Chapter 284: Dragon Knight

Chapter 284: Dragon Knight



The clash of the two warhammers created sparks and shockwaves, forming a fierce hammer storm that sent six or seven nearby Black Flame Adepts and guards flying into the air.

The ground also instantly sank by nearly ten centimeters due to the immense impact, and the soil splattered like a tornado.

In an instant, a large pit formed around Rain and Ancient Hero Mong within a few meters.

At the moment of impact, Ancient Hero Mong's expression changed, and he became utterly terrified.

He had always assumed that the special power of the opponent's move, which could harm the soul, came from the skull warhammer that had just been shattered into powder.

Because of that hammer, he believed it was a tool related to the Beast Priest.

During prolonged beastly rituals, it was possible to occasionally possess the ability to harm souls.

But Mong truly hadn't expected that this time, Rain, the Imperial youth, without the skull warhammer in hand, could still deliver a strike with the ability to harm souls.

Instantly, behind Mong's towering figure, a somewhat tattered transparent shadow was once again struck away from his body by Rain's hammer.

The same scene as before replayed!

The transparent shadow, which had separated from Mong's body by nearly a meter, suddenly had dozens of fist-sized holes appear all over its body.

This time, the transparent shadow became exceptionally tattered, like a candle in a storm.

If one didn't look closely, it was almost impossible to discern its human shape.

When the shadow returned to Ancient Hero Mong's body, this time, Mong staggered and took five or six steps backward.

Finally, with a 'bang,' he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Rain, on the other side, was also suffering.

His warhammer, even though it was made of hardened fine gold, couldn't withstand the intensity of the previous collision.

At that moment, the thinner handle of the hammer broke, and the hammerhead was completely knocked away, leaving Rain with only a headless hammer in his hand.

At the same time, Mong's strike was accompanied by a special dark red flame and a transparent energy shock.

Currently, Rain's right hand was nearly fractured, and his entire body was engulfed in the dark red flames, causing him immense pain.

However, Rain endured the pain and took a quick step forward, transforming his hardened fine gold into a warhammer once again. He swung it at Mong's head.

As if sensing the crisis of death, Mong's eyes widened in an instant.

The next second, he blocked Rain's strike with his grayish-white arm.

"Bang!"

The impact, as if hitting a thick leather armor, was transmitted through the hammer handle to Rain's hand. Despite the opponent's wrinkled skin resembling a mummy, the muscle fibers beneath it were like steel wires, providing exceptional defense.

Even compared to Rain, who possessed the Intermediate Steel Body talent, Mong's arm muscles were only damaged, and his arm bones were not shattered.

Whether it was a final burst of energy or some secret technique, the exhausted Mong roared and charged into Rain's embrace, pushing with all his strength.

"Boom! Boom!"

After consecutively knocking down several stone walls, the two of them crashed into the nearby villa annex, immediately engaging in close combat.

However, Mong's condition at this point was truly terrible. After a few seconds, Rain seized the opportunity.

"Pfft!"

Ancient Hero Mong's eyes widened, and his body trembled.

A pointed hammer was driven into his brain through his crown.

The next moment, he seemed to want to raise his arm to counterattack, but his entire body suddenly convulsed. The raised thick arm naturally fell, and the lion-like head finally drooped in exhaustion.

Rain pulled out the pointed hammer and looked at the towering figure collapsing to the ground, feeling a sense of awe.

As Ancient Hero Mong died, a unique aura emanated from his robust corpse.

This aura was filled with grand and majestic implications.

Rain felt that Mong's death was somewhat like a 'whale fall.'

After his death, it seemed as if the primal power within his body dissipated, resulting in the release of this majestic aura.

Suddenly, the system prompt sounded:

[Ding! Unknown high-quality absorbable energy detected. Absorb or not?]



(Note: This high-quality energy can be directly converted into talent points after absorption.)



Hmm?

Rain was slightly startled by the system prompt.

Since the last time he killed the Darkflame Cult High Priestess during her promotion stage and coincidentally encountered a situation where talent points could be obtained, Rain had always believed that only enemies with some connection to divine beings could provide talent points.

He hadn't expected that by defeating Ancient Hero Mong, he would have the opportunity to gain talent points.

Faced with this choice, Rain didn't hesitate. He immediately selected 'Yes!'

Instantly, the peculiar aura emanating from Mong's robust corpse, which had begun to dissipate, was now like a river flowing into the ocean, absorbed by Rain's body.

[Ding! 2 talent points obtained.]



[Please choose to enhance the talent 'Primary Weapon Mastery (Passive),' 'Primary Extraordinary Insight (Passive),' 'Intermediate Steel Body (Passive),' or 'Intermediate Colossal Strength (Active).']

As Rain looked at the system prompt, his smile widened even further.

Two talent points! This meant that even for intermediate talents, he could now improve them.

However, now was not the time to consider allocating points.

At this moment, his physical condition was also a bit off, as the evil flame from his opponent, like an incurable disease, remained within him, causing continuous damage.

So, Rain could only have his three battle pets bear the unbearable once again.

As the eagle, dog, and horse rushed into the ruins, Rain cast the 3rd-level 'Beast Vitality', and his whole body finally felt much better.

At this moment, Rain spotted something and raised his eyebrows.

He walked forward and picked up the blue and white warhammer that once belonged to Monge, holding it in his hand.

The warhammer was not only heavy, but Rain could also sense a resistant aura emanating from it.

It was as if the warhammer was a living being, with its own consciousness, and it did not recognize him as its new master.

Rain held the warhammer to his chest and examined it carefully.

The handle was adorned with intricate blue and white patterns, seemingly an array of runes, suggesting a special function.

The hammerhead, however, bore no such intricate patterns.

Its square shape had blue on two sides and silver-white on the remaining four, giving an impression of exceptional sturdiness and weight.

Rain pondered for a moment, then gripped the blue and white warhammer in his right hand and held up Monge's foot by the ankle with his left, dragging the tall, heavy corpse out of the villa's ruins.

As Rain emerged, everyone present involuntarily paused their fighting, including the Black Flame Cultists led by Freeman and the guards led by Roland and Viscount Filck.

Their eyes, now fixed on Rain, were filled with disbelief and shock.

The Black Flame Cultists, led by Freeman, stared wide-eyed, repeatedly examining the tall corpse Rain was dragging. It was indeed the ancient hero Monge.

But how was this possible?

He was a rare Epic-level powerhouse in the history of the church!

To think he had been killed by an Imperial youth!

Even in the ballads of bards, a hero must have extraordinary achievements, right?

Otherwise, a farmer killing a dragon with a pitchfork would surely be met with rotten eggs from the audience.

But to the Black Flame Church, what was the difference between Rain and a farmer, or Monge and a dragon?

Roland and Viscount Filck also watched this scene in shock!

Though they didn't wish for Rain's defeat, to be honest, they had never really expected him to win.

In their eyes, such a possibility was unimaginable.

At best, they hoped Rain could hold off the ancient legendary power of the Black Flame Cult for a little longer.

If he could stall until Imperial reinforcements arrived, that would be ideal.

But even this, in their minds, was a pipe dream.

In other words, they had never once thought Rain could win!

Yet, at this moment, events were unfolding far beyond their expectations.

Could it be that Rain had won?

Roland clearly remembered that just yesterday, Flay had told him that Rain was a Golden Rank Swordbearer Captain, but in reality, he had only joined the Swordbearer Division of Minster Province less than two months ago.

Could a quasi-newbie like him have defeated an ancient legendary power of the Black Flame Cult?

This was no longer a case of 'this child will surely become a great talent' to describe Rain.

It should be changed to 'this child has become a great talent'!

Kraya, standing guard at the villa's entrance, also had her mouth slightly agape, her beautiful eyes wide, not knowing what to say for a moment as she watched Rain.

Just two hours ago, she had given Rain a book written by her ancestor on how to comprehend Will Radiance, and now he had defeated a legendary power of the Black Flame Cult?

Kraya felt her head spinning, unable to process this sudden turn of events.

The guards within the Hubert Duke Manor, who had initially doubted Rain when he was first tasked with the manor's security, now looked at him with a mix of deep respect and a hint of fear.

Many of the guards recalled their previous doubts, and their faces flushed slightly.

At this moment, as they looked at Rain's familiar figure, they felt a sense of security.

Suddenly, Freeman, standing in the arena, trembled and snapped out of his daze.

If he didn't leave now, he might not get another chance.

"Retreat!" he shouted, quickly crushing something in his hand, and a thick fog suddenly appeared.

The Black Flame Cultists, now devoid of any fighting spirit, also immediately threw similar smoke grenades onto the ground.

Suddenly, smoke filled the garden!

But faintly, one could barely make out the surviving Blackflame cultivators, rushing towards the tunnel entrance previously dug by the Earth Serpent.

Just as Rain was about to pursue after setting down the body of the Ancient Hero Mong, Roland and Flay stepped forward and said:

"Lord Rain, please leave this to us. We'll handle it!"

Rain thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright!"

Rain sat down on a broken slab of stone, taking a moment to calm his breath, and began to recall the recent battle.

At this moment, whether they were familiar with Rain or not, everyone present witnessed the young man sitting quietly on the stone slab, and for a while, no one dared to approach him.

So, the garden presented a strange scene.

The young man seemed detached from the world, sitting on the stone slab, holding a massive white and blue warhammer in his hand, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, everyone else was busy.

A group was chasing into the tunnel, while others stood guard, alert and vigilant.

Olenna, about to approach Rain sitting alone on the stone slab, intended to praise him.

But seeing Rain deep in contemplation, Olenna felt a sudden urge to not disturb him.

Olenna, as the Deputy Governor of the Swordsmen Division, understood the magnitude of Rain's achievement. Even she, with her vast experience, had never personally witnessed an enemy's Legendary Power being defeated by their side.

Unable to approach but excited, Olenna's eyes lit up, as if she had an idea.

She immediately took out a quill and started writing swiftly.

Due to her overwhelming excitement, her handwriting was a bit messy.

Olenna crumpled the paper and threw it away, then took out a fresh sheet.

This time, she sighed in relief, calming her emotions, and began to write again.

The maid, seeing Olenna writing intently, couldn't help but be curious. She approached and saw:

".Hubert Duke Manor, encountered the Blackflame Cult. According to the cultists, the enemy was an Ancient Legendary named 'Ancient Hero Mong'."

".Our side's Golden Rank Swordbearer Captain, Lord Rain, in a one-on-one battle, killed Ancient Hero Mong on the spot."

Thinking for a moment, Olenna decided to include the others:

".The remaining enemies were jointly defeated by the Blade Squad and Griffin Knights."

Looking at the report, Olenna nodded in satisfaction.

This report would surely highlight Lord Rain's excellence!

Rain, recalling, hadn't checked the system prompts yet.

Indeed, the prompts flooded the screen:

[You experienced a battle, gaining 7847 experience points for Weapon Master (Legendary).]



[You experienced a battle, gaining 3991 experience points for Warhammer Wizard (Legendary).]



[You experienced a battle, gaining 1387 experience points for Beast Priest (Legendary).]



[Note: Skill experience has enjoyed the 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' talent, increasing by 30%.]



[Congratulations! You defeated a formidable foe, gaining 11 Golden Skill Points!]



[Congratulations! Your Will (Hidden) attribute has increased!]



[Congratulations! Your Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) profession level has increased!]



[Congratulations! Your Beast Priest (Legendary) profession level has increased!]



The recently promoted Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) profession level rose again, reaching lv6 (2611/3000).

Surprisingly, the Beast Priest (Legendary) profession level rose twice, reaching lv5 (49/2000).

This was an unexpected joy!

The promotion of both Warhammer Wizard and Beast Priest Legendary professions granted Rain an additional 3 attribute points and 3 skill points.

With his remaining points, Rain now had 5 attribute points, 5 skill points, and 11 golden skill points remaining."

Hmm?

Rain checked his attribute panel, and indeed, the Will (Hidden) attribute had increased to 2 points.

Constitution: 43 (3 points gained in battle)



Strength: 46

Agility: 44

Spirit: 55

Will (Hidden): 2

The intense battle seemed to be the best tempering for his will.

Undoubtedly, this enemy, Ancient Hero Mong, was the strongest Rain had ever faced.

If not for the opening 'Soul Shatter Impact', the subsequent battle would have been impossible.

In fact, the key to defeating Mong relied on the second 'Soul Shatter Impact's' true damage.

Without this, breaking through his physical defense and severely injuring him would have been extremely difficult.

"This is the power of a top-tier legendary class, the core skills of a Warhammer Wizard!" exclaimed Rain, unable to hold back his awe.

"If I hadn't switched to the Warhammer Wizard class, I doubt we could have turned this battle around. The best outcome would have been a swift escape on my Swift Black Warhorse."

"But if that's the case..."

"I still need to strengthen my power."

At that, and immediately, a thought came to his mind.

After a moment's consideration, he understood.

Currently, he had three main options before him.

The first option was to upgrade the talent 'Intermediate Steel Body', which would further enhance his attack power by another level, a crucial advantage in combat.

The second option was to upgrade the talent 'Intermediate Weapon Mastery', a simple yet effective choice as armor reinforcement was always beneficial.

The third option was to split the talent points, adding them to 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' and 'Basic Weapon Mastery', upgrading these basic talents to intermediate levels.

By doing so, the power of all weapons except for the warhammer would increase, and the extraordinary insight would further enhance the training speed of subsequent extraordinary battle techniques.

Each choice had its advantages, but which one should he pick?

A sense of unease crept into his mind, and he felt a surge of anxiety.

"Hmm?" The intensity of this aura... It reminded him of Ancient Hero Mong. A flash of lightning struck in his mind, and he realized something. He looked up, and in the air, where the griffin knights were circling, the empty space between them started to shimmer with ripples of light, as if a glass lens was refracting the sunlight.

Then, in a strange, almost invisible effect, it disappeared.

A majestic, beautiful, and awe-inspiring creature appeared before him.

The sight of this true dragon, a creature of legend, was no less shocking than when he had first encountered Ancient Hero Mong.

Its body was a deep red, covered in tightly packed, thick scales larger than the palm of an adult human. Beneath the red scales, its limbs were muscular and powerful, and each claw at the end of its limbs was as sharp as a knight's longsword.

On either side of its head were two slightly curved horns, and in the center, four smaller horns stood in a row.

Its massive wings, when viewed up close, seemed to block out the sky.

From his estimation, the wingspan was at least twenty to thirty meters, but it was the faintly swirling wind element particles surrounding it that truly showcased its agility.

However, it wasn't just the dragon's size that was awe-inspiring.

While the sea serpent he had previously encountered wasn't much smaller in comparison, even the legendary Devouring Snake's immense size didn't compare to the sense of awe this dragon evoked.

What truly moved him was its aura!

The intense, vast aura made the uninitiated guards tremble, even though they knew it wasn't an enemy, but rather the Empire's legendary Dragon Knight.

This sense of being overwhelmed by a higher life form made them shiver.

The red dragon lowered its head to sniff the body of Ancient Hero Mong, and then it looked at the blue-white warhammer in his hand with its large golden vertical pupils.

Its eyes conveyed a sense of curiosity, doubt, and surprise.

At that moment, a graceful and magnetic female voice came from the dragon's back.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end