"He's been downstairs all along, hasn't made a sound!"
"That simple? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Agneda still didn't believe, the president of the Aesthetic Society simply couldn't accept that the Paladins were just here for a visit. The beautiful woman pondered for a long time, and finally decided, "I'm going down to take a look! You wait outside!"
"Understood." Watske never dared to oppose Agneda's decisions, otherwise, he would be the one getting killed.
So Agneda opened the passage leading to the chaotic altar downstairs.
As Watske watched the president of the Aesthetic Society's figure disappear into the darkness of the passage, he spat on the ground and cursed, "Damn bitch, when I too receive our master's favor, you'll be the first I kill!"
Just then, a guard hurried in: "It's bad! Director Watske! His Grace the Duke and the Sea God Archbishop have led a large number of personal guards and Sea God Knights and barged in!"
"Damn it! Why didn't you stop them!" Watske jumped up in shock. He instinctively looked at the open secret passage inside the office, his heart screaming trouble: "Quick! Stop them!"
Before the words finished, a calm, authoritative voice came from outside the door, and the Duke of Marinburg strode into the office with dragon-like strides. Laine and Veronica followed behind Schultz with mirthful smiles.
"Whom do you want to stop? Could it be there's something shameful in the orphanage?" As soon as Schultz entered, the Duke instantly saw the dark opening inside the office, and both the Duke and Sea God Archbishop were slightly surprised: "It seems there really is."
"This is... the Power of Chaos! I sense the aura of Chaos Energy!" Sea God Archbishop Odrich's expression changed, a row of bottles hanging from him buzzed: "It's a Chaos Altar! There is a Chaos Altar within this tunnel!"
"Personal Guards! Prepare for battle!" A tall soldier took the lead in shouting the command. His hair was already graying, the corners of his eyes weathered with age, a multitude of scars below his eyes and on his left cheek, he was one of the Marinburg Guardians employed for a hefty sum by Schultz, Robert Bayo Candreva.
A former Imperial General, a Legendary High-Tier Flame Sun Knight.
"By Manannan! Sea God Knights! Eradicate evil!" Odrich also cried loudly. The dozen or so Sea God Knights with him drew their scimitars instantly, charging towards the orphanage's guards and servants.
Under the offensive of the personal guards and Sea God Knights, the guards, regardless of resistance or not, were killed on the spot. The servants found their only chance of survival was to give up resisting. The entire orphanage was thrown into chaos, with curses, clashing blades, cries, and pleas for mercy resounding continuously.
It's over! Watske knew the major event had failed, he instinctively drew a knife and dashed towards the Duke of Marinburg Schultz at extreme speed.
Hold the Duke hostage, force them to leave! This was the only thought in Watske's mind.
But he wasn't the only one thinking that, so was the Duke himself.
A golden longsword appeared in Schultz's hand, the Grand Duke swung just once.
A single slash that tore through space, the golden arc nearly ripped apart the real world.
Watske was split into two in mid-air, the corrupt orphanage director killed instantly, his body evaporated into a mess of flesh by the powerful golden energy of the Duke's Sword.
Laine was fine, but Veronica's expression remained unchanged, though inwardly she was surprised. She hadn't truly imagined that the Duke of Marinburg possessed such astonishing strength.
No wonder, in a place as chaotic and contested as Marinburg, to secure the position of ruler wasn't a task for the faint-hearted. Veronica had a deeper realization; she had slightly underestimated the heroes of the world.
As the duke's personal guards and Sea God Knights further suppressed, mutations occurred; many Deserters burst out from within the orphanage. These distorted forms, mutated bodies madly emerged from the orphanage's shadows, attacking the personal guards and knights.
Even Veronica couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy when she saw the figures of these Deserters.
These Deserters were short in stature, some still wearing tattered clothes, others had slightly childish faces.
They were once orphans of this orphanage! Subjected to experiments and sacrifices, tortured to this state! By now, they had become monsters only seeking flesh and souls.
Many Sea God Knights froze at the sight of these figures rushing them, feeling ashamed as they slayed these pitiful chaos creatures, though there were too many of these creatures for them to pose much harm to the knights, yet it troubled their hearts deeply.
Sea God Archbishop Odrich made his move, unable to tolerate such blasphemous darkness nor allow such a huge Chaos Sect to exist in his territory, resulting in so many orphans being brutally harmed. He raised his sea-blue mermaid staff, beginning to chant Divine Art.
The seawater erupted from the air with the wrath of the Sea God, engulfing the mass of dark creatures and tearing them into pieces.
"Your Grace, Schultz, please escort yourself out of the orphanage, leave this to Veronica and me." Laine raised his Griffin Warhammer, "Belte and I have a lot to talk about, and I can't wait to discuss all the troubles I've encountered on this journey with him using my hammer. This is my battle."
"No problem, I'll go outside to watch the fight then. Wishing you a victorious triumph!" Schultz nodded, the Duke of Marinburg kept a composed expression, casually withdrawing to the outside of the orphanage under the protection of his personal guards. Outside, more Sea God Knights and personal guards were ready to respond. Hearing the shouts and killings within, more personal guards and Sea God Knights rushed into the orphanage.
Trusting Laine, Schultz brought no less than two hundred personal guards, and the Sea God Knights dispatched an entire company. These were all full-time professional soldiers, the majority of whom were Elite Tier powerhouses, unmatched in combat ability.
After Schultz and Odrich left, Laine's expression gradually became complicated, a mix of emotions flashing across his face: "From Frost City to Wulan Town, from Kaltenhaven to Scavell Mountain, from Mijordenhaven to Marinburg, from the Gladiatorial Arena to the orphanage... all for the pursuit of Belte."
"Let's go, my dear, let us bring a perfect conclusion to this story." Today, Veronica finally shed her usual dress and heels, the woman changed into a fiery red combat leather outfit, her black-brown hair tied up.
"Let's go!" The two, along with several personal guard soldiers and Sea God Knights, entered the secret entrance of the office together. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⁂fire.net
Inside the underground tunnel.
Agneda, the president of Aesthetic Society, anxiously found the Chaos Altar, only to discover nothing exceptional happening. The Chaos Altar still flashed a black light as usual, its filthy energy flowing.
Agneda carefully examined the Chaos Altar, unable to find anything unusual.
Only a hooded man resided nearby, and upon seeing Agneda enter, he stood up impatiently: "Is the lockdown over? Can I leave now?"
"No!" Agneda's demeanor was extremely fierce: "Do you know how much danger you've brought me? The Paladins just searched here!"
"So what?! Agneda! Do you know? I'm in agony, utter agony, my master would never want a champion who hides underground to evade, it keeps urging me to go out and fight!" The hooded man painfully tore at his skin, the thirst for blood and desire for battle constantly tearing at his nerves. The result of believing in Khorne was just this; only battle, heads, and blood could please the Evil God.
"You just need to wait a little longer, after the heat blows over, you can go wherever you like! Kill to your heart's content!" Agneda thought, those who believe in Khorne are a bunch of foolish idiots, once this situation is over, she must kill Belte.
"Oh! Then I am honored to tell you, Mr. Belte, the battle you crave has arrived." As the two argued incessantly, behind them, an icy male voice answered their question.
The trigger of a rune fire cannon demon-extinguishing holy flame was pulled, blasting the Chaos Altar into fragments.
A fireball the size of a washbasin hit Agneda's back, the president of the Aesthetic Society screaming as she was set ablaze and exploded to the ground, her life or death uncertain.
The hooded man stood up: "Finally found me, you Nord fool?"
Laine's blue eyes burned with white flame.
"I finally caught you, Belte!!!"