Chapter 46

After joining the Trinity Baptist Church, Hao Lin received a spell-like ability called "Abyssal Summoning" from the devil. Every day, he could summon three abyssal creatures with the same effect as a third-level summoning spell through the three abyssal runes etched on his body.

These creatures, the Infernal Gorillas, were immensely powerful, capable of smashing through oak shields with a single punch, and their strength was equivalent to that of a sixth-level warrior. With the help of these three summoned creatures, Hao Lin was full of confidence, feeling that the gods had already poured the wine of revenge, and he only needed to extend his tongue to taste its sweet flavor.

Facing the three Infernal Gorillas that could crush his head with a single punch, Gao Deng did not retreat or panic; he remained calm. In "The Ancient Epoch," he was the only one in the team who did not apply for psychological counseling from the federal government after experiencing the "Flesh Mill" dungeon, which was said to be a hundred times more terrifying than the most shocking B-level splatter movie in history.

If it came to remaining calm and steady as a rock—or, in other words, having thick nerves—Gao Deng was confident he would not be outdone by anyone.

"Do you really want to compare numbers?" He smiled at Hao Lin, who was exuding arrogance, and slashed his right hand forward as if commanding a thousand troops, "Attack, the Formian Worker Ant Legion!"

Hao Lin was about to recite a spell when he suddenly heard a rustling sound from the deep, impenetrable darkness behind Gao Deng, like the hard carapaces of some creatures scraping against the ground.

Countless black shadows, about half a person's height, crawled out from the ground, walls, and even the ceiling, densely packed, with the sound of carapaces clattering echoing everywhere. Hao Lin was dazzled and could not even count how many Formian Worker Ants there were. He was caught off guard again, falling into confusion and bewilderment.

Gao Deng had long known that Hao Lin was tracking him. As a half-elf, although his bloodline was not pure, Shalaya still inherited the superior vision and hearing of the forest elves, which allowed her to become a fourth-level ranger at a young age. In addition, Gao Deng had her drink an Angel's Eye potion and a Hearing potion, further enhancing her scouting abilities.

Thus, Gao Deng found a place, set a trap, and waited for Hao Lin to fall into it.

Due to incomplete knowledge, the necromancer Mendoza had not mastered the energy stacking technique, but Gao Deng was able to use it. He used a second-level summoning spell to bring two Formian Worker Ants into the material plane, which cost him four points of mana. Then, using the energy stacking technique, he summoned two more Formian Worker Ants, which cost him eight points of mana.

Although the mana cost for repeated summoning increased exponentially, Gao Deng had conserved his mana in previous battles, mainly using potions, scrolls, and wands. Therefore, his mana was still quite abundant. When his mana was completely depleted, he had used the second-level summoning spell four times, summoning fifteen Formian Worker Ants.

After hiding this ant army in the darkness, he waited for Hao Lin to come.

Although the "Formian Worker Ant Legion" was an exaggeration, this number was enough to overwhelm Hao Lin's three Infernal Gorillas. Moreover, the Formian Ants communicated through pheromones transmitted by their antennae, making them a highly unified and collectively conscious species. In group combat, they had an unparalleled advantage, almost invincible when working together.

The three Infernal Gorillas only managed to kill two Formian Worker Ants before being surrounded. Under the attacks of the worker ants' sharp claws and mandibles, they were successively reduced to sulfur flames and disappeared from the material plane.

"Impossible! How can this be! I have the power of the goddess and the devil, I cannot fail!" Hao Lin, looking deranged, shouted and recited a spell, attempting a final desperate move. A blood-red light ball appeared in his hand, the chaotic power of the abyss rapidly expanding.

An arrow shot like a bolt of lightning, flashing a cold light in the darkness, aiming straight for Hao Lin's throat. A dull yellow energy shield suddenly appeared, blocking the arrow. Although the torment shield granted by the goddess of pain protected Hao Lin from direct damage, the sonic damage Gao Deng had imbued on the arrow still released, causing him to almost fall over. Shalaya's arrow interrupted the casting process, and before Hao Lin could cast again, he was overwhelmed by the surging Formian Worker Ants...

"You have defeated the elite mage Hao Lin Heideberg, gaining 600 experience points."

"Turns out it's an extraordinary elite template, no wonder the experience points are so high." Gao Deng glanced at Hao Lin's gruesome corpse, feeling curious. He himself was still on the "unknown" template.

After habitually browsing the system after the battle, Gao Deng found that the experience points in his pool had reached 3207, finally meeting the requirement for leveling up. He immediately allocated 3000 experience points to his character's experience.

A warm current flowed through his body, gradually spreading. Gao Deng finally reached level four. Just one more level, and he could start learning third-level spells, which would significantly boost his power.

After reaching level four, Gao Deng gained an additional attribute point. Without hesitation, he added it to his intelligence. As the main attribute for a mage, the importance of intelligence was self-evident. High intelligence could enhance spell power and accelerate the learning efficiency of arcane magic.

Finally, Gao Deng invested the seven new skill points in spell concentration and then closed the system interface.

Hao Lin had already been thoroughly looted by Gao Deng, and there was nothing valuable left on his body. Adhering to the principle of "scavenger players" who do not let any loot go to waste, Gao Deng collected the spell components and dozens of gold coins from Hao Lin's body before leaving the battle site with Shalaya.

After walking for a while, they encountered someone again.

However, this time there was no need to fight.

"Father Jack," Gao Deng greeted the old acquaintance from the Dawn Temple.

Although the white, clean priest's robe did not match the dark, dirty sewers, Father Jack's mood was still high, unaffected by the harsh environment.

"I said that all who dare to offend the Dawn Temple and insult the priests will pay the price. Today is the day of the Ritter family's downfall," Father Jack said. Clearly, he still remembered the insult he received from the adventurers in front of the store. Although the direct planner, Hao Lin, had already been defeated by Gao Deng, the true culprit, Dengwei Ritter, would not be left unpunished if he did not receive the appropriate punishment.

The team attacking the sewers was divided into twenty groups, each consisting of the city lord's elite warriors and priests from various temples. The battle was commanded by Count Julian, who adopted a carpet-search method, clearing each branch one by one. The private soldiers of the Ritter family could not withstand the assault and were forced to retreat.

When Gao Deng and Shalaya arrived at the Ritter family's private dock with Father Jack, the battle was almost over.

Under the protection of ten heavily armored, elite warriors, the last of the Ritter family, Dengwei, was retreating towards the riverbank with a look of despair. The warriors protecting the young master of the Ritter family were all experienced mercenaries or battle-hardened veterans, with an average strength of at least level seven, equipped with the finest weapons the Ritter family could afford, and some had even awakened their powers. However, they could not resist the city lord's forces.

With the various divine spells cast by the priests, the attackers were far superior in both actual combat power and morale. Under the fierce assault, Dengwei's guards fell one after another, becoming fewer and fewer. Gao Deng stood nearby, witnessing the entire process of Dengwei's desperate struggle. In the end, the man who had once been full of ambition, wanting to follow in his father's footsteps and bring the family to glory, was pierced through the heart by a sword and died on the beach, screaming. Eager to claim credit, a city lord's warrior beheaded Dengwei, leaving him decapitated.

Unfortunately, Gao Deng had already exhausted his mana in the battle with Hao Lin and did not join the fight.

The weapons and supplies the Ritter family had stored in the sewers, intended to support the orcs, were all dragged out and piled into several small mountains. Various cargo records and ledgers were also seized and presented to Count Julian. Now, with the evidence in hand, the Ritter family was completely finished.

"Has there been any news from the cavalry sent to pursue Longge Ritter?" Count Julian, with his neatly trimmed mustache, asked. The lord of Bluewater City was in his prime, energetic, and diligent in his governance, managing his fiefdom with strict order, making him a wise noble.

His adjutant respectfully replied, "The last message we received was that they were almost at the Ritter family's residence."

"I hope that greedy, fat boar doesn't escape," Count Julian said, playing with his mustache, his expression full of hatred. "Longge Ritter's audacity in colluding with the orcs and betraying the empire is unforgivable! Even if he dies ten times, he cannot atone for his sins!"

At this moment, Longge Ritter, the target of Count Julian's wrath, was standing in his luxurious living room, almost collapsing from the bad news.

He did not know why the meticulously planned mission, which the Trinity Baptist Church had been plotting for a long time and which his family had personally executed, had gone wrong. However, now was not the time to dwell on such questions. A few moments ago, a bloodied family private soldier returned to report that the entire secret base in the sewers had been destroyed, and all the goods had been seized. The cavalry sent to capture him was rapidly approaching.

These were not the worst of his problems. What pained Longge the most was the death of his eldest son, Dengwei. Although he had experienced countless setbacks, today was undoubtedly the most tragic day of his life.

However, his grief did not affect the other two people in the room.

"What a pity," Koyan, still maintaining his knightly demeanor, finished the last sip of red wine in his goblet and stood up, "Due to the Ritter family's failure, the Grubres family has lost five first-class cargo ships. To avoid being implicated, I must leave first."

"But this is just a minor setback. The next plan will proceed as usual, and I will come to discuss it with you, Black Cloak Messenger." After saying this, he gently turned the gemstone ring on his left index finger, and a portal immediately appeared.

After Koyan left, the woman who had been lounging on the sofa, lazily stretching her body, spoke up, "Our Trinity Baptist Church's plan is vast and complex. A small mishap is normal. Longge, don't dwell too much on Dengwei's death. He was just a fool. You still have a younger son. Focus on the instructions of the Saint."

"You talk so easily, but that was my son! When you heard about your brother Mendoza's death, didn't you also fly into a rage!" Longge roared in his mind. However, in front of this woman—Amavre, a high-ranking member of the Trinity Baptist Church, with her red hair and black cloak—he did not dare to show any dissatisfaction.