https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-551-The-Secret-Within-the-Murals/13463211/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-553-Anomaly-at-Cologne-Cathedral/13463217/
Chapter 552: The Hidden Relic
Chapter 552: The Hidden Relic
"Please, no need for formalities." Elder Nysa bowed slightly, gesturing for Rayne to continue.
"What I want to ask is, do you have any knowledge about the Bane Fiend?" Rayne glanced around, ensuring that no one other than Anna and the others was present, before slowly asking.
"Bane Fiend?" Elder Nysa's usually serene and smiling face stiffened slightly, her beautiful eyes revealing obvious surprise. After a moment, she composed herself and said, "Your Majesty Rayne, could it be that you encountered the Bane Fiend?"
Elder Nysa's emotional fluctuation made Anna quite surprised.
After all, as one of the most powerful elders of the Elves, Elder Nysa had experienced countless storms, and it was rare for anything to ruffle her.
"Yes." Rayne thought for a moment, then nodded without hesitation.
Before Elder Nysa could ask more, Rayne continued, "I encountered it in a ruin within the Federation. It was quite troublesome."
"So it was in the Federation." Elder Nysa visibly relaxed. "The Bane Fiend hasn't been mentioned for a long time, but with the resurgence of the Energy Tide, its reappearance isn't surprising."
"I once read about it in our clan's ancient texts. Around ten thousand years ago, humanity had no unified empire; multiple kingdoms existed independently, and there were more churches of the righteous deities than there are now. They engaged in a decades-long fierce battle against the Eldritch Deity and the Bane Fiend."
"Ultimately, they seemed to seal the Bane Fiend and the Eldritch Deity using a relic. However, the use of that relic also caused the Energy Tide to enter a low point."
"Some of our clan's texts also recorded the prophecies of several sages at the time, which suggested that with the resurgence of the Energy Tide, the deities would awaken, and the Bane Fiend would reappear."
"Relic? Prophecy?" Rayne was clearly taken aback.
He had intended to understand the relationship between the Eldritch Deity and the Bane Fiend, but instead, he heard this new information.
"Yes, that's all I know." Elder Nysa nodded.
After a moment's thought, Rayne decided not to dwell on the relic or the prophecy. Most importantly, he needed to determine whether the relationship between the Eldritch Deity and the Bane Fiend, as depicted in the mural, was indeed adversarial.
"Elder Nysa, do you know the relationship between the Eldritch Deity and the Bane Fiend?" Rayne asked again.
"Perhaps, there are more detailed records in the Elves' ancient texts. If you have the time, Your Majesty Rayne, you might want to visit the Ferdinand Forest." Elder Nysa shook her head.
Rayne nodded, thinking for a moment, and decided to go there immediately. The main reason was that this matter needed to be clarified before he explored the Sky City Ruins again.
"Anna, how about I send you back to the Ferdinand Forest? I can also take the opportunity to look up some information."
"That's great, Rayne!" Anna's eyes lit up, and she immediately tightened her grip on Rayne's hand.
With the decision made, the group quickly made their way to the camp square. At this moment, Anna seemed to remember something and tugged at Rayne's sleeve, saying mysteriously, "Rayne, I can fly now."
"Fly?"
"Yes!"
Anna nodded vigorously, then let go of Rayne's soft, white hand and lightly leaped two steps. In the next instant, she vanished from her spot, and a large eagle with a wingspan of several meters suddenly appeared.
The eagle, with its sharp and familiar eyes, blinked at Rayne, then flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
"Druidic Shapeshifting, transforming into an eagle?" Rayne couldn't help but look up in surprise at the eagle circling above him.
He had seen this transformation long ago with Anna's aunt, Lady Delana, but he hadn't expected Anna to have mastered it as well.
It was said that learning this transformation was quite difficult and not easily mastered.
"Yes, Your Majesty Rayne. Anna is very diligent and hardworking in her studies, and with her talent, she has progressed very quickly. If we were to use the human wizard's level system, she is already a late-stage Liquefaction-level wizard."
Elder Nysa looked affectionately at Anna in the sky and explained to Rayne.
Rayne nodded in agreement. Anna's progress was indeed significant.
Although the Druids of the Elves did not have as detailed a classification of power as wizards, generally speaking, each new transformation ability represented a significant boost in strength.
Typically, mastering three or more transformations and corresponding combat techniques, along with several nature-based spells, would qualify one as a high-level Druid. Beyond that, one would be considered a Great Druid.
Soon, the eagle dove down and landed a few meters in front of Rayne, quickly transforming back into the charming and beautiful Elf maiden.
"Amazing! Anna, I didn't expect you to have mastered the eagle transformation. The last time I saw it was with Lady Delana." Rayne stepped forward, smiling, and took the girl's hand, praising her.
"Sure, although I still can’t match you, I’ll do my best", Anna replied, her heart as sweet as honey, and she smiled shyly.
"By the way, where’s Lady Delana?" Rayne suddenly remembered and asked.
Delana should have been with her sister, Dareen Hawkmoon, but Rayne hadn’t seen her.
" Aunt Delana is in charge of the others' return. She said she would visit you later to express her gratitude", Anna said softly.
"I see. Please tell Lady Delana that she’s too kind; it was my duty."
"Rayne, I heard from Lady Olena that you’ve made a pact with a dragon?" Anna couldn’t help but ask curiously.
On the airship, Olena had told her about it, but she hadn’t seen the dragon despite looking all around.
"Yes, look, it’s right there", Rayne smiled and nodded upward.
Following Rayne’s gaze, Anna saw a dark cloud in the distance rapidly approaching.
As the Wing of Madness, Methes, drew closer, Anna’s eyes, as well as those of Lady Delana and Elder Nysa, widened in awe. Anna’s mouth dropped open in shock.
"Wow, so big!" Anna exclaimed, her eyes wide as she watched Methes’ massive form land. "Rayne, why is your dragon so huge?"
"Your Majesty Rayne, if I’m not mistaken, your dragon companion is a Black Dragon of the Ancient Dragon tier?" Elder Nysa, having regained her composure, answered Anna’s question for Rayne.
"You’re very perceptive, Elder Nysa. That’s correct", Rayne smiled and nodded.
"Anna, you won’t need to transform into an eagle to travel this time. Come, my lady", Rayne smiled, bowed politely, and took Anna’s pale hand.
"Ah, but I heard that even the relatives of Dragon Knights are sometimes refused by their dragons", Anna, a bit flustered, covered her mouth with her other hand, half excited and half hesitant.
"Yes, that’s true for other Dragon Knights’ dragons, but not for Methes", Rayne patted Anna’s hand.
After all, his bond with Methes was established through the system, so there was no issue.
Sure enough, as Rayne finished speaking, the black mountain-like dragon slowly lowered its massive body, as if to make it easier for Anna to climb onto its back. This made Anna even more delighted.
Seeing the Ancient Dragon-tier Black Dragon obey Rayne so readily, Elder Nysa was deeply impressed.
She had dealt with Dragon Knights from the Dragon Empire more than once, and even those with dragons they had been bonded with for years didn’t always have such obedient companions.
Moreover, this Black Dragon was exceptionally powerful.
Soon, the Black Dragon Methes took off with Rayne and Anna on its back.
Elder Nysa and Dareen Hawkmoon exchanged glances and smiled.
"Though His Majesty Rayne is powerful, he’s still just a big boy with a kind heart."
"Look how happy they are together."
"Now you can rest easy, Dareen", Elder Nysa said to Dareen Hawkmoon, her former student, whom she knew well.
"Yes, I’m relieved. His Majesty Rayne is a good person and treats Anna well", Dareen nodded.
Her main purpose in coming along, besides thanking Rayne, was to observe how he and Anna interacted.
While Rayne had saved her, if he couldn’t make Anna happy, she wouldn’t have agreed to their relationship, given her own painful experiences and memories.
But seeing the genuine joy and affection between them, Dareen knew it was genuine, something very hard to fake.
Even if it were faked, it wouldn’t have fooled her or her teacher, Elder Nysa.
Next, the two of them, accompanied by Lady Olena, boarded the Bladesworn airship and headed toward Ferdinand Forest.
With his dragon companion Methes, Rayne and Anna only took a little over three hours to travel from the Ceridyl Plateau to Ferdinand Forest.
Although his arrival was unexpected, Rayne was warmly welcomed by the Elven elders, led by Elder Auben.
Declining the lengthy and enthusiastic welcome ceremony, Rayne explained his purpose and was quickly invited to the Elven library.
Even in the Elven library, there weren’t many ancient texts that mentioned the Bane Fiend, as the events were from long ago. Excluding the brief mentions, only a handful of texts had more substantial accounts.
Rayne spent just a few hours skimming through the texts, gaining a deeper understanding of the Vile Demon.
He could confirm two main points:
First, during the Middle Ages, several races led by the righteous gods engaged in a long and brutal war against the Eldritch Deity, behemoths, and Vile Demons. Despite their ultimate victory, the casualties were heavy. The Elves, for instance, began their migration to the Ferdinand Forest around that time, and most of the righteous gods were nearly wiped out. One of the few survivors was the Goddess of Monsoons and Oceans, who also wielded the mysterious relic.
Second, the relationship between the Vile Demon and the Eldritch Deity was indeed as the murals depicted—they were not allies and often fought each other. This second point was particularly important to Rayne.
"From this, it seems my plan to advance in the Sky City Ruins has a better chance of success", Rayne mused.
"As for that relic, it’s not something I should be worrying about now. Perhaps, after advancing to demigod, I can search for more clues."
With the information he needed, Rayne was in high spirits and decided to spend the limited time he had with Anna.
However, when he saw Anna in the garden, skillfully transforming into an eagle and a bear, he had an idea and smiled.
Not long after, Rayne brought a complete set of leather armor named 'Eagle Feather' to Anna. Unlike the Thornwood Coat and Moonlight Coat, this was a set of magical leather armor with special effects. It consisted of three pieces: shoulder guards, a chest piece, and leg guards. The main materials required were two Gale Owl Feathers, one set of Eagle Feathers, and eight pieces of tanned hide.
The most distinctive feature of the shoulder guards was the tall Gale Owl Feathers, which enhanced the eagle transformation, increasing both size and endurance. Therefore, it was only suitable for high-level Druids who had mastered the eagle transformation; for ordinary Druids, it would be a burden.
If Rayne hadn’t specialized in Elven Leatherworking, he might not have been able to make it, and without the core skill 'Elemental Tanning,' the 'Eagle Feather' set might not have been as effective.
Of course, the 'Eagle Feather' set was perfect for Anna at her current level.
"Wow! Rayne, is this the 'Eagle Feather' set? It’s so beautiful! Is it for me?" Anna was delighted.
While Anna’s status among the Elves would have made it easy for her to obtain such a set even without Rayne’s help, what she truly wanted was something made by her lover’s hands.
However, Anna knew how busy Rayne was, so she never thought to ask for it.
Thus, when she saw this unexpected gift, she was deeply moved.
"Of course. I hope you like it. Try it on."
"Okay!" Anna nodded enthusiastically.
A few minutes later, Anna, wearing the 'Eagle Feather' set, her unique Druidic aura radiating, walked gracefully to Rayne.
"Beautiful."
Before he could finish, a warm, soft touch covered his lips, and an Elven girl with a blushing face, taking the initiative for once, was in his arms.
(Here, the story skips a few scenes.)
Meanwhile, Olena’s Bladesworn airship had just arrived at the Ferdinand Forest.
"Wait, Darien, don’t go looking for Anna yet", Elder Nysa stopped Darien, who was about to head to the garden.
"Huh? Why?" Darien was puzzled.
"Young people are doing what they enjoy. Let’s not disturb them", Elder Nysa said with a smile.
Darien was taken aback, but then she understood and blushed. "In the garden...?"
The next morning, Rayne and Anna bid each other a tender farewell, mounted the Black Dragon Methes, and flew northward.
At that moment, Rayne seemed to recall something and pulled out the sealed letter Olena had given him. It was a map of the Caswys Province, with a red dot marked in the lower center, indicating the possible location of the Steel Dragon as told by Menya.
"Hmm? This location... it’s not far from the Beverly Mountains."
Rayne recalled the Wind Vulture Queen, 'Thunder Walker' Tryst, who had given him a hard time. If not for the Imperial Guardian Vokmar’s intervention, he might have been in serious trouble.
"However, my current strength is enough, but she’s known as ‘Thunder Walker’ for a reason—her speed is incredible. Even if I can’t defeat her, she can definitely escape."
"Moreover, according to reports, she’s been well-behaved and hasn’t taken advantage of Vokmar’s absence."
"Six months have passed, and it doesn’t matter if I wait another month. After I advance to Full Moon Wizard..." Rayne thought for a moment and shook his head with a wry smile.
"For now, let’s check out the Steel Dragon’s location first."
(End of Chapter)
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