Kang Oh and Valan decided to take the freed prisoners to a nearby city. This was also Michael's request. After all, danger lurked in every corner of the desert.

For example, there was the hot weather, monsters, quicksand, sandstorms, mirages, etc. You never knew what kind of danger you'd face.

Thus, it made sense for them to take full responsibility of the freed prisoners till the very end.

There was a giant procession of people that stretched from the quarry to the sand dune above it. Kang Oh and Valan stood at the front of it.

The pale spirit, Michael, deeply bowed his head at Valan.

"Thank you so much!"

When Valan and Kang Oh had parted ways at the forked road, Michael had followed Valan. He wanted to see his mortal enemy, the one who'd murdered his family, killed right in front of him.

It was the best decision he could've made. Although Valan called him a Fake Master, it didn't change the fact that Gajil was strong.

Even if it's rotten, it's still a herring.

However, Valan completely overpowered him. Tears streamed down Michael's face when he saw Gajil plead for his life.

It was because of trash like him that he, his family, and countless others had lived a life of suffering! When Valan struck him down, he felt several emotions at once.

He felt pleased, which was followed by a sense of futility. Then, he felt a sense of yearning for his family and felt apologetic.

In any case, they had upheld their end of the bargain. There was no better person than Valan to get his revenge.

"I am thankful to you too," Michael said to Kang Oh.

"It was nothing." Kang Oh grinned.

'After all, it'll let me equip an SS-rank armor set.'

Kang Oh hadn't really done much anyway. The main difficulty of this quest was killing Gajil, but Valan had solved that problem for him.

If Kang Oh was forced to kill Gajil on his own, then it would've been really hard for him. It was only because Valan was here that the quest was so easy.

Of course, if Kang Oh used Gluttony, Devil Trigger, and his triple demon swords properly, then he probably would've won regardless. After all, Gajil was much weaker than other Masters like Burkan or Dukeram.

'I should ask him to help me slay a dragon.' Kang Oh glanced at Valan.

He would eventually have to kill Inarius. What if Valan joined him? His help would be invaluable!

"Excuse me... Master Valan."

"Not going to happen," Valan said decisively.

"I'm sorry?"

'I didn't say anything yet.'

"It's written all over your face. You want me to help you with something else, but it's not going to happen."

He was really quick on the uptake; he was even quicker to refuse.

"Ahem." Kang Oh coughed and shut his mouth.

He hadn't given up yet.

'I'll ask him again if I get the chance.'

Kang Oh decided to postpone it for later.

"I-It's an oasis!"

"It's the desert city of Ticon!"

"We can go home!"

"Hueehk."

Once they passed the sand dune, they saw a city with an oasis and gray houses.

The freed prisoners cheered and marveled at the sight. They actually felt like they were free upon seeing a city.

Sometime later...

"Thank you! Thank you so much."

"We won't forget what you've done for us!"

"Please visit the Baiyan Kingdom's Nadal Tribe. We'll be sure to repay you!"

The freed prisoners expressed their thanks to Kang Oh and Valan, and then left one or two at a time. They headed for their hometowns or houses!

Once they all left, Michael's body radiated dim light.

"I'll be sure to repay this debt in my next life."

Michael's body gradually dimmed, and eventually completely disappeared. He had attained peace.

[You have avenged Michael.]

[Spirits are now aware of your existence. Very rarely, spirits may seek you out, asking you to avenge them.]

[You have completed the quest, Revenge by Proxy.]

[You have acquired the title, Avenger.]

[You have leveled up.]

"Oh, yeah!" Kang Oh clenched his fists. Then, he equipped the Avenger set.

[You have equipped the Avenger's Night Sky Jacket.]

[You have equipped the Avenger's Night Sky Pants.]

...

[The set effects, Dragon Armor, Dragon's Fury, and Incarnation of Vengeance, are now active.]

Kang Oh wore the long coat and pants, which were both as black as the night sky! The glittering gauntlets and boots shined like stars. The boots actually had the word 'galaxy' in their name.

'Then you add in...'

Kang Oh pulled out his jet-black greatsword and snow-white sword, and assumed various poses.

'Man, this is great!'

Valan, who was watching him, said, "Stop goofing around."

"Don't I look cool?"

Even though he was told off by Valan, Kang Oh turned around and marveled at his appearance.

"That's not why I helped you."

"I know."

"Let's go back. You want to test that armor out, don't you? I have just the thing."

The final battle with the Evil God Worshippers was near.

"I'll kill them all!"

Kang Oh felt like he could take on the Evil God himself.

"Yeah, do your best. Make sure of it."

It was almost as if he were threatening him. 'I helped you this much, so you better deliver. If not, then you know what's waiting for you, right?'.

"Yes, sir!" Kang Oh raised his voice like a private in the army.

He had to look his best in front of Valan. If he wanted to get his help next time, that is.

* * *

Burkan, who had assumed leadership over the Protectors of the Continent, was crazy busy. Of course, he wasn't the only one. The brigade's executives were just as busy.

The busier they were, the more smoothly things went when it came to preparations for the final battle.

"Our troops' morale has gone back up."

"We've procured all of the necessary supplies."

"We've finished organizing the troops too. The command structure has also been reorganized."

"Once the reinforcements arrive, we'll form some reserve corps."

"The detached force is ready to go whenever."

"Just give the order!"

The brigade's executives like the Brilliant Paladin, Barus, and General Hannibal, all expressed their readiness for combat.

"In 10 minutes, we're finishing the fight with the Evil God Worshippers," Burkan said.

It wasn't a sudden decision. Burkan had already told them beforehand that he planned to strike when all preparations were complete.

"Yes, sir!"

Then, the executives went out and performed their assigned duties.

Exactly 10 minutes later...

Several of the Protector of the Continents' flags fluttered through the air. The brigade's main forces stood beneath them.

"I'll be quick. We're going to win!" Burkan said strongly.

Hope sprouted within the chests of anyone who heard him. This was proof of Burkan's charisma. Burkan had only said 'We're going to win', yet that was enough to raise the men's spirits.

"Uwaaaah!" the troops yelled, and began their advance.

Their target: Franco. The tragic city that was held captive by the Evil God Worshippers.

* * *

"They're coming!"

"Sacrifice yourself to protect the altar!"

The Evil God Worshippers had weakened significantly.

Kang Oh had killed Bewitching Sora, and Mahakan's Self-Sacrifice had killed Garup and had grievously injured Amak.

Amak's absence proved fatal to the Evil God's followers. Because their High Priest hadn't awoken, they couldn't progress with the ritual, and couldn't revive Sora or Garup either.

The Devil's Sword, Sraka.

The Evil God's First Disciple, Nemeth.

Slaughter Lubatchi.

Annihilation Umtara.

They were the most powerful members on their side, yet they were all that was left.

"Tighten our defenses," Lubatchi yelled.

That was the best they could do at the moment. They had to stay strong until Amak awoke.

Then, they'd be able to revive their fallen disciples and continue with the ritual. As a result, the Evil God would provide them with an even greater blessing.

Time was on their side.

Plus, in terms of sheer numbers, they held the advantage. They had collected the corpses from the previous battle and had thrown them into the Metamorphosis Pool. As a result, the Metamorphosis Pool had provided them with new demons!

Countless demons of various shapes and sizes were born, and six large 'super' demons were created.

'We can hold them off,' Lubatchi thought, glancing at Sraka, Nemeth, and the countless demons.

Sometime later...

The Protectors of the Continent arrived at Franco, and fought the Evil God Worshippers head-on.

Their ordinary troops were overpowered by the enemy forces. These soldiers were made up of the troops provided by the free cities.

Ordinary players that had accepted the quest from the Adventurer Guild were much the same.

"S-Shit!"

"Uhahk!"

The demons slaughtered the troops and players as if they had come to a buffet.

However...!

The power of the brigade's highest ranking members was undeniable.

The Paladin Squad was led by Brilliant Paladin Barus and Judge Odir. Saintess Tasla led their priests, while Battlemage Lucius led their mages. Finally, the Lightning Squad was made up of rankers, non-human gold mercenaries, and knights from the free cities.

The large guilds had lent their assistance too, drawn in by the promise of treasure!

The eight super demons and Evil God Worshippers desperately fought back, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"We'll have to intervene," Lubatchi said.

"Yes," Umtara replied. Nemeth nodded his head.

Sraka was nowhere to be found. He was protecting both Amak and the altar. After all, if Valan appeared, he would need to fight him.

In any case, once the Evil God's Disciples showed up, the situation slightly changed.

Lubatchi's physical strength was tremendous. In terms of pure power, there was no one who could match him.

"Die, you heretics!"

Anyone in his grasp would die. Even the knights, who wore thick plate armor, were split apart like an apple.

The power of Annihilation shined on a large battlefield. Not only did it have a wide radius, but anyone it passed through would disappear without a trace.

The ordinary troops or players couldn't do anything against them.

"Kill the Evil God's Disciples!"

"Kill him!"

The famed warriors, rankers, gold mercenaries, and large guilds' executives rushed at them.

"C'mon!"

"Hmph!"

Lubatchi and Umtara, guarded by several demons, took on all of them at once.

Killing them was no easy task, as they'd been blessed by the Evil God himself. Not everyone could be Kang Oh.

At the same time, it wasn't like they were being slaughtered. When it came to Lubatchi and Umtara, that is.

Nemeth proved to be a problem. He was a Master Monk, and had become even stronger due to Jaila's blessing. There weren't many that could contend with his kicks or punches.

Glorious Fist!

His fist unleashed wicked energy, creating a cross on the ground.

"Dodge it!"

Boom!

"Kuhaaahk!"

"Keok."

The ordinary troops died in droves. Then, Nemeth's body glowed with intense light.

Divine Explosion!

Boom!

Countless troops met their end once more.

"Ugh!"

"Tch!"

Barus, Odir, Baldor, etc. tried to take him down, but to no avail. They weren't strong enough.

Burkan wanted to run in and take him on himself. However, General Hannibal stopped him from doing so.

"The commander can't just go in and fight. Think about Lord Mahakan."

Mahakan's death was a huge loss for their side. They couldn't afford to lose someone of his caliber again.

"And we're still at an advantage. They're much weaker than we expected. So please wait it out just a little longer."

"Understood."

Hannibal was spot on. The Protectors of the Continent were pushing them back. The Paladin Squad, the Mage Squad, and the large guilds were turning the tides in their favor.

Kuhaahk!

The super demons went down one or two at a time, and the Evil God Worshippers were forced to back off. The battlefield was filled with the corpses of various demons.

However, the fact remained that they couldn't defeat Nemeth.

"Be judged by the Supreme One!" Nemeth's fist pierced through Judge Odir's heart.

"Ugh." Odir swung his hammer till the bitter end. However, his hammer didn't reach him.

"Odir!" Barus rushed at Nemeth, but Nemeth responded with a kick.

He was definitely not someone they could win against. However, the brigade was filled with strong individuals.

The gold mercenaries and the high ranker, Peanut, rushed towards Nemeth. It was like a swarm of ants charging at a wasp.

They were steadily gaining the advantage.