[The Grand Cathedral of the Earth God]
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The heavy oak doors of the nave swung open, and a captain of the Firestorm Scripture strode to the map table. He was a hardened guerrilla fighter, his leather armor heavily smeared with soot. He smelled strongly of pungent alchemical grease and bitter herbs.
"We are holding the western choke, Eminence," the Firestorm captain reported, his voice a low rasp.
"How are your men surviving the mist?" the Grand Master asked, assessing the state of the captain's gear.
"Alchemical tinctures and localized ward-stones," the captain replied, tapping a glowing talisman strapped to his chest. "It grants us temporary immunity to the toxic effects of the fog and the green fire. It doesn't last long, but it gives us a window to operate."
"Are you holding back their heavy infantry?" Raymond asked.
The captain grimaced. "We cannot kill the Death Knights. Our arcane strikes barely dent their tower shields, and our rogues cannot find a weak point in their armor. Instead, we are trapping them."
He leaned over the marble map, pointing to the winding streets of the Middle City.
"My rangers are luring their vanguard into the narrowest merchant districts," the captain explained.
"Once the Death Knights are committed to an alley, our mages destroy the structural supports of the surrounding buildings. We are dropping hundreds of tons of masonry on top of them. It doesn't kill them, but it pins them under the rubble long enough to buy us time."
It was a brutal, ugly way to fight. Urban sabotage and guerrilla warfare. But it was the only strategy currently slowing the relentless tide.
"Maintain the sabotage," Raymond ordered. "Divide your remaining reserves. Send a detachment to the entrance of the southwestern tunnels. You will cover the rear of the chosen people. If the enemy breaches the tunnel entrance and pursues them, you are to use your explosives to collapse the roof. Seal the route permanently."
The captain stiffened. "Collapse the route? Eminence, that leaves my rear guard trapped on this side of the cave-in."
"I know," Raymond said softly, meeting the man's gaze. "Do it anyway."
The Firestorm captain gave a sharp, rigid salute and stepped back.
Next was the representative of the Ash and Dust Scripture. He wore plain, unassuming robes, blending perfectly into the shadows of the room. They were a single, highly specialized scripture the silent shepherds.
"Ash and Dust," Raymond said. "The chosen people are descending into the tunnels. You are their protectors now. Guide the bloodlines safely to the Sanctuary. You will not return to the capital."
"We will guard the future, Cardinal," the representative answered simply, before bowing and retreating into the periphery.
Finally, Raymond turned his attention to a solitary figure standing entirely motionless near a stone pillar. A member of the Black Scripture. He was clad in dark, form-fitting armor, his face completely obscured by a cowl and a black cloth mask. He possessed the silent, deadly stillness of a hooded ninja, radiating a subtle but terrifying physical power.
"The legacy of the Six?" Raymond asked quietly.
"Secured," the Black Scripture operative replied, his voice a flat, emotionless whisper. "The Divine Class items have been packed and are currently moving toward the southwestern tunnel. They will reach the Sanctuary."
"And your remaining members?" the Grand Master asked.
"Guarding the primary vaults beneath the Cathedral until the last possible moment," the operative answered. "Those who survived our recent battle are resting and healing in the lower chambers. We will hold the inner sanctum when the walls fall."
"Good," Raymond said, looking over the gathered commanders of humanity's finest forces. "Execute your orders. The bells toll for us all."
As the officers dispersed, their boots clattering purposefully on the ancient stone, Raymond leaned heavily against the marble altar. He looked up at the vaulted ceiling.
The Grand Master stood beside him, resting a heavy, gauntleted hand on the hilt of his broadsword. He felt the crushing, physical weight of the grand arch above them, thousands of tons of heavy stone held up by ancient geometry and fragile faith.
They were sacrificing their finest warriors, deliberately spending irreplaceable human lives simply to buy a few extra miles of distance for the chosen people in the dark. It was a staggering, necessary burden.
"Hold," Raymond whispered to the cold, unforgiving stone beneath his hands, bracing himself for the collapse of his world. "Just for a little longer."
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Author's Note [ work in progress ]
Hi, [Horizon2burns] here. 😊
Thank you for reading and supporting this story. Every comment, like, and power stone means a lot, and I really appreciate the time you spend with this project.
This Overlord fanfiction — The Sorcerer King's Revenge has grown much bigger than I first planned. What started as a story of around four arcs and 60–70 chapters has now expanded into six story arcs, and once the side stories are included, it will likely go beyond 200 chapters. That extra space has helped me improve the pacing, worldbuilding, and the dark fantasy feel I wanted for this story. 😁
If you go back and compare the early chapters with the latest ones, you will probably notice the difference in narration, storytelling, and overall atmosphere. I've also added new characters, new scenes, and more original worldbuilding to make the Theocracy side feel more intense, more authentic, and more horror-driven, while still keeping the Overlord atmosphere intact. 😎
The readers here are currently in the middle of the second arc, which is mainly told from the Theocracy's perspective as everything begins to collapse around them. The third arc will shift to Nazarick's perspective, where the Sorcerer Kingdom continues the final destruction of the Theocracy from the other side.☠️
After that, I also plan to write a side story about Princess Renner and Climb, and their situation in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. 👸
Over the next 10 days, I'll be focusing on the next arc and the work needed to build it properly. I'm also working on audiobooks, so there will be a short break while I prepare that and continue building the story. 📝
The extra "side" stories will be free audiobooks available on YouTube.
A special thank you to my Patreon supporters: TheSeaMan, Jeffrey Maxson, Bambi, Mihary Rakotofiringa, N, Aldred Arceta. Your support has helped me give this series more time and expand it far beyond what I first imagined.
This is still a work in progress, and I'm very grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey so far. Thank you again for your support -- it truly means a lot. ❤️🔥