Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

This was the impression Yalina had after staring at it for a long while.

She felt a chill run through her and shrank her head back in fright. "Levi, this Mist Swamp is terrifying."

When Levi heard that, he lowered his head and looked down at the Mist Swamp.

At this moment, Levi had transformed into a high-level First-Ring monster. He possessed darkvision, and his eyesight was far stronger than Yalina's, even though she was a knight.

His gaze even pierced through the fog, allowing him to see the adventurers, beasts, and kobolds inside the swamp.

There were enormous numbers of kobolds, at least in the tens of thousands. Among the ordinary kobolds, Levi also saw some stronger-looking kobolds, some whose bodies had grown dragon scales and gave off draconic might, and others holding magic staffs that radiated Magic Power fluctuations.

Among them, one exceptionally old kobold with a magic staff seemed to sense Levi's gaze. It raised its head and looked over, its eyes seeming to pierce through the fog and land on Levi's body. A sharp glint flashed through its eyes, and the staff in its hand began flickering with red light. It pointed toward Levi's position, and the light transformed into a red bolt of lightning as thick as an arm, shooting straight at him.

Levi, who was in midair, sensed the danger immediately.

Yalina's expression changed drastically. By then, the red lightning was already almost upon them.

Levi, however, remained quite calm. After determining that he could not dodge it, he immediately thought of a countermeasure. At the critical moment, he released his Greater Demon Owl transformation and returned to human form.

In an instant, Levi, the carriage, and everything else were pulled downward by gravity, falling just in time to narrowly avoid the red lightning.

At the same time, now that Levi had returned to human form, he could cast spells again. While still in midair, he cast Wizard's Hand and casually pulled a sharpened iron rod out of the falling alchemy carriage. Then, aiming toward the magic-staff kobold's position, he shot it with force.

The iron rod let out a piercing whistle and vanished into the depths of the Mist Swamp in the blink of an eye.

The entire Mist Swamp immediately fell silent.

Levi, still falling through the air, narrowed his eyes coldly. Then he transformed back into the Greater Demon Owl. Before Yalina, the horses, and the carriage compartment could smash into the ground and break apart, he caught them again and flew back into the sky.

Yalina still had not recovered. The horses were also in a dazed state.

Miss Nightingale Odelle was slightly better off, though not by much.

Levi had no time to pay attention to them. His gaze fell once more upon the Mist Swamp below.

The magic-staff kobold was no longer where it had been. Levi also could not find the iron rod. He did not know where it had been hidden.

His gaze swept across most of the Mist Swamp, like that of a sovereign.

Suddenly, from the depths of the Mist Swamp, a dragon's roar rang out. Along with it came a terrifying wave of draconic might, rushing straight at Levi.

This was Third-Ring!

Or perhaps an even stronger existence.

In an instant, Levi felt as if even his soul was about to be stunned.

Fortunately, deep within his soul, the Origin Energy and multiple spell crystals trembled, allowing Levi to recover.

He no longer dared to be arrogant. He immediately flapped his wings and flew higher.

Originally, after becoming a Second-Ring Wizard, he had felt a little proud. He had thought that, in this vast fairy-tale world, aside from those few beings he needed to watch out for, he could go wherever he wanted and leave whenever he wished.

He had not expected reality to teach him a lesson with just one Mist Swamp!

It was better to stay cautious! Levi thought.

At the same time, his motivation to strengthen himself became even greater.

Although his rate of growth was already extremely fast.

In less than three months after leaving the Magic Mirror Queen, he had gone from an ordinary person to a Second-Ring Wizard and a Grand Knight.

That speed of growth could no longer be described as merely fast.

But Levi still felt it was not fast enough.

'I need to think of a way,' Levi thought. He activated the Greater Demon Owl's innate ability, entered a concealed state, then beat his wings hard and rapidly approached the Duchy of Silverbrook.

Several hours later, Levi crossed the Mist Swamp and arrived within the territory of the Duchy of Silverbrook.

By this time, Yalina and Miss Nightingale Odelle had also recovered from the earlier attack. They were no longer as panicked, and their attention was quickly drawn to the scenery below.

After passing through the first layer of thin mist, what entered their eyes was an endless expanse of emerald green.

That was the royal forbidden forest of the Duchy of Silverbrook. Ancient oak crowns stretched on and on, forming a green ocean whose divine presence resembled jade.

Even from midair, Yalina could smell the fresh scent of pine needles and earth mingling below, along with the faint fragrance of herbs.

And further ahead, within sight, lay the heartland of the Duchy of Silverbrook.

The legendary Silver Creek shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight. The river water was so clear that the smooth pebbles beneath its surface could be seen with ease.

This was the origin of the Duchy of Silverbrook's name.

The river flowed like a ribbon, gently encircling the White Jade City at its center.

Most of the city's buildings were constructed from white marble, with red-tiled roofs that appeared especially vivid beneath the blue sky.

At the city's center, the spire of the Throne Hall rose straight into the clouds. At its peak, a crystal sphere rotated with the angle of the sun, casting a prismatic patch of light onto the city walls.

The docks along the riverbank were bustling with activity. Goods unloaded from merchant ships were piled into small hills, and the noise of the crowd, when heard from high above, resembled the gentle buzzing of bees, giving the scene an oddly peaceful atmosphere.

Yalina was completely captivated. The reason she had mustered the courage to follow Levi and run away in the first place was precisely to witness the beauty of the world.

She could hardly wait to descend to the ground and enter that White Jade City.

In contrast, Levi remained calm. His gaze passed over the White Jade City and continued northward, toward a mountain range that stretched endlessly into the distance. The sky there was noticeably more overcast, and beneath the snow-covered peaks of the mountains lay black slopes emitting sulfurous smoke.

Levi's gaze settled upon it, and a faint sense of danger arose in his heart.

This was his perception issuing a warning—within that mountain range existed something capable of threatening him.

'As expected, a Second-Ring Wizard is still not strong enough,' Levi thought to himself once again. Then he descended toward the wilderness outside the White Jade City.

He dispelled Polymorph and returned to human form.

Only after setting foot once more on solid ground did Yalina feel a sense of reassurance. She excitedly asked Levi, "Levi, are we going into the city?"

Levi nodded.

A smile appeared on Yalina's face as she continued, "The city looks so lively. I want to explore it."

"You can," Levi replied with a nod. As he looked at the capital of the Duchy of Silverbrook, his eyes glowed faintly blue.

Information visible only to him surfaced before his eyes, and in an instant, Levi learned a great deal about the city.

The city was called Aetherlan.

In ancient language, "Aether" meant noble and pure, while "lan" referred to land or a stronghold. Combined, the name meant "Noble White Jade Fortress."

Since its naming, the title had spread across the continent through the mouths of bards.

According to legend, when the first Duke of Silverbrook was choosing a site, he dreamed of a goddess draped in white who guided him to this river bend.

The goddess told him that this place would become "the silver clasp of the earth and the mirror of the sky."

The Duke of Silverbrook—at that time, he had not yet held that title—awoke and ordered the mining of white marble from the nearby mountains, then built a city at the river bend.

To commemorate the dream, the first Duke of Silverbrook named the city Aetherlan, symbolizing a sacred place that connected heaven and earth.

Within Aetherlan, most buildings were constructed from white marble, with red-tiled roofs gleaming under the sunlight. The spire of the Throne Hall at the city center pierced the clouds, and the crystal sphere at its peak was the city's most iconic structure, said to be capable of communicating with the stars.

The streets crisscrossed throughout the city, and silverleaf trees were planted along both sides. Their canopies intertwined overhead, forming a natural green dome.

Whenever night fell and the streetlights were lit, the entire city resembled a glowing white jade palace, breathtakingly beautiful.

This was not only the political center of the Duchy of Silverbrook, but also its hub of commerce and culture.

Silverleaf Plaza within the city was the largest marketplace. Merchants from all over gathered there to trade rare materials, herbs, and crafted goods.

It was said that beneath Aetherlan lay an ancient underground river, within which flowed a silver liquid. This subterranean river was connected to the Silver Creek on the surface and was considered the city's "lifeline."

According to legend, as long as the underground river did not run dry, Aetherlan would prosper forever. However, this legend had never been verified.

Levi, however, could confirm it. Using Detection, he had discovered that the underground river did indeed exist, connecting multiple waterways beneath the city, including deep wells.

There was no so-called silver liquid, but there was a type of fish that was entirely silver-white, resembling polished silver. Its body was shaped like a long arrow, and it lived in the depths of those underground waterways.

Using Level 5 Detection, Levi uncovered even more information. He discovered that this Silver Arrowfish could effectively enhance his physical attributes and strengthen his bones and muscles.

Not only would it benefit Levi, it would also greatly help Yalina's knightly path. It could assist her in breaking through to a higher level of knighthood—Grand Knight would not be her limit; she might even become something beyond a Grand Knight… a coachman.

In addition, the flesh and blood of these Silver Arrowfish could slightly increase a wizard's Magic Power recovery speed.

Levi's interest was immediately piqued.

If Yalina's strength improved, it would also make things more convenient for him. Many matters could be handed over to her, sparing him the trouble—after all, he was a dignified Second-Ring Wizard.

There was just one problem. Those Silver Arrowfish lived deep within the underground waterways. Even as a Second-Ring Wizard, it would not be easy for Levi to enter.

He could transform into a nightingale, but a nightingale couldn't swim.

If only he could transform into some kind of aquatic creature, Levi thought.

A thought suddenly struck him. Turning to Yalina and Miss Nightingale Odelle, he said, "Let's go. We're heading into the city."

Yalina nodded repeatedly. Miss Nightingale Odelle's eyes also showed a trace of anticipation. However, entering the city was not something they could do immediately.

First, the horses pulling the carriage needed to be calmed. After all, they had been flying through the air for so long—it was already impressive that they hadn't died of fright.

Second, the inside of the carriage was in a complete mess and needed to be tidied up.

Naturally, Levi had no intention of doing such things himself.

He was a noble Second-Ring Wizard.

So the task fell, of course, to Miss Yalina—the coachman known as the "Tulip Beauty."

Miss Nightingale Odelle assisted from the side, though she could not help much.

After busying themselves for more than half an hour, Levi and his group were finally able to set off toward the city of Aetherlan.

"Entry fee—three copper coins per person."

When they arrived at the city gate, the city guards were neatly dressed and showed no signs of extortion. They simply conducted a brief inspection. One of them let his gaze linger for a moment on Yalina's beautiful face, then collected the copper coins and allowed them to pass.

This left Yalina with an especially good impression of the city. She said to Miss Nightingale Odelle, "The lord of this city, the Duke of Silverbrook, must be very impressive."

Miss Nightingale Odelle nodded in agreement. "From what I know, very few cities can manage this—especially when dealing with commoners."

The two of them, one human and one bird, began chattering away.

The carriage followed the flow of incoming vehicles along the wide avenue, passing by a dazzling array of shops, before finally stopping in front of a high-end inn.

The Golden Fleece Inn.

The conditions here were far superior to those of the inn in Greystone Town.

As soon as Levi's carriage came to a stop, a well-dressed attendant stepped forward, arranged for the carriage to be properly parked, and then pushed open the inn's heavy oak doors. A wave of warmth rushed out to meet them, carrying the mixed scents of roasted wild boar, expensive spices, and burning oakwood from the fireplace.

Levi and Yalina both reacted slightly, their gazes drawn inside. The hall was lofty, with fine tapestries hanging from the beams. Though they served to block the chill of the stone walls, they also lent the place an air of noble elegance.

The floor was not bare earth but covered with thick rush mats, making footsteps completely silent.

Looking around, there was none of the usual noise and brawling found in lower-class taverns. Instead, well-dressed caravan leaders and fallen nobles conversed in low voices.

Such an environment put Yalina in an even better mood.

Miss Nightingale Odelle, on the other hand, remained calm. Having attended noble banquets frequently, she was long accustomed to such settings.

As for Levi, he observed everything with the detached curiosity of an outsider.

The innkeeper, who carried himself with the demeanor of a noble steward, stepped forward to receive him. Levi paused for a moment before stating his request: "I want the best room. One with hot water for bathing."

Although Levi possessed the Gathering Technique and could keep himself clean without bathing, bathing was still a kind of enjoyment—for example, a shared bath and so on… ahem… just an example…

He tossed out a silver coin. It traced a gleaming arc through the air before landing in the innkeeper's hand.

This was not a deposit, but merely a tip.

The innkeeper's smile widened even further. "Of course, honored guest."

"We happen to have a room that meets your requirements. It comes with a private fireplace, thick wool carpets, and a genuine four-poster bed draped with velvet covers."

"There is an unlimited supply of hot water, as well as attendants available at your call."

"Of course, meals will also be provided—two portions of white bread, blueberry jam, roasted pork ribs, and wine."

"If you are not satisfied, you may instruct us at any time. We will do our utmost to serve you."

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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

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