Chapter 282: Hammer vs. Hammer

Chapter 282: Hammer vs. Hammer



Two hours ago, in the second floor of the Habus Earl's mansion, within a room...

After much contemplation, Ryan decided to first upgrade his Advanced Technique, 'Crushing Hammer,' to the Pinnacle Technique level.

There were two reasons for this decision. Firstly, the Warhammer Wizard's (Legendary) 'Soulshatter Warhammer' required a specific condition to trigger its buff, as per the system's description, which was to kill enemies with the warhammer.

Clearly, the more powerful the hammer technique, the stronger the enemies he could defeat with it, and the greater the buff he would receive.

Secondly, Roland had previously mentioned that the key to advancing from Great Knight to Legendary was to master Will Radiance, and the Improved Blade Storm, also an Advanced Technique, was a combination of talent and sorcery.

It couldn't be considered a pure swordsmanship technique.

Ryan had a hunch that if he wanted to comprehend Will Radiance, it might be better to focus on pure hammer or sword techniques without the influence of sorcery.

With his mind made up, Ryan once again checked the requirements for promoting 'Crushing Hammer' to the Pinnacle Technique:

"1. Any Transcendental Hammer Technique at level 18 or higher; 2. Bear King's Breath at level 18 or higher; 3. Strength 45 points, Agility 38 points, and Constitution 40 points or higher; 4. Consumes 4 Golden Skill Points."

He then reviewed his attribute panel:

Constitution: 39

Strength: 46

Agility: 44

Spirit: 55

Ryan realized that he only needed 1 more point in Constitution to meet all the requirements.

Without hesitation, Ryan quickly added 1 attribute point to his Constitution.

As his Constitution reached the 40s, Ryan had finally fulfilled all the attribute point requirements for the Pinnacle Technique.

Next, he consumed 4 Golden Skill Points to upgrade both his Hammer Technique and Bear King's Breath to level 18, and selected 'Promote!'

Instantly, a flood of memories from his training in the 'Crushing Hammer' Advanced Technique surged into Ryan's mind!

In a mysterious space, it was as if Ryan was alone, intensely practicing for three to four decades. In the final moment, he achieved a breakthrough!

The system prompt appeared once more:

{Congratulations! You have comprehended the Pinnacle Hammer Technique: Annihilating Hammer!}

"Annihilating Hammer? Has the name changed as well?"

Seeing the words "Pinnacle Technique," a smile couldn't help but spread across Ryan's face. He had finally mastered the Pinnacle Technique!

On the Weapon Master's (Legendary) panel, the Hammer Technique 'Crushing Hammer' had also been updated to 'Annihilating Hammer.'

The icon had also undergone a significant transformation.

It now depicted a dark and heavy hammer swinging downward, surrounded by ripples in a wave-like pattern, spreading outward.

Unlike the previous icon that vividly depicted the crushing of boulders, this new icon resembled an abstract painting.

After all, the power of these ripples was unknown.

The small text in the lower right corner of the icon had also changed:

Annihilating Hammer (Pinnacle Technique) Effect: Utilizes a Force-based Shocking Art, and with a hint of Will Radiance, delivers an incredibly powerful strike capable of annihilating both tangible and intangible foes.

(Note: To upgrade Annihilating Hammer to the Initial Annihilating Force Field, the following conditions must be met: 1. Strength 60 points, Agility 50 points, Constitution 55 points, and Will 3 points or higher; 2. Consumes 8 Golden Skill Points.)



"This..."

"Has it already transcended the realm of techniques?"

Ryan's keen eyes noticed the keyword 'Force Field' in the note. Although it mentioned an Initial Annihilating Force Field, it was clear that this force field possessed power beyond the Pinnacle Technique.

At that moment, Ryan recalled the entry-level fire sorcery he had learned before, 'High-Temperature Force Field,' which also included the words 'Force Field.'

However, there was a vast difference between the two.

Additionally, Ryan discovered that the subsequent promotions of the Pinnacle Technique 'Annihilating Hammer' had transcended the requirements of hammer techniques and even breathing techniques.

The only conditions displayed were the attribute points and Golden Skill Points requirements.

It gave Ryan a sense of simplifying the complex!

"Hmm? Will 3?"

Ryan quickly noticed this newly added attribute.

"But I don't have the Will attribute."

Ryan furrowed his brows and immediately checked his attribute panel.

To his surprise, a new Will attribute had appeared:

Constitution: 40

Strength: 46

Agility: 44

Spirit: 55

Will (Hidden Attribute): 1

(Note: Will is a hidden attribute and cannot be increased through attribute points.)



"How did I suddenly gain 1 point in Will?"

Ryan pondered.

"Could this 1 point in Will be from the process of upgrading the Advanced Technique 'Crushing Hammer' to the Pinnacle Technique 'Annihilating Hammer'?"

"That seems to be the only explanation."

Just as Ryan was deep in thought, a knock on the door sounded.

"Knock, knock, knock! Ryan?"

It was Clara's familiar voice from outside the door.

Ryan opened the door, and there stood Clara, holding an ancient-looking scroll made of sheepskin, a smile on her face.

"Please come in, Miss Clara."

Clara nodded and stepped into the room.

"Ryan, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Well, I have something for you, which might help you understand and awaken your willpower." Clara said, handing a scroll made of sheepskin to Roland.

"Miss Clara, isn't this a bit too precious?" Roland asked, slightly taken aback.

Clara's smile widened. "Don't forget, you're my Guardian Knight now. The stronger you become, the safer I'll be."

"I was once a Peak Knight, and there were some things in the family that I couldn't share with you then she added, "But now, things are different. After becoming a Great Knight, according to the agreement with my father and the elders, I am now the first successor of the Habus family, with far greater authority than before."

"Even if I wanted to give this scroll to you, it probably wouldn't have been possible."

"Thank you, Miss Clara," Roland said, accepting the scroll with a slight bow.

Currently, he already possessed 1 point of Willpower. If he could have a relevant document from a predecessor's understanding of Will Radiance for reference, it would naturally be of great benefit to Roland.

It might greatly accelerate his subsequent understanding and use of Willpower.

"I've told Father about you, and he's both happy and surprised by your growth. Once he's feeling better, he wants to have a chat with you." Clara said.

"Of course, I'm available anytime. Please convey my regards to Earl Habus, and I hope he recovers soon," Roland replied.

Clara's expression turned solemn. "Roland, as a Sorcerer, haven't you felt something amiss recently?"

"Hmm? What's amiss?" Roland asked, slightly puzzled.

"Well, the concentration of mysterious energy particles you've been sensing, perhaps you can try to recall, a month ago compared to now." Clara looked at Roland with a puzzled expression.

Roland focused his senses.

It seemed like the energy particles around him were becoming easier to manipulate? But the problem was that his mental power a month ago and his current mental power had a difference of at least ten points or more.

Roland suddenly realized!

He understood.

The rapid increase in his mental power made him too busy to notice the changes in these mysterious energy particles.

All along, his instinctive understanding of the power of Sorcery was entirely due to his own strength.

In fact, there was a small part of the reason for this, which was the change in energy particle concentration that Clara mentioned.

"Miss Clara, do you mean that the energy particles are becoming more concentrated due to some unknown reason, and it's affecting Sorcerers?"

"Yes, although I'm a Knight, my mental power is not weak. In the past six months, I've been able to sense this change, let alone the Sorcerers."

"Don't you find it strange? Legendary Earth Serpents, these ancient creatures, have suddenly appeared."

"I thought it was a coincidence, but if that's the case, it's not just a coincidence. When I was at the Royal Academy in the capital, there were at least a dozen reports from across the empire about the awakening of giant beasts."

"Even some of the great nobles' children were discussing this." Clara's expression turned solemn as she spoke.

Spiritual energy awakening?

A term from Roland's past life popped into his mind.

Of course, it was just a metaphor.

The real reason behind it might be far more complex, but no matter what, the current situation seemed to indicate that the increase in energy particle concentration was leading to the gradual awakening of giant beasts.

Although Roland's progress was rapid, he still had a significant gap compared to the Legendary Earth Serpents.

The issue was, besides the awakening of giant beasts, the active cults behind them.

Roland couldn't help but frown, a sense of urgency arising within him.

"Has there been no discussion about a solution in the Empire?" Roland asked.

"I haven't been able to access the Empire's response plan."

"According to the Royal Academy, this is an opportunity and a challenge. The increase in energy particle concentration not only directly enhances the combat power of Sorcerers but also subtly lowers the difficulty for Knights' future promotions."

"In other words, breakthroughs have become easier!"

"Many believe that the Empire's top experts will also emerge like bamboo shoots after the rain."

"I see," Roland thought.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing; at least, it provided a good explanation for his rapid strength growth.

After Clara left, Roland began to read the scroll written by Mikel Habus, Clara's ancestor.

He was one of the few in the Habus family who had awakened Will Radiance.

In fact, the scroll didn't have much content about how to awaken Will Radiance, just a brief sentence.

"Understand why you fight. Understand what your sword points to."

After chewing on this sentence several times, Roland seemed to have gained 1 point of Willpower.

For a moment, Roland had a slight realization!

He channeled the Force, and his palm glowed faintly.

But the next moment, an invisible force of mental power landed in his hand.

The Force's radiance suddenly underwent a transformation.

Chapter: The Awakening of the Ancient Hero

The chaotic and disordered Origin Force molecules seemed to suddenly find a new sense of order and purpose. It was as if the Origin Force had gained a soul, a guiding spirit that brought it to life!

"Was the Origin Force soulless before?" Ren wondered, recalling a similar phenomenon from his past life.

"It's like the difference between graphite and diamond. The carbon is the same, but the structure has undergone a qualitative change."

Ren's Origin Force-infused palm, shaped like a knife, sliced through the corner of the wooden table, leaving a smooth and precise cut.

"Hmm..." Ren pondered, clearly realizing that the previous infusion of Origin Force couldn't achieve such an effect.

Suddenly, a loud "Boom!" reverberated from outside the window.

Ren rushed to the window to investigate.

The buried tunnel entrance, once covered in soil, now erupted with flying dirt, revealing a gaping hole.

"The Earth Serpent has returned!" Ren's first thought was of the Legendary Breed.

"This is perfect to test the Warhammer Wizard's core technique, 'Soul Shatter Impact,' and experience what true damage feels like."

To Ren's surprise, his sharp eyes spotted an exceptionally burly figure emerging from the dust and smoke.

The figure had a mane of hair resembling a lion's mane, and he wore a highly rustic, bronze-colored chest armor.

The armor's design was reminiscent of the muscle-type armor worn by Spartans in Ren's past life, consisting of a front and back piece.

In his right hand, he held a massive, block-shaped warhammer.

The warhammer, equally rustic, had a head shaped like a rectangular prism, with its two sides painted blue, and the handle adorned with blue and white stripes.

Dozens of guards, startled, quickly surrounded the figure, but in the next instant, they found themselves frozen in place, unable to move even a finger.

The figure blinked, and in an instant, he was at the heart of the group.

"Pluck!" He plunged his hand into the guard's heart, drawing a gasp from the onlookers.

As the guard's red blood trickled down the figure's dry and sinewy arm, he turned his head slightly and spoke in a deep, resonating voice:

"Freeman, you're deceiving me. These are not the Empire's elite."

At that moment, Ren noticed a group of Black Flame Adepts emerging from the tunnel.

Roland, Flay, and Atreles quickly rushed over.

But when they laid eyes on the Ancient Hero Monge, they froze in awe!

The pressure he exuded was overwhelming.

Freeman, sensing the fear in Roland and the others, quickly pointed them out to Monge, "No, Monge, those are the Empire's elite!"

As Monge's gaze shifted to Roland and his team, they felt a chill down their spines, a sense of dread as if facing their natural predator.

Roland, the peak knight, spoke to his two teammates, "You two, run! I'll hold them off!"

"Captain, is he that strong?" Flay, showing signs of panic, had never seen his captain like this before, and already felt defeat was certain.

"Captain, even with Ren's help, is there no hope?" Flay asked, his voice laced with disappointment.

"No hope! We can't win, he's a true Legendary Warrior, perhaps even more." Roland shook his head, his face paling.

Clara, sensing the tension, stepped behind Roland.

Then, Ren joined them.

"Run? You call yourselves the Empire's elite?" Freeman, delighted by their fear, exclaimed, "Come, come, the elite of Dragon Empire, show me more, so that Monge can regain his peak strength!"

The Ancient Hero Monge, having been dormant for too long, had his life force slowed by the Amber Barrier Technique.

But his vital essence was still weakening with the passing of time.

The Blood Source Ritual's blood crystal, though refined, was merely a mixture of a hundred portions from various strong individuals, including a small amount from a few Legendary Breeds.

For someone of Monge's caliber, it was barely enough to awaken him.

The Ancient Hero Monge's strength was now a mere shadow of its former glory.

He needed to absorb the essence of strong individuals to regain his power.

If he were to absorb the essence of a single Legendary Warrior, he might regain a fraction of his strength.

With the essence of ten Legendary Warriors, he could potentially restore his strength to the level of an Epic Warrior.

The two Griffin Knights exchanged a glance, immediately on alert.

Even from the air, the dust cloud below was clearly vast.

"Fayse, let's go down and take a look."

"Yeah! Viscount Filk, that seems to be the Habsburg Castle. Could it be under attack?"

The two Griffin Knights steered their mounts towards the smoke and dust.

"It's the Black Flame Cult!" Viscount Filk immediately spotted the distinctive black-robed figures and the tall, hammer-wielding figure at the forefront.

At that moment, from the perspective of those on the ground...

Suddenly, a loud and dignified cry echoed from the sky!

A powerful creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle, with immense wingspan, swooped down from the air. Its sharp claws aimed directly at the red-haired freak.

"Boom!!"

A semi-transparent shockwave shot out from the square hammer! With just one strike, the griffin, at least four meters long, was severely injured, crashing into the side building like a plane, collapsing several walls.

The other griffin, in its anthropomorphic form, revealed fear and quickly soared higher.

The red-haired freak's terrifying attack, which took down a griffin with a single blow, left everyone hesitant to approach for a while.

"Lord Ren, Miss Clara, the opponent is a true Legendary Warrior. You must leave now," Roland said anxiously.

"Hiss~"

"A Legendary Warrior?"

Everyone's gaze turned to Ren, more or less.

As a fellow hammer-wielding warrior who had just earned the title 'Skull Crusher,' Ren seemed to be the only one on their side with a chance of defeating the opponent.

But the problem was that the opponent was incredibly strong! A Legendary Warrior!

Not a Near-Legendary like Raksool or Cannon, but a genuine Legendary Warrior.

A Black Flame Adept whispered to Freeman, who then fixed his gaze on Ren, smiling sinisterly:

"So, you're Ren?"

"Since you killed Raksool, you shall be the first to die."

"Dying at the hands of the Ancient Hero Monge is an honor."

At this moment, Ren's attention was entirely focused on the Ancient Hero Monge. Having just grasped a thread of Will Radiance, he could see more than others.

Around Monge's tall figure, the field was chaotic.

This field, akin to a human magnetic field, was something Ren had never witnessed in anyone else.

It was as if it could be seen with the naked eye.

The field seemed like a powerful magnetic field radiating in all directions, or a colorful, dense array of ribbons fluttering in the wind.

When Monge's eyes locked onto Ren, Ren trembled as if a loud bell rang in his ear.

This was an aura of superiority from a higher life form!

Far more intense than when facing the Legendary Earth Snake!

This was an absolute powerhouse!

But Ren knew he had no way out.

Not to mention being Clara's Guardian Knight, even considering the speed the opponent had just displayed, it was highly unlikely he could escape.

Given the circumstances, there seemed to be only one choice!

Indifferent to life and death, if you dare, fight!

Ren tightened his grip on the Skull Battle Hammer.

And he still had an ace up his sleeve.

In an instant!

"Boom!"

The tall figure's toes tapped the ground, causing the earth to explode!

The entire person left a gray afterimage, holding a massive blue and white warhammer, rushing towards Ren. The opponent's speed was incredible, and a visible white air wave surrounded them.

Ren's pupils constricted, and his sense of danger had never been so intense.

Facing a life-or-death crisis...

In an instant, Ren felt his scalp tingle, as if he had been electrocuted.

At this moment, he didn't feel any pressure from the opponent.

In the eyes of the onlookers...

Ren suddenly charged towards the opponent, leaving a silver line in his wake. Logically, if the opponent dodged, Ren's hammer would have a hard time hitting him. But perhaps, in the eyes of the Ancient Hero Monge, Ren was just a slightly stronger ant.

Imagine facing an ant. A normal person would neither retreat nor dodge.

They would just stomp harder.

Perhaps their foot would even grind it a bit.

"Boom!!!"

In an instant, the large and small warhammers collided!

A powerful air wave, visible to the naked eye, radiated from the point of impact, expanding rapidly in all directions, comparable to the muzzle blast of a 406mm battleship's main gun.

Instantly, Ren was sent flying backwards, his white Skull Battle Hammer disintegrating into fine sand from head to tail. But what worried everyone even more was that Ren's right arm muscles were exploding, and as he flew back, blood splattered!

The Black Flame Adepts, including Freeman, watched this scene with a mocking smile on their faces.

Simultaneously, four words emerged in their minds—'Overestimating oneself!'

Dare to challenge the Ancient Hero Monge?

Who do you think you are?

An Imperial Dragon Knight?

Impossible!

But the next second, their mocking smiles froze!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end