Chapter 206: Assault

The sun set westward, casting boundless, gorgeous sunset clouds that released golden radiance across the sky, as if in the heavens of the divine realm a sacred flame were ignited.

The deputy leader approached the intimidating man, looked at his emotionless, inscrutable face that resembled a deity's statue, and whispered, "The time has come, General."

Naimi Xisi nodded, gazed toward the faint, distant town, and said, "Send the notice, depart after nightfall."

That night, the Black Knight Legion set out.

The approach of nearly ten thousand troops drew the city guards' attention; one of them intended to light an emergency black smoke and beat the war drum, but was stopped.

"You wait, I'll handle it."

Squad Leader forcefully snatched the hammer, and under the bewildered guards' stare, swung back fiercely, smashing the man's head to pieces!

This blow acted like a signal; within the on‑duty guard unit, a wave of traitors suddenly turned on their own, and the guards, who never expected their trusted comrades to betray them at such a moment, fell silently without any chance to resist.

"Mission accomplished, Squad Leader," a guard approached and replied to the Squad Leader.

The Squad Leader nodded, looked toward the approaching army; as a professional he had keen eyesight and had long seen the chilling black tide hidden in the night.

He didn't know whether the General's actions were right, but they no longer had any room for choice.

So, while the city guards were busy looting themselves, the nearly ten‑thousand‑strong knight army approached the city gates unnoticed.

——

At this moment, the central district of Duzula City.

Before the pyramid, a large number of soldiers had gathered; the pyramid guards on duty were bewildered, yet they still clutched their weapons and tremulously tried to stop the massive army.

"What are you trying to do?! Have you lived long enough to invite divine punishment! This is a temple; who gave you the nerve to cause trouble here!"

A shaman, pale‑faced, pushed the door out of the pyramid and sternly rebuked the soldiers before him.

One of the apparent leading Squad Leaders stepped forward, looking at the shaman with a cocky grin and said, "We received notice that you are harboring a heretic here! Shaman, our brothers didn't intend to cause trouble, but we can't just stand by knowing you made a mistake without acting!"

The shaman frowned and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? The pyramid houses only noble servants of the gods; how could it hide a heretic? You've been deceived!"

But the soldiers didn't believe it; the crowd roared, constantly pushing toward the pyramid entrance, eager to get a look inside.

The shaman massaged his temples, his complexion turning even paler; he had been sleepless these days, tormented nightly by dreadful nightmares, his spirit weakened, and now he faced a mob of fools causing trouble.

He was forced to use his remaining Spell Slots to cast a few Divine Spells, deterring the soldiers trying to break in.

Meanwhile, several hundred well‑armed warriors emerged from the pyramid, stationed at its doorway, eyes fierce as they stared at the soldiers, allowing no one to cross the threshold.

The Squad Leader who had spoken earlier had already vanished.

This was a strategy the General had discussed with those from the other continent; they were to cause trouble, drawing out any guards that might be inside the temple, and the lofty shamans would not, because of such a minor disturbance, activate the pyramid's defensive measures; those outsiders also employed methods that stripped the shamans of their ability to cast spells.

As long as they can stall these guards here long enough, the General's backup plan will take effect!

Meanwhile, the High Shaman inside the pyramid was watching everything outside through a projection, his face ashen.

"What on earth is happening? Why are these scum suddenly causing trouble?"

A throbbing headache tormented him; already unable to sleep, his temper flared, and just as he was about to activate the pyramid's defenses, another shaman abruptly stopped him.

"High Shaman, we cannot; these soldiers are numerous, and if we trigger a pyramid massacre over such a trivial matter, the scum might rebel."

The High Shaman snorted coldly, halted his action; he knew the point was factual—if the pyramid's defenses remain dormant they're fine, but once triggered they'd be devastating, guaranteeing massive casualties.

Even the most basic Divine Spell beam could wipe out hundreds of soldiers.

That false believer Thus: Duzula Shiliu Shi had always opposed him; if he overstepped, it might give the opponent a chance to act. With that thought, the High Shaman waved his hand impatiently and said, "Then you go deal with them, use Divine Spells to kill a few, and stay with those guards there; don't let any outsiders enter."

The few shamans exchanged glances, looking uneasy, and said, "High Shaman, our Spell Slots have been exhausted these past days, tormented by that curse; we cannot recover our mana."

Hearing this, Kusuko slammed the table in anger; combined with his headache, he felt as if he were about to faint.

"Damn! Send someone quickly to bring Thus: Duzula Shiliu Shi here! I want to see what explanation he has for this!"

Realizing his own Spell Slots were also few, the reluctant Kusuko swallowed his pride, ordered someone to summon the General, and have him keep his own men in order.

His gaze turned grim, a hint of doubt arising in his heart.

Why did these soldiers happen to cause trouble precisely when they were cursed? Could someone be pulling the strings behind the scenes?

Is Thus: Duzula Shiliu Shi the one scheming behind you?

Kusuko muttered to himself, a bad premonition forming, yet he couldn't fathom what Thus: Duzula Shiliu Shi was aiming for.

Even if they lose their Spell Slots, does he think that grants them a chance to rebel? As long as the shamans stay hidden in the pyramid, they can activate it at any moment, unleashing city‑scale attacks to sweep away any uprising.

!

The soldiers at the gate may look imposing, but they pose no threat to them!

Yet the headache‑ridden Kusuko was unaware that, having moved all the pyramid's internal guards to the gate, the area beneath the temple was now completely empty.

——

"Quick, Shana, bring me my supply pack."

Saifal stood in a spacious basement, completing the final inscription of the formation.

This basement was the space directly beneath the temple, connected to the sewers; the three of them had long ago slipped in using Invisibility Spell, and at that time more than fifty guards still guarded the basement's main door.

After the High Shaman relocated the guards, the area was empty; Saifal and the others seized the chance to begin inscribing the formation, taking a full hour before it was finished.

But this was only the first step; the second required filling the formation's channels with powdered magical gems, then inserting the Artifact, so the entire ritual could be fully activated.

Shana immediately handed over the supply pack; Saifal hurriedly took out the magical gems, crushed them into powder, and evenly scattered it over the formation.

"Finally done. From now on it's up to you, Amaya."

Saifal wiped the sweat from his forehead, slightly out of breath, and said to the boy beside him.

Amaya nodded, instantly Summoning a green energy longsword; the moment it appeared, an immensely powerful divine energy wave radiated outward.

"Quick! They'll discover it soon!" Saifal urged anxiously.

Amaya immediately thrust the longsword into the formation's center, and a green energy wave burst outward with a "Bang!"

At that moment, the High Shaman on the pyramid's uppermost level suddenly stood, a wave of palpitations striking his chest; he sensed that powerful, familiar divine energy wave.

"Qi A Ti Zi?!!"

But it was already too late.

Outside the tower came a deafening roar, along with the panicked screams of the people, and Kusuko hurriedly turned on the projection, only to find a massive colossal object floating above the city.

"It's time, Niksalan people, to step into the long night that belongs to you."

(End of chapter)