章 68: Chapter 68: Nostalgia

Immediately following, a massive surge of energy rushed into his mind. Rhett quickly composed himself, ready to handle the impact.

To his surprise, Rhett realized that despite having broken through in the simulation, the transfer of mental energy back to reality didn't require him to break through again. The surge of mental energy was gentle, causing some discomfort but nothing compared to the intense fluctuations during the breakthrough.

The outside environment remained unchanged— the wind was still gentle, and the night still dim.

In just a few seconds, Rhett had advanced from a Level 2 Mage to a Level 3 Mage!

The moonlight quietly bathed the world as Rhett gazed at the slightly yellowed moon that night, feeling a wave of emotion.

February 8th—around this time in his previous life—should have been close to the Lunar New Year. Families would gather in harmony and joy.

But as he thought about it, Rhett felt a bit melancholic.

Even in his previous life, he was alone. But here, he had a small family to care for. With his family by his side, his life had become much more fulfilling.

For Blue Star, he no longer felt the weight of missing old friends. What remained was a deep yearning for his homeland.

He stood up, stretching out his hand as if trying to touch the distant moon, but then his brow furrowed.

As a newly advanced Level 3 Mage, his spiritual perception had heightened. In his enhanced senses, he detected something unusual. While the environment seemed peaceful, fifty meters away, a serpentine magical beast was slowly slithering toward them.

"A Tier 2 magical beast, a small matter," Rhett's eyes remained calm as he effortlessly cast a Ground Spike spell.

Slash!

The sound of the spike piercing through snake scales was faint, but it was enough to wake Reilly from his meditation. His eyes flashed with uncertainty as his hand instinctively grasped his staff.

"Father, what happened? I heard a strange noise just now," Reilly asked, looking at his father.

"I've advanced to a Level 3 Mage. Just killed a beast to celebrate," Rhett replied nonchalantly.

There was no need to hide his advancement from his three sons, so he used this opportunity to share the news.

"What? You've become a Level 3 Mage, Father?" Reilly's eyes lit up with joy. He looked at his father, who suddenly seemed even more profound and powerful.

"That's wonderful! With your strength as a Level 3 Mage, is there anyone in the Brann territory who could rival you?" Reilly's mood soared as he realized that with such high-level magical abilities, only Earl Nilo might be a match for his father in the southwestern region.

"There's always someone stronger," Rhett chuckled and shook his head. Glancing at Tyles, who was still asleep, he mused aloud, "Reilly, the magical beast I just injured is yours to finish off."

"No problem."

As Reilly moved toward the nearby forest, Rhett followed, not entirely reassured.

Family Member Defeats Enemy Above Their Level, Fate Points +2

A Water Arrow spell shot through the snake's head, and Rhett received the notification.

He glanced at the Fate Points: 29 section and pondered.

"This snake's skin is perfectly intact. If sold, it should fetch a good price," Reilly remarked as he skillfully skinned the serpent. "But such a good hide would be a waste if it wasn't made into a garment."

Returning to the camp, Tuck had also awakened. Seeing his father and Reilly emerge from the forest, he blinked. "What were you two doing out there in the middle of the night?"

"Father has advanced to a Level 3 Mage and killed a magical beast to celebrate," Reilly mimicked his father's earlier tone, speaking nonchalantly.

"What!" Tuck's reaction was far more dramatic than Reilly's earlier one. He rushed over to Rhett, circling him in excitement, his hands waving animatedly.

"Um… Tuck, could you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep," Tyles muttered sleepily. Lacking his brother's boundless energy, he grumbled, turned over, and promptly went back to sleep.

Rhett chuckled and gestured for silence. "Shh."

He lowered his voice, "Tomorrow, we'll search the outskirts for a day and then head deeper into the forest to hunt."

Both Reilly and Tuck had complete faith in their father's abilities. Their eyes gleamed with excitement at the thought of what the deeper areas of the Dark-Winged Eagle Ridge might hold.

After settling back down to rest, Rhett turned his thoughts inward.

He activated the system.

Would you like to start a Text Simulation? Each year simulated costs 5 Fate Points.

"Yes, simulate one year."

In the year 474 of the Kingdom of Gold, on February 8th, Kudin and his subordinates unearthed a chest of gold coins, a chest of magic crystals, a chest of magic plant seeds, and an ancient diary three hundred meters east of the Little Thorn Forest. That evening, you advanced to a Level 3 Mage, greatly increasing your power. Congratulations.

On February 9th, you led your people to the Ice Crystal Lake, where you encountered a Cold Crystal Tiger swimming in the lake. After a fierce battle, you narrowly defeated it. You then explored the vicinity of the Ice Crystal Lake and its depths, discovering over a hundred mid-level water element plants and eight high-level water element plants.

On February 10th, you ventured deeper into the Dark-Winged Eagle Ridge and encountered a Tier 3 Giant-toothed Armored Beast and a Tier 3 Crystal Leopard. You managed to defeat them after a tough battle.

On February 11th, you encountered a Tier 3 Windfeather Sparrow. After a fierce fight, you severely injured it, but it managed to escape.

On February 15th, you discovered a patch of mid-level dark element plants, which brought great joy. Roughly estimating, you found over three hundred of them. While harvesting, you heard a long eagle's cry from the sky. Suddenly, your vision went black, and you died.

"Another death," Rhett exhaled, his eyes reflecting deep contemplation as he reviewed the short simulation.

Though the outcome was death, it didn't surprise him.

Before simulating, Rhett had planned for this result—an exploratory path designed to venture deep into the Dark-Winged Eagle Ridge and not turn back until death, hoping to uncover the dangers and opportunities that lay ahead.

In other words, it was all about gaining valuable foresight.

What Rhett didn't expect was that during his absence, after nearly a month, Kudin had made a new discovery.

This time, the haul seemed substantial: a chest of gold coins, a chest of magic crystals, and a chest of magic plant seeds.

Rhett's expression turned thoughtful. Could it be that his earlier guess was correct—that this area was once home to a fleeing or relocating noble family?

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the presence of so many ancient relics and treasures in the area.

Putting those thoughts aside for now, he knew there was little he could do until he returned to his territory to investigate further.