"[Simulated Platinum Explosion]!"
A terrifying destructive energy erupted from the sky, piercing the gap already opened by [Sword of Heaven] into a hole nearly three times larger. The monsters defending on the second floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick helplessly vanished into dust, swept away by that deadly torrent of energy.
Kael hovered high in the sky, a thin, victorious sneer etched on his face as he watched the effects of his attack. What must Ainz and the others be thinking now? he mused, curiosity mixed with satisfaction.
Below, Fluder had almost completely exhausted his mana. He was continuously destroying the barrier between Nazarick's first floor and the ground surface, slowly but surely exposing the entire first floor to the dazzling sunlight.
Yet, to their surprise, Shalltear, the Guardian of that floor, did not appear. Instead, what greeted them were only the automatically spawning Undead guardians from the guild base. They rushed out, launching a desperate counterattack against the invaders.
These Undead were all below Level 30. For the ordinary humans of this New World, they were indeed formidable foes. However, for Kael and his forces, the threat posed was negligible.
"If you're trying to drain our MP this way, you're sorely mistaken!" Kael stared at the gigantic 'hole' beneath him with a cold, mocking smile.
At the edge of the destructive range, Fluder halted his assault. Several Magic Casters beside him immediately cast mana recovery spells on him.
The Church of Destiny's Vassals were generally around Levels 50-55, and the highest attack magic they could use was Eighth-Tier. Their destructive power wasn't particularly immense, so they weren't the main force in the bombardment of this Great Tomb.
However, that didn't mean they were useless in this offensive battle. Among the skills that religion-based Magic Casters could learn, there was a special spell called [MP Transfer], which allowed them to transfer their own magical power to allies.
Among the more than a hundred Vassals present, over fifty non-combat oriented Magic Casters had learned [MP Transfer].
In the future, these types of Magic Casters would become a key group to be cultivated by the Church of Destiny. They would provide a continuous supply of magic to the main forces in group battles, significantly enhancing the combat endurance of top-tier combat units.
After Kael launched the [Simulated Platinum Explosion] attack, the recovered Fluder immediately returned to bombarding the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick with his tenth-tier architectural magic, continuously demolishing the Great Tomb's structure.
Player guild bases in Yggdrasil were not ordinary buildings; they possessed a certain degree of self-repair capability, and this recovery could be accelerated by expending resources.
Based on this factor, it was impossible for Fluder alone to penetrate the Great Tomb solely with his attacks. However, as a means of draining resources and defenses, this tactic was highly effective.
This was merely a test.
In the future, only after a sufficient force of Magic Casters had been established would the real battle begin!
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick might be able to withstand an invasion of 1500 people, but what about a relentless external bombardment like this?
This was a real New World.
The Church of Destiny's army wasn't composed of game players; they didn't need to consider time allocation for real life or work. Continuous battle for even a month would be no problem for them.
Furthermore, there were no limits on the number of people in a joint attack here.
If 1500 people weren't enough, then 15000... even 150000!
They weren't the natives of this New World who could be easily killed by the aftershocks of [Over Magic], but rather top-tier combat units, each capable of rivaling a Great Tomb Guardian. If such a force existed, Kael truly couldn't imagine any enemy or power in this New World that he couldn't annihilate.
"Are you truly not coming out?"
About half an hour later, Fluder's magic was once again depleted. A huge hole now opened through the Great Tomb's second floor, vaguely revealing the scenery of the third floor.
Kael slowly descended from the air, stopping in front of The Slane Theocracy group.
He glanced at Chief Priest Raymond Zergon, the commander of The Slane Theocracy, and couldn't help but offer a slight smile, "Now it's your turn to act."
"I understand."
Raymond bowed deeply, then gestured to the Black Scripture members.
Although it was mostly confirmed that this was the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick's territory, given the lack of decent resistance from the Guardians, Raymond still proposed sending people to explore the interior of the Great Tomb to confirm this information.
As for whether they had other ideas, such as treating the Great Tomb as a treasure-filled ruin and entering first to obtain powerful magical items and equipment, Kael didn't know.
It seemed they valued Zesshi too much for The Slane Theocracy. Even if she could be resurrected, they didn't want her strength to be damaged. Therefore, The Slane Theocracy's chosen explorer was another member of the Black Scripture Squad.
The Human-God Captain would serve as the commander.
While Kael didn't know how high his current level was, it certainly wouldn't be much worse than the original Zesshi, especially since The Slane Theocracy also had five high-tier mercenary summoning books bestowed by Kael.
By using the five summoned high-tier mercenaries to gain experience, coupled with the numerous existing The Slane Theocracy Magic Casters, the strength of those from The Slane Theocracy who were given Vassal transformations would rapidly increase.
Soon, the Human-God Captain led the Black Scripture members into the huge hole blasted by Fluder, charging into Nazarick's interior.
Since this was a joint operation, Kael's side also sent Leinas and all the angels summoned by the Vassals, accompanying the Human-God Captain and his group into the assault.
Thud!
Leinas landed steadily, holding the [Champion's Spear]. Many Light Angels swarmed from above, quickly occupying a vast surrounding area, their holy light illuminating the darkness.
The Human-God Captain had entered first, but he clearly knew his strength was inferior to Leinas's, so he didn't act rashly. He stepped forward, his tone respectful.
"Lady Leinas, which way should we go next?"
Leinas observed her surroundings. The third floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, like the first two, was an underground catacomb. However, the space here was significantly more open, with two distinct cave passages at the end of the line of sight.
One of these passages led to the correct path to the next floor, and the other led to a dead-end monster lair. Without knowing which part was correct, splitting up to explore seemed unavoidable.
"You just need to make a show, you don't need to fight to the death with The Slane Theocracy's people. If the situation becomes unfavorable, prioritize retreat." Leinas recalled Kael's instructions before entering the Great Tomb, her eyes flickering slightly. "How about this: you and I each lead a small force to scout ahead. Once one side finds the correct path, they will contact the other side to rendezvous. How does that sound?"
The Human-God Captain didn't doubt it and nodded in agreement with the plan.
Subsequently, Leinas led a portion of the summoned angels into the left passage.
The Human-God Captain had originally intended to assign some Black Scripture members to Leinas's team, but he refused the suggestion, stating that the Black Scripture Squad members didn't know him, and mutual cooperation might not be of much help.
"We're really looked down upon, aren't we?"
Strongest Human, leaning on his massive war axe, watched Leinas disappear into the passage, saying with a hint of helplessness. There was a faint trace of disappointment on his face, yet he knew Leinas had a point.
There was nothing they could do about it. Although their own strength had greatly increased during this time, they could all feel that Leinas was much stronger than them.
The Human-God Captain smiled faintly, withdrew his gaze, and at the same time commanded his team members, "Let's go, we'll investigate this section."
Subsequently, the group led the remaining summoned angels into the right passage.
What they didn't know was that at the end of this passage, a powerful enemy was waiting for them.
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