Chapter 73: The Ancient Castle
For several seconds, the participants could only stare at their surroundings. Moments earlier, they had been standing before the gate of a ruined castle.
Now they were scattered across the battlements of an enormous fortress beneath a moonless night sky.
The outer wall was wide enough for several rows of soldiers to move across it together. Reinforced towers rose at regular intervals, each equipped with ballistae, mana cannons, and burning braziers that illuminated the surrounding stone.
Beyond the wall stretched an entire fortified settlement filled with barracks, workshops, storehouses, infirmaries, and tightly packed residences.
Several defensive barriers divided the settlement into layers, all surrounding the massive cathedral at its center.
Two bell towers rose above its arched roofs, while covered bridges connected it to several smaller sanctuaries. Behind the cathedral stood another fortified enclosure guarded by hundreds of elite soldiers and sealed behind enormous metal gates.
That had to be the Inner Sanctum, Outside the fortress, countless fires covered the plains and extended toward the distant forest.
Rows of soldiers waited among siege towers, formation-breaking weapons, and enormous armoured creatures positioned beyond the reach of the walls.
Confused voices spread across the battlements, some contestants searched for their missing teammates, while others watched the ancient soldiers moving around them and questioned whether the realm had transported them into the past.
Before the confusion could worsen, a woman’s voice rose from the central square and spread throughout the fortress.
"People of the Last Sanctuary, listen to me."
The formations embedded within the walls carried her voice into every district. Soldiers stopped moving supplies, residents emerged from nearby buildings, and everyone gradually turned toward the square before the cathedral.
A beautiful priestess stood upon a raised platform surrounded by temple guards. Her long pale-gold hair fell across the back of her ceremonial robes, while both hands rested upon a white staff engraved with unfamiliar symbols.
Xingluo recognized her immediately, she had the same face as the soul-like figure who had welcomed them at the altar and explained the Ninefold Legacy Trial.
"The outer sanctuaries have fallen," the priestess declared. "Our roads have been cut off and the army beyond these walls has surrounded the final refuge of our people."
Fear remained visible among the residents gathered below, but no one turned away from her.
"Behind these walls remain our wounded, our families, and the final relic entrusted to us by our God. If the Inner Sanctum falls tonight, our enemies will erase the last remnant of His will."
The priestess looked toward the soldiers stationed across the walls.
"I cannot promise that everyone standing here will survive until dawn, I can only ask that you remember what you are protecting, hold your positions, protect those beside you and do not allow fear to break our ranks."
Weapons were raised throughout the square as the soldiers steadied themselves. "Place your faith in the God who once sheltered our ancestors. Defend His final sanctuary and ensure that His will survives this night."
The priestess struck the base of her staff against the platform.
Pale light erupted from the cathedral and spread through the central square, it rushed along the roads, towers, and defensive walls, awakening countless formations hidden throughout the fortress.
The ancient soldiers raised their weapons as the blessing passed through them. Some struck their shields together, while the surrounding residents repeated the priestess’s prayer.
The same light entered every participant, Xingluo felt strength spread through her limbs as the exhaustion left by the forest weakened. Her breathing steadied, her mana flowed more easily and even her armour felt lighter against her body.
[Sanctuary’s Blessing has been bestowed upon all defenders.]
[All attributes have increased by 10% until the siege ends.]
Surprised voices immediately spread through the communicators. Most contestants focused on the increase in their strength, but Xingluo’s attention had already shifted elsewhere.
The token beneath her chestplate was trembling violently against her armour.
Through the Anchor Link, she showed Wuxia the priestess and the figure she had previously seen through the Oracle and he also quickly reached the same conclusion.
This cathedral had once belonged to that forgotten being, it was the final sanctuary of its followers, and the token was reacting to the power that still remained within it.
However, neither the priestess nor the people surrounding her were truly alive. Wuxia could sense that they were impressions formed from the memories and remaining wills preserved by the legacy realm.
Xingluo continued examining the square until her attention reached the gates of the Inner Sanctum. Her eyes widened, and she raised one hand toward the figure guarding them.
A massive warrior stood beside the sealed entrance; he wore heavy black armour that concealed his entire body. His towering build, layered chest plates, helmet and dark shoulder guards looked almost identical to Varkheriel.
Wuxia followed her gaze, and even he was briefly shocked by the resemblance. His senses confirmed that the warrior was also an impression, but that did little to explain why someone resembling Varkheriel had once guarded the forgotten god’s final sanctuary.
Before they could examine him further, the priestess raised her staff again. A heavy bell rang from the cathedral, and a vast countdown appeared above its highest tower.
[Preparation Phase initiated.]
[Time Until the Siege: 12:00:00]
[Prepare the Nameless Cathedral for the approaching siege.]
[Victory Condition: Prevent the Inner Sanctum from falling.]
The countdown immediately began decreasing as the square quickly emptied as the ancient soldiers returned to their positions.
Carts filled with arrows, formation crystals, medical supplies and replacement weapons moved toward the walls, while engineers inspected the mana cannons and repaired damaged formations.
Residents reinforced their homes, filled water barrels, and carried the wounded into shelters beneath the cathedral, within minutes, the entire fortress had begun preparing for the assault.
The participants remained uncertain until reports started passing through the communicators distributed by Miao Tianhe.
Squad leaders identified their locations, counted their surviving members, and tried to understand how the realm had distributed them.
One voice eventually interrupted the overlapping reports. "Has anyone found the five Church members?"
The shared channel fell silent, everyone searched the walls, towers, streets, and central square, but none of the four black-masked men or the white-masked Lesser Holy Son could be found.
"They were transported somewhere else inside the fortress," Han Zhen said. "They heard the Saintess mention the relic. We should assume they are already searching for a way into the Inner Sanctum."
"Would they attack it during the preparation phase?" someone asked.
"Not while it is surrounded by elite soldiers," Han replied. "They will study the fortress and wait for the siege to weaken its defenses, that will give them the opening they need."
Before the discussion could continue, an armoured commander climbed onto Xingluo’s section of the wall. Several officers followed him carrying maps and records of the weapons stored inside the surrounding towers.
The commander examined the unfamiliar participants, but his attention soon settled upon the pale blessing surrounding their bodies.
"You must be the new faithful brought here by the final summons," he said. "The sanctuary has accepted you, so I will not question where you came from."
The participants exchanged cautious glances, the realm had apparently placed them into this recreated history as newly recruited defenders rather than outsiders.
The commander gestured toward the nearest watchtower. "Report to the captain stationed there. Learn how the wall formations operate, inspect your available weapons and memorize the retreat routes leading to the second defensive line."
He looked toward the enemy camp beyond the walls.
"The assault will begin in twelve hours, eat, recover your mana, and prepare whatever equipment you need. Once the first horn sounds, no one leaves these walls without an order."
The commander continued toward the next position with his officers. "The fortress recognizes us as its defenders," Miao Tianhe said through the shared channel. "That should allow us to move through most districts without being stopped."
Han Zhen gathered the nearby squad leaders inside an empty gate tower, those positioned farther away remained connected through their communicators while a map of the fortress was spread across the table.
"We need to locate the Church members, but we cannot ignore the siege," Han said. "If the fortress falls while we are searching for them, everyone fails the trial."
"Then we divide our forces," Miao Tianhe replied. "A smaller group will investigate the inner districts, map the entrances to the cathedral and search for signs of the Church."
"And the remaining squads stay with the defenders," Han said.
Miao nodded. "They need to study the formations, weapons, and retreat routes before the siege begins. The search team will only locate the Church members and determine what they are planning, no one confronts them alone."
After a brief discussion, the squad leaders accepted the plan.
"Use the next eleven hours to inspect your assigned sections," Han ordered. "Record the available soldiers, supplies, defensive formations and every route leading toward the Inner Sanctum, report anything unusual immediately."
He looked around the gathered leaders. "We regroup when one hour remains and decide who joins the search team. Until then, prepare as if the siege is our only problem."
The meeting ended, and the squads dispersed throughout the cathedral-fortress. Some followed the ancient soldiers along the walls, while others entered the settlement to inspect its roads, defenses, and buildings.
The trial appeared simple, but they could not treat it like another beast hunt, before the siege began, they needed to understand the fortress and determine where the Church intended to strike.