Chapter 48: A Newly Emerged Divine Chosen — An Enemy

A small square formation snapped into shape at once. Their boots struck the ground in rapid succession, the sound dense and rhythmic like pounding drums. The guards—iron helms on their heads, plate armor covering their bodies—gripped their weapons so tightly that strained palms scraped against metal, producing sharp creaks of friction. In the blink of an eye, the two sides collided head-on.

“Thrust!”

The sound of steel tearing into flesh erupted all at once. The seemingly unstoppable corrupted corpse was struck the instant it made contact—two halberds stabbed into its arms from different angles, staggering it violently. Before it could recover, another halberd twisted straight into its abdomen. The corrupted corpse shrieked and collapsed to the ground.

“What the hell are you screaming for!” Sam glared, eyes wide, lifting his morningstar high before smashing it down with a heavy boom, crushing the corrupted corpse’s skull flat. Cold, foul blood splashed everywhere, spraying across the ground.

Even when facing monsters, the advantage of armor and long weapons remained utterly overwhelming.

“Watch out!”

Before Sam could revel in his success, a vicious gust slashed in from the side. Hearing his teammate’s warning, Sam hurriedly raised his weapon to block.

Clang!

The morningstar rattled violently as it was struck. The tremendous force slammed into his shoulder armor, and Sam’s face instantly drained of color.

Another grotesque-looking corrupted corpse leapt out. It swung a punch wrapped in streaks of gray light.

“Careful—it’s a transcendent corrupted corpse!”

Clang—

A sharp pain exploded through Sam’s arm. The iron morningstar had actually bent under the blow. If not for his armor dispersing part of the force, his arm might have been shattered outright. Yet instead of retreating, Sam clenched his teeth and charged forward.

His left arm shield slammed out hard.

The corrupted corpse, mindless as it was, only knew how to grab. The shield flew upward, its edge smashing directly into the creature’s nose and eyes. Crack! The nasal bone shattered instantly. Filthy blood and viscous sludge mixed together, smearing across its entire face.

“Aaaargh!” Deprived of both sight and smell, the corrupted corpse went berserk.

The frenzied creature began charging wildly, forcing the guards back and preventing them from closing in. Its immense strength sent Sam flying, slamming him onto the ground. As it raised a foot, Sam was moments away from being crushed flat.

In the next instant, a brilliant silver streak tore through the air, piercing straight through the corrupted corpse’s throat. Its momentum did not stop—it continued on, skewering several more corrupted corpses in a line.

“Hah—pretty timely, huh.”

Drakewolf had barely come to a halt when Ashina began firing again and again, silver arrows streaking out in all directions, targeting only the most dangerous corrupted corpses.

The first-tier corrupted corpses stood no chance against arrows imbued with divine power. Even the rare second-tier ones, once hit, were crippled beyond recovery. Sweeping her gaze across the battlefield, Ashina frowned.

“Where’s that peeping creep? I’m not letting you get away this time.”

The guards felt their bodies lighten as the crushing pressure vanished like a receding tide. The despair that had seized them while surrounded was gone without a trace, replaced instead by savage counterattacks.

“Reinforcements are here!”

“Kill them!”

“Send them to hell!”

Cursing loudly, the guards surged toward the corrupted corpses.

Couldn’t beat transcendent corrupted corpses? Fine. These ordinary ones would do.

Ashina failed to locate the watcher.

“Forget it. I’ll clear out the trash first. Little wolf—breath!”

A formless ripple spread through space. In the next moment, a pillar of deep blue flame roared violently into the densest part of the corpse horde.

Explosions of dazzling fire erupted as countless corrupted corpses twisted within the flames. They flailed and screamed briefly before collapsing like ash, disintegrating into piles of bone dust.

“Screee—”

A gigantic scorpion-like monster slammed down onto the territory, rolling twice across the ground. At five meters long, its sheer size was terrifying. Ashina frowned—through the gray mist, she could tell it hadn’t crawled here.

It had been thrown.

Judging by its aura, this was a third-tier monster. Though weaker than the rat abomination from the Grand Winery, it was still extremely powerful—yet it had been tossed in like a toy.

There was no doubt about it.

“That mysterious one… won’t even show themselves. Or are they testing the domain’s defenses?”

A cold gleam flashed in Ashina’s eyes. Last night had been mere surveillance. Today, corrupted creatures were being thrown in directly.

“Cautious—and intelligent.”

Her eyes narrowed as she drew her bow. Divine power surged violently into the arrow, and the otherwise ordinary weapon began to emit the unmistakable pressure of a divine artifact.

In the next instant, Ashina clearly saw it—a figure hidden within the forest, using iron chains to hurl more than a dozen corrupted corpses into Nightfall Domain, as casually as tossing toys.

“Now. Die.”

With overwhelming divine power behind it, the silver arrow arrived in a heartbeat.

Ashina’s wolf ears twitched slightly. She heard it—the thin, piercing sound of the arrowhead tearing through flesh, rupturing blood vessels, and shattering bone.

“A hit.”

A beautiful curve formed at Ashina’s lips.

“Let’s see what you really are. But first—I can’t let a third-tier monster destroy the domain.”

Once the corrupted giant scorpion was dealt with, victory would tip decisively toward Nightfall Domain.

“You deal with the remaining corrupted corpses,” she called to the guards. “I’m pursuing.”

With that, Ashina urged Drakewolf forward. A blast of flame struck the scorpion’s face, easily drawing its aggro. The corrupted scorpion wasn’t fast—it could only chase after Drakewolf, eating dust as Ashina led it away from the domain.

Ignoring the scorpion behind her, Ashina quickly reached the location of the hidden figure.

A woman lay motionless amid corruption-covered shrubs, her eyes tightly shut. Blood flowed freely. An arrow had pierced her chest—the frigid divine power of winter had utterly destroyed her heart, blasting apart even the left side of her ample chest. Her elegant black dress was now torn and ruined.

“Not a corrupted creature? Impossible. I clearly smelled corruption.”

Confused, Ashina stepped closer. Her pupils contracted sharply as alarm bells exploded in her mind.

“No—this isn’t human. Little wolf, dodge!”

Ashina and Drakewolf retreated at lightning speed.

Almost simultaneously, a two-meter-long red-black greatsword burst from the forest, carrying an aura so terrifying it raised goosebumps, and crashed down violently.

Boom!

The blade struck the ground just inches from Drakewolf’s face. Though it missed, cracks spread across the scales on Drakewolf’s cheek.

Chains rattled as the greatsword was yanked back. Ashina’s crimson eyes darkened with rare gravity.

The blade was grotesque—eyes embedded along its length. From the pommel extended a thin chain, resembling a steel serpent from afar.

“A divine artifact… so it is a Divine Chosen.”

Ashina stared coldly at the figure before her.

“No wonder I couldn’t sense you. Divine power masks divine power.”

Between Divine Chosen, perception fails.

“Correct.”

A mature, alluring female voice rang out—gentle, almost tender, like a caring older sister.

“A Demei-human Divine Chosen. Or rather—Demei-human–flavored food.”

Countless blood-red tendrils poured from the greatsword, burrowing into the black-clad woman’s chest. Flesh writhed. In moments, the wound healed completely. A profoundly eerie presence awakened, slowly revealing itself before Ashina.

“That arrow left quite an impression. I meant to test things a bit longer—but you caught me.”

The woman casually pulled the arrow free, smiling sweetly as she took hold of the floating greatsword.

At one meter seventy-three, her body was wild and explosive in its curves—devastatingly perfect. Each step sent the full, supple flesh of her calves quivering in a way that could suffocate any man.

Ashina noticed the bat wings at the woman’s waist and the slender demon tail behind her. She gave a cool smile.

“A demon? First time I’ve seen one in the flesh. Interesting.”

“Not a demon.”

The woman smiled.

“You may call me Rosalia Starnight. Twenty-four years old. A first-tier Divine Chosen.”

Starnight?

Ashina suddenly recalled—the former lord of Nightfall Domain had belonged to the Starnight family.

“That name sounds familiar. I think the lord mentioned it before.”

“Enough talk.”Rosalia’s smile widened.

“Come into my stomach already. It’s empty… and it hurts.”

The moment she finished speaking, she whipped out the chain in a frenzy as her body launched forward like a cannonball. Murderous intent flooded the surroundings.

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