621-627

Chapter 621: Saint Monastery (II)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The trio turned around the corner and spotted a dozen men who looked like mercenaries wielding their swords and confronting one another. Rather than saying it was a confrontation, it looked more like a group of mercenaries surrounding six to seven bloodied mercenaries in the middle. The mercenaries in the middle leaned against one another's back and gritted their teeth as they stared at the other party. A young man in his teens and clad in noble attire was protected them.

"Morris! You bastard!"

One of the burly mercenaries trapped in the middle yelled at a man dressed like a Thief in the encirclement and the latter laughed grimly while hiding behind another mercenary. He fiddled with the nifty dagger in his hand and gazed at the burly man in disdain.

"You can't say that, Leader. I've my difficulties too."

Pah!

The burly man spat his saliva and glared so fiercely that his eyes almost blasted flames. He never expected that there would be a traitor in his team. Another man standing beside him with a sword and shield in his hands berated furiously.

"Stop finding excuses, you bastard. If Leader didn't rescue you back then, a scoundrel like you would still be fighting hooligans for bread in the dark alley! Damn it. I must be blind to not see how ungrateful you are!"

"Your bad judgment is to blame then, Brother Wood."

Instead of showing some signs of remorse, the Thief let out a mischievous laughter.

"To be frank, I didn't intend to do this either. But who else should we blame for being useless? After mixing around for so many years, you aren't even capable of forming a mercenary group and you're still a lackey for some young nobles. Don't you think you're being a worthless loser? Honestly, I can't take it anymore. You're lucky that this Sir here offered shelter to you. Of course, the premise is that you must be willing to work for him. But it's a pity that you aren't willing to accept his kindness. That's only your opinion and I've had enough of wandering about in the streets."

"You..."

The leader of the group puckered his brows.

The Thief was right. His group of men had formed a mercenary team for six years now. Although they wished to become an official mercenary group, reality was too cruel for them. Their years of hard work wasn't able to bring them success and they were still struggling strenuously. This time, they were entrusted by a young noble to search for his missing elder sister in Grenbell. However, they didn't expect to face an ambush from a group of men, demanding this young noble. Moreover, they were surprised to find that their companion actually turned against them at this moment?!

"I will kill you!"

The burly man charged forward with a raised sword and slashed with all his might, sweeping up a powerful gust. The mercenary standing before the Thief dodged swiftly and revealed the Thief. The Thief's expression twisted in fear, but his reaction was quick. He threw a sharp dagger that pierced the burly man's shoulder. However, that wasn't enough to stop him. The burly man pounced forward like an injured beast with bloodshot eyes and brandishing claws!

A ghastly whiteness spread over the Thief's face and suddenly, a Mage donned in black cloth behind the group pointed a finger forward. Then, a green ray of light shot out from his fingertip and struck the burly man's arm.

"Argh!"

The burly man let out a blood-curdling screech. In the blink of an eye, his arms melted like butter and his ruptured flesh corroded at a rapid speed, revealing ghastly white bones. The pitiful man succumbed to the piercing pain and fainted on the spot.

"Oh, Lord!"

The surrounding mercenaries were stricken into silence. They stared in disbelief at the black-clothed Mage. Even though they didn't know his name, they already knew his identity.

He's a Necromancer!

"Morris, you have even ganged up with a Necromancer!?"

"Heh, that's right, Leader."

The Thief restored his pleased smile. He tidied his attire and looked at his past companions.

"I'm still young and I don't want to die anytime soon. If I follow this powerful Sir here, not only will I survive, but I will also receive a gift that you can't receive in your entire life—and that is an eternal life! You are aware of the enemy you're facing now, so I advise you to hand over that little rascal obediently if you don't wish to bring trouble to yourself. Besides, if you're willing to serve this Sir here like me, I might even put in some good word for you."

"..."

The mercenaries fell into deep silence. Then, the young noble protected by them gazed at the black-clothed Mage in terror and ordered frantically. "Q-Quick! Kill that Necromancer! H-Hurry up! Didn't I give you money to protect me? Kill him right now!"

The group of mercenaries by the perimeter burst into laughter and even the Thief swept a glance at the young noble as though he was an idiot.

"Leader, that's the little bastard's attitude for you. He is staring death in the eye and still behaving like an arrogant ass. Pah! I look down upon him. What right does he think he have to order us like his slaves, even with his filthy money! I can't tolerate it anymore, even if you can! I've suffered enough from this bastard. I do want to see how much longer can he maintain that disgusting arrogance of his before the great Sir here! I can't wait to hear his sorrowful laments!"

The leader of the group pondered in silence. Then, he turned to the young noble with a complicated expression. The latter sensed his gaze and panicked instantly.

"Hey! What are you looking at! Attack and kill them all! Didn't you say you were powerful when I hired you guys? Why have you shrunk after facing just this small group of enemies?! Attack!"

"..."

The mercenaries standing nervously around the young noble revealed discontent expressions while their leader's expression remained unchanged. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh and raised his sword at the Thief before him. The Thief was astonished.

"Leader, you can't be for real, eh? What is so worthy of this little brat that you're willing to sacrifice your life for? Isn't it just for a sack of gold coins? You are also aware of his attitude toward us along the way! And now, why are you..."

But before the Thief finished his sentence, the leader interrupted firmly.

"I know what you're thinking about, Morris. I admit that you're right."

Then, he shot a glance at the young noble with an ashen expression.

"But I'm not fighting for him. Just as you've said, we don't need to. But we're mercenaries."

The leader lowered his gaze and quickly lifted his head up as though something cropped up in his mind.

"We're mercenaries and mercenaries work for money, which is the most natural thing to do. Indeed. We can hand him over right here and end everything and nobody would know as long as we keep this a secret. But I won't do that because this violates my principles..." The leader turned around and gazed at his subordinates.

"You guys can surrender. This is my choice and I won't force you if you aren't willing to."

The leader waited for a response, but no one left his side. Shortly after, the mercenary holding a sword and shield beside him let out a chuckle.

"Leader, it's rather disappointing that you don't seem to trust our moral qualities. Indeed. None of us thought that this kid here was likable. But I would rather die than to violate a mercenary's faith and become the accomplice of a Necromancer!"

"You guys..."

The Thief sulked instantly. He turned to the Necromancer and gritted his teeth before extending his arm forward.

"Go to hell then!"

He swung his arm down and the mercenaries beside him charged forward with their menacing swords. It appeared that a bloodbath was unavoidable at this stage.

At this moment, a cheerful, effortless remark captured their attention.

"Woah, what's the situation? PK? Group assault?"

Angelina Didn't Look Like Her Usual Self, And It Had Fans Worriedad

The attacking mercenaries turned to the voice and even the trapped mercenaries in the middle stretched their necks curiously. This might be their only chance to escape this predicament!

It was three young people. One of them was empty handed and wore a noble attire. The two young ladies beside him were also without any weapons on them and wore plain robes and cloaks. It seemed that the trio was a group of nobles on an excursion, and their appearances were quite striking. Although Canary and Bubble didn't look stunning, their beauty still stood out. Moreover, they brought along an entirely different aura that didn't belong in this world like a smear of vibrant colors that forced all attention to them.

Several mercenaries licked their lips instantly, fantasizing the scenes after they dragged them over for a wild time. How satisfying would that be? The mood of the pitiful men surrounded in the middle sunk all the way to the bottom. Judging from the trio's appearances, it was apparent that they were nothing more than nobles without any fighting strength and had perhaps secretly slipped out of their homes for some pointless adventure. Just look at how idiotic they were to not bring any weapons in the wild! The black-haired girl with two ponytails even made a huge fuss. Can't she figure out the situation here? Does she think that this is just a street fight?

Mini Bubble Gum indeed was in the mood to enjoy watching a bustling scene.

She couldn't be blamed since this was a habit of players. In the game, any conflicts between players were great sources of materials. If they were civilians of this world, then it would be better to stay out of trouble and keeping oneself clean. However, it was different for the players. Such conflicts might possibly bring them new missions from new forces that players couldn't join or attain through formal channels. If players chose to help in these situations, perhaps they might get their hands on some admission ticket to some organization or something...

Although such a scenario was common in the game, it was even more fascinating for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, who had always been 'imprisoned' in the Land of Atonement. This was also why they chose to walk to Grenbell on foot instead of instantly teleporting themselves here, wishing to reminisce about the history of the game as players: roaming on the big map while looking to meet some hidden NPCs, triggering special missions, killing rare monsters, uncovering treasures and weapons. This was the nature of players. A game was meant to be entertaining, after all.

And Mini Bubble Gum had the means to treat this as entertainment, of course.

The black-haired girl skipped forward and waved toward the group of people.

"Hey! The people in there! Need any help?!"

Help?

No matter the group of mercenaries who were by the perimeter or those who were trapped, they stared blankly at the unarmed and defenseless black-haired girl. She must be crazy. Can't she figure out the situation just by looking? What is she? An idiot?

"Capture them!"

The Thief finally yelled out a command. He gazed at the black-haired girl with avaricious eyes while licking his lips. In an instantly, the dozen brawny mercenaries turned around and pounced toward the trio.

"Be careful! Run!"

The trapped mercenaries yelled helplessly. They couldn't help them and could only watch the hungry, wolf-like mercenaries pounce at the fragile guests. However, the trio didn't move an inch at all as though they were frozen to the spot. Some of the trapped mercenaries turned around as it was too unbearable for them to watch.

At this moment, a crisp, loud voice echoed in their ears.

"You're asking for death!"

Boom! An ear-deafening explosion numbed their ears instantly and airwaves blasted at their faces. The air had as though solidified and stuffed their nostrils and mouths, flustering the mercenaries. When the crowd widened their eyes and witnessed the scene before them, they were petrified.

The dozen mercenaries surrounding them had collapsed to the ground with twisted, ashen expressions, and crimson blood gushing out of their nostrils. More importantly, they weren't breathing at all! They were all dead!

What exactly happened?!

The mercenaries looked up and the trio hadn't shifted an inch. The black-haired girl who asked if they required any help was tidying her attire aggrievedly...

At this moment, a faint green radiance flickered and the Necromancer extended his arms forward. Then, an enormous green sphere exploded from between his palms and a dark, gloomy cloud of smoke shrouded forward. In an instant, the aura of death pervaded the air and the grass withered rapidly before their eyes.

Suddenly, a vibrant, red radiance flashed.

"Arghhhhh!"

Without any signs of warning, the cloud of smoke lit up in flames and engulfed the Necromancer. The Necromancer was like ignited firewood as he exploded in the merciless flames that devoured his body. In the blink of an eye, there was nothing left apart from a pile of pitch-black ashes.

The group shivered as they turned around. However, the only thing that they saw was the glaring red brilliance flickering between Canary's fingers.

Chapter 622: Saint Monastery (III)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The mercenaries felt as though they had just been on a roller coaster ride from hell to heaven. Just a few moments ago, they believed that they would undoubtedly die and were merely fighting to protect their dignity. However, they didn't expect the situation to turn around entirely within half a minute. The terrifying enemies crumbled and even the Necromancer had turned into ashes. The trio who had rescued them didn't seem to be passersby at all, but shortly after, they realized that they were wrong.

"How boring."

Mini Bubble Gum clapped the dust off her hands and pouted as she looked at the corpses laid before her. She gazed at the man with the rotten arms and unconscious on the ground and let out a snort. Then, she stretched out a finger and emanated a dazzling ray of light that healed the ruptured flesh on his arms. In the blink of an eye, his arms were fully cured. Then, Mini Bubble Gum stretched her body lazily.

"They're nothing more than a bunch of useless crap. Let's go, Big Sister, Leader."

Mini Bubble Gum turned around and left without glancing at the mercenaries. She behaved so casually as though she had just killed a colony of ants instead of Humans. Rhode and Canary had no opinions about this. The blustering mercenaries were slightly more than level 20 while the Necromancer was only level 30. Rhode's level was even higher than them, so how was it possible for the level 85 Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to regard them highly?

The trio left swiftly and continued with their journey, leaving the group of mercenaries who had escaped death. The mercenaries widened their eyes in disbelief. They thought that they were dead for sure, but the sudden appearance of the trio dragged them from the claws of death entirely, which they were extremely thankful for. Normally, the rescuers would have approached them to check on their condition and the victims could express their gratitude. However, the trio's actions had surprised all of them. They just left without looking at the victims even once?!

What should we do next?

The mercenaries were left in an awkward situation. They wanted to catch up to them and express their proper gratitudes. However, the trio seemed uninterested in them and their strength had proven how powerful they were. On the contrary, these guys were only mercenaries and they naturally couldn't figure out how powerful the trio was exactly. Most powerful beings had strange behaviors. If one were to accidentally offend them, perhaps one would die to a wave of their hands... The mercenaries shuddered at this frightening thought. Then, their leader took a final look at the trio and heaved a sigh of relief. He pulled himself together and clapped his hands to gather the attention of his men.

"Alright, Brothers. Let's tidy up and leave. We're really fortunate today..."

But before the man finished his words, the young noble who they had been protecting bolted toward the trio!

"That idiot!"

The leader chased the young noble hurriedly. After spending some time with him, he knew what sort of temper he had! He knew exactly what the young noble was planning to do, suddenly running up to the trio!

Rhode's group had thrown this matter to the back of their heads as soon as they turned around and they didn't even discuss anything about it. Instead, they spoke about their experiences in the game which involved the BOSSes, equipment, dungeons, and also the future. Suddenly, someone yelled from behind.

"Hey, the people in front. Wait up...!"

Rhode puckered his brows while Canary maintained her usual gentle smile. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum sulked instantly because the voice had disrupted her from sharing her mighty achievements in the dungeons with Rhode. Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were the only survivors in a 25-men dungeon when they faced the final BOSS. In that battle, Mini Bubble Gum had as though enlightened everyone with her perfect wisdom. Her responses were superb and not only did she dodge the BOSS's attack, but she also protected Rhode at the same time. The tempo of her healing and casting of supporting skills were timed perfectly. In the end, the duo took down the BOSS and this achievement earned Mini Bubble Gum the number one Cleric spot in the Guild. She was bragging about how she coordinated with Rhode flawlessly and someone actually interrupted her before she reached the most exciting part of the story!

She glared in the direction where the voice came from while harboring malicious intentions. At this moment, the young noble panted his way toward them. He wore showy noble attire with a cape draped over his shoulders and a fine sword hanging by his waist. However, his flashy appearance exposed that the sword was only meant to show off rather than be used in actual battle. He looked about 14 years old and almost the same age as Mini Bubble Gum. He ran as quickly as possible and looked at the trio with a pleased smile. For unknown reasons, Rhode felt that his smile hinted superiority.

The young noble spoke.

"You guys have decent strength. Wanna work for me?"

"Huh?"

Mini Bubble Gum revealed an ice-cold expression while Rhode and Canary exchanged looks with each other. Then, Rhode folded his arms and gazed at the young man with a bantering glint. However, before he got the chance to speak, Mini Bubble Gum had exploded.

"What a joke! Kid, who do you think you are? You want us to work for you? Get your pitiful self away from our sight! You're asking for death!"

Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists and glared at the young noble. The latter stuck out his chest proudly and gazed at them with a proud, arrogant expression. "I have no lack of money! I will give you 50k gold coins as long as you help me rescue my younger sister from the hands of the Cultists. How about that? My father is a rich merchant in the Kohl region and I've loads and loads of money. As long as you rescue my younger sister, the money will be yours! How about that? That sounds great, eh?"

"Do you even understand Human language? Idiot..."

Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and lifted her chin high. Although the young noble was slightly taller than her, she still showed a look of disdain.

"Who cares about your filthy money. Our leader has more than enough of that and he doesn't fancy yours. I have money too. My family owns a multinational corporation. I get all the pounds and dollars that I want... Forget it. No one gives a damn if your family is a whatever Kohl region millionaire. Don't mess with us or I will smash you with a sack of money. Now, scram!"

"What did you say?! My father is really, really rich! Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

"Come on! What can 50k gold coins even afford? It isn't enough to buy a part of my equipment. So what if you have 50k gold coins?"

"You..."

Rhode rubbed his forehead and shook his head helplessly at their childish argument.

Bubble was indeed powerful, but she never grew up. Although she could be considered one of the best Clerics in the gaming world, she had always been surrounded by controversies in real life because she was the daughter of a multinational corporation boss. In other words, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never avoided this topic and would often splurge on any great items. Many players detested her arrogant behavior and moreover, she was in the rebellious phase of life and always loved to compete against others. The more the players despised her, the more she got back at them. The more you look down upon me as a pay-to-win player, the more I will use money to crush and infuriate you to death. The more you say that Cleric can't PK, the more I will defeat you. You deserve it!

Everyone had such moments. But it was rare to see one as extreme as Mini Bubble Gum. Therefore, Mini Bubble Gum received a lot of criticism in the game because many players saw that she was just a rich, young daughter who threw her weight about using money and didn't feel disgraceful at all. I'm just fortunate to be born into a rich family. I have the money to spend while you poverty-stricken peasants got nothing. Hahaha, I will infuriate you all to death!

If she was only verbally arrogant, she wouldn't provoke that much resentment from the other players. After all, although young players dominated the game, there were still mature adults too. An ordinary pay-to-win player treated her as a pampered young lady and their hearts couldn't grieve over what their eyes couldn't see. Unfortunately, Mini Bubble Gum relied on her extreme personality and came up with the 'Treating foes as friends' insane technique. Thereafter, she dominated the arena and rarely did she face worthy opponents. Her name had always been in the top five player rankings. There were spiteful players who satirized her for obtaining legendary equipment by splurging money in order to achieve her results. As a result, she started a thread in the forums stating that she was capable of buying legendary equipment and get into the top five while worthless crap like the other players couldn't even reach the top 5000 even if they had the money and equipment...

A rich, powerful, and smug person naturally gathered a lot of hate and dissatisfaction among the players.

Therefore, even in the guild, Mini Bubble Gum seldom had any close friends. This was also why she had always been Rhode's dedicated Cleric because he and Canary were the only ones capable of handling her. Perhaps Rhode could control her actions because they had known each other for a long time. They met each other after the Munn Kingdom was destroyed and he wanted to get revenge. Back then, he met Mini Bubble Gum who was also furious that her home was destroyed and she gathered players using money to take revenge on the Country of Darkness. The stakes made them hit it off instantly and Mini Bubble Gum eventually joined Starlight.

Rhode didn't deny that during the starting phase of Starlight, Mini Bubble Gum's funding had benefited him a lot. He didn't feel that relying on others was considered an embarrassing behavior. During the process, he understood that Mini Bubble Gum's behavior was mainly related to her family. Although she was fortunate to be born into a wealthy family, she was actually lonely. Her mother had a difficult birth and met with an early demise as she gave birth to Mini Bubble Gum. On the other hand, her father had been working non-stop and rumors about him keeping a mistress had spread. Mini Bubble Gum led a boring life with the servants at home and this was why she searched for a sense of belonging in the game. Splurging money on the game naturally became the quickest method, just like how one flaunted his 15 ghost-tiger mounts on the forums. No matter how realistic the results, he had indeed attracted eyeballs.

On the other hand, although Mini Bubble Gum had indeed garnered a lot of attention, no one was willing to curry favors with her for the sake of money. Perhaps one might succumb to the pressure of life if it was in the real world. However, it happened in the Internet: a virtual society. In here, regardless of if one was rich or not, everyone was equal. No matter how rich one was, one couldn't use money to call it quits. So why must I give in to you? How shameless is that?

Although there were some players who bowed down to everything she said for the sake of money, she wasn't that foolish to keep them around her, which resulted in her terrible reputation. It was due to this that Rhode's willingness to rely on her money to develop the guild naturally gave her a favorable impression. This was the first time she felt needed by someone and she felt great.

As Starlight developed, there were a lot of controversies. The main part came from how Starlight relied on Mini Bubble Gum's funding in the early stages and many players mocked Starlight as a group of hired thugs and traitors paid by Mini Bubble Gum. Rhode had also become the main target of mockery for bowing down to money. They often said that 'If Rhode didn't betray himself over money, perhaps he would be worthy to be called a top-rated player..."

But Rhode remain unmoved because he didn't care about their views at all. After Munn Kingdom was destroyed, Rhode's only goal in the game was to establish a powerful force to seek revenge for their sufferings. In order to not waste one's time, it was necessary to spend real money in the game. Without a proper foundation, how could a Guild develop quickly? Mini Bubble Gum was willing to spend the money, so it naturally became a great thing. He didn't feel that he had any reasons to reject. After all, he wasn't targeting her money for his personal use. Mini Bubble Gum felt satisfied to be needed by others and she had even thought of 'providing for' Rhode and make him accompany her in playing the game... But her suggestion was rejected by him, of course.

In the end, Rhode succeeded and Starlight became the strongest force in the Dragon Soul Continent. The elite players of Starlight occupied almost all the top 50 player rankings. They changed the course of the game once and once again, opening new chapters to the game by becoming the most influential force.

Before Rhode left the game, Mini Bubble Gum had matured a lot. As she grew older, she wasn't as hot-tempered like a gunpowder bucket that would explode once ignited. Besides, perhaps due to her satisfaction, she rarely debated with other players in the forums or game about meaningless matters. Unlike the past, not only did she stop wasting time in typing a whole passage of words to ridicule the other party, but she also stopped pursuing relentlessly and force those irritating players off the game. That was both physical and mental tortures. From another point of view, she was the role model of one who had loads of time and money on one's hands.

If Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum's relationship could be considered to have developed after understanding each other deeply, then Mini Bubble Gum and Canary's relationship could only be described using two words: natural enemies.

"Canary."

"Got it, Rhode."

Canary stepped forward with a smile and held onto Bubble's shoulder.

"Bubble, stop fighting. Be good."

"... Yes, Big Sister."

Canary said softly and Bubble deflated like a leaking balloon. She grudgingly stared at the young noble and stopped speaking. Then, Rhode came forward. He truly wasn't interested in entertaining a quarrel of such low standard.

"We aren't here for sightseeing. We have something else to attend to, so we can't help you. Goodbye."

Rhode turned around while Canary patted on Bubble's shoulder once again as though to console her. Then, they left the place following his lead. The young noble's expression turned ashen. He puckered his brows and stared at the trio, clenching his fists. However, he didn't know what to say. At this moment, the leader who was standing quietly and observing their bicker said.

"Y-Young Master, let's go back. We'd better leave this place as soon as possible and find a place outside to regroup. Then..."

But, the young noble disrupted his words.

"No let's continue!"

"Young Master?"

"I must find my younger sister. You guys are hired by me and I have made my payment, so you've to heed my orders. I know my younger sister is still in the deep mountains!"

The young noble gritted his teeth and let out a snarl. The leader pondered in silence and let out a helpless sigh.

...

It seems that I don't have a choice.

Lize stood before the heavy door with a hesitant expression. She mustered up her courage, sucked in a deep breath, and knocked firmly. Then, she heard the voice she knew so well.

"Come in."

Lize ground her teeth and pushed the door open. Marlene was sitting by the table with a book in hand. She looked away from the book and widened her eyes curiously as soon as she spotted Lize.

"Lize, it's late now. Is anything the matter?"

"Yes... Marlene."

Lize felt that her throat was rather dry. She rubbed her sleeves anxiously and gazed at the ground.

"Yes... Marlene... I... have something important to... let you know... So... I..."

Marlene gazed silently. She laid down the book and approached Lize.

"What's wrong?"

"It's... It's..."

Lize felt suffocated as though boulders weighing a thousand kilograms were pressing on her chest. She could almost hear her violent heartbeats. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to look into Marlene's eyes.

"It's regarding... Mr. Rhode..."

"Rhode..."

Marlene cocked her head to one side and nodded subsequently.

"I see. Lize, this isn't the place to talk about it. Follow me."

Marlene checked her attire before heading out the room while Lize followed with her shaky hands on her chest. Both of them entered the hall and down the staircase. Then, they arrived at the spacious hall in the underground. Marlene raised her staff and chanted softly to light up a dazzling radiance.

"M-Marlene?"

Lize asked worriedly as soon as the space before her transformed into whiteness. She didn't expect that Marlene would bring her to the training ground in the Sphere of Mystery. What was she trying to do?

At this moment, Marlene turned around and extended her right hand.

The air around her vibrated and flickering rays of light coalesced into razor-sharp blades that were aimed at Lize.

"Alright, we can start talking about it now, Lize."

Marlene revealed a smile as she gazed at Lize who was stricken into silence.

Chapter 623: Saint Monastery (IV)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The crimson sunset fell below the horizon and darkness ruled the sky. The bright, round moon hid behind the dark clouds. Ice-chilling breeze sweeping along cold moisture blew through the mountain range. Even though it was midsummer, the mountainous atmosphere was somewhat chilly. Moreover, the season was about to enter winter. In fact, the ground on the mountain waist had been covered by a layer of thin frost.

"Oooh..."

Mini Bubble Gum stood by the waist of the mountain and pouted with puckered brows.

"It's a good thing that you don't need to move into this terrible place, Leader. The Land of Atonement is boring enough and compared to this place, it instantly turned into a heaven." Mini Bubble Gum shrunk and leaned into Canary's embrace. If it were any ordinary human, perhaps this ice-cold environment would leave them trembling. However, when one had reached Canary and Mini Bubble Gum's high level, one's body would have merged with Order together. In other words, their bodies would be like small worlds they could freely control. No matter how cold or hot the weather, they could adjust their body temperatures accordingly as they wished and maintain the most comfortable temperature. Even a player like Rhode who hadn't reached his peak, relying on his strong physique, could also resist this cold temperature.

However, the trio wasn't concerned about this chilly temperature. Instead, they lowered their gaze and spotted a massive stone building complex that had been surrounded by the mountains of Grenbell entirely. It would be impossible for one to spot the Saint Monastery unless one was as familiar as Rhode with this place.

The Saint Monastery was a rectangular shaped building among the complex of stone buildings. Although it hadn't been carefully maintained for years, the huge stone building was still intact. Its two meter tall stone wall extended along the mountain ridge and the arrow towers and watchtowers at the corner could be clearly seen. Under the radiance of the flames, warriors clad in scarlet armor roamed the place. Simple houses built of branches were the homes for the Dog-headed Humans. As one of the most unpopular rogue groups in the continent, the Dog-headed Humans could be considered as a must for new players to farm EXP. But here, Dog-headed Humans became the lackeys of the Cultists, which was why they plundered wantonly in order to sustain the Saint Knights. If not, the Saint Knights couldn't have remained active over all the years.

If one were to look closely, one would find that there was a translucent, light blue barrier over the ruins, which was the protection barrier powered from the Saint Monastery. The Saint Knights relied on this protection barrier during the Creation War to escape death. But now, after a long period of time, the powers of this barrier was getting increasingly weaker and it could be said to be meaningless.

"How should we deal with them, Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum revealed a cheeky glint and clenched her fists. In accordance with the process, they should've entered through a cave and fought a nest of ferocious vipers before facing the Dog-headed Humans and entering the Saint Monastery. But after a long time in the game, the players had found several ways to avoid the annoying cave and climb over the mountains to enter the Saint Monastery directly. The Dragon Soul Continent was an open world game and no matter how one reached one's destination, there wouldn't be an invisible wall stopping them, forcing them to follow the route set by the game.

"Stick according to our plan. You take the lead and Canary will defend our rear. As for me..."

Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged. Mini Bubble Gum let out a playful chuckle.

"I know, Leader will be freeloading off us for the EXP. Hahaha... How interesting. Let's move out!"

She took a final glance at the monastery and let out a snort. Then, she leaped into the group of Dog-headed Humans at the bottom. Rhode and Canary exchanged looks with each other and shook their heads helplessly. Then, they jumped down and followed Mini Bubble Gum.

To the Dog-headed Humans, everything was as though a disaster from heaven.

A petite figure descended from above and crashed onto the ground heavily, sending a deep, powerful shock wave that startled the Dog-headed Humans who were about to fall asleep. They got to their feet and frantically bellowed in an unknown language while rushing toward the source of the impact with their blunt hatchets and wooden clubs. But before they figured out the identity of the intruder, a golden ray of light shone before their very eyes.

Mini Bubble Gum extended her right hand forward with a complacent smile and along with her movements, five ritual circles shining with golden brilliance emerged around her. Shortly after, the ritual circles bloomed grandly like flowers and the radiance in the middle of the ritual circle coalesced into light spheres before eventually exploding.

Five dazzling light beams emitted in all directions and in an instant, the entire place was shrouded in glaring lightning bolts that devoured the Dog-headed Humans completely.

Everything had ended by the time Rhode and Canary landed on their feet. It had become a flat, burnt land without any signs of life. The houses in the area were nowhere to be seen anymore. If it weren't for the multiple lines of EXP notifications flooding his vision, perhaps no one could have imagined that there were a hundred beings inhabiting the place before.

"Phew... That felt great. How was it, Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum whistled pleasingly as she gazed at the wreckage that she had caused before turning to Rhode as though to claim her credit. After Rhode carefully observed the system notifications, he nodded at Mini Bubble Gum.

"Yes, it's not bad. The EXP that I've gained is much more than when we're in a larger party. Basically, every point of EXP has been taken up by me."

According to the game system, the EXP would surely be shared in a party. However, due to the differences in their level, the proportion of EXP shared was different. A Dog-headed Human was worth about 500 EXP. According to the EXP sharing proportion in the game, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would receive at least 50 EXP no matter how high their levels were. This way, Rhode could receive up to 400 EXP and if there were a few more members in the party, he would gain less EXP. And now, the system showed that he had received 500 EXP, which proved that the system was apparently counting Rhode as only one person while Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were part of the system and wouldn't 'snatch' EXP away from him.

"How awesome."

Mini Bubble Gum said in an envious tone.

"I've never had the chance to receive full EXP in a party. Such a map is too difficult for Clerics to grind..."

"But you have to be careful too, Bubble."

Rhode showed a bitter smile. He wanted to say "you will have a chance in the future too". But on a second thought, he knew that Bubble wouldn't have another chance, so he acted as though he didn't hear her remarks. Then, he shook his head as he gazed at the burnt land.

"We aren't here only to grind for EXP."

"Of course. I know that, Leader. We're still gonna farm for some equipment. Anyway, nothing great comes out of the Dog-headed Humans and we must have another plan to deal with the Saint Knights. Leave them to me!"

Mini Bubble Gum turned around and raised her right hand.

"Battle Angel Suit!"

A pure white beam shone from above and shrouded her petite body. The light rays within solidified and revolved around her in a gorgeous, complex pattern. Then, the radiance shrunk abruptly and a set of blue and white holy armor emerged on her body. A white round shield and golden pike appeared in her hands and a pair of wings glittering in golden radiance expanded from her back. In an instant, specks of light dust fluttered everywhere just like a dream—except for the protagonist.

"Worthless Saint Knights!"

Lifting the pike high in the air, Mini Bubble Gum yelled out a line that didn't suit her appearance at all. The wings behind her expanded magnificently and flapped, sending a powerful blast to her surroundings. She dashed forward like a meteor streaking across the sky.

The deep sound of bells rang.

The presences in the Saint Monastery discovered that something was amiss and hurriedly raised the alarm to get into combat mode. At this moment, they saw the meteor that streaked across the dark sky.

"Release your arrows! Now!"

Arrows rained from the towers and swarmed toward the dazzling sphere of light. However, Mini Bubble Gum wasn't concerned about the attack at all. Before the arrows struck her, they were immediately deflected by the holy radiance around her. She disregarded the pitch-black dense arrow rain and crashed onto the heavy stone doors of the Saint Monastery.

Boom!

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An ear-deafening explosion like deep rolling thunder boomed and the three meter doors collapsed and shattered into countless fragments.

That group of Dog-headed Humans wasn't comparable to the Saint Knights in terms of strength. Although Mini Bubble Gum had proven how powerful she was, the Saint Knights clad in scarlet armor gathered at the quickest speed and charged toward the entrance. They didn't need to find out who the intruder was because her actions had shown that she was the one. It was apparent that she came with malicious intents and there was only one thing that they had to do—eliminate the enemy!

Their ideal was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

Boom!

Another loud explosion boomed and the Archbishop clad in a red robe frowned and stood to his feet. Then, he heard hasty door knocks and spotted a frantic soldier rushing into his room desperately.

"What happened? Why is it so noisy out there? Don't you guys know that we're in the midst of an important ritual?"

The soldier looked on with the same ashen expression.

"R-Reporting, Sir! We're under attack!"

"What? Attack?"

The Archbishop sulked slightly. Could the attackers be the private soldiers of the noble family member we've captured? How did they find us out? But... Even if the noble family sent out their private soldiers, they wouldn't pose any threat to the Saint Knights, won't they?

"What exactly happened?! Pull yourself together! You people are the brave and holy protectors. Even in the face of death, you shouldn't be frightened at all. Tell me. Who are the attackers? Where are they now?!

"They..."

Bam!

Before the soldier finished his sentence, another burst of loud noises interrupted. The Archbishop hurriedly left the room and exited the main hall to check on the situation — Then, he saw a scene that left him stupefied.

"Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!"

Mini Bubble Gum bolted forward with her raised pike as though a heavy tank charging across the land. Anything that stood before her flew away upon impact and disappeared to nowhere. She expanded her golden wings comfortably like the wings of an airplane and also as a shield that negated every attacks. Although there were arrows shooting at her body and even magical arrows flickering with radiance, they weren't able to hurt her at all. All attacks were negated immediately as soon as they reached her.

Battle Angel?!

The Archbishop widened his eyes in disbelief. How is this possible? Ever since the Saint Knights had vanished from the Creation War, they had never appeared before anyone. The Saint Knights harbored hatred towards the Archangels who had abandoned them. Due to this reason, they had given up on their beliefs and walked on a completely different path. The Saint Knights knew that even though they had disappeared in the historical battle, they were still in a region ruled by an Archangel. If the Angels discovered that they had abandoned their beliefs, they would possibly be faced with unprecedented attacks by them. Therefore, the Saint Knights had always been patiently waiting and hiding themselves. If it weren't for their two superiors who felt the revelation of fate and believed that the Saint Knights was about to re-emerge on the continent and spread the days of destruction for their own faith, no one knew how long they would need to lay low.

But now...

The Archbishop felt a shiver down his spine.

That's right, the ritual! It is the most crucial moment of the ritual now. Through this ritual, we will receive supreme honor and strength. This ritual mustn't be interrupted!

"Stop her! Destroyer Guards!"

The Archbishop ordered without any hesitation. The Destroyer Guards clad in black armor gathered with their shields and swords in hands swiftly. Then, a scarlet radiance shrouded them and formed into various mysterious patterns that buffed the Destroyer Guards into double their sizes. They grew to three meters tall and their robust body had become a strong, solid wall to stop Mini Bubble Gum. They let out bellows in unison and slashed their sword at the girl diving toward them!

Chapter 624: Saint Monastery (V)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Get lost!"

Mini Bubble Gum let out a bellow and collided right into the enemies with her pike. However, the situation didn't develop in the direction that the Archbishop had imagined. The swords didn't penetrate through the Battle Angel's body and the expected broken pike didn't fall to the ground. Instead, the Archbishop witnessed countless sparks as the pitch-black blades slashed into the Battle Angel. Then, the Destroyer Guards clad in strong armor were blasted away as though they were punched in the gut by a massive fist. In the blink of an eye, they lost their strength entirely. Before the hopeful Destroyer Guards collapsed, he saw the Battle Angel lifting the pike in her hand again as she struck forward with all her might. Shortly after, the glaring light beam instantly devoured everything in its path.

"A bunch of worthless crap! You must be sick of living to try and stop me!"

Mini Bubble Gum landed on her feet nimbly and scanned the empty surrounding. The Destroyer Guards who tried to stop her had turned into corpses that scattered everywhere. Most of them had been crushed to death from the powerful blast.

What a terrifying presence!

A chill ran down the Archbishop's spine as he didn't expect this Battle Angel to be that powerful. His Destroyer Guards were the descendants of Half-Angels, who were much stronger than ordinary Humans. Besides, although they had given up the Light Dragon guidance, they had received new strength as a result. But it seemed that they were entirely useless against the Battle Angel!

Who is she exactly? Is she one of the three Archangels?

But she doesn't seem like one, judging from her way of speaking and style...

The Archbishop shook his head and gritted his teeth hard. This wasn't the time to ponder on this question. The aggressive intruder came prepared and it wasn't the time to stand idly and watch the show now! The Archbishop pulled in a soldier beside him and bellowed.

"Go! Release the 'Hound'. I will personally seek assistance from our two superiors. Remember. We must stop her at all cost! Don't let her enter the sacred hall!"

The Archbishop turned around and swept a glance at Mini Bubble Gum before bolting off hastily.

Rhode placed both hands behind his back and strode nonchalantly on the path that Mini Bubble Gum had triumphed her way through. Meanwhile, he looked at the flying line of system prompts and summoned the little mermaid. Since he had non-stop flowing EXP, he didn't mind using this chance to conveniently increase her levels too. Although several Saint Knights charged forward and launched attacks on them, they weren't able to harm them at all.

Canary pointed her finger forward and a strong whirlwind rose from the ground, forming an unbreakable barrier that locked every single threat out. Shortly after, countless, meteor-like flame arrows streaked across the night sky and exploded in every corner of the Saint Monastery. The twisted flames spread wildly and flourished into an enormous, mysterious monster with her magical powers. It widened its menacing mouth and pounced forward at its prey.

This was only the start.

Everything's going well.

Rhode nodded in satisfaction.

***

The blazing swords crashed on the invisible barrier and smeared the spotlessly white space with a vibrant, scarlet radiance that heated their throats. Lize held her palms together and golden runes unfolded around her to form a circular barrier that resisted the continuous batter. She extended her right arm forward and her slender fingers did a complex hand gesture. Shortly after, she emitted a glaring, golden beam like a razor-sharp blade that ripped through the smoke and flames as it aimed for the figure in the distance. But a heavy ice shield emerged out of thin air and collided with her attack, exploding into ice fragments. However, this wasn't enough to break Marlene's strong defense.

"Are you sure, Lize?"

Marlene emerged from behind the ice shield and floated into the air. As dazzling bolts of lightning and roaring blaze interwove around Marlene, her silhouette appeared to be tiny, yet terrifying. She stretched out her right hand. Flickering radiance surrounding her flowed and coalesced at her fingertips. At this moment, Lize felt the light around her dim all of a sudden and the figure hovering in the air had instantly became the ruler of this space. The air pressure clutched Lize's heart like an invisible hand, leaving her breathless.

Marlene has become stronger again.

Lize let out an inward sigh. Marlene has always been better than me in terms of studies, etiquettes and spell learning. I didn't choose to become a Mage and I've become a Cleric. But even so, I wasn't able to become as great as her and this goes in every aspect... But this time, I won't give up anymore.

"Y-Yes, Marlene. I like Rhode and I want to be with him. I just want to let you know about this..."

"So, what if I disapprove?"

Marlene lifted her finger and the dazzling radiance coalesced on her fingertips flowed rapidly into a tiny light sphere. Deep blue thunderbolts spun around the light sphere and shortly after, along with an ear-deafening explosion, a dazzling bolt of lightning exploded like a long, powerful whip that drew a glaring arc across the air. The golden barrier before Lize dazzled with sacred runes that permuted and reinforced her shield. At this moment, the lightning whip broke the sound barrier and crashed heavily on Lize's shield.

Boom!

The deep, resounding impact echoed and numbed their eardrums. The lightning bolts flickered non-stop and filthy dust fluttered recklessly. Cracks formed on the ground while billows of smoke concealed their visions. But shortly after, a whizzing gust cleared the area and Lize reemerged before Marlene's eyes. She panted as her shoulders shuddered. Her extended arms shook and the revolving golden barrier flickered as though a screen low on battery. It was apparent that she wasn't Marlene's match. But she didn't give up just yet.

"... Hu... Hu... Hu..."

Marlene's attack had applied tremendous pressure on her. She panted with her mouth wide open and her smooth forehead was drenched in sweat. But even so, her look of determination remain unchanged. She looked at Marlene with a firm gaze.

"I don't know, Marlene. But I will not give up. I will not let go of this happiness!"

Lize waved her arms. The radiance on the defense barrier around her flowed and coalesced into tiny ritual circles above her in the blink of an eye. Then, flawlessly white swords of light emerged from within the ritual circles and aimed at Marlene.

"I know it's wrong of me to do this, Marlene. But this is the only desire I've left. Everything that I've relied on has disappeared and now, this is the only desire that I can fight for! Marlene, it doesn't matter if you stop me because I will never back down!"

"But Rhode and I were together first, Lize."

Marlene sulked and pushed her hands down beside her. The lightning bolts flickered in the air and revolved around her before shooting up like snakes lifting their heads high, looking down upon the young lady before them.

"How can you do this behind my back?"

"You were in the wrong first, Marlene!"

Lize sucked in a deep breath of air and yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Mr. Rhode has always been with me from the start! Not you! It is my freedom to do whatever I want!"

Lize swung her arms with all her might and launched the swords of light that were bound in the ritual circles. At the same time, Marlene twitched her brows slightly. The lightning snakes fluttering above her widened their vicious mouths and dove toward Lize.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The swords of light and lightning snakes collided and whiteness consumed every inch of space. The powerful holy and magical powers ripped apart the sky and earth. Then, everything restored to its tranquility...

Their vision gradually returned and the white space was replaced by the ice-cold floor, pitch-black walls, and the bright torches that hung on the walls. The two young ladies panted as they faced each other. But unlike before, they were revealing smiles.

"Hahaha..."

Marlene burst into laughter and even though Lize stared with a blush across her face, she couldn't help but laugh too. Their crisp laughter resounded in the empty underground hall and the hostility between them was nowhere to be seen.

"This is the first time that I've seen you so spontaneous, Lize. I was the first to be with Rhode. Hahaha... We should really let Royal Highness Lydia look at you right now. I've known you for so long, but I've never seen you arguing with me over a person."

"You're the one in the wrong, Marlene. And you knew... My feelings for Mr. Rhode. But you actually did such a thing behind my back. It hurt me a lot. I never expected this day where I would quarrel with my close friend over such matters."

"I'm aware of your feelings for Rhode, of course, Lize."

Marlene nodded with a gentle smile.

"This is why I'm here to apologize, but it isn't for betraying your feelings, Lize. Instead, I have to do this no matter if you like Rhode or not."

"Marlene?"

Lize looked vacantly with widened, astonishing eyes.

"What? What did you mean by that? Don't you like Mr. Rhode? If you do like him, why..."

"I don't mean that, Lize."

Marlene revealed a bitter smile. She stepped forth and stretched out her right hand to stroke Lize's cheek gently. Then, Marlene looked up at the pitch-black ceiling and let out a subtle sigh. She shifted her gaze back to Lize and said.

"I do like Rhode a lot and I'm satisfied with my life at this moment. But I'm just fortunate to meet someone that I really like, that's all. So, I want to apologize to you for it. I'm not apologizing for snatching your beloved. Instead, I'm apologizing for my fate. I'm destined to stay by Rhode's side and this is an irreversible fate. I can only say that much, for now."

"I-I still don't quite understand what you meant, Marlene..."

Lize displayed a complex expression.

"Did the Senia Family give you orders? Why must you..."

"I can't reveal the truth because this is something that I must keep private, Lize. But now, at least we're both able to receive the happiness that we earnestly hope for and isn't it enough?" Marlene gazed at Lize and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"But, come to think of it, I actually don't feel great, Lize. You never told me that you would do this and things turned into this state after I simply went for a trip to the Flourishing Blossom. This has made me..."

"Me too, Marlene. You don't know how angry I was when I first knew about your relationship with Mr. Rhode..."

Lize let out a chuckle.

"I never expected that my close friend would actually do such a thing behind my back. How infuriating! But now..."

The two young ladies exchanged looks and shook their heads simultaneously.

"Lize, let's treat as a secret between us and don't tell Rhode about it, especially about my situation. I know Rhode has begin to suspect, but it still isn't time for me to come clean to him, nor you. I can understand your doubts, but I hope that you can understand my difficulties too."

"Alright, Marlene."

Lize nodded in agreement. She held Marlene's hands and looked at her with a worried gaze.

"But I hope you wouldn't do anything dangerous and I know Mr. Rhode wouldn't want you to either. So if there's anything wrong, I want to be the first person to know. You are my best friend, Marlene, and this will never change."

"Got it, Lize. I will never forget your advice."

Marlene showed a gentle smile and cheekily winked at the other young lady.

"But no matter what, this is a trouble that Rhode caused for us. Without him, maybe we wouldn't have had this quarrel. So, I have a good idea, Lize... We have to let him know that he can't simply mess with us, alright? We aren't just a part of his flower vase collection on display for everyone to admire. We must make him pay for making us this miserable!"

"... But, Marlene, how do you intend to do it? Even if we worked together, we wouldn't be able to defeat Mr. Rhode..."

"We're indeed not his match if we fought him face to face. But Lize..."

The smile on Marlene's face widened. She extended a finger and spoke with a cheeky tone.

"Heh. Don't forget that we have superiorities that were blessed by the heavens."

Chapter 625: Saint Monastery (VI)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The loud impact reverberated from the distance and the underground hall shook with falling dust. The candle flames trembled. The nun, Sister Helen, knitted her long brows and lifted her head to face the crowd before her. A tall, burly man clad in pitch-black armor stood beside her. He held a large flail in his hands and a thick mask concealed his facial features. Before Sister Helen were ten similarly-dressed nuns in scarlet robes, surrounding a stone-made altar on which a young lady laid with her eyes shut.

What's going on out there!

Sister Helen cursed inwardly. This ritual was extremely solemn, sacred, and exceptionally important. The Saint Knights had detected strange movements in Soraka Mountain a few days ago and as the advocate of the Saint Knights, Sister Helen had also received a revelation from the dark abyss. Through the revelation, she learned that the era of darkness and destruction was about to come. The Order on the continent would be completely toppled and this was the best opportunity for the Saint Knights to resurface. The revelation Sister Helen had received was that they needed a qualified heir to lead the Saint Knights. She had put in a lot of effort in searching for the sacrificial offering required. As long as she sacrificed the offering in the sacred, yet evil ritual, the young lady's body and soul would belong to their race entirely. The holy God they worshiped would come to this world using the young lady's body. The Saint Knights would return to the continent and bring destruction and death to all living things!

But now...

The ritual had been interrupted thrice, which infuriated Sister Helen. If they were to miss this opportunity, they would need to wait for a few more decades before they could summon their holy God back into this world. It was intolerable for the Saint Knights! It was due to this that Sister Helen had requested for everyone to be fully focused in defending the monastery tonight. But now, their ritual had been disrupted again and again within ten minutes. Although there were still a few hours available in the night, Sister Helen was concerned that the interruptions might keep happening, which had made her extremely furious and helpless at the same time.

"Do you want me to check on the situation, Helen?"

The knight beside her spoke with a low muffled voice behind the thick mask. Sister Helen pondered in silence before eventually shaking her head. "No, we will continue. The Archbishop is standing guard and he will report to us if necessary..."

Bam.

As though proving Sister Helen's insights, the tightly sealed doors pushed open widely and the Archbishop entered with a heavy expression. His forehead was drenched in sweat, glittering under the radiant flames. He came to an abrupt halt after witnessing the ritual and stepped forward cautiously. Sister Helen held back her anxious and irascible mood.

"Archbishop, what exactly is happening? Our ritual has been interrupted three times already. What's going on out there? Where's our people?"

Although Sister Helen said in a calm tone, she couldn't stifle the dissatisfaction deep down in her. The Archbishop shook his head helplessly and gazed at Sister Helen and the knight beside her.

"The situation doesn't look good. We have intruders attacking the monastery!"

"Who are they?"

Sister Helen sulked instantly. She knew the constant interruptions were too unusual. If it weren't for this crucial ritual, she would have gone out to check on the situation herself. After all, the Saint Monastery had always been in isolation and peace. They survived until now because they had been prudent and kept a low profile. They knew that they weren't as powerful as before, so they had to be cautious. Apart from kidnapping their sacrificial offerings, they had never shown up before the people for years and the entire continent had almost forgotten this place that was abandoned by the Archangel. But now, someone actually knocked on their doors?!

Did something happen during the kidnap that led to this disruption?

Sister Helen shook her head helplessly. Not only were they careful in the entire kidnapping process, but they also didn't reveal their identities and their target was just the young daughter of a wealthy merchant. Moreover, they had also investigated the merchant's background thoroughly. Although the merchant was wealthy, he didn't have too many strong backings. This was why the Saint Knights weren't concerned that he would slaughter his way to their doorsteps. But now...

"It's a Battle Angel! A truly formidable Battle Angel! Our people couldn't stop her at all! I suspect that she might be one of the Archangels!"

"What?!"

The atmosphere in the underground hall froze and murderous intent filled the entire place.

The Saint Knights harbored a hatred toward the two largest forces: the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light, represented by the three Archangels. In the Creation War, the Saint Knights were the pawns of the Archangels and the target of the Country of Darkness. As Half-Angels, Saint Knights were incomparably powerful. Therefore, the Saint Knights carried the responsibility to lead the charge against the Country of Darkness. Their battles with the Country of Darkness were full of violence. Countless Saint Knights died in the exchange and their corpses couldn't receive peace, which led the Saint Knights to abhor the Country of Darkness. In the history of the Saint Knights, their hatred toward the Country of Darkness had become a part of their culture. As long as one was a member of the Saint Knights, one would view the Country of Darkness as enemies.

It was almost like justice and evil. Day and night. Inevitable and irreversible.

The other target for vengeance was the Archangels.

They had guarded the monastery for years for the Archangels. But instead of hearing back from the Archangels, they actually abandoned them entirely and left them to their own demise. If the Saint Knights were pure Angels, perhaps they wouldn't object even if they were dissatisfied. However, almost all of them were Half-Angels. The blood of the Angels and Humans were flowing in them and they couldn't accept this truth. They had given their all for the Archangels, but all they got in return was betrayal!

No one knew if it was premeditated or simply an accident that Archangel Serene abandoned the final defensive line of the Saint Monastery against the Country of Darkness. However, love and hate were two extremes. After losing the attention and support of the Archangels, the Saint Knights' pride and conviction had shattered into nothingness. Thereafter, in order to survive in the cruel Creation War, they had no choice but to move to the underground like the Elves. For the survival of their race, they had given up on their pride, glory, and everything. It didn't matter even if it twisted their values and convictions. Beliefs of the dead were meaningless and couldn't be passed on.

If hatred toward the Country of Darkness was a kind of inertia, then the hatred toward the Archangels would be an extension of a twisted resentment and faith. And now, as soon as they heard that an Archangel had come knocking on their doorsteps, their emotions were indescribable by words. However, judging from Sister Helen's dignified expression twisting as though she were an injured, howling wolf, it was probably enough to understand the thoughts going through their heads.

"Archangel?! Great!"

Sister Helen nodded with a sulk. She turned to face her companions and subordinates.

"This is the final test from our holy God. Light has abandoned us and it is time for the representative of light to know our presence! We shall be the final winner! Now, let's use the fresh blood and corpse of the Angel to offer our greatest respects for our holy God!"

Sister Helen raised her right arm high.

"Everything! For the sake of eternal destruction!"

The heavy, massive stone sculpture shattered as it crashed to the ground and Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort. She stood in the middle of the monastery plaza, facing the Archbishop and the group of Saint Knights who had gathered. However, the Saint Knights didn't charge forward like their companions. Instead, they watched attentively at the trio, unsure if they were plotting something or were simply not ready to run into their deaths. But no matter what, they wouldn't stand a chance against Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. The two young ladies were as familiar with the Saint Monastery as Rhode and they knew that there were no traps that could threaten them at all.

"What a bunch of cowards."

Mini Bubble Gum plunged the golden pike to the ground and lifted her chin proudly, looking at her enemies in disdain. Hundreds of Saint Knights corpses were piled up before them. After Mini Bubble Gum entered the plaza, the heavily-armored knights charged toward the little girl. Then... There was no more thens.

The Saint Knights were around level 50 on average and perhaps they could bully the NPCs or lower-level players. However, in the face of the level 85 Mini Bubble Gum who was even in her plain equipment, they stood no chance at all. Mini Bubble Gum swung the golden pike in her hand swiftly and blasted the Saint Knights into the air before sending them crashing to their deaths.

A hundred of them turned into corpses in an instant.

Even the Saint Knights who believed in destruction and death shuddered in fear under this efficiency.

Although the Saint Knights glared like tigers watching their prey, Rhode didn't give a damn about their presence at all. He sized up the monastery before him and looked at the little mermaid. Although Rhode hadn't specifically calculated the amount of EXP he had received, it might be able to bring him above level 50. Not only that, but even the little mermaid grew tremendously. Even though she still wasn't comparable to Gillian and was less dazzling than Celia and Celestina, she was much more formidable than both the Hell Hound and Spirit Bird now.

Besides, not only did the little mermaid grow stronger in card values, her physical body also grew too. She used to be slightly taller than one meter in the water ball, but now, she had as though entered puberty, growing as she took in all the EXP. She was about the same height as Christie now, and the water ball had transformed slightly.

"How strange, Rhode."

Canary gazed curiously at the plaza and rested a finger on her chin.

"The Archbishop should be out by now. Why haven't we see him?"

"Who knows? Perhaps it's a bug?"

Rhode shrugged. Along the journey, the roles of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had completely switched around with Rhode. According to the classes, Mini Bubble Gum, who was a Cleric, should be the one protecting Rhode. Of course, with Rhode's rich gaming experience, it would still be possible for him to strike a few of the Saint Knights and flee the area if an accident were to happen, even if the enemies were higher in level than him. This was because the level difference between the Saint Knights and him was less than 10 after the amount of EXP he had gained. Moreover, he had Celia and Celestina with him and even if they couldn't handle the enemies, he could summon all four Holy Sword Cards and use the 'Taboo Halo' skill to transcend them into the Legendary Stage. So, what's the difficulty in slaughtering their way out?

The trio didn't loot the corpses as they knew that they were always unlucky and Saint Knights wouldn't drop any useful items anyway. It was widely known that many great loots weren't on the BOSS itself. Instead, they were in the BOSS' room. This was why many player groups would triumph their way to the end and defeat all the monsters and BOSS before returning to pick up their spoils of war.

However, there was a point in which the game was incomparable. In reality, the corpses wouldn't disappear... They would lay quietly and wait for one to wipe out everything on their bodies... Yes, Rhode wasn't sure if this was a great thing or not.

After slaughtering their way into the monastery, the trio didn't stop at all. Mini Bubble Gum charged ahead while Canary cast her whirlwind barrier and flame spells to defend and sweep the area. The trail left by them had been reduced to ruins. The cold moonlight penetrated the clouds and spilled on the lifeless corpses and destroyed buildings.

"Don't give a damn about them. Let's move on!"

Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and pointed the golden pike at the enemies before her. The Saint Knights clad in scarlet armor tensed up and raised their shields hurriedly to guard the doors as though using their lives to maintain this final defensive line. Mini Bubble Gum showed a smirk and...

At this moment, a loud, imposing voice sounded.

"Who are the ones breaking into the Saint Monastery!?"

Chapter 626: Saint Monastery (VII)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Who are the ones breaking into the Saint Monastery!?"

A tall figure rushed out of the monastery entrance and shook the ground with his heavy footsteps. It was a man clad in steel armor from head to toe, clasping an enormous flail in his hands. There were two dazzling dots of radiance illuminating from the pitch-black helmet. Even though he didn't move an inch, the imposing aura emanating from him spread wildly like a towering mountain. In an instant, the spacious plaza fell into total silence as though a transparent curtain had muffled everything. This was the symbol of a power being in the Legendary Stage.

But this meant nothing for Mini Bubble Gum.

"Hmph. Worthless trash."

Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort of disgust and it was this remark that sent the man shuddering as though an invisible punch had landed an uppercut on his chin, forcing him half a step back. The man's reaction forced exclamations out of the Saint Knights lined behind him. The man was Sister Helen's bodyguard and one of the strongest knights here. But now, he actually lost to this young girl in presence!

The man secured his footing and sucked in a deep breath before gazing at Mini Bubble Gum with a stern expression. He thought he could use his imposing presence to probe her strength. However, he didn't expect that it would surpass his expectations. The little girl's snort to his pressurizing presence felt as though a hot knife through butter, shattering his mighty presence!

In this instant, he thought his heart had stopped beating, which stunned him to the spot. He thought that Mini Bubble Gum was only an ordinary Battle Angel. But her imposing presence was shoulder to shoulder to the three Archangels!

But...

The man knitted his brows in suspicions. To the legendary presences, their imposing presence were the product of their character and vigor. However, he didn't sense any holiness and dignity of the Angels in the young girl's aura. Instead, it felt as though fury waves that were full of arrogance and disdain. It could also be said that he didn't feel anything related to the Angels on the young girl. On the contrary, there were qualities that resembled the Demons—the extremely arrogant attitude treating the Saint Knights as though they were even lower than ants.

If it wasn't for the genuine pair of golden wings behind her, perhaps the man would've suspected if she was a Demon disguised as an Angel.

But he wouldn't back off!

"O Holy Guardians, disciples of destruction, and representatives of death! Respond to my summons! We shall be victorious before your gaze. All the destruction and all the honor shall belong to you. Please give us the powers to destroy the enemies!"

The man raised the flail in his hand high and glared fiercely at Mini Bubble Gum. The enormous flail emanated a glaring radiance and shortly after, a golden hammer emerged above him out of thin air. Vibrant colors illuminated from the flat ground, enveloping the man and the group of Saint Knights in a dazzling light. The Saint Knights were no longer afraid. They raised their weapons mightily and took large strides forward with the man!

"There will be a whole chunk of EXP in this bunch of trash..."

Mini Bubble Gum twitched her brow and a delightful glint flashed in her eyes. Although the man before her was a presence in the Legendary Stage and the other Saint Knights had their strength boosted under the holy blessing, they were truly nothing more than a colony of ants. Even though a dense mass of ants appeared terrifying, they would scatter as long as one stomped one's foot on them. And now, she couldn't wait to relieve the joy of stomping and crushing hundreds of knights under her feet.

The young girl swung the pike in her hand and gazed at the crowd proudly. But before she struck out, a soft hand held onto her shoulder.

"Bubble, it'll be faster if you leave them to me. Besides, we know the loots too."

"... Alright then, Big Sister."

Mini Bubble Gum pouted in discontentment before taking two steps back and returning to Rhode's side. Then, the golden armor and wings vanished to reveal her usual attire while Canary stepped forward leisurely with a plain smile.

What's this situation?

The Saint Knights looked blankly, but they didn't give up just yet. They clutched their weapons and the man standing before all of them raised his flail. He looked at the young girl in silence.

Unlike the petite young girl, he couldn't feel any imposing presence from this young lady who was stepping forward. She appeared like an ordinary Human and wasn't as arrogant and mighty as the young girl. But for some unknown reasons, he sensed that this young lady was much more threatening!

"Those guys are in for a bad time."

Mini Bubble Gum pouted as she gazed at Canary. This scene was too cruel for them... On the other side of the plaza, the hundred fully-armored, buffed knights were facing a thin, innocent-looking young lady. She ambled along slowly to the bold and powerful knights as though she were a sacrificial offering for the legendary beast. But now, in the eyes of Mini Bubble Gum, the sequence and roles of the legendary beast and offering had swapped around completely...

Canary was usually a gentle and submissive person. But Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum knew that that was only how she appeared. The truth was that she possessed a fiery side, but she would only present that side on the Internet. In reality, anyone who saw Canary would have the impression that she was an obedient, quiet, and beautiful campus belle. Therefore, there were many times when people couldn't link Canary to her image on the Internet. If Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were to evaluate her, they definitely wouldn't assess her as a gentle person like a 'skylark' or 'kitten'. Canary was more like a 'lioness' in Rhode's opinion.

In the animal world, the lioness was responsible for hunting. No matter how much weaker a lioness appeared than the lion, it was always the lioness who hunted in the territory.

And now, the lioness had spotted its prey. She stooped over and stepped closer to the herd of sheep, flashing its menacing claws.

"Attack!"

The immense pressure grew increasingly as the young lady closed the distance between them. The man felt his heart pumping violently. The sense of danger would rarely be a misconception for powerful presences like them and since his body had reacted honestly by expressing fear and foreboding, it went to show how dangerous this young lady was!

The man let out a snarl and charged forward with his raised flail. The Saint Knights behind him yelled out in unison and stomped forward. Canary came to a stop gradually and displayed a calm, gentle smile as though the sea of enemies flooding toward her weren't worth a mention.

At this moment, the distance between both sides was less than 200 meters. In the blink of an eye, the Saint Knights, who were boosted by the buff of the legendary weapon, covered the distance between them and brandished their weapon to crush their enemy to bits.

But this wasn't the case.

The Saint Knights had strange difficulties charging forward as though time had slowed down drastically. No matter how much they pushed forward, they couldn't close in to her. The blessings of the legendary weapon were still present, but they felt exhausted. They widened their mouths and panted, but...

Boom!

A Saint Knight collapsed to the ground with widened eyes and ashen expression, clutching his shield and weapon. But there was no luster of life in his eyes. Not only him, but the other Saint Knights also collapsed one by one as though a domino effect. None of them stood back on their feet!

Angelina Didn't Look Like Her Usual Self, And It Had Fans Worriedad

Same went for the one who led the pack.

Why? Why!?

The man widened his mouth and breathed heavily through his thick helmet. He had never felt this powerless. The powers of the legendary weapon flowed in his body, boosting him with unprecedented strength. However, he had never felt this drained. He gazed at the figure closing in and his footsteps became increasingly slower. As a being in the Legendary Stage, he shouldn't be feeling this at all. But now, his hands and legs were as though cuffed by heavy steel chains and couldn't move freely. The young lady came to a halt and smiled at him. Although she didn't seem to have done anything, the nonchalant smile plastered on her face affirmed the man that it was all her doing!

Stomp! Stomp!

He finally arrived before her with heavy feet, panting and lifting his flail. The distance between them was less than four steps and as long as he brandished his weapon, he could easily crush her skull to fragments. But, even so, Canary continued to smile at him.

The man clutched the flail in his hands and suddenly, his knees weakened.

Boom!

His collapse resounded in the silent plaza. He stubbornly lifted his head and gazed at the young lady in disbelief. Then, his head plunged to the ground uncontrollably.

At this moment, a sharp scream pierced their ears.

"No! My beloved!"

A glaring red radiance flashed in the entrance. Then, a woman donned in a scarlet robe rushed out. Her dignified expression distorted to her furious emotions.

"Renault! My beloved! You can't leave me alone here! Have you forgotten about our promise?!"

The woman lifted her scepter high.

"Stand up, my beloved. Do it for our eternal promise and fight for me!"

Suddenly, the thick, black armor on his body sparkled in countless magical runes. Then, the man's lifeless eyes sprung open and he stood up abruptly!

"I'll fight for you! My..."

Before the man finished his dramatic confession, Canary extended her fingers and flicked lightly.

The man's heavy armor cracked to the pressure and ripped apart as though it was made of paper. The man let out a blood-curdling screech as the immense force blasted him away and fresh blood spurted from the cracks of his armor. It was apparent that it wasn't only the armor that Canary had twisted.

Sister Helen screamed mournfully and she was blasted back into the pitch-black entrance as though a battering ram had rammed into her body.

Canary clapped the dust off her palms. She turned around with her unchanged smile.

"All done, Rhode."

Chapter 627: Saint Monastery (VIII)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Argh... Ahh!"

Sister Helen curled up on the smooth, marble floor illuminated under the bright moonlight spilling through the window of the monastery hall. However, she couldn't conceal the patches of bloodstain and miserable, pale complexion.

Why... Who are... those people...

Sister Helen looked up vacantly at the religious image before the monastery hall. It was no longer the statues of the Archangels and Light Dragon. Instead, it was a gigantic hammer held in a Demon's claw. Sister Helen couldn't understand why such a situation would happen. She didn't know where those intruders came from, and they possessed incomparable strength. It could also be said that they were here to eliminate the Saint Knights!

Strictly speaking, this was a disaster for the Saint Knights. Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum arrived here simply because this place would become a dungeon in the future. But the reputation of the Saint Knights would be terrible by then. As a popular BOSS for the players, it was common for them to take turns annihilating it. However, it was different now. The Saint Knights would be destroyed even before they had the chance to re-emerge and put into practice their firm belief.

But the Saint Knights' opinions had nothing to do with Rhode and it was enough for him to simply grind for EXP.

Sister Helen had never felt this powerless. An incomparable force had blasted her into the entrance of the monastery and everything had ended by the time she woke up.

Every part of her body was burning in intense pain and she could feel blood flowing out of her body. The flame of life was weakening and about to extinguish. Her beloved died and she was about to join him anytime soon. Moreover, the Saint Monastery was about to crumble entirely... Could this be my fate?!

"No!"

Sister Helen struggled in lifting her head. Then, she raised her right arm and gazed at the sculpture.

"O Holy, mighty presence. We've met with unprecedented dangers. But I don't intend to give up just yet. I shall offer you my blood, flesh, soul, and everything. My despair and pain shall become yours to collect. I use my entirety in requesting humbly and praying that the ritual... must... continue... Our Saint Monastery... shall..."

Sister Helen spat out a mouthful of crimson blood, collapsed to the ground, and coughed acutely like deep bellows. She shuddered pitifully and her voice softened into silence.

The monastery hall returned to its stillness, but... Something had changed.

The crimson blood flowing out from her body slowly crept forward as though it had self-conscious, climbing the flight of steps and arriving before the sculpture to be absorbed completely by it. The brilliance in the sacred hall dimmed abruptly and became pitch-black.

"Oh, Lord."

The Archbishop anxiously scrutinized the young lady who was in deep sleep on the altar. The nuns around him displayed the same worried expressions. Sister Helen had been gone for a while, but they hadn't heard back from her. There were no signs of activities at all. What was happening up there?

The Archbishop wished to check on the situation, but the main priority was to protect the sacrificial offering.

"—!"

Suddenly, an eerie breeze trembled the candle flames and sent a chill down the Archbishop's spine. He came to his senses and heaved a sigh of relief. But... Wait... this is the underground hall, so where did the wind come from?

Before he figured out the answer, the rows of candle flames extinguished abruptly and everything fell into eternal darkness.

"Isn't it strange, Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum scanned the surrounding curiously as she stood on the plaza full of corpses. Since the BOSS had been defeated, they would be searching for treasures and equipment in the BOSS room next. Although the couple engaged in an illicit love affair in the Saint Monastery had kept their relationship a secret, it was no secret to the players that this venue had been stamped flat by them.

"What's wrong, Bubble?"

"Normally, there should be a lot of low-level critters outside the BOSS room. Why haven't I heard of anything? Could it be that they've fled after witnessing their BOSS getting slaughtered?"

"Now that you've mentioned..."

Rhode was a little curious too. In the game, there would indeed be waves of critters roaming along the path to the BOSS room after the BOSS was defeated. However, the critters wouldn't be as difficult to deal with as the Saint Knights were because they were only ordinary presences. The Saint Knights had other duties for clothes, food, shelter, cleaning, and whatsoever and they couldn't possibly be relied upon for every single matter. But now, the trio couldn't even spot Sister Helen's corpse that should've been in the hall after they entered the monastery entrance. There was only her scarlet robe, shattered scepter, and a pool of blood declaring their presence.

If this was the game, it could be explained as the refreshing of map had removed her corpse. But this was the real world and even if this was in the game, Sister Helen's corpse wouldn't disappear just like that.

"—!"

At this moment, the trio heard a mourning scream from the underground. They were astonished because they had never faced such a situation in the game!

"Leader, did you trigger some hidden mission?"

Mini Bubble Gum turned to Rhode with glinted eyes. Rhode scanned through the system interface before his eyes and spotted a glaring line of golden words.

[Triggered Mission — Revival of Destruction]

"The decisive summon has called upon the spirit of darkness and vengeance. It shall finally awake from the seal and bring upon blood and destruction..."

"A mission!"

As Rhode spoke, a dark beam suddenly burst from the ground, penetrating through the ceiling and into the sky. In an instant, crushed rocks fell from above and struck the ground. Then, the trio witnessed a dark figure emerging from the ground with a highly lifted double-handed longsword. Without any delay, the dark figure pointed her sword at Rhode and bolted forward!

Canary puckered her brows slightly. Then, she extended her right hand and clenched, slowing the dark figure's movement. But the dark figure appeared unaffected as it forcefully brandished its sword and slashed a crack in the barrier, which emitted strong streams of air.

"Bubble, I need your help!"

Mini Bubble Gum let out a snarl as she pounced forward. It was apparent that this enemy was much harder to deal with than the previous couple. The enemy wasn't hurt from Canary's attack and it proved just how formidable it was. Normally, Mini Bubble Gum could stand by idly and watch as Canary annihilated the enemies. But now, both of them were donned in plain equipment and this BOSS had suddenly emerged. For safety, they should attack it together!

The Battle Angel Suit once again emerged on Mini Bubble Gum in a glaring, golden flash. Almost immediately, she struck forward and brandished the enormous pike in a dazzling radiance, landing heavily on the dark figure's double-handed longsword.

Clang! The pike and sword collided fiercely and released countless golden sparks. The dark figure retreated abruptly and the fog surrounding her had completely dispersed. At this moment, the trio had finally witnessed the dark figure's true identity.

It was an Angel. But, unlike ordinary Angels, she wore a pitch-black armor with a pair of rotten wings revealing ghastly white bones. Instead of a fair, beautiful face, she looked pale and was filled with the stench of death. These signs had clearly proven her identity as a Fallen Angel.

"Foolish mortals!"

The Fallen Angel emanated fierce, murderous intent as she stared with bloodshot eyes and clasped her longsword.

"What you're doing is struggling on your deathbed. I've come to this world and it will finally be destroyed!"

"BOSSes always speaks the most crap. Big Sister, let's get rid of her!"

Mini Bubble Gum rolled up her sleeves for battle while Canary extended both arms and magical powers coalesced between her hands into a matchless, formidable spell.

But at this moment, Rhode's voice interrupted their focus.

"Wait."

"What's wrong, Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum turned to Rhode in dissatisfaction. Rhode rubbed his chin with knitted brows, sizing up the Fallen Angel fluttering in midair.

"Somehow... I seem to have seen her from somewhere before..."

Rhode stretched out his right hand. A spotlessly white summoning card emerged in a dazzling flash and spun on his palm gracefully.

Eternal Holy Sword Number 10—Star Mark.