Chapter 213: It's Three Against One!

Chapter 213: It's Three Against One!



The intense and prolonged battle caused Volod's movements to gradually slow down, a subtle yet noticeable change.

However, Rain, his opponent, keenly noticed this shift in Volod's performance.

Volod, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind this change. Although his stamina had significantly decreased, his opponent's stamina was in no better state and was declining at an even faster rate.

While Volod skillfully blocked Rain's Blade Finger Tiger attacks with his dagger, requiring immense concentration, Rain had been swinging heavy war hammers and great swords, exhausting his stamina as well.

Based on normal logic and Volod's extensive combat experience, his assessment was accurate. However, the problem was that Rain had a secret weapon.

As Volod's stamina began to wane, and Rain's stamina was also on the decline, Rain, without hesitation, added a point to his Constitution attribute, reducing his remaining attribute points from 5 to 4, and increasing his Constitution from 27 to 28.

Instantly, a surging wave of heat pumped from his heart and rapidly spread throughout Rain's body.

In a flash, the slight soreness and fatigue in his muscles vanished, leaving him refreshed and energized.

Rain's movements became steady, precise, and powerful once again, just like at the beginning of the fight.

Within half a second, Volod sensed something was amiss.

Due to the contrasting changes, Rain's transformation was glaringly obvious to Volod.

Volod's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Rain.

There was no way Rain could have suddenly regained his vigor without taking a potion or casting a spell, so how could he suddenly become so spirited?

Volod felt Rain's attacks become exceptionally swift and fierce. Blocking Rain's strikes became increasingly challenging, and a single misstep could result in four more cuts on his body.

Rain's Blade Finger Tiger, a weapon obtained from the Zalar Resistance Army's Parix Major, was crafted from a rare mineral. When it sliced through Volod's sturdy leather armor, it instantly created four cuts on his body.

As time passed, Volod's movements slowed further. His eyes reddened with exertion, and he struggled to block Rain's relentless attacks. Despite his efforts, the number of wounds on his body only increased.

On several occasions, Volod attempted to push Rain back to create space for him to drink a potion or cast a spell from a scroll, but Rain's relentless close-quarters combat prevented him from doing so.

By this point in the battle, Rain had a good grasp of Volod's strength and limitations.

And so, the turning point of the entire fight arrived!

"Hundred Rend Strike!"

In an instant, Rain's arm-swinging speed doubled, and the attack speed of his Blade Finger Tiger increased dramatically.

Volod, on the receiving end of the attack, felt overwhelmed by the flurry of Rain's Blade Finger Tiger strikes.

This sudden increase in speed caught Volod off guard.

As a seasoned Third Rank Wizard Apprentice, if the enemy's attack speed wasn't so fast, he would have had the chance to cast a spell from a scroll. If the opponent's speed was slower, Volod could have calmly recited a spell.

Unfortunately, since Rain switched to the Blade Finger Tiger, Volod had not had a moment's respite.

He had been fully focused on blocking with his dagger, leaving no opportunity to employ any magical means against Rain.

The only instant-cast magical item he possessed, the Turbulent Impact Enchanted Crystal Necklace, had already been used to no avail. This rare magical item failed to secure Volod's victory.

As over a hundred high-speed strikes sliced through the air, the sound of tearing cloth filled the air.

"Shhhh!"

The ground beneath Volod's feet exploded, and the surrounding cliff walls shattered into dust. Volod retreated until he was embedded in the solid cliff wall, unable to move further.

After a few seconds, Volod's sturdy leather armor, made from unknown beast hide, was shredded by Rain's Kadarr Fist Technique, Secret Skill 'Hundred Rend Strike lv2'. It now hung in tatters, strips of leather clinging to his body.

Volod's body was covered in numerous deep and shallow wounds, each gushing with bright red blood.

Volod struggled, his face contorted in pain, as he tried to free himself from the rock wall, unwilling to concede defeat. However, the injuries to his limbs were too severe, preventing him from moving freely.

He began to softly chant the Water Healing Spell.

Rain's pupils constricted. Even now, Volod was planning to cast a spell to attack him?

Rain, feeling annoyed by Volod's stubbornness, decided to end the fight.

"Pfft!"

Volod clutched his neck, his eyes bulging, as Rain's punch struck his throat.

Volod covered his neck with both hands, his mouth agape.

Rain had initially planned to spare Volod's life, as the captain of the Black Sails Pirate Fleet, Volod might have valuable information to share under interrogation. However, given the dangerous nature Volod had displayed, Rain decided to end the fight.

Ryan felt that it would be better to turn his opponent into a corpse that couldn't cast spells.

As he watched Volod slowly slump to the ground, Ryan turned to Veronica, who had been standing by in shock. "Let's get out of here!" he said.

"Of course, Lord Ryan!" Veronica nodded immediately.

At this moment, her head was still buzzing.

Whatever Ryan said, she would only nod in agreement.

As for why they were in such a hurry to leave, Ryan was mainly considering that the commotion from his fight with Volod had been a bit too loud.

Secondly, the bloody scent on the opponent might attract unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, for safety's sake, it was better to leave first. After all, Ryan and Veronica had successfully completed their mission on this small island.

As for the spoils of war, Ryan planned to search Volod's body once they returned to the Fishing Harbor Town.

The Iron Beak Sea Eagles, who had been fighting the Great White Owl, were now hovering high above the cliff, far away from Ryan, and didn't dare to come down.

It seemed that they had sensed the extraordinary strength of the two humans who had just fought at the bottom of the cliff, and their animal instincts kept them from approaching.

Meanwhile, Big White was proudly chirping, and after Ryan killed Volod, it used its right claw to pick up Ryan's fallen great sword and its left claw to grab Ryan's mace.

Additionally, Big White's beak held Volod's white bone mace, which had also fallen nearby. It flapped its wings and glided a short distance to Veronica's side, seeking credit.

This made Veronica smile and pat Big White's head, saying, "You're quite smart."

Seeing that nothing was left behind, Ryan grabbed Volod's still-bleeding body and quickly headed towards the boat.

Veronica followed closely, carrying the four chicks and the purple egg.

When Ryan and Veronica reached the landing point, the two Special Task Force members who had been guarding the boat were stunned as they saw Ryan carrying a bleeding body.

After a two-second daze, they quickly ran over and took Volod's body.

"Lord Ryan, what...what happened here?" One of the Task Force members glanced at Ryan's damaged high-grade plate armor and asked in shock, knowing Ryan's strength.

The extent of the damage to Ryan's expensive armor indicated that the enemy's strength was extraordinary.

Before Ryan could respond, Veronica urged the two stunned Task Force members, "What are you two staring at? Hurry up and get the boat ready."

As soon as they got on the boat, they immediately steered it back towards the Fishing Harbor Town, considering the potential dangers ahead.

---

One hour ago.

Upon the arrival of the Leviathan Squad, Captain Baran quickly learned from Major Marika, the leader of the Task Force, that the Task Force's highest-ranked Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice, Veronica, and the current Governor of the Fishing Harbor Town, Ryan, had both gone to a distant island to capture the chicks of the Iron Beak Sea Eagles.

"This is sheer madness!" Captain Baran exclaimed, his face turning stern.

"With these two gone, the remaining defensive forces in the Fishing Harbor Town are practically non-existent. If Volod were to land here, no one would be able to hinder his actions."

"Well, Captain Baran, we did make rather thorough and meticulous preparations," Major Marika explained.

Meanwhile, the Lemann brothers were visibly displeased, feeling that the captain was not giving them the respect they deserved.

However, they chose not to argue with the captain, who emanated an aura of iron and blood.

Just the captain's formidable aura told them that he was undoubtedly a seasoned veteran of the Imperial Navy.

At that moment, a member of the Leviathan Squad entered with a solemn expression and said, "Captain, my albatross just reported that there's a high-intensity battle on the island where the Iron Beak Sea Eagles are located."

"Hmm?" Captain Baran looked at his squad member in surprise.

And Major Marika's face turned pale, and she immediately thought of a situation.

Could it be that Ryan and Veronica had actually encountered the 'Skull Crusher' Volod?

Oh my!

"Could such a low probability event actually happen?"

The Ramon brothers, on the other hand, exchanged a quick glance, their expressions calm.

The two of them weren't as anxious and worried as the Leviathan Squad and Marika; instead, they seemed to have a mysterious confidence in Ryan.

In fact, this was because for a period of time before, the two brothers were called by Ryan to spar several times, in a two-on-one situation, the fully armed brothers were beaten without a fight.

By the way, this was still when Ryan was unarmed.

So, they didn't think the situation on the island would be as bad as the others imagined.

"Let's go, set off immediately!" Captain Baran thought for a moment and decided.

"I'll go too." Major Marika said anxiously.

"No, you're a civilian, stay in Fishing Harbor Town."

Captain Baran vetoed.

"Major Marika, perhaps the situation isn't as unfavorable as you imagine." Kobert Lemann comforted.

"Hopefully, these two can hold out a little longer."

Captain Baran sighed, his tall figure immediately turned and walked out of the town administration hall.

A speedboat, like an arrow leaving the bowstring, rushed straight to the island where the Iron Beak Sea Eagle was located.

On board, the conversation continued.

"Captain Baran, we're going there now," the team member hesitated and said.

"Yeah, Captain, what if this guy Volod sets up a trap and turns to attack Fishing Harbor Town instead?"

Captain Baran frowned and remained silent for a while, then said, "No matter what, we have to go and check. According to the Ramon brothers' statement, their Governor Ryan isn't so easily defeated."

"If we don't come to the rescue, it might be worse."

"Cut it out! I don't know how these two guys can be so confident in their own governor?" A team member said disdainfully.

"Yeah, one is a newly appointed town governor, and the other is a pirate fleet commander who has been active at sea for over a decade. Not to mention, Volod has a wizardry skill. It's hard to say how long these two can hold out."

"Now it depends on whether Veronica can cooperate well with Baron Ryan. If she can, they might be able to stall for some time."

"Haha, how long can they stall? Even if we use wizardry acceleration, it'll take at least twenty minutes to reach the island, plus the time just wasted. Half an hour, do you think the two of them can last that long?"

At this moment, all the Leviathan Squad members on the speedboat fell silent.

Oh my!

Half an hour is really too long.

Even in a battle between two Great Knights of equal strength, it's rare for it to last more than fifteen minutes.

According to their estimate, even if Baron Ryan and Veronica can cooperate perfectly, the high probability is that they will still be defeated within a few minutes.

The only possible glimmer of hope is that Veronica, a Third Rank Wizard Apprentice, uses a wizardry scroll that happens to cause considerable trouble for Volod, and then the two of them escape separately.

In this case, perhaps if one of them is lucky enough, they might wait until the rescue arrives.

Half an hour later, following the guidance of the albatross, Captain Baran led the Leviathan Squad and arrived at the bottom of the cliff.

Originally, the Iron Beak Sea Eagles, seeing an unfamiliar albatross daring to invade their territory, were about to launch an attack. Suddenly, a team of humans with strong auras arrived nearby.

This made them hesitate immediately.

After all, the white giant owl was also human-affiliated, and this albatross was likely the same.

So, the Iron Beak Sea Eagles flew high and hovered over the cliff.

When Captain Baran and his group saw the scene before them, they couldn't help but show shock on their faces.

The ground was pitted with holes, as if a meteor shower had fallen, and the bottom of the cliff had deep and shallow scratches, seemingly caused by various blades, clearly visible!

Captain Baran was the first to snap out of it. He walked quickly and touched the hard cliff, a scratch that was dozens of centimeters deep, and he said slowly:

"This is a master-level sword technique. This sword requires at least twenty years of hard practice!"

Captain Baran seemed to think of a question, frowned, and turned to look at the young team member beside him, asking, "Didn't you say this Baron Ryan is a young man? How old is he?"

"This..." The young man immediately took out the stack of intelligence and finally stared at the age column, muttering, "Sixteen years old, how can he be only sixteen?"

"Sixteen years old." Captain Baran stroked his bearded chin and thought.

"It seems there's only one explanation. This Baron Ryan is a young man with strong sword talent."

"Otherwise, it's hard to explain such cutting faces and deep scratches." Baran stared at the cliff and the scratches that were extremely similar, then said.

People with sword talent, although rare, but looking at the entire Minster Province, or even the Empire, it's not so rare.

In fact, in another squad of the special department 'Tide Walkers,' Balon knew there was a member with extremely strong swordsmanship talent, who was probably on par with this young Baron Rain in terms of strength.

"Captain, I think you need to come and take a look at this." A member of the Fish Dragon Squad, with a peculiar expression, glanced at Balon and the young man holding the documents.

"Hmm?" Seeing the squad member's expression, Balon immediately felt something was amiss. Could it be that something new has happened?

Balon followed the squad member, walking along the rock wall for about twenty meters, where the scratches on the rock wall had changed significantly. What were once deep sword marks, now resembled claw marks with four distinct scratches.

"Is this... a beast?" Balon's pupils contracted.

He carefully examined the dense claw marks on the cliff wall, as well as the occasional four small deep holes at the finger bone positions.

"No! These aren't beast claw marks. It should be... Yes, these are the marks of a Blade Finger Tiger!" Balon pondered for a while before speaking in a low voice.

.

However, he soon showed a look of confusion again.

Clearly, these could not be the marks left by 'Skull Crusher' Volod, as Volod was skilled in using a single-handed heavy hammer, and his secondary weapon, if he remembered correctly, should be a short dagger.

Balon touched one of the obvious fist imprints and muttered, "This punch could only have this effect after over a decade of hard training."

"In other words, these marks must not have been left by Volod."

The people on the scene immediately exchanged glances!

"This... Captain, is there a possibility that the young Baron Rain is also a boxing genius?" One of the squad members, after much thought, timidly asked.

---

About an hour later, near the surface of the sea on the island where the Iron Beak Sea Eagle resided, a periscope-like object suddenly appeared.

After the lens panned around, two men in special leather coats emerged from the sea.

"Major, I think you don't need to meet him in person," the younger man beside him said.

"Volod's attitude towards us has always been ambiguous. Now that the Black Sails Pirate Fleet has been completely destroyed by the Dragoon Empire Navy, he's finally thinking of us."

"Hehe, truly a man who won't shed tears until he sees the coffin. Now, his value to our Federation has greatly diminished."

The middle-aged man smiled and nodded, seemingly in agreement with the young man's analysis, but then he changed his tone and said:

"Although the Black Sails Pirate Fleet has been annihilated, Volod's personal strength is quite impressive. He's a senior third-rank wizard apprentice and a senior knight, making him worth courting."

"That's true... This time, his ability to escape is also commendable," the young man pondered, nodding in agreement.

"Moreover, the most important point is that, according to reliable information, Volod knows the location of an ancient goblin ruins on a remote island."

"It's possible that in those ruins, there's a power device solution that our Eagle Federation has been unable to crack."

"So, this is also why I came in person," the middle-aged man revealed an important piece of information.

"I see!" The young man was clearly surprised by this news.

Soon, the two men followed the location displayed by the communication device to the vicinity of the bonfire where Volod had previously grilled fish.

"Eh? Where is he?"

"The device is here, it should be here, no mistake." The young man searched the Area But Found No Trace Of Volod, then immediately expanded the search range.

"Major, there are footprints here... They should be Volod's, in this direction."

Following Volod's footprints, the two men quickly arrived near the cliff wall.

When the two men saw the scene before them, as if a small-scale battle had taken place, they exchanged glances.

After investigating the scene, the young man pointed to a spot on the ground with scattered footprints and said:

"Sir, it should be the pursuit team from the Empire Navy who discovered Volod before us. Look at this set of footprints for proof."

The middle-aged man nodded, acknowledging the young man's judgment.

Encouraged by his superior's recognition, the young man continued his analysis:

"There are multiple marks of a greatsword on that cliff wall, indicating that there's a master-level sword expert among the Empire's search team."

"Over here, there are multiple weapon marks similar to claw marks, suggesting there's another expert close to master level."

"At the same time, there are dagger scratches on the cliff wall, but no hammer marks, which is peculiar."

The young man, while speaking, searched again and finally found a mark resembling a heavy hammer landing on the ground.

"Found it, right here, this is the imprint of his skull war hammer. Eh, these are the marks of a two-handed heavy hammer." The young man exclaimed joyfully.

"I understand, it was a three-on-one fight!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end