Chapter 315: The Sirens

Chapter 315: The Sirens



"Very well, Viscount Lein," Lady Olenna nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Viscount Lein's mind was occupied with two matters.

The first was whether he should bring Anna with him when he went to the Blood Curse Naga Cave. For the Sam's Team from the Imperial Capital, taking action in Mayorst City would not be a significant concern, as evidenced by the previous attitude of the 'Blood Peak Mercenary Group.'

As a mercenary group from the Imperial Capital, they inherently carried an air of superiority. Even if they suffered a defeat, they would merely consider it an unfortunate mishap.

Therefore, once he left Mayorst, the other party would most likely abduct Anna directly.

This was something Viscount Lein could not accept.

Given the circumstances, he decided to take the initiative and eliminate the potential threat at its root.

As for the aftermath, he had already prepared a suitable excuse if Duke Dramm were to come knocking on his door.

'Sam's Team sent people to follow Anna, and when he demanded an explanation, they launched an attack on him. Consequently, he eliminated Sam's Team.'

This was the explanation Viscount Lein had in mind.

Whether or not Duke Dramm would believe it was another matter entirely.

As for the second matter, he would deal with it after settling the first.

"Oh, Lady Olenna, could you help us arrange for the earliest flight to Myrist this afternoon?" Viscount Lein asked, looking up at Lady Olenna.

"Viscount Lein, why not choose the morning flight?" Lady Olenna asked, slightly puzzled.

"In the morning, I have a small matter to attend to," Viscount Lein smiled and replied.

Fifteen minutes later.

Minster Auction House.

Viscount Fabian was leisurely leaning back in his large office chair, sipping Yorton tea from a small cup, looking extremely content.

Since the previous day, when he had shifted the conflict between Viscount Lein and Sam, allowing them to resolve it themselves, Viscount Fabian had felt a great sense of relief.

At the same time, he felt proud of his own cleverness and resolved the nation.

He even came up with a phrase to describe himself: 'The big shots come and go, but Fabian, the ever-present, ever-wise.

No matter how the ownership of Axson Auction House changed or how the struggles within it unfolded, as the veteran of the Minster branch, he remained in his position, thriving in the midst of it all.

This was true skill!

Knock knock knock! The sound of knocking echoed through the room.

"Come in!" Viscount Fabian said casually.

"Pfft!"

Viscount Fabian choked on his Yorton tea when he saw who had entered, spraying it all over himself and the table, looking quite disheveled.

But he didn't have time to wipe it off; instead, he hurriedly stood up and respectfully called out:

"Viscount Lein! What brings you here?"

Although they were both viscounts, there was a difference between them.

He had become a viscount through his family connections and by exerting all his efforts, barely reaching the rank of viscount.

But for Viscount Lein, the title of viscount was merely a small milestone in his path to greater things.

If Viscount Fabian couldn't understand this, then he had wasted his time.

"Viscount Fabian, I apologize for the disturbance. I'd like to ask you about something," Viscount Lein said with a slight smile, getting straight to the point.

"Please, Viscount Lein, have a seat," Viscount Fabian quickly nodded and said.

"I'd like to know where Viscount Sam is currently staying. I'd like to pay him a visit."

"Umm..."

Viscount Fabian wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes shifting nervously.

Although Viscount Lein's tone was calm, Viscount Fabian knew that he was likely going to cause trouble for Viscount Sam.

'Visit,' he said, but it was likely they'd start fighting after just a few words.

The key issue was that he didn't want to get involved in this matter!

If he led Viscount Lein to Viscount Sam, and Sam's Team later caused him trouble, he'd be in a tight spot. But if he didn't say anything...

It seemed the choice was simple.

"It seems, Viscount Fabian, you're unwilling to help me with this."

"No, no, Viscount Lein, I'm more than willing. They're staying not far from here," Viscount Fabian quickly said.

"Good," Viscount Lein nodded in satisfaction.

He planned to deal with Sam's Team before heading to Myrist.

Soon, Viscount Lein and Viscount Fabian arrived at the guesthouse.

"What? They left yesterday and haven't returned since?" Viscount Fabian asked, looking at the servant in disbelief after hearing his answer.

"I'm sorry, Viscount Lein, their actions didn't require my knowledge, and I truly didn't know they had left yesterday."

Viscount Lein observed Viscount Fabian's expression, and it didn't seem fake, so he felt a slight disappointment.

This meant he would have to bring Anna with him.

As for his family, Viscount Lein wasn't too worried.

After all, the other party's target was clear—Anna, not him.

Although they were also part of Axson Auction House, they wouldn't attack him, a shareholder, for no reason.

Doing so would only anger him, and Sam's Team wouldn't be able to protect themselves from Duke Dramm's wrath.

So, as long as Sam's Team wasn't foolish, they wouldn't do such a thing.

"Viscount Fabian, once Viscount Sam returns, please inform me immediately. Thank you."

"Of course, of course."

After leaving Viscount Fabian, Viscount Lein didn't head to the new residence but instead made his way to the Swordsmen Division.

Before leaving, he had one more matter to attend to—a trip to the Exchange Hall to exchange for the ninth and final Extraordinary Combat Skill he needed to master: 'Rockdiloro's Guardian Staff.'

An extremely rare Extraordinary Combat Skill related to the staff.

The creator of this skill, Rockdiloro, was actually a high-level wizard who wasn't a metal-type wizard. His usual weapon was a staff about five feet long.

So, he gradually developed and perfected this set of Extraordinary Combat Skills using the staff as a weapon.

To use this skill, one condition had to be met: possessing a sturdy enough staff.

Rockdiloro's weapon of choice was the well-known Iron Battle Staff.

Except for the top of the staff, which was left uncovered for communicating with mysterious side energy, the rest of the staff was covered in thick metal, making it convenient for blocking and parrying close-range attacks, extremely handy.

This was something Viscount Lein had been thinking about for days, and it was by chance, during a conversation with Neor, that he learned of this Extraordinary Combat Skill related to the staff.

Although it seemed a little redundant for him, Rain felt that as a Wizard, wielding a staff would be a good way to confuse his enemies.

Half an hour later, Rain returned to the mansion, satisfied with a parchment scroll in hand.

After informing Vieri about the afternoon mission to Minster, Rain sought out Anna.

"Anna, you might want to prepare and come with me to Myester for the mission. After all, if you stay here, they might come knocking on our door," Rain said.

"Oh? That's great!" Anna clenched her fists and waved excitedly, then continued, "When are we leaving?"

Seeing Anna's excited expression, Rain was taken aback, and he swallowed the words he had originally intended to say.

He had thought it would take a lot of persuasion to convince Anna.

"We're leaving in the afternoon. There's a high chance of combat, so you should prepare accordingly."

"Okay, sure." Anna nodded in agreement.

In the evening, Rain and his group arrived at the airship docking point in the fishing town.

After disembarking from the airship, they hurried from the fishing town to the cave where they had previously encountered the ancient Blood Curse Nagas.

Stationed there was a squad of elite soldiers from the military, as well as a full member of the Stonewall Squad.

Due to the squad's weakened state, Captain Bartista had assigned them here as a liaison and lookout.

When Rain and his group arrived, the soldier quickly approached them, his face filled with anxiety. "Lord Rain, you're finally here!"

Rain quickly assessed the soldier, noticing his exhausted appearance. It was clear that he had not slept in the twenty-four hours since the Stonewall Squad had gone missing, and his mental state had been on high alert the entire time.

"Don't worry, just tell us what you know, so we can better rescue the Stonewall Squad," Angus, who had extensive experience from his time in the military, patted the soldier's shoulder and reassured him.

"Thank you!" The soldier expressed his gratitude to Angus and then turned to Rain, saying, "It's been about thirty of them, and there has been no communication or news since then."

"So, something must have happened to them!" the soldier quickly explained.

Rain, having already been out of contact for so long, said, "You all stay here, I'll go in and take a look."

"Captain, let me come with you," Neor volunteered.

Rain was taken aback by Neor's offer.

He hadn't expected Neor, the son of a marquis, to be the first to volunteer to accompany him.

"Aren't you afraid?" Rain asked curiously.

Neor smiled and said, "It's precisely because I'm afraid that I must go."

"Yes, Captain, we know we're far from being as strong as you, but we can't always stay under your wing."

"When we were in the military, there were often casualties during missions," Angus and Vieri both chimed in.

"And we can only grow through these trials," Evelyn added.

"Moreover, I believe that as long as the enemy isn't a legendary powerhouse, they won't stand a chance against you, Captain," Evelyn said with a light laugh.

"Rain, I also want to go with you," Anna said, joining the rest of Rain's teammates.

"Alright, let's go together," Rain smiled and nodded.

The cave they entered was deep and spacious, lined with the remains of various large marine creatures, some reaching over ten meters in height and over forty meters in length.

There were also smaller remains, including those of a giant whale.

In the deepest part of the cave, there were seven shattered purple eggshells, most of which had disappeared, leaving nothing inside.

These eggs had been kept active by the Three-Tailed Sea Dragon's Sleep Spell, which had put them into a deep slumber.

However, when the Sealed Gateway was opened, Dragon Knight Meniya suddenly appeared, and the eggs were completely destroyed by the shockwave of that battle.

But during a chance return of a Blood Curse Nagas scout, a well-hidden, intact Sea Dragon egg was discovered beside the remains.

Upon receiving this news, she was naturally overjoyed. She did not inform the Sea God Cult of this information.

In her opinion, once she could contract a young Three-Tailed Sea Dragon, her strength would surpass the heavenly chasm and reach an extremely high level.

However, there were several issues to address in the process.

The Sea Dragon egg had been in contact with the giant bone remains for a long time, causing it to almost fuse with the enormous bone fragments.

It was this very reason that the Sea Dragon egg had gone unnoticed, but it also led to a problem.

The egg was almost immovable, and if it were forcibly moved, it could easily be damaged, causing her plan to fail.

Just as she was pondering how to solve this problem, the Sea God Cult brought good news.

It was said that the human Dragon Knight had left the area, and they had reliable information that the Dragon Knight would not return for a short time.

Additionally, the Sea God Cult hoped that the Blood Curse Nagas could secretly travel to the human coast and establish a base, facilitating their subsequent counterattacks.

These two pieces of news were like a heaven-sent opportunity.

However, when they arrived at the Sealed Gateway, they encountered a second problem.

Meanwhile, Rayne and his team, after venturing into the cave for a short while, saw the traces of the previous battle when he had left.

There were still many scattered stones on both sides of the nearby passage, but the passage had obviously been cleaned and reinforced, making it impassable otherwise.

Rayne clearly remembered that he had almost collapsed the passage, blocking the pursuit of 'Tide Piercer' Rulagats.

"This way." Rayne led the way, with the spirit hound 'Cookie' by his side.

"Captain, you seem to be quite familiar with this place." Neoro couldn't help but be curious.

"Hmm, I've been here before, and I had a big battle with the ancient Blood Curse Nagas." Rayne recounted the situation as he walked.

Soon, the group arrived at the underground hall where Rayne had previously killed the Blood Curse Nagas commander.

The hall retained the style Rayne had seen before; the walls were composed of long, light blue rectangular stones, and in the center of the hall, there were two rows of Doric-style columns.

At this moment, a strange song began to echo from all around.

Since there were three passages here, the sound, after being conducted to this place, would reflect in various ways, making it sound like surround sound, and it was difficult to determine the original location of the sound.

"How can there be someone singing here?" Anna asked in surprise.

The group also looked around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Be careful, there's something strange going on." Rayne spoke in a low voice.

Rayne felt something was off about this song; it made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

The sound grew louder and louder.

Soon, Rayne suddenly felt his vision blur, and the next moment, he could no longer see the team members or Anna.

Hmm?

An illusion?

The sound waves causing hallucinations?

At that moment, Rayne thought of a way.

He quickly closed his eyes and relied on his heightened perception to sense his surroundings.

It was then that he discovered Anna's familiar aura, not far from him, but moving away in the opposite direction.

In an instant, Rayne understood their plan.

They intended to use this hallucinatory song to split up his entire team.

Once successful, dealing with the group would be easy and enjoyable.

No wonder the Golden Rank Squad 'Stonewall Squad' fell for it.

Aside from the enemy's strength, this tactic alone could easily lead to their defeat.

Ignoring the others, Rayne quickly rushed towards Anna's aura.

Just as his big hand was about to touch Anna, she let out a chilling scream and immediately transformed into a Great Antelope, charging towards Rayne.

This startled Rayne, but he soon understood what was happening.

The song was not simple; it could even make one misjudge friend from foe!

Rayne's big hand firmly pressed down on Anna's giant antlers, and shouted, "Anna, it's me!"

But the Great Antelope under Rayne's hand continued to struggle violently.

Because, in Anna's perception, she was being grabbed by a huge demon by her antlers, and it was laughing at her, 'Come on, little cutie, come to me, cutie.'

This made Anna panic and struggle with all her might.

Seeing Anna like this, Rayne shook his head.

It seemed there was only one way!

"Roar!"

Rayne's throat suddenly bulged, his mouth opened wide, and the next second, a giant white sound wave shockwave burst from his mouth.

Instantly, circular shockwaves reverberated around.

Anna felt a sharp pain in her eardrums, and the next moment, her vision blurred, and the one she was pushing against with her antlers turned out to be Rayne.

This left Anna a bit dazed.

"You..."

She didn't know which was real, the current situation or the previous one.

Rayne smiled and quickly thought of something, saying, "That day, I held you..."

"Ah!"

Anna immediately used her shapechange technique, returning to human form, and her pretty face turned red, as she covered her face with her hands, saying, "Don't say it, I know you're the real Rayne!"

Rayne nodded and said, "I looked around, and I found that the other four had already rushed off in different directions, each one acting as if they had encountered a ghost, frisson of unease."

For example, Neoro was attacking a wall in the hall, continuously casting scrolls and unleashing wizardry attacks.

After Rayne's shout temporarily disrupted the strange song, it began to echo again.

"What's that sound?" asked 'Tide Piercer' Rulagats, who was about to launch an attack not far away.

The sound was very familiar.

Soon, he realized that it was the same sound that had blinded him in one eye!

"It's that guy! Human, you dare to come back!"

"This time, I will not let you escape!" a voice filled with anger rumbled from Rulagats' throat.

He shook his massive serpent tail and quickened his pace, rushing towards Rayne's direction.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end