Chapter 249: An Unimaginable Task (Part 1)

Chapter 249: An Unimaginable Task (Part 1)



Rain ended his observation and rode down the hill on his swift zebra, 'Little Black', heading towards the temporary camp of the Imperial Army ahead. Even before reaching the camp, he heard wails coming from the tents.

After passing through the checkpoint, Rain entered one of the tents.

He found that most of the space was occupied by severely injured Imperial soldiers from the recent battle.

At the same time, Rain also spotted a few survivors from the ruins of Fishport Town, but their numbers were extremely low.

Rain's heart sank as he asked a nearby soldier, "Are there only a dozen survivors from Fishport Town?"

"Yes, sir," the soldier replied gravely, nodding in agreement.

When they arrived, they found that the sea creatures were truly despicable, almost completely destroying the entire town. Some marine creatures were even feasting on human corpses, a scene too gruesome to witness.

As if remembering something, the soldier added, "Oh, and by the way, sir, the Sheriff of Fishport Town managed to survive by a stroke of luck."

"Hmm? The Sheriff of Fishport Town? Take me to see him," Rain's eyes lit up.

He had assumed that there would only be a handful of survivors, and the Lehman brothers would have undoubtedly fallen victim to the Blood Curse Naga's poison.

But to his surprise, the younger brother, Kurt, had managed to survive.

This was a silver lining in the midst of the bad news.

However, due to the severity of his injuries, Kurt's bed was located in a more secluded area of the camp.

As Rain entered the tent, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure lying on one of the beds. It was Kurt Lehman, the younger of the Lehman brothers.

Kurt's eyes were closed, his brows furrowed, and his face contorted in pain, as if reliving a memory.

Rain examined him closely and noticed that Kurt's right arm was severed at the elbow, and his chest and abdomen were wrapped in thick bandages. There were three dark red bloodstains on the bandages, but fortunately, they had missed his heart.

It was a miracle that he had survived such injuries.

"Kurt," Rain called out.

Hearing this familiar voice, Kurt's eyes widened in disbelief, and he turned his head to look over with a look of astonishment.

The next moment, his eyes welled up, and he cried out in a hoarse voice, "Rain, sir!"

"Rain, sir! My brother is dead! Fishport Town is gone!"

Seeing a familiar face to confide in, Kurt's tears and snot flowed freely as he poured out his emotions.

Rain walked over and firmly grasped Kurt's remaining left hand, comforting him, "Kurt, take your time to recover."

For a while, Kurt sobbed uncontrollably, intermittently recounting the events of the previous night's sudden attack to Rain.

Rain learned that when Fishport Town was attacked the night before, they were caught completely off guard. The Night Watch guards were unable to raise an alarm before being struck down.

Even with the Lehman brothers fighting together, they could barely withstand the assault for a minute.

Kurt's brother, Cuthbert, perished on the spot, while Kurt himself fell into a coma due to his injuries.

Fortunately, he had passed out, leading the Blood Curse Nagas to mistakenly believe he was dead, allowing him to narrowly escape with his life.

The fate of the Lehman brothers, one dead and one severely injured, was something Rain had not anticipated.

Rain had assumed that even if the Lehman brothers were outmatched, they could still lead a group of elite Night Watch guards in a fighting retreat.

But now, it seemed that the vast disparity in strength had made such an idea an impossible luxury.

"Rain, sir, what brings you here this time?" Kurt asked, his emotions momentarily settling.

"The coast?" Kurt's eyes widened in surprise.

Rain nodded in confirmation.

"Sir, please be cautious. If you're heading to the coast, you'll undoubtedly encounter the Blood Curse Nagas, and their strength is truly formidable."

"Kurt, can you describe your experience fighting them?"

Kurt nodded, his eyes reflecting a hint of fear as he recalled the encounter. He paused for a moment before speaking, "Strength! Their strength is truly overwhelming!"

"With a single strike of their trident, my brother's steel shield was pierced!"

"I was knocked away by their second attack, and then with two consecutive stabs, my brother was killed instantly, and I was severely injured and knocked unconscious!"

"Throughout the entire battle, their display of strength was terrifying!"

Rain nodded, indicating his understanding.

The ancient races were indeed formidable.

When the power gap was this significant, no amount of skill or battle techniques could make much difference.

As the saying goes in his past life, 'might makes right'!

"Their height exceeded two and a half meters, and their physique was robust. I believe even a Great Knight would be no match for them in terms of strength."

"If you encounter them, please exercise extreme caution. Try to engage in hit-and-run tactics, and never fight two Blood Curse Nagas simultaneously." Kurt advised after some thought.

"Thank you, I'll be careful," Rain assured him.

The Lehman brothers, even against a Great Knight, would typically hold their own in a prolonged battle.

But now, in just three or four moves, one brother was dead, and the other severely injured.

This indicated that the ancient records describing the Blood Curse Nagas were not exaggerated but rather conservative in their assessment.

Their strength was overwhelming to humans.

As for tactics against them, as Kurt mentioned, even a Great Knight would typically need to employ hit-and-run or group assault strategies to stand a chance.

However, Rain's eyes gleamed with anticipation, a rush of excitement stirring within him.

Because he, too, excelled in strength.

"By the way, do they use water-based wizardry?" Rain asked, a sudden thought crossing his mind before departing.

"No, not that I've seen."

"Well, perhaps they didn't bother using it against us due to our weakness. Still, Rain, sir, please remain vigilant," Kurt said, his spirits dampened.

The fact that he and his brother had failed to assess the enemy's strength despite their losses was indeed a disappointing outcome.

"Take your time to recover, Kurt.

After leaving the camp, Ryan quickly arrived at the front line.

Looking at the battlefield ahead, he saw a dense crowd of various strange-looking fish people, lobstermen, and marine creatures covering the beach.

Although the enemy had a large number, their combat organization was far less efficient than the Imperial Army, so they couldn't inflict heavy casualties on the Imperial troops.

The Imperial Army, though smaller in number, was relatively elite.

Therefore, the overall battle situation was in a relatively intense stalemate.

From time to time along the long defensive line, fierce battles would erupt, only to subside after a while.

Ryan saw from a distance a Blood Curse Naga, significantly taller than the surrounding fish people, causing heavy casualties to the Imperial Army whenever it appeared.

At this point, a matching force had to step up; otherwise, it often required the death of many soldiers to defeat the enemy.

On the front line of the battlefield, the captain of the Heavy Shield Crossbowmen was a senior veteran.

Although he didn't know what task the young Imperial Baron had that required him to go to that island in front, he felt the need to give a reminder.

"Baron Ryan, you may not know. Although the fish people's strength is average, look at these Gray Fin Merfolk, Black Gill Merfolk, and Blue Gill Abyss Merfolk. When a dozen, dozens, or even hundreds of them surround you, even a human Great Knight will eventually tire out."

"The island you want to go to is behind the enemy's dense defense line."

"And did you see those huge creatures behind the fish people? Those are male Blood Curse Nagas and their ferocious Sea Beasts."

"The Sea Beasts' strength alone is no less than a Great Knight's, and as for the ancient race of Blood Curse Nagas, Baron Ryan, you may not have encountered their ferocity yet."

Ryan didn't argue.

He just listened quietly.

Because he knew that this Heavy Shield Crossbowman, whom he met for the first time, was speaking the truth.

At least for a Great Knight, breaking through the Sea Clan's defense line and reaching the island and cave was almost impossible.

Even with the support of these Heavy Shield Crossbowmen.

"On the front line, whenever we encounter a Blood Curse Naga, we launch signal flares for the Imperial Great Knights and Wizards to deal with them."

"As for the dense fish people or marine creatures attacking, we mainly rely on the Bronze Cannons in the rear and the special poison gas provided by the Royal Alchemist Association, which is specifically effective against the Sea Clan."

"But these methods are mostly effective against fish people and lobstermen."

"For the Blood Curse Nagas, their poison resistance is very high, and the poison gas has little effect. As for the cannons, it's even less likely to hit them directly."

While listening, Ryan focused his observation.

Although Ryan wasn't afraid, knowing the enemy was crucial to victory.

Along the long coastline, every hundred meters or so, there was a Blood Curse Naga, each accompanied by a giant sea snake, mutated hermit crab, or large octopus, giving them an appearance similar to Beastmasters.

With their formidable melee abilities, the combination of beast and man made them very difficult to deal with.

At this moment, a high-pitched griffin cry echoed in the sky.

A griffin knight in light golden armor descended quickly from the sky, and he also noticed Ryan in the field.

"Oh, we met before. Are you the new Swordholder, Ryan?" The visitor was none other than Filck, the deputy captain of the Griffin Squadron whom Ryan had met before.

Ryan didn't expect to encounter him here.

"Hello, Viscount Filck." Ryan nodded slightly.

"Are you on a special mission?"

"Yes, I'm going there." Ryan pointed to the southeast.

Filck's handsome face changed slightly, and he said in surprise, "Hmm? Perhaps you don't know, Baron Ryan, I just did an aerial reconnaissance."

"That place is where the Sea Clan's defense is most concentrated. On the island not far away, there's a huge cave that appeared at some point, heavily guarded by the Sea Clan."

Ryan nodded, indicating that he knew.

He had previously scouted from the air through the 'Beast Eye' from Bloodfeather's perspective.

"Baron Ryan, I know your strength is good."

"But look at the dense Sea Clan numbers and the interspersed Blood Curse Nagas. This ancient race, even I find them troublesome."

"Even if you manage to reach near the cave, how much stamina will you have left to continue your investigation inside?"

"Moreover, the situation inside the cave is unclear. The Sea Clan has many fish people specialized in net-throwing at the cave entrance. I just tried, and there was no chance to check."

"So, I don't recommend you go now. Going now is no different from seeking death." Viscount Filck said.

Ryan didn't speak.

Filck was right.

But the problem was that this was a rescue mission, and if it dragged on for too long, the target, Alasha, might die, rendering the mission meaningless.

Additionally, he was different from a typical Great Knight.

His confidence came from his remaining 13 attribute points.

With these points, he could restore his stamina to its peak thirteen times.

No matter how many enemies there were, they would all become his source of experience points.

As for injuries?

Even if the enemy could injure him, a holder of the Intermediate Steel Body, he could rely on his new legendary profession, Beast Priest, and his core skill, Beast Vitality, to recover.

In general, for a task that others deemed impossible, Ryan felt he could give it a shot.

"Ryan!"

At this moment, a crisp and familiar female voice rang out.

Veronica?

Ryan was startled and immediately turned around.

Veronica, dressed in a pale blue robe, was waving her small hands excitedly not far behind him.

"Veronica, why are you here?"

"Just like you, not long after you left Minster, I received an urgent assignment from the Swordsman Division for a Level 3 Arcane Apprentice specializing in bird reconnaissance."

"So, I came!" Veronica's golden twin-tailed hair bounced, and her face was filled with joy.

Clearly, she was delighted to run into Ryan here.

Ryan smiled as well.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Veronica also learned about Ryan's mission destination this time.

"Ryan, maybe I can give it a try."

Veronica began to chant a spell, seemingly using all her strength to control the seagulls.

A flock of several dozen seagulls gathered above Veronica's head, and soon, under her command, they flew towards the nearby island.

Just as the seagulls were about to circle and descend near the cave, suddenly, over a dozen Blue Gill Merfolk emerged, throwing their fishing nets.

The seagulls were immediately captured, with only four or five of them managing to rush into the cave.

This couldn't help but make Veronica feel heartbroken.

Fortunately, there were still four or five that made it inside.

But before half a minute had passed, Veronica covered her head with her hands, her pretty face contorted in pain.

"Ryan, all my seagulls are dead. Inside is a deep cave, and my seagulls flew in for about a hundred meters, but I still can't see the end." She said, sounding a bit tired.

"Ryan, I know you're very strong, but maybe you shouldn't take this risk." Veronica looked at Ryan with a worried expression.

Ryan walked over and ruffled Veronica's hair.

"Don't worry, if it's really impossible, I won't force it."

Veronica's watery eyes stared at Ryan seriously, and after watching him for a while, she lowered her head and took out a scroll from her waist pouch, saying, "This is an Invisibility Scroll, it can provide about a minute of invisibility. It was left to me by my mentor."

"I'm safer here, Ryan, please take it with you."

Ryan was startled and began to ponder.

If used when rushing to the cave entrance, it could help him avoid being surrounded by multiple Blood Curse Nagas on the sea tribe's defense line.

After all, the goal of his mission was to enter the cave as discreetly as possible.

So, Ryan didn't refuse and took the scroll, saying, "Thank you, Veronica."

At this moment, seeing that Ryan was determined to go, even his 'girlfriend' couldn't persuade him otherwise, and Viscount Filck shook his head, saying, "Baron Ryan, since you insist, I can only hope that the goddess of luck is on your side."

"If you manage to come out safely, fire this signal flare, and I'll hold off some of the enemies in mid-air."

"Of course, if you're unfortunately sacrificed, please forgive me. I'm sorry, I can't send people to find your body. So, Baron Ryan, I hope you'll consider this carefully before taking action."

"Thank you." Ryan took the signal flare, an arrow-shaped flare, from Viscount Filck.

Obviously, Viscount Filck didn't think Ryan's mission would succeed.

After giving the signal flare, Viscount Filck quickly rose into the air on his griffin and left to attend to other matters.

Ryan left Cookie and Little Black here.

In the sky, the Bloodfeather Wyvern was guiding his direction, and that was enough.

Amidst the worried and astonished gazes, Ryan stepped over the spiked wooden stakes and headed towards the sea.

Ahead, dozens of deep blue gill merfolk, much taller than the gray fin merfolk, were roaming in the shallow sea, with the seawater only reaching their knees. Some held steel fishing spears, while others carried transparent bottles filled with a pungent blue-green smoke.

There were also a few blue gill merfolk carrying throwing spears and holding sturdy fishing nets.

Upon seeing a human knight in pale silver armor walking out from the dense human formation, they immediately focused their attention on Ryan.

Ryan slowly drew his faintly glowing greatsword.

With a tap of his toes, the beach beneath him exploded with a ring of air, sending sand and gravel flying!

A piercing whoosh sounded! Ryan's figure flashed, rushing towards the blue gill merfolk ahead.

The blue gill merfolk who witnessed this immediately became furious, shouting and yelling, throwing their fishing nets and bottles towards Ryan.

But Ryan was too fast, like an arrow released from a bowstring.

These nets hadn't even come close to him yet, and he had already tossed them behind him, not to mention the bottles.

So, many blue gill merfolk, in a panic, threw the bottles right at their companions' feet.

Instantly, Ryan, like a turning arrow, dodged and weaved through the smoke, he rushed through the group of blue gill merfolk.

After a few seconds, the smoke dissipated, and Ryan, with his greatsword in both hands, stood at the edge of the island, sword tip pointing down, shaking off the blue blood that had stained his faintly glowing greatsword.

A series of heavy thuds sounded behind him.

A group of Imperial elite Heavy Shield Crossbowmen, armed with bows and crossbows, watched in shock.

Just now, they were about to provide Ryan with bow and crossbow support, but Ryan's speed was too fast, and they were afraid of hitting their allies. So, at this moment, they were still holding their weapons, aiming.

But what they didn't expect was that in just a few blinks, these dozens of blue gill merfolk were now all lying on the ground, each with a different fatal wound—some beheaded, some cut in half at the waist, and some with their heads split open.

(End)

Action:

As he sensed the sudden disappearance of the life force from a considerable number of fish-like creatures, the male Blood Curse Naga, who was standing guard at the entrance of the cave, was immediately alerted. He quickly rose from his slumber, his attention drawn to the commotion.

Standing at over 2.6 meters tall, the male Blood Curse Naga was enraged upon seeing Ryan surrounded by a group of Blue-Gilled Merfolk. With a loud roar, he twisted his thick snake-like body, accompanied by a large, ferocious-looking hermit crab, charged towards Ryan.

The hermit crab, with a sea snail shell on its back, moved at an astonishing speed, its long eyestalks suddenly standing erect, glaring menacingly at Ryan. Simultaneously, it rushed forward while vigorously waving its massive claws, making a distinct "click-clack" sound as it snapped them twice, appearing incredibly fierce.

This sight caused Veronica and the others to tense up once more.

Many shouted in unison, "Be careful, Ryan!"

The Heavy Shield Crossbowmen, following their captain's orders, aimed at the ferocious hermit crab. Although they had anticipated the crab's path and speed, the creature's sheer ferocity made it invulnerable to their arrows. Its nearly 7-8 cm thick shell easily withstood the barrage of arrows.

The crab, unfazed by the arrow shower, slightly shielded its eyestalks with one of its massive claws and continued its charge towards Ryan without slowing down.

The male Blood Curse Naga, with a cunning expression, moved in sync with the hermit crab, staying about 5-6 meters behind it as they both rushed towards Ryan.

In the male Blood Curse Naga's mind, he envisioned the human Great Knight before him struggling to defend against the ferocious hermit crab's double-claw attack. Confident in his plan, he prepared to leap and unleash a series of crushing trident strikes.

However, something unexpected happened.

The hermit crab suddenly grew in size, causing the male Blood Curse Naga to pause in surprise. After a moment of realization, he understood that the crab had been knocked back by Ryan's attack.

In the previous half-second, Ryan had switched from his greatsword to the pig-headed hammer on his back, engaging the hermit crab's massive claws in a clash of brute force.

Ryan, employing the Intermediate High Technique 'Shockwave,' struck the crab's claws with his hammer, shattering them instantly. The force of the blow sent the nearly one-ton crab flying backward.

Ryan, using the crab's body as cover, tapped his foot, leaving an afterimage as he rushed towards the male Blood Curse Naga.

The tall male Blood Curse Naga, facing the charging hermit crab, couldn't afford to hold back. With a mighty swing of his trident, he attempted to deflect the incoming crab.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he saw a dark hammer with a pointed tip protruding from his waist, creating a bloody hole.

His once-proud shell armor and resilient body seemed like thin paper against the dark iron hammer.

The male Blood Curse Naga's heart raced as he realized the extent of the hammer's destructive power. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forcefully swung his trident towards Ryan.

However, weakened by his waist injury, his strike lacked the force he intended. Ryan effortlessly parried the trident attack with his hammer.

This unexpected strength from Ryan surprised the male Blood Curse Naga once more. In his mind, even in his injured state, he shouldn't be able to deflect my attack so easily," he thought.

The next second, Ryan unleashed another Intermediate High Technique, 'Shockwave'.

This time, the attack directly hit the male Blood Curse Naga's forehead, who was unable to dodge in time.

The force of the shockwave was so strong that the male Blood Curse Naga's head exploded, spraying white, red, and viscous matter in a radiating fan-shaped pattern.

The 2.6-meter-tall Blood Curse Naga staggered for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted less than ten seconds.

A Blood Curse Naga, stronger than a human Senior Knight, had fallen to Ryan.

The Heavy Shield Crossbowmen on the coast were left stunned, exchanging glances with one another. Veronica, excited, covered her mouth with her hand. She had always known Ryan was powerful, but she never imagined he would be this formidable.

It seemed that Ryan's strength had improved during their time in Meister.

However, Veronica's excitement was short-lived as the battle on the small island had attracted the attention of the surrounding sea creatures.

A large group of fish-like creatures, lobstermen, and four or five male Blood Curse Nagas rushed towards Ryan from all directions.

The cave entrance was right in front of Ryan.

As he faced the oncoming sea creatures, Ryan pulled out the invisibility scroll that Veronica had given him from his pocket and tore it open. In an instant, he disappeared from his original spot.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end