Chapter 454: Fall

Chapter 454: Fallen

Richard had originally thought it was the triumphant return of the Luna Cult's fleet. It was only after Neo's reminder that he realized it was not "their side" returning in glory, but rather the "enemy" knocking at their very doorstep.

This sudden shock caused him to shudder violently.

Coincidentally, at that exact moment, a warship within the Samsara fleet fired a single calibration shot. This shell flew high into the air and happened to land right on the mountainside where the palace was situated.

"Boom!"

The violent shuddering caused the already distraught Richard to lose his balance. He pitched forward, coming within a hair's breadth of making intimate contact between his face and the ground he had previously "blessed and irrigated" at the Mipos Holy Land.

Fortunately, at the final critical second, Richard propped his hands out on both sides and stood on his tiptoes, executing a highly textbook "human bridge" maneuver.

Immediately afterward, Richard rolled to the side, escaping the danger zone. Lying on the ground, he began to pant in delayed terror.

Neo mocked, "The enemy fleet is already knocking on the door, yet you are actually here wits-battling a puddle of piss."

"Captain, what should we do?"

"What should we do? Do you plan to stay here and live or die with the Mipos Archipelago?"

Richard scratched his head and replied, "That sentiment doesn't feel particularly strong."

"Then run to the teleportation hall and escape!"

Neo was truly too exhausted to deal with this fellow Richard. If Cullen were here, he certainly wouldn't ask such an idiotic question; in all likelihood, he wouldn't even ask at all, but would turn around and head for the teleportation hall first.

Even if Neo caught up, Cullen wouldn't wait for him, but would instead play a game of "let's see who runs faster" with him.

This was also the reason why Neo had always treated Cullen specially. In fact, it had been this way even before he learned of Cullen's "secret," because dealing with a smart person like himself didn't necessarily mean loving each other, but it at least saved worry and time.

Yet, Neo could not just leave Richard here to fend for himself. The captain was also the leading big brother; he always liked to be ruthless to outsiders, but toward his own people, he always possessed a heart of tolerance and protection.

Reaching out with a grab, he hoisted Richard by the collar, then immediately vaporized his body, drifting down the mountain with Richard in tow.

En route, the artillery bombardment commenced in earnest.

A massive, thick forest of light pillars erupted upon the sea, but their landing points were all situated in the coastal defense fortification zone of the main island—that is to say, right along the shore. Therefore, although the sounds of explosions were unceasing and dust blotted out the sky, Neo did not encounter any major crises during his trek.

However, while Neo originally believed his speed was already fast enough, he did not expect that someone—no, a group of people—would be even faster than him.

Rows of guards had already intercepted the area outside the teleportation hall, placing it under lockdown. Standing outside, one could see many people inside dressed in bishop's robes; Neo even spotted the figure of Hilven, the Chief Bishop of the Mipos Holy Land.

Facing the guards blocking the entrance, Neo spoke directly, "I am from the Order Observation Group, let me in."

A guard went inside to report.

Simultaneously, men and women who looked to have the status of family dependents entered from both sides without encountering any obstruction.

Neo waited for a moment and realized that the guard who went in to report had not returned.

"I will go inside and speak with the Chief Bishop."

"Without permission, not a single outsider is allowed in!"

Neo prepared to step forward, but the surrounding guards all aimed their weapons at him, forcing him to halt his steps once more.

After a brief standoff, the reporting guard finally emerged and commanded his subordinates, "Let them in."

Richard was just about to step inside when his shoulder was grabbed firmly by Neo, whose form turned back into black mist once more, pulling Richard backward in retreat.

Seeing this, the guards looked at each other, unclear as to why Neo would do such a thing.

Richard did not understand either; at this moment, he was enveloped within Neo's black mist as Neo carried him drifting toward the depths of the city.

"Captain, why didn't we go in?"

"Because if they truly wanted us to go in, they wouldn't have deliberated for so long. Right now, for the God of the Moon, dying during the process of Samsara's assault on the Mipos Archipelago is what's most beneficial to his Luna Cult. This is our final value."

Of course, it was also possible that His Eminence Chief Bishop Hilven was currently coaxing his frightened, weeping grandchildren and had failed to give a timely reply to the reporting guard, thereby causing the delay.

But Neo was unwilling to gamble with his life; he could play himself to death, but he did not want to be played to death by others.

Neo's figure landed atop a luxurious mansion within the city, and he began to observe the surrounding architecture.

Richard crawled up and crouched beside Neo, asking, "Samsara's fleet has attacked, so where is the Luna Cult's fleet?"

"It should be annihilated. Seeing how quickly those bishops are fleeing, they must have received the news in advance, or perhaps they lost contact with the fleet long ago and already had suspicions in their hearts, which is why they prepared for flight ahead of time.

Because they know full well that having lost the fleet and simultaneously lost the elites carried aboard responsible for landing operations, it is impossible to defend this place relying on the forces currently on the island."

"Then what about Cullen and the others?"

Neo frowned and said, "Don't know, but in all probability, they are dead too."

"No way!"

"If you truly have nothing else to do right now, you can pray for them, praying that they might still be spared."

"What is the point of praying now?"

"There is some, at least it won't affect me."

Richard: "..."

Neo was currently using this high vantage point to observe the surrounding buildings and the crowds fleeing in panic within them. At this time, the previously continuous artillery bombardment had ceased, which meant that the Samsara fleet was likely preparing to land.

Neo could not enter the official teleportation hall of the Luna Cult, nor did he dare to gamble his life on it. What he could rely on now was whether he could find a privately erected teleportation array here.

His current location was in the wealthy district; some individuals of status and position, as well as those families with slightly longer heritages—including smugglers and even spy organizations planted here by other churches—might have stealthily constructed a teleportation array.

But the problem now was that Neo had not discovered one...

"Tsk."

Neo rubbed his brow with his fingers. He was certain that privately erected teleportation arrays definitely existed here. According to common sense, at this moment, the owners should be hurriedly calling and gathering their families and confidants to escape quickly through the teleportation array.

What he was looking for were precisely those groups calling out to people outside right now, and he had to discern their expressions—not the kind that were entirely desperate, merely calling family members home to shut the doors and take refuge.

It was just that he couldn't find any.

Neo also understood the reason why he couldn't find any, because he and Richard had been lying in the palace recovering from injuries for several days. During these days, they had basically lost the ability to gather external information.

Looking again at the swift reaction of the bishops of the Mipos Archipelago, it was obvious that the news of the potential disaster befalleing the Luna Cult's fleet was likely no longer a secret among the upper-level figures of this holy land.

They might have settled their families and confidants at home long ago, ready to run at a moment's notice, without needing to go outside to call for people now.

This free ride was not to be hitched.

At this moment, the aura of array fluctuations drifted from two directions, extremely intense and chaotic. Neo remained unmoved; going there now would certainly be too late to snatch a spot. Moreover, looking at the turbulence and intensity of these array fluctuations, they were employing a method of completely destroying the teleportation array to gain greater transport capacity and faster activation speed.

Furthermore, destroying the teleportation array during flight was a very necessary action; since it was a privately erected array, they certainly would not want anyone to trace the destination of the teleportation.

"Sigh... wanting to lick a plate, yet there isn't even a plate for me to lick."

Neo stood up helplessly. At the entrance of the main city, citizens were continuously flooding inside. They instinctively believed that the main city could grant them a sense of security, but what they did not know was that the lords and masters originally residing in the main city had already fled long ago.

Moreover, among the routing citizens, there were also many people clad in the armor and sacred robes of the Luna Cult, which meant the front lines had completely collapsed and they simply could not withstand Samsara's offensive.

"Captain..."

Neo ignored Richard.

"Woooooo!!!!!!"

The horn of attack sounded, deep, resounding, and thunderous.

Only, within it, there was also laced an extremely distinct sensation of brutality.

Ordinarily, even in a holy war, no matter how base the methods, a church would at least maintain a facade of nobility to preserve the sanctity of their god.

Neo muttered to himself in confusion, "How could it come to this?"

"Hahahahaha!!!!!"

"Kill, kill, kill, kill!!!!!!"

"Kill them, eat them, devour them, hahaha!!!!"

The first wave of Reincarnation soldiers entered Neo’s line of sight, resembling a pack of ferocious beasts and demons crawling out of purgatory.

This was no hyperbolic exaggeration typically used to describe an army, but the most literal description possible, for they no longer bore any semblance of normal human beings.

Weapons in hand, they slaughtered soldiers and priests alike, showing absolutely no mercy to civilians; it seemed that in their eyes, "all life truly was equal."

They gorged on human flesh, feasted on souls, and wantonly unleashed the long-accumulated savagery from the depths of their hearts.

"Is this... the army of Reincarnation?" Richard asked in disbelief. "They look like a horde of demons fresh out of hell, possessing human bodies."

Neo spoke up, "Barring any surprises, that is likely the most correct statement you have ever uttered after taking a piss."

Having received praise, Richard instantly reverted to his usual standard, asking a pointless question that made Neo want to smack him flat:

"Commander, what should we do next?"

Neo began to miss the feeling of being with Karen, because aside from reminding him not to play too hard, Karen was always in perfect lockstep with him.

Why did I have to recuperate with this guy? It makes me feel like I am running around with a giant infant.

"Richard, go out to the front and tell those Reincarnation people that the two of us belong to the Order Observation Group. Demand that they treat us with absolute deference, and prepare fine wine, gourmet food, and beautiful women to entertain us."

"Commander, I don’t think they are in any state to listen to that right now."

"Oh, yes, exactly. And I can even tell you further that they aren’t simply killing; they are devouring. Look at those, and those, and those over there. They just consumed flesh and fed on souls—aren't their bodies growing stronger?

That Reincarnation priest who hurled a fireball earlier, isn't his second fireball even larger in volume?

There is no communicating with them. They are going to use this island as a hunting ground for feasting and evolution.

This is a pack of contaminated people,

No,

This is a Lost Legion."

"Commander, should we head to the back of the island now to see if there's a chance to get onto the adjacent island? Find a boat and get out of here?"

"I don’t want to waste that energy. I don't believe the enemy commander failed to consider surrounding and blockading this place. There is no longer any organized force of the Luna Cartel left here, and I have no desire to row a small boat into the open sea only to be instantly obliterated by a magic crystal cannon.

The safest way, let me tell you, is to go here, here, and into these wealthy homes right now to gather food. Then we find a building with a basement or an underground tunnel, hide inside, set up an isolation barrier, and stay there safely."

"Stay until the Luna Cartel fights their way back?"

"No, stay until Reincarnation sends normal people to board the island."

"But what if the Reincarnation people just kill us on sight?"

"After Chief Bishop Silven left, he spread the word that we were killed by the Reincarnation people. I imagine when the normal people of Reincarnation see us emerge, they will be more than happy to use us to slap the Luna Cartel in the face.

Alright, enough nonsense. Go over there and gather food. It will take some time for those lost ones to slaughter their way there. Remember, get a rich variety of food. Don't you dare bring me nothing but flour. Pay attention to bacon, sausage, fruits, and the like, because during a prolonged period of hiding, a rich variety of food can effectively soothe the anxiety brought on by claustrophobia."

"Alright, Commander."

"See that carriage? Use it to load the goods, then drive out from the east gate. If you can get through the east gate, go ahead; if you can't, I will meet you at that position."

"Understood, Commander."

"Go on, Richard. If you see any tobacco or psychotropic potions, bring those along for me too."

"Commander, I don't think those are necessities!"

"Fine, you don't have to bring them. If I get bored with nothing to do while sealed away, I'll just beat you to pass the time."

"I'll find them for you, definitely! No matter the circumstances, we must never abandon our standard of living, otherwise it would be a profanation of life!"

Richard leapt down, landing on the roof of the carriage. The owner of the carriage was nowhere to be found, so Richard took the reins and drove straight into a grand mansion, heading directly for its kitchen.

Neo, meanwhile, crouched low, slipping toward the area where the Reincarnation army was carrying out its slaughter.

He was not taking a risk; he purely wanted to figure out what kind of "quality" this bunch of fellows possessed.

Neo arrived above a residential house. Two men clad in Reincarnation divine robes were capturing a mother and a child. The mother held her child, crying out and dodging.

After scanning the surroundings, Neo dropped his figure down, first planting a palm onto one man's head. The Fire of Order sank into his body, and black flames seeped from the man’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, dissolving him instantly.

Neo noticed that the Reincarnation divine robe on this man was of very poor quality... so shoddy that it could hardly be called a divine robe, looking more like an imitation customized by an ordinary believer.

Was this a regular believer?

However, just as Neo felt he had disposed of one and could calmly begin studying the remaining one, a gray light suddenly surged from the corpse he had already burned into black charcoal. The light was thick with the stench of decay, shifting into the twisted, angry face of a man, and he was actually channeling a spell, preparing to launch a Reincarnation spell attack at him.

"A soul strength completely disproportionate to the body's identity?"

Neo raised his hand, releasing a flash of Holy Light from his fingertips, incinerating his soul to ashes before the entity could cast the spell.

The other man let out a low growl, two gray light wheels condensing in his hands as he lunged forward.

"Snap!"

Neo snapped his fingers, and black spikes erupted from the ground, impaling the man's body directly and rendering him motionless.

"The soul is also a priest who worships Reincarnation. Did the Reincarnation Church truly open the Gates of Reincarnation and release the priests from within?"

Neo tapped the man's brow with the ring finger of his left left hand, murmuring:

"Light of Rest."

A gentle light washed over him, washing away his agitation and tyranny. At that moment, he grew quiet, the bloodshot veins in his eyes gradually fading as his gaze turned pure and clear.

He seemed to be thinking, looking at Neo, then at the gnawed corpses on the ground, recalling a great deal. He asked rather blankly:

"Why did I become like this?"

He surely had many questions now, but the greatest question was why he was slaughtering ordinary people.

It seemed he was a "good person," at least he used to be, because Neo saw an intense self-reproach in his eyes.

At least, putting himself in those shoes, Neo would only wonder why he had become this way; as for how many ordinary people he had killed... he likely wouldn't subject himself to any moral condemnation.

"Did you come out from within the Gates of Reincarnation?"

"Yes, I followed the will of the Gatekeeper, coming out from that side of the gate, running toward freedom and miracles."

"Very well, I understand. What do you need me to do now?"

"Kill me. I feel I have gone mad. Right now, I am nothing but a filthy demon."

"Alright."

Neo nodded, placing his palm atop the man's head as the Holy Light enveloped his entire body.

This time, Neo observed intently, discovering that the decay of his soul was only at one-third, unlike the first one which was completely rotten; he still possessed a certain degree of self-awareness.

But if the slaughter and devouring continued, the souls of these Reincarnation priests who came out of the Gates of Reincarnation would entirely transform into aberrant demons, in the truest sense of the word.

After burning for a moment, his soul finally vanished into nothingness.

"Quite resilient to burning, with a fairly high soul strength. Is it because the soul hasn't completely decayed that he couldn't unleash his full power to attack?"

Neo could only understand it in this way.

Having confirmed the message, Neo intended to leave, but at that moment, the woman holding the child rushed to him, pleading, "I beg you, milord, save us, save us."

Neo did not halt his steps, simply waving his hand dismissed it. "I do not know you."

"Then I beg you, milord, please save this child, take her away, I beg you, save this child."

"It has nothing to do with me, it is not as if you and I fathered this child."

The woman pleaded in utter despair, "Milord, I beg you to take my Yilisha with you, please grant her a path to live, there are demons everywhere outside, I cannot protect her, I cannot protect my Yilisha."

Neo stopped his tracks.

"What is her name?"

"Yilisha, Yilisha Saliao."

Neo felt a deep urge to laugh; here, of all places, he had encountered an infant girl sharing the exact same name as his wife. He lifted his gaze, looking toward the heavens:

Are you doing this on purpose, do you just want to toy with me?

Neo extended his hands, taking the infant girl from the woman's grasp.

"Thank you, milord, my deepest gratitude to you, milord."

The woman fell to her knees before Neo, weeping tears of joy even as she smiled.

The infant girl appeared to be less than a year old. Neo carried her as he walked outside, but upon reaching the doorway, he paused.

He questioned the woman who still knelt there, making no move to follow:

"Do you still have breast milk?"

"Yes, yes," the woman answered instantly, and then, misinterpreting his intent and fearing that Neo found it too troublesome and wished to recant, she hurriedly added, "You can feed her some liquid food, she is very easy to nourish, truly."

"Then come along with me, I have a child at my place as well, a baby boy."