...
"Behold the King's arrival~ mortals disperse~" The mischievous Old Tang walked out of the bronze gate rising in Lu Mingfei's office, holding a bronze canister in his arms and a sword case on his back. Behind him followed two young men with East Asian features wearing short sleeves and jeans.
"You're just holding that thing in your arms?" Lu Mingfei stood at the door to greet him, his eyes darting frantically behind him. Old Tang understood his meaning and replied with a smile, "Because it's very important to me. Alright, I've brought the weapons."
The bronze canister was placed gently on the ground, but the seven deadly sins on his back were slammed down heavily.
"Damn! My floor! Old Tang!"
A hole was smashed into the marble floor. Lu Mingfei pressed himself against the ground, his face full of heartache.
"Talk about double standards... What is that door? Some unrecorded Word of Power?"
Fingel was wearing a set of grayish-white priest robes. Although it was the largest size currently available, it was still tight against his body. He stood behind Lu Mingfei, deliberately whispering, hoping someone among them would explain.
Bishop Lu suppressed his heartache and touched the seven deadly sins on the ground. The sword case automatically popped open, and seven different weapons extended outward in a fan shape.
Fingel, behind him, squinted as he examined the seven blades. He could tell they weren't simple items; after all, he had some achievements in alchemy.
This set of swords was definitely a master-level masterpiece. No famous blade from history or mythology could touch its sharpness... Fingel gave a very high evaluation and turned his gaze to the man who brought the set of swords.
He looks decent, about half as handsome as me. It's just that his smile is too mischievous; he looks like he needs a beating.
Fingel saw the young man give Lu Mingfei a look. Lu Mingfei nodded, then turned and said, "Ahem, Fingel, next is our internal meeting. You should excuse yourself for now."
Then, regardless of Fingel's reaction, Lu Mingfei grabbed his hand, walked to the door, and pushed him out.
"My God Almighty... this guy's strength is actually so great, he can even move me."
Fingel hesitantly touched his muscles and looked back, then decided to sit in the church's front hall for a while.
After hearing the footsteps outside fade away, Old Tang smiled and put his hand on Lu Mingfei's shoulder. "Hey, who's that? His bloodline is pretty good, and he has great talent for alchemy."
"Someone Cassell College sent secretly. Master told me to keep him here and not worry too much about him except for very secret places. By the way, who are those two behind you?" Lu Mingfei pointed at the two young men behind Old Tang. When pointed at, they looked at each other and said nothing.
"My Dragon Servants. Since there's nothing left in that city anyway, I called them all out. They can't be too exposed, so they turned into humans."
"Dragons other than First Generation Species can transform too?" Cassell College's textbooks didn't seem to mention this; Lu Mingfei was a bit curious.
"Isn't that obvious? Otherwise, where would all those myths come from? In those distant ages, we on the thrones were the ones giving orders, and the ones active were the guys below. They couldn't exactly run around looking like dragons, could they?"
"But the minimum should be Third Generation Dragon. Below Third Generation Dragon, the gap at the biological level is quite large," Old Tang said, rubbing his chin uncertainly.
"So how should I address these two?"
"Uh... the one on the left is Big Dragon! The one on the right is Little Dragon!"
"...Whatever makes you happy."
Knock, knock, knock.
Old Tang raised an eyebrow at the room door and tilted his head toward Lu Mingfei, signaling him to take the lead.
"Come in."
Sakurai Akira pushed the door open and entered, his expression somewhat complex. He looked around at everyone in the office and only spoke after seeing Lu Mingfei nod. "Lord Lu Mingfei, the weather outside... is a bit off..."
Lu Mingfei looked at Old Tang, who shook his head and said, "This church is the area with the strongest domain. I don't feel any abnormalities; we have to go out and see."
Everyone hurried to the church entrance. A constantly churning pitch-black tide obscured the sky, and not a single ray of sunlight could be seen as far as the eye could reach.
"It was fine before, then it just went black. This isn't normal, is it, everyone?" Fingel stood in the church square and turned his head to speak.
"Powerful wind elements are gathering. It's very abnormal. Ming Ming, you need to start giving orders." Old Tang looked at Lu Mingfei, his gaze solemn. In this world, something that could make a Dragon King find it troublesome would inevitably be a huge threat to civilians.
"Followers of Eternal Sleep, hear my command! Gather the town's civilians at the church square! Then, those with guns take guns, those with knives take knives! Set up a strict guard outside the town!"
After Lu Mingfei shouted the orders in English, he quickly returned inside the church. "Mills, you will be in charge of maintaining order and comforting the masses. The Lord's people and the church are in your hands."
"Yes!" The black boy ran out of the church clutching a white book, preparing to assist in gathering the civilians.
"Fingel, you are an A-rank Hybrid sent by Cassell College. You aren't one of us, so we won't ask you to actively participate in this. I only ask that you assist in maintaining order here."
Lu Mingfei didn't look back at Fingel's expression or listen for his answer. Their time might be very tight; things had happened too suddenly.
He returned to the office, picked up the seven deadly sins, exchanged a nod with Old Tang, and quickly ran out.
"You stay here and watch over Constantine. Don't let any dangerous factors harm this place," Old Tang ordered the Dragon Servants who had been following him, then chased after Lu Mingfei.
"Ming Ming!"
Lu Mingfei ran on the newly built road, moving against the crowd until the surrounding houses became fewer and fewer. He stopped at the edge of the town, with Old Tang arriving right behind him.
"Is there a reason for coming here?" Old Tang looked around. Farmland, mountain forests—except for the sky being a murky black, no abnormalities had appeared.
"My spirituality tells me that this will be the most dangerous place. I have to guard it." Lu Mingfei put down the seven deadly sins from his back. The sword case unfolded, and he took out the Han Eight-Sided Sword from within, gripping it in his hand.
As if in response to his words, golden lamps appeared in front of them in an instant. Those lamps slowly approached, accompanied by bursts of raspy roars.
"Death Servants. Death Servants who do not fear kings..." Old Tang drew a zanbatou, which was 'wrath' from the seven deadly sins.
Nor do they fear me, unlike those on the elevated road before, Lu Mingfei thought as he tightened his grip on his sword. More and more Death Servants gathered around. Looking out, it was almost a sea of black; the light flickering in their eyes nearly pushed back the shrouding Darkness.
But this was only a vanguard. Lu Mingfei knew very well that these Death Servants couldn't be why his spiritual intuition deemed this place the most dangerous...
Lu Mingfei said softly, "Old Tang, you're really lucky. You ran into something big as soon as you arrived. Something very troublesome might be coming."
"Heh, I feel it. Dense wind elements. Truly annoying."
Dark green scales had already grown on Old Tang's arms, their uneven surfaces reflecting the golden light.
"Aren't they just a bunch of lowly slaves? Watch me push them back with the seven deadly sins!"
Chapter 87: Eye of the Storm
Lu Mingfei stared ahead, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. He laughed and poked fun at Ronald Tang's words: "You're not like Amuro or Char, Old Tang. Besides, those words are a bit unlucky. After all, they said them shortly before they died, and even contributed some of the lamest last words. I hope my last words before I die can be cooler—at least I'll shout out that I'm the man who's best at StarCraft."
Old Tang squinted as he sized up his surroundings. "I'm thinking, isn't it still daytime? How is someone already starting to dream?"
"Heh heh, it's not exactly daytime anymore. The Sun is covered, and the wind is starting to pick up..."
The wind came, a howling current of air rushing straight at their faces. Old Tang lit up his golden vertical pupils, unique to high-purity Dragon-bloods, which glowed with a red light.
"I've always been curious, once your pupils turn vertical, can you still see things clearly?" Lu Mingfei looked into Old Tang's eyes. He hadn't looked closely back at the Three Gorges, but now he saw clearly that his eyes seemed to be flowing with magma, dark red and golden yellow intertwining.
Ji said he was also a Hybrid, but even now, after three or four years, there were no signs of awakening. He didn't know what his eyes or Word of Power would be like.
"Your biology isn't very good. Pupil shape only affects the amount of light entering. Vertical pupils work better in bright places." Those Death Servants, whose full forms were obscured and only their eyes glowed with golden light, stopped not far away and ceased moving. They were likely waiting for something. The two jokers took this chance to banter for a bit longer.
"Then why light up your vertical pupils when it's pitch black right now?"
"Because it's cool?"
Lu Mingfei couldn't be bothered to talk to Old Tang anymore. He turned to look behind him. Sakurai Akira had arrived with a small squad, about ten people in total. They all gripped their weapons tightly, their expressions solemn and their movements somewhat uncoordinated.
"Bishop Lu Mingfei, we've split into several squads and equipped them all with firearms. They are currently guarding the perimeter of the town, but if they all have to face this situation... they might be in grave danger." Sakurai Akira stared ahead against the wind pressure. In the Darkness, countless eyes flickered with light. He gripped his weapon tightly, hoping to gain a sliver of peace of mind.
"Don't be afraid. This is where they are most numerous. Behind us is the holy land protected by the 'magistrate'! Behind us are the Lord and His angels! Block these fallen creatures here! Do not let a single one through!"
Lu Mingfei released a tranquility effect to the surrounding area. Then he opened his mouth, and two illusory figures floated out. They gradually grew in size and took shape, standing in attendance by Lu Mingfei's side.
After standing in a standoff for a while, no main general appeared. Those vanguards with golden glowing eyes began to move. They crossed the farmland and woods, stepped onto the concrete road, drawing closer and closer.
"Not Death Servants, but Heroic Spirits." Old Tang raised the zanbato in his hand. Flames ignited from the tip until they covered the entire blade, the fire transitioning from dark red to blazing white.
What appeared before everyone were not ugly, disgusting creatures. On the contrary, they were clad in silver-white armor and held sharp longswords. Those golden glowing eyes peered out from the slits left in their visors.
They were Heroic Spirits, great and noble Warriors in life, chosen by the Valkyrie to enter Valhalla for immortality, where they would forever enjoy the pleasure of fighting one another.
Scattered gunshots rang out from behind. The battle had officially begun.
...
Somewhere over the surging waves of the Atlantic Ocean, Ji, who had put back on his long trench coat, was flying rapidly against the gale. Xia Mi spread her membrane wings, holding Nono as she followed beside him.
A hurricane had gathered in the Atlantic, which had been relatively mild half an hour ago. This was quite normal, as it was still monsoon season; it was normal for small hurricanes that satellites failed to detect to form.
But what was abnormal was that this hurricane was not small at all. The wind speed reached at least three hundred kilometers per hour. If Ji hadn't provided domain protection, Xia Mi might have been blown away to who-knows-where with those membrane wings on her non-dragon body, though she could also use a Word of Power to counteract the effects.
"Using a Calamity to expand the range of a Word of Power, what an insidious move. It made all my clothes wet." Xia Mi worked hard to flap her membrane wings while her mouth didn't stop.
Nono, who was being held by her, didn't mind. "Aren't we all still wearing swimsuits? If they're wet, they're wet."
"Alright, you two. We're about to enter the true range of influence. If you don't shut your mouths, a fish might fly in. We need to cross that area to the eye of the hurricane and catch the guy inside."
"To be honest, this Word of Power intensity hasn't reached the level of a complete King, and it doesn't even reach the First Generation Species level. The one in the eye might be a decoy. Are we really going?" Xia Mi reminded Ji.
"It is indeed a decoy, but not entirely. If we leave, a hurricane of this level successfully making landfall would cause significant casualties and economic losses."
The collective prayers of many believers were transmitted to Ji through the River of Eternal Darkness. He could feel the believers' unease, which clearly indicated that the place was under attack.
Ji believed Lu Mingfei could protect that place. The church housed a Sealed Artifact transformed from a Sun Pathway Sequence 3 'Justice Mentor' Beyonder characteristic. Although it was very unfriendly to those of the Darkness Path, it was completely acceptable for its powerful offensive capabilities.
Furthermore, if there were many prayers of the same type, the undead responding to the prayers by the Styx would use the full power of 0-18. That was an Angel-level Mystical Item of the Black Emperor Pathway, and a true object that should be sealed. It possessed intelligence as well as the great power to distort and construct the rules of reality.
The three had completely charged into the range of the hurricane. The wind pressure made Nono unable to open her eyes, and the gale howled past her cheeks. She couldn't hear the voices of the other two clearly. Xia Mi seemed to have said something, but she only hoped Xia Mi wouldn't let her hand slip and drop her. If that happened, she might be blown by the wind to some desolate small island.
Amidst her wild thoughts, she suddenly realized that the sound of the wind in her ears had grown distant. The violent gale that had been tearing at her deep red long hair vanished. Nono slowly opened her beautiful red eyes. The surroundings were encircled by a wall composed of churning clouds. The wind and the sea surface below were exceptionally calm here, completely separated from the phenomena outside the clouds. She looked up and saw a massive hole, from which sunlight poured down.
They had arrived at the eye of the hurricane.
Chapter 88: Wind in the Cage
"The air pressure in the eye of the storm is very low, and the temperature has warmed up quite a bit compared to outside the eye wall. To my surprise, I can actually see the surface of the sea."
Ji's steady voice pulled Nono back from her daze, and she finally began to carefully observe this area.
The most obvious feature was a giant bronze pillar floating in mid-air at the center, where an indistinct figure seemed to be imprisoned by layers of chains.
"Only dragons who have committed great crimes are subjected to this kind of punishment—bound to a bronze pillar with alchemical chains and submerged into the seabed, left for Ghost-Toothed Dragon Pythons to feast on their bodies," Xia Mi explained calmly to the two of them. She squinted her eyes, looking at the figure on the distant bronze pillar in contemplation. Such things were not unfamiliar to her; perhaps in the past, she had personally punished her own subordinates this way.
"Macallan sent a Second Generation who committed a serious crime as bait? Does he want them to atone through service, or is he treating them as cannon fodder?" Ji asked, turning to Xia Mi with his hand on his chin. He had originally thought there would be a lousy clone here, but it turned out to be a punished noble.
"I don't know, let's go take a look first. This hurricane doesn't seem to have moved much since it formed, but it should be controlled by that Second Generation on the bronze pillar."
Xia Mi continued to carry Nono as she followed Ji forward. Nono shook her legs, indicating her arms were about to cramp up. Helplessly, Xia Mi had to change her posture from holding Nono by the armpits to encircling the girl in her arms.
Xia Mi was now flying crookedly behind Ji, her membrane wings flapping hard to resist the downdraft. She twitched the corner of her mouth and looked down at Nono, saying, "This really affects my flying..."
Nono reached out and pinched Xia Mi's cute cheek, replying, "At least I'm more comfortable."
Clang.
A crisp impact accompanied by the sizzling sound of electricity rang in the two girls' ears. A curved golden spear, flashing with lightning, stopped right beside Nono's head, just inches away from piercing through her.
But fortunately, a Pale hand with distinct knuckles had gripped the spear.
The spear gradually lost its color in Ji's hand. The hem of his trench coat flapped wildly behind him. Before long, this conceptual weapon was left with only a Pale hue.
"You two, didn't I say not to be careless? You're being a bit disobedient," Ji said as he put away the now-dead weapon and gave both girls' faces a pinch.
"Sorry," Nono lowered her head and whispered.
"It's fine, just remember to pay attention later. But it seems Macallan did leave something here after all," Ji said, looking at the bronze pillar that was now not far away.
Xia Mi and Nono followed his gaze. Many spikes had grown out of the floating giant bronze pillar, and thick, dark chains bound that figure in layers.
It was a beautiful woman dressed in damaged armor, with fair skin, a high bridge to her nose, and classic European features. Dark red blood flowed slowly from the gaps in her armor, and her long silver-white hair danced in the air. She hung her head and closed her eyes expressionlessly, looking like a Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale.
Of course, only Xia Mi and Ji could see this. Nono's eyesight was still insufficient to see clearly across several kilometers, though it was much better than when she could only see a white dot upon entering.
"Hmph... Macallan's little vixen," Xia Mi squinted and muttered softly.
"If her blood falls into the sea below, it will spawn quite a few subspecies, won't it?"
"The blood of a Second Generation is still quite polluting. What do you say, should we take her out?" Xia Mi tilted her head with a 'crack,' seemingly wanting to express the idea of snapping a neck.
"Let's find the hidden Macallan first. I don't even know where that spear came from."
"And yet you could catch it?"
"I'm just that good?"
...
The AK47, a masterpiece by the former Soviet firearm designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, fires 7.62 caliber bullets. It is cheap, simple, powerful, and has an extremely low failure rate, making it one of the most sold weapons by arms smugglers.
It can easily take a vibrant life, yet it poses little threat to these Heroic Spirits who are essentially already dead.
The Death Servitors, bestowed with the title of 'Heroic Spirits,' braved the Church squad's firepower and began their charge. They might have once left their names in history or possessed legends passed down through the ages, but now, they were merely Monsters wielding cold weapons.
"Ice!"
Lu Mingfei shouted loudly. The two figures standing by his side squatted down together and pressed their hands to the ground.
In an instant, starting from them, towering transparent ice walls whose ends could not be seen extended to the left and right. Spiritual beings mostly have high attainments in ice magic, and the ice wall jointly cast by them should be able to block this tide-like wave of Death Servitors.
"Get ready for the charge, Old Tang!" Lu Mingfei yelled to Old Tang amidst the non-stop gunfire coming from behind.
But Old Tang charged straight out. He crouched slightly and then leaped high into the air. The zanbatou 'wrath' was fully activated, its blade instantly extending to a length of about ten meters.
The great blade, burning with blazing white fire, slashed down from above. The concrete road surface was torn open with a long gash, revealing the soil beneath. The Death Servitors on that path had vanished, sent flying who knows where by the strike.
"Damn! Old Tang! My road! Can you not slash the road? We only just repaired it!" Lu Mingfei, holding 'Pride,' also rushed to Old Tang's side. He nimbly ducked to the side to dodge a strike from a giant Viking-style battle axe, and with an upward slash, he sent the Death Servitor's head flying.
"You're still worrying about that at a time like this! Let's just defend this place first!"
The town behind them seemed to undergo some change. The effect of Tranquility expanded to the surrounding areas, enveloping everyone fighting the Death Servitors.
Their fearful hearts were buried. They fought for the 'magistrate's' holy city and its people, and their bodies seemed to receive a divine blessing, growing stronger as they fought.
0-18 'Duke of Entropy,' an angel-level wide-area 'Amplification' effect. All beneficial positive factors were significantly enhanced, including even the lethality of thermal weapons.
This was the result of the people's prayers in the cathedral square. Mills presided over this collective prayer, and tens of thousands of similar pleas were channeled into the River of Eternal Darkness. The undead decisively used 0-18.
Fingel felt the surging power in his body. He stood beside Mills, dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, still outside the town, Old Tang swung his blade again and again, shouting excitedly, "What's going on? I feel like my swings have more power!"
"The 'magistrate' is protecting us! We are under His wings! Sakurai Akira! Blast them for all you're worth!" Lu Mingfei shouted in Japanese to those behind him. The people of the Church also did their best to unleash a barrage of bullets at areas further away from Old Tang and Lu Mingfei. Bullets that were originally difficult to penetrate the Death Servitors' armor could now completely shred their defenses. This was how thermal weapons should be; this was the rule recognized by the 'Duke.'
The Death Servitors were temporarily unable to cross the defense established by the ice walls, and their hopes of breaking through the firepower net of dozens of people were slim. Any Death Servitor that intruded into the warning zone would be dragged deep underground by the faceless undead and natural spirits summoned by Lu Mingfei.
Torrential rain fell from the constantly rolling waves. Lightning occasionally streaked across the sky, illuminating the 'Heroic Spirits'' armor. At the far end of their vision, a majestic figure sitting on an eight-legged steed emerged from the Darkness. It was a figure Lu Mingfei was very familiar with, one he had faced directly on the elevated bridge.
Following it was light—a silver-white light that illuminated half the sky.
It came from the King of the Aesir in norse mythology.
Odin.
Chapter 89
The wind howled; standing before you was...
Ji floated in the air, his legs hanging naturally, while Xia Mi flapped her membrane wings hard to maintain her balance; they were only about a hundred meters away from that towering copper pillar.
From here, one could clearly see the beautiful creature imprisoned upon it; spikes pierced her skin, and through the tattered armor, unhealed wounds were visible. She was the one who had triggered the elemental turbulence and used her Word of Power to influence the Calamity, yet she seemed like a Prisoner confined here.
This beautiful woman seemed to sense something; her closed eyes trembled slightly before slowly opening.
Her vertical pupils first darted left and right, then she raised her head to look at the three of them.
The expression revealed on that face was so bewildered... sorrowful... sad.
Nono said softly, "A bit of guilt, a bit of inferiority, a bit of bewilderment, and a bit of fear." She turned her head to look at Xia Mi and asked, "Are these emotions that a Dragon Kind should have?"
"Not really, but there are oddities among the Dragon Kind. Ji, are we really not going to just kill her directly?" Miss Xia Mi asked this question again.
"Hmm... after the lesson of that abstract dragon you tied up, I think it's better to ask before encountering a dragon."
Seeming to find it a pity, Xia Mi shook her head and said with low interest, "Fine, then should we get closer?"
"Let's go, be careful."
The hearing of high-level Dragon Kind could easily pick up sounds from a hundred meters away. The woman bound to the copper pillar watched with an unchanged expression as the three moved slowly in front of her, and the Youth in Black Clothes questioned her first.
"Who are you?"
The silver-haired girl spoke a string of words that Ji could not understand.
"Can you speak Mandarin Chinese?"
"Hey... hey..." The girl seemed to be adjusting her tone; shortly after, she spoke again in a sweet voice, "I'm sorry."
Ji raised an eyebrow and looked at Xia Mi; he saw his Miss Dragon with a dark face, not knowing what she was thinking.
"Sorry?"
The girl closed her eyes and shook her head: "I'm sorry, I can no longer disobey the Father God's orders... I must... I must..."
Must? Must what?
Nono was still in confusion, but her vision was suddenly blocked by a black trench coat, followed by a howling gale that created the sound of airflow rushing past her ears.
"Ugh! The trench coat hit me! Bastard Boss!" Xia Mi scolded angrily.
Ji slowly leaned to one side, and only then did Nono see that the silver-haired humanoid dragon had already broken free from the shackles. Although the armor on her body was still shattered, the previously exposed wounds had completely healed.
She had already distanced herself from them, the gale supporting her as she floated in the air; she raised her right hand high, as if summoning something.
With a clang, a long spear, entirely silver-white, flew out from the top of the bronze pillar and was grasped in her hand.
"The Father God told me that many sisters have already been killed by you. I didn't have a very good relationship with them; in fact, I found them quite annoying. Saying this is just because I feel I will also be easily killed by you."
The expression the girl had before had disappeared, replaced by a determined gaze and a solemn tone.
"But this is my only chance. I have fought for Him for a long time, and He promised me..."
The silver-white spear danced in her hand, the gale howled in this area, and her hair, the same color as the spear, fluttered in the air. She spread her arms and solemnly declared:
"My name is Carla, the Valkyrie who weaves storms and Death! I will clear the obstacles here for the Lord God Odin! And crush you completely!"
Although she spoke very solemnly, her movements were solemn, and her expression was also very solemn.
But in reality, even Nono didn't take her seriously...
Sending a Second Generation to confront a First Generation Species and a 'Death'? Is Odin trying to be funny?
Carla, recorded in the norse mythology poem "The Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane", is the reincarnation of the Valkyrie Sigrún. She fell in love with Helgi, and Helgi was the half-brother of the dragon-slaying hero Sigurd, who also fell in love with a Valkyrie.
"norse mythology is truly a massive piece of unofficial history. If I remember correctly, she symbolizes freedom and resistance... Interesting."
Ji had fought this person in God of War 4 a long time ago; it was hellish, constantly summoning minions. Not to mention the melee minions, she even summoned ranged ones!
This title of 'weaver of storms and Death' might actually have some merit; at least in the game, she was really good at summoning! As for here, she's probably just someone who has some Death Servants under her command.
"Xia Mi, hand Nono over to me."
"Huh?" Xia Mi and Nono said in unison.
"What 'huh'? If I go up, who will defend against Macallan? You can't tell me you can't even beat a Second Generation, right?"
"Fine, fine. Poor Miss Xia Mi has to fight a Valkyrie empty-handed~ while her dear boyfriend stands on the side holding another girl to watch the show. Wuwuwu, Miss Xia Mi is so pathetic..." Xia Mi handed Nono, who was in her arms, over to Ji. Ji circled his left arm around the girl's waist and passed his right arm under her knees, carrying her.
Nono's heart skipped a beat after hearing Xia Mi's words, but as a Sequence 6 'Hypnotist', she could control her expressions and body movements very well. She pretended not to care about anything and leaned against Ji's chest.
After sending Nono away, Xia Mi turned around and twisted her joints; scales began to grow from her body, piercing through her white, translucent swimsuit.
"Carla, is it? You and your master will pay the price for ruining my wonderful vacation." Xia Mi's hands twisted into sharp claws, covered with hard scales. Without a weapon, she could only use her claws to attack, and she couldn't use her Word of Power either; Earth-type Words of Power weren't very effective in the sky, and her own Wind-type release probably couldn't compare to the orthodox Wind Dragon opposite her.
"Noble King, I request your pardon." Carla held the middle and rear sections of the long spear with both hands, the spear tip pointing directly at the King of Earth and Mountains.
The already half-dragon-formed Xia Mi didn't speak; she flapped her wings powerfully, and the swirling gale, carrying sharp claws, arrived in front of Carla.
The attack aimed at the fatal 'eye' was blocked by the silver-white long spear. The inertia brought by the acceleration pushed them further and further apart. Carla twisted the spear shaft, deflecting Xia Mi's sharp claws, and then controlled the wind force to stabilize her body.
The silver-white figure suddenly became blurred. The visual and physical impact arrived faster than the sound; the spear tip broke the sound barrier and thrust toward Xia Mi's beautiful face.
But Xia Mi had already begun to defend the moment Carla first made her move.
The surprise attack failed, and the silver-white Valkyrie quickly retreated, beginning to spin and wield the long spear in her hands, guiding it to whip up several massive cyclones.
Seriously? How can every dragon trade blows with me? What about the power boosted by the potion? Why does it feel not very obvious? And I can't create plants out of thin air while at sea... Damn it!
Xia Mi was in a very bad mood. This Second Generation in front of her was different from the four she had met in her own subway tunnel; this one was clearly very accomplished in combat techniques and the use of Words of Power. Should one say it was worthy of being a Valkyrie who could call out her own name?
"Your Highness Jörmungandr, your great power makes me marvel. In that time in norse mythology, I had never encountered such a formidable creature. If I hadn't used leverage, I would have been unable to withstand your attacks at all." Carla spun the long spear in her hands at high speed, the cyclones she whipped up constantly attacking Xia Mi. This level of attack couldn't hurt a King; at most, it could only serve as an obstacle.
"Actually, you don't have to speak Mandarin Chinese when talking to me." Xia Mi dodged the cyclones and looked for an opportunity to get closer.
"When I was bound, I heard you using this language from afar, and I considered it a form of respect for a King."
"You are strong, Carla, stronger than all your sisters." The half-dragon-formed girl approached the Valkyrie not far away step by step; she was trying to interfere with her judgment through language.
"Being recognized by a King is the supreme honor.'Storm's Fang' is a Conceptual Weapon imbued with 'Wind'. Combined with the Eye of the Wind King and Instant, it allows me to command the high altitude as easily as my own arm. You are not my King and cannot cancel my Word of Power."
Xia Mi finally broke through the blockade and arrived in front of Carla; her sharp claws slashed diagonally from right to left, but were still blocked by the long spear.
"Heh, but you still don't have much chance of winning."
A trace of hesitation flashed across Carla's face, but she quickly adjusted and said: "I only need to hold you and that great existence behind you."
Chapter 90: The Windcatcher
"Hey, Ming Ming, do you know what that thing is?" Ronald Tang asked dismissively, pointing 'wrath' directly at the silver-glowing figure in the distance. The surrounding 'Heroic Spirits' stopped advancing; they crouched on the ground, looking ready to pounce at any moment. It certainly wasn't because they feared the long blade still burning with white-hot flames; they were incapable of fear. No matter how many were killed, more would just rush forward.
They were welcoming their king.
"Odin, the chief god of norse mythology. I encountered him once a few years ago. It was also a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning, but the difference was that the Death Servants back then weren't nearly as numerous or as well-equipped."
"What kind of bullshit Odin is that? Then I'm Surtr! He dares to mess with us? Watch me split the... bastard... in... two..."
Ronald Tang's voice was gradually drawn out until it came to a complete standstill. The raindrops falling like a collapsing sky suspended in mid-air, and the scene illuminated by a flash of lightning was frozen. Everything in the world had come to a stop.
"Lu Mingze?"
Lu Mingfei only knew of one person—or rather, one Demon—who could achieve such an effect. Or perhaps his master could? But he had never seen it.
"Brother, you might really need me this time. That guy over there isn't as simple as the ones before. It's like a classic game difficulty selection: it starts with EASY, the simplest, but then it's NORMAL, followed by HARD. Right now, you're in that situation, facing a boss on hard mode."
Lu Mingze's voice came from all directions, but he himself did not appear, for some unknown reason.
Lu Mingfei put away 'Pride' and slung it behind his back. He shouted toward the sky, "That's fine. At least it's not HELL difficulty. I think I can still give it a shot. I have a Dragon King on my side, a church squad behind me, and Master will notice this place too."
"Your master is busy right now. He's tied up. The only one who can save you is yourself. Or, you could come to me. I can help you, Brother." The boy was like the Demon tempting Faust; you could gain much from him, but it would cost...
"It only requires one-fourth of your life. I can help you take down that shiny silver fellow and also help you protect the town behind you." Lu Mingze's voice was low and enchanting.
One could almost imagine his expression. If he appeared in front of me, I definitely wouldn't be able to resist slapping him, Lu Mingfei thought, shaking his head. He replied, "You should come back when I'm beaten so badly I can't fight back, not now. How do I know you're not lying to me? Go away, go away. Stop always thinking about taking my life or soul. Master says I'm very precious."
"Hmm~ True. Then your little brother will take his leave for now. I hope Brother still has the strength to call for me later~"
The Demon left as quickly as he had come. Before Lu Mingfei could react, the frozen time resumed its flow. Large raindrops continued to pelt down from the sky, making crisp clattering sounds against the silver armor and the seven deadly sins around them.
"Old Tang, can you hold them off for a while?" Lu Mingfei handed 'Pride' to Ronald Tang.
Ronald Tang took 'Pride' and gave it a flick. Dark red flames ignited on it, soon turning into the same white-hot glow as 'wrath'.
"I should be able to. What are you going to do?"
Lu Mingfei turned and ran. As he ran, he shouted, "I'm going to get our ultimate weapon!"
"Then hurry up! That guy still looks a bit tough to deal with!"
"Weren't you just acting all arrogant a moment ago?" Lu Mingfei had already run some distance away; his voice grew fainter as it reached Ronald Tang.
Ronald Tang gave a cheeky "heh" and muttered under his breath:
"Talking big is a necessary part of the process! Dammit! I didn't used to talk this much..."
...
Ji and Nono stood on the bronze pillar floating in the air. There were no spikes here. Their gaze was fixed on the mid-air not far away, where Xia Mi, now completely covered in dragon scales, was still locked in combat with Carla. Spear tips sliced through the sky, and sharp claws tore through armor, as scattered sonic booms continuously echoed.
Ji had heard the Valkyrie say she wanted to stall him, but how was that possible? If he wanted to, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; he only had to glare at the beautiful girl, and she would transform into a Second Generation-level dragon skeleton in agony.
The hurricane still hadn't changed much, and the turbulence caused by the battle failed to affect its stability. It spun in isolation in the middle of the Atlantic. Was it because Carla didn't have time to control it? No, if it weren't being controlled, it would be wandering aimlessly. It was precisely because it was being manipulated that it remained so stable.
Or rather, it wasn't Carla controlling it at all. She was just a decoy—a decoy to attract attention. The real controller was Macallan's clone in the shadows.
"Macallan sent you to stall us? Are you joking? Don't you know this is a suicide mission?" Xia Mi was gradually seeing through Carla's attack patterns. She began to step-by-step identify the key weaknesses of every strike. Everything has a weakness; it just depends on whether you can see it.
Suppressed by Xia Mi at close range, Carla roared, "I have no choice! This is the only chance! Once I've lured you here and stalled you, He will let me leave!"
The silver spear was swatted away by a sweeping blow from Xia Mi. She swiftly grabbed Carla by the neck. The wind that had been lifting the Valkyrie dissipated. She struggled desperately, trying to escape from the hands of the king before her.
"Ridiculous! Naive and stupid! I don't know how you've survived from the era of the Co-governance of Kings until now!"
The first time he tried to attack, he aimed for Nono. In his eyes, Nono's importance was likely far higher than mine or Xia Mi's, and she was also easier to deal with.
If there were a second time, where would he aim?
Carla and her past life, Sigrun, are mentioned several times in mythology for rebelling against Odin's divine authority and commands.
If that were truly the case, she probably wouldn't have lived until now. Or perhaps her abilities were so exceptional that Macallan couldn't bear to kill her, only imprisoning her and subjecting her to endless torture, then bringing her out whenever she was useful?
A Valkyrie who represents freedom and struggle, weaving storms and death?
If this Valkyrie was a decoy intended to attract my attention or Xia Mi's attention, then the next attack might happen...
"Ah!!!"
Now...
A shrill scream came from nearby as a curved golden spear pierced through both Carla and Xia Mi.
While the two girls were focused on their battle and unable to spare any attention to their surroundings, gungnir struck from behind Carla, impaling them both directly. The scales they were so proud of were completely unable to stop this divine artifact.
Seizing the opportunity to attack both at once—severely wounding Xia Mi while simultaneously eliminating a hidden traitor? A clever plan. What a pitiful Valkyrie. Though, she probably hadn't held much hope anyway. 'The Shackles that Restrain the Storm'—so that's what it meant. Truly simple and easy to understand.
But Macallan surely doesn't think Xia Mi is as easy to deal with as before, does he?
"Macallan!!!"
The brown-haired girl roared, pulling the spear out of her back and throwing it away with force.
She let go of Carla, half of whose body had turned to charcoal. The carbonization had started from the heart; the moment the spear pierced her heart, her entire chest began to collapse outward.
The beautiful Valkyrie fell through the air. She had once been a god who wove storms, but the wind no longer obeyed her. A human can survive for a few minutes without a heart pumping blood, and a dragon even longer, but falling onto the ocean surface from such a height was no different from falling onto stone. What would she be thinking in the final moments of her life? Her eyes were so lost and sorrowful, and then there was that meaningless "I'm sorry"...
Ji shook his head slightly, and a headless Pale figure emerged behind him.
"Protect this Red-haired Girl."
After saying this, he jumped straight off the bronze pillar and vanished.
"I don't even have to think to know what this guy is up to." Nono shook her head, covering her face. She looked at the Headless Spirit beside her; the spirit turned its body, seemingly looking at her too.
"Following a master like this, do you often end up saving people here and there and then causing a whole lot of trouble?"
The spirit nodded and then shook its head—actually, it just moved the part where its neck was, since it had no head.
"He's far too emotional. He says himself that it's his biggest weakness, but he has enough power to support his sentimentality. Still, I think he's a bit silly sometimes. There's a saying that kindness and mercy are the virtues of the strong. Only when you're strong enough and have enough status can you talk about things like kindness and mercy; otherwise, it's just the cowardice of the weak..."
The Headless Spirit continued to move its stump of a neck. Nono still couldn't understand what it was trying to express, so she turned her attention back to Xia Mi.
Powerful healing magic was enough to sustain the vitality of a Biologist. Xia Mi's heavily injured body had also partially carbonized, but new tissue quickly replaced the old. The charred skin sloughed off, and new scales grew over the fresh epidermis. She let out a long howl toward the sky and then quickly scanned her surroundings.
"Macallan! Get the hell out here! You actually dared to stab me!"
"Ji's description was quite accurate. If you ignore how dangerous Xia Mi is, she really is like a cat. Usually, she's well-behaved with some minor antics, but right now, she's in her hissing phase."
Miss Xia Mi, exasperated and gnashing her teeth, activated the skill Incompetent Rage, to little effect.
...
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
Lu Mingfei was running at maximum speed. His constitution had been enhanced in the dark environment, but his robe was thoroughly soaked, which hindered his movement. Lu Mingfei simply tore it off and threw it by the roadside. Fortunately, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt underneath; after all, the weather here was still very hot, and he couldn't very well wear a robe even when resting.
The entire small town was pitch black, and gunfire echoed all around. Lu Mingfei did not know if there were any casualties yet. The area he was guarding was the most threatened, so the other regions should not be too dangerous.
He hoped that what Lu Mingze said wasn't true. How could someone as strong as his master be held back? Even if held back, he would still be able to exert influence here; this vast strengthened domain was proof of that. Hmph, trying to cheat me of my life? Not a chance!
Lu Mingfei smiled and continued running. Suddenly, he looked up with a sense of intuition. He discovered that the rain was getting lighter, getting smaller and smaller—no, it was getting smaller the closer he got to the church, because the wetness of the ground was different; the ground that had originally been covered in puddles was becoming dry.
He arrived at the church plaza, where everyone in the town had gathered. Looking out, he saw them all sitting on the ground with their hands clasped in devout prayer. They did not know exactly what was happening, but hearing the gunfire around them, they knew it could not be anything good. Gathering them here was for protection, and the people also believed that the 'magistrate' would protect them; it had always been this way.
This area seemed like an absolute holy land. Although it was still shrouded in Darkness, the torrential rain stirred up by that false god was completely unable to invade this place.
Mills and the wide-eyed Fingel stood at the very front of the crowd. Around them were some priests wearing Pale robes, maintaining order. However, under the extremely wide-ranging domain of tranquility, it was basically impossible for any riots to occur.
"Lord Lu Mingfei, your speed is astonishing. What is the situation now?" Mills watched as Lu Mingfei quickly arrived in front of the church from the side of the crowd.
"It is fine. I have returned to retrieve the holy object bestowed by the 'Lord'. Dark and disgusting existences are attempting to subvert the magistrate's holy land, and we will make them pay the price." Lu Mingfei had clearly fully understood the church jargon. After responding simply, he quickly rushed to the underground area of the church. This was where Ronald Tang had inscribed the alchemy matrix. He had originally intended to store some weapons here, but Ronald Tang had not finished making them yet.
The dark environment of the basement could not hinder Lu Mingfei's footsteps at all. He ran to the room at the end and pushed open a heavy stone door.
1-24, floating above the circular stone platform, appeared before his eyes. This room had no lighting system, yet it made it impossible for one to even open their eyes. Golden holy light filled his vision, and the long spear, sealed by the aura of the underworld, was still spreading its influence outward.
Lu Mingfei swallowed hard and muttered to himself, "Heh, I hope I can hold on, and I hope Master's healing is good enough so I won't have to keep any scars."
He stepped forward, raised his hand, and grasped the incomplete long spear.
"Ugh!"
Lu Mingfei fell to his knees immediately. The moment his hand made contact with the spear handle, he felt as if his palm had completely caught fire. That sensation spread until it covered his entire arm.
He stood up with difficulty, adapted slightly to the pain in his body, and let out a breath: "Whew... it's okay... then let the counterattack begin!"
...
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; the earth was formless and void, Darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
With a resolute gaze, Lu Mingfei stood in front of the church, holding high the long spear that had become complete. The holy light illuminated the entire land, dispelling all the Darkness.
"Oh God..." "The great magistrate..."
Similar voices rose and fell among the crowd, because this was the light brought by 'God'.
"The great 'Lord' has bestowed upon us the holy artifact! We shall be fearless! I am Cardinal Archbishop Lu Mingfei of the Eternal Slumber Cult! A retainer of the 'deep gloom angel'! In the name of the 'Death Consul', exterminate the evildoers!"
After speaking passionately, Lu Mingfei looked at the devout appearance of the people. He thought to himself that the believers definitely did not know that this thing was actually the most vicious weapon for the magistrate...
Ronald Tang's head had sprouted curved horns, and a sharp, steel-like long tail had grown from the base of his back. Both 'Pride' and 'wrath' had revealed their true forms. The blades, several meters long, burned with scorching white flames. Wielding the blades, he looked like a Demon crawling out of the Abyss, ferocious and terrifying.
"Is this all your strength! Odin! Then you are not worthy of this title!"
After being knocked back by Odin's spear, Ronald Tang leaned forward slightly and then performed a great leap, directly closing the distance. The two top-tier alchemy weapons were raised high and swung down. 'Pride', as a'sword', was actually better suited for stabbing and parrying, but in this situation, Ronald Tang only thought about breaking through the long spear in Odin's hand. He could sense the extraordinariness of that weapon and could not let him have the opportunity to use it.
The attack was still blocked by Odin. The god, whose single eye gleamed with golden light, said in a low voice, "Norton, you have become more flamboyant."
After a graceful flip and landing, Ronald Tang spun around and used his long tail to knock back the approaching Dead Servants: "Heh! I'm happy to! Who are you? The older brother or the younger brother?"
"That is not important. You have no idea who you are helping; your ignorance will push the future of the Dragon Race toward doom!" Odin shook his head slightly and raised the long spear, clearly having prepared for the throw.
"What a joke. In a few years when the old thing wakes up, we'll all be finished! It's better to find a new master right now!" Ronald Tang wanted to rush up again to interrupt the throwing process, but he was blocked by the swarming Dead Servants. He fought hard, brandishing the dual blades in his hands, but he could only manage to keep himself from being submerged by the silvery-white tide. The church members not far behind were running low on ammunition and could not provide fire suppression; they could only attack the enemies approaching the ice wall.
"The dignity and honor of the Dragon Race have been completely lost by you and Jörmungandr!"
"What kind of bullshit Dragon Race spirit! That sort of thing was thrown away tens of thousands of years ago!"
"Then you go... Ugh!"
A holy beam of majesty descended from the sky, illuminating the Darkness and suppressing the silver light. The Dead Servants touched by that light instantly turned into ashes, leaving behind only a set of armor with no one inside.
In front of the 'Sun', any creature related to depravity or death would be subject to the sanctions of purification.
Lu Mingfei, whose entire right arm was ablaze with golden flames, walked past the wide-eyed Sakurai Akira and the others while holding the long spear. His whole body radiated holy light, and the two spirits he had originally summoned had hidden underground because they were affected by this light.
Lu Mingfei stepped forward and said solemnly, "God says, conceptual weapons are invalid!"
This was the ability of the Sun Pathway Sequence 6 'Notary'. Things notarized as effective would be strengthened, and things notarized as invalid would be weakened.
1-24 could use almost all weakening abilities of Sequence 3 and below. The side effect after being sealed was that both the spirit and the body would be burned by the flames of light. The longer it was used, the wider the scope of the burning would spread.
The long spear in Odin's hand became dim. He slowly lowered it. The eight-legged steed Sleipnir beneath him neighed. After a brief silence and inaction, he slowly uttered a sentence: "You are truly difficult to deal with."
His single eye was scorching and bright. He just sat there on the giant horse, doing nothing. Ronald Tang had already stood with Lu Mingfei. They looked at each other and then looked back at the Odin in front of them.
Ronald Tang pointed forward with 'wrath' and asked, "What does this guy want to do again?"
"How would I know! My hand hurts like hell right now; it feels exactly like there are countless knives cutting me!" Lu Mingfei was trying hard to endure it and not let his tears flow out. He had already thought through the happiest things in his life.
The neighing of a giant horse sounded again, but it did not come from the one in front of them!
Another silvery-white light appeared. Half of the sky had completely turned silvery-white. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the wind howled. The second Odin, the God King who controlled wind and lightning, had appeared.
Unlike the one before, he carried a giant black sword on his back, a giant sword entwined with wisps of lightning.
Its broad, armor-covered palm drew it out and then heavily plunged it into the ground. The earth trembled, and the soil and stones groaned.
"Damn! How is there another one! What is that sword? It looks like your words didn't work on that thing!" Ronald Tang's expression became ugly. One was already hard to deal with, and now another one that looked even stronger had arrived?
"That means the status of that sword exceeds the upper limit I can withstand; it is not something that the long spear can compare to. Two of them, huh? Is this 'hard mode'?" Lu Mingfei felt the burning pain in his body. He could still hold on for a while, but he absolutely could not repel the two Odins.
Just as he was preparing to call out a certain esteemed name, a change suddenly occurred. Starting from beneath his feet, the originally gray-white cement road became even paler. The land outside the road gradually faded in color, and then the farmland, the woods, the lightning, and the sky—none were spared.
From the start of the attack until now, it had actually not even been an hour. The Valkyrie Carla had not been able to hold back Ji Eggers; from beginning to end, she had not held him back for even a second. The 'magistrate's' gaze had long since been cast toward His holy temple.
No, if one counted the time it took for Carla to fall, that should have been holding him back for a few seconds.
The 'Heroic Spirits' clad in silver-white armor knelt down in unison. A rhythmic sound of metal clashing rang out. They had long since died, so to them, the ruler of death was the true king.
The Pale Master descended here. The faded world sang for him, and the threads of death hung from his fingertips.