A victorious roar echoed across the desolate plains as the last of the assaulting believers were torn apart by the Gnoll Demons. The ground was littered with corpses, a testament to the failed assault and the terrifying efficiency of Su Cheng's forces. For the demigods watching from their divine realms, it was a vision of utter despair. For Su Cheng, it was a bountiful harvest.
His gaze fell upon the 36 newly evolved Sanctuary-rank Soul Fires, each one a gleaming sphere of pure spiritual energy. A plan immediately formed in his mind. The final battle was approaching, and it was time to elevate the power of his command to an entirely new level.
His divine will descended first upon the Two-Headed Frost Troll, Zakoff, who was busy chewing on the bones of an orc commander. "Zakoff," Su Cheng's voice echoed in his mind.
The legendary-rank troll immediately stopped, his two heads bowing in reverence. "My Lord! Zakoff is at your command!"
"You have served me loyally. This is your reward."
A dozen Sanctuary-rank Soul Fires descended from the heavens, merging into Zakoff's colossal form. An explosive aura erupted from the troll. A painful roar ripped from both of his throats as his body underwent a grotesque and violent transformation. His muscles swelled, tearing through his tough hide before regenerating in thicker, more powerful layers of pale, ice-like flesh. The bone spikes on his back grew into jagged shards of permafrost, and the frost emanating from his skin became so intensely cold that the very air around him began to crystallize and fall like glittering dust.
[Log]: Your believer, the Two-Headed Frost Troll Zakoff, has absorbed 12 Sanctuary-rank Soul Fires!
[Log]: Zakoff's bloodline has been greatly purified! He has been successfully promoted to the Sanctuary rank!
Zakoff let out a deafening roar of pure power, his two heads now radiating the might of a true Sanctuary-rank powerhouse. He was no longer just a legendary creature; he was a walking calamity. Su Cheng then distributed the remaining soul fires among his other legendary believers, elevating them all to the peak of their rank, just shy of the sanctuary threshold. His army had never been stronger.
Meanwhile, in a mist-shrouded swamp several hundred miles away, the atmosphere was grim. The Shadowmire was a treacherous place, filled with murky water and twisted, dead trees that looked like skeletal hands reaching for the grey sky—a perfect location for an ambush.
Here, the last remnants of Orton's alliance had gathered. Just over a thousand believers stood in nervous silence, their eyes darting into the mist. Their gods were not with them; they could only feel their divine will pressing down from an unseen realm, urging them toward this final, desperate confrontation. Orton's peak legendary centaur commander stood at the forefront, his face grim. He held a golden scroll that had materialized before him moments ago, a gift of divine power from his master. This was their final hope.
From his private residence in Chaos God City, Orton spoke through his divine sense, his voice echoing in the centaur's mind. "He will come. His arrogance will not let him ignore a direct challenge. The Red Dragon Kalis will be his vanguard. The moment the dragon enters the center of the mire, you will activate the scroll. The other commanders will lead their forces from the flanks. We must kill the dragon first!"
The commanders of the other believers nodded to the centaur, their hearts pounding. Everything hinged on this final gambit.
As if summoned by his words, a shadow passed over the swamp. High above, the magnificent form of the Red Dragon Kalis appeared, circling once before descending with an arrogant roar that shook the dead trees. He acted precisely as they had predicted, flying directly towards the open clearing at the heart of the mire, a perfect target.
The centaur commander took a deep breath and channeled his faith, his voice bellowing his master's command. "NOW!"
"THUNDER GOD'S CAGE!"
He crushed the divine scroll in his hand, releasing the power within. From the sky, a hundred massive pillars of golden lightning slammed into the swamp, forming a colossal, inescapable cage around the Red Dragon Kalis. The lightning arcs sizzled and popped, containing the power of a true god's wrath.
Kalis slammed against the bars of lightning, roaring in fury as the divine energy scorched his scales. He was trapped.
From his divine realm, the God of Storms yelled in triumph. "He's caught! Attack! Kill the dragon!"
The allied believers charged from the mists, their weapons raised, ready to slaughter the caged beast. Victory seemed within their grasp.
Orton allowed himself a grim smile in his residence. "Christon," he muttered, "This is the price for offending a true god."
"Is that so?"
A cold, indifferent voice echoed not from the sky, but from the shadows right behind the charging believers. Orton's divine sense recoiled in shock.
The King of the Gnoll Demons, Gedo, emerged from the mists, his blood-gold eyes glowing with contempt. To his left, the 50-meter-tall Mountain Giant, Mundun, rose from the murky water, his rock-like fists clenched. To his right, the Holy Unicorn, Sophia, stepped out, her horn glowing with purifying light. And beside her, the newly promoted Sanctuary-rank Two-Headed Troll, Zakoff, grinned with both heads, his aura radiating an intense, unnatural cold.
Behind them, an army of hundreds of demons and Gnoll Demons materialized from the swamp, an unstoppable tide of darkness that had silently encircled the entire mire.
Orton stared at the projection of the battlefield in abject horror. They hadn't trapped the dragon. They had walked into a slaughterhouse.
Gedo looked at the terrified believers and then at the caged—and now smiling—red dragon.
"The trappers have become the trapped," Gedo announced, his voice carrying across the entire swamp. "Let the slaughter begin."