With grim determination, Stanley, under the gaze of all, pulled out a magic scroll brimming with dark energy from his pocket.
Rip!
He tore it open without hesitation.
Immediately, an aura even stronger and more malevolent than when Cologne had summoned the demon descended into the valley.
"O great Tyrant God, your follower humbly beseeches your descent!!"
The Divine Descent Spell had already been used once. This time, what Stanley tore open was a magic scroll obtained previously by sacrificing a large number of lives.
Its effect was similar to Divine Descent, capable of temporarily opening a spatial passage to allow the Tyrant God to descend briefly.
Although the power of this descent would be greatly diminished, perhaps not even reaching the Transcendent level, it was still more than enough to deal with ordinary enemies.
This was Stanley's final trump card. He refused to believe that a Northern Royal Bloodline could remain so strong in the face of a god's might.
The great Tyrant God was an eternal deity; none could profane his dignity. None!
The sight of Betty severing Cologne's head with a single blow after his transformation into a Magma Demon had truly terrified him.
That scene had been too exaggerated, too horrifying.
Thus, Stanley was now utterly desperate.
He no longer cared about how many spoils or trophies he could obtain. He only wanted to survive.
Seeing the spatial gate slowly forming in the void above, Betty showed a mocking smile.
Her eyes were filled with untamed wildness.
"A pathetic Divine Descent spell? How clumsy and crude."
Her crisp tone carried the unique pride of a warrior.
She glanced at a waist-high boulder on the ground, then kicked it fiercely.
The stone shot upward.
After running forward more than a dozen Blades, Betty exerted strength in her legs and leapt high, nearly ten Blades into the air.
She stepped squarely on the flying stone, soaring even higher.
The technique was similar to how Grote had leapt into the air by stepping on the Whispering Bats. Only this time, the Northern Valkyrie was facing divine pressure.
Watching the damnable Northern royal charge toward the spatial gate twenty Blades above, Stanley's eyes gleamed with ridicule.
That was the power of a god. How could a mere Northerner hope to shake it?
But before the smile on his face could fade, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
Betty, wielding her sword with both hands, let the radiance on the sword surge several Blades high.
Without hesitation, she swung her sword directly at the newly forming spatial gate.
At that moment, from within the gate, a black eye appeared, its aura far more intense than any demon's.
"Lowly human, submit to me, and I shall grant you eternal life and great power…"
Before the voice from the spatial gate could finish—
Crack!
The greatsword fell.
The newly formed spatial gate exploded under the strike empowered by Extreme Will.
The eye within was also instantly obliterated.
Far away in the Bottomless Abyss, the Tyrant God Baen had not even had time to react before his connection to the Main Plane was severed.
The previously confident Stanley turned deathly pale, staring in disbelief at the scene before him.
These damned blasphemers!!
How dare she. How dare she strike at a god?!
"I swear, I will punish you heretics and blasphemers in the name of my God next time!!"
After shouting, he immediately cast a Lightness Spell and a Concealment Spell upon himself, fleeing without hesitation.
But it was futile.
Having just slain a Level 19 Magma Demon and ignored divine pressure, there was no way Betty would allow anyone to escape right under her nose.
Legendary level combat skills were simply beyond description.
Just as Stanley merged into the shadows, the greatsword flew from behind and smashed him out.
Had it been the blade rather than the flat of the sword that struck, he would have been killed instantly.
Betty grabbed the limp, dog-like Stanley and tossed him at Li De's feet.
"He's yours."
Then, this wild woman. Who could treat a Level 19 Magma Demon like a dog and disregard a god's might, did something that left Li De utterly dumbfounded.
"Oipfnq, mighty deity who governs death and souls, I am your loyal servant, your most devout believer. I willingly borrow your power to sign a Soul Contract with my master.
If the contract is broken, I will offer my soul to serve you eternally, oh great God of Death."
Li De was completely bewildered by the Valkyrie's actions.
What the hell was going on?
She wins the fight, and then pledges herself with a Soul Contract??
Betty straightened up, smiled casually at Li De, and winked.
"Isha asked me to do this, my master. Handle the rest yourself."
Without giving Li De a chance to react, she turned and walked away.
---
Li De watched her tall, wild figure swagger off, feeling a swirl of emotions.
Though he had gained a supremely powerful Northern Valkyrie for free, why didn't he feel happy at all??
Turning back, he looked irritably at the beaten, dog-like Stanley lying at his feet.
"Break his limbs and imprison him."
After issuing the command, he turned to survey the surroundings, his expression heavy.
"Count the casualties. Treat the wounded.
Also, bring back all the corpses of those who sacrificed for Dawn City.
I will hold a hero's funeral for them."
Devastation lay everywhere.
The once verdant, lush valley was now a barren wasteland.
Charred trees, massive craters from the battle, scorched earth still smoking, the land looked as if a dragon had unleashed its breath upon it, reducing everything to ash.
Most of the corpses of the Northern warriors had been burned to cinders.
Even more tragically, over two hundred Whispering Bats had died.
Their massive bodies, like small hills, were scattered densely across the valley.
A tragic scene.
Li De stood in silence for a long time without speaking.
This had been Dawn City's first truly hard-fought battle.
Previously, when fighting the Cyclops Tribe, they had a clear advantage, crushing their enemies.
But this time was different. The enemy was far too strong.
Whether it was Grote, the Level 16 Northern Warrior, or Stanley and Cologne, the two followers of Evil Gods, all were exceptionally powerful.
Dawn City's elite forces had been completely suppressed.
In the end, had it not been for Betty, the Northern Valkyrie revived by Isha, stepping in with overwhelming force.
Even if they had managed to win, out of the hundreds of Vampires and hundreds of Whispering Bats present, barely a handful would have survived.
It had been too brutal.
The casualties were catastrophic.
"Lord Progenitor, the report is ready."
Half a Sun-hour later, Emi approached Li De respectfully.
"Speak."
Li De's expression remained heavy as he stared at the Shadow High Priest.
"One Cyclops dead.
Forty-three Bloodline Descendants dead.
Seventy-eight heavily injured.
The rest lightly wounded.
Two hundred thirty-four Whispering Bats dead.
One hundred ten heavily injured. The rest are lightly wounded."
"In addition, all Second-generation Bloodline Descendants are heavily injured, and Kosso is critically wounded."
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Li De remained silent for a long while after hearing the report.
This battle had truly exhausted everything they had.
Emi, seeing Li De's grim gaze, lowered his head with guilt. "Lord Progenitor, it was my lack of strength."
Clearly, the scene of being suppressed by Grote, the Northern Warrior, still weighed heavily on the Level 15 Blasphemer's heart.
Li De shook his head.
"You've barely reached Level 15.
If you could defeat Grote, the Northern Warriors wouldn't have earned the honor of being the strongest warriors among countless races."
Li De understood the disparity well.
A priest, even a powerful one, couldn't match a warrior famous for their combat prowess.
Emi's strength lay in his functionality.
If someone could work in tandem with him, the Shadow Priest's various abilities could double in effectiveness.
Unfortunately, Kosso, the Cyclops, had no way to coordinate with him, their combat styles were fundamentally incompatible.
"And the spoils?"
"Twenty-three surviving Northern Warriors, five of them Level 10.
Level 16 Northern Warrior Grote, Level 15 Evening Bell Church Bishop Stanley, and the Northern Royal Valkyrie."
For other races, captured enemies were mere prisoners unless they surrendered, without much value.
But for Vampires, captured enemies were invaluable.
As long as they weren't dead, Vampires could turn them into their own.
This was the Vampire race's greatest and most terrifying advantage, while other races dwindled during war, Vampires and Undead could grow stronger.
As long as casualties stayed within acceptable limits, the Vampires' strength would only increase.
Though the losses were significant, the spoils—three Level 15 combatants—more than made up for it.
Gaining even one Level 15 combatant was a tremendous victory.
Li De drew a deep breath, his thoughts turning toward the Dark Pact.
Finally…
Finally, they had the power to fight back.
He turned to glance at the rows of fallen Vampire warriors, his eyes flashing coldly.
Their sacrifices would not be in vain.
They would become the nourishment that would allow Dawn City to flourish.
And the enemies.
They would taste the fury of the Vampires.
'Dark Pact!!'