Chapter 440 Soul Reaper
At the same time.
A suburban manor in the south of the imperial capital Tamriel.
The manor covers a large area, and the most eye-catching thing is its main building, which is an old castle.
The castle has three floors in total, not counting the watchtower. There are four circular arrow towers on the four corners, and a circle of battlements on the top of the arrow towers. It looks very defensive.
However, judging from the weeds in the cracks of the gray rock wall and the large patches of moss covering the surface, the castle should have been built a long time ago.
But in any case, it is not something that ordinary nobles can own such a rare castle manor in the suburbs of the imperial capital.
At this moment, on the top of the third floor of the castle, the second prince's butler, Earl Buchanan, was waiting for something with two teams of fully armed guards.
"My lord, look, that should be Lord Bostaf's airship, right?"
At this time, an attendant pointed to an airship that appeared in the distant sky and shouted excitedly.
Although there are many airships flying in the sky of the imperial capital, the style of the airship in front of us is still relatively rare.
The front and rear ends of its airbag are pointed ovals, and the whole airbag looks like a sharp date pit. The cabin hanging below is also shuttle-shaped. At the same time, there are as many as three propellers at the tail, providing strong thrust.
If Ryan was at the scene, he would be able to see at a glance that this design is actually to reduce air resistance and thus increase speed.
In fact, it is true.
This streamlined airship is actually designed for long-distance voyages.
"Yes, this is it." Buchanan narrowed his eyes, took a closer look, and his originally solemn face smiled.
Finally, I've waited for it.
If Bostaf doesn't come again, Ryan will probably be back soon.
Buchanan is afraid that he will regret it if he doesn't seize such a good opportunity.
A few minutes later, the airship slowly docked on the arrow tower in the northeast corner of the castle that served as a mooring point.
"Crack!"
As a sturdy steel boot stepped on the long iron gangway, the thick iron gangway actually made a sound of being overwhelmed and produced a noticeable concave deformation.
A sturdy figure who was obviously over four meters tall walked out of the cabin of the airship with a bent waist. This was a sturdy man wearing a huge iron shoulder guard and half-body leather armor.
There were several scratches of several centimeters on the iron shoulder guard, and there were several large holes in the leather armor. It should have been after a fierce battle, but there were no scars on the exposed skin.
"How did you do it? Double the thickness of the gangway next time!"
The scene of the gangway made Buchanan immediately whispered to the entourage beside him.
However, the next second, he greeted him with a smile on his face.
"Sir Bostaf, welcome back safely."
"You're welcome, Sir Buchanan." A low voice sounded from the other party's throat.
Although they could feel that the other party should have deliberately controlled his voice, the guards next to him still felt a buzzing in their ears, as if they heard thunder rolling in the distant sky.
"Crack! Crack!"
In just two steps, the other party walked up the nearly seven or eight-meter-long gangway, but he was holding a long cylindrical tentacle in his hand.
The tentacle was dark gray, with round spots of different sizes on the surface, and the thickness was about the ankle of an adult male.
Just as Buchanan was about to say something, suddenly!
"Wow!"
Bostaf's big hand pulled, and a creature over 20 meters long and with a strange appearance was quickly pulled out of the cabin.
The next second, he held the strange monster with multiple tentacles in one hand and slowly placed it on the ground.
Suddenly, the guards around panicked and retreated!
Even though the monster was dead, the steady pressure still made them feel palpitations. It is conceivable how terrifying this monster was when it was alive.
The body of the monster was actually not big, about five or six meters long, in the shape of a huge sphere, with a huge eyeball in the middle, without upper and lower eyelids, and seven or eight tentacles over ten meters long hanging from the bottom.
What Bostaf had just held was a tentacle of the other party.
It is not difficult to see that when this creature was alive, it should have relied on its tentacles to stand and walk.
"Is this the Soul Taker?"
"Sir Bostaf, you actually killed this monster?" Buchanan was extremely shocked. He usually claimed to be knowledgeable, but this time he was completely out of control.
You have to know that the monster in front of him is a creature of faith of tens of thousands of indigenous tribes on the Forbidden Island, that is, a totem creature.
The origin of the monster is no longer traceable.
But according to legend, the other party is not a creature of this world. With epic strength and countless years of indigenous worship, it has already possessed a trace of divinity. This monster calls itself the Soul Taker.
Even in the epic combat power, the other party is a very fierce existence. Unexpectedly, it was killed by Bostaf.
Buchanan remembered very clearly that the second prince Everton gave Bostaf the task of obtaining part of the body tissue of this Soul Taker.
This is because the dragon bloodline itself is extremely powerful, so it is considered necessary to use the blood of this powerful creature from another world to mix it.
Moreover, he also heard that the Federation was also planning to kill this monster.
Unexpectedly, Bostaf actually brought back the complete body of this monster. It was really amazing!
"Well, it would not have been injured, but then it ran into the scum of the Federation." Bostaf said nonchalantly.
"Sir Bostaf, you are really amazing. His Highness will definitely be very happy to know your victory."
Great!
Ryan, this guy, let's see how you can escape this time!
Buchanan, who had come to his senses, could not help but feel more confident!
Half an hour later.
In the banquet hall of the castle.
On the long and huge dining table, there was a sumptuous feast of ferocious beasts. Bostaf was sitting on a special big chair with his upper body naked. While eating and drinking happily, he asked casually:
"Sir Buchanan, what is the matter that His Highness called me back so urgently?"
"It's like this. His Highness hopes that you can help obtain the blood essence of a person. This person is called Ryan. He is very powerful and also has a special dragon bloodline. After the transformation, his strength is said to reach the epic level."
"The most important thing is that His Highness believes that the other party's blood essence has a huge promoting effect on the final experiment!"
"Oh?" Bostaf wiped the red Bordeaux liquid from the corner of his mouth and couldn't help laughing, but his appearance looked a little ferocious.
Bostaf can be said to care more about the experiment of the second prince Everton than anyone else, because he himself is a survivor and beneficiary of Everton's experiment.
He knows that if he wants to improve his strength, then the subsequent experimental results of His Highness the Second Prince are particularly important to him!
"A day and a half ago, we learned that the enemy suddenly went to Ferdinand Forest. This is a good opportunity. Otherwise, it will be difficult to take action when he returns to the imperial capital." Buchanan began to tell the details.
"I know. Is the airship ready? I will set off now."
"Uh, Lord Bostaf, don't you want to take a rest?"
"Go and see if my iron shoulder guard and leather armor have been repaired." Bostaf waved his hand and said to the attendant beside him.
Seeing this, Buchanan would not dissuade him and said immediately:
"Okay, by the way, Lord Bostaf, there are three of our more elite slave-hunting teams in Ferdinand Forest. They will be responsible for the search. You only need to make the final decision at the critical moment!"
"Yes!"
Bostaf nodded, took out a syringe from the box next to him, and stabbed it into his arm. As the scarlet liquid was injected, the blood color in his eyes quickly subsided.
Ferdinand Forest, Post No. 7.
Ian was able to become a colonel, so he naturally knew what to say and what was best not to ask.
"Colonel Ian, I'm sorry to bother you this time." Ryan glanced at the other's shoulder badge and smiled.
"Colonel Ian, this is Lord Ryan from the Sword Bearer Headquarters. I am Olena, Lord Ryan's full-time liaison. Lord Ryan's visit to Post No. 7 this time is top secret. I hope Colonel Yin En will keep it confidential."
Olena's beautiful eyes swept over Ian and the two people behind him, and said.
Since this was a special operation, Olena naturally would not introduce too much.
"Don't worry, Lord Olena. We are all soldiers of the Empire and we know the principle of confidentiality." Ian and the two people behind him nodded quickly and said.
"Lord Ryan, Lord Olena, why don't you take a rest first? The rooms in the sentry post are relatively simple. They are all converted from our barracks."
Ryan waved his hand and said, "Colonel Ian, you are too polite. I won't rest. Olena and the others will bother you for a few days."
Olena smiled at Ryan, then turned her head and said, "Colonel Ian, sorry to bother you. However, we can stay on the airship, but I have to trouble you with the food."
"No, no!" Colonel Ian's heart skipped a beat when he saw Olena's smile.
This young woman is quite charming! She is capable and has extraordinary conversation. If she were in the army, she would at least have the position of a civilian colonel, but now she is just a liaison for the young man in front of her.
From this point of view, the young man in front of him is very unusual!
Ian was able to become a colonel, so he certainly had good eyesight, but he couldn't see through the strength of Lord Ryan in front of him.
"Colonel Ian, have you observed any new trends at the outpost recently?" Olena asked with a serious face.
Because of the distance, the transmission of intelligence from the headquarters has a certain lag, but the person in front of him should have first-hand information.
"Yes, both of you, why don't you sit in my room for a while? I'll report in detail." Colonel Ian asked after a little thought.
"Okay." Ryan nodded.
In Colonel Ian's room.
Ryan, Olena and Ian sat across the coffee table, facing each other.
After Colonel Ian poured a cup of black tea for Ryan and Olena respectively, he slowly told the story:
"Lord Ryan, Ms. Olena, our No. 7 outpost recently discovered that the number of teams entering Ferdinand Forest is several times more than usual, and many of the teams are not dressed like the slave-catching teams we have seen in the past."
Ryan nodded and motioned Ian to continue.
"In the past few days, there are even several teams that have been attacking our outposts, but after we fired the flares, they quickly disappeared."
"Since the opponent's strength is very strong, I didn't dare to send people to track them. Don't be afraid of you laughing at me. Although my men are elite soldiers, they can usually deal with those slave-catching teams, but they are definitely not good enough to deal with those teams."
"Well, we can do our best, Colonel Ian, this is a wise decision." Ryan smiled and said.
"Haha, thank you for your praise, Lord Ryan. But we didn't do nothing. We monitored the direction of their team's movement through the witch array. They should all be heading to several elf villages in the southern part of the forest."
"Oh?" Ryan raised his eyebrows.
Elf village? Are they going to capture elves?
"My lord, look at this map, it's here and here."
Ian took out a topographic map near the No. 7 outpost. There are several green dots, representing nearby elf villages, yellow dots are elf outposts, and three red lines represent the direction of those suspicious teams.
Just as Ian said, the other party's direction was very purposeful, almost heading straight towards several elf villages.
"Colonel Ian, is there anyone who impressed you?" Olena asked.
"Yes! In one of the teams, there was a person whose eyes gave me chills. His eyes were like those of a venomous snake, able to pierce into one's soul. I could vaguely see snake patterns on his robes."
"It should be a team of the Secret Snake Cult. We have received relevant intelligence, but the specific personnel are unknown. Lord Ryan, if there is any definite news, I will contact you as soon as possible." Olena whispered softly in Ryan's ear.
"Yeah."
Ryan nodded. At such a long distance, just a glance could make a peak knight feel terrified. The other party's strength was indeed good.
"I can't see anything else."
"Because the scope of our No. 7 sentry post that can detect and cover through the telescope is about seven or eight kilometers in radius, so if a team enters from farther away, we can only roughly monitor the other party's movements from the witch array." Ian explained.
Ryan nodded.
If the other party intends to capture the elves, then the situation on Anna's side may not be good, and he has to set off immediately.
He decided to find Anna and Lambert first, and after ensuring that Anna is safe, he will go to the ruins of Valzig to meet with the leader Moria.
Of course, it would be even better if he could find the "Heart of the Ancient Tree" while reuniting with Anna.
"Olena, I'm leaving now. Let the Hellfire Golem stay here. Claire can barely control it. If it doesn't work, just blow it up directly." Ryan instructed.
Since Anna must be found first, the action still needs to be secretive. The Hellfire Golem makes too much noise and is not suitable to be brought around. Instead, it is very good to use it to guard the outpost.
With Beyonce, Claire and the improved Hellfire Golem, the safety of Olena and other logistics teams is guaranteed.
At the same time, as a top-level wizard, Claire is also responsible for the communication with Ryan. This time, they brought a small communication device, similar to the previous thin sheet, which can communicate within a certain area.
"Okay, Lord Ryan, I wish you a safe journey." Olena knew the priorities of the matter and did not persuade him.
Although Colonel Ian was surprised that Ryan was dispatched so quickly, considering that he should have some kind of top-secret mission, he could not say much.
"By the way, Lord Ryan, there is something strange in that forest, whether it is animals, plants or even water. After a team of people below me were injured, I thought it was more important to guard the outpost, so I never sent anyone in again." Ian seemed to have thought of something and added.
"Oh? How strange is it?" Olena asked curiously.
"Those animals seem to be crazy, attacking people with red eyes, and the plants seem to be alive, and they can bleed if you cut them!" Ian said with a solemn face.
"Well! Thank you, Colonel Ian, I will pay attention." Ryan nodded, stood up and walked out.
However, he did not go down, but returned to the top of the outpost.
As Ryan's mind moved slightly, a huge blue and purple bird of prey jumped out from the bottom of the airship, chirped at Ryan, and soared into the sky, while another huge war dog rushed to Ryan and rubbed against him affectionately.
Just when everyone thought Ryan would ride the Blood Feather Hippogryph away, he performed two floating spells in succession, and took the greyhound war dog 'Cookie' from the top of the more than 20-meter-high sentry post and floated towards the forest.
This surprised everyone, including Colonel Ian.
In fact, Ryan considered that he did not intend to ride Blood Feather before finding Anna because it was too conspicuous in the air.
As Ryan and Cookie entered the forest, the greyhound war dog seemed to be like a fish in water. It sniffed everywhere and seemed quite excited.
For these two telepathic war pets, Ryan did not need to control them like others, who needed to give instructions through whistles or gestures. He only needed to move his mind slightly to coordinate.
After about ten minutes, as Ryan gradually approached the area where the problem occurred,
Ryan keenly discovered that the small animals that used to appear frequently in the forest seemed to have suddenly become much less, and the surrounding trees gradually began to undergo some strange distortions and deformations.
In addition, many huge holes appeared on the ground abruptly.
These holes were not like the scattered holes of meteorite craters after being hit hard, but the effect of something being pulled out of the soil.
"Could it be the Ironwood Guard of the elves?"
Ryan couldn't help but think of the Ironwood Guard, a creature unique to the elves mentioned in the headquarters intelligence.
The other party usually disguised itself as a giant tree, which was almost exactly the same as an ordinary big tree and was difficult to distinguish, but the Ironwood Guard could actually move by moving its roots.
At the same time, it had extremely strong defense, infinite strength, and could also cast natural witchcraft, and its combat effectiveness was very strong.
Ryan observed for a while and continued to move forward.
A few minutes later, when the large area of gray fog appeared in front of him, Ryan found that the trees around him seemed to be a strange dark red.
Even the ground was a faint red, as if it had been washed by bloody rain.
This made Ryan slow down his pace a little. After thinking about it, he saw a sharp blade in his hand instantly transformed and gently scratched a tree that two people hugged.
"Chi!"
Suddenly, a deep scratch appeared on the bark, and a stream of light red juice flowed out immediately. At the same time, Ryan could feel a strange wave spreading from the tree.
"It seems to be infected by some special energy." Ryan stared at the scene in front of him and thought to himself.
"Woof woof!"
Suddenly, the greyhound war dog 'Cookie' barked a few times as if for warning, looking around with extreme vigilance, and at the same time, it quickly moved towards Ryan.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
