Chapter 365: Divine Projection

Chapter 365: Divine Projection

In Admiral Edward's office, Deputy Secretary Olena's beautiful eyes widened in shock as she read the first official letter.

Lord Rain's prowess was truly astonishing, as he had single-handedly eliminated three legendary Sea God Sect powerhouses in Maen Province.

Moreover, Lord Rain's rapid growth in strength was even more terrifying, surpassing even the disciples of the Goddess Church.

However, this was undoubtedly good news, but why did Admiral Edward have such a grave expression? Olena wondered.

When Olena saw the second official letter, she exclaimed, "Admiral, this... Lord Rain is about to leave immediately!"

Now she understood why Admiral Edward had summoned her to his office early in the morning.

It turned out that Lord Rain's achievements in Maen Province had reached the headquarters of the Empire's Swordsmen, and a transfer order had been issued.

"Yes, that's why I called you here."

"Alas, I knew that one day Rain would leave, but I didn't expect it to be so soon!" Admiral Edward sighed.

"Sir, is there no chance at all? Can we contact the Duke and delay it for a while?" Olena frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before asking.

"The transfer order was personally signed by Marshal Alfred," Admiral Edward replied, shaking his head.

Upon hearing Admiral Edward's response, Olena realized that the matter was settled.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

"Olena, although Rain's transfer is a significant loss for the branch, it's actually a good thing for him. Contact Rain and ask him to return to Minster as soon as possible to prepare."

"Yes, sir, I'll contact him immediately," Olena nodded.

Indeed, this transfer order was a positive development for Lord Rain.

With this promotion, he had advanced three tiers at once, directly from the Diamond Star rank to the Electrum rank, and his treatment and various other aspects had also improved significantly.

Furthermore, the headquarters offered more special items for exchange, and with Lord Rain's talents, his strength was likely to increase even further.

Olena couldn't help but hope that Lord Rain would visit Minster more often in the future.

---

At Howling Gorge.

Near the wreckage of a sunken ship on the coast, the waves relentlessly pounded the beach.

On the sand, numerous Tide Crabs were foraging near their burrows when they suddenly sensed something and rushed into their narrow caves.

A large cluster of crystal-clear water suddenly rose nearly two meters high, then quickly transformed into the shape of a human female.

While most water wizards could perform such control, what happened next was truly astonishing.

The woman's body, originally crystal clear and composed of seawater, suddenly underwent a transformation, changing from seawater to a real human female with blood and flesh, and even her black robe seemed to be made of silk.

If anyone had witnessed this scene, they would undoubtedly have exclaimed it to be a divine miracle.

Indeed, it was a genuine miracle, as it was the manifestation of a projection of the will of the Darksea Goddess Helmar.

A few minutes ago, at the headquarters of the Sea God Sect, the slightly awakened Helmar sensed a significant dissipation of faith power in Howling Gorge, including that of a devout believer she held in high regard—Deep Sea Giant Overlord Dunn.

So, she projected a strand of her willpower downward with the help of the Sea God Sect's prayer ritual.

The black-robed girl looked around with her beautiful eyes and then walked with a light step to the place where Lord Rain and the Sea God Sect's powerhouses had fought.

However, the area was not deserted but rather bustling.

The central area was occupied by the Dale family's private soldiers, while various mercenaries were searching the outer circle for the spoils of war that Lord Rain and the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps had left behind, such as the weapons and ornaments of some sea clan powerhouses.

From a distance, the black-robed girl seemed to have deliberately concealed her aura, as Helmar's arrival did not disturb anyone.

She flashed and appeared in front of a private soldier who was on guard nearby, with the Dale family emblem on his chest. Before he could react, several black water streams formed thin lines and entered his ears, nose, and mouth, further penetrating into his brain.

As the private soldier's eyes rolled back, his entire body convulsed involuntarily, and memories flashed through the black-robed girl's mind like a series of slides.

"Camacho?" Helmar pondered.

To find Rain, who had killed many of her believers, Helmar knew that she needed to find the most influential person in the area to ask for information.

Most importantly, her projection constantly consumed energy, and even a true god could not sustain it for long. Therefore, she needed to find Rain quickly.

The next moment, she appeared ten meters away, and after a few blinks, she was out of sight.

Ilgarra Town.

Within the most luxurious mansion in town, originally the residence of the town mayor, Camacho, representing the Dale family, had taken over the place, naturally leaving the mayor feeling rather dispirited.

In the banquet hall, Camacho was seen embracing two charming dancers, his face flushed as he guzzled wine.

The recent incident had been a complete disaster, and after a severe scolding from his father, Duke Dale, Camacho felt rather sullen.

The issue was that Lord Luther's words before his departure had left him anxious, not knowing what other troubles awaited him.

"Lord Rain, what nonsense! He's just an outsider."

"Lord Luther actually helps outsiders instead of our Dale family!" Camacho cursed as he drank.

At that moment, a black-robed maiden appeared at the half-open door.

"Tell me, where is Rain?" A crisp voice sounded.

If Camacho hadn't been drunk, he would have noticed the peculiarity of this voice, but the problem was, he had drunk too much.

"Who do you think I am to ask?!" Hearing the question about Rain, a drunken Camacho angrily responded without turning back.

But the next second, he realized something was amiss. Without his permission, no one should have been able to enter.

Who had come in?

Camacho quickly turned his head, and there stood a beautiful black-robed maiden he had never seen before.

"How did you get in?" Camacho examined her and asked in confusion.

"It doesn't matter. Tell me, where is Rain?" Hela, disguised as the black-robed maiden, took a step closer.

"Do you know Rain?"

"You ask too many questions. I'll just do it myself." As Hela took a step forward, she suddenly appeared in front of Camacho. The next second, several strands of black water formed thin lines and entered Camacho's mouth, nose, and ears.

Camacho became completely immobile, his eyes rolling back, and his body began to shake violently.

Camacho's memories of his encounter with the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps, including Lord Luther's subsequent appearance, flashed through Hela's eyes.

"Dunn's three bodies, Mann City, Rain, Winterfort Academy..."

Hela glanced towards the northwest, nodded slightly, and then turned to leave.

However, this violent memory search seemed to have some side effects, as the usually astute Camacho now resembled someone having a seizure, his mouth twisted, drooling, and his body trembling uncontrollably, even struggling to stand up.

The two scantily-clad dancers had already fainted nearby.

Meanwhile, at the Okmaei Glacier Valley near Winterfort Academy.

This valley had over a dozen streams flowing from the melting glacier snow, and due to these streams, the valley's sides were covered in lush meadows and shrubs during this season, creating a picturesque landscape.

This beauty was only possible for a limited time after the Month of Blooming Flowers, as the subsequent seasons brought cold weather, causing the ice and snow to stop melting, and these streams would quickly dry up.

At that moment, Rain was walking hand-in-hand with Anna, strolling through the idyllic scenery.

"Rain, has the gold mine operation started smoothly?"

"Yes, the Norton tribe has arrived, and they've begun smelting the gold ore," Rain nodded, having received an update from Ulson.

Anna, upon hearing this news, looked puzzled: "Didn't Lagre return?"

Just as Rain was about to say something, a black-robed maiden suddenly appeared about twenty meters behind him, causing him to narrow his eyes and become highly alert.

Rain's perception had significantly improved after his advancement to the Second Rank Liquidation Wizard, but he hadn't sensed the maiden's approach until she was within a few dozen meters, which was unusual.

It was only due to his danger perception that he noticed the black-robed maiden's presence.

Clearly, something was amiss.

"Hmm?" Hela was slightly surprised.

The maiden's perception was quite sharp.

But that didn't matter.

"Who are you?" Rain released Anna's hand and quickly turned, ready for any threat.

Anna also sensed Rain's tension, a state of heightened alertness, which puzzled her as she looked towards the black-robed maiden.

She didn't understand why Rain was so...tense.

Indeed, it was tension.

A word that, in Anna's eyes, shouldn't be associated with Rain.

"You've chosen a nice spot. It's beautiful. If one were to rest here forever, it would be a fortunate thing." Hela lifted her bare foot and stepped into the nearby stream.

As Anna was still pondering her words, she froze in the next second, her eyes wide with astonishment, staring at the scene before her.

The small stream suddenly transformed, and within a few hundred meters, the water from the stream formed the familiar figure of the ten-meter-tall Deep Sea Giant Overlord Dunn behind the black-robed maiden.

The opponent didn't utter a single incantation, yet they effortlessly achieved what they set out to do, far exceeding Rain's expectations.

"No, not the Sea God Sect. I am their god!" The black-robed maiden smiled and spoke.

Before Rain could react, Dunn, in the form of a stream, took a large stride towards Rain and unleashed a fist-sized torrent of water, slamming it down with force.

"Boom!"

Water and dirt splashed everywhere. Rain, however, quickly sidestepped, moving Anna to safety. But as he prepared to counter, he was suddenly kicked in the waist by a slender, fair-skinned bare foot.

Rain was sent flying several meters like a cannonball.

"You killed my follower. If you submit, I might spare your life."

"Submit or die!" Helmar, the Darksea Goddess, lightly retracted her foot and smiled.

A majestic and powerful aura swept through the surroundings as Helmar spoke, enveloping the area in an instant, as if only the black-robed maiden existed in the world.

"Damn, that really hurts!" Rain felt like his spine was about to break.

Despite the pain, after being kicked, Rain noticed something peculiar. The opponent's strength didn't seem as overwhelming as he had imagined a deity to be, not an unbeatable force.

After all, if it were truly the physical manifestation of a deity, he would have been dead already.

Additionally, Rain knew that when the Emperor ascended to semi-godhood, several true gods had appeared, but they were merely avatars.

Therefore, the being before him was likely not an avatar.

The answer was clear.

The opponent was either a saint or a mere projection of will.

But either way, it didn't seem like a death sentence for him.

However, he needed to be certain.

"Sorry, I choose neither," Rain said, rubbing his waist and squinting at the black-robed maiden.

"You hit me hard, so I have to hit back!"

"Hmm?" Helmar was taken aback.

Although her projection lacked the full wisdom of her true form, she was momentarily stunned by Rain's words.

How dare a mere mortal think of hitting back after being struck by a god?

Was this normal logic? Was the person before her a madman?

Rain removed his white wizard robe, revealing a muscular physique. His body swiftly underwent intense changes.

Rain's body swelled, his skin turned gray and thickened, and palm-sized dragon scales surfaced. Simultaneously, his human fingernails transformed into sharp, elongated claws resembling a velociraptor.

At the base of his tail, a powerful tail several meters long, covered in dragon scales, rapidly grew.

"Roar!"

As Rain transformed into the Dragon General form, he roared and charged towards the black-robed maiden.

"Hmm? Dragon transformation? Are you a descendant of the Dragun royal bloodline?" Helmar was surprised by the sight before her.

She hadn't expected the one who killed her followers in the Howling Gorge region to be a member of the Dragun Empire's royal family.

"But even Carlos Dragun wouldn't dare be so disrespectful to a true god!"

Before Helmar could finish her sentence, Rain, in his Dragon General form, transformed his hardened gold weapon into a heavy hammer and struck Helmar with force.

Dunn, in his stream form, hastily blocked the attack but was shattered by Rain's blow, losing his right arm.

"You!" Helmar was furious.

She pointed her toe and unleashed a lightning-fast punch towards Rain's abdomen, who stood at an imposing height of eight to nine meters.

"Bang!"

In an instant, Rain, towering at eight to nine meters, was struck by an extremely concentrated force from Helmar, causing him to retreat several steps. His abdomen ached as if being twisted by a knife, but a glint of determination flashed in Rain's eyes.

He had intentionally provoked Helmar with his previous attack.

The power of Helmar's retaliatory strike confirmed his earlier assessment—the opponent was likely just a projection of will.

In other words, this fight was winnable.

Rain's gaze towards Helmar was filled with battle intent.

The next moment, he charged towards Helmar, who was in the form of the black-robed maiden.

Helmar, on the other hand, found Rain's eyes particularly irritating. They were filled with eagerness, curiosity, and surprise, but lacked any trace of reverence.

This further infuriated Helmar. She extended her hand and merged it with Dunn's body, who was in the form of a water giant.

Suddenly, the water that made up Dunn's body seemed to be drawn by an immense force, flowing into Helmar's body. Helmar's black-robed form began to expand like an inflating balloon.

As Helmar grew, a ten-meter-tall black-robed maiden appeared before Rain.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end