Killing a Fourth Tier Took Just One Punch

The war of division within the Oma Empire lasted for a full year before it finally showed signs of abating.

Although the Fourth Prince, Muller, occupied the imperial capital "Wussenbar," the Spurglin Royalty had completely lost control over the Established Nobles group.

Then, the former "72 provinces of Omar" completely split into more than 20 large and small principalities.

Just like the Warring States period in Rein's previous life, the various territories interacted with each other and fought each other for resources.

Omar collapsed, but the interests of the Established Nobles remained unchanged.

They gained even more without having to pledge allegiance to the imperial power.

Meanwhile, the Eighth Prince Eber, along with the original strongest Mechanical City in Omar, the City of Destruction, and Rosco, one of the original three "Grand Mechanical Master" in Omar, secretly made contact with Sid and established a foothold in southern Omar.

The Xid Empire had coveted Omar's steam technology for many years, and Grandmaster Rosco's defection plan had been underway for many years as well.

Unexpectedly, the Grandmaster they had painstakingly recruited was like a little brother in front of the suddenly emerging "Black Dragon Mechanical Academy".

Originally harboring ambitions to dominate the Ice Ridge Wasteland, they split Omar and obtained the Steam Machinery technology they had always dreamed of.

But to my surprise, once I got my hands on it, I discovered that it was technology that was decades behind.

Those high-ranking officials at Sid must have a deep understanding of what it was like.

Moreover, they were dismayed to find that the gap was widening.

The development speed of Sid Academy and Black Dragon Academy in the field of mechanics is simply not on the same level.

One is a traditional aristocratic academy that continues the old ways, while the other is a truly free scientific academy.

Black Dragon City has no aristocratic class system, and the academy is open to everyone.

As a result, the academy recruited a large number of children from ordinary families who had mechanical talent.

The mechanics from the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences who went to Black Dragon City also injected fresh blood into the "Black Dragon Mechanical Academy." These mentors and apprentices, who already possessed a wealth of mechanical knowledge, quickly adapted to their new lives.

They study, research, invent, and create, causing the number of students at Black Dragon City Mechanical College to expand dozens of times in just one year.

Although the high command of the Xid Empire knew all the operating principles of the Black Dragon Academy, they were simply unable to imitate it.

No, it is something that no other territory can imitate.

Leaving aside the hardware gap in technological level, the aristocratic centralized system that has lasted for thousands of years is also impossible to change.

This is the bottom line that the Established Nobles has always upheld.

Once the nobles lose their superior rights, the ancient empire of Sid, which has been passed down for thousands of years, will immediately collapse.

Therefore, academies in other territories cannot be open to commoners.

Although Sid's think tank had considered repeating the old tricks, using methods like turning Grandmaster Rosco of Omar to steal technology and talent from Black Dragon City.

After all, Black Dragon Academy's admissions are open to everyone, giving them a greater chance of success.

But they found that it was impossible.

The technology that can be stolen is always just the tip of the iceberg.

It's simply impossible to recruit the academy's core technical personnel!

Black Dragon City has everything that Sid can promise them.

What Black Dragon City has, Sid cannot provide.

For those mechanics who are dedicated to studying technology, they don't really care about power or titles.

Only Black Dragon Academy offers a truly free research environment.

Only here can you find cutting-edge technology, top-tier mechanics, and the most harmonious professional network.

Of course, there is also the special preferential policy of "prioritizing the Black Dragon Academy's financial support" issued by Rein.

This is something that the corrupt aristocratic system of Sid could never provide for them.

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to win them over.

Just like someone who has seen the endless ocean, how could they possibly turn back and yearn for a muddy little river?

This is the real "machine capital"!

It's not just the Mechanical Engineering Academy, but also the Magic Academy, the Potionry, the Medical Academy, and the Military Academy.

Black Dragon City's advanced concepts in education are far ahead of their time.

Because Black Dragon Academy admits students regardless of their social status (noble or commoner), only based on their aptitude, the academy quickly attracted a large number of highly talented students.

These people might be artisans, hunters, or children from ordinary families. They were all once "commoners" rejected by the noble academies of various territories.

In Black Dragon City, they have the same equal opportunity to learn as everyone else.

If they are talented enough, they don't even need to spend money; they only need to put in the effort to study, and the college will reward them with a "scholarship" sufficient to live on.

Because of this enrollment policy, the migrants who came to Black Dragon City had the idea of "settling down".

If one lives only for oneself, then one lives for one's offspring.

In Black Dragon City, everyone can advance to the Transcendent level, and everyone can enjoy extremely low tax rates. It is an environment where people can see hope for life.

This is also the most important reason for the population explosion.

During this year, Black Dragon City absorbed a large number of war refugees and impoverished families who had fled from Omar due to the war.

The population also surged from tens of millions to hundreds of millions.

Of course, the population boom also means a mixed bag of people.

Among these refugees were spies sent by City of Radiance, Omar, Sid, and various other forces with ulterior motives.

It must be said that Metternich, with his squinty eyes, was indeed a man of great talent.

This guy used almost no resources to build a professional secret service organization for Black Dragon City.

Such a master strategist could easily deal with hostile forces seeking to destabilize Black Dragon City. Every conceivable tactic was within his grasp.

Metternich deserves much credit for the steady development of Black Dragon City over the past year.

Moreover, this guy's political talent is simply astonishing.

After all, he was once the chief advisor of Oma Empress's faction, and this guy was proficient in almost everything about territory development.

Urban planning, personnel management, resource allocation, and law.

He is proficient in everything and an expert in everything.

Metternich also offered many insightful improvements to the half-baked "constitutional monarchy" system initially proposed by Rein, and formulated a series of development plans for Black Dragon Territory that were adapted to this era and this world.

On this day, in the hilly area two thousand miles northwest of Black Dragon City.

Black Dragon City attracted a large number of hunters due to its extremely low "entry fee." Large Scavenger Gang that originally operated in City of Radiance or the two great empires almost all transferred their main teams here to hunt for treasure.

It was also because of the addition of these experienced hunters that Black Dragon City's efficiency in developing resources near its territory increased exponentially.

The hunters would unearth ancient treasures buried underground for countless years, making the hunters rich and their territory prosperous as a result.

At the same time, they also discovered various mineral veins, including gold, iron, and silver mines, as well as various rare mineral deposits. This provided a large amount of much-needed resources for the construction of the territory.

Of course, while some choose to hunt in the wilderness, there are also phantom thieves who want to gain without effort.

In a dense forest somewhere in Qiulin, a group of thieves were lurking.

They are the "Red Demon Phantom Thief Group," which was originally one of the three major phantom thieves in the Xid Empire.

The leader, [Blood Demon] Lyudmila, is a veteran expert among the Fifth-tier Extraordinary, and he is also a vampire.

Legend has it that this group of phantom thieves has intricate connections with the Sid royal family.

"This must be the biggest thunderstorm of the year. It's been thundering for days and nights, and my ears are ringing non-stop."

"Hey, these last few deals have been pretty lucrative. If a few more fat sheep come along, we can live it up for a while."

"This damn weather, it just won't stop raining. I doubt any hunters will brave it to travel."

"Be careful. Don't let the Blue-tailed Hawk in the sky spot us. I heard that Black Dragon City's army is looking for us nearby."

"."

Nearly two hundred people were lying in ambush here, all of whom were the main force of the "Red Demon Phantom Thief Group".

Just then, a scout suddenly came to report.

"Commander, someone's coming from the west! Hmm... there's only one person."

"Only one? What rank?"

"The perception has been confirmed; it should be Fourth Tier."

"Anyone who dares to venture alone into the wilderness is no pushover. Reconnoiter again."

"Captain, the brothers' been idle for a few days, their hands' been practically numb. It's just a Fourth Tier hunter; I'll take the second team and handle it. The lone wolf might have some good loot on him."

"Then be careful."

"Um."

In the distance, a lone figure walks through the wilderness in the rain.

Seemingly unaware, a team of assassins had already stealthily approached.

The assassins were led by Poison Fang, the captain of the second division of the "Red Demon Phantom Thief Group," Gino Fourth Tier assassin with a bounty of 33 million on his head in the Xid Empire.

This guy's Transcendent ability is to lurk in the shadows.

He also used this ability to assassinate many fifth-level experts without anyone noticing.

Rainy days provide even more cover for his stealth abilities.

Gino carefully lurked on the path that the lone hunter was sure to take.

Even after the person had walked within three to five meters, he was still not discovered.

"Heh heh, this guy's dead meat!"

Gino sneered inwardly and quietly gripped the dagger, creeping up behind the man.

Although he noticed a strange glint in the man's eyes, he paid no attention to it.

Because of this distance, no one can survive his blade.

A murderous aura swept over him from behind. Rein pursed his lips, muttering to himself, "The ability to stealth in the shadows... looks like it belongs to [Poison Fang] Gino. Tsk tsk, the 'Red Demon Phantom Thief Group,' I didn't expect to actually run into them."

The assassin lurking in the shadows thought that Rein hadn't noticed him, but in the Observer Eyes, the fighting spirit flowing within the assassin's body was completely exposed.

I originally wanted to see if they were hunters, but now that they've made their move, they're clearly thieves who kill and rob.

The assassin's methods were highly skilled; the moment he conceived the idea of striking, the dagger was already pressed against Rein's neck.

Rein raised his eyebrows slightly but did not make any move to avoid it.

The next moment, the sharp blade sliced through.

The assassin's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed inwardly, "Oh no!"

At that moment, he realized that the dagger in his hand seemed to be cutting into bricks and stones, unable to penetrate at all, and the blade simply slid past.

Upon closer inspection, a layer of pure gold shimmered on Rein's neck.

"Is this even human skin?!"

Gino couldn't understand why his dagger hadn't cut through.

Even Fourth Tier Transcendent with full resilience shouldn't be completely unharmed after this strike!

Besides, he himself possessed a renowned dagger capable of cutting through gold and shattering stone!

However, Rein didn't give him time to figure it out and grabbed the right wrist of the man holding the dagger.

Then, just as the assassin was trying to break free and escape, a tremendous force pulled him back.

Gino was horrified and cried out, "What kind of Monstrous Strength is this!"

Assassins are Extraordinary Profession that focuses on increasing strength. Among those of the same level, he has never encountered an opponent who can overwhelm him and leave him no chance to fight back!

Throughout the entire process, Rein remained calm and didn't even turn around. His fist, which was wrapped in a layer of asphalt-like fighting spirit, slammed straight down.

Gino cursed inwardly and instinctively activated his battle aura to protect himself, hoping to withstand the punch and then find an opportunity to escape.

Unexpectedly, this one punch was fatal.

His Bodyguard Battle Qi was as fragile as paper, completely unable to stop that strange fist.

It was like a stone falling on tofu, smashing his chest with a single punch.

In that instant, the notorious thief who had been rampant in Sid for over a decade felt his life rapidly slipping away.

"Pfft~"

A mouthful of bloody foam mixed with bits of internal organs spurted out, and the corpse went limp on the spot.

Rein glanced at the corpse on the ground and muttered, "So this is what a veteran Fourth Tier assassin, [Poison Fang] Gino, is like."

I glanced at it once, and then looked away.

He then turned his gaze to the dense forest several miles away.

In this rainy weather where the lightning element is active, Thunder Raven had long since discovered a group of guys sharpening their knives hiding there.

Clearly, they were accomplices of the assassin.

"Smack!"

A loud popping sound filled the air.

The moment my gaze shifted, Rein's figure vanished from the spot.

Meanwhile, the members of the Red Demon Phantom Thief Group Thieves," lurking in the dense forest, were watching with utter boredom.

In their view, with the Second Division Captain Gino personally taking action, that Fourth Tier hunter was doomed.

"Hey, how about we make a bet? How many hits do you think Captain Gino can take down that guy?"

"Three strikes, I guess. The last time I encountered that heavily armored Fourth Tier Transcendent was finished off in seven or eight strikes. This guy who looks like a fighter doesn't have much protective gear, so three strikes at most."

"I think if we're not discovered, it'll be two stabs at most. One to the Throat Slash, and the other to the chest as a finishing blow. I bet ten gold coins!"

"Look, Captain Gino is about to make his move!"

"."

The members whispered amongst themselves, and even the guild leader, [Blood Demon] Lyudmila, agreed.

He was well aware of the capabilities of his subordinates.

Gino's stealth ability is almost always fatal unless he encounters Transcendent with top-level perception.

But!

Something unexpected happened.

They watched as Gino's dagger flashed and slit the man's throat, and just as they were muttering to themselves that yet another soul had perished under his blade.

Suddenly, I realized that the person had actually thrown a punch in retaliation?

The phantom thieves were too far away to see clearly what had happened.

But it seems the dagger didn't pierce through?

Because they didn't see any blood.

Moreover, just when everyone was wondering why that seemingly fatal blow had failed, they suddenly saw Captain Gino's chest explode into a cloud of blood mist.

Then, before the shock of the "Red Demon Gang" members could even register on their faces, the figure suddenly vanished.

No, it didn't disappear.

Instead, they rushed towards the dense forest where they were hiding at an almost instantaneous speed!

[Blood Demon] Lyudmila suddenly realized something, her expression changed drastically, and she shouted, "Not good! Prepare for battle!"

The distance of several miles is now only a few breaths for Rein.

His absolute muscle strength has now reached an extremely terrifying level. When he uses the [Secret Technique: Divine Speed], his speed is not much slower than that of an ordinary vampire's teleportation.

[Blood Demon] Lyudmila looked at the figure charging straight towards her and cursed inwardly, "Holy crap, is this some one of the 'Ten Great Legends'?"

That speed, is it something Fourth Tier Transcendent could possess?

Even he, a vampire with the ability to teleport, felt his scalp tingle upon seeing it.

Rein's objective was clear: he planned a decapitation strike.

According to Lei Ya's perception, there were only two fifth-tier Transcendent in this dense forest.

The strongest one is naturally Lyudmila, the leader of the "Red Demon Gang" [Blood Demon].

At this moment, he no longer restrained his fighting spirit, and his skin shone with a dazzling golden light, as if it were cast from pure gold.

This is clearly a sign of achieving the Great Perfection of the "Divine Steel Realm"!

Seeing that the other party completely ignored her group of one or two hundred people, Lyudmila's pupils suddenly contracted, and she also lost her temper.

Snort!

Even if the "Ten Great Legends" came, they wouldn't dare to be so arrogant!

The next instant, a fifth-tier Transcendent elemental armor condensed on his body, and his appearance transformed into a vampire with a blue face and fangs.

Those steel claws looked as if they were soaked in black paint, subtly gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Just as the henchmen of the Phantom Thieves were completely caught off guard...

Rein had already rushed into the dense forest.

He charged straight at the regimental commander Lyudmila, who was not to be outdone, and her iron claws naturally aimed for his chest.

Vampires excel at hand-to-hand combat; their bodies are their best weapons.

Generally speaking, a full-force grab from a fifth-tier vampire is something even a Transcendent of the same tier would try to avoid, and a lower-tier Transcendent would be caught off guard in an instant.

But Rein showed no intention of dodging and threw a punch right at him.

The two struck each other almost simultaneously, and then a shockwave exploded, sending both of them flying back a hundred meters.

Both sides unleashed their full power in this attack, and the shockwave directly overturned a large area of bushes in the dense forest, demonstrating its formidable force.

However, their reactions after being beaten were completely different.

Rein staggered back about a hundred meters before finally stopping.

He rubbed his slightly numb chest and muttered, "It's still a bit of a stretch. This guy is tough, not just because of his fighting spirit, but also because the bodies of vampires are like steel."

The difference is that killing that Fourth Tier assassin was like punching tofu, while hitting this guy was like hitting a rock.

However, the person who took that punch was not feeling well.

Not far away, [Blood Demon] Lyudmila coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He looked down and saw a fist-sized dent in his chest!

After that move, he looked at Rein not far away and his expression turned terrible.

Fourth Tier, yes, it's Fourth Tier.

But this punch directly shattered his own veteran fifth-tier Bodyguard Battle Qi!

Where the hell did this freak come from?!