Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

"A state-mandated system?" Ratstick shook off its soaked white fur. "Ratstick doesn't want a human system, Ratstick wants freedom."

"Being employed means receiving a monthly salary, being able to get reimbursed for work-related injuries, and receiving a pension upon retirement."

"pension……"

The mouse felt like it was a cheese that was visible but untouchable, and that it might disappear on its own after a while.

"It's very useful. Money brings freedom. With silver pounds, you can go to the human world to buy things—cheese, smoked meat, nuts…"

"The store won't accept rats." It knew that if it went in, it would only get a broom.

"So you're leaving it with me, and I'll pay for it for you."

While it was thinking, Gordon packed the supplies the team had received, including regeneration compound, sobering salt, bandages, and life-saving ampoules, into two waterproof canvas bags, hung them on its body, threaded a rope through its abdomen, and tied a knot.

In the blink of an eye, it successfully transformed from an over-evolved white mouse into a camel-like beast with large front teeth, its two backpacks swaying as it walked.

"It's quite convenient," Shirin observed.

Today she was carrying a rifle that was almost taller than herself. The rifle was waterproofed and had a walnut stock that rested on the ground, allowing her to fully utilize her shooting accuracy.

"What are you doing carrying a clothesline with a trigger on it?" Gray questioned.

"I can hit the bullseye every time, Mr. Hunter," Shirin said earnestly. "I can take down those hiding bad guys. I tried it at the shooting range, and I could shoot down a fist-sized can from 500 meters away."

"You don't need to lift a finger. I'm enough for the entire wading chapel. You can take some time to think about how to recall this magnificent battle, especially my friend who only has a wire."

"Your information is outdated. I am now the expert." Gordon raised his right hand.

The Void Flow Demon Sword gathered before him, transforming into a thin and sharp blade.

Gray was nonchalant at first glance, but became serious upon second glance.

What a beautiful weapon.

Like frozen moonlight, an undercurrent of the Milky Way, or a unique dream, no craftsman could create something so beautiful.

"You'd better protect yourself." Gray looked away and strode forward.

Eve held aloft her ever-burning lantern, its light illuminating the path ahead and revealing the neat brickwork on either side of the waterway. Above, the cast-iron drainpipes roared as they filled with rainwater.

The six-man Gordon team continued forward.

Just like a real adventurer's party, Gray led the way, Gordon was in the middle, Eve and Vera were on the left and right respectively, Shirin was carrying a spear and bringing up the rear, while Ratstick carried supplies and pointed ahead.

The further you go, the richer the flavor of Lendnheim becomes.

The smell of rancid oil from the restaurant, the sulfurous smell of wastewater from the gas plant, and the stench of human excrement mingled together.

:

If Gordon hadn't separated the sewage along the way, their clothes and shoes would have been among the first casualties of this battle.

After passing through several gates, the urban engineering of Lundnium gradually fades, revealing things that are much older.

The uniformly fired gray bricks have disappeared, replaced by enormous black stones, each with interconnected arc patterns carved on its surface, like ever-expanding ripples and waves.

Gordon took out the Lundenim groundwater map to check the direction.

With rats to guide them and hydrographic maps to indicate the situation, they arrived about 30 minutes earlier than Scarlett had anticipated, giving them ample time to prepare.

The chapel was right at their feet.

"This is it."

An ancient vertical well appeared ahead. Five people and one rat stood on the edge of a circular stone platform, looking down.

A loud singing voice came from below.

"Singing has started... twice. It's scary..." Mouse sticks out cautiously.

Gordon listened carefully and indeed heard two completely different singing voices.

The two sang in harmony.

The singer's tone is closer to human singing. Ellen's voice is still as clear as it was a few months ago. The syllables rise and fall like the tides. When it is high, the sound is spacious, enticing people to go into the deep water. When it is low, the sound is faint, like the low-frequency hum of deep-sea creatures, making people feel numb in the bones.

The singer's voice was more elegant and ancient than that of Elaine; wherever the melody passed, the waterways resonated, and the rock walls began to seep water and weep.

Yes, it was exactly the same song Gordon heard at the Rice Pump Station, absolutely mesmerizing.

Ningning is responding to Elaine, slowly approaching the chapel wading through the water.

"Let's hold off for now and stick to the plan. Once the top investigators and the Empire's main force launch their attack and draw Olivia and Severin's attention, we'll suddenly descend and search for the singer and the mermaid," Gordon planned.

"What a flood." Gray walked to the ancient well, looked down, and saw torrents of rain pouring down from above, crashing down with a deafening roar. "We're going to wade into the chapel from here? I'll be fine, but you'll definitely fall to your deaths."

"I'll divert the water first, then lower the net. As long as you're careful, it'll be fine."

"When did you acquire so many skills?" Gray questioned.

In his mind, Gordon didn't have that many abilities.

Now he's not only adept at playing in the water, but he also has a new magic sword, and it seems he has an even longer thread, and his luck with women seems to be even better.

"This is just the beginning." Gordon stretched. "By the way, does your weapon need recharging? Anyone want to share some unpleasant memories?"

"What does that mean?" Eve asked.

:

"My gun uses human emotions as ammunition." Gray twirled the spiritual pistol in his hand. "It will erase your feelings about the past. You will still remember many things, but you will no longer feel joy or sorrow because of them. The stronger the emotion, the better."

He glanced at everyone.

Nobody moved.

"What, what happened to your childhood traumas and psychological scars? Have they all been healed all of a sudden?" Gray questioned vehemently.

"Pain and hatred are what drive us forward, aren't they? I don't want to completely forget about them until I've dealt with some people and things." Eve smiled slightly.

"Chirp." The rat raised its paw.

As a mouse, it also has its own troubles and anxieties.

"What strong emotions can you possibly have?" Gray complained.

He really didn't want the dirty rat to touch his perfectly maintained gun.

But if the gun isn't charged for a while, it will run out of bullets, so he still pushed the handle forward.

Ratstick rested its paws on the gun, sharing the intense emotions it felt in the underground world.

The most obvious one is shame.

Although it is intelligent and tries to talk to people outside of Gordon's stuff, the sewer workers are afraid of it, and some patrol officers will shoot it.

Those wet-footed people in the underground world during this period, not to mention, would want to take the rat stick and cook it whenever they saw it.

Shame, yes, yes.

Rat knows very well that he is an outcast who is not accepted by the human world.

If this feeling could be burned away, perhaps life would be better for the rat.

"Alright." Rat retracted its paw, feeling much lighter.

"120 rounds." Gray twirled the gun around. "That should last a while. You're such an emotional, brainy gutter rat."

"Rat sticks aren't stinky gutter rats," it said.

"Once you have a permanent position..." Before Gordon could finish speaking, a muffled explosion came from afar.

The empire's offensive has begun.

……

boom!

After precise calculations, directional explosives were used to blast open the rock strata.

:

Above the chapel, an entire rock stratum was pushed out of the cave by the shock wave, large rocks flew out and fell into the deep pool below, stirring up a large area of ​​lake water, and smoke kept pouring out from the gap.

Scarlett was the first to walk to the edge.

She led the engineers and artillerymen to blast open the high ground, looking down at the chapel in the flood, her scarf billowing behind her in the hot wind.

The chapel, wading through water, unfolded at her feet.

It was built on a giant rock, and several narrow stone bridges connected it to the surrounding cliffs.

The roof of the chapel connects to the drainage system of Lundnium, where torrents of rain rush down, roaring and deafening, forming multiple waterfalls.

It's hard to imagine that the ancient Rundnium people could discover such a large cavity underground and then build such a beautiful and mysterious church.

"Be careful." Scarlett glanced at the black pool below. "We don't know how deep it is, or where it leads. If you fall in, no one can save you."

"Yes, sir." An army major understood. "Our men are ready."

The regular army of the Logris Empire lined up on the stone bridge below, the officers' commands and the sound of their boots hitting the ground filling the air.

At the other end of the bridge, thousands of wet-footed people and swimmers had gathered in the chapel.

They carried harpoons, battle axes, and smuggled foreign military rifles. The weapons were a mixed bag, including standard rifles from Tunisia, firearms phased out by the Rus' Empire, and various weapons provided by Norheim, Osteria, and other countries.

Scarlett shook her head when she saw the firepower in the mermen's hands. Some countries were very happy to weaken the Logris Empire.

Many cases involving cults eventually lead back to foreign forces after investigation.

"The time has come, prepare to attack."

Beside her, artillerymen pushed two light field guns forward, loaded shells, and then fired at the chapel.

Boom!

The shells were fired directly at the historic building.

Heavy stones exploded in the firelight, and the old ballistae that the Hermitage had placed high up were quickly blown to pieces. The flames illuminated the cave, and the sound of the impact reflected back and forth along the walls.

With artillery support, the soldiers of the First Battalion advanced across the stone bridge.

"Keep the queue!"

Facing the army pressing towards her, Olivia pushed open the chapel doors and slowly appeared.

She wore a deep sea blue evening gown with a wide skirt that flowed like waves, long gloves that covered her arms, a deep blue gemstone around her neck, and held a Holy Grail in her hands.

Upon seeing her arrival, the cult warriors below the steps barely calmed down.

"We have so few left, yet they still try to take everything, with guns and fire from the shore," Olivia said sweetly. "Today we are not fighting for God. Know that your families and loved ones are in this chapel. Fight for their lives. There is no turning back. If you cannot hold this place, they will all be burned and hunted down."

:

The cultists looked up and gritted their teeth.

Even though they were dressed in rags, they gritted their teeth and turned towards the regular army advancing in their direction, their fear quickly coalescing into a desperate hostility.

Seeing that she had inspired their fighting spirit in the most effective way, Olivia smiled.

The field unfolds.

【The Blue Our Lady: The Palace of the Maids of the Dark】

The damp curtains quickly fell from the surrounding openings, and a muffled heartbeat echoed through the cave, like a giant fetus awakening underground.

thump...

thump...

The advancing soldiers suddenly slowed their pace, felt a wave of dizziness, and found their guns to become unusually heavy. The officers' orders became vague and no longer important.

The first soldier dropped his spear, followed by the second and the third.

Faced with the cultists rushing towards them, they could only stare blankly at their own hands, either slumping down in dejection or hugging their knees, their eyes instinctively turning to those older than themselves.

When the desire to act is lost and the ability to communicate is diminished, commands and discipline lose their meaning.

"Maintain formation...!" The officer drew his sword and shouted the order, but the command was like a stone falling into layers of blankets, unable to reach the hearts of the soldiers.

Seeing that the enemy was unable to resist, Severin, who had been lying in ambush on the side, finally stepped out.

He raised the holy sword high.

The next moment, the entire underground black pool suddenly surged with towering waves, which, guided by Severin's sword, transformed into a continuously rising wave! It attempted to crash down from both sides.

"Top Investigator!" The army major looked on anxiously.

If the black waters were to close in, a company of soldiers on the stone bridge would vanish into the deep water!

"..." Scarlett raised her right hand.

Beside her, the artillerymen cried out in alarm as heavy shells simultaneously left the ammunition racks.

The cast iron projectiles rise upwards, hang in the air, and line up one after another.

Crimson lightning streaked along the surface of the shell, creating rings of crimson light and emitting a sharp buzzing sound.

She pointed forward.

Lightning Bolt!

: