59 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

**Chapter 59: I Will Become a Master of Stealth** The following afternoon, at the suggestion of a maid, the idle Lynn wandered over to the training grounds of the Augusta estate. Here, he planned to exercise his long-neglected muscles while pondering the path of his future upgrades. The so-called training ground was essentially a vast sandy field situated at the corner of the estate. Scattered around were numerous practice strawmen, each spaced apart, with a variety of wooden weapons arrayed on a nearby rack. These weapons included single-handed swords resembling the Scottish broadswords of his previous life, cavalry sabers, realistically weighted hammer spears, and battle hammers, and even long-handled axes painted dark gray. A group of muscular men, shirtless and glistening with sweat, were currently joyfully sparring in the training area. These individuals were the Augusta family’s personal guards, some of whom were even transcendent beings. Since they were off duty, they took the opportunity to train their bodies here. Lynn did not greet them but instead found a secluded corner to attend to his own affairs. He opened his system interface, noting that he only possessed one divine grace shard at the moment. Generally, an ordinary first-ranked transcendent's body could accommodate up to four shards, not because the body couldn't handle more, but because of the rarity of these shards. The only way to obtain a divine grace shard was by completing divine trials. However, even transcendents of the same faith and rank often faced different trials. Some were fortunate to receive several trials, like Lynn's predecessor, while others, perhaps due to insufficient faith, received only one trial, barely acquiring a single divine grace shard before advancing to the next rank. This discrepancy resulted in a wide variance in the power levels of transcendents. At the same rank, those with more shards could be exponentially stronger. Throughout the thousand-year history of the Holy Lorraine Empire, even including the rare eternally chosen ones, no one had ever reached the maximum shard capacity for their rank. Today, Lynn might just become that exception. With 283 system points to his name, he took a deep breath. "System... add points!" **[Would you like to spend 80 system points to ignite 8 divine grace shards?]** “Yes.” In the next moment, eight blazing red lights erupted like miniature suns within Lynn’s previously barren internal world, adding a brilliant luster. He wasn’t satisfied yet and continued to click the "+" icon fervently. **[The current rank has reached the maximum capacity for divine grace shards.]** Alright then. Lynn sighed. In his past life, as a first-ranked transcendent, he had managed to harbor four divine grace shards. It took him six months to complete trials like "preach the doctrine to a thousand people," "hunt down twenty cultists," and "collect ten rare meteorite fragments." However, in just three seconds, he had far surpassed his previous six months of effort. It appeared that nine divine grace shards were the limit for a first-ranked transcendent. Lynn attempted to channel the powerful transcendent force within him, gathering it at his fingertip. As a faint red glow appeared, he gently pressed his index finger against a nearby wooden training post. Moments later, a deep imprint was left on the rough bark surface of the post. As expected, Lynn felt a surge of joy. His choice to follow the faith of the End Witch was precisely because of this potential. While powers like corrosion or physical might could easily achieve similar effects, they were fundamentally different. The former involved violent physical transformations within the realm of physics, while the latter resembled a concept, akin to forcibly "deleting" part of the wooden post. This annihilation attribute was one of the innate, formidable talents of Iviste. It was exceptionally potent both in early stages and terrifyingly so at higher levels. According to lore, even abstract rules or concepts could be forcibly erased, such as temperature. Iviste had demonstrated this by significantly reducing temperatures, which was not due to any ice-related power but merely her annihilating the concept of "heat" in the vicinity. Although Lynn couldn't yet replicate her supernatural feats, this remained a powerful advantage against other first-ranked transcendents. If he could acquire a strength-based transcendent ability, his abilities would be unmatched. Reflecting on transcendent abilities, he recalled something else. It seemed he could enhance two skills as well. **[Would you like to spend 10 points to advance the Truth Sayer skill to rank two?]** “Yes.” **[Advancement complete!]** **[Due to unknown factors, your original skill has undergone new changes.]** Oh? Curiously, Lynn checked the details. **Name: Deception Game** **Rank: Tier 2** **Effect:** In addition to retaining the original abilities of the Truth Sayer, each lie the host tells initiates a game. If the lie is believed, the host wins the game and temporarily steals a transcendent ability from the target. The larger the rank difference, the lower the success rate and duration. **Activation Condition:** Possess at least 8 divine grace shards **Points needed for next rank: 90** This skill… seemed quite formidable? Lynn mulled over it. Moreover, it seemed he still retained the original Truth Sayer abilities, allowing these two functions to be combined. The Truth Sayer could enhance his lies, allowing the game to determine success. This seemed feasible. However, it wasn't as overpowering as it appeared. The success of the Truth Sayer decreased as the opponent's rank increased. Against ordinary people, success was nearly guaranteed, but against first-ranked transcendents, the chance dropped to below one-third. The higher the rank, the harder it was for lies to succeed. Moreover, not every successful lie guaranteed the acquisition of a transcendent ability, making it largely luck-based. Contemplating further, Lynn then upgraded the Thorned Crown skill. While the ability didn’t change, its effect improved. **Name: Thorned Crown** **Rank: Tier 3** **Effect:** Under this ability, you can accumulate the pain you experience and release it with double amplification. **Activation Condition:** Possess at least 6 divine grace shards **Points needed for next rank: 150** Not only was there a double amplification, but the condition of experiencing double pain vanished. Lynn was quite satisfied with its current effect. With 143 system points remaining, he considered extracting a new ability but decided to wait. His luck was notoriously poor, and he dreaded getting another support or deceptive ability. He planned to get an ancient artifact that could boost luck before attempting a new extraction. After all, his current role alongside Iviste didn't demand much combat prowess; he could develop quietly in the shadows. Just earlier today, he publicly claimed to have successfully accommodated a "Holy Insight" divine grace shard from a religious affiliation brought to him by the Princess. No one, therefore, expected much in terms of his combat capabilities, perceiving him instead as a strategist. Little did they know, this was precisely the effect Lynn aimed for. He was determined to become a master of stealth! After spending around ten minutes organizing the system matters, Lynn focused his attention on the wooden training post before him. Activating the Thorned Crown, he anticipated a vision akin to the fate prison he once encountered when first activating the Truth Sayer, yet nothing occurred. Though slightly puzzled, Lynn didn't dwell on it. "Boom!" He struck the straw-wrapped section of the post, and a sharp, dull pain coursed through him. Lynn noticed that this pain seemed to coalesce into an energy within him, stored in a unique manner, ready to be unleashed at any moment. Currently, it seemed Thorned Crown was his sole offensive ability. Lynn intended to use the pretense of training his body as an opportunity to secretly store up pain energy, ensuring he had some means of self-defense. With this in mind, he began to strike the wooden post with forceful punches. His predecessor's physical fitness wasn't weak. Having served in the military, while his muscles weren't explosively powerful, they still contained strength beyond that of an average person. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" ... Time slipped by quickly, and before he realized it, the sun was slowly descending below the horizon, casting a magnificent sunset across the sky. Lynn's forehead and body were drenched in sweat. He had been training here all afternoon. At this point, his fists were swollen and bleeding, with a sharp pain shooting through them at the slightest touch. Yet, this was precisely the effect he desired. Feeling the substantial buildup of pain energy within him, Lynn felt elated. He took out a pre-prepared potion from his pocket, uncorked it, and gently applied it to his wounded fists. A cool sensation spread over his skin as the wounds began to heal visibly. "That's enough for today," he thought. Later, he and Iviste were expected at a banquet hosted by Duke Tyrell. He needed a bath and some proper grooming. With his current disheveled appearance, Iviste would skin him for sure. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Lynn prepared to return to the mansion. But as he turned around, he realized he was surrounded by a group. The estate's personal guards, who had been training on the sandy grounds earlier, had somehow encircled him without his notice. Among them, while most were ordinary men, there were a few first and second-ranked transcendents. "Do you need something?" Lynn glanced at them and asked. "Aren't you the outsider who embarrassed Young Master Rhine twice?" The bald leader rubbed his hands together. "Been training all afternoon. Need some sparring partners?" Sensing their hostile intent, Lynn merely smiled. “Sure.”