Folding her wings behind her, Tisiana stepped forward in a swift lunge. The feathers that appeared soft and delicate effortlessly pierced straight through the Flayed Banshee.

Holy Light was naturally the bane of evil.

The wound immediately erupted with blinding radiance, and the agony that reached directly into the creature’s soul sent the Flayed Banshee into violent convulsions. Within moments, she froze with her mouth hanging open and never moved again.

"It really is a Flayed Banshee."

Farlo strode over and began examining the corpse.

"It seems Airkly has already fallen."

"What rotten luck."

Phield finally understood.

"No wonder her Divine Chosen never showed up while I was beating him. She was already dead."

"If this thing possessed enough power to kill a Tier Two Divine Chosen, then this expedition is going to be far more dangerous than I expected."

The others quickly gathered around.

Fortunately, Phield had already found an excuse to call everyone over earlier, so no misunderstandings arose.

Even so, losing one of their main combatants before the expedition had even begun dealt a heavy blow to morale.

Some of the opportunists were already considering backing out.

"It’s over."

Riemann stared blankly ahead as cold sweat poured down his face.

"The Governor’s adopted son is dead, and we’ve also lost a precious Tier Two Divine Chosen."

"He’s definitely going to have me hanged."

Marianne, one of Riemann’s Divine Chosen, paced anxiously in circles.

"Even if I spent every day and every night... persuading the Governor until I was completely worn out... I still wouldn’t be able to calm his anger."

"Besides, I only have sixty thousand gold coins in savings. I can’t possibly come up with any more."

"That amount won’t be enough to save me."

Riemann waved his hand irritably.

Phield blinked in surprise.

Marianne might be a little eccentric, but she was unexpectedly loyal.

"Don’t lose heart."

Phield patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Find some valuable treasures and offer them as an apology."

"If everything in the Stormsea Mercantile Nation has a price, then what’s so special about an adopted son?"

"Pull yourself together and focus on the expedition."

Earlier, he had already gauged their strength.

They were nowhere near Rosalia’s level.

Which made them perfect pioneers to clear the way for him.

"You’re right."

Riemann had no other choice.

"Mr. Phield, let’s not waste any more time. We leave immediately!"

"The treasure is mine!"

The pirates licked their lips greedily.

"For the sake of saving a world on the brink of terror!"

The members of the Twilight Knights also regained their fighting spirit.

The floating warship slowly carried everyone farther north across the flooded ruins.

"Shouldn’t we be heading south?"

Phield stood on the deck, looking around in confusion.

"I’ve already seen that gate."

"There are several gates."

Farlo patiently explained.

"But only one of them is real. The others all lead to dead ends."

"According to legend, while fighting the demonic army, the Empress of the Ancient Moon Empire transformed her entire capital into a massive magic array, destroying both the city and the invading monsters together."

"Those gates are simply the array’s anchor points."

Late that night, the warship finally arrived at a vast lake.

"This used to be a Viscount’s Domain."

"The border Viscount governed this region."

It was Phield’s first time setting foot within a Viscount’s territory.

Unlike Nightfall Domain, the landscape here was littered with abandoned fortresses.

Countless Corrupted soldiers wandered beneath crumbling walls, howling in endless agony while slaughtering one another.

Even more horrifying, Phield spotted Corrupted orcs and elves.

They were still reproducing.

Massive Corrupted orcs forcibly bred with Corrupted elves.

Looking down from above, countless monsters were constantly breeding, fusing, and evolving into even more terrifying Corrupted abominations.

"Damn those Corrupted creatures."

Farlo clenched her teeth in fury.

"The cowardly former Empress of the Sacred Griffin Empire summoned the apocalypse itself simply to stop the orcish invasion and preserve her pathetic reign."

"She is a sinner of this world."

"Straight ahead lies the ruins of the ancient capital of the Sacred Griffin Empire."

"The mausoleum is hidden within it."

"Report, sir."

"It’s exactly eleven eleven at night!"

"Good."

Riemann lifted a sapphire-blue crystal sphere and aimed it toward the lake.

Waves of azure energy spread across the water like ripples.

The next moment, the lake trembled violently.

It was as though the heavens themselves had been split apart.

The water slowly separated to both sides, revealing a decayed city buried beneath the lake.

A stone pathway covered in aquatic plants stretched toward a cavern hidden beneath the cliffs.

"That’s the gate!"

The crowd could hardly contain their excitement.

"The treasures of the ancient empire are waiting inside!"

Boom!

The ground beneath their feet shook violently.

More than a dozen Corrupted Wyverns swooped toward them, unleashing crimson energy spheres from their mouths.

The attacks slammed into the warship one after another.

The supposedly sturdy vessel proved as fragile as paper.

Its protective barrier immediately cracked, and the entire ship began lurching uncontrollably.

After all, it had been built as a naval vessel.

Its ability to fly came solely from the Divine Chosen lifting it into the air with their powers.

"We’re going down!"

Phield’s pupils shrank in shock.

Tisiana immediately grabbed hold of him.

"Reduce altitude!"

Riemann rapidly issued orders.

"Land on the lake!"

"Activate concealment!"

"Don’t let them find us!"

The warship descended with a loud hum before crashing onto the lake, sending enormous waves in every direction.

A Divine Chosen immediately cast an invisibility spell over the vessel.

The group waited patiently until the Corrupted Wyverns finally flew away.

Only then did they make their way through the decaying ruins before eventually arriving at the cavern.

Standing before them was a colossal gate.

"Phew..."

Riemann let out a breath.

"Mr. Phield, is your key ready?"

Phield smiled confidently.

"Of course."

Riemann produced the Golden Key.

Phield took out the Silver Key.

After inserting them into the sword-shaped sockets on either side of the gate, the massive doors slowly began to open.

"Let’s go!"

One after another, everyone stepped inside and disappeared into absolute darkness.

The instant Phield crossed the threshold, his vision went black.

It felt as though he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.

Countless scenes flooded into his mind.

It was as though he were watching a movie.

The world before him became the Ancient Moon Empire exactly two thousand one hundred and fifty-three years ago.

The sky was completely covered by gargoyles and demons.

Countless blazing fireballs streaked across the heavens before crashing into the imperial capital, reducing entire districts to rubble.

Human soldiers were slaughtered like helpless livestock.

Once the demons breached the city, scenes of endless slaughter and forced breeding unfolded everywhere.

Inside the royal palace...

"Your Majesty! The eastern gate has fallen!"

"Report! The demon army has already reached the central imperial city!"

"The demons have breached the Tier Nine Life Lock Core and absorbed an enormous amount of life energy!"

"The Life Lock has suffered irreversible damage!"

"It may regress to Tier Eight!"

Blood-soaked warriors delivered one disastrous report after another.

"Damn it... Damn it..."

The Empress of the Ancient Moon Empire slowly rose from her throne, her entire body trembling.

Not from fear.

From pure rage.

"The Corruption Calamity is about to descend upon this land, yet the Demon King is still dreaming of conquering the world."

"Does he really think the Corruption Calamity will only corrupt humanity?"

"Everyone will be corrupted."

"Elves."

"Orcs."

"Humans."

"Even those demonspawn whose minds know nothing but breeding and slaughter."

"The entire world will become a living hell!"