"Monsters have broken in!"
The frantic shouts of alarm echoed from within the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce's compound. At some point, several shark people had vaulted over the courtyard wall and burst into the premises. Although swiftly slain by Knights who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, they still caused quite a stir. More and more shark people were appearing nearby, quietly gathering and starting to charge the compound's main gate.
"Report!" A messenger hurried forward. "The Sea God Society's encampment has been confirmed to have fallen! The Sickle Brotherhood is also unable to hold on, and they're requesting reinforcements!"
"Reinforcements?" Emma scoffed. "Even if we put aside past grievances, we can't even rescue our own people. What reinforcements can we possibly send them?"
"Lula!" Emma turned to her daughter. "What do we do now?"
Although Emma perceived her daughter as weak-willed, unlike Dragon King Zimorman, Lula was very astute. When faced with a crisis, she handled it more prudently than Emma herself.
"Because of the mist's cover, the situation in the city is still unclear," Lula said thoughtfully. "We don't know how many shark people have come ashore, where they came from, why they're attacking Freedom Port, or if there are other types of monsters among them."
"However," Lula continued, her expression grim as she rose to her feet, "if the Sea God Society and the Sickle Brotherhood can't stop them, it's highly likely we won't hold out much longer either. Have we made contact with the City Lord's Mansion? Why hasn't Lord Sodan sent troops to suppress this? Gather all our manpower. If we truly can't hold out, then we'll retreat for now. Freedom Port supplies nearly seventy percent of the sea goods to Duke Ferdinand's territory; its importance cannot be overstated. He won't just stand by idly. Send someone out of the city to inform the Duke of the situation here. Even if we can't hold the compound, as long as we endure until reinforcements arrive, we can still retake Freedom Port."
At this moment, Lula fully embodied the authority of a faction leader, her arrangements issued with calm order. Her decisions were impeccable.
A massive explosion erupted from the western side of the compound. Screams and shouts followed, and the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
Have they breached it so quickly? they wondered.
Rushing out of the council hall, they found the entire Chamber of Commerce compound brightly illuminated by countless torches. The western stone wall had collapsed. Several thick, black tentacles writhed violently, entangling figures one after another. Each tentacle was as thick as a man's embrace, and a mere twist could cause buildings to crumble. The Chamber's guards were swept aside effortlessly; even the Knights were no match for it.
"HAH!" Emma was the first to strike. She charged forward, stomped her foot, and the ground beneath her roiled. Countless vines erupted, snaking towards the tentacles.
The gnarled vines twisted and coiled chaotically around the tentacles, then yanked downwards with immense force.
A terrifying monster was dragged out from the darkness.
The crowd was stunned. Whether squid or octopus, none had ever witnessed a creature of such terrifying size. Its massive head resembled a small hill, and its dozens of tentacles spread out like a spider's web. Each tentacle was like a sturdy tree trunk, and when they moved, they resembled a writhing horde of giant serpents.
Its skin was a deep, abyssal black, seeming to devour the surrounding light and obscuring its true form. Its body was covered in a dense multitude of eyes, large and small, scattered like stars in the night sky, yet radiating a chilling, unsettling eeriness. Each tentacle stretched tens of meters long, covered in sharp-rimmed suckers. Every sucker was like a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth, capable of effortlessly tearing prey to shreds.
The moment its full form came into view, an indescribable sense of oppression and an overwhelming aura of fear washed over everyone. It was as if Death itself had arrived. The Dragon King Chamber of Commerce's guards scattered, utterly unable to mount any resistance.
The tentacles lashed upwards, erupting with enormous strength. The vines shattered, and Emma involuntarily staggered back, her face instantly ashen.
"A Legendary Creature!" Lula's eyes narrowed. "Everyone, attack together!"
Before she could finish speaking, a figure beside her transformed into a wisp of smoke and shot towards the monster.
Mist Crow was not just a person's name; it was also a superior-grade Dharma Seal.
Superior-grade Dharma Seal—Mist Crow!
His body could transform into smoke, gathering and dispersing at will, granting him a significant advantage against opponents of the same level. His only weakness was a relative lack of attack power.
Mist Crow's hands, now sharp claws, slashed fiercely across one of the monster's tentacles, tearing open a long gash.
However, what seemed like a vicious wound to an ordinary person was utterly insignificant on the horrifically massive monster.
With a dull thud, Mist Crow was sent flying backward. Just as he was about to crash heavily to the ground, his body flickered, dissolving into a cloud of smoke that reformed a short distance away.
"Careful!" Mist Crow exclaimed, his face pale with horror. "Its body possesses a power that instills fear!"
A power that instills fear?
Carl charged forward with his sword, still pondering Mist Crow's words, when suddenly, a dire warning blared through his body and consciousness.
Danger! Extreme danger!
An overwhelming, uncontrollable panic surged from the depths of his heart. His pulse quickened, his mouth went dry, and his arms, gripping his twin swords, felt suddenly weak.
This is... a One-Circle Witchcraft—Fear Aura!
The monster surely knew no witchcraft, but this oppressive pressure on his mind and body was remarkably similar to the effects of the Fear Aura described in his books. Follow current novels on novel★fire.net
"Watch out!" Carl roared. With no time for further thought, his body swelled, growing to five meters in height. Shouldering his fear, he swung his sword down with all his might.