Nightmare's Call

Blackfeather City.

*Tick tock, tick tock...*

Lin Sheng slowly made his way on the dimly lit street.

He followed the side street from the sanctum, through the baronet’s manor, warrior’s guild, and the high magic research center that he had recently left.

All of the buildings looked like slumbering beasts that could wake up at any moment.

Lin Sheng carefully looked at the signage as he passed by. He had lost interest in the run-of-the-mill manors. What he wanted was a strong foe like the Steel Lord.

“From the Steel Lord’s memories, most of Blackfeather City’s populace have already evacuated, and only a few stayed behind. To find a Six-winger from this group of people...”

Lin Sheng did not need much thought to know how difficult that was.

“If we include monsters as well... then my options are plenty.”

As he stood before a sealed little shop, Lin Sheng held his hand out and touched the already rotten wooden door frame before making his way as he left building after building behind him.

And the tall spire and the ringed district at the heart of the city was getting closer to him.

After a while, Lin Sheng looked up, there was no mist tonight. Using the moon, he could see the rough situation ahead of him, and as long as he bypassed a few temple complexes-like buildings he would be able to reach the heart of the city.

“A temple complex? There’s already a Holy Sanctum here, so why is there a temple complex?” Lin Sheng frowned as he looked at the massive building about ten meters away from him.

At the center of this building was a massive granite cathedral with a round dome with a steeple by the side.

The steeple was much, much taller than the main cathedral, and some intricate red gemstones were embedded within the spire.

At the top of the cathedral’s main door was a sculpture of a hooded angel, and on the chest of the angel was a massive spiral-like eye motif.

Lin Sheng paused for a moment and looked around before making his way to the complex after determining that there was no danger.

As he got closer to the building, Lin Sheng’s footsteps echoed throughout the empty street as the cold wind howled, causing all surrounding cavities to howl as well, as if a pack of monsters was closing in.

Lin Sheng stood before the cathedral’s main door, and there were grey pillars flanking it on both sides that extended all the way into the darkness.

On the center of the door were engravings of two half-kneeling men with bare chests as they each held an ewer and a quill, their posture seemingly odd.

“For a city to have the Holy Sanctum relegated to the edge of the city center... To think there’s a second temple complex here...” Lin Sheng raised his flaming sword.

The sword was now his constant source of light.

Making his way to the main door, he looked up at the black door that was at least three times his height.

He tried to pull the door. It did not budge.

Then he tried to push it in.

*Clack.*

The door slowly and heavily opened inward as two doors weighing at least hundreds of kilos slowly opened up as Lin Sheng pushed them.

*Whoosh!*

A frigid current suddenly blew out of the door and sent chills all over Lin Sheng. His body activated his sacred power by reflex to keep himself warm.

There was a large hall inside the cathedral, at least hundreds of square meters wide.

There were rows and rows of stone pillars within the hall, lining up and forming a wide walkway. There were bloodstains and torn carpet all over the ground.

*Clack, clack.*

Just as Lin Sheng stepped into the hall, a couple of masked ladies holding large scythes walked out from between the pillars.

The ladies’ heads were all encased in a black helmet as they wore fitting leather armor with their navels slightly exposed. A menacing red eye was visible on their fair exposed waist, and it was right above their navels. The eye spun about, almost in a frenzy.

“One, two, three, four. To think I’ll get a reception party the moment I step in.”

Lin Sheng gripped his flaming sword tightly as he looked at them.

The four ladies all slowly made their way toward him, and as soon as they were within five meters of him, the eyes on their navels stopped looking around and stared straight at Lin Sheng.

*Schwing!*

Four scythes rose at the same time and came crashing down in a brutal stroke.

Lin Sheng was a little astonished as to why the four monsters struck him when there was such a large distance between them.

Before he realized it, the scything blade suddenly appeared out of thin air behind him from two directions.

“Ugh!!”

Four massive scythe blades struck Lin Sheng’s back. With a painful grunt, blood spurted. Lin Sheng had managed to move his body sideways at the very last moment. Only two blades tore into his back before they were stopped and deflected by his bones while he dodged the other two strikes.

The blades seemed to have traveled across space and appeared behind him.

Lin Sheng did not have too much time to think as he saw the ladies raise their scythes again. He quickly dashed forward as his flaming sword lit up, and he slashed at one of the ladies.

*Whoosh!*

The lady suddenly disappeared into a puff of black smoke before materializing at another corner as she slashed her scythe down.

Lin Sheng charged again and made it straight toward the second lady.

*Whoosh!*

Another puff later, the lady turned into black smoke and disappeared too.

Lin Sheng quickly let out a flurry of strikes, but his speed could not catch up to the four ladies as his strikes were either dodged or parried.

“Urgh!!!”

Two more wounds opened up on his arm as he staggered back, trying to pull a distance before the teleporting blades forced him to close in again. Yet, he had no means of hitting the latter even if he got close.

Lin Sheng’s flaming blade spun about as he fended off the oncoming scythe attacks.

Even as skilled as he was with the blade, one against four, plus his speed not being up to par with his foes, Lin Sheng was bearing more and more wounds. As horrifying gashes and tears appeared all over his back and limbs. The floor was stained all over as blood gushed out of his wounds.

Slowly Lin Sheng’s strength failed him as he staggered and almost fell onto the ground.

*Foosh!!*

Four scythes opportunistically struck at the same time in a brutal downward stroke toward his arm.

*Clang!!*

Suddenly, a menacing smile appeared on Lin Sheng’s face as he grabbed the haft of the scythes, and opened his mouth.

“Rawrrrr!!”

A thunderous and deafening dragon’s howl suddenly materialized from his mouth.

The four ladies were just about to scatter as they were stunned by the howl, and were dazed for a second.

Lin Sheng quickly let go of the haft and dashed forward to grab onto two of the ladies before him and rammed into them.

*Bammm!!*

The two ladies’ chest caved in as they were stuck onto the wall, unmoving.

Lin Sheng turned back and dashed forward as he grabbed the heads of the two remaining ladies and smashed them together.

*Plop.*

Two headless bodies fell limply onto the ground.

As he let go of the bodies, Lin Sheng moved his arm a little as he slowly made his way to the center of the hall. His wounds were rapidly healing at a visible rate.

Deep within the hall, a tall silhouette slowly turned to look at him, and a purple glow gleamed in its eyes.