Chapter Fifty-Nine: Upgrade Complete

Lothar smiled and said, “Rest assured, Archbishop. Though the Bath family may not be a super clan with deep roots, we are not newly rich without heritage, either. Even before the founding of the Starry Kingdom, our Bath family had a history of over two hundred years. While our family treasures are not many, we do have some reserves.” He paused, his tone turning grave. “If it were other evil monsters, I might be helpless, but when it comes to dark creatures, I do possess an artifact specifically designed to deal with them. It is used for sealing, and as long as the opponent’s strength does not exceed the ninth tier, this artifact will be effective. You mentioned, Archbishop, that the dark demon in question is around the seventh or eighth tier, so I believe this artifact will suffice.”

“What kind of artifact is it?”

“A weapon forged by the Sun Never Sets Empire—a superpower that once conquered a third of the world a thousand years ago—the Sword of Light’s Seal!”

“The Sword of Light’s Seal from the Sun Never Sets Empire!” Link couldn’t help but show his astonishment. The Sun Never Sets Empire was the only superpower in nearly a millennium. Though it had perished over eight hundred years ago, its influence remained profound, and countless treasures had been passed down. While they might not be on par with the holy relics crafted by the ancient Saints, they were not far behind. Weapons that have survived to this day are not only of immense historical value, but many also possess special properties. The Sword of Light’s Seal is a prime example.

During the Sun Never Sets Empire’s reign, many powerful dark-type beings roamed the land. To combat these, the empire crafted the Sword of Light’s Seal specifically to counter them. Once sealed by this sword, the dark being would lose all power and be unable to move—essentially rendered helpless. It was with this weapon that the Sun Never Sets Empire solved the dark creature crisis that had plagued humanity for over a thousand years.

However, each Sword of Light’s Seal could only be used once—after which it would be destroyed. The method of forging them has been lost, so the remaining swords are priceless. If put up for auction in one of the great empires, a single sword could fetch over a million Sola.

Realizing this, Link looked at Lothar with sincere gratitude. “Count, thank you for your generosity. We will not forget your contribution.”

Lothar smiled. “Archbishop, you are too kind. I am, after all, half a follower of the Father’s Faith. To serve the noble Father is my sacred duty. Besides, as the lord of the Red Moon Province, I cannot stand idly by while a demon wreaks havoc on my lands. The Sword of Light’s Seal, though precious, is but a weapon. A weapon’s purpose is to defeat enemies. If it is to be used against a demon threatening the Red Moon Province, then it is being used as it should.”

Link laughed, “By the Father above, Count, your contribution will not be overlooked. When your work is done and you retire, the great Father will surely reward you.”

Lothar was overjoyed at these words and thanked Link profusely. For someone as devout as he, nothing could surpass the happiness of receiving the Father’s reward.

Afterward, Link discussed the handover of the Sword of Light’s Seal with Lothar. When the banquet ended, Lothar departed with his son to make preparations, while Link sought out the three Elders to inform them of the Sword of Light’s Seal.

When the three Elders learned that the Bath family not only possessed the Sword of Light’s Seal but was willing to use it, they were astonished and then delighted. Having lived for so long and read countless books, how could they be unaware of this artifact? If it was indeed a genuine Sword of Light’s Seal, sealing a weakened dark demon would be no difficult task. Once the sword’s power took effect, they had at least five methods to eliminate the demon without sacrificing any of their own.

Link was equally pleased. Though his system was miraculous, the lottery function was unreliable—who knew if he’d get something useful after its upgrade? Now, with the Sword of Light’s Seal in hand, he no longer needed to pin his hopes on the slim odds of the lottery.

In the following days, both the Bath family and the Celestial Faith prepared to eliminate the dark demon. Though Link was of little help in this matter, he was still very busy. After the All Gods’ Festival, the Father’s Faith had stolen the spotlight, and all the major churches wished to befriend him. Link knew well that while the Father’s Faith was strong, it could not afford to make enemies recklessly. Thus, he spent his days tactfully dealing with the endless stream of visitors.

Fortunately, while Link didn’t particularly enjoy such diplomatic maneuvering, he didn’t dislike it either and was quite experienced. He handled everything with skill and intelligence, leaving those who thought his youth made him easy to deceive frustrated and unable to take advantage of him. No one dared to underestimate the founder of the Father’s Faith, whose age was so at odds with his cunning.

Amidst this atmosphere, the system’s upgrade was finally completed. At midnight on May seventeenth, the system’s long-awaited voice sounded.

“Ding, True God System upgrade complete. Lottery usage has been improved. For each festival and monthly draw, you will now receive two chances.”

“Ding, detected that during the upgrade, you experienced both the All Gods’ Festival and the monthly draw on the fifteenth. Calculating accumulated rewards.”

“Ding, congratulations to the host for achieving ‘Dominating the Masses’—defeating a powerful opponent during the All Gods’ Festival and earning an achievement reward.”

“Ding, multiple rewards have been delayed due to the upgrade. A compensation plan is being formulated… Compensation plan confirmed. Host, would you like all rewards to be merged? After merging, you will receive one advanced, one intermediate, and one basic lottery draw.”

“Merging rewards? That’s possible? Hahaha, the upgrade is truly generous—what a pleasant surprise!” Link was overjoyed. One chance at each level was clearly better than four basic draws and an unknown achievement reward. How could he refuse?

He immediately accepted the compensation, and the lottery wheel appeared.

Thinking to save the best for last, Link started with the basic draw. The system did not disappoint—he received a fine item.

The Pegasus Bronze Cloth! The signature armor of the main character in the Saint Seiya saga, the most “overpowered” armor in the entire story! Although the summoned Pegasus Cloth was certainly a knockoff and couldn’t match the invincible aura of the original, it was still a rare and valuable piece of equipment. Link couldn’t use it himself, but hadn’t Aiolos been waiting for this for a long time? Aiolos had made great progress during the recent assembly and was on the verge of a breakthrough. Once he received the Pegasus Cloth, his strength would soar. Though he might not catch up to Saga immediately, he would not be far behind.

The thought of the Father’s Faith gaining another mighty warrior made Link smile with satisfaction.

He then hastily used his intermediate draw. After some suspense, the wheel finally landed on the skill section.

“Ding, congratulations, host, on obtaining an intermediate skill. Matching… Match complete. You have received the intermediate skill: Ripple Step.”

Another martial arts world technique—one of the top three lightness skills in Jin Yong’s novels. While it wasn’t the supreme technique Link desired most, it was even more useful to him at present.

What did Link lack most right now? Offensive means? He had those! Defensive techniques? Not many, but he had some! An escape method? None!

What he lacked was exactly this kind of movement skill for both charging into battle and evading danger. Although the explosive power of the Nine Yang Divine Skill could momentarily boost his speed, it was a trick suitable only for brute force charges. Against an equally skilled opponent, it wouldn’t suffice.

Ripple Step, as a supreme lightness skill in Jin Yong’s novels, was superb for both attack and defense. Remember how Duan Yu, so weak at the start of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, repeatedly escaped crises? It was thanks to this skill. Compared to Duan Yu at that time, Link was at least as strong, if not stronger, so Ripple Step would be even more effective in his hands.

With the system’s enhancement, Link quickly mastered Ripple Step and tested it in his room. Amazing! He could glide over roofs, perform parkour stunts, evade obstacles—all with ease. It was truly a top-tier skill for speed and evasion.

Link believed that, as he was now, he stood a real chance even against an early fourth-tier powerhouse. If he used all his abilities skillfully, he might even hold his own against a mid-fourth-tier opponent—though victory would require a bit more offensive power.

After finishing his experiment with Ripple Step, Link turned his attention back to the wheel. His heart pounded uncontrollably. “All right, time for the final draw.”

He commanded the system to start the advanced lottery. As the pointer spun rapidly, his heart raced. His eyes were glued to it, wishing he could bore a hole through the wheel.

Without a doubt, what Link wanted most was a supreme technique—second only to a skill. An advanced skill, though costly to use, would be a reliable trump card. So his gaze lingered on the “Skill” and “Supreme Technique” sections, silently chanting their names. This advanced draw was too precious; who knew when he’d get another chance? He didn’t want to end up with a bunch of useless items. Even a Gold Cloth wouldn’t please him.

But as the pointer slowly drifted past “Skill,” then “Supreme Technique,” Link felt his heart sink. In the end, the pointer stopped at the “Building” section.

“Ding, congratulations, host, on obtaining an advanced building. Matching… Match complete. You have received the Paladin’s Hall.”

A building stone appeared before him. Link caught it, and information about the Paladin’s Hall flooded his mind.

Upon learning its properties, Link’s expression shifted—now surprised, now delighted, now amused, now exasperated. He couldn’t help but mumble, “This effect… is truly heaven-defying. Any dark or unclean entity hostile to the Father’s Faith that enters or approaches the Hall will be purified by holy light; anything below the seventh tier will be instantly slain, and even above seventh tier will be severely wounded. Isn’t this enough to make that dark demon utterly helpless? Without the Sword of Light’s Seal, this would be just what we needed. But now… Well, it can also cultivate paladins. With this, mass-producing powerful paladins will no longer be a dream. It’ll benefit the Father’s Faith for generations. Still… why can’t I learn the paladin skills from this hall, just as I can’t wear the Cloth?”

In the end, Link was so frustrated and aggrieved he cursed under his breath.