There's a skeleton dungeon connected to my basement.

Chapter 504, Atonement! Bring your own courage!
The things originally prepared for the God of War were used first in this Ghost Cave.

Rows of cumbersome steel behemoths, densely packed Salvation Army warriors, and newly joined Wild Elf Raptor Archer Cavalry of Hope.

In terms of high-end combat power, Hope City is not at a disadvantage.

The Lost Ones have always had a tradition of sending exploration teams into the Decaying Lands.

Throughout the years of dispatching heroes, quite a few powerful figures have emerged in this world.

Now, as Xiao Yang raises the banner of the City of Hope, these powerful warriors who have been wandering in the decaying land are gradually gathering together.

"Epics and even legends exist, and there are quite a few of them."

As for the more powerful ones...

The champion archer leading the Wild Elves team is a genuine demigod-level divine warrior.

They advanced rapidly until the group discovered the fallen ghostly cave, at which point the horns were sounded, and they gripped their weapons and charged forward.

There is not much room for strategic maneuvering in the war in the decaying land.

"This decaying land is too dangerous."

“Surprise attacks, ingenious schemes, and frantic mobile warfare are all inappropriate.”

"No one knows what they will encounter next when walking alone on the decaying land."

Setting up a battle formation and pressing forward squarely is a last resort.

"go ahead!"

"go ahead!"

A deep shout echoed towards the dark and terrifying eeriness before them, as warriors, the Salvation Army, and those powerful explorers gathered there.

They all rushed in without a word.

The moment you enter the Ghostly Cave.

A dense array of ghosts and monsters appeared before my eyes.

This is the outermost defensive mechanism of the Ghostly Cave.

The battle began very directly.

The most common profession in the Salvation Army is currently that of a soldier.

Among the vast number, there will always be a few exceptionally talented individuals who advance ahead of time, completing their advancement to higher-level warrior classes such as Knight, Sword Saint, and Berserker.

These beings were the first advance force to enter the Ghostly Cave.

Only with sufficiently powerful equipment can they withstand the first wave and this most ferocious tide.

He frantically brandished his weapon.

Ghostly corpses, monsters, skeletons, and domesticated demons pounced on them.

These messy things were killed one by one.

The mechanical mage was among the second group to arrive.

These muscular mages, specializing in earth elemental variant metal magic, carried large quantities of steel materials and pre-processed parts, like self-propelled industrial machines, and hurriedly began construction.

Soon, one steel fortress after another was built along this front.

Then there was a group of priests who worshipped the God of Radiance.

During the shamanistic dance, the power of that somewhat overly manic guy was drawn in.

A dazzling light suddenly burst forth, instantly wiping out most of the ghosts and monsters in the area.

Among the vanguard, this group of guys is the most dazzling.

Standing at the very front of the battle line, without divine radiance upon them, they wielded weapons, mostly warhammers and giant axes, their armor painted a scarlet blood color.

Unfazed by death, their forward pressure was nothing short of insane.

They fought while shouting wildly.

"For the great heroes!"

These guys were mostly survivors, and they were the most fervent supporters of the great hero Xiao Yang.

They regarded him as their spiritual pillar and support.

Treat them as your own gods.

Because of what Xiao Yang did.

As time passed and the City of Hope expanded.

Survivors would occasionally arrive at the Rotten Land. Most of these were individuals with distinctive features, who entered the City of Hope with hesitation and doubt, but often soon became Xiao Yang's most loyal followers.

Even the most resolute displaced people still have a way out before the world behind them is destroyed.

But these survivors are different.

"Once they have seen the light, even just a glimmer of it, they will never tolerate such a terrible world again."

Choosing Xiao Yang is a no-brainer.

This extreme, resolute, and stubborn guy who leaves himself no way out.

"The enemy of the mad god!"

He has already made his stance clear.

"As long as I am alive, I will not retreat! Fight! Fight!"

In such situations, even voting with one's feet can quickly yield a result.

The pressure of the past, the prolonged struggle, the ever-present threat of death, the physical strain, and the uncertain impact on one's mental state.

Many of these survivors exhibited clear self-destructive tendencies.

"Not afraid of death."

Therefore, their casualty rate is the highest among the many groups that make up the City of Hope, and they are also the most capable fighters.

Xiao Yang did not use this fighting strength to deliberately maintain the survivors' extreme destructive tendencies.

in contrast.

He encouraged childbirth while simultaneously mandating that people be left to raise the children, and also prevented the newborn survivors from being corrupted by the evil god.

He doesn't need a bunch of fragile yet sharp weapons.

Only when the deep horn sounded again did the leading survivors finally retreat slowly and unwillingly.

The battle lines have been basically set up.

More Salvation Army warriors carrying magic rifles are entering this dark region.

Compared to those elite units, each with its own distinguished background, the Salvation Army was rather unremarkable in every respect.

They don't have the same level of superiority as the Velociraptor Rangers.

They also lack the balanced experience of the elite explorer squad.

They couldn't compare to the brilliance of those heroes who, early on, embraced their ideals and stepped into the decaying land.

They couldn't compare to the fervor and disdain for death displayed by the survivors' blood army.

But no one can deny it.

"They are the backbone."

A mixed bag of characters.

Mercenaries, gamers, graduates of the extraordinary initiation program, farmers wanting to change their fate, laborers, down-on-their-luck nobles, and aimless drunkards.

Aside from criminals and thieves.

You can find almost anyone in the Salvation Army.

No, not long after, you'll even find thieves and criminals in the Salvation Army.

The results of the second round of enrollment expansion were not ideal.

Or.

The Salvation Army needs far too many people.

The new regulations have been initially drafted and will soon be officially implemented.

The law stipulated that criminals and thieves from every settlement in the City of Hope and the Land of Decay would be sent to the front lines, and their crimes would be reduced based on their performance and merits.

Such regulations will appear.

It's not surprising, since in the very beginning, during the initial stages of the Great Expansion, a large portion of the displaced people who were placed in the City of Hope were criminals.

The City of Hope does not discriminate against those who commit sins.

"As long as you have the courage to atone for your sins."

“They even get paid.”

(End of this chapter)