She had no way to save half the living beings in the Capital.
The Hero had once, with the help of an Ancient Hero, enslaved forbidden-level Magic Power, and because of this, she could more clearly feel her own insignificance now.
"So, I mustn't act on impulse, I must focus on what I can do—"
Taking advantage of a gap left by a group of Winged People, she leapt high once more, the wind like a loyal guardian, wrapping her figure, silently sending her towards the center of the ancient city.
The ancient Central Temple had already appeared at the edge of her vision, standing out with unusual tidiness in the chaos of the city, unaffected by the displacement disturbance.
With her destination in sight, the Hero suddenly halted her steps.
The discomfort of having pepper cake served was even more intense, like an excess of pepper directly poured into her mouth, a sharp pain surged through her mind, making her halt abruptly like a brake stop.
The moment she realized the danger, the Hero unhesitatingly triggered the magic pattern engraved by her brother on her arm.
The closed barrier instantly expanded, forming a space the size of a small plaza.
At first glance, the scene inside the barrier didn't change much, but as long as the barrier was operating normally, within this space, neither a fierce battle nor the shattering of objects would be perceived by the outside world.
Even if the Hero and the enemy fought to the death inside, to the passersby not far away, the noise would be less than the buzz of a mosquito, perhaps not realizing what happened until the battle ended, the barrier was lifted, or they were unfortunately caught in the aftermath.
'But the duration of this barrier is limited, that's—?'
The Hero prepared for battle, focusing her attention on the one who discovered her presence, then her eyes slightly narrowed.
[Ancient Angel Corpse LV]
Among the ruins in the distance, a hunched figure abruptly stopped its wandering.
Almost simultaneously as the Hero noticed it, its head snapped towards the Hero's direction, the Soul Fire in its hollow eye sockets flared up. The rightful source is novel[f]ire.net
"Skeleton—an undead of the Winged People?" Through its ribs, the Hero could see what should be the bones of wings hanging behind the skeleton.
In an environment rich in Magic Element, even without a Necromancer's interference, the natural revival of undead was not uncommon.
[Reputation of Kingdom Necromancer (Rationality+20, Necromancer-30, 50+ Legal)]
In today's more liberal Kingdom, there are viewpoints that suggest undead do not necessarily represent evil, but are also part of the natural cycle.
Only by understanding death can one counteract death... Although such a viewpoint seems somewhat radical, there are related factions within the Church, and not everyone in the past shouted for their downfall with the same intensity.
And modern Winged People aren't particularly strong, even though the Capital was swept by a catastrophe, not everyone lost their ability to resist.
It's not surprising that the Winged People encountered losses during their invasion.
To judge the strength of naturally revived undead, it's actually quite simple—just see how much structure remains on their bodies, because the stronger the life was in the past, naturally the slower the decay of the body, often retaining some flesh when becoming undead.
Like the undead the Hero had encountered before—the Mermaid Shark Witch of the Underground Lake, the Undead Warrior of the Highland; the latter's appearance was almost indistinguishable from her lifetime.
So, in theory, a skeleton of a Winged Person shouldn't be too strong.
Yet, the moment that skeleton fixed its gaze on her, the Hero's nerves instinctively tightened.
The next moment, the remnant bony wings unfolded suddenly, Magic Power formed illusory jet-black feathers, and the skeleton fiercely flapped, shooting its entire skeletal frame like lightning towards the Hero.
"—!" The Hero was taken aback, instinctively raising her fists.
The Angel's Corpse converged rapidly with astonishing speed, the Hero's raised fists clapped together, a golden eggshell promptly emerged, isolating all malice.
As the opponent approached, the Hero also saw clearly the details on that skeleton.
The bone was near-black without any decaying stench, seemingly having wandered here for countless ages, yet possessing high-purity Magic Power, even with its illusory wings, it was different from the Winged People she had encountered before.
If the wings of those Winged People were like turbid muddy water, then the wings of the skeleton before her were like the deep night, the purity of black like worlds apart.
'The Ancient Royal City belonged to the Angels, destroyed by internal strife.'
Information heard in the past flashed through her mind, and the Hero's eyes widened in shock.
"The undead of a Fallen Angel!?"
Under her exclamation, the golden eggshell began to shatter, the Angel's Corpse released a roar of hatred, the sound not transmitted through vocal cords but resounding within the Hero's soul.
1. Servant of the King!
[Ancient Angel Corpse R6 LV51]
Lightless Wings LV10: Minimum agility 100, at the cost of damaging one wing, provides invincibility (tens place of Level) times, and then this skill transforms into Ever Falling Wings.
Heavenly Magic LV8: Magic cast using high-level language, damage +80.
Holy Word Spell LV4: Chanting performed in a holy language like a curse, shortens casting time and causes mental damage to the enemy.