“Lord Green, watch out!”
Clang——
Within the slums of Bountiful City, a bloody feast of slaughter was spreading.
Led personally by Paladin Captain Green, accompanied by an elite squad of Inquisitorial Investigators, they had penetrated the area between the outer city and the suburbs—the shantytown considered an ill omen by the townsfolk.
Swish swish swish!
Amidst the torrential rain, Green twisted his body, narrowly dodging a Madman lunging at him with a pale face and contorted features.
Puff——
Green calmly swung his blade, cleanly piercing the fanatic’s heart.
“Kill them all! For the sake of the High Priest! For a tomorrow without famine!”
Yet, even as they watched their comrade fall mercilessly by Green’s hand, collapsing into the muddy earth and sending up sprays of water, the Cultists showed no sign of retreat.
On the contrary, Green’s slaughter only stoked their fighting spirit.
Amid whispered chants, countless poor souls, tormented by misery, raised the banner of rebellion—but in the name of glorifying Death.
“Ohhhh, strike down the false god, let the new god descend upon the mortal world!”
“Ruler beyond this age, you shall rise from dust and filth, hoisting your Star Throne above the skies!”
“Ah, beautiful Death, you will lead us from the suffering called life to eternal peace. Ah, Great Withering, you will grant a brief respite to those weary from ceaseless toil…”
Listening to the blasphemous words growing louder, Green’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I have to admit, you guys are quite good at stirring hearts.”
He picked up a cloth and wiped the blood off his sword, his gaze cold and steely.
“But empty words alone won’t win against blades!”
Boom——
Fully armed Inquisitorial Investigators charged from all directions toward the Cultists.
Though vastly outnumbered by the endless horde, their training and strength quickly turned the tide in their favor.
“Ahhhh!”
Poke poke!
The investigators precisely eliminated every fleeing Cultist.
“Captain, only that Stronghold remains.”
A masked Inquisitorial Inspector approached Green with a respectful report.
“Good. Julia,” Green quietly ordered the investigator, “No hesitation—break through directly!”
“Yes!”
The investigators formed ranks before the decrepit wooden house.
Bang——
The door was kicked open, and a foul stench immediately hit their nostrils.
“This is… ugh…”
One investigator, witnessing the gruesome scene, crouched down and vomited uncontrollably.
“Looks like the intel was accurate.” Green, already hardened by countless missions and immune to such horrors, analyzed without surprise, “A sacrificial ritual. Hmph, those bastards are determined to complete the ceremony before we can find their base.”
Though the true goal of the Withering Cult remained unknown, from the clues in this Stronghold, Green could tell that the dormant cult was about to make a major move.
Could it be…
A sinister premonition surged in Green’s heart, his thoughts flashing to the innocent smile of his ward.
No, I will never let you succeed!
Perhaps in the real world, Green was but a powerless mortal.
But here, in this simulated life, as Bountiful City’s Inspector and a Paladin Captain, he wielded the strength to protect his family!
Fueled by this conviction, Green strode forward with determination.
“How cruel…” Julia, his deputy, reached up to remove her mask, her marked face filled with sorrow and pain, “Such young children…”
Indeed.
Green solemnly looked at the rows of meat chunks hanging from the ceiling beams.
White bones, blood-stained instruments of torture, bubbling pots emitting savory aromas, blood-streaked with all manner of runes—the horrific tableau wove a mournful symphony that tested everyone’s endurance.
Swish.
Green knelt on one knee, whispering devoutly to the victims before him, “I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive in time.”
“Ugh…”
Another investigator vomited repeatedly, then reported dejectedly to Green, “Captain, we found no survivors.”
It was hardly surprising.
Even the far-reaching Inquisition couldn’t plant informants in every corner of the kingdom—especially not in a lawless slum.
In fact, compared to surrounding towns, Bountiful City under Green’s leadership was considered relatively safe.
Aside from this slum—which could hardly be called part of Bountiful City—residents of the lower city lived peaceful lives.
But it still wasn’t enough.
At least, for Green, who had taken the path of the Holy Light as his life’s creed, it was far from enough.
“Captain, we’ve captured a prisoner!”
Nearby, several investigators brought in a gaunt, white-haired old man reeking of filth and emitting strange cries.
“Heh heh, heh heh heh, what do you false god worshippers want with me?”
The old man’s eyes darted wildly, seemingly unconcerned by the murderous gazes of the investigators beside him.
“You’re their leader?” Green immediately recognized the difference—this man was a practitioner.
No, that wasn’t quite right.
This old man wasn’t a formally trained professional like Green or the investigators, empowered by legitimate advancement.
He was a Cultist, granted unholy power by a dark god that did not belong to him.
“So what if I am? So what if I’m not? Heh heh, you’ll all die anyway. All things will perish, mortals all face death.”
He spoke in a drawn-out, nonsensical manner.
Green ignored the mad ramblings and gripped the old man’s neck tightly. “Speak! What exactly does your Withering Cult intend?”
“Doesn’t matter if I tell you…” The old man’s voice suddenly grew distant, “When the Saint Mother awakens, our master will descend upon this world. Beggars will wear the crown, madmen will be revered as prophets…”
“Huh.”
As the old man continued muttering, his eyes suddenly stopped moving, staring at Green as if sizing up a rare specimen.
“It’s you… I remember you…” His voice turned calm as if regaining sanity, “You are the one—the key to the Saint Mother giving birth to the Divine Child! Hahaha! It’s you!”
Saint Mother, Divine Child…
Of course!
Green’s heart jolted.
Thank goodness I had the Confession of Lost Sins with Archbishop Lawrence early on, or else… the consequences would be unimaginable.
Puff——
Before the old man could continue to utter his unsettling words, Julia suddenly shouted, “You Cultist, stop poisoning minds!”
Clang!
A flash of steel, and the old man’s head fell.
“Heh heh, it’s useless! You false god worshippers can struggle all you want, but you cannot stop the Divine Child’s inevitable birth!!!”
Hum——
A force rapidly gathered.
No good!
Green’s expression darkened, “Get out of here!”
He shoved several investigators beside him forcefully out the door, then alone concentrated all his remaining magic into his sword and charged toward the old man’s still-chattering head.
Boom!!!
A sudden explosion shook the sky, and a pillar of white light swallowed the entire old house.
“Captain Green!”
Outside the house, cries of alarm rang out.
Bountiful City, Upper District, deep into the night.
“Father is so slow.” Alice watched the cold dishes on the table with growing boredom.
Although Green had told her to eat dinner on her own, how could the girl not wait to share the meal with her father?
“I even made a feast today.” Alice counted off the spread on the table, “Roast turkey, white bread, salad platter, mashed potatoes, thick soup…”
Bang bang bang.
A rapid knocking came at the door.
Is that Father?
Alice raised her eyebrows and muttered cheerfully, “Hey, Father, you’re way too late today. Hmph, we agreed that whoever comes home late has to…”
Opening the door, the figure before Alice was not the tired face she expected.
“Sorry.” A well-built woman entered supporting another figure, “Alice, I’m sorry—I couldn’t protect Lord Green.”
Green… Father?
Alice stared blankly at the familiar bloodied figure.
Under the pale moonlight, Green’s handsome face was contorted in agony, his eyes tightly shut as if bearing unbearable pain.
Father?
“Who did this?”
Alice asked softly.
“The Withering Cult… It’s my fault…”
Bang!!!
Before Julia could finish, a figure swiftly pinned the sixty-level veteran Paladin to the ground with no resistance.
“So it’s because of you that Father got hurt?”
Alice continued her questioning, her voice calm but her eyes devoid of any light, hollow as the deep night—just like the Cultists from not long ago.