Chapter 234: Departure

Chapter 234: Departure



A large seagull landed on the windowsill, its size noticeably larger than an ordinary seagull.

Rain immediately realized that it was Veronica's seagull, the double-tailed maiden, and it was significantly bigger than a regular seagull.

Looking at the seagull, Rain was a little surprised. This was the first time Veronica had contacted him since she left.

Rain opened the window and let the seagull perch on his forearm.

As a Level 3 Apprentice Wizard, Rain already had ample mental strength, and after learning some specialized techniques from Veronica during their previous missions together, he locked eyes with the seagull and instantly received a message.

Rain's expression turned to one of surprise.

He never expected to receive such news.

Veronica informed him that she would arrive in Myester County in two days and would accompany him to the Imperial Swordsmen Examination. Her message was filled with the excitement of a young girl.

"Isn't Veronica a member of the Navy's 'Tide Surger' Squad?"

"No, that's not right."

Rain suddenly realized something.

"Veronica's identity..."

"Her mentor, Master Enius, is an advisor to the Southern Sea Fleet, that's certain. But the double-tailed maiden herself isn't part of the Navy's 'Tide Surger' Squad."

"However, with her connection to her mentor, shouldn't it be more convenient for her to serve in the Imperial Navy, or even join the 'Tide Surger' if she wanted to join a special division?" Rain wondered aloud.

Then, another question came to Rain's mind.

If Veronica could participate in the Imperial Swordsmen Examination, did that mean the Imperial Enfeoffment Examination wasn't the only way to obtain an invitation to the Swordsmen selection?

"I received an invitation to the Swordsmen examination after being highly evaluated in the Imperial Enfeoffment Examination."

"It seems that the Southern Sea Fleet of the Empire, or perhaps a Wizard Academy with a good relationship with the Empire, should also have the qualification to recommend personnel."

"What?! Then, doesn't that mean the competition will be fierce?" Rain guessed.

Originally, he thought that only those who had received excellent evaluations in the last two batches of the Imperial Enfeoffment Examination would be invited, which would limit the number of participants and reduce the intensity of the competition.

Now it seemed that his previous thoughts had been too simple.

No wonder Trevor had said that he failed the Swordsmen selection but later received an invitation from the Imperial Navy and joined the 'Tide Surger'.

However...

"The real challenge is the preparation for the examination."

But when Rain thought of the lively double-tailed maiden, he couldn't help but smile.

Calming his mind, Rain went to the training room on the first floor and continued studying the Blood Fury Archery.

He flipped to the first page of the system panel—the attribute page.

Name: Rain Kalar

Occupation: Legendary Weapon Master (Legendary) lv6 (13/3000) / Apprentice Wizard (Extraordinary) lv6 (792/3000) / Beastmaster (Extraordinary) lv5 (376/2000) / Deathmaster (Extraordinary) lv6 (69/3000) / Armorer lv6 (0/3000)



Remaining Attribute Points: 13

Remaining Skill Points: 0

The attribute points had reached 30, but after changing to Deathmaster, they decreased by 2, bringing the total back to 28.

Fortunately, at this moment, Rain had 13 remaining attribute points.

The mental attribute, however, reached a new high. With 1 point added from the Alchemist and 2 points from the Deathmaster, the current total was 36, far surpassing the other attributes.

"Alright!"

"A Great Knight skilled in dual-wielding war hammers and greatswords, yet having the highest attribute in spirit—no one would believe it if they heard it!" Rain couldn't help but shake his head in self-mockery.

Flipping to the Legendary Weapon Master page.

Previously, he had used a talent point to upgrade the 'Basic Steel Body' to 'Intermediate Steel Body', greatly enhancing his defensive capabilities.

Now, with the upgrade of the Hammer Technique 'Shockwave' to an Intermediate Technique, his close-range attack power had also significantly improved.

With the overall combat power clearly elevated, Rain, as a formal Great Knight, had the support of two intermediate talents, ensuring a comprehensive advantage.

After some thought, Rain decided to further enhance his long-range attack power, specifically the Blood Fury Archery.

He had just seriously recalled his encounters with Apprentice Wizards or Wizards.

For example, when facing Adamus, an old wizard, if he had been able to hinder the opponent's incantations and spellcasting.

Additionally, when facing the Eagle Federation's Cursed Wizard, if not for Captain Baron's distraction, the opponent's focus would have been solely on Rain, making him an easy target.

With the investment of 2 skill points, Rain's level 9 Blood Fury Archery instantly rose to level 10.

A flood of training memories rushed into Rain's mind, swiftly integrating into his muscle and kinetic memory.

The system notification chimed in:

【Congratulations, your Blood Fury Archery skill has leveled up to level 10.】

【Congratulations, you have unlocked the exclusive secret technique of Blood Fury Archery: Rapid Volley at level 3!】

【Congratulations, you have unlocked the exclusive secret technique of Blood Fury Archery: Blood Fury Strike at level 3!】

【Congratulations, your Blood Fury Archery skill has leveled up to level 11.】

Both secret techniques of Blood Fury Archery, 'Blood Fury Strike' and 'Rapid Volley', have now reached level 3.

With this, the skill points obtained from Deathmaster's five-level advancement have been exhausted.

Since Rayne's Bear King Breath Technique had already reached level 14, when his Blood Fury Archery reached level 11, he vaguely felt that his control over archery had further improved.

Additionally, Rayne, having previously broken through the Tokkalar Hammer Technique's Intermediate Technique: Shockwave, knew with a moment's thought that he would likely only need to invest one or at most two skill points in Blood Fury Archery to master its related techniques.

This couldn't help but make him a little excited.

"If I also master the Great Technique in ranged attacks, then from the perspective of a Great Knight, even by the standards of a Hexagon Warrior, which evaluates strength, speed, technique, offense, defense, and combat experience, I would have at least completed five sides!"

"The missing side is probably just experience."

"Now, my offensive capabilities, both in close combat and ranged attacks, have improved, and my defense..."

"Wait, I seem to have forgotten something." A flash of lightning crossed Rayne's mind, and he immediately thought of a problem.

To improve his defense, aside from relying on the talent 'Advanced Steel Body', there was also the Knight's Plate Armor and shield!

Of course!

It was the shield.

Rayne immediately returned to his study and found the sheepskin scroll that Matteo had obtained from the Zalar Rebel Army's Brigadier General Parricks—Locke's One-Handed Axe Combat Manual.

Although the name suggested a manual for one-handed axe combat, it was actually an extraordinary combat technique for axe and shield, with a large portion dedicated to the use of the one-handed axe and a smaller portion to shield defense techniques.

"If I were truly in a passive position of being beaten, learning this extraordinary axe and shield combat technique would effectively improve my defense."

"Additionally, there's the move 'Locke's Flash Cut!' Overall, this extraordinary axe and shield combat technique is excellent for both offense and defense."

"I might as well learn it slowly, perhaps it'll come in handy someday."

So, Rayne returned to the indoor training ground and practiced the moves depicted in the Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills scroll, following the illustrated humanoid figures.

After a while, the system notification sounded:

【You have trained in Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills, and your understanding has improved!】

【You have learned a new skill - Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills】

【Your skill Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills has improved, experience gained +1】

Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills lv1 (1/100) appeared on the Legendary Weapon Master's profession panel, with the icon depicting a tall, muscular man holding a shield in his left hand and a one-handed axe in his right, standing firmly with a wide stance.

Just as Rayne was about to practice further and improve it to level 2, a knock sounded at the door of the training room.

"Knock, knock! A Knight named Has Klein, from Rosby County, has arrived. He says he's a friend of yours."

Huh?

As soon as he was mentioned, he appeared!

Rayne's face lit up, and he said, "Please invite him to the reception room, I'll be there shortly!"

"Also, serve two cups of Golden Thorn Tea and a plate of snacks."

"Yes, sir!" The male servant respectfully retreated.

A few minutes later.

In the reception room.

Has was visibly excited to see Rayne and gave him a big hug, "Rayne! It's been a while!"

Rayne patted Has' shoulder and smiled, "Has, welcome to Myester."

"Huh? Have you grown taller, Rayne?" Has finally showed surprise, stretching out his hand to measure Rayne's height, expressing his amazement.

"You must have grown taller."

Rayne's heart stirred, realizing that it had been a while since he last checked his height.

Indeed, when they participated in the noble investiture examination in Rosby City, Rayne was only around 1.9 meters tall, while Has was half a head taller.

But now, their heights were almost the same, and Rayne even seemed slightly taller.

This... his height must have increased.

No wonder Jennifer mentioned feeling overwhelmed.

Rayne suddenly understood!

If Jennifer, the beautiful lady, were to hear Rayne's thoughts, she would surely have some silent criticism.

Unless she was a female knight, any woman would feel overwhelmed by a man who was two meters tall, had extraordinary strength, and occasionally liked to take the road less traveled.

"By the way, Rayne, you mentioned needing my help for a matter that would take one or two months of my time?"

"No problem, I've already taken two months of leave from my superiors." Has patted Rayne's shoulder.

Rayne liked Has' straightforward personality, even though he sometimes spoke bluntly, as a friend, Rayne didn't have to worry about being stabbed in the back.

"Aside from inviting you to appreciate the beauty of Myester County, in a few days, I'll be heading to Maestria to participate in the Imperial Swordmaster Examination. Therefore, I'd like to entrust the security of my manor to you."

"Of course, besides you, two Templar Knights from the Goddess Church will also be stationed here. Normally, the pressure won't be too great."

Ren did not choose to hide anything from the carefree Has but instead directly explained the situation to him. After all, many nobles in the county already knew that he was going to participate in the Imperial Swordmaster Examination.

Although Has knew he was not Ren's match, when two old friends met, they naturally had to spar a bit, aside from exchanging pleasantries. Seeking advice from a skilled fighter was also a way to quickly enhance one's own strength. Has still harbored a bit of resentment that Ren had been unwilling to spar with him during the noble evaluation examination.

With a smile, Ren nodded at Has's request for a sparring match, not refusing him.

Has excelled in using a sword and shield. Ren thought for a moment and decided not to use his most proficient two-handed war hammer or greatsword, nor his war bow, but instead, to use an axe and shield.

The reason was simple.

Given Ren's current Great Knight level, combined with his mastery of the Tokkar Hammer Technique, Giant Bear Swordsmanship, and Blood Fury Archery, the experience points the system would grant for fighting Has would most likely be very minimal. However, if he used the level 1 Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills, the experience points reward would be relatively higher. Additionally, this would leave some face for Has, preventing him from losing too quickly.

First-floor training room.

"Ren, when did you switch to using a shield?" Has's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Ren not using the greatsword or two-handed war hammer he remembered, but instead picking up a shield.

After all, for someone their age, it was already quite difficult to cultivate a single Extraordinary combat skill to the point of successfully executing secret techniques.

Yes, secret techniques!

Not great techniques, because great techniques involved the use of primal force, which was the domain of Great Knights, not ordinary knights.

"I happened to obtain an Extraordinary combat skill for axe and shield, so I decided to practice it," Ren shrugged, explaining 'kindly'.

Has was taken aback and said, "Ren, you don't think you can win me with this newly learned axe and shield combat skill, do you?"

"Bang bang!" Has patted his sword and shield heavily, continuing, "I've been practicing the family's sword and shield combat skill for nearly ten years."

"You'd better not lose to me by accident."

Ren couldn't help but smile and replied, "Alright, I'll do my best."

It wasn't Has's fault for not understanding the situation. After all, he couldn't have imagined that Ren had already advanced to the Great Knight level.

Moreover, Ren had even mastered great techniques. If Ren were to use his two-handed war hammer, he could only use about 20% of his strength; any more might directly kill Has.

As expected, things went as Ren had predicted.

After three consecutive matches, Has's face was flushed, and sweat poured down his face. He looked at Ren with a puzzled expression.

From Ren's somewhat unskilled movements, it seemed that Ren had not lied and had indeed just started practicing this axe and shield combat skill. But why did he keep losing?

On the other hand, Ren was quite pleased as he glanced at the 'Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills' on his status panel.

Thanks to Has, Ren's 'Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills' had been upgraded to level 2 (116/300).

To be honest, even with the Legendary Weapon Master's exclusive talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' which increased his experience point acquisition speed by 30%, this efficiency still surprised Ren.

After a moment of thought, Ren found something interesting.

It seemed that because his Tokkar Hammer Technique and Giant Bear Swordsmanship had reached a very high level, after he had held the axe and shield and sparred, his insights almost flowed endlessly.

Even after the match ended, he still gained a lot of insights.

Ren was not yet clear on the exact reason, but from his current understanding, it seemed that reaching a very high level of mastery in a certain close-combat weapon, like a two-handed war hammer or a greatsword, made it easier for toFor him, learning other close-combat Extraordinary combat skills felt almost like a natural extension.

This realization greatly delighted Ren!

Originally, he thought that after becoming a Legendary Weapon Master, he could be able to to to'tt be long time to master multiple Extraordinary combat skills, but the skill points required would be very large.

Now, it looked like it might not be the case. The higher the level of mastery in one combat skill, the easier it would be to learn the subsequent ones.

This made Ren even more excited!

He had thought that after transitioning to a Legendary Weapon Master, although he could grasp multiple Extraordinary combat skills much faster than ordinary people, the skill point cost would still be a concern. However, with the current insight, he realized that as he mastered more and more Extraordinary combat skills, his learning speed would only increase.

In other words, even without spending skill points, upgrading from level 6 to level 7 or from level 7 to level 8 wouldn't take too long.

This made Ren realize that the exclusive talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' and the Legendary WeaponMaster were a perfect match!

Ren glanced at 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' and couldn't help but to feel a bit envious. It wasn't that he regretted spending talent points on 'Advanced Steel Body'.

'Advanced Steel Body' was related to life and death in battles, so it naturally had a higher priority.

However, Ren now wished he could turn this talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' from basic to advanced!

If he could do this, perhaps perhapsWithin half a year, he might master the great techniques of four or five Extraordinary combat skills.

Instead of the initial expectation of at least two to three years and a large amount of skill points.

However...

To upgrade a basic talent to an intermediate talent, or even to an advanced talent, using talent points was the only known method.

Talent Points!

Obtaining them was incredibly challenging. Rayne couldn't help but shake his head slightly as he thought about the immense impact that the slightest Divinity had on the Black Flame High Priest.

If it weren't for the Imperial Swordsman, that Shielded Man, who severely injured the Black Flame High Priest during his promotion with the Sovereign Staff, Rayne wouldn't have stood a chance against him.

Under those circumstances, surviving was already a remarkable feat.

Even now, with Rayne's strength significantly improved, he didn't believe he could defeat the promoted Black Flame High Priest. After all, the latter's aura had already surpassed that of a peak Great Knight, reaching an even higher level.

In other words, if Rayne wanted to obtain Talent Points again, he first needed to have opportunities to encounter Malevolent Divine Power, like during this evil cult eradication.

Although not every cult eradication would result in encountering Malevolent Divine Power, there was still a chance.

Secondly, he required special items like the Sovereign Staff to offset the uncertainty brought by Malevolent Divine Power.

After all, Rayne wasn't clear about the specifics of Malevolent Divine Power. He wasn't sure if encountering it would guarantee obtaining it, so this was uncertain.

But satisfying these two conditions wasn't easy.

After a moment's thought, Rayne realized that he might only be able to meet these conditions after joining the Swordsmen.

Moreover, it would be best if he were at the captain level, as the Shielded Man from last time seemed to have the authority to use items like the Sovereign Staff, which the young staff-wielding man didn't possess.

This realization made Rayne's heart warm, and he looked forward even more to the upcoming trip to Maestria.

Another day passed.

With Veronica's arrival, Rayne's manor became livelier.

Mother Emma frequently scrutinized Veronica during the welcome banquet, muttering to herself. When no one was paying attention, she pulled Rayne aside and said:

"Anna left, and that barbarian girl left too. Now, this new girl is also very pretty! Rayne, you must seize the opportunity and not let her get away."

Rayne didn't know how to respond to Mother Emma's words.

"Mother, rest assured, Anna and the others will all come back!"

"They'll all come back? You should focus on this...Veronica, Miss. This trip to the capital city is a good opportunity." Mother Emma looked at Rayne with an expression that said, 'I don't believe you,' and clearly didn't believe him.

Rayne was silent.

The beautiful widow, Evelyn Norman, maintained a smile without showing any emotion. However, her beautiful eyes occasionally scanned Rayne and the twin-tailed maiden.

That evening, the beautiful widow showed Rayne what it meant to be passionate.

Fortunately, Rayne was now a Great Knight positions that couldn't be filled by volunteers. If he were still a formal knight, he would have run away with sore knees and waist.

Due to time constraints, the day after Veronica's arrival, everyone had to set off.

The weather was pleasant that morning, although it was still a bit cold for the season. Still, the early spring sunshine felt warm on their bodies.

This time, besides Rayne and Veronica going to Maestria for the Swordsmen examination, Jenny and her best friend, Agatha Wiggins, the young lady from the Wiggins family, were also traveling together.

The Wiggins family had also invested in the beautiful widow Evelyn Norman's newly established Iron Hammer and Rose Merchant Guild. Upon hearing that Jenny would be going to the provincial capital of Maestria to open a market, they immediately agreed and sent Agatha along.

As the saying goes, 'Three women make a play.' Although in Rayne's heart, Veronica and these two ladies were different.

But soon, his perception was overturned.

Even before their departure, the three ladies quickly became acquainted at the manor's entrance, chattering away and occasionally glancing at Rayne with giggles.

This time, Rayne's journey to Maestria felt more romantic, almost like a noble outing rather than an examination.

On the beautiful widow Evelyn Norman's side, she arranged for a merchant caravan to accompany them, taking advantage of Rayne, the strongest fighter of the merchant guild, being present. Thus, at this moment, Rayne's manor entrance was bustling.

Not only were there carriages from the Crowley, Wiggins, and other noble families they intended to befriend, but also a merchant caravan consisting of ten large wagons waiting.

When Rayne led out his pet, the war dog named 'Cookie,' everyone was stunned by its large size, similar to a small pony, and its war dog armor.

"Wow, what a big dog!" Has stared at Cookie in amazement.

Veronica, the twin-tailed maiden, knew about Rayne's Bloodfeather Horned Dog, but she had never seen a war dog before. Instantly, her beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed:

"Oh my! Sir Rayne, could this be a mutated war dog?"

Veronica, as an apprentice wizard specializing in bird transformation, could tell at a glance that Cookie was a war dog.

"Miss Veronica, your insight is remarkable." Rayne smiled.

This time, on their way to Maestria, Rayne planned to bring all three of his pets, and one of Matteo's responsibilities was to take care of these three pets.

Speaking of this, Rayne had recently comforted his sister, Mint, as she had deep feelings for the war dog, Cookie.

At that moment, Matteo ran over and said, "Baron, the High Priest Rudolph from the Goddess Church has come to see you off."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end