It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Grayer responded quickly and retreated backwards, waving the machete in his hand.

"You all heard it, retreat quickly, we have to change tactics!"

But it was obvious that retreating was not something that could be accomplished with just a single word. Otherwise, Nowen would not have specially arranged for Grayer to cover the remaining nuns. Trija's long staff was still holding back four or five madmen. If she relaxed even for a moment, these guys would likely pounce on her, preventing her from getting up again.

"Don't rush us... There's no way we can retreat immediately."

They said they were going to shrink their front, but their defense was already at its limit. Withdrawing personnel would put that defense in jeopardy.

Grayer first chopped off the head of a madman in front of him, then twisted to avoid the gushing foul blood, and dodged the attacks of the remaining limbs. Then, taking two steps at a time, he leaped in front of Trika and swiftly killed several madmen.

"That's it. Let's gather more mobile forces and quickly clear out the crazy people in front of us. Hurry up!"

Trija looked at the muscular, usually serious, and even somewhat rigid man before her, and felt an unusual sense of reliability from him. She quickly put away her staff, moved to Grayer's side, and began to act.

Each time a nun began to maneuver, it meant opening a defensive line, allowing more enemies to approach. The frenzied ones wouldn't just attack Greer, they might also attack Norman. Therefore, if Greer provided support alone, it would only increase the pressure on Norman.

Therefore, the first person he chose to incorporate into the mobile team was Trija. Among the nuns, she was considered the most capable fighter. This way, Grell could turn around and safely deal with a few more madmen before gradually retreating.

It sounded easy, but in reality, Grell didn't have much energy left. From the moment he took his first step, he was almost constantly hacking away at these madmen. His body, already exhausted from the long battle, was beginning to feel a bit tired. Even with the slight support from the nuns in the church, Grell was still walking a tightrope.

If he relaxed even a little, he would be easily provoked by these brutal lunatics. Of course, even in this case, Grell would not back down.

Stuck on the dangerous edge of the cliff, they quickly retreated to their defensive line, gathering all the nuns together. Next came the most crucial moment: they had to begin retreating towards the interior of the church, which also meant gradually reducing their firepower.

As soon as they started doing this, they would face the possibility of being out of manpower and being overwhelmed by this group of crazy people at any time. Although Grell believed in Nowen's judgment, he still couldn't help but feel a little worried.

What exactly do you want to do, Nowen? Leaving the three of us here is not enough.

Chapter 436 Beyond Plan

Having said that, Grell also didn't want to see the nuns get hurt. He and Trija immediately formed a short formation to protect the nuns.

"Get in quick! All of you!"

The nuns quickly retreated into the gate, and the pressure of the attack instantly fell on Tricia and Grell. Hearing Tricia's increasingly rapid breathing, Grell took a big step forward, using his body to occupy more space, briefly creating a safe retreat opportunity for Tricia. He continued to shout,

"Just leave this to me, go in quickly."

“…No, I can’t go in.”

"Why are you still hesitating at this moment? Let us professionals take care of this..."

Grayer glanced slowly behind him at Trija. He had intended to offer a soothing glance, to reassure this resolute nun and allow her to retreat from the front lines. But this glimpse instead revealed something that shook him to the core.

Tricia's complexion had begun to harden, changing from an unhealthy cold white to a slightly bluish hue. Tiny flower stems had sprouted from her cheeks, spreading like a plague.

In her gradually changing pupils, there was a madness of weakness and bloodlust. Her light brown hair hung diagonally on her haggard face, as if foreshadowing her imminent death. Her hands tightly grasped her long staff, her body leaning weakly against the door behind her.

"I'm… already exhausted, Mr. Grayer. I thought I could hold on a little longer, charging into the enemy camp and taking out a few more, then ending my life. But now… I'm afraid if I pick up this staff, I'll strike you."

"Please... kill me. I know it's cruel, but you have to do it."

Looking at the two festering wounds on Terri's neck, Grell understood everything. Terri had probably been injured by those madmen a long time ago. She had persevered to this point solely through her own willpower.

If I don't kill her, she'll probably come after me. If I get infected too, Norman... no, this place will be in big trouble.

Although Grell knew this very well, he still hesitated for a moment when he saw the nun's final words, which she spoke with tenderness and concern for others, yet still retained a resolute look. He stabbed a madman behind him in the head, kicked them away, and then raised his blade with both hands to show his final respect to Trija.

As the oldest member of the team and the most experienced adventurer, Grell always believed in decisiveness. He was a man of few words, and even in the beginning, he spoke less to avoid getting too close to others. This was so that he could also uphold this creed when facing his own people.

But Grell was still human after all. Just like when he was under the influence of alcohol, he let go of himself and showed a different side of himself to Bai Lin and the others. How could he not hesitate when faced with such a situation?

"I'm sorry... I'm not a clergyman, so I can't pray for you. I can only wish you rest in peace."

"That's good."

A faint smile played on the corner of Trija's mouth, and that warm smile remained forever on her head as it flew further away. With a look of pain on his face, Greer loosened his knife-wielding hand, grabbed Trija's shoulder, dragged her body away from the door, and threw it into the pile of corpses in the distance.

In this situation, they couldn't even do something as simple as recovering their teammates' bodies. A wave of sadness washed over Greer. Just as he was about to close the church door for the nuns and turn toward Norman, a strange, stabbing pain shot through his body, like an electric current, from the base of his feet.

It’s over.

Aside from the vast blankness in his mind, only these two words remained in Grell's heart. A pair of dry claws on the ground were tightly grasping Grell's heels. He subconsciously swung the blade twice, shredding them to the ground, and then shouted loudly,

"Nowen, there's a change of plan. I'm in big trouble!"

"What???"

Norman's disbelieving voice echoed from nearby, and his pupils constricted. His original plan, completely shattered by such a simple injury, was completely shattered. The Purple Flame Mage, understanding the situation, straightened his body and transformed his accumulated magic power into a continuous stream of flames. Like a purple flame lance, he slowly pushed back the enemies in his straight line, and retreated backwards himself.

The last three adventurers also squeezed into the interior of the church. Given the current emergency and the lack of backup, they needed some time to formulate a countermeasure.

Although the closed door looked very solid, the violent banging still resounded against it. Even after being strengthened by magic, it did not give people any sense of security.

Grayer looked at the blade in his hand. He quickly cut off his pants with the blade and stuffed the cloth into his mouth. Then, with determination, he slashed the blade at the eroded part.

The horrific screams and splattered blood nearly frightened not only Grell but the surrounding nuns as well, nearly fainting. However, they still stepped forward with unwavering professionalism, healing Grell's broken wounds before restoring the extremely weakened man to his seat in the church.

The Purple Flame Mage conveniently burned the feet, while Norman leaned against the wall dejectedly, his mind swirling with the anxiety of his plan's failure.

What should they do now? Crazed men have also appeared outside the backyard, and they could face a double-sided attack at any moment. Not only have they lost many nuns, but even Grell is unable to fight.

According to his original idea, he only needed to let Purple Flame Mage use big spells to divide the battlefield, and through his own support, let Grayer and the magician cooperate to eliminate the enemy from a long-range level, but now it has completely collapsed.

"I'm pretty much aware of the situation, Pastor Norman. You've done well. Go rest for a while. We'll need to prepare for the Holy Circle. Every bit of magic power you recover will be effective."

Chapter 437 Can't Give Up

The blonde nun, with a look of fatigue on her face, slowly walked out of the church, holding a cross in her hand.

The overly ornate, heavily decorated cross staff and the pristine, dust-free white robe were once again donned on her. Wearing these symbols of her youth once again, Livlin felt a strange feeling.

But it is undeniable that the equipment I bought at a high price is quite fitting and the effect is really good.

However, compared to the past, my skin might not be as good as it was. Livlin smiled bitterly in her heart, but still wore a calm smile as she gently touched the bottom of her staff to the ground with a sound.

"Next, I will complete the magic circle that I have prepared earlier. Everyone, be prepared to defend this church. We cannot give up until reinforcements from Camitlan arrive!"

Livlin exuded a refined, sacred aura, with a white robe, a holy staff, and golden hair and blue eyes. Her former sharpness had faded, and now she exuded a gentle, approachable demeanor. Her simple words lifted the spirits of the crowd. But she knew full well that no one present could give their full potential.

In such a situation, all of them would have doubts. They would doubt whether they could withstand the wave after wave of attacks and successfully survive.

After all, people are afraid of death. In a desperate situation so close to death, no one can calmly and directly make the decision to sacrifice for others.

They were nuns, believers in God, bound by their teachings and protecting those weaker than themselves. Yet… they had spent their entire lives devoutly serving the almighty God. Yet, not only had God not offered any signs of help, he hadn't even given them any guidance.

To some extent, it will still make people feel a little shaken.

The banging on the door intensified. Livlin knew she hadn't inspired everyone, so she quietly carved the magic circle beneath her feet.

She couldn't control other people, but this time, she would never make a decision she would regret. She would fulfill...her responsibilities.

-

"I've almost figured it out. To put it simply... this isn't just a simple spell. It won't be so easy to break."

Katie, who had been analyzing the situation, finally came to her conclusion. Yue Lingluo stared blankly at the stairs ahead. Kong, like a god of war, casually beat down the swarm of madmen who kept coming up, wave after wave. After hearing Katie's conclusion, she couldn't help but reply in confusion,

"Huh? Then what's the point of analyzing it for so long?"

Katie shook her head calmly and continued,

"It's not completely meaningless. According to analysis, this is at least seventeen closed-loop complex spells composed of three catalysts. Based on my narrowed-down scope, I have made five hypotheses... However, the current situation does not seem to allow me to test them one by one."

Katie knelt on the ground. Before her were five different colored magic circle prototypes, but none of them contained any magic power; they were just simple magic circle models. Sora silently left the front battlefield, casually sealed a few protective walls, and then stood beside Katie and said,

"Hmm... these two can be ruled out. You should have just learned the Abyssal spell category, right? They don't like to make things so messy, they are usually more neat. As for the remaining three, it's just a matter of time..."

Kong waved his hand casually, and the two magic circles were blown away by the wind like dust, and disappeared without a trace. Then he took out a small bottle from his body and dripped it on the remaining three magic circles.

"This is what I've already completed, the source of the law. But I've used up all the materials I have. Bai Lin brought those raw materials from somewhere, so there shouldn't be much left. Otherwise, with that guy's ability to plunder, he would have brought back dozens more..."

"I'll leave it to you to decide how to break the impasse, Katie. Completely curing everyone... I'm afraid it's unlikely."

Sora flirted with his words, then padded forward again to stop the frenzied crowd. Katie slowly touched her finger to the liquid on a magic circle, feeling everything within.

…Indeed, I can't think of any way to replicate these things. But—

She softly chanted a spell. As her low, drawn-out chanting continued, the surrounding magical barrier began to flicker, as if disturbed. A wisp of black mist, enveloped in a yellow-green liquid, slowly rolled towards Katie's body.

Katie Pelo closed her eyes. Painful cold sweat slid down her forehead, but she did not stop chanting. Yue Lingluo felt that something was wrong and shouted loudly,

"Are you okay, Katie?!"

Katie quickly extended her other hand, blocking the way in front of her. Then, from her waist, she pulled out a large amount of transparent silk thread. With difficulty, she opened her eyes and placed all the threads on the ground. The previously chaotic threads seemed to be immediately drawn in, swirling around the magic circle and spinning like ripples, rippling in regular circles.

Gradually, the black mist on her body fell away, dripping like ink into the center of the magic circle. What emerged was a large amount of yellow-green liquid filled with the light of life. It seeped into the silk threads, dyeing them all the same color.

"That's fine, Miss, please make them into temporary magic tools."

Kong waved the black magic in his hand with one hand, and replied with a gentle smile,

"You really know how to give people problems, and you're even so hard on yourself. Since the magic circle in your body will lose its conductivity, why not just use your own body as a medium to reconcile it? In terms of fearlessness, you're really on par with Bai Lin."

What Katie had just done was nothing more than using her own body as a container for a chemical experiment without proper procedures. It was even more complicated than that. Just as Yue Lingluo was about to say something, Katie replied directly to Kong.

"Then please keep this secret from Bai Lin, Miss Kong."

"Even if I don't say it, you two already know it to some extent... However, since I'm an outsider, I naturally won't say anything."

Chapter 438 The Rumored Genius

She stretched out her hand and drew a circle in the air. The chaotic lines came alive, swirling along the trajectory of her hand, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into three bracelets.

"You've learned a lesson, Katie. This will at least stop them, and things will be much easier."

Sora didn't hesitate to praise him, and put on the bracelet himself, and threw one to each of the remaining two people. Katie, still frowning, replied,

"However, this can only solve the problem in the short term. Although it gives us room to maneuver, it is still best to protect ourselves in times of crisis..."

Just as Katie was expounding on her thoughts, the sound of cloth being torn echoed from in front of her, interrupting her speech. Sora, with his bare hands, forcibly tore through the magical barrier before him. Then, with a simple wave of his hand, a massive black hand sent all the frenzied people flying.

"It's not a big deal, just maximize your profits. This bracelet is a valuable resource that can prevent their condition from worsening. If it's used better, it might even save more lives. As for your safety..."

Sora tilted her head and smiled. Her cherry-pink eyes, illuminated by the nightlight, seemed even brighter. Reflecting the starry sky, they were deep, mysterious, and beautiful. Even Katie couldn't fathom her thoughts, but at the moment, Sora was clearly on their side.

This feeling is very reliable. Katie felt this way and walked towards Sora, then replied,

"I'll do as you say. Thank you for your hard work, Miss."

"Let's go, let's go and share some of the pressure with Bai Lin."

-

"Everyone, listen to me. This may be sudden, but please stop accumulating your magic power. I have a better proposal."

In the somewhat dead silence, almost hopeless, temple of God, a not-too-loud male voice seemed particularly clear. The voice interrupted Livlin's spellcasting and attracted everyone's attention.

"What's wrong, Nowen, what do you want to do?"

Although he almost fainted due to his injuries, Grell still managed to stay awake after receiving treatment, ready to contribute his own strength to the church's magical wall.

Although he didn't understand what Nowen was trying to do earlier, the strategy was ruined, not because of Nowen's decision-making errors. On the one hand, it was due to the accident, and on the other hand, Grell himself was in a trance after killing his own teammate with his own hands.

If there were a better solution to the current situation, he would naturally be happy to hear it. But Grell's tone wasn't one of inquiry, but rather a serious questioning. He saw Norwin's anxious fingers rubbing back and forth on his staff. His eyes were also filled with unease, and his entire demeanor exuded a sense of uncertainty.

You know, if the person who proposes the plan doesn't believe in it, then there is a 99% chance that the plan will not be implemented, and it may even kill a large number of teammates.

Of course, after so many years of sharing life and death with Nowen, Greer had always trusted him. But he also knew that Nowen was, arguably, the most cowardly person on their team. In this critical moment, he could trust his teammates, but he also had to understand what was confusing him.

Nowen lowered his head slightly, falling into silence. For the past period of time, he had been contemplating what he should do. A multitude of chaotic thoughts, like a tangled mess, swirled in his mind.

That is the story of Novin when he was a child and lived in this monastery.

That year, Nowen was only seven years old. He was already beloved by the nuns at the monastery, but his talent could only be described as decent. Within the monastery, there was another nun nine years older than him, known as a "genius."

She was a true genius. According to rumors among the nuns, no nun of such talent had ever appeared since the monastery was founded. Whether assisting teammates or providing healing, she mastered everything instantly. At such a young age, she found a team of adventurers and began her adventure career.

At first, Nowen was still just a child. Seeing that everyone seemed to favor the nun more, he couldn't help but feel a little competitive. Knowing he couldn't match her efforts, he resorted to childish pranks. It was in this situation that the two of them developed a strong bond.

That day, when Novin was caught and scolded by other nuns for playing a prank on the nun for the nth time, she stood up, stroked Novin's cheek with her gentle hand, and forgave him.

"Be good, don't do this next time. God wants us clergy to get along with each other in a friendly manner. If you have any dissatisfaction with your sister, you can come and talk to me directly."

There was no trace of anger in her extremely gentle tone. Although the nun's hair and clothes were still wet from Nowen's prank, her movements and expression were as if nothing had happened.

Of course, how could such forgiveness make a rebellious child let go of his pride? After the nuns released their grip on him, he fled. But that incredibly gentle nun had already left a unique impression on his young heart.

According to the nuns' rumors, she possessed a divinely crafted body, flawless and born the most holy being; she had a pair of beautiful golden eyes, crystal clear, like the divine sunlight that guided everyone forward. But...

It’s completely different from what was rumored, isn’t it? Nowen thought angrily.

When the nun's hand caressed Norman's cheek, he felt the countless calluses that bore witness to the vicissitudes of life. And when he met her gaze, he saw a pair of ordinary golden eyes.

Aren't there so many people like her, with eyes like her, out there? Why does everyone praise someone like her as so sacred and great? I don't understand!

If he was truly inferior to others, then Norman's young heart would probably only hold a hint of resentment. However, the facts, which were so far from the rumors, caused him to harbor even more doubts.