CHAPTER 8: NYXRAEL BECOMES EPIC KNIGHT RANK!

"Calm down, Uncle Roland. I’ve handled everything perfectly." James said with a casual wave of his hand, as if the situation wasn’t worth worrying about.

When Roland finally calmed down and fixed him with a curious look, James began his explanation—one that he had carefully come up with on his way here.

He told them that his original group had been ambushed and massacred because one of the enemies was actually a Platinum Knight. Just as he was about to be killed, time suddenly froze. An old man that he couldn’t see because of a hazy cloud around him suddenly appeared.

According to James, the mysterious old man claimed that James was "the chosen one" and that it would be a pity for him to die in such a small, meaningless place.

With a simple wave of his hand, the old man summoned Nyxrael, then told James that Nyxrael would remain by his side, and that he would receive daily rewards depending on his luck.

Before leaving, the old man supposedly said that he would not interfere again, but if fate allowed them to meet in the future, he would accept James as his disciple.

Roland and Earl Edmund were so stunned that they were speechless for a moment before Roland burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! See? I told you, there’s no way Young Master James is talentless! It appears that even the Steelheart Family was incapable of discovering his true talent."

Earl Edmund joined in, laughing so hard that he slapped his thigh, leaving a red mark.

Clap!

"You’re right! I was shocked too when they sent that report saying Young Master James had no talent. I always believed he was a true dragon among men!"

James smiled and shook his head helplessly when he watched two grown-ass men acting like this.

"That’s not the point," James said, his expression turning serious. "The point is that I have a strong suspicion about the culprit behind the ambush. And I’m almost a hundred percent certain I’m right."

"The Platinum Knight who attacked us... I recognized him. He’s from the Bladeborne Family. I’ve seen his name on the list of knights from the Veylmar Kingdom."

That "list" was something only a few high-ranking people had access to. It was an internal document detailing the knights from both the Bladeborne Family and other rival powers that the Steelheart Family had fought against. Each entry contained information about strength, abilities, and achievements.

The reason James could recall it so vividly was simple. He had inherited the memories of the previous James, and those memories gave him access to details that even others might have long forgotten.

"How could someone from the Bladeborne Family cross into our kingdom?" Roland asked with a deep frown.

"That’s not the only thing," James continued coldly. "Among the attackers, I also recognized a knight from the Wolfsblade Family."

"What?!" Roland’s eyes widened, fury flashing in them. "Those bastards dared to collude with our enemies?"

He immediately pulled out a white jade token engraved with crossed swords and a lion’s head. "Wait a moment, I will report this to the family head right away!"

But before he could contact the family head, James stopped him as he said calmly. "Wait, Uncle Roland! I have a plan regarding this, as I will basically go to the Lycranor City to recruit the artificer."

Roland froze. "That city? Isn’t that basically walking into the tiger’s den? What if they—"

"Don’t worry, I have Nyx with me." James interrupted confidently.

He wasn’t bluffing. Even if an Epic Knight attacked them, James wasn’t afraid.

During their journey here, James asked Nyxrael about his true strength, since he needed to know the exact strength so that it would be easier for him to make the corresponding plan in the future.

Nyxrael had calmly answered that if he went all out, his power was roughly equivalent to that of a weak Epic Knight. Moreover, if he used his ultimate skill [Soulreaver’s Eclipse], which consumed the souls he had collected over the years, he could even slay a strong Epic Knight.

In addition to that, Nyxrael was someone who could break through to the Epic Knight rank as long as he was given enough time.

That was where James’s confidence came from.

...

After talking about his plan to Roland and Earl Edmund for a while, Earl Edmund led James and Nyxrael to an underground and stopped in front of a room.

"This is one of our cultivation chambers," Edmund explained. "It’s usually used by knights or magicians on the verge of a breakthrough."

James nodded. "Alright, you can leave us. We need to make some preparations."

Earl Edmund didn’t ask further questions and quietly left.

Inside the room, James took out the Eclipsera and a hundred Legendary Rank energy crystals before using the [Eye of Chronos Formation] feature.

Then, the sheathed sword slowly floated from James’s hand and hovered in the air before him. The black scabbard shimmered faintly. A faint silver line ran along its center, pulsing gently every few seconds, as if the blade were alive.

Without James doing anything, one of the Legendary Rank energy crystals nearby cracked and shattered into dust. Its radiant energy turned into thin streams of gold light, flowing directly into Eclipsera.

James raised an eyebrow as he watched it silently. He could feel something change as the atmosphere around him thickened.

He glanced at Nyxrael. "Are you sure that these crystals are enough?"

"Don’t worry, My Lord. It’s more than enough," Nyxrael replied with a faint smile.

"Alright then, just take your time and don’t rush your breakthrough." James reassured Nyxrael since he wanted him to have a clear mind so that there wouldn’t be a mishap.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye...

During that time, James enjoyed his peaceful life in this new world. He watched Earl Edmund forge a fine Gold-rank sword, tasted exquisite dishes and fine wines, and spent quiet hours admiring the beautiful scenery of Earl Edmund’s manor.

In the afternoon, James suddenly felt something from the connection he had with Nyxrael.

A second later, Roland appeared excitedly.

"He’s done it!" He exclaimed. "Nyxrael has successfully broken through to the Epic Knight rank!"