Chapter 366: The Monster

Chapter 366: The Monster

"Mortal, in the eyes of a true god, you are but a slightly stronger ant." The black-robed girl, Helmar, glared at Rain, and with her enlarged body, she threw a punch at him with far greater strength than her previous attack.

However, there was a drawback to her increased size; with the same amount of energy, her punch was slightly slower, allowing Rain a chance to barely perceive her attack.

Rain crossed his arms in front of him, blocking Helmar's punch with all his might.

"Bang!"

Layer upon layer of soft yet powerful force from Helmar's water-like fist was transmitted to Rain's forearms.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Rain staggered back five steps, each one leaving a half-meter-deep footprint in the valley.

But he managed to withstand the attack!

"Hmm?"

Helmar had expected that her previous punch would either break Rain's arms or knock him to the ground, but she was surprised by his exquisite technique in dissipating the force.

He managed to disperse the solid yet soft power of her punch through his footsteps, muscle vibrations, and the undulating scales, layer by layer.

Helmar was unaware that close-quarters combat was Rain's specialty, a skill he had honed as the Epic-tier profession, 'King of a Thousand Blades'.

Even in ancient times, the combat masters of the Giant Empire who were honored with the title 'King of a Thousand Blades' were few and far between. They were all exceptionally tough-willed and highly skilled in battle.

Like the Sword Saints among humans, they were beings who dared to face the gods, wielding their weapons and fighting against them!

Although Helmar was surprised, she didn't stop her subsequent attacks.

In the next moment, a four to five-meter-long water spear appeared in her hand, and she hurled it at Rain.

"Whoosh!"

Rain narrowed his eyes, and his demonized silver instantly transformed into a shield, blocking the attack. He executed the 'Metal Transformation Spell' with such fluidity that it was as if the shield had always been there.

"Hiss!"

Although Rain's block was timely and precise, the kite shield was instantly pierced, and the enormous force attached to the water spear caused him to take two more steps back.

However, Rain was not one to passively take hits! He transformed the hardened electrum in his hand into a spear and, with a twist of his hips, hurled it at Helmar.

"Swoosh!"

A loud sound of breaking air echoed!

The waist and abdomen of the black-robed girl, Helmar, were instantly pierced, but the wound healed the next moment.

It seemed that Rain's attack had achieved nothing, but in truth, he had touched the dragon scales of Helmar, the Darksea Goddess.

She was surprised that this ant-like mortal dared to wield a weapon against her.

"Mortal, you are too bold!" A female voice filled with anger reverberated through the valley.

As soon as she spoke, a water knight's longsword appeared in Helmar's hand, and she slashed at Rain. Rain quickly stacked several shields together, bent his knees slightly, and braced himself to withstand the attack.

"Boom!"

Helmar's sword broke through three of Rain's demonized silver shields, but he used the momentum to spring forward, advancing instead of retreating, and engaged Helmar in close combat.

At the beginning of their battle, the intense commotion was felt even by those in Winterfort Academy, dozens of miles away.

In one of the rooms, Bartalov, whose injuries had just healed, suddenly opened his eyes and murmured, "Such powerful aura!"

The white-haired Bartalov rushed out of the room, and in the adjacent room, the Vice-Chancellor of Winterfort Academy, the beautiful Verti, appeared in the corridor with a look of astonishment.

"Chancellor, you felt it too?" Verti asked, slightly panicked.

The aura from the previous clash, though fleeting, had caused Verti, a seasoned Second Rank Liquidation Wizard, to feel her heart skip a beat.

It was a natural fear that lower-level beings felt in the presence of higher-level beings.

It was like the tremors caused by an elephant's footsteps, causing ants to panic, thinking a disaster had struck.

"Hmm, if I'm not mistaken, it should be the incarnation or projection of a deity, descending upon the Okmaei Glacier Valley," Bartalov said solemnly, nodding.

"But what's strange is that this unfamiliar deity's projection seems to be in combat, causing rather intense fluctuations in its aura." Bartalov frowned, puzzled.

A deity, even in projection, could conceal their aura if they wished, and with their power, it would be impossible for anyone to detect them.

The intense fluctuations were what allowed them to clearly perceive the deity's presence.

"Hmm? In the Okmaei Glacier Valley? Oh no, I think Lord Rain is there!" Verti suddenly realized something, her face paling as she exclaimed.

"What?!" Bartalov exclaimed.

Melita, who had rushed over, heard Verti's words and said, "Mentor, Vice-Chancellor Verti is right. These days, Lord Rain has been enjoying walks in the glacier valley with Miss Anna."

"What's happening over there?"

Bartolov, who had initially wanted to avoid the situation, now furrowed his brows in deep thought. But soon, he made a decision.

"Let's go! We'll take a look!"

"Also, inform the others. Put the entire Winterfort Academy on high alert and activate the defensive magic arrays."

Although many measures and preparations were useless against deities, they could still be effective if the deity was merely a projection.

In no time, a group of people, led by Bartolov, rode on several Iceplain Grimoires and swiftly flew towards the Okmaei Glacier Valley.

Due to the short distance, in less than half a minute, the valley was already within sight.

To everyone's astonishment, two massive dark gray shadows were engaged in a fierce battle within the picturesque glacier valley.

The once smooth emerald green meadow was now riddled with pits, one after another, at least several dozen of them.

Seven or eight crystal-clear streams had dried up, some due to the upstream pits causing the water to converge and stop flowing, while others had simply vanished into thin air.

Even from their vantage point atop the Iceplain Grimoires, the group could sense the immense size of the two dark gray figures.

The speed of their battle was lightning-fast! So, aside from Winterfort Academy's headmaster Bartolov, all others could only see two enormous blurred shadows fiercely clashing.

"It's Lord Rain, and he seems to be at a disadvantage," Verti exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

As an experienced Tier 2 Liquidation Wizard, Verti could barely make out one of the figures as the transformed Rain, while the other remained unfamiliar, making it impossible for her to discern their features.

As for Melita, she couldn't even make out their silhouettes, let alone their faces.

"Indeed," Bartolov, with his white hair and beard, nodded gravely as he watched the two figures.

"Mentor, who in the Frostwind Tundra could fight Lord Rain like this?" Melita asked, puzzled.

Melita hadn't heard the conversation between her mentor and Verti, and with her limited experience, she couldn't identify the other party through their aura.

Both Rain and Hela were several tiers above Melita.

"Not from the tundra, but from above," Bartolov pointed upwards, his expression grave.

"You mean, the other party is a deity?" Melita's eyes widened in surprise after a moment of thought.

"Yes, I can't reveal their name, but they should be from the ocean," Bartolov replied.

Bartolov was well-traveled and knowledgeable. He had deduced the other party's identity from Hela's black-cloaked maiden appearance, the dried-up streams she absorbed, and her masterful water magic.

However, this revelation also stirred up a storm within the Winterfort Academy's headmaster.

Was the Goddess Helmar slowly awakening? If so, it meant the empire's situation would become even more turbulent.

At this moment, if one were to view the scene from above, the picturesque Okmaei Glacier Valley would appear rather eerie.

A ten-meter-tall black-cloaked maiden and a slightly shorter giant dragon-man were locked in a fierce battle.

Although Hela had been dominating the fight, Rain's mutated dragon bloodline granted him the top-tier innate ability of a steel-like body with dragon scales, making him thick-skinned and resilient.

After several minutes, Rain's body was covered in numerous wounds, with many areas where the dragon scales had shattered, leaving his flesh bloody and mangled. However, his actual injuries weren't severe.

Additionally, Rain's 'Rapid Healing' ability, acquired from the increased concentration of his bloodline, played a crucial role, as flesh grew rapidly over his wounds, quickly healing them.

"Bang!"

Hela's water-infused longsword strike was blocked by Rain's shield, but he still retreated several steps.

However, Hela didn't pursue further.

Thus, a brief pause occurred in the battle between the two 'giants'.

"Not bad, mortal. I'll give you one last chance. Submit to me, and I'll forgive your earlier disrespect," Hela said, her gaze towards Rain carrying a peculiar meaning.

The Winterfort Academy group, watching from a distance in the sky, was shocked by the scene before them.

Especially Melita, who was completely taken aback. She never expected the deity fighting Lord Rain to be such a beautiful black-cloaked maiden, although the maiden's size was indeed enormous.

Moreover, Melita had just heard something astonishing—Lord Rain had been offered a position by a deity?

Goodness! If it were her, she might have immediately become a devout follower.

This was a divine olive branch!

"Submit?"

"Perhaps, if you submit to me, I might consider it," Rain wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression calm.

Rain wasn't intentionally provoking her, but he had inadvertently discovered a weakness in his opponent.

The maiden before him seemed accustomed to being above everyone else, and her tolerance for any provocation, whether in words or actions, was extremely low.

In a fit of rage, the opponent's attacks became chaotic and less precise, making them easier to deal with in comparison.

But to outsiders, Lord Rain's words were not perceived in the same light.

Even the white-bearded Bartolov, a Tier 3 Crystallization Wizard, was stunned by Rain's domineering words.

"Is this how a mortal speaks?" they wondered, astounded by Rain's audacity.

When faced with the demand for submission from the Darksea Goddess Hela, Rain boldly demanded her submission instead.

Setting aside strength, the sheer audacity of Rain's response left everyone in the Dragon Empire wondering who else could match this.

"You've angered me, you insignificant ant!" Hela, in her black-cloaked maiden form, trembled with anger.

With a casual gesture, hundreds and thousands of water arrows rained down, covering every inch of space.

"Iron Wall!"

The hardened electrum in Rain's left hand swiftly transformed, and in an instant, a tower shield appeared, accompanied by the top-tier ultimate 'Iron Wall' to protect his body.

"Metal Barrier!"

Four silver kite-shaped shields materialized, guarding his vital points. The fluidity of his metal magic was awe-inspiring.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dense water arrows bombarded the tower shield and kite shields, pushing Rain back with relentless force.

As time passed, Rain felt the opponent's strength waning.

This was evident in the black-cloaked maiden's shrinking stature, decreasing from ten meters to nearly matching Rain's Dragon General form.

"As expected, even a true god's projection weakens with time and energy expenditure," Rain thought with secret delight.

As Hela's strength diminished, Rain replenished his stamina.

With his psychic power reaching 89 points, a warm surge pumped through his heart, filling him with vigor.

The next moment, Rain's feet propelled him forward with explosive force, shattering the ground beneath him. He charged towards Hela's black-cloaked form.

His shield transformed into a deadly blade.

Rain engaged in melee combat.

"Shadow Step!"

"Heavy Punch Combo!"

"Rapid Slash!"

The Dragon General Rain unleashed a barrage of top-tier ultimates, overpowering the black-cloaked Hela.

The Winterfort Academy spectators were left dumbfounded.

"M-Master, if I'm not mistaken, is Lord Rain gaining the upper hand?" Melita stammered in shock.

Overpowering a deity?

It was a sight to behold.

Bartolov's mind trembled, unable to process Melita's words.

He had fought alongside Rain, but the Rain he remembered, who battled the Primordial Dragon Kraxis, had imperfections in his metal magic, not syncing with his exquisite close-quarters combat skills.

Now, Rain's metal magic was not only more powerful but also seamlessly integrated with his combat prowess, creating a perfect fusion of magic and martial arts.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Rain's ever-shifting weapons sliced and shattered Hela's water-formed body, seemingly without effect. But Rain sensed the goddess' growing rage with each hit, causing her to lose her rationality.

Hela's stature shrank below eight meters, shorter than Rain's Dragon General form.

The tide had turned.

"Blasphemer! Die!" Hela, thoroughly enraged by Rain's counterattack, shouted furiously.

An immensely powerful energy wave emerged, and half of her body transformed into a colossal conical water drill, hurtling towards Rain.

"Iron Wall!"

"Metal Barrier!"

"Shadow Step!"

"Swoosh!"

Rain's five shields exploded, but they had bought him precious time.

The black-cloaked maiden, struck by Rain's punch, disintegrated into a shower of water.

Rain expected her to reform, but she vanished.

The incessant alarm bells in his mind gradually faded.

"Hmm? Did the projection's energy deplete?" Rain surveyed his surroundings, his caution lingering.

After a few more minutes of vigilance, Rain concluded that she was gone.

"Phew~ Phew~"

Rain swiftly dispelled his Dragon General form, panting heavily. The flesh in his chest wound rapidly regenerated.

He had exhausted nearly all his attribute points in that intense battle.

If the fight had lasted any longer, the outcome might have been different.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end