Fallen

On the vast grassland, the angels were trapped in a desperate situation.

They fought with all their might against the monsters attacking from every direction, tension and resolve written on every angel's face.

Gabriel swung his longsword, its light flashing as he drove back the monsters that lunged at him. Raphael wielded a staff and unleashed powerful magic, trying to stop the monsters' advance. Sraosha darted and dodged through the monster horde with nimble movements.

Meanwhile, Mu Fengyu lounged leisurely in a reclining chair, a mocking smile on his lips as he called out encouragement to the angels from time to time.

He seemed to enjoy watching the battle, paying no heed at all to whether the angels lived or died.

After a fierce fight, the angels gradually ran out of strength. One after another, they fell beneath the monsters' attacks, their blood staining the grass.

At last, even the final unnamed angel player failed to escape his fate and was mercilessly torn apart by the storm Tryon unleashed.

Only Gabriel, Raphael, and Sraosha remained on the field.

The three stood back to back, gasping for breath, their eyes full of despair and anger. They looked at the monsters surging endlessly around them and at Mu Fengyu, who lounged at his ease, their hearts filled with unwillingness.

They were now trapped with no hope of escape. Even so, they clutched their weapons, preparing to make one final stand. Even if they died, they would die with dignity.

Mu Fengyu continued to sprawl lazily in his chair. Looking at Gabriel, Raphael, and Sraosha, his mocking smile grew wider as he sneered.

"You think you can put up a fight? How ridiculous."

The three heard his words, and their anger burned hotter. Gritting their teeth and gripping their weapons, they launched a desperate counterattack against Mu Fengyu.

But before they could get close, the spidersilk that Atipus and Atra suddenly released together blocked their path.

The tough strands of spidersilk trapped them like a cage. Then Atipus and Atra worked together to throw them into the enormous pit left behind by Putika's earlier skill.

Afterward, a massive amount of dirt was dumped into the pit, burying all three.

Watching it all, Mu Fengyu smiled cruelly and even had someone scatter a little fertilizer on top, as though they were performing some absurd ritual.

And so Gabriel, Raphael, and Sraosha were buried deep underground. Their HP gradually dwindled, as if they really had "ascended to heaven." On the vast grassland, only Mu Fengyu and his people remained, their figures cold and merciless.

Looking at the three who had been buried, Mu Fengyu muttered to himself.

"I wonder if Michael managed to escape. If he did, how far could he get? Before I came in, I used a GM item to seal off the entire instance. There's no way he can get out."

Outside, Michael resembled the boss of a terrifying instance, an unsettling aura emanating from him.

The angel who had once been so holy now radiated nothing but evil and corruption.

His pitch-black wings were covered in shocking cracks, and his battered armor had turned grayish brown, as though he had endured countless brutal battles and hardships.

His wild hair whipped about like tangled threads, and his cold, sinister face made it clear that he had become a fallen angel.

Those who had once betrayed the guild fell one after another beneath his attacks. Blood flowed across the ground, staining it red.

At his side, the battered wingless angel stood guard in silence, gaze resolute and loyal.

Apart from the corpses scattered across the ground, the only one left on the scene was Siyou Qilong, protected by a barrier. He watched everything unfold in terror, silently praying for Mu Fengyu to hurry back. Otherwise, his little Si Long would become a little dead Si Long.

Michael slowly turned toward Siyou Qilong. His eyes held endless coldness and determination. Siyou Qilong felt as if Death itself were staring at him, and despair filled his heart.

Michael walked toward Siyou Qilong one step at a time. Every step seemed to land on Siyou Qilong's heart. The wingless angel followed close behind, ready to handle anything that might happen.

As Michael drew closer, Siyou Qilong found it harder and harder to breathe. He tried to call for help, but his throat felt as though something were lodged in it, and he could not make a sound.

At last, Michael reached the barrier. He raised a hand, and a tremendous force gathered in his palm. Siyou Qilong's eyes widened with fear.

At that critical moment, Mu Fengyu flashed into view in front of Michael. A mighty force burst from him, sending Michael flying to the side like a gust of wind.

A flicker of surprise crossed Michael's eyes, but he soon regained his cold expression.

Mu Fengyu turned to Siyou Qilong and asked curiously,

"Little Si Long, what exactly happened just now?"

Siyou Qilong replied in a trembling voice,

"Not long after the captain entered the domain, the wingless angel broke in. He forced his way through the traps you'd set and delivered a red gem to Michael."

"I don't know what Michael did, but the gem suddenly vanished. Then a strange black item appeared in his hand out of nowhere."

"After he used that item, he turned into what you see now. Not only did all his HP recover, but he also killed all the angels with ease."

Mu Fengyu furrowed his brows and fell into thought, realizing that things seemed to have become even more complicated.

He looked at Michael, wary and puzzled, and silently cast a detection spell. To his shock, Michael's status bar clearly showed that he was in a fallen state.

Mu Fengyu looked at Michael in surprise and asked,

"You used the Thermal Stone?"

Michael sneered at him.

"Since you know about the Thermal Stone, you must be the Duel King champion. One of your rewards was probably a special item containing information about World Items."

"If I didn't use the Thermal Stone, was I supposed to sit here and wait to die? Or leave it to you so you could inherit the assets of the Tears of Angels guild?"

Actually, when Michael had used the Thermal Stone, he had wanted to temporarily obtain another World Item, Sin Incarnate, which could transform its user into one of the Seven Deadly Sins world bosses.

But the GM had rejected his request, saying there weren't enough Thermal Stones. He had no choice but to settle for Fallen Avatar, a lower-tier divine item than Sin Incarnate. It could temporarily turn him into a boss of his own race, and paired with the guild weapon that could grow gigantic, it would let him take out the invaders all by himself.

I've got my first round of recommendations coming up soon. I'll try to post more during my lunch breaks over the next couple of days. I have a few chapters saved up, so starting tomorrow I should be able to post two chapters a day.