Chapter 294: Battle Against the Wraith

Chapter 294: Battle Against the Wraith



Rayn didn't venture far from his family's residence. The main reason he left the residence to investigate was that the two eerie little boys he had just killed were likely two avatars of a Wraith.

If the Wraith sought revenge, Rayn didn't want his family to suffer the consequences. Otherwise, Rayn's first choice would naturally be to prioritize his family's safety.

This, in the end, reflected the lack of depth in Rayn's family background.

However, during the day, Vieri had taken the initiative to become Rayn's follower. Once Vieri helped guard the residence, Rayn could be more at ease.

At the same time, in the grand and magnificent prayer hall of the Minster Goddess Temple, Archbishop Gomez looked up into the distance, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

After pondering for a while, he turned to a knight standing beside him, carrying a bright silver two-handed warhammer, and said, "This ancient and evil aura is likely from a Wraith. The City Guard and Night Watch probably can't handle it, Brandul. You should go and take care of it."

"As you command, Archbishop Gomez," said the Punisher Knight named Brandul, and he immediately led a team of Temple Knights out of the prayer hall.

Since it was late at night, the prayer hall became less crowded after Brandul's departure, leaving only a few Temple Knights as guards.

But soon after, Archbishop Gomez turned around and stared at a corner of the prayer hall, his eyebrows furrowing even deeper.

"Who's there?"

"As expected of the Archbishop, your perception is truly sharp. But I really hate this place; it makes my whole body feel uncomfortable!" Along with the deep voice, a shadow appeared.

"Who dares!" Four Temple Knights drew their knight swords and charged towards the shadow.

But in the next moment, four huge black misty hands appeared from the side, grabbing the Temple Knights and lifting them into the air as if they were holding little chicks! The knights were suspended in mid-air, wrapped in black mist, their faces turning red as they struggled fiercely.

"I was planning to chat with you a bit more, but I'm sorry, Archbishop. We have to hurry, so we can only send you to meet your goddess as soon as possible," the shadow mocked.

At this moment, Archbishop Gomez turned to his left and saw another figure in black robes appear, casting the Shadow Hand. If Rayn were there, he would have instantly recognized him as Freeman from the Black Flame Cult.

And the other one was also obvious.

"The two of you, are you not taking the Goddess Church seriously?"

Archbishop Gomez chanted a short phrase, and with a lift of his finger, four pale blue beams of light shot out consecutively, instantly shattering the Shadow Hand that trapped the Temple Knights.

But it didn't end there. Archbishop Gomez began to chant another spell.

A blue light enveloped him, forming an egg-shaped energy shield.

"A second-tier divine spell, 'Blessing Shield'? Truly troublesome."

Freeman and Burges exchanged a glance and simultaneously unleashed a 'Shadow Impact' towards Archbishop Gomez.

Although Freeman and Burges were powerful, defeating Archbishop Gomez, whose strength was even greater than theirs, in the prayer hall of the Goddess Temple, was beyond their reach.

Their combined attack only caused the blue shield around Archbishop Gomez to flicker slightly before stabilizing again.

Suddenly, a black spiral light pillar flashed through the hall!

As Archbishop Gomez concentrated on his battle with Freeman and Burges from the Black Flame Cult, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a fist-sized hole in his chest, right through his heart, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Extor stepped forward with a smile and said, "My apologies, Archbishop Gomez."

"Your spell..." Archbishop Gomez's face turned pale.

"Yes, a third-tier Shadow spell, 'Shadow Light Cannon'," Extor nodded.

A spell that could break through a second-tier divine spell was undoubtedly of a higher tier.

If Extor hadn't advanced to a Crystal Wizard, he wouldn't have been able to assassinate Archbishop Gomez with a single strike. But after becoming a Crystal Wizard, things changed.

The sudden attack of a third-tier single-target spell, combined with Freeman and Burges' distraction, resulted in a one-hit kill.

The next second, Archbishop Gomez's body began to corrupt, and the shadow energy quickly spread throughout his body. He staggered and eventually collapsed!

"Sir, your 'Shadow Light Cannon' is truly formidable," Burges said with a smile, stepping forward to praise him.

"Alright, quickly destroy the defense formation, and let's leave," Extor urged.

"After all, this is the provincial capital, Minster, where powerful individuals are not uncommon."

Minster, a massive city, had multiple defense formations to counter various enemies, and the core of the formation that resisted dark energy was located within the Goddess Temple.

Several days ago, Extor had already planned everything.

Using the Wraith from the 'Gaze of the Eye' to launch the attack, the formation would inevitably fail to suppress it. When the formation couldn't suppress it, the Goddess Church would undoubtedly send their elite forces to deal with it.

And this was the perfect time for Extor and his allies to strike!

Once the core of the array within the Goddess Church was destroyed, it would be almost impossible to repair it in a short time.

This was crucial for Extor's grand plan on the day of the official knighting ceremony in Minster.

Rayn stood on the street and looked up.

At this moment, he could clearly see the eerie shadow of a small boy hundreds of meters away, rapidly growing larger.

Meanwhile, the originally transparent demon body had become more solid, and the terrifying aura it emitted was growing stronger.

Even those who weren't as sensitive as Rayn, like the Night Watch patrols and City Defense Guards, could now see the demon's appearance clearly.

Their horrified expressions were a testament to this.

In less than a minute, the demon's height had increased to around five meters.

What was even more unsettling was that it maintained the form of a small boy, despite its giant size, and the doll it held in its hand was now about three meters tall.

The small boy demon seemed to have a deep impression of Rayn, who had killed two of its clones.

It slowly turned around and looked at Rayn.

A massive pressure emanated from its pitch-black eyes, landing on Rayn even from hundreds of meters away.

Rayn felt an invisible and heavy pressure wash over him.

With a slight focus of his will, the Radiance Sword in his hand glowed brightly.

He swung it lightly, and something invisible was sliced open, like a bubble being punctured.

The pressure vanished instantly!

This further enraged the giant demon. It took a step forward, covering four to five meters in one stride, and quickly approached Rayn.

The people who had been awakened by the powerful and terrifying aura now opened their windows and looked outside. When they saw the giant and eerie shadow of a small boy, they couldn't help but scream in horror.

"Monster! Monster!"

When the demon saw these terrified civilians, it took a deep breath.

The originally terrified civilians suddenly fainted and collapsed!

The next second, a transparent shadow appeared on the fallen bodies, and the shadow representing their souls was sucked towards the giant demon's open mouth like a dragon drinking water.

"Sizzle! Sizzle!"

Like eating noodles, they were all swallowed by the small boy demon.

"Scatter!"

At this moment, Brandul arrived with a team of Temple Knights. Seeing this scene, his face turned grim.

He drew his silver-white war hammer from his back and charged towards the small boy demon.

"Punishment Hammer!"

His silver-white war hammer emitted a deep blue glow, and a giant hammer shadow, several meters long, flew out from the war hammer, striking the giant demon.

However, the small boy demon was extremely agile and blocked the hammer with the doll in its hand. Although the doll's shadow dimmed after being hit, the next second, an invisible shockwave roared out from its mouth!

Within a hundred meters, civilians fainted one after another!

Even the elite Night Watch patrols and City Defense Guards were not spared.

Many nearby full-fledged knights and apprentice wizards covered their ears, looking pained.

"Succubus Howl!" Brandul frowned.

The Punisher Knight, Brandul, muttered something.

Suddenly, a blue light column as thick as a bucket shot down from the top of the Goddess Temple hundreds of meters away, directly pouring into Brandul's silver-white war hammer. The hammer's shadow expanded to more than three times its original size.

The giant hammer shadow hit the center of the giant demon's body, and with this heavy blow, the demon's chest also showed signs of scorching and corrosion, emitting a sizzling sound.

As the giant demon touched the ground, it left scorching marks, and within a diameter of several dozen meters, the ground began to emit a faint blue glow.

When the small demons from all directions entered this area, they melted like candles.

Knights and wizards arrived from various directions, some from the Swordbearer Division, some from the Duke's Residence, and others from administrative departments.

The crowd gradually surrounded the giant demon.

The giant demon, finding it difficult to recover, seemed to give up on continuing the fight. Instead, it turned and rushed towards Rayn, perhaps intending to leave before being discovered.

Or maybe, without Rayn's interference, it could have remained undiscovered for a longer time.

"Be careful! Get out of the way!" Brandul, not recognizing Rayn, noticed his attire resembling that of a high-ranking knight and shouted a warning.

Rayn used Metal Transformation Spell, and the items in his hand began to grow.

The Tempered Gold and Enchanted Serenium quickly formed a war hammer, covered with Radiance Stone on the outside.

In an instant, a massive double-handed war hammer appeared in Rayn's hand.

"Annihilation Hammer!"

Rayn leaped high, charged forward, and swung the massive war hammer from above, slamming it onto the equally giant small boy demon!

The next second, time seemed to freeze!

Everyone turned their heads in surprise!

The nearly five-meter-tall giant demon turned into grains of sand, like wind-eroded rocks, and scattered with the wind!

"Such power!" Even Brandul was amazed.

When did such a powerful hammer-wielding warrior arrive in Minster? Just as he was about to approach Rayn for a chat, a Temple Knight hurriedly reported:

"Sir Brandul, it seems the source of the demon is over at the art exhibition."

Brandul, now having to abandon his plan to chat with Rayn, nodded at Rayn and quickly followed the Temple Knight.

Warning: Unaddressed Evil Source May Lead to Further Outbreaks!

"Brandol?"

"Sounds familiar."

Rain's expression suddenly changed to one of realization!

He recalled the letter of introduction from Myester, the Archbishop of the Goddess Church, which mentioned contacting a master hammer wielder named Brandol.

"Apparently, a rare Punishment Knight."

"Extremely powerful in combat."

"Especially effective against evil spirits like this one."

Rain had no intention of visiting the art gallery and instead headed back to the mansion to ensure his family's safety.

At that moment, Rain checked the system prompts:

Congratulations, you defeated a powerful enemy, earning 4 Golden Skill Points!

Congratulations, your hidden Will attribute has been enhanced!

Congratulations, your Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) profession has leveled up!

The Warhammer Wizard (Legendary) profession, which was already close to leveling up, had risen to lv7 (1421/5000), granting an additional skill point and attribute point.

Combined with his existing points, Rain now had 6 attribute points, 6 skill points, and 9 Golden Skill Points.

"Will attribute increased by 1 point again?"

"This is an unexpected surprise."

Rain had sensed the evil spirit's energy field earlier, and now his Will attribute had reached 3 points, meeting the requirement for the Basic Annihilation Field.

The Next Day

After waking up, Rain observed from the second-floor window that the number of law enforcement officers and city guards on the streets had increased significantly.

Although puzzled, Rain assumed it was due to the Marquis of Minster's outrage.

After all, the previous night's incident had resulted in over a hundred casualties, and the additional victims of the evil spirit's possession were still unknown.

Rain's Departure

Following breakfast, Rain bid farewell to his family and returned to the Swordsman Branch.

After organizing his belongings, Rain set out for the Goddess Church, carrying his blue-and-white warhammer.

He intended to have the church investigate the weapon's origins, hoping to uncover more about the "Ancient Hero Meng."

Additionally, Rain sought to understand how to wield the warhammer freely, as it still seemed to possess a consciousness that repelled him.

Knock on the Door

Just then, an urgent knocking sound interrupted him.

Hmm? Who could it be at this early hour? Vieri?

Rain opened the door to find Olenna, the Deputy Chief, with a solemn expression.

"Olenna, so early? Please come in, what's happened?"

Rain noticed Olenna's serious demeanor and anticipated bad news.

Could it be related to the evil spirit incident from last night?

Shocking News

"Yes, Rain, Grand Priest Gomes has been assassinated."

Olenna's words left Rain stunned.

"What time did it happen?" Rain's expression turned grim.

He had planned to visit the church to have Grand Priest Gomes examine the mark on him, hoping to remove it.

But now, he received news of the priest's death just a day later!

This cast a dark cloud over Rain's heart.

"It occurred last night, during the giant evil spirit incident. The killer appears to be a legendary Shadow-type attacker, a Third-Order Crystalized Wizard."

"But even a legendary attacker shouldn't have been able to kill Grand Priest Gomes so easily, right?" Rain asked, perplexed.

He was familiar with the priest's strength as the Goddess Church's provincial affairs manager, who had been at the Near-Legendary stage for many years.

Moreover, the assassination took place within the temple, where even a legendary attacker should have been at a disadvantage.

"The killer wasn't alone; at least three different people were involved, based on the footprints and residual auras found at the scene," Olenna explained.

"Three against one, then?" Rain nodded in understanding.

This made more sense.

"Their timing was impeccable. I wonder, could the evil spirit at the gallery have also been their doing?" Rain suddenly asked, looking at Olenna.

"Rain, you are indeed wise," Olenna replied, impressed.

"Yes, the residual auras suggest it was the work of the Black Flame Cult."

Further Consequences

"Also, the assassins not only killed Grand Priest Gomes but also destroyed the core of Minster's defensive array."

"The one that combined evil detection, exorcism, and other functions?" Rain inquired.

"Yes, that's the one," Olenna confirmed.

This revelation filled Rain with foreboding.

He had witnessed the Punishment Knights' enhanced combat strength, boosted by at least 50%, when fighting the evil spirit with the array's support.

The array had also restricted the evil spirit's invasion of the noble, administrative, and church districts.

Now, with the array destroyed, all districts were left vulnerable, just like the upper and lower city areas.

New Developments

"The main reason I came to find you, Rain, is that Admiral Edward asked me to inform you that he will request the Empire's Guardian to assist in removing your mark."

The once familiar courtyard was now in disarray, and it seemed that some time would be needed to restore it. Moreover, there was a high likelihood that a trip to the imperial capital would be necessary.

"Alright, Lady Olena, please convey my gratitude to Admiral Edward for remembering me amidst his busy schedule." Rain nodded.

After Olena left, Rain put the blue and white warhammer back in the cabinet and crossed his arms, deep in thought.

"Is this the Black Flame Cult's way of showing off after their failed attempt in Mayster County?"

"No, it's not just that."

"If they were purely seeking to demonstrate their power, they would have come after me for revenge instead of assassinating a Grand Bishop of the Church of the Dragon."

"This act seems to have a special purpose."

Rain's heart sank at this realization.

"Isn't Minster, as a provincial capital, safe anymore?"

"I wonder what the imperial upper echelons are thinking. With such a powerful Dragon Knight as Lady Manya, shouldn't it be easy to eradicate these cultists?"

"It seems some matters need to be expedited." Rain shook his head slightly.

"I must ensure the safety of myself and my family."

"In that case, having Vieri, Angus, and Neor join the squad is a good thing. My doppelgangers can help with some tasks, and they should be able to lend a hand."

Half an hour later, in Rain's room.

Rain prepared a cup of Yorton tea for Neor and placed it on the coffee table.

"Neor, I need a favor. You've been in Minster for many years; do you know of any Scribes? If you know any well, could you introduce me to one?" Rain asked directly.

Neor gave Rain a strange look and said, "Lord Rain, do you wish to learn Inscriptions, or do you have an item that needs appraisal?"

"I want to learn Inscriptions."

"If it's just basic learning, perhaps I can help." Neor smiled.

"You know Inscriptions, Neor?" Rain was a bit surprised.

"Well, I'm a mid-level Scribe, Lord Rain. You might not have noticed, but one of the fundamentals of scroll-making is mastering certain Inscription techniques." Neor explained with a smile.

"That's great! Can you teach me now?"

"Now?" Neor was taken aback for a moment, but then he burst into a hearty laugh.

"Of course! I think I understand why you're so powerful, Lord Rain. You act on your thoughts without delay, and that's a great habit."

Rain smiled at Neor's praise but didn't explain further.

Neor took out a notebook and began to explain:

"This is the pattern for a Basic Defensive Engraving, the first Engraving that most Wizard Apprentices encounter when they study Inscriptions."

Rain examined it and nodded.

A Basic Engraving? Its complexity was almost on par with the Mithril Embroidered Plate Armor, but Rain could discern that the two Engravings were not the same.

Apparently, the Mithril Embroidered Plate Armor also had a Basic Engraving, which shouldn't be too difficult.

"Lord Rain, have you ever learned to draw Wizard Arrays?"

"Wizard Arrays? I've learned a little; Rain thought for a moment. "Yes, I've learned a bit. It requires drawing with special ink."

He recalled the days when he studied Wizard Arrays with the twin-tailed girl, Vinika.

"That's great! Learning Inscriptions and drawing Wizard Arrays have many similarities. Both involve drawing, one with special ink and the other with mental power."

"They also share the concept of nodes."

About half an hour later, Rain's eyebrows rose slightly as the system prompt sounded:

【You have learned Inscriptions, and your understanding has improved!】

【You have acquired a new skill - Basic Defensive Engraving. "You've acquired a new skill - Basic Defensive Engraving!"

【Your skill Basic Defensive Engraving has improved, gaining 1 experience point.】

Just as Rain thought it was over, the system prompt sounded again:

【Ding! Host has come into contact with Inscriptions, triggering a class change - Grand Armorer (Superhuman)!】

【The prerequisite for the Armorer to advance to Grand Armorer is: 1. Armorer level 5 or higher; 2. Strength, Constitution, and Spirit over 15; 3. Independently forge ten qualified Engraved Plate Armor components; 4. Mastery of Inscription-related knowledge. Current conditions are not met! Advancement to Grand Armorer failed!】

Rain was momentarily taken aback, but his expression quickly returned to normal.

As he had suspected, the Grand Armorer's advancement was indeed related to Inscriptions.

This was now confirmed.

However, Rain hadn't anticipated that the class change to Grand Armorer (Superhuman) would come so quickly!

Grand Armorer, a Superhuman profession, was just one word more than Armorer, but it held significant implications.

Currently, the class change wasn't successful due to the third condition, 'forge ten Engraved Plate Armor components,' not being met.

In other words, once Rain forges the Mithril Embroidered Plate Armor, he can immediately change to Grand Armorer (Superhuman).

---

Minster.

Inside the VIP suite of the Axson Auction House.

Drak, who had been waiting for two days, finally received a reply from his brother, Marquis Olenz.

A quick glance at the letter was enough to shock him. It read:

"Plans have changed; something big is about to happen in the Empire. The Bloodcap Mercenary Group is already on its way."

"Grand Seer Eugene Ribeiro has divined that the Ancient Troll Fang no longer exists."

"However, the divination also indicates that Rain seems to have used the Ancient Troll Fang in some way on himself, and its effects on his Heart Blood are similar to that of Ancient Troll Essence."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end