Chapter 387: The Shock

Chapter 387: The Shock

"Hurry! Speed up!"

In the sky, two teams of a total of twenty-four Gryphon Knights rushed towards the southeast corner of Tavlin Town.

On the ground, there were even more operatives who, upon quickly approaching the town, split into two teams, like a giant pincer, surrounding the nearby combat area.

Judging by their execution, the team before them was undoubtedly an elite force.

The first to notice the unusual situation were, of course, the Gryphon Knights in mid-air, who had a clear view of the surroundings.

From a distance, they saw that the designated location was in disarray, with various large and small pits and scattered massive boulders. More than a dozen buildings on the outskirts of the town were reduced to rubble.

On the ground, the once lush bushes, grass, and other vegetation were completely destroyed, leaving behind a barren landscape.

From above, it was as if a patch of green land had suddenly turned into a desert, or a lush head of hair had developed a bald spot.

In just a short period of battle, the terrain had changed, transforming the once green bushes and grass into a desert-like environment.

It was evident that the previous minute of combat had been intense!

"It seems like they've already fled!" One Gryphon Knight scanned the area and called out, not spotting anyone in the distinctive uniforms of the Court Enforcement Division.

"Wait, there's someone over there!" Another pointed towards a deep pit on the ground.

The burly man in charge of the Gryphon Knights squinted and looked over, nodding. "Go. Team one, follow me and land. Team two, search the surroundings and maintain vigilance."

"Yes, sir, General Edwards!"

Immediately, the burly man controlled his Gryphon and led a team of Gryphon Knights to land.

At this moment, Ren had already reverted to his human form, examining a bulging waist pouch in his hand with a gleeful expression in his eyes.

Even he hadn't expected to come across such a valuable item again.

Inside the pouch was a pure green crystal, the size of a thumb, with a black thread running through it.

Ren recognized the familiar aura, feeling as if he had encountered it somewhere before.

After a moment's thought, Ren's expression cleared.

He remembered that this aura was very similar to the one he had obtained after slaying the Flesh Tree Spirit, a faint golden small tree.

"Could this be a divine power crystal originating from the ancient Mother Tree sect, worshipping a certain deity?"

"How could Harold have this?"

Ren then recalled the rumors about Harold, guessing that he might have acquired it during the Imperial Capital's great battle.

In fact, Ren's guess was close to the truth.

Harold had intended to keep this divine power crystal until he reached the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard level, and then absorb it.

Normally, without reaching the Epic level, it would be impossible to withstand the divine power crystal's residual divine imprint.

Forcibly absorbing it would result in being influenced by the deity's aura, and resistance could lead to becoming a fool or, while a weak will could result in being transformed into a minion. Only a slim chance existed for a safe outcome.

Ren, with the system's help in removing the divine imprint, was able to absorb the divine power crystal at the Second Rank Liquidation stage.

Absorbing the divine power crystal at this stage would naturally have an extraordinary effect.

Considering that Lady General Tayia's reinforcements might arrive soon, Ren decided to absorb the divine power crystal before they arrived.

At this moment, the system prompt sounded:

[Ding! Detected a divine power crystal that can enhance mental power and liquidate state. Absorb it quickly? (Note: System absorption can purify and complete absorption in one go.)]



Ren immediately chose 'Yes!'

As the system absorption had the function of purifying and removing impurities, Ren wasn't worried about any side effects.

Instantly, the green crystal vanished from Ren's hand, and a wisp of green smoke with black threads rose from his palm.

At the same time, Ren seemed to hear a distant, piercing shriek.

But with his previous experience of absorbing the divine power crystal of the Sea of Shadows Goddess Hela, Ren wasn't too surprised.

Like before, in a very short time, Ren felt the silver mist in his Spirit Sea rapidly decreasing, while the silver liquid rapidly increased.

By the end of the transformation, the silver mist in his Spirit Sea had further diminished, and the silver liquid had surpassed it, taking up the majority.

Ren glanced at the system panel:

Mental Energy: 88 (Liquidation 72%)



"It was 43% before, and now it's 72%? A full 29% increase!" Ren was amazed at the divine power crystal's incredible effect, despite expecting a significant boost.

Recently, due to the second layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation, his Mental Energy had increased from 42% to 43%.

In just one day, Ren had unexpectedly advanced to the late stage of a Second Rank Liquidation Wizard.

This level of improvement was truly exceptional!

Even the most gifted and talented wizards at the Second Rank Liquidation stage would progress at a rate of years, and ordinary Second Rank Wizards would measure their progress in decades.

But Ren's advancement was occurring on a weekly basis.

After more than a month, he had already completed two-thirds of the Liquidation process!

If each point of Liquidation progress equated to a one-point increase in spell power, his current spellcasting ability was nearly thirty percent stronger than before.

When Tatia arrived at the scene, she spotted Ren standing from afar, which immediately put her mind at ease. However, a sense of confusion quickly arose.

Since Ren was unharmed, what had become of 'Carver' Harold and his companions?

Had they retreated early for some reason?

Most likely.

The enemy must have received word of their operation and, realizing they couldn't defeat Ren in a short time, Harold and his group withdrew without lingering.

This was the most plausible scenario.

"Your Excellency Ren, I'm so relieved to see you unharmed!" Tatia hurried forward with a joyful expression.

She quickly scanned Ren for any signs of injury while also surveying the surrounding area to assess the intensity of the battle.

There was no doubt that the extent of environmental damage indicated an extremely fierce battle within that brief minute.

This observation corroborated the powerful spell fluctuations Tatia had sensed from dozens of miles away.

"Greetings, Lady General Tatia," Ren nodded in acknowledgment.

"Wow, Your Excellency Ren, your combat strength truly exceeded our expectations. You managed to hold your own against Harold's full assault without sustaining any apparent injuries," Tatia couldn't help but praise.

As soon as she finished speaking, Claire and Bianz, standing behind Ren, turned to look at Tatia with peculiar expressions.

Their gazes caused Tatia to pause in confusion.

What did this mean?

Were they upset because she had arrived too late, or had she said something wrong?

"By the way, Your Excellency Ren, which direction did Harold and his group flee in?" Tatia's face turned serious as she asked swiftly.

If they hadn't gone far, it might be possible to pursue them further. Even if Elder Duan couldn't directly intervene, they should be able to capture everyone except Harold.

Before Ren could respond, Claire couldn't hold back any longer.

She extended her fair-skinned finger and pointed at the headless corpse on the ground, saying, "That one right there!"

"Huh?" Tatia's face contorted into a question mark, perfectly embodying the expression of bewilderment.

"Miss Claire, what did you just say?" Tatia asked again, unable to contain her curiosity.

"The body on the ground, that's 'Carver' Harold," Claire repeated, pointing at the ground again.

"What?!" Tatia exclaimed in disbelief.

Instantly, she felt the urge to question this.

How could this be possible?

But then she seemed to realize something and turned to Ren, who nodded in confirmation. At that moment, Tatia swallowed all her doubts.

She knew Ren wouldn't joke about such a matter.

Since he wasn't joking, the answer was clear.

Tatia took a step forward without hesitation, not minding the bloodstains, and personally examined the body.

The elite combat personnel nearby also turned to watch with curiosity.

Several leaders also approached and crouched beside Lady General Tatia to assist in the inspection.

"By the way, is Harold's head still inside?" Bianz asked after some thought.

"Inside?" Lady General Tatia suddenly felt a bit annoyed with Ren's team members' manner of speaking.

Why couldn't they just speak clearly? What did it mean that his head was still inside?

But soon, Tatia understood what it meant for a head to be inside a body.

One of the combat personnel seemed to grasp the meaning behind Bianz's words and forcefully pulled a head out of the corpse's abdominal cavity.

This...

Tatia was stunned!

How had Ren managed to defeat the legendary 'Carver' Harold, known as the strongest, to such an extent?

Not only Tatia but also the landed Gryphon Knight Captain Edwards and the elite combat personnel were all shocked beyond belief!

"What about the executioners from the Noble Court?" Tatia asked with a sudden sense of foreboding.

The entire situation seemed to have taken a turn she hadn't anticipated.

"Umm, there should be one or two in each pit, I think?" Claire said, also unsure after some thought.

After all, with the sandstorm raging, she hadn't seen everything clearly. She had only witnessed several unlucky souls in uniforms being clawed into the ground by their captain.

At that moment, Ren felt a sudden sensation and swiftly turned to face behind him.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a simple gray wizard robe, approached with a beaming smile.

Upon seeing this elder, Lady General Tayia quickly rose and stood by Ren's side, introducing him with reverence, "Lord Ren, allow me to introduce you to Master Du'an, the 'Amber Seal', a guardian of the Empire."

She added, glancing around, "Master Du'an was on an important mission to Savva Province and happened to pass by here, meeting us along the way."

Tayia's slightly redundant explanation almost made Ren chuckle.

"Greetings, Master Du'an," Ren said with a slight bow.

He quickly assessed the man, sensing an aura as vast and profound as the ocean. Judging by the title 'Amber Seal', Du'an was likely a rare Tier 4 Dawn Wizard.

So, this was the backup plan they had in place.

Indeed, to completely suppress Harold, the so-called strongest legend and 'Carver', one would need an Epic Powerhouse.

In fact, if it weren't for Ren's transformation that elevated his power to the Epic level, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the Carver.

"So, you are Ren," Du'an said, his eyes widening in surprise as he examined Ren and then glanced at Harold's body on the ground. "Your strength is quite unexpected."

"Are you, by any chance, a Metal Affinity Wizard?" Du'an asked.

"Yes, Master Du'an," Ren nodded.

"Would you be interested in joining the Tatus Academy?" Du'an inquired with keen interest.

"Lord Ren, Master Du'an is the head of the large wizard school, Tatus Academy," Lady General Tayia explained softly.

From Tayia's demeanor, Ren could tell that Master Du'an was likely among the strongest Epic Powerhouses, perhaps even one of the very best.

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Such recruitment or overtures were indeed rare.

However, Ren had his own considerations.

With the system by his side, he believed that no matter which school he joined, they would eventually be proud to have him, even if it was a large school.

Moreover, after his transformation, he had already achieved Epic Strength.

Additionally, his mentor at the Bius Armory School, Master Mogaro, had always treated him well. Although Mogaro's strength paled in comparison to Du'an's, Ren valued him highly for his kindness.

"Master Du'an, I appreciate your offer, but I am already a student of the Bius Armory School," Ren bowed in gratitude for Du'an's kind gesture.

"That's a shame. The Bius Armory School? It suits you well. They have a unique Metal Affinity and excel in crafting large battle puppets," Du'an nodded with a hint of approval.

"Yes, Master Du'an, your knowledge is truly impressive."

Suddenly, a faint glow emanated from the upper right corner of Du'an's wizard robe, and he seemed to listen intently before turning to Ren, "Young man, I must take my leave."

"However, I believe we will meet again soon."

"Master Du'an, it's an honor to meet you," Ren bowed in farewell.

Du'an smiled and nodded. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Tayia and said, "Oh, Lady Tayia, you might face some minor troubles ahead. Harold's death is no small matter."

"Oh dear!" Tayia exclaimed, her face changing color.

"This situation requires immediate communication with higher-ups," she said, rushing off to the side.

Before leaving, she said to Ren, "Although we had contingency plans, we never anticipated the current situation. We never thought that Lord Ren would eliminate Harold and his entire group."

Ren nodded, understanding dawning on his face.

From what he had learned, he could guess the original plan.

After he endured Harold's attacks, a team led by Master Du'an was supposed to arrive and capture these individuals, using them as leverage in negotiations with the Conservative Party.

Although Ren was unaware of the specific negotiation terms, he could surmise that this was the general plan.

However, by eliminating them all, he had completely caught the organization off guard.

After a while, Lady Tayia returned, her face a mix of joy and fatigue. "Lord Ren, about this... we need to get our stories straight."

Harold was not only renowned throughout the capital of Tamriel, but he was also highly valued by the upper echelons as a potential Imperial Guardian, being an Epic Powerhouse-in-waiting.

The death of such an important figure could lead to significant complications if not handled carefully.

And Lord Ren, who had killed the opponent, was someone they needed to protect at all costs at the moment.

Thus, Tatyia was experiencing a mix of joy and frustration, feeling both relieved and troubled.

"Very well." Ren nodded.

"By the way, the two ladies behind you as well." Tatyia pointed to Claire and Bianz, who were standing behind Ren.

A few minutes later.

"Lord Ren, why did you not accept Lord Du'an's invitation?" After finishing her tasks, Tatyia couldn't help but ask.

"I am already a member of the Bius Armory School."

"But did you know that with a certain cost, the contract can be dissolved? One of the significant differences between medium and large schools is the completeness of their lineage."

"With your strength, I believe you will eventually aim for higher levels. If it's because of the lineage—"

Tatyia didn't continue, but Ren naturally understood her meaning.

The completeness of the lineage?

Ren's face showed signs of contemplation.

It seemed that once he returned to Temriel, he would need to ask Master Mogaro about the situation.

Meanwhile.

On one side of the road from Taflin Town to the capital Temriel, several skilled individuals were lurking, but at the moment, all of them looked anxious.

"Why haven't we received any news yet? Could something have gone wrong?"

Since the intense magical fluctuations ended a few minutes ago, the dust and sand had gradually settled.

Logically, their people should have evacuated quickly and passed through here.

But so far, not a single person had been seen.

"It shouldn't be, after all, the one who led the mission was the legendary Lord Harold, the strongest one among us." Another companion also looked puzzled but, after some thought, dismissed the possibility of an accident.

In his view, the likelihood of something happening to Harold was almost zero.

These individuals were observation and communication personnel arranged by the Conservative Party nobles in the area. There were several other observation teams in other nearby locations.

"Look! Those are Griffin Knights!" One of them, holding a bronze monocular, suddenly exclaimed after a brief observation.

After all, they had not arranged for any Griffin Knights, and there were two full teams of them in front of them.

They quickly contacted the other teams and, after some investigation, immediately understood the situation and reported it back.

Since Taflin Town was not far from the capital Temriel, many important figures who were paying attention to this matter received the news within just a few hours.

At the Swordmaster Headquarters.

In the bright and clean office of Marshal Alfred.

General Augustus read the message from Tatyia twice, first with great joy, then with a furrowed brow.

He stood up and sighed, "Marshal, this Ren is truly remarkable!"

"How did he manage to kill 'Carver' Harold?"

Augustus couldn't figure out how Ren had managed to kill Harold. After all, the strongest legend had survived a direct hit from a Divine Saint's descent.

"This is not what we should be focusing on now. As long as Ren is not possessed by an evil god, the stronger he is, the better it is for us and for the empire," a silver-haired, bearded elder said solemnly.

"Additionally, this matter will be very complicated to handle."

"Augustus, don't forget that Harold has been famous for many years. Besides the Conservative Party nobles, he is also a member of the large mage school, the Isodre Academy, and one of the most likely candidates to become an Imperial Guardian."

"This matter will likely be personally investigated by the royal family. We need to think about how to handle this."

In the inner ring of the capital, at Duke Dram's manor's reception room.

A circle of representatives from the Conservative Party nobility were sitting comfortably, sipping tea and chatting idly.

Suddenly, Butler Owen, pale-faced, rushed down the corridor. The two servants guarding the door immediately opened it upon seeing him.

With Owen's report, the entire reception room erupted in chaos!

"Heavens! 'Carver' Harold is dead?!" a marquis exclaimed in shock.

"He's the strongest legend! And he's just dead like that?!"

"How strong must this Ren be?"

"This doesn't make sense..."

"Do you think it's possible that Ren is possessed by a god?"

"Otherwise, how could he be so powerful at such a young age?"

"You're right. I suggest we immediately contact the Goddess Church's Tribunal to have them examine Ren." Duke Dram, after his initial shock, nodded in agreement.

"I agree!"

"I agree as well!"

"Also, we need to inform the Isodre Academy about this situation immediately."

"Right, then what do you think we should do next?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end