Chapter 319: Armor Piercing Strike

Chapter 319: Armor Piercing Strike



Two hours later.

The head maid, Sadia, rushed into the study on the second floor of the villa, her face filled with anxiety. "Miss Claireya, something's wrong! Butler Jordel has gone missing."

"Sadia, calm down and explain slowly," Claireya said, pausing her quill mid-stroke as she reviewed official documents. She furrowed her brows and looked up at her head maid.

"It's like this, Miss. Butler Jordel and I had arranged to calculate the monthly income and expenses of the estate this afternoon, but I waited for a long time and he never showed up. He should have returned an hour ago."

"I just sent a guard to inquire at Marquis Hamadi's residence, but they replied that Butler Jordel never came."

"Hmm? I specifically assigned him to go to Marquis Hamadi's residence. It's out of character for Jordel to not follow through." Claireya's expression turned serious upon hearing this news.

"Have you sent anyone to search for him? If he's missing within the county city, there should be witnesses among the many people on the streets."

"I was thinking the same, and I've dispatched several more guards to look around."

Just as Sadia was about to speak again, a guard knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Come in."

"Miss Claireya, Head Maid! We found the estate's carriage in a secluded alley, but we couldn't find Butler Jordel, the guard, or even the coachman. They've all disappeared without a trace."

"Did you retrieve the carriage?" Claireya's eyebrows arched as she examined the carriage's exterior, which was seemingly untouched. Some scratches were visible, but they appeared to be old marks, not newly added.

However, when she stepped inside the carriage, she detected a faint, peculiar odor, causing Claireya to pause.

'This seems to be some sort of bodily fluid.'

"Miss Claireya, a guard has gone missing from the estate!" The guard captain hurriedly approached, his expression grave.

Claireya's eyes sharpened instantly.

"Full alert! Increase the patrol teams within the estate from two to three-person groups! Additionally, summon a squad to handle external surveillance." Claireya swiftly issued a series of commands.

"Miss, should we contact the Griffin Squadron immediately?" Head Maid Sadia still looked worried. "After witnessing the battle between Rain and the ancient hero Mong, I know that ordinary people, no matter how well-trained, are of little use when facing enemies far beyond their capabilities. The only ones we can rely on are the Extraordinary ones!"

"Yes, I'll contact the fishing port town and ask the Griffin Squadron to pay extra attention to our situation. Hopefully, they can increase their patrol frequency." Claireya nodded after some thought.

Not far from the Hburg Castle, on the rooftop of a slightly smaller villa, a man in a black robe watched the slightly chaotic Hburg Castle with a smirk.

"Panic and death await you," he said, "This is just the appetizer that Lady Icsera has prepared for you."

The man in black glanced at the setting sun, his smile widening.

"Nightfall is the perfect seasoning for panic."

In a secluded alley, a tall and a short man in black robes walked side by side.

"Lady Icsera, are you not concerned that Digano's actions might attract reinforcements?" The tall man in black asked, perplexed.

"Oh, don't you find this amusing?" Icsera let out a light laugh.

"This is just the residence of a county city's executive officer, and there isn't even a single Quasi-Legendary expert here."

"Timshi, don't you know? To eradicate an ant colony, you must ensure that all the ants outside return to the nest. Who knows, there might even be unexpected gains!"

"This..." Timshi, the man in black, glanced at Icsera beside him and thought, 'What a peculiar way of thinking. No wonder her nickname is Mad Snake.'

"By the way, have you contacted Edmundo?"

"Lady, I've already contacted Lord Edmundo. According to the last message, Lord Edmundo and his party have successfully subdued the Earth Serpents and should be able to join us soon."

"With Lord Edmundo's strength, controlling the Earth Serpents shouldn't be a problem. They should be able to rendezvous with us shortly."

"Yes, very good." Icsera nodded.

---

Near the entrance of the Blood Curse Nagas' cave, close to the coastline.

The group was taking a break and adjusting near the shore.

After Anna's preliminary treatment of the group, her beautiful eyes occasionally glanced towards Rain, who was deep in thought not far away.

For a moment, she found Rain both familiar and unfamiliar.

The familiarity stemmed from the fact that he was still the same person, and the familiarity and tacit understanding between them during their conversation remained unchanged.

As for the strangeness, it was due to Rain's rapid improvement in strength. She felt that even Aunt Delana might not be a match for Rain now, but how long had it been since Rain entered the Extraordinary realm?

It felt too surreal!

The others nearby soon noticed that this girl, who was not particularly beautiful but possessed the rare Nature School Magic, seemed to have an inexplicable affection for Rain.

When she looked at Rain, the light in her beautiful eyes was clear to anyone.

Since they were all Swordsmen, although there were differences in their levels, they had met each other before and were somewhat familiar. Seeing this, they couldn't help but whisper and laugh among themselves.

After all, gossip about famous figures was a great way to relax after a battle.

"Hey, Angus, what's the relationship between that girl and Lord Rain?" asked a curious young man.

"Yeah, I thought Lord Rain liked the red-haired beauty in your team," said another person next to him, eagerly asking.

"You mean Evelyn?" Angus replied, realizing it a bit late.

"The key is, how do you know Lord Rain doesn't like both of them?" said another person.

"Huh, that makes sense," the first person suddenly felt that his companion's words were very reasonable.

"Yeah, if I had Lord Rain's strength, I'd want them both," the young man thought for a moment, rubbed his head, and nodded in agreement.

"Hahaha, keep dreaming!" The others couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, Rain was standing alone, facing the boundless sea, deep in thought.

Rain recalled his battle with Sereniss.

He realized that the opening move, 'Soul Fragment Impact,' could be said to have secured his victory in advance.

The true damage bypassed the opponent's triple Wizardry defense and even their physical defense, directly affecting their soul, catching them off guard and causing severe injury.

In other words, the opponent he faced afterwards was not a fully-fledged Veteran Legendary powerhouse but a Legendary powerhouse who was heavily injured.

"No wonder I didn't feel that the opponent's strength was particularly strong," Rain said, his eyes showing a hint of realization.

However, Rain didn't think there was anything wrong with using the killer move 'Annihilation Hammer' to gain an advantage at the start and then defeating the opponent.

After all, whether it was the Knight's Code or Wizardry, he had only been in contact with them for a short time, and in battle, there was no such thing as fairness.

What Rain was more curious about was the change in the system's description of his bloodline.

After he raised Dragon Breath Technique to level 18, the Dragon Bloodline once again showed a concentration deficiency, indicating that he would need to find a way to obtain the blood or egg liquid of certain dragons in the future to improve himself.

Additionally, in the effect of Dragon Bloodline (Weak), there was an added description of "increased affinity with Water Element."

"This is interesting."

"Could it be that because the Three-Tailed Sea Dragon is primarily a water-attributed dragon, the system absorbed the relevant gene fragments?"

"If that's the case, wouldn't I be able to increase my affinity with all elements if I could find dragons or dragon-related creatures of different elements and obtain their essence?"

"That would be amazing!"

However, Rain soon shook his head, abandoning the thought that was a bit unrealistic for him at the moment.

"After all, it was a bit of luck that I was able to obtain the sea dragon egg this time. It's probably not that easy to obtain the blood or egg liquid of dragons."

After some thought, Rain decided to focus his attention on Longhorn Spear, which had just been upgraded.

Currently at level 9, with just a little more skill points invested, he could understand the Secret Technique in advance, thanks to his 'Intermediate Weapon Mastery' talent.

Since everyone was resting, Rain didn't hesitate and immediately invested a skill point into Longhorn Spear.

As the skill point was invested, a flood of memories about Longhorn Spear instantly rushed into Rain's mind.

The system prompt followed:

{Congratulations, you have understood the Longhorn Spear's Primary Secret Technique: Armor Piercing Strike!}

"Armor Piercing Strike! Not bad!"

"Now, there's just one more Extraordinary Combat Skill Secret Technique left. Once completed, it will fulfill the requirements to change to the Epic-level profession 'Thousand Blade King'."

Rain's eyes flashed with excitement as he read the prompt.

"Just one step away!" Rain exclaimed.

At the same time, Rain saw a new icon on the Weapon Master (Legendary) panel, located just above 'Longhorn Spear'.

The icon depicted a tall, fully-armored man riding a warhorse, holding a long lance.

The man was riding the warhorse at high speed, and the lance in his hand was piercing forward at a speed that could almost tear the air.

On both sides of the lance were multiple wavy lines, indicating the disturbance of the air currents as it was thrust forward.

At the bottom left of the icon was a description of the Secret Technique, 'Armor Piercing Strike':

Armor Piercing Strike (Beginner Secret Technique): Effect - Utilize a unique battle technique with a spear-like weapon, combining Origin Force and piercing power, to deliver a highly penetrative strike.

(Note: The power of Armor Piercing Strike can be enhanced when combined with a suitable mount's charge.)



(To upgrade Armor Piercing Strike to an Intermediate Secret Technique, the following conditions must be met: 1. Longhorn Spear level 14 or higher (specialization can offset some level requirements); 2. Dragon Breath Technique level 12 or higher; 3. Strength 38, Agility 35, and Constitution 35 or higher; 4. Consumes 1 Golden Skill Point.)



"Can the mount's cooperation enhance the power?" Rain's eyes lit up as he read.

"That's good news. Perhaps I can try it out with Blackie first."

As Rain's thoughts moved, the tempered adamantium in his hand quickly transformed into a three-meter-long spear.

The swift warhorse, Blackie, sensing its master's call, trotted over and affectionately nuzzled Rain.

Rain mounted the horse, holding the spear, and gradually increased his speed towards a several-meter-high dark red boulder on the beach.

The boulder, worn smooth by centuries of waves, had lost its edges and taken on a rounded shape like a river stone, covered with oysters and barnacles, but it was actually extremely hard.

Rain's unusual action naturally caught the attention of the others who were still adjusting.

"Look! What's Rain doing with that giant boulder?" asked a Silver Rank Swordsman.

"He must be testing the power of his spear on that huge rock," Vieri guessed, following Rain's direction as he rode forward.

"That's probably the only possibility!" Angus nodded in agreement after a moment's thought.

"Hiss~ The hardness of this red boulder is no joke. My Knight's Longsword, even with its secret technique, would probably only penetrate a dozen centimeters or so," said the Silver Rank Swordsman.

Suddenly, Rain accelerated on his swift warhorse, and with a 'whoosh', man and horse charged towards the boulder like an arrow released from a bowstring.

"Clang!"

But faster still was Rain's dark spear, its tempered adamantium body emitting a piercing shriek as it cut through the air, striking the massive dark red boulder like a black lightning bolt.

"Boom!!!"

The point of impact between the spear and the boulder exploded in a circle of white shockwaves, with small fragments of rock scattering in all directions.

Rain's black spear, however, had disappeared from sight.

The black spear had penetrated deep into the hard red boulder, leaving only a portion of its handle visible, and the boulder, instead of shattering, had a small, cylindrical hole.

The incredible concentration of force and the resulting penetration power left the onlookers stunned.

"Damn! That's way too powerful! Did the entire three-meter-long spear go in?"

"If that hit a person, plate armor would be as good as paper!"

"That's incredible!"

"No wonder Rain could kill that Six-Armed Naga! He's amazing!"

The crowd burst into a flurry of chatter.

Many, ignoring their injuries, hurried over to the boulder to inspect the damage.

"Hiss! It really went through!"

"Heavens! That impact is unbelievable!"

Several people, including Angus and Vieri, stood behind the boulder, their eyes wide and mouths agape in astonishment.

Rain, observing the power of his strike, nodded in satisfaction.

While the power of the previous strike had pleased him, the beginner Secret Technique 'Armor Piercing Strike' with the spear wasn't as powerful as it was, but with the acceleration from Blackie's innate talent for swiftness, the inertia was channeled into the strike, resulting in an effect comparable to an intermediate Secret Technique.

"It's a shame Blood Feather is still a bit lacking. It should be ready in a little while."

"Compared to Griffin Knights, I'll be a Wyvern Knight!"

"When the time comes, performing a diving attack with Armor Piercing Strike should have an even more astonishing boost."

With this thought, Rain's mood improved.

"My methods against enemies are becoming more diverse."

"Next, I can focus all my energy on improving my final Extraordinary Combat Skill - 'Rockdiloro's Guardian Staff'."

However, after scanning the surroundings and noticing that everyone had mostly recovered, Rain spoke, "Let's head to the nearby fishing port's Imperial Camp."

Soon, the group arrived at the Imperial Camp in the fishing port.

As expected, Rain and his party received a warm welcome from an Imperial Major General.

At the welcome banquet, Rain also met his old subordinate, Cornet.

"You mean Vinonica went to the Southern Sea Fleet?"

"She left this morning, and it seems she even wrote a letter to you, Sir."

"Cornet thought for a moment and spoke.

Rain nodded, the letter was probably sent to Mystra.

"Do you know why?"

"It's rumored that Master Eneus, the advisor to the Southern Fleet and mentor to Miss Veronique, was seriously injured and is in critical condition."

"I understand," Rain's mood became a little heavy.

The aftermath of Princess Menia's return to the Imperial Capital had begun to manifest.

Moreover, it seemed that the Sea God Cult had already launched their offensive.

"It's been a while, Rain," said Viscount Ferck, the deputy captain of the Griffin Squadron with golden hair, as he approached with a smile.

"Viscount Ferck," Rain gestured with a cup and smiled.

Just as Ferck was about to say something to Rain, a Griffin Knight hurried over and said, "Viscount Ferck, an urgent message has arrived from Habsburg Castle. They suspect there are enemies hiding within the city who may launch an attack on them at any time."

Rain's eyes narrowed at the Griffin Knight's report!

"Viscount Ferck, could the next patrol of Griffin Knights take me to Habsburg Castle first?" Rain asked.

---

Mystical Depths of Myester.

In a deep tunnel somewhere.

A rather handsome middle-aged man, accompanied by four or five people in black robes, was making his way deeper into the tunnel.

Suddenly, the man raised his right hand, and the black-robed individuals immediately stopped in their tracks.

"It should be here; I can already smell the Earth Serpent."

"Is the Ultra Frost Elixir ready?"

"Yes, Lord Edmondo! We have twenty bottles of Ultra Frost Elixir."

"Good! Prepare the materials and formation for the Domination Ritual, and leave this to me." The handsome middle-aged man smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, my lord!"

A black-robed individual placed a box containing twenty bottles of pale blue elixir, emitting a strong chill, in front of the handsome middle-aged man.

As the middle-aged man chanted a short incantation, a ball of energy with a strong chill appeared in front of him.

Immediately, on the walls of the three to four-meter-wide tunnel, frost began to condense, forming white frost flowers that spread quickly in both directions.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sound of shattering glass echoed as bottle after bottle broke!

One by one, the dense cold energy within the Ultra Frost Elixir merged with the ball of energy in front of the middle-aged man, causing it to swell. At the same time, the white frost became almost blinding!

It seemed to have reached some critical point, and even the middle-aged man's forehead began to bead with sweat. With a slight push, he said, "Go!"

Wherever the ball of energy passed, white ice quickly formed on both sides of the tunnel, and in no time, the entire tunnel was freezing at an unimaginable speed!

The handsome man, like Icsera, was one of the twelve Serpent Envoys and a Tier 3 Crystal Wizard. His primary purpose for coming here was to dominate the Legendary Earth Serpent.

The Earth Serpent's only weakness is its fear of cold.

It's not that the cold causes it significant harm, but rather, it induces a state of confusion and near-hibernation in the Earth Serpent.

At this moment, the resting Legendary Earth Serpent felt a chill and, despite its instinct to find a warmer place, it fell into a deep sleep.

After a while, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "We can begin the Domination Ritual."

Half an hour later, upon seeing the success of the ritual, the five black-robed subordinates approached and said, "As expected of Lord Edmondo, you're truly amazing!"

"Indeed!"

At that moment, a black-robed individual hurriedly approached from behind and said, "Lord Edmondo, a letter from Lady Icsera."

"Oh?" Lord Edmondo took the note and casually read it.

"It seems that her brother's death has affected her greatly, as she has already found the murderer of Gannon and Holdan."

"Should we start with the Executive Officer's Mansion in the city and then go to Mystra?" Lord Edmondo's eyebrows furrowed as he read this.

He instinctively felt that the plan was a bit too crazy.

Although the latest news from Temriel indicated that the Dragon Empire was in turmoil, Edmondo thought that wiping out the Executive Officer's Mansion would be too provocative.

But, since Icsera had decided to avenge Gannon and Holdan, he decided to go along with her plan.

After all, without her brother, life would be difficult for a 'Brother-Protector'.

Thinking of this, Lord Edmondo smiled, put down the note, and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go! We can test the power of the Earth Serpent."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end