Bai Shi paid the silent Leda no further mind and continued exploring deeper into the Tower Settlement. Before long, he saw Freyja standing by a well. Without a moment's hesitation, she slid straight down the ladder. Bai Shi walked over and peered down into the well. It was surprisingly deep. He reckoned that in the game, a fall from this height would have been instantly fatal. Looking down, he could see stagnant sewage collected at the bottom, and a faint, rotten smell drifted up. Bai Shi called down to Freyja: “Freyja, what’s down there?” Freyja landed steadily at the bottom. Bracing herself against the ladder, she looked around. No, wait. There were Hornsent. “Damn it, this isn’t a well, it’s a sewer!” “Huh?! Why are there Hornsent down here?!” Hearing Freyja's exclamation, Bai Shi frowned. There had been Hornsent hiding behind the sewage waterfall, and now there were more in the sewer. What were they, rats? Why did they love holing up in places ? The sounds of battle soon echoed up from the bottom of the well. A moment later, her voice drifted up, tinged with an echo: “Hmm... doesn’t look like there’s anything else down here.” Having dealt with the Hornsent in the sewer, Freyja walked over to an area sectioned off by iron bars. It was quite dark, so only as she drew closer could Freyja make out any details on the bars. She saw a gate set into the bars, complete with a keyhole. Freyja had found a path not marked on the map and immediately called up to Bai Shi about it: “Hold on, there seems to be a gate in the bars up ahead.” “I think there’s a path forward!” Freyja quickly began searching the bodies of the Hornsent she'd just dispatched, looking for a key. After searching for a moment, however, she came up empty. It wasn't likely she'd find a key on the sewage-covered floor anyway. Freyja stood and looked at the gate again. Ugh, right. Why am I even looking for a key? If there isn't a path, I'll just make one. It's just a bunch of bars, after all. Freyja planted herself in front of the gate, turned sideways, and slammed her shoulder into it. The lock shattered. The gate flew backward and crashed to the ground, the sound echoing through the sewer. By this point, Bai Shi had grabbed the ladder and was sliding down as well. The sewer was far too dim, so while still on the ladder, Bai Shi took out his crystal staff and cast Starlight. As the bright star bloomed above Bai Shi's head, most of the sewer was instantly illuminated. Bai Shi glanced down from the ladder. Half of the sewer was a brick walkway piled with dried filth, while the other half was a narrow, trickling stream of sewage. Not bad. At least there was a place to stand. Bai Shi stepped onto the ground and looked at the gate Freyja had knocked down. Freyja had already walked some distance ahead, and a light appeared at the far end of the passage. It seemed she was about to reach the end of the sewer. Bai Shi followed, though a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. If he wasn't mistaken, this path would lead to either a cesspool or a poison swamp. Never mind whether this was something that fiend Miyazaki had deliberately arranged as a tribute to his own swimming pool. In the Lands Between, any body of stagnant water would be affected by the Scarlet Rot and gradually degrade. First, the water would develop an unnatural, foul odor. Then it would turn into a poison swamp, and finally, it would begin transforming into Scarlet Rot. This change occurred even in places completely unrelated to the Scarlet Rot. It was likely a rule left behind by the god of Scarlet Rot back when it was once a law of the land, one that still held influence to this day. And since the water flowing down from the upper levels of the Tower Settlement already looked like a brown waterfall, it was hard to imagine what the stagnant sewage up ahead would be like. Sure enough, when Bai Shi reached the end of the sewer and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Freyja, an immense poison swamp stretched out before them. The scale of this swamp was massive, practically boundless. The only poison swamp Bai Shi could recall that could compare to this sea of filth was the one at the Shaded Castle. Of course, neither held a candle to the Lake of Rot. But when Bai Shi saw the vast swathes of ruined buildings in the poison swamp, he fell into a contemplative silence. The Hornsent... did some of them really used to live in a place ? He knew their society was severely stratified, but did the lowest class really live directly in a cesspool? Freyja spotted the shimmering silhouettes of creatures in the poison swamp and looked eager to jump in. “I’ve never seen this area on the map.” “This must be a region Sir Ansbach never explored!” Bai Shi glanced at Freyja. As expected of a Red Lion who had survived the Scarlet Rot. She really didn't seem bothered by the foul-smelling swamp. It made sense. After all, she was someone who had clawed her way out of the Swamp of Aeonia. This ordinary poison swamp was just a little disgusting; it was a lesser version of the Scarlet Rot. The truly powerful would not fall to mere poison so easily. But without the proper means to deal with it, the Scarlet Rot was a fatal danger that even demigods struggled to resist. Moreover, the Scarlet Rot was utterly devastating to the ecosystem—a true super-cesspool. Although Bai Shi could just fly over and explore, he had no desire to wander around such a place for now. So, he quickly called back Freyja, who had already stepped into the poison swamp. “Uh, let’s save this area for later.” “There probably isn’t anything here, maybe not even any enemies.” “Let's stick to the main path and explore deeper into the Tower Settlement first.” Freyja thought about it and realized Bai Shi had a point. There likely weren’t any strong enemies here. In that case, it was better to wait. The chance of finding powerful foes in the upper levels of the settlement was much higher. The two of them returned the way they came, climbed the ladder, and got back into the town proper. Once back up, Freyja looked around but didn't see Leda anywhere. Freyja asked, confused: “Where’s Leda? Where did she go?” Bai Shi pointed toward the pool where the sewage was flowing down. “She was ambushed by an enemy hiding in the sewage earlier, and some of it got on her.” “She doesn't seem to be in a very good mood right now.” Freyja casually took out a rag and wiped the toxic liquid off her leg. “Hmm... that’s tough for her.” “There’s probably no clean water for her to wash with here.” After a while, Leda, having finally composed herself, walked over to them. By then, Leda had managed a simple cleaning of her outermost white robe. Thanks to the supplies Mur had provided earlier, she used a bar of soap and a small amount of her drinking water to wash away most of the grime. However, a very conspicuous stain remained where she had been sullied. Leda rejoined them and said: “Let’s continue exploring ahead.” “According to the map, there should be a site of grace nearby.” “It seems that after that grace, Sir Ansbach found the place where the documents were kept, as well as the cross marking where Lord Miquella cast off a part of his flesh.” “Therefore, many of the areas beyond that are unexplored.” Judging by the distribution of the Hornsent throughout the settlement, Ansbach had probably chosen to sneak in. That was why, aside from some scorpions early on, there weren't many dead Hornsent. In that case, there were still plenty of places left to explore in the Tower Settlement. They might even find some important hidden items. The three of them set off again, heading toward the site of grace. As they walked down the street, the shimmering light of the grace became gradually visible. However, just as they were about to reach it, a large group of Hornsent appeared ahead. Unlike the scattered and unguarded Hornsent they had encountered before, these seemed prepared for a fight. Several gaunt Hornsent stood on a bridge connecting two buildings, waving their staves at Bai Shi and his companions. As they cast their spells, spiraling rings of light shot toward the group. They were Hornsent sorcerers. At the same time, the other Hornsent in front of them sprang into action. Led by tall figures wielding cleavers, they charged toward the trio. Leda and Freyja exchanged a look and nodded. Leda immediately rushed forward, leaped into the air, and descended upon the Hornsent sorcerers on the bridge. With a single thrust, her sword easily pierced through one of them. Landing on the bridge, Leda pulled her sword from the corpse and sidestepped to evade an attack from another sorcerer nearby. Her dodge was followed by an even fiercer assault. The other Hornsent sorcerer was unable to escape and was cleaved in two at the waist by Leda. The remaining sorcerers had no time to worry about the fighters below, turning their attacks on Leda. Freed from worrying about the sorcery from above, Freyja threw herself completely into the battle on the ground. Facing the charging Hornsent, Freyja let out a roar. With that magic-infused shout, the blood in her veins began to boil, and power surged through her. Freyja turned slightly, her left hand on the hilt of her sword, and swung forward violently. A fierce blast of Red Lion flame swept forward, creating a churning curtain of fire that also coated her blade. Faced with the approaching wall of fire, the Hornsent were clearly afraid and instinctively flinched. Before they could recover, Freyja burst through the flames and cleaved one of the tall Hornsent in half with a single swing. The other Hornsent came to their senses and attacked Freyja with their weapons. But as her greatsword swung wildly, the ordinary Hornsent couldn't even get close before they were effortlessly cut down. With Leda rejoining the battle after finishing off the sorcerers, the already one-sided fight was no longer in question. Faced with such enemies, Bai Shi couldn't be bothered to intervene. He watched from the rear, beginning to analyze his companions’ current strength. Leda and Freyja's power levels had clearly dropped significantly. Leda had fallen from the level of a top-tier hero to that of an ordinary hero. As for Freyja, who had been slightly weaker before, her strength was now on par with Leda's. Before using Fengling Yueying to remove the restrictions of the Land of Shadow, Bai Shi had also been suppressed. The drop in his power wasn't particularly severe; it was as if he had fallen from the peak of a demigod, close to a king, back to a mid-tier demigod. It seemed the suppression in the Land of Shadow was percentage-based; the stronger one was, the more they were suppressed. The result was what it was simply because the power gap within the demigod tier was so vast. With this, Bai Shi had a general understanding of the strength of Miquella's followers he had met so far. Based on their original strength in the Lands Between, Leda and Ansbach were on par with each other, both considered top-tier heroes. As for the others, they all had strength worthy of being called heroes in the Lands Between. However, the one named Dane gave Bai Shi a different feeling. He might have hidden strength, but his upper limit was likely similar to Leda and Ansbach's. Looking at it this way, Miquella's band of followers was quite impressive. Of course, that was based on power alone. A hodgepodge collective of different factions would likely struggle to unleash its true potential. Bai Shi stepped across the battlefield. A quick glance revealed no loot worth picking up. So, the three followed the light of the grace up to the second floor of a residence. Next to the grace was a peculiar arrangement, a pile of items of unknown use. Between two spiral pillars, something was enshrined, making the place look like an altar. Stepping out the door, two paths now lay before them. One path to the right led up a set of stairs. The other turned directly left, leading to the bridge where the Hornsent sorcerers had been. According to the map Ansbach had provided, he had chosen to go to the right. As for the left path, it was marked with a locked door. Bai Shi looked at his two companions and asked: “What do you two think? Should we check out the left path?” Freyja slapped her arm and nodded emphatically. “Forget that big gate at the entrance, there’s no way there’s a door in this town I can’t open!” “Ansbach probably didn't force it open because he was worried about the noise.” “I really want to see what’s behind that door.” Leda had no objections. Since Freyja had made her opinion clear, she did not oppose it. Bai Shi handed the map back to Leda and started walking. “In that case, let’s go.” After crossing the bridge connecting the two buildings, the three of them arrived in front of the door. It was an iron door set into the brickwork, and it looked very sturdy. Freyja was clearly set on conquering doors today. She kicked it hard. The iron door shook visibly. After gauging its sturdiness, Freyja slammed her shoulder into it again. After several more rams, the heavy door was severely warped. Finally, with one last charge, Freyja burst into the room along with the falling door. “Ha! I told you, there are no doors I can’t open!” “Freyja is as full of fighting spirit as ever.” Then, Bai Shi and Leda entered one after the other. The room was very dark, filled with all sorts of shelves and clutter. It looked like some kind of storage room. As he walked inside, Bai Shi's gaze suddenly snapped to a certain spot. There was a mysterious figure there, whose presence he hadn't detected until he was inside. Bai Shi drew closer and got a clear look at the figure. It was a stooped, elderly Hornsent crone sitting on a table, her head covered with dense Omen horns that obscured her eyes. The Horned Crone seemed to be either sleeping or dead, completely motionless. Bai Shi was certain she was alive. But for some reason, despite all the commotion, she seemed completely oblivious. Freyja and Leda followed Bai Shi's gaze and saw the Horned Crone. After observing for a while, none of them could understand the situation. Finally, after confirming there was nothing useful in the warehouse, the three of them left. Returning to the site of grace, they took the other path. Following the stairs upward, they arrived at the upper level of the Tower Settlement. Here, the buildings were much larger, with more intricate designs and decorations. However, the destruction here was also much more severe. Collapsed buildings were everywhere in this area, many of them reduced to mere fragments. During the massacre, this area had clearly been a primary target. It was here that Bai Shi encountered the first Hornsent Warrior of their journey. Just as Ansbach had described, the Hornsent Warrior was tall, with a frame even larger than the shadowy Hornsent they had met earlier, possibly reaching three meters in height. And unlike those gaunt, shadowy figures, the Hornsent Warrior held two curved swords and was covered in solid muscle. Upon seeing the invaders from the Golden Tree's forces, the Hornsent Warrior immediately assumed a battle stance. He planted his feet wide, lowered his center of gravity, and reverse-gripped his two curved swords, plunging their spines into the ground. The Omen-horn-like spikes on the backs of the blades began to glow. As power surged through them, the blades became completely coated in a golden light. The power then flowed into the ground and rushed toward Bai Shi and the others. Realizing the attack was coming from below, the three of them immediately leaped apart. The moment they moved, countless twisted Omen horns made of golden light erupted from the ground. Anyone hit would surely have been pierced by the sharp horns. Sensing the power contained within, Bai Shi's interest was finally piqued. Follow current novels on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 The previous enemies had been far too weak; he'd had no desire to act. This Hornsent Warrior seemed to have some skill. Perhaps he could provide a little surprise. Bai Shi gathered purple gravity magic in his hand, and after a brief charge, it erupted violently. The magic instantly formed a dazzling laser beam that shot toward the Hornsent Warrior. The gravity laser was extremely fast. Before the Hornsent Warrior could even pull his curved swords from the ground, it was already upon him, impossible to block. The gravity laser struck the Hornsent Warrior, piercing his chest plate and hitting the stone-like, hardened flesh beneath. But despite taking such a blow, the Hornsent Warrior didn't budge. As if nothing had happened, he calmly pulled his two curved swords from the ground. Seeing this, Bai Shi couldn't help but exclaim internally. Holy crap, I can’t believe I’m seeing a poise monster in real life! He took that entire attack head-on. Normally, even if the injury wasn't serious, he should have at least staggered back a bit, right? He didn't even flinch? At that moment, Leda and Freyja charged in from the left and right. Freyja unleashed a Lion's Claw, leaping through the air to strike the Hornsent Warrior. Facing the incoming Freyja and sensing the terrifying power in her greatsword, the warrior raised his curved blades in a cross-block to meet the blow. But Leda had already reached his side, slashing with her sword. The sharp blade tore through armor and sank deep into the Hornsent Warrior's flesh. Yet the warrior remained unmoved. He pushed up with his crossed swords, then immediately dropped his elbow to smash down on Leda. Leda dodged to the side. Freyja, meanwhile, had already spun in mid-air, launching the follow-up attack of her ferocious Lion's Claw. The Hornsent Warrior quickly back-stepped, evading the pursuit. Bai Shi was a little surprised. He'd thought the warrior was a tanky type who'd put everything into attack and defense, but he could move normally? If so, why could he withstand such attacks without flinching? This wasn't something that could be explained away by in-game poise mechanics. Getting hit causes a reaction. That was an undeniable law of reality. It wasn't like fighting a boss in a game, where you could slash them a few times and they wouldn't react at all. Even Bai Shi and the other demigods could only minimize the impact, not negate it completely. Bai Shi observed carefully, not rushing to attack again. Right now, he was more interested in this astonishing resilience than the Hornsent Warrior's moveset. The Hornsent Warrior was now locked in a chaotic battle with Leda and Freyja. Facing two opponents of the same caliber, he showed no signs of being at a disadvantage. Leda and Freyja's strength was suppressed, while the Hornsent Warrior was buffed by the Land of Shadow, making him slightly stronger. Combined with his ironclad body that didn't flinch when hit, he was actually holding his own against two opponents. For the first time in a long while, Bai Shi felt like he was fighting a boss in a game. The two curved swords in the Hornsent Warrior's hands once again coated themselves in golden power, and twisted Omen horns sprouted densely along the blades. With a casual swipe, the extended blades tore Leda's cloak. Fortunately, she dodged in time. Freyja, however, wasn't so quick and took a solid hit. The dense Omen-horn blade scraped several wounds across her body, and blood began to flow freely. The form it took was surprisingly similar to the Omenkiller Cleaver, a weapon designed specifically to hunt Omen. Bai Shi began to see a few things more clearly and decided to test it himself. Bai Shi stepped forward, channeling his magic into the ground with a single stomp. The stones beneath the Hornsent Warrior shattered, and countless rocks erupted upward, launching him into the air. Bai Shi transformed into his soul form, instantly appearing beside the Hornsent Warrior. The warrior reacted quickly, slashing at Bai Shi in mid-air. But Bai Shi's hand, wreathed in dragon lightning, instantly batted the curved sword aside and slammed him back down to the ground. The Hornsent Warrior landed in a scorched heap, but he immediately got back up. He hadn't even lost his grip on the curved sword that had taken a direct hit from Bai Shi. Bai Shi shook his hand. The impact had felt incredibly solid, like hitting stone. But even a body like that couldn't possibly be completely unresponsive to being hit. Bai Shi's own body was even tougher than his, so there had to be another reason. Bai Shi surged forward again, rushing to the Hornsent Warrior's side and kicking out. The warrior's form finally shifted slightly, and he was forced to hunch over from the kick. He was pushed back continuously by Bai Shi's kick, his feet carving two gouges in the ground. The Hornsent Warrior took a step back to steady himself, his curved swords swinging once more. At this point, Bai Shi had his answer. The Hornsent Warriors used the Descending God technique to acquire the power of nature. After doing so, they conceptually merged themselves with the land they revered. Using the power of the Descending God, they had transformed themselves into a part of this nature. Through this conceptual union, they became something akin to a tutelary spirit of the land. That was why they were fearless and could not be swayed by ordinary attacks. Just as an ordinary person cannot move the earth or stir the sea. However, brute force could still get the job done. Having found the answer he sought, Bai Shi decided to finish off the Hornsent Warrior before him. Bai Shi thrust his right hand forward. The flames of the sun enveloped his palm and instantly pierced through the Hornsent Warrior's body. Even as flames consumed him, the warrior still tried to counterattack. But in the next moment, the fire erupted from within, completely incinerating his upper body. His twin swords clattered to the ground. It seems that after reading the extra chapter, it gets marked as the latest chapter, making it impossible to go directly to the next one. Therefore, the extra chapters will be temporarily paused and deleted to avoid the need to constantly open the . I will release them again after the main story is finished and continue writing them then...