Chapter 513: The Return of the Dirigible

Chapter 513: The Return of the Dirigible

In the middle of the battlefield on the sea.

Rayne's sudden appearance, along with the massive 'Leviathan Whale' Jorgmund floating belly-up to the surface, froze the smug smile on Sea Goddess Hela's face.

"Jorgmund was actually killed by you, a mere mortal, so quickly?"

"It seems the long seal has left it with very little strength."

In reality, the 'Leviathan Whale' Jorgmund, under the full restoration efforts of the Sea God Cult, had recovered at least 70-80% of its strength. Sea Goddess Hela simply refused to admit this.

"However, your fate will not change. Endless pain and torment still await you."

"The Red Dragon was smart enough to self-destruct just now. Otherwise, its Dragon Soul would have been extracted, and its body turned into a Nether Dragon."

Ignoring Sea Goddess Hela's words, Rayne stood in front of the grieving 'Red Queen' Menya and said:

"Goddess of the Depths, don't you think you're talking too much?"

"Show me what you've got!"

"Mortal, do you really think you managed to escape from me twice by sheer luck because you are strong enough? How naive."

"Naive? Let's see who's more naive after we fight." Rayne looked at Sea Goddess Hela calmly.

But in the next instant, he suddenly charged forward with a swift movement.

Despite his taunts, Rayne did not dare to be overconfident. He not only maintained his Ancient Dragon Form but also began to swell at the neck, extending two more dragon heads, transforming into his strongest form.

Ancient Dragon Form with three heads!

"Hm? Multi-Headed Dragon Bloodline?" Sea Goddess Hela's face showed surprise at Rayne's multi-headed form.

However, due to Rayne's repeated taunts, Hela did not choose to dodge the charging three-headed dragon. Instead, black water gathered continuously beneath her, and her form rapidly grew larger.

In a matter of seconds, her height surpassed fifty meters, then sixty meters, and soon, she towered over Rayne's current Ancient Dragon Form. In her hand, she formed an Energy Trident.

"Swish!"

A circular wave of black water surged toward Rayne.

"Roar!!!"

Facing the black wave, the Red Dragon head on Rayne's right neck immediately spewed a conical Blaze.

Instantly, red and black clashed intensely, generating a large cloud of foul-smelling Black Mist. Flying Fish Knights and ordinary marine creatures that couldn't dodge in time fell dead on the spot.

Rayne, with his high resistance to toxins, was completely unafraid of the toxic mist. The three-headed dragon leaped out of the black mist and clawed at Hela, who had transformed into a sea of water.

"Clang!!!"

The massive Dragon Claw, glowing with Dark Silver light, collided with the Energy Trident, producing a sharp, metallic sound. Energy ripples spread out in circles from the point of impact.

"Is that all you've got?" Hela said with ease.

"Whoosh!"

Rayne did not respond. Instead, his other Dragon Claw discreetly flicked, and a Dark Silver disk flashed by!

"Thud!"

Due to their close proximity during the intense head-on battle and the extreme speed of Rayne's dawn spell 'Blade Disk,' the rapidly spinning metal disk sliced into Hela's water form at the waist.

"You!!!"

Hela's face was a mix of shock and anger.

Rayne's attack was not over. The three-headed dragon leaped high, using both its front and hind limbs to grab Hela's bisected body. Simultaneously, the three dragon heads, without sparing any effort, spewed three different breaths at the Goddess of the Depths' face, neck, and chest!

"Blaze Breath!"

"Void Breath!"

"Particle Breath!"

In an instant, the massive chaotic currents formed by the three breaths completely engulfed Sea Goddess Hela.

Rayne immediately retreated a distance, as the combined energy of the three breaths caused a violent and chaotic explosion.

"Phew~~"

He also felt a wave of exhaustion, deeply exhaling a breath of stale air.

Although the battle lasted less than ten seconds, Rayne had used all his means, and his recently full physical strength was completely drained.

The effects of this furious continuous attack were significant. Hela's nearly hundred-meter water form was completely obliterated.

The high-ranking sorcerers and warlocks of the Sea God Cult watched Rayne with expressions of shock, while the Flying Fish Knights and Manta Ray Knights retreated far away, showing a fearful respect for Rayne!

It was as if they were saying, "What kind of monster is this?! Our goddess was actually defeated!"

Sea God Cult Pope Egil's expression was also one of shock, but he did not retreat. Instead, he continued to engage Reginald in combat, as if he still had some reliance.

Rayne felt a slight relief as he looked ahead, where Hela's figure had completely vanished.

However, a sense of unease began to creep into his mind.

The vague sense of threat not only remained but seemed to be intensifying, a sensation derived from his danger perception ability.

She's not dead?

"Be careful, Rayne!" Red Queen Menya's voice suddenly rang out from his right side.

Not far from his right rear, a large mass of black water suddenly surged up from the sea, rapidly forming into the shape of Sea Goddess Hela. As she raised her hand, dozens of black water vortices shot toward Rayne.

However, Menya intervened just in time, positioning herself between Rayne and Hela. The Blaze she unleashed immediately blocked a significant number of the black water vortices.

"Mortal, I admit I underestimated you. However, this time, you have no chance of winning", Hela's face grew more serious.

Clearly, Rayne's sudden burst of power had surprised her.

"No chance? The one who was just obliterated wasn't me", Rayne replied, his face calm despite his inner shock, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

From the aura Hela was now emitting, Rayne sensed no significant difference. If anything, she seemed only slightly weaker than before.

This meant that his entire combo attack, while effective in obliterating her, had little impact in the vast ocean.

Fortunately, it seemed that Red Queen Menya had recovered from her earlier grief.

Rayne subtly added a few attribute points. As a warm current pumped from his heart, his physical condition instantly returned to its peak.

In another part of the battlefield.

Sea God Cult Pope Egil laughed upon witnessing the scene. He turned to Reginald, whose face was filled with shock, and said, "The power of a god is not something mortals can measure. Even as Dawn Wizards, we are merely larger ants before a deity. Reginald, embrace the embrace of our Lord! Otherwise, you and your dragon companion will surely perish here."

"So what if it's a god? In ancient times, the greatest wizards had the power to slay evil deities. It is people like you, who willingly degrade yourselves, that bring shame to humanity."

"Believe what you will about your goddess. We shall see", Reginald replied in a deep voice.

Although he was deeply concerned about Menya and Rayne, he kept his composure.

"You!! Stubborn fool!" Sea God Cult Pope Egil was visibly enraged. He immediately waved his hand, and the High Warlocks behind him resumed their assault.

In the sky, not far away.

The Imperial Airship Fleet, which had initially numbered over a dozen when it left Zetaya, was now down to seven. Nearly half of the dirigibles had been destroyed by the 'Leviathan Whale' Jorgmund's Whale Spring.

On the flagship Queen, in the captain's cabin.

"Signaller, relay the order. Except for Storm, all dirigibles, including Queen, are to turn around and rejoin the battle!" A tall, elderly man in the uniform of an Imperial Rear Admiral commanded firmly.

"Admiral!" The signaller seemed incredulous, his eyes wide with shock.

They had just escaped the encirclement of the giant beast and the Sea God Cult. Now, they were to rush back into it?

This...

Moreover, the issue wasn't just about their fear of death. Against such a behemoth, their attacks seemed like a joke.

However, the signaller knew that in the absence of Princess Menya and Archmage Reginald, this elderly man was the highest-ranking officer of the Imperial Airship Fleet.

"As Imperial soldiers, we do not have the tradition of leaving our royal family to cover our retreat. Execute the order!" the elderly man stated firmly.

"Yes, sir!" The signaller, as if struck by a sudden realization, saluted and responded loudly.

After the signaller left the cabin, the adjutant beside the elderly man suggested quietly, "Admiral, if we need to send a message, it would be more appropriate for Queen to continue to the Empire, wouldn't it?"

The Rear Admiral naturally understood the adjutant's unspoken suggestion to advise him to withdraw.

"No, I made this decision, and I must take part in the action. Otherwise, how would the soldiers of the Empire view their commanders?" the elderly man shook his head resolutely.

Meanwhile.

The battle between Rayne, Menya, and Sea Goddess Hela continued.

Despite Rayne and Menya's near-total effort, their attacks had little effect against the Sea Goddess, who drew her power from the ocean and seemed to have an inexhaustible body. They had only managed to slightly weaken and disrupt her aura.

Moreover, unlike Rayne, who could restore himself by adding attribute points, 'Red Queen' Menya had no such luxury. At this moment, her psi energy and physical strength were both nearing their limits.

While Rayne did not show any signs of fatigue, this was his third time adding points, and he had only three attribute points left.

More troubling was their current position, surrounded by a dense formation of Flying Fish Knights and Manta Ray Knights. Under the pressure of Sea Goddess Hela, these flying knights seemed to fight without regard for their lives. If Rayne tried to retreat toward the island, they would immediately swarm and block his path, giving Hela the opportunity to attack and hinder their movements.

As a result, Rayne was still about five kilometers away from the island.

In other words, if the current situation doesn't change, even if Rayne manages to reach the Island, his remaining attribute points will certainly be depleted, leaving him with no strength to fight back.

"Rayne, when I launch my final attack, seize the opportunity to break out!" Menyapsi energy whispered.

Although her tone was calm, Rayne could sense the resolve in her voice.

"Princess Menya", Rayne felt a pang of anxiety.

"The Goddess of the Depths' current avatar is extraordinary. It seems to be the body of a powerful mermaid from ancient times, allowing her to exert her full strength. She is nearly at Peak Epic level, and we have no chance of winning."

Menya gazed at the faint silhouette of the Mermaid Princess within Hela's towering seawater form.

"Wait! Princess Menya, there's an Island not far ahead. Trust me, if we can lure her there, I can win!" Rayne said urgently.

"Hmm?" Hearing Rayne's confident tone and the news of an Island nearby, Menya reconsidered her plan to launch a desperate final attack immediately.

"But my stamina is almost depleted; I might not even be able to maintain my dragon form for long."

"Princess Menya, don't worry, I've got this!" Rayne said firmly.

At that moment, Rayne didn't notice that Menya, standing behind him, was deeply examining him with her beautiful eyes, her gaze filled with meaning.

Meanwhile, the Sea Goddess Hela showed no signs of attacking. Instead, she leisurely observed Rayne in his three-headed dragon form.

"Mortal, you truly surprise me. After such a long battle, the Dragonborn beside you is already exhausted, yet you remain as fresh as when you first joined the fight."

"However, this time, I'm curious to see how long your stamina will last."

"Whether my stamina is good or not, why don't you try and see for yourself? I promise you won't be disappointed! But your black water reeks; you should take a good bath."

Rayne's words made Menya, standing beside him, look at him with surprise, her eyes seemingly saying, 'You dare say that? Don't you fear the Sea Goddess Hela will go berserk?'

"Blasphemer! Blasphemer!!!"

"Mortal! The Dark Sea will swallow you whole! Die!"

Sure enough, Rayne's words enraged Hela, causing her to tremble with fury. The hundred-meter-tall water body she possessed splashed wildly, and her calm demeanor vanished completely.

However, just as she was about to unleash a dark water canopy to cover Rayne and Menya, hundreds of bright red iron balls rained down from the sky, bombarding her area!

"Hmm?"

Hela, slightly puzzled, raised her gaze and saw that the Empire Airships, which had previously escaped, had returned.

The side cannons of the dirigibles could not harm the Sea Goddess Hela, but the problem was that the cannon fire covered not just Hela but also the Flying Fish Knights and Manta Ray Knights.

These flying knights, of course, could not withstand the Heavy Cannons, especially since these cannons had been improved, boasting the empire's most advanced power and range. That's why they were equipped on the dirigibles for this mission.

Thus, the dense formation of the Sea God Cult's flying knights was instantly thrown into chaos.

"Go!"

Rayne gave a deep look at the returning Imperial Airship Fleet, realizing they were creating an opportunity for him and Menya to break through the encirclement.

Without hesitation, because every second was being fought for by the empire's soldiers, Rayne grabbed Menya, who was struggling to maintain her dragon form, and swiftly broke through the disordered Sea God Cult flying knights, rushing toward the Island.

"Trying to run!"

Hela, who had just blasted a dirigible with a Black Beam, saw this and immediately gave chase.

Before long, Hela also noticed the Island.

However, her anger made her dismiss the Island's potential impact.

In her view, the Island was small, and if worse came to worst, she could calmly retreat and return to the sea. So, without hesitation, she held her Energy Trident and quickly followed Rayne onto the Island.

Half a minute later.

Reaching the center of the Island, Rayne turned and stopped, facing the Sea Goddess Hela.

"Finally stopped running? Do you think that since we're not on the sea, I can't freely change my form?"

Hela, after half a minute of pursuit, had calmed down and believed she understood Rayne's intention. Her thin lips curled slightly in a mocking smile.

"At least it won't be as unfair as on the sea."

Rayne gently placed Menya, who had exhausted herself and transformed back into human form, behind him, protecting her.

"Tsk tsk, really? I hope you truly believe that."

Hearing Rayne's words, Hela laughed.

At that moment, Rayne and Menya also noticed the vibrations coming from the Island's ground. From the four directions—north, south, east, and west—four more hundred-meter-tall forms of the Sea Goddess Hela marched in.

Hela had manipulated a massive amount of seawater to create five avatars, surrounding Rayne and Menya from all sides!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end