Chapter 306: The Ceremony

Chapter 306: The Ceremony



"Make sure to notify them and have everyone evacuate immediately."

"Jennifer, you and Evelyn, head to the Swordsman Branch right away. Who knows when Admiral Edward and the others might suddenly return?"

"Once the situation turns sour, it'll be too late to retreat."

"Mhm, be careful," the beautiful woman nodded, a hint of worry still lingering in her eyes, but she said no more.

"Captain, be careful," Angus and the others beside him said in unison.

They were well aware that a legendary-tier battle was not something they could meddle in.

In the current situation, the Swordsman Branch and the Church of the Goddess were perhaps the only safe places in the entire city.

At this moment, as Neor finished casting his spell, a hazy white light enveloped Rain.

Rain felt his entire body lighten, and the effect of the levitation technique was indeed remarkable.

Before leaving, Rain took down several steel shields that were hanging on the walls of the hall as decorations.

The shields transformed into steel spears in Rain's hands, and as he reached the cliff on one side of the hall, he leaped into the air, his body floating lightly like a leaf under the influence of the levitation technique, drifting towards the giant demonic spirit.

Neor sighed at this sight and turned to Angus, "Angus, do you think the captain's strength has already reached the near-legendary rank?"

Angus nodded, "Mhm, if I'm not mistaken, when the captain just unleashed his technique, the faint glow on the surface of the hammer wasn't just the light of essence, but also contained the radiance of willpower."

"In that sense, the captain's strength can be considered near-legendary."

Neor nodded, "It seems we need to step up our game! Otherwise, the gap will only widen!"

"It's tough!" Angus couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain as he thought of Rain's incredibly fast combat skill comprehension speed.

Having a captain like this was both good and bad.

Basically, he could single-handedly handle dangerous combat missions, but it also meant that they wouldn't get much growth, and the gap would only widen over time.

It wasn't that they weren't trying, but they simply couldn't keep up with that kind of power growth!

He couldn't help but recall the Swordsman Assessment they took part in two months ago. At that time, he felt that the gap between him and Rain was not that significant.

But now, looking at it, the difference between the two was no longer negligible.

"Let's go back to the Swordsman Branch first."

"Mhm."

No one accompanied Rain because the remaining four of them formed a complete combat squad.

Angus the Defender, Neor the Controller and Mage Attacker, Vieri the Melee Attacker, and Evelyn the Melee and Mage Attacker, while also protecting the beautiful woman, Jennifer.

The group of five quickly made their way through the panicking crowd, heading towards the Swordsman Branch.

In the air, Rain was getting closer and closer to the giant demonic spirit.

At this moment, Rain also recognized the black-robed person beside the giant demonic spirit as his old acquaintance, Freeman.

Freeman was covered in black flame vines, smiling as he occasionally unleashed an evil spell to disrupt the offensive rhythm of the Disciplinary Knight Brandul and the Duke's Advisor.

He was like a battlefield agitator, but his presence made their side's combat very passive.

Speaking of Freeman, his task was to attract the attention of the Empire and the Church of the Goddess in the early stages.

Freeman was well aware of Extor's intention to send him away.

However, given his inferior strength and the fact that Extor was his superior, Freeman had no choice but to follow orders.

Fortunately, Extor had at least given him the 'Gaze of the Eye', an evil artifact that was already fully charged.

It was no wonder that when Burges gave him the 'Gaze of the Eye', his expression was as if Freeman had stolen his wife.

Before launching the attack, Freeman already had his own plans.

First, he chose the Trade District as the site of the attack, the area with the most people and complexity, instead of the civilian district suggested by Extor.

The effect was excellent. After the giant demonic spirit slaughtered a significant portion of the people, it absorbed more souls, growing larger and more powerful.

Even facing the siege of two near-legendary experts, it still held its ground.

This gradually sparked Freeman's thoughts.

He was well aware that the primary purpose of this ceremony was for the promotion of the Grand Priest Extor to the epic rank.

If Extor succeeded in his promotion, Freeman thought that he might also receive some blessings from the Great Hunter God by participating in the prayer ceremony from the sidelines.

However, according to the original plan, he was merely bait.

As for participating in the prayer ceremony and seeking blessings, it was not something he was entitled to at all.

In the plan, he was supposed to retreat as soon as he saw the five pillars of light.

But Freeman thought about it and felt that he could still negotiate for his participation in the prayer ceremony.

If he could control the demonic spirit and push forward, even Extor might not be able to stop him.

At that time, Extor would eat the meat, and he would at least get a sip of the soup.

Huh?

Suddenly, Freeman focused his gaze on the giant demonic spirit beside him.

As if absorbing enough soul energy, its aura seemed to swell to some critical point.

Suddenly, it gave an eerie smile, and the doll that the little boy had been holding suddenly detached and floated into the air.

A chilling pressure emanated from the center of the doll, as if a black hole had appeared within it, causing ripples of energy to spread in all directions.

"Not good!"

"The opponent is summoning other demonic spirits!" The Duke's advisor immediately realized something and exclaimed with a changed expression.

Before he and Brandul could stop it, the doll let out a piercing scream towards the sky!

In an instant, a transparent shockwave visible to the naked eye, centered on it, rapidly spread out in all directions, like a tsunami sweeping through!

In a flash, over a hundred Empire patrol officers and city guards on alert around them cried out in pain, clutching their heads.

At this moment, the doll's aura suddenly surged, and a strange yet powerful presence filled the air.

Apparently, a powerful demonic spirit had been summoned by the opponent and was now residing within the doll.

The doll, which had been small and transparent, began to elongate and grow.

Brandul and the Duke's advisor exchanged glances, realizing that their enemy had increased from two to three.

Now, they had to face two near-legendary level demonic spirits and a powerful member of the Black Flame Cult standing beside them.

The situation was dire.

To make matters worse, a messenger from the Administrative Hall rushed towards them, shouting, "Your Excellencies, the Administrative Hall is under attack by the Black Flame Cult!"

"Their true target is the Award Ceremony. Currently, the Duke and General Edward are using the holy artifact, 'Fluctuation Mirror,' to hold off the legendary-level leader of the cult."

"What?"

Both Brandul and the advisor's faces changed color repeatedly.

They knew that even though the situation here was unfavorable, as long as they could hold on, the entire situation would gradually turn in their favor.

After all, the Church of the Goddess and the Swordsman Branch of the Empire in Minster would continuously send powerful reinforcements.

But the problem now was at the Administrative Hall.

They hadn't expected the Black Flame Cult to be so strong. The Duke's plan, which they were aware of, was to lure the cult into a trap.

It was like using a fishing line to catch a big fish, and now it depended on the strength of the line.

The Duke's advisor immediately made a decision, saying, "Your Excellency Brandul, the situation is out of control."

"I suggest we return to the Administrative Hall to assist the Duke in repelling the attack. That's the most urgent task."

Punisher Brandul fell silent for a moment.

Retreat? He could certainly do that.

But the problem was that if they retreated, it would mean that the two giant demonic spirits would be free to wreak havoc in the city of Minster without any restrictions.

Countless civilians might be injured or killed.

As a Punisher of the Church of the Wind and Sea Goddess, he felt he couldn't do that.

Freeman, on the other hand, had never felt better.

He felt like he could push forward without any obstacles.

Perhaps, during the Black Flame Prayer Ceremony, he would receive blessings and rewards second only to those of the Grand Priest.

Suddenly, Freeman noticed a small silver dot flying towards them, resembling a strangely shaped bird.

But upon closer inspection, Freeman realized it wasn't a bird at all, but a knight in silver armor holding a spear.

As the figure approached, Freeman's eyes widened, his mouth twitched, and his face revealed a hint of fear. "Rain!" Freeman exclaimed involuntarily.

Instantly, Freeman recalled the fear he had experienced when Rain had dominated him in Maister.

"Fuck!"

"How could Extor and Burges not keep this guy here!"

"Damn it, what are they up to?"

"Tweet!"

A piercing sound tore through the air!

As the figure was still in mid-air, Rain's arm suddenly swelled, and he infused his spear with essence energy.

When the giant boy spirit sensed the danger and looked up, he saw a four-meter-long specially-made spear, glowing with a white light, suddenly appear above him!

In an instant, the spear pierced through the boy spirit as if it were a hot knife slicing through butter, causing a clean penetration.

The penetration wound made the boy spirit scream in agony.

He wanted to move, but the spear, infused with the will of the wielder, caused him soul-tearing pain whenever he tried to move.

It seemed as if the spear had pinned him firmly in place.

But it didn't end there.

As Rayn swiftly drew the twin warhammers from his back, he used his will to dispel the levitation spell, causing him to plummet from a height of twenty to thirty meters.

A hammer from the heavens!

"Bang!!!"

The hammer struck the semi-transparent phantom of the little boy demonic spirit.

Rayn could distinctly feel the resistance transmitted from the hammerhead to the handle and into his hands.

The demonic spirit's body further solidified, feeling like jelly, slippery yet resilient. As Rayn's hammer of annihilation made contact, the massive semi-transparent body of the demonic spirit began to tremble in layers.

When this vibration, starting from the boy's head, reached the ground beneath his feet—

In an instant!

The entire demonic spirit of the little boy, as if a powerful bomb had detonated within, exploded from its jelly-like body, releasing a massive cloud of white smoke.

It was as if a bucket of water had been poured onto a scorching hot block of steel, instantly creating a white mist.

Simultaneously, a pungent stench spread through the air, akin to the cries and screams of hundreds of people, haunting the minds and ears of the onlookers.

Witnessing this, everyone froze, and Freeman stood stiff as a board.

However, due to the demonic spirit's indestructible nature, the boy's phantom soon reappeared in mid-air, albeit in a weakened state.

Its overall condition was now much more feeble.

If its semi-transparent spirit was initially as viscous as jelly, it was now significantly thinner, almost like foam.

Evidently, Rayn's previous hammer of annihilation had severely wounded the demonic spirit.

At this moment, the summoned demonic spirit occupying the puppet doll regained its senses. It raised its head and screeched, its claws extending with long, sharp nails aimed at Rayn as if ready to pounce.

But in that instant, Rayn's warhammer gently pushed against the reappearing boy's demonic spirit.

The effect of this hammer was entirely different from the previous one.

This time, the onlookers witnessed something unprecedented.

The boy's demonic spirit, a legendary-tier strength, showed a look of terror on its face, a look the crowd had never seen before.

The scene froze in time.

"Snap!"

The boy's demonic spirit, like a glass doll, shattered from head to tail, breaking into pieces that turned into white powder, slowly falling to the ground.

It did not reappear.

It had directly turned into a pile of demonic spirit dust.

The powerful demonic spirit that had been ready to pounce, witnessing this, trembled with fear, its face contorted.

At that very moment, a crisp "crack" sound emanated from Freeman's painting, 'Gaze of the Eye.'

Freeman, still in a daze, looked down and saw a crack in the painting's frame.

This sent a wave of terror through Freeman's mind, and he screamed internally, 'I knew it! I knew it! This Rayn is a monster!'

'Encountering him is nothing but trouble!'

Freeman's emotions were bordering on madness.

No wonder!

Twice now.

Twice, this had happened.

The last time, the ancient hero Meng, whom Freeman had summoned with great effort, was unexpectedly killed by Rayn.

And this time, a demonic spirit with near-indestructible traits was defeated by Rayn with just two hammers.

This defied all logic!

Freeman had seen the punitive knights of the Goddess Church struggle against the demonic spirit, unable to defeat it.

Although their divine techniques could harm the spirit, it required multiple, continuous attacks to completely eradicate it.

But Rayn, this monster, had done it in just two strikes!

In an instant, Freeman felt a chill run down his spine, his resolve shattering. Meanwhile, Rayn slowly turned to face the puppet doll, which had been about to attack, and smiled.

"Why don't you catch it?"

The next second, the summoned demonic spirit, which had been about to pounce, suddenly vanished. The puppet doll, as if losing some power, quickly fell to the ground.

Soon after, it disintegrated into dust.

Rayn, who had been preparing to attack, shook his head in disappointment.

He had been ready to unleash his 'Hammer of Annihilation' again.

But to his surprise, the spirit had fled so decisively.

Rayn had just used 'Soul Shattering Strike,' a technique enhanced with tenfold soul energy, ignoring all defenses.

It was incredibly effective against spiritual beings like demonic spirits.

The last time he encountered this boy's demonic spirit, he had wanted to use this technique but lacked sufficient soul energy.

As for why he didn't use 'Soul Shattering Strike' on the familiar demonic spirit in front of him, Freeman?

It's quite simple.

He doesn't deserve it. When Knight of Discipline Brandul last saw Rain, he felt that this young Imperial Swordsman was very strong, but now it seems that the other party is not just describable with the word 'strong'.

He could understand Rain's first strike, which seemed to be some kind of ultimate technique for hammer-type weapons, pushing the force of vibration to the limit and generating a shredding power.

But for the second strike, he truly didn't understand; its power was so immense that it seemed like a divine strike! Duke's advisor, Minor Levin, was left completely stunned.

Judging from his expression, it seemed like some inherent cognition was collapsing. Freeman, at this moment, felt like he had fallen into an ice cave.

To actually scare away the summoned demonic spirit, is this person for real?

"Whoosh!"

Freeman immediately turned and ran.

He sprinted towards the distance, and soon, black energy currents swirled around his legs.

"Slowdown Spell!"

But Freeman forgot that his opponent, aside from Rain, also included the Duke's advisor, a Second Tier Transmutation Wizard. The opponent immediately cast the Slowdown Spell, hindering his actions.

Knight of Discipline and Rain, almost simultaneously, chased after him, and in an instant, two war hammers flew towards his back.

If those hammers hit him, he'd be finished! Freeman gritted his teeth and threw the painting 'Gaze of the Eye' forcefully towards the two of them.

"Boom!!"

The intense explosion suddenly appeared in Rain's war hammer and the painting.

Just then, the painting 'Gaze of the Eye' was pierced through by Rain's Annihilation Hammer, and it seemed like a deflating balloon, hundreds of soul phantoms with long trailing flames burst out from the punctured spot, soaring into the sky!

Multiple shockwaves swept through the surroundings!

Even Rain and Brandul had to assume defensive stances, employing their skills to withstand the massive impact of the soul energy.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Freeman had already used the momentum of the shockwaves to run hundreds of meters away.

This distance wasn't far for Rain, and he immediately decided to chase after him.

This guy was lucky last time in Mayerst, allowing him to escape. This time...

Suddenly, everyone present turned their heads towards the pinnacle of the city, where the Minster Administrative Hall was located.

The originally extinguished five black light pillars were now reactivated, and they seemed to be getting more and more intense.

Apparently, someone was restarting the evil spell array!

"What a lucky guy."

"Escaping with his life again!" Rain looked at the distant black-robed figure, shook his head slightly, and said.

He naturally understood the weight of the situation.

The dangerous demonic spirit that could threaten the safety of the city had been eliminated.

Now, the most important thing was to stop the activation of the Black Flame Cult's ritual.

After all, no one knew what catastrophic consequences the spell array might bring once activated.

However, who could be the one restarting the evil spell array?

Is it the Black Flame Cult's backup plan, or that legendary-tier individual referred to as Extor by the Duke of Minster?

Hmm?

Rain looked down at the dark war hammers in his hands.

To his delight, after his war hammers shattered that eerie painting, the tenfold soul energy had already refilled.

This meant he could use the Soul Shattering Strike again!

At the same time...

Minster Administrative Hall.

On the entire hall's floor, complex black lines in the form of straight, curved, and semi-circular shapes appeared, emitting black light, forming an intricate and mysterious giant pattern.

The four people originally trapped in the Fluctuation Mirror had now returned to the center of the hall.

All four were in bad shape, with the most severely injured being the Church of the Goddess' ascetic monk, who was lying face down.

His chest had a hole the size of an infant's fist, almost taking away all his life force.

Edward's injuries were also severe; he knelt on one knee, holding his sword, with one side of his abdomen, including his armor, missing, and blood was gushing from the semi-circular wound.

The Duke of Minster's Entwined Serpent Armor was also shattered in multiple places, revealing his injuries!

"Your strength is so formidable!" The Duke of Minster pointed at Extor, his eyes showing a mix of shock and regret.

In comparison, Extor's wounds were numerous but not fatal, making him the least injured of the group. Moreover, the black energy currents on the ground were swirling up from his feet, quickly covering his wounds.

His injuries were visibly healing at a rapid pace.

"Looks like I've won this time!"

Extor spoke while surveying the surroundings, feeling puzzled as both the planned sacrifices had escaped, but he was confident with the three of them present.

"Although the planned sacrifices escaped, the three of you are more than enough."

A smile appeared on Extor's face, and he continued, "By the way, I have a saying for you: In the face of absolute strength, any scheme is meaningless."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end