Chapter 277: Ancient Hero

Chapter 277: Ancient Hero



【Core Skill: Soul-Shattering Warhammer (Active)】

Soul-Shattering Warhammer (Active) Effect: Enemies slain by your warhammer will have a portion of their soul energy absorbed by the warhammer, granting you a special buff.

The buff lasts for one minute, can be stacked, and can accumulate up to ten layers.

Additionally, when ten portions of soul energy are absorbed, you can control and release it all at once, forming the 'Soul Shatter Impact'.

(Note: The damage of Soul Shatter Impact is true damage, unaffected by physical or elemental barriers.)



(Note: The stronger the soul of the slain enemy, the more powerful the buff gained. Enemies below Knight rank or equivalent cannot have their soul energy extracted. A Warhammer Wizard does not waste time on the nameless.)



Despite being just a core skill, the description was quite lengthy in its description.

After reading it repeatedly, Rain fell into deep thought.

"First, the keyword 'can be stacked'."

"Does that mean if I consecutively kill ten enemies, I can stack the buff ten times?"

"No matter what kind of buff it is, even if it's something like +1 Strength, stacking it ten times would result in +10 Strength. That's incredibly powerful, perfect for group battles!"

"And then there's the term 'true damage'."

"I've never seen this term before. Does that mean my previous damage was 'false damage'?"

But Rain quickly noticed the note that followed—'cannot be blocked by physical or elemental barriers'.

"It seems like Soul Shatter Impact directly attacks the soul, bypassing physical and elemental defenses."

"That's about right!" Rain nodded to himself.

"Also, enemies below Knight rank can't have their soul energy extracted?"

"Could it be because their souls aren't strong enough, or they aren't extraordinary enough?"

Rain had been wondering if killing ten Red Fire Ants would count.

But now, it seemed that wouldn't be enough.

Unless, of course, they were extraordinary Red Fire Ants, equivalent to Knight rank.

"I should probably test it out to be sure."

Rain stood with his arms crossed, stroking his chin in deep thought.

At that moment, Rain wished for another enemy to sneak up on him for a test.

Then, he thought of something, his eyes lit up, but the next second, he shook his head slightly.

"I'll leave it for tomorrow morning. At this hour, that guy is probably still being interrogated."

---

Meanwhile, deep within the Eilim Mine.

The enormous Legendary species, the Earth Serpent, had awakened. Compared to its hundred-meter-long serpentine body, its eyes were not particularly large, only about the size of an adult's head.

However, its vertical pupils were protected by a unique three-layer eyelid structure.

Normally, there would be two layers, the upper and lower eyelids, but the Earth Serpent seemed to have an additional horizontal eyelid that slid from left to right.

Moreover, if one looked closely at its pupils, they could see the swirling black aura, similar to the black mist emanating from the High Priestess Canon's dark magic array in the Serpent Sect.

Seeing the success of their endeavor, Count Holand's usually somber expression, which had remained unchanged since his capture, finally thawed. He smiled broadly, clearly in high spirits!

After some thought, he spoke to Laksoor, "Laksoor, I believe it's time to expand on your previous suggestion."

"I've heard that your church's goal this time is to overthrow the Draogon Empire's rule in Meyster. I think the most effective way to achieve this is to eliminate the Empire's high-ranking officials, including this Rain, all at once."

"In my opinion, your church should gather your elite forces, and I will control the Earth Serpent to dig a tunnel from here, leading directly to their location. With a surprise attack and the power of the ancient Legendary species, the Earth Serpent, I believe we can easily eliminate the Empire's high-ranking officials in Meyster."

"Laksoor, what do you think of my plan?" Count Holand asked with a smile.

Count Holand's plan naturally impressed Laksoor, and it was indeed feasible.

With this plan, Laksoor only needed to gather the elite forces of the church, join forces with Count Holand, the High Priestess Canon, and the Legendary species, the Earth Serpent. Together, they could potentially eliminate the Empire's high-ranking officials, including the Governor of Meyster, Rain, in one fell swoop!

Additionally, once the Earth Serpent began digging, Freeman would have the opportunity to carry out his mission!

"Count Holand, I fully agree with your plan!" Laksoor bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude.

"Then, I'll have to trouble you to control the Earth Serpent to proceed with the excavation."

"Alright, rest assured. According to the Earth Serpent's excavation speed, it will take at least a day and a half to reach the designated location. Let me calculate, it should be around the latter half of tomorrow night, which is the best time for an attack." Cannon nodded with a smile.

Now that the Earth Serpent had been successfully tamed, if they could rescue Holand, they would naturally do so.

In that case, this trip would be perfect, Cannon thought.

"Indeed, the early hours of the morning are when people are most fatigued, and it's also the best time to launch an attack." Laksoor said.

"Additionally, apart from immediately gathering the elite forces within Myester County, I will also contact the spies in the county town and the insider in the fervor."

"Excellent, Lord Laksoor, your prudence is commendable. Then I'll have the Earth Serpent start digging now!"

As Cannon muttered something under his breath, he waved the serpent-headed short staff in his hand, and the massive Earth Serpent's mouth opened like a blooming flower, revealing its ferocious maw filled with sharp and dense teeth, short and sturdy.

The next second, a drilling sound echoed, "Kala-la!"

The incredibly hard underground rocks, in the Earth Serpent's maw, were as soft as tofu!

Edible or not, the dirt, rock fragments, and underground creatures were all ground into bits and swallowed into the Earth Serpent's enormous mouth, then quickly digested through its nearly hundred-meter-long intestines, and expelled from its rear cavity!

The ground also trembled slightly as the Earth Serpent advanced.

Watching the beast's incredibly fast excavation speed, Cannon and Laksoor exchanged a glance, both with a knowing smile.

An hour later, when Cannon and Laksoor, along with the Earth Serpent, had already advanced several kilometers forward.

A figure in a black hooded robe, leading a group of Darkflame Adepts, quietly entered the area where the Earth Serpent had been.

The Earth Serpent's body was enormous, and the amber passageway it had been tamed through, which could easily accommodate several people, was now filled with irregularly shaped amber fragments.

"Freeman, according to the records, the ancient temple I teach at and a legendary Earth Serpent are both nearby."

"I believe the ancient temple I taught at is right around here."

"Our ancient hero, Monge, is sleeping inside. Once we find that ancient temple, it means we can awaken the ancient hero Monge."

At the mention of the ancient hero Monge, this Darkflame Adept seemed to be excited as well.

It was well-known that the ancient hero Monge was a distinguished figure of the ancient Darkflame Church, nicknamed the 'King of Dark Flames'.

He had always thought that the ancient heroes had long perished in the vast river of history, never expecting there to be a living ancient hero!

"Hmm! I believe I've found it." A deep voice echoed from beneath the hood.

Not far away, behind a semi-transparent amber wall, several pillars resembling Doric columns emerged, revealing a corner of the ancient temple.

---

The next morning, as the sky was just starting to brighten.

Rain arrived at the detention room next to the cellar in the early morning.

The four guards at the door immediately saluted when they saw Rain, "Lord Rain, Alex has been interrogating all night."

"Hmm! Open the door, I'll go in and take a look." Rain nodded.

Alex was indeed dedicated, though staying up all night was not a big deal for a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice, it was still quite tiring.

"Yes, my lord."

As soon as Rain entered the room, he saw Holand suspended on a cross-like structure. The wounds on his hands and legs had already been treated, but he was still bound, with his arms spread and his legs together. Surrounding him was a formation emitting a wizardly light, set up by Alex.

At this moment, Alex's face looked a little weary.

"Lord Rain, Alex has been interrogating all night. Has Holand revealed any useful information?"

"No, this guy is a dark wizard, and my methods haven't been very effective." Alex shook his head helplessly.

It wasn't that he wasn't trying hard enough; it was just that the other party was a dark wizard with powerful mental strength.

"In other words, this guy is useless?"

"Then leave it to me."

Rain immediately smiled, as he had been waiting for this moment all night.

Hmm?

Alex didn't quite understand what Rain meant.

Does Lord Rain also specialize in interrogation?

But the next second, he understood!

"Slap!"

A sound similar to a watermelon being smashed by a hammer echoed.

In Holand's disbelieving gaze, Rain instantly shattered his skull with a white bone hammer, and his brain burst out!

Holand died with his eyes wide open, his last thought being, 'Rain just killed me outright?

"Shouldn't we keep him alive for interrogation and extract some information?" Alex was equally baffled by this turn of events.

At that moment, his respect for Rain grew even more.

Before, it was for Rain's strength, but now, it was for his decisiveness.

Indeed, why show mercy to such a stubborn heretic? It's not like they were going to celebrate the Harvest Festival together!

Little did Alex know that Rain had primarily executed Holland to test out his newly acquired core skill—'Soul-Shattering Warhammer'!

Just as Alex was about to say something, his entire body suddenly trembled.

A semi-transparent shadow emerged from Holland's lifeless body, its face contorted in pain. Like a comet with a long tail, the transparent shadow struggled, circling around Rain several times before...

In an instant, it was swiftly absorbed by Rain's white, miniaturized Skull Warhammer.

Rain hadn't expected the effect of the 'Soul-Shattering Warhammer' to be so spectacular.

At times, he still preferred to maintain a low profile.

Additionally, he distinctly felt a strange surge of heat flowing from the Skull Warhammer into his right arm, where he held the hammer.

It seemed his strength had increased!

Rain glanced at his attribute panel:

Constitution: 39

Strength: 46 (+5)



Agility: 36

Spirit: 36

The number next to strength was flickering, and Rain knew it indicated a temporary boost.

It wouldn't last forever.

A single boost of +5 strength was impressive, and if it stacked up to ten times, it would result in a whopping +50 strength bonus!

The effect was awe-inspiring!

Although the Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) only had one more core skill than the Wizard (Legendary), if used effectively, it could significantly enhance one's combat prowess.

It truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier legendary profession. Of course, this was also due to the enemy's strength; if it had been a regular Black Flame Adept, the effect might have only granted a +2 or, at most, +3 strength boost.

Rain glanced at the stunned Alex and wondered how to explain what had just happened.

"My lord Rain, is your warhammer a rare artifact? The ability to absorb enemies' souls is truly extraordinary!" Alex exclaimed, his eyes wide as he pointed at Rain's warhammer.

"Oh, yes, this is one of my spoils of war. It's said to belong to some ancient tribe, and I was fortunate to obtain it after defeating an enemy." Rain smiled as he explained.

He didn't realize that Alex had already filled in the blanks.

Since Alex had already made his assumptions, Rain decided to attribute the soul-extracting effect to the Skull Warhammer.

In truth, this ability originated from the Warhammer Wizard's core skill.

But who would know that?

"What a rare artifact! I've heard of items that can extract souls, but this is the first time I've seen one in person," Alex marveled, unable to contain his amazement.

"By the way, Alex, let's keep this man's death a secret for now. Perhaps we can wait for our prey," Rain said, as if struck by a sudden idea, instructing Alex.

Alex nodded in understanding, "I get it, my lord Rain. I'll cast the Forget spell on the guards at the door as well."

"Additionally, I'll seal off this room."

After leaving the detention room, Rain thought for a moment and headed to the training room.

"The Warhammer Wizard, a profession true to its name, wields the warhammer with might," Rain muttered to himself, holding the Skull Warhammer.

"It seems my next step should be to upgrade the Advanced Secret Technique 'Crushing Hammer' to an Ultimate Technique."

"After all, the new core skill 'Soul Shatter' requires enemies to die by the warhammer to trigger its special effect."

"In other words, dying by a sword or axe won't count, and the 'Soul Shatter' effect won't activate."

"This means I can't trigger it by switching weapons freely."

"Fortunately, I have Metal Bulge, which allows me to adjust the length of the Skull Warhammer, transforming it from a one-handed hammer to a two-handed hammer. This adds an element of surprise in combat."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"My lord Rain, you're here as expected, diligently training as always!"

"With your talent and dedication, it's no wonder our strength pales in comparison to yours."

Aleksandra entered with a smile, wearing a set of Noble Hunting Outfit and a custom-fitted Knight Plate Armor.

She chose not to wear armor on her upper body, opting for greater agility and speed.

This can also be understood, after all, women are not as strong as men in terms of physical strength, and even as a Grand Knight, their load-bearing capacity is also inferior. It's better to streamline the equipment and take advantage of their agility.

However, the lower garment of Alexandra's Noble Hunter outfit is a pair of slightly fitted and elastic long pants.

Although not as good as Rain's previous female yoga pants, it also shows off her figure, outlining Alexandra's round and beautiful buttocks, and even revealing the traces of her underwear's waistband.

The customized Knight Plate Armor has two bulging arcs of metal.

Not only is the whole figure well-proportioned, but the entire outfit also feels quite thoughtful.

Rain thought about it, and the only one who could compete with Alexandra was Claire!

The others were either a size too small on top or a size too small on the bottom.

"Alexandra, good morning."

"Lord Rain, you have to guide my hammer technique today." Alexandra approached, her beautiful eyes looking at Rain, and said.

"Well... okay." Rain thought about it, and today, it seemed that there was no reason to refuse her.

Also, the other party was just asking about the hammer technique, and as a dedicated colleague, he should indeed guide her.

However, the other party's lips seemed to be smeared with something red, looking crystal clear and bright red, making people want to kiss her.

"Cough, Alexandra, you first demonstrate your skilled hammer technique for me to see." Rain calmed down his slightly agitated mind and said.

"Okay, Lord Rain."

Alexandra held the hammer and shield, and quickly demonstrated in the center of the field.

Although not as good as Rain, she was also considered a skilled Grand Knight, with a strength close to that of a Veteran Grand Knight.

"Not bad, very good." Rain's eyes lit up, and nodded.

Alexandra's strength was stronger than he had expected.

"However, your attack is not decisive enough when using the Battle Hammer." Rain walked over and pointed out Alexandra's small problem.

"Lord Rain, is that so?"

Alexandra posed with her left hand holding the shield and her right hand holding the hammer, swinging from top to bottom.

Rain glanced at her round buttocks, then quickly moved his gaze away, and said, "Alexandra, when you exert force, the elemental force within your body should cooperate with your leg, hip, and hammer movements."

"Lord Rain, how should I twist my hips?"

Alexandra smiled at Rain, twisted her hips, and her tight and plump buttocks instantly became slightly more flexible.

This scene made Rain's eyes unconsciously move away, and his expression was a bit unnatural.

Twist your hips?

Normally, if not a Knight, it should be a Junior Knight, and this force exertion should be very skilled by now!

"Almost, Lord Rain, almost is not enough, you have to point out my mistakes in exerting force."

Alexandra blinked her eyes and pointed to her waist, and said, "Can you put your hands on both sides of me? I want you to feel my force exertion."

This...

A woman's mistakes in force exertion may affect the outcome of a battle.

Rain thought about it and decided to go up and guide her carefully.

Just as Rain was about to put his big hand on Alexandra, the door of the training room was opened again.

Rain was like being electrocuted, immediately retracting his hand, and his heart was a bit angry, 'Who is it? Don't you know to knock?'

But when he looked at the beautiful figure appearing at the door, Rain was stunned!

Huh?

Faster than expected!

"Alexandra, congratulations on your promotion to Grand Knight." Rain immediately walked over with a smile.

"Let me introduce you, this is the daughter of Count Habsburg, Claire, and also a student of the Imperial Royal Academy."

"This is Alexandra, a female Grand Knight, which is rare." Claire looked at Alexandra with a pair of beautiful eyes and said politely.

"Alexandra, are you practicing the hammer technique? Just right, I've also just entered the rank of Grand Knight, and I want to ask you for guidance."

"Sure! Claire, I'm so glad, I hardly ever meet female Grand Knights."

Hmm?

The two women were smiling at first.

But how did they start competing so quickly?

This made Rain also a bit dumbfounded!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end