Chapter 255: Airship

Chapter 255: Airship



"Let's go!" As if sensing someone behind him, Bartista managed to say.

Upon hearing Bartista's words, Ren didn't say anything but took a step forward to block the path.

This immediately caught the attention of the Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz.

When the Sea Surge Stinger's serpent eyes turned towards Ren, he instantly felt like he was being stared down by a natural enemy, his hair standing on end!

Ren then understood why Bartista, a peak Great Knight who had even taken a potion, was still being beaten so badly.

Although Bartista's previous injuries had some impact, it was mostly due to the Sea Surge Stinger's exaggerated strength.

This...

The opponent should have surpassed the level of a Great Knight, right?

But...

I'm not the same person I was a few minutes ago!

With the High-Rank Technique 'Crushing Hammer' in hand, Ren felt that even if Bartista hadn't been injured, he would have been a match for the Sea Surge Stinger.

Since Bartista could hold him off for a while, Ren saw no reason to flee without even swinging his hammer once.

Ren weighed the Pig Head Mace in his hand and stared intently at the Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz, his fighting spirit burning brighter by the moment!

Compared to the peak Great Knight, he seemed to lack strength?

No!

To be precise, he wouldn't be lacking it for long!

Ren's body leaned slightly forward, his hands holding the mace at his right side, slanted downwards.

"Bang!"

As his toes tapped the ground, the blue stone slabs shattered, and a wave of energy surged forth! Ren shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, charging straight at Rudergatz.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

With each step, Ren silently added points to his strength attribute, and a warm current surged from his heart.

With each step, Ren's aura grew more formidable. The Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz's expression changed slightly, and his serpentine movement paused.

Rudergatz's left hand, adorned with a Spiked Conch Shell:

Rudergatz's left hand, adorned with a spiked conch shell, emitted a dull buzzing sound. Instantly, a large amount of water energy particles began to swirl and gather, immediately forming several snake-like streams of water around the white conch shell's surface.

Just as Ren took his fifth step, boosting his strength by five points in a short time, his body felt like a dormant volcano about to erupt!

About to ignite!

About to explode!

Ren felt an urgent need to roar!

He needed to swing this hammer with all his might!

"Ahhhh!"

With a roar, Ren leaped forward, stopping just in front of the Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz. In mid-air, Ren raised his mace high, his body taut like a drawn bowstring. He swung the mace with all his might, as if channeling his entire strength into this single strike!

In an instant, the dark Pig Head Mace traced a semi-circular arc, slamming down towards the Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz.

When Leimer, who had just returned to the scene, arrived, this was the sight that greeted him.

Leimer's pupils constricted instantly.

"Clang!"

Ren's dark Pig Head Mace seemed unable to withstand the high-frequency vibrations and collision, shattering with a crisp sound. But the enormous force of Ren's swing caused the sharp, angular fragments of the mace head to fly towards Rudergatz like cannonballs, propelled by their own inertia.

Ren, however, was immediately knocked back by the tremendous recoil, sliding over ten meters to Leimer's side.

"Ahh!"

The Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz suddenly let out a painful cry.

A fragment from the shattered mace head was lodged in his left eye.

The mace head had exploded so close, and the fragments were moving so fast that Rudergatz's water ball defense hadn't even formed yet when one of the sharp spikes pierced his eye.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

Suddenly, six or seven smoke grenades rolled onto the ground near Rudergatz.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The next second, they all exploded!

Dense, acrid smoke filled the passageway, engulfing the towering figure of the Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz.

"Let's go!"

Leimer cast a Light Body Spell on himself while helping up Captain Bartista, who was pale.

Hearing Leimer's words, Ren immediately turned and retreated at full speed.

After all, with his Pig Head Mace shattered, continuing to fight against such a powerful opponent would be foolish, not brave.

However, the shattering of his beloved Pig Head Mace left Ren feeling dejected.

Seeing Ren, the one who had blinded him, trying to escape, Rudergatz was determined not to let him get away.

He burst out of the smoke, charging towards the trio at a much faster speed than before.

Ren glanced back at the giant spiked conch shell still wrapped around the Sea Surge Stinger's left arm, its sharp spikes intact.

"My Pig Head Mace, forged from refined gold, was shattered, but his spiked conch shell remains unscathed."

"Is this the power of Sorcery-enhanced weapons?" Ren couldn't help but feel envious.

This strengthened his desire to master 'Metal Transformation' even more.

"If I can control metal transformation, then even if my weapon shatters, it should be able to quickly reassemble itself!"

"I might even be able to change the shape of the metal for direct attacks."

“

If I can coordinate with the mystic techniques I’ve mastered…”

"Human, you will pay for your actions!" The Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz’s voice roared like thunder, filled with fury.

Then, behind the three of them, there came a rustling sound of something crawling.

Judging from the sound, it was moving extremely fast, unlike Rudergatz’s leisurely pace earlier.

This made Leimer’s heart race with panic!

Ren glanced at the tunnels on either side, which were only about four meters in diameter, while Rudergatz was over three meters tall. So, as Ren ran, he swiftly swung his greatsword at the ceiling of the cavern above them!

"Zzzt! Zzzt!"

With the rapid slicing of the greatsword, large chunks of rock and dirt fell from the ceiling of the tunnel!

In no time, the tunnel was blocked in sections, most of which left only a gap of about one meter, and in one section, a large amount of dirt collapsed, almost completely blocking the way!

This directly prevented the massive Sea Surge Stinger Rudergatz from passing through.

Even if he wanted to pass, it would take a considerable amount of time to clear the rocks and dirt.

Hearing the increasingly angry roars from behind, Ren and his group of three managed to catch up with the others ahead without much trouble.

Seeing that Ren and his group had returned, everyone was pleasantly surprised!

Especially Alisa, who looked at Ren with bright, admiring eyes.

The rest of the journey was relatively simple.

In less than a minute, after dealing with a few patrols of Scalefin Humans, the group smoothly reached the cave entrance near the beach where Ren had entered earlier.

"So, they are connected." Leimer and the others were surprised, knowing they had entered from the altar on a distant island. They hadn’t expected that the two islands, separated by several kilometers, would have interconnected tunnels underground.

As soon as they saw the azure sky, Leimer quickly fired a blue signal rocket into the air.

After a moment’s thought, Ren also fired the red signal rocket given to him by Viscount Fabian into the sky.

The first to notice the signal rockets were Veronica and the shielded crossbowmen who had been observing the cavern’s surroundings.

"Look, that’s Baron Ren’s red signal rocket! He’s out!" A soldier with a single-tube brass telescope pointed excitedly.

The soldiers immediately cheered!

Veronica immediately looked up and, indeed, saw one red and one blue signal rocket in the sky.

This filled her with immense joy.

The situation was quickly reported up the chain of command.

At that moment, Viscount Fabian, who was flying on his noble griffin, saw the signal rocket he had given Ren. He was both shocked and delighted!

He hadn’t expected the young man to actually carve a bloody path out of the cavern.

After all, Fabian had thought the task Ren was undertaking was almost impossible. Just returning safely would be enough to prove his courage and strength!

The noble griffin under Viscount Fabian let out a high-piercing cry!

From various points along the empire’s coastal defenses, griffin knights began to rise into the air, quickly forming a squad of twelve griffin knights, who flew swiftly toward Ren’s location.

Moreover, the empire’s coastal defenses started to unleash the power of their bronze cannons.

"Boom! Boom!Boom!"

The sudden barrage of cannonballs threw the Sea Trib into disarray.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the griffin knights escorted Ren, Bartista, and the others back to the empire’s camp on the beach.

Immediately, they were greeted by the empire’s soldiers as if they were heroes!

The beagle dog Curious suddenly darted out, barking twice at his owner and wagging his tail joyfully.

The twin-tailed girl Veronica, who had intended to give Ren a big hug, paused as she noticed the young girl walking beside Ren.

Women are very sensitive to being stared at, especially since Alisa was a Level 2 apprentice wizard.

She quickly noticed someone was staring at her.

The other girl was also a beautiful twin-tailed girl, young and vibrant like herself.

She couldn’t help but feel that this girl had a special relationship with Sir Ren.

This was soon confirmed in the conversation between Veronica and Ren.

The severely injured Bartista was immediately taken away for treatment. Though his injuries were grave, his life was saved.

The other rescued personnel, though not seriously injured, still needed some medical checks.

Before leaving, the members of the Imperial Army's 'Earthshaker' squad all approached Ren to express their gratitude.

"Sir Ren, we are deeply grateful for your assistance this time! Without you, we would have never returned. The 'Earthshaker' Jagged Bear Squad thanks you sincerely."

A Great Knight from the 'Earthshaker' Jagged Bear Squad led the way, bowing to Ren.

"Members of the Jagged Bear Squad, I only did what I should have done," Ren bowed slightly, smiling.

Once the conversation started, two other members of the 'Earthshaker' Swift Dragon Squad also stepped forward to express their thanks, and one of them said, "Sir Ren, we heard you are still new in the Swordmaster Branch. Have you considered joining our 'Earthshaker' squad?"

"While our overall strength might not match the Swordmaster branch, the benefits are almost the same.

"Furthermore, since our Swift Dragon Squad captain has unfortunately fallen, if you come over, we can support you as the captain of our veteran Swift Dragon Squad."

At this moment, Leimer couldn't bear to listen any longer.

Damn it! Ren was someone he had his eyes on, and now they were poaching him right in front of him.

Back in Misty, after dealing with the Blackflame Church incident, he had already told Ren to come and join Boulder Squad.

Leimer quickly interrupted the invitation from the Swift Dragon Squad to Ren, saying, "The esteemed lords of Earthshaker, we just rescued you from the enemy's grasp, and now you're already trying to poach our Swordsmen?"

"That's too much, isn't it?"

The members of Earthshaker couldn't help but blush slightly at Leimer's words.

At this moment, a female Great Knight from the Bear Fang Squad, with her slender waist and bouncy, voluptuous hips, approached Ren, slowly extending her hand and placing it on Ren's sturdy chest, saying, "Lord Ren, thank you for your rescue! If you have any needs, feel free to come to me. I am Alexandrina Bulwark, an official member of the Earthshaker Bear Fang Squad."

As Alexandrina spoke, she licked her lips with her flexible, tender tongue, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ren, almost as if she could pull out a thread. Especially when she emphasized the word 'any,' the other party intentionally prolonged the sound.

The few male Great Knights from Earthshaker beside her couldn't help but show expressions of envy.

It was no secret that Alexandrina was one of the three roses of Earthshaker, and although they were in the same squad, Alexandrina didn't seem to hold them in high regard.

Hearing Alexandrina's words, Leimer was momentarily at a loss for words.

Veronica, standing beside him, was both angry and anxious, cursing in her heart, 'Shameless! Slut! Lord Ren would never like someone like you!'

Alisa's heart echoed with three words, 'So seductive!'

Suddenly, the two women seemed to be in sync, glancing at each other with a mutual understanding in their eyes, as if to say, 'Compared to this Alexandrina, the other one is more likable.'

Upon hearing Alexandrina's words, Ren felt a bit embarrassed. He, of course, understood her implied meaning.

Some things couldn't be said in public, and one's image had to be maintained, especially with Veronica and Alisa, the two young ladies, watching nearby.

"Ahem, thank you, fair lady. As members of the Empire's special departments, I believe we will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future."

The surrounding Imperial soldiers listened with great interest as they witnessed members of the Empire's special departments, Earthshaker and Swordsmen, expressing gratitude and making offers to the young Baron Ren, who had not only rescued the ponytailed girl but also saved the Empire's elite combat forces.

The Imperial soldiers looked at Ren with even more admiration.

At this moment, Duke Fabian had already dismounted from his griffin.

However, he didn't approach them but stood nearby with a smile.

Earlier, when he led the Griffin Squad to provide cover, he noticed the severely injured Swordsmen captain, Bartista, and observed the subtle reverence the crowd had for Ren. This had sparked some speculations in his mind.

Now, after eavesdropping for a while, the answer naturally became clear.

He hadn't expected Ren to rescue not only Alisa but also the elite squads of the Empire's special departments.

After the members of Earthshaker and Swordsmen bid farewell to Ren, Duke Fabian approached with a casual demeanor.

After some pleasantries, Duke Fabian spoke, "By the way, Baron Ren, if you're interested in aerial combat, you might consider joining the Royal Griffin Guard."

"The Royal Griffin Guard?"

"Haha, Baron Ren, perhaps you're not aware, but our full name is the 'Dragoon Empire Royal Griffin Guard Minster Squadron.'"

Ren understood.

After some thoughtful consideration, Ren politely declined, "Thank you for your recognition, Viscount. Although I yearn to ride griffins and soar through the skies, I've only recently joined the Swordsmen and still have much to learn."

Duke Fabian nodded, not pressing further.

Some things were best left implied.

He held Ren in high regard, admiring his strength at such a young age.

Additionally, he found Ren's personality to be more mature than expected for his age.

He recalled his own youth, when he had some strength but had become immersed in the lavish banquets organized by his beautiful wives and lively young noble ladies, spending his nights in revelry. Otherwise, his strength would have been far greater by now.

"Miss Alisa!" At this moment, a young man dressed as a cavalryman hurried over with a delighted expression. "Is this Lord Ren?" Lorenzo saluted.

Ren nodded, "Hello!"

"Huh? Lorenzo? Did Father send you?" Alisa seemed to recognize him, as this Lorenzo was a cavalryman from Javier's family.

"Yes, Miss. I was instructed to wait here for news. When I saw the crowd cheering, I rushed over immediately. Thankfully, you've returned safely."

Alisa's eyes welled up as she thought of Slav and Mansfield, two familiar family knights who had sacrificed themselves to protect her.

"That was the mission of the two knights!"

"Miss Alisa, please wait. The military department has arranged for a return flight to Minster. You and Lord Ren can board the airship," Lorenzo informed her.

"An airship?" Ren raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, Lord Ren. Look, it's approaching from the northwest," Lorenzo pointed out.

Hmm?

Ren followed the direction Lorenzo indicated.

In the distance, an elliptical gray dot was moving towards them.

Ren squinted, his exceptional vision allowing him to immediately identify the object as an airship similar to the zeppelins of his previous life. It had an oval-shaped gasbag above and a large, ship-like gondola below.

The airship slowly approached, propelled by several straight propellers at its stern.

On either side of the airship, two agile brown dots maneuvered up and down—Griffin Knights escorting the vessel.

"Lord Ren, what do you think?" Alisa didn't immediately agree to Lorenzo's suggestion to return to Minster by airship but instead turned to Ren for his opinion.

"Oh, Lord Ren, I forgot to inform you. Your family and Baroness Crowley have already been escorted to Minster by an elite cavalry squad."

"At their speed, they'll arrive in Minster by midday the day after tomorrow," Lorenzo added, tapping his head.

"They've been escorted away already?" Ren nodded, slightly surprised.

This new information gave him a better understanding of Javier's efficiency.

The speed of the noble carriage was much faster than the merchant convoy Ren had previously escorted due to its superior horses and lighter carriage.

Given this, he saw no need to return to the county town.

His warhammer was damaged, and he wouldn't be able to exert his full strength if he encountered enemies. It was better to return to Minster and get a new warhammer. Ren thought to himself.

"Yes, Lord Ren. Currently, the people in Misty County are in a state of panic. Governor Hubert has been seriously injured in the battle against the Black Flame Heretics," Lorenzo explained.

"So, Captain Danuwen decided to escort your family back to Minster as soon as possible," he added.

Hmm?

Governor Hubert was injured?

Apparently, even the county town of Misty wasn't safe. Thankfully, Ren had arranged for his family's timely evacuation.

As Ren listened to Lorenzo's account, the airship drew closer, soon casting a massive shadow over half of the camp.

The airship was even larger than Ren had expected, with a three-level gondola. The lower level was for important cargo or horses, the middle level was the passenger cabin, and the upper level had a few rooms reserved for officers and above.

Javier had arranged separate rooms for Ren and Alisa in the upper deck.

Veronica couldn't leave due to her ongoing mission.

After bidding her farewell, Ren boarded the airship with Alisa.

Blackie was assigned a spot in the lower deck, while Curious followed Ren to the upper deck. Bloodfeather, of course, needed no arrangement and flew alongside the airship.

Upon boarding, Ren didn't immediately return to his room. Instead, he gazed down at the long coastline from the deck. Alisa, feeling a bit weary, retired to her cabin to rest.

At that moment, the imperial and Sea Trib lines were clearly demarcated along the coast, as distinct as the blue sea and the yellow land. Sporadic clashes between the empire and the Sea Trib continued.

However, as Ren observed this scene, he was perplexed.

What were the empire's elite forces doing? How could the mighty Dragon Empire, which had stood for over two thousand years and even had powerful individuals like the Sea Surge Stinger among the Blood Curse Naga, lack elite forces?

Ren couldn't believe it.

Clearly, there was a secret at play here.

This stirred a sense of urgency within Ren, a concern for the unknown.

If the situation continued to unfold as it was...

Ren lingered on the airship's deck for a while before returning to his cabin.

He half-lay on the soft bed, with Curious standing guard nearby, allowing Ren to finally relax.

At that moment, he touched his chest, where he kept a report from Leimer on behalf of the Boulder Squad. It detailed how Ren had rescued the Boulder Squad and also freed the Earthshaker's elite forces.

Originally, this had been the Boulder Squad's mission.

According to Bartista, this mission was, at most, assisted by Ren.

By regulation, Ren was entitled to half of the Boulder Squad's mission rewards.

In simpler terms, perhaps, after submitting the report, Ren, who had rescued Alisa and coincidentally freed the empire's elite forces, would meet the minimum requirement of a single Golden Medal for the loan.

Consequently, he could secure the Mist Potion, Level 1 Fire Magic for Defense, and Metal Transformation Technique.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end