Chapter 20: Burning Attack

As the festival of the goddess got closer, the whole city was full of excitement. It was an important time to honor the goddess of the moon, and they planned to build a huge statue for the celebration. This statue was so big that even ten skilled builders would have found it tough to finish quickly.

The supervisor, a huge man with serious eyes and a booming voice, gave Royce the tools he needed. His large hands and deep lines on his forehead showed he had worked hard for many years and had little patience for mistakes. “You must finish this, Royce,” he said firmly. “Do it fast and without mistakes, or you will feel the whip.”

A taskmaster, thin and quick with icy, sharp eyes, was put in charge of making sure Royce did everything perfectly. “Any mistake, and this,” he said as he cracked a whip in the air, “will remind you to do better.”

Royce was scared but tried not to show it. He nodded and said, “I understand,” trying to keep his voice steady.

The first job was to get the materials n