They hadn't gone far when Dusk found Alaya's shop.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw a chubby middle-aged woman wiping dust off the items in a display case.
Noticing their entrance, the woman didn't even turn her head and said, "What do you want?"
Dusk told her what he needed. Only then did she glance at him.
Then she pointed to a shelf next to Dusk and said, "On the third row, the seventh slot, there's the Witherbone Bloom you want. It costs 2,400 Gold Coins."
It looked like he wouldn't need to go to the Black Crow Trading Company after all.
Dusk pulled open the drawer of the shelf and found inside a white flower exuding a chilling cold aura.
It was the last material he needed for his Class Change — the Witherbone Bloom.
"The last one is finally in hand." Closing the ornate box, Dusk let out a long breath.
Fallen Dragon City truly deserved its status as the imperial city of the Clinton Empire. He had expected to spend a lot of effort, but it turned out he collected all the materials quite easily.
He placed the Gold Coins on the counter in front of the woman, then left Alaya's shop.
Impatient, he didn't waste any more time in the Dark Alley.
He directly returned to the Happiness Inn with Nara and Quito driving the carriage.
By then, Quinn, Emily, and the others were already resting. Grandma Mason had left meals for them on the table.
"You all eat first, don't worry about me." Dusk wasn't in the mood to eat. He said this to Nara and then went upstairs.
Once in his room, he quickly took out the few materials he had just bought.
But only then did he remember he didn't actually know how to brew the Elixir.
"I'm really too busy to think straight…" Dusk rubbed his temples, about to call Nara for help.
At that moment, the air suddenly shimmered, and the Parchment appeared in front of him.
Under Dusk's surprised gaze, the writing on the Parchment began to move, gradually forming a strange magical array that enveloped all the materials.
These materials were quickly refined into strands of essence, then slowly fused together, continuously rolling and twisting in the air.
In just a few breaths, an Elixir radiating a strange energy appeared before Dusk.
"The Parchment actually has this function?" He suddenly felt that he knew too little about this golden finger. It seemed like this thing still had many unexplored powers.
But now was not the time to think about that.
He took out a glass container from his storage ring and carefully poured the Elixir into it.
After the Parchment vanished, Dusk stared at the dark red liquid in his hand with some hesitation.
Can this stuff really be drunk? Would it kill him?
Although he was worried, there was no use agonizing over it now.
The Elixir was brewed — he couldn't just throw it away.
So, gritting his teeth, Dusk directly gulped down all the dark red liquid from the container.
Gulp! His Adam's apple bobbed as the Elixir slid down his throat, bitter at first, but once it reached his stomach, it transformed into a blazing fire of intense heat.
Almost the instant the Elixir went down, Dusk felt his body beginning to change.
It was as if a raging flame had ignited inside him, continuously burning his internal organs and flesh.
At the same time, Nara and Quinn nearby both sensed something.
They exchanged a glance and saw the surprise and excitement reflected in each other's eyes.
This was... the power of The End?!
"Master has awakened the power of The End?" Despite trying to stay calm, Quito's voice betrayed his excitement.
After all, this was divine power reserved only for Deities!
Ordinary people don't even get to see it, let alone possess it!
"We are witnessing history!" Nara said reverently, her respect and submission to Dusk growing even stronger.
What they didn't know was this:
In the room, Dusk's skin had already turned completely blood-red from the massive power surging through him.
Veins bulged out like grotesque worms, making him look like a balloon about to burst from the inside.
Hiss… The ripping pain all over his body made Dusk want to scream out loud.
But thinking of Nara and Quito waiting just in the next room, he clenched his teeth and held back.
Otherwise, if they saw their revered Deity in such a pitiful state, who knew how they might feel.
Fortunately, the pain didn't last very long.
After about ten minutes, the burning sensation inside began to fade.
When all the pain vanished, it was replaced by a power so overwhelming it defied description, bursting out from within him.
Whoosh!
Dusk stretched out his hand, and a dark red flame full of violence and destruction appeared in his palm, a raging power he could now control at will as if it were an extension of his own hand.
"So this is... supernatural power?!" Feeling the changes inside and out, Dusk was genuinely thrilled.
All the suffering he had endured was worth it—he had finally officially become a professional!
Moreover, the "Harbinger of the End" profession was clearly much stronger than ordinary professions.
Even at this early stage, Dusk felt he had enough power to smash the entire room with a single punch!
At the same time, Dusk gained several beginner-level skills, one of which was the "Flame of the End" he had just used. After activation, it could incinerate all matter, dissolve its spiritual essence, and deal massive additional damage.
Besides that, there were two other abilities: "Shadowstep" and "Disintegration."
"Shadowstep" was a teleportation skill, allowing instantaneous relocation anywhere within ten meters. The range would increase as Dusk's strength grew.
"Disintegration" was an explosive damage skill that gathered the power of The End into a single point and then unleashed it, capable of dealing massive burst damage instantly.
All three skills were extremely powerful. There was no doubt this was truly a God-Level profession!
A smile appeared at the corner of Dusk's mouth.
After this Class Change, he no longer needed to worry about the entrance exam.
He could only hope that little Emily would still be able to smile tomorrow...
"Master." At that moment, a knock came from outside the door—it was Quinn's voice.
"Come in," Dusk said as he opened the door. The first thing he noticed was the serious expressions on the two who entered.
After stepping inside, Nara immediately raised her hand and cast a protective barrier around the room.
Quinn spoke in a low voice, "We just received word from within the church. The Cult of the Dawn's Holy Maiden, Ares, went to Black Crow Mountain after we left. She may now be searching for our trail."
"Ares?" Dusk searched his memory and recalled that Nara had mentioned this person before.
Unlike other cults, the Cult of the Dawn's Holy Maiden was the true ruler of the entire church. The pope was merely a figurehead managing church affairs; the strongest was always their Holy Maiden.
Because each generation of Holy Maiden carried the Dawn Goddess's legacy, their power was terrifyingly strong.
Ares was the current Holy Maiden of the Cult of the Dawn. Although still quite young and her power just reaching the Super Tier, even Super Level warriors wouldn't dare claim they could defeat her.
"Besides that, the Clinton Royal Family has publicly announced a bounty," Nara said, worry flickering in her eyes. "They promise a Tier 3 Sealing Relic and fifty million Gold Coins to anyone who can kill you."
Although Dusk knew the Cult of the Dawn and the Clinton Royal Family could not remain indifferent to their defeat at Black Crow Mountain, he hadn't expected them to take it so seriously.
It seemed the divine descent incident had dealt them a considerable shock.
After a moment's thought, Dusk said, "Tell Fursa not to worry about them for now. Just keep them under constant surveillance."
Given their previous crushing defeat, without concrete information, neither the Cult of the Dawn nor the Clinton Royal Family would act rashly.
That Holy Maiden Ares hadn't attacked the Divine Court of the End yet—this actually indicated they were still testing the waters.
If they acted recklessly now, they might expose weaknesses and give their enemies an opportunity.
So the best course of action was to remain still.
Without enough intelligence, the Cult of the Dawn and the Clinton Empire would only put immense psychological pressure on themselves.
Nara nodded. "I will pass your orders to Archbishop Fursa exactly as given."
Dusk gave a slight nod and then put the matter out of his mind.
He had left the Scepter of the End in the Church of the End. Even if real danger came, Fursa could handle it without his worrying.
...
Meanwhile, at Clinton Palace.
August IV, nearing fifty, dressed in luxurious royal robes, wore a crown studded with gold, jade, and gems. At this moment, he was bent over his desk, dealing with matters from all over the kingdom.
Suddenly, a guard entered to report, "Your Majesty, Lady Ares, the Maiden of Dawn, requests an audience."
"Hm? What does she want?" August put down his quill and frowned.
Their previous actions against the Cult of the Dawn were obviously exposed, no need to guess.
Although Clinton's Royal Family and the Cult of the Dawn weren't exactly mortal enemies, their relationship was far from friendly.
Now this woman suddenly showed up—could it be that she had come to demand an explanation?
After a moment of thought, August said to the guard, "Let her in."
This was the Clinton Palace, not the Cult of the Dawn's Church. If she dared to cause trouble here, that would be a serious underestimation of the Royal Family's strength. August had nothing to fear.
Besides, he vaguely guessed the real reason behind her visit.
The guard nodded and left to carry out the order.
Not long after, a stunning figure in a flowing white gown appeared at the palace gates.
Though August had seen the Cult of the Dawn's Holy Maiden before, seeing her again still took his breath away.
His queen and concubines were already among the most beautiful women in the world, but compared to this woman, it was like comparing a shell to a pearl.
Ares showed no sign of being in a lion's den, smiling calmly as she said, "King August, long time no see. I hope you have been well since last we met."
August withdrew his thoughts and replied calmly, "I assume Holy Maiden is not here to reminisce. If you have something to say, speak plainly. I have affairs of state and no time to waste."