THUD—!
Four steel hooves, each larger than the mouth of a bowl, slammed into the ground, instantly sending sparks flying in all directions.
A biting cold wind, wrapped in a cold blue flame, surged through the corridors of the maze, instantly frosting the eyebrows of friend and foe alike with a layer of white.
The ensuing chill, seeming to freeze the marrow, stung the eyes.
The Barbary Pirates opposite them, in particular, had to squint hard just to make out what on earth had appeared before them.
Horse legs covered with bony armor, a fierce horse head with sharp teeth, chaotic horns, and pale blue eyes.
Astride the horse was a tall knight clad in black full-body armor, wearing a blood-red cape, with two blue flames shining through the slits of his helmet's visor.
With a forceful squeeze of his legs against the horse's flanks, the undead warhorse let out a loud neigh, striding forward like an iron chariot charging towards them.
The crimson cape flared high, and behind him seemed to follow the numerous blurry shadows of the Mad Hunt Legion, as well as storms and torrents, mountains of corpses, and seas of blood!
He might not have the majestic and domineering presence of "Blue Hair," but that terrifying aura, as if swearing to take everyone with him, involuntarily plunged those who saw him into nightmares.
It also significantly reduced the pressure in the hearts of their own combat personnel.
"Chameleon" Jacqueline's agape mouth slowly closed as her eyes, previously stunned, regained their luster, and she murmured to herself:
"The Mad Hunt? The Mad Hunt! The pirate general, "Sea Hunter" Byron Tudor, is actually the one who defeated the Hethings Strait Fleet in Iron Anchor Bay, unleashing the 'Calamity' known as the Mad Hunt? Is he also the one who prevented "Conqueror" Cortes from annihilating the Aztec Empire in the native Imperial City and stole the Golden Code as the Mad Hunt? There are rumors that the reason the natives of Yucatan Island survived the smallpox virus spread by the "Beak-nosed Plague Doctor" and even managed to feign weakness, baiting the two overlords into a mutual destruction, was with the help of an outsider. If Byron Tudor is the "Mad Hunt" spoken of in the Bayfolk legends, then everything makes sense; it all makes sense. The Mad Hunt naturally has the motive to protect the oppressed and slaughtered minorities. And, in turn, gain the friendship of the native city-states, enabling the construction of the first colonial fortress on Yucatan Island..."
The girl was not merely a Chameleon; indulging in casual lust was just her hobby, not her job. Her main occupation, in fact, was as an undercover observer and auditor for the Iris Royal Family, embedded in the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company to aid the Lancaster Party in their bid for power. She was much more aware of the situation in the Bantaan Archipelago and the insider information on a series of events than most of the other ladies and young misses.
When the greatest impossibility became possible, countless threads of information were instantly connected.
"That's right, there's also my only surviving cousin from the Lancaster Family, who is said to have taken refuge in Iron Anchor Bay with the Mad Hunt, and under his protection... Wait, no!"
At this thought, Jacqueline's heartbeat suddenly quickened. A speculation even more insane than Byron Tudor being the Mad Hunt sprang to mind:
"The intelligence officers made this inference on a major premise: the 'Mad Hunt' has to be a true Third Order. Now it seems the title 'Wild Hunt Knight' is more likely a title-based burst ability, and his actual Class is not the decisive factor. Furthermore, the moniker "Mad Hunt" only began to rise to prominence from Iron Anchor Bay after the downfall of the Lancaster Family and had been unheard of before then. The path of the Mad Hunt coincided exactly with the escape route of my cousin. This means that this 'Byron' is very likely to be 'that Byron'! The Mad Hunt equals Byron Tudor, equals Byron Lancaster! The 'Mithril Dragon' Catherine, whom we've always wanted to win over, and who has been rumored to have an affair with this pirate general, has never clarified the matter because she knew the truth all along and didn't feel insulted. Cousin, oh cousin, you managed to deceive everyone under countless watchful eyes, including Edward IV and even our grandfather!"
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Jacqueline would hardly believe the scene before her, more bizarre than any knight's tale. After all, who would have thought that the pirate general, personally titled by the York Family, the "Black Glove" fiercely loyal to the Newman Family, the well-known great loyalist of the Kingdom, was actually the number one rebel of the Kingdom of Hightens?
And he did it all in just a little over half a year, starting from scratch. Leveraging power against power, he took over the International Port, Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company, Torrent Fortress, Pioneer Bank... among several other enviable assets. He had territories, manpower, wealth, and allies at his disposal. The foundation for establishing dominance was in place.
Once Jacqueline understood the cause and effect, the first thought to pop into her head was:
"I'm representing the Iris Royal Family in investing in this project! We must invest, immediately, right now, with additional investment, for the price won't stay the same for long. Once I have my cousin's permission, I will immediately signal my mother to send the money!"
If the original plan had been followed, with the Iris Royal Family supporting the Lancaster Party to establish a foundation and then welcome the exiled heir to the throne, they had estimated at most only a ten to twenty percent chance of restoring the monarchy, and whether they could actually succeed depended largely on luck. The cost of investment was also difficult to gauge. But now, Jacqueline was filled with confidence in the restoration and was also abundantly confident about asking for money.
A person's reputation precedes them, much like the shadow of a tree. As long as the series of great deeds of the "Mad Hunt" were attributed to a young man who had just turned eighteen, there would no longer be any need to doubt his wisdom, means, or strength. It's like in the capital market, where good potential stocks never worry about investors. If you're too late, you fear you won't even get a sip of the soup.
"Inhale!"
Facing Byron who charged headfirst toward him, Blue Hair's mouth suddenly drew a breath, and with his hands in front of his mouth, he shaped them into the form of a conch.
HISS—!
A white, high-speed jet of water was instantaneously sprayed out by him. This was the ability "Torrential Breath" from a small Sea Monster species known as Waterjet Fish. The streak of water, as sharp as a sword capable of slicing gold and jade, plowed a deep trench into the labyrinth's White Lead-embedded floor.
"Jump!"
Byron knew where his advantage lay. Even if he burned through the powerful Spirituality of a Third-Order Transcendent like "Frogman" in just three minutes, gaining strength that exceeded a typical Third-Order, he shouldn't delude himself into thinking he could take on a Fourth-Order head-on. With a tug of the reins, his Phantom Warhorse immediately stretched its slender limbs and, counter to the laws of physics, leaped onto the wall to continue charging. Like a leaf borne upon the wind, or an insubstantial shadow, he always managed to borrow force easily from the currents stirred by the Torrential Breath. A white ribbon chased behind him, sweeping widely, yet until he ran out of water, it couldn't even nick a horse's tail.
And just as Blue Hair drew his sword, adopting the start of the Fisher Swordsmanship called the "Wild Boar Stance," bracing himself to block a Knight's Spear—
Byron merely hooked a finger, and twin guns fell into his hands. Wrapped in azure flames, the moment he drew the guns, a blue rose had already bloomed right in front of Halding. The combat reflexes of a Beast Tamer obviously couldn't compare to battle-hardened close-combat professions. It wasn't until the bullets were nearly upon him that he realized his swordsmanship was not sufficient to block them, and he hastily called out, "Resisting Water Ring!"
The seawater at his feet moved upon command, swiftly rising to form a white ring spinning at high speed, using the strong lateral force to deflect all the bullets away. This was an absolute defense!
Before he could even take a breath of relief, the attack from Byron's true body was already upon him. Man and horse fused as one, the warhorse's power merged with Byron's. Fire sparked at the tail of the spear, propelling the heavy Knight Spear to transform into a siege hammer encompassed with wind and thunder, crashing down towards him vigorously.
"Ah! Overbearing Battle Armor!"
The water rapidly climbed along Blue Hair's body, covering him with a layer of brilliant, glowing water armor, and his hands turned into massive crab pincers. The severed left arm did not hinder the manipulation of a water pincer; if anything, it was even more dexterous. With the pincers raised, amidst a resounding boom, a burst of light illuminated the entire passage. Water and fire intertwined, generating billows of steam. At the same time, one pincer suddenly swelled and squeezed Byron forcefully against the wall.
BOOM!
Unfortunately, the attack missed Byron, and instead, the sturdy maze wall was blown open with a large hole.
"Don't run, take my pincer!"
Byron, astride his horse, appeared much larger than Halding, but was like a wraith, now to the left, then to the right, extremely agile. The pair of water pincers that "Blue Hair" used for attack could change size at will. Big or small, long or short, soft or hard, they danced ferociously; such absolute power was not to be discussed in the same breath with ordinary Third-Orders. However, in Byron's increasingly proficient "Flow State," it was still within his capacity to deal with. For at least a short period, he could maintain an unbeaten stance. Moreover, Halding's hammering technique, which relied more on the wild instincts of Sea Monsters than on actual skill, resembled a child clumsily swinging a large hammer. This might not be noticeable to ordinary people, but against peers of the same level, the problem would be immediately apparent. No wonder he usually relied on his trained Sea Monsters to face enemies, rarely entering the fray personally.
Now it seemed that "Blue Hair," despite possessing the power of one hundred points, was barely using sixty points of it. The strength was certainly formidable, but it lacked corresponding control. In theory, a bump meant death, a touch meant injury, yet he just couldn't land a hit. It was no different from when Catherine initially obtained the position of "Regent King" and could temporarily increase her level by one due to the blessing of the Golden Law.
Byron became more convinced that there had to be a trick behind this guy's strength!
Looking at his opponent's blue hair, Byron made a mental note.