Chapter 345: Beverley Pass

Chapter 345: Beverley Pass



After several hours of flying, the Bloodfeather Griffon was also showing signs of exhaustion.

Of course, Rain, sandwiched between the two women, was even more fatigued and tormented, feeling even more tired than when he had been continuously fighting and slaying lava creatures in the Hammerfall Tunnel.

Since they were riding the Bloodfeather Griffon, they flew directly towards the Beverley Mountains without stopping at any villages along the way. Thus, the three of them landed in an open space by a lake in a dense forest.

As for the danger of wild beasts near the water at night?

For these three wizards, it was basically a joke.

At this moment, it was already deep into the night, and the bright moonlight shone down, casting a mottled shadow of trees. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and ripples formed on the lake's surface.

After setting up a campfire in the open space, the three of them rested.

The next day, the morning light began to reveal itself.

Rain glanced at the extinguished campfire, then looked at the two women, noticing they were still asleep. He then checked the system prompts.

The battles in the Hammerfall Tunnel might have been too easy for him now, as the system only rewarded him with two golden skill points.

Combined with his remaining points, he now had a total of 7 attribute points left, 0 skill points, and 21 golden skill points.

However, the advanced meditation technique he had been practicing for several consecutive nights had allowed Rain to increase his mental power by another point.

Additionally, perhaps due to the after-effects of absorbing the Soul Energy Crystal, his Vaporization level had also increased by 1%.

At this moment, the mental attribute value on his status panel displayed: 63 (Vaporization 21%).

Rain thought for a moment, then stood up and took a small cloth bag from the Bloodfeather Griffon nearby. He took out some white silk cloth and fine thread.

In an instant, Rain used the Hardened Mithril in his hands to transform it into a needle and a pair of scissors, and began to mend his white wizard robe that had been damaged in the previous battle.

As Rain finished the repair, the system prompts suddenly appeared one after another:

[You have repaired the white silk wizard robe, and your related understanding has improved!]



[Apprentice Seamstress profession experience +31]



[Host promotion conditions detected: 1. Apprentice Seamstress level 3 maxed out; 2. Agility 5 points or higher, Constitution 5 points or higher; 3. Create ten qualified seamstress crafts. Current conditions fully met, promote to Seamstress? Yes/No]



[Note: After promoting to Seamstress, the new Seamstress profession panel will replace the original Apprentice Seamstress panel.]



"I thought it would take a few more days to reach level 3 in Apprentice Seamstress."

Rain couldn't help but feel delighted.

Obviously, there was no need to consider whether to change professions or not. Without hesitation, Rain chose "Yes!"

[Ding! Promotion successful!]



[Promotion to Seamstress successful! Agility +2! Obtain core skill: Dexterity lv1]



[Dexterity lv1 (Active): Due to the constant use of their hands, seamstresses possess extraordinary dexterity.]



Hmm? Dexterity?

Well, that's very fitting for a seamstress! At the same time, the original Apprentice Seamstress panel disappeared, and in its place, the Seamstress panel appeared.

A new icon border at the bottom of the panel lit up slightly.

Rain immediately focused his attention on the icon.

The icon depicted a pair of slender hands, one holding cloth and the other a needle, moving in a swift sewing motion.

Below the icon was a line of small text:

[Core Skill: Dexterity lv1 (Active)]



Dexterity lv1 (Active) Effect: Upon activating the skill, hand speed increases slightly.

(Note: The effect of this skill is proportional to the host's own hand flexibility, and the duration is proportional to the host's constitution and mental power.)



"Agility +2, it's better than nothing. But it's already impressive that a blank profession panel can provide an attribute boost." Rain nodded slightly.

"Hmm? Hand speed?!"

"This kind of description can easily be misunderstood." Rain thought for a moment.

Rain always liked to try out new skills before evaluating them.

With a slight thought, he activated the skill, and instantly felt his hands become more nimble.

With his already high agility, his hand speed was incredibly fast. At this moment, with the activation of Dexterity, his hands moved at a dizzying pace.

At the same time, Melita, awakened by the morning light, seemed to notice Rain's actions.

She tilted her head slightly and looked with her sleepy, beautiful eyes, seeing Rain's swift hands in the distance, seemingly holding a needle and thread to mend something.

Hmm?

She rubbed her eyes, and in the next second, she stared at the scene with an expression of disbelief.

Oh my!

The powerful Rain, could actually mend his own clothes?

A warm-hearted wizard?

Rain, who was not far away, was immersed in testing his new core skill 'Dexterity' and did not notice Melita's astonished gaze.

At this moment, Rain suddenly thought of something, and two dark daggers appeared in his hands. As he brandished them, his hands seemed to disappear, replaced by countless dagger shadows.

Rain smiled.

He had discovered how to apply the core skill 'Dexterity' in combat.

'Dexterity' provided an immediate boost to short blades like daggers.

"Additionally, those special sorceries that require hand gestures will also receive a significant boost, at the very least reducing the casting time."

"High Priest Rayn thought to himself.

At that moment, Rayn seemed to sense something and turned around to look behind him. He saw Melita staring at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You're awake? Lady Melita, good morning," Rayn smiled.

Early in the morning, Rayn unexpectedly gained a core skill, and his mood naturally improved.

"Lord Rayn, good morning," Melita stammered, then quickly returned the greeting.

"Rayn, Melita, you two are up so early!" Hearing their voices, Anna also woke up, still groggy.

Soon, the three of them prepared to set off again.

However, when Rayn approached the Bloodfeather Griffin, he was once again at a loss. He glanced at Anna, then at Melita, but couldn't come up with any good suggestions.

Anna also seemed to have thought of something, slowing her steps and clutching the corner of her white wizard robe, feeling inexplicably nervous and shy.

She had considered changing positions.

For instance, she and Melita could switch places.

But that would mean she would be hugging Rayn from behind, and Rayn would be hugging her.

As this image flashed through her mind, Anna shook her head slightly.

Because in that case, Rayn might very well point his gun at Melita.

It was better to keep pointing it at her.

Melita also seemed to recall yesterday's situation, her face turning slightly red. Yesterday, as she rubbed against him, it was impossible to say that she didn't feel anything, especially when the object of her affections was a powerful, wealthy, and handsome young man.

So, at this moment, Melita had mixed feelings about sitting behind Rayn again.

She wanted to, but also felt a bit resistant.

This made Melita feel a bit resentful towards the Bloodfeather Griffin.

Why couldn't it just fly normally?

Couldn't it glide smoothly like a regular bird?

Why did it have to flap its wings and undulate up and down with every flap, making it unbearable to ride?

Although the three of them had different thoughts, they didn't say anything.

It seemed like everything was understood without needing to be said.

Rayn remained in the middle, with the two women in front and behind him. The three of them mounted the Bloodfeather Griffin and continued their journey towards the Beverley Mountains.

At noon, the Bloodfeather landed for a short break.

"Lord Rayn, we'll reach the Beverley Pass in Kasvius Province in half a day," Melita explained, as she was more familiar with the route.

"By the way, Lady Melita, could you tell me about the Wind Phoenix Flock in the Beverley Mountains?" Rayn asked.

Rayn had just looked at the map of the Empire's northern border and noticed that the Beverley Mountains stretched for thousands of kilometers from east to west. If they could fly straight through, they would save a lot of time.

The Beverley Pass was located in the northeast corner of their current position, and when connected, it formed a diagonal line.

On the map given by Oraina, there was a brief introduction to the Wind Phoenix, stating that they were fierce and numerous, but there were no detailed explanations.

"Of course, Lord Rayn, the Wind Phoenix is a social species of naturally violent predatory birds. They hunt all living beings within their territory."

"Adult Wind Phoenixes are born with the innate ability of Windblade, and their power is comparable to that of a Wind Wizard's spell."

At this point, Anna also looked at Melita with curiosity, clearly intrigued by this creature.

"If it were just one Wind Phoenix, it wouldn't be a problem for a Wizard or a Grand Knight. But the problem is, when they go out to hunt, they do so in groups of dozens. Can you imagine the scene of dozens of Windblades attacking at once?"

As Melita spoke, she seemed to picture the scene, her expression filled with dread.

Rayn nodded.

So that was the case.

Indeed, if dozens of Windblades attacked, even a Second Rank Liquidation Wizard would find it difficult to defend against. The defensive magic of a Second Rank Wizard also had its limits.

As for a First Rank Wizard?

They would most likely perish on the spot, although he didn't fall into that category.

To withstand dozens of Windblades without a scratch, one would likely need the abilities of a Third Rank Crystal Mage to have a chance.

"What about the speed of the Wind Phoenixes?" Rayn asked again.

If the Wind Phoenixes weren't fast enough, the Bloodfeather Griffin could easily fly through.

"Wind Phoenixes are born with the ability to control wind energy particles. It's not just your griffin, but even the Empire's Lion Griffins would struggle against them."

"It's highly unlikely to be flying through.

"Wind Phoenixes are born with the ability to control wind energy particles. It's not just your griffin, but even the Empire's Lion Griffins would struggle to keep up."

Melita paused as if she had thought of something, then continued:

"Additionally, among the Wind Phoenix flock, there are some that are stronger than the rest."

"As for other mutated Wind Phoenixes, it's hard to say, but based on a population of several hundred thousand, there are likely many mutated Wind Phoenixes, at least a hundred or more."

"Of course, there's also the Wind Phoenix Queen!"

"The Wind Phoenix Queen?" Rayn asked, surprised.

"Yes!"

"The total number of Wind Phoenixes in the Beverley Mountains is over several hundred thousand, and they are all led by a Wind Phoenix Queen with epic-tier strength. It's said that the Empire once considered eliminating them but gave up after considering the potential massive losses."

"Why is it that the Beverley Pass is free from the Wind Phoenixes' attacks?" Anna asked.

"The Purple Tumor Wood Forest near the pass constantly releases a peculiar gas that the Wind Phoenixes find repulsive and uncomfortable, causing them to actively avoid that area."

In the afternoon, as the Bloodfeather Griffin flew over a small town, Rayn could hear faint screams coming from below, even from hundreds of meters above.

This sight caused him to look down.

Several black-robed figures were herding the crowd towards a building in the center of town, and those who didn't comply were killed on the spot.

"Rain, they seem to be from the Black Flame Cult," Anna immediately recognized the familiar black-robed figures.

"Hmm!" Rain's expression darkened as he immediately controlled Bloodfeather, diving towards the building that resembled a church.

Inside the church hall, several Black Flame Cultists who had just finished their incantations, the Homecoming and the entire blood sacrifice ritual seemed to be in its final stages.

At the center of the dark magic array, the originally transparent diamond-shaped blood crystal atop the bone staff was now enveloped in an incredibly dense blood color.

Inside the church, hundreds of town residents were curled up, lying on the ground in disarray, their faces filled with terror and emaciation, their deaths brutal!

Clearly, the blood essence from these town residents had been absorbed by the blood sacrifice ritual and channeled into this diamond-shaped crystal.

"Not bad, we've finally taken care of it!"

"The quality of this blood crystal is good. We should all receive rewards from the church," a Black Flame Cultist smiled and said.

Just as he took a relaxed step, intending to retrieve the bone staff and blood crystal, suddenly, above him, the glass spire at the top of the church violently shattered.

Immediately, a strong wind blew, shards flew, and a giant bird of prey with blue and purple feathers descended from the sky!

"How could a violent bird of prey suddenly attack us?" The originally smiling faces of the Black Flame Cultists froze, their minds filled with this sudden thought.

Bloodfeather, however, dove directly, pouncing on the Black Flame Cultist who was in utter shock, knocking him to the ground.

"Ah!!!"

Bloodfeather's iron claws were incredibly sharp, easily tearing open the unprepared Black Flame Cultist's chest and abdomen, causing him to scream in agony.

"Not good! There's someone on that bird!"

"Enemy attack!!!" The remaining four or five Black Flame Cultists reacted, shouting.

But the next second!

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"

The sound of sharp weapons cutting through the air rang out, and these four or five Black Flame Cultists froze in their tracks, their eyes wide, expressing disbelief.

Then, several heavy thuds sounded as the Black Flame Cultists all fell face up.

Each of the Black Flame Cultists had a four-pointed dart embedded in their foreheads.

The attacker was none other than Rain.

After annihilating the Black Flame Cultists with a single move, Rain jumped off the griffin with a solemn expression, looking around.

The scene before him instantly reminded him of the cult attack incident that had occurred in Shingold Town.

This scene was all too familiar to him.

"Black Flame Cult scum!" Rain said gravely.

"Indeed, Rain, in the past year, these Black Flame Cultists have been frequently active in several provinces of the Empire's North, causing numerous atrocities," Melita, standing beside him, said with equal solemnity.

Melita also despised these cult organizations that slaughtered ordinary people.

Rain nodded, slightly calming his emotions, and walked to the center of the dark magic array, taking the bone staff and crushing the blood crystal in his hand.

At this moment, a system prompt sounded:

[Ding! Large amounts of unknown absorbable energy detected. Absorb? (Note: Absorbed energy can be converted into designated experience points.)]



Upon seeing this prompt, Rain, who should have been happy, felt no joy at all, his heart still heavy.

However, after some thought, Rain chose 'Yes'! At the same time, he silently said in his heart, "Rest in peace. Your blood will not be wasted. These scum will pay a heavier price in blood!"

The next second, the dense blood essence in the diamond-shaped crystal seemed to find a breach in the dam, rushing into Rain's body.

However, it seemed that due to Rain's current strength increase, he could clearly sense that the energy level of this blood essence was relatively low.

As the crystal's blood color quickly faded, Rain completed the absorption process, and the system prompt sounded again:

[Ding! Converted 1311 Supreme Experience Points. Please choose Deathmaster (Supreme) or Great Armorsmith (Supreme) for enhancement.]



Rain took a glance and noticed that both Deathmaster (Supreme) and Great Armorsmith (Supreme) were at level 6, but Deathmaster (Supreme) could level up again after gaining these additional experience points.

After a brief thought, Rain chose Deathmaster (Supreme).

The next second, a system prompt appeared before Rain:

[Congratulations! Your Deathmaster (Supreme) profession level has increased!]



Rain's action of crushing the blood-colored crystal did not arouse any suspicion from Melita beside him; she merely thought that Rain was enraged.

During the rest of the journey, Rain's group discovered another town that had been attacked by the Black Flame Cult.

This gave Rain a clearer understanding of the situation in the Empire's North.

Apparently, the Empire's situation was even more turbulent than he had imagined.

"We're here, Rain. That's the Beverley Pass," Melita pointed to the lower left, saying excitedly.

Rain looked down and saw that ahead, in the middle of the towering mountains, there was a noticeably lower valley, as if a gap had been cut through the towering mountains.

As Bloodfeather slowly descended, the purple forest below had a unique appearance, with purple coconut-sized bumps growing on the tree trunks, emitting a faint, pungent odor.

This is the Purple Tumor Wood?

"Yes, Lord Rain."

Beverley Pass.

Travelers and caravans came and went in an orderly fashion, passing through the Purple Forest in groups.

At this moment, Rain also noticed that the so-called pass was just a passageway through the Purple Tumor Wood.

"Everyone, be aware that no combat is allowed within the passage. Excessive noise from fighting will attract the attention of the Wind Phoenix Flock. Do not damage the Purple Tumor Wood," the guards at the entrance of the passage frequently reminded passersby.

Rain, along with Meryta and Anna, followed behind a caravan, heading towards the passage.

Just as Rain's group landed, four or five large black birds suddenly flew towards them.

On the two leading birds, two people were conversing.

"High Priest Erickson, after your recent breakthrough, your pure physical strength has surpassed the limits of a Grand Knight several times over. I believe no one within the entire church can surpass you now."

"I heard that the chieftain of the Frostwind Tundra's barbarians has an extremely formidable physical constitution. It's a perfect match."

A hooded figure in black robes, showing a hint of respect, spoke to the middle-aged man in black robes beside him.

"Hehe, I was thinking the same." The middle-aged man named Erickson seemed interested in the mention of the barbarian chieftain.

"By the way, High Priest Erickson, I heard that in the central region of the Empire, in Minster Province, our church suffered a heavy blow and incurred significant losses?"

"Hmm, there is such a matter. Extor is quite capable, so this shouldn't have happened," Erickson said, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Caw!"

Soon, the other party also landed, and the strange bird calls naturally caught Rain's attention.

The black birds had bald necks and blood-red eyes, exuding a sense of brutality.

"Giant Carrion Vultures!" Meryta whispered.

"They actually use such fierce birds of prey as mounts. They are not to be underestimated," she added.

"Yes, these Carrion Vultures are very aggressive," Anna nodded in agreement.

As a Druid, she had a good grasp of the emotions of beasts.

Rain glanced at the Carrion Vultures and then focused his attention on the people who had jumped down.

The two in the lead wore black robes, one stout and the other slim, with a deep and heavy aura. They seemed to be deliberately concealing their true strength.

The other three were dressed as knights, with robust builds, but they appeared to be followers. Judging by their auras, they should possess the strength of seasoned Grand Knights.

However, their auras gave Rain an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Get out of the way!"

"Don't block our path!" The three seasoned Grand Knights shouted, as if no one else existed.

The other travelers and caravans in the passage, sensing the unfriendliness of the group, quickly made way for them.

Soon, the group of five reached the center of the passage, approaching Rain's position.

"By the way, is there any news from Crowley?"

"High Priest Erickson, Crowley sent a message two hours ago. They have joined forces with the White Bear Beasts and launched an attack on the barbarian tribe," the two black-robed figures in the back continued their conversation.

Although they were at a distance, Rain still heard the words 'High Priest' and 'barbarian tribe' clearly, causing him to narrow his eyes.

However, he didn't continue to stare at them.

At their level of strength, they were highly sensitive to being stared at.

At this moment, the group also noticed Rain's trio not far ahead, and seeing the three in white wizard robes, they were visibly surprised.

Especially the Grand Knight who was in charge of clearing the path, as he passed by Rain's group, he unabashedly stared at Meryta's attractive face and figure, even whistling at her.

"This lady has a great figure."

"I heard female wizards are quite open-minded."

"Who knows, maybe she likes your type."

Their teasing made Meryta's chest heave with anger, her face turning red, but she dared not say anything.

Because the auras of the two behind them were incredibly deep, Meryta sensed that their strength far surpassed her own.

Additionally, she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for Rain and Anna.

However, seeming to realize that Rain's group were all formal wizards, the stout black-robed figure spoke in a deep voice:

"You three, stop your idle chatter!"

After the reprimand, the three Grand Knights restrained themselves a bit, but their gazes still roamed unabashedly over Meryta.

As the group continued walking, a voice called from behind, "Wait, you offended my friends and think you can just walk away without an apology?"

It was Rain who spoke.

His expression was calm as he looked at the group of five.

"Eh?"

"Interesting." Including the two in black robes, they all stopped and turned to look at Rain.

Meryta, on the other hand, was surprised and covered her mouth. She hadn't expected Rain to suddenly stand up for her and say such words, and she felt both happy and worried.

"Oh? Offended?"

"Young man, do you think being a formal wizard makes you powerful? It's best not to stick your neck out if you're not strong enough. I've killed ten people like you. Do you still need our apology?"

The slimmer black-robed figure revealed a sinister smile as he stared at Rain.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end