The black flood engulfed the landscape and spread outwards. Its wicked aura contaminated the ground, painting everything black, corrupting the surrounding. It silently crashed against the trees and rocks and hills like summer breezes against the grasses. Its speed succeeded the speed of sound, yet no storm nor earthquake accompanied it.

There was no sound, no destruction, no apocalypse, just silence.

The Sinking enveloped the Sinking Dark Forest and flowed outwards. All living beings inside it couldn't escape its all-corrupting power. The believers fell to their knees as they used their spells and artefacts, desperately protecting themselves against the tide of darkness.

A group of believers, led by a priest, created a holy shield, but their resistance lasted only a moment before it disintegrated into black particles. They couldn't even scream before the Corruption Power merged into their body.

A female paladin collapsed on the ground as she clenched her chest, her heart burning with strange, sensual desires. Her long hair fluttered in the windless air as her vision blackened, her head spinning. The disgusting sensation gradually manifested in her heart, yet she failed to resist its temptation.

"What is this?" she said. "I don't want this. Someone saves me!"

Besides her, everyone else also failed to resist the tide of darkness. The other female members either transformed into Monster Girls or despaired and took their lives, afraid of what they might become. The remaining male members either lost their minds or took their own lives.

Knowing that it was hopeless, the leader priest dropped his holy staff and took out his sacrificial dagger. His eyes turned blood red as he slit his throat, smiling as his vitality spewed out of his body. Before he lost his consciousness, he killed the transforming Monster Girl beside him, taking her to the heavenly kingdom.

Across the Sinking Dark Forest, similar scenes played out. The weak groups of the believers fell to their doom while the wandering Monster Girls and the Wild Beasts snickered as they basked in the intense Corruption Power, gaining additional power.

The Crusade collapsed. The nations and the churches suffered untold casualties, but their invasion never stopped. Those who died were merely the cannon fodders. Using them to weaken the forces inside the Sinking Dark Forest was good enough.

As the Sinking spread further into the surrounding nations, a gigantic wall of light manifested at the boundary of the forest, suppressing the tide of darkness. The black waves crashed against the purification formation, shaking the earth and the sky.

The black tide and the purification formation exhausted each other, turning into magical particles. Though the formation couldn't stop the Sinking, it had lessened the quantity which leaked into the surrounding.

The main army of the Crusade outside the formation suffered few casualties. They were the elites of their respective churches. Their equipment and methods surpassed the believers inside the forest. Each of them was comparable to the secret investigation team of the Church of the Seven Goddesses.

Atop a stone tower behind the grand army, the upper echelons of the Crusade gathered, sitting around the long meeting table. At the main seat was an old man donned in a purple-scarlet robe, an Archbishop of the Church of Redemption.

He swept his gaze past the other members of the meeting. Some were from the same church as him, others from different believes. They formed an ally to deal with the rumoured evil existence inside the Sinking Dark Forest.

"As the Deities have predicted, the Sinking is weaker than our estimation," the Archbishop said. "This is the divine opportunity we have been waiting for."

From one side of the meeting table, a young man got up and bowed to the Archbishop. His fiery cloak fluttered with his movement, exuding his blazing temper. He had a sharp smile on his face.

"Sir Purpalus, the name of your church will ring across the continent after this success," the man said. "I must congratulate you in advance."

The other members of the meeting looked at each other and nodded faintly. Their minds raced as they expressed their warm praises and joyous words, their inner thoughts concealed under their formality. Everyone had their gains and losses in the Crusade, but the one who staked and won the most was the Church of the Redemption.

"If nobody were to object, I shall be the leader of the Crusade and deliver the divine judgement onto the cursed ones," Archbishop Purpalus said.

"If you said so, Sir Purpalus," the red-robed Bishop said. "Everyone has come here under the divine decrees of our Deities. There will be no conflict between us believers."

Everyone expressed their approval. Archbishop Purpalus smiled, but his heart was cold.

The Goddess of Redemption had sent him to oversee the Crusade, putting in more bets than other religions. After they saw her faction winning enormous benefit, the others came together to pressure Archbishop Purpalus to lead the battle and be the first to take the loss.

There would be no rewards without risk; the Archbishop came prepared. He waved his hand, creating a wave of purple winds, which blew across the meeting table. It covered the wooden surface and manifested into a tiny ethereal landscape, resembling the Sinking Dark Forest.

"During the Sinking, we have investigated and found many dark spots of the Sinking. They were the places where the intensity of the Corruption Power fluctuated the most," Archbishop Purpalus said. "I've estimated that at least three of them are the entrances of the hidden base of the Corrupted Race."

There were at least ten spots within the illusionary landscape, all scattered throughout the outer zone of the Sinking Dark Forest.

Seeing the brightly lit spots on the map, the other members of the meeting turned solemn. They carefully studied every location, their eyes flashing with light of perception.

"Sir Purpalus, what should we do?" a member said. "The Sinking is still in progress; there might be more spots after a while. The surrounding villages are also in danger."

"We shall dispatch the reserve army to help the nearby villages. The main army needs to maintain the formation in case of any retaliation of the Corrupted Races."

"Which part of the reserve army we should send, then?"

The discussion went on as more members joined in and offered their insights and suggestions. These people weren't lone forces but the representative of their religions. They restricted some while allying with others, forming and breaking groups. Though their main objective forced them to unite against the common enemy, they were divided at heart.

...

The rulers of the Layers were playing around, waiting for the two Lords to appear. Though the topic of the meeting was solemn, the Monster Girls were joking with each other, chatting about their colourful nights, teasing their friends, lacking in any urgency.

They were waiting inside the Carefree Reflection Chamber, a cosy living room, full of soft cushions and thin curtains. On the walls were windows which showed different landscapes from different Layers. No matter which Layers the Monster Girls came from, they would see their home through one of the windows.

Out of the twenty-four rulers, only the two Lords were late, but none complained. They knew the relationship between the two Lords and were smirking at their delay. Beside them, Amplicia also attended the meeting, sitting at one of the tea tables, listening to one of the rulers who shyly talked to her.

"Lady Amplicia, please accept this present. I made it myself," the Harpy said and handed Amplicia a lovely box. "I spent three hours making the cake and one more for the jams. If you could, please taste it and compliment me."

The Harpy blushed. The orange wings on her back flapped as she peeked at Amplicia, who smiled and gradually opened the box. Inside it was a strawberry cake and a fine knife wrapped in a heart-shaped ribbon.

"It looks beautiful like you, Miss Heranda," Amplicia said. "It also smells like you, soft and sweet."

"Thank you, Lady Amplicia." Heranda trembled as she held her lips from smiling silly. She didn't expect Amplicia to remember her name. Her heart raced. "If you want to, I can help you eat."

Amplicia shifted her gaze from the cake to Heranda, whose cheeks and ears had turned red. Amplicia found it amusing but shook her head, picking up the knife herself. She sliced a piece and ate it, then sliced another and moved it towards Heranda.

Though Heranda felt disappointed that she couldn't help Amplicia, she almost cried when Amplicia offered her a gorgeous piece. Her lips quivered as she leant forwards. Her slim tongue coiled around the knife, faintly holding onto it, not letting go.

Amplicia didn't pull back and let Heranda had her moment. She only giggled after a while and took back the knife. Heranda settled awake from her trance and coughed, averting her gaze.

"My apology, Lady Amplicia," she said. "I lost myself in your beauty. It is unsightly of me. Please punish me."

As Amplicia was about to speak, Corane and Undrila entered the room. Their tired appearance interested the other Monster Girls. They smiled and waved their hands, their cheeks faintly blushing.

"My apology, everyone. Undria and I were delayed by an important matter," Corane said. "We paid too much attention to it that we forgot to check the time."

The rest of the Monster Girls eyed each other and grinned. They chuckled as their whispers filled the room, mumbling something unsavoury about the two Lords, who had just attended tiring matter so focused they almost missed the meeting.

Corane and Undrila sighed. They knew what the others were thinking; so be it if it was the truth, but it was not. They were about to explore the Shadow Plane and find the Shadow Heart Core until the Sinking abruptly happened, forcing them to retreat from the Shadow Plane to start the meeting.

Sensing the awkward silence, Amplicia finished up the conversation with Heranda and stood up. Her tall figure attracted other Monster Girls.

"Everyone, I think this is a good time to talk business," Amplicia said. "After all, I'm sure the lots of us have many other important matters to attend, right, Miss Undrila, Miss Corane?"

"Please don't tease us, Miss Amplicia. We're truly sorry for our delay. The accident of today won't happen again," Undrila said.

The atmosphere gained a slight solemnity, but the Monster Girls didn’t adjust their postures, some sitting on the couches, others laying in sofas. They stopped their chitchat but still ate desserts or played with dolls, showing little concern over the situation of the Labyrinth.

After sitting on the main sofa, Corane glanced at Undrila, who sank into a small bathtub. Undrila gazed back and nodded, her expression relaxed, but her mind was clear. They didn’t need to speak to share their intentions.

"As we all know, the Sinking has commenced," Corane said. "Although it has engulfed the Sinking Dark Forest and annihilated the believers inside the forest, it also gushed into our hidden entrances and exposed our location.

"Moreover, the Crusade has sent many people into the forest; I estimated the number of our newly converted friends to be at least triple of the previous Sinking.

"Naturally, we have to save them from the danger of the wilderness. We also have to relocate our entrances. This time, however, I have a bold suggestion."

Corane turned towards Amplicia.

"This is the reason for my arrival," Amplicia said. "We have some leaked intel about the Crusade and have decided to strike back against the wicked Pure Races.

"Do not worry, everyone. We, the Broken Empire, have significantly prepared everything. Other than the Labyrinth, I have also contacted some of the secluded Monster Girls deeper into the forest. With your and their help, the Broken Empire will strike the heart of the Pure Races. Even if we can't uproot their foundation, we shall show them our corrupted might!"

Amplicia released her Condensation Phase aura as her words resounded throughout the Carefree Reflection Chamber. Her silvery figure blended in with her overwhelming power, showing her sincerity and determination.

The other Monster Girls glanced between themselves and licked their lips. Their expressions gradually shifted from carefree to sombre. Inside their pupils, a burning flame of excitement burst out.

The Corrupted Races had been suppressed for too long; they naturally wished to reverse their situation. No one objected to the suggestion; everyone thought about which new friends or even lovers they might gain. With the Broken Empire leading the operation, the Monster Girls had complete faith in their success.