The howling rain swirled with black clouds over the indigo hills, the misty rain falling upon the walls of Red Copper Fortress.

The farmland outside the fortress was now flooded, forming natural puddles where countless legs in shorts and straw shoes were wading.

Most of them had slightly darker skin, covered in tattoos, wearing only vine-made wooden armor, climbing towards the city walls.

Occasionally, among the attackers, frost rays and thick green acid spheres would burst forth, most noticeable being the bright yellow lightning crossing the walls.

Though not as terrifying as Jeanne's jagged electric python, it was enough to make several Black Armored Knights scream and kneel.

The sweeping rain lashed against the knights' armor on the walls, and everyone could hear the tinkling sound.

They could no longer distinguish whether the sound was from weapons or raindrops.

When wielding their longswords, the mixture of blood and rain almost made it impossible to swing them.

Though the breathing technique endowed the knights with extraordinary endurance and stamina, people get hungry without food.

Too much hunger leads to death.

After the Black Mountain battle, they had been without supplies for a whole month.

Nidesar took away large numbers of troops and provisions from the surrounding small fortresses, all of which were obliterated in the Black Mountain battle.

The senior nobles and commanders were either killed in battle or imprisoned by the Alco Family.

In the absence of leadership and loss of main forces, they managed to hold on until now.

Is it their prowess or the frailty of the Black Snake Bay people attacking?

Three miles from Red Copper Fortress lay the layered camp of the Black Snake Bay people.

In the hastily constructed cone-shaped cottages, covered with wooden planks and grass mats, these soldiers slept on them daily.

The cottages were so small they couldn't contain them all.

Yet these Black Snake Bay people, accustomed to wet weather, were indifferent, leaving their ankles exposed outside the tents.

For them, where among the Black Snake Bay people would one not sleep on muddy ground?

Walking through the camp, one could see a corridor formed by black feet.

At the end of the corridor, looking up, there was a rudimentary constructed cedar wooden room, with a specially made heated bed inside.

On the log-covered floor, the heat dispelled the chill and dampness, a little girl with white twin-tailed hair sat at the desk.

She looked about twelve or thirteen, with round eyes and a hint of baby fat on her cheeks, her skin rosy white.

Sitting on a tall chair, she swung her lotus-like little legs unconsciously.

Her slender, pale fingers held a feather pen, she raised her head and pouted as if thinking about something.

After thinking for a while, she sighed like an adult.

Picking up a nearby tobacco pipe, the little girl pinched some fine gryphon horn tobacco into the copper-headed pipe, adeptly lighting it with the flame from the heated bed.

She brought her cherry-like pink mouth to the pipe, took a deep inhale, holding it in her lungs for one or two seconds before exhaling through her mouth and nose.

Laying down the pipe, she held up the letter, cleared her throat, and spoke in a husky, smoky contralto.

"I hope this letter finds you well, Saint Sun Pope Horn Gallar."

"Regarding your stance, I understand it. You've made outstanding contributions in combating the Church, which is truly admirable."

"I must thank you for kicking those damned bishops where it hurts. I must say, you've achieved what we've long wished for but could not accomplish."

"On that point, I sincerely admire you."

"You said the enemy's enemy is a friend, and I agree profoundly. I think the Ruo'an Faction and Salvation Army can be friends, and very good friends at that."

"I won't speak falsehoods, but we are both part of the Secret Faction."

"You weren't the first to use religion to mask the essence of a witch, but you were the first to succeed."

"I say the crazies from the Scales Hermitage should take a look."

"To see what the real world is like instead of hiding in the sewers all day, immersed in their demented world, doing grotesque things."

"Though I don't know why you wish to contact them, I'll do my best to reach out."

"Regarding the matters of the Demon-Loving Fungus, Alchemy Industry and Spring Industry, I'm intrigued, or we can discuss them more when I arrive."

"I have received your invitation, via Master Patrick and Jia Li (sorry, that's not her real name, but she refuses to let me tell you), I have come to know enough about you."

"Regarding your alliance invitation, I would like to say, we all need each other."

"You need wizards to help you achieve your alchemical industrialization, and we wizards also crave a land where we can walk in the light."

"We have a common enemy, complementary resources, I have no reason to refuse you."

"As mentioned in your letter, the Blago Monastery in Kasha County, the Meigedi Commerce Association in Lower Reif County, and the Kush Knights in your Langsande County, will meet together at Joan of Arc Castle."

"You already understand the origins of our Ruo'an Faction, but I need to reiterate to you that Pope Ruo'an is not a wicked witch, but a pure Saintess."

"The so-called impression of Ruo'an being a lewd witch is completely church slander!"

"All those so-called rebellious bishops were moved by Ruo'an's sincere and kind nature, they were all good people in the church at that time."

"We admit that Ruo'an may have had emotional entanglements with one or two bishops, yes, one bishop committed suicide, but that was normal love, not enchantment at all."

"In any case, as you said, the church has been occupied by demons, which is why it has become like this."

"We must admit Ruo'an's innocence; only then can we conduct deeper cooperation."

"Led by the Ruo'an Faction, six secret factions, including the Flame Rose Association, White Mountain Hermitage, Bald Head Society, Suffering Monk Group, and Dragon Language Scholar Alliance, will all join the alliance."

"Enclosed with the letter are the spell specializations of the six secret factions, which will each send three witches to accompany me."

"We will proceed to Joan of Arc Castle to meet with you as soon as possible, you do not need to receive us, we can come on our own."

"If you truly defeat the church, we sincerely hope to form a confederation with you, Black Snake Bay, and the Thousand River Valley, because we share a common enemy."

"Please forgive my imagination, we have never been so close to victory."

"If you have not defeated Prince Kongdai, please don't be too afraid, the gates of Black Snake Bay will always be open to you."

"Sheltering the enemies of the church, especially powerful enemies, is what the people of Black Snake Bay love to do most, we will protect you because it brings pain to the church."

"Whenever they are in pain, we feel a genuine joy."

"From the leader of the Ruo'an Faction, Louise Prokby."

After rereading the letter several times to ensure there were no issues, Louise rewrote it cleanly and then called a dark-skinned wizard over.

"The letter is done, take it to Joan of Arc Castle."

The dark-skinned wizard silently nodded, placed the letter in a waterproof bag, and prepared to leave.

"Wait." Louise stopped the messenger, "Has any letter come from Moliat?"

"No." The messenger shook his head succinctly.

"That child..." Louise pouted in dissatisfaction, pulled down the hair ties from each side, and tied a bun at the back of her head.

Standing in front of the wooden house, looking at the black footprints lining both sides of the road, Louise shouted unhappily, "You bunch of scabrous syphilitic dogs, pull back your legs, I'm going to kill someone."

The Black Snake Bay people who were previously lounging around quickly pulled back their feet, and under the thatched sheds, pairs of fearful eyes directly faced the small person.

They seemed to be looking down, yet also appeared to be looking up.

In the pouring rain, Louise's body began to swell.

From her tender, snow-white skin, clusters of black hair extended, and tough muscles instantly burst through the fragile linen clothes.

Two meters, three meters, four meters... amid the sound of bone and muscle friction, a huge shadow loomed over everyone's heads.

A creature raised on two legs, about four meters tall, resembling a gorilla or a gorilla-like human appeared in everyone's view.

The cracked corners of its mouth and sharp teeth would convince anyone that this monster could have swallowed the little girl whole.

After stretching her shoulders, Louise exhaled two hot streams of steam from her nose and mouth.

Unlike the Knights, witches who lean toward physical prowess cannot usually maintain human form when using extraordinary powers.

She bent down, her scarlet eyes scanning around before picking up a double-handed axe and a double-handed war hammer by the wooden house.

"Roar—"

The roar scattered the rain, reached the walls of the Red Copper Fortress, causing the knights on the walls to change their expressions dramatically and loudly call for monks.

The ground trembled as the black-haired giant wielding a weapon in each hand charged frantically toward the walls.

"Gather forces, pick up the shields, Priest! Priest!"