Chapter 1317 - The Army of Apocalypse (2/2)

Although they had been weakened throughout the years and were in slumber for a good hundred odd years, the wardens were still a bastion of martial prowess. After being fortuitously empowered by the force within the disc, they had recovered about 70% to 80% of their strength. For these warriors who had faced the nightmare of Lockmarton for eons, the monsters before them were nothing but worms.

The remaining Chaotic monsters were soon dispatched by the unknown knightly order and torn apart by the allied monstrous army.

As the dust settled, Hao Ren recalled his scattered droids before he got ready to meet the mysterious knightly order from Fidelinopolis. But Y’lisabet started to run towards him in short bounces, her horns still burning with felfire embers. She tugged Hao Ren by the sleeve. “Uncle Ren, Uncle Ren! They look like they’re heading back!”

Hao Ren looked up and saw that the survivors of the monstrous army were wandering aimlessly on the battlefield. They were collecting broken weaponry and some seemingly writhing pieces of flesh. After letting out an unintelligible roar, they soon dispersed, ignoring the knights and wardens around them as they headed back to camp.

Nangong Sanba tried to stop one of them to glean some information, but he was practically ignored.

Though Hao Ren actually felt that Sanba should have been more concerned about his sister who had rolled far away…

The knightly order soon reorganized after the battle, and they sent a troupe ahead to report their victory to Fidelinopolis while the rest stayed behind to sweep the battlefield and collect samples… A few clerics, who appeared to be of high rankings, flew over and landed before Hao Ren as well as his “heavenly reinforcements”.

The leading figure was an imposing elder with a white beard, and he wore a holy robe with gold lining. He held a platinum staff while a runic circlet adorned his head. His getup was similar to Calaxus’. He bore an expression of awe and reverence as he gazed upon the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon. As a high-ranking member of the clergy, he would, of course, know of the 21 wardens that served the goddess, and he knew the looks of each and every one of them by heart. He could clearly see that the giants before him were 10 members of the wardens!

“You are… the Lord of the Mountains?” the elder finally spoke after much astonishment. Being in the Nightmare Realm, he never thought that he would meet the legendary Geddon, and he recalled the last message left by the pope, which mentioned that… the wardens had been corrupted?

Geddon nodded. “Verily I am. You are from the Sanctum? How did you and your city end up here?”

The elder took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. “We were following the will of the pope, and we joined the war of martyrdom—”

Even before he could finish speaking, Calaxus’ voice came from behind Geddon. “Verrol?”

Calaxus was helping a few Church Knights dispel some of the Chaotic taints they had suffered in the battle earlier. He had just made his way to the rest when he saw the negotiating clerics.

“Calaxus?” The elder was surprised as well. “Why are you here? Goddess above… I thought you perished in Ansu!”

“Goddess above!” Calaxus was elated upon seeing familiar faces. “The same goes to you! How did you lot end up here? Noah? Benjamin? Hopkins? You’re all here?!”

A series of names escaped Calaxus’ mouth as he looked on, dazed at the clerics and knights behind Verrol. He seemed confused. “Does this mean that… that the city on the plains is Fidelinopolis?!”

“Is there a second one?” Verrol retorted.

Hao Ren realized that the two were about to go into the deep end of nostalgia and quickly interjected, “We can leave all that for later. Do you know where did that… army of monsters come from? I saw you fighting alongside them.”

While he was curious about how Fidelinopolis got teleported there, he was even more curious about the question he just asked.

Verrol gave Hao Ren a suspicious look before he realized that the plain-looking man was probably the leader of the group.

As he spoke, even Geddon and the other mighty warriors only nodded and listened on.

After he collected himself, the high clergy sighed. “They are not monsters. They are the last of the combat group that remained in the Forgotten Abyss.”