?
Initially, Alex had devised a plan to weed out the weaker members of the evil organisation, aiming to assert his presence and instil fear within the lower ranks. He intended to keep the evil organisation on edge, their nerves wrought with tension.
However, the consequences of his actions swiftly escalated, resembling a chain reaction of falling dominos. With each encounter, he found himself facing increasingly formidable adversaries.
Standing before him was a formidable force far beyond his ability to eliminate.
From what he understood, even with the combined effort of all the warriors willing to battle, it would be impossible to beat the elder and his three monsters.
"Sigh!" Alex exhaled heavily, his hand instinctively reaching up to massage his temples. He acknowledged that he was the catalyst behind this chaotic situation. So, he had a responsibility to save the people who were gathered to watch the show. And this thought was causing him to have a headache.
Reluctantly, he stowed away the last of his snacks and folded up the chair, returning them to his inventory. Brushing off the sand from his robes and shoes, he walked gingerly towards the crowd.
Within the crowd, the majority were comprised of individuals lacking strength and combat skills. Many were mere onlookers, drawn to the scene out of curiosity rather than being seasoned warriors. Despite the fury burning in their eyes, they hesitated to intervene in the unfolding battle.
Casting uncertain glances, tinged with both fear and apprehension, they observed Alex as he approached them, clad in a pristine white robe dyed with blood. Although his actions appeared to be in defence of the city, they remained ignorant of his true identity, leaving them with lingering reservations and doubts.
When Alex was just tens of feet away from them. He took some metallic cards and jotted down some runes on them. The inscription contained readable words in the common language.
After that, he threw the card towards the crowd.
"Swish…" The cards flew to the crowd gently. A few warriors quickly caught them. They didn't what purpose it had. However, they quickly noticed the words and began reading them.
'*From me.*'
Baffled by the cryptic nature of the words inscribed on the cards, the warriors found themselves perplexed as to the purpose behind such writings. It seemed that the cards offered no tangible information or meaningful insights. Nevertheless, undeterred by their lack of understanding, they continued to read, while nearby onlookers curiously attempted to catch glimpses of the mysterious content.
'*To the people of Thira who are crowding near the battle.*'
Simultaneously, the thought crossed the minds of the warriors: Could this be a letter? Was the white-robed individual attempting to convey a message or provide them with important information? The notion lingered, leaving them intrigued and eager to uncover the purpose behind the enigmatic words scrawled on the cards.
'*Subject: You are dead.*'
Collectively, a surge of defiance surged through their thoughts. "Not us. You are the one who is dead," they silently rebuked the white-robed figure. The shared sentiment echoed among them as they nodded while looking up at each other.
'*Dear, Corpse to be,
I strongly advise you to vacate the premises promptly. The elder, accompanied by his three loyal minions, is poised to launch an imminent assault. Those who genuinely value their lives should seize this moment to make a hasty exit. Should you survive this ordeal, I kindly request that you extend my benevolent warning to your acquaintances, friends, and family, emphasising my goodwill in providing this crucial information.*'
'*Sincerely, me.*'
The crowd was thrust into a state of panic as the letter abruptly concluded with its seemingly unserious, almost joking-like tone. The lightheartedness of the words did little to alleviate their anxiety, instead intensifying their sense of urgency and alarm.
If what the white-robed man said was true, they were the most in danger. Most of the strong warriors could run away to escape. But what about the rest of them?
Of course, they would die.
Meanwhile, some individuals within the crowd did not take Alex's words seriously. They had already endured the onslaught of the black-robed assailants in the past, leading them to question why they should fear an elder and his small group of minions. How could just four Tier-4 warriors possibly stand against the roughly twenty Tier-4 warriors gathered around them? This line of thinking instilled within them a false sense of security.
Reacting swiftly, a vast majority of the crowd heeded Alex's warning and hurriedly made their escape, acknowledging the imminent danger. However, there were still a few who remained unaware of the impending threat, oblivious to the peril that loomed just beyond their perception and decided to stay.
Despite being aware of the unconcerned individuals in the crowd, Alex remained unperturbed by their lack of response. The weaker ones had already fled, and he was confident that once the remaining spectators witnessed the ferocity of the impending battle, they would instinctively seek safety. Regardless of how seemingly ridiculous his letter may have sounded, it had fulfilled its purpose of issuing a warning. This realisation brought a sense of relief to Alex, knowing that he had done his part to alert and protect those who were willing to heed his message.
—
Kalina was the first to activate her spirit guardian possession state once she witnessed the elder kill his tribesman.
Ice wings materialised around as she observed the elder and his minion in detail. She quickly noticed his and his subordinate's peculiarity. The energy they were releasing outwards forced her to remember what happened to the first elder of her tribe.
Their energy resonated eerily similar to that of the first elder when he succumbed to madness, transforming into a monstrous entity.
The first elder was also a tier 4 warrior. According to the information she received from Alex, she knew that he had a lump of flesh that wriggled like a worm inside his body. And that was the source of his power.
The first elder transformed into a monster because of his inability to rein in control over the thing inside his body.
The same could happen for the elder and his minions. This thought shook Kalina to the core.
Last time, She ran away from the danger like a coward to save her sister. In that situation, a tier 5 beast luckily appeared to save Meru, Taka and Ethan. But there was no tier 5 warrior in Thira currently. The patriarch of the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe was already dead. So, no one in the city could fight against them.
Fear and shame washed over her as she looked at the elder. So, she decisively activated her spirit guardian possession state.
In one way or another, she was responsible for the things that were happening. She needs to stand up to save the people. And knowing that Alex, the white-robed man nearby gave her enough confidence to activate her spirit guardian possession state.
If something were to happen, he might help her. That was her belief.
After powering up for the battle, Kalina explained to the tier 4 warriors around her about the thing she witnessed. And the majority chose to believe in her.
"So, how can we kill them without letting them go berserk and turn into a monster?" A warrior from the void fish tribe asked.
"We can't. They will go berserk and we will have to deal with them in that form." Kalina replied.
And her answer alarmed the warriors. This prompted one of the warriors from a scattered tribe to ask.
"Can we let him leave peacefully? The elder already knows about his situation. We know his identity and he will have to go into hiding after the mess he caused. If we let him leave peacefully, wouldn't he choose that option over fighting against us?"
The words spoken by the man made sense. It quickly captured everyone's attention. Even Kalina had to give in this time. She couldn't ask others to sacrifice their life even when she was not ready to do the same.
However, the elder who heard this from afar didn't give them any more time to think. He had enough of them. He had grown weary of their interference, which had disrupted his meticulously crafted schemes. Determined not to let them slip away, he aimed to make them taste the anguish that comes from crossing his path.
Taking his sword, he stabbed the back of his minions. And they welcomed the blade without a change in their expression. As if they knew what was about to happen, they prepared themselves.
The sword stabbed right through their body to their chest. A river of blood splurted through their open would.
This made the mana inside their body run amok and their consciousness dim. The tiny worm inside their body made use of this chance to grow at a rapid pace.
"Splurr…." Dark red blood spewed as their body convoluted. Bones broke and enlarged and their muscles multiplied by the second.
After their consciousness dimmed, the thing inside the body began to consume them while they are alive. Their body began to transform into monsters right before Kalina's eyes.
This series of events shocked everyone. The elder had killed his people to create a monster that could attack the city.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om