The Duke carefully inspected every corner of the manor, confirming that nothing had been tampered with, and then conducted a more thorough inspection using Shadow Perception and the Eye of Darkness, even examining the area outside the manor.

After such a cautious and careful inspection, he was finally assured that no one was secretly watching him.

The Duke then arrived at the main building of the manor, which was the residence of the property's owner.

Upon entering, he walked downwards and arrived at the basement.

The basement walls and doors were crafted from magic metal, which was quite costly; otherwise, the manor wouldn't have such a high price.

The Duke activated all security measures in the basement, triggering the magic metal door and the standalone witch array within the basement.

Only then did he immerse his mind, summoning metallic yellow sand to envelop his body, preparing to activate the Coordinates Earring.

The Coordinates Earring recorded the Oracle Plane's coordinates at the Star Embers Potion Shop, the small house in the potion shop's backyard was Duke's temporary magic potion laboratory, which he had previously informed Robert not to enter.

It's been a year now, and he had no idea of the situation over there, so he had to ensure protection before teleporting there.

After preparing protective measures, the Duke activated the Coordinates Earring with a single thought, traveling to the Oracle Plane.

Ripples spread around, like a stone dropped into a calm water surface.

After a brief dizziness, the Duke found himself in a narrow room, precisely the small house behind the potion shop.

The room was pitch black, but moonlight streamed in from outside the window, enveloping the surroundings in silence.

It seemed that it was deep night here, not the same time as in the Flower Sea Plane.

With a sweep of his spiritual power, the Duke realized that there was no one in the potion shop, yet the yard was incredibly clean and tidy, including the front potion shop.

Traces of presence lingered around, indicating that someone might have been here during the day.

The Duke gently pushed open the door to the room, letting moonlight fall on him, with the bright moon suspended high in the sky illuminating the yard thoroughly.

He approached another small house in the yard, which was his previous residence, unoccupied but clearly cleaned.

The room's appearance was almost unchanged since he left, with everything maintaining the state as when he had just departed.

The Duke proceeded to the front shop and saw some secondary potions displayed on the shelves, but their quality was rather coarse, not the batch he had made.

After all, a year had passed, and the potions given to Robert must have long been used up or sold out, with none remaining.

These secondary potions were likely crafted by Robert's players; within his group, some were responsible for lifestyle professions, and magic potion was evidently treated as a lifestyle profession by them.

No one guarded this place at night, seemingly unafraid of theft.

The Duke floated into the air, glancing around; Azure Vault City was as peaceful as ever, wondering if any other events had occurred recently.

He didn't hasten to contact Robert or the Holy Daughter Dali, as disturbing them late at night was inappropriate.

The Duke returned to his previous residence, tidied up briefly, and then lay down to begin meditation.

The Crimson Moon Meditation Technique had already reached level six, still far from max level, and he wondered what rewards it might yield upon completion.

The night passed in quiet silence, and early the next morning, as dawn broke, the shop's door at Star Embers emitted the sound of keys clinking.

Moments later, the sound of a lock being opened by a key ensued, all of which the Duke thoroughly heard.

With a sweep of his spiritual power, he saw two unfamiliar young men enter, their aura suggesting third-class wizard apprentice strength.

The two young men donned ordinary linen robes, bearing apprentice looks, yawning as they began tidying the shop, arranging items, clearly accustomed to the routine.

"Alas, coming here daily to guard this broken store, magic potion study is so complicated and difficult, truly tedious," complained one slightly taller man, absentmindedly dusting the shelves with a feather duster.

"Be content; the salary Robert gives is substantial in reality. Just treat it like idle work, and hey, the shop's business is good. The more it sells, the more commission we earn," replied the slightly chubby man, counting potions on the counter without looking up, "And besides, this shop is left by that mysterious NPC. Who knows if he might return someday? Maybe there's a hidden quest."

"Give it up, it's been a year without a trace... eh?" The tall man's words stopped mid-sentence, his actions suddenly halted, eyes suspiciously peering through the door leading to the backyard, as if spotting a silhouette.

He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully.

Under the glow of dawn's light, an upright figure dressed in a black, peculiar robe stood quietly in the center of the yard, appearing to appreciate the ornamental herbs they usually neglected.

"Hey! Charlie, look over there!" The tall man instantly became tense, nudging his companion, whispering, "Someone's in the yard! Is it a thief?"

The round Charlie immediately lifted his head alertly upon hearing, glancing in the direction Cohen pointed to, indeed spotting a stranger.

The two promptly lowered their tasks, exchanged glances, cautiously approaching the door, preparing to unleash the two secondary curse magic spells they had mastered at any moment.

"Who's there?!" Cohen demanded loudly.

The figure in the yard heard the noise and slowly turned around.

It was an exceptionally young yet extraordinarily calm face, with black eyes so deep they seemed to absorb one's soul.

His expression remained unchanged, merely glancing at the two indifferently.

At the moment of eye contact, the two players instinctively glanced upward.

[Lv.??? Duke]

The question mark level instantly jolted their still half-asleep minds awake.

It had been a while since they encountered such an NPC level, usually only found among high-ranking members of various factions.

However, they were familiar with those people, as player forums had long dissected the influential figures among various forces, never having seen someone with this appearance.

Having observed their reactions, Duke understood that the world's rules manifested his strength as levels before them.

Robert initially noticed this distinction, and this player ability was somewhat troublesome, making it impossible to hide his true name, discernible at a glance.

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