Chapter 356: The Thickshell Lobster People's Tragedy

Chapter 356: The Thickshell Lobster People's Tragedy



In the distant sky, two colossal dark gray eagles, the Ironbeak Sea Eagles, soared into view.

Due to the superior vision of eagles compared to humans, and with no dense forest to obstruct their view, the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps' tracks were soon discovered.

The two Ironbeak Sea Eagles immediately let out a loud eagle cry and swiftly flew towards the direction of the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps.

After a few seconds, they were circling directly above Ren and the others.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Including Georgia, several archers and rangers from the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps fired at the Ironbeak Sea Eagles.

Everyone's aim was excellent, but Ren could clearly see that their arrows, after being shot into the sky, quickly lost momentum and barely managed to reach the Ironbeak Sea Eagles, only to be easily blown away by their flapping wings.

Obviously, due to the high altitude of the eagles, it was difficult for the arrows to continue their trajectory.

Just as everyone was at a loss, Ren walked over to an archer, drew an arrow from the quiver, and cast his improved Metal School spell, 'Sharpness Spell,' on the metal arrowhead.

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

"Wow, such a fast casting speed!" Georgia, who was also a Tier 2 Wizard Apprentice, quickly sensed the magical fluctuations from Ren's spell, her eyes widened in surprise.

The archer who received the arrow with a silvery glow immediately showed surprise and gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Lord Ren."

He excitedly nocked the arrow and aimed at an Ironbeak Sea Eagle. The next moment, the silvery 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 in less than two seconds, another silvery glow flashed by, and the second Ironbeak Sea Eagle also fell from the sky!

"Is this the Sharpness Spell?"

"This effect seems too good to be true!"

Georgia, a Tier 2 Wizard Apprentice and archer, widened her eyes and gasped in surprise and envy.

One minute earlier.

About a dozen meters away from the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, two men in black wizard robes were chatting. Suddenly, one of them looked up at the Ironbeak Sea Eagles and smiled, saying,

"Hmm, it seems our pet has found some prey."

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

"It's either the Imperial reconnaissance team or those annoying mercenary corps like cockroaches."

"Let's go and take a look!"

But the next moment, a piercing eagle cry rang out, and they saw an Ironbeak Sea Eagle plummeting down.

"Damn! My eagle!" A Sea God Cult Eagle Rider's face turned pale. The eagle that had just been shot down was his Ironbeak Sea Eagle.

"Not good! There's a divine archer!" The other man frowned.

He was about to blow a whistle to call for help.

But the next moment, his face also changed, as his eagle was shot down just like his companion's!

It was well-known that raising Ironbeak Sea Eagles was not easy, and even with the Sea God Cult's more advanced breeding system, it still took almost a year to cultivate a qualified Ironbeak Sea Eagle.

"Damn!"

"Quick, launch the signal flare to call for nearby Sea Clan members!"

Meanwhile, Ren was surrounded by the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps.

"Lord Ren, your Sharpness Spell is too powerful!" The archer who had just shot the eagle couldn't help but use the respectful title 'Lord.'

"Hehe, perhaps it's because I have a higher affinity with the Metal School," Ren explained with a slight smile.

The other archers and rangers also looked at Ren with envious expressions, and their attitudes towards him completely changed.

Is metal affinity something that can be taken so lightly?

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

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

Immediately, everyone except Georgia began to chat enthusiastically with Ren.

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

His judgment proved to be as good as ever!

Based on the Sharpness Spell just now, this Lord Ren's strength was probably not far off from that of a formal wizard, despite being only a Tier 3 Wizard Apprentice.

Suddenly, Vandar snapped out of his thoughts and called out, "Everyone, mount up and let's get out of here quickly."

"Otherwise, these Sea God Cult Eagle Riders will surround us."

The Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, a group of more than ten people, first retraced their steps through the sparse forest, then took a detour and quickly advanced towards their destination.

"Hey, Lord Ren, how come your Sharpness Spell is so powerful?"

"Also, your casting speed is incredibly fast. How did you train to be so skilled?" Georgia, full of curiosity, couldn't help but ask Ren as she rode her horse closer.

"Hmm?"

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

"Hmph! I won't tell you then!"

Ren's words caused the girl's face to turn red, as if she was a little embarrassed. She 'strutted' and hummed, then walked away again.

Ren watched this scene, finding the siblings quite interesting.

The older brother had a calm and experienced demeanor, while the younger sister was quite domineering and lively, making their personalities quite different.

"Lord Ren, may I ask which Wizard Academy you are from?" Vandar, standing nearby, asked curiously.

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

Ren didn't bother to lie.

Besides, he did indeed come from Winterfort Academy and traveled all the way to Howling Bay.

"Liar! Who doesn't know that Winterfort Academy is mainly known for its rare Ice School Wizards?" Georgia rolled her eyes at Ren and interrupted.

"Oh, Lord Ren is from Winterfort Academy? I once met a deputy dean there, a middle-aged lady named Lady Velti," Vandar said, appearing to be in deep thought.

"You mean Deputy Dean Velti?"

"Yes, yes! It's Lady Velti indeed. It seems Lord Ren is from Winterfort Academy after all." Vandar nodded repeatedly, and his guard was mostly lowered.

If it was the dean of Winterfort Academy, most mercenaries in Frostwind Tundra would know this prominent figure. However, the deputy dean, Lady Velti, was not as well-known.

If one wasn't familiar, they most likely wouldn't know her.

"You're really from Winterfort Academy? I don't believe it!" Georgia widened her eyes and sized up Ren, muttering to herself.

Ren glanced at Georgia, smiling slightly, but didn't offer an explanation.

However, Ren's attitude made Georgia feel irritated.

"Leader, the Thickshell Lobstermen's gathering place is ahead," a scout ranger who had been scouting ahead returned to report.

From a distance, Ren saw numerous giant, upright-walking lobsters with huge pincers in the nearby marshland.

As for their appearance, it was nothing like a human's.

Calling them lobstermen was more like describing a coconut crab with elongated limbs.

Their legs had four pairs of joints, and their waist-high shell stood about a meter tall. Above that were their chest and a pair of giant pincers, with eyes like matchsticks standing upright, looking quite lively.

"I wonder how this thing would taste grilled?" This was Ren's first thought upon seeing them.

Ren initially thought they were some kind of human-lobster hybrid, but he never expected them to look like this. If he were to eat them, he probably wouldn't feel any guilt.

"Lord Ren, do you need to rest? These Thickshell Lobstermen have very thick shells, and their defense is high. You might need to cast Sharpness Spell," Vandar smiled at Ren and said.

At this moment, the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps members all had a sudden realization!

No wonder their leader had been so polite to Ren, even going out of his way to accommodate him.

Damn, with Lord Ren's powerful Sharpness Spell, there was no need for whetstones, and there was no need for anyone to wear expensive fine steel armor and tower shields at the frontlines.

Because they could just shoot and be done with it!

Everyone, including Georgia, looked at Ren like he was a treasure.

"It's not necessary, Leader Vandar. Shall we begin now?" Ren smiled and nodded.

"That's great!" Vandar was delighted.

"Lord Ren, can you cast it on me first?" The archer who had just shot down the Ironbeak Sea Eagle immediately spoke up after tasting success.

"Heb, Lord Ren just gave you a chance. You should let others try it too," someone nearby interrupted him.

"Yes! Lord Ren, cast it on us as well."

In an instant, everyone held up their arrows, and even the two tower shield warriors handed their knight's longswords to Ren, hoping he could cast Sharpness Spell on them.

After all, everyone was concerned that Ren's psychic energy consumption might be too high, and they might not get a turn.

Georgia also extended an arrow to Ren, but she seemed a little embarrassed, keeping her head down. Apparently, her body wasn't ready to give in so quickly, but her heart was eager to try.

The girl had a typical 'my mouth says no, but my body says yes' expression, which made Ren laugh.

"Everyone, don't rush. Everyone will get a turn. Rest assured, casting Sharpness Spell won't exhaust my psychic energy," Ren said with a smile.

"I hope everyone will line up and take turns." Ren smiled.

Within seconds, over ten people lined up obediently, and Ren quickly began chanting and casting the spell.

Since the Sharpness Spell's effect lasted for one minute, Vandar, seeing that three archers had already been enhanced by Sharpness Spell, immediately led them to attack the Thickshell Lobstermen patrol team.

"Whoosh!"

An archer released the bowstring, and a silver streak of light directly pierced through the chest armor of a Thickshell Lobsterman, the hardest part of their shell.

With accurate aim, each Thickshell Lobsterman would fall with a single arrow! Easier than shooting rabbits.

In groups of three to four, they repeated this process, and soon the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps inflicted heavy casualties on the Thickshell Lobstermen camp.

The Thickshell Lobstermen warriors, known for their sturdy shells and powerful claws, never had the chance to showcase their renowned defensive and offensive capabilities. Instead, they fell to the improved Sharpness Spell-enhanced arrows.

If it weren't for Ren's side, who requested a break after casting the Sharpness Spell over thirty times, the Thickshell Lobstermen in this camp might have been completely wiped out by the enthusiastic Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps.

Meanwhile, in a cave at the base of the Frostwind Cliffs in Howling Bay, the interior was surprisingly spacious, as if it had been excavated, forming a cave hall over twenty to thirty meters high.

Several fire pits were placed around the hall, and many Slitherblade Nagas, along with a larger number of Thickshell Lobstermen, were on guard.

In the center of the hall, four large stone chairs were arranged in a semi-enclosing formation, each occupied by a person.

"Why have we suddenly lost contact with the Black Flame Church these past two days?" asked the man in the center, his voice deep and solemn.

"I'm not sure, Lord Harfus. Do we really need to 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 become the scapegoats. The Empire's forces in the Frostwind Tundra are not weak, and we'll face immense pressure, possibly even a counterattack."

"Haha! Let those weak humans come!" boomed a voice like rolling thunder.

The sound was so powerful that it caused rocks to fall from the ceiling of the cave, showering the area with debris.

Even the slightly weaker Thickshell Lobsterman guard beside them seemed unable to withstand the sound, his once-straight posture now bent, and his matchstick-like eyes narrowed, retreating into his thick shell.

The owner of the voice was positioned beside the man in black, on the right side of the center. The massive stone chair could barely accommodate his nearly ten-meter-tall figure.

If Vandar were present, he would recognize the individual as a Deep Sea Giant, and even taller than the one he had encountered before.

Common Deep Sea Giants stood at only six to seven meters tall, but this one towered at ten meters, his body rippling with muscles. He held a massive metal war hammer with a hook, but upon closer inspection, it was not a hammer at all. It was a crudely polished ship anchor, transformed into the shape of a war hammer.

"Commander Dunn, please calm down. We trust your strength, but according to the orders of the Sea God Cult's High Priest, we should proceed with caution."

Lord Harfus seemed to hold some apprehension towards the Deep Sea Giant commander, so he spoke in a soothing tone, even invoking the name of the Sea God Cult's High Priest.

"Hmph! You're wasting my precious time! Discuss all you want, I'm going to sleep!" The giant, Dunn, stood up with a 'Huala' sound, and a string of shells and bones hanging around his neck jingled, creating a sense of oppression.

The Deep Sea Giant Commander Dunn, illuminated by the fire pit, had blue skin covered in fine fish scales. His only covering was a large clump of seaweed around his groin.

At that moment, a Slitherblade Naga swiftly slithered in and reported, "Reporting to the esteemed individuals, a follower of the God of Hunting has arrived. He says his name is Diam, and he is a High Priest."

"Please invite him in."

The Slitherblade Naga High Priestess, Erythra, let out a silvery laugh and said, "It seems the Black Flame Church is ready. Commander Dunn, why not hear him out before you rest?"

"Yes, Commander Dunn, if I'm not mistaken, the Black Flame Church is here to inform us that it's time to take action." Lord Harfus also smiled and spoke.

"Alright, let's hope that's the case." Dunn thought for a moment and sat back down, but the sturdy stone chair emitted an unbearable creaking sound.

Two men in black robes with black flame patterns on their sleeves entered—Diam and his subordinate.

At this moment, Diam had been promoted to the position of Deputy High Priest, making him a candidate for the High Priest position. He was temporarily in charge of the Black Flame Church's operations in the Frostwind Tundra.

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

The thought of possibly facing that 'monster' made his heart beat with trepidation.

"Lord Harfus, esteemed individuals, I am Diam of the Black Flame Church." Upon seeing the four powerful individuals before him, Diam's eyes lit up, and he felt that his trip to Howling Bay was worthwhile.

Aside from the elder Thickshell Lobsterman on the far right, whose strength seemed on par with his own, the other three individuals exuded overwhelmingly formidable auras.

The man in black and the towering Deep Sea Giant in the center even seemed slightly stronger than his former superior, the High Priest Erickson.

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

"Yes, and no," Diam replied, feigning contemplation.

"Hmm?"

Hearing the ambiguous response, the group's gaze immediately turned to Diam.

Diam then began his narrative, "Recently, the Black Flame Church has engaged in multiple battles with the Empire, and even our High Priest Erickson has fallen in combat.

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

Erickson had met him before.

Furthermore, he knew that the other's strength was only slightly inferior to his own.

"The Empire sent a Dragon Knight? Or some other Guardian?" Slasher Naga High Priestess Eshura, her waist twisting slightly in anticipation, asked, "A Swordbearer?!"

"Neither." Diam shook his head. "It was a Swordbearer."

"A Swordbearer?" The Sea God Cult members' hearts settled slightly upon hearing this answer.

After all, no matter how strong a Swordbearer was, they were still no match for a Dragon Knight, even if they were from the Imperial Capital's Swordbearer Headquarters.

"Lord Diam, please elaborate on this Swordbearer's capabilities." Harfus spoke with a grave tone.

"Of course." Diam began his detailed account.

Ever since personally witnessing Ren's transformation into a Dragonborn and his crushing defeat of the Primordial Dragon Kolrax, Diam, who had been an eyewitness, immediately realized the importance of this news. He wanted to report it to High Priest Erickson without delay.

However, upon his hasty return to the base, he received devastating news. High Priest Erickson and his party had nearly been wiped out at Dragon Tooth Pass.

As Diam investigated further, his heart sank.

He discovered that the one who had defeated the Primordial Dragon Kolrax was the same person, and contrary to his initial assumption of a Wizard School member, this individual was an Imperial Swordbearer.

This revelation kept Diam awake for several nights.

"You mean this Swordbearer named Ren can transform, and his combat prowess in that form is formidable enough to challenge a Primordial Dragon?" Abyssal Giant Commander Dunn suddenly spoke up, intrigued.

Dunn's booming voice startled Diam.

However, he nodded, "Yes, I was there. This Ren even had the upper hand."

"Interesting! Hahaha! Finally, a worthy opponent!" Abyssal Giant Commander Dunn burst into hearty laughter, echoing like rolling thunder in the hall, making Diam feel uncomfortable.

"Commander Dunn, with your formidable strength, you're more than capable of handling this Swordbearer." Slasher Naga High Priestess Eshura complimented, her voice carrying a hint of flattery.

"With Commander Dunn's strength, I'm more at ease." Diam felt a sense of relief upon hearing Eshura's words.

He had been pondering ways to deal with Ren, but without a powerful fighter, he found it nearly impossible.

Ren's strength was formidable, and his speed was exceptional. Even if they couldn't defeat him, he could still escape.

In other words, to counter Ren, they needed to find a location where he couldn't easily flee, or they needed someone who could prevent his escape.

"Although I have no doubts about your strength, the problem is his incredible speed. What if he tries to escape?" Diam asked, his gaze shifting to Harfus.

As Diam struggled for a solution, the Sea God Cult sent urgent messages, inquiring about the timing of their joint attack against the Empire.

Originally, the collaboration between the Frostwind Tundra and the Sea God Cult for the attack was arranged by High Priest Erickson. However, with his demise, Diam had taken over the responsibility.

The mention of the Sea God Cult sparked an idea in Diam's mind.

Of course, he could borrow their strength.

Divert the flood elsewhere!

Although it wasn't entirely ethical, the Sea God Cult was bound to clash with the Empire eventually. So, facing Ren earlier wouldn't be an issue.

Moreover, Diam had heard that the Sea God Cult's leader for the Howling Bay operation was a powerful figure nicknamed 'Shadow Heartburner'.

No matter how fast or physically strong a person was, when faced with the Shadow School's magic, they became as fragile as an eggshell.

Therefore, Diam believed that the key to defeating Ren lay with Harfus, not with Abyssal Giant Commander Dunn.

At that moment, a Thickshell Lobsterman elite swiftly approached the Thickshell Lobster Chief Yacolan, "Chief, in the southern camp near the Sunken Wreck, we encountered a group of human mercenaries. They're very strong, and our tribesmen suffered heavy casualties!"

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

With Diam as a guest, this news was particularly embarrassing for the Sea God Cult, especially the Thickshell Lobster tribe. Chief Yacolan immediately stood up, "Lord Harfus, I'll personally handle this."

"Indeed, it's time to teach these locust-like mercenaries a lesson. However, Chief Yacolan, please return swiftly. We must properly host Lord Diam, and you can't be absent as the host." Harfus nodded with a smile.

"Of course, I'll be back within half an hour. Lord Diam, please wait a moment." Chief Yacolan turned to Diam and spoke before quickly departing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end