Chapter 306: The Ritual

Chapter 306: The Ritual



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

"Jennifer, you and Evelyn, head to the Swordsmen Branch right away. I wonder when Admiral Edward and the others will suddenly return?"

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

"Be careful," the beautiful woman nodded, still with a hint of worry in her eyes, but she didn't say more.

"Captain, be careful," Angus and the others nearby said.

They were well aware that a legendary-level battle was not something they could get involved in.

In the current situation, the Swordsmen Branch and the Goddess Church were probably the safest places in the entire city.

At this moment, as Neror finished casting his spell, a faint white light appeared on Ren's body.

Ren felt his body becoming lighter, and the effect of the levitation technique was indeed remarkable.

Before leaving, Ren casually took down several steel shields that were hanging on the wall of the hall as decorations.

The shields quickly transformed into steel spears in Ren's hands. He then leaped towards the cliff on one side of the hall and, under the influence of the levitation technique, floated gracefully like a leaf towards the direction of the giant demon spirit.

Seeing this, Neror sighed and turned to Angus, saying, "Angus, do you think the captain's strength has already reached the quasi-legendary level?"

Angus nodded and said, "Yes, if I'm not mistaken, when the captain used his technique just now, the faint glow on the hammer's surface wasn't just the light of the force, but it also contained the radiance of will."

"From this perspective, the captain's strength can be considered quasi-legendary."

Nenor nodded and said, "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 toothache when he thought of the captain's incredibly fast combat skill comprehension speed.

Having a captain like this was both good and bad.

Basically, dangerous combat missions could be handled by him alone, but this also meant that they wouldn't get much growth, and the gap would only widen over time.

Additionally, it wasn't that they weren't putting in enough effort, but they simply couldn't keep up with that kind of strength improvement speed!

He couldn't help but recall the Swordsmen assessment they participated in two months ago. At that time, he felt that the gap between him and Ren was not significant.

But now, looking at the difference between the two, it was no longer just a small gap.

"Let's go, let's head back to the Swordsmen Branch first."

"Okay."

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

Angus, the defender; Neror, the controller and mage attacker; Vereri, the close-quarters attacker; Evelyn, the close-quarters and mage attacker, while also protecting the beautiful woman, Jennifer.

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

In mid-air.

Ren was getting closer and closer to the giant demon spirit.

At this moment, Ren also saw that the person in black robes beside the giant demon spirit was none other than his old acquaintance, Freeman.

Freeman was covered in black flame vines, and with a smile on his face, he occasionally cast a spell to disrupt the offensive rhythm of the Punishment Knight Brandul and the Duke's Advisor.

He was like a battlefield nuisance, 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 Goddess Church in the early stages of the operation.

Freeman was well aware that Extor had sent him away on purpose.

But first, his strength was inferior, and secondly, the other party was his superior, so Freeman had no choice but to follow orders.

However, Extor had at least given him the 'Gaze Orb', a demonic object that was already fully charged.

Indeed, the power of the 'Gaze Orb' was incredibly strong.

No wonder Burgess had such an expression when he gave it to Freeman, as if Freeman had stolen his wife.

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

First, he chose the Trade District as the location for the attack, where there were the most people and the situation was most complex, instead of the civilian area suggested by Extor.

The effect was excellent.

After the giant demon spirit slaughtered a significant portion of the people, it absorbed even more souls, growing larger and more powerful.

Even facing the siege of two quasi-legendary individuals, it still held its ground.

This gradually stirred up Freeman's thoughts.

He was well aware that the primary purpose of this ritual was for the high priest Extor to ascend to the epic-level.

If this plan succeeded, Extor would naturally ascend to a higher level, but the key was that if Freeman could also participate in the prayer ceremony, he might also receive some blessings from the great Hunter God.

But according to the original plan, he was supposed to be a sacrificial pawn.

As for participating in the prayer ceremony and seeking blessings, that was something he would never get to do.

In the plan, he could retreat once he saw the five pillars of light.

However, Freeman thought about it and felt that he could still fight for the prayer ceremony.

If he could control the Demon Spirit and push forward, even Extor might not be able to do anything about it.

At that time, Extor would be able to eat his fill, and he might even get a sip of soup.

Huh?

Suddenly, Freeman focused his gaze on the giant Demon Spirit beside him.

It seemed that after absorbing enough soul energy, its aura had swelled to a certain critical point.

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

A terrifying pressure emanated from the center of the War Puppet doll and spread out in all directions, as if a black hole had appeared at the doll's center, causing the air to surge.

"Not good!"

"The enemy is summoning other Demon Spirits to descend!" The Duke Advisor immediately realized what was happening, his face changing color as he shouted.

But before he and the Punishment Knight Brandul could stop it, the War Puppet doll let out a shrill scream towards the sky!

Instantly, a transparent shockwave visible to the naked eye erupted from the doll and rapidly spread out in all directions, like a tsunami sweeping through the area!

In an instant, over a hundred Imperial Security Officers and City Guards who were on alert nearby were overwhelmed and started wailing in agony.

At this moment, the War Puppet doll's aura suddenly surged, and a strange and powerful aura spread out.

Clearly, a powerful Demon Spirit had been summoned by the enemy and had taken residence within the War Puppet doll.

The War Puppet doll, whose head had been hanging low, suddenly lifted it, and its semi-transparent body began to elongate and grow.

The Punishment Knight Brandul and the Duke Advisor exchanged glances, both feeling that the situation had taken a turn for the worse!

Because their enemy had increased from two to three.

At this moment, they had to face two Quasi-Legendary Demon Spirits and a Black Flame Cult expert!

The situation was dire.

Making matters worse, a messenger from the Administrative Hall rushed over from behind and shouted, "Your Excellencies, the Administrative Hall is under attack by the Black Flame Cult!"

"Their true target is the ceremony. Currently, the Duke and Admiral Edward are using the Holy Artifact 'Fluctuation Mirror' to restrain the enemy's Legendary-level leader."

"What?"

Their faces changed color repeatedly!

They knew that although the situation here was at a disadvantage, as long as they could hold out, the overall situation would gradually improve.

After all, the Goddess Church and the Swordsmen Branch of Minster would continuously send experts to support them.

But now, the problem was at the Administrative Hall.

They hadn't expected the Black Flame Cult to be so powerful. They were also aware of the Duke's plan, which was like fishing with bait and catching a shark. Now, it was a matter of whether the fishing line would hold.

The Duke Advisor made a quick decision and said, "Sir Brandul, the situation is already out of control."

"I suggest we return to the Administrative Hall immediately to assist the Duke. That's the most important thing right now."

The Punishment Knight Brandul fell silent for a moment.

Retreat? Of course, he could do that.

But the problem was that if they retreated, it would mean that the two giant Demon Spirits would be free to wreak havoc in the city of Minster.

At that time, an unknown number of civilians might be injured or killed.

As a Punishment Knight of the Temple of the Wind and Sea Goddess, he felt he couldn't do that.

Freeman, on the other hand, had never felt so good.

He felt like he could just keep pushing forward.

Perhaps, at the Black Flame Ceremony, he would receive blessings and grants second only to the High Priest Extor.

At this moment, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye—a silver dot flying in the sky, seemingly a bird with a strange appearance.

But as he focused his gaze, Freeman suddenly realized it wasn't a bird but a knight in silver armor, holding a long spear.

As the knight approached swiftly, Freeman's eyes widened, his mouth twitched, and his face revealed a hint of fear!

"Ren!" Freeman couldn't help but exclaim.

Instantly, Freeman recalled the fear he had felt when he was dominated by Ren in Maister.

"Damn!"

"How could Extor and Burgess not deal with this guy?"

"What the hell are they up to?"

"Tweet!"

A sharp sound of piercing the air echoed!

Ren, still in mid-air, had his right arm muscles suddenly swell, and he infused his long spear with elemental force and a hint of Willpower, aiming it at the little boy's Demon Spirit!

When the giant Demon Spirit sensed the danger and looked up, he saw a specially made spear over four meters long, emitting a faint white light, suddenly flashing past his head!

In an instant, the spear seemed to melt through butter, piercing its target with incredible smoothness!

The spear pierced the Demon Spirit, causing it to howl in agony!

It wanted to run, but the spear, imbued with Willpower, would cause soul-tearing damage if it moved.

This left the Demon Spirit unable to move, appearing as if it were pinned to the ground by the spear.

But it wasn't over yet.

Ren quickly drew the double-handed warhammer from his back and held it in his hands, dispelling the floating technique, causing him to plummet from a height of twenty to thirty meters.

A hammer descended from above, and with a loud bang, it struck the little boy's demon, a semi-transparent apparition.

Ren's hammer connected with the demon's body, which had a jelly-like texture, and as the annihilation power from the hammer was conducted through, the large semi-transparent figure began to tremble in layers.

As the vibration traveled from the boy's head to the ground beneath the demon's feet, the entire demon, like a bomb going off inside, erupted, and a huge amount of white smoke billowed.

The demon's body, like a basin of water poured onto a hot steel block, instantly turned into white mist!

At the same time, a pungent stench filled the air, like the wails and shrieks of hundreds of people, echoing in everyone's minds and ears.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned.

Freeman, in particular, froze in his spot.

However, due to the demon's indestructible nature, the boy's apparition soon reappeared, floating in mid-air, but its overall state seemed much weaker.

If its semi-transparent body had previously been as viscous as jelly, it was now much thinner, resembling foam but not by much.

Clearly, Ren's previous annihilation hammer had dealt a severe blow to the little boy's demon.

The summoned demon, now regaining its senses, let out a shrill scream, its claws extending with long nails, ready to pounce on Ren.

But in that instant, Ren's hammer lightly tapped the demon, and the effect was completely different from the previous strike.

This time, the onlookers felt as if Ren's hammer had struck a mirror.

The little boy's demon, having just regained its form, showed a look of terror.

A quasi-legendary demon, at its peak strength, revealed a frightened expression, a first for everyone present.

The scene froze.

With a snap, the little boy's demon, like a glass doll, shattered from head to tail, breaking into pieces that turned into white powder and slowly fell to the ground.

It did not reappear.

It had turned into a pile of demon dust.

The powerful demon, which had been about to pounce, trembled at the sight, its face filled with terror. Its sharp claws, almost touching Ren's back, dared not pierce him.

At that moment, a crisp cracking sound came from Freeman's embrace.

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

This caused a wave of terror to surge through Freeman's heart, and he shouted inwardly, 'I knew it! I knew it!! This Ren is a monster!'

'Meeting him is never good!'

Freeman's emotions were bordering on frenzy.

No wonder!

Twice now, twice it's been like this!

The last time, he had summoned the ancient hero Mong, who was supposed to be invincible, but was killed by Ren.

And this time, it was the same. A demon with an almost indestructible nature was defeated by Ren's two hammers, turning into demon dust.

This was completely illogical!

Even the punitive knights from the Goddess Church could only fight demons back and forth.

Although their divine techniques could deal significant damage to demons, it would still take multiple, continuous attacks to completely eradicate them.

But Ren, this monster, had defeated a quasi-legendary demon in just two strikes!

In an instant, Freeman felt a chill run down his spine, his fighting spirit vanishing.

Ren slowly turned around, looking at the possessed doll demon that had been about to pounce, and smiled.

"Why not catch it?"

The next second, the summoned demon let out a shriek, and its powerful aura suddenly disappeared without a trace. The doll, which had been floating in mid-air, seemed to lose some power and quickly fell to the ground, immediately turning into dust.

This surprised Ren, who was preparing to attack, and he shook his head in dismay.

He had been about to charge up and use 'Annihilation Hammer' again, but the demon had fled so decisively.

The technique he had just used was 'Soul Fragmentation Impact', which required ten portions of soul energy and ignored defense, dealing true damage to spiritual beings like demons.

He had wanted to use it the last time he encountered this little boy's demon but hadn't accumulated enough soul energy.

As for why he didn't use 'Soul Fragmentation Impact' on the familiar demon possessing Freeman, it was because...

It was simple.

He wasn't worthy. When Punishment Knight Brandul last saw Ren, he felt that this young Imperial Swordsman was strong, but now it seemed that the word 'strong' alone couldn't describe his power.

Brandul could understand Ren's first strike, which seemed to be some kind of ultimate technique for hammer-type weapons, pushing the force of impact to the limit and creating a shredding power.

But the second strike was beyond comprehension; its power was like a divine strike! Duke Advisor Minor Levin was even more stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.

From their expressions, it seemed like some inherent cognition was collapsing. Freeman, at this moment, felt as if he had fallen into an icy pit.

To think that he could scare away the summoned demon with just a look—was he even human?

"Swoosh!"

Freeman immediately turned and ran.

He sprinted towards the distance, and soon, black air currents enveloped his legs.

"Slowdown Spell!"

But Freeman had forgotten that his opponent wasn't just Ren; there was also the Duke Advisor, a Second-Level Liquid Mage, standing beside him. The mage immediately cast the Slowdown Spell, hindering Freeman's movements.

The Punishment Knight and Ren, almost simultaneously, chased after him, and in an instant, their war hammers struck towards his back.

If he was hit, it would be over for him! Freeman gritted his teeth and threw the oil painting, 'Gaze Orb,' towards the two of them with all his might.

"Boom!!"

A powerful explosion suddenly appeared on Ren's war hammer and within the oil painting.

In that instant, the 'Gaze Orb' was pierced by Ren's Annihilation Hammer from the center, and the oil painting seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. Hundreds and thousands of soul shadows, trailing long tails of flame, rushed out from the torn opening, soaring into the sky! Multiple shockwaves swept through the surroundings!

Even Ren and Brandul had to assume defensive stances, using their abilities to withstand the massive impact of the soul energy.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Freeman had already taken advantage of the shockwaves and sprinted away, now several hundred meters away.

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

This guy had gotten lucky last time in Maister, escaping his grasp. This time—

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

The five extinguished black light pillars, which had been inactive, were now reactivated, and the intensity seemed to be increasing.

Clearly, someone was restarting the demon array!

"What a lucky guy."

"Another escape!" Ren looked at the retreating figure in the black robe and shook his head slightly.

He naturally understood the priorities.

The demon that could potentially threaten his family's safety had been eliminated.

Now, the most important thing was to stop the Black Flame Cult's ritual from being activated.

After all, no one knew what kind of catastrophic consequences the demon array would bring once it was fully activated.

However, who could be restarting the demon array?

Was it the Black Flame Cult's backup plan, or was it that legendary figure, the one referred to as Extor by the Duke of Minster?

Hmm?

Ren looked down at the pitch-black, double-headed war hammer in his hands.

To his surprise, after shattering the bizarre oil painting with his war hammer, the ten portions of soul energy were instantly replenished.

This meant that he could use the 'Soul Fragmentation Impact' again!

At the same time, in the Minster Administrative Hall—

The entire hall's floor was covered in intricate black lines, arcs, and semi-circles, forming a complex and mysterious pattern.

The four people who had been pulled away from reality by the 'Wave Mirror' had now returned to the hall.

All four of them were in bad shape, with the most severely injured being the Goddess Church ascetic who was lying on the ground, struggling to survive.

His chest had a fist-sized penetrating wound, almost taking away all his vitality.

Admiral Edward's injuries were also severe; he knelt on one knee, holding his sword, with a semi-circular wound on his abdomen, including his armor and flesh, seemingly missing entirely. Blood flowed from the wound.

The Duke of Minster's Serpent-Wrapped Armor had been shattered in several places, revealing bone-deep injuries!

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

In contrast, Extor's wounds were numerous, but none were fatal, making him the least injured of the group. Moreover, the black air currents on the floor were swirling around his feet and quickly covering his wounds.

His injuries were healing at a visible rate.

"It seems I've won this time!"

Extor spoke while looking around, noticing that Burgess and his elite subordinates were not present, which puzzled him.

"Although the planned sacrifices have escaped, with the three of you here, it's more than enough!"

"And the effect will undoubtedly be better than all of them combined!"

Extor seemed to remember something, and a smile appeared on his face. "By the way, there's something I want to say to you. In the face of absolute strength, all schemes are meaningless."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end