Chapter 437: The Killing of

The Miss Hungry Dragon, having mastered the divine art of pouting, finally got her way and accompanied Herbert to the Radiant Holy City.

Herbert claimed his heart was as hard as iron—and he wasn’t lying—but it depended on the situation.

Before Valentina, who had mastered the technique of softening hardness, even tempered steel could be turned into silk wrapped around the fingers.

Though he had originally spoken to Valentina with absolute finality, leaving no room for negotiation, Herbert ultimately couldn’t bring himself to be truly cruel.

Under Valentina’s persistent coaxing and stubborn persistence, he… softened. His heart softened.

Herbert finally agreed to take Valentina with him to Solanthis—but he set two conditions.

One condition: all actions in Solanthis must be under his command; she must not act impulsively in any way.

Though Valentina had been “successfully tamed” and had never once been disobedient since, Herbert still decided to lay down the rules upfront.

Better to establish the terms first—best if nothing goes wrong, but if something does, at least he can say, “I warned you.”

Whether in work or life, as long as you leave traces and prepare backup plans in advance, you are invincible.

Ready to advance, ready to retreat.

Compared to Valentina’s clinginess, Freyme, though equally reluctant to part from him, made no effort to stop Herbert.

In the mermaid’s view, a hero must not be bound by anyone—even if that someone was herself.

She accepted calmly the fact that Herbert would be leaving, and bestowed upon him her blessing, praying for his safety.

She would wait for her hero’s return, as always.

But this time, her waiting was slightly different.

Freyme was no longer alone.

She was no longer merely waiting in the Deepwater Prison, singing songs while fiddling with her alchemical legs.

Now, she could use the “mirror shards” Herbert gave her to enter other levels.

Aside from disliking the scorching heat of the Lava Hell, she found great interest in the other levels.

Not only was she curious about the environments of the levels, but also about her fellow inmates.

Especially the two in the Abyss of No Light—she felt an instinctive kinship with them, sensing something shared between them.

The dark elf was manageable, able to converse normally, and showed particular interest in Freyme’s alchemical legs.

But when speaking with Svan Ni , the vampire subtly revealed a faint hostility, as if fearing Freyme might steal her friend away.

The fallen angel in the Aurora Sanctuary was extremely silent; she never deliberately drove Freyme away, but rarely responded, only occasionally uttering a soft “hmm” to indicate she was still listening.

The most talkative, however, was undoubtedly the Mirror Demon.

Freyme had met chatterboxes before, but she had rarely encountered one with such boundless energy.

Luka Liya gave her the impression of someone who had bottled up emotions for centuries, never given a chance to vent—until now, when she finally found an outlet and spoke without restraint.

Everyone’s tolerance for solitude differs.

What seems ordinary to one person may be utterly unbearable to another.

Generally, anomalies are adept at solitude.

An anomaly’s fate begins with solitude—and may well end with it.

Many inmates in the Penitentiary were held in solitary cells: Valentina, Freyme, Luciel—all of them.

Each endured centuries of solitude in their own way.

But for Luka Liya , the Mirror Spirit who had witnessed countless fates, solitude was unbearable.

She truly kept every reflection she recorded locked within her mirrors, as if they still lived in her mirrored world.

Countless false voices spoke in Luka Liya ’s mind, yet she knew perfectly well they were all illusions.

It was, Budebushuo , somewhat ironic.

The loudest voices in her mind were those of the one who feared solitude most.

Luka Liya knew this herself; Herbert could also sense it vaguely.

So before leaving, Herbert asked the Mirror Demon to give him five mirror shards, placing them across various levels, helping her establish channels of communication.

After handling these matters, Herbert no longer hesitated—he immediately went to the Underground Sanctuary to request an audience with the Archabbot.

Yes…

He was there to submit a report and make an application.

Herbert always considered himself a very obedient child.

If he truly wanted to, Herbert could have used minor tricks to smuggle Valentina out for a little adventure.

After acquiring Luka Liya ’s mirror-teleportation ability, Herbert had learned how to secretly smuggle monster girls out of the Penitentiary.

If he wanted to, he could do it.

So why did Herbert abandon this bold idea?

The reason was simple—he was afraid.

Sneaking Valentina out for a stroll was a minor thing, but if anyone found out and the scheme was exposed, it would become a major problem.

Herbert had no desire to face the Archabbot’s retribution later.

Escaping custody was no small matter, especially since Valentina’s power had changed drastically since before.

Escorting a prisoner with advanced power outside… even Herbert himself had to question what he was doing.

Had he truly become lawless?

The old man might seem kind and gentle now, but who knew what abyss lurked beneath his benevolent facade?

Let someone else test it—Herbert had no intention of facing the Archabbot’s wrath.

After careful deliberation and repeated hesitation, Herbert ultimately chose the safe path and reported both matters.

One: Valentina’s advancement to Shi Shi.

The other: applying to take her with him to the Radiant Holy City.

After “honestly” reporting everything, Herbert waited anxiously for the Archabbot’s response.

Either of these two matters was significant.

Herbert didn’t know how the Archabbot would view a prisoner’s advancement—would he ignore it, or suppress it?

If the Archabbot were truly a serious head of a monastery, he would certainly take notice of “prisoner advancement” and implement corresponding measures.

Either reinforce Valentina’s cell, or imprison and suppress her, and tighten security on all other inmates to prevent recurrence.

But… Herbert felt the Archabbot wouldn’t do that.

The old man wasn’t ordinary—he couldn’t be judged by ordinary standards.

And the Archabbot’s reaction was exactly as Herbert expected—he truly didn’t care.

The Archabbot, possessing power above all else, didn’t care about prisoners’ advancements.

To him, Valentina was merely a little creature who had grown slightly stronger.

As long as she couldn’t defeat him, a Legend and a Shi Shi were essentially the same.

After brief consideration, the Archabbot cheerfully accepted Herbert’s report and granted his request.

The entire process took far less than Herbert’s estimated half-hour—from entering the room to the Archabbot nodding in approval, it lasted only five minutes.

After quickly dismissing the matter, the Archabbot didn’t let Herbert leave; instead, he kept him there and began recounting his past exploits.

Facing Herbert’s hesitant, half-said expression, the Archabbot waved his hand dismissively.

The dragon advanced to Shi Shi? Wants to take her and other prisoners to the Sun Church?

Fine, no problem!

And then? Anything else?

If that’s all, then sit down quietly and let me finish the story I didn’t finish last time!

The old man declared: These things you mention are trivial—listening to my memories (boasting) is the real Dashi !

So the Archabbot dragged Herbert along for two full hours of stories—from the Dragon-Slaying War to sweeping through the Abyss…

As Herbert heard familiar races mentioned in the tales—dragons, devils, demons—his eyebrows kept twitching.

Old man, are you hinting at me with these stories?

Only after Herbert repeatedly insisted he had to leave did the Archabbot finally sigh and let him go.

“Go, go, tend to your business. Busy? Ah… it’s good to be busy.”

Perhaps sensing his attitude had been too lax and permissive, the Archabbot added one final condition before Herbert left.

“Since you want to do it, then do it. The monastery will tacitly permit your actions and protect you if necessary.”

“As for others… hah.”

“Child, you bear your own resolve, shoulder others’ fates, and take responsibility for yourself.”

“Only by pressing forward under heavy burdens can you grow.”

In summary, the Archabbot made one stance clear: Do what you wish—but I will offer no extra help.

The Mist Monastery will not explain or vouch for Valentina and the others’ identities; Herbert must explain to the Sun Church what these monster girls truly are.

And if any problems arise, and the Sun Church decides to cleanse Flora and the others, the Mist Monastery will not interfere.

The Mist Monastery will only be responsible for Herbert’s life—no one else is under its protection.

In other words, Herbert must bear full responsibility, carrying the lives of all of them.

Undoubtedly, this would be immense pressure.

After a two-second hesitation, Herbert gave a slight nod and bowed in thanks to the Archabbot.

Pressure? Responsibility? Fate?

Didn’t he already know that from the beginning?

When have I ever not carried the fates of others?

Awakening?

Herbert had long possessed it, and never wavered.

From the moment he became an accomplice with Valentina and the others, Herbert had already shouldered their fates.

No, perhaps even earlier.

From the moment his own fate became the Chouma and he reached an accord with an unknown god, becoming His ally, he had already shouldered His fate.

After bidding farewell to the Grand Archbishop, Herbert left the underground sanctuary.

Hmm, just as before, he didn’t get to exchange more than a few words with the Inquisitor General—he was yanked away by the Ash Archbishop the moment he opened his mouth.

After a prolonged struggle with Ophidia, Herbert finally completed all preparations and, the next day, took Valentina and the others to the teleportation array bound for Solanthis.

But Herbert did not teleport directly to Solanthis—that would have brought them face-to-face with the Solar Church, and Valentina’s troubles would have erupted immediately.

Since the Grand Archbishop had plainly stated he would not vouch for them, Herbert had no intention of pretending to be backed by the monastery to bluff his way through.

Relying on bluffing and false authority?

That was the lowest-tier tactic—Herbert, a high-end talent (as he called himself), naturally looked down on it.

He had his own method.

First, Herbert set the teleportation array’s destination to the nearest major city to the Radiant Holy City, then teleported there with the three demon girls, now dressed in special attire, posing as monks.

Upon arrival, he made no stop in the city, took them straight out of it, and, once unobserved, quietly boarded Valentina’s Flying Succubus.

Then, just as the resentful Devil Lady assumed Herbert would act discreetly, he made the most conspicuous move possible.

Among countless options—leveraging influence, enduring patience, strategic maneuvering—Herbert chose the simplest, most brutal path.

Kill!

Herbert ordered Valentina to reveal her true form and, with brazen arrogance, swept along the satellite cities surrounding the Radiant Holy City, mercilessly purging every follower and creation of the Sinful Church.

He did not have Valentina hide or ambush—she fully embraced the most arrogant Dafa .

Since concealment was impossible, he might as well hide in plain sight.

Young man, be bold!

That day, the seemingly endless battle between the Solar Church and the Sinful Church was forcibly interrupted.

An unexpected guest entered the battlefield.

A monstrous dragon, a hundred meters long, appeared like a creature from legend, casting a vast shadow.

With each beat of its wings, it summoned gales that effortlessly shredded divine creations passing nearby.

The terrifying dragon struck fear into every mortal who beheld it.

The crimson dragon soared freely, drenching every town it passed in terrifying dragonfire, claiming countless lives.

The Solar Church’s followers had no idea what was happening—they could only watch as the dragon obliterated the Xieshen ’s minions and then departed without a word.

The battle, once evenly matched, ended easily with “friendly” aid; they didn’t even know whether they should chase after it to thank it.

But the dragon left too quickly—arriving as suddenly as it departed.

Helpless, they remained where they were, eliminating stragglers and purging the last remnants of evil.

These low-ranking warriors were confused, and the Church’s high-ranking officials within the Holy City felt no better upon first spotting the crimson dragon.

Huh?

What is this thing?

Do we have one of these among our allies?

Where the hell did it come from!?

Had the crimson dragon not clearly been an ally, targeting only the Xieshen ’s minions, they would have already lost their composure.

Even so, they remained baffled, unable to determine the intruder’s identity.

Some high-ranking officials even suspected this was a self-staged ploy by the God of Sin—thinking it some kind of self-harm tactic!

Absolute vigilance is required.

The Xieshen is cunning; no dishonorable act is beyond him!

The Solar followers were confused, but the Sinful followers… were utterly bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I? What’s for dinner?

No!

What the hell is going on with this dragon?

They had no idea where the Solar Church had pulled this dragon from.

This isn’t fair!

You dogs of the Sun, you despicable bastards—you’re cheating!

You’re launching a surprise attack!?

Although the two churches had faced off for some time and engaged in numerous skirmishes, the overall conflict remained in its early stages.

At present, Epic-level Qiangzhe would not intervene, and even Legendary-level beings were advised to avoid rash action.

Both sides’ high commands had a tacit understanding to maintain this status quo, with no intention of escalating the conflict.

No one wished to see their own people die in vain—this applied even to divine churches.

The True Gods felt this way; the Xie Gods did too.

This was not compassion, nor did it relate to “the gods love mankind.”

The gods’ divine realms did require new mortal souls to replenish the ranks of the heroic spirits, making them the foundation of their realms.

But earthly dominion was equally vital!

And that required vast numbers of living believers to sustain.

If a large number of mortal believers died in a short time, any church would face immense pressure.

It could easily invite being swallowed and devoured by rival churches.

Even if the Solar Church was powerful enough, and the Sun God stood atop the divine hierarchy, it would not lightly abandon its precious believers.

The Sinful Church felt the same.

This was merely a farce—it would end soon enough.

The Solar Church would never risk everything to “purify evil,” nor did they care to corrupt those fools obsessed with holy light.

…They had firmly believed this.

But these beasts of the Solar Church broke all rules—they were the first to deploy a strategic superweapon!

Deception! Surprise attack!

Look at that hundred-meter size—they’d summoned an Epic-level dragon!

Are they planning to expand the war further?

Are these madmen truly trying to drag other divine churches into this?

The Sinful Church’s high command also held back, watching silently, pondering how to respond next.

Thus, both sides remained suspicious, refraining from deploying elite forces to reinforce or retaliate.

As a result, a bizarre situation emerged on the battlefield.

The dragon ran rampant, playing freely across every front, driving the Xie God’s creations into retreat, thoroughly enjoying itself.

And the architect of this bizarre scene—the Crimson Dragon’s Wangpai pilot, Colonel Herbert—continued directing Valentina’s firepower.

“Yes! There! Spit on it!”

“Hahaha!”

“Damn insects! Let the flames purify all!”

“Hehehehe—”

Herbert finally understood the joy of a dragon knight.

He had never imagined aerial combat could be this exhilarating!

No aircraft could compare to the Crimson Dragon—its performance was far, far superior!

With the Epic dragon’s astonishing mobility and terrifying firepower, Herbert went completely unchecked on the battlefield.

Yet, while he was having fun, someone else noticed something was off.

The Devil Lady sensed an odd tension from the battlefield’s eerie silence, her instincts screaming something was wrong.

After enduring for a while and failing to get Flora’s attention with glances, Kreti finally snapped.

“Hey! Herbert!”

The devil’s whisper echoed in the dragon knight’s ear, rapid and anxious: “Are you really not worried about the consequences of doing this!?”

“Hm?”

Herbert, still chuckling, snapped back to attention, turned to the Devil Lady with furrowed brows, and grinned: “Hah! What consequences? You’re too timid!”

“You’re escalating their conflict—you’ll trigger a much larger war!” the devil deduced the most likely outcome.

In her view, Herbert was playing with fire right beside a powder keg.

He shattered the fragile balance between both sides and steered the conflict toward a far more dangerous direction.

Once balance is broken, it’s nearly impossible to fully restore!

“Oh? Are you concerned for their lives?”

Herbert raised an eyebrow, curious: “My dear Devil Lady, when did you start caring about others?”

“...Hmph!”

Kreti shot Herbert a glare and snorted: “Who cares about them? I’m worried you’ll drag me down with you!”

“Oh?”

Herbert smiled without speaking, staring at Crete for a moment; when her gaze slightly shifted, he shrugged and chuckled, “Then let’s say it’s like that, heh.”

A devil with a heart of compassion?

How truly amusing.

Indeed, everyone in the Discipline Hall is a talent.

“Besides, don’t worry—I’ve already considered it. It won’t involve you.”

The timing isn’t right now, so Herbert didn’t continue teasing; he explained, “They all have smart people among them. These self-proclaimed wise ones act with extra caution before doing anything—they won’t move a finger until they fully understand the situation. We still have time to let loose a bit longer.”

Cleverness backfires.

What Herbert intended to seize was this precious window of opportunity.

Although Herbert patted his chest and assured her everything was fine, it failed to convince Crete.

She shook her head and whispered further, “No, you don’t understand. Even if your logic holds—that the Divine Church isn’t the problem—you’ve forgotten the entity behind them!”

“Are you not afraid of provoking the God of Lust?!”

The real danger has never come from the Divine Church—it’s the gods themselves!

Doesn’t the God of Lust have a temper?

Aren’t you afraid He’ll unleash divine punishment?

“Afraid?”

Herbert read the devil lady’s gaze, not fearing but smiling, his expression growing even more delighted as he murmured, “What are you talking about? So what if I provoke Him?”

…Huh?

Crete’s mind went blank for a moment, then swiftly grasped the implication behind those words.

That was disrespect toward the gods, utter disregard for the divine realm—it was… arrogance!

He, a mere mortal, looked down upon the gods.

“You—uh, hmm?!”

But at this moment, Crete felt less fear than confusion.

“You… what benefit could provoking the gods possibly bring you?”

No, why?

This makes no sense whatsoever!

What meaning could there be in deliberately becoming a thorn in the God of Lust’s side?

Could it be he wants to use this chance to establish his reputation?

Yet Crete felt the Herbert she knew wasn’t such a vain fool—he wouldn’t throw himself into the fire for a little fame.

The more she understood Herbert, the less she understood him.

“Benefit?”

Herbert laughed at Crete’s question, winking at her with a playful grin, “Do you really think I’ve done all this just for fun? Or for fame?”

“Heh.”

He shook his head, helplessly, “You’re really underestimating me, aren’t you? Am I really that kind of person?”

Nena Sha : 【“Hmm, I think you are.”】

Herbert ignored the Xieshen ’s slander, his expression unchanged, his gaze sweeping over the silent succubus’s face—Flora, though puzzled, chose to trust Herbert and remained quiet.

Good.

Herbert nodded inwardly, then turned to Crete’s bewildered eyes and smiled gently, “I’m doing this for you.”

“For us?”

“Of course. For you.”

Herbert stood atop the dragon’s massive back as if walking on flat ground, stepping slowly toward the devil lady, arms outstretched.

“I’ve poured countless efforts into letting you enter Solanthis openly!”

“Are we inciting chaos? Are we committing senseless slaughter?”

He raised his hand, catching a half-severed winged serpent carcass as it flew past him, and shook it: “Is this a corpse?”

“No! Not at all.”

“This is your pass to the Radiant Holy City. Your justification for not being judged.”

Pass? Justification?

Wait?

Judged?!!

“Ah! You mean—”

Crete’s eyes widened; suddenly, she understood Herbert’s plan. She swallowed hard, struggling to speak: “They… are the sins on our backs?”

Snap.

Herbert snapped his fingers, nodding in satisfaction: “Good. It seems you truly understand.”

And this was the true core of Herbert’s solution—refresh the record!

Don’t you carry the sin of “taking others’ lives”?

Since this sin can’t be cleansed in a short time, then… don’t cleanse it at all.

Herbert didn’t need them to cleanse their sins—he had Valentina commit even greater slaughter.

Look, all of you of the Solar Church!

I am committing slaughter in the name of “justice” right before your eyes.

Well?

Is this still sin?

I slashed from South Heaven Gate to Penglai East Road for three days and nights without blinking!

Don’t you praise me for my heroic skill? Do you ask if my eyes are dry?

Dry your mother’s eyes!

We didn’t kill because we loved bloodshed—we came to fight in response to your call!

An ancient philosopher who saw many hearts, Big West Ken, once said: Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

If you kill enough, nothing is a problem.

Do you need to painstakingly crush each one?

No need for such complexity—just blast them all with dragon breath!

Fire consumes all filth; holy light purifies every sin.

The weak, unable to withstand dragon breath, turn to ash on the spot.

The stronger ones, even if they barely survive the breath, lose most of their power—and become easy prey for Solar believers.

And everyone here witnessed it all.

Witnessed this brutal slaughter carried out “in the name of justice.”

…

…

Solanthis, Central Tower.

The Solar Church’s high-ranking officials chattered incessantly.

“Gentlemen, where did that dragon come from? Do you have no information at all?”

“I don’t know either!”

“No records exist! The only one remotely similar was centuries ago—a crimson-winged dragon destroyed an evil city harboring a cult of the God of Lust.”

“And after that?”

“Gone. Afterward, that dragon vanished completely—probably went to sleep somewhere. These creatures sleep for centuries, it’s normal.”

“Also, the power doesn’t match. That dragon was probably Legendary. This one is a deep-rooted Epic—likely ascended to Epic over a thousand years ago.”

After further discussion, they returned to the original question—how should we treat it?

“Should we really prepare to awaken the Solar Dragon Spear?”

“If it approaches the Holy City, should we follow tradition and strike it down immediately, or issue a warning first?”

“That seems inappropriate—it’s still fighting alongside us against the Cult of Lust.”

“But it’s the rule.”

“This…”

Although the dragon had eliminated many of the God of Lust’s minions, boosting their morale, it had shown no intention to communicate, leaving its true stance unclear.

“Gentlemen, no need to discuss further… it’s here.”

Suddenly, one bishop spoke. The others finally noticed the change—the dragon, which had been circling nearby towns, now altered its course and charged straight toward the Holy City.

It’s coming.

And soon!

A hundred miles meant nothing before the dragon’s wings.

It was like a blood-red meteor, its wings slicing the sky as it raced toward the Holy City.

Boom—

As the colossal beast drew nearer, tension in the tower grew thicker.

They weren’t worried about its power—the Holy City could accommodate an Epic dragon.

They feared it might accidentally violate a taboo, turning a potential ally into an enemy.

The central area of Glory Holy City is airspace-restricted; no one may fly above the Solanthis Temple.

Even other gods show respect to the Sun God, never walking upon the heavens, and always land before approaching the Holy City.

But now… that blood-red giant shadow hurtling toward them showed no sign of stopping.

Five thousand meters.

Three thousand meters.

Two thousand meters.

One thousand meters.

Closer and closer, closer and closer!

The final five hundred meters arrived in an instant!

“Prepare!”

Just as everyone believed the dragon would recklessly charge in, forcing them to retaliate—it suddenly veered sharply.

The blood-red dragon displayed agility unmatched by its size, flaring its wings in a violent beat and instantly changing direction!

Straight up at a right angle, soaring high into the sky, heading straight for the blazing sun.

At the same moment, as the dragon ascended, a figure silently dropped from its back.

The figure appeared without sound, yet radiated overwhelming presence.

No words were needed.

No voice required.

The slender figure, the moment it appeared, drew every eye.

The form, clad in crimson spread wings revealing scarlet feathers, entered the sight of every Sun worshipper.

He floated quietly in midair, head slightly bowed, as if gazing upon this earthly paradise.

In the Holy City, someone—no one knew who—first spoke.

Whispering like a dream, a hesitant exclamation slipped out.

“The Lord’s angel…”

An angel?

An angel!!!

In the next instant, the entire city erupted!

(End of Chapter)