Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

Chen Ming restrained his smile and turned pragmatic: "Okay, now that it's decided, when exactly is the King's celebration?"

Hearing Chen Ming's question, Epona replied somewhat embarrassedly, "This afternoon... Actually, His Majesty the King informed me a week ago to pass on his invitation to you... But I didn't know how to ask you, and I felt that this request was too presumptuous... So I put it off until this morning before I mustered up the courage to call you... I'm so sorry!"

"Today at noon?"

Chen Ming glanced at the bright sunshine above the manor. Time was indeed running out, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. You wait in the capital, I'll be right there."

After agreeing on a time, Chen Ming hung up the call.

He quickly returned to the villa and briefly explained his destination to Elise, Alpha, and the others—to the royal capital to handle the request of the brave Epona.

The girls were already used to this and just gently reminded him to be careful.

After finishing the explanation, Chen Ming's mind moved slightly, and the space seemed to be gently folding and compressing around him. The next moment, his figure had instantly appeared in the vast sky above the Alban Capital from the warm halfway-mountain manor.

The biting air currents from high altitude brushed against the tips of his hair, and beneath his feet lay the royal capital complex spread out like a giant chessboard.

Thanks to the instant teleportation training he had practiced while training his magic power, which was almost like "traveling around the world", the coordinates of the royal capital were naturally already in his hands.

In the field of vision, the silver-gray smart glasses he was wearing were automatically activated, and a clear directional arrow was superimposed on the real picture - this was the navigation provided by [Crimson] after it locked onto Epona's position in real time through the Sky Eye satellite.

Chen Ming's gaze followed the arrow, looking down at the earth like a god, and instantly locked onto the target: a majestic castle standing in the core area of ​​the royal capital.

This residence, bestowed by the king on the brave, has towering walls surrounding a deep moat. Cold metallic luster flickers on the battlements, housing heavy crossbows ready to fire and special devices for pouring boiling molten iron.

On the city wall, dozens of fully armed soldiers stood like sculptures, scanning the surroundings vigilantly, guarding the safety of the castle.

The interior of the castle presented a completely different scene from the austere exterior. Passing through the heavy gate, Chen Ming saw a vast courtyard stretching for hundreds of meters.

It's the season of blossoms, meticulously cultivated seasonal flowers bursting forth like an overturned palette, creating a vibrant carpet of color. The trees, meticulously pruned by master gardeners, are graceful, like living works of art.

A large fountain is located in the visual center of the courtyard. The water column leaps high, forming a small, faint rainbow under the refraction of sunlight.

A trace of emotion flashed through Chen Ming's mind: the huge amount of money spent every month to maintain such a luxurious castle is definitely enough to save hundreds of orphans struggling on the edge of starvation.

However, this castle is for the brave to live in, and every time the brave attacks, he will save countless lives from the claws of monsters!

So this may not be pure waste, but rather a tribute from the kingdom to the "guardian god".

Because Chen Ming clearly said "come right away" at the end of the call, Epona was not staying in the comfortable room at this moment, but standing alone on the open lawn in the middle of the courtyard.

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes looking towards the sky, with obvious anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible nervousness, waiting for Chen Ming's arrival, like a sunflower waiting for the sun.

After locking onto Epona's position, Chen Ming immediately used teleportation and appeared not far in front of Epona like a phantom.

As his feet stepped firmly on the soft grass, he immediately felt countless gazes focused on him as if they were real.

There were the suspicious glances of soldiers atop the towering city walls, the awed gazes of the Knights patrolling the courtyard paths, and even the furtive curious glances of maids pruning flowers in the distance...

Chen Ming's heart was as clear as a mirror, and he knew that there must be spies planted by the king and the nobles mixed in.

However, he didn't care about it, as if those gazes were just a breeze brushing against his skin - just as humans don't care about the prying eyes of ants under their feet.

The moment Chen Ming appeared, Epona's body trembled noticeably, and then she trotted forward, bent deeply, her long golden hair falling on her shoulders, and her voice was full of sincere apology: "Lord Chen Ming! I'm sorry! Because of my incompetence, I have caused you trouble again..." She seemed to think that one apology was not enough, and repeated it several times in succession.

Chen Ming reached out and gently pressed on her shoulder, gently but forcefully stopping her from continuing to apologize: "Look up, Epona. I said, don't mind it, I don't take it to heart." His voice had the power to soothe people.

"But..." Epona raised his head, his red eyes still filled with guilt.

"stop!"

Chen Ming interrupted her, an encouraging smile on his face. "Didn't we agree on this on the phone just now? Give me half of your mission! I'm not just saying this."

Epona looked at Chen Ming's determined eyes, and it was as if half of the burden in her heart had been lifted. She nodded vigorously, and finally a faint smile of relief appeared on her face: "Yes! I understand... Then I really rely on you, Master Chen Ming!"

She paused, as if contemplating something. Her tone became hesitant yet tinged with hope. "By the way... although with your strength, this might not be necessary... I still wanted to offer my humble appreciation. I want to... I want to use my skill—[Knights Follow Me]—on you."

Seeing that Chen Ming did not refuse immediately, Epona mustered up the courage to continue explaining, her cheeks slightly flushed: "This way, at least on the battlefield where you are slaying the demons, I can feel a little bit of participation... It's like I'm fighting side by side with you. I hope... I hope you don't despise this power being too small..." Her voice became smaller and smaller, with a fear of being rejected.

Chen Ming was naturally very familiar with the skill "Knights Follow Me" - not only had he witnessed its power in the original novel, but he had also carefully read its detailed description in the goddess' room:

[The knights who follow me].

【Rating: S-level】

[Effect: The caster can grant the target five of their own skills. The skills granted will be randomly selected from the caster's skill library and will automatically grant those skills that are suitable for the target. Specific skills cannot be selected automatically.]

[Note: This skill can only be bestowed upon a maximum of three people, and if the target [goes against the caster's fundamental wishes] or [is defeated in battle], the bestowed skill will automatically disappear.]

Chapter 196: Acquired 2 new S-level skills

Since Epona offered to let him use this skill, Chen Ming naturally would not refuse.

The reason is simple. As a hero, Epona's 30 skills are all A-level and S-level.

Even if the five skills randomly assigned to Chen Ming were all A-level, it would still be a huge improvement that would definitely make a profit - after all, A-level is also very useful. For example, the [Source of Magic] he possesses is an A-level skill.

If you are extremely lucky and get five S-level skills randomly, you will take off immediately!

As for the two seemingly troublesome restrictions, they were not a problem at all in Chen Ming's opinion.

Anyway, even if the restrictions are triggered in the future, he will only lose the skills given to him by Epona, without any additional penalties.

This is a gift with no disadvantages and only benefits.

Therefore, Chen Ming was full of expectations for this power, but adhering to the principle of "eating soft rice with hard work", he did not show any eagerness on his face.

On the contrary, he raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a deliberately lazy and teasing tone: "Huh? Are you teaching me how to do things?"

As he spoke, his eyes fell on Epona with a hint of PUA scrutiny.

Epona was taken aback by his sudden question. Then she waved her hands repeatedly, her golden hair swaying gently with her movements, and her red eyes were filled with genuine panic. "No! Master Chen Ming, I absolutely did not mean that! I just... I just hope to be of some help... Everything is up to you!"

Seeing her nervous expression, eager to be accepted but also afraid of being rejected, Chen Ming smiled gently, with a hint of encouragement: "Okay, tell me, what kind of skills does this 'Knights Follow Me' you mentioned specifically?"

After being tough, he expressed acceptance in a tactful way, giving Epona a way out.

Sure enough, seeing that Chen Ming did not directly refuse, but instead took the initiative to ask for details, Epona's tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on his face, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining.

The girl quickly explained in detail, her voice becoming lighter. "This skill, [Knights Follow Me], allows you to 'lend' my skills to up to three people simultaneously. But don't worry," she emphasized, "this isn't a permanent severance. The skills I lend out won't disappear from me! Even when I empower others, I retain all my original strength, without any reduction."

"It does sound like a pretty good skill," Chen Ming nodded slightly, his tone full of clear approval. "After all, every skill you, the hero, possess is top-notch. Even the lowest A-rank is enough to make people fight for it."

This affirmation made the smile on Epona's face even brighter, as if he had received great recognition.

Encouraged, Epona struck while the iron was hot, but remained cautious as he detailed the limitations of his skills. "Thank you for your affirmation! However, there are a few things I need to clarify."

"First, if the recipient's actions seriously violate my wishes, the loaned skills will automatically become invalid. But!" she immediately added anxiously, "Master Chen Ming, you don't have to worry about this at all! Your wishes are my wishes, and there is no possibility of conflict..."

"Secondly, if you are unfortunately defeated in battle, your skills will also become ineffective. Of course," she looked at Chen Ming with trust in her eyes, "with your unfathomable strength, Master Chen Ming, this situation should not happen..."

"And... I can't die." At this point, Epona's voice deepened slightly, a hint of solemnity in his voice. "If something happens to me, the effects of this skill will naturally disappear. But please rest assured, I will do my utmost to save my life..."

"Finally, once the effect of this skill wears off on someone, it can no longer be used on the same person."

Epona spoke in a clear and organized manner, and the content was exactly the same as the skill description Chen Ming had found from the goddess.

This unreserved honesty made Chen Ming quite satisfied - because this was the proof of Epona's absolute trust in him.

“That’s a very clear explanation.”

Chen Ming said he understood, then asked casually, "So, have you ever used this skill on anyone else?"

Epona recalled and answered frankly:

"Actually, I only used it once. It was when I first awakened as a hero. Out of curiosity, I tried out all my newly acquired skills... Since [Knights Follow Me] needed a target to cast the spell, I happened to be near the border between the Alban Kingdom and the Sioikailu Kingdom at the time, so I randomly chose a passing blue-haired man to try it out..."

Blue-haired man?

A figure instantly emerged in Chen Ming's mind - a year ago, he went to rescue Tia's father at her request. At that time, he was blocked by a blue-haired man named Settante Magnus, who was easily killed by Chen Ming.

That guy claimed that he had never had a proper fight with anyone. He must have been incredibly strong to begin with, and luckily obtained 5 skills from the brave Epona, so he became as powerful as a monster.

Of course, this strength is only relative to ordinary people.

To Chen Ming, it was still as fragile as paper, vulnerable to a single blow...

Just as Chen Ming fell into a brief moment of contemplation, Epona continued to explain, "However, because that power has returned to me, I think... that person must have been defeated..."

"No," Chen Ming retracted his thoughts, his tone calm but with unquestionable certainty, "That person is probably dead."

He looked into Epona's eyes and said bluntly, "By the way, what kind of skills did you give him at that time?"

Hearing Chen Ming's affirmation, Epona seemed to understand something, but his expression did not fluctuate much. He just replied obediently:

"There's [Berserker] and a few others. I can't quite remember the specifics, because I can't actively choose the skills to bestow upon [Knights Who Follow Me]. It automatically and randomly selects the skills that are most suitable for the target..."

She paused, then looked at Chen Ming with clear eyes, with a hint of curiosity: "Master Chen Ming...was it that blue-haired man who offended you?"

"That's right, so I killed him!"

Chen Ming nodded frankly in acknowledgment, then began chatting, asking with a hint of innocence and tentativeness, "You're not angry, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Epona immediately began to explain eagerly, his tone clearly demarcating the boundaries and holding a firm stance:

"No, no, no! How could I be angry! That blue-haired man actually dared to offend Master Chen Ming. He deserves death... Besides, to me, he's really just a stranger who happened to pass by. I don't know him at all! Please don't misunderstand me, Master Chen Ming!"

The girl's anxious yet cute reaction clearly shows what she really wants.

"As long as you're not angry."

Chen Ming nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject, adding a hint of solemn confirmation: "But, have you really decided? This precious skill can only be used on three people at most, right?"

Epona raised his head, his eyes meeting Chen Ming's with a blazing gaze, a smile of incomparable determination and trust blooming on his face:

"Yes! I've made up my mind! You've saved me so many times, and I'll always remember that favor. And," her voice became exceptionally soft and reassuring, "because of you, I can continue to fulfill my duties as a hero without any worries, without having to worry about losing control of my power and killing innocent people. It's my sincere wish to be able to provide you with even a little help!"

Because Chen Ming had already agreed with Epona to share half of the mission.

So he felt that he deserved this power - although he shared the skills of the hero, he also shared the responsibilities of the hero.

Thinking of this, Chen Ming calmly extended his hand to her, ready to accept this gift:

"I accept your kindness and strength. Come."

"Well, thank you for accepting me." (She should thank me too!)

As soon as she finished speaking, Epona couldn't wait to stretch out her slender hand, and with an almost pious solemnity, she gently but firmly held Chen Ming's right hand.

In an instant, a warm and powerful flow of energy surged towards Chen Ming from the two people's clasped hands.

The golden light was not dazzling, but it contained an indescribable power.

The light faded, and Epona released his hand. A bright smile of relief and satisfaction appeared on his face, and he said in a light tone:

"Okay, that's it! Now you should be able to use some of my skills!"

Great joy instantly spread across the girl's pure eyes, as if she was the one who had taken advantage.

"Is this okay?"

Chen Ming asked with a little surprise.

He originally thought that the bestowal of S-level skills would be accompanied by some grand and magnificent magic circle or vision, but he didn't expect it to be so subtle and silent, with just a flash of golden light.

"It's just a supporting skill after all."

Epona explained with a smile, then pulled out a piece of paper with a strange texture from his bosom. A faint magical halo swirled around the edge. "Also, this is for you. I asked the king for one."

That is the treasure of this world - identification paper.

People in this world cannot directly know what skills they possess. Only through this precious identification paper can they clearly know their talents.

For ordinary people, this is a precious item that is almost unattainable, but for Epona, a brave man, it is not difficult to obtain one.

But it is of little use to Chen Ming.

He unceremoniously put the identification paper into the system space, then opened the system interface and checked his status bar.

I was lucky enough that it wasn't five A's.

...a total of five skills were added, 2 S-level and 3 A-level:

【Multiple Chanting】

【Rating: S-level】

[Effect: As the name suggests, it allows you to chant multiple magical skills at the same time.]

[Note: There is no limit to the number of spells you can chant at the same time, as long as you have enough magic power!]

This is a very useful skill, but for an S-rank skill, it's a bit too basic, and might even be considered unworthy of an S-rank rating—after all, the total amount of magic power in this world's magicians is very small. (The exceptions are the hero Epona and the protagonist Luge.)

When they were fighting, they had to carefully calculate the amount of magic power they used, lest their magic power be exhausted too quickly and they become lambs to be slaughtered.

Giving them the S-rank skill [Multiple Chant] is like giving a poor person an unlimited menu of delicious food without enough money to buy it - not only will it fail to increase their combat power, but it may also hasten their defeat due to the rapid depletion of magic power.