Chapter 79: The Fall of the City

Chapter 79: The Fall of the City



Ever since getting on the carriage, Karl had been suppressed by the other party, an invisible pressure so close that it made him feel suffocated and unable to breathe freely.

Now that he had finally regained his freedom, he didn't waste any time and took action immediately.

Combat Technique - Eagle Assault!

With his enlarged body, over three meters tall, and empowered by the combat technique, he moved like a rapidly moving house.

The broadsword in his hand also grew in size, and with a simple downward swing, he covered an area of several meters.

"Swish!"

Lady Anne lightly tapped her foot, and her entire body floated backwards, appearing slow but actually moving swiftly.

The broadsword grazed her clothing as it descended, and the gust of wind lifted her robe, revealing her graceful figure beneath.

Her curves and slender, white, straight legs stood out under the moonlight, creating a captivating sight.

This was a body full of temptation.

Ring Star Sword!

Karl seemed to ignore the scene before him, his expressionless face swinging the sword in a horizontal sweep while activating his ring.

Six long swords formed from starlight appeared out of thin air, trembling slightly before shooting towards Lady Anne.

The star sword's speed was astonishing, and even though it was close, she still had to dodge a beat slower.

"Swish!"

"Huff..."

Taking advantage of Lady Anne's dodge, Karl continued his swing, and the massive broadsword swept like a door.

His speed was indeed not fast compared to hers, but his size and weapon advantage greatly increased his attack range.

Unavoidable!

"Boom!"

The broadsword collided with her slender arm.

At this moment, Karl's strength was comparable to a Grand Knight, while Lady Anne was clearly not skilled at facing opponents head-on.

Even her combat techniques were quite clumsy.

This was normal.

As a hidden follower of the Evil God, she rarely had the opportunity to fight others, let alone refine her combat techniques.

Lady Anne was directly smashed into the wall by the broadsword, and the stone wall collapsed, burying her underneath.

Victory?

Dana's eyes lit up.

Although she was surprised by Karl's identity and somewhat unwilling to believe it, she knew who she was standing with.

However, her joy only lasted for a moment.

"Boom!"

The rubble exploded, and a figure darted out amidst the debris.

"Karl!"

Lady Anne, with her hair in disarray, screamed:

"You've made me angry!"

Her speed was so fast that even Dana, a knight, struggled to see her figure, only catching glimpses of afterimages.

Karl's performance was slightly better, but he still couldn't keep up with this speed.

Fortunately,

He was not just a knight but also an Apprentice Wizard.

Minor Force Field Spell!

Gravity Protection!

As Lady Anne approached Karl, she was suppressed by an invisible force field, and her speed suddenly slowed.

Combat Technique - Divine Judgment!

Karl leaped up, and his giant sword flashed with a cold, sharp light.

Battle aura erupted within his body, and in an instant, two intersecting sword lights exploded, resembling a cross descending from the heavens.

"Boom!"

Dust and smoke rose in the arena.

Compared to Karl's robust and muscular build, Lady Anne's slender and fragile figure resembled a doll being kneaded.

The enormous force from above instantly tore through flesh and bones, heading towards her internal organs.

As the distance between them widened, the disparity in their strengths became evident.

Just as Karl was about to smash his opponent into a pulp, a strange power suddenly emerged, blocking the battle aura.

"Crack!"

A hand with only bones left gripped the broadsword, and with a burst of strength, Karl was pushed away.

The gust of wind swept through.

The smoke and dust slowly dispersed.

The scene before them caused Karl's eyes to narrow, his expression turning solemn, while Dana widened her eyes in shock, unable to speak.

"Hiss..."

"Interesting!"

'Lady Anne' slowly stood up, her eyes now a deep crimson, filled with wild ferocity.

Cruel!

Frenzy!

Bloodthirsty!

...

And her form underwent a tremendous change.

Her face was covered in blood, with some areas revealing white skull bones, and her hair was in disarray, hanging behind her.

Her upper body remained graceful and alluring, and even with the mix of blood and bones, her charm was undiminished.

As her slender waist extended downwards, a shocking transformation occurred. Her lower body was no longer a pair of long, white legs but a massive spider's body.

The spider's body was a deep, dark black, covered in hard shells, flashing with a cold, sharp light. Its six legs were long and powerful, like carefully polished blades, emitting a dangerous aura.

Spider Maid?

No!

Unlike the unintelligent Spider Maid, Lady Anne's current form was evidently more advanced.

It also resembled the statue of the Spider Goddess more closely.

The divine messenger that Robert mentioned was probably Lady Anne, and now Karl could understand their fear. This form truly exceeded the aesthetic standards of normal people.

Even with her excellent disguise, the thought of her having such a form would likely kill any interest. She was not human, and 'not human' was not just a figurative term.

She truly wasn't human!

"To make me reveal my true form, no wonder Robert died at your hands. But rest assured."

Lady Anne lightly tapped her hip, and her entire body moved horizontally, swiftly closing in on Karl.

"I won't kill you directly!"

"Instead, I'll let you taste the ultimate pleasure of the mortal realm, and when I'm thoroughly bored, I'll feed you to the Spider Maid. Such abundant vitality will surely make my baby grow stronger."

"Pfft!"

As she spoke, her lower body swelled and contracted, shooting out a large clump of spider silk from a hidden orifice.

The silk unfurled in the air, forming a giant web that descended upon Karl.

Karl looked up, raising his left hand.

Fire Mark!

"Boom!"

Fire appeared out of thin air, rising against the falling web, and upon contact, it ignited into a raging inferno, filling the air with the scent of burning.

"Fire?"

Lady Anne's eyes narrowed, clearly showing her disgust.

This was another difference from the Spider Maid; while the Spider Maid showed fear in the face of flames, Lady Anne only displayed disgust.

"Swish!"

Her six spider legs tapped the ground lightly, and Lady Anne pounced forward, her sharp legs striking first.

"Ding..."

Karl swung his sword to block, feeling a sharp force explode from the point of contact, causing his body to stagger.

Strong!

Her strength wasn't overwhelming, but it was highly concentrated and had a peculiar force that seemed to seep into his body through the point of contact.

It was similar to Battle Aura, yet different.

If he had still held the upper hand a moment ago, now he found it extremely difficult to respond.

"Hiss..."

Lady Anne's mouth made a strange sound, and her six legs stabbed rapidly, like a whirlwind of rain and wind:

"I'll make you fall!"

The extreme speed even made it difficult for Karl to react.

Combat Technique - Guardian!

A pure white aura seemed to radiate from his body, forming a physical entity slightly larger than himself.

"Ding..."

The spider leg struck the guardian aura, then hit the armor, and the force finally surged into his flesh.

Spell Seal - Steel Body.

Despite the layers of defense, he still felt a stinging pain, but thankfully, it wasn't fatal for Karl.

However, the guardian aura trembled, and cracks appeared in his armor, indicating that it couldn't hold for long.

Combat Technique - Blossom!

A ferocious force surged in all directions, instantly knocking Lady Anne away, while sword shadows fell around her.

Combat Technique - Gale Slash!

"Ding, ding... Clang, clang..."

Lady Anne wasn't skilled in martial arts, but her speed was astonishing, and she had a beast-like instinct for sensing danger.

Her six spider legs, along with her two arms, blocked the incoming attacks.

Her body only paused slightly before pouncing again.

"Smack!"

The area in front of him suddenly lit up.

Brightness Spell!

"Ah!"

Light was the nemesis of all evil creatures, and Lady Anne was no exception, involuntarily screaming.

Her body retreated in panic.

Ring Star Sword!

Gravity Protection!

Combat Technique - Divine Judgment!

Karl seized the opportunity, and the star sword, gravity, and battle aura roared towards Lady Anne, who had closed her eyes, colliding in mid-air.

"Boom!"

Two massive figures flew backward.

"Ah!"

Lady Anne, heavily injured and covered in blood, screamed:

"I'll kill you!"

"Kill you!"

Her body was empowered by divine strength, and even though she was injured, she recovered quickly. However, the humiliation was hard to bear.

Since gaining the favor of the Spider Goddess Elis, she had never been bested by any man.

Whether it was the Baron or Robert, they were merely her playthings, despite her calling them her 'reliance' in public.

They were just props she used to disguise herself and her identity, disposable when she grew tired of them.

"Smack!"

The area in front of him lit up again.

Brightness Spell!

"Hiss..."

Lady Anne hissed through clenched teeth, and this time, she didn't choose to retreat. Instead, she closed her eyes and continued to pounce forward, not giving Karl a chance.

"Boom!"

After landing, her body suddenly paused.

Minor Force Field Spell and Gravity Protection simultaneously landed on her, and a broadsword descended from above.

Beneath her, where she couldn't see, over a dozen bloodthirsty vines shot out, wrapping around her body.

Trap!

Karl had intentionally let her get close, and after losing sight of her, his perception of danger also diminished.

Summon Thorns!

Summon Thorns!

...

To be safe, Karl used all three Summon Thorns spells at once, and dozens of thorny vines roared out.

In an instant, the vines covered almost the entire area.

However, this extreme level of draining the Enchanted Artifact also caused its durability to rapidly decline, and the sound of shattering gems could be heard.

At the same time.

These moves were just to restrict her movement; the real killing blow was yet to come.

Titan Hammer!

The crystal ring activated at this moment.

Lady Anne also sensed something amiss, and her six spider legs danced frantically, like scythes quickly cutting through the vines entangling her.

Her hands erupted with immense strength, knocking Karl away, who was entangled with her.

Her body flashed, intending to escape.

But,

It was too late!

"Boom!"

Invisible forces gathered in the air, and a giant hammer appeared, mercilessly smashing down upon her position.

The tremendous force caused the ground to cave in, and Lady Anne, struggling to break free, fell to the ground.

"Huff..."

Karl exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, but his actions didn't stop there. Instead, he activated the Enchanted Artifact again.

Titan Hammer!

Although her physical strength wasn't high, and her defense was inadequate, her recovery ability was astonishingly fast, and a single strike wasn't enough to kill her instantly.

"Boom!"

The earth trembled, and an unknown green liquid mixed with blood splattered everywhere.

Lady Anne once again found herself being slammed to the ground, the spider body beneath her riddled with cracks.

Still not dead?

Baron Karl once again lifted his hand, just as he was about to make a move, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his body rapidly retreated.

Danger!

The extreme danger warning made his heart pump faster, even time seemed to slow down in his perception.

There was no time to think much; a large hand flipped, and the horse beside him was directly sent flying, blocking in front of him.

"Whoosh!"

A sudden surge of white light appeared, bursting from Lady Anne’s eyes, merging into the startled horse.

In an instant.

The robust horse aged and decayed at a terrifying speed, turning into a pile of withered bones before it even hit the ground.

Div ine spell — death ray!

After activating the divine spell, Lady Anne clearly became extremely distressed, though she still struggled to look at Bar on Karl with shining light in her eyes.

Divine...

"Pfft!"

A longsword suddenly stabbed into the back of her head, emerging from between her brows, the light in her eyes gradually fading away.

After a brief struggle, Lady Anne's body finally lost all vitality and fell to the ground.

"Huff… huff…" Duna held her sword in her left hand, her right arm drenched in fresh blood, her face turned pale as she panted heavily.

“I am a knight, when I am not here!”

Karl shook his head.

If it hadn't been for Duna’s intervention, he had already planned to retreat to the fragment of the divine domain to avoid the situation and come out again.

Fortunately,

It didn't come to that.

Hand raised.

Flame Mark!

Flame enveloped Lady Anne’s body, slowly burning in a crackling sound.

"Karl…"

Duna bandaged her arm, standing to the side, her gaze flickering toward Karl, the atmosphere inexplicably awkward. Finally, she opened her mouth to ask:

"There must be a Fire thief causing trouble in the city, I will go and check. What are your plans?"

"Plans?"

Karl mused:

"Leave the city of Signo."

He still had some trivial matters to deal with, but seeing the current situation, he needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Leave?" Duna paused, a sudden inexplicable reluctance rising in her.

After knowing Karl's identity, she found it hard to adjust with the the the it awkward,,, awkward,.

After a pause, she continued:

"Also, you have always planned to leave. Now is a better time, to... the black swamp?"

"Yes."

Karl nodded.

"Then..." Duna gripped her longsword, smiled dryly:

"Farewell!"

"I will help settle the chaos."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and strode away, her figure slender and somewhat melancholic, as if carrying some worries.

Karl retracted his gaze, planning to leave, his eyes suddenly halted, landing on the ashes left by the flames.

At this point, Lady Anne’s body had been mostly incinerated, yet a white pearl was left behind.

Pearl?

...

...

City wall.

Baron Baro and the fat-eared Lord Thorne stood side by side, gazing in the direction of the North Gate.

"Report!"

A messenger rushed over:

"Merchant Xize led dozens of privately trained soldiers to forcefully breach the South Gate. The situation at the city gate is critical."

"Xize? South city gate?" Lord Thorne’s expression turned anxious:

"How can this be?"

"Isn't the North Gate the one that's in chaos? What's the situation at the South Gate now? Can it be held?"

"Storm the North Gate to divert our attention, then take the opportunity to seize the South Gate?" Baron Baro’s eyes narrowed:

"Good idea, Xize..."

"Merchants like Xize lack loyalty, they are the ones who often betray the kingdom."

"Lord." He turned his head to look:

"Send your men there. Just a few dozen private soldiers, with the city guards assisting, it should not be a problem."

"Ah!"

Lord Thorne’s eyes flickered:

"I don’t have many people on hand, sending them might not help much. Perhaps it would be better to send the Vatican knights?"

Vatican knights?

Baron Baro's expression darkened.

While they held a noble status, they couldn't command the church's people at will. The other side was clearly trying to avoid sending their guards.

I had heard this lord was timid and life-preserving, never wanting to risk his men in such times.

How does such a person become a city lord?

How can such a person defend a city?

"Huff..."

Heaving a long sigh, Baron Baro slowly nodded:

"Vatican knights have already been dispatched to the North Gate to suppress the spider maid. Let the King City come over to assist."

"Good." Lord Thorne hurriedly agreed:

"The King city’s people are strong enough, dealing with a small merchant should not be an issue."

"Lord." At this moment, a short, sturdy man stepped forward behind him, spoke in a muffled voice:

"I can go."

"Flarmet, you are just a second lieutenant, not qualified to go."

"I am..." Baron Baro’s eyes squinted:

"Lord Thorne, this man is quite interesting, young but already at the peak level as a knight, no?"

"Yes." Lord Thorne scratched his head, laughing:

"He has a bit of special bloodline, naturally stronger than others, so his strength is considerable."

"But this man is so stupid that it's hard to trust him without my guidance."

"Yes, sir!"

Before he could finish, another messenger hurriedly rushed in, panting as he spoke:

"The East...East Gate..."

"Speak quickly!"

Baron Baro's face changed, and he stepped forward.

"What's happening at the East Gate?"

A grayish mist emerged from the white pearl, seeped into the fragment of the divine domain, and eventually disappeared without a trace.

After losing the mist, the pearl fell to the ground, its luster noticeably dimmed.

This pearl was not perfectly round but oval-shaped, and upon closer inspection, its core seemed to contain a spider.

If one had to compare it to something...

It was like amber!

Originium: 0.9

This unknown item actually contained 0.9 originium!

"The Thorn Crown, the Holy Spike, and the Great Divine Favor are all related to deities, and the Fine Sword is similar to the swords carried by the servants of the deities."

"This pearl must also be connected to the Spider Goddess."

Karl rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought.

"Could it be that all items that provide originium are related to deities, and originium originates from them?"

"The fragment of the divine domain..."

"Is there a connection between the two?"

Picking up the pearl from the ground, Karl examined it carefully. Even without the originium, it was still a valuable wizardry material.

Holding the pearl, his perception of the surrounding environment became more acute.

"Increased perception?"

The boost to perception wasn't significant.

If the pearl were to be refined into an enchanted artifact, it might be possible to unlock its potential.

Karl shook his head, his gaze shifting to his own data panel, contemplating whether to increase his physique or mental power.

With his current strength, if he were to focus on physique, he could expect to break through to the Grand Knight realm within a year.

On the other hand, increasing mental power would allow him to master another powerful wizardry, enabling him to handle more complex situations.

After a long while,

"Forget it."

With a wave of his hand, Karl dismissed the panel and strode out of the fragment of the divine domain.

...

The East Gate.

"Screech...Creak..."

The heavy gate emitted a harsh sound as it slowly opened outward with the turning of the winch.

"Welcome!"

Frank, dressed in a white robe, knelt on one knee, his right hand over his heart, bowing towards the figure in front of him:

"Signo City welcomes General Tucker of the Thunder Spear!"

"Clop...Clop..."

The sound of horse hooves was slow and orderly.

The horses and knights were clad in the same black armor, forming a moving mountain range as they approached the gate, stopping in front of Frank.

It was said that the warhorses beneath the knights carried the blood of dragons, possessing an innate dragon's might. Any lower life forms in their presence would be suppressed by their bloodline, unable to move.

But compared to the warhorses, the knights themselves exuded an even more formidable aura.

The palpable pressure made Frank, also a knight, bow his head deeply. Cold sweat formed on his forehead, and his mind became hazy.

If the two of them were to fight...

No! Frank couldn't muster any fighting spirit in front of this person.

"Very good."

General Tucker's voice echoed in his ears, each word carrying a powerful force, striking his heart and making it hard to breathe.

"Has Baron Baro left?"

"No."

Frank hurriedly replied, "No one knows that I replaced the gate guards. Their attention is focused on the North and South Gates."

"Your arrival is like a divine miracle; no one could have imagined it!"

"Heh..." Tucker chuckled, "Losing such an excellent son as Baro will surely be a blow to the Duke, even if he has many descendants."

"Let's go!"

"Lead the way."

"Yes, sir." Frank stood up slowly.

As he raised his head, his gaze shifted upward, and he saw a thousand figures clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons.

The night was dark.

A thousand soldiers stood outside the gate, a pitch-black mass, yet not a sound was heard.

As far as the eye could see, there was only deathly silence and cold, murderous eyes.

The Black Armor Army!

The army that had made a name for itself in Koln over the past two years, a killing machine formed from commoners and slaves.

Frank's face turned pale, his heart pounding.

He had never seen such an army—so many people standing still, not uttering a word, with such disciplined silence and chilling gazes.

"Go!"

With Tucker's wave, the Black Armor Army seemed to come to life, moving forward in an orderly fashion.

Frank watched from a distance.

It was like a silent beast slowly entering the city.

While the North Gate was filled with the sounds of battle, and the South Gate with flames, the real danger had been silent all along.

When it finally revealed its fangs, it would be unstoppable!

Frank's panicked heart suddenly calmed, and he knew the ultimate fate of Signo City.

"Huff..."

A strong wind blew in front of them.

Tucker, riding forward, lightly pulled on the reins, raising his spear with one hand, his gaze fixed on the figure ahead.

"A Grand Knight of the Dawn Lord?"

"Die!"

"Swish!"

A bolt of lightning tore through the darkness.

Please collect!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end