Ma’en City, Rust Hammer District
Heavy clouds obscured the moonlight, leaving the dim city district in a blanket of silence.
In an alleyway about 500 meters from the Glimmering Church, ten hooded figures in black robes prowled under the cover of night.
The leader of the group pressed himself against the base of a wall, his sinister gaze scanning the surroundings as he led his companions past the patrolling guards.
Soon, they arrived at a clearing deep within the alley.
The group of black-robed figures suppressed their auras and worked with practiced coordination. They noiselessly cleared away the layers of silt that had accumulated over the years to draw a large hexagram array on the ground.
The leader raised his left hand, revealing a withered wrist. “Fellow Abyss Divers, let us call upon our Holy Lord together. May He rain down punishment upon those heretics — “
As soon as he finished speaking, the leader pulled a dagger from his robes and pressed it against his wrist while staring at the distant Glimmering Church.
“Wipe out those hypocritical heretics once and for all!”
With those words, he slit his wrist. Warm blood splashed onto the array, and a mysterious power surged out of thin air, causing ripples to oscillate through space.
—
Not far away, the Glimmering Church was brightly lit.
The brilliant glow of magical lamps shone through the stained glass, casting a warm radiance over the red carpet in the center aisle.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of gardenias, which blended with the sweet aroma of the oak pews to create a unique fragrance.
The atmosphere was sacred and solemn.
At this moment, a strange wedding was taking place inside the church.
A priest wearing white robes with gold trim stood beside the high altar, his expression kind as he clutched a Holy Emblem.
Standing on the platform was a handsome young man dressed in magnificent attire. He stood tall, a gentle and friendly smile gracing his face.
However, there were no guests below the stage to offer their blessings, nor was there a single musician to play a processional.
The entire church was deathly silent.
*Creak!*
Both of their gazes turned toward the heavy oak doors. As the doors slowly swung open, the bride emerged from the darkness.
She was not tall, barely 1.4 meters, with a figure that lacked any curves.
She held a vibrant bouquet and wore a pure white dress with a long trailing hem and a white satin veil.
The bride — Vivian — stepped lightly onto the red carpet and walked forward.
Her gaze was fixed on the young man on the stage, her skirt swaying gently with every step.
Each movement brushed against the young man’s heart, stirring a sense of enchantment and making his heart flutter.
The groom — Nolan Sanders — stood steadily on the stage, watching her approach with intense focus.
This was undoubtedly the happiest moment of his life.
Because he was getting married!
He was about to start a new family with Vivian.
Perhaps in the future, there would even be a few little ones running around his feet, calling him father.
At that thought, waves of sweetness naturally welled up in his heart.
Though, he didn’t quite know why he was getting married…
A doubtful thought flashed through his mind at an inopportune moment.
Nolan’s thoughts were like rusted gears that suddenly *clanked* to a halt because of this idea.
But a moment later, his mind became active again, beginning to race uncontrollably in a different direction.
‘Right, why am I getting married? This isn’t right…’
Countless questions and confusions tangled in his heart, leaving him dazed and lost in thought as he stood rooted to the spot.
He was a regressor. In his past life as a Paladin, he had spent the majority of his years rushing about to destroy the Gate of Hell.
He had experienced the sacrifice of his comrades, the destruction of his family, and many trials he had overcome, finally reaching the front of the Gate of Hell.
In the end, however, his efforts fell short. He had died at the hands of a powerful demon.
Perhaps it was the protection of the God of Light, or perhaps it was his unfulfilled conviction.
Whatever the reason, he had unexpectedly returned to the past, back to the period when he had just become a knight.
At this point in time, the kingdom had not yet fallen, and his family was still alive.
There might still be a chance to change everything in the future.
This time, he had decided to use the information he brought from his past life to his advantage.
He would set out once more on the path to subjugate the demons, undo the tragedies of his previous life, complete the mission of destroying the Gate of Hell, and restore peace to the world!
This path was destined to be covered in thorns, and he had long since prepared himself to walk it alone. He had never even considered getting married or starting a family.
‘So… why am I getting married right now?’
Nolan pondered the question once more.
By then, Vivian had already reached him.
Nolan’s eyes fell on the girl in the wedding dress, and he shook his head with a light chuckle.
‘Forget it, I shouldn’t think too much…’
Nolan naturally reached out and interlaced his fingers with hers.
The cool, soft sensation from his hand caused him to feel momentarily dazed.
He gently lifted her veil.
He saw the girl’s tender expression and the happy smile on her lips.
Nolan’s heart felt as though it were soaked in warm sunlight. The regret of his unfulfilled goals from his past life and the gloom of losing his friends and family vanished entirely.
Her long black hair flowed down, her features were exquisite yet carried a hint of childishness, and her eyes were as crimson as dripping blood, radiating a lethal, cloying intensity.
Vivian… my future wife, the mother of my future children. This is the lovely person who will accompany me for the rest of my life.
But a sense of unease surfaced again, and a thought that came from nowhere flashed abruptly through his mind.
‘But — but I’ve known her for less than two days.’
‘We don’t know each other well enough. I only even know her name…’
‘So… why am I taking her as my wife?’
‘It couldn’t be that… I’ve been hypnotized, could it?’
Wait?!
As that thought occurred to him, Nolan’s head felt as if it had been struck by a massive force. A sharp pain and a wave of dizziness caused his consciousness to blur momentarily.
He nearly lost his composure during the ceremony.
He hurriedly raised his hand to press against his temple, trying to alleviate the abnormal sensation.
‘This is wrong… something is very wrong!’
At that moment, his right hand was suddenly gripped tightly.
Nolan felt a sting of pain and turned his head in surprise toward the petite girl beside him.
He happened to meet Vivian’s gaze just as she turned to look at him.
A red light flashed deep within Vivian’s eyes.
Nolan suddenly felt a wave of coolness wash through his mind, and the thousands of thoughts he had just been having were instantly discarded.
‘Heavens! What was I thinking? I actually doubted my most adorable wife!’
‘Even though we’ve known each other for less than two days, that isn’t important.’
‘True love can cross the barriers of time!’
‘I believe she loves me!’
The gentle smile returned to Nolan’s face.
He took Vivian’s hand, and they walked together toward the kindly priest.
“Are you willing to accept him as your partner, whether…”
The priest’s voice was old and benevolent.
“I am,” Vivian said without a shred of hesitation. It seemed as though she had been looking forward to this in her heart for a long time, and the words slipped out instantly.
Her crisp voice cut through the air and reached the softest depths of Nolan’s heart, causing a fountain of happiness to well up within him.
‘Yes, we shall be together for the rest of our lives…’
—
It was time for the exchange of rings.
Nolan lifted her small, fair hand, and the platinum band slid steadily onto her ring finger.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest said with a smile. “You may kiss your bride.”
Nolan focused his gaze on Vivian’s face once more.
First were those mesmerizing red eyes, then the delicate bridge of her nose, and finally her soft, cherry-pink lips.
Vivian closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes, pouting her lips slightly.
Then, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips.
They were warm, soft, and sweet…
The priest lightly clapped for the newlyweds and offered his blessings.
Suddenly, the priest felt a scorching heat against his chest.
His heart tightened, and he hurriedly pulled the Holy Emblem from his robes.
The Holy Emblem was trembling incessantly and emitting a blinding holy light.
It was enchanted with a demon-detecting spell that would issue a warning whenever a demon was nearby.
The priest realized something was wrong and shouted sternly at the couple, “There’s a demon!”
Before he could finish his sentence, the ground of the church shook violently, and the lights flickered.
Dust and sand hissed down from the ceiling. The air inside the church became thick with dust, and their vision gradually grew blurred.
Nolan quickly pulled Vivian into his arms and dove forward.
The elderly priest, whose hands and feet were no longer nimble, didn’t have time to dodge.
He was buried under the falling stones.
The church was like a sandcastle pushed over by a naughty child; half of the structure completely collapsed and turned into ruins.
And the culprit gradually emerged from the swirling dust.
It was a muscular demon, as massive as a small mountain, with pale skin and a giant, round belly.
Flames of orange-red burned upon its back, and there was a terrifying, large mouth on its stomach.
Thick magma churned within the demon’s giant maw, occasionally splashing a few drops onto the ground with a *sizzle*.