A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Are you thinking about something strange?

Saint Karina noticed Philomena's blush, but didn't point it out; she simply teased her gently.

"I...I'm sorry, Your Holiness...I was still..."

Unlike those tsundere types who would simply say "Baka baka urusai" and stubbornly refuse to admit their mistakes, Philomena readily admitted her error.

She did think of some things that were inappropriate for the time and occasion, and they were about the Holy Maiden.

"It's okay, you're a frank and good kid."

Saint Karina ruffled Philomena's head, seemingly unconcerned.

Although I didn't see the girl I imagined, blushing and denying it with a resolute expression, Philomena's version is still quite cute.

"As for chess..."

Saint Karina deliberately glanced at Philomena's large, round headlights, paused, and then slowly began to explain.

"It's just asking you to use divine speech to create elemental constructs similar to chess pieces, and then defeat them..."

As is well known, unlike Chinese chess, which is simply a flat, drum-like round board with Chinese characters written on it, international chess is anthropomorphic, with a very striking image, and it certainly doesn't lose its value when used in battle.

160. Learn to play chess

Chess, also known as Western chess, is a two-player board game. The chessboard is square and consists of 64 alternating black and white squares. There are 32 pieces in total, with 16 pieces for each side.

There are kings, queens, bishops, knights, rooks, and pawns. Saint Karina taught Philomena how to create them using magic, giving the pieces a will.

Or rather, this is actually a branch of Divine Words—the Creation category. Philomena, having reached the eighth rank, has already touched the threshold of mastery.

To make the created pieces obey, a leader's personal charisma is needed.

Philomena created chess pieces clad in silver armor, but unlike the traditional chessboard pieces, they resembled clergy attire.

At this moment, the fiercest beasts finally began to move. They gathered into a torrent and fearlessly charged towards the fortress.

"Aww...aoww..."

"Silver-armored shieldbearers, draw your swords!"

Philomena remained completely calm in the face of these wild beasts charging at her with red eyes.

She calmly gave the order, and then the black torrent and the silver chess pieces collided.

The longswords at their waists were drawn simultaneously. Because they were not human but magical creations, the silver-armored shield soldiers obeyed the command and drew their swords to pierce the body of the black panther charging ahead.

They originally intended to use a chop, but the black panther was very fast, and it was Philomena's first time commanding, so the decapitation operation had to be replaced with a heavy blow.

"呲呲..."

The blood flowing down the sword to the ground was corrosive; it wasn't normal red blood, but milky white.

Not only that, their bodies were also rapidly decaying, turning into puddles of white liquid that exploded on the spot.

The effect was practically a biological weapon, and Saint Karina was somewhat relieved that the two of them weren't fighting the enemy with their bare hands.

After all, although it might not be life-threatening, being hit by a mobile self-destruct bomb modified by white mist would corrode intact flesh, leaving it torn and bleeding. Unless one has masochistic tendencies, no normal person would enjoy it.

"Kakaka..."

Even the sword, which was merely a magical element, had its silver-white blade corroded by this eerie white blood, emitting a sound of unbearable humiliation.

As expected... things aren't that simple. There's something wrong with this fog...

The previous beasts were simply too small in size; it is only through quantitative change that qualitative change occurs, like these larger creatures.

"Artillerymen, lock onto area, beam cannon!"

The chess pieces, each wielding primitive firearms and cannons, began to move. Their movements were synchronized and well-trained, as they aimed their cannons at the area where the silver-armored shield soldiers were putting up a fierce resistance.

"Boom... Rumble!"

What flew out of the cannon was an enhanced version of magic missiles; they seemed ruthless enough to decide to kill even their own teammates.

A blinding light spread out with the sweeping attack.

The beam of light first charred the beast's fur, then burned its flesh and blood. A single beast could easily kill a squad of adults, and its thick fur, capable of withstanding most steel weapons, was surprisingly vulnerable to the beam attack.

As time went on, their bodies turned from black to gray. Many black leopards, hyenas, and jackals, still in their lunging posture, were reduced to ashes.

A gentle breeze blew, and countless particles of dust drifted down under the beam of light.

The terrifying force struck friendly forces, yet the automatic recognition system rendered it ineffective. However, for the enemy, the beasts met a far worse fate.

Almost every beam of light took away several creatures. This was repeated four or five times in front of the position, like plowing a field, and the number of wild beasts was reduced by more than half.

They were hesitant to act rashly, fearing the consequences, and instead watched the two from a distance.

The feeling of the earth trembling because of the surging beast tide was unpleasant, but now it has finally stopped.

"Ouch..."

However, they did not retreat. Instead, they made way for a monster with a huge head and body, at least the size of a small hill, to emerge.

It turned out to be a creature that was entirely white and resembled a white tiger in size.

"Roar!"

It is no longer an ordinary beast, but an incarnation of the Mist Lord, possessing some of the powers and abilities of the eerie white mist.

The white tiger narrowed its eyes, its gaze filled with human cunning rather than instinctive bestiality.

This feeling of being watched is not comfortable. It's like the farmer and the snake, with a predatory beast eyeing your life, possessing intelligence comparable to yours, scheming to bite off your neck and end your life at any moment during the confrontation.

"Your Holiness, it..."

"There's no doubt about it. This white tiger isn't just a wild beast; it's part of the fog itself. Didn't you see that the fog around us is even thicker?"

"I understand. Your Majesty, please come forward!"

Philomena is directing the pieces; it's a king-to-king situation.

In fact, at her level of strength, even a White Tiger Mist Beast that looks intimidating is no match for her.

What appeared to be a deadly trap was, for Philomena, just an ordinary game.

The Queen's chess piece, adorned with magnificent equipment, is the most mobile piece and plays a crucial role in the entire game.

"Scepter, smash the leader!"

With a burst of power, the Queen Chess's eyes met those of the White Tiger, which was staring straight at her, and its scepter had condensed into an immense pressure.

The key piece using magic is a melee mage; a terrifying cloud of magic is gathering in his hand, and a huge, dazzling white flame is accumulating power. This scene seems slow, but it is actually very fast.

In fact, it was all over in an instant. After Philomena gave the order, the Queen, who had just drawn her scepter, unleashed the White Flame Style at the White Tiger. The terrifying magic, like an intercontinental ballistic missile passing through, poured out and formed a fan shape centered on the Queen.

The energy surge that erupted outwards tore apart the beasts along its path, and white flames burned fiercely on the land it passed through. The white tiger's eyes were also serious and looked as if it were facing a formidable enemy when it was attacked.

"Roar!"

The White Tiger also spewed energy waves, but according to the law of opposing waves, the one on the left is bound to lose. So the White Tiger was able to hold on at first, but was quickly overwhelmed by the Queen's momentum, and the energy waves tilted towards her.

Its body was annihilated by the impact of the light waves, turning back into mist and merging into the white fog.

"finished?"

Philomena wasn't the type to excel in combat, nor did she have a way of determining whether this inanimate, eerie mist beast was dead. She could only raise her eyelids and ask Saint Karina with a questioning gaze.

"not yet……"

Although the mist beast had disappeared, Saint Karina could sense that an even more terrifying power was gathering from the thick fog.

Moreover, according to the Black Forest Law, they would never escape so easily in this situation.

161. False Dragon

As the decisive moment drew near, a tension unique to the battlefield hung heavy around the large tree.

Because they are magical creations, the obedient chess pieces are now holding their breath, calming their minds, and the entire army is quietly waiting for the moment to arrive.

Because of the eerie fog, the clouds moved very quickly.

Every time the sunlight is obscured by an inexplicable shadow, Philomena can't help but look up to see if the final boss is swimming in the air. Just by looking at this action, you can tell that a sense of vigilance is dominating Philomena's mind.

“You seem a little nervous, Philomena.”

Saint Karina, speaking softly and calmly, caught a glimpse of Philomena, who was standing beside her, pecking at the rice and nodding.

"I'm sorry, Your Holiness, I..."

Having served His Holiness the Pope for many years, Philomena, whose personality was somewhat too straightforward, felt a little guilty.

She was indeed overwhelmed by the tension, but she also felt a little embarrassed.

The Holy Maiden had clearly told her that these mist beasts wouldn't affect her, yet she...

Philomena understood her mission—to serve as the chess player in the expeditionary force—and she was confident in that.

This confidence stemmed from her trust in the Holy Maiden. However, whether it should be called confidence remains somewhat questionable.

"Don't worry, you just need to give instructions."

Saint Karina's words possessed a certain magic, like those of a wizard.

The chess pieces, which were originally shaped like clerical professionals, have subtly changed, and their appearance has begun to resemble wizard chess pieces.

For example, from the front, standing at the very front of the punitive expedition were sword-wielding infantrymen with hunched backs.

The old swordsman had six swords at his waist, holding two of them in his hands, maintaining a posture that allowed him to charge forward immediately.

The steady sword energy that entwines the sword infantry, the area that has reached a point of sharpness that cuts to the skin, has been refined to this state just to prepare for the moment of sorrow and longing.

The sword-wielding infantry's pure way of life makes one feel a sense of incongruity with the occasion.

So it turns out that sword infantrymen who master the Heart-Immersed Silver Sword Technique can maintain the purity of their souls to this extent.

"You see, the chess pieces will also change according to your and my state of mind."

Behind the sword infantry pieces are the other pieces, each with an expression of resignation, and their morale is also very high.

They obeyed Philomena's orders and awaited the final boss's arrival, but deep down they probably still harbored doubts. Even so, they did not object and remained obedient, respecting Philomena's judgment.

Philomena felt a strong sense of obligation to reciprocate this trust.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

A surge of energy was building within her chest, drawing ever closer, and a thrilling fighting spirit gradually tormented Philomena's heart.

She touched the short handle of the scepter, confirming the tactile feel of the "cult" emblem carved there. This was a habit she had had since childhood, and also a magic that infused her with enlightenment.

"Although I was not trained by His Holiness the Pope to be a combat-oriented priest, but only served as an assistant to His Holiness the Pope in handling official duties based on my talent and training, I would like to respond to Your Holiness's expectations."

We must win.

Feeling the boiling fighting spirit in my chest and the touch from my fingertips.

Philomena believed that she could fight against any opponent, no matter how powerful they were.

Having cast aside her doubts and suspicions, she focused her mind and waited for the head of the mist beast to appear.

However, in the silence, the presence of any powerful being could not be sensed.

Disappointing—that's not quite right, but the battlefield remaining unchanged for several minutes made Philomena waver slightly.

Was the intelligence flawed, or was the assumption incorrect? Where exactly did the problem lie?

The tranquility of the fog remained, and there was no sign of the enemy in the surrounding scenery.

"Uh."

Looking up, Philomena immediately realized that her thinking was superficial.

The clouds that blocked out the sunlight slowly descended, drawing ever closer.

—That's not a cloud.

That was the shadow of a huge white dragon, a magical beast floating in the air.

If it were a real dragon, Saint Karina would have made Philomena and herself run away, or directly crush the unsealing stone to release the last bit of power within it. However, the one in front of her, although it had the enormous body of an adult dragon, did not possess the powers of a dragon; it was merely a pseudo-dragon that had stolen a portion of a dragon's power.

In essence, it is still a mist beast. It's just that the enhanced version has become the ultimate version.

"call……"