Why must the devil be Defeated?
Chapter 372 - 369 What kind of misfortune is this?

Chapter 372: 369 What kind of misfortune is this?

"Ah! Ahhhhhhh...!"

Above the magic-infused plain, a shrieking voice echoed, startling the evil creatures below, who all raised their heads and howled at the sky.

In midair, Shane clutched Mafi, flying with a face full of despair.

Mafi wrapped around Shane like an octopus with her limbs, continuously screaming as she clung to him.

Shane felt as if his eardrums were being bombarded by demonic sounds, almost causing him to black out and ascend on the spot.

"I say, can you stop screaming?" Shane pleaded miserably to the Catman girl releasing the demonic sounds, "If you keep screaming like this, I’m going to vanish—please spare my life, will you?"

"But but but... but why...!?" Mafi held Shane even tighter, her voice decibels at least ten times higher than usual, making her cry out, "Why do we have to fly!?"

"Haven’t I already explained it to you?" Shane, barely keeping himself together, stumbled in his speech, "With so many evil creatures on the ground, walking would subject us to countless attacks. Isn’t it faster to just fly?"

Thus, after Mafi pointed out the direction, Shane simply grabbed the Catman girl and soared into the sky.

Little did he know that once in flight, not only would Mafi cling to him entirely, but her constant demonic screaming nearly knocked him out of the sky.

As a member of the Beastman Priest Group and a strategist, Mafi naturally understood the correctness of Shane’s actions.

However...

"I... I’m afraid of heights!"

Mafi burst into tears.

But hearing Mafi’s words made Shane want to cry even more.

"You’re afraid of heights?" Shane wished he could bash his head with a rock, collapsing as he said, "Aren’t you a cat? Since when do cats fear heights?"

Indeed, only in the Otherworld could one encounter a cat with acrophobia—a real eye-opener.

In truth, Mafi wasn’t scared of heights; it was just her personality that made her feel secure only with her feet on the ground. Occasionally leaping about mid-air using her own jumping ability wasn’t an issue, but the feeling of having her feet completely off the ground and having no control over her body, entrusting all to someone else, really undermined Mafi’s sense of security.

Thus, Mafi was afraid of heights, but not due to acrophobia—as she believed.

Now, the Catman girl’s face was ghastly pale, gripping Shane so tightly it seemed as if she could strangle his body, making Shane worry whether his bones would start to creak.

If it wasn’t because the girl was employing the fatal tactics of demonic screaming and hugging at the same time, along with sending some perks Shane’s way, letting him feel the soft, bouncy body squeezing him, Shane would have considered throwing her back to the ground.

"Anyway, stop screaming. If you’re really scared, just close your eyes!"

For the sake of his own life, Shane, no longer interested in taking advantage, spoke sternly.

"But but but... I still need to guide you!"

Mafi sobbed, her eyes uncontrollably glancing below, her pretty face growing paler.

"Just point me in the right direction, I’ll find the way myself."

Shane asserted without any further discussion.

"Then... then fly that way!"

Mafi, trembling, pointed in a direction, then quickly withdrew her hand, clutching onto Shane.

This clutch directly choked Shane’s neck, nearly strangling him.

Instantly, Shane had to accelerate, rushing towards the direction of the Temple.

"Ah! Ahhhhhhh...!"

Mafi, with her eyes shut, felt the surge in speed and couldn’t help but let out another scream.

"Stop screaming!"

Shane yelled, face contorted with misery.

"Ah! Ahhhhhhh...!"

Mafi couldn’t hear anything anymore; she just kept screaming relentlessly.

"What have I done to deserve this?"

Shane’s expression once again turned utterly despairing.

Under such circumstances, carrying a ceaseless scream that pierced the heavens, Shane sped towards the Temple, transforming into a streak of light.

...

At that moment, in the Temple situated on the plains, swathed in black, waves of black, mist-like evil energy surged outwards.

At the grand entrance of the Temple, as the evil energy flowed, various evil creatures emerged and charged out.

Some roared and fought each other, while others, distracted by other things, scattered around, easing the previously stringent defenses of the Temple and transforming it into a besieged castle with a chaotic battlefield, presenting a somewhat spectacular scene.

Shane, carrying Mafi, made their arrival, reaching just above the Temple.

"We’re finally here."

A semblance of relief appeared on Shane’s face.

Mafi, apparently tired from shouting, looked pale as she gazed at the chaotic scene below, her voice still quivering.

"Are... are we going down?"

Mafi looked both eager to descend and fearful of doing so.

After all, with so many evil creatures on the ground, should they descend, who knew what fierce attacks they might encounter?

But Shane only wanted to say that the attacks in midair were even more fierce—and lethal.

Neither "Physical Resistance," "Magic Resistance," nor "Abnormal State Resistance" had any effect against this sonic attack, making Shane almost wonder if he was going to die in the sky.

"We’re going down!"

Shane made the decision without hesitation.

As for the evil creatures on the ground, weren’t they rather simple to deal with?

"Granting Fire."

Once again, Shane turned the ground into purgatory, summoning endless blazing flames that surged around the Temple, encircling it and expanding outward.

"Gaahhh...!"

"Woahhh...!"

The ancient evil creatures immediately wailed in the flames before they were incinerated, turned to ashes, and disappeared into the sea of fire.

Only then was a clearing made around the Temple, and the chaotic scene was replaced by one engulfed in flames.

Shane, carrying Mafi, descended toward the entrance of the Temple.

"Finally... finally down... "

Mafi immediately jumped off Shane but then promptly collapsed onto the ground, her face pale with the look of a narrow escape from disaster.

Shane’s face also bore the same expression of having barely survived.

"Yes, we’ve finally made it down alive."

Shane was still somewhat haunted.

If he ever had the chance, Shane wanted to ask those males who thought it romantic to bring girls on Ferris wheels, hot air balloons, or bungee jumping, if they really found it romantic.

Did none of their girlfriends get scared? Or were they just inflatable dolls who couldn’t scream?

No, perhaps those brutes... no, rather, those heroes must have had eardrums made of titanium alloy, completely unfazed by the screams of she-devils.

"Fortunately, Lasha and the others aren’t ordinary girls..."

Otherwise, on the way to Duke Sterling’s Domain riding with You Lin, his own eardrums might have been ruined by now.

The two of them rested for a good while before somewhat recovering their vitality.

Mafi’s cat ears twitched slightly and her nose also moved a few times, then she suddenly spoke with mixed feelings.

"I can smell Lady Iris!"

Looking at Mafi, who spoke these words, Shane really wanted to tell her that her statement was rather ominous.

If he hadn’t known that Beastmen naturally had acute senses and that smelling other people’s scents was normal, Shane would have wondered if this girl was a pervert.

But Mafi’s words indeed made Shane somewhat concerned.

"Did you smell it?" Shane looked at Mafi and said, "Don’t tell me she really just barged in there?"

"...It’s possible." Mafi said worriedly, "Lady Iris’s scent continues all the way into the depths of the Temple; she might really have gone inside."

No wonder the girl had mixed feelings.

The joy was from finally finding Iris.

The worry was that Iris seemed to have ventured alone into the most dangerous area and might already have met with misfortune.

"That coward, when did she become so bold?"

Shane also felt a headache coming on.

He hadn’t expected the orphan girl who seemed to want to cling to Lasha and shiver all day to dare to venture into the Temple alone. It truly surprised Shane.

But precisely because it was so surprising, it indicated that the situation was quite bad.

Otherwise, given Iris’s timidity, she definitely wouldn’t have chosen to venture into the Temple alone.

Clearly, something very unpleasant must have occurred, forcing Iris to muster the courage to enter.

With that thought, Shane had an idea.

"I’m going in." Shane turned to Mafi and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Upon hearing this, Mafi did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Of course, I’m going in with you."

Mafi said this without any hesitation.

"Is that wise?" Shane advised cautiously, "Once we enter the Temple, not only will we face opposition from the Old Demon Clan Faction, but the evil energy here is much denser than outside. If you go berserk during a battle with the Old Demon Clan Faction and even attack Iris whom you are supposed to protect, then this time, Iris might be truly doomed, you know?"

"This..." Mafi was silent.

"Also, aren’t your companions still out here in this evil energy?" Shane reminded, "They might have already had their souls infiltrated by the evil energy, become frenzied, or been attacked by evil creatures, waiting to be rescued. Aren’t you going to look for them?"

Shane’s words made Mafi fall into silence. After struggling for a while, her face set in a determined expression.

"My duty as a Beastman Priest is to protect the Holy Daughter; for that purpose, all sacrifices are minor," Mafi spoke solemnly. "If they knew that I knew Lady Iris was in danger and still chose not to rescue her but instead went to look for them, then they would definitely hate me."

It meant Mafi still intended to go in with him.

"Also, I cannot let you enter the Temple alone," Mafi looked at Shane with a serious expression. "Don’t forget, last time it was you who almost broke the Sealing. I have to keep an eye on you."

Mafi clearly did not trust Shane.

Rather, if circumstances were different, Mafi would have wanted to confront Shane.

For the Beastman Priests, Shane was an enemy, not a friend.

"Is that so?" Shane said indifferently, "Well, suit yourself."

With that, Shane stepped into the Temple.

Mafi immediately followed.