Dungeon Of Pride, Laplace

"That said, from what you told me, I can tell that this matter is not so simple. They might be in danger if they are investigating it alone. Who are with them?"…

"Don't worry master, my familiars are with them. No harm will come to sister Cecilia's clansmen" Theodore answered patting his chest proudly.

"I see, that's good then. With those True Vampires with them, I don't think any adventurers can come close to them. Alright, Cecilia tell Fey and Maya to report to me immediately once they finish investigating".

With that, Simon adjourned the meeting and quickly moved near the Serenity Pond. The subordinates who were left in the hall, saw how much in a hurry he was and couldn't help but discuss.

"Why is Master in such a hurry to train again even though he just came back from his training?"...

"Gasp… it cannot be… is master a training Masochist?".

SMACK… a fist of love came smacking some sense into the peach coloured hair maid.

"What are you talking about? We should all learn from Master's attitude and focus on our own training too" The bespectacled beauty spoke, pushing her glasses up.

"That's right… that's right… I can't wait to show the results of my training to master" the wood elf maid jumped up and down.

Looking at them, Irene made a wry smile. Just like their master, these subordinates of his couldn't sit still either. While Simon was training out there, it was not like they were just sitting idly by.

They were also training their own skills and abilities, mastering and perfecting it. Whether it be the battle maniac Valkyies, the Vampire twins or the [Helpers], all of them diligently trained every day hoping to be of aid to their Master. They never skipped a single day.

Unbeknownst to Simon, his attitude at some point, started affecting his subordinates. Now they had the same outlook towards training and improving themselves just like their master.

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Main Floor, Serenity Pond...

Due to the extreme density of mystical energy present here, not to mention the breathtaking view, the Serentiy Pond had long become the exclusive training ground for Simon.

The reason why he was in such a hurry to train again even though he just came back from his training was because he was very close to achieving the next rank.

Demon Marquess… just thinking about it, boiled his blood and he couldn't sit still. He wanted to achieve the rank as soon as possible. He was already at the required level for [Promote] as for the Purifying Crystal Essence, he can just buy the required amount from the shop.

However, the only reason why he wasn't increasing his rank was because he needed to acquire a few more skills. These basic skills are the building blocks for his growth, the proper the foundation, the stronger he would become in the future.

As such, he cannot just skip out on those skills no matter how much temptation the next rank had. Of course, he can acquire the skill after he ranks up to Demon Marquess. However, if he uses the rank up to acquire those skills, he would be missing out on the chance to increase the tier of said skills.

There are two ways of increasing the tier of one skill— The first method is when One's understanding and mastery over the skill reaches a level that is higher than the skill itself. The skill then evolves and reaches the next tier.

The second method is through an evolution of a creature or Rank Up in the case of Demon Nobles. Although less common, it is indeed one of a method. Though very less people in the entire world can achieve it after all, not just anyone can break through the constraints of the bloodline limit and rank up repeatedly.

The way it works is very simple, when a Demon Noble goes through a rank up, a large amount of pure mystical energy rushes into their body to help them refine their bloodline and allowing them to gain all the abilities and skills of that rank.

However, what if someone already acquired those skills before reaching that rank? In that case, the remnant energy that was left after the refinement of the bloodline is absorbed by the skills causing them to increase in tier.

Not many people knew about this method and Simon himself only knew about this method after going through so many rank ups. It was also the reason why Irene repeatedly stressed on him acquiring all the basic skills before a rank up.

It was because Simon was one of the few people in this world who could use the rank up to his advantage to increase the tiers of his skills.

Of course, it was impossible to acquire every skill of that rank, which is why he was only focusing on acquiring the basic skills. These basic skills might not seem impressive; however, it was these small small things that added up later.

Just imagine, having an edge over two or three tiers on all the skills against an enemy. There is no way Simon would find a match against any opponent of the same rank.

He who was already starting to taste the benefits of his training, knew his advantage very well. That is why, he didn't want to give up on acquiring the skills even though he had reached the threshold to rank up.

Simon cleared his mind of all unnecessary thoughts and focused on his training. The trip to the forbidden grounds had allowed him to breach through the wall halting his progress. Now he can give it his all without anything holding him back.

The skills that Simon was trying to acquire was [Mana Sense] and [Break]. The first skill was a mystical ability that allowed one to sense the ebb and flow of the mystical energy in the surroundings more clearly.

Not only that, it also allows one to discern the presence and type of mana within objects and even living beings. For example, using [Mana Sense] he would be able to detect what attributes of magic someone uses even without needing to use his [Appraisal] skill.

Just from the colour and the sensation the other party's mana gave off, he would be able to tell whether they use Fire magic, Earth, Wind or even the Dark magic of darkness aligned beings like him. Nothing could hide from his perception.

Furthermore, Simon could use this ability to detect hidden traps, magical barriers, or concealed objects infused with mana. It was a versatile skill that not only heightened his awareness but also deepened his understanding of the Mystical forces that shaped the world.

A skill that was much needed if he wanted to stand at the pinnacle of this world. If one hones the [Mana Sense] skill to higher tiers, one could even perceive the mysteries of the mystical energy, sense fluctuation in mana, revealing hidden intentions and imminent threats.

The [Break] skill on the other hand was a disruptive force that sends the flow of mana into turbulence causing chaos amidst the ordered symphony of spells and abilities.

When one invokes the skill, it sends a disruptive influence in the mana-laden environment. Using this skill, one could target spells, skills, and magical effects, unravelling their structure and making their magical matrices to go haywire.

For instance, when facing an incoming fireball spell, he could employ Break to disrupt the cohesion of its fiery mana. The once fierce flames might flicker and wane, losing their potency as the spell faltered.

The skill went beyond mere negation. Break allowed one to manipulate the mana to some extent and redirect its flow. This could cause spells to misfire, turning an adversary's powerful incantation into a harmless burst of energy, or could disrupt an opponent's protective barrier, leaving them vulnerable.

In essence [Break] was the weaker version of the skill [Disruption] whose higher version could even interfere with an opponent's weapons and artefacts, rendering its abilities and stats temporarily inert.

Simon had come in contact with the higher version of one of those skill and had a general sense of understanding of how to achieve the other.

He began his training for the [Mana Sense] first. If he could acquire this skill first, then it would be much more easier to learn the other skill. And so, Simon took a deep breath and took out the serenity stone from his inventory.

Soon afterwards, he was enveloped in the effects of the stone and entered a self transient state. In this state, all of his unnecessary thoughts were pushed back and his focus and attention increased manifold.

He felt as if his consciousness discarding his physical shell and expanding beyond the confines of his body, entering a realm of pure mystical energy.

In this transcendent state, Simon spread his senses around like tendril of consciousness just like how he used to spread his mana using [Mana Flow]. The spread tendrils of his senses started to seek out the subtle vibrations of mystical energy in the surroundings.

At first, it felt like searching for whispers in the wind, but as more and more time passed, his senses grew more acute.

To master Mana Sense, one must develop their six senses and enhance them to new heights. Thanks to the Log training Irene designed for him, not only was he able to hone his instincts and acquire the skill [Intuition] and [Flash Steps], but it also helped him develop all of his six senses resulting him in acquiring [Enhanced Six Senses].