Chapter 126: How Muscles Can Get So Big!

Chapter 126: How Muscles Can Get So Big!



With the enhanced perception from his recent class change to Arcane Apprentice, Rain could vaguely sense the formidable physical strength hidden beneath the armor of the four silver knights, each wielding a sword and shield.

Clearly, these four were not ordinary cavalry but genuine Beyond Mortals, having transcended into the realm of the extraordinary.

Rain recalled Hamilton mentioning that not only the Wind and Sea Goddess Church but also other churches collectively referred to their Beyond Mortal knights as Temple Knights, while those below this rank were known as Temple Guards.

Had the church sent four Temple Knights to eradicate the Demon Knight? What a powerful display of the church's might!

Rain couldn't help but wonder if there might be other motives, such as investigating the reason for the Demon Knight's appearance.

Additionally, there were two official knights, dressed in relatively simple knight plate armor. Judging from the emblem on their chests, they were likely the guards of a noble, and one of them even carried a rare circular arm shield.

As Rain approached, he encountered many familiar faces among the Night Watch, greeting each of them with a smile. In return, his colleagues waved back with friendly smiles.

At that moment, Hamilton emerged, accompanied by two 'important figures,' and from his slightly lagging step behind them, it was evident that these individuals held a higher status than Hamilton.

One of them was an elderly man in a water-blue robe with golden trim, holding a thick book. Based on his attire, he was likely the leader of the church's task force.

The other was a middle-aged man with a goatee, wearing knight armor, suggesting he was a noble. The two knights from earlier were probably his personal guards.

Hamilton noticed Rain and Lagra approaching as well.

Perhaps Rain wasn't as eye-catching, but Lagra, being a rare 'female' with a 'large shield' on her back, drew significant attention.

In the past, as a Night Watchman, Rain wouldn't have had the opportunity to be introduced to such dignitaries.

But today was different; having transcended at such a young age, he had earned the privilege of a personal introduction by Hamilton.

"Viscount, Dean, this is Rain, the newly appointed Deputy Sheriff of Shiny Gold Town," Hamilton said with a smile.

"Rain, this is Viscount Hamadi, the Sheriff of the County City, and this is Dean Rudolph of the Wind and Sea Goddess Church."

"Good day, Viscount."

"Good day, Dean," Rain said, bowing slightly.

Simultaneously, he was surprised to learn that the Sheriff of the County City was here. This was his superior's superior, and he hadn't expected them to come personally for the Demon Knight incident.

Moreover, Hamilton had just mentioned that his deputy sheriff position had already been confirmed.

This was excellent news for Rain, as the higher his position, the more information and resources he could access.

When Rain's new role as Deputy Sheriff of Shiny Gold Town was announced, the Night Watchmen and constables nearby were momentarily stunned, but they quickly regained their composure, appearing as if it were only natural.

Some of the Night Watchmen even showed signs of joy, as if they were proud of Rain's promotion, as if it were their own.

Others whispered among themselves, perhaps explaining the situation to those who weren't in the know.

Rain's strength was undeniable, but what truly set him apart was his remarkable conduct at such a young age. He was neither arrogant nor boastful, and he could handle tough missions. After several tasks, many of his Night Watch colleagues held him in high regard.

For instance, during the mission to eradicate the Evil Fishmen, Rain had the heaviest responsibility, single-handedly blocking the retreat of the fleeing fishmen. Despite the unexpectedly large number of fishmen, Rain managed to hold his ground.

The same was true during the rescue mission to save the abducted children. The Night Watchmen who participated in the task couldn't help but admire Rain, who had single-handedly taken down several formidable thugs and rescued over twenty children.

This display of prowess left a deep impression on his fellow Night Watchmen.

Without Rain, they didn't know how many of them might have perished.

Lagra, standing nearby, noticed this and a glint of admiration flashed in her eyes.

Although she had already witnessed Rain's abilities on the training ground, she hadn't realized just how well-liked he was among the Night Watch of Shiny Gold Town.

As Rain conversed with the dignitaries, a pair of beautiful eyes peered through the carriage window, quietly observing him from a short distance away.

A few minutes earlier, Jennie Crowley, the daughter of the Crowley family, had passed through the town hall in her carriage, heading south towards Rain's home.

Her mother, Viscountess Crowley, had been urging her to maintain a good relationship with Rain.

Jennie herself had taken a liking to the slightly handsome young man, but she was disappointed when Rain had declined her advances.

Ever since learning of Rain's interest in Spirit Script, Jennie had been frequenting her family's library.

This time, she had discovered an ancient book written in Spirit Script (Arcadian), which she thought Rain might find intriguing.

Jennie's primary goal was to use the book as an excuse to spend more time with Rain.

Additionally, Jennie had prepared a pair of Blue Helm Pigeons to facilitate communication between Rain and the Crowley family. These pigeons were known for their speed, with a small tuft of blue feathers on their heads, resembling a knight's helmet, hence their name.

At that moment, the Blue Helm Pigeons sat quietly in a cage by her feet.

Hearing the commotion nearby, Jennie peered through the carriage window, witnessing the bustling scene at the town hall entrance, where four rare Temple Knights of the Wind and Sea Goddess Church had gathered, piquing her curiosity.

"Hey, isn't that Rain?" Jennie noticed Rain greeting the Viscount.

At this moment, out of politeness, Rain had already removed his knight's helm, so Jennie naturally recognized him at a glance.

"Kaso, pull the carriage to the side of the road." Jennie instructed the carriage driver, Kaso.

"Yes, Miss Jennie."

The carriage came to a steady stop by the roadside, and Jennie listened intently.

Since Rain and the others were all knights, their conversation was not deliberately concealed, and Jennie, who was twenty to thirty meters away, could still hear it clearly.

'The Deputy Sheriff of Flashgold Town?' This made Jennie's beautiful eyes light up.

As a noble lady, she naturally understood the series of appointments in the imperial administrative system.

Although the deputy had the word 'deputy', considering Rain's current age, it was quite impressive.

The competition within the imperial administrative system naturally involved intrigue and favor-seeking, but there was one thing that stood out—the value of military merit. As long as one's military achievements were sufficient, promotion would be a smooth path.

The fact that Rain, with no background, could become the deputy sheriff meant that he must have established quite a few solid merits, or else he wouldn't have received this appointment.

"Mother's vision is as outstanding as ever!"

"But, is Rain going out?" Jennie frowned.

She had come to Flashgold Town specifically to look for Rain, but seeing the current situation, it seemed that Rain might have an important mission with the Goddess Church.

This made Jennie feel a bit restless.

"So you're Rain, a young and promising man!"

"I've seen your resume, and I didn't expect that you've completed many challenging tasks after joining Hamilton's command for such a short time. With your abilities, Flashgold Town is indeed too small for you. Have you considered coming to the county city?" Viscount Hamadi said with a smile.

For some reason, Rain felt that his boss's boss had a smile that seemed fake.

The smile was so insincere!

"Thank you, Viscount, for your praise, but the prices in the county city are too high, and I'm afraid I won't be able to afford a house if I go there." Rain smiled and politely declined.

Rain's response made the others burst into laughter.

"Viscount, although Rain has completed many tasks, he is still too young and needs more training. Let him stay with me for a while longer." Hamilton spoke up to ease the situation.

Dean Rudolph had not paid much attention to Rain before, but after carefully examining Rain and learning from Hamilton that Rain was not yet fifteen years old, he became quite interested in him.

Rain also noticed Dean Rudolph's gaze, which was gentle but seemed to have a piercing quality.

"Rain, are you interested in joining the church and embracing the goddess? With your talents, I think you have a good chance of competing for the next church son position in the county city."

Dean Rudolph's offer surprised both Viscount Hamadi and Hamilton.

They knew Dean Rudolph, who was in charge of demon-hunting and exorcism affairs in the county city's Sea Goddess Church, as a person who rarely smiled and had a rather rigid personality.

Unexpectedly, he showed great favor towards Rain.

The four temple knights also turned their heads slightly to look at Rain.

Others who were not church members might not understand the value and significance of the term 'church son' within the church.

But they were the ones who knew it best.

Every church son was a potential candidate for the position of diocesan bishop.

If Rain became a church son, he would have a good chance of succeeding the position of bishop in the Myester County Goddess Church.

Dean Rudolph's words also made Rain feel overwhelmed.

But Rain had never believed that he would wholeheartedly devote himself to a deity. If he joined the church, he might eventually become a blasphemer.

After some thought, Rain politely declined, "Thank you, Dean, for your kind offer, but Hamilton has been very supportive of me. Please forgive me for not being able to join your church."

At this moment, Viscount Hamadi spoke up, "It's getting late. Hamilton, since Dean has come personally, let's go to the Nocturne Forest together."

"But what about Flashgold Town?" Hamilton hesitated.

"Haha, it's a simple matter. Let Rain stay in Flashgold Town!"

"Alright! I'll follow the Viscount's arrangement." Hamilton nodded in agreement.

"Rain, then you stay in Flashgold Town. We should be back by evening at the latest, or tomorrow at the latest. While I'm away, the town's security is in your hands."

Rain was startled by these words.

No way! I was planning to harvest some experience, how can I...

Rain shouted in his mind, wanting to refuse.

But in this situation, it was not possible.

After all, this order came from his boss's boss, and his direct boss, Hamilton, had also agreed.

So, Rain could only say, "Yes, Sir Hamilton."

"By the way, Hamilton, if you're not at ease, I'll leave Andrews here in Flashgold Town as well. This way, you can rest assured." Viscount Hamadi said with a smile.

"Rain, this is Knight Andrews." Viscount Hamadi pointed to the tall, well-built knight with a shield on his arm.

"Greetings, Sir Andrews."

"Hello, Rain." A deep voice echoed from within the knight's helmet.

Huh! This Knight Andrews is quite powerful.

Rain's perception told him that Andrews was a senior knight.

This made Rain wonder why Viscount Hamadi would leave such a senior knight behind.

But he didn't think much of it, perhaps Viscount Hamadi wanted to reassure Hamilton?

Of course, that was beyond his knowledge.

Before the team set off, Rain and Lagra reminded them that if they could bring back the relics of her brother and his companions, it would be best. If not, the most important thing was to ensure their own safety first.

Soon, the team from the County City joined forces with the team from Flashgold Town, a grand group of forty to fifty people, and headed west towards the Nocturne Forest.

This time, Hamilton brought nearly twenty Night Watchmen, effectively pulling half of Flashgold Town's defensive forces.

After seeing the team off, Andrews spoke up, "Sir Rain, as the new Deputy Sheriff of Flashgold Town, can you take me on a tour of the town? I've been to Flashgold Town a few times before, but that was a long time ago."

Rain naturally had no issue with Andrews' request, as it just so happened that the town's Sheriff had a customary routine of patrolling the town on horseback every day.

Although this was more of a formality, it served as a means to deter petty criminals, a tradition that had endured to this day.

Rain often saw Hamilton taking time to patrol with two guards, the three of them riding together.

So, Rain readily agreed.

"Of course, Sir Andrews, please follow me."

Through their conversation, Rain learned that the County City had taken the 'Demon Knight' incident very seriously after receiving the news.

However, the entire Myester County had been in turmoil recently. The Wind and Sea Goddess Church had dispatched several groups to other places, and just yesterday, a team had returned.

As a result, the team investigating the Demon Knight in Flashgold Town was delayed by a few days.

Jennie, who was secretly pleased that Rain didn't have to go on an external mission this time, saw Rain and an unfamiliar knight mount their horses and head towards the edge of the town.

This caused her heart to tighten.

Rain silently decided to allocate the skill points he had originally planned to use for enhancing his Basic Meditation Technique to Break Limit instead.

Instantly, his Break Limit value soared from 15% to 25%!

Andrew stared at Rain in shock, genuinely stunned by what he was witnessing. "How is it possible for you to withstand my full-force attack with Black Flame control?!" he blurted out.

His mind echoed the same sentiment, incredulous at the turn of events.

Even a Senior Knight, if caught off guard by such an attack, would have suffered severe injuries.

Yet Rain, who had only recently entered the Extraordinary realm, seemed unharmed.

Damn it! Rain, of course, didn't bother responding to his question. At that moment, he was seething with anger and also a bit fearful.

If he hadn't awakened his second Extraordinary Ability, Iron Skin, he might have been permanently laid to rest.

Rain had never suffered such a devastating defeat before.

Seizing the moment while his opponent was still stunned, Rain activated 'Break Limit' and drew the two-handed greatsword from his back, unleashing a 'Jump Slash' towards Andrew.

The purpose of activating Break Limit was to match the opponent's speed.

With a 25% Break Limit boost, Rain's Agility skyrocketed from 15 points to nearly 19 points.

By the time Andrew reacted, Rain's greatsword was already poised above his head.

But true to his status as a Senior Knight with a Break Limit surpassing 30%, Andrew hastily blocked Rain's attack with the arm shield on his left arm.

"Clang!!!"

Although he managed to block the attack, the impact of Rain's strike caused Andrew's steed to kneel on all fours, collapsing to the ground and unable to rise again.

"It's rare to see such a talented knight. In just a few days, your physical Break Limit has already reached the level of a Senior Knight." Andrew said grimly as he parried Rain's sword, "If given more time to grow, you'd indeed become a significant problem for us."

"But this farce ends here!" Andrew forcefully pushed Rain's sword away with his left hand, showing disdain.

However, Rain immediately followed up with a 'Raging Slash' from above, a vertical strike at a ninety-degree angle.

"You think this will work?"

Before he could finish the sentence, Andrew's expression changed drastically, as if he had seen a ghost.

At that moment, Rain's muscles had expanded to the point of bursting through the shattered Knight's chest armor, swelling two whole sizes!

"Pfft!"

Andrew's face was forever frozen in that expression.

"Even a Peak Knight wouldn't have such an exaggerated muscle transformation right after becoming a full-fledged Knight!" This was Andrew's final thought before his death.

Rain, who had just cleaved Andrew in two, began to shrink rapidly, returning to his normal size.

Leaning on the Radiant Greatsword, Rain panted heavily.

Every muscle and tendon in his body ached as if they were being torn apart.

Rain had just executed his first strike with the combined effects of the Knight's common Extraordinary Ability 'Break Limit', the Extraordinary Ability 'Giant Strength', and a 10% 'Power Burst', resulting in a triple-stacked state.

Although it lasted less than two seconds and instantly killed a Senior Knight with Black Flame control, the aftereffects were severe.

The reason for the triple burst was that after Rain's first strike was blocked, he calculated that the opponent, being a Senior Knight, could potentially reach a 60% Break Limit and a 60% increase from a power-based Extraordinary Ability, totaling a maximum of 120% boost.

With similar base strength, Rain needed a combined 155% boost from the triple burst to overpower his opponent.

Although Andrew's Extraordinary Ability might not be power-based, and the boost might not reach 120%, Rain didn't want to take any more chances.

In the carriage nearby, Jennie's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an apple, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The magnificence of Rain's previous strike was etched in her memory.

Oh my!

Was Rain a god descended from heaven?

How could his muscles have grown so much?

It was terrifying! No, it was reassuring!

Additionally, the sudden turn of events, from near-death to sudden revival, left Jennie's face flushed and her eyes rolling back as she almost fainted from the excitement.

Mafka, equally stunned, managed to regain his composure as a man in his forties, saying, "Miss, should we go and help? Rain doesn't look like he's doing too well."

"Yes, yes, Mafka, let's go over there."

Rain, enduring the pain of his muscles tearing, summoned his status panel.

[Your Saber Bear Technique has improved. Experience +289]



[You have engaged in combat. Knight (Extraordinary) Experience +57]



The Knight (Extraordinary) status panel has successfully advanced to Knight (Extraordinary) lv2 (43/300), rewarding one attribute point and one skill point.

Rain wasted no time in allocating the attribute point to Constitution, instantly boosting it from 16 to 17.

Instantly, a warm current surged from his heart, spreading throughout his body.

In an instant, all the pain, soreness, and fatigue in Rain's muscles vanished.

Adding attribute points was incredibly effective!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end