Chapter 117

Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Clayton spun around in a panic, his eyes locking onto the source of the explosion. Shock swept across his face as he realized what had happened: several houses had collapsed due to the violent storm. All around him, people were waking up and rushing out of their homes in confusion. Some stood stunned at first, but quickly sprang into action, helping the injured and searching for survivors. Seeing this, Clayton didn’t hesitate. His house was brightly lit—he had turned on the lights earlier—so he quickly changed clothes and ran outside to join the rescue efforts. He threw himself into the chaos, doing everything he could to be visible. This was the perfect opportunity to erase any lingering suspicions—especially if any of the gambling boss’s subordinates ever came looking for answers. As time passed, the situation began to stabilize. The rubble from the collapsed houses was being cleared. Thankfully, most residents in the area were mages, so there were no fatalities—though many had sustained serious injuries. The farming district homes were poorly built, made from cheap wood and stone. But with the aid of basic magic, most people had managed to protect themselves from being crushed. Once Clayton was certain the situation was under control—and that his "helpful citizen" act had been convincing—he returned home. On the way, he felt a wave of relief. The storm damage had conveniently provided him with a solid alibi for why his own house looked like it had been through a battle. What he didn’t know was that, from the moment he stepped outside to the moment he returned, he had been watched—by Equus, whose growing paranoia kept him glued to Clayton’s every move. Fortunately for both of them, the night was dark and chaotic enough that no one noticed Equus’s strange behavior. Back at home, Clayton didn’t go to bed right away. He released all his pets from the storage dimension, then summoned his mini skeletons. He ordered them to clean up the mess inside. Only after everything was in motion did he finally lie down to rest, letting the skeletons continue the work. ... The next morning, Clayton was awakened by the sound of construction. Groggily opening his eyes, he saw the skeletons still hard at work repairing his home. The events of the previous night rushed back into his mind. He sat up and smiled at their efficiency. Most of the mess had already been handled. After a few brief instructions, he told the skeletons to stop and leave the house. He closed his eyes again for a short nap before finally rising for the day. After cleaning up and eating lunch, Clayton pulled out the spatial pouch he had taken from the gambling boss. Using the simple key spell he’d learned from the boss’s memories, he began unlocking it. Click! The pouch opened easily. Clayton peered inside—and his eyes lit up. A mountain of items poured out before him: ten thousand low-tier magic crystals, assorted herbs and mysterious ingredients, an alchemy furnace, pens and ink for crafting spell scrolls, a magical robe, a wand, and even a flying broomstick. Using his Observation Entry skill and farmer’s intuition, Clayton quickly began identifying the items. After organizing everything, his attention shifted to a stack of old, mystical-looking books. As he flipped through them, he discovered they contained: A low-tier One-Star Alchemy Inheritance A high-tier One-Star Scrollcraft Inheritance A Wind-Element Magic Application Inheritance A Breath-Holding Technique Manual There were several other books, but none that caught his interest. Clayton spent the entire day devouring the new materials. By nightfall, he was mentally exhausted—but thrilled. He could feel it. This was the beginning of a major power boost. ... The next morning, Clayton stood beside a frozen lake, holding a freshly written magic scroll. The ink was still drying. With high hopes, he activated it. Swoosh! A sharp gust of wind slashed across the icy lake in a dazzling arc. Clayton smiled in satisfaction. The scroll had worked—despite not being at full power due to his lack of wind affinity. Still, the success lifted his spirits. He could clearly feel the benefits of studying the boss’s magical inheritance. Motivated, he decided to try a spell manually. Snap! Snap! Two marble-sized water bullets launched from his fingertips. Boom! Boom! Cracks echoed as the projectiles slammed into the frozen lake. Clayton burst into laughter. "Hahaha! So, those compression, hardness, softness, and thinning techniques from wind spells really do work! I’ve already boosted my attack power by 30%—with just a few tries!" Energized, he kept experimenting with spell combinations. Swoosh! Snap! Bang! His attacks varied in form and intensity, growing more creative with each cast. He wasn’t just practicing—he was having fun. At one point, he cast a wave spell meant to surge forward... only for it to hit him square in the chest. Laughing, he jumped onto the wave and managed to ride it a short distance—like a magical surfboard. He only slid forward about a meter, but he didn’t care. With enough practice, he was sure he could develop a spell uniquely his own. ... After his lakeside training, Clayton returned home to find the skeletons still repairing the house. Days had passed since that chaotic night, but the repairs were far from complete. He wasn’t in a rush. He let them work at their own pace. Heading into his room, followed by three mini skeletons, he shut all doors and windows tightly. He scanned the area to ensure no one was nearby. Satisfied, he pulled several items from his spatial pouch: an alchemy cauldron, herbs, and magic charcoal. He began setting up for another alchemy experiment, carefully following the instructions he had studied. Placing the charcoal beneath the cauldron, he adjusted the heat, then directed the skeletons to add the ingredients at the proper intervals. Everything went smoothly—until the final stage. Suddenly, the cauldron began to shake violently. Clayton’s eyes widened. He gritted his teeth, trying to stabilize the brew. But the reaction intensified, growing hotter and more unstable. And then— BOOM! The cauldron exploded, spraying scalding liquid in every direction. Clayton didn’t even have time to move. Fortunately, a water dome formed around him just in time, shielding him from the blast. A second, larger dome covered the rest of the room. Once the chaos subsided, the dome faded, revealing the full mess. Clayton rushed to check the cauldron. To his relief—it was still intact. Even so, he couldn’t hide his disappointment. Another failure. He had attempted this same process several times over the past few days, and always failed at the final stage. For some reason, the fire would destabilize near the end every time. That’s why he kept his skeletons close. Without them, he might have suffered serious injuries—like he did during his first attempt. He and the skeletons immediately began cleaning up the wreckage. But just as they were finishing, an alarm from the defensive array rang out. Clayton bolted outside—only to see a group of rough-looking men approaching. Their clothes were ragged, their bodies covered in tattoos. His heart pounded. His muscles tensed. "Did they find out what I did?"