Chapter 384: Collision

Chapter 384: Collision

Three middle-aged individuals, two men and a woman, approached, each clad in earth-yellow wizard robes.

The leader, a middle-aged man, held a knotted wooden staff, topped with a fist-sized earth-yellow orb. Even the servants, who knew nothing about sorcery, could sense the palpable energy emanating from the orb, causing unease in their hearts.

Duke Dram's gaze quickly shifted to the staff in the man's hand. He was aware that the earth-yellow orb at the top of the staff was infused with a substantial amount of earth elemental essence.

Earth elemental essence was incredibly challenging to gather, and the crystal orb was not easy to craft. Overall, this was a rare treasure that could significantly enhance the power of earth element sorcery.

This staff belonged to Harold, the self-proclaimed strongest 'Sculptor'. The male wizard on Harold's left, though around the same age as Harold, had an aura that was comparatively weaker, probably at the peak of a Tier 2 Wizard.

Even though he would be considered a near-legendary powerhouse outside, he seemed to pale in comparison when standing next to Harold.

As for the woman on Harold's right, she appeared to be in her thirties, an age when a woman's charm was at its peak, but in reality, she was already over fifty.

As a wizard, the aging process was slower, and with proper care, her face still held a youthful allure.

However, her thin, slightly upturned lips carried a hint of pride and sharpness, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

"Welcome, Lord Harold!" Duke Dram stepped forward, greeting him warmly.

"Your Grace, you're too kind," Harold replied with a slight bow and a smile.

Although Harold's face was filled with a smile, it seemed to stem from his own formidable strength, giving off an air of arrogance that created a sense of detachment.

Soon, they all sat down in the luxurious reception room of the Dram family.

"Your Grace, I've heard about Greenwood's matter. Please accept my condolences."

"Thank you!"

After some pleasantries, Duke Dram instructed the butler, Owen, to bring forth a staff to present some intelligence.

Harold took the staff and initially skimmed through it casually, but as he quickly reached the end, his expression changed, revealing a hint of emotion.

"Ah, he killed the Venom Dragon and the Corpse Splitter, Greg."

The latest intelligence, located at the end, was the most indicative of Rain's current strength.

However, Harold was more concerned about Rain's ability to defeat Greg, the Corpse Splitter. As a wizard, Harold was well-versed in bloodlines.

He knew that Greg possessed the Rock Giant bloodline and that when Greg activated his bloodline talent, 'Boulder Body', his defense rivaled that of a Mountain Giant.

If Rain had waited for Greg's stamina to deplete before attacking, the difficulty would have been significantly reduced.

"Your Grace, is this Rain very powerful?" The female wizard, Caroline, whom Harold held in high regard, asked with a hint of surprise.

"Indeed, he's quite formidable. You can take a look," Harold said as he handed over the intelligence on Rain.

"Your Grace, what are your plans?" Harold turned to Duke Dram.

Although Harold had no doubt about his ability to handle Rain, at his level, he couldn't simply go on a killing spree like the top assassins of the Black Blade Organization, driven by money or a particular item.

Especially since Rain had a clear official identity as an Imperial Swordmaster and a formally recognized noble.

Harold needed a suitable reason to act, or at least a rational 'borrow'.

"Lord Harold, I've contacted the families of the women Rain has tragically killed, including Greenwood's mother. They will be heading to the Imperial Noble Court to plead their case."

"Although, according to our intelligence, the Swordmaster Headquarters will likely rule this as self-defense, and the Noble Court will not typically handle such cases. But we will appeal to the judges' emotions, telling the story from the perspective of the elderly and the weak."

"Additionally, we will lobby the judges, explaining the situation logically."

"The primary goal, of course, is to have the Noble Court judges summon Rain. Even if he is summoned, with the Swordmaster Headquarters' ruling, wouldn't this case be a guaranteed loss for you?"

"Another male wizard, Darren, furrowed his brows and couldn't help but interject.

Although he was a Tier 2 Liquidation Wizard, he had a fiery temper and hadn't understood Duke Dram's intention when he stopped just now.

'Haha, Lord Darren, we naturally know that we can't win this case, but we only need the court to summon this official process.'

'According to the rules, when the court summons, everyone must cooperate and be present to explain the situation.'

'At this time, once this Rain refuses to cooperate, Lord Harold and the rest of you can rightfully take action.' At this point, Duke Dram's face showed a hint of satisfaction.

'I see.' Darren glanced at Duke Dram and nodded, thinking to himself, 'What a cunning old fox.'

These old noble families were indeed all shrewd individuals. Even if they themselves weren't familiar with the empire's regulations, there would always be someone within their families who were well-versed in the empire's rules and regulations. They could find such a loophole.

'However, these actions need to wait until the official ruling from the Swordmaster Headquarters. It's estimated to take two to three days. Once the ruling is made, we will contact this Rain and negotiate at a location outside the imperial capital.'

'During the negotiation, the court's summoning personnel will arrive at the scene. At that time, this Rain will resist cooperation.'

'What if they cooperate willingly?' Caroline couldn't help but ask.

'Haha, most of the court's enforcement personnel who will go to summon them are our people. Even if they cooperate, they will turn into non-cooperation.' Duke Dram smiled and explained.

Although the two in front of him were both Tier 2 Liquidation Wizards, in his eyes, they were as innocent as the pure white snow grass on the ice field when it came to political scheming.

'Since Duke Dram already has a perfect plan, we'll wait for the notification.' Harold stood up and said.

'Thank you, Lord Harold! By the way, regarding the Mountain Heart, my people have found some clues. I believe that after this matter, we should be able to handle it.' Duke Dram mentioned casually as he saw Harold off.

Harold looked at Duke Dram and said, 'Then I'll trouble you, Duke Dram.'

He was well aware that the Dram family had a Mountain Heart in their possession, but before the matter was concluded, the information about the Mountain Heart from Duke Dram would always remain at the level of 'having some clues.'

However, it was good enough that the other party had agreed.

Once he killed Rain, the Mountain Heart would be delivered.

Harold was about to break through to the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard stage and required a large amount of rare resources to assist in his breakthrough.

Some things were extremely difficult to find, and even if he wanted to collect them all, it would take a lot of time and energy. If he could rely on these powerful nobles of the empire, collecting many things would be much easier.

Especially the one in front of him, Duke Dram, who had a Mountain Heart that Harold desperately needed.

The Mountain Heart was an extremely rare and precious earth-type treasure that could only be formed within the body of a deceased Mountain Giant. Mountain Giants were Epic-level, super-giant creatures that hadn't appeared within the empire's borders for at least several hundred years.

Besides the fact that the Mountain Giant's power far exceeded his ability to contend with, even if one did appear, it would be killed by the empire's Epic-level Guardian forces, so it wouldn't be his turn to deal with it.

So, for now, he still needed to deal with these old noble families.

However, once he broke through to the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard stage, he wouldn't need to bother with these trivial matters.

At the same time.

Bavarian Mansion.

Rain regained his senses from his deep thoughts in the room.

He had about three days left before his restriction ended, so Rain thought for a moment and went to the exchange counter at the school's headquarters.

There was a rare halfling or dwarf-blooded girl at the counter, and despite her height of only 1.2 meters, her figure was well-proportioned and harmonious.

'Hello, can you check which metal-type sorceries I can exchange?' Rain asked.

As he spoke, Rain handed over a memory crystal-like object, his school identity token, to the girl.

'Of course, Lord Rain. According to your permissions, you can inquire about and exchange all Tier 2 and below sorceries within the school.' The dwarf girl took Rain's crystal token and inserted it into the slot. Soon, she enthusiastically said,

'Oh? What if I want to inquire about Tier 3 sorceries?' Rain raised his eyebrows and asked.

He had naturally expected this situation, just like the Swordmaster Headquarters; different permissions meant different levels of exchangeable items.

'If you want to view Tier 3 sorceries, according to school regulations, you need to have more than 10,000 historical contribution points.'

'Historical contribution points?'

'Yes, it means your total contributions to the school, including the ones you've used up, all count.'

'In other words, including the historical contribution points you've spent, and the ones you've accumulated.'

"The dwarf girl explained."

"I understand," Rain nodded.

"Oh, and Lord Rain, there are four types of metal-based spells of the second rank and below that you're looking for."

"I've displayed them on the Wisdom Stone Tablet for you to view."

Rain's eyebrows rose slightly, clearly surprised, but as he read the descriptions, the joy in his heart diminished significantly.

Of the four metal-based spells, he already possessed three: 'Sharpness Technique', 'Metal Transformation Spell', and 'Metal Barrier'.

The only one he lacked was a second-rank spell called 'Iron Armor Technique'.

From the name, it was easy to guess that this was a defensive spell, which was slightly different from what Rain had hoped for—an offensive second-rank spell.

The exchange price at the bottom, 3500 contribution points, was just within his means, thanks to the 3700 contribution points he had earned from submitting the metal arm remains to the school.

However, he wanted to read the spell's description before making the exchange.

After a moment's thought, Rain asked, "Can you show me the specific description of the spell?"

"Of course, Lord Rain," the dwarf girl replied.

With a few skilled movements, the black Wisdom Stone Tablet in front of Rain updated its content:

"Iron Armor Technique: A second-rank spell that consumes a certain amount of mana to activate a specific spell model, drawing upon the metal energy particles in the surroundings to form a layer of iron armor over the caster's body."

Rain nodded slightly, "Please exchange this Iron Armor Technique for me."

"Yes, my lord," the girl responded.

Soon, Rain left the exchange counter with a scroll emitting a spell aura, satisfied with his new acquisition.

He quickly returned to the Bavarian Mansion, closed the study door, and began to study the new spell with utmost concentration.

His first-rank defensive spell, 'Metal Barrier', with its multi-faceted enhancements, already boasted a defense comparable to a second-rank spell.

Rain believed that if he could quickly master the 'Iron Armor Technique', a second-rank defensive spell, its defensive power might rival that of a third-rank spell.

After all, one could never have too much armor! Moreover, if he had possessed this 'Iron Armor Technique' before his battle with the projection of Goddess Helmar, the entire fight would have been much more manageable.

An hour later, Rain recited the incantation, and three seconds later, his body was covered in a thick, grayish-black, metallic sheen-emitting film.

Perhaps due to his exceptional metal element affinity and the boost from the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation, the current effect of the second-rank 'Iron Armor Technique' was even more powerful than described on the scroll.

The thickness exceeded the half-finger described, almost by a third.

At this moment, a system notification appeared:

[You have learned the Iron Armor Technique and gained insight!]



[You have learned a new skill - Iron Armor Technique]



[Your skill, Iron Armor Technique, has improved. Experience points +4]



Simultaneously, a new icon appeared below the War Hammer Wizard (Legendary) panel.

The icon depicted a wizard covered in a thick, smooth, grayish-black layer, its surface emitting a subtle metallic sheen, clearly distinguishable from armor due to the absence of joints.

The small text below the icon read:

Iron Armor Technique lv1 (1/100)



Iron Armor Technique lv1 Effect: Consumes a certain amount of mana to activate a specific spell model, drawing upon the metal energy particles in the surroundings to form a layer of iron armor over the caster's body.

(Note: Casting time is 3 seconds.)



After practicing for a while, Rain decided to allocate skill points, as the three-second casting time made it challenging to integrate into his current combat style. Additionally, improving the proficiency of a second-rank spell was significantly more difficult than a first-rank one.

As he was about to face the threat of the traditionalists, it was best to allocate points directly and quickly build up his combat power quickly.

However, he had a problem—he didn't have enough skill points.

He only had 6 skill points remaining, and to reach lv12, he needed 5 more.

So, for the next few days, Rain stayed in the Bavarian Mansion, crafting advanced garments, leaving Beyonce and Claire, who visited him, in awe.

Both girls had bloodshot eyes, clearly lacking rest.

"Rain, Captain Rain, why are you still making clothes?" Claire asked urgently. "What's the rush?"

"Oh? Has the verdict been announced?" Rain continued his meticulous work on the pearl-embroidered waistcoat.

"Yes, it was made public this morning. Many people support you, but some think your actions were too ruthless," Claire nodded eagerly.

"Alright, I'm almost done. Let's head back to headquarters and take on a task," Rain put down the waistcoat and smiled.

Over the past few days, Rain had discovered a high-experience-rewarding advanced garment design, propelling his Seamstress skill from lv4 to higher levels.

(End)

Now, the skill points were ready.

Without hesitation, Rain invested 11 skill points and 8 golden skill points into 'Iron Armor Technique', a Tier 2 Earth Spell.

As the spell rapidly advanced from level 1 to level 20, a flood of memories regarding the Tier 2 Metal Spell 'Iron Armor Technique' surged into Rain's mind.

It was as if Rain had entered a mysterious space, practicing the Tier 2 Spell 'Iron Armor Technique' for over a hundred years, gaining insights on improving his casting speed, all of which flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

"Take on a mission?" Claire and Beyonce couldn't help but exchange glances again, feeling that they couldn't quite keep up with their captain's train of thought.

Captain!

Outside, the news was causing an uproar, and these old noble families were clearly planning to take action against you.

And you still want to take on a mission and leave?

This...

In fact, Rain had known about today's ruling from headquarters yesterday, as female General Tatiya secretly visited him again.

Additionally, Tatiya conveyed the higher-ups' intentions, hoping Rain would take action quickly, as they would not let go of this heaven-sent opportunity once he left the Imperial Capital.

To some extent, this meant seizing the initiative, allowing their side to choose the venue and timing.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Noble Court in the Imperial Capital Timorail, things suddenly became lively, as several luxurious carriages adorned with noble crests arrived one after another. Shortly after, numerous elderly, weak, and young people from either ducal or marquis families descended from the carriages.

Facing these individuals from either ducal or marquis families, the guards at the court entrance naturally showed caution. Soon, they were ushered into the court's internal mediation room.

"Your Honor, my child, Greenwood, has always been filial, but he was brutally murdered by his fellow Swordmaster, Rain."

"Yes, Your Honor, my child, Chandler..."

Each person spoke with deep emotion, tears streaming down their faces. This situation left the young male judge, who was unaware of the truth, feeling a mix of indignation and righteousness.

"Hasn't the Imperial Swordmaster Headquarters made a ruling on this matter?" After some thought, the young judge instructed his subordinates to contact the Swordmaster Headquarters to understand the situation.

"Your Honor, although Rain is young, his strength is exceptional, and he is highly regarded by the upper echelons of the Swordmasters. Therefore, the Swordmaster Headquarters' handling of this matter is clearly unfair."

"Your Honor, since that's the case, why not have Rain come to the Noble Court for a face-to-face inquiry?"

At this moment, several court insiders exchanged glances and began to persuade the young judge.

"This..." The judge fell into deep thought.

Although the Swordmaster Headquarters seemed to have already made a determination, having the involved party come to the court for an inquiry was within the judge's authority, and it was also to appease public anger.

Soon, a letter requesting Rain's presence at the court for an inquiry was issued.

That afternoon, Rain accepted a mission at the Swordmaster Headquarters and left the Imperial Capital Timorail with Claire and Beyonce.

This news naturally reached certain individuals first-hand. Rain's actions were interpreted as an attempt to evade responsibility.

When Rain and the two women briefly stopped at the town of Tavlin, located over a hundred miles from the Imperial Capital, a team wearing the uniforms of the Court Enforcement Division blocked their path.

"Sir Rain, I'm afraid we need you to come with us to the Noble Court for an inquiry, as per their letter."

"Oh? The Noble Court?" Rain looked at the squad, which included at least one knight and a Tier 3 Crystalization-level wizard, and couldn't help but find it amusing.

When had the Noble Court's Enforcement Division become so powerful?

An enforcement squad had two legendary-level powerhouses.

Seeing this, the two women felt tense, and Claire even placed her hand on a Tier 2 defensive spell scroll given to them by female General Tatiya and passed on by Rain. The higher the level of the spell scroll, the more geometrically challenging its creation, making it all the more precious and valuable.

"Sure, then. Let's go." Rain smiled.

Hmm...

Now, it was the turn of the Court Enforcement Squad to exchange puzzled glances.

Wasn't Rain known for his strength and unyielding nature? Why was he complying now? "It's a pity, Sir Rain. Your cooperation is a bit too late." A middle-aged leader of the squad shook his head, then his expression turned solemn as he shouted, "Everyone, attention! Sir Rain is refusing to obey the court's summons. Commence forced enforcement!"

At that moment, three middle-aged men in earth-yellow wizard robes happened to pass by the town, watching the scene with a smile.

"Oh? Is this your support? I like how you twist the truth." Rain glanced at the three men in the distance, his face breaking into a smile.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end