The wizard starts by trimming the donkey's hooves

Chapter 291 Metal Barrier (Two chapters in one)

When Ryan arrived at the entrance of the Sword Bearer branch, he saw a luxurious carriage parked at the door.

A middle-aged man with a mustache and hunting clothes had been waiting beside the carriage. When he saw Ryan coming out, Fabien smiled, took two steps forward, and said enthusiastically:

"Sir Ryan, sorry to bother you. I'm Fabien from the Axon Auction House."

"Maybe there was some misunderstanding in the communication between you and us before."

"Oh? He attacked me twice. Is this what Lord Fabien said? Can it be cleared up by a misunderstanding?" Ryan waved his hand and interrupted the other party.

Fabian was also embarrassed by Ryan's words, but he quickly explained his purpose:
"Well, that's why the higher-ups attach great importance to you. Lord Drake even came here personally from the imperial capital. He is in the Mona Coffee Shop next door. Would you mind paying us a visit and having a chat?"

Following the direction Fabien pointed, Ryan looked up and saw a coffee shop not far ahead.

"Okay." Ryan nodded.

At first, Ryan thought that the person he was talking to was Viscount Fabien, but now it seems that was not the case.

Since Admiral Edward might find time to meet with him at any time in the afternoon, Ryan had thought about it on the way here and decided not to have a long speech with him.

Since the other party arranged the meeting place at the gate of the Sword Bearer branch, it saved a lot of time for the round trip.

In addition, the other party should also have considered some security factors. If it was a private residence, I might not agree.

From this point of view, the arrangement does have some sincerity.

So, accompanied by Fabien, Ryan walked towards the coffee shop about 20 or 30 meters away.

The entire coffee shop has been booked by the other party, and there are two guards who are obviously knights guarding the door.

When I walked into the coffee shop, I saw a slightly plump middle-aged man with a meticulously slicked-back hair waiting in a booth. The surroundings were spacious and bright, and there was no place for an ambush.

Seeing Ryan come in, the other party smiled and stood up to greet him, "Sir Ryan, nice to meet you. I am Drake Orenz."

"Hello, Lord Drake." Ryan nodded and said.

Seeing that Ryan looked unhappy, the other party smiled and said:

"Mr. Ryan, your time is precious, so I will get straight to the point."

"On behalf of Marquis Orenz, I would like to apologize to you for what happened before. In response, the Marquis is willing to pay you 10% of the shares of the Münster branch of the Axon Auction House as compensation."

Hearing this, Ryan nodded but did not speak.

He already understood the other party's general meaning.

You feel that you have some talent and the price to pay to get rid of me is too high, so you are trying to win me over?
Also, how much profit can one get from 10% of the shares?
Seeing Ryan's silent and thoughtful expression, Fabien couldn't help himself. He glanced at Drake and said after getting his instructions:
"Mr. Ryan, you may not know that the auction house branch in Munster, even if it is only 10% dividend, still has an annual income of about 20,000 to 30,000 imperial gold coins, which is not a small amount. Moreover, the income will continue to flow in."

"I think this fully demonstrates the sincerity of Marquis Orenzi and his sincere apology to you."

Huh?
Can I get 20,000 to 30,000 imperial gold coins a year?

That is indeed not a small amount.

The Hammer and Rose Chamber of Commerce, which is run by the beautiful woman Jennifer, has only made this much profit in half a year.

"Oh? Then what price do I have to pay?" Ryan said with a smile.

"I just need Lord Ryan to stop minding the previous misunderstanding. Also, if the Munster Auction House branch encounters any trouble, Lord Ryan can help solve it."

Draco smiled and waved his hand.

“Is it that easy?”

“It’s that easy.”

"It seems that Lord Ryan agrees?" The smile on Draco's face became even brighter.

"Well, if that's the case, I agree." Ryan nodded and said.

This condition is not too bad, but too generous. Ryan vaguely feels that the other party should have a backup plan.

Sure enough, when he agreed, Drake continued:
"By the way, Lord Ryan, there is one more thing. The pair of ancient troll fangs have special meaning to Marquis Orenz, so do you think it would be convenient for us to buy them back?"

"The people below didn't know much before. The ownership of your spoils naturally belongs to you, but this time we are buying it."

"It's a pity that I used the pair of ancient troll fangs?"

"What! Used it?" Draco looked at Ryan in disbelief and stood up suddenly.

This is different from the original plan.

Ever since he contacted the imperial capital about Ryan receiving the red dragon scales given by His Highness Menia, his brother, Marquis Orenz, decided to make some concessions.

The reply to him meant that he could take the initiative to show goodwill and give some of the shares of the Münster branch of the Axon auction house, which originally belonged to the Orenz family, as compensation to Ryan.

At the same time, we also proposed to repurchase the Ancient Troll Fangs.

Following this process, the other party will most likely not refuse.

But now Draco didn't expect that the troll fangs were actually used by Ryan.

So, he now doesn't know how to deal with the current situation.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" Ryan looked at the other person with a smile.

"No, no, Mr. Ryan, the delivery of our shares will take a few more days. This is because the Axon Auction House has a regulation since its establishment that requires the consent of the major shareholders when trading shares."

"So, what do you think about three days later?" Draco said, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Of course, I hope everything goes well then." Ryan smiled and stood up.

"It went smoothly, it went smoothly," Draco said a little stiffly.

He felt that what Ryan said was probably true.

In addition, whether something is there or not is something that a fortune teller at a formal wizard level or above can tell with a simple divination, which is not difficult.

But the question is, if the things are really gone, will his brother, Marquis Orenz, agree to give Ryan shares?

You know, my brother Orenz is not very narrow-minded!
Ryan then returned to the Sword Bearer branch.

After some communication, he had a basic understanding of the other party's attitude and plans.

"The other party is very concerned about the Ancient Troll Fang. For this reason, he would rather pay 10% of the shares of the Minster branch in exchange for the opportunity to trade peacefully with us."

"But unfortunately, the troll tusks have really been used."

"This 10% share of the Munster branch is my compensation for mental damage. I hope the other party won't do anything else."

"Otherwise"

In the afternoon, just as Ryan was about to go to the exchange hall again, Olena hurried to his dormitory.

"Mr. Ryan, Admiral Edward is back. If you are free now, why don't you go with me?"

"of course can."

Soon, Ryan, accompanied by the capable young woman Olena, came to Admiral Edward's office on the top floor of the administrative building.

This was the first time Ryan met the Sword Bearer, the head of the Munster branch.

The other person was an old man wearing a general's uniform, with a pair of bright and sharp eyes. Although there were some crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, it did not affect his majestic demeanor at all. Instead, it made him feel like a person with rich experience.

"Good day, Admiral Edward." Ryan bowed respectfully.

"Hello, Viscount Ryan, please take a seat." Admiral Edward smiled kindly and looked Ryan up and down.

Strictly speaking, this was his second time meeting Ryan.

It's just that the first meeting was one-sided.

At that time, Ryan knocked down the obsidian giant with one hammer, which left a very deep impression on him.

"Ryan, I saw your performance in the mission a while ago, and I was really surprised! Especially your record of killing the ancient hero Monger, which exceeded my expectations of you."

"Thank you for your praise, Admiral." Ryan bowed slightly and said with a smile.

"I asked you to come this time because, first, I wanted to see you, and second, I have a few things I want to talk to you about."

"First of all, there is the mark on your body. I have already made an agreement with Archbishop Gomes of the Munster Goddess Church. He will personally help you solve the problem of the mark."

"However, you need to take some time to go there in the next two days. Archbishop Gomez needs to understand the strength of your mark first."

"Thank you for your concern, Admiral." Ryan bowed again.

"The second thing is that I hope you don't leave the Munster Sword Bearer branch so soon. You just joined the Sword Bearer, and I think you can settle down in the branch."

"Of course, don't worry, for now, I haven't considered leaving the Sword Bearer branch." Ryan said with a smile.

"Very good, Viscount Ryan. I heard from Olena that you are also a rare metal wizard?"

"Uh, yes, sir." Ryan hesitated for a moment and then nodded immediately.

There is no need to deny this, as many people in the branch already know about it.

"Then I have something here that I believe you will be very interested in." Admiral Edward smiled mysteriously, took out an old parchment scroll from the drawer and handed it to Ryan.

Ryan took it doubtfully and looked at Edward again.

The other person smiled and stretched out his hand, motioning for Ryan to open it.

Without much hesitation, Ryan untied the rope on the parchment scroll, opened it and read it carefully.

"Metal barrier!" Ryan said in shock, his eyes widened.

It turned out to be a defensive first-level metal-based witchcraft!

This is so rare.

Ryan searched for a long time but couldn't find any metal-based defensive magic.

This is also the reason why he chose metal transfiguration as his innate witchcraft, although it seems to be very effective at the moment.

But he didn't expect that at this time, he actually obtained a rare first-level defensive metal-based witchcraft.

At the same time, Ryan was a little confused.

Because he was very sure that this magic was not in the branch's exchange catalog, otherwise he would not have chosen Metal Transfiguration.

"Although you should already have a defensive metal magic, this one is one of the best options I can help you apply for from the Sword Bearer Headquarters."

"Having one more defensive spell isn't a bad thing."

"You are so young and have a bright future. The most important thing is to survive the battle." Admiral Edward explained why defensive witchcraft was used.

"Thank you very much for your help." Ryan stood up and bowed.

Only Ryan himself knew that he did not have any defensive metal-based witchcraft as his innate witchcraft, and the "metal barrier" in front of him was his first.

"However, even I cannot exempt you from paying for the exchange of medals and merit points." Admiral Edward waved his hand and said with a smile.

"It's like this, Lord Ryan. According to the regulations, this is an item that can only be exchanged at the Sword Bearer Headquarters after reaching the Magic Iron level. But because of this mission, as you know, the Admiral personally communicated with the headquarters."

Olena said at the right time.

Ren nodded.

I see. "Boom boom boom!"

At this time, Colonel Stanley, whom Ryan had met several times, walked in with a serious face, holding a document in his hand, and said, "Sir, perhaps you need to take a look at this first."

Admiral Edward took the document, glanced at it casually, and immediately his face became serious. He stood up and said, "Hmm? Are you sure?"

"Sure, we have verified it with the South China Sea Fleet." said Colonel Stanley.

"Sorry, Ryan, I have to go to the Duke of Munster right away. It seems we can only talk next time." Admiral Edward looked apologetic.

"Okay, Admiral." Ryan said with a smile.

But, Admiral Edward was talking about the South China Sea Fleet just now?

Could it be that something happened in the South China Sea Fleet?

Remember, Her Royal Highness the 'Red Queen' Menia is over there, so logically, nothing should happen.

Maybe I should contact Veronica.
Ryan, who returned to the dormitory again, could not hide his excitement!
Immediately, Ryan opened the scroll eagerly and began to read it. The more he read, the more delighted he became.

Effect of the witchcraft 'Metal Barrier': A certain amount of metal pieces will float within a two-meter range around the caster, and block any attack that intends to harm the caster. Requires casting materials, any metal pieces.

Because Ryan discovered that this was not only a defensive metal-based witchcraft, but also a force field-based witchcraft.

Although the magic of 'Metal Barrier' came a little late, it was indeed what he needed very much at the moment.

At his current level, the enemies who can be considered as formal opponents are all very strong. They either have no weaknesses or specialize in a certain direction, such as Galina, and they are not easy to deal with.

The water-film steel knight suit he was wearing was no longer able to keep up with the intensity of the current battle.

Ryan's current defense mainly relies on his talent "Advanced Steel Body".

If the magic of "Metal Barrier" can be turned into combat effectiveness as soon as possible, it will be equivalent to adding an extremely strong layer of defense.

In battle, we cannot say that we are invincible, but at least the security is definitely greatly enhanced.

However, the complexity of the witchcraft model of "Metal Barrier" is far beyond that of Metal Transfiguration.

Ryan knew that this was due to the complexity of force field witchcraft.

The previous fire magic of the same level, 'High Temperature Force Field', was much more difficult than 'Scorching Touch'.

However, no matter how difficult it is, as long as he succeeds once, it means that it will be engraved on the panel of the Warhammer Wizard, and it can be quickly improved by adding points later.

Don't forget, he is a cheater!
"But... sheet metal?"

"A certain amount of metal sheets, does this expression mean that it can be multiple metal sheets? Also, does a certain amount refer to the total volume, or does the total mass not exceed a certain limit?"

After carefully reading the description of the "metal barrier", Ryan crossed his arms with one hand, stroked his chin with the other, and began to pace around the room thinking.

"Let's try it first and then talk about it!"

Immediately, Ryan used his innate magic, 'Metal Transfiguration', to quickly form a kite-shaped shield from the hardened adamantium in his hand.

"The metal shield is formed in one piece, so it should be considered a metal sheet."

"After all, to be precise, this is just a piece of metal that looks like a shield at best."

Ryan looked at the kite shield in his hand, nodded with satisfaction, and started trying it immediately.

After failing more than twenty times in a row, Ryan finally succeeded!
I saw a thick kite-shaped shield, more than one meter in the air beside Ryan, with the shield facing outwards, slowly circling.

"Are you using a shield for defense? But why is the movement speed so slow?" Ryan frowned.

However, when he subconsciously accelerated the shield, there was a "whoosh" sound breaking through the air.

The kite-shaped shield left a shadow and quickly stopped right in front of him.

"Huh? This is..."

This immediately made Ryan look surprised!

He kind of gets it.

This is a continuous guided witchcraft. When he is not attacked, the metal piece (shield) will slowly linger around him, that is, in a free state.

Once attacked, the metal piece will move at high speed to the direction of the attack to block it according to his consciousness.

In addition, Ryan could feel that the mental energy consumed in this free state was not great.

However, when the shield moved at high speed along with his consciousness, the consumption of mental energy began to increase greatly.

"Can we have both together?" Ryan immediately thought of another question.

Then, almost in an instant, Ryan had another kite-shaped shield made of hardened refined gold in his hand.

This time, when Ryan cast the spell "Metal Barrier" again, two kite-shaped shields, one in front and one behind, began to slowly rotate around him.

It was as if he was the sun, and the two metal shields were Mars and Mercury.

At the same time, Ryan can also control it at will with his consciousness, such as making two shields linger around him in the same direction.

This scene made Ryan even more delighted.

"The defensive power of two shields is naturally greater than that of one."

"And it seems there's still energy left."

"What about the three sides?"

Immediately, Ryan transformed into a kite-shaped shield.

Now, the fifty kilograms of hardened refined gold in his hands had basically turned into three kite-shaped shields.

"Ok?"

Although the spell was successful, Ryan felt a vague sense of heaviness coming from his mind. Although the three kite-shaped shields were only slowly floating, they also caused his mental energy consumption to rise sharply.

"It seems that the total amount has exceeded the upper limit. We need to reduce it slightly."

Soon, after repeated attempts, Ryan found the critical point.

In addition, Lane also determined that the certain amount described in witchcraft refers to the total weight of the metal pieces, not the volume.

At this time, the system prompt also came:

[You have studied the metal barrier, and your understanding of it has improved! ]

[You have learned a new skill - Metal Barrier]

[Your skill Metal Barrier is improved, experience value +3]

At the same time, a new icon has been added below the Warhammer Wizard (Legend) panel.

The icon depicts a blurry gray-robed man wearing a hood and holding a short staff, surrounded by multiple shield-like metal plates.

Its size is much smaller than Ryan's kite shield, only about the size of a palm.

In addition, there is a line of small text below the icon:
Metal Barrier lv1 (1/100)

Metal Barrier lv1 effect: consumes a certain amount of mental power, drives a certain amount of metal pieces with a specific witchcraft model, floats within a two-meter range around the caster, and blocks any attack intended to harm the caster.

(Note: Materials are required for the procedure - metal sheets of any material.)
(Note: The spell takes 3 seconds to cast. The duration is proportional to the caster's mental strength and can be canceled actively.)
"Three seconds is too long to cast a spell!"

"If we want to quickly form combat effectiveness, we have to shorten the casting time by adding points." Ryan looked thoughtful.

After all, a 'metal barrier' with a three-second casting time has absolutely no combat effectiveness at all.

No enemy will wait for you to complete the spell within three seconds before attacking you.

"It's just that"

"My subsequent plan to increase points and improve them will have to undergo relatively large changes."

Originally, Ryan planned to use the gold skill points on breathing techniques to quickly improve various attributes of his body.

Ordinary skill points are used to improve extraordinary combat skills, because one of the prerequisites for the epic profession "King of Thousand Blades" requires nine mysteries.

But now it seems that all these can be put on hold.

He could consider using both skill points and gold skill points to upgrade the 'Metal Barrier', thereby quickly building up combat effectiveness.

"Also, although we have mastered the metal barrier, we still need to test how strong the defensive power of this magic is."

Before the actual battle, one must understand the upper limit of the defense of the "metal barrier" clearly and have a clear idea of ​​it.

Unlike the 'high-grade steel body', Ryan can test the skin's defensive power with a dagger himself.

But the new witchcraft 'Metal Barrier' still needs to rely on external force to test it.

After thinking about it, Ryan decided to go to the training hall.
-
at the same time.

In the upper town of Münster, in a wealthy businessman's villa.

Brinno, a girl in a white cashmere dress, was in the bedroom, staring blankly out the window.

This morning, she visited the exhibition of oil painting master Franco Van Cleef.

At that time, she seemed to see a slightly strange painting. At least, she had never seen a similar painting by Master Franco, and the style was very different.

The content of the painting is also vaguely weird, as if a little boy is holding a female doll and looking into the distance.

But when Brinno thought of the painting, she couldn't help but think of the other person's eyes.

It was actually pure black, with no whites.

Although the other person's gaze seemed to be sideways, Brinno always felt that he was looking at her, which made her feel creepy.

then
She seemed to have forgotten what happened afterwards.

"very strange!"

"how so."

Brino shook her head and decided to go for a walk in the garden to relax.

But as soon as she opened the door, she was suddenly stunned!

Because at the end of the corridor in the room, she suddenly saw the boy, holding the female puppet in his hand, with a pair of black eyes staring at her blankly.

Brino's heart skipped a beat, but she still thought she was dazzled.

She rubbed her eyes and looked carefully.

"what!!!"

"Oh!"

Brino screamed and slammed the door!

Her breasts heaving violently and her breathing becoming rapid!

Because, the boy in the painting just now, suddenly appeared from the end of the corridor and came to a few meters in front of her at the moment when she rubbed her eyes, and continued to stare at her blankly.

(End of this chapter)