Heimarian Odyssey

Everyone and everything hidden in the knight’s vicinity was shocked by his aggressiveness. Everything had happened too fast and before the short-tailed crocodile could understand it was targeted, it was halved by a blinding glow of impetus. The mid-rank short-tailed crocodile monster was dead in the blink of an eye. Everything else felt chills down their spine. The knight’s presence overwhelmed everything weaker than him. His sheer power and obvious mana boost had triggered immense fear all around.

“Isn’t that him?!”

It was hard to miss the new presence, even for the Roland Sisters who were currently occupied by their battle. The unfamiliar knight had left behind a strong impression from when entering the Enchanted Forest Realm. Before the surrounding lifeforms could respond appropriately, the knight began a maddened killing spree.

A three-clawed macaque was beheaded before it could even use its innate magic; a lurking knight was annihilated just as he was about to offer his brooch; the caster hidden in the shadows witnessed the knight’s weapon piercing through his proud shield, before finally succumbing to his death after an angered yell. The knight was incredibly efficient; reaping a soul in fast intervals. But of course, that didn’t mean he was invincible.

The major monsters retaliated violently in a last-ditch effort. Similarly, casters would cast their most intense spells as the knights attacked with all their might. All of these had left significant damage on Locke. Even so, Locke’s solution was simple. He brought out vials and tubes of valuable potions and gulped them down without a single care in the world. Concoctions based on the potent life essence and Botanian essence were best for instantaneous recovery.

Thank goodness for this armour, thought Locke as he felt a dull ache in his left chest. A rock elemental had punched his chest hard and if the enchanted armour plate hadn’t cushioned the impact in time, his heart and lungs would’ve been in bad shape.

Upon realising that the rock elemental remained unfazed despite his heavy attacks, Locke brought out four scrolls of different elements, which were tossed onto the elemental. The clash of four elements triggered a series of explosions, immediately blasting the elemental into clouds of dust. The only mark of its existence was a small mustard-coloured crystal on the burnt ground. He’d used scrolls frequently enough to master its utilisation; Locke was now well informed about the different combinations necessary for his desired effect.

Only the competent ones would dare to plan an ambush. There weren’t many quasi-rank elites in the realm but their numbers weren’t so few that they completely vanished after they scattered in random directions.

A caster watched Locke slaughter everything from three metres under the ground. His expression turned gloomy after Locke dispatched the short-tailed crocodile with a direct hit. When the stranger deflected his trajectory to kill an ambushing three-clawed macaque, the caster snapped out of his daze. When Locke drove his longsword into the chest of a high-rank knight hiding among the bushes, dread clawed at the caster’s mind.

He watched the rock elemental guardians stationed by Mermerri’s Cottage get destroyed by his spell scrolls, and it was then that he realised that it was high time to run. The caster unleashed a blast of mana and ran as fast as his powers could take him.

The quasi-Magister began zooming away with a flight spell as the troubled lifeforms nearby watched on helplessly. While he knew that he could defeat the knight’s targets as well, he was fully aware that he could never achieve such effortlessness. The knight was formidable and more than capable of emerging into the top ranks.

Surprisingly, the knight’s intensity wasn’t the last straw; the quasi-Magister was stupefied by the sheer number of scrolls the knight seemed to possess. The impact generated by the respective scrolls was close to the full extent of the caster’s power. The caster knew that his lithe body stood no chance against its violence even with multiple layers of mana shields.

“Did he empty all the high-rank mana scrolls in Krimea City?!” The caster cussed as he flew away. If casters were stereotyped as wealthy intellectuals, the knight might as well be a rich tyrant. It was apparent that the knight possessed wealth that was several times more intense than the top casters of the Krimea Mermerri branch.

Mid and high-rank monsters fell victim to the onslaught while quasi and base-rank lifeforms scurried away. The emergence of the peculiar knight had disrupted the delicate balance along the shallow river. No one could’ve anticipated his presence.

The Roland Sisters halted their chanting to study the knight. Unlike the quasi-Magister, they were confident enough to stand their ground. The crab-clawed alligator slipped into a frightened daze as it watched the knight wipe everything out. While its brain was small, it too understood that it was high time to flee. It was already suffering from the three casters’ onslaught and now that an overwhelmingly powerful knight had joined the scene, the alligator was destined to die. 

It backed away carefully towards the centre of the river. The waters weren’t exactly as shallow as they may appear. Unbeknownst to the crowd, there were a few underwater canals hidden underneath. As long as it could make its way there, the crab-clawed alligator would live to see another day.  

Unfortunately, the three female casters had noticed its attempt. They quickly cast a spell that formed into webs, effectively blocking off the alligator’s path. The monster was growing desperate; it threw itself against the net but it just wouldn’t budge. It burnt and scalded its tough shell even.

“Don’t mind me! Just resume your battle, I’m not here to sabotage you!” Locke said to the three female casters that hovered above the water. Regardless of whether they trusted him, Locke was fully intent on keeping his word. He spat at his palm guard and rubbed his hands, the calcareous structure on the armour’s surface eliciting harsh creaks.

“Alright, you’re next!” The knight approached a whimpering wolf, who clattered at the sight of him. A fresh nucleus core and a great point boost awaited him.