Chapter 307: Chapter 267: Heroes’ Battle Flag, Break of Dawn Light_2
There was no need for self-realization, for he had mastered "Flow State" at a Low Sequence and automatically comprehended "Divine Sight" after ascending to the Middle Sequence.
The vision of a god is entirely different from that of a human. By resonating with the frequency of all things through breath, one can not only see things invisible to the naked eye but also borrow the power of all things.
And once he could achieve sympathetic resonance with the "God" within the human body—the one who rules over everything, the absolutely free "self"—he could perform the divine act of "Saint Descent."
INHALE—EXHALE—
Beret Tanya lacked sufficient tempering and had not yet reached the level of "Saint Descent," but to breathe with all creation and borrow their abilities was effortless for him.
As it was now, with the world filled with a vast expanse of white water vapor, his successful resonance allowed him to borrow the power of water. It would not be an exaggeration to call it the Breath of Water.
Water vapor exploded outwards from Beret Tanya, and he shot out like an arrow loosed from its string.
Gazing at the enemies beyond the walls and the distant sea, his eyes were fierce, "A King who relies on bloodline inheritance rather than capability will be of mixed quality; one cannot ensure that every generation will have a wise monarch. From now on, the King only needs to be the nominal commander. Even if there are different heirs competing for the throne, they will not be able to cause widespread suffering with the power of their armies. The real governance of the state must be entrusted to the capable. And I, Beret Tanya, will prove to everyone that I am the most capable person!"
He always believed that the rule of law should prevail over the rule of man, with the able rising and the mediocre falling. The nation should be led by capable people.
If someone were more suitable than him, he would willingly step down.
Unfortunately, there was no such person at the moment!
His unwavering conviction—’If not me, then who?’—could not be shaken. That was his path.
Fortunately, when Byron first received the news of the Lancaster Party from his aunt Magnyra, he didn’t immediately rush over in excitement to acknowledge them. Otherwise, he would have been condemned to a miserable life like a stud horse, surrounded by a bevy of beauties, shamelessly living a life where clothes appeared at a gesture and food at a word. Who would be content to indulge in such lowly pleasures, limited to eating, drinking, merrymaking, and merely "doing the deed"?
"Storm Knights, follow me into battle!"
"At your command!"
More than twenty Storm Knights, already in position, drew their swords. Activating either "Child of the Storm" or "Breath of All Things," they followed Beret Tanya over the top of the log walls like a gust of wind. They cut down the approaching Coral People with a single stroke.
These Coral People only have the advantage of modified bodies, making them somewhat stronger than an average human, but their intelligence and rationality have greatly diminished. Their actual strength is only...
But before he could finish his words, a phantom red battle flag suddenly waved in the air above the May Wind.
The Storm Knights, being men of experience, immediately recognized it as the Heroic Battle Banner of a Tier 4 Hero! It was also the standard by which Heroic Rank Transcendents forged their Heroic Troops.
This, too, was an unexpected situation that had never appeared in the intelligence reports.
As everyone knew, the most fundamental difference in combat power between the Third Order and Fourth Order was that one fought alone, while the other was surrounded by supporters. The most powerful common heroic ability of a Fourth Order Transcendent was ’United Assault’.
Just when everyone felt the monstrous warship couldn’t reach the shore and the danger was still manageable, their expressions suddenly turned exceedingly grim.
Could it be that the legendary Tier 4 Hero captain of the May Wind, the Adventurer [Infinite Evolver] Balboa, who survived all ’Limit Eight Items,’ hadn’t perished? Instead, he had fallen along with his warship? The main purpose of his frenzied attacks on merchant ships along the trade routes this past week wasn’t slaughter, but to replenish his Guardsmen?!
As if to confirm their speculation, the water surface churned again, and eight giant blood-red octopus tentacles emerged behind the ship, flailing wildly.
One after another, derelict single-masted schooners surfaced. Every vessel was covered in dense clusters of barnacles, with purple-red tentacles, far smaller than those of the May Wind, sprouting from the broken decks.
The fallen Guardsmen of the Infinite Evolver, Balboa, had become a fleet of contaminated monster ships.
His [Preempting the Enemy] ability tried to synchronize with the May Wind, attempting to steal the information it carried.
Are these all... warships afflicted with Coral Disease?
To his horror, he discovered that the Coral Disease could infect not only humans but also ships.
Octopuses have three hearts and nine brains. It seemed the adversary only needed to split off a part of each of its eight tentacles and have them parasitize other sunken ships. Simultaneously, during the later stages of infection, some of the "Coral People" would also be absorbed by the ships. Coordinating with tentacles that acted as brains, these inorganic vessels were slowly transformed into semi-organic, living octopus warships.
Even though the upper limit seemed to be only eight of the most basic single-masted schooners, their combat strength was no weaker than a group of Sea Monsters.
The eight warships, like eight tentacles, seemed commanded by a single brain. They swiftly formed up at sea, arranging into a long battle line.
RUMBLE RUMBLE...
The fleet fired in unison.
[Iron Will] shook violently. The Fortress Expert, Old Sam, felt a surge of energy in his chest and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Moreover, from each ship, heaps of Coral People dropped into the sea like dumplings, swiftly swimming towards the town.
This plunged all the defenders into an even deeper despair.
They faced a Fallen Fourth Order Heroic Rank Adventurer who possessed Adaptive Evolution abilities, now besieging them with the Heroic Guardsmen he had accumulated over a week.
Nine warships and thousands of Coral People. They stood no chance.
As their confidence shattered, the power of [Iron Will] rapidly weakened, and their defenses began to crumble.
In this moment of shocked distraction, some defenders had already been unknowingly parasitized by barnacle larvae, their faces turning a ghastly pale.
"Save... save me."
Once a breach appeared, it was like a collapsed dam—unstoppable. Even with Storm Knights desperately trying to plug the gap, the wall being breached by the Coral People was only a matter of time.
The two Third Order Knights exchanged a sorrowful glance and issued the difficult order, "From us down, the Storm Knight Order and the infected will cover the rear! Everyone else, scatter and flee! Every man for himself!"
Beret Tanya, wielder of [Preempting the Enemy], at least, did not have double standards. Gaining power also meant shouldering responsibility. Those who considered themselves leaders could not abandon their comrades and flee alone.
Silently, he took his stand at the very front of the wall.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!...
The retreat bells rang, carrying a hint of sorrow.
Their families had already experienced one flight and were familiar with the process. They knew that wasting time now was the greatest folly. Suppressing their grief, they grabbed their pre-prepared bundles and bolted into the pouring rain, retreating deeper into the island’s interior.
All infected combatants, led by the Storm Knights, clenched their swords and gritted their teeth, preparing to use their flesh and blood to delay the enemy until the very last moment.
But after this battle, the last organized elite of the Lancaster Party would be annihilated here. Their mission to reclaim the throne and exact revenge on the White Rose would surely be postponed indefinitely.
This crushing despair from shattered ideals, a feeling worse than death itself, filled them with more grief and fury.
Suddenly, within Beret Tanya’s [Breath of All Things] perception, a golden light on the horizon, as bright and dazzling as the morning rays at dawn, suddenly tore through the oppressive darkness that pressed down like black clouds.
Then, a peculiar-looking warship, glimmering with golden light, turned into a bolt of lightning, slicing through the waves and racing towards them.
What is that...?!