............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
............At the same time, In Capital, Eldoria City.“What... how bold of them!” Pope Aurelius stood in the Sacred Temple, livid upon hearing the news about Amberdale City.“When did this happen? What is the current situation in Amberdale City? And what about Archbishop Deniel?” he demanded, his gaze blazing as he looked at Isolde Moonshroud, who had brought the news moments ago.“It’s been more than half a day, and we are unsure of the current situation. We lost communication with the people I arranged, so my guess is the situation is way out of control. I can’t say for certain that Archbishop Deniel is safe!” Isolde replied, her words filled with concern.Isolde Moonshroud was certain the situation was already precariously dire. Her men were not ordinary; she had selected the elite. After training they had gone through from the last setback, her men were stronger than ever. If they had fallen against these foreign forces, it told her everything about how formidable their enemie
............As Isolde and her team descended towards Amberdale, the sight below was grim and foreboding. The once serene landscape was now shrouded in smoke and chaos. Fires raged in scattered patches across the city, casting an eerie glow against the night sky. The buildings that once stood, made from mud and stone, were now reduced to rubble, some still smoldering with embers."This is bad. Everyone, get ready. Use the defensive half-Divine tool we prepared for this occasion and jump down in groups of five. Keep me updated on your situation. Understood?" Isolde Moonshroud looked at the city, realizing they had underestimated the damage done by the foreign enemies.She shouted towards the 60 people, including herself, instructing them on what to do after jumping down, as the plane wouldn't be landing anywhere in the forest.Amberdale didn't have a completely open sky. A large tree in the middle of the city, with its vines wrapped around the city walls, cast shadows over the area.
............"Booommn....Whoosh...!!"A large crater formed at the center where Aarav, Roland, and Brian landed, their immense physical power allowing them to drop from a height of 200 meters unscathed. The Cultist Leader watching them felt his scalp tingle and his body tense, but he maintained his crazy smile."Whoosh!" Aarav made a simple swipe in front of him, instantly clearing away the dust and debris, revealing the devastated city before them."This is...!" Roland and Brian were expecting it, but seeing the destruction firsthand reminded them of the tragedy of their own city, making their expressions grim and filled with rage."Keep your cool. Don't charge in recklessly. We need to secure the citizens first if they are still alive," Aarav said in a calm tone, despite feeling his blood boil with rage. He felt the bloodlust directed at him and turned his gaze toward the man in the black robe, only his head visible."Alright, spread out and help secure the citizens. If anyone gets
............"Craaack....Booommn...!!" Finally, with a shattering sound, the portal collapsed, the dark energy dissipating into nothingness. Aarav fell to his knees, exhausted but relieved.The Cultist Leader lay on the ground, defeated and broken. He looked up at Aarav with a mix of fear and anger. "This isn’t over," he hissed. "You can’t stop what’s coming."Aarav met his gaze with a cold, icy look. "You won’t have to care when you're already dead," he said, before delivering a final, decisive blow to the Cultist Leader, ending the threat once and for all."Huffff... I am still not strong enough. A single bastard was able to make me breathless...!!" As the dust settled, Aarav took a moment to catch his breath.The battle wasn't over, as he knew there were more of these cultists. He just hoped they weren’t as strong as this one; otherwise, they would be fighting a losing battle."Sigh... I have other crazy bastards to deal with," Aarav muttered as he walked away with unsteady steps.