Chapter 369: Gutripper

Chapter 369: Gutripper

Ren was currently on the back of a gryphon, reflecting on his battle with the projection of the Sea Goddess Hela.

It was a form of battle analysis.

At the start of the battle, before he had enraged Hela's projection, she was extremely difficult to deal with, effortlessly casting various sorceries and extraordinary combat skills.

Moreover, her combat skills and sorceries were seamlessly integrated, giving Ren the impression that he was fighting a high-performance robot. All of his responses seemed to be anticipated by the opponent.

Only when the opponent's emotions began to fluctuate did the precise and seamless integration of her attacks start to falter, giving Ren the opportunity to counterattack.

Reflecting on it now, there were two key points to his victory.

The first was his thick skin and rapid healing, both of which were attributed to his top-tier steel body and rapid healing talents, the result of his mutated dragon bloodline.

"Would you two like to come over and rest for a while?"

For a moment, the shield shattered and the wings broke! As the iron beak of the wind peregrine pierced Ren's dragon claw, Merik felt a sharp pain in his left wing.

The troops stationed at Beverly Pass naturally had no good feelings toward these wind peregrines and wished Ren would kill more of them.

"Sir Gray, I'm afraid that won't be possible this time. We need to hurry on," Ren smiled and politely declined Gray's offer.

After all, even a legendary steel-skinned magic tyrannosaurus, known for its formidable defenses, had once been cut open from its abdomen to its spine in a single strike, dying instantly.

In an instant, Ren left a series of vivid afterimages in various forms, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the illusion.

Ren, experienced in combat, had excellent timing in executing his sorcery attacks.

"Metal Morphing!"

"Dragonborn General Form!"

"Metal Barrier!"

"Its speed is incredibly fast, and it loves to use its high-speed flight to slash across the waist and abdomen of its prey. The wind blades on its wings can instantly cut a prey in half, spilling its intestines everywhere," a caravan guard said, his face pale.

This made the first metal cutting net, though hit by several wind blades and barely shattered, but the subsequent two metal cutting nets that followed quickly overwhelmed the wind peregrines.

"Hmm? Ren, something seems off ahead. The crows are saying there are many wind peregrines gathering up there," Anna frowned and said softly to Ren.

The power of that strike was evident! "Be careful!" Anna called out, her mouth slightly open in alarm.

At the same time, it flapped its exceptionally large wings, and in the next second, two three-meter-long, crescent-shaped light-blue air currents formed at the tips of its wings, like two green lightning bolts, striking Ren directly.

The travelers and caravan guards within the pass were all panic-stricken.

It couldn't be from the empire.

After all, the wind peregrines under its command were mostly related to it by blood.

Indeed, staying here now would only increase the casualties without any significant meaning.

As one of the four variant wind peregrine leaders, 'Gutripper' Merik naturally felt no fear.

Although their wind blades were limited in power, with some wind peregrines only able to release one wind blade, their numbers were more than enough. In an instant, Ren's field of vision was filled with countless light-blue wind blades of varying sizes, raining down on him like a storm.

Just as it was thinking this, a silver arc of light flashed up from its right wing root, piercing upward in a single moment.

"Prepare the Purple Tumor Fruit!"

Such power, if he had to withstand it, he would surely die!

With a high-pitched roar, the veins on Ren's neck bulged, his muscles swelled, and his white mage robe burst open, sending pieces of fabric flying everywhere.

In quick succession, four crisp sounds rang out as the hardened essence gold deformed into a falcon shield was almost instantly cut in half by Merik's wings, filled with wind energy.

"Heh, don't try to threaten me with such words," the blue-purple gryphon's bird head responded with a human-like sneer.

Due to the blue-purple gryphon and Ren's white mage robe being too distinctive, and the battle that had recently taken place was still vivid in the guards' minds.

"Prudent choice!" Gutripper Merik couldn't help but feel delighted at the sight.

The sky was filled with densely packed wind peregrines, which began to chirp in unison and swiftly followed their leader's steps, launching wind blades at Ren.

He suddenly remembered the young mage's formidable strength, as he had similarly dispatched the high priest of the Black Flame Cult last time with ease.

Thus, in terms of priority, accelerating the liquidation process came first.

Finally, Ren planned to study the combat style of the Sea Goddess Hela, further integrating metal sorcery into his own combat.

Knowing whether Ren could withstand the attack or not.

Because threats were coming from all sides.

Even if he could escape for a short distance, he would be quickly caught.

If it were from the empire, they could have already moved the wind peregrines to nest elsewhere.

Furthermore, Merik also clearly sensed that the energy fluctuation of Ren's recent sorcery attack was not particularly strong, roughly at the power level of a tier 3 sorcery.

This also served as a supplement to his current balance between close combat and ranged attacks.

Most importantly, Ren's move directly broke the wind peregrines' morale, causing them to flee in disarray.

This left Merik's heart aching with pain!

Without any fear, Merik accelerated further, slicing at Ren's waist with his ultimate move! Merik had an unparalleled confidence in his ultimate skill.

"Chirp!"

"That, Ren, be careful," Ren's calm words seemed to immediately calm the bearded Gray.

In an instant, a menacing dragon person appeared before Merik, wielding an axe and shield.

Ren, be careful!" The bearded Gray's face turned pale as he witnessed the scene, and he shouted in warning.

As everyone watched without blinking, they waited to see how Ren would respond.

T

Through the massive hole, the clear blue sky was visible.

"You..." The opponent's provocative words caused the highest-ranking officer of the Beverly Pass, the bearded Gray, to flush with anger.

On the ground, the grass a few meters away from Merik was like a lawn that had been mowed, and a strip of soil was cleared out.

Only the thick Tower Shield, empowered by the top-tier 'Iron Wall' technique, slightly delayed Merik's attack.

W

"Don't worry, Lord Ren. Quick, escort Miss Anna to the cave on the side and hide." The Great Knight Gray turned to his subordinate and immediately ordered.

Ren then slowly descended with his Bloodfeather Wyvernel.

"Now you can leave immediately. Of course, if you want to die with this human, I'll grant your wish." Merik narrowed his golden round pupils and said.

"Good!" The bearded Gray's face turned red with excitement as he shouted enthusiastically.

"Kill him, Windblade Barrage!" To avoid prolonging the battle and any unexpected events, Merik immediately let out a loud call and launched the attack.

"Metal Morphing!"

Of course, this was a massive undertaking. For this, he needed to consult more ancient tomes and consider which spells and techniques would be most effective, but there was no rush.

A beam of light shot towards Ren's position with incredible speed, like a two-colored lightning bolt.

Soon, it would be able to hold Ren's head and receive the praise of the Red Queen.

"Haha, Lord Ren, I didn't expect to see you again so soon." A burly bearded Great Knight approached, taking large strides and greeting Ren warmly.

Ren realized that this was indeed directed at him.

"Miss Anna, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ding ding dang!" At that moment, amidst the dust, an unusual sound could be heard.

"Cutting Net!"

"Metal Magic Execution: Multi-Cut Net!"

E

"Honk!!!"

"If you want to declare war, it should be our Queen who takes action, not me."

"Retreat!" Gray waved his hand, quickly withdrawing the guards to the side.

"Hmm? Are you giving up?" Merik wondered.

Suddenly, several crows flew by, cawing hoarsely as they swiftly passed over Ren and the others.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Merik unleashed his signature move, the 'Gutripper' technique—Windwing Slash! On his nearly ten-meter-long wings, two intensely green blade-like energy streams gathered.

"Iron Wall!"

"Moreover, do you think I'm unaware of the agreement between my clan and the Empire? The agreement only restricts our Queen from acting arbitrarily; there are no limitations on us."

Witnessing this, Ren couldn't help but laugh.

In the middle of the mountains, there was a gap revealing a faint purple hue—the Purple Tumor Forest at the Beverly Pass.

They immediately realized that the Imperial Swordbearer from the last time had returned.

As he was about to say something, Ren patted his shoulder and said calmly, "Leave this to me. Don't worry."

In his eyes, Ren was already trapped, and even the Imperial guards at the Beverly Pass were powerless. The opponent was alone, with no chance of a comeback.

"Amazing!"

It had to be the Sea Goddess Hela causing trouble.

Ren quickly devised a strategy.

W

The four Kite Shields of the Metal Barrier and the Tower Shield in his left hand formed a straight line in front of Ren, while his right hand gripped a massive single-bladed battle axe.

T

Merik's iron beak, the focal point of his Windwing Slash, unleashed the most powerful attack.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

But halfway through the journey, another silver arc of light flashed by.

R

The situation reversed in an instant!

"Chirp~"

"Not bad speed!" Merik exclaimed as he witnessed Ren's afterimages and movements.

This was also one of the prerequisites for advancing to a 'Draconic Wizard'.

M

However, as he observed more closely, he sensed something amiss.

T

First, he needed to enhance his psychic energy and accelerate the liquidation process. This required him to visit the Bi-Construct School and request the second level of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation from Mentor Mogaro.

Merik's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized through the dust.

"Lord Ren, keep up the good work!" The other Imperial guards cheered.

Second, he needed to find opportunities to enhance the concentration of his dragon bloodline. Perhaps after joining the Swordswielder Headquarters, he could intentionally seek out dragons or dragon-related monsters to achieve this.

Just as Merik's giant wings were about to slice through the Tower Shield, a massive dragon claw, covered in scales, forcefully pressed down on his beak and head.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Numerous Windblades struck the ground, creating a dust cloud and an impact akin to a cannonball explosion.

T

As the realization dawned on Ren, he understood the source of his opponent's confidence.

The sheer number of windblades was overwhelming, and even with Ren's nine afterimages to disperse the concentrated attack, his main body and afterimages were all subjected to a near-saturating barrage.

Facing the fierce assault, Merick's energy intensity surpassed that of the several third-stage crystallization wizards Ren had encountered, almost reaching the legendary peak.

The silver light emanated from the Single-Bladed Giant Axe, the top-tier axe technique 'Flash Slash'.

"So many Windwings?" exclaimed the guards in surprise.

At this moment, Ren realized he had enough rare metals to practice the 'Multi-Cut Net' liquidation technique, integrating it into his combat style.

Seeing this, Ren understood that Merick was targeting him.

"Merick, are you declaring war on behalf of the Windwing Clan and the Empire?" asked Gray, the bearded high-ranking knight and chief guardian of the Beverley Mountains Pass.

In his mind, unless the opponent was an epic-level warrior, facing thousands of windblades would be in grave danger.

"How could there be so many?" Gray, the high-ranking knight, looked at the sky with a solemn expression.

Soon, the Windwings' formation changed from a circular assault to a dense fan-shaped distribution, with Ren positioned at the apex of the fan.

As Merick broke the sound barrier, a white gust of wind blew, slicing the Purple Tumor Forest on both sides into two pieces.

"Metal Barrier!"

Additionally, these two points determined Ren's direction for future enhancements.

"Then it's a hassle." Ren looked around and didn't refuse.

"As expected of Lord Ren!"

Gray, the high-ranking knight who had previously assisted in interrogating the Dark Cultists, stepped forward.

After witnessing Ren's formidable abilities, Gray knew that if given the chance, he would want to establish a good relationship and form a bond with him.

"Shadow Step!"

"Blade Edge Technique!"

However, to his surprise, the Windblade Barrage not only failed to harm his opponent but also faced a fierce counterattack.

Simultaneously, four dark silver surfaces appeared on his body, forming a kite-shaped shield made of enchanted silver to protect him.

Witnessing this scene, the caravan guards and travelers beside him were already trembling in fear, and even the Imperial Guards who had faith in Ren couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

Hearing Ren's agreement, Gray, slightly excited, waved his hand. Immediately, a team of guards stepped forward to clear the way, escorting Ren and his group through the Beverley Mountains Pass.

At this point, Ren had a hunch about who was behind this.

"Then it's a shame. Lord Ren, Miss Anna, I'll accompany you both." Gray, the bearded knight, said with a hint of flattery.

Merick's initial attack seemed to sound the charge's horn.

"That's right. After this, the prey often dies from fear and agony."

As time passed, a majestic mountain range came into view before the two of them.

But it was still not enough!

At that moment, in the distance on both sides of the pass, numerous small gray dots appeared in the sky, rising and rushing towards Ren's position.

For Ren, the faster he could return, the better. As an Imperial combat personnel, he was entitled to this convenience.

The windblade attacks aimed at Ren's main body were almost completely blocked by his four-sided kite-shaped shields, and the windblades that slipped through the shield's gaps were crushed by Ren's bare hands.

Moreover, he had no intention of running away.

Ren chanted hastily, and before him, three tightly arranged dark metal nets appeared out of thin air, glowing with intense silver light.

However, he was accompanied by an elite guard team, protecting him.

The caravan and Imperial soldiers nearby paled and exclaimed, "This... This is the mutated Windwing Commander, 'Gut-Ripper' Merick!"

As Ren waved his right hand, the three metal nets, shimmering with silver light, attacked the fan-shaped formation of Windwings in the discomfort, combat, and the enemy's identity.

With the guards leading the way, their journey through the pass would be much faster.

"Rip!"

Even if Merick wasn't a third-stage crystallization wizard, with a single strike, he could sever him in two. A flash of blue-gold light descended from the sky.

Amidst the crowd's exclamations, 'Gut-Ripper' Merick nodded with satisfaction.

"Lord Gray, it seems he's targeting me. Please protect Miss Anna on the side!"

"Lord Gray, the high-ranking knight. It's a pleasure to meet you." Anna smiled slightly and spoke.

As a druid, she was well-versed in various bird languages.

With its left wing severed, Merick's balance was disrupted, and its signature move 'Windwing Slash' was no longer feasible.

The second point was that after advancing to the second-stage liquidation wizard, his psychic power further enhanced, allowing him to perceive and counter the opponent's attacks. If he were still a first-stage wizard, this battle might have been more challenging.

Aside from that, Ren couldn't think of anyone capable of commanding Windwings to attack him.

"You're asking for death!" exclaimed Merick, known as 'Gut-Ripper'. Seeing this, his eyes widened, and his aura intensified.

"Lord Ren, something's wrong. I've been guarding this pass for over two years, and there's never been this many Windwings at once!"

Each afterimage was subjected to the concentrated fire of dozens of windblades.

Immediately, Merick's speed dropped, and he felt darkness before his eyes. His head and body were both grasped by Ren's claw, and he couldn't even scream in agony.

Although the Windwings had the advantage, Ren's confidence remained unwavering.

"That's why he has the nickname 'Gut-Ripper'." The caravan master beside him, his face pale, echoed.

Soon, the guards from the Beverley Mountains Pass went to report to their superiors.

At that moment, Merick felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, followed by a lightness in his body as if something had leaked out.

And before everyone's eyes, a scene unfolded.

A massive, ferocious dragonborn held Merick's upper body in its claw, while on the ground lay a bloody, severed golden Windwing's torso along with its intestines and other organs. Although the dragonborn's left claw dripped with blood, its ferocious aura remained undiminished.

Gut-Ripper, a name befitting its nature.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end