Chapter 132: Surrender? Not a Chance!

Chapter 132: Surrender? Not a Chance!

In the courtyard outside the Shangjin Town Church, a group of elegantly dressed nobles and those clad in plate armor surrounded a young man demonstrating his swordsmanship in the center of the arena.

The Night Watch, who were initially busy nearby, couldn't help but slow down and crane their necks curiously at the sight.

"Hey, isn't that Lord Rayen?"

"Yes, it's the newly appointed Deputy Sheriff, Lord Rayen!"

"That's right, it's Rayen. Seems like he's demonstrating his swordsmanship."

Since Rayen was the youngest among his Night Watch colleagues, many continued to address him by his name despite his rising rank.

It wasn't out of disrespect but merely a matter of habit, as the time for adjustment was too short.

Initially, they called him Little Rayen, then Rayen, and just half a month ago, they addressed him as Captain. Now, he had become the Deputy Sheriff, a promotion speed that was truly unprecedented!

Who knew when the 'Deputy' title would be dropped?

Rayen's face turned solemn as he executed a swift and furious Fury Slash, followed by a powerful Leap Slash.

The arena echoed with the sharp sound of blades slicing through the air.

"Sweep Slash!"

"Leap Slash!"

"Cyclone Slash!"

The Giant Grizzly Sword Technique that Rayen displayed flowed seamlessly from one move to the next, creating a graceful dance of strength and beauty.

"Indeed, Rayen's Giant Grizzly Sword Technique has reached the Mastery Level!"

"This kid, Rayen, has improved at an incredible pace!" Hamilton exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

As Rayen's direct superior, Hamilton had witnessed Rayen's growth from an ordinary farmer's son to a formidable fighter.

Upon reflection, Hamilton realized that Rayen's strength seemed to reach a new level every few months.

Comparing their combat prowess, Hamilton was astonished to find that Rayen's current strength might even surpass his own!

Perhaps Rayen still lacked a bit of combat experience compared to him, but the gap was minuscule.

Hamilton had to admit that Rayen was now a master of the same caliber as himself! But how old was Rayen?

How old was Rayen?

Rayen's rapid rise to prominence had left Hamilton in awe.

"This is the Mastery Level of the Giant Grizzly Sword Technique!"

"To achieve this level at such a young age, he truly has remarkable talent!"

On the sidelines, the one who was most impressed by Rayen's Giant Grizzly Sword Technique was Peres, the swordmaster and noble heir of the Habsburg Manor.

Peres, also a practitioner of the Giant Grizzly Sword Technique, vividly remembered that it took him four to five years of rigorous training to reach the level Rayen had just demonstrated.

Although he wasn't familiar with Rayen and didn't know the specifics of his training, Peres could surmise that Rayen hadn't been practicing for long.

Perhaps a year? But it was highly unlikely to be more than two years! The reason was simple: the dual-bladed greatsword itself weighed several dozen pounds.

An eleven or twelve-year-old commoner's heir would never be able to wield such a heavy weapon.

Rayen's physique, comparable to that of an ordinary person, indicated that he wasn't naturally gifted with extraordinary strength.

Alonso, on the other hand, grew increasingly uneasy as he watched Rayen's demonstration. His face darkened, and a sense of fear crept into his heart as he couldn't help but think of someone—his sister, Kayla.

Alonso vividly recalled that when he was already a Level 3 Knight Squire, Kayla had just learned to hold a sword.

But two years later, he could only manage a draw against her.

In the third year...

He was no match for her.

Although Alonso's strength had improved significantly over the past two years due to the abundant supply of divine blood from the Black Flame Church, he now realized that competing in cultivation progress with someone of such high talent was utterly foolish.

Fortunately, Alonso had anticipated this from his sister, Kayla, and that was why he had collaborated with the Black Flame Church, eagerly awaiting the Black Flame Prayer Ceremony.

If he could acquire the ability to control the Black Flame or other special powers during the ceremony, he would experience a surge in strength.

As Alonso's mind raced, the church members also watched Rayen's sword demonstration with rapt attention.

"What do you think of Rayen's swordsmanship, Brother Rudolf?" Rudolf asked a Templar Knight beside him.

"He's very strong, almost on par with me. But based on what I've observed, he might have a chance against an ordinary Black Flame Adept, but defeating an Apostle-level opponent might be beyond his reach," replied the Templar Knight named Beriel.

"You're right, but I suspect Rayen might have a hidden ace up his sleeve, which he wouldn't reveal in a public setting like this," Rudolf agreed, nodding in approval of Beriel's assessment.

"From what I've seen of his swordsmanship, he at least has the potential to defeat an Apostle-level opponent, don't you think?" Rudolf added with a smile.

"You're absolutely right!" Beryl was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled and agreed.

Among the nobles present, the only one who couldn't quite understand the other's thoughts was the Sheriff of the County City, Viscount Hamadi. He stared at Rain with an expressionless face, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Baroness Crowley and Jenny, who were standing nearby, watched with bright eyes.

For them, it was natural to hope that Rain, the guardian knight of the Crowley family, would become even stronger.

Rain's sword demonstration lasted less than ten seconds before it ended.

However, it left a deep impression on the surrounding onlookers.

Hamilton approached Rain and, with a complex expression, patted him on the shoulder, saying in a low voice, "Rain, you've given me another big surprise."

"Your Grizzly Sword Technique has reached the level of mastery. That's truly remarkable!"

"Also, after this review, I estimate that you'll have enough merit points to be knighted. It should be around 1000 points."

"I was a little worried that your strength might be lacking since you became extraordinary not long ago, but now it seems my worries were unnecessary."

"Hmm?"

This made Rain's heart skip a beat. He never expected these Black Flame Adepts to be so 'valuable.'

He had thought that it would take at least a few months to accumulate enough merit points to reach 1000 and qualify for the knighting examination.

Just as Rain and Hamilton were talking, a Templar Knight approached Rudolf and reported in a low voice, "Archdeacon Rudolf, I think you should take a look at the situation inside the church."

Rudolf's eyebrows rose slightly, and he looked up, glancing at the Templar Knight with a hint of surprise. The Templar Knight nodded slightly, causing Rudolf's expression to darken.

Rudolf, accompanied by Beryl, quickly entered the church to inspect the scene.

After carefully examining the bodies of several residents of Shangjin Town, Archdeacon Rudolf's expression turned grave. "A bloodstain ritual of the Black Flame Church has been performed here, and it seems to have been successful."

"Huh! If what the Night Watch said is true, and Rain has killed all the heretics of the Black Flame Church, then the energy-storing crystal they use to store blood energy should be with Rain."

Beside him, Beryl frowned, suddenly understanding something. He spoke up as a reminder.

"That's right!"

"Go and ask Rain if the energy crystal is still there, or if it was damaged during the previous battle." Archdeacon Rudolf thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Archdeacon!" Beryl strode towards the church's exit.

Soon, Beryl approached Rain, who was talking to Hamilton, and asked, "Lord Rain, excuse me, but did you see a rhombus-shaped crystal during your battle with the Black Flame Adepts?"

Rain thought for a moment and nodded. He certainly remembered the blood-colored rhombus crystal at the top of the staff.

Not only did he remember it, but he also had a strong impression of it because when he touched the staff, he received a class change prompt.

"That's great! Lord Rain, this crystal has extraordinary significance to the church. Can we..."

"Wait a moment," someone interrupted Beryl. "According to the regulations, this crystal is considered spoils of war and must be handed over to the empire. The church can only apologize for not being able to keep it."

Rain turned to see his boss's boss, Viscount Hamadi, approaching with a smile.

"What do you think, Hamilton?" Viscount Hamadi asked Hamilton.

"Well, according to the regulations, that is indeed the case," Hamilton said, his expression a bit uneasy, but he nodded.

Although Hamilton had his suspicions about Viscount Hamadi's position, without solid evidence, it was impossible to bring him down.

Additionally, even if Viscount Hamadi had issues, according to the regulations, it would be handled at the provincial level.

"Rain, regarding the value assessment of the energy crystal, after conversion, it can be turned into merit points. Perhaps, for you, merit points are more useful than gold coins." Viscount Hamadi turned to Rain and said.

Rain glanced at Hamilton, who nodded slightly.

It seemed that this unknown system-determined artifact would not be kept by him.

'Rank suppresses,' especially when the other party was two ranks higher. Rain had wanted to keep it for further research.

So, Rain nodded to Viscount Hamadi and said, "Okay, Viscount, please wait a moment. I'll go home and get it."

After returning home, Rain went straight to his room and locked the door. He picked up the staff and examined it carefully.

However, Rain reconsidered. Whether it was Viscount Hamadi or the Templar Knight, they only wanted the crystal, not the staff.

He wondered if the crystal could be removed separately.

After a brief exploration, Rain discovered a slot between the staff and the blood-colored rhombic crystal. He gripped the fist-sized crystal with one hand and the staff with the other, and with a strong pull, the blood-colored rhombic crystal came off.

"Since you only want the crystal, I'll keep this staff," Rain thought to himself.

However, as soon as Rain held the crystal, a system prompt sounded.

【Ding! A large amount of unknown absorbable energy has been detected. Do you want to absorb it? (Note: After absorption, it can be converted into designated occupation experience points.)】

Rain couldn't help but gasp in surprise!

"Wow! Is there such a good thing?"

"Of course, I'll choose to absorb it!"

"Hand it over? Not a chance!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end