Chapter 127: Was I Just Switched?

Chapter 127: Was I Just Switched?



At this moment, Rain noticed that after his recent battle with Andrews, along with the accumulated combat experience from encounters with Carava and the Mist Demon, his Grizzly Sword Technique had reached lv5 (1988/2000).

He was just one step away from entering lv6.

So, when Jenny hurried over from the carriage, holding her long dress and looking worried, she witnessed Rain, who had been drenched in sweat and contorted in pain, suddenly stand up with a delighted expression and renewed vigor.

Jenny was left dumbfounded!

"Sir Rain, are you alright?" Jenny stammered, still in a daze.

"Huh? Miss Jenny, what brings you here?" Rain asked in surprise.

Could the Crowley family be involved in this matter? Rain's guard was up, having just been ambushed.

"I... I brought something for Sir Rain."

"Wait!" Rain gestured for her to be quiet.

He had heard another commotion coming from within Shangjin Town.

This time, the voices were chaotic and a bit farther away, but Rain's heightened senses could still discern that it was a group of people screaming and shouting.

It seemed that the Black Flame Church had come with a larger goal in mind than just killing him.

Rain's suspicions about the Black Flame Church's intentions grew.

Glancing at Andrews' body beside him, Rain realized he couldn't leave the corpse as evidence and that he hadn't collected the spoils of war yet.

After a moment's thought, Rain turned to Jenny and said, "Miss Jenny, could you help me collect my spoils of war?"

"Huh? Spoils of war?" Jenny was taken aback for a moment, not understanding until Rain pointed to the unfamiliar knight's body.

"I'm going to investigate the situation in town right now."

As he spoke, Rain prepared to rush back to the town, but after taking two steps, he turned back to remind Jenny, "By the way, Miss Jenny, you should leave Shangjin Town as soon as possible."

At that moment, Jenny was staring at the bloody corpse, her mind in a daze.

How... how should this be handled?

Hearing Rain's reminder, she snapped out of it and hurriedly replied, "Yes, Sir Rain!"

Just then, two cavalrymen were riding quickly towards them from the direction of Shangjin Town.

Rain's eyes narrowed, and he gripped the Radiant Greatsword, assuming a combat stance.

"Wait... Sir Rain, these two seem to be my escort cavalry." Jenny was startled to see Rain draw his sword.

"Oh?" Despite Jenny's words, Rain remained vigilant, having learned his lesson from the previous ambush.

After all, if he didn't learn from his mistakes, he'd be in trouble sooner or later.

Upon their arrival, the two cavalrymen quickly saluted Jenny and said urgently, "Miss Jenny, the church in Shangjin Town has been attacked. The town's defenses are weak, and we suggest you leave immediately."

"The church?" Rain's pupils constricted as he made a quick connection.

Today was Sunday, and there would be at least a hundred or two hundred people in the church.

Rain recalled the incident in Monaym Town during his servant training, where a group of heretics had performed a sacrificial ritual.

After becoming the Night Watch Captain, Rain had specifically looked into the matter, and the truth was even more gruesome than the rumors. Over a hundred people had died in Monaym Town.

The Empire had officially blamed it on seven or eight bandits, but Rain knew it was a temporary measure by the County City to calm the public's unrest and reduce the heat of the situation.

Reflecting on it now, it was highly likely that the Black Flame Church was behind that incident as well!

"Cough, I won't be leaving. This is Deputy Sheriff Rain of Shangjin Town. You two, come at the right time. Help me collect the spoils of war." Jenny quickly assessed the situation and rejected the cavalrymen's suggestion.

Jenny had a clear understanding of the situation.

Although it was dangerous for her to stay in Shangjin Town, it was also an excellent opportunity to deepen her relationship with Rain.

"Spoils of war?" The cavalrymen looked around and immediately spotted the unfamiliar knight's corpse, startling them.

"This is a criminal with the strength of a veteran knight, defeated by Sir Rain. We'll follow Sir Rain and help collect the spoils of war." Jenny explained.

A veteran knight?

The bloody mess was a veteran knight?

The cavalrymen took a closer look and confirmed it was a plate armor knight, exchanging glances, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Indeed, it seemed there was no need to leave just yet.

"Yes, Miss Jenny," the cavalrymen said confidently, dismounting and starting to collect the spoils.

Rain glanced at Jenny, surprised by her courage and trust in him.

He nodded in approval and said, "I'll go ahead. If the situation turns unfavorable, leave immediately."

"Yes, Sir Rain," Jenny replied, her heart filled with joy at Rain's acknowledgment.

As Rain rushed towards Shangjin Town, he took a moment to check his Extraordinary Knight panel.

After a brief thought, he decided to allocate the remaining skill points to the Limit Break Value.

The reason was simple—with a battle imminent, he needed to enhance his combat capabilities quickly.

The Limit Break Value was related to two Extraordinary Traits, Gigantic Strength and Iron Skin. With the additional points, both traits should reach level 2.

As he allocated the points, the Limit Break Value instantly increased from 25% to 35%.

"This can't be human!"

Suddenly, it sounded like shattering glass, or the turning of a key, as Rain felt a 'lock' deep within him click open in an instant.

What a peculiar feeling!

It was as if Rain had been dancing with shackles on, and now they had been suddenly unlocked.

Every cell in his body rejoiced!

"No wonder the 30% limit break is a hurdle. It seems that once you break through, the lock within your body is released."

"Now, I guess I've entered the realm of the veteran knight!" Rain muttered to himself.

Before Rain could fully sense this change, his two extraordinary traits also broke through to level 2.

[Extraordinary Trait: Gigantic Strength (Passive) Level 2]



Gigantic Strength Level 2 Effect: Strength greatly enhanced.

(Note: The strength enhancement of the extraordinary trait Gigantic Strength is directly proportional to the limit break value. The higher the limit break, the greater the strength enhancement.)



(Note: To reach the next level, a limit break value of 60% or higher is required.)



[Extraordinary Trait: Iron Skin (Passive) Level 2]



Iron Skin Level 2 Effect: The body automatically absorbs stray metal elements, greatly enhancing skin defense.

(Note: The defense enhancement of the extraordinary trait Iron Skin is directly proportional to spiritual power and the limit break value. The higher the spiritual power and limit break value, the stronger the absorption and enhancement.)



(Note: To reach the next level, a limit break value of 60% or higher and spiritual power of 18 or higher are required.)



(Note: Extraordinary traits cannot be directly enhanced through skill points.)



As expected, both extraordinary traits simultaneously advanced to level 2, and the requirements for the next level were also provided.

For the extraordinary trait 'Gigantic Strength' to reach the next level, a limit break value of 60% or higher is required, while the trait 'Iron Skin' demands a spiritual power of 18 points or higher.

Rain's gaze shifted from the extraordinary occupation panel to the increasingly close town church spire, his confidence growing!

Ten minutes earlier.

The Gale and Sea Goddess Church in Shining Town.

The church, with its classic stained glass and spire, had a tall and slender overall style.

Additionally, at the very top of the church, there was a gilded miniature statue of the Gale and Sea Goddess.

Today was Sunday, and at this time, the church was filled with town residents who believed in the Gale and Sea Goddess.

The hardships of daily labor and occasional disasters led to a higher number of believers in this world compared to Rain's previous life, and there were also more devout believers.

At this moment, over a hundred men and women from Shining Town, young and old, were being led by an elderly white-haired priest, Thomas, to devoutly pray to the goddess statue holding a conch shell.

However, at this moment, a Black Flame Adept was seen in the spacious hall of the church, replacing Priest Thomas. He chanted an eerie incantation, while several fully armed, mercenary-like burly men surrounded the hall, glaring at everyone.

Additionally, there seemed to be another Black Flame Adept wearing a black hooded cloak, standing in a corner of the hall with his head bowed and his hands in his sleeves, chanting an incantation.

Below them, a sea of residents from Shining Town were trembling in fear.

In front of them, several corpses of resisters were already lying on the ground, their blood staining the solemn and sacred church red.

As the Black Flame Adept chanted his incantation, a black bone staff with a crystal on top began to emit strange black, hair-like objects that spread throughout the hall.

Upon contact with the residents of Shining Town, they quickly fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably! This sight made everyone even more frightened, trembling in fear. It wasn't that they didn't want to resist, but that resistance would lead to death, and it was better to die later than sooner.

Among the trembling crowd was a man with thick eyebrows.

He never expected that on this Sunday, right after finishing his servant training, his mother would urge him to attend this week's church service to seek the goddess's blessing, hoping to successfully pass the Habsburg Manor examination and become a guard.

However, before the worship service had even lasted half an hour, a group of fierce-looking mercenaries burst in, and Priest Thomas immediately fell into a pool of blood.

Immediately, the church hall doors were locked, trapping all the town residents inside.

At first, Thick Eyebrows assumed they had encountered a group of bandits, and given his family's wealthy status, he wasn't too worried.

It wasn't until the black-robed man began chanting an eerie incantation that Thick Eyebrows associated it with a cultist sacrifice, and his face turned white with fear! Cults were notorious for being ruthless and greedy.

The 'pseudo-second generation' had the advantage of being well-informed, knowing what the cultists were up to, or at least, in this situation, Thick Eyebrows knew he could die.

Unlike ordinary town residents, who might not understand why they were dying until their last breath.

Thick Eyebrows had considered resisting, as he believed his swordsmanship could handle ordinary bandits.

But when he saw the sheriff uncle who had taught him swordsmanship being struck down by a sword and lying in a pool of blood, Thick Eyebrows' confidence shattered like glass.

He dared not even think of resisting, as resistance meant certain death. Instead, he huddled among the crowd, hoping to delay his death. It was at this moment that a figure flashed into Thick Eyebrows' mind.

A figure that was slightly shorter and weaker than him.

This person had turned the impossible into reality during the swordsmanship competition in the servant training, defeating Thick Eyebrows.

If it were him, would he dare to draw his sword against them? Thick Eyebrows pondered for a moment, then shook his head. Most likely, he wouldn't dare either.

After all, even though he had heard that person had become the town's night watchman, he was still an ordinary person, and in the face of these fierce bandits, only a formal knight would be a match.

As the eerie black mist slowly permeated the air, the man with thick eyebrows immediately felt a sense of foreboding. In a voice only he could hear, he muttered to himself, "Mother! You've doomed your son, you know that, right?"

"Goddess above! Please send someone to save me!"

"I sincerely apologize for all my past mistakes, and I pray to the Goddess to send someone to rescue me!"

"I'm still young, I really don't want to die!"

At this moment, the man with thick eyebrows had never looked so devout. If Rayen were here, he would have noticed that many of the servants he was familiar with, including his friend George, were also present.

This was because next week, the Habsburg Manor was going to hold a servant assessment.

Therefore, many servants accompanied their families to the church to worship devoutly, praying for the Goddess's blessing for a smooth assessment.

At this moment, they all watched the scene before them with terrified expressions.

At the very edge of the church hall, there was a figure Rayen was familiar with, none other than his mother, Emma, who was bowing her head, her body trembling, and her expression filled with fear.

But at this moment, she miraculously didn't immediately pray to the Goddess for help; instead, the first thought that came to her mind was her son, Rayen, whose stature was growing taller day by day.

"With such a big incident happening, Rayen, as the Night Watch Captain, should be on his way here, right?"

"No, no! Rayen must not come!"

"The enemy outnumbers us, and their strength is too terrifying. Even if Rayen comes, he definitely won't be able to win against them!"

"Goddess, please protect us! Let Rayen stay safe and sound!" Mother Emma silently prayed in her heart.

At this moment, a black-robed Black Flame Adept was blocking the entrance to the church's outer courtyard. On the ground, four or five bodies in the uniforms of the Sheriff's deputies lay scattered, and across from him were the remaining twenty-odd Night Watchmen and a few Sheriffs from Shangjin Town.

The Night Watchmen drew their bows and aimed at the Black Flame Adept, while the Sheriffs drew their long swords and surrounded him. However, they all looked tense, and a few of them were even pale and trembling.

This gave the Black Flame Adept, who was toying with a black flame fireball in his hand, an air of invincibility.

The first few Sheriffs who had arrived had already fallen victim to the enemy.

Among the remaining guardians of Shangjin Town, the highest-ranking was the short Mateo.

As the Night Watch Captain, Mateo currently had his fists clenched, his face flushed with anger, but he dared not order the archers to fire.

Mateo was never lacking in courage for battle, but facing the Black Flame Adept who had even defeated Sheriff Hamilton, he knew that if he gave the order to fire, everyone present might be killed.

The flickering black flames in the enemy's hand filled Mateo with dread, as they were almost impossible to overcome for ordinary Night Watchmen.

You might say that Rayen had killed a Black Flame Adept before, so it shouldn't be that scary, right?

That's correct, but that Black Flame Adept was severely injured.

The one before them was in his prime.

It's not the same at all! So, although they had surrounded the enemy, Mateo was almost certain that even if they fought to the death, they couldn't do anything.

Perhaps, before their side was wiped out, they might be able to inflict a few injuries on the enemy.

That's all they could do! Although Mateo had immediately sent someone to pursue Sheriff Hamilton's team, it had already been some time since they departed, and by the time they returned, it might be too late.

Additionally, Mateo had also sent someone to the nearby Habsburg Manor to seek help from Knight Lloyd, but it would likely take some time for the manor's reinforcements to arrive.

Therefore, even though Mateo wasn't very confident that Rayen could defeat the enemy, at this moment, their only hope was Deputy Sheriff Rayen.

"You don't even have the courage to shoot at me; as the Empire's law enforcement, you're really pathetic." The Black Flame Adept mocked as he played with the black flame fireball in his hand.

"You're just a bunch of cowards. I can't believe you're waiting for someone to save you!"

"Alright, if you behave and stand still, maybe I'll spare your lives."

"Oh, that's right, I remember now. You're probably waiting for that... what's his name again? Ray... Rayen! That's his name, right?"

"Hehe, you're waiting for him, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, you won't be seeing him."

This caused Mateo and the other Night Watchmen to turn pale, as if their hidden strategy had been suddenly seen through by the enemy.

From the enemy's tone, full of possibilities. "And you, a mere ant, dare to challenge me?"

Suddenly, a young yet resolute voice rang out: "Has no one ever taught you to respect those who face death with honor?"

Otis was stunned! An unexpected person had appeared before him, and before the Night Watchmen as well.

"Rayen!"

"Deputy Sheriff!"

When Mateo saw Rayen appear, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Deputy Sheriff, the Black Flame Adept has taken control of the townspeople in the church!"

"Mateo, you've done well. Leave this to me!" Rayen said as he stared at the Black Flame Adept.

"You're the newly promoted Knight Rayen?"

"You shouldn't..."

"Andrews, you're no match for him!" The Black Flame Adept named Otis fired off a series of questions.

However, Rain naturally ignored the other party and silently drew out the Radiant Greatsword behind him.

Otis frowned, unable to figure out the problem.

"Could it be that Sir Andrews fought against you but let you escape?"

After some thought, Otis felt that this was the most reasonable explanation.

Moreover, seeing Rain's broken armor, it seemed that he had been beaten badly by Andrews.

Judging from this, Rain should be a Knight with an Extraordinary Trait like Agility, a speed-type fighter.

No wonder! Otis instantly ruled out all possibilities and arrived at a conclusion he deemed very reliable! For a speed-type Knight like Rain, the best strategy is to engage in close combat.

If he were to use long-range attacks like Black Flame Fireballs, it would be futile if the opponent is too fast.

With his rich combat experience, Otis quickly devised the best countermeasure against Rain.

Coincidentally, Otis was also quite skilled in close combat, proficient with a pair of daggers. Moreover, although his strength was only that of a formal Knight, his Extraordinary Trait leaned towards Agility.

After considering all this, Otis confidently said, "You barely escaped from Sir Andrews, and yet you dare to come here without seizing that stroke of luck. This is truly your tragedy!"

Rain was momentarily stunned by his words.

With a swoosh, Otis sprinted towards Rain.

Rain was taken aback by this maneuver. He had been thinking about how to avoid the Black Flame Adept's attacks and create an opportunity for close combat, intending to swiftly defeat his opponent.

But what did he see now? The Black Flame Adept didn't throw even a single Black Flame Fireball at him; instead, he rushed towards him at high speed, intending to engage in hand-to-hand combat?

Could there be some conspiracy here?

No matter what, close combat was his only advantage! Since the opponent was so confident, he might also be a strength-type fighter. To be safe, Rain decided to unleash his ultimate move!

Rain's Limit Break Value had already reached 35%, entering the level of a veteran Knight, and his Extraordinary Trait 'Gigastrength' had increased by 60%.

Rain planned to activate an additional 20% 'Power Surge', bringing the total power boost to 120%, to test his opponent's abilities.

Moreover, Rain was confident that with this level of Triple Overlap State, the duration and aftereffects would be significantly weaker, and if the duration was short enough, there might not even be any aftereffects.

This was the advantage of having a high Constitution.

No wonder the great man once said that a good body is the foundation of revolution!

As for why he didn't unleash his full power, it was because he needed to maintain some combat strength for the upcoming church rescue.

As the Black Flame Adept rushed towards Rain, Mateo stared intently while quickly saying to the Night Watchmen, "Wait a moment, you..."

But before he could finish his sentence, it abruptly stopped.

Instead, he muttered, "Rain's strength has reached this level?"

In the Black Flame Adept's hands, a pair of daggers suddenly appeared, shimmering with a cold, icy light. In the blink of an eye, he was already close to Rain.

The rushing airflow had already caused the broken plate armor on Rain's body to flutter noisily! Just as the Black Flame Adept showed a triumphant expression,

Everyone present heard the sound of several bowstrings being plucked, and the source was none other than Rain in the center of the field!

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Rain's body suddenly expanded, his muscles bulging, especially his chest and neck, which swelled nearly twice as much as a Zaharshi Cobra about to attack its prey!

"Haaa!!!"

A substantial air shockwave erupted from Rain's mouth, spreading out in all directions, with Otis taking the brunt of it.

Otis's face was filled with horror. He never expected Rain to have such a large-scale sonic attack.

This attack could not be dodged; one could only endure it! Otis reacted swiftly, shrinking his neck and crossing his arms to protect his face.

"Bang!"

The gust of wind hit Otis, causing a sharp pain in his ears and a ringing in his head.

But instinctively, he felt something was amiss. As he was about to lower his arms to check the situation, he suddenly felt the sky darken, and then his left eye saw his right half of the body, while his right eye saw his left half.

Before Otis could understand what was happening, his world went dark and faded into nothingness.

The onlookers on the sidelines covered their ears, their mouths agape, staring at Rain, who was still in a downward-chopping stance.

The Night Watchmen were dumbfounded, their minds filled with various thoughts.

"Is this the Black Flame Adept they were afraid of?"

"The same Black Flame Adept who severely injured Sheriff Hamilton?"

"This... Did they switch places just now?"

"It's like Rain cut down a fake Black Flame Adept!"

It wasn't a pose Rain was striking.

At this moment, his Grizzly Sword Technique had reached Level 6.

In an instant, as the Grizzly Sword Technique reached Level 6 (124/3000), memories of training in the technique began to flood Rain's mind.

Simultaneously, the various techniques embedded in these memories quickly merged with Rain's muscle memory.

However, this time seemed a little different.

Before Rain could fully experience this, he suddenly saw that the church door in front of him was opened from the inside!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end