body Tempering Potions were neatly arranged.
He then opened the drawer and finally relaxed.
Every time he returned to his room, the first thing he did was check whether his treasures were still there.
……
Leo withdrew his focus and summoned Steve back home.
He first comforted the little fellow, then fed it some dried meat.
Just now, in Anthony’s house, Leo had used Shared State three times.
Only then did he finally locate where the Body Tempering Potions were hidden.
The drawer he first discovered couldn’t be opened at all—it was completely sealed, like a locked metal box.
However, Leo realized the potions weren’t in the drawer, but in a hidden compartment in the headboard.
Using Steve, he had gnawed a small hole through the wall and observed the compartment from behind.
The front was sealed with a metal lock, but from the back, one could tunnel through the wall and enter.
There hadn’t been enough time to steal the potions today.
But now that he had found them, everything became easier.
Leo looked at Steve, who was gnawing on its paws mischievously.
After checking his surroundings with Hunting Moment and confirming no one was nearby, he took out several Sealed Bottles from a cabinet.
They were all identical in specification.
As an alchemist, Leo knew this best.
He then took out some previously purchased ingredients.
“Among Tier 2 potions, there is one called Sunset Dusk—a slow-acting toxic potion. At high concentration, it appears golden, hence the name.”
When controlled at a certain concentration, its color was almost identical to the golden Tier 3 Body Tempering Potion.
And he happened to have the materials.
Without hesitation, Leo began Alchemy.
Even without a Catalyst, he had patience.
Moreover, he could use his Second Mind to train Breathing Techniques simultaneously—wasting no time.
He placed an ingredient called Money Grass Seeds into the grinding trough and began carefully grinding.
For some reason, every time he crafted toxic potions, he felt a strange thrill.
It was like secretly doing something bad—somewhat addictive.
Night passed into day.
Leo looked at the golden liquid in the flask.
“The concentration is a bit too high.”
He poured some water into it using a measuring cup.
His eyes were sharp as he compared it with the real Body Tempering Potion.
Until the two looked nearly identical.
Unless one was a professional alchemist, it would be impossible to tell the difference by appearance.
He bottled the counterfeit potions, carefully inspecting them.
Then he packed four bottles into a bundle and had Steve hide them underground.
“Anthony has five bottles. One is already opened—so I’ll replace the others first.”
Leo also prepared a wooden board and had Steve take it along.
When the drawer was opened normally, its back panel couldn’t be seen because it was blocked by the potions.
But to be safe, Leo prepared a similarly colored wooden board for disguise.
“Go, Steve. Good luck.”
Just as he finished speaking, the maid Penny spoke from outside the door, “Lord Leo, the pastries you requested are ready.”
He had heard that Anthony loved butter pastries, so he had his servants prepare some.
After all, courtesy demanded reciprocity.
……
Meanwhile, in a dense forest a hundred miles outside Blackstone City,
a figure moved swiftly between the trees like a green phantom.
Moments later, as the branches swayed slightly, a young woman landed lightly atop a short tree. “Flag, stop hiding. Come out.”
She looked toward the distant bushes, sensing that Flag was nearby.
But beneath her, the tree suddenly shifted.
Mia leapt gracefully, flipping and landing on the ground. She looked back at the small tree she had just stood on.
The tree shook off its branches, bark peeling away in layers.
A burly man stood before her.
“Flag, it seems your Druid bloodline has awakened further.”
Flag brushed leaves off his head. “Not bad. How about you? Did you figure out the situation here?”
“Two High-tier Corpse Servants, fifteen Mid-tier ones, and over thirty knights. All scattered throughout the valley.” Mia counted on her fingers casually, as if tallying toys.
“And the master of the Corpse Servants?”
“Didn’t find them.” Mia shook her head.
“I’ve been watching your sister. They’re treating her very well—good food, good care, even sparring with her daily.” Flag had been monitoring the area.
“So? Do we strike?”
“Wait a bit longer. The big fish hasn’t surfaced yet.”
“But the commander only gave you ten days of leave, Lady Mia.” Flag advised sincerely.
Mia counted on her fingers. “Then we wait nine days. On the tenth, we act.”
Flag shook his head helplessly. “Alright.”
Each captain in the Golden Knight Order was assigned a vice-captain, mainly to keep an eye on these Great Knights.
It was not an easy job.
“The next transaction should be in three days. Watch closely then.” Mia’s expression turned serious.
Though she usually acted playful like a child—
well, she was indeed a child—
when she became serious, even he felt a bit intimidated.