The sanctuary lay wrapped in a brittle silence, as if the world held its breath after the clamor of battle. The candles sputtered in their iron holders, a dry, erratic pulse echoing through the dimness like the death rattle of a dying man. Renn slumped against a stone pillar, the cold biting into his back through his tattered cloak, its edges hanging in shreds from the scrape of goblin claws. The air still hummed with a dull buzz, an echo of screams clinging to his ears like a stubborn insect. His trembling hand sought a shallow wound on his forearm, the torn skin throbbing beneath dried blood, as he sheathed his dagger with a heavy click, the handle still slick from the slaughter.
His breath escaped in short clouds, fogging the icy air, and sweat crystallized on his brow, leaving a salty sting in his gray eyes, clouded with exhaustion. Yet, within his chest burned a stubborn spark, a fire refusing to die. These crazy women keep me alive, he thought, drumming his fingers against the worn leather of his belt. They're not knights in armor or fairy-tale sorcerers, but they're worth more than all the dusty scrolls in the academy. The amber crystal on the altar flickered like a watchful eye, its warm glow interrupted by a faint rustle: black feathers whispered against the stone, and Renn looked up, pulled from his reverie by Lilith's arrival.
Lilith glided to his side with effortless grace, dropping so close that her shoulder brushed his. She rested her head against him, her black wings streaked with gold fluttering with a whisper that grazed his cloak like a silken touch. Her warm breath brushed his cheek, laced with a scent of incense and something sweet, like crushed berries warmed by the heat of battle. She glanced at him sidelong, her red eyes glinting with mischief beneath her dark habit, a sly smile curling her lips.
"You know, my lord?" she began, her voice soft but edged with a playful bite, "I can still feel that kiss of yours from the other day. Warm, firm, like you sealed a pact with me. It made me stronger, but now you're etched into my soul."
Renn turned his face toward her, his eyes softening as a warm smile replaced his usual sarcasm. "Is that what's got you so lost, huh? I didn't know a kiss could bind a succubus so much." He reached out, brushing a strand of black hair from her forehead, his fingers lingering on her pale skin. She shivered slightly, her wings quivering as if betraying her façade. "You're okay, right? I don't want you wearing yourself out for me."
She laughed, a warm sound that danced like an echo through the room. "Oh, I'm more than okay, my lord. But that kiss… let's just say it left me hungry for more." She leaned closer, her small horns peeking through her hair as a reminder of her nature, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "How about another, to seal the pact that keeps me tied to you?"
Renn let out a low chuckle, leaning in to press his forehead against hers, a tender gesture defying the recent chaos. "You're impossible, Lilith. But if it makes you happy, I won't say no." He paused, looking at her with an affectionate glint. "Though, what would the convent say if they saw you begging for kisses in a sanctuary?"
"That I'm serving my lord as I should," she shot back, winking as she nestled closer. "Besides, it's your fault I'm like this. Don't blame me."
Lilith raised a hand, tracing an imaginary circle in the air as if weaving a spell, and continued with a mischievous grin. "Don't fault me if I want to stick to you now, my lord. Amid all this blood and chaos, you're the only thing keeping me sane."
Renn laughed, a rough but genuine sound, giving her a light nudge with his shoulder. "Sane? That's a new one coming from you. What happened to the Lilith who makes goblins dance until they rip their own heads off?" He slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, his voice dropping to a teasing yet warm tone. "If you stick too close, I'll have to carry you like a princess. You ready for that?"
She straightened with a theatrical pout, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Carry me? Oh, my lord, don't tempt me. I could get used to you pampering me like that."
A sharp click sliced through the air like a whip, shattering the moment. Seraphina emerged from a nearby trapdoor, her light weapon in hand, adjusting a spring with precise fingers. The candlelight danced across her white habit, making her golden eyes gleam with cold intensity beneath her hood. "Lilith, if you keep this up, I'll purify that soft side of yours with a blast of holy light," she said, her voice an icy edge cutting like steel. "And don't expect me to pray for you after."
Renn turned his head toward her, his laughter still echoing as he squeezed Lilith's shoulder fondly. "Easy, Seraphina. Can't you see she's just playing? Though, I've got to say, it sounds like you're worried about me."
Seraphina met his gaze for a moment, her lips tightening before she let out a dry huff. "Don't flatter yourself, my lord. I'm just keeping order here." She returned to her task, the click-click of the trapdoor echoing like a military drum, though a faint flicker in her eyes betrayed a hint of camaraderie. Lilith leaned into Renn, whispering with a giggle, "Always so serious. Think she'll ever let me win a round?"
"With us around, I doubt it," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze before letting go.
A low hum filled the room, deep and resonant, making the candle flames tremble as if the sanctuary itself answered its call. Valka approached from the window, her white armor reflecting the amber glow of the crystal. The air around her carried a fresh scent of salt and moss, a contrast to the burnt wax lingering in the dimness. Her blue eyes, bright as a frozen river, settled on Renn with a calm that enveloped him like an unseen current. "Your strength, my lord, is like a current that guides us," she said, her voice soft yet weighted with mystic depth.
Lilith raised a hand, cutting in with a playful wink. "Hey, Valka, don't get all poetic. You're stealing my moment with my lord!"
Renn laughed, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture as he looked at Lilith with affection. "Relax, you both have your place. You make me laugh, and Valka… well, she makes me think maybe I'm not so lost." He turned to Seraphina, still busy with the trapdoor. "And you, Seraphina, don't let Lilith get under your skin, huh?"
Seraphina grunted without looking up. "No promises, my lord. This succubus is a menace."
Valka tilted her head, her hum rising a note before fading. "The water whispers something more, my lord: shadows rise in the forest." Her gaze drifted to the window, toward the darkness, and the air chilled, a foreboding that tightened Renn's shoulders as the echo of their victory faded into the gloom.
The sanctuary rested in fragile calm, the sputter of candles echoing like tiny footsteps in the dimness. Renn leaned against the pillar, his tattered cloak brushing the cold stone, Lilith pressed against his shoulder, her black wings grazing his arm with a soft whisper. A familiar buzz hummed at his wrist, and the lord's bracelet glowed with a blue shimmer. He raised it with an arched brow, his rough voice cutting the silence. "Let's see what they've got for us today," he muttered, as if the device were a routine messenger.
He activated the hologram with a quick flick, and blue words floated before him, paired with a resonant voice that filled the room:
"[World Announcement]: Brave lord of the Endless World! Your courage in the first horde resonates through the pillars of this eternal realm. Glory shines brighter in the storm, and your steel has forged an indelible echo. Rewards: 100 Arcane Energy Crystals, 500 Basic Materials, 500 experience points, and 1,000 Gold Coins. May your light continue to defy the shadows.""
Renn let out a dry chuckle, glancing at Lilith, whose head still rested against him. "Hey, Lilith, what do I do with a thousand coins? Get you a dress or buy a dagger that doesn't bend?"
She lifted her gaze with a crooked smile, her red eyes glinting. "Oh, my lord, a dress would be nice, but only if I get to show it off for you first," she teased, nudging him playfully. "Or use those crystals to make the academy fools shake. How about that?"
"Not a bad idea," Renn said, tapping the bracelet with a finger. Suddenly, a tremor shook the sanctuary, the beams creaking with a shrill groan, and a deep roar rumbled from outside, as if the earth itself were issuing a warning. An ethereal voice burst into the room, spontaneous and sourceless:
"[World Announcement]: The second trial awakens. Corruption twists in the shadows, hungry for blood and glory. Resist or perish—the Judgment of the Beasts spares no one.""
Renn groaned, his sarcasm sharp. "Another round, what a shock. I thought we'd get a breather."
Lilith laughed, pressing closer. "A breather? My lord, that's for the weak. We shine in chaos."
Seraphina, tweaking her light weapon near a trapdoor, looked up. "It's what's next, my lord," she said, her voice cold and precise. "If we stop, they bury us."
"How cheerful," Lilith quipped, winking at Renn. "Ever get tired of being so serious, big sister?"
"Someone has to keep order," Seraphina replied, the click of her weapon snapping like a gunshot.
Renn slid a finger across the bracelet, opening the hall chat, the hologram casting blue lines of text that flickered like fireflies. The other lords bantered with carefree arrogance:
[Lord_Torin]: "That horde was a joke. My dragon barely had to stir."
[Lord_Elara]: "Yeah, my griffin tore them apart in no time. I'm bored."
[Lord_Lira]: "My hawk hunted them like rats. Is this all they've got?"
[Lord_Gav]: "My golem crushed them effortlessly. Torin, did your dragon even do anything useful?"
[Lord_Torin]: "Spit fire and left them smelling burnt. Elara, did your griffin hunt or just peck?"
[Lord_Elara]: "Pecked with style, thanks. Lira, didn't your hawk get tired circling?"
[Lord_Lira]: "Not as tired as your tongue, Elara. Gav, didn't your golem sink in the mud?"
[Lord_Gav]: "Nope, but now I've got stones for something decent. What about you, Torin, what's the gold for?"
[Lord_Torin]: "A throne, maybe. Or something less boring than this."
Renn shut the chat with a scoff, turning to Valka by the window. "Listen to these clowns," he said, his tone thick with disdain. "They think it was a stroll. What's your water saying, Valka? Did we just get lucky too?"
She stepped closer, her armor creaking softly, her blue eyes gleaming with calm. "It wasn't luck, my lord," she answered, her voice deep as a distant echo. "The water felt our strength. But something bigger watches us now."
Suddenly, a clear voice pierced Renn's mind, a golden flash making him tense. No one else reacted—it was for him alone:
"[System]: The General of the Reliquary, sent by the Entity guarding the artifact, has felt fear at underestimating your forces after the first wave. In desperation, he has broken the order of the Judgment of the Beasts. The second and third waves will strike as one in a combined assault, a sabotage to shatter the lord of the Sacred Order. Resist this storm and claim the glory of the light. Special Rewards: 700 Holy Energy Crystals, 400 Epic Materials, Greater Purification Artifact, Epic Troop Building Blueprint (Holy Order).""
Renn blinked, the message echoing in his head. "Listen to this," he said, his voice hardening as he drew his dagger and spun it in his hand. "The System says the General of the Reliquary's scared of us. So scared he's mashed the second and third hordes into one attack. He wants us gone fast."
Lilith pulled back with a snap of her wings, crossing her arms. "Scared of us? Oh, my lord, that deserves a show," she said, her tone sharp and playful. "Should I make them a mess they'll never forget? I could confuse them 'til they claw themselves apart."
"Save some for the end," Renn replied, a crooked smile creeping up. "I want this General regretting he woke up today."
Seraphina stepped forward, her weapon humming with white light. "If they fear us, let them pay for underestimating us," she said, her voice cold but steady. "Orders, my lord?"
"Traps up front, no gaps," Renn said, pointing with his dagger. "Hit hard from the start."
Valka tilted her head, humming a low note that vibrated the floor. "The water confirms it, my lord," she said, her tone serene. "It's personal. The General knows of the Reliquary… and you. Shall I direct the water north?"
"Yeah, block 'em off," Renn answered, slamming the dagger into the table with a solid thud. "Lilith, west—confuse them 'til they're lost. Seraphina, with me at the front. Let's make this sabotage cost them."
Lilith clapped, her wings flaring. "That's my lord! I'll give them a dance the Entity won't forget!"
Valka hummed another note, the air thickening with a faint salt scent. "The water awaits them," she murmured, gazing toward the forest.
Seraphina stayed quiet a moment, then pulled a damp cloth from her habit and approached Renn. With a quick, natural motion, she wiped a smear of dried blood from his cheek, the cool fabric brushing his skin. "You can't lead like this, my lord," she said, her tone firm yet softened by a hint. She tugged his collar straight and brushed dust from his shoulders, as if it were routine. "There."
Renn looked at her, caught off guard but smiling. "Thanks, Seraphina. Now, let's get 'em."
The sanctuary rested in fragile calm, the candles flickering with a soft sound that echoed distantly. Renn leaned against the pillar, his tattered cloak grazing the cold stone, while Lilith hummed a low tune beside him, her black wings folded with a playful whisper. Seraphina had just stepped back, damp cloth in hand after cleaning his face and dusting his shoulders. The air carried a faint scent of wax and salt, pierced by the moan of wind slipping through the cracks. From the window, Valka watched the forest, her deep hum vibrating like a warning.
Renn adjusted his freshly straightened collar, flashing Seraphina a grin. "Thanks for the touch-up, huh," he said, his voice rough but warm. "Now that I'm decent, guess we should prep something before this General crashes in."
Lilith looked up, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Oh, my lord, decent? With me here, you always look divine," she teased, giving him a light nudge. "What's the plan? Something to make those fools quake?"
"Something that shoots, I hope," Seraphina said, turning from a light trapdoor, her weapon humming with a white glow. Her golden eyes fixed on him firmly. "My lord, if two hordes are coming, we need more than traps. Defense towers—ones that purify from a distance. What do we have to work with?"
Renn raised a brow, straightening a bit as Lilith's warmth lingered at his side. "Purifying towers? I like the sound of that," he said, his tone sarcastic yet intrigued. He flicked the bracelet alive, a blue holographic screen unfolding before him, letters hovering in the air. "Let's check the inventory."
The screen flared, displaying the data:
Lord: Renn
Territory: Sanctuary of the Holy Order
Holy Energy Crystals: 6,340
Buildings: 1 Holy Workshop, 3 Watchtowers, 1 Reinforced Altar, 1 Two-Room House
Inner Circle Nuns: Lilith (succubus archangel), Seraphina (aasimar), Valka (siren valkyrie)
Renn gave a low whistle, tilting the bracelet toward Seraphina. "There you go, 6,340 crystals. Not bad, huh? Let's see what we can build—and where we should put 'em. I need your cool head on this."
Seraphina stepped closer, her weapon humming as she studied the screen. "Two north, my lord," she said, her voice cold and precise. "They'll cover the widest flank and stop them from circling us. One west, where the forest narrows—it'll slow any fast push. The last one up front with you, to break their initial charge. Traps can fill the gaps."
Renn nodded. "That's a plan. Lilith, you good teaming up with the west one?"
Lilith clapped, her wings snapping open. "Oh, my lord, a duet with a tower! I'm flattered," she exclaimed, her laugh slicing the air as she headed west. "I'll make those fools dance 'til they burn!"
Valka hummed a low note from the window, her armor creaking. "The water agrees, my lord," she said, her voice resonating like a deep echo. "I'll reinforce the north with the two towers."
"Perfect," Renn murmured, sliding his finger across the screen. A new hologram popped up:
"[System]: Purifying Light Defense Tower - White stone structure with an amber crystal that fires holy energy beams. Purifies corrupt enemies. Cost: 100 Holy Energy Crystals.""
He selected four towers, assigning them as Seraphina directed. The bracelet buzzed, and the ground quaked faintly as a message flashed:
"[System]: Construction completed: 4 Purifying Light Defense Towers, Level 1. Locations: 2 north, 1 west, 1 front. Cost: 400 Holy Energy Crystals. Remaining resources: 5,940 Holy Energy Crystals.""
Outside, four white stone structures rose, their amber crystals glowing dimly, the tremor shaking dust from the beams. "Let's juice 'em up," Renn said, selecting the upgrade. The screen updated:
"[System]: Purifying Light Tower upgraded to Level 2 - Range: 75 meters. Higher damage shots and area pulse every 10 seconds. Cost: 800 Holy Energy Crystals (4 towers). Remaining resources: 5,140 Holy Energy Crystals.""
The towers grew, runes on their bases flaring with golden light. Renn tapped again. "More," he said, and another message appeared:
"[System]: Purifying Light Tower upgraded to Level 3 - Range: 100 meters. High-damage shots every 2 seconds, with holy burn for 5 seconds. Cost: 1,200 Holy Energy Crystals (4 towers). Remaining resources: 3,940 Holy Energy Crystals.""
The towers rose higher, ethereal flames flickering around them, the air humming low as the ground quaked once more. Seraphina adjusted her weapon, glancing at Renn over her shoulder. "Up front, my lord. Let them come when they will," she said, her tone cold yet tinged with shared confidence, her hand brushing his shoulder as she passed—a brief, natural gesture.
Renn caught her eye, his grin softening. "What, now you're patting me on the back?" he joked, his voice edged with warmth. "Stay close, Seraphina—I need that head of yours."
"Just stay alive to use it, my lord," she shot back, sharp but steady, taking her place at the front.
Renn stepped away from the pillar, one hand on the table, the dagger spinning in the other. "Let 'em come," he muttered, his voice hardening, a wild glint in his eyes. "We'll make this General wish he'd never played dirty."
The sanctuary shuddered under a deep roar rising from the forest, a rumble that sank into the defenders' bones like a harbinger of doom. The newly erected Purifying Light Towers, their amber crystals glinting, hummed with a steady pulse, primed for the assault. Renn pulled away from the pillar with a sharp motion, his dagger spinning in his hand as his gray eyes scanned the gloom beyond the entrance. The air thickened, heavy with a stench of damp rot and rusted metal, a warning seeping through the cracks and chilling their breath into fleeting clouds.
A chorus of thousands of inhuman throats roared from the forest, a sound that rattled the beams and briefly snuffed the candles' sputter. The combined horde erupted like a living tide of corruption: towering trolls, their gray, festering skin covered in oozing sores, marched with steps that crushed the earth, their eyes blazing with savage hunger. Thousands of ethereal specters drifted among them, hazy shadows emitting a shrill buzz like a swarm of furious wasps, their forms flickering with dark energy. The ground groaned under the avalanche's weight, branches and stones pulverized beneath their tread, while the sky darkened with clouds that seemed to boil with the impending storm.
Lilith, posted at the west, unfurled her black wings streaked with gold, the snap cutting the air like a whip. "Oh, my lord, what a feast they've brought us!" she cried, her voice sharp with gleeful mischief as she raised her hands. A whirlwind of dark energy surged from her palms—the Supreme Confusion—engulfing hundreds of specters in a black mist that drove them mad in an instant. The ethereal beings spun in a self-destructive frenzy, crashing into each other and tearing themselves apart with ghostly claws, their wails resounding like a chilling lament that filled the air.
"Dance for me, you fools!" Lilith shouted, her manic laughter weaving through the chaos as sharp shadows rose from the ground like living scythes. The dark spears sliced through the air with a dry crack, impaling dozens of trolls in one sweep. Their corrupt flesh split, splattering black muck and thick blood, the bodies collapsing into reeking, sodden heaps. With a wink at Renn, she let out a triumphant yell: "A special gift for you, my lord!" The western tower, synced with her assault, fired beams of holy light that pierced the confused foes, incinerating them in golden flashes that left ashes drifting in the wind.
Renn, at the front with Seraphina, gripped his dagger's worn handle, the leather creaking under his fingers. The metallic taste of dried blood lingered in his mouth, mingling with the dust kicked up by the horde. "Don't hog all the credit, Lilith!" he yelled, charging the trolls with a restrained fury blazing in his chest. His dagger traced precise arcs, severing tendons and throats with brutal efficiency, blood spraying like a hot geyser, staining his tattered cloak and soaking his boots.
Beside him, Seraphina raised her hands, her golden eyes gleaming beneath her hood like beacons of judgment. "O Lord, let Your wrath cleanse this land," she murmured, her voice serene yet brimming with divine authority. Bursts of Purifying Light erupted from her palms, incinerating hundreds of specters in blinding flashes that lit the field like a furious dawn. The air filled with an ozone-and-holiness scent, a stark contrast to the corruption's reek. A troll lunged at her, its claw raised like a guillotine, but her Divine Shield absorbed the blow with a metallic clang, and she countered with a beam that reduced it to smoldering ash.
"Keep pushing! Don't let them through!" Renn commanded, his rough voice slicing through the din as he and Seraphina moved in sync—a deadly dance of steel and light. The front tower fired holy energy beams every two seconds, each hit resonating with a hum that tore through corrupt flesh and dissolved specters into wisps of smoke. Area pulses sent golden waves that seared foes with sacred fire, the field ringing with shrieks and cracks as the horde fell by the dozens.
From the north, Valka watched the advance of thousands with mystic calm, her white armor reflecting the towers' amber glow. The air thrummed with a scent of salt and moss, and with a gentle gesture, she channeled her power. Dark whirlwinds sprang from the ground like living serpents, water and shadow intertwining in a relentless tide that swallowed hundreds of trolls and specters. "My lord, the water senses them… To the east?" she asked, her deep voice resonating like the ocean.
"To the east, Valka! Cut them off!" Renn replied, dodging a swipe and plunging his dagger into a troll's eye, viscous fluid splashing his face. The whirlwinds roared, a thunder drowning out enemy cries as black mud trapped their feet, dragging them into a liquid grave. The northern towers fired pulses that amplified the chaos, water reflecting golden glints as foes sank in waves.
The horde began to falter, their numbers thinning under the coordinated onslaught. Thousands of trolls and specters lay scattered, their remains forming mounds that clogged the advance. Lilith danced among the shadows, confounding fresh swarms of specters, while Seraphina purified with bursts that lit the night, and Renn slashed relentlessly, his dagger dripping black blood.
A deafening roar tore through the field, silencing the towers' hums. From the forest's shadows, the General of the Reliquary emerged like a nightmare titan, his black armor glinting with entropic energy that withered the grass. A three-meter colossus, his presence a void swallowing light, his eyes glowed like embers beneath his helm. "The Lord dies, and all falls!" he bellowed, his voice an abyss echoing in Renn's chest, freezing the battlefield in a moment of pure tension.
The General of the Reliquary advanced, his steps shaking the earth, each thud a hammer against the anvil of the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and rock shards. His ember-red eyes locked onto Renn, who panted at the front, his dagger dripping black blood. Without warning, the General unleashed a surprise punch wreathed in black flames, the air crackling with infernal heat that scorched the oxygen in its path.
From the west, Lilith saw it and let out a choked scream, her wings trembling with terror. "No, my lord!" she cried, her voice breaking as the fist hurtled toward Renn like a blazing meteor. Too far away, caught amid a swarm of specters still reeling from her confusion, her red eyes filled with visceral panic at her lord's mortal peril.
Seraphina, mere steps from Renn, spun around in horror, her golden eyes widening. "Domine meus!" she shouted, her voice shattering with fury and despair. She lunged toward him, hands rising to summon her Divine Shield, but hundreds of trolls surged into her path—a wall of rotting flesh roaring with raised claws. Her face hardened, and a Latin chant poured from her lips, resonant and furious: "Lux divina, peccata consumat!"
Several spheres of divine light flared from her hands, radiant as miniature suns, hovering briefly before exploding like nuclear bombs. The blast was blinding, a radiance that incinerated the trolls in a heartbeat, their bodies disintegrating into ashes that swirled like dust in the wind. The ground quaked with the detonation, a smoking crater marking their former stand, the air buzzing sharply in everyone's ears. But Seraphina, gasping, realized in desperation she wouldn't reach him in time. The General's fist was inches from Renn.
In that instant, Valka intercepted with inhuman speed, blocking the strike with her forearm. The clash unleashed a shockwave that rocked the field, a blast uprooting nearby trees and hurling Renn several meters back. He tumbled across the ground, his tattered cloak tearing further, and crashed against a mound of earth with a groan, blood dripping from a fresh gash on his arm, a sharp pain stabbing his chest. Lilith let out a cry of relief tinged with rage, while Seraphina dropped to her knees, spent but eyes locked on her lord.
The sky darkened instantly, storm clouds swirling as if answering Valka's fury. Water droplets rose from the ground, suspended in the air, as a low hum vibrated in everyone's chest. Valka lifted her gaze to the General, her blue eyes gleaming like frozen rivers. "Your audacity ends here," she said, her voice cutting like a blade. "You will not touch my lord."
The General snarled, his voice booming with disdain. "A valkyrie servant! Clever… but not enough." He charged with a punch cloaked in entropic energy, the air crackling in his wake. Valka dodged with an elegant pirouette, the wind howling like a chorus of spirits, and the duel began.
With a gesture, she summoned a whirlwind of water and shadow that lashed the General like a whip, flinging him into a cluster of lingering trolls. The monsters crumpled under his weight, their bodies bursting in black blood. He steadied himself, roaring, and unleashed a barrage of brutal strikes, his fists trailing dark fire. Valka parried with her bare fists, each clash thundering across the kilometer-wide expanse.
The surroundings transformed: trees bent, torn from their roots by the whirlwinds; the ground split, geysers erupting, flooding the terrain with saltwater. An uppercut from Valka sent him airborne, his armor cracking, and a whirlwind caught him mid-flight, slamming him into a rock that shattered into dust. He gasped, staggering, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"Damn you! You're nothing but a servant!" he spat, his voice quavering.
"I am the Chosen of the Reliquary," Valka replied, her tone firm and mystic. "My lord is my strength, and you are nothing before him." She extended a hand, and a spear of pure light materialized, its blinding glow illuminating the chaos. The General recoiled, his arrogance crumbling.
Valka advanced, each thrust of her spear leaving radiant trails. The General's armor splintered, fragments falling like broken scales. He countered with orbs of black fire, but Valka deflected them with whirlwinds that dissolved them into smoke. A diagonal slash opened a gash across his chest, and a whirlwind hurled him down, carving a hundred-meter crater. Thunder rumbled, winds uprooted trees, and water roared in makeshift rivers.
"Impossible! How can you be so strong?" the General growled, fear cracking his voice.
"My strength is my lord's will," Valka answered, her voice an ocean's echo. "As long as he breathes, you have no hope." She stepped forward, her spear blazing brighter.
Desperate, the General shattered his armor with a scream that shook the earth, his scarred chest bared. A lightning bolt struck him, tripling his size to ten meters, his swollen muscles wrapped in a dark aura. A shockwave exploded, gouging a 500-meter crater and raising a dust cloud. Renn was flung again, rolling to a stop against a fallen tree, a pained cry escaping his lips.
Valka stood unmoved, her spear glowing like a sun. The General, now a colossus, roared and charged, the ground quaking. "Now you'll see my true power! You can't stop me!" he bellowed.
"Your desperation is pathetic," Valka said, cold and dismissive. "This ends now." She dodged his massive fists with supernatural agility, countering with whirlwinds that shredded his skin and blows that rang like hammers. An uppercut staggered him, a whirlwind lifted him, and her spear pierced his arm, drawing an agonized scream.
The kilometer around them was chaos: craters, roaring water, trees floating in the air. The General, overwhelmed, retreated, terror consuming him. "No… it can't be! You're just a servant!" he cried, turning to flee.
Valka caught him in a prodigious leap, her fists pounding like tidal waves. He fell to his knees, screaming: "It's not possible! He's a novice Lord! His troops shouldn't be this strong!" She summoned a final spear of light and water, piercing his chest with a wet rip. Gripping his head with both hands, she tore it off with a gruesome crunch, the head rolling to her feet.
Silence blanketed the ravaged field. Valka rose victorious, turning to Renn, who watched in awe and gratitude from the ground.
The battlefield lay in deathly silence, broken only by the crunch of mud under Renn's worn boots. Devastation stretched like a torn canvas: smoking craters marked where Valka's whirlwinds had raged, black water pooled in reflection of a clouded sky, and heaps of ash and rotting flesh piled like makeshift graves after hours of relentless combat. The stench was unbearable—a sharp mix of burnt remains and blood that clawed at the throat with every breath, a visceral reminder of the horde and the General of the Reliquary who'd tried to break them. Renn panted, his breath escaping in short clouds that faded in the cold air, leaning on his dagger. The blade, sunk into the ground like an anchor, quivered under his weight, blood dripping from cuts on his arm and chest, staining the swamp in a dark red that mingled with the muck.
Lilith emerged from the gloom, her black wings streaked with gold half-folded, torn at the edges from the chaos. Seraphina approached with slow steps, her white habit ripped and streaked with ash, the gleam of her golden eyes dulled by exhaustion. Valka stood still as a statue on a rise, her white armor splattered with black mud, water dripping from its edges in a soft echo that reverberated through the quiet. Renn looked at them, his chest heaving with effort, a fierce pride flaring within him, though he couldn't shake the echo of vulnerability that struck him. I felt death's edge graze my skin, the General's fist a whisper from crushing me, and only they pulled me back. His mind, fogged by fatigue, didn't register the hours that had passed, time lost in the storm of blood and light.
Lilith, a mischievous spark in her red eyes, broke the tension. She approached with a light step, almost dancing over the mud, and clapped theatrically, the sound ringing in the damp air. "How about a round of applause for the victory, my lord?" she exclaimed, her voice slicing the silence like a knife. "After this, you deserve a throne and a whole feast! Or should I crown you with shadows?" Her warm laughter wove through the air, a contrast to the stench and desolation, her wings fluttering with a soft whisper as if to sweep away the lingering darkness.
Renn looked up, a crooked smile creeping onto his bloodied lips. "A throne sounds nice, Lilith, but I'm not sure I'd survive your shadows," he replied, his voice hoarse but laced with weary affection. She laughed again, drawing closer, her warmth wrapping around him like a balm, a reminder of life pulsing amid the ruins. But before she could add more, a slow movement caught his eye.
Seraphina approached, her steps faltering on the sodden ground, the crunch of mud under her boots barely audible over the drip of water. Her hood had fallen, leaving her face bare—pale, streaked with dust and guilt. Her golden eyes, usually bright as beacons, were clouded, her hands trembling slightly as they clutched her torn habit's edge. She stopped before Renn, her breath ragged, and when she spoke, her voice emerged as a broken whisper, heavy with a pain that cut deeper than any claw. "I've failed… I saw you fall under that fist, and my light didn't reach in time. I don't deserve to stand by you."
Her words hit Renn like an echo of the fight, the memory flashing through him: Lilith's terrified scream from the west, Seraphina's blinding spheres too late to save me. He shook his head, straightening with effort, and stretched a shaky hand to rest on her shoulder. His palm's warmth clashed with the icy chill of her skin, a cold that seemed to seep from her soul more than the air. "Stop, Seraphina," he said, his voice firm despite exhaustion. "I'm alive because of you, because of all of you. Don't drown in what you couldn't change."
She met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, a frigid whisper slipping from her lips—an echo of her Latin chant still haunting the air. She didn't reply, but the weight of her stare enveloped him, a blend of devotion and something more, a longing I can't name. Renn felt an unexpected warmth spark as he held that gaze, a feeling that startled him and he tucked away, his hand lingering on her shoulder before pulling back.
Valka stepped forward then, her armor creaking softly, water dripping from its edges like a gentle heartbeat resonating in the ground. Her blue eyes glowed like frozen rivers, and when she spoke, her deep voice sliced the air with mystic weight. "The Reliquary whispered in the storm… This is but the prelude, my lord. The water trembles with what's to come." Her words hung there, a portent tightening Renn's shoulders, the echo of her hum seeming to pulse through the earth itself.
Suddenly, the ground quivered faintly, a shudder cracking the mud and jostling the scattered debris. A resonant voice, booming like distant thunder, burst from the sky, carrying a scent of ozone and churned earth that filled the air.
"[World Announcement]: Children of fate, the third horde has been vanquished! The brave have forged their glory in the crucible of the Endless World, an echo resounding through its eternal pillars. Rewards: 500 Arcane Energy Crystals, 100 Epic Materials, 2500 experience, 5000 gold, one Minor Artifact, and one Common Troop Building Blueprint (Random). Calculating Global Rankings… May your light withstand the coming shadow!""
The roar echoed in their chests, and Lilith clapped again, her wings flaring with a snap.
But before the sound faded, Renn's bracelet buzzed at his wrist, a private hum drawing his gaze. A blue hologram flared before him, visible only to his eyes, laced with a faint scent of iron and stardust.
"[System]: Lord of the Endless World, you have defied time and death, enduring the second and third hordes as one in a unique, eternal battle. Accumulated Rewards: 700 Arcane Energy Crystals, 400 Epic Materials, 3500 experience, 7000 gold, one Upgrade Scroll, one Minor Artifact, one Common Troop Building Blueprint (Random).""
Renn blinked, his mind snagging on "eternal." Hours? I didn't feel it, lost in the chaos of blood and shadows.
A golden glow flooded his vision then, a mental screen only he could see, warm as the sun and tinged with an echo of incense and salt.
"[System]: The General of the Reliquary has been broken by the unyielding will of Lord Renn, a titan felled by the sacred fury of the Order. The Entity of the Reliquary roars in its prison, its wrath a thunder promising vengeance. Rewards: 700 Holy Energy Crystals, 400 Epic Materials, Greater Purification Artifact, Epic Troop Building Blueprint (Holy Order).""
The message rang in his mind, a shiver running through him as he pictured the Entity's fury, an echo whispering in the wind.
Lilith leaned in, her crooked smile shining in the gloom. "What do we do with all that gold, my lord? New daggers or a palace for me?" she asked, her playful tone cutting the tension.
Renn laughed, a hoarse sound barely escaping his throat. "Daggers, Lilith. Always daggers." But his gaze drifted to the ravaged horizon, a foreboding clinging to my bones. "This isn't over—I feel it in my bones."
The nuns drew closer, their voices rising in a murmur of celebration, a soft chant clashing with the mud and death. Lilith hummed a mischievous tune, Valka bowed her head in reverence, but Seraphina stayed silent, her eyes fixed on Renn, melancholic and heavy with an unvoiced yearning. The wind carried a distant whisper, an echo of rage from the Reliquary, and Renn knew what lay ahead would be darker, deeper, a challenge to test not just my steel, but my soul.