Javic delightfully hummed as they watched the situation unfold before them. Humans were always the more exciting species to play with as they were the most emotional when it came to these moral dilemmas. Before the cloaked demon could leap after David and Stella, Javic raised its hand, forcefully halting it as an external pressure pressed down against its body.

The cloaked demon struggled to escape Javic's hold as their eyes locked onto each other. A sudden stillness overcame it. Javic's eyes bore into the cloaked demon with a chilling intensity that gnawed at its soul. The cloaked demon shook uncontrollably from Javic's sight as it felt helpless before the monster in front of it. As if obeying an unspoken command, the demon immediately knelt out of instinct, dropping one knee onto the clay tiles.

"Hmm..." Javic glanced at the children who were unconscious in the air. It was an unappealing and tedious development, but there was a contract to fulfill.

Only those with radiant souls caught Javic's attention in this colorless world. While mana was the manifestation of the world, aura was the manifestation of one's soul. The children before Javic were loved by the world but dull. Pieces of a puzzle that lacked substance. Javic gestured at the cloaked demon with its index finger, beckoning for it to draw closer. In response, the cloaked demon rose from its spot and positioned itself behind Javic, guarding the children and its master. With soft steps, Javic quietly hummed as they made their way toward the cultist's hideout. A feeling of disappointment dwelled in the back of Javic's mind as their time on this plane drew closer to its end.

.

.

.

Arthur stayed close to the mossy stone wall as they quietly walked down the waterway. Currently, Mark and Cain were leading the way as they were the ones in the best state. While Paul and Welt were recovering their stamina in the back. Arthur could feel his shoulders grow heavy as fatigue built up throughout his body. To maintain a low presence, they decided to conserve their mana, aura, and divinity so that no one would spot them from afar.

At the upcoming intersection, Mark knelt down and gestured for everyone to follow his actions. They were all lined up behind Mark as he signaled for Cain to take the lead. Thankfully, Arthur's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, as they had been wandering through the sewers for nearly an hour.

Carefully leaning around the corner, Cain blankly stared at a figure wearing a stone mask and black hood, who stared back. In an instant, Cain punched the figure straight in the face before throwing them into a headlock and pulling them back. Seeing this, Mark kicked the figure's stomach and began stomping on them.

"Fuck guys! It's me!" The figure cried out as Cain and Mark continued to beat them. "Stop! Remember what we're fighting for!"

The sudden cries were familiar as Cain and Mark stopped and looked at each other. With one hand, Mark removed the mask, revealing Tucker's hazelnut hair and eyes. They all stared at Tucker, who awkwardly smiled at them, but Mark swiftly smacked him on the back of his head before he could speak.

"Fucking asshole," Tucker grumbled as they released him.

"My bad, it's been a long day," Mark tiredly said, smirking. "I couldn't help myself."

Tucker stared behind Cain and Mark and noticed Arthur happily waving at him. In pure disbelief, Tucker called out, "Arthur?"

"The one and only," Arthur proudly replied.

"No, why are you here?!" Tucker asked while glaring at the others, who were all back to kneeling close to the wall. His gaze froze on Paul, who immediately broke eye contact.

"It was the Captain's idea." Paul curled his mustache and avoided the fierce glares from Tucker.

"God dammit, Carl..." Tucker took off the hooded cloak and tossed it to the ground. "I was going to inform Carl about what's happening down here, but if you guys are here...then everything is already set in motion."

"So what exactly is going on?" Welt asked while huddling closer to Tucker.

Slowly, they gathered around Tucker, who took out a notebook beneath his black cloak. Removing what was left of his disguise. The stone mask fell on top of the hooded cloak, and after opening the book, a series of complex diagrams and drawings scribbled on each page came into sight.

"Oh fuck is this the map?" Mark asked as Tucker skimmed through the book.

"Yeah, it's beyond complex. The sewers expand throughout the entire town, but what's really puzzling is that parts of it have been shifted to something else," Tucker said as he turned the page to a drawing of an extensive set of tunnels beneath the sewers.

"Impossible. They wouldn't have been able to do this without the cleaners noticing," Paul said while stroking his chin.

"Normally, yes. But it's a different story if they were the cleaners." Tucker glanced at the discarded cloak and mask and said, "Whoever's the mastermind behind this must have been planning it for a long time."

"Fucking hell, and they choose now out of all times to execute their plan." Mark frowned before picking up his spear and asked, "What are those fuckers after?"

"No clue, I didn't get that far. I only know where the ritual is taking place," Tucker replied, pointing at a large chamber in the center of the page.

"I guess we're stopping the ritual then." Arthur's words caused everyone to look at him. Mixed reactions surfaced from each one of them. Their armor was tattered at certain parts, and their resources were diminished.

Paul stared at Tucker and asked, "Do we have a chance?"

Tucker dryly coughed as their attention fell on him. He closed the book and gave it to Welt. "Well...it's not zero if that's the answer you're looking for."

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Welt dejectedly sighed as he flipped through the pages, looking for any hints about what they were up to. He slowly backed away from the conversation to focus.

"Let me be more transparent. How many of us would die if we tried to stop the ritual?" Paul asked.

"We'll probably all die," Tucker answered. "There's undead, demons, and cultists all lurking around like pests. We could probably kill a few of them, but not all."

The firmness in Tucker's voice caused them to all fall silent. It wasn't what they wanted to hear, but now they knew there was a chance to succeed, so they had to attempt to stop the ritual. Even though it was hard to admit at times, Cronia was their home, and it was their duty to protect it. They bonded with the town's ambiance and shared many memories with the citizens. They turned toward Arthur, who was relatively new to their group. Awkwardly, they glanced at each other, hinting at one of them to say something.

At this point, their team consisted of three aura users who were roughly ranked four in mastery. A third-circle apprentice mage, a battle priest, and one rank-five aura user. Losing Arthur would significantly impact their combat power, but asking him to risk his life wasn't fair.

Cain broke the silence and asked, "Arthur, are you sure you want to come with us? Since Tucker has mapped out this area, you can probably escape while we deal with this."

"Sure, why not." Arthur's reply nearly caused Cain to fall over, and upon seeing this, Arthur chuckled. "We're a team, so if we face death, we'll face it together."

"I can't tell if he's an idiot or brave..." Welt sighed while standing up. He took a sip from the blue potion he pulled from his pouch before tossing it to the ground. With his blue robe, Welt wiped off the excess liquid from the corner of his lips.

"Kind of expected that one," Tucker said as he wore his triangular leather hat. He then stood up and waved at them to follow him. Now that they were all on the same page and knew the risks, it was Tucker's job to guide them to the location of the ritual.

"It's worse; he's both." Mark walked behind Tucker but couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"No, no, Mark, obviously it's the latter!" Paul proudly said as he curled his mustache. He tightened the straps that held his iron chestplate together and dusted off his beige pants. "Let's see what we can do."

The tunnel's rigid walls slowly changed into smooth stone tiles, and the sewer water that flowed down the tunnel's center drained off to separate pathways. Arthur covered his nose as the smell of blood intensified. It was sickening to the point where it felt palpable. While the other guards kept their composure, Arthur struggled with the familiar smell as his head throbbed. From the side, Paul tapped Arthur's shoulder as a warm sensation traveled through his body and lessened the headache.

"What are they trying to do with the ritual?" Arthur quietly asked as he followed Tucker.

"Maybe summon something. Those freaks always want to try and bring something to this world," Cain sarcastically said.

Welt carefully flipped through the pages where Tucker recorded the symbols he saw from the ritual. "To be honest, you're not entirely wrong."

"Hot damn!" Cain excitedly said, slapping his thigh with one hand while holding his spear with the other.

He happily stared at the others, who covered their faces with their palms. Even Tucker, taking the lead for the group, looked over his shoulder and glared at him. The disapproving gazes caused Cain's figure to slowly shrink as he made his way to the back of the group.

"Your brain must really be fucking smooth, in case you forgot we're in the heart of enemy territory," Mark angrily whispered.

"My bad..." Cain quietly mumbled.

"You idiot..." Welt muttered as Cain moved past him.

Arthur lightly nudged Cain, making him glance up from the floor. With an encouraging smile, he softly said, "It's okay, Cain, I would have done the same if I were you."

"Arthur, not now." Paul scolded and held a finger before his lips as Arthur nodded. Before they knew it, Tucker had a fist out to the side, signaling them to remain still.

They all knelt down as they reached the end of the tunnel. Their shadows were low, and as they peered over the ledge, they could see a bright source of light from below. In front of them was a vast cylinder-shaped room that descended roughly a hundred meters into the depths of the world. Looking around, countless wooden scaffolds were assembled along the end of each tunnel, with ladders reaching the bottom or other wooden platforms.

At the bottom of the open chamber, numerous torches were set ablaze around a magic circle pulsing with a crimson glow. A flesh-like cocoon was in the center, beating like a frantic drum that sent shockwaves into the air. Several hooded figures surrounded the circle, chanting an unholy scripture unfamiliar to the guards. Their fanatic worshipping filled them with unease as they watched from above, clueless about what to do.

"What in the fuck is this?" Mark quietly asked.

"I know right? These guys are better than the town's construction workers," Cain mumbled under his breath with a hint of admiration.

"Well, I was skeptical about the cleaners being a part of it, but after seeing this open space, I can see why." Paul rubbed the back of his neck with his hand before noticing Tucker's smug look and frowned. "Rub it in later, alright?"

"Fine, fine. Just wait till we're done. I never want to hear you ever doubt me again." Tucker's broad grin made Paul's eye slightly twitch. Savouring the moment, Tucker asked, "Welt, what else did you figure out from the symbols?"

"Besides the standard sacrificing people to summon a demon, it seems like the quality of the ingredients is the most important," Welt answered while skimming through the notebook's contents. "So far, it seems like people with high innate mana capabilities, but there's no one...like...that..."

Welt's words slowly trailed off as his gaze fell onto Arthur, causing him to tilt his head. If Arthur was able to use aura at such a young age then what about his siblings? They never bothered to check if they had any other talents because they were children, but the possibility was there. In fact, Welt was the only one who could reliably confirm their mana capabilities since he was the most knowledgeable in the field, but he never did. A feeling of dread crawled under Welt's skin as his hands trembled.

"No...I'm overthinking. They're safe with the Captains there," Welt told himself in a calm voice to keep his composure. "How would they even infiltrate our base anyway? It's impossible without causing a commotion."

"Welt, what's wrong?" Cain hurriedly asked as beads of sweat fell from Welt's forehead. His words, which became a jumbled mess, caught the attention of all the guards as they clenched onto their weapons and slightly pulled back from the edge of the tunnel.

As Welt was in disarray, a figure emerged out of the tunnel across form them. Their charred hair, torn skin around their jawline, and sinister grin made Welt quiver. After all, how could he forget the appearance of the demon they encountered in the slums. Soon, the other guards followed Welt's gaze and stared at the demon before them. A series of mixed expressions crossed their faces. Some were startled by the sudden figure, and others were on full alert. Carefully planning their next steps.

However, Arthur's expression grew dark as his eyes drifted toward the two children suspended behind Javic. His blood boiled, and every muscle in his body coiled with a sensation of rage that he had never experienced before. Seeing Claire and Raphael motionless as the black aura firmly held onto them made him assume the worst.

The overwhelming surge of frustration that swelled inside him was like a volcano that erupted as Arthur furiously shouted at the top of his lungs. "You bastard!"

Javic gazed at the tunnel the guards were in, and their grin broadened with unbelievable joy. Excitedly, Javic horrifically called out as their shadow spread through the stone walls, "Young one!"