549 Big Army Suppressing the City
Going to the Goddess Shelter, Blackgod brought with him six evolvers, each possessing over 100 sacred geno points. He also brought with him over 200 elite evolvers from the Blackgod Shelter.
Following their investigation of the powers of the Goddess Shelter, they surmised that their forces were more than ten times the amount needed to wipe out the Goddess Shelter.
Blackgod and the troops traversed a safe trail that had been marked and signposted, to avoid the dangerous regions of the mountains. They travelled all night to get to the Goddess Shelter.
Crossing the length of the mountain range, Blackgod and his people were finally able to see the big white castle atop a snow-capped peak. It looked as if it had been taken straight out of a fairy-tale.
"It is a royal shelter." Blackgod said sternly, as he marched his people towards it.
Their army was closing in fast. It had been no small feat for Blackgod to uncover the fact that Han Sen owned the Goddess Shelter. There weren't many skilful people there, and its location atop a mountain was sure to make things easier for Blackgod and his army. He wasn't going to grant Han Sen a moment's reprieve.
However, he was still concerned about the possibility that Han Sen could end up requesting the aid of Li Xinglun, who would happily bring his own men to bolster the defenses of the Goddess Shelter.
Although someone did return to say that Han Sen was the evolver with over a 100 sacred geno points in the Goddess Shelter, they added that as far as they were aware, there were no other elites present. But Blackgod was still afraid of Han Sen's abilities, which was why he had brought with him six evolvers with 100 sacred geno points each and an additional 200 elite troops. He was ravenously keen to crush the Goddess Shelter. If Han Sen was present, also, then he'd kill him without a second thought.
Blackgod wanted to make his trip there as short as possible, knowing that Han Sen may have already guessed he was on his way. That was fine, however. Even if he was aware of what was about to happen, he wouldn't have the power to resist and fight back. Blackgod wanted nothing more than to crush Han Sen's Goddess Shelter, as quickly as he could.
Han Sen woke up and received word from Yang Manli of what was going on. In no time at all, he had teleported himself to the Goddess Shelter.
Over the next few days, he did nothing. All he did was wait for Blackgod to show himself. He knew him well enough by now to know that he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by.
The whole Goddess Shelter was on high alert, primed for the battle that was to come. Troops from the Goddess Army had manned the ramparts, while ordinary citizens and various merchants watched from afar, with bated breath.
No matter how slow they were, they could sense something major was going to happen in the Goddess Shelter.
As Han Sen reached the gate's tower, Blackgod and his troops had at last arrived at the empty field of the mountain, the one that stretched out before the walls of the Goddess Shelter.
Over two hundred of the Blackgod's elite were mounted atop snow wolves, and were lined up in formation. The six evolvers Blackgod had brought with him spearheaded the formation. They too rode beasts, and the eyes of everyone on that field were now fixed upon the Goddess Shelter ahead of them.
"Where did all these people come from? Is there another shelter nearby?"
"Of course there is. Our Goddess Shelter does not possess that many elites. Take a look at the 200 hundred snow wolves out there. Even if we managed to sell everything in the Goddess Shelter, there would be no way for us to purchase such a vast amount."
"Look at the formation they are in. It seems as if they are going to attack our shelter."
"Things might be better if they took over our shelter. Han Sen is quite the tax collector; perhaps the new management wouldn't rob us of so much money."
"Look at that formation - just look at it. There is no way Han Sen can take on a force like that. Do you think he'll end up surrendering?"
…
The commoners of the Goddess Shelter were in heated discussion about the events currently unfolding.
Blackgod was riding a unicorn black wolf. Its eyes glistened with a striking iciness. The beast took two steps forward, and Blackgod unsheathed a black long-sword. He raised it towards the sight of Han Sen, who was standing on the tower above the gate of the city. He then said aloud, "I am the Blackgod army's leader, Blackgod! Han Sen is both a shameless and obscene person. He sneak-attacked me with a brutal poison, and I almost died. Today, I have come to put an end to the grudge I harbor against this horrible man. This is between me and him. If the rest of you lay down your arms, I will grant you your lives. Those who aid Han Sen and try to stop me exacting my revenge will be mercilessly slain."
After the speech, Blackgod rattled the longsword in his hand and cut in half a glacier that was in front of him. The strength of such a strike struck fear into the hearts of those in the Goddess Shelter.
"Kill!"
The 200 evolvers behind Blackgod screamed this word together. So loud was it, it was though the sky had been torn asunder by a savage clap of thunder.
"He is too strong! Blackgod is an elite with over 100 sacred geno points, and the people behind him are powerful evolvers. With just the miniscule forces of the Goddess Shelter, how can we hope to beat them?"
"He had it coming! People like Han Sen should have died a long time ago."
"Yes, he did have it coming. Han Sen doesn't know his place, and what he has done recently has been too much. He sneak-attacked someone with poison? Now that those people are after him, he's a dead man walking. Their lust for his blood is total."
"Will he flee back to the Alliance?"
"I can't see him getting out of this predicament in any other way."
"Did you see the six other people behind Blackgod? They all looked like tigers and wolves. Frighteningly powerful! Maybe they are evolvers that are over 100 too? The soldiers Han Sen has at his command most likely can't even repel the advance of one. And that Blackgod fellow has six of them. Six!"
"It's good that Han Sen is on his way out. The amount of money he takes from us each month is ridiculous. He deserves what's coming to him!"
The people talking were those who had joined the Goddess Army but later quit. They did not want to complete with their service, instead just wanting to reap the welfare. When Han Sen took over the Goddess Shelter, he had treated those in the Goddess Army with far greater care. But for these who complained, he made sure to collect their rent, taxes and entry fees. As a result, they disliked Han Sen and wanted to see him suffer great misfortune.
It never crossed their mind that if Han Sen had not taken over the Goddess Shelter, their lives would likely be a lot worse.
But this is what humanity is like. No matter how well you treat someone, doing one thing that goes against their ideals is something they will remember. They will rarely remember the good.
The merchants of the Goddess Shelter were perturbed. They did not care who the current owner of the Goddess Shelter was, they only wanted to know that if the place was to see another exchange of ownership, whether the taxes would be higher or lower.
The Goddess Army's solders were all pale. Some elites were able to tell that Blackgod's elites were really powerful, and thought that their attempt to defend the Goddess Shelter would likely be futile.
"Boss, should we retreat?" Uncle Qing furrowed his brow. The power on display from Blackgod was clearly far beyond what the Goddess Shelter could repel.
"No. You guys stay here." Han Sen said calmly. He stared at Blackgod and his army of 200 evolvers.
Han Sen leapt from the gate's tower and landed on the field before the gate. Alone, he ventured towards Blackgod.
Blackgod raised his hand and signaled for the army to stay put. He sternly watched Han Sen approach, and smiled.
"What is Han Sen going over there for, all alone?"
"Idiot. But oh well, what else can he do? It looks like he is surrendering already. The gulf in power cannot be bridged. He can't fight."
"Tee-hee. Han Sen, who has been so cocky all this time, is finally getting what's coming to him."
"He deserves it."
Perhaps most people did think that the gap in power between the two forces was too large, and that Han Sen was going out there to surrender.