At the Peak of Phantoms, the headquarters of the Pope’s Resistance.
Angelica sensed it immediately. Deep within the Tanazk Great Mine, a massive necromantic magic circle was being prepared.
The thick energy of decay and desolation pressed against her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Necromancy was a fatal weakness for the Red Dragon Race; the denser the energy of death, the more it revolted her.
“Rachel, my strength has not yet recovered. Please assist me in resisting this terrible mana. We must not let it enter this place,” Angelica said. Currently unable to return to her peak strength, she could only turn to Rachel for help.
“At your service, Lady Angelica.”
Angelica forced herself to rally. After the Pope’s massive necromantic array was activated, she and Rachel worked together to maintain the external barrier of the Resistance headquarters, preventing the death energy from invading their base.
However, a greater problem loomed. The swarm of zombies from Sindar Town had already pushed to the very doorstep of the headquarters.
Previously, roughly 800 villagers from the surrounding areas of Sindar Town had fled in all directions. Thanks to the kindness of Marcus and Rachel, they had all been brought into the Resistance headquarters. The terrified civilians were finally safe for the time being.
But now, the headquarters was overcrowded. With such a sudden and massive increase in consumption, the internal food reserves likely would not last much longer.
An oppressive atmosphere hung over the entire base. Someone needed to break through this anxiety and restlessness.
“May the Goddess show mercy to the weak. A knight’s restraint does not mean completely suppressing one’s anger or shackling one’s power. Soldiers! Follow me and let us reclaim Sindar Town!” Marcus’s inspiring speech ignited the emotions of the resistance members.
“Uncle Marcus, I ask that you let my sister and me accompany you. The wailing souls are struggling… they are suffering and need to find their proper rest,” Iris spoke solemnly. It was indeed necessary to act now.
“I will trouble you then, Holy Maiden, and Lady Sophia. I do indeed require your assistance; the situation is dire.” Marcus knelt on one knee, performing an elegant gesture of knightly courtesy.
In truth, Marcus and his subordinates would not be able to emerge unscathed from the massive tide of corpses on their own. They needed Iris’s power to purify the zombie swarms coming from Sindar Town.
“I want to help Sister Iris too! There are so many zombies outside. In such a hard-fought battle, it’s only right for the great Dark Ice Demon Lord, Lady Nino, to make her debut! Wahaha!” Nino’s sudden eccentric outburst broke the serious, gloomy atmosphere, which was a welcome change.
“Right, right… Dark Demon Lord. I’ll make sure your Sister Sophia keeps a close eye on you so you don’t cause any trouble. That is my goal for this trip,” Sophia said with a beaming smile, playing along.
“Nasty Sister Sophia!! Ah! You’re making fun of Nino again! Who—who needs you following behind me like a lost puppy? You’re so mean!” Nino grumbled, acting spoiled.
“I thank the God Race for your generous assistance. I shall never forget this. Now, let us go and rescue those suffering souls.”
As Marcus finished speaking, he immediately mobilized his troops. A unit of about 300 men, including a mix of several clergymen, stood ready to depart.
Rachel and Angelica remained behind to guard the headquarters and maintain the barrier. The remaining clergy and knights were responsible for caring for the displaced villagers who had just arrived.
***
As soon as they stepped outside the barrier, the group saw a massive crowd of zombies wandering aimlessly with hollow eyes.
However, the moment the living appeared, the zombies pounced like lions spotting prey.
Iris pressed her hands together, and the holy light runes surrounding her body suddenly flared. She then spread her arms, and a vast torrent of holy light poured out, enveloping the entire swarm of corpses before her.
**[Greater Purification]**, **[Dispel Undead]**!
The zombies caught in the light let out shrill shrieks before their bodies vanished within the pure, warm radiance.
Light-element purification magic was truly the natural enemy of the undead. In an environment where weaknesses were so easily exploited, the lethality of light magic amplified by **[Greater Purification]** was even more pronounced.
After drinking a Large Mana Potion to replenish her mana, Iris successfully purified nearly 600 zombies near the base.
Her little follower, Nino, cheered her on from the side, playing the role of a cheerleader to the fullest. Seeing a slightly fatigued Iris, Nino became busy rubbing her shoulders and pounding her back.
Sophia, who had been watching Nino, shook her head helplessly. She looked at Iris, who had a contented expression from the massage, and couldn’t help but sigh.
‘At a time like this, a powerful Priest really is the one who should be showing off! I’ll let little Iris brag for a while~’
With everyone’s collective efforts, the number of zombies was shrinking rapidly. Since these were zombies transformed from weak civilians, they only posed a massive threat to the safety of ordinary people. Under the overwhelming power of Iris and the others, the battle was completely one-sided.
Most civilian zombies were only between Level 10 and 15. For this purification force, which had an average level of around Level 35, they truly posed no threat.
Yet, it was impossible not to feel heartache for these lives. Because of Pope Dussell’s madness, so many innocent lives had been turned into sacrifices…
Now, they could only pray that these departed souls could rest in peace and that their unnecessary suffering would be diminished. They hoped the purification of the holy light would end their struggle as soon as possible.
Finally, they returned to Sindar Town. The reclamation force of 300 pushed forward along the main road between the town and the forest. There were still about 1,000 zombies remaining here.
The dark mass of zombies lurched and crowded together, their claws scraping against the bricks and stones of the houses with a piercing sound.
With muddy growls and a pungent stench, the zombies suddenly charged toward them.
Marcus swung his greatsword, driving the swarms into the effective range of Iris’s purification magic. Beside them, Nino cooperated by channeling ice magic to control and imprison the zombies, making them easier to purify. Sophia was responsible for sweeping the battlefield of any remaining corpses, delivering the finishing blows.
On the other side, some exhausted knights were suddenly surrounded by thirty zombies, and the situation turned grim.
“Careful! Everyone, do not relax! Do not be careless!” Marcus commanded his subordinates while assisting with the purification work.
Clear, holy words escaped Marcus’s mouth as the cross in his hand shone brightly.
**[Cleanse]**! This was a Paladin’s light purification magic, though its effects were not as instantaneous as Iris’s.
Before their claws could touch Marcus, the thirty zombies attempting to surround him were torn apart by holy light. Their rotting flesh burned into charred fragments, and the foul stench was completely washed away by the warmth of the light magic.
The battle continued until evening, until finally, every zombie within their sight had been purified.
“Are you tired, Sister Iris? Let me help you, **[Mana Recovery]**!” Nino scurried over to Iris’s side and then, from somewhere unknown, produced a mousse cake and milk to hand to her.
“Wow! I’m so happy! Thank you, Nino~” Iris hadn’t expected to be able to eat dessert during this interval, and she couldn’t have been happier.
“Little Nino, Sister Sophia is going to cry. Where’s mine?” Sophia put on a fake crying face, dabbing at her “tears” with the corner of her sleeve as if putting on a show.
“I have a pineapple bun here. Eat it or don’t, whatever~” Nino stuck out her tongue and made a face at Sophia.
Tsk! She only knows how to suck up to Iris! Sophia felt a bit slighted and, with a hint of resentment, snatched the pineapple bun and started munching on it, glaring at Nino.
Iris couldn’t help but feel that things were going a bit too smoothly; they had encountered almost no obstacles along the way. Her intuition told her that a threat from the Pope was still hidden beneath the great mine.
—
**[Ding! You have completed the purification tasks for Sindar Town. The levels of the main participants have increased.]**
**[Marcus Parisio: Level increased to 61]**
**[Iris Omnia: Level increased to 55]**
**[Sophia Omnia: Level increased to 52]**
**[Nino Rialti: Level increased from 48 to 50]**
The battle to reclaim Sindar Town has ended.