Compared to the frightened children and elderly Ye Bai encountered during the day, these figures holding flickering flames in their hands appeared far less timid.
They moved with purpose, gathering toward a single direction, each carrying some kind of burning object.
The flames varied in size—under the enhanced vision of her Eagle Eye ability, Ye Bai could clearly see that some held torches, while others simply cradled broken pottery shards with oil-soaked fibers set alight.
At this distance, these people couldn’t possibly miss Ye Bai’s presence, yet they ignored her entirely. They didn’t speak to each other either, focusing instead on carefully maintaining their flames as they converged toward an unknown destination.
“The cultists of the Infernal here… no one’s hunting them down?”
Just as the Infernal worshipped chaos, indiscriminately attacking all living beings, its followers were universally despised on the surface world. Even though every race had its share of fanatics, Ye Bai had always assumed Infernal cultists would be hidden deep within cities, nearly impossible to detect without thorough investigation.
Yet here, under the effect of [Insight], she could see that these cultists were low-level—none above Level 20. They didn’t even seem capable of wielding Infernal magic, appearing more like freshly converted ordinary believers.
At this level, in any town with even minimal governance, they wouldn’t dare move so openly.
The paper figurine replied, “This suggests the Infernal has fully awakened… Under the corruption of chaotic energy, wherever there’s a gathering of sentient life, you’ll find Infernal worshippers now.”
Ye Bai’s gaze involuntarily drifted further into the distance—as she ventured deeper into the ruined town, she spotted a blackstone fortress standing atop a distant hill. Unlike the surrounding decay, the fortress appeared intact, its blue banners fluttering in the wind, displaying what looked like a noble family’s crest.
“The local lord isn’t doing anything about this?” Ye Bai asked.
Clearly, the fortress—likely the seat of governance—was still active. Yet the ruined town under its jurisdiction was left in squalor, its people living like frightened rats while cultists roamed unchecked.
“Seems that way,” the paper figurine said, activating its ‘information sight’ once more. “That fortress houses a descendant of the Radiant bloodline, but the lineage is very diluted.”
“Diluted, huh…” Ye Bai murmured thoughtfully.
The Radiant Bloodline is the signature special power of the Kingdom faction. Much like the faction's versatile nature, the power of Radiance has broad applications. Beyond dealing additional damage to the undead, it can also inflict considerable harm on other races without discrimination, whereas the traits of other factions often involve mutual counterbalances.
At the same time, the Kingdom faction, being the most player-friendly race compared to the other four major factions, carries a touch of the traditional Western fantasy "hero" archetype. The radiant power within the Kingdom faction manifests through sudden awakenings, and those who awaken can then pass it down through their bloodline, granting their descendants the power of Radiance.
The further removed the generations, the thinner the bloodline's power becomes—unless another awakening occurs.
Becoming an awakened one isn’t determined by bloodline but entirely by an individual’s efforts. Players who choose the Kingdom faction can awaken the power of Radiance through a series of complex quests and trials.
Given this, the fortress’s owner likely descended from a once-prosperous Radiant Awakener, placing them among the nobility within the Duchy’s ranks. If Ye Bai wanted to gather more information about the Divine Realm, perhaps she could explore the fortress.
However, Ye Bai hadn’t forgotten the more pressing matter at hand. Having so easily discovered the Infernal Heretics, her priority was to find a way into the Infernal Realm to investigate.
With a flicker of determination in her eyes, Ye Bai retrieved a candle from her backpack, lit it, and joined the end of the nearest procession.
Just as they had ignored her before, now that she carried the flame, she blended seamlessly into their ranks.
This "join-if-you-want" attitude was practically an open invitation to their cult.
Following the procession through the low, dilapidated shanties, Ye Bai ventured deeper into the town. Along the way, she felt the weight of numb or sinister gazes peering at her from hidden corners.
The candlelight in her hand flickered, mirroring the unease in her heart.
This town wasn’t just physically in ruins—its spirit had crumbled just as thoroughly.
Hearing about it and seeing it firsthand were entirely different. The Sky City had fallen, the last Ancient Dragon had vanished, and the Kingdom faction, once renowned for its resilience, now lay in utter desolation. Ye Bai couldn’t help but fantasize about opening a massive portal to whisk these ordinary people of the Divine Realm away to White Night Town.
But she knew it was just a dream. At her current level, she couldn’t even take Autofis or the Paper Man, both bound to her, with her.
As she pressed forward, Ye Bai found herself arriving at the procession’s destination without realizing it.
It was a tall, spacious structure, and she quickly recognized its layout—it was a church, though half its roof had been torn away.
At the center of the church, the enshrined statue remained only as a single booted foot, the rest long gone.
The Divine Kingdom of Autofis primarily worships a certain powerful ancestor who left a lasting legacy in the region. Judging by the carved boots, the statue in this church was originally a spellcaster, which aligns with Autofis' historical affinity for the Ethereal race.
However, no one pays attention to the statue now. A group of Infernal devotees has gathered, spontaneously forming a circle around a central clearing where a bonfire has been lit.
At the heart of the flames lies an empty space with engraved grooves forming a ritual array, the trenches still bearing traces of dark brown residue.
From the twisted, unnatural lines, Ye Bai immediately recognized them as Infernal script.
Standing among the cultists, Ye Bai glanced sideways and noticed that the previously silent crowd had grown fervent, their eyes fixed on the fiery array with fanatical intensity.
Since the candle in Ye Bai's hand burned with the same flame, they blended in seamlessly—these people seemed to recognize the fire, not the person holding it.
Before long, a distinct figure emerged: an elderly priest clad in crimson robes, muttering incantations while clutching a bronze bowl. His chants carried an eerie, malevolent tone.
Ye Bai used [Insight] and glimpsed his details:
[Infernal Attendant]
Level: 20
HP: 1000/1000
Skills: Minor Demon Summoning, Fire Resistance
Weaknesses: Throat, Heart
His HP was far lower than that of a typical professional—neither elite nor even standard. Given the "Paper Person's" mention of the Infernal power's resurgence, Ye Bai guessed this attendant was forcibly converted, existing in a half-professional state.
Ye Bai observed quietly as the attendant finished his chant and drew a murky red-brown liquid from the bowl. Unscathed, he passed through the flames encircling the array and poured the liquid into its grooves.
A strange transformation followed—the fluid moved with a will of its own, filling the array completely.
"Boom!"
The flames roared, surging threefold in size, their hue shifting from ordinary yellow to an unnatural crimson.
"Offer your faith! Present your sacrifice—"
The attendant's voice dragged out theatrically.
At his command, the cultists erupted in excitement. Carefully cradling their torches and makeshift candlesticks, they hurled them into the fiery array.
"Boom!"
As these "embers" of devotion landed, the flames writhed, intertwining to form a circular, gate-like shape.
Simultaneously, the crowd parted in one corner, and two figures draped in gray robes dragged forward a child of twelve or thirteen.
Ye Bai frowned as he watched the grimy, androgynous child struggling desperately against the grip of two adults. Despite the resistance, the child was being dragged inexorably toward the magic circle—clearly, these people intended to throw the child into the portal.
"Nameless, can we reverse the spell now?" Ye Bai whispered to the paper figurine.
The paper figurine replied, "Almost... The portal is still stabilizing. Be ready—once I reverse it, the window will be very brief. You must enter quickly—now!"
The moment the paper figurine's voice faded, Ye Bai, who had been poised to strike, burst forth from the crowd of cultists.
Trailing closely behind him was a gray donkey, its presence jarringly out of place in the grim scene.
"What?!"
Ye Bai's sudden appearance sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. The Infernal Servitor's eyes widened. "Who are you?!"
Ye Bai didn’t answer. Instead, he swung his sword at the Infernal Servitor.
The half-baked Infernal Servitor had only two skills: fire resistance and minor demon summoning. Panicking at the ferocity of the attack, he ducked, but the blade still grazed him.
"Huh?"
The expected crippling pain never came. The Infernal Servitor blinked in surprise, then relaxed—this mysterious attacker looked like a formidable warrior, yet the strike had barely broken his skin. The damage was negligible.
Then, a sharp ice spike shot from behind, piercing straight through the Infernal Servitor’s chest.
‘-1734’
With zero resistance to spells—especially ice, the natural counter to fire—the Infernal Servitor’s health bar plummeted to zero.
Without missing a beat, Ye Bai pivoted and charged toward the newly opened portal.
The two lackeys holding the sacrificial child froze in shock.
Ye Bai moved like flowing water, hurling an ice bolt at each. The projectiles pierced their chests, instantly killing the two underlings, whose health pools barely scraped 500.
Freed from their grasp, the child stopped struggling and stared blankly at Ye Bai, who had descended like a savior.
Ye Bai flashed the boy a reassuring smile—then grabbed the emaciated child by the scruff and hurled him toward a nearby shack.
—I’m going to die!
Just as the boy braced for impact, his body suddenly lightened as if sprouting wings. An unseen force buoyed him upward, softening his landing.
Behind him, invisible to his eyes, the faint outline of wings flickered for a split second.
Second-tier gravity spell, instant cast: Featherfall.
The moment the boy was flung aside, a hand emerged from the sulfurous, scorching portal behind him.
The hand was covered in unnatural red skin, its muscles taut, and its fingers ended in sharp, inhuman claws.
As it entered this world, it stretched open its palm with practiced ease—a habitual gesture for receiving offerings.
But this time, there was no offering left for it. The boy had already been hurled far from the assembly center by Ye Bai.
At the same time, the paper figure sprang into action. The carved patterns of the teleportation array on the ground writhed like living things, transforming in the blink of an eye into an entirely different, bizarre structure.
The outward-spiraling vortex suddenly reversed.
The hand, still waiting in vain for its sacrifice, now extended further—first the forearm, then the entire upper arm, even groping left and right in search of the offering that should have been there.
Then, in an instant, the swirling portal reversed its flow, shifting from outward to inward. The abrupt change in the channel’s direction generated a powerful shearing force—
Thud.
The red arm fell to the ground, severed clean at the joint.
"Ah!! My hand!"
A distant, shrill scream echoed faintly from the other side of the portal.
"Now!"
The paper figure’s voice rang out. Without hesitation, Ye Bai leaped into the portal, with Autofis close behind.
The moment their figures vanished into the swirling passage—
BOOM!
The fiery tunnel erupted in a massive explosion, blasting the gathered cultists off their feet and reducing the entire assembly center to rubble.
......
Thump.
The boy, flung through the air, felt himself light as a feather, soaring high before landing softly and rolling to a stop with barely a stumble.
When he regained his senses, he realized he had been thrown clear of the gathering area. Aside from his already filthy clothes getting dirtier, he was completely unharmed.
BOOM!
The sound made him jerk his head up. In the distance, his eyes reflected the brilliant glow of flames.
Hidden in the shadows, the ragged survivors of this ruined city—living like rats in the dark—peered out at the explosion.
As the firelight faded, the boy’s gaze flickered. After a brief pause, he darted into the maze of dark shanties and vanished without a trace.
......
The sheer intensity of the event finally drew the attention of those stationed in the distant fortress.
Once the explosion settled, a group of armored figures arrived at the assembly center.
"What in the world did those Infernal cultists do this time? How could they cause such a commotion?"
The aftermath of the explosion left the assembly center in utter darkness. Nearby lay several charred corpses, their forms blackened beyond recognition. At the center, the intricate patterns of the ritual array had warped into nothing more than crude, circular lines. Unless another hellish acolyte versed in summoning arts were to appear, the array could never be restored to its former state.
Amidst the devastation, the only remnant left beside the ruined array was a single scorched mark—a haunting silhouette of what might have once been an arm.
