A Sense of Loss

This is the tenth day.

Mobius was still unable to emerge from the shadow of defeat. Ten days ago, after waking from his coma, he learned what had happened from the two remaining Weapon Spirit: they had been surrounded and attacked. None of the other Weapon Spirit had managed to escape from the enemy, and three of them had already perished.

It's all my fault!

Mobius felt a deep sadness and regret welling up within him. Although the two Weapon Spirit didn't blame him, it only intensified his self-reproach and sorrow. He felt he had lost his purpose and hope, seeing only a dark and hopeless future ahead. He didn't know what he would face, nor did he want to know. This crushing defeat made Mobius realize for the first time the true power of his enemies—they had so easily, so very easily Mobius, even the weapons forged by the God of Justice...

Since he began studying under Henderson, Mobius had never suffered such a utter defeat. Everything he had learned was completely useless in the face of absolute power. In fact, when Mobius learned from the Weapon Spirit that he had been rescued not because of the other party's carelessness, but because no one had paid any attention to him, this once proud young paladin had fallen into deep despair.

He didn't even deserve to be noticed by the enemy!

Lady Gabriel naturally learned of his news. Although the archangel, who appeared as a little girl, said nothing, she withdrew the remaining two Weapon Spirit that had accompanied Mobius. Nothing could better express her disappointment than this. As for Henderson, his most admired and respected teacher, he hadn't even come to see him. However, the boy knew very well that his teacher was probably quite disappointed in him as well.

Where exactly is my future?

The room was dimly lit. Although the sunlight was still bright, it seemed listless to Mobius. He felt his breathing was heavy, and although he didn't know what to do, the boy knew this couldn't go on... He had to pull himself together, he had to pull himself together...

Then what?

Can I really save this continent, this world?

Every time Mobius asked himself these questions from the depths of his heart, he felt his confidence diminish. Now, the young paladin didn't even have the courage to ask himself that question anymore. He mechanically picked up a piece of dry, hard bread from the table, drank it down with cold water, and barely finished his breakfast. But that was all. After waking up, Mobius's daily life was the same. He would just sit blankly in his chair, staring out the window until sunset, then go to bed...

He dared not leave his room, dared not face the soldiers who had once placed their hopes in him. He dared not look them in the eye, afraid they would laugh at him, even more afraid they would ask him why, as a paladin of the Temple, he could not protect his men and his weapons. What had he done in battle?

But today, perhaps Mobius was tired of waiting, or perhaps he was already fed up and had given up on himself, the young paladin left his room for the first time and stepped out of his dimly lit dwelling.

It was midday, and the soldiers were still training hard. Mobius could hear the deafening shouts and drills from the square, which reassured him somewhat, as it also meant less opportunity for him to interact with people. At times like this, ordinary people wouldn't be here. And indeed, as Mobius had expected, when he stepped out of his hut, there wasn't a soul in sight. The young paladin stood silently, head bowed, staring blankly at everything before him. He didn't know what to do—stay here or leave quietly? However, upon seeing the church in the distance, as if drawn by something, the young paladin began to walk towards the sacred building.

The church was deserted. After establishing the United Government, Catherine intentionally pushed many affairs onto the Temple. Her reasoning was sound: since the proposal of this so-called "democratic nation" came from the God of Justice, then those who followed his will should naturally accept the Temple's watchful eye and scrutiny to ensure they didn't stray from the God of Justice's path... As for the other nobles, they naturally agreed with Princess Catherine's opinion. After all, it was the God of Justice who had caused their countries and territories to become so chaotic; if they didn't take responsibility, were they expected to clean up his mess?

As a result, the Temple was severely short-staffed during this period. In addition, Catherine had already consciously led a small number of priests astray, so the Temple's efficiency in handling affairs naturally became even lower. Now, even the novice priests had to undergo training and military preparedness education, as well as maintain discipline for those "democratic marches," and no one cared about who would go to church to pray anymore.

Standing before the quiet church, gazing at the towering statue of the God of Justice, Mobius knelt. He closed his eyes and began to pray, begging the deity to guide him, dispel the shadows and fog before him, and dispel the confusion in his heart. However, despite his long prayers, he received no guidance or revelation from the God of Justice.

At this moment, Mobius was utterly despondent.

Does this mean that even the gods have abandoned me?

God has not abandoned anyone.

Just then, a beautiful and melodious voice rang out from behind Mobius.

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, Mobius was startled. He quickly stood up and turned around to look in the direction of the sound, where he saw Catherine standing not far behind him, smiling.

"Your Highness, Holy Princess!"

Upon seeing Catherine's appearance, Mobius was taken aback. He had no time to think about why the saintess would be there, and hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects to her.

"No need for formalities, young warrior."

Catherine's voice remained as calm and gentle as ever, carrying an indescribable comfort.

"Please stand up. There's no need to lower your noble head. You haven't done anything wrong."

"But, I..."

Catherine's words only deepened Mobius's sorrow. A warrior? Not only had he failed, but he had also lost the weapon bestowed upon him by the God of Justice! Could he truly be considered a warrior? What power did he have left to save others? To save this land? What right did he have to remain here?

"Your Highness, I..."

"I know."

Catherine interrupted Mobius, looking at the young paladin with a gentle smile.

"I know this failure has plunged you into Abyss. You feel powerless to change anything, don't you? I can feel the loss and sorrow in your soul, but..." Catherine's tone suddenly turned serious. "But I have to tell you, you're wrong."

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, Mobius looked up in surprise, staring at Catherine in disbelief, wondering why she would say such a thing.

Did I misunderstand?

"That's right."

As Catherine spoke, her expression became much more serious.

"Perhaps you think it's all your fault, that we abandoned you, that the great gods left you, but in fact, it's the opposite. It wasn't the gods who abandoned you, but you who abandoned the gods."

"I..."

"What do you believe truly represents justice? Power? Power sufficient to overcome all obstacles?"

Catherine's voice became faster and faster.

Do you believe that only those with power can embody the value of justice, while the weak are incapable of doing so?

"That's not what I think, but I..."

"Look at those women."

Catherine spoke, she turned to look out the window.

"Look at them. They don't possess divine power like me, nor do they have the formidable skills of you. Perhaps they cannot directly confront the attacks of evil, but what are they doing right now? They are powerless, unable even to wield weapons to fight the enemy, yet they haven't given up or become despondent. They are doing what they believe is right. Without their help, could the paladins go to the front lines to fight the enemy with peace of mind? Could they wield their swords with peace of mind? When they return, bloodied and battered, wouldn't they yearn for a warm bowl of water and a soft bed?"

At this point, Catherine reached out and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder.

"There isn't just one way to uphold justice. Of course, everyone will choose what they believe is the most appropriate way to do so, but failure is inevitable. Isn't that right? To give up completely just because of one failure? Are you even a warrior anymore, Mobius? I don't want to offer any platitudes about how the justice of the entire continent needs you to uphold it. Think about it carefully: the God of Justice has chosen you, chosen you to be his representative. So how can you become so despondent?"

"But in their eyes, I'm utterly insignificant..."

Mobius lowered his head and clenched his fists.

"Those evil mages, they didn't even take me seriously!"

"That's why you need to prove them wrong!"

Catherine's voice was filled with clarity, determination, and conviction.

"If you continue to wallow in despair, it will only prove them right, that you truly don't deserve their attention! Because you can't hinder them at all! Do you really want to be just a weak and incompetent person, as those evil enemies think? Do you want them to laugh at your cowardice and weakness?"

Of course not!

The fire deep within the young man's heart was instantly ignited; he raised his head and gazed into Catherine's eyes.

"I won't let them succeed!"

You will succeed, young warrior.

Catherine's voice lowered considerably, returning to its previous gentle and soft tone.

"Remember, failure isn't scary; what's truly terrifying is running away from failure. I think the reason Archangel Gabriel took back those two Weapon Spirit is because you've lost your fighting spirit, you've lost your courage and confidence, and therefore you're no longer qualified to use them. Now, I think you should understand what to do, to prove yourself—not only for us, but also for yourself."

"I... I understand."

After a moment of contemplation, Mobius raised his head, his previously somewhat bewildered eyes now shining brightly.

"I understand what you mean, Your Highness. Thank you for your guidance and instruction! It seems I haven't been abandoned by the gods after all!!"

With that, he struck his chest heavily with his right hand, giving Catherine a paladin's salute, then quickly turned and left.

You have long been abandoned by the gods.

Watching Mobius's retreating figure, Catherine's eyes revealed a cold smile.

As a useless person, he naturally wouldn't attract the attention of the gods, would he? However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that Henderson abandoned him; at least it gave him some room to maneuver. Some pieces are still quite useful, and discarding them now would be a waste.

Work hard, young man.

Catherine walked out of the Temple without even glancing at the statues standing behind her.

You will be both the beginning and the end of the entire king's destruction.

But his idea just now was truly laughable.

What exactly constitutes the exercise of justice?

"Power, of course!"

Catherine, naked, moved vigorously on the priestess's body, a wicked smile on her face. Gazing at the face before her, once so resolute and calm, now softened like a little girl's, she felt a surge of joy and excitement from the depths of her heart.

"Only power matters, isn't it, Miss Weapon Spirit?"

"Ah... ah..."

The relentless stimulation had rendered Nalu unable to answer Catherine's questions. She had lost count of how many times she had felt that trembling pleasure. She was still bound, but she had long since abandoned her initial resistance. Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes almost white. The small iron ball had been removed from her mouth, replaced by two slippery, moist tentacles that burrowed inside, writhing violently and greedily. As Catherine chanted her incantation, several more tentacles rose from the ground and spread out, wrapping around the girl's petite and slender body, bringing her endless pleasure.

"It seems the god you worship hasn't come to save you. What's the point of your struggle? Oh, it seems you've given up struggling. It seems Miss Angela's methods are quite effective. Isn't that right? Faith? What's the point of faith without the support of power? What do you believe in now? Kindness? Controversy? Or something inside you right now?"

As she mocked, Catherine's movements grew faster and faster, and with each movement, the priestess's breathing became increasingly rapid. She was completely unable to think, relying solely on instinct to feel the waves crashing over her body. Her earlier rationality and strength had vanished. Her divine magic had been completely sealed, and now Catherine's desire for revenge was equally intense. Every time she ravaged this Weapon Spirit, she would use many rather "unorthodox" spells, such as enhancing her sensitivity or summoning strange things to stimulate her nerves.

Just like now.

"Ah... woo... woo..."

With her eyes wide open in a daze, feeling Catherine's fierce assault from behind, the girl let out another incoherent scream. Under Catherine's command, another tentacle deftly wrapped around the girl's body and then burrowed into that place where nothing should have entered. This immediately caused the girl to scream loudly and twist her body wildly to reach a small climax. However, she was not able to fully enjoy this soul-stirring pleasure.

Call me Queen!!

With Catherine's gesture, several tentacles lashed heavily across the priestess's body, dragging her out of the pleasure she hadn't fully experienced, forcing her to endure a new round of ravaging and conquest.

Finally, Catherine left the priestess's body, and the Weapon Spirit, having lost its last support, collapsed onto the cold ground. Her mouth was half-open, her tongue lolling out as she breathed unconsciously. Her once beautiful and lovely face was now covered in grime and white stains, not to mention the various wounds that clung to her body. At this moment, the girl's body continued to tremble irregularly; she kicked her legs unconsciously, as if resisting something, or perhaps merely reacting instinctively.

"Your master will eventually become my pawn, Miss Weapon Spirit. The God of Justice chose him to oppose my master and try to sabotage his plans. In return, I can use him to disrupt the God of Justice's plans as well. With his abilities, he is no match for my master. His only purpose is to delay the victory of this war a little longer..."

Approaching the Weapon Spirit, Catherine spoke while making several hand gestures. Soon, dark tentacles dragged the Weapon Spirit from the ground and pulled it before her. The Nalu, already delirious, now had a visibly swollen abdomen, a result of Catherine's unrestrained violation. She had suffered an unprecedented and terrifying experience, one she would likely never forget.

Even if you brought a bunch of orcs, they wouldn't do any better than they are now.

This was Li Lin's remark to Nia after his inspection.

"Give up? Have you decided to give up on the God of Justice? My lovely Weapon Spirit?"

Reaching out to stroke Nalu's cheek, Catherine's eyes flashed with a cold, triumphant light.

"Are you willing to submit to me and become my slave?"