Battle Test!

It was dusk.

Soren carried little Vivian away from the inn. Because of his previous display of power, the Amazon Women held him in much greater respect. They also curbed their excessive curiosity, never asking why Vivian was asleep. Assassin are people shrouded in secrets; one shouldn't know too many secrets, for the more one knows, the easier it is to be silenced. Just like the Naga Priestess, who knew Soren was traveling with a sleeping little girl, but never questioned or mentioned it.

Secrets may not necessarily bring benefits, but they can easily attract danger.

Especially the secret of an Assassin!

Now that he had decided to set sail, Soren naturally couldn't leave Vivian at the inn, nor did he trust the Amazon Women. Therefore, he planned to transfer Vivian to the Temple of the Sea. The Temple of the Sea controlled nearly half of the Temple District, making it easy to find a place for Vivian. He didn't know how long the little girl would remain asleep. Soren felt that Vivian's awakening was directly related to his fusion with the Fear Divinity; the last time she awoke was roughly after Soren completed his Divinity absorption.

An old house outside the Temple of the Sea.

Soren gently placed Vivian on the bed, then reached out and took her small hand in his, saying in a low voice, "Control your Divine Power as much as possible, and don't easily reveal your identity Fear God Child."

"I'll be back soon, and you'll wake up in no time."

"I promise!"

Although Vivian showed no signs of waking up from beginning to end, Soren could sense that she still possessed perception of the outside world, meaning that Vivian could hear him. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why the little girl automatically activated her Divine Power protection as soon as he left, and then quickly withdrew the Energy Protection Field after Soren returned. Her power was still within her body, but her consciousness seemed to have entered a deep sleep for some reason, and she showed no signs of waking up.

Soren picked up a soft, plush blanket and covered Vivian with it, then lay down beside her.

He's going out to sea tomorrow, so he needs to get some rest.

Temple of the Sea.

The Naga Priestess stood before a stretch of azure Seawater. The Temple of the Sea connected to the underground Seawater, allowing direct access to the ocean. The Seawater rippled slightly. Then, a long, slender creature, resembling a giant Sea Snake, appeared. It swam slowly towards the Naga Priestess, then rose gently to its feet, landing on a high platform beneath the Temple of the Sea. At this moment, its form became clear: a Toughness, ferocious male Naga Guard.

Its tail was longer than the Naga Priestess's, and its thick arms gripped a Trident. Its face bore almost no human features, unlike the female Naga who retained some feminine contours. The Naga Guard was about six or seven meters long, and nearly two and a half meters tall when standing upright. Its muscles were incredibly developed, exuding an imposing aura. It bowed slightly and said, "Priest."

"A summons has been sent to the Naga Race in the nearby seas, and they will soon send Warrior to respond."

The Naga Priestess nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. She said in a deep voice, "Very good. Didanas, you will command the summoned Warrior. This time, we must seize those treasures. The Storm Temple seems to be making moves as well; this wealth cannot fall into their hands, as that would only strengthen our enemies."

"The Lord of Storms has always coveted the great Goddess of the Sea, and has attempted to seize control of the ocean's domain."

The male Naga nodded and said in a deep voice, "Priest, I don't understand why you entrusted the Speaker of the Dead to that human commander. Although he is a powerful individual, he is, after all, alone. Moreover, his origins are unknown, and we cannot fully trust him."

The Naga Priestess frowned, glancing at it with a strange, almost cruel smile. She said coldly, "Are you questioning my decision? Didanas. Don't try to guess my decision with your stupid brain. That human is Assassin close to the Legendary Domain. Such a person is in no way weaker than a Legendary Professional in battle. He has value that we should try to recruit and utilize. Besides, after I removed the energy-absorbing Spell from him, I sensed the aura of the Legendary Domain within him."

"He must have mastered some Legendary Tier abilities; he's probably not far from becoming Legendary Assassin!"

"In the past two or three hundred years, there have been very few Legendary Tier Assassin. If he were to pledge allegiance to the Temple of the Sea, our enemies would be awakened from their nightmares."

Legendary Assassin.

If used to assassinate members of an opposing force, it would be an absolute nightmare.

The Naga Priestess seemed to see Soren transform into a sharp blade to eliminate her enemies, a smile involuntarily appearing on her lips. She slowly said, "As for loyalty? There is no absolute loyalty in this world! As long as we can offer him the benefits he desires, he will serve us! This man has many secrets; he definitely needs our help. Moreover, he seems to have a sleeping little girl with him. Although I haven't probed his secrets, I can tell he cares deeply for this girl; their relationship is very close. He's under Energy Drain, and that little girl is likely under some strange Spell as well."

"If necessary, that little girl can also be used as a tool for us. I suppose he wouldn't want anything to happen to her, right?"

"As long as he has a weakness, we can control him."

The Naga Priestess revealed a cruel smile, glanced at the male Naga Guard before him, and ordered, "There are some things you don't need to ask. Now, send out Shark-man scouts to search for those Betrayer. We must find them first, otherwise this wealth may attract even more contenders!"

The male Naga Guard gently bent down and then submerged himself into the Seawater.

The Naga Priestess returned to the back of the Temple of the Sea. She swam to a pool of water, softly chanting a spell. Ripples spread across the surface, and gradually, Soren's figure appeared, with Vivian still asleep beside him. A strange light flickered in the Naga Priestess's eyes as she murmured, "Who are they? That little girl seems to be a natural-born Sorcerer? Many powerful figures have appeared recently; it seems a group of Adventurer have returned from the Abyss? The Goddess of the Sea has stopped responding to my prayers lately. Is something major about to happen?"

"Looks like I've sped up my preparations!..."

The Naga Priestess slowly closed her eyes, and then her entire body sank into the Seawater.

Although the Priest of the Goddess of the Sea wields considerable power, she cannot directly command the sea creatures, as a relative boundary is maintained between secular and divine authority. The kingdoms of sea creatures are somewhat similar to human kingdoms; temples rarely interfere directly in the internal affairs of a kingdom, because kingdoms are fleeting, while Deity possess eternal Hit Points and are unwilling to be burdened by kingdoms that rise and fall every few centuries. The fact that the Naga Priestess can command the Naga Sea Folk of the nearby seas suggests that she likely holds a high position in the secular world.

They could be royalty within the Naga Race. Naga royalty, if they lack the right to inherit the throne, often become Priest serving the Goddess of the Sea.

A mist shrouded the sea.

Soren's figure appeared three hundred meters below the sea. He stood on the deck of the Speaker of the Dead, gazing at the underwater world before him.

The ocean submerged him completely, but it had no effect on him, for he wore an Crest on his chest that allowed him to breathe easily underwater. On the deck of the Speaker of the Dead were Undrowned sailors, Naga Banshee roamed the hull, and Shark-man Undead undead patrolled. This Ghost Ship was teeming with Wraith, the Wraith of those who had died directly or indirectly near it. Unable to fight, they were forcibly absorbed into the ship's masts and sails; the Ghost Ship 'Ghost Ship power source was these Wraith.

Their numbers reached as many as eight or nine hundred.

The real fighting force consists of the Undrowned Undead, Naga Banshee, Wraith, and Shark-man Undead.

Soren silently calculated the distance of the sea and the distance they had traveled. Ghost Ship were not suitable to be exposed to ordinary people, so the Speaker of the Dead left the shallow sea area from the seabed.

"Rise."

Soren frowned as he surveyed the surrounding schools of fish. Due to the Death Aura emanating from the Speaker of the Dead, the sea creatures scattered upon encountering them, fleeing in disarray in all directions. Following Soren's command, the Undrowned sailors began to steer the Ghost Ship upwards. As it slowly ascended, glimmers of light appeared before their eyes, followed by the azure Seawater appearing overhead. With a deafening roar, the Speaker of the Dead burst forth from the seabed.

Soren looked around and said in a deep voice, "Summon Mist. Don't let anyone else see us."

Wisps of gray mist drifted in.

Within a radius of several hundred meters centered on the Speaker of the Dead, everything was shrouded in mist. This was an innate ability of Ghost Ship; the seas where they appeared were often shrouded in mist. Today, the fog on the sea was quite thick, and as the Ghost Ship's mist spread, everything nearby became hazy. The ship sailed silently on the sea; Spectre and Wraith disliked being directly exposed to sunlight. These Undead sailors were indeed formidable, but unfortunately, their weaknesses were all too obvious.

"Captain."

A half-real, half-illusory Naga Banshee appeared before Soren and said in a shrill voice, "The presence of living beings has been detected nearby."

It was the first Naga Banshee we encountered; it was an independent Undead creature, not bound to the Ghost Ship.

Living person?

You've met other people so quickly?

Soren frowned as he went to the helm, then took out his binoculars to observe. He could vaguely see a large ship in the waters near an island, and in the distance, he could see the symbol on the flagpole: a hollow Skeleton with swords crossed below. This was the most common pirate symbol; ordinary pirates used this symbol unless they had joined a special faction within the pirate community. To use a special pirate flag, one had to declare their name, otherwise, they might be attacked by other pirates for using the wrong flag.

This is an unspoken rule.

It may seem insignificant, but it is indeed a matter of life and death.

In the Central Plains region, there is a custom of dragon boat racing. Dragon boats are usually decorated with flags, and these flags cannot be hung haphazardly, as doing so might attract the attention of others who would try to remove them. In many places, Black Flag flags are considered taboo. There have been instances where serious injuries or even deaths occurred on dragon boats due to Black Flag, ultimately leading to a ban on dragon boat racing for many years. When dragon boat races resumed afterward, all boats were issued the same flags, and anyone daring to display Black Flag was immediately removed by the armed police, precisely to prevent further incidents of violence and death.

These things don't exist in this world.

However, there are strict rules regarding flags at sea. Whether it's pirates, Chamber of Commerce, gangs, or any other organization, displaying a flag is a very serious matter. These rules are built on countless lives lost. In Soren's memory, there were people whose entire guild was wiped out by pirates for displaying flags improperly. Even their land base was destroyed overnight, leaving almost no survivors.

That guy was asking for trouble, actually hanging up a banner similar to the Pirate King's!

From this perspective, the dangerous people in this world who make a living on land, sea, and rivers are indeed somewhat like bandits and outlaws.

Some rules shouldn't be broken.

Hanging flags haphazardly among pirates is like disturbing the Crest of a temple. If you don't know, you're lucky; if you do, you'll be skinned alive.

Looks like just an ordinary pirate?

Soren frowned and pondered for a moment, then shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

The pirate ship in front of them should be just an ordinary pirate making a living on the sea. Those who have made a name for themselves have their own flags, and it's rare for anyone to disguise themselves on them. If they were truly famous pirates, they would definitely try their best to display them, because this can avoid a lot of trouble. Some special flags are even Supernatural Item, and if they are displayed, even sea monsters will not easily attack them.

Soren once accepted a task to sacrifice a flag.

However, the location isn't the South Coast; the target of the sacrificial banner is a Legendary Ocean Behemoth. [Spirit Sacrifice Banner]

"Captain?"

The Naga Banshee approached Soren and said in a shrill voice, "They don't seem to be our target? Shall we attack them?"

Soren frowned as he glanced at her, then nodded and said, "Yes. We need to conduct a combat test."

"Never mind."

"Prepare for battle. I will deal with them personally. You are responsible for covering me and be ready to board the ship and fight at any time."

Soren was eager to use them as practice, as he hadn't experienced naval warfare in a long time.

Combat isn't just about grabbing a knife and hacking at people. Different environments call for different fighting styles, and you need to be aware of these. Fighting on the sea, fighting on a ship, is completely different from fighting on land. Underwater combat goes without saying. Even just fighting on a ship is very difficult. Because the ship rocks, the fighting environment is much more confined, and a slight mistake could lead to your ship capsizing.

Many people died here back then because of carelessness!

Soren was a very cautious man, and he didn't want to die an unclear death because he couldn't fight on his ship.

Moreover, he also needs to test and hone his combat skills.

Back in his naval days, he could run on water. He was practically Quasi-Legendary fighter. Now, he doesn't have as many Feat to support him, and his fighting style has changed significantly.

Clang!

Soren glanced at the surrounding Undead, his brow furrowing slightly, before giving a deep command, "Move the ship closer, but not too close. Come over only after you receive my signal."

Thump!

Soren jumped directly into the water, leaving the Naga Banshee standing there somewhat bewildered.

--"Fly!"

"Greater Invisibility!"

After creating enough distance, a glint appeared in Soren's eyes, and he began casting spells in succession to test his combat prowess on the sea.

Start calculating the time.

Soren's mind, like a sophisticated machine, began to function. Under the cover of the mist, his figure rose directly from the Seawater. Greater Invisibility was activated, and Soren vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. With a simple Cantrip, Soren's soaked clothes dried, and he began to approach the pirate ship. Soren flew at an altitude of about one hundred meters, his speed not particularly fast, and with the aid of Greater Invisibility, he remained completely undetectable.

Because he's currently in stealth flight mode!

Because he lacks sufficient Feat, Soren is unable to cast spells while flying, as his primary focus is on maintaining his Fly.

Time was not very plentiful.

Both Fly and Greater Invisibility are calculated in minutes to measure their duration.

Soren must achieve the greatest possible victory within the duration of the Spell!

The distance between them gradually decreased.

Soren saw everything on the pirate ship: twenty or thirty pirate sailors on the deck, the lookout on the mast, the helmsman, and so on. These pirates were not weak; they were stronger than many city guards, belonging to the Tier 2 of professionals, though most possessed Warrior abilities. Due to their pirate careers, they leaned towards the fighting style of Swashbuckler. Of all bandit-like enemies, pirates were the strongest in combat, completely surpassing mountain Brigand, with only desert horse bandits being somewhat comparable.

One minute has passed.

Soren's figure began to descend. He entered Stealth mode, but he was still maintained by Greater Invisibility.

The distance gradually decreases.

Soren hovered about ten meters above the pirate ship. Light passed through his body, and only by staring intently at his position could one discern anything slightly different. The enemy before him was now clear: burly pirates sat idly on the deck, the anchor seemingly dropped, as if they were waiting for something. Soren continued to descend, then gently landed in a secluded corner at the bow.

Five meters in front of him was a pirate drinking, but the man was completely unaware of him.

"Eliminate the key targets first!"

Soren glanced at the enemies in front of him, finally locking onto a One-Eyed who appeared to be the first mate. He crept up silently and then suddenly thrust his Scimitar from the man's back.

Pfft!

A spurt of blood splattered as the One-Eyed, who had been loudly berating his subordinates, stared in disbelief at his chest. His heart had been pierced, and the pirate, whose strength was around level three, died on the spot.

"Enemy!?..."

A large group of pirates panicked, followed by the sound of swords being drawn.

They couldn't see anything at all, except for a Scimitar emerging from the One-Eyed's chest. Then the Scimitar was pulled out, and everything in front of them remained empty.

Soren shook off the blood from his blade, a trace of which was faintly visible at the moment of the attack, before vanishing into thin air once more.

This is Greater Invisibility.

While under the effect of Greater Invisibility, attacking enemies will not remove his Invisibility State.

Pfft!

A head was severed by Soren. A pirate with a thick beard heard the whistling sound of a blade. But he couldn't see the blade coming. He clearly heard the wind and sensed the slight outline of the enemy moving in front of him, but he couldn't see the direction from which the Scimitar was coming. He could only parry haphazardly. Then, the next moment, his head was cut off.

Three throwing Throwing Dagger were shot out.

The Throwing Dagger only showed its mark the moment it left Soren's palm. Unfortunately, the enemy didn't have time to Dodge.

Thump, thump, thump.

A series of streaks of blood appeared as Soren moved in and out as if he were in an empty field. In the blink of an eye, five people were killed by him. The enemies could not even determine the location of his attacks, and could only feel a blurry and hazy trajectory moving at high speed around them. This fear made their morale extremely low. Some people were so scared that they seemed to have seen a ghost, while others even threw their weapons away.

Ding ding ding!

Soren parried the thrown weapon with his sword, in doing so inadvertently revealing his approximate location.

He leaped suddenly, reaching a height of five or six meters. The sturdy cable connecting the mast sank sharply, revealing the outline of a hand gripping it, but no human figure could be seen. Soren swooped down from the air, wielding a Scimitar in each hand, slashing horizontally. Amidst a spray of blood, he killed five people in succession.

Large gushes of blood gushed out.

Only then did the bloody footprints appear on the ground. Soren's figure was still very blurry, and the bloodstains on his body were also covered by Greater Invisibility. However, his vague outline could now be discerned by the enemy.

Unfortunately, they discovered it too late.

Three minutes passed, and Soren stood amidst the blood-soaked ground, surrounded by more than twenty corpses. There was a series of footprints on the ground, but he was still Invisibility State.

The Greater Invisibility will last for about six minutes!

Soren shook the blood off his blades, then glanced expressionlessly at the cabin, grabbed a corpse and slammed it inside. Immediately afterward, his twin blades flashed with an invisible light, slicing the two enemies guarding the back of the cabin in half at the waist.

His clothes were covered in blood.

The effect of the Greater Invisibility seemed to have been weakened considerably, and Soren's figure gradually became more of a semi-transparent, hazy blur.

The Spell's effect seems to have weakened slightly.

However, this was no longer important to Soren, because he discovered that he seemed to have the ability to single-handedly wipe out all the pirates on the ship.

...(To be continued~^~)