The Approaching Nightmare, Fear

"Almighty God above! What kind of monster is this?!"

Seeing this terrifying thing slowly approaching, many soldiers began to tremble, not only because of the monster's horrific appearance but also because of the stench. Some soldiers couldn't even withstand the spreading stench and vomited right by the city wall. Although divine power could help them resist the evil's corruption to some extent, it couldn't stop the stench. Fortunately, the clergy didn't stand still. Although they too were affected by the stench, they were able to resist it with their strong will, managing to utter words of praise to the gods. With the effect of divine magic, the stench was forcibly dispelled, and fresh air returned to everyone. As the stench dissipated, more and more clergy began to chant. Soon, divine light pierced the sky, enveloping the entire defensive line and barely dispelling the terrible smell.

But this is just the beginning.

"Prepare the catapults!"

Although they didn't know what the monster was, it was clear it couldn't possibly be one of their own. So, after the order was given, the soldiers quickly prepared. They had practiced this kind of situation hundreds of times and were already familiar with how to proceed. Soon, everyone was in position, waiting for the command to launch the attack and completely annihilate the monster.

Or rather, this monster.

"Release the arrows!"

Perhaps because this thing appeared to be highly flammable, the commander of the defensive line did not immediately use catapults to attack. Instead, they used the most ancient method: with a command, burning rockets were launched from the soldiers' hands, turning into streaks of fire that rained down on the enormous and strange behemoth before them. After all, its speed was not very fast, even quite slow. If the rockets were effective, this strange and terrifying thing could be easily destroyed without expending resources.

However, reality is clearly not so simple.

Although the burning rockets, imbued with divine power, easily pierced the strange creature, they did not ignite and spread as everyone had hoped. To the soldiers, the burning rockets were instantly submerged by the swirling, murky liquid, like pebbles thrown into the sea, without even the slightest ripple. Faced with this rain of fire, the strange creature did not even pause; it continued its slow advance, indiscriminately drawing everything in its path into its body. It had no mouth, eyes, or nose, but almost everyone sensed its naked, greedy malice.

"Prepare the catapults!"

Everyone knew that this terrifying behemoth was impossible to deal with up close; they could only rely on ranged attacks to hinder its advance. Although its size could not be perceived from the defensive line, no one would underestimate its power.

The bugle sounded.

The red-hot pebbles were hurled into the air, then crashed heavily into the gelatinous sea. But this time, they failed to achieve their intended effect. The tactics that had inflicted heavy losses on the giant bats and undead flying in the sky were utterly ineffective against this strange creature. They failed to make it react, or even stop its advance. This terrifying thing continued its slow but relentless writhing forward, and inside its body, the poor soldiers had long since become part of it. Everyone could clearly see their bones melt and then, in the same color, join the body of this horrible demon, enhancing its power.

Anyone with a modicum of sense understands that swords and blades are utterly useless against such a monster.

But now it seems that even the weapons that once provided them with tremendous help have failed to achieve their intended purpose.

Gazing at the still slowly advancing gelatinous ocean, the commander's face was ashen. He could clearly feel the gazes his soldiers cast upon him, gazes that were not comforting. Although divine power could bolster their courage and confidence, only fanatical madmen would believe they could win against this gelatinous ocean—especially when their attacks were utterly ineffective.

If there was anything that reassured them, it was that under the holy light, they saw no other worrying forces, no overwhelming flying behemoths, and no undead creatures ready to unleash their death fervor on every living being they encountered. Apart from this gelatinous ocean, they saw no undead legions.

There are only two possibilities: either they are unable to send more undead to fight, or they believe it is unnecessary to send more undead to fight.

Given the Scourge Legion's formidable fighting power, the latter possibility is significantly greater and more worrying.

"Use huge stones."

The piles of stones used to deal with the undead were quickly cleared, and huge stones were once again swiftly mounted on catapults—weapons originally intended for destroying city walls in sieges. Now it seemed that the dikes would need to be even stronger to withstand the powerful waves.

With the command given, the catapults were started again, and huge stones, accompanied by the whistling wind, rushed towards the enemy. This time, the monster, which had been moving slowly, finally changed.

Faced with these enormous rocks, the gelatinous ocean rippled for the first time. A viscous, thick substance, like tentacles, emerged from it, forming a soft protective barrier. The falling boulders were caught smoothly without a sound, like a fist punching cotton—utterly silent and unresponsive. Then, like everything else, the boulders were pulled into its embrace, their once-hard surface crumbling like a fragile cake before disappearing completely.

"..."

Witnessing this scene, the soldiers on the defensive line fell silent. They didn't know how to face this problem next. Some soldiers even began to pray to the gods, hoping that the gods could help them destroy this terrible monster. Some even called out the name of Catherine, hoping that the saintess who had helped them through countless difficulties could guide them.

"The entire army..."

Gazing once more at the nauseating, slowly writhing, gelatinous monster that had reverted to its previous form, the commander hesitated. With no other monsters present, an immediate retreat shouldn't result in significant losses. The enemy's power was so overwhelming that existing weapons couldn't inflict sufficient damage; therefore, retreat was a necessary evil. However, this would be a heavy blow to the army's morale. Besides, even if weapons couldn't harm it, surely the walls could stop it? By all accounts, this thing hadn't shown any strong offensive tendencies; so far, its speed remained extremely slow, and...

"Foolish humans."

Angela noticed the other person's hesitation and smiled with pride and confidence.

"These guys are reacting like environmentalists who've seen pollution spreading; they can never make a decision when it comes to what they want to do."

As she spoke, Angela stretched out her right hand and snapped the fan shut.

"Then, I will help them understand reality."

The earth suddenly began to tremble.

Even the soldiers standing on the city walls felt the solid fortress beneath their feet trembling incessantly. They looked around anxiously, trying to find the source of the tremors, but they soon realized that things were getting worse—spiderweb-like cracks began to spread outwards from the edge of their walls, and then the ground collapsed, and a surging, viscous, white liquid appeared from behind them, engulfing all the poor creatures.

"No--!!"

No one had time to react to what was happening, not even the soldiers at the rear. They watched helplessly as the once-solid city wall collapsed in an instant. Then, a viscous liquid gushed from the ground, enveloping everything in its path with an inescapable stench. The soldiers who fell from the wall did not meet their expected end; the slowly flowing stream instantly transformed into a raging torrent, sweeping away everything with lightning speed. The soldiers didn't even have time to suffer the fate of being smashed to pieces before becoming stored food in this gelatinous sea.

A stench spread, and the potent acid caused excruciating pain. The soldiers fought desperately, helplessly and recklessly waving their weapons, trying to tear through the semi-transparent enclosure and regain their freedom. However, their longswords corroded at an unbelievable speed, turning from steel into tiny specks and disappearing without a trace. The clergy fared no better. The moment they opened their mouths to pray, the putrid liquid was poured into their bodies. Any praise or supplication to the gods instantly turned into trembling screams of terror, followed by silence.

Upon witnessing this scene, the soldiers, who had been ambitious and prepared to fight the undead, finally made their decision.

"Retreat immediately!"