CHAPTER 395: CHAPTER 323 SACRED RELICS: THE TERRIFYING SOCIAL CLOCK, TICK-TOCK!_2

The next moment, countless locusts that had reached above their heads began to fall from the sky like raindrops. Even as they desperately flapped their wings, they could not generate even the slightest lift.

At the same time, the last Transcendent also took action. He took out a bright red "Spicy Strawberry Pig’s Blood Pudding" from his Storage Curio and swallowed it in one gulp.

WHOOSH—!

He opened his mouth wide and sprayed fiercely towards the sky. A thick fiery dragon instantly soared into the sky, directly confronting the swarm of locusts descending from above.

Their thin wing membranes and insect limbs were ignited instantaneously, turning the dark cloud of locusts into a blazing fire cloud.

Amidst a cacophony of CRACKLES and POPS, charred proteins and exploded shells rained down in pieces.

This was clearly a Third Order Gourmet from the Gold Sequence.

When a Gourmet reached Second Order through Dietary Supplementation, consuming specially prepared foods would grant temporary enhancements. Upon advancing to Third Order, they acquired an ability called ’Sacrament Recipe.’

No longer limited to single gourmet items like geoduck clams or whiskey, they could combine different foods and cooking methods to create amazing chemical reactions.

Since each person’s constitution and preferences differed, the ’Sacrament Recipe’ of a Third Order Gourmet was also unique.

Even in pursuit of tastes beyond the realm of human knowledge, they had tried countless combinations over thousands of years, creating a variety of bizarre ’delicacies.’

Among them, there were dark combinations like pomegranate grilled lemon green beans, apple slices, spicy mango, and strawberry cheese risotto. But the effects were indeed powerful.

The Grand Wizard Swarm stood almost no chance against them.

A trio such as this could join forces to kill a Fourth Order, ensuring their own safe retreat.

Swarm had thought that he could easily take down the sniper with his prowess in close combat, only to realize now that it was a meticulously prepared trap. He was no fool, aware of the prowess of such professional killers. Sensing that the tide was turning against him, he immediately beat a retreat.

After landing, he used the remaining spores to form a new Fungus Person form and was about to rapidly retreat when the Grand Judge continued, "In accordance with the ’Continent’s Witch Hunting Decree,’ any practitioner of Black Sorcery may be executed on the spot without trial. Decree: Burning at the stake!"

Amidst the scintillating flames, every part of the black Fungus Person’s body began to burn simultaneously. The charred scent of locusts had not yet dissipated, and now the smell of roasted mushrooms followed.

"You think killing me is that easy?"

Swarm, facing his natural enemy, dared not linger in battle. He might not be able to beat these people, but he was confident that he could make a clean escape.

His body rapidly grew a cannon-like fruiting body in the center, launching all the still intact spores within.

BANG!

Countless black spores immediately infected the entire area of forests and water within a hundred-meter range.

Plants, animals, insects, fish, and even other fungi all sprouted mushrooms and wood ears, seemingly transforming the place into another Fungus Forest in an instant.

To kill him, the entire forest would need to be eradicated, which was clearly impossible in a short period of time.

Just as the Gourmet was about to eat another ’Spicy Strawberry Pig’s Blood Pudding’ to set the forest on fire, the Grand Judge quickly stopped him, saying, "Leave him be. Let’s kill that Byron Tudor of Torrentfort who has offended His Excellency the Earl first."

At this moment, the sniper who had been closely watching Byron suddenly warned with urgency, "Careful! Retaliation is coming."

It was Byron who, in the blink of an eye, had repelled another volley of arquebus bullets and suddenly dashed aboard the Golden Deer anchored at the dock.

Underwater, a small snail stirred up a high-speed vortex that swallowed the Golden Deer along with seven or eight other privateer warships docked there.

They hadn’t fled but reappeared on the sea surface closest to where the assassins had been lying in ambush. The moment they burst out of the vortex, they lined up, turning their cannons.

"Fire!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

With bursts of flames over the sea, the entire fleet’s volley enveloped the assassins’ location in a move akin to ’Blazing Swords from the Sky.’

By this time, many warships of The Seventh Fleet were already manned by members of the Lancaster Party’s rebranded ’Order of Storm Knights’ as captains.

Coordinating with Byron’s all-out use of the ’Storm Admiral’ series of abilities—Artillery Range Extension, Storm Enchantment, and Manual Guidance—the power was astonishing.

The barrage launched by the fleet leveled the massive tree, tens of meters high, in an instant.

Along with the nearby rocks, grass, and soil, all were sheared away half a meter by the cyclone created by the Stormforged Weapons, leaving not even an ant with an intact corpse.

Being attacked and running with his tail between his legs wasn’t Byron’s style. Taking the opportunity to eliminate the threat once and for all was the way to go.

Looking at the smoke-covered target area after three rounds of counter-assassination, his gaze was icy. "Daring to come onto my turf and attempt an assassination? That was the most amateur mistake you made."

Violet, sweating nervously behind him, asked subconsciously, "Were the assassins killed?"

As if giving a deliberately crafted response, a somewhat ethereal chuckle sounded amidst the smoky woods. "Byron Tudor, do you know the ultimate principle of assassination?"

They’re still not dead?

Byron frowned, not speaking aloud, but a single word immediately sprang to his mind: