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It was important to remember that Frostborn had been crafted from materials dropped by the Hydra. Even though it was only a mirror image of the Hydra, the materials it provided were still far beyond ordinary Transcendent-grade resources.

The fact that this Undead Coffin could rival the "Heart of Hydra" made it clear that its origins were anything but ordinary.

However, Luca wasn't overly concerned. Compared to the power boost the Undead Coffin provided, any potential risks could be set aside for the time being.

"Undying Body" could save him from being one-shotted by stronger enemies, and "Rapid Regeneration" would allow him to quickly recover from injuries.

When used together, these two skills could even bring him back from the brink of death to full strength in battle.

"Demonic Transformation" seemed to be a unique ability of the coffin itself, capable of turning enemies into grotesque monsters under his control.

"Demonic Awakening" was even more powerful than "Ice Pattern Awakening."

In particular, the increase in his health was astonishing—it multiplied his HP by five!

With Demonic Awakening, his health would be on par with those Lord-level monsters, not even the slightest bit inferior!

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Unconsciously, he found himself straying further and further down the path of becoming a humanoid monster…

A smile crept across Luca's face.

When he came to Pure River Town, he hadn't expected much. But now, he realized just how fruitful this journey had been.

After calming his emotions, Luca closed the game interface and glanced at the white clouds drifting outside the window.

He had spent quite a bit of time crafting magic runes. Without realizing it, the Cloudwing Airship had already taken off.

From the air, he could see the airships that had docked in Pure River Town earlier. The group was already on their way back.

Drawing his gaze back inside, Luca took advantage of the time to meditate and restore his mental strength.

After the battle in Pure River Town and crafting those Superclass magic runes, his mental energy was nearly drained.

Now was the perfect time to meditate, and the effects of replenishing his mental energy would be far better than usual.

Time passed slowly.

By the time Luca finished meditating and restored his mental energy to peak condition.

He could already see the towering peaks of Heavenly Pool Mountain in the distance.

The Cloudwing Airship began to slow as it approached Dock Nine of the Outer District.

After a series of jolts, the Cloudwing Airships finally came to a stop on the platform.

As the boarding stairs lowered, Luca and the others began to disembark, where a welcoming party was already waiting outside.

At the forefront stood a long-haired young man dressed in luxurious noble attire, bearing a striking resemblance to Luna.

When they saw him, many people displayed expressions of surprise.

This man was none other than Bronte, the Marquis of the Southern Territory.

Luca was equally taken aback, not expecting that Bronte would personally come.

It seemed that Bronte was indeed quite concerned about the events in Pure River Town.

Luna stepped forward and whispered a few words to him.

Bronte's expression remained unreadable, showing neither joy nor anger. He merely nodded slightly.

Then he turned to everyone and smiled, saying, "Welcome back, everyone. You've worked hard on the matter in Pure River Town. I've prepared a lavish banquet at the City Lord's mansion, and you are all invited to relax and enjoy yourselves."

The moment the freshly disembarked professionals heard this, a cheer erupted among them.

It wasn't every day that one had the chance to visit the City Lord's mansion, let alone being personally invited by the Marquis himself. Even if it was just for a meal, they would have bragging rights for days afterward.

However, Luca wasn't planning on attending. He had other matters to tend to and simply didn't have the time to attend the celebratory feast.

Just as he was about to bid farewell to Luna and the others.

Bronte suddenly approached him.

"You must be Viscount Luca, right? A young hero indeed!" Bronte said with a warm smile. "Luna has already told me about what happened in Pure River Town, and it seems Ryan and Orf didn't misjudge you.

"They've spoken highly of your exceptional talent before, saying you're the best they've ever seen in their lifetime. I was a bit skeptical at first, to be honest. After all, my sister is widely regarded as the most gifted individual in all of Southwind City.

"But now that even she speaks so highly of you, I can't help but believe it."

Bronte made no effort to hide his admiration and high regard for Luca, and his words were a true reflection of his thoughts.

Luca was the most talented genius to emerge in the Southern Territory in recent years. If nothing unexpected occurred, it would be a long time before anyone surpassed his achievements.

In a few years, he might very well become the pride of not only Southwind City but the entire Southern Territory.

This thought filled Bronte with a sense of pride as well.

The surrounding crowd exchanged glances of surprise and envy.

To be praised like this by Marquis Bronte—this young man's future seemed boundless!

Many in the crowd secretly regretted not making an effort to befriend Luca during the time they were together on the Cloudwing Airship.

"Your Lordship is too kind. It was my duty," Luca replied with a modest smile in response to Bronte's praise.

He wasn't overly humble, nor was he excessively proud. His calm and composed demeanor only made Bronte admire the young man even more, feeling that Luca reminded him of his younger self in some ways.

Bronte then extended an invitation to Luca to join the banquet at the City Lord's mansion.

However, Luca politely declined, citing the heavy workload from his studies at Red Maple Academy.

Bronte didn't take offense. He knew that Luca was now a mentor at Red Maple Academy, so he didn't push the issue. Instead, he simply invited Luca to visit the City Lord's mansion for tea whenever he had time. After that, Bronte sent one of his personal carriages to escort Luca back.

This treatment made the surrounding professionals envious.

However, they all understood that Luca had earned considerable merit during the mission in Pure River Town.

Being in Bronte's favor, it wasn't surprising that he received such preferential treatment.

Luca stepped onto Bronte's luxurious carriage and waved goodbye to Luna and the others.

Just as the curtains were being drawn, something caught his eye. He noticed someone staring intensely at him.

The person was clutching a black bundle and had an unusual expression in their eyes as they watched him.

Harvis?

Luca frowned, but by the time the curtains closed, the strange gaze was gone.

When he looked again, Harvis seemed no different from before, as if the earlier moment had been nothing but a figment of his imagination.

Could it have just been my eyes playing tricks on me...?

Luca shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

The scaled horse let out a sharp cry as the carriage rolled toward the Inner District.

Meanwhile, Harvis, who had been in conversation with a knight, glanced at the departing carriage. His gaze was calm and unreadable as he said, "The Undead Coffin must be on him."

"Should we retrieve it?" one of the knights asked flatly, his expression blank.

The other knights turned to Harvis, their faces expressionless, as if they were all cut from the same mold.

Harvis shook his head. "This boy carries a few familiar auras that intrigue me. It's strange. For now, don't bother with him. The most important thing is to get the demon box back to the family."

The knights glanced at the object wrapped in black cloth that Harvis was holding, then nodded in unison like puppets.

...

The carriage made its way through the Outer District and soon arrived outside Red Maple Academy.

Luca stepped down and walked toward the academy.

He intended to visit Orf in the headmaster's office to inquire about the Undead Coffin. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall anything about it. With Orf's extensive knowledge, Luca hoped he might provide some answers.

Before long, Luca crossed the campus and reached the headmaster's office.

To his surprise, his superior, Melissa, was just coming out of the office, carrying a stack of teaching materials.

Seeing Luca, Melissa paused for a moment, then adjusted her glasses and sighed slightly. "I thought you'd be missing your first class today. I just spoke to the headmaster to rearrange your schedule."

Luca felt a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I got delayed by a mission. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Melissa shook her head. "It's fine. I've rescheduled today's lesson to be a specialized class. You can resume teaching tomorrow."

She seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, I'll be co-teaching the next few practical combat lessons with you. Once you get the hang of it, you can handle the students on your own."

Luca understood that Melissa meant well, and he offered her a sincere thank you.

After she left, he knocked on the door to the headmaster's office.

"Come in," Orf's warm voice called from inside.

Luca pushed the door open and found Orf reading a book.

"So, how did the mission go? Smoothly, I hope?" Orf had overheard the earlier conversation outside and, as he looked up, suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise. "Hmm, your power has grown again."

Luca explained, "I had some good fortune while completing the mission and acquired a third fixed magic rune. I actually came by today to ask you a few things."

"Your luck is starting to make even me a little envious," Orf said with a light chuckle, noticing Luca's significant gains. With a piqued curiosity, he continued, "Go ahead, tell me what's on your mind. Let's see if I can help clear it up."

Luca thought for a moment before asking, "Have you ever heard of a coffin in the Sea of Desire in the Abyssal Demon Realm that can turn people into monsters?"

"A coffin that turns people into monsters?" Orf murmured, repeating the question.

He furrowed his brow, his expression growing more serious. "Could it be… you've come across the Undead Coffin?"

Luca felt a surge of excitement. He hadn't expected Orf to recognize it. He nodded and said, "Yes, I encountered that coffin during the mission."

"How could that thing have resurfaced in the Eternal Continent…" Orf muttered, his brow deeply furrowed. "I once read about the Undead Coffin in an ancient text.

"According to what I found, this coffin originates from a King-level monster. Every time it appears on the Eternal Continent, it brings disaster. It was sealed away long ago, so I didn't expect it to reemerge after all these years."

"A King-level monster?" Luca's heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable sense of unease washed over him. He hesitated before asking, "Do you know which King-level monster it belongs to?"

Orf paused, then slowly uttered a name, "It belongs to the Desire Witch—Pandora."