Bolai Kachi looked up at the corrupted figure on the ceiling dressed in a butler’s tailcoat, his expression more grave than it had ever been.

He almost instantly guessed that the other party’s target was his daughter.

The execution speed of the forces of Corruption had ultimately exceeded his expectations.

His daughter had only awakened as a Hero yesterday, yet the other side had taken just a single day to come knocking at their door.

People in the world all envied the heaven-given Class of the Hero, but behind that glory was also the fate of being dragged into the greatest conflict in this world.

Danger had always been something a Hero was born with.

But the Class was bestowed by the gods, and since the gods had entrusted the mission of saving the world to his daughter, it was enough to prove she possessed extraordinary qualities.

He did not complain, stepping forward and shielding Anlis and Fula behind him.

This was the only thing he could do now.

“I can’t beat him.”

His tone was heavy, as if he were delivering his last words.

“But... I’ll do everything I can to hold him back, you two run, go as far as you can, preferably... go to the Holy Church and seek protection.”

He could feel the hand gripping his sword trembling.

Even knowing death was certain, he did not retreat a single step out of fear.

Even if he was a complete failure, at this moment, the adrenaline surged through him because he was about to give it his all.

He was still a father, and at the very least this time, in front of his daughter, he absolutely could not run away again.

Ubikaki merely smiled faintly as he watched the man walk straight toward him.

Perhaps the man before him was actually his true target.

Killing the Hero would cause the concept of Hero to seek a new host.

The previous attacker had intended to crush the Hero’s will by letting her witness her father’s death with her own eyes.

Now that he had come personally, his purpose was the same.

“Ah, what a hassle, if only killing the Hero directly could completely eliminate the Hero.”

As his words fell, the surrounding Corruption aura grew denser, the suffocating pressure even distorting the air, making his face appear terrifying like a ferocious ghost.

Bolai felt an unprecedented pressure, almost suffocating him.

If it had been before he was cursed, with his strength, he would have rushed forward without hesitation and cut down this evil thing with his blade.

But now...

As long as he could buy time, it was enough.

“Father, let me handle this.”

Anlis grabbed his sleeve.

“No! You can’t beat him, leave now! Don’t let my sacrifice go to waste.”

His tone grew harsher, carrying a hint of scolding, almost ordering Anlis to leave.

Anlis did not argue, slowly raising her hand.

On the back of her hand, the engraved mark was fully activated, a faint and sacred glow bursting forth from her body bit by bit, carrying an overwhelming aggressiveness as it tore apart the Corruption before her piece by piece.

That nauseating evil aura melted away under the sacred light like ice and snow, or like a shattered mirror, dissipating into nothingness bit by bit.

A rare trace of panic appeared on Ubikaki’s face.

This inexplicable light instantly disrupted all of his plans.

He hurriedly increased the output of his Corruption power, trying to gather the scattered force into one point to strike at the layer of light with all his might.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could not shake that sacred light in the slightest.

He could only watch helplessly as that holy radiance tore apart all the power he took pride in, little by little.

“Why? How is this possible!”

Ubikaki roared in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.

“You’re just a Hero who awakened yesterday, how could you possess a trump card capable of easily crushing a level-100 powerhouse?”

“This is!”

Fula cried out, “Could this be the innate talent of a Hero?”

“Damn it! So that’s how it is!”

Ubikaki gritted his teeth, his heart full of unwillingness.

It was said that Heroes were unreasonable existences, so possessing some special methods was completely normal.

‘But wasn’t this going too far?’

He had thought that personally stepping in after the opponent fell into despair was already extremely cautious, yet he had never expected to stumble because of such a sudden burst of light.

“No, this holy light feels more like the work of the Holy Church, could it be... Anlis, have you already made contact with them?”

Anlis’s father did not believe this was her own ability, as it simply made no sense.

But he quickly associated the source of this light.

“Damn Holy Church! How could they be this fast!” Ubikaki suddenly realized, all his doubts disappearing, replaced by overwhelming rage.

“I clearly took measures to conceal the information, how could they respond so quickly?”

Only a backup plan left behind by the Holy Church could allow a newborn Hero to possess power capable of opposing a level-100 powerhouse, and this dense holy light further confirmed that.

Yet for some reason, he still felt something was not quite right.

As he pondered, he suddenly sensed a trace of abnormality!

But at that moment, Anlis raised her hand, gathering all the holy light around her into her palm, forming a dazzling sphere of light and launching it without hesitation toward Ubikaki on the ceiling.

The sacred light instantly engulfed him, and before he could even let out a scream, he was completely erased within the radiance without resistance.

Anlis lowered her hand, with not the slightest hint of joy in her eyes.

There was no feedback from defeating him, she did not know whether he had truly been eliminated.

After all... this was Velian’s arrangement.

Bolai Kachi sensed the surrounding aura and, after confirming it was safe, stepped forward.

“My child really has grown up.”

The expectation in his eyes, born from her repelling a powerful enemy, shone like starlight, his voice filled with pride and relief.

But when that gaze fell upon Anlis, it made her feel inexplicably guilty.

“I-it’s... not that big of a deal.”

The celebratory conversation did not last long.

Perhaps because the disturbance had been too great, constables were drawn in midway to investigate, but after confirming it was caused by a Corruption creature, they did not make things difficult for the three of them.

* * *

On the way back, her father walked briskly, Fula chattered endlessly beside her, but Anlis did not take any of it in, her mind occupied with her own thoughts.

The Demon Lord Velian had already begun laying out her plans, and the methods to come would surely be endless.

The other party had even used her father as a piece to test and scheme, and no one could say whether even more dangerous things would fall upon her family in the future.

She absolutely could not gamble with her family’s safety.

Perhaps only by leaving, by taking the Demon Lord away and facing all these dangers alone, could she completely prevent such things from happening.

An excuse for leaving would be easy to find, after all, what Hero stayed by their parents’ side forever?

Anlis looked up at the sky, and for once, a trace of worry arose within her.

“Huh? Anlis, why did your face suddenly turn so red? Are you hurt? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Suddenly, Fula’s exclamation pulled Anlis back to reality.

“Suddenly red?”

She did not understand what the other meant, instinctively placing her hand against her face.

It was frighteningly hot.