Year-End Day

A crimson light pierced through the door, carried by the cold wind created by Luther, and flew directly into his palm. Before he could react, it entered his body.

This was an extremely hot and explosive sensation; wherever it passed, Flesh tore apart, and the soul trembled.

"Bang!"

A sudden explosion rang out, and the hand that Luther had used to receive the evil spirit instantly exploded. The Blood Fog scattered not far before it spontaneously combusted upon contact with air, rising into a large patch of crimson flames. Looking at his right hand, the skin and a layer of Flesh had been peeled off, and the remaining part was also covered in blood and charred marks.

"Bang! Bang!"

The evil spirit advanced deep into Luther's body, and explosions occurred one after another, spreading upwards along his arm, bathing him in crimson flames.

Sure enough, this guy had no intention of being Grazing by me at all; he wanted to take over my body!

Ignoring his injuries, Luther focused all his energy on using his "Grazing" ability, attempting to control the evil spirit and lure it to the empty Slot.

He had fully digested the Shepherd's Potion, and with a touch of pure Divinity within him, he had completed the Sequence 4 Ritual ahead of schedule, giving him control over the Lamb far exceeding that of an ordinary Shepherd.

"Smack!"

He used the Shepherd's invisible power to lash out at the crimson evil spirit and suppress its rampant actions.

"Oh"

The red evil spirit let out a mocking laugh. Luther's power had little effect on it; it only paused for a moment before breaking free of its restraints and regaining its freedom, charging forward and seizing Luther's torso.

"Ugh!"

The intense heat and Corrosion sensation instantly overwhelmed Luther, causing his body to stiffen and become immobile, losing all control of his body.

Evil Spirit Possession!

Luther's mind quickly drifted into a daze, and a phantom figure slowly appeared before him. The figure did not actually exist, but was directly reflected in his eyes.

There stood a handsome young man with long red hair, wearing black iron armor splattered with blood. He had two festering wounds on either side of his face, and a bright red, banner-like mark between his brows.

Medici

Luther struggled to speak, managing to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.

The handsome young man simply smiled at him and said, "The Shepherd's body is truly remarkable; it can actually withstand my soul."

After saying that, he reached out and touched Luther's head.

Luther stared at Him, and the Phantom Tide in his mind immediately began to surge.

"Whoosh--"

A phantom tide surged from his brain, seeping into Luther's body. The liquid was heavy and viscous, blocking all the evil spirit's escape routes. The Tide possessed an extremely high status, capable of resisting even gods, so suppressing the evil spirit formed after the death of Angel was naturally a piece of cake!

This was something Luther had planned long ago. He deliberately lured the other into his body so that he couldn't withdraw in time, and only released Tide at the most crucial moment.

Then he saw the smile on the young man's face freeze for a moment, then turn into utter astonishment.

"Sasrir?! No, you are..."

Before the red-haired youth could finish speaking, the projection flickered and disappeared, for Luther had already seized His true form with the Tide. The heavy, viscous seawater carried Him toward the empty Slot of the Lamb.

This time, the Red Angel Evil Spirit's resistance was ineffective; the higher status of the sea made it difficult for Him to break free.

Gotcha!

Luther thought to himself, while using the seawater to control the other party, he would activate "Grazing" again, forcibly using the Characteristic of the "Shepherd" to communicate with His Spirituality.

He needs to determine the abilities of the other party, and then select three to be retained!

"You dare?!"

Medici roared Wrath, his spirit rising and falling in the Phantom Tide, casting a fierce, aggressive glance at Luther.

Those were eyes brimming with aggression and brutality, as if the "God of War" had traversed a thousand years to unleash its aftershocks upon him!

"Bang!"

Luther felt as if a bomb had exploded in his head; his body suddenly collapsed, almost turning into a pool of Flesh and gore.

"Boom--"

The remnants of bodies thrown out by the aftershocks flew out and turned into raging flames. This Fourth Epoch structure, buried deep underground, was suddenly ignited, bursting forth with surging flames!

Luther's tattered doll-like body was surrounded by flames. He was also furious, desperately squeezing out the Spirituality within him and fully activating "Grazing" to turn the Red Angel Evil Spirit into his Lamb!

Flames and Flesh intertwined, creating a scene of madness within this dark underground structure.

December 31, 1349, night, in a harbor somewhere in Backlund.

Under the moonlight, a giant ship gleaming with metallic luster rested in the harbor.

Compared to the typical sailing warships of the Loen Military, this ship was enormous, lacking sails but featuring two funnels. Numerous open-topped turrets were arrayed on board, with cannons of astonishing caliber, far exceeding those of any contemporary sailing warship. Its hull was constructed of heavy iron armor, with a thickness of 457 millimeters, providing formidable protection.

This is the glory of the Loen Navy, the "Pritz," an ironclad warship capable of revolutionizing the era.

The colossal vessel stood silently in the Evernight, making the surrounding buildings appear dwarfed.

"Bullshit. It's almost New Year's, and they still won't give us a holiday."

On deck, a sailor muttered a complaint, "The officers and generals are all off enjoying the New Year's banquet at the Sodela Palace, leaving us here to freeze in the cold."

He seemed to harbor a lot of resentment.

"Keep your voice down, don't let the sergeant hear you."

Another soldier on duty whispered, "There's no way around it; the 'Pritz' is a valuable ironclad warship, so it has to be kept under strict guard."

"Cut!"

The only response he received was an impatient snort.

It's understandable that the soldier felt resentful, because they should have been on vacation by the sunny seaside, but instead, they were summoned to Backlund by the king's decree for a so-called pilgrimage. Even to ensure the safety of the ironclad warships, these soldiers were not allowed to disembark in the most prosperous Backlund and had to spend their time on the ship.

"Thump thump thump"

Just then, rhythmic footsteps came from afar. The two soldiers exchanged a glance, immediately straightened their posture, and stood at the perfect level.

Their captain, Sergeant First Your Excellency, has arrived.

"Any abnormalities?"

The sergeant, carrying a lantern, questioned the two soldiers.

"No abnormalities!"

The soldier who had previously advised the man answered truthfully, while the complaining soldier seemed somewhat listless.

"And what's your answer?"

The sergeant said to him.

"Sir, there's nothing wrong!"

"Get serious!"

The sergeant barked, "Don't let your guard down just because it's the end of the year! You are soldiers of Loen, you must have the pursuit of glory! For example, now, let's go and seize victory! The enemy is in the Sodela Palace, let's bomb them into the sky with the Pritz!"

His words began to Distortion when he got to the second half of his sentence.

"Yes, sir!"

The two soldiers, oblivious to his unusual behavior, excitedly grabbed their rifles from behind them!

Thank you to reader Ruiwen for the 100 Qidian Coins reward.

Thank you to reader Qiongyu for the 100 reading coins!