Chapter 72: Twist
watched the tracker, the rapidly approaching dot began to slow. Movement appeared among the trees ahead, and six figures emerged into the clearing before the castle gate.
The figure at the front wore the damaged remains of military armour and carried the tracker belonging to Han Zhen’s missing teammate, however, there was no trace of life left in him.
His body was rotten and badly mutilated, with one arm missing and large sections of flesh torn from his chest. He continued walking despite his condition, each uneven step producing a wet sound against the ground.
The survivors immediately became cautious, weapons appeared in their hands as they noticed the five figures following behind the corpse.
Four of them wore black robes and featureless black masks, while the fifth stood at the rear in a similar robe. His mask was white with thin golden streaks running across its surface.
Han Zhen’s expression twisted with anger when he recognized his teammate, the Church had killed the man and then used his corpse to approach them.
One of the black-masked figures removed a small gourd from his waist and shook it. The walking corpse immediately collapsed into a mass of crushed flesh and blood before being dragged into the gourd.
Several survivors turned pale at the sight, while others trembled as they tightened their grips around their weapons. Han Zhen remained silent, but the anger across his face continued to deepen.
The black-masked man stepped forward and looked over the gathered survivors.
"Every last one of you will die here," he said before turning toward Han Zhen and Miao Tianhe. "However, the two of you are worthy of being offered another choice."
His gaze moved between them. "Join the Church and accept the Brand of God, your lives will be spared, and the power you receive will surpass anything you could obtain within this worthless city."
"If our mission succeeds, both of you will be greatly rewarded, the Holy Son will personally support your advancement within the Church."
Han Zhen spat on the ground before him. "I would rather die than kneel before your god and become something lesser than a man."
The masked figure gave him a long look before turning toward Miao Tianhe. "And do you share his answer?"
Before he could finish speaking, Miao swung his sword and a compressed blade of wind crossed the distance between them and burst beside the man’s head. He hurriedly twisted away, narrowly avoiding the attack as the released wind tore through the ground behind him.
The masked man steadied himself before releasing a cold laugh. "So both of you have chosen death."
He returned the gourd to his waist and spread his arms slightly. "Very well, our God will be pleased to receive sacrifices of such quality."
Behind him, the other Church members began releasing their mana. "Whether you submit or resist, your flesh will serve the summoning."
"You have made your choice," he said. "Then it is time for all of you to die."
The four black-masked Church members immediately prepared for battle. The speaker retrieved the blood-filled gourd from his waist and opened a metal fan with his other hand, while the man beside him summoned a thick black grimoire covered in moving crimson symbols.
Another Church member drew two narrow swords connected to long chains coiled around his forearms.
The final man pressed both palms against the ground, causing several dark summoning circles to spread across the clearing as large, distorted beings began rising from within them.
Only the white-masked Lesser Holy Son remained still, the golden streaks across his mask glowed faintly as he calmly observed the survivors preparing to resist.
Han Zhen drew his weapon and immediately raised his voice. "All squads, defensive formation! Close-combat Professionals at the front, ranged attackers behind them, and keep the injured in the centre!"
The squad leaders responded without hesitation, shield bearers and heavily armoured contestants formed the first line, while archers, mages, and support Professionals gathered behind them.
Miao Tianhe moved to the front beside Han Zhen, Xingluo summoned her sword and joined the formation with Wuxia beside her, while Su Lan, Ruan Mei, Lin Xiaotian, and Qiao Xueyi remained close behind.
The two sides had barely finished preparing when a powerful bell rang from deep within the castle.
Its sound swept across the clearing, causing every formation carved into the ruined walls to blaze with pale light.
The mana gathered around the Church members collapsed before they could release their attacks, while the summoned beings were forced back into their circles.
An enormous notification appeared above the castle.
[Participants Arrived: 153/153]
[All recognized participants have reached the trial grounds.]
[First Trial: Forest Passage — Completed.]
Before anyone could react, the bell rang a second time, pillars of pale light descended upon every participant, surrounding the survivors and Church members alike.
Han Zhen tried to move, but his body had already been restrained by the realm, the black-masked man raised his gourd, only for both him and his weapon to disappear inside the light.
The entire clearing vanished a heartbeat later, Xingluo’s boots struck solid stone as the light released her.
Wuxia appeared beside her, pulled to the same location through the Anchor Link, while the members of her squad materialized nearby.
Across the distant walls and towers, the remaining squads appeared in separate defensive positions, the ruined castle had completely changed.
They now stood upon the intact walls of a vast cathedral-fortress, its collapsed towers had been restored, its defensive formations burned with steady light, and the enormous cathedral behind them rose beneath the night sky without a single trace of damage.
Braziers illuminated the battlements, while ancient banners moved in the cold wind. Beyond the walls, countless fires surrounded the cathedral, revealing the outlines of soldiers, siege weapons, and enormous armoured creatures waiting in the darkness.
Several new notifications appeared before every participant.
[Second Trial: The Final Night]
[The Nameless Cathedral has entered the final night of its siege.]
[All participants have been assigned as defenders of the cathedral.]
[Objective: Survive until dawn and prevent the Inner Sanctum from falling.]
[Trial Restriction: Participants are forbidden from deliberately harming one another until the Final Night ends.]
[The siege will begin shortly.]