Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 166 - Times Have Changed (II)

In the dilapidated garden, three powerful figures clashed. The young and vigorous Xuan Jing took the lead in the assault, while Hardy acted as support with his techniques. The six-armed werewolf was immediately pushed to the defensive.

"Roar!" A loud roar echoed across the sky.

The werewolf took a hit from the both of them, sacrificing one of its arms to break free before dashing toward the hospital. As if to assist the werewolf, the black mist pouring out of Daybreak Hospital wrapped around its entire body like a giant hand.

"Roar!" Another deafening bellow followed. The werewolf began to swell rapidly, growing from its original three meters to three and a half meters tall. Its already burly frame now resembled a towering iron structure, with muscles bulging like rocks. Its bloodthirsty, savage eyes locked onto Xuan Jing and Hardy who were storming toward it. There was nothing but intense hatred in the depths of its eyes.

Furthermore, because the werewolf's senses were many times sharper than a human's, it could detect the faintest killing intent lingering in the mist around it. There was a figure hidden in the shadows of a nearby wall, waiting for the right moment to strike.

But unfortunately for them, that moment would never come.

"Roar!" The six-armed werewolf let out another agonized roar as it swelled from three and a half meters to four meters. The arm it had lost earlier grew back, with bloody bones and muscles knitting themselves back together.

Its power had increased dramatically! Even if it had to fight three opponents—

"Hmm?" The werewolf suddenly realized that the two figures who had been charging toward him had stopped abruptly. Then, they pivoted and fled swiftly, taking the faint killing intent with them.

"Scared, are they?! Afraid of my newfound strength!" The werewolf grinned, baring its teeth. "Trying to run away? Well, can't do that! The hospital's still charging, and soon I'll reach four meters, five, six..."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

An explosion erupted right behind it, throwing the werewolf several meters forward. A sharp pain shot up its back. As it tumbled to the ground, it quickly turned its head to look back.

"Where's the hospital? Where did the humongous Daybreak Hospital go?!"

Its back throbbed painfully as if large sections of muscle and skin had been blown off. But that was nothing compared to the despairing sight before it—a heap of smoking rubble.

The expositions had reduced Daybreak Hospital to nothing but ruins. It was still regenerating, but the process would be long and slow. And now... n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The werewolf heard the unmistakable sound of a dozen fast-approaching footsteps, three of which were heavy, ominous, and powerful.

***

It wasn't just Daybreak Hospital. The Craniotomy Clinic, Arthropod Hall, the Central Clock Tower, the Mission Hall, and the Baptism Chapel were all embroiled in fierce battles. Black Rain Manor had revealed part of its hidden forces, and countless monsters poured out from these buildings.

Meanwhile, the masters from the Northern Covert Martial Arts Alliance were pushing through the monsters' assault, advancing toward these key buildings.

As Cassius sprinted down the gray-white street near the Baptism Chapel, he suddenly turned and punched, smashing a gargoyle diving at him. The gargoyle hit the ground with a thud, cracks gradually forming before shattering.

A squad comprised of dozens of people advanced quickly, with a large swarm of gargoyles diving in to attack from above.

On either side of the street, various strange phenomena occurred. The ground suddenly collapsed, walls turned into massive suction vortices, and bricks exploded without warning. Not only that, a large number of knight-level Hellsings converged around the Baptism Chapel, launching an offensive against the first assault team.

Mi An glanced at the numerous enemies around them, his face showing no signs of panic. "Leave half the men to hold them off. I want the rest of you to follow me and we're going to break through. Sly Knife, Burning Fist, East Cross, you three stay behind. Make sure you keep most of the enemy forces here!"

Each nickname he mentioned belonged to a renowned figure, each with a rich history, in the northern Covert Martial Arts world. The three of them were all combat masters and had absolute high-end combat power.

The assault team heading to the Baptism Chapel was the strongest, comprising six martial artists and over thirty pugilists. In comparison, Cassius's mastery of pugilism seemed almost insignificant.

This was the true essence of the northern Covert Martial Arts world.

Such a grand display of force was rare under normal circumstances. Even having a handful of pugilists participating in an operation would be considered significant, let alone six martial artists leading the charge. It looked as if they were gearing up to slay a dragon.

On the street, the team split into two. Three powerful figures emerged from the group that stayed behind, slaughtering all the attackers.

Boom!

Cassius threw a punch, shattering a Hellsing's head. He quickly ducked to avoid an attack from behind, and then his hands moved swiftly through the air, like a water bird taking flight.

His hand, wrapped in the Azure Wind Flow, was like a saw as it sliced under the arm of a gargoyle and severed its limbs. Cassius charged forward, and the gargoyle smashed apart. With quick steps, he followed the team as they sprinted ahead.

"Baptism Chapel is up ahead!" Mi An roared.

He looked like an old man right now. His tight combat suit bulged from his muscular form, and his white hair whipped wildly, exuding a sinister aura. His entire body had transformed into the ultimate combat machine.

If the assault team was like a spear, Mi An was the sharp tip of that spear. Any enemy that collided with him was either torn apart or pierced full of holes.

Whoosh!

With a swift strike, his hand knife cut through a wall, chopping the creature behind it in half. Mi An quickly retracted his hand and spun around, slapping the air to his left. Blood sprayed out as a small, ugly figure was forced out, its face collapsing and its neck snapping as it fell to the ground.

"Did you really think a little illusion or hiding behind a wall could fool me? A martial artist's Qi is not something that can be easily tricked!" A red light suddenly flashed in Mi An's pupils.

The three martial artists in the team were deliberately positioned in three different directions as their Qi could sense danger entering its range, instantly detecting any strange or sudden changes. This precaution prevented unnecessary injuries from happening to the elite members of the Northern Covert Martial Arts Alliance.

From a bird's eye view, battles were raging all over the manor. The fiercest fighting, without a doubt, was at the Baptism Chapel—the heart of the area.

The spearhead formation of the assault team slowly advanced toward the heart, like a bullet squirming through muscle fibers.

Just as Cassius and the others were about to reach the Baptism Chapel, Black Rain Manor sensed an unprecedented danger that they hadn't seen in decades. A high-pressure air current spread like a shockwave through the Rainy World, followed by a horn's eerie and chilling call as it echoed through the clouds.

Clop, clop, clop... Clop, clop, clop... Clop, clop, clop...

They heard the sound of countless hoofbeats approaching from all directions, like raindrops. In the rainy alleys, a horde of Decaying Knights on horseback appeared, surging in from every direction. They were clad in heavy, terrifying full-body armor, carrying oversized, sharp cold weapons. The iron hooves of their warhorses pounded against the ground.

Another trump card had been played.

Sensing the real danger, Black Rain Manor had summoned all of its Decaying Knights through some unknown means to defend the Baptism Chapel. The manor was still in a prolonged recovery period and was far from its peak strength.

While the manor's buildings could withstand artillery fire and explosions, its restoration abilities weren't fast enough to instantly repair the damage.

If this had been Black Rain Manor at its peak, every building would be harder than iron. Even if a structure were completely destroyed, it would be instantly restored to its original state via black steam.

Indestructible and immortal, with an equally indestructible and immortal army of Decaying Knights made for an unstoppable catastrophe. Short of launching a nuclear bomb, humanity's other means of attack only posed an inconsequential threat. But the situation was different now. The manor was afraid.

Its enemy was the combined force of the entire northern Covert Martial Arts world!

Thus, when its core area was threatened, the manor summoned all the Decaying Knights tied to it.

Mi An and Cassius saw the mass of Decaying Knights closing in on them. Instead of panicking, they lit up with excitement.

Boom!

The specially prepared fuel was instantly ignited, sending purple-red flames soaring into the sky. Not even the black rain could quench the roaring, blazing fire.

Outside Black Rain Manor, the artillery units spotted the signal. They loaded the special shells into the large cannons, adjusted their aim, and fired with a deafening boom.

Whoosh!

The shells arced through the air. Instead of falling, they exploded in midair. A mass of black water was vaporized, quickly merging with the surrounding black rain, as it fell down in a drizzle.

Eight shells formed a row and covered a wide area. Then came the second wave, the third, and the fourth...

A raindrop fell from the sky, pulling a thin thread behind it. It landed in a large hand, splashing into a tiny water flower.

The corner of Cassius's mouth curled up slightly. He raised his head, looking expressionlessly at the surrounding Decaying Knights. The rain seeped through the gaps in their armor, merging within as black energy leaked from their joints. If one looked closely, they'd notice that many of the Decaying Knights had frozen temporarily.

If the Decaying Knights were cut off by the fake-death pill, the secret medicine capable of disrupting Black Rain Manor's control, they would no longer move in perfect unison and obey every single command. Moreover, they wouldn't be able to use the black rain to revive themselves, meaning every Decaying Knight had only one life left!