Chapter 136: The Final Preparations
When Nolan entered the meeting room, he found that everyone had already arrived, and the atmosphere was lively. As he pushed the door open, all eyes turned toward him at once.
“Lord Nolan!”
Everyone rose to their feet together, their voices brimming with barely restrained excitement.
Hank, Anna, Little Donnie, Leus, Kayan, and Vivi—the core members who had followed Nolan from the very beginning—were all present.
Rehanna and her sister Renee were in the middle of a conversation with Ailindel. Even Barton, the unfortunate blacksmith Nolan had rescued from Haus’ clutches, had been brought along by Master Leus and now stood awkwardly in a corner.
The group had been chatting among themselves, and at the center of the room, gesturing animatedly and speaking with vivid enthusiasm, was Little Donnie.
Judging by his lively expression, Nolan didn’t need to think twice to know that the boy was once again embellishing the tale of their recent adventure.
“Lord Nolan!” Little Donnie’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw him, and he shouted the loudest.
These were the companions Nolan valued most. He hadn’t intended for such formality, but Hank and the others had insisted stubbornly, so he let it be.
Nolan smiled and nodded as he stepped into the room. “You’re all here early. I take it you’ve already met Ailindel?”
Hank, chewing on his signature cigar, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and replied in his rough voice, “Little Donnie already told us everything. Never thought I’d live to see a hero of the War of Heaven with my own eyes. Lady Ailindel, I’m Hank Corot. It’s the greatest honor of a veteran like me.” He stood and gave her a formal military salute.
The others quickly followed suit, their gazes toward Ailindel filled with curiosity and admiration.
Kayan, ever the fervent priest, reacted the most unusually. From the moment Nolan entered, his eyes had been fixed on him. His right hand rested over his chest in a devout gesture. He did not look like a subordinate greeting his lord, but rather a believer worshiping a deity. After hearing Little Donnie’s account, he seemed almost ready to burst into flames with fervor.
The revelation of this ancient hero’s identity had stunned him.
A mythic Moon Elf hero, renowned for purity and honor, had willingly chosen to follow Lord Nolan.
If the loyalty of everyone in the room could be attributed to personal charisma, then the allegiance of a legendary heroic spirit carried a far deeper meaning. It proved that Nolan truly possessed a kind of divinity beyond mortal comprehension. He must be an incarnation sent by the Mother Goddess to save this land and banish all evil. Otherwise, how could he have moved a Moon Elf hero?
In that moment, Kayan’s faith took another dramatic and peculiar leap forward.
Unaware that his loyal follower was straying further down a path of misunderstanding, Nolan simply assumed Kayan was being overly formal due to his nature and profession.
He walked to the large table in the center of the room, where a massive map was spread out, and placed both hands upon it.
“You’ve probably already heard from Little Donnie. We’ve just returned from an adventure.”
He spoke casually, brushing over the harrowing experience—including the complete destruction of a Demon Overlord—as if it were nothing worth mentioning.
“I’ve called you all here today to discuss Coldsteel City’s next steps and its most important direction for development.” He paused and glanced at Ailindel. “Ailin has joined our family. You already know this, so I won’t dwell on it. Now, the first matter.”
Nolan raised one hand, palm facing upward.
In the next instant, a strange, ever-shifting sphere appeared in his palm.
It had no fixed form. At times it resembled a ball of water, at others it wavered like something disturbed by unseen currents. Inside, countless points of light seemed to flow, casting a dreamlike glow.
The entire room fell silent, and everyone held their breath.
“This… is the Fountain of Potential.”
Nolan’s voice broke the silence.
“You may not have heard of it. According to legend, it is water without a source. Some scholars believe it is actually a fragment of the water elemental subplane, the ‘Mirror Sea’—a tributary of that great ocean spilled into the material plane. As the name suggests, its greatest effect is to awaken the potential of whoever drinks it.”
His gaze swept across the room.
“Its effect is quite unique. The more ordinary one’s bloodline and the more average one’s potential, the more noticeable the results. You can think of it as a gift from the King of Water Elements to mortals like us. Take note—it doesn’t directly increase strength. What it does is expand the upper limit of one’s power. To put it more simply… It directly improves aptitude.”
The room instantly erupted.
“Improves aptitude?!”
“My god! How is that possible?!”
“Lord Nolan, are you serious?!”
Exclamations rose one after another.
Everyone present understood exactly what that meant.
Strength could be gained through training and accumulation. Equipment could be acquired with money or opportunity.
But aptitude was intangible and immeasurable. It was innate, the fundamental factor determining how far a person could ultimately go. An ordinary human with mediocre aptitude, no matter how hardworking, would reach their limit at the peak of Silver rank.
On the Vaughn Continent, the progression from Bronze to Silver was merely the accumulation of raw power. From Silver to Gold required mastery and understanding of that power. As for the “Origin” realm, it demanded both talent and will. Only those who could remain true to themselves with unwavering resolve could awaken it. That was a domain only a select few prodigies could ever glimpse.
And now, this small sphere of water in Nolan’s hand could shatter the invisible shackles hanging over every person’s head.
Everyone’s eyes burned with intensity.
“Calm down. I said that those with more ordinary bloodlines see more noticeable effects, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a higher final limit. Let me give an example. If someone’s aptitude caps at the peak of Silver, then the Fountain of Potential might allow them to reach the peak of Gold. But for someone who could already awaken the Origin, it would let them go even further along that path. In terms of relative improvement, the former gains more, but the latter still goes farther. And the degree of expansion varies for each person. In the end, it still depends on the individual.”
Everyone understood. Though Nolan urged them to stay calm, the magnitude of this enhancement was extraordinary.
“My original plan was to distribute it among our core members first, prioritizing the strengthening of our top combat power.” His gaze passed over Little Donnie and the others as he continued, “However, thanks to Ailin, our journey yielded an unexpected and tremendous gain. We obtained… a complete Fountain of Potential.”
Ailindel looked at Nolan, a faint glimmer flashing in her beautiful eyes.
In truth, the acquisition of the complete Fountain had little to do with her.
It had been entirely Nolan’s doing—through his unfathomable methods and bold ideas, he had directly eliminated the Demon Overlord Qroshu and freed the Three-Saint Seal’s suppression ritual.
She understood clearly that he said this only to elevate her standing within the group, helping her integrate more quickly and smoothly.
What a gentle and considerate man. Ailindel smiled softly and shook her head without speaking.
Meanwhile, Vivi, Little Donnie, and Renee—who knew the truth—exchanged glances and shared a knowing smile. No words were needed.
Only Rehanna, ever perceptive, noticed the subtle interaction. She glanced between Nolan and the impossibly beautiful elven knight, curiosity filling her eyes.
Nolan carefully set the Fountain of Potential aside and straightened up. “In that case, my plan has changed.” He looked around at everyone and announced with a smile, “The Fountain of Potential will no longer be a privilege for a select few. It will be provided to all soldiers of the Black Armored Legion.”
For a moment, no one spoke. They were utterly stunned by Nolan’s decision.
To distribute such a priceless treasure to ordinary soldiers? What kind of audacity was this?
Before they could recover from their shock, Nolan turned his gaze to Leus. “More importantly, Master Leus, the Fountain of Potential can be mixed with the Dragon Blood’s Oath potion.”
Leus’ eyes widened as he heard this.
“We had more than seven hundred doses in storage, didn’t we?” Nolan said confidently, outlining a grand vision. “This is the best way to maximize the Fountain’s value. It’s time to make the Dragon Blood’s Oath even greater.”