The mana stones emitted mana like webs that wrapped around Rose.
In the next instant, an overwhelming energy surged into her body—it was the diluted Essence of Sky.
Rose opened her mouth, but couldn't even scream. Her body began its transformation, and even her mind was being tempered.
Tears streamed down Rose's face as she gritted her teeth, enduring the pain.
Every time she was on the verge of passing out, she silently reminded herself, "This is a precious gift that Father worked so hard to obtain. I can't let him down again. Rose, you can do this. Hold on."
And so, every inch of her body was invaded and transformed by the Essence of Sky.
Mana intertwined with every drop of her blood and every muscle fiber.
Standing outside the magic array, Daniel watched everything unfold clearly.
After about three hours, the glow of the magic array finally faded.
Countless mana stones had been drained of their mana, losing their mysterious luster and turning to ash.
Standing at the center of the magic array, Rose opened her eyes.
Golden light flickered within them.
"Father, I…" Rose lifted her head, her body now radiating a pure golden glow. "I've grown stronger. I've understood knowledge I didn't before, and my body feels different."
"Very good," Daniel said. "Now go outside and test your strength."
He could tell immediately that Rose's potential had increased significantly.
With proper training, she could at least reach tier-grandmaster.
With the right materials to further enhance her physique, becoming a god one day wasn't out of the question.
However, just because her potential had increased didn't mean she could relax.
She was still only a pre-tier-stone knight and needed rigorous training to fully realize the benefits she had just gained.
"Yes!" Rose grabbed her Fernandez greatsword and was surprised to find that the once heavy weapon now felt just right, perhaps even a bit light.
"Hah!" Rose raised the greatsword and swung it fiercely at the practice dummy she often used.
Without using the knight's radiance she had just learned, she relied solely on her own strength.
With a loud crash, the dummy was instantly split in half. Though it quickly regenerated, the result left Rose ecstatic.
"Father, did you see that? I actually managed to cut the dummy in half!" Rose was overjoyed. "Wow, at this rate, I'll definitely reach tier-iron knight within ten days!"
Her eyes sparkled as she continued striking the magical dummy with enthusiasm.
Daniel knew that this training dummy was designed for pre-tier-stone knights, capable of withstanding damage up to the tier-stone limit.
As Rose had said, with a bit more improvement and the right opportunity, she could advance to the next tier.
Seeing the dummy shattered and unable to regenerate in time, Daniel waved his hand, and five new dummies appeared in the yard.
"Use these for practice," Daniel said. "These are tier-gold magic dummies, specifically for attack training."
"The other four are attack dummies—a golden mage, golden assassin, golden knight, and golden hunter—to help you practice defense and basic combat skills."
"Wow!" Rose's eyes lit up.
She tried attacking the golden assassin dummy, but in the next second, before she could even see what happened, she was knocked to the ground.
She jumped up immediately.
"Thank you, Father! These training dummies are amazing!"
"They're just dummies. Their reactions can't compare to a real opponent," Daniel said. "Now open the *Book of the Ever-Blooming Rose* I gave you and focus on improving yourself."
"Yes!" Rose said earnestly.
If she opened the book, she would be surprised to find that all the content had changed.
Previously, due to her low strength, the book only contained basic information.
But as her abilities improved, the book's content would grow more challenging.
Daniel had written it himself, using his knowledge to create a book that could grow with its reader.
Watching Rose practice diligently, Daniel returned to his own room.
The original owner's room was simple, with no luxurious decorations.
Perhaps to compensate for his lack of talent, the room was packed with books—everything from basic geography to distant secrets.
There was almost nothing it didn't cover.
Daniel casually flipped through the books.
The original owner had been diligent, but his memory wasn't the best.
Since Daniel planned to settle here, he needed to learn more about this world.
He skimmed through the pages quickly. Riverside City, despite covering a large area with many surrounding towns and territories, wasn't even considered a third-tier city in the Free Federation.
The federation's most prosperous cities numbered five in total.
"Lakecity, the third-largest city in the Free Federation, renowned for its beautiful scenery, numerous lakes, and wealthy citizens," Daniel read from the book. "Its commercial prosperity is unmatched. I think Lady Claire mentioned once that the Dragonscale Bank headquarters is located there."
"I cleared out their inventory last time. I wonder when Lady Claire will restock."
Daniel's supply of mana stones was nearly infinite. Sitting on them was a waste; only by exchanging them for treasures would they have real value.
"Achoo!" Lady Claire sneezed.
She found it odd. With her physical constitution, how could she catch a cold?
"I've heard that when a tier-sage thinks of someone, that person will have a slight reaction. Could it be that some important figure is looking for me to buy something?" Lady Claire joked to herself.
She was currently seated in the Dragonscale Bank headquarters in Lakecity. After selling out all the goods in Riverside City, Lady Claire had come here with high hopes.
One, to restock and find better treasures for Daniel.
Two, to hopefully secure a promotion within the bank.
"Lady Claire, the chief steward will see you now."
Confidently, Claire walked into the chief steward's office. The man was a slightly overweight middle-aged figure, wearing a necklace of colorful gemstones around his neck, his clothing emitting a faint golden shimmer. He looked incredibly opulent.
"Mr. Dick, good day," Claire greeted him politely and got straight to the point. "I want a promotion."
Chief Steward Dick hadn't yet responded when a disdainful laugh came from the side.
"You? Really?" A sultry red-haired woman chuckled. "Claire, you've been stuck in that small place, Riverside City, for five years without meeting the promotion requirements. If it weren't for Mr. Dick's generosity, you would've been demoted by now."
"Your abilities are so lacking that Mr. Dick was about to send me to take over your work in Riverside City."
"What?" Lady Claire was shocked.
This red-haired woman, Tina, had always had a poor relationship with her. She had even snatched several valuable items that were meant to be sold in Riverside City. If Tina really took over her work, Claire knew her future would be bleak.
Moreover, Claire had just formed a partnership with a super-client like Daniel. There was no way she'd let that go.
"I object," Claire argued logically. "I just completed a transaction worth over a hundred billion mana stones! According to the regulations, I should be promoted and granted expanded authority over Riverside City's Dragonscale Bank."
"Hahaha, you must be joking," Tina laughed, covering her mouth. "In that small place, how could anyone possibly afford that many mana stones at once?"
"Claire," Dick, the chief steward, who had remained silent until now, spoke gravely. "Falsifying sales figures is a serious offense and will be punished harshly."
Claire knew that the relationship between these two was less than professional. She didn't bother arguing further and directly presented her magical ledger. Every transaction made at Dragonscale Bank was recorded in this book.
Using her authority, Claire hid Daniel's name and the items he purchased, but the others could still see the total sales amount.
"187.2 billion mana stones!" Tina exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible?"
"The magical ledger doesn't lie," Lady Claire stood tall. "I formally request an immediate promotion!"
Dick's expression changed.
Though he managed Lakecity's Dragonscale Bank and several nearby cities, any records in the magical ledger would also appear in the central records at the bank's headquarters. Promotions within Dragonscale Bank were strict, but the process was transparent. With such a significant transaction, he would need a solid reason to oppose her promotion.
"I see," Dick said. "You may go now. I will follow the regulations and process your promotion in a few days."
He agreed so easily?
Lady Claire felt suspicious, but kept her expression calm.
After she left, Tina turned to Dick with dissatisfaction. "Darling, are you really going to promote her?"
"No!" Dick sneered. "You will head to Riverside City right now and find out who her recent big client is. With your abilities, I'm sure you can steal that mysterious customer."