The Seeds of Division

Just as Li Lin had predicted, the Holy Light Festival that day became the grandest celebration. Not only the people, but even Catherine's parents were completely unprepared for such a scene. The entire royal city was immersed in a sea of joy. Almost everyone believed deep down that this was the God of Justice's response to the Holy Maiden's plight, and she was once again being sung about, sung about, and praised. Moreover, Catherine had now become an angel, a being beyond the reach of ordinary people, which made them even more excited and happy.

The Temple responded swiftly to this matter. After all, angels were the closest figures to divinity in their scriptures. The transformation of the saintess into an angel, as a representative of the divine, held extraordinary significance for the Temple. Moreover, in her previous speech, Catherine had expressed her willingness to "forgive past grievances and fight together." Therefore, the Temple could no longer afford to remain passive. On one hand, they ordered the young priestess to congratulate Catherine on behalf of the Temple; on the other hand, they announced the punishment for the paladins: as blasphemers and fallen evildoers, their names would be forever erased from the Temple's records, and they would be disqualified from receiving the prayers, blessings, and rest of their lives. They would also be forbidden to have their own graves. This was a rather severe punishment, and could be seen as the Temple's rapid response to this change.

"Look outside, Catherine."

Sitting on the open-air balcony, gazing at the bustling square, Li Lin spoke with a smug smile.

"Those who worship you are chanting your name, aren't you going to go out and meet their expectations?"

"Um... um... Master... please stop joking..."

At this moment, Catherine, who had already folded her wings, was kneeling between Li Lin's legs, diligently using her tongue to clean up the "residue" from earlier.

"I've had enough of the praise from those lowly people... The weak and powerless only want to be protected. How could I have ever pitied such foolish and ignorant people before? I've had enough of that kind of life, having to respond to their expectations just because they praise and bless me. That's so unfair. What's the point of praying? What's the point of praising? What could possibly bring me more joy than your reward, Master?"

"Those guys would be shocked if they heard what you said."

Hearing this, Li Lin stroked Catherine's head and then lifted her chin.

"Now that you've become an angel, it's time for us to proceed with our next move."

"Of course, Master."

Catherine's gaze as she looked at Li Lin was clear and transparent, without a trace of confusion.

"That woman, right?"

"I'm not interested in that right now; I have something more serious to discuss."

Li Lin's hand stroked Catherine's long hair.

What were the orders given to those individuals by the Temple?

"As it stands, merely observing and assisting... given that girl's experience, dealing with me would be somewhat difficult. However, that hero cannot be underestimated. I can sense that even in the current situation, he doesn't seem to fully trust me. Master, should we eliminate him? I feel that man should be a significant obstacle to your great cause."

"It all depends on how you observe things."

Li Lin clearly disagreed with Catherine's suggestion.

"Indeed, that man is excellent and intelligent. Of course, I don't think he can stand on my side. I don't need such assistance. However, he can help me achieve my goals in another way... Catherine, from now on, I need that man to stand against the Temple. To rebel against the Temple."

Upon hearing this, Catherine paused for a moment, but quickly understood the meaning behind Li Lin's words.

"Master, do you mean...?"

"Right now, you can be considered the symbol of the Temple. Whatever you do will become the image of the Temple. So, if he opposes you, it's equivalent to opposing the entire Temple. Of course, forcing him to turn against his allies won't be easy. But, I have a good idea..." Li Lin paused here before continuing, "I think you may have already received intelligence that a floating ship appeared in the sky above the capital of a small country a few days ago. You should know that, right?"

"Of course, Master."

Catherine nodded.

"Although it won't be easy, I promise I won't let you down."

Although Li Lin and Catherine hadn't directly tested Geligao Li in any substantial way, their several meetings had given them a glimpse into the hero's character—he was mindful of the bigger picture, patient, possessed a strong sense of justice, and had keen observation skills and considerable independent judgment. It was clear that the Temple's decision to choose him as the hero was well-considered. However, this wasn't without its weaknesses. To maintain secrecy, the Temple hadn't granted Geligao Li the authority to lead soldiers. This was to reassure the Five-Nation Alliance. His status as the top mercenary in the North allowed him to quickly gather a group of mercenaries to fight for him. While these mercenaries might not be significantly stronger than paladins in terms of group combat power, their individual abilities were considerable.

"However, Master, given that man's intelligence, he might not act as we wish unless we have a good enough reason and excuse."

Catherine frowned slightly; clearly, she was already considering future developments.

"I've already considered that. In any case, without any justification, Dideyasi cannot wage war against other countries."

However, there is one absolutely indispensable factor in Li Lin's proposed battle plan. Although she herself is not here, this does not hinder the execution of the plan.

Soon, accompanied by incantations, the air in front of Li Lin began to tremble, and then transformed into a phantom figure.

"Suoxiate, tell Angela that game time is over."

"Understood, Master."

Suoxiate smiled and bowed, then vanished into thin air once more. At that moment, Li Lin turned his gaze back to Catherine's ample bosom.

"So, I think we still have some time to rest, right?"

"Of course, Master."

Sensing the meaning in Li Lin's gaze, Catherine smiled and stood up, lifting her skirt to reveal her hidden and naked body.

Soon, the lewd and seductive panting sounds reappeared.

At that very moment, the Telu Small Town, located on the border of Dideyasi, had fallen into a deep slumber.

The bustling scene in the royal city didn't reach them. As a small border town, Telu Town rarely cared about what was happening in the royal city of Dideyasi. For them, the small coastal countries on the border were more of a concern. Moreover, given the distance, it would take time for this remote border town to receive the exciting news from Her Highness Saint Catherine.

Like other border towns in Dideyasi, the Telu Town of Teru is mostly populated by soldiers, or former soldiers. Because Dideyasi's territory is currently small and impoverished, they largely adhere to the tradition of universal conscription. Every adult male undergoes military training during the off-season. This not only serves to pass the time and prevents reckless men from wasting money on taverns and women, but also strengthens the nation's power and military capabilities; after all, Dideyasi cannot place all its hopes on the Temple.

However, the residents of Telu Town have been unusually tense lately. First, several days ago, a huge noise and flash of light erupted in their border region, followed by the disappearance of paladins who had crossed the border intending to enter other countries. The Temple even dispatched high-ranking clergy to investigate, causing widespread panic in Telu Small Town. Although they were located in a border region, Dideyasi itself lacked the military strength to blockade every border line, and these smaller nations frequently launched probing attacks on Dideyasi from the border areas. While they were wary of the Five-Nation Alliance and dared not act openly, the harm caused by these disturbances to the people of the border region was very real.

"Hmph, what a boring place."

Angela gazed at the peaceful town before her and scoffed disdainfully.

"In this freezing weather, I'm out here killing people in this icy wasteland, while my master is hiding in a warm room embracing women? Hmph, that woman who's like a bitch in heat for millennia, isn't she afraid of getting too loose and bigger from too much sex? Does she really think her body will never change like ours, the vampires? When that time comes, I'll make her cry her way to her death!"

She muttered a vicious complaint in a low voice, then Angela stretched out her fingers, put them in her mouth, and whistled softly.

A melodious whistle echoed throughout the forest. Soon, pairs of deep blue eyes appeared around Angela. Hundreds of fierce wolves emerged silently from the darkness, their cold, murderous gazes fixed on the town below.

"Because it happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to mobilize my Divine Punishment Legion... But it's not bad to play around with this once in a while."

Angela spoke, she lightly ran her fingers along her fingers and then flicked them upwards.

A drop of blood spurted from her wound, bursting into countless fine, almost invisible droplets of blood in the air. These droplets pierced the wolves' bodies and entered their veins.

Soon, the silence was replaced by painful howls. Unable to withstand the Magic Power death, the wolves fell one by one, letting out unwilling screams before collapsing onto the snow, their flames of life gone—and then rising again.

"Very good, very good, you truly are my most obedient little dog."

Satisfied with the sight that the once deep blue eyes had now turned a vivid blood red, Angela smiled smugly and turned to look at the town that was beginning to awaken because of the screams.

"Alright, hounds, your food is right there. Remember... don't waste it."

For the people of Telu Small Town, what happened that night is something they will never forget—and perhaps they will never have the chance to recall it.

Awakened by the screams, the people had barely turned around when they were horrified to discover that hundreds of terrifying wolves had sprung forth from the snow-white hillside and the dark forest. Their eyes gleamed a horrifying blood-red, and their sharp teeth mercilessly tore at anything they touched. Although the people quickly and spontaneously organized to fight back, the wolves seemed invincible, charging forward relentlessly. Neither stabbing into their hearts nor shooting through their heads could stop the beasts' horrific rampage.

One by one, people had their throats bitten through, screaming as they became food for the wolves. Women and children who tried to escape were crushed beneath them by the dark shadows that fell from the sky, usually crying out a few times before falling silent. Those hiding in their homes were also unable to escape this terrible nightmare. The wolves broke through windows, tore open doors, and even smashed through roofs to enter the rooms. All that followed were the sounds of humanity's last struggles and resistance—but even these sounds could not last long.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!!"

With a single sword stroke, the warrior repelled the wolf that had closed in on him, calling out to his comrades as he did so.

"Light the fire! Drive them away!! Simultaneously send out a distress signal!!"

As he spoke, he brandished his longsword once more. The crimson blade, smeared with oil and burning bright red, deterred the terrifying wolf pack from advancing. They slowly moved, attempting to form an encirclement, trapping the group and the book within. On this defensive tower, only these dozen or so soldiers, thanks to their skilled hunting techniques, had survived the horde of wolves, avoiding becoming food for the others.

However, it's only a matter of time.

Upon hearing the order, another soldier swiftly pulled a strange object from his robes and forcefully threw it into the fire. Then, with a deafening roar, a beam of green light shot out from the flames and skyward. This was one of the few special mineral products found in Dideyasi; it would erupt upon contact with fire, producing a bright color. This was also a tool used by the Dideyasi army for emergency communication.

"Alright!"

Seeing the light rise into the sky, the leading soldier breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as the signal was detected, nearby cities would immediately send reinforcements. Until then, their only task was to hold this position. Although it wasn't easy, it wasn't difficult either... However, this was only under the condition that nothing unexpected happened.

"I never expected there to be a few rats hiding here."

A cold, childish voice appeared out of place. Then, Angela appeared among the wolves. Upon seeing her, the wolves immediately changed their encirclement and slowly retreated, as if this young girl were the queen of beasts.

"Wouldn't it be better to just lie on the ground and be bitten to death obediently? I've had enough of this annoying human struggle."

Angela snapped open her velvet folding fan, hiding the hint of displeasure on her lips.

"So, have you finished praying to your gods, you lowly insects?"

Who are you?!

Faced with this strange little girl, the soldiers became more vigilant. Just from the wolves' attitude earlier, they could tell this girl was no ordinary person. However, they still didn't know what exactly they were dealing with.

"Inferior beings are not worthy to know my name... Obediently go and die, and I'll make your journey a little more comfortable, otherwise..."

As she spoke, Angela suddenly waved the fan in her hand.

A sudden gust of icy wind extinguished a corner of the fire wall, and just then, a wolf squeezed through the gap in the fire wall. It opened its mouth wide and pounced on the unsuspecting soldiers on the side, pinning one of the strong men to the ground.

"Let him go! You beast!"

Seeing their comrade attacked, the other soldiers rushed forward, but no matter how they slashed and stabbed, the wolf held fast to the man's head, refusing to let go. Only after someone forcefully chopped off its head did the massive wolf lose all its strength and collapse to the ground. By then, their comrade had already had his head bitten through.

"So, who's next?"

Angela chuckled softly, glancing at the group of warriors before her, then her eyes darted around. The soldiers, meanwhile, grew increasingly terrified. They didn't know what they were facing, but they were acutely aware of their fate—if a few more terrifying beasts, like those that had just fought so recklessly, appeared, they would all be doomed.

"Right... let's decide with rock-paper-scissors."

"Evil monster, retreat immediately!!"

Suddenly, at that moment, a holy light, accompanied by an angry roar, struck Angela, but Angela's figure blurred, disappearing into the darkness before the holy light could hit her.

"How boring."

Looking at the priest standing at the church entrance, glaring at her angrily, Angela grumbled and stepped back. However, the smile on her lips revealed that the girl clearly had her own plans.

At that moment, hundreds of flames could be clearly seen rapidly approaching from a short distance away.

"Well then, that's enough for now, everyone... See you later. Although I'd love to play a little longer, unfortunately, I have no interest in staying in the normal difficulty dungeon any longer. Let's enjoy it properly after the BOSS appears."

Saying things that no one could understand, Angela chuckled and disappeared. As she left, the remaining wolves also retreated at the same time.

For Angela, the game has only just begun.