Chapter 305: Fluctuation Mirror

Chapter 305: Fluctuation Mirror



At the top of an administrative building, four to five fully armed guards lay dead, their faces contorted in terror.

From above, Extor and Burges looked down upon the center of the Minster Trade District, where a giant semi-transparent boy phantom had suddenly appeared.

"Grand Priest, allowing Freeman to control the Gaze of the Eye, is that appropriate?" The tall Burges respectfully asked beside Extor.

During Extor's 'retirement', Freeman had been vying for power with him, and Burges had always harbored resentment towards Freeman.

This time, they had handed over the ancient evil artifact, the Gaze of the Eye, which Burges had obtained with great difficulty, to Freeman, making Burges feel uncomfortable.

"Why don't you trust him?" Extor smiled and asked.

"He's holding back a significant portion of the Empire and the last two minutes."

"But this guy is always thinking about climbing up the ranks."

"Burges, having ambition is a good thing. It gives you the motivation to do things."

"Additionally, if you were to attract the attention of the Empire and the Church of the Goddess, then after this ceremony, the blessings of the Great Hunter God, wouldn't it be for him?"

"Your Excellency, do you mean that I can also enjoy the blessings of this ceremony?" Burges' face lit up with surprise.

"Of course, Burges, do well, and I believe in you!" Extor patted Burges' sturdy shoulder.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Burges bowed after receiving Extor's affirmative response.

At that moment, they saw several Griffin Knights swiftly flying towards the location of the demonic spirit from the nearby Griffin Platform, while two teams of elite guards, a knight carrying a double-handed hammer, and a white-robed wizard emerged from the administrative building.

"It seems we can make our move now." Extor nodded as he observed this scene.

"Your Excellency, the Empire's men are truly foolish. Such a simple trick has worked twice!"

"Hehe, it seems this tactic is quite useful, isn't it?"

Two minutes earlier.

On the front row of the grandstand, two people stood up, one of whom was the Disciplinary Knight Brandul, whom Ryan had met before.

The other person Ryan didn't recognize was holding a gray wooden staff and wearing a white wizard's robe. After Neor's introduction, Ryan learned that he was the advisor to the Duke of Minster, a Second Tier Transmutation Wizard.

The two quickly walked out, one after the other, presumably to deal with the giant demonic spirit incident Ryan had just heard about.

The Duke of Minster slightly adjusted his mindset and then walked up to the podium with a smile, beginning his speech:

"On the last Sunday of Grass Moon, I represent the great Emperor..."

"All of you are the Empire's young talents, and I hope you can contribute to the development of the Dragon Empire..."

"Hehe!"

At that moment, a sneering sound echoed throughout the hall, a blatant provocation towards the Duke of Minster.

The audience also looked around, curious to see who dared to disrupt the award ceremony at this moment.

"It's true that contributions are to be made, but they are for the Great Hunter God!" A deep voice resonated.

It was still like a surround sound, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"It's the Black Flame Church!"

"They're so bold!"

As soon as the words 'Hunter God' were uttered, many people in the audience immediately understood.

The uninvited guest was from the Black Flame Cult! And the guard who had just reported rushed in, his face filled with urgency, as if he had important news to convey.

The Duke of Minster listened attentively, but in the next second, a dagger struck with lightning speed towards the Duke's abdomen.

"Clang!!!"

The dagger struck an extremely hard object and was immediately deflected, while the Duke's noble attire was suddenly torn, revealing a dark golden knight armor with a unique python-coiled pattern.

"Assassin!" The guards drew their swords and shields, protecting the Duke of Minster.

The scene became chaotic.

"The Armor of the Entwined Serpent, I didn't expect it to be on you." The guard suddenly tore off a human skin mask, and his aura changed drastically.

"That's right!" The Duke of Minster smiled at the other's appearance, seemingly unperturbed. He continued,

"Extor, the Grand Priest of the Black Flame Church! I've been waiting for you. Using the same trick twice, I don't know if you're confident or foolish."

Extor also smiled and said,

"Oh, Duke of Minster, it seems you're quite confident. What makes you think you have a chance against me?"

"Don't you know that your son, the Titled Knight, 'Bavaria Lance' Haloween, has secretly gone to the capital?"

"And just now, your advisor and the Disciplinary Knight from the Church of the Goddess have also gone to eradicate the demonic spirit."

"Do you think you, an aging Near-Legendary, can stop me?" With each word, the speaker's aura grew stronger.

Just then, a loud voice echoed from the back of the hall, interrupting Extor's speech.

"And me!"

It was none other than Admiral Edward, whom Ryan knew well, clad in dark knight armor, wielding a sword and shield, entering the hall from the very back of the auditorium.

The sight of him calmed the hearts of those present.

Many of the Swordsmen in the hall breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the leader of their division.

"So it was this guy who killed Archbishop Gomes!"

"Fortunately, Admiral Edward and the Duke of Minster were already prepared."

"Do you think the two of you, old men past your prime, can handle this?" Extor's face darkened, but he quickly laughed and shook his head.

As for the young people present?

Extor didn't give them a second thought.

This was normal.

After all, those granted the title of Baron were usually peak Knights, and a significant portion were merely Senior Knights.

Those bestowed with the title of Viscount were indeed a level stronger, but most were merely at the beginning of the Grand Knight level, and only a very few, like Angus, were Senior Grand Knights.

Forget about facing a Crystal Wizard like him, even his two deputies, Freeman and Burges, were far superior to these young people.

Any one of his deputies could easily take care of them.

Freeman, who was sent to draw attention, couldn't have warned him about the young man named Ryan.

"Goddess, bless us!"

A third person emerged from a small door at the other end of the hall, clad in a light gray linen robe, holding a wooden staff, and exuding a powerful sacred aura.

"This is a Struggling Monk from the Church of the Goddess, mostly secluded in the Cohen Cathedral in the Capital. They possess Near-Legendary strength. The Church of the Goddess is indeed generous," Neor whispered, standing next to Ryan.

"It seems the Church of the Goddess has been greatly affected by this."

"Oh? No wonder they're so fearless. They were prepared!" Facing the encirclement of the three, Extor's expression finally turned serious.

"Burges, begin!"

As soon as he spoke, black pillars of light shot up outside the windows, one after another, filled with surging energy.

"Not good. We're now in a powerful evil spell array," Neor exclaimed, looking at the five massive pillars outside the administrative hall.

As Neor finished speaking, strange patterns began to appear on the floor of the hall.

The Duke of Minster, Admiral Edward, and the Struggling Monk from the Capital all noticed this, their faces changing in unison.

Fighting within the evil spell array, the outcome was uncertain, but the large number of people in the hall at this moment was a cause for concern.

The Duke of evaporation was evident, and the ancient copper mirror in his hand quickly shone on Extor, and he disappeared from the spot.

Next, Admiral Edward and the Struggling Monk were also illuminated by the beam and vanished, followed by the Duke of Minster.

Only the mirror remained, floating in mid-air, its surface now misty and surreal, as if it didn't belong to this world.

"Fluctuation Mirror!"

"This is a Holy Artifact!"

One event after another left the crowd in the hall almost unable to keep up.

A Near-Legendary from a cult, a Struggling Monk, and a Holy Artifact all made their appearances.

At that moment, a group of black-robed figures rushed in from all directions, and a tall, imposing man in black robes entered the hall.

The effects of the evil spell array began to manifest, as many felt an invisible binding force around them.

This left everyone momentarily at a loss.

Ryan furrowed his brows, deciding to observe for now, as he wasn't sure if the Empire had any more tricks up its sleeve.

"Hehe, what a pity. So many beautiful, delicate noble ladies and wives, and I won't be able to enjoy them," Burges scanned the crowd with a sinister smile.

Burges wasn't worried; he knew these people couldn't pose a threat.

The area was already set up with a second-tier evil spell array.

This array had three functions: enhancement, suppression, and sacrifice.

Enhancement boosted the strength of their allies, and within this array, the strength of a Near-Legendary would be enhanced to near their peak.

In his eyes, the young people present, even if they were peak Grand Knights, were of no concern.

In simple terms, there was no one worth fighting.

The suppression function of the evil spell array" was indeed a bit of a waste.

Despite the possibility of one or two peak Grand Knights, their power would be suppressed to the level of a senior Grand Knight. After such a drop in power, how could they possibly stand a chance against him?

"However, there are a few of you who, if you were to die like this, would be a real shame." Burges rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on a few individuals as he spoke.

"You, and you, and you. Come here, and I might spare your lives!" Burges' eyes flashed with desire as he pointed to three females.

The noble lady he pointed at first was visibly startled.

The young man beside her, a newly appointed Baron and possibly her suitor or boyfriend, suddenly turned red with anger.

He stood up immediately, seemingly ready to launch an attack.

But in the next moment, he was hit by a cylindrical pillar of black flames, instantly turning into a burning human torch and letting out a painful wail!

"Oh no! Avades!" The young and beautiful noble lady covered her mouth in horror.

"Black Flame Wall, a Second-Rank Evil Spell. Be careful, everyone. He's at least a Second-Rank Evil Spellcaster," Neor warned in a low voice.

Just now, Rayn had been watching with interest as the man spoke what Rayn found amusing, all while observing the man's strength and waiting for any potential backup from the Empire.

But the recent scene had turned his expression sour.

Two of the three women Burges had named were sitting right next to him—the beautiful woman Jennifer and the red-haired Evelyn.

"What did you say? I didn't quite catch that. Could you please repeat it?" Rayn stood up slowly, his expression calm.

"Hmm, you're not bad! You're a Grand Knight, which is rare. Very well, you have the honor of hearing me repeat myself." Burges looked at Rayn with a hint of surprise.

After all, his Black Flame Wall had just turned a young knight into a charred corpse, yet it didn't seem to intimidate Rayn, which Burges found intriguing.

It was like he had just stepped on a crab, only to have a stronger one emerge from the side. That's all it was to him.

The only difference was that he found this situation more interesting.

Burges felt a surge of excitement, looking down on Rayn with a mix of amusement and disdain.

"I said I want those two to come here. It seems both of them are close to you. How fortunate! If you're willing to be a spectator, I might spare your life."

Burges seemed to understand the relationship between Rayn and the two women, and suddenly, an even more thrilling idea crossed his mind, making him hesitate.

"Then you can go die!"

Before Burges could finish his sentence, a silver figure appeared in front of him, holding a black warhammer that seemed to materialize out of thin air.

It was the top-tier technique, 'Annihilating Hammer,' unleashed with almost full force!

"Boom!"

The black flame barrier shattered.

The innate spell, 'Shadow Shield,' was broken.

The tempered gold ore, now deformed by the warhammer, smashed through the double protection and struck Burges' crossed arms with a loud bang!

"Bang!"

Burges was sent flying like a projectile, his arms bent unnaturally.

"Boom!"

He crashed into the marble wall behind the ceremonial platform.

The hard marble surface now had a crater-like indentation, with spider-web-like cracks radiating outwards.

"Cough... Cough..."

Burges slid down the wall, coughing up blood, his body limp like a boneless mass of flesh.

Burges was furious inside.

He was a high-ranking official in the Church, in charge of nearly half of the Minster Province's operations.

And he was a potential successor to Extor as the Grand Priest of the Minster Province. Yet, he had been brutally beaten by an unknown upstart who had launched a surprise attack without fully revealing his strength.

Burges had only managed to utilize 50-60% of his abilities before being severely injured.

In a fit of anger, Burges spat out more blood, his face turning bright red. He struggled to get up and retaliate, but at this moment, both his hands were shattered, and over a dozen ribs were broken, piercing his lungs, making his movements incredibly difficult.

After several failed attempts, Burges remained on the ground.

"Sir Burges!" The surrounding Black Flame Cultists stared at this scene, their eyes wide with shock.

Sir Burges was a Second Rank Evil Spell specialist in physical enhancement and combat.

His combat prowess was even above that of an average Second Tier Transmutation Wizard, yet with just one strike, he was beaten to this state by this young man before him.

Could this be the Empire's hidden trump card?

Had their mission failed?

"Damn!"

"There it is again! That hammer strike!" A Swordsman newcomer, who had come for the knighting ceremony, excitedly pointed at the pitiful Burges and explained to his relatives nearby.

"No wonder they call him the Maister Siege Hammer! He never gets the name wrong, only the nickname!" Another Swordsman newcomer exclaimed.

"I feel like Lord Ryan's hammer strike is even more powerful now. Last time, he took down an Obsidian Giant with just one blow!"

"Yes, this time it's even stronger. This time, with one strike, he took down a Cultist of near-legendary status! So damn impressive!"

The Swordsman newcomers who had come for the knighting ceremony witnessed Lord Ryan's might, and it was as if they had found their pillar of strength, causing them to boil with excitement.

"Charge! Take them out!"

Hearing the crowd, Burges now knew the name of the man before him - Lord Ryan.

"Damn!" Burges thought to himself. He had only just learned the identity of this 'unknown' man.

Burges had initially thought Lord Ryan was making excuses for his defeat, but it seems there really is such a monster!

Lord Ryan stepped forward, aiming at the panicked Burges.

With a 'crack,' a transparent human-shaped phantom appeared from Burges' shattered body, its face contorted in pain.

The phantom struggled, swirling around Lord Ryan several times before being sucked into his dark, tempered gold war hammer.

Lord Ryan's powerful strike naturally inspired those present to launch attacks on the surrounding Black Flame Cultists.

The battle turned in their favor, and the Cultists, who had gained enhancements from the Evil Spell Array, began to retreat.

Lord Ryan first comforted the distressed Lady Jennifer and instructed Vieri and Evelyn to protect her.

He then rejoined the fight, crushing the heads of the dying Cultists one by one.

Transparent phantoms appeared one after another, each expressing pain before being absorbed into Lord Ryan's war hammer.

The Black Flame Cultists watched in fear as Lord Ryan left no survivors.

He seemed even more ruthless than an average Black Mage.

Soon, the Cultists were thoroughly defeated and fled.

Lord Ryan quickly gathered the ten soul energies needed for the 'Shattering Strike.'

Due to the 'Fluctuation Mirror' transporting Admiral Edward and the others to a mysterious location, Lord Ryan couldn't join their battle for the time being.

In truth, unless necessary, Lord Ryan didn't plan to intervene in their fight.

His goal of gathering ten soul energies was for future contingencies.

"Captain, look over there!" Vieri frowned and pointed in a certain direction outside the window.

"It seems the giant demonic spirit is getting closer to the Captain's residence," Angus narrowed his eyes.

Lord Ryan followed their gaze.

The entire city of Minster was built on a hillside, extending from the bottom to the mid-slope.

The administrative hall, where they were, was located at the mid-slope, close to the highest point—the Lion Griffin Platform.

Lord Ryan could clearly see a large, semi-transparent boy phantom leading a doll, wreaking havoc on the houses like toy blocks, step by step, from the trade district towards the administrative district.

Teams of City Guards surrounded the phantom, while civilians were evacuated from the area.

Punisher Brandul, who had just come from this side, and the Duke of Minster's men were tasked with restraining the phantom.

However, due to the previous destruction of the Church's formation, Brandul no longer had the light pillar effect, and the battle gradually turned against him.

In the sky, several Lion Griffin Knights circled, disrupting and attacking with steel spears, but against a spiritual enemy like this, their efforts were largely ineffective.

Witnessing this, Lord Ryan turned and said, "Neor, cast Featherfall!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end