Chapter 277: Ancient Hero
Chapter 277: Ancient Hero
【Core Skill: Soulshatter Warhammer (Active)】
Soulshatter Warhammer (Active) Effect: Enemies killed by your warhammer will have a portion of their soul energy absorbed by the warhammer, and this soul energy will grant you a special buff.
The buff lasts for one minute and can be stacked up to ten times.
Additionally, when ten portions of soul energy are absorbed, you can control and release it all at once, forming a 'Soulshatter Impact'.
(Note: Soulshatter Impact deals true damage, unaffected by physical or elemental barriers. Note: The stronger the soul of the slain enemy, the more powerful the buff you will receive. Enemies of Knight rank or below, equivalent to Knight rank, cannot have their soul energy extracted. Warhammer Wizards do not kill insignificant foes.) Although it was just a core skill, the text description was quite lengthy.
After reading the above content repeatedly, Ren fell into deep thought.
"First, the keyword 'can be stacked'."
"Enter!"
"Your Excellency Laksoor, what do you think of my plan?" Cannon asked with a smile.
In the disbelieving gaze of Holand, his crown was instantly shattered by Ren's white bone hammer, and his brain exploded!
The Earth Serpent's massive body, once confined by the amber passage, was now fully exposed, with irregular amber fragments scattered on the ground.
But when he turned to look, Ren was stunned. Huh? It's faster than expected! A familiar, beautiful figure appeared at the entrance—it was Clara.
"After all, the new core skill, 'Soulshatter Warhammer,' requires the enemy to be killed by the warhammer to activate the 'Soulshatter Impact.'"
"Your Excellency Ren, please guide me in the art of the warhammer today." Alexandra approached, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at Ren.
He had always thought that the ancient heroes had long perished in the vast river of history, but he never expected that there were still living ancient heroes!
Previously, it was about Ren's strength, but this time, it was about Ren's decisiveness! Indeed, against such stubborn cultists, they should be eliminated rather than spared for the Harvest Festival! He never imagined that Ren would be so decisive in killing Holand, mainly to test his newly acquired core skill—'Soulshatter Warhammer'! Just as Alex was about to say something, his entire body trembled! A semi-transparent shadow appeared from Holand's recently deceased body, showing signs of pain, but then, like a comet with a long tail, the transparent shadow struggled and circled around Ren several times.
Ren glanced at the other's round, perky buttocks, then quickly averted his gaze and said, "Umm, don't stick your butt out so high. When you exert force, coordinate with your essence, kicking, twisting, and swinging the hammer in sync with your essence."
Clara's beautiful eyes smiled as she looked at Ren and then at Alexandra, as if she hadn't seen their intimate posture, and said, "Ren, I've been promoted to a Great Knight."
"As you wish, my lady."
"Miss Clara, you're too kind! So, the Habus Earl has such a beautiful daughter, no wonder Your Excellency Ren is so dedicated to guarding the mansion."
He never imagined that Alex had already filled in all the details in his mind.
"With an unexpected attack and the power of the legendary breed, the Earth Serpent, I believe we can easily eliminate the Empire's elite forces in Maestus."
As Cannon muttered something under his breath, he waved the short serpent staff in his hand, and the massive Earth Serpent's mouth opened like a blooming flower, revealing a hideous maw filled with sharp, dense teeth, short and sturdy.
"The Warhammer Wizard, true to their name, always has the warhammer at the forefront," Ren observed, looking at the skull warhammer in his hand and muttering to himself.
Since it was like this, he could go with the flow and attribute the special effect of soul extraction to the skull warhammer.
It was almost impossible to get the other party to confess honestly; a mental breakdown was unlikely.
"Regarding this, my idea is that your church can gather elite forces, and I will control the Earth Serpent to dig a tunnel from here, leading directly to the underground of that Habus Earl's mansion. Then, in the middle of the night, we launch a surprise attack!"
In fact, this was derived from the core skill of the Warhammer Wizard profession.
"I heard that your church's goal this time is to overthrow the Dragon Empire's rule in Maestus. So, I think the most effective approach is to eliminate all the Empire's elite forces, including this Ren."
However, the other party's lips seemed to be smeared with a red substance, crystal clear and bright red, making one want to kiss it.
"It's a truly rare treasure! Although I've heard of some treasures that can extract souls, I've never seen one before." Alex couldn't help but marvel and exclaim.
Edible and inedible, dirt, rock fragments, and underground creatures were all ground into powder and swallowed by the Earth Serpent's massive mouth, then quickly digested through a nearly hundred-meter-long intestine and expelled from the rear cavity!
Leaving the detention room, Ren thought for a moment and turned to the training room.
"If that's the case, to trigger it, I can't just change weapons at will."
This made Ren feel like he had been shocked, immediately retracting his hand with some annoyance. 'Who is it? Don't they know to knock?'
But now, the plan proposed by the other party clearly exceeded his expectations and was also highly feasible.
"Alright, then." Ren thought for a moment; today, it seemed there really wasn't a reason to refuse this person.
Not far away, behind a semi-transparent amber wall, several Doric-style columns appeared, revealing a corner of an ancient temple. —The next morning, the sky was just brightening.
Ren was immediately faced with a smile; he had waited all night for this.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow morning; at this hour, that guy is probably still being interrogated." —Meanwhile.
"Very well, Your Excellency Laksoor is cautious in his actions. Now, I'll get the Earth Serpent moving!"
It wouldn't always exist.
However, Ren soon saw the annotation that read—'Cannot be blocked by physical or elemental energy.'
Agility: 36
Mental: 55
The flashing number in the parenthesis, +5, caught Ren's attention. He understood that it represented a beneficial effect.
However, the other party's words seemed to make sense—improper force application could indeed affect the outcome of a battle. Ren pondered for a moment and decided to offer some guidance.
An hour later, Cannon and Raksool, along with the Earth Serpent, had already tunneled forward for several kilometers.
"It's about time!" Ren nodded to himself.
Cannon's words naturally delighted Raksool.
Although not on par with Ren, he was no mediocre knight among the Great Knights, possessing exceptional skills close to that of a Senior Knight.
"Hello, Lady Alexandra. You are not only beautiful but also a rare female Great Knight," said Claire, examining Alexandra with her beautiful eyes and speaking politely.
Just as Ren was about to place his large hand on Alexandra's slender waist, the door to the training room opened again.
Ren felt a strange heat flowing from the Skull Warhammer to his right arm, where he held the hammer. It seemed to have increased his strength! Ren glanced at his attributes: Physique: 39, Strength: 46 (+5).
Ren knew that Mong, the ancient Black Flame Church's outstanding member, was known as the "King of Dark Flame," and his deeds were passed down through the generations within the church.
This possibility wasn't entirely out of the question.
Alexandra's figure was curvaceous, and her outfit seemed to have been carefully chosen. Ren thought for a moment and realized that the only person who could match Alexandra was Claire! The others were either a size too small on top or too large on the bottom.
"Next is the keyword 'true damage.'"
Indeed, as a top-tier legendary profession—the Warhammer Wizard—she demonstrated her prowess. Of course, this was also due to the opponent's strength; if it were an ordinary Black Flame Adept, the effect might have been limited to a strength increase of +2 or +3.
"However, when you attacked, your hammer strike lacked decisiveness," Ren pointed out Alexandra's minor issue.
But if he didn't mention it, who would know?
"Okay, Lord Ren."
Hearing Alex's words, the disheveled Holland raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Ren with a face full of resentment.
Alexandra assumed a defensive stance, holding the shield with her right hand and the hammer with her left, ready to strike from above.
It was clear that this approach wouldn't work.
The custom-made knight breastplate had two bulging, curved metal protrusions.
At this moment, the enormous legendary breed, the Earth Serpent, had awakened. Compared to its hundred-meter-long serpentine body, its eyes were merely the size of an adult's head, no bigger.
Seeing the success, Cannon's gloomy expression, which had been somber due to Holland's capture, finally thawed. He smiled widely, his mood elated!
"In other words, dying by a sword or axe won't trigger the special effect of 'Soulshatter Hammer.'"
Alex's expression cleared, and she nodded, saying, "Indeed, the early morning hours are when people are most tired and also the best time for an ambush."
Raksool agreed, "Indeed, and I was just seeking guidance on hammer techniques, and as a supportive colleague, I should offer some advice."
"Yes, it's good." Ren nodded in approval.
"Fortunately, I have Metal Morphurgy, allowing me to adjust the length of the Skull Warhammer's handle, transforming it from a one-handed to a two-handed hammer. It's a way to catch opponents off guard in battle."
"This also means that if I continuously kill ten enemies, the effect will stack ten times?"
The four guards at the door, upon seeing Ren, exclaimed, "Lord Ren, Alex has been interrogating all night."
Ren crossed his arms and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
The next second, the sound of "krrr" echoed as the Earth Serpent's powerful jaws crushed the hard underground rocks like tofu!
Ren nodded, "So, this guy isn't much of a threat?"
Alex, also deeply respectful of Ren, said, "Indeed, I've never seen this effect before. Were my attacks all 'false damage' until now?"
At this moment, Ren, feeling a strong urge to have an enemy sneak up on him again. But the next second, he shook his head slightly.
As Ren entered the holding cell, he saw Holland suspended on a cross-like structure. The bleeding from his hands and legs had been stopped.
Ren never expected the Soulshatter Warhammer's effect to be so impressive.
At this moment, Alex's face showed a hint of fatigue.
"Can't you twist your hips? Normally, knights, no, even squires should be proficient in such force exertion!"
"Is that so, Lord Ren?"
"The Legendary Breed Earth Serpent has been found, and the temple I once taught at should be nearby."
As the Earth Serpent dug, the ground slightly trembled.
"Lord Laksoor, I have successfully dominated the Earth Serpent. Thank you for the cooperation of the Black Flame Church, which shows your sincerity."
"Oh, yes, this is one of my trophies. It's said to be a ritual artifact from an ancient tribe. I was lucky to obtain it after defeating an enemy." Ren smiled and explained.
It wasn't that he wasn't trying hard, but the opponent was a sorcerer with formidable mental strength.
"Also, can't you extract soul energy below the Knight level?"
A figure in a black hooded robe, accompanied by a group of Black Flame Adepts, quietly entered the area where the Earth Serpent had been.
"I'll seal off this area as well!"
"Good morning, Alexandra."
"Yes! I think I've found it." A deep voice resonated from beneath the hood.
"Viscount Ren, you're up so early?" Alex was surprised to see Ren up at such an early hour.
This was understandable; after all, women were not as physically strong as men. Even as a Great Knight, her carrying capacity would be inferior, so it was better to streamline her equipment and take advantage of her agility.
"By the way, Alex, let's keep the news of this guy's death a secret for now. Perhaps we can wait for the right moment." Ren seemed to have an idea and turned to Alex with instructions.
"Regarding what you mentioned earlier about getting rid of that Ren, I think we should expand the scope a little."
"Lord Ren, you're indeed diligent!"
Just then, a knock on the door sounded.
Holand stared with his eyes wide open, refusing to close them even in death. His last thought was, 'Did Ren just kill me outright? Shouldn't he have kept me alive for interrogation and extracted some information first?'
However, outside its vertical pupils, the Earth Serpent had a unique three-layered eyelid structure.
"Is it because I'm not transcendent, and my soul strength is insufficient?"
Can anyone just touch a woman's waist like that?
Normally, there should be two eyelids, upper and lower, but the Earth Serpent seemed to have an additional horizontal eyelid that slid from left to right, possibly to block out dirt and dust during drilling.
"Regardless of the benefits, even if it's just a +1 to strength, if it can be stacked ten times, that's +10 to strength! It's an incredibly powerful effect, perfect for group battles!"
"Lord Ren, how should I twist my hips?"
With the church's elite, the legendary Earth Serpent, and the Great Egg's Cannon, it would be highly possible to capture high-ranking imperial forces, including the Maester County's ruling officer, Maester, and Ren. Additionally, once the Earth Serpent begins digging, Freeman can proceed with his plan! "I fully agree with your plan, Lord Cannon!" Laksoor nodded in gratitude.
"I couldn't sleep, so I got up. How was it? Did Holand provide any useful information?"
Alexandra smiled at Ren, her curvy hips swaying slightly, causing her firm and plump buttocks to tremble.
Watching the Earth Serpent's rapid digging speed, Cannon and Laksoor exchanged glances, both with a knowing smile.
"Congratulations, Miss Clara! This is fantastic news!" Ren smiled and walked over.
"This is Alexandra, from the Earthshaker Crimson Bear Squad."
Unless these red ants were transcendent, equivalent to Knight-level.
"Lord Ren, it's almost right, but I need your guidance to correct my mistakes."
"Additionally, I'll not only gather the elite forces within Maester County but also contact the spies in the county city and the informant in Habus Earl's residence to thoroughly investigate the enemy's strength."
A single stack provided a +5 to strength, and ten stacks would result in a +50 boost! Wow, that's an incredible effect!
However, Alexandra's noble hunting attire included a pair of slightly fitted and elastic long pants.
"It's best to test it out and see if it's as effective as I think."
Deep within the Elim Mine...
"Lady Alexandra, are you practicing hammer techniques? Perfect timing, as I've just reached the Great Knight rank. I'd like to seek your guidance, if you don't mind."
"Sure! Miss Clara, I'm delighted. I rarely get to meet female Great Knights."
Seeing the two women initially smiling,
But why are they suddenly competing?
Ren was momentarily stunned.
(End of Chapter)
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