Your secret game is absolutely poisonous!

Mengbai ultimately chose to learn "Folshanks' Thunder Spear".

To do this, he cleared out all the runes he had accumulated. After imparting this powerful ancient dragon prayer, Vic left the Hall of the Round Table without explaining the problem he had encountered.

Meng Bai was puzzled and a little worried for Victor.

However, how could the road to becoming king be smooth sailing? My goal is the same as Vic's, and I believe that I will encounter the same difficulties he will face soon. Then I will naturally know what's going on!

Leave the round table hall.

They returned to the Galid region.

The sky was blood-red, the earth was decaying and diseased, riddled with holes and covered with fungal growths, the air was filled with the smell of decay, and everything in sight was withering and rotting.

When this scene appears before my eyes once again.

Many adventurers couldn't help but express their feelings.

"No matter how many times I see Galid's miserable state, I feel a chill run down my spine."

"Yes, who would have thought that a single duel between Valkyrie Mariana and General Rataen of Shattered Stars could permanently change this land?"

"Although the Red Lion Legion tried its best to use pyrotechnics to stop the spread of the crimson corruption, tens of thousands of square kilometers of land were still corrupted and showed a tendency to spread further."

"This power called 'Crimson Corruption' is most likely a terrifying power of at least fifth-tier rare or sixth-tier rarity!"

"What a terrifying force!"

"..."

The adventurers have been exploring the border region for many days.

Many adventurers have left their mark on places like Ningmgefu, Lienia, the Volcano Residence, the Altan Plateau, and Galid.

As adventurers hear about various scenes, ruins, equipment, and skills, they decipher and interpret more and more history, and some details of the Fragment Wars are no longer secrets.

However, it is quite unfamiliar to visitors who are new to Miracle City.

Fifth-tier dungeon lord Qin Wuye asked, "Brother Jiang, why is the scenery in this secret realm so strange?"

“I haven’t explored the Ring of Law, so I don’t know much about the borderlands, but I have heard some rumors.”

Jiang Wentian explained to them, "This place called Galid is a border area. It was a prosperous and bustling region a few years ago, and it is not like it is now."

Qin Wuye: "Then why has it changed so much in just a few years?"

Jiang Wentian nodded: "Galeed's change stems from the battle between Marlene and Rataen."

Lord Mo Linyuan exclaimed in surprise: "The duel between two people could actually cause such a large area of ​​land and environment to be permanently changed. Could it be that the strength of these two people has reached the sixth rank or above?!"

"No, although both of them are among the strongest in the border region, their strength should not exceed the fifth rank!"

Around level 5?

They must be strong.

It is unlikely to cause permanent changes to the terrain.

There's no way they could beat Gailed like that!

The lords and other newcomers who had just arrived in Miracle City and were unaware of the situation were both surprised and curious.

"Although Valkyrie Malenia's swordsmanship is among the best in the borderlands, she is still at a disadvantage against the strongest demigod, General Ratahn of the Shattered Stars. However, Malenia has an innate ability that caused both sides to be severely injured, leading to the current catastrophe in Gelid."

Jiang Wentian explained, "This power does not belong to Malenia herself. It originates from a mysterious deity who possesses a power that corrupts all things in the world, hence it is called Crimson Corruption!"

Only then did these people realize the reason.

Marlenia broke the seal at the crucial moment.

The moment the crimson flower of corruption bloomed on Rataen's body.

This power not only injected itself into the body of the strongest demigod, causing irreversible erosion to his physical body and mind, but also thoroughly polluted the entire Gailid. Its influence and destructive power were in no way inferior to a super-powerful nuclear bomb.

Once you understand the cause and effect of the matter.

While inspiring fear and awe, it also inevitably evokes strong anticipation and greed.

If this power could be used for one's own purposes, it would definitely be a top-tier skill, and even among sixth-tier skills, there are few that can compare!
Red Lion City is located on a cliff in the southeastern part of the Galid region.

Adventurers must traverse the entire Galid to reach it, which is extremely difficult.

Mengbai paid a heavy price to reach this place, and defeated several powerful monster bosses. Finally, Galid's adventure and battle will reach its climax at this moment!

When Meng Bai arrived at Red Lion City, she was immediately spotted by the soldiers and knights of the Red Lion Legion guarding the area. However, unlike other places, the garrison here did not launch an attack.

When they learned that Mengbai was the one who defeated the limb-splitting Grik.

The entire Red Lions Legion was filled with respect and showed their welcome.

Finally, a Red Lion Knight personally led Mengbai into the heavily guarded, war-torn, and seemingly dilapidated Red Lion City.

"You're the Faded One, Meng Bai, who defeated the limb-splitting Garrick?"

A man dressed as a knight but wearing a hood similar to that of an exiled soldier received Meng Bai.

According to the other party's self-introduction, this person is Ratan's good friend and also the lord of Red Lion City, Jellian, and he is the one who organized Ratan's Battle Festival.

Meng Bai asked, "I came for General Rataen's Great Rune, you wouldn't be unwelcome, would you?"

City Lord Jelian said, "Those who have faded, do not worry. The Red Lion Legion values ​​honor. All the strong who have made it here, regardless of their birth, origin, stance, or purpose, are qualified to participate in the celebration and send General Rataen off on his final journey!"

Meng Bai visited so many places in the border region.

This seemingly menacing and brutal Red Lion City is actually the friendliest place.

These men of Rata's not only fail to protect Rata, but they also help the Faded Ones hunt Rata. It has to be said that this is a very unexpected thing.

Meng Bai asked, "So when does this celebration begin?"

City Lord Jelian said, "According to the rules of the battle celebration, we need to gather eighteen strong warriors. Only in this way are we qualified to attack General Rataen and let him die on the battlefield in the most glorious way!"

Meng Bai asked, "So how many powerful individuals are there now?"

City Lord Jellian laughed and said, "If you're included, then there are exactly eighteen!"

I'm actually the tenth strong person to arrive at Red Lion City? This is probably some kind of secret realm mechanism; as soon as an adventurer arrives at Red Lion City, it's exactly when the battle celebration begins.

Jellian said, "Please rest for a while at the celebration square in Red Lion City. The other powerful figures participating in the celebration are also in the square right now, and there might even be some of your old friends among them!"

"it is good!"

Mengbai entered Red Lion City.

The city looked like it had been ravaged by war, with signs of battle everywhere. It was home to thousands of Red Lion soldiers and dozens of Red Lion knights, as well as some local residents who had been taken in.

In the center of the city is a square with activatable blessings, forming a blessing camp where nearly a hundred faded individuals have gathered, including many familiar faces known to Meng Bai.

For example, a tall, werewolf-like warrior.

Black Hammer King: "Isn't that Wolf Brother? He's Lani's shadow bodyguard!"

Lani is the witch who gave adventurers the Summoning Bell and wolf ashes when they first entered the Borderlands. At that time, she called herself the witch Lena, but Lena was actually the shadow of her teacher.

Lani's true identity is one of the three children of Queen Renara of the Full Moon and Radagan.

Cat Momo: "Lani and Momo are about to face Rataen, who is a brother and sister. Why would she send her confidant, the Faded One, to kill her own brother? Is it just to give her brother, who has gone mad, a quick death?"

"Heh, it's not that simple!"

"All indications suggest that although Lani is a demigod, she does not intend to abide by the Golden Law, but rather to explore another set of laws related to the stars and the moon."

"Back then, General Ratan, the Shattered Star General, used powerful gravity magic to seal the movement of the stars in order to prevent extraterrestrial threats from entering the boundary with meteors. This would hinder the arrival of the Star Age, which is not in the interest of the deity behind Lani. I guess only by eliminating Ratan can Lani's plan be carried out."

"No wonder Lani also wanted Rataen dead."

"With so many experts gathered this time, Ratahn is definitely doomed!"

"..."

While everyone is discussing.

Mengbai has already started communicating with Blaze.

Blazer is Lani's confidant and trusted confidant, and Mengbai has already met Lani at Lani's magic tower. Because of the related storyline, he has had contact with Blazer.

Blazer: "You took longer to get here than I expected. It seems all the actors have arrived."

Meng Bai: "You're planning to challenge Rataen? Are you here for the Great Rune too?"

Blaze said calmly, "No, I have no interest in the Great Runes, but the outcome of this battle is crucial to our grand plan!"

"What grand plan?"

"I can't tell you right now, but just go ahead and challenge the Rataen Festival, but remember, for Lady Lani's sake, don't lose your life!"

"..."

Meng Bai discovered that there were quite a few powerful individuals preparing to challenge Rataen.

There's Wolf Brother Blazer, Iron Fist Alexander, Fearless Ryannil, and even Lord Jellian himself.

These people are all well-known Faded Ones whom Meng Bai knows or has had some contact with. In addition, there are some other people, such as the Finger Witch Seroli, or Big Horn, Old Man, Patch, etc., who are all completely unfamiliar.

Although I have never had any dealings with them.

But these people are also well-known powerful figures in the border region.

Whether you know them or not, their strength is not to be underestimated. In addition, there are hundreds of unknown minions who have faded away. Although they are not famous, they generally have the strength of the second tier and their average strength is close to that of the Grek Knight.

These people will also join the fight!
In other words, the scale of this battle reached more than one hundred people.

Such a formidable hunting force besieged a single target.

This battle.

Is it really that difficult?
However, the battle seemed to have no suspense whatsoever.

But it was unlike any previous BOSS battle.

Adventurers entering Red Lion City will automatically save at the Blessing Point. If the challenge fails, the save will be automatically loaded and the player will return to this point, where other participating characters or Faded Ones can regroup and challenge again.

This is different from the situation at a typical blessing camp.

Once an adventurer recruits a Faded One in a regular camp is killed, the Faded One cannot be refreshed. If all the Faded Ones are used up, they cannot be recruited again for a short period of time. In addition, this will result in the permanent loss of the corresponding Faded One character.

It is not difficult to see from various signs.

This battle is definitely not as easy as it seems.

When Mengbai touches the blessing, she will rest until the celebration begins.

Her vision went black for a moment, and when it returned, her body was at full strength, and the atmosphere around her was completely different from before.

The sound of red lion soldiers beating drums could be heard from all directions.

The Rataen Festival has officially begun!
General Shattered Star is currently in the Weeping Dunes opposite Red Lion City, the place he deliberately exiled himself to before losing consciousness, sacrificing his own legs to prevent himself from leaving the area and causing havoc elsewhere.

have to say.

Judging from General Shattered Star's actions...

He is indeed a true man, a hero worthy of respect.

Challengers can enter the deepest part of the Weeping Dunes through a portal.

Meng Bai wasted no time. As soon as the battle celebration began, she immediately passed through the portal and arrived deep within the Weeping Dunes.

"here it is……"

More than a hundred challengers appeared in the vast, blood-red sand dunes. Both the sky and the earth were blood-red. This place must have been a battlefield in the past, and corpses could be seen lying everywhere.

There are both Red Lion Knights under Rataen's command and Corrupt Knights by Marlene's side.

The corpses varied in age; some were nearly skeletal, possibly left behind during the war between the two powerful figures, while others appeared to have just decomposed, possibly left behind by those who recently entered the area to challenge Rataen.

Has the Battle Festival already been held several times?

However, all the challengers before him had failed.

The entire environment was filled with a desolate, rotten, and bloody atmosphere.

Before Meng Bai could observe any further details, flashes of light surrounded her. Half-Wolf Blazer, City Lord Jellian, Iron Fist Alexander, and other figures arrived via teleportation. Besides them, there were dozens of relatively unknown but powerful individuals, all at least at the second tier. "The celebration has begun!"

"For the Red Lions Legion!"

"For the glory of General Ratahn!"

Lord Jellian let out an excited roar.

Everyone gripped their weapons, ready for battle.

Despite their superior numbers, the tense atmosphere remained unabated, after all, they were dealing with no ordinary people this time!

The group couldn't find Ratahn.

They didn't even wait for everyone to discuss and agree on a strategy.

A sharp whistle came from overhead. When Meng Bai looked up at the sky, her pupils contracted in shock. Hundreds, even thousands, of javelin-like arrows rained down like a storm, each one containing terrifying power.

"not good!"

"Spread out!"

Everyone was terrified when they saw the rain of arrows.

By then, it's too late to react and try to dodge.

Each arrow possessed the power of a siege crossbow. When hundreds of giant arrows fell simultaneously with astonishing force, they caused casualties of a dozen or twenty people on the spot.

The adventurers outside also looked surprised upon seeing this.

"What archery skills?"

"It's amazing that it can summon so many at the same time."

"The kill radius is just too outrageous!"

"..."

It was Rataen's attack!
General Shattered Star has no weaknesses!
He excels in both close combat and long-range attacks, possessing both powerful combat skills and the most advanced magic in the world.

Meng Bai realized that she could not sit idly by and wait to die, but before she could pinpoint Rataen's location, another huge arrow flew from the distant sand dunes.

This is different from the rain of arrows we just saw.

Only one arrow was fired this time.

This arrow was fired horizontally rather than projectile, wrapped in purple lightning-like light, and its speed directly exceeded several times the speed of sound, instantly piercing into the battle formation composed of the faded ones.

Five small, faded fish were successively torn apart and pierced.

Finally, it struck the fearless Ryannil head-on.

This faded being, who had already reached the third rank and one star, was wearing heavy armor that could easily withstand sword and axe blows. But now it was as fragile as paper and was pierced by an arrow, resulting in an instant and predictable death.

"It's gravity magic!"

"This arrow is imbued with gravity magic!"

Mengbai has learned several gravity spells. She knows that purple energy is a manifestation of gravity magic, and Rataen must have imbued the arrows with gravity magic.

Such heavy arrows are inherently deadly.

Imagine the impact of magic, which increases mass a thousandfold!

In addition, gravity magic can increase the mass of arrows while also making them immune to the gravitational effects of the natural environment, thereby greatly increasing the range and allowing them to accurately hit the target even when shot thousands or tens of thousands of meters away.

What a terrifying attack this is!

Even the Miracle City's 20mm anti-materiel heavy sniper rifle is far inferior to it!
General Ratan's attack continued, with several gravity arrows coming from thousands of meters away, followed by two large-scale arrow rainstorms, instantly causing more than half of the challenge team to be killed or wounded.

The group finally located Ratahn's position and approached him.

Meng Bai and the adventurers finally saw the strongest demigod in the border region. He was a burly man, four or five meters tall, wearing the iconic red lion armor, and his thick, fiery red hair made him look majestic and domineering.

Ratan's eyes were filled with madness, and he had long since lost all reason. His body was covered with wounds and signs of battle. Both of his legs had been amputated below the knees, and more than ten spears left behind by the Dignified Knights were stuck in his back.

But the strange thing is.

Ratan's warhorse was thin and small.

Logically speaking, such a warhorse should not be able to support the enormous weight of Ratahn's body. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that within Ratahn's corrupted body, there is a purple gravity magic that eliminates the weight of his body.

Wanshan Guhong immediately said to the others, "I've been to Seria Town. There are records there of Rataen learning magic when he was young. The reason he wanted to learn gravity magic was precisely for the sake of this warhorse!"

Only then did everyone realize it.

These warhorses were Ratahn's mounts when he was young.

As he grew, his size increased, and the foal could no longer support his weight.

Instead of abandoning his companion and searching for another mount, Rataen specifically studied gravity magic so that he could continue fighting alongside his warhorse.

When I learned this...

The crowd held General Shattered Star in even greater awe.

Unexpectedly, this rugged and fierce giant has such a delicate side. He is unwilling to give up even an ordinary horse. He is indeed a true man who values ​​loyalty and righteousness. No wonder the Red Lion Legion still follows him to this day.

When facing the approach of the Challenger forces.

Rataen can rely entirely on its superior mobility.

They used a kite-flying tactic to slowly torture and safely kill these challengers.

But he didn't do that. He immediately put away his large bow, drew a pair of heavy and ancient swords, and in an instant, purple gravity energy burst out, forming dozens of nearly a hundred gravity energy balls in the air.

A roar.

Like raindrops.

Dozens of black hole-like spheres of gravitational energy distorted space and attacked from all directions.

Meng Bai sensed the power of these attacks and quickly dodged, but nearly ten cannon fodder faded beings were sucked in by the energy balls and crushed into mincemeat on the spot when the terrifying gravity energy exploded.

Before the other surviving faded ones could catch their breath.

General Ratan suddenly roared, and purple gravity energy erupted again, enveloping the surrounding area within a radius of 180 meters. Everyone within this area clearly felt themselves being dragged by an invisible hand.

"not good!"

"Go back!"

Mengbai used her hound-like agility to escape.

At this moment, several of the faded individuals were drawn to General Rataen's side.

General Ratan raised his twin swords and slashed down fiercely. The violent gravitational energy crashed down like Mount Tai, and the shockwave instantly ripped through the air. Armor and weapons shattered, and flesh was torn apart like mud, instantly killing all the challengers who had been sucked in.

The filler fish and those who faded into obscurity have already been almost entirely wiped out.

Only seven or eight slightly stronger faded individuals remain, including Mengbai, Blazer, and Jelian.

Before these people could even catch their breath, Ratahn's body began to move. Although he had lost both his legs and was bulky and heavily armored, he was still so fast that they could only see afterimages.

Just a moment ago we were still ahead.

The next moment, he flashed to the left wing.

Two gravity-enhanced battle swords slashed down wildly.

Each strike possessed the power of thunder and lightning. City Lord Jellian could only barely withstand a few blows before being chopped into mincemeat. He then cleaved Blazer and Alexander away with a single strike before his figure appeared in a flash, instantly standing in front of Meng Bai.

"That's way too fast..."

Meng Bai couldn't keep up with Rata's fighting pace at all. Although this guy was enormous, he seemed to be a spirit, without any weight or inertia. He had never seen such a feeling of being both powerful and easy to move before.

He barely managed to cast a spell of Vic's Dragon Lightning on himself.

Mengbai dodged Rataen's gravity blade, then swung his Hound Fang in an attempt to counterattack. However, Rataen suddenly retreated dozens of meters away, which Mengbai couldn't keep up with even at his current speed.

"powerful!"

"too strong!"

Even in its current state.

"This Ratahn is no weaker than a top-tier rare monster of the fourth tier, three stars, or even four stars!"

"Terrifying. He has no intelligence at all now, fighting purely on his remaining combat instincts. His body is riddled with holes and severely injured. Even so, does he still have such strength?"

"At his peak, he was at least a Tier 5 rare unit!"

"..."

Meng Bai saw Rataen retreat in a flash.

She reacted quickly, conjuring a ball of flame in her left hand and about to throw it at Ratahn.

Unexpectedly, Ratahn suddenly rose into the air, his massive body breaking the sound barrier on the spot, instantly piercing the sky and flying into the clouds, disappearing from everyone's sight in an instant.

"what happened?"

"How did he fly away?"

"His killing intent remains. Ratahn will never give up on any battle. Everyone be careful, he will be back!"

Mengbai didn't know why Rataen suddenly flew away, but she didn't think that General Shattered Star would escape because of this, so she quickly took out the Holy Grail Dew to treat Blaze. In the end, the remaining nine people gathered together and formed a defensive stance.

The current situation is very bad!
More than a hundred people participated in the Lataen celebration for less than ten minutes.

As a result, they died before they could even touch the hem of Rataen's clothes, leaving only nine people.

Although none of the nine survivors were ordinary people, it was still extremely difficult for them to fight against Rataen!

As the nine people huddled together back to back, waiting for Rataen to reappear, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound from the sky, and saw a streak of fire appear through the clouds above.

"what is that?"

"It looked like a shooting star!"

"That's impossible! According to the intelligence we already have, the sky over the border region has been sealed off by Rataen. Stars can no longer move across this land, and no meteors have fallen over the border region for many years!"

"..."

Everyone is still confused about what's going on.

A dazzling meteor, as if from beyond the heavens, broke through the atmosphere and the clouds, and then fell from the sky at a terrifying speed of nearly ten times the speed of sound, its target being the group of Faded Ones gathered together.

"Oh no!!"

Meng Bai saw it clearly at the last moment.

At the center of this fiery meteor, engulfed in raging flames, stood none other than General Rataen of Shattered Stars.

The adventurers in the Secret Realm Hall only saw this strongest demigod, now with a sliver of health remaining, transform into a fiery meteor and instantly strike the challenger formation led by Meng Bai.

next moment.

A small mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

The last nine challengers, including Meng Bai, were as if they had been hit by a small tactical nuclear bomb at point-blank range. Their figures were all reduced to ashes and nothingness in the violent shockwave and flames.

Challenge failed!

And it was a complete defeat!
It was a completely one-sided massacre!

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, their faces filled with horror.

Because no one expected this outcome.

Although Ratan is known as the strongest demigod in the Borderlands, the group is not challenging Ratan in his prime, but rather a battle-damaged version of Ratan who has lost his mind, had his legs cut off, and has been completely corrupted by the Crimson Corruption.

Even so, is the gap really that big?

He truly deserves to be called the number one real man in the border region, the man known as the strongest demigod!

-

(PS: I was too tired last night and went to bed early, so this chapter is a make-up update for last night.) (End of this chapter)