Time rewinds slightly.
Two days ago, with the arrival of numerous challengers, the Abyss Passage was unsealed, forcing various native duchies to mobilize the entire nation's resources to resist the Abyss invasion.
Following an ancient divine oracle, the Duchy of Hammak dispatched two special envoys to Holy Spirit City to seek assistance.
"Uncle Fernno, how much longer until we arrive?" a girl in a white priest's robe asked with longing in her eyes.
"Almost there, Princess Aria." The middle-aged man in armor cleaved two monsters blocking his path with a single sword stroke and said, "We'll be there once we cross this forest."
"Great! We're saved!"
The girl murmured excitedly, "The abyss cannot be destroyed, and darkness will eventually return. On the day the barrier shatters, the gods will descend upon the City of Miracles. That is the only hope; only through devotion can we be redeemed. The gods will surely help us reseal the abyss!"
The middle-aged man sighed as he looked at the excited girl.
This passage is a prophecy passed down in the Church of the Gods.
But in reality, at least dozens of other nations had existed before the Duchy of Hammack, all of which had perished in the abyss. If the gods were truly as benevolent and powerful as the prophecies foretold, how could those nations have been destroyed?
He had no expectations, but he had no choice but to come.
It wasn't because of stupidity, but simply because of helplessness.
"Let's go, Your Highness! We must get there before nightfall, otherwise... Be careful, Princess, a powerful aura is coming this way!" The middle-aged man's expression suddenly changed. He stood in front of the girl, holding his sword tightly and staring intently at the sky.
It was a dazzling light, like the sun, that swiftly traversed half the forest and landed in front of the two.
As the light faded, a stunningly beautiful six-winged angel appeared in the void—it was none other than Analia.
"Are you pilgrims from the Principality of Hammank?"
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" The middle-aged man looked at the other party warily. He had never heard of a god taking the initiative to greet believers.
Analia's expression turned cold. She wasn't one of those good-natured preaching angels; apart from the Holy Lord... and the four His Holinesses, no one had the right to question her.
"Are you a god?" At this moment, the girl behind him stepped forward and bowed excitedly.
"Your Highness..."
“It’s alright, Uncle Fernoh. I can sense that she has a close connection with the divine aura of the Church of the Gods,” the girl interrupted.
The middle-aged man was taken aback.
He knew that the Church of the Gods was a very peculiar organization that appeared whenever a duchy was established. It required each king to have a son who would serve as a priest. In ordinary times, however, it did not have a fixed patron, but rather a vague concept of "the gods."
Only when the abyss appears will the Church of the Gods present concrete divine forms.
As the sole priestess, Aria obviously wouldn't misjudge the situation.
Fernoh quickly sheathed his weapon and immediately bowed, saying, "I was unaware of the divine presence and have offended you greatly. Please forgive me."
Analia's gaze lingered on the girl, her expression softening slightly: "You seem to be a devout believer. I am not a god, but merely a follower of the Holy Lord. The Holy Lord already knows the purpose of your visit, and thus sent me."
"So you really came to save us?" The girl's expression became even more excited.
“The Holy Light will protect every devout believer.” Analia nodded gently.
"Excellent! Your Excellency, if I may ask, which deity has descended this time?"
“He is the creator of all things, the master of the gods, the controller of holy light, and the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord of Light,” Analia said without hesitation.
The moment the words fell, in the temples of all the churches of gods in the Duchy of Hammank, the statues of the gods gradually became clear, and Jiang Yan's appearance emerged.
Arya and Fernoh stared in astonishment.
Although they didn't fully understand the series of titles, there was one they did understand: Master of the Gods. That was the most powerful god in the legends of the Church of the Gods, possessing incredible power.
The two exchanged a glance, their excitement evident – the principality was saved.
“I can sense the aura of the abyss raging. I must go first and fulfill the Holy Lord’s entrustment.” Analia looked into the distance, and holy light enveloped her body once again.
"Respectfully seeing off Your Excellency the Envoy." Arya maintained the church etiquette until Annalia disappeared from sight.
“Uncle Fernoh, so the church’s biographies are true. Gods are indeed gentle, kind and compassionate to all living beings.”
“Yes, praise the great Lord of Light,” the middle-aged man said sincerely.
"So, shall we proceed with our original plan to visit the Holy Spirit City to worship the gods, or..."
"No, let's return to the Duchy first. The messenger has made it very clear that the Holy Light will protect every devout believer. I must make everyone a believer of the Holy Lord."
Aria said with a firm expression.
......
Meanwhile, in a small border town of the Duchy of Hammank.
A group of young soldiers, still looking quite immature, wearing tattered armor, were gathered at the village entrance.
They looked tense, and their hands holding their weapons trembled slightly.
"Can the Knights defeat those monsters?" one of them couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"I don't know, but if they can't stop them, we're doomed."
"We will win, we will definitely win..."
Since the Abyss invasion, the border guards were wiped out in less than two hours. The kingdom urgently dispatched the Third to Sixth Knight Orders to set up defenses and repel the attack.
All citizens aged 14 and over are also required to take up arms to resist.
The kingdom has decided to abandon the outskirts and relocate all its people to cities guarded by magic arrays, but the teleportation arrays are not very efficient and this will take time.
Now, more than seven hours have passed since the knights were to confront the abyss monsters, and this is the town furthest from the kingdom, so it will be at least three more hours before it's their turn.
These young soldiers couldn't help but pray in their hearts.
Meanwhile, the elderly, women, and children sitting around the teleportation array in the village huddled together, filled with anxiety.
One hour...
Two hours...
The villagers felt a little relieved, as someone had just sent a message via teleportation talisman that it would be their turn in half an hour.
But just then, a faint roar and the sound of the ground shaking came.
In the distance, on the horizon, black dots, like waves, became increasingly clear.
Its skin was mottled with black and red, it had four sharp claws, and its body was covered with terrifying poisonous thorns. You could even see saliva dripping from its gaping, blood-red mouth.
A sharp-eyed soldier's expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a shrill voice, "Enemy attack! It's the crawling demons, they're everywhere!"
At that moment, everyone was plunged into despair.
Even the well-equipped Royal Knights were no match for these monsters, so what could they do?
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