“How did you end up here?” Zenobia abruptly turned her head, her gaze icy and filled with murderous intent. The malice in her eyes was as intense as when she spoke of Luca.
“I thought Lady Zenobia would be thrilled to see me. I’m deeply saddened by this cold reception,” came a voice, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of footsteps growing closer. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, dressed in an English-style black suit, holding a silver cane, and wearing a gentleman’s hat.
He appeared to be in his thirties, with gold-rimmed glasses and an air of refined elegance.
However, the playful smile on his face completely shattered the dignity of his appearance.
The man chuckled lightly and said, “Lady Zenobia, if I remember correctly, it’s been a hundred thousand years since we last saw each other. Over these years, I’ve missed you terribly.”
Zenobia sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “How many of the words spoken by the God of Deceit are true? Besides, my current predicament wouldn’t have come about without your help.”
The middle-aged man feigned a sorrowful look. “Zenobia, how could you say that? Have you forgotten? It was I who, risking divine wrath, stole the Celestial Pearl from the God King for you. “
“Without it, you would’ve been dead long ago, buried in some forgotten corner. You wouldn’t even have the chance to stand here and talk to me.”
Zenobia’s cold smile deepened. “If I had a choice, I’d rather have died ten thousand years ago than suffer in this dark, endless place. Carmon, you should be thankful that human interfered with my plans, or else I would’ve made you experience the suffering I’ve been through over these years.”
The man, Carmon, raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You really do hold a grudge against me, don’t you? But, as always, I’m quite the magnanimous person.”
He paused for a moment, then his face broke into an even more charming, gentlemanly smile. “So, not only do I forgive you, but I’m also going to offer you a chance at freedom.”
Zenobia froze for a moment, clearly taken aback by this unexpected offer. Her brows furrowed as she asked, “What do you want?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Carmon replied, “Fun. I want more fun. This world is too dull. I’m going to make it more interesting, just like when I was willing to steal the Celestial Pearl for you.”
“Crazy lunatic,” Zenobia muttered under her breath.
Carmon had always been an unstable character, even back in the ancient times. From stealing the Celestial Pearl to disguising himself to play pranks on others, there was no limit to what he was capable of.
But it was precisely because of this unpredictability that no one knew what his true intentions were.
After calming herself down, Zenobia thought for a long while. Finally, she sighed. She had no other choice—unless she truly wanted to be trapped here forever.
Carmon was not surprised by her decision. He removed his gentleman’s hat, a smile forming on his face. “Well then, I hope you enjoy yourself in the new world, Lady Zenobia.”
As he finished speaking, a glimmer suddenly appeared in his eyes, gathering into a rune. Zenobia felt the rune growing larger and larger, until it completely obscured her vision.
Then, her consciousness was swallowed by a deep darkness.
…
Meanwhile, in Celephais.
At the junction of the city center and the outskirts, the air was filled with the constant rumble of explosions and the sharp sound of gunfire. Thousands of heavily armored officers, armed with submachine guns, were at the front lines, continuously spraying bullets at the advancing monsters.
Behind them, civilians were being evacuated, their ranks dense, numbering in the tens of thousands.
Despite the police’s heavy firepower, the situation was simply too sudden. They were severely outnumbered, with insufficient ammunition and manpower. And the monsters seemed endless, arriving in waves without cease.
At this rate, they would not be able to hold out for much longer.
“Has support arrived yet?” Donlow punched a charging demonic wolf with a powerful blow, causing it to explode, but his forehead was slick with sweat, and his chest heaved with exertion. Still, he couldn’t afford to stop.
“There are too many monsters in the city. They’re still on their way,” replied a small, round-faced girl standing beside him. She was using her abilities to heal Donlow’s wounds and replenish his stamina, her face pale with concern.
“I think by the time they arrive, we won’t even have bodies left to bury,” Donlow muttered in a half-joking, half-serious tone, trying to relieve the mounting pressure.
He had thought these monsters would be similar to the ones in the game, but now, facing them in reality, he realized it was an entirely different story.
After all, these things could really kill you.
“I suspect they’re trying to kill us,” Fuzzsir said seriously while controlling the undead to charge at the monsters.
The round-faced girl, Hairry, twitched her lips, suddenly regretting her decision. Why hadn’t she followed Quagmire and the others to another city? Instead, she had chosen to come to Celephais with this mentally unstable guy.
Donlow, on the other hand, had long since grown accustomed to it. Just as she was about to suggest that Hairry contact the rear for further support.
A sudden uproar and cries for help erupted from the crowd.
She instinctively turned her head, and her face immediately darkened.
A three-meter-tall demon bear, enduring the onslaught of gunfire, smashed through the police defense lines, charging into the fleeing crowd. Ordinary people were no match for such a monster.
Blood splattered everywhere, and the air was filled with screams and agonizing cries.
“It’s… it’s a high-level monster!” Hairry almost burst into tears.
She was so unlucky. It was her first mission, and she had to encounter a high-level monster. Even the entire Morning Star would struggle against a monster of this caliber. This time, they were doomed!
Donlow’s expression was equally grim. A high-level monster was far beyond her ability to handle. But there was no way she could just stand by and watch this monster slaughter humans.
“I’ll try to hold it off and buy time for the evacuation!” Gritting her teeth, Donlow powered forward, her agile figure darting like a cheetah straight at the high-level demon bear.
After receiving game feedback, Donlow’s strength had reached Platinum Grade. While there was still a significant gap between her and the demon bear, with firepower support, she should be able to hold it off temporarily.
But soon, Donlow realized she had underestimated the situation.
Although the high-level demon bear was held back, their firepower was barely enough to keep up in the first place. Now that she was no longer contributing to the fight, a gap soon appeared in their defense.
And this gap, under the continuous assault of the monster horde, quickly widened. Even the officers at the front were beginning to be affected. In no time, the entire defense line was on the brink of collapse, and it wouldn’t be long before it completely fell apart.
“We’re done for, we’re done for! I’m still a virgin! I don’t want to die!” Fuzzsir’s face turned pale, and he kept mumbling incessantly, tears of regret streaming down his face.
Donlow was already feeling uneasy, and now this idiot’s rambling was only adding to her frustration.
She was about to tell him to shut up when, at that very moment, a sudden surge of danger rose in her heart, and a powerful gust of wind rushed straight at her.
Donlow’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Boom! A massive bear paw slammed into her back with a thunderous force. Donlow felt an immense pressure hit her, and before she could react, her body was sent flying like a projectile. In mid-air, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and crashed into a nearby supermarket, where she was buried under shelves and products.
“Miss Donlow!” Several voices cried out in alarm. Hairry immediately rushed forward, intending to treat her. But just halfway there, her body froze in place.
A massive shadow blocked her way. The ferocious eyes of the monster stared at her like two lanterns, and the stench of its breath hit her face. Hairry’s mind went blank, her legs went weak, and she collapsed directly onto the ground.
The commotion here also attracted the attention of the officers at the front. Once they saw the situation, the already fragile defense line became even more precarious.
Donlow, leaning against the wall, slowly stood up, a wave of despair washing over her.
But the monster didn’t care about their thoughts.
“Roar!” The furious demon bear opened its massive mouth, revealing sharp, dagger-like fangs, and lunged directly at Hairry, who was frozen in place from fear.
Donlow clenched her fists, unable to bear watching. However, to her surprise, the next sound she heard was not Hairry’s terrified scream, but an incredibly dull, thunderous crash.
Then Donlow felt something rush past her, accompanied by a gust of wind. A massive, booming sound rang out behind her.
Boom!! Donlow opened her eyes in shock and saw a very familiar figure that had somehow appeared on the street. His expression was calm, holding a special Morning Star briefcase in his hand, dressed in simple casual clothes, but his posture was as straight as a pine tree. He looked like a long spear.
At that moment, the size 43 sneakers he wore were slowly retracting, and the demon bear behind her now bore a clear footprint on its face, its head twisted completely around, its neck turned 180 degrees.
“As expected, I’m always timely when I show up.” Luca chuckled lightly as he looked at Hairry, still frozen in place. He then gave her a gentle piece of advice: “Support class roles should stay in the back. Don’t be so reckless next time. Find somewhere safe to hide for now.”
Hairry dazedly nodded, but she felt dizzy and couldn’t move her feet at all.
“When did you arrive?” Donlow asked, her face full of surprise as she jogged over.
They had tried reaching Luca multiple times, but hadn’t been able to contact him. She never expected him to show up so suddenly.
“I got a call from Coarmy. Just arrived a little while ago,” Luca replied casually, as he opened the briefcase in his hand and took out both Starseeker and Obsidian.
“Take a break. I’ve got this covered,” he said as he weighed the long sword in his hand. Then, without further delay, he walked toward the surging monster horde.