The Approaching Nightmare: Prelude

May 21st.

For the people of the United Kingdom, this was a day they would never forget, for on this very day, a troop of knights on horseback galloped back to the capital from the front lines, and the news they brought back shook the entire United Kingdom.

The Scourge Legion has begun its operation!!

People have been worried and fearful all along. After all, although the previous great disaster caused considerable losses to the United Kingdom, the enemy might not be in such a state. Their side consisted of human soldiers who needed to eat, rest, and maintain their weapons. The enemy, however, was an undead legion; they needed neither rest nor food, and didn't even need weapons. The difference between the two was immense. If the Scourge Legion attacked now, the United Kingdom would certainly be unable to withstand it, not to mention the previous annihilation and encirclement battle had completely shattered human morale. They dared not engage in direct conflict with the undead legion again, let alone now, when even the priests and paladins had lost their support!

Without divine protection, how could they defeat the Scourge Legion? In this situation, even if the enemy had only a fraction of a milligram of intelligence, they would never let this golden opportunity slip by. If they could think of it, the Magic Empire could too! Therefore, the entire United Kingdom lived in constant fear. This is why they abandoned vast tracts of land and walls, turning instead to Catherine's side. It wasn't just because of the disaster and plague; since those divine spells were no longer usable, the only one who could save and protect them was this holy angel.

Although the Scourge Legion did not immediately advance, the news still terrified the United Kingdom, and at that moment, Catherine made a decision.

She erected wave-like defensive lines in the direction of the capital, deploying almost all of her elite soldiers to guard them. The civilians, except for the elderly, the weak, and the disabled, were all enlisted as reserves. If you couldn't fight, you'd do logistics! If you couldn't carry things, you'd be a clerk! If you were illiterate, you could be a lookout! In short, whatever you did before, now you had to serve the army.

Catherine's order was certainly harsh, but the terrified inhabitants of the United Kingdom had no time to think about such things. They had had enough of living in fear and desperately needed the power to protect themselves. Or rather, the current situation left them no time to consider such matters. Many voluntarily joined the army, while those who were unwilling were forced to, because Catherine's order was simple—in this moment of life and death, no one could remain uninvolved. If they were unwilling to fight to defeat the Magic Empire, then they should leave.

Everyone knows what their fate will be once they leave this place and leave Catherine's holy light.

Of course, the Scourge Legion hasn't actually attacked, or rather, not yet, or perhaps the scouts ahead were just incredibly lucky to discover the traces left behind when the enemy mobilized their forces. But in any case, one thing remains unchanged: the Magic Empire is ready to act, and they could appear at any moment! Therefore, the defenses that Catherine has set up are in preparation for this.

Of course, there were still some doubts about this arrangement among everyone, from top to bottom.

The capital city of Dideyasi occupies a highly advantageous military position. It is bordered by a narrow mountainous area in front and a deep mountain range behind, making it virtually impregnable. Under Catherine's arrangement, all civilians were relocated to the rear of Dideyasi' capital city. This way, they are not only protected by the city, but in case of emergency, they can also use the plains behind the city to escape into the mountains. To put it figuratively, the capital city is like a mother hen spreading her wings, firmly protecting her chicks behind her, and building layer upon layer of obstacles in front of her to prevent others from playing a game of "eagle catching chicks."

However, not everyone agreed with Catherine's plan. Admittedly, this wave-like defensive line would be very effective in wearing down the enemy's manpower, but it was important to understand that the enemy was not human, but an undead legion. They had no casualties to speak of, and now that the paladins had lost the protection of divine power, they could not inflict widespread damage on those monsters.

To put it bluntly, these barriers are nothing more than adding soldiers to the enemy ranks; they serve no real purpose of stopping them. Besides, morale is low, even divine magic is ineffective, so the priests' words of comfort are useless. What talk of returning to the embrace of the gods after the battle? Well said, but where are the gods? Show me a few divine spells then!

To these questions, Catherine only insisted on one sentence.

"We'll find a way."

As for what the method was, she remained silent. Although this attitude infuriated the generals, they were also helpless. They knew very well that they would ultimately have to rely on the power of this holy maiden to end the war. So they could only endure and wait to see what the so-called "method" was. And finally, they got the answer.

Shortly after the defense line was completed, the clergy who had lost their divine magic in the previous earthquake suddenly regained their ability to use it!

This news immediately boosted everyone's confidence, and in fact, they were filled with confidence—look, at this critical moment of life and death for humanity, our gods have not abandoned us; they have still given us strength to fight against the forces of evil!

In an instant, the morale of the people and the army stabilized. Not only that, but many even applied to join the Temple to become true paladins. At this point, the Temple no longer cared about past traditions or qualifications; as long as one could use divine power, they could join the Paladin Order! The God of Justice seemed to tacitly approve of this decision, and in a very short time, the number of Paladin Order, which was not initially large, had increased more than tenfold! Almost all the cavalry and eighty percent of the infantry became warriors who could use holy power; they could receive the same divine blessings and even unleash power equal to that of the paladins!

Of course, these strengths still need to be trained to ensure they can be used better.

This situation was naturally seen by the people as an act of God of Justice against evil, and the influence of the Temple grew ever larger.

This naturally caught Catherine's attention. After all, her previous statement that "there would be a way" was just an excuse. She hadn't expected the God of Justice to reappear at such a crucial moment and wield his power so recklessly. Fortunately, the god seemed quite busy; he simply restored his believer's divine power before attending to other matters, which reassured Catherine considerably. However, not everything put her at ease. There was one person Catherine remained uneasy about.

That's Henderson.

Since Mobius's defeat in the elven territory, Henderson has completely vanished without a trace. Although Catherine mobilized a considerable force to search for him, she could not ascertain his whereabouts. To Catherine, Henderson alone posed a threat comparable to an entire paladin legion. He was not only a Grand Knight Commander recognized by the Temple, but also a fanatical believer who even dared to utter arrogant words to Angela —such a person had completely transcended human capabilities. He was simply a madman.

And madmen are the most difficult to deal with.

Catherine wasn't sure if the other party had seen through her, or to what extent. After all, before Catherine served Li Lin, she had also had conflicts with this Grand Knight. Catherine attempted to use the influence of the royal family to manipulate the church, while Henderson believed that all nations and people in the world must unconditionally serve the church. Therefore, the two had always been at odds. If Henderson knew that she had betrayed God, Catherine was certain that he would kill her without hesitation, and without regard for anything else.

Catherine's current strength is incomparable to her former self. The former Catherine only possessed a smattering of divine magic for self-defense and to perform miracles. However, after being transformed into an archangel by Li Lin, she now possesses the power of a high-level mage. Magic such as teleportation, teleportation, defensive spells, and even some offensive spells can be mastered by Catherine in a very short time. Therefore, even if a fight breaks out again, she has no worries. Moreover, she now has the Nalu by her side—as the former leader of the Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages, many of whose divine spells possess powerful offensive capabilities.

However, this would inevitably cause trouble. After all, although Henderson's reputation had plummeted under Catherine's instructions, he was still the Grand Knight Commander! This position was absolutely not one that Catherine could covet. The Grand Knight Commander was a military position, and even though Catherine had become very powerful, she was still primarily a magic user; swords, spears, and physical combat were never her forte. Furthermore, there was no precedent in the Temple for a saintess to concurrently hold the position of Grand Knight Commander, so this approach was simply not feasible.

Therefore, if Catherine and Henderson were to fight, she would inevitably have to give everyone an explanation. Even if Henderson spoke, probably no one would believe her, since her behavior over this period had been impeccable. Claims that she was colluding with the Magic Empire would be dismissed as nonsense. However, rumors are rumors, and once they spread, it's never a good thing. Besides, who knows what that madman Henderson might get from the God of Justice again? Last time, he found the Savior and brought him and an Archangel back to the Temple. And this time, who knows what kind of monster he might return with? Therefore, Catherine, citing the need for "coordination within the Temple," ordered all Temple to keep a close watch and report immediately if they spotted Grand Knight Henderson, so that she could prepare countermeasures in advance.

As for divine magic...

Catherine remembered clearly that she was initially terrified. After calculating, Catherine was alarmed to discover that, based on this number, the so-called "Holy Knights" and "Holy Warriors" numbered between 1.5 million and 2 million. Although many of them were just ordinary cavalry and infantrymen before, and many were even blacksmiths, farmers, merchants, or servants who had probably never even seen a corpse, they were still genuine holy power! The effect of holy power on undead creatures was beyond doubt.

When she reported this to her master, Li Lin remained calm, casually remarking something like, "Whom God would destroy, He first makes mad; this is the prelude to madness," and then asked no further questions, as if these suddenly appearing paladins were nothing more than farmers carrying hoes in the fields, completely outside the realm of combat power. Since her master had already said so, Catherine naturally couldn't say anything more.

However, aside from that unsettling madman, Catherine's plan proceeded very smoothly.

"Sir Knight Mobius"

Looking at the handsome knight before her, Catherine felt no liking whatsoever; on the contrary, it made her feel very bad.

Look at that handsome face, that spirited demeanor, that pride and confidence he exudes—how much he resembles the guardian knight who protected her back then... Hmph, but I wonder if he's just as useless as that guy? Catherine imagined the young man before her being trampled under Angela's feet, suffering humiliation and ridicule, while a gentle and holy smile appeared on her face.

"You're finally back."

"It's been a long time. You are still as holy and beautiful as ever, Your Highness."

Mobius bowed deeply, performing a knightly salute to Catherine.

After Catherine relieved his inner turmoil, Mobius rallied and went to the front lines. He didn't participate in the battle against the elves, but instead chose to monitor the undead on the border and protect his land. Although most of the undead had gathered, some still lingered on the border. Mobius led several hundred holy knights on patrols day and night, eliminating the undead. He gradually grew stronger, his will became more resolute, and he even became more intelligent. Moreover, according to intelligence, he even successfully annihilated a group of undead during the period when he lost his divine power!

The news that the Scourge Legion had begun its operation first came from him.

After careful consideration, Catherine issued a transfer order to send him back to the capital to take charge of the last and most crucial line of defense.

Catherine's actions were, of course, driven by her own deeper meaning.

She could see that although the young man before her had become more intelligent and resolute, he was utterly loyal to her. Catherine could sense that this wasn't the kind of respect others showed through her, a disguised form of worship of the God of Justice; his respect and loyalty to her, Saint Catherine, came from the bottom of his heart. And this was exactly the effect Catherine desired. Of course, she couldn't use love to seduce him, although for Catherine, that wouldn't be difficult. He was a virgin who had never even been with a woman; she wouldn't even need to sacrifice her looks. A little gentleness and flirtation would be enough to make him fall at her feet. But what if she exposed herself to him? The woman he remembered as the purest and most sacred, suddenly seducing him like a wanton prostitute... What kind of expression would this upright, brave, and pure holy knight have then?

But...

Whenever Catherine thought of this, her face would involuntarily darken.

The only one worthy of my attention is my master. What is this kid? Just a pawn. Why should I waste my emotions and time on him?

From a certain perspective, Catherine's view on love is also quite "devoted".

Mobius naturally wouldn't fall in love with this saint; in fact, to him, it would almost be a desecration of her. In Mobius eyes, she was so sacred, so high and mighty, that she couldn't be tainted in the slightest. How could he allow mortal emotions to influence her? However, just as Catherine had suspected, Mobius had already sworn in his heart to dedicate his life and soul to the saint before him, protecting her until his last breath. Therefore, upon receiving Catherine's orders, he immediately packed his belongings and led his men back to the royal city.

"I believe you are already aware of the latest appointment, Sir Mobius."

With a gentle smile, Catherine gestured for the other person to sit down before speaking.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Mobius nodded immediately, then asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness, although I have no objection to your order, I still believe... at this critical moment, I should go to the front lines to kill the enemy! To completely annihilate those evil undead creatures!"

"Emotionally speaking, I understand what you're thinking."

Catherine smiled, but shook her head.

"But I'm sorry, I have to do this."

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, Mobius was taken aback. Although he had made rapid progress in recent days, he still adhered to the paladin's tenet of humility and caution, so he did not immediately refute her, but waited for Catherine to continue.

"Please consider this, Lord Mobius: is our enemy the Scourge Legion or the Magic Empire?"

"This..."

Faced with Catherine's question, Mobius paused, wondering what the difference was. Wasn't it just the Scourge Legion controlled by the Magic Empire? Then what was the difference between destroying the Scourge Legion and destroying the Magic Empire?

"Of course there are differences."

Although Mobius only expressed his doubts very subtly, Catherine still spoke up.

"First, you need to understand that the Scourge Legion is nothing more than a bunch of brainless, mindless undead. Of course, we saw in the previous wars that they weren't without commanders... but! They were only commanders! They can't use magic, nor can they use powerful weapons. Do you really think that's all the Magic Empire has done? Sure, we can destroy these poor undead and let their souls find eternal rest, but so what? We can destroy these undead, but the evil Magic Empire can simply recreate them. What we face isn't just the Scourge Legion, but our greatest enemy is the Magic Empire, those evil mages who use magic... To be frank, Mobius, I think that in the current situation, holding off the Scourge Legion isn't a problem, but once the Magic Empire's mages join the fight, I'm worried about whether these defenses will be effective!"

Upon hearing this, Mobius's expression turned serious!

You mean...?

"To catch the thief, first catch the king; they can't possibly not understand this principle. Mobius, even without you on the front lines, those knights blessed by the God of Justice are enough to fight the Scourge Legion. But what if, at that time, the evil mages seize the opportunity to attack us? I am merely a woman serving the gods; I do not possess the power of mages to fight their evil. Even if I could destroy those evil undead creatures, I would not be able to withstand magical attacks. And without a warrior to protect this place, to protect the people behind this city, then even if we ultimately achieve victory, we will only reap the fruits of defeat."

Catherine's eyes were filled with worry and pain. No one would ever associate this saintess with the Magic Empire. They would never have imagined that she had become a complete servant of the enemy!

I understand what you mean.

Before Catherine could say anything more, Mobius stood up and pounded his chest. With a firm, sincere gaze, full of faith and hope, he looked at Catherine and solemnly gave his response.

"I swear on my honor, Your Highness, I will protect this city and all its people from the persecution of evil!"