The Duke placed the Annihilation Holy Nail into his Space Ring, contemplating the timing for using such an item.

A mere level 1 mage or level 1 being isn't worth using this on, costing thirty thousand contribution points with just one shot, and once used, it's gone.

It's only to be used against threats to himself, and stealth attacks are necessary; otherwise, being intercepted would be a huge loss.

Among these three second-level witchcraft artifacts that the Duke possessed, Blazing Sun Judgment was likely to be the one used more frequently in the future.

Besides the three spells that come with it, this one-handed sword can also bolster and enhance most light attribute magic and combat skills.

The Blazing Sun Judgment can also serve as a witchcraft artifact similar to a magic wand or staff, assisting in spellcasting, although it appears to be a one-handed sword in form.

After returning to his castle, the Duke began sorting out the current situation, glancing at the Skill Tree in his mind.

On the current Skill Tree, many branches had already grown, most of which had progressed through the stages of sprouting, leafing out, flowering, and fruiting, though a portion had not yet reached max level.

These will all have to be maxed out sooner or later, but due to time constraints, priorities vary, with skills that are not as important or urgent placed further down the line.

The Duke glanced at the current attribute panel, also pondering his subsequent plans.

[Constitution: 22.3]

[Strength: 23.2]

[Agility: 21.6]

[Spirit: 123.6]

[Free Attribute Points: 0]

"With a Spiritual Power of 123.6, I'm still 26.4 short of the threshold for becoming a Crystalized Wizard; I need to grind more skills for free attribute points."

"However... Spiritual Power is just the easiest threshold to reach; advancing to crystalization and then to a second-level mage is key."

...

To advance to a Crystalized Wizard, aside from a Crystal Core, it's also necessary to study some related information and craft a promotion plan based on one's circumstances.

For the Duke, this is crucial, involving the crystalization advancement of six types of Crystal Cores, which requires caution and care.

Advancing from a Crystalized Wizard to a second-level mage requires preparing an Energy Well, which is essential for anyone aiming to become an Elemental Mage.

However, an Energy Well requires at least ten million level 1 Magic Stones, and the Duke will likely need to prepare six types, costing at least sixty million Magic Stones.

Nonetheless, these are not immediately required; the Duke needs to consider acquiring a Light Attribute Crystal Core and related resources and knowledge.

The Light Attribute Crystal Core is a hard requirement that must be obtained.

But from the current outlook, neither the Black Sail Treasure Vault nor the Arcane Master Association's resource space has it, and other avenues may be even more challenging.

The Duke plans to try his luck in the Oracle Plane, possibly gaining through the Light Sect.

Having been away for nearly a year, it's time to return and check on the situation over there, as he still senses some secrets behind the Oracle Plane that remain unclear.

The unique curse magic of the Oracle Plane is also useful to the Duke, providing a fast way to grind proficiency and acquire free attribute points.

Those unique players, if utilized well, are also resources for the Duke.

However, before going to the Oracle Plane, he needs to prepare a few things and clarify some information.

That includes information about the Crawford Clan, from which Merrick has relayed some updates recently.

The investigators from the Crawford Clan had returned from the Void Corridor, but they didn't disclose any information, and no one knows if they uncovered the cause of Bell's death.

However, through his channels, Merrick picked up some rumors suggesting that Bell likely died due to the internal conflicts within the Crawford Clan.

The news might not be reliable, as Merrick claims it's hearsay and not verified.

The Crawford Clan isn't a monolithic block, so it's not surprising that Merrick managed to gather some intel.

As a party involved, the Duke, based on Crawford's current actions, roughly understands the situation.

The Crawford Clan most likely already knows about Samuel's infiltration, a secret that could hardly be kept within the family, given the complex web of factions within wizard clans, where rival elements likely exist in each faction.

Otherwise, Samuel couldn't have learned Bell's information and followed them in.

After discovering this, the Crawford Clan naturally wouldn't publicize the investigation's outcome.

After all, it's an internal family matter, and publicizing it would only lead to ridicule.

On the other hand, Samuel only knows Bell was severely injured but not the exact cause of death, presuming it was inflicted by the seen Kobold.

He didn't know that the Kobold is a slave creature; he presumed it was a demon in the Eternal Darkness Corridor.

From compiling this intel, the Duke understood that the Crawford Clan wouldn't focus on him for now.

He has time to build up strength and enhance his capabilities.

The Duke then contacted Harrison of the Giant Rock Commerce Association: "Do you have any decent demonized items like standard swords, armors, and such? I need to purchase a batch."

"A batch? Are you planning to train a group of slave creatures?" Harrison asked curiously.

"That's none of your concern," the Duke naturally didn't want to disclose his intentions.

Harrison didn't press further and said, "Yes, how many do you need?"

"One hundred sets each of swords, bows, armor; give me a price," the Duke stated.

Harrison paused a while, evidently calculating, and soon responded, "I'll give you an internal channel price, totaling two hundred thousand level 1 Magic Stones."

"Alright, make sure to check the quality for me; I won't be inspecting them myself. Just send them over directly," the Duke said.

Being well-acquainted with Harrison, formalities weren't necessary.

These demonized items were indeed meant for the players in the Oracle Plane; he needed to forge a unit with enough battle power to execute his commands.

He was just uncertain how things were progressing with Robert; if Robert forgot about the Duke, he'd have to select another suitable candidate.

This time, the Duke intended to test the effects of the Master-Servant Contract or Slave Contract to see if it could be applied to players.

A Level 1 Slave Contract is valued at over a thousand Magic Stones, deployable on life forms at Level 1 or below; once signed, the entity becomes a slave creature.

An inferior Slave Contract is cheaper, but applicable only to sub-Level 1 entities.

The Duke didn't plan on mass signing Slave Contracts with players as his Spiritual Power wasn't enough to control a large number of slave creatures simultaneously.

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