novelraw Chapter 301-2: Bloody Slaughter, Dan the Giant’s Blazing Sun Ring (2)
Chapter 301-2: Bloody Slaughter, Dan the Giant’s Blazing Sun Ring (2)
At the moment, the large-scale deployment of the Red Armor army had already triggered a counterattack from the lord of Saint Rance.
Not only were the lord’s soldiers present, but also the White Moon Church’s knights, healers, and bishops. The assembled defensive forces far exceeded the seven hundred-plus Red Armor army.
The Red Armor army could still fight evenly with small monsters from a sixth difficulty Nightmare chapter, but casualties were inevitable.
After leaving the Evil God world, the Red Armor army’s numbers could no longer be replenished by the Ogiwara Clan Command Banner. Each samurai that died was one less.
While he was searching for hostile Apostles, the army’s numbers had already fallen to under five hundred.
Losing troops from the Red Armor army was secondary. The main issue was that the defensive forces of Saint Rance would likely become a friendly faction in the final event, resisting the Blood Sun’s corruption together.
Maintaining the current state of conflict was equivalent to depleting his own strength.
After confirming that his kill count was the highest, Lin Xun clicked the Ogiwara Clan Command Banner again to cancel the army summon.
“Other than me, there are 6 candidate Apostles left.”
“According to the male superior’s intel, a total of five sixth difficulty Apostles joined the selection, and two of them can already advance to the seventh difficulty.”“In other words, most of the remaining candidates are tough ones.”
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes and continued deeper into Saint Rance to hunt other candidates.
He did not relax because his kill count was the highest. His goal was to eliminate all remaining candidates before the final event.
If he relaxed just because he had achieved the highest kill count, he would be falling into the Hellish game’s trap.
Lin Xun not only surpassed the other Apostles in strength, but also enjoyed a massive advantage in intelligence.
Only he knew that Saint Rance was about to become the battlefield of demigods, and at least three or four demigod-level Solar Heroes would participate in the battle.
Only by eliminating all candidates and stacking his Killing Feast to the maximum could he hope to survive the demigod war.
“Next comes the time to hunt.”
[In the distance, a squad of fully armed knights rushes over, followed by nearly a hundred soldiers.]
[You turn lightly, your figure vanishes from the center of the theater.]
Lin Xun left the Saint Rance theater and headed toward the White Moon Church at the town center.
Most of the church personnel had already been deployed. It was the church’s emptiest moment.
There would certainly be candidate Apostles taking the opportunity to infiltrate the church, not only to scoop up rewards but also to kill other candidates.
[…]
[You arrive at the White Moon Church at the center of town. Because battle has suddenly broken out in the town, many civilians have fled to the church for refuge.]
[Through the church’s open doors, you see it packed with refugees. A priest stands behind the host dais, loudly preaching doctrine and recounting the greatness of the Radiant Crescent, calming the terrified people.]
[A line of Paladins of Discipline in full metal heavy armor guard the church entrance.]
[The murderous heavy-armored knights are the backbone of the church. Any heretic who dares profane the church’s dignity will be cut down by their two-handed greatswords.]
[You remain invisible, tap your toes to the ground, vault over the knights’ heads, and enter the church.]
[You hide in a corner of the crowded church, your gaze sweeping over every civilian.]
[…]
[After a long search, you do not find any figure shimmering with red light.]
Lin Xun frowned to himself.
Could it be that the presence of many Paladins of Discipline outside the White Moon Church deterred the candidate Apostles so none had come?
[Do you want to leave the church or stay here and continue waiting?]
[You hide your figure behind a thick pillar supporting the church dome, continue scanning the crowd, and try to find suspicious individuals.]
[…]
As he continued to wait, the killing options flashed again.
Upon opening it, he saw another Apostle fall into the state of Under Death Penalty.
However, that state lasted only a few seconds before immediately changing to Exited the Chapter.
The remaining Apostles, including him, were down to 6.
“Sigh, one less head again.”
[Suddenly, there is a commotion outside the church doors, and a group of panicked civilians surges in.]
[In the crowd, you see a figure shimmering with red light.]
[You have discovered Unknown Apostle No. 9.]
[Unknown Apostle No. 9 blends into the crowd, pretending to be an ordinary civilian, his face full of fear as he looks for a place to hide.]
[Do you want to attack immediately?]
Lin Xun was just about to press the attack option when the game text continued.
[An arrow wreathed in scarlet flames shoots out from a corner and hurtles toward Unknown Apostle No. 9.]
[Unknown Apostle No. 9 reacts quickly, drawing an axe and cleaving down.]
[The axe splits the arrow, but in the crowded environment it unavoidably cleaves several innocent civilians to death. Blood stains the church floor.]
[You look to the corner where the arrow was loosed. There, a red-lit figure with a longbow smiles, murmurs a chant, and fades into invisibility again.]
[The fully alert Unknown Apostle No. 9 suddenly finds the crowd around him scattering.]
[Clang. Clang. More than a dozen Paladins of Discipline in heavy metal plate armor enter the church and surround the hostile Apostle.]
[On the host dais, the priest opens the prayer book, points at Unknown Apostle No. 9, and loudly proclaims that sin exists because of slaughter, and sinners are unworthy of the gods’ forgiveness.]
[The servants of the Radiant Crescent pronounce judgment here. The heretic who murders innocent believers shall be put to death.]
[Outside the church the blazing sun is overhead, but within the church a beautiful silver-white moonlight descends from the dome and shines directly upon Unknown Apostle No. 9.]
[The hostile Apostle’s body suddenly lowers. The right arm holding the axe drops heavily. Unknown Apostle No. 9 hastily grips the axe with both hands, mustering all his strength. His face flushes scarlet as he barely manages to lift the weapon.]
[A dozen heavy two-handed greatswords crash down. Unknown Apostle No. 9 cannot resist and is executed by the Paladins of Discipline, hacked into a pool of flesh.]
[The priest shakes his head in regret and continues to proclaim that those who believe in the Radiant Crescent will receive the gods’ protection, while those who profane the Radiant Crescent bear myriad unforgivable sins.]
[‘May the divine light be with you.’]
[The many civilians in the church clasp their hands to their chests and piously echo: ‘May the divine light be with you.’]
Lin Xun saw the Kill option jump again.
Soon, the Hellish game issued an announcement.
[Unknown Apostle No. 9 is dead.]
He narrowed his eyes.
A hidden archer lurked in the corner of the church. That archer Apostle killed with a borrowed blade, using the power of the White Moon Church to eliminate a candidate Apostle.
Since that Apostle had participated in the battle, a kill by monsters would be counted for the archer.
“A fine stratagem. Unfortunately, you met me.”
Lin Xun prepared to strike hard and show the opposing Apostle what it meant that before absolute power, all tricks and schemes are futile.
[The remaining Apostles in this Easter Egg chapter are less than or equal to five.]
[Apostle drenched in slaughter, you have triggered this chapter’s final event, Nightmare of the Golden Blazing Sun.]
[Four Solar Heroes will descend upon Saint Rance in one hour.]
[Please make the necessary preparations.]
Lin Xun once again saw the words Nightmare of the Golden Blazing Sun. The final event had the exact same name as the Easter Egg chapter.
A shiver ran through him and he suddenly realized something.
He opened the Inventory and searched for a long while before finding his target.
The oath item he obtained from the Demigod Titan Dan in Chapter 323, Dan the Giant’s Blazing Sun Ring, was radiating an incomparably scarlet light.
This item was not just now beginning to glow. From the moment he entered the Easter Egg chapter, it had been emitting the Blood Sun’s radiance.
“I understand now.”
“Originally, the Easter Egg chapter would not be this dangerous. The Shell’s death would certainly not lead to the desperate situation of soul annihilation.”
“All of this is because of me. Because of the Blazing Sun Ring in my Inventory.”
“Everything in the Easter Egg chapter is false.”