CHAPTER 6: NINEFOLD SPACE SEVERANCE & EYE OF CHRONOS FORMATION

Just as James was about to check the next and the most important item, a dark flash appeared before him.

Nyxrael emerged from thin air, clutching Turner’s headless corpse in one hand and his severed head in the other.

"Fortunately, I didn’t disappoint you, My Lord." Nyxrael said, bowing slightly before dropping the corpse to the ground.

James nodded and ordered, his gaze looking around at the corpses nearby, "Collect the heads of that Platinum Knight and this one. As for the rest, dispose of them."

"As you command."

Nyxrael stored the heads in his spatial ring, then gathered the remaining corpses into one spot.

He then unsheathed his sword and covered it with his dark energy before slashing it forward, sending thick crescent violet-black flames toward the pile of corpses and burning them away to ashes in a few seconds.

Subsequently, they moved back toward the original place he was heading to, which was the Earl Edmund’s household.

On his way there, he just remembered about the fact that this horse was a borrowed one and he intended to return it after they arrived at the destination.

"Nyx, which faction does this horse’s owner belong to?" James glanced at Nyxrael, who was seamlessly moving at a fast speed beside the horse casually.

"Ugh... I don’t really know, My Lord." Nyxrael scratched his head with an apologetic expression, as he had never thought of giving back the horse.

"..."

James was speechless for a few seconds, shaking his head helplessly with a slight smile.

"Never mind then." He waved his hand casually and thought that he needed to adapt to this cruel fantasy world’s way of doing things fully.

’Let fate do the work. If we ever meet them again, I’ll return the horse then." James noted to himself so that he won’t feel bad about it.

With that out of the way, James focused back on his system rewards. Everything else had been handled, so now it was time to see what he’d gotten.

When he checked Eclipsera’s details, his lips curled into a grin.

The sword possessed both Space and Time attributes—an extremely rare combination. Even in its sealed state, it offered two main abilities.

From the Space attribute came the sword skill "Ninefold Space Severance."

At his current level, James could only use the first move. The rest would unlock naturally as he grew stronger and gradually unsealed Eclipsera’s true power.

First Severance – [Spatial Edge]: Extends the sword’s reach by slicing through compressed air, allowing slashes to hit distant targets instantly.

Then there was the Time attribute. It granted access to the "Eye of Chronos Formation."

Within that zone, time flowed five times faster than outside. Any form of energy absorption, healing, or comprehension inside it was boosted by an additional 100%.

’This Eye of Chronos Formation is basically a cheat function in itself.’

James laughed loudly, thinking that with this formation, he could technically become stronger x10 faster than the others. And if he used it for his subordinates, they could grow alongside him.

Subsequently, he continued to check his other rewards but was disappointed when he saw the descriptions of the next two.

[Unranked-Tier Iron]

[A lump of ordinary refined iron, classified as Unranked-Tier due to its lack of mana conductivity or special properties. It is a common base material used by apprentices, blacksmiths, and craftsmen for forging mundane weapons, tools, and armor.]

[Silver-Tier Kitchen Knife]

[A finely crafted kitchen knife forged from Silver-Tier metals, designed with precision and balance that far surpass ordinary utensils. Though created for culinary use rather than combat....]

’Tch. Nothing special, as expected.’ James clicked his tongue in disappointment.

He didn’t even bother checking the last reward, as he already knew what that was. Instead, he used the remaining time to plan his next move before reaching their destination.

An hour later...

They finally arrived at a huge manor that, even though it wasn’t as grand as Steelheart’s, was still much better compared to the other earls’, to the point that it might be as grand as some marquess’s manor.

A group of servants and guards lined up before the gate, led by a sturdy, broad-shouldered man who stood confidently at the front.

"Welcome to our humble manor, Young Master James." The robust man smiled politely at the handsome young man with short white hair and blue eyes.

"Uncle Edmund, you don’t have to be so polite with me." James chuckled and got off the horse.

Earl Edmund shook his head with a smile. "You’re the grandson of the man who helped me rise to this position. So, it’s only right to treat you with respect and honor your grandfather."

"You haven’t changed a bit, even after all these years since Grandpa passed," James said as he shook Earl Edmund’s hand.

James’s grandpa was someone who made the Steelheart family reach such a height. Unfortunately, he passed away after being heavily injured from a fierce battle with three Epic Knights from the Veylmar Kingdom.

Even after the death of the strongest person in the Steelheart family, they still stood strong because of the current family head, who was also a strong knight who had also reached Epic Knight.

"You’re still as bright as ever, Young Master James." Earl Edmund smiled widely.

James laughed and looked at the middle-aged man in his late 50s with a calm posture behind Earl Edmund. "Uncle Roland, it’s been a while."

Uncle Roland was actually his grandfather’s trusted subordinate who was trusted to protect Earl Edmund’s safety.

"It has indeed been a while, Young Master James," Roland said, smiling faintly. "How was your journey? I heard you were supposed to arrive earlier. Was there any trouble on the road?"

"Well, something happened on the way here, but it wasn’t anything serious." James waved his hand casually as if it was nothing.

Roland knitted his eyebrows and glanced at Nyxrael for a second, sensing the power that even terrified him even though they were at the same rank.

Still, he didn’t pry. If James hadn’t mentioned it, there was probably a reason.

James then looked at Earl Edmund with a smile. "Uncle Edmund, there’s something important I need to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Let’s head inside first. I’ve prepared a banquet for your arrival."

"Let’s skip the banquet. This matter is urgent as it needs to be discussed right away." James spoke with a serious expression combined with a little bit of a commanding tone.

Earl Edmund blinked in surprise. He had known James since childhood, but this was the first time he had seen such intensity in his eyes.

"Alright, we’ll skip the pleasantries then." Earl Edmund chuckled and waved his hand, dismissing everyone before gesturing for James to follow him into the manor.