Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Joyce felt a chill run down his spine, a bone-chilling cold.

The black mist, like a condensed core, infused the surrounding graves with dark energy.

Inside the inn, Alex, who was conversing with Duke Sarenbier, immediately sensed something was wrong and exchanged a glance with Roger.

Roger stood up and politely said, "I beg your pardon for a moment."

"I can provide you with a sum of money," Duke Sarenbier said, taking a sip of coffee. "But you cannot take anyone from Dolun County. They too must defend their homeland."

Roger had already left the inn, but Alex was uneasy and said gravely, "Duke, I believe we need not continue this discussion. I am not here to negotiate business terms with you. You have no option but to accept my demands."

Sarenbier coldly replied, "Scott, I believe I have already shown you enough respect."

Alex responded, "I think your territory is not sustained by respect. After accepting your gift and leaving, I believe your castle will be overrun by the Undead Horde in an instant. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try."

Sarenbier sneered, and Alex's gaze was sharp and penetrating as he stared into his eyes, saying gravely, "Sarenbier, I never intended to expose you, but I think I have no choice now. Do you really think striking a deal with the Undead Legion will help you avoid this disaster?"

"Do not defame me, Scott!" Sarenbier roared.

"You idiot!" Alex slammed his fist on the table and stood up. Sarenbier was instantly cowed by Alex's commanding presence, his entire body stiffening.

Alex said word by word, "You will lead your territory and your people into hell! Now, please leave here. You are unworthy of the true God's protection!"

Sarenbier was completely enraged and roared at Alex, "Where was the Church in my people's hour of need?! When famine broke out and hundreds of children starved to death, where was the Church?! Now that the Undead Horde has breached the northern border, where is the Church?! Scott, tell me, how am I supposed to protect my territory and my people?!"

"Right here," Alex said gravely, then put on a mask and continued, "The priest dispatched me to save you, even though you once turned him away. Please return, Duke Sarenbier. I shall not squander any more time on you. You have only two choices: accept or reject. I cannot compromise. You have one last chance. We will leave Dolun County tomorrow morning."

Inside the church, Yefeng, bow in left hand, guided Joyce with his right, silently retreating. Ze blended into the shadows, and only Joyce could sense his presence.

"Follow me," Yefeng whispered very softly into Joyce's ear.

He guided Joyce up the carpeted staircase to the second-floor platform, where they could overlook the entire cemetery area.

A young man approached—it was Nalan, the priest from earlier today. He stopped by the cemetery.

"How much longer?" Nalan asked.

The black mist coalesced into a humanoid form and said gravely, "In one day, the guards will fully awaken."

Nalan said, "The Church's emissaries have arrived and are staying at the Lakeside Inn."

The black mist let out a hoarse, unpleasant voice and replied, "I saw him. He walked past here during the day. Do you think a child who doesn't even grasp the purpose of the Golden Pillar can be of any use?"

"His knight is formidable," Nalan replied. "You should be cautious. That man is negotiating with Sarenbier."

"Sarenbier and his territory," the black mist said slowly, "will eventually submit to the monarch. Do not worry. The arrival of the horde is imminent."

Joyce wanted to sense the aura of the black mist but suddenly noticed someone crouching on the high wall opposite the cemetery—it was Roger. Roger gently shook his head at him, signaling not to alert the black mist.

Joyce had no choice but to stay still.

"I fear Sarenbier might defect," Nalan said. "He has been indecisive."

"Demonstrate your power if needed," the black mist's hoarse voice said. "When we take over, he won't have a chance to defect."

Nalan thought for a moment and said, "I actually think we need to eliminate that priest first."

The black mist said, "Whatever you say."

The black mist vanished into the night, and Nalan lingered a moment before leaving.

The church fell silent again, as if nothing had ever happened. Roger, perched on the wall, gestured toward Yefeng, telling him to get Joyce out of there. Then he reached down to pull Ze up.

Back at the inn, Joyce sat on the bed, laying out the bathrobe he’d imprinted. Alex was propped up against the desk, Ze sprawled on the sofa, and Roger sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around Joyce from behind. Yefeng was in the shower.

"When we went through the cemetery earlier, I sensed that dark energy," Joyce explained. "It’s got to be a Lich."

"If it’s a Lich, we’re in deep trouble," Alex said. "What were you doing at the church in the dead of night?"

"I was imprinting this," Joyce replied. "Can you figure out what these runes mean?"

Roger folded the bathrobe and said, "I’ll check it out tonight." He added, "Scott, what’s the plan?"

"Sarenbier’s a good lord," Alex said. "I think he only turned to the dark side as a last resort. As long as he helps us fight off the darkness, he’ll back me up."

"Scott, you’re being way too optimistic about Sarenbier," Roger said bluntly.

"I trust him, and I trust Joyce completely," Alex insisted.

"First, we’ve got to win," Ze said from the sofa. "But can we really take on a hundred thousand troops?"

Alex stared at the runes on the bathrobe, silent.

Yefeng stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a fresh bathrobe, tying the belt as he asked, "Should we dig up whatever’s in that cemetery?"

"I’ll think it over," Alex said. "I need some time to figure it out."

Joyce was dozing off, worn out from the day’s chaos, so everyone got up.

"Good night," Alex kissed Joyce on the lips.

One by one, they came over, kissing Joyce and wishing him goodnight. Yefeng turned off the light, climbed into bed, and hugged Joyce, rocking him gently.

Joyce: "?"

Yefeng laughed. "The clan says this brings good luck to lovers."

Joyce: "..."

Joyce also hugged Yefeng but found him too heavy to rock, so he just shook his head instead. Yefeng smiled and said, "Sleep."

"Mm," Joyce curled up in Yefeng's arms and drifted off peacefully.

In the middle of the night, the rain grew fiercer, and the curtains were suddenly blown open. Joyce woke groggily, feeling something pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. Yefeng was nowhere to be seen.

Then lightning flashed across the sky, and Joyce's mind became hazy as the wind rushed into the room.

"Joyce! Grant me holy light!"

Almost instinctively, Joyce released holy energy. In the darkness, the holy light flashed for just a second, then gathered entirely in Yefeng's hand. Naked and standing on the balcony, Yefeng seemed to merge with the night, a faint smile playing on his lips. Holy light burst from his palm as he released the bowstring.

Joyce: "???"

Half-asleep, Joyce felt Yefeng's lips brush against his.

"Sleep," Yefeng murmured. "It’s gone."

Joyce rolled over and continued to sleep soundly on his stomach.

The next day, dim light filtered in, and Joyce opened his eyes, reaching out for a hug. Roger was leaning against the headboard, reading a book. Noticing Joyce was awake, Roger pulled him into his arms.

Joyce: "Huh?"

Sitting up groggily, Joyce heard Roger say, "Awake? Scott took them to the church."

Yawning, Joyce asked, "What for? Wait a minute..." Suddenly alert, Joyce realized Alex must have gone to deal with the undead buried beneath the cemetery.

"Do you need my help?" Joyce asked, jumping out of bed barefoot.

Roger closed his book and replied, "Late last night, Yefeng shot the priest who tried to ambush you, leaving a mark. Alex went to confront him this morning."

"Huh?" Joyce was puzzled. "When? Didn't we come back together last night?"

"In the middle of the night, after you had returned and fallen asleep," Roger explained. "He didn't alert anyone, using a holy arrow to severely wound that idiot."

Joyce exclaimed, "I had no idea!"

Roger chuckled, "It certainly proves he protected you well."

"Quick, let's go to the church as well."

"We have other things to do," Roger said politely, guiding Joyce downstairs. "Like having breakfast, and... as a reward for completing the task you assigned, can big brother Roger ask for a little something in return?"

Joyce: "Wow!"

"Great!" Joyce hugged him and kissed his face. Roger immediately blushed, stammering, "First... let's see, are you hungry? Let's have breakfast first."

At the lakeside restaurant, Joyce ate bread heartily while Roger spread out a piece of parchment with some notes he had jotted down in pencil. The runes Joyce had copied were neatly organized by Roger. All the runes combined to form a circular holy energy array, centered around the characters at the top of the Golden Pillar, with seven radiating lines of runes etched into the pillar.

Joyce said, "You drew this so well, Roger!"

Roger replied, "Focus on the runes, not the artwork."

Joyce laughed, and Roger, slightly blushing, looked into Joyce's eyes and said, "Do you know about holy energy arrays? Theoretically, they're a type of magic array. To explain a magic array, I'd need to start from the beginning."

Roger opened a book and his notebook, ready to give Joyce a lesson. Joyce just glanced at them, then at Roger, and laughed happily.

"Can we kiss during the lesson?" Joyce asked, "When teachers give me lessons, they always..."

Roger was at a loss, "Forget it, I can do it for you, but only you can perform holy energy infusion, which is quite a hassle."

"This should be a type of condensation and transmission array," Joyce said thoughtfully.

Roger was surprised, "Have you studied this before?"

Joyce nodded thoughtfully, "But how do you make it gather holy energy? According to this array, once holy energy is infused, it will form a cycle, continuously circulating within the array, like water flowing in a loop... but I can't figure out its purpose."

Roger was impressed, pulling up a chair to explain, "According to my research, the Golden Pillar is somewhat similar to the ancient beacon towers on the peak of the Eternal Mirror Mountain. Activating one can be used for long-distance assistance, and as a... sort of lighthouse."

"I see!" Joyce said, "So that's it! The Golden Pillar must have been a landmark like a lighthouse during the last holy war! Once activated, it would shoot holy light into the sky from its top! Telling everyone that this place is safe, under the protection of the church."

Roger added, "Not only that, the holy light can also drive away dark creatures flying in the sky to some extent, since they..."

"...fear light!" Joyce laughed, "You're so smart, Roger!"

"I'm surprised you learned about magic arrays," Roger said, looking at Joyce. "I thought magical knowledge had long been banned by the church." "I only learned the basics," Joyce was thrilled by Roger's words, and he leaned over to kiss Roger's lips.

This time, Roger wasn't nervous. His handsome cheeks bore a slight blush as he turned his head, focusing intently on kissing Joyce deeply. When their lips parted, they looked into each other's eyes, and Roger, with an encouraging smile, said, "So, can you use this Holy Power Array?"

Joyce had only a rudimentary understanding of the principles of the Holy Power Array under Uther's guidance. To activate a magic array, one must control the holy energy within their body, following the arrangement of the runes to light them up one by one, like tackling a complex equation, which was still a bit challenging for Joyce.

"It's okay," Roger said. "I've got everything ready for you."

With that, Roger pulled out another sheet from his notes, which contained notes on each rune and the arrangement of energy flow directions. Joyce nodded and looked at the paper seriously.

"I think..." Joyce looked up at Roger.

Roger asked, puzzled, "What's on your mind?"

"No, no, not at all," Joyce laughed. "Are you going to give me a reward?"

"Oh no," Roger chuckled, looking at Joyce. "Is that what you're thinking?"

Joyce suppressed a laugh, his heart pounding. Roger said earnestly, "Although I really want to, it's not the right time for that."

"Oh," Joyce laughed helplessly. It was the first time he had been rejected. Roger quickly added, "Can we plan a date?"

"Of course," Joyce smiled, looking at the parchment. Roger didn't say anything more and got up to pour some milk for Joyce.

"So, the channels of these runes ultimately converge at the top of the pillar," Joyce said. "They'll unleash energy to combat the undead."

"Hmm," Roger said seriously. "Yes, there are three runes at the top of the pillar. Do you know what they are?"

"This is the Holy Light Rune," Joyce said. "Known as the 'First Rune,' it governs all light."

"Yes," Roger said. "This rune is found on all churches, holy relics, and Icon bases."

Joyce said, "As for this one..."

Roger said seriously, "It's known as the 'Second Rune.' It's very ancient. I've read some theories about its origins in the remnants of ancient texts. Perhaps it comes from an ancient god with a deep connection to light."

"Ahues?" Joyce asked.

"You've heard of him?" Roger was quite surprised.

Joyce laughed, "I forgot where I read about this name. Legend says he gained the power of holy light and established the rules of time and space. Some writings even propose that the 'True God' mentioned in the Holy Codex is him."

Roger asked, "Do you believe in the True God?"

"Uh..." Joyce said, "In church, it's taboo to ask that. But in private, I'm fine with it, since I've only recently become a priest."

Joyce knew Roger was a staunch rationalist. Without evidence, something doesn't exist. In fact, he often thought the same way, as no one had ever seen the True God mentioned in the temple, and there were no historical depictions of the True God.

In fact, Joyce was also quite puzzled. The details of the two Holy Wars were murky, and many specifics had long been lost in history.

"Let's talk about this another time," Roger said. "The third rune, do you know what it is?"

"Not at all," Joyce was looking forward to Roger explaining it to him, but Roger said, "This rune is new to me. I've never read about it in any records."

The First Rune is a radiating and swirling holy light mark, the Second Rune is a nearly full circle with a straight line in the center, and the Third Rune is a peculiar polygon, like intricately folded hands.

"But I think only the First Rune, the Holy Light Rune, might actually work," Roger said seriously.

"I'll get to know this array first," Joyce replied. "I'm sure I can help everyone."

Outside, a light rain was falling. At noon, Joyce leaned against the glass window, reading Roger's notes—although the knights also possessed this power through the Stigmata, they couldn't, like Joyce, use it as a pure energy to infuse and radiate.

Like Roger and Alex, their holy energy can only enhance their own abilities and cannot activate the Golden Pillar. The responsibility falls to Joyce. Although Joyce has long known that it takes time to learn and activate a magic array, Roger's notes are already very detailed. Joyce leans against him, wrapped in a blanket, and reads carefully.

Roger idly flips through a book, silent. Joyce glances over and sees him reading a book of poetry.

Roger's eyebrows twitch as he’s about to speak when a surge of Stigmata power radiates from the distance.

“It’s Ze!” Joyce says sharply.

“Wait,” Roger calms Joyce, saying, “Make sure it’s a call for backup before we go.”

Joyce focuses his mind and senses that in the direction of the distant church, Alex, Yefeng, and Ze appear to be channeling Stigmata power, preparing to enter battle.

“Let’s go,” Roger grabs the long polearm leaning against the wall, takes Joyce's hand, and runs out of the inn.

Inside the church, Alex, Yefeng, and Ze take up three corners of the cemetery, vigilantly staring at Nalan, the priest, who stands tall in the center of the cemetery.

Nalan's hands, wrapped in bandages, are raised high, slowly retreating under the aim of Yefeng's arrow, coldly saying, "Knight Scott, whatever you stand for, you have no right to disturb the dead."

Alex replies, "You haven’t shown us that what’s buried here is actually a corpse, Father."

"Scott!" Sarenbier roars, "What are you up to now?! Weren’t you supposed to leave this morning? Why are you digging up my church?!"

Alex, masked, casts a cold glance over Nalan, Sarenbier, and the guards.

He draws his sword, infusing it with holy energy, making the blade glow with a sacred white light.

Sarenbier takes a step back, coldly saying, "Your master is clearly nearby, Scott, why not bring him out to meet us?"

Nalan eyes Alex warily, about to speak to stop him, but Alex says in a deep voice, "Move."

Ze, from below, swings his dagger in a graceful arc of holy energy, Yefeng raises his bow, aiming at Nalan.

Just as the arc is about to pierce the ground, the tombstone cracks, and a massive black shadow bursts forth, pouncing towards Alex and Sarenbier!

Roger rides a horse, bringing Joyce halfway, the church suddenly erupts with a black aura, and three knights rush out from afar!

"Giddy up!" Roger spurs the horse, charging towards the hillside, followed by one, two... black, ferocious monsters roar out of the church, collapsing the pillars.

The church collapses with a boom, dust flying, Joyce clearly sees the pitch-black monster from afar, it's like a giant leopard, but with two heads, charging towards Alex! As it pounces towards Alex, Joyce immediately reaches out, pushing forward from afar.

Alex roars, his shield emits white light, colliding with the two-headed leopard, a shield bash, sending it flying while he himself is thrown back by the recoil.

Yefeng leaps backward, flying away from the two-headed leopard, in mid-air, quickly draws an arrow, nocks it, and releases! A holy energy arrow flies, hitting the two-headed leopard's head, the leopard roars in anger, turns around, the other head behind it hisses towards Yefeng, charging straight at him!

Alex: "The priest has arrived on the battlefield! Ferid, return to support! Roger, mid-range support—!"

Roger charges forward, shakes the long handle, the axe blade clangs together, then steps onto the horse's back, swings the giant axe, charging towards the two-headed demon leopard rushing at Alex! Just as Roger flies out, Ze, like an arrow, flies towards Joyce on the horse, wraps his arms around Joyce's waist, and flies off the horse with him, narrowly missing another two-headed demon leopard that suddenly leaps onto the horse's back from the bushes!

Joyce rolls on the ground, Ze uses his body as a cushion, Joyce falls on him, staggers up after a moment of dizziness, without time to say more, takes out the Holy Codex, the pages of the Holy Codex flip automatically, all the knights' backs light up, a Holy Word rune flashes.

Like a single-winged swift wind rune flashes, then buzzes away, the agility of the four knights immediately stacks up level by level, the two-headed demon leopard's movements become slow, time seems to stand still, the leopard pouncing at Alex opens its bloody mouth, its body slowly crosses the air, at that moment, Alex sidesteps, collides with the leopard, like a beam of light, slashes a bright arc from bottom to top with his sword.

In just a short second, the leopard is split in two, spouting rotten blood, at the same time, Yefeng shoots three arrows in succession, the first arrow shoots the leaping leopard, the second arrow hits its heart, the third arrow spins away, nailing the leopard to a tree!

Roger and Ze almost simultaneously deal with the third demon leopard, Joyce's holy power gradually diminishes, as the last demon leopard is slain, Joyce's holy light gradually subsides.

Two corpses remain on the ground, and one is nailed to a tree, twitching.

Alex sheathes his sword, not far away, he says to Joyce, "Pay attention to long-term combat capability, Joe, don't exhaust yourself at the start."

Joyce nodded and said, "Sorry, I got too nervous."

Before the words could fade, the roars of the demonic panthers echoed through the church again. Everyone's faces paled. The fourth, the fifth... six more panthers leaped out from the ruins, scattering in different directions towards the city.

This is bad. What do we do? Joyce had never faced such a situation. Alex decisively commanded, "Get your guards! Hunt the panthers!"

Sarenbier, dusty and disheveled, stumbled out from the church's side. Joyce rushed to heal him, seeing the purplish-black panther claw wound on his shoulder.

Joyce's holy light, less effective on civilians than knights, still worked. The toxins were purged, and his blood reddened, but the wound remained.

"Thank you..." Sarenbier said. "Everyone, follow Scott! Guard Dolon County!"

The six panthers scattered through the streets, threatening the townsfolk. Alex said, "Joyce, bless our warriors' weapons with your holy light."

Joyce clutched the Holy Codex, whispering prayers. Sarenbier's guards surrounded him, cavalry circling. Joyce's hands blazed with holy fire, bursting into starlight that infused every sword.

"You have only one hour," Joyce said. "The farther you are, the weaker your weapons' power."

Alex added, "Ferid, cover the west. Roger, the left street. Yefeng, the market. Sarenbier, guard my priest."

Joyce thought it odd; this wasn't Alex's style. But before he could speak, Alex had already left with the cavalry. Sarenbier drew his sword, asking Joyce, "What rank are you?"

Joyce blurted, "I'm a novice... uh."

Suddenly, he felt the Stigmata return. Yefeng was in the tree, Ze hiding behind the bricks, Alex concealed under the wall, and Roger silently moving towards the back of the church.

"Novice priest," Joyce said to Sarenbier.

The next second, a boulder inside the church exploded, and a figure wrapped in black fire rushed out, revealing a sinister grin—it was Priest Nalan!

Ze raised his dagger, intercepting Nalan. Yefeng's arrow struck, holy light piercing the priest's skull. Alex flashed forward, shielding Joyce.

But Ze and Yefeng killed Priest Nalan before he reached Joyce. Only then did Sarenbier grasp the situation.

"Good trap, Scott," Sarenbier remarked.

Alex sheathed his shield, gesturing Joyce back. Roger stepped out from the church, announcing, "The Lich got away."

Joyce looked at Nalan's corpse and noticed that his hands had mutated into sharp claws. If he had been scratched, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Would there be a third time? Joyce wondered. He always had lingering fears about these undead, feeling that they might revive at any moment and strike him.

"I... will try to purify it," Joyce said, then recited the divine words to purify the undead. Nalan's corpse suddenly burst with black energy again. Alex shouted, "Be careful!"

"Is this ever going to end?" Ze screamed in frustration.

"Protect Joyce!" Alex commanded.

The black energy coalesced into form, and almost instantly, black fire surged, swirling, and with a roar, it sent Roger flying as he charged forward. Alex swung his sword, Ze threw a boomerang, but neither could harm the Lich's spirit.

The Lich let out a sharp, maniacal laugh, its blood-red eyes appearing in the mist. Alex pushed with his shield, but the Lich transformed into a stream of black fire, lunging at Ze. Alex threw his shield, blocking the impact for Ze, but the black fire turned back, striking Alex's chest and sending him flying.

Yefeng risked danger by jumping down from the tree, holding Joyce, shielding him with his back. Both were struck by the black fire, Yefeng grunting as they fell to the ground.

Joyce closed his eyes, a brief flash of holy light appearing on his back, wings spreading. The black fire swirled towards Joyce. Yefeng shouted, rising again, spreading his arms, facing the black fire, shielding Joyce.

"...Light illuminates the world, guiding your path of ascension. Souls shall repent under my light!"

As the Lich charged at Yefeng, Joyce turned, pressing his palm against Yefeng's back, shouting, "Push him away!"

Yefeng closed his eyes, enveloped in Joyce's purification spell. The Stigmata on his left palm burst with light, pressing against the black fire, which immediately screamed in agony from the holy light, fleeing into the sky! Joyce roared, "Pull him back!"

A bright streak of holy fire ignited in Yefeng's palm, and the holy light coiled around the Lich. Alex and the others staggered to their feet, looking up at the sky. The Lich struggled incessantly, but Joyce was even more relentless, actually trying to drag the fleeing Lich back to the ground to purify it directly!

However, the standoff lasted less than half a minute before Joyce could no longer sustain it. The holy light dissipated, and the Lich transformed into a rolling black mist, flying away towards the east.

Joyce leaned against Yefeng, gasping for breath, and said, "Sorry, I couldn't succeed."

Several of them picked up their weapons, and Alex came over, hugged Joyce, and patted his head, saying, "Don't blame yourself, you've done very well."

Roger hefted his weapon and heard a mournful howl of a demon leopard in the distance. The guards had successfully intercepted the demonic beasts prowling the city.

"That was a Lich that has lived for over a hundred years," Roger said. "Its power is formidable. Joyce, it's reasonable that you couldn't purify it."

Alex added, "I believe you'll be able to do it one day."

Joyce smiled and nodded. Alex continued, "Everyone did well. Sarenbier, I think you now understand that dealing with a Lich without a physical form, unaffected by weapons, even if you gather an army, you can't harm it."

Sarenbier scoffed. Joyce said, "The church should be secure now. I want to go in and take a look."

The guards reported that out of the six demon leopards, three had been killed, and the other three had escaped beyond the city walls.

The knights followed Joyce into the church. The pillars had collapsed, and four knights worked together to set them back up. Joyce searched for the infusion point on the Golden Pillar and indeed found a groove on the front that released holy energy.

"This is likely for producing holy water," Roger said. "But the holy water pool here hasn't been used for a long time."

Joyce replied, "Many local priests no longer use it."

He surmised the function of the Golden Pillar. It was the center of the entire church building, capable of exerting the power of holy light, and when water was placed in the groove, it could be purified by holy energy to become holy water, used to treat the diseases of the local residents.

The guards hauled out a corpse and said, "Your Grace, we found this body in the basement."

The corpse was so decomposed that it was unrecognizable, but the robe it wore identified it as the previous priest. Sarenbier intoned gravely, "Is he also one of the undead?"

"No," Joyce retorted coldly. "Your Grace, he was the priest of your Doren County. He studied the Holy Codex, so he couldn't be corrupted by darkness. The Lich could only kill him. I think the person disguised as Priest Nalan was a spy sent by the Undead Legion, infiltrating the city."

Sarenbier remained silent. The knights paid their respects to the corpse, and Joyce made a ritualistic gesture with his left hand, wishing him peace. He then turned to Duke Sarenbier and said, "You don't even recognize the priest of your own territory. I think this is indeed the greatest irony of the church."

Sarenbier was at a loss for words.

Alex remarked, "Sarenbier, the nine demon leopards in the cemetery were undoubtedly dark creatures conjured by the Lich here, prepared to coordinate with the Undead Horde when they attack the city..."

"Spare me your analysis," Sarenbier said. "I don't want to hear it anymore, Scott! Don't treat me like a three-year-old child!"

Sarenbier shot a glare at Alex, scanned all the knights, and finally locked eyes with Joyce.

Ze mocked, "Your Grace, don't look at him like that. Don't forget how he just dealt with that Lich."

Joyce couldn't help but laugh. Sarenbier said coldly, "And who are you?! That punchable..."

"My punchable father obviously didn't discipline the punchable me," Ze said gleefully. "Ze Ferid von."

Sarenbier's expression changed, but he ultimately said nothing more.

Alex gave a polite nod and said, "I think we can form an alliance now. We will assist your local army in resisting the attacks of the Lich and the Undead Legion. If nothing unexpected happens, it will soon return with its minions. Or do you have a better idea?"

Sarenbier spun on his heel and left the church with the guards, standing outside the ruins without looking back. He stopped and said, "Yes, Scott, I will temporarily hand over the city defense to you, but only temporarily."

Joyce replied, "Priest Joyce Shax and all the knights under my command are at your service, Your Grace. Please remember today's alliance and remain loyal to the church."

Sarenbier intoned gravely, "I will do my best to repay your efforts, little priest. I hope you can change the impression of the church in the hearts of the people in my territory."

With that, Sarenbier left without a backward glance.

Joyce sighed, and Alex chuckled, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"We’re running out of time," Roger said. "We’ve got to rally the troops and shore up the defenses ASAP."

Alex nodded. "Let’s divide and conquer. Joyce, why don’t you head back first..."

Joyce waved them off. "Go on, don’t mind me."