Michael needed to regain his lost lifespan.
The only way he saw was through his class once again.
Using Asset Conversion, he sacrificed another 40 years of his remaining lifespan to create a new skill: Life Steal (D-rank, Evolvable).
[Life Steal – D-rank (Evolvable)]
You can steal the life force of any being you slay.
The more you kill, the more the skill evolves to suit your needs.
For every being killed, you receive 20% of their remaining lifespan (percentage increases with skill evolution).
“Excellent,” Michael smiled.
This solved two problems at once.
His class had once again proven its worth.
“If only I had more lifespan, I could probably create an even higher-grade skill,” he realized.
“The more value I can offer, the stronger I can become.”
With his ceremonial attire complete and a clear path to power ahead, Michael left the room and headed toward the podium.
The announcement ceremony was already underway.
“Now, allow me to present my right hand — Michael,” Reynold announced to the gathered citizens.
Michael, lacking a noble second name, walked forward with calm dignity and stood beside the City Lord, offering polite gratitude to the crowd.
What Michael didn’t know was how fortunate he was to have fully mastered his blood cravings through Asset Conversion.
Without that control, he might have lost himself in frenzy the moment he stood before so many people.
“Hmm.
You carry yourself with the manners of a noble,” Reynold whispered.
“Hahaha.
I trained for moments like these,” Michael replied dryly.
Reynold nodded, but his gaze remained serious.
Michael had broken through to F-rank, yet the aura he emitted felt far stronger — easily rivaling a C-rank warrior.
If he fought the bandit leader again now, he would be on equal footing and might only lose due to experience. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
The fanfare eventually ended, leaving the city buzzing with talk of the mysterious new right hand.
“So?
What are your plans?” Reynold asked once they returned to his office.
“Nothing for now,” Michael replied.
“Your enemies will definitely probe your actions.
Let them believe I’m useless and that you made a foolish decision.
In one month, we begin our real moves.”
“I see.
And until then?”
“Raiding dungeons, increasing my strength, and earning coins.
Everything else comes after.”
Reynold nodded.
“About what you did the other night with the prisoners… Do I need to worry?”
“You don’t,” Michael assured him.
“I have it under control.”
“Alright.
But know this — if you ever lay a hand on my citizens like that, the contract will be nullified and I will hunt you down myself,” Reynold warned calmly.
“I’m aware,” Michael said with a small smile.
He knew Reynold’s threat was mostly empty.
The contract could only be nullified by mutual agreement without coercion.
Still, the conversation reminded Michael to be extremely careful when forming future contracts.
Taking a deep breath, he left the office.
First, he purchased a spatial ring to store loot from dungeon runs.
While he had the Inventory, keeping it secret could prove useful later.
With that settled, Michael headed toward a B-rank dungeon — the Monkey Monk Temple.
Normally, without guild registration, he wouldn’t have access. New chapters come out on g.com first.
But with his badge as the City Lord’s right hand, no location under Iron City’s jurisdiction was off-limits.
“Hmm.
Killing Jermaine and pinning it on the Duke would give us the perfect excuse to start a war when the time is right,” Michael thought, already painting the broader picture like a master strategist.
Jermaine clenched his fist tightly, a deep frown on his face.
He had just received news about the City Lord’s new right hand — Michael.
The same man he had tried to eliminate.
It was a major headache.
He had offended the City Lord’s second-in-command.
Jermaine feared the worst but quickly began considering alternatives.
He couldn’t allow a full rift between the City Lord and the Adventurer’s Guild.
With 20 D-rank dungeons, 8 C-rank, 4 B-rank, and even a rare A-rank dungeon under his control, Reynold still needed the guild to manage overflows.
That knowledge gave Jermaine some relief.
“Michael… I need to remove him from the picture as soon as possible,” he muttered.
He wasn’t the only one thinking about the sudden rise of the new right hand.
In her inn room, Cecil stared at her newly earned B-rank badge, her thoughts drifting to Michael.
Geldon waited in the adjacent room for privacy.
“So you really were hiding something,” she muttered.
“Can I trust him?”
She quickly dismissed the idea.
Her mission was too delicate to risk trusting a stranger.
“I have to cause the destruction of Iron City,” she whispered, the weight of her task heavy on her shoulders.
“So Reynold made some nobody his right hand, huh?” Duke Hemsworth mused, lounging on a couch in his private chamber with a glass of fine wine.
“Find out everything about this Michael.”
“Yes, my lord,” a shadowy assassin replied before vanishing silently toward Iron City.