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Chapter 209: Call My Men!

For the longest time, whenever Roel raised the topic of the ‘subordinates’ of the Strength Origin Attribute with Grandar, the latter never seemed to be too enthusiastic about it.

In the eyes of the towering giant who used to rule in the ancient era, any transcendents who hadn’t reached Origin Level 3 were no different from scrubs. They were all categorized into the same basket labeled ‘insignificant. Of course, Roel was the exception.

The Crown Origin Attribute was a special Origin Attribute. On top of its normal functions as an Origin Attribute, it was capable of displaying tremendous prowess when used in unison with its unique complementary bloodline. In extreme situations, through the power of the contractees, it was possible to challenge and defeat enemies that were far stronger than oneself.

The act of borrowing power wasn’t without downsides though. It could lead to the power of the contractees pervading the individual, resulting in a series of troublesome side effects.

That being said, there was little question that a transcendent possessing this bloodline and Origin Attribute was a huge, unpredictable variable. If he set his mind to it, even an emperor could possibly be dragged down from his throne.

“You weren’t that deep in trouble previously, and I have been able to deal with those rats hiding in the shadows thus far. However, the situation might change in the future. Having numbers could be an advantage at times too.”

Roel was rather surprised to hear those words coming from Grandar. Giants were renowned for their overwhelming individual prowess, such that the concept of ‘teaming up’ wasn’t common to them. Yet, Grandar was actually asking him to bulk up his forces at this very moment!

“There’s a limit to a person’s energy, no matter how powerful he may be. I do understand this concept, but when it comes to manpower, the Ascart Fiefdom should have plenty of people, no?”

The Ascart House might be terrible in other aspects, but its military prowess was one thing it could definitely be proud of. If Roel were to quantify it, it was probably at least two times stronger than the other ducal or marquess houses.

However, Grandar shook his head in response to Roel’s question.

“I don’t mean ‘numbers’ in that sense. I’m saying that you should keep some people who can fight by your side.”

“...”

It was like Grandar to use terms like ‘can fight’, but his concept of that phrase was definitely not the same as how most people would define it.

“... Origin Level 3?”

“It would be best if it’s higher than that.”

“Ah, this...”

Roel’s expression became a little strained upon hearing those words. The Ascart House did have Origin Level 3 transcendents on its side, but those who had reached such a level were all close aides of Carter, each tasked with important responsibilities. Even though Roel was the sole son of the Ascart House, it was a huge waste of resources to have those people remain by his side 24/7.

Cases of high-level transcendents serving as full-time bodyguards, such as in the case of Grace and Charlotte, were extremely rare. Not to mention, even the extravagant Sorofya House would agree that Grace’s capabilities were being put to waste, just that Grace herself insisted on doing it.

Ultimately, Origin Level 3 transcendents simply weren’t that common in the world. Demand for them was high and supply was low. Almost all of the Origin Level 3 transcendents of the Three Main Origin Attributes were taken, and those who adopted unique clan Origin Attributes tended to serve their respective houses. Unless the Ascarts were to assimilate their house, no one would abandon their own house just to protect Roel.

Through this process of elimination, the only ones whom Roel could feasibly take under his wing were just the high-level heretical transcendents.

Naturally, there were also many others before him who had thought of hiring high-level heretical transcendents too, especially the kings of weaker kingdoms who desperately needed greater power to reinforce their authority. Despite so, there were still very few cases where a high-level heretical transcendent was employed in the long-term. There was an undeniable chance that a heretic could fall into depravity, and the potential damage that could be caused by a rampaging Origin Level 3 transcendent was honestly too much for just about anyone to bear.

But while it was a risky venture for others, the dangers were fully averted in Roel’s case. After all, he possessed the highest authority over two Origin Attributes at the moment.

Grandar and Peytra; they were the loftiest existences in the ancient era, transcendents who had reached the peak of their respective fields. All transcendents in the present world who used the same Origin Attribute as them came under their influence and control.

Roel still wasn’t too sure what Peytra’s Origin Attribute was, but he was quite familiar with Grandar’s.

“Are there many transcendents using the Strength Origin Attribute?”

“That’s not so. The Strength Origin Attribute isn’t suited for human use, so...”

I guess that makes sense too. Considering the resilience of giants, the Strength Origin Attribute is probably one of the cruder, rougher ones. It’s unlikely for there to be too many humans who are suited for it.

It seems like I have no choice but to drop the idea then.

Roel sighed softly. He was going to abandon the notion when Grandar finished his sentence.

“... there are only two who barely meets the mark.

“Is that so? That’s truly a pity... Hm?”

Wait a moment, what did you just say?

Roel was still feeling disappointed a moment ago when Grandar’s words suddenly sank in, and he immediately raised his head. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them before the massive skeleton asked.

“Origin Level 3s. Do you need them?”

“Yes yes yes! Call them over! I’ll take any amount you have!” replied Roel with fists clenched in agitation.

Even amongst heretical mercenary groups, those that had two Origin Level 3 transcendents could be easily placed in the upper tier. On top of that, with Grandar holding firmly onto the steering wheel, there was no fear of them suddenly falling into depravity.

There were no better allies that he could look for!

Roel was excited by the notion, but at the same time, some worries surfaced in his mind too. It was true that this deal was almost fully beneficial to him, but what about the heretical transcendents of the Strength Origin Attribute? How would they view this matter?

It was true that most heretics lived unflattering lives in the present Sia Continent, but they were still able to make a living in some of the smaller kingdoms which valued power greatly. In such places, Origin Level 3 transcendents could potentially qualify for the position of a general, allowing them to live fairly grandly.

Even if Roel wanted to take them in and was willing to offer them substantial money for it, would they really be willing to come along with him?

Grandar had an answer to that too. As a transcendent higher up on the ladder, he had the ability to bestow blessings upon the heretical transcendents of the Strength Origin Attribute.

“Quickened rate of mana circulation, reduced side effects, increased chances of a breakthrough...”

Grandar listed out the various blessings he could bestow, leaving Roel so awestruck that his eyes were nearly bulging from their sockets. His confidence was swiftly inflating like a hot air balloon!

Quickened rate of mana circulation basically meant an increased rate of assimilation of mana. To put it in much simpler terms, it increased the pace at which one was able to make a breakthrough. Without a doubt, this was like a dream buff that all high-level transcendents desired.

Putting aside those heretical transcendents, even Roel coveted the blessings too. With this as leverage, it would greatly reduce the cost required for the Ascart House to poach them over. In fact, he reckoned that the heretical transcendents would be begging to stay once they had a taste of the blessings Grandar had to offer.

“I’ll be keeping my spirit vision on for the time being. If they wish to seek protection, they’ll come here on their own accord. You can also talk to the Earth Goddess about this. I believe that she’ll agree to it too.”

After saying his piece, Grandar vanished into thin air. It was likely that he was getting to work right away.

Roel thought back about the conversation he just had, and he could feel his entire body tingling in excitement.

Building up one’s own following was definitely no easy feat. Even Nora was just inheriting her father’s connections since those of the younger generation had yet to mature. However, what Roel was doing now was to pull together his own team.

While the results of building one’s following and inheriting a predecessor’s connections might appear to be the same, there was actually a huge difference between the two. For one, the extent of loyalty was bound to be different.

On top of that, Roel was bringing in people whom the Ascart House lacked. It was true that the Ascart House did have a huge military, but due to the limitations of its finances and noble rank, its number of high-level transcendents was limited. If he could put together a following of high-level transcendents, that would make up for the last weakness of its military.

“I’ll ask Peytra about it afterward. It would be great if she has people over on her side too.”

Having learned of the benefits the presence of these ancient gods brought about, Roel began making some calculations in his mind.

If I continue to bulk up the Ascart House, it’ll definitely become an additional layer of guarantee on my safety. Ah, but I should quickly make a breakthrough to Origin Level 4 too while taking in the heretical transcendents.

Grandar and Peytra were his cheat keys, but just relying solely on his cheat keys wouldn’t do. He needed to bulk up his own strength too, especially in the case of unexpected crises. The previous Witness State on the Golden Fleet was one such example.

There was also one thing that Roel had noticed due to the conflict that happened just earlier on. He realized that Alicia’s strength was far greater than he had initially estimated it to be.

He knew that Charlotte and Nora were at Origin Level 4, which meant that Alicia was likely to be on the same level too since she was able to fight on equal grounds with them earlier. Toward this fact, Roel was both shocked and a little depressed.

He thought that Alicia, under his care and protection, wouldn’t be so obsessed with transcendent powers anymore. So, it came as a huge shock when he realized that Alicia’s powers were actually greater than what was detailed in the Eyes of the Chronicler.

How did things turn out this way? Just where does her motivation stems from?

Roel started doubting himself as he pondered upon this question. He wondered that Alicia was secretly working hard on her transcendent abilities because she lacked a sense of security when she was with him. Little did he know that it was the opposite.

Alicia was afraid that she wouldn’t have enough strength to protect Roel, which was why she was working herself down to the bone, training hard to improve her abilities.

“... I really have to make a breakthrough soon.”

Oblivious to Alicia’s true thoughts, Roel toughened his determination as he turned his sight toward the System once again. The Commemoration of Debt Repayment event wasn’t over yet, but there weren’t any breakthrough serums in the 70% discount store.

Having been tortured by the side effects of his spells over the last month, Roel was particularly worried about treading wrongly with his breakthrough. He knew the severe risks that could come with a failed breakthrough, and he was determined to lower the probability of anything going awry.

Huh, what’s happening? Did the Lobor series die out? I thought that there’s an entire line of Lobor products all the way to the top!

Seeing that the serum he was looking for wasn’t inside the Gold Coin Shop, Roel felt a little deflated. It was always frustrating when something one was looking for isn’t there just as one needed it. However, while he was casually browsing through the Affection Points Exchange Shop, there was something that caught his attention.

“Wait a moment, isn’t this...”