In an instant, dead silence.
The moment Ji Jue turned the gun in his hand and held it out, the packed crowd seemed to stir, recoiling as though what he aimed at them was not the grip, but the black muzzle.
No, something even worse than a muzzle...
For one brief moment, all those utterly different faces froze, as though they had yet to react—or as though they had not yet had time to grasp what this happy news truly meant.
Opportunity, a turning point, dawn, salvation.
What it was called did not matter.
Sometimes, when such a crucial moment arrived before someone, the first thing they felt was not relief or wild joy, but... fear.
Panic, unease, hesitation.
Something emerged within those hollow eyes.
What if this was fake?
After escaping a great calamity, they had received such a surprise. Everything was so wonderful it felt unreal, yet it was right within reach.
But what if it was real?
The instant that thought arose in their hearts, their once-eager impulse abruptly froze and vanished.
All that remained was a silence that made the hair stand on end.
After growing accustomed to failure and surrender, to fleeing time and again and wandering without ever seeing the end, those who had suffered torment would repeatedly tell themselves: We merely lacked the Holy Lord's support, lacked equal opportunities, lacked the necessary conditions...
Some had even given themselves up to despair.
But now, when such an opportunity had been placed before them, they realized that from this day onward, perhaps they would have no excuse for losing.
Then there would be no excuse for losing.
Even if the power to kill Angels truly lay before them, the tiny precious gleam it illuminated revealed only an even more swelling darkness and an even more