Chapter 297: Breaking Through (Part 2 of 2)

Chapter 297: Breaking Through (Part 2 of 2)



On the way back to the residence.

"Captain, the design of the knight's plate armor you're wearing is really beautiful and even has a mysterious feel to it," Vieri exclaimed admiringly.

"I'll get one for you too," Rain said, glancing down at the Mithril Engraved Plate Armor he was wearing and smiling.

"No, it's too precious," Vieri waved his hands repeatedly.

"Vieri, don't forget that you're now my follower, and it's my responsibility to equip you. Tomorrow, I'll get you a set."

This wasn't just a casual promise.

For Rain, with the blessing of the 'Metal Transformation Spell' and the core skill of the Grand Armorer, crafting a set of Engraved Knight's Plate Armor only required a few hours to complete.

In comparison, even the most skilled armorers, with their exceptional craftsmanship, would typically need nearly a month to finish a set of Engraved Knight's Plate Armor.

One hour later.

Three luxurious carriages without any markings slowly approached Rain's residence, stopping a few dozen meters away from their destination.

At that moment, two teams of people, one from the front carriage and the other from the rear, jumped down, both wearing black hoods and cloaks.

The team from the front carriage revealed knight's armor and longswords beneath their cloaks, seemingly knights, and they dispersed into positions, with vigilant gazes scanning the surroundings, prepared for any potential threats.

The other team of four, meanwhile, took out bottles from their cloaks, uncorked them, and as a special gas emerged, they began to silently chant spells.

"Dense Fog Spell!"

All four of them simultaneously cast the Dense Fog Spell.

Soon, with the help of the special gas, the fog they created enveloped nearly half the block.

"Haha, I didn't expect tonight's weather to be on our side too. The sky is overcast with dark clouds, and with the Dense Fog Spell, tsk tsk."

"After this, a heavy rain will wash away any traces, leaving everything spotless, perfect," said Mint from inside the carriage, looking up at the sky, nearly devoid of starlight, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, the weather is indeed favorable. By the way, Mint, did Asimov arrange the airship?" Asimov casually asked.

"It's all set, the last flight back to the Imperial Capital, in half an hour," said Asimov.

"Alright, then let's proceed according to the plan," Asimov nodded.

"Yes, sir!"

As Asimov finished speaking, Iron Man and Mint, one after the other, stepped down from the carriage.

Although they had people behind them and a background, there was no one from their organization who would come to their rescue if things went wrong.

However, as long as the incident wasn't discovered on the spot, they had a hundred ways to deny it.

What if they were just shareholders of the Akson Auction House, inspecting the work of the Minster branch? And those four apprentice wizards with their black hoods, after casting the Dense Fog Spell, approached Rain's residence.

Soon, an invisible wave swept over the entire area.

The function of this array was simple—to reduce energy fluctuations in a specific area, including vibrations and sound waves.

Conducting operations in a city covered by a large-scale surveillance array was a necessary condition.

Inside the residence.

"Woof!" Cookie, the Spirit Greyhound, who had been lying down, suddenly stood up.

Rain suddenly opened his eyes and got up from the bed, looking out the window.

Outside, a thick fog suddenly rose, and for a moment, even the street lamps became barely visible in the white mist.

"They're here?"

Rain's eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly donned his armguards and knight's gauntlets before leaving the room.

"Captain, this fog feels a bit off."

Cookie's bark, which had awakened Vieri, a combat veteran, immediately identified the issue, and with a solemn expression, he spoke to Rain.

"Yes, I'll handle it. You stay here, and gather everyone in one room, it'll be easier for you to protect them." Rain instructed Vieri to safeguard his family.

"Captain, you're going alone?"

"Don't worry, it's not a big problem," Rain said calmly.

As Rain stepped out of the villa, a coquettish laughter suddenly echoed from the residence's entrance.

"Haha, I suddenly find myself quite fond of you, Rain? I didn't expect you to take the initiative."

"Looks like we're saving a minute, huh."

As the words fell, two figures, a man and a woman, emerged through the fog, appearing before Rain.

The man stood nearly two meters and three centimeters tall, carrying a massive shield, his entire presence resembling a thousand-year-old rock standing firm by the sea, perfectly embodying the phrase 'as firm as a rock.'

The woman, on the other hand, moved with a graceful gait, wearing brown leather armor that barely covered her critical areas, exposing large areas of enticing white skin.

"Clang!"

A thick iron gate of the mansion was effortlessly pulled apart by the Iron Man's right arm, disassembling it like a piece of straw and tossing it aside.

The Iron Man and the Scorpion Woman approached Rain with a sense of control and composure.

Rain's eyes narrowed, and in the next moment, his entire body tensed, muscles bulging as he unleashed a powerful attack. His feet tapped the ground, causing it to shatter beneath him. With lightning speed, he charged towards the Iron Man, leaving a silver afterimage in his wake.

The Iron Man's heart seemed to freeze, his back stiffening in fear. He didn't have time to draw his shield or throw his spear; Rain's speed was too overwhelming.

In the blink of an eye, Rain was upon him.

The Iron Man showed no signs of dodging; instead, he roared and instinctively countered Rain's attack with a punch of his own. The ground beneath his metal boots cracked, and with a swift motion, he pivoted, twisted, and unleashed a powerful punch with his entire body. His reaction was incredibly fast!

"Clang!!!"

Sparks flew as Rain and the Iron Man collided.

In mid-air, a massive metal fist and a short-handled warhammer clashed, but only for a fraction of a second. The Iron Man's metal right arm shattered, sending metal fragments flying like bullets.

The remaining metal arm, along with the flesh, tendons, and bones of his shoulder and scapula, were also torn apart and flung away, leaving him missing nearly a third of his body.

The force of the impact sent the Iron Man flying like a cannonball, crashing into a house across the street, creating a gaping hole in the wall.

Chaos erupted within the house, with panicked screams and commotion.

As Rain charged towards the Iron Man, the Scorpion Woman's lips curled in a mocking smile.

She had seen foolishness, but never to this extent.

After all, one should always go for the soft targets, like ripe persimmons, not the hard ones.

Pfft! She was no softie.

It was just an example.

And why was the Iron Man called the Iron Man?

Well, he had a metal arm, a real metal prosthetic, crafted by the top puppetry master of the Eagle Federation.

These thoughts flashed through the Scorpion Woman's mind in less than a second.

The next instant, her mind went blank.

"Swift Wind!"

A faint cyan aura enveloped the Scorpion Woman, and her speed skyrocketed. Like a startled rabbit, she darted away from Rain, putting distance between them.

Her purple-shadowed eyes widened, fixated on Rain, as emotions of shock and fear flashed through her gaze.

"Y-you..." she stammered, her composure from moments ago gone.

She had never expected Rain to charge at the Iron Man, the defensive core of their team. And to think that Rain had shattered the Iron Man's metal arm with a single blow!

The Scorpion Woman, caught off guard, had no time to cast a spell. In her panic, she instinctively activated her innate talent, 'Swift Wind', and dodged clumsily to the side.

She hadn't anticipated that the Iron Man, known for his formidable defense, would be severely injured, let alone by a single punch—or was it a hammer?

Had she imagined it?

Rain had anticipated various tactics the opponents might employ, including the current situation, where the Iron Man and the Scorpion Woman would distract him while the strongest member, Asimov, waited for an opportunity to strike.

But no tactic was flawless.

If the opponents did use this strategy, it also presented Rain with an opportunity to defeat them individually.

However, choosing the right target was crucial.

If Rain chose to attack the Scorpion Woman first, he would likely face interference from the Iron Man.

According to the intelligence, the Scorpion Woman possessed the innate talent 'Swift Wind', indicating that she would likely avoid direct confrontation and opt for evasion.

In this situation, Rain's first strike might be ineffective.

But if he chose to attack the Iron Man first, it would be different.

The Iron Man was confident in his defense and strength, so he would likely engage in a head-on confrontation.

Moreover, the Scorpion Woman wouldn't be able to provide additional defense to the Iron Man in such a short time.

Therefore, if Rain could severely injure the Iron Man with his first strike, he would gain a significant advantage at the start.

Rain was well aware of the Iron Man's metal limb and its potential for increased defense, so he decided to use his 'Intermediate Giant Strength', 'Limit Break', and the top-tier secret technique 'Giant Strength' to deal a devastating blow.

(End)

Despite it being just the opening strike, it was indeed Rain's full-powered attack!

For now, the effect was excellent!

However, there was one thing that Rain hadn't anticipated.

According to the information, the Bloodcap Mercenary Group member with the nickname 'Iron Man' had a metal prosthetic right arm. What surprised Rain was the exceptional craftsmanship of this metal prosthetic.

The metal limb gave Rain the impression of a precision-engineered Swiss clock, with gears and clasps seamlessly integrated.

But overall, he had used a Tempered Gold Warhammer and unleashed a top-tier ultimate move on the opponent's fist. It felt like he had a weapon, while the other was unarmed.

It was a strange feeling, but it gave Rain an advantage.

Rain smiled slightly at the Scorpion Woman, but she suddenly rushed towards the large hole across the street, heading towards the collapsed house that Iron Man had crashed into.

Oh no!

She realized that Rain intended to finish off Iron Man.

The Scorpion Woman instantly understood Rain's intention.

Once the opponent entered the house, it would be difficult for her spells or the captain's spells to reach him, and the night's operation would be in vain.

The Scorpion Woman hesitated for a moment, then forcefully kicked off with her long, slender legs, intensifying the pale cyan air currents around them. She became like an arrow released from a bow, immediately giving chase.

Although Rain's strength far exceeded her expectations, her goal was merely to stall him, giving Iron Man a chance to survive.

If she didn't act, the dying Iron Man would surely succumb to Rain's next attack.

But the next second, Rain suddenly shifted from extreme motion to extreme stillness, turning around and counterattacking the Scorpion Woman.

The Scorpion Woman's beautiful eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly agape!

She immediately realized that Rain's target had never been the critically injured Iron Man, but her.

However, the Scorpion Woman didn't think Rain could catch up to her, as she was slightly faster due to her swiftness talent.

The Scorpion Woman seemed to have thought of something, and as she sidestepped to dodge, she also gave a seductive smile!

In her opinion, Rain had made a grave mistake, a critical strategic error that would cause him to lose the advantage he had gained at the beginning.

If she could stall for a few seconds, Captain Asimov would launch an attack on Rain from another direction, and the situation would be reversed!

Suddenly, the Scorpion Woman's smile froze, and she felt a presence behind her.

Having just sidestepped, she quickly bent down and rolled to dodge.

The next moment!

A giant bird with a wingspan of several meters, its feathers a mix of blue and purple, swooped down from the sky!

As she stood up from her roll, still unsteady...

From her right rear, a small dog, the size of a pony, charged out, baring its teeth and viciously biting at her smooth, slender calf.

The Scorpion Woman was both shocked and furious!

She immediately kicked the Spirit Greyhound 'Cookie' away.

But in that instant, she realized that Rain was still rushing towards her!

The Scorpion Woman looked up, and Rain was already within arm's reach!

Her seductive face instantly turned fierce, and she stopped dodging.

She opened her mouth, and a basin-sized green, foul-smelling venom was sprayed towards Rain.

This was another innate ability she gained after her bloodline awakening, but the Scorpion Woman rarely used it.

She valued her beauty, and using this ability made her look less like a beauty.

"Iron Wall!"

The Tempered Gold in Rain's left hand quickly transformed, and in an instant, a tower shield appeared, protecting his body.

"Metal Transformation! But how could it be so fast!" The Scorpion Woman exclaimed in shock, witnessing this scene.

She also bent her knees, intending to create distance between herself and Rain, to initiate a mobile fight.

But in that moment!

The Scorpion Woman stiffened, feeling a sharp pain in her abdomen. She looked down and saw a three-meter-long hammer resting on her slender waist, almost splitting it in two.

Her once smooth and fair abdomen now had a gruesome, baby-head-sized penetrating wound, with only a thin layer of blood-covered skin remaining on both sides.

Her disbelieving gaze followed the long hammer handle.

Rain was still more than three meters away, but the handle had extended, causing her to misjudge the distance.

She thought Rain couldn't reach her.

But from the moment she decided to use her venom, it was already too late to dodge!

"Thud!"

The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground echoed!

The Scorpion Woman's upper body slammed onto the ground, and her gaze, fixed on Rain, revealed her strong vitality, preventing her from dying so quickly.

"How could it be so fast?" she muttered.

She still couldn't understand why Rain's metal transformation was so swift.

In this state, she naturally had no fighting power left.

Rain didn't deliver a finishing blow but instead casually transformed a metal ball to knock the Scorpion Woman unconscious.

And he, on the other hand, looked up at the wall on one side of the mansion.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe, holding a short staff, was standing on the wall, staring straight at Rayn with a look of shock and confusion.

Meanwhile.

Akson Auction House, Minster Branch, 2nd Floor.

"Knock knock knock!"

"Come in!"

Drak was not resting at this moment.

After all, the Bloodcap Mercenary Group had just set out to complete the task, and he naturally felt a bit anxious.

But he also considered the worst-case scenario.

Even if the task failed, he would quickly send the three of them to the last airship to the capital.

"Drak, we have news from the Swordsman Division," said Viscount Fabien with a serious expression as he quickly entered Drak's room.

"Hmm? What does the news say?" Seeing Fabien's expression, Drak suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"The information he could inquire showed that Rayn is already a Golden Rank Swordsman Captain, but he guessed that Rayn might have reached the Diamond Star Rank because he saw Rayn move to the floor above."

"What! Diamond Star Rank! Is the news accurate?" Drak stood up suddenly startled.

It's not that the Bloodcap Mercenary Group will definitely fail, but the opponent's strength exceeded expectations, and the possibility of failure greatly increased.

It's like a tiger originally hunting a rabbit, but now the rabbit has suddenly turned into a brown bear.

Although Drak still believes that the tiger will win, but even if they do, it will be a difficult battle.

Especially their task this time is to obtain the opponent's heart blood, rather than simply defeating the opponent.

But Drak quickly calmed down because it was already too late to inform Asimov and the others, and maybe, they had already engaged in combat.

All he could do now was to wait for news.

"By the way, what did you mean by 'upstairs' just now?"

"Oh, it's like this. Swordsmen have different conditions and treatments based on their ranks. Silver Rank is on the first floor, Golden Rank is on the second floor, and Diamond Star Rank is on the third floor. That insider is Silver Rank, and he saw Rayn move to the top floor."

Drak didn't know what to say for a while, and after a long time, he sighed and said, "I hope everything goes well for the Bloodcap Mercenary Group."

Rayn's Mansion.

Asimov, standing on the wall, looked at this scene and was a little lost in thought!

This was completely inconsistent with the plan of the previous few people!

Not a single clause was consistent!

He had just turned to the side, taking four or five seconds, but Iron Man and Scorpion Woman were beaten to this state? If Scorpion Woman was caught off guard and beaten, it was understandable, but what about Iron Man?

The usually calm and steady Iron Man was also beaten?

Asimov glanced at the huge hole in the wall of the house across the street and didn't know what to say for a while.

Although Asimov still had strong confidence in his strength at this moment, the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

But the problem was that the battle just ended too quickly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end