Mercenary Wars

Chapter 246 Level 8 Blood Summoning Sword
The spear pierced the snake's head, and the effect seemed quite good. It not only greatly hampered the snake's attack, but the multi-headed snake also had no way to get rid of it for the time being. It could only twist its head while continuously vomiting venom to corrode the spear.

The hunter seemed to see a glimmer of hope, and his expression brightened slightly.

"Roar……"

Another snake head emitted a faint growl. At the mangled, bloody cut, new tissue was growing at a visible rate, clearly nearing completion. The regeneration process was horrifying, as if countless tiny tentacles were dancing wildly.

The hunter felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the warrior's miserable state, but he was quickly overcome by his determination—he did not want to repeat the warrior's fate.

So he quickly took out another spear and thrust it forcefully at the snake's head, which was about to regenerate.

However, this spear was clearly not as good as the previous one. He tried several times and almost fell off the snake's back during the bumpy ride. Finally, with the help of two other hunters, he managed to pierce the snake's head.

The three hunters jumped onto the back of the multi-headed snake, and together they pierced another head.

At the same time, the mage completed a lengthy spellcasting session. His face was pale from the immense exertion, but his eyes burned with focused intensity. As his staff swung, the surrounding air distorted and warped from the gathering magical energy, and a massive fireball shot out, trailing a blazing tail, crashing into the last snake's head.

"Boom!" Accompanied by the scorching flames, the last remaining snake head, which had not yet regenerated, let out a faint wail, and was soon burned to a crisp.

One snake head was charred, and three others were pierced with nails; the situation looked very promising. The multi-headed snake's struggles seemed to slow down, as if the ferocious monster had finally sensed the threat of death.

The four people who were secretly observing also became somewhat nervous, each calculating in their minds what might happen next.

Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't we make a move?"

“No rush,” Adrian said. “Of the four snake heads, only one has actually been suppressed, the one that was burned by the mage… But judging from the mage’s condition, I estimate that even if he risks his life, he can only cast two more fourth-circle fireballs at most to suppress two snake heads. As for the last one, they have absolutely no way to deal with it.”

As he said, after releasing the large fireball, the mage appeared visibly weak, leaning on his staff and panting heavily.

It is clear that fourth-circle spells are his casting limit, and even casting one spell is a considerable burden.

Fire magic below the fourth ring is difficult to suppress the Hydra's regeneration.

So in fact, they are now in a state of "being stuck in one direction but blocked at both ends," seemingly in an advantageous position but actually facing numerous crises.

"Can the multi-headed hydra regenerate indefinitely?" Gaucano asked.

Adrian blurted out, "Of course not, nothing is infinite, not even—Hydra."

His words took a sharp turn.

Gaucano probably guessed that what he meant was "even God".

However, out of consideration for Paladin Charlie, Adrian quickly changed his words, replacing "God" with "Hydra," since it would be extremely unwise to question the omnipotence of God in front of a devout Paladin.

The Hydra is a multi-headed serpent of at least level 18, with strength comparable to an adult dragon; it is a monster that exists only in legends.

Adrian glanced at Charlie, then continued, "The regenerative ability of the hydra is actually similar to that of elemental creatures. They can repair their injuries at will and maintain the integrity of their bodies, but the cost is that their size will become smaller and smaller. If you observe carefully, you will find that the hydra's size has shrunk compared to when it first started."

After observing for a while, Gao Jiano and his two companions did not perceive that the multi-headed serpent had shrunk in size. To them, the monster remained as enormous as a mountain, exuding an aura of oppression.

"I didn't realize that," Charlie said.

“It’s just not very obvious,” Adrian added. “This also shows that the Hydra has a lot of regenerative potential… If these people are thinking clearly, they should take advantage of the Hydra’s loss of attack ability and run away as soon as possible.”

“Unfortunately, they've clearly lost their minds; greed and folly are always inseparable.” Moreno smiled. “It's almost our turn!”

The three hunters and the mage are still trying to kill the hydra.

The monk chanted the lengthy incantation again, and the arduous ritual gradually turned his face pale, with beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

The three hunters then attempted to attack the hydra's heart.

However, the hydra's heart is hidden deep within its massive body, separated by thick flesh.

These hides are so thick that they are difficult to penetrate, not to mention their amazing toughness and regenerative ability. Whenever hunters' weapons pierce through, the wounds heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

So the three hunters tried for a long time but failed to damage the hydra's heart, and the situation reached a stalemate. Sweat mixed with blood made them look increasingly disheveled.

Until a while later.

The monk finished casting the spell again, this time almost gritting his teeth as he recited the last few syllables.

"Boom!" With the impact of the huge fireball, another snake head was charred, and its regenerative ability was greatly suppressed.

But the mage had also completely exhausted his magical power.

So much so that he didn't even try to continue casting the spell, but instead sat down on the ground to rest.

At that moment, a slight cracking sound suddenly rang out.

"Click..."

At first, no one noticed the slight sound. After all, the hydra's body was constantly swaying and struggling, stirring up waves, and the ground was slightly shaking from its struggle. The noise was quite loud, enough to cover most of the sound.

But the cracking sound quickly became more pronounced, eventually turning into a crisp snap: "Crack!"

But with the snake's head thrashing about and the corrosive effects of its venom, a spear finally broke, freeing one of the snake's heads. The broken metal, stained with the dark green blood of the multi-headed snake, gleamed ominously in the sunlight.

"Roar—" The snake's head, which had been severed from the spear, quickly recovered and roared as it turned toward the three hunters, its eyes burning with the fury of revenge.

The three hunters' expressions changed drastically.

One of the hunters rushed forward, spear in hand, trying to pin the snake's head back down.

The other two hunters did not hesitate and leaped into the distance.

"Wow—"

Poison splattered.

The hunter who rushed forward met the same fate as the warrior, the only difference being that he let out a scream. The piercing sound echoed across the swamp, followed by the sound of a corpse falling into the water.

"Crack!" Another sound of breaking, and the other snake head was freed.

The multi-headed serpent now has two heads, but it only has about half the fighting power.

But the situation on the other side is clearly worse.

Two of the five were dead, the mage who could truly suppress the hydra's regeneration was completely powerless, and the remaining two hunters were destined to do nothing.

"Run!" Without hesitation, the two hunters took off. Their figures moved swiftly through the swamp, splashing up clouds of mud.

The monk also wanted to run away.

Unfortunately, having just completed two ultimate spellcastings, he was in an extremely weak state. After scrambling to his feet in terror, he staggered and could not run fast at all.

The multi-headed snake originally intended to chase the two hunters.

However, the two hunters were too fast, and the hydra, seeing it couldn't catch them, turned and chased after the mage. Compared to the nimble hunters, this weakened spellcaster was undoubtedly an easier prey.

Feeling the approaching roars behind him and the earth trembling slightly, the mage quickly succumbed to despair: "Mosa! Saint Michael! Saint Christopher!"

Hearing this string of sacred names, Charlie hesitated.

A few seconds later, he tried to get up and go to help.

Adrian's face darkened: "Charlie! This will only cause us trouble. If you choose to help him, I will consider it as you leaving the team!"

Hydra has been severely damaged. Even without Charlie, Adrian, Gaugano, and Moreno alone should have no problem taking down Hydra.

So naturally, Adrian will no longer indulge Charlie.

He was even pleased to see Charlie leave the team now.

That way he can get a larger share of the money.

Charlie became conflicted.

Just as he was struggling with this decision, the hydra closed in on the mage, and both of its heads spewed air at the same time.

Large amounts of poison were splashed onto the mage.

Mosa did not protect him.

"Ah—" Only the magical shield gave him a chance to scream, but that was all. The shield's light dimmed rapidly under the corrosive effects of the poison, and then vanished completely.

Looking at the mage's corpse, almost collapsed in the poison, Charlie sighed, "It seems I won't be able to make it through the Path of Blood."

"What's so great about getting that thing approved?" Adrian said dismissively.

"Let's go, the Hydra is ours now!"

The four drank the antidote, grabbed spell scrolls and weapons, and headed towards the multi-headed serpent.

The multi-headed serpent, having just defeated a group of invaders, was preparing to return to the water. It crawled slowly through the swamp, its wounds healing at varying rates.

"Boom!" A burst of flame struck the back of the hydra's head, reigniting its rage.

"Roar—" it roared as it turned its two snake heads.

Instead, two arrows came flying at them.

One arrow was coated with the acidic fluid of larvae, the other gleamed with blood.

The two arrows struck the snake's head simultaneously, causing immediate and severe damage.

The multi-headed snake spews venom.

However, after losing two heads, its attack range was greatly reduced, making it insufficient to pose a significant threat to the swift-moving Gaugano and Moreno.

"Hush-hush-"

Soon two more arrows came flying, hitting the same head again.

Having been hit by two blood arrows and two larval acid arrows, the snake's head was completely destroyed due to the combination of severe injuries and regeneration inhibition. It was a bloody mess and would probably not be able to recover for several hours.

"boom!"

Adrian's flames struck again.

Soon, the hydra's last head was also burned to a crisp.

With all four heads destroyed, the multi-headed serpent lost its ability to attack and could only rampage aimlessly. Its massive body rolled on the ground, emitting frantic roars.

Charlie held a longsword, his body radiating holy light, and flames ignited on the sword.

Then, with a loud roar, the flaming blade pierced the hydra's chest.

Under the raging flames, the wounds cut into the multi-headed snake were slow to heal.

Then Charlie pushed the sword with all his might, carving a gash in the hydra's chest.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and through the wound, the hydra's heart was clearly visible. The heart, about half a meter in diameter, pounded powerfully with a drum-like sound, demonstrating the hydra's strong and formidable vitality.

Gaucano seized the opportunity, empowered by the power of Earth Skin, and hurled the Blood Summoning Sword at the Hydra's heart!

"Boom!" With a loud bang, the giant heart was instantly sliced ​​off by the Blood Summoning Sword's sharp edge, and dark green blood surged like a vortex, converging on the Blood Summoning Sword from all directions!

The multi-headed serpent, its heart severed, finally lost its ability to move, and its massive body crashed to the ground, splashing up a lot of mud mixed with blood in the swamp.

[Slay an 8th-level Hydra]

The divine message has been successfully delivered.

Upon seeing the information that popped up on the panel, Gao Jiano was taken aback.

How come you have no experience?

Half a second later, he realized what was happening.

It was probably due to divine intervention.

Because of this contract, the four of them were essentially "power levelers," and the kills were actually attributed to the recipient of the decree.

Although somewhat disappointed, the hydra is not an intelligent being after all, and its experience level is probably only around 300 at most.

In comparison, the reward for this mission is conservatively estimated at 1,500 gold coins, which, if used to buy Lesser Enlightenment Potions, would amount to over 1,000 experience points.

Therefore, overall, they still made a fortune.

"Finally done!" Adrian breathed a sigh of relief, his previous frustration gone. "The Valley of Judgment won't be open for long, we need to deal with the corpses quickly."

The four then began to dispose of the multi-headed snake's corpse.

Gaucano retrieved the Blood-Summoning Sword from the hydra's body.

As expected, the Blood Summoning Sword absorbed the hydra's enormous blood volume, turning its blade a uniform dark green, like crystals of hydra's blood.

And when he reached out and touched it, several lines of information that Gaucano had anticipated immediately popped up on the panel.

The Blood-Summoning Sword

[Hood Level: Unknown]

[Sword Level: 8]

[Enchantment: Bloodlust] [Enchantment: Rosier's Touch] [Enchantment: Mark of Enslavement]...

Gao Jiano felt a slight joy in his heart.

But he didn't reveal it, and immediately put the Blood Summoning Sword into his storage ring.

In a scene covered in dark green blood, the Blood-Summoning Sword, which had turned the same color, went completely unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Moreno was muttering, "Strange, I feel like the hydra has less blood. Has it all drained away so quickly...?"

Although the time was short, the Blood-Summoning Sword struck directly at the heart, and being so close to the source, it naturally absorbed most of the hydra's blood.

However, time was of the essence, and the hydra's corpse was so enormous that they couldn't possibly take it all with them anyway, so no one cared about where the blood went.

When a dark green, octagonal crystal was removed from the multi-headed serpent's body, their attention was immediately drawn to it.

"Look, this is the core of the hydra!" Adrian weighed the rather heavy, dark green octagonal crystal in his hand, his joy evident.

(End of this chapter)