Chapter 181

The adjudicator wiped himself down and looked around the room.

I've started resting in one of the rooms here. It looks like a nice house, with hot water and equipment to help dry clothes.

That would be much more refreshing, he thought, looking at the little mouse that had somehow gotten up on the window.

The little mouse was holding a rather large fruit and handing it to him.

"Thank you." He took it and patted the little guy's head.

He looked at the fruit in his hand; this was the legendary fruit that could grow successfully even in the Chaos Region. If production were expanded, it would indeed be a good food source.

However, the cost is too high, and without enough high-ranking clergy, it would be a huge drain on resources.

Shouldn't we really consider bringing up the issue of sustainable development for both monsters and humans? If we offered those guys some benefits in exchange for their help in producing food, perhaps this world could support even more people.

Although it won't be by much, it's still a little more than before.

He sat at the table, hesitating whether to revise the plan.

It seems a bit problematic to think of staying here for only a few hours and then heading back, since this place doesn't look like it can be seen in a short time. I probably won't be back for several years, so I don't really want to go back anytime soon.

Perhaps I could consider using some faster methods to speed up my return journey; before that, I should be able to rest a bit.

However, to be fair, although this fruit has no taste, it is surprisingly not too hard to swallow.

A knock came at the door. He paused, frowned, got up, opened the door, and looked at the guy standing there.

"It's been a few days, and it seems your mental fortitude has improved considerably since you left." The guy standing at the door smiled at him, while the Arbiter glared at him with obvious displeasure.

“Why are you here? You should be at the central church,” the adjudicator asked. “You have no mission to travel.”

"Just like you, I wanted to see this strange place. Aren't you going to let me in? It's not polite to leave a girl standing at the door."

"How could there be a thousand-year-old girl in the world?"

"You've successfully made me feel a little angry." Although he said that, there was no change in his slightly smiling face.

He was the only young person in the central church. And although he was called young, he was actually in his forties. His appearance was fixed at his early twenties, and he was a fairly energetic young man.

The person who came was easy to guess; it was the Benevolent One. This fellow was dressed in a white robe, his entire body enveloped in white, making him look as pure and immaculate as an angel.

Inside was a girl who wasn't very old; as a child, she looked like a newcomer to the church.

"Why are you here?" Without much delay, the adjudicator quickly let the guy into the room.

"Wait until I take a shower before answering? Do you know what the way here is? As a girl, I need to keep myself clean. Otherwise, I don't think I'll answer your question properly." She took off her hat and shook her head, her wet hair making her look like a soaked cat.

She turned around and smiled. He was undeniably handsome, the kind of guy who would make you fall in love at first sight.

“Then you should ask the elves here to find another place.” The Arbiter frowned. “They’ve been quite good to us; it’s not unreasonable for them to ask us to give them a place to rest.”

"Huh? Really? So you know you're being watched right now?" she asked casually.

After a long silence, the arbitrator nodded.

"I'm not stupid. Then let's talk after I've taken a shower. There's something I came here specifically to tell you. It's a big deal. If you don't shower and change your clothes, it's disrespectful to God."

As she said this, she took off her robe and hung it on the hot stove next to her.

"Please move your wet clothes further away; mine just dried."

"Haha, sorry, sorry," the benevolent person said, casually placing his clothes aside.

“You’re not wearing enough underneath,” the adjudicator said after a moment of silence. “That’s not good.”

"Is it really that little?" the benevolent one hesitated before saying, "Although saying this makes me feel a bit like a slut, it is indeed quite a lot."

The adjudicator paused for a moment, then nodded.

Perhaps so. Underneath her robe was a light blue sweater and black harem pants, an outfit suitable for movement, unlike the outer robe.

It was a bit torn, with a huge gash around the waist, extending from the chest pendant down to the lower abdomen. It looked like a wound, but underneath was only pale skin.

"Are you injured?" the adjudicator asked after a moment's hesitation.

“As a frail woman, do you think it took me a long time to get here? I couldn’t possibly be as unharmed as you.” She said before entering the room, “I’ll try to wash quickly so you won’t have to wait long.”

......

It's raining so hard.

It's so hot.

The entire ground was red, and the water on the ground had been boiled, producing scalding hot steam.

The rain continued relentlessly from the sky. Yak took off his clothes and sat shirtless on the carriage, the water soaking him through.

To be honest, he got lost.

He looked at the disc in his hand and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

This thing can point to the land of the dead. It's a treasured item that's never shown to anyone.

But now this thing is completely broken, and the magic flow is in complete chaos.

There was absolutely no way to determine their direction; they were lost in the fog, like ants escaping into a frying pan.

There was only one carriage; everything else was left in Lingsen.

There were only four people inside: Ark, Benedict, Lori, and Lady.

In reality, only Beniac, Lori, and two others should have left in the end. Lady's presence wouldn't have made a difference; they should have stayed in the Spirit Forest. At least that would have guaranteed safety.

But Lady insisted on coming along, and Ark didn't say much, because the carriage they were using was indeed a modified version of steam technology, and having someone who knew mechanics was certainly a good thing.

"Two saints, to think they would come to the Spirit Forest at this time." Benny was a little overwhelmed. She sat next to Ark, propping her head up and looking at the thick mist.

"A judge and a benevolent one?" Ark hesitated. "Are you confident in dealing with that?"

“If they catch up, I can hold them off. The Arbiter’s abilities aren’t suited for one-on-one combat, and the Benevolent One is practically an unkillable punching bag. I can’t say for sure when we’ll win, but we can buy enough time.” Benny leaned on Ark’s shoulder and said, “You take Lori to the Land of the Dead first. The three of you can hide there. I’ll go back to the Central Church to handle public relations. I’ll keep this under wraps.”

"I hope so." Ark looked up at the top, then suddenly realized something was wrong.

“Benny, this shouldn’t be happening. They should have guessed you would come to stop them,” Ark said helplessly. “Shouldn’t they have sent someone who could confront you head-on?”

After a moment of silence, Benny slowly rose from leaning against Ark, the golden greatsword now in her hand.

“From now on, you stay in the carriage. The three of you protect the carriage and speed up as much as possible,” Benny said. “Things might change again at any time. I underestimated how much the Central Church takes this matter. I thought that sending a few pairs of saints would be a sufficient precaution, but I really didn’t expect them to put all their trump cards on the line.”

Ark didn't speak, but went into the carriage and looked at Lori, who was huddled in the corner, and Lady, who was leaning against the carriage.

Lady's ability allows her to change the carriage according to her own will. As long as she can touch the steel on it, she can repair the carriage instantly and transform it into a mobile fortress in a very short time.

Ark, unsure of what to do, simply picked two seemingly usable items from his arsenal and slung them over his shoulder: a dagger and a longsword. The longsword was an antique one, his primary weapon long ago. But time had passed, and it had lost its former sharpness. Now it was merely a perfectly functional longsword, devoid of any legendary aura.

As for the dagger, it was a tool made from the bones of a former friend. Regardless of its performance, it possessed a one-time curse effect. It was a weapon designed solely for killing.

But none of this mattered to the guy who might come.

"Big brother, I'm scared." Lori looked up at Ark, who was standing there, with teary eyes and whispered. It seemed that the child was truly terrified. Right now, it was like being in hell.

Countless people wanted to kill her. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was being hunted down by a group of people.

This feeling was terrible; it made her question why she was even trying to survive.

“You should be afraid. Half the world’s fighting force is gathering around you right now.” Ark patted her head, the best he could do to comfort her: “They came here because they are afraid of you. Whether you obey or not, these guys are afraid of you.”

"Then why should I live?" Lori suddenly asked. "Even Carl is unwilling to protect me anymore... Is there no one in the world who wants me to live anymore?"

“Perhaps. Nobody else, but the monsters might want you to live. To them, you are nothing short of hope.” Ark frowned, then suddenly lunged forward, pulled Lori into his arms, and threw her to the ground.

A deafening roar, a tremendous explosion, suddenly erupted from the mist, and the entire carriage was sent flying.

Anyone who heard the sound would have their eardrums shattered, and a red pillar of light rose in the distance, centered on which the world underwent a dramatic change.

The still-reddening rocks underground were shattered by immense force, forming mountain ranges and tearing open huge canyons.

It felt as if the end of the world was beginning at this moment.

The fog was dispelled in an instant, and the ground began to crack from a central point, with large cracks covering the entire surface. The moment the shockwave reached the carriage, it was torn to pieces.

Yak rolled on the ground and crashed into a protruding rock, watching Lady fall into the rocks beside him.

"This?" Lady slowly opened her eyes, and as the dizziness subsided, cold sweat slid down her cheeks.

The original plain was transformed into hills in an instant.

"Hey, can the carriage be restored?" Benny asked, frowning as she glanced at the shattered metal pieces.

"It will take time." Lady looked at the carriage, which was now completely ruined, and felt that she shouldn't be there at all.

Yak laid Lori on the ground, helping the child absorb the impact, but she was still a little dazed from the shock.

"Big brother?"

“We’ll come find you, run.” Yak patted her on the shoulder and said, “No destination, just try your best to survive. We’ll come to save you whenever we have the chance, until then, make sure you don’t die.”

"Is it here to kill me again?" Lori asked, but received no answer. She was thrown onto the rock by Ark.

He waved to himself from afar, then went in the opposite direction.

"I don't know when we'll meet again," Benny said, glancing at Ark. "I hope you'll still be alive then."

“Don’t be so sure I’ll leave on my own.” Ark said, taking a deep breath. Black energy gathered around his body to form a protective barrier, and behind him, tattered wings pierced through his skin and unfurled.

The long sword in his hand changed its appearance, as if it had come to life, or like a demon.

Another impact came, but Benny took a step forward, and the force of the impact came from his feet. The impact of pure force sent the child, who had not yet regained his footing, flying.

What happens to her next is beyond our control; we can only leave it to fate.

"Benny, I trusted you back then." A somewhat helpless voice came, and a sickly-looking man appeared before them.

The Immortal, the Third Saint, appears here.

Without any warning, they were already upon us. Even with their swift departure, they didn't have time to escape.

"Was it this guy who caused the impact just now?" Lady wiped her mouth, feeling a little dizzy.

After just one shock, she felt like all the bones in her body were about to fall apart.

Benny did not answer his question, but instead pointed the golden greatsword in her hand at him.

Holy magic surged like a tidal wave as it swept across the greatsword, obliterating everything in its path, from mountains to cliffs.

Another deafening roar. On this kind of battlefield, sound-based positioning is completely useless. These creatures, whose every movement can cause the heavens and earth to tremble, have hearing that only causes their ears to bleed.