Chapter 421: Misjudgment

Chapter 421: Misjudgment

"Lord Rayen, the one over there is the Reattachment Cult's 'Multi-armed' Pierce, be cautious of his blood witchcraft and third arm," Baldwin said, relieved, upon seeing Lord Rayen's arrival.

"Also, that box..." Baldwin pointed at the leather case on the ground in the distance.

Although he didn't explicitly say it, Lord Rayen understood his intention; the case contained the rift closer, an item of utmost importance.

Lord Rayen nodded, "Lord Baldwin, rest assured, I'll take care of this. You should tend to your wounds."

As he spoke, Lord Rayen took a moment to assess his opponent, Pierce, the 'Multi-armed' wielder of the Third Arm.

Pierce had already removed his hood, revealing a relatively effeminate face with thin lips and a sinister expression.

Additionally, several streams of blood-red liquid flowed around his wizard robe, likely a defensive innate witchcraft.

But what caught Lord Rayen's attention was the faintly glowing red dual-bladed greatsword in Pierce's hand.

Lord Rayen immediately realized that Pierce might not be just a simple Level 3 Crystalized Witch, but also a knight or an elementalist-like hybrid.

"It seems this box is quite important to the Dragonborn Empire."

"That certainly piques my curiosity."

Pierce overheard Baldwin's words and, while appraising Lord Rayen, glanced at the case on the ground with a slight smirk.

"Oh? That's not good. Haven't you heard the saying?" Lord Rayen smiled.

"What saying?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Lord Rayen said with a slight smile.

Just as Pierce's smile faltered, and he was about to say something, a heavy "thud, thud, thud" sound approached from a distance, accompanied by the continuous cracking of tree branches and the calls of unknown beasts and birds from the forest.

Lord Rayen knew the source of the commotion; it was the Areda Sisters riding on Automatons, each weighing over twenty tons, creating a significant ruckus as they ran.

But Pierce was unaware of this.

Pierce's expression darkened, seemingly concerned that the newcomers were also reinforcements from the Empire.

At that moment, the beautiful Areda and Alida sisters emerged from the forest, riding on two Hellfire-modified Automatons.

Upon seeing the sisters, Pierce's surprise turned into delight. He looked at Lord Rayen and then at Baldwin, a smile spreading across his face, "It seems I'm not the only one with reinforcements; you have them too!"

Pierce was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of the 'Twin Serpents', the third-ranked among the twelve Viper Sect's messengers, but he didn't question it.

He assumed that the sisters were well-prepared.

More importantly, the sisters were from the Viper Sect, naturally making them his allies and reinforcements.

The arrival of his 'allies' seemed to lift Pierce's spirits, and he immediately devised a clever plan.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The severely injured leader of the Military Squad, Lieutenant General Baldwin, his face growing paler due to excessive blood loss, was familiar with the Viper Sect. Although he hadn't personally fought against them, he had at least heard of their top-tier powerhouses.

The Areda Sisters, nicknamed the 'Twin Serpents', were no ordinary opponents, and their strength likely surpassed that of the Reattachment Cult's 'Multi-armed' Pierce.

Baldwin had just received a message on his comm link about Lord Rayen, a young legendary powerhouse from the Empire's Swordsmaster Organization, and he was aware of the young lord's impressive achievements.

However, the problem was that if it were just Pierce, it might have been manageable.E.

But with the addition of the Areda Sisters, Baldwin had no confidence in the young Lord Rayen's ability to withstand them.

'Damn, if I don't want to be a traitor to the Empire, I have to fight with all I've got,' Baldwin thought as he reached for a bottle of red medicine from his pocket.

'But first, I should warn this young Lord Rayen.'

"Lord Rayen, be cautious! Those two women are the Viper Sect's 'Twin Serpents'!" Baldwin warned in a low voice.

Just as Baldwin finished speaking, Pierce suddenly moved, charging towards Lord Rayen!

Pierce raised his hand, and the three streams of blood around him transformed into blood serpents, rushing towards Lord Rayen. Pierce followed closely behind, holding his greatsword diagonally and delivering a sweeping slash.

"Steel Armor!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

As Lord Rayen's body was enveloped in a layer of silver metallic defense, the blood serpents were all deflected, failing to land a hit.

However, the blood serpents were just a distraction, and the true attack was the subsequent sweeping slash.

Lord Rayen raised his hand, and the hardened tempered gold instantly transformed into a dual-bladed greatsword, blocking Pierce's strike.

The intense collision caused both of them to stagger slightly.

Lord Rayen was surprised by the immense power hidden within Pierce's seemingly slender frame. In terms of sheer strength, Pierce even surpassed Barnes, whom he had faced earlier.

Pierce's eyes flashed with determination.

Lord Rayen, on the other hand, was intrigued by Pierce's choice of witchcraft.

"So, he's a metal witchcraft user?"

'This is rare.'

However, his surprise attack was perfectly blocked by Rain, and Pierce was undeterred.

Because his purpose was not here.

"Slap!"

His back suddenly stretched out a slender arm and slammed the box on the ground, sending it flying towards the Areda Sisters.

Hmm?

Rain was about to intercept, but as soon as the thought arose, it immediately stopped.

Because he found that the direction in which the box was smashed was the direction of the Areda Sisters.

This...?

"The two of you from the Viper Sect, this box is very important to the Empire, so we can't let them get it. You have to keep it safe."

"If there's something good, we can split it." Pierce's face showed a hint of color as he spoke.

Throwing the box to the Areda Sisters was, in Pierce's eyes, a brilliant strategy to kill two birds with one stone.

Although the churches were allies in this operation, it was impossible for them not to be wary of each other.

He was worried that the Areda Sisters would watch the show from the sidelines, allowing him and this newly emerged young man to fight to the death, and then reap the benefits.

Although this move gave up half of the box's benefits, it successfully dragged the Areda Sisters into the water.

Additionally, judging by the Empire's emphasis on the box, the Areda Sisters might attract more attention from the Empire than him.

In that case, they would help him divert a significant portion of the enemy's firepower.

On the other hand, the Areda Sisters.

Elder Sister Areda originally saw 'Multi-armed' Pierce confronting his new master, Rain, and was about to attack from both sides with her younger sister.

Because they had met Pierce from the Reattachment Cult once, they knew he was a legendary powerhouse.

Although they hadn't fought before, they had heard of his fame and knew that this guy wasn't easy to deal with.

But they never expected that the first box would fly into her hands.

This made Elder Sister Areda immediately exchange glances with her younger sister, Alida, and from their expressions, both were a bit stunned.

However, they also heard the conversation between Baldwin and their master, Rain.

This box seemed quite important.

The current situation was a bit unexpected.

Obviously, 'Multi-armed' Pierce mistook them for reinforcements.

That's right!

If it were ten minutes ago, they belonged to the Viper Sect, so naturally, they were allies.

But in reality, a few minutes ago, they had already switched sides.

Now, they are followers of Lord Rain!

"Sister, I have an idea." Suddenly, Younger Sister Alida's black and white eyes rolled, and she used telepathy to whisper to her sister, Areda.

"Sister, I have an idea." Suddenly, Alida's black and white eyes rolled, and she used telepathy to whisper to her sister, Areda.

"Sister, I have an idea." Suddenly, Alida's black and white eyes rolled, and she used telepathy to whisper to her sister, Areda.

"I have an idea, sister." Suddenly, Alida's black and white eyes rolled, and she used telepathy to whisper to her sister, Areda.

"I see," Elder Sister Areda nodded, reminding her.

Alida's tall figure immediately stood up from the magical golem, and with a light touch of her long legs, she rushed towards the battle between Pierce and Rain.

Seeing Alida attacking from behind Rain, Pierce couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.

Because in Pierce's eyes, Alida's action was a result of his strategy of giving the box, showing a good effect.

The 'Twin Serpents' of the Viper Sect decided to cooperate and fight alongside him.

As a legendary peak powerhouse, Pierce was naturally good at seizing opportunities. Seeing this situation, he immediately launched another attack on Rain.

This time, he naturally decided to attack with all his strength, no longer holding back.

With the cooperation of the 'Twin Serpents', he was confident he could end the battle quickly and defeat the young man before him.

Only then did he see his arm veins bulging like earthworms, and his muscles quickly swelled.

"Swish!"

The power of this slashing attack was at least 50% stronger than before!

"Clang!!!"

But once again, it was firmly blocked by Rain's greatsword.

However, Pierce didn't mind. After one unsuccessful attack, he continued to slash repeatedly.

Especially when he saw Alida's figure flash and arrive behind Rain, he suddenly smiled sinisterly.

"Hiss!"

A pale hand holding a black dagger suddenly struck out from Pierce's back, like a black lightning bolt, aiming at Rain's waist and abdomen.

Pierce was confident that this attack would break through the protective magic of the metal cage surrounding Rain, creating an opportunity for Alida to attack.

As expected, he felt a sense of resistance from his third arm, and Rain's shield wobbled slightly, the metal luster dimmed, as if reaching the limit of its defense.

But the next second, his expression changed.

Because he found that the attack he was expecting from Alida behind Rain was delayed! And what was particularly strange was that Alida's aura seemed to flash and disappear behind Rain.

In other words, she was no longer behind Rain?

What's going on? Before he could react, Pierce suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him, and his heart sounded an alarm!

"Hiss!"

It was the sound of a blade tearing through the air!

Pierce, with his rich combat experience, instinctively began to dodge.

But he suddenly realized that his third arm, which had just stabbed Rain's abdomen, seemed to be firmly clamped by a pair of pliers.

It was Rain's left hand!

This brief hesitation prevented Pierce from completely dodging the attack from behind.

He could only slightly sidestep, trying to dodge the vital points, while at the same time, the fourth arm burst out from his vest, holding a dagger and blocking the attack.

However, it was evident that this slightly weaker arm, with its thin build, lacked full strength.

"Pfft!"

Aida's long battle blade flashed with cold light, slashing downward and instantly breaking through the blood flow shield's defense. It also cleaved the dagger held by the fourth arm, directly stabbing into Pierce's back.

Fortunately, Pierce had just slightly swayed his body, otherwise, this strike would have pierced his spine.

In that case, no matter how powerful one is, it would have been a fatal outcome!

As the intense pain from his back surged, Pierce groaned and immediately severed the third arm controlled by Lord Rayen, and swiftly fled by unleashing some kind of explosive secret technique.

However, he couldn't understand what had just happened.

Until he glanced at Aida, who had attacked him, and then he realized what was going on.

He extended his trembling index finger, looking astonished, and said, "You, the Mystic Snake Sect, have sided with the Empire?"

"You're attacking our Limb Church!"

This scene naturally stunned Military Commander Baldwin, who had just swallowed the burst potion.

He had just finished drinking the burst potion with severe side effects, only to witness this scene.

This made Baldwin stand in shock.

It wasn't Aida's fault, after all, her sister had launched the attack, and she couldn't warn the nearby Baldwin beforehand.

If the 'Multi-armed' Pierce had heard, it would have put her sister in danger.

Of course, now that the situation was under control, it was natural to warn the other party.

"Lord, the two of us, we are actually followers of Lord Rayen," Aida, feeling apologetic, explained to Baldwin, who had just taken the burst potion.

"You, the two of you, are followers of Lord Rayen?"

Baldwin's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, as he looked at Lord Rayen, then at the two women, still in disbelief.

"Yes, soon after entering the sanctuary, we encountered Lord Rayen and became his followers," Aida, unable to elaborate on the details, simply stated.

"But..." For a moment, Military Commander Baldwin's lips quivered, wanting to say something but unsure how to express it.

His mind was in a bit of chaos.

What was going on? The top legendary powerhouse of the Serpent Sect, the 'Twin Serpents' Areda Sisters, had become followers of Lord Rayen.

As for Pierce's question, naturally, no one paid attention.

Instead, what followed was Aida's witchcraft, 'Shadow Grip'.

A pair of giant shadow hands instantly grabbed Pierce's legs, while Lord Rayen charged from the front, delivering a slashing strike towards Pierce!

A life-or-death moment!

Pierce's face turned increasingly hideous, his body surged with blood and his muscles swelled. The giant shadow hands were immediately shaken off, and at the same time, he crossed his swords to block Lord Rayen's strike!

"Clang!!!"

Pierce's swords clashed with Lord Rayen's, and with a 'clang,' his body slammed into the ground, half of his body buried in the soil.

But it wasn't over yet. Aida's slender body swayed, and she appeared beside Pierce, who had just stood up. Her battle blade created a bright arc of light, and she swiftly slashed downward towards Pierce.

Pierce, who had just suffered a heavy blow from Lord Rayen, felt a flash of light beside him and instinctively raised his right hand to block. As a silver arc of light flashed by, his right hand was swiftly severed with a 'swish' sound.

"Ahhhh!"

With a scream, 'pat,' Pierce's right hand fell to the ground, his fingers still reflexively curling as if trying to grasp something.

Although the Areda Sisters had just stated that they had recently become followers of Lord Rayen, Baldwin couldn't help but feel that the coordination between the three was seamless.

He had just taken the burst potion and was about to join the attack.

But he stood still for a few seconds, as he suddenly realized that he couldn't intervene.

It was as if they were a loving couple, and his intervention would be like a third party, no, a fourth party intruding!

From the combat between Lord Rayen and the two women, even a well-trained elite squad would struggle to do better.

In less than ten seconds, they had turned the top powerhouse of the Limb Church, 'Multi-armed' Pierce, into this pitiful state.

"Whoosh!"

However, the disarmed Pierce seemed to have a moment of clarity, and he quickly moved to a nearby slain adolescent green dragon.

This juvenile green dragon was killed by Pierce upon entering the sanctuary, and it was his task to eliminate as many young dragons as possible.

Pierce's left-handed sword flashed, beheading the green dragon, and immediately after, he inserted his severed right hand into the green dragon's head through the cut.

The next second, the connection between the two was shrouded in blood mist, and energy surged!

Suddenly, the eyes of the recently slain green dragon's skull snapped open!

In an instant, Pierce transformed into a bizarre and bloody figure, with his right hand holding the green dragon's head and his left hand gripping a double-bladed greatsword.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end