Chapter 454: I'll Send You All Home

10-12 minutes 11.06.2023

Red had let go of Lin Jie who was pushed away by someone. And before the two hunting dogs arrived, Red was struck by a shovel on the back of her head.

...Just for three pieces of ore, these people turned on their own kind in an instant.

Red felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, losing consciousness as she fell forward. However, the terrifying part was still to come. The two hunting dogs rushed over, biting her neck and injecting venom into the girl's neck.

She fell to the ground, silently, in pain and helpless. Warm blood spurted out from her open mouth, like bright plum blossoms.

Lin Jie slowly got up from the ground and watched Red's life gradually slipping away. Life... which he had once viewed as shallow.

He thoroughly released the power within him, and the ground began to tremble as a powerful wave spread underground.

"Whine..." The two ferocious dogs, with keen animal instincts far more sensitive than humans, immediately let go of Red's neck and whimpered fearfully.

While his power continued to be released endlessly, resonating voices from the gray fog echoed in Lin Jie's ears once more as if celebrating his awakening with song. At the same time, the gray fog was also eroding the dwindling human will that remained in Lin Jie.

However, at this moment, Lin Jie's gaze was only on Red, the short young girl that had already passed on. That fragile body carried the strongest soul Lin Jie had ever seen.

And as Lin Jie accepted that power once more, a light emanated from the god's body in the deepest depths of the Lower District, like a heart that was starting to beat.

——

The leader of the Church of Pestilence stared at the dark abyss, his eyes revealing both awe and fright.

"God! Is about to be resurrected!" He raised his hands high and yelled.

When that god reemerges, 'He' would destroy everything. That was the Church of Pestilence's doctrine.

And now, death would soon come to everyone.

He saw thick paste-like substances, most probably flesh and blood, slowly flow out from the fourth level above, which was probably a sign that the mutated monster there had been completely corrupted by the gray fog. And on the third level, what the gray fog did was devour all their spirit.

"It's time!"

Because of the book, Dream of Chaos, which had been given by Lin Jie, the Church of Pestilence had undergone a massive purge that resulted in not many people left within their congregation.

The Church of Pestilence's religious leader took out a communications device that only high-level administrators of the Lower District possessed and contacted a mole within the Upper District that would be helping them return to the Upper District.

"God is about to awaken. All our plans are ruined!" the religious leader shouted into the communications device hoarsely. "It's too early, 'He's' waking up too early from his slumber!"

Naturally, their plan had been to return to the Upper District and kill everyone there that had enslaved them Lower District denizens. And it was the will of the god that everything would be destroyed upon 'His' awakening, which made them even more intent on revenge.

Of course, how would sane people continue to believe in a god that would ultimately destroy everything? Even if they believed in 'Him,' they would still have to face death at this time.

"Never mind, we will conquer the Upper District today!" roared the Church of Pestilence's religious leader as the tentacles on his chin squirmed in a frenzy.

All members of the Iris Clan near the Village of Dark Night had been captured, and now only a blood sacrifice of them was needed to sound the horn of destruction that would signal the attack on the Upper District.

After the religious leader finished speaking, the Iris Clan elves that had been imprisoned were dragged out by other church members. Regardless of whether they were young or old, all of them had been cruelly abused and badly hurt.

——

Sixth Level.

With some difficulty, Lin Jie got up from the ground and slowly made his way to Red. The two vicious hounds fled with their tails between their legs upon sensing the ridiculously strong power. However, after scampering a few steps away, they burst open from the inside within the gray fog.

People, on the other hand, were much worse at sensing danger than animals. The people around Red only saw the departure of the dogs and heard the howls of agony that followed, causing them to feel a vague sense of unease. However, they didn't know where this unease came from until Lin Jie walked up to them.

A chill ran up their spines as Lin Jie slowly drew back his hood, released 'Enchanted Heart Alteration,' and revealed a face that only existed in the Upper District.

There was no expression on that face which was always kind and smiling, only a pair of cold dark eyes that were like an endless abyss.

An inexplicable fear gripped their minds the moment they saw Lin Jie, causing them to scream and flee frantically, only to find out that the tunnel was filled with the gray fog, blocking all paths of exit.

The gray fog was a symbol of the god in the underground. It could even be said to be the extension of the god's limbs that was slumbering in the underground palace. Like spirits, they floated in the air and were the source of all pollution and corruption.

The man that had knocked Red unconscious with the shovel had since lost his mind, clutching his ugly face as he collapsed on the ground screaming and backing away.

"...Why did you kill her?" Lin Jie asked.

The man's legs were shaking violently from fear. The power emanating from this person seemed to call out to his body, causing every one of his muscles to come alive and inflict pain as if his body was about to be torn apart.

"I... I wanted food... Ore can be traded for... food," the man uttered with great difficulty, then got on his knees and started bashing his forehead on the ground repeatedly. Those others around him immediately imitated his actions, smashing their foreheads on the ground till blood flowed.

"Without food... we'll starve... and be taken to the lower mines to be slaves... I didn't want that! I really didn't want that! The Church of Pestilence said that if we offer ores to God, God will bless us... and grant us food..."

Lin Jie remained expressionless.

God? God definitely isn't here.

Lin Jie squatted down and gently picked up the small body of Red. Her now dull red eyes were completely lifeless, and she still clutched the bag of moldy flour in her hand.

She was completely devoid of life, but death would not be the end.

Hurried footsteps echoed through the winding tunnels as Lin Jie fully embraced and resonated with the underground power, emitting a never-ending gray fog that alarmed the top brass of the Lower District.

Because of the massive battle of 67th Avenue, the path controlled by Rolle Resources and the Truth Union was sealed. Thus, those high-ranking authority wielders that had acted tough and intimidating to their fellow people panicked at being abandoned by the Upper District and thus turned to cooperate with the Church of Pestilence in the Lower District. They wanted to use the dark elves of the Village of Dark Night to return back up from the Lower District.

Yet now, such a great commotion had been caused by the execution of an inconsequential girl.

"Who are you?" Several high-ranking administrators asked the same question upon seeing Lin Jie holding the girl.

"The one who will send you home." Lin Jie revealed the same gentle smile as before, then continued, "But it's your ancestral home."

The spreading gray mist was like a massive claw, and under Lin Jie's silent smile, these high-ranking administrators were torn to bits by monstrous gray fog that swept through and devoured them.

Driving the Iris Clan's elves forward, Church of Pestilence members raised their crosses high and walked through the stunned people of the Lower District, continuously calling out for the counteroffensive on the Upper District.

Then, as they turned a corner, they encountered the high-ranking administrators who were being ripped about, and they froze for a moment.

And causing it all was the man who was holding a red girl in his arms.

The religious leader immediately recognized Lin Jie at first glance. It was a feeling, based solely on the abstract image of God in the book, Dream of Chaos, that made him recognize Lin Jie right away.

"You..." The religious leader's mouth gaped open, fear and disbelief making him only able to utter this one word.

Lin Jie turned his head, seeing the abused elves as well as the Church of Pestilence congregation that resembled feral beasts.

"Boss Lin!" an elf in chains suddenly shouted. "Lady Doris' words were true. You've come to save us, right?"

"I see." Lin Jie tilted his head in thought for a moment, then nodded. "Silver seemed to have mentioned the feud between the Village of Dark Night and the Iris Clan before... Seems that those dark elves want to take everything back."

Lin Jie waved his hand, and with a clink, the chains binding the elves snapped.

The Church of Pestilence's leader, upon seeing the released elves, felt his faith waver amid the confusion and chaos—God had arrived and would destroy everything. Including himself.

God didn't stand on his side... Then... the plan to destroy the Upper District was over. Now, everyone must die!

He raised a hand and said to Lin Jie, "I believe in you."

Then he put his hand on his chest, and with five fingers exerting force, ripped out his own heart and presented it for Lin Jie to admire before crashing straight to the ground.

Lin Jie frowned and took a step back because of the blood on the ground.

"Madman..."

The lump of flesh underground... Referring to his own body in such a way didn't seem appropriate, but in any case, his original body had already corroded and devoured the wills of those on the third level.

Seeing their leader's actions, the remaining congregation members exchanged glances and prepared to present their own hearts as well as forcibly demand others to pledge their loyalty by doing the same.

Lin Jie hadn't come here to watch such a performance and instantly controlled the thoughts of everyone.