novelraw Chapter 219: So This Is How You Tricked Finnie Into Your Hands?
Chapter 219: So This Is How You Tricked Finnie Into Your Hands?
Lin Mo had always been a cautious person, rarely making careless mistakes in most situations.
With a skill like [Shadow Split] that offered both offense and defense—capable of delivering decisive blows in critical moments while also preserving his life—he naturally wouldn't forget to use it when his Qi and Blood were sufficient.
Even now, he had already left a shadow clone in a safe location, ready to escape at any moment.
"Shadow clone?"
Flora finally relaxed when she saw Lin Mo appear, her anxious expression immediately softening.
She hadn't expected him to have this trick up his sleeve.
Fortunately he did, otherwise things might have taken a serious turn.
Immediately after, her face showed annoyance as she raised her staff, sending a fire serpent flying toward the assassin.
"Not good!"
The assassin's pupils instantly contracted as he frantically dodged to the side.Under normal circumstances, given his strength and speed, he would likely have been able to evade it.
But now, the effects of the Bloodburn Reagent were beginning to weaken, his explosive power no longer what it was moments before. Moreover, the arrow Lin Mo had used earlier was coated with "Spider Scorpion Mixture" that Lin Mo had purchased for 2150 gold coins. This powerful poison would significantly affect even Elite Level Professionals, making movement difficult in the short term while severely restricting the mobilization of both Qi and Blood and Mana.
Therefore, the fire serpent almost unquestionably struck the assassin, its powerful force instantly piercing through his waist and abdomen, leaving behind a fiery red cavity.
The assassin cried out in agony, having completely abandoned any thought of assassinating Lin Mo. Gritting his teeth against the intense pain, he turned and hastily fled toward the side.
However, under the toxin's assault, his speed was greatly impaired. Meanwhile, Shaya had already closed in.
Lin Mo seized the opportunity, unleashing [Blood Qi Blade].
This "big monster" clearly offered high proficiency points—definitely couldn't let that go to waste.
The red sword energy cleanly sliced through the opponent's ankle, a deliberate move by Lin Mo to avoid any mishaps that might injure Shaya.
After all, proficiency wouldn't be split—as long as he contributed to the takedown, he would receive the full amount.
The assassin, solely focused on escape, had no defenses up. The crimson sword energy cleanly severed both his feet. Simultaneously, the toxins within his body fully erupted, the Bloodburn Reagent's effects completely faded, and the debilitating side effects set in.
Shaya quickly caught up to him, her sharp blade effortlessly piercing through his spine.
Instant kill!
[Blood Qi Blade] Proficiency +120 (180)
How much?!
The moment the notification floated before his eyes, Lin Mo's eyes widened in shock, nearly exclaiming aloud.
Although he knew the assassin's level wasn't low and the proficiency gain should be considerable, he never expected it to be this outrageous.
With 120 base proficiency points, combined with the previous battle circumstances and consistent proficiency acquisition patterns, the target's level could essentially be confirmed as Level 14—four levels higher than Lin Mo's current highest-level Mage class.
From this, it seemed that for every level the killed target exceeded Lin Mo by two levels, the proficiency gained would increase by 50% over the base value.
The target was four levels higher than him, which meant a 150% increase. 120 points increased by 150% exactly equaled 180.
Lin Mo mentally noted this rule. It appeared that as levels increased, killing higher-level monsters and enemies, especially outperforming one's level, had become highly cost-effective.
This might become his primary method for boosting skill proficiency... particularly for lower-grade skills.
The total of 300 proficiency points naturally finally leveled up the long-stagnant [Blood Qi Blade] skill.
"Skill [Blood Qi Blade] Lv5 (180/180) leveled up!"
"Current skill [Blood Qi Blade] Lv6 (161/300)"
Not only had it leveled up, but it had also progressed more than halfway toward Level 7, making Lin Mo feel anticipation.
As a blue Exceptional-Grade skill, [Blood Qi Blade] reached its maximum at Level 7. Upon reaching Level 7, this skill would evolve into a purple Epic Level skill.
As a Warrior skill primarily focused on single targets, [Blood Qi Blade] had been one of Lin Mo's key methods for dealing with high-level enemies for a long time. Based on previous skill evolution patterns, this skill, after evolving into a purple Epic Level skill, would likely remain more single-target oriented.
In terms of single-target power, it would undoubtedly surpass the equally Epic Level Warrior skill [Phantom Sword Dance].
Paired with the powerful Epic Level weapon Frost Dragon Scale Sword in Lin Mo's hand, Lin Mo hardly dared imagine how terrifying the combined power would be.
Because this assassination attempt had suddenly occurred, they remained vigilant afterward and quickly withdrew to the city.
The Goblin army had completely retreated. Although they strongly desired to exterminate these Green-skinned Shorties to eliminate future threats, given their current military strength, this was clearly unlikely.
Surviving the immediate crisis was already quite an achievement;
dealing with the rest would have to wait for later.
Currently, they had other matters to attend to.
Besides helping Lania City overcome its difficulties, they had another purpose for this trip: settling accounts with the Lawrence Family.
Although Viscount Lawrence and his daughter had fled and disappeared, the Lawrence Family wasn't just those two members. This included other nobles and officials in the city who had abetted their wrongdoing during this period—all were on the list for judgment.
Naturally, this also included Roland Town's lord, Baron Rahl.
How to handle these individuals wasn't something Lin Mo needed to consider.
Flora was clearly very interested in this and happened to be the main person responsible for handling these affairs.
Those nobles and officials were probably in for some suffering...
Lania City was quickly brought under control by Flora with the support of guards from neighboring cities. With documents brought from the royal capital, the local military didn't resist.
Flora immediately arrested those officials and nobles, sending them to the dungeon to await subsequent processing.
Lin Mo went to wait on the main road outside the city.
After a while, he finally saw the carriage hurriedly approaching.
"Mr. Lin Mo!"
Seeing Lin Mo waiting for them here, Finnie immediately got out of the carriage, trotted up to Lin Mo, her slender arms hidden beneath her sister's robes instinctively lifting before quickly being withdrawn.
Finnie pressed her lips together, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
In contrast, Ellie was much more direct and straightforward, walking up and giving Lin Mo a bear hug, burying her head against his neck, taking a deep breath, then exhaling contentedly before asking, "Lin Mo, how did things go?"
"Relatively smooth. The matter is mostly resolved. The army has probably retreated, but..."
Lin Mo briefly explained what had just happened here.
"So that's how it was..."
"What a pity, letting those two Lawrence scoundrels escape!"
Ellie said with some indignation.
"But being able to defend Lania City and protect the city's people is already quite good..."
Compared to punishing evil, Finnie was clearly more concerned about the city's residents.
Sherfilia remained like a follower, always staying behind Finnie. She only made eye contact with Lin Mo initially to confirm he wasn't injured before entering a sort of "idle" state.
"Let's go, we should return to the city and rest."
Originally planning to find a decent inn to stay at, Flora unceremoniously waved her hand and directly arranged for Lania City's City Lord's Mansion to serve as their temporary accommodation.
Compared to Silverstream City, Lania City was undoubtedly less developed, with significant gaps in both population and urban construction.
But the City Lord's Mansion before them was uniquely impressive, even more luxurious than Silverstream City's.
Who knew how much of the people's wealth had been exploited to build this luxurious mansion, and how many poor souls had been displaced because of it...
Lin Mo didn't have grand ambitions to change the world. Each world had its own different circumstances, and there was no need to force sweeping reforms.
But he still felt that as nobles, as rulers, they should at least be like Lady Behira—bearing their responsibilities while enjoying their power and noble status.
"You can rest here temporarily."
Flora arranged rooms for them. "I need to handle affairs here in Narnia City for a few days, then we'll return to Silverstream City together."
"Flora, the academy is about to start soon, aren't you returning?"
Shaya reminded from the side.
"I still want to go back and take a look."
Flora smiled. "Besides, special circumstances require special handling. I've already asked Teacher Elvish for leave. Someone will cover my classes for a while."
"Alright."
Shaya nodded.
"What about you, Shaya? Not returning?"
"I'm indifferent... I don't really feel like taking missions recently anyway. I'll treat it as resting, taking a vacation."
Hearing this, Lin Mo glanced at this powerful assassin lady.
From her words, it seemed that after graduating from the kingdom's assassin academy, she had become a full-time adventurer?
With her strength, she was probably at least a Silver Level adventurer, same as Flora?
Moreover, she seemed to operate mainly around the royal capital, and Fargard City, where Lin Mo planned to go next, wasn't far from the royal capital.
Perhaps there would be opportunities for cooperation in the future...
"Then we'll rest first?"
Ellie looked at Flora. "You should rest too? These matters can wait a bit, no need to overwork yourself."
Flora raised an eyebrow with interest. "Quite considerate. So this is how you tricked Finnie into your hands?"
"Pfft—" Steam seemed to rise from Finnie's head.
Shaya looked at her with surprise. "So what those Bards said is true—people really can turn completely red-faced!"
"Flora sister~"
Finnie looked at her with a slightly pleading gaze, her voice soft like a coquettish whine.
"Giggle~"
Flora laughed heartily, her subtle tremors inadvertently drawing Lin Mo's gaze. He quickly coughed lightly and looked away.
But the City Lord's Mansion before them was no less impressive, even more luxurious than Silverstream City's.
The larger the sphere, the greater the gravitational pull—this was basic astronomical knowledge.
And Flora was undoubtedly the person with the strongest gravitational pull present.
Oh, and her friend named Shaya—even wearing assassin attire, she was quite noticeable, seemingly not much weaker than Flora. If freed from constraints, she might even surpass Flora.
"Alright, alright, I won't chat with you youngsters anymore."
Flora waved her hand, speaking like a little old lady. "You rest, I'll go check over there..."
With that, she turned and left.
"Me too, me too."
Shaya followed along, leaving only Lin Mo and the three girls at the scene.
Anyway, time for some sleep.
Lin Mo yawned. Having traveled and fought continuously since leaving Silverstream City, even with brief rest at Roland Town, fatigue remained hard to shake off.
Time for proper rest.
However, upon turning and entering the room, he discovered there was only one large bed inside.
The bed was certainly large enough—a full three to four meters in length and width—but...
Lin Mo watched Ellie jump directly onto the bed, then glanced at Finnie beside him who was blushing again, and suddenly began sweating.
Miss Flora, was this intentional?
Sherfilia had virtually no presence at such times, silently standing behind Lin Mo, her gaze fixed on her young mistress.
The Madam had secretly tasked her with advancing progress...
While the current situation wasn't suitable for any major leaps, at least when facing competition, she couldn't show weakness.
"I don't mind... I don't really feel like taking missions recently anyway. I'll treat it as resting, taking a vacation."
Sherfilia opened the door to find a maid from the City Lord's Mansion delivering meals.
Although this mansion's owner was thoroughly wicked, most of the servants and staff weren't at fault. Those few closely connected to Lawrence who had assisted in evil deeds would be dealt with according to kingdom laws later, but aside from them, the others could continue working in the mansion.
"Thank you."
Sherfilia nodded, taking plates from the cart and placing them on the table one by one.
After arranging all the dishes, instead of immediately calling Lin Mo and the others to eat, she carefully inspected each plate to confirm they weren't poisoned before approaching Lin Mo. "Master, the meal is ready."
"Then, shall we eat first?"
Lin Mo tentatively suggested. Ellie, rolling on the bed, was the first to respond.
"Okay, food!"
Watching her bounce over to the dining table, Lin Mo felt somewhat envious.
Such carefree children were sometimes truly enviable—happy every day, without many worries, never overthinking things.
The City Lord's Mansion of Lania City had abundant food supplies, so the kitchen sent over exquisitely prepared dishes, even higher standard than when they were at Finnie's home.
Yet the common people's quality of life in Lania City was quite concerning. Even in the main city, many unable to eat begged on the streets, let alone in towns and villages where people starved to death almost daily.
It could only be said that Lania City's overall situation perfectly illustrated that saying: "Behind the red doors meat and wine go to waste, while out on the road lie the bones of the frozen."
The meal was relatively relaxed and pleasant. Sherfilia remained unwilling to sit as usual, instead cutting their steaks and serving dishes nearby. Lin Mo didn't even need to speak—whenever he wanted something, the moment his gaze fell on a dish, Sherfilia would already have served it onto his plate.
Only two words could describe it: professional.
Of course, this service was limited to Lin Mo and Finnie;
Ellie didn't get to enjoy it.
Not that the little wolf-girl cared anyway. From the meal's start until now, she had basically never stopped, continuously stuffing food into her mouth, puffing her cheeks full, giving Lin Mo an indescribable sense of déjà vu.
After the meal, the earlier awkward atmosphere seemed to have dissipated considerably.
Ellie was still the first to pounce onto the bed, rubbing her cheek against the pillow before beckoning to Lin Mo. "Come quick, Lin Mo! This bed is so comfortable!"
Lin Mo glanced at Finnie, then slowly walked to the bedside and sat down.
"Heave-ho~"
Ellie immediately hugged him from behind, soft things pressing against Lin Mo's back.
The little wolf-girl buried her head against his shoulder, greedily inhaling his scent.
Finnie covered her face with her hands, but her fingers were spread wide, shyly watching the scene before her.
"Everyone's quite tired, we should rest early."
Lin Mo subtly detached Ellie who was clinging to him and lay down on the bed.
They had naturally removed their robes and leather armor upon entering, now wearing sleepwear.
"Giggle~"
Ellie immediately snuggled up again the next second, wrapping her arms around his neck, laughing with silly delight.
Watching their intimate actions, Finnie secretly clenched her small fists, finally gathering enough courage to walk to the bedside.
"Um, I... I'm a bit sleepy too, time to rest..."
Saying this, she lay flat on Lin Mo's other side, her hands stiffly at her sides, less like preparing to sleep and more like performing a reclining military stance.
Sherfilia could hardly watch.
Young Mistress Finnie was still a bit too shy... practically the polar opposite compared to her rival.
But at least she had bravely taken a step forward, not directly surrendering or avoiding the situation.
This already counted as significant progress.
Although the Madam had tasked her with supervising progress, Sherfilia didn't intend to force the growth.
Since they were already behind, whether it happened sooner or later didn't make much difference. Maintaining their unique characteristics was their greatest competitive advantage.
Incidentally, these were things her mother had taught her not long ago.
Lin Mo had initially felt somewhat nervous, but seeing Finnie like this, he was instead amused.
So he very naturally reached out and ruffled her head, gently stroking her beautiful golden hair.
When Ellie was energetic, she was truly energetic, but when sleep came, it came quickly. Leaning against Lin Mo's shoulder, she soon fell into peaceful slumber.
The Mother had secretly tasked her with advancing progress...
Even at such times, her posture remained ramrod straight. Lin Mo had no doubt that if he made a sound, she would instantly launch forward, arriving before him in a flash.
Finnie's hair was so smooth and soft, carrying a faint fragrance.
Would Ellie drool again in her sleep...?
Thinking about these random things, the accumulated fatigue from this period surged up all at once. Soon, Lin Mo also closed his eyes and fell into peaceful sleep.