Chapter 192: Bright Flash (2)

"C… cheese?"

"!!!"

Lu Xun could not help but lightly pinch his eyes as he immediately tried to go in front of Diao Mei to protect her from whatever that bright flash of light was, "Miss Mei, hide behind me!", he shouted.

"Viel, what… what happened!?", Diao Mei blinked her eyes numerous times for them to adjust from the sudden flash of light that entered her unsuspecting eyes.

Even Sofia, who was not directly in front of the flash took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Here, look!", Viel then handed Diao Mei, whose eyes have now recovered, a piece of paper.

"What… is that?", Diao Mei tilted her head as she looked at the paper with nothing on it.

"Hm?", Viel look at the paper, his eyes wide in shock, "Did I do it wro--"

But before he could finish what he was going to say, marks started to appear on the paper, "Ah here it is, look look!", Viel then once again showed the photo to Diao Mei.

A loud gasp resounded in the street as Diao Mei quickly covered her mouth in shock, "This… it is painting us!", she said, her eyes filled with awe, "How is it doing that!?"

"A magic called technology, I guess", Viel shrugged his shoulders. The only thing he really knew what to do was how to use it since Xianying showed it to him. As soon as the photo was complete, Viel let out a burst of laughter as he pointed at Diao Mei, "Bwahaha! Look at your face, Miss Mei!"

"This…", Diao Mei quickly looked at her face in the magic painting. Her mouth and eyes were wide open, so now, her amazement was filled with a tinge of annoyance. Lu Xun also gently grabbed the painting from Diao Mei's hand.

He too was quite amazed. But when he saw Diao Mei with her arms behind her, obviously avoiding him, he could not help but let out a sigh of sorrow. The truth is, when his father told him that he had arranged a marriage for him since he was already of age, he was against it.

Even more when he found out that the one she was marrying had a higher cultivation than him and is also an Explorer. He didn't know how he could swallow his pride when his future wife is stronger than him.

But as soon as his eyes laid on Diao Mei, he felt something inside of him that he was unfamiliar with. One thing he did know was that his heart skipped a beat.

But now, as he looked at Diao Mei bickering with Viel, the tone of her voice high and her eyes obviously smiling, she could not help but feel a weight on his heart. Diao Mei has never smiled at him like that, much less talked to him in a similar way.

"Ah!", Diao Mei suddenly clapped her hands, "Let me take one for the two of you as well!", Diao Mei said as she grabbed the camera from Viel's hands.

"I just point this and press this thing, right?", Diao Mei said excitedly. "Okay, are the two of you ready?"

Sofia quickly patted her clothes and fixed her spectacles, "I look at that circle glass?", Sofia whispered.

"Hm", Viel nodded as he stood close to Sofia. Viel has been growing taller ever since they got back to this world. Sofia only noticed it now that Viel directly stood beside her. She could not help but let out a sigh as she remembered the first time she saw Viel. He was wearing a dress and was definitely smaller than her.

But now, their eyes were at the same height.

"Okay!", Diao Mei firmly placed her feet on the ground, "Say chees--"

Before Diao Mei could finish her words, Viel suddenly turned his head and kissed Sofia on the cheek, followed by the bright flash that spewed from the camera. Sofia could not help but widen her eyes in shock as her hand slowly reached to her cheek.

"Let me see, let me see!", Viel immediately grabbed the camera from Diao Mei's hand even though it was not done processing that photo yet. Diao Mei could only blink a couple of times, she wasn't really expecting something like that.

"Gahaha!", Viel's laughter then filled the streets as he pointed at the photo, "Sofi, look at your face!", he then cheered as he showed it to Sofia, before once again laughing as he hid the photo inside his pocket.

Sofia, however, still had her palm on her cheek. She didn't really know what to feel. The only thing she knew right now… was that for the first time in her life. Her heart, which had only known war, skipped a beat.

She couldn't help but gulp as she looked at Viel, who was playing with the camera, pointing it everywhere, even to strangers.

'But… he's just a boy', Sofia whispered in her conflicted mind as another bright flash entered her eyes.

***

A bright flash filled the entire sky, followed by the deafening roar of the heavens.

But even with the sky crying, the wail of General Diao's halberd completely drowned it. With every swing of his weapon, the body of his enemies swiftly cut in two.

"Stand your ground and protect the citizens!", he roared as he continued to swing his halberd towards the countless horde of monsters that swarmed towards them. Some of the monsters even held weapons, their looks similar to that of a human's. With the only difference being their gray skin, and elongated noses and ears.

There were also skeletons of different creatures, which no matter how much General Diao pulverizes, returns back in whole.

There were also other soldiers fighting with General Diao, and they have been doing so for a month now. Some of them have already taken and have been switching places from time to time, but not General Diao.

General Diao has been fighting without any pause for a whole month now. He has not eaten, and his only source of water was the tears of the sky.

And as in the letter that he sent to his daughter, the city that they were in was surrounded by 3 portals, each spewing an infinite number of different monsters.

With the sudden appearance of the dungeon so close to the city, almost everyone died instantly. Those lucky enough to run deeper into the city were escorted by the soldiers to the manor where General Diao was having a meeting with the city lord.

A month. General Diao has been swinging his halberd for a month now. Even with his strength, his old body was already giving up on him. If only he focused more on his cultivation rather than politics, then he might have already eradicated these creatures.

He had also sent letters to the nearby cities to request for reinforcements, but alas, even after a month had passed, none of them came.

General Diao could not help but release a sigh of sorrow. He already said his goodbyes to his daughter and granddaughter, his only regret was that he could not do it in person.

He could feel it, the last of his strength was leaving him.

But even then, as he looked at the never-ending horde of monsters, his face had no traces of hesitation on it, none at all. This was a fitting end for him, he thought. He would at least die as a warrior. And so, with a final roar, he rushed towards the horde.

But then, his roar was followed by the cries of the monsters. And the cries did not come from the monsters he cleaved, no. It came from the end of the horde.

Did reinforcements finally arrive!? General Diao could not help but burst out in laughter as a trickle of energy seemed to have returned to him.

With their backs also being engaged, the attention of the horde was now cut in half. The force that attacked them from behind cleaved through them at a very fast rate.

The one that was leading the group held two swords, swinging them as if a dance, and with every step of his dance, a dozen monsters fell to the ground. Every movement of his sword was elegant, it was as if the monsters were only snow, being melted by the warmth of the sun.

And in just after a minute, the group that attacked the horde from behind were now already in front of the General.

The group consisted of 5 people, and all were covered in robes. The smallest one in the group, the one holding two swords and leading them, stepped forward directly in front of General Diao.

"General Diao…", a feminine voice entered General Diao's ears as the stranger took off her hood, "It has been a long time", she said as respectfully curtsied towards the General. The other 4 robed individuals, however, continued to fight as they strayed off the horde that was swarming towards them.

"Y… you?", there was confusion on the General's face, but after a few seconds, he let out a burst of laughter as he swung his halberd towards a monster that jumped towards him,

"I almost did not recognize you, child"