Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 54: Fortunately, I am more skilled

A noisy sound came in.

As the rescued miners escaped, the East Border Guards, who had cleared out the Mayor's Hall, received intelligence. Their spirits surged, their blood boiling. Upon learning that Wu Chen had allowed the rescued miners to leave on their own, the most experienced veterans vaguely realized something was wrong and rushed to the battlefield.

Wu Chen’s battlefield and the underground mineral veins.

When they arrived at the ceremony hall, illuminated by a protective barrier, they saw the remains of a massive, twisted, gray-white monster, half metal and half flesh, lying on the ground. Standing beside the corpse was the Breton man who called himself Daxter, giving off a strange vibe.

He was wearing a mask, so no one could see his face clearly. But everyone could tell that this area had just experienced a fierce battle, and although he looked unharmed, he didn't look very happy.

A protective glow lingered on his body, and the glow of magic shone on his armor. When he saw the soldiers rushing in, his hands ignited with the glow of magic, not the friendly greeting of friends.

"Daxter, it's me!" Sentinel Tolan shouted hurriedly to prevent an unnecessary fight between good people - he looked at the ground and the glow emanating from Dust, and had no doubt that Dust was in the camp of good and justice.

"Are you okay? We're here to help."

He approached Dust, spreading his hands until the holy light on his body could touch his body. Conventional dark and blasphemous creatures could not hide under this holy light.

"You arrived just in time." There was a hint of doubt in Dust's voice. He was still on guard and had not let his guard down at all.

"Do you remember me, Master Daxter?" The captain took off his helmet, revealing his weathered face. "I'm Captain Vasco. Not long ago, under the guidance of Master Tolan, we defeated the monster in this town. This place is said to be the monster's lair."

"Master" is a respectful title for those who possess skills but lack a noble title. Nords also often use this title for wizards.

A wizard who is capable, good at fighting, and doesn't use necromancy to cause trouble.

"The monster in the town?" He saw that Dust was interested in the topic, and he gestured for the soldiers behind him to walk into the ceremony hall. The protective barrier covering this land was a good identifier, and he also needed to collect the remains of the victims here to make a document and report to Wind Helmet.

"Yes, a monster." Tolland nodded. He saw the brilliance of the spell in Dust's hand fade slightly. "When I was in the caravan earlier, I sensed a vampire roaming nearby. So I..."

He quickly recounted his previous experiences, from the attack near the Dragon Mound, the discovery in the cemetery, to the sacred identification in the military camp and the monster subjugation in the mayor's hall. He also described the battle process in some detail.

"...We defeated the monster. Zed killed it with his sword. The butler told us that the vampires had brought a lot of things to this mine. So we immediately took action and saw the miners you rescued at the mine entrance."

"And you came down?" Dust dismissed the magic in his hand. When he let down his guard, the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"We settled the survivors." Tolland nodded. "I baptized them with holy water, and then learned the following situation from them... You did a great favor for the people here, Daxter. But this..."

He glanced at the pile of grayish-white metal and flesh in the center of the ritual platform—the miners had said nothing about it.

"Spell effect." Dust gently stroked his chin, wondering how he'd developed this habit while wearing a mask. "This vampire's name is Gerd. It killed a graduate of the academy and stole his research. Through this spell, it gained the ability to change its form, transforming itself into metal. It almost tricked me."

"There is actually such a spell... Unbelievable." Tolan was stunned, and he immediately realized something - this meant that vampires had another way to hide their bodies, and this would most likely cause heavy casualties to those who hunted them.

The captain of the guard standing beside him was obviously paying attention to something else.

"Wait, you said academy, are you an academy mage?"

Dust didn't answer, but simply raised his hand. The spell mark on the back of his hand glowed and became visible.

"...Master Duxter." The captain finally lowered his head with respect, not fear. The academy was a wealthy institution, even if its reputation wasn't great. He saw Duxter's gaze shift to Zedd, the young man who had recently killed his own father—his face pale and his entire body trembling.

Is there something wrong with Zed? — He subconsciously put his hand on his weapon.

"I have examined him. He is pure, merely enchanted." Tolland spoke, holding the consecrated stake in his hand.

"I know." However, Danxter only nodded slightly. "I just thought about some things clearly."

"I've figured out the correct route. Normally, I should have gone with you to the Dragon Mound, uncovering clues through the vampires there. Then, I'd gather intelligence from the cemetery and consolidate forces at the military camp. However, there would be a discrepancy when clearing out the Lord's Hall. I'm swift and effective in combat. It wouldn't be possible for this person to clear his name by murdering his father, thereby earning the right to join the ranks of those fighting against vampires and wash away the shame."

"This person shouldn't be here."

The captain of the guard raised his weapon and put it to the young man's neck. His family heirloom sword fell to the ground with a clang, still radiating the consecrated light.

"What are you hiding? Tell me!"

He brought his blade down, and the young man was at a loss. But Dust waved his hand.

"It wasn't him, but something else." Dust stepped forward and gently picked up the heirloom sword. "Something I would have overlooked, something I would have turned a blind eye to. If I had been there, this young man would have either been imprisoned in the barracks or executed on the spot. He wouldn't have come to this place in the first place."

"I have always been afraid of two things."

He raised his hand and flicked the blade of the sword, which looked quite historic.

"First, the high-level spells that the vampire stole. Such high-level spells are difficult to counter once used. And second, how could that vampire, posing as an ordinary mid-level vampire, kill an elite wizard capable of developing high-level spells?"

Assassinations, poisoning, group fights, traps. These are indeed methods of defeating the strong with the weak. However, academic wizards who are truly incompetent in combat will never leave the academy. Those who are capable of developing their own subjects and attempting to advance to higher levels of wizardry. Since they dare to set up their base outside the academy, they must be extremely concerned about their own safety and have ample experience.

and so……

"I guess it's a very unique skill. One that emphasizes concealment and is difficult to detect. Furthermore, it gives you the confidence to avoid the academy's pursuit after you succeed. This is perhaps why, knowing full well that a high-level wizard was interfering and your own life was in danger, you still temporarily converted to a vampire with the city guards. Because you had something you had to keep secret, and you asked them to do it."

There was a sudden flash of lightning.

Shining on this weapon that exudes sacred glory, has a history, and should be classified as "innocent" in any case!

A scream suddenly rang out.

The ancient sword suddenly turned into a mass of wriggling flesh and blood!
It twisted, struggled, jumped, and trembled in the thunder, making strange, inhuman roars.

Until it is burnt and silent.

Daxter finally relaxed, as if he had somehow confirmed something. He exhaled softly, looked at the frightened sentinels and guards, and waved.

"Go, this town needs a thorough cleansing."

“All metal products must not be neglected.”

(End of this chapter)