"Fenglang, fight to the death without retreat!"
The deafening battle cry exploded in the depths of Raine’s consciousness. In an instant, he felt as if he were standing in the center of the Unyielding Hall, personally experiencing the tragic final battle that led to the fall of the Crown of Grey Rock.
Inside the massive fortress hall, flickering firelight intertwined with the surging Arcane Radiance, casting the shadows of countless figures locked in a desperate struggle onto the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood, so dense it was almost suffocating.
The black, tide-like Demon Army was frantically pouring in through the shattered stone doors. They came in various monstrous forms, shrouded in faint black mist. The bodies of many Demons were covered in sickening mutations. Some had Sen Bai Bone Spikes bursting from their backs, while others sprouted extra claws from their shoulders. Some bore two howling heads, and others were covered in swollen, pus-filled tumors that constantly ruptured as they moved, spilling corrosive liquid that hit the stone floor with a SIZZLE.
"Don’t let them breach the second line of defense!" a burly Centurion wielding a Giant Axe roared hoarsely. Before his voice could fade, his Giant Axe came down with the thunderous force of a storm, decapitating a juvenile Earth Dragon. Dark red blood sprayed like a waterfall, splattering across the Shields of the surrounding soldiers.
Clad in Blue Pattern Armor and wearing Wolf Head Battle Helmets, the Sharp Wolf Soldiers formed a tight battle formation, their Shields raised like a wall. Whenever a Demon approached, Long Spears thrust out swiftly from the gaps, accurately piercing those twisted bodies and drawing out sprays of foul-smelling beast blood.
A Warg Mount covered in Bone Spikes roared and crashed into the shield wall. Taking the opportunity, two soldiers thrust their Long Spears from both sides, instantly piercing through its chest. However, the Demon remained incredibly resilient. Right before its death, it jerked its head back and bit cleanly through one soldier’s throat.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The muffled impacts of flesh and blood repeatedly slamming against the Shields made everyone’s hearts tremble. As the Demons rammed the line with increasing frenzy, the once rock-solid, dense formation began to falter. The screams of soldiers echoed one after another; as the front row fell, the back row immediately stepped up to fill the gaps without hesitation. Corpses and blood were continuously trampled by both friend and foe, turning the entire floor into a muddy, slippery mess.
Above the hall, the "Fenglang" battle flag still fluttered stubbornly amidst the smoke. Even though the fierce wolf head on the flag had been dyed crimson by the constantly splattering blood, it stood tall and unwavering—until a Bone Arrow shot crookedly through the air, piercing the young flagbearer’s throat. The flagbearer clutched his spurting neck and slowly collapsed, but the tilting flag was immediately and steadily caught by another pair of bloodstained hands.
Raine’s Perception quickly focused on the past life of the Bear Goblin skeleton in front of him. Back then, it still had flesh and blood. Its bulging, muscular body was covered in scars as it opened its massive, fang-filled maw and unleashed a frenzied roar. It swung a Warhammer coated in flesh and crushed bone, whipping up a foul wind with every strike.
BANG!
The Warhammer slammed ruthlessly into a Shield, instantly sending splinters flying and flesh spraying. Several Sharp Wolf Soldiers wailed as they were sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall before falling lifeless.
Just as the Bear Goblin roared triumphantly at its devastating blow and moved its thick hind legs to continue the slaughter, a silver-gray silhouette charged in from the flank! It was a Wolf Cavalry rider mounted on a massive, robust wolf. Leaning forward on his mount’s back, his War Axe gleamed with a chilling light. Harnessing the thunderous momentum of his charge, he viciously slashed at the unbridled Bear Goblin. The Bear Goblin was thrown directly to the ground by this heavy, forceful blow. Raine "saw" clearly that the sharp axe blade had violently torn through the Tough Fur and thick muscle at its right shoulder joint, biting deeply into the bone. The Bear Goblin let out an agonized roar and struggled to rise for a counterattack, but the Wolf Cavalry rider had already dashed far away with the momentum of his mount’s charge, leaving behind this deep scar that spanned across five hundred years of time.
His Perception receded like the tide, and the cold, damp air of the fortress enveloped Raine once more. This momentary flashback didn’t shake his resolve; instead, it allowed him to truly feel the bravery and absolute determination of the Sharp Wolf Soldiers from the past, causing the fighting spirit in his chest to boil over.
At this moment, the Bear Goblin skeleton’s Bone Claw slashed toward him with a shrill gust of wind, its decayed finger bones aiming straight for his face! Raine remained completely unfazed. Enhanced by Eagle Vision, his footwork shifted. In the exact instant he stepped sideways to dodge that fierce claw strike, he forcefully swung his sharp Dwarven Short Sword upward!
CRACK!
A crisp sound of breaking echoed. The Bear Goblin skeleton’s thick skeletal arm was cleanly severed, falling to the ground with a loud CLANG and kicking up a cloud of dust. Taking advantage of the brief stiffness the opponent suffered from the loss of its arm, Raine didn’t stop. The Short Sword in his hand traced a freezing arc, slashing toward its thick neck bones once again! There, a specific area was also shimmering with a faint light signifying vulnerability—it was the exact location of the fatal wound the Bear Goblin had received when it was alive!
Raine "saw" that back then, after the Bear Goblin had struggled up from the mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, it staggered along with two other accomplices, breaking through obstacles until they finally fought their way into this area. However, here, it met its final resistance. A wounded Sharp Wolf Soldier, wrapped in bloodstained bandages, charged at it with the resolve to die, violently driving a Broken Sword right through its roaring throat.
CRACK!
Another crisp snap, like a dead branch breaking, rang out. The Bear Goblin skeleton’s massive skull spun into the air. The faint blue Flames dancing in its hollow eye sockets instantly died out, like a candle snuffed by the wind. The headless skeleton stood frozen in place for a second before collapsing with a loud CRASH, completely scattering into a pile of lifeless, dry bones.
At the same time, several long-unseen lines of text clearly surfaced deep within Raine’s consciousness:
[You defeated the Demon: Skeleton Beast.]
["Skeleton Beast" has been recorded.]
[Your body has been enhanced: Perception +1.]
[You have learned the Skill: Wind-Seeking Piercing.]
[Current Demons recorded: 5]
[Next stage reward for Hunting Chapter: Reach 10 recorded Demons.]
A familiar warm current instantly rippled through Raine’s body. The fatigue born from continuous fighting and the use of Eagle Vision was washed away as if by a gentle stream. The soreness in his muscles and the tension in his nerves were significantly relieved, and his breathing became long and steady.
However, the most notable change came from the increase in his Perception!
Raine felt as if a thin veil had been lifted from his senses. The world became clearer than ever before. With every blink, the details his eyes could capture multiplied exponentially. The texture of the rocks on the distant walls, the drifting trajectories of dust motes in the air, and even the subtle color variations of light reflecting off his weapons—all of it seemed to be magnified.
The stale, mixed scents in his nose were now dissected into many more layers: the earthy smell of accumulated dust, the foul stench of bones, the cold sharpness of the stones, and even the faint, clean scent of soaplocust radiating from Kaelin. Finally, there was his hearing. He could even clearly distinguish the different rhythms of his own heartbeat and breathing from those of his teammates. Moreover, despite the thick stone door and the vast distance between them, he could actually faintly catch the sporadic sounds of knocking against stone coming from the direction of the Unyielding Hall.
This undoubtedly meant his environmental awareness had been elevated to an entirely new height.
"More importantly, I’ve also learned a brand new active attack method!" Raine thought. An uncontrollable surge of excitement swelled in his heart.
Combat Technique: Wind-Seeking Piercing!
This was a Sword Combat Technique, its essence direct and fierce. It did not rely on flashy feints or area-of-effect damage. Instead, it concentrated the body’s entire Power and speed into the very tip of the sword, seeking absolute penetration and a one-hit kill Effect. According to the information flooding into his mind, this Combat Technique carried impressive Armor-Breaking and Piercing traits, making it especially effective against Heavy Armor, thick hides, or certain Energy-based defenses!
Feeling the unique exertion techniques and the paths of Energy circulation required to execute Wind-Seeking Piercing deeply engraved into his muscle memory and the depths of his mind like innate instincts, Raine’s eyes shone brightly. This was exactly the Sword Combat Technique he had been longing for! With this powerful breakthrough method, combined with the precise weakness detection of Rival’s Perspective, his attacks would undoubtedly yield highly effective results!
"It seems the upcoming battles are going to be a lot more interesting," Raine thought. Feeling the brand-new Power surging within him, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he tightened his grip on the Short Sword in his hand.