In the dark, confined space of the underworld, countless ghosts and skeletons staggered towards a fixed destination.
This was the first sight Orpheus encountered upon arriving in the underworld.
If the snake girl had seen the vast army filling the entire space, she would have realized how futile her plan of "relying on the number of monsters to hold back a goddess" truly was. Apart from certain Zerg-like entities, no other race dares to challenge the Undead in terms of army size due to the high death rate in warfare, which exceeds the rate of reproduction.
Orpheus tilted her head in thought and concluded that Ereshkigal had sent so many undead not to welcome her, but to confront her.
At that moment, the energy around Orpheus fluctuated slightly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A purple barrier erupted from Orpheus's body, forming a spherical shield. Almost immediately, a series of explosions erupted against the surface of the barrier.
Ophis narrowed her eyes. It seemed Ereshkigal had a way to directly manipulate the energy of the underworld to launch attacks. This was more challenging than she had anticipated.
The underworld's energy detonated on contact and then reintegrated into the realm, making it an attack method with minimal energy expenditure, hard to detect, and even harder to defend against. The rumors of Ereshkigal's near invincibility in the underworld seemed to be true.
Under normal circumstances, even if Ophis unleashed relentless attacks, she wouldn't harm Ereshkigal. But now, with her power slightly constrained, things were different.
Without proper preparations, she wouldn't dare to leave Uruk. Although she couldn't match the entire underworld's strength in a battle of attrition, this didn't mean Ophis was weak.
With the analytical precision of a snake, Ophis swiftly assessed her surroundings. The lifeless gaze in her eyes was replaced by a cold, calculating light. When she was at her peak, nothing could harm her, and she often didn't need to fight seriously. But now, facing limitations, she was determined to show her true capabilities.
In less than a second, Ophis grasped the situation and turned her gaze to the undead army below.
"Simple puppets," she mused.
These undead weren't enslaved souls but were mass-produced from the remnants of souls that had collapsed from prolonged existence. They were cheap to create and only slightly stronger than ordinary people. The skeletons were merely bones infused with some undead energy. A well-trained soldier from the Age of Gods could handle them with ease.
To Ophis, their combat power was irrelevant. Even if they could fight high-level monsters, they were no more than cannon fodder in her eyes. Her primary concern was ensuring they were not the souls of Uruk's people.
Boom!
In an instant, the air around the undead army exploded with violent energy. All undead within a radius of 100 meters were either blasted away or destroyed.
Encased in a lavender sphere at the center of the explosion, a fox-like smile appeared on Ophis's face. The destruction of these undead was insignificant to Ereshkigal, as they could be recreated in a few hundred years. But for Ophis, the output required was minimal compared to her reserve.
As dark blue souls rose and swooped down toward her, Ophis didn't even glance at them. Instead, she summoned magic arrays behind her, and soon over three hundred of them were in place.
Then, three hundred magic cannons roared to life simultaneously!
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"Light, emerge from the furthest reaches of existence!!!"
As Lily shouted, a silver-white knight's spear appeared in her hand.
The Tower of the End, bound by thirteen seals that bound the surface of the world, and the Farthest Spear that radiates with the light of stars.
Though Lily held only a fragment of the Holy Spear, it was enough to unleash its formidable power!
As she grasped the holy spear, a burst of light enveloped her, transforming her simple skirt armor into a full silver-white suit. Her appearance grew more mature, reflecting the divine influence of the spear.
The thoughts from the Holy Spear flowed into Lily's mind. Endless wandering, the will of the goddess, and the salvation of humanity—Lily now understood her deep love for humanity.
Yet, she rejected the goddess's methods.
As the light and shadows faded, Lily's appearance remained unchanged, but the power she wielded now far exceeded her previous strength.
"Whoa—" (A triumphant cry)
"Long time no see… No, it's our first meeting, Dun Stallion. I look forward to your guidance."
Lily greeted the white horse beneath her, now transformed into a powerful warhorse.
To her surprise, the Holy Spear didn't corrode her mind but strengthened her spirit.
"I see. Do you want to see the outcome of my control over the Holy Spear?"
Understanding dawned on Lily. The goddess had not given her the spear to possess her but to strengthen her. With Ritsuka's influence, Lily had learned to act decisively, focusing on defeating all enemies and then Solomon.
"In that case, witness my power."
Lily addressed the dragon with confidence.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long with the flames. Experience the might of the Holy Spear!"
"Roar—"
The dragon roared wildly, spewing flames.
Ignoring the heat, Lily pointed the holy spear forward and invoked its true name.
"Light, emerge from the furthest reaches of existence!
Tear apart the heavens and bind the earth,
Anchor of the storm!
Rhongomyniad!"
A golden beam of light tore through the dragon's flames, pierced its body, and vanished into the sky.