Chapter 231: It Wasn't Me

Chapter 231: It Wasn't Me



In the underground hall, Alonso, a newly transformed winged man, was flapping his wings and rapidly approaching.

Rain reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll brimming with wind energy, the very same scroll he had obtained from Adamus—the Scroll of Summoning Hurricane.

As Rain unfurled the scroll, a powerful hurricane materialized, sweeping towards Alonso.

Alonso, having just been influenced by the evil divine power and transformed into a winged being, was still adjusting to his newfound wings. While he could accelerate in a straight line at incredible speed, he needed more time to master the agility required for aerial maneuvers.

In an instant, under the force of the intense hurricane, Alonso was sent tumbling through the air, his entire body buffeted by the powerful winds.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Alonso managed to stabilize his body, a silver arc of sword light flashed past him. Although he was still in midair, his wings had already begun to stall.

A single cut slashed diagonally from his left neck, piercing through his chest and abdomen, all the way to his right side. With a "Zzz!" sound, like a high-pressure water jet, a ring of foul-smelling blood sprayed from the massive wound on Alonso's body.

"Plop! Plop!"

Immediately after, two heavy thuds sounded as the bisected body fell to the ground, its various fluids and organs scattering everywhere. The two halves of the corpse seemed to be struggling, as if unwilling to accept their fate, but their efforts only resulted in violent convulsions of some severed limbs.

However, as life slipped away, the evil divine power seemed to dissipate as well. Alonso's pitch-black eyes began to change once more, revealing the whites of his eyes.

Simultaneously, a sense of clarity returned to his gaze.

Alonso managed to glance at Rain with an expression filled with regret, resentment, and anger. The next moment, he mumbled something, his lips trembling, before taking his last breath.

Rain, after a quick glance at Alonso's lifeless body, immediately shifted his attention to the Black Flame High Priest, whose aura was undergoing intense changes. Rain could clearly sense the other's aura intensifying like a volcanic eruption.

At the same time, the High Priest's bloated body, originally over two meters tall, began to rapidly expand—two and a half meters, three meters, three and a half meters. In an instant, the strength of this aura surpassed that of everyone Rain had ever encountered, including Baron Campbell, the peak Great Knight, and even Baron Habsburg. It seemed as if the High Priest had suddenly ascended to a higher level.

---

Outside the black mist shield.

The Shielded Man waved his hand at Archdeacon Rudolf and said, "Don't waste your scroll. Leave it to me!"

The Shielded Man removed the shield from his back, revealing a hidden mechanism. Inside was a platinum scepter, approximately one and a half meters long.

Holding the platinum scepter, the man muttered something under his breath and then hurled it towards the black mist shield.

Instantly, the platinum scepter burst forth with dazzling white light, and a majestic aura enveloped the area, completely dispelling the faint trace of evil divine will.

Archdeacon Rudolf was shocked as he witnessed the platinum scepter, like a white lightning bolt, piercing through the black mist shield. "Could that be the Sovereign Scepter?" he murmured.

"Of course not," the man holding the short staff beside him explained. "Compared to the true Sovereign Scepter, its power is less than one percent. But it's more than enough to deal with this projection of evil divine will."

"Smack!" The platinum scepter effortlessly broke through the black mist shield's defenses, as if a hammer smashing an egg.

The crowd watched as the platinum scepter, like a meteor streaking across the sky, shot towards a spot deep underground with incredible speed.

At that moment, Rain took out a leaf he had been keeping in his pocket, a gift from his aunt, the elven lady, Anna. This special scroll, when held in one's hand, exuded a powerful life force.

Rain placed it in a convenient spot.

Suddenly, the lynx battlehound, Cookie, ran up to Rain. After a moment's thought, Rain picked up his war bow and drew out one of the two remaining steel arrows.

It was clear that the current state of the Black Flame High Priest was best tested with an attempt to interrupt his ascension.

Engaging in close combat with a greatsword was too dangerous, but a long-range attack was a viable option.

Rain had been deliberating on how to allocate his skill points after upgrading his Alchemist skill. Should he enhance his Giant Bear Swordsmanship or Blood Fury Archery?

Giant Bear Swordsmanship was the first extraordinary combat technique he had learned, and he felt a strong attachment to it.

However, since mastering the Tokkar Hammer Technique at the Great Technique level, Rain realized that investing skill points in similar close-combat extraordinary techniques would yield diminishing returns in terms of combat versatility.

On the other hand, upgrading Blood Fury Archery, a long-range attack method, would not only address his weakness in ranged combat but also provide the safest option to disrupt the Black Flame High Priest's ascension under the current circumstances.

The current battle situation guided Rain's decision.

Without hesitation, Rain allocated all his remaining skill points to Blood Fury Archery.

As he did so, a flood of memories related to the practice of Blood Fury Archery rushed into Rain's mind, giving him the sensation of having trained in this technique for decades in some mysterious space.

When Rain gripped his massive war bow once more, he felt a completely different sensation.

Especially now, his mind had gained additional insights into the exclusive secret technique of Blood Fury Archery—'Blood Fury Strike.'

Action: The air was thick with tension as Rain's face turned solemn, his entire body emanating a dense crimson aura. The veins on his skin were visibly engorged, creating a terrifying sight.

His bowstring was stretched to its limit, and the steel arrow in his hand displayed intricate and bizarre crimson patterns, even more intense and vivid than when Phil Klaz had cast his spell.

With a sharp "swoosh," the blood-colored steel arrow shot through the air at an incredible speed, aiming directly at the head of the corpulent high priest.

Almost simultaneously, something else, faster than his arrow, struck the black flame high priest who was in the midst of his promotion.

Rain only saw a flash of platinum light, like a meteor falling from the sky, crashing into the high priest's position.

In an instant, a loud, agonizing roar reverberated throughout the area.

This roar seemed to come from a towering presence behind the high priest rather than the high priest himself. At the same time, a profound and majestic aura overwhelmed the terrifying atmosphere that had filled the underground hall.

This majestic aura gave the impression of an all-powerful emperor. Rain finally realized that the light was a platinum staff, which had struck the high priest's chest, creating a bucket-sized hole.

The high priest's promotion process was interrupted, and the black flame defense that had surrounded him suddenly vanished.

Just then, Rain's arrow, imbued with the power of 'Blood Fury Strike,' pierced through the black flame defense and hit the high priest's head, which had been swelling like a watermelon.

"Crack!"

The sound of a bursting watermelon echoed as the high priest's head exploded, spraying blood, flesh, fluids, and shattered bones in all directions.

At that moment, a flood of system notifications appeared:

[Your skill Tokkar Hammer Technique has improved. Experience gained: +2392]



[Your skill Blood Fury Archery has improved. Experience gained: +2106]



[Your skill Giant Bear Swordsmanship has improved. Experience gained: +899]



[Your skill Sharpening Spell has improved. Experience gained: +78]



(Note: The above skill experience has been enhanced by 30% due to the exclusive talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight.')



[Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy and gained 1 Golden Skill Point!]



[You have engaged in combat. Experience gained: Weapon Master (Legendary) +1997, Wizard Apprentice (Extraordinary) +138, Beastmaster (Extraordinary) +109.]



[Congratulations! Your Weapon Master (Legendary) profession level has increased!]



The Weapon Master (Legendary) profession level has increased by one, reaching level 6 (13/3000), granting Rain an additional attribute point and skill point.

Rain now has 8 remaining attribute points and 1 remaining skill point.

Relieved, Rain realized he had successfully killed the black flame high priest.

Fortunately, the black flame high priest's promotion process had not been fully completed before being interrupted by the platinum hammer.

Rain considered himself lucky, but he couldn't help but wonder about the origin of the platinum staff.

He scanned the area but found no clues.

"What is this?" Rain's keen senses detected a peculiar energy lingering around the corpse of the deceased high priest.

This energy felt familiar, reminiscent of the great presence the black flame disciples had prayed to, but now, the malevolent undertone had diminished, replaced by a sense of vastness and greatness.

Before Rain could approach, another system notification sounded:

[Ding! Unknown high-quality absorbable energy detected. Absorb? (Note: This high-quality energy can be directly converted into talent points.)]



"Huh?" Rain was surprised to learn that the energy could be converted into talent points.

He had often wondered how to improve his talents, such as 'Basic Steel Body,' which seemed to indicate further advancement.

But he had never figured out how to enhance his talents, as skill points and golden skill points were used for improving skills, not talents.

Now, he had an answer. Although Rain wasn't sure if this was the only way to gain talent points, he was thrilled to have found a method.

Without hesitation, he chose 'Yes.'

Instantly, the peculiar energy surrounding the high priest's corpse surged towards Rain, flowing into his body and permeating his being.

Rain felt no discomfort; instead, he experienced a sense of comfort and elevation beyond words.

An observer would have noticed a faint golden glow and an indescribable aura of authority emanating from Rain.

The absorption process ended, and the underground hall returned to its previous state, damp, bloody, and pungent.

Action: 【Ding! One Talent Point converted, please select the talent 'Basic Weapon Mastery (Passive)', 'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)', or 'Basic Steel Body (Passive)' for enhancement.】

(Note: The talent 'Intermediate Gigastrength (Active)' requires two Talent Points to upgrade, but currently there are insufficient Talent Points, and it cannot be upgraded.)



Upon seeing the system notification, Rain quickly understood that the first three talents with the 'Basic' prefix were of a lower tier, while 'Intermediate Gigastrength (Active)' was a higher-tier talent.

Since he couldn't upgrade 'Intermediate Gigastrength (Active)', what should he choose from the remaining three talents?

Rain fell into deep thought.

'Basic Extraordinary Insight (Passive)' was the first to be excluded by Rain because this talent was not an immediate combat talent.

This talent enhances the understanding of Extraordinary Combat Techniques.

However, in reality, the enhancement of Extraordinary Combat Techniques in the later stages was mainly achieved by Rain through directly upgrading them with Skill Points.

Generally speaking, after reaching Skill Level 7, even with 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' shortening the upgrade time by nearly a third, it still required a relatively long period.

As for 'Basic Weapon Mastery (Passive)' and 'Basic Steel Body (Passive)', these two talents could be categorized as immediate combat talents.

Each had its own distinct characteristics, one leaning towards offense and the other towards defense.

After a moment of thought, Rain decided to choose 'Basic Steel Body (Passive)' for now!

"After experiencing this incident, if it weren't for that 'Hammer from the Heavens,' facing a Black Flame High Priest who had surpassed the peak of Great Knights and entered the next level, the subsequent battles would have been extremely challenging for me."

"With stronger defensive capabilities, my margin for error would naturally be higher."

After making up his mind, Rain silently recited the talent 'Basic Steel Body (Passive)' to allocate his Talent Point.

Instantly, a surging heat flowed and circulated on the surface of his body, and Rain extended his hands. Looking down, he saw that the skin on his palms and the back of his hands was glowing with a silvery-gray metallic aura.

The aura seemed to flow and circulate like mercury on his body, flickering on and off.

After a few seconds, the aura subsided, and Rain's skin returned to its original color.

At this moment, a system notification appeared:

【Congratulations, your talent 'Basic Steel Body (Passive)' has been upgraded to 'Advanced Steel Body (Passive)'!】

Seeing the newly generated talent on his attribute panel, Rain couldn't help but smile.

Just as Rain was about to check it further, suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the hole above! Rain turned to look and saw a group of people descending from above, including Archdeacon Rudolf and a small team of elite Templar Knights.

However, Rain found it strange that Rudolf and the others took a step back, while two unfamiliar, steady-footed men walked at the forefront of the group.

These men held their weapons with extreme caution, moving forward slowly. After seeing the scene in the underground hall, they were stunned!

The spacious underground hall had turned into a slaughterhouse.

Limbs and severed arms were scattered everywhere, and the stench of blood and the putrid smell of corpses filled the air!

Especially in the center of the hall, a pile of corpses stacked like a small mountain and a fat High Priest's corpse towering several meters high were particularly eye-catching!

Of course, compared to this, what was even more striking was Rain, wearing a banquet dress and holding a war bow, standing in the midst of it all.

Instinctively, everyone aimed their weapons at Rain, until Archdeacon Rudolf seemed to recognize Rain and asked tentatively, "Rain?"

Rain smiled and nodded, saying, "Archdeacon Rudolf, thank you for the rescue!"

Upon hearing Rain's words, Rudolf immediately breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Rain, you're safe, thank goodness!"

The two unfamiliar men also looked at the young man before them with surprise.

They hadn't expected that in such a situation, this young man had survived.

A Great Knight?

At this age, it was quite an impressive strength, but to survive under the projection of a Demigod, it was still a close call.

The young man holding a short staff stopped Rudolf, who was about to step forward, and said, "I need to perform a Spirit Divination."

"You're concerned..." Rudolf immediately thought of something.

So, he became solemn and turned to look at Rain, saying, "Rain, be cautious, these two gentlemen are from the Imperial Swordsmen Organization, and they need to perform a Spirit Divination on you."

"The Spirit Divination causes no harm; it's merely to judge the changes in your spiritual brilliance."

After hearing this, Rain immediately understood.

Were they worried that he might be controlled or possessed by the great existence worshipped by the Black Flame Cult?

"Of course!" Rain replied without hesitation.

Additionally, upon hearing that these two men belonged to the Imperial Swordsmen Organization, Rain couldn't help but take a closer look at them.

These two men, one was a shielded, robust man, and the other was relatively slender, holding a short staff. The one who wanted to perform the Spirit Divination on Rain was the latter.

Hearing Rain's agreement, the group relaxed significantly.

As the man with the short staff softly chanted the incantation.

Soon, a thin, snake-like energy beam appeared out of thin air in front of his staff.

As he gently waved his staff, the energy beam rapidly rushed towards Rain. When it reached a few dozen centimeters in front of Rain, it stopped approaching and started to swirl and coil around him.

At this moment, Rain could sense a special kind of mysterious side energy particle interacting with him.

After a few seconds, the flickering white light of the serpent dissipated, revealing a scene of shimmering particles falling, creating a beautiful sight.

"No problem! It's a human!" The youth with the staff nodded confidently.

The young man before them was indeed lucky.

Finally, the group could fully relax.

Rudolph quickly stepped forward, patted Li En's shoulder, and engaged in a brief conversation.

"I thought..."

The man with the shield on his back and the youth with the staff also approached.

However, they nodded at Li En and then immediately walked forward as if they had a task to complete.

The youth with the staff swiftly moved to the location where the Black Flame Church's original sacrificial wizard array was placed. He inserted three staffs with metallic patterns into the ground, forming a triangle, and began chanting and casting spells.

Soon, the three half-meter-long engraved staffs began to glow with intense wizardry light, and the engravings on the staffs lit up as well.

Half a minute passed, and the youth stared at the empty triangular formation of engraved staffs, looking perplexed. "Captain, something's wrong! When we were up there, we clearly felt that trace of malevolent divine power."

"But when I just cast the energy-absorbing wizard array, I didn't absorb anything! That shouldn't be possible."

"Hmm? Is that so?"

The youth with the shield, who had come to retrieve the platinum staff from the high priest, overheard his companion's words and also looked perplexed. He pointed to the nearby corpulent corpse of the Black Flame high priest and asked, "Is it possible that the corpse absorbed it?"

"Is that so? That's possible," the youth with the staff replied after some thought, nodding.

After all, such a massive human-shaped corpse was clearly abnormal.

So, the youth with the staff busied himself again.

He placed the three metallic engraved staffs in a triangular formation around the corpulent corpse of the Black Flame high priest and began chanting and casting spells once more.

The three metallic engraved staffs lit up!

Half a minute passed, and they were still empty!

The youth with the shield and the youth with the staff exchanged glances, both looking perplexed.

Especially for the youth with the shield, this was already his third time performing such a task, so how could there be nothing?

After half a day of contemplation, the youth with the shield, who was still chatting with Rudolph, asked Li En, "Sir, did you see anything strange just now?"

"Strange things?" Li En asked in return, knowing full well that the two youths had been busy at the scene.

Li En was aware that these two official swordsmen were likely attempting to collect the high-quality energy that had dispersed earlier, but the issue was that the system had already absorbed that energy.

Since the system had absorbed it, there was no way he could return it.

Therefore, Li En could only, and had to, deny it!

"It was a spiritual substance emanating a vast aura," the youth with the staff replied, furrowing his brows as he contemplated how to express himself, as the task was confidential and he couldn't reveal too much.

Li En shook his head, saying, "I felt that oppressive aura, but as for the spiritual substance, I'm not sure."

At this moment, the youth with the shield, who had retrieved the platinum staff, approached Li En with the staff in hand and spoke in a low voice, "The energy on the sovereign staff has significantly decreased, indicating that malevolent divine power was indeed present here."

"Did you absorb that trace of purified malevolent divine power, young sir?" the youth with the shield asked, his eyes fixed on Li En.

Li En shook his head without hesitation, replying, "Absolutely not."

"Can you swear to that?" the youth with the shield pressed, his eyes intense.

"If I had absorbed that trace of purified malevolent divine power, may I..."

At this moment, Li En silently thought to himself that although the benefits of this power had ultimately fallen into his hands, it was indeed not absorbed by him, but by the system.

The youth with the shield subtly glanced at the youth with the staff, who looked at the skull-like wizardry tool in his hand and shook his head slightly.

No lies were detected.

The truth skull did not react.

Where had that trace of malevolent divine power gone?

Damn it, the sovereign staff required a large amount of merit points to be recharged with power, and this task was not only incomplete but also required additional merit points. This made the youth with the shield feel extremely agitated.

At this moment, some of the nobles and guards from the manor above heard or noticed the commotion and entered through the hole.

Leading them was the Elliott Baron Manor steward who had initially blocked Rudolph, along with Michelle and others.

Michelle was particularly sharp-eyed and immediately noticed Alonso, who had been split in two, upon entering. After all, Li En's sword had slashed diagonally from Alonso's left neck, and his head remained intact.

Although it looked somewhat ferocious, those who knew him could still recognize it as Alonso's head.

"Baron!"

Upon seeing this, Michelle's entire body trembled, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

The steward who had led the group was Alonso's butler.

"Baron Alonso, he's dead."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end