Killing

Rello, known for his short temper, found it increasingly difficult to control his inner rage. This was a common affliction among higher-ranking Dragon People; anger amplified their strength but also impaired their thinking. Many powerful Dragon People had fallen prey to traps because of this.

This was also one of the reasons why higher-ranking Dragon People were scarce in Moran. Most of the truly ancient Dragon People were powerhouses who had learned to overcome their inherent flaws.

The prolonged siege had made Rello more and more agitated. He could no longer control his urge to rip the heads off those three insignificant insects. Finally, he let out a roar and suddenly accelerated towards Warren. Warren, unable to dodge, was knocked down by the charge. He could only raise his shield to block Rello's descending battle axe. However, Rello ignored the attacks from Ronan and the Shadow Garrison Knight, focusing solely on Warren. He didn't even flinch when the Shadow Garrison Knight plunged his sword into his softer abdomen.

The second blow landed. Warren's shield finally shattered. Rello's immense strength pinned Warren to the ground, preventing him from getting up. Seeing his shield crack, Warren gritted his teeth and twisted his body, meeting Rello's attack with the thickest part of his shoulder armor. The giant axe struck Warren's left shoulder directly, embedding itself deep within the pauldrons.

The not-so-sharp giant axe failed to cleave through the shoulder armor, but the blunt force trauma from its immense power still left Warren severely wounded. Ronan even heard the sound of bone cracking. Warren, with a surge of determination, raised both hands, gripping the axe handle to prevent Rello from pulling it out.

During the stalemate, the Shadow Garrison Knight seized the opportunity, circling behind Rello and fiercely hacking at the tendons above Rello's ankle with his sword. With his tendons damaged, Rello's right leg lost its strength, causing him to collapse onto his side. However, the Shadow Garrison Knight was also struck on the head by Rello's tail, his helmet deforming from the impact. He fell to the ground, his fate uncertain.

At this moment, Ronan moved to the front. While Rello's hands were occupied with wrestling for the axe handle and his right leg was weak, causing him to kneel at an angle, Ronan grabbed the sword blade with both hands. He used the counterweight ball at the pommel to repeatedly strike Rello's head. Rello was dazed by the continuous blunt force.

After another heavy blow, Rello finally released the axe handle and was knocked down by Ronan. Ronan took a step forward, gripping the sword blade near the crossguard with one hand and the hilt with the other. Straddling Rello, he deeply plunged the sword's sharp, spike-like crossguard into Rello's eyes, which were still reeling from the daze.

The intense pain caused the dazed Rello to let out a horrific shriek. Its claws dug into Ronan's pauldrons. The sheer power born from the agony even left deep finger imprints in Ronan's armor. Ronan, enduring the pain, pulled out the crossguard, rotated the blade downwards, and gripped the middle of the blade with both hands, fiercely thrusting it down. It pierced directly into Rello's gaping mouth.

"Mmmph mmmph mmmph."

Rello let out a muffled sound, and the strength in its hands suddenly intensified. Its sharp claws even dug into Ronan's armor. Ronan cried out in pain, enduring the agony, and forcefully pushed the greatsword a little further into Rello's mouth. He then twisted it left and right. After a moment, Rello finally stopped struggling, and its claws, which had been gripping Ronan's pauldrons, drooped powerlessly. This powerful Dragon Person had finally breathed its last.

Seeing this, Ronan let out a sigh of relief. He then listlessly released his grip on the sword blade. His nearby subordinates rushed over to help Ronan remove the twisted pauldrons that had dug into his shoulder muscles. With the pauldrons removed, Ronan felt much lighter. He looked to the side.

Warren and the Shadow Garrison Knight were also being protected by soldiers. The Shadow Garrison Knight was not dead, merely unconscious with a minor concussion. Warren had suffered a severe fracture in his left shoulder and was unable to use it.

The battle was drawing to a close. Most of the bandits had been killed, and Warren had dispatched men to pursue some who had escaped. Warren was currently listening to his subordinate's statistical report.

"Commander, we annihilated 375 bandits and captured 24. Several knights are pursuing those who fled. Our mercenary forces suffered 165 deaths and over 200 injured. 43 Shadow Garrison soldiers died, most of them at the hands of the Dragon Person. We searched the bandit corpses but did not find Krantuman; he must have escaped. However, we did capture this fellow!"

As he spoke, Knight Warren's adjutant stepped aside, revealing the Scarface man, who was being held down and forced to kneel by two men. The Scarface man was still struggling, trying to lift his head and glare fiercely at Warren.

"'Scarface' Holden, is it? Take all the prisoners back to town for interrogation. Burn the bandit corpses on the spot, and bring the Dragon Person's body back as well."

Warren walked over, pointing at Rello's corpse. He then patted Ronan, who was standing beside Rello's body.

"Well done. You were very brave and powerful. I will report this truthfully to the Bishop to secure additional rewards for you."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir," Ronan replied with a smile.

After nodding at Ronan, Warren led his subordinates down the mountain. His injuries needed immediate attention, and the area was temporarily left to his adjutant.

That night, Ronan applied the Wound Salve he had obtained from a previous mission to the injured soldiers before falling into a deep sleep. This was the largest and most difficult battle Ronan had fought since arriving in this world. The pressure exerted by the Dragon Person Rello was the strongest he had ever faced. Although he had gained combat techniques and experience from the Great Serpent and the Watcher in Glory of the Saber with the system's help, Ronan still had very little practical experience. It was a truly challenging feat for an ordinary person who had lived a peaceful life in his previous existence.

Meanwhile, in the church, Warren, having had his wounds treated and now dressed in white casual clothes with a sling supporting his shoulder, was reporting the day's battle to Bishop Dorodamenro of Ravenwood Town. Dorodamenro had medium-length, sky-blue hair casually falling over his shoulders, and his eyes were a clear blue. His face was delicate, with soft features, and a faint smile always graced his lips. If one didn't know his gender, they might mistake him for a beautiful woman with a disappointing physique. Dorodamenro's ears were pointed and angled upwards; he was, in fact, an elf.

"Lord Bishop, we failed to capture Krantuman. He is very cunning, but we did capture another great thief, 'Scarface' Holden. From him, we learned that this incident is not simple, and we also encountered a Dragon Person in battle!"

"I have already seen the Dragon Person's corpse. It was strong but also young, likely a newly promoted Dragon Person warrior. After all, the more powerful Dragon People are usually well-known. It would be easy to identify them and use such accusations against the Moran Kingdom. The Moran Kingdom, not wanting to be caught red-handed, sent this Dragon Person here. Even if captured, they could pass it off as a wild Dragon Person. It seems the Moran Kingdom has discovered Daisy's identity. After all, in Ravenwood Town, she is the only one who could attract the attention of the Moran Kingdom."