Chapter 392: The Mastermind

Chapter 392: The Mastermind

"Who are you?" High Priest Gregory narrowed his eyes and spoke in a deep voice.

He took a glance at Ren and noticed that his aura was merely that of a Second Rank Liquidation Wizard. Gregory's heart sank slightly.

The situation before him was somewhat unexpected.

The anticipated scene of the Pyroarmored School's resident wizard and the Inferno Rock Golems engaging in mutual destruction did not unfold.

Based on the battle traces at the site, the resident wizard from the school had considerable skill.

Meanwhile, the other Black Flame cultivators were on high alert, surrounding Ren.

"So, you used this thing to lure the Inferno Rock Golems into attacking?"

Ren didn't respond. With his keen perception, he immediately noticed a black-robed cultivator holding a specially designed box among the group.

The box seemed to have some sort of isolating effect, but Ren could still sense the faint scorching radiation emanating from within.

At that moment, Deputy Head Bradley, leading several of the school's most elite wizards, appeared on the other side of the Black Flame cultivators. The commotion from the massive Obsidian War Golem immediately caught Gregory's attention.

"Oh? A War Golem and an early-stage Crystalization Wizard?"

"The Pyroarmored School, huh? Interesting. I thought you were just a medium-sized school. Is this your trump card?" Gregory smiled mockingly upon seeing this scene.

He finally understood why the young man before him was so composed.

It turned out that they had set up an ambush with a Tier 3 Crystalization Wizard and a War Golem.

But in his opinion, it was quite laughable.

Perhaps they didn't realize that even among Tier 3 Crystalization Wizards, there were significant disparities.

"The Black Flame Cult!" Bradley exclaimed with a grim expression.

When he saw this group of black-robed cultivators, he immediately sensed their origins from their attire and auras.

The leader, a black-robed cultivator with a profound aura, was clearly more powerful than him.

This made Bradley feel like he was facing a formidable enemy.

During the previous battle in the capital, a divine avatar of the Hunting God Luen, worshipped by the Black Flame Cult, had appeared. Although the avatar was repelled, it had killed an Imperial Dragon Knight on the spot.

Meanwhile, inside a hidden room within the camp.

The wizards from the school, upon witnessing this scene, began whispering among themselves.

"So, there really is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

"It's those bastards from the Black Flame Cult!"

"I never thought they'd discover this Mystic Realm."

"Damn it! I thought Rachel's death was an accident, but now it seems like it was indirectly caused by these people."

A male wizard who had lost his lover in the previous attack glared at the Black Flame cultivators, as if he wanted to rush out and fight them.

"Don't be impulsive! They're very powerful, especially the leader. He seems to be a late-stage Tier 3 Crystalization expert. I doubt even Lord Bradley is a match for him."

Upon hearing this, Alicia and Audrey exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

A late-stage Tier 3 Crystalization Wizard? While they were top-tier figures in any school or church, they might still not be a match for Ren.

However, they sensed that Ren didn't want to reveal his identity to everyone.

So, the two women could only think it to themselves and refrained from comforting him.

Meanwhile, Paul couldn't hold back and muttered:

"With that person here, you can rest assured!"

"Damn it! I'm the only one with issues!"

A wizard standing nearby seemed to overhear Paul's muttering and asked in surprise:

"Hmm?"

"Paul, do you know this mysterious person?"

The wizard asked while thinking to himself that Paul, being a direct descendant of a ducal family in the capital, indeed had deep roots.

Just as Paul was about to stammer a response, he suddenly looked up and met the gazes of the two women. His face turned pale, and he said to the wizard:

"I don't know him, but he must be a high-ranking figure arranged by the school. He's definitely capable of dealing with these Black Flame cultivators."

"Rest assured!"

Although the wizard didn't understand why Paul didn't recognize the person but was so confident, he nodded after hearing Paul's words.

After all, Paul wouldn't make such claims without reason.

At this moment, Paul, like a student who had made a mistake, approached the two women and spoke in a low voice, devoid of any arrogance befitting a school genius:

"Senior Alicia, Audrey, please talk to Ren and explain that I didn't mean to do it just now."

"After all, the sudden appearance of so many Malevolent Flame Elementals triggered my instincts, and I thought I couldn't win, so I had to run."

Seeing Paul's meek and humble demeanor, Audrey was unbothered, but Alicia felt a sense of satisfaction.

In the center of the camp.

"Hand over the contents of that box voluntarily, and perhaps I'll consider sparing your lives." Ren waved his hand, interrupting Gregory's speech.

This statement naturally angered the Black Flame cultivators, who glared at Ren.

However, Ren's calm tone made Gregory feel an unsettling premonition, though he couldn't quite explain why.

"Who are you?" Gregory narrowed his eyes and asked again.

"My name might not ring a bell, but I'm an old friend of your Black Flame Cult," Ren said with a smile, thinking for a moment.

"Let me think."

"The High Priests of your Minster Province, Exter, and of Marn Province, Ericson, were sent back to the embrace of your Hunting God by me."

"What! I know who you are, you're Ren!" A Black Flame Disciple's eyes widened in shock, as if he had seen a ghost, and he stammered.

Having just transferred from Marn Province, he was well aware of how his superior's superior had met his end.

Gregory's heart felt like a stampede of a thousand horses!

Damn it! He had only come on a whim to lead a team on a small mission to collect Hellfire Crystals, and he had the misfortune of encountering this guy, Ren.

As a High Priest of the Black Flame Cult, he was all too familiar with Ren's impressive record.

Apart from their own church, he had also heard that Ren had recently clashed with the Sea God Cult, reportedly slaying numerous renowned Sea God Cult experts.

This made Gregory hesitate for a moment, feeling trapped, as he looked at Ren.

Attack, and they would likely lose.

Don't attack, and the team's morale would be crushed, also a loss.

But Gregory, being a High Priest of the Black Flame Cult, mustered the courage to take a gamble. With a roar, he commanded, "Everyone, attack!"

Following Gregory's order, the surrounding Black Flame Disciples raised their hands and unleashed a Black Flame Ball towards Ren.

In an instant, a barrage of Black Flame Balls rained down on Ren like a storm.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Amidst the explosions, a figure emerged unscathed from the dust, shimmering with a metallic glow.

It was Ren, having cast the Tier 2 spell 'Iron Armor'.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before a Tier 2 Black Flame Sorcerer who had just turned around.

With lightning speed, he unleashed a punch, leaving no time for the sorcerer to cast more powerful spells or take defensive measures. The sorcerer could only instinctively activate his innate spell, 'Shadow Shield'.

As the black shield appeared on his body, Ren's fist struck.

"Swoosh!"

The innate spell, 'Shadow Shield', was shattered like a bubble, and Ren's fist penetrated, striking the sorcerer's soft abdomen with full force.

"Bang!"

Instantly, a large bump the size of a bowl appeared on the sorcerer's back, his eyes bulging like a goldfish, nearly popping out of their sockets. The sorcerer was sent flying backward, as if hit by a raging bull, for twenty to thirty meters.

"Boom!"

He slammed into the side of the Inferno Canyon's wall.

At that moment, a massive crack radiated from the center of his body on the hard rock wall.

"Ugh~~~ Ugh~~~"

The sorcerer coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, unable to speak a word, his lips trembled, and he died.

Ren's single punch was terrifying, instantly taking down a Tier 2 Black Flame Sorcerer.

But this was just the beginning.

As the remaining Black Flame Disciples' hearts sank, Ren's figure moved like a silver lightning bolt, crisscrossing the field, leaving a trail of silver lines.

Each silver line represented the death of a Black Flame Disciple.

"Slowdown Spell!"

"Weakening Spell!"

"Binding Spell!"

A barrage of negative energy spells was unleashed towards Ren.

Everyone knew that without slowing Ren's speed, they stood no chance.

Aside from innate spells and granted sorcery, other powerful spells required incantation time. With Ren's extraordinary speed, a two to three-second incantation could mean death several times over.

"Gravity Field!"

At Gregory's command, a black-gray energy sphere radiated from him, distorting gravity within a diameter of forty to fifty meters.

Everyone, including Ren and the Obsidian War Golem, was affected, and Ren's speed slowed to a crawl.

This gave the surviving four to five Black Flame Disciples a moment of relief, grateful that their High Priest's signature spell, 'Gravity Field', was still as powerful as ever.

The Tier 3 Earth spell 'Gravity Field' was notoriously difficult to master, requiring significant time, effort, and innate talent.

But once mastered, its power was astonishing, capable of deciding the outcome of a localized small-scale battle.

"Attack now!" Gregory roared.

The surviving Black Flame Disciples sprang into action, hastily incanting and casting spells.

"Oh?"

"Do you think I'm limited in my actions?" Ren thought for a moment and decided not to use transformation to counter the current gravity field.

"In that case, let's solve it with witchcraft." Ren smiled slightly at this.

His lips moved quickly, and a deep voice emerged:

"Metal Transformation!"

"Cutting Net!"

"Sharpening Technique!"

"Wizard Skill: Multi-Cut Nets!"

Three gleaming silver nets suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Swish!"

As he waved his hand forward, the three silver nets flew towards the three Black Flame Mages who were gathered together!

Since these three Black Flame Mages were in the middle of casting their spells, stopping halfway would result in severe backlash. So, when faced with Ren's near-instantaneous witchcraft attack, they couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

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But in that brief moment of hesitation, the three silver nets pierced through their bodies!

"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"

The three Black Flame Mages, who were originally standing and casting spells, still had expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces. But in the next moment, their pale faces were covered in crisscrossing bloodlines.

"Crash!"

In an instant, the three of them turned into three piles of bloody, mangled flesh!

Gregory's eyes twitched at this sight!

Close combat strength was one thing, but the speed and power of the witchcraft attack were equally astonishing.

Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Gregory and his assistant, who was holding a wooden box, hastily said, "Quick, let's split up!"

However, before his assistant could respond, a metal cage suddenly appeared and trapped him.

Then, three silver nets flashed by!

Gregory's assistant and the metal cage were both cut into pieces.

This made Gregory's heart sink, as he realized he was facing the biggest crisis of his life. If he didn't handle this well, he would end up like the High Priests of Minster and Marn Provinces!

"It seems I have no choice but to use this move!"

Gregory took a quick step forward, grabbed the wooden box that his subordinate had dropped, and quickly opened it. He took out a crimson crystal the size of an infant's head and held it tightly in his hand.

As soon as the crystal was exposed to the air, a scorching sensation filled the entire room.

When Deputy Head Bradley saw the crimson crystal, his face changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Is that an Abyss Fire Crystal?!"

"You actually have such a thing; no wonder you were able to attract so many Hellfire Rock Giants."

But before Bradley could finish speaking, Gregory's aura surged, and he stretched out his hands. A large mass of black flame energy was channeled through his palms and injected into the crimson crystal!

Instantly, the crimson crystal began to float in mid-air.

It was as if the first atom of a nuclear fission had been triggered.

Several crimson fire snakes burst out from the crystal and rapidly grew in size.

The fire snakes, which were initially as thick as a bowl, instantly became thicker than a waist and shot towards the sky, forming a rope-like curve before returning to the crystal.

After a few seconds, more fire snakes appeared, like pieces of red cloth, forming a several-meter-high flame in front of everyone.

"Who... Who has awakened... Infernus!" A deep, coarse voice boomed.

At the same time, an overwhelming pressure swept through the room!

The Academy Mages who had not yet reached the Second Rank Liquidation level trembled from the inside!

Damn!

What had they summoned?

"Oh no! They're resurrecting an Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant!" Bradley, upon seeing this, recalled a description from an ancient book and immediately realized what was happening.

"Quick! Stop him!"

Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant? Ren watched this scene, his eyes flashing.

The Academy Mages cast various spells towards the newly appeared Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant, but most of the spells were vaporized by the Infernal Flame energy before reaching three meters from the giant's body.

Only Bradley, the Crystalization Sorcerer, managed to attack the giant's surface with his spells, but it was like tickling, causing little substantial damage.

"Hehe, it's too late!" Gregory, with his hunched figure and withered face, saw this and laughed triumphantly.

Although he had just consumed almost all of his energy and even some of his life force to awaken the Abyss Fire Crystal.

But the price he paid was clearly worth it.

The strength of the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant was even stronger than he had imagined!

At this moment, the giant who had just claimed to be Infernus, seemed to regain more consciousness. It looked down at its body and surveyed the surroundings, its voice deep and solemn:

"My body... is not complete."

Several pale green stones, as if drawn by a special force, flew towards it.

The pale green remains of Hellfire Rock Giants scattered around also began to move towards it.

In an instant, hundreds and thousands of pale green stones, like moths to a flame, gathered around it!

After a few seconds, a giant over twelve meters tall, its body engulfed in crimson flames, appeared before everyone.

"What the hell is that monster?!"

"It's an Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant, the leader of the Inferno Rock Golems!"

"It's also an Epic-level Bato Hell Beast, but its body is pieced together from Hellfire remains, so its strength is greatly compromised. However, it should still possess Legendary-level power!"

Bradley's face turned ashen as he spoke.

The Obsidian War Golem was also pushed to its limits by Bradley.

The core within the golem began to operate at full capacity, and its dark surface was covered with a thick layer of shimmering yellow magical light, the 'Stone Skin' spell.

In an instant, it took large strides towards the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant named Infernus.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

With each step, the ground trembled slightly.

"Shockwave Strike!" Bradley shouted.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The Obsidian War Golem's two giant fists, like iron hammers, unleashed a rapid barrage of heavy punches towards the giant.

For a moment, the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant's body was showered with flying debris. But in the next second, a massive stone fist slammed into the Obsidian War Golem, sending it flying.

The size difference between the two was immense—seven meters versus twelve meters, akin to a monkey facing off against Tyson.

The area where the Obsidian War Golem was hit showed clear signs of cracking and charring.

This further indicated that the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant couldn't withstand the War Golem's heavy strikes.

At that moment, including Bradley, the eyes of the academy wizards were fixed on Ren, filled with anticipation.

The two women also felt a sense of worry for the first time, as the formidable creature before them was likely even stronger than the legendary 'Carver' Harold, and it had thicker skin and tougher flesh.

Whether Ren could defeat the giant was still an unknown.

"Haha, even if you are Ren, this time you can only run!" Gregory, having paid a heavy price, believed he had the absolute advantage. He laughed maniacally.

"Ren?"

"I think I've heard that name before." Many wizards from the academy looked puzzled, feeling like they had heard the name somewhere.

"Sigh~" Ren couldn't help but sigh as the high priest of the Black Flame Cult had exposed his identity.

Since it had come to this, there was no point in hiding his transformation.

Suddenly, Ren's body began to expand like an inflating balloon. His skin turned dark gray, and dragon scales appeared all over his body.

His back skin suddenly ruptured, and a pair of fleshy wings sprouted from the opening.

After a few seconds, a massive creature stood before the crowd.

Three curved horns crowned its head, pointing towards the sky. Its tail was thick and powerful, and its body was even taller than the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant.

Including Bradley, everyone was left dumbfounded by this spectacle.

But before they could recover, the Dragon King Ren charged towards the Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant.

At the same time, Ren activated the core skill 'Weakness Control' of his Epic profession, 'Thousand Blades King'.

Instantly, the giant's body was overlaid with a three-dimensional image, marked with blue, yellow, and red points indicating its defense strength.

The giant's chest, where a large red area was located, housed the crystal core.

"Roar!"

The Abyssal Hellfire Rock Giant angrily swung a heavy rock fist towards the approaching Ren.

Ren suddenly accelerated, and his massive dragon claws, like venomous snakes, pierced the giant's chest, extracting the pulsating crimson crystal core, like a beating heart.

The giant's fist was just half a meter away from Ren.

"The mighty Infernus has just awakened!" A deep, resentful voice echoed as the pieced-together giant crumbled like a collapsing building and crashed to the ground.

Gregory stood frozen, unsure of what to say.

He had paid a hefty price to summon this powerful creature, yet it was so easily defeated by Ren.

The wizards from the academy, including those inside the room like Alicia and Audrey, and even Paul, stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

After all, hearing about something is never the same as witnessing it firsthand.

"So powerful!"

"Incredibly strong!" Paul muttered.

Such strength was why it could defeat the legendary 'Carver' Harold.

Ren, standing in the center of the arena, reverted to his human form.

He examined the freshly acquired crimson crystal core—the Abyssal Hellfire Crystal—with great satisfaction.

Initially, he had intended to help Master Mogaro with a challenging task and hoped to find a few Inferno Crystal Cores in the Flame Canyon.

But not only did he find more Inferno Crystal Cores than expected, he also obtained an additional Abyssal Hellfire Crystal.

Judging by the aura the giant had displayed, this crystal core was likely from an Epic-level Bato Hell Beast, a creature of immense power.

It would be more than sufficient for his golem research, and he might even have some left over.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end