At the other end of the forest, a paladin finally made her decision.
“That’s the situation…”
Xue Zhongxun Mei knelt before Aiya, sobbing dramatically.
“Their beginner village is a castle brimming with dark energy, and they used a slime monster to slaughter over a hundred of us otherworld travelers! Lady Paladin, you must bring us justice!”
Aiya, mounted on her steed, closed her eyes, seemingly pondering Xue Zhongxun Mei’s words.
Then, her eyes snapped open, holy light coalescing at her lance’s tip, shimmering in harmony with the sunlight.
Her azure eyes fixed resolutely on the horizon.
“Rest assured, I’ll ensure darkness and evil have nowhere to hide.”
As Aiya’s figure receded, Xue Zhongxun Mei shed her feigned sorrow, her expression twisting with rage and despair.
“Priest Hero… you cost me my standing in the guild. Let’s see how you survive this time!”
***
Meanwhile, back at the castle, Bai Yue Ling, still reeling from earlier events, was snapped back to reality by a system prompt:
[Warning! A faction war has been triggered.]
[Your mission “Fallen Light” has been updated.]
[Current Mission Objective: Do everything in your power to fend off Paladin “Aiya’s” attack and corrupt her to the Dark Faction. If that fails… kill her!]
“A faction war… Aiya’s coming for us?”
Bai Yue Ling jolted upright, instantly alert.
Looking around, she found herself lying on a bed made of white bones.
Ying Ye sat nearby, head bowed like a guilty child.
“Little White, I’m so sorry about earlier…”
“It’s fine, I slept like a baby,” Bai Yue Ling replied.
For her, not dying was already a stroke of luck.
The bigger issue now was dealing with Paladin Aiya.
“I can sense that annoying paladin approaching,” Luoluo Yue said, her eyes brimming with disdain.
“Paladins blindly hate the Dark Faction. She’s definitely here to wipe us out.”
“We need to defend this castle,” Ming Die said softly. “It’s our home.”
They’d just defeated Sky Treader Guild, and now Aiya was attacking—a storm right after the calm.
On their side, NPCs Ming Die and Luoluo Yue were only Level 10, while Bai Yue Ling and Ying Ye were below Level 10.
For Level 10 players, a Level 30 paladin was near-invincible. Their odds were slim.
Bai Yue Ling took a deep breath. “So… this is our final battle in the beginner phase.”
If they won, they’d reach Level 10, graduate from the beginner phase, and leave the village.
If they lost, all their efforts would be for nothing, and the beginner village would cease to exist.
Ying Ye asked worriedly, “What happens if we fail?”
“If you fail, Beginner Village 4444 will be gone. As otherworld travelers, you’ll drop to Level 1 and be reassigned to another village,” Ming Die said, shaking her head. “And we’ll die.”
Death…
For players, death meant losing a level.
But for World of Fate’s NPCs, it was the end of their real lives.
Luoluo Yue’s eyes drooped, her tiny wings sagging.
She’d just escaped her dark cell and tasted the essence of a beautiful girl, convinced things could only get better.
Ming Die remained expressionless.
As a necromancer, her view of life and death differed from most, but that didn’t mean she was fearless.
The castle was deathly silent, filled only with the heavy, tense breathing of the girls.
An invisible pressure weighed on Bai Yue Ling’s heart.
Suddenly, she snorted, waving her Staff of Charm-Sorrow.
“It’s just a measly Level 30 paladin.”
Meeting everyone’s gaze, she flashed a confident grin.
“Trust me. Even if you’re all useless trash fish big sisters, I’ll lead you to victory!”
A scheme to deal with Aiya took shape in her mind.
Going toe-to-toe with a Level 30 paladin was a losing battle.
But she could use her fallen angel’s corruption powers to outwit Aiya, weaken her, and drag her into the Dark Faction!
***
Boom!
The tranquil forest erupted with howling winds and swirling dust.
Paladin Aiya galloped forward, her lance cutting down every monster in her path.
Suddenly, a fierce gust swept through, and a pitch-black demonic wolf leapt from the trees, unleashing three wind blades.
Aiya raised her lance, blocking them with a sharp clang.
Her horse wasn’t so lucky—one blade sliced it apart. Aiya leapt off, landing steadily.
Raising her lance, her gaze was diamond-hard.
“A Level 20 Wind Blade Demon Wolf hiding in the forest… You must be the king of these woods.”
The wolf’s feral eyes locked onto the human.
Though clad in armor, its instincts screamed that her flesh was delectably tender.
It roared, lunging like an arrow.
“I’d rather not waste mana on you, but if I don’t take you down here, the nearby villagers won’t sleep soundly,” Aiya said.
Her eyes blazed with holy light as she stepped forward, countless rays converging at her lance’s tip into a golden beam aimed at the wolf.
Sensing danger, the wolf tried to dodge, but the beam locked onto it relentlessly.
“Judgment Cannon!”
A laser shot from the lance, the radiant beam piercing the wolf in an instant.
***
At the same time, Bai Yue Ling’s head snapped up, as if hearing something.
A brilliant golden meteor streaked upward across the sky, its holy aura filling the air, forcing nearby trees to bend under its terrifying power.
“That’s the Judgment Goddess’s paladin-exclusive skill—Judgment Cannon,” Bai Yue Ling analyzed calmly.
“It’s powerful but consumes massive mana. For a standard-build paladin, she’s probably down to 50% mana now.”
The enemy burning half her mana before the fight was a godsend for Bai Yue Ling.
Ying Ye, curious, asked, “Little White, how do you know so much about the game’s lore?”
To her, Bai Yue Ling was like a walking encyclopedia, knowing things most players hadn’t even begun to uncover, as if they were trivial facts.
Gripping her Staff of Charm-Sorrow, Bai Yue Ling’s petite frame stood resolute at the bridge’s entrance.
“Because World of Fate is just a really simple game to me~”
At that moment, Aiya emerged from the forest.
Her eyes immediately locked onto Bai Yue Ling across the bridge, her steadfast gaze wavering slightly.
“Little White…” Aiya sighed. “You really did deceive me. You’re a spy for the Dark Faction.”
Unexpectedly, Ying Ye stepped forward, pressing her dagger to Bai Yue Ling’s neck, forcing her to kneel like a hostage.
“Sister Aiya!”
Bai Yue Ling’s big, adorable eyes brimmed with tears as she wailed pitifully:
“Save me!”