Chapter 381: Melee Shaman

Eighteenth‑level Shaman Priest!

Lei En has seen many priests; this extraordinary vocation is the oldest spellcaster. Humans once had priests, but after being cursed by the Lord of Darkness, humanity's perception of natural elements fell to a nadir, and no new priests could be born.

It was his first time seeing a priest above legendary, and it was a Legendary High‑rank.

This old orc differs greatly from ordinary priests; the elements in his soul are strange, with more than half being combat‑technique elements.

What stands out most is his power, reaching as high as ninth level!

He also has seventh‑level toughness and endurance, and more than a dozen combat‑technique elements such as Heavy Strike, Frenzy, Cutting, Blade Dance, Elemental Shock, etc., surpassing even Legendary Orc Warriors, plus a suite of natural‑element spellcraft, combining melee and casting abilities.

"Melee Shaman!"

Lei En clicked his tongue in amazement, while also feeling a hint of apprehension.

There is no doubt this is a tremendously powerful orc Shaman Priest, who would never be unknown among orcs.

Wolf Cavalry surged forward, the mercenaries in the camp braced as if facing a great enemy, and the Rose Knights hurried onto their warhorses, forming a defensive formation.

Some cowardly mercenaries, thinking battle was imminent, fled headlong into the swamp without looking back.

"Lei En?"

Ai Mi Li Si called softly, a trace of worry on her face.

"No need to be nervous," Lei En shook his head calmly. "These orcs won't actually strike." His Soul Eye saw clearly; the Wolf Cavalry and the leading Shaman Priest bore no hostility, their charge merely a show of force to give humans a warning.

This is orc territory; when humans intrude, they cannot remain silent.

Even if a fight truly broke out, someone else would stand at the front.

Lei En glanced at the Rose Knights, a little over thirty riders in total, whose numbers and strength were far inferior to the Wolf Cavalry. Their commander Ma Xiu*An Sai Long was inside the swamp, having taken his elite Silver‑Wing Pegasus Riders with him, leaving only mid‑ and low‑rank knights in the camp.

A booming sound grew nearer.

The ground shook violently; the mercenaries were on edge, yet dared not act rashly.

The charging dire wolves were within arm's reach, their massive bodies exuding immense pressure; their eyes glowed ferociously, mouths bared sharp fangs, ready to pounce and tear.

Orc riders on the wolves also brandished weapons, roaring loudly.

"Whew..."

A horn sounded a command; when the Wolf Cavalry reached a hundred paces before the camp, they all turned, ran along the side, surged up the slope where the Ice Thorn Clan was stationed, and the skyborne Wind‑riders descended as well.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

The Ice Thorn Clan's stronghold gates had long been opened; the Wolf Cavalry slowed their pace to enter, and the tribe erupted in enthusiastic orc cheers, with some orcs shouting a name loudly: "High Priest Di Lei Ke Ta."

"So it's him!"

"So Di Lei Ke Ta has arrived; no wonder so many Wolf Cavalry came, and the Wo Rui Er Guard followed as well."

The mercenaries in the camp whispered among themselves; many knew the identity of that old orc.

Lei En felt a sudden clarity upon hearing it.

Di Lei Ke Ta's standing among orcs was far from ordinary; hailing from the War Wolf Clan, he was not only a highly respected High Priest but also the mentor of the tribe's Grand Chieftain.

Orcs are one of the oldest races in the Ai Lun E Si World; since antiquity, powerful bloodlines have coursed through them, usually derived from some magical beast or strange monster. Orcs revere the source of the bloodline as a spiritual totem—such as the Wolf Totem, Bear Totem, Eagle Totem—each regarded as an embodiment of the orc deity.

Each bloodline totem has many branches, and those branches are the clans.

The orc tribe consists of thousands of distinct clans; each clan has a chieftain and a High Priest. The chieftain commands the clan's army and external warfare, while the High Priest spreads the deity's faith. Occasionally, one orc may hold both positions.

The tribe's Grand Chieftain is selected from among the chieftains of these thousand‑plus clans.

The current Grand Chieftain Gu Yi Er hails from the War Wolf Clan.

As the War Wolf Clan's High Priest, Di Lei Ke Ta is extremely close to Grand Chieftain Gu Yi Er; he is of senior rank, having once guided the young chieftain onto the shamanic path, assisting him step by step to ascend the Grand Chieftain's throne and become the leader of the entire orc tribe.

To this day, Di Lei Ke Ta remains the Grand Chieftain's most trusted and respected spiritual mentor, second only to the chieftain himself within the tribe.

The Ice Thorn Clan also belongs to the Wolf Totem bloodline, so naturally they welcomed the arrival of the eminent Di Lei Ke Ta.

Lei En used Voice of All Things to listen for a moment.

Di Lei Ke Ta spoke with the Ice Thorn Clan's chieftain, revealing his purpose: first, by the Grand Chieftain's orders, to protect the clan from intrusion; second, to capture that black dragon—if the chance arose—since the tribe is very interested in the treasure of the Gold Shield worth tens of millions.

Even if the dragon's riches cannot be obtained, they intend to reclaim some benefits from the Rose Knights Order, as the orc tribe's territory cannot tolerate humans wandering in at will.

Lei En saw a Rose Knight pull out a communicator and slip into a tent to speak.

Even without listening, it was clear they were contacting the commander.

These two forces were bound to clash; Lei En didn't want to be caught in between, patted his phantom warhorse and said, "Let's go."

The two, each on a dragon‑ridden horse, left the camp and entered the swamp.

The deep‑mud swamp spanned a vast area; even flying overhead would take half a day to cross. The whole swamp was shrouded in a faint mist, making it dim, with a complex ground littered with endless weeds hiding countless dangers.

Flap—flap—

The phantom warhorse could walk on water, so it wasn't afraid of sinking into mud pits.

Lei En rode steadily, waves of foul stench stabbing his nose; everywhere he looked, the view was veiled by grayish fog, and even his Soul Eye couldn't see far.

His Voice of All Things remained active, vigilantly listening to the surrounding sounds.

Besides ponds and weeds, the deep‑mud swamp was filled with many trees; though not as tall or dense as a primeval forest, their roots intertwined in a bizarre, almost living mass, creating an oppressive feeling. The humid air made the skin sticky, and the low temperature caused clothing to cling uncomfortably.

What was most annoying were the countless flying poisonous insects, constantly swarming around, impossible to drive away.

Snap!

Jia La De Luo Si slapped his own neck, his palm sticky with a few disgusting insect corpses, quickly flicked them off, and complained, "This cursed place—only a filthy black dragon could tolerate it."

Beside him, Xin Da La nodded in rare agreement.

The Frost Sea Dragon was especially fastidious, even a bit obsessive‑clean; a pale blue aura surrounded her, and she expended mana to maintain a shield that kept the poisonous insects at bay.

Ai Mi Li Si also raised a flame shield; the insects that flew near were instantly incinerated.

This situation had persisted for five or six days.

Even though they were both of Legendary stature, maintaining the shield for so long left them weary; their complexion was no longer as relaxed as when they first entered the swamp.

"Just hold on a little longer."

Lei En said something comforting.

He has thick skin and a bulky frame, and possesses Level‑9 toxin resistance, so he isn't afraid of poisonous insects at all; only when swarms of mosquitoes and bugs surround him does he trigger his Thorny Electric Armor to clear them, which makes him seem rather relaxed.

As the words fell, the water beside the phantom warhorse went splash, and a twisted black silhouette leapt out.

The black silhouette was covered in mud, as if molded from rotten branches and sludge, sprouting deformed arms and legs, standing two to three meters tall; its head was a clump of dark moss hiding a pair of mad, evil eyes, exuding a foul, fishy stench that surged straight toward Lei En on the horse's back.

Lei En's expression remained unchanged, as if he had already sensed the ambush.

He raised his hand, and a beam burst from his fingertips.

Sss!

The creature barely stood up when a thick, rainbow‑colored beam instantly pierced its chest, its massive body disintegrating into mud and rotting leaves, splattering back into the water as if it had never existed.

The others were unfazed by the scene and urged the phantom warhorse onward.

A soul rose from the water's depths and was absorbed by Lei En.

He nodded to himself, "High‑grade swamp crawler, not bad; it can raise the Power Element progress bar another two to three ticks."

The deep mud swamp is riddled with danger; besides the common swamp giant crocodile, venom‑fang spider, multi‑head snake, and countless flying insects and poisonous plants, the most perilous are these swamp crawlers.

Crawlers are anomalous beasts that can perfectly lurk underwater or in mud, then spring a sudden ambush when prey passes by.

Mercenaries and adventurers who die in the swamp are mostly slain by crawlers.

When Lei En and his party first entered the swamp, they were ambushed by crawlers several times; with experience and precautions, the Soul Eye preemptively detected the crawlers' presence and harvested their souls.

These low‑intelligence monsters are not followers of the gods, so their souls can be safely devoured.

After five or six days of searching, the black dragon was not found, but their spiritual power grew considerably; they poured everything into a Level‑9 Power Element, advancing a step forward.

Lei En welcomed this, thinking it was a very safe way to level up and that he could return often.

The party moved forward a little longer in the swamp.

"Ai Mili Si."

Lei En stopped and called out, and Ai Mili Si produced the Dragon Summoning horn, gently brushing it with her hand.

Such attempts have been made hundreds of times; if the horn can be used, it indicates that a mature benevolent dragon is nearby. In the past few days, Dragon Summoning has responded several times, but after searching the area it was found that each time it was just Ma Xiu*An Sai Long and his silver dragon passing by.

Ai Mili Si's face froze for a moment, and she said, "It's responding!"

Lei En and the two dragons steeled themselves, yet remained uncertain; the copper dragon wondered, "Could it be that silver dragon rider again?"

"I'll go up and check."

Ai Mili Si immediately bestowed the Flight Technique on Lei En; he also activated his Invisibility Ring, then rose into the air, quickly reaching several hundred meters high, escaping the swamp's mist.

The Soul Eye pushed to its limit, scanning the surroundings repeatedly.

Based on past experience, Ma Xiu*An Sai Long and his silver dragon habitually fly very high; even the swamp's fog cannot prevent the Soul Eye from easily locating the silver dragon's general position. They do not linger long, and within at most half an hour they exit the Dragon Summoning's detection range.

However, this time Lei En searched for a long while but could not locate the silver dragon.

The Dragon Summoning continued to register a response.

Ai Mili Si could no longer contain her excitement; this meant a benevolent dragon was nearby, and as soon as the horn was sounded, the great dragon would have to answer the summons.

Lei En stopped her, shaking his head, "Don't blow it."

(End of Chapter)