Chapter 381: The Power of the Third Form

Chapter 381: The Power of the Third Form

Imperial Capital, Temerel.

In the luxurious study room on the second floor of the Dram family mansion.

"Is it today?" Duke Dram asked.

"Yes, Your Grace. Young Master Greenwood and his group set off yesterday, and they should be taking action today," Steward Owen replied with a slight bow, respectfully.

"Hmm, any news from the Black Blade Organization?"

"It's been confirmed. They sent a King of Assassins, who arrived in Nom Province a day in advance."

Duke Dram nodded slightly and asked again, "Is it 'Corpse Splitter' Greg who accompanied Greenwood?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Hmm, there shouldn't be any problems then." Duke Dram nodded, speaking half to himself.

However, at this moment, a shadow of worry still lingered in his heart.

Earlier that morning, when he met with the high-ranking officials of the Swordmaster Headquarters, including Admiral Donald, the latter had said something to him.

'If possible, it's best to reconcile with this Ren.'

At first, he didn't understand what Admiral Donald meant.

Until the Admiral told him that the latest top-secret intelligence from the Swordmasters revealed that this Ren had directly defeated a projection of a legendary-tier deity.

It wasn't that Admiral Donald was uninformed, but the security clearance of this intelligence was too high. Only a handful of people within the entire Swordmaster Headquarters could access the full details, and he was not one of them.

This revelation shocked Duke Dram to his core!

Although it was a projection of a legendary-tier deity, in reality, among human legendary powerhouses, very few could rival them.

Even a mere projection represented a strand of the deity's energy, and all sorts of extraordinary combat techniques and magic were at their disposal, with various combinations already reaching a level of mastery.

The fact that Ren could defeat a deity's projection meant that he likely possessed legendary-tier peak strength.

Of course, it was also possible that Ren had used a powerful magical artifact or some other means to repel the deity.

Fortunately, one of the family advisors, 'Corpse Splitter' Greg, was also a powerhouse of this caliber after activating his Boulder Battle Body.

Combined with the King of Assassins' ambush, even if Ren's strength had reached the legendary peak, the chances of killing him were still very high.

Duke Dram thought to himself.

Additionally, Greenwood was not actually his nephew but his illegitimate son, merely registered under his younger brother's name.

Moreover, he was the most talented among all his illegitimate children.

Not even Greenwood himself was aware of this fact.

This was why he had some concerns.

---

Meanwhile, in Nom Province, the square of Swamp Town was littered with bloody and mangled corpses, a scene of utter chaos.

"Oh? A misunderstanding? I'm not interested in your explanations."

Ren, in his Dragon Man King Form, glanced at Greenwood with his cold vertical pupils, and then his massive claws descended from above!

"No! Ren, don't you want to know why the Sam's Group is so obsessed with that elf?" Greenwood, on the brink of death, suddenly thought of something and shouted excitedly.

Judging from Ren's ruthless attack, he clearly didn't care about Greenwood's background as a member of the Duke's family, and threatening him with it would only hasten his demise.

Only by appealing to someone Ren cared about might he have a chance to survive.

"Huff~~" A fierce gust of wind blew across Greenwood's face, contorting his skin! Just as Greenwood was about to be terrified out of his wits, the hideous giant claw paused.

"Why?" Ren asked.

"Because, for some unknown reason, the Second Prince has a particular fondness for elven women. Throughout Temerel, except for the elven ambassador, people are helping him collect elven women," Greenwood explained.

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes! I swear it! I swear it!" Seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, Greenwood shouted desperately.

"Two years ago, in Minster Province, the Sam's Group also captured another elven woman, and we delivered her to the Second Prince," Greenwood revealed another secret to increase the credibility of his words.

"Who else knows about this? Is there anyone who can vouch for what you're saying?" Ren's eyes flickered.

In an instant, he realized something.

"Yes, yes! Our family's steward, Owen, he knows," Greenwood said eagerly, seeing that Ren was asking about this.

In his mind, he had just secured his life.

Even the others present shared this belief.

"Hmm, goodbye then." Ren said calmly.

Goodbye?

What did goodbye mean?

As Greenwood pondered the meaning behind Ren's words, he suddenly felt the sky darken.

"Boom!" A massive dragon claw-shaped crater appeared on the ground, and in an instant, Greenwood, along with the metal cage, was smashed into a meat paste by the giant claw!

At that moment, Ren finally reverted from his Dragon Man King Form, returning to his human body.

"You...you actually killed him! He's the most promising direct descendant of the Dram family!" Mia exclaimed in shock, witnessing the scene.

"Do you know that the Dram family is one of the Guardian Families? What if..."

"So what?" Ren interrupted.

Ren glanced at Mia and spoke.

Chandler, on the other hand, was so terrified that he sat down on the ground, his soul flying out of his body.

Since Ren dared to kill Greenwood directly, he naturally had the courage to kill Chandler.

"Your Excellency Ren, don't kill me, don't kill me! I'll tell you everything."

"The Dram family, to which Greenwood belongs, has close ties to Admiral Donald, a high-ranking member of the Swordsmen. Your assigned task was also their doing."

"Oh? Is there more?" Ren calmly observed Chandler.

"Yes, yes, let me think, let me think!"

"Never mind, I don't want to hear any more from a two-faced person like you." Ren shook his head.

He raised his right hand, his lips slightly pursed.

"Multi-Cut Nets!"

Suddenly, three gigantic nets emitting a silver glow appeared in front of him, rushing towards Chandler's position at high speed!

"No, no, ahh!"

With a piercing scream, Chandler's terrified expression froze, and in an instant, he and the metal cage were cut into tofu-sized pieces by the metal net.

At this moment, when Claire caught Ren's glance, she couldn't help but tightly grip Bianz's arm, her head shaking like a rattle as she stuttered:

"Captain, we have nothing to do with this! Really, we don't!"

Waaah! This new captain is too cruel!

She wanted to quit the team!

Was it still possible to leave now?

Moreover, what did she just hear?

It was either about a prince or an admiral's secrets. Oh no! She hoped she wouldn't be silenced.

At this moment, Claire felt a sudden longing for her mother, wishing she could return to her hometown in the county.

"I remember now, this aura and form... you... you're a royal heir!" Mia seemed to have realized something, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at Ren.

But how could that be possible?

The intelligence report on Ren from the Dram family clearly stated that he was just a small-town youth. How could he suddenly become a royal descendant?

It was as if in a past life, one would encounter a straw sandal maker who, upon inquiry, turned out to be the Han Dynasty's royal relative, Prince Liu.

"What? Royalty?" Claire and Bianz exchanged glances, both shocked.

"Oh, have you heard something?" Ren raised an eyebrow, looking at Mia.

The information she shared piqued his interest, as it was the first time he had heard someone mention a situation similar to his own Dragon Man transformation.

"Yes, I once had the chance to witness a competition at the Imperial Royal Academy, where one of the participants was the offspring of an imperial prince, bearing royal blood."

"However, after the transformation, his height was only about five meters tall, with a very short tail, no wings, and his dragon scales and horns were different from yours."

Hmm?

If one overlooked the details like the color of the dragon scales, wasn't it just a copy of his first Dragon Man transformation - the Dragon Warrior Form?

Interesting.

The Imperial Royal Academy?

Claire had studied there, so she could ask her to look into this news.

Thinking of Claire, Ren suddenly remembered her mentioning that after her father, Count Habus, recovered from his injuries, she would return to the Imperial Royal Academy.

He wasn't sure if, at this point in time, Claire had arrived in the Imperial Capital, Temerel. But after returning to headquarters, he could inquire about it.

"Can I... can I live?" Mia finally succumbed to the pressure and asked this question.

"Unfortunately, Mia, since you chose to take action against me, you should have known the consequences." Ren looked at her calmly.

"I believe you've heard the saying, 'Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.'"

"But I don't want to die like this. Can I at least die with some dignity?" Mia forced a bitter smile and pointed at Chandler's mutilated body.

"Good!"

"Captain Ren, you... you directly killed these three. I fear that when you return..." Bianz hesitated.

"Technically, these three ambushed you first. You could have sent them to the military court, and then..."

"And then? They would have been released without a hitch." Ren shook his head.

Bianz instantly understood Ren's meaning and sighed, saying no more.

After two years in the Imperial Capital, she was well aware that Ren wasn't exaggerating.

The Dragon Empire had endured for over two thousand years, and its hierarchy was deeply entrenched, with many parts rotting from within. The connections of the top noble families in the Imperial Capital were like the roots of a thousand-year-old tree, deeply embedded in the Empire's flesh.

"Additionally, if you're worried about retaliation from the Dram family, I'll be waiting for them." Ren smiled slightly.

At this moment, Langgel and the other two members of the Blade Squad, who had been stunned earlier, finally snapped out of it and rushed over, asking, "Your Excellency Ren, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. This incident must have startled you."

"No, no problem, Your Excellency Ren. Your strength has surpassed what it was before. By the way, what should we do with these?" Langgel swallowed hard, pointing at the bodies on the ground.

Ren glanced at the ground.

'Corpse Splitter' Greg's body was relatively easy to deal with, as it was merely split in half.

Action: Ren intends to not think about these things for now, and instead checks the previous battle prompts:

【Congratulations, you have defeated a formidable foe and gained 31 Golden Skill Points!】

【Congratulations, your Willpower (Hidden) attribute has been enhanced!】

【Congratulations, your Thousand Blade King (Epic) class level has increased!】

With the consecutive kills of the Venom Dragon, the King of Assassins, and the Corpse Splitter Greg, the Thousand Blade King (Epic) class level smoothly reached level 13, granting Ren 1 attribute point and 1 skill point.

Currently, he has a total of 13 remaining attribute points and 6 remaining skill points.

As for the Golden Skill Points, after the previous expenditure of 8 points, there were still 46 points left, and this time, with an additional 31 points, the total reached 77 points, setting a new record.

However, since Ren now knows that Golden Skill Points can be used to simulate Wizard Skills, he doesn't mind the abundance.

After all, the previous simulation and improvement of a Second-Level Magic Skill consumed 28 points; one can only imagine how much a Third-Rank Magic would cost.

That same day, upon returning to Nom City, after a brief dinner with the Blade Squad to catch up, Ren brought Claire and Bianse back to the Swordmaster Headquarters.

Although it was just one battle, the two women were deeply impressed by Ren's exceptional abilities.

A day and a half later.

Upon arriving directly at the Imperial Capital's Swordmaster Headquarters via airship, Ren naturally had to submit his mission report and explain the deaths of his two teammates.

Even though it was a sneak attack by the other party, the process of reporting the deaths still had to be followed.

As soon as he entered the mission hall, Ren went straight to Anthony's office.

Seeing someone enter without knocking, Anthony was about to scold them, but the next moment, his eyes widened, and he looked at the visitor with a shocked expression, saying, "Lord Ren, why have you returned?"

"Hehe, Lord Anthony, shouldn't I have returned?" Ren couldn't help but smile at the fat man in front of him.

"No, no, I mean, have you completed your mission?"

"You mean killing the Venom Dragon? Of course, and by the way, I also took care of a few who tried to murder me."

"Murder? Someone dared to murder you?" Anthony's face turned pale, and he spoke with a hint of panic.

"Hmm, I find it strange too, why my mission location and target were so clear to them. It seems that someone within the Swordmaster Headquarters must have leaked my mission details."

As Ren spoke, he fixed his gaze on Anthony.

Anthony's face turned pale, and he quickly took out a handkerchief, constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead, saying, "This... it shouldn't be, it can't be."

"By the way, I also killed two who ambushed me, a Iron Rank Swordsman named Chandler, and a Secret Silver Rank Swordsman named Mia."

"What?! Lord Ren, did you... did you kill two of your own squad members?" Upon hearing this news, Anthony suddenly 'plopped' down from his chair onto the floor.

He was clearly shaken!

His gaze towards Ren had changed!

The young man before him, who looked harmless when he smiled, was actually a ruthless killer!

He had directly killed people.

And Chandler wasn't just anyone; he was the second son of an influential Marquis in the Imperial Capital.

"Hmm, as the captain of the Swordsmen, I believe I have the right, don't I?"

"But but even so, you shouldn't have killed them directly.

"Lord Ren, you were too reckless. You know that if you harm them, the headquarters will surely investigate."

"Besides, normally, your strength surpasses theirs. You could have easily captured them and let the headquarters and the military court handle the trial."

"Hehe, I'm not finished yet. At that time, others were also besieging me, so you know, I accidentally killed them all in the heat of the moment." Lord Ren chuckled.

"Others were there?" Lord Anthony exclaimed, his face filled with shock.

"Lord Anthony, you should report this. This matter is beyond your handling." Lord Ren waved his hand.

He realized that involving someone of Lord Anthony's caliber would be pointless.

"Indeed, my authority is limited. I'll go report this immediately." Lord Anthony, with his spherical figure, hurried out of the office as if flying.

Lord Ren had considered giving a more face-saving explanation to Greenwood, Mia, Chandler, and the others, perhaps saying that they died in the battle against the Venom Dragon.

That way, he could at least preserve some dignity for them.

But after some thought, Lord Ren rejected the idea.

After all, in a world with Seers and Astrologers, mysterious professions with their unique abilities, if he tried to spare their reputation with a white lie, he might end up hurting himself.

So, he decided to tear away the last shred of decency and expose the truth.

Half an hour later, Lord Ren was invited into a conference room.

The number of attendees had increased significantly, and Lord Anthony didn't even qualify to be present.

Leading them was an imposing elder with a pair of golden branches and four suns on his shoulder epaulets, indicating his rank as a General in the Dragon Empire, even higher than an Admiral.

If Lord Ren's memory served him right, this was Augustus General, the one responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Swordbearer Headquarters, second only to Marshal Alfred in status.

The General was a top-tier figure even within the Empire.

By his side were two Empire Admirals, and two Colonels, reduced to the role of clerks, holding notebooks.

Clearly, Lord Ren's actions had thoroughly alarmed the highest echelons of the Swordbearer Headquarters.

"Lord Ren, this is General Augustus, and this is Admiral Donald..."

"Now, you can tell us what happened," said the no-nonsense female Colonel sitting at the edge.

"Okay!" Lord Ren nodded, and proceeded to narrate the entire incident.

Minutes later, the male Colonel sitting at the edge interrupted Lord Ren's narration, his voice heavy with concern.

"Wait, Lord Ren. You said that Secret Silver Rank Swordbearer Mia and Iron Rank Swordbearer Chandler suddenly attacked you with Magic during your battle with the Venom Dragon?"

"Is there any evidence to support this claim?"

"Yes, the other two members of my squad, as well as the Blade Squad from the Nom Province Swordbearer Branch, can testify to this." Lord Ren glanced at the Colonel.

"Please continue, Lord Ren."

After another ten minutes, when Lord Ren mentioned the surprise attack by the 'King of Assassins' from the Black Blade Organization, everyone in the room, except for General Augustus who remained composed, showed signs of astonishment.

"Lord Ren, you said the one who tried to assassinate you was the 'King of Assassins' from the Black Blade Organization?" The female Colonel asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Yes, the body and specialized weapon of the assassin are currently stored in the Nom Province Swordbearer Branch. I believe the headquarters can easily investigate and confirm his identity."

"If the body and weapon are available, it shouldn't be difficult," the female Colonel nodded.

When Lord Ren described how he killed Greg after he was attacked by Greenwood, Admiral Donald couldn't contain himself any longer.

"You said you killed the Venom Dragon first, then the King of Assassins, and finally, this 'Corpse Splitter' Greg.

You must know that two of them are at the peak of the Legendary Tier, and facing the King of Assassins wouldn't be much easier than battling a Legendary Peak. It's illogical for you to defeat all three consecutively.

"I think you need to provide a more detailed and reasonable explanation." Admiral Donald's voice was grave.

"Hehe, I have no choice. It just so happened that my first assignment as a new Swordbearer was to kill the Venom Dragon.

I got too excited and accidentally struck Greenwood too hard, killing him." Lord Ren chuckled.

Naturally, Lord Ren held no favor for Admiral Donald, who seemed to be the one who assigned him this mission.

"You..." Admiral Donald was clearly displeased with Lord Ren's attitude.

Especially since Lord Ren's words seemed to imply something, giving Admiral Donald a bad premonition.

Could it be that this audacious young man knew something?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end