"Great Doomsday Watcher, Ash Hiss! The good follow you, the evil adore you! The light yearns for you, and darkness hopes for you as well! You are an existence transcending all things, the color God bestowed upon all creation!"
"Great Doomsday Watcher, Ash Hiss..."
Ash sat upon the cold stone throne, watching the strange black-robed people kneeling before him, kowtowing and praying. Beneath his stern expression, he was panicking like hell.
He could hardly be blamed. One second ago, he had still been pulling an all-nighter at that damned mobile game company until dawn, contributing his remaining value. The next, he had suddenly arrived in this bizarre Underground Hall and was being worshipped by a crowd. Anyone would have needed time to react.
More wonderfully, Ash understood their language as naturally as his native tongue. He did not need to consciously translate it at all; he grasped their meaning directly. As he gradually calmed down, he quickly reached a conclusion: he had transmigrated, and his soul had entered the body of someone with the same name.
Ever since childhood, many people had said his name sounded fantastical, but Ash had never expected to encounter such a bizarre world one day.
But he did not have the surname Hiss. That was precisely why he could so quickly determine that he was not dreaming.
Not only did they share the same name, they even seemed to look alike. By moving his fingers, toes, and other basic components, Ash discovered that his body felt completely normal, as though it were his original body. Everything moved with such ease and naturalness that Ash could not help wondering whether he had transmigrated into a parallel-world version of himself.
For convenience, and because they shared the same name, Ash secretly referred to this body's original owner as "Hiss."
But those thoughts were of no use to his current situation, because Ash discovered that Hiss had failed to leave him the most important thing.
Memories.
Yes, memories!
It was as though Hiss's memories had been formatted during the transmigration. Ash had no idea what to do next, and he even kept his expression fixed in that calm, faintly sinister state, afraid that someone might notice something was wrong.
The people beneath the stone throne appeared utterly respectful toward him, but if Ash revealed any flaw, they would be just as cruel as they were reverent now. After all, in their eyes, Ash, this "evil soul from another world," had erased Saint Son Hiss's soul and occupied Saint Son Hiss's body. He was a true sinner. Coupled with their intense religious fervor, Ash did not think saying, "Actually, I'm a victim too," would earn their understanding.
But he could not keep sitting here forever. Ash was already having trouble maintaining the faint smile on his face.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
A deep tremor suddenly shook the Underground Hall. The Black Robe Believers rejoiced, prostrating themselves fully on the ground and smashing their foreheads against the floor as they cried in unison:
"May the Heavenly Lord descend!"
Ash thought it was an earthquake and tried to stand, only to discover that his backside seemed glued to the stone throne, unable to rise no matter what he did. Then dazzling, multicolored light filled his vision. Looking up, he saw four brilliant rainbow glows emerge in the air, bringing color to the hall—and endless warmth.
"Great Doomsday Watcher, Ash Hiss!"
They spoke in unison, as though tens of millions were speaking at once. "The sole pure one in this dark and tainted world, the final Brave upon this heavy earth, you bear the duty of saving this world and the mission of delivering all living beings!"
"We shall cross the Silver Sky Wheel to grant you power; we shall shatter the Golden Scales to protect your glory! Your name is sacred, your will is our will, and your kingdom shall be a place of happiness for all beings!"
"Ash Hiss!"
Without realizing it, Ash found himself kneeling on one knee, respectfully lowering his head as he awaited the moment glory descended.
The red orb on the far left said, "I am the Lord of Myriad Radiance, who governs battle, courage, and honor! I grant you the Power Angel, to sweep away all your enemies!"
A female Angel holding a spear and bearing two wings flew before Ash. She wore red armor and was only the size of a finger, yet her presence was overwhelming. Ash felt as though he could see a Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood in her eyes.
The blue orb second from the left said, "I am the Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow, who governs strategy, change, and Fate! I grant you the Wisdom Angel, to help you achieve all your goals!"
A female Angel wearing a blue hat and carrying a Notebook flew before Ash. She too was only the size of a finger, her gaze profound as though it contained endless knowledge.
The green orb second from the right said, "I am the Perpetually Burning Heart, who governs life, equality, and sharing. I grant you the Life Angel, to ensure your everlasting health!"
A glowing green female Angel, like a little girl, flew before Ash. She was incredibly cute, with a luminous green halo circling around her, making one feel incomparably warm and relaxed.
The pink orb on the far right said, "I am the Dreamlike Soul of Freedom, who governs love, pleasure, and art. I grant you the Joy Angel, to make your charm transcendent!"
A beautiful pink female Angel flew before Ash. Her figure was graceful and alluring, her gaze utterly bewitching. Though she was only the size of a finger, she seemed like the most beautiful existence in the world.
The four Angels flew around Ash, adorning him with dazzling splendor. In that instant, Ash felt power surging through him without end. His body brimmed with energy, his mood was blissful, and countless plans sprang into his mind. Everything felt perfect!
The Lord of Myriad Radiance, the Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow, the Perpetually Burning Heart, and the Dreamlike Soul of Freedom spoke at once. "Brave favored by Fate, Watcher who sees through cause and effect, go create Miracles and save the world!"
With a sound like bursting bubbles, the four descending Divine Spirits gradually faded away. Yet the Underground Hall remained bright, because Ash, who possessed four Angels, was like a walking rainbow.
Ash clenched his fist, curled his lips upward, and revealed a confident smile.
Who would have thought? Who would have thought! He had assumed this sudden transmigration was a massive trap, but it turned out to be a blessing. He had become this world's Brave, protected by four Divine Spirits and supported by countless believers. What an amazing script!
Next, he would defeat monsters, save the world, marry the most beautiful Princess, become this world's King, and reach the pinnacle of life!
Bang!
A tremendous crash came from the ceiling. The Black Robe Believer at the front said, "Brave, the Bloodfury Hunters have found this place! We can only rely on you to repel them now!"
Bloodfury Hunters? They sounded like villains. Ash figured they were rookie-stage fodder meant to let him farm reputation and familiarize himself with his abilities. He boldly drew the Longsword at his waist and declared proudly, "Where my sword points, there shall be no foe! Let these Bloodfury Hunters become the first souls to fall beneath my blade! Someone, lead the way!"
"No need. We came ourselves."
With a thunderous boom, the ceiling of the Underground Hall exploded open!
Ash looked up and saw a group of enemies leap down from above, wielding Blood Pattern longswords and wearing silver trench coats and hunter hats!
"Perfect timing!"
Ash shouted:
"Power!"
"Wisdom!"
"Life!"
"Joy!"
The four Angels blessed Ash at once. At that moment, Ash felt he could cut an enemy in two with a single sword! Fearless, he roared and leaped up, slashing at the foremost Bloodfury Hunter. He even unleashed Sky Piercing Sword Qi!
With the gods' blessings, I've become this powerful!
Now that I have the protection of a defensive barrier and endless stamina, who else can defeat me?
Just as Ash secretly rejoiced, he heard the Bloodfury Hunter across from him snicker.
"That's it?"
The Bloodfury Hunter revealed a savage grin and casually swung his Longsword. It instantly transformed into a chain sword several meters long, unleashing blood-red Sword Qi that stretched for meters!
Ash's Sword Qi was instantly swallowed up, and the defensive barrier around him was shattered in an instant. The entire Underground Hall was split apart by the Bloodfury Hunter's single strike, a massive fissure bursting open beneath Ash's feet!
Watching his opponent crush him with devastating ease, Ash could not react for a moment. "How is this possible..."
"You merely possess four Two-Winged Chaos Spell Spirits, and they aren't even yours. Where did you get the courage to fight a Three-Winged Saint Domain like me?"
A gale rose with a sharp whoosh, and three wings emerged from the Bloodfury Hunter's back: the Silver Wing, Golden Wing, and Seven-Colored Wing!
He retracted the chain sword into its Longsword form and charged into Ash's embrace like a flying dragon. With one thrust, he pierced Ash's chest and nailed him to the stone throne!
Ash had no choice but to sit back down.
He coughed up blood and blankly watched the Bloodfury Hunter remove a small lantern from his waist. Ash did not know how the Hunter activated it, but the lantern suddenly emitted an incandescent, blinding white light.
The Angels, who had been trying to continue granting Ash power, let out despairing, hateful screams beneath that white light. They could no longer maintain their former beautiful forms, each becoming incomparably hideous!
The Power Angel turned into a grotesque praying mantis,
The Wisdom Angel transformed into a rotten fly,
The Life Angel melted into a pale maggot,
And the Joy Angel became a foul, fishy cloud of stench!
The protections of courage, Wisdom, Joy, Life, and more rapidly faded from Ash's body. The agonizing pain in his chest also jolted him completely awake, leaving a bewildered expression on his face.
What had just happened?
He was an ordinary person who had just transmigrated. He knew nothing about this world, so why had he suddenly become so arrogant and overbearing, joining a war that had nothing to do with him?
How was that something a normal office drone, beaten down by society for years, could possibly do?
While Ash was lost in thought, the battle in the Underground Hall had already ended. The Black Robe Believers were utterly no match for the Bloodfury Hunters.
The Bloodfury Hunter standing before Ash pulled a scroll from his coat, unfurled it before him, and revealed the red-sealed document within.
"I am Gerald Westminster, Bloodfury Hunter of the Sin Hunting Hall, hunter ID 307791. The Sin Hunting Hall currently suspects you of involvement in the Four Pillar God Heresy dissemination case, multiple kidnappings, murders, robberies, and other serious crimes. This is an arrest warrant signed by the Kaimeng City Sin Hunting Hall. If you have any objections to our law enforcement, you may file a complaint at the front desk of the Kaimeng Branch of the Sin Hunting Hall at Citizen Avenue 233, or submit feedback directly to the mayor's mailbox."
"Now, then." The Bloodfury Hunter put away the arrest warrant and took out a pair of silver shackles. He personally fastened the rather exquisite bracelets onto Ash's wrists, curling his lips to reveal pale fangs.
"Ash Hiss, leader of the Four Pillar God Heresy, you are under arrest."
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