As the boat touched the shore, the trio let out a collective sigh of relief.Edrin, still catching his breath, muttered with lingering dread,"Aaron… maybe we should reduce a barrel next time?"Aaron nodded, a faint smile on his face."Of course. You don’t want to relive that struggle again, do you?"Torvald added thoughtfully,"We might earn a little less, but we could always make two or three trips. It’s better than exhausting ourselves."Aaron agreed silently. Even just a thousand meters from shore had left him feeling the strain.He glanced at Torvald’s trembling hands and softened his tone."Mr. Torvald, will you be joining us again tomorrow?"Torvald nodded and he added,"Indeed. Sir Aaron, there’s something I’d like your help with."Aaron responded without hesitation,"Tell me, Mr. Torvald. If it’s within my power, I’ll do my best."Torvald looked him in the eye."Are you free this evening?"Before Aaron could reply, Edrin grinned and chimed in, "Didn’t you say you were headi

Alaric opened the book with curiosity, flipping through the pages slowly.His posture straightened as he absorbed the intricate drawings and detailed diagrams.Each page revealed a depth of thought and craftsmanship that left him visibly impressed.He glanced at Torvald, then back at Aaron."This is a remarkable book," he said, his voice tinged with awe."I can already imagine how many craftsmen would fight to get their hands on it. But Aaron, why bring it to me?"Aaron responded without hesitation, his tone calm but firm."Lord Alaric, Mr. Torvald is a genius. But his brilliance has drawn unwanted attention. There are people who covet his work, not for progress, but for power."He paused, then continued,"Torvald has chosen to entrust this book to you, in exchange for your protection. He seeks safety, not recognition."Before Lord Alaric could speak, Alice leaned closer to the book, her eyes wide with curiosity.The detailed diagrams and step-by-step instructions captivated her.She

Torvald chimed in from the side,"I’ve heard of Second Prince Dominoz. He’s reputed to be a genius of the Verdia Kingdom. There are rumors of him fighting alone in the forest, those stories are everywhere. I just don’t know if they’re true."Edrin responded immediately,"Well, to some extent, the rumors are true. But not entirely. The second prince is still alive, isn’t he? Don’t you think countless people might be after his life? There must be someone strong protecting him, someone who keeps his presence hidden, even from the prince himself."Aaron nodded thoughtfully. Edrin’s words made sense. But he shook his head and asked,"Edrin, what about Duke Theodore’s son?"Edrin’s expression turned contemplative."Duke Theodore’s eldest son died at Green Fort, leaving Gloden as his only heir. Unlike the second prince, Master Gloden is constantly guarded. From what I’ve heard, he has a harem of more than ten beauties."He paused, then added in a serious tone,"But Aaron, if you’re attendi

Inside the warehouse.Aaron inspected the parachute carefully.It was built in a simpler form, but the craftsmanship was solid.After examining it, he said,"Miss Alice, if you want to test it, it’s best to use weights first instead of a human. That way, we can determine how much load it can carry. You can test it with different weights, and once we’re confident, we can move on to human trials."Alice frowned slightly."But… how do we weigh humans?"Aaron chuckled and patted his forehead."Of course, it’s easy. Don’t worry, I’ll show you the method. We’ll need weights of different kilograms."Alice nodded thoughtfully."Fiona, take some guards with you and bring the weights."Fiona left the warehouse with four guards.Alice then turned to Aaron and asked,"Aaron, can my weight be measured too?"Aaron nodded."Of course. You already know that merchants weigh goods like wheat and rice during trade. In the same way, people can be weighed too."Alice looked contemplative and murmured to h

Alice walked beside Aaron and said thoughtfully, "Aaron, do you know how rare element-infused bones are? Even if they’re found, they’re sold at extremely high prices, starting from 500 gold coins. These weapons are scarce and can only be crafted using special techniques. Fortunately, Uncle Kolo is one of the few who possess such skill. In all of Verdia Kingdom, there are fewer than ten people capable of this kind of craftsmanship."Aaron was stunned by her words.He replied,"Miss Alice, this is the first time I’ve encountered something so extraordinary. The creature I faced was a spider, much larger than any ordinary one. I tossed a barrel into the fire, and it turned out the spider was resting inside. Even after its body was fully burned, it still had a terrifying life force and ferocity unlike anything I’ve ever seen.""It looked like a monster from hell. Killing it wasn’t too difficult, but the mental fatigue it left behind… I’ve never dealt with anything like that before."He p