Chapter 356: The Thickshell Crabman's Tragedy

Chapter 356: The Thickshell Crabman's Tragedy



In the distance, two large, dark gray eagles with iron beaks, known as Ironbeak Sea Eagles, flew into view. With their superior vision and the absence of dense forests for cover, the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps was quickly spotted.

The two Ironbeak Sea Eagles let out loud cries and immediately began flying swiftly towards the direction of the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps.

Within seconds, they were circling above Rain and the others.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Several archers and rangers within the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, including Georgia, fired at the Ironbeak Sea Eagles.

Everyone's aim was quite impressive, but Rain could clearly see that their arrows, shot high into the sky, quickly lost momentum and barely grazed the eagles, only to be easily blown away by the birds' wings.

It was evident that the eagles' high altitude made it difficult for the arrows to reach them.

Just as everyone was at a loss, Rain approached one of the archers, drew an arrow from the quiver, and cast his improved Metal Spell, 'Sharpening,' on the metal arrowhead.

To avoid causing a stir, Rain deliberately slowed down his casting speed, extending the usual 0.04 seconds to about one and a half seconds.

"Oh, what a fast casting speed!" Georgia, who was also a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice, quickly sensed the magical fluctuations from Rain's spell and widened her eyes in surprise.

The archer who received the arrow, now emitting a silver glow, was astonished and grateful. "Thank you, Lord Rain."

He immediately aimed and shot the arrow, and the silver glow shot into the sky, instantly piercing the abdomen of an Ironbeak Sea Eagle.

"Chirp~"

With a pitiful eagle cry, the injured Ironbeak Sea Eagle plummeted almost straight down towards the ground!

The other Ironbeak Sea Eagle was startled and quickly flew away in the direction it came from.

But less than two seconds later, another silver glow flashed by, and the second Ironbeak Sea Eagle met the same fate, falling from the sky!

"Is this Sharpening?"

"The effect seems too good to be true!"

Georgia, the Level 2 Wizard Apprentice and archer, stared with wide eyes, her mouth agape in surprise and envy.

One minute earlier.

About ten miles away from the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, two men dressed in black wizard robes were chatting. Suddenly, one of them looked up at the Ironbeak Sea Eagles and smiled, saying, "Look, our pet has found prey again."

"Hmm, I wonder what it is this time?" The other man smiled.

"Either the Empire's reconnaissance team or those annoying mercenaries like cockroaches?"

"Let's go and see!"

But the next second, a shrill eagle cry was heard, and the two men saw an Ironbeak Sea Eagle falling straight down from a distance.

"Damn! My eagle!" One of the Eagle Handlers from the Sea God Sect paled, as the fallen eagle was his.

"Not good! There's a skilled archer!" The other man frowned, realizing the situation.

He was about to blow a whistle to recall the eagle.

But the next second, his face also changed, as his eagle met the same fate as its companion!

Ironbeak Sea Eagles were not easy to raise, and even with the Sea God Sect's mature breeding system, it took almost a year to cultivate one.

"Damn!"

"Quick, launch signal flares to call nearby Sea Folk!"

Rain was surrounded by the mercenaries of the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps.

"Lord Rain, your Sharpening spell is incredibly powerful!" The archer who had just shot the eagle couldn't help but use the respectful 'Lord' when addressing Rain.

"Hehe, maybe it's because of my higher affinity with metal elements." Rain smiled slightly, explaining.

The others also looked at the archer with envious expressions, and their gazes towards Rain completely changed.

Could one talk about metal element affinity so casually?

Although most of them were not wizard apprentices, let alone wizards, they had all heard about element affinity.

Additionally, who wouldn't want such a powerful 'support' by their side?

Everyone, except Georgia, began to chat enthusiastically with Rain.

Vandar, the leader of the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, was overjoyed.

His judgment seemed as impeccable as ever!

Based on the previous Sharpening spell, Lord Rain's strength seemed comparable to that of a formal wizard.

Suddenly, Vandar snapped out of his thoughts and called out, "Everyone, let's move quickly and leave this place."

"Otherwise, the Eagle Handlers of the Sea God Sect will surround us."

The Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, a group of over ten people, first retraced their steps and then took a detour through the sparse forest before heading towards their destination.

"Hey, Lord Rain, how is your Sharpening spell so powerful?"

"And your casting speed is astonishingly fast! How did you train to achieve that?" Georgia, filled with curiosity, finally couldn't hold back and rode up to Rain to ask.

"Huh? You're not calling me the new guy anymore?" Rain couldn't help but smile and tease.

"Hmph! I won't say it then!"

Rain's words instantly caused the girl's pretty face to blush, as if she was a little embarrassed. She saw the other person 'strutting' and humming, then walking away again.

Rain watched this scene, finding these two siblings quite interesting.

The brother was calm and experienced, while the sister had a lively personality and a domineering attitude, making them quite different from each other.

"Lord Rain, may I ask where you are from in terms of wizard schools?" Vandar, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask curiously.

"I came from Winterfort Academy," Rain replied ambiguously.

Rain didn't bother lying.

Besides, he did indeed set out from Winterfort Academy and traveled all the way to Howling Gorge.

"Liar! Who doesn't know that Winterfort Academy mainly has rare ice-type wizards?" Georgia rolled her eyes at Rain and interrupted.

"Oh? Lord Rain, you're from Winterfort Academy? I've also dealt with a vice dean there, a middle-aged lady named Velty..." Vandar said, appearing deep in thought.

"You mean Vice Dean Velty?"

"Yes, yes! It's indeed Vice Dean Velty. It seems Lord Rain is indeed from Winterfort Academy." Vandar nodded repeatedly, and the guard in his heart was mostly lowered.

If it was Dean Bartalov of Winterfort Academy, most of the mercenaries in Frostwind Fjord would know this big shot, but compared to him, Vice Dean Velty's fame was much smaller.

If you're not very familiar, you wouldn't know her.

"You're really from Winterfort Academy? I don't believe it!" Georgia stared at Rain with her beautiful eyes, scrutinizing him, and muttered to herself.

Rain glanced at Georgia, showing a slight smile, but he had no intention of explaining.

However, Rain's attitude made Georgia feel extremely irritated.

"Chief, the thick-shelled crabmen are gathered up ahead," said a ranger who had been scouting ahead.

Rain looked into the distance and saw many large, upright walking thick-shelled crabmen in the nearby marshland.

As for the people, they truly had a human form, but they were as different as could be.

Even if they were called crabmen, they looked more like coconuts with elongated waists.

Their feet had four pairs of limbs, their waist shell stood about a meter tall, and above that was the chest and a pair of giant claws. Their eyes were like two matchsticks, looking quite lively.

"I wonder how this thing would taste when grilled?" This was the first thought that came to Rain's mind after seeing them.

Rain had initially thought they were some kind of combination of humans and crabs, but he never expected them to look like this. If he were to eat them, he would most likely have no psychological burden at all.

"Lord Rain, do you need to rest? The thick shells on these crabmen's bodies have high defense. You might need to cast Sharpening for us," Vandar said with a smile.

At this moment, the members of the Frostclaw Bear team all showed expressions of sudden realization!

No wonder their boss had been so polite to Rain, and even offered him expensive refined steel suits and tower shields.

Damn, with Lord Rain's powerful Sharpening spell, there was no need for whetstones, and no need for anyone to wear expensive refined steel suits and tower shields to take the brunt of the attacks.

Because you could just shoot directly!

Including Georgia, everyone looked at Rain with a covetous expression, holding their arrows, and even the two tower shield warriors handed their knight longswords to Rain, hoping he could cast Sharpening for them.

After all, everyone was worried that Rain's mental strength might be consumed too much, and then it wouldn't be their turn.

Georgia also handed an arrow to Rain, but she seemed a bit embarrassed, keeping her head down. Obviously, her body didn't want to give in so quickly, but she couldn't resist the eagerness in her heart.

The girl had a typical case of 'the mouth complains but the body obeys,' which made Rain smile.

"Everyone, don't worry. There's enough opportunity for everyone. Rest assured, my mental strength is sufficient for casting Sharpening."

"Please line up and take turns," Rain said with a smile.

In less than a few seconds, over a dozen people lined up obediently, and Rain quickly began chanting and casting the spell.

Since the effect of Sharpening lasted for one minute, Vandar, seeing that three archers had been enhanced by Sharpening, immediately led them to launch an attack on the thick-shelled crabmen patrol team.

"Swoosh!"

An archer released the bowstring, and a silver light directly penetrated the hardest chest armor of a thick-shelled crabman and came out from the back.

One shot, one kill!

As long as the aim was accurate, these thick-shelled crabmen would fall one by one, even easier than shooting rabbits.

Three or four people formed a group, and as they repeated this cycle, the Ice Claw Bear Mercenary Corps quickly inflicted heavy casualties on the Thickshell Crabmen in the camp before them.

The Thickshell Crabmen warriors, who had once prided themselves on their thick shells and powerful claws, never had a chance to display their skills. They died under the arrows enhanced by the improved Sharpening technique.

If it weren't for Rain's side, who asked for a short rest after casting the Sharpening technique over thirty times, the Thickshell Crabmen in this camp would likely have been wiped out by the excited Ice Claw Bear Mercenary Corps members.

Meanwhile, in a cave at the base of the Frostbloom Cliff, in the Howling Gorge.

The cave was unusually spacious, seemingly excavated, forming a hall about twenty to thirty meters high.

At this time, several braziers were placed around the hall, with numerous Slasher Nagas and a larger number of Thickshell Crabmen on guard.

In the center of the hall, four large stone chairs were arranged in a semi-encircling formation, all of them fully occupied.

"In the past few days, why haven't we heard from the Black Flame Church?" The man in the black robe in the center spoke in a deep voice.

"I'm not sure, Lord Harfus. Should we wait for them? Our forces are almost complete, and we can launch a large-scale attack on the Empire."

"That's not a good idea. If we do that, we'll be the first to bear the brunt. The Empire's strength in the Frostwind Tundra is not weak. We might face the Empire's overwhelming pressure, or even a counterattack."

"Haha, let those weak humans come!" A voice as loud as rolling thunder echoed.

The cave's ceiling shook, causing dust to fall due to the immense sound waves.

A nearby Thickshell Crabman guard, seemingly unable to withstand the sound, bent his once-straight waist, and his two matchstick-like eyes narrowed, hiding within his thick shell.

The owner of the voice was beside the man in the black robe, on the right side of the semi-encircling formation.

The large stone chair couldn't accommodate his nearly ten-meter-tall giant body.

If Vandar were here, he would recognize that this was a Deepsea Titan, and even taller than the one he had seen before.

Ordinary Deepsea Titans are only six or seven meters tall, but this one was a staggering ten meters tall, with muscular knots all over his body. He held a huge metal warhammer with a hook at the end.

But upon closer inspection, it wasn't a warhammer at all.

It was a heavy ship anchor, roughly polished, giving it the appearance of a warhammer.

"Lord Dunn, please calm down. We believe in your strength, but according to the orders of the Sea God Cult's Pope, we should still be cautious."

Harfus seemed to be wary of the Deepsea Titan leader, so he spoke soothingly and even invoked the name of the Sea God Cult's Pope.

"Hmph! You're wasting my precious time. You discuss it among yourselves. I'm going to sleep!" The giant Dunn rose with a 'whoosh,' and a string of shells and skulls around his neck jingled, creating a sense of oppression.

Under the light of the brazier, the blue skin of the Deepsea Titan leader, Dunn, was covered in fine fish scales, and the only part covered was his groin, but even that was just a large clump of seaweed.

At this moment, a Slasher Naga swiftly slithered in and reported, "Reporting to the esteemed adults, a follower of the Hunter God has arrived. He says his name is Diam, a high priest."

"Please invite him in."

At this time, the Slasher Naga High Priestess Ursula's laughter rang out like silver bells, and she smiled as she spoke, "It seems the Black Flame Church is ready. Leader Dunn, why not listen before you rest?"

"Yes, Leader Dunn, if I'm not mistaken, the Black Flame Church is here to notify us to take action immediately." Harfus also smiled.

"Alright, let's hope so." Dunn thought for a moment and sat back down, but the sturdy stone chair creaked under his weight.

At this moment, two people wearing black robes with Black Flame emblems on their sleeves entered. They were Diam and his subordinate.

At this time, Diam had been promoted half a rank and was a candidate for the high priest position, temporarily leading the Black Flame Church's actions in the Frostwind Tundra.

However, there was not a hint of a smile on his face.

Just thinking about the possibility of facing that 'monster' made Diam's heart pound.

"Your Excellency Harfus and esteemed guests, I am Diam of the Black Flame Church." Upon seeing the four Sea God Cult high-ranking members, Diam's eyes lit up, and he felt that his visit to the Howling Gorge was worthwhile.

Except for the elder Crabman on the far right, whose strength seemed similar to his, the other three had incredibly powerful auras.

Even the man in the black robe and the tall Deepsea Titan in the middle felt slightly stronger than his former superior, High Priest Ericson.

"Diam, are you here to notify us that we can begin our operation?"

"Yes and no." Diam pretended to be in deep thought.

"Hmm?"

Hearing this ambiguous answer, the group's gaze immediately focused on Diam.

At this point, Diam began to narrate, "Recently, our Black Flame Church has engaged in multiple battles with the Empire, and even our High Priest Ericson has fallen in combat.

"What?" Upon hearing this, the usually calm Harfus couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.

He had, of course, met Ericksen before.

And he knew that even if the other's strength was slightly weaker than his, it was only by a hair.

"Did the Empire send Dragon Knights? Or other Guardians?" Slasher Naga High Priestess Eura twisted her waist and asked anxiously.

"Neither! It's a Swordholder." Diam shook his head.

"A Swordholder?" The Sea God Sect members' hearts calmed slightly upon hearing this answer.

After all, even the strongest Swordholder was not a Dragon Knight, and even if they were from the Imperial Swordholder Headquarters, they could still put up a fight.

"Diam, please elaborate on the strength of this Swordholder." Harfus said solemnly.

"Of course." Diam began to describe in detail.

Ever since he personally witnessed Rain transform into a Dragonman and pummel the Primordial Dragon Kraxis, Diam had been thinking of immediately reporting this crucial information to the Grand High Priest Ericksen.

But to his surprise, by the time he rushed back to his base, he received the devastating news that Grand High Priest Ericksen and his party had nearly been wiped out at Dragon Tooth Pass.

As the investigation continued, Diam's heart trembled even more!

Because he suddenly realized that the one who had pummeled the Primordial Dragon Kraxis was the same person, and moreover, the person's identity was not what he had imagined—a member of a Wizard School, but an Imperial Swordholder.

This revelation kept Diam awake for several nights.

"You're saying this Swordholder named Rain can transform, and after transforming, his combat strength is so powerful that he can fight a Primordial Dragon?" Deep Sea Giant Overlord Dunn suddenly took a keen interest and asked.

Dunn's loud voice startled Diam.

But after he regained his composure, he quickly nodded and said, "Yes, I was there at the scene, and Rain even had a slight upper hand."

"Interesting! Haha! Finally, someone worth facing." Deep Sea Giant Overlord Dunn burst into hearty laughter.

Instantly, his thunderous laughter echoed through the cave hall, making Diam feel oppressed and quite uncomfortable.

"Overlord Dunn has personally killed several Deep Sea Wyrms in unarmed combat, and in terms of achievements, he surpasses this Swordholder." Slasher Naga High Priestess Eura, standing nearby, offered a small compliment.

"Overlord Dunn's strength is so formidable; that's naturally the best." Upon hearing the Slasher Naga Priestess's words, Diam's heart settled.

He had been thinking of ways to deal with Rain, but he realized that without high-level combatants, it was almost impossible.

Not only was the opponent's strength formidable, but their speed was also incredibly fast, which meant that if they couldn't win, they could still escape.

In other words, to deal with Rain, they needed to find a place where it would be difficult for him to flee, or someone who could make it hard for him to escape.

"Although I have no doubt about your sect's strength, the problem is that he's incredibly fast. What if he tries to escape?" Diam asked timely, his gaze shifting to Harfus.

Because just as Diam was pondering, the Sea God Sect had sent several urgings, inquiring when they would jointly launch the attack against the Empire.

Originally, the collaboration between the Frostwind Tundra and the Sea God Sect was to be led by Grand High Priest Ericksen, but after his demise, it naturally fell to Diam to take over.

When he thought of the Sea God Sect, Diam's eyes lit up.

Yes, his church couldn't spare anyone to deal with Rain, but he could borrow their strength.

Diverting the trouble elsewhere!

Although it wasn't exactly honorable, the Sea God Sect would eventually clash with the Empire, so facing Rain early wasn't a big deal.

Moreover, Diam had heard that the person in charge of the Sea God Sect's operation in the Howling Gorge was a powerful figure nicknamed 'Shadowheart Burnheart'.

"Even with his speed, against Heart Erosion Shadow Arts, he's as fragile as an egg.

So, Diam believed that the key to killing Rain lay with Harfus, not with Deep Sea Giant Overlord Dunn.

At this moment, a Draconic Human elite swiftly approached the Clawed Crabman Chief Akulan, standing beside the Chief, and said:

"Chief, we encountered a group of human mercenaries attacking our southern camp near the shipwreck remains. Their strength is formidable, and many of our tribesmen have been killed and injured!"

"Hmm? These stupid mercenaries dare to attack us? They're courting death!"

With Diam as their guest, this news was quite embarrassing for the Sea God Sect, especially the Clawed Crabman tribe. Chief Akulan immediately rebuked them.

"Harfus, I'll personally go and bow to Dunn.

"Yes, it's time to teach these locust-like mercenaries a lesson. However, Chief Akulan, remember to go and return quickly. We must properly host Diam, and you can't be absent as the host." Harfus nodded and smiled.

"Of course, I'll be back within half an hour at most. Diam, please wait a moment." Akulan turned to Diam and said, then quickly left.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end