[Puppeteer and Oracle, you two are on standby, ready to support the three-way operation at any time. The rest of the Wise Men, infiltrate various parts of the continent, create chaos, and distract the Holy Light Church and its allies.]
As for him…” The thought finally settled on Raymond, who was huddled at the edge, with a hint of scrutinizing indifference. “…Let’s take him in for now. The remaining details of the Holy City’s defenses and the Knights’ rotation information in his mind might have some value. Puppeteer, you’ll be ‘keeping’ him for now.”
The puppeteer responded with a few short, grinding sounds from under his hood, like gears grinding together.
A nearly transparent thread silently wrapped around Raymond's neck, causing him to shudder violently, his eyes filled with even greater fear.
Rita listened to the Abyss Church's Holy Son's arrangements, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her red eyes. She looked at Balg again, her tone tinged with provocation: "How about it, Balg? It's a million times more interesting to personally smash the foundations of those hypocrites' divine kingdoms than to live like a savage in the snowy mountains, isn't it?"
Balg remained silent, but the eerie blue flames beneath the skeletal warhorse's hooves suddenly surged for a moment, and the scorching heat and corrupted death aura overflowed even more violently from beneath his leather coat, silently demonstrating his stance.
His crimson eyes peered through the thick fog, as if he could already see the holy city collapsing in flames.
The two deep purple flames of the Abyss Saint slowly subsided, and his vast, icy will resounded once more:
[The operation begins. We will personally stir up the winds of change on the Holy Dragon Continent. Disperse!]
...
When Monica's terrified scream pierced through the monster's roar, everyone in Mark's team felt their hearts sink.
They finally understood why the monsters seemed endless and why their strength had increased so strangely over the past few days.
This was not a natural reaction from Ellen's manipulation of the star trails, but a premeditated attack!
That tiny hole hidden in the rift of the Demon Realm was the source of this disaster, continuously and precisely delivering the elite forces of the Abyss to them!
"The Enlightenment Society! It must be those crazy people from the Enlightenment Society!"
Enzo's roar was filled with frustration and rage as his lava warhammer, burning everything in its path, smashed the head of an abyssal abomination, but the monsters pouring out of the cave seemed endless.
Enzo couldn't think of anyone else they had offended that would warrant such deliberate targeting.
The immense power granted to him by the extreme mutation remains, but the mental exhaustion and pressure are as heavy as a mountain.
Anna's figure moved more and more rapidly through the shadows, and with each condensation of the Demon-Slaying Arrow, her face grew paler.
In her pupils, swirling with shadowy power under extreme mutation, her vision of shadows expanded as she tried to find the true manipulator lurking behind the monster horde, only to see a chaotic mess distorted by the magic of the abyss.
Monica's appraisal skills were pushed to their limit, her wine-red eyes almost bleeding.
His gaze swept over every inch of churning demonic energy, every ferocious demon, and even the deep cave entrance, yet he could not detect any clear sign of the existence of any "intelligent individual."
Only omnipresent malice, like viscous venom, enveloped the entire valley.
"Mmm! Mmmmmm!"
Little Mu whimpered anxiously on Mark's shoulder, its seven-colored wings flapping rapidly, its pure purifying power constantly sweeping away the filth that approached, but its bright eyes were also filled with confusion and unease.
It could clearly "smell" a vast, cold, and terrifying aura, filled with a devouring desire, lurking in the surroundings.
Like a giant beast lurking beneath the deep sea, its will seems to be connected to every demon, yet it is omnipresent and its true form cannot be pinpointed.
It could only continuously send Mark extremely dangerous warnings.
Mark gripped the cross spear tightly, holy light surging violently across his body. The passive perception of the [Soul Harmonizer] was stung by the omnipresent malice, feeling as if it were being pricked by needles.
He looked toward the center of the valley, where Ellen was still sitting cross-legged at the core of the intricate star and moon magic array. The eighty-eight black gold star and moon were no longer merely floating; their rotation speed had become imperceptible to the naked eye, transforming into a flowing band of starlight.
Countless threads of starlight fell from the void, converging on her body, and were then guided by her immense willpower, like a tenacious fishing line, stubbornly probing into the depths of the surging demonic rift.
The concentration of starlight and moonlight magic within the valley reached an unprecedented peak. The dazzling starlight even subtly suppressed the churning demonic energy outside the valley, making Ellen's figure appear as if a star goddess had descended.
Everyone could feel a vast and profound power brewing within her, just one step away from the final breakthrough!
However, this dazzling starlight, like the most alluring lighthouse, attracts greedy eyes in the darkness.
"Hold on! Eileen is almost there!"
Mark roared, his voice hoarse from the immense pressure and constant exertion.
The cross necklace continuously replenished his magic, but the mental oppression could not be eliminated.
The defensive line consisting of him, Enzo, Anna, and Little M, along with Little M, was forced to retreat step by step by the increasingly dense and powerful attacks of the monsters, like a reef in a storm. Although they were still holding on, they were being forced to retreat.
The valley entrance area they had originally controlled had long been lost, and they were forced to retreat to their last line of defense, less than 100 meters from the edge of the magic array.
Enzo's lava field shrank by nearly half, and even though Anna was in a state of extreme mutation and continuously released arrow rain, she had already exhausted her magic power several times.
Monica was no longer just responsible for monitoring; under the guidance of Shadow Wings, she constantly flashed and attacked monsters that tried to bypass the front line of defense.
Time passed amidst the torment of blood and fire, each second feeling incredibly long.
The starlight in the valley grew brighter and brighter, and the buzzing sound emanating from the eighty-eight black and gold stars gradually converged into a grand resonance that seemed to come from the depths of the starry sea.
Ellen's aura began to surge dramatically, and the space around her slightly distorted, as if she was about to break through some invisible constraint!
Just as the ceremony was about to be completed—
Buzz!
An indescribable, terrifying will, like a tangible black tide, suddenly descended!
It did not originate from a specific direction, but rather instantly filled the entire valley and even enveloped a large area outside the valley.
The air froze instantly, the churning demonic energy stopped flowing, and even the frenzied charging demons seemed to be paused, standing frozen in place, their eyes filled only with fanatical submission and absolute desire for destruction.
The four members of Mark's team were struck as if by a heavy blow; even their extreme mutation state could not completely counteract the terrifying pressure originating from the soul level!
Enzo grunted, bent his knees, and slammed his lava hammer heavily onto the ground to steady himself.
Anna felt her shadow magic almost frozen, and Monica's vision was instantly filled with a deep darkness and chaotic whispers, giving her a splitting headache.
Mark felt as if his soul was being gripped by an invisible giant hand, and the perception of the [Soul Harmonizer] brought him boundless cold and hunger!
Little Mu let out a sharp "Mmm—!" cry, and its seven-colored light surged to its maximum, forming a protective shield that barely protected Mark, but its own light was flickering violently, like a candle in the wind.
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