"Even though there's a natural ice storm barrier making it damn near impossible for monsters to get through the sky, we've gotta have anti-air defenses."

Carlos sensed the ice storm above, which contained some weird energy that definitely wasn't pure ice-attribute psionic power. Otherwise, ice-type monsters would absolutely have evolved abilities to adapt to the ice storms.

But who knew if there weren't monsters living in the frigid winds?

Reality wasn't a game—Carlos had to cover all his bases.

"Speaking of anti-air measures, the Steam Human Body Synthesis pathway created by the Western Sage would hands down be the most suitable direction."

Recalling everything at Rock Sand City, Carlos suspected that the shop manager of Pergina's Alchemical Treasures, even if not the future Western Sage, was definitely tied to the Western Sage somehow.

"I need to try pushing the Steam Human Body Synthesis pathway—it's truly badass.

If it could emerge early, it would definitely beef up humanity's combat power big time."

In his previous life, Carlos hadn't been heavily involved with the Steam Human Body Synthesis pathway. As a Death Herald, researching his own pathway had already eaten up enormous mental energy—he wouldn't dig too deep into other pathways.

Most of his memories were about strengthening methods after the pathway emerged.

As for how to get into the pathway, the most crucial point was an alchemical product called the Steam Core—something only the Western Sage could craft, a masterwork that represented the peak of steam technology and was the pathway's core.

Without this thing, no matter how much Carlos knew about subsequent rituals, he couldn't enter this pathway.

"Damn, in the original timeline, only the Western Sage could craft such high-precision Steam Cores."

His wings beating, Carlos flew rapidly along the ice wall until reaching the construction site at the wall's end.

Massive numbers of Lulu monsters, dozens in each group, struggled to drag huge Ice Solid Stones until they reached designated spots, adding another brick to the ice plains wall.

"Move it!"

"Getting tired? If you're tired, then just drop dead!"

With the figure overhead not even trying to hide, the Psionics naturally had to put on a show.

What they'd seen and heard during this time had seriously changed this group of Psionics' mentality.

From simple mercenaries, they'd gradually developed genuine respect in their hearts.

This was the respect of the weak for the strong, for the magnificent plan the Valois family was pulling off.

They swung the whips in their hands, working hard to squeeze every bit out of the Lulu monsters.

Just then, one group of Lulu monsters exhausted themselves. They accidentally let a giant Ice Solid Stone slip, crushing a bunch of Lulu monsters to death.

The Psionic responsible for this group immediately activated the monster collars, executing the Lulu monster that screwed up, radiating an extremely fierce aura.

The Lulu monsters with some brains, seeing this scene, became even more careful in their terror.

Carlos observed everything and nodded with satisfaction.

This Psionic's handling of the Lulu monsters was damn decisive—he'd have someone give him a bonus later.

After confirming the Psionics were following his rules, Carlos returned to the lord's mansion just as his spiritual essence improved again.

[Spiritual Essence accumulated 23,000, Spiritual Essence +1]

[Gained Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]

The Black Knights' efficient slaughter meant massive Spiritual Essence continuously poured in. Even though Carlos had deployed some Black Knights for protection and Lulu capture work, his spiritual essence had suddenly reached 24 points—a truly incredible improvement rate.

Same as always—attribute points went to Strength, skill points went to Skeleton Revival, and Constitution improved again under Child of Nature's boost.

[Name: Carlos Valois]

[Pathway: Death Herald Pathway]

[Spiritual Essence: 24 (Spiritual Essence: 2409/24000)]

[Health: 1230 (Constitution x50)]

[Psionic Energy: 255 (Spiritual Essence x10 + Mental x10)]

[Attributes: Strength 29.5/Speed 6.5/Constitution 29.6/Mental 6.5]

[Skills: Child of Nature (Max Level), Skeleton Revival (20+18 Level), Sun Emperor's Court Swordsmanship Level 5, Crimson-Gold Feathered Serpent Wings (Max Level), Dawn Flame (Max Level)]

[Remaining Skill Points: 0; Remaining Attribute Points: 0]

Now Carlos's Strength had reached 29.5 points and Constitution 29.6 points.

With just one more point of spiritual essence, both Strength and Constitution would simultaneously break through 30 points, even surpassing his retainers' normal power levels.

At the same tier, or even higher tiers, almost no one could achieve such powerful dual physical attributes.

If others knew Carlos's attributes, their first reaction would probably be that this was a Guardian who walked the close-combat pathway—they'd never think he was actually a Death Herald.

Carlos's mouth curved up. He really looked forward to the future.

Everyone knew that the Death Herald pathway, especially the Skeleton Summoning branch within it, had its biggest weakness in how fragile the Death Heralds' main bodies were.

In the past, there were plenty of examples of powerful Death Heralds getting carelessly assassinated by Concealers who walked the assassin's path.

Because usually Death Heralds, regardless of faction, mainly boosted Mental stats. Mental affected total psionic energy and recovery speed, inevitably making other attributes low, creating a fragile weak point.

But Carlos had mainly boosted Strength, plus Child of Nature's passive ability meant his attack power (affected by Strength) and defensive power/health (affected by Constitution) had already blown past the peak for his level.

When future assassins worked their asses off to get past his subordinates and confidently attacked him, they'd face the edge of the Sun Emperor's Sword.

Carlos genuinely looked forward to this scene—personally turning enemies' hope into pure despair.

Suddenly, in Carlos's shared vision with Purple Vortex, a snow-white bamboo forest appeared, with snowflakes growing on each bamboo segment, as if born from ice and snow.

"Cold Bamboo Forest..."

...

In the Inte Mountains, after Purple Vortex's days of rampage, it had unsurprisingly caught the attention of the Cold Bamboo tribe that had lived here for ages.

"Chief, our hunting tribesmen discovered an outsider has barged in!"

"It can fly!"

"I saw it too. Its outfit is kinda like those big merchant caravan guards, but it's really freaking huge!"

In the Cold Bamboo tribe's only large bamboo building, several tribal hunters were talking over each other, telling their tribal chief about their discoveries.

The current Cold Bamboo tribe chief was a middle-aged woman who had just taken over the previous chief's burden. Wrinkles had already formed at the corners of her eyes, and she looked beat.

The tribal chief sorted through her people's information, falling into thought.

What could this outsider's purpose be for going deep into the Inte Mountains?

Because the white mist shrouding the Inte Mountains never lifted year-round, plus the Cold Bamboo tribe living here was extremely hostile to outsiders, other forces rarely ventured in.

Most years it was just some merchant caravans coming to trade for the Cold Bamboo tribe's specialties.

Accidental intruders were rare, especially those who passed through the white mist-covered outer areas to reach the even thicker mist of the inner areas—almost never happened.

From what her people had seen and heard, this outsider had already reached near the Cold Bamboo Forest—definitely not a simple case of getting lost. They definitely had some specific agenda.