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The reason Dean Bruce dared to accept it was that he hadn\'t sensed any killing intent, and the inclusion of the Enlightenment Tea Leaves and the Spring of Life added credibility to the gesture!

Regardless of what others might want from him in the future, the benefits had already been handed over—he couldn\'t refuse outright!

That cup of tea wasn\'t to be underestimated. Once fully absorbed, it would definitely bring Dean Bruce an unexpected surprise.

Of course, Dean Bruce wouldn\'t agree to anything immediately. He wasn\'t the type to risk his safety just for a small favor.

Reining in his thoughts, Dean Bruce signaled Nicholas William to continue scouting ahead as they searched for an inn.

Initially, everything seemed fine. But after a short while, Nicholas William began to act as if he were drunk. His eyes drooped, his head bobbed up and down as if falling asleep, only for him to jerk awake, then drift off again—over and over in a repeating cycle.

Dean Bruce glanced at him and noticed that the magical energy within Nicholas William\'s body was circulating spontaneously. Despite his hazy gaze, there was still a gleam in his eyes.

Dean Bruce instantly understood—Nicholas William was beginning to digest the power of the tea, but his physical condition was too weak to process it in a fully conscious state, which was why he kept falling into a semi-drowsy trance.

In such a state, riding a horse was clearly out of the question. Dean Bruce shook his head, dismounted, and led both warhorses by their reins, walking slowly down the empty streets.

"Ding!"

"System Notification: Host is currently absorbing and digesting the Enlightenment Tea Leaves and Spring of Life. Current absorption progress: 1%."

Dean Bruce\'s body had been strengthened multiple times before, and he had even soaked in the Spring of Life previously, making him more than capable of handling the effects. His steps remained firm and steady despite the ongoing process.

After passing through the first street and reaching a crossroads, Dean Bruce hesitated for a moment, unsure of which direction to take.

He looked up and saw a towering purple palace standing in the center of the city. If he wasn\'t mistaken, that must be the royal palace where the Empire of Lane Cloud\'s ruling family resided.

Normally, generals, prime ministers, and noble officials wouldn\'t reside within the royal palace itself. Their residences were typically located at the four corners of the city.

With Nicholas William still in a drowsy state, Dean Bruce had no choice but to pick a direction at random and continue walking down the street.

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

The crisp sound of horse hooves echoed continuously in the empty streets, reverberating through the quiet surroundings.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before figures finally appeared in the distance. As Dean Bruce drew closer, he realized they were armored soldiers holding long spears.

"Who goes there?!"

A panicked shout rang out, the voice trembling with fear. The entire squad of soldiers was visibly shaken by the echoing hoofbeats, their spears glinting coldly as they aimed them straight at Dean Bruce.

Sensing their anxiety, Dean Bruce spoke calmly, "Don\'t be afraid. I\'m a human, not a ghost."

"Phew…"

Sighs of relief sounded one after another, but the soldiers didn\'t lower their weapons. They continued to approach Dean Bruce cautiously, their spears still raised.

It wasn\'t until they could clearly see the faces of Dean Bruce and Nicholas William that they finally let down their guard, lowering their spears with a collective sigh. "It\'s almost nightfall. What are you two doing out here on the streets? You should hurry home!"

"Wait a moment—your clothing! You\'re not from the capital, are you?"

"Who would dare enter the capital now? It\'s easy to get in, but nearly impossible to get out!"

The soldiers\' expressions turned odd as they glanced at Dean Bruce.

Dean Bruce produced the document with the official seal and held it out. "Aside from you patrolling the streets, does no one else dare to leave their homes?"

"That\'s right."

The squad leader took the paper and examined it carefully while speaking, "More and more people have gone missing. At first, it was officials and nobles, but now even commoners are disappearing. Unless it\'s absolutely necessary, no one dares to go outside."

"Stranger, what\'s wrong with your companion?"

After looking over the document, the squad leader noticed Nicholas William\'s unusual state and quickly asked, "He\'s not…"

"We came from the Kingdom of Hibiscus," Dean Bruce lied smoothly without missing a beat. "He was too exhausted from the journey and couldn\'t stay awake. We couldn\'t handle the sandstorms any longer, so we thought we\'d seek refuge in the Empire of Lane Cloud. Little did we know that such strange occurrences were plaguing the capital as well."

"Ah…" The soldiers all showed looks of resignation upon hearing his words.

Handing the document back to Dean Bruce, the squad leader said, "It\'s far too dangerous at night. You can\'t be wandering around out here. Come with us—I\'ll escort you to an inn."

"Thank you."

Dean Bruce didn\'t refuse. There was no other choice. With Nicholas William in such a state, he wouldn\'t be able to get any information out of him, let alone attempt any rescue.

For now, it was best to rest for the night and fully absorb the Spring of Life and Enlightenment Tea Leaves before making any further moves.

With the soldiers escorting them, Dean Bruce soon arrived at a three-story building. There were no flags or banners, just a wooden sign hanging by the entrance.

It looked like no one had stayed there for a long time, as the wooden sign was covered in dust, making the words barely legible.

The squad leader knocked on the door, and soon enough, there were the sounds of footsteps approaching. A disgruntled female voice followed, muttering, "Knocking like that—are you in a rush to die? Who the hell comes here at this time of—"

Before she could finish speaking, the door swung open, revealing a woman clad in a loose robe.

The moment she laid eyes on the soldiers, her expression shifted dramatically. She swallowed her previous words and plastered on a smile, saying, "Ah, good sirs, are you here for a meal? Please, come in, come in!"

"No need."

The squad leader replied, ignoring her earlier outburst. "These two are out-of-towners. Take care of them."

"Out-of-towners?"

The woman raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze to Dean Bruce. Her eyes lit up with a hint of surprise and curiosity as she sized him up. "People still have the guts to come into the city these days? That\'s quite brave."

"Your attire doesn\'t look cheap either—seems like you can afford the room fee!"

"Come, come, please, step inside!"

Seeing potential profit, the woman\'s attitude changed instantly. She guided Dean Bruce inside with enthusiasm.

Dean Bruce asked directly, "Is there a place here where we can stable our horses?" see-more-MVLeMpYr

"Yes!" The woman nodded with a smile and stepped outside, motioning toward the side of the building. "There\'s a separate courtyard at the back. Not only does it have a stable, but there\'s also plenty of fodder. Your horses won\'t go hungry!"

Hearing this, Dean Bruce led the two warhorses and followed the woman\'s directions.

Seeing the scene unfold, the soldiers turned to leave. Before departing, they couldn\'t help but cast envious glances at the two magnificent warhorses, their eyes filled with admiration.

Passing through a side gate and navigating a narrow passageway, Dean Bruce soon arrived at an open courtyard. He settled Firebolt and Nicholas William\'s horse in the stable. Then, grabbing Nicholas William by the shoulder as if picking up a small chicken, Dean Bruce continued to follow the woman into the inn.

The first floor of the inn was filled with tables, but they were now covered in spiderwebs and dust.

The woman didn\'t seem to care. She casually remarked, "Times are tough now, so prices are a bit higher than usual. It\'ll be one silver coin per night. Also, if you want to cook, you\'ll have to do it yourself. There\'s a kitchen out back. Don\'t expect me to take care of you."

Before the woman could finish speaking, Dean Bruce reached into his robe and pulled out a gold coin, calmly stating, "One gold coin per day. Handle everything else. If you can\'t manage that… then this price—"

"A gold coin?!"

The woman\'s eyes widened in shock. She immediately snatched the coin with excitement and exclaimed, "Don\'t worry about a thing, sir! I\'ll make sure you get the best service possible. You just relax and rest—I\'ll take care of everything else!"

Although Dean Bruce\'s spending on magical items often ran into the thousands or even tens of thousands of gold coins, that was because he was a mage!

For an ordinary person, even a single silver coin was considered a substantial amount. But a gold coin? It was enough to cover expenses for months!

With the money in hand, the woman\'s attitude became incredibly accommodating. She quickly vacated her own room for them and even prepared a lavish dinner for Dean Bruce and Nicholas William.

After filling his stomach, Dean Bruce noticed that Nicholas William was still in his peculiar state. Not bothering to fuss over him, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

"Ding!"

A series of crisp system notifications sounded in his mind as faint arcs of lightning flickered across Dean Bruce\'s skin.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, when Dean Bruce woke up, he saw that Nicholas William had also emerged from his trance-like state. He lay sprawled on the bed, snoring thunderously.

Checking the system notifications, Dean Bruce discovered that several had accumulated, bringing him a pleasant surprise.

"Ding!"

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host, for completely absorbing the Enlightenment Tea Leaves. All magical comprehension has been increased by 2%!"

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host, for completely absorbing the Spring of Life. Due to previous exposure to the same source, the effect has been partially diluted. Your lifespan has been permanently increased by 17 days!"

A 2% increase in magical comprehension across all spells and an additional 17 days of lifespan—quite a decent reward. A smile spread across Dean Bruce\'s face.

"Ding!"

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host, for successfully teaching Nicholas William to master Thousand Mountains Fortress. You have been awarded 70 Supreme Mage Points and one Substitution Dummy!"

[Substitution Dummy (Special Item):After infusing it with magic, the dummy will take on the host\'s appearance and aura. The host can control the dummy to converse and even cast spells. If the dummy is destroyed, the host will not be affected in any way. Duration: 24 hours, single-use only.]

"!!!"