"Okay!" Miria agreed, and the two of them stood side by side. As the portal to the thirteenth floor opened, they walked in at the same pace.
Upon reaching the thirteenth floor, the atmosphere changed dramatically. It was a stark contrast to the eleventh and twelfth floors, a complete shift in style. The area resembled a grand Western church, towering and majestic. Hundreds of empty seats stretched out across the floor, perfectly arranged and spotless, exuding a sense of holiness. There was not a speck of dust in sight.
The striped columns were neatly aligned, their scale imposing, while the ceiling, designed to resemble dragon scales, soared high overhead. The intricate layers of the structure were overwhelming, and the longer one stared, the more dizzying it became.
Behind them, the door shut with a soft thud, and there were no windows on the sides of the church. However, three massive windows behind the altar stretched almost the entire length of the curved wall. Light poured in from outside, so dazzling that it was impossible to make out the scenery beyond.
The sunlight filtered through these windows, casting a radiant glow over the entire church, giving it an ethereal, sacred feel. If any of the faithful saw this scene, they would no doubt cry out in horror, for this once holy place had become a refuge for zombies and monsters.
There was, however, one significant difference. The altar was devoid of any cross, and there was no figure of Jesus. Instead, there stood a statue of an angel. The angel had long hair, gently floating to the sides, as if holding something delicate. Its wings were closed, enveloping its form, creating a shape reminiscent of a heart.
Zach appeared calm and collected, intrigued more by what kind of equipment Chuang Shi Shen intended to bestow upon him this time.
"Master, something's off with those three windows!" Miria's voice broke the silence, her gaze fixed on the windows with a hint of suspicion.
Zach turned his attention toward them and saw what she meant. From within the light, figures began to emerge. They were dressed like knights, but unlike the ones in Zach's service, these were made of holy light—there was no physical form to them, just glowing apparitions. And, to Zach's surprise, they had wings.
Zach chuckled, "The guardian angel knights?"
More and more of these ethereal knight figures emerged from the three mysterious openings—no longer doors but more like windows now—each one holding a different weapon. Some carried spears, others large swords, shields, or two-handed swords.
Zach had originally considered using his own knights to fight them, but after some thought, he realized they wouldn't be effective. There was no point in expending the effort.
Instead, he decided to let Miria test the waters. "Start by scouting them out for me."
"Yes! Master!" Miria replied eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation. She had been waiting for this moment.
With a swift motion, Miria switched the Black Devil into its second form, raised her gun, and aimed at the lead angel knight before pulling the trigger.
Boom! Boom!
A pair of lasers shot forward, but the angel shield bearer in front immediately charged, raising its giant shield to absorb the attacks. If anything, it seemed to purify Miria's shots, rendering them harmless.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
Miria didn't hesitate; she kept firing, her weapon's rapid discharge reverberating through the church. But despite the continuous barrage, the shield knight managed to neutralize every shot.
Miria smirked in response. She set her gun to heavy artillery mode with a fluid motion, eager to see what would happen this time.
Rumble!
The massive artillery cannon appeared with a deafening roar, crushing chairs in its path. Miria aimed it at the shield knight, her grin widening into a manic expression. She was determined to test just how much this angel shield could withstand.
After charging the weapon, she fired the beam cannon at full force.
In response, a swarm of shield-bearing angel knights quickly gathered, overlapping their shields to form a massive, honeycomb-like barrier, perfectly synchronized and shimmering with holy light.
Zach, observing from the side, realized that these knights were likely not just protecting each other but guarding the stone statue of the angel behind them. His gut told him that the stone statue was the true boss here, and these angel knights were merely its minions.
"Interesting ability," Zach murmured to himself, considering how he might use it for his advantage. He also wondered if it was possible to extract and summon these angel knights. If not, they would make excellent summoned creatures under the angel boss, and Zach could likely extract their summoning skills as well.
Miria, however, wasn't feeling discouraged by her inability to break through the shield. After several failed attempts, she took the initiative to apologize. "Master, I'm sorry. I couldn't meet your expectations."
Zach reassured her with a gentle smile. "Don't worry. As monsters level up, they grow stronger. If these creatures were outside, they'd be capable of destroying the world. It's impressive enough that you can hold them back."
Miria's face softened, touched by his kindness. "Master, you're so kind..."
Zach, meanwhile, had grown curious about the strength of the shield wall. Deciding to test it himself, he moved forward and, with a swift motion, grasped his right wrist with his left hand, tightening his fist and rotating it with a controlled motion.
With a burst of speed, he teleported and leaped into the heart of the shield wall.
Arguably, it was the most fortified position.
Zach's punch, reinforced by tens of thousands of power attributes and amplified by an SSS-level power boost, landed with a thunderous crash.
Boom!
The sound of the impact was so loud it shook the entire church.
The holy light shield shattered instantly, its fragments scattering like glass shards. Dozens of angel shield knights were knocked off balance, their wings breaking as they flew in all directions, crashing against walls and the floor. In moments, they were reduced to nothing more than glowing stardust.
Zach was surprised by the relative weakness of the shield. "It seems I need to focus on improving Miria's strength after all," he thought. "I can't let her feel like she's not strong enough."
As the remaining angel knights advanced, undeterred, they raised their weapons and charged toward Zach. Their synchronized assault, combined with the church's majestic backdrop, created an atmosphere of intense sanctity.
Zach chuckled inwardly, silently lamenting that he couldn't take a picture for the memory.
No matter. These knights wouldn't survive much longer.
With a flick of his fingers, Zach summoned an invisible "wire saw," dancing it through the air with precision. One by one, the angel knights who had almost reached him were shredded into shimmering stardust, floating upwards in delicate spirals.
Once the knights were dealt with, Zach turned his attention to the stone angel statue, preparing for the next phase of the battle.