Chapter 185: Arrival · Request

“Why isn’t it Flame?!”

Under the close-range shot of the hand crossbow, the attacker, whose strength was close to the Grand Knight level, dodged the first two bolts. However, facing the last unavoidable arrow, he roared with a hint of unwillingness.

Undoubtedly, in his plan, Dean, facing the gap he had finally revealed, would definitely use the power of ‘Flame’ to buy enough time to activate [Giant Transformation]. He could then use the [Fire-Proof Ring] on his body to temporarily resist the flame and launch a ‘perfect’ attack on Dean, who was in the process of activating [Giant Transformation].

Pfft!

The arrow from the hand crossbow pierced into the opponent’s chest. Without the obstruction of a breastplate, a bloody hole immediately appeared on the opponent’s chest, and fresh blood gurgled out.

However, the opponent did not give up and was still struggling to get up.

But the potion on the arrow brought death swiftly.

[XP+80]

A white ball of light representing experience flew out from the opponent’s body. Dean walked over and checked the opponent’s corpse—

Hidden under the mask was an ordinary, pale face, completely consistent with the selection strategy of the Dark Hall of the Divine Church. Looking at the unwillingness in the opponent’s eyes, Dean smiled coldly.

“The way of the Assassin is to catch people off guard—the display of ‘Flame’ and ‘Giant Transformation’ made you remember these, but you forgot simpler methods!”

Dean muttered to himself, picking up the two items found on the opponent—

[Poisoned Longsword]

[Type: Standard Longsword]

[Weight: 1.7kg]

[Length: Blade length three feet six inches]

[Special Effect: Standard Poison]

[Standard Poison: After effectively attacking the opponent, within the next fifteen seconds, the opponent must make a poison check (Constitution related—own Constitution (-0.2-0.3-0.4)-2.5>0) every three seconds. If failed once, Strength and Agility -0.3; if failed three times, the opponent’s Life Force will be reduced by 40%]

[Description: When forging this longsword, some mixed snake venom was added to it, and it was branded onto the blade using magical means]

[Note: Such longswords are the favorite of assassins and killers]

[Fire-Proof Ring]

[Type: Ring]

[Weight: 4g]

[Specification: Normal human range]

[Special Effect: Defense against Flame (Remaining: 1)]

[Defense against Flame: Creates a force field protecting oneself from flame invasion within three seconds. It cannot defend against magical flame damage above 5 points (each point of damage is treated as a full-strength blow from a Knight)]

[Description: This ring can only be useful in special occasions; most of the time, it is just an ornament]

[Note: If you forget to wear it because it is an ornament most of the time, you will definitely regret it when you are wrapped in flames]

……

Both items were good Magic Items, especially that [Poisoned Longsword], which Dean liked quite a bit—when hiding his identity, using the [Light Sharp Knight Sword] would obviously expose his identity, while using a standard-level longsword would undoubtedly lower his combat power a bit.

And now, the [Poisoned Longsword] obviously made up for this.

As for the [Fire-Proof Ring]?

Just like the final note, there was nothing wrong with wearing it on his body.

Whoosh!

After putting away the two Magic Items, a flame appeared in Dean’s hand and was thrown straight onto the opponent’s body—the opponent’s corpse quickly turned scorched yellow and withered in the flame. After the three-second duration passed and the flame extinguished, Dean drew out his longsword and hacked wildly at the opponent’s corpse.

Destroying the corpse to eliminate traces.

This was obviously the best method for preserving one’s own secrets.

Afterward, Dean began to stack the crossbows neatly in the carriage. Obviously, the two-person carriage could not hold more than forty crossbows, but the roof and one side door overturned during the previous battle helped Dean a lot, allowing him not to worry about the capacity problem.

However, the weight problem was something Dean had to care about.

At least, those breastplates on the corpses were absolutely impossible for Dean to take away.

Glancing at the breastplates on the battlefield again, Dean did not sit on the carriage but let the two horses pull the already overweight carriage forward, while Dean followed alongside.

Regarding the matter of asking for an extra horse, Dean once again expressed a sigh of relief.

Otherwise, he would definitely have been one of the ones pulling the carriage.

……

Night fell again, and the cold wind began to wreak havoc across the entire Tier Territory.

Dean’s footsteps had stepped onto the land of Tier Territory the previous moment, and he encountered the Baron’s Guard Captain and his deputy who came to welcome him.

“Dean!”

“Regiment Commander!”

Leading a team of soldiers, the two who had been wandering on the border of the Tier Territory immediately shouted when they saw the carriage.

“Guard Captain Allenor, Huck!”

Dean responded, then spoke directly to Huck: “Take our lads to the place where we encountered the attack last time. There are still some trophies I didn’t bring back—forty-eight steel breastplates, we can’t let them go cheap to the other guys!”

“Yes, Regiment Commander!”

When he heard ‘forty-eight’ steel breastplates, Huck, who had only returned a day earlier than Dean, immediately felt his spirits lifted, his fatigue swept away. He immediately turned his head and waved to the youngsters of the Ferrchelen Knight Order, saying: “Let’s go, get our trophies back!”

Watching Huck and his group whistling away, the Guard Captain was also very tempted, but in the end, he did not move his steps.

After all, these were Dean’s trophies.

Regarding the ownership of trophies, no one could make decisions on behalf of the person involved.

“Guard Captain Allenor, I will visit Baron Tier a little later!”

Dean pointed to the carriage behind him and his own clothes.

“Of course!”

The Guard Captain nodded immediately.

Afterward, after Dean recounted the general course of events, the Guard Captain could not help but suck in a breath of cold air. He looked at the shattered carriage, thinking about what the result would be if he faced such an assassination, and finally, the Guard Captain shook his head slightly.

Then, the way he looked at Dean changed.

Allenor would not doubt everything Dean said.

After all, Dean had no need to deceive him—the news that the opponent had self-awakened, as well as the talent of awakening [Giant Transformation] during Baptism, had already spread throughout the entire Tier Territory with the return of Lily Tier.

Future Gold-rank Expert.

The most powerful Knight-rank.

Such titles were enough to make anyone scrutinizing Dean convinced.

And in fact, this was what Dean needed.

Outside the Ferrchelen Knight Order, the Baron’s Guard Captain waited quietly, while the youngsters inside the Knight Order’s station let out bursts of cheers upon seeing their returned Regiment Commander—

“Mah, lead a few people to move these crossbows down and put them in the warehouse; I’ll move the things below myself!”

At the sound of Dean’s voice, the youngsters quickly went into action.

When the crossbows were placed into the warehouse one by one, the glass vessels below were gradually revealed, and the youngsters immediately slowed down their movements.

Anyone knew the value and fragility of glass vessels.

When Dean had properly handled those glass vessels for making potions and the wooden barrel containing the Corpse of Churde Defendi, ten minutes had passed.

Dean, having changed into a set of clean clothes, walked out with a longsword at his waist. He instructed a youngster to guard his room door and forbid anyone from entering. Then, Dean left with the prepared gifts and the Guard Captain who had been waiting for a long time—

“Your Excellency Allenor, a gift for you!”

Dean, sitting on horseback, handed over the gift belonging to Allenor.

“Mine?”

The Guard Captain was stunned, then grinned and took it, tearing open the packaging right in front of Dean and taking out the Dagger sold in the ‘Punk and Anna’ shop.

“Thanks, Dean!”

Feeling the sharpness and craftsmanship of the Dagger, the smile on the Guard Captain’s lips never faded, remaining like that until Dean entered Baron Tier’s room.

“Dean, welcome back!”

Baron Tier said with a smile.

“Some accidents happened on the road, sorry to have kept you waiting!”

Dean handed the remaining two gifts in his hand to the Attendant beside him, gave a special instruction, and then turned to face Baron Tier.

Obviously, compared to Allenor’s roughness, the process of giving gifts to the Baron and that Ikes was much more particular.

“Was it that guy Defendi?”

Baron Tier, who had a smile on his face, suddenly sank his expression—the repeated recounts after his daughter returned had already made Baron Tier view Baron Defendi as a life-and-death enemy.

“Part of it, the remaining part is not clear—the opponent’s skill was very good, close to the level of a Grand Knight!”

Dean nodded, giving a simple explanation.

“Grand, Grand Knight? Then, Dean, you didn’t… Dean, you must be fine, ‘Flame’, ‘Giant Transformation’, a future Gold-rank Expert!”

Baron Tier was stunned and asked subconsciously, but then he waved his hand with a self-deprecating smile.

“Potential does not equal strength, the future is always so uncertain!”

Dean said very seriously, causing Baron Tier, who was smiling self-deprecatingly, to be stunned again—before meeting Dean, Baron Tier had thought of countless possibilities, arrogant, overbearing, looking down on others, etc., Baron Tier had thought of them all; after all, a future Gold-rank Expert was enough to give Dean the qualification for such behavior.

But Dean had not changed at all.

His etiquette was thorough, his speech and demeanor were still as mature and steady as when they first met.

“Rest assured, Dean, I believe you will definitely become a Gold-rank Expert!”

Baron Tier said very affirmatively.

“Thank you for your well wishes, I have one more thing I need to request of you!”

After thanking him sincerely, Dean spoke slowly.

“What is it, speak! As long as it is not beyond my ability, I can agree!”

Baron Tier said with a smile, showing extraordinary generosity.

“I have a title, although only a Lord, I want to form my own guards—and being in the Tier Territory, I can only find them from the local youngsters, so, please agree!”

As Dean spoke, he performed a Knight’s Salute once again.