Chapter 422: Blood Crystal and Enhancement

Chapter 422: Blood Crystal and Enhancement

Pierce's face contorted in rage as he suddenly lifted his newly grafted green dragon skull and lunged at Alida, who was closely pursuing him.

Suddenly, the already dead green dragon skull opened its mouth, and a signature breath of foul-smelling yellow-green gas was unleashed towards Alida.

"Sister, be careful!" Aida, standing at a distance, shouted a warning.

In fact, even before her younger sister launched her attack, Aida had already cast a defensive shadow shield spell on Alida.

Alida, seeing the nauseating yellow-green breath filling the air, came to an abrupt halt with her slender legs. She quickly sidestepped and leaped to dodge, and the small amount of acid that splashed onto her was blocked by the shadow shield on her body.

Engaging in close combat against a 360-degree breath attack from the green dragon was not a wise decision.

The green dragon's breath was a mixture of acid and poison, and although it seemed less powerful than the red dragon's flame breath, it was actually more troublesome.

Even a slight touch could cause significant trouble.

Moreover, Pierce was already severely injured, and at this point, he was at the end of his strength. There was no need to risk engaging in close combat with the enemy, especially when they were prepared to fight to the death.

Aida quickly thought for a moment and, with a flash of her body, decided to return to her sister's side.

"Sister, it's your turn now," Aida said, indicating that she would handle the situation from a distance with her witchcraft.

"Mmm," Aida nodded in response.

Aida began to chant a spell, and a black cloud formed by the familiar 'Disability Spell' appeared and enveloped Pierce, significantly reducing his speed.

Seeing this, Rain smiled and abandoned the idea of engaging in close combat. Instead, he quickly recited a spell and raised his hand, and three shimmering silver metal nets swiftly flew towards Pierce.

It was the liquid kill move, 'Metal Cutting Net'!

Aida, standing nearby, cast the second-level shadow witchcraft, 'Shadow Impact.'

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

"Boom!"

Three silver metal nets and an additional black pillar of light took turns striking Pierce. Although they were not fatal, they left Pierce drenched in blood and staggered back several steps.

"I'll take over now!"

Taking advantage of the brief pause, the military commander, Baldwin, who had just taken his medicine, stepped forward with a look of joy on his face.

Finally, he had a chance to showcase his skills!

He had thought his medicine would go to waste.

But now, at least, he could still make some use of it.

However, just as he was about to attack with his giant Earth Spike technique, he suddenly felt a strong surge of metal energy particles from his side.

He turned to look and was surprised to see a giant thorny iron ball, over two meters in diameter, appearing in front of Rain.

"Sssss!"

The surface of the iron ball was covered in countless thorns of varying lengths, creating sparks as they scraped against the ground, indicating its formidable power.

As Rain pushed his hands forward, a 'whoosh' sound filled the air, and the giant iron ball drew a straight line, rushing towards Pierce at high speed, accompanied by tremendous kinetic energy that was terrifying to behold.

Aida, seeing her master Rain's witchcraft, had a gleam in her eyes, as if an idea had come to form.

She immediately stopped her ongoing third-level witchcraft, 'Shadow Storm,' and instead cast the second-level witchcraft, 'Shadow Grip.'

Hmm?

Although Pierce was already somewhat delirious at this point, facing such a large and fast-approaching iron ball, he instinctively tried to dodge.

But just as he attempted to move, his legs were firmly held in place by Aida's Shadow Grip.

At the same time, Rain's second-level metal witchcraft, 'Metal Cage,' was also cast, enclosing Pierce.

Although these two spells were only second-level witchcraft, even with amplification, their power was limited, and they could only restrict Pierce for a short time, just a few seconds.

But that was enough. By the time Pierce dispelled these immobilizing spells, the rapidly spinning thorny iron ball, with sparks and lightning, had already reached his eyes.

"Ahhhh!"

Pierce's eyes widened in fury, and he roared, summoning his last strength. He crossed his arms, blocking the green dragon skull and the double-bladed greatsword with his hands.

But in the next second, he was still crushed by Rain's enhanced thorny iron ball.

The multi-ton iron ball, moving at high speed, rolled over Pierce's hips, abdomen, and chest, and the thorns simultaneously pierced his body, instantly creating a row of holes oozing with blood.

Pierce, now a shower of blood, could no longer stand. He twitched on the ground for a few moments before becoming still.

"Wow... That was powerful, Lord Rain. It seems the rumors I heard about you were true," Commander Baldwin exclaimed in awe.

It was common knowledge that metal witchcraft was excellent for offense, and Rain's extreme affinity for it, combined with the enhancement of the third layer of the advanced Steel Heart meditation technique, made its power surpass even some third-level witchcraft.

"Lord Baldwin, you flatter me," Rain said with a slight smile.

Rain was well aware of the power of his third-level witchcraft, 'Metal Cage,' which had previously reached a power level of 191 degrees. Now, it was undoubtedly over 200+.

Even when compared to some third-level wizards' crystallization kill moves, the difference was not significant.

"Is this the Rift Closer?" Rain asked, pointing to the box in Aida's arms.

"Yes, Lord Rain. I'm afraid I'll need you and the others to accompany me to the target location."

"Baldwin, I'm sorry," Baldwin apologized.

"I understand, I received the command from the Command Center as well," Rain nodded.

At that moment, Rain felt something and took out his comm link to check.

Baldwin, standing beside him, also reacted with a change in expression and almost simultaneously took out his own comm link.

This caught the attention of the Areda sisters, who looked on with surprise.

Hmm?

Rain's eyebrows raised in surprise as he glanced at the comm link, clearly astonished.

On the comm link, a message appeared, stating that the Sea Goddess Hela had entered the sanctuary.

'Could this be because of me?'

Rain couldn't help but think to himself.

'It's probably not. Most likely, she's here to disrupt the Empire's foundation.'

After some thought, Rain shook his head slightly.

Baldwin's face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "What! The Sea Goddess Hela is here too?"

This statement caused the Areda sisters to exchange a glance, their eyes filled with concern.

As former followers of the Viper Sect, even though they weren't followers of the Sea God Sect, they were well aware of the supreme power of a true god. Even in the form of an incarnation, their strength was exceptionally formidable.

"Don't worry, within the sanctuary, the Sea Goddess Hela's power is restricted. Overall, she's on the same level as us," Rain reassured the three of them.

"That may be true, but at the same level, a human is no match for a divine incarnation. Even one against two or one against three would be challenging," Baldwin said in a deep voice.

"That's usually the case, but I've had a previous encounter with the Sea Goddess Hela's projection, and I was fortunate enough to repel her," Rain thought for a moment before briefly sharing his previous experience.

Rain felt it necessary to boost their morale.

Otherwise, they might become discouraged before the battle even began.

"Hmm?" The Areda sisters' beautiful eyes widened in shock as they looked at Rain.

"You fought against her projection and won?"

"I managed to repel her, so don't worry," Rain said with a slight smile.

The military commander, Baldwin, standing beside Rain, was also surprised. He almost wanted to call Rain's bluff.

But when he recalled Rain's displayed combat prowess, he hesitated.

This Lord Rain might not be bluffing after all.

With Rain's reassurance, the three of them visibly calmed down.

Baldwin began treating his injuries and dealing with the side effects of the burst potion.

Meanwhile, the Areda sisters started cleaning up the battlefield.

After a while, Alida approached with her slender legs, a brown package in hand, and said with a smile, "Sir, this is Pierce's backpack."

"Oh?"

Rain took the package with interest.

Upon opening it, he found various bottles and cans, and a bag emitting a reddish mist containing crystals.

As a master alchemist, Rain quickly scanned the contents and realized that most of the bottles and cans were various healing potions.

The reddish crystals were likely the blood crystals Rain had confiscated twice before.

"Hmm? So many blood crystals," Areda exclaimed softly.

"They used to be useful, but not anymore," Areda shook her head lightly.

Rain thought for a moment and then understood.

Previously, the Areda sisters were followers of the Viper Sect, but after signing the follower contract with him, the Devouring Serpent mark on their bodies had disappeared. Consequently, they could no longer perform some of the sect's unique secret arts.

However, the sisters could still use pure shadow arcane spells like the 'Disability Spell' and 'Shadow Impact' they had just used.

The blood crystals, containing the grudges of living beings, required the sect's secret arts or prayers to eliminate them. Now, the sisters couldn't use them as easily as before.

But this was a good thing!

Relying on external forces, especially divine powers, always came with a price.

At that moment, Rain suddenly had an idea. He picked up the blood crystals, and as expected, the system prompt sounded:

[Ding! Detected a portion of high-quality energy that can enhance mental power crystallization. Do you want to absorb it? (Note: System absorption can eliminate impurities.)]



"As I thought, the system can absorb blood crystals," Rain's eyes lit up.

However, Rain didn't absorb them immediately. Instead, he chatted with Alida for a while before walking behind the Hellfire Improved Automaton alone, whispering "Yes" to absorb the blood crystals, an action he didn't want others to see, even his followers.

Additionally, the Sea Goddess Hela had entered the sanctuary, so Rain wanted to prepare as much as possible.

Despite Rain's seemingly calm demeanor, he was actually quite concerned.

As the Sage once said, 'Strategically, we must despise the enemy, but tactically, we must respect them.'

In simpler terms, one must maintain confidence and willpower, not be intimidated by the enemy's appearance, but remain cautious during combat.

As Rain pondered, he felt a scorching energy surge from his palm to his mind.

The entire package of blood crystals was absorbed by Rain in an instant, transforming into a puff of foul-smelling black smoke.

After a few seconds, Rain sensed the silver liquid in his mind, resembling solidified honey, and glanced at the system panel:

Mental Power: 145 (Crystallization: 43%)



"Great, a 43% increase from 40%!"

"Almost equivalent to a decade of hard cultivation for an ordinary crystallized wizard."

"Rain's heart leaped with joy.

Enhancing mental attributes significantly boosts the potency of all witchcraft, leading to a notable increase in combat prowess.

After absorbing the blood crystal, Rain's attention was drawn to the boxes belonging to Barnes and his companions. He retrieved the three boxes from the Hellfire Improved Automaton and opened Reagan's box, extracting a test tube containing her blood essence."

Rain uncorked the tube and inserted a finger, triggering a system prompt:

【Ding! Host detected special blood essence with traceable dragon gene fragments. Absorb?】

[Note: Absorbing these fragments will enhance the host's dragon bloodline concentration.]



Without hesitation, Rain chose 'Yes.'

He had anticipated this scenario. Initially, he planned to bring the blood essence back to the Imperial Capital for thorough research.

After all, as a master alchemist, he possessed some knowledge about bloodline studies.

He wondered if analyzing these blood essences could provide insights into the current research level of the Dragon Scale Brotherhood.

However, the situation had changed.

With the confirmation that Goddess Hela had entered the Dragon Valley Sanctuary, Rain felt it necessary to enhance his own capabilities.

His previous encounter with her projection left a deep impression; he only managed to hold his ground by continuously allocating points to restore his stamina.

After all, she was a goddess!

Upon absorbing Reagan's blood essence, Rain sensed a subtle change within his body, as if a dormant volcano was about to erupt.

Despite multiple absorptions, his bloodline concentration remained at the 'rich' level.

Now, it seemed to have reached a critical point where quantity was about to induce a qualitative change.

Rain's gaze intensified as he turned towards Barnes's box, the container of the strongest among the three.

Strangely, the next moment, Rain's eyes shifted to the eastern side of the forest, and he paused, straightening his back.

This change in Rain's demeanor caught the attention of Aida and Baldwin.

All eyes followed Rain's gaze into the woods, where three eerie figures silently emerged.

"It's them!" Alida exclaimed.

"But they're not..."

---

In the Command Center on the second floor of the Astral Mage Platform in the Imperial City of Tamriel, a bustling atmosphere prevailed.

The elliptical stone plinth displayed a scene of devastation from the recent battle.

Marshal Alfred and General Augustus focused their attention on the newly entered Goddess Hela, aware of the limitations imposed by the sanctuary's rules.

Even though her raw power was capped, her soft skills, including combat reflexes, mastery of various witchcraft, and the ability to instantly cast most spells, made her an extraordinary opponent.

When combined in a single individual, these strengths equated to the combat prowess of two to three top-tier powerhouses.

Furthermore, the uncertainty of her objectives added to the tension.

"Latest update: Samun, a military task force member, encountered Goddess Hela in the Black Water Marshland in the northeast corner of the sanctuary and has perished."

"Black Water Marshland?" General Augustus furrowed his brows.

He immediately consulted the sanctuary map to pinpoint the location.

"Marshal, should we deploy the inner guard squad, equipped with the rift closer, to surround and eliminate her?" Augustus suggested after a moment's thought.

Marshal Alfred's brows knitted, and he did not immediately respond to Augustus.

The inner guard squad, tasked with activating the rift closer, had an additional mission: eliminating the adolescent dragon infected by the void beast.

However, the consequences of allowing Goddess Hela to roam freely were unpredictable.

She could kill solitary task force members or even healthy adolescent dragons.

In principle, Alfred agreed with Augustus's suggestion.

After all, choosing the lesser of two evils was prudent.

But the problem was the goddess's overwhelming strength. Could the three-person inner guard squad handle her?

In the face of adversity, it is said that one must consider defeat before victory.

With the loss of three members from the Elite Guard Squad and the severe injury to Baldwin, the former leader of the Military Squad, the Swordsmen Task Force is left with only a handful of fully capable fighters.

In other words, the prospect of gathering enough power to successfully confront the Sea Goddess within the Dragon Valley Sanctuary is now highly unlikely.

"If we're going to take her on, we have to succeed in one go!"

"Agrippa, speed up the deployment of the Rift Closer at the second position."

"Additionally, send the Elite Guard Squad to the second position to meet up with Agrippa, and then proceed to engage the enemy," Marshal Alfred commanded in a low voice.

Agrippa, the leader of the Swordsmen Task Force, was a Legendary Peak powerhouse.

"Are we combining the forces of both squads? Indeed, that would be much safer," General Augustus immediately understood his superior's intention and nodded.

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant General Tatiya responded.

However, a hint of hesitation flashed across her face.

Being the astute individuals they were, Marshal Alfred noticed this and smiled slightly, "Lieutenant General Tatiya, do you have a suggestion? Feel free to speak your mind."

"Er, sir, I was thinking, shouldn't we send Lord Rain as well?"

"Oh? Why? You know, after two intense battles, Lord Rain must be physically exhausted. It would be impressive enough if he and Baldwin could retrieve the Rift Closer together."

General Augustus looked puzzled and asked, "Isn't it true that Lord Rain once fought against a projection of the Sea Goddess in Frostwind Tundra?"

"Yes, that's correct," General Augustus confirmed.

At that time, he was the lead investigator and had questioned Lord Rain about the encounter.

"You think his experience will be valuable," Marshal Alfred understood Tatiya's intention.

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant General Tatiya smiled faintly.

"Let's wait and see what Lord Rain has to say," Marshal Alfred contemplated briefly.

"Lord Dalian, we need your assistance again."

As the Grand Astral Wizard Dalian chanted a spell, the image on the elliptical stone platform in the center of the hall changed once more, revealing Lord Rain's current situation.

"Huh? What's this?"

"Aren't these three Barnes and the others? I thought they were defeated by Lord Rain. How did this happen?" Lieutenant General Tatiya asked in surprise.

"They must have been infected by the Void Beast," Grand Astral Wizard Dalian explained.

"Hmm? I thought the Void Beast only infected immature dragons. Why would humans be infected too?" General Augustus was taken aback by this news.

"The sanctuary was sealed before, and no humans had entered. Most of the infected were powerful beasts, hence the misunderstanding," Grand Astral Wizard Dalian clarified.

"While records of the Void Beast are scarce in ancient texts, there are a few documented cases of human infections," Dalian explained.

"To be precise, humans with bloodline inheritance are more susceptible to the Void Beast's attention. A significant portion of their power comes from their bloodline and their physical bodies, which, in a way, resembles the beasts."

"I see."

"So, what do we do now? Should we send immediate reinforcements?"

"Huh? These Twin Serpents of the Viper Sect have been taken as followers by Lord Rain?" Lieutenant General Tatiya exclaimed as she looked at the message from Rain.

"Hmm?" Marshal Alfred was also taken aback upon hearing this.

He looked at the stone platform's image, which clearly showed not a siege but two women following Lord Rain, and he was puzzled.

"Shouldn't the power of the gods prevent the contract from being formed?"

"It can happen elsewhere, but not within the Dragon Valley Sanctuary," Grand Astral Wizard Dalian explained after a moment's thought, understanding the situation.

"So, Lord Rain has four people on his side, but they all seem injured or exhausted. Can they handle the three infected?" Lieutenant General Tatiya asked.

It wasn't a matter of the operations staff being unprofessional; it was just that human infections by the Void Beast hadn't occurred in thousands of years.

Without any data, it was impossible to make a judgment or decision.

"After infection, their attacks mutate, and their power usually increases to some extent," Dalian stroked his beard and said.

"Should we send reinforcements immediately?" General Augustus looked at Marshal Alfred and asked.

Lord Rain's performance had always been exceptional, and at such a young age, he had become General Augustus's favorite.

"Lieutenant General Tatiya, please contact Lord Rain and ask for his opinion on whether he needs support," Marshal Alfred thought for a moment and said.

"Yes, sir, Marshal," Tatiya responded.

She immediately picked up the comm link and called out, "Lord Rain, do you require support on your side?"

After a few seconds, a calm three-word reply came through: "No need."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end