Chapter 209: Isle of Terror

Chapter 209: Isle of Terror



Veronica, with her sparkling eyes, scrutinized Ren from head to toe as if getting to know him anew.

"Baron Ren, your combat power feels stronger than a Grand Knight, no, even stronger than an average Level 3 Apprentice Wizard."

"Major Marika mentioned you before, and I thought there might be some exaggeration, but now it seems there wasn't any, and the evaluation was even conservative!"

Ren smiled slightly, "Miss Veronica, in terms of actual combat power, I should be no match for you. A Level 3 Apprentice Wizard with a Magic Scroll would be too much for even a Grand Knight."

"It's just that these two don't seem to have any weaknesses that can be exploited, so dealing with them is relatively easier." Ren pointed to the two lying on the ground and said.

"Your excessive modesty is a form of pride, Your Excellency," Marika said with a smile, having overheard their conversation.

Although she had witnessed Ren's strength during his ennoblement examination, his abilities had significantly improved again after two months.

"Triheaded Sea Lizard? Is it some kind of ferocious beast?" Ren asked.

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"Hmm, no need for thanks, Big White. This is what I should do." Ren carefully examined Big White and judged from its aura that this giant white owl, Big White, was likely no weaker than a Knight.

The increasing smiles on the residents' faces made this evident.

The challenges that were extremely difficult for ordinary Knights seemed completely irrelevant to Ren.

[You have experienced a battle, gaining +16 experience points for the Extraordinary Knight class.]



"This is the new Governor and Sheriff of Fishing Harbor Town, Baron Ren. We are his escorts."

"Yes, Your Excellency. And I also want to thank you for avenging my Big White!" Veronica stroked the giant white owl standing next to her, almost as tall as herself, and curtsied gracefully.

"This island is located east of the Sapphire Archipelago. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Isle of Terror."

Another issue was that although Ren had deciphered the treasure map's secret, his current strength made landing on this island too risky.

"Stop, who are you?"

When the Leeman brothers saw how young Ren was, they were taken aback. The younger brother, Konite Leeman, blurted out, "You're Baron Ren? You're too young!"

Strangely, there were still very few pedestrians on the street.

They were unaware of this news.

There was still a faint bloody aura lingering above.

Since the Leeman brothers had been dispatched to Fishing Harbor Town before Ren's bloody duel with Baron Norman, they were relatively isolated from news.

Instantly, Ren's mind was flooded with fragmented memories of Kadar Martial Arts training.

Could it be that the former Wizard and Grand Knight, Vincent Samborn, had some kind of contractual relationship with the leader of the Triheaded Sea Lizard clan?

Especially when Marika mentioned contacting the South Sea Fleet to send interrogation experts, the brothers patted their chests and said, "We're the professionals for this!"

[Ding! Host's Kadar Martial Arts has reached Level 9, unlocking the exclusive secret technique: Hundred-Crack Strike Level 2.]



The icon showed a burly man rapidly swinging his fists, creating dozens of fist shadows that looked incredibly lifelike and powerful.

So, Ren decided to allocate the remaining three skill points to Kadar Martial Arts, raising it to Level 9.

Moreover, there might be some non-combat issues along the way.

The town guards were astonished by this news and soon whispered among themselves.

"The heretics are indeed extraordinary! Miss Veronica, we might need your magical assistance later," Marika said solemnly, knowing that Ren's concerns were not unwarranted.

This allowed Ren to quickly obtain first-hand information about the town's current situation.

Ren was relieved; he wouldn't have to wait for the navy to send interrogators.

First, although they could rely on the navy's strength, it would change the nature of the entire matter.

The younger brother examined it closely and exclaimed in shock, "Isn't this the bow of the Bloodshot Archer, Phil Kratz?"

This question was probably known only to the Pirate King himself.

In the following days, Ren followed his routine, practicing meditation and magic in the town hall."

Although the navy officers, including Major Marika and Rear Admiral Shirva of the Sixth Fleet, had a good impression of him, using warships for the treasure hunt would make it an official matter.

Veronica immediately sent word to the South Sea Fleet via sea birds, informing them of the Sea God Sect's strongholds near Master County and the locations of several major pirate fleets.

Ren had never encountered such a ferocious beast, but Captain Kasan's fearful expression told him it was formidable.

Another system notification followed:

After all, the naval battle was not within the scope of the task force's mission, so it was better left to the South Sea Fleet and Rear Admiral Shirva.

His weapons, whether the greatsword or the two-handed warhammer, were both over one and a half meters long, making them extremely inconvenient in narrow spaces, a significant disadvantage.

Hundred-Crack Strike Lv. 1 (Secret Technique): Mimicking a tiger's claw strike, the user transforms their fists into claws and unleashes a rapid series of attacks, including upward, downward, and sideways slashes, to deliver as many claw attacks as possible in a short time.

"However, Major Marika, these two are tough nuts to crack. If we use conventional interrogation methods, the results might not be very effective." Ren glanced at the nearby Sir Flado and reminded Marika.

"Indeed! As for why this island is called the Isle of Terror, it's because a group of triheaded sea lizards are lurking on it." Captain Kasan nodded, his expression solemn.

After absorbing and digesting this information, Ren felt as if he had already practiced Kadar Martial Arts for half a year!

"Of course, Baron Ren." The two women nodded immediately.

About a quarter of an hour later, the densely packed houses of Fishing Harbor Town came into clear view.

Judging by the name, this didn't seem to be an ordinary island.

The town guards took one look and knew that these were weapons and iconic items from pirates, such as the Black Sail Pirates' skull headscarves.

"Even the prison, sometimes we're called in to deal with unruly prisoners."

Previously, with the help of the 'Truth Elixir' provided by Veronica, they had exerted a lot of effort to get the other party to reveal some confidential information, and after repeated verification over two days, they finally confirmed it.

The bow of Konite Leeman was very familiar to them. It was because of this bow that he and his brother were injured, and their wounds had not healed yet! At this moment, a knight from the Special Task Force couldn't hold back and blurted out, "That 'Bloodshot Archer' guy is right behind us!"

Judging by the texture and pattern, this was the missing last quarter of the treasure map.

Even though Fishing Harbor Town couldn't carry out normal fishing operations and restore its fishing industry, the security situation had improved significantly. The arrogant and rampant pirates had been curbed. However, what was most important to Ren was that through practicing and defeating pirates, his Kadar Martial Arts had steadily improved.

Ren squinted and carefully looked into the distance, noticing that many of the town's peripheral houses had collapsed, seemingly after intense battles.

After some careful thought, Ren felt that it might be more appropriate to wait until he was stronger before exploring the island on his own.

Major Silva asked Ren and the Special Task Force to prepare for defense near the coastal area. If the pirates were heavily damaged by the Imperial Fleet in the sea battle, they might become desperate and head towards the coastal regions.

After all, there might be people in the navy with ulterior motives who would be envious of his acquisition of the pirate king's treasures. So, Ren quickly vetoed the idea of inviting the South Sea Fleet to join them.

On the fifth day, the Leeman brothers came to report again.

"By the way, we also caught two big fish!"

Originally, Marika had always believed that the strongest fighter among their group should be Veronica, the Level 3 Apprentice Wizard, but now it seemed that Ren was the one.

Obviously, the small island nearby was the real destination and the location of the treasure.

But just as Ren came back to his senses, he realized that the system notification hadn't ended yet.

Ren pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly.

Could it be that Vincent Samborn, the pirate king, had a spell like invisibility that allowed him to easily hide his treasure here?

Soon, Ren received a reply from the fleet.

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Next, it was a waiting game.

Whether it was Tokadal Hammer Technique or Great Bear Sword Technique, his mastery had reached the master level, and without these two handy weapons, his combat power was greatly reduced.

【Congratulations! Your skill Kadar Martial Arts has been upgraded to lv6】

"Of course, let's head to Fishing Harbor Town now. Interrogating these two won't be a quick process, and the town hall should have a detention room, which would be more convenient for interrogation." Ren nodded.

【Ding! Host's Kadar Martial Arts has reached lv7, unlocking the exclusive secret technique: Hundred-Crack Strike lv1】

Three days later, after dealing with a small group of pirates who had landed, Ren finally received the system notification of Kadar Martial Arts' upgrade: 【Your skill Kadar Martial Arts has been upgraded, experience +59】

Of course, if there were only a few pirates, they would leave it to the Navy Special Task Force to handle.

After getting to know Fishing Harbor Town during this time, Ren learned that a former captain of an ocean-going merchant ship, Captain Kasan, lived in the town. Ren planned to seek his advice.

Upon hearing this, the Leeman brothers were immediately shocked and exchanged glances.

The Leeman brothers quickly adjusted their attitude and reported the events that had occurred in the town during the past half a month.

Big White, the Level 6 Apprentice Wizard, provided cover with her powerful magic.

"Hmm? Baron Ren?" The town guards looked at each other, perplexed.

Seizing weapons and capturing enemies alive were two different concepts! The 'Bloodshot Archer', whom they treated as a formidable foe, had been taken care of by the new governor even before reaching Fishing Harbor Town.

Based on his current progress, he only needed seven or eight more days to upgrade the Apprentice Wizard to lv6.

As the remaining skill points on the attribute panel were used up, Kadar Martial Arts also jumped from lv6 to lv9.

According to Marika's explanation, Ren believed that once he joined the Empire Swordsmen Organization, he could accumulate enough points to exchange for spells or other important knowledge.

They were unaware of Ren's battle with the Great Knight and his capture of the 'Bloodshot Archer' Phil Kratz and the Sea God Sect's envoy Myrko.

The lives of the Fishing Harbor Town residents slowly returned to normal.

A flood of Kadar Martial Arts training memories rushed into his mind, and multiple system notifications appeared:

Due to the sensitive identity of the Navy Special Task Force, the cavalry didn't directly reveal their identity but instead mentioned Ren's status.

In the battle within the cave, the messenger of the Sea God Cult, Myarlco, displayed his prowess in a most impressive manner.

She still had to come up with a plan.

After hastily sketching a map based on the treasure map, Ren found Captain Kasang, an elderly man with a pipe in his mouth and graying hair.

Ren's mind quickly pondered various feasible plans.

Although they were a group of mercenaries, they were still a formidable force for the coastal towns with weaker defenses. If they were to be breached, the losses would be devastating.

Both of them were family knights of the Habsburg Count, with the strength of High Knights, and both were proficient in using hammers and shields.

"What! Is Baron Ren that powerful?"

Due to their special identities, it was most suitable for Ren to handle the liaison work with the local authorities.

With the help of the birds for reconnaissance, in just a few days, the pirates near the Fishing Port Town had almost disappeared.

But soon, someone realized, "Baron, knights, we have not received any notification about the situation you mentioned. Due to the recent rampant piracy, please wait a moment while we report this to our superiors."

As expected, the Island of Fear lived up to its name! Ren couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation on his scalp as he thought about facing ten or even dozens of Three-Headed Sea Lizards, each with the strength of a High Knight, upon landing on the island.

"Once, a group of pirates encountered a hurricane, and after their ship was destroyed, they drifted to the Island of Fear. In the end, out of over a hundred pirates, only one person managed to escape by clinging to a plank, while the rest were devoured by the Three-Headed Sea Lizards."

This would greatly enhance his strength, while this method was more enduring, stable, and targeted.

The pirate king's treasure, in a sense, was more like an icing on the cake.

Upon hearing this name, Ren couldn't help but frown slightly.

However, Ren didn't spend all his time and energy on cultivation.

Captain Kasang slowly narrated.

With such strength, the subsequent tasks became a breeze.

Ren pondered for a moment, deciding not to consult Major Marika or Veronica about the location depicted in the treasure map.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the cavalry took charge of escorting the two important figures, Phil Klats and Myarlco, towards the Fishing Port Town.

In the lower-right corner of the map, there was a small note: "High-Speed Combo Lv.1 (Secret Skill) Effect: Unleash as many punches as possible, including thrusts, left hooks, right hooks, and uppercuts, in a short period of time."

"Why would the Count send such a young knight like you?"

(Note: High-Speed Combo is a Secret Skill and cannot be directly improved through skill points.) (Note: Effective only when equipped with Blade Tiger Finger.) (High-Speed Combo Lv.2 Requirements: 1. Kadarr Fist Technique Lv.9 or higher; 2. Strength 18 or higher, Constitution 16 or higher, Agility 18 or higher.) [Ding! Host's Kadarr Fist Technique has reached Lv.8, unlocking the exclusive Secret Skill: High-Speed Combo Lv.2.]



The importance of this matter naturally surpassed that of the pirate king's treasure.

The younger brother couldn't help but feel puzzled, looking at his older brother, who then pointed to the side of the black horse, where a large bow hung, and asked, "Doesn't this bow look familiar?"

The interrogation methods of the Fladok Knight might be considered formidable for ordinary pirates, but it might not be enough for these two.

"The Island of Fear?"

Ren and his group were quickly escorted to the town's administrative hall.

Seeing the Reman brothers approaching, Ren, who was in the carriage, said to the two women, "Major Marika, Miss Veronica, please wait here for a moment while I handle the liaison."

"Some stubborn pirates, after this incident, went to observe the island from a distance and found that indeed, a large group of Three-Headed Sea Lizards were occupying the island. This news spread, and soon the island was marked as a forbidden zone by pirates and long-distance merchant ships."

When a complete treasure map appeared before Ren, he discovered that the center of the map depicted a chain of islands formed by multiple islands in a ring shape.

This way, he could adapt to it.

"Gugu!" Big White, in a very human-like manner, squawked twice at Ren, and then, imitating Veronica's ladylike gesture, spread his wings slightly and bowed to Ren, clearly expressing his gratitude.

Looking at the activation conditions for the Secret Skill 'High-Speed Combo Lv.2', Ren pondered for a moment and decided to immediately invest consecutive skill points.

The delighted Ren saw a brand-new icon on the Knight (Supernatural) panel, located above 'Kadarr Fist Technique'.

Time was of the essence, as in less than a month, he would be heading to Minster to participate in the examination organized by the Imperial Sword Holders.

"That's right, the Three-Headed Sea Lizards are extremely fierce Savage Transformation beasts. Any adult individual possesses the strength of a High Knight, and the leader of the Three-Headed Sea Lizards is rumored to have the strength of a Peak High Knight."

After waiting for a few minutes, several cavalrymen in Ren's team, standing at the front, said to the peacekeepers, "Move these roadblocks aside first! The pirates shouldn't launch another attack in the short term."

Additionally, as the governor and peacekeeper of the Fishing Port Town, Ren would lead a cavalry team to patrol around the town every day.

"Baron, we found this in the gaps of Phil Klats' plate armor. It's said to be a treasure map of the pirate king, 'Shipburner' Vincent Sanborn, but unfortunately, it's not complete, only a quarter of it."

Judging from the bandage marks on both of them, it was clear that as the main defensive force of the Fishing Port Town, they had been under significant pressure.

"By the way, Lord Ren, I think we should find a safe place to interrogate these two properly.

"Major Marika, standing by, extended her fair-skinned finger and pointed at the two dejected men on the ground.

However, at this moment, his older brother, Curt Reman, after carefully examining Ren, tugged at his brother's hand and said, "I believe in him!"

Upgrading Kadarr Fist Technique from Level 6 to Level 7 is not something that can be achieved in a short time. Moreover, in about three to four days, his Wizard Apprentice (Extraordinary) profession level will reach Level 6.

Soon, Ren and his group arrived at a temporary roadblock set up on the street, where the security officers on duty scrutinized them with vigilant expressions.

"Yes, this is my contract beast, Big White, a transformed white owl." Baron Ren, Big White just told me that it's very grateful to you for helping it take revenge," Veronica said with a smile.

"Baron, this necklace-like ring island chain, judging by the number and shape of the islands, resembles the Sapphire Archipelago located in the open sea."

"Oh, is Big White injured?" Ren examined Big White's injured wing, which was likely wounded by Phil Klats' signature skill, Blood Fury Strike.

Additionally, with Kadarr Fist Technique at Level 9, it will undoubtedly unlock another fist technique, Hundred Ruptures. Ren was quite eager about this prospect.

Setting aside the issue of combat damage for now, the allocation of gains would be a problem.

Ren might not necessarily obtain what he desires.

Are the adult individuals as powerful as High Knights? And there's a whole group of them?

Indeed, generally speaking, once the control level of Extraordinary Skills reaches proficiency, secret skills begin to unlock.

After some thought, perhaps the pirates had the strength to take over the Fishing Port Town, but to avoid attracting attention from the Empire's upper echelons or for other reasons, they chose to raid the town instead.

"Of course!" The cavalrymen patted the saddlebags on the side of their horses and presented their spoils from this mission.

If they had faced a different opponent, someone less skilled in archery like Phil Klats, the combination of Veronica and Big White would have easily overwhelmed them.

"Although your cavalry squad appears elite, do you know that the twenty elite soldiers I led before have suffered heavy casualties, and it's only with great difficulty that we've managed to maintain the current situation."

"Of course, Major Marika can come to me anytime. I have a few bottles of truth serum that should have some effect," Veronica assured him.

However, Ren thought of another question: Why did the Pirate King, the Fire-Shipper, choose to hide his treasure on this island?

"Hmm?" Ren's heart leaped with joy, and he immediately took the parchment and examined it carefully.

At that moment, two men with bandages wrapped around their bodies, carrying shields and hammers, approached with bushy beards.

Soon, Kadarr Fist Technique will reach Level 10, fulfilling all the requirements for the [Legendary Weapon Master] profession.

S

"The pirates occupying several roads in our town include members of the large-scale Black Sail Pirate Fleet, and they are very powerful."

With proper interrogation methods, these two men should reveal many 'secrets' about the Sea God Cult and the Black Sail Pirates.

(Note: High-Speed Combo is a secret skill and cannot be directly improved through skill points. High-Speed Combo Level 2 requires the following conditions: 1. Kadarr Fist Technique Level 8 or higher; 2. Strength of 16 points or more, Constitution of 16 points or more, and Agility of 18 points or more.) Ren experimented and found that wearing the High Knight Plate Armor gauntlets, he could strike approximately twelve punches in one second. If he removed the gauntlets and pauldrons, he could achieve fourteen punches per second! This delighted Ren, as he now had a powerful close-quarters combat technique!

One of the security officers quickly ran towards the administrative hall in the center of the town.

"Hmm? Any new developments?" After a few minutes, the security officers could confirm that the group before them was most likely not pirates. Although the dozen cavalrymen were injured, they had youthful and handsome faces with white teeth, unlike typical pirates.

After some back and forth, the security officers followed the cavalry's suggestion and removed the roadblock.

The two cavalrymen exchanged a smile, and one of them turned to the security officers and said, "You should thank Baron Ren. He has cleared out all the pirates occupying the roads leading to your town."

However, the cross mark was not on the ring island chain but on a small island next to it.

Fourth, the Leeman brothers came to report.

A quarter of the map was still intact, which was fortunate. If it had been a complete treasure map, who wouldn't covet it? After the brothers left, Ren immediately took out the remaining three pieces of the map and quickly assembled them.

Although this action was more symbolic, it effectively restored the town residents' confidence in the Empire's ability to eradicate the pirates.

"How did it end up in his possession?"

Every day, Veronica's White Seagull would scatter and conduct reconnaissance. Once they spotted pirate landing boats or groups of more than ten pirates, Ren would personally go out to eliminate them.

Initially, the Leeman brothers were going to return to the county town after completing the handover with Ren. However, when they saw the cavalry escorting Phil Klats into the interrogation room, they changed their minds.

"Could it be..."

Moreover, he was about to become a Legendary Weapon Master, and his Wizard Apprentice profession had reached the level of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.

Ren believed that once he became a full-fledged wizard, with the support of two legendary professions, he would have the preliminary ability to explore this island.

This wouldn't take too long.

After understanding these issues, Ren's enthusiasm for the pirate king's treasure diminished compared to before.

On the sixth day, news arrived from the naval fleet.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end