............The robed man remained silent despite being bound and stared down by the veteran. His eyes clearly showed that he had no intention of speaking to them; rather, he looked down on them, daring them to make him talk if they could."You're really brave, aren't you? Even after being bound, you have the audacity to look down on us. Hey, buddies, let's open this guy's skull. No need to hold back!" The old man sighed, gesturing to his companions and speaking in an unrestrained, angry tone, his temple twitching."...!"They began to chant softly, invoking ancient techniques to loosen the man's tongue by messing with his brain signals, making him experience pain worse than childbirth.Vines tightened around the man's limbs, and a heavy, insistent pressure began to build in his mind from the torture, urging him to speak.Back in the church,Archbishop Deniel continued his sermon, speaking of hope and resilience. "We are the guardians of Amberdale, protectors of the sacred balance b
............Deniel fought with a fierce determination, his every strike driven by the need to eradicate these vermin.The guards of Amberdale, though brave, struggled against the trained and dirty-fighting cultists.In the midst of the chaos, Deniel caught sight of a cultist leader, a tall figure with a sinister smile.Their eyes locked, and Deniel felt a surge of fury. This was the one orchestrating the attacks, the mastermind behind this group of cultists."You...!" With a roar, Deniel charged at the leader."Lightning Snakes... Ice Spears!" Deniel attacked relentlessly, not giving his enemy a chance to breathe."Boom... Crash...!" A thunderous noise erupted, sending dust and debris flying."Cough... cough...!" The cultist leader, caught off guard, staggered and coughed up blood, trying to stand his ground."Where?" Deniel demanded, his voice filled with fury. "Where are the other cultist bastards?"The cultist leader laughed, a chilling sound. "You cannot stop what is coming, Ar
............"Elder Thistlewood, Archbishop Deniel, please come in," Cedarwind greeted them warmly, stepping aside to let them enter.As they settled inside the cozy, herb-scented room, Cedarwind looked at them with a knowing gaze. "What brings you here in such haste?"Thistlewood exchanged a glance with Deniel before speaking. "Cedarwind, we are in dire need of your abilities. The city is under threat from cultists, and we need to track them down. We were hoping you could use your gifts to help us locate them."Cedarwind's expression grew serious as she listened. She nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I will do what I can. Give me a moment to prepare."She moved gracefully to a small, round table in the center of the room, adorned with crystals, candles, and various artifacts. As Cedarwind began to chant softly, the candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The air grew heavy with anticipation, and Deniel felt a shiver run down his spine.Eld
............"Now, now, Elders. Let's calm down and hear the plan first. We can't recklessly charge at them knowing how dangerous they can be. I heard in the last fight more than half of the guards lost their lives against those Cultists, so we must avoid making the same mistake again," spoke up a tall woman with long grey hair worn loose, soothing the hot-headed old men before turning to Archbishop Deniel.She was Healer Ashgrove, a tall, thin woman with long, straight grey hair and a slight ashen hue to her skin. Her dark, reflective eyes conveyed depth and wisdom. She dressed in simple, loose-fitting dresses in neutral tones."Yes, obviously we have a plan, but first we need to meet up with Elder Thistlewood, who is keeping an eye on those Cultists!" nodded Archbishop Deniel, reminding them of the need to gather with Elder Thistlewood before explaining their strategy."Huh... so Elder Thistlewood is already there. Let's go, what are we waiting for? We don't know what those lunatic
............As the farm workers clustered around the fallen old man, a murmur of concern and confusion spread through the crowd. The seven elders, now blending seamlessly with the workers, began their subtle investigation, watching for any unusual reactions.Elder Thistlewood, keeping up his act, knelt beside the old man and gently closed his eyes. "This is a terrible day," he said with a grave voice, "We must find out who did this."Elder Thistlewood's only intent was to draw everyone's attention to himself, which is why he made the old man appear dead by using a delayed deep sleep spell. If anyone observed closely, they would realize the truth, but Elder Thistlewood instilled fear in others to keep them from approaching.Meanwhile, the other seven elders subtly probed the strangers present on the cattle farm by pretending to bump into them or accidentally slipping and falling over them. Each elder used their own tricks to assess each stranger."Hmm, oh... Everyone, don't worry.
............As the flames crackled and smoke billowed into the night sky, Elder Thistlewood and his team anxiously awaited the expected response from the cultists."Huh...why are there only our people in there? Where are the cultists? Don't they care about the cattle farms being burned... damn it, at this rate, our own people will be in danger!" Elder Birchbark, part of Elder Thistlewood's team, spoke up, his keen eyes noticing something amiss.To their surprise, it wasn't the cultists who rushed to extinguish the fire; it was the city folks' farm workers, risking their lives to save their livelihoods."Damn it...those scums. They are fucking toying with our people's lives!" Caught off guard by this unexpected turn, Thistlewood realized their mistake too late as he cursed in rage."Quickly, help them move those people out of harm's way where the fire is spreading!" He shouted, seeing the initially manageable fire now spreading uncontrollably across the farm."Ahhhh...Shit....Shit...
............Back in Quartzgate City, "Boommmn... Booommn... Swiish...!!""Bamnn... Boommn...!!""Hahaha... Come on, Brian! What's with those lousy punches? Has the Master of Arms gotten rusty after not having a decent match in a while?" Roland Knightshield taunted with a grin as he faced off against Brian Ironheart."Hey, Roland, don't get cocky. I was going easy on you, thinking you might not be able to handle my new strength!" Brian grinned back and mocked him before laughing."Hahaha... Come on!" Roland laughed heartily, then sped up and leaped towards Brian. They met in midair, causing massive shockwaves from their attacks.Roland's shield and Brian's fist collided, creating a heat and electrifying sensation that made thousands of knights and spectators feel their blood boil."Hooohhhhhh!""Commander Brian! Commander Roland!"The knight squadrons cheered for their commanders with enthusiasm, their shouts filling the area with noise.In the observation space, Aarav Veridian sat
............"Are you leaving, my Lord?" Galen Quartzblade asked, looking at Aarav, who appeared ready to depart at any moment.After Aarav's impressive display, he decided it was time to leave and search for what he urgently needed. His instincts had been flaring up quite often, signaling something very bad was coming."Yes, I have much to do and so little time. I can't afford to delay any longer," Aarav replied."Well then, we won't take up any more of your precious time. Please, allow me to drive you," Galen said, understanding the urgency in Aarav's expression. He bowed and gestured towards the car that had just arrived, opening the back seat door for Aarav with a respectful gesture."Alright," Aarav nodded, accepting the offer without much thought."Before we head to the airport, I need you to stop at the newly built church," Aarav instructed as Galen started the car.The newly built church stood on the site of a small old temple. Previously, the temple was too small and cramped