Volume Four: Withering in the World of Men - Chapter 336: The Obstacle

"The situation is extremely unfavorable! The Rebel Army are getting closer and closer to the city center! And the garrison outside the city is also being hampered by unknown forces, suffering heavy casualties!"

"Damn it! Where are the reinforcements from the nearby cities? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

"It's the giant teleportation array! The giant teleportation array has been seized by the Rebel Army! It can't be activated!"

"What—damn it! Didn't they give any instructions from the Cathedral of the True God? Doesn't the Pope know about the current situation in Sadington?!"

"The report was sent remotely to His Holiness the Pope and the Cardinal Archbishop immediately! However, because the teleportation array here is not working, reinforcements cannot be sent immediately! And..."

"And what's more? Spit it out!"

Seeing the adjutant's aggressive manner, the commander almost slapped him across the face.

"... Moreover, the Cathedral of the True God is also in a state of chaos, because not only Sadington, but also other large nearby cities such as Kent, Richelieu, Tirpitz, and Andrea have been attacked by the Rebel Army!"

What did you say!?

Xiao was completely dumbfounded.

She had heard that some people with extremely high IQs in the past were able to multitask and handle multiple things at the same time.

But this was the first time she had ever seen someone multitask so diligently.

Before Loxue were five Spirit Light Display Screen, each equipped with a microphone and communication device. Each screen displayed numerous red dots, marking the locations of various Revolutionary Army units. This equipment was seized from the defeated Papacy forces and served as a convenient tool for commanding operations.

"Slow down the advance in Richelieu! Don't go too deep! This is a trap set by the enemy!"

"Andrea's forces are intensifying their attack on the flanks!"

"Sadington side— Nid! Don't rush in too fast!"

"Kent, improve your efficiency! Watch out for a pincer attack from behind!"

"Tirpitz, do not spread your attacks! Break through in one fell swoop!"

At this moment, Loxue was standing in front of five screens, speaking into five microphones one by one. The conversations coming from the five battlefields at the same time were mixed together, along with the sounds of slashing and screaming, but she easily distinguished which was which and was able to give instructions in an orderly manner, directing the five battles at the same time.

This battle is extremely important. Although the aid from the Cathedral of the True God can be cut off by controlling the large teleportation array, there is still a possibility of reinforcements from other major cities. Moreover, it's hard to guarantee that the Vatican's high-ranking officials, driven to desperation, won't do anything unexpected or crazy. Therefore, Loxue took a risky step—while advancing into Sadington, she deployed divisions scattered in other regions to attack four other large cities, severely diverting the Vatican's attention. Those four cities were originally intended to be captured; victory would be good, but defeat wouldn't result in significant losses and would ensure the smooth progress of the Sadington campaign.

She has mastered both high-speed thinking and thought segmentation.

"Won't she really develop a mental illness?" -- This was Xiao's most immediate thought.

"Little Ying is covering the right rear of the Sadington forces! Andrea's forces are holding the line, while a group is flanking from the side! Kent's forces—hmm?"

The speaker on Sadington's end emitted a piercing, noisy sound, as if the signal had been interfered with.

On the display screen, all the red dots stopped moving, even the leading red dot— Nid's elite squad—stopped advancing.

"... Nid? Nid? What happened on your end? Answer me quickly!"

The noise continued until, after a long while, Nid's voice finally rang out.

His tone was unusually heavy.

"... elder sister."

"Nid! What happened? Why suddenly—"

"This is troublesome."

"Ah?"

"In the end, some unexpected factors came up... I'm facing a—no, not a small problem, but a very, very big problem."

Filtering out the noise, Loxue could vaguely hear laughter coming from the other side—the laughter of a strange man.

"Hey, Nid! Who's stopping you? Templar Knight?"

"That's right... and this guy is not even in the same league as the other Templar Knight— "

"--Aren't you finished chatting with your sweetheart yet? Don't keep me waiting too long!"

Boom!!!!!

A loud explosion was heard, and then communications were temporarily cut off.

"Your Saintess! This way!"

"Alas--"

Chaos had broken out in the cathedral in the city center. The usually solemn and dignified hall was filled with priests and nuns fleeing in panic. Adhering to the principle of "letting the leaders go first," Virgo Saintess was the first to be escorted out.

The well-trained knights quickly dressed the Saintess and packed her belongings, forcibly pulling her out of bed while she was still wearing her nightgown and stuffing her into their special psionic vehicle. The group left through a path behind the main hall, avoiding the crowds, and began moving towards the outskirts of the city along a secret passage. Once they could meet up with the garrison outside the city, they could easily escape!

"Rest assured, Your Saintess, we will ensure your safe arrival," the guard told her before shoving her into the dark, psionic vehicle. This vehicle was specifically designed for protecting Big Figure, but it hadn't been used for over a century. The carriage was completely enclosed, with no windows and sealed doors; the interior space could only accommodate her alone. The old, flickering lighting from spirit stones created a cramped and oppressive atmosphere, and the Virgo Saintess, sitting inside, was completely disoriented.

Why? Why did this happen to me? Why was my first official trip abroad so unlucky? Why did the Rebel Army choose this particular day? Was it because my attitude when praying to God was improper? Or was it because I couldn't resist secretly eating meat during Ramadan? What should I do? What should I do? Everyone says that Rebel Army are a pack of ravenous beasts that will devour anyone they choose. If I, as Saintess, am captured like this, how will I be treated?

Her racing mind wandered further and further, until she even clutched her head and trembled with fear. The overwhelming terror dulled her senses, and it was because of this that it took her a long time to realize something was wrong.

The car stopped.

"...?"

What's going on?

Have we reached the outskirts of the city? If so, why isn't anyone opening the gate?

Or is this door only openable from the inside?

Vergo rummaged around in the dimly lit car for a while and found what seemed to be a switch. With a gentle press, the door, which was integrated into the side wall, opened.

"Um, everyone, what's going on?! Aa..."

The horrific scene before them turned their questions into screams.

The car did stop.

And it stopped amidst a pile of corpses.

The once dashing and reassuring knights have all been turned into pieces of flesh mixed with metal, their severed surfaces still bearing a cold, moonlit glow. The pungent stench and overflowing blood have even stained the air a pale red.

Caught completely off guard, Vergo knelt on the ground and vomited violently. Once she had emptied her stomach, she was suddenly grabbed by the hair by a powerful force and her head was pulled upwards.

Forced to raise her head, Vergo even had the momentary illusion that she was looking directly into the eyes of a beautiful moon spirit.

But the pungent smell of blood immediately brought her back to reality.

"Who... who are you... gaa!"

A chop to the head sent her sprawling limply onto the blood-soaked ground, while Haoyue effortlessly turned her over with her toe.

"Sigh, it was so easy, much simpler than I imagined, it was almost boringly smooth..."

Well... Haoyue looked at Vergo's blood-stained face. She was indeed a beautiful girl with a Mori Girl vibe. It would be fun to train her.

"My mission would be complete then. Should I retreat immediately and take her with me, or hide her somewhere and then go support Xiao Ye? I'm so conflicted..."

Just then--

The darkness rising from the distant horizon drew her attention; it was so dense it was almost liquid, and even from that distance, she could clearly see the complex geometric patterns of light covering its surface.

Clearly, several kilometers away, some extremely powerful beings are engaged in fierce combat.

"... Heh, it wasn't as smooth as I expected."

A few minutes ago--

So far, everything has gone smoothly.

Nid felt fortunate.

The Papacy's army, dulled by long peace and decay, was caught off guard by a surprise attack from his elite Revolutionary Army, who were completely isolated in the city. The outcome was obvious.

The garrison inside the city was powerless to resist their offensive, the garrison outside the city was blocked by Ye, and the large teleportation array was controlled by the Seventh Division and Xiao Wu. If nothing unexpected happens, Haoyue should be able to capture the Saintess alive.

The Revolutionary Army's morale was at an all-time high, and they marched at an unprecedented speed. They could already see the roof of the city center church in the distance. The Molten Spirit Crystal cross was so conspicuous even in the daytime, as if welcoming their arrival.

This time, it should be an overwhelming victory for the Revolutionary Army, right?

To anyone watching, this meticulously planned battle had ended in a much shorter time than expected, and the outcome was already decided.

But why do I feel this inexplicable unease?

Stop joking.

My current anxiety must be a sign that I'm not mature enough yet, right?

"Arrive..."

Central Park, Sadington City.

Sadington's city center is neither a large shopping mall nor a high-end villa complex, but a very large park, with the cathedral, the political and religious center, right in the middle. The lush green lawns, the well-spaced trees, and the fragrant flowerbeds are like two different worlds from the battlefield scenery of the rest of the city.

The soldiers behind them—including the usually taciturn Uncle Brad —cheered. Central Park, lacking both sturdy fortifications and trenches, was not a suitable place for a defensive battle. Now that they had advanced this far, victory was already in their grasp.

Only Nid gripped his sword.

In his view, this circular park area was just like... an ancient gladiatorial arena.

The cheers lasted only a few seconds before stopping.

Everyone quickly realized that something was wrong.

There wasn't a single person there.

This is the only place left that hasn't fallen. No matter how corrupt the Papacy's army is, they should have gathered their forces here for a final stand. Could it be that all the soldiers really fled?

In the ensuing silence, Nid pressed his palm down, signaling everyone to stay put.

Only he himself took a step forward and cautiously spoke:

"... Have you been waiting here for quite a while, sir?"

"My legs are almost numb from sitting for so long, you guys are taking a bit too long."

A slightly languid voice rang out, startling all the Revolutionary Army. They hadn't noticed any outsiders here before, and even the barrier set up by Brad hadn't reacted!

The sound of footsteps echoed, and a man slowly emerged from behind a tree.

This is a man whose age is impossible to guess at a glance.

A slightly worn coarse cloth coat, shiny leather trousers, weathered old boots, medium-length messy hair, and a surprisingly dignified appearance with a decadent beauty.

Moreover, their hands were empty, and they were not carrying any weapons.