Chapter 108:  Brian’s Astonishment

Brian tightened the reins.

The warhorse halted before the mottled walls of Oak Town.

His expression betrayed no emotion.

Only his gray-blue eyes quietly observed.

The walls of Oak Town were built from the common local graystone.

Roughly twenty meters high.

The surface was covered with vines, and several newly patched areas revealed signs of hurried repair.

It instinctively reminded Brian of the hundred-meter-high bronze walls of the Imperial Capital.

Those walls gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight.

Etched upon them were the epics of heroes from generations past.

With magic patterns flowing through them, they could even withstand a dragon’s breath!

Compared to that, this wall before him…

He shook his head ever so slightly.

For a true high-ranked undead…

Especially one bearing the title of “Demon God”…

No matter how tall, how thick, or what material a wall was made of—such things were utterly meaningless.

“Deputy Commander, you must be weary from the long journey!”

A warm and eager voice broke through Brian’s thoughts.

It was Baron Old John—

Or rather, the newly promoted Earl Old John.

He was hurrying forward with a speed ill-suited for his plump body.

A sycophantic smile spread across his round face. “The feast has been prepared in advance inside the castle.”

“It features the freshest local game and the finest aged wine. Please do us the honor of attending, so I may fulfill my humble duty as host.”

Brian remained silent.

Without even glancing at Old John, he dismounted.

He casually handed the reins to a slightly nervous guard behind him.

He had long grown weary of the empty courtesies between nobles.

He had only one purpose for this trip—

To uncover the truth about the ‘angel’!

Was it truly a divine miracle descending upon the world, or merely a charlatan’s trickery?

Or perhaps… someone was harvesting the power of faith?

The power of faith—

That was the forbidden stairway leading into the realm of the gods!

In the thousand-year records of the Empire,

Only the one who guarded the 【Gate of Destiny】 in the Imperial Capital,

A being with the might of a ninth-tier demigod, was qualified to draw upon the devout faith of billions of living souls.

But such an existence…

How could it possibly descend to a remote borderland of the Empire?

With that thought,

Brian ignored the awkward noble behind him and strode into the gates of Oak Town.

Before his eyes unfolded a scene of ordinary town life.

Vendors shouted behind their stalls, housewives wove through the market with baskets in hand, and several children chased a spotted cat around a street corner.

It was nothing like the sleepless brilliance of the Imperial Capital—

Where magic lamps lit the night, and the streets flowed with carriages and noble airs, the very air thick with luxury and power.

Naturally, this was a world apart.

Yet Brian was not an arrogant man.

Born in a small, nameless northern town himself,

He even felt a faint sense of nostalgia for such simplicity.

However—

What astonished him was this:

This should not have been the appearance of a town whose gates had only recently been breached by the Undead Scourge,

A place that had endured a bloody battle in its streets!

Brian had witnessed too many towns ravaged by invasion.

Even when survivors remained, the air was always thick with fear, sorrow, and despair.

The people’s eyes were either empty or panic-stricken.

Reconstruction was always slow and painful.

After all—

Who could rebuild a home knowing it might be destroyed again at any moment?

There was no hope.

Yet here—!

Brian saw faces carrying smiles.

The residents walked with light steps, their chatter filled with vitality.

This kind of lively energy could not be feigned!

Brian turned slightly, glancing from the corner of his eye at the chubby noble still prattling beside him about the local customs.

It seemed he had misjudged this Earl.

He had assumed Old John was just another greedy fool, obsessed with his title.

The kind who would abandon a scarred land immediately after being decorated in the Capital—his character evident enough.

That was why, all along the journey, Brian had shown him little courtesy.

Yet now…

The orderly streets, the uplifted spirits of the people—

Only a man of great wisdom could achieve this!

Clearly,

Brian had underestimated Old John’s capability.

The town’s revival after disaster must have owed much to someone’s ability to maintain control.

The losses were minimal, faith was unified, and thus, despair had no foothold.

…

Meanwhile, Old John also sensed it—

The chill surrounding this great man seemed to have faded slightly.

His heart leapt, and he straightened his back with pride. “This way, my lord!”

“Allow me to show you the plaza where the Lord Angel once descended and bestowed His blessing! It has become the sacred ground of Oak Town!~”

They passed through the bustling streets and arrived at the circular plaza in the town center.

The ground was paved with smooth bluestone tiles.

At its center, a newly built marble fountain gurgled with clear water.

“Here it is, my lord!”

Old John’s tone brimmed with reverence. “That night, the Lord Angel’s radiance tore through the darkness, and tens of thousands of undead were reduced to ash…”

Brian ignored the man’s fervent narration.

He closed his eyes.

The vast spiritual power of a seventh-tier Sanctuary Knight spread quietly outward from him.

The air trembled faintly.

Dust on the ground was pushed aside, forming a perfectly clean circle.

Brian was listening—

Listening to the ripples of space, tracing the remnants of energy,

Seeking the imprints that time might have left behind.

Divine power—

Faint, nearly imperceptible.

The constant flow of people praying and their fervent faith had already nearly drowned out any trace of the extraordinary.

Brian slowly opened his eyes and shook his head imperceptibly.

But Old John was a master at reading expressions.

He immediately bowed respectfully. “Deputy Commander, divine power is boundless—how could mere mortals hope to sense it easily?”

“As night has already fallen, why not rest first at the castle?”

“Tomorrow at dawn, I shall personally escort you to Holy Light Town!”

“That is the true sanctuary of the Lord Angel! You will surely feel His supreme might there!”

Brian neither nodded nor shook his head.

He merely turned toward the castle and walked on.

Silence was his answer.

Having been born mute, Brian had spent many years unable to speak.

Even after advancing in rank and perfecting his physical form,

Though he could now talk, he remained a man of few words.

His title of “The Silent Bastion” had its reasons.

At this moment, however,

Brian was already planning to visit Holy Light Town alone.

But without a local guide, that would likely draw unnecessary trouble.

Thus, to avoid complications,

He had followed Old John’s arrangements throughout the journey—

Never once showing arrogance or pretense.

Now was no exception.

He did not mind waiting a little longer.

So he could face the so-called “Lord Angel” in his best state.

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