Chapter 11: Have I Walked Into a Trap?

  This sudden and ued enter left both sides momentarily stunned.

  Alex hadn't anticipated that these cultists would teleport directly into this celr. In the game, when pyers reached Warson, they saw a town already ed by fmes and overrun by cultists.

  Naturally, they assumed that the cultists had invaded Warson. But thinking about it now, if the priest in Warson was indeed a cultist, it made sehat the teleportation array here would be ected to Medusa's ir.

  Oher hand, the cultists clearly hadn't expected to enter Alex in this secret celr.

  Judging by his attire, he looked like a militiaman, but how could a regur militiaman be here? Could he be an ally?

  "You..."

  The lead cultist looked at Alex and was about to say something when Alex charged fripping Soulrend with both hands and swinging it forcefully.

  The best defense is a good offense!

  There were over ten cultists who had teleported in—possibly an advaeam. Alex khere was no time to escape, so he seized the initiative, striking before they could react.

  Crusader Strike!

  As Alex's sword cut through the air, Soulrend vibrated, emitting a blinding holy light that illumihe dark celr like a fshbang.

  The cultists, disoriented and unprepared, instinctively raised their hands to shield themselves.

  The upgraded Crusader Strike unleashed a power Alex had never imagined. Holy symbols appeared around the bde, striking the cultists like hammers and exploding in fshes of light.

  The cultists were blown back, smming into the walls and colpsing in a heap.

  'Wow, this is powerful!'

  Alex was taken aback by the upgraded Crusader Strike's wide-area effect.

  It was almost as strong as the skills of Nephalem in the Demonica world.

  But given that both were created by the same pany, such a transformation wasn't too surprising.

  Could it be that in the Demonica world, Crusader Strike has this effect?

  Regardless, for Alex, this was a wele ge. He quickly moved, abs the residual golden light from the holy symbols into Soulrend and thrusting the sword at the lead cultist.

  "Ah—!!"

  The light-imbued bde pierced the cultist's chest, who screamed and fell silent. Alex swiftly withdrew the sword and sshed at two more cultists, killing them instantly. However, as he prepared to strike again, a shadow loomed before him.

  "Roar—!!"

  A pitch-bck, monstrous hellhound appeared, snarling and snapping at Alex. Forced to defend himself, he drove the hellhound back with a swing of his sword and sed the area.

  The other cultists had recovered, raising their hands to summon their dark minions. Bck portals formed around them, and various demonic creatures emerged, blog Alex's path.

  These cultists are quite skilled.

  Impressed by how quickly they regaiheir posure, Alex reassessed the threat level of these cultists.

  His previous battles with the undead had shown him that real-world enemies were far more formidable than their in-game terparts.

  In the game, even the weakest enemies could pose a signifit threat iy.

  The cultists were proving no different. After f a wall of summoned creatures, they began ting spells, and soon, fireballs flew toward Alex.

  'Not good!'

  Seeing the approag fireballs, Alex rolled to the side, taking cover behind a ptform. Explosions rocked the celr, and seari whooshed past him.

  Fmes scattered everywhere, igniting the furniture and spreading rapidly. Thick smoke filled the air, and the celr was soon engulfed in fmes.

  "Damn it, why do cultists always resort to fire?"

  Enduring the thick smoke, Alex couldn't help but mutter a pint. The entire basement was now a sea of fire, and the exit was pletely blocked.

  Alex found himself trapped, with cultists in front and raging fmes behind. All he had was Soulrend, with no useful equipment or items.

  He hadn't picked up any good loot from the undead he had fought earlier and was still wearing his militia gear. If he stayed here any longer, he was dead for sure!

  There's no choice but to fight!

  With that thought, Alex stopped hesitating. The cultists seemed to have a way to survive in this enviro, but he didn't. He quickly grabbed a piece of rubble and hurled it towards the cultists!

  "g!"

  The sto something with a loud noise, and the cultists and their summoned creatures turowards the sound. Seeing this, Alex felt a surge of hope.

  'Now's my ce!'

  As the cultists were distracted, Alex vaulted over the ptform, charging forward with Soulrend, transf into a whirlwind that struck the enemies before him.

  The brilliant holy light fred up again with a thunderous roar, and the hellish creatures in Alex's path were blown away.

  Seizing the opportunity, Alex stepped forward and plunged Soulrend into the heart of a cultist behind the monsters.

  He cked the power of a padin to turn himself into a human onball, so he had to rely on this more straightforward method.

  "Kill him!!"

  Alex heard the cultists' shouts of anger. He quickly rolled to the side, feeling a seari brush past his back, followed by an explosion.

  The cultist Alex had stabbed was hit by a fireball, disiing pletely, while Alex was sent tumbling by the shockwave.

  'This is just my luck!!'

  Alex's entire body ached from the burns. His shoulder felt numb, as if a k was missing, and his strength was waning.

  He felt utterly miserable; in his past life, he had died in an act, and now, even after reinating, he was stantly hunted and besieged.

  What had he doo deserve this? He had even helped old dies cross the street!

  Bme it on bad luck!

  But there was no time for self-pity. Alex tried to get up, only to realize his right hand ressing on something hard—a stone sb engraved with patterns!

  Found it!! Delighted, Alex looked down and saw a glowing teleportation array beside him!

  'This is it!'

  Without hesitation, Alex rolled into the teleportation array. His goal in attag the cultists wasn't to kill them all but to reach the teleportation array! If he could activate it, he could escape...

  "Swish."

  'What's happening?'

  Alex looked around in fusion. He had just ehe teleportation array and hadn't had time to activate the portal to Tristrahe sery suddenly ged.

  The burning basement disappeared, repced by a dark, eerie hall.

  Then, a woman's voice echoed in his ears.

  "Who are you?"

  Alex turowards the voice. A stily an, with two butterfly-like creatures fnking her, floated in the air, gring coldly at him. In front of her stood dozens of robed cultists.

  "I..."

  Seeing the woman, Alex eechless—wasn't this Medusa, the leader of the cult and the one responsible for Brendon 's death?

  Have I walked right into a trap?

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