A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

As she walked, Zao Lu even had to jump onto a high-rise building to get a better view of the teams' locations.

The price she paid for doing so was that she noticed many eyes scanning her direction and beginning to track her. She knew very well that she had been exposed to the observation range of the crossbowmen on the other side.

It was precisely because she sensed those gazes that Zao Lu's mood became even heavier. Clearly, the enemy had already laid numerous traps, determined to succeed.

Was I too hasty?

Zao Lu couldn't help but think this. There were still many shortcomings. Most of the marchers were driven by enthusiasm and passion, and lacked strict discipline. Yet they still confronted the army group so early, which led to the army group seizing the opportunity.

However, there was no other way. From the moment they secured the police department's support, people's enthusiasm had reached its peak. They had to take action to vent their pent-up resentment.

In a sense, while the early dew ignited the rebellious passions of the people of Chernobog and resonated with them, it also swept them up in their chaotic passions, leading to overly radical actions.

Perhaps, as Lyudmila reminded herself, when deciding to attack the inner city, one must be prepared for failure.

But if given the chance to do it all over again, Zao Lu would probably still make the same choice... because for the people of Chernobog, there is no such thing as a perfect solution; the most important thing is to race against time to let more people see the truth.

"We caught up!!"

Zao Lu's gaze sharpened, and after dodging a few probing crossbow bolts, she leaped from the high building once more.

Even if she fails, she will do her best to help more people in Chernobog survive.

Not far ahead, Gulag walked forward with a gloomy face and his head down. The wounds on his back still burned terribly, and fear almost swallowed his thoughts.

In that dark, sunless basement, the man with the fierce look in his eyes wore a mocking expression, as if he were looking at a beautiful toy. He reveled in the sounds of his own pain, showing no intention of asking him anything.

He just kept saying that his whip had killed no less than a hundred people, and that each of them could not last an hour before being whipped to death. He hoped that he could last a little longer.

At first, he thought the other person was just bluffing, but when he felt the increasingly intense and rapid lashing, he realized that the other person really wanted to beat him to death.

Even after he begged for mercy, the other party still wouldn't give up, saying that they didn't care at all and just wanted to watch him be beaten to death.

He only stopped himself after he fainted several times. He now believes that he survived perhaps because his performance was so humiliating that the other person lost interest in torturing him, thus allowing him to live on.

He eventually agreed, promising to lead the Iron-Blooded Axe to incite more people to raid the border army's granaries. Once he had these people encircled, his mission would be complete.

Although not all the people had been brought here, this number of citizens should be enough to complete the task that Dor had assigned him. Gulag thought to himself.

"Just a few more steps and we'll be there... Don't blame me, blame yourselves for overestimating yourselves and insisting on going against the border army..."

The Gulag has lost all its noble bearing and has forgotten the hatred for its parents, becoming a dog of the entire Dor out of fear.

Of course, he also harbored resentment, resenting that someone else could enjoy boundless glory and be fawned over by everyone, while he himself had to endure torture and become someone else's dog.

"boom!!"

Just then, the beautiful figure that he felt jealous of descended from the sky and landed in front of everyone.

"Everyone!! Stop! There's a trap set by the border troops ahead!! If you go in, you'll all die!"

Early Dew immediately shouted:

"Now, follow my orders and run towards the main force immediately!! It will be too late if you wait any longer!!"

Upon hearing the announcement of the early dew, those who were rushing forward were all taken aback. They stopped in their tracks, looking at each other, unsure whether it was true or not.

"Don't listen to her nonsense! The grain that the border troops looted is not far ahead. Once they get that stuff, the people of Chernobog won't go hungry for a long time!"

“Even if we can’t take it all, we must burn it all! Without food, those border troops will have no fighting capacity at all. You made all of this very clear on the radio.”

At that moment, the Gulag, hiding in the crowd, shouted loudly:

"Natalia! Why are you stopping us now?! You've been dragging your feet ever since we breached the walls! Were you giving those border troops a break—uh!!"

Before Gulag could finish speaking, Zao Lu instantly flew into the crowd and lifted him up. Then, apologizing to those around her, she used their shoulders to fly out of the crowd and return to her previous position.

With a loud thud, Gulag was slammed to the ground, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Natalia, what are you doing! Release our boss!" At this moment, the Ironblood Axe members realized that their boss had been slammed to the ground and shouted angrily.

"Natalia, what right do you have to kidnap our boss, and not even let him finish speaking! Do you really have something to hide?!" another "clever" person questioned. (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the main story.)

"Damn Natalia! Why—why do you always have to ruin my plans!!" Gulag, who had fallen to the ground, also stared at Zaolu with a venomous look, as if Zaolu was the person he hated most at this moment.

"Fools! You still believe this guy at a time like this!" Zao Lu angrily rebuked, "He's been missing for a long time since this afternoon. During this time, he already surrendered to the border army and became a traitor within them! Don't you notice anything strange?!"

"You're talking about border army granaries? Aren't you surprised this guy knows their location?"

"What, a traitor?" The way the citizens, aside from the Ironblood Axe members, looked at the Gulag instantly changed. After all, they trusted Natalia's words more than the Gulag's.

“How could that be? How could our boss surrender to the border army?” The members of Ironblood Axe hesitated, and some even wanted to continue their objections.

"Enough! There's no time to argue right and wrong now. Those who believe me, run back immediately! Those who want to die, stay. You can't reason with a damned soul. I've done all I can!"

Zao Lu felt a chill in her heart. She had risked her life to persuade these people to go back, and they were still hesitating. She didn't have time to waste any more. She would persuade as many people as she could to go back.

After hearing what Zao Lu said, those people believed it even more, and people in the back row began to leave one after another.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!"

Before she could take more than a few steps, she heard a whooshing sound. Zao Lu turned around sharply and saw hundreds of crossbow bolts being fired at her.

"Set up shields!! Retreat in an orderly manner!!"

With a roar, Zao Lu looked to the side and saw a sign. She dodged the first crossbow bolt, then punched the iron pipe of the sign and broke it off in two.

Then Zao Lu waved the signpost, trying her best to deflect the incoming crossbow bolts.

In the chaos, the civilians had no time to set up their shields, and many were shot and cried out in pain.

However, the attack confirmed their suspicions, and they began to flee. But their escape was far from the "orderly retreat" Zao Lu had described; a stampede even occurred, leaving them in a chaotic and disorganized state.

"Once you're all caught, Natalia—you bastard, I'm going to unleash all the pain I've suffered on you!"

Gulag found a hiding place and hid, gritting his teeth as he thought to himself, "Anyway, I have the token given to me by Alldor; the pursuing soldiers won't make things difficult for me."

Chapter 314: Survival from the Brink of Death

"Come on!"

Early dew brushed aside the arrows; the signposts were already tattered and offered little deterrent. She helped up a woman who had fallen, wounded by an arrow, and instructed her, "Don't pull out the arrow until it's safe. Hold your wound steady and run! Quickly!"

The woman could only run through the pain, and when Zao Lu looked around, she saw that those around her were either already dead from arrows or had lost the ability to escape.

"Feel sorry……"

With a guilty feeling, Zao Lu glanced at the vanguard troops rushing towards her and could only start running.

At her speed, it wouldn't be difficult for her to shake off these pursuers, but she didn't choose to run at full speed. Instead, she stayed at the very back to cover for everyone else who could still run.

Early Dew looked around, searching for a way to slow down the pursuers. She would sometimes kick over trash cans, and sometimes knock over some of the moving items to the ground as obstacles, but these were all just a drop in the ocean.

Because the city's streets are interconnected, Zao Lu can only control the street she is walking on, and the scope of her influence is very limited.

On the contrary, the border troops have begun to disperse their forces, intending to encircle Zao Lu and the others.

Ultimately, as expected, Zao Lu found that the fleeing crowd had almost stopped, and the sounds of fighting and pain could be heard all around. Chaos and disorder—a single encounter with the enemy had already shattered their will to resist.

Zao Lu clenched her fists, knowing that if she didn't do something, all of these people would probably die here.

She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Everyone!! We have nowhere to retreat!! Listen to those cries of agony, those thugs and hooligans will show us no mercy!!"

"If you all still believe in me! This time—I'll be the vanguard!! I'll lead you all out of here!!"

"Follow me closely, grab your shield and weapon!! We're going to die either way, so let's fight to the last drop of blood to kill—uh!"

One crossbow bolt pierced Zao Lu's shoulder, while two others pierced her back. The intense pain almost made Zao Lu stop breathing; the scene before her eyes seemed to return to that night, to the night when the border troops were carrying out a purge in the inner city.

Fear began to spread, and the shadows of the past resurfaced in my heart. Was I going to die? Was I going to die here?

"Ha...ha..." The time was only a few seconds, but for Zao Lu it felt like a week... just as long as those arduous days of training...

"Ugh... Ah..." Looking back, it was the most painful and closest to death day of her training. Under the monstrous sparring with Skadi, she could barely lie on the ground, her hands and feet were broken, and she was completely unable to move.

"Skadi...Master Skadi, I...I can't...I can't take it anymore, let...let me rest for a bit."

Early Dew was already struggling to hold on. She just wanted to recover completely under Wang Chong's healing abilities in the next moment before starting the next round of drills.

“You must be thinking that after Mr. Wang Chong heals you, you can start a new training program, right? But in my opinion, this round of training is far from over.” Skadi came up to Zao Lu, shook her head, and said.

"Huh? Ugh—!!" Zao Lu was initially confused, then a piercing pain shot through her as Skadi stabbed her in the hand and leg, leaving bloody holes.

"Mr. Wang Chong asked me to train you in the strictest way possible. So, as long as you still have the strength to breathe, as long as you are not completely on the verge of death, this round of training will not stop."

After Skadi finished speaking, he simply gazed silently at the dew, taking no further action, but continued speaking:

"The captain who once taught me said this: 'Rest? No way! Do you think those monsters will stop harming you just because you listen to them? All you can rely on is everything around you that can be used as a weapon.'"

"Whether it's a knife, fists, or feet, even if your limbs are broken, struggle and fight those monsters to the death. Fight with all your might before death comes. Only then will you be worthy of living before your enemies!"

“Although you were rescued by Mr. Wang Chong, you won’t be so lucky every time. It will be very painful from now on. I will keep piercing your body, and you will be getting closer and closer to death.”

"Then let me see whether you will accept your fear and completely entrust your life to others, or you will burst forth with fighting spirit and struggle to survive with all your might."

"puff!"

"what--!!!"

Early Dew screamed in pain, and even Wang Chong, who was watching from the sidelines, did not intervene this time in Skadi's almost deadly lesson.

"Will you be succumb to despair and utterly succumb to the fear of death, or will the stimulus of death unleash boundless fighting spirit?"

In her agony, Zao Lu had almost no capacity for thought. Her blood was draining away, the cold sensation was closing in, and the nightmare of her former identity as "Border Army" haunted her, making her almost resign herself to her fate.

In her agony, Zao Lu had almost no capacity for thought. Her blood was draining away, the cold sensation was closing in, and the nightmare of her former identity as "Border Army" haunted her, making her almost resign herself to her fate.

"Dad...Mom...Teacher Wang Chong..." In her final moments, she seemed to see three figures, the three people she relied on most. Their lips moved in unison, as if they were saying something indistinctly...

“h…huo…” Zao Lu tried her best to look at the three people, trying to see what they were saying.

“Live...up…” Finally, Zao Lu uttered it aloud, and in that instant, she heard it—the resounding voices of her parents and teachers:

"Live on! Natalia (Early Dew) live on!"

"Ugh—!!!" You chant your plum blossoms, you and I are empty, you and Lin are here, are you not here...

Early Dew yanked the arrow out of her shoulder with a swift motion, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, yet she seemed completely oblivious. Early Dew raised the arrow high in front of everyone and shouted:

"The people of Chernobog—there are no cowards!!!"

Perhaps it was because the crowd lacked a leader, and someone's loud shouts gave them a target; or perhaps it was because Zao Lu's gesture of pulling out the arrow completely moved the citizens.

They spontaneously parted to make way, while Zao Lu charged straight ahead and quickly reached the front of the column.

She looked at the "executioners"—the Imperial Vanguard—who held blades and glared at her with ferocious expressions. Without hesitation, she gripped her crossbow and charged at them.

"Follow me! Charge!!!"

With a shout, Zao Lu charged forward, crossbow in hand. Even the Ursus vanguard, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, were momentarily stunned and momentarily speechless at her display.

However, when Zao Lu rushed towards her with crossbow bolts, the Imperial Vanguard closest to her finally reacted, grinning maliciously as he raised his sword to cut Zao Lu to the ground.

"puff!"

"Ah...hoho..."

The sound of metal piercing flesh rang out, and cries of pain echoed in all directions. Had Zao Lu been cut down with a single blow?

"puff--"

The arrow was pulled from the vanguard's neck, and blood gushed out like a torrent! The vanguard's eyes were filled with disbelief. Before he could even swing his sword, he had been fatally wounded, and his consciousness went dark.

It was Zao Lu who accelerated in the final charge, killing the soldier before her with the arrow she had just drawn.

"Damn it!!"

Seeing this, her two teammates immediately reacted and prepared to slash at Zao Lu with their steel knives.

"ah--!!"

But Zao Lu was faster. She snatched the longsword from the dead soldier, spun around to the right, and swung the blade to slit the throat of the soldier on the right. Then, she kicked the soldier on the left in the chin, sending him flying.

Blood stained Zao Lu's pure white hair, and her eyes were filled with the will to survive. The seemingly endless, dark mass of enemies now appeared to her as just a few scattered individuals. She would continue to fight and break through this encirclement.

On a nearby floor, a figure in deep blue, wielding a greatsword, sliced ​​several Ursus warlocks and crossbowmen in half at the waist. She wiped the blood from her blade, walked to the edge of the floor, and looked down at the figures charging into the enemy ranks, a slight smile of satisfaction appearing on her lips.

She recalled that afternoon of training, when she used her greatsword to stab Zao Lu for the tenth time, and Zao Lu suddenly used the strength of her waist and abdomen to leap and move her body, and then bit her ankle hard with her own teeth.

"You've learned it completely..."

Skadi muttered to herself. As soon as she finished speaking, Skadi turned around abruptly and threw her greatsword, pinning a caster who was using Originium Arts to ambush her to the wall.

"Hold on a little longer. Only after those extremely threatening warlocks are cleared out will you have a chance to break through the encirclement alive." Skadi followed the black mist's guidance and ran towards the next group of warlocks that were heading this way.

Chapter 315: The Vanguard of a Hundred Battles

"My body feels so heavy... the wound on my back is burning hot... is it infected? Waaah!"