Chapter 122

### Chapter 122: Chaotic Battle

In the depths of night, inside Field Mansion, the battle first erupted.

In the corridor on the third floor of the chapel, hidden in a shadow, Dorothy confirmed Lu’e had been shot in the head and fell to the ground. She then controlled five pre-prepared zombie puppets to charge into the chapel simultaneously, opening fire on the remaining Bill and Feiqi, forcing them into cover.

The positions at which Dorothy’s zombie puppets burst into the chapel were situated at the front, causing Bill and Feiqi to be driven toward cover at the back, very close to the magical array located at the far end. Moreover, in their attempt to counter the enemy at the front, they were both facing away from the magical array. This scene was no coincidence but rather deliberately orchestrated by Dorothy.

Now, Dorothy only needed to release the control of one zombie puppet, then pull up the dead mentor on the ritual platform. With Bill and Feiqi’s backs turned to the ritual space, a backstab would easily take out the two and conclude the ambush, finishing the job.

However, just as Dorothy attempted to lift the mentor’s corpse, she froze.

The spiritual line failed to connect; the mentor’s body did not meet the criteria to become a zombie puppet, implying a very bad outcome… he might still be alive…

Sure enough, in the vision of Dorothy’s zombie puppets, she saw the mentor’s supposedly lifeless body slowly stand, undergoing mutations as black fur sprouted, his physique started to swell, his face turned bluish, teeth elongated into fangs, and claws extended, ultimately transforming into a two-meter-tall monster that was half-human and half-beast.

Dorothy realized this was a “Beastman,” a Black Tier position achieved on the path of the “Cup,” upgraded with “Shadow” as a secondary spirituality. It was an extraordinary transformation that allowed one to become a beast, with hunting and devouring as the main themes.

‘What the hell! How can that guy stand up after getting shot in the head? Audric never mentioned Beastmen had this ability! Could it be some extraordinary item?’ Dorothy thought ominously from her hiding place, and just then, Lu’e, who had just revived and completed his beast transformation, began to move.

With a roar, Lu’e, now a black-furred Beastman, charged directly at the shooting formation of the zombie puppets. A blur of black zipped past the bullets, and within an instant, the transformed Lu’e reached the guards, swinging his claws to cut through the air, ripping apart three zombie puppet guards. The gashes were so massive they nearly severed their bodies, obliterating key areas like bones, muscles, and spines, instantly crippling the zombies’ mobility.

The “Shadow” spirituality easily attached itself to weapons, making them sharper. Lu’e’s claws, enhanced by “Shadow,” rivaled those of a blade, and combined with the overwhelming physical abilities granted by the “Cup,” his attacks could effortlessly shred the enemies before him.

“Mentor! You’re back!”

Seeing this scene, Bill and Feiqi shouted with joy, but before Lu’e could respond, another gunshot rang out.

“Bang!!”

From upstairs, Vania pulled the trigger again, aiming at the transformed Lu’e. Although Lu’e’s mental fatigue had not yet dissipated, he was now on high alert and was no longer just a target.

At a critical moment, Lu’e sidestepped, taking a b*llet to his shoulder instead of his head. He then glanced upward, his beast-like cold eyes locking onto Vania, who was up above holding a rifle, startling her.

‘Ah!! How terrifying! How did he suddenly stand up again? Didn’t I just hit him in the head?’

“The sniper is up there; she’s a dog of the Church! Go k*ll her!”

“Understood!”

Following Lu’e’s command, Bill and Feiqi dropped their guns and began climbing quickly up the railing to the third floor. Just as Lu’e prepared to leap up, he sensed movement around him.

Three new guards rushed into the chapel from outside, joining the two remaining guards to reform a five-person team, charging at Lu’e with knives. Their speed was extraordinarily fast, and each had a faint “Cup” mark shimmering on their foreheads.

Upon seeing Lu’e planning to go after Vania, Dorothy immediately pulled up three more zombie puppets from her external reserves, adding them to the two still remaining, all of which were imbued with the bl**d-Eating Sigil. They burned the last remnants of their “Cup” energy to charge at the transformed Lu’e, delaying his movements.

Outside the chapel, the entire mansion had already been cleaned up by Dorothy in the shadows, with all the bodies of the minion guards piled outside, totaling more than ten. These served as Dorothy’s reserve troops; whenever there was a depletion on the front line, she could quickly summon a few more to fill the gaps.

With the bl**d-Eating enhancement, the zombies experienced a significant leap in physical capability. They swarmed Lu’e, holding their previously carried blades and entangling him from all directions. Trapped, Lu’e opened his maw, filled with sharp teeth, and let out a piercing roar.

This wasn’t just any roar; it was a Beastman’s ability—fearful howling—capable of instilling intense fear in nearby enemies, causing them to lose the courage to resist and flee. Fear was an expression of “Shadow” on a mental level.

Lu’e aimed to use fear to destabilize the surrounding enemies, forcing them to scatter. However, it had no effect. The guards continued to advance upon him because these enemies were all undead beings who had already experienced mental d*ath and could not perceive what fear was.

‘These are… puppets? Ugh… I should have figured it out… what else could these things be if not puppets… d*mn it… my head still hurts… I need to wrap this up quickly…’

Lu’e thought to himself, his negative mental state of fatigue continuing to severely impact his performance, reducing his judgment.

Roaring, Lu’e swung his claws and battled the zombie puppet guards.

With the enhancement of the bl**d-Eating Sigil, amid a five-on-one siege, and with the opponent being influenced by a negative mental state, Dorothy barely managed to hold Lu’e at bay with her army of zombie puppets.

Meanwhile, Dorothy was in a state of high tension, operating five zombie puppets at once, which was already pushing the limits of her mental strength. In this fully focused state, she found herself almost completely immobile, hidden behind a curtain on the third floor, solely focused on her puppets.

Dorothy could temporarily hold Lu’e back, but he wasn’t the only one. Bill and Feiqi had quickly ascended to the third floor following the earlier gunshots, searching for the ambusher. The only one left to stop them was Vania.

‘They’re up here already! I’m not ready yet!’

Watching the two “Cup” extraordinary beings swiftly scale up, Vania anxiously tightened her grip on the rifle.