Chapter 430: The Bait

Chapter 430: The Bait

The giant claw seemed unprepared for such a scenario, and under Rain's powerful tug, it was abruptly pulled into the secret realm.

But before Rain could fully transform, the opponent decisively released the black-robed maiden and swiftly retreated.

"Swoosh!"

At that moment, an arc of light flashed across the opponent's wrist.

A roar echoed from the other side of the rift, and a pool of glowing blood was left on the ground, but the giant claw was still retracted! Lambert, who had just swung his sword with the full force of his sword's will, now wore a solemn expression.

Despite his all-out slash, the opponent only suffered a minor injury, indicating an Epic-level existence.

The rift began to shrink rapidly, transforming from a diameter of several meters to the size of a palm before vanishing without a trace.

"They escaped so quickly."

Seeing this, Rain naturally abandoned his transformation and reverted to his human form.

He approached the pool of blood and crouched down, carefully sensing its essence.

The aura emanating from the glowing blood held a strange familiarity for Rain. Recalling the shape of the clawed arm he had pulled, Rain suddenly understood.

"Sir Rain, could that have been a dragon?" Lambert asked, his face filled with surprise.

"It's most likely a Void Dragon, and it's definitely Epic-level," Rain replied, nodding at Lambert.

"But aren't all the dragons here supposed to be adolescent dragons? Even if they were corrupted by the Void, they shouldn't be Epic-level," Baldwin wondered aloud.

"I'm not entirely sure, but based on the blood they left behind and the shape of the giant claw, it's undoubtedly a Void Dragon," Rain explained.

"I'm certain as well, Sir Rain. My full-force sword strike only caused a minor injury. If it were a Legendary-level creature, its claw would have been severed by now," Lambert added.

"I understand," Baldwin nodded.

Rain glanced at the black-robed maiden, seemingly asleep but with no heartbeat, and a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

"Perhaps I can find a way to lure it out again."

"Currently, this Void Dragon seems particularly interested in this vessel of the Sea Goddess Hela."

Rain's eyes gleamed as he pondered silently.

He had always kept in mind the requirement for a complete dragon blood essence for his class change.

Void Dragons, though corrupted by Void energy, were originally pure-blooded dragons, fundamentally different from the flying dragons and ancestral dragons he had slain before.

Rain was confident that if he could defeat this Void Dragon, the blood essence he obtained would likely fulfill the final requirement for becoming a Dragon Vein Witch—'a complete dragon blood essence.'

However, to lure the dragon out again, the stability of the space needed to be lowered.

At its current stability, the dragon might not even be able to enter.

After some thought, Rain took out a well-preserved thin slice from his pocket and contacted the Command Center:

"Command Center, this is Rain."

At that moment, in the Imperial City of Tamriel, the crowd on the Astral Platform was still immersed in Rain's lightning-fast defeat of the Sea Goddess Hela's incarnation.

"Sir Rain's displayed power just now was probably Epic-level, right?"

As the communication device vibrated, the crowd snapped out of their trance, and Tatiya, slightly excited, picked up the thin slice:

"Sir Rain, this is Tatiya."

"Your Excellency Tatiya, please help me contact Marshal Alfred."

"Of course, Sir Rain. Please hold on."

While it might be considered overstepping for ordinary mission personnel to directly contact the Marshal, for Rain, it was only natural in the eyes of the crowd.

"Sir Rain, I'm Alfred. First, congratulations on defeating the incarnation of the Sea Goddess Hela. When you return to the Imperial City, we will immediately bestow you with a reward." Alfred's solemn tone couldn't hide his delight.

The sudden appearance of the Sea Goddess Hela in the Dragon Valley Sanctuary had exceeded the worst-case scenario in the emergency plan.

The Command Center had made targeted deployments to counter the Void creatures outside the secret realm, hence the emergency plan involving the Rift Closer operating at full capacity.

"Thank you, Marshal. I'd like to request adjusting the Rift Closer's power to its original frequency. Is that possible?" Rain's request left Alfred momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered, saying:

"That's something we were planning to discuss with you. Power adjustment is necessary; otherwise, the Rift Closer won't last a month before running out of energy."

"The Rift Closer was designed with a cyclic architecture, allowing the multiple magic arrays within to absorb energy from the Void and stabilize the secret realm space."

"However, this is only possible with low-power operation; otherwise, energy depletion will occur too quickly."

"We initially planned to adjust the power after your mission was complete. If we adjust it now, due to the energy surge from the recent battle, there's a chance that another Legendary-level battle in the vicinity could reopen the rift within a short time."

"I understand, Marshal. Thank you for your concern. But I'd like to adjust it now. Is that possible?" Rain smiled.

Silence lingered on the other side of the thin slice for several seconds, as if the other party was considering the request. Soon, Marshal Alfred's deep voice resonated again:

"Sir Rain, are you sure about this?

”

“I’ve made up my mind.”

“Good!” Marshal Alfred said.

Reducing the power of the Rift Closer was necessary; otherwise, even if the Void Dragon had the audacity to enter the sanctuary, it wouldn’t be able to snatch anything.

Rain was naturally looking forward to the arrival of the other side!

Although Baldwin and the others present did not understand Rain’s intentions, after experiencing the recent battle, they naturally did not question Rain.

“Lord Rain, should we go to clear out the adolescent dragons that have been infected within the sanctuary, or should we first search for those cultists?” Baldwin asked at this moment.

Actually, both tasks had the same goal.

The adolescent dragons infected by Void Beasts had become berserk and were killing their own kind within the sanctuary.

The Legendary cult powerhouses had come to the sanctuary this time to kill healthy adolescent dragons, weakening the foundation of the Dragon Empire.

But Rain was very clear that, in terms of strength, the former was not powerful. It was the latter, some cult powerhouses, that were more troublesome, like how Baldwin had been injured by a Legendary cult powerhouse.

“By the way, Aida, do you know who the other sects have sent this time?”

“I’m not very clear.” Aida shook her head and said.

“This time, when we entered the sanctuary, the higher-ups only told us that our task was to kill the juvenile dragons and assist the empire’s personnel. Oh, they also told us the area of operation, which is the central part of the sanctuary. Other areas are the responsibility of other sects.”

“Is it Flame Mountain and this forest?”

“Yes.” Aida nodded.

Rain nodded.

This was a bit of a problem.

If the cultists had come in a large group, it would have been easier to track them.

But the issue now was that each cult had sent very few people, and they were individually powerful, acting alone, making it quite difficult to track them.

Especially if the other side deliberately concealed their movements, in a sanctuary the size of a county, it would be almost impossible to find them.

“Perhaps, we can change our approach. Since their task is to kill juvenile dragons, they will likely head towards areas where dragons gather.”

“Right.”

“Sir Baldwin, please contact the Command Center and confirm the areas within the sanctuary where dragons tend to congregate.”

“Sure, I’ll contact them right away.” Baldwin smiled and nodded, already understanding Rain’s intent.

After a while, Baldwin put down the thin tablet and said:

“Sir Rain, it’s confirmed. There are several places where juvenile dragons are relatively concentrated: the Echoing Waters Pool in the southwestern part of the sanctuary, the Flame Mountain and Evergreen Forest in the central part, the Blackwater Swamp in the northeastern part, and the Circular Mountain Cliffs surrounding the area.”

“The Command Center is very supportive of your actions and hopes that you will be responsible for this mission.”

“Additionally, there are four more task force members with combat capabilities who have been confirmed. If they act together, they should be able to handle one of these areas.”

“Oh? That’s good news, I understand.” Rain had a thoughtful look.

“Sir Rain, how about I take charge of the Echoing Waters Pool? I came from that area earlier,” Lambert thought for a moment and spoke first.

He still had the task of the Azure Dragon Heir to complete, and it would be convenient to kill the cultist Legendaries at the same time.

“Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Sir Lambert.” Rain smiled slightly and said.

“Sir Rain, then I’ll take the farthest Circular Mountain Cliffs.” Baldwin thought for a moment and said.

“You alone? But your injuries haven’t healed, that’s not appropriate.” Rain looked at Baldwin and shook his head.

“In that case, let Aida and Alida go with you.”

“No! No! That’s not appropriate.” Baldwin glanced at the beautiful Aida sisters, his face inexplicably turning red, and he shook his head repeatedly.

“Sir Rain, then wouldn’t you be alone? How about letting Alida go with you, and I’ll accompany Sir Baldwin to the Circular Mountain Cliffs?” Aida looked at Rain and said.

“No need, if you two separate, your strength will be greatly reduced. Together, I believe that even if you encounter other cultist Legends, you will be able to handle it. With Sir Baldwin, it will be almost certain.” Rain waved his hand and said.

After losing the power of the Devouring Snake, the Aida sisters were now at the late Legendary stage.

However, the two sisters cooperated flawlessly, and their innate abilities were prominent. Together, they could still exert peak Legendary combat power.

“Sir Rain—”

Baldwin wanted to say something but was interrupted by Rain.

“Sir Baldwin, did the Command Center not just tell you that I am in charge of this operation? It’s decided then.” Rain said.

“Alright, Sir Rain, be careful then.” Baldwin looked at Rain and said.

“Thank you. By the way, Sir Baldwin, please inform the Command Center to dispatch the remaining task force members to the Blackwater Swamp. I will handle the Flame Mountain and Evergreen Forest areas.”

“Alright, Sir Rain.”

If his guess was correct, Flame Mountain and the nearby Evergreen Forest should be the responsibility of the Viper Sect and the Limb Graft Church.

Previously, ‘Many-Armed’ Pierce was killed by him, and the two Aida sisters from the Viper Sect had also joined him, meaning there should be no cultists here.

Even if there were, they would likely be members of the Limb Graft Church other than Pierce.

He planned to first go to the weak point in space at the top of Flame Mountain, to lure the Void Dragon to act again, and at the same time, complete the Red Dragon Heir Dragonic Rune task.

Soon, the group dispersed, each going their separate ways.

After they left, Rain glanced at the Hellfire Improved Automaton, which was holding a black-robed maiden in its hands.

He picked up the maiden and carried her on his back, then headed straight towards the central Flame Mountain.

The warmth emanating from her back made it hard to believe that the black-robed maiden was already dead.

Rain carefully sensed her again and found that although she had no heartbeat, a residual energy in her body continued to circulate her blood slowly, creating a full-body circulation. This explained her current sleeping beauty-like state.

However, her spirit energy fluctuations had dropped to zero. Even a sleeping infant would have faint spirit energy fluctuations.

Therefore, Rain guessed that the black-robed maiden was in a state similar to brain death.

But just as he started walking, Rain suddenly stopped, his eyebrows furrowing as if he had thought of something.

He approached a Hellfire Improved Automaton and quickly deformed its back into a stretcher-like structure, then placed the black-robed maiden on it.

Earlier, Rain had considered that the Rift Closer had returned to normal power, and the black-robed maiden might attract the Void Dragon again. That's why he carried her on his back.

However, there was a possibility that the Void Dragon might be wary of his strength and not appear.

So, Rain decided to place the black-robed maiden on the back of a Hellfire Improved Automaton to lure the Void Dragon out.

Of course, this time, Rain was confident that with his deliberate attention, he wouldn't let the Void Dragon escape again.

Due to the Hellfire Improved Automaton's loud movements, the single person and two automatons easily made their way through the dense forest towards the dark Flame Mountain.

However, after a short while, Rain keenly sensed that several hundred meters behind him, a Void Vortex abruptly appeared, and several strangely-shaped Void Beasts stealthily emerged from it, following him.

After a few more minutes, another Void Vortex appeared.

This made Rain smile slightly.

"It seems the fish has taken the bait."

"The fish is hooked."

At the same time, on the other side of Flame Mountain.

On a towering boulder, a tall figure, whose build was between robust and corpulent, stood gazing into the distance. He had disheveled grayish-white hair, a pale and withered face, and two massive double-bladed battle axes on his back. The axe handles seemed to be made of a luxurious material, giving an extravagant impression.

But what was most peculiar was his body.

Although the thick gray cloak covered most of his body, it still gave an odd impression. Despite being over 2.5 meters tall, he appeared corpulent because of his width, nearly 2 meters under the cloak.

This defied common sense.

He was the second and last person from the Limb Graft Church to enter the Dragon Valley Sanctuary—Collins Gerrick.

He was also the High Priestess's direct descendant and was nicknamed 'Dragon Slayer Axe' Collins.

Just then, Collins had sensed an energy surge several kilometers away. Although it was far from him, the intensity of the battle energy was very high, immediately attracting his attention.

But as Collins reached the mountain's midpoint, he suddenly stopped and abandoned the idea of rushing over. At that moment, the final energy surge skyrocketed, reaching the Epic Power Tier.

Collins understood that this was not a battle he could intervene in.

At the same time, he was puzzled and curious. Wasn't the Dragon Valley Sanctuary restricted by power levels? The energy levels of the recent battle didn't seem to be at the Legendary Power Tier.

After some thought, Collins decided to return to the top of Flame Mountain. According to the church's instructions, he was to kill the underage Red Dragon Heir.

Although the church had given another task, to kill as many Empire personnel as possible, he knew that compared to the underage Red Dragon Heir, there were only a few dozen Empire members who entered this time. It would be challenging to encounter them, so he might as well wait here.

But just after jumping down from the boulder, he heard a faint sound, and immediately turned back towards the source.

This heavy and slow footsteps, accompanied by a low rumble.

"Hmm? This seems to be the sound of automatons."

"I haven't heard of any Legendary Powerhouse in other sects who can control automatons."

"It seems like the Empire personnel has arrived." Understanding this, a smile appeared on Collins' pale face.

Soon, he saw trees breaking and falling in the forest below, and two strange dark gray automatons emerged, followed by a young man in a wizard's robe.

Obviously, these two automatons were controlled by the young man behind them.

"He's a rare Puppet Master. Interesting."

Although Collins hadn't seen these automatons before, it didn't hinder his quick assessment of their combined strength.

Automatons generally follow one rule: the larger the size, the stronger the power.

"Six or seven meters tall? Together, they're probably only as strong as an ordinary Legendary Power Tier. So, he must be here for the Dragon Slayer Axe trial."

Collins' smile widened as he observed for a few more seconds, confirming there were no other personnel behind the young man.

Collins turned and started descending the mountain, heading towards Rain at the mountain's foot.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end