In the old movies, the police would always arrive late. The plays and novels about the knight orders in charge of security were the same as well.In the epics of these legendary heroes, the allies of justice would always only arrive after a battle. It is doubtful whether they had been squatting by the corner of a wall and rushed out to bootlick the victor only after the battle had concluded. Or perhaps, they could have been waiting for an ideal moment to pop out for the spoils of war.
At this moment, the Seafolk army who arrived late had been met with some trouble.
Interfering in a battle between two normal SemiG.o.ds would lead to one"s death, let alone that the both of them weren"t normal SemiG.o.ds. Even those who were spectating were at risk and had to remain vigilant at all times. After a few Sea Giants who tried to help had perished to the sharp wind created by the sword and Dragon Breaths, no one was foolish enough to enter the fray and help (commit suicide).
The clash between the Forbidden Spells was earth-shattering. The voice of "Emperor Yongye" which resounded through the entire city; the mountain-like Hydra who fell to the ground; the apparition of the black skeleton king who covers the sky; the snow and ice of the surroundings; and the radiance from the Dragon Breath. If one could miss the sight and sound of all these, they could very well be deaf and blind.
The fall of the Hydra struck fear in the hearts of the Seafolk. Strictly speaking, this leader of the Seafolk wasn"t considered as a Seafolk. Rather, he was a Sea Monster of the deep sea as well as the beloved pet of the Queen of the Storms.
He only came to help under the will of the G.o.ds. He was caught in the battle out of sheer coincidence and died in it unexpectedly. This was beyond the expectation of the G.o.ddess. This was bound to result in a series of chain reactions. First and foremost, it would be difficult to appease the rage of the Queen of the Storms.
This ambitious Queen of the Storms may not be well-known on the continent, but her reputation had spread far and wide in the ocean and among the fishermen. She is famous for her violent temper, being irrational, her fickle-mindedness and unforgiving nature.
The Queen of the Storms had been eyeing the Jurisdiction of an Avenger for a long time. Her propensity to hold grudges made her a troublesome foe to deal with. If it wasn"t for the fact that she just took a heavy blow from destroying her own avatar, she might have already sent down another avatar to seek vengeance.
For the Seafolk who would then become victims of her rage, capturing the offender and offering him as a blood tribute would be a wise decision. However, it was a pity that due to the clash of the Forbidden Spell, the flow of the river had been stopped. The surrounding flood had been reduced to ice, causing the Seafolk distress, given that most of them were unable to leave the water.
After all, they are the sons and daughters of the sea, not children of the snow. Those who were in proximity to the clash had been sealed solid in the water, while those who were a distance away found it unbearable to step foot onto the layer of ice.
In response to the current summer season of Auland, the Seafolk who came are mainly those from warmer regions. Being cold-blooded and thinly-clothed, they were exceptionally sensitive to the weather. On the other hand, the Water Elementals were capable of pa.s.sing through the frozen river. However, the moment they came into contact with the core regions of the clash, they were frozen solid in large groups from the overwhelmingly low temperature.
This is the result of a Forbidden Spell which had a low level of completion. If the complete Ice Aeon were to show itself to the world, the City of Rain would immediately go to waste, leaving a mark in history. After all, the previous few appearances of the Ice Aeon had caused the destruction of some certain cities or a certain kingdom, all having been recorded as important historical events.
Even though it is only to this extent this time, I still feel a splitting headache from it. The re-emergence of this trademark Forbidden Spell means that the news of the reappearance of Emperor Yongye would soon spread across the entire world. Perhaps, the only thing that could be refuted would be that it wasn"t Emperor Yongye himself but his successor. However, one thing for sure was that the words of the Hydra were bound to bring about new trouble.
Of course, it was also thanks to this incomplete Ice Forbidden Spell that I didn"t freeze myself over and am not bathing in the River Styx at this moment.
[Your contribution for the hunt of the SemiG.o.d Nine-headed Dragon Emperor Fioras is 89%, above the 80% basic requisite. Given the vast difference between the Hydra and you and the perfect elimination of the other party, you have been awarded with 16489 Fate Points, rankless Nine-headed Dragon Heart x1, Legend-tier Nine-colored Tear Stone x1, Legend-tier material Hydra Perfect Dragon Scale x4, Epic-tier material Hydra Superior Scales x32, Epic-tier material Hydra Tendon x7...]
[Due to the successful hunting of a SemiG.o.d giant Dragon, you have been awarded with the honorary t.i.tle "Dragon Slayer". After equipping the t.i.tle, your damage against all Dragons and the descendants of Dragons will be increased by 10%, the effectiveness of the Race Talent of Dragons will be reduced by 20% and your noteworthiness to the Dragon Tribe will be increased by 200%. This t.i.tle can be upgraded. —— System Notice: To upgrade the t.i.tle, the weakest Dragon you would have to hunt is Myth-tier Dragons. However, there would be additional bonuses if you hunt Immemorial Dragons.]
I ignore the vile advice of the System. Immemorial Dragons are capable of easily subduing Ancient Dragons like Molly. I would think twice before letting myself be in their bad graces even back then, when I was at my pinnacle. Although this is a hard-to-come-by t.i.tle that comes with buffs, the difficulty in upgrading it is much too high.
Looking at the numerous rewards I obtained via the System Notice, I am quite satisfied with the gains.
As expected of an ancient being who had lived through countless ages, the Hydra was indeed filled with treasures. As for the 89% contribution, I was initially taken aback upon seeing it. However, when I thought about it, it did make sense. If I didn"t contribute to the battle, this dragon hunt could not have ended in a victory in any other way.
Before the clash between Forbidden Spell, the Hydra, who was adept in regeneration, was already in his complete state. If it wasn"t for my Ice Aeon, the Hydra would not have torn away six of its heads to gain control of his Dragon Breaths to counter it. The clash between the Forbidden Spells had severely wounded him, destroying another two of his heads. Only then was it possible for the Hydra, who only had a single head left, to be killed.
The negative debuffs as a result of the aftermath of having his source of water frozen proved much more effective than the Dragon Sealing Chains, locking the Hydra"s regeneration ability directly. He was then forced to use the final remaining bit of his life force to forcefully regrow his physical body, which revealed the chance for the Dwarves to destroy him in the end.
While the risks were great, the rewards were incredible as well. Previously, I was on the verge of tears while looking at the zero skill points remaining on the System panel, as well as the messy Ice Magic skill tree which had skill points thrown into it. However, the rewards that I have reaped were sufficient to make up for my losses.
The System might be unreliable, but it still obeys the basic principle of hard work being proportional to reward. It is impossible for the Sea Monster who doesn"t don armor to drop any equipment, thus the System made up for it with a large sum of Fate Points and precious materials.
With these points, I am able to pull myself up into the thirties (Bronze-rank). On the other hand, it seems possible for Reyne to reach Gold-rank... Now that I slightly calculate it, I realized that I have been scammed once again. The difficulty of growth for Reyne is probably a few dozen times easier than me. By the time I reach Gold-rank, she would already be Myth-rank.
[System Notice: The regeneration ability of a Nine-headed Dragon could already cause you so much trouble despite fighting in a non-oceanic battlefield, where it is unable to exert his full prowess, and that after he is fatigued after getting thrashed for more than an hour by the Dragon Slayer. Are you sure that you want to challenge these immortals using your human form? If you"re sure, please enable physical body exchange. The System will offer you a great bargain, just 2000 points.]
Of course not, how silly would I have to be to give up the Double Diamond physical body that I worked hard to attain in exchange for a mere unranked human physical body which has significantly lower upper limits.
"Denied, absolutely denied. So what if my growth rate is slow? It is all worth it as long as I grow powerful in the end."
[Warning: The Queen of the Storms has marked you. If there isn"t a need, please do not approach coastal areas and, even more so, do not enter the sea. ——Of course, if you insist, you can try to kill other Sea Monsters and true G.o.d"s avatars. As long as you are in the sea, I can guarantee you that the rewards will be better than this.]
The Queen of the Storms marking me as a target for vengeance is within my expectations. To tell the truth, given my understanding of that person, it is bizarre for her not to send an avatar now at this very instant. As for challenging the ma.s.sive Sea Monsters and the Storm G.o.ddess in the sea? My suicide tendencies are not that advanced yet.
[Warning: The reappearance of Emperor Yongye has piqued the attention of the Elven G.o.ds. Please do not draw any more attention to yourself or enter the Elven Churches. Otherwise, you get it. ——To those vindictive long-ears, the destruction of the Elf Kingdoms seem as though it had just happened yesterday. I wonder if you feel a chill down your back occasionally, as though you have been cursed. Truthfully, your name has been carved on voodoo straw dolls, and they are selling like hotcakes.]
[Warning: The G.o.d of Holy Light has decreed for his wors.h.i.+pers to investigate the existence of the Undead Emperor. Once his existence has been verified, G.o.d Envoys and Heroic Spirits will be sent to the mortal world to pursue them. ——Due to the onset of the Sacred War, the G.o.d of Holy Light has heightened his awareness. It seems that this G.o.d Power Regulation System is still in good working condition. However, I believe that you wouldn"t really think of challenging the Heroic Spirit Holy Knights. Don"t think that Dragon Slayers are the very pinnacle of Heroic Spirits. In the long annals of history, there are countless heroes. Among them, there are a couple of them whom even true G.o.ds fear.]
[Warning: The War G.o.d whom the Beastmen wors.h.i.+p, to your existence, is...
[Warning: The Smiling Sisters, to your existence is...
Should I say that I have had my fair share of radiance? Given my notoriety, the moment I reveal some signs of my existence, the attention of a bunch of big bosses appear on my System Notice, leaving me stunned.
"Darn it, the Sacred War has just barely started and their attention is focused on us? This will be troublesome."
[Notice: The G.o.ddess of Moonlight has expressed some goodwill towards you and gifted Bastlar to the Heroic Spirit Hall of the G.o.d of Law. Due to your hard work, Wumianzhe has gained his first Heroic Spirit. Wumianzhe will probably reward you soon. Please work harder in poaching personnel.]
The G.o.d of Law Wumianzhe has already became a G.o.d Power Regulation System. Going by normal logic, there is a need to reward wors.h.i.+pers who made great contributions to the faith. The rationale behind his action is easy to comprehend. On the other hand, the G.o.ddess of Moonlight didn"t get angry at losing a Heroic Spirit. On the other hand, she expressed her goodwill through Heroic Spirit Bastlar. That makes me at a loss.
However, this isn"t the moment to be thinking about such stuff. The Ice Aeon that I cast isn"t complete and the ground will soon thaw. When the army of Seafolk comes charging in, I would have to start considering what I should inscribe on my tombstone.
We should make use of this opportunity when they had yet to catch a clear view of us to hide in the secret base. That would be wisest decision at the moment.
When the remaining Eagle a.s.sault Wars.h.i.+ps landed, the others quickly rushed up the s.h.i.+ps. On the other hand, Reyne seems to have some other plans. She rides her mount into the distance and her destination seems to be the fragmented dragon head.
"What is that la.s.s doing?"
Helpless, I could only follow her to take a look. However, the moment I close in on her, I got the shock of my life.
Reyne had rushed to the open wound of the dragon head and was just about to touch the flowing dragon blood.
"You idiot, that cannot be touched! Are you seeking death?"
Frightened by my furious roar, Reyne felt indignant.
"But the knight novels always say that bathing in the dragon"s blood would allow one to become impenetrable by any weapons? Furthermore, one would gain absolute strength. It can"t be that those books would lie?"
I am a little speechless. I immediately erase the thoughts of allowing her to rapidly advance into Gold-rank. I thought that her performance previously was not bad, but it seems that she is still the same rascal who lacks common sense. The stronger a rascal becomes, the more trouble they bring you. I better slow down her growth a bit.
"Have you ever thought if those who wrote those novels have seen a true dragon before? That is poisonous blood! It can corrode stones! Do you think you are tougher than a stone?"
"But that person survived! Even now, he is still absorbing dragon blood."
"That person?"
Following the direction where Reyne"s finger is pointing towards, a mortally wounded person lied in the midst of the poisonous blood. His current state is terrible, but from the look of the rhythmic motion of his diaphragm, he seems to still be alive.
"Marsolit?"
Yes, that is the Blood Mage Emperor Marsolit, who was treated as a s.h.i.+eld for the Hydra. That attack of the Dragon Slayer had attained the very pinnacle of the Concept of Dragon Slaying. Yet, in the midst of doing so, it didn"t pose any additional threat towards targets who were non-dragon. Marsolit, whose chest was pierced through, didn"t die on the spot.
Hovering between life and death due to excessive loss of blood, he could only instinctively absorb blood for his survival. At this very moment, the only blood present in this battlefield was the poisonous blood of the Hydra.
Marsolit is no longer in the form of a human. The right of his body has been corroded by the poisonous blood into disgusting lumps of flesh while the left of his body is frozen in ice. If it wasn"t for the frost on his left protecting his heart and various important organs, he would be long dead. Even so, the condition of the left of the face is completely different from the right, creating a sight that compelled one to avert one"s gaze.
If we leave him here like this, he would die eventually. Even if we choose to save him, his body is filled with poisonous blood such that even the best Priest in the whole of Auland would probably be unable to treat him. He would still die in the end. After hesitating for a moment, I make my decision.
"Bring him along. I am probably the only one in the entire world who can save him."
A few minutes later, in the midst of the strong wind and rain, the Eagle Wars.h.i.+p flies into the secret base. By the time the Seafolk rush to the scene, the only thing that is left is the gigantic corpse of the Hydra.
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Arlodante is a very small neutral country on the continent"s southwest. The country consists of only around a dozen cities and most of its population is concentrated in its capital, Arlo. However, no one would think of it as a small country.
The Mages" Country, Country of Magic and Superpower Without City Walls. These are the more well-known t.i.tles of Arlodante, as well as facts commonly agreed upon throughout the continent.
This is a heaven for Mages. Not just for the commonly seen Elemental Mages in the continent, but Mages of Divine Art, Seers, Warlocks and Dark Mages are also gathered here. There are also private research facilities for Necromancers and Blood Mages, who are the public enemy of the continent. As long as they don"t overdo it, the country"s governing body would simply turn a blind eye to them.
Around 1% of its entire population are spellcasters. Even though 90% of them are rookies who can"t even be considered as disciples of magic, compared to the other countries, they have a more than 100 times ratio of Mages that become useful a.s.sets.
It is the sacred land of all Mages. By the way, the 2nd generation Roland also trained here previously and even went to school. This is where he met Harloys.
There are n.o.bles in this country, but the n.o.bles do not hold privileges as compared to the civilians. In this country, true authority is held in the hands of the spellcasters.
The atmosphere of academics is very strong here. Countless spellcasters study and grow here and the number of Mage Organizations here are innumerable. Only the wisest and strongest Mage are allowed to possess their personal experiment lab in the Floating City "Cloud Tower".
The true authority over the decision-making of this country belongs to the 18 strongest Mage Organizations in the Cloud Tower. The individual masterminds of these organizations then created a council termed as the "Truth Symposium". The name may not sound authoritative, but even the small kids in Arlodante know that the members of the Symposium are the ones who hold true power over the governance of the country.
At his moment, in a hotel in Cloud City, a young man and woman, seemingly a couple, are complaining to one another. Of the two of them, the female is one of the hottest new stars in Arlodante.
"The previous time, it was Battle Mage Hilton from the "Sword of Order", and this time, it is one of the top ten Mage Mentor of the Red Sea Conference. This is the sixth time this month. Adam, do you intend to bash every single spellcaster in the Cloud Tower at least once?"
"Margaret, it was really an accident. The fool said right in front of me that those who came from the Underground World are a group of barbarians. Thus, I showed him the wrath of barbarians."
"Wait, it"s a him? I am talking about Mage Mentor Amelia, she is a female."
"Oh oh oh, I recall now. Yesterday, I drank too much and accidentally kicked a horned Wyrm. To think that little b.a.s.t.a.r.d would dare to bite me... In the end, after I was done thras.h.i.+ng it, I realized that it was someone"s Magic Pet. Thus, I got into an argument with its owner."
The expressionless Margaret props up her gla.s.ses as a cold glint flashes on it. This was a habitual movement of hers when she was enraged. It is often a premonition that someone is going to meet with misfortune. And so, Adam, who got into trouble, immediately takes a step backwards in fright.
"There is only one person with a Horned Scorpion Dragon in the entirety of Arlo, and that is Great Summoner Fendi from Blue Tower. His mentor is my friend. Adam, tell me the truth, how many fights have you got into this month?"
Facing Margaret"s interrogation, Adam seems like a grade schooler who feels embarra.s.sed getting reprimanded after committing a mistake. Adam lowers his head solemnly as Margaret shakes her head in response.
"Silence won"t solve the problem. Tell it to me straight, some things would have to be settled sooner or later. I still hold quite a bit of seniority here, so they should probably let it slip on my account. Hmph, given how you would feel embarra.s.sed by this, it seems like you are maturing."
"Wait, I am almost done counting. The one in the bar two nights ago, forty-seven. The one in the restaurant two days ago, forty-eight..."
So, it seems that he didn"t lower his head due to embarra.s.sment. He was busy counting with his fingers the number of fights he had got into. Margaret realizes that she has underestimated the thickness of Adam"s skin once again.
Even though she is almost numb to this after being tortured by the unreliable nature of Roland and Adam in the long period of time they had been together, the Margaret who usually deals with trouble calmly begins choking in anger.
"It has only been seven days this month and you have already fought almost fifty battles! Are you really intending to bash the face of every single spellcaster?! How do you expect me to walk with my head held high like that?"
"Aren"t you going to be promoted to a Truth Overseer? It has been spreading furiously throughout the streets and alleys. That is the highest executive of the country, and I am still intending on using your name to feed myself. The man of a Truth Overseer, how impressive it would be when I boast about it to the others."
Truth Overseer is the non-official t.i.tle for members of the "Truth Symposium". Becoming one of the members of the symposium means to become one of the few who holds ultimate authority in Arlodante.
At this moment, the Great Saint who is about to wield ultimate authority has a face of helplessness. She stares fixedly at the man who claims to want to rely on her for his own image, wanting to lash out at him but has no idea where she should start from.
"I refused."
"Ah? Why did you refuse? That is such a pity. I won"t be able to eat for free like that."
Despite his words indicating overt regret, Adam"s face has a smile which said that he expected it. From the very start, he knew that Margaret would make such a choice.
"In the end, I was dragged down by you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Roland might not be reliable, but the words that he speaks of earnestly has to be taken seriously and carefully. If so many things are to happen in the future, what meaning would there be for me to stay here? Besides, I have already said that which should be said to my old friends. I am already tired of dealing with those petty little problems."
Rejecting the position of ultimate authority in a country is almost equivalent to dumping away a source of trouble. To Margaret, authority is only an obstruction and burden. She would have to spend a large portion of her time on administrative affairs. A Truth Overseer may seem to be a position of great glory, but there isn"t too much of a difference between a Truth Overseer and a busy administrative official.
"Three hours ago, the latest information has arrived from east Eich, saying that they have found traces of Emperor Yongye"s Forbidden Spell, Ice Aeon, and that they hope for specialists to be sent to ascertain it. There are a few Truth Overseers who view this information with utmost concern and have sent their trusted aides to investigate the matter."
"Less than half a year has pa.s.sed and Roland has already stirred up trouble. That is quick. Then, is it considered as my victory?"
Margaret nods her head in frustration. Who would have expected that he would be revealed so swiftly?
On their way here, Margaret made a bet with Adam on whether Roland would be able to stay out of trouble for a year. Apparently, the victory went to Adam, who knew Roland better.
"Un? You have already packed your luggage? Where did you get your news from?"
"Two days ago, I received a letter from that fellow. It contains a bunch of nonsense about how he has been well recently, and how he has been popular among females recently, even finding quite a few beautiful girlfriends. Judging from how the fellow only talked about nonsense, how there isn"t even an iota of realism in his bragging, he has obviously met with some trouble lately and requires help. It is rare to see that fellow lowering his head to seek help. Thus, I had been happy these few days and celebrated for a bit."
"Your way of celebration is to beat up pa.s.sers-by? Forget it, it is all my fault. Bringing you here was a mistake of mine. Anyway, I have finished conveying my messages and it is about time to leave. Right, the one to lead the team to east Eich is Mage Mentor Amelia, un, the one whom you beat up. We will be travelling along with them."
"That... Can you find another crew? That woman is a little scary."
"You have indeed recalled her, but yet you chose to pretend that you aren"t aware of it. What did you do? How did you make the kind Amelia get so angry?"
"... I mocked her pet, saying that it is too weak, incomparable to Roland"s. In the end, she said that she wanted to use me as an ingredient for her new creation. Thus, I beat her up."
"If you just mocked her, she probably wouldn"t have been provoked. Even as an ex-Truth Overseer, she is well-known for her amiable temper. As for using you as an experiment ingredient, I can"t imagine such words coming from her."
"That... I only mocked her after trying my hands on those little fellows of hers. Who knew that those little fellows are so brittle, falling apart instantly. They are much inferior in comparison to those fellows in the Undead District."
"That is to say, you ruined Amelia"s experimental creations? No wonder she is so furious. However, even if just on my account, she wouldn"t say such vicious words. Although her field of expertise is a little hard for normal humans to accept, she is third in the "Mage who I want as my girlfriend" poll. Furthermore, she was already a teacher even when I was still an apprentice. Back then, she was already well-known for her cordial disposition. No matter what, she doesn"t seem like a crazy Mage who would say such words."
After pondering for a moment, a look of realization appears on Adam"s face.
"...Back then, the moment I mentioned that Roland"s creations are much stronger than hers, she became very agitated. Afterwards, she immediately started hurling insults. She even shrieked "Roland? You mean that useless fool who can"t even cast Snowstorm? The thief who stole all my research data? The scamming b.a.s.t.a.r.d whom I insult ten thousand times every single day?"."
"That Roland? Could it be an overlap in their names?"
"I don"t think that there is anyone other than that Roland who can turn a smiling and gentle lady into a frenzied shrieking woman with just his name. Furthermore, I looked through the graduation portraits of that year and I can confirm that it is that Roland."
"Why didn"t you say so earlier? If so, it would be hard to reject her. Aren"t we bringing Roland trouble this way? As an ex-Truth Overseer, Amelia isn"t easy to deal with."
"Heh, how difficult can rejection be? We can just sneak off. Besides, judging from how happily you are smiling, you are probably waiting for him to make a fool of himself."
"Aren"t you smiling as well? Are you that happy that you can pull one over on him?"
The two people chat as they walk along the street. Under the setting sun, their shadows extend for a very long distance. In the alley by the side, a female cloaked in a mantle is leaning against the wall, staring at the two of them.
"Indeed, you all know the whereabouts of Roland. I definitely won"t let you all get away. This time, I will get my revenge! Darned Roland, darned Roland, darned Roland..."
The stalker-like lady bites on her finger while frenziedly cursing Roland. She is oblivious to the fact that the skin on her finger had torn from the biting and fresh blood is flowing out from the wound. The look of her cursing frenziedly bore no resemblance to what an idol of the crowd would look like. Even the most dangerous and vicious of the witches probably wouldn"t be as deranged as her.
"Lord Amelia?"
Amelia pauses for a moment before turning around. At this very moment, her face is one of a gentle and kind mentor.
"Good evening, students. Are you all here for a walk as well?"
From a certain viewpoint, her skill in changing faces has already reached the pinnacle. When the male students left happily with her signatures, she turns around and her face contorts back into resembling a frenzied witch once again.
"Darned Roland, darned Roland, darned Roland..."
Wyrm
->Using it as a word to refer to an inferior species of Dragon