Sudden Turn of Events

As Angela entered the town, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Undead creatures still roamed the town, running through every alley and shadow, trying to find and kill their prey. But this time they came up empty-handed; the entire town was deserted, not a soul in sight.

The situation is very unusual.

Angela certainly hadn't overlooked the problem. In fact, although there had been precedents of people abandoning cities to escape the undead army's slaughter, Angela had always managed to find those who remained in the city and those who were fleeing. Moreover, with the undead army closing in layer by layer, the places where humans could hide were becoming increasingly scarce. However, anyone would find it strange to see such a "clean" town that had been evacuated.

There were no enemies, not even any living people. Angela, clearly sensing a faint, almost imperceptible, holy aura in the air. To Angela, this nauseating smell made her extremely uncomfortable. The town wasn't large, appearing to have only a few hundred inhabitants at most. According to the information Angela obtained through the undead creatures, there were no signs of people fleeing. Therefore, they were likely still within the town; however, they must have used some method to evade Angela's search, which was why they were nowhere to be found.

This may sound unbelievable, but based on Angela's understanding of humans, they always enjoyed coming up with unexpected, interesting, seemingly strange but actually quite practical little tricks. Even throughout Angela's long life, she had fallen for these tricks several times and suffered quite a bit from them. Although as the proudest race, Angela had never verbally admitted to it, deep down she had always been watching for similar situations to occur.

With that thought in mind, Angela raised her right hand.

As she moved, the undead creatures that had been crawling around suddenly seemed to come alive. They stopped moving in unison, raised their heads and looked in Angela's direction. Then, with unimaginable speed and agility, they leaped onto the roof, their bright red eyes staring unblinkingly into the empty space before them, as if trying to see something from it.

Those hiding in the darkness naturally sensed the anomaly. They huddled together in fear, their mouths tightly shut. Trembling with dread, they listened to the sounds outside. The undead creature's evil and furious growl was like the howl of Hell, terrifying all living beings. Perhaps they weren't priests, nor did they possess the sensitivity of literature and art, but any living being could unmistakably hear the boundless death and darkness—and chilling rage—that roar carried within it.

At this moment, the outside suddenly became quiet, leaving everyone somewhat at a loss. They looked at each other, wondering what had happened outside. Time seemed to have frozen, and they themselves seemed to be under a spell, unable to move an inch, unable to even move their tongues, and their hearts seemed to have stopped beating in that instant. Everything was being manipulated by a powerful and inexplicable force, no longer under their control.

Then, people heard it.

It was a soft whistle.

The whistle was completely random, without any rhythm or variation. It was as flat and lifeless as a level surface, yet it inexplicably made everyone who heard it feel uneasy. They felt their hearts begin to pound uncontrollably, and an emotion more intense than fear burst forth from their bodies, the violent beating making them feel as if their hearts were about to leap out of their mouths!

However, people instinctively kept their mouths shut. They didn't know what would happen next, nor what the whistle meant, but that didn't mean they were unaware of what was happening. However, not everyone possessed such self-control.

"Wow--!"

A clear, crisp cry of a baby rang out, then vanished in an instant.

Angela's ears twitched.

Although the cry was cut off before it was finished, she still discovered what she wanted to discover and hoped to discover.

A cold smile appeared on the girl's face. She slowly clenched her raised right hand and then snapped her fingers.

That's the order.

The undead creatures that had been quietly lying on the roof immediately sprang into action. They quickly and frantically dug through the roof and fell into the room. Then, they began digging into every crevice and crevice in the floor. Although their hands, which looked incomplete and rotting, were theoretically incapable of such heavy physical labor, it made no difference to the undead creatures whether they dug with their hands or bit with their teeth.

"Waaaaaah!!!"

Finally, a scream rang out.

Although people had dug deep enough tunnels to hide them, the undead creatures controlled by Angela were not so easy to deal with. For them, digging three feet into the ground was by no means an impossible task. Hearing this scream, Angela closed her eyes with satisfaction. To her, everything was finally back on track.

Although it's unknown who came up with this idea, it has clearly put humanity in a desperate situation. While they have prepared defenses at the tunnel entrance to eliminate any undead attempting to enter, the undead are not human. For them, the location of the exit and entrance is irrelevant—if there isn't one, they can simply dig one.

Thus, those hidden in the tunnels were attacked in a way that was both unexpected and predictable. The positions they had used to protect themselves had now become their own graveyards. Undead creatures could emerge from anywhere, seemingly unconcerned about whether they had broken the support pillars of the tunnels. In fact, although many tunnels collapsed due to the influx of too many undead creatures and the loss of their support pillars, this did not cause any significant harm to the undead. They didn't care if stones smashed their heads or mud blocked their mouths and noses; they were already dead anyway.

But this is clearly not the case for others.

Standing atop the tallest building in the town, Angela smugly surveyed the scene below. Many had been lucky enough to escape through the tunnels, avoiding their first death. However, when they reached the surface, the undead army, already on high alert, clearly wouldn't let these poor souls go. Even if they were fortunate enough to escape the undead's pursuit once more, they had only extended their lives by a mere moment.

Simply running away is pointless. Although resistance is equally pointless.

Angela through her nose, making her almost unable to resist. Thinking this, Angela turned her head to look at a corner of the town, then her lips curled slightly, and she transformed into a streak of red light and vanished into thin air.

Walast was wielding his greatsword, cleaving another charging undead creature in two. Holy light enveloped his body, forcing the undead to retreat and keep their distance from the elderly paladin.

After being banished by the Temple, Walast returned to his hometown, this small town. He felt neither aggrieved nor angry about his fate; after all, it was nothing compared to saving the lives of an entire city. He knew very well that if he didn't do what he did, the entire city would become a target of the Scourge Legion. Walast couldn't determine whether this war was right or wrong. As he told Li Lin, he was simply trying his best to save the lives before him and ensure their survival. But that was all; even if it meant they could live just a little longer, it would be good enough.

However, the death of his disciple still shocked Walast considerably. He was a talented child, and if he had lived on, he would have become a great paladin. Unfortunately, he did not live to see that day. On the other hand, the fact that he did not see him become an undead and rise again, but was buried in the church cemetery, was a consolation for Walast.

Walast knew better than anyone how terrifying the undead were. He was neither pessimistic nor optimistic. After all, with the existing means, even with the help of the clergy, it was impossible to completely destroy those evil undead, not to mention that their reproduction rate was simply outrageous. They did not need mobilization, training, or even assembly. Every dead person would automatically become a soldier among them, regardless of gender or age.

Faced with an army of this caliber, any resistance would appear weak and futile.

However, we must continue to resist.

Walast roared, and the holy light emanating from his body expanded instantly, barely dispelling the undead creatures that were about to surround him—though they possessed no intelligence whatsoever. Their instincts led them to believe that the glowing light bulb before them was their primary target. It was precisely because of this that the dozen or so trembling, pitiful creatures hiding behind Walast were spared from being torn to shreds by the undead.

However, it's only a matter of time.

Walast felt the divine power within his body flowing inexhaustibly, an unusual situation he had never encountered since becoming a paladin. However, Walast had no time to concern himself with such things. For the first time in his life, he used his holy power so recklessly, wielding it to disperse the surrounding undead creatures or attract their attention. Apart from that, Walast had nothing else to do.

He had actually disagreed with this approach from the very beginning. In Walast's view, while digging tunnels underground was novel, it wasn't a long-term solution. Even if they temporarily escaped the undead's attack, what would they do next? Dig a tunnel to escape? Wouldn't it be more direct and practical to just run away?

However, no one would heed the advice of an old paladin who had been expelled from the Temple, especially given his notorious record of "assisting the Magic Empire." People firmly believed that these undead creatures would leave once they couldn't find them, and once they left, they could start over. It wasn't a big problem. They didn't know much about the undead, but since they had already made their decision, they were willing to take the gamble.

Unfortunately, they lost their gamble.

The old paladin didn't leave either; he stayed to keep these people company, even though he knew it was all in vain.

But at least it can prolong their lives by a little longer.

Walast caught his breath. He had lost count of how many undead he had slain today; it seemed he had killed more than he had since becoming a paladin. His body wasn't tired; it seemed he could sustain himself in slaughtering all the undead here—until the undead suddenly retreated like a tide, making room for a flash of red light.

"This truly surprises me."

Standing before the old paladin, Angela frowned. She wasn't oblivious to the hundreds of undead corpses on the ground. To be honest, she didn't underestimate the paladin's combat power, but a paladin could never possibly kill hundreds of undead. If they were truly that powerful, Angela was certain her Scourge Legion would have been wiped out long ago.

"I thought it was some tiny insect struggling for its life here, but it's you?"

"Miss Angela."

Walast gave a wry smile, taking advantage of this rare opportunity to adjust his mind and breathing.

If he still thought there was a glimmer of hope just now, now it was utter despair.

He had witnessed Angela's power firsthand; it was a power that no human could resist. Moreover, rumors had it that she had even defeated Grand Knight Commander Henderson multiple times. The difference between them was simply heaven and earth. Walast was certain that even if he were to take action, he probably wouldn't last three moves against Angela.

Or even shorter.

At this moment, Angela also stared at the old paladin before her, remaining silent.

She hadn't expected to encounter this old paladin here. Although to Angela, most humans were nothing more than ants, there were always some humans who would interest her. Like Catherine and the man before her, Walast. This old paladin, while a believer in justice, didn't evoke unpleasant feelings. He didn't make foolish and stubborn choices based on incompetent judgments. Moreover, Li Lin had once said that he quite hoped this old paladin could live, as his survival would benefit Li Lin's plans.

If she hadn't met him here, Angela wouldn't have been thinking about these pointless questions.

But now, she has to make a choice.

"You're an interesting human being, old man."

Angela narrowed her eyes, staring at Walast.

"I've always been lenient with interesting people... Now, leave this place, and I'll spare your life."

"While I appreciate your kindness, however..."

As Walast spoke, he gripped his greatsword tighter.

"It's a pity I can't leave."

"Because you don't want to accept help from evil?"

A flash of crimson appeared in Angela's eyes.

"Or is it that, as a messenger of justice, one is unwilling to bow to evil and beg for a chance to survive?"

Actually, I didn't think that much about it.

Walast smiled and shook his head.

"To be honest, I don't want to die, but behind me... there are people I need to protect. I'm staying here not for myself, but to protect them. Miss Angela, if I were alone here, I would accept your request without hesitation. But it's different now. Behind me are people who need my protection. I must do everything in my power to protect them, and I will never back down. This is the belief of a paladin; I will not abandon them."

Hearing this, Angela raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting... I don't dislike stubborn humans, but I dislike those idiots who can't even explain why they're stubborn. Since you've made your choice, I'll give you a chance."

As she spoke, Angela took out her folding fan, and with the emergence of a faint soul light, the giant scythe reappeared before everyone.

"If you can withstand even one of my attacks, then I will lead the Scourge Legion to retreat. If not... then I'm sorry."

Although Li Lin said he would spare his life, for Angela, since she had not received an order to "spare his life," this was the maximum concession she could make at the moment.

I hope my owner won't blame me for this.

Walast remained silent, gripping his greatsword and assuming a defensive stance, while Angela bent slightly, her scythe almost touching the ground with her single hand.

Then a flash of red light appeared, colliding violently with the flickering holy light.

The forces of evil and the forces of holiness clashed in that instant, and the resulting massive storm was inescapable for anyone. The undead had already retreated, crawling among the ruins and shadows, watching the storm with terror and unease. The humans hiding behind the old paladin also closed their eyes. Perhaps the holy light was not dazzling, but the crimson blood was terrifying and impossible to look at directly.

The confrontation was short, almost instantaneous, lasting only a blink of an eye, but for the surviving beings present, it felt as long as an entire lifetime.

"What a pity, old man."

Angela returned to her previous spot, the massive scythe in her hand gone, transformed back into an Angela, his abdomen pierced by Walast scythe, a gaping wound. Though the holy light still shone upon the old paladin, it had dimmed considerably.

"Yes, it's such a pity..."

Walast raised his head and looked at Angela with a wry smile.

"Bad luck..."

"Die in peace. I will watch you die. For a human being, that is an unparalleled honor, isn't it?"

"Hahaha..."

Upon hearing Angela's words, the old paladin chuckled, then turned his head with difficulty.

"So..."

"No, you have failed. Then what you protected with your life means nothing to me."

"I think... that's... to be true..."

The light in Walast's eyes began to dim slowly, and he closed his eyes gently, as if falling into an eternal sleep, peaceful yet helpless.

Interesting people.

Angela gazed at the corpse of Walast with interest, smiling silently. The brilliance of humanity at such moments is always the most dazzling and captivating. Like Li Lin, when he spoke of reviving the Magic Empire, it was his unwavering will, unyielding to any difficulty, that moved Angela. And Catherine was the same; her courage to face her fate with equanimity, even knowing it was her destiny, also intrigued and left a lasting impression on Angela. Although Angela hadn't had much contact with this old man, there were always a few humans who could shine brightly in the face of death, and he was one of them.

However, by comparison, most human deaths are so ugly and fragile, fit only for leisurely amusement and games.

Angela glanced at the people trembling as they stared at the old paladin's corpse, and sneered without saying a word.

Just then, a stone suddenly came flying at them. Its target was not Angela, but the old paladin who had already fallen to the ground and was no longer making a sound.

It's all your fault!

A boy, trembling, threw the stone in his hand, smashing it against the old paladin's corpse.

"It's all your fault! It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, if it weren't for you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, because Angela had already appeared in front of him. She stared coldly at the boy, then plunged her right hand heavily into his body.

"Ooohhhhhhhhhhh!!"

The boy clutched his bleeding abdomen and rolled on the ground in agony. He shook his body violently, and blood splattered on the grass, creating a bizarre scene. The bystanders watched in horror, unsure of what to say.

"In comparison, most humans are just so lowly and boring."

Angela flung the entrails from her hand and stomped hard on the boy's head. With a crisp crack of bones breaking, the boy's screams ceased.

"While I don't dislike you, I don't like... lowly humans may be boring, but they have their value; after all, a beautiful flower needs green leaves to set it off..."

As she spoke, Angela looked at the people in front of her and revealed an innocent and carefree smile.

"Then you may all die, you lowly people."

A scream erupted.

As the undead creatures pounced on him, this last survivor bid farewell to the world before him.

Just as Angela turned around to leave, the unusual scene before her caught her attention.

"Um?"

Angela suddenly noticed that above the old paladin's body floated a strange, holy halo, inside which was engraved a strange symbol. This symbol, radiating holy light, remained above the old paladin, trembling slightly.

Angela was completely unfamiliar with the magic and divine arts of this world, but she was instinctively interested in them.

"This looks quite interesting. Let's take it back to our master and show it to him."

Angela spoke, she reached out and grabbed at the strange symbol.

If Li Lin were here, he would immediately stop Angela's actions, for this is the mark of a god. In the Prime Material Plane, while many obtain their positions by destroying gods, there are also some exceptional individuals who can become gods through their own efforts. Walast is one of them; he dedicated his life to his beliefs and was willing to sacrifice himself, thus truly transcending the human realm and beginning his journey towards godhood. However, for some unknown reason, Walast's divinity did not ascend to the Upper Realm but remained in the Prime Material Plane. If it were a being with similar attributes that touched it, it would be fine, but even if Angela were to offer flattery, she would certainly not be considered a benevolent member.

Sure enough, just as Angela was about to touch the symbol, a powerful divine force erupted and gripped Angela wrist tightly.

"What is this?!"

Unfazed by the sudden attack, Angela did not panic. Instead, her dark wings suddenly unfurled, and immense evil energy erupted from Angela body, beginning to confront the divinity before her. The white holy light and the crimson evil light collided, forming a new storm.

"You wretched thing, get out of my way!"

Although it had been contained by the evil forces, the white halo still clung tightly to Angela's wrist. Noticing this only fueled Angela's rage. The crimson in her eyes had become blinding, and the roaring storm had already destroyed the entire town. Neither the undead nor humans could withstand the power capable of destroying the world.

Although Angela sensed something was wrong as soon as the anomaly occurred and tried to contact Li Lin, the clash between the holy and evil forces made their already weak mental connection even more chaotic. Therefore, after her calls went unanswered, Angela decisively focused her attention on the strange ball of light in front of her.

Although I don't know what it is, I'll have to ask my owner when I get back.

At the same time, the crimson evil light grew brighter, while the white light began to dim. Having just become a god, and even absorbing the power of faith, it was simply unable to maintain its integrity in the face of this evil torrent. Finally, the white halo began to collapse, and Angela, who witnessed this, naturally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally over, what a hassle... huh?"

Just then, Angela suddenly felt a tremendous suction force. Then, the shattered white halo turned into a phantom crack. Before Angela could react to what was happening, she was sucked into it and disappeared.

Meanwhile, the swirling storm finally stopped.