Chapter 269: Self-determination

Chapter 269: Self-determination



"Malevolent Energy Shackling!"

Suddenly, a dense black mist erupted from Galina's fingertips, rushing towards Rain with intense force. This was Galina's secret dark magic, a last resort for self-preservation.

Rain spurred his horse forward, and the hardened fine gold covering his knight gauntlet instantly transformed into a shield, blocking the incoming attack.

However, the next moment, Rain's shield felt as if it had struck against genuine mist.

The black mist was indeed in the form of mist, without any explosive power, but upon contact with the shield, Rain felt as if his entire being had been frozen in amber.

Even with his Gifted Force Amplification, he could barely move any faster than a snail.

Galina, who had turned back to check on Rain, saw him ensnared and finally breathed a sigh of relief. After some thought, she decided it wasn't safe enough. After all, 'Malevolent Energy Shackling' only lasted for about ten seconds, and she wanted to ensure their escape. She planned to cast a group-wide slowing spell on Rain and his horse.

But before she could finish her incantation, Galina's eyes, accentuated by her smoky makeup, widened in shock.

She saw a flash of pale blue light on Rain, and the effect of her 'Malevolent Energy Shackling' was instantly dispelled.

With the hindrance gone, Rain's movement speed surged.

This sudden change in pace caught Galina off guard, and she instinctively raised her arm to block the incoming attack.

'Bang!'

The black membrane covering Galina's body was struck, creating a basin-sized dent, just a few centimeters away from hitting her forehead with the hammerhead of the Skull War Hammer.

But in an instant—

Rain switched from hammer to fist.

This time, the Advanced Technique 'Hammer of Annihilation' consumed most of the black membrane's energy, and it could no longer withstand Rain's Blade Tiger strike.

"Pew!"

Rain's Blade Tiger pierced through the black membrane and continued its forward momentum, striking Galina's outstretched arm.

"Blocked?"

Looking at the blade that had penetrated her arm, just a centimeter away from her forehead, Galina's pupils constricted.

But the next moment, the blade extended.

"Pfft!"

Four blades made of hardened fine gold suddenly elongated by several centimeters, piercing Galina's smooth forehead.

Galina's eyes widened, and her body convulsed violently before going still.

Rain retracted his Blade Tiger.

"Thud!"

A heavy object fell to the ground.

Galina collapsed softly onto the ground.

Rain had just used the solidified divine technique 'Exorcism' embedded within the Golden Conch Medal awarded to him by the Church of Monsoon and the Ocean Goddess.

At such close range, Rain finally ended the battle with a decisive blow.

Rain took out the medal with the golden conch pattern from his pocket. The pale blue light emanating from it had dimmed significantly.

"I remember Bishop Sean saying that this medal had a solidified divine technique 'Exorcism' embedded within it. However, after using it, it needs to be recharged before it can be used again."

"It seems that after I arrive in Myister, I'll need to ask Bishop Sean to recharge it for me."

"The medal from the Church of the Ocean Goddess is quite useful when fighting against the Black Flame Cult." Rain thought to himself.

Rain looked down at the body on the ground.

"From the subordinate's address, it seems this woman was a High Priestess."

"My current location is Wales County, so this female High Priestess is most likely the leader of the Black Flame Cult in Wales County."

"If that's the case, perhaps there's a mission for her in the Saber Leopard Squad at the Myister Swordholder Division."

Rain contemplated, and soon he seemed to have an idea.

When Rain appeared before everyone on the battlefield, all activity gradually came to a halt.

Especially the knights, upon seeing Rain carrying the fleeing female Black Flame Cult High Priestess, looked at him with admiration.

This was the Black Flame Cult's High Priestess in Wales County!

And she had been dealt with by this young Lord Rain.

As for the cultists witnessing this scene, their mental state was vastly different.

Seeing Rain holding the limp body of Galina like a dead snake, the die-hard cultists' last shred of hope instantly vanished.

This caused the cultists who were still resisting to scatter like birds and beasts in no time!

"Quick, pursue them!" Viscount Seril commanded the knights, swiftly chasing after the remnants.

Kraya, on the other hand, sheathed her greatsword and approached Rain, asking with concern, "Rain, are you alright?"

"Miss Kraya, I'm fine," Rain replied.

"This person seems to be the Black Flame Cult's High Priestess in Wales County. Perhaps, from her, you can find out why they attacked us." Rain tossed Galina's body at Kraya's feet and said.

"Okay, let me take a look!"

Soon, Kraya found several items on Galina's body: a crystal ball, a Black Flame Guardian Token, various types of Black Flame Prayer Texts, and a note.

Kraya read the note and, after a while, handed it to Rain, saying, "Rain, it's just as we expected."

Rain took the note and nodded.

"Miss Kraya, this explains it. The Black Flame Cult's High Priestess in Wales County came to attack you because she was requested by this person with the nickname 'Bloodburner'—Laksoor."

"You might not know this, but one of the Swordbearer tasks I took on is to eliminate this Laksoor."

"Additionally, he was also the mastermind behind the Flash Slash Town tragedy."

"Hmm?"

"Was the Flash Slash Town incident planned and executed by this 'Bloodburner'?" Kraya asked, slightly surprised.

Although Kraya had her family's special channels for information, the Swordbearers had a more comprehensive network.

Rain nodded, "Yes, the information from the Swordbearer Division should be accurate."

"However, Rain, the fact that the High Priestess of Wales County was mobilized suggests that this 'Bloodburner' might be even more powerful than Galina. If you're going to take him on, you must be extra cautious."

Kraya reminded him.

Rain nodded in agreement.

As the two talked, they approached the temporary camp, but when Rain saw the massive remains of the Great Axe Golem Guardian, he suddenly remembered something.

He took out the golden emblem from his chest, representing the Golden Rank Swordbearer, and rubbed his thumb three times on the name engraved on the back of the emblem.

This was a special one-way communication method, a function exclusive to the Golden Rank emblems. Its purpose was to call for non-combat assistance.

In simple terms, after triggering the emblem, it would emit a unique signal. Nearby observers with corresponding receiving devices could access information such as the location of the signal, the Swordbearer's name, and more.

Most importantly, once the signal was received, local observers would be notified, providing support.

Rain felt that this Great Axe Golem Guardian, including Galina, might have been registered with the Swordbearer Division in Minster.

The Black Flame Cult-related tasks he had taken on were all within Meyster County, not Wales County.

Therefore, Rain intended to have these remains sent back to Minster.

About an hour later, a small team of elite rangers, escorting a middle-aged man in a wizard's robe, swiftly arrived near the temporary camp.

This immediately put the cavalry, who had just been attacked, on high alert, drawing their bows.

"Relax, is Lord Rain here?" The middle-aged wizard waved his hand.

An hour earlier, the observer from Wales County, Macken Clinton, had received a transmission from a Golden Rank Swordbearer named Rain, who had sent a signal between Colma Town and Ez Town.

This indicated a request for non-combat assistance.

As he approached the temporary camp, witnessing the trail of destruction, the ground trenches, and over a hundred corpses that were clearly cultists, Macken's eyes widened in surprise.

This was the very Golem Guardian they had been instructed to keep an eye on!

Previously, he had received a message from above, asking him to monitor whether the Black Flame Cult in Wales County was creating Golem Guardians. He had dispatched people to search, but to no avail.

Unexpectedly, the opponent was created right under his nose and was even killed by someone! He looked around at the knights, including the noble girl, all of whom were peak knights.

Macken shook his head slightly.

He knew that although these knights were quite capable, they were not even Grand Knights, so it was obvious that they couldn't defeat this formidable opponent.

The answer was evident; it must have been the Golden Rank Swordbearer who had dealt with this foe.

He observed the Golem Guardian again, and around the enormous cavity in its midsection, the size of a washbasin, there were no traces of energy remaining.

This implied that Lord Ryan, the Golden Rank Swordbearer, was most likely a Grand Knight, but aside from magic, he rarely saw such powerful techniques.

It seemed that in terms of strength, Lord Ryan was likely among the top-ranked in the Swordbearer division.

"I am Ryan. May I ask who you are?"

"Greetings, Lord Ryan. I am Observer Macken from Welles County."

"This is the High Priestess of the Darkflame Cult, Galina, from Welles County!"

"Lord Ryan, I never expected that she would die at your hands."

Observer Macken's eyes widened as he noticed the body of a woman in a black robe lying on the ground beside him. It was none other than Galina, leaving him utterly shocked! It was well-known that Galina's shadow illusion technique was exceptional, making her extremely difficult to kill.

Even if one could defeat her, killing her was another matter.

Macken considered his words carefully and said, "It's not the first time a Golden Rank Swordbearer has come to kill Galina, but she managed to escape using her shadow illusion technique. Later, with the empire's turmoil, this matter was put on hold, and I never expected that she would die at your hands this time."

Lord Ryan nodded and said, "Indeed, her shadow illusion technique is quite troublesome."

Observer Macken looked at Lord Ryan's calm expression, finding it peculiar, and he couldn't help but think to himself, 'Your expression doesn't seem troubled at all, and there are no signs of injuries on your body.'

"By the way, Lord Macken, I'd like to ask if there are related tasks for these two in the Swordbearer division?" Lord Ryan pointed to the bodies of Galina and the remains of the Great Axe Golem and asked.

"Hmm?" Macken looked puzzled and continued, "Are you saying, Lord Ryan, that you didn't come here specifically to complete the tasks by killing them?"

"That's not the case." Lord Ryan was taken aback and shook his head.

"My objective, or rather, my task, is to go to Minster. However, these guys suddenly attacked us, so I took the opportunity to deal with them."

This made Observer Macken's expression even more peculiar. He was about to speak but choked on his words. After thinking for a moment, he reorganized his thoughts and said, "Lord Ryan, you are truly formidable. You managed to complete two Golden Rank tasks just by the way."

"Hmm?"

"Two Golden Rank tasks?"

"Yes! Didn't you know?"

"Killing Galina is a one-star Golden task, and investigating the Golem Guardian is a two-star Golden task. You've killed one of them, so it's probably worth three stars." Macken explained.

Lord Ryan nodded. This was an unexpected joy. He had related tasks, but he hadn't expected the rewards to be so high.

One star represented a task of that level, and a one-star Golden task meant a reward of a Golden Medal.

"By the way, Lord Macken, I'd like to trouble you with something. I need to send the bodies of Galina and the Golem Guardian to the Swordbearer division in Minster."

"But I have other tasks at hand. So..."

"Of course, Lord Ryan. There's no problem. I'll have someone escort the bodies of Galina and the Golem Guardian to the Swordbearer division in Minster."

Soon after, Macken had the remains of the Golem and Galina's body covered with a tarpaulin and had them escorted away.

The large cart used by the Darkflame Cult to transport the Golem's remains played a significant role.

Before leaving, Macken also took away the bodies of 'Bidars' and another black-robed cultivator, as both of them had Blackflame Guardian tokens on their bodies.

According to Macken, these two should also be related, although not Golden Rank, but it was still a waste not to utilize them.

At this time, Lord Ryan suddenly remembered that he hadn't checked his system prompts yet.

He pulled up the system and saw:

【You have experienced a battle, Weapon Master (Legendary) +873 experience】

【You have experienced a battle, Wizard (Legendary) +321 experience】

【You have experienced a battle.】

(Note: The above skill experience has been increased by 30% due to the 'Primary Extraordinary Comprehension' talent.)



【Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy and obtained 3 Golden Skill Points!】

【Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy and obtained 2 Golden Skill Points!】

【Congratulations! Your Wizard (Legendary) profession level has increased!】

【Congratulations! Your Wizard (Legendary) profession level has increased again!】

After this battle, Lord Ryan discovered that his Wizard (Legendary) experience had increased by a total of 1471.

Since his Wizard (Legendary) profession level had already reached lv3 and was about to level up, this time, he leveled up twice and reached lv5 (383/2000).

This also allowed him to gain 2 more attribute points and 2 more skill points. Now, he had 8 attribute points and 2 skill points remaining.

At the same time, his experience for the Weapon Master (Legendary) class increased significantly, reaching level 8 (5121/7000).

This battle could actually be divided into four parts.

However, in terms of the strength of his opponents, the first two battles, against the Black Flame Cultivator from the Dark Magic Array and 'Bull' Bidars, were still a bit lacking, so Rain did not receive any Golden Skill Points as a reward.

The later battles against the Giant Axe Golem Guardian and Galina were much stronger, clearly falling into the category of formidable enemies. After these battles, they provided him with 3 and 2 Golden Skill Points, respectively.

In other words, Rain gained a total of 5 Golden Skill Points from this battle, adding to his original 2 points, bringing his total to 7 Golden Skill Points.

---

Minster.

In the underground intelligence hall of the Swordsman Division.

This was a grand hall with a ceiling dozens of meters high. Nearly fifty staff members bustled about on the floor, creating a scene of busy activity.

In the center of the hall stood dozens of towering, spiral bookshelves arranged in a ring. However, the shelves were not filled with books but with various pieces of information and intelligence files.

Several staff members were riding in basket-equipped elevators, moving up and down.

At the top of the hall were two deep tunnels, similar to ventilation shafts. However, those entering and exiting were not people but birds, bats, and other flying creatures.

These creatures carried intelligence of varying levels of confidentiality, which were then swiftly decoded, archived, reported, or forwarded by the staff.

The entire hall operated around the clock, so even at night, it was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

"Lord Colin, here is an urgent report from the special department of the Earthshakers in the Imperial Army," a female clerk hurried over, reporting with some urgency.

"Read it out," said Colin, a middle-aged man with a slight paunch and a bald head. He was one of the four deputy directors of the intelligence hall and the night shift supervisor for that day.

Since the intelligence hall operated 24/7, four deputy directors were specifically appointed to manage it in a three-shift rotation.

"Urgent report from the Earthshakers: Laksoor's strength exceeds expectations, the Saber Leopard Squad has been completely wiped out! Additionally, the Serpent Sect seems to have dispatched envoys to Myester County, for unknown purposes."

"Hmm?"

"I remember our division issued a task to kill Laksoor. Was it taken up by anyone?" Deputy Director Colin seemed to recall something and asked.

"Please wait a moment, let me check."

"Yes, the 'Master Siege Hammer' Squad took on the task," the female clerk reported quickly.

"Hmm? A newly promoted Golden Rank Squad? But, this name seems familiar!" Colin looked puzzled.

"Yes, Lord Colin, it is indeed a newly formed squad. The captain is Rain Kallen, and the two members are Evelyn. Captain's record: joined the Swordsmen, completed Bronze Rank, completed Diamond Rank."

The female clerk reported, her face showing surprise.

"Hmm? Diamond Rank?" Colin asked, puzzled.

This clearly did not fit the normal advancement speed and procedure for a new Swordsmen. Moreover, Colin could tell that the captain had completed a Diamond Rank task while still at the Silver Rank, indicating special approval.

"Rain? Master Siege Hammer? I remember now! That's the very talented new Swordsmen!" Colin suddenly recalled something.

But then, his expression changed, and he said, "Report this intelligence to the Task Hall immediately, with the following note: Recommend immediately informing Lord Rain that the enemy's strength exceeds expectations and the situation has changed. The task to kill Laksoor is suspended!"

"Yes, Lord Colin."

Just as this female clerk left, another female clerk quickly reported, "Director Colin, here is an urgent report from Wales County."

"Read it out."

"Urgent report from Wales County Observer Macken: Golden Rank Swordsmen Captain Lord Rain, killed the Black Flame Cult High Priestess Galina and two Black Flame Guardians in Wales County, and—"

"Completed the investigation of the Golem Guardian and also killed one Golem Guardian!"

"What?" Colin was shocked!

Wait, is this new Swordsmen, Rain, so powerful?

Could it be that he completed the Diamond Rank task through his own strength?

If that's the case, this mission might not be impossible to continue.

Immediately, Colin realized that the note he had just added to the previous intelligence might not be appropriate.

Forget it, let the Task Hall deal with this headache!

Colin tugged at his sparse hair, looking troubled, and said, "Combine the urgent report from the Earthshakers and this report, and submit them to Task Hall Director Umaz."

"Um, Lord Colin, how should we write the note from our intelligence hall?" the female clerk beside him asked, her large eyes fluttering.

By regulation, any intelligence reported or forwarded by the intelligence hall required an added note.

"Suggest... let Lord Rain decide for himself!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end