Chapter 318: The Death of the High Priest

Chapter 318: The Death of the High Priest



"Clang!!!"

Ren's Hardened Steel warhammer and the short swords of the Six-Armed Nagas clashed heavily.

This time, Ren was sent flying several meters away by the impact, while Sereniss did not retreat, but her upper body leaned back significantly, and the ground where her tail touched instantly cracked open.

Apparently, she had conducted the impact into the underground.

"Huff...Huff..."

Ren gasped for breath, white steam rising from his entire body! He had been casting techniques almost continuously, which consumed a lot of his stamina, but his eyes were getting brighter and brighter! In the previous battle, Ren had already added two skill points.

In other words, Ren had regained his stamina twice, which allowed him to fight the Six-Armed Nagas for so long.

"Lord Ren, I'll have Remir and the others stay to help. They have experience tracking those Serpent Sect disciples," Bartista suggested, knowing his physical condition and that staying wouldn't contribute much in combat.

"Okay, Captain." Evelyn took the letter and quickly placed it into a small bamboo tube.

"Is this the egg of the Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon?" Remir exclaimed in shock.

As Sereniss let out a scream, the twenty-plus Male Blood Curse Nagas who were blocking the entrance to the Sealed Gateway, led by Angus, went crazy, their eyes turning red as they fearlessly charged towards the inside.

Ren panted, recalling the feeling of the previous lance attack.

Everyone in the cult knew that Icela, Holdan's sister, was a super 'Brocon,' even the high-ranking High Priests in the cult would be confronted by Icela if they had any issues with Holdan.

So, even when they saw the Black-Robed Woman walking towards the carriage, the two of them didn't try to stop her.

Jodel instinctively recounted the entire incident in detail! "Very good!"

Ren carefully sensed the impact of the Dark Flame imprint again and found that its effect on him was indeed negligible.

In fact, if it weren't for her soul injury at this moment, the 'Water Vortex' she was about to cast would have been almost instantaneous.

"Not bad!"

At this moment, the carriage slowly came to a stop in a secluded alley, and the two male Black-Robed individuals immediately entered the carriage from their positions as drivers.

"Then, I'll go to Minter again."

Since the Weapon Master (Epic Class) was close to leveling up last time, he naturally leveled up this time, reaching lv10 (991/20000).

To avoid further complications, Ren had wanted to quickly kill the Six-Armed Nagas in front of him instead of dragging the fight on.

"Lord Ren, we owe you again. Otherwise, we might have all perished."

It seemed that he needed to convey this news to the Navy and the Swordmaster immediately for the upper echelons to make decisions.

In contrast, Sereniss was exhausted, and her arms holding the short swords were trembling slightly.

Ren looked up and saw Anna casting a healing technique, her forehead covered in fine sweat, indicating that she was exerting all her effort.

"Huh? The Lance of Langkiro has upgraded to lv9?"

"They scattered, seemingly searching for something, without launching an attack on the Empire." Bartista said.

Although the lance's power was inferior to other weapons with mastered techniques, let alone those with ultimate techniques like the hammer, it had the advantage of being relatively safe!

Soon, everyone discovered a row of tall, broken eggshells deep within the bone-filled cave, followed by the one Ren had crushed and the wet, dripping eggshell.

This felt similar to his past life when he used an anti-blast fork to subdue a criminal, maintaining a safe distance while continuously attacking.

He had to control the three-sided shield of the 'Metal Barrier' sorcery to resist attacks that the warhammer couldn't block while simultaneously casting techniques.

"So, once Lord Edmundo unites the Legendary Earth Snake with us, I believe we can ensure that everyone in the Habsburg Castle will be annihilated without a chance to escape."

"Captain, if that's the case, why are we waiting? Let's find and eliminate them first. We can't just let them unite with the Legendary Earth Snake and then passively defend," Vereri suggested from the side.

However, in an instant, a flash of insight crossed Ren's mind.

Ren immediately fixed his gaze on the Sea Dragon egg he had crushed earlier.

"But will they just leave after uniting with the Earth Snake? Won't they stay in Myester?" Vereri asked.

"Hmm."

She began waving the short staff in her hand and chanting something.

"I wonder how powerful it would be if it hatches!"

As soon as the Black-Robed Woman entered the carriage, the two Black-Robed individuals quickly drove the carriage towards the distant alley.

"Hiss... the egg of the Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon!"

"Legendary Earth Snake?" Bartista seemed taken aback.

With Icela's eyesight, she could clearly see the two small black dots in the sky, which were two Imperial Griffon Knights.

To be honest, at Ren's age, he might be able to continuously suppress the Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon in terms of strength.

"Dream on. Have you considered how long it takes for a Three-Headed Sea Dragon to mature? By the time it's grown, you'll be long dead."

"The Blood Curse Naga Clan is led by females, and the position of the High Priest is above the Clan Leader, all held by female Nagas," Remir added. "Yes, I've also seen related records in ancient texts." Neror agreed.

"Hmm!"

After several shouts, Neror and the others quickly walked over, rescuing Bartista and the other dozen trapped individuals.

Even with all the means at her disposal, Seriniss was unable to defeat her opponent, which only fueled her anger further. "Damn it!" she exclaimed.

The six-armed Nagas' ability to participate in the attack put immense pressure on Ren's technical skills, something he had never experienced before.

This time was no different.

Ren glanced at the body of the Six-Armed Naga once more. The black-robed man's face had turned a deep purple, and he looked at Iksera with terror before lowering his head, unable to bear looking at her directly.

It was then that everyone realized that Lord Ren, standing before them, had accomplished such an impressive task. He had encountered a Legendary Earth Snake and managed to kill a High Priest and a Priest of the Serpent Cult.

At that moment, two tall, black-robed figures appeared beside the carriage driver and the guard.

Blood splattered from the Six-Armed Naga's body, which was no longer protected by defensive sorcery.

Ren's eyes lit up with joy as he saw this. — Meister.

【Congratulations, you have defeated a powerful enemy and gained 12 Golden Skill Points!】

Nine transparent shadows of Blood Curse Nagas, with long tails of flames, circled around Ren several times before being sucked into his warhammer.

Ren quickly explained the situation to Bartista.

However, the carriage had barely moved two steps when a curvaceous female in black robes blocked their path on the street.

With the additional points, Ren now had a total of 6 remaining attribute points and 3 remaining skill points, along with 22 Golden Skill Points.

This earned him an additional skill point and attribute point.

Just as he was pondering the meaning behind her words, a gaping mouth suddenly appeared above him, and a giant bite took a chunk out of his head.

One was to hatch the mysterious Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon egg that had somehow survived, and the other was to assist the Sea God Sect in their counterattack.

"It's unlikely," Remir explained. "The Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon is wild and untamed. Unless you can continuously overpower it as its master, it will likely escape."

The five Blood Curse Nagas' heads exploded, and they collapsed to the ground.

"The situation is now clear. My brother was killed by a Dragon Knight named Ren during the attack on the Habsburg Castle."

Ren felt a warm glow around him as he heard this.

At that moment, a dense aura of green enveloped him, and palm-sized green leaves with a radiant glow descended upon his wounds.

"I can't, but the captain should be able to," Neoro said, looking at Ren.

Even with Klaj's advancement to the Great Knight level, it would be difficult for her to withstand a direct attack on the Habsburg Castle.

"Iksera, do you mean..."

Ren interrupted Seriniss with a 'Dragon Roar', momentarily halting her spellcasting and giving him a brief opening. He flashed two afterimages and struck from the side.

But now, she needed to recite the incantation before casting her spells.

"Yes, my lady!"

"Please calm down, Iksera. If you attack the Habsburg Castle now, the chances of completely wiping them out are low. Some of them will escape, and as you can see..."

"What? What's the Serpent Cult up to now?" Ren's heart sank at the news.

This was a show of mercy for killing Holdan.

Ren remained calm, as he had already absorbed the essence of the Dragon Egg, making the most of the situation.

"Captain, come and see this. There's a letter here," Vieri, as Ren's follower, took on the task of collecting loot for him. He held up a letter.

This sent Angus and the others retreating.

Ren's double-handed warhammer swiftly transformed into a three-meter-long lance, and he attacked from a distance with agile footwork.

However, he had not noticed the row of shattered Dragon Eggs earlier.

"Yes, it should be," Ren nodded.

If it weren't for her veteran legendary soul strength, this attack might have been enough to end her.

One could only imagine how devastating the enemy's death would be this time. And they had heard about this incident as well.

A loud crash echoed.

"Iksera," the two respectfully bowed.

"Holdan, my dear brother, I will kill every single one of those who took your life," Iksera whispered.

Unlike Ancient Hero Mong and the possessed High Priest Exter of the Black Flame Cult, whose battles were primarily tests of strength, the opponent before them relied more on technique, with only slightly greater power than Ren.

"Lord Ren, I am Farom, leader of the Silver Rank Squad 'Broken Blade'. Thank you for your rescue!" A young man stepped forward, expressing his gratitude with a hint of restraint.

After five hammer strikes, like firecrackers, four of the five figures vanished, leaving only Ren's true body standing, still in the motion of bringing down his hammer.

He quickly recognized the origins of the eggs, as he had been a witness to the battle between the Dragon Knight and the Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon in the Blood Curse Naga Cavern.

Ren took a moment to check the system notification: 【Congratulations, your Longiro Gun skill has reached level 9】

Although injured, the group's combat effectiveness remained.

They could withstand the 'Annihilation Hammer', but not the 'Soul Fragmentation Impact'! This time, the 'Soul Fragmentation Impact' further injured Seriniss' already wounded soul.

The group naturally had no objections and followed Ren towards the cave entrance.

Thanks to Anna's Healing, the group quickly recovered.

With Ren's Gigant Strength and Dragon Bloodline, the battle was evenly matched, relying on various melee combat techniques.

"Jordel, tell me about the young man who controlled the giant snake. Who killed him and how?" The Black-Robed Woman, sitting in the carriage, turned and asked.

"Your Excellency, we should wait until Lord Edmundo finds the Legendary Earth Serpent, shouldn't we? After all, the Pope's order was..." The Black-Cloaked Man chose his words carefully, seemingly fearful of the woman before him.

Most importantly, through this 'Egg Liquid Baptism', he had obtained information far more valuable than just a warbeast.

Sereniss's eyes widened, and she felt her life slipping away. In an instant, countless memories flooded her mind.

"Bang! Bang!"

"Let's get out of here," Ren called out.

At the entrance of the Habsburg Castle.

[Congratulations! Your Weapon Master (Legendary) profession level has increased!]



With the boost from the Dragon Bloodline, Ren's Advanced Steel Body Defense was further enhanced. Even against the attacks of the Six-Armed Nagas, his injuries were not severe.

"Who are you?" Jordel asked, looking at the stranger before him with confusion.

"Very well! You've convinced me! Then I'll wait for two more days." Icela nodded, releasing her grip, and the first Black-Robed Man who had spoken stumbled and fell heavily to the ground, gasping for breath.

"This..."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. It seems we should return to Miester County Town as soon as possible," Ren thought of Klaj.

Angus and the others were shocked, while Inero immediately shouted at Ren, "Captain, we can't hold them back! Be careful of the Blood Curse Nagas rushing in!"

"Necromancy Sorcery!" Sereniss narrowed her eyes, surprised by what she saw.

"In that case, it's just a matter of 1 point, and Will can break through the 10-point threshold."

'Healing Touch', as an entry-level Sorcery for Druids, consumed much less Spirit Energy, making it more suitable for the current situation.

This woman, known as 'Mad Snake' within the Sea God Sect, was one of the twelve Serpent Envoys, second only to the Pope. She had the independent authority to perform sacrifices to the Great Devouring Snake.

This made Remir feel a little embarrassed.

"Most likely not. At that time, they should launch their attack," Ren shook his head after a moment's thought.

Steward Jordel, accompanied by a guard, hurried out and boarded a Calibird Emblem Luxury Carriage. The Stablehand then drove the carriage forward.

The Black-Robed Woman slowly lifted her hood, revealing a beautiful face with deep eyes that flashed with a hypnotic glow.

In Jordel's eyes, the person asking him was the respected Baron Habus.

"And this is a letter from the Sea God Sect addressed to someone named Sereniss."

Hmm? Icela followed the Black-Robed Woman's gesture and looked through the carriage window at the sky. Two small black dots were flying in front and behind each other above Miester.

The figure wore a hood, concealing their face.

"It's indeed the High Priest."

The next second! Two python-like creatures with gaping mouths emerged from the Black-Robed Man's wide sleeves, swallowing the coachman and the guard without giving them a chance to scream.

"Wow, that's impressive!" Farom exclaimed, looking at Ren, who had defeated the Six-Armed Nagas.

Sereniss was about to rejoice, but she screamed and covered her head again! "Ah!"

"Waiting is for a better outcome."

Steward Jordel felt a sense of confusion before his eyes, and his gaze became vacant and dazed.

Along the way, Bartista and Ren conversed: "We were in Miester, guarding against the Serpent Sect Disciples who had just appeared. But after receiving news of the situation here, we rushed over."

"Indeed. It seems they are searching for the traces of the Legendary Earth Serpent," Ren nodded.

For Ren, this was the perfect training opportunity! He maintained his distance and repeatedly thrust his lance, taking advantage of the Soul Fragmentation Impact that had injured his opponent's soul. The Black-Robed Man's attacks lacked any strategy, and Ren's lance struck true with every thrust.

[Congratulations! Your Will (Hidden) Attribute has increased!]



"I can't die here, it's so unfair!"

"Hello, Farom," Ren greeted him with a smile.

To say Ren was weaker than the Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon? That's debatable, especially considering Ren had saved them.

After repeating this once more.

The last time, Ren had also saved them here.

After a warm greeting, the group began to clear the battlefield.

Ren's lance became a training dummy for his opponents! Their movements slowed, and Ren narrowed his eyes. With full force, he thrust his lance, piercing the Black-Robed Man's throat.

"Doesn't that mean I can directly enhance my attributes and understand Great Techniques through allocation points right now?"

The sound of weapons hitting the ground echoed as Sereniss's six arms dropped their weapons, and she slumped, no longer moving.

"Ugh"

"No need for formalities, Lady Bartista, Lord Ren. It's my duty," Ren waved his hand with a smile.

With the system notification, Ren was well aware that this was a Sea Dragon Egg.

"High Priestess Sereniss, please organize the outpost to launch a counterattack," Ren instructed.

With this retreat, the narrowest and most advantageous entrance to the Sealed Gate was left unguarded, making it impossible to prevent the Blood Curse Nagas from entering.

At this moment, the group finally had time to carefully examine the spacious cave within the Sealed Gate.

"That's perfect," Ren nodded in agreement.

As Ren turned to look at Anna, she smiled sweetly.

The reason was simple; even the High Priest Cannon that Ren had defeated previously would be no match for Klaj in a one-on-one fight.

"Hiss~Hiss~"

Just as the two of them felt something was amiss, they heard a sibilant snake tongue hiss from within the black-robed man's body.

Perhaps this was the reason why only one Sea Dragon Egg had survived; it was a pity that even the last Tailless Three-Headed Sea Dragon Egg had shattered, otherwise, there would have been a chance to raise it as a warbeast. Innerlo sighed.

The other party's return to the Forbidden Gate likely had two purposes.

As for why the Baron was appearing before him, Ren didn't know, and he didn't want to think about such complex matters.

Evidently, the recent battle had drained her stamina as well.

Hearing Ren's affirmative response, the crowd couldn't help but marvel.

"Evelyn, contact the branch immediately and send this letter and the news of the rescue to Lady Olena," Ren instructed.

Ren glanced at his attribute panel: Constitution: 47, Strength: 54 (3 points of strength gained in battle), Agility: 47, Spirit: 55, Will (Hidden Attribute): 9. "My will has increased by 2 points?" Ren was pleasantly surprised.

But this was the first time Ren had encountered such a formidable opponent.

The stablehand had to pull on the reins and shouted, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Since they had both witnessed Ren's impressive combat prowess, they were momentarily stunned before snapping back to their senses.

Hearing the reminder, Ren looked out of the corner of his eye and saw over ten male Blood Curse Nagas, all injured, rushing towards him. This sight, however, brought a hint of joy to Ren's heart.

Although these words were not directed at the two nearby Serpent Sect disciples, both of them felt a chill down their spines and exchanged glances, seeing a trace of mercy in each other's eyes.

A fair-skinned arm reached out and grabbed the black-robed man's neck, instantly silencing him.

"Now, that man named Ren has returned to the Minter Swordmaster Branch, but my brother's death and this Baron are connected. I will make everyone in this castle pay with their lives!"

"You're of no use now," the black-robed woman said calmly.

At this moment, the group had exited the cave, and the guards outside naturally greeted them with warm enthusiasm.

Ren took the letter and looked at it in surprise, "Eh? It's written in the Common Language, shouldn't it be in Naga Language?"

"Hmm?" Jordel's eyes gradually cleared, and he also heard the black-robed woman's final words.

"Ssssssss..."

At this moment, Ren felt a hidden fire leaping in his heart, making his blood boil.

Indeed, his own strength was always his best reliance.

"Excuse me, is the steward inside a Jodel Steward?" asked a magnetic female voice. The stablehand and the guard felt their hearts flutter, inexplicably developing a liking for the black-robed woman.

"I hate it when people use the Pope to pressure me!" The fair-skinned finger tightened its grip, seemingly trying to twist the black-robed man's neck.

This confirmed Ren's earlier guess; after all, with such formidable strength, the person must be either the Clan Leader or the High Priest.

Under the cover of the skeleton, Ren saw the Sea Dragon Egg he had crushed, hidden from view.

The other party had come prepared, and the Nagas they had brought were naturally stronger than the Cannon's strength.

The crowd couldn't help but look at each other in surprise.

Bartista and Remir stepped forward and bowed slightly to Ren in gratitude.

But at this moment, she was like a madwoman, screaming in pain, and her six arms were wildly flailing. This made Ren hesitate to engage her in a direct clash.

Unexpectedly, soul energy had come to him! Ren channeled his full strength into Shadow Step, instantly appearing beside the five Blood Curse Nagas who had just charged towards him, and in almost the same moment, five different hammer-wielding silhouettes appeared.

This left Remir at a loss for words.

After reading the letter, Ren handed it to Remir, who was standing beside him, while Ren himself fell into deep thought, quickly sketching out the general situation.

Anna, having recovered some of her energy, began to swiftly bandage the wounded crowd's injuries and applied her 'Healing Touch'.

The two of them resumed their intense melee combat.

Sometime ago, Holdan had accompanied the High Priest Cannon from the Nom Province to carry out a task in Minter. In truth, this 'gilding' trip had been arranged by Lady Iksera.

Another black-robed man quickly bowed respectfully towards Lady Iksera, saying, "Our purpose is to accumulate experience for future promotions."

Who would have thought that this 'gilding' trip would result in Holdan's death in Minter.

This infuriated Lady Iksera, who was a 'Brother-Crazy' woman, both with grief and anger.

Now that she knew who the murderer was, Lady Iksera's wrath was unstoppable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end