Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Lynn carried Sophia on a dragon and flew all the way, finally landing in front of the temple in the Plague City.

This temple, once the most magnificent hall of the plague god, is now completely empty and still reeks of blood.

The door was wide open, and the inside was pitch black, like a giant mouth.

The square in front of the palace was littered with broken bones and rotting flesh, and occasionally a few mangled corpses could be seen, traces left by the rampage of the dead.

The wind blew in through the doorway, making a howling sound, like someone was crying.

Upon arriving at the rear hall, Sophia was simply thrown to the ground.

She lay there, motionless, without raising her head, like a corpse.

She didn't speak, cry, or beg for mercy the whole way.

She simply stared into the void, her eyes long since extinguished.

"Get up," Lynn said.

Sofia did not move.

"I'm telling you to get up." Lynn's voice remained unchanged, but it carried a hint of mental power that pierced into Sophia's consciousness.

Sophia slowly got up, her head bowed, and stood in front of Lynn like a wooden statue.

"From today onwards, you will be a maid here, serving me tea and water, and cleaning."

Lynn walked past her and into the temple.

Sofia stood there, not following directly.

The wind blew her hair, revealing her pale face. Her lips were trembling, but she bit her lip and didn't make a sound.

maid?

She had been a saintess of the Temple of Wisdom since childhood. After the gods fell, she lost her status as a saintess, but she still received the respect of Lyon and the City of Liberty.

Now... she's going to be a maid for the "great demon" who slaughters all living beings?

Or... should I just end it all?

But thinking of the heartbroken Lyon, Sofia felt a pang of reluctance.

She wanted to know how Leon was doing.

She stood there for a long time, so long that the sun moved from the east to the west, then she turned around and followed them into the temple.

She had already made up her mind.

If the great demon really intends to defile her, then she will rather die!

Whether he will still be able to commit suicide by then is unknown.

...

It was darker inside the temple than outside.

Sunlight streamed in through the broken dome, casting patches of light on the ground.

The spots of light shone on the collapsed statues, on the shattered altars, and on the dust covering the ground.

Lynn sat nonchalantly on the steps in front of the altar, holding the golden sword in his hand.

Free will.

He looked at the sword over and over again.

The blade is golden, the guard is shaped like outstretched wings, and faded strips of cloth are wrapped around the hilt.

There was still a thin halo on the blade, but that halo was fading. The power of the world was resisting, struggling, and calling out Leon's name.

Lynn closed his eyes and probed the sword with his mental energy.

Deep within the core lies a golden light—the power of the world.

Four chains of rules—protection, purification, courage, and power—are wrapped around the light.

Each one is pure; this is a sword forged by the will of the world using the laws of origin, specifically for the chosen one.

Lynn drew the first rule chain from his sword, and the golden chain floated out of his palm and entered his body.

It becomes part of flesh and blood, part of bones, and part of the soul.

The shelter rule allows him to sense the source of all dangers in his surroundings and automatically trigger defenses at critical moments.

The second rule is the purification process...

The third rule, the rule of courage...

The fourth principle is the Law of Power...

The four rules were integrated into his body, but Lynn's aura remained unchanged; for him, this was merely icing on the cake.

What he truly desires is that power of the world; by possessing enough of that power, he can gain control over a portion of the authority.

Lynn's mental energy probed into the core of the sword, entangling the golden light. The power of the world seemed to sense the danger, twisting and struggling desperately like a snake that had been caught.

It didn't want to leave the sword, didn't want to leave this world, and didn't want to be absorbed by an outsider.

But it was just a ball of energy without any will, and after struggling for a few moments, it was pulled out by Lynn.

Golden light emanated from the blade and entered Lynn's palm.

Warm and gentle, like soaking in a hot spring.

The power of the world flowed within him, permeating every inch of his flesh, every bone, and every strand of his soul.

He could feel that there was a new connection between himself and the world.

It's not about being bound, it's about having authority.

The world's will did not recognize him as its master, but he stole a portion of its authority.

Lynn opened his eyes; the sword in his hand had dimmed.

The halo on the blade completely disappeared, turning it into an ordinary iron sword with an ornate design.

He casually stuck the sword into the steps at the entrance of the temple, the blade disappearing into a crevice in the stone, standing upright in the wind.

"Little Swordsman, wait patiently for your destined one," Lynn said.

Sofia stood in the corner, watching him do all this, without saying a word.

Lynn stood up and walked out of the temple.

He hovered in mid-air, closed his eyes, and probed the depths of the world with his spiritual power.

The regular light bands were still there, but dimmer than before.

He extracted the godhood of the plague god, as well as the godhood of the seven gods, leaving the world's origin extremely weak.

With the divine rules of the eight great gods as his bond, Lynn has some control over the rules that share the same origin as them, making it easier for him to draw them out.

He wasn't in a hurry. To prevent the various rules from self-destructing and merging into each rule light band, he extracted a small section, condensed it into a chain, and integrated it into his body.

A small fragment of the rules of war is incorporated into the left arm.

A small fragment of the rules of wisdom merges into the space between the eyebrows.

A small fragment of the rules of death, woven into the spine.

A small part of the harvest rules was integrated into the dantian.

A small segment of the storm's rules merged into the legs.

A small part of the forging rules is incorporated into both hands.

A small fragment of the rules of love and desire seeps into my heart.

...

With each stage of integration, his body grew stronger, and his authority over the world increased.

The plague city was quiet, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional howl of the undead.

Sophia sat idly on the temple steps, hugging her knees, staring at the sword stuck in the crack in the stone.

The divine sword remains magnificent, but it has lost its spirituality and the righteous power it contained.

She didn't know what she was looking at, but she didn't know what to do.

Serving tea or water? There's no tea, no water, not even a cup.

Cleaning? The temple is too big; there's dust and bones everywhere. It's impossible to clean it all up.

Moreover, she didn't want to be a maid.

She just sat there.

Until the sun set, the moon rose, and the stars shone one by one.

Sofia looked up at the stars.

Long ago, in the Temple of Wisdom, she often imitated the Grand Elder, gazing at the starry sky and listening to his mystical pronouncements.

At that time, she still had faith, hope, and a future.

Now there's nothing left.

Lynn fell from the sky and landed in front of her.

"A maid should act like a maid. Go and pour me a glass of water."

Sophia glanced at him, stood up, and walked into the temple.

She found a broken bowl, wiped it clean with her sleeve, scooped half a bowl of water from the water vat behind the hall, and brought it back.

As for whether the water in the tank is clean or not, that remains to be seen.

Poisoning him would be doing the people a favor.

Sophia thought viciously.

Lynn took the bowl, took a sip, and handed it back to her.

"Stand aside."

Sofia obediently stood aside.

Lynn sat down on the steps and closed his eyes to rest.