"Hidden quest updated: [Heretic of the Order]."
"The Holy Light Order will pursue you relentlessly. Your character's projection has been identified by the Order."
"Quest difficulty upgraded: Hell Level!"
The system's notifications popped up again. Orson sneered silently. Slim chance of victory? This system really doesn't know who it's talking to, does it?
Orson's eyes gleamed with destructive intent. "If I can slay dragons, I can slay pests."
The angelic army descended, their wings spreading a divine radiance across the battlefield. Every Holy Light Order NPC gained the ability to fly.
"Eradicate the heretic!" Karquil roared, his golden holy sword shining brilliantly. He spread his snow-white wings and shot toward Orson like a blazing comet.
"Scram!" Orson's voice was cold as he thrust his Heavenfire Staff forward. The space around him rippled violently, and a Chaos Magic Ball screamed through the air.
-2,500! Critical Hit: -60,000! Burning: Immunity. Slow: Immunity.
Karquil's charge was entirely unaffected, his status bar showing the buff [War Angel's Blessing]. Meanwhile, the Crimson Lizard King let out an earth-shaking roar, releasing a wave of annihilating flames into the angelic army. A large portion of the NPCs were caught in the attack, their HP bars plummeting.
Orson brought his hands together, and the Heavenfire Staff began to emit a dark and ominous glow. "Earthquake!"
Two massive stone dragons, each over 100 meters long, burst from the ground. Under Orson's control, their colossal tails whipped through the air, smashing into the charging angels.
But the attacks were useless. The status effects flashed again: Crush: Immunity! Burning: Immunity!
Even as more than a dozen NPCs were sent hurtling toward the ground, Orson frowned. These temporary "birdmen" had not only gained massively increased HP, but they were also immune to all non-direct damage effects.
"Persistent super armor?" Orson's gaze turned cold. This buff was indeed powerful. [War Angel's Blessing] had tripled Karquil's HP, doubled the HP of his subordinates, and granted all of them flight. Worse still, the buff lasted a ridiculous five minutes.
No wonder the system said the odds were slim.
But that warning was for ordinary players, not him.
"Five minutes of invincibility, huh?" Orson smirked and cast a double-sized Flame Dragon spell toward Karquil.
Karquil's holy sword sliced cleanly through the fiery dragon, shattering it into countless fireballs that scattered harmlessly.
"Fine, I'll fight you after five minutes." Orson chuckled softly and ordered the Crimson Lizard King to pull back.
"Bloodthirsty Surge."
Without even looking, Orson cast the skill behind him. The blood-red tidal wave swept forward, colliding with the residual flames from the Flame Dragon and creating a dense fog that obscured Karquil's vision.
The angelic army slowed, their pursuit temporarily halted as they searched for Orson's silhouette.
When the sandstorm had blocked Karquil's sight earlier, Orson had noticed the NPCs' vulnerability to obscured vision. Now, he exploited that detail to the fullest.
Even with [War Angel's Blessing], some weaknesses remained.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Orson summoned a Magic Eye, opened a spatial gateway, and dove inside.
"Let's see who outlasts who. Five minutes? Plenty of time for me to burn down your home base a few times over."
Moments later, Orson emerged from a teleportation array in disguise, arriving at Saint Maiden City.
This city housed a prominent Holy Light Church headquarters—the personal domain of Red-robed Archbishop Karquil.
"Who goes there?! How dare you invade the Holy Light Order's stronghold!"
"Lord Karquil is returning! That heretic has already been marked!"
A group of priests rushed out from the church, only to freeze in shock as they saw the massive shadow of the Crimson Lizard King hovering above them.
"Is that… Orgod?!"
"It's him! That's definitely his lizard mount!"
Orson allowed his disguise to drop, revealing his true form as he looked down at the panicking NPCs and players. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable threat. "Any faction that opposes me should prepare for annihilation."
Chaos erupted.
"He's insane! Does he really think he can take on the Holy Light Order?!"
"Call for reinforcements! Orgod is fighting the Holy Light Order! His gear is mine!"
Messages flooded the guild channels as players scrambled for reinforcements.
Orson remained unmoved as the Holy Light NPCs began to assemble, their combined radiance illuminating the entire area. He scanned the crowd but saw no sign of the Red-robed Archbishops required by his quest.
A shimmering Chaos Hexagram appeared beneath his feet. Slowly, he conjured a massive fireball.
"Brahma's Divine Flame." His voice was calm.
Dragon Curse Triggered! Destruction Amplification: 5x!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air as the fireball detonated, unleashing a tidal wave of flames that engulfed the entire city.
"What the—?! He's not surrendering—he's razing the city!"
"Forbidden magic! This is definitely forbidden magic!"
Players and NPCs alike were incinerated instantly, their screams swallowed by the inferno. Even those standing hundreds of meters away were burned alive by the firestorm's residual damage of 10,000 HP per second.
The grand cathedral crumbled into rubble, and the towering statue of the saintess lost its head. Within a kilometer radius, buildings collapsed, and the ground cracked open.
The system chimed:
"Infamy +100."
"Infamy +100."
Orson's combat log filled with notifications. Countless players—many of whom had simply come to watch—were caught in the blast and vaporized without a chance to react.
Server-wide announcements followed. "Player Orgod has generously distributed 3,000 gold coins in Saint Maiden City."
With his "wallet diplomacy," Orson quickly silenced his allies' anger. The allure of gold proved far more persuasive than words.
"You dare defy the Empire?! Your end is near!"
"Blessed by the light, the faithful shall prevail!"
The remaining NPC priests began chanting healing spells, but Orson wasn't about to give them a chance.
"Celestial Descent."
Another spell, enhanced by Triple Gigantification, descended from above.
The battlefield erupted into chaos once more. Beastmasters and summoners riding skeletal wyverns and nightmare horses charged forward, shouting for glory and rewards.
Orson turned to them, his voice calm. "Do you want to be the best in Infinite Dimensions?"
The question froze them in their tracks. Before they could respond, a massive meteor slammed into the ground, annihilating everything.
"Critical Hit: -200,000!"
"Critical Hit: -200,000!"
The beastmasters quickly retreated, muttering excuses about sightseeing and moving on to the next landmark.
Orson didn't bother acknowledging them. He calmly reduced the radius of his Ice Prison Ring to avoid harming his allies and continued his onslaught. Chaos Magic Balls rained down relentlessly, wiping out the remaining NPC priests.
When the battle ended, the ruins of the church sparkled with high-level loot. Players watching from afar could only drool, none daring to approach.
"Idiot, loot it already!"
Before Orson could respond, Berenice shot into the ruins like a whirlwind, gleefully ransacking the treasure.