A heavy darkness spread out from the center of the temple, eroding blessed marble wherever it passed. Walls crumbled. Staircases cracked. The temple's pillars, which were still in perfect condition despite the passing centuries, lost their luster. Little by little, the temple's holy aura was suppressed by the growing cloud of corruption.

A direct result of this conflict was a sharp decrease in the Temple's protection. Weaker heroes fell to their knees screaming, while others began attacking their close companions.

"Restrain them while I beseech help from Lord Hope!" Michael commanded. The archer retrieved a small altar from a golden necklace at his neck and placed a small heap of three-star demon cores atop it. "I beg Lord Hope, the Savior of Humanity, the Champion of the Downtrodden, the Light in the Darkness, for a boon! Please grant your humble servants Hope—Hope for victory and Hope for survival!"

White fire erupted from the altar and consumed the demon cores. It then split apart into 123 flames—one for each remaining member of their group—and chased away the maddening fog afflicting them. The heroes on their knees regained their senses, and those attacking their companions became lucid.

The fire didn't immediately disperse. Instead, it continued burning atop each hero like a beacon. Each beacon was tinted according to the grade of their soul-bound treasures. The weakest glowed light emerald, while the strongest contained a strand of gold.

"I have a few announcements to make," spoke Michael. "The first relates to Lord Hope's blessing. These flames have been granted to protect us all during this dire mission. As long as corruption exists in their vicinity to serve as fuel, they will not go out.

"These flames also have a group effect. The closer they are together, the stronger they will burn. This will prove useful in our climb to the central temple, where the Source of Corruption has been sealed."

"I don't care about this stupid trial!" yelled one of the wounded heroes. His leg was injured, and as it was, he could barely stand. "I want to go back home. Send us back!"

Michael's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly composed himself. "Unfortunately, this brings me to the next announcement. Due to the changes in the temple and the sudden increase in corruption, the spatial anchor granted to me by the administrator has lost functionality."

"I don't believe you!" said the same man. "If you're not willing to activate the portal, then leave it here. We'll do it ourselves!"

"If that is what you wish, then I will do so," said Michael. He took out a golden statue and walked to the center of their group and placed it out of the ground. "Go ahead. Activate it."

The man limped over and hurriedly poured silver mana into the statue. His expression grew ugly when his attempts at activating it failed. "You're lying. You're lying!"

Michael placed his hand on the shivering man's shoulder. A healing current spread throughout his body and somewhat alleviated his leg's condition. "I know you're hurt. I know you're scared. Only a fool wouldn't be frightened in such a situation.

"But it's the same for all of us. Every single individual here is in the same boat. The only way out that I know of is for us to restore the seal on the Source of Corruption. Only then will we be able to activate the portal home."

His heartbeat is irregular. He's lying, thought Sorin. But his words have rallied the weaker individuals present and firmed their hearts against Madness. Michael is also not someone who throws away lives needlessly; perhaps the flames' interaction effect is required to make it into the central temple.

"Hope was requested, and Hope was given," continued Michael. "Individually, we are but scattered flames, but together, we burn brightly. There is no longer a need for the weakest among us to fight—that duty now falls to us, God Seeds, and the silver-ranked heroes just beneath us.

"What I need from you all instead is your fullest efforts. I need you to push through the darkness and climb as you can. These 123 flames support each other by means of proximity. That means that the further the weakest of you manage to travel, the more support you'll be able to lend those who continue up the temple steps."

Michael then nocked a golden arrow and fired it towards the central temple. Golden runes lit up wherever it passed. It was clear to Sorin now that this temple uniquely resonated with Michael. It was, more likely than not, the fallen Temple of Apollo. "Our path to salvation lies ahead!" shouted Michael. "Onward! To victory!"

Sorin let out a sigh as he followed behind Michael. Charles looked equally grim and skeptical but did not express his doubts. The higher-level teams, including Sorin's team, exchanged knowing looks.

"Is it just me, or is that a little conv—"

"Shut up, Lawrence," said Gareth.

"What I mean is that—"

"Please be quiet," said Stephan. "Half the people here are on their last legs, and sewing doubt is the last thing we need."

"There is some truth to Michael's words," added Astley. "These flames are all connected. Moreover, the power of these small flames is not to be underestimated. Hope for survival is a powerful force, after all."

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Sorin gave Daphne a sidelong glance. "Aren't you going to chime in like everyone else?"

A smile tugged on the corner of Daphne's lips. "I don't see you speaking up. Moreover, I don't believe smart individuals like the administrator didn't see all this coming. Plans within plans are unfolding. I'd hate to undo all their efforts."

Sorin agreed with her assessment. Whether it was Administrator Pollen's lack of surprise at Melinoë's betrayal or the sudden appearance of an altar to Lord Hope and a small fortune in three-star demon cores, it was obvious that the administrator had prepared multiple contingencies.

"I'm reluctant to comment as well because I still don't understand everyone's ultimate goals," said Sorin. "It's become clear that the Pandoran Government and Lord Hope all have a hand in these arrangements. Our opponent this time isn't just Delphi's curse and Melinoë—it's the arrangements left behind by at least two of the Seven Evils before humanity reclaimed Delphi.

The Temple of Apollo was much larger than the Temple of Asclepius. It even included sub-temples that Sorin now recognized as belonging to Apollo's many children. They numbered over fifty, and five, including Asclepius, had eventually become deities. Each of these individuals had a shrine dedicated to their worship.

As they'd previously seen in the Temple of Asclepius, each of these sub-temples also had idols. Like Asclepius's idol, they were defaced and unrecognizable. What's more, Sorin could feel his memories of the idols fading away even without the effects of Historical Amnesia.

Fortunately, things proceeded as Michael described. There were no traps or creatures preventing them from ascending. The only obstacle was the mounting corruption, which soon brought ten of their weakest heroes, those with emerald-tinted wishfire, to a halt.

"We can't continue," said one of them apologetically. "All we can do is stay here and support you from afar."

"You mean to stay here and wait for this temple to eat us—"

"Shut up!" said the speaker. "This is as far as we go, Michael. We will remain here and await retrieval."

"I thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you—" Michael cut off as Sorin descended the temple steps and made his way toward the individual who'd spoken.

"Do you wish to continue, Alvin?" Sorin said, halting in front of the speaker. Alvin wasn't from a powerful clan and had clawed his way to the top through sheer effort.

Alvin smiled wistfully. "Unfortunately, I'm aware that my potential is limited."

Sorin's eyes swept across the man's body. "Your potential isn't just limited to emerald bones, Alvin. With the number of meridians you've opened, Saphire bones are possible. I can open them for you if you wish."

"Although I do wish it, I've yet to accumulate enough silver light," said Alvin, shaking his head. "Using such a valuable treatment on me would be a waste of—"

He cut off as 206 needles stabbed into his body and injected him with poison. His emerald bones shattered, and his strength doubled as sapphire bones lit up beneath them.

"I—"

"Words are unnecessary," said Sorin. "Payment equally so. We're all in this together. Our flames support one another based on proximity, and we all must do our best."

He then looked at the remaining nine individuals. "Four of you can advance, if you wish. Speak now if you are opposed to receiving a Saphire Unsealing. I won't lie to you—there is a tiny risk of failure and regression—but I assure you that no one in the Kepler Clan will have a better success rate than I."

Whether it was because of the God Light he gave off or his status as a high-ranking member of the Kepler Clan, no one voiced any objections. Sorin immediately used Nemesis to deliver the Saphire Unsealing Tincture stored in his blood to unleash their hidden potential.

"Saphire is, unfortunately, the limit for you all," Sorin continued once their treatment was complete. "This is because none of you opened enough meridians before breaking through to Bone-Forging. I hope those of you who just broke through can accompany us a little farther. This will require very little effort on your part and will help the rest of us immensely."

Five heroes remained behind, but 118 advanced. This was all despite the fact that five of them only had emerald flames. They managed another fifty steps before stopping along with another twenty cultivators, who now looked at Sorin with fiery eyes.

"Unfortunately, only eight of you qualify for a Ruby Unsealing," said Sorin. "Speak now if you wish to refuse treatment." As before, none refused. Twelve cultivators joined those who'd reached the limits of their potential, but eight proceeded on with the remainder of the group, their sapphire flames much brighter than before despite not having advanced a grade.

So, this is what Hope is, thought Sorin as their group continued their ascent. It wasn't just the ones with unlocked potential whose flames were growing brighter, but the group. The elevation of the few served to fuel the hopes of the many. If they could advance, then logically, so could anyone else.

The same process repeated itself with ruby-grade heroes. One individual from the sapphire-grade batch even qualified for a bronze unsealing.

Twenty-one individuals advanced, and eventually, they, too, were forced to stop. Of those with bronze bones, five were able to use the Silver Bone Cracking Tincture to attain silver bones and undergo a heroic awakening, bringing the total number of silver-tier heroes and God Seeds to nineteen.

Soon, the steps could take them no further. The group of nineteen stopped before an empty chasm. "We've reached the final staircase," said Michael. "Proceed with caution."

"Staircase?" interrupted Lawrence. "If you want to jump down a cliff, you can go ahead, but I think I'll stay right up here."

Sorin, however, looked at the chasm thoughtfully. "I believe I saw the missing steps at Administrator Pollen's residence. I take it he lent them to you, Michael?"

Michael answered the question by holding out his golden pendant and dumping out a large stone slab. It fell until it hit the bottom, bringing it a single foot above their current elevation. "The Temple of Apollo was one of the few parts of Delphi that remained intact after humanity reclaimed the city," he explained as he took out successive steps leading up the chasm. "Unfortunately, the was corrupted. The entire city had to be sealed, including the temple, and only these steps and the main temple entrance were preserved.

"Due to the uniqueness of our bloodline, it falls to the Pollen Clan to replenish the seal during every Shrine Descent. In truth, it would normally fall to a hero or God Seed from the Pollen Clan to ascend alone. To have three God Seeds and thirteen two-star heroes make it this far is unprecedented."

He gave Sorin a meaningful look. "Perhaps it is a sign of changing times. A sign of Hope rekindled. Either way, I am pleased with this development and Hope as many of us as possible can make it into the sealing chamber.

"Now, watch yourselves. The pressure will now mount drastically with every step climbed. Pushing yourself to your limits is not advice because, unlike before, those who fail to resist will be taken by the darkness."