Chapter 335: Approaching

Chapter 335: Approaching



At the border of Minster Province, near Dragon Tooth Mountain Pass.

Two people were running swiftly, with dozens of staggering humanoid monsters chasing after them.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that these monsters were covered in various colorful mushrooms, and a foul yellow-green gas was emanating from their bodies.

The two runners ahead were the survivors of the 'Black Sword' squad who had not ventured into the mine, Third-Rank Apprentice Wizard Medros and Sword and Shield Great Knight Luca.

"Medros, there are more and more of these things," Luca said.

"Yesterday, we managed to slay over a dozen of them, but now they seem to be getting more formidable!"

"Why hasn't the support from the division arrived yet?" Luca asked, his face showing signs of exhaustion.

They had already released two messenger blood falcons. Even if the first one had encountered some mishap, it was unlikely for both to fail. The message should have reached its destination.

"It won't be that fast! Even if they send all the Diamond-ranked squads from the division, will it be of any use? The captain's strength is already at the pinnacle in the Minster division," Medros replied, his face grim as he relied on Swift Wind to escape.

"That's..." Hearing his companion's words, Luca's face darkened. Although he didn't want to admit it, Medros' words made sense.

"Most likely, the division is waiting for support from the Imperial Capital," Medros continued.

"But I believe they should be here soon. At least, the vanguard should arrive shortly!" Medros muttered, unsure if he was speaking to Luca or to himself.

Since the day before, the mine had been intermittently producing these humanoid monsters covered in fungi. After discovering the human village, they immediately launched an attack.

This allowed Medros and Luca to witness the entire process of the villagers being transformed into these humanoid monsters.

Third-Rank Apprentice Wizard Medros named these infected humans 'Xun' people, which meant spore people or mushroom people.

After the infected villagers entered and exited the mine several times, the number of Xun people decreased, but those who returned became stronger.

The most troublesome aspect was their high infectivity.

In close combat, one would quickly be infected by the yellow-green mist emitted by these creatures.

Fortunately, as long as they maintained a safe distance, the Great Knight-level physique could barely withstand the infection.

Otherwise, Luca would have perished in the previous small-scale battles.

This led Medros and Luca to believe that there must be a source of infection within the mine, especially considering the Sealed Gate inside.

So, they were almost certain that the Sealed Gate within the mine had malfunctioned.

This explained why their captain, Near-Legendary Black Sword Greoro, hadn't made it out alive, despite his strength.

"Damn it! There are more ahead!" Luca exclaimed, alerting Medros.

"Turn left!" Medros shouted.

"Not good! There are more on the left, and they've surrounded us!" Luca added.

As the two contemplated their situation, the humanoid monsters suddenly stopped and retreated the way they came.

This left Medros and Luca puzzled, exchanging glances in confusion.

"Rumble!"

The two felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, followed by a deafening sound like a mountain collapsing, emanating from the direction of the Adachi Mine.

Even though they were several kilometers away from the mine, they could clearly see a massive dragon bursting out from underground, spewing a large amount of dust and smoke.

"Roar!!!"

The dragon's body was surrounded by a yellow-green gas.

From the broken ground, a large number of Xun people emerged, including several with ogre-like physiques.

"This must be the source!" Medros exclaimed, stunned by the sight.

"I understand now! Those Xun people are infecting humans to provide energy for this dragon."

"Medros, look at the direction it's flying," Luca said, his face turning pale as he realized something.

"Not good! It's heading towards Brightsin County City!"

"I know, it's trying to recover further," Medros replied.

Their expressions changed drastically.

---

Minster.

On the way back to the manor from the cathedral, Rain's expression remained grave.

Bishop Sean and Brandul shared a similar viewpoint: even if His Majesty the Emperor recovered, the situation wouldn't improve much.

According to the internal teachings of the Goddess Church, 'The apocalypse has arrived, and only the most devout believers will receive the Goddess's protection.'

Initially, Rain believed that after his job change to 'Thousand Blade King,' he could handle short-term risks without much difficulty.

However, it now seemed that the future would be more challenging than he had imagined.

"Where there is no distant worry, there is near concern."

"Improving strength cannot be neglected."

Upon returning to the manor, Rain took out the third and final item given by Master Mogarro - a scroll for the Iron Battle Puppet, from his drawer.

"To satisfy the Dragon Vein Wizard's job change conditions in a short time is almost impossible. Perhaps the battle puppet, as I suspected, might offer an alternative path," Rain thought.

In the morning, Rain was deeply impressed by the effects of Animation.

The object he animated earlier was merely a simple metal transformation, and according to its rank, it was just a dummy. This time, however, it was different; he was crafting a meticulously designed puppet.

Rain was particularly interested in seeing the combat puppet made and assembled from metal.

At the same time, he wanted to test a few ideas he had in mind.

Rain unfurled a parchment, revealing a complex and intricate set of blueprints for an Iron Battle Puppet with detailed specifications for its feet, legs, and torso, including dimensions and materials. Notably, it lacked hands, presumably because it was a combat puppet.

The right forearm extended into a blade-axe, combining the stabbing power of a sword with the chopping ability of an axe, while the left forearm was replaced by a heavy tower shield.

Typically, crafting this iron puppet would take a Master Blacksmith around three months, and even then, issues might arise during assembly due to precision errors.

Even for a rare Metal Wizard, completing one would likely take at least three to four days.

However, for Rain, a Sorcerer with the Talent Spell of Metal Transformation, the difficulty of crafting this puppet was not much greater than creating a full set of Knight Plate Armor.

Rain glanced at the blueprints and immediately began crafting.

For this first puppet, Rain conveniently used two iron shields hanging on the wall of his study as decorative items, quickly transforming them into the puppet's components.

Half an hour later, Rain had completed all the parts for the Iron Battle Puppet.

After spending some time assembling it, Rain smiled at the completed human-shaped combat puppet.

"Animation!" he commanded.

The Iron Battle Puppet swiftly rose from the ground, its hinged joints allowing for more agile and rapid movements.

Rain's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he nodded in satisfaction.

If casting Animation on the metal dummy previously cost one unit of Psychic Energy, casting it on the Iron Battle Puppet now consumed three units.

"This Animation is quite unique," Rain remarked.

"Unlike most Sorcery, its Psychic Energy consumption isn't fixed."

This observation deepened Rain's understanding of the note on Animation—'This Sorcery is a Channeling Sorcery, and its casting time and Psychic Energy consumption depend on the complexity and size of the target.'

"Additionally, its speed indicates that the Iron Battle Puppet's strength is quite impressive," Rain added.

"According to the principles of Puppetry, successfully casting Animation on the Iron Battle Puppet is a feat in itself."

Just then, the system notification sounded:

[You have studied the Iron Battle Puppet, and your understanding has improved!]



[You have learned a new skill - Iron Battle Puppet!]



[Your skill, Iron Battle Puppet, has gained experience, +1!]



Below the panel for the Legendary Warhammer Wizard, a new icon appeared next to the Sorcery 'Animation'.

The icon depicted a photograph of the Iron Battle Puppet.

Rain focused his attention on the small text below the new icon:

[Iron Battle Puppet lv1]



Iron Battle Puppet lv1 Effect: A small combat puppet with a comprehensive strength dependent on its material.

(Note: The Iron Battle Puppet's level is synchronized with the level of Animation and cannot be directly improved through skill points.)



"Hmm? Interesting, is the Iron Battle Puppet considered a separate skill?" Rain was momentarily surprised by the system notification but quickly laughed.

"No experience bar," he noted.

After lv1, there was no experience bar, indicating that no further skill points were required.

"That's a good thing; I can focus on improving my Animation Sorcery without wasting skill points," Rain realized.

After completing the first puppet, Rain continued crafting based on his initial ideas.

This time, he changed the material, opting for Hardened Mithril.

With his previous experience, Rain crafted the puppet more swiftly, completing it in twenty minutes.

Thirty-five minutes later, he had also crafted a third puppet made of Magicized Serenium.

With all three puppets of different materials completed, Rain took the Iron Battle Puppet to the training room on the first floor.

He intended to test his theory regarding the puppets' performance.

Upon entering the training room, Rain was surprised to find Angus, Neor, and Vieri already inside.

Seeing Rain with three apparent puppets, they all reacted with astonishment.

Rain smiled, realizing he wouldn't need to test them himself.

"Perfect timing, guys. Try out my combat puppets," Rain suggested.

"Captain, these are combat puppets? They're quite rare," Neor marveled as he circled the Iron Battle Puppet.

Most Sorcerers specialized in Elemental Sorcery, like Fire or Water, with a few focusing on Earth or other elements.

The pursuit of powerful offensive capabilities was the goal of most Sorcerers.

Only a minority invested their time in researching potions, raising pets, or crafting puppets.

"Captain, did you make all three of these puppets yourself? I don't see any maker's marks," Neor asked in amazement.

"Neor asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

Although he knew that his team leader was a metal-type Sorcerer, he couldn't help but wonder why the leader would bother spending time and effort crafting such a puppet when he had been practicing Extraordinary Combat Skills with them every day.

"Yes, I made it myself," Raen confirmed.

"Huh?" The three of them looked at Raen with a mix of surprise and confusion, their eyes conveying a sentiment that seemed to say, 'What's this, Captain? You've taken an interest in puppet-making now?'

"Who wants to go first?" Raen, feeling a bit awkward under their scrutiny, quickly changed the subject.

"I'll give it a try!" Vieri, intrigued by the three puppets, immediately volunteered.

Raen nodded and positioned the original version of the Iron Battle Puppet in the center of the field.

"Whoosh!"

The Iron Battle Puppet took a heavy step forward and charged towards Vieri.

"Clang!"

Vieri cautiously blocked the Iron Battle Puppet's right-handed strike with his greatsword, but in the next moment, he relaxed his stance and swiftly counterattacked.

"Clang, clang! Whoosh!"

After blocking two consecutive attacks, Vieri maneuvered to the side of the Iron Battle Puppet and delivered a powerful slash, severing the puppet's waist.

Despite the damage, the Iron Battle Puppet remained fearless and continued to attack Vieri.

"Oh no! Captain, I've damaged it," Vieri exclaimed as he retreated a couple of steps.

"It's fine, it's just a test," Raen waved his hand dismissively.

He wasn't bothered by the damage; instead, he was more focused on the performance of the Iron Battle Puppet.

"Its combat power is approximately that of a formal Knight, with no obvious weaknesses and an unwavering fighting spirit. It's akin to the combat power of a seasoned Knight. Indeed, at the level of a formal Sorcerer, this Iron Battle Puppet isn't particularly useful."

Raen pondered as he walked forward and placed his right hand on the damaged area. In the next instant, the Iron Battle Puppet was restored to its original state.

"Captain, the puppet's combat abilities aren't impressive. I alone could take on ten of them."

"Oh? Then try this one."

Raen smiled and gestured with his hand, and a dark silver combat puppet stepped forward.

"Hmm? Different color? Different material?" Neor narrowed his eyes, quickly noticing the difference.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

In the center of the field, the battle had already commenced.

In less than half a minute, Vieri's consecutive slashes all landed on the Hardened Mithril Combat Puppet's body, but after the sparks flew, only shallow marks remained.

"Limit Break! Cyclone Slash!"

After a few minutes, with his pride on the line, Vieri unleashed his secret technique, and only then was he able to sever one of the Hardened Mithril Combat Puppet's arms.

"Huff, huff," Vieri panted, astonished. "Captain, why is this puppet so tough?"

"Could it be Hardened Mithril?" Angus, standing nearby, approached and touched the puppet, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Indeed!"

"No wonder! Captain, you used so much Hardened Mithril to create this combat puppet. That's quite extravagant!" Vieri exclaimed, his eyes widening.

It was known that many Great Knights didn't possess a full set of armor made entirely of Hardened Mithril, yet their captain had already begun using it to craft puppets.

"Captain, could this one be made of Magicized Serenium?" Neor, the son of a marquis, asked as he recognized the familiar metal color.

"Yes," Raen smiled and nodded.

"Whoa!" The three of them gasped, their faces filled with disbelief.

"You guys continue training, I'll think for a bit."

Raen stepped aside and contemplated the combat power displayed by the Hardened Mithril Combat Puppet.

"Exceptional defensive capabilities and an unwavering fighting spirit, it's akin to the combat power of a Peak Knight. When facing opponents who don't use Sorcery, it's comparable to the early stages of a Great Knight."

"Indeed, the difference in materials results in a significant variation in combat power."

"Additionally, the ordinary Iron Battle Puppet isn't entirely useless. If combined with high-explosive bombs, it becomes a formidable weapon—a self-destructing combat puppet."

"One isn't enough? Then use ten, or even more."

"Right, the description of the combat puppet mentions that its effectiveness synchronizes with the level of Animation. What would be the effect after Animation level 2?"

Raen recalled that Animation was a unique Channeling Sorcery. The only one he had mastered so far was 'Scorching Touch.'

Intrigued, he decided to allocate some points to see the effect.

As he did so, Animation instantly leveled up to level 2, and a flood of training memories related to Animation entered Raen's mind.

After regaining his composure, Raen immediately reviewed the description of Animation level 2:

Animation Lv.2 Effect: Consumes a certain amount of Psychic Energy to activate the mysterious side energy, granting a lifeless object with a humanoid or beast-like shape a basic level of intelligence and limited action capabilities for one hour.

"Hmm, the duration has increased from half an hour to one hour?" Raen's eyes lit up.

"The other phrasing has also changed. 'Limited action capabilities' seems to imply more flexibility than just 'action capabilities.'"

"Interesting," Raen nodded.

He then cast Animation Lv.2 on the Hardened Mithril Combat Puppet and gave it some simple commands.

Raen noticed that Animation Lv.2 consumed more Psychic Energy, and the Hardened Mithril Combat Puppet's performance had improved.

"After greeting Neor and the others with a smile, she approached Lei En and said, 'Lord Lei En, the delegation from the Eagle Federation is about to arrive. The administrative hall has informed you that you can set off now.'"

"So soon? Alright, Lady Olenna, let's head over there now."

On the carriage.

"By the way, Lord Lei En, there's one more thing. Duke of Mystra has proposed to Admiral Edward to hire you as the Chief Security Advisor of Mystra."

"Admiral Edward's intention is to leave the decision to you."

Chief Security Advisor? Lei En nodded, deep in thought.

He had previously served as a security advisor in the trade district and knew that the position was mostly ceremonial.

The main responsibility was to handle special incidents or emergencies in the city upon receiving requests from the administrative hall.

However, Lei En's own family lived in Mystra, and he had always been the first to respond during previous attack incidents.

In other words, whether he held the position or not, it made little difference to Lei En.

Additionally, as a gesture of gratitude for the manor gifted by the Duke of Mystra, Lei En thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "In that case, I accept."

Since Lei En's new manor was located in the noble district, it only took ten minutes for the carriage to arrive at the airship platform.

At that moment, on the square of the airship platform, the red carpet had already been laid out, and the welcoming crowd was flanked by honor guards and a military band.

"The man over there in fancy clothes is Viscount Rain, the leader of the delegation sent by the Empire to welcome the Eagle Federation." Olenna whispered an explanation to Lei En.

Lei En nodded.

He didn't push his way to the front but stood at the back of the crowd.

Lei En wasn't a fan of such formalities, but he was curious to see what differences the people from the Federation would bring compared to the Empire.

"Look, isn't that it?"

A middle-aged noble pointed towards the sky, seemingly exclaiming in surprise.

This caused the nearby nobles to frown, as such loud outbursts were considered rude among the nobility.

However, when everyone looked up, they couldn't help but show their astonishment.

Lei En followed their gazes and couldn't help but feel surprised.

A massive airship was approaching from the distant horizon, dwarfing the escort of griffin knights flying around it like flies buzzing around a cake.

Lei En had never seen such a large airship; it was about ten times the size of the Imperial military airship he had ridden before.

As the giant airship approached Mystra, a buzzing sound reverberated from afar, drawing closer.

"What's that sound? It seems to be coming from the airship," a noble asked in confusion.

"I don't know. I've never heard such a sound before, and it seems very rhythmic," another noble shook his head.

Lei En's eyebrows rose.

He was all too familiar with this buzzing sound; the low hum of car engines on the bustling streets of his past life was much more pleasant than this.

Clearly, the airship was powered by some more primitive device.

"Could it be a steam engine?"

Lei En's heart skipped a beat as he guessed.

As the airship neared Mystra, the sense of oppression it exuded made many of the waiting nobles change their expressions.

"The Eagle Federation broke away from our Empire hundreds of years ago, and now they've developed to this level?" a noble exclaimed.

"This airship is enormous, at least three times larger than the biggest freight airship I've seen in the Empire," another noble was equally shocked by the Federation's airship.

Lei En, however, understood more.

The massive balloons resembled a plump oval, likely made from a special fabric with exceptional resilience and durability.

Hanging below was a gigantic ship-shaped cabin with a bronze-like metallic sheen.

With his sharp eyesight, Lei En could make out the dense pattern of rivets holding large bronze plates together, covering the cabin's surface.

Just the craftsmanship and sturdiness of the cabin's exterior surpassed the Empire's standards by a significant margin.

Moreover, at the cabin's rear, two massive bronze exhaust pipes spewed white steam.

Additionally, at the tail, a giant propeller, much larger than those on ships, spun rapidly.

The buzzing sound they had heard earlier was the noise of its power source.

"It's definitely steam-powered!" Lei En thought to himself.

At that moment, the elegantly dressed old man beside the Duke of Mystra hummed and said, "Those arrogant fools from the Eagle Federation, trying to defeat dragons and gods by studying ancient Draconic technology."

"If the Imperial Dragon Knights weren't busy, they wouldn't have the chance to show off like this."

Lei En glanced at the old man and thought to himself, 'The Imperial Dragon Knights are strong, but most people don't understand what steam power represents.'

Lei En, of course, knew that in his past life, steam power was considered the hallmark of the First Industrial Revolution.

As the giant airship slowly docked, the welcoming ceremony was about to begin.

Suddenly, Colonel Stanley, with a grave expression, hurried in and whispered something into Admiral Edward's ear.

The Duke of Mystra's guards also rushed in to report, and both men's faces changed instantly!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end