Luring the Enemy Deep

After their initial battles with the Undead Legion, Catherine and Gabriel noticed a strange problem: the resistance was noticeably less fierce and aggressive than they had anticipated. Catherine, a product of Angela's training, was intimately familiar with the Vampire Species heiress's personality. In Catherine's mind, if provoked like this, the heiress wouldn't cower in silence. Instead, she would surely summon her entire undead army, launch a fierce and frenzied offensive, and ultimately crush the enemy under her feet with an almost invincible force. This was Angela's consistent style. While Gabriel didn't know Angela and Li Lin well, as an Archangel, she had naturally investigated the Undead Legion before venturing to the Prime Material Plane. In Gabriel's calculations, even if the first two attacks were surprise attacks that caught the enemy off guard, they should now be alert and preparing for battle.

However, these undead armies remained hidden in the city, as if their Manipulator had completely changed their minds and intended to switch from offensive warfare to positional defense.

This is absurd. They were the ones who were originally invading, and now these undead creatures are starting to defend their positions?

Catherine and Gabriel both considered the problem from different angles, but they were at a loss. Although nominally Catherine and Gabriel were the high-ranking commanders of the allied army, the mysterious man was, in reality, the true leader. Out of caution, Catherine kept her distance from him as much as possible; she always felt this man was abnormal. Gabriel, however, was not so fortunate; she had to stay by the mysterious man's side at all times, discussing matters with him.

Of course, this was observed by Catherine, who couldn't help but begin to speculate with ill intent whether the archangel, besides accompanying this man during the day, would also "accompany" him at night.

This is a question that Catherine would never have considered in the past, but now it seems she has indeed changed.

However, Catherine still did not find an opportunity to report to her master.

Moreover, she was unaware that Li Lin had already been watching their every move.

"That man is the key."

Gazing at the man in the illusion, Li Lin spoke calmly.

"Since even the slow-witted and stubborn archangel has to obey his orders, he must be someone sent by the hand of God of Justice."

But he is not a god.

Nia naturally noticed the problem as well.

"And he's not an ordinary person, he is..."

"I know what he is. The God of Justice has a lot of nerve."

Nia didn't finish her sentence, because the icy aura emanating from Li Lin's voice made it impossible for anyone to continue.

"That's the kind of guy I hate the most."

Li Lin stared calmly at the man before him, but his eyes revealed unprecedented anger and murderous intent.

"I've always maintained that even enemies should abide by rules. Perhaps the understanding of rules differs from that of order, but at least there are bottom lines to follow. But this time is different. The God of Justice actually dared to send this thing into the Prime Material Plane, which is the greatest provocation against me. Although I don't know just how bold or how foolish this guy was to be incited to enter the Prime Material Plane, now that he's here, he can forget about going back."

What should we do?

Nia didn't say anything more; she understood perfectly why Li Lin was angry.

"Miss Angela isn't here. I think using sheer numbers might not be a good idea."

"I don't intend to use sheer numbers, but I won't let him continue to swagger around so leisurely."

Li Lin said coldly, then looked away.

"Since they want those lands, then let them have them. Anyway, no one lived there to begin with, so there's no need to worry about such trivial matters. Besides, the food and supplies inside have been contaminated and are unusable. Even if they recapture these cities, they won't be able to fully restore their functionality for the time being. However, I won't let them continue fighting aimlessly like this."

As Li Lin spoke, he raised his fist and paused in mid-air.

"I will lure them in deep, and then annihilate them all... especially that man, Suoxiate."

"Yes, Master."

The head maid appeared beside Li Lin, her expression respectful.

"I need you to contact Catherine and have her secretly spread news of these victories. Although I don't know why Catherine hasn't contacted me proactively, judging from the current situation, I can guess pretty accurately. Just tell her to do as I say. Catherine is a smart girl. I think she'll understand my thoughts, especially after being in the United Government for so long."

"I understand, Master."

After hearing Li Lin's order, Suoxiate nodded slightly to indicate that she understood. However, Nia seemed somewhat embarrassed.

"To lure the enemy in, we need bait, Li Lin. We don't have enough bait. If it's just the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, that man probably won't be in the mood to attack us. But if you go yourself, you might scare him away."

"Of course I understand."

Li Lin snorted coldly. He knew perfectly well what Nia was worried about. Although this man was indeed very powerful, Li Lin had already killed hundreds, if not thousands, of his kind. If he were to actually intervene, the man might immediately turn and run away upon sensing the power of Arcane Mage, which was clearly not what Li Lin wanted. Although using Nisi as bait was a good choice, she had not yet fully mastered the power of Arcane Mage. She couldn't even defeat the Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages, and she would only suffer a more crushing defeat against this man.

"So I'll have Angela act as the bait."

"Li Lin?"

Nia frowned and called Li Lin's name again, wondering if he had suffered some kind of trauma and his thinking had become abnormal.

Miss Angela is not here right now.

"I know."

Although Nia pointed out the correction, Li Lin's expression remained unchanged.

"However, all I need is Angela's looks and her presence."

As he spoke, his gaze returned to Suoxiate.

"Is everything alright, Suoxiate?"

"Of course not, Master."

In response to Li Lin's question, Suoxiate replied with her usual enthusiastic smile.

Even if you want me to take Miss Angela's place tonight, I guarantee there won't be any problems.

"Let's skip that. I don't want the little one to come back thinking she's someone who can be completely replaced."

Li Lin shrugged with a wry smile, putting aside Suoxiate's joke.

"But Li Lin, are you sure this bait will really work?"

Nia was clearly still somewhat worried.

"Judging from this man's behavior, the fact that he waited for supplies and reinforcements after capturing two cities instead of rushing forward suggests that he is different from his kind. I seriously doubt whether, even if he were interested, he would issue such a risky order. Besides, this would clearly look like a trap, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not worried about that. The reason he's holding back is because no one can exert such influence on him yet, and I'm sure the little guy's personality and style suit him perfectly, even though they're completely different kinds of people. But that idiot obviously won't see it that way. Once he's interested, these adventures won't be a big problem for him. Although the archangel might sense something's wrong, I think Catherine will make good use of this opportunity."

At this point, Li Lin's gaze towards the man was filled with unprecedented contempt, as if he were looking at the lowest and most ignorant beast in the world with disgust and indifference.

"Even if you put a layer of skin on the chaotic origin, it won't change its essence. A monkey is a monkey; putting clothes on it won't make it evolve into a human."

Having finished her tasks, Catherine returned to her room, somewhat exhausted. She sighed, the unsettling pressure leaving her somewhat disoriented. Although she diligently performed her duties—boosting morale, allocating resources, overseeing soldier training, and leading the clergy in prayers to the God of Justice —making Catherine appear like a hero hoping for ultimate victory and the defeat of the Magic Empire, it was clear that Catherine n't show this. Neither the Archangel nor the man of the god were people she could easily confront. While Catherine had considered turning against them, she knew that Li Lin needed someone within the United Government, someone who could stab them in the back, not someone to fight alongside him on the front lines.

"Knock knock knock."

Just as Catherine was about to change her clothes and go to bed, there was a crisp knock on the door.

Who's bothering me so late?

Catherine frowned slightly, somewhat displeased, but she still asked calmly.

Who is it?

"It's me, Catherine."

Upon hearing the voice, Catherine had to perk up. She quickly composed herself, put on a calm expression, took a deep breath, and then opened the door.

"Lord Gabriel, what brings you here so late?"

Standing before Catherine was Gabriel, who still wore that sweet smile, seemingly innocent, beautiful, and full of joy.

"I have something to discuss with you, may I come in?"

"Sure."

Faced with Gabriel's request, Catherine hesitated slightly before nodding in agreement. She then closed the door after Gabriel entered the room, watching the archangel with a hint of wariness. She wondered why the archangel had come to her room so late; this was something she had never done before. So, while Catherine appeared outwardly calm, she was secretly on high alert.

"Lord Gabriel, is there anything urgent you need to discuss with me? If it concerns military equipment...?"

"It's about the master."

"Owner?"

Gabriel's sudden words surprised Catherine. "Master? Who is this master she's talking about?"

"The great God of Justice..."

I wasn't talking about that idiot.

Gabriel turned around, put her hands behind her back, and smiled at Catherine. Catherine stared at her in astonishment, completely unable to believe that this was the kind of speech an archangel should be giving.

"I'm referring to our master, Miss Catherine. The Arcane Mage is quite concerned about how things are developing."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Archangel, I don't understand what you mean at all."

Although Catherine maintained a facade of composure, her heart skipped a beat. If it weren't for the possibility that the mysterious man might have detected her magical aura, she might have already attacked. Even so, Catherine immediately took two steps back, staring intently at Gabriel before her. She didn't know what was happening, but it was highly likely that her identity had been exposed! What should she do? Should she attack now? Could she defeat this archangel under the current circumstances?

"Please don't be so nervous, Miss Catherine."

Seeing Catherine's expression, Gabriel still chuckled softly.

"And please don't act impulsively, otherwise you'll really be in big trouble."

Then, Catherine felt a blur before her eyes, and when she looked again, she found that Gabriel had disappeared, replaced by a girl in a maid outfit with a warm smile.

"Miss Suoxiate?"

This time, Catherine could no longer suppress her surprise.

How could you...?

"My master discovered the current situation, which is why he ordered me to deliver the message. I think my disguise was quite effective."

That's more than just good.

Catherine carefully recalled the situation just now. Facing Gabriel, she had not found any flaws at all. Whether it was the spiritual light or the divine aura, it was exactly the same. If Suoxiate had not appeared on her own, she would never have thought that the Gabriel in front of her was an imposter.

"Miss Suoxiate, I'm so sorry, I didn't report everything to my master in time, which caused this problem..."

"I see."

Suoxiate's expression didn't change much.

"Master understands your predicament, please don't worry about it. After all, your power is not yet strong enough to contend with that thing."

That thing?

Catherine didn't understand what Suoxiate was talking about, but she wisely refrained from asking.

"Next are your master's orders. He wants you to spread the news of these victories throughout the United Kingdom as widely as possible. He said that once you hear this order, you'll know what to do."

Although the rumor about Suoxiate was very brief, Catherine's expression changed several times immediately after hearing it.

"Does the master intend to lure the enemy deep into our territory?"

"That's exactly right."

A glint of admiration flashed in Suoxiate's eyes; it seemed this Holy Maiden truly lived up to her reputation.

"But isn't that too risky?"

Catherine raised the same concerns as Nia, or rather, these concerns were all the more profound because she was within the United Army.

"Currently, we are pursuing a cautious offensive strategy. No matter what bait our master offers, with the undead army swarming everywhere, we simply cannot risk venturing deep into enemy territory. After all, the entire Federation has become a world of undead creatures. Even if our master were to clear a path for us, we would find it difficult to continue if he sensed something amiss. If our supply lines were cut off by the undead army, the Allied forces deep within Federation territory would face total annihilation! In fact, I'm sure most officers would not agree to such a reckless policy. Please forgive my rudeness, but I believe our master's plan is unlikely to succeed this time."

"Although the combined forces are nominally under your and Gabriel's command, the real power lies with that thing, doesn't it?"

"Why?"

Catherine didn't immediately realize what "that thing" Suoxiate was referring to, but she quickly figured it out.

"That's right. In fact, I'm only assisting now. The real important military plans are formulated by Gabriel and several other paladin commanders and officers. Of course, this is just on the surface. The one who truly holds the actual command of the military offensive is that... man."

"So you don't need to worry about anything, Miss Catherine."

Suoxiate's smile remained sweet and charming.

"Just do as your master tells you to do; if it's that thing, then you'll definitely fall for it."

"Miss Suoxiate, judging from your tone, it seems you know about that man's background?"

Hearing this, Catherine finally couldn't help but ask her question. She had been referring to "that man" when she spoke, but Suoxiate called him "the thing," which made her seem quite familiar with him.

"During the Magic Empire era, we had many encounters with that thing's kin."

Suoxiate made no attempt to hide anything.

"Master has destroyed them at least hundreds of times, originally thinking these things wouldn't be foolish enough to return to the Prime Material Plane. However, it seems they are even more foolish than Master thought. Of course... Miss Catherine, they are not objects you can fight. Just leave it to Master. You just need to complete your assigned tasks, and everything will proceed smoothly."

"I see."

Since Suoxiate was so certain, Catherine had no way to argue. She trusted Li Lin, and since Li Lin had said so, she just had to do it.

"Please report to my master for me; I will certainly complete the mission."

Catherine's previously gloomy mood had vanished, replaced by a vibrant energy and sparkling confidence in her eyes—the kind of unwavering conviction that only those with a goal possess.

After receiving a definite answer, Suoxiate smiled gently again, then transformed back into Gabriel and turned to leave the room.