Chapter 258: It Has Nothing to Do with Me
Alisa quickly got up and ran toward Faris.
Kneeling beside Faris, Alisa sat on her knees, extending her hands with palms facing down.
Holy light magic immediately surged forth, enveloping Faris.
"You... you're too badly injured. I... I can't heal you completely."
Alisa, kneeling beside Faris, apologized with a regretful expression.
His injuries were indeed severe.
Both of his hands were gone, leaving only half of his arms.
She could only heal the wounds but couldn't regenerate the lost limbs.
Faris glanced up and down at Alisa, then grinned.
"Miss, you're really beautiful, and you smell great too!"
Alisa rolled her eyes at Faris, speechless.
Even with such severe injuries, this man still had the energy to flirt with her.
Faris turned his head to look at Earl Bard nearby.
"Earl Bard, I've taken a big loss this time. You'll have to pay me more!"
Bard took a deep breath.
He moved his stiff arms a bit.
"I'll pay you enough to retire comfortably!"
"Haha, that's a relief. I guess it's time for me to retire as an adventurer after so many years."
Despite his words, a hint of sadness flashed in Faris' eyes.
He hadn't expected his life to come to a halt tonight.
In the future, he'd likely grow old in despair and decadence.
Faris turned back to look at Alisa.
"Beautiful lady, would you consider growing old with me? If it's you, I'd stay loyal forever!"
Alisa blushed slightly.
No man had ever said such things to her before.
Stopping her magic, Alisa stood up, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.
"Sorry, but I won't choose a man who'll die before me as my partner."
Humans lived only about a hundred years.
The Emilia Fox Tribe had a lifespan three times that of humans.
Alisa wouldn't seek love among humans.
Such love would only lead to a lifetime of pain.
Faris shrugged, looking regretful.
"Lord Bard, has the enemy been eliminated?"
Emma, kneeling beside Bard, asked.
The courtyard and mansion were in chaos, with clear signs of battle.
But Emma didn't see the corpses of the enemies.
Bard touched his chest and patted Emma's hand resting on him.
"That person was probably the Silver Mask you mentioned. Their battlefield is no longer here."
Silver Mask had arrived?
A flash of surprise crossed the eyes of Emma and her sister, kneeling beside Bard.
They hadn't expected Silver Mask to arrive so promptly.
Bard's words made Susan, who stood by the window, react.
Silver Mask was here?
Susan felt a surge of excitement.
It had been a year since her last encounter with Silver Mask.
Unknowingly, another year had passed.
And now, Silver Mask had come again in her moment of peril.
"Tonight, Obenlo is truly lively!"
A cold voice suddenly echoed in the courtyard.
The voice startled everyone on the second-floor corridor.
Susan, however, looked delighted.
It was Silver Mask—he had arrived.
Susan looked toward the courtyard but saw nothing.
As she searched for Silver Mask's figure, her vision blurred.
A person leaped up to the second floor through a gap.
"What? Don't recognize me after just a year?"
Seeing Susan staring blankly at him, Li Meng waved his hand in front of her.
Susan snapped out of her daze, her face lighting up with joy.
"Silver Mask, you... why are you here?"
"Just passing by. Saw it was lively here, so I came to check it out."
Silver Mask's explanation made Susan roll her eyes.
But she didn't pursue the topic further.
It must have been her multiple deaths that attracted Silver Mask's attention.
Silver Mask likely came to see what was happening and accidentally got involved in the Obenlo incident.
"Are you the Silver Mask? Thank you for your help. I'm Earl Bard, a Court Flame Archmage!"
Bard struggled to his feet and performed a chest salute to Li Meng.
Though Bard's appearance was somewhat strange, his gratitude was sincere.
Without Silver Mask, both he and Faris would have been killed.
Li Meng reached out to ruffle Susan's hair gently.
"You've taken care of this little girl for so long. Consider this a token of thanks."
A token of thanks?
Bard glanced at Susan, whose face was slightly red.
It seemed that Susan truly was their benefactor.
"What about... that guy?"
Bard was concerned about the lazy High Priest Kidd.
"That guy was just a marionette, likely the work of a fallen Divine Child."
Divine power: "Marionette"?
A flicker of surprise crossed Bard's face.
Divine Children's unique abilities were incredibly diverse.
Among the various races, Divine Children were public figures.
Thus, information about their divine powers wasn't secret.
Many details were publicly known, including the ability "Marionette."
A Divine Child with this ability could create special wooden puppets.
These puppets served as secondary stand-ins.
The true body could control the stand-ins for dangerous tasks.
Each individual could only use the wooden puppets three times in their lifetime.
Li Meng glanced sideways at the city outside the courtyard.
"The Demon God Cult is slaughtering civilians, probably to perform some wicked ritual."
The Demon God Cult worshiped Abyssal Demon Gods.
Summoning demons required soul sacrifices.
The best way to extract souls from human bodies was through death.
Though it was just a guess, it was likely close to the truth.
The cult's goal was to summon demons to destroy the crystal.
Crystals, as products of the Abyss, could only be destroyed by Abyssal forces.
Demons from the Abyss were the sharpest tools to shatter crystals.
Bard's expression changed at Li Meng's words.
As a knowledgeable Court Archmage, Bard was well aware of the Demon God Cult's nature.
Through the royal family, he had access to some hidden truths.
"Silver Mask, the Demon God Cult's target might be the crystal in the royal palace. Please assist the Duke. Crystals are humanity's foundation for survival on the Augus Continent. Even losing one would bring catastrophic harm to humanity and the world."
Li Meng withdrew his hand from Susan's head.
"I'm just passing by. Humanity's fate and this nation's fate have nothing to do with me."
If the Irisis Principality couldn't repel the Demon God Cult on its own, perhaps it deserved to perish.
Saved once, trouble will surely follow.
Li Meng didn't want to be a nanny for the human kingdoms.
If it came to that, it would be hard to act decisively.
"Alright, I should leave now. See you next time if there's a chance."
Li Meng lightly flicked Susan's forehead.
This girl was simply too weak.
Death Retrace seemed like a very overpowered ability.
But its limits were too low, and without strong personal power, it would be easy to fall into peril.
Some things wouldn't change, no matter how many times you repeated them.
"Silver—"
Li Meng didn't give Susan a chance to speak.
In a flash, his figure leapt through the gap.
A shadow darted out of the courtyard.
In an instant, he had dashed out through the gap in the eastern wall.
Susan stared blankly at the spot where Silver Mask had disappeared.
Why leave in such a hurry?
Bard went to the window, looking in the direction of the palace.
Tonight, the palace was the true target of the Demon God Cult.
Who knew what the situation there was like now?
Silver Mask's appearance had given Bard hope for another powerful ally.
But the outcome was somewhat disappointing.
Bard turned to Emma and her sister.
"Emma, take Miss Susan and Faris to the basement to hide. I must go to the palace to assist in the battle!"
Although his injuries were not yet healed.
His magic reserves were still sufficient.
As the court's Fire Saint Archmage, Bard had no intention of missing the palace battle.
Once, he had sworn to protect the royal family's safety.
It was this oath that had earned him his title and honor.
Bard had no intention of betraying the promise made in his moment of passion.
"Lord Bard, but your wounds—"
Emma looked at Bard with concern.
Lord Bard was so gravely injured.
Yet now, he insisted on going to fight at the palace.
"I'm fine. This place isn't safe. Hurry!"
Emma and her sister hesitated but then turned to head in the direction where Faris was waiting.
Time passed bit by bit, and the night deepened.
The city of Obenlo, plunged into chaos, was in an uproar.
Inside the inner walls, shouts and screams intertwined under the barrier.
Countless Faceless Ghosts roamed the city, slaughtering civilians.
In every street and alley, guards of the Royal Knights clashed with Faceless Ghosts.
All kinds of magic flashed across the city.
Firelight flickered from time to time, and flames erupted into mushroom clouds.
Thunder boomed continuously.
The inner city housed many noble mansions and merchant headquarters.
And among humans, nobles were either swordsmen or mages.
Humans built their nations on martial prowess, and among nobles, there were no weaklings.
Though the Royal Knights numbered only three thousand.
The number of combat-capable individuals within the inner walls reached tens of thousands.
"Kill them! Protect the guild!"
Outside a merchant guild's gates, guards had formed a defensive line.
Lightning, fireballs, and elemental arrows rained down on the surrounding Faceless Ghosts.
Though these were just lower- and mid-tier spells.
In battle, mid-tier spells were the most practical combat magic.
They required short chants and consumed little magic.
High-tier magic, though powerful, often demanded long chants.
And consumed vast amounts of magical energy.
High-tier magic was better suited for wide, open battlefields.
In the city, mid- and low-tier magic were more practical.
The Faceless Ghosts charging the guild's defensive line were swiftly eradicated.
Even those that slipped through were intercepted by melee fighters.
Such skirmishes took place throughout the inner city.
As the battles within the inner walls intensified.
A massive explosion sounded from the direction of the palace.
A gigantic fire mushroom cloud slowly rose into the sky.
The blazing light illuminated a large area of the nearby city.
From the northern gates of the palace, the entire gate and walls were blasted sky-high.
When the flames dissipated, a massive hundred-meter-wide gap appeared in the walls.
Outside on the streets, seven figures in black robes lined with crimson patterns stood in a row.
"Kill!"
Suddenly, the sound of battle cries erupted behind the gap.
Royal Knight soldiers in fine equipment charged out.
Hundreds of Royal Knights surged toward the enemies outside the walls.
Facing the charging Royal Knights.
The Demon God Cultists, standing in a line, began chanting in unison.
Their hands extended outward, palms turned inward.
"Aka, Ade, Aru, Kadru!"
With the chant, crimson flame spheres appeared above the cultists' heads.
The flame spheres rapidly expanded.
Until they became seven-meter-wide massive fireballs.
As the chanting ended, the flame spheres shot forth.
"Scatter!"
The leading officer of the Royal Knights roared.
But it was too late. The fireballs soared over the Royal Knights.
And slammed into the gap.
"Boom!"
Scarlet magical brilliance flared.
Another gigantic flame mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
The deafening explosion, accompanied by shockwaves and flames, swept outward.
The fire and shockwave engulfed the Royal Knights from behind.
"Ah!"
Screams filled the air.
The Royal Knights were swallowed by the crimson flames.
Nearly all of them were instantly incinerated.
Those further away were torn apart by the shockwave.
Even farther ones were blown away by the blast, their fates unknown.
This strike blasted another section of the wall.
Widening the gap to 150 meters.
At this moment, a rustling sound arose behind the Demon God Cultists.
It sounded like countless creatures crawling on the ground.
Thousands of Faceless Ghosts emerged from rooftops and streets.
They swarmed past the cultists, silently rushing toward the gap.
For a moment, the gray-white figures of Faceless Ghosts formed a dense mass outside the city.
"Explosive Flame Rain!"
At this moment, a cold voice rang from the walls.
Magical flames lit up the sky.
Hundreds of fireballs rained down like meteors.
The fireballs bombarded the streets outside the city.
"Boom!"
Violent explosions erupted within the Faceless Ghosts.
Mushroom clouds of flames rose into the sky.
Powerful shockwaves and flames swept through the Faceless Ghosts.
Many were consumed by the fire and turned to ash.
In an instant, nearly a hundred Faceless Ghosts were wiped out.
On the walls, a woman in a red robe stood gracefully.
Her long red hair reached her hips.
She held a crystal staff.
Her face expressionless as she gazed at the enemies outside.
"Daring to disturb the palace—Demon God Cult, you're bold."
At that moment, a rough voice echoed near the gap.
A man in silver armor emerged from the darkness.
He stopped in front of the gap, fearlessly facing the Faceless Ghosts and cultists.
Holding his sword, the man pointed it at the cultists.
"You all shall die!"
With that, his figure flashed.
He transformed into a streak of sword light and shot forward.
His speed was astonishing, instantly diving into the Faceless Ghosts.
Where he passed, sword light flickered.
Neither the man nor the sword could be seen.
Only streaks of flashing sword light slashed through the Faceless Ghosts.
Dozens were instantly split in half.
Body parts and blood scattered amidst the surging air currents.
The sword light darted like an arrow toward the cultists.
The cultists' chanting resumed.
A massive crimson fire wall suddenly erupted from the ground.
The intense heat distorted the surrounding space.
"Sword God Style: Sonic Break!"
A streak of sword light flashed through the fire wall.
The crimson fire wall was instantly split in two.
The sword light didn't lose momentum, sweeping past the cultists' necks.
"Hiss!"
Heads flew into the air.
Headless bodies collapsed to the ground.