"I was made the vice leader of Broken Dawn because Gabriel trusted me..." Sophie declared as the ground around her began trembling violently beneath everyone’s feet. Her voice remained calm despite the overwhelming pressure filling the chamber, but the dangerous aura radiating from her body made even the experienced Church knights instinctively tense. "I’ll show you why."

Dark green mana erupted from Sophie’s body immediately afterward, spreading across the battlefield like a violent storm. The cracked chamber floor exploded apart as hundreds of massive vines burst upward like an awakened forest hidden beneath the tomb itself. Violent screeching sounds echoed everywhere while the vines twisted around Sophie protectively, forming enormous spiraling branches covered in glowing crimson thorns that pulsed like living hearts. Several Church knights unconsciously stepped backward at the horrifying sight, and even Alfonso’s calm expression shifted slightly for the first time since the battle began.

BOOOOOOM!!!

The entire battlefield shook violently as Sophie slowly raised one hand into the air. The vines surrounding her suddenly opened apart like gigantic mouths lined with jagged thorn like fangs while dark mana swirled around them aggressively.

"Devouring Vine!"

FWOOOOOSH!!!

The chamber instantly exploded into chaos as the devouring vines surged across the battlefield with terrifying speed. They smashed through broken pillars and ripped apart chunks of stone while lunging toward the Church formation like starving beasts released from a cage. Unlike before, the vines no longer attempted to merely restrain their enemies.

They consumed everything in their path.

One charging knight roared while swinging his blessed sword downward, but the instant the blade touched the vine—

CRUNCH!!!

The monstrous plant swallowed both the weapon and half the man’s arm instantly.

"AAGHHHHHH!!"

The knight’s scream echoed throughout the chamber as the holy energy coating his sword rapidly disappeared into the vine itself. The glowing crimson thorns pulsed violently afterward as though feeding on the power they had just devoured. Nearby priests hurriedly began casting purification spells in response, and pillars of golden holy light slammed directly into the incoming vines.

Yet the attacks vanished completely.

The vines devoured the spells without slowing down even slightly.

Several priests stared in disbelief while panic spread across their faces.

"What?!" one of them shouted in horror.

Sophie’s cold voice echoed throughout the battlefield as she slowly walked forward through the storm of writhing vines.

"My vines devour everything."

SHIIIIING!!!

Three gigantic vines pierced across the battlefield toward Alfonso with enough force to shatter the stone beneath them. The Cardinal finally moved seriously as holy light exploded around his body in a blinding flash. A massive golden barrier materialized instantly before him, and the incoming vines crashed into it hard enough to shake the entire chamber violently. The impact alone generated a shockwave powerful enough to blast nearby fighters backward.

Ragnarok99 shielded his face from the pressure while grinning excitedly.

"That’s more like it!"

Bunny stared at the battlefield in complete shock.

"Those vines are eating holy mana..."

Cassie’s expression darkened as she noticed something even worse.

"No... they’re evolving during combat."

The devouring vines had slowly begun glowing with faint traces of golden light after repeatedly consuming holy attacks. Alfonso narrowed his eyes slightly at the sight before calmly extending one hand outward.

"Radiant Scripture: Divine Chains."

Dozens of glowing magic circles appeared across the chamber walls, and thousands of holy chains erupted from them simultaneously before shooting toward Sophie from every direction. Their speed was terrifying enough that even the Broken Dawn members could barely follow them with their eyes.

SHIIIIING!!!

The chains wrapped around Sophie’s vines instantly while aggressive holy light spread across their surfaces, attempting to purify and erase them completely. Several vines immediately began disintegrating under the intense purification power, causing chunks of dark green mana to scatter through the air.

Sophie’s eyes sharpened coldly.

"Devour."

At her command, the vines twisted violently.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The glowing chains rapidly darkened before the devouring effect spread across them piece by piece. Alfonso’s holy energy began disappearing into the vines themselves, forcing the Cardinal to release the spell entirely before the corruption reached his body.

For the first time since the battle started—

the Cardinal stopped smiling.

BOOOOOOM!!!

A terrifying wave of holy pressure exploded outward from Alfonso’s body hard enough to crack the surrounding walls and shake the tomb itself. Several weaker players nearly collapsed under the overwhelming pressure while nearby Church knights hurriedly retreated to avoid getting caught in the blast radius.

Everyone understood now.

The real battle had finally started.

Alfonso slowly removed his outer white gloves while staring directly at Sophie.

"You are far more dangerous than the reports claimed."

Sophie remained silent as dark green mana continued swirling around her body. The endless sea of devouring vines expanded behind her like a monstrous living forest while blood slowly dripped from her injured arm onto the cracked ground below.

Despite her injuries, her gaze never wavered.

Alfonso slowly raised one hand toward the ceiling.

"Then I will kill you here personally."

A gigantic golden magic circle instantly appeared above the battlefield, illuminating the entire chamber in blinding light. Even the lingering dead qi inside the tomb began evaporating under the intense holy pressure. Several Broken Dawn members visibly paled as the overwhelming mana descending from above crushed down on the battlefield.

Ragnarok99 cursed loudly.

"That’s bad... very bad."

"Grand Scripture..." Alfonso spoke calmly as the magic circle rotated faster and faster overhead. "Judgment of the Sacred Sun."

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

A colossal pillar of holy light descended from the ceiling like divine punishment itself. Everything caught within its path instantly disintegrated. Stone melted into liquid, vines vaporized into ash, and even the air distorted violently under the terrifying heat and pressure.

Cassie’s face turned pale as though all the blood had drained from it after seeing the attack.

...

Thanks to everyone supporting this novel with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I truly appreciate it. Sorry for the late Chapters. Another one will be out in a few minutes. Stay tuned.