Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Unlucky Sains
"Hold on, release a bit more magic power for me to see," Hollan said.
Feld nodded and released a bit more magic power. This was the last of his magic power. Earlier, before Hollan woke up, Feld had instantly used up his magic power to withstand a fireball. At this moment, his Free Magic source was truly depleted.
Hollan observed Feld's magic power for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Did you find the reason?" Feld asked eagerly.
"No," Hollan shook her head. "But I noticed something."
"Even though your magic power intensity isn't low, the quality of the residual magic power far exceeds that of a Silver-level mage. But your magic power seems... inactive."
"It's inert, as if it hasn't fully awakened, so it can't linger in the air. Once released, it quickly dissipates."
"So, even if I wanted to learn, I couldn't," Feld nodded, sighing.
But then he looked at Hollan with determination. "But I'm not giving up. That's why I want to go to Haidis, to see if I can find a way to learn magic!"
"I thought you were going to give up just like that," Hollan laughed, with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"How could I? I'm going to learn magic no matter what!" Feld declared.
"Why?" Hollan could tell Feld had a special obsession with magic.
"Because magic is always more convenient than fists. Just like earlier, you sent out a Glacial Surge, and boom, they all turned into ice sculptures. It made me so envious," Feld lamented. "So beautiful and cool, so handsome."
"Why did you say 'beautiful' twice?" Hollan blinked her beautiful eyes, asking.
Feld gave her a meaningful look. "One for the magic and one for the mage."
Hollan laughed again. Being with this big guy always put her in a good mood.
"Well, in that case, I might be able to help a little," Hollan smiled.
"Really?" Feld looked pleasantly surprised, though he had actually brought up this topic just to lead into it.
"Of course, don't forget, I'm a professional magic researcher. In our Magic Research major, we study magic power and magic itself. Maybe we can find a way to enable you to learn magic," Hollan explained.
"That would be amazing!" Feld exclaimed happily. That's what he wanted.
"So, how will you thank me?" Hollan rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a playful smile.
Feld suddenly became serious. "I'll work hard to earn a million!"
Hollan chuckled. "Then you better work harder."
"I'll help too, meow!" Kiki raised her hand beside them.
Though she didn't study Magic Research, she knew Feld needed help, so she was determined to lend a hand.
"In that case, I'll have to work even harder to earn another million," Feld said with a smile.
"Why?" Kiki asked curiously.
"To take care of the cat, of course," Feld chuckled and rubbed her little head.
Kiki affectionately rubbed her head against his palm. She really liked it when Feld rubbed her head; it made her feel safe and warm.
And so, the atmosphere of joy filled the small caravan of three as they continued on their way to Haidis.
Upon entering the city, Feld asked, "Do you know where the orphanage is?"
"Of course," Hollan nodded.
"Great. Kiki, you go to the orphanage with Mentor Hollan first. I'll finish the task and find you later."
"Okay, meow." Kiki nodded and hopped off the carriage, saying to Hollan, "Let's go, meow~"
Hollan nodded with a smile, got off the carriage with Kiki, and headed towards the direction of the orphanage, while Feld drove the carriage towards the dock area.
He sent Kiki and Hollan ahead because there might be Crab Gang members on the way to the dock area. If that were the case, he would have to have a good chat with those Crab Gang guys.
Arriving at the dock, Feld heard a commotion and saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of a warehouse. Among the onlookers were members of the Crab Gang, about twenty or so in total. At the forefront stood a burly man with a steel crab claw for an arm, Sains Doroteo, the boss of the Crab Gang and owner of the three-star-rated Crab Tavern. Though Sains carried the title of "Iron Claw," it was more of a street name than an indicator of his strength. Nevertheless, his formidable power, coupled with his gang, allowed him to swagger through the outer city like the Crab itself.
Unable to obtain the desired liquor last time, Sains clearly wasn't willing to let it go. He showed up early in the morning with his men, causing trouble. Though Feld had his own bodyguards, they were no match for Sains's crew.
"How about it, Nick? Considering my offer?" Sains taunted Nick, blowing cigar smoke in his face, causing Nick to cough and drawing laughter from the Crab Gang.
Suddenly, there was a commotion from behind the crowd, and a member of the Crab Gang was sent flying into the midst of his comrades. The crowd scattered like bowling pins, and Sains scowled.
"Who dares to mess with the Crab Gang?" he growled, turning to see a burly man standing in front of a carriage, his face bearing a genial smile.
"You must be the boss of the Crab Gang," Feld approached, completely unfazed by the hostile gazes of the Crab Gang members.
Sains's expression darkened. Though he hadn't seen Feld before, he had heard about him. The mercenary hired by Nick was described as a hulking figure, and it seemed Feld fit the bill.
"Where's Rodas?" Sains demanded.
"You mean the wizard?" Feld pretended to ponder for a moment before grinning. "Dead. Died quite miserably, I might add. His fireball did wonders for burning off my beard stubble. Feels much fresher now."
Sains's chest heaved with anger. Both his trusted lieutenants and the men he brought along hadn't returned. Well, one of them did, bringing back Melbourne's corpse!
So, at this moment, his eyes bore nothing but murderous intent as he raised his chin slightly, and the Crab Gang members immediately surrounded Feld.
"You're quite arrogant, kid," Sains stepped up to Feld, blowing cigar smoke directly into his face, a clear provocation.
Sains was muscular, standing at six feet three inches, but Feld, a few centimeters taller, looked even more robust and lacked Sains's potbelly.
"Do you know whose turf this is?" Sains blew out another puff of smoke.
Feld remained unfazed by the smoke, his grin growing even wider. "Arrogant? Hahaha, you've got me all wrong," Feld said, hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly. Though Feld wasn't much taller than Sains, he seemed to tower over him.
"I'm actually a very friendly person, especially to friends," Feld said. "But when it comes to enemies..."
His smile turned sinister, and a tremendous sense of oppression emanated from him, like a lion baring its teeth.
"I'll twist their heads off and shove them up their arses!"
"Get lost, you idiot! I have deliveries to make, and we can settle our score later!" Feld turned around and headed towards the carriage.
Three gang members blocked his path, but Feld reached out and grabbed one by the head, tossing him aside with a scream. The other two quickly backed off, knowing they were no match for the giant and his terrifying aura.
Feld proceeded to lead the carriage towards the warehouse, and the gang members parted to make way, casting wary glances at their boss.
By now, Sains's face had darkened considerably. As Feld passed by him, Sains extended his iron claw and halted the carriage, preventing the horses from moving forward.
"Did I say you could leave?" Sains asked coldly.
Feld chuckled and grabbed hold of his iron claw, slowly prying it open.
Sains's expression changed slightly. This guy's strength...
In front of his subordinates, Sains couldn't afford to lose face. He exerted his aura, and seven golden bloodline patterns appeared around him, pushing Feld's hand down with force.
"Wanna arm wrestle?" Feld grinned happily.
His own bloodline patterns erupted, revealing that despite his massive size, Feld was only a five-star silver rank.
Yet here he was, arm wrestling with Sains, a seven-star gold rank!
Their hands remained locked in a stalemate.
Veins bulged on Sains's forehead, his face turning red with exertion as he strained with all his might.
Feld, on the other hand, continued to smile.
What was more terrifying was that his iron claw, which could easily crush a person's arm, was held in check by Feld's seemingly invincible grip.
Feld looked disdainful.
Don't forget, he used to work with his father in the forge. His hands could handle red-hot iron, so why fear an iron claw?
"Seriously, if it weren't for the ban on violence within Haidu, and the law enforcer nearby, I'd rip off your claw right now," Feld said nonchalantly.
"Hah, I'll make sure to use this claw to cut off your head!" Sains's voice turned icy.
"Is that so?" Feld raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "In that case, I've changed my mind."
Before anyone could react, Feld's aura exploded, and his bloodline patterns danced in the air, morphing into five golden bloodline patterns.
And despite his already impressive size, Feld's muscles swelled even more. His previously loose clothes tightened around him, and his smile grew even more sinister.
Poor Sains, he just had to challenge Feld to a wrestling match.
And now, Feld's promotion, which was on the verge of completion, surged to its final stage. The magic source within him was completely filled with condensed magic, erupting into a violent magical torrent.
At that moment, Feld's rank skyrocketed.
He was no longer a five-star silver rank.
He was now a five-star gold rank!
Sains stared at Feld in horror. He couldn't understand how Feld had suddenly jumped from silver to gold.
But Feld didn't care. His grip on Sains's claw grew stronger and stronger, and Sains's iron claw began to deform like putty under his fingers.
A wicked grin spread across Feld's face as his cold voice whispered into Sains's ear, sounding like the murmurs of a demon.
"No need to wait."
"I'm going to rip off your claw right now!"
After the showdown with the minotaur and the subsequent battle, Feld's magic reservoir was on the verge of promotion, needing only a tiny bit more to complete the process. Feld knew that his promotion would either happen today or tomorrow, but certainly not the day after.
Sains had expedited this process by challenging Feld to an arm wrestle, even if it only accelerated it by a fraction of a percent. But what Feld hadn't expected was the magnitude of this explosive advancement.
He had initially speculated that this promotion would bring him to a nine-star or ten-star silver rank at most, or perhaps just a one-star gold rank. Yet he had skyrocketed straight to a five-star gold rank.
Clearly, the longer the accumulation, the greater the advancement.
With each promotion, his magic source expanded significantly, allowing for a much larger reservoir of accumulated magic. Feld believed that the next advancement would be even greater, albeit taking longer.
The benefits of this promotion were evident. Feld's strength had increased substantially, his free magic was at full capacity, and as expected, some of the knowledge from the giant's legacy in his mind had been unlocked. There were many intriguing things to digest upon his return.
But for now, his priority was to give Sains a good beating. While he certainly wanted to kill him—Feld had no mercy for his enemies—he refrained from doing so, as killing was prohibited within Haidu, as in most cities, even in the wild city of Haidu.
Thus, Feld merely crushed Sains's iron claw and forcibly tore it from his arm. Sains's claw was a prosthetic, connected to his arm bones and muscles, allowing him to control its movements. When Feld exerted his strength, the iron claw, along with the entire forearm, was ripped from Sains's body, leaving his elbow joint and bones exposed.
Sains let out a tremendous scream of agony.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone