The Scarlet Priest was seething with rage. It was just two Silvers. If they had remained invisible, it would have been fine, but now he found himself entangled in a mess. Even if he sacrificed every one of his members, he still couldn't rid himself of them.
This overwhelming pressure was driving him to the edge of madness. It felt as though whispering voices from another dimension were clawing at his sanity, beckoning him to fall into a bottomless abyss.
They shouldn't have been discovered so soon. His divination and perception techniques were rendered useless by their barrier.
Dongwu City was vast. Unless the entire Dongwu Corps was mobilized for an exhaustive search, there was no way they would be exposed in less than three months.
But now, everything had changed. Unknown forces had entered the fray, forces that sought to harvest the flesh and blood of the Gods.
This was unforgivable. He, the Scarlet Priest, was the chosen one, favored by God!
*Boom!*
The artifact's light flickered in the crimson gloom. The Scarlet Priest, his magic power at level 68, unleashed a terrifying surge. The resulting shockwave sent the two Silvers flying, though the artifact's light also sliced through his body.
As blood flowed from his wounds, he realized he needed more power. Only three levels separated him from the Upper Gold rank. Once he reached that threshold, he would re-establish his connection with the Scarlet Lord, and everything would be set back on course.
He turned his attention to the army, and with a sinister grin, he barked, "Apocalypse, retreat!"
Mossen's expression shifted in alarm. He gave a swift order, and the Demonic Slash behind him disintegrated, merging back into his body.
*Flash and kill!*
A cold wave of blood froze everything in its path. The Scarlet Priest extended his hand, a cruel smile curling on his lips. The blood energy that enveloped the East City District swirled around him, compressing the magic swordsman's power to its limit. He was determined to eliminate one of them swiftly.
The soldiers retreated in an orderly fashion. A sword beam sped towards the Scarlet Priest, sharp and imbued with divine power.
But the Scarlet Priest ignored it entirely. Each time he was on the verge of killing one of them, a new attack arrived, dispersing his energy, creating a stalemate.
At this point, he was willing to trade injury for victory.
Suddenly, a piercing sense of danger shot through him. The Scarlet Priest's blood dissipated, forming a blood-red shield that blocked an incoming blow.
*Boom!*
An explosion of energy erupted as the powerful magic of the city's defense railgun shattered the shield. The shell rocketed toward him with immense force. The Scarlet Priest staggered forward, but he still took a hit to the arm.
"Gah!"
With a muffled grunt, his arm shattered into particles, and his shoulder crystallized from the impact.
It was a near-miss, but the shell exploded further away, sending shockwaves that devastated the surrounding buildings, cracking the earth beneath them.
Mossen, having escaped the trap, advanced with the Demon Slash, Kami's artifact following closely behind, striking viciously at the Scarlet Priest.
The ensuing energy frenzy overwhelmed him. The powerful being at the Gold-Middle level was suddenly on the back foot.
The city defense railgun, developed by the Alchemist Sage, had no cooldown, only the limitation of expensive shells. Each one cost 50,000 gold, but that was nothing to the city lord's disciple, who had promised him an undefeated status in this battle.
Once the Scarlet Priest lost his advantage of experience, his downfall was inevitable.
A cloud of smoke and dust blanketed the sky.
Kami swung his sword, cutting through the chaos with his divine weapon, attempting to seize the flesh and blood of the ancient god embedded in the Scarlet Priest's chest.
*Boom!*
But in the next instant, the Scarlet Priest disintegrated into blood, narrowly evading the strike. He reappeared above the retreating army.
His body, shoulders, and arms were rapidly refilling with blood. With the blessing of the gods, he would be difficult to kill unless struck in a vital spot.
The chant of the magicians reached a fever pitch as their magic poured into the sky, but it was for naught. The immense level gap rendered their numbers useless. At most, they would only deplete the magic power of the stronger forces.
The scarlet power intensified, pushing down with the intent to slaughter the soldiers and absorb their blood for temporary growth.
But in this battle, if he could reach the Upper Gold level, this temporary growth would become permanent with the help of the ancient god's flesh and blood.
"Disperse!"
Mossen's command rang out, and in a flash, he crossed a distance of several thousand meters, swinging his giant sword, though his arm trembled with exhaustion.
The collision of magic sent Mossen hurtling to the ground. Every strike he made was countered by the Scarlet Priest's ultimate move, leaving him overwhelmed, unable to keep up with his own magic recovery.
The suffocating pressure of the Scarlet Priest's power sent hundreds of Apocalypse soldiers to the brink of death.
A blinding beam of light cut through the overwhelming scarlet force, heading straight for the Scarlet Priest's face.
*Boom!*
The two forces clashed, separating them for a brief moment.
Enado's spell scroll disintegrated, and a magnificent staff materialized in his hand.
Three chances had been spent, each one shifting the course of the battle, but now it seemed they had returned to square one.
Under Mossen's orders, the soldiers scattered into groups of four, knowing that against such a formidable mage, dispersing was their only chance of survival.
Mossen rose to his feet, breathing heavily. His magic reserves had been depleted.
The vast level difference—more than fifteen levels—was taxing. Yet, it hadn't given him the chance to hone his skills. This trial should have been a proving ground long ago.
The Scarlet Priest hovered in the sky once more, his blood mist rapidly repairing his injuries. The mist over the East City District thinned as his wounds closed.
He gazed at the retreating soldiers below. His opportunity had passed. But then, his gaze shifted to the massive pit not far away, where the gifts prepared for God lay hidden. If necessary, they could turn the tide of battle and invoke the Scarlet Lord's favor.
*Buzz...*
A subtle sound cut through the silence, a faint buzz that resembled the flapping of bees' wings or the grinding of gears—enough to send a chill through the air.
The four figures below looked up. Suddenly, over twenty objects fell from the sky, heading straight for the Scarlet Priest.
There was confusion in the priest's scarlet eyes. These objects didn't radiate any threatening energy.
But then, the sky exploded in a burst of blazing white light. More than twenty explosives detonated, sending a powerful shockwave toward the Scarlet Priest.
*Buzz...*
In an instant, the blood-red light flickered, and the flames and shockwaves dissipated, leaving nothing behind.
The Scarlet Priest's eyes flashed with fury. Before he could react, a sharp, stinging sensation pricked his skin.
He raised his hand, summoning a shield of scarlet energy. A bullet, traveling at incredible speed, punched through his defense and lost its momentum just short of his head.
The priest clenched his fist, crushing the bullet into fragments.
His expression turned impassive as he looked toward the source of the attack—a thin figure in a windbreaker, walking towards him without emotion.
Around him, three worker bees distorted the air with a faint heat.
Mossen, Kami, and Ernado exchanged glances, puzzled. Why had this alchemist come? Was he seeking death?
"Silver. Lower rank?"
The Scarlet Priest muttered under his breath. Anger flared within him. Two level 50s were one thing, but a mere Silver-ranked individual in his thirties daring to challenge him? He could not tolerate this insult.