Chapter 387: Tremor

Chapter 387: Tremor

"Faster! Pick up the pace!"

In the sky, twenty-four Griffin Knights divided into two teams and swiftly dove towards the southeast corner of Tavrin Town.

On the ground, an even larger group of personnel split into two teams as they approached the town, forming a giant pincer-like formation, enclosing the nearby combat area.

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

The Griffin Knights, with their advantageous aerial view, were the first to realize the unexpected situation.

From a distance, they saw the designated area in disarray, riddled with pits of various sizes and scattered massive boulders. The ten-odd buildings on the outskirts of the town were reduced to mere ruins.

The once lush bushes, grass, and other vegetation on the ground were now completely obliterated.

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

It was evident that the intense battle had transformed the landscape within a minute.

"It seems like they've already fled!" exclaimed a Griffin Knight after a quick scan, his voice filled with surprise.

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

The burly man in charge of the Griffin Knights squinted and looked in the indicated direction, nodding, "Go, one team will land with me, the other will survey the surroundings and maintain vigilance."

"Yes, Admiral Edwards!"

The burly man promptly guided his griffin, leading a team of Griffin Knights to land.

At this moment, Rain had already reverted to his human form, holding a bulging pouch in his hand, his eyes gleaming with delight.

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

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

The aura emanating from the crystal felt familiar to Rain, as if he had encountered it somewhere before.

Rain's expression suddenly cleared as he remembered.

The aura reminded him of the faint golden sapling he had obtained after slaying the Blood-Flesh Tree Spirit, its aura was strikingly similar.

"Could this be a Divine Power Crystal originating from the ancient Mother Tree Sect's revered deity?"

"But how did Harold have this?"

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

In truth, Rain's guess was not far from the truth.

Harold had intended to keep this Divine Power Crystal for when he reached the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard level, planning to absorb it then.

Typically, without reaching the Epic level of strength, one could not withstand the deity's imprint within the crystal during absorption.

Forcibly absorbing it would result in being influenced by the deity's aura, and resisting it might turn one into a fool. With a weak will, one would likely become a minion, and only a tiny chance exists for a peaceful outcome, my dear Rain. But I will help you remove that imprint, so you can absorb it at your current Second Rank Liquidation stage."

Absorbing the Divine Power Crystal at this stage would yield exceptional results.

Considering the support mentioned by Brigadier General Tatia, which might arrive soon, Rain decided to absorb the crystal before anyone else arrived.

A system notification promptly sounded:

【Ding! Detected a Divine Power Crystal capable of enhancing mental power's Liquidation level. Accelerate absorption? (Note: System absorption can purify and complete the process in one go.)】

Rain immediately chose 'Yes!'

With the system's purification and impurity removal capabilities, Rain had no concerns about side effects.

Instantly, the green crystal vanished from Rain's hand, leaving behind a wisp of green smoke with black threads in his palm.

Simultaneously, Rain seemed to hear a piercing shriek, incredibly penetrating.

However, having experienced this during the previous absorption, Rain was not overly surprised.

Like before, within a short time, Rain felt the silver mist in his spirit sea rapidly diminish, while the silver liquid increased.

By the time the conversion ended, the silver mist had significantly reduced, and the silver liquid had surpassed it, occupying the majority.

Rain glanced at the system display:

Mental Power: 88 (Liquidation 72%)



"It was 43% before, and now it's 72%? A whole 29% increase!" Rain was amazed by the substantial improvement.

Thanks to the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation's second layer, he had increased by 1% from 42% to 43% in the past weeks.

But today, he had directly reached the Late Second Rank Liquidation stage.

Such rapid progress was unprecedented.

Even the most gifted wizard talents at the Second Rank Liquidation stage progressed by the year, while ordinary wizards measured their progress in decades.

Rain's advancement was nearly weekly.

In just over a month, he had completed over two-thirds of the Liquidation process!

Assuming a one-point increase in Liquidation level equated to a one-point boost in sorcery power, his current spells were nearly 30% stronger than before.

When Brigadier General Tatia arrived at the scene, she spotted Rain standing in the distance, her heart instantly relieved. But immediately, a sense of confusion arose.

If Rain was unharmed, what had become of the 'Sculptor' Harold and his group?

They must have retreated due to some reason.

Likely, they had received word of their operation and, unable to defeat Rain quickly, decided to withdraw.

"Rain, I'm relieved to see you unharmed!" Tatia approached with a joyful expression, quickly scanning Rain for injuries while assessing the battle's intensity.

Undoubtedly, the extent of the surrounding destruction indicated an intense battle within that brief minute.

This aligned with the powerful sorcery fluctuations Tatia had sensed from dozens of miles away.

"General Tatia, greetings," Rain nodded in greeting.

"Rain, your combat power truly exceeded our expectations. To think you managed to fight Harold without sustaining any apparent injuries is remarkable," Tatia praised.

However, before she could finish, Claire and Beyonce, standing behind Rain, turned and gave Tatia peculiar looks.

Tatia was taken aback by their gazes.

What did this mean?

Did they have complaints because she arrived late?

Or did she say something wrong?

"By the way, Rain, which direction did Harold and his group flee?" Tatia asked with a stern expression.

If the enemy hadn't gotten far, they could still pursue, even if Duane couldn't directly intervene.

But before Rain could respond, Claire couldn't hold back any longer.

She extended her fair-skinned finger, pointing at the headless corpse on the ground, and said, "There, that one!"

"Huh?" Tatia's face was filled with confusion, perfectly embodying the meaning of a question mark.

"Miss Claire, what did you just say?" Tatia asked again.

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

"What!" Tatia exclaimed.

Instantly, she felt the urge to question.

How was this possible?

But then, she seemed to remember something and turned to Rain, who nodded in confirmation. Tatia swallowed all her doubts.

She knew Rain wouldn't joke about such matters.

Since it wasn't a joke, the answer was clear.

Tatia took a step forward, unafraid of the bloodstains, and personally examined the body.

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

Several leaders quickly joined Tatia, squatting beside her to assist in the inspection.

"By the way, is Harold's head still inside?" Beyonce asked, trying to identify the body.

"Inside?" General Tatia suddenly felt a bit annoyed at Rain's two teammates.

Their way of speaking was hard to understand.

Why couldn't they just speak clearly?

What did they mean by the head being inside?

But soon, Tatia understood what they meant.

One of the combat personnel seemed to grasp Beyonce's intention and forcefully pulled a head out of the corpse's abdominal cavity.

This...

How was it possible that the brain was shoved into the chest cavity?

Tatia was stunned.

How did Rain manage to defeat Harold, the so-called strongest legendary 'Sculptor'?

Not only Tatia but also the landed Griffin Knight Captain Edwards and the elite combat personnel were shocked and couldn't comprehend it.

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

It seemed like the entire situation had completely exceeded her expectations.

"Well, there should be one or two in each pit, I think?" Claire replied, also unsure.

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

At that moment, Rain sensed something and quickly turned around.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a plain gray Wizard Robe, approached with a smile.

Seeing the old man coming, General Tatia quickly stood up, came to Rain's side, and introduced solemnly, "General Rain, this is the Imperial Guardian 'Amber Seal' Duane."

"Duane has important business in Savva Province and happened to pass by here, where we met." Tatia added, glancing around.

Her somewhat unnecessary explanation almost made Rain chuckle.

"Greetings, Duane," Rain slightly bowed.

He quickly appraised the other party; their aura was vast and profound like the ocean. Judging from the title 'Amber Seal,' the other party was likely a rare Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard.

So, this was the backup arranged by their side.

Indeed, to absolutely suppress Harold, the so-called strongest legendary 'Sculptor,' one would need an Epic-level strength.

In fact, if Rain hadn't transformed and reached Epic-level strength, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the Sculptor.

"You're Rain, young man. Your strength is surprising," Duane said, examining Rain with a slightly surprised expression, then looking at Harold's body on the ground.

"Yes, Duane," Rain nodded.

"Are you interested in joining the Tatus Academy?" Duane asked with interest.

"General Rain, 'Amber Seal' Duane is the head of the large Wizard Academy, Tatus Academy," Tatia whispered from the side.

From Tatia's attitude, Rain could tell that Duane was likely a powerful Epic-level expert.

Additionally, Duane's recruitment or olive branch was probably rare.

However, Rain had his own considerations.

He had a system, and no matter which academy he joined, he believed that the academy would eventually be proud to have him. Even if the other party was a large academy, he had the confidence.

Moreover, after his transformation, he had already reached Epic-level strength.

Also, Rain was second in the Bius Armament Academy, and his mentor, Mogaro, was first.

"Duane, thank you for your appreciation, but I'm already a student of the Bius Armament Academy," Rain bowed in gratitude.

"That's truly a pity. The Bius Armament Academy is quite suitable for you. Their Metal Element specialization is unique, and they excel in creating large combat puppets," Duane expressed regret, nodding.

"Yes, Duane, your knowledge is admirable."

Suddenly, a complex pattern on Duane's right chest of his Wizard Robe flashed, and he seemed to be listening to something. He turned to Rain and said, "Young man, I have to go now."

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

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Duane." Rain bowed slightly in farewell.

Lord Duane smiled and nodded, but then he seemed to remember something and said to the woman beside him, "Oh, right, Tatia. You might have some trouble coming your way. Harold's death is no small matter."

"Oh no!" Tatia's expression changed, and she exclaimed in surprise.

"This is bad. I need to send word to the higher-ups immediately." With that, Tatia hurried off to the side.

Before leaving, she said to Rain, "Although we had prepared multiple contingency plans, we never expected the current situation. We never thought that Lord Harold and his group would be completely wiped out by you, Lord Rain."

Rain nodded, his face showing a hint of realization.

Based on the information he had gathered, he could roughly guess what the original plan had been.

After he had endured the enemy's attack, Lord Duane and the rest of the team were supposed to arrive quickly and capture these people, using them as bargaining chips in negotiations with the traditionalists.

Although Rain was unaware of the specific details of the negotiations, he could guess the general plan.

However, by defeating the enemy, he had completely caught the organization off guard.

After a while, Tatia hurried back, looking flustered. "Lord Rain, this time... Sigh, we need to get our story straight."

Harold was known as the strongest legendary figure, not only famous in the Imperial Capital Timorail, but also highly valued by the upper echelons. After all, as an Epic Reserve, he had a high chance of becoming an Imperial Guardian.

The death of such an important figure would cause considerable trouble if not handled carefully.

And Rain, who had defeated the enemy, was currently someone they needed to protect.

So, at this moment, Tatia felt both relieved and troubled!

"Alright," Rain nodded.

"Oh, and these two behind you as well." Tatia pointed to Claire and Bianciana, who were standing behind Rain.

A few minutes later...

"Lord Rain, why didn't you accept Lord Duane's invitation?" After finishing her tasks, Tatia couldn't help but ask.

"I am already a member of the Bius Armament Academy."

"Don't you know? After paying a certain price, the contract can be dissolved. One of the key differences between medium and large academies is the integrity of their teachings."

"With your strength, I believe you will definitely strive for higher levels in the future. If it's because of the teachings..."

Tatia didn't finish her sentence, but Rain understood her meaning.

The integrity of the teachings?

Rain's face showed contemplation.

It seemed that upon returning to Tamriel, he would need to inquire about the situation from his mentor, Mogaro.

Meanwhile...

On the road from Tavlin Town to the Imperial Capital Timorail, several capable individuals were lurking on one side, all of them looking anxious.

"How come there's still no news? Could something unexpected have happened?"

Since the strong sorcery fluctuations ended a few minutes ago, the sandstorm had gradually calmed down.

Logically, their personnel should have evacuated and passed by this location.

But up until now, they hadn't even seen a shadow.

"That's unlikely. After all, the strongest legendary figure, Lord Harold, was dispatched this time." Another companion also looked puzzled, but after thinking for a while, he dismissed the possibility of an accident.

In his opinion, the chances of Harold encountering an accident were almost zero.

These people were the observation and communication team arranged by the traditionalist nobles nearby, and there were several other teams like this in different locations.

"Look! Those are Griffin Knights!" One of them, holding a copper monocular telescope, peered for a while and then exclaimed.

It was worth noting that they hadn't arranged for Griffin Knights, and there were two full teams of them in front of them.

After a moment of shock, the team quickly reported the situation.

Since Tavlin Town wasn't too far from the Imperial Capital Timorail, it didn't take long for many of the important figures monitoring the situation to receive the news.

At the Swordmaster Headquarters...

In the bright and clean office of Marshal Alfred...

General Augustus read the message from Tatia twice, first feeling elated, then furrowing his brows.

"Marshal, this Rain is truly remarkable!" he exclaimed as he stood up.

"How did Rain defeat Lord Harold? That legendary figure had withstood a blow from a Divine Saint in the state of Deity descent without dying."

"That's not our main concern right now. As long as he isn't possessed by an evil deity, the stronger Rain is, the better it is for us and the empire." An elderly man with silver hair and a beard spoke in a silver-haired elder with a beard spoke in a deep voice, "The stronger Rain is, the better it is for us and the Empire."

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

with their movement, the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds creating a serene atmosphere. As they trekked through the wilderness, the team's senses were heightened, alert for any signs of danger.

"We must be cautious. The traditionalists won't give up easily." Augustus reminded the team, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The team nodded in agreement, their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready for any surprise attacks.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the air grew heavier with anticipation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end