After going into the sea, I met the witch.

But there was one thing he was very clear about.

The Blood Witch Serena, who forcibly brought him and Freyne to "perform," is someone he absolutely cannot resist in his current state.

Third order, no, it shouldn't be.

Although Ryan had never faced a third-tier professional, the difference of just one tier couldn't possibly be that absurd.

In other words, the Blood Witch Serena is most likely a being of rank three or higher, a "monster" far stronger than the leader of the Rathalos in the Journey Land.

If Ryan's main body possessed the strength of a wandering clone, then an attack might be worth trying, but with his "weak" main body... let's just forget about it.

Since he was no match for her, he now had only one choice left—to cooperate with the Blood Witch Serena to complete the so-called "performance".

Judging from the current situation, the Blood Witch Serena does not seem to have any specific malicious intent towards him and Freyne. If they successfully complete their "performance," they will most likely be able to return safely.

A series of thoughts flashed through his mind. Looking at the three wolf demons that had suddenly closed to within ten meters of him, Ryan said softly:

"Ten minutes... let's begin!"

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Chapter 95: The Crimson Stage, the Play Reaches its Climax

On the blood-red stage, the three wolf demons did not attack Ryan immediately upon approaching him. Instead, they suddenly dispersed, forming a triangle that surrounded him.

This is the hunting habit of wolf packs.

Ryan remained calm in response. Gray text appeared before his eyes, displaying information about the wolf demon.

[Greylight Wolves: Tier 1 monsters, typically hunting in groups of three to five. They are agile and possess some shadow abilities. A single Greylight Wolf is relatively weak for a Tier 1 monster, but when three work together, even a Tier 1 powerhouse must be cautious.]

"Grey Wolf..."

Seeing the three gray wolves pacing around him, Ryan didn't retreat but instead charged forward towards the one directly in front of him.

Before he became the [Gluttony Hunter (Tier 1)] in his original form, he would have needed to be careful when facing such an enemy to avoid being ambushed by the Grey Wolf behind him.

But now, it's no longer necessary.

Whether in terms of spirituality or physique, he far surpasses "Gray Wolf". If he were to be timid and hesitant in the face of such a "weakling", why would he bother to pursue strength?

Ryan was incredibly fast, like an arrow shot from a bow, and in an instant he was in front of the gray wolf directly in front of him.

The sudden burst of speed from its "prey" startled the gray wolf. Instinctively, a gray-black spiritual light surged around it, and its body, like a pool of fluid, tried to merge into the shadows.

Night is their domain; the large shadows cast by the moonlight on the blood crystal pillars are their hunting weapons.

"Qiang——!"

However, just as the gray wolf's paws disappeared into the shadows, a dazzling silver-blue sword shadow descended.

The delicate, fragmented ice crystals leave tiny, icy-blue dots in the air, creating a beautiful and dreamlike scene.

But beneath this beauty lies a blossoming crimson.

The headless corpse fell, and the part that blended into the shadows returned to the present world.

Ryan remained expressionless, gripping his greatsword in his right hand and sweeping it behind him.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds followed as the other two gray wolves that attacked from behind were struck by the greatsword. The one in front exploded in a large spray of blood, its ribs shattered, and its internal organs turned into a pool of minced meat. The one behind, having been cushioned by the one in front, fared slightly better. Although it too died, at least its death was not as gruesome.

In just five seconds, the first wave of formidable enemies in the "performance" were all killed by Ryan's greatsword.

"Wow, that's impressive! No wonder you're called a 'Hero.' A mere 'Church Knight' is no match for you!"

The voice of the Blood Witch Serena rang out again, spreading throughout the entire stage, but her figure could not be seen.

In the audience, two ordinary black knights narrowed their eyes slightly.

They hadn't forgotten what the Blood Witch called the greatsword youth.

"Mr. Knight".

This means that this young man with the greatsword, even if he is not the Dark Moon Witch's guardian knight, is at least a companion.

The greatsword-wielding youth is one of the obstacles they face in dealing with the Darkmoon Witch.

Although the Dark Moon Witch seemed slightly less important in front of the Blood Witch, the two were well aware that the Blood Witch was beyond their ability to handle. Once the news spread, a Black Knight of sufficient rank would surely take over. Their task was simply the Dark Moon Witch.

At this moment, the strength displayed by the greatsword youth was something even they had to take seriously.

Two sword strikes, and three "Gray Light Wolves" are gone... Such strength is something that a first-tier formal professional can never achieve. Even a 100% compatible, soon-to-be-advanced second-tier professional could not do it.

In other words, the young man with the greatsword is undoubtedly a second-tier combatant.

Although the spiritual fluctuations on his body were only at the first level.

But it already poses a significant threat!

As for the black knight sitting in front of the two ordinary black knights, his expression didn't change much.

Few people use greatswords as weapons. Although the young man's feat of killing three gray wolves with two sword strikes was impressive, any ordinary black knight could do it effortlessly. So, in his eyes, it was nothing special.

After defeating the 'Church Knight' who blocked his way, the 'Hero' continued forward and encountered a second wave of powerful enemies.

"—Pope!"

"That is the most revered person in the church, below God."

"With the blessing of faith, the Pope's military power is unparalleled on the continent."

"And he is the enemy you are about to face."

The voice of the Blood Witch Serena rang out once more.

On the blood-red stage, Ryan stared at the empty space ahead, a look of confusion in his eyes.

Where is the "Pope" we were promised?

At this moment, an ordinary black knight in the "audience seats," who was preparing to further observe Ryan's strength, suddenly changed his expression, and his seat began to sink.

The sudden change immediately caught the attention of the ordinary black knights and the seated black knights nearby.

They tried to get up, but the blood-red aura emanating from the "audience seats" froze them in place, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as the ordinary black knight's body sank completely into the blood crystal pillar.

The next second, on the blood-red stage, twenty meters in front of Ryan, an ordinary black knight slowly rose from the ground.

“How interesting! The ‘audience’ is actually participating in the performance? What a novel idea.” On the other side, in the “special audience” section, the tavern owner Caius clapped his hands and exclaimed in admiration.

……

As the crimson aura faded, the ordinary black knight rose from his seat, his cold gaze fixed on the greatsword-wielding youth beneath his mask.

The Black Knight realized he had been tricked.

They were supposed to be talking about "the audience," but they ended up referring to "the actors."

However, he was the Black Knight and she was the Sea Witch, so there was no trust between them to begin with.

Rather, the fact that the Blood Witch didn't kill them outright when they first met was already surprising enough to him.

Becoming one of the "actors" now isn't all bad.

At least, he could personally take action to eliminate the "power" surrounding the heretic Dark Moon Witch.

"Chong-"

The black knight slowly drew his obsidian-colored longsword, pointing it diagonally at the ground ahead. He didn't speak, but his actions spoke volumes.

"Are you here to be the 'Pope'?" Ryan smiled, but his eyes were full of indifference. "Fine, I'll settle things with you right here."

"You?" The Black Knight's voice was deep and hoarse, and the moment he finished speaking, he moved.

"boom--!"

Where the Black Knight had originally stood, the ground, made of blood crystals, cracked with fine, spiderweb-like patterns, and his figure had appeared in front of Ryan.

The black knight's longsword drew a perfect semicircle, slashing towards Ryan's neck, which was unprotected by scales.

Like the black sword, there are burning black spiritual flames on its body, leaving a fleeting black sword shadow in mid-air.

The Black Knight's swordsmanship was simple and brutal. Because he had a preliminary assessment of Ryan's strength, he did not hold back at all in this strike.

The black flames swirling around the knight's longsword were the Black Knight's exclusive class skill – [Shadow Fire].

The weapon is coated with a sticky, shadowy fire that is difficult to extinguish even with water. Once hit by it, it takes a great deal of spiritual energy to put it out.

Ryan had some understanding of the Black Knight's class skills.

Freyne, being hunted by the Black Knights, was naturally very familiar with the situation of these "hyenas".

Through Freyne, Ryan also learned about these things.

Therefore, he would naturally not be foolish enough to come into contact with these "shadow fires".

With a slight backstep, the tip of the sword narrowly missed Ryan's face.

His indifferent eyes reflected the Black Knight's slightly surprised expression—the other party seemed not to have expected him to dodge the sword in this way.

What may seem like a casual step is actually an absolute control over the combat distance.

Ryan's greatsword slashed out!

"Om-!"

The powerful, heavy silver-blue greatsword crashed down, and the air groaned in agony.

The expression on the face beneath the black knight's mask changed drastically.

The mere whistling of the sword wind sent chills down his spine.

In the critical moment, the Black Knight switched his longsword to a defensive stance, holding it in front of him.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing echoed all around, and a figure was suddenly sent flying backward. After landing, he was still backed up more than ten steps before he managed to stop himself and half-knelt on the ground, using his sword to support himself.

"Tick...tick..."

Blood dripped continuously from the tiger's mouth of his hand and even from the bottom edge of his mask, staining the black knight's longsword with a blood-red vein. The black knight breathed heavily, clenched his teeth, and stared intently at the young man opposite him who was sheathing his greatsword again, a bizarre sense of bewilderment welling up in his heart.

In the instant his weapons clashed, he felt as if he were facing not a person, but a wall of steel. His strength had no effect on his opponent, while the mere recoil from the opponent forced him to retreat.