CHAPTER 17

Early the following morning, Rhodes and Sig mounted the Pegasus with the assistance of the villagers.

"Master Rhodes, you can choose to stay in the village with any woman you desire for a while longer."

"I've already vanquished the evil spirits that were troubling you. Why do you wish to retain me?" Rhodes was perplexed.

The villagers lowered their heads one by one, except for a yellow-haired man who gazed up at Rhodes from a kneeling position and smiled ingratiatingly.

"If the village can be protected by Lord Rhodes, people from neighboring villages and malevolent entities from the forest will not dare to encroach upon it."

Rhodes shook his head, disappointed by the subservience of the human beings. He urged the Pegasus beneath him and ascended into the sky.

High above, Rhodes activated the crystal screen on his arm, summoning a 3D map of Egypt as a holographic projection.

Although Rhodes could see the distant holy city of Egypt, Thinis, he realized that simply pointing in one direction might confuse the Pegasus, Tianma.

After showing Tianma the map and providing some explanations, the psychic creature comprehended and accelerated toward Thinis.

Before reaching the Holy City, Rhodes noticed a group of people lined up in a long queue above the desert just outside the city. They halted three steps away from the yellow sand and solemnly kowtowed in the direction of the holy city.

Rhodes patted Tianma and said, "Descend. Let's see what these people are doing."

The Pegasus lowered its flying altitude, slowly descending to the ground. In the desert, a light green barrier materialized under the Pegasus' hooves, supporting it on the yellow sand and preventing it from sinking into quicksand.

With the support of the barrier, Rhodes and Sig approached the peculiar group of people.

"Oh! It's the Apostle!!!"

As the Pegasus descended, the people immediately kowtowed to Rhodes and Sig, expressing their reverence.

"Apostle of the great Lord Apocalypse, please accept our humble respect. We regard our creator, Apocalypse, as the sole deity and extol his existence."

Their faces were parched from a lack of water, resembling the yellow sand underfoot, but their eyes shone with an intense fervor that made others exchange uneasy glances due to their fanaticism.

Rhodes remembered that when he entered the village gate the day before, the villagers regarded him as the apostle of the Apocalypse. Could it be that Apocalypse held such influence in this land?

"What is your perception of Apocalypse?" Rhodes inquired.

The crowd exchanged uncertain glances, assuming that the apostles sent by Apocalypse were testing their loyalty.

"We consider Lord Apocalypse as a god, our Lord, and his will is our own," one person responded.

Rhodes couldn't help but wonder what Apocalypse had done to inspire such fervent devotion.

"Then what are you willing to do for Apocalypse? Would you lay down your lives for him?" Rhodes asked casually, without specifying a particular direction.

Several individuals with manic eyes immediately stepped forward, exclaiming, "For Lord Apocalypse!Praise Lord Apocalypse!" They then drew blades and slashed their own throats, ending their lives.

Their blood flowed onto the yellow sand, drying and turning black. The remaining individuals kowtowed repeatedly to honor the deceased, leaving Rhodes and Sig dumbfounded. What kind of belief system was this? It appeared to be a cult-like form of mind control.

Sig patted Rhodes on the shoulder, saying, "Let's depart. These people are already consumed by fanaticism, and this individual called Apocalypse seems far from ordinary. We must exercise caution."

Rhodes nodded. He knew only of Apocalypse's formidable power, and even Odin might have difficulty confronting him.

Yet he hadn't anticipated that Tianqi could achieve such a level of mental manipulation. He left with the Pegasus, heading toward the holy city.

To avoid attracting attention, Rhodes instructed the Pegasus to wait outside the city until called, then he and Sig discreetly entered the city wearing white hooded robes.

Wandering the streets, they encountered not only ordinary citizens but also superpowered beings transformed by the Apocalypse. These formidable figures donned ornate armor and were responsible for upholding law and order.

Upon encountering them, ordinary citizens immediately lowered their heads and steered clear, clearly fearful.

The reformers took delight in this fear, deliberately stomping and roaring, causing a few timid individuals to stumble and flee.

"Hahahaha!" The reformers erupted in laughter as they watched their victims' comical escapes.

Rhodes and Sig, their eyes concealed by the brims of their hats, left the bustling streets discreetly and made their way toward a nearby tavern.

Inside, the tavern appeared deserted, with only two reformers clad in magnificent armor taking respite.

A dusky-skinned young woman in the tavern approached them with a jug of wheat-flavored wine.

"Esteemed great ones, here's your wine," she humbly knelt before the table, offering the wine above her head.

"Pathetic! Why aren't you outside paying homage to Lord Apocalypse? Today is the day he calls for grace," a monkey-faced reformer spat, eyeing the woman with disdain.

"I apologize," she responded, bowing. "My father is gravely ill and bedridden. I am the sole support for the shop."

The monkey-faced man abruptly seized the woman's hair, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes and bow her head in submission.

"I believe you simply do not wish to offer yourself as a sacrifice to Lord Apocalypse!" he accused.

"Let it go, Gwen," a bookish-looking reformer interjected, gently patting the monkey-faced man on the back of his hand to release the woman's hair. "Not all young people are willing to sacrifice, particularly her. Although Lord Apocalypse desires a youthful and vibrant body, not everyone will go willingly."

The reformer spoke kindly, smiling at the woman.

Upon hearing that she was not required to sacrifice herself to Apocalypse, the woman expressed her gratitude with a bow. "Thank you, my lord."

Gwen retorted, "Hmph! Lister!" and sat down, refusing to engage further.

Lister, meanwhile, helped the woman to her feet and eyed her body with a lecherous gaze. Whenever he saw her exposed skin, his eyes widened slightly, and a sinister smile played on his lips.

"My lord?" The woman felt her wrist tightly gripped by Lister, causing her pain. His increasingly lascivious gaze made her feel uncomfortable.

"Since you won't have the chance to dedicate yourself to Lord Apocalypse, why not devote yourself to our apostles of Lord Apocalypse?" Lister suggested, gripping the woman's jaw with one hand before violently slamming her head onto the table.

A resounding "thud" echoed through the tavern as a streak of blood was left on the woman's forehead. Dazed, she saw golden spots before her eyes and collapsed limply.

Lister's smile took on an air of mystery as he looked at Gwen.

Gwen curled his lip in disgust, muttering, "You're disgusting."

Gwen and Lister both erupted into sinister laughter. "What do you know, Gwen? You may despise me openly, but you indulge in wicked deeds behind closed doors," Lister remarked.

Suddenly, a cold glint streaked through the air, and a figure appeared between Gwen and Lister.

They gazed up to find Rhodes frowning at them, his spear in hand, having drawn bloodstains on the floor with it.

Panic-stricken, Gwen and Lister attempted to process the source of the blood.

Gwen's intent was to point at Rhodes and question his actions, but he realized that he had lost control of his hands. An excruciating pain coursed through his arm, and a bloodstain marked his wrist before his hand fell to the ground.

Lister, alarmed, attempted to cast the woman aside and retaliate against Rhodes. His strength, amplified by the Apocalypse, allowed him to easily overpower a mortal.

However, he hesitated for a moment, his eyes on his own hands. For some reason, he struggled to make a fist, feeling disconnected from his hands.

Suddenly, a sharp pain emanated from the base of his arm, and he looked down in horror. A bloodstain gradually appeared on his shoulder, and his body separated from his two arms.

"How is this possible? The incision was so smooth and swift that I didn't even sense it!" Lister exclaimed.

Step by step, Lister retreated, his arms severed, lying on the ground, wriggling helplessly, resembling a bug fleeing for its life as he made his way to the door.

"Forgive me, my lord! I didn't realize you were the senior apostle of Lord Apocalypse! Spare me, please!" he pleaded.

Rhodes retracted his spear and gently placed the unconscious woman on a table.

Upon awakening, the woman clung tightly to Rhodes, sobbing, "Save me! I don't want to die!"