"I will send my army to the battlefields where the forces of Heaven Mountain are stationed, to help them destroy the enemy!"
Chu Hao said this with a calm smile.
Then he added,
"In my Divine Realm, the number of my followers is abundant enough for defense. Even if I mobilize a portion of them, it won't cause any real strain."
Angel Adeline looked at him seriously for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Heaven Mountain will be glad to cooperate with you to eliminate the Void Zerg together."
In this world where appearances often decided everything, if one looked good enough, it was easy to earn another's trust.
Yet tragically, even angels could not see through the heart of the man before her—
the man whose handsome face hid a demon's soul.
At the moment she lowered her guard, the demon's unseen tendrils had already begun to wrap around her—
until she would one day fall completely into the abyss.
"However, regarding your request," Adeline said, "I must first report it to my elder brother—the Angel of Retribution."
Though she had agreed to Chu Hao's offer to fight together,
her decision still needed Peter's approval.
After all, in the battle against the Zerg, he held true command.
Adeline had successfully drawn Chu Hao into their "united front" against the swarm,
completing her diplomatic duty.
But his proposal to send troops to different battlefronts exceeded her authority.
Only Peter could approve that.
---
"No problem," Chu Hao replied with his usual calm smile.
"You can seek your leader's approval right away. In the meantime, I'll begin preparing for war."
"I've already granted you access to some of my army's records. You can review their capabilities and traits, then assign them to the most suitable fronts."
As he finished speaking, Chu Hao snapped his fingers.
The black-red vortex that was the true body of the Endless Abyss began spinning rapidly—
a sign that its war engine was fully activating.
As it turned, the sleeping creatures of the Abyss—including former demon princes—began to awaken, ready to join the coming conflict.
Adeline, however, frowned slightly.
"The Angel of Retribution isn't my leader—he's my brother. All of us angels, despite rank, address one another as brothers and sisters. We all serve the same Great Lord—the founder of Heaven Mountain."
"My apologies," Chu Hao said smoothly, "I wasn't aware of that."
Adeline waved her hand dismissively.
"It's fine. That misunderstanding is common. Many who don't understand our hierarchy make that mistake."
"In any case, you'll receive an answer to your request soon. I'll personally deliver it when the time comes."
She nodded slightly, signaling that she would return to the Heaven's army to resume command.
She turned to leave.
But at that instant, the black-red vortex in Chu Hao's eyes began to whirl violently.
He stepped forward and suddenly grabbed her delicate, snow-white hand, stopping her in her tracks.
"!"
Such a rude, blasphemous act instantly ignited Adeline's fury.
She was a true angel born of Heaven Mountain—
a being worshiped by billions, the name countless mortals invoked in prayer!
And now, a man had dared to seize her hand.
Unthinkable!
Unforgivable!
Even if he were a god himself, that would not excuse it.
For Heaven Mountain stood far above any lower deity.
Just as she was about to erupt in anger,
Chu Hao released her as if startled, putting on a look of genuine surprise.
"I'm sorry! I got a bit too anxious—I simply forgot to mention something important…"
Adeline's expression softened slightly, though still cold.
"What is it?"
Chu Hao cleared his throat and smiled.
"It's about the resources my army will require for battle."
Adeline didn't notice that, in the instant he had touched her,
a faint, invisible ray of light had shot up from the depths of the Abyss and struck her.
It didn't harm her—
its purpose wasn't attack at all.
Instead, it implanted something within her.
Something called—
"Lust and Sloth,"
Chu Hao whispered silently in his heart.
---
Hours later.
Inside the command base of Peter.
The Archangel of Retribution returned from the battlefield, his body drenched in blood.
This time, he carried the corpse of a half-god-level Zerg as his trophy.
"I've already burned away its soul, but its body still holds a trace of vitality,"
Peter said, tossing the creature's bladed corpse to his attendant.
"Make sure its flesh is properly processed and stored in my vault.
Heh, this strange creature will make one of my finest souvenirs from this campaign."
The attendant bowed respectfully.
"Your will shall be done, Great Angel."
Peter ignored him and went straight to Maev.
Without wasting a word, he asked,
"What's the situation?"
Maev's cold mechanical voice responded,
"The number of Void Zerg has been greatly reduced after the fall of several worlds.
However, due to the exhaustion of our forces, many of our fronts have become unstable.
At the same time, our troop numbers have dropped to an all-time low.
Current army strength is at 41.35% of peak capacity,
armor units at 27.6%,
and the number of fallen angels…"
Peter sighed helplessly.
There was no way around it.
Whether cybernetic soldiers or commanders,
they were still mortal beings.
Even with divine faith empowering them,
they couldn't escape the limits of flesh.
They couldn't fight endlessly without rest,
and replenishing their numbers took time.
Even at maximum production,
biotech reinforcements required at least a week to complete—
a grim prospect for the current battlefield.
Especially now that the Zerg had begun to counterattack more fiercely.
Just as Peter was brooding,
Maev delivered what could be considered good news.
"However, Angel Adeline—who was sent to the Seventeenth Marked World—has brought back a message.
A lower deity seems willing to lend us aid."