Wrath of God

"Th-three million? Holy crap!"

"My god, three million people died at once?"

"That's too heartless! Slaughtering three million people just to pursue some evil power? Damn, that's brutal!"

"Netherworld Undead? Who are they talking about?"

The bell-like voice resounded throughout Luo Cloud City and for tens of thousands of miles around, shocking every player and native who heard it.

Three million people, killed in an instant. It was a complete disregard for human life. Among the dead were their relatives, friends, and lovers.

Players might take it a little more lightly, since they could resurrect in three days. At worst, they'd lose some equipment and levels, wasting a bit of time and effort.

But the three million weren't just players. The black mist had also slaughtered hundreds of thousands of natives. These were people born and raised in the Great Wasteland who had committed no crime. To be slaughtered for no reason naturally stirred up powerful public resentment.

"Who is this Netherworld Undead?"

Crash!

In Lanyun City, a thousand miles from Luo Cloud City, Mayor Lucas shot up from his throne. He crushed the wine glass in his hand, splattering a nearby attendant.

Lucas wasn't just the mayor of Lanyun City; he was also the clan leader of the demi-humans.

Although demi-humans possessed immense aptitude compared to the other races, their numbers were few. Because their aptitude was so great, several times that of humans, they were never truly accepted by the human race.

Over the years, Lucas had led the few thousand remaining members of his clan through various empires. They had traversed the territories of eighteen different races, humbly begging for a place to call their own. But time and again, they were deceived and used, never finding a true home for his people.

Eventually, Lucas had made a connection with the High Commander of the Snow Empire, finally settling his people in Lanyun City. He himself was appointed as the city's mayor.

He thought they could finally have some stability. He hoped to give his people a peaceful life, a chance for their clan to grow.

But now, just after hosting a banquet, half of the thousand clan members who had been celebrating were instantly killed!

"Netherworld Undead, for the blood of my kin, it will be your death or mine!"

At the same time, the five great empires of the Northern Wasteland and various other powers were all alerted by the bell-like voice. Almost as one, every powerful figure turned their gaze toward Luo Cloud City.

Despite the vast distances, a golden statue of a priest, so tall it reached into the clouds, appeared in everyone's vision.

The towering stone statue radiated ten thousand rays of golden light. It was like a deity descending to earth, a sight that shocked everyone to their core.

All across the land, people involuntarily fell to their knees, devoutly confessing their sins to the image of the priest.

"Is this... the intervention of a god?!"

In the Kingdom of the Skeleton King, Al Liezh had just risen. He looked out at the thousands of his subordinates kneeling on the ground, their teeth chattering as they mumbled prayers. The very color of his bones seemed to change.

Perhaps the divine power couldn't reach its full strength at this distance, so he wasn't as greatly affected as his miserable subordinates. Still, his heart was deeply shaken.

"Who has provoked the wrath of the gods?"

The Skeleton King wasn't blind. He could see the ten thousand rays of golden light shining in the sky and naturally recognized the power emanating from the divine statue. He couldn't imagine who else but the gods could wield such immense power.

"Slaughtering three million in a single battle and provoking the gods' wrath... Does that dog-shit skeleton think our Undead race isn't miserable enough? Is he trying to bring about our extinction?"

Al Liezh cursed angrily.

"Is this... Blue Skeleton's doing again?"

In the Temple guild hall, Xie Changkong, Zhao Bai'an, and the others stared at the golden light that pierced through the clouds. The expressions on their faces shifted.

"Blue Skeleton is certainly impressive, managing to provoke divine punishment."

Zhao Bai'an said languidly.

"That's the statue of Father Artush, isn't it? From what I know, he's supposed to be an incarnation of the Sun God... the Sun God's spokesperson in the mortal world," Wind Demon Jue Ying said with a helpless sigh.

"It can't be Artush himself," Su Lian'ya interjected. "I only sense a very weak purification power. Most of this golden light is... dark power."

Suspicion flickered in her eyes. Her spiritual power was particularly strong. Despite being a life-class player with no magic, she possessed a special sensitivity to the unusual energies of the Great Wasteland.

"Even if it's not Artush himself, it's still not something Blue Skeleton can resist in his current state."

"Although he's our enemy, I honestly don't want to see such an extraordinary figure die so pitifully," God Hand Illusionist Ren Cangqiong said with regret.

"This is divine wrath. Even if it's from a false god, who in this world could possibly resist it?"

Xie Changkong frowned, feeling a genuine pang of pity for Jiang Cheng's impending fate.

"I wonder how the god will punish him."

As they looked up at the towering, majestic stone statue in the sky, the vice-presidents of Temple all felt a sense of regret for Jiang Cheng.

Just then, the statue in the sky, which had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke again. The expressions on everyone's faces changed instantly.

"Netherworld criminal Jiang Cheng! Arrogant and conceited, you practice the power of the Nether River. You have wrongfully slaughtered three million lives from the hundred races, causing grieving souls to plague the mortal world. Now, in the name of God, all evil power shall be stripped from you! You are hereby imprisoned in the Pure Land!"

The voice boomed once more.

"To appease the restless souls of the slaughtered and to purify the mortal world, all who lost loved ones to this criminal may travel to the Pure Land in Nether Death Valley. There, you may avenge your deceased relatives."