Chapter 417 - 15: Supersonic Assault

Su Zhou nodded and replied solemnly, "Of course."

However, just as Su Zhou was about to set out, another unexpected change occurred.

The horde of Undead that had been relentlessly pursuing the refugees abruptly stopped in its tracks while still a great distance from Naisel City. They ceased their pursuit, allowing the refugees to flee.

The Water God Believers controlling them even began to make camp on the spot, seemingly setting up some kind of Array.

This bizarre maneuver radiated a dangerous aura, causing Su Zhou, who had been preparing to charge their lines, to slow his advance and observe what the enemy was truly planning.

’Are they planning to set up some kind of great siege magic?’

He speculated on the Water God Believers’ objective. ’Or are they planning to set up an Array to sense the Temple of the Water God in the Underground Maze? That makes sense. Their goal is to restore their god’s power, and if they could find a Divine Hall, their efforts would be far more effective. But succeeding won’t be that simple.’

Not to mention, the path forward from the 5th Layer of the Maze became incredibly treacherous. Even Su Zhou had to be cautious, lest a single misstep lead to disaster.

The entrances to the sixth, seventh, and eighth layers of the Maze were extremely well-hidden. One was located deep within a vertical ravine in a valley, while another was inside an unassuming subterranean hot spring. They were exceptionally difficult to locate. Even if those Believers were left to search, they wouldn’t find them in anything less than a few weeks.

The time for speculation was short-lived.

"Reporting, Your Grace! Th-they’re in other directions, too! We’ve spotted more hordes of Undead!"

Soon, an emergency message came in from the City Guard Army in other sectors. A trembling voice crackled through the Communication Array, drawing the attention of Su Zhou and the others.

According to the reports, vast hordes of Undead had been spotted in the other directions around Naisel City. They had blocked all roads leading out of the city, completely sealing off the entire area.

’Are they planning to besiege us? But how do you besiege a Shelter City? If they don’t attack, we could live in here for the rest of our lives! It’s not like most people in Naisel City have ever stepped outside the walls in their entire lives since the apocalypse began, anyway!’

For a moment, no one present could make any sense of it. They couldn’t grasp the motives or plans of the Water God Believers—they simply had too little information.

After all, Su Zhou had only been in this world for a little over ten days, and Elias wasn’t the legitimate Duke of Naisel privy to all the city’s secrets. There was simply too much they didn’t know, leaving them with nothing but speculation.

But soon, the baffled Su Zhou keenly sensed a change in the weather.

BOOM!

The first bolt of lightning snaked across the sky, its sudden flash illuminating the dim landscape.

In that flash of light, Su Zhou saw that the dense black clouds overhead had grown so thick they looked ready to collapse. An immeasurable amount of rain was gathering within them, poised to fall at any moment.

After the first peal of thunder, a series of explosive cracks followed. Bolts like lightning-serpents crisscrossed the storm clouds, tearing scars of light across the sky. Then, another massive flash and a deafening boom followed, and with a clap of thunder that threatened to shatter eardrums, the deluge began.

In the distance, the Water God Believers’ Array fully activated. Pillars of pale blue light shot into the sky, shining with incredible brightness. They churned the atmosphere, pulling vapor from the surrounding lakes and forging it into new layers of cloud.

In an instant, the rain soaked Su Zhou to the bone. The Water Assistance Power allowed him to feel the incredibly dense Water Spiritual Power in the air around him.

But even though the enemy had created a thunderstorm, transforming the battlefield into his own element, Su Zhou felt no joy, nor did he have the luxury of mocking his foes for shooting themselves in the foot.

His enemies were the Water God Believers; their ability to control wind, rain, and lightning was not necessarily weaker than his own. Moreover, he could now see the three lakes surrounding Naisel City churning in the distance.

Massive waves, like stories of a skyscraper being stacked one on top of the other, rose from the lakes’ surfaces, churning as if stirred by an unseen, colossal hand.

’This torrential rain... and the lakes...’

In just a few short minutes, the downpour had turned the land outside the city into a swamp. All the roads were submerged. No army could possibly traverse such a mire, let alone the refugees.

The refugees, who had fled all the way from Milkson Castle, were now trapped in place by the sudden, torrential downpour. The impact of the massive raindrops hammering the roofs within Naisel City was so great that it made the wooden shingles and tiles tremble violently.

Ah...

Su Zhou let out a long breath. He finally realized what he had overlooked.

’This is the Thousand Lakes Country... a city situated between three lakes. And their enemy is the Water God, who has had ample time to prepare. And water... if it wants to kill, it has no need for swords or blades.’

It was an oversight born from being too ’merciful’.

"There are a million people here..." Su Zhou muttered, his voice suddenly hoarse. "But those things... they’re a pack of Demons bent on slaughtering the entire city..."