- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Neil Morton’s Desperation
The first day passed in excitement, and so did the second.
And the days that followed were much the same.
Time continued to pass, and soon, the sixth day arrived.
During these six days, with the help of the daily intelligence system, everyone had gained significantly.
Not just in terms of wealth, but also in their skills.
Out of the hundred apprentice knights, one had even broken through to become a full-fledged knight, bringing Thor’s total number of official knights from thirty-four to thirty-five.
Even those who hadn’t yet reached a breakthrough—whether apprentice or official knights—had made noticeable progress in their training.
Such progress had been unimaginable back when they were at Dressrosa Castle.
But in less than two months since leaving the Dressrosa family, their lord had provided them with all of this.
This success filled everyone with hope for the future.
And just like his knights, Thor also felt the same.
A single spiny butterfly fish had slightly improved his abilities, and with the gains from the past few days, his progress as a knight had been swift.
He was now very close to reaching the mid-stage of an apprentice knight.
At this pace, he might even break through before they reached Loren City, much sooner than originally expected, and far faster than when they had left Dressrosa Castle.
The only thing that made him twitch was that Raine was even faster. In just a few days, Raine would likely reach the peak of apprentice knighthood.
By the time they arrived at their territory, Raine might already be a full knight.
The difference in talent was undeniable.
It was like comparing apples to oranges. No wonder Raine was destined to become a Sky Knight one day.
As night descended, Thor finished his breathing exercises and opened his eyes.
The new intelligence report had appeared once again.
“Ding, the intelligence system has been updated!”
“Would you like to open it?”
The mechanical voice echoed, as it had every day.
“Open!”
Thor whispered softly.
As soon as he spoke, a ripple spread through the air.
【Daily Intelligence Updated】
【1: One hundred miles ahead, a group of earth dragons will pass through.】
【2: In three days,】
【3: Tomorrow, a mysterious old man will be gravely injured three miles ahead. Saving him will bring you unexpected rewards, but thirty years from now, it could bring certain danger.】
【4: In one day, a hell dragon from the underground caves will wreak havoc a thousand miles to the right.】
【5: One thousand miles from Loren City, in Fallen Leaf Valley, a small iron mine guarded by goblins can be found.】
【6: In three days, a group of unicorns will pass by the Rhine River and will linger for three hours before leaving.】
【7: Seven days from now】
As usual, Thor quickly scanned the list of opportunities. However, perhaps because they were nearing Loren City, the rewards seemed slightly fewer.
Of course, fewer opportunities here were still far more than what they’d seen back in Frostmoon Province.
Thor’s gaze shifted across the options and soon locked onto two of them.
After committing those to memory, his attention lingered on a particular entry that had appeared several times in past reports.
“Tomorrow, huh?”
Thor muttered to himself, hesitating as he focused on the third entry.
A gravely injured old man would bring unexpected rewards but could also lead to danger thirty years in the future.
With the time approaching, Thor found himself unsure.
Mysterious. Gravely injured. Unexpected. Disaster.
Even with little information, it was obvious the old man was important.
But the potential danger left him torn between helping or avoiding the situation entirely.
If he didn’t save the old man, he might miss out on a major opportunity. But if he did save him, and disaster followed, Thor—being as inexperienced as he was—might not be able to handle it.
His thoughts raced.
Thor glanced at Raine nearby, then looked again at the warning about “thirty years from now.” After a moment of contemplation, he made his decision.
Night passed, and as the blood moon set, dawn arrived with a new day.
The group set out once more.
But this time, their course had shifted slightly, with their destination being the location of the mysterious old man mentioned in the intelligence report.
In the end, Thor decided to save the old man.
His reasoning was simple: he had the advantage of the intelligence system.
If things truly went awry, the system would warn him. And if necessary, he could always take other steps to deal with the situation.
Besides, who knew what the future might hold?
What seemed like disaster now might not be an issue later on.
Thor was confident in this decision.
For now, the immediate rewards were what mattered most.
The group continued their slow advance.
Three miles passed quickly.
They were drawing closer to their destination.
Meanwhile, in the distance…
A figure staggered weakly.
“Thud!”
With a soft thump, the figure collapsed to the ground.
“Damn you, Haigel!”
Neil Morton’s heart sank as he felt the poison spreading through his body.
This poison wouldn’t have been an issue in his prime. After all, a Sky Knight’s life force was powerful enough to expel any toxin. But that was when he was at full strength. Now, his life seed was nearly withered, and his life force almost completely drained. In his current state, the poison was lethal.
“Am I really going to die like this?”
“It’s so unfair. Sophia, forgive me!”
Neil Morton muttered bitterly, a faint smile on his face.
He, a once-proud Sky Knight of the empire, someone with the potential to become a Saint Knight, had fallen into such a trap.
His smile was bitter, and his heart was filled with regret.
But regret wouldn’t change anything. He could feel the poison creeping toward his heart and lungs. In less than twenty breaths, he would be dead, beyond even the help of the gods.
Unless he could somehow return to the empire and receive the best clerical treatment, there was no hope of survival.
But that was impossible.
He was in the wilderness, far from the empire.
His consciousness grew hazy, his mind filled with regret.
But no matter how much regret he felt, his awareness continued to fade.
Until, just before his consciousness slipped away entirely…
In the distance, figures seemed to appear.
As his awareness flickered, Neil Morton’s last thought was that it was over.
Because the only ones who would appear here were surely the temple’s assassination squad.
But that was his final thought.
The poison had now reached his heart and brain.
His consciousness vanished completely.
(End of chapter)